Wednesday, July 30, 2008

I dreamt of Aggie

Yes, Aggie, I dreamt of you, Edil, the kids and your parents. I visited your house and I saw how effectively thin you are from all the running and water you've been drinking lately. We seemed to be in your backyard, and the kids are enjoying themselves each in their swing. There seemed to be a song and dance sequence, the kind you see in movies like Sound of Music. Interestingly, its a unique happy song (I've never heard of), most likely composed by you and your family. Other than that, I can't remember the rest ;p

Since I'm stuck at work and I can't post a comment in your blog, I just shared it here :)



~~
i haven't dreamt of playingOrlando golf though hehe

Monday, July 28, 2008

meet spark


spark
Originally uploaded by daniellaveronica
he is our pet for the meantime, until we send him to my ILs. He's an askal (asong kalye), quite cute at 5 weeks. sometimes he drinks dani's leftover milk :) do you think he'll smarten up? hehe

i'm exerting a lot of effort trying not to care for him too much. i'd like to have a labrador for a pet, maybe when dani's in grade school already so she can learn how to take care of another living thing.

* * *

stuffs: digital signage is springing up like mushroom all over

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Werk

yes, its that time again when I and my superior will discuss my performance for the first semester. i haven't prepared my bala yet, truth to tell, I was as always, mediocre. i've attended a PM briefing the other day and we were asked:

are you an achiever?

am i? ever since i realized that promotion in this company is not as easy as compared to my last company, i stopped aspiring for it. or maybe motherhood got in the way. or maybe my heart was never really into corporate world. i've always wanted to be a sahm. i work because it was expected of me, i'm a college graduate. either you get a white collar job or you put up a business (of which i lack capital and i know i'll suck as a manager since i'm too nice). sadly, i work because i need to, not because i loved to.

although somewhere in my career, i believed i was helping people make their work easier. there is a sense of pride per production rollout. my babies.

somehow, i lost my purpose. it's all about the money. from payday to next. what to buy, how to pay. yuck, i sound materialistic.

in most evaluation, i get a high score in .. *tada* .. customer service! madali naman kasi ko talaga lapitan, basta wag lang akong busy hehe pero i hate deadlines, i really do. i hate estimating effort kasi i have no idea how long i can do/finish tasks minus distractions. pero i detest being the cause of bottlenecks. critical pa naman role ko, development can't start without my output. i hate documentation, it takes a lot of time for me to organize my thoughts.

and pressure does get to me, sometimes i snap back or slump or grouch or mop resulting to more delays and backlogs.

i long for positive feedback but i'm scared i wont get any, most specially from the higher up :( effort doesn't always cut it, timeliness and quality weighs more. at the end of the day it boils down to this question: do you deliver?

I do deliver, just not at the end of the day haha

excuses. excuses. excuses.

this is another wake up call.

kaya vanessa, magsumikap ka!




~~
sidebet: Celtic jewelry

Monday, July 21, 2008

Weekend Photo: Mickey Ears


Mickey Ears
Originally uploaded by daniellaveronica
Hubby and I went to SM Mkt Friday night to buy gifts for a birthday party and baptism for the next two sundays. I saw and grabbed these mickey ears for P49.75 for Dani. She'll put them on for a couple of minutes then she'll tell me, "Mami naman!" Syempre pa, I obliged and she immediately giggled at me hehe :D

* * *

Coming out of nowhere, hubby asked me, "Gusto mong magpamasahe mamaya?" Aba, ako pa ang tinanong nya, go-go-go! Off we went to SM Dasma. Dani checked in Wonderland. Sinilip namin si Massage King which I think offers the cheapest services sa mall. Parang hindi ka masyado makakarelax kasi walang ambiance haha

Hubby and I decided to go for Couple's Massage in BodyTune (P1475). Steam for 15mins, quick cold shower and an hour of bliss :)

Almost two hours has passed when I went back to get Dani. Take out lang pizza and spag, supposedly for miryeda pero dinner na rin kasi yun. Tapos umuwi na kami :)

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Aggie Wants to Know #3: Halfway There.

