Suki Card

I went to Mercury Drug last Tuesday night to buy Princess's antibiotics (her WBC has gone up from 17.8 to 20 despite taking Vibravet for 2 weeks).

I got the prescription at Animal House in SM and I could have easily purchased from Watsons but I chose to walk to the other side of Bicutan for Mercury Drug because I have a Suki Card.

The line was so long. I was customer number 42 when I arrived and they were still just serving the 8th. Then a male customer gave up waiting and gave me his number (34) instead. But it was still a long wait that I totally forgot about my Suki Card when it was my turn. And the pharmacist didn't even ask me for it. I only remembered about the card when I was already on the jeepney going home.

So the long walk and the long wait went to waste.

Pink!

Last Saturday, on our way to Pico de Loro, I randomly picked a traveller toothbrush set from a rack in Mini Stop and paid for it. When I opened the case after the climb, I laughed when I saw its color.

And then last Sunday, after bringing Princess to the vet for a CBC, I dropped by the Torque kiosk at the connecting bridge of SM Bicutan to buy myself their cheapest phone. There were three available colors: pink, black, and yellow. I immediately asked to look at the black model. Not good. Everything’s so shiny black in contrast with the rubbery black of the keypad. I asked for the yellow model. Not good even. The yellow keypads against the black of the cellphone itself looked dirty.

I had no choice but to get the pink model with pink keypads against the white cellphone. Cool.

Dayhiking Pico de Loro (Part 2)

Click here to read Dayhiking Pico de Loro (Part 1).

After a quick lunch at the waterfall campsite, we headed for the summit at exactly 1:00 PM. Had it been under normal circumstances, it would be a very hot climb. So I don’t know if we would thank the bad weather for that. Trees shield most part of the trail from the sun but just the same, if it was not as cloudy, we would be drenched in sweat by the time we reached the summit.

After a few minutes of walking, the trail became steeper. As usual, I was behind the group, not that I wanted to be a sweeper but I always want to take my steps slowly but surely. (And I won’t admit I run out of breath.) Besides, the three teens I was with were all Energizer bunnies who won’t even stop for a break. But, of course, they take a mandatory rest whenever I tell them to stop. LoL!

After an hour and twenty, we reached the campsite. We actually wasted time in deciding whether to turn right and take the downward trail, or left and take the upward one. Normally, when you’re heading for the summit, you would logically think that the upward trail is the right one. But Kenneth, who was at the same mountain last September but couldn’t seem to remember the right path because it was a night climb, decided that we take the right turn. And that’s after turning left and going up a bit.

Good thing the downward trail was the one leading to the campsite near the summit. We got there at exactly 2:15 PM.

The summit’s view from the campsite was breathtaking. The shape of the parrot’s beak was all the more evident up close.

There were a bunch of mountaineers from UST busy taking pictures of one another when we arrived. Luckily, they left after a bit and the four of us were able to own the campsite and the beautiful, beautiful view for quite a while.

And did I say we took pics to our heart’s content?

Ino called Gerald’s phone while we were busy taking pictures to remind us it’s getting late. It’s Saturday and according to him, buses leave earlier than the usual 8 PM last trip because there are less passengers going to Manila on weekends.

But we haven’t gone to the summit yet! Just as we were preparing for the assault, two young mountaineers arrived at the camp site. After exchanging the usual greetings, I asked for the way to the summit. LoL! One of them pointed the way but reminded us that it’s quite dangerous to go up with bags.

We tried bringing our bags cuz there’s no one to leave them to at the campsite. Halfway, though, the trail became steeper with nothing to hold on to but short grasses so we decided to tie the bags around a tree somewhere in the middle and continued the assault with only the cameras and Kenneth’s hydra which I was carrying at that time.

I was the last to reach the summit, poor me, cuz I had to stop on several occasions cuz my legs felt like giving up. When I finally reached the top, clouds were starting to gather toward us, fogging the view of the towns below. I immediately took pictures of the famous rocky tower before it got so cloudy.

Up there, the 360-degree view of the surrounding towns made me once again realize how great God is; how He made nature so beautiful; how He made the mountains so high so developers wouldn’t be able to bring civilization in, thereby preserving them for the nature lovers like us. But then every true mountaineer knows that if we stop being responsible climbers, even the mountains will soon be devastated.

