Anniv night
Thursday, June 28, 2007
We decided to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary yesterday by going to this Japanese resto we both haven't tried yet. It was this place called Hiro Restaurant. So in the spirit of binging over Jap food, I decided to skip on snacking and go straight to dinner. The only mistake I did was that I had mint gum in my mouth for 3 hours so as not to be tempted to snack. I eat every 2-3 hours so it took a lot of convincing.
2 hours before dinner, my tummy was already making weird sounds so I had to succumb to my urge. I had some marble cake right away so as to rid me of the slight spasm I was feelin
g. We get to the resto and boy was the food good. It was the BEST BEST BEST sashimi I've ever had and just how excitingly unique can sliced raw fish be, you may ask. Well it was sooo thick and sooo fresh and it was just... perfect. Had 2 slices more than what the menu said. To top it off, we got the best waiter ever. His name was Sammy, half Japanese, half Italian (I know. Whoah!) and he was born and raised in Japan. So he and Joen had some little Japan talk and he was just on a roll. Some life he lived. Anyway, Hoen later on asks him if what was in the sushi was real crab because I couldn't eat it. Even though it was ENTIRELY my fault for not thinking ahead, Sammy felt so bad that he gave me a plate of tuna rolls ON HIM. And if THAT wasn't enough, the green tea ice cream we ordered was ON HIM as well! An Anniv gift, so he said. This wasn't just a waiter. Sammy's actually one of those workers who really go out of their way to make your dining experience a pleasure. His girlfriend/clueless fiancee also works there and well, that's another story right there.
So we head for home and my tummyache gets worse by the minute. It got so bad that I had to forego bathing and washing my face and dove straight to bed. Short story long, I got some help from Doogie and J
ownie who were no strangers to hyperacidity, gas and whatnot. I, on the other hand, am not used to having upset stomachs. I have always prided myself for being able to get rid of anything alien in my body so you can imagine how upset and annoyed I was at the discomfort. Jown finally tells me about taking some lactobacillus drink (and boy, do I miss Yakult!) to balance out the acids and bases in my intestines. Hoen had to go to Walgreens at 1 am. True enough the lacto pills along with the lukewarm water and facedown lying cured my ills. Tunks God intawn.
Even though I went from sumptuous Japanese food to Milo and crackers in one night, the only good thing about getting sick that night is being able to avoid the TV which would have been swamped with nothing but Paris talk. Maayo nalang ug nakalikay ko.
Splitting hairs
Friday, June 22, 2007
Allergies cleared.
Temperatures rose.
Got a case of scissor-itch.
Mao kini ang resulta!
YEY!!! Like it sooo much better shorter!
Beat that, Nicole Richie!
DA BERDIK
On the 8th hour of the second day I wore my contacts, them eyes turned red again. I guess it's really my eyes.
So I saw the doctor today with my eyes still red (yes, they were vein-y since 7 pm last night) and I was glad to have shown up like that so she could check them at their bad state. They said they were swollen but not infected. They have some sort of negative reaction. So she gave me these antibiotic eyedrops which I'm supposed to use for 10 days (one drop on each eye four times a day). That should clear all the swollen veins according to her and then we start from scratch from there. Meanwhile, I will hang on to my glasses until I see her again on the third of next month. She says a lot of her patients were able to use contacts again after using the antibiotic eye drops so I'm hopeful.
Mommybean, that is my status report. hehe
Biofinity and beyond!!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
So I have been having a problem with my contact lenses. The Acuvue Advance lensesI got from Eyemasters was ok until a month later. I observed that my eyes start turning red after wearing them for a few hours. Also, my vision was never right. The left and right lenses took turns in clearing my vision so that I'd end up squinting on either one. So I'd wear my glasses which constantly gave me headaches. I knew my prescription wasn't right with the glasses but since I read a lot, it was better than not having to wear anything at all. I knew something was wrong and since Eyemasters isn't covered by our vision insurance, I went to this doctor Jeremy recommended. She is Dr. Karen Armitage.
I saw her last Friday and I liked her very much. I asked her if maybe it was the solution, the eyedrops or if something was already wrong with my eye since I get vein-y all of a sudden. She realized that Eyeamasters gave me the wrong prescription. In fact, it was a bit too strong for me. My prescription, as I suspected, still was higher so she gave me this other pair of prescription lenses. Furthermore, she checked my eyes and she did a retinal check and some light periphery tests and she said I did well. My "veins" were ok and that they were obviously just irritated. So aside from changing the prescription of my glasses, she now made me wear Acuvue Oasis. Two days passed and on the 6th hour on the second day, my eyes were turning red again. I notice it not by looking at it but I actually feel my eyes going sort of dry and warm. It just didn't feel right and when I ask Hoen right away how they are, he'd tell me they were turning pink or reddish. So I stopped wearing them. It actually takes an entire day to take the redness away and I just couldn't keep putting some Visine on them because they offered only temporary relief.