How’d your first six months go? And what are you looking forward to the next six months?

I wish I had a fearless forecast for 2008. No definite goals for the year, no major projects, was trying to avoid: disappointment.

I said I'd take it one day at a time or in some cases one payday at a time. Basta pag may occassion lalo na't birthday, kelangan talaga may celebration.

January
My bro finally got hitched
I dreamt of Baby#2

February
The date that didn't push thru
We had a pet
The inevitable age+1 day

March
Egg Tarts, Ruins and Casinos
Little Girl saw the smallest volcano
The hunt begins
Visited Mr. Ray

April
Wala na si Ate Sel, no?
Fancy a banofee?
Effortless shopping

May
No taupe in windy chicago
Twice a flower girl
I heart durian city
Twenty-four months

June
Woes of a working mom

Overall, masaya naman ako sa first half ng 2008. My goal for the next six months would be to post more reflections not just to plot down activities. More heart, more emotions. Men, I feel vulnerable already ;p

Some bloggable stuffs I'm anticipating for the rest of the year:

July/August
Work, work, and more work

September/October
My parents birth month
The annIVersary

November
Yet another LOMA exam

December
Less shopping, more savings

All will depend on how it will end for us this year.

We will remain debt free from credit cards (we still have 12yrs for the house mortgage)
Hubby will be able to get a new job (may it be local or overseas)
I will learn how to bake or at least cook weekend meals again
I will pass my LOMA exam
I will sport a short haircut (minus 10lbs min)
I will finish Dani's 1st and 2nd Birthday album

Friday, July 18, 2008

Something

While listening to Across the Universe OST, it just dawned on me maganda rin palang gawing bridal march ang "Something" lalo na kung lagayan mo ng classical touch with strings and all :)

Monday, July 14, 2008

Day 2 Macau: St. Paul Ruins

After checking out from our hotel, we hauled our bags and hailed a taxi. Our next destination: St. Paul Ruins. It was noon by then and tourists are everywhere. So please try to go earlier if you want to avoid crowds. Anyways, side kwento: Before alighting the taxi, Manong driver asked me (as I'm the one usually seated at the front) if the other girl behind us is my sister. I said yes and he said: Your sister is beautiful. Naks, hindi lang pretty, beautiful pa!

Once you go through the church facade, you can climb a flight of stairs.
View from above, you'll see the path going to senado square
From here you can see the church hall where catacombs are carefully preserved.

Walang pakialam sa ibang tourista, kelangan may jump shot top view pa talaga
Samson?

Yes, kelangan magpicture talaga para may mailagay sa flickr hehe
Shempre iniwan nila ko sa taas
A temple just beside the ruins

Panalong shot ni ate keng
Church facade
I wasn't able to read labels here and there pero we did took time looking around for flickr stuffs. BTW, taxi fare from taipa to st. paul costs about 50patacas. Ok na yun kasi tatlo naman kami sa taxi. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this but if you can manage to have you luggage on your lap, do so kasi iba pa bayad pag may luggage sa likod ng taxi.

Davao Trip: Crocodile Farm

Due to limited time, we only have a very short day trip before we head on to Pearl Farm. During planning I opted to visit Eden Park and avail of their shuttle tour w/ lunch. However, since we needed to be at the Marina by 1pm, we decided to go to crocodile farm instead. I wasn't expecting much from this park as I thought it is just the same as the one we have in palawan. Hubby paid P100/adult while Dani gets to get in for free :)
Ang mga masayang inihain sa mga buwaya
With the Philippine Eagle
With Eddie (Maisy Mouse's Elephant Friend)
So wanting to pet the rabbits
What suprised me though is the variety of animals you will see inside. Their facilities are in a lot better shape than the one in Palawan. We didn't get a lot of photos, ambigat kasi ng dala-dala ko at ang init pa. There was supposed to be an afternoon show, pero hindi na rin namin pinanuod. We bought fruit shake in a stall found in front of "Pangil", the largest living crocodile they have so far. They also have a small museum featuring the second to the biggest croc skeleton i've seen. We didn't take a look at the breeding/hatching facility anymore and just browsed through various cages. I would like them to consider a small petting zoo but I think it would require them additional staff dedicated to such.

