Sunday, November 30, 2008

house hunting

It's so hard to look for a new home. We've actually seen one but we're trying to find an apartment within the area where we live now for two reasons: 1) Jan's pregnant and our hospital of choice is near where we live now as compared to the 1st apartment that we've seen, the one near where we bought our property and 2) We want to be near our families, for emergency reasons, since we've been having yaya woes lately.

We went to look at some apartments last night and we didn't see a place that we liked. This morning, I hired a tricycle to so that we can get around and cover more ground more quickly.We found some good apartments that were too expensive or big for us, and we found cheap apartments that were either too small or too is located in a neighborhood that we didn't like. Not that we're choosy, its just that I want to be comfortable in the next place we live in and since we're paying the rent with our hard earned money, I'd rather live in a place that I like.

We're giving ourselves until next week to find a place near where we are now. Anyway, we have a fall-back apartment that we can transfer to if things don't pan out here.

We're packing stuff already, starting with the things that we don't use on a daily basis: books, old clothes, kitchenware, toys, dvds, etc. It may seem simple enough, but it really isn't. You'll never know how much stuff you have until you pack them all up. I didn't realize that we've acquired a lot of things over a span of three years!

Note to self: Ask the real estate company if they could add a storage area / room to the new house.

:-)

Friday, November 28, 2008

Busy December

December is a few days away and it's going to be busy for me and the family. My brother Ian and his wife Marcy will be coming home from London to spend the holidays here in Manila. We'll be spending a few days in Baguio with the family, and I'm excited because I haven't been to Baguio for quite a while (last time was back in '95 I think, though we've been going there every year before that). It will be Jan's second time and Sophie's 1st time to be there.

It will be our 3rd year wedding anniversary this December also, though we really don't have anything planned, Jan and I will probably have a dinner date . . . just the two of us to celebrate this momentous occasion hehe. We'll look out for the weather because since it rained during our wedding day 3 years ago, we've noticed that it always rained on that day. I take it as blessing and yes, I feel that we've been blessed for the past 3 years.

I'll be turning 32 in a few weeks time . . . yup, I'll be saying sayonara to the number of days in the calendar. I thought that it (being a year older in a few weeks) will feel weird but I guess I kinda accepted the fact that I'm all grown up already haha. Nothing's changed really, well . . . nothing major anyway. I'm not planning on having a party or anything because I'm saving up for our Baguio vacation. I'd probably just have dinner at home with Jan and Sophie and whoever is available to join us.

Christmas will be a busy day as well, not to mention the days leading to the birth of Christ. We still haven't bought gifts yet and I'm sure we'll be experiencing and cursing the Christmas rush in the weekends to come. Oh my poor, poor feet . . . Oh my poor empty wallet!

We'll be moving out of our unit, hopefully by next week to transfer to a new apartment and just thinking about it makes me cringe. Don't get me wrong, I'm actually looking forward to it, but just the thought of packing and unpacking in a matter of hours, makes me want to drink Gatorade at this very moment.

Christmas parties and reunions are sure to be one of the highlights next month but we probably won't be able to go to all of them. I'll try my darn best to attend all of them though. What's a party without me, right? hehehe

A busy December it may be for me, but I think that everything will go well. 'Tis the season to be jolly and I hope everyone enjoys it!

:-)

Thursday, November 27, 2008

hmmm

Sometimes I wonder what's in store for me in 5 years time. I saw this family at the chapel the other day together with their two kids a girl who's around 5 or 6 and a boy who looked much younger. With Jan 5 months pregnant right now, in 5 years time, we will be like that couple. Its something that I'm looking forward to and at times, I wish I'm living that future already.

In some ways, I can relate to the movie CLICK starring Adam Sandler. When Adam Sandler discovers the power of the remote, he used it to re-live the good times and fast forward thru the bad times in his life. In the end, he missed a lot of things that he should have experienced if he didn't use the time-traveling-universal-remote. Its a good thing that he was given a second chance.

Sometimes I wish that I could just coast thru life, especially during trying times. Sometimes, I wish that time would stand still so that I can enjoy a particular happy moment. But time does move on and everything moves along with it. More often than not, I'd look back at my past problems and remember how hard those times were for me and just laugh about it. I also reminisce about all the good times and just feel great about them.

