Loryces Online

I ♥ Gadgets

2006-07-26T13:59:00.000-05:00

Had an exciting week, gadget-wise. Finally traded my worn out Treo 600 for a Palm TX. Very happy with my decision (although my wallet is saying otherwise). Currently trying out the Wi-fi connection. Had to buy a Netgear router in order to access the web--I'm actually blogging via my TX). Very, very happy. Giddy, in fact. Also bought myself a Garmin GPS navigator. Haven't had the opportunity to really test it out though. Still, I'm very satisfied with it. Next on my wishlist are Creative Zen Vision and Sony Ericsson W710i. Wheeeeeee!

Mumblings Here and There

2006-07-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

I think a blog break is in order. I haven't updated my layout for God knows how long. I haven't posted for 2 weeks, not even a measly hi-bye post. I haven't even thought of this blog for days. I miss blogging but I just can't find the time to really sit down and type out my thoughts. Either I'm too tired to log in or someone is hogging the PC *coughlizacough*. Haay. Anyway my sibs and I had plans today which of course did not push through because my car suddenly went kaput on me. It was a pity because we were planning on going to the annual Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. It's been months since we last went somewhere and I have no idea when our next trip is going to be. I plan to go to a handful of events in Chicago this year but who knows if we can go. Our lives have been busy enough without me feeling the need to go somewhere. Haay. It's just that I want to go to places I haven't seen and I want to do things I haven't done yet especially now that I have my sibs to do all these things with me. The past four years have been a blur and for the life of me, I can't associate them with any happy thoughts. Anyway enough drama. My sister suddenly had this bright idea... maybe I could call in sick on Sunday and then we could go to Grant Park. Oooh evil idea!

Ironic

2006-06-20T21:52:00.000-05:00

Been thinking about getting a second (part-time) job for quite some time now. Fortunately for me, being an RN in this day and age is very lucrative. I can afford to contemplate for a long time and choose among the myriad of job opportunities currently being offerred in the market. As of now, I'd like my second job to be somewhere that's not as intense as my primary occupation but still, challenging enough to make me want to continue doing it.

Well anyway, after much consideration and research, I think I found my second niche. Guess where I ended up? In a home health setting no less. Yeah I remember what I said 6 months ago about home health. I haven't forgotten it, mind you. I accepted the job offer because I think it's a good money-making opportunity that will still allow me to practice what I've learned from school and from the hospital. I know it's different but at this point, I'm welcome to changes. I'm all for it. :) How about driving, you say? Well that's another story and another blog post. Hehe.

I'm It!

2006-06-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

Tagged by Karen:

Instructions: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1. Superblessed
2. In My Pocket
3. Surreptitious Travels to the Moon and Back
4. :: scribbles ::
5. Loryces Online

Next, select five people to tag:
err whoever wants to answer

And now the questions...
What were you doing 10 years ago?
Probably getting ready for school - fourth year of high school. Wheeee!

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Summer classes for LPN. Yup didn't have a life then, don't have a life now. Can't complain though.

Five snacks you enjoy:
Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut, Village Creamery turtle fudge ice cream, McDonald's chicken nuggets, KitKat, apples (shut up)

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
the alphabet song
Happy Birthday
Twinkle, twinkle little star
uhm that's it

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
invest in businesses
buy vacation homes in Europe and New Zealand
take some classes, or probably get a degree, in Europe
go home and spend time with my friends
splurge!

Five bad habits:
being worried all the time, being lazy (which my family can attest to), procrastination, being impatient, being an impulsive shopper

Five things you like doing:
hanging out with my siblings, daydreaming, reading books, surfing the net, checking out and oggling over the latest gadgets

Five things you would never wear again:
blouses with shoulder pads from the 80s (same here, Ka!), white socks with Birkenstock, stockings with open-toed sandals, the preggy dress that was quite the "in" thing during the early 90s

Five favorite toys:
Treo 600, GPS navigation, our PC, my sister's ipod (hehe!), my brother's phone (hehehe!)

#######

Instructions:
The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different descriptions of their perfect lover.
He/she needs to mention the sex/gender of their perfect lover.
He/she must tag 8 more people to join this game and leave a comment on their respective sites anouncing that they've been tagged.
If tagged a second time, there's no need to post again.

Gender: Male

Must make me laugh.

