Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Take time to thank God for all the blessings you have received and achieved in 2008.

Have a blessed 2009!!!

And this I told myself:

You need to stop going for a gold medal in everything you do -- there is more to life than winning competitions! Today, you need to learn how to accept yourself the way you are. Acceptance leads to peace, which will help you have a better attitude about yourself and where you are going in life. Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse, too. Be grateful for what you have. Express your thanks to some of the people in your life who are always there when you need them.

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Guess Who's Back...

After several days of hiatus, I am back...

I went home on the 17th and was on a rather uneventful early morning flight. While waiting for my flight's boarding call, I sat near Centennial Airport Gate 6 trying to come up with catchy name for a blog that I will be sharing and maintaining with KB. You can read some of our thoughts through this link: FAR TOO LONG. I have posted the first entry before I boarded and to this date we already have 11 posts so far. Anyway, after a few unexpected air turbulences, I arrived safely and was greeted by my mom and dad and sis at the airport. With me are four bags in tow (read: never a light traveler).

The first few days were spent indoors as it has been raining and shopping too. Good thing I was able to save up for this vacation so I had all the right to splurge (LOL!). Christmas list: DONE. I was also able to "pimp" (for lack of a better word) the christmas tree at home. I didn't like the way it looked when I arrived so I had to remove all the ornaments and start from scratch all the while hoping that next year I would be decorating my own tree in my own home already. Here's how it looked after the makeover...

I attended my granddad's 76th birthday celebration and my mother side family reunion. I made the fruit salad which didn't last in the fridge for long. It was soooo yum yum we had to make another batch of another variation. Anyway, I had fun catching up with my relatives. I was also able to climb a coconut tree but only half-way (removed from the bucket list). On the 25th, we went to my grandma's house for my dad side family reunion. Again, food was delish. Couldn't resist the yellow fin tuna dishes.

As I wasn't able to attend the funeral of Geoffrey's dad, I went and visited his tomb and offered prayer. He has been nice to me when he was still alive. I was also able to see Geoffrey and his one-year old daughter, Antonia. Didn't get to see his wife though. I can only wish them happiness and a successful marriage. Talking about tombs and all that, I learned that my mom and dad already bought for themselves space at the Heritage Park. Took a few pictures of the site and here's one:

Angel and Sam at the Heritage Park

For a couple of days I played big sis and lil mom to some of the kids in the neighborhood and Yna was the smartest and cutest of them all. She is fairly eloquent for her age (2) and she thinks she's Dora. She always asks why my asawa is not around and wants me to tell her "Kuya Kevin" to come home already so she'd see him too. She didn't want me to leave her and cried when I said I have to go and catch my plane. It was her birthday (she's now 3) when I left for Manila and when I called mom she told me Yna had fever and kept on saying Ate Kessa left her. Sad!

to be continued...

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This One's For You Kevin

I love you beyond words...

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Management Dynamics Class

Today is the last day of my Management Dynamics class at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. Really, it was a very dynamic class and I have learned so much as well. I'm hoping all future classes I enrol would be the same if not better than this class. So to end the class, we had dinner in class, the last report of the controlling group, a little program and agreed on having another paintball tournament soon. Aris also gave me a copy of our picture planting some seedlings (how thoughtful).

The next term will start early next year. Classes start January 9, 2009 and will end on February 28, 2009. I am thinking of enrolling TSLEADER or HUMRES. I still have overnight to think about it. I will enrol tomorrow before I fly home to Davao.

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Bucket List Revisited

I reread my blog posts and decide that I should keep y'all updated about my bucket list. And here are the ones I have finished so far...

4. Parasail once and for all.
5. Reefwalk.
8. Cook something for the homeless near my apartment.
10. Plan a surprise trip back home.
26. Enroll Ateneo-Regis MBA and finish it. - I enrolled finally. Today is the last day for second semester first term and will enrol again before I go home for the second semester second term.
33. Plant a tree every year. - I've planted one at the La Mesa Ecopark and Watershed and got an adoption certificate. The tree will have my name.



