Sad News

Posted by: Licel

Life is really too short for some of us. Just this morning, I've got an email from a friend saying that one of our grade and high school classmates died. I haven't heard anything from him or seen him in 15 years, i think. So I was totally shocked and saddened to hear of his passing. At the age of 30's, he certainly died so young. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

When a situation like these arrive, it's a reminder to us all how precious and fleeting our lives are. Let's treasure each day we're alive.

Good News and Bad News

Posted by: Licel

I've got some good news and some bad news today. Which one do you want first? Okay. Let's start with the bad news. The Depot main office released a memo which says that all employees( full time or part time) must be available to work full shifts on Saturday and Sunday. I never work on a Sunday eversince I started. Then I've received this memo obliging me to revise my availability. Should I fail to do so by March 31, 2010, Home Depot will have no choice but to end our relationship effective on that date. Truly, this pissed me off. I'm already available all day from tuesday til saturday and I'm just part time. Now, they still want me to work on sunday!? Ugh! I really don't want to work on a sunday but hubby said to just go with the flow for now until I can find another job which is quite impossible or it might take a while. Economy is not stable yet. Unemployment rate is still rising.

As for the good news. We had a store meeting early this morning. During the meeting, the big boss just announced that they will give all employees a share in the profits of the company sometime this month. Yey! We're so happy and thankful that we still get our "profit sharing" despite the fact that the economy is shaky.

February 14...

Posted by: Licel

.. is a month of love, love, love! :)

It makes us laugh,
It makes us sing,
It makes us sad,
It makes us cry,
It makes us seek the reason why,
It makes us take,
It makes us give,
but above all else, it makes us live!
- Jane Fisher

Hope everyone had a wonderful, romantic valentine's day.

The Blind Side

Posted by: Licel

I loved this movie. It's a true story of Michael Oher (pronounced OAR). A homeless black kid from a broken family, taken in by the Touhys, a rich white family who gave him a second chance at life. They helped him fulfill his potential. With their tremendous support and encouragement, Michael was able to transformed himself into a sucessful football star.

A very good and funny movie, I must say. This is exactly my type of film. Really touching and uplifting story. It shows the human kindness and compassion. It provides a good insight into fears and preconceptions about different races. It's reassuring to know that there really are good people in this world. Amazing how much of a difference a single person can make by stepping out into the unknown. Normally, when people have fear and judge others, they isolate themselves and push those who needs help into the gutter. What Leigh Anne Tuohy and his family did was truly remarkable. Absolutely one of a kind.

Doodled All Day Long

Posted by: Licel

Due to heavy snow, church service has been cancelled today. Some roads are still covered with snow. I wanted to go see a movie but movie theaters were also closed. So hubby and I woke up really late and dawdled the day away surfing the web. :) Not really exciting and productive but I'm happy though. Hubby got some kind of educational apps downloaded on my ipod. While I watched some filipino shows and checking facebook at the same time.

Hopefully, the county will be able to finish plowing the road tomorrow so I can go out and enjoy my day off. I've heard that we will be having snow storm again on tuesday. Expected snowfall will be anywhere from 2 to 20 inches. Oh no!! I think I've had enough of snow already! Spring, please come quicker. :)

State of Emergency

Posted by: Licel

...was declared again for the second time in Delaware County due to snowstorm. Got a lot of snow today. I'd say about 21 inches. It was sooo white outside! Everything was covered in snow. Only few business establishments were opened including where I work at. Unfortunately, Home Depot won't close no matter what. Delaware officials encouraged them to stay open in case the state guy needs stuff. But of course, I called off since my block has been untouched by plow. One of my co-workers who showed up at work told me that there were still some customers looking for snow blower. Huh?! :) I wanted to go to work but the snow was already knee deep. Here's some of the pictures I took when I played in the snow. Hubby didn't join because he easily gets cold so he was just taking pictures of me.

Up to my knee.

Am stuck in knee deep snow!

Honestly, I could hardly get up.

Snowball!

Busy Day

Posted by: Licel

....at work today. Forecast stated that there will be massive storm starting tonight so people were into panic buying. What else is new? Herd of people rushed to depot today to buy shovel, ice melt and snowblower. Unluckily, our shovels, snow salt and snowblower were sold out quickly. The funny part was, when we got down to the last 1 or 2, we had customers fighting over it. Jeez! :)

Also, hubby and I went to grocery store right after I got off from work. Friday is our shopping day for goodies. And guess what? It was packed! I don't understand why Americans act like it's the end of the world. Are they not used to snow storm yet? Don't these people keep any food on hand at home? The weather has been forecasted a couple of weeks ago already so why all the panic? Why wait until the last minute to buy shovel, snow salt, etc.? One more thing, people always go out and buy shovel everytime they call for a big storm. What did they do with the shovel they bought for the last storm? :)

Just thinking aloud here...

