MEComposing

A domain is your blog address. So it has to be easily remembered and easily connected to you. If you're registering for one for your online business, it also has to be easily connected with your particular kind of business. Ambiguity may cost you traffic and business, and therefore, cash inflow.

It's really a great thing that domain registration is very easy nowadays. Of course, you have to do your research first, make sure you've compared features, prices and quality of support being offered. Can you easily contact them for questions? Is there a 24/7 call support? Is transfer of blog content, for example, included in the package or not? Is it their policy to remind you of renewals, offers, maintenance checks and down times?

Registering for your own domain is also usually tied up with web hosting, and usually the same concerns apply. The most important thing is that you know your particular target audience and the purpose of your site, so you will also know your requirements. When you know what your needs are, the more you will also know what to ask of your provider.

It used to be that when you run out of cash, you borrow from loan sharks or lenders. Or neighbors. And of course, relatives. Or dip in your savings (as in withdraw money from the bank, or literally break the piggy bank. Or sell your carabao. Or your land. And your house. And the pigs, chickens and goat.

And then banks and credit cards came to our rescue. Pawnshops too. So now we could pawn old coins, heirloom jewelries, land titles. We could also exchange gift certificates for cash.

Thanks to progress and the internet, our means to augment our purchasing power has been expanded. Now, there are sites offering cash advance and payday loans, sites that you can trust. TrustSource.Org is a mine of information, listing sites that are dependable, that offer the best terms, that provide a variety of options.

Some even offer confidential cash loans! It's really the perfect guide for those looking to augment their cash-on-hand for emergencies and must-buys (because they're on big discount!).

or should I have entitled this, THE TALE OF THREE GIRLS?

Girl A is my cousin's child out of wedlock, one who i've sort of doted on. Mainly because she was a close cousin's illegitimate child and I felt sorry for her.

My cousin used to tell me to just adopt her. See, he's unable to support her because he's basically supported by his wife, and they have three kids. And A's Mom ended up marrying another unemployed guy. So A ended up having four siblings and no proper family. She lives with her Mom but sleeps with her grandma. And of course, she's living poorly.

I didn't adopt her because, first, I knew her Mom wouldn't allow it. Plus, I didn't think it right to just get someone else's child when her parents are actually able to fend for her. It's not like they were teenagers when they had her. It's not like they're physically unable too. But her parents were stupid, instead of finishing their studies, they opted for quick fixes and then, marriages because of a pregnancy.

Like what I said, I doted on her. But I am now a SAHM without a steady salary. Plus, I shamefully admit that I always wonder if A gets to enjoy the money I give her sometimes. Like I said, they're poor and she has a younger sister. I know i'm sort of negating my generosity but still, if I save money for A's tuition and allowance, I really won't appreciate it being used for other things. So I give A things instead that she alone will use, and when I have more disposable cash, I send her home with milk and juice and chocolates which she can share with her siblings and cousins (btw, they live with her mom's other siblings and their kids too).

At age 11, it actually breaks my heart that she doesn't even have computer classes because she goes to a public school.

Girl B is another cousin's child. She has another sibling but her parents are at least together. They're also poor. B sometimes even gets me feeling guilty (unintentionally) because she's my godchild while A is not, yet I dote on A more. Anyway... I only just found out that a cousin of mine once proposed to B's parents that they'd support B, if B lives with their siblings. B's Mom wouldn't have it, saying that even if they only had salt and rice to eat, then that's what they'll have so long as they stay together.

The problem is... well, they're poor and sometimes even have to eat just that. My cousins found another child to raise and they're officially adopting this child now and having her live with them in Australia.

And at age 9, B has been diagnosed to be diabetic.

I cried over this matter with hubs. On one hand, I feel so bad for having stopped work and thus not that able to help. On the other hand, I really shouldn't feel guilty about the choices i've made and the life i've planned for myself. The life I am enjoying now. And it isn't my obligation to provide for my cousins' kids.

Still, I wonder...

