I Dream Of Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair

Do you have a wishlist?

Allan and I each have our own wishlists of stuff we want to have, which we update on a regular basis, depending on how achievable they really are or whether we had gotten around to scratching them off the list after months of saving. Stuff comprising mostly of gadgets, thingamajigs and a few toys for the big boys are what often comprise this so-called list of mine. I have gone through quite a few lists already, and much of the stuff written on them have, thankfully, been scratched off completely and some just seem to keep reappearing on a new list. Obviously the items that i've been putting on the wishlist that keep showing up are the ones that i still could not afford, and yet i keep pining for still! So, i figured, maybe if I posted the top 5 items of my wishlist, I would make my first step in declaring that -- ALL THESE WILL SOON BE MINE! mwahahahaha!

(SFX: THUNDER)

Anyway, the list has always ranged from something as simple as a pair of really cool and great-fitting jeans to the outrageous like a flashy new car. Basically, my top 5 are things that i want and NEED to make my life, uhm, more pleasurable! Ok let's see that list now, shall we?

1. Power Mac G5

- Ya-ha! A graphic designer's best friend, just check out the specs of this killer machine: The new Power Mac G5 line extends as far as you require. Up to two 64-bit G5 processors reaching top speeds of 2.5GHz, room for up to 8GB of main memory, pro performance graphics cards and ultrahigh-bandwidth system architecture will give you more results than systems costing twice as much. Mac OS X really shines at top speeds, and the Power Mac G5 offers whiplash-fast models, from a single processor 1.8GHz configuration to the dual processor power of 1.8GHz, 2GHz and 2.5GHz models with a substantial speed boost at the top of the line. The dual 2.5GHz model packs so much power into tight quarters that Apple designed a liquid cooling system for it, resulting in a cool tower that runs Photoshop nearly two times faster than a Pentium 4-based system. In fact, for most creative endeavors, the Power Mac G5 simply has no competition in its class (taken from http://www.apple.com/powermac). Of course, right now, I am loving my loyal and dependable PC, for it has served me well and still does after all these years of working as a graphic artist. But it won't hurt to add a new member to the family. Right?

2. PowerBook G4

Well, now we've decided we are welcoming Macs into our growing computer group, why not invite another one in. Smaller, but deadly still, this will work perfectly well for on-site presentations where just the sight of this baby will surely help clinch the deal. Allan? Allan? Where'd you go? Faster than ever, PowerBook G4 computers all feature PowerPC G4 processors with Velocity Engine that provide robust performance for complex multimedia or data intensive applications. The 15-inch and 17-inch models boast processor speeds of up to 1.67GHz, and the 12-inch model now offers speedier performance with its 1.5GHz processor.Serious SoftwareThe PowerBook G4 comes with an advanced operating system, Mac OS X v 10.3 “Panther,”. The PowerBook G4 also comes with iLife ’05, including iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD and GarageBand. You also get QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition, a collection of graphics tools including Art Directors Toolkit, FileMaker Pro Trial, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, Graphic Converter and Zinio Reader (taken from http://www.apple.com). Me want! me want!

3. Nokia 9500

Now what's a graphic designer doing with a lot of cool office gizmos, but without an equally cool phone? I currently have the 9210 which is the ancestor of this fella. It's great because like the 9500, it opens up to reveal a screen and a keyboard, which i absolutely love because i don't abbreviate my text messages and typing on a keyboard makes spelling out the words so much easier. Sad thing is, my 9210 is still unable to achieve a lot of the high-tech stuff newer phones are able to do, like sending MMS messages or enabling GPRS sending. I can't even receive polyphonic ringtones nor accept picture messages, for crying out loud! (uh, why do i have this phone again, hon? oh yes, yes.... it was a gift....hehe) Anyway, this new member of the Communicator family is packed with a EGPRS (EDGE) for fast data transfer, Integrated camera (VGA) with video capability, Tri-band operation for use on five continents, Bluetooth wireless technology, and a large memory - 80 MB internally and MultiMediaCard (MMC) support. Hoo-ey! (uh, why DON'T i have this phone again, hon? oh yes, yes... i don't have the money for it yet....shucks!)

4. Mazda 3

Aaaaaaahhhhh.... the Mazda 3..... just look at it! Ain't it pretty? 'Nuff said.

