Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer is out!

Yesterday, I got this link from Patrick since he knows I'm a fan of the Harry Potter series.

The teaser trailer to the newest Harry Potter movie - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is now available to view via this link

It looks pretty interesting and makes me want to read the book all over again.. yeah from book 1 no less hahaha

Enjoy!

Tooth update (I really hate this you know!)

Okay for my loyal fans (ehmm... readers) haha I hereby give you an update on what's going on with my tooth and inflamed cheek ...

for those who want the short version - here it is: it needs to be extracted!! oh what a joy! NOOOOTTTT!!!

for those who want the nitty gritty details, read on:

After much searching for a trustworthy dentist, I finally reached my cousin (Father Ray thank you so much mwah!!) who referred me to his friend (Dra. Fe), who also happens to have a clinic near our place. I was only going to ask for her clinic hours when we already discussed my problems over the phone (which is great because it's free!) At least I now have some professional opinion of what I have and what I should really be doing about it.

She suggested I change the antibiotic that I was drinking because it isn't strong enough to fight the infection. I also need to keep rinsing my mouth with antibacterial mouthwash or water with salt (which is more natural). If pain persists, there's always the reliable painkiller. After taking the Augmentin, and as soon as the swelling goes down, I'm due for a tooth extraction.. oh no! I hate that part..

You know why? When I was in high school, the same thing happened to me, my tooth cracked from biting an apple (this was a molar). When I went to the dentist, I was told that the only option was to have it extracted.. okay.. so I had no choice, sitting at the chair, it was like being on the electric chair and you're just waiting to die.. melodramatic but true. after those anesthetic injections they started to remove the tooth. Well, surprise, surprise, they can't remove it.. it was too anchored!!! The dentist had to have his assistant (a huge man) hold onto my head, because he felt the jaw giving way (we have a history of locked jaw in our family)

So if you can imagine that - two men, one holding a set of pliers pulling on my tooth, the other holding on to my head for dear life hahahha it was just too funny.. and then after much pulling and sweating (yes, sweating!) the tooth was out.. it had 3 roots!!! that's why it was so hard to remove!! my tooth was a mutant!!! run for your life!!! hahahha

That's why I'm nervous about this tooth extraction. It's the same area as the one I described only in the opposite side of the mouth.. when the one before was on the left, this new one is on the right..

I need a gallon of ice cream for this one!!

An awful weekend

Again, I've had such a mean weekend. Last Saturday night, my tooth started aching all over again, after I thought that the pain has subsided. This time, it's back with a vengeance!!!

The pain was so intense I wasn't able to sleep, even after drinking 4 caplets of Tylenol.. and that's when I knew that it was worse than ever before!!

The next morning, I took Ponstan coz I remember my mom and aunts telling me that's what they used if they have toothaches.. so I drank it, and for a while the pain subsided, but at the same time, it blew up my cheeks!! or maybe it was because of the irritation or infection..

Whatever, my right cheek is still "deformed" and my kids call me a "monster" hahaha

Now, its Tuesday morning and the swelling hasn't subsided, looks like I have to go to the dentist for a check-up (duh?!) I should've gone last Sunday!! but like most Filipinos, we try to tolerate the pain as much as we can until we can't stand it and that's the only time we go to the dentist or doctor..

I did check www.webmd.com and their symptom checker to see what I may have.. it's pretty helpful.. thanks to my brother for pointing me this way..

I hope what this is is nothing serious... I'm scared of dentists..

BPI Express is not so express at all!

I apologize to my readers because this post is very much a Rant rather than a rave. Remember I wrote a post before about not being able to get money from my ATM card because of some unexplainable malfunction? Okay, so this post is the continuation to that "saga"..

