Unplanned Three-Day Weekend

It was announced only last Friday that Monday, September 7, would be a holiday in honor of the departed head of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). As such, I had made no plans to drive out of town, even though I had been wanting to go to either Subic or Tagaytay for a brief break from the city life.

Due to a prolonged wait for my initial salary (I work for the government; this is normal), I had been avoiding unnecessary expenses so even short-term plans were out of the question. Add to that my proximity to the central temple of the INC, where all the traffic was, and I was trapped for three days within my corner of the world.

Coming from an exhausting week, for just driving to and from work was a major event for me, and I had failed to walk around UP campus due to heavy rains, I had a slow Saturday. I woke up at 7 a.m. but was back in bed immediately after, and was awakened at 2 p.m. by my grumbling stomach. I had wanted to indulge in one of my favorite chores - doing the laundry - but typhoon Labuyo had prevented me from doing so. So I looked around my room for things to clean. I started with my shoes, then moved to my shoe rack, which was made of canvas and thus needed hand-washing; then took out all my makeup sponges and brushes. Unsatisfied, I went to my mother's dresser and cleaned all her makeup brushes as well. Whenever I use soap and water to clean something, I feel cleaner inside. This may be an obsessive-compulsive disorder developing. Who knows.

I stared at the work I brought home and said to myself that I needed a break from all that. So out came the DVDs I borrowed from a friend. I went on a movie marathon in my room. This was followed by my FRIENDS boxed set, which really had me laughing until late into the night. All by myself. My real-life friends were texting about several things - a choir practice, a spa visit, a walk (in the rain?), but anything that was going to be held to the right of Commonwealth Ave., I said No to. No way was I driving through the sea of cars and people.

Sunday was my duty day as Lector, so I did that, followed by other duties in the parish. I had lunch with my parents and got invited to a choir member's birthday celebration, to the left of Commonwealth. I slept again all afternoon and then went to the party. I sang videoke and had a score of 2.0. Out of a possible 100. That was a broken machine, everyone could tell. My highest score was 77. Highest score before I left was 94. Suffice to say that I went home frustrated.

Monday, I worked slowly, as my mind was still at rest. I finally did some laundry, although the sun still had not come out. I watched more Friends episodes. I repaired some clothes whose buttons were either missing or loosened. I tried to read a book but both books in my current reading list were heavyweights, and I had to put them down for they were causing me to get depressed too much.

I tried a little writing but my uncooperative mind refused to budge. Then I attended another birthday party, had some wine and coffee, and stimulating conversation. Then it was time to go home. And three days had passed.

Tomorrow is the start of another work week. I hope to be productive, and to have less rough roads than last week.

The Better Half (of the Year)

I started this year thinking I was going to have the most amazing time of my life, because a person I was amazed with called me, well, "amazing".

But global financial crisis made buyers wary during the first quarter, and I found myself stressed out and stretched to the limit so soon into the year. All amazing thoughts were pushed to the background. I barely had fun. All I could think about was the bottom line. Even if my whole family arrived from all over the world for a mini-reunion, I could not bring myself to fully enjoy life.

But now, I have recovered, and have much to look forward to. A lot is happening, and they are all amazing! A good friend of mine is here for a month and it's been a swell month. I'll be revisiting Singapore to attend an important event: The Great Singapore Sale (LOL)!

There are many more changes at work and home. I will be a teacher, can anyone believe it? In July, I will go to Tagaytay with friends, and perhaps even Subic. A friend I bid goodbye to is visiting in December and he said that the top priority in his list is the coffee time with me. I want to check in a spa. I haven't done that. I will go on personal retreat. And do many other wonderful, amazing things. I hope this happiness is contagious.

This long weekend is a good start. Lingkod Anniv means dancing. Fr Daniel's despedida means singing. But I can hear my mom's voice - I should clean my room too. Will find time. Won't cut on the parties; will just sleep less.

Welcome me back to the waking world.

The Impatient Patient

On Easter Monday, my officemate and friend dragged me to the Pain & Rehab clinic in Megamall. I still wanted to make excuses not to go, but I could no longer ignore the pain.

After consulting a doctor and going through initial therapy, I confirmed what my Goggle research had revealed a week and a half ago: I had Tennis Elbow. Yes, you read that right, and no, I didn't take up a new sport.

I had been working out with a personal trainer in the gym since middle of last year. After several months of workout, however, I stopped for around six weeks due to the year-end planning schedule at work and the long Christmas break that the government imposed last December. When I returned to the gym last January, my trainer told me I was back to zero as my muscles had already forgotten the strength of yesteryear. I remembered that she led me to use the machines during that session (I added this to absolve her of any negligence). Afterwards, I felt muscle pain for several days, but thought nothing of it as I had gone through that before.

