ONDOY

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It's been days since I last wrote here. I guess I'm just too preoccupied with all that's happening back home. Thankfully, my family back there didn't have to go through the devastation that most of the people in the greater Metro Manila, Marikina and the Rizal province went through and are still going through. I tried to call my siblings while everything was going down but the circuits were all busy. After talking to a high school classmate who informed me that the river [which is by our very backyard] swelled up, I decided to try calling my family again. I got lucky that time because I was able to speak with my sister in-law who resides in Angeles City. Yes, the river water rose but it didn't cause any flooding. Big sigh of relief after that phone call.

I've been glued mostly online reading and watching some heart wrenching videos posted on You Tube. I want to be kept abreast with all that's happening but sometimes after reading all that has transpired in the last few days, I can't help but feel great sadness. All I can do right now is offer prayers to all those affected by this unfortunate event. Hopefully, I'll be able to do more in the days to come.

Let's ALL pray that this ordeal be over soon. If you want to extend any kind of help, please visit the Philippine National Red Cross site. Aside from Red Cross, there are also a lot of other places/organizations you can visit to extend any kind of help you can afford.

RECALL Alert: TYLENOL for Children/Infants

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ETA: The reason for the recall lifted from Tylenol.com website:

You may have heard that McNeil Consumer Healthcare (the makers of TYLENOL®) is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products that were manufactured between April, 2008 and June, 2008. All products manufactured met internal specifications. However, the company is implementing this recall because during this period, an unused portion of one inactive ingredient did not meet all quality standards. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it was decided to recall all Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products listed below, which were made during this time.

Parents and caregivers who have questions or concerns should contact their child's health care provider or our consumer call center at 1-800-962-5357 (available Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time). Consumers can find the lot numbers on the bottom of the box containing the liquid product and also on the sticker that surrounds the product bottle. The lot numbers of the affected products are listed below.

These actions do not apply to Children's TYLENOL® Meltaways and Junior Strength TYLENOL® Meltaways. The voluntary recall applies only to select lots of Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products.

Here's a complete list of the Children/Infants's Liquid Tylenol that are being recalled. This is what the little takes so I had to go through her medicine cabinet to make sure we don't have any of these listed products.

I lifted this list from Tylenol.com to share it here. Go check your little one's medicine cabinet to make sure you're on the clear on this one.

Recalled Products - Full List

Lot #	Product Description
SBM041, SBM067, SCM037, SDM027, SEM109	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold MS Suspension 4 oz. Grape
SBM042, SCM015, SCM036, SDM034	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Grape
SBM043, SBM044, SCM029	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Bubble Gum
SBM045, SCM011, SCM030, SDM035	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Strawberry
SBM064, SCM033, SDM020	Infant’s Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops 1/4oz.
SBM065, SCM005, SCM006, SDM032	Infant's Tylenol Suspension 1/2oz. Cherry
SBM066, SCM068	Children's Dye Free Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SBM068, SCM035, SCM070, SCM080, SDM005	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SBM069, SBM070, SCM081, SDM006	Children's Tylenol Plus Cough & Runny Nose 4oz. Cherry
SCM012, SCM067, SDM007, SDM068	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1/2oz. Grape
SCM013, SCM014, SCM069	Children's Tylenol Plus Flu 4oz. Bubble Gum
SCM016, SFM024	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold Suspension 4oz. Grape
SCM017	Children's Tylenol Plus Cough/ST Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SCM082, SDM039, SDM040	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1oz. Grape
SCM083, SCM084, SDM008	Infant's Tylenol Dye Free Suspension 1oz. Cherry
SDM064	Children’s Tylenol Pediatric Suspension 1oz. Cherry
SDM038, SDM009	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1oz. Cherry
SDM033	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold/Allergy 4oz. Bubble Gum
SDM078	Infant's Tylenol Drops 1oz. Grape
SCM034	Infant’s Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops H/G 1/2oz.
SDM028	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Cherry, Hospital Govt.

Whoa!!

