Vans, Cars and More

When we were growing up, the trusty Volkswagen combi brought us to St. Scholastica's in Marikina. I don't remember if Mother accompanied us to school. It was way too early in the morning that I was probably still on auto-pilot just to wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, comb my hair, grab my bag and go to school. I do remember that our maternal aunts would be the ones in the combi to fetch us in the afternoons. I also recall that there was a small fan in one of the corners of that combi to keep us cool and that when we got picked up there was a basket there with our merienda to keep us happy for the trip home.

As we got older, the combi got replaced by our beige Hi-Ace (IH-139). That vehicle didn't have an airconditioner because windows were still kept open in those days. Since there were ten of us going to school in that single van, everyone had their place in the car. (I got the window seat in the back!)

NLE-159, the Toyota Hi-Ace Commuter that came after that, was Foxy Grandma. I guess Father figured that even if there were still the same number of children, everyone was getting bigger. Foxy Grandma was quite a Hi-Ace. I imagine my high school friends remembering that they would know I was about to be picked up from school because one could hear it from across the campus. (It was called Foxy Grandma because it had a red sticker on its back which read 'Foxy Grandma'. It was the first car we had placed a decal on, I think.)

I learned how to drive our two-door Datsun when I was in college. Oh, we had NCC-544 for years!. It was a very reliable car. I was quite dependent on those side mirrors which were by the front hood rather than by the doors. Most of us learned to drive using the Datsun. Perhaps it was the car which almost everybody got to drive. I remember when it was still new (we were much, much younger then), there was a metallic plate that redirected the air from the airconditioner. It would get misty when the aircon was so cold. By the time I got to drive the Datsun, that piece of equipment was lost and the aircon seemed to have lost its cooling powers as well.

Though I know we probably didn't acquire the two cars one after the other, our garage also had NCC-543. I think this was the time they mandated that all cars have license plates with three letters and three numbers. NCC-543 was a white 1975 Toyota Crown. I found that to be a HUGE car to drive, especially since I'd if you'd gotten used to driving the two-door Datsun. I felt like I was occupying so much of the road when I drove the Crown. We still had that car when power steering became the auto standard. Obviously the Crown was not yet in that league, so we just had to contend with 'pawis steering.'

(I got to ride NTZ-371 several times in high school and college though that car didn't belong in our garage.)

For our Sunday driving, we had the gold '83 Toyota Super Saloon (PEH-534). When I meet people who used to see all twelve of us go to mass, they would relay their amazement at how many children would come out of our car during Sundays. Simple. Father drove, Mother sat in front with J and Z, and everybody else had to stay in the back. The smaller ones sat on the lap of the bigger ones. (I always sat behind the driver's seat and I remember Sunshine sitting on my lap. There came a point though that I ended up on Slash M's lap as he got bigger and more muscular.)

We used to have our cars fixed at the Araya Motor Shop at 75 Maginoo St.

Father got an automatic transmission car for Mother to drive. That was the theory. I don't think Mother ever got to drive that car. It came and went. I got to drive that Ford Ghia several times. I am not very fond of automatic transmission cars. You see, the clutch and the gears are my friends.


NSL-509 was a Mitsubishi Colt Mirage which was acquired in January 1986 for the sum of P70,000. This car was being used by sister London Eye. In the most classic case of divine intervention, the car got stolen on September 7, 1986. London Eye was able to use the insurance money to go abroad. Certainly it was God working in mysterious ways.


TLJ-596 was Slash-M's Mitsubishi L200. Being the COOL dude that he was, he had a radio which was detachable.

Eldest Sis had a blue Nissan Pulsar. She drove this car with back and forth from Cebu Avenue to PGH at Taft. The traffic in the Manila area was terrible, but Eldest Sis drove this car with such skill it was simply amazing. I liked that car. I could actually drive it without wondering if I could get in and out of small spaces.

Sisters Mindy and Z had PTX-866, a 2 door Honda Civic to drive for a while. That was a cute car.











Storm was the car I drove next. PPE-927 was named by my brother after Mason Storm (played by Steven Seagal in the 1990 movie Hard to Kill). It was a blue Toyota Corolla.