Must be smart.

Must love Lord of the Rings.

Must have common sense because God knows, I forget mine sometimes.

Must be passionate.

Must love and respect me for who and what I am, not what he wants me to be.

Must have enough patience to deal with my moods.

Must have a good heart. :)

Err I tag anyone who wants to answer. :)

Postsecret in Chicago!

2006-05-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

From the Intuit Art Gallery:

An Evening with Found Magazine and PostSecret

Intuit hosts Found Magazine and PostSecret on Friday, June 2, 2006 at 7:00 pm with repeat presentations at 9:00 pm. Each presentation will feature both Found Magazine and PostSecret. There will be a suggested donation of two to five dollars at the door.

In early 2005, Intuit held the exhibition Found: The Magazine, The Stuff showcasing some of Found Magazine�s discoveries of lost or discarded notes, photos, lists and letters. The Found crew returns to Intuit on June 2nd as part of Found Magazine's Cavalcade of Thrills Tour "2006!", which they are doing in support of their second book collection, FOUND II. David Sedaris has called it, "A fascinating collection. It will break your heart." Co-creator and editor Davy Rothbart will present recently submitted finds, and singer-songwriter Peter Rothbart will perform songs based on found material.

PostSecret�s Frank Warren will present examples from his collection of anonymous secrets and also screen a video. PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. Anyone is invited to anonymously contribute secrets to PostSecret. Each secret can be a regret, hope, funny experience, unseen kindness, fantasy, belief, fear, betrayal, erotic desire, feeling, confession, or childhood humiliation. Please visit www.postsecret.com to view examples of the tragic and wonderful secrets submitted.

Hurrah! Postsecret is here in Chicago!!

A Trip to the Garden

2006-05-24T20:19:00.000-05:00

Went to Chicago Botanic Garden last May 19. My sibs and I had a blast. Saya talaga! I wish my parents could have gone with us. Maybe someday when I'm brave enough to drive to the garden. You know me. Driving to any new place is enough to scare me. Anyway some pictures we took:

The English Walled Garden

The Heritage Garden

Enabling Garden

Click click for more garden pictures.

Days Off

2006-05-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

The good thing about my schedule is having 3 (and sometimes) 4 days off at a time. This week, I had 3 of them in a row and actually put them to good use.

Monday: I met my new dentist and surprisingly, I like him. He's very amicable and gentle (to an extent). His assistants were very helpful and cordial. Only grudge I have is the future dental work(s) I'm going to need: 2 root canals, 3 crowns, quite a few fillings, and a tooth extraction. Where the heck am I going to find the money to fund all these???

Tuesday: Went to see an opthalmologist. Good thing nothing's wrong with my eyes. I just needed prescription glasses which I bought yesterday. Didn't realize those things cost a fortune.

Wednesday: With all the expenses sprouting from nowhere, I decided it's time to find a part-time job. I visited a nearby nursing home, filled out an application form, and was interviewed on the spot. A second interview was scheduled for next week. Still thinking if it's all worth it.

Gosh, back to work tomorrow. Haaay.

Too Lazy (or too emotional?)

2006-05-11T18:53:00.000-05:00

Still here, don't worry. It's just that sometimes I'm too lazy to blog especially since lately, I usually talk about work. I'm not too keen on blogging about that aspect of my life. Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful I have a job, for apparent and not-so-apparent reasons. But right now though, I'm still very emotional about my work. Ever since I got off orientation and started working on my own (just last week, mind you), I could already count all my fingers in my hands how many times I cried over some stupid order or comment made by a doctor or some higher-up pain in the ass. I know I couldn't keep getting all emotional over this so I vowed not to blog about my job, not until I develop some sort of resilient armor and/or devil-may-care attitude. Gosh, can you tell I'm dreading going to work?

Anyway, in other news, my sibs and I are planning on spending a day in the Chicago Botanic Garden. I never went to the place and I wonder why it took me this long to think about visiting the garden. From what I read in their webpage and from what I saw in Flickr, it looks like we're going to have a grand time. We're thinking about going next week. Yey!