Anyway, we were doomed on our summit moment because we thought the clouds would disappear. So we waited… until it rained! We wouldn’t wanna stay at the summit with the rain cuz the summit was just as big as a bedroom and the trail going down was so steep we feared landslide! LoL! So we had a quick photo op with the barely visible rocky tower and immediately slid our way down.

It was good, though, that we started our descent at that hour. It was 3:52 PM and had it not been for the rain, we wouldn't be going down the summit yet. We were surprised, though, that when we got back to the campsite, a lot of tents had already been put up. We then learned that the two young mountaineers we saw earlier were part of a 31-person group who would spend the night there. And then there’s another group of 20 on the other side of the campsite surrounded by bamboos.

Halfway down, it started getting dark. We feared the night in the mountains cuz we didn't have any headlight or flashlight with us. Aside from the fact that it gets dark early during this time of the year, the clouds made it even darker.

But thanks God for cellphones with flashlights. Gerald and Kenneth’s phones saved us from the darkness of our descent.

Creepy, though, that there’s a candle in the dark trail. We actually saw 2 of these.

We reached the jump-off 6:10 PM, more than 2 hours after we left the summit. We cleaned ourselves at the DENR station where Ino and his tricycle were patiently waiting for us.

Since the four of us were all hungry, Ino took us to a carinderia near the bus station. But since I had a case of allergies and something else the previous week, I was afraid to eat anything other than my Nanay’s food. Good thing I still had a leftover from lunch and just bought a bottle of mineral water from the carinderia.

The three teens, though, didn’t have anything in their bags to eat anymore so they bought food from the carinderia. Anyhoo, I don’t have anything against carinderia/street food. It’s just that my tummy has always been sensitive and I can’t really risk it especially when I’m far from home.

A few minutes after we finished eating, a bus headed to Baclaran arrived at the station. We decided to just take the Baclaran route instead of Alabang. If we chose the latter, we would first go to Zapote, take a jeepney to Alabang then another jeepney going home, not to mention the fact that we’re not familiar with Zapote.

It was a two-hour bus ride from Ternate to Baclaran. And the bus’s aircon was freezing. I wanted to sleep but I couldn’t take my attention away from the cannibal movie the bus was showing.

Anyway, it was another one-hour jeepney ride going home. And it was in the jeep where I felt the soreness of my body.

I reached home 10:30 PM to an uber excited Princess and a tilapia dinner courtesy of my Nanay. And I’m telling you, she knows how to pamper a sore mountaineer.

HOW TO GET TO PICO DE LORO (from Alabang):

* ride a van going to Tanza and asked to be dropped off at the Jollibee branch near Tanza Municipal Hall
* ride a Maragondon-bound bus, you will be dropped off less than a kilometer before the Ternate Welcome Arch (or you can wait for a Ternate-bound bus and drop off at the bus station in Ternate so you’ll have a lesser tricycle fare – 70 pesos - going to the jump-off)
* hire a tricycle to take you to the jump-off at Magnetic Hill for 100 pesos per head
* register at the DENR station for 20 pesos per head
* register again at the Base Camp 1 (which is along the trail) for another 20 pesos

*Note:
The trail splits into two near the summit. On our way down, we noticed several mountaineers got lost by taking the uphill trail to the left instead of the downhill trail to the right. The arrow sign that points to the downhill trail is just etched in a tree trunk which is barely visible especially when it’s dark.

Dayhiking Pico de Loro (Part 1)

Before laziness take away my urge to blog about my recent hike (just like what happened with my Lucban, Majayjay, and Mt. Maculot posts which are still non-existent until now), imma blog about it now.

Two weeks ago, before I even got the allergies and stuff that doomed the first two weeks of my October, I already planned going up Pico de Loro. For one, I wanted to introduce two of my friends to mountain climbing (cuz if they liked it, I’d have more climbing buddies in my future hikes). Secondly, it already felt like eons since I last climbed a mountain (Sept. 20, 2010/Mt. Maculot).

Thursday, after my successful visit to the doctor, I already told Gerald (who’s always too willing to tag along) about the climb on Saturday. I normally go out-of-town Sundays but Princess had a vet follow-up Sunday, plus the fact that I don’t wanna miss the Sunday mass anymore. Dan, another friend of ours, wanted to go but was hesitant because he partied Thursday night which emptied his wallet.

