Friday, 12 March 2010
Travel, put on hold. Again!
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Tuesday, 09 March 2010

I knew I had this recurring lower back pain since early 2000s. I didn't care much for my back, I was active in hiking/mountain climbing, I did not care whether my back pack was too heavy for my height and weight and I did not take much precaution in carrying heavy stuff. It's not the weight, I know. It is how you carry them.

Sometime in 2006, I bought a wooden cabinet for my room. Thinking I was strong enough to carry the wooden boards and do it myself, I accidentally hurt my lower back again and that was it for me. For 2 or 3 days I was bedridden. And for 3 months, there's the pain radiating from my hip down to my right leg. I stopped playing badminton and doing some heavy activities for 6 months. The exercises that my personal trainer taught me at the gym helped me strengthen my lower back muscles. But then in 2009, I stopped doing the exercises.

Late in 2009, my back pains occurred again. With rest and pain killers, back stabilizers and support (and a little of that exercise), I was able to recuperate and was able to go on with my job as a caregiver. I thought every time I feel the pain on my back, that's just it. It will go away the next day.

That's what I thought last Saturday. I left Central Islip, took the train back to Manhattan and on my train ride, I felt the pain worsen. I had a painful and a hard time ascending and descending the stairs on the Subway stations. I was crying when I finally reached my destination.

At 2AM, when I had to go and take a pee, I almost blocked out in pain. That was the worst pain I have ever felt in my whole life.

Sunday morning, SC, a PT, checked on my back. They had a hard time moving me since I was really in pain. I know I had a swollen part. With the pain killer that I was taking, I was advised to do some stretching and exercise (no more carrying of back packs for now). It has to work on me, else, I will have to be brought to a Chiropractor or maybe some lab for CT scan or MRI scan, which I do not like, of course.

Slipped Disc, I was told. It is when the soft part of the disc bulges through the circle of connective tissue. This prolapse may push on the spinal cord or on the nerve roots [netdoctor.co.uk].

Monday night, I was supposed to leave for Ohio and continue my journey to the west. But on Monday night, I was still in bed with limited movement.

Today, Although I can't still sit long, and walk straight, I can stand up without any assistance already. If things go well, God willing, I can pursue with my plan on Friday.

There's a reason in everything. I just don't know what it is with my plan of leaving, that for the Nth time, I am being put on hold. But I don't question God. He has the control. He has the wheel. I am but a passenger.

Thank God, although I am still in bed all the time, I am feeling less pain now.
 
Beachfront houses.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Tuesday, 09 March 2010

Outer Banks, according to Wikipedia, is a 200-mile (320-km) long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States. They cover approximately half the northern North Carolina coastline, separating the Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean, and is a major tourist destination and is known for its temperate climate and wide expanse of open beachfront.

Sounds good, eh? Now there are Outer banks foreclosures that I am sure my friends would love, since they said they want to live near the beach.

 
My Hubby is from Pylones.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Thursday, 04 March 2010

Bags in different shapes and colors (their latest are bag in a bag-- i love this! -- and their watering-can-shaped bag), photo frames and holders (I almost grabbed their Eifel Tower photo holders and their large Lego blocks ), soap dish, flasks, clocks, magnet set, keychain, toys, games, office supplies... I think anything that you have in mind, they have it in their store. In different colors and in different and sometimes odd shapes. I love this shop. I discovered it mid of last year at the Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, NY. Visit them at http://pylones-usa.com to give you an idea.

My latest purchase is Hubby, a USB hubman. Well, they're just a distributor of this item. Still, I found it in Pylones!
 
Thank You, TFC.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Wednesday, 03 March 2010

By this time back home, a lot of people have already bought their tanning lotion, sunblock lotion, and some maybe anti aging products. It's summertime. My friends have probably planned where they're spending their summer getaway.

Anyways, big thanks to TFC, I have updated myself on what's going on there. My favorite, of course, is the showbiz update that I get. Teehee!
 
Cats!
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Tuesday, 02 March 2010

Cats? Well, they're one of the laziest animals in this planet I'd say. They'd just stare at you when you're on the dip station as if saying you're doing a dumb thing trying to lose some weight and sweating.

Carlos have two cats (and a dog named Lego). A Siamese named Agatha and a Maine Coon named Bob. Siamese cats are oriental cats and is said to have descended from the sacred temple cats of Thailand (formerly Siam) hence some people believe they're sacred. Agatha? Well I don't think she thinks she's sacred but I know she thinks she's a diva sometimes, plus she makes this sound, like she's talking. She's funny. I love carrying her especially when she's pissed off, she'd sometimes say, NO! Imagine a big cat saying that. She's good at it, believe me. And it's cute.

