Entries from November 2011 ↓

1. Two buildings and five rounds later, we still have not found a parking slot. I half-jokingly uttered a prayer: "Lord, please give us a parking space, we need divine intervention." Five seconds later, we spot a vacant slot right in front of the mall entrance.

2. After five years, it is finally our choir's turn to present a Christmas cantata at church. We are now booked for: TV taping (done), UCCP Lipa Church Anniversary (Dec 4), Cantata - 2nd English Service (Dec 11), Cantata - Vesper Service (Dec 11), Simbang Gabi (Dec 22), Cantata - UCCP Lipa (Dec 23), and daily rehearsals. We last sang this cantata, Christmas Fantasia, in December 2000. It is amazing how much of it stuck in my memory more than a decade later. Mostly parapapumpum of the Little Drummer Boy.

3. My Ian fetches me from work bearing a wide grin and the fruit of his proxy shopping expedition. Athena is cinnamon, durable, tiny, lightweight, has a great set of speakers, and will be my trusted ally in my thesis quest. And yes, I named her for a Cylon

1. I drag myself off my bed abominably early so that I can pay my tuition and still make it to work before 10:00 am. The trip to Diliman is a miraculous one hour only and the queue is only 2 lines deep at 7:00 am. And by some divine intervention, the guard lets those who have the exact amount in change go to the head of the queue. Enrolled at last!

2. By lunchtime, I am a miserable mass of angry, itchy red rashes. Allergies, gaaah! (digs nails into skin). Cams generously swaps field duties with me so that I can hide from the afternoon sun.

3. Our HR patiently helps me untangle my health card woes and after work I bring myself to the emergency room. They stick me with a needle of antihistamine, and I end up sleeping for 12 hours straight. The rashes are still here, but at least they've stopped spreading.

Three Blessings for October 30 - November 8, 2011

1. We have two consecutive long weekends this month, and the first one is four days long, yippee! I hitch a ride with Papa in our repaired car. The locks aren't working properly and the trip is punctuated with strange noises, but we make it to Tarlac safely. I greet my lola, mom, various relatives and my book collection upon touchdown. The rest of my vacation is spent eating, reading, sleeping, and chasing my 3-year-old niece.

2. GM Bryan calls for a long weekend game which we gladly jump at. The day is filled with nori, the walking dead, angsty clerics, real coke, faux coke, a batty helmet, popcorn half-zombified, half-orc, half-elf and gender confused characters.

3. In honor of visiting relatives from abroad, we go hop from BGC-Taal Vista Hotel-Antonio's-Collette's-Fort Santiago-BGC in less than ten hours. One-year-old Chloe charms everyone she meets, poses for dozens of pictures, unrelentingly practices her walking skills, and enjoys a kalesa ride. I am ecstatic over beef sinigang over rice noodles and homemade yogurt with lemon topping. And of course, having my Ian beside me on a road trip, my hand in his as we powernap the traffic away.

Three Blessings for October 21-22, 2011

1. Laden with groceries, we hightail it to Silang, Cavite for a weekend getaway. Our van's occupants are an interesting mix of married (MayKC), engaged (Jasper-Darl), and ... us. It's my first time to go on a trip surrounded wholly by couples. Ants, ants, ants.

2. My Ian and I gaze in amazement at the array of stars visible in the pollution-free night sky. I exclaim at a sudden streak of light that is a shooting star, and make a wish.

3. Darlene chides us to hurry up with lunch preparation, since she wants to jump into another game of Munchkin. We play in pairs, and it is interesting to see who decides which cards are put into play. We only stop when we realize that dinner time is fast approaching.