Kenneth, on the other hand, had a postponed Anawangin climb because Zambales was in a state-of-calamity due to the recent typhoon. He’s training for the MLQU Stallions Outdoor Club and Anawangin was supposed to be their third and deliberation climb. Upon knowing that it’s postponed, I immediately invited him to join us. And since Kenneth was coming, Dan wouldn’t wanna be left out.

The agreed 5 AM assembly became 5:30 AM. I knew it, I should’ve said 4 AM. We reached the Alabang terminal 6:15 AM but the waiting for the van to leave felt like forever. By 8:30 AM, we were dropped off near the Tanza City Hall since there’s nothing in Alabang that would take us directly to Ternate.

From there, we boarded a bus that took us to Maragondon. At 9:15 AM, we were already negotiating with Ino, the tricycle driver. His price, though, was fixed (yes, he wouldn’t be moved) at 100 per head.

From Maragondon, he took us to the magnetic hill where the jump-off was but first dropped us at the DENR registration office which was farther along the road than the jump-off. So if you have your own ride you can just skip DENR, but then you won’t have a place to park your vehicle. LoL! I kid. But I guess jeepney and tricycle drivers are instructed to bring the hikers directly to the DENR station (and those who brought their own vehicles don’t have a choice cuz they will really need a safe place to park). I’m just joking about skipping the DENR registration, though. It’s just 20 pesos per head. So small an amount to have a record of your whereabouts.

It was drizzling when Ino brought us back to the jump-off with his tricycle. It’s just a 10-minute walk from the DENR office to the jump-off but he’s going back that way anyway so he decided to just wait for us while we registered and changed our clothes.

These are Kenneth and Dan's feet. Notice their colorful ponchos. We actually started the trek with ponchos on.

It was exactly 10:15 when we started the trek, our ponchos shielding us from the rain. A few minutes into the trail, though, I felt so loved by nature when the rain stopped. It’s harder to walk with a poncho on, not to mention the heat inside one is torture.

Forty-five minutes after, we passed by the Base Camp 1 where Ino’s cousin, a woman named Yolly, approached us with a logbook in hand. The two registration sites/fees were already explained to me by Ino while I was seated behind him on the tricycle (aside from telling me that the woman at the second registration/Base Camp 1 was his cousin). So that’s another 20 pesos per head, which makes going up Pico de Loro cost 40 pesos.

Yolly further explained to us that they were the rightful collector of registration fees because 25% of their collected fees go to the local barangay. I quite understood it, though, when she told me in passing that the jump-off as well as the DENR office are part of Ternate, while the Base Camp 1 is on the side of Maragondon where Pico de Loro actually is. It doesn’t justify the 2 registration fees, but it kinda explains that Ternate also wants something out from the mountaineers since the jump-off is in their town even if the mountain itself is part of another.

It was an easy trek after the base camp to the falls, though it took us exactly an hour before reaching the campsite near the falls due to photo ops and a little rest by the stream just before we entered the what seemed to be a fenced private property.

We reached the campsite near the waterfall 11:50 AM. From there, we clearly saw the summit and it's famous parrot's beak shape.

And since the sound of the waterfall could be clearly heard from the campsite, we immediately rushed to see it, ignoring our grumbling tummies for later.

And the three teens I was with couldn't help but jump in the cold water for a quick swim. As much as I'd like to, I didn't dare swim cuz I had a fever the previous night (thanks Biogesic, by the way).

And then there's the mandatory back pic. LoL!

This post, though, is getting long it's gonna be hard to read. Imma post the 2nd part of my Pico de Loro climb tonight. But the truth is, I still haven't gone to vote. Today's the Barangay Election and I only have 2 hours left to do it.

Edit:
Click here to read Dayhiking Pico de Loro (Part 2).

Feels Like Doomsday

At least now I can breathe easier.

After having allergies and being rushed to the emergency room Monday (Oct 11) at one in the morning, Wednesday night was worse as something happened to my system that I rushed to a gastroenterologist the following day. The week seemed like doomsday to me.  The gastroenterologist I went to wanted to do a colonoscopy without even checking me physically. Huwatt?! I asked if there’s an option aside from spending 14k for a colonoscopy, so he gave me a prescription to buy some meds (for something I am ashamed to say) and take them for a week.

