I used to like the History channel. They have really informative shows and through it I get glimpses of the history of this country I am living right now and a lot of other things. What irks me is that it is the start of the new year yet they are featuring a week long series about the end of the world. With analysis on how it will happen and when and excerpts from supposed predictions made by Nostradamus and other psychics. They are showing it every night and the husband watches it. Urgh! The new year is supposed to be faced with optimism and good vibe and when you listen to the crap they are saying on television, it makes a person's optimism vanish. I know I am not supposed to get affected and take everything at face value. After all, nobody really knows but Him when everything ends. But when you watch a channel for straight nights with all that gloom being repeated all the time, you will understand what I am yapping about here. Hays, I have to hide the remote so the husband will not watch this sh*t while this is being aired. I would rather watch Ugly Betty and have fun than worry about what might happen to the world. It is something we don't have control over so there is no sense in even trying to decipher what is going to happen. Or so I think :)

I have a huge zit on my temple! I can't believe I am making an issue about it but it is getting bigger by the minute. And try as I hard not to touch it, I can't help myself. It hurts too when I touch it. I seldom have zits anymore ever since I got married but when I was working I was plagued with the biggest and annoying zits you can ever find in a person's face. And I am not kidding. It was awful. I tried different creams and facial wash to clear it up but it only made things worse. I still have the scars to prove it but I am hoping these will go away using the right cream. Perhaps time will help to clear the scars away. At the time, I was working on shift and then I decided to have my hair relaxed. The medicine used to relax my hair acted as another irritant and you can just imagine what happened next. But anyway, I am way past that now. Or so I thought. I hope this annoying zit will go away without leaving a mark.

I have a friendster account but I have not visited it for about a week now ever since I noticed that there was something out of the ordinary happening in there. I don't want my computer to get any virus or anything that will harm it. The last time I opened my account, an antivirus ad popped up and advised me to download it so I can be protected from virus threats and whatnots online. I have heard of a number of people whose computers were infected and they had to spend money to reformat their computers. I don't want the hassle so I am staying away from friendster for now. I hope the management will be able to clean it up and make the system clean again. I missed visiting the site because I have a lot of friends in there but it is not worth taking the risk. There are still friends I know who are visiting the site regularly but their computers are doing good though. But Poray will just lie low from friendster and concentrate on her myspace account :)

I talked to a cousin who is now living in Australia the other night. She is pregnant with her second child and she joked that she may be having a 15 pound baby the way her tummy is so huge. Friends are calling her Big Mommy for that. I will not be surprised if her second baby will be big since her first was a ten pound baby and to think it was a girl. She sounded happy but she told me she could not wait to give birth because she is uncomfortable all the time. I remember what it was like and I had a six pound baby, way too small compared to hers. Her friends organized a baby shower for her so they do not have to buy anything else. But I think I can offer her a gift she might be grateful for in the long run. And this is to enroll her online at <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=29831&amp;url=http://www.cryo-cell.com/current_offers/turnbacktime999landingpage.asp" rel="nofollow">Cryo-Cell</a> so she can have her baby's cord blood stored for future use. I regret I did not do this when I gave birth but I did not know of the procedure then and nobody really told me beforehand so I could have thought about it. Knowing now that storing cord blood can be beneficial to a child, I want her to have this gift. Perhaps when I get pregnant again I will do this too for the sake of my children. Thankfully, <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=29831&amp;url=http://www.cryo-cell.com/gift/" rel="nofollow">Cryo-Cell</a> has a promotional code (D995) I can use by midnight of today, December 24th, so I can avail of a huge discount of $725! I only have to pay $995 for processing, testing, and first year storage. I think this is a good deal considering what it can do in her daughter's future health. If you happen to know anybody who is pregnant, tell them about this good offer from Cryo-Cell and tell them to act fast since this offer expires tonight at midnight. Give the gift of life.<br /><a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=29831&amp;url=http://www.cryo-cell.com/current_offers/turnbacktime999landingpage.asp" rel="nofollow"> </a><br /><map name="map2113"><area href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/disclosure?slot_id=29831&amp;url=http://www.cryo-cell.com/current_offers/turnbacktime999landingpage.asp" shape="rect" coords="0,0,206,45" rel="nofollow"><area href="http://socialspark.com/code_of_ethics" shape="rect" coords="207,0,225,45" rel="nofollow"></map>

