ZAMBOANGA SUNSET

Looks like a painting, doesn't it?

TONY DORSETT SAID...

To succeed...
You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.

MONDAY MUSINGS

I think that by the time I get back to Manila Spiderman 3 will no longer be shown in the movie theatres. What else is new?

Oh well...

.....

The other night there was a blackout. Nikki and Ethan were really bothered about it but Nikki was really worried and was getting panicky. He told me, "There's no electric-city!! We have no aircon, no fan, no computer, no tv, no light!! Mommy!!! Someone pulled the plug from the sky!"

=D Isn't he cute?

.....

So, Eric and Danielle won the Amazing Race All-Stars. I was VERY disappointed. I wanted the beauty queens to win because I think they deserved it more. They were tough and very competitive. And I wanted to see an all-girl team get the big prize this time! But then again, they pitted first many times and won several prizes so okay, maybe it's all right.

No. I still wanted them to win!! Crap.

FREAKY!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/07/spiderboy.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Doctor finds spiders in ear of boy with earache

ALBANY, Oregon (AP) -- These guys were not exactly Snap, Crackle and Pop.

What began as a faint popping in a 9-year-old boy's ear -- "like Rice Krispies" -- ended up as an earache, and the doctor's diagnosis was that a pair of spiders made a home in the ear.
"They were walking on my eardrums," Jesse Courtney said.

One of the spiders was still alive after the doctor flushed the fourth-grader's left ear canal. His mother, Diane Courtney, said her son insisted he kept hearing a faint popping in his ear -- "like Rice Krispies."

Dr. David Irvine said it looked like the boy had something in his ear when he examined him.
When he irrigated the ear, the first spider came out, dead. The other spider took a second dousing before it emerged, still alive. Both were about the size of a pencil eraser.

Jesse was given the spiders -- now both dead -- as a souvenir. He has taken them to school and his mother has taken them to work.

PINEAPPLES

I took this photo a few days ago...

AAARRGH!!!

I found out last night that our plan to go back to Manila next month might not push through because we won't have a room to go back to. As I've mentioned before, my mother-in-law is renovating the house which began December last year. I was hoping that by next month, we would be able to go back because Nikki has been somewhat restless here. Zamboanga is not really a very big city and there's only so much you could do here. So, since last month, he has been asking me when we were going to fly back to Manila. I understand his frustration and his desire to do different activities (which we usually do in Manila) and I planned for us to go back in June, around the second week (together with my mom and dad who are planning a trip there). So, when we left Manila last March 17 to come here for the summer, I thought that it would be all right to go back after more than 2 months of renovative work. But now, I'm told that instead of having 2 rooms (one for the boys and one for Ruther and me), there will be NO room for us done then! That really bummed me out. I mean, how long does it take to construct a room? And this has been ongoing since December!! I know, I know, I'm venting. But NO ROOM?!?! Where are we supposed to sleep? Not even ONE room? I feel very very frustrated. Because I really don't like it when plans don't fall into place, because Nikki will have to endure staying here longer (and keep on asking me when we were FINALLY going to ride the plane) and because we were supposed to have a room a looong way back!! You see, the original renovations were supposed to be done by Ruther and me because we wanted to have an extra room for the boys (we used to sleep together in one room, as is the common thing here in the Philippines when the kids are very young). We wanted to have a room extension, just one and when we told Ruther's parents about this, it became a BIG Project for the whole house. We don't mind the Big Project actually. We think that the house is going to look wonderful after everything's done. But again, NO ROOM???!! You understand my frustration? Sigh. Sometimes I wish I had those huge punching bags so I could let out a bit of steam.

Where oh where did my room go?

MORE SILLY HEADLINES

Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case;

Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents;

Iraqi Head Seeks Arms;

Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?;

Prostitutes Appeal to Pope;

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over;

Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax;

Stolen Painting Found by Tree;

Sex Education Delayed, Teachers Request Training;

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft;

Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge;

Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told


source: http://www.funny.co.uk/stuff/art_172-1890-Collection-of-Funny-Headlines.html

IN THE CAR

In the car, on our way to church. Ethan is seated in front with my mom. (Yes, kids are allowed to do that here in the Philippines.)

REFLECTION

Have you ever stared into a mirror for sooo long that you don't recognize yourself any more? I have. Many times. Sometimes, when it comes to the point when I've stared for sooo long and I don't recognize myself, I ask my reflection questions (in my mind, of course). "Who are you? What are you like? Are you a good person? Why are your eyes shaped that way? Do you like who you are? Why is your nose like that? Why do you look different in this mirror and not the bathroom mirror?" Sure, it feels weird but when you see yourself as a different person, sometimes you can't help but feel curious about her. Sometimes I see a happy person, sometimes a sad one. But most of the time, I see a very thoughtful person. I see a woman who thinks about the future a lot, who thinks of her family, of what she has to offer the world. I see a person who looks beyond the post-partum belly, stretch marks and brown skin and searches deep into herself, into her very soul for the answers to the myriad questions flitting through her mind. I see a woman with a big heart, a warm embrace, tears that could fill ten oceans and more. She is a woman who is trapped in a mirror but cares deeply for the people she loves and for the world. Sometimes, when I catch her in a mirror, I give her a smile. Oftentimes she smiles back, other times she has that pensive look, the one that says: "I know you, you know me. We are alike." Sometimes, she echoes what I feel and other times she watches silently. But whether or not she appears in my reflection, I know in my heart that she is there, she knows me well and she listens.

