Stupid questions by Kimber

Welcome to the September 30th edition of Thursday Thunks!
(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!
We pick a subject, and your job is to interpret it anyway you want.
Write about it on your blog... simple as that.
Maybe you can interpret it as a picture - we don't care!
Please only leave a link if you have written a Thursday Thunks post.
Don't forget to go visit the other participants' blogs.
Read and comment about all their Thursday Thunks responses!
That's what all this is about after all, isn't it?
We'll have so much fun and become lifelong friends....

The TT questions are brought to you by Kimber, the color of absolute black granite and the number 16.

101. When was the last time you went to the doctor? Do you like your doctor?

It has been more than a year now. And yes,I do like my doctor, so much.

201. My back is itching, will you scratch it for me?

If you ask me too, why not.

301. Do you have nice handwriting?

I personally believe so.

401. We are sending you to either New Zealand or Canada, which one do you choose?

Either. I would love to see both countries.

501. Do you sing in the shower?

Hell no.

601. Have you ever been streaking? If so, how far did you streak and did anyone see you?

Never.

701. How soon is too soon for Christmas decorations and music playing in the stores?

When the BER months start, it’s getting Christmas-y in this side of the world.

801. If you celebrated Halloween as a kid what was the costume you wore at 5?

My parents doesn’t believe in Halloween so I wasn’t able to have memories of those.

901. How many cavities have you had in your life?

I don’t have an idea.

1001. Berleen and Bud come to Arizona to visit Kimber. Who do you think will decide it's too hot here first?

Bud? Hahaha!

1101. Who do you think will ask TT questions next week?

Bud!

Mystery shampoo

P9250033 It was mid-July when Daphne and Chuvaness started to talk about this certain Mystery Shampoo on their blogs. Of course, at the instant of seeing the bottles, I already knew what it was. I joined the bandwagon and sign up for a free kit – shampoo and conditioner.

By August, the shampoo was revealed. Indeed, it was Pantene. Days have past and I honestly forgot about the free kit I was suppose to receive. I just have a surprise of my life last week when the package arrived. I didn’t expect it at all.

Thanks P&G!

God whispers today

1

The red bus

IMG_7063

Stay tune for my story regarding this bus which we rode during my son’s field trip last 25th of this month.

Psst

I’m still here. Yes, you hear me right. I just had been so overly stressed out this past few days, thanks my son’s consecutive activities in school. I do have tons of stories to share; however, I still have a lot of tasks on my hands. I have to juggle being a corporate slave during the night (I’m on night shift) at being a mother during the day. I almost forgot I also have a husband who needs my attention too. Wondering now, what shall I do if my daughter will go to one of the cosmetology schools in Wichita? Can I still live up to my kids’ expectations?

God whispers today

god whispers

In a few minutes

Time check! Three in the morning.

Yes, I am up as early as it is. Today is my son’s field trip. Excited much? No.

I have to drag myself up on the bed as I don’t have anyone who’d help me prepare everything we need from our lunch to our clothes to our bags. In a couple of hours, I have to wake up the little boy to feed him breakfast and to take him a bath.

I know I shouldn’t be online now but I can’t help it.

My sister-in-law

My husband and I, together with my sister-in-law, were supposed to meet tomorrow for a dinner. However, my husband just recently receives a call from his sister that she won’t be able to come tomorrow. She just had meeting with her new two clients who seek help from her regarding her Trasylol lawsuit and Accutane Lawsuit, respectively. They were still not finish with their meeting today and scheduled the next meeting tomorrow. In return, she has to cancel our dinner. Who are we not to understand her situation? Thanks to my husband’s procrastination, we still do not have a reservation to any restaurant in the metro. We are now thinking whether to push through with our plan or not.

Bubble thought

"Me? I’m scared of everything. I’m scared of what I saw, I’m scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you."

- Dirty Dancing

Fighting big C

My mom and aunt’s former employer (they were maids before) died recently because of the dreaded big C – CANCER.

Her sister wrote an article based on their experiences on what and what not to eat when one has such disease.

The article is originally posted here.

Food and the fight against the Big C
By AMY A. UY

Before I proceed, I’d like to make it clear that I am not a nutritionist, a dietitian, or a doctor. But as it happens, cancer has struck our family twice in the last three years without warning. And as I’ve learned, when your loved one has cancer, you throw yourself into the business of coping with the pain while reading up a lot, looking for answers, talking to a lot of doctors, and trying to find a magical cure that will make this dreaded disease go away.