Speaking of big cats. I can't wait to see Bob grow bigger. Bob is still a kitten. He hasn't turned one yet. I have read somewhere that the males weigh anywhere between 15 and 25 lbs and they can reach the length of up to 40 inches. That is over 3 feet! Imagine a cat that big? I can't either. It's not scary though. Bob is a sweet cat. He doesn't complain even if he's being squeezed by yours truly. He's too nice to say NO. But he does speak.. err.. meow when he wants to get in or out of the room. And he knocks at the door, mind you.

I love cats, err... even I was an accessory to one's death when I was in high school. I swear I regret putting that nylon necklace on my cat back then. I thought the necklace was cute on them. My mom found one of my two cats hanging on our mango tree the next day. Argh!

Well at least I don't give cats necklaces now. But I do give them a hair cut. Bob was lucky Carlos was watching me when I did the hair around his neck one time.

Maine Coons have long furr, by the way.

 
Can't get over FRIENDS!
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Tuesday, 02 March 2010

"Daddy listen to me!  It's like all of my life, everyone's always said to me, 'You're a shoe!  You're a shoe!  You're a shoe!  You're a shoe!'  And then today I just stopped and I said 'What if I don't want to be a shoe?  What if I want to be a purse?  Or a hat?'"

Rachel's line in Friends kept on ringing in my head everytime I see a cashier scanning a shoe in a department store (one time I saw one shop using the new Symbol LS2208), the result of watching Friends over and over again. Hah! I can't get over it!
 
Hungry for some craft.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Tuesday, 02 March 2010

Home Depot, Ikea, Michael's, and any shop that offers crafty stuff, I like! I fell in love with one of the tv stands in Ikea last week (or was it two weeks ago? I forgot). I just love Ikea. I said that already, eh? And oh! You know the paint samples that you could buy in Home Depot? Those little squares that they sell (yeah, sadly, they are for sale), they could be used as frames and could actually serve as a wall decor. Wait until I make somebody else's room as my canvas.

And don't forget to mention the 99-cent store, too! I almost grab some popsicle sticks on Sunday and start creating some crafts out of them. Maybe next time. I'd like to go back to Michael's first. *wink*
 
Troubleshooting.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Monday, 01 March 2010

I am expecting for the arrival of a Dell laptop next week that I have to work on and I have a desktop waiting to be diagnosed hopefully this weekend (or on Wednesday night, after the Knicks game in Madison Square Garden). Tomorrow I will be checking on an old laptop, see if I can clean it up and defrag. I wonder why there wasn't any insurance quotes for these PCs. Oh, wait, there are! They're just not that worth it, I guess.
 
Still on Farmville.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Monday, 01 March 2010

So I was a dead farmer for a few months and now I am back. What can I say? Once an addict, always an addict, eh? Now it's even worst. I'd grab every bonus my friends would post on their walls, I'd adopt every ugly duckling I'd find and I would hesitate to turn them into a beautiful swan when it's their time (Hey! Ugly ducklings are cute and swans aren't!). Lately I have been wondering, what if they'd add some truck accessories?

Not to worry, I know I still have a grasp of reality. There's one time that Carlos, who's working in an animal hospital that time, asked me, "Do you like a penguin?" And I was like, "Oh! You have penguin in your hospital?" only to realize after a few seconds that he was referring to Farmville. See? At least I didn't think of Farmville first, right? I am still on the safe side.

But I guess, I need to balance my real life and my Farmville life some time soon, else, I will be seeing trees and penguins, horses, and cows, and my bulls trying to kill each other whenever I close my eyes.

Ok. Harvest time!
 
One day at a time.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Monday, 01 March 2010

Before I know it, February is over and I have hopped from one place to another again. I am in Central Islip for the whole week this week. It should give me time to do some tasks, digiscrapping, farming (err.. Farmville, hello! Haha!), and browsing through some sites on the net (I came across this site about nordictrac this afternoon and I'd like to check some more). Anyhow, although I don't want to keep my hopes up as you know it's been down for the past couple of months now, God willing, I will be in another state next week. I am taking each day one at a time.
 
