Wishes Granted!

What can I say! My mommy santa is very, very generous and I am one lucky girl. I did not wish for orlando vacations or anything similar but just gift certificates for a camera strap or the National Book Store. (See my post here.)

Early last week, a friend ask for my list because she said, she was my mommy santa. I sent the link to her. Later that week, I received a gift certificate for the camera strap that I was eyeing. I was ecstatic and excited and very grateful to finally know who my mommy santa is. And it was not the friend who asked for my list. :p I shopped last weekend and I hope that I will receive the strap before we leave for our annual Christmas vacation. I still have a month and half to wait.

Upon reporting for work today, I was surprised to see an LBC envelope sitting on my desk. As far as I know, I did not order anything from the sender (the friend who asked for my list). Upon opening it, here’s what I saw:
Not only one but TEN gift certificates from National Book Store! That will allow me to buy P1,000 worth of books!

All my wishes were granted! Thank you, thank you, my mommy santa! May you be blessed more and more because of your generous heart. :)

P.S.

I will be showing off my camera strap once I receive it. Can’t wait!

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The Friday that Was

Yesterday, we met with an old friend who is now based in Hongkong, serving as a missionary priest for overseas Filipino workers there. We have known him since he was just a novice at the seminary and it was a delight to finally see him become a priest. His was a late vocation. He is a CPA and was a living a very comfortable life when he sensed that God was calling him to live a different life, serving those who are oppressed and deprived.

Anyway, he is a Filipino-Chinese and assigning him in Hongkong seems to be a perfect decision made by their superiors. He finished his 2-year study of the Cantonese language just last August and he is proud to share that he can now converse in the said language. He is currently serving as a bursar and is waiting for his next assignment, still in Hongkong, hopefully. He has seen the plight of many OFWs there and he feels for them. Their problems are diverse and most of them run to the Church when these arise. It is difficult to be in a foreign land, he says. Missionaries like him have tougher time compared to priests who are based here in the country.

Much has changed since the last time we saw him. He’s got more white hair now and he gained weight. He isn’t looking for the best fat burner though because eating has been one of his de-stressors. That’s aside from playing farmer in Facebook. Haha! I never thought he is into computer games. I shared to him that I was once a Facebook games addict but I stopped because it consumed much of my time. Being a genius that he is, he shared some strategies in order to maximize a little amount of time when playing some farming games.

Anyway, he was very excited to learn that we have plans to visit Hongkong soon. He will take us around, he promised. He was also delighted to meet my daughter who was just a baby the last time he saw her. He was looking forward to take her to the Ocean Park and the Disneyland, of course.

It was really nice to see him again. And it will be nicer to meet him in Hongkong!

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Thursday Thunks (10/22/09)

My first time to join and here we go!

1. If you were to start a meme (or a second or third), what would you call it and what day would you pick?
:: Random Questions (That’s how creative I can get these days. LOL!)

2. When a celebrity endorses a product, do you really believe they like it/use it?
:: It depends on the brand and its maker.

3. Why don't zombies ever just eat each other?
:: I don’t know. Maybe because they’re stink and not fresh. LOL!

4. If you were an elephant, would you rather roam free or be in a zoo?
:: In a zoo maybe. Because roaming free means no food security plus I don’t want to be another animal’s dinner.

5. The doorbell rings on October 31st, do you answer it?
:: Why not?

6. If you see a piece of paper on the ground while out & about, do you pick it up? If so, do you look to see what it is?
:: It depends. If I were in school, I would probably pick it up and throw it in the nearest trash bin.

7. If Jon Gosselin and Octomom got married and then their own reality show, do you think she would try to get pregnant again for better ratings?
:: I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.

8. If Thursday Thunks was to be put on hold or quit completely, would you be sad?
:: Of course. Even it’s my first time to join. :)

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Hughes Net: The Best Choice

I can’t imagine a life without the Internet these days. It’s not only because it keeps me connected to many of my friends and relatives here and abroad, it is also a way to keep me informed about the latest happenings in this world we live in. I greatly rely on my internet service provider. Sometimes it fails me, like when I lost my connection for about 14 days! It was very disappointing but since it is the “best” that we can have, all that I could do that time was wait.

