Had to skip work today. I woke up this morning with a terrible headache and intolerable back pain. The headache was caused by the cold and the backpain was due to my matress. Ngayon ko lang na-realize na kaya sumasakit ang likot ko pagkagising sa umaga ay dahil sa matigas kong kama. Ang tanga.

I was supposed to do tons of work today since I have a very, very tight deadline for the newsletter, but I just won't be able to focus with the discomforts that I am experiencing.

Also, I was supposed to meet up with Minda, Katts, Sandz and Kiko (?) for lunch pero dahil hindi ko nga kaya, Sandz canceled it na lang. Next time na lang daw para kumpleto kami. Nakaka-guilty naman yun...

Anyway, what shall I do today while resting? Ummm...I wanted to continue watching Prison Break pero magagalit naman si Michee at doble kuryente pa kung papanooring nya pa ulit. Grey's Anatomy na lang kaya?

Oh well, gotta think of something productive to do.

Oh yeah, we've got it baby. Me, my mom and my sister! Grabe, nakaka-addict pala talaga yung palabas na yun. When you get started on the first episode, you wouldn't want to stop watching. Kaya ayun, kagabi ala-una na kami natulog ni Michee kakapanood. At hindi pa namin tapos ha. Nasa episode 7 palang kami.

Since it we really got hooked on this searies, my sister already bought a season 2 cd para hindi daw kami ma-bitin. Hay, the lead actor is such a hunk! Can't remember his name though. Basta astig!

***I'm itching to get a haircut but don't know what style I want this time. Let's see...I've tried layers, bangs, super-straight-shampoo-comercial-worthy hair and medium-length. A bahala na nga. I just really want another makeover.

Why is it suddenly so cold again? Isn't it supposed to be summer already? What a bummer. Paul and I have plans of going out pa naman. But with this kind of gloomy weather, we'd rather stay home and watch the other dibidis that have just been lying there waiting to be popped-in to the player.

Anyway, my sister and I had our dose of Prison Break again last night, but this time only until 11:30. I have to admit that I don't really enjoy all the scenes as some of theme are so brutal and a bit gory. I can't even stand watching some of them and I had to close my eyes as if watching a scene from a horror film. But despite the blood-drenched parts of the series, I enjoy watching it because the plot gets more and more exciting with various twists and unexpected turns. Can't wait for our next 'session' with Mr. Scofield .

Spent the afternoon at Market! Market! with Paul, my mom and my sister. Oo, dahil hindi naman natuloy umula, natuloy na rin kaming lumabas .

First stop: Kenny Roger's. Since it was already past 11 a.m. when we left the house, we were all starving when we got there. So after a quick trip to the nearest ATM we headed straight to Kenny Roger's. Fortunately the place wasn't packed even if it was lunch time.

Second Stop: The Cinema to buy tickets. After stuffing ourselves with almost everything in the menu (exaggeration), it was time to part ways. My mom and sis went on with their weekly 'panata', as Paul calls it, and the two of us went to the cinema to watch, uh You Got Me. Yup, we actually planned to watch this Toni Gonzaga-Sam Milby film. You read it right, WE, which means the two of us agreed to this movie. But upon getting to the theater, our super fickle-minded selves changed our minds and bought tickets to It's a Boy-Girl Thing instead. Since it was only 2 p.m. and the next showing was not until 3, we dacided to stroll for a while.

Third Stop: Odyssey Music Store. Ito lang yata ang record bar sa Market kaya no choice. I looked for the new Bloomfields CD, but was unsuccessful . Maybe I can find one in Tower Records or M1 in Makati. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

***By 2:45 we were already inside the cinema, just in time for the trailers. Boy, there are so many films to look forward to watch like The Good Shepherd (Matt Damon & Angelina Jolie), The Perfect Stranger (Bruce Willis & Halle Berry), Happily N'Ever After (animated), Mr. Bean's Holiday (Rowan Atkinson, of course), The Last Mimzy (a pair of kids, can't remember their names), Dream Girls and Norbit (Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy and Eddie Murphy).

Final stop: Arce Dairy. Before going home, I just had to buy Arce Dairy's Pistachio ice cream. Yum! It's now officially my second favorite ice cream flavor, next to Double Dutch .

Hay, Lunes nanaman bukas. Good luck Ivee.

Summer is here! Well, almost since it started raining again. But you can already feel the heat can't you? That is why cold snacks are in again. Halo-halo, saging con yelo, mais con yelo, and of couse, everybody's favorite heat buster, ice cream!

