Thoughts @ 3am

There's actually so many things that happened this month but I'm still hesitant to share.. I am actually hesistant to think.. to ponder

I just want to relax and do nothing.

But i know that i have to face the music.. eventually.

Till then! CIAO!

I Have Heartburn

I'm just usually burpy and have a hard time digesting my food coz i eat too fast and chewing my food well bores me.. but I haven't experiened the acid reflux sensation until two days ago :( I had it yesterday and this morning and I could feel my esophagus being burnt as the acid goes up to my throat!

Sigh.. i need to chew my food well this time. My body's failing me already.. must be part of getting old or not having good eating habits. And i also recall getting into the Fit & Right craze which had me drinking 1-2 bottles per day of pineapple or four seasons. The article i read says that citrus fruits and juices could be a trigger so I'm staying away from that for now.

Despite the name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It's a digestive problem that occurs when stomach acid comes into contact with the lining of the esophagus, causing irritation. Most people suffer from heartburn occasionally, usually after a meal. How do you know when your condition is considered chronic?

If you have heartburn once a month, it's considered mild. If you have heartburn once a week, it's moderate. It's when your heartburn occurs daily that it's considered to be severe.

About 20% of all adults will have heartburn at least once a month. They can manage these uncomfortable episodes with a change in diet, over-the-counter antacids and weight lose. Even those who suffer from moderate heartburn can often find relief with these remedies. But for five to fifteen percent of adults, their heartburn is severe. For them, the above-mentioned remedies give only partial or temporary relief.

What Causes Heartburn?

Heartburn is caused when stomach acid refluxes--backs up--into the esophagus. This can occur for a number of reasons:

• When the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the valve that keeps stomach acid in the stomach, is weakened or relaxed and doesn't do its job properly. This is the most common symptom of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

• Certain foods, such as chocolate, fried and fatty foods, peppermint, coffee, alcohol, sugars, can weaken or relax the LES.

• Eating large meals or shortly before bedtime.

• A hiatal hernia.

• Pressure on the stomach, including frequent bending over, tight clothes, lifting, obesity.

• Certain medications.

• Smoking.

• Stress can increase acid production and slow down the emptying of the stomach.

Is Heartburn Serious?

People who suffer from mild heartburn may consider it more of a nuisance than a condition that can cause any serious complications. But for those who suffer from chronic heartburn, episodes occurring from several times a week to several times a day, if it's left untreated can lead to severe complications.

For people who suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), heartburn can be chronic, and severe. This can cause scarring of the esophagus, which narrows the esophagus and makes it difficult to swallow. It can also lead to Barrett's esophagus, a condition where cells similar to those of the stomach lining develop in the lower esophagus. This severe damage to the esophagus increases your risk of developing cancer of the esophagus.

Managing Your Heartburn

You can find relief from your heartburn with a few self-care remedies. This involves making a few lifestyle and diet changes.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Eat frequent smaller meals instead of three larger ones.
  This will help prevent excessive production of stomach acid.

• Eat slowly.
  One way to help you slow down while eating is to put your fork or spoon down between bites.

• Don't go to bed with a full stomach.
  Stay up at least three hours after eating your last meal or large snack before going to bed. This gives acid levels a chance to decrease before your body is in a position where heartburn is more likely to occur.

• Raise the head of your bed several inches.
  With your head elevated, it will help prevent reflux during the night.

• Avoid your heartburn triggers.
  Examples of foods and beverages that can trigger heartburn are coffee (including decaf), alcohol, fatty foods, caffeine-containing beverages and foods, onions, peppermint, chocolate, citrus fruits or juices, tomatoes.

• Stop smoking.
  Nicotine can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, the muscle that controls the opening between the esophagus and stomach and prevents the acid-containing contents of the stomach from entering the esophagus.

• Wear looser-fitting clothes.
  Tight clothing squeezes the midsection and tends to push stomach contents upward.

• Lose weight.
  If you are overweight, losing weight can help relieve your symptoms.

• Chew gum.
  Chewing gum can provide short-term heartburn relief by stimulating the production of saliva, which dilutes and flushes out stomach acid.