Let me move on!
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Monday, 22 February 2010

If there's an employee screening happening in B Bank, then I'd say a month of waiting is over acting. They said patience is a virtue. I have it but it's running out now. And freedom, I still don't have. I still wish I could still go on with my previous plan. A month vacation with some friends and relatives, that's all I ask.

Anyways, I will be spending a week in Long Island next week. It'll give me time to do some digiscrapping again (the things I love to do). After that, I might do some drastic moves. Really, I am tempted. I might.
 
HIV
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Saturday, 20 February 2010

Some of the men in our clan has this case. Hair Is Vanishing, that is. Well, for a fact, male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. And did you know that even a certain hairstyle or treatments can cause hair loss? Yes, pigtails, corncrows, tight hair rollers, name it, the pull on your hair can not only make you look Chinese but would actually give you a type of hair loss called alopecia. Well, dear cousins, it could be too late for prevention now, but don't worry, there are hair loss treatments out there now.
 
A deep slumber is what I get from praying.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Wednesday, 17 February 2010

I am having a hard time sleeping lately. There are days that I'd sleep a little past midnight then wake up after 2 or 3 hours. The other day I slept at 2 in the morning then I was up at 6. Last night (err.. this dawn, I should say), I slept before the clock struck 2 then I was up at 4am. I never got my sleep again until 6 in the morning. I don't know what's happening. All I know is that I need to catch some Zs.

There are some people who rely on sleeping pills to get rested. Me, I rely on prayers. For me, that is my best sleeping pill. So I'd usually grab Pammy and read some of my prayers-- the long ones. Then the next thing I know, I am in a deep slumber.

Before I end this post, let me share something that I have stumbled upon. Another way of praying. It is interesting:

Say hello. Acknowledge the one you’re with. Focus on the one who has chosen to be with you. Often, closing your eyes helps. Sometimes it helps to be attentive to your breathing. Sometimes just saying the name of the person you are with calms and settles you. Say hello.

Thank God for coming, for having this time to share. Then start with a subject you know something about: YOU. Tell God a little bit about your day, its successes and disappointments, about how you’re feeling, about what you’re hoping for. Sure, God knows all about you already. But sometimes saying it to another helps you to claim it as your own.

Share what comes to mind or what is on your heart. What’s been the best part of your day so far. What’s really good in your life right now. Who, what is giving you the most grief – or the most joy. Talk about it.

ZZZzzz..
 
Bitter Melon.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Friday, 12 February 2010

A cucumber with bumpy skin. That's how some people describe a bitter melon.

Okay. The reason why I am going to tackle this (we call it "ampalaya" in Filipino) is simply because Carlos asked me one time if I know the benefits of having bitter melon on my diet. So now I am going to include it in my research (together with glucomannan). Plus, Kuya M, fresh from the Philippines, last night, have mentioned that his sugar level went up and he has to lessen his rice-intake now (and yes, I thought of bitter melon again!).

I used to hate eating "ampalaya" when I was a kid (uhh.. tell me some kids who like it, anyway). In fact, I hate eating vegetables when I was a kid. And bitter melon is, in fact, a member of the squash family (remember, gourd?). I do not know when the transition was, I do not know when I started to like eating vegetables but my guess was maybe it was during those times when I was planting camote (sweet potato) in school and in our backyard and having camote tops as our viand (sometimes with tomatoes and eggplants, like a salad, only the dressing would be fish sauce). I miss those days. Now, just imagining it, makes my mouth watery.

Anyways, going back to the ugly green bitter gourd... It is mostly used in Asian and Indian cooking and its been known for many years now that it has benefit to diabetes.

According to Zhion.com:

Components of bitter melon extract appear to have structural similarities to animal insulin. Bitter melon has been shown to have anti-viral and anti-neoplastic activities.

Boiled bitter melon extracts show anti-oxidant activities. Extracts from bitter melon (Momordica charantia, Cucurbitaceae) showed a significant difference in the free radical scavenging activity  between the extract obtained by using  cold maceration and that prepared by boiling the plant in the solvent under  reflux, suggesting the chemical composition of the plant changed during the  heating process, leading to an increase in the amount of antioxidant components.

The results of another study have clearly shown that that bitter melon, especially Koimidori variety, exhibited a potent liver triglyceride-lowering activity.
And according to Juicing-for-Health.com:

Bitter gourds are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients.  It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber.  It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.

Bitter melon contains a unique phyto-constituent that has been confirmed to have a hypoglycemic effect called charantin.  There is also another insulin-like compound known as polypeptide P which have been suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.