I did some research online and apparently, there are a lot of causes. Other people can wear contact lenses only after a certain number of hours and some need to take them off mid-day in order to wear them for a longer time for the rest of the day. Others are not compatible with their office ventilation and dozens of other reasons. What was mine? My next appointment was to be Friday but I couldn't wait anymore so I called the doctor. Obviously, I did the right thing by not pursuing the lenses any further. Since my glasses weren't done yet as of yesterday, she said she recommended this new "revolutionary" contact lenses called Biofinity. It's supposed to provide more comfort, allows more oxygen and gets rid of all the protein build-up and whatnot. I just tried wearing it 10 minutes ago. So far, so good. The only difference I think is that for the first few minutes, I could feel the lens in my eye. Meaning, I could feel that there was something in there. Also, it doesn't have that blue halo that Acuvue has. But my vision is fine so I hope this is it. Oh and my glasses came in too. AT LEAST if these still don't work, I can finally be rid of my headaches. We'll see this Friday when I see her again. Hopefully, everything will be A-OK then and after.
Googoal is my Gle!!
After weeks of speculation and rumors, it has been made official. Google is definitely moving to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070619/BUSINESS/70619014/1001/RSS01
It's official: Google coming to Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs, Ia. — It's official: Google will build a server farm in Council Bluffs.
The $600 million project will include two facilities spread over 1,185 acres and will include 200 workers with average salaries of $50,000, according to materials given to reporters this morning at a press conference in Council Bluffs.
Positions will include software technicians, facilities support, maintenance, systems administration and data center technicians. Operations will begin in the spring 2009.
Google hung a help-wanted sign –- virtual, of course –- at its Council Bluffs site today indicating that it’s ready to hire workers even though the facility won’t be up and running for another two years.
And company officials said they would seek out Iowans for the new positions.
“The brunt of our efforts will be focused here in Council Bluffs,” said Igor Livshits, western regional manager for hardware operations. “Hiring has been underway for a little bit and the efforts are being picked up today in earnest.”
Although Google will consider applicants from outside the area, it will focus its recruiting locally, he said. Job openings should be posted online by the end of the day, starting with core management followed by more entry-level positions.
Openings, along with more information about the Council Bluffs site, can be found at www.Google.com/CouncilBluffs.
Gov. Chet Culver said Google representatives soon will begin meeting with representatives from Iowa colleges and universities to talk about possible partnerships that could lead to Google jobs. Google officials met briefly this morning with representatives from Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs.
Livshits said the company likely will set up training programs with local institutions as well, similar to what it has done in other communities where Google has located.
"We are very proud to welcome Google to Iowa," Culver said in a prepared statement. “In making its decision, Google recognized what we in Iowa have known all along – our workforce and quality of life is second-to-none.”
Paul Froutan, director of operations for Google Inc. said the new center will help the company continue to provide users and customers with the best possible service.
“We look forward to joining the community and are grateful for the support from the state and local governments throughout our evaluation process,” he said.
Google's data center is under construction now on a 55-acre site at a new Council Bluffs business park.
Jobs at the data center will ensure the facility’s computers are running at optimum speed and efficiency 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Positions require a variety of skills, ranging from experienced data center managers and Linux administrators to technology assistants. The jobs have an average salary and other benefits equal to about $50,000 per year, creating an annual payroll of about $10 million.
Google Inc. will pay an estimated $65 million in property taxes over the next 15 years, according to a press release from the governor's office. The company made a concentrated effort to use as many local vendors and suppliers as possible so that the economic impact of this investment will have the greatest benefit, the release said.
“We are very pleased that Google selected Council Bluffs for such a large investment.” said Bob Mundt, President and CEO of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce. “I think it demonstrates that all the hard work the community has put in to make Council Bluffs an attractive place for business has paid off.”
Storms, earthquakes, floods and all catastrophic acts of God cannot stop me. I am so applying. It may be 45 minutes from the house but it's stil in the Omaha Metro Area.They are building a $600M Data Center so they are most likely going to hire technical people. But I can settle for the admin stuff, bahala na. I just want to set my foot in there and hopefully work my way around. Aaaa, hilasa. Hehe. Can't wait for my EAD card to be issued na! Although they are starting operations on the Spring of 2009 yet, they are now accepting applicants. Maybe I can tell them that my EAD card processing is already in the works? I hope they'll be ok with that. I told Hoen to apply! Sharo by that time, we should have our GCs already. God really listens to me, it's unbelievable. Now to get said food in the door... now that is the challenge.