Unlike Adam Sandler's character, we don't get second chances and we only live once. Good times, bad times, we all have to live through it. What we make out of these experiences is what really matters.

For now, I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride and when the time comes, I'll laugh about writing this post hehe.

:-)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Friends!


I'd like to thank Maya for this award! I'm passing it to everyone in my blog roll. Kunin nyo na mga friends! :-)

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

cute daw ako!

Got this from Vayie and Dylan.


Thanks! I think I'm cute too! hehehe. Ayy! Yung blog ko pala!

Here are the rules:


- Each blogger must post these rules.
- Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
- Bloggers that are tagged need to write ten facts about themselves. You need to choose ten people to tag and list their names.
- Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and also to read your blog


MY RANDOM FACTS:

1) I am the eldest of 6 brothers.
2) I am currently addicted to Snickers Chocolate bar and I buy at least 2 bars every time I visit the grocery.
3) I can drink like a fish. The last time I did some serious drinking, I started at 10pm and went home around 7am. I lost count of how many bottles I've had, but I'm pretty sure that its more than my fingers.
4) I love rock music but I also love listening to Barry Manilow, Rey Valera and even . . . Air Supply hehe
5) I hate spicy food! Not even for pulutan.
6) I can't drink beer or have coffee without smoking. I try, but I really can't. Whenever I'm in a non-smoking coffee house or bar, I'll always be the guy who'll go out for a smoke.
7) I don't have a driver's license. The last time I drove a car was way back in college when I smashed the bumper of my Dad's car. That's why buying a car was never a priority for me.
8) I hate commuting on a bus or jeep. I'd rather take a cab. Hmmm maybe I should buy a car.
9) I sleep late. I go to bed at 2am. The earliest at 12mn. I usually watch TV or read before I sleep.
10) I always have a cigarette before I go and do my business in the toilet every morning. I can't take a dump without having one smoke. Must be psychological. I don't give a shit as long as I can take a shit every morning hehe.

Now, in the spirit of cuteness, I want to share this award to everyone in my blogroll!
Kaya ko nga kayo binabasa e dahil cute kayo, este, cute mga blog nyo! At pag binisita ko blog nyo dapat makita ko to ha?

What are you waiting for? Take it! Take it!

:-)

Ohh Yeahh!!

OHHH YEAAHHHH!!! Manu Ginobili is back in action as the Spurs beat the Memphis Grizllies 94 - 81. Things are looking so good for San Antonio especially since Tony Parker is expected to be back in two weeks. Can you say PLAYOFF?

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OHHH YEAAHHHH!!! Marlon finally got voted out of Survivor Philippines last night! Its about bloody time!

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OHHH YEAAHHHH!!! No work on Monday! Maybe this is one thing that I like about our present government. They keep on moving the holidays so that people can have long weekends!

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OHHH YEAAHHHH!!! I'm watching the Jokjok Bolante senate inquiry. Nothing beats the drama of senate inquiries. Better than GMA 7 or ABS-CBN 2 tele-novelas!

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OHHH YEAAHHHH!!! We found a new apartment last weekend. We're planning to move-in in two or three weeks time. Thank God!

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:-)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

lipat bahay

Naghahanap na kami ng bagong apartment. Nakatanggap kami ng notice na hindi na kami i-rerenew ng aming tinitirhan na condo type apartment. Actually, matagal na namin iniisip na lumipat dahil medyo mahal ang renta namin. At dahil may mga binabayaran na kaming bahay na binili namin a few months ago, malaking tulong na rin ang pag-lipat sa mas murang apartment kasi biruin mo, nagbabayad na kami sa bahay na matitirhan palang namin pag dating ng May or June next year, nagbabayad pa kami ng renta na pagkalakilaki! Kung baga, dobol dead!

Anyway, di na rin ako na gulat na hindi kami na renew. Nagkaroon kasi ng pagkakataon na nakipag away ako sa office ng condo. Pinutulan kami ng kuryente at tubig dahil delayed daw kami magbayad. Una sa lahat, dalawang beses pa lang kami na delay sa tatlong taon naming tinira sa unit namin. Hindi naman sa dahil wala kaming pambayad, medyo sa mga pagkakataon na yun a busy kami pareho ni esmi, at di kami makakuha ng oras para makapag-bayad.