Should I have just pushed for it and raised A? Would she be a happier, more confident child? Should I not have worried about how she'd feel being raised by someone else while her parents raised her siblings? Should my cousin have given up his daughter instead to be raised by our more financially-able cousins? It's not like the girls wouldn't have grown up not knowing their real parents anyway, since we're all in each other's lives... and since we're related by blood, the parents are somehow assured their child would be in good hands.

But then I look at B and see how brimming with confidence and sense of self she is, and wonder if she'd still be like that if she were raised by other people.

And then there's Girl C... my cousin's cousin's fifth child, I think, who my cousin adopted as her own. C lives with her, is fed and clothed by her, is sent to school by her. For all intents and purposes, she is now my cousin's child. Meanwhile, C's biological parents continued having kids, the youngest of whom is 3 years old (that's probably their ninth). They all live in the same compound and C does babysitting duties for her siblings.

Of course I don't ask her, but I wonder if she's thankful that my cousin got her from her poor, perpetually expectant, parents. Or does she feel resentful that she was given away while her parents had more kids?

What's wrong and right? Should children stay with their parents even if they can't, or won't, properly support them?

Top USA Online Casinos is a site offering the complete listing of top online gambling destinations.

The site is very navigable, with the online casino sites ranked according to the best of the best, complete with payouts, ratings and reviews. The reviews are a very special and important touch for players who are new to playing the usual poker and blackjack online. Reading it would allow you to compare sites in the least amount of time as it already gives you overall ratings for different factors (like security and customer support) and also tells you how many number of games they offer for each type of game (say, for Rushmore, they have fifteen slot games).

The site also has an easily noticeable ABOUT US and CONTACT links, in case a visitor has more questions or had some things needed to be verified.

I don't really gamble but I get how those who like playing such games would find this site very helpful. Plus, online game sites such as this allow a person to stay within the convenience of home.

Well, almost a decade.

I graduated from college March 20, 1998. At 4:00 PM. And no, my meory isn't that great. My friend's is, however.

And now we're trying to rally everybody for a reunion.

The problems are:
1) Nobody's responding to my ygroups invite. They prefer being texted.
2) Some have this hidden agenda of making it into an excursion of sorts. Some want it to be a family affair so they can bring in their kids. But they want exclusive out-of-town destinations while we have single friends without cars.
3) The date when everybody or most of us are free. We're even arguing between Saturdays or Sundays. Ugh.

Wish us luck!

Get paid to blog!

You can earn more in an hour than babysitting, and without the hassle of responsibility and drool too. And if you save your earnings, you can join the legions of my internet friends who have really benefitted from paid blogging. Now, they're able not just to augment the family income but actually shoulder the expense for a nifty gadget, for a lavish birthday bash (and I say lavish because the list of suppliers tend to remind you of a wedding suppliers' list), for a trip to Hongkong Disneyland (or island-hopping here in the Philippines) or just those awfully expensive crocs.

Of course, you have to build up traffic first in your blog, and then partner with a reliable site like Smorty who can connect you with legit advertisers. Blog advertising is the trend these days because it's the bloggers' voice that matter by bringing first-hand info to the internet.

Blogging for money isn't easy at first, but once you learn the ropes, it can be.

My gosh... I almost got an annulment after watching this film, only because I couldn't accept that I let JRA have me watch the film.

I fell asleep a couple of times but my son would wake up and cry... so I ended p finishing the whole friggin' flick. Ugh.

I'm sorry... I know the star won an Oscar (and it's really amazing to me that people got to notice his acting amidst the really, really, really boring movie) and maybe there are others out there who appreciated the movie, think it's a Classic and consider people like me who didn't like me as among those lacking in culture and whatever...

Still... that was a waste of two hours, I sh!t everybody not.

