A Tire Blow Out on the Highway

Yesterday, a friend of mine and her husband met us at a restaurant in the valley for a Mother's day lunch. There were five of us: me, my husband, A, my friend, and her husband. The food was great! We banqueted on steamed crabs, raw and cooked oysters, clams, mussels, yummy duck, lechon, sushi, fish, barbeque pork, chinese dumplings, and many more. I could only eat so much. I didn't even eat rice. I was stuffed! My husband had his fill.

After lunch, we went on our separate ways. My friend went to Costco, while my daughter and I went shopping in the mall. My husband stayed in his usual favorite place..the bookstore. I purchased a cute blouse for myself and my daughter bought two cute summer blouses. Then we headed home.

We were maintaining a speed of 67 miles an hour on an uphill grade when we suddenly heard a big blow, immediately followed by the thumping and banging noises. We were within several miles from our town. My husband said, "hold on! hold on!" while he tensely tried to hold firmly on the steering wheel. I didn't know what was happening. The car was shaking so bad, accompanied by a pounding noise. I was scared! We never experienced something like this before. I looked back and saw a woman pull over to the side. I saw pieces of tires flying all over. I looked over to the other side of the road and saw a big drop off though there was a railing to protect us. Eventually, the vehicle started slowing down and my husband was able to begin to apply the brakes and quickly pulled over on the shoulder. My husband warned us to never slam the brakes when a blow out happens so we will not lose control of vehicle and cause it to swerve all over the road. Wait until you regain control of the vehicle, then you can start applying brakes. He also cautioned not to panic. Also, it is best to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.

We got out and saw the tire totally ripped off. The wheel's well was broken, too. We were all shaken! We started unloading the back of our vehicle to search for the tools for changing tire. Since we bought this vehicle nine years ago, we have never used the jack, the tire arn, etc. It tooks us a while to figure out how to unhook the doughnut spare tire. My husband tried poking in every hole he could find with the tire arn and eventually found the right one and unravelled the spare tire.

First, we put rocks behind each wheel to stabilize our vehicle. Next, we loosened all the knots to the tire before raising the jack. Some people would apply the jack first before loosening the knots. Not a good idea because if you lift the jack up, the wheels will be hanging in the air, then when you try to loosen the knots, the wheel spins or the jack could shift off while loosening the knots and the vehicle could crash to the ground and might even hit somebody.

Suddenly, I saw another vehicle pulled over behind us. They were my friends. They passed us on the highway and was unable to stop so they looked for a safe place to turn around a few miles away and came to the rescue. It felt good seeing them. Earlier, I was hoping that they would see us and somehow they read my mind. He helped my husband finish installing the tire.

We drove slowly home while my friend kept a good distance behind us to make sure we were okay. We noticed that there were three other vehicles which also experienced a blow out right about in the same area. I wondered why. We stopped on one of the vehicles and offered help. A guy driving a motorcyle who also cared to stop thought that it might have been caused by the heat outside making the tire swell and blow out. It could also be that the tire was defective.

What a Mother's day experience! Hope you know what to do when faced with this situation.

Note: our four tires are only a year old.

The Largest One-Day Food Drive In the Nation

First, I would like to thank all my blogger-friends who sent me emails and greetings for Mother's day. Happy Mother's day to all of you! I, along with my co-workers, were extremely busy today collecting food as we were delivering mail to help hungry families. This is a yearly event and is the largest one-day food drive in the nation. Last year, carriers collected about 70 million pounds of food nationwide--one of the biggest. Locally, we accumulated about 6,000 pounds of food and were quickly transported to our local food bank to replenish empty pantry.

So, for those of you living in the US, did you remember to set out food by the mailbox?

Yes, we do have families who are using or have used the food bank to survive. A chinese friend of mine lived off the food pantry for a brief period while going through separation. There are more people out there who are in dire need of food but too embarrassed to tell their friends and relatives about. It could happen to anyone of us anytime, any day, hence, the importance of giving.


