Yeeeeooooowtch!

What could be worse than having a painful, ugly gaping wound? Try having to shave the surrounding hair on that same painful, ugly, gaping wound. From removing ingrown hair popping zits on places other than my face, it seems self surgery is turning into a specialty of mine. With a high pain threshold (the secret: tell yourself it will all end soon) my now bald left knee is just begging to be soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Actually the shaving was less painful than expected as more hair than flesh (as well it should be) came off.

For lunch my co-worker Drake Co's girlfriend Giselle Uy treated all staff to lunch at the 18th floor in celebration of her birthday. At 25, she said she's been occupying office space for quite some time, since her parents work there. Cubicle (as opposed to Army) brat. She's only been an official employee for 3 years, give or take. Her desk has no computer, which has me wondering how boredom hasn't driven her insane yet. It's not like Drake's the most exciting guy in the world, either. Maybe she likes things quiet.

Saving the World Before Bedtime

Watched The Powerpuff Girls movie (after getting a long delayed haircut) and as I expected, it was cool. Shorter than I expected but cool. The Dexter's Lab cartoon "first act" was very Bill Wray in terms of animation, almost a departure from past (and current) DL cartoons. ANYway, the movie's not really there to impart social lessons to kids. It's more for the devoted fans, like yours truly (hope that doesn't come off as kinda gay). When I entered the cinemahouse it was full of parents and kids. I worried about these parents that equate PPG (and Cartoon Network in general) as to "safe kid viewing." Then again I may be underestimating a kid's intelligence when it comes to being able to tell that the PPG's beating up of malevolent super-monkeys bent on world conquest doesn't mean that violence solves anything.

In the end, it's all make-believe. The Parental Guidance kind, mind you, but make-believe all the same.

And to end on a stupid note: I tripped badly while getting off the jeepney on the commute home. Left knee now a freaking mess. Ma doesn't think x-ray is necessary. Easy for her to say.

True Faith for Free

Tonight (and by that I mean a few hours ago) Lynette invited me to watch a True Faith concert at Onstage in the Greenbelt Mall. Ma wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea as it was raining hard again and the concert would most likely start and end late into the evening, so I might end up stranded. I was able to convince her otherwise. The show wasn't too bad (front row seats), as I found myself familiar with the band's songs but unable to muster up the proper amount of excitement I would have had, say, The Corrs been performing. The real fans went nuts. Three women even went up onstage and boogied (or jiggled, to be precise) to lead vocalist Jun Dizon's (had to look his name up) rendition of Satisfaction and Just Can't Get Enough. Thelma came, as well. Ryan Agoncillo was the only "celebrity" sighting of the evening. I missed the one last encore song (slow one) just as Ma came to pick me up. Close calls with the floods on the drive home but (obviously) we made it.

Earlier in the workday Rachelle showed up to audition for the Touch Mobile voice icons. For a mousy voice she sure can do sexy. Charmaine came in the day before for the same. Little off in comic timing but otherwise okay.

Drowning in Books and Loving It

When I got home yesterday a bunch of trade paperbacks and graphic novels were on top of the filing cabinet waiting for me. Eleven books, half of year's worth of orders from the Discount Comic Book Service Shop December to May. Books that would've arrived earlier had my cousin Delwin not mixed them up with the comics I gave him to put up on Ebay for auction. But I can't bitch about that now 'coz the books are here! Sweet was all I could think of. Sweet. As usual though when I'm faced with this many comics I can't get worked up to read any them right now. Information overload.

Let's see, there's Powers: Roleplay, Murder Me Dead, Safe Area Gorazde, Captain Britain, Jar of Fools, You Are Here, Queen and Country, The Complete Copybook Tales, Definitve Goldfish, Definitive Jinx and Spider-Man's Tangled Web Volume 2.

Sweet.

Rain, Rain, Go Away....No, Just GO.

Make that 4 days of almost non-stop rain. The gusty winds creeped me out for fear it would take the power out...and I was right. From 1:00 to 8:45 yesterday we had no water or electricity. (In an off-topic peeve, my downloads of Six Feet Under won't play properly if I adjust the video's brightness. It only plays right if I leave the original screen setting, which in this case is Too Freaking Dark. My guess is either I'm using up too much disk space, or anything that's 300MB up won't play well.)

Fortunately the power came back before 24 was about to air. The series is gripping with suspense, probably because I let my guard down and allow myself to fully enjoy it, meaning I might freak out if a miss a single episode. I do the same with Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Who's Line is it, Anyway?: shows where I actually laugh out loud.

Unfortunately the DSL was out, but while in the midst of trying to watch the too freaking dark download of SFU on the computer I saw a tail sticking out of the crevice of the office air conditioner. Instinctively I grabbed, and it turned out to be a mouse. (Gotcha!) To keep it from biting and crawling on my hand I twirled it around like a bola until I pinned it under the office chair (the one without the wheels) and crushed its thorax like a rolling pin.

...What? They're filthy.

Rain and RAN, RAN and Rain

Large storm clouds hover over Luzon, bringing almost non-stop rain for 2 days now. Stuck at home, not that I had other plans to begin with. Wonder if the SJCS Alumni Bowling finals pushed through today.

Asian Cinema premiered last night on AXN, featuring Ran by Akira Kurosawa (Shadow of the Vampire was on the night before last, but I missed the first "screening" and just recorded the second). Compelling, if ultimately depressing, movie. Lady Kaede was one evil (or vindictive) bitch. After some research I found out that Ran was based on Shakespeare's King Lear. I thought the story felt familiar. Honestly, though, I have no right to say that since I've never read Lear. Not even the Classics Illustrated version.