What I’ve also learned is that when people find out that you’re caring for a person with cancer, they’re always ready to dispense advice. Most of what they share is based on experience or what they’ve learned and heard, like a friend of a friend of a friend who got cured after taking a potion of this or that, the juice of an exotic fruit or a herbal concoction of sorts.

These are all welcome advice and comforting words. For a moment, you see a flicker of hope and just maybe, there’s a magical cure out there that worked for them and it, too, might work for your brother, sister, husband, wife, or child who is fighting to stay alive. And when your loved one’s life hangs in the balance, believe me, you will try them all.

As for us, we’ve tried all sorts of advice, from eating guyabanos, to drinking mango-carrot-apple juice, mangosteen juice and kangen or alkaline water, to eating papayas and melons and lots of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. The only thing we haven’t tried is, perhaps, to eat one raw onion everyday.

However, the most important thing that a person caring for a cancer patient needs to learn is how to cook especially for them. What struck me was what a doctor told my sister when she asked about her diet. He said, “Just don’t feed the cancer." This means, do not feed the cancer cells something that would allow them to multiply and take over your body. foodfightscMeal-planning on the part of the designated caregiver in the family easily becomes a daily obsession that is often riddled with a lot of confusion especially when you get conflicting advice from different doctors. Naturopathic doctors will give you basically a no-meat meal plan with lots of herbal supplements to detoxify the body whereas, medical doctors often advise patients undergoing chemotherapy to go on an all-you-can-eat diet along with several glasses of high-calorie nutritional supplements to make them “strong" enough to battle the effects of the treatment.

Depending on what type of cancer hits your family, the one in charge of the meals should work hand in hand with a licensed nutritionist and read up on what must be avoided and should be generously eaten. My husband had kidney cancer and to keep his other kidney well, a dietitian advised him to limit his intake of red meat and all proteins including poultry, eggs and even fish. He also steered clear of some protein-rich vegetables like beans, nuts and soy while also following a strict low-salt diet.

Eating out is difficult as the choices are rather limited. Going fresh and cooking your own food becomes key. And for cancer patients, survival depends on one thing: good nutrition.

You have to be sure they are getting the right nutrients and none of the harmful additives in processed food. You have to read nutritional labels thoroughly and be wary of what’s in your pack of instant soup, ready-mix sauces or even juice drinks.

While the nutritional needs of one patient are different from another and as diets of cancer patients may also be vastly dissimilar to the usual healthy diets, there are a few practical things that may be changed in the way food is prepared for a sick loved one. At the very least, these might help everyone to stay on the path of wellness.

broth Start making your own broths.

Homemade broths are good for making vegetable soups (cauliflower, squash, potato and carrot) and even a comforting bowl of arroz caldo. But instead of throwing in an MSG-loaded chicken cube in hot water, save the wing tips, necks and backs of your whole chickens and simply boil them with some carrots, leeks and onions, a bay leaf with some herbs and whole black pepper. I made variations of pumpkin soup, carrot-potato soup, potato leek soup, creamy corn soup, cauliflower soup and a whole lot of other comforting broths which helped my sister when she had trouble swallowing solid foods. Also, chilled soups with almost no salt work best for those suffering from severe mouth sores.

herbs Cook with a lot of herbs and spices – instead of salt.

A low-salt diet is recommended for most patients unless they become dehydrated due to chemotherapy and in which case they need to load up on sodium. But for those on salt restrictions, eating doesn’t mean living on bland, tasteless food. Using herbs and spices in dishes in place of a sprinkling of salt brings food to a whole new level of goodness. Unless your loved one is sensitive to spicy food, paprika may be added to dishes for added flavor.

broccoli Learn creative ways to cook broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

A number of websites on special diets for cancer patients tell us that there are certain foods that slow down the growth of cancer cells. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage belong to that elite list. Unless your loved one is suffering from nausea due to therapy, incorporate them in dishes and have a meal plan with huge servings of these vegetables. Cabbage can go into pochero, nilaga, macaroni soup and chicken sopas. It is also good sauteed with just garlic and onions or flavored with a little oyster sauce. Meanwhile, you can just steam broccoli florets and toss with some minced garlic, butter and a bit of lemon juice or enjoy them in stir-fries with some cubed chicken breasts or tofu.

tea Brew green tea or herbal teas (like lemongrass or tanglad) to replace sodas and juice drinks.

