some turtles move faster than most people

Is it me or what? But I find people who move in slow motion most annoying. I have nothing of course against the aged or those who are sick or handicapped but I mean those who are supposed to be healthy but move like they are going to die any minute. I have seen this a lot in some workers who seem to be taking their sweet time regardless of the long queue of people waiting to be served while they chitchat a little, fix their hair a bit, pull their blouses down, answer the phone or a comment made by the next clerk, before finally attending to the customer who is at the mercy of her next move. I was standing next in line to this customer who was having a cartload of groceries to be punched while the cashier was taking her sweet time doing other stuff before finally starting her work. But as I watched her take....one....item.....at....a......time....ever.....so......slowly.......I felt like choking her to make her move normally. The way I looked at her she seemed like she was deliberately annoying us. No kidding, the lady cashier was moving in SLOW MOTION. I did not let this pass. I made a loud comment to the customer she was attending about how slow the service was. Of course the cashier heard this and this made her move faster with more focus on her work now. Another instance that raised my blood pressure was this helper who was opening the gate for me to get in and it took her years to do that and I was like, hey, have you not eaten anything? Which is impossible with the huge body she has. I told her can't she move faster than that? I am a lot older but I do not move that way. Just the mere opening of the gate took her years. I just don't get it.

Bonsai, the sweetest dog on earth

Bonsai was literally delivered to us by a friend because of Pongping who was only around 8 months old at that time while Bonsai must be about 6 to 7 months. Both are of Japanese Spitz lineage-- white, hairy, and noisy. But they had a difference. Pongping was and still is the big type while Bonsai was like the size of a poodle but everything else about her was a J. Spitz. When this friend of ours saw Pongping, she knew that her own cute puppy had her perfect match. When she mentioned her desire to breed Bonsai with Pongping, of course, I wholeheartedly accepted the offer for one more pet won't hurt. Since then, no breeding happened because everytime sweet little Bonsai had her period, Pongping became fierce with everyone, for he did not want us to go near Bonsai. Because of this I had decided to have him castrated. And it seemed like my friend, Bonsai's real owner, had forgetten all about her so she became another pet dog with no regrets on our part because she was the sweetest dog we've ever had. She was very meek and loving and she was a great source of joy to our family. However, things have changed when a baby came into our family. We had to separate them from us because of the baby. But of course, they had their own place close to our house but it was a big difference. One day, I just found Bonsai lying motionless on the floor. I ran up to her and cradled her in my arms but she was limp and lifeless. I knew that it was the helper's careless use of gas while trying to prepare to heat the native iron because in the past I had seen how Bonsai would cough out because of the smoke this activity created. I had instructed the helper never, never to do it anywhere near their place, but while I was not in the house at that time, this househelper just did it and I am sure that caused the death of our dear Bonsai. We cried for days as a result of that loss. The virtual pet I have here is in memory of Bonsai. Had that incident not happened, Bonsai would have been with us until now like Pongping. I just miss Bonsai.

dog chase

I spent half of my morning today chasing our fierce Japanese Spitz that had gotten loose from his leash. It was exhilirating because he wasn't willing to get tied again. Pongping was running wild around the neighborhood and it was just plain insane to try to keep up with him so I just waited for the right opportunity. By the way, no one else in the house goes near this ferocious dog of ours except me. I am the only one who could feed, bathe, and tie him back into place so imagine me doing a dog chase early in the morning. I had to get him before he bites anyone. This dog has made it his business to bite anyone who goes near him (except me). So I was just totally worried trying to figure out ways to trap him. Finally, he entered a neighbor's open gate and I found my opportunity. Luckily, no one was around at that time so I followed him inside the neighbor's gate and closed it so he won't be able to go out. Whew! At last, I had trapped and strapped him back. But it was enough to call it a day. On my next blog entry I am going to explain the rationale behind the virtual pet on this blog. In the meantime, I'd like to have my bath.

why I do not like insurance companies

My first bitter experience with an insurance company happened years ago when I was a fresh graduate from college. No, I did not work in one but my mother when I was a student had been religiously paying on a daily basis to this insurance company which promised her the moon and the stars. I have vivid recollections of the company's collector going to the house everyday to collect payment from my mother. The insurance money was supposed to be accessible anytime the member wants to quit. My mother must have been paying this company for over two years when a tragedy happenned to her. She slipped on the floor and broke her bones and she needed operation. Through the collector my mother expressed her desire to use her insurance for medical purposes. She was promised yes and asked to fill out a form. But months rolled by and nothing came out of that claim. The collector had stopped coming to the house and we soon found out that he had been pocketing much of what he had collected from my mother. Much of her payments were not reflected on her ledger because the collector did not remit the payment money. My poor innocent mother had been receiving fake receipts or unofficial receipts for her payments. This time I stepped into the picture and wrote a lengthy letter to the main branch in Manila while at the same time sent the same copies to major newspapers in the country for publication. It was only then when we finally got some positive action from them. My second bad experience with insurance companies happened about three years ago when this certain company tried to change their rules for whatever reasons just to avoid payment. I had to get a lawyer to write the company a letter demanding for the right amount. It was only then when we got what was right. It is no wonder then why most people have negative feelings about insurance companies because they seem to be too eager to get your money but when it's payback time, they use all sorts of delatory tactics or avoidance schemes.