Not to mention, I used to squeeze some juice from the bitter melon tops and take it as my cough medicine. I'd do that again if only we have fresh tops here. But as we all know, we don't have any (only the frozen ones). Believe me, I am addicted to it. But of course, everything has to be taken moderately as it has side effects, too. Two ounces or two bitter melon a day should be enough.

'Nuff said!
 
Vanity Creams.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Friday, 12 February 2010

Maybe some would say that I do not need any anti aging products yet as I do not look my age (the last time I went to buy lottery ticket, they said I was 16!) but hey, moisturizers, creams, lotions and the like, are not only for vanity's sake but for having a healthy skin as well. I am a health-buff as some of you know. It is only when I got here that I stopped trying. I honestly don't feel good about it. There was even a point that I felt frustrated because I couldn't buy my lotion. *argh* But hey, things went better.
 
Another try.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Friday, 12 February 2010

I was told last week that my dear friend, R, had undergone another IVF procedure (I know her ObGyn will give her the best prenatal vitamins, it is the least of our worries). They did not make it the last time they tried. We're crossing our fingers again this time. We have been praying for this to happen. PUSH as we always say (Pray Until Something Happens). We have our faith on this. We're claiming it. God will give in to our prayers. *wink*
 
Still hangin'.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Friday, 12 February 2010

I should be in west coast now enjoying the company of my relatives in my father's side. Instead, I was held to wait another week, then another week, for an update on that job offer I was told about. I wish they know what they are doing to me.  They said they're working on it and that they could probably give me a week vacation before I start on the real job. A week? My plan was a month, come on! Frustrated. At least that is how I am feeling right now. Who wouldn't be? I can't blame the people around me for being skeptical about all these. I don't even want to talk about it now. It's a topic that I don't want to bring up. There, I said it. I'll keep everyone posted once there's a good news (believe, like richard willich).

Anyhow, I know everything happens for a reason. Like I wouldn't enjoy my vacation because I have been sick for the past two weeks and now I am taking my antibiotics for my cough (this time, I did not pay for $70 for my amox). My fault. I played outside during the snowstorm. Well, I am not supposed to go out until Sunday. And I am going out because there's a party.

 
Tea-time.
In a Relationship
Sunday, 07 February 2010

Carlos is not a tea-drinker. But everytime I am with him, I ask him to have tea with me. I honestly appreciate the few minutes we spend time together drinking tea, chatting.

Many times he'd tell me how he hates tea, with a sharp contortion of his face, expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust. But he'd finish his cup anyway. And he's even stopped asking why I like it (and I like having it with him) after I promised I'd show him the research (and that of the Bee Pollen) that I did over a year ago.

And he's now gotten used to us, having tea together. Funny.

I was at his place one time when I filled in the pot with water and waited for it to boil. When he heard the pot whistling, he went to the stove and turned it off. I was watching him. He opened the cupboard, took out two cups, and walked to another cupboard to get the box of green tea. I was laughing because I did not ask him to do anything but there he was, doing all that stuff. That time, I did not put the water to boil for our tea. I just want to boil some water and warm it a little for me to drink because I wasn't feeling well. Well, he said it has become "automatic" and the whistling of the teapot is his hint that it's our tea-time.

He'd still say with a grimace that he hates tea; but still, we'd finish our cup of tea together. Sweet. He is. I am not sure if he knows that but he will.
 
On a Happy Friday.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
Sunday, 07 February 2010

M & J have finally bought their first house. I was given my first tour on Friday (I was wondering how they could use copper tiles in the kitchen or in the bathroom). I liked how the attic was transformed into two rooms. And the basement is a nice one, too.

Anyhow, I was eager to give a hand so with my 3 layers of pants, 6 layers of tops, an old pair of rubber shoes (for backyard working), a head gear, a hood, and as God painted the surroundings white with snow a few days ago, I painted the house white. Well, I helped on just some parts of it. We just did some re-touch (real painting job may start on the third week of February).

I can't wait to witness how they'd transform the house to a wonderful "home". I am sure it will be fun-filled. So, let me be the first one to say, God bless your new home, M& J!

***

Lunch was served at Grandma's place, where Miss M, as she always does, had prepared a wonderful meal (chili con carne and green salad). Sir H joined us in the afternoon with Freddie giving Sheba a day full of excitement, too. Then late at night, M cooked his version of oyster chowder soup. Splendid!