In My Bedroom

Things to take note of for anyone who plan to sleep over:

1. I sleep on the right side of the bed, next to the sidetable where the phone, the router, the glass of water, and the scissors are (in case of a night invasion of zombies and/or aliens and/or robbers)

2. The window blinds always have to be angled upward instead of downard because I like waking up seeing the rays of sunlight on the ceiling (where my glow in the dark stars are). 

3. When you feel the need to use the loo in the middle of the night when all the lights are turned off and the room is pitch black, you have to tread carefully because you never know what you might step on (like shoes or, um, deodorant).

4. You have to learn to sleep on one side of the bed because the other side is filled with gadgets, clothes, bags, eyeglasses, remote controls, and other random whathaveyous (they keep me company, I get scared lonely sleeping alone in a big bed).

and lastly,
5. While inside the premises, you are not allowed to say anything derogatory about Fall Out Boy, Bugsy the shih tzu, my cooking ability, and my boobs (my room, my world).

That is all, thank you!

The King and I

Now that we're on to the fifth day of the new year, the holiday cheer has almost dissipated. There might still be some tinsel hanging around the house, scraps of Christmas ham to dispose of and a ton of holiday pictures to sort but in general, we've all gone back to the daily grind.

And although I've been back to work for a couple of days, I still find myself slipping into a holiday mood once in a while. When this happens, I fire up the browser and start clicking away, looking for fun reads I can find in random alleyways of the Intarwebz. I almost always just end up spending hours on end numbing my brain and chuckling at lolcats on sites like I Can Has Cheezburger?.

..and I find funnehs liek this. ~_~

Today though, I stumbled on something that has piqued my interest. Perhaps it's because it's a topic that I've had many discussions about in the past. I find that my belief becomes stronger with each discussion I have. In fact, the more debates I participate in, the more research I do, and the more experiences I encounter, I'm more convinced that there is no such thing they call "god".

Believers of a deity, are you ready to charge at me with fire and the condoms that you so detest? Before you do so, let me finish my story.

What prompted me to write today is this guy named Bruce who recently started a project he calls The King and I. While others do a yearly project chronicling one personal picture a day, his project 365 is to read a section of the bible everyday. It's a common project for most but the good thing about this one is that the blog also encourages people to actually understand the content they read and facilitate a healthy discussion among readers, both believers and non-believers are welcome to join in.

*sighs*

In an attempt to understand faith a little bit more, I've decided to follow in his footsteps. Although I'm a few days late, I've downloaded the Logos Bible on the iPod and will start from there.

Devotees that I encounter (who also swear by the bible) explain everything from grand gestures to the minutest details in their life to be caused by the supreme being they believe in. That's just silly. See, I'm not a science buff, nor do the intricacies of technology particularly interest me but what I do know and believe in is that everything has an explanation (and no, it's not God).

An earthquake happens in Chile! Nope, it isn't because the Lord Almighty is angry and wants to punish his people for whatever sin it is that they committed. It happened because the rocks under the earth moved. Science explains things for you. You slipped and broke your hip! Nah, God doesn't want you to rethink your faith, it's because you're clumsy.

A few nutsos believers of the Bible say that judgment day is on May 21, 2011 and the end of the world will be on October 21, 2011 (amazing how they have exact dates, eh?). It's a little difficult to take them seriously becuase they're also saying that if they're still here after the said dates, it doesn't mean their belief is wrong, it just means that they were not "saved". I mean, come on.

It's things like this that make me skeptical of religion and faith to the point of being almost an agnostic. Despite the absurdity of some beliefs, I try to keep an open mind and take in as much information as I can. And this is why starting today until the end of the year (or the world, whichever comes first), I'll start reading the King James Bible one section at a time.

You can-
o download the iPod/iPhone version of the Logos Bible here
o read more about the 2011 end of the world here
o join discussions and prove your faith at The King and I here

Without Words

Dear Brandy,

It's been more than two months since you've gone on and I can't say I've moved on already. We have a new dog in the house and his name is Bugsy, he's quite the rascal but I bet you'd have liked his company. You'd have enjoyed having someone to play with that's just as hyperactive as you were. It would have been a riot.

I miss you, puppy dearest. Today I was just thinking of your last days on earth. That night, when I arrived at the clinic where you were confined, you mustered up enough energy to stand up when you saw me, wagging your little tail weakly, surprising the vet because you had not stood up willingly for them during the day.

You liked fishies!

The people at the clinic said you stayed curled up in the corner of the cage, not paying them any mind even when they were trying to comfort you, completely ignoring the food that you used to gobble up in minutes not two days before. You were weak, the dextrose was your only lifeline. But you stood up and wagged your tail for me, silently telling me that you didn't want to be there.

I scooped you in my arms, carefully working around the needle on your small leg. We stayed in that position for a long while and I was stroking your head, your back, your little paws, whispering that you'll be better.