In the meantime, check out Google's logo yesterday after they made the official announcement. Isn't it cute?
Past lives
Monday, June 18, 2007
And while I'm on the Nostalgic route...
Wonder if Leg and I can still do this. =)
Amputated Nostalgia
Had quite a chat with Leg yesterday. Because she has always been swamped with work, chatting with her for more than half an hour was a breath of fresh air. So long overdue. We don't get to do that anymore.
Anyway, she posted (or reposted?) old harem pics on her Multiply. She was on Separation Anxiety last night which was probably why she posted (reposted?) those pics. I browsed through them very much missing my friends. She was yet to miss home while I was already missing home. Sigh. A montage of feelings came through me-- a feeling of voidness and yearning yet a feeling of happiness that all of us are moving on and headed to different ventures. Like I told Hoen yesterday, "Leg may be moving physically farther away from us but she is one step closer to our Google dream." Hehe. When, oh when are we ever going to be complete again? Will my kids know my extended family? I would want them to. And when will the next shoeshot be?
Buttwipe has some bouts of loneliness too. She misses our dinners out, our girlfriend talks, our late night phone calls. She does to Teody what I do to Hoen-- we ask too much of them sometimes. They are our girlfriends, our best friends, our lovers, confidantes and all things in-between.
Why does being apart seem so right yet feel so... heartbreaking?
Hija L, good luck in Singa! Although it makes no sense to be missing you MORE right now, I feel closer to you now that we are BOTH in different countries. You have always worked your way up and I just know things will be happening for you in Singa. And yes, that includes men! Love you!
Dear little Connie
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Marrying Superman
Saturday, June 16, 2007
When certain people come your way and you get to know their story, you either feel compassion or apathy. When Sasha came my way and she told me her story, I thought, "This girl deserves the biggest break. I wonder when that will come."
It came indeed. After dealing with one, say, "misfortune" after another, none of
which was her fault, she is finally getting married to her Prince Charming who had been waiting for her since she was in High School. This made me really happy for her for she has been trying to smile away all her problems for the longest time. July 1st will mark Sasha's changing moment. Her life will indeed change and for the better, I just know it. And that is why when she told me she was getting married, and with very little
resources to work with, I immediately volunteered to help make her invitation cards. This was Wednesday afternoon. I told Hoen about it right away and my husband, being the supportive person that he is, jumped in the idea with no questions asked. We then went to Michaels and FO
RTUNATELY, found all the materials I needed to get started. The next day I was on a roll. Since the flat cards were already done as well as the envelopes, all I had to do was make sure to cut the vellum evenly and print on it. I also just had to place the perfunctory ribbon on top. Her motif was gorgeous-- olive green and chocolate brown. She only had 6 people on her guest list while the rest of the invits will be sent to Pinas. I volunteered to do the mailing myself since all the recipients are in the US and well, we have more than enough stamps.
So after chatting with Sasha back and forth (I really wanted to help
fulfill her every wish), I was done with the invites. VOILA! She was very happy with it. I was happy with it and I'm sure Kent will be too. Anyway, I'm just glad to have been able to help especially when she has very little support from the people around her. Here's to Sasha and Kent and to their life together!!
A wondrous God indeed
My mom and I finally spoke this morning!!! YEY!!! She is well, ok and better!!! She said that she already knows when her vomit and headache bouts start and they haven't occurred so much lately. I was so relieved!! THANK YOU LORD FOR MAKING HER FEEL AND BE BETTER!!! She had no idea how happy I was to finally hear her jolly voice (albeit complaining about something) but still, she was chipper and I shall NEVER take that for granted EVER again.
You are a wondrous God, indeed YOU are!
A daughter's guilt
Friday, June 08, 2007
Does every child ever think about his or her parent or parents dying?
For these past few days, I couldn't help but consider that. I wondered what if something happened to my mom. What then? What of my dad? What of Megan? What of my brother and the house? How am I going to handle it? How am I going to handle not having a mother who has celebrated the smallest things about my life with me?
I am not being insensitive nor am I being too dramatic. These were realities I found myself really pondering over and over for hours yesterday. It went on for so long I decided to just apply primer to our walls to divert my focus. Since I am so far away, I can easily entertain the worst visions of my mom in bed, weak and pale. Or my mom limping and not smiling like she always does. Or my mom just in bed, immobile, period. These visions come and go and I hate myself for entertaining them. I mean, what kind of a daughter am I if I allow myself to think these things? I do feel guilty but I also feel like I want to prepare myself for anything.