Catching up

2006-04-30T00:30:00.000-05:00

Yikes. After almost 2 months of no updates, here I am trying to catch up with the rest of my blogging pals. I'm just hoping they still remember me hehe. Of course I'm not wondering why readership is way down. Oh well what can I do? Methinks my being busy at work, my being tired after twelve hours and being unable to coherently blog may have meant a few of my "fanatic" readers haven't checked in as frequently (haha kapal). Anyway some quick updates:

my three-month orientation is up

I'm officially starting my career ON MY OWN WITHOUT A PRECEPTOR on May 1st (gulp)

haven't started reading for leisure

just became a fan of House, Lost, and Battlestar Galactica (the time that I should've spent on reading or blogging has been devoted entirely to watching DVDs of said shows)

currently planning on going to a select Chicago sightseeing tours with my siblings

also currently planning on applying for a second job

Yeah I don't have a life. What else is new?

THAT kind of day

2006-03-09T23:01:00.000-06:00

Dear Lord:
I pray for the Wisdom to understand my challenging patients; Love to forgive them and Patience for their moods. Because, Lord, if I were to ask for Strength I would beat them to death.

It's been THAT kind of day. This prayer goes out to my co-workers too.

Quick Update Before I Throw Myself on the Bed

2006-03-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. You would think, with school and boards out of the way, I would have all the time in the world to update my blog. Unfortunately for me, it's not time I'm having troubles with. It's lack of energy or rather, the exhaustion of energy after a week's worth of work. Anyway some quickies before I turn in for the night:

3rd week of driving along the highway - Nerve-wracking as hell. Just thinking about how I'm going to do that for a year or so is still enough to make my eyes water. Of course, that didn't stop me from speeding along the highway. I even found myself, an instance or two, racing with trucks and wanting to beat them in changing lanes.
Still can't believe I passed the boards. Even told a friend that I'm still doubting if I made it. Good thing for the distance or, I'm sure, she would bop me on the head.
I received my certification/application for licensure! That means I really passed! Wheee! Of course, additional fee is needed. Why am I not surprised?
I couldn't believe it! I'm not as prepared as I thought I would be regarding patient care. Nursing school has not prepared me for the real world. How frustrating! More on that on my next post.
Steve and Barry's is having a sale! All items for $8! Nyahaha! Ooops... Must... stop... myself... from... buying... too... much!!!
My feet are killing me. I think I'll be needing 3 pairs of shoes before the year is over.

Ahem

2006-03-01T15:20:00.000-06:00

Ahem, ahem. Please click here.

You know you make me wanna... shout!
Kick my heels up and... shout!
Throw my hands up and... shout!
Throw my head back and... shout!
Come on now! Come on now!
Don't forget to say you will!
Yeah yeah yeah!

A Weekend of Surprises

2006-02-13T05:54:00.000-06:00

(blogged through MMS)
This past week has been one exhilirating blur especially the last three days. Never thought I'll get through it alive. It's a week I'm happy to immortalize in my blog but doing so via MMS is, I think, belittling all I had to go through, when in fact it should be applauded upon (hehe yabang). Kidding aside, I'd just like to announce that I finally did it--I drove on the most dreaded highway. And that's just the appetizer. Will edit this post as soon as I'm able. In the meantime, you may now congratulate me hehe.

4-some

2006-02-09T21:11:00.000-06:00

Tagged by Karen:

4 jobs I had in my life
library student employee
lab assistant
RN(wheee!)
err that's it

4 movies I could watch over and over again
any of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Xena series
Phantom of the Opera

4 places I've lived
Marikina
Manila
Chicago
(hopefully) Arizona

4 TV Shows/Channels I love to watch
CSI
Oprah
Scrubs
Lost

4 places I've been on vacation
Iloilo
New York
California
Las Vegas

4 of my favorite foods
chicken
banana
chocolate
dumplings

4 places I'd rather be by now
Philippines, hanging out with friends
touring New Zealand
in the arms of Jason Statham
dining in Europe

4 bloggers I'm tagging
whoever wants to answer

Change of Plans 2

2006-02-09T21:06:00.000-06:00

Turned out I didn't have to choose after all. HR called a few days back and informed me that there's a position available for the day shift (7am-7pm) in the Telemetry department. Needless to say, I took it. Will start tomorrow and I'm scared shitless. Not because I'm a new orientee but because I have to drive. I know that sooner or later I will be driving to and from work but I was kind of hoping though that it would be later rather than sooner. Sigh. Gulp.