Something about rainy days (or the inability to leave the house) compels my mother to start cleaning out the bodegas. As with my organizing my plastic bags and backing boards, if not done quickly I lose interest in it just as quickly and just toss everything back in. Status quo. This time we managed to label some boxes ("plumbing equipment," "porcelain decors," etc.) and shred some office documents before I started to get bored. By this time I should be working out (soreness in neck almost gone now) but the treadmill's acting up. That makes it 3 whole days of no proper exercise. I feel my gut expanding as I type. 'Course it might be the fish fillets I had for dinner.

Ze Pain, Ze Pain!!!

Woke up this morning with an excruciating crick on my neck (and a slight tingling just below my right shoulder). After dismissing the possibility of this being karma for not going to the office (telecommuted today), I tried getting up. God, did it hurt. There's never one of those neck braces you see on TV around when you need one, or the Batman mask that prevented Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney from moving their head. Two Salompas plasters and Tiger Balm provide little relief. I moved like a malfunctioning C3PO. Couldn't lie down without going, "Ungh."

After lunch, Pa brought me to a manghihilot (part masseuse, part physical therapist without the license) in Binondo. After slapping on the massaging oil the old man worked on my back and right arm, and his (I assume) knowledge of pressure points almost did me in. For an old guy his fingers sure moved fast, like Jacky Chan's mentor in Drunken Master. I didn't pass out from the pain, but I was ticklish on the arm and was wincing and giggling at the same time. It was like being speed-pinched by The Flash. After the session I was thinking how all that muscle kneading would've made a good torture technique.

Now I'm supposed to take some Alaxan tablets and not shower for today. Great. In pain and smelly. Worse, if I get better I won't be sure what did it: the drugs and the speed pinching.

For good news (not related to me): Russell's wife Beth gave birth to a healthy baby boy. C-section.

Bored, From Manila, It's Saturday Night!

As a mentioned before, trying to get a date was about as enjoyable as picking on an ingrown hair on your chin. Seems I used up all my good fortune after finding my driver's license and that hard-to-find issue of Top 10 #9. Everyone I asked had other plans ('cept for Caren J. Sy and Robbylyn So, who didn't reply at all). Out of a whim when my sister called the house I asked her if she wanted to watch Amelie with me. Surprisingly she said yes, but I had to drive. Fair enough. With our secretary Bebot, we picked up Sis at her place and headed for SM Manila.

The cinema was almost bare (w/c irritates me since Sis had me buy balcony tickets), but at least that meant I could put my feet up. The film was quirky but nice, though Bebot and Sis called it weird, I term I'd reserve for David Lynch's films.

Tripping Over the Steps to Dating (or Just Getting a Date)

Forget first date jitters. That's nothing compared to pre-date nervousness. Building the nerve to ask someone out is the worst, but the feeling of relief when she accepts (or humiliation when she declines) is emotionally proportional to it.

It depresses my when I think about the last time I asked someone out on a date, where the girl is not “just a friend,” and you had hopes of seeing her more on a social basis. Way too long.

Lately I've been leaning on the philosophy of "Regret is worse then embarrassment or humiliation." “Better to have tried to as ask her that not to speak at all.” Tell her about it, as Billy Joel once sang. Seize the day and talk to the girl, or you’ll end up a 26-year-old virgin with no social life whose “soulmate” is out prancing in Paris. Wanna ask her out? Then ask. Her. Out. If you’re going to dilly-dally about, don’t take too long. Just don’t not do anything, because that feeling of uncertainty and “What if” will haunt you the rest of your life. A bad memory that bugs you more than the itchiest itch, that nastiest sore, the most persistent stomach cramp.

If a girl declines my invitation for a date, that’s fine, especially if she already has other plans. Decline away. Just don’t thank me for the invitation afterwards. Personal pet peeve of mine. Wanna thank me? Then accept the invitation. It’s a date, not a diamond ring. That your can decline but thank me for, anyway.

Sometimes declining the invite (if she didn’t other plans) is sign of hesitation on her part. Another is her asking if her brother/ sister could come. (A pseudo chaperone? What is this, 1955?) Then there’s when she says she’s busy for the whole week. Personally I think that’s overkill but at least you get the message (i.e. not interested). Finally is when she doesn’t respond at all even though you know she heard the question. Not too rude, I don’t think.

Why People Don't Suck Most of the Time

A week before Father's Day Pa lost his cellphone. Seems while riding a cab home the button latch of his cellphone holder came off and it was left inside the cab, with the phone of course. I felt partly responsible because the cellphone holder was actually mine and I took his newer one with the more secure button latch. Guilt-ridden I took a chance and sent a text message to the phone (it was still ringing when I called it) saying it was considered missing/ stolen and to call my house if found and maybe inquire about a reward. Grasping at straws, I know. Or so I thought.

Come Father's Day I see Pa with a cellphone and cellphone holder. I thought Ma got him a new set as a gift (w/c she didn't charge me for). A week later I check out the phone and to my surprise it had the label stickers I made for him in case the phone got lost. It was the same phone. Turns out somebody found the phone in the cab, called the house and Aissa met the guy at his office in Makati to retrieve it. She gave him an envelope with 500 bucks in it. Seems low, which is why I'm glad I didn't mention a specific amount for the reward.

Oh, and I found my lost-for-a-week driver's license. For now, all seems well the world. : )