Animal Crossing Island Tour

 Okay.

This is not something that a lot of people can relate to. But in case you are wondering, this is how I got by those raging pregnancy hormones during the isolation. I've heard a few kids play this but from what I know, this game kept A LOT OF PEOPLE (mostly adults) from spiraling downward during the pandemic. It is truly a life saver.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the most expensive game I have ever bought ($60 + Nintendo Switch Online membership worth Php350/year). But with the number of hours I have played, you can tell that it is absolutely WORTH IT. If I didn't have children and a business to attend to, I would have probably spent more than 5,000 hours with it.

Unnecessary Opinion

I often find myself reminiscing about the old days.

Those days when we get to eat out and go on spontaneous road trips every week. The time when we don't celebrate special occasions over food deliveries. The time when we conveniently make fever an excuse for skipping work. Or those days when I can just hug and kiss my husband every time he comes home. Sigh.

I can't believe the Pre-covid Era was already 400 years ago.

A lot of things evolved since then—including my tolerance for things that make me cringe. Of course, when you are isolated, it's no longer a surprise how one soul can be engulfed into this strangely gratifying dark side of the internet even if it offers a ton of cringefest. 

My time for the internet ballooned and this is how I see social media platforms in 2021:

Number 3

I have been solo-parenting for almost a week now. 

And that's because our cat, Appa, bit Jan on his left leg. While Jan thinks the biting was an accident, I think otherwise. That cat has been plotting to kill me since day one but was miserably unsuccessful so it decided to take it on the husband who has a softer spot for animals than I do.

We have been bitten by the same cat a thousand times, so why is it suddenly a big deal? Jan's leg got infected that it rendered him useless—at a time when I needed him most. SMH. He had high fever, his entire leg got red and swollen, and he couldn't walk. Yes, it was that bad. Judging from the grimace on his face every time he moves a muscle, I could say it's another near-death experience, probably worse than his man flus. But you know what's worst? I had to get my lazy ass up and do everything. 

Nobody Wins on the Internet

I was mindlessly scrolling Facebook, when this appeared on my feed:

Doesn't it creep you out when Facebook is making weird and sometimes disturbing assumptions about you? It's as if Facebook is telling me, "Hey, here's some beautiful shit we thought you would like."

Is Butter a Carb?

Two things.

One. I am addicted to rolled oats soaked in plain Greek yogurt and cinnamon.

I prepared one for the bunso but he doesn't seem to show interest in it. It was so good that I had to ask the husband to buy more for my own consumption. Whatever I eat, the baby eats anyway. 

Two. I am on a diet.

I Did It!

I think I have already done all kinds of haircuts and styles. Pixie, bob, short, medium, long, wavy, curly, side-swept bangs, curtain bangs, blunt bangs, corncrows, name it. But the most liberating of all is this:

No regrets.

"Yay, Math!" Said No One Ever

Every day I wake up feeling like those Instagram moms who seem to have figured out motherhood only to become borderline psychotic when faced with Rhett's homework.

Of all the evil that's happening in the world, Math is probably the worst. I have been stumped multiple times by elementary Math since Rhett started his online classes six weeks ago. Apparently, I am a moron when it comes to basic Math (read: I pull out a calculator to equations like 5+3). 

Sup?

Sometimes, I amaze myself with my adulting, considering that my hormones are still on overdrive. You see, I have written a complaint—after making countless of calls and follow-ups on not having an internet connection for almost two months—in the most diplomatic way. For someone whose life depends heavily on memes and cat videos, I would have gone batshit. (Who wouldn't?) 

But there are far more upsetting things than that. Like how the baby can sleep through a thunderstorm but awakens the moment I tiptoe my way out of the room or the husband's utterly useless nipples.

Hello Papa P!

I thought that my blogger duties were put on halt (if it is still not obvious, I haven't been Instagramming and blogging as regularly as I would have). For the past few days, all I did was literally eat and sleep the whole day, and Google about these aBsOLutEly HeLPfuL tHinGs iN LiFe like duck cannibalism, snake poop, and galloping crocodiles in between.

I have been declining design job opportunities and writing gigs because this pregnancy is getting more and more difficult I am simply lazy. But I wouldn't say I am lazy all the time. I make myself useful by giving the husband a pat on the back for being the hardworking man that he is because he needs more motivation to work harder now that I don't have job (and I got items on my cart waiting to be checked out). Haha. But I guess, it's also worth mentioning that I am not the whiny and demanding pregnant wife every husband is terrified about. Or to put it simply, I try not to be a burden to him even though this has got to be my life right now:

Life Lately Vol. 7

If it wasn't for the blog contest entry that I posted a few days ago, you all would have assumed that I have been zapped into Uranus and never return. Well, to those who love hate-reading me, sucks to be you, I am still here!

I kid about the haters, of course. I don't remember offending anyone or at least, not in their face. But there's probably someone out there who's willing to make a pact with the devil in hopes of seeing me lose the blog contest just so I have something to be miserable about.

