MODERN FURNITURE

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BUSY MONTH AHEAD

June is almost here and I'm now preparing a new list for the things I'll have to do next month. It's still pretty much average, not short but not long either. I still wish I knew exactly when we were going to get the Certificate of Eligibility from Japan. I'm still pretty bummed about what Ruther said, that the application could take from a month to THREE months! Sigh. Of course, I have no control on how long it's going to take but still, it would be nice to be reunited with Ruther the soonest possible time, right? Oh well...

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Nikki is coping well with his new glasses. I just had to remind him not to forget to keep them before he goes to bed because I woke up this morning with his glasses beside me! What if I rolled onto them last night? He would have a twisted pair of specs then. Anyway, he didn't forget to keep them this afternoon when he had his nap so I hope he'll make a habit of it. I know there will be times when he'll forget still but of course, I'll understand. I just hope that Nikki's grade won't worsen in later years or that his glasses will hinder him from doing physical activities. I'll just have to make sure he wears the proper specs then...

WITH HIS SPECS NOW

Today I went to the clinic and finally got Nikki’s glasses. I was so excited for him to try them on but at the same time I was worried because I didn’t know if it was going to take some time for him to adjust to his glasses. Anyway, after I got home, I bathed the boys and then I let Nikki lie on the bed and try on his specs. I thought that if he adjusted slowly, he might not complain too much about them. So he carefully looked around and I asked him if he was dizzy and if it was too new for him he could just close his eyes for a few minutes and then open them again. He didn’t complain, which was a surprise. Nikki is usually very particular about new things/changes but this morning, he was quite happy with his new glasses. After a few minutes, I asked him again if he was dizzy and he said no so I told him he could sit up. He then proceeded to go about his business and I was really amazed. I thought it was going to take days, even weeks for him to get used to his glasses but he just put them on and he was good to go. Really amazing (and of course, I thanked God for this little miracle). I did notice though that the glasses would slide off his nose from time to time but other than that, he was all right. I’m thinking of getting him spare ones next week for when he’s running around because this one slips off his little nose when he moves around a lot. Also, I’m thinking of having shades made for him too. Just because he’s starting to wear glasses doesn’t mean he can’t be fashionable, right? Anyway, tonight, Ruther saw Nikki with his glasses on and he was okay with the frame although he did agree that Nikki will need a pair that was more snug on his face. So I suppose we’ll be doing that next week.

MOVIE TO WATCH

We were at Alabang Town Center last week and passed by the cinemas. We saw this Ice Age poster (?) and I told Nikki to stand by it so I could take his photo. I told him we'll watch the movie in the theatre and he said okay. If that happens, it'll be his first time to watch a movie in the cinema. A few years ago, my sis tried to bring him inside a moviehouse to watch The Incredibles and he freaked out because it was dark inside. He didn't even get to watch the first few seconds of the movie!! Now that he's seven I think he won't be (that) scared any more. Well, I certainly hope not. We'll have to see I guess. :)

FLUSTERPATED AND FAHOODLED

At last I finally got my PRC ID (professional ID) today. (I applied for a renewal a few weeks ago.) I left the house at 715 this morning and got there just after 8am. I thought all I had to do was submit my claim stub and get the ID immediately. But no. I had to wait for a while. Bummer. I don't understand why there's only one Philippine Regulations Commission office here in Manila. There should be mini-offices per city for convenience. In Japan, there are government offices in every ward. It's very very convenient. I wish the government here was as discerning. (But what else is new here...)

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Lately, I've been finding blend words really neat! The other day after mentioning in my Facebook account that I was worried about something, one of my friends replied with "Chillax!" This brought a smile to my face. I think that was cute. Haha! "Relax" and "chill" together. Then I also encountered "fantabulous". And the other day "ginormous" and also "doddler" (dodder and toddler). Haha! So cute! I also found "hugantic" (huge and gigantic) and confuzzled (confused and puzzled). Creative, don't you think? Here's a list I found in the 'net (love number 7):

Top Ten Favorite Words (Not in the Dictionary)

