• In light of the fast approaching date of the release of the results of the bar exams, I’ve been bringing home my books and personal stuff from my cubicle in the office. Moreover, I’m pushing myself to finish all of my pending assignments so as not to ‘leave’ anything hanging in case the worst thing happened. Haha! Mahirap na kasi kung pumalya na naman eh. All the more because I work at the institution where the said results will be released! Ang saya di ba J?
• Now, I’ve been having allergy spots all over. Dang. Then, I had a ‘eureka’ moment last night — baka lahat ng mga ‘medical inconveniences’ na ‘to are due to my bar results stress. Pwede no? I’ll see in three weeks….of course that depends
• Whoopeee, Wednesday-TV-marathon-night! American Idol, Amazing Race, and CSI.
• A forward from Apple: Please help Mt. Hamiguitan — home of our country’s one and only pygmy forest (natural bonsai flora and fauna) — and Tinagong Dagat be declared as the BEST NEW DESTINATION for 2006. Located at San Isidro, Davao Oriental. To vote, text HIYAS VOTE HAMIGUITAN and send to 2308 (for Globe), 2951 (for SMART), and 2315 (for SunCellular). Voting until March 16.

correction…march 30 na ang rumored date ng release ng results ng bar exams — from three very reliable sources. 

• conversation with the malabong berby

XXX: Flat rate na parking sa robinson’s place.

RIA: Really?  Wow, ok yun.  Kaso sarado pa rin mall by 8am ‘di ba?

XXX: Yun nga lang. Lalabas ka talaga dun sa car exit.

RIA: So you mean, as a person, I will be like a car?! As in go up the ramps with spiky floor and through the tunnels?

XXX: Ah, parang ganun na nga…

• advise from the unwise berby

Yes, you feel bad right now…but wait until the wheel of life turns a full circle and you can just laugh about this problem.  Be excited for that time!

• so funny and touching how my friends reacted to Pipol the other day.  Top three were Lainie’s, Faye’s, and Tina’s.  Tina said she really enjoyed watching Kris’ segment.  Faye said “kinikilig” sila watching Kris’ segment. Lainie bawled upon seeing me on TV (via TFC channel in Los Angeles) that she immediately placed an international call to talk with me! Hahaha….super It’s miss na talaga kita, Lains!

• I swear, ever since I was younger and get sick (frequent too like how I am still), the moment I am due to for my doctor’s appointment, most of whatever ailment I have just disappears!  Natakot sa doctor kaya gumagaling agad! Last week the same thing happened with the lymph nodes.  Doctors did not detect anything despite the huge lumps during the weekend (Kris said we should have taken a photo of my condition for evidentiary purposes).  This week, I was having dental woes [gums bleeding, painful, and itchy – I thought I have ‘gumgivitis’ (gingivitis in real life)]; thus prompting me to go to our office’s dentist.  The dentist did not find anything unusual.  No surprise.  He said, I must have eaten something I was allergic to or that my new Colgate viand irritated my gums.  He advised me to gargle something aside from our magical Bactidol by Pfizer (that’s very strong daw kasi) and apply some of the gum cream he gave to alleviate the pain.  If these don’t work, it’s gonna be Mitchico to the rescue by weekend!

