Two kilos in my cheeks

I have this colds for over as week already. It is not a nagging cough neither a productive one but it is bothersome when I cough.
Our in house doctor doesn’t want to give me antibiotic because I am still on (tapered dose) steroids instead he sent me to my nephrologist for a consult. Thing is, the nephro was trapped in Thai airport stand off and she just got back in town yesterday. I had my check up this afternoon. I was weighed as standard assessment. I gained 2 kilos. When she saw my medical record she just said: Oh, you gained two kilos in your cheeks!
I was thinking: Thanks to you!

A lemon

Almost a month ago, I wrote about how ecstatic I was getting my new laptop. I got it through my officemate whose aunt lives in the US and has got some gadgets business.

I have waited for it arrival for more than 3 months. It was held in Customs (Philippines) for a month.

A few days after I started using the unit, I noticed that it's kind of noisy. I thought that it was natural until I asked around particularly those who got the same unit from the same person. It turned out that it's just me whose unit has got that unusual sound.

since it has it's one-year international arranty, I brought it to the service center, only to find out that they only do service and repairs. They diagnosed that the hard drive is problematic. They would just replace the hard drive and I have to wait for a minimu.m of 3 weeks. 

I asked if I could have it replaced, they said I have to ask for it from the store where I bought it. Darn! So I told my officemate about it.

Now I have three options and unfortunately getting my money back is not one of them:

1. Return the unit to my officemate so she could send it to her aunt to get a replacement. Shipping to and fro the US would mean a waiting time of 2 months minimum. Within the waiting period, I have nothing to use. Oh, there is, the flickering and nearly flatlined desktop.

2. Settle for an HP which her aunt could readily send and while me waiting for it (minimum of one month), I could use this laptop. My officemate is yet to get the specs of the HP laptop so I could weigh options.

3. Since I am really okay with this laptop and I really love the huge screen, I could just settle for the hard drive replacement. And yeah, this would make the the L to the OSER.

Doomed but not mad.

Bakasyon grande!

I was supposed to report for work at 1:00 PM today. Since I came from Sick Leave (SL) I had to secure clearance from our clinic. I thought that I will be cleared and will be marked fit to work. I was surprised when the physician gave me a 2-day SL extension.

My cough she said might be contagious so she sent me home with antitussives.
Aargh! Two days? Although I'm going to be paid for the SLs but the thing is I prefer them to be converted to cash come February next year.
I have rested the past couple of days. These are just secretions that are loosened and they want to get out of my lungs already that's why my coughing sounds bad (LOL).
Seriously, I want to protest. I'm no longer sick.

Speaking of Honesty,Trust and Loyalty

Although I was feeling sick as a dog yesterday, I tried my hardest to go to the office. The sun was too proud glaring at me aggravating my condition.
I went straight to the clinic for a consult. Three people whom I stumbled upon on my way up commented that I looked sick.
I looked sick because I was really sick. I just can’t stand the thought that I was treated like a notorious liar when I called in sick yesterday. The last time I had an unplanned leave was in October last year. If my memory serves me right.
The doctor gave me a 2-day sick leave. The diagnosis? AURTI or Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infection. Antibiotics, antitussive, analgesic and antipyretics were prescribed.
I went up and presented the Sick Report form to my team leader. When I’m sick I’m really emotional. I broke down in between horrible coughing telling her that why it’s so hard for them to believe that I am sick? I asked her if I would be the one to bring the form to bridge management. She said, it’s okay she’ll be the one to inform the group.
On my way home, it occurred to me who the heck was the effin’ OIC who only approved for me to get halfday SL. It was my team leader! It was confirmed by another team leader.
Okay, just because Saturday and Sunday were my restdays, it does not mean that I can’t be sick the following day.
It made me freaked out because of all people why it’s me who she suspects of malingering?
I have been loyal to the team rendering overtime everyday even on my restdays being in the office for straight 20 days in the past. Although the primary reason was monetary, but the thing is, I was there and I helped the group deliver.
I just don’t deserve this.
I’m not a liar. I am not malingering.
I think I was able to prove her wrong.
Shame on her.
Right now I’m still at home. No longer feverish but my eyes look like Garfield’s sleepy eyes. Yeah, I’m still barking coughing hard and when I cough I have tendencies of throwing up.