I went home feeling so sad. Then my eldest niece, upon knowing what happened, told me her boyfriend has experienced something similar and even laughed at me when I told her the doc wanted to do a colonoscopy. I also asked around a little, and found out I wasn’t alone.

The first gastro asked me to come back to him after a week. I didn’t come back. I looked for another gastro instead, this time at Parañaque Doctors, and cool enough, the new doc was so accommodating he did an inspection of me and stuff and gave me options.

I now really believe that expensive hospitals aren’t always the best.

Right now, I'm with Angel at the FTI office of SSS, completing her requirements cuz she's gonna start work next week.

As cliche as it seems, I can still vividly remember when I took her for an entrance exam at St. Francis when she was just 5 years old. Time flies really fast.

Reason why I wanna climb as much mountains as possible. LoL!

Chris Pine by Matthias Vriens-McGrath for “Details”

Do you remember Chris Pine in Princess Diaries 2?

He still looks handsome, though on a different level, on the cover of Details magazine November 2010.

The rest of the pics here. Read the cover story here.

Google Says “It Gets Better”

The LGBT employees of Google supports Anti-Gay Bullying by saying “It Gets Better.”

“There's nowhere to go but up this is temporary and all of the stuff that you are experiencing at school, all the stuff you're going through, tons of people go through that, but it's definitely not worth it to not persevere through it. It'll be really bad for you to wanna end your life at that point. It's so early on and there's so much more to life.”

“So if you're thinking as a teenager that maybe hurting yourself is gonna be a good way of getting out of the pain, don't do it. Just think of yourself being a little older, maybe not 40, maybe 25. But think of yourself coming back and telling you that it's gonna be okay. Because it is. “

“If you don't hang on for just a year more, or a couple months more, whatever it may be, you might not get to meet your best friend, you might not get to meet the person that you'd spend the rest of your life with. So just hang on, and you will.”

So Freaking… Funny

Billionaire has been a favorite tune of mine for quite a few weeks now. And I guess it would stay that way for quite some time now.

This is so funny. Watch.

No Botox?

Despite the videos showing her getting injected by Dra. Belo, Charice denies getting botox in an interview with Fox5 News Las Vegas before the David Foster and Friends Mandalay Bay concert.

Hmm…

WoW: Cataclysm

Who's excited for the upcoming World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?

Deathwing returns from the Elemental Plane to shatter the world!

Experience Cataclysm December 7, 2010.

The Chant

“No means yes. Yes means anal!”

That’s the chant the members and pledges of Delta Kappa Epsilon were yelling as they walk through Yale’s campus. Now, how disgusting/intimidating is that? Especially that the pledges were made to make the chant as they were being led blindfolded through the Old Campus where most of the residents are freshman women.

In an apology, the president of the fraternity said that it was a “serious lapse in judgment by the fraternity” and “in very poor taste.”

Not good enough. As one Yale student said in an interview with Yale Daily News, the Delta Kappa Epsilon perhaps only apologized because they were criticized for their actions.

As for someone who personally doesn’t approve of fraternities and an uncle to four nieces, I cannot help but feel infuriated.

Should there really be fraternities at all?

Top Bachelors

Cosmopolitan US "went on a major manhunt to bring you the most datable guys from every state." But the magazine boasts that not only do their bachelors posses great physique, they also have great personalities.

Here are two of my favorites:

Tommy Edmunds, 26

Luan Nguyen, 32 (who can be mistaken for a Filipino, doncha think?)

See more of Cosmo’s Bachelors 2010 here.

Can’t help but compare them to our local Cosmo’s bachelors.

Walker

Ian Batherson was eliminated from the Nagar tribe. Too bad he didn’t make it to the merge. Sayang lang ang ginawa nyang pagkain ng scorpions.

It’s also wise of Aira Bermudez to use her immunity bracelet. Had she not, she would be the one going home.

Kinda addicted to Survivor Philippines again. I missed I think a week of episodes when I got sick and paranoid (which I haven’t blogged about yet). But now that I’m well and have peace of mind, I’m back to being a Survivor fan.

And speaking of Survivor, it’s nice that the show paved the way to Ahron Villena’s career revamp. He’s now more famous than when he was in ABS-CBN, and he’s now also showing more skin.

Come to think of it, I walk a lot especially when I backpack. Are Walker stuff especially made for walkers?

Missing the Nephews

Have I blogged about how cute my grade four nephew was?

