the weekend...

although weekends had been limited, so far each weekend was spent really well. this weekend was spent with friends. nancy, marleni, emmanuel, horacio and i had dinner at marbella in bayside. since marleni has been craving for some good paella we decided on the place. it has been a while since we all got together. the last time we hang out with marleni and eman was during the memorial day weekend at coney island. the last time with nancy was a couple of weeks ago when we went to staten island for some denino's pizza and ralph's ice cream. but the last time that marleni and nancy saw each other? hmmm... yeah, we had to think really hard to remember when! lol

so, during dinner, we all caught up with each other's lives over a pitcher of sangria. the paella took almost half an hour to come, but the wait was well worth it. it was good, although i can't say that it was the best paella i've ever had, it was still good. after dinner, we all decided to do a drive through dunkin' donuts (which was across marbella) and get our fill for coffee. since emmanuel had to go to work, he had to drop us home right after that. as usual, with emmanuel as our driver and marleni our co-pilot, we got lost (with the directions from mapquest!!). it was expected, as usual (and yes, we are SO getting them a GPS for their wedding!). by the time we got home, we prepared horacio's birthday ice cream cake. marleni and nancy insisted on having candles and all since horacio wasn't around during his birthday and that they "missed" it.

after having our piece of horacio's birthday cake, we set-up to play board games. we played scene it! and horacio won twice!! but, in fairness, the second round of scene it was a really close game (we all caught up since horacio wasn't able to answer My Bestfriend's Wedding and There's Something About Mary) after much gloating, we moved on with cranium. horacio and i teamed up.. it was a close game, but horacio and i lost...

by 2 am, we all headed to bed... while marleni, nancy and i stayed up until 5 am talking and planning marleni's wedding. it's really fun planning a wedding, especially marleni's. since the first wedding that she's gonna be attending to is hers, she has no clue on what to do and that stresses her out. nancy and i suggested a couple things to her... although she had decided on the color (red...) and a church wedding. she still hasn't decided on the venue for the reception (outdoor or indoor?). then we all fell asleep, only to wake up early to get ready for church.

we all went to horacio's church. i have been attending horacio's church for the past two weeks. although i have been there befere that, somehow, i have been enjoying his church more. i find myself going out and actually remember what the pastor talked about or actually understand what the verse is about. i dunno... anways, after church, nancy had to go home to staten island since she still had to go to work (us trying to convince her to call in sick didn't work). the three of us headed to Uno's for some lunch where eman joined us. after having our fill for lunch... the two guys voted off the movies (although at first horacio was all up for it!!! argh!!). instead we headed to my place and played a round of cranium (horacio and i ruled!!), watched chappelle's show. then it was time for marleni and eman to leave. i was so tired by then... and horacio had to leave me as well, which sucked big time.. but anyways..

it was still a good weekend. i had a good time hanging out with friends... it was fun staying up again and just talk about everything. it's nice that no matter how busy our lives had been that we still keep in touch and found ways to get together even for a short while. i am hoping for more times like this to come...

health update..

so, i went to my doctor this morning. after asking me a series of questions and drawing my blood, he told me that he is trying to rule out ulcer, gastritis, gall stones or GI bleed. as soon as i heard GI bleed, i knew i could be in trouble. good thing i was fasting and didn't have enough time to pass by dunkin donuts on the way to his office, so he had me go to sonogram of the abdomen. now, he had me take nexium for the next ten days. if the pain doesn't go away by tuesday, i have to call him. if the pain goes away after the ten days, and comes back as soon as i stop taking nexium, i have to call him as well, and see if i could be scheduled for endoscopy. i am hoping now that the pain goes away and stays away... the reason why i didn't wanna go in the first place is because i know how thorough he is, and i know he is gonna suggest endoscopy. just the thought of it... i know i don't want to endure! still, i went and follow doctor's order (which includes, staying away from work until tuesday!!). i went for my sonogram and went home (after buying some new clothes and DS games).

i got home around 1:30 in the afternoon, by 1:45 pm my phone rings -- my doctor is calling. he wanted to let me know that he got the results of my sonogram and everything looks clear. that's a relief. but i still have to continue with the nexium and report any (or none of it) results. i called the nursing office already and called out for monday... now, i am just praying that the pain does go away in a couple of days.... i have seen how endoscopy is done, and i really don't want to go through it. (but) as my doctor said: "Don't be a hero. i know you are a healthcare worker (nurse) and i know that we are the worst patients." so.... we shall see....

shoesies... shoesies.. shoesies...