And then I needed to leave because they were closing, to my surprise, you pushed your weak body as hard as you could to that nook of my arm you loved burying your nose into whenever you were on my lap. Without words, you told me not to leave you in that dark cold room for the night, alone and in pain. But I did. I went home and thought leaving you there would be for the best. There were people who could monitor how you were doing in the middle of the night and call for the vet in case anything drastic happened. 

You had such a cheeful face :)

You had your first seizure right before I left, in the cage. I panicked and frantically asked the vet what should be done. He calmly said that seizures would really happen because of the malfunction in your kidney. I was ignorant and didn't press on for further action because you seem to have calmed down after a while and the vet seemed sure that it was a normal reaction and we should just let it pass.

I left you there in the hopes that you would get better and that they can take care of you better than I could. I tossed and turned that night, worrying about what might happen during the dark of the night. Warning bells were clanging in my head, telling me that there was something amiss.

Always curious

The next morning, I called the clinic right when they opened so I can ask about how you were. I was horrified when they told me you've been having seizures since before dawn, the intervals getting shorter with each one and the vet got in just five minutes before my call. You didn't recognize me anymore though I called out your name and looked into your glazed eyes. I had no choice but to agree to put you down because you were in much pain.

There are so many "should haves" that night. I should have rushed you to a better pet hospital with better equipment and compassionate veterinarians who might have taken a more aggressive approach to your situation the night before. Rather than you having to endure your pain in a dark room by yourself, your designated watchers just letting you have seizure after seizure without notifying anybody, it might even have been better if I just took you home and kept watch over you and hugged you tight when the pain was unbearable. I know I should have. I feel guilty and helpless every time I remember.

Missed forever

Brandy, I'm still heartbroken that you're gone forever. I miss your happy face, inquisitive eyes and perennially wagging tail. All your life, you brought me nothing but joy; I'm sorry that because of me, you had to go painfully. You couldn't say what was hurting you then, you couldn't say what you wanted. But without words, you tried to. And in many words, although it won't bring you back, here I am telling you that I'm sorry.

Love,

Your human

I Need A Job / How To Write A Good Article

Kids, having a job isn't as fun as you think it is. Yes, you would have cash to call your own and you can spend it the way you want to. While your pupils have morphed themselves into dollar signs and all you can hear now is kaching-kaching-kaching, I'm sorry to have to break your greedy happy little bubble.

There's one thing your fantasy forgot to show your cute little brain. Honey, it won't be all about parties, booze, and all the ice cream you want. In the real world, besides the fun stuff, you would also need to spend on the boring but essential "adult" things in life like rent (boo!), electricity (boo!), and water (boo!), among many other things (bigger boo!). Sorry, guys.

In line with this, I'm looking to get Job #2. Why? I'm old and I have bills that need paying. Because Job #1 ensures that most of my day is filled up, what I'm really looking for is a sideline. One of the jobs I applied for required an entry with an article based on their given topic.

I know I'm not the best writer in town (my grammar's shitty) but I spent a good few hours putting my thoughts in writing. So for posterity's sake, here's what I spat out- 

Paalala

Ito ay naisulat para sa mga taong higit pa kay Willie Revillame kung umasta. Sa mga taong kinauukulan, sana'y magsilbi itong paalala. Maari po lamang na itatak ninyo sa inyong mga lumobong ulo ang mga sumusunod na pahayag.

Una, ang pagiging bihasa sa wikang banyaga ay hindi sapat na dahilan upang inyong isipin na kayo ay nakalalamang sa iba. 

Ang paggamit ng ibang lenguahe ay karagdagang kasanayan lamang na maaaring makatulong sa iyong hanapbuhay o pang araw araw na gawain. Hindi ito sapat na basehan ng kagalingan o katalinuhan.

Pangalawa, ang ganitong pagiisip ay nagpapakita ng kamangmangan.

Kung sa iyong palagay ay dapat isamba ang marunong ng salitang banyaga at liitin ang mga hindi bihasa, ikaw ay nagkakamali sa pagpili ng idolo. Kagaya ng nasabi ko sa aking unang pahayag, kailanman ay hindi ito basehan ng kagalingan.

Pangatlo, ang pangmamaliit sa kapwa sa kadahilanang hindi sya bihasa sa salitang banyaga ay ugaling dapat kasuklaman.

Sabihin natin na ikaw ay mahilig manood ng mga palabas na banyaga kung saan ginagamit ang ibang lenguahe at sa iyong palagay ay bihasa ka na sa paggaya sa kanilang pananalita. Hindi ito sapat na dahilan upang isiping ikaw ay mas nakahihigit sa iba.

~o~

Marahil ay hindi tuwid ang aking pagiisip at maikli ang aking pisi sa araw na ito. Gayon pa man, ito ang aking mensahe sa lahat ng maarte, mayabang, at mapangliit sa kapwa: Nawa'y alalahanin ninyo ang tinuro ng inyong mga magulang nung kayo ay musmos pa. O kung hindi naman, sana ay isaisip na ang karunungan sa salitang banyaga ay hindi dahilan upang magmalaki. Kung hindi pa rin, sana'y kunin nalang kayo ni Lord.