When we returned Storm so that it could be used at Cebu Avenue, MacGyver was able to borrow Classic (NKJ 554) from his parents. MacGyver had seat belts and a third brake light installed when this was the car we were using. We brought GI home from the hospital in this car when he was born.

Then we got bold and availed of the car facility being offered by the bank as one of its employee benefits. Our first car was Eeyore (UUN-324). It was a white 1997 Toyota Corolla. GI was the one who gave Eeyore his name. Obviously he was a Winnie the Pooh fan back then because MacGyver certainly didn't drive as slow as the Eeyore it was named after.

RD was born in December of that year and Eeyore brought him home. I retired from the bank in early 1999 and all my retirement went to the payment of the car. (Yes, after all the accounting of who owed how much to whom, I had to pay a minimal amount to the bank since my retirement couldn't cover my car payment. Ouch!)

When I returned to work in 2003, we still had Eeyore. After about a year or so, we decided to sell Eeyore and get a new car to avail of the bank's car facility which was part of my employee benefits. We acquired a black Toyota Altis (XNY 452) which we named Nightwing.

I thought that I would complete the term of the car loan because moving banks was not something I really expected to do. Well, sometimes things just happen. I resigned in 2006 and moved banks. Once again, I owed the bank money because naturally, I had to pay off my car loan. (I was not quite convinced that the ruling of my new employer for separation would be beneficial to me. If I took out a car loan from them for Nightwing, if I were to leave the bank before the 5 years was up, I would have to pay the market value of the car or lose it.)


Earlier this year, we decided it was time to sell Nightwing and take advantage of the 0% interest rate on the car facility being offered by my current employer. Waiting this long to get a new car enabled us to get the 2008 Toyota Corolla. If I had availed of the car facility when I transferred banks in late 2006, we would have been stuck with the old Altis model. MacGyver would have wanted to get a black one again but there were none available at the time we were getting the car. We opted to get the car in silver model and the kids just call it by its color, Quick Silver.

The feature I like MOST about Quick Silver is the automated mileage display. MacGyver is able to monitor his mileage with greater ease. He KNOWS when he is driving like a mad man (mileage DOWN) and when he is driving with his foot on the pedal as if there were an egg under it (mileage UP).

GI turns 16 next year. He has learned the basics of manual driving c/o computer games of his oldest cousin, whose set-up comes complete with steering wheel, clutch and brakes. Unfortunately, the virtual world is lightyears away from the real world. And barreling through fences, ramming into walls, flying off mountain edges and running away from cops are definitely no-no's in my book. He'd better not even think of doing such things when he gets behind a real steering wheel.

As for me? I really prefer to ride shotgun* now. No more driving for me if I can help it, thank you.

*Riding shotgun is to ride in the front passenger seat of a car or other vehicle.

(Details for this message required research into dusty papers and documents. One cannot entrust everything to memory, especially not mine.)

(GI' s comment to this whole post? tl;dr. The meanie!)

Puzzled -- Part 6

I found this picture in Slash M's cabinet. Am so glad we have this shot of New York in progress. I should look for the other pictures we have around the house taken as our puzzles were being completed.

Gallery Genesis

The concept of the photo gallery originated from MacGyver's sister in 2001. At that time there were only fifteen grandchildren on his side of the family. MacGyver's sister bought fifteen picture frames and requested the siblings (and in-laws) to provide blow-up photos of each of the grandchildren. She then cleared one wall in the living room of their parents' house and set up the gallery.

The original photos can be seen in Gallery - Part 1.

In case you didn't recognize the children, GI is apo #7, RD is apo #10 and MyGirl, who was the youngest grandchild then, is #15.

MyGirl was the youngest on that side until new cousins came along in 2003 and 2004. Alas, #16 and #17 had to have their photos 'appended' above the original gallery since there was no more space below the third row.

