COSMO CHICK

It's been a week since my last post. But I'm not in the mood to post anything personal, so to speak. So I'll just share this with you :)

I got myself the January issue of Cosmo Philippines a couple of weeks ago and, naturally, it came with the 2006 Bedside Astrologer. Here's what's in store for a Cap girl this year:

January: Feel cozy. Invest in plush pillows and a snuggly comforter when the homebody Moon amps your need to nest on the 20th. Sensualizing your boudoir décor will keep you in a ready-for-randy-action state of mind.

February: Save your sanity. You're an incredibly hard worker, but this month, you max out. As tough Saturn piles up projects, you'll need help to muscle through the mess. Ask your guy to pick up dinner, or enlist the aid of a coworker to meet a deadline.

March: Splurge on your urge. Go against your responsible grain and don't deny yourself a single guilty pleasure until the 15th. Whether you crave fancy cappuccinos or going clubbing until the wee hours, extravagant Venus encourages you to give in to a few of your pet passions.

April: Get physical. You're so antsy around the 21st that even extra workouts can't relieve the pressure. Deep kissing or a pumped-up passion session works like a charm to dispel Mercury's edgy energy.

May: Quit freaking out. Mid-month, worrywart Pluto makes you paranoid that your guy's losing interest in you or that you'll never find a boyfriend. Realizing that it's all in your head quickly revives both your strong self-image and your erotic optimism.

June: Bend a bit. Under friendly Venus, don't fire off a snippy remark when a pal disagrees about which soirée to attend around the 6th. She may be hoping to meet up with a crush, and you know how that feels. Push aside your headstrong nature, and go with the flow.

July: Shift into high gear. When the killer combo of fun-loving Jupiter and rowdy Mars puts you in social mode, it's nonstop jumping between bashes. Slip some nookie essentials in your bag, because things might get wild.

August: Take control. Straight-forward Saturn has you dishing out carnal orders when your dominant side rules near the 14th. Demand south-of-the-border pleasure from your man, or make a move on a crush. Your go-for-it gusto will turn him on.

September: Kick off the season. Hit the parking lot with pals for a potluck blowout at a tailgate party. Competitive Mars inspires a girls-versus-guys bet on which team will win—the losers have to buy everyone drinks at your local sports bar.

October: Power up. Lazy Jupiter zaps your energy after the 19th, so get plenty of beauty sleep to keep you looking and feeling fresh, even if it means passing up a fun girls' night out. You'll want to be in tip-top shape for a surprisingly sexy Halloween costume party.

November: Enjoy the ride. You won't have to ask twice to get action when naughty Mars preps you for wild antics near the 14th. Whether it's strip name-that-tune with your guy or dancing with a hottie at a fete, men will pick up on your amorous appeal the second you lock eyes.

December: Express yourself. Capricorns aren't usually into sappy stuff, but tapping your seldom-seen mushy side strengthens a romantic connection. Express this Venus-sent affection with a sweet card or naughty night planned just for him.

Your year ahead: luxe out. Capricorns are known for being admirably practical, but easygoing Venus helps you let loose and indulge yourself more. Buy semiprecious bling that you'd ordinarily desire but not spend for, or schedule a spa day.

Single? Smarty-pants that you are, you may know who your secret admirer is in April, but let him make the first move. A devilish dude you meet in June is fling material.

Attached? When job pressures get you down in May, he'll save your sanity with a mini celebration on a Friday evening, complete with champagne and an insanely hot hookup. A vacation in October makes you both realize your bond is moving to a deeper level.

Why you blow guys' minds in bed: You believe that practice makes perfect, ensuring sex-cellent stimulation. Your direct approach during randy romps leaves no doubt in your man's mind about what you want him to do. Amazing erotic stamina guarantees he'll never be starved for affection (that goes for morning-after nookie too).