49. Write my team a thank you letter before Q3 ends.
67. Try to eat century egg.
105. Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.
107. Change my room curtains every two weeks.
111. Pay my bills on time all the time.
112. Resort to paying with cash. Say goodbye to credit cards.
159. Write love letters.
161. Reconnect with college friends.
167. Watch the Sex and The City television series all over again.
168. Grow a flower garden.
180. Fall deeply in love - helplessly and unconditionally.
211. Reflect on my greatest weakness, and realize how it is my greatest strength.

I think that aint bad is it?

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Happy Birthday Eddene

Happy 26th birthday Den...

Thank you for the almost 13 years of friendship.

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Can You Stand The Rain?

See, KB reads my blog too and when he returned home from doing work stuff last night he was able to read the posts he missed while away and listen to the song of the day. I appreciate the fact that he doesn't think what I do in this blog is corny let alone just being purely mushy. He gives me input too and sometimes asks questions as well. Upon reading the "Sometimes It Will Rain" post, he told me that yes there will always be problems that will come along our way.

KB: and things will always get better as long as we understand and work it out and are more concerned about making one another happy rather than winning an argument over something that will not matter in a week. Boyz II Men - "Can You Stand The Rain" Talks about exactly that.

I am overjoyed to know that we are keeping the relationship and that we are both in it for the long haul and we would keep working on making each other happy. I was a little worried though because he came back sick and thinks that something has bitten him while out in the desert. He's gonna go see doctor first thing tomorrow. I'm worried but I know he will be okay. We talked for a bit and he said he was sad because I did not leave him any offline messages. Turned out there was just a little delay. After a few seconds, he got all what I left and I know it's more than he could wish for. "Babe, you are in my thoughts all the time". So, there he said he don't mind getting one-too-many messages from me because it makes him feel loved. I like how he is being gracious showering me with compliments too. KB already now knows how to tickle my fancy. And he is absolutely the sweetest...beyond compare!

KB: i love you mahal ko with all of my heart

KT: cant wait to spend the rest of my life with you

KB: and we already have started

KT: and i am loving every minute of it

KB: just by doing the simple little things for one another

Here's the lyrics of the Boyz II Men song:

On a perfect day

I know that I can count on you

When thats not possible

Tell me, can you weather the storm

Cause I need somebody who will stand by me

Through the good times and bad times

She will always, always be right there

Sunny days, everybody loves them

Tell me Can you stand the rain

Storms will come

This we know for sure

Can you stand the rain

Love unconditional

Im not asking this of you

Weve got to make it last

Ill do whatever needs to be done

Cause I need somebody who will stand by me

Through the good times and bad times

She will always, always be right there

***Yes, Babe I am positive that we can weather all the storms. We just have to continue making our foundation a litte more stable each day and keep nurturing our love too. (And when it will rain again, I'll bring an umbrella and a raincoat too.)

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Thank You

I have been receiving gifts left and right the past few days...

I just want to thank you all (you know who you are). Will take pictures of all the stuff you gave right on Christmas Day and post the picture here.

Thank you for making me happy with the gift of friendship and love and the material stuff you think would put a smile to my face. Thanks for remembering...

________________________________________

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Sometimes It Will Rain

And last night it did...for the first time after so many months. It was not a good feeling. I was hurt but chose not to sulk. Pain is inevitable, misery is a choice and I choose no misery but move on and be happy.

And I am glad that we were able to talk things out and both decided to move on.

I am not expecting that it will not rain again but would surely be good to always come out of a situation together with lessons learned.

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time but also to leave the wrong thing unsaid at the most tempting moment.

Out of the situation, I pretty much admired myself because I saw a material change from what I was and how I reacted to the situation. If I was me before maybe I could have lashed back and just be plain stubborn. But I did not. I think I was pretty cool the entire conversation. I did not think about winning or losing the debate/argument (however you call it). I thought about making our relationship work. I thought about just how much I love him. I thought about how happy we were before I started being so paranoid. And I'm sure I did the right thing.

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The Shoe That Launched A Thousand Ohhhs and Ahhhs

I know I am exaggerating with the title but yeah the pair of shoes I'm wearing for the party is soooo nice and oh-so comfy (walked around my room wearing just it today). What do you think?