when i used to go to work in an office, i used to detest wearing shoes with heels. i found them so uncomfortable, unnecessary and unbearable. i longed for wearing sneakers and flip-flops each day. now that i get to wear comfortable sneakers each day, i find myself looking through pumps and slingbacks. i recently bought this nice pair of four-inch black pump shoes in miami and each time i look at it, i long to wear it outside. now, i need a reason to be able to wear these type of shoes... as i browse through piperlime.com, i find myself going through the shoes with heels and foregoing the flats and flip-flops. am i actually growing up? or is it just because i don't get to wear them often so now it's ok to have them? just like the charater in the movie "in her shoes", she has all these nice pumps, sandals in different colors and styles, yet she doesn't wear them often and prefers to wear her "shabby" looking shoes. opinions anyone?

i long to have these shoes...... shall i buy them?? i really like the black and white one, and the red one... argh!! i want to go out... to be able to wear them!

on calling in...

i am not really a bigg fan of calling in from work. even back when i was still in school, i would feel bad not going to school even if i am really sick and can't get out of bed. i remember one time, when i was on my second year in high school, i got really sick and i was tryi to get out of bed get ready for school since we were gonna have a test in biology. my sister had to pin me down (which was easy, since i was sick and weak) and assure me that it was ok that i stay at home. i also remember crying myself to sleep that time. thinking about it now makes me sound nerdy!! who would want to go to school for a test?!?!

anyways, today i called in (again..) and i felt so bad. although, i know that if i went to work i would just be in pain and wouldn't really be that beneficial, since work requires me to run up and down the hall, turn and move patient up the bed, continually remind patients not to get out of bed -- and that is just an eighth of what we regularly do. i have a real reason why i didn't go though. and most people at work knew about it, since i came to work yesterday. i don't exactly know what it is yet, but i have been having a bad feeling on my stomach for the past two days. i have been feeling dull pain on my stomach with occassional sharp pains. as i tried to explain to horacio how the pain is... it's like having contractions (i think!). since it's so painful and that's the only thing i could think of on how to describe it. i tried to rule out a lot of things... it's not caused by spicy food (since i just had indian food last night and buffalo wings today and it didn't make it feel any worse) and not of soda (which i just had a couple of glasses, and nothing). i don't know about coffee though, but i am not drinking any of those at the moment. i don't think it's an ulcer, since i still have the appetite to eat, and it doesn't go away after i eat. what's worse, i get nauseaus after eating (but that doesn't stop me). it can't be GERD since i tried to drink milk and not a gallon of milk alleviates the pain. it's not gas, since i took maalox as well... i haven't had any episodes of vomiting or diarrhea.... so, i really have no clue what's going on with me. but, i finally caved in and called my doctor today... i was hoping that he would see me earlier today, but i knew it was a far shot. so, i would be seeing him tomorrow instead. i am now hoping that he'd give me a note, since i took two days off from work plus this weekend is my weekend off... i know the supervisors are just gonna love reprimanding me.

on the lighter side of what's going on with my life... well... what can i say... the weather had been pretty sucky these past few days. it has been gloomy, rainy and cold!! and to think summer is not officially over yet!!! i love summer... please, sun, come out again!! actually, i don't mind the less humid days, it's the rain that bugs me the most! i like rain, but i don't like it when i have to leave the house. i like it when i could just stay at home, lay in my bed, watch some movies, hear the pitter patter of the rain on the window, eat lots of junk foods or a nice bowl of soup! i guess i just got used to the rain in the Philippines. for when it rains, it meant no one is allowed outside the house unless you want to get stuck in the middle of somewhere.

work has been alright... i really can't complain. i don't hate my job. i kinda enjoy it! (lol) i know, it sounds weird. but as most people know, one can't have everything in life. i enjoy taking care of people and to actually know that i am helping people, makes me feel good. i know it sounds so cheesy and cliche, but this is really what made me want to become a nurse - to help people and know that i made someone smile each day. well... what can't make you smile when an old, sweet lady tells you that you are an angel just for re-positioning her? i dunno... maybe it's just me... i adore most of my patients. some of them could be such a pain in the you-know-where (especially the family)... but life isn't perfect. i know i still groan about going to work and wish that i don't have to work... i also have bad days, but then i think about my old job... then the bad days ain't so bad anymore! :)

anyways, i better stop babbling nonsense... but i am sure my mom's gonna love this post since it's lengthy! hehehe (i love you mom, i know that you are my avid reader, eventhough you don't know how to post a comment!). got to prepare myself for tomorrow... getting sticked and probed! i hate needles!!!

for mom...

as requested by my mother dearest, i am blogging right now. so..................................................................................................

hi mom!! you better accept realities. hehehe maybe one day this year, you'd meet your first blue eyed (or green!) grand kid! :)

i love you mother!! :)

Hilarious!!!

Warning: This is to be viewed by those who can understand the Ilonggo language.