Entries for August, 2006
August 1st, 2006
HUGGING Posted in Angel 24/7
Hugging is healthy. It helps the immune system, cures depression, Differential Diagnosis: passion red 26 Lived to Tell
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August 3rd, 2006
How Stephie got her groove back Posted in Angel 24/7 Sleepy-drunk on a Thursday but really happy. "I'm back!" pretty much says it all. Tuesday night, Raine and I met here in BF and drove over to Fitness First Alabang to attend Lar's jam class. True blue jammers know that Tuesday Jam is something to look forward to! A year and three months after, I'm jamming again! Dancing to some new tracks, a few old faves and catching up with dear, dear friends I've sorely missed. Kinda makes me sorry I left in the first place. And for the record, yes, it feels really great--almost like coming home. I'm back writing poems too. Since Monday I've been scribbling lines or phrases here and there. Gestating on a couple of lengthier pieces still too premature to write down. In time, all in perfect time. Went out last night. Attended a Feminine Force bash at Penguin Bar Malate with my bestfriend Chelly. Yeah, it's been a while, and the night out did me good. Great crowd, loved the music too--and the best part of it was looking at everything with fresh eyes and a brand new perspective. I felt alive! Serendipitously, my dear Rudolph (mwah!) and Princess Miaw were also in the area. A reunion of sorts at Vida followed suit. Too bad I couldn't stay long. I had to get an early start today since my desk is still crammed full of things to do. And from the look of things, I don't think my schedule is going to get any better in the next few weeks. Waah! But hey, I have made a choice to be happy. So never mind if the only rest I have in a day is spent revamping or updating my blogs, that's still reason to be glad. It means I'm too busy living out my life that I have to find the time to sit down and write about it. I think I can safely say that Stephie has finally got her groove back! | |
August 11th, 2006
Falling Out... Posted in Angel 24/7 "At the end of the day, there are some things you just can't help but talk about. Some things we just don't want to hear, and some things we say because we can't be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they're what you do. Some things you say because there's no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves..." It was a quiet week. Haven't been blogging much except for poems and shared songs with friends--not that there isn't anything happening in my side of the world. On the contrary, a flurry of activity and developments, it's like being inside a twister. Funny how things slowly built up to this: the realization that I can only stretch my emotions too far, no matter how much to let things pass. Taut. Expended. Tattered beyond repair. Falling from a high place does have its advantages though, it gives you enough time to savor the feel of the wind on your face before you hit the ground. And now that everything has been said-discussed-forgotten-brought up for rediscussion-and considered best left unsaid---maybe it's time to do something about it. As rubber bands go, you can't make use of it anymore after it snaps. Even the most comfortable and best-fitting pair of 501's are retired after it gets worn out and threadbare... Let the song speak for itself. | |
August 14th, 2006
I'm Online Posted in Angel 24/7
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When You Believe... Posted in Angel 24/7 Miracles... seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there about us always.-Willa Cather | |
August 18th, 2006
Salty Coffee Posted in Angel 24/7 He met her on a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please, let me go home.... suddenly he asked the waiter. "would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously; why you have this hobby? He replied: "when I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I like playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there". While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home. Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story , the princess It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead.I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything.. Now I'm dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste.. But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life,even though I have to drink the salty coffee again".
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Another "Sawi" Song Posted Rita Coolidge
I'd rather leave while I'm in love while I still believe the meaning of the word I'll keep my dreams and just pretend that you and I are never gonna end Too many times I've seen the rose die on the vine somebody's heart gets broken usually it's mine I don't want to take the chance of being hurt again and you and I can't say good-bye So if you wake and find me gone oh baby carry on you see I need my fantasy I still believe it's best to leave while I'm in love Too many times I've seen the rose die on the vine somebody's heart gets broken usually It's mine I don't want to take the chance of being hurt again and you and I can't say good-bye So if you wake and find me gone oh baby carry on you see I need my fantasy I still believe it's best to leave while I'm in love I still believe It's best to leave while I'm in love | |
Monsoon Rains Posted in Angel 24/7 I used to love the rain. I remember, as a little girl, I would look forward to bathing in torrential showers with my playmates. I played hop and skip in puddles. And even then, I always kept an eye out for lightning. Rain used to be my refuge whenever I felt sad. Cliche' as it may sound, I can vouch that crying in the rain does bring about catharsis--an outpouring then cleansing then renewal. Those days are long gone, though. In the last few years I have found myself turning dreadfully sad at the onset of the monsoon. Rain now makes me feel like the loneliest person on earth...and I hate it that we have such an extended rainy season. Sometimes i think the rain is trying to swallow me and drag me to the bottom of the lake. And I just lie there open-eyed, taking in everything that goes on in the world, but living perfectly detached from it. No longer a part of the picture, just a stranger looking in from the rain-scratched window.~stephie~
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Ten Things I Hate About You Posted in Love and other Disasters   How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways. I hate the way you talk to me *** First saw this movie way, way back. ..had no idea who Heath Ledger was back then. But I've always liked the story. Was able to watch it again today. *sigh* Yeah, I'm in a mushy mood. Must be PMS or stress, or a combination of both. But anyway, if I were asked to write down 10 Things You Hate about the person you love, what would they be? Me first? Hehe. Okay, but no silly rhyming please.