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I Need Another Closet

I was getting ready for work last night when it dawned on me how much clothes I have in my closet. It's literally brimming full, all parts occupied, stacked and hanged, I could not close the door shut anymore. Part of me is happy knowing that I have earned all these but part of me is sad because I know I have amassed some in excess. But I could not stop buying. I could not stop treating myself to some well-deserved retail therapy a little too often. Don't get me wrong... I am not in debt because of all these and I have bought all in cash to say the least. I've already ditched the plastic for more than 3 years and counting. I ought to cut back I know and beef up my retirement savings so I can live comfortably when I can't work anymore. Maybe I'll skip buying the blue dress I am lusting for and get myself a new closet...bigger, so much bigger.



I also need a closet or maybe just one cabinet I could put all my books and magazines in. Will scout for one and make sure it has enough room for my purses and bags too.

And I need another closet to store my emotions. I need room for happiness, paranoia, stress, doubt, fear, hurt, trust, hope and love. I cannot contain my happiness and I am in sheer delight. My relationship with KB is going well, pretty much in a straight line. I need room for paranoia too because I don't want to move around dragging this feeling along. I need to store it away. I need room for stress. All the stuff I need to do at work stresses me big time but a good look ahead at my horizon read: "vacation" sends me good feelings. I need room for doubt. I suddenly got a bout of doubt over someones true intentions and sincerity are to me today. This loomed during my entire day at work and I could not possibly shake it off until I am convinced and left with no traces of doubt. I guess I just need time to think things through and sort everything out and take things a little slower. I have given him so much of myself and I have laid down so much on the line and fear is settling in. I don't want to lose him. I am scared as hell to lose Kevin. I don't want another failed relationship, I don't want another heartbreak. If only feelings/emotions are like clothes that I could hide in the confines of a cabinet and never see or wear them when I don't feel like wearing them. If only feelings are disposable. If only a heart can be bought easily from a convenience store and replaced just as easily.

At the end of it all, I think I just need a closet with lots and lots of room for trust, hope and love. And all those inside would be for myself and for the only man I've fallen in love so deeply with. I need to trust myself and KB. I need to always look forward to a better tomorrow. And, I need to love myself and KB even more.

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I Have A Secret!

Five Secrets to Staying In Love (with a little help from Jennifer Good)

Just about everyone wants to know how they can make their relationship better. They want to know how they can deepen the commitment and love between each partner. Unfortunately relationships are not something you can provide a "to do" sheet for and all will be solved, but with these five key secrets you can certainly improve your chances for getting all you desire out of your relationship.

Do things unexpectedly.
One key secret to a successful relationship is compromise. Meeting halfway on things shows your partner that you really do care about their viewpoint and you are willing to work on making each other happy. Every so often make it a point to do something that you normally would not agree to or feel like doing. When you keep your partner constantly surprised by your actions, you regenerate that "new love" feeling time and time again. So, when your partner asks if you want to try that new restaurant…say yes! If they ask if you want to try a new hobby…say yes!

Show your loyalty.
Nothing strengthens a relationship quite like watching your partner go to bat for you, especially against close friends or family members. It shows that you consider your relationship a team. If you harass one member of a team, you harass them all. When you side with other people against your partner you make them feel alienated and the seeds of hidden resentment become planted. You can show loyalty positively as well by bragging about your partner's recent accomplishments to friends and family.

Be supportive.
Challenges and opportunities are always going to occur. You can't stop them from happening. Hopefully for both of you the changes in your lives are positive ones. The secret key here is having a supporting and understanding mate in your corner to help you through your ups and downs. If you lose your job, it's quite a bit easier to bounce back when you have someone who's willing to support your choices and any new directions you might want to branch out to. If you want a career or lifestyle change, imagine the difference having someone who will carefully consider and support those changes? When your partner is presenting you with a challenge or an opportunity, treat them the way you'd want to be treated.