We went to the mall last night for our last minute shopping. The husband wanted to go to buy presents for the grand kids and his son. He spent a considerable amount of money just for three people but I can tell he was happy. He personally chose what he will give his son and we even went to a nice store just for it. I did not have any problems with it since I love to window shop though he told me to get whatever I like. I ended up buying a top which is not suitable for the cold season at all, lol. It was pretty and so I decided to get it. Maybe I can wear it come summer. I modeled it for him last night and he liked it which made me feel a lot better since it was expensive for a little piece of cloth. The little man got more toys (again!). This is the first Christmas where his father bought these many toys and both are happy about it. We tried to hide the toys from him and his reaction was so funny. We also put up the tree last night and I was surprised it did not take long to do. The tree looks so pretty and so far the little man is trying his best to leave it alone. I still have to wrap his presents later when he takes his nap and I hope I will be able to finish wrapping everything before he wakes up. I thought the husband will wrap the presents but he delegated it to me. I don't how it will go because I am not good at wrapping presents, only at tearing wrappers apart :D

<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WlBl9mSSqdY/SU-qiWSxRoI/AAAAAAAAARY/ly4bLPkDT1Q/s1600-h/dbSwankCognac_FrontT.jpg"> are a beauty. They even have boots and flats. I browsed the site earlier and I am drawn to it. I might go back and find another reason to buy another pair of shoes. The husband sometimes complain about the number of shoes a girl should have but men don't understand us, do they? They don't know that for a certain dress, a girl has to have the perfect shoes. And if it means buying a new pair even if you have hundreds in the closet, a girl will. As simple as that. Or as the budget allows. I am not particular of the brand or the price. What I aim for are the look and comfortability. I drooled at the shoes (and purses) on display at the stores yesterday when we went shopping but we already spent a lot of money so I will wait until we are financially ready to buy me a new pair of sandals. For now I will contend myself to just browsing online and window shopping.

This is not a Christmas wish, lol. I admit I am not a girly girl but there are things I have to have in order to look presentable in public. When I got married, the husband bought me my first make up kit. Yes, he had to to do it because his wife kept on stalling. He brought me to a nice salon/store where somebody from the store actually picked out the necessary items like liquid lipstick, face powder, mascara, foundation, the works! The person who helped me with my purchase even taught me how to use the stuff he chose for me. Well, I only used the lipstick and the foundation and nothing else. And only when we have to be around people on special occasions. I don't like to put anything on my face because I don't like to retouch plus my face itches after just an hour or so with all the make up on. Besides, I don't really look good in it anyway, lol. But it has been three years since that day and I desperately need to buy new ones. We might go back to the same store though I am not sure when. I only have to say the word and I know the husband will bring me there right away but I am not ready to go anywhere just yet. I know I also need a haircut but I think it can wait. Maybe we can go early next year when it is not too cold. Or if I remember :D

I posted <a href="http://porayz.blogspot.com/2008/11/it-is-on-its-way.html">here</a> about expecting tagalog pocketbooks from Manila and I am happy to report that I got it a little while ago. After weeks of waiting, I finally have the books and I can't wait to start reading. I promised myself I will only read one book a day. It will be hard to do given that I used to be able to finish about ten to fifteen of these in one sitting but I will try my best. It came at a good time too since I am on my last english paperback here. Wonder how the husband will react when he sees the books? He was skeptical about the books arriving on our doorstep and yet here they are now. I will these to him when he gets home so he can see what I have been spending money on, lol.

Tomorrow I will go to the doctor for my appointment. I am on the last pack of the pill and I need to get new prescription for another year. I was told to undergo pap smear again because it is an annual thing. It will be uncomfortable as hell but I have no choice. It is for my own benefit anyway. I am sure it will not take too long and it will be another year before I will have to do it again. I hate going to the doctor for stuff like this but it is a must. We don't want to get pregnant again until the little man is old enough to mind us. He is a handful right now and I don't think I will be able to take good care of two kids without help from the husband. Unless Mamsy is here to help me out. And since that is impossible at the moment, we will go ahead and go to the clinic first thing tomorrow morning.<br /><br />Update:<br />The doctor only did the pelvic exam on me. She explained that since I am under thirty and there were no problems with the last two years of the papsmear done on me, I am allowed to have it at every two years interval. I was happy. The pelvic exam may have been uncomfortable but it was bearable and did not take long.