Photos from Yahoo.com



A GIANT BABY! Weighing in at 8.7 kilos or 19.2 lbs, this little, err...big bundle of joy is the heaviest baby born in Indonesia as of yet. He was of course born via the C-section. I can't imagine him being born the natural way, 'ya know. I wonder how much milk he eats everytime he gets hungry...and at this stage I'm sure he gets hungry a lot of times.

Of Vitamins & Pills....

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During my appointment yesterday, my doctor asked if I am taking vitamins regularly. I am but I only started not too long ago. It turns out some vitamins have iodine in them so he wanted to make sure it's not what's triggering my thyroid to be overactive. Even if he said that it's unlikely that my vitamins may be causing the problem, I still checked my multi-vitamin as soon as I got home. Nope, my vitamin doesn't have a hint of iodine in it. Aside from that, he also asked me if I am on some weight loss pills. Hmmm...that question made me ask myself if my weight gain is 'that' obvious. Is it? Not really. He only asked me that question to make sure that if I am taking something to lose weight, I have to make sure that there is no iodine in them as well. There's not need for that actually because I have not taken anything to lose weight. Maybe I should stop taking in so much food to trim down a little bit, eh? Ha! I sound like I am so overweight, don't I? I'm not actually. I just like to exaggerate my weight gain for 'poetic' purposes....LOL....

Another Early Start...

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Blame it on my appointments. Today is not as early as the previous appointments though. My doctor's earliest appointment starts at 8 AM so that's as early as we can get in.

I had some blood work done last week and I was kinda' excited to hear what the doctor has to say about the results. I got a copy of the results in the mail and there's a big difference between this result and the one I had before it which was about 2 months ago. The result of 2 months ago made my doctor increase the dosage of the medication I'm on because there was not a lot of improvement in my thyroid problem. Well, this latest result is showing otherwise. It seems I'm over medicated now because the 'hyper' turned into 'hypo', well, kinda'.

I still have hyperthyroidism. The doctor put me back to the original dosage because my thyroid is not producing enough hormones now [I think]. This explains why I am always tired the last few weeks. He even said that my weight gain is probably because of that as well....not the food I've been stuffing my mouth?? Hahaha....nah. It's true though...I gained a few pounds since the last time I was in his office, so yeah, blame the weight gain on the meds, ok?

That's good news because it 'can' mean that my situation is reversible and I may not be on medication for life. Keeping my fingers crossed, of course. At least I know the medication is working now unlike the last time I came in.

For now, I'm still under observation. I still need more blood work done in a few months then back to the doctor again. It's been 6 months since I was first diagnosed with this problem. Hopefully, I'll be off the meds as soon as possible.

And then it's FALL....

Or autumn, however you want to call it. At least on this side of the globe anyway. Yes, today, Sept. 22, 2009 officially starts the new season. It doesn't feel like it but it's slowly looking like it. Our neighbor's oak tree started 'shedding' already and I'm sure it won't be long before I start getting all worked up. Leaves, dry leaves and more dry leaves to clean...from other people's tree. Ha!

'Nuff of that though. I'll try to enjoy the season as if there is no oak tree dumping its leaves in our backyard....maybe.

For some interesting facts about Fall/Autumn, visit Yahoo News.

SMILE!

from: Joke of the Jay...

Generation Next...

There have been a couple of generations in the last sixty years that have missed the boat but this group isn't one of them. A first grade school teacher in Virginia had twenty-five students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders.

Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are 1st graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1. Don't change horses...........until they stop running.

2. Strike while the............................bug is close.

3. It's always darkest before..............Daylight Saving Time.

4. Never underestimate the power of ....................termites.

5. You can lead a horse to water but........................how?

6. Don't bite the hand that..........................looks dirty.

7. No news is.........................................impossible.

8. A miss is as good as a....................................Mr.

9. You can't teach an old dog new...........................math.

10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll ......stink in the morning.

11. Love all,trust................................ me.

12. The pen is mightier than the...................... ......pigs.

13. An idle mind is........................the best way to relax.

14. Where there's smoke there's.......................pollution.

15. Happy the bride who.....................gets all the presents.

16. A penny saved is ...................................not much.

17. Two's company, three's ....................the Musketeers

18. Don't put off till tomorrow what ......you put on to go to bed.

19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and..... You have to blow your nose.