I wanted Father and Mother to have something similar, so I got simple 8" x 10" frames for us at Cebu Avenue. In 2002, there were only five of them on our side. GI and RD, then the children of Eldest Sis, then MyGirl. We set up our mini-gallery in the living room upstairs (where my Norman Rockwell cross-stitch project was originally displayed). This was the beginning of Gallery - Part 2.

As more of my sisters got married and had children, the gallery slowly expanded to eight. Jersey Girl had two boys and Mindy had one girl.

I had bought extra frames when we put up the three for the new additions to the family. I wanted there to be some semblance of uniformity in our gallery. I figured with so many siblings married, we would surely hit ten grandkids.

Unfortunately, these spare frames got tucked away in the piano seat for quite some time. Mother would often tease me that she had the extra frames available, hinting that she wanted more grandchildren. I had a standard response to that. I would tell her, "Quota, Mother. I've reached my quota. You have to have your other children fill up those frames."

As the saying goes, "All in God's time."

True enough, in June 2006, Mindy had her second baby. Then in October of 2007, Sunshine had her first. Sunshine's baby was the tenth grandchild in our family. Not to be outdone, Slash M gave Father and Mother apo #11 this year.

For Father's birthday last year, we got him the divider with frames. There were 15 slots available in this 5 x 3 divider, so by our count we could have photos for each of the nine grandchildren and place family photos in the six other slots.

It took us forever to find the blow-up photos we wanted to post. GI and Noelle were the only two kids with photos at first. So whenever we had visitors, they would ask who that girl was posted on the other 14 frames. Father got quite upset at the recurring question that he practically begged us to fill up the gallery. (I pulled out the pictures of that girl as fast as I could.)


We set an internal cut-off to fill up the gallery. Gallery - Part 3 was taking shape. As we got pictures of the grandchildren blown up for the gallery and placed them in the frames, Mother started getting ideas of her own. She decided she not only wanted to have her grandchildren in the gallery, but she also wanted her children there. She figured that she could use the front AND the back of the divider. (Yes, there definitely was enough space for all ten of us now.)

So she got our graduation pictures from our study room tables and had them recopied. We decided to include individual photos of Father and Mother and one of their wedding photos to complete the family gallery.

If you do the math, you would know that 10 (kids) + 2 (Father and Mother) + 1 (wedding) = 13. That left 2 extra slots in the 5 x 3 photo gallery. If you check out Gallery - Part 4, you would find all fifteen frames filled up. For some odd reason, while nine of us have only our college graduation pictures posted on the gallery, Z got her grade school, high school AND college picture snuck in there. (Mother defends this by saying there has to be some advantage for being the only one left in the nest. In her defense, Z says that when Mother had the graduation photos recopied, she found all of Z's pictures in the single frame and simply decided to have Z's grade school and high school grad pics recopied along with the rest.)

If you know my mother, then you would know that she will not stop at a teeny-tiny 5 x 3 (times 2) photo gallery. She went off to National Bookstore and initially bought twenty-five plastic sleeve things. Then she went back and bought thirty more. That made it fifty-five (yes, 55!) plastic sleeve things. She was DETERMINED to have an expanded gallery.

More pictures! MORE!

She moved the puzzles (Hong Kong and New York) that had been hanging in the dining room wall for years and had us measure points at which we could place hooks for the plastic sleeves. The initial plan was a 4 x 5 gallery. That would give enough place for Father and Mother together, one for each of the grandchildren (9 at that time), family pictures for the 5 married children and one each for the 5 (then) unmarried ones. It would have been perfect!

Perfect for about two seconds, that is.

Mother decreed that she wanted MORE than More. She wanted as many as the wall could take! (She did have the fifty-five plastic sleeves, remember?)

So more frames went up. Now the wall has 48 of those plastic sleeves. Gallery - Part 5 was born.


The rest of the sleeves have been filled with pictures as well. These plastic sleeves are simply propped up along another wall of the dining room. The pictures in the sleeves seem to be constantly changing. And the sleeves themselves seem to be arranged differently every weekend when we visit. Apparently, they have become part of the furniture (but that is a different story altogether).

I'm certainly glad that we started the galleries at Cebu Avenue. It is quite impressive to see so many pictures. Besides it makes Mother and Father very happy to see all their children and grandchildren while they are eating.