The last time we sent a box to Leyte, an aunt asked if I could send her facial cream she can use to get rid of her wrinkles. I spent a few days looking for the right product at the time. When I found it, I included it in the box much to her delight. When the box got there, she took the cream right away because she was afraid her older sister will get it when she knows. These two have been using anti-wrinkle creams ever since I can remember. I cannot blame them. One is in her sixties and the other is in her fifties and their husbands are younger. And both are teachers who regularly associates with other people. They said they have to look their best all the time.<br /><br />Have I known about <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=28161&amp;url=http://www.dermalastyl.com/?a=izea" rel="nofollow">Dermalastyl</a> before we sent the box, I could have bought this for them. I visited the website and what I have read so far impressed me. It may be more expensive than what I sent my aunt but if it works better then it is worth it. It supplements the elastin level in the skin and is said to reduce the appearance of existing wrinkles and help prevent the onset of new wrinkles. Perhaps I will get Dermalastyl for my aunts the next time we send a box. They will be happy about it for sure. I wondered if this was solely for women and realized that there is Dermalastyl for men. The husband is worried about his wrinkles. He said he looks older and uglier which I disagree. But I know he does not believe me. This should be a good Christmas present for him. I know in a few years I will need to use facial cream too. I am open to whatever will help me achieve youthful looking skin. For now, I will let my aunt (and my husband) try the product first and see the result. If the cream works then I will consider it for future use. Thank goodness for creams. Botox is too scary for me. Not to mention expensive.<br /><br /><map name="map1946"><area shape="RECT" coords="0,0,206,45" href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/disclosure?slot_id=28161&amp;url=http://www.dermalastyl.com/?a=izea" rel="nofollow"><area shape="RECT" coords="207,0,225,45" href="http://socialspark.com/code_of_ethics" rel="nofollow"></map>

I am sore all over. I have a bad headache. I have been sneezing like crazy. I am so tired and sleepy. Yes, I am sick. When the husband got home I told him I might need him to give me a massage to loosen up my muscles to make me feel better. He told me to take medicine but I am not sure what I feel right now. All I know is that I feel miserable. Whatever this is, I hope the boys will not get it. I don't want them to be miserable like I am right now. I will try to go to bed early and hope this will be gone in the morning. I had a feeling this will happen when I haven't been sleeping good for the last few nights. Well, I have to make sure I will get better so the husband will not worry about me. Besides, we don't want the little man to get sick. How I wish Mamsy is here to take care of her little girl.

The week before Thanksgiving I was already excited. I thought about the sales and discounts the stores will offer and given the chance I would have liked to look for good deals. But <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=27159&amp;url=http://connect.charter.com/landing/cpg/learnmore_PPC.asp?ID=197&OriginatingID=420136" rel="nofollow">black friday</a> came and went and I did not get to go anywhere since the husband was at work. I did not feel left out though. It is because I did not really want to buy anything. Which was actually a good thing because I have read really bad news on that day. It made me think I was lucky I was at home safe and comfortable. I have found out too that it was not only the malls which have sales and good deals. There were online stores which were open and I even ordered books for the little man which I hope will get here in a week. A long wait but then we are not in a hurry. Back to online black friday deals, do you know that there is an even better one at the Charter Communications website? Charter Communications offers high quality communication services such as internet, cable television, and telephone service. They are offering the best deal of the year. How it works is, if you will avail of any of their services you will get gift cards of values from $25 to $150. And if you get their ultimate bundle services you will get $250 gift card and a chance to win an X-Box 360 game console. So if you are looking for the best online holiday deal, why not check out Charter. This is one good deal you should not let pass. Think about it.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center">

We were on our way to the interstate when we pass houses with Christmas decorations and lights. I instantly have this yearning to experience <em>paskong pinoy</em> but I didn't tell the husband about it. I don't want him to think that I don't feel complete being here with him. It is just that I can't help remembering what Christmas was like where I came from. True, we did not have any material gifts much but it was still fun and loud and everybody was involved, it seemed like. Even if money was scarce, everybody tried hard to find ways to buy food they can put in the table for the <em>noche buena</em>, that is Christmas eve. The day before, if we had the money and with our parents permission, we buy firecrackers to make a lot of noise when the clock struck twelve midnight. We used to go from house to house, asking what our relatives were going to serve on their table. If we thought there was enough for the family, we usually went home with our hands full. Those were good times and I will always cherish it in my heart. I asked the husband that if we have the resources I want to spend Christmas in the Philippines and he said yes. We don't know when it will happen, maybe years from now. But I will have something to look forward to. For now, I will concentrate on making our Christmases better here. Perhaps I can start a tradition for my Filipino-American family where I will incorporate both tradition to come up with a better one. I love Christmas here with my new family and I am grateful for every Christmas we spend together. Only, it is not as loud as what I am used to :)

