Visitors

This morning, at our monthly meeting, we had visitors. Our Managing Director brought them with him from Canada. He let us pick one for a partner, and we were to interact with them during the meeting. I'm sure they had fun along with the rest of us. (Our monthly meetings are fraught with laughter. One would wonder how we even manage to get any work done.) And they helped us welcome our temp staff who will replace regular support staff while she's on maternity leave.

They were a varied bunch, but one thing they've got in common: they're cute! I think it's safe to say they'll be attending our future meetings.

Meet Finch.

A Word on Vampires

No offense to Twilighters, but True Blood kicked it's schmaltzy ass.  I persevered to finish all four Twilight books (even though I was ultimately bored), and the only one that entertained me was the last one. And from friends who are die-hard Cullen fans, I am told that this book was the least favorite because it tried too hard. 

The same friends who ambushed me during a luncheon party.

Cullen Fans:  Ags, have you finished reading the Twilight Saga.
Me:  Yes.  That was the longest time it took for me to finish reading four books.

Cullen Fans Why?  Didn't you like it?
Me: I got bored.  It draaaaaggeed on for me.

Cullen Fans: We loved it! 
Me: Ahhh.  (grabbed a glass of wine to keep myself occupied.)

Cullen Fans: Are Team Edward or Team Jacob?
Me: There are teams?  I have to be on one?

Cullen Fans: Of course!
Me: Uhm, Team Jacob.

Cullen Fans:  But why????
Me: Because he's fun.  And he and Bella talked.  Which is a sign of a healthy relationship.

Cullen Fans:  I'm on Team Edward. 
Me:  Cool.  (Taking another sip of wine.)

Cullen Fans:  How can you not love Edward???  He's reads, he knows so many languages, he plays the piano, and he has a beautiful penmanship!
Me:  I don't know, he kind of bores me.

Cullen Fans:  Oh I love Edward!!
Me: Huh. 


When my sister told me to get a hold of the complete first season of True Blood, I was really wary.  There's been too much vampire hoopla lately, and I'm not sure this will capture my interest.  But it did, big time. (Pretty much similar to the way I got hooked on Dexter and Pushing Daisies.)

The cast is really talented and the pace is fast.  It also helped that Sookie Stackhouse was a far cry from Bella Swan.  She's got a strong personality and has character; she's also well-grounded and not at all wishy-washy.  Besides, doesn't the name Sookie Stackhouse roll off one's tongue marvelously?  The plots are meaty and promises a solid hour of entertainment in each episode.  It also has a kick-ass soundtrack.  (Consider it loaded on my iPod.)

This morning, I was surfing through Amazon to check the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris on which Alan Ball based the series.  To date, the series has 8 books and starts with Dead Until Dark.  I can't wait til my order arrives.  I hope it's enough to keep me occupied until the second season airs.

A Long Walk

Didn't I mention that Nards said we were going out today to take a walk?  Well, it was a long walk.  From Serendra all the way to ROX at High Street.   Despite a slight headache (which disappeared at the Echo Store) and fever, I was just too keen on going out to mind what I was feeling.  Beng accompanied us and graciously drove from our place to Makati, because she wanted to go to Fully Booked to buy a planner.  (She took a long time, I tell you, see-sawing between a Moleskin to the artsy ones featuring works of famous painters.)   I, on the other hand, wanted to visit The Echo Store to see what kind of goodies they had.

It shares space with Kape Isla on that side of Serendra opposite Market! Market! 

They have nice literature about the origins of some of their products and about healthy sustainable living. 

Their shelves are crammed with environmentally-safe and organic products, such as soaps, body scrubs, therapeutic massage oils, eco bags, notebooks, calendars, post-its, baskets, laundry detergent, fruit and vegetable wash, tile cleaners and furniture polishers.  They also have some items from Ilog Maria.  I was delighted to see CP's hand sanitizer on the shelf.  (He gave us samples when we visited him at his lab at NIGS.)

 

  

 

I bought two lavander linen sprays (Php150 each, cheaper than the Green Tea linen spray from Scoop): one for me and one a gift for my Aunt. They wrapped it nicely in recycled paper, free of charge.  While I was at the counter, paying for this, a few customers came in and was asking for Lyf Saver.