Nung araw na pinutlan kami, sakto na inutusan ko yung yaya namin na sya na ang magbayad. Ayaw ko kasi na sya ang magbayad dahil sasakay pa ng jeep para makarating sa opisina at baka mamaya ay madukutan pa sya, patay yung pambayad namin.

Dumating yung yaya namin sa office a few minutes after kami maputulan. Tinawagan ko sila para ma-reconnect kami. Ang sabi sakin, nakaalis na daw yung mag re-reconnect. Sabi ko " anong nakaalis na e kakaputol nyo lang?!". Medyo napikon ako dahil ang daming nakatambay na tao nila sa compound namin, at sa tingin ko kahit sino sa kanila ay puwede mag-switch on lang ng kuryente.

"Ang schedule po ng reconnection 5:30pm pa."

Hindot! No goli pa ko! Pano yan?

Bam!: "Ang dami nyong tao dito na puwede gumawa nyan. Di naman kailangan ng engineer para mag switch on lang di ba?"

Office Girl: "Hintayin nyo na lang po."

Bam!: " Hindi puwede na hanggang 5:30pm dahil may baby dito sa bahay, at baka kung ano mangyari sa kanya dahil mainit!"

Office Girl: " Hintayin nyo nalang kasi kasalanan mo naman na late kayo e."

Bam!: " Di ko naman sinabi na di ko kasalanan e. Di naman kada buwan late kami. 3 years na kami dito. Kahit tignan nyo pa record namin! TIGNAN MO RECORD NAMIN!!!"

Office Girl: " Hintayin nyo nalang 5:30pm." Nanginginig na boses na parang iiyak.

Bam!: "Hintayin!? HINTAYIN?! T****NA MO! HINTAYIN MO KO DYAN!!!"

Pinigilan ako ni esmi na mag punta. Nanginignig ako sa galit. Siguro, takot na takot yung mga tao tuwing may pumapasok sa opisina nila. Baka hinihintay nila ako dumating na may dalang baseball bat hehe. Pero inaamin ko na mali ako, at dapat mas mahinahon ko syang kinausap.

Dahil dito, di na rin ako nagulat sa sulat na natanggap namin. Ok lang. Talaga naman nagbabalak kami lumipat kahit na magbigay sila ng renewal e. At pagod na ko umakyat sa 4th floor. Wala kasing elevator.

Sa kabutihang palad, may mga nakita na kami sa internet na mga prospect na lugar na puwede lipatan. Pupuntahan namin this weekend. Sana ok. Malapit yung mga prospect namin sa binili namin property. Kaya gusto ko rin lumipat sa area na yun ay para masanay na rin kami na dun nakatira, total naman lilipat na rin kami sa area na yun next year.

Exciting din maghanap ng bagong tirahan. Sana lang may magustuhan kami sa mgapupuntahan namin.

Wish us luck!

:-)

I love your blog!

Got this for Sharlyn (Being Myself). Thanks! Love your blog too :-)




The rules of the award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on his / her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you have nominated.

Previous awardees: Mabelle, Prily, Ate Norma, I Love Philippines Too, Shenga, Nova, WebbieStuffs, Nancy, Webloglearner, Pinay Wahm, and My So Called Life, Let’s Spice Things Up, Beauty and Shop, Idealpinkrose, allin, kimchiland, Korean Food, The Paper Vision, Embrace Simplicity, Me and Mine, A Window To Our World, A Grateful Heart, Can of Thoughts, A Mother’s Stuff, http://housewifeatwork.blogspot.com/, MommaWannabe, Lourdes Mia, Praning’s Shoutout, When Silence Speaks, Etc Atbp, Aeirin’s Collections, Life is What we Make it, Underneath It All, Cellulitic Bliss, 100% Kelly, C'est La Vie, Our Family Adventure!, As We Face Forever, BeinG mYselF, The Pakarazzi Experience

I am passing this award to Vayie, Garet, Clare ( who has 3 sites: click here, here and here) Kiko, Azrael, Hazel (who has another site, here) Shiela, MarcoPaolo, Eymi, KumagCow, JoshMarie, Maya, Dylan, Buzzing Flower Pecker and Sej

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

malamig ang simoooy ng hangin . . . .