Did you rush to the stores yesterday for good deals? If not, here is your chance to avail of a post Black Friday sale. Nikonhunting.com is offering the <a href="http://www.nikonhunting.com/black-friday-promotion.html">Nikon Ultimate Hunter's Package Promo</a> which contains the following high quality items:<br />-ProStaff 3-9x40 Riflescope with BDC Reticle<br />-ProStaff Laser Rangefinder<br />-Silent Technology Rangefinder Case<br />-Mastering a Long-range shot with BDC DVD<br />and<br />-$50 NikonProGear Gift Card<br /><br />This promo is good for hunters who are in the lookout for high quality hunting gears. And to complete your gear, you can avail of Nikon's $20 off on Nikon Action Extreme ATB 10x50 Binoculars. The essence of black Friday is for people to buy what they want at low prices. Here is your chance to do it, so grab it now. There are a lot of good deals going on so you have to head on over to Nikonhunting.com to get the ultimate hunting gear.<br /><p align="center">

I posted about the husband having a long weekend but it is not going to happen. They are swamped at work so their employer asked them to work on Friday. It is a bummer but then it is work so he has to do it. At least today he is off work and his employers gave him a gift card on one of the stores. That in itself is something to be grateful for.<br /><br />We woke up early because the little man snuggled between us and didn't stay still. And we had to run the cooker to the step-daughter's house so she can use it to cook ham. The husband wanted to get oysters for his son-in-law's parents but it is high tide. I should say thank goodness, lol. I don't really want him to do it. Getting oysters is a lot of hard work and time consuming. And that doesn't even include cleaning and steaming. Well, mother nature is with me on this one. Of course it doesn't mean he will not do it later but then hopefully not. If they really want to have oysters we all can go to the crab shack.

The husband's teenage son is bent on owning a motorcycle. That is despite his father telling him to stick to car first because there is no way he could pay for two vehicles every month. We are paying his insurance as it is. But he is adamant and he is of age so we can't really help much but let him have his way. He is into motorcycles and <a href="http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/">motorcycle parts</a> right now. I won't be surprised if he will come home one day with helmets and other paraphernalia needed to ride a motorcycle. If he can have his way I am sure he will be running to his mother's house to get the bike they offered to give him for a price. As it is, he is still saving and trying to make sure his father is good on his decision. Won't do him any good if he cross his father. I hope he knows what he wants.<br />

The husband will have a long weekend and I am anticipating it. We probably will not be doing much but the fact that he will be with us all day to do what we please will be pure bliss. It also means we don't have to wake up early in the mornings and we can pretty much go wherever we want as long as he is not busy fixing the monster that is a Wagoneer in the garage. Anyway, I want us to go back to Myrtle Beach for some reason. I know it is cold and all but still, I want to go. Is it the food? The ambiance? Or maybe the husband's love for the place has rubbed on to me? Whatever it is, I like MB now. Maybe because there aren't that many people anymore and ocean front rooms are really cheap.<br /><br />Since we are invited to spend Thanksgiving with the husband's daughter, I am anticipating what she will fix. I am sure it will be purely american dish but I can live with that. I just have to remind her to not throw the turkey wings and legs. She wastes them, you see. She only eats white meat and that is not what I like. Hopefully we will have a happy thanksgiving and the kids will behave.

If you are my friend or you read my blogs occasionally I am pretty sure you know that I have weight problems which originated on my third trimester of pregnancy. Friends said I will get rid of the flabby tummy gradually after I gave birth. I had a high hope for that but realized a few months later that it just does not work that way to everybody. Do you want to know why? Well, instead of my tummy getting back in shape, it sagged. What is worse, I kept on gaining weight. Not good at all. I have tried on my own ways to get rid of this problem but I am still struggling. I seriously need help. I want to have my old tummy back because even though it was not flat it certainly was decent. Perhaps I need to get on new regimens like this <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=26106&amp;url=http://buzz.prevention.com/community/flatbellydiet/the_diet_everyone_is_talking_about.html" rel="nofollow">Flat Belly Diet</a> that is the craze right now. Boy, do I want to have a flat belly so I can wear decent clothes and not the usual one size bigger to hide the sagging skin and fat. Good thing it is winter yet, I can pretend the bulge in my belly area is due to the layered clothes. Pretty ingenious huh? But then it will not be winter forever. In a few months it will start to get warmer and the husband will be dragging us to the beach. I need to get into a regimen which will help me tone down the fats in my tummy area. I will be a very happy (and hot) mama if this works on me.<br /><br /><p align="left"></p><br /><p align="center">

I got a call from my parents last night telling me that the dried fish I requested have been mailed. Now I only have to wait two more weeks and I will be able to taste my favorite viand. Yes, I consider dried fish as a viand instead of an appetizer. Why, I can have it for any meal with just rice and a glass of water and I will be full like I am being served with steak in a fine restaurant. And no, that is not an exaggeration. Anyway, I am anticipating its arrival. Any day this week the books that I asked a friend to mail from Manila should be here too. I will have early Christmas presents and I love it. I will share pictures when I get the goods :)

