May 29, 2009

SUVs - small but terrible


A sport utility vehicle or SUV is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis. Usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on or off road ability, some SUVs include the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a mini van.

Small SUVs have become popular because of their advantages. Aside from being a different looking car, small SUVs have better fuel economy compared to larger SUVs, which is very similar to subcompact cars.

If you want to upgrade your old car or you own an SUV and wanted to make a loan, you can do so by availing of car title loans, which are short-term loans that use the car title to secure the loan. The loan is written with an interest rate for a short-term period. But as with any other loan, you should know your legal rights before you turn over the title of your car. Different states may have different laws regarding car title loans, such as car title loans Hayward or car title loans Sacramento.

Small SUVs are designed for singles or small families on the move, and offer reasonable fuel economy and the security of available all-wheel drive. If you need flexible space for people and cargo in a manageable, condensed package, then a small SUV might be an excellent choice for you. 

   

footprints in white rock

I forgot to post this last time, which was our trip to White Rock Beach Resort in Zambales. Joaqui had a grand time swimming in the pool and most especially in the beach. He really loves to swim, so we have decided to enrol him in a swimming class next summer. He loved the swimming pool with the slide and I like the wave pool, it was so much fun! The whole family had a blast during this trip and here are some of the pictures taken by hubby.




Have a happy weekend everyone!


May 28, 2009

Mommy Moments - Haircut!

Joaqui doesn't like to have a haircut obviously as seen here:



He would always cry when we go to a kid's hair salon or to a barber shop. He even cries even before we go inside the barber shop because he knows that he would have a haircut. Sometimes the barbers would be afraid to cut his hair because of his crying, but I would explain to them that he is not uncooperative, he just cries a lot. We also can't have his hair cut with a style most of the time because a "semi-kalbo" is usually done fast and hence his crying spell is shorter. After the haircut, he would immediately stop crying as if nothing had happened and would be back to his happy self again.   


For more of mommy moments, click here.




health insurance benefit


There was a commercial on vitamin supplements whose tag line is "you can't get sick" because of expensive healthcare and high cost of medicines. Although many companies offer health insurance as one of their benefits to their regular employees, still some of these health insurances does not give a wide coverage on their members. Health insurance was one of my biggest concerns when I decided to work at home. It was a benefit I used to enjoy at a very miminal cost. When I was working from home, I had to wait for my husband's company to arrange their health insurance benefits.

So I was just so happy and relieved that finally my husband has the health insurance benefit that we have been waiting for. The health insurance company they have is not as big as kaiser permanente, but it offers a variety of health coverage for families. Although it would be better if their plans are comparable to those of kaiser permanente Colorado or kaiser permanente California, the healthcare services definitely meet our financial and health care needs.

Sickness is a certainty of life, but we can take steps to ensure that our lives are taken cared of. We can look after ourselves in an effort to live as long and healthy a life as possible. However, in cases of unexpected events such as sudden illness, it is ensuring that we will be taken cared of, and this is where health insurance comes in. Our health insurance benefits extend to hospitalization, medications, therapy, and other para-medical services that a health condition warrants, and so I am just thankful that we have this kind of benefit. Now it is one aspect of taking care of my family that I would need not to worry so much about.


Thursday Thirteen - 80s Love Songs

A lot of the 80s love songs stand out for me because they are a reminiscent of my childhood, young love and puppy love. ; )  Although some were hopelessly cheesy, it was also a period of raw energy. The 80s songs also exemplify a musical style which is fresh and bold that is why still a lot of people are drawn to the music of this era. For Thursday Thirteen, here is a list of my favorite 80s love songs.

  1. Hello - Lionel Richie 
  2. Zoom - Fat Larry's Band
  3. Endless Love - Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
  4. Cherish - Kool and The Gang
  5. Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon
  6. All Out of Love - Air Supply 
  7. Sailing - Christopher Cross
  8. The Search is Over - Survivor
  9. In My Dreams - REO Speedwagon
  10. You Got It All - The Jets
  11. Take My Breath Away - Berlin
  12. It Might Be You - Stephen Bishop
  13. St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) - John Parr
For more of Thursday Thirteen, click here.


May 26, 2009

senior moment


I don't know if it has happened to anyone, but I totally forgot where I placed my cellular phone the other day. I knew it was around the house somewhere, but I could not find it and so I had no phone for two days. We were out last Sunday and when we went home I remembered placing it in my drawer, but when I was about to use it later, it was nowhere in sight. It was definitely a senior moment.

I think I need lanyards so that I can hang my cell phone around my neck and I will never forget where I had placed it. I could also use this to hang keys and my mom could definitely use beaded lanyards for her eyeglasses.  These beaded larnyards would look fashionable and chic and I'm sure my mom would want to hang these on her neck for her eyeglasses wherever she goes. She likes to wear ornaments and accessories with the latest addition of our Mother's Day gift for her, which is a pink ribbon dazzler bracelet I found on the internet. The company which makes this also develops custom fundraising jewelry which is great for charities and and organizations.

If you were wondering where did I left my cellular phone, well after two days I found it inside our car. Good thing nobody used the car or else I don't know where my phone would have been. 
; ) 


want a blog makeover?


Well I want one and Diana of Custom Blog Designs is giving a blog makeover to one of her lucky blog readers, and this will run until May 31st. You can visit this site to know the mechanics on how you can join. Her digital scrapbook style designs are really great and I'm hoping to win.

Custom Blog Designs


May 25, 2009

Joaqui's imaginative play


Since Joaqui turned two, I have been noticing that our little boy engages more and more into imaginative play, in which he begins to use objects to represent other items. In some children, transition to imaginative play comes around the age of 3, but in Joaqui's case it came earlier. This is one of his favorite toys right now - a cd case. Why? Because it can turn into a lot of his favorite things. ; )

Crane. He is fascinated by cranes on top of buildings ever since he saw one near our subdivision.