Got A Reward

Posted by: Licel

..from my job for a job well done. :)

I caught a shoplifter trying to steal two big items by switching price. Sorry I could hardly remember what the item was. The not so old guy purchased an item that is worth $679.00 each with a barcode label of $98.00. Can you imagine that? Our store would have lost a thousand dollars, more or less. Unfortunately, I'm smarter than him. hahaha! Kidding aside, the shoplifter went through my register and he was trying to hide the original barcode by facing it down. And the fake one was facing up. But I really checked the item closely and noticed the pasted barcode. I called the head cashier right away but the guy hurriedly left the store.

Switching barcodes and buy merchandise for a lower value is not a new scam anymore. I've caught shoplifters of all sorts several times in the past three years. I guess reading a mystery novel helps, huh? :)

Sherlock Holmes

Posted by: Licel

Finally saw this movie today and the story goes like this:

Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner Dr. Watson (Jude Law), must stop a murderous occultist, Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) who has seemingly risen from the dead.

It's prolly not what most would expect of a Sherlock Holmes story but the film is quite fun and entertaining. Personally, Robert Downey Jr. was excellent at his role. And I loved the quirks of Downey and Jude Law. The only part I didn't like was that, at times I couldn't understand what some of the characters were saying in their british accent. But overall, 'twas a good movie. Hubby and I enjoyed it much. :)

It Was Snowing Today!

Posted by: Licel

The weathermen were wrong. They said it would turn the other way. Oh well, nobody's perfect! Usually if this happens my hubby will drive me to work. But this time I was already at work when the white stuff started to fall. When I got out, hubby was waiting. He told me to go first and he'll follow to make sure that I'll arrive home safely. But I left him in the dust! When I looked at the rearview mirror he was nowhere in sight. hehe..I was waiting for him at the parking lot instead.

'Twas my first time driving in a really heavy snow(about 2 inches). I mean, I've been driving in snow before but this is my first time to experienced that my car slid. Gosh, it really scared the hell out of me! I was near home when it happened. I pushed the break hard instead of pumping it slowly. My husband already told me tips for driving in snow countless times but I guess I have to learn by doing it. There's nothing like practice for honing one's skills. Get out there, stir up the salt and enjoy. And that's what I did. Thankfully, I arrived home safe and sound. :)

Avatar Movie

Posted by: Licel

I've heard a lot of good reviews about this from friends and co-workers. Of course, we don't wanna be left out so we went to see the Avatar in 3D this afternoon. Everyone I know that has seen this movie is definitely right. One word sums it up - incredible! So far, this is one of the best movies I've seen in 2010. Kudos to James Cameron! He is undeniably brilliant!

Pandora is sooo enchanting. Despite being entirely computer-generated, with the 3D glasses it looks real. It actually feels like you are right in the action. Some scenes will just blow you away.

So what did I learn from this movie? Well, I have to say I've learned quite a bit.

1. Everything in the world is interconnected. We have to take care everything around us.

2. Anyone can fall in love with anyone. :) Kasabihan nga, love knows no boundaries. :)

3. Some people are dickheads, selfish and greedy. They are only thinking of their own self-interest regardless if there are other living things that might get hurt.

4. Faith and goodness will still prevail in the end.

Whatta Surprise!

Posted by: Licel

Today is my day off but my husband and I woke up very early for our dental appointment. After we were done with the dentist, we drove past two houses. Both of us didn't like it. When we got home, I started cooking dinner. Then my husband's youngest daughter Aubree wanted to come over. She lives with her mom and she had no school today since it's a U.S. federal holiday(Martin Luther King Day). So while waiting for our food to be done, my husband picked her up. She's 16 and she's not driving yet.

I'm so happy that Aubree liked the food that I prepared. It started when she stayed with us last christmas. Now, she (according to her) always looks forward to it. For someone who doesn't know how to cook, it's really a big deal. And she even hugged me which really took me by a surprise. First time she did that to me. It's not that she didn't like me. There was just not enough time for us to know each other well until last christmas. And it also had something to do with her mom, of course. I'm pretty sure that her mom was feeding her negative words against me and her dad, hence the aloofness. Case point: when she stayed with us during holiday, she uttered something like, "she's nice(facing her dad). I didn't realize that you're nice(facing to me)". Huh? Where the hell do you think she got that idea that I'm not nice? We only met occasionally and God knows I didn't do anything that made her think that I am mean.

Anyway, God is really amazing. Now, she said to her dad that she likes me and she wishes to stay with us. In fact, before she left today, she asked if she can stay with us this coming Holy Week. That would be nice so she will get to know me some more. This is also one way for her to find out herself that her dad is not a monster as what her mom keep telling her.