Last June 24, I called up their customer service to report the problem. I explained the situation to them, that the machine was giving me a "wrong PIN" message even though I only use 1 PIN and it's highly unlikely that I'm going to forget it. I was told that the only way to fix it was to get a new card. At first, I thought it was a simple matter of inputting a new PIN, silly me. Anyway, I filed an application over the phone with the customer service agent. He told me it would take roughly 7 days to get a new card and 3 days to transfer the balance from the old card to the new one. So, I was resigned to the fact that it would take at the least 10 days, if you add in the weekends, to get a new card and then finally get my money.

Fast forward to after 10 days... I was even more than 10 days because I completely forget to follow up on it... So I made a call to the branch where I'm supposed to get the card from. Surprise, surprise, they still don't have it! Apparently, there was an error when the agent filed the application and it was only discovered now that I'm checking it. I have to wait for another 3 days to get the card. Frustrating!! This was between July 7-11

Between July 14-18, I called them again. Hooray ! The card was there, but can I get it tomorrow because the PIN Machine was broken? I didn't go. I was getting very, very frustrated!!

July 21, I went there to get it. Patrick took a leave from the office so that I can get it. Surprise!! I got the card!! But I couldn't encode a PIN because there was no officer on duty. Can you please go to another branch so you can PIN there? I didn't want to waste the day, so I did. Before I left, I was told to call their customer hotline as soon as I got home so that I can have the money from the old card transferred to the new one.

So, I got the PIN encoded and I can't wait to get home to get the money transferred.

I tried to call the hotline as soon as I arrived. I couldn't get through. That was 5pm. I figured they were probably receiving a lot of calls. I called at 9pm. Couldn't get through again.. grrr...

I called in the morning and got through, only to be told that they couldn't transfer the money!!!! I should have had it "re-Pinned". They only require you to get a new card for a different type of account!!! what the...????!!!!! If I wanted to transfer the money, I can have it re-pinned and then after 1 day, I can use the ATM to transfer to the new one, or I can use the old one. If I didn't want to do that, I can have the card blocked and then the funds will be transferred automatically to the new one, but it will take 3 days... oh great.. exactly a month to the day when I will receive my money!! great!!

I hope that this doesn't happen to someone else.. and I hope that they train their agents better. and I hope that you didn't get bored reading this! hahaha

New additions to the blog

Okay I've added something new to my blog for my dear family, friends and fellow bloggers. I've always wanted to hear what you thought about my blog, about my posts and anything that you want to say, really! But I found out that leaving comments after a post is not enough. First, I don't know if you receive or read my reply and believe me I am compelled to reply and reciprocate the time that you spent on my blog. Also, it's kinda hard to look back on all the posts to look for one comment that you remembered, that you forgot to reply to.

Well, to fix that I added a recent comments widget so that I can see the (you guessed it) the most recent comments from the posts. It's a great widget because it also shows you who left you the comment and which post he was referring to.

Also, for those who don't feel comfortable using the comment function of the blog, I've added the Cbox chatbox so let me know how it works out for you guys :)

I do love to hear from you so keep the messages coming in!

Thanks

Pizza! Pizza!!

Yesterday was Patrick's payday so as a sort of treat, he had pizza delivered to the house. It's our all-time favorite, Shakey's Belly Buster Pizza!!!! It's loaded with a lot of toppings like olives, green bell peppers, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, sausage, ham, etc. All on a crunchy, thin crust.

But as you know, I have been suffering from toothache the whole day but that didn't stop me from eating the pizza hahahaha We have a joke in the Philippines where when nothing is left of the food on the table, the people eating it are probably experiencing tooth aches LOL

Well, in our case, we did polish off the whole pizza plus the Mojos (deep fried potato slices) a Shakey's specialty!! Even with my toothache!!!

That's how much I love pizza!

The pain of an aching tooth!

The pain of an aching tooth resonates throughout your whole body.. You don't want to move, you don't want to talk.. hardest part of all - you can't eat a thing!!

What's even more difficult is, as a mom, you can't afford to stay still and just sleep away your pain. You still have to move because you need to take care of the kids, you need to cook, to clean, to give them their baths.. It's really mind over matter!

