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Filipinos now need all the help they can get, especially those hit hardest by rampaging tropical storm Ondoy (international code name Ketsana). The storm made landfall today in Luzon, bringing endless rains and spawning huge floods in Metro Manila and many parts of Luzon.

TXTPower urges its members, supporters and friends abroad to make donations via Paypal. You may also donate via SmartMoney (5577-5144-1866-7103) or GCash 0917-9751092.  All donations coursed through TXTPower will be sent to the Philippine National Red Cross.

You may also donate directly to the Red Cross.

More news about the typhoon that hit Metro Manila and Luzon:

The floods have deluged Metro Manila (population: 11.5 million as of 2007) , stranding thousands of night workers and those who went to school or offices this morning. Major highways have been shut down due to floods and other effects of the typhoon. Operations of Manila’s NAIA terminal have been stopped. Domestic flights have been cancelled.

Floods have reached six feet in some areas. Radio and TV news reports say that more and more people living near La Mesa Dam and Angat Dam, which has said to be overflowed, adversely affecting nearby communities.

No reports yet of casualties but radio and TV news continuously report about knee-deep, waist-high, neck-high, and bus-level floods in many areas.

Here is the initial report from the government’s National Disaster Coordinating Center:

NDCC Report on Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana)

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We woke up today hearing the winds crying and howling like crazy. It’s very cold and it’s like 6pm when the sun should be out. I am thankful we are still safe and warm in our homes, news broadcasts report there are floods everywhere in the city and floods are knee and waist-deep.  I immediately checked our supplies – drinking water (check), food (there arent any left but we can feast on noodles with egg – check). Martha’s asthma medicines have run out so I texted my mom who tried to go out the city but is now on her way home. Let’s hope she can take out food too as we are very hungry! Weather like this makes everyone curl up, cuddle in and eat! We would all need weight loss pills that work during cold days – nobody wants to move and sweat!

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Abbie turned 26 last Sunday and treated us to dinner at Dampa. It was a very dramatic day for me and Mato that day and we almost didn’t go. It was a good thing that 1) I also wanted to go because the kids haven’t seen their father in close to a month 2) The Lola was very persistent in her efforts to make sure Mato and me make up.

We were late on our way to Manila so we arrived at Dampa around 8PM already. To say we were starved was an understatement. And to say we need to learn how to order there is an understatement too. We ordered a LOT! Baked tahong, sinigang na baboy, inihaw na pusit, sizzling chicken, inihaw na liempo, lapu lapu, tuna and salmon sashimi, tempura. And take note, we were 7 people (plus one if you count my son).

I was stuffed. Literally. We went home with Edil as per his request and we were off early the next day to attend the baptism of my niece, Izzy Izzy Belly. It was fun seeing my relatives again but we didn’t have much time to talk as I was preoccupied with my godson Inigo who was such a talker – Martha was literally out-talked.

We went to the La Mesa Grill at the newly renovated SM North Edsa Sky Garden and the food was so delicious it was another foodfest. I personally liked the lechon in pandan wrap and fish the best. After the eating we went around the mall – the Block, Annex, SM Main, Carpark and were dead beat afterwards. I was surprised how much it has improved the last time we went there – it makes me want to go there alone just so I can explore the place in peace.

It was very nice weekend plus Edil got to enjoy 24 hours at home was a very nice bonus too. Let’s wish he can go home every week from now on.

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Online:

1. Flickr renewal
2. GoDaddy Gift Certificate (so I dont have to worry about expiring domains)
3. Old Navy GC

Local:
1. Powerbooks GC
2. Starbucks Mug and GC
3. Rootote (North Pole or London – London preferably)

Easy Easy

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I am busy planning our dream vacation and scouring for Walt Disney World hotels for discounts that I have been putting this off for a while now (sorry, for post fillers ) so here they are – Matthew took a long time to decide

Matthew:
Archie Comic Books – Digests are better, recent years please.

Martha:
Barbie with accessories
Anything Disney Princess, specifically Cinderella)

**She would prefer the Barbie though.

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That was what the weekend was all about. We trooped to Manila after some heavy drama set to rival those in soap operas and dealt with rain, humidity, smoke belching, car engine trouble and traffic . The bad things stop there though. Because there were lots of good food, good ribbing from each other, nice photos, happy kids, complete families, and well, happy times (and free insurance quotes!).

I will just post pictures from now, because as you will see below, the husband is home after four weeks of missing us, and I think I will spend the last remaining hours of normalcy trying to act like a housewife (and not a couch computer potato – even though I missed out on two days’ worth of work – I can see not sleeping until Friday this week!)

Abbie’s birthday

And woot, the husband is back!

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It’s back! I never got to update this blog for a week when everything has just been crazy busy, crazy bad, crazy good and happy all at the same time. Let us see if I am able to squeeze in much into one post.

Hi: Being able to go to Manila.
Lo: Going there because of health problems (mine). Last last Saturday (12th Sept), I got admitted to the hospital for some outpatient procedure. OB-related. Nope, not preggers!

Hi: Being able to spend some time alone away from the kids for three days. It was a refreshing change after taking care of them all by myself for the past two months. It can get quite draining.
Lo: Missing them. It’s always a two-edged sword.

Hi: Edil adjusting at work.
Lo: Not being able to see him for a month now. Our car has been getting a lot of engine trouble and we need to replace a lot of car accessories for it soon.

Hi: Jobs pouring in like cats and dogs.
Lo: Like the law of attraction, it also comes out as fast as it arrives.

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Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild.  ~Welsh Proverb

I will never get tired of sharing this. One Easter, when Matthew was only four, we were busy helping an uncle paint eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt that will happen the next morning. Matthew was counting the eggs like this, “One for Mommy, one for Daddy, one for Tita Abbie, two for Lola because she is the best…”

The private joke stuck and was always the punch line when my Mom would dote on my kids or when my kids would specifically ask her. You can also feel it even now, because Matthew would always cling to my mom and would follow her advice to the letter (the reason why he STILL puts on lotion and powder, dries in between his toes before putting on socks, and praying before going to the bed).

The Lolo, on the other hand, is the richest man in his grandkids’ eyes. You need to buy something? Ask Lolo. You don’t have food? Ask Lolo. Lolo never runs out of money. Sure, my kids have simple wants – an ice cream tub waiting for them at every visit, Jollibee getaways after Church and endless pieces of junk food ALL the time. But the Lolo has never denied them anything – even if he needed to look for loose pennies.

My in-laws are the same. I honestly miss them, especially when I need to make sumbong their son (hehehe), but they were silent strong supporters of our marriage. They were the ones who took care of Matthew when I was still studying and supported us during our early years of marriage. They never got to enjoy the princess anymore since they left for the US but they are arriving next month to stay for awhile so I’m sure they will have plenty of time to catch up on her antics.

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I also had the best and most interesting set of grandparents. I am thankful I was able to get to know them before three of them passed away. It is quite helpful to know them as I got to know my roots, why certain actions played a bit in our past – and has really helped me open up and understand things in my family. Whenever I think of my grandparents, I remember Old Manila, pandesal, horse racing, the most delicious tapa, lengua and fried chicken, curse words muttered in joy, anger and every other sentence in between, mangoes, books, smoke, and many many more.

I wish I can be like my Mom someday, if only I can hear my apo tell people, “Lola is the best!”

IT’S THEIR DAY TODAY, MAKE SURE YOU TELL THEM THEY ARE THE BEST!

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