Hmmm, sounds like I've got an interesting year ahead of me, according to Cosmo. We'll see what happens. I'll get back to you on this mid-year, most probably :)

HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE

I can't believe that the past week was only seven days long. Last weekend seems like ages ago! It's been a crazy, busy, tiring week for me. But I had fun though :)

January 9, Monday: It started with really bad news first thing in the morning, while I was having my first stick of yosi for the day with yosi bud Niña =T She had to go home to their province the following day because of a family emergency. So being the all-around EA that I am, I was told that I was going to take over Swing while she was gone. It's cool with me though, since I've handled it before and I had so much fun :) So before the day ended, I was briefed on the status of the magazine and the production schedule. There was a fashion shoot scheduled for the following day. For a split second, my brain went into panic mode. You see, I was handling PC Magazine for almost half a year. We had ZERO shoots, except for products. So I wasn't really used to that thing anymore, my body at least. But Niña reassured me that she'll be there in the morning and that Robbie, our Creative Director, will be there.

January 10, Tuesday: Since the call time was 8:00 am and the shoot was in Pasig, I had to wake up REALLY early, like before the sun rose. Just getting out of bed was such a task for me since I haven't woken up that early in AGES! I had to be out of the house by like 6:30 am, I think, since I was gonna meet Niña at the office to get all of the stuff we'll be needing for the shoot. On our way to Pasig, we just passed by McDonald's in Fort for breakfast for everyone, then headed to Kapitolyo. As soon as we got there, we unloaded everything and started fixing the clothes. We were both stylists for the day, another first for me :p I had to rush with my breakfast since I didn't have anything to eat the night before and I didn't want to pass out in the middle of the shoot. While we were both fixing everything, I didn't notice that our male model was in the room with me already. And when he caught my attention, he had it for the rest of the day! :) Hahaha!!! He was HOT! Sorry, but I'm just a sucker for tall guys with nice bods and a scruffy-looking face ;) Anyway, we just entertained him while waiting for the female model, one of our featured golfers (we're featuring two), the make-up artist and his assistant, and the photographer with his assistant as well. The shoot started about an hour later than planned. And there I was, hoping that we'd finish by like mid-afternoon or something. Niña had to leave at around lunch time so I was basically left running the show. Good thing Robbie arrived before she left. I was running around the whole place! Helping the models with their clothes (which was the best part, if you ask me, since I was left alone with yummier-than-most for a few minutes :p), writing down their outfits so we wouldn't mix up the credits, packing the stuff that were already used, rushing out to the nearest Mini Stop 'coz Chowking didn't have paper plates for our food... We had four layouts each for the models and one each for our featured golfers. I wasn't really able to sit down. I even forgot to eat lunch, which I only noticed at the end of the day when I was having a headache already =T So you can just imagine how happy I was when we finally wrapped up at around 4:30 pm. I got to leave the place half an hour after, as soon as I was done packing everything. But I had to go straight to the store where we borrowed a few pairs of shoes so I could return them. I was dead tired. My legs were killing me, my head was pounding, my stomach was hollow. All I wanted to do was just curl up in bed and sleep. I didn't have enough energy yet for a ten-year drive back to Makati. It was rush hour already so I decided to stay in the area first. As soon as I got home, I had a quick dinner, took a quick shower, then went straight to bed. I had another early day ahead of me.

January 11, Wednesday: Kat, the Assistant Editor of the Lifestyle Department, was sick. It started with colds but got worse when she couldn't take the day off because she had a cover shoot for another magazine. She was supposed to do this interview in Sta. Elena Golf Club. But since she couldn't come in, she asked me if I could do it. So I met up with Mike, Swing's Associate Editor, and Ricky, Hinge Inquirer's in-house photographer, at 9:00 am in the office. Had I known that we were going all the way to Cabuyao, I should've met up with them in the South. But then we'd end up taking two cars so I'd end up driving that far and my body didn't really feel like it yet. We arrived at Sta. Elena at around 11:00 am and started setting up for the shoot. While Ricky was shooting the food, I was interviewing Chef Joseph, and Mike was doing one of his articles. We wrapped up at around lunchtime, which was perfect since we were all so hungry. Chef Joseph served us a feast! It was only the three of us but they served us like six dishes. Yum yum yum! I was having a MAJOR sensory overload! You can read all about it in my article ;) So after a hearty meal, we left Sta. Elena at around 2:00 pm and headed back to the office. I haven't sat in front of my computer since Monday night, and still wasn't able to do so when we got back. Ricky and I did some product shots, which lasted for quite a while, so I was only finally able to sit down at around 5:30 pm.

