Busy side walks

it's couple of days to go before Christmas and i'm just lucky to be on leave so I get to celebrate Noche Buena like every one else. A vacation is just really rare these days due to work engagements and I hate working during holiday season, it can get so lonely. Moving on, the night seemed longer than usual so I read somewhere about winter solstice. 

Winter Solstice...

Winter Solstice officially started last Sunday so I wasn't surprised when it's freakin' six in the morning yet it feels like it's past after midnight. If there's Summer Solstice then there's Winter Solstice.

Bad Food, Bad Service...

My sister and I went to Grumpy Joe for an early lunch sort of at eleven in the morning and to our dismay it was still closed so we had no choice but to eat out someplace else. Our feet led us to 50's Diner along Leonard Wood. It was way different compared to years ago when my family went there. It was all cramped up, poorly lit, there was this miniature cockroach creeping up the wall and the worst, their service was horrendous.

We ordered strawberry milk shake, baked macaroni and spaghetti. The strawberry milkshake came in quick however, the macaroni and spaghetti were served after almost an hour. We were pissed off but tried to keep our calm because we were both starving. Their staff were so sluggish like walking zombies and wouldn't even hand you over the menu onset unless you ask for it.  Alas our food was served after waiting in vain and yes it tasted spoiled and awful. My baked mac tasted stale and worse than 711's pasta on the go, it seemed like it was cooked the day prior my oh my.  We didn't even finish the whole plate because even the toasted bread didn't taste edible enough, it tasted expired. We took off as soon as we could. What a waste of money we told ourselves. Imagine paying almost P500 for 2 pax for a not so delectable meal? It was such a waste. I wonder what happened to 50s Diner? I hope they fix this crappy service they have because people are not wasting away their good money on expensive diners with awful food and bad customer service. 

Cleanse...

I know that the holidays is a festive season but, let's not also forget to infuse veggies in our holiday menu. Salad in a Jar is becoming really popular nowadays so I decided to give it a whirl.

How does it work? Stuff it in with the dressing first or wet ingredients followed by your choice of protein. It can be steamed chicken, egg or tuna or whatever meat you wish to add. Last but not least, the dry ingredients, cheese, raisins etc. Very easy to prepare and guilt free. 

posted from Bloggeroid

A Time To Take Time

I came across this blog and read about Witty Will Save The World's "Relax, Puso Lang Yan Malayo sa Bituka" Planner 2015. I read that Mt. Cloud is the only place that sells the quirky planner where I'm at. It was much more expensive though compared to purchasing one online (450php + shipping through Facebook vs. 520php book store price).  I thought, I'm not willing to wait 4-5 days just for a planner while I could grab one myself so I went ahead and visited Mt. Cloud. 

Mt. Cloud is a cute book store downstairs from Casa Vallejo. They also sell cute key chains, fridge magnets and stamps at the counter.

beware: the 'hot sauce'
is really HOT.

Grumpy Joe
Leonard Wood

The place can be a little cramped up and  you have to climb the quite steep stairs to get to Grumpy Joe as it's on the 2nd floor. They serve their iced tea in mason jars which was cute plus the food is good. I tried their Combo meal A (Spaghetti in red sauce, fried chicken, a slice of pizza and french fries). The pasta was alright, the fried chicken and fries were really good, a must try. It was affordable as well because the combo meal was just around 140php if I'm not mistaken, the raspberry iced tea for 75php and the blueberry cheesecake cost 140php per slice. Nevertheless,  it was worth coming back to because we enjoyed the food despite the bad online reviews lol. 

posted from Bloggeroid

R&R

 I promise to blog more often to de-stress and so here I am.Work is not so busy due to the holidays which is such a breather. I think I really should have that much needed R and R. I love vacations because I get to read more often and watch more movies.

Recharge.

I just finished reading Neil Gaiman's Fortunately, the Milk e-book and yes I realized it was a children's book due to the cool illustrations. As expected, it was filled with drawings so I think I really picked the wrong book from the bookstore lol. I was deceived by its quirky book cover. Nevertheless, t'was pretty entertaining.

The story went like this, the kids were left home with the Daddy and they ran out of milk for the cereal (for the kids) and milk for the tea (for the Dad). The Dad bought one from the nearest grocery but he was eventually kidnapped by aliens. He met Stegosaurus, wumpires (vampires), a talking volcano etc.