10 Things I Hate About the TOAD: I hate how you're always the first to say good morning and the last one to bid me goodnight-that you always ask how my day is and sincerely wait for a reply; I hate you for getting me hooked on *hugs*, on saki, and coffee and donuts; I hate you for making my toes curl at the sound of your voice, and that you keep calling just to make me feel miserable; I hate it that I can never ride the MRT, shop for rubber shoes or browse the comics section of a bookstore without thinking of you; I hate you for making me like Tom Welling and Lionel Luthor; I hate it that I always calm down when you tell me "tahan na, hija" I hate you for making me write poetry, for making me like mirrors, and having me space out in the middle of the day; I hate you for making me run in circles and ride emotional rollercoasters because we can't ever break-up; I hate you for teaching me passion--now we're as combustible as acetylene and oxygen--and as doomed! and I HATE YOU if only for this reason: you always make lightning strike everytime I'm with you... | |
August 24th, 2006
Poem: The Candle Posted in Angel 24/7
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THE BASKET Posted in Angel 24/7 The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!" "So you think it is useless"? The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out." That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son. Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind a friend by sharing this story. | |
August 25th, 2006
MVEMJSUN...What The?!!! Posted Throw away the placemats. Grab a magic marker for the classroom charts. Take a pair of scissors to the solar system mobile. Scientists decide Pluto’s no longer a planet By Robert Roy Britt Senior science writer Capping years of intense debate, astronomers resolved Thursday to demote Pluto in a wholesale redefinition of planethood that is being billed as a victory of scientific reasoning over historic and cultural influences. But the decision is already being hotly debated. Officially, Pluto is no longer a planet. "Pluto is dead," said Mike Brown, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology who spoke with reporters via a teleconference while monitoring the vote. The decision also means a Pluto-sized object that Brown discovered will not be called a planet. "Pluto is not a planet," Brown said. "There are finally, officially, eight planets in the solar system." The vote involved just 424 astronomers who remained for the last day of a meeting of the International Astronomical Union in Prague. "I'm embarrassed for astronomy. Less than 5 percent of the world's astronomers voted," said Alan Stern, leader of NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute. "This definition stinks, for technical reasons," Stern told Space.com. He expects the astronomy community to overturn the decision. Other astronomers criticized the definition as ambiguous. The resolution Dwarf planets: Pluto and any other round object that "has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite." Small solar system bodies: All other objects orbiting the sun. Pluto and its moon Charon, which would both have been planets under the initial definition proposed Aug. 16, now get demoted because they are part of a sea of other objects that occupy the same region of space. Earth and the other eight large planets have, on the other hand, cleared broad swaths of space of any other large objects. "Pluto is a dwarf planet by the ... definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects," states the approved resolution. Dwarf planets are not planets under the definition, however. "There will be hundreds of dwarf planets," Brown predicted. He has already found dozens that fit the category. Contentious logic The initial proposal, hammered out by a group of seven astronomers, historians and authors, attempted to preserve Pluto as a planet but was widely criticized for diluting the meaning of the word. It would also have made planets out of the asteroid Ceres and Pluto's moon Charon. But not now. "Ceres is a dwarf planet. it's the only dwarf planet in the asteroid belt," Brown said. "Charon is a satellite." The category of "dwarf planet" is expected to include dozens of round objects already discovered beyond Neptune. Ultimately, hundreds will probably be found, astronomers say. The word "planet" originally described wanderers of the sky that moved against the relatively fixed background of star. Pluto, discovered in 1930, was at first thought to be larger than it is. It has an eccentric orbit that crosses the path of Neptune and also takes it well above and below the main plane of the solar system. Recent discoveries of other round, icy object in Pluto's realm have led most astronomers to agree that the diminutive world should never have been termed a planet. 