Yesterday, my mom texted that she is feeling a little better despite the nausea and vomiting. Everytime she texts, I am happy. Because that means she has enough strength to send me messages. Unlike for the past few days where I didn't hear from her because she was going through a tough bout with the new medicine and new sodium-less diet. Poor Mom. The years of consuming all those pan de sals and Cokes, she is suffering.
My daily prayer has been that God takes away her pain. That if she has to go through it, she go through it with the least pain possible. I am optimistic and hopeful. And talking to friends like Sasha and Buttwipe help me get through it. I can't believe how much Sasha and I have in common. Her mom is diabetic too and is going through the same complications as my mom. The other night, I felt like exploding with tears that I asked Buttwipe to call me. Hoen was already asleep and I didn't want to bug him. I told Mommy Buttwipe's advise and she took it rather well. I hate being away but at the same time, just as well. Mixed feelings. Ambut. I am just rambling.
Hair to the Throne
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
And so I have done it. Whew! It feels good and breezy on the neck! It's been almost a decade since I last sported this do. It was time to change my address in my license too so.... what better day to do it than today straight from the salon?
Some pics... some decent, some not so. Just felt like playing around with MacJen. Chiching!
Chopping it off!
Monday, June 04, 2007
Tomorrow, I am chopping my hair off.
I am tired of my long hair.
My skin allergies aren't helping.
I am tired of my long hair.
It's (almost) summer out.
I am tired of my long hair.
I've been thinking about it since after my wedding and now, I have given in.
I am REALLY tired of my long hair.
Per Sasha's request, I will post pics then.
Yung mga discoveries na talagang topak!
The other night, we got invited once again to Rani and Vangie's kids' birthday. Roni is 11 while Vaughn is 12. Last year, we were at Mahoney Park. This time, it was just at their house but the backyard was complete with water slides and such for the kids. Also, Rani had just finished his backyard gazebo and landscaping. It was nice seeing all our Pinoy friends all over again after not being around for quite a while.
We just realized that quite a handful of our friends live near us now, especially Joen's former roommate and ex-officemate, Fly and his wife, Sharon. Then there are the Han
kins family of Alex and Elena with kids Alexis and AJ. Plus Noel and Amia as well as Michael and Joyce. The usual took place-- overeating of Filipino foods (I gobbled this really yummy dinuguan and downed the pandan cake), drinking for the guys, singing... terribly singing. Hehe. Yesterday, Sunday, we all met up at our new church now, St. Vincent de Paul. V
ery lovely church from the inside and out. Our old church, St. Leo, which I fell in love with, is just too far for us now. Good thing St. Vincent is what it is because I can see myself going there every Sunday to stare at the overhead organ and carry on with our "Where art thine speakers, O Lord! Mine eyes can't find them!" search. Seriously, no speakers in sight. But Hoen and I are on a hunt. Hehe.
Now that we know our friends are actually neighbors, we can drop by every so often. The only downside is that almost all of them are tagalog!
Me: Yes! Last Friday lang kami lumapit.
(Karen and Titit nod)
Joen: LUMIPAT. It's lumipat, not lumapit.
Karen: Lumapit na rin kasi nasa Bennington na kayo. O, diba?
How do you say it? Nakakahiya! Haha. Sige lang, I'll work on my Tagalog. And if I still suck, there's always english which is uhmm, the language of the very country we're all at.
Mom-bling
Friday, June 01, 2007
I hadn't cried in a long time but the other night, I had to surrender to the internal waterfall.
My mom has been diagnosed with diabetes for a little over a decade now. I can't describe just how much her life changed since then. She used to be all over the place-- shopping at malls, going up and down those San Carlos stairs, picking us up, going to church, playing with/for the choir and all sorts of activities. She used to beg us to go to the beach impromptu on Sunday
s. Since then, she had to retire early, that nerve she hurt while dancing ballet as a kid now feels like hell, she has had arterosclerosis making her feet swell which made it hard for her to walk for long, our fridge once adorned with all sorts of foods and groceries now emptied with nothing but healthy foods for her so she doesn't get tempted. She has even had Bell Palsy (too bad we had already bought our Hong Kong tickets then. I remember I was a College Junior) which was her BIGGEST reason not to go out. People looked at her twisted face and right away thought "STROKE!" No, you idiots, it's Bell Palsy. Try asking first before blurting it out loud in her face.
