Near cardiac arrest....

It's Monday morning once again, and I have all day to do all the things (lazy things) i want to do without having any BS or SS lessons dangling over my head! Yey! Had an overload this weekend man gud: I was supposed to do my last-minute studying for my PDL lessons Saturday morning, but this got pushed back coz friend/neighbor Bec-bec came a calling---and bawling---her yaya had wracked up a HEFTY phone bill in the last two months without her knowing. HEFTY as in P145,000 lang naman! So i was the shoulder to cry on and vent her furies on...plus advice-advise on how to wring her yaya's neck, heheheee.
So wala ko ka-study--and i did have a load to do: a summary of Lessons 8-14, plus the new lesson, 15---but in the afternoon naman was our usual trip to the city, though this time with a dif: Momon and Lola didn't want to come along, so it was just Rene and Mikko and me, so we didn't feel like having the usual dinner out, and got a big pizza instead, to bring home and eat together. But i was pretty glad it turned out this way, with us going home early, kay mag-study lagi ko ba!

Until...my cellphone rang and it was bosom buddy Joy in Los Banos, telling me another bosom bud Grace's mom had just died 30 mins ago, and when she called Grace, of course, crying-crying. So could we get over to Grace's daw and comfort her??? By that time, we were already in the pineapple fields going up to our place, so i told Joy we'd just get a quick pizza dinner home, then run down the mountain again! Yun pala, Grace had texted me the same message she'd sent Joy, but hirap ang signal in the mall we were in last, so I didn't get the message agad. (Grace is this newly-separated friend who lives alone in her cute new house i toldja about some emails back...)

Strangely, though---earlier in the afternoon, Grace was texting me and teasing me na last she heard, I wasn't allowed to drive, tapos now she hears i'd been snorkeling???!! Told her that wasn't driving, haha. Then she also asked me to drop by her place on the way home, kay Joy had this little pasalubong for me she'd sent thru Grace (who'd been in Manila the week before). BUT, we weren't able to drop by in the end, coz Mikko's friends rode with us from the mall. Had we done so, that would have been around the time Grace had just gotten the sad news...but then it would have been awkward, as i'd have a carload of boys waiting outside, plus Momon would be waiting at home for his pizza dinner (as it was ours, too), so it was really providential we didnt' stop by then.

Also, i was able to prepare a little dinner of sorts for Grace (my yaya had cooked earlier), which was greatly appreciated in the end, coz she was in no mind to cook or eat had we not arrived. So after dinner, Rene and I ran back to Grace's place na, and the other close friends i texted (becbec and Allyn) met us there with their spouses. And by the time we got home, which was almost 11, groggy na kaayo ko to do any cramming. So it was that I had to get up at the crack of dawn the following day and CRAM.

Well, it did pay off, coz i got rave reviews, after the Sunday school, haha.To God be the glory! We finished at 12 noon and decided to go have lunch at this nearby resort called the Durian Gardens. Not only is it known for its durian (which i don't eat and hate the smell of), but it has a beautiful garden, a butterfly dome, lots of birds (mynah, cockatoo, etc), and a zoo and playground! Food's good , too! Becbec and her hubby Ben and little girl Christy-ann joined us and we had so much fun gid. All of us had a stressful week ( tho' only I got to go snorkelling, hehe ) and a leisurely good lunch in beautiful surroundings was very welcome at the end of it. Got home almost 4pm na, very busog and very sleepy, and in time for my local chizmiz programs, The Buzz and S-files, feehee.

Have a good week, everyone!

July 29
Alo!

Am back from my one-day beach snorkeling trip, and boy, was that a good one! Although i had doubts at first that swimming and snorkeling would not be as fun with a boat load of middle-aged (and not-so) ladies, i was proven wrong in the end!. There were 10 of us wommin all in all, and sa van pa lang, when all the yakking and laughing commenced, tuloy-tuloy na all throughout the two-hour trip to Kiamba!
We were driven straight to the pantalan, where a big pumpboat was waiting for us, along with our young hostess, Dayday Falgui and her coterie of alalays (which included a maid, plus over a dozen guys who served as boatmen, coral reef guides, etc). The fun continued when we found out we had to wade in hanggang kilikili-level water, and the challenge was how to get our bags on board (with cameras, cellphones) without it getting wet. At this point, the 'guy entourage' proved useful: they carried our bags themselves, way above their heads. Not only that, we found out that the boat was too high from the water, and they didn't have a ladder for us to climb on, so the guys started making makeshift 'stairs'---with their hands and their shoulders. It was fun to see at least three men struggling to bring up a hefty lady onto the seesawing boat. For those of us more limber, we opted to climb up through the katig instead of availing of the macho services offered, heheh.