And how pogi my 1st year 5’8” nephew was, too?

It had been almost a month since I last saw the Dizons. Miss these two terribly.

A Yellow P1 and a Radio

Since my Nokia 2220 was lost, I thought I could live without a phone. But when you're used to having a phone and then you get retained in the emergency room for hours, then you wait in line for almost half a day at the PLDT business office, and finally you pay your gastro a visit because you thought there's something so wrong with you and you don't have a phone you can't text or call anyone for emotional support, your world tumbles upside down.

So I bought another Cherry Mobile P1 at Wellcom. The one I dropped at Mt. Romelo was blue. So I thought I wouldn’t be getting blue anymore. I was eyeing the lavender on display but it had scratches and that’s the last lavender they had. They also had one remaining orange but it wouldn’t turn on. So that left me with no choice but to get the yellow one, and I wonder why they had lots of yellows in stock. Either it’s in demand they overstocked, or no one wants it they still had lots in stock.

But my real purpose in going to the mall was to buy a transistor radio because we don’t have any and we fear of brownouts the coming typhoon would bring. It’s hard to get stuck in the house without any knowledge of what’s happening outside.

Cute, no? Costs 450 pesos at SM Appliance Center. It requires 3 Size D batteries so I bought 6 pcs.

I knew we weren’t the only ones afraid of getting stuck at home with the brownout and no radio. An old lady was also buying one while we were at the store.

PS
The Cherry Mobile P1 stopped responding twice already. Last night, it turned on after I removed and re-attached the battery several times. But today, it just won’t turn on anymore. I had Angel bring the unit to Wellcom for replacement.

BFF

Westgate wants me to have “FUN with MY BFF” but my Best Furry Friend has bacterial infection we won’t be able to make it.



FUN WALK WITH MY BFF & BLESSING OF PETS
Inviting all dog lovers and their families. Spend quality time with your BFF as you walk them around Filinvest Corporate City with other dog lovers. Join the walk and win fun awards for your BFF.

Registration forms are available at Bona Coffee, Sujivana Salon at Westgate Center and All Animal House Branches within Metro Manila or you can download at www.ineedalifeline.org.

Blessing of Pets in celebration of the Feast of St. Francis shall follow after the Fun Walk. All proceeds will go to Lifeline Foundation – Animal Welfare for the caring and safety of stray animals.
October 17, 2010, 5:30 AM. Back of Serenity Place

I ♥ MY PET FUN DAY
A series of events dedicated to our BFF and their families. Events include Pet Care Bazaar, Cutie Cat Photo Contest, I ♥ my Pet Photo Booth, I ♥ my Pet T-Shirt printing, Dog basic training, free ear cleaning and nail clipping courtesy of Animal House.
October 17, 2010, 3 PM, cul de sac

Cutie Cat Photo Contest
Open to all cats of any local, mix or pure breed. Fun Prizes await the winners. Registration forms are available at the 2/L Customer Service counter Festival Supermall, Sujivana Salon and Bona Coffee at Westgate Center and in all Animal House Branches within Metro Manila.

I ♥ My Pet Photo Click
Have your picture taken with your BFF for free at our photo backdrop.

I ♥ My Pet Shirt
Pet lovers can have a specially printed photo shirts of their BFF for only P200.

Dog Basic Training Demo
Free lecture on how to take good care of your BFF and to be a responsible pet owner and basic dog training demo.

Free Ear cleaning and nail clipping to the first 50 BFF’s.

CREEPY HALLOWEEN PHOTO OP
Have your picture taken with a creepy background.
October 17-31, 2010, cul de sac

HALLOWEEN MAGIC SHOW AND TRICK OR TREAT
Join the Trick or Treat and get exciting lootbags and win exciting prizes during the magic show.
October 31, 2010, 7:30 PM, cul de sac

For more information please call Westgate Center Marketing Dept. at 850-3517 loc. 256/269/226 or Ms. Dorothy Alforque of Lifeline Foundation at 0917-6214325

And Yet Again…

After the Nokia I lost at the Pulp Summer Slam last April, and the Cherry Mobile I lost at Mt. Romelo last August…

This post is a tribute to my Nokia 2220, bought April 18, 2010, lost last Sunday either at Mini Stop or at the taxi on our way home from the vet.