another rant

I know that this is not the right avenue for this but I just need an outlet for this anger of mine against a househelp who I only discovered three days ago had been using my landline phone to call people's cellphones! I learned this when I received the latest bill from Globelines which reflected huge long distance uses amounting to almost a thousand pesos for the month of February alone. And because it is supposed to be her salary day today, she had asked permission to go home. I could not let her fly away like that considering the fact that there is still the whole month of March's telephone bill to consider. Imagine deserting you like that because she knows that she had betrayed us by using our phone to make long distance calls to her relatives and friends! Isn't that so unethical and so dishonest! I will have to be dealing with her after this blog. GrRRRrrr!

have they read this blog?

I doubt it. But two blogs ago, I expressed my observation regarding the road repair these people were supposed to be doing along Daro area and which did not actually amount to anything after a long period of inconvenience. When the road blocks were removed, we saw no progress at all except for the gravel spread all over the area. Today, when I travelled to West City Elementary School ( my alma mater) to deliver a graduation speech the road was blocked again obviously for completion or start of real road work. Both outlets are barricaded so commuters and other vehicle owners will have to take a round-about turn to reach the other end. I thought, have they read the blog? I guess not but I am glad anyway that they will now do something about those rocks and gravel that are giving the taxpayers a bumpy ride each time they take that road. Hopefully, whatever they are doing will be finished before elections for the convenience of everyone.

then fuming, now ranting

My blood pressure went up this morning during the final exams of my three classes because one proctor, who is a parttime teacher, did not appear to do her duty of proctoring one of my classes! That would have been fine if I was not in charge of one class for I could always take over. Through a student I relayed the problem to the staff of the office in charge of scheduling and assigning of proctors but was told that I look for a teacher to do the proctoring! I was like "What? That is not my problem anymore. Getting someone to proctor and scheduling of exams are within their turf and now they are asking me to trouble-shoot this problem they have created? I was almost forced to use effing words at that time. There is no way they could make me do that because I was tending over one class! Don't they see the mess they are creating everytime parttimers are assigned to proctor outside of their class, they always do not appear to do their work. This whole thing bothered the students involved in that class so they went to the office and got told to have the exam rescheduled because no one will proctor. So when these students came to me for rescheduling I told them to let the office do that because my work does not include scheduling or rescheduling of exams. Finally, after almost an hour of waiting, the office sent a proctor. Now that is what I call "Pinoy style of management". Do we ever wonder at all why we remain locked up in caves?

so much hulabaloo for so little

Recently in our city there are certain sections that have been blocked because of road repairs or construction and the only way vehicles can get to their destinations is to make a longer tour. Of course this has created some inconvenience and eyebrow-raising. Why are these repairs only done now? Oh, I almost forgot that election time is up and coming in May. Better late than never but this is supposed to be good for the constituents. Okey, no use arguing that. However, I still could not understand this. There was a time when this major road in Daro was blocked because of this. The section was not avalaible from both sides so travelers had to make a turn to the other road. This lasted for quite a few weeks so when the blocks were finally removed and people were allowed to travel that area, I was in for a big surprise because the road area which they were trying to fix was actually very, very short---maybe only about a few meters . And it is not even done yet! What had they been doing during those weeks they were blocking the area? And to think that they had to subject people to so much inconvenience with so little or no proof of work progress at all. If you have noticed, the only thing they have done there was spread gravel all over the area. This has made it even more difficult than what it was before they attempted to "fix" it. What's going on? As a taxpayer I think I have the right to ask these questions. How much budget was alloted for this spreading of gravel in the area? How many men were paid to do that task any small child can do in a mattrer of minutes? I just don't get the whole thing.

no connection

Hello! It seemed like ages but it was only a matter of hours when internet access became impossible in our area. Something close to panic seized me when I could not get connected late yesterday afternoon. Why? I made a call to the internet provider and was told that restoration work on the site's server was going on around Visayas and Mindanao and that they hope everything would go back to normal the following day. The following day? That to me sounded like years! So I had to deal with that until the thing gets restored. Hey, watch for my next catch on photo of the week for she will surely mesmerize you. Tip: she's got the rare combination of brains and beauty.