20. There are none so blind as.......................Stevie Wonder.

21. Children should be seen and not.....spanked or grounded.

22. If at first you don't succeed................get new batteries.

23. You get out of something only what you ................see in the picture on the box.

24. When the blind lead the blind................get out of the way.

And the WINNER and last one!

25. Better late than......................................pregnant.

No More Napping....

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For me, anyway. I took a nap this afternoon. Finally! After about 300 years. Not a wise decision. One word: headache. Yep. I took a nap because I had a slight headache...and I woke with an even bigger head...ache, I mean.

Anyway, our weekend has been good so far. The weather today was perfect. I was able to pull out some weeds on the flower beds after a long while. It was either way too hot or raining the past few weekends for me to do that.

Not sure what we'll do tomorrow. There's a big chance we'll just stay home but we never know. I really want to go to the Philippine store and get some stuff but we'll play it by ear. I'm not up to traveling half an hour to do that though...sigh.

Hopefully, you are having a more exciting weekend that me....

Shopping & Researching...

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I can’t believe that the season of giving is just right around the corner. A lot of people have probably started shopping for 'gifts' already. Me? Not quite. Being the online shopper that I am, most [if not all] of the gifts for any occasion I give are bought online. Convenience and better deals are only 2 of the reasons I do my shopping online. Well, plus that little known fact that ‘I don’t drive.’ yet…but, shhhh! Anyway, before I buy anything, be it a shirt or a piece of jewelry, I like to do my research first. I don’t normally jump on the first one I come across with. Shopwiki has helped me a lot on this because I can do all my so-called research there. That means a lot of time saved since I can do everything in one site.

Hubby and I are the ‘almost’ same when it comes to researching on what to buy. He is worse actually. Before we finally bought our TV set, he made sure he had scoured the internet as well as the stores around here just to be sure we got the best deal on it…and I applaud him for doing that because we really got the best deal out there. I said ‘we’re almost the same’ because I only scoured the internet. Coming across a buying guide has proven to be really helpful to me. Right now, I’m busy looking at men’s ring for hubby. His platinum wedding band does not fit his finger anymore. He took it off when he had a blister on his ring finger but when the finger healed, the ring won’t fit anymore. Hopefully, I’ll find a good replacement for it without breaking the bank.

7:49 AM....

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...and here I am blogging. Early, eh? Just got in a few minutes ago. I went to have some blood tests done and we wanted to beat the crowd. The lab opens at 6:30 and we were there at 6:36....and there's a line already. Wheewww....

At least it didn't take an hour this time. My appointment was actually at 7 AM but we were hoping we would be able to be done by then. Not quite. We waited for about 30 minutes and I was done a few minutes later.

The little one was excited to see the sunrise...LOL. It was still dark when we left the house and the sun started rising on our way home. I've forgotten how pretty it is out there early in the morning. I can't remember the last time I was out that early.

Anyway, have a great day everyone. I'm off to have breakfast. The little one just finished hers.

TIRED !!!

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That about sums up how I'm feeling right at this moment. I am just not used to waking as early as I did today. Back when I was still teaching, my wake-up time was 5:30 AM. I had to be in school before 8 everyday but I was usually one of the earliest to arrive in school. It wasn't that hard to get up then because I would go to bed around 9 or 10 at night. But that was then. This is now.

I have actually accomplished a few things already since we woke up. I did some laundry, prepared what we will have for dinner [it's in the crock pot...teehee] and some little things here and there. Still: I AM SLEEPY!! Not sure how long I can keep my eyes open but I have to since it's only 3 PM here.

To keep me rather occupied, I've been browsing the news online. There are some interesting news right now like this 107-yr old Malaysian woman who is looking for a 23rd husband. Hu--waatt?? But guess what? She is still married to her 22nd husband. She's afraid he may leave her so she figured she better start looking for the next one. Whheeee.....