One of my friends who is based US is authoring Technology blogs shared that she can’t relate to my concern because her satellite internet broadband, Hughes Satellite Internet. She is highly recommending it because of its super fast and strong connection. Furthermore, with hughs net, phone lines are never interrupted so there are no disconnections. Many people are now switching to hughes satellite because of their efficient service and reliable connection.

Technorati Tags: satellite internet,internet,broadband internet

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Forever21 Sale

Are you getting ready for your Christmas shopping? Why not take advantage of a sale at the Forever21 shop? If you are scrimping like me, you will definitely like the prices of the fabulous goods that they offer at their online shop. To give you an idea, here are some of their items which are under $5 and $10 :

 

Visit their site for more. Happy shopping!

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He Lost Weight!

I was chatting with my cousin two nights ago and he shared a very wonderful news, he is now finally in his ideal weight! He did not take appetite suppressant pills, he claimed. Despite his busy schedule, he found time to play badminton. As a dance troupe member during his college days, he was fit and very slim. But when he started working, he got busy and had to rely on fast food dining which greatly contributed to his weight gain. I just wish I share the same will and motivation that he has in order to be as fit as him.

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Philippine Passport Requirements

I am planning to secure my daughter and mine’s respective Philippine passports. I checked online to see what the requirements are for a Philippine passport for first time applicants and here’s what I discovered:

Personal Appearance is required.

 

Duly accomplished application form.

Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or Certified True Copy (CTC) of BC issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by NSO.

Three (3) colored photos of the applicant taken against a royal blue background. Applicant should be in decent attire with collar. Photo must be of good quality, and must have been taken within the last six (6) months. Photo size: 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm. Facial image size: Not less than 3 cm. DFA has the right to reject photos that do not comply with specifications and international standards.

Proof of identity / Supporting documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship

And since I am married woman using my spouse’s family name, I also need to present: Marriage Contract (MC) in Security Paper issued by NSO or Certified True Copy issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by NSO.

For my daughter who is a minor, personal appearance by either her father or me is required.

(And what about the Husband, you might ask. Why passport for my daughter and myself only? Well, he is one busy adult! He can certainly tag along, if he wants to.  He is very much welcome. Hehe.)

Additional requirements can be found here.

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Auto Insurance

When I visited our bank this morning, a teller talked to me about their car loan offer. She says that the interest rate is affordable and not only that. She claimed that my application will be processed swiftly because I am a preferred client. Moreover,

It was an interesting offer but I still need to consult my husband about it. Owning a car entails a lot of responsibility and maintenance cost. Aside from that, a wise car owner must also find a reliable but cheap auto insurance. One has to do a research to find a good company that will provide an auto insurance quote which is not only affordable but also worth the money. It’s a hassle, I know. But accidents happen, it is better to be safe and be insured than spend more if you are not. Besides, I learned that there are penalties for no insurance so it is wiser to spend your money for your auto insurance than paying for the penalties.

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Good {Early} Morning!

Wondering why I am up so early? Simple. I slept way too early last night! Haha! My daughter and I went to bed after the evening news. That was before 8 PM actually, which is her bedtime. On other hand, I lack sleep so I was really begging her to try to sleep and stop talking (because she talks a lot even during bedtime!). I can’t remember but most likely, it was I who fell asleep first.

We woke up very early to the sound of a heavy downpour. Gone were the days when rain is soothing. Not anymore. These days, I always worry about the possibility of our house being flooded. Good thing the rain already stopped.

So why am I up? My daughter asked me what am I doing (as I sent her back to bed). I need to work on some tasks, plus print, sign, scan and email some documents. There are deadlines and it’s a must to meet them so wish me luck!