Ilang araw nalang ay Disyembre na. Sigurado ako na nabalitaan nyo na rin na mahaba ang baksyon sa buwan na ito. Simula nanaman ng pag shopping ng mga regalo sa mga inaanak, pag plano ng mga party, pag hanap ng murang paputok na pang New Year at pag-kain ng bibingka at puto bumbong. Sa totoo lang, ito an pinaka nakakatad na buwan para mag trabaho. At bakit naman hindi, e sa kakaisip pa lang sa mga party na pupuntahan natin e tatamarin ka talaga hehe. Sa Enero nalang pro-problemahin kung magkano ang nagastos at malamang, tataas nanaman ang benta ng biogesic dahil sa dami ng taong sasakit ang ulo pag nag-compute na sila kung magkano ang nailabas na pera nung bakasyon hehe. Ang hirap din gumising sa umaga kasi ang sarap matulog dahil sa lamig ng panahon. Ngayon palang e sigurado rin ako na malaki na ang kinikita ng neozep dahil sa dami ng taong may sipon.

Kahit papaano ay lagi kaming may budget ni esmi na pang regalo pag pasko. Nagtatabi na kami at minsan, may mga taon na maaga palang bumibili na kami ng mga regalo. Isa sa mga target namin na bilhan ngayong taon ay ang Divisoria. Mura talaga ang mga binebenta dun. Beterano rin si Jan sa tawaran at minsan, ako na ang nahihiya sa mga nagbebenta hehe. May isang taon nga (pero medyo matagal na 'to) na lahat ng pinsan ko at mga inaanak at pamangkin (medyo marami yun ha), pati na rin mga kaopisina ay nabilhan ko ng regalo sa budget na P3,000! Di ko lang alam kung puwede pa ngayon yun, pero sigurado ako na mas makakamura kami sa Divisoria, pati na rin sa mga ibang tiangge sa pag bili ng mga regalo.

Ako naman, bale wala naman sakin kung may regalo sakin o wala. Ang importante, magkaroon ng panahon para magsama-sama ang mga kamag anak at kaibigan, para sabay sabay i-celebrate ang kapaskohan. Minsan lang sa isang taon tayo nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon para makita-kita uli. Sa tingin ko, habang tumatanda ay mas importante ang oras para mag sama-sama kesa sa ano mang regalo.

Naku, malapit na rin akong mawala sa kalendaryo sa Desyembre. Pero ok lang. Ganun talaga. Sa tingin ko naman ay nag-enjoy naman ako at dahil sa lumalaki kong pamilya (next year meron nanaman akong bago baby na mangungulit sa amin, tulad ng pangungulit ni Sophia ngayon), sigurado ako na mas magiging masaya at exciting ang mga susunod pang Disyembre.

:-)

Friday, November 14, 2008

weekend nanaman!

Its Friday again and, by golly, time really does fly. We have nothing planned this weekend so maybe we'll just spend time watching dvds. I bought Sophie Dora and Sesame st. DVDs from a sale here in the office (its our company anniversary and we usually have sales on cds, dvds and vcds to celebrate the event, salary deducted of course), just so I can be spared of the Barney videos that Sophie's been watching for the longest time. Sophie has lots of Barney dvds and she's been watching them religiously that I can sing most of the songs! I was disappointed though since there were few dvds on sale so I just bought vcds for my self. While dvds is superior in terms of picture and audio qualities, I have no problem buying vcds. Besides, they're relatively cheaper (2 for P140) and are salary deducted, so oks lang!

What I noticed about vcds is, cartoon titles have more noticeable pixels compared to the movies. Maybe its because of the colors of the cartoons, but I really don't know why. Anyway, I bought 19 vcd titles, which will last me through the holidays! Patay nanaman ako kay Jan nito! Hehe

I don't think we can go out on Saturday as Sophie just came from a fever. We didn't get to go to work yesterday because Sophie kept us awake with her crying the whole night. Thank God she's feeling better now. It really does break my heart to see her like that.