(and just in case visitors here are wondering why am suddenly on movie geek mode, do forgive me, but am only catching up... and what else is a sahm to do? hehe)

I can thank heavens for this Great Discovery: Zenni Optical :)

Zenni Optical $8 Rx Glasses are stylish prescription glasses you can get online. Because they sell their frames direct, they can afford to offer these prescription glasses at the lowest cost possible internationally. Yup, I said internationally. So whether you need single vision lens, or sunsensor lens or tinted sunglass lens for all your outdoor endeavors, or bifocal lens/progressive lens for really special requirements, they have it. OH and of course, the huge selection of frames assures everyone that they have something that will fit every client's personality.

Big frames usually go best with my face because of my big nose. Ahehe.

Anyway, note to self... Best thing found: Zenni Optical!

Once upon a time, my friends thought to surprise me with a birthday party at a billiards hall. That was my first time to ever play the game. And heck, I was really surprised that time.

I remembered that birthday when I stumbled upon Billiard Magic, where you can play 8-ball pool or 9-ball pool online. Their site is pretty navigable, everything takes fast to load and newbies can easily get support in their 'About Us' and 'Support' section. Also, it's in 3D so how cool is that?

I especially loved learning how to play snooker, since i'm not familiar with the game at all.

Times have really changed. I never imagined i'd be playing pool online but now I am!

This is an old-fashioned tub and comfort/shower room at the Samal White House, an old Moncadian Headquarters in the island of Samal, in Davao.

And if you're looking for old-fashioned ways to handle babies (that work), hope this helps :)

The movie P. S. I love you was partly shot in Ireland, with Hilary Swank's character's love interests both hailing from this glorious country. It was even strongly suggested there that you can't resist the charms of the Irish.

Ireland was also recently mentioned as one of the cleanest and greenest countries to live in (or was it number one actually?). So it wouldn't really be a surprise if people nowadays are making it into a top travel destination, with Ireland hotels being up for the challenge.

Ireland also offers a lot of romanticism for those on honeymoon, as it has many castles (like the one where Brave Heart was shot, Trim Castle) for people in love to visit. Dublin Hotels, Cork hotels and Belfast hotels all offer the traveller, whether seasoned or not, all the warmth the Irish is known for and all the conveniences one might want while away from home. They'd even offer you free extras and last-minute deals sometimes.

And if you're lucky, their luck might just rub off on you.

The Bucket List has veteran actors Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman playing classic Jack Nicholson (crazy passionate) and Morgan Freeman (cool and wise).

Absolutely loved the movie.

And it would be sooo cool to have loads of money to spend when you're given just several months more to live. Then again, will you have the attitude and energy to really squeeze in some more living in those days?

~*~

The Bucket List was started by Freeman's character, a list of things he'd do before he 'kicks the bucket'. Kick the bucket is a euphemism for 'to die'. I also thought the phrase originated from all those suicidal people hanging themselves and using a bucket to stand on, and then kicking it afterwards.

Well, it seems that's wrong. In England, 'The wooden frame that was used to hang animals up by their feet for slaughter was called a bucket. Not unnaturally they were likely to struggle or to spasm after death and hence 'kick the bucket'

*~*

I have not made my Bucket List yet. But ever since, my life goal was to 'affect a life for the better' which was why I wanted to become a mother, and I was attracted to teaching and counseling.

Anyway... I've danced many times like nobody's watching... and am loving my husband and son like i've never been hurt. I've sung like nobody's listening and like to believe that i'm living like it's heaven on earth. :)

Back in college, the top of the class was T, L and me. T and L were best friends while I was in a different peer group. I only really had a civil relationship with them till around the second sem of our fourth year.

It's not really because we were competing for top marks that we weren't close. It was more like our personalities clashed. They were studious, serious, even a little nerdy and bookish. T came from Manila Science High School, L came from Parañaque Science. I came from a Catholic school and didn't quite act like it.

I was loud, I really didn't do libraries, I was very outspoken. L was always quite sensitive and moody while T came off like Sharon Cuneta (you know, when Sharon's pretending as if nothing's wrong and she likes everyone so much?).