• Sources say all bar exam booklets were in as of the end of February…and the results will be out on March 31, 2006. Imposibleng mangyari at maramdaman, ngunit sa takot ko, ang na-iimagine kong feeling ay parang may dumukot sa puso ko at matinding pinipiga ito. Hay, nababalot na ako sa kaba — 4 days ahead of my panic-schedule! Ayyyyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee!
• Yehey, Betty was already home last night from Tarlac! WELCOME HOME, BETS! I’ve been spooked kasi by the ‘ghost’ stories allegedly happening in SSC right now (according to the SMS I’ve been receiving and Kris’ niece studying there) that’s why I’m super happy (amongst other reasons) to have my roommate back!
• Wow, James Imbong at the oral arguments for Proc. No 1017 at the Supreme Court! Impressed! Go, pakner (yes, ‘pakner’ and not ‘partner’)!
• I’m sooooo excited to visit Aze next week already! Yahoo!
• Got my new pair of eyeglasses yesterday. Dang, not as happy with the frame; but the lens upgrade made me sing the popular Disney song again: "A whole new world! A new fantastic point of view!" Gosh, super clear vision, nakakapanibago!
• Naks! Super photogenic ni Kris sa Pipol…and I had my 10seconds of fame (pero sigh, lost identity ako — now known as mere "girlfriend ni Kris")! Hahahaha. Sa mga nanood and sa mga nag-text, thank you!!!! Now on the finer points of the interview:

Kris’ segment was way shorter than Rebo’s and Ms. Paredes’. To think they got a lot of materials (him even doing baseball, etc.)/long interview clip of Kris. Three days of taping and a couple of costume changes can just produce an 8-minute segment!

Pipol did a bad editing with regard to Kris’ and his dad’s explanation that they are not Marcos cronies. A crony is a world apart from a loyalist or a friend! Then, despite them explaining so during the taping, Pipol still tagged them as ‘cronies’. Sana man lang nakinig sila and just labeled them the ‘loyalists’ that they are. To recapitulate, the relationship of former President Ferdinand Marcos and the Ablans go way back before WW2. Then, the young Ferdinand Marcos was thrown in jail because he was accused of murdering someone in Ilocos. At that time, Marcos was in his final year of his legal studies. Governor Ablan (Kris’ grandfather, also a lawyer), having seen the potential greatness of Marcos, took heart and gave him law books/reviewers in his prison cell. Marcos studied, was able to take the bar, top the same, and eventually acquit himself. Then when Governor Ablan demised in the war, Marcos took it upon himself to look after Kris’ dad, as utang na loob na rin. Since then, Marcos and Kris’ dad were inseparable…to the point that Kris’ dad even helped the family of the late President Marcos in bringing home to Ilocos his body from Hawaii. Thus, the basis for the loyalty and friendship of the Ablans to the Marcoses. Whereas, the so-called cronies were mostly mere political friends who benefited (corruption and power) from being close with Marcos during his presidential years. Big difference di ba?!

Happy though that they truly exerted effort and found all of Kris’ movies!

• I’m so stumped with my assignment in the office.  Dang, I just can’t crack the case!

• The inflamed lymph nodes below my ears subsided yesterday afternoon.  Just the same, I went to the clinic at the office to ask why the heck they got big.  The docs were dumbfounded and can’t believe the inflammation happened.  No traces of any problematic lymph nodes.  No further problem with my throat naman.  Thus, the doctors jokingly concluded: kulam!  Hmmm…with my exposure to witchcraft, that is not funny.

• Again, Pipol tomorrow night/first hour of Wednesday, aight? J

• Taking the meds for the throat…they removed the slight discomfort therein…didn’t have coughs nor colds…BUT, MY LYMPH NODES BELOW MY EARS ARE VERY SWOLLEN! Scary!  I thought I have mumps, but other indicators aren’t present.  What the heck?!  I swear, I’m so getting tired of “being sick” despite living healthy.  It’s like I’m our Isuzu Crosswind already — always getting broken despite its good maintenance and usage.

• Oh and eyeglasses grade increased by 50 again.  Had my annual check-up (and I needed to change my broken frame already). sigh.

• Exciting!  Rent, the movie will be coming to cinemas soon.  I can’t wait!  I super love the songs and the theatrical production of this!  I hope the film won’t be a disappointment. 

• Elizabeth Town (Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst) was a good movie.  I can’t say the same for Pride and Prejudice (matthew macfadyen, Keira Knightley). The latter is a sorry imitation of the Pride and Prejudice of the one with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in 1994!