My brain turned lopsided and thank God the weirdness ended sooner than I expected. The book contained just few pages thus it's finished even before I realized. It was crazy really. I just then realized upon skimming through the credits that Neil writes books for kiddos as well. Oh now I know hehe. I loved The Ocean at the end of the lane seriously and I didn't know his queer imagination extends to kids books.

Then be it.

New Read: The face on the Milk Carton, Caroline B. Cooney (Suspense/Mystery)

I have started reading this one and yes it is promising as it's a story about kidnapped kids and their photos at the back of milk cartons. I mean yeah what if the family you grew up with isn't your real family right? Anyways, it's gonna be a long read because it's sort of a five set book kinda like a sequel I guess all with interesting book covers so I will blog about them once I finished all five of them (and I promise I will) :)

I hope to have ample time to read because my brain is asking for food as she's afraid of turning sedentary.

Aesthetics.

sorry for the scare, yeah
my hair is THIS long :D

I went to Tony and Jackey (yes, the Korean hair salon) the other day to get my hair rebonded for the nth2 time. I do this every year to keep my long hair straight and shiny. I went to David's salon to compare how much they charge and I was surprised that they charge 50% more compared to Tony?? What a rip off? I mean I've had my hair rebonded at David's MANY times and they don't normally charge this much. I tried Tony and Jackey last year and I was really happy with the result because the rebond effect did not lapse until about the 8th month as oppose to David's which only last for about 6 months and my head feels really heavy after my hair endured the ironing process with David's which is the opposite at T&J's, my hair felt so light and looked naturally shiny after. I just don't get it why David's charge that much. I seriously now prefer Tony and Jackey price wise and quality wise.

posted from Bloggeroid

Hello December

Oh hello December! I promise to write as frequent as I could this month. I was just extremely busy lately due to the early Christmas shopping spree and appointment with my endocrinologist. I now have a new endocrinologist because the previous one seems to be the only one where I live thus it's such a pain setting up an appointment. 


Health is Wealth...

  

As I always say, I hate hospitals but, I am happy with my new Endoc because he answers all my questions as honest as possible. I was advised to cease taking my vitamins for the time being to see if my body will respond better to meds. Since he's an Internists at the same time, I was also advised that, I take other tests other than the usual blood test (FT4, TSH)  to also check my cholesterol level and come back after a month which I did. My blood test turned out fine, everything is normal so my only concern now is to rid off the muscle cramps and reduce any signs of hypothyroidism as it can no longer be totally eradicated. My Endoc eventually increased my dosage and advised that It's really all up to me how I would control my intake. I asked how come my muscle cramps seemed terrible whenever I am stressed out and I feel depressed at times for no reason at all. He responded that the reason behind that it's 'cuz my body is releasing insufficient hormones for my activities thus explains the depression and muscle cramps. That, I have to increase my dosage to address the lack of. I just then realized how odd my life would be from now on, I now have to gauge how many dosage (of hormone replacement meds) I have to take whilst my body is supposedly doing that job for me,  a lifetime side effect of my RAI (radioactive iodine treatment). I once stopped taking Levothyroxine without telling my Endoc but It didn't do me any good. I gained weight so fast and my muscle cramps came back plus the depression. I tried understanding my condition for as much as I could but It was really difficult without any aid from my Doctor. So far so good, I am taking my meds religiously and I have no plans of stopping because I don't want to go through the same ordeal I went through before. I really felt like an emotional wreck without my meds so I guess I shouldn't self medicate because battling against any thyroid related disorder  is serious. I think taking my meds before I go to bed did all the trick so I don't feel sleepy and tired that much during the day.

 I finally finished reading the last book from the Winterhaven Trilogy by Kristi Cook called “Eternal” (Winterhaven #3). Sorry to be such a spoiler.

Aidan, Violet and friends went to Paris after their high school graduation to celebrate and fight the bad vampires to restore the Tribunal. The battle against the bad vamps was a success except Aidan took the serum which was handed to him by Matthew (Violet's 'Megved'). Matthew perfected the serum and carefully instructed Violet that she must inject the serum to Aidan's no matter what. Violet was totally hesitant but she still managed to inject the serum to Aidan thus he resurrected, now a human being. Matthew unfortunately died. Violet was distraught with Matthew's death, he needed to die for Aidan to live. Violet in the long run met her Sabbath family and their Megved counterparts. The End. I thought, the Winterhaven trilogy was  entertaining.

photo courtesy
of google images

Next read: Another one of Neil Gaiman novels called Fortunately, the Milk. 