Then there are some really sad news like Patrick Swayze's passing. He died after a 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Another sad news is the murder of a Yale graduate student, Annie Le. The latter has left a lot of people in Yale scared for their lives. It seems the one who killed her may have been someone from the inside so I can understand why such fear is felt around the famous campus.

The death of Patrick Swayze is not the only headline in the entertainment news today though. Another [unnecessarily bigger???] news going around is how this rapper stole Taylor Swift's thunder when she won Female Video of the year during the MTV VMA. That rapper should not be allowed in any award shows unless he goes through some kind of a rehab for his behavior.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to the last few hours. Reading online news....LOL...

Dare to be Daring?

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I am not much of a shopper. I like to go around window shopping but I have a hard time deciding what to buy most of the time. I always think that I don’t really need something until it’s a day too late. This is also one reason why I find it hard to buy a gift for someone. I feel like I’m never going to get that perfect gift for a friend or a loved one. So I am one of the many who either give a gift card or cash for gifts. I even gave the husband a gift card one time. Romantic! Not! But that was the first and the last time I did that. It’s getting harder as the years go by what to get him though. I may just get a little edgy and buy him a Diezel underwear in the future.

We have been playing it safe the last few years by asking each other what we want when there’s an upcoming occasion. A lot of times, we just agree not to give each other anything. It’s easier but it’s also not very exciting, right? So yep, I may just go ahead and get him one of those nice looking Diezel underwear I came across online. If ever I push through with it, this would be a first. Like I said, I’ve been playing it safe by asking him what he wants most of time. I’ve given him wallets, mugs, and some clothes but never as daring as a Diezel underwear. I wonder how he’d react to it? Hmmm….that my friends is something that remains to be seen...

Early Start

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Yep! We've been up since before 7 AM. We had to wait on an early delivery so we needed to be up before they arrive. It's been delivered and now all I can think of is jumping back to bed to catch a few winks...but I won't. I'm sure I will only feel more tired if I do that so here I am trying to stay awake by blogging....in between my yawning, of course.

But today is not the only day we need to wake up earlier than usual. I have a lab appointment as well sometime this week and I chose the earliest possible time for that one. Hopefully, it will be an "in & out" one. Last time we were there we waited for about an hour because the place was full. The online appointment I made was rather useless because of the long line.

Anyhoo...I'm waiting for my laundry now....and I'm still tired...ugh!

The 'LAWS"

from Joke of the Day...of course! Amazing how some of these are dead on....

I Am The Law!

Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee.

Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of the Telephone: If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.

Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now.

Law of the Bath: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theatre: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, you boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Rugs and Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpeting.

Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.

Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

Slowly but Surely...

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We've been living in this house for about a year and a half already. But if you look around the house, it's not evident that we've been here for that long. The walls are still bare. No pictures or art walls or anything like that. My husband and I both believe in 'slowly but surely'. Yes, we could have used 'plastic money' to adorn the house with decorations but we opted to go with what we can afford and wall decors are somewhat at the bottom of the list. That's because we also didn't have furniture when we moved in because we left the old ones in the old house. We have most of the furniture now so we've been thinking of getting something for the 'bare walls'. Maybe a blow-up picture of me? Nah....I wouldn't want that on my wall..LOL. Seriously, we may start with some wall candle sconces. We like candles and how they make the house smell all nice and fragrant. I still have some still in the boxes from the move because there's no place to put them yet. Hopefully, we can get the sconces soon so I can 'free' those candles from the confines of the boxes. Tee hee....

Amazing Sand Drawing....

from Yahoo.com

Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.

Amazing Sand Drawing @ Yahoo! Video

American Idol SHOCKER[s]?

And the new season hasn't even aired yet....

First it was Paula Abdul quitting the show and now...a [more] famous celebrity will replace her. Hmmmm....I wonder how Paula feels about her replacement??

I read about it yesterday but waited until there's some kind of a confirmation....yep, Ellen De Generes is now an American Idol judge.

Reactions? Comments? Lots of it actually. When Paula Abdul abruptly left the program, there was a lot of negative reaction about it. She was one of the original judges so that's understandable, I guess. But personally, it was getting more and more painful to watch her as the years went by. She helped the show go where it is now but sometimes people grow....and maybe, I just did.