If you have time to spare and you haven't been to a croc farm then do try to drop by :)

Men who caught my eye

From the troubling tv episode of Twin PeaksI first saw him as Prince Charming in Cinderella, loved his movie with Meg, Addicted to Love
I think if you'll try hard enough, we are connected using the 6 degrees theory hahaWay before 24

I like him most in Braveheart
Encino man
Ahh.. Christian, forget about Satine..

Now these guys can serenade me anytime:

Just in case I forget, I am once a shameless fan. Obviously, I am quite old as some of these men are haha.

I dare not add photos anymore but for my memory's sake:
Kyle Chandler - Homefront
Michael J. Fox
Devon Sawa

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Compromise

I want to blog, you want to watch.

We share.

Most of the time, this is what my screen looks like when I'm online. This weekend however, I might be offline as we're off to Nova. Still no internet connection there.

I was able to finish the "cinema copy" of Sex and the City movie. Men, did I cry a river. I'm such a weeper. I never really got beyond season two of the tv series but I do feel for these ladies. Like my male staff, who was "dragged" by his better half, "complained" the other day, it is indeed a chick flick.

I also managed to read James Patterson's, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. I felt bitin with Matt's and Katie's love story, I wish there were more of them as there was for Matt and Suzanne's. More and more I am convinced that men like Matt only exists in novels as such ;p

I was planning to watch something tonight but got sidetracked in friendster. Its practically 2am, I better get some zzz's for tomorrow's another day with my little girl. I need to recharge.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Smiley Friday Tag

Snagged this from Toni :)

1. Do you want to grow old with someone or be single?
:: Ever since I heard about prince charming, with me still on my pigtails, I've been wanting to grow old with him :) Now who is my prince charming, that is the question ;)

2. What were you doing at 8:00 this morning?
:: I am at work as early as 7:30AM, coding eh ;)

3. What were you doing in last 30 minutes?
:: having breakfast, yummy corn beef pandesal and milk tea

4. What was something that happened to you in 1998?
:: I graduated at 22 and months after had my first job

5. If you were stranded on an island with the person you hated and without food what would you do?
:: If that person is a she, I would let her be and scout food on my own. Otherwise, I imagine myself as madonna in Swept Away ;p

6. When someone catches your eye,do you try to make an eye contact or avoid it?
:: Most of the time I feel so transparent that I do avoid eye contact.

7. What color is your comb?
:: Neon green

8.What was the last thing you bought?
:: The corn beef pandesal for two :D

9. How do u know when ur in love?
:: I have this stupid smile on my face as I endlessly day dream of us, i hum songs, sing out loud even, walk with a slight skip here and there

10. Have you been to China?
:: Does Macau count?

11. Where do you keep your money?
:: Err, do I have any to keep? :p

12. Do you wish you were back together with any of your exes?
:: No regrets.

13. Do you like peanut butter?
:: with jelly please

14. Have you been to UK?
:: UKay-ukay

15. Dream country?
:: Philippines, minus all the negativity.

16. The thing you love about relationships?
:: You learn not to be selfish

17. The thing you love about being single?
:: Freeeedoooommm (in a braveheart shout)

18. Would you give up a dream for someone you loved?
:: Shouldn't he be helping you achieve that dream?

19. Do you wanna cut your hair?
:: I want someone to cut it for me (so literal haha)

20. Are you over the age of 25?
:: sadly, yes

21. Do you talk a lot?
:: Depends on the person I'm with, if she's a talker, I listen, vis-a-vis

25. Favorite ice cream?
:: Pistachio, Melon-Macapuno

26. Could you date someone who has been only your friend for a long time?
:: I don't date friends

27. Are you typically a jealous person?
:: I hate when hubby teases me and tries to make me feel jealous, but normally I'm not the jealous type.