• Drink warm liquids.
  Drinking a glass of lukewarm water or herbal tea after a meal can dilute and flush out stomach acid.

_Sources:

_{"Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)." NIH Publication No. 07–0882 May 2007. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). 8 Aug 2007}

_{"Is it just a little HEARTBURN or something more serious?." American College of Gastroenterology. 8 Aug 2007}

_{"Heartburn and GERD FAQ." American College of Gastroenterology. 8 Aug 2007}

One Week Leave

I've taken one week off work and here are my plans for those days

1) Relax
2) Fix Room: throw away old bills and paper and archive school files
3) Fix Finances: Update accounting spreadsheet

Well, those are basically my goals for the week. The other common things that I'll be doing is going to the gym, hanging out with the bf, watching tv, surfing the net and the like :)

I love waking up late! woohoo

Mood: Sad, Numb

I'm procrastinating again..

..haven't done accounting and payday was 4 days ago
..haven't transferred tuition funds to BDO for months already (i wonder how many charges i've accumulated from being below 5k)
..haven't withdrawn money for church contribution
..haven't gone to bed, it's 12:48 am and i have an 8am choir practice tom
..

I'm sad because Aldrich is having such a hard time at work...his project sucks! management in his project sucks! He's working this weekend and will go on night shift again for two weeks starting tuesday sigh.

His world is turned upside down and mine is rattled as well. How am i going to the office and back home again?? Sigh. Commute. Hundreds more people are taking the MRT now due to the soaring gas prices and bus fairs.

How sad.

I'm rethinking learning how to drive and buying a car again. But I only think about it in moments like these. When I can hitch a ride with Aldrich again, the thought goes back to the shelves.

Something's wrong. i know, i just don't want to face up to it.

I'm OLD!!!

I'm affected :(

I just came home from church choir practice and the voice coach asked me if i was married!!!

Waaaah!! I know i'm in the marrying age already (born 1982) however, i never thought someone would ask me that!

It meant that I looked like I am at the age when people are already married! Translation: i LOOK OLD!!

OH MAN!!

Is it the late night internet surfing until 2am?

Is it the sedentary lifestyle - sitting in front of the computer at the office for more than 8 hours, lots of eating and no exercise???

I've got to change my habits!! *Sigh* I have lazy bones! but i don't want to look old :(

The Indescribable

what do you write when the feeling is indescribable but you want to preserve it and have something to look back to?

"...."

that's how im feeling right now. indescribable.

i guess the only thing to say is thank you.

"..."

Mamma Mia!

Fun movie to watch :)


Ive been cheated by you since I dont know when
So I made up my mind, it must come to an end
Look at me now, will I ever learn?
I dont know how but I suddenly lose control
Theres a fire within my soul
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring
One more look and I forget everything, o-o-o-oh

Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much Ive missed you
Yes, Ive been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go?
Mamma mia, now I really know,
My my, I could never let you go.

Ive been angry and sad about the things that you do
I cant count all the times that Ive told you were through
And when you go, when you slam the door
I think you know that you wont be away too long
You know that Im not that strong.
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring
One more look and I forget everything, o-o-o-oh

Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much Ive missed you
Yes, Ive been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go?
Mamma mia, even if I say
Bye bye, leave me now or never
Mamma mia, its a game we play
Bye bye doesnt mean forever

Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much Ive missed you
Yes, Ive been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, I could never let you go

Knowing Myself Through Others

Sometimes, in my search to understand myself better, i look at my family and try to find how similar i am to them.

I somewhat look like my first and second brother but not much like my third. Having bumped into my first bro at Powerbooks on a weekday lunch and him telling me about the nice vampire novels that dreamspinner_ is already reading tells me that we both like books. He's my most studious brother after all. He also has leadership / management / deepack chopra / south beach diet books on his shelves. Cool. I got his pocket book of quotations when he moved out of our old house. Oh, he's also the one one who took MBA at DLSU, but unlike him, i haven't landed the dean's list in grad school.. and not even in college where he was given the Jose Rizal award in DLSU.. his course was Mgt major in Financial Institutions! Not for me :p