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A Wise Investment

The university is currently building a new administrative building. It will be housing some administrative offices, nursing classrooms and laboratories. They started building it this year and we are hoping to have it ready for occupancy before the beginning of the school year next year. The land area of the school is quite big and there are plenty of idle lots around. We have been lacking classrooms due to the increasing size of our student population so hopefully, more buildings will be built to meet the demands. We are also looking forward to more modern buildings similar to the metal buildings of one of our sister schools. We learned that metal buildings are more cost-efficient and durable so investing on one is a wise decision.

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Sunday Stealing Meme: The ABC’s of Meme

Sunday Stealing: The ABC's of Meme

A- Advocate for: Youth leadership and empowerment
B- Best Feature: Height
C- Could do without: Allergies and migraine
D- Dreams and desires: House of our own, family travels, good health for my family
E- Essential items: Mobile phone, laptop, camera, comb
F- Favorite past time: Playing Soduku, reading, Internet-surfing
G- Good at: Many things
H- Have never tried: Bungee-jumping
I- If I had a million dollars: I will fulfill the dreams that money can buy
J- Junkie for: Technology
K- Kindred spirit: My mom and my mother in-law!
L- Little known fact: I have big ears! When I was young, I leave home with my hair nicely done by my mom. Upon arriving to school, I undo it and let just let my hair down.
M- Memorable moment: Meeting my husband for the first time and giving birth to my daughter
N- Never again will I: spend my time on useless things
O- Occasional indulgence: Buying expensive books and finding time to read them.
P- Profession: Wife, mom, blogger, house helper/ nurse/ cook/ caregiver, motivator/mentor and sometimes tormentor to student leaders
Q- Quote:

  “I am only one, but still I am one, I cannot do everything, but I can do something, and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” ~

Edward Everett Hale

R- Reason to smile: Being alive and very blessed
S- Sorry about: Losing my temper, not thinking before acting/ talking, being inconsiderate and insensitive
T- Things you are worrying about right now: My husband who is on travel and is sick :(
U- Uninterested in: Koreanovelas
V- Very scared of: death of my loved ones
W- Worst habits: Tardiness (yikes)
Y- Yummiest dessert: All desserts on the planet!
X- X marks my ideal vacation spot: Anywhere that my family finds nice, probably in an urban place with nice hotels and malls. Haha!
Z- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius

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Graduate Schooling

A colleague and friend of mine recently enrolled himself at the Graduate School of the university. As employees, we enjoy free 6 units on any course every semester and because he was regularized last June, he is now eligible for the said privilege.

Basically, that is the only requirement, that we are regular employees of the school. Of course, the Graduate School has its own requirements upon enrollments. The usual photos, transcript of records and exam results, of course. But prospective graduate school students need not to take GMAT prep courses because if you ask me, the exams are easy-peasy! I should know because I used to be one of those who administer the entrance exams. :)

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The Weekend that Was

Today, I woke up still feeling very tired and sleepy. My daughter and I were supposed to attend the 8 AM Mass at the university but unfortunately, I did not have the energy to get up and prepare for it. But I got up, prepared breakfast and went back to bed. My daughter, being an only child, is very self-reliant so there is no need to instruct her on what to do to keep her entertained and preoccupied. She just read her books and reviewed her lessons (because tomorrow and Tuesday are her 2nd and 3rd day of exams) while her mom was off to dreamland.

I woke up again after 3 hours (that was 10AM) and had my breakfast. We were supposed to attend the high noon Mass but my mother arrived for an unexpected visit as soon as I finished eating. She had lunch with us but left before 1PM because of an appointment at one of the universities where she is teaching part-time. It was nice having her around though the little girl threw a fit when I did not allow her to play computer games. (Exams, remember?) I decided to just stay home and rest some more because I can’t afford to be absent from work tomorrow just because I still feel exhausted. After putting away the laundry (which dried fast because of the humidity), we went to sleep around 1:30 PM and woke up at 4:30 PM. I felt a bit headachey upon waking up, good thing it went away after an hour or so.