28. Is there such thing as perfect relationship?
:: It's a state of mind.

32. Do you chew on your straws?
:: No.

33. Do you have curly hair?
:: Definitely

35. The kind of person you're first attracted to?
:: Has a timid smile

37. What is something you say a lot?
:: Nye! or Ah talaga (when partially listening haha)

40. Do you have to work tomorrow?
:: Yey, its saturday-no-work-day!

41. Who was the last person you said I love you to?
:: Dani

*whew, ang haba pala neto :) Happy Friday!

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Deebeedees on queue

Friday lunch, I went to MCS and stocked myself with dvds, 14 of them to be exact plus two tv series. I did went to various stores with dvds on sale but I just don't have the heart to buy any knowing I can buy a copy for P40.

I was able to watch Enchanted and The Spiderwick Chronicles both of which I enjoyed watching. Cloverfield would have been nice if it didn't use The Blair Witch method. Here's what's still on queue:

Miss Conception
Imagination
Grace is Gone
The Bank Job
Definetly, Maybe
The Hottie and The Nottie
August (something)
Cassandra's Dream

plus CSI Season 8 and Carnivale by HBO :) I still have to finish Pushing Daisies and if you hadn't noticed yet, she's the same lady in Enchanted ;)

Anyways, I wont be doing any balance transfer soon as my paypal is close to nada. Things are looking up for USD exchange rates though. Bad for oil prices @P60+ for unleaded, tsk.

Sleep's calling.. despite bad news and tragedy, I sure hope you had a nice weekend!

Dani: Second Hair Cut

Yes, I cut her hair, about two inches of it from the tip. I noticed the dry split ends and been contemplating about having it cut since then. while hubby was out taking care of xeon, I braved myself and reached for the scissors. I told her to sit still as she watched Blue. I didn't tell her anything about what I was going to do. A couple of minutes later, we're done!

The end result!

dani after haircut

Left side is a couple of centimeters longer but it doesn't matter as it's not obvious due to her curly hair. Sana lang hindi magtampo buhok nya :) BTW, she's been eating little by little and I pray she'll get back to her old solid-eating self soon. Saturday was broiled chicken and palabok, today it's various fruits of melon, papaya and mango :)

Zach Turns Three


dani zach swim
Originally uploaded by daniellaveronica
Morning was spent painting with Dani, all is casual and ordinary. Imagine my surprise when my SIL texted me around 11am asking me if we'll drop by their place today for Zach's 3rd Birthday. Hala, I thought it will be celebrated next saturday pa.

So I told my parents who likewise was confused about the schedule. They decided to just go visit next week. Hindi ko yata kakayanin ma-miss ang birthday ng pamangkin ko so kahit hindi kami prepared eh nagayos na kami papunta dun. Wala kaming regalo tapos i was planning pa sana to bring some balloons din. Haay, buti na lang meron pa kaming 3pcs na balloons so meron kahit papaano :p

It was already past 4pm when we got there. Dumaan pa kasi kami ng Pavillion Mall to buy ice cream, toy car and ball for zach. Eto pa, my SIL forgot to tell me na swimming party ito. So ang anak ko nagswimming ng nakapambahay haha. Syempre pinwersa ko si yaya na samahan ang alaga nya, pinanghiram ko na lang ng pambasa :)

Bro, sent the album link to your mail ;) Meanwhile here are some of the photos I took :)

Weekend Photo: Finger Painting


dani paint
Originally uploaded by daniellaveronica
If you are looking for non-toxic water color perfect for finger painting, checkout Landmark's toy section and you will find a package of 6pcs of basic colors priced at P99. I was pretty excited when I saw it friday lunch last week and couldn't wait for the weekend. This is actually our second session already. It doesn't stain her hands and her clothes as it can easily be washed off by water. I forgot the brand but its stacked alongside DIY crafts and crafts projects.

