My cousin's birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ATE NEMS!

I am the eldest of two siblings, therefore I don't have an Ate.

On my mother's side, I am the eldest among my cousins.  Therefore, I don't have an Ate.

She's the eldest among the offspring in my father's side.

Therefore, she's my only Ate among the family.  And a very wonderful one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATE NEMS!  Thank you for sharing us all your blessings all these years!  May you have more birthdays and more blessings to come!

Daya's Day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAYA!

I was with Ronnie and Koko the other day

This is the first birthday party I attended since April I discovered that my cancer is back.  It's a good thing that it was two weeks after my down time, and a week or so before my sixth cycle.

Actually, I've been wanting to pose for a picture with a mascot for quite some time.  Not really since I got sick, but even way before that.  I think it started when I was in Dubai and someone offered me another job as a mascot.  If not for the laws in Dubai, I would probably have agreed.  But I was also thinking if a suit would really fit me in because of my size.

Anyway, it's Koko's third birthday.  Koko is my BFF's grandson by her sister, who is also a good friend.  He's three and I've been attending his birthday party since last year.  The only reason that I missed his first was because I was out of the country.

Happy Birthday, Kuya!

Love, Amama, Che & Pinx

A post-birthday celebration with high school friends

I figured that since it had been three weeks since my last cycle, it would be okay if I have my friends over.    They have been wanting to visit for so long.  But circumstances do not allow.  It's either I've just had my chemo cycle or they couldn't make it because of their busy schedules.

So, when one of them sent me a message if they can visit, I told them that it's okay and we agreed that this Saturday will be fine.  (I was actually invited on a dinner birthday party but I declined because of the wound on my toes.)

I don't know how many of them agreed to come - since I didn't know who was organizing the plan, but urgent calls made them backed out the last minute.  I was actually a little disappointed since I was really expecting them.  But it's okay. I understand how busy can one get these days.

So, they are the only ones who made it.  Doc Mench brought a roll and asked me to blow the candles and make a wish. And of course, pancit for long life.  After dinner, we spent the evening talking about other things - poilitics, commercials, tv shows, etc.  

It was actually good seeing them again.

Not much of a choice

So, yesterday was my forty-third.

And I had balloons!!! Yeah!

Well, for me, really, birthday parties aren't complete without balloons.  It makes the place happy and more festive.

But I didn't plan it.

It was a surprise from two friends from the States who conspired with their relatives here to send me balloons.  And together with that went three orders of pancit bihon, and cake.  Of course, pancit bihon goes in line with the Filipino tradition of serving something long for long life.  My friends said they ordered three for long, long, long life when I get well.

But, the not-so-good part of it all is just that I just got out of the hospital from my fourth cycle and I am not to have visitors.  (There it goes again.)

There are some photos on my Tumblr blog here that shows only me.  Yeah, no visitors. Not much of a choice.

But once I get well, there would be.

And I know it would be soon!

XLIII

XLIII, a photo by Che Baldemor on Flickr.

Sister Faynayt

Sister Faynayt, a photo by Che Baldemor on Flickr.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LI'L SIS!

Thank you for the patience and the hard work in taking care of me!

You’ll always be my little sister!

What's Up This Week?

• I was supposed to do this in the morning, but I got half-busy and half-lazy. It was drizzling when I woke up and it's just so inviting to stay in bed longer.
• For this week, I've been busy working entirely on my own. But I'm glad to know that the moment I asked for some friends' help, they are very happy to support my new project.
• My new project is www.lagunalife.org. Please visit the site. A comment would be appreciated. Sharing it to your other friends will really make me smile to the max. Thank you!
• I never believed that Santa Clause really exists, until I was older.
• I just submitted my third article on this get-paid-to-write thing. And the site will be in hiatus next week. I guess the reviewers got sleepy reading my article.
• I need to learn to put this quote into practice: "Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubts." ~ Mark Twain
• I'm really sorry if you kept on seeing changes in the website. But right now, I assure you, this will stay for long because I am now satisfied with the way it looks. I hope you are, too, dear reader.
• I learned that the english term for our local 'calamansi' is musk lime. If you're a late-bloomer like me, now you know, too!
• Did you know that Martin and Gracia Burnham lived in Malaybalay, Bukidnon for eight years? Now, you do.
• I was surfing the tv channels and stopped awhile on the 'Living Asia Channel.' I learned that the beautiful Camiguin Island is an island that was formed by a cluster of volcanoes.
• It's only 25 days before the elections. Damn! I can't vote!
• On cameras, all I wanted is a Nikon D40.
• Get this: do you know who Gelay 'Punit' Agustin is? I just couldn't help but notice that in almost every episode of 'Magkaribal' these days, she kept on tearing papers.
• Who the effin' shit has thought of putting all these 'gurangs' in Pilipinas Win na Win? Especially the very rude and R-18 guy, Rico J. Puno. Oh dear, it's a lunchtime show...
• Malware, malware and more malware in those blogs I visit... I'm getting tired of visiting websites these days because of this.
• Do you know that in Batanes, windows and doors are only placed on the three walls of their houses? The only wall that doesn't have a window nor a door is the side that's facing the direction where the typhoons come from.
• Do not believe everything you watch. The next time someone asks you where they can have their fridge repaired, don't tell them what "Pilipinas Win na Win" showed yesterday. When you need to have your fridge repaired, you go to the shop with a sign, "Refrigeration and Air Conditioning," and not in an "Electronics Repairs" shop. Where are the researchers of this show get their results?
• For me, a birthday party is livelier when you have balloons, even if it's the 85th.
• To all celebrators this mont of October, "HAPPY BIRRTHDAY!"