Here is the conversation I had with my friend D concerning the food drive later this afternoon:

D: How did you do?

Me: Slow in the business part but I made up in the residential area. I picked up about 10 buckets of food. What about you?

D: Not too good. Those rich people neglected to set out food.

Me: {laughing and murmuring to myself) I wonder if they even knew what was going on.

Probably, most people were not aware of it. Believe it or not, my husband didn't know about it. I know we sent out cards to the customers reminding them of the food drive. Likewise, we had it announced in our local radio station, and even had it published in our local newspaper. My husband only reads first class mail, the rest, he tosses away in the brown file, which explained his unawareness. But hey, if for some reasons, you missed it, no big deal. You can still donate non-perishable food at your local food bank.


Taken Saturday morning along with my gorgeous co-workers. Can you find Waldo, este, Belle, in this picture? (geeesh, I forgot to suck in my abs and halata bang gusot ang damit ko? hehe)

I cleaned out my pantry last night and found these unused cans and boxes and asked my husband to set them out by the mailbox.

The next pictures show the food waiting for pick up.





I should have gotten more food than what is in this truck but my supevisor drove through my some parts of my route and picked up whatever food left out, which was a big help.

Backyard Creatures

Took these pictures today.




These are the birds that come in our backyard on a daily basis. They love our bird baths. First, they come and take a bath, turn around and poop in it, and take a nice big drink. Ehew!!! How unsanitary!

Has anyone of you seen hummingbirds? If not, look at the first two pictures. See, how small they are? They are the smallest birds in the world, about ohhh, 2 inches in length. They can only be found in north and south America. They are known for their ability to hover in mid-air by quickly flapping their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards. They can hover stationary, too. Talking about agility! They are a delight to watch especially those with interesting colors. So far, we have two hummingbirds in our backyard, but later in the summer, they come in droves and in different kinds.

Sometimes, there are 4 or 6 hummingbirds vying for a place at one feeder. Males are very aggressive and territorial. They will chase anyone hovering around their feeder and this goes on all day. I often wonder how those less aggressive ones get their meal.



This Black Chinned hummingbird finally sneaked in and had a chance to get his meal without getting chased by Anna, the aggresor. He/she must be scaring other one or must have dozed off. See Anna in the next picture.

I presume, this is Anna because of the iridescent pink colors on the head. You can barely see it. Click on the picture for better image.

I believe the next two pictures are gold finches. Finch is shown doing his usual bath-poop-drink routine.

Lovely gold finch on the Juniper tree. Juniper tree, by the way, gives out pollen that affects most people here including myself. We can't escape from it because our forest is surrounded with it. Nasty tree!

I carefully took this picture of the quail through the blind from my bedroom.

Oink! Oink!

As suggested for posting by my dear hubby.



kamote lifted at http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/vegetables1.htm


On the way to Virac, at Tilod, Baras, my husband spotted a pig alongside the road. Stop! Stop! he yelled. "I want to take pictures of the pig." Well, we had cooked kamotes in our car that we enjoyed eating for snack as they were delicious. You know when you have been away for so long, this root food suddenly becomes delightful.
When I was young, I usually complained when my mother fed us kamote for breakfast before going to school.

I whined "kamote na naman!

"It won't help me get through lunch especially I have to walk 3 kilometers to school in the morning" I added.

Well, I could either starve or force myself to eat it. On our recent trip to bikol, ironically, I mainly stuffed myself with this kind of food. It even appealed to my Japanese and American friends to the extent that they even favored it over any other popular local goodies to bring to Manila for our baon. What so funny is, while in hotel lobby, my friend offered kamote to one of the filipino guests only to be refused. I told my friend, kamote is considered a peasant food. She was completely surprised because not only it is preservative-free, sugar-free, organic, cheap, delicious, and at this day and age when obesity is rampant and health problems are on the rise, this food is nothing but good stuff. We ate it with fresh shredded coconut flakes and lato. It reminded her of Japanese white potato.