Anyway... we came from different planets and there was no point to really mingle. Until second sem of fourth year, that is, when L got depressed (as in literally skipping school depressed) and T fell in unrequited love... and I was the only one willing to comfort her. See, being half of the leader of their peer group (, of course, is the other half), her friends couldn't understand how affected she was, that she was human and could be weak... and hurt. And I reached out to her when I was giving away my customary quotations sharing (Oh, I was also the only one it seemed who could get her hands on the correct song lyrics of all those mushy songs we liked back then).

That was how friendship bloomed between us... and it bloomed very slowly. Through pen and paper, in fact, for we never really hung out in school. Then we found ourselves hanging out during the LET review. And then I found myself attending masteral subjects with them after college.

That's when we became friends really, when school was no more. But through time, most of those in our peer group vanished from our lives. But T and I, we just got all the more closer.

She was at my wedding, and I was at hers eventhough that was my husband's birthday and i've only given birth a month before. A week after, she was at my son's christening. And that's why I rushed to her side today and spent the afternoon just gabbing away, making her forget her worries for a while.

See, she found out she's pregnant yesterday... but the happiness was speedily overshadowed by fear because she also started spotting yesterday. She's been put on bedrest and the next two days are very critical for her, a diabetic, and her baby (who is around 5 weeks old).

I lent her my copy of What To Expect When You're Expecting book... and gave her many tips. I told her that the worst that can happen is she will miscarry this baby, but I made her promise that she won't forget how blessed she still has been.

Leaving her, I sort of wanted to cry, knowing how scared she must be, having been there before... and I just felt so much love for her. She has been one of the more constant things in life I could count on, and i'm really praying she will get to keep this baby.

Love you, T.

Slowly, I have been finding myself very much able to revive my net life. I am finding more hours to blog, am also able to go chatting again. Such bliss! I never knew I could enjoy these things again.

I love my net life. When friends weren't able to provide me their company in the gimmicks I wanted, and when they cannot provide the immediate adult conversation I needed while I was stagnating in my former job, there was the internet to turn to.

In free chat rooms and message boards, strangers became gimmick buddies, friends and teachers of life lessons. I had company, no matter what time of day, what day of the week. I found bosom buddies who also loved dancing. I found people to hang out with on Saturday nights. I found people to sound off ideas with, to consult in decision-making, to share stories with.

Heck, I found my husband in a chat room.

So now I can't help but smile and feel a little smug about those people who used to say that only losers are on the internet... because my stories will prove them wrong. And I am truly thankful that hubs understands why I am so into my internet friends, after all, our relationship bloomed from the same. Now, he's even friends with my internet friends. And it is quite funny to be reffering to people by peer group name or chat handle/monicker when he's getting confused.

Now, to establish a chatting routine.

If you don't have the heart yet to really go to a casino, you may want to try your hand on online slots Sloterix, like casino slots Sloterix. It's one of the oldest slots site in the net, offering a lot of interactive slots games.

Play slots Sloterix, with the site being pretty navigable, with links to an 'About Us' and 'Support' section to facilitate all visitors' questions and issues they may want to raise. Make sure to also click on the 'Slots Info' link because it is a mine of information, especially when you're just starting to learn about these games.

Back in September I think, I was gushing in anticipation over the fact that a chick lit I loved was made into a movie.

Well, i've seen the movie. And i'm not sure I liked it. Maybe it's because I really liked the book, despite the criticisms hurled at it. And I know few movies stay faithful to a book and maybe if I hand't read the book, i'd have found the movie okay.

But the movie was ok. But maybe a little forgettable too. They didn't quite manage to create the degree of history that the heroine supposedly has with the souse she lost, and her friends who saw her through.

Gerard Butler was handsome... and having seen 300, he's totally unserious here (but his love scenes in 300 were far more erotic).

I didn't know Harry Connick Jr. actually knew how to act... but he's pretty convincing.

And who would have thought Hilary Swank can actually look hot? She's always come across as masculine to me, but she reminded me of that girl from Coyote Ugly :)

But man oh man, is Jeffrey Dean Morgan just smoldering here? Ugh. How can anyone smile so beautifully? Just typing about him makes my knees buckle, hehe.