1. ginormous (adj): bigger than gigantic and bigger than enormous
2. confuzzled (adj): confused and puzzled at the same time
3. woot (interj): an exclamation of joy or excitement
4. chillax (v): chill out/relax, hang out with friends
5. cognitive displaysia (n): the feeling you have before you even leave the house that you are going to forget something and not remember it until you're on the highway
6. gription (n): the purchase gained by friction: "My car needs new tires because the old ones have lost their gription."
7. phonecrastinate (v): to put off answering the phone until caller ID displays the incoming name and number
8. slickery (adj): having a surface that is wet and icy
9. snirt (n): snow that is dirty, often seen by the side of roads and parking lots that have been plowed
10. lingweenie (n): a person incapable of producing neologisms

P.S.
flusterpated - a state of being flustered that's so intense, one's actions and words become bound up
fahoodled- confused, esp. when trying to think of too many things at once

MAILBOXIXCHANGE

Do you ever get tired of picking your mail up on your front doorstep? Or finding a package soggy and wet from an unexpected rain storm? Or worse, finding out that your mail was stolen? Well, this shouldn't be your problem any longer. It's about time you got yourself a good mailbox. Well, one of these good mailboxes. At Mailboxixchange (pronounced Mailbox Exchange) browsing for high quality residential and commercial mailboxes is so easy. Whether you're searching for post-mount mailboxes, wall mount mailboxes or column mailboxes, you'll find the perfect one for your home. Not only that but Mailboxixchange boasts of excellent customer service. Check out their 110% low price protection, rewards point program and no hassle return guarantee. Also, check out their Deal of the Month. For the entire month of May, when you purchase any Whitehall Superior, Westwood, Estate, or Ultimate Mailbox Package, you'll get a Coir Welcome Doormat valued at $112.50 for free! A superb deal, if you ask me. What's more, Mailboxixhange promises that customer satisfaction is their top priority. With high quality products at great prices, excellent service, and fantastic deals, getting the perfect mailbox (or mailboxes) is easy, convenient and fast at Mailboxixchange.com.

WITH GLASSES SOON

So, we went back to Nikki's ophthalmologist this morning after 2 days of applying an atropine sulfate solution to his eye (one drop a day) to widen his pupils and deactivate his focusing ability. When we got there, the doctor once more checked his eyes on the slit lamp and then after several minutes of correcting his eyesight on the phoropter, Nikki will definitely be wearing glasses in a few days. His grade on the right eye is 250 with astigmatism of 100 and his left has a grade of 175 with astigmatism of 175. The doctor recommended that Nikki wear his glasses all the time so that his eyesight would not worsen and his astigmatism be corrected. I'm quite sure during the first few days he'll be complaining about the glasses but hopefully once he gets used to it he'll be wearing them always. I already told Ruther to start saving for his LASIK when he's bigger, should he need it. It pays to be prepared, right?

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I've been scanning our old (not ancient but before-digital-came-to-be) photos since last week and I still have a lot more to do. There are of course, our wedding photos, some baby photos, then other photos that came from other cameras (like my mom's). I would also like to have our negatives digitized. Those things are really precious to me. I would get so paranoid if any one of them gets ruined (God forbid!). So I have yet to look for a Fujifilm branch nearby where I could have the negatives digitized. Hopefully I could have that done next month. For now, I would have to finish scanning all these photos. That is, until I run out of disk space. :D

HOMESCHOOLERS

Love my boys! :D

WISHING...

I have to admit I find it both weird and exciting earning from home. Well, I'm not really earning that much because paid ads are quite limited for non-US bloggers (I usually only get like 2 a week) but still, it's nice to be doing something I love (writing) and be paid for it at the same time. I just wish though that there were more offers for international bloggers. It would be nice to write about something and be paid $15 for it (rather than just $2.50). I really do put a lot of thought into my compositions and writing and I think that I deserve more than $2.50 for a 200-word review. I don't mean to sound pompous. I'm just saying that I wish those higher-paying ads were readily available to me. Oh well...