• Please watch Kris at PiPOL (of ABS-CBN) this Tuesday night (actually, it’s like on at the first hour of Wednesday).  Hehehe, baka nasingit pa ako dun for 1 second as Kris’ “alalay.” Hahaha! 

Gawad Kalinga: Leyte

http://www.ateneo.edu/?p=120&type=2&sec=29&aid=2182

• I confided with my officemate that I’ve been having slight fevers at night the past days this week.  She hazarded that I might have dengue already.  Hmmm… ‘pilay,’ witchcraft, dengue…  And so, I immediately rushed to our clinic and consulted with the resident doctor to finally know for sure what the heck is wrong with me (yes, alam ko marami, pero with regard lang muna with my nightly slight fevers).  Prognosis: Infection with my throat that will eventually develop into a cough.  The fevers are caused by the throat problem.  Some cough meds, paracetamol, saltine gargle, lozenges, and rest should lick the infection away.  Great timing ‘coz had I gone later, I might be in need of stronger meds such as antibiotics.  Thank goodness!

• Kris learned from his friends that they do not bring a lot of their personal items/books in their respective cubicles in their offices.  The reason: “para konti lang hahakutin if they get fired due to failing the September 2005 Bar Examinations.”  Thus, he started bringing home his own stuff little by little.  Hmm, I’ve cluttered my own cube in the office with a lot personal paraphernalia, research materials, books, and codals.  Me being me, I want everything within reach, home-y, and “complete”  (yes, all my typical girl scout stuff present — medicines, extra nappies, mobile phone chargers and cleaning agents. Uh huh, I’ve got a can of Lysol and a big bottle of alcohol as well).  My cube being that, I’ve amused a lot of my officemates with my Chicken Little toys and 2 framed photos of family/friends.  I’ve also ‘saved’ a number of people with my meds/nappies/chargers/codals.  However, since it’s March already, I think it best to follow suit with Kris and his friends — start pulling out unnecessary personal items…just in case! 

• So sad, another ‘couple’ friends gone splitsville!  One per month of 2006 already! 

• More simple tips from my “Outsmart Murphy’s Law” book (sanathey truly work.  I’ll try letters B-D this weekend with Polo.  He just gets smelly soon after his baths and he just loves peeing against our gate every night!):

a.      Jump starting a dead battery (I’ve done this with friends a couple of times already): Turn off all the switches and lights in both cars to reduce the drain on the batteries and prevent possible damage to the electrical systems.  Park the vehicles fronting each other, but not touching.  xxx  As you connect the cables, be careful not to touch two of the clamps, or a shower of sparks may result.  Attach one of the positive clamps of the jumper cables — always the red clamp — to the positive terminal of the dead battery, marked with a plus (+) sign.  Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the healthy battery.  Then attach a black clip to the negative terminal of the good batter, marked with a minus (-) sign.  Do not attach the other black clip to the dead battery — ground it instead by attaching it to a metal surface on the frame or engine of the car.  xxx Start the engine of the good car and run it at moderate speed for a few minutes, then try to start the dead car. xxx Once the ailing auto is started, let both cars run for a few minutes to charge the dead battery.  Remove the cables in the reverse order of how you installed them.

b.      To get rid of bugs on houseplants, spray the plant with some ice water (or about 1 quart cold water mixed with 1-2 tablespoons skim milk or beer).  Repeat spraying every 3-4 days.  OR crush a clove of garlic and put it in one-half gallon of water.  Let the water sit for two or more hours, then strain out the garlic.  Put the garlic water into a spray bottle and mist the plants every 3-4 days.

c.      To deodorize your dog’s coat between baths, sprinkle it with baking soda.  Work the soda into the fur with your fingers, then brush it out.  The baking soda will neutralize the odor and gently clean the fur.

d.      Neutralize areas where pets pee by using a mixture of equal parts of white vinegar and baking soda — wet the area thoroughly with the mixture.  OR soak a cotton ball in lemon extract and put it in a tea bag; hang the ball where the pet has been urinating — the smell should keep the animal away.