Walking-Date

I went to see  Elaine, our friend who is an ENT, at her clinic Tuesday afternoon. It was nice to catch up with her after so many years. It turns that she is serious runner for the past year! That just about floored me! It seemed highly unlikely that our demurely-poised, stockings-wearing batch-mate has become a concrete-pounder and who is bound for CamSur for a marathon by next week! And all by her lonesome too! You rock, gurl!

So, my consultation went as I expected. Elaine didn't find anything wrong with my throat, nose or ears, save for the lump on my neck. So she just started me on antibiotics that I have to take every 6hours for a week. Will need to check back after the week...but if the lump doesn't go away, will need to have an FNAB (fine needle aspiration biopsy) done. Not looking forward to that, believe me...so i hope my lump responds to the meds. :)

The DH had judo just around the corner from Elaine's clinic, but I opted not to go visit him. Instead, I went to this chinese resto where they have the best crab meat fuyong in town. But the fuyong is really huge, and it takes us three a couple of days to eat it. So i just ordered the crab omelet instead. I wasn't in the mood to cook so that and some left-overs will be dinner. 

I spent the rest of the evening playing on the net while waiting for the DH to come home. I stumbled on this amazing post on kevinandamanda.com about making a blog background...and it got me really excited because I've been wanting to do this for ages but didn't know how! I happily found out that Amanda makes the most awesome tutorials...and posts gorgeous photos of the yummiest food (the ice cream sundae brownie she made from a recipe from pickypalate.com is just TO DIE FOR!!)

Now, you believe me?! this is me dying here *groan*

So anyway, Amanda had this awesome tut about not only making blog backgrounds on Ps but also with the html codes and stuff. I was inspired to copy it down for trying out later since it was close to midnight already!

The DH finished the last DVD he rented : "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" so i could return it the next day.

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Wednesday, September 15

Stephen and I had to go to a barangay on the outskirts of the city where we met up with the Midwife and BHW's who were scheduled to conduct immunizations there. We didn't have that many patients, so we could leave before noon...but not before i snapped a photo of these beauties in the garden. :)

I also took the chance to drop by this local garden for some herbs since my old ones had  since long

shriveled up and died.

I had a nice chat with the lady owner and learned some nifty stuff from her. I didn't know the common "alusiman" (usually fed to swine in the country) or purslane packs serious omega3!! and that the lemon basil is a handy substitute for lemon grass or "tanglad" or even "batwan" for all those dishes that needs that tart/sour factor. Neat huh?

So, anyway I got 1 sweet basil plant and 1 flat-leaf parsley. Hope to come back for the others another time. I love shopping for herbs since they inspire me to crack open my cookbooks again, and experiment in the kitchen!

I was about to get into our vehicle when Stephen pointed out this stunning bloom. I always see this in most gardening books, but i never thought they would grow in our climate. I thought wrong since this particular flower was seriously "blooming where it was planted"!!

The Passion flower (Passiflora) 

 " Imaginative catholic missionaries of the 17th century first brought these glorious flowers out of South America - naming them for a fancied symbolic representation of the passion of Jesus Christ. To them the colorful crown represented the crown of thorns; 5 stamens the Five Wounds; 10 petals the 10 Apostles who remained faithful to the end." 

-according to "What Flower Is That?" by Stirling Macoboy

(just one of the massive tomes I collected during my gardening-obsessive days, lol)

I was able to rest the rest of the day, getting up around 4pm to shower and change for my walking-date with the DH at the lagoon. But first I had to drop off the DVD's the DH borrowed from our friend Toto at his store.

Then I hurried to 20th to meet the DH, and we set off towards the lagoon to meet with Beverly and Izzy. Beha later texted that she couldn't make it because she had a referral she had to see, and a meeting to attend afterwards. And Izzy was running late since he was coming from out of town. So, it was just the DH and I at first. I had almost finished my 30mins target when Izzy arrived. So we chatted along, and we didn't even notice that we'd gone 7 circuits! Just another benefit of working out with a friend indeed. :)

We had to pick up our bags where we left them at 20th st. The DH grabbed a quick shower while I showed Izzy my MIL's album of the photos of our weddings (church and beach that was 2 days apart). Remind me one day to post about our weddings, wilya? :)

Then we grabbed dinner at this resto nearby. It was really a pancit palabok (noodle) resto, but they were between batches and we were too hungry to wait, so we got the rice toppings instead: squid for Izzy, ground pork for me and beef for the DH...and a serving of sisig that we all shared. I liked that we didn't over-eat...and un-do the exercise we did. Although, if it was up to him, the DH wanted to get buffet dinner at the Japanese resto we passed, lol! But we might do that one day...

It was great working out with the DH and Izzy. We hope that this will be a regular thing, melding exercise and being with friends we infrequently enjoy the company of. So see you again Wednesday Izzy...maybe Beha and Mancy can make it too. :)

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The DH has gone to bed, he had judo practice again tonight, so he's pooped. My afternoon nap has me wide awake at 1 am!! But i need to finish up and get to bed too if I don't want to be late tomorrow. :)

Talk to you again soon. A bientot!