Anyway, Ellen is funny. I'm sure her presence will provide a much needed comic relief if anything. I don't 'really' watch AI anymore. I still check it out once in a while but I may just try to watch it more this coming season to see how Ellen will fare with Simon, Randy and Kara. That should be interesting....

Going backwards???

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Our very first camcorder is a Panasonic and it's called a 'palmcorder'. We got it when the little one was only a few months old so it's almost as old as her. As new parents we wanted to capture every single thing she did, of course. One of the very first captures we have of her was when she first started 'laughing'. We were able to record most of her 'firsts' using that palmcorder and we have numerous homemade DVDs to prove it.

But just like everything else, it conked out on us after a few years. It's also becoming out of style slowly but surely. It's a good thing it conked out because smaller and much better camcorders are coming out so it was becoming a bit 'embarrassing' whipping it out in public places. Last Christmas, I got my hubby a more 'up to date' camcorder as a present and that's what we've been using since then.

We are still keeping the 'palmcorder' though. This weekend, we decided to dig it out, not to use it but to retrieve a couple of videos. We realized that we have a couple more videos that are not on a CD yet. Well, that proved to be a problem because it won't respond to any command once we hooked it up on the computer. Ugh!

So I thought of 'going backwards'. Our television which is about 10 years old has a built in VHS player/recorder. I can hook up the 'palmcorder' to it and play it on the TV set. It worked!!! I was able to watch the video via the TV. Now all I have to do is locate some unused VHS tapes so I can record those videos. Talk about going backwards, eh?

Rainy Saturday!

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So I was mistaken! I thought it will not rain today. It's pouring like crazy while I'm typing this. It's been going on for the last hour and it looks like it will go on for a little while more. At least the grass has been cut already so hubby need not worry about it anymore.

I had a busy morning. I was catching up on my chores that I can no longer do on the weekdays like vacuuming. That's one of the downside of my new gig. I now have to schedule some things so it won't be forgotten. At least I have some kind of a schedule now that I never really had in the past 4, maybe 5 years.

There's nothing planned for the rest of the day. One of my bosses emailed saying there will be some work that will be released throughout the long weekend. That's great because we've been slow forever. I've been reading that the 'recession' may have hit rock bottom already. Now there's no way but up, right? Or is that *wishful thinking* again?

Anyway, have a lovely weekend everyone. For those who are on this side of the world...

Labor Day Weekend...

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As I mentioned in my previous posts, I want to start getting in shape. Well, that may happen sooner than later because after putting on some day clothes this morning, the harsh reality that is my 'jelly roll' hit me. Yep, no matter how much I try to suck it in, it just bounces back like ball. I actually mentioned to hubby last night that I want to look at treadmills this weekend when we get the chance. It's a long weekend and there are some good Labor Day sale going on right now so we may just find one that's within our budget. That means I don't have to wait for my new gig to pay me to get a new treadmill. I only have one problem though. What do I do with my old treadmill? Oh well...I guess I'll just cross the bridge when I get there. I still have to look for its replacement anyway and there 's no guarantee I will find it this weekend. Knowing me, I'm sure I'll change my mind again whether I really need to get a new one or not. That's the perk of being a woman, right?

Anyway, for those on this part of the globe: Enjoy this long Labor Day weekend. Whatever you do, stay safe!

Acne

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Acne has never been a problem for me. I had them when I was in college I think but they didn't last. I get a pimple every now and then but not to the point of breaking out. My chin is probably the part of my face where acne develops most of the time. I may even be the one to blame for that because I tend to prick some 'whiteheads' on my chin which would then turn into pimples. But it doesn't happen much anymore.

My nephew is another story. He's been battling acne for years now. I think he started having break outs in high school. He's now a doctor and his problem with acne is still ongoing. Just last month when I called on his birthday, he wanted me to check Acnepril. Actually, he wants me to buy him that as a gift for his birthday. I told him I would have to look it up first and see what kind of reviews it's getting. He agreed so now I have an assignment from him. He does this quite often. If he hears or reads some medicine for acne, he'd ask me to check it out here. I guess most of them are not available out there.