We all have our favorite ice cream flavors. The most popular would be chocolate, cookies and cream, rocky road, ube and quezo. Mine would be Double Dutch and Pistachio from Arce Dairy. Haven't heard of the brand? Well you better go to Market! Market! and get acquainted with this ice cream shop that offers a unique selection of ice cream flavors.

Arce Dairy is not really new in the business. Actually it's been around for quite some time now. I'm not sure how long but...

Anyway, it offers unconventional ice cream flavors like Pistachio, Green Tea, Atis and Durian. Durian? did not dare try it. I can't even swallow Durian candy...but yes, they do have this flavor. A little weird but hey, if they can make a candy out of it, why not ice cream?

Aside from 'exotic' flavors, Arce Dairy also has sugar-free flavors for diabetics and health buffs so go ahead, indulge in this sinless pleasure.

I really enjoyed my scoop of pistachio ice cream on waffle cone! Next time I vow to try the other flavors, except for the Durian, haha!

"Don't talk to strangers." Simpleng paalala na maaaring magligtas sa buhay natin kung palagi nating susundin. Sa panahon ngayon, hindi na natin alam kung mapagkakatiwalaan o hindi ang mga taong nakapaligid sa atin.

But for me, it has always been a dilemma whether to entertain strangers asking for help or directions or simply ignore them and keep walking. Hindi mo rin naman talaga malalaman kung masama nga ang intensiyon nila o talagang nangangailangan sila ng tulong.

This afternoon while I was walking in Glorietta, a guy, maybe in his early 30s, approached me and started talking. He looked decent naman, especially with his P990. He looked very normal to me at mukha naman matino. But little did I know that what he had to say would have a great impact on me.

Guy: excuse me miss, pwedeng magtanong?
I nodded but was obviously hesitant. I was texting Paul to aks where we would meet.
Guy: (sensing that I was uncomfortable) ay sige, 'wag na lang.
Me: (not sure if I was gonna do the right thing) 'di, okay lang.
Guy: Kasi, ever since I was a kid, pag nakakakita ko ng girls, nakikita ko sa kanila kung mag mabigat na dinadala. And when I saw you, I felt na parang and bigat ng dinadala mo.
Me: (feeling a little tensed now) Okay...
Guy: 'wag kang matakot ha. I'm no a psychic or anything. I have a decent job. Parang ito lang kasi yung gift ng third eye na binigay sa'kin.
Me: (smiling, but still tensed) ah..
Guy: Sa tingin ko kasi parang bored ka sa buhay mo. Parang madami kang iniisip. Tama ba?
Me: Sort of...
Guy: I don't know if it's about your love life or...masyado naman personal if I ask..
Me: definitely hindi love life
Guy: Pero okay ka lang ba?
Me: yeah...
Guy: kasi, sorry ha, pero sa nakita ko kanina, parang ang bigat talaga ng dinadala mo. Parang hindi ka masaya sa buhay mo. Yun bang parang gusto mong sumabog. Parang you want to start your life over pero hindi mo alam kung paano, tama ba?
Me: not really...maybe in some aspects, pero masaya naman ako. Hindi naman sa gusto kong ulitin ulit.
Guy: are you sure okay ka lang? sorry, pero masyado kasing obvious, masyadong mabigat yung pakiramdam mo.
Me: yeah I'm okay...
Guy: Okay. Alam mo, enjoy your life. You're still very young. You're pretty and I'm sure you're a nice person. So enjoy your life.
Me: Okay...uh, sige I'm meeting someone eh. Thanks.

And with that we parted ways. I called up Paul to ask where he is and five minutes later we met up near CDR-King.

By the way, the guy's name was Sonny. Weird. Hay, I must have looked so gloomy when he saw me. Nalungkot ako sa mga sinabi niya, although hindi ako sure kung totoo ba yun or part lang ng isang pactical joke o isa sa mga "pagsubok" sa programang Noypi, Ikaw ba 'to?

Siguro may mga kailangan nga talaga akong baguhin sa sarili ko. Siguro hindi nga ako talagang masaya sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay ko. Pero sabi nga ni Sonny, bata pa ako (and pretty, wehehe). Mababago ko pa. May oras pa.

Never tell a kid that you're gonna give him/her something if you don't really intend to keep your promise. I learned this lesson the hard way.

It was Paul's sister's birthday yesterday so we had dinner at their house. My inaanak, his little cousin, and my kumare were also there. The moment the kid saw me, she asked about my Christmas gift. Oo, magma-mahal na araw na, hindi ko parin nabibigay sa kanya ang pamasko ko. There just wasn't any chance.