On another note, we were able to catch a new series on Disney Channel, Jonas, featuring no other than the famous Jonas Brothers. I like the story’s plot and I look forward to the next series. My daughter loved it too.

And there goes our weekend! Hopefully, the next one will be more relaxing and fun since my knight in shining armor will be home. Someone will be helping me around here once again. Haha!

Have a great week!

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I am the “I”

You Are the "I" Block

You are dominant and a bit aggressive. You tend to assert yourself into situations and just take over. If people expect you, they are grateful for your presence. If you show up unannounced though, you tend to throw a bit of a wrench in things. You are brilliant and competent. You always have your facts straight, and you are very persuasive. Some people find you a bit intimidating at first, but once they get used to you, they can't imagine life without you.

What Tetris Block Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

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Something Gold?

It was one exhausting but fulfilling day at work. We had a National Service Training Program Camp and a Voters’ Education Program. It was attended by more or less 2,000 students coming from the different colleges in the city. I am grateful for the selected student leaders who did not leave my side and helped me all through out. I promised them that we are going to have an ice cream date sometime next week as their reward. But as for me, I feel that I deserve a special something for doing such a great job. I am thinking of buying myself some new blouses or magazines or a gold watch perhaps. Hmm… I will sleep over it and decide tomorrow.

Speaking of gold, do you know that for centuries, purchase of gold has been recognized one of the effective ways in preserving one’s purchasing power and wealth? Gold bullion is a unique investment. Since the time of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and up to now, man has been captivated by the beauty, magic and power of gold to change men’s lives.

Are you considering of investing on gold?

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Shop & Share

I was watching the SNN tonight where I learned about Angel Locsin, Anne Curtis, Dimples Romana and Kris Aquino’s Shop and Share.  It is another worth mentioning effort of showbiz personalities who are doing something to benefit our fellowmen who were victimized by Ondoy and Pepeng’s wrath.

There are bags, hats, shoes and more. So go and visit their online store, shop and share!

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Days with my Father

I was skimming through a Maria’s blog when I encountered THIS. How nice and heartwarming the photos and short notes are. I hope you can find time to visit and see/ read for yourself. :)

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Hey!

Maybe my body sensed that it’s OK to get sick now because someone is coming home and will take care of us. Maybe.

Yesterday, I woke up feeling a bit sick. My nose was (and still is) stuffy plus my head was kinda aching. I could not afford to be absent from work because of there were (and still are!) tons of work that I had to accomplish including some meetings both with our students and some colleagues. My concerns are of varied types. One was for our preparation for the Christmas season, others are voters’ education and advocacy plus a fund-raising campaign for the victims of Ondoy. I rely largely on mobilizing our student leaders but they have other concerns too, especially that their final exams will be next week. I don’t have to stress here that sometimes, I have to twist their arms to make them do their tasks. Haha!

Anyway, these too shall pass. Aside from my stuffy nose, I am also suffering from asthma. I have a day and a half to rest, rest, rest. And if they’re not enough, I need to extend my weekend up to Monday morning only. Another meeting was set for Monday afternoon, that’s why. Haaay.

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And Another One Ends.

The busiest time at the university is when the school year is about to open and when a semester is about to end. Obviously, we are nearing the first semester’s closing and it reminded me that time indeed flies fast! As I try to look back and assess my accomplishments at work, it seems that there are few. I reckon that it is due to my leave of absence for two months because of my miscarriage.

However, because of the current demands and our desire to empower the youth, we are initiating fresh programs and activities. This include another round of voters’ education. But, but, but! Our final exams is due next week. Yikes. So we are working double time to make sure that the invitation is widely disseminated and the program be successfully implemented. More than that, we hope that our students will be inspired and motivated to go out and register and vote during the 2010 elections. The preparations are taxing but I can still manage. You know I love doing this. So much.