What Insurance?

A big chunk of what one makes here in the US goes to insurance. It's a painful reality especially to one's "wallet or pocket". Just this year, we've decided to change providers for all our insurance coverage. At first, we only thought of changing provider for our home owner's insurance but we found out that our new home owner's insurance provider can give us a much cheaper auto insurance as well. Now we're with them for both home & auto insurance.

Just last month, we also decided to change health insurance provider. Why? Because the old provider keeps increasing our monthly fee. It's just crazy how they can increase their prices numerous times and without enough notice. We have also been having some issues with them because they're making it so hard for the doctors to get their claims. That means that if they don't pay the doctors, it's us who have to shoulder the bills. UNFAIR! We never fail to pay them on time because it's automatic and we barely used their benefits in the first 5 years or so that we've had them. Now that we need them, they make it so hard for us. I wish we can do the same to them & give them a hard time before we pay them our monthly dues. Hmmppp!

Quiz for Kids...

Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A: Premature death.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? e.g.abdomen.)
A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the Borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.

Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie.

Q: What does "varicose" mean? (I do love this one.)
A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section"
A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome

Q: What does the word "benign" mean?'
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

From Joke of the Day

Swing Sets...

This is the swing for the little one that the husband made/built in the backyard a few months back. She was excited about it at first but lost interest in it not too long after it was built. She still uses it but very rarely. She's still a wee bit scared to get on it to really enjoy swinging. Dad asked her if she wants him to take it down already since she rarely uses it. She said yes but only in 1 condition: That he will look for swing sets for her before taking it down. Hmmm...so she still wants a swing then, right? We actually looked around for swing sets in the stores around here but we couldn't find one that the little one likes so he decided to just get materials and build one for her. That's Daddy for the little one. If she wants something and it can't be found in the stores, Dad will find a way to get it for her. Most of time, he ends up building/making it himself to grant the little one's wishes. Can you say: Daddy's Girl???

Special Occasions...

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Back in the Philippines, as soon as the 'ber' months start, people get excited. Why? It signals that Christmas is just around the corner. Here in the US, Christmas is not only big celebration that people are waiting during the 'ber' months. Aside from Christmas, people here are also awaiting for 2 other special events: Halloween and Thanksgiving! These 3 events are definitely big around here. Since Halloween comes first among those three, I'm sure that Halloween invitations will be finding their way into people's mailboxes in the next few weeks. Our little one is very excited already that in the last couple of months she has already started thinking what costume she wants to wear when she does her 'trick or treat'.

Growing up, I wasn't even aware that there's such a thing as Halloween. What we observe around the time that Halloween is being observed in the west is 'All Saints Day'. It's when Filipinos flock to the cemetery to pay respect to their loved ones that passed already. And no, people don't wear costumes during that day. Hmmm....

Thanks!

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I have not posted tags/awards here in looonnggg time...maybe because I have not been given any lately? Or maybe...I'm just getting really old that I tend to be forgetful. Hmmm...I think I'll go with the latter.

So before I forget about these 'awards' that JK so kindly virtually handed me [for my blog of course], I am posting them here now. Thanks JK...appreciate the thought as always.

Weekend is COMING!!

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Or do I even have to remind you of that?? It seems that everyone I know always waits for it anyway, right? So I guess there's really need to remind anyone of it then...but what the hay....Weekend is COMING!!! LOL...

I had a busy day yesterday. Well, more like a busy early evening actually. I had some back to back calls with the longest one lasting for about 50 minutes. My ear was red and sore when I got off that call only to get another one a few seconds later. But that's good because I only get paid when I'm actually on the phone so no complaints here.

It's not always that busy though. A lot of times I sit by the phone for hours without receiving a single call. When that happens, I just surf the internet and check out things I don't really need like pet beds because we have no pets, yet. Ha! It's like window shopping done online. Am I ever tempted to buy these things I have no need for? Not really. Truth be told, I even hold back in buying some stuff which I *think* I need [want, maybe?] anyway.

