So here we are pursuing stories, chasing people…

… And my boss kills my story even though the editor whose specialty is that specific topic I wrote about says it’s a story worth publishing. He is rescuing it and will tackle it Monday.

She is really out there to get me.

Right now, I am wondering if I could transfer to a sister publication just to escape her. But what good will it do? What if the rival company comes back to me with an offer?

The question is how long can I stay like this? How far can I take this?

To soothe myself, I went to a salon at the Mall of Asia (the nearest one from where I was), just to make me feel better.

I’m staying as long as I can in the mall, not because I’m crazy about shopping, but because it’s Payday Friday. The roads are terrible tonight.

A little art perhaps to soothe my soul?

I was late by almost an hour to the presscon that I was supposed to attend in Rockwell so I just skipped it and went straight to another presscon at BGC. The roads were hell today. Just add water = cars multiply like gremlins when it rains. Yes, it’s my fault for not alloting another hour to my travel time because I underestimated how rain can truly mangle traffic.

I’m just spoiled by where I live right now since destinations are reachable under 30 mins.

Once I arrived at Uptown Mall to park my car, I never left the area. I just walked to the venue because BGC is such a car trap: too many intersections and stoplights, too little parking areas. And oh, my parking fee was over PHP 300.

Funny thing here is that I was the most senior journo there already. The conglomerate’s head of comms greeted me and lamented that it has been a while since she saw me. I said, yeah I seldom go out these days because we have Kr to do most of the legwork and look after the other markets. It just so happens that there was an overlapping event that she had to attend today.

My car, Wendy, is still a fine old lady. Save for the wear and tear, which is to be expected, this car has been running well for almost 20 years. I just bought a new pair of Michellin tires again yesterday so that Wendy will run with four new shoes. I will have her fuel line checked to make sure it’s not clogged, clutch line checked, aircon cleaned, and everything else underneath greased.

It has carried pieces of furniture that were Tetris-ed, survived many house moves, even ferried several hundred kg of Rockwool insulation when my house was still under construction. Survived 48-hr drives, island hops, and five children (mine and my brother’s).

Yes, that’s how sturdy manual transmission cars are. The reason why we chose a car that is “everything manual” is because it is easy to repair. From windows down the transmission. When it plows through floods, I have no fear that the electricals will get shorted and die.

I will always choose MT over AT. Unfortunately, only a few models offer MT nowadays. Oh well, only a few of us can survive a zombie apocalypse—those who can drive stick shift can drive any getaway car. Those who can’t would just have to outrun the zombies. 🤣

I couldn’t keep myself from answering back to my manager. It’s supposed to be a holiday for me today but I had to take this call with my manager.

It’s a long story but she was rude. She doesn’t know how to communicate. I got fed up fought back. We ended up the call with both of us highly strung.

I don’t know how long I would be able to last like this. It’s not as if I’m not trying to see what’s out there, applying for alternatives, but things are not panning out.

A friend told me tonight that I shouldn’t go head-to-head with a bitch with the same intensity. “Bring it down a notch lower, but you don’t have back down from your truth. Just don’t fight fire with fire,” my friend said.

“I know it’s really hard for you but just think of your kids. You can’t quit while you still don’t have another job,” she added.

I know, I know. That’s why I haven’t done anything of that sort yet.

It’s just a horrible way to start the week.

I just stayed at home today because of that scheduled check up call with my manager. I don’t want to be doom-scrolling on my phone either.

What did I do today? I assembled furniture. Again.

They have outgrown their Megabox plastic drawers and clothes that no longer fit there end up piling on top of the drawers. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Now this section of my home looks neat and no longer induces headaches.

Yesterday we indulged because we’re just overjoyed we’re out of the hospital. We had hotpot even though I should be strictly monitoring my calorie intake.

Then Twin A and my sister shopped before going home, because why not? I’m just puzzled with today’s teen fashion. Who the hell thought that it’s cool to wear your jeans inside out?! Yes, SM is selling jeans with the seams on the outside! Thank goodness my daughter isn’t into this kind of trend.

Because I was away for several days, Kimchi became clingy. She follows me wherever I go/station myself.

Ok let’s start assembling the Ikea dresser Malm I ordered several weeks ago. I ordered two for my girls and they arrived before we went to PGH.

Fuck it. I forgot to lock the screws. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I had to disassemble everything.

Damn it.

Not following directions!

Since the official notice that we will be discharged the next day was super late, I couldn’t book any of my mom’s drivers to fetch us. My siblings have work.

I decided to book a hotel next to Ayala Center to spend another night so my older sister can pick us up today. I wanted to celebrate and have a comfortable sleep after camping in our hospital room’s bench for several nights.

The four-day long weekend has flushed out humanity from Metro Manila and now I get to enjoy the city without the clogged streets. It took us only about 30 mins from PGH to Ayala Center, which could have taken an hour or so on a normal day.

I plopped on the bed and slept for an hour and a half to make up for the lack of sleep the past few nights. My head was already pounding before it touched the pillow. After convincing my daughter we need to get out and walk, we hopped to Ayala Center and treat ourselves.

We checked out OneAyala, the former Intercontinental Hotel, which Ayala Land converted into a mixed use development. It directly connects to MRT, has four floors of shopping and dining areas, offices and Seda Hotel on the top floors, with the ground floor serving as a transport hub. I was surprised that OneAyala was huge, remembering how narrow the function rooms in Intercontinental were. Then I remembered there was a road at the back of the hotel and a parking area. Ayala Land claimed those and made one huge building with the ground level opening up to EDSA.

In the activity center, there was a Thayers event that I joined just for the heck of it. I mean, I already have a lot of toners back home (currently using Shiseido) but it doesn’t hurt to get a free bottle and a discount card for purchases at Watsons.

And every trip to the hospital gives Twin A a reward of Japanese food.

I knew people are out of the city when I saw restaurants only half-filled on a Friday night. Even the malls are not brimming with people. Usually the bridgeway connecting Greenbelt and Glorietta is teeming with humanity. Not this time.

After a long walk back to the hotel, I booked a two-hour Zennya massage. How I missed Zennya!

Our IDS said they made an initial reading of the MRI scan/s and said they’re clear! The thickening of the colon lining is no longer there and the lymph nodes are all gone. It’s really TB and they have been resolved. Twin A has no malignancy or any symptoms of autoimmune disease, her TB is also gone!

We’re just waiting for the official reading of the scans.

Thank you, Lord!

IDS said during the course of TB treatment, there are instances that lymph nodes will increase as the infection is still putting up a fight (“nanlalaban”) and then they dissipate. Our team of doctors are just making sure nothing is off, especially with quality of tests and reading of scans and test results vary wildly from hospital to hospital. Since Twin A’s TB is atypical, our doctors have to be thorough. Plus genetics is shit.

Part of the thorough examination is the running of TB quantiferon test. Our IDS said she expects it to be negative, otherwise a positive reading means Twin A’s TB strain is drug-resistant. However, the result would be released next week since it’s a holiday tomorrow and on Monday.

We’re going to be discharged tomorrow.