Sodas and juice drinks are loaded with sugar which is said to be cancer’s best friend. As a substitute, you can easily boil a few tanglad stems and add a little muscovado for sweetness. Chill the brew if you wish and put in some lemon slices for a refreshing drink your loved one can enjoy all day. Catechin-rich green tea has also been widely acknowledged as a tonic that helps prevent the development of cancer. However, soda might be suggested by the doctor when the patient suffers from nausea, vomiting or weight loss.

lolascooking Go back to your lola’s way of cooking.

While it may be convenient to just buy a pack of ready-mix sauce for some fast and easy adobo, mechado, pancit palabok, or even sinigang, it may be better to start ridding your pantries of processed mixes. Learn to cook sinigang the way your grandma used to, which is to boil a few pieces of tamarind and strain out the juice, instead of using a sinigang mix. Learn to make marinara sauce and your own pasta sauces to be sure dishes are free of preservatives.

sweets Clear kitchen counters of tempting sugary sweets.

As mentioned, you don’t want to feed cancer cells and sugar is what they crave the most. A harmless-looking donut could be deadly – it’s all sugar and transfats. Know how to make sugar-free sweets with muscovado, which is unrefined sugar, or an organic natural sweetener. If you must indulge in desserts, go for those offered by vegan bakers like Meeta Nandan of Heart2Hearth who bakes non-dairy, nut-free, and eggless treats and uses organic ingredients.

fruits Load up on fruits and veggies.

Just like mom used to say, spinach, beans and greens are good for you. A diet that is mostly plant-based is recommended. Fruits and veggies are best consumed raw or juiced. However, there are also vegetables that should be avoided in certain cases. Some doctors also tell chemo patients not to consume raw food, fruits and vegetables as they are likely to attack a suppressed immune system. One must also try to buy organic pesticide-free vegetables so do find good sources of these.

Read up and learn from the experts.

It is important to know that not all cancer patients need the same diet plans and caregivers must adjust the diets when the patient or their loved one suffers from different side effects during treatment, ranging from body weakness, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, mouth sores, and loss of appetite. It can be very frustrating when the patient’s sense of taste changes due to therapy and he or she would reject the food you lovingly prepared. But take heart as your loved one is not his/her usual self and maybe in a lot of discomfort or pain.

When your loved one is undergoing treatment, always consult a licensed nutritionist to draw up a meal plan or check out websites that offer thorough information about cancer patients’ nutritional needs. One good source of information is the National Cancer Institute website, www.cancer.gov, which lists food options that address different side effects. nationalcancerinstituteMeanwhile, prevention is still the key to fighting the Big C. Take note of these generally well-known cancer-fighting foods which are common in most cancer prevention websites and see how you can include more of them in your family’s daily diet:

  • Beans
  • Berries (raspberries, strawberries and blueberries)
  • Cruciferous Vegetables (Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and kale)
  • Dark Leafy Green Vegetables (Lettuce, mustard greens, Swiss chard)
  • Flaxseed
  • Garlic (also onions, chives, scallions, and leeks)
  • Green Tea (decaf)
  • Tomatoes
  • Whole grains

One of the best ways to show your loved one that you care is by preparing their food. And for those who have cancer, I do believe this is one way they would know for sure that you are there for them -- ready, willing and able to help them fight the biggest battle of their life.

The 24th of the month

Whew! Never did I think that a simple field demo of my eldest would be tiring. We woke up early just to be in school at eight in the morning. We were in full force, me, my husband, my mom and my youngest. Armed with a video camera and a DSLR, we’re all set to capture one of his milestones in school. Of course, I am one proud mama seeing him dance his booty. They performed in tune of I’ve Got a Feeling by Black Eyed Peas twice. After the program, we head off to the ever famous Jollibee to grab a bite. It was also our simple treat for my mom who is celebrating his birthday today. On our way home, the two kids fell asleep. By the time I was able to check my mail, I saw I had to research about gold bullion. My boss seemed to get fascinated with all the things glittery and gold nowadays.

What’s in a name?

Welcome to the September 23rd edition of Thursday Thunks!
(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!
We pick a subject, and your job is to interpret it anyway you want.
Write about it on your blog... simple as that.
Maybe you can interpret it as a picture - we don't care!
Please only leave a link if you have written a Thursday Thunks post.
Don't forget to go visit the other participants' blogs.
Read and comment about all their Thursday Thunks responses!
That's what all this is about after all, isn't it?
We'll have so much fun and become lifelong friends....

Thursday Thunks: What's in a Name?