XLII

Yup, that's right.

It's been that long and I'm that old... and happy.

As I've said in my Tumblelog last Sunday:

After all I've been through
I'm glad to be XLII
For those who've been there for the past eight months
I can't thank you enough for being there for me and my family.


You know who you are, people.

Those eight months wouldn't have been easier without you guys.  Those of you who took time out of their busy schedules to pay me a visit, who took a slash out of their loot to bring me some fruits, and whispered a little prayer for me...  'it might not be written nor said, but certainly it is well-remembered.'

A Rare Occasion

My dad's day started early. His friend is scheduled for cataract extraction today and he wants my dad's company. It is no problem for my dad since he is, incidentally, due for his eye check-up today, too.

It's his birthday, too, but we didn't have any plans. We are just set to cook spaghetti for long life, as with every Filipino's tradition.

From the hospital, he called. He was excited to tell us that the check-up was good and that he is just to finish the eye drops and he can go ahead and have his eye glasses fitted. He can now also do those things that were not allowed after the procedure, and I am sure that he is very excited to go back to swimming - his one and only sport. He was supposed to just leave his friend accompanied by his son-in-law but they didn't want him to leave before them, so, he said that he will wait until his friend was done. He came home stuffed with lunch treat from his friend.

It was after lunch time when we got a text message from one of our two nephews that we took care of when they were kids. He asked if we didn't have any plans and he invited us to dine out when we said we didn't have any.

We ate at Max's and it was a good dinner. When we finally parted ways, I sent him a text message: Thank you for the wonderful dinner. You just don't know what it means to us!

He answered: Wala po 'yon, basta kayo, nanginginig pa!

I laughed as I read the message aloud for my dad to hear. Then after a while, I replied: Ang sarap pala ng feeling pag libre ng apo/pamangkin.

I know you know how it feels. And if you're still young, you'll know by the time you get old.

P.S.
I brought a camera but weren't able to take pictures. Maybe we all were too excited to talk that we totally forgot about it.

November

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ahn Pearl, 6; Verna, 19; Menchie, 19; Ayie, 25; Daya, 26; Daryll, 27

Last Week's Party

Mid-week. During the middle of the week, I confirmed with Mimi that I am planning to go back by November so I called her long distance to tell her to have me booked by the middle of next month. I specified this time because I counted (ooopppsss if I have told you this already) and I don't want my 60-day visa change to fall on that week of Christmas and New Year as I don't want to spend a single day of that week on that depressing island. I would know by Friday if she has already confirmed a flight for me or not. But chances are, I'd be leaving by the second week of November, because she says that we have to avoid the first week to make sure.


Later that day, it was one of my friends' birthday. She's Neneng, my high school best friend's sister, Pinx's high school classmate. Pero if you'll think about it, this history doesn't have anything to do with how we got close. Tipo the friendship doesn't date back to those years pero you still do not discount the fact that it has something to do with how you were tied up by those facts. Well, it was a dinner party with her other set of friends and her close relatives. Actually we were expecting to be home by midnight which was usually the case during birthday dinners recently. But then, with the videoke machine dominating the occasion, it turned out that we stayed longer than the usual. Her other friends brought in some booze and my group decided that it wouldn't be polite to leave and not join their concept of fun. So we did, and we found out that all we had to do was sing our hearts out and get a bottle of beer, and that's it. LOL! It was fun as it is, them being with their drinks and us with our off-key voices on songs that we wanted to sing and a lot of guts to sing it. But that's alright, we were just there for the fun and that's exactly what we had.

It was 2a.m. when we strongly asserted that we had to go. Funny but some of them were just starting to have fun. Good that we succeeded and sending our message and off we go to home and sleep.

===============

A touching story from my LJ friend Vina's blog.

Maligayang Bati

To all of you who celebrates this month....




Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, happy birthday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

Hope it was a blast!!!





BELATED to those who already have celebrated.