It's on days like today that I wish for a babysitter or a housekeeper hahahaha

Easy earning for stay-at-home moms like me

All the moms out there are probably always on the lookout for supplemental income even when they're already working and most especially if they're not. Like me, even though I know that I could earn more for the family if I was working full-time, I chose to stay at home and take care of my kids. I know that young as they are, they need the kind of foundation that only a mother can give. So, there are a lot of times when we're dead broke and tempers are flaring because money is really a problem.

Well, thank God for blogging and the Internet. I just found something that I love to do (I love to write!) and be paid while doing it (that’s always a bonus!), and get this, it's the best part - I can do all that and still be home for my kids.

I recommend visiting and joining SocialSpark so you too can be part of the community of mommies that are now earning successfully. There are a lot of topics that you can relate to so it's not going to be difficult finding something to write about. And it doesn’t even take too much from your time, at the least, it’ll take you 10 minutes, just long enough to wait for the washing to get done or for the dishes to get finished cleaning! You'll also get to meet other bloggers from all walks of life which is also a great way to learn and let's face it, allows us to also drive traffic through our own site.

So to all my fellow mommies, get started blogging and earning! Believe me, it’s worth it.

Sponsored by SocialSpark

A Nasty Weekend

This weekend was a blur to me.. Man, I've been cleaning the house like crazy!! It's doubly hard because everything is manual! I cleaned the house, did the laundry, changed the curtains, fixed my plants, etc. etc. etc.. and that was just Saturday LOL by the evening, I knew I was in big trouble because every little part of me ached, even my aches have aches and that's when I realized I really am getting old LOL

And then on Sunday, I tried to figure out how to expand my blog (in terms of margins) coz to me it felt squished, like sardines in a can.. so I surfed the Net and got good tips, it's like taking a crash course in HTML hahahaha and CSS too :) so I tried to edit it and voila.. I did it!! and that makes me feel so proud ! LOL even though it may sound like a no-brainer to most of you guys out there hahahaha so as you can see, the blog has more room, it doesn't strain your eyes LOL

The clincher to the day was in the evening. Dylan fell down the stairs while playing with Dana. Patrick tried to catch him but he was too late. He cried and cried, he busted his lips and he got a bump on the head.. it's kind of nerve-wracking because this is his first major "accident" and even his sister was traumatized.. we immediately put ice on his head, although that also made him cry even harder and staunched his bleeding mouth.. this happened around 10:30pm last night and we knew we can't let him sleep yet, so we all tried to keep him occupied and entertained. we were still observing him for some untoward signs in case we need to rush him to the emergency, but so far, nothing.. at around 1am, he's still full of energy...

today, we'll still keep him under observation.. and hope for the best..

I found something good in SocialSpark


Getting my DSL certainly opened a lot of opportunities for me. I used to just check my email and chat with my friends online but other than that, I wasn’t too keen on surfing because I was using a dial-up connection. Now, that I have DSL, I have found a lot of websites that are not only interesting but can help you monetize your blog as well. One of those websites is SocialSpark.

What is Socialspark? SocialSpark is an online community of bloggers that write about what they love and get paid for doing it. Isn’t that a great opportunity? At the same time, you also make new friends who help drive traffic through your site.

How does it work? It’s pretty simple, really. The website is very distinct and organized. All that you need to know is just a click away, from adding friends, taking opportunities (the topics that you need to write about) and even contacting their support team, “Customer Love”. The first thing that you need to do is submit your blog for evaluation and when you get approved (they respond pretty quickly!) you’re now eligible to browse through the available opportunities and take what you feel is right for you. You follow the requirements for the post, like number of words, links that need to be within the post and then you submit it for verification. It’s really a no-brainer, the requirements are pretty clear and you can even filter the opportunities that you’re qualified for so you don’t waste time writing about it and then later on finding out that you’re not eligible for it. So, that in itself makes a huge difference.

