Being the stage parents that Elvie and I are, we had photos of our daughter, Ikai, taken a couple of weekends ago at Great Images at Festival Mall in the hopes of landing her a commercial one of these days. A friend of mine has contacts within the advertising world and these pictures will be sent for their consideration and potential casting.
In attendance at her short photo shoot were, of course, Ikai's stage grandparents Lolo Ely and Lola Lydia who helped the photographer prompt Ikai to pose.
What do you think of our little daughter? Ain't she a beauty?
baby jake is now angel jake
I would like to extend my condolences again to Olga and Jasper and to their families for the passing of their new-born baby Jasmine Keith "Jake" Espino after a courageous battle to live.
Sadly, Baby Jake didn't make it and it was God's will that she join Him as one of his millions of little angels. Baby Jake is now Angel Jake and for sure, she will be de facto guardian of her twin sister, Baby Jade, who continues her own battles but all of us are hopeful she will make it through.
My wife and I visited Olga and Jasper at Baby Jake's wake at Funeraria Paz in QC last Saturday and the event promptly turned into one impromptu reunion with Josh and Che, Wendell and Elaine around. Sadly, it was still incomplete with Pilar not there due to prior commitments.
diabetes update
Last Friday, I had my monthly check-up to determine my progress with managing my diabetes. Unlike other diseases, diabetes, once acquired, is not curable. There's no treatment, no meds that will return your body to normal. Once a diabetic, always a diabetic and from now on, check-ups with an endocrinologist or a specialist in internal medicine will always be required.
So, once again, I found myself in Doc Crisostomo's clinic last week but a day before, I had another blood chem and lipid profile tests.
The good news is that my sugar levels are good. My Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) was at 79 (normal level is 70-110).
The bad news is that my bad cholesterol level is up (but so is my good cholesterol). So, the doc remixed my medication and is now focused on lowering my cholesterol levels.
In actuality, my bad chol level is actually lower than my previous lipid profile test in April-May. Back then, my cholesterol level was at 291 when the acceptable level was below 200. The latest results show my cholesterol level at 226, a large reduction but still on the borderline (according to a Wikipedia article, when your cholesterol level is above 240 you're high-risk). But the doc was concerned that I just lost 1 pound since my last check-up. My last check-up in June was that I was 199lbs. Last Friday's weigh-in put me at just 198lbs.
A few posts back, I said that my weight was already at 193lbs. That was true! Unfortunately, since that post and until last Friday, my diet and exercise routines have been disrupted and while I may not have eaten more, I did exercise less which resulted in me gaining the additional 5 pounds. So, to make sure I don't get reprimanded again -- the doc told me I was still too fat straight to my face -- I need to get exercising regularly again.
BTW, heard that Makati Med's opening its new wing by August 18 hence the rush-rush of construction. MMC is in need of a face-lift what with stiff competition offered by Medical City and the soon-to-rise St. Luke's Medical Center in Fort Bonifacio.
nbs offers special print runs of classics
National Bookstore recently released several classic fantasy, and sci-fi novels from master writers such as Michael Moorcock (Elric), Roger Zelany (Chronicles of Amber), Hope Mirrlees (Lud-In-The-Mist), Jack Vance (Lyonesse), Robert Howard (The Conan Chronicles), Poul Anderson (The Broken Sword), John Ford (The Dragon Waiting), among others in special newsprint editions -- making these classics, ehem ehem, affordable.
My first purchase in this special print run is Fritz Leiber's stories on Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, entitled in a special anthology entitled "Lankhmar". Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are the archetypal icons of sword and sorcery and they play a pivotal role in shaping the world of modern fantasy and puts Leiber beside fantasy greats such as JRR Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) and Lewis Carroll (Chronicles of Narnia).
At P355, the book is value for money. It's going to sit in with other unread books. The other books are lined up next for purchase. I just hope NBS don't run out of stock.
so many books, little time for reading
I have yet to thoroughly unpack the boxes from our last move (July last year) but now that the contract with the apartment has been extended another year, I just need to find time to do the little exercise of unpacking my books and magazines and finding a space for them.
And in unrelenting passion, I seem to always purchase at least one book a month nowadays thanks to Books for Less and Booksale. And I'm a regular buyer of Entrepreneur magazine so that's two publications roughly per month when I literally almost have no time to read!
At home, I think I still have about three books unread and counting the Neil Gaiman and the Fritz Leiber I bought recently, that up's the total of books unread to five. Add to that a couple of books I still have here in the office. Add to that an unfinished book by David Brin and another one by Terry Pratchett.
My books are scattered all over the apartment. Some are found under the TV in the sala while others are scattered in the two rooms upstairs. My current reading material will always be found on top of the water container near the CR because the only time I always and almost find time to read is during banyo time while nature is calling.
Most, as I've mentioned, are still in the box along with my FHMs and Dragon magazines and I'm sure the rodents are having a feast day tearing up the pages.
My most recent read (and finished) is another Brian Jacques Redwall series novel -- Pearls of Lutra.
inspiration
Neil Gaiman is once again teaming up with Fully Booked for the 3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards and is once again inviting writers and artists to submit entries and this year's contest is made more special with the addition of a new category -- short film.
Read all about the event and contest guidelines at its Fully Booked page. The deadline is September (same as Dean Alfar's call for spec fic submissions) and who knows? Will this year be the year I finally get enough courage and more aptly, more time to submit a story to the Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards?
Flushed with inspiration last week, I actually started work on a piece. Hopefully, I get to finish it before the deadline set.
Keep your fingers crossed mateys!
officially globed
After almost two years of having my internet service provided by MyDestiny, I finally flirted and started an affair with Globe Broadband.
Practicality was the main reason for the switch. I was paying P999 pesos for the MyDestiny Cable Internet service (which at some days had a disastrous connection and an odd pay first before use scheme). Since we needed a phone line at the apartment, we applied for a line and opted for one that bundled voice and data -- the P1295 peso package.
While it did take almost two months to get the connection ... connection ... now, it's almost a month of smooth-sailing with the new broadband internet. My wife even swears that the connection at home is faster than the connection at her office :P
But no, I'm not devoting my time to any online game. In fact, I might not be using the service for all its worth because I haven't been really internetting at home that much.
But lest this turns out to become an endorsement for Globe -- hell, hey Globe! Fix your damned customer service -- it took two months and three visits to your service center for follow-ups just to get the line activated. Heck, asked to explain why the delay, the CS (who I'm not blaming) was at a loss for a reason.
Sheesh!
e-heads united
My good friend and regular chat-mate Pilar just gave me the heads-up on an upcoming Eraserheads reunion concert at the end of August -- read it here.
Now, any bonafide UP student during the mid-90s is familiar with the legacy of the 'Heads. They're as iconic to the Philippine rock scene as are Asin, Heber Bartolome, and the Juan dela Cruz band.
Now, how much is that ticket?