I was curious because it was in demand, so I asked about it.  It turned out to be a bottle of oil that's supposed to give immediate relief to nausea, headache, fatigue and depression.   Which is how I lost my headache.  One of the staff put a few drops on my palms, instructed me to rub it quickly until it got really warm, cup my hands over my nose and mouth and inhale.  Voila!  Headache gone.   I bought a bottle for Php250.

We walked down High Street, checked the Lego exhibit; but because I was still recovering and still coughing, I was exhausted soon afterwards.  The three of us trooped to Hobbes & Landes (my second favorite toy store) to rest.

We ordered a bratwurst sandwich and a hungarian sausage sandwich.  It took a while for them to process our order because of the long queu.  Nards got a Barrel of Monkeys near the counter to amuse ourselves.

 

 

Beng, who wasn't born yet when this game was all the rage in schools, thought it was boring (and stupid -- yes, I heard you muttering Beng!), so she loitered around the store.  But she eventually came back to bury herself behind a magazine.  (And looking for more books to buy.)

Our food soon arrived.  The staff was nice enough to put one third of each sandwich on a plate with a handful of unsalted potato chips. 

 

 

I also ordered yogurt for Nards, topped with almond slivers, M&Ms and chocolate chips.  (Code for: Aggie wants yogurt but can't because she still has a cough, so she bought one for Nards but ate like 40% of it.  She would have eaten it all, if she hadn't started coughing violently and Nards snatched it away.) 

Not bad for a walk, eh?

Highlights From The Couch

Seven days.  That's how long I've been a fixture on the couch.  I've been here so long, I feel like I'm epoxied to the cushions.   I have a husband who's been so attentive I'm wondering if he got a nursing degree somewhere that I don't know about.   (Read: feeding me on time, nagging me to take meds, keeping my mug filled with hot tea all the time, and helping me to walk to and fro.)   Now, poor thing got a cold all thanks to me.

I'm thankful that I have a rather tall stack of unread books and several gigs of entertainment loaded on my iPod.  Nards also put my laptop on our breakfast tray so that I can go online while confined on the sofa.  Hence, my steady stream of plurks and twitters.

I have a cough that's loud and incessant enough to keep our entire building awake throughout the night, but it has abated somewhat, meaning Nards and I get about five hours of sleep now, as opposed to three and a half.  Although it has given me a semi permanent muscle pain in my midsection (think muscle pains due to yoga) and a rather unpleasant sensation on my forehead.  

Cabin fever has settled in.  I.  Want.  To. Go. Out. Of.  The. House.  I don't care if it's going to be a nasty trip to a hospital or even if it's just to go down to the lobby.  Just get me out.  Nards said we can will go out tomorrow and take a walk.  Yey!  Can't wait. 

Happy New Year!

 

 

Just a few snaps that Nards and I took from our balcony, as we welcomed 2009.

Hope everyone had a fun new year, with all digits still intact. :)

New Year Wishes

 

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

-- Neil Gaiman

Thanks Gli for sharing this quote with me!

Riddle: Petals Around The Rose

Petals Around the Rose

The name of the game is Petals Around the Rose, and that name is significant. Newcomers to the game can be told that much. They can also be told that every answer is zero or an even number. They can also be told the answer for every throw of the dice that are used in the game. And that's all the information they get.
The person who has the dice and knows the game, rolls five dice and remarks almost instantly on the answer. For example: in Roll #1 the answer is two.

Roll #1.

"The answer is what?" says the new player.
"Two."
"On that roll?"
"Yes."
"Would it still be two if I moved the dice without turning any of them over, just rearranging the pattern?"
"I can tell you only three things: the name of the game, the fact that the answer is always even, and the answer for any particular throw. In this case the answer is two."
"So that's how it is. What am I supposed to do?"
"You're supposed to tell me the answer before I tell you. I'll give you all the time you want, but don't tell me your theory, just the answer. If you figure it out, you don't want to give the idea away to these other jokers around you. Make them work for the answers, too. If you get the answer right on six successive rolls, I'll take that as prima facie evidence that you understand the game."
"OK, roll again."

Roll #2.

"I give up. What's the answer?"
"The answer is eight."
"Roll again."

Roll #3.
The answer is fourteen.

Roll #4.
The answer is zero.

Roll #5.
The answer is four.

                                          Roll #6.

What's the answer?

(Click here and go to item 12, to see if your answer is correct.)