January 12, Thursday: I didn't have any shoots lined up for the day so I was in the office the entire time. Well, almost. The photos from our fashion shoot arrived around lunchtime so I asked Robbie to come to the office so he and Kamil, Swing's Graphic Artist, could do the layout already. Mike had an interview at around 11:00 am with the President of the National Golf Association of the Philippines. So when he got back, I had to transcribe the hour-long interview, which I think is the worst EA task ever. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy my job, I really do. It's just that, you know, having to listen to something over and over and over again, just to type up everything. Good thing they were both speaking clearly. Or else I would've just screamed in frustration. Early evening, we finally got the golf tees what we needed for one of our sections, thanks to Mike who passed by the stores :) Since Robbie was already there, I asked for his help with how to arrange them for the shoot. But the thing was, we were still lacking some, which we had to pick up from their store. So I rushed to Golf King in Makati Golf Club, picked up the tees from Andrew, then rushed back to the office. Good thing that Kamil and Robbie finished with the fashion section AND the cover studies as soon as Ricky and I were done. So I just had Robbie pick out the possible photos of the tees so we could all end the day. That was already around 9:00 pm. Two of my friends were waiting for me in Greenbelt, but they wanted to transfer to The Fort. So I picked them up and went to UCC for coffee. I was already CRAZY tired. My body still hasn't recovered. But I was just DYING for coffee and cigs. I just wanted to relax and not think about work for a while. Ended the night pretty late, which was cool since we all had fun ;)

January 13, Friday: Another day spent at the office. I still wasn't done transcribing Mike's interview. I alternated that with other EA stuff I had to do. I had to finish everything early since it was my brother's and sister's birthday and we were going out for dinner :) My Dad and I got to leave our offices pretty late, past 7:00 pm already so we both decided to take the Skyway going home. I was hoping for a smooth drive, but I was hoping against hope. Traffic was super slow approaching the e-pass only counterflow lane. There was this kupal CRV behind me that purposely left his headlights on bright the ENTIRE time, from the entrance of the lane to the toll booth. That made my blood boil. I was SO tempted to stop the car, go down and approach him, and give the driver a piece of my mind. But I remembered my Mom's warning before that as much as possible, don't get into a fight with anyone on the road 'coz you don't know who you'll be dealing with. So I just gave that stupid effing driver the finger from my window. Right after the toll booth, I was just trying to relax and not let it get to me. I was almost okay as I was approaching the off-ramp. But I came across THREE more stupid effing kupal drivers. I was nice enough to follow the merging rule of thumb, even if I could've made kupal myself since I was already running late. But as soon as I let this car in, the van behind it kept making me gitgit 'til one of us really had to give way, unless we wanted an accident. Right after he passed, the van behind it did the same thing! I was so fucking pissed that I made busina 'til we got off the Skyway. As soon as we were on South Super, I found out that the two vans were following the car. Super stupid and super kupal. If the car would switch lanes, even if it was pretty tight, the two vans would still follow the car. Crazy stupid drivers. I was fuming mad when I got home. I just HAD to let it out. I really felt like bursting and screaming and cursing. So anyway, when I finally got home, we all got ready to leave for Town. The twins wanted San Mig so off we went. We all just had dinner right away since everyone was pretty hungry. Not much drinking though because everyone was also tired. I think everyone went straight to bed when we got home.

January 14, Saturday: I missed having to wake up with my head and body hurting because of too much sleep. I had to go to the office again so I could work. I was planning to wake up and leave early so I could finish early. But I ended up arriving at the office at 10:30 am. I worked on the remaining forty minutes of Mike's interview, which lasted practically the whole day. I was too tired to work on my article. My brain was spent, trying to figure out how to fix our page plan. I had to ask for Niña's help already. I didn't really want to bother her while she was away. But then I know she's gonna panic if she doesn't know what's going on. At around 8:00 pm, I decided to call it a day. But since our oh-so-lovable Internet connection was fucked up AGAIN, I had to borrow a flash drive so I could bring my work home. While I was waiting for my files to be transferred, I de-stressed and played Need for Speed :p I swear, that game is BAAAD! I'm getting really addicted to it! Imagine, you can drive really, really, REALLY fast without worrying about gas, bump cars and other things, and not get wrecked! Haaay, now THAT is fun ;) I ended up leaving the office at around 9:30 pm already (I think!) and went straight to 19 East on the East Service Road to meet up with Bespren Rina :) I haven't really seen her or gone out with her in a while. Last time we went out was in December! I really wanted to just hang out and smoke and drink. But I was too tired. I only had half a bottle of San Mig Light and I could already feel it getting to me. So by 11:30 pm, we called it a night and all went home.