Christmas is all about giving and sharing not just for family members but for people who need help. It is about making few people, most especially kids, happy for the holidays. Just like <a href="http://www.christmasforpayatas.com/">Christmas For Payatas</a> is aiming to do. Payatas, a landfill in the Philippines, is where kids and adults go to scavenge for food and other valuables. These people are dirt poor and are lucky if they will have anything to eat for the holidays much less on a daily basis. I have heard of campaigns and drives to help people in Payatas and being a Filipino myself, watched documentaries so I have an idea what it is like. I grew up poor too but it is nothing compared to what the kids are going through in this place. It is a place littered with people trying to survive and I am sure every little help will be appreciated. The organization is trying to raise money to help people have a merry Christmas in Payatas. If you have a little amount you can give, it will be very much appreciated. Make a few people happy. They have a video in youtube which is posted in their site as well. You can watch the organization's plight to help a lot of people in Payatas. Let us all chip in to make somebody happy this Christmas.<br /><br /><strong>Press Release:</strong><br /><br />The landfill in Payatas, The Philippines, is notoriously known the world over as Smokey Mountain. For over 35 years, the smoking dump site has grown to become a stark and heart-tugging reminder of the desperate onditions of humanity.<br /><br />On a daily basis, children pick through newly arrived garbage to collect material to sell. The earnings made by one child are not enough to even buy food for the day. Hence, entire families are forced to climb the mountain each day, hoping to earn enough to feed everyone. Children as young as four years old are forced to work in this daily struggle for survival.<br /><br />In response to the plight of these children, Totedaddy.com is working with Lighthouse Center For Children Foundation to bring a little cheer to the children this Christmas.<br /><br />Totedaddy.com has kicked off with a cash sponsorship of USD 10,000 to enable the children to celebrate Christmas. FusionExcel International has also pitched in a USD 5,000 in cash sponsorship. The money raised will help fund the projects already in place, and help fund additional projects aimed at providing better housing, and a means of livelihood for the Payatas community.<br /><br />It is hoped that by creating better awareness to the plight of these children, more support can be garnered towards their betterment. Together we can bury poverty!<br />

I asked my parents if they can send me dried fish again just like last time. I like dried fish so much. In fact I have bought more dried fish here than when I was in Manila but the problem is the taste is different. Fresh dried fish is way better than the vacuum packed ones especially if the latter has been shipped (possibly frozen) thousands of miles. They said they will try to find the kind that I specifically ordered and they will send it here when it is ready. Mailing the dried fish costs more than the prices of the dried fish but I am willing to pay that if the reward is as good as I am used to eating. I hope it will get here without problems just like last time. I don't think I will want to buy any more dried fish from the Asian store since I always end up throwing more than I eat. If I can get my parents to send me some from time to time then I will be happy. Soon I will be enjoying grilled <span style="font-style: italic;">hawol-hawol </span>with rice and maybe some stir-fried vegetables on the side. The anticipation is building, lol.

Have you ever thought about getting a web hosting account for blogs or websites you own? You know that if you have your own web hosting account you can have more freedom to do what you want and not worry about your post being deleted as opposed to free hosting sites. I know that I am lucky not to have paid anything for this blog but I am already thinking about buying my own web hosting when I saved enough. I don't know when it will happen though given the fact that I don't have any savings from my own little income. But I hope to realize that plan in the long run. And make sure that I will keep and maintain it. I have started looking around and for affordable and dependable web hosting company and it lead me to Web Hosting Geek's <a href="http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/">web hosting blog</a> page. There is a lot of information from that page and I plan on reading more for my own benefit. Sure, it won't be until a year or maybe two years before I plan on buying my own web hosting account but I have to make sure I choose the best to get the most value for my money. And since I want another blog on its own domain this time, I need to look for a service which offers <a href="http://webhostinggeeks.com/freedomainnames.html">free domain names</a>. Might as well hit two birds with one stone right? Hopefully I will follow through with the plan and stop worrying if I don't know much about web hosting. I am sure the customer service will be willing to help me out.<br />

There is a new series from GMA network and that is Luna Mystika. It stars Heart Evangelista and my favorite Mark Anthony Fernandez. I have only watched two episodes but I know I will watch more perhaps until the series ends. The support actors are veterans to acting not to mention good-looking. And the story revolves around the Filipino belief of the supernatural beings. It is a step up the usual television series and this is what I normally like for some unpredictability on the story. I am glad they came up with this nice series after Codename: Asero ended. I was a bit upset with the way that one end. There was really not much sense on the story. Perhaps this one is better. I can't wait to see how the story will unfold.