Anyway, its a pay-day weekend and I really hate going to malls during this type of week. I'd rather stay at home and rest. I'll be going out of town for a business trip on Monday and I'd rather spend time with my family. I also bought NBA 2K9 today so I'd probably be trying it out this weekend.

*** To my brother Patrick who reads my blog all the time: Humanda ka! May 2K9 na ko! YOUR ASS IS GRASS!!! Hehehe ***

Hope y'all have a great weekend!


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My site's been having lots of visitors lately and I just want to thank you all for visiting. MARAMING SALAMAT and I hope you enjoy your visit. :-)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Xmas tree

Malapit na ang pasko. Siguradong mas nakakatuwa ang pasko ngayong taon dahil marami nang mga bata. Last year may mga bata na rin pero di sila kasing kulit tulad ngayon. Lat year, gumagapang palang sila, ngayon, tumatakbo na!

Noong Linggo, natulog ako pagkatapos mananghalian. Pagkagising ko, ang aking mahal na esmi ay nag-aayos na ng Christmas tree. Nagulat ako. Ang bilis nya! Parang isang oras pa lang ako naatulog, dami na nya nagawa.

Tumulong naman ako kahit papaano at natuwa ako kasi mas maa-appreciate ni Sophie ang Christmas tree namin this year.

Share ko lang yung konting pics namin (na hindi nanaman ako nakasama hehe):












Wednesday, November 12, 2008

something to share

For the past few months, I've been going to church regularly. Not just every Sunday, I go even on regular weekdays at least twice or thrice a week. I think I've come to a point in my life when I feel that there's something missing. Sounds kinda cliche' but thats how I feel. Its a good thing that we have a small chapel in our building that celebrates mass during lunch time and late in the afternoon.

They say that sometimes, God allows us to have problems because it brings us closer to Him. I'm guilty of only praying whenever I need something. It's something that I want to change. Hearing mass and praying regularly not gave me the chance to ask for something, it made me realize that I am blessed. We all receive blessings everyday without us even noticing. The great thing is, now I'm starting to feel my blessings and I have a lot of things to thank for.

Now I do not go to church because I have to, I go to church because I want to. It gives me guidance, peace of mind and the chance to thank Him for everything in my life. Now, I have something that I've forgotten for sometime now: Faith.

:-)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

survivor blog

I knew it! I knew Kiko will be voted out! I couldn't watch Survivor last night because of an event that I had to attend to, but I asked my aunt to text me who was voted out. Personally, I think the guy deserved it. Marlon (who is also in my vote out list) played his cards well. That's the way you play Survivor! The games objective is to outwit, outplay and outlast for Pete's sake! Being complacent, especially at this stage when everyone has an equal chance to win the prize, is something that one should not be.

I think the next target should be Zita or Rob since he already has 1 vote against him because of the cursed black pearl. I'd vote off Zita first because people most of the tribe likes her and she'll most probably have sympathy votes if she's left in the final 2 or 3. It will be great to watch how Rob will redeem himself, knowing that he's the easiest person to vote because of the pearl.

If I were Marlon (hehe), I 'd steal the black pearl so that Rob will have 2 votes against him. If I were one of the Jarakays, I'd use Marlon to the hilt before voting him out. But that's just me.

:-)

Sunday, November 9, 2008

tv shockers

TV has always been a part of my life. I loved watching tv as a kid and I'm still a regular couch potato now. In fact, here I am at home watching The Longest Day ( and old war movie about WW2 invasion of Normandy starring John Wayne ) on DVD while Jan and Sophie are in Glorietta with my in-laws, probably having a good time. Sometimes, we don't notice it, but we get too involved with events on tv that it could sometimes just ruin our day.

Here are some real life examples:

Seeing that it was already late, I opted to stay in the office to watch Survivor Philippines last Friday. It was almost 10 o'clock pm and I didn't notice the time as me and some of my office buds were just hanging around. It would take me a good 20 mins to go home an I wouldn't want to miss the tribal council so I texted Jan that I'll be home as soon as Survivor's over. I wasn't able to see Last Tuesday's and Wednesday's episode, so I didn't know that Marlon (the snake hehe) was wreaking havok amongst the new tribe, seemingly convincing some of the old Naak members to "switch" alliances. I was so surpirsed about this development and because of this, I was really glued to the tube.

