criss-crossed train of thoughts

sometimes it takes an illogical twist.

Thursday, December 21

Ultimates list

My ultimate...

Songs

... rainy day song: Banana Pancakes, Jack Johnson
... sunny day song: Grazin' in the Grass, Raven
... "sigh" song: Foolish Things, Rod Stewart
... writing song: The Moment, Kenny G.
... a-capella song: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Rockapella
... nostalgic Christmas song: Bells will be ringing, Bon Jovi
... "darn" song: There's always something there to remind me, Naked Eyes
... makes-me-want-to-dance song: Satellite, Santana
... song from a musical: All I Ask of You, Phantom of the Opera
... I-remember-college-song: Never saw blue like that, Shawn Colvin
... reminder of my dad song: Rubber Duckie, Ernie in Sesame Street
... reminder of my mom song: Tangled up in me, Skye Sweetnam
... I-remember-high school-song: cheesy prom song, I forgot the title ("this is my last dance with you...")
... angry song: Hands Down, Dashboard Confessional
... Filipino Christmas song: Kumukutikutitap, Ryan Cayabyab; Tuloy na tuloy parin ang Pasko, Apo Hiking Society (it's a tie!)
... makes-me-smile-the-whole-time love song: Just in Time, Tony Bennett f/ Michael Buble
... saddest breakup song: I wish you love, version of Rod Stewart or Rachel Yamagata

Random
I was just supposed to do this for songs, but decided to expand it. And since I don't want to include definite subcategories, I will just write whatever comes to mind.

... I-want-him-to-sing-to-me singer: Michael Buble
... boyfriend in a TV series: Logan Huntsberger
... line I remember from One Tree Hill: "Remember tonight for it is the beginning of always."
... TV character I can relate to: Lucas Scott
... high school teenybopper movie: Clueless
... girl band: Spice Girls
... sayang-he's-gay guy: Kyan Douglas
... bathroom reading: Archie comics
... lifestyle magazine: O Magazine
... entertainment magazine: People
... I-wish-this-store-was-my-closet: Lulu Castagnette/Rustan's ladies department
... snack: chocolate chip cookies
... beach vacation destination: Bora Bora
... proposal spot: Lake Como, Italy
... song lyric: "the sigh of midnight trains in empty stations"
... can't-live-without-it cosmetic: lip balm
... cereal: Kelloggs Frosted Flakes
... movie snack: Taters popcorn in barbecue flavor
... author: Robert Fulghum
... can't-skip-morning-regimen: slapping on a moisturizer
... therapy: sleep
... never-fails-to-make-smile cheap thrill: Christmas lights
... the first thing I'm going to save in case of a fire: photographs
... sitcom: FRIENDS
... reruns: The Nanny
... TV love team: Pacey and Joey, Dawson's Creek
... movie pair tandem: Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks
... comfort food: soup
... Hollywood couple I didn't want to break up: Jen and Brad, Reese and Ryan

(to be continued. I have to go now)

Sunday, December 17

What's up with Christmas '06?

I can't believe it'll Christmas in a week. Goodness! Despite seeing the countdown in Char's blog I guess it just never really sank in. This is my first Christmas out of school. The first one without a Christmas break. It's so sad. =(

Anyway, I was riding the elevator with a DTI representative one day and she said that Christmas is lonely this year. I have to sadly agree with her. Lonely and Christmas shouldn't have to go together, but here are some of the reasons for that irony this year:

1. Devastation in Bicol and other regions because of supertyphoon Reming*
2. Unresolved political issues in the government
3. Cha-cha madness
4. Global warming (it is SO hot!!! It's like summer, what's up with that!)

Well I don't want to think of the sad things. Christmas should be a joyous occasion for everyone. For everyone! For all families! As my favorite 5-year-old in the world (Sammy) said this morning: The 'H' in Christmas is for happiness. "Happiness for all the kids and all the mommies and daddies and the families!!!" Since there is no 'L' in Christmas, "'I' is for I love you." (Gotta love that kid!) Christmas is such a loving time, and hopefully, love is enough to really make it count this year, especially for the devastated families.

*If anyone would like to help out with the Bicol tragedy, please contact me. A bunch of our friends are bringing donated goods to the areas hit by the storm.

Monday, December 11

Struggling Hearts

This quest--this need to solve life's mysteries.
In the end, what does it matter when the human heart can only find
meaning in the smallest of moments?
-Heroes



The struggling heart that needs to break free may not necessarily wish to see the entire horizon, but only glimpse at the next step toward it. It desires to calm the restless shiver that rattles its unsuspecting nerves. It wants to find the answers to questions that remain unanswerable. And only hopes for hope alone.

To find unwavering bliss, and savor happiness in its purest form.

Sounds familiar?

Yet, the struggling heart must not have its way. For although it craves peace, it thrives in the lack that we should always be able to see past.

Tuesday, December 5

My family's lottery stories

I know I haven't blogged in a while. I am suffering from laptopsickness (caused by the absence of my Bailey, which I am now trying to sell for parts. Airport Extreme anyone? *wink*). My brother is quite territorial with our desktop at home, and though my mom has her laptop, I can't just use it whenever I want. I find it a bit awkward (and inappropriate, ehem) to blog at work (though that is what I'm doing right now! I'm all alone!!). This entry doesn't really compensate for the lack of blogging activity, but here are stories I have discovered over the weekend.


Case 1:
My grandfather, upon his pre-retirement days, was a great electrical engineer. Like a lot of members in my family, he is a math geek (or whiz, depending on how you'd want to look at it). Now that he spends most of his time in front of the telly, he decided to keep a close watch on the lottery results.

That he did, and soon enough, he was able to identify a mathematical formula to predict the next winning series. He bought a ticket.

As you would have guessed, his predicted series of numbers won. All 6 of them. The jackpot prize was Php9 million (right now, that would be USD183,673). I never would have imagined that math can be used to predict winning lottery numbers.

The only catch: this is the winning number for the Visayas lottery. Could it be that my grandfather has been watching the Visayas lottery draws all along?

And this, my friends, is why we should pay attention in math class.
-Circa 1 or 2 year/s ago


Case 2:
The jackpot was a whopping Php160 million. This time, it's my mom's second to the oldest sister. Naturally, the lines in the lottery booths were long. Being in her early sixties, standing in there for hours was just too much to take. The man immediately in front of her was also half naked and this not only scandalized her, but freaked her out as well. So she went home.

The next day, she sent her husband to line up for her. The lines were still excruciatingly long, so he decided to call it a day and went home.

The day after that, they sent the maid to line up. For some reason, she was also not able to hold her place in there, called it a day, and went home. Probably assuming that no one ever wins in the lottery (so how should her boss be any luckier), she might have thought it senseless to waste her time on that line.

Little did they know that the numbers were drawn on that evening, for the next day, my tita went back to the lottery booth and the person in charge wouldn't let her buy a ticket anymore.

Why?

Because those were the numbers that won.

And this, my friends, is why patience is a virtue.

-First half of 2006


Case 3:
My tita's husband (from Case 2) bought a lottery ticket. There is no interesting story behind it. But he got 5 out of 6 numbers correctly.

He won Php42,000.

Not bad.

- December 2006


By the way, all these people are from my mom's side of the family. I don't think that means anything, and it shouldn't, but it still is interesting to me.