Down the Rabbit Hole

I developed de Quervain's tenosynovitis (this is different from carpal tunnel syndrome) in my right wrist in 2007-2008. Weird, I thought, since I'm left-handed. The tunnel where tendons involved in moving the thumb was inflamed so much that I couldn't bend my wrist. The orthopedic told me to rest my hand regularly to minimise the pressure from moving it. I even wore a splint (supposedly for carpal tunnel syndrome, but I adapted it for my needs) to make sure my wrist wouldn't move too much. A few months on, I figured that the use of the computer mouse for extended hours probably caused the wrist to swell. It helped that I had spent a month separated from the computer mouse since I was using a trackpad in school. I have learned my lesson. Too much of something is bad. An overworked hand will break down eventually. I should do everything I can to avoid a repeat of de Quervain's. The typical computer mouse is set for right-handed users. So, to avoid overusing m

Earlier in the day, Anna took charge of collecting the dried laundry from the clothesline to avoid them catching the dust from the evening's fireworks. I obviously just played with the camera and the kitties =) December 31 was a special evening because the "blue moon" was up in the sky. It's supposed to occur roughly every two years only, if I'm not mistaken. I was quite disappointed, though, because the moon wasn't literally blue... just like being surprised that the Golden Gate Bridge was actually red. The Jazz crossed the 75,000 km mark on the 30th! And now, it's past it's 76,000th kilometer! Since a large chunk of the family is overseas, we set up all available laptops with working webcams to be online to be able to chat with as many of them as possible. Unfortunately, just as the clock was striking 12, electricity was cut off, and the street was plunged into darkness. Good bye chocolate cake and tableya. THE ICING ON ATE MADDIE'S

Rehabilitation work on the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX) has finally reached the southern end of that road. Plus, the construction of the road connecting SLEX to the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway is well underway. To make matters worse, the roads were unusually clogged on the days approaching the holiday season. Quite predictably, everyday was a traffic jam on the SLEX in December 2009. The upside to all that slow driving, was the chance to appreciate the view on the southbound stretch of the SLEX.  Take the photo, for example. This was the first time I got a good look at Mount Makiling as clouds flew by its peaks (thanks to the  hanging amihan ). Ten days later, while on the same stretch of road, but closer to the Batino Exit, the legendary mountain was hidden behind the rain and the haze. Amazing. Just the same, I hope that the SLEX repairs get done soon... so that i could appreciate what driving on a freeway feels like.

Rating: ★★★★★ Category: Other "Dear Darla, I love your feisty soul. You make me happy..." Sounds familiar? That's puppy love for you, Alfalfa style (from the Little Rascals movie). Dear Darla is also the newest pizza variant offered by Yellow Cab. Alfalfa sprouts and arugula leaves are wrapped burrito-style in thin pizza slices with sprinklings of sun-dried tomatoes and olives... Yummy! A refreshing and healthy option for palettes tired of the meat on pizza. I think I'll have another round of Dear Darla, next time with dear sister. =)

A friend passed along a good idea of outlining significant parts of one's life in the past ten years. In hindsight, I had a lot of firsts during the last decade. 2000. The year my family visited the Banaue rice terraces and Sagada. The year I returned to Ilocandia and Puerto Galera thanks to requirements in my humanities and physical education courses. Two years into college, I decided to major in Microbiology, one of the crossroads that eventually led me away from the plan. Music was an outlet of stress; I was playing various percussion instruments as part of the live accompaniment to the dance troupe in their concerts. 2001. An election year, I missed my first chance to vote. However, the day after the election, my dad gave me the keys to the first car I was assigned to use. That year, I was neck-deep in finishing my B. Sc. thesis while juggling a lot of subjects. I also finally decided to forge a new plan, to follow an unbeaten path. 2002. I graduated from UPLB th