Tornado

On Reflection Mode a few days before my 28th–

I’m looking for a quote by Mark Twain but I couldn’t find it in the internet. Instead, I found this:

What work I have done I have done because it has been play. If it had been work I shouldn’t have done it. Who was it who said, “Blessed is the man who has found his work”? Whoever it was he had the right idea in his mind. Mark you, he says his work–not somebody else’s work. The work that is really a man’s own work is play and not work at all. Cursed is the man who has found some other man’s work and cannot lose it. When we talk about the great workers of the world we really mean the great players of the world. The fellows who groan and sweat under the weary load of toil that they bear never can hope to do anything great. How can they when their souls are in a ferment of revolt against the employment of their hands and brains? The product of slavery, intellectual or physical, can never be great.

I didn’t watch Meet the Robinsons when it was screened in theatres because I was not impressed with its trailer. I thought it was just another time-travel movie and I could not see anything remarkable about the characters. I was able to watch it last week because Claire coudn’t stop laughing when she saw Lewis, the lead character, and the lady at the orphanage, I can’t remember her name.. So we stayed on Disney and watched it while she’s sitting on her rocker.

This movie is the latest entry to my list because the script has insights about the way people behave and it presents values in a witty and humorous manner. The interesting portions of the plot were placed perfectly and I found myself surprised by the twist at the end. Not sure though if others will find it as surprising because my standards are slowly changing into a kid’s (toddler’s) level =) I haven’t read anything negative about the movie except for a parental guidance review which is a bit extreme and goes to the extent of criticizing the nudity of Grandpa in boxers, as you will see below.

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One of my favorite scenes:

“Go, Carl,” Lewis prompted. Carl picked it up and pushed a button. It began to spin. But then, it jerked and sputtered. The next thing anyone knew, they were all covered in peanut butter and jelly. “Oh no, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Lewis apologized.

“You failed!” Grandpa shouted excitedly.

“And it was awesome!”

“Exceptional!”

“Outstanding!”

“From failing, you learned. From success, not so much,” explained Aunt Billie.

“If I gave up every time I failed, I would have never made the meatball cannon,” Gaston said, stroking his mini cannon.

“I never would have made my fireproof pants,” said Grandpa. His pants were on fire. But they burned up, and fell to the floor in ashes. He was only left in his boxers and shirt. “I’m still working out the kinks.”

“Like my husband always says…” Franny began. Suddenly, Carl burst out in a mini show. All with the words, “Keep Moving Forward.” Everyone continued to praise Lewis.

“All right, everyone, quiet down, quiet down,” Franny said, holding her goblet of water. “I propose a toast to Lewis, and his brilliant failure. May it lead to success in the future”

I found this quote in our intranet today. When asked about money, Josef Ackermann, the current DB Chairman, described what it means to him:

First and foremost, independence. I can take the path I think is the right one without having to worry about my future.

Claire can now say "Dada"! Guess who was thrilled the most =) She can say Mama for two months now but not mommy. I think she might say Daddy earlier though because she also started to say de-de yesterday..

Claire has just turned 7 months yesterday! I had half of the day off and celebrated with our little family. We took a picture of Claire with her hair on pigtails with cutie curly tips while trying to grab the cake (she doesn’t know what else to do with it yet). She can now crawl, sit without support and and stand for a few seconds.

My new schedule is 2 to 11 pm and lately, it’s getting more difficult to leave the office for a dinner-out. We still don’t have internet at home, and friendster, you-tube, multiply, etc are all prohibited at the workplace… We transferred to a new home near the office but far from everyone else. There seems to be very limited means of catching up…

Of late, I’m happy being a mommie, discovering many ways of matching fruits and veggies to make yummy baby food! But how I miss jogging and going on short trips, eating at Chocolate Kiss, Mang Jimmy’s; I miss the campus! Sa mga dating kapitbahay ko, Kat, Tal at Dyo, miss ko na kayo! =) It’s been quite difficult fitting our plans into our weekend sched.

“There is no fee for awesomeness nor attractiveness!” - Po

For the first time in my life, I finally had a vacation! Work is easy, life is sweet and everyday is fun! These days, I no longer yearn for VL’s or predicted SL’s because everyday is like one. Come to think of it, there really is nothing wrong with settling down at 26…   

I’ve just had a minor outpatient surgery on a preauricular cyst inflammation last Tuesday (it’s nothing deadly, btw), which I postponed for two months because I was so scared to go to the doctor. I’ve never been that scared - it’s worse than taking the board exams or even giving birth! I swear I will have to read Harry Potter 7 again because I could not appreciate even Harry’s last battle with Voldemort while waiting for the doctor outside the operating room, well aware that the anesthetic will do little in relieving the pain. When I entered the room, I was asked to lie down. Why? I was only sitting down when the same procedure was done around 20 years ago! Then they started taking blood pressure, checking my pulse, dabbing betadine on a quarter of my head, and covering my upper body; I wanted to back out! It was terrible, no, I was terrible. I was so scared that everything was doubly painful. I’m not sure why I was so scared, though. I know I have high threshold for pain because, when I gave birth, I got through full dilation without anesthetic. I think this fear is something I haven’t really outgrown, but now I can’t expect my mother to tell me everything will be okay. I won’t even try complaining about it and ask for consolation… Ang tanda ko na! hehe Well.. I told Francis about this, and he did tell me "Isipin mo na lang, parang kagat ng langgam lang yan…kagat ng malaking langgam…"

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I won’t be able to go to the beach and enjoy the sun this summer. Of course, I don’t want to expose my cyst to infection! Otherwise, it will be the first post all over again! hehe Claire won’t be able to appreciate the beach, anyway.

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Everything is so expensive these days. Just look at our favorite Jollibee sundae which has increased prices from Php 28 to Php 30 in one week. Imagine how much that increase would be if I am to consume sundae everyday! Assuming there will be a 1 peso increase every month, that would be additional Php 305 hehe nag-compute talaga… Shet sundae pa lang yan. Hay naku, kung kaya ko lang gumawa ng sundae… magtitinda ako!

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I’m so happy today! Obvious ba na petiks ako? =)

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Here’s something to read, sent by a friend through e-mail:

A Donkey Story

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The jackass cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer and his neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, lots of dirt! And sometimes, people would always try to throw their garbage at you to cover their asses! The trick to getting along well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the 5 simple rules to being happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less

This may be the most uninteresting trip I had experienced… I was not able to catch theater plays except Les Miserables which I had already watched before. My second trip to the Met would have made a difference but alas, there was a guy who scared me so bad that I dashed off. I wonder whether I would have appreciated my stay more if I enjoyed shopping because my colleagues love to shop; It’s like a stress reliever and a hobby. But I’m really a boring (or cheap…) person, I’d rather go to free places like museums =) but we just did not have time. No, I think we just stayed too long in subways.. Imagine how a local train could turn into an express train 2 stations before your destination, after looking for it for 30 minutes and waiting for another 30 minutes. We were in the subway for 2 hours this one time.. I’d rather not reveal how much longer it was on other days. There are more reasons that this trip was not as enjoyable as I had expected, but I’m too sleepy to tell it all.

Tonight, after suffering two mysterious loud and prolonged fire alarms, I still am thankful. I’m glad I had a plain yet filling dinner and the view outside the apartment is so beautiful. Anyway, I would not be able go to this place out of my own savings =)

View at daytime. Can’t get a good one at night =)

I’ve been so busy and sooo tired lately but I have every reason to be happy! =)