It's 20 days to go before Christmas...

Speaking of the holidays, My lovely make up brushes came in through mail last week! I purposely ordered a month early for Christmas as it's a reward for myself (for working so damn hard) and for my sister. It was a 12 piece brush set btw and is a good alternative for the really expensive ones. 

sunflowers for Mum :)

something for my sweet
tooth :)

Sunflowers in bloom
They're such a pretty sight to behold. 

Movies and the Yuletide Season

• Divergent •

(Based on Veronica Roth's novel of the same title)

Main Characters:

Tris - From the Abnegation faction, believed to be a Divergent.

Four - Instructor from Dauntless, also a Divergent.

Dystopian Chicago.
Every child is required to take an aptitude test at the age of 16 to determine which among the five factions they belong: Abnegation, for the selfless; Amity, for the peaceful; Candor, for the honest; Dauntless, for the brave; and Erudite, for the intellectual. Whatever is the result of the test, each individual is given the liberty to either stay with their family's faction or leave.

Tris and her brother decided to join the faction of their choice; Tris joined Dauntless while her brother Erudite. During the aptitude test Tris was found a Divergent which means she qualifies for not just one but 3 factions at the same time. She was told to never disclose to anyone otherwise she and her family would be in great danger because the authorities are after Divergents.

It was a long and exciting movie so i'll just fast forward, Tris fell in love with Four, her instructor, she almost got booted out of Dauntless because her scores on the tests were low but she emerged victorious in the long run, redeemed herself and evaded being factionless. Tris found that her mother used to be Dauntless and is a Divergent like her alongside Four. Tris' mother died whilst trying to escape because it was later divulged that Tris and Four were Divergents. Tris along with Four and her brother survived. Whatever comes next would be on the next chapter or book called Insurgents which hopefully gets it's own share of box office success if ever it turns out to be a movie someday.

I love this flick and yes I will watch it again if I have time cuz it's filled with suspense and made sense which is refreshing compared to other movies nowadays. Do watch this movie for a change.

• The Help (2011) •

My brain is not working good today so I'll just borrow this from wikipedia:

The Help is a 2011 American drama filmdirected and written by Tate Taylor, andadapted from Kathryn Stockett's 2009novel of the same name. Featuring anensemble cast, the film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, during the Civil Rights era in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi who decides to write a book from the point of view of the maids (referred to as "the help"), exposing the racism they are faced with as they work for white families.

Skeeter successfully published her book whilst her mother is battling with cancer and it opened the minds of many people regarding the plight of the maids during that era. Her mother thanked her for bringing courage back in the family as it has skipped some generations. The setting was then the time when the fight for civil rights is going strong because of Martin Luther King (please refer to Civil Rights Movement 1963 in google).

This is one of the best and moving movies I've seen in a while and yes it was based from a novel by

Tate Taylor and it has won numerous awards and was a box office hit.

Happy Holidays...

Moving on, I have been busy doing some early Christmas shopping for myself and allocating money for xmas gifts as well. Yes it is 13th month pay season and money flies as usual.

Item #1

I bought our family dog Yumi her own doggie bed and got it for almost a bargain.

Item #2

Cord Holder/ Winder

image from google 

Purchased 3 sets for me and my sister's ipod and samsung charger. I bought it online for 35php each set plus shipping 100php! I'm a happy camper 'cuz it came in today, that was fast.

Item #3

KiteKat Catfood

I couldn't think of a better gift for our cat Atari but this because he consumes his cat food quite fast so I decided to get him a big bag. I bought the Mackerel one btw. 

Holiday beauty staples...

eyebrow - E.L.F Tame and Treat eyebrow Mascara;
eyes - Maybelline HyperCurl Volume Express (sorry
for my sleepy eyes, just tired for the day when I took
this photo :D )

The holiday season won't be complete without the holiday make up so I am beginning to also contour my eyebrows (not that I have thinning eyebrows but contoured eyebrows is IN). I am currently engrossed with E.L.F's tame and treat eyebrow mascara because it's very easy to use as it dries up pretty fast just make sure to cleanly finish the smudges with a liquid concealer or any concealer of your choice, LA Girl's PRO Concealer works best for me.

posted from Bloggeroid

Garden in the Sky

I haven't gone back to Tam-Awan/Artists Village a.k.a Garden in the Sky in ages. The last time we went there was way back 2009 during my sister and I's birthday back when we were still vacationing here up north and I can say a lot has changed.