But for now, I feel so tired and sleepy already. So I bid you good night and have a productive Friday!

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The Wednesday that Was

I am very happy to report that it was one productive day. I was invited to help facilitate an inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue today. It was participated by some barangay officials coming from the barangays surrounding our university. The said activity aims to promote understanding and harmony among the different religions and tribes that people are affiliated with in this area. We, at the university (students, teachers, administrators and staff alike) were the first beneficiaries of this program. Though there it can’t be measured, we can say that the program has been relatively successful in promoting understanding and tolerance in the our community. This training-workshop will run for three days. Various topics will be introduced to them. Moreover, to make learning more interactive, various workshops will also be initiated.

On another note, I had a meeting after the workshop this afternoon. That explains why we went home very late tonight. Our university will be holding a voters’ registration and voters’ education next week, our final exams week (!) and we have to mobilize our student leaders to help us promote the said activities and ensure maximum participation from our university students. And since I am in-charge of our student leaders, I need to work closely with them to make sure that the expectations will be met. I feel lucky to have a few of them who are dedicated, hardworking, dependable and creative. I know I can trust them.

Anyway, tomorrow is another busy day. I can’t wait for the weekend to rest and spend time with my family. We (DD and I) are missing DH so very much and we can’t wait to finally see him again.

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Start Spending Smart! | Affordable Eyeglasses

Are you wondering How You Can Start Spending Smart? Let me tell you a solution: Avail of the $ 8 Rx eyeglasses offered by Zenni Optical. It does not only offer affordable eyeglasses but fashionable ones too! And since they are very easy on the budget, you can own multiple pairs of eyeglasses for the different looks that you wish to sport every single day of the week. To give you an idea, here are My favorite fashion eyeglasses from Zenni Optical:

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Tuesday Updates

Part of my husband’s job is to coach the mayors and other local government officials of the nearby region. This morning, I received an SMS coming from him telling me that he, some of his managers and the mayors they have been coaching are on national TV. I was on a meeting that time so I was not able to give much attention to what he just told me.

In the afternoon, after receiving a cheesy SMS from me, he called and I learned that it was a forum featuring our country’s presidentiables. My husband was so proud of their mayors who were intently listening and actively participating during the forum. Furthermore, he was very impressed by how Sen. Chiz Escudero addressed the questions thrown his way. However, he (the Husband) commented that another president wanna-be was very “”trapo” (traditional politician).

He also mentioned that Sen. Noynoy Aquino’s girlfriend was present and being the bakya I am, I asked if Kris was also there. Haha! No, she was not present.

Another bakya question from me: Did you have your pictures taken with them?
His answer: No.

Another question: Why?
His answer which I can’t accept: Because it’s embarrassing.

Hahaha!

I also learned that he had some talks with his potential employers this morning since they’re around. Gauging from what he shared to me, it seems that they are very keen on hiring him! Woot!

And being the gentle and wise man that he is, he shared the good news first and the bad news, afterwards. He was supposed to be coming home tomorrow but alas, he had to reroute his trip to Davao for another meeting or forum or whatever. *sigh* We (his girls) are awfully missing him. Hopefully, we will be spending the weekend with him as another business trip is scheduled next week. Oh well.

It is very frustrating not to have him around but I do understand that this is the type of work that he loves. I have to be supportive the same way that he has been supportive of my endeavors and dreams. Right? So right!

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She Deserves It

Just this morning, our secretary was complaining about how tiring her life is. She is one hardworking mom of two. Aside from her full time work, she is also selling various goods and foods to subsidize her family’s expenses. Just a few more years, she tells me, and she can finally retire from university work.  She hopes that upon retirement, she can get to see the place she has been longing to visit for a long time, Mexico, even if she has to scrimp and stay at cheap hotels in cozumel. By that time, she hopes that her elder daughter is a certified public accountant and is able to help their family. In that way, making her dream a reality won’t make her feel guilty.