When tribal council came, Marlon and, to my delight, Kiko both got some votes and eventually were tied. As the final vote was about to be revealed, the show's credit suddenly appeared, signalint the end of the show.

All I can say was: "P***ng ina! P***ng ina! Syet! Syet! Putol! Syet!!! Aaaaarrggghhhh!!!"

Needles to say, I went home fuming right after the show. When I got home, I asked Jan why the show was cut. She was also surprised. I went to sleep wondering who was voted out, and cursing the show's producers hehe.

The next day, I woke up and turned on the tv, hoping that the Spurs were on BTV or ESPN. There wasn't any live game on BTV so I switched to ESPN. The first thing I saw on the screen was Tony Parker limping back to the dug out.

Simultanously, I said: "oh no . . . oh no . . .OH NO, OH NO, OH NO, OOHHH NOOOO!!!"

Jan: "Bakit"

Bam!: "Oh no! Oh no! Oh No! OOOHHH NOOOOO!!!!!

Jan: Bakit nga?"

Bam: "Natapilok si Parker . . . . Aaaaarrrggghhhh!!!"

Jan: "Wala si Ginobili?"

Bam!: " Injured nga!!! Oh no! Oh no! OOOOHHHH NOOOOO!!!"

I watched the replay and saw that it was a freak accident. He didn't step on anyone's foot. He sprained his ankle while he was driving to the ring. And to think, Parker just came off a 55 point game the game before. Thankfully nothing's broken, but he'll be out for a while and now the Spurs will really need to step up.




Needless to say, I was bummed out the whole day because of this. Now they're down 1-4.

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Its a good thing I decided to watch a movie tonight that I've seen lots of times before. I don't think I can handle another tv shocker. Besides, everyone knows the Americans won the invasion of Normandy hehe.

:-)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

wala lang nanaman

I've been in a non-blogging mood for the last few days. Nothing worth writing about and most of my web activities centered on my new FACEBOOK account. For those of you who have one, please add me scharlesg@yahoo.com :-)

I think that FB is better than Friendster because its more interactive and the interface is more user-friendly. I even linked this blog site to my account so friends can read my blog even without visiting my blog. Jan actually was the first one to sign up. When she told me that I'm "so jologs because you don't have facebook" I signed up right then and there hehehe! Now I tell her "you're so jologs because I have more friends than you!" hehehe

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I can't believe that the San Antonio Spurs has lost three games in a row, making them 0-3 at the start of the season. Losing Manu Ginobili to injury really hurt them. I hope the team steps up and win their next game. I also can't believe that the Detroit Pistons traded Chauncy Billups, Antonio McDyess and Samb to Denver for Allen Iverson. I think Detroit lost more than what they got and Denver gained more, specifically on the defensive end. The good thing is, there's talk that McDyess might have a contract buy-out, which makes him eligible to join another team after 30 days for a minimum veteran's salary. I hope the Spurs get him, just like what they did when Michael Finley's contract was bought out (which worked for them) and when Damon Staudamire was in the same situation, which really didn't work out but what the hey, it was worth to try.

With the western conference getting bigger and stronger, McDyess can add additional and much needed muscle to the Spurs.

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Obama won the US presidential election today by a landslide. Their first African-American president. What impact will this have in our country? I don't know, but I hope something positive comes out of it in a global scale. The guy looks ok and I heard his very moving victory speech. I wonder when our politicians will reach that level. Its my personal choice not to vote for the last few elections because I feel that we need new people and not the same old politicians as our leaders.

McCain congratulated Obama when he conceded and urged the people who voted him to do their part for the benefit of their country. In our country, losers will almost always demand for a recount. They're so sure that they were cheated. You know what they say: " Ang magnanankaw galit sa kapwa magnanakaw" hehe.

Change is drastically needed in our country right now and I hope that in the next election, I can vote for someone who I think is qualified.

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Its time to put up our Christmas tree once again and I'm very excited to see Sophie enjoying the blinking lights and other ornaments on the tree. I'll post some pics once we're done putting up our tree.

:-)