42 posts from September 2009

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A rescue kitty facing a choice: amputation or euthanasia. See if you can give life a chance.

Am pleased to reassure everyone that my area of the Philippines was not numbered among the worst-hit areas of the recent flooding reports that you may have seen on the TV news. Me and mine are safe; Ramon and I did our share in terms of donating old clothes for the flood victims. Our closets and drawers are happier for the decluttering, and we are content that the stuff will serve a good cause.

So far, it's been one of those days where no sooner do I sit down than I need to stand up. This, combined with PMS, is not making for a clear-headed person. Am working my way though things one at a time, and the list of the morning's accomplishments is making me feel better:
**the sun has come out, so the parents' laundry has been run through the machine and is now drying on the lines
**the termite control company called; contract renewal form has been faxed, signed, and faxed back; check prepared and ready for pick-up
**Technical House has a check they're supposed to pick-up. Must remember to call them.
**checked e-mail and Twitter; trying out a new client called Brizzly
**finished editing contacts display on the LG Cookie (I love this phone. Next time I'll get the Arena.)

Not bad for half a day's work, eh? Now...I have another phone call or two to make. Tomorrow's plans include Dad's visit to Makati Med for his pre-checkup blood extraction and a trip to the grocery, just in case that new weather disturbance *does* (Lord have mercy) decide to move across the Philippines by the end of the week. Still too early to tell, so...best to be prepared. Also, a visit to the Sony service center to check out that 46" LCD Bravia that we're being offered as a trade-in unit at Php 83K. It's been on display for a week, hence the drop in price from the usual Php 163K that I saw at the SM Makati Appliance Center. Looking forward to checking it out - have slotted the service center visit between Dad's Makati Med visit and the grocery trip.

In other news, my cold has gone. This is a good thing.

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We've had nothing but rain since early this morning. The city is INUNDATED, no other word captures the atmosphere so well. Not since 1967, per the local weather service, has anything like this been seen. Once again, the country's helplessness in the face of disaster is underscored - even now, my Twitter stream is full of retweet requests for rescue, rescue equipment, prayers for the rain to stop. The major dams have had to open their spillways to relieve pressure - how is it possible that one tropical storm (not even TYPHOON class, WTF) can bring the water levels from critical lows to overflowing? Water everywhere.

It's been a week since I wrote a proper blog post. Today's rainy weather will trump nearly everything that's happened since the last time I wrote. So far, my community has been lucky, all our utilities are functional. Am fervently grateful that I managed to get my laundry done before the rains came down, but kicking myself for not getting some extra food for the cats while I was at the grocery yesterday. *facepalm* Nevertheless, the chibikits are a forgiving lot, and if I can manage to get out tomorrow, there will be food for them again.

We had a flood crisis of sorts this morning; Dad discovered that the lanai furniture was standing in an inch of water. Oh, did we ever scramble to set that to rights - Dad with his iron pike to unclog the drainage, the maids to get the water moving, me to the circuit breaker to turn off the power to the lanai outlets (and also disabling power to the telephones in the office and my bedroom, booyah). We had the situation resolved within 15 minutes, which is when it was deemed safe enough to return power to the outlets.

(Awww. Trixie-cat has decided to snuggle down in her usual corner. Nothing like a sleeping cat to make one believe that things will be all right.)

I've done nothing of note today except monitor Twitter and do periodic sweeps of the house, to make sure everything is all right. Pica-cat gave birth to two lovely kittens yesterday. One is brown/white and the other is black/white. They had their first adventure last night, when their mama accidentally tipped over the (tall) box where she had placed them. I put the box back in the cabinet on its side, but Pica didn't like it, and expressed her displeasure by taking out her kittens and putting them on the floor at my feet, then miaowing at me and jumping on the box. Fortunately, I picked up that she wanted the box just the way it was before, so I set it up again and put kittens back in - and there they have been happily sleeping and nursing the livelong day. *relief*

Really, all else pales in comparison to what is happening now. So maybe I'll leave this entry like this, and make separate posts for all the other events of the week. Off to watch local news and monitor Twitter now.

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