Waiting for my food at 3F Lasema. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Since it’s Bonifacio Day today = no school, the girls asked me if we can go to Lasema. I was thinking of having a massage so, why not?
The staff recognized the girls and were happy to see that they have grown up, pimples and all. They also said I lost weight; I replied Covid is a good weight loss program.
We spent more than four hours there. The girls went back and forth the hot tubs and the dining area three times while I had my massage after spending an hour in the hot tubs. Then I went back again just to remove the oil in my body. It was an expensive Bonifacio Day outing so that’s why we made sure we got our money’s worth. If only the girls didn’t have to wake up early tomorrow, we could have napped there and gone back to the hot tubs for a final soak before calling it a night.
My back aches didn’t go away but at least my muscles have relaxed.
Meanwhile, my cats have gone crazy.
Laser!!! Photos by CallMeCreation.com
Been driving my cats bonkers with our new laser pointer. They have been chasing up and down that little red dot. It’s a good physical exercise for them, especially chunky Kimchi.
The trip to the onsen is now making me sleepy. G’night.
This was our livestream set-up last night. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
So we had our livestream last night that lasted 2.5 hrs. People were telling us this was our most enjoyable episode to date, with jamming sessions in between questions during our in-person and Zoom interviews. One of the interviewees was live from Texas. I had an amazing guitarist, while one of the co-hosts played the keyboard and I was singing and manning the Zoom meeting that was livestreamed as well. Other co-hosts also provided backing vocals or main vocals as needed. I played the tambourine-like percussion instrument in one song. Everything was spontaneous–and that was the most fun part.
The “studio”, which was a porch/wood workshop of one of our high school classmates/co-hosts, was messy but it didn’t show much in the livestream, but we gotta do something about it soon.
We had so much fun that I left the studio at 12:30 am and got home in Qc at around 1:45 am. I had black brewed coffee to keep me alert on the road and maintained my speed at 80kmph, except when overtaking.
Before the livestream, I visited my mom and brought her purple flowers, drilled some stuff in the upstairs bathroom of the main house and added a new shower head. Then visited one of high school friends who was back in the country and gave her more of my hand-made masks and some for her kids.
One of things that I needed to do during this visit was to get my old watercolors/pencil/charcoal drawings to hang in my room.
I resisted the urge to fill this gallery wall because I need some white space to let the room breathe. Photo by CallMeCreation.com“Mommy, your drawing is nice but King Charles II is ugly,” Twin A said. Photo by CallMeCreation.comMy hand-sewn curtains provided a nice contrast to the modern black framesof the pictures. Photo by CallMeCreation.comThis watercolor painting is a reminder. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
As I wrote on an Instagram post:
I used to paint and draw in high school. I found these in my room in xxx (hometown) and framed them to grace my room here in QC to remind me of who I was before I lost myself in ugliness and sadness. I have found that girl again, even though she’s xx heavier now, she’s still the same old creative person, richer in experiences. (By the pond, watercolor, CallMeCreation 1994).
I was 18 years old here against the ruins of the Old Chemistry building that was gutted by fire when I was in elementary school. I always lugged my film SLR camera around campus during this time after I took photography for one semester. I processed and printed this b&w photo in our college’s darkroom. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I found this girl. The girl who balanced football, theater, school, her Greek-letter organization, and social life. She is her own person. Her heart was yet to be broken and become jaded in this photo.
Last Thursday I couldn’t help myself, I still bought a new rose bush and a sunflower.
I have yet to transfer it to a terracotta pot. Photo by CallMeCreation.comMy white rose blooming again. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
With careful tending, my white rose bush is blooming again while my mini pink rose and yellow rose are forming buds again. Roses require a lot of attention like regular fertilizing, deadheading, and trimming.
Sunflower past its prime. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Meanwhile, this sunflower seems to be always thirsty. This big flower is past its prime but it has a number of buds at its back. Needs careful tending as well.
Today we went to Tiendesitas to buy Twin I a new bathing suit from Decathlon since the new one I bought a couple of months ago no longer fit her. They will be going to the beach with their dad during the Christmas holidays so I need to buy them new clothes. It’s hard to rely on home measurements or eyeballing shoe sizes and clothes.
Trying the archery set at Decathlon Pasig. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I went overboard though. Not only did I buy them new running shoes (because Twin’s growing feet could no longer fit in her months-old shoes), I bought them sports bras, running jerseys (to use when we go biking), duffel bags, and sleeping bags for our camping trip in January.
Then we ate ramen at Tenya, the first time we ate out since the pandemic began last year in March. Photo by CallMeCreation.comI want to buy some Japanese lanterns. Photo by CallMeCreation.comTo make this little corner alive. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
We dropped by at Mr. DIY for some home improvement stuff and miscellaneous items that the girls bought as gifts to their best friend who is celebrating her birthday tomorrow. The girls will be picked up tomorrow by the their friend’s parent while I will be driving to my hometown because we have a livestream at 8 pm.
And I bought fake flowers because I couldn’t have real ones inside the house. Because cats.
We bought a laser pointer to play with the cats. They need more exercise. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
And I finally finished the last panel of my granny curtains for my room. I’m running out of projects to do.
