as summer draws to a close ...

... my mindset is now trying to focus on the work waiting for me. summer did come and went as it pleased. i hardly felt relax this particular summer - what with all the work i had to do when summer was at its peak, and then my unfortunate accident happened three days before my scheduled summer holidays which then left me nursing my awful and bloated right knee during my free days from work ... what a feat, eh?

here’s a pretty good picture of how i have spent my free days so far – when i’m lazy, that is. today’s just another day: i get up in the morning, go through my morning rituals (grooming, breakfast, reading the morning paper, etc), laze through midday, get lunch, continue to laze through the day and before you know it, there’s dinner and then afterwards, what’s left pretty much later on will be reading a book or magazine as i await to doze off into dreamland and into a real good night’s sleep.

this summer, due to unavoidable circumstances, i only have 10 days of holiday – or shall i say 10 days away but not exactly free from work. my embarrassing “scooter accident” proved to be a nuisance as i could not do much of the activities i had in mind, much more the ones i have planned weeks in advance. i spent most of my so-called holidays dragging my right leg around the house feeling stupid and sorry for myself. whilst my hubby and son are having a great time outdoors biking, swimming and trekking around the park forests and cliffs, i opted to stay home and nursed my sorry knee – i felt so pathetic but i simply can't enjoy much of anything when i'm in so much pain, or so i believe myself to be. i also realised how short my temper could be when teased about how slow i move about – getting in and out of the car had been excruciatingly painful. i know fully well that all that teasing is my hubby and son’s way of pepping me up ... well pushing me to the limit of getting it over and done with – but it sure get to my nerves that I easily get cross and irritated. i am not actually that handicapped, who am i kidding ... it's just that i believe i have the right to be grouchy and touchy.

i hated the confinement of the couch and the comfort of soft pillows under my stretched leg during the first four days. i wanted to get moving – the short and well-loved promenade around the neighbourhood was simply out of the question ... my horrible and gorged knee was simply not that agreeable and it was not a pretty sight to look at ... i hate the look i get from both acquaintances and strangers i meet in the process. somehow i’m glad the accident happened on a summer’s day when wearing shorts and skirts to move about is a welcome excuse. wearing jeans and slacks or anything like that is totally a painful thought - hah, with my bloated and engorged knee? no, thank you.

but hey, pity me not for i made sure i had quality time spent at home ... yes, by just being lazy, and difficult. i was not all too willing to give in to pain and suffering, i busied myself with small chores around the house, caught up with my book reading, organising my cluttered desk, writing my journals, weaving my thoughts in writing and composing songs, playing my guitar - just doing the light stuff, feeding my fancies and self-proclaimed "freedom" from my ordinary tasks at home. i didn't even have to cook - my hubby took over that part of the task, not because i can't cook, i just don't feel like doing anything, so, we're fed with "take-outs" for a week now: food boxes from the thai, chinese and japanese restaurants. believe me, i can't and won't complain ... perhaps later. right now, i feel more than pampered according to my own liking.

summer's soon over and in a week from now i will have to go back to work. what a thought! right now, i will try to enjoy that bit of sunshine from my porch with a cool drink of lemonade and a bit of chocolate cake - life is good and i love living this life!

a personal statement ...

a personal statement for year 2007 .... i promise to be more casual, spontaneous and enjoy each minute in every hour of the day. i believe there is a good measure of reason, and purpose, for our very existence as there are hurdles and frustrations along the way to test our faith. i will always endure and weather the eye of storms that come my way ... never will i ever give up hope until i prevail victorious in each battle i take. they say simple things in life are free ... it is there to be cherished and nurtured as special gifts whose value is far greater than anything else altogether ... these are humbling treasures i am eternally grateful for ... i count my blessings at the end of each day ... i hope you do, too.

peek-a-boo
my pride and joy

life is good!

i hate bees!

two bumble bees almost killed me! at least that was how i'd look at it when i had this freak accident with my scooter on my way home yesterday. i was really annoyed at myself for letting this happen - and i just hated the bumble bees! oh well, this is not the first time i got "attacked" by bumble bees while driving my scooter. they probably hate me just as much? grrrr!

yesterday afternoon, i finished work early and headed home with my scooter. i took the same route pretty much concentrated of the traffic around me - i didn't expect two huge bumble bees to fly straight into my helmet's half-open visor and dance excitedly between my eyes! this was when i lost total control of my scooter as i instinctively tried to wave them off my face with my hands and lost momentary focus on the road that sent my scooter swerving to my left - i was lucky to avoid the roadside wall by a margin. i don't exactly remember how i landed on the grassy side of the pavement - only that i was too shaken to even get up. i was more worried about my bike (and my computer that was left hanging on the right side of the bike). i was thankful for the two other bikers who stopped and helped me sit up - it was then that i felt that my right knee went numbed. i immediately noticed the tear on my jeans (mind you, they are new!) and scrape on my right foot. otherwise, i felt ok as i could feel all my bones intact and in its right place - only that my whole body was shaking so bad - i can't even remember how to turn off my scooter and just watched it purring on the sidewalk. another motorist stopped by to check if i need an ambulance - what good samaritans! i didn't exactly felt any need for one but i did ask for help to lift my bike upright and check if it's still working and able to be driven back home. after inspection, i chose to drive home with my bike, with a little objection from my "rescuers" who recommended that i seek medical assistance at the nearby hospital. i declined apologetically, thanked them and then drove away.

day 1 - fresh wounds

day 2 - ballooning knee

halfway home, i felt how my right knee numbed all the more that i could hardly feel my foot - it hurt like hell! when i finally reached our driveway and saw my hubby working on his car, i felt relief - home at last! my hubby helped me off the bike and he parked the bike inside the garage. when he learned of what happened, he just laughed and said: "next time, leave the bees alone." - well, that's his way of saying "thank god, you're safe back home" ... that's my hubby, my "rock" on this crazy world of unexpected circumstances.

home sweet home!

yes, it's truly home sweet home! 'twas a great weekend spent in stockholm with my boys. we had a great deal of fun and we really spent quality time altogether - we laughed and teased and tested each other's patience all throughout this trip. love and understanding is what truly binds us together as a family - regardless of anything, or everything under the sun.

allow me to savour the memories on a mental note for now. i'd love to share some reflections later on ... at this point in time, let me be lazy for a while.

my boys are coming home tonight!

i'm so excited ... i easily fell back to my mother-hen-routine - and i don't mind one bit! after work today, i did some grocery - just staples as milk, bread, peppered salami, tomatoes and chicken wings (my little alex loves them barbequed). i am expecting them to arrive from madrid at 10 pm today.

knowing they're probably be very hungry when they arrive, i made sure i have something warm on the stove - actually, the boys have requested them: pasta with meatball sauce and barbequed chicken wings on the side.

i just can't wait!