Anyway, meron naman talaga akong regalo. Medyo dorky nga lang: pencil case na may kasama nang pencil, ruler, eraser at sharpener. I wanted to give her something that would be very useful and since school age na sya, yun ang napili ko.

Moving on, medyo na-shock ako sa tanong nung bata. Napaka matandain na pala nun. So I told her I was going to give her my gift the next day. Then she said, "gusto ko Barbie." Ako naman, not knowing that she was going to take it very seriously (she's 3 years old), answered, "oo, bukas yung Barbie mo."

Eto na, nung ihahatid na 'ko ni Paul, sumama ang bagets. Pagdating sa amin, binigay ko na yung gift ko na pencil case. Mukhang na-appreciate naman niya. PERO, hindi pala niya nakakalimutan si Barbie.

"Yung Barbie ko ninang?"

Patay. Buti sana kung may naitabi man lang akong lumang Barbie. Eh ang kaso, wala. Nada. Zilch. Puro teddy bear na ang natitira kong laruan.

Ayaw tumigil nung bata.

"Yung Barbie ko!" (Galit na sya)

We had to call up her mom para sunduin siya dito.

Hay, sana naman ay hindi nagtatanim ng galit ang batang 'yun...

Darn. I forgot to buy the stupid doll. Syempre hindi naman yung original ano dahil medyo mahal yun. Sana makahanap ako ng cheap na 'impersonator' ni Barbara Roberts.

Paul is in Puerto Galera right now and won't be back until Sunday. Boo. Bakit ba kasi hindi pa kami nag-sabay ng punta dun.

Oh well, I'll just spend my weekend with Michael Scofield of Prison Break, haha!

NO SHOPPING. Rest, rest, and more beauty rest.

NOW QUOTING

http://dietquote.wordpress.com

...by watching Prison Break. This series is so addictive, I literally spent my whole Suday watching season 1. Malapit ko nang matapos, buwahahahaha! Kaya lang may mga scenes talaga na hindi ko makayang panoorin. Gory. Violent. Gory.

Paul's coming home, yey!

Another work week starts tomorrow...boo.

Sometimes I'm not sure how to feel anymore. Happy. Sad. Frustrated. Fulfilled. Blah.

*Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/YTCP2007031489483.html

You can also catch Dear Me in the Manila Bulletin every Wednesday, sa Youth & Campus Section  sa itaas ng column ni Chico & Delamar na He Says She Says.

It was one of those days when I get off from work earlier than Paul. I had to wait for two hours since something went wrong with whatever it was that he was doing at work. TWO HOURS. Wala naman akong balak talagang mag-mall. In fact I was eager to go home and get some sleep. Kaya lang ayun nga. So nilibot ko nalang yung tatlong malls, pero wala naman akong binili. Yup, I was actually able to control myself from impulse buying. Take note, sale pa sa SM ha, pero wala talaga akong binili kahit na kakasweldo ko lang kahapon...Improving, haha! Pero mas nakakapagod pala ang mag-mall nang hindi naman nagsha-shopping .

After tiring myself from all the walking, I decided to just wait for Paul at McDonald's. Syempre nakakahiya naman kung uupo lang ako dun at hindi bibili ng kahit na ano 'di ba? So I ordered my favorite combo: Large fries and Coke float . At mabuti nalang I bought this magazine earlier, kundi mukha naman akong eng-eng na nakatulala lang habang kumakain, hehe...

They kept me company while waiting for Paul...

I was reading an article about filmmaker Lav Diaz. Astig pala yun! By the way, that's Fudge magazine, nabili ko sa Mini Stop. Wala rin naman san akong balak na bumili ng magazine dahil nagbagong-buhay na ko, totoo! But upon seeing Wentworth Miller on the cover...

Actually Prison Break, my latest addiction, is featured on the coverstory of this issue kaya hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip na bilhin. May bonus pa na poster, haha! And the mag wasn't crappy at all! It's about entertainment and pop culture. I really enjoy reading it. Hah, I finally outgrew my girly mag addiction! Another pat on the back for you there, Ivee .

...for the remaining episodes of Prison Break Season 2! Nabitin lang kami ng mom and sister ko kagabi when we watched the first 15 episodes of season 2. We slept at around 2:30 a.m. na pero parang niloko lang din namin mga sarili namin dahil nga bitin, argh! My mission now is to look for a complete season 2 dibidi...sigh, sana may makita ako!