My room is getting cozier. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
My high school friends said I should bring my new piano tomorrow so we could jam. I missed being in a band–mostly the jamming sessions with friends. The part where we were on the road for gigs…not so much. That part was exhausting and we had day jobs then.
Hmm I have to bring my camera to take a video, for posterity’s sake. Jamming session after 20 years.
Lying on my couch, staring at my festive windows. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I’m so tired. Last night before midnight I edited two stories because we’re trying to get ahead of official announcements, but the announcements didn’t happen. 🤷🏻♀️ Then I had to reach out to reporters in Singapore, Thailand, and search in Indonesia so that my pool of potential hires would be wider. Answering emails at midnight…
Then I had to deal with my stolen identity issues, filing my report/complaint with the Department of Justice’s Cybercrime unit. Then file evidence with my telco provider so they can track down the location of the scammer. Globe corporate comms people told me it’s hard to track down the scammer because it’s probably a prepaid SIM and that the number is under Smart.
So I talked to Smart and their people told me it can be done and good I have filed with DOJ because the order to investigate and open up the call logs and tracking down the criminal would be coming from them. It’s good I also have the call logs of the victim to the scammer.
But it will take some time.
It was draining. Mentally and emotionally. When writing my report to DOJ, I had to keep myself in check because I have to be clear and concise with my report so I had to hide the anger bubbling inside.
Then I finally sold my piano, not for the price I wanted. I just had to get rid of it. I delivered it this afternoon to the buyer’s house to make sure I’m not scammed. Finally, this guy looked excited with his purchase.
To cheer myself up, I bought a sunflower plant. And another rose bush. And PHP 1000 worth of vegetables and overpriced avocado. Spicy fish cakes, hopang, and Korean ice cream.
Kimchi killing my tissue roll. Photo by CallMeCreation.com Kimchi: What now?! Photo by CallMeCreation.com Poor tissue roll. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Not only was I scammed–almost scammed of thousands of pesos–the scammer stole my identity and posed as me to scam other people. Not one, but there are two of them who messaged me or a relation, saying they were duped and lost money.
I was up until 4 am trying to clear my name and was woken up at 7 because of messages from people and my posts that said my IDs are stolen and that an imposter is scamming people of their money. I have emailed banks, called up my telco, filed complaints to GCash, the app of choice of the scammer, and numerous things I need to do so the crook can’t open up accts under my name, hack into my accts, or attempt to switch sims to get my OTPs.
Such as nightmare.
I need to file a case with the NBI. But I need to sleep first.
I love sleeping on my bed. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I may be cheap in some aspects of my life but I allow myself some kind of luxury in other areas. Not clothes, cars, or bags or similar items.
I indulge in sleep.
I keep buying beddings and new pillows every now and then. I ordered new ones from House of Snores and Neatens Manila for me and my kids a few weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised that those were 500 thread count fabrics. They are nice. Every week I change sheets and every two weeks I change the duvet covers. If the sheets are older than a week, they feel itchy to me.
I had Tempur orthopedic pillows before but they didn’t work for me because I’m a side sleeper. I left them in the old house.
I also love scents.
My scented humidifier. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
When I started working even before I graduated in 2000, I began buying scented candles and lighted them so that my room would smell good and put them out when before I went to sleep. I stopped using scents in my rooms because I figured my ex-partner wouldn’t be enthralled with it. We did buy some Indian incense from Little India before but when we tried lighting it, it didn’t go well with my airconditioned room…smoke gets trapped inside! I still have a box of those incense here but I couldn’t use them because it reminds me too much of him and his love for India.
Anyway, my kids love hanging out in my room because as Twin A said, “Mommy, your room feels like a hotel room; your bed is nice and it smells good.”
For me to give up my bed for anyone is a sign that person is an esteemed person in my book.
Why did I write about bed now? Because I change my sheets on Sunday nights and while I was doing it earlier tonight, I reflected on why I keep on doing this tedious chore weekly. It’s cumbersome because it involves lifting the heavy orthopedic mattress, but when I have made my bed with fresh sheets, it feels really good so it’s all worth it. It feels luxurious.
Today I pulled out my lazy ass out of bed to cook because Twin I asked for pasta. So I did.
Carbonara, as requested by my daughter. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Tomorrow I need to shop for veggies though. They need to be stuffed with vegetables because come Christmas, they won’t be having any since they would be spending the holidays with their paternal side. They don’t eat enough veggies there. Their aunt and her family would be driving from here in Metro Manila to south to avoid airports = Covid. They will take the girls to see their 89-year-old grandpa before something happens to him. I cannot deny him his granddaughters and I don’t have any beef with him except for raising a spoiled, self-centered and lazy idiot.
I’m not worried that their dad won’t return the girls. Now that he’s so free, he wouldn’t want that freedom be taken away by having the kids with him. Besides, he doesn’t have money to send the girls to a private school. He knows he will destroy his children’s future if his ego gets the better of him.
So for weeks it will just be me and the cats in this apartment. I think it sounds lovely. The introvert side of me says ❤️.