Well, there's no need for that, buddy. I have already read almost all the entries and most of them are coming from professional and trained writers who showed me how inferior my writing skills are. I wouldn't even think I'd make it to the top ten. And also, my job application at Automattic was, unsurprisingly, unsuccessful.

Don't Talk to Me Ever Again

Just when I thought I'm already done with video games, I find myself attacked by this:

Yes, I have fallen back into that sinkhole.

Waiting

I cannot keep a job for more than 3 years and I do not know if that is a good or bad thing. Hopping from one job to another in a short span of time does not leave a good impression to most employers here. But my career has plateaued. If I am no longer growing and not getting any closer to my career goals, then it's love, peace, and chicken grease.

I told Jan I am quitting my job that has become tedious and repetitive. I probably might be jobless for a year, too. And he's okay with it. But that doesn't mean I will be entering the noble but cumbersome world of housewifery. I detest household chores and I will never be good at cooking. And no, I won't be practicing the art of idleness as I would have always wanted (this quarantine has definitely gotten me lazy being lazy). I am going to take care of a big baby, and be a hands on mom to two adorable boys and a blue-eyed furball who has not succeeded in killing me yet. I will also master a new programming language in between.

That was the plan.

How My Weekends Go During Quarantine

Welcome to my new normal.

7:00 am. As much as I want to sleep in during weekend, my body refuses to wake up at the alarm that is set at 8. I automatically open Facebook and aimlessly scroll through the posts. As it inevitably explodes with posts from political analyst wannabes, I am starting to think that the outdoors I avoided like plague isn't all that bad. I suddenly miss driving though the traffic and mentally cursing idiots on the road, crowded malls, and long queues in public comfort rooms.

Where Have All My Biscuits Gone?

It's been what? day 14? 15? of community quarantine and at this point, even those who are so used to staying at home or maybe even the introverts who have been trained for this their entire life already feel uneasy. I thought the quarantine would be no different for me, but honestly, it is.

First, my all-expense paid trip to Vietnam was cancelled. Second, I just had a haircut and I will never get the chance to show off my Dora the Explorer fringe in public. So before this gets long enough for me to cut again, I'll share this now while I still don't look like Spock.

Of COVID-19, Social Distancing, and Getting Hospitalized

Now tell me what are the odds of getting stung by a honeybee inside our home while lounging on our bed? I've been stung by bees and wasps countless of times. The most it gave me was an annoying localized itchiness and swelling. This time is a different story.

Something Fishy

I never really liked fishes as pet. They are high maintenance, boring, and incapable of human interaction (duh). Not to mention, I can barely keep one alive for more than three days. But here I am, mindlessly watching our fishes swim for hours.

These were actually my uncle's gift for Rhett. But I was the one who got too excited to decorate the aquarium. After coming home from Gen San with our new fishes and live aquatic plants in tow, we immediately bought a 14-gallon fish tank, accessories, and dechlorinator. And voila! A new stress reliever.

We got swordtails, angelfish, and guppies. That's about everything I know for now. But I'm browsing the internet for care sheets because I don't want to see one go belly up too soon.

Whitening

I couldn’t think of a better title but after posting my skincare routine, I was asked to try a line of whitening products in exchange for a promotion or a review. I politely declined. For the record, I have nothing against whitening products and people who want to whiten their skin. Do whatever makes you happy.

As for me, I've already seen myself in my ghostly form. All thanks to my mom's phone that seem to shoot photos with a hundred layers of filters on by default.

But nah.

I still prefer my brown skin color over white for 2 reasons:

Makakapunta Ako sa Europa Dahil Dito

I am getting addicted to boots.

I find this funny, ridiculous, and stupid because I am living in a hot, humid, tropical country where boots are an abomination. And I got 3 pairs!

But before you raise an eyebrow on me for having 3 freakin' pairs that is more useless than a white crayon, let me tell you how it started.

I bought my first pair because I needed one for a Farm-themed party.

I got these ankle boots on sale for P899 (from P1,899). To save this from becoming a single-wear item like how most boots tend to be, I used this in my travels to Taiwan and Japan. It is not as comfy as any of my sneakers (duh), but it does not hurt my feet and that is important. It does well in long walks. The only thing that makes me want to take it off is the annoying tapping sound it makes everytime I walk.

When You Got Bangs Like Dora

I just wish I have the makeup artist skills so I can transform my face into something better and more tolerable to look at every time I get fed up with my face that's as bland as the miso soup I made so I can leave my hair alone. Because, well, haircuts cannot be undone.

You know how I get perpetually bored with my looks that I would cut my hair on my own from time to time.

So, I'm On the News

The last time my name was printed on a local newspaper was in high school (about 16 years ago) when my football team won against a college team and the two scorers' names were mentioned. That was a huge deal back then.

Right now, where the generation is more fragile than a snowflake, the least you would want is attention from people you do not know. This blog has gone viral once. With at least 27,000 shares, the post has gotten at least a hundred thousand hits per day. And even with it being a considerably good read, I've received grave threats more than once.