I noticed, however, "recurring pain on the outside of the upper forearm just below the bend of [my] elbow", as accurately described on the website I linked above . Thinking it would go away, I traveled to Cebu, Bohol, Davao, and Tagum, oftentimes lugging around my heavy office laptop bag containing a recently-purchased extended battery, which I woefully found out also meant extended weight. I blogged about that trip here. A couple of weeks later, I went to Bacolod for the IBP National Convention, and thought nothing about lifting heavy suitcases and boxes. On the second night of that trip, I could hardly move my right arm and preferred to stay in the Planta Hotel Centro (this gets five stars, when I get to write a review) rather than explore the Food Trip city I was in.

The pain was too much that it was an effort to pour water from a pitcher. I rested my arm for a day but felt that the pain was just in hiding. I tried to live with it. During Holy Week, I challenged myself to do a Martha Stewart and cleaned out the laundry basket, cooked tomato and tuyo pasta, wiped Pledge on my wooden dresser, applied Kiwi polish to all my office shoes, replaced our bathroom shower curtains and hooks, exterminated all dust bunnies from under my bed, collected stuff to give away from my closet, sterilized sponges and sinks and ovens, descaled the electric water kettle, sorted out the hangers, and stopped only when it was time to go to church.

The result of my superwoman ambitions was a pain on my elbow that made me wince or yelp every time I tried to open a door or lift my arm. So I did go to that dreaded checkup, and I was told to "avoid gripping" or "anything that causes pain" for four to six weeks. I was given a 45-minute therapy program that I had to go to three times a week. I gulped. Not only was I impatient when it came to repeated activities, I also hated waiting in line, and that clinic had some serious lines after office hours.

The doctor explained that tendons don't heal easily due to poor blood circulation. I humored him and my kind therapist and agreed to come back "as often as I could", but inwardly I just planned to apply the anti-inflammatory gel prescribed and to do the exercises taught me.

Now I'm realizing that I grip a lot on a daily basis. I have to make a conscious effort to open jars using my left hand, to ask for help when opening the gate, to avoid cooking and laundry (two of my favorite chores!), and to sling my bag on my left shoulder. A friend, who had gone through worse pain, encouraged me that going through therapy was good for me.

I hope I don't become too stubborn so that my elbow would heal. And I hope to apply the lessons I am learning to other areas that need healing. You know what I mean.

Mac and Lex

Meet Mac and Lex.  I spend time with them the most these days.  They're with me everyday, and I even dream about them.  As the Clear commercial goes, I tend to be a two-timer.  It's so hard to stick to one love!

Mac is my Macbook White, who is with me when I wake up in the morning.  It houses all my videos, songs, photos, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, emails, contacts, and more.  I can't live without it as it has made my life so compact, organized, and it's cute, too.  Heads turn during the few times that I bring it out in public.  I tend to keep it at home because it's so hard to maintain its whiteness.  I Heart Mac!  I have hugged it a lot because of the many memories associated with it.

I also have Lex in my life.  Lex is the nick of my product, "Lex Libris".  It is a research tool for lawyers, law students, law firms, librarians, legal departments, tax practitioners, accountants, HR managers, and businessmen.  Even as a law student and then as a young lawyer, I could not do legal research without Lex.  Now, I have the opportunity to watch Lex grow, and to share its brilliance and versatility to an ever increasing market.  I am responsible for marketing Lex and I have grown to love it.

I am crossing my fingers for a collaboration between the two.  Mac and Lex.  Lex and Mac.  An idea whose time has come.  Now I don't have to be with one and neglect the other, hehe.

I know what you're thinking.  I need to get a real life.  So sue me.  Some people like pets.  I like gadgets.  (I AM Gadget Girl, after all.)

Much as I love Mac, whenever my nephews want to borrow it, I cannot say no.  So yesterday, while I was doing my chores, I let Miko play with it.  He also downed a tub of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut pieces while watching YouTube videos of his fellow Speed Stacking champions.  (Sorry Ate, he also wanted to get his hands on the Tim Tam but I said it was too hard to reach the bottom of the box.  He'll wait for your arrival.)

Tonight, after I got home from work, I excitedly took Mac and placed it on my lap.  Then something bit me.  To my horror, I saw ants crawling all over Mac's immaculate whiteness.  Some ants were on my bed too, where Mac had been sleeping all day while I was with Lex.

Ant attack!  I panicked.  I have read some stories about modems, laptops, and other electronics destroyed by ants.  I took out my trusty Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and proceeded to wipe Mac clean of any chocolate residue and rid it of its temporary inhabitants.  I fervently hoped they did not reach inside Mac.  Oh please, no.  I tried shaking Mac upside down so that any trespassing ants would fall.  I could only hope that I succeeded.  

Mac has to be fit and ready for a new toy I will have this weekend, the iWork '09.  :)  Oh, and an iPod upgrade.  Gadget Girl is beside herself with joy.  

I will try not to be distracted when I work with Lex tomorrow.  After all, the law is a jealous lover.

Come to think of it, if this is what not having a life means, then I'm having an amazing time at it!