I have a secret....

I am positively bursting to share a particular piece of good news but I want to be doubly, triply, 210 percent sure before I make any announcements.

Wild guesses, anyone? Let's see who gets it right :)

Sunday can't come soon enough

A few weeks back, I finally arm-twisted wrangled a promise out of Eric that we would go to Tagaytay this Sunday. So far, he still seems game, so I'm scouring the Internet high and low for new restos to try out (because I know there's more to Tagaytay than Sonya's Garden) and new sightseeing spots to check out (because I know he hates it if we travel that far away "just to eat.")

We were tempted to hike up Taal volcano, but the summer heat is just too oppressive to encourage us to do anything strenuous, and I'm so out of shape that I'll probably just embarrass myself (and Eric) in the attempt. Next time nalang yan.

So far, places of interest include the Pink Sisters Convent, a honeybee farm, and a flower farm. If you guys have any feedback on these places or any other suggestions, please do drop me a line! Can't wait for Sunday!

Ice, ice, baby!

Ice was the major theme of the two movies Eric and I watched back-to-back yesterday.



The first was Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, although they should probably rename it "The Letdown" to truly describe what it really was. The sequel was super boring compared to the original, containing none of the wit, snazz or banter that endeared us to the characters. In fact, the movie really picks up only during the last 30 minutes of the film, but falls flat again during the last five. I think the only character I liked was the eaglet who briefly tussles with Scrat for the acorn.

Favorite line from Ice Age 2: "He puts the 'stink' in 'extinction.'"



Fortunately, the second movie we watched was way better. I went in to watch Eight Below fully expecting to cry a river and I did. But I also laughed, cheered and "aww-ed" a lot and I'm sure that I wasn't the only one who left the moviehouse wanting to own a Siberian husky of my own.

Favorite line from Eight Below: "You gotta take chances for the things you care about."

The day before tomorrow

The day before a major holiday (like Holy Week, All Saint's Day, and Christmas) is always the longest. Not to mention the most boring. The office becomes a virtual ghost town because half the staff is already on leave and the phones don't make a peep because most likely half their staff is also away. So far, I've been spending my day idly working on an article (meaning I revise a sentence every 20 minutes or so) and trying to beat my previous high score in Snood.

Is it 5pm already?

Cringe

I hate seeing myself on TV. I've guested on two television shows in my whole life and even though my mom taped them both, I could never bring myself to watch them. Call me vain, but I have this phobia that I don't look good on TV. So better that I don't confirm it.

Naturally, I had to make an exception when Eric and I finally got our wedding video yesterday. But the phobia was still there—throughout the show, I was as tense as a whip and my hands were actually clammy from sweat. As far as I can remember, the last time my hands were clammy from sweat was when I was about to take the UP College Entrance Exams in 1995. So yes, I was that antsy.

To be fair, the video was good, but there were lots of instances when I wanted to fast forward some scenes because they lingered too long on me. Of course, Eric wouldn't let me. And while I'm sure other new brides would've watched the video over and over in one night, I breathed a big sigh of relief when it was over and shoved the DVD into the cabinet, never to be viewed again.

But yeah, okay... I think I looked good naman.

An official "Good deed for the day"

Last week, I signed up to be a child sponsor for the World Vision organization. It's my first ever concrete attempt at social responsibility, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. For only P450 a month, my kid (who's from one of the poorest areas in Palawan) will get to go to school and have access to things we take for granted like clean water and healthy food.

I got to choose who I wanted to sponsor...and at first, I tried to be methodical. I searched for a kid who shared my birthday...Eric's birthday...my name.... Eric's name.... zilch. In the end, I saw the profile of this 10-year-old girl who listed down her favorite subject as "Math" and decided to go for her, just because I think she deserves credit for liking something I sorely detested when I was 10 years old.

Sponsors are encouraged to write to their kids so that we can get to know each other better, and I'm quite excited to send my first one. The problem is I'll have to brush up on my written Tagalog—-see, my oral Tagalog sucks, but my written one is plain embarrassing. Of course, one of the first things I will ask her is, "Bakit mo gusto ang Math?".

After TomKat...

Can you imagine this hot blonde....




