ARFness!

September 20, 2005

Some of my babies are unhappy.  First, I post a picture of total strangers (see “Arf, Arf, Meow, Meow” below), and then I post pictures of some of my babies, but not all of them (”dog tired, (cat) lost“ also below).  Therefore, I must now properly introduce the four - legged members of my brood, or risk getting bitten in the ass.  Meow culpa, pawdon me.

                         
The guy on the left is my beagle Teroy (real name: Sotero Laurel, of course).  He’s a real sweetie, but is very malikot and loves flashing his butt.  He knows he’s bootylicious.  `Scared of the dark, too.  He loves eating off of other people’s…er, other dogs’ feeding dishes, which explains that scar on the bridge of his, umm, snout (can’t see it in this picture, though).  The one on the right is not a bear, he is my Chow - Chow Jet Li.  He’s quite aloof, but he won’t bite.  If he doesn’t like you, he’ll just stay away.  Such a softie, really.  `Picked his own name, too.  As you all know, Chows are of Chinese descent (?!), so I figured I would give him a Chinese name.  I ask him, “Do want to be called Meng Fei?” He just sits there. “Chow Yun - Fat?” Still no reaction.  “Bruce Lee?” `Couldn’t be bothered. Then I go, “Jet Li?” And I swear, he wags his tail like it was the last time he was ever going to do it.  The End.  

              
Ahh, The Twins.  The Brothers Wimpp.  Tisoy and Negro.  These two you’ve met earlier.  They’re even more malikot than Teroy and to them, most everything is a chew toy.  Labrador Retrievers are intimidating because of their size but, really, they’d offer an akyat - bahay gang member coffee if they could boil water.  And they know how to shake hands and high five.  They are sooo friendly and so sweet.  Trust me.  They’re just, uh, big - boned is all.

                                         
Look at that face.  Isn’t this the most charming face you’ve ever seen?  Mamoi is the closest I’ve gotten to having a pet pig.  She snores, she farts (really loud, wet farts, I tell you) and she eats like a… well, like a pig.  Don’t let that mug fool you.  It may scare the hell out of everyone, but she’s not interested in biting people.  She’s a really good girl.  She’s so ugly, she’s cute.  We were walking her one day, and there were kids following us around.  Finally, one of them finds enough nerve to ask, “Miss, aso po yan?”  Bastos.  But Bulldogs are good - natured. Just don’t get on her wrong side.  You know, where the asshole is.

                                       
And my missing and sorely - missed Saddam.  Our first cat, although we’ve had some strays walk into our home through the windows and visit regularly.  It’s the same picture as the one below, but I believe it’s his best, so re - post.  I’ve posted flyers all over the barangay, but he still hasn’t come home.  Kaladkarin kasi, eh.  Napakabait na pusa.  Kahit kanino, sumasama.  Got along very well with the dogs and even slept in the same room with them (mine).  Kaso, nabarkada.  Fell in with the wrong crowd.  I’m still hoping he’ll come home.  We’ll be waiting.

So, there you have it.  My pets.  My babies.  One day I will get to the rest of them–yup, there’s more.  Some of the dogs are in Talisay, Batangas, taking care of the chickens, and the fish in our giant aquarium and the smaller one outside also deserve space here.  That’s for next time.

Take a bow - wow - wow, my babies.     

ketchup post

Some truths before I continue with this post:

One: I like banana ketchup.  The tamis - anghang part is just perfect for my weird taste buds. Two: Blogs are usually (<—okay, this word here doesn’t make this a very sound truth but allow me some creative freedom here.  Back to the show.) presented in journal style, with a new entry each day.  Three: I like homonyms, too. Four: I have not been able to present my blog in journal style for the past… well, since I started it.

Here, now, the KETCHUP POST.  The post that allows the reader to catch up on the tamis - anghangs of the week that was my life.  Okay, so maybe none of it is all that interesting, but at least I can refer to this ketchup post when I write my autobiography, bland though it may be.

Thursday 15 September  `Twas a bad day, indeed it was (made even worse by the fact that I already got my paycheck a few days before this day, which is a good thing, really, except I had nothing to look forward to by way of money on sweldo day itself…  feh, I’m too needy).  It seemed like all I ever did this day was talk, and write and talk and write and seethe.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  I had several meetings lined up and, contrary to popular belief, meetings aren’t always fun and cheerful.  Anyway, there was this one particular meeting that was getting hot and heavy in a bad way, and I was in the middle of all of it, talking and arguing and all the other fun things one does in meetings.  Then I get a disturbing text message, then another, then… sigh.  No, I don’t think I want to relive this moment anymore.  All I know is that I was hurt by this text exchange, and I’m still hurting.  I was so worried, then I felt used and then dismissed.  I thought I made it clear how busy I was, yet the person chose to ignore this, and insisted on getting his way.  I called Naja just to rant; the girl had to endure a mouthful from me (her blog is so pretty - looking, you should visit it).  I’m ranting again.  Screw it.  Off to the next item.  It was also on this day that I spoke to my friend Kai on the phone.  I received a text message from her, far more genuine a cry for help than the others I’ve received that day.  Anyway, it was a bad day for Kai, too.  The poor thing was crying, after having gotten lost, wading through floodwater and being rejected by cabbies (ay, may lalala pa bang rejection?!) all in a span of a few hours.  You can cross - reference her blog for more details (thus giving me an opportunity to promote another nice - looking piece of work).  Being the naturally jolly person that she is, Kai eventually got over her little crisis, just as we all will get over and survive our crises of a few minutes, a few hours or days.  It’s just a matter of time, and it helps to have friends to talk to or blogs to rant in.  Then all is well.