My second brother, based on my observation and other people's, has a lot of similarity with my dad. They like taking risks, they pamper the females in their lives a lot and they're generous when there's something to give hehe. I'm really lucky coz this is my brother who's still okay with bringing me to makati and back home even if his office is only in ortigas (10 -15 mins away from our house). :) He also gives me nice bday presents and always asks me my top 3 choices for my bday :) He bought his daughter a little puppy :) Oh and i think he's the one who kept speaking to me in English when i was little.. he also took Communications as one of his majors when he was in college :) Vet med was also one of them! :) I like animals (doggggs) hehehe

My third brother, on the other hand, is the practical, thrifty, handyman, and comedian in the family. I played with him a lot when I was little.. Family Computer, S-NES.. he taught me how to play Top Gear 2! He also likes to sing with matching funny moves - I do the moves in my room only..alone! He's also computer savvy.. he taught me how to use the computer back in grade school - hello Wordstar and Windows 3.1! He likes doing puzzles too :)

Wala lang... for me, it's nice to know these things coz i look up to my brothers. They've been there, done that and I'm just still on my way. I hope I can get to where they are eventually!

Back to Back Movies: Made of Honor & Wanted

Made of Honor



Typical chick flick with a very real lesson that most women overlook: the perfect guy may not be perfect for you.

A somewhat unrealistic ending: a serial womanizer will instantly change his ways upon learning that he truly loves someone..and girl falls for it.

Well the movie ends at the honeymoon night so whatever happens to them afterwards is not our concern. There's always divorce! (groom's father got his 6th one - sometimes it runs in the blood)

Okay bleak review! Maybe i shouldn't watch chick flicks! On a positive note, there were really funny in-your-face type of scenes. More on laughing at the character type of funny. And i applaud the casting crew for finding younger actors that really look like dempsey and the girl's younger college versions.

Wanted (Some days in the life of Wesley Gibson)



Very Twisted Beliefs: A fraternity of assasins who kill based on a supposed binary 'code' that a loom of cloth produces. Very twisted indeed. I find it very hard to swallow but apparently, main character is so lost in his life that he still chooses to follow the path after receiving a dramatic reasoning from angelina jolie. Well, who can resist her?

The movie tries to be cool with its unexpected twists and turn but it's only an 'almost' and not quite there yet.

Despite this, it was a real KICK-ASS movie that would leave your heart pumping and blood rushing! Makes you want to be hit on face for no reason just to feel the adrenaline rush! Maybe with that, you can also curve a bullet, make a car somersault, or the best part - tell off your annoying boss and slam an ergonomic keyboard on the face of your cheating best friend.

And movie ends with a rhetoric question, "what have YOU done lately?"

Latest Cookie Fix!!!

Sobrang ganda talaga ng boses nya.. nakakaiyak! *sigh* soothing yet sexy... and he's such a nice and decent guy... you feel that his mom really brought him up well! dang! *swoon* some more

and when he sings he sounds so sincere.. so passionate

and when he's shy.. he's so cute hahahahah

and when he's goofy..he's so adorable!

oh man!!! watch the video below to see what Im talking about... *another sigh*

Cookey-view
by greateggsVideo taken from http://www.rickey.org/?p=8199

If you're interested...some addditional read on a first hand account of meetnig David Cook at the same venue http://www.david-cook.org/OMG-I-met-David-today-t8471.html

Cookie Custard

If you ask me, I'll have a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a warm cookie! :p yumm!



Frozen Custard Named After David Cook
10-Jun-2008
Written by: Angela P. Cobb

“Idol” winner immortalized with tasty delight.

Custard’s Last Stand, a custard store in Blue Springs, Missouri, is honoring native son and American Idol winner David Cook, with a frozen custard in his name, Fox News reports.

The snack – named The David Cook Concrete – features a mixture of swiss chocolate frozen custard, Oreo cookies, Reese’s Cups, and peanut butter syrup. The frozen delight will be featured as June’s flavor of the month at Custard’s Last Stand, which has locations all throughout Missouri.

Depending on size, the cost of “Cook’s Concrete” ranges from $3.65 to $5.27.

The wife of the owner of Custard’s Last Stand is a huge David Cook fan, as are several of the store’s employees. Throughout the most recent season of American Idol, the store encouraged its patrons to vote for Cook.