P.S. We have yet to figure out how to put Baby Elle in Galleries 2 and 3. And Slash M has yet to submit his family photo to update his photo in Gallery 5. We can tell that the photo is old because that is him trying to woo his love with his guitar. (Apparently, it worked!)

Gallery - Part 5

L 'Enfant (and the Hunk)

From lankanewspapers.com (Tuesday, 16 January 2007): This iconic photograph melted the hearts of millions and was the last thing that teenage girls across the globe looked at before going to sleep at night.

The sepia-toned image called `L`Enfant` or `Man and Baby` became the biggest selling poster ever when launched in 1986.

It was an unprecedented hit for the former poster company Athena, made the photographer Spencer Rowell £1million and helped model Adam Perry sleep with more than 3,000 women.

Now it is to be sold at auction on Thursday at Bonhams in London as the first of a limited number of 50 hand-printed prints framed and signed by Rowell. They could fetch £3,000 each ? a small price for a piece of history.

The poster, produced for Athena, sold more than 5million copies ? not including millions of bootlegs.

It is even credited with launching the `New Man` ? someone who could show off his six-pack stomach but still be in touch with his feminine side.

Model Perry, 23 at the time of the shoot, was paid £100.

Voted `the world`s most promiscuous man` by GQ in 1997, he was last heard of renovating railway arches in South London.

The two-week-old baby, Stelios Havatsias, from Cyprus, was paid £32 for his part in the picture.

Athena went into receivership in 1994, closing its 150 shops.

Spencer Rowell, who lives in North London, said the photograph probably made him about £1million in today`s money.

He said: `I spent ten years trying to get it out of my life. It was a bit of an embarrassment, it being such a popular image, but over the last few years I`ve become quite proud of it.`

J has had this poster hanging in the wall of his room at Cebu Avenue for years. I personally love it. I think every female worth her 'X' chromosomes would wish for a hunk of a husband that would care for her baby with such tenderness and love. The theory behind this, of course, is that when Mr. Perfect puts the baby down, he's all hers.

(Surely at one point in time or another, the menfolk that have come across this poster have dreamed of having a body as muscled and toned like the model in the poster. And I am 120% sure the 'holding a baby part' was the farthest thing from these wanna-be hunk minds. "Baby? What baby? Oh, yeah. That is a baby, isn't it?")

Going back to dreaming about this hunk of a husband ... I say lucky the woman who finds the man with a body like Adonis that is willing to marry her but many times luckier is the woman who finds the man who will love her and care for her (and her children) for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health (till death do they part).

If that man comes in a single package, that woman has hit the jackpot!

However, let's face it, among other things, it takes time and money to get that kind of a body. Getting a wife can already wreak havoc on the 'time and money' part. What more having a child? Or two? Or more?

It's a tough call for some men. I suppose the lady would REALLY have to be worth it.

Yet many a man has asked a woman to be his wife. Many a couple have walked down the aisle. Many a husband and wife have upgraded their status to father and mother.

It is also true that many a size 30 have become size 36, many a medium have become extra large, and many a scale have been banned from the household.

In the long run, I believe it is the 'holding the baby' part that counts.

(But don't I wish I could have my cake and eat it, too?)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

(This message post is dedicated to my youngest godchild. May your mother Sunshine read you many, many nice stories.)

Yes, it is true. I love children's books. And one of my favorite books is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (written in 1969).

No, I didn't get to read the book in 1969 when it was first released. I know some of you were not even BORN yet during that time but if you must know, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is among those timeless children's books.


I first saw this book at a Book Sale stall in Walter Mart when GI was still in Prep. It was the board book version I saw. I didn't buy the book at the time (and boy did I regret it especially when I checked how much it cost at National Bookstore).

I immediately fell in love with this crawly green creature.

I mean how could you not fall in love with this caterpillar? It ate everything in sight!

It ate an apple on Monday,
two pears on Tuesday,
three plums on Wednesday,
four strawberries on Thursday
and five oranges on Friday.

But it didn't stop there!