EDIT:
Update from WGN's Weather news

Nyahahaha saved by the snow!!! I guess I won't be driving this week.

Change of Plans

2006-02-02T14:04:00.000-06:00

The HR department of the hospital where I'll be working at called today and told me that I won't be working at the Medsurg/Telemetry floor as they said initially. The said hospital is reorganizing the floors and the staff. Most of the nurses working at the Substance Abuse floor will be transferred to Medsurg/Telemetry, hence all positions have been filled, leaving me uhm "floor-less." They gave me options but I can't decide which I'm going to take. Each has its own merits and drawbacks. I don't want to rush my decision because I'll be working at the floor for a year, maybe more. As a new grad, I'd like to maximize my resources and learning opportunities without sacrificing my social life (what social life?!) and my health.

OPTION 1
Floor: Telemetry
Hours: 7p-7a
Merits: It's what I like.
Drawbacks: The schedule is going to kill me! Plus, being a new grad and all, I don't think a 12-hour shift is a good choice for maximum learning and retention. Before you can remember all the names of the staff, you're between the real world and sleepyland.

OPTION 2
Floor: Medsurg/Orthopedic
Hours: 3-11p
Merits: I'd like to practice my first degree in a few months so this is a good area to start in. Also, no problem with the sched.
Drawbacks: Not all that interested in this area. Besides, I'd like to see my clients get better in a few days, not months.

OPTION 3
Floor: Diabetes/Oncology
Hours: 3-11p
Merits: The hours are fine.
Drawbacks: I don't think I'll enjoy working in this floor. Being a new grad, I'm squeamish about handling clients with cancer. Not to mention handling diabetic clients can be a drag. I'd like to take care of people who will get better not worse.

OPTION 4
Floor: Medsurg/Telemetry/Substance Abuse
Hours: 3-11p/11p-7a
Merits: Well there's Telemetry and Medsurg--a good combination for a new grad. Also, the sched is fine with me even though I have to work some nights.
Drawbacks: Substance abuse?? Honestly, I don't know what to feel about this area.

Sigh... so many choices but none that really fits what I want. Any thoughts?

Don't Eat Too Much Rice

2006-01-31T14:44:00.000-06:00

Forwarded email (via)

The human body was never meant to consume rice! You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years. However, our food choices and lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognize our food or way of life.

Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed. Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire. He ate fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat. Yes, even meat. You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest. You have the necessary enzymes to digest meat.

However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you were starving i n the desert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down. You were never meant to eat rice. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food.

In some parts of Asia, rice forms up to 85% of the plate. Even if you take rice, keep it to a minimum. Remember, it is only for your tongue - not your body. Actually, rice and other grains like wheat and corn are actually worse than sugar. There are many reasons:

1. Rice becomes sugar - lots of it
This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice. Brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and minerals but it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. To get the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume lots of kangkong - 10 bowls of it.

2. Rice is digested to become sugar.
Rice cannot be digested before it is thoroughly cooked. However, when thoroughly cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugar within half an hour - almost as quickly as it would if you took a sugar candy. Rice is very low in the "rainbow of anti-oxidants"

This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar. Fruits come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion.

3. Rice has no fibre. The fibre of the kangkong fills you up long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills up your stomach. Since white rice has no fibre, you end up eating lots of "calorie dense" food before you get filled up. Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar.

4. Rice is tasteless - Sugar is sweet. There is only so much that you can eat at one sitting. How many teaspoons of sugar can you eat before you feel like throwing up? Could you imagine eating 10 teaspoons of sugar in one seating?

Rice is always the main part of the meal - While sugar may fill your dessert or sweeten your coffee, it will never be the main part of any meal. You could eat maybe two to three teaspoons of sugar at one meal. However, you could easily eat the equal value of two to three bowls (20 - 30 teaspoons) of sugar in one meal. I am always amused when I see someone eat sometimes five bowls of rice (equals 50 teas poons of sugar) and then asks for tea tarik kurang manis!

There is no real "built in" mechanism for us to prevent overeating of rice
How much kangkong can you eat? How much fried chicken can you eat? How much steamed fish can you eat? Think about that! In one seating, you cannot take lots of chicken, fish or cucumber, but you can take lots of rice. Eating rice causes you to eat more salt.

