pets

2022 BC: 2022 Before Christmas

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I hazard to guess that this year’s Christmas will be full blown and all out compared to the last two Christmases. The atmosphere leading up to December was so euphoric. Malls had even foregone their usual Halloween decors in favor of the holiday ones.

For us, it would be our second Christmas in our new house. We, however, had to do away with the Christmas tree because we have a new cat who may likely go excited with the sight of glittery ornaments.

Few decors at home

I just took out some of the garlands and wreaths, and some more ornaments that were (hopefully) out of reach of Milky. At least this year’s decors would not be a glitter explosion.

In our apartment, we did not even remove last year’s small wooden Christmas trees as we have three cats. Worse, two days ago, they ran after a small lizard that left one of the trees devoid of balls. Poor tree.

At least the three of them managed to wear these souvenirs from the pet clothing store in front of Yoogane from Seoul. It was a challenge to get them all in one shot. This year, we’ll have to manage with this collage.

The three kitties with their gifts from Seoul

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Health scares with an -s

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Nothing to write home and elaborately about, but two and a half years since the start of the pandemic, it seemed inevitable. We tested positive with COVID-19. Putting this here for posterity of September’s events, so I’d be reminded down the line that this indeed took place.

I was under the impression that I may have gotten it from either the mall in Antipolo, or our usual weekday grocery shopping. We could no longer pinpoint it.

Prepping the antigen test

Prepping the antigen test

The first symptom that I felt the night before I tested was how itchy my throat was before sleeping. The following morning, my head was throbbing and it felt quite different from the other headaches I usually have.

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Rainy Sunday

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It was Sunday the 31st of July, and we are a hop and skip away from August 1. We normally visit on Sundays to have lunch with my family in our house in the uplands, as it was unthinkable to even travel on a Saturday.

We did it once 2 weeks ago and the travel time was horrendous. It took 2 hours coming from Makati  and at least 3 hours on the way back. To think that we spent only around 4 hours home, it was, for the lack of better word, traumatic. Thus, I made an arrangement with Mon if we could always just visit on a Sunday unless we can’t help it.

It was a very cloudy day and it was obvious that it would rain hard. It may be because of the continuously rising oil prices that there were not too many vehicles on the road, but it only took us a bit more than an hour to reach home.

Watching my 9-year old cat

Watching my 9-year old cat

Despite being the actual homeowner (as I am still in the process of transferring the title under my name), the guards at the gate of the subdivision still usually ask where I am headed to. They don’t recognize me at all. That was not the case whenever my father would fetch us nearby as they obviously knew him/them, as they are the ones living there.

One of the first things we usually do as soon as we arrive is check on the 2 dogs and the cat. While we were smothered by the dogs, our cat, Miso is the eternal ambivalent lady of the house.

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Day 1: 2021

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There’s no point saying I will write more (i.e. at least once a week) because that clearly did not materialize since January 5, 2020. To be fair, it lasted for two weeks before things fizzled.

My last post was a birthday post in April, the first for everyone to celebrate their birthday during a pandemic. That is for those who were lucky enough to celebrate their birthday this year. The year 2020 was our generation’s annus horribilis. A volcano eruption in January, the start of the pandemic in the Philippines in March, and the worst flooding (Ulysses) in my hometown in November since 2009. I wrote back in July 2012 that I developed trauma during heavy downpours, and it only took me a trip to work in Pampanga 2 months ago that I might have PTSD.

Bye 2020! Bleh!

While in April, there about 4,600 cases with 297 deaths in the country. As of January 1, 2020 it is now at a staggering 474,000 cases with more than 9,000 deaths. These are more than numbers. These are 474,000 people who did not see the year change to 2021 with their families.

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Lockdown Day 29: Age 35

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I’ve read somewhere that during a pandemic, one must document his/her daily life. Even the most mundane day should be immortalized. With all those grand narratives of how Isaac Newton powered through the Black Plague, discovering some of the most important scientific discoveries known to man, we are made to believe that we have to be productive amidst this pandemic.

Today is day 29 since the lockdown was imposed over Metro Manila, and subsequently over the island of Luzon. I am also 35.

Panic buying before the Enhanced Community Quarantine. Photo taken at S&R on March 16.

When the first case of COVID-19 (then called as nCOV) in the Philippines was announced on January 30, 2020, I had already asked Mon to stock on a couple of boxes of masks from Bambang. I had been monitoring the situation for the past weeks. I knew that it’ll only be a matter of time before it blew up, and it won’t hurt to have masks stocked for our families.

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Before 2019 Ends

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Welp! My last post was exactly a year ago today! I almost forgot the password for BRYOLOGUE but here I am again with another mega post.

Funny how I keep on posting about religiously posting but haven’t got the chance for the past 364 days. To give a recap of my year, perhaps a mega post will make up for it?

So let’s have a look back at the year that was!

At the newly-cleaned Quiapo area ---- Mulberry Trout Scotchgrain Messenger Bag

At the newly-cleaned Quiapo area

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2018 Wrap-Up Mega Post

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Before 2018 ends, it is time for my year-end essay! I will compensate for my inability to update the last few months with this mega post.

Compared to the holidays of the previous years, this year is quite laid back. It was not as frantic as before.

Ayala Malls Circuit's Christmas decoration

Ayala Malls Circuit’s Christmas decoration

One of the things I am proudest of this 2018 is that I was able to make better choices for my health. This includes a change in my diet, and a better drive to exercise regularly.

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Update and Reset

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It is almost the 6th month of the year, and nothing had taken place here since my holiday haiku. I’ve said this several times, but BUSY does not even begin to capture what these 5 months were. (Although, I have already updated my banner two weeks ago).

Before June starts tomorrow, I’d like to write a quick update.

Strike a pose inside the office

It has been 6 months since I started working with this team. They are undoubtedly the most intelligent and most down to earth people I have ever met. To think my two bosses have always been stellar scientists in the world, they still are as accessible, approachable, and not amiss with their funny bones.

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It’s a wrap, 2017! (My year-end essay LOL)

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And just like that, another year has ended! While everybody on Facebook is busy submitting their year-end essay, I chose to post a haiku because, well, I have this page to write to my heart’s content! ^_^

The haiku is roughly translated as:

‘EAT’

Last day of the year

And later, it’ll be the first

So go, eat some more!

Not shading everyone on Facebook, writing lengthy stuff about their year. I was just being cheeky! I actually enjoy reading them, save for some with irrelevant #humblebrag.

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Remembering Miriam

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It will never be easy to say goodbye. On my 32nd birthday during the Holy Week, we had decided to finally put one of our dog’s to sleep.

Miriam was a shy but confident dog. But in the last weeks, her health was deteriorating quickly and no amount of medicine could stop it. She had developed renal failure.

I remember crying hard when I last approached her before I left for Makati that last weekend. On the car leaving the house, my nephew said that Miriam still managed to get up and peek through her place.

One last goodbye

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