Thing was, the SIM card inserted was the PLDT LandLine +. So for the 2nd time around, I lost the PLDT SIM (here’s the first time). I had to report it immediately cuz I might be charged with calls I didn’t make.

I noticed the phone gone when I needed to call someone for my allergies. So instead of getting help for my allergies, I called the Landline + hotline to report the lost SIM.

Monday, after sleeping four hours (since we got home from the hospital around 3 in the morning), Angel and I left the house at 8 AM. It’s my third rabies vaccine and Angel’s second pre-exposure rabies vaccine at RITM. But before heading to RITM, we first went to my sister’s house to get the authorization letter and affidavit of loss she prepared before leaving (her eldest had a track competition) which I had to get notarized. Our PLDT line is in her name so the affidavit of loss should be in her name as well.

As recommended by my sister, we first went to a law office near their subdivision. She’s a regular client and they know her there. She was right. They immediately recognized her name. But unluckily for me, they said they need my sister’s presence to have her affidavit notarized. I didn’t argue. I knew it’s the right way to do it.

My sister texted us another address near the Las Piñas City Hall. It’s a small office, mainly for notarization. The secretary (quite fondly) remembered my sister, got the three copies of affidavit from us, gave it to the lawyer, asked for 50 pesos, and it’s done.

Falling in line at the PLDT South Mall office was another sad experience. The line was so long we spent almost 2 hours to have the SIM replaced. My hands were already cold from hunger and my back and chest itchy from the previous night’s allergy.

We had time to catch a quick lunch before heading to our vaccines at RITM. After the vaccine, though, the replacement SIM issued to us still wouldn’t work. That was like 3 hours after it was issued. During the first time, the SIM was already working the minute it was issued. And for that, we had to go back to SM South Mall to have it checked. Another waiting in line.

Finally, around 6 PM, I was told they’re having an error in their system, and my SIM would be activated as soon as possible. It got activated only this afternoon.

Now I don’t know if I could live without a phone. But I guess I can try.

My First Case of Allergies

Went home around 3 PM last Sunday. Around 5:30 PM, I had dinner – chicken adobo and rice. Around 6 PM, I fed Princess her Science Diet Gourmet Beef Entree at the dining table. After the feeding, I noticed what I thought were three, itchy mosquito bites on my upper left arm near my elbow. I thought the house was being invaded by mosquitoes so I made a mental note to buy another Baygon mosquito repeller just for the dining area.

After about 2 hours, I noticed the same “mosquito bites” on my upper right arm. When I checked my left arm where I first noticed the bites, I got scared. There were more bites, and they have become bigger!



Seeing these on my arm made it even more itchy. After about another hour, they became even bigger and seemed to join one another. I decided to bring myself to the doctor. Just waited for Angel, who went home around 12:30 AM, cuz I didn’t wanna go to the hospital alone.

Parañaque Medical Center is where we always go. But my sister told me it’s cheaper in Parañaque Doctors in Better Living Subdivision so that’s where I went.



They immediately injected me with stuff that I immediately felt on my back (I don’t know why) and my nostrils. The drugs also made me light-headed and the nurse told me it might make me fall asleep. It made me a little bulol but I guess only a very strong drug will make me close my eyes.



Within the hour, the swelling has gone down to almost 90%. Though the swelling on my upper lip only diminished a little, I kinda liked it that it’s so Pops Fernandez/Angelina Jolie.

I was released after two hours but Dra. Canlas made instructions on not to eat poultry, chocolates, cheese, and nuts for a week.

Celesthamine should be taken every 8 hours, round the clock, for 2 days and as needed after that.

My chest and back were still a bit itchy last night but there’s no swelling. This morning, I noticed three bite-like spots on my right arm but they immediately disappeared.

Right now, however, Princess’s boiled chicken looks so tempting.

Together Again

Sunday, October 10, 2010 (10-10-10), I brought Princess to the vet cuz her left eye turned red all of a sudden. Paranoid as I was, I thought she’s having blood clots again, a sign of her ever frustrating ehrlichiosis.

Animal House Alabang was almost empty that Sunday, a very strange thing on a Sunday. I asked for Doc Rose, but she wasn’t in. The secretary said they only have 2 vets on duty – Doc Djoanne and another male vet. I had to ask again. “Doc Djoanne?” And the secretary said, “Yes, sir. Doc Djoanne Quinto.”