1 The TT questions are brought to you by Bud, the color of Kimber's hair (where did she go?) and the number 333.

1. We are changing your name. You have no choice. You get to pick it, but we must approve it. You must have a good reason. Ok, what is the name and reason?

Alex. I would have loved to have a guy name for a change.

2. I say Shotgun, you say?

Wedding.

3. We are sending you away. Africa or Mexico?

Africa.

4. When you're home alone, do you still close the door when you use the restroom?

Of course! Even if the main door is locked.

5.  Berleen told me that I have to ask a mean question. Tell us about a horrible memory.

I prefer to keep it myself.

6. What are your plans for October?

Study hard and stay focus. November 6 is just a stone throw away. It’s a make or break part of my career.

7. Is there anyone that you regret ever meeting?

My ex-boyfriends. Two of them!

8. You have 3 months left to live, what do you do?

Fulfill my childhood dreams. Go to the happiest place on earth. Travel. Dine out. Be merry and free.

9. You wake up in an unfamiliar place, what is your first reaction?

Where the hell am I?!

10. Your phone rings at 4am, just before you kill this person, who do you expect it would be?

It should be an emergency call – that I need to report to the office to assist the newbies to restore our network, LOL!

11. You're having a bad day, what one thing can make your day better?

Hugs and kisses from the kids and chocolates / blueberry cheesecake..

12. You are doing a meme written by the blogosphere's shadiest character. Is there anything else that you should be doing right now?

Yeah, make my turn over report for my boss.

13. If money were not a problem, (and it never is, right? Yes, I stole this f$%*ing question. Sue me.) where would you like to live?

Paris! Or somewhere in Europe.

God whispers today

1

God whispers today

1

hello there

I don’t intend to ignore and forget blogging but for the lack of better words and stories to share, I haven’t had entries for the past few days. Well, I’ve been on night shift for two weeks now and I still have six more weeks to cover. I know it’s the best time for me to review for my certification exam but I just can’t find the right kick for me to get going. Maybe I’ll get to be more productive next week. See you around then!

God whispers today

1

Concrete polishing tools

My dad was a carpenter and I grow up without him. We have the common story of a poor family whose one parent needs to work in a foreign land just to survive. At first, I didn’t understand it. Years later, with his perseverance, he becomes a foreman and later on a contractor. Even though his paycheck increases, we still live in a shabby house which floor only has concrete polishing. I remember I always rant and say it’s so odd to have a father who makes mansions for other families and yet lives in a shanty. We didn’t get all we want. We didn’t live a luxurious life. We weren’t able to tour even just Hong Kong or Singapore. We seldom go out of town and it is, most of the time, in my mother’s hometown. We seldom eat out, goes to the mall to shop or to watch cinema. We weren’t sent to an exclusive school. Instead, my father invested his meager earnings buying construction tools and concrete polishing tools such as a concrete polisher which is used to progressively ground the chemical treated concrete. When I become an adult, I realized that even though we still live in a shanty, what my father invested is not the house we live nor will the material things we have but rather the home and the family we have and we cherish for the rest of our lives.

God whispers today

1

Until when

Time check! It’s fifteen minutes before four in the morning here in this side of the world. Yes, I am still up and widely awake. Until when can I last like this, nobody knows. I am in the office waiting for the clock to strike seven so I can be bound home. My body and my eyes are screaming and wanted badly to take a sleep – a good night sleep. But then again this are part of sacrifices one needs to do, otherwise we will end of penniless in no time. Sounds crazy, but if only gold bullion are easily stretched in the highway and anybody can pick it up – I wouldn’t be here I’m sure.

Jobs north East

We cannot deny the fact that the employment rate in this side of the world is not good. A college graduate can either be jobless or under job. Most of the time, they take risk and go out of the country to find job elsewhere. Usually, the find employment opportunities via the internet, which in that case can be sector1 then apply. Once their resume are screened, they will be interviewed and hopefully get hired afterwards. We cannot blame them for searching jobs in other countries. In dire need they have to do such, otherwise their families will die in hunger.

The owl is awake

owl Tonight is the first of the two month long sleepless night. I, after more than a year of being in the morning shift, joined my other team mates in their rotation of shifts. As this gave me the chance to seriously review for my upcoming certification exam, my whole body doesn’t cooperate. I am not a night person, and normally snoozing by 10 pm. Right now, I am nursing a terrible headache and I’m in dire need to lie down and sleep. A cup of coffee didn’t give me the boost I needed. I’m getting dizzy and my vision gets skewed now, seriously. I’m just hoping I’d be able to adjust in time. Hope all is well in a couple of days now.