never too late

Driving had always fascinated me in the past. Everytime I took the passenger's seat and watch someone maneuver and ply the roads with not a tinge of fear, I would imagine how it would be like to be the one in control, to be at the wheel and go where I wanna go. That opportunity came, at last, at an age when most of my contemporaries would say "We're too old for that, Glen". Well, I have proven to them that the skill is not that hard to learn when you're "old". I am now driving while they, who've had their vehicles many years ago, still have to depend on their husbands or children driving for them. The good thing about being able to drive is that you become mobile, you can go places and accomplish many things even with little time. With a one-hour vacant period, I can finish 5 tasks without arriving late for my next class. I am doing this almost everyday shooting one task after the other----buying e-load, bondpaper, going to the local post office, to the bank, then to studio to pick up some pictures---did it in a breeze! All because I can drive myself to places. There is nothing more energy sapping than to wait for a pedicab or someone to drive for you each time you go from one place to another.

Lara, our dog in heat

Lara came into our lives around eight months ago when our friend Nene gave her to us. She was just a two-month- old puppy and at first nobody wanted to touch her because she was very dirty, extremely thin with a stomach that bulged suggesting worms, and had skin diseases that showed her skin where there should have been hair. After a few days, her skin diseases became worst because I noticed that its color was turning bluish. I brought her to the city vet who gave her two shots and some daily medications. A week after, her appearance and gait had greatly improved and I saw that she was beginning to gain some confidence by being charming and playful with us. In short she had now become officially an additional member of our family. We discovered that beneath her seemingly shy and morose look lies a sweet and docile doggie that has simple taste for Lara eats anything. She is not choosy with her food unlike our first dog Pingping who wouldn't even look at the food if he does not like it. Generally, Lara has never given us problems except the few times she destroyed some pairs of sandals.However, the other day everybody noticed something different with her. When we saw the blood and the neighboring male dogs trying to make a score with her we said, "Oh, no! Not again!" The thought of Naughty, our first female dog, giving us dozens of litters was not a very happy thought. Lara is going to be a mother and we are going to have to deal with litters, one after the other...oh, no..

what's up for summer?

Summer is here! We can feel it in the piercing heat of the sun, certainly not a good time for getting a tan. The heat is just too unbearable, promising to do more harm than good. Wrinkles, burnt skin, and God forbid, skin cancer are enough for us to shy away from too much sun contact. The beach may still be the best place to spend much of your summer, but it is important to choose the right time to hit the waters for the sun can be very damaging to your skin. The use of sunblock and other skin products to protect the skin may help but not much so you have to take note of this. Huge hats, umbrellas, and big sunglasses may come in handy when the heat of the sun becomes too much. Modernization has deprived our cities of trees that should have provided this planet with enough shade. Taking all these into consideration, summer may not be a very welcome idea anymore for it no longer offers that much fun to be out in he sun. People may prefer to stay in their air-conditioned rooms the whole of summer which is not also very interesting. So what options have we got left in this hot country like the Philippines? You can try giving your suggestions in here.:)

"I think it will be me, mommy"....

My four-year-old granddaughter Dewey calls me mommy while she calls her real mom "Mom"--just a difference of one syllable really. So when she calls for her "Mom" she is actually calling for my daughter and when she is looking for "mommy" she is looking for me. The other day while Dewey and I were at the hospital for a cough she was having, we saw this very old woman who had difficulty walking. In fact, she was assisted on both sides by what appear to be her relatives. The old woman, with great difficulty of movement, was ushered into a seat to wait for her turn to see the doctor and Dewey, ever the curious and inquisitive asked, "Mommy, why is she moving very slowly?" So I told her it is because the woman is already very old. I pursued her line of thinking and I asked, "Dewey, if mommy is going to be very old like that woman, who is going to help me when I walk?" And she gave me the sweetest answer, "I think it's going to be me, Mommy". Do you ever wonder why grandchildren are closer to grandparents than their real parents? You have the answer in that little story.

sister act

My younger sister who has a doctoral's degree in Psychology and is the current head of the Student Affairs Office in our school had her piece said during the disciplinary board conference having to do with a few student leaders who had been incriminated in burglary and malversation of funds. She, being the head of the said office, felt that so far, this is the greatest blow to her headship, since the most trusted students in the council, holding high positions, are the very persons who betrayed her trust and confidence involving thousands of pesos lost and allegedly stolen. The whole thing fumed her and raised her BP to a dangerous level when she started her rant in front of the disciplinary board. Someone who was there to witness her wrath said that she was literally "spitting fire" to the bewilderment of those around. Now this is the thing. This sister of mine had been always known to be kind, soft-spoken, and mild---according to them, she is my exact opposite but after witnessing her fiery speech they all made a singular conclusion: We are indeed sisters. I do not know whether to be happy about that or not.