The other day, I went to NBS to buy flip chart paper for dani as hers is down to 4pcs already. Someone noticed my plastic bag and asked what it is for. I said it was for Dani's art stuff, to which she said, "Ang gastos talaga nang batang yun."

Huh? Where did that came from?

Every weekend, I try to maximize the time I can spend with my child. I try to think of stuffs we can enjoy doing together and it so happens that painting is one of them. It sure is messy sometimes and supplies are not cheap but she has fun and learns through it. By now she knows red, yellow, green, blue, orange, black and white. she can't differentiate shades yet like violet and purple but uses it alternately. she does get confused sometimes but most of the time, she gets it right.

So there. Remarks like that sometimes just gets to my nerves. Hmpf.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

A Decade Ago

The rules are simple.
At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
~ Wondering how my first job will be like. I will be starting in a couple of days as a programmer trainee.

2. What are the 5 things on my to-do list today?
~ i don't have a to do list ;p

3. Snacks I enjoy:
~ chocolates, junk food

4. Place where I lived: (now?)
~ Cavite, Philippines
(10 years ago?)
~ Makati, Philippines

5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:
~ Stay wealthy
~ Live the good life
~ Share
~ This I'm sure, I'd be a SAHM

6. I'm tagging
~ Gwen
~ Jeanny
~ May
~ any volunteers?
~ any volunteers?

Thanks Abie!

Aggie wants to know #1

Aggie Wants to Know!

Topic No. 1: Life After the Wedding - the Married Life.

What are the things you want them to know about life after the wedding?



it takes a while to get used to sleeping with your husband
once you get used to the warmth, you'll miss it whenever it's not there

it is essential that you value your marriage,
too many temptations and excuses not to make it work
and it takes a lot of work

for practicality's sake
you learn to accept your new surname
you are your own person
you don't have to insist on carrying your maiden name to prove it

its true, you also marry your husband's family
and he marries yours
family fueds do exist once in a while
but a family is still a family

marriage like any relationship is an emotional roller-coaster ride
you fall in love, you feel hatred, you feel numb, you fall in love again

learn to drive, your husband is not your personal chauffer
don't forget to get your license though

QOTW 22

1. When you have food cravings, is it usually for something sweet, salty, greasy, or creamy?
:: i usually go for meijie macademia, sweet indeed or picnic honey mustard, a bit sweet-sour-salty all in one :)

2. Have you ever barf or fart in a public and blame it to someone else?
:: my bro calls my fart -- the silencer -- haha it doesn't have a sound but it's a killer. I always blame it to someone else ;)

3. You're stuck in an airport, what do you do?
:: other than keep the little girl busy, i browse duty free shops

4. You fall in line, where are you?
:: i sneak in sometimes and cut the line haha, but due to my petite stature, you can find me in front

5. Which of the following would your friends say you are? Shy, Clumsy,Pessimistic or Behind the times?
:: i'm funny :) either i look funny, smell funny, tastes funny basta funny pa rin haha

6. Can you play a musical instrument? What is it?
:: i can play the piano (by notes) and can strum basic guitar chords. i do play with my daughter's xylophone, maracas and drums once in a while hehe

7. How do you feel today?
:: i feel bloated, light-hearted, lazy, well-rested.

8. What movie have you watched the most?
:: love stories mostly like amelie, moulin rouge, far and away, love affair, of which i've seen three or four times. oh wait, does barney, dora, little einsteins and mickey mouse count?

9. If you could have any car in the world, what would it be?
:: i'm not fond of cars but i'll take a minica anytime ;)

10. What do you think about tattoos? Do you have any? Would you ever get any?
:: i can appreciate them on someone else's skin if its artsy enough. no to permanent tattoos and if i can have it my way, i want dani to stay clear of them also ;)

Join the fun here.