Maintain a healthy dose of individuality.
Personal time and space are essential to growing individually. Everyone one needs private time to do the things they want to do. It helps refocus attention to the priorities. Sometimes you or your partner may just need time to release emotions from a bad day, instead of bringing it home with them. Learning to respect and notice when your partner needs some individual time shows that you are committed to not only your relationship, but their long-term happiness as well.

Love your partner.
Love is obviously a crucial element in a successful long-term relationship. But having love isn't enough. You need to be in love. The phrase "love is a verb, not a noun" certainly applies here. Don't hesitate to write that quick love note, give that deep kiss, sit next to each other at a restaurant or hold hands in public. The little things go a long way towards establishing a deep, intimate connection with your partner. As simple as it sounds, this action is probably the most commonly overlooked and ignored.

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And Then They Bloom

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Nail Art

Just thought I'd post the picure of my nails before I change the color.

I could not decide what to change it to though...

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What I'm Currently Reading: The Lucky One

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet.

Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, THE LUCKY ONE is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.

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Un Peu de Mise à Jour

I woke up early this morning chilling like I've never experienced before. It's as if the comforter can't do anything much to quell the chills. My temperature fluctuated from 37.5 degrees centigrade to 39 degrees. I was curled in bed until about 7AM and then decided to go back to the hospital after eating breakfast. I had some hot soup and oranges and lots of water. I was expecting that I would be advised to stay in the hospital but good thing I wasn't. My temperature became stable a little above normal so I was told that I could go home before lunchtime. I was relieved because aside from I am feeling a little better, I can stay in the comforts of my own bed and my pillows. There's nothing like staying in your own room after all. Although I didn't have any appetite for food, I forced myself to have some so I can take some medicines that were prescribed by the doctor. When I woke up around 5PM, I was coughing really hard and got scared when I saw a little blood in it. I called my mom but she wasn't able to pick up her phone, she's probably in church. I called my sister and she said it's normal with the way I cough. She told me to cough it out from my lungs and not from my larynx. Okay, will believe the little nurse...

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Olive sent me a text telling me that she's planning a little get-together with the girls while I am home on vacation. I told her yes I would attend as I miss the girls so much already. I saw some of them last April and invited them for dinner. Sohnea, Nonie, Lynore, and Amayah was there and Ian attended too. I haven't seen Jade for so long already but we talk over messenger or SMS sometimes. Sohnea, Olive and Lynore works for a bank. Jade works for the Bureue of Internal Revenue. Amayah is now a preschool teacher at Tumble Tots. Nonie works for the city water district and is now happily married to Omar. Darice just passed the CPA Board Exams and is scouting for the best auditing firm she can get her hands wet with. Our friendship started in our early college years and we have for the most part always made it a point to meet even once a year over dinner or lunch or some night out.

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While watching the early morning local news today, I heard that a bomb exploded in front of a drugstore in my hometown. I immediately called mom to check if everybody was alright. I was glad she answered and said all the family members are safe. She said she and our pastor's wife just left that drugstore to buy some diapers and other baby stuff before the bomb exploded. I am happy they weren't there anymore but my heart goes out to those who were injured. I am not sure if anyone died. As per Uncle Don, we are in perilous times. Indeed, we are.

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Babe, I hope your internet connection comes back soon. I miss you. I miss talking to you and waking up to your nudges and kisses. Yes, I agree leaving our cam on when we went to bed last time was so sweet especially when I woke up and you were watching me sleep. Can't wait to play the online game with you by the way.

I will go to work tonight Babe. If you get back online you know where to reach me. I love you so much and yes I could not wait until our 3 months turns into 30 years too.

KB: can't wait until our 3 month turns into 30 years

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I Am Sick Yet I Am The Happiest

I am not sure what I am sick of, maybe common cold or maybe influenza. I hope it's just the common cold. It started two nights ago and it's just now that I have fever and I have had the chills too. I also feel unbelievably cold. Maybe I should blame the weather, maybe I should not. It has been raining lately and then all of a sudden it would be as humid as it can be. See, I sleep during the day and with this kind of erratic environment I am a prey for this infection. Anyway, maybe I ought to blame myself as well because I have been so overconfident that I am healthy and haven't been taking any of my vitamins and food supplements.

