46
I’m turning 46 tomorrow. Ugh. But it’s not all bad. Already, I have received several really touching messages from both family and friends. I feel so loved and I’m happy they let me know about it when I can still feel it, he he. Nothing special will happen tomorrow but Dennis and I are organizing a huge shindig for friends at a beach resort in the Eastern province on the weekend. It’s not only going to be a celebration of my 46th, it’s also a thanksgiving of sorts for Dennis for blessings he has received at work. It will also turn out to be a monthsary celebration for us. And of course, there’s Independence Day, he he.

I’m wishing for a financial windfall/continued stability and excellent health this year. And death to my enemies, or at least those who don’t like me, he he. Sige na nga, disease na lang, he he. Pasensya na, hindi ako plastic e.

Dennis has been dropping hints about finding the best gift for me. After all, he said, he’s been keeping tabs of my “I like” blog entries and email messages to him. I told him that I would be happy with a new badminton bag, one which can conveniently accommodate my stuff (mostly shirts and hand towels – I go through 3 sets). E kesa naman yung Nokia E71 o kaya yung LV Icare, e me financial crisis ngayon, he he.

MERRILL MISSING/3 NEW KITTENS
Sad note though: Merrill has been missing since Thursday evening. We hope he comes back soon. We miss him terribly.

But while Merrill has gone missing, Jean has given birth to 3 all-white kittens. There was a 4th one but it was still-born. At first, the kids at the villa were scared, when we invited them to have a look-see, knowing fully well how they have not seen anything like it. They soon warmed up to the kittens, with the Rosario kids wanting to appropriate the 3 kittens among them. We have yet to name the kittens.

ELOISE TURNS 2 MONTHS
Rene and Edel invited us to a merienda of cake, pizza and home-cooked pansit (courtesy of Dex, with a lot of help from AJ, Airene and Edel) at the Lims, to mark Eloise’s second month. My, how that pretty girl has grown. And while she’s fond of kunot-noo, she’s also very prone to smiling or giggling, much to Dennis’ delight who can’t get over how pretty the baby is. And she naps while one of her hands is touching the side of her head. Parang “The Thinker” pose.

INFLUENZA A (H1N1)
Locals news and rumors have confirmed that the first Influenza A (H1N1) case in Saudi Arabia is of a Filipina who just came back from a break in the Philippines. She took a Gulf Air flight but it is said that she still wasn’t sick by then. I think the news comes at a time when the Kingdom does not seem to be prepared to react to cases of the flu. I mean, unlike in other countries where airports have thermal scanners for incoming passengers, there’s still nothing of that sort hereabouts. Authorities are more focused on gathering biometric data of expatriates through fingerprinting. 

INTERNET CONNECTION
We lost our Internet connection at the office last Wednesday afternoon. The service provider told us a technician will come around the next day to look at our cables. Nobody called over the weekend; I don’t know if someone ever came. The good news is that our Internet connection has been restored. Someone must have worked on it somehow just the same.