The caterpillar ate all these yummy stuff ...

and more!

The caterpillar became a big fat caterpillar ...

then became a pupa (inside the cocoon) ...
and eventually turned into a butterfly.

When RD and MyGirl were old enough to read, I would bring them to the children's section of the bookstore and we'd sit down and read this book. Eventually, I decided I really loved the book and it would be worthwhile to get a copy.

front cover

back cover

I had a very bad experience with caterpillars as a child. We lived in QC but studied in Marikina. My older siblings had whole day classes but I was only half day. However since we lived quite far from school, I would join Eldest Sis, London Eye and Sister Deer in our Volkswagen combi and wait in Pergola 2 until my bell rang so that the car didn't have to make an extra trip just for me.

There were lots of trees where I waited and consequently there were lots of insects, including caterpillars. One (or more, yikes!) dropped on my back once and I got so itchy, it was AWFUL. It is the only time I remember going to the clinic for treatment in my many years at school.

The thought of REAL caterpillars still sends shivers down my spine and there is one particular tree which I purposely avoid thinking that a caterpillar may drop on me at any instant.

I make only one exception when it comes to caterpillars. Only this little critter will pass the test.

Caution : Hot

I once brought the children to McDonald's after mass. We ordered pancakes and Sausage McMuffins for breakfast. GI and RD got soda, MyGirl opted for orange juice but I wanted my hot chocolate.

The boys finished ahead of us girls. While MyGirl finished her pancakes and I finished my McMuffin, GI and RD decided they wanted a taste of my hot chocolate.

First RD took a sip. (Think big smile.)

Then GI took a drink. (Think bigger smile accompanied by hands holding the styro cup possessively.)

"Hey! Hey!" I said. "That's MY hot chocolate!"

GI put the cup down and checked it out. It said, "Caution: Hot."

He smiled mischievously and said, "I can make a T-shirt with these words. You know ... (presenting himself) ... CAUTION: HOT!"

I have news for you, young hot blood, I think that idea has already been thought of before; and if you must know, you would have to get parental consent before stepping out of the house wearing an advertisement like that.

GI is turning fifteen next month. Should i start worrying?

Fascinated with Time -- Part 2

Today, 08-08-08, is the start of the 2008 Olympics. I consider it a good time to write the second part of my fascination with time. Today's time topic is TIMERS.

One of my old digital watches had the timer feature which I found useful for timing petty stuff. You know ... how long it took someone to get from here to there, how long it took to do this or that. Nothing exciting. Nothing exciting, that is, until I decided to turn the timer into a toy. Instead of timing things happening around me, I decided to time myself. I would start the timer and stop it as fast I could. The goal was to stop it after the shortest amount of time.

Hey, don't laugh. We didn't have computers, play stations, and DS back then. I think this was even before the Game And Watch era. The idea was not original, mind you. If I recall correctly, one of my classmate's calculators had this game which I figured could be played using my watch's timer. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Cheap thrills. The novelty wore off quickly because once I got the fastest time, there was nowhere else to go.

I never really had any urgent need for a regular timer. People that need regular timers are people who like to run the 100-meter dash, swim competitively, yes, Olympians and other athletes involved in any sort of race. They would need timers. Everything about them has to do with speed.

As for me, I am more of an endurance runner than a sprinter, the 'enjoy the water' and 'take my time to get to the other side' type of swimmer. I have little inclination to compete in sports or joining any sort of race. A regular timer would be of little use to me. It would be more of a toy than a tool.

Fortunately, I got introduced to countdown timers.

Now countdown timers are a different story altogether. I love countdown timers. I can't resist checking out stores to check if they have countdown timers. I can find a lot of uses for such a gadget. It is definitely more useful to me than its regular counterpart. I think every household should have one on hand. I'm not kidding. I can't imagine not having one at home. I actually have at least two countdown timers at home. (Yes, I know I only need one. Would I get struck down by lightning because of hoarding? I sure hope not.)

What do I use countdown timers for?

Well ... naturally, I use it to time things.

Primarily, it is used when I bake. Having a timer on hand reminds me that I have something in the oven that needs my attention. We don't want burnt cookies now, do we?

