Eat Your Cake

Basti...our pet pug, just turned 6 today.
After seeing the dog in the movie Men In Black, I couldn't stop thinking of getting a pug. Well, that was six years ago. My dad who just retired then needed something that would occupy his time. It was perfect timing! Day after day, I would browse through the classified adds hoping to find our future pet. We didn't go to petshops because as we know, most of the pups there were undernourished. Besides, we wanted to get to know or see the breeders and their pets. After some time, we were lucky to find one.

When I first saw Basti, I knew he was the one. He was really mischievous, playful, and full of energy. He had a great smile on his face and his eyes sparkled with glee. I couldn't let go of him! So without further delay, we brought him home. My mom was surprised to see him. Amazed and baffled, she said that she's never seen such an ugly dog. Poor Basti. He's not short of being really good-looking, his face has character. I thought he was the most adorable pug!

After 6 years of living the good life, he's more laid back, not so frivolous, eats more, runs less, and still sweet. As he celebrated his birthday today, I noticed that he was exceptionally more happy. It's as if he knew how special this day is. This is officially the first time he's had a party. He couldn't wait to jump on his cake! After blowing the candles ( which I did for him... wouldn't want to share with his saliva) I gave him his part of the cake and he quickly finished it up to the last crumb. It was a happy day for all of us. This is just a small gift for someone who made a big difference in our lives. He brought so much joy into our home. My only wish is for him to be able to live a healthy and longer life. Happy birthday to my precious brother, friend and companion!

Something Old, Something New

I never looked forward going to the dentist. In as much as I wanted to have my regular prophylaxis, I'm just plain scared of the idea. Braces have a way of instilling an unpleasant experience. It's an engram, dentist=pain!
I'm glad I found a dentist with really light hands. I want so many things done at this point. I wanted to have my teeth bleached but since I can't do without coffee and coke, it seems like an awful waste of money. But if I decide to give that up, that's the first thing I want done. At least, my teeth look better with it's newly shaped form. Now, I can't wait for my next appointment.

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Not long ago, I was really good at bowling. My dad was always the highest scorer when he was still playing. He was not much of an athlete, but he was a great sportsman. I always admired him for that.

As soon as I can lift the bowling ball, I was rolling. I would always ask my hubby to go bowling with me but I couldn't convince him. Last weekend, while waiting for the screentime of the movie, we finally went bowling. I really suck now! With just one hour to play, my arms became weary and my hand kept on shaking. The next day, my body's aching all over that I can't even walk without complaining.

Above all this, I'm still glad we did it.

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I'm learning Adobe Photoshop now. I got really frustrated the last time I used it so I decided to buy a tutorial. This is so far the hardest, most complex photo-editing tool I have ever used. I guess I just have to practice more to get the hang of it. Someone, please shower me with some patience dust.

Bon Voyage

And so my mom left for the states already...

On the way to the airport, there was an uncomfortable silence in the car. No one was talking, trying to hold back the tears. We're sad to see her go just because we'll be missing her a lot. We're so used to being together everyday that one month is an awful lot of time to be apart.

Now, I'm in-charge of the house. Aside from the other duties she left to me, the last thing mom told me is to take care of my dad. Well, that goes without saying. My dad is such a tough cookie to handle, not to mention a really big baby. Not long after we came home, we were already haggling with the finances. Poor dad, he never stood a chance! Oh, mom! What will I do without you? I miss you already.

Traveler

Back to the old days. I've been having a hard time breezing through the internet. First, since my dsl server was always down...we had it disconnected. We also changed our phone line to PLDT. Bayantel's service really sucks! I don't recall a time when I successfully connected with a line other than theirs. Oh, the trouble I had to go through just to take a peek at my blog.

So many things happened in the past two weeks.
First, my grandma passed away already. She's my Apo Eleng, the one who took care of me from birth to my teenage years. I only have fond memories of her. She passed away swiftly. She suffered from Pneumonia and Septicemia...putting her in high risk and succumbing to death. I was holding her hand when she took her last breath. There was nothing I can do.

We had to travel by boat for her burial. Amidst the typhoon and flood, we arrived safely. It was Jayson's first time for a boat ride. While he was busy disguising his anxiety, the ride brought a lot of memories from my childhood. It's been ages since I last went to Nigui, Pampanga. Things haven't changed much. And the only reason I'm coming back is to see my Apo for the last time.
Her demise brought sorrow to my soul. Apo Eleng will always have a special place in my heart. I know she's in a better place now and that's enough consolation.

Last week, my mother-in-law left for PNG. Soon we'll be doing the same thing. I'm still conditioning myself for this change. This weekend, my mom will be leaving for the states. Since there was no way of stopping her, better do it now while I'm still here. It's better that way. My dad won't be left alone and he wouldn't feel the loneliness as much. Besides, I'm still looking forward to some pasalubong!

A lot of things still needs to be dealt with. For now, I'm taking things one day at a time.