As rice is tasteless, you tend to consume more salt - another villain when it comes to high blood pressure. You tend to take more curry that has salt to help flavor rice. We also tend to consume more ketchup and soy sauce which are also rich in salt.

Eating rice causes you to drink less water. The more rice you eat, the less water you will drink as there is no mechanism to prevent the overeating of rice. Rice, wheat and corn come hidden in our daily food. As rice is tasteless, it tends to end up in other foods that substitute rice like rice flour, noodles and bread. We tend to eat the hidden forms which still get digested into sugar. Rice, even when cooked, is difficult to digest.

Can't eat raw rice? Try eating rice half cooked. Contrary to popular belief, rice is very difficult to digest. It is "heavy stuff". If you have problems with digestion, try skipping rice for a few days. You will be amazed at how the problem will just go away.

Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals. Rice when taken in bulk will reduce the absorption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron and the B vitamins.
Are you a rice addict? Going rice-less may not be easy but you can go rice-less. Eating less rice could be lot easier than you think. Here are some strategies that you can pursue in your quest to eat less rice:

Eat less rice - Cut your rice by half. Barry Sears, author of the Zone Diet, advises "eating rice like spice".

Instead, increase your fruits and vegetables.

Take more lean meats and fish.
You can even take more eggs and nuts.
Have "riceless" meals. Take no rice or wheat at say, breakfast. Go for eggs instead.

Go on "riceless" days - Go "western" once a week.
Take no rice and breads for one day every week. That can't be too difficult. Appreciate the richness of your food. Go for taste, colors and smells . Make eating a culinary delight. Enjoy your food in the original flavors.

Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup. You will automatically eat less rice.

Eat your fruit dessert before your meals.
The fibre rich fruits will "bulk up" in your stomach. Thus, you will eat less rice and more fruits.

Makes sense. Can it be done though? Hrrrmmm.

Scared to Drive

2006-01-27T13:06:00.000-06:00

I'm still too scared to drive. Every time someone asks me to pick them up or drop them off at a certain destination, I swear my hands go cold and I feel myself shaking. Sometimes I miss the days when I didn't have any choice but to walk to the bus station. It was tiring, mind you, but I didn't have to suffer any pre-driving anxiety. All I had to do was endure the 1-mile walk, wait until the bus comes along, pay for my fare, and sit contentedly. It was limiting, yes, but at least I felt safe. At least I had my comfort zone, my security blanket so to speak. But that's all changed. Now that I'm driving, I feel vulnerable and helpless. It's more than being outside my comfort zone. It's a totally different territory. It's my war zone. I'm so terrified of driving that, at this point, I simply refuse to drive if no one will accompany me. I know that it's my own fear that's limiting my abilities but I can't help it. I'm really terrified.

Prayer for Loryces the Driver

Please Lord, watch over me this day.
Please help me remember to watch all
three mirrors, six windows,
five faces, three lanes of
traffic and to keep a third eye
open for wobbling bicycles and
day-dreaming pedestrians, especially
teenagers wearing headsets who are
in another world.

Please Lord, help me hear all train
whistles, truck and car horns,
police sirens and my brother,
who bless his heart, have been
my constant driving guide.

Please Lord, give me a hand for the
signal turner, the steering wheel, the
route book, the windshield lever and
the stickshift.

Please Lord, protect me against my own follies,
foibles, faults, stupidities and mistakes,
as well as against those of others.
Protect my car against mechanical failures
and situations I can not control
especially the cold weather.

And Lord, please grant me the self-control
a steady hand and watchful eye, that
none shall be hurt as I pass by.

And finally Lord, please watch over
me so I can do it again.

modified from A Bus Driver's Prayer and Timid Driver's Prayer

Craving for Dumplings

2006-01-25T09:30:00.000-06:00

Do you ever wonder where our cravings come from? I'd like to know because I've had this intense cravings for dumplings for weeks. Almost every minute of every day, I wasn't able think of anything but dumplings: the soft wonton skin, the succulent meat stuffing, and the spicy/sour dipping sauce. Yesterday, my craving was so intense I decided to take the matter in my own hands: I bought two packages of pork and vegetable dumplings hehe! (And you thought I'd cook!) Well I thought about cooking a bunch of those darn dumplings (which means I'm definitely hooked on this particular Chinese dish) but I know I have to wait. I don't have the time to scour the markets for ingredients, let alone make them. Although I already picked a few recipes from the World Wide Web that would definitely appease my craving part of the brain (whatever that is) so the battle's halfway done. All I need is a couple of hours of free time and I'll be set. Too bad I can't even spare a few minutes to buy the ingredients. Oh well there'd be plenty of time for that. I can't wait!