I got sidetracked...let me finish my story...

Anyway, my husband took the kamote and fed the pig with it. The pig looked customarily hungry, not wanting to deny any handouts, a beggar at heart. We were yelling at my husband not to feed kamote to the pig on his palm as the pig might chomp on it. Of course, he ignored our warnings. Evidently, he knew what he was doing as he raised horses before. He cupped his hand so it would be safe. The pig ate the kamote out of his hand and oinked for more...oink! oink! oink! I said "that's enough, save some for our hungry stomachs,"

In exchange for food, the pig was kind enough to pose for some pictures. He was accomodating and leaned up against the pen to show off his body. My husband and my American friend had a blast! They thought it was cute! The villagers were wondering what was so cute about that creature that all it does is eat, eat, root, and oink all day long.

Of course, he oinked him a thank you.

Noni Juice, a Miracle Treatment

Date rolls and dried figs...all raw.


Yesterday, my husband and I went to the city to buy his food supplies (healthy stuff), and to dine out in our favorite restaurant. We went on a Friday, my day off, so it was just the two of us. We would have come in three had we gone on a weekend. A was thoroughly disappointed but she figured she couldn't miss classes as there is only a few weeks before graduation.

We decided to swing by at the health food store before we did our grocery shopping. I didn't want to go inside because I might just end up buying expensive stuff that we seldom use. My husband insisted I come just so he would not be alone pushing the cart. I stayed for a while in the car deciding if I should come in or not. Then, blogging came to mind. Aha! I could take pictures of his purchases and share it with my blogger-friends.

The store was pretty crowded with narrow isles, crummy, and kind of smelly emanating from herb products and other weird stuff. Now, you know why I was reluctant to go inside. I had the huge camera with me, by the way, too conspicous for the shoppers but I didn't let it bother me as long I minded my own business. I browsed around the isles, finding something that would interest me. Colorful juices on the shelves caught my attention...blackberry juice, green juice, pomegranate juice, naked juice, carrot juice, grape juice, blueberry juice......and NONI juice. Noni juice? I remember a friend of mine has been preaching about this product years ago. I listened but never really took her seriously. I was already hooked on a different juice called odwalla that contains a lot of properties beneficial for our body. Besides, she told me the product was kind of pricey.

"Why not give it a try," I murmured. $18 is affordable and with a dose of 4 tablespoons a day, I should get a lot of use out it. Not bad! I brought it to the counter where my husband's groceries were and had the saleslady ring it up. My husband saw the price and thought it was pricey for a juice. He said, No! With my stern look, I said, Yes! And he acceded. Ha!

I took 2 tablespoons of juice right away since the instructions prefer that it is to be taken on an empty stomach. I hadn't eaten my breakfast because I was saving it for the big meal. Then, on the way home, after several hours of running around in the mall, I took 2 tablespoon again. The product is laced with taste enhancers like guava juice so the taste is bearable. It would probably even appeal to the taste buds of the kids.

That night, I felt somewhat different. My nose wasn't clogged as it has been. I have been suffering from severe allergies that started in February and it can linger until end of May. I have tried all kinds of over the counter homeopathic medicines but I never really found the remedy that I was looking for. But now, I finally can breath again through my nose! What a great feeling! It feels heavenly! You know what it is like when your nose is completely clogged? Even drinking water was like a chore. It felt horrible! But now, thanks to NONI, I can breath again.

If you would like to know more information about this product, you may do your own research. Just type in Noni juice. P.S. (I am not paid to write this post.)

Mourning Dove

When my husband was reading his book in the front porch overlooking the golf course, he saw a bunch of straw lying on the corner of the porch. He was about to remove it when he wondered where it came from. He looked up above at the vent where the gas fireplace came out of the house and saw the nest. Sure enough, there was a mourning dove laying eggs. So, what do you do? You leave them alone until they are done doing raising their brood and let them raise their chicks.