As a movie, you wouldn't have lost anything if you don't see this one. But see it for Morgan anyway... he's delicious and you get to see his butt.

I am contemplating on taking up a course about teaching and learning online. Computer-based trainings are big nowadays, and convenient too. Excel training, or PMP training can happen right at your living room (or wherever your computer is). If you have a laptop and have wifi, you can even beef up on your skills in cafes or at the mall.

That's great isn't it?

What's more, online courses are so varied nowadays that you can even brush up on your leadership skills via the internet. How cool is that?!

Not only is learning convenient, you get every chance to self-realize too.

When we are at my in-laws, we talk about trench coats and luggage and boots. Yes, we're just filled with my SIL's trip to France.

I am really envious. She'd get to see the Louvre. She'd get to rub noses with the rich, the artists, the scholars, the fashion icons. She can marvel at the Arch de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower and probably not even really appreciate the significance of these landmarks in history. She'd get to see the cafes that France secrets away in its alleys and backroads. She'd get to know firsthand what makes France tick, why it's the tourist capital of the world, why it's the top honeymoon destination, why it's opulent and rich and colorful.

Sigh. I want to travel to France.

Isn't it important to replace old sockets? :)

My hubs was surprised (and somehow slightly offended) that I haven't seen certain old classics... so he took it upon himself to enforce a movie marathon and have me watch the following:

scent of a woman
I can't say that the movie will be a favorite but my gosh, was Pacino great!!! I cannot even begin to imagine how he did it. I've only seen one other Pacino movie (the one with Robin Williams, Pacino was a mental case). Sigh. He was really great in this movie. Oh and even Chris O'Donnel was great there (he shouldn't have made the Batman movie, methinks, to be typecasted as Robin forevermore).

shawshank redemption
Hubs loves the movie and I loved it too. And yes, I was too affected by it, I lost sleep that night. Classic indeed. Now I also don't get how I could not have been curous about it.

Oh and I just know I wouldn't last in a prison.

cutting edge
Moira Kelly was soooo cute. Ugh.

300
ok... This isn't that old a movie. And now I get why there was the gayspeak review that circulated in e-mails about it. Totally sights for sore eyes!!!

It's not an uncommon scenario. Those who cannot manage their money or credit well sometimes end up up finding themselves knee-deep in debt.

That's where research comes in. There are a lot of bad credit offers out there and it's important that you weigh each offer so you can come up with a system that's really best for you. You don't have to stay in debt all your life or really miss other investments and opportunities, like an auto loan or a home loan.

Of course, you may have to lay easy on your credit cards for a while, maybe even give up one or two, until you land back on your feet again. But the important thing is, you will land back on your feet again.

You just have to have some help.

Did you know that sewage tastes sweet?

Now I semi-understand how rotten things can smell 'ripe' :)

And no, I didn't taste sewage. I did read one of Ambeth Ocampo's articles, "The Miracle of the Water and the Cross", and I quote:

Sometime during the term of William Howard Taft, a fisherman in Manila Bay found “bubbles like a crown of pearls… stretched upon tile surface of the sea.” He tasted the water and to his surprise, it was sweet!

Sweet water in the middle of the sea? The fisherman returned with a priest who promptly pronounced a miracle. People from nearby Tondo came in boats and saw bubbles form a cross. They took bottles of the sweet miraculous water home. Two days later, one of the cholera epidemics hit Tondo.

Dr. Victor Heiser (who later wrote a book about his "adventure" in the Philippines) went to the site to investigate the “miracle" and discovered that the bubbles and sweet water came from a busted sewage pipe! Kadiri (Gross!). People were actually drinking, or should I say gulping sewage water. Taft could not do anything because keeping the people from the "miracle" could provoke a revolt.