Thank God I got off from work earlier than usual and my sister happened to be on leave 'cuz we have to take our niece around and a friend of hers to the city of pines and we thought of Tam-Awan Village as one of those eccentric and artsy places to go for aspiring photographers because of numerous possible subjects from art installations to nature etc.

The weather was good so that pretty much helped us did some up hill climbing and up up and away we went to almost the top of the village just to find that it was not the same as it used to be. Very few nipa houses left and the usual bridge was no longer there which we thought might've been ravaged by the typhoons that visited the north. I mean yeah it's been five years right?

Never the less the usual souvenir shop is still there and in addition to that a cafeteria is now being housed across the artists area (this is where the resident painters draw people's faces at a minimal fee). I'm not so sure how long the cafeteria has been there but It looks cozy and I wish we had more time to eat there to complete the experience. Just be nice to the resident black kitty as well as she joins in the crowd dining in at the cafeteria.Black kittie is just I guess welcoming the visitors and trying to find a living as well :)

I also noticed that the ticket cost is now higher but of course like I said it's been years since my sissy and I stepped foot there. Adult tickets is now at Php50 whilst for little kids Php20, students and seniors at Php30/ pax. I guess it's also a way to rehabilitate the village thus explains the price increase although I was just surprised that the village now has limited places to go as oppose to before. We were handed a map as soon as we got out tickets and we let our niece snap on those photos for as long as she wanted. We got really tired walking expecting to find the dream catcher area but we didn't so we decided to go back down. The absence of arrows leading the visitors made it quite difficult to find certain areas of the village.

Outside across Tam-Awan village where Kape Diperensya used to be situated is now replaced by a museum which again houses art installations by local artists then few walks away you'll find this waffle house which looks like your typical country style abode with this cute resident dog outside watching the day go by. How cool isn't it?

Oh by the way I got myself some keychains for Php20 each and this fridge magnet for Php70. Rule of thumb, make sure to buy yourself some souvenir from places you've been. In my case I collect fridge magnets so there.

Cab fare was Php85 from downtown one way. I wish we had more time 'cuz our niece is headed back down south today. She promised another visit by next month which is Christmas time though to finish were we left off. We also promised to take her to other amazing places she haven't been before here up north. Time constraints as usual.

It was rather a long productive day yesterday. Now it's my day off from work so time for some mind, body and soul recharge.

Tam-awan Village

1. Address: Long Long Benguet Rd, Baguio, Benguet
2. Phone:(074) 446 2949

posted from Bloggeroid

Welcome November

Welcome November!

My first blog post for the month and yes it is All Saints Day, the 1st of November. I was up early for my morning jog today as usual and it is my second day on leave from my painfully boring job and it is such a breather to be away from the confides of the office even just for a day or two. I visited the columbarium today where my mum's urn is nestled and I still can't believe it's already been two years. I think of her and pray for her everyday of my life and I will do so for as long as I live. 

To keep me sane, I kept myself busy the whole day long. I saw on TV that the cemeteries aren't as crowded compared to the previous years. I think, the advent of cremation has made it easier for the families to visit their dearly departed ones. Moving on, out of boredom I made this DIY shoe box charging station to keep our chargers as organized and clutter-free as possible. I used this Vans shoe box which my sister kept somewhere  in our flat for a start (like those ones I found on Pinterest) and I was happy with the outcome. 

posted from Bloggeroid

Octo31st

Happy Halloween!

To be honest, I couldn't care less about Halloween except for the TV specials they air about ghost and paranormal stuff during this time of the year. I only take the 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (All Soul's Day) of November seriously as it is widely observed here in my country.

Moving on, I went to the Grotto this morning during my morning jog. I offered prayers and lit candles for our dearly departed ones. 

posted from Bloggeroid

A much needed break

"..bonding time with my sissies by eating out at this place
I haven't been or keep on coming back to,
may it be an eccentric resto or fancy one.."

I wanna enjoy my day off from work for as much as possible by either writing a blog whilst listening to acoustic tracks through my Spotify playlist, bonding time with my sissies by eating out at this place I haven't been or keep on coming back to, may it be an eccentric resto or fancy one, go back to that last page of the eBook I left off, watch a favorite movie I've seen over and over again. I just wanna be on a stress free environment and situation, I want my happy hormones up, veer away from dramas.