Before You Judge Others...Know Thyself!

Posted by: Licel

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash outside. That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap. Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Everytime her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About a month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: Look! she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her. The husband said: I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!

And so it is with life...What we see when watching others, depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge. Take a look at how you feel about being judged yourself. Would you want someone to look at your actions and interpret them the way you interpret theirs? It's up to you. But please take a look at yourself first before you judge others!

Are you getting enough sleep?

Posted by: Licel

I hope so since sleep is more important than you think. Not getting enough of it can have serious negative effects both mentally and physically. From my own experience, I can't function at my full capacity when I do not get enough sleep. I get cranky, stressed and can't focus on the task at hand. My sense of alertness goes down too. In fact, just recently I made careless mistakes at work. I misplaced some money and a check. It's not that much but it's something that has never happened to me before. My bosses were worried for me because it happened for two consecutive days. The good news is that my boss and one of my co-workers found it. Whew! Also, my immune system is weak, thus I easily get sick nowadays.

The reason why I didn't get enough sleep lately is because I've been working the late shift at my job. I couldn't sleep right away when I got home even if I was so tired. Until my body got used to it. Little did I realize that it has a negative impact on me. Need to change this before it's too late.

So dear readers, never ever understimate sleep. Not getting enough of it will catch you up.

Oh no!

Posted by: Licel

I am feeling under the weather again. I probably got this from my stepdaughter Amber, who visited us the other day. She had colds and was coughing terribly. As soon as she left, that's when I started feeling sick. I don't easily get cough and colds but my resistance nowadays is running low due to lack of sleep. For a few weeks now, I've been staying up way too late just downloading free apps to my touch ipod, checking websites that I am part of and editing my blog. Addict much? :)

I know that lack of sleep has negative impact on our health and well-being. As a matter of fact, I'm starting to feel the negative side effects of it already. And I don't like it, of course! :)That's why, part of my new year's resolution is to try to sleep early whenever I can.

Salted Dried Fish

Posted by: Licel

It was my breakfast this morning with spicy vinegar, warm rice and egg omelette. Salted dried fish is locally known as tuyo, bulad, or buyad(in my own dialect). It's a common breakfast food in the Philippines and goes well with warm or fried rice, egg omelette and a cup of warm coffee or hot chocolate. There are different varieties of dried fish but one thing most have in common is the strong odor when fried or grilled. I have to admit that the smell of it is a bit stinky but tolerable. My husband didn't think so. This morning, he said something like, Ewww, it smells like poop!!!(over and over again). He opened all the windows, switched on the exhaust fan, ran and locked himself in the bedroom. hahaha! And one more thing, I put the salted dried fish in the cabinet where he normally put his cereal and a box of green tea. So everytime he opened the cabinet to get the cereal, the salted dried fish was the first thing he would see. Actually, my husband said that the first thing he saw was the eyeball looking at him. LOL! When I was looking for it this morning, he said that he moved to another cabinet because it was bothering him. He felt like the fish was staring at him. hahaha! Well, one thing I can say, it smells like a dead rat and make you puke but the taste is delightingly fabulous. Yum! :))

New Look

Posted by: Licel

Since it's new year, I've decided to changed my blog template. I really don't like changing template every so often because of all the adjustment and widgets that I have to add again. Such a hassle! But I got tired looking at my old template so I decided to give this blog a new look. Actually, what I really wanted is to change it into a 3 column. But the 3 column templates that I found so far is in xml files. I need to zip and unzip it to get the code. And I'm so clueless on how to do this. I did try though, but it just keeps blinking and so many windows are popping-up. Sheesh!!! It was drivin' me crazy! So i'll just settle for this copy-paste template for now until i'll figure out how to zip and unzip files. Hope you like it. :)

I'm back!

Posted by: Licel

..to blogging. Wow, it's been two months since my last blogpost! I've gone into some kind of writing hibernation out of laziness, or simply the absence of compelling thoughts. But one of my new year's resolution is to try to blog more often, so here I am.

These are a few highlights from my past two months that I would like to share:

1. My mom had a successful cataract surgery. Thank God! She had a bad infection and cataracts in both eyes. I shouldered the majority of the expenses. Though it cost me an arm and a leg but I don't mind. I love my mom and I'll do anything for her. I was able to talked to her last christmas and she sounds happy.

2. My husband's youngest daughter Aubree stayed with us since christmas until the last day of the year. She's a nice kid. It's just that her mother didn't teach her things that she needs to learn while growing up.

3. PBB Double Up, Facebook, Friendster, Forums, Blogs, Yahoo Mail, Youtube, checking all these sites eat up so much of my time. Before I know it, I'm already runnin' out of time.

4. Planning our next move for 2010. So many plans and hopefully everything will fall into place.

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