I am not absolutely sure if that was the case, but knowing the Filipino's penchant for anything supernatural, miraculous, etc... I wouldn't be surprised. I don't even know if it's a genetic characteristic, this willingness to surrender to the divine and unexplained. I hate to think we're just naturally stupid, even given the fact that we willingly elect convicted rapists and tolerate blatant corruption.

Or is that it, we're a nation of people who want immediate answers, which is why praying for and hoping for and banking on miracles is more convenient than working to make the positive changes that we are hoping and praying for? We gladly trade our votes for a kilo of rice, our bodies for new cellphones, our children's future to get-rich-quick schemes?

I guess it's fitting then... how sweet it is of us to be so trusting and full of hope, and yet, how rotten too that we believe we are not responsible for the good government we want for our country.

My sister has just texted that our Mom just hit their car on some post again. Good thing the car's insured.

Maybe I should also tell them to insure their home appliances, even get the services of American Home Shield for that matter. Considering that they're only new in America, AHS would relieve them of the usual hassles of getting appliances fixed when they break down. This way, they need only call one number (or e-mail AHS) instead of listing numerous ones for different services. Saves trouble and saves money too, since the company offers home warranty packages.

They're actually lucky that the U.S. is big on making things convenient for everyday living. All they have to do is know what options are available to them and not hesitate in using them.

If asked what my dream home looks like, i'd say it would be a big property, with a big house filled with spacious rooms, minimal furniture, with bay windows all over (or maybe even French doors) and a sprawling yard.

Yes, I want a big yard where kids can run about and where I can have late afternoon snacks with company. I want the house to be able to breathe so a yard all around would be a must. I want lots of flowers in yellow and orange, and also a lot of mints for their wonderful scent.

Which is why i'd probably get the services of a landscaping company like Tru Green, so that i'd get expert advice on what shrubs and trees would require minimal care. I'd also need advice and tips on how to keep my lawn healthy and bug-free. And keeping it un-cluttered.

And underneath one of the trees bordering my yard, i'd place a swing for some afternoon reading.

Blissful, isn't it?

The greater Manila area is in dire need of pest control. I'm not even sure if there is a government agency that is dedicated to this considering our slums and old buildings.

Sigh.

Growing up in this city has given me my share of frights, from insects to rodents. And last year, while I was pregnant, I tried a lot of things to rid my parents' home of ants. And because it was an old house, rats from the squatter's area (forgive the culturally-insensitive term) found it easy to get themselves into homes like ours. But just putting out poisons will also pose a danger to us so employing the services of a good pest control company, like Terminix , is more than necessary.

After all, you don't want your home to be eaten away by termites. And you don't want rats leaving their droppings where a crawling child might pick them up. Pest control is a nasty business and best left to the experts who are backed by knowledge coming from years of research.

Getting with the program... exercise helps keep you skinny after all, and lets you age more gracefully.

If yes, then you may benefit from my good friend Ghee's tips for pro-bloggers.

A lot of what she said is still Greek to me so i'd go about this business with baby steps... and see how I fare :)

I believe i've said it before... friends, no matter how well-meaning, cannot hide their surprise that i've decided to be a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). And I hate having to dignify my decision by informing them further that I have other plans. After all, it was a family decision we made as a family.

But I do have other plans. I've been yearning to go back to school for years now. My short stint as a college professor (2 subjects in 1 semester) only made me realize how much i've forgotten already about the course I took and graduated from, ten years ago this March 20.

But given that I want to stay home mostly, i'm leaning towards distance learning over actual classroom sessions this time. So I am preparing the requirements to apply in UP's Open University.

Honestly, i'm scared sh!tless by the prospect because I feel i've been reduced to such redundancy that I no longer have anything unique or special to offer. I don't feel bright or smart anymore... so i'd be going back to school not seeing myself as a promising student. I'm scared because I think i'd realize how much I need to learn, how much I do not know.

It's really horrible to be thirty and not have confidence that you have much to offer the world.

Which is why i'm going. In a weird way, I pride myself with the fact that I can be humble enough to acknowledge that I have much to learn and I have allowed myself to stagnate.