Dating this guy?



Well according to this article, they are.

Kinda an odd coupling, if you ask me, but who are we to judge, right? I'm just glad it's David Spade and not George Clooney! May pag asa pa ako!

And it's not even a Monday

I've been going through an "I-hate-my-work-I-want-to-resign" phase lately.

I think it's because for one thing, I don't think the constant stress and adrenaline rushes (which I used to enjoy, mind you) that come with magazine work are good for my fertility. I really need to stop whizzing around and start relaxing more.

For another, the issue that I'm working on now is particularly tougher to put together. Subjects are hard to find and much harder to pin down, and nothing seems to go smoothly. Because there are two types of stress: there's the fun kind, when you know you're being challenged and you know it's just a matter of time before the matter gets resolved. But then there's also the kind of stress that leaves you thinking "Why the hell am I putting up with this?" Lately, it's more of the latter.

I know I have no right to complain of burnout, considering I've taken more vacations or working-vacations this first quarter of the year than in my whole life. But I think that's precisely what's bugging me... in spite of all these breaks, I'm still feeling.... bleh. I really think it's the baby thing.

I think the only thing stopping me from quitting right now (which everyone from Eric to my OB-Gyne agrees with) is I know there'll come a time when I'll get bored just staying in the house. I'm not sure if it's human nature; maybe it's just me, but I'm the type who can only laze around for maybe a couple of days... two week, tops. After that, I need something stimulating to do, or I'd literally be climbing the walls.

So unless I get knocked up soon.... or Eric volunteers to take me on a month-long sojourn in Europe...or I can come up with a part-time business to get into... I think I'm stuck here a little while longer.

On the other hand, all these could also just be a "Can't-wait-for-Holy-Week" phase...

Sh*t, double sh*t

I've been assigned to get in touch with a VVVIP (as in very, very VIP) to schedule an interview appointment, and since it's Holy Week next week (when the whole country goes into hiatus), I had to pin him down this week or it's a no-go at all.

When I asked my co-interviewer what date would be good for her, she told me that she was free anyday and everyday this week so it's Mr. VVVIP's call.

So when I ask Mr. VVVIP, he goes, "Okay, how about this day?"

I send my co-interviewer an "fyi" message and argh, she goes, "Oh, I can't that day because blah blah blah."

Okay, fine... I ask her again when else she's busy this week but she goes, "Oh, no, just on that day that he mentioned. All other days are fine."

So I tell Mr. VVVIP, "Sorry, but can we move it to another day? Any day but this day."

Fortunately, he goes "Sure, am fine on this other day."

I tell Ms. Co-interviewer and AGAIN she goes, "Ay, I can't rin, because of so and so. Can you move it to another day?"

Geez.... And it's not like her reasons were biglaan activities... They're the kind that you plan weeks ahead!

So now I'm tempted to tell her to be the one to talk to Mr. VVVIP to resched, because I'm the one starting to look like a spaz here.

Some of you may find this a bit superficial for me to get upset over but...I don't know... I just hate it when things like these happen...

Lifeguard on duty

I watched over a five-year-old girl in a swimming pool yesterday and it was the most nerve-wracking experience of my life.

See, the thing with kids is you don't know when they're just horsing around in the water or when they're actually on the verge of drowning! Worse if the kid, like the one yesterday, isn't afraid of the water but at the same time doesn't know how to swim! So on one hand, she loves splashing around, but neither does she want to be encumbered with holding onto the ledge or on a kickboard.

And it doesn't help that her idea of "holding on" is grabbing onto the straps of my bathing suit's top.

Hmm...I suppose this is good training for me as a parent-to-be. Besides, I guess this is chicken feed compared to the next time when I'll probably be teaching an eighteen-year-old kid how to drive!

The ideal workplace

For three days at Maribago Blue Water Beach Resort, I drowned myself in fresh lemongrass juice, feasted on melts-in-your-mouth oysters and scallops, wiggled my toes in the sand, and realized (for the umpteenth time) that I'm in the wrong line of work.









White sands, clear skies, clearer waters, and an amazing swimming pool right at your doorstep. What more could an employee ask for?

*Sigh* Back to reality, Jac....