We also use it when we play Boggle or Word Factory. Though the games normally come with (egg) timers, the countdown timer gives us audible warning when time is up. No more bargaining for extra split second by shaking off little bits of sand. No questions asked whether time has run out or not. When the timer goes 'beep-beep beep-beep' finished or not finished, "pass your papers."

I have found the timer VERY useful for keeping peace. Whenever I hear RD or MyGirl say something like this, "Kuya, it's MY turn to play with ... (the DS or the computer), I know that it is time to bring out the timer. To avoid any hostile encounters, I determine how much longer GI can play and set the timer near him. Instructions are given explicitly, "GI, when the timer rings, your time is up and it is RD's (or MyGirl's) turn."

Obviously countdown timers do put a finite limit on things, it can signal the end of one activity to foster the way to the start of another. I have used my countdown timer on numerous occasions.

Bedspacers -- 28 April 2006

It was getting late and the boys wanted to sleep on the floor bed to get the draft from the aircon. We let them lie down on the floor bed, but they didn't want to settle down.

After a while, I set the countdown timer to 5 minutes and announced that if the timer beeped and I found their eyes open, there would two boys sleeping on the top bunk instead of on the floor bed.

RD added smugly, "And those two boys are Kuya and Dad."

Yes, the timer reminds people, especially me, that time is up.

RD has learned this and often uses the timer to his advantage. When he wants me to do something for him and I am still busy, he would ask how much longer before I can help him. If I quote a time, he would set the timer and place it beside me. ("Soon" and "in a while" have become inadmissible replies to the question How long? in his books.)

I am somewhat reliant on timers. I can imagine myself running off to the store to get a replacement battery (pronto!) if ever I discovered that all of my countdown timers ran out of batteries at the same time.

I think I have given away at least half a dozen countdown timers over the years. I hope these people have found it as useful as I have.

Currency Exchange

As you may know, our household works on a slightly different currency... it's called kisses.

Like regular currency, kisses at home can increase in value (if they come from me, at least that's what I'd like to think) or may be considered to have slightly lesser value (if they come from someone else or maybe if they are given right after having garlic bread or anchovies).

This currency can be traded at a premium. This happens when hugs come with the kisses. Consequently, this currency can be traded at a discount. Those are called flying kisses.

I have friends who have commented that although this currency is relatively easy to produce, it is not generally accepted in their households therefore making it quite difficult to come by. I didn't realize it was such a rare commodity even within my own family until I asked for some from MacGyver's visiting niece last Sunday.

MacGyver's sister and her family are visiting from China. They will be here for a little over a week. I was not sure if I would see the children before they leave since their flight is this coming Saturday. As we were saying our good-byes yesterday, I asked MacGyver's 7-year old niece to give me a kiss before we left.

She looked at me strangely as if I had asked her to dance the jig in front of an audience of leprechauns, then she moved a couple of inches away as if I had the bubonic plague and said, "Huh?!"

Then she went back to playing her game on her pink DS.

I was taken by surprise. Apparently, that currency is not heavily traded in their household and there was ZERO interest in such a transaction.

What a shame!

Fortunately, I have many givers and takers here at home. And if my siblings were to come with their families, there would be many more market players and many more kisses would be exchanged.

(May I just mention that I am particularly impressed with my Irish brother-in-law who has mastered the currency movements at Cebu Avenue. When he and Mindy visited last summer, he never failed to ask for his share of kisses when he was seated at the dining table and kisses were being handed out.)

At this point, I recall one of my favorite kidbits.

Kissing Bandit -- 07 May 2007

The date : Yesterday, May 06
The time : About 1:30 pm
The place : Inside our car

The problem : As I closed the door of the car, I noticed a mosquito fly by. Since we were in for a long trip, I certainly didn't want the mosquito making a buffet out of us.

The reward : I declared, "The one who kills that mosquito gets ten kisses…."

The hitch : "… but you have to show me PROOF to claim the kisses. I need to see the carcass."