Oh My Gulay Resto/Art Gallery
 - photo from my instagram account

I am very fickle minded and once faced with stressful situations I sometimes break no matter how strong I am like a song that goes 'even the best falls down sometimes..' called “Collide” by Howie Day. I usually resort to leaving my current job for years to have a change of environment no matter how difficult it is to start over. I snap by telling myself 'I'm done.'

I have been thinking lately of leaving my work and go back down south due to life's simplicity here up north. I am just so used to a fast paced life the rush and all and I find life here so sluggish and moves in such a slow motion. I am driven by money and I wouldn't lie about it and a high paying job that'll pay off the bills.

photo courtesy of google images

Once at work whilst browsing through travel blogs, I came across this bloggie by John Ward, he's a Irish blogger who traveled across 122 or so countries and self confessed he's not even wealthy nor have benefactors to sustain his life the way it is. I envied him at some point because travel is my ultimate dream but how can I? I am busy with my job which is just enough to pay my bills and so little time due to job demands that prohibit me from pursuing my dream. He said that how can you enjoy your retirement money if you're even too old to travel cuz that's the only time YOU'll have time to enjoy-- once you're retired. I thought about it and I agree big time. Why is life like this anyway? If you have money you don't have time and if you have time you don't have money? I just want to have a balance of both but I just don't know how's that possible.

Anyways, moving on, I wan't my life to change hopefully by next year. I just came into this point that things must change and I am the driver, I must steer my own way to change my destiny 'cuz it's obviously not working out for me at this point.

'Nuff of my rants for now.

I wanna keep myself busy for as much as possible and I mean productive-busy. I have been feeling a little better since I started taking my thyroid medication again (on a lower dose) but this time before bedtime although It hasn't completely eradicate the fact that It still makes me sleepy come daytime whilst at work. I guess I just have to endure it than be acutely hypothyroid. My muscle cramps eluded me for days which I don't know for how long.

photo from my instagram account 

To keep me busy I got myself these cord protectors which I bought from this general merchandise store for Php10 a piece and yeah it's kind of enjoyable for as long as your patience has not ran out. I spent some gruelling less than an hour wrapping it around my ipod and mobile phone charger. Whoa It wasn't as easy as it looks once done man but the work pays off once you see how cool it looks afterwards teehee.

One of my other plans is to go back to driving again because it is a necessity and I hate it that I have to rely on my sister all the time. I wanna feel much more indie by driving back again for myself since I stopped doing so when I was still 16 because I hate driving manual cars. I think automatic cars is sure easier compared to driving manual ones which you have to endure muscle pains afterwards because you have to steer the wheel for as much effort as you could.

Well, well.. I need TIME like I said which I do not have lately. A badly needed time to do a lot of travelling and other things for myself.

Same As It Was

photo courtesy of google images

My body is sore as a side effect of abruptly stop taking my thyroid meds on my own accord. I was just done and over with it at one point because seeing my endocrinologist is so much more difficult than dealing with my muscle cramps. Yes, I know I am now back to being Hypothyroid as a by product of my RAI or thyroid ablation. And yup this will be for life that I have to take medications to balance my hormones. I felt suddenly aghast by it but either way I have no choice because If I won't my heart would be badly damaged due to Hyperthyroidism.

I was on Levothyroxine 50mcg after my Laparoscopic Cholesystectomy for almost a month until I saw my endoc and he increased my dosage to 100mcg and that's when all the problem started kicking in. I started having headaches, feeling disoriented, terribly sleepy, started getting depressed, lost my focus and what have you. So, I stopped taking it after roughly nine days and I felt better seriously until recently that I started gaining weight again, feeling so cold, my muscle cramps came back, same as it was during my hypothyroid days and yeah right it is really tough.

My endoc for over a year now is on one month leave so I needed to find another endoc (which is very rare where I live) to immediately address my muscle cramps/tightness or whatever you call it and I was lucky to find one, an endocrinologist and internist at the same time. I took this blood test covered by my HMO for TSH-FT4 just so my new endoc would have a basis to begin with. It's like I was back to square one, I told him about my operation and RAI and I was transparent about how I felt whilst on Levothyroxine 100mcg and he agreed to reduce it back to 50mcg and advised that whatever makes me feel good would help like take Levo in the evening perhaps to address the puffiness of my face and muscle cramps etc.