And this is the best time to do it... so that when my kid is old enough, he'd be knowing a Mom who is self-realizing. Seriously, I want to be happy about my brain again.

I remember when we were planning our wedding years ago (yikes, time really flies when you're having fun), we thought of buying gold in threads because we were advised that they come in their purest form that way in this country. Of course, the gold is for our wedding rings, which ended up requiring some 20 grams, I think.

Buying them in gold bulion form was supposedly a no-no, because chances are, they wouldn't be pure gold and we'd be shortchanged a bit. And you can only buy them in Bulacan or that area in Pasay near those funeral parlors, otherwise you may end up being duped.

And then I discover that you can now safely and surely buy gold online! Of course, probable main clients would be those with big money or savings who can protect their wealth that way. Still, isn't that another of those amazing things the internet has brought into our lives?

Just about anyone can be merchants from their own home. :)

My aunt and cousins are going back to Australia tomorrow, after a month-long visit here. Of course, they've repeated their invitation for us to visit them there too.

They said we could all go to Queensland and have our pick of hotels in the Gold Coast depending on where we want to go or what we want to do. General category of choices would be going to the beach, doing some serious shopping or enjoying theme parks.

Of course, hotels in Surfers Paradise will be nearest the pristine beaches that this part of the world is known for.

We could also visit relatives in the southern part of Australia and choose from among the hotels in Adelaide. There, we could visit local wineries and churches or probably rent a houseboat along the Murray River.

Oh well, if ever we get to go on this adventure, it wouldn't be complete without a side trip to Perth for my husband's relatives, especially his aunt who was principal sponsor to our wedding. Perth hotels are sure to be very accommodating but am sure this set of relatives can put us up for a weekend with no problem.

Maybe I should already do my research this early... we didn't do any travelling last year, after all so we owe it to our little family to do some this year.

I went to the doctor yesterday for my allergies and colds then did some errands at Rob Place Manila. I bought so many chips and bihon/sotanghon noodles (to send to my Mom abroad) so although I could carry my purchases, it was hard to do so because they were bulky (around six bags in all).

So I decided to just spend more money and ride a cab home instead. I lined up at the mall's taxi depot as usual. The driver asked me where I was going before I boarded the taxi with my purchases so imagine my distress and rage when he suddenly changed his mind about taking me and told me he'd just drop me off at P. Faura!!!

I immediately threatened to sic the police on him which didn't faze him a bit. He continued rattling about how he wouldn't meet his boundary, how i'm probably living in a super loob-looban place, etc. I asked him what his problem was since he'd be getting paid anyway. He told me it's just a hassle for him and later on even quipped that he doesn't need my money!

He returned me to the depot where he picked me up, making a big deal out of it as if I should be thankful that he just didn't really kick me out... while also continuing to rattle about how dare I threaten him with the police when he's also a policeman himself.

While this was happening, I was saving their cab's operator number and has already texted my husband to check the number out.

Have I already said I was fuming, hopping mad? Grr talaga! I would have been annoyed if he'd rejected me as a passenger before I boarded his cab... but to have already been inside with all those grcery bags and being obviously sick, I really wished death onto the man.

Grr. Anyway, hubs did call the operator and they said they'd call him back today to inform him of the action they're going to take on this man. They better call today or I will really report them to LTFRB. I even have a mind to hunt the man down, get his name, and really have the police and NBI make life harder for him (after all, he's supposedly one of them right?).

I've set my phone to alert me at 4:00 PM. And the taxi operator better have proof that they really took action against this man!

Ugh. I am sooo on war mode!

a piece of Alex Franco cake is always more than enough reason to attend a party, especially a wedding. I don't normally eat anything with prunes in it, or fruits for that matter, but his cakes are always divine... it's a sin not to go into ecstasies with every bite :)

First time that I am a

... i've been doing research on Homeopathic Medicine, alternative medicine, herbal nutrition and the like. Although a lot of medicines, even antibiotics, are safe for breastfeeding Moms, I still get paranoid about the little that will get into my breastmilk. And heaven help me, the protection my pregnancy gave me from my allergies is no more. I am at the mercy of the elements again, so to speak.