The Early Worm Gets Eaten By The Bird

As expected, having a new puppy in the house has made me change my daily routine. My day now starts 2-3 hours earlier than it used to.

My schedule before Bugsy went like this:
08:00am - Wake up and lounge around
08:30am - Eat breakfast
09:00am - Get sucked into the vortex that is the Internet
10:30am - Get ready for work
11:00am-8:00pm - Work
09:00pm - Eat dinner
10:00pm - Get sucked into the vortex that is the Internet

These days, because Bugsy the pup wakes up at about five in the morning, he needs to be let out to do his poopie puppy business by 6am. Yes, 6 frickin' am. (Dear Reader, I haven't been up that early since that one semester in college when I had a 7am class. And that was seven years ago.)

My schedule now:
06:00am - Wake up and bring Bugsy out to do his morning business
06:30am - Give Bugsy breakfast/Eat breakfast
07:30am - Play with Bugsy/Bugsy's towel bath
08:30am - Get ready for work
09:30am-07:00pm - Work
08:00pm - Give Bugsy dinner/Eat dinner
09:00pm - Bring Bugsy out to do his evening business
09:30pm - Play with Bugsy/Bugsy's towel bath
10:00pm - Get sucked into the vortex that is the Internet

The first couple of times, I tried to sleep in for another hour to see if he could hold it in just a tiny bit longer. Having a bladder that is possibly smaller than my pinky finger, the little pup couldn't. Bugsy had a 'nice' little accident on the floor right by the entrance to my room.

Since then, I've forced myself to get up and bring him out right when I wake up. Surprisingly, the earlier schedule isn't as bad as I initially thought it was. I've gotten used to the earlier schedule and I'm starting to like getting things done earlier than usual. Although this lively little ball of fur wakes me up at ungodly hours of the morning and keeps me up late at night, I still think he's nothing short of adorable. <3

Bugsy at 11 weeks

Puppy Love

Just last week, a nine-week old baby Shih Tzu doggie became the cutest member of my household. On his first day in his new home, the puppy was timid, shy, and overly scared of loud noises- he cried out and hid in shadowy corners when he heard a louder-than-your-normal-speaking-voice noise.

Shy little puppy

By nighttime, he was less scared and started to sniff around and play with Moo, his stuffed cow. The little bugger kept me up all night by trying to jump on the bed, whining for attention, and having little puppy accidents all over the place.

"I win this round, Mr. Moo!" -baby Bugsy

I wanted to call him Teddy the first night because he looked like a cute little teddy bear when he was sitting down. But on his second day, he overcame his shyness and became the little rascal that he truly is. By morning he was running around his play area, gobbling up his food down to the last kibble, enjoying getting his tummy rubbed (I found his ticklish spot!), and playfully nipping toes (I'm still trying to make him learn that this particular game isn't cute).

Bugsy likes his new name

Since then, the little bugger has been christened with the (fitting) name Bugsy- a name he seems to like as well. The second night was much better for little Bugsy and me. Although he had a couple of weewee accidents, they were understandable because he's only nine weeks old (puppies of that age can only hold their pee in for about 2 hours or so) and had just spent two days in his new home. What's amazing was that he slept through the night and pooped outside the following morning.

Bugsy is a curious little doggie

Now, he's like an energetic two-year-old human baby. He's teething (he has only eight teeth) and likes chewing on toy bones and his teether toys (although his favorite "toy" to massage his gums with are my favorite pink slippers -_-). He's also currently practicing to pounce, leaping as high as he can to land on top of his chosen toy (usually Moo, the stuffed cow).

No more weewee accidonts by the third night!

Three days in, he has learned to pee on his doggie pad (which is actually an adult diaper pad) and has almost learned that pooping should be done outside and outside only. He just had one poopy-related accident since the first night (this is a feat because the pup poops six times a day)!

Bugsy, I wish you had met Brandy

We're going to see the vet this weekend for Bugsy's third round of vaccines and I hope things go well. I get worried because I've been researching pet care online and have read too many horror stories of little puppies getting very sick and not making it (the Internet is evil for things like this). In the meantime, Bugsy is a bouncing ball of furry fluff that has taken possession of my heart (and my favorite pink slippers -_-). <3

Shared Laughter

About five minutes ago, I found out I've been assigned to a new task at work. The document says my investigation should have started last week, lulz. What does that have to do with this entry? Nada! Nothing at all. Ain't that nice? Here's today's garbage, care of yours truly:

Shared Laughter
 
"Knock, knock.", I say
"Who's there?", you ask me
"There once was a man and a woman", I start
You laugh, I laugh, we laugh!

"What's so funny?", they ask us
I look at you, you look at me
We burst out laughing until we can't breathe
We don't know why either

"What happened to the otter who jumped in the pool", you ask me
I furrow my brow and go, "What?"
Eyes twinkling, you say, "I don't know, that's why I was asking!"
I giggle, you chuckle, we can't stop laughing!

"That's not funny at all!", they scoff at us
You shrug, I shrug, we shrug
"It's funny to us.", you say and I nod
They shake their heads and we just keep laughing.