God whispers today

1

Printer cartridges again?

It’s a weekend! And when everyone else is spending their time with their kids, here I am spending my time as a corporate slave. Times such as this, I wished we are wealthy enough so we can afford me not working. It’s a far cry from reality but I wish luck would side us and eventually, we could things we wish we could. But for now, all we can do is to save. Speaking of saving up, I am about to scold my youngest brother who happens to be a freshman in college who consumed our printer cartridges so fast that I do not know if he is printing an entire encyclopedia. I just bought a toner refill two weeks ago, and now he sent me a text message asking me to buy another laser printer cartridge as the last one I bought doesn’t work anymore. He said he has tons of assignments and projects that need to be printed as soon as possible, that’s why. And so, after work, I have to brave the mall to buy another one. I hate going to the mall most especially if they are throwing sales as there are tons and tons of people who don’t even care if they bump you.

At the zoo: TT100

100PostsLogo

Congratulations to
KIMBER & BERLEEN!
at once a week...a great milestone

Welcome to the September 2nd edition of
Thursday Thunks!

(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!
We pick a subject, and your job is to interpret it anyway you want.
Write about it on your blog... simple as that.
Maybe you can interpret it as a picture - we don't care!
Please only leave a link if you have written a Thursday Thunks post.
Don't forget to go visit the other participants' blogs.
Read and comment about all their Thursday Thunks responses!
That's what all this is about after all, isn't it?
We'll have so much fun and become lifelong friends....

Thursday Thunks: At the Zoo

The TT questions are brought to you by Bud, the color of my neighbor's wife's eyes and the number 33,333.

1. Would you rather have a pet hippo or a pet elephant?

Eerr.. None of the above.

2. Why do you think bananas are shaped the way they are?

I don’t know neither, haha!

3. In one word (OK, you can go three to four MAX) , what do most people describe you as?

Naughty but nice.

4. Choice (stupid but a choice…): Loss of vision, ability to speak or hearing - which do you choose? (you have to choose one....) It's like a law. But we can't make you.

I prefer to choose the ability to speak. Thanks to sign language, I can still communicate.

5. Do you like lemons? Do you use them to clean with or just as a food source? Or are you saving them up for 2012?

I usually eat lemon juice whenever I am sick most especially if I have coughs and colds. I haven’t tried to use to clean our sink. One more thing, what’s with 2012 and lemons?

6. When you are feeling icky with that sickness feeling, what is your first choice for feel-better medicine?

No feel-better medicine for me. I usually sleep first. By the time I woke up and I still feel sick, I then take medicines.

7. You are starving. You have not had anything to eat for days. In front of you is poison ivy, a live hissing cockroach, and a rotten stinky piece of some sort of mystery meat to eat. Which would you pick and why?

None. I’d rather die than to eat those, I swear.

8. Who was the last person you bought a present for? What was it? Will you buy Berleen one?

I bought a gift for my daughter, a pair of shoes. I will buy Berleen a present if I saw her.

9. Name 3 things you want your kids to learn before they grow up. (If you don't have kids, feel free to explain to the other players why you chose the “no kids“ choice. Yea. I know. (Those who have children will NEVER get it. And no, don‘t explain it…)

Be God-fearing. Be kind-hearted. Be respectful.

10. What was your favorite toy as a child? What happened to it?

I didn’t grow up having tons and tons of toys. My dad bought me a walking doll as big as me. What happened to it? It ended in the trash like the other toys I have.

11. If you could paint your house ANY color you wanted and your friends, family & neighbors would love the color from the moment they saw it, what would it be?

I wanted to have a white house with red door.

12. If the Pillsbury Dough Boy got into a fight with Mrs. Butterworth who would win? And would anybody get hurt? And do we seem desperate even asking?

I’ll be rooting for Pillsbury Dough Boy.

13. What was the last thing you would guess that Kimber took a picture of? Oh. And consider the meme listed below. Click on it. It rocks.

The sky???

it’s septemBER!

Is it for real? Is it really September now? Time really flies fast. It was only January few months ago and now, it’s the start of the BER months. In time, you’ll feel the Christmas air. It’s the time of the year when everyone is making their list of pressies for our loved ones. Time to hit the mall to start early shopping of gifts, thanks to the 3-day sales.

Christmas countdown starts now. It’s exactly 115 days to go before Christmas!