Being Sick Sucks

My head is congested, my nose is all stuffed, my throat is scratchy, and my body is aching. Hubby came down with something late last week and I'm just beginning to catch it, too. It sucks. Coincidentally, the weather over here is getting colder and we're expecting a big snow storm tonight. Hubby had been going off site at all weird hours of the night, then still wakes up early the next morning. I honestly don't think he gets any of the required hours of rest that his body needs. Nyquil has become our friend and we had to make a run at Walgreens for some Vick's Vaporub. Ya'll remember when you were young and your mom would rub that vaseline-like gel on your chest and back when you couldn't breathe? Your body would get all warm, your nose would clear up enough for you to inhale and exhale easily...then later on, you'd apply some more Vick's, but it just didn't seem the same compared to when mom put it on? Awwww....kinda makes you miss your mom, doesn't it?

So here we are, two "kawa-wa" people, doing nothing but sleep. We don't have the energy to do anything else. I've been in my pj's all day, my hair is uncombed, and I'm about to head back to bed after this. Man, this will definitely mess up my sleeping routine (like it isn't messed up already!).

We missed Sunday service today. Hubby got called into work. Took a lot for him to get himself out and about, but with sniffling noses and congested head, he went. As for me, aching body and all, I got what lil' energy I could to get out of bed. My head was pounding, but I was getting hungry. Nuked me some oatmeal, turned on the TV, found me a Christian channel, and in hubby's words, "got my Lord on." It was cool...'twas just like going to church, but in the comfort of your own home. Now, I wouldn't choose to do this every Sunday. I like going to church, being with other people, feeling the beat and rhythms of the praise band, and just being in the presence, you know? But since we didn't and couldn't make it today, this was the next best thing.

Deja Vu

Ever have recurring dreams? I used to have this recurring nightmare that have thankfully ceased, but today as I took a nap, I dreamt about something that I KNOW I dreamed before. It was weird. And in that lil' space on consciousness within the subconsciousness of sleep, I told myself, "hey, I've seen this all already!"It played out almost exactly as it did the first time. I can only remember bits and pieces now, but I know that it had something to do with a break-in of someone's house. Whoever it was would break into peoples' home, do some kind of graffiti thang, and leave. There were all these clues here and there, but I could feel the fear of anxiety of not knowing who it was and the paranoia that the culprit may still be in the house hiding somewhere. I even remember saying to someone, "This is like a Nancy Drew mystery." Don't ask. Lately, I've noticed that most of my dreams have a connection to the last thing I watched on TV, the last thing I read, or even thought about. The last thing I thought about before I took my nap was the lock on the door. We have one of those latches, like the ones in hotel rooms, and I remember thinking, in case hubby comes home and I'm sleeping, he won't be able to get in. I mean, the thought was such a quick one...nothing that seemed so significant in the first place. It was weird though. Simply weird.

Speaking Of...

Totally off the subject of recurring dreams. I don't know if ya'll ever check out some of the sites I put up on the left of this page. There's the "kaibigans," "blogs i read," and "kababayan links" that offer some good reads of other interesting and fun blogs and sites. Then, there's the "currently reading." If you notice, I've been reading those Nancy Drew mystery novels. Yes, just like the ones we read (or I did, at least!) back in elementary school. I totally loved those books! While I was still teaching, I told myself that they would make good additions to my class library. I've been meaning to get them, but I never did..until now. At Sam's, they sell them in a pack of 5 books for $10! I noticed that they have the entire set, (59 books total), but we bought the first five to start. They're hardcover books and have the same picture that I remember. I read the first book in two hours from start to finish. They're obviously not long, but it was such a trip down memory lane. The hilarious part in all this was that these books were originally written in the 1930's. Back in elementary school, I don't remember thinking much about the language of the book or the signs of the times back then. But now in 2004, it's funny to think of today's kids reading these books in the "bubblegum" - goody-two-shoes era. I laughed out loud when I read, "Oh dear, I'm in such a quandry!" When we first meet Nancy Drew, she is 18 years old, just graduated from high school, got a brand new convertible, and wears suits. It's funny because is she was a girl of today, all of the "Oh dears" would be changed to "Oh sh*t" or "Dammit!" I'm rethinking whether or not I would add these to my class library. I probably will just for the fact that these were the kinds of books I read when I was younger, and plus, it would give students a peek into the past of 'good ole days.' But in the meantime, I'll enjoy the trip of my own through the good ole days!

Ice Palace

Under "cool links," there's one entitled "Ice Palace." Apparently, there is this huge winter carnival that the city of St. Paul holds. It's not a yearly thing, and the last time they had one was 12 years ago. The main attraction is a palace/castle completely made out of ice! It just opened last Thursday and will be on display until February, but the construction of it has been making the news every night. It's all done by volunteer construction workers. They take the frozen blocks of ice from a nearby lake and it literally takes weeks to build. When it's done, people can go into it, walk through it, and there's even an ice skating rink in the middle of it. Hubby and I saw it from the freeway last night and it was beautifully lit up with blue lights to give it that "icy" feel. It's funny 'cuz when we first got to the Twin Cities area, they said, "This is the most humidity we've gotten in a while." When it started snowing, they said, "We're due for a major winter this year." Now, here's the ice palace which they haven't had in 12 years and we're here to see it! Man, I don't know if it's coincidence or by chance that we're here to experience all of this (and if you know MnM at all, then you already know the answer to that!). But in any case, check out the link. If and when we go, I'll tell you all about it.

Birthday Shout-Outs

Today is my niece/goddaughter Sabrina's 7th birthday. Yesterday, her and her brother had a birthday bash that unfortunately we could not attend. =( I called Bina this morning to sing to her "Happy Birthday" and from what she told me, she had a blast! She is into the whole "Princess" phase lately- for Christmas, she got all these ballerina/princess gifts, and yesterday, her parents got her a princess cake. Now even before I knew that, I bought her a card that just happens to be princess themed that had a cut-out crown which she could decorate with stickers. She told me that she loved it so much that she wore it at the party. Awwww. I totally remember the day she was born and all the times when I had to babysit her. And look at her now....7 years old, 1st grader, and one hella madal-dal little girl! lol! Maybe I'm biased, but she is one of the smartest lil' 7 year-olds I know and yes, Ninang is so proud! Happy 7th Birthday Bina! Love and miss you!

Oh, and not to forget my Lolo's 89th birthday on Saturday, Jan. 24th. Knowing Lolo, he probably went out dancing at the senior center. From what I hear, he is "the ladies man!" hahahah! Seriously, my grandfather loves to go out dancing and honestly, I think that's what keeps him young. For as long as I can remember, he's always been healthy and I'm thankful that he's lived this long to see his children, grandchildren, AND great-grandchildren grow up. Happy 89th Birthday Lolo...now go get your dance on! =)

P.S.
My gallery is FINALLY up and running! Check out the pics! =)