what a person wears is none of our business

The business of choosing what to wear everyday when you work or study in a no-uniform office or school can sometimes sap you of your energy spending the whole morning changing from one dress to another. Women are like that. They do not seem to decide very fast in matters of what to wear on this day and that. I know of someone who would fit every dress and blouse in her closet every time she goes out. When she does not like what she sees, she'd toss it to the floor and wear another. This would go on and on until she comes to the last dress or blouse there is, then scavenges from among the pile of clothes on the floor until finally deciding on one with much reluctance. Who decides what you wear in the end? You. No one can dictate to you what you should wear because it is you who will be wearing it. When others give their unasked for comments about what you are wearing, what do you do? Do you rush home to change? No, you don't. You simply tell the person to mind her own business and not put yourself into so much hassle trying to please them. What you wear everyday becomes you and that is your business.

yahooooo....blog is no. 1 !!!

When I logged on to my blog at another site, I was delighted to see that I am no. 1 in the latest ranking at www.blogchex.com/everydaywear/ Just what do I have there which made it to the top? Nothing spectacular. Just everyday things happening to ordinary people. But of course, I have different categories there to suit one's interest. There are different blogs for different people. If you want stories that are out-of-the road type, you can go to "Odd Stories but true". If you are looking for tips on generating income, then click to "Get Rich and All that Money Talk" and so on and so forth. I've been blogging there for a month and a half and have already made some close to 300 posts---simple, ordinary postings. Maybe you would like to take a quick tour there. Just click to the link.

sad, sad music

Last night as I was working on my discussions at Mylot and doing a blog at www.blogchex.com/everydaywear/ I was filled with so much sadness when the radio played one very touching and painful song, "Somewhere In Time". The music just brought in a flood of memories from lost youth and suddenly I realized the depth of loneliness this music creates each time I hear it. I used "Somewhere in Time" as background music to a radio program I used to have many years back and it was partly because of what the music did to my feelings which made me effectively deliver each life's story with great success. It was a radio program with DYWC entitled "Kini And akong Kaagi" where I used Inday Tess as radio name. Today, the music still succeeds in wringing my heart and bringing back memories that happened at a time and place so far away.

Sunday a.m., Feb.18

The morning after Love's b'day came like a lazy cat still stretching from the previous day's work. I did not go to the market because left-over food from yesterday's little celebration will sufficiently feed us the whole day today. We still have some ice cream, spaghetti, pork, and chicken. I'll probably go marketing in the afternoon for tomorrow's consumption.

Menopause

Most women are frightened of the idea of menopause because it brings with it a lot of unwelcome signs of aging, ill health, infertility, etc. According to those who have reached this phenomenon in their lives, menopause results to many mysterious illnesses ranging from headaches, hot flushes, muscle pains, itchiness, moodiness and the likes. However, there are some women who don't give a hoot about menopause and I am one of them. For me, I don't care. It is bound to come, so what? At 52, I must be on my menopausal stage now. I am not sure because I never have given this much thought until today. It struck me suddenly that I have not been entertaining my "monthly visitor" for many years now. Yes, and I mean many years for I had stopped buying sanitary napkins for a long, long time now. It just stopped without much ado. I could not even remember when it stopped coming. I do not have an OB-Gyne that I go to for monthly check up. I met my sister's OB-Gyne one day (she is also my acquaintance) and I just asked her opinion about some nagging pains I felt somewhere below the stomach and she retorted, "See me at my clinic so I can also make money." Ha,ha, ha. You bet I didn't show up at her clinic. I only did some water therapy and the pain just disappeared. You see, doctors have a way of giving labels to everything you feel. They give you illnesses in other words. At the moment I leave everything to Him. As I said in one of my posts, I have been confined in the hospital only twice during my two deliveries and I know that there is really someone greater who is taking care of us. Yes, I must have reached my menopause sans the headaches, itchiness, etc. My fertile days are over and I am not crying for they left without even saying goodlbye.

acceptance

Years back, growing old was such a painful thought. I had to do a lot of lying regarding my age. I would take off five to 8 years from my age because "old" seemed to be an embarrassing thing in the past. However, after meeting and talking with a lot of "seniors" especially on the net, I have come to terms with the reality of my age. Now I can say my real age without any guilt because I am now able to accept the fact that I am already 52 years old. Some people say I look younger anyway, so that should be a bit of a consolaltion. And probably my having my first and only granddaughter who is now four years old has a lot to do with this. I am 52 and a grandma. But my granddaughter calls me mommy. Her real mommy, my daughter, fell in love at the wrong time with the wrong person. She got pregnant at 16 and became a mother at 17. Because of her tender age, I had to play a major task in raising the baby. All these and the things that are happening now are accepted as part of life and I am thanking our Creator for all the things He had given me and my family.