Suddenly, I heard my husband yelling

"Hurry! I think I might have a good blogging material for you!" my husband yelled.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Just hurry before it is too late and bring the camera!" my husband ordered.

What a cozy and comfortable place to lay eggs. I took picture here and there and she didn't seem to be bothered by the commotion we were making. The partner was looming around waiting probably for his turn to sit on the eggs but couldn't do the switcheroo as my husband was right below reading. Ahhh, they shouldn't be doing their business up there anyway as it is not good for the house. S stayed in the porch as long as he wanted and if they wanted privacy, they should look somewhere else like out in the wooods. But...you know how they are.

The Story of a River-- Reflections of a Young Woman

Excerpts from an essay composition that we could all learn from--year 2002.

I am like a river because my life has been a gentle yet somewhat rough flow of experiences that have shaped and molded me into the person that I am today. Just as the river begins as a nebulous rush of water but gradually shapes a distinct path, my life has gradually been shaped through trial and error. However, a river cannot flow without the help of the eroding sands beneath it, and I, too, have had people who have helped me and changed their ways in order to provide me with the best path available.

In all of my turning points and realizations, I chose not to dwell in the past, but, rather, learn from it to prepare me for the future. It is just like a river that never flows backwards--it always continues forward. When an obstacle gets in its way, it either goes around it or flows straight through it. However, a river cannot form without something to shelter it on three sides. My parents provided me with this protection.

My mother was a big influence on me because she taught me how to live comfortably while still appreciating everything. She grew up destitute on a tiny island in the Phil. Just like me, she did not date boys at an early age and was a tomboy. She worked very hard at school and strived to please her parents. She made sure that these values and ideals were instilled in my sister and me. Growing up, she did not shower me with lots of money so I would learn to spend wisely. She always shed tears of joy each time I won an award--even at my lousy choir performance.

From an early age, she taught me how to cook and clean. I have always been helping in the kitchen--baking, cutting, grating, washing, etc. Nowadays, I am too busy to do these things, but I liked doing it when I was little because it made my mom so proud. Now that I am almost going to college, I will know how to care for myself.

My father, on the other hand, always rewarded me whenever I did something good. Whenever I got good grades, he would give me money or a treat. This pushed me to always do my best. I do not get treats anymore from getting good grades, but I have been molded into doing my best that it is now automatic that I put a 100% effort into all my work. He also strives to keep me on the right path by putting me into interesting programs such a piano, ballet, and tap dance.

Throughout the course of my life, I have not paid much attention to how I believe I am perceived to be. I think that I am still learning and still flowing through life. I believe I am wise but a little dumb, friendly, kind, and funny. In the future, I want to be someone that a younger child would look up to. I want to be able to live life happily and hot have any regrets. I know I will go through many more experiences and obstacles, but I just hope that I will go down the right paths. I would have never become the person that I am without other people to help me. I am even thankful for the kids who bullied me, who made fun of me throughout my life because without them, I would never have grown wiser and stronger.

My attitude towards life is a very optimistic one. Since I am lucky enough to have had a wonderful upbringing, my future will only get better. I still believe to this day that no matter how much you practice your religion, what really matters is whether you reflect your belief onto others with kindness and caring. I know that love and happiness are much more valuable than money or possession. I still believe that a person who has many friends and no enemies is richer than a person with a million dollars.

I once heard a story about a little boy talking to his grandma. The little boy asked his grandma what were the ingredients to make a cake. The grandma said they were yeast, sugar, flour, and eggs. The little boy, disgusted, said those ingredients were gross and could not fathom how they could transform into a delicious cake. The grandma replied saying even the worst things can turn into something quite delightful. Just like troubling times can turn crisis into opportunity. After all, a river is made of tiny little atoms, bacteria, and dirt. What is more beautiful is a sight of a crystal clear river running through a beautiful forest.