Move...move..move...

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That what I need to do if I want to get in shape. But because of my new job, I tend to sit a lot more now. The phone I use for work is in the computer room so I am forced to stay in one spot most of the time. It would have been easier if I can use a wireless phone but I have no choice because we are not allowed to do so for quality assurance. Unlike my other work-at-home jobs where I can do pretty much everything I want like go out in the backyard, walk around the house, with this new job, I am tied up in one place. I'm not complaining [although it may sound like I am, eh?] as I am very much aware that I'm lucky to even have a job, much more a work-at-home job.

I know I have to find a way to exercise [or move at least] one way or another if I intend to lose some weight. Walking in our treadmill would be a great start but I am not too crazy about our present treadmill. It's inclined so I tend to get tired pretty quickly. As soon as I start getting paid with this new job, I will start looking at treadmills that I like. It may take a few months before that happens but it will happen. It has to or I'll be in big in trouble.

Swine Flu...

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That's all we've been hearing in the news lately. With school starting the past couple of weeks [and in the weeks to come], the talk about swine flu has just escalated to whole new level. I personally don't know anybody afflicted by this epidemic [pandemic?] so I only rely on whatever is being reported in the news.

The reports are saying that there is a great chance that the swine flu situation will even get worse during the fall season. But how much do we really know about this much-feared form of flu? Here are a couple of 10 Things You Need to Know about swine flu which I copied and pasted from Yahoo.com News.

1. No cause for panic.

So far, swine flu isn't much more threatening than regular seasonal flu.

During the few months of this new flu's existence, hospitalizations and deaths from it seem to be lower than the average seen for seasonal flu, and the virus hasn't dramatically mutated. That's what health officials have observed in the Southern Hemisphere where flu season is now winding down.

Still, more people are susceptible to swine flu and U.S. health officials are worried because it hung in so firmly here during the summer — a time of year the flu usually goes away.

2. Virus tougher on some.

Swine flu is more of a threat to certain groups — children under 2, pregnant women, people with health problems like asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Teens and young adults are also more vulnerable to swine flu.

Ordinary, seasonal flu hits older people the hardest, but not swine flu. Scientists think older people may have some immunity from exposure years earlier to viruses similar to swine flu.

3. Wash your hands often and long.

Like seasonal flu, swine flu spreads through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick. Emphasize to children that they should wash with soap and water long enough to finish singing the alphabet song, "Now I know my ABC's..." Also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

To read the rest, please visit Yahoo News.

S-L-O-W Day....

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...and it's only Wednesday. It's my second week with the new job and I must say: so far so good. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I am still on edge right before my first call but I start to relax soon after. Last week was another story though. I was so stressed out I thought I was going to pass everytime I was doing my job. I would have temporary mental block in the middle of it all that after I hang up, I'd feel like I would get sick. I've also had some sleepless nights that I had bags and dark circles around my eyes for days. I though I'd use up all of my eye wrinkle cream to cover up the circles. The husband who has always been my biggest supporter kept telling me not to beat myself up with the 'should haves'. I guess he hated seeing me so down for a few days so he kept giving me the 'pep talk' when he got the chance. I'm just glad I have a very good support system in him because if he wasn't boosting my morale during my first few days with this job, I would have given up this job already.

September Morn...

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And today is officially the start of the 'ber months' and the last quarter of 2009. Again, how time flies. The first 3 quarter just went like a breeze although it was probably the slowest to some due to the present economic situation. Hopefully we will have some positive changes during this last quarter especially on the economic front.

On a more personal note, this is my second week with my new gig. I **think** I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm still a bag of nerves especially in the morning but it gets better as the day goes on. It's not as 'busy' as I anticipated it to be. Actually, that's what the hiring specialist told me during my interview. But he also mentioned that there will be days where it gets really busy...just no way of telling when those days will be.

Right now, the new job seems to be a nice fit with my other jobs. The only problem is my other jobs are still very slow. We still get some work but they only come in small portions and very sporadic. Oh well, hopefully this quarter will be a lot better. ***Wishful thinking here***

Have a nice day, everyone...