Feeling under the weather

I arrived at our home at around 9:00 pm last night from Puerto Galera.
My skin felt flushed and I'm barking coughing like a dog.
My head was throbbing. So I popped paracetamol and also to prevent impending pyrexia.
When I woke up this morning, I'm feeling body malaise. I'm still coughing like an active volcano that' about to emit lava.
I called our Bridge Management group to advise that i'll be taking sick leave (SL). The girl on the other line said she'll call me back. After about 30 minutes my cell rang the girl on the other line told me that I am only allowed by the effin’ OIC to take halfday SL
I was not able to control my disbelief and began with my litany that last year, I was able use only 2.5 SL credits out of 17. I don't think my availability is in question here. I'm not even on the hotlist of perennial offenders.
She said that she can't do anything about it because she's just following orders from the OIC and if I want to avail of the SL for the last half I'd still have to call around 4:00 PM. I said. to advise what? that I'm still sick? I'm telling you now that I'm sick and you don't believe me. She pretended to hear nothing and yacked on the reference number for the SL advise. That's when I said. I don't' care then I hung up.
I wish they were robots. No heart, no compassion. Then it will be pretty comprehensible.

Bingo!

For the first time in 8 years I think I will be given with a memo for tardiness.
I'm not a morning person that's why it's so hard for me to sleep and wake up early. To the one who invented the snooze in alarm clocks, hats off to you!
When on 8:00 am shift, I set my alarm to 6:00 and then I snooze until 6:50 pm. Lazy, eh?
Usually, I can get to the office in less than 30 minutes. That's the ideal. Though it just took me 5 minutes to get the ride I know it was okay because horrendous traffic is always towards the other direction. I thought it was okay until the impatient driver chose to reroute to "avoid" the sluggishness of autos at a U-turn slot. As a result, I had to walk a mile few meters to the "right” No Jwalking area to avoid being hit by the automobiles.
As soon as I tapped my ID on the Time Keeping Machine, it displayed: 8:01 AM. Great!
This is my 4th late for the month and we are only given with 5 late offenses in a month. I still have 4 days in the dreading morning shift. It's already 1:00 AM and as expected I'm still up. Who knows how many times will I be hitting the snooze button.

Numbered days

My CPU has been away from me for the past 2 days. I don't know what happened but it just stopped to boot. My brother-in-law took it to his brother's computer shop for check up and was found out that it's infected with a virus.
On the lighter note, it can be removed by reformatting but the gray area and the greatest dilemma is that the hard disk installer that came with the PC when I bought it is missing.
Oh for the love of God, where could I get it?
My PC is working temporarily (thanks to the bro-in-law's bro!) but it won't be too long because as soon as i turn it off, it wont boot the hard disk again.
Darn! I'm not ready to buy a new PC. I'm planning to get a notebook in March which is the earlier possible based on my budget.
This is just perfect!

Tooth fairy, are you coming yet?

For three days now, I have been bugged by tooth ache. I go to the dentist every month so I know for a fact that I don't have dental carries. Though in the past, I noticed that my pre-molar tooth is sensitive to cold food and drink. Now, I'm experiencing searing and radiating pain. I have not had good night sleep for the past 2 days which is bad because I have early shift in the office. My tolerance for pain is relatively high but the pain is excruciating. Problem is, I need to wait until tomorrow to go to my dentist since the clinic is closed for the holidays.
I guess I have to contain myself in taking prn analgesics. I'm popping paracetamol and mefenamic acid because the acetaminophen we've got has caffeine in it. I can't afford to be up all night.
Ugh! I hate medicines.

What goes around, comes around (?)

Is the Forex a good basis in gauging the economic status? About a year ago, the Philippine peso rate against the US dollar was around P55.00: USD1.00. Today, the Peso-Dollar exchange rate closed at P41.240: USD1.00.
Goodness, gracious!

Why am I freaking out when the Peso appreciates? My salary is in Peso which should ideally mean that my buying power will become stronger.

Top four freaking reasons:

1. Impending oil price hike - this has prompted a nationwide strike among public transport drivers today. The strike was hardly felt though because there are still some drivers who went on their usual plight. They still have mouths to feed at the end of the day and no one could blame them for not participating.

2. Pandesal's (famous bread mostly consumed for breakfast here in the country) cost will increase from P1.00 to P2.50 each due to the continued increase in the cost of wheat, flour and other ingredients. This means that bakery products will also rise. As a proof, my favorite whole wheat bread's price surged from P54++ to P59++.

Funny thing is, On the lighter note, Fact is, Simplicio P. Umali Jr., president of Philippine Baking Industry Group, said "Flour prices could have been higher if not for the continued appreciation of the peso against the dollar,"
Oh well, thank you - NOT!

3. Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will hike power charges by 6 centavos per kilowatt hour.
4. Manila Water Co. Inc. will raise its water rates beginning Jan. 1, 2008.

So I guess, what goes up will stay up and continue to go up and will never ever give up and never take a nosedive.
Surely, there is something wrong somewhere.
Nancy Drew, where are you?

photo source: pandesalkape