Anyway, that's not to mention her YEARS of violating every rule we set for her. She would hide glasses of Coke, she would sneak in the kitchen for that white rice and even stash some chocolate in her headboard drawer. It all came back to bite her in the ass when her sugar level had been uncontrollable. It affected my dad because when he got home, he would see these crumbs all over like Hansel and Gretel were lurking in some corner in our house. It angered him, it made him frustrated and it made him love her and take care of her more. These past few years have been like a roller coaster for her. Switching doctors, taking and letting go of expensive medicine, coming and going to the hospital. I can't even imagine what she has been going through but I do remember us fighting over that hidden glass of coke and over that half teaspoon of sugar she put in her drink. I was the only who had the guts to raise my voice to her and remind her that we still needed her to be well. My brother and sister were easily swayed by her pity-me eyes but not me. I was always tough on her and thank God I was. Starting last year, because of my wedding, her sugar level has been normalized. It is now between 94 and 104 and very rarely would a spike occur. We were so proud of her! I would constantly remind her of that one trip they have to make back to the US to visit us and her potential apo.
The other night, I learned that her doctor had already given her an ultimatum... with her kidneys. KIDNEYS. Those you don't play with. Obviously, they were so focused on lowering her sugar level that they forgot about the sodium. So on the night before my cousin's weddi
ng, with dress and shoes ready, my mom had to go to the hospital after a vomiting feat at the bathroom. She thought it was something gastric but, no. It was her kidneys this time. And the doctor told her that if her creatinine level (which is a whopping 3.7!) doesn't go down by December this year, she would have to go through dialysis OR a kidney transplant.
I felt like I was being shot in the head but the bullet had somehow dislodged from the gun on its own. The thought of my mom going through that was enough to break me. I simply cannot fathom that vision of her lying in bed several times a week. Of course, I didn't cry while talking to her on the phone. I mean, I may make it sound worse than it really is. After all, she was still given 7 months to recuperate. But come to think of it, maybe SHE made it NOT sound as bad as it already is. Who knows? When you're 6,000 miles away from the news, you kind of take things differently than how you normally would if you were under the same roof. I rarely cry and that night I did. To Joen. I thought of Buttwipe. I so wanted to call her and ask her everything she knows about kidneys but I was too drained. I didn't sleep well that night. I wet my pillow until 4 o'clock in the morning while Joen snored his way to Dreamville beside me. I was finally able to chat with her about it last night after I got her voicemail. It feels good to have someone not only tell you that you're not alone, but to have that person understand the technicalities of the matter. 6,000 miles is but a distance, friendship goes beyond oceans. And although she was far from me, I felt her warm hug and sincere concern. She will talk to my mom about it and possibly tell her about her amazing doctor. I just appreciate the effort and I know my mom will. I was also able to chat with Jown about it. I always turn to her for my medical questions because she is able to explain things better.
I guess when everything is going so well, God always drops a little bit of grease on your plate of perfection to remind you that life is not to be taken for granted. If there is a word for fear of getting sick, that is what I have. I told Joen that I will try my darned best not to get sick regardless of my age and I need him to do it with me. My mom sounded A-ok on the phone, like all that was just a phase. But like the strong (read: stubborn) woman that she is, she swore never to let it happen. She swore never to succumb to dialysis or some transplant. We are all here for her and she knows it. But she is the end-all and be-all and this happens to be her biggest challenge yet.
I wonder what my biggest challenge will be.
g. We get to the resto and boy was the food good. It was the BEST BEST BEST sashimi I've ever had and just how excitingly unique can sliced raw fish be, you may ask. Well it was sooo thick and sooo fresh and it was just... perfect. Had 2 slices more than what the menu said. To top it off, we got the best waiter ever. His name was Sammy, half Japanese, half Italian (I know. Whoah!) and he was born and raised in Japan. So he and Joen had some little Japan talk and he was just on a roll. Some life he lived. Anyway, Hoen later on asks him if what was in the sushi was real crab because I couldn't eat it. Even though it was ENTIRELY my fault for not thinking ahead, Sammy felt so bad that he gave me a plate of tuna rolls ON HIM. And if THAT wasn't enough, the green tea ice cream we ordered was ON HIM as well! An Anniv gift, so he said. This wasn't just a waiter. Sammy's actually one of those workers who really go out of their way to make your dining experience a pleasure. His girlfriend/clueless fiancee also works there and well, that's another story right there.
ownie who were no strangers to hyperacidity, gas and whatnot. I, on the other hand, am not used to having upset stomachs. I have always prided myself for being able to get rid of anything alien in my body so you can imagine how upset and annoyed I was at the discomfort. Jown finally tells me about taking some lactobacillus drink (and boy, do I miss Yakult!) to balance out the acids and bases in my intestines. Hoen had to go to Walgreens at 1 am. True enough the lacto pills along with the lukewarm water and facedown lying cured my ills. Tunks God intawn. 