Here he moves the cd case and turns it around like a cane moving and would also make crane noises as he moves it.  


Elevator. I was surprised when he thought of this as an elevator. He used to be afraid of elevators, but now he likes to ride on it.


Building. He would say that there is a carpenter on top of the building, as he would see on construction sites. He would also imitate the hammering of a carpenter and says, "Pok! Pok! Pok!"


Cars or buses. Joaqui would say that there are many cars or buses moving and would make sounds of running cars.


And because he sees it as a car, he would try to ride on them. Since he can't, he would say "Hindi kasya Joaqui." (Joaqui won't fit.)


I love this stage of play because I can see that he is ready to take off with his imagination. He never ceases to amaze me on how he can look at the simple things around him. I also notice that he expresses himself through this kind of play, often reliving the experiences he has had, for example, with a barber, a doctor or what he sees us do around the house. Another good thing is that we tend to save on toys because he is more interested in the everyday items around the house. ; ) 


May 23, 2009

boogers' reunion


Boogers is a silly name we call our group of friends way back when I was still working in OTPI and up until now we all remain very good friends. We had a reunion when Connie and Arvin visited the Philippines this month, and we just hang out at The Linden Suites and had fun and catch up on things. Some of us are still working as medical transcriptionists, others worked as nurses and a few have businesses of their own through availment of small business loans
 


We will miss Arvin and Connie so much and until their next visit, the boogers will have a reunion once again.  


May 22, 2009

what an improvement



We recently went to White Rock Resort in Subic and there was such a big improvement in their facilities since the last time I have been there. There are now wave pools and a lot of kiddie pools. There is now a beautiful landscaping with water falls and a kid's camp. When we went here last time about three years ago, it was a little bare and there was nothing much to do except to swim.

They also offer a lot more relaxation time with rooms by the seaside, and according to my brother in law who is their current project manager, the owners of the resort had these rooms especially made to accommodate more clients who would like to enjoy White Rock a little longer. The rooms were big and its meditarranean style suits the well-made roof, which resembles those made by Washington Roofer. With the wear and tear that these roofs have to endure because of its proximity to the beach, it sure needs a reliable roofer to withstand the forces of nature that it will encounter.

We had a grand time at the new improved White Rock Beach Resort and Joaqui enjoyed swimming and jumping on the trampoline in the middle of the sea. The wave pool and playground pool were also a hit among the kids. With summer reaching its end, there is still time to drop by the White Rock and experience a new kind of thrill. ; )


Mommy Moments - Grandparents Bonding



Joaqui is the only grandchild for both sides of our family and unfortunately, he only has Momsy (my mom) and Mamu (my mother in law) as grandparents because both my father and hubby's father passed away before we got married. I must admit that Joaqui is a little spoiled with Momsy and Mamu since he has the privilege of being the only grandchild as of now, and Joaqui is really loved and cared for by his grandmothers.

Every other weekend, we stay at my mother in law's house and every weekend is their bonding time. They also get to bond during swimmings, birthday parties and out of town trips. Mamu is really patient with Joaqui and she always makes an effort to be with us whenever she is available.


Since we stay with my mom, they get to spend time everyday ; ) Of course, my mom spoils Joaqui a lot even though I'm against it and with these two grandmothers, sometimes it's hard to impose discipline, but I stay firm with my rules. ; )


Recently, Joaqui had a great bonding moment with his two  lolas when we went to White Rock in Subic. 


Joaqui also has another lola on hubby's side of the family and that is Lola Aba, Joaqui's great grandmother of 82 years old. Lola Aba is so happy everytime she sees Joaqui and Joaqui would always imitate Lola Aba's walking with a cane. ; )


These are Joaqui's some very memorable bonding moments with his grandparents and sometimes I wish that both my dad and papa are still here with us to see Joaqui, but then I know that in that special place where they are right now, they can see how wonderful their grandchild is.

For more of mommy moments, click here.



May 21, 2009

database development


The company I'm working for is currently undergoing major changes in their system, and although it means that I have to again familiarize myself with these changes and the new system, I am glad that they are doing this to speed up production and to ease up on set backs. Even I'm working from home, productivity is still essential in our line of work and my productivity is also dependent on the company's database services.

And one of the critical issues in medical transcription is the transcribed files and voicefiles that needed to be archived and stored in the system, and as these files contain pertinent information on medical records of patients, the addition of filemaker pro is an efficient way of getting the data organized and centralized. We sometimes have doctors requesting for a re-dictation because of missing files and/or dictations that have been missed to transcribe. These are critical as there are patients who would need their previous medical records before a surgery or a procedure, and as medical transcriptionists I believe we are part of the healthcare being provided for these patients.

Database development in medical transcription will aim to make a medium-sized organization like ours more secure and in turn will able to provide a more reliable transcription service to our valued clients. Now it takes a little more time for me to finish all of my work, but as with all the previous changes that the company have gone through, I know that I will be able to learn this quickly. ; )



Thursday Thirteen - Photographs

Banner courtesy of samulli

It's time for Thursday Thirteen and I'm currently posting a few hours before we left to go to The Linden Suites for an overnight stay because we will also be meeting some friends who are here for a vacation from the U.S. It's too bad that Joaqui has colds because he would love to go swimming at the hotel's indoor pool. Anyway, my list is my favorite photographs taken by hubby (in no particular order). I have seen how he progressed into his newfound love for photography and I continually support him in his endeavor. Enjoy!















Fore more of Thursday Thirteen, click here.

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