My parents spent so much money on their medical check-ups and hospital bills.  It is good they saved enough for that and got some help from my relatives (A BiG THANK YOU to those kind hearts!).  Medicine and hospital confinements are so expensive in the Philippines.  But the same is true here in the US.  Without the insurance, you better not get sick or injured.

I just had my blood work and doctor's check-up recently.  I still have some ultra sound to go through.  Can't help to compare what it will cost back in Manila since i can still recall the tons of hospital bills I had back then.  It will cost almost the same, but since the monthly insurance deducted from the paycheck pays for it, it seems you are getting a better deal and less out of the pocket cost.  The hubby keeps on asking me to have a check-up because he is paying too much insurance, i might as well make the most out of it.

What I really want to say is... Insurance is a necessary expense here in the US. If you have one, no matter what coverage it gives,  you won't feel much of the stress of huge medical bills.  When i came here in the US, my hubby added my kids and I in his insurance.  I am very thankful for that generosity especially for his step kids.  That for me is the best American perk.

My parents are not here anymore.  They got really sick before they died.  Whatever savings they have, I spend on their medical bills.  I don't mind actually,  I am thankful that the money they saved served them when they needed it.  But in jest... What if they have health insurance, the money spent  on medicines and bills should have been left to their only child...EH DI ANG YAMAN KO NA SANA HEHEHEHE!

Rambling of the Day...

I am a Estee Lauder moisturizers user bec. they really work. But this is what is so cool about buy Estee Lauder... Their promo giveaways . I timed buying when a promo is going on. The product itself is worth $70, but the giveaways is worth more than double (supervisor gave me more than is allowed hehehe)! Lito pays for it (of course he has no choice :-)), he got used to the promo set-up that he charmed the supervisor to give more hehehe! That's why i do this "buy me" trick when i am with him... Wife's secret here!

US weather is quite harsh to the skin, moisturizer is a must. I have always used moisturizers. Back in Manila, I remember my mom uses Oil of Olay and I use the Anew by Avon. Buying moisturizers in Manila is quite expensive considering inflation there so it is not a popular beauty item back then (i don't know now). I started young (20s) with creams and moisturizers, influenced by my late mom. When i came here I got this wide choices of moisturizers to buy. From the drugstore brand to the most expensive ones.

My story sums up... moisturize your skin no matter where you are. Let your wallet dictate the price but never neglect your skin esp. in a cold weather environment. Ladies, we owe this to ourselves!

Hot, hot week in Los Angeles (90s to 100 degrees). Stay indoors! Can't wait for fall weather!

This blog was inspired by this video that went viral... its about the Philippine President's speech.

www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/07/14/14/watch-why-doris-bigornia-trended-online

I can't help but comment about the people in the video and the place of the interview. I am sure this is in Metro Manilla. Yan ang masang pinoy. Di nakatira sa village, apartment o middle class subdivision. Tignan ninyo ang hitsura ng mga bata at mga nakatatanda. Simpleng buhay lang. Dun sila nakatira sa maiinit na iskinita at tabi-tabing barong-barong. Sila ang pinuntahan ng mga politiko noong elekyon para iboto sila. Sila yong dapat pagsilbihan ng gobyerno. But they were the ones short-changed. Kulang o walang ang tulong sa mga mahihirap. Sa bulsa lahat ng politiko na nangako napunta ang dapat itulong sa kanila.

Wala nga daw naintindihan sa speech. Ang masang pinoy, matiisin... Idaan sa bingo at pa blond ng buhok hehehe!

Disclaimer: my comment is not about the Pnoy's speech or the people comments about it. I haven't heard Pnoy speech. Its my own modest opinion and observation of the trending video... peace!

Just saying... I get my beef only from Mcdonald's or In-and-out burgers once a week. I'm not looking for the beef taste anymore... It's workable, but takes a lot of commitment and focus hehehe!

Our lunch today is my kalabasa dish left over last night and canned salmon. Rice too is left-over para konti lang. If you dont see much rice, you dont eat much... Makes sense huh!

Maintaining my ideal weight and Lito trying to loose weight. But weight isn't all that matters. They are just numbers. You can be slim but sick inside because of the kind of food we put in our mouth. I learned that the hard way when i lost my first hubby. Lessons learned are: keep away from bad cholesterol, eat more fruits and veggies, avoid sweets and drink water. I am still struggling with my bad eating habits, but i know i am making progress.

Eat Less but healthy food...some exercise if we can... That's our slowly but surely weight loss regimen.

HAPPY WEEKEND TO ALL!!!

2007 was my last blog post. I got lazy and lazier i guess to sit down and compose a blog. But a lot of things happened in that seven years span of time. No i wont enumerate them here, who the hell cares about my past escapades! I have facebook read on there with pictures to compliment :-).

Too many have to be said... There are only two words that is of much significance to me now... THANK YOU...

Thank you.... I know God is everywhere... thank you dear God for my trials that made me stronger and my triumphs that made me believe in myself

.... To my new husband Lito... Im forever grateful for your trust and love
.... To my kids who are smart and responsible adults now for putting up on me
.... To my relatives and friends for being there for me all these years
.,.. To my late parents for until now i feel their presence in my life


Enough for now... After seven years... Only 2 words sum up my absence in blogging... THANK YOU!


I hope i can do this regularly again :-)

whooo... up, down and all around.  The past 4 years of my life is truly ( and undoubtedly) a rollercoaster ride.  I've been way way down, up ( i thought) and down again and in the past months im very much up...Its like life havent have enough of me yet, it let me tastes the best and worst of everything.

But i guess one of the best ride is yet to come.. coz im happy again. My rollercoaster ride havent stopped moving but i know im through with the worst turns and dips... The Master Operator saw that im brave enough for the sharpest turns and now is just giving me a relaxing ride.  a few bumps though but just to remind me that im still in for the ride.

One special person told me.. he wished upon a star once... I told him, i did that too but i wished not to a star but to the Maker of the star.   Well maybe we both wish a relaxing ride on our rollercoaster...  :-) and now we both are smiling again.

Life is the best rollercoaster ride you'll ever have... but dont forget to wish for a smooth ride.  The Master Operator or even a star happens to be listening. 

chatting... i got tired of it... Seems it lost its appeal to me...

started chatting back in 2002... i was just emailing and foruming 2 yrs prior to 2002...  the minimum time i spent on line then was 1 hr  but when it went into chatting, 3 hrs a day is not enough... hehehehe.. Those were the days wfere chatrooms are a venue of meeting decent people.. wish i can say the same nowadays.

i wonder how other people chat... do they play dumb? do they live their fantasies on line? do they say who they really are or be want they wanna be? i say... all of the above..lol!  No clear rules in chatting.. actually is a judgement call.. coz chatting is basically talking to a monitor.. u should have a mastery of pshycology or be a claivoyant to decipher the sincerity of the person at the end ot the computer.

I had my good and bad experiences on line.. i found good friends... i found people generous enough to offer me money and nice things ( of course i accept them, coz i didnt ask. they offered me!!), i found the nasty and the uneducated... and most specially i found love too (or is it love???)  The latter is by choice... taking risk.. but why not... life is a rollercoaster.  Take the ride...u might enjoy it and be truly happy...

So..chat or not to chat.... hmmmm.. chat me not!