'A farce' "It's patently clear that Earth's zone is not cleared," Stern told Space.com. "Jupiter has 50,000 Trojan asteroids," which orbit in lockstep with the planet. Stern called it "absurd" that only 424 astronomers were allowed to vote, out of about 10,000 professional astronomers around the globe. "It won't stand," he said. "It's a farce." Stern said astronomers are already circulating a petition that would try to overturn the IAU decision. Owen Gingerich, historian and astronomer emeritus at Harvard who led the committee that proposed the initial definition, called the new definition "confusing and unfortunate" and said he was "not at all pleased" with the language about clearing the neighborhood. Gingerich also did not like the term "dwarf" planet. "I thought that it made a curious linguistic contradiction," Gingerich said during a telephone interview from Boston (where he could not vote). "A dwarf planet is not a planet. I thought that was very awkward." Gingerich added: "In the future, one would hope the IAU could do electronic balloting." Years of debate Astronomers at the IAU meeting debated the proposals right up to the moment of the vote. Caltech's Mike Brown loses out in one sense. The Pluto-sized object his team found, called 2003 UB313, will now be termed a dwarf planet. "As of today I have no longer discovered a planet," he said. But Brown called the result scientifically a good decision. "The public is not going to be excited by the fact that Pluto has been kicked out," Brown said. "But it's the right thing to do." Textbooks and classroom charts will, of course, have to be revised. "For astronomers, this doesn't matter one bit. We'll go out and do exactly what we did," Brown said. "For teaching this is a very interesting moment. I think you can describe science much better now" by explaining why Pluto was once thought to be a planet and why it isn't now. "I'm actually very excited." 24/7 Reading List: Hmmm, poems Silverscreen Pick: House Season 2 Differential Diagnosis: Giving Pluto lotsa *HUGS* | |
August 28th, 2006
Just Thankful Posted in Angel 24/7 Monday evening and I'm still holed up in the office. Figured I needed the extra time alone to finish up my current project. Deadline is set for Thursday but I'd rather get it over and done with the soonest. New tasks to start on. *rubbing hands gleefully* hehe! Yes, I have become a workaholic. So much so that I enjoy working Sundays manning the Online Customer Help Desk. I don't know why either. I've been getting well-meant reminders from friends to take it easy, and I really appreciate them. But believe me, I'm okay. I'm happy and thankful that I am where I am right now. Daddy's Home... My Dad flew in from Los Angeles last Tuesday. And I am so relieved to see him well and healthier than when he left last summer. (Thank you, Lord!) Thank you for all of your prayers during the whole time he was away. I must admit I started slipping into my catatonic state when he was diagnosed to have malignant nodules in his lungs, but as the old adage goes, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I had to let him go. I didn't think I would be capable of surrendering and saying "Your Will Be Done" at the end of every prayer for his well-being. But then again, as painful as it was, I learned. I didn't want to see him suffer. And while I was praying really hard that he recovers, in my heart of hearts I submitted to the possibility that I might not get the answer I was hoping for. I know my Dad's not going to be around forever. Diabetes has caused far too much damage on his system. He will be spending the rest of his life on medication, check ups and a restricted diet. But I'm thankful for the nth lease on life God has given him. Might be hard to grasp. But there's something about Fathers and Daughters that only fathers and daughters can understand. It's reassuring just hearing his voice on the phone. Or texting him after I get off work. Asking him how his day was. I was happy sharing a home-cooked meal with him and my brother in our house in the prairie last Saturday. Even getting up at 5 am to hear mass with them before commuting to work last Sunday didn't dampen my mood. Oh yeah I was tired! Between the commuting and the cooking and the lack of sleep, I should really be dozing off by now. But surprisingly, I'm still sunshine personified--and that mood has spilled over Monday and the crazy workweek filled with odds and ends to accomplish. Hmm. I'm rambling. And yes. I'm not in pain anymore. Just woke up one day all grown up and wiser. That ends all the attempts to run away or end things with the old toad, which was stupid because we didn't begin anything in the first place. (like paano kayo mag b-break kung never naging kayo?!) I'm thankful that he came into my life and held my hand through some of the roughest storms I had to weather.The friendship stands over and above everything else. And I'm thankful for having more reasons to smile. Let's see where this goes. hehehe. Okay, gotta finish my FAQ list. Have a good week everyone! God Bless! Mwaaaaah! Angel's LSS: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight by Norah Jones 24/7 Reading List: dang! Lottery blogs! Market research ko yan eh! Silverscreen Pick: House 2. Pero mamaya pa pag nakauwi na ako sa bahay! Differential Diagnosis: Kissing a Frog. haha! | |