In a way, I am to be chastised. I did not observe any of that steamed bath with choice herbs thing for my first bath after giving birth. But still, I do believe in the power of herbal nutrition and medicine and acknowledge that they usually have the least side effects.

Which is why i've bookmarked a particular Herbal Nutrition Network, for reference. Us Moms need all the help we can get, after all.

... i'd still like to ask, how do you deal with someone like him?

who sleeps with girls her daughters' age from girlie bars... and takes pictures of their trysts?

who maintains a girl or two from these bars?

who sleeps with several of these girls at a time?

who takes Viagra in order to get it on with these girls?

who meets with the wife of his daughter's husband's brother in secret?

and brings a different woman to his brother's house for the other family members to meet?

and tell this woman's father that he truly loves his daughter, it's just that he is married?

and keeps another woman in his company, gives this woman Board status without her having to work a day in her life?

and meet this woman in secret even in times when his son is in the hospital, and his wife has not been sleeping, attending to that child while also carrying another?

who suffers his children in these other women to be aborted, the last of which were twins (or so the woman says)?

and then washes his hands off the matter, insisting that the abortion was not his choice, therefore, not his sin?

and yet directing friends and brothers' mistresses so they could also get their child aborted?

and when everything was discovered, the greatest apology you get from him is to hear him say, "i'm sorry that this is happening"

without acknowledging responsibility for having caused the pain

for having divided the family

and then lording it over you, his child, that he has performed his obligations well by providing well for you

that he doesn't have children outside of the marriage and you should be thankful

and insisting that if ever he has betrayed anyone, it was only your mother that he betrayed and needed to ask forgiveness from

which he still hasn't done after over four months since the wife has left him

and then, when you, his son or daughter, isn't happy with his presence last Christmas... he gets angry

and calls his kids an ungrateful bunch

and accuses his wife of turning them against him

and then he proceeds ranting about each child's past transgressions... as if it proves how bad his child has turned out

and then... and then...

he lands himself into a hospital, suffering from a mild heart attack and complications of his diabetes

and no child, nor wife comes

and it's New Year's Eve

because they don't know how to deal with him

because they're hoping that, in their absence, their father would finally realize what he gave up for his womanizing

but really

how do you deal with a father like him?

... do as the Romans do, which is tour the blessedly wonderful city!

Sigh. It seems my in-laws are all going to Europe this year. Tsk.

See, Mama-in-law is trying to decide between a trip to Jerusalem (no, not the game) or Rome with her Churchmates this April. I told her to utilize her new computer skills as it's now easy to book everything online. For sure, she can easily find hotels in Rome that will fit their budget aside from tour packages (which hotels probably also offer).

She could stay at the Prime Hotel Principe Torlonia Rome which is supposedly located in the heart of Rome. It should make going to all the prayerful places they want to visit easier and the transportation costs cheaper (instead of coming from across the city) since they could probably walk to some of the places.

Travelling is cheaper when you go in groups so maybe we should consider joining them?

Paris is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. It's probably even THE top honeymoon destination because of its affinity with anything romantic. Fortunately for my SIL, she is going to Paris in March, as part of the immersion thing their school does for students in her course. She will get to see the Louvre!!! Sigh.

My SIL's course is hotel and restaurant management so am sure their school is tied up with one of the many Paris Hotels there. Part of the purpose of the trip is to see how Paris hotels cater to the varied needs of clientele coming from all over the world, speaking different languages, with differences in culture dictating different travelling expectations and demands.

For six days, they will critique the management and operations of specific Paris Hotels and also visit the usual tourist destinations. For six days, they will bear witness to the masterpieces of the masters, and visit the same grounds these masters haunted years ago. For six days, they will be in a world of art and culture, of entertainment and fashion, of love and romance. Not bad for the price of P80k right?

And yeah, for six days, hubs and I will be mightily envious of her.