CAPTURING THE RAIN

Here are some photos I took one stormy day...

DADS AND KIDS

All the more reason for me and Ruther to be physically fit...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20070506/hl_hsn/dadsparentingstyleinfluenceschildhoodobesity;_ylt=ArjU4B8bGHmNfE_cEUoWzxbVJRIF


Dads' Parenting Style Influences Childhood Obesity

SATURDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Fathers' parenting styles have a major influence on children's weight, says an Australian study that looked at almost 5,000 children, ages 4-5, and their parents.

The researchers found that fathers with permissive (no limits on their children) or disengaged parenting styles were more likely to have overweight or obese children, while fathers with a consistent (clear limits, following through with instructions, etc.) style were less likely to have children with a higher body mass index (BMI).

There was no association between the mothers' parenting styles and children's weight, said the study authors from the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

The findings were to be presented this weekend at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, in Toronto.

"This study of a large cross section of Australian preschoolers has, for the first time, suggested that fathers could be at the frontline in preventing early childhood obesity. Mothers are often blamed for their children's obesity, but this study suggests that for more effective prevention, perhaps we should focus on the whole family," Melissa Wake, an associate professor at CCCH, said in a prepared statement.

"Given the importance of the family unit in a child's preschool years, and its influence on their nutrition and physical activity levels, it is timely to look at the parenting roles of both parents and the impact they have on a child's tendency to be overweight or obese," Wake said.

She noted that more than 60 percent of the fathers and more than 40 percent of the mothers in the study were overweight or obese.

CANDLE

I took this photo last Friday at church...

BOOK OF THE WEEK

This is the book I have decided to read for the week. As the book says, it's "the anatomy of a psychotic". It's the story of a shoemaker (thus the title) named Joseph Kallinger who performed many atrocious killings in his lifetime. If you want to know more about his life and the crimes he committed and not read this book you can go here (one of my favorite sites). It's really interesting if you're into the criminal mind, forensics, criminal psychology and such.

Hopefully, this book won't give me nightmares. =D

PASTA

I'm keeping this recipe here for future use...

CREAMY TUNA AND MUSHROOM PASTA

1 tbsp butter
1/4 chopped onions
3 tbsp sliced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 C quartered mushrooms
3 tbsp cubed red bell pepper
3 tbsp frozen peas
1 can tuna flakes in oil, drained and reserve oil
1/2 C stock/water
1 tsp lemon rind
1 1/4 pack all-purpose cream
400 gm pasta, cooked according to package instructions
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese


Heat tuna oil and butter in a pan. Add in onions, garlic and basil and saute for a few minutes. Add in vegetables and cook until heated through. Blend in drained tuna flakes and stock. Bring to a quick boil. Add in all-purpose cream and rind. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are done. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and top with parmesan cheese. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

THOMAS EDISON SAID...

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

TOKYO TOWER

Ruther took this photo yesterday when he and his friends visited Tokyo. He said there were a LOT of people! =D

MISSING THE KITCHEN

I miss cooking for Ruther. I really had fun cooking for my family when we were in Japan. In Manila, either my mother-in-law does the cooking or someone else does it for us. I sometimes cook when the boys ask for a particular food but it was not like when we were in Japan. I had to vary the food, had to choose which viands would be okay for Ruther and the boys, I had to research on some quick yummy meals, and of course, I enjoyed perfecting the taste - just the way my family likes it. The other day, Ruther was craving for some beef stew and I so love cooking that for him because 1. I already know how he likes the taste and 2. I like it when he really really finds the meal sumptuous. I admit, I only started cooking when I got married. I did some very light cooking before that, but really not much. My sister and I were really into baking, as my mom is right now. We would bake cookies and banana bread, brownies (our favorite!) and other pastries. So, it took me several tries to learn how to slice vegetables, how to season, how to control the fire, how to be mindful of the cooking time and how to cook vegetables just at the right moment so they won't come out soggy. Good thing I could easily follow a recipe book. I could still remember the first time I cooked rice (on the stove and not in a rice cooker because it was not working then) and I burned the whole thing!! It came out all black and hard and it took me forever to clean the pot! Of course I didn't want to leave evidence that I botched it up big time lying anywhere! I was so embarrassed that I told no one else except Ruther (of course now, everyone reading this knows as well =D). I'm glad as the years went by, my cooking has improved as well. Hopefully, I will get to cook for Ruther more often in later years...

I only wish Ruther enjoys eating the meals just as much as I enjoy cooking them for him...

NIKKI AND ETHAN

Some photos of Nikki and Ethan (taken July 2005).