Me just happy. My life isn't perfect but I have no reason to complain (okay wait, maybe there are some things I still need, hehe. Like something that's green, hops, and says ribbit! ribbit!) or gripe about it. And I can't say that everything has fallen into place already...but the ground work has started--I can tell.August 29th, 2006
When You FALL IN LOVE Posted in Angel 24/7 (Debunking the Myths That Are Driving You Crazy) But you won't --because you're in love. That's why there are songs entitled, "you and me against the world" Your bestbuds comment, 'but he's been jobless for the past three years!" And you say, "He's free-spirited. He feels boxed in when he's in the office. '(in other words, he's undisciplined, lazy bum.) Your officemates say, 'He flirts with other women constantly!' and you say, 'No, he's just friendly.' (in other words, he's a pervert) Your cousins say, 'He's taking drugs, He's got needle marks all over his arm. And you say, 'No, he's into cross stitching.' Here's the truth : You need more than feelings of love to make a relationship work. You need mature character, total commitment and a minimum level of compatibility. Especially compatibility in the area of values and mission in life. I hear people say, 'We're compatible. Our names begin with the same letter J. My name is Julie and his name is Julio. We're both born in July." Wow. That's so deep, I want to cry. I actually met this girl again on her wedding, and before she marched down the aisle, she whispered to me, "Do you hear the violin music, Bo? It's loud and clear." It doesn't have to be love at first sight. In fact, marriages with the least adjustments are those between friends who've known each other for years before they realize that they're good marriage material. What is love at first sight? Many times, it's lust at first sight. Or infatuation at first sight. Don't give it too much weight. a. No decision is required. Falling in love just happens. Here's the truth: the right partner will fulfill many of your needs but not all of them . There are just some things your husband can't give you: you're self-worth. Your spirituality. Your inner happiness. These are things you have to work on your own. I've met lots of people who think they're dissatisfied with their marriage. In reality, they're dissatisfied with themselves. Meet your own needs. Find your happiness in God. Find your niche, your calling, your destiny. And then share your joy with your spouse. One man told me, 'Bo, I love my wife. Or I thought I did. But then I met this woman at work. She has nice make-up. She smells nice. She wears a pencil-cut skirt. When I go home, my wife is wearing a drab rag. Her hair is undone. She smells of vinegar. Gosh I am attracted to this girl at work." Being attracted to someone is normal ----- even if you have a happy marriage. But being attracted doesn't mean falling into adultery. Every time you think of the other woman, discipline your heart and say, 'Home, boy, Home!' and escort your heart back to your wife. Because if you feed your attraction with fantasies and constantly think about the other woman, it grows. But if you starve your attraction, it dies a natural death. Angel's LSS: Panalangin by Moonstar 8824/7 Reading List: My mind...hehe Differential Diagnosis: SLEEPY! | |
Quizzies Posted in Angel 24/7
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You're a youthful spirit, and your energy is infectious.
You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it.
When you're bad, you're very bad. And when you're good, you're still trouble!August 30th, 2006
Poem: Train Rides Posted in Angel 24/7
strangers on a train are better off than two who constantly share pillow thoughts but could only meet at given stations on certain dates the rides are always brief, frenzied and hurried-- a rush hour commute, with never enough time to marinate in the melded flavors of having arrived at the same destination together hours after, another train ride, a new pair of strangers are locked in conversation we too are trapped inside misted windows, our turn to count lamp posts and wonder how many more stations, platforms and train rides loom ahead the likes of us who weren't blessed to be strangers on our separate ways home. Steph Cruz, 8.30.06 | |