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Since I lamented about neglecting my Nihongo studies, I started reviewing my books again yesterday. As expected, I forgot some of the stuff I already learned while I was in Japan. Bummer. Now I have to review again. My main problem I guess is the sentence structure. Nihongo doesn't neccesarily follow the subject+verb+object pattern (as in English). It usually (more often than not) starts with the object first. So, "I would like some water" would translate to "Mizu ga hoshii no desu ga" with mizu meaning water. So yeah, the sentence pattern confuses me as well as a hundred other things (prepositions, proper word usage, formal/informal situations, etc.) but hopefully, I'm getting somewhere. I just wish that there will be some Nihongo classes offered in Yokohama so I could attend and even learn more Japanese...

FURNITUREFROMHOME

Have you ever gone shopping for furniture, ordered a sectional sofa set, paid for it and when you went home, realized that you should have gotten the reclining sofa love seat set instead? Well, shopping for furniture shouldn't be this tough or inconvenient. At FurnitureFromHome.com, you could shop for the widest choices of furniture at the click of a button, in the convenience of your home. If you have no idea how to get started or if you have qualms about ordering online, you needn't worry. Just go to "Online Furniture Buying" and you'll get whatever information you'll need on ordering online. Then check out their bedroom sets, living room sets, dining room sets, home office furniture and leather furniture. It's all yours to browse. And if you're not sure about the furniture you're looking for, the Furniture Style Guide will help you make that perfect choice. Just make sure you check all their products or you'll miss some great furniture like this unique storage bed. Also, don't forget to check out the sale items if you're shopping on a budget. So if you're looking for one of the best furniture stores online, one that gives you a wide selection of great furniture and excellent service, then FurnitureFromHome is for you.

ALMOST OVER

We're having warm weather today. I suppose I should be glad that May is coming to a close which will (hopefully) mean less sweltering heat and much cooler breezes. I suppose when we go to Japan in July (should we make it there, that is), it'll be the same because it'll be summertime there. So I guess we'll be staying indoors again during the hot afternoons. But of course, we won't mind. :D

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I haven't been seriously studying my Nihongo lately. With all the things I need/needed to do, homeschooling the boys and earning by blogging, I pretty much just have a li'l bit of time left to open my books and study. But I suppose that'll have to change. I really do need to learn more than I currently do if I intend to start talking to people in Japan. So it'll be tough but hopefully, by the time we get there, I won't have the conversational skills of a 2-year-old anymore (no offense to 2-year-olds in Japan of course!). :D

RED

Another one of my practice shots...

FIXED NOW

Yay! My laptop is now up and running and it's wonderful to have it back! :D Russ gave it back to me this morning and although I lost some of the stuff I installed, I'm not too bothered as long as all my photos are intact (I would DIE if I lost any one of them!!), I could check my mails, blog (and earn money) and of course, communicate with Ruther once more. So yay!! Am quite happy about having my laptop back. Thanks Russ! I owe you that halo-halo I promised! :D

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Nikki and I have come to enjoy using the soroban. We're still kind of slow now since we're still getting to know how to use it properly but I'm sure in just a short while Nikki will be using it well. We're following the books step-by-step and I must say I like the way the lessons were presented in the text book and activity/workbook. I'm planning on getting the Level 2 books as well but I think I'll get the e-book instead of the textbook. I wouldn't want another disappointing experience with the customs department of the Las Pinas Post Office. They might charge me who knows how much for a mere couple of books! If you remember, I mentioned in a previous post that they charged me P955 for the abacus and the 2 books. And I only paid $39.90 for them!! It's like I paid $20 more for the stuff! Tsk tsk! Atrocious! And people wonder why the Philippines is suffering... Anyway, like I said, I'll just get the e-books. This way, I won't have to pay any additional fees and at the same time, I won't have to lug the books with me when we go to Japan. All I have to do is print out the worksheets and we could continue with our math lessons. So yup, am killing 2 birds with one stone.

Happy day today... :D

CARSTEERING

Having trouble with your car's steering system? You do know that between the steering wheel and the tires of your car, a lot of interesting things happen. But is your steering control actually okay? Do you feel as though your car isn't riding as well as it used to? What you probably don't realize is that one of the most common parts within your car that may develop a problem later on is your steering system. This is actually due to the huge amounts of stress your vehicle undergoes which causes wear to the steering components. If your car has this problem, you need not worry. CarSteeringWholesale will help you with all your steering racks, steering gear boxes or power steering pump replacements. From a bmw steering rack to a high tech speed proportional steering, they guarantee high quality products at really affordable prices. What's more, whether your car is power steering or manual steering, chances are, they have the part you're looking for. And whatever your car brand they have the steering component in stock, ready to be shipped today! Not enough to convince you? Well, how about their excellent service? All of their parts come with a complete warranty and shipping is free! So have your faulty steering parts replaced. And you'll soon find yourself having that smooth and pleasureable drive you've always dreamed of.