I think being an internist helped somehow that he suggested I run some cholesterol check, CBC, Urinalysis to see if all is well and isolate as to why my pulse rate is fast for a hypothyroid patient. He also mentioned that I MAY have a clogged vein connected to my heart after he performed an ECG test on me. I appreciate his honesty seriously and not some bunch of sugar coated words just so as not to scare me off. I mean, I am an adult who deserve to hear what must be heard to fully get me into better shape for real. My new endoc/internist advised my gallstone 'might' go back as a result of weight loss again due to TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) medication.

I do not regret having underwent RAI but I just wish that I find my hormonal balance someday because I feel so sick feeling like being in a pendulum every time. Damn, what can I say? I freakin' need a break from doctors and hospitals man! I am just fervently hoping and praying that my thyroid goes back to normal because this illness hits me hard in the muscles since during my Hyperthyroid days and I ain't happy with it.

posted from Bloggeroid

A little help for a paw family

The last leg of my doggy chores with Yumi ended today with a whopping two thousand bill for tartar removal. I know there's a hole in my pocket but happiness in my heart.

photo courtesy of google images

My sissies and I had to fast her yesterday until today so her last meal was lunchtime and her last liquid consumption was last night at 7pm and that's it no more foodie nor water for her until we took her to the vet this morning.

We drove her to the vet around 10 a.m and she's so weak already due to dehydration and hunger I know so she was behave the whole trip.

It took roughly a couple of hours and we were a bit worried when the vet said since Yumi hasn't had any operation we don't know if she is allergic to sedative or not unlike humans wherein a patch test is required to see if there'll be any allergic reaction.

We were apprehensive to leave her at first but we trust the vet as they are experts and of course they won't allow anything bad to happen to their paw patients. I signed all the waiver and stuff and we left her to the hands of the vet hoping all goes well and thank God it did.

I got a phone call from the vet after lunch to let us know we can pick Yumi up since she's already awake, safe and sound. I was advised that she's only allowed to eat and drink by 10 p.m tonight. How heartbreaking because she's soooo starving but whatever the vet says we have to comply because we have to wait for the anaesthesia's effect to wear off first.

Well, what can I say, I was happy when I saw the outcome. Yumi now has pearly white teeth and better breathe of course although still a li'l groggy.

My next project is our senior dog Fiona and her toenail. I have, i have to save up again!

posted from Bloggeroid

so on and so forth

I don't really have a knack for losing things BUT I lost my Belkin™ clear case as I alight from this jeepney one fateful day. It just accidentally snapped off from my iPod. I felt somehow connected to it that I even attempted to look for it but as much as I hate leaving it behind, when you're in a rush, there's no time for regret (like a line from a song entitled 'Disappear' by The Gabe Dixon Band).

Anyways, going back, as soon as I got home I have no choice but order myself another one from eBay and this time It will fully cover my iPod. So, I purchased this another Belkin™ leather case not knowing I got the same brand again because I focused on how fully clothed my iPod would be afterwards. And dyaraaan! just after a couple of weeks or so I got It today. They sent me this registry notice that I have to claim the item from our local post office. The sad part was the customs fee increased and I was charged 100php while it used to be 50php?? Whew, money flies like time. In just a few months customs fee raked up fifty percent?? Truly not good except I was happy with the item never mind the disappointment. I love it 'cuz my iPod felt scratch and dust free now.

Moving on, my sissy and I took our dog Yumi to the vet due to her constant ear scratching and canine halitosis. I got my SSS sickness reimbursement few weeks back due too my operation two month's ago (and yes I endured the no pay as a result of my LOA whilst waiting for the reimbursement) thus I decided to use it for a reasonable cause which is to cover our dog Yumi's vet expenses. I knew from the very beginning that a trip to the vet is always gonna cost a fortune BUT I just can't afford seeing the poor fella cry in discomfort due to her very itchy ears and terrible breath.

We headed off to the vet this morning and told them about her dilemma with her ears and bad breath. I did some research yesterday and found that she might be suffering from ear mites which is common on dogs and may need immediate vet attention because it will get worse eventually over time as it is a form of parasite. I also read that a sample would be taken from the dog's ear and whatever there is can only be seen via a microscope of course, which is what the vet did as expected. Those darn earmites looked horrific honestly. I mean, how could an organism like that cause so much trouble yet so little? Damn i said to myself. 