January 15, Sunday: I had to wake up earlier than usual. Not to go to work but to go to Town and look for a gift for my godson :) One of my old officemates gave birth four months ago and she got me as one of the godparents. Nathan, her son, is my first godchild EVER! I was so lost while I was in Rustan's baby section. I didn't know what to get him! I wanted to get him everything! Hahaha! But seriously, I was so excited :) I never really shopped for a baby before so I asked for a sales lady's help. I ended up getting Nathan a crib mobile with stuffed "bugs" (that's what the package said but it was more of cute and colorful little insects like bees and butterflies) hanging from it :) Then I rushed to Santuario de San Jose in Greenhills, 'coz we ended up leaving at around 2:30 pm when the baptism was going to start at 3:00 pm. After the christening, we all went to Kamay Kainan for the reception :)

It's already past midnight and I'm still up. Probably because of the coffee I had earlier. But I have to sleep soon. I don't really have to wake up that early tomorrow. I'm going straight to a shoot in Filinvest, Alabang. So I can wake up as late as...hmmm, 9:30 am? :) Hehehe... But I won't push it though. I don't want to end up rushing. I should be back at the office before noon since we'll only be shooting for like less than half an hour. Then it's going to be the start of another work week :) Niña's going to be back tomorrow. She just got home from Iloilo tonight. But I'll still be helping her out with Swing. Can't wait to see my yosi bud :)

CHILLAX

It's one of those it's-a-weekend-and-I-wanna-go-out-and-unwind-but-
my-body-doesn't-want-to-cooperate weekends. It's weird 'coz it doesn't feel like a Saturday to me. The first work week of the year was kinda slow. I guess it's just that typical feeling you get after a long vacation. I wasn't able to enjoy it that much though. I spent more than a week in bed at home 'coz I had pharyngitis coupled with sinusitis. Yup yup, a great way to "enjoy" the holidays. It's cool, though, 'coz I was at least able to spend time with my family :) It was probably my body's way of recovering from how I "tortured" it the entire year. One last "hurrah" before the year ends, I guess.

Nothing to share, really. Another regular week at the office, still recovering from last week. I can't wait to go out though. Miss drinking and dancing with my bespren!

Okay, my mind's blank already. Could be because I had too much to smoke that it's clouded my brain. Or probably just because I don't really have anything to say. Better to just end this while I'm still making some sense :p

Hope you all had a great first week! :)

BACK TO SQUARE ONE

This is it, I'm officially back at the office :) Started yesterday, but was still kinda out of it.

Oh, and I'm now officially with Custom Publications again :) Not that I'm complaining. This is what I really wanted in the first place, to be back with the Lifestyle group :)

Nothing much to say really. It's the third day of the new year, and I'm happy :)

NEW YEAR

Another year has come and gone. I'm torn. It feels like the year 2005 went by just like that. But when I think about everything, it's like..."Whaaat?!" I can't believe they all happened in just a span of one year.

I was so giddy earlier, while waiting for midnight. It's like, "OMG, 2005 is really almost over!" And at the same time, it's also, "Waaah!!! I can't WAIT for 2006 and what it has in store!"

But just like last year, I'll take things a day at a time. But unlike last year, I'm going to start setting some goals for myself.

Yup yup, time to go to my happy place and really start thinking.

But before that, I think I better go to bed. I'm feeling better already but I don't want to push my body. Besides, based on what I've written so far, I don't think I'm making much sense anyway.

I can't WAIT to get out though! I've been at home for over a week. I miss having coffee with my friends, yosi breaks with my officemates, and drinking and dancing with my girls! Haaay. I'll do those soon, I swear, as soon as I'm all better :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! :D