Imagine my delight! Princess’s first ever vet (at least when I adopted her) is now back in Animal House!



There’s no ehrlichiosis found in her CBC, thanks God! But there’s a slight bacterial infection which we had to cure. And at the mention that bacterial infection is the first sign of leptospirosis, I immediately had her liver and kidney checked.

And Doc Djoanne just messaged me a while ago – Princess’s tests are normal!

HP7 Posters

I love the new posters. Here’s Harry’s:

Click here for the complete set.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will hit theaters November 19th.

Side A – Bohemian Rhapsody

Nasaan na ba ang Side A? Nakaka-miss!



Not a lot of male singers can pull off a Queen song, not to mention Bohemian Rhapsody.

Christmas Trees are Love

Went to SM South Mall yesterday after my day 3 vaccine (for dog bite) at RITM. It’s funny how the stores are dressed up both in Halloween and Christmas decorations. But, of course, I prefer Christmas more.

And I love this Christmas tree better than the bigger green ones. I know, though, that Nanay would insist on using our old Christmas tree from 20 years ago and won’t let me buy a new one. And besides, I think this tree would be very hard to store after Christmas. Imagine not wanting to deform the branches.

But I love this tree just the same.

Anyway, the follow-up vaccine was so itchy I always find myself scratching that part of my upper arm. Good, though, that it didn’t leave a red mark afterwards.



Angel went with me, perhaps because she knew I’d be roaming around Festivall Mall and SM South Mall afterwards. Those two malls were part of my younger years, actually. Lotsa good and bad memories. But it’s not the memories that I wanted to go back to at those malls. I was looking for a dri-fit shirt that would fit me. Every brand, it seems, only has Small for the smallest size. I can’t wear just small. As Nanay puts it, “parang kalalabas ko lang daw ng ospital” because size Small shirts look so big on me. Shirts have to be XS.

After those two malls, though, I still don’t have a dri-fit shirt.

Anti-Rabies

Maya, our two-month-old pup, died yesterday. It was sad. But we had to let her go, instead of making her suffer more.

Before she died, though, I tried giving her meds. But she was strong I struggled to keep her mouth open. In the process of giving her medicine, her teeth wounded my index finger. Not really a wound but a scratch I didn’t even feel until after I fed her and saw a line of blood about an inch long.

And that means a trip to the doctor.

I first went to a nearby private animal bite clinic, was given Verorub (or was it Verorab) and was told I had to be given ERIG for they gave me a Category III for that scratch. They told me it could have been Category II (which doesn’t require ERIG) had the pup who caused it been healthy. The problem was they didn’t have ERIG (which was to be had at RITM), and not even anti-tetanus (they told me to get it at the barangay health center).

So I decided to just go to Alabang.

It was past 11 PM when we arrived at RITM. The building was almost deserted except for two patients and the nurses. So different from when I first went there in 2007 due to a dog bite on my upper lip. The line then was so long.

Anyway, the doctor asked if I would like to get all the remaining shots in RITM. I said I wanted to because it’s much cheaper there. She then told me that they don’t give Verorub anymore, that if I wanted to continue Verorub, I would have to get it at the animal bite clinic where I first had it. If I wanted to get my shots at RITM, they would have to repeat the anti-rabies vaccine from day zero, since they use a different (brand of?) vaccine. So I had the day 0 vaccine reinjected.

I thought the anti-Tetanus was painful enough especially that it had to be given twice on my arm and hip. I didn’t know they’re gonna inject the whole 10 cc of ERIG on my left thigh, the other one cc on the wound itself on my finger.

The thigh injection was torture. Imagine a whole 10 cc of it in one shot!

Anyway, I went through a total of 8 injections last night. I haven’t had so much injections in just one sitting, not even when I was confined in an ICU for hypokalemia.

I would like to commend Nurse Evy of RITM, though. She was so friendly  unlike the other nurses.

But ERIG’s price was so high. I eventually learned, though, that’s it’s a once in a lifetime vaccine. Once you’ve had it (as well as HRIG), you don’t have to be injected with it again. And the anti-rabies vaccine, if you get all the shots, is good for 5 years.

I just hope I’ve done the ERIG soon enough. Maya is now dead, and I didn’t wanna cut her head to have it tested, the reason why I opted for ERIG. I don’t know if it’s just me but I can’t really cut a dog’s head even if it’s already dead.