There’s no harm in dreaming, she tells me. And I believe her. I tell her too that she deserves that vacation because of the sacrifices and hard work that she has been doing for her family.

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Blah.

The full moon? The weather? My hormones? Stress? I don’t know what the cause is but I don’t feel good these days. I get irritated with the slightest provocation and annoyed by trivial things.

There are many things to attend to both at work and at home and I think I can cope up. However my temper is really something that I need to be very conscious of these days. I do not know how long this will last nor how to *remedy* it. Will a new bag do the trick? Let’s find out tomorrow. Hahaha!

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Tea’s the Drink

Per Yen’s advice, I resolved to try drinking tea before bedtime. Cleansing purposes, she claimed. I don’t like the taste of tea but like what I said, I will try and I just did! Two days ago, accompanied by Joniel, we bought some canned pineapple, ice cream and a box of green tea at the grocery store. (And since he was so nice to keep me company, I told him to get something for himself as a my treat. He snagged a box of Backwoods cigars from the shelf but of course, he was only kidding. He got himself a pack of chips instead.)

Anyway, going back to my tea story. Too lazy to boil some water for two nights, I finally got around to drinking my tea tonight! But nothing changed. I still hate the taste of tea. Give me a cup of coffee instead. But then, that will surely keep me awake until noon time tomorrow. Haha! But I am not giving up. Drinking tea will definitely do me good so I should keep on drinking, right? Right.

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My Facebook Activities These Days

On a meeting two days ago, a priest-friend of mine asked whether it was me whom he saw on Facebook, commenting on a post made by another priest-friend of ours. I answered affirmatively and he asked if I were also playing Farm Ville. Haha! So he thinks that everyone is on Farm Ville ha. I told him that I am a retired player of Facebook games. I told him that FB-ing takes much of my precious online time. And he agreed! These days, I just check on what’s happening with my friends’ lives (yeah, I am still nosey!) leave comments or click “like” and then logs off. Or stay logged in while doing my tasks. But that’s just it.

I have been tempted to click my Bejewelled Blitz icon for several days now but like what I tell Kaje, I refrain from doing so because once I start, I might not be able to stop! Haha! Talk about self-control. :p

But I am very amazed at how people utilize Facebook to inform and extend help to the victims of typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana). There were some irritants, of course. But that’s part of life, as always. Let’s just focus on being optimistic and find ways to make this world a better place for all of us.

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A Day of Resting

I woke up today feeling a little bit ill. I had been suffering from a migraine attack since yesterday and a slight fever too. My stomach was bad as well. Since I have low tolerance for pain and unproductive when sick, I sent an SMS to our secretary telling her about my predicament and that I can’t report for work. She replied advising me take some rest and see a doctor. My tummy ache might mean something and I might want to consider taking bowtrol, she says. I asked her what bowtrol is and she told me to that it’s a colon cleanser. Yikes. Thankfully, it was just a stomach ache that subsided after a few visits to the comfort room. Haha!

Anyways, I spent the morning sleeping. I even dreamed that DH and DD went shopping and just arrived home. But it was just a dream so I felt sad when I woke up and realized it. The medicines took effect around mid-afternoon so I was able to get up and put away the laundry. Folding them is another thing and I hope to do them tomorrow. Wish me luck!

It’s DD’s sports festival at school by the way. She belongs to white team which is good because they are required to wear a shirt according to their team’s color. She has no red shirt, only one yellow and one orange. So, go white! :)

Anyway, tomorrow’s Friday and I think I can manage to report for work. I was supposed to attend an emergency meeting with the boss and some student leaders this afternoon. I don’t know what it was all about. I will find out tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!

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The Egg Test

You Are Eggs Over Easy

You have good taste and high standards. You are very detail oriented, and you know what you want in life. When everything is in its place and things are as they should be, you can finally relax. You may seem like the kind of person who has things come easy for you, but it's all an illusion. You work hard to make your life perfect, and part of this perfection is making things look effortless.

What Kind of Eggs Are You?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

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