The victory : Not a minute passed and GI was able to kill the mosquito. He showed me the flattened insect and pointed at his cheek to claim his kisses.

The awarding ceremony : I gave GI his ten kisses without much ado.

The non-winner : RD, green with envy at the kisses his older brother received, asked if he too could have ten kisses. I told him that GI deserved to get the kisses because he had spared the rest of us from getting bitten by the mosquito. (But I whispered that we could talk about his kisses later.)

The generous winner aka 'The Kissing Bandit' : When GI heard that I had refused to give RD free kisses, he couldn't help but tease his brother all the more. He told MyGirl, "I'll give you the ten kisses Mom gave me, MyGirl. OK?" Naturally, MyGirl was more than willing to receive the kisses.

The multiplication of kisses : Upon receiving the kisses, MyGirl, in turn, offered to share her bounty with RD. "I'll give you five of my kisses, Kuya RD." Well, RD was not about to refuse such a generous offer. He was quite pleased to receive free kisses. GI, upon seeing an opportunity for more kisses started a trade bargain with MyGirl. "MyGirl, give me the other five kisses and then I'll give them back to you." (I gave GI a LOOK that said, "You are only allowed to use that kissing logic on your sister, mister!")

The Value of Time

RD and I were on our way to the doctor's office this morning. We were tuned into the radio and they read out the message about realizing the value of time. It was the first time RD heard this and he found it interesting. I've read this many times before and I have to admit, it is always good to be reminded how precious time can be.

[My apologies to MacGyver who often has to wait for me. I think I will resurrect my alarm clock on a chain and set it for ten minutes before our agreed pick up time. However, the saying 'a stitch in time saves nine' sometimes applies to spending an extra minute (or five) checking if one has everything in order before dashing off. So I hope he will (always) forgive me for taking my sweet time.]

Minutes ... If GI lazed around an extra couple of minutes in bed in the morning, chances are he would not be ready by the time the school jeep arrived.

Hours ... Last Thursday, as a result of the heavy rains, MyGirl spent an extra hour in school waiting for the water to subside, MacGyver took two hours getting to her school and then after that, it took three hours for them to inch their way home through the flood waters. All in all, the fetching process that normally takes about 15 to 20 minutes took five grueling hours for MacGyver and MyGirl.

Days ... I remember the last time RD was confined for pneumonia. We were in the hospital for 6 days. We spent more days in the hospital than we did in Bohol for our vacation!

RD has lost a week of school having been absent due to bronchitis. (That was why were on the way to the doctor's office this morning.) He's fine now except for the school work that needs catching up.

On the lighter side of time, there was a mini-reunion at the Heathrow airport last July. Sunshine flew in as Mindy was about to leave. That meant LondonEye was with two other sisters by virtue of being in the right place at the right time.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day.

What would you do?
Draw out every cent, of course!
Well, everyone has such a bank. It's name is time.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the records of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the tomorrow.
You must live in the present on today's deposits.
Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!

The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.

And remember, time waits for no one.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.


The origin of this text is unknown.

Gallery - Part 4

Gallery - Part 3

Gallery - Part 2

Gallery - Part 1

Oíche Chiúin

What?!!! Christmas in August?

You must not know me very well if you are wondering how I could post a Christmas song in the middle of the year.

In our house, the Christmas tree is up way after Three Kings, the Christmas lights on the grills are up the whole year round, and Christmas carols can be played whenever one feels like it.

Yes, I do listen to Christmas carols in the middle of the year.  I like a lot of things about Christmas, and among them are Christmas carols.

This music box belongs to Mother.  It plays Silent Night.  She winds this up whenever she misses her children. So as you can imagine, with ten of us to miss, the music box gets wound up pretty often.  

At Cebu Avenue, Silent Night can be heard at odd hours of the day (4 am, 3 pm, 12 mn,  you name it, it's been played at that time) twice or thrice a week (if not everyday) in January and December (and any month in between). 

The music box is silent now because Mother is fortunate enough to be visiting one of the siblings.

Silent Night (Oíche Chiúin) was written on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria. It was a poem written in German by an Austrian priest named Father Joseph Mohr.