Ok, they cleaned Yumi's ears despite her hesitation and whimper. Yumi was really strong for her miniscule body surprisingly because three people held her during the process. A small yet compact dawg! They thoroughly cleaned her ears until no residue is left then applied this gel like ear drop called Earmicide afterwards. The best part was, it cost a hefty almost a grand bill total for a few minute ear work whoa!

But, never the less, I was happy inspite of the expensive cost because Yumi's troubled ears is gonna be a history soon. We bought Earmicide and this small muzzle for her because she hates it every time someone takes a peek at her ears so no choice but purchase a muzzle for as much as we don't want to but what the heck she bites. Earmicide cost 370php whilst the vet fee was 520php. 

Before we head off to the pet shop at the nearby mall to buy Yumi's muzzle, we inquired about her halitosis and yes she also has tartar on her teeth so we asked for an estimate from the vet and we were told it would be 1,500php for the dental procedure plus 350php to sedate her because it's impossible to perform the process without sedating the dog. We were advised to prepare 2k plus for the whole thing which I have already prepared for ahead of time. It's always good to be prepared to avoid bill shock unless you're Paris Hilton or something.

As soon as we got her a muzzle I told my sissy to inquire at the mall's vet clinic to check on how much dog grooming would cost (cuz it might be cheaper than the other vet clinic we just came from) and later on found it'd be 550php. I decided to go right ahead and have her groomed at the same time to save us gas and do all the doggie chores at once. We left her for an hour and a half whilst I drop by at the post office to pick up my parcel from eBay then we came back to pick her up. She looked a li'l tired but happy that she even slept on my lap whilst at the car on our way home due to weariness perhaps. As soon as we got home she seemed happy not scratching her ears anymore and rolled over many times as if feeling much lighter after her hair or should I say fur cut. Our cat Atari seemed sooo curious that he marveled at Yumi many times.

To sum it all up, being a responsible pet owner is nevah cheap so lesson learned-- make it a habit to periodically take them to the vet to avoid the worse and much higher vet bills although it WILL never get any cheaper trust me.

posted from Bloggeroid

Procastinating

I don't like gossips simply because I hate meddling with other people's business. But, for the most part, it is quite entertaining knowing how a simple story could go full blown. Gossip mongers are everywhere even in the confides of airconditioned offices.

I have been in the bpo industry almost all my life and perhaps will not consider any other jobs out there NOT because money is easy here nor it's a no brainer job. Believe me it's not. If you can't keep up you'll end up quitting prematurely or get traumatized as life here is fast paced.

Going back, in this industry I grew up to, I've met people from all walks of life. But then, regardless of the companies I've hopped to, they all have this common culture going on--gossips, scandalous extramarital affairs and people surprisingly earning big money yet wallowing with debt. People love to splurge in this business because they can afford it. For some they spend their hours in the office (aside from working) finding other 'preoccupations.' Extra marital affairs is so common in this industry, well in each and every industry nowadays I guess.

Employees who are married, once reached the office, tends to hook up with someone in close proximity disregarding adultery is a crime. I don't get it. I've heard a lot about scandalous affairs in this business. Cat fights and confrontations between the legal, common law wife and mistresses. For some, the ending is crime of passion.

I mean, I may not completely understand why people find challenge in complications. For me, challenge shouldn't be self destructive like becoming a home wrecker or what have you because I think that's selfish hooking up with someone married yet you know but will still desperately elude the consequences. I guess my set of values has a strong foundation. The adult world shouldn't be this complex. There's just too much bad in this world already and you don't have to be a catalyst for change but at least make the world a better place in your own little way.

This is the reason why I am not a social being because of superficial things like gossips. The more you know, the more you lose your respect for some people and It somehow affects how you  see them whether the rumor about them has veracity or not. Human nature, our judgement is pre-empted by certain factors in our environment.

Figuratively speaking, I compare gossips to a cloud of smoke. Second hand smoke can be as cancerous to those who are not first hand smokers. Gossip is a form of pollution.

Well, what can I say? Go to church, say a prayer to dust off the bad vibes.

Dear God, I just want a drama-free workplace (Fleetwood Mac playing in the background). 

  

Mirage #2

Mirage, Book 2 | Kristi Cook

I just finished the second book from the 'Haven' trilogy this morning and yes as soon as I woke up I flipped through the few remaining pages excited to know how it would end. This trilogy is just my guilty pleasure not realizing I would enjoy it more than twilight. Well, Meyer's Twilight is the heavy drama version as opposed to Cook's trilogy.