Friday 16 September  This may be a short entry because it’s all work, work, work.  I was still reeling from the events of yesterday (sad thing: the person seems to think all is well.  Sigh.), but there was still a lot to do.  I took in two other meetings and one almost - screaming match which led to another meeting and more things to do.  In that last meeting, we gave out assignments, got committments from the CG boys to get their work done on time, set deadlines and got on and off a creepy elevator.  That story I will save for another day.  There will be pictures!  It was LP’s birthday, and because of all the busy - busy - han I got my text reminders out late, though I was able to sneak into the Beerkada forum for a Happy Birthday post.  I made lots of work - related cellphone calls (remind me to reimburse), worked with Art and Amleth on the website and got some memos done.  Hi -ho, Hi- ho, indeed.  When I got home, there was more writing to do, this time for an event…er, I can’t tell you about it yet. Anyway, it’s one of my rackets, those writing jobs on the side that seem to come in all at the same time.  I have my greed to blame for all those sleepless nights.  Keep them coming, though, hehehe.

Saturday 17 September  Kai’s birthday!  I was able to get my text reminders out earlier than I did LP’s although still a lot later than I would have liked.  I had to go to the office first to make sure that the boys were doing their stuff (nobody was there yet, of course), then it was off to Sta. Mesa to find a guitar for my goddaughter Gabby, who has birthday coming.  She will be eight on the 22nd, and wants to learn how to play the guitar.  That means Ninang had to get a guitar that’s the right size, but it also had to be a real guitar, none of that Tiny - Tim - and - his - Ukelele crap.  My officemate Aids tipped me off to Lumanog, bar Cebu, the best guitar makers daw, and their stuff’s well - crafted and reasonably priced.  I was armed with relatively clear directions, a map, and a driver and I still lost my way (not all my fault).  It turns out, there are several music and sporting goods shops named Lumanog just off SM Centerpoint.  I got Gabby a really nice little guitar (the standard - sized ones start at 800 pesos) that she can probably use till she’s, oh, 15.  I sure hope she tells me right away if she has plans of becoming the next Aiza Seguerra so I can get her a matching leather jacket for her next birthday.  Then I was off to Greenhills, hoping to get my reserved copies (hehe, copies.  More than you know.) of Maya 7, Lightwave and Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children, which turned out to available Saturday yet.  So, after a few minutes of chika with my friends from Marioland, I ended up buying a lot of food from that part of the tiangge that sells all sorts of and nothing but.  Then, on to SM City to get L’Oreal Air Wear Face Powder for my friend Margie, whose birthday is on the 18th.  Hell, it’s still shopping so I had fun, but my feet hurt.  Time to go home, and I did. More work then, and that’s how the day ended.

Sunday 18 September  I am always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  Okay, this time, I shall be Maid of Honor to my friend Abi, who will marry Anthony in February 2006.  So today, I was off to M. Yumul’s Bridal shop in Bicutan to get measurements for the MOH gown, but not before I left my Mother to stew in Fernan’s House of Beauty in Makati for her regular tina, perm and manicure session.  Surprisingly, we got to Bicutan without getting the least bit lost.  Really, we weren’t lost, Abi just gave really bad directions (”malapit sa Jollibee, lampas ng Lola Idang’s“.  Half a kilometer from both these places was my target.  I thought malapit meant like two doors down. I shoulda known.)  I thought it was going to be a quick in and out, but the designer had clients still, so we went off to Anthony’s house, me and the other bridesmaids, for a hearty merienda.  But there was the Wedding Video yet to be shot, and a camera that had to be out soonest, so I had to begin doing my MOH - ly duties by interviewing Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, how do you brush your teeth, plus friends and grandmothers and aunts and uncles and myself even.  Before I knew it, it was way past my time to go, and I told Abi I had to take leave before my Mother ended up looking like an overcooked poodle.  Then we got lost, as driver Jun forgot how to get us out of the subdivision.  Following a tricycle (they must have thought we were stalking them), we soon saw the bright lights of SM Bicutan and off we were to pick up my Mother.  Turns out she got a haircut but no perm, so the poodle thing was nothing but a funny virtual visual.  Did you get that?  We were home by 9 pm and, as usual, my day ends with work.  Hay, ang hirap kumita ng pera.

Monday 19 September Finally.  What can I say?  I brought food (yema, macaroons and chinese biscuit thingies), wrote letters, visited the boys upstairs, ate food, made phone calls, received phone calls and text messages, argued and talked and argued, smoked (1 pack, v. bad, but not all at the same time so v. good), worked on the website again with Art and Amleth, waited for faxes I never received, set meetings that never happened because everyone was busy with something else — today I worked.  Again.  In between, I posted on the Beerkada forums and the office forum, talked to Margie and Marie, made a delivery of food and stuff to Merch and watched parts of School of Rock, starring my favorite Jack Black.  I went home to more work, but s’okay.  It was a good, productive day.  

All in all? A tamis - anghang week, but I am sooo not complaining.  I was able to ketchup, and do all (well, most of) the things I love.  Just let me rant once in a while.  It’s my blog.