MUCH better!

i feel much better today than i did over the last 4 days.  here's what i did to help me feel better:


pray (and ask others to pray for you!)
drink lots of water
drink lots of tea
avoid eating solid food, stick to soups (ramen, pho, udon, broth w/ egg)
gargle with warm salt water
gargle with listerine
gargle with warm water-apple cider vinegar-salt
spray chloraseptic 4x a day
take 2 alleve tablets twice a day (morning and evening with food)
repeat all steps (in no particular order)


or, whatever this thing that i caught just died a natural death. 


hurrah!  


my throat is still a little painful but from a 10 since friday evening (in a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most painful), i would say my pain level is down to a 4.  


and i am celebrating by...packing for our trip on friday!  woot woot!

not better

i felt so miserable when i came into work this morning.  i needed to come to work as my boss was leaving for a business trip and i needed to make sure everything was squared away before she left.  i also knew that i was going to see my doctor (which is near work) and that i was only going to work for a few hours because i was sick so i didn't mind coming in.  


i love going to my doctor's clinic...well, i don't love it.  a visit to the doctor isn't necessarily pleasant but at this clinic, i never have to wait longer than 5 minutes to see my doctor...i check in at the front desk to let them know i have arrived for my appointment, i take a seat and not long after that, the doctor comes out and calls for my name and off i go to get checked.  i never feel rushed and the doctors and nurses are always friendly.  at other clinics, you check in for your appointment say, at 2 pm.  they let you in at around 215, check your temp, blood pressure, weight, etc.  and they say, 'the doctor will be with you in a few minutes'.  half an hour passes and you are still sitting there, waiting...wondering if they all left and forgot about you. when the doctor comes in, you pretend you're not annoyed because they just wasted an hour of your time. the doctor sees you for 5 minutes and then it's all over.  sure, i have to pay an annual fee just to see my doctor at this other clinic but if that means i save an hour of my time during each visit and i get to see a doctor the same day i need a doctor, i'll pay for it...albeit, still a little reluctantly.  


anyway, the doctor couldn't tell whether my throat infection was viral or bacterial so she did at strep test...results will be in on thursday.  i told her i'm leaving on friday for a trip and she said that she'll call me as soon as she gets the results from the lab or if i feel that the infection's become worse, to see her again asap.  she told me to take 2 alleve tablets twice a day with food to help relieve the inflammation.  


because of my throat infection, my diet has consisted of water, tea, ricola, and ramen noodles.  not sure if this will help me lose weight, but we'll see.   

no relief...yet

cioppino night was fun.  paul remarked and i quote, 'parang hindi ka masyado nakakain kanina.'  (pats herself in the back).  two reasons:  first, i really can't stuff myself with food anymore for reasons obvious to the people who know me; second, my throat hurts like hell!

i went home with a fever and my body aching all over.  advil, tea, and lots of water didn't help too much.  i woke up this morning with a temperature and my throat's never hurt like before.  so right now, i'm trying out advil, water, tea, hot water-honey-apple cider vinegar, and green tea ricola.  

 if i do not feel any improvement by 2 pm.  i'm calling a doctor.  

sore throat

we are just a few days away from our trip to italy but i feel so blah right now.  i wanted to cry last night because my throat hurt so bad and feels so dry.  i've been drinking gallons of liquids, turning on the humidifier and googling ways  to help me feel better.  i've gargled with salt water, tried honey, drank lemon tea, gargled with mouthwash, took ibuprofen...later today, i'll probably try the cider vinegar-hot water-honey concoction.  all these things have provided little relief.  urgh!!!!

tonight, we go out with friends for our annual cioppino night.  i've been saving my calories for this seafood feast! this is our 4th or 5th year going to the school fund raising but this year, ed and chel will not be coming.  chel is in europe, waiting for us to arrive (hehehe) and ed...well, he's busy with his new girl friend!  hahaha!  they're in southern california enjoying some r & r.  i still need to talk to you edward!!!

i hope to feel better by tonight so we can all have fun at cioppino night!

merry christmas! happy valentine's day!

christmas gift - solid to check scarf

(the solid part of the one that i got is in pink, or raspberry sorbet as the maker calls it)

a scarf like this has been on my wishlist forever!

valentine's gift - nylon shopper in plum

thanks beb! muwah!

we didn't go to the outlet store during christmas so paul never had the chance to buy the gift i wanted.  despite the west-bound lanes of the bay bridge closing for the weekend, we went to vacaville and he got me these.  well, he allowed me to get these.  =D  

i love them both!  paul and i have made a pact to wait and save up for the things we really want and not settle for 'pwede na'.  we end up spending more kasi after we bought the 'pwede na', we still sit there and dream of the one we really want tapos mapapabili ulit later on.  i really waited for that scarf...the bag was just a bonus!  perfect for everyday and for traveling.  weakness ko na yata ang pagbili ng bag =(.  iingatan ko nalang at papamana ko kay michelle pag dalaga na sya. hehe (palusot)

thank you burberry outlet for having an awesome sale for the president's day weekend!

my 'first love'

my heart still skips a beat every single time i see him.


no, i'm not talking about my husband.


and yes, he knows about this, i'm not cheating.  =P


i'm talking about michael jordan.  


yes!  i know!  i'm so cheesy!  but this only comes out when it's him i talk about!  


i will always regret not having the opportunity to watch him play in person.  


in 2002, on a trip to chicago, i made sure to have my photo taken at his statue at the united center.  his estate was not far so i also went there and stared longingly at the gates (numbered 23 of course!).  i didn't stay long...baka hulihin ako ng security! hehehe 


an opportunity came up a couple of years ago to see him in san francisco and so i said to myself, 'i have to see him now!!!!' 


he went to the president's cup (golf) match in san francisco in 2009 and i was lucky enough to score tickets to the event...i was watching tiger woods tee off when out of the corner of my eye, i saw michael jordan!  he was running around the golf course in a golf cart but stopped long enough near tiger woods and he was just about 12 feet away from me!!!  aaaaaaaaaah!!!!  i wanted to scream!  i wanted to take out my camera and BEG for a picture....but i couldn't because it was supposed to be all about tiger golf and not one crazed fan's mission to have a picture taken with michael jordan.  i left without proof that i was breathing the same air as his 'airness' but i will never forget that moment.  *sigh*


*sigh*  


happy birthday, michael jordan! who knows?  maybe someday, i will see you again and actually have a picture taken with you.  a girl can dream, right?

the voice of whitney houston

whitney houston died today at age 48.

i wish she had the chance to bounce back after her battle with addiction.

her talent was exceptional. how i love hearing her songs and her beautiful voice. *sigh*

a first for paul, my mom, and michelle

they're going to italy!


well, we're going to italy.  =D


my dad isn't that interested in going so he's not going.


my mom's youngest sister and youngest brother (along with their families) all live in milan so we are flying next month to visit them. 


the main reason we're going is because my aunt is going to teach me how her business works because it's the same type of business i want to open here.  someday, i don't know when.  


tickets were not cheap so paul said, 'make sure you learn all you need to learn in the 9 days we're there!'


diet is on track but will need to speed it up so i can dress 'fashionably' in a very fashion-conscious city.  my aunt is planning trips to venice, florence, and rome while we are there - we're going to be doing most of the coaching/teaching in the car or on the train as we travel around the country. 


ciao!