Anyways, a new character came in at Winterhaven, Tyler, from another psychic school called Summerhaven which sounded kind of funny to me cuz I never thought Cook would coin such name for a school considering she named the first one Winterhaven.

Tyler happened to be Violet's fencing counterpart at Summerhaven and the two became friends. Aidan got a little jealous of Tyler because Violet spends a lot of time with him as they were fencing partners. Another new character came in, Dr. Matthew Byrne, a young professor with Phd at Winterhaven who teaches Science and became Violet's precog coach. The girls at Winterhaven called him Mr. Hottie because he was goodlooking ang young for a professor.

Violet and the gang got busy with SAT and scouting for a perfect college/university after high school whilst Aidan spent more time at the Laboratory trying to perfect his serum/elixir that would turn him to a somewhat normal human being again.

Dr. Byrne kept his regular coaching sessions with Violet to improve her precog ability and enable her to playback her visions vividly.

A vampire stalker on the lose started victimizing random targets until one day a female body was found on Winterhaven grounds. Tyler learned that Aidan is a vampire and suspected he might be the culprit. Violet started having doubts neither.

Among Violet's significant visions; putting a stake at Aidan's heart and Whitney getting chased by someone unknown.

Violet learned about her Megvéd who happened to be Matthew or Dr. Byrne, a match for a sabbat.

Came Christmas brake, whilst Patty, Violet's step mom is away for a holiday with her new boyfriend, Whitney called Violet to let her know she is sleeping over at Patty's apartment where Violet is headed for the holidays. Violet got a call grom Trevor to warn her something is wrong with Aidan and must immediately stay away from him for the time being. Too late because Aidan already got to Patty's apartment and Whitney asked him to come up. Violet asked Whitney to leave the apartment to run away from Aidan.

Matthew called Violet and already knew what's bound to happen. The two started looking for Whitney and Violet realized her visions about her friend. The two were able to save Whitney from Aidan. Aidan realized what he did decided to turn himself to the tribunal.

On the other hand, Trevor and Matthew have this resolve that Aidan is the vampire stalker as he wasn't himself every time he injects the serum.

Aidan and Violet believe that there is someone messing with the serum at the lab whos intent is to destroy Aidan. This was also one of Violet's vision, an unknown person getting a hand on the test tubes.

Aidan, broken hearted, bid Violet goodbye and asked Matthew to look after her.

Book 2 did not end happily and I already started reading book 3 as I am writing this bloggie. I don't wanna spoil what's to unfold next :)

posted from Bloggeroid

Spotify it

I never thought would enjoy Spotify more than any other music app. Imagine I was able to listen to one of my all time fave albums by one of my first fave grunge band Nirvana.

Nirvana's 'MTV Unplugged in New York' album is a classic and if you own one good for you as it's one of the best albums I've enjoyed in my lifetime. My brother made me listen to grunge music when I was in high school without him knowing I eventually enjoyed grunge music.

I was a teenager when I started listening to Pearl Jam, Jet Black Joe, Gin Blossoms, Live and the rest of the 90's rock act and It's just pretty nostalgic going back to those music which I listened to during my adolescent years.

Going back I never thought Spotify's library is just so vast that they have even the oldest albums there was. It was just a little confusing at first because you have to login/sign up to experience it and the app is not so easy to navigate but in the long run you'll just learn it by common sense.

This app just offers a wide array of playlist you could choose from. They have movie OSTs (I even added Empire Records and Warm Bodies full OST on my playlist), full album of rock bands you knew about in the past and those new artists you haven't heard of such as Avi Buffalo etc. They have top 100 Rock, Indie, OPM playlists which I all saved on my account playlist so I could play 'em over and over again. Spotify even has this Cardio playlist for fitness buff out there who wants to listen to music to rev them up whilst jogging or hitting the treadmill.

Amazing isn't it? I might subscribe to Spotify to leech on full album downloads as my android smartphone is a good way for me to download tons of free mp3 files which my former iphone deprived me unless I purchase tracks from itunes. Php129 won't hurt the pocket for a month long subscription plus the payment option is flexible as you can use paypal or directly pay using your credit card for non paypal users.

Music is life.

posted from Bloggeroid

Nature and its Drama

I love sceneries and landscapes. They inspire me to take more photos. I used my android smartphone camera in taking all these photos then edited them with snapseed. I am just fascinated with this app, it makes photos uber dramatic :)

posted from Bloggeroid