Here's what they offer:
-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
-100% Transparency
-100% Real Opinions
-100% Search Engine Friendly

After your post is approved, you’ll see that your payment is reflected in your blogger account.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? I’m enjoying my time so far! Thank you SocialSpark!!

Sponsored by SocialSpark

I got an article published!!

You guys know I've been writing articles for the Net for the past few years (has it been that long???) but most of it I don't get credit for as they're used for website content. Call it ghost-writing if you will..

Well last April, I was asked to write for a cancer magazine called "The Big C". Well, the article is out and published, both as a teaser on their website at www.thebigcmagazine.com, here's the link, with the complete version in the actual magazine which you'll have to buy at your favorite newsstands! :)

I guess this makes me a legit writer now, huh? hahahhaa

I was just glad I was able to do this because I learned a lot about cancer. The article is entitled, "Finding the right words to say to the cancer patient" and I felt honored to have been able to interview some cancer survivors for this piece.

Lan, I'll send you a copy! hahaha

Out of the house at last!


Yesterday, Saturday, we were finally able to get out of the house for a trip to the mall.. It's been while since we went out for fun because we've been out of funds hahahaha and going to the mall is not part of the budget LOL

Well, the kids and I were so excited even though we're just going window shopping but at least it gets us out of the house hehehehe

So we went to SM Mall of Asia!! We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant.. we hadn't eatern there before so that was an adventure.. but they cooked the food real well!! Yummy! Oishi!!! and the California Maki was so fresh!! we loved it!!


We also bought a mouse for the PC and hope that this one lasts.. the last one we bought, it didn't even last a week! and to think it was a bit expensive and branded

We also went to the Promenade along the Manila Bay...there was a small playground for kids and a water fountain and that's where the fireworks show happens every Friday and Saturday.. It was a blast!

We also did some grocery shopping and went home at around 8:30PM haha boy, were we all tired out.. my feet were aching from all that walking.. hahahah I'm getting old!!!

My blog finally got approved for Payperpost!

Okay finally I'm now a member of the Payperpost club ! woohoo I'm so excited!! I heard about this website from my sister-in-law when she told me that she was able to pay for their son's birthday party from her earnings through the Payperpost opportunities. At first I was skeptical, naturally, because there were so many scams on getting paid on the Internet.

And then while searching for a new template, I chanced about the review of Payperpost at the www.eblogtemplates.com website. And they said that Payperpost is one of the best and trustworthy ways to make money on the Internet. Now, that made me think!

I didn't really know that my blog could generate some income for me considering that I started it as a way of continuing my conversations with my Mom who recently died in a pedestrian accident in the United States.

So I really considered all my options and finally signed up! After all, I do love to write and if that is what it takes to get paid then why not right? As of now, I’m still a newbie but I’m already excited about all the possibilities that my joining Payperpost family will give me.

Enjoy and Good Luck!!


All things Japanese!


ok.. ok.. I admit I'm a fan of Japanese anime, especially Naruto!! I just love that guy.. he's so cute hahahaha oh and I love Jiraiya too.. what's good is that I also am beginning to learn how to speak in Japanese!! even my 4-year old girl is saying "Itadakimasu" before we eat hahaha

well, I also was able to watch a Japanese manga (their version of comics) turned live action. It's called Nodame Cantabile and I enjoyed it a lot!! It's kind of a sweet romantic comedy love story about a girl student-pianist and a boy student-conductor .. and how they find themselves and each other through their journey in life.

It makes you appreciate classical musical too :)

It's one of my newest favorites after Hana Yori Dango 1 and Hana Yori Dango 2 :)

A Face Change

Well, I've done it again.. I've changed my blog layout and background.. Honestly, I didn't want to change the previous one but it was getting so hard to add widgets and other page elements by hand... After much searching, I've found this present layout at www.eblogtemplates.com to be more suited to my tastes. As you can see, it's perfect for those with Google Adsense (which I admit I've subscribed to so feel free to click those ads! hehe)

I've enjoyed working on it so much, tweaking it and adding a lot more stuff.. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks hahahaha