Anyway, change topic. Geoff, my officemate/friend lent me his copy of the Cynic's Dictionary and it's very entertaining. Here are some of my favorite words listed and their cynic definitions:

Abnormal - Occupying a point outside the shifting boundaries of social convention, like a same-sex couple before the 1970s or a twent-two-year-old virgin today. Others now living beyond the fringe include rhyming poets, English-speaking cab drivers, solitary restaurant patrons, celebate celebrities, non-academics who read anything written before 1920, business people who read anything written before last Friday, Japanese underachievers, American students who can locate Japan on a map, and anyone who still says whom.

Beer - An intoxicating golder brew that reemerges virtually unchanged one hour later.

Chocolate - Luscious ripples of fat extracted from a Latin American bean and soon added to our waistlines.

Cynic - An idealist whose rose-colored glasses have been removed, snapped in two and stomped into the ground, immediately improving his vision.

Denial - How an optimist keeps from becoming pessimist.

Executive - One who executes middle managers, especially while wearing an expensive suit.

-to be continued (pag sinipag ako)

Another work week starts tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday folks!

I left my purse at home with all my money in it AND my ATM.

I was almost late for work. Punch in time: 7:58 a.m.

Could this day get any worse?

...I was mistaken for a sales lady at SM Makati today. I'd understand if I was wearing my yellow office uniform dahil kamukha at kakulay talaga 'yun ng uniform ng mga sales lady sa SM. But I was wearing my blue uniform, which looked ENTIRELY DIFFERENT from that of SM sales ladies'. Bad trip talaga.

That guy, actually he was gay, got a really cold stare from me. "Miss, saan banda 'yung..." he said while walking towards me and upon realizing that I wasn't who he thought I was, he said "ay I'm very sorry!" in a bakla-ako-at-imbiyerna-ako-sa-beauty-mo tone.

Another 'horror' of the day for me was I saw Sonny again, the weird guy who claimed that he could sense if a girl is carrying heavy burdens deep inside. He didn't see me, buti na lang.

Gotta get some ZZzzss..

I dedicate this song to my good friend Lamfel. I hope you find your way back into love soon...

I've been living with a shadow overhead
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past, I just can't seem to move on ¨
¨I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need em again someday
I've been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind ¨
¨All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
Oh oh oh
I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I've been searching but I just don't see the signs
I know that it's out there
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere ¨
¨I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not just somebody just to get me through the night
I could use some direction
And I'm open to your suggestions ¨
¨All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart again
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end ¨
¨There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation ¨
¨All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart to you
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I'll be there for you in the end

--from the movie Music and Lyrics

After days and nights of trying to figure out how to do it, I finally managed to 'center' my page and change the banner, woohoo! Yun lang masaya na ko.

Simula pa lang 'to...sana makaya pa ng powers ko, haha!

I had my hair cut today. Ang weird lang kasi malaki naman ang binawas pero hindi naman nagbago itsura ko. Oh well, this isn't the first time. Sana lang mapansin ng ibang tao na may nagbago sa'kin, kahit hindi masyadong halata.

I went shopping with my mom and sister yesterday. Actually it was more of a bargain hunting. Luckily I was able to score a new pair of jeans from Forme at 50% off and a really cheap blouse that I can wear at work. I also bought another pair of flipflops, this time in green dahil summer na. 

I am looking forward to a really exciting news this week. Pero ayaw ko parin umasa. Hintayin ko na lang.

What else am I looking forward to this week...ah! pananabon ng mga big boss kapag nabitin ang newsletter. I'd like to believe that it's not my fault (kung magkaganun man) because I know that I did my part well and on time this time. Hay, bahala na.

Then there's the company summer outing. It will be my first since last year's plans did not push through. Sana masaya.

Like my "improved" layout? turn on your speakers, may sounds pa yan, hehe!

...prepared by Geoff:

Wheat bread + lettuce + tomatoes + cucumber + cheese + sandwich spread =

Yyyuuummm!!!

...according to the simple IQ test that I took:

Let's see...

Today after lunch I rushed to the nearest Mini Stop to the office to buy a pint of Selecta Double Dutch ice cream. I ate half of the pint then and the other half at merienda. Actually I shared some with Jean, but I consumed most of it.

Then before going home I decided to buy jumbo fries from Potato Corner, sour cream flavor, of course. JUMBO.

hmmm...what else...ah, I went shopping last Saturday and had my hair cut last Sunday.

Palagay ko hindi naman ako depressed. Sa tingin nyo?