The beach was a lovely, quiet stretch of white-gray sand, amidst a background of thick foliage (i will send pictures). We got in the water agad with our snorkels, and boy, was it great! Their marine park is still in its infancy, compared to Apo Island, but twas still a wonderful underwater experience, especially since the machos were also there to bring each of us snorklers to the deep, nice snorkeling parts (sa Apo, walay guides).

Nicest of all was going back to shore to find a long table set up with a simple but yummy lunch of LECHON, kare-kare, veggies, etc, topped by big ripe mangoes! We resembled full boa constrictors at the end of that memorable lunch, i tell you! Burp. Managed to drag ourselves back in the water but only to wallow like fat rhinos---kay bundat na lagi!

Pretty soon, we had to start on the hilarious trek back to and onto the boat again, as the waves started getting bigger (as is usual basta after lunch na). Back on shore, we walked through the quaint little town to Daday's inlaw's spacious home, where we took showers and coffee afterwards. The on to the van again for a ride to Maitum, the next town, to pay a courtesy call to Daday's mom and dad (the mayor). Her gracious mom gave us a tour of her garden which was lush with bromeliads, cacti, etc.Then we were homeward bound.
And the good news? No hilo-hilo for me! I did promise myself i wouldn't think or be anxious about passing out, etc, and lo and behold, nada!.So in short? This thing's mind-controlled??!!! bwahahaha. Works for me!

About your visit next year: I would recommend you visit Apo Island resort. It can be a one-day trip, or an overnight one. The nice thing about it is that it's like a private beach--quiet, white sand, blue sky scenario---with a restaurant and rooms/cottages to sleep overnight in. What we did was to just spend the day there, and then go back in the early afternoon, though. So all we were allowed access to was the beach front, the waters( of course), and the restaurant, which was okay for a day visit, anyway. It would be ideal for a little family like yours---if you wanted plain simple fun in the sun.
Boracay, on the other hand, has banana boat rides, hang gliding, sail boating, and all the other fun beach things to do, plus discos and clubs at night, etc., tourist shops,--the works! Plus the crowds to boot (although August isn't a popular month, really). In short, it's not going to be quiet, but lotsa water sports to engage in.Mahal pud, heheh.
I don't think Bobot and I would be violently opposed to the idea of joining you in either---it's a matter of scheduling way,way ahead---but the big question is a question of health: mine and his mom's. We don't know how healthy or unhealthy i'll be (though i'll think positive from hereon), and Bobot's mom has this grave pancreas problem, and she's only been given a year to live (don't say a word to him or anyone about this). That year ends thereabouts our 30th.
As the good book says, "Man may make his plans, but God has the last say."

And now, i gotta go back to studying the good Book kay Sunday school teacher na pud ko tomorra!
Have a great, fun-filled weekend, bookend!

July 27th... Heidi-ho-hum!

It is almost midnight as I type this, and it's all Bobot's fault! Bitaw, i love him dearly. But towards the end of our BS tonight, I got a text from him asking me if an email I sent to him containing some sensitive info was intended for the e-group, as that's how he got it???? Imagine, my near-heart attack, ha!!!
I mean, even if my intentions aren't evil (like somebody else's), there is just some info that is not to be shared with other people, much less announce on the e-loop! So picture me breaking out in cold sweat and my BP rising....and i rant to the phone soon as I got home and called Bobot up! I hurriedlyopened our site also to check nga if the email appeared there, unya wala man....

To make the story short (kay I'm cinderella and the clock will strike na), yun pala, this low-techie guy thought that the bobotking77@yahoo.com address he created to access our e-group signified that all the mail he'd get at this address would automatically be shown to the rest of the gang!!! Phew!! I then had to explain to him that this worked as a personal link to him and him alone lang gihapon, and unless mail was sent addressed specifically to suhsbatch77, only then would it appear on the loop. Double phew.

Anyhow, I made it to Gensan and back in one piece, but felt so drained afterwards, so I took a long nap---just to gather energy na pud for the BS tonight. I still have to pack for our beach trip tomorrow. Feel a bit low, coz buddy Lisa backed out at the last minute, kay she had tons to do and weekend guests were coming. Phooey.

O, siya. I shall turn into a pumpkin in 13 minutes' time, so i will bid you nitey-nite na.