I have all the symptoms of influenza though. I have body aches especially the joints and throat. I have a slight cough and I sneeze almost too often. I don't know if it's extreme but I feel cold and I have fever. I feel fatigue and I just wanna lay down and not get up. I have an excruciating headache. When I woke up I had irritated watery eyes. And yeah, I have nasal congestion (when KB came back from his mission last night I told him to help me run after my nose - me just being silly). The only symptom I don't have would be abdominal pain.

I am waiting now for Uncle Don so we could go to Makati Med and have a doctor check what I am down with. It's been long since I felt so sick like this. The last time I had this was when I was in college and I had to stay in the hospital for about a week. I could not eat then so the doctor had no choice but to put me on a dextrose solution (intravenous solution). When I got out of the hospital, I was all bloated and my face was puffy. I don't want that again for crying out loud. I have work to do. I have reports to finish. I have performance review to accomplish. I have so much on my plate. I couldn't be sick.

But I am...

And why am I happy?

Because we're on our 3rd month officially being together and I could say we are more in love with each other this time. Our love for each other just keeps getting better each day. No arguments, no pride in the way, just pure unadulterated love. I am extremely happy that I have found the love I always dreamed off. It's a fairytale unfolding...

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Last Week I Did All That

I have been slacking again...or maybe I have just been a little busy with some other priorities and some appointments that could not be removed from my calendar. Anyway, last week was pretty much spent at the airport, at work, at home, at school, at the movies, at some bookstores and some window shopping.

Last Monday, I had my final report about Leadership in my Management Dynamics class. I think it went well. I made the final presentation for my classmates as well and they have started to call me their trusty IT girl. I volunteered since I know how busy they are and I have the most flexible schedule. We also planned about our class team building and as agreed we will go to La Mesa Ecopark and plant some trees then play some paintball and maybe wall climb and rapel. Our class president entrusted me and my team with the lunch logistics. No idea yet what to get for everyone but will make sure it will be some delicious tummy fillers.

Tuesday was spent being lazy in bed and catching up on lost sleep. I have also sent a stern email to my team that I will never ever fill out their time cards for them if they forget. I have given them enough consideration already and I could not sacrifice additional time for them anymore. I need work/life balance too. I am hoping that everybody would heed what I communicated so no pay gets delayed. I got a call from Eddene and she said that we really have to meet before she goes back to Dubai the next day so we agreed that I'll meet her up at the international airport Wednesday around 10AM. Wednesday came and so I met up with Eddene and she gave me some chocolates and my favorite perfume. Nice! My first Christmas gift this year. We talked about her growing baby and how the baby is being a brat sometimes and some of the updates about our high school classmates while she was home. It was nice to catch up after more than a year of not seeing each other. We had lunch and then it was time to say see you soon already. She's got an eight-hour flight ahead.

I talked to KB when I got home and we have our own catching up with each other as well. I appreciate him putting in sooooo much time in our relationship. I could never ask for more. He gives me the attention, just the way I like it...constant communication as often as possible, day or night. (Thank you so much my S***B****.)

Darice arrived in Manila from Davao on Thursday and she stayed in my apartment. She got a scheduled exam with KPMG (auditing firm) scheduled the next day. She was thrilled that I read Stephenie Meyer too. In fact, she was about to finish Twilight that day already. She finished the book she brought and then started reading on my New Moon and finished it overnight. Same old Darice...one who never put down a book she has started reading. We called Olive and we decided to meet up after Darice's exam and watch Twilight in Greenbelt 3. Sure enough we met and watched the movie and I would say I liked the book better. Anyway, right after the movie, we had dinner and then trooped to Powerbooks and looked for Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. We didn't find some hardbound copies so we decided that we should scout for other bookstores over the weekend.

That's pretty much what transpired from Monday to Friday. All that while I am busy missing KB as well. I miss him every time. What keeps me sane is the fact that each day that goes by without him means a day closer to being with him. My anticipation rises everyday. I'll see you soon Baby! I can almost hear him say "Miss na kita". Yes, he tells me that in between our daily conversations. Sweet!

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