5. PalmOne Treo 650 Smartphone

Now long before the Nokia 9500 came out, I've also been eyeing the Treo 600 which definitely works just as well for me because it not only has a phone and a PDA in one unit, but it has a PALM PDA in it. Right now I carry around in my bag my Nokia 9210 and my Palm M180, which can be a real pain in the shoulder. I absolutely cannot do without my Palm because it has my whole life in it (which reminds me, i have to backup now!). My calendar of projects and events for the past 2 years, my bank transactions, my project notes, my price cards... everything! To shift to a PDA phone will mean i will need a phone that is Palm powered to make sense of all the data i have kept and accumulated all these years (and no way am i going to manually transfer all those info!), and the Treo 600 offered that convenience. But better yet, they've now come out with an upgrade -- the Treo 650! Why is it better than the Treo 600? Well, it now has Bluetooth wireless technology, sharper display -- The vibrant 320x320 touchscreen, with more than 65,000 colors, is easy to read -- even in sunlight, a built-in MP3 player, is Word, Excel, and PowerPoint compatible and has a better camera built in which now captures video, too. (I don't have THIS phone because......? uh, ok, same reason....)

Oh well, so there it is! Those are the top 5 items on my latest wishlist. Now all i have to do is to wait another 308 days till Santa decides whether i've been naughty or nice this year to deserve any of these stuff i've listed. But if any of you are charitable enough to want to give me any (or all) of these items -- you know where to reach me!:)

Ich Habe Die Masern!

German Measles (Rubella)
German measles is a mild viral illness caused by the rubella virus. It causes a mild feverish illness associated with a rash, and aches in the joints when it affects adults. The major reason for any attention being devoted to the eradication of this condition is the nasty effects that it has on the unborn baby (known as a fetus), when a pregnant woman catches it in early pregnancy.

Symptoms
This is a fine, pink rash spreading from the forehead and face downwards. The rash may last for 1 to 5 days. There are often some of the glands (lymph nodes) enlarged, especially behind the ears and on the back of the head. Adults often feel more unwell before the rash appears, and may have pains in the joints rather like arthritis.

Causes
The cause is the rubella virus. The incubation period, from exposure to the appearance of the rash, is usually 14 to 21 days.

Diagnosis
This is usually made on the basis of the story and the symptoms and signs. Laboratory tests are unlikely to be of practical value except in a pregnant woman. The widespread testing of women during pregnancy has shown how unreliable the diagnosis can be. Many women who have been told categorically that they have had it prove to be negative on the blood test, and vice versa.

Treatment
Very little treatment is necessary, but it consists essentially of symptom relief eg. for pain and fever.

Why am i devoting a whole 5 paragraphs to this topic? Because I am SUFFERING with the dang disease right now and i just feel it fitting to inform all of you reading this of what I am going through (moan ... groan ... scratch ... scratch!). I knew nothing about German measles before I got it, but one thing I know for sure now and am so thankful for is -- PRAISE GOD I AIN'T PREGNANT!

Who would have thought these tiny, harmless looking pink itchy dots which are not at all troublesome (except for the occasional headache and cough), could cause so much damage to a fetus of a pregnant woman?

If a woman gets rubella in the early months of her pregnancy, her chance of giving birth to a deformed baby may be as high as 80%. These babies may be born deaf or blind. They may have damaged hearts or unusually small brains. Many are mentally retarded. Miscarriages are also common among women who get rubella while they are pregnant. The last big rubella epidemic was in 1964. As a result of that epidemic about 20,000 babies were born with severe birth defects.

Hello! Why didn't i know of this information before? Why didn't any of my doctors warn me of this kind of virus so that i would have taken an MMR shot earlier on? What if I was pregnant when i got this virus? (shudder, shudder!) What if ... what if? Of course, right now, all these no longer matter. I have it and I am not pregnant. And hopefully none of the people I came in contact with these past days aren't pregnant either.

That would be horrible.

So ladies reading this, if you suspect you're pregnant and we may have beso-beso-ed or I may have sneezed on you (unintentionally, of course!), please get that check-up now! Best to know ahead of time.

Though I didn't agonize these past three days as much as I did when I had dengue in 2002 and chickenpox late that year, having German Measles isn't exactly a pleasant experience either. Muscle pains, fever, itchy rashes, a cold and a cough aren't great bedmates. German Measles, Rubella, or however you want to call it -- Es ist nur einfache Scheiße!

Rosey Pose

Originally uploaded by chrixean.