REPLACEMENT

My laptop just gave up on me a couple of days ago. I don't know if it's because of the constant blogging (I certainly hope not!) or from frequent use but after I shut it down for a few minutes and then turned it back on after I was done with my chores, it just refused to reboot completely. After starting and re-starting it, it still refused to turn on and I rang Ruther to ask for help. He was still out so I asked my brother-in-law Russell for assistance (he's the only one here who could help me) and he took a look at it. We had to consult Ruther through videochat and it turns out, they suspect that the hard disk is problematic (i.e. refuses to function fully). So, Russ had to remove the hard disk from the laptop and today, I bought a new one which cost me P3,200. I don't mind the expense because well, I need my laptop of course, but I usually have our monthly budget and expenses planned out beforehand and unexpected purchases irks me a bit. Plus, I have yet to pay for the electricity bill and repair of the ref AND get Nikki's new glasses so I think next month I'll have to really plan out our expenses. Anyway, Russ is installing stuff onto my laptop so I'm hoping that I'll be back to using my laptop by next week.

DIPOLOG

A Dipolog sunset. Sunsets in the Philippines are always so dramatic, I think. Sunsets in Yokohama are more subdued but still awe-inspiring...

Y12,000

I don't think I could still enrol Nikki in a swim class with May coming to a close. I think we will probably be doing that in Japan instead. Hopefully, we will be able to find a class that won't cost too much. I just don't feel confident enrolling Nikki right now, especially since I have a lot of things to do at this time and we have yet to see his hematologist (which I am scheduling for next week). So swim class will have to be postponed, I'm afraid. But I'll still be searching for other activities for the boys for the next two months. Hopefully I'll be able to find something fun for them...

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Ruther told me the other day that the government is giving Y12,000 per person in Japan (including foreigners) as a supplementary income payment to boost the economy. Isn't that great? I only wish the government here in the Philippines were as generous... I asked Ruther what he was going to do with the money and he immediately answered "Save it" because he had a few unexpected expenses the past month. Oh well...

CEILING FANS FOR YOUR HOME

With spring coming to a close and summer just around the corner, make sure your homes are well-ventilated and cool. Why settle for a regular stand or desk fan when you can have any one of these wonderful and decorative ceiling fans? Whether you are shopping for a new one or replacing an old ceiling fan, you can have your pick from the thousands (yes, thousands!) of choices from sixteen manufacturers. If that doesn't start you from shopping, I don't know what will. No matter what your personality or style, you'll find the perfect fan for your lovely home. Are you a classy lady who simply wants the best for your home? Then take a look at these casablanca ceiling fans from the Casablanca Fan Company. These timeless and classic pieces will surely be a great fixture to any of your rooms. With several categories to choose from (cosmopolitan, period, traditional, etc.), a Casablanca fan will add that classy and perfect look to your interiors. Going for the modern look? Then these ceiling fans and accessories from fanimation will satisfy your avant-garde personality. Take your pick from the various categories of futuristic visions, historical inspirations, and natural influences. Your imagination is your limit. A minimalist personality will undoubtedly love the Craftmade ceiling fans. With the simple yet contemporary look, it's perfect for the average home. And why not? They are very reliable and energy-efficient. Certainly a housewife's dream fan. And what's more, if you're not too happy with any one of the thousands of choices there is, you could certainly customize your very own ceiling fan! That's right! Just take your pick from among the many blade designs, fan motors and accessories and you'll soon have your unique creation. How cool is that?

Shopping for ceiling fans has certainly never been this easy. So take your time, take a look and fall in love. And before you plan out that perfect summer vacation, make sure your home is perfectly cool with any one of these unique and stylish ceiling fan designs.