Manny Pacquiao Won!

2006-01-21T23:46:00.000-06:00

I'm not really a fan of boxing or any other contact sports for that matter. I can't stomach the sight of punches landing on the boxers' face and head. Not only because I think it's barbaric but also because of the associated brain and facial damages it can cause. That's why I didn't watch the fight between Eric Morrales and Manny Pacquiao earlier today. I don't have the guts to watch the event unfold in front of my eyes. Of course, with my whole family (mom and grandma excluded) being boxing enthusiasts and big Manny fans, I can't help but be caught up in the aftermath of the fight. I ended up cheering for Manny Pacquiao, who won after 10 rounds. I can't really say how good he was because, for one, I wasn't watching the show the whole time (just parts of it), and second, I don't know the terminology. Oh well I guess it was a good fight because it kept my relatives off the couch cheering for Manny hehe.

Hurrah for Manny!

I'm Hired!

2006-01-19T16:27:00.000-06:00

Excellent news today--I'm hired! Aint it great!? I�ll be starting in the Medsurg/Telemetry floor in one of the hospitals in the Chicago area. It's a little bit far from my place but they have what I needed the most so I don't mind the distance. It's a big hospital so I'm hoping I could learn a lot in a short span of time.

I already signed the papers and I will start next month (Feb 6 I think). There will be 2 months of orientation--learning about the healthcare system, the hospital policies, methods of documentation, and whatnots about the ins and outs of the facility.

Yay! Two years of hard work and waiting have finally paid off. Now here's to more waiting and more hard work!

Leaving the Zone

2006-01-13T13:19:00.000-06:00

Gosh I miss blogging. It's been a while since I really sat down and ~~wrote~~ typed something. There were moments during the past week that I was itching to type but somehow my "freaking out" side kept on reminding me that the time spent on blogging should be used wisely, thus, my recent lame posts. Ah well, sometimes sacrifices are called for and I must answer. There really is such a word as priority(ies). Anyway, hopefully when I'm back online, I wouldn't find it hard to type about whatnots. Leaving the blogging zone can sometimes be tough. Once you break your stride, it's difficult to get back in.

And this goes to leisure reading too. I haven't read a book since November last year. I'm halfway through Jonathan Strange, on my first page of V for Vendetta and Watchmen, and almost done with 1984 when I decided to stop and be serious about studying. Of course, with all the information that has recently entered my brain, I might have to re-read all the books I started reading last November. Gulp, re-read Jonathan Strange?! Insane, that's the word. Well, here's to wishing I wouldn't have to do that. Of course, with my luck and forgetfulness, who am I kidding?

High Anxiety

2006-01-06T22:37:00.000-06:00

Main Entry: anx�i�ety
Pronunciation: a[ng]-'zI-&-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -eties
Etymology: Latin anxietas, from anxius
1 a : painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill b : fearful concern or interest c : a cause of anxiety
2 : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it
From m-w.com

What a way to start 2006. I'm currently in a very stressful situation right now -- looking for a job, meeting and interviewing with recruitment coordinators, and of course, preparing for the big exam. On top of it all, we are having some financial difficulties. Who said living here is a piece of cake I'd like to know. Sigh. I hope it won't get worse than this. I'm trying hard not to whine (too much) because I have a theory that whining really attracts the bad vibes and makes it all worse. This is probably the first time I'm actually looking forward to February.

Birthday Toast to Prof. Tolkien

2006-01-03T21:46:00.000-06:00

Every year, the Tolkien Society celebrates the birthday of Professor JRR Tolkien by raising a toast in his honor. Today, I bought a pack of Smirnoff and forced my siblings to join me in my toast to the Professor.

Maligayang Kaarawan* Professor Tolkien!

----- --
*Happy birthday in Tagalog

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T22:34:00.000-06:00

May we have the courage to make things right, the strength not to quit, and the good sense to know that we deserve the blessings that come our way. Happy new year my friends!

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Picture taken from this album