Here's a nice shot of Nicky and I beside the beautiful arrangement of flowers, all care of Allan. I just had to capture the beauty of the roses while in their full glory. The best ones were the orange-colored ones. Too bad they were the first to wither away...

Dangwa, Darling!

Yes, the day has finally come.... today is my birthday! And i feel fine!

I woke up to a great start. 5:30 am and I felt a body slowly lifting itself out from the bed and tiptoeing around the room. I took a peek and saw Allan feeling his way around the room in the dark and stepped out of the room. HMMMM..... Up to something? I didn't want to ruin whatever it is he had planned so I forced myself back to a deep slumber. Nicky coughs and I am awaken. Light is seeping into the room and i notice Allan has not gone back to bed. I look at the time. 6:35am. HMMMMMM...... I step out of the room and i find the car missing. Well, well, well... somebody is up to something! I go back to bed and patiently wait for the sun to rise to its fullest.

7:30am -- BEEP! BEEP! Allan's back! I lay back down and waited for him to come in to reveal what he's been up to the past 2 hours (half thinking, it better have something to do with my birthday! haha). He peeks into the room, half expecting me to still be asleep. SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!, he greets. And in comes 10 dozen roses all straight and fresh from Dangwa (Did i spell that right?)! Wow, super beautiful pink, peach, red, white and yellow roses flood the room! (awwwwww...........) I was speechless and so happy. Nicky wakes up and runs to get me his hand-drawn birthday card with the heart-tugging I LOVE YOU MOMMY words sprawled across the page. It was one of the most beautiful cards he's done for me, with drawings of a McDo drive thru, balloons, a birthday cake and a "pabitin" doodled all around the cover. I just had to SMILE -- to all that.

After experiencing so much joy and excitement in just the first few hours of my birthday morning, and relishing the feeling of being loved and accepted by relatives and friends who have expressed their sincere well-wishes, I came to realize just what birthdays are all about. They're about giving thanks for the life that was given to us by the Lord, and showing love and appreciation to all the people who have made living life on this planet so much more bearable. So to my family, my dearest and best-est friends (you all know who you are:D), my Ligaya MWG bros and sisses, my school barakadas and to the people i work with -- thank you so much for your heartfelt greetings and for making this day a truly special one for me.

Gang's All Here!

bday gang
Originally uploaded by chrixean.

TO ALL OUR FRIENDS WHO CELEBRATED WITH US OUR BIRTHDAYS LAST THURSDAY ON FELLOWSHIP NIGHT -- Thank you so much! We had such a wonderful time just hanging out and eating (again!) and singing and eating some more! Thanks so much for being our pillars of strength as Allan and I go through our Christian journey as husband and wife. Cheers to you all!

Something Old, Something New

Just 1 more day and i'll be turning.....uh....... 26! hehe.... Well, who cares how old i'll be?! Point is i'm turning a year older -- again! Wasn't it just last year that i had a birthday? Do i have to keep having another one? Can't i just relish the memory of past ones and never have to face a new day marking yet another year to my age? (Eyebrows now raised to impossible heights)

Ok......relax......breathe in........then out........

But seriously, this year, this birthday, feels like it will be a different one for me. Apart from shedding my old skin (literally and figuratively), i have been sensing a lot of changes going on around and in me -- from my friends, to my family and marriage -- I can't quite pinpoint exactly where they are happening but i JUST KNOW that new things are in store for me this year. NEW and GOOD things. I will not reveal right now what i suspect these things are till i actually know for sure that they're there .... but bottomline is i am anticipating this year to be new, different and altogether a year that my dear Father has excitedly planned for me. And i'm glad that He's in control..... because to be honest..... the word NEW can freak me out!

How would i describe new?

Well, NEW can simply mean a welcome addition to the old that i already have. Like this online diary. Or clothes that i may decide to get myself for my birthday (Allan? you listening?)

Or, NEW can mean allowing change to happen where change may or may not be necessary. It could mean getting the old, fixing it up, and making it new again.

But i think, more than anything else, NEW to me, means leaving my comfort zone and embracing the unknown -- it may actually be good, but i will never know till i've accepted it. It means letting go of CONTROL and letting God be God.

How ever i really see my life, anything new should always be anticipated as a good thing, right? And with a new heart (to trust more) and a new pair of eyes (to see things in a different perspective), i open my arms wide and welcome all the great things that await me.

Guess turning old (er) ain't that bad....