LOVE: 40 WAYS TO MAKE YOURS LAST...

Here's what couples should be doing according to Glamour magazine (Aug2009)...

Once a week
> Fight (a little).
> Have sex (obviously). But also...
> Have generous sex.
> And have before-work sex.
> Compliment each other.
> Shower together.
> Get into bed and...sleep
> Let something go.
> Laugh so hard.

Us: 8 of 9 - CHECK!

Once a month
> Be do-gooders.
> Do something scary. (But J's fearless!)
> Talk about money
> Brag publicly about him.
> Declare something "this stays in Vegas."
> Be the man.
> Disappear together.
> Disappear alone.
> Go to a party! And mingle separately.
> Have sex some way you've never had it before.

Us: 8 1/2 of 10 - CHECK!

Once a year
> Build a doghouse or whatever team project.
> Get something that'll grow with your love.
> Say the tough thing.
> Cancel Valentine's Day and invent your own lovey-dovey holiday. (We don't do Valentine. But we have our Daily Dates! Awww.)
> Fall apart.
> Don't get up. At least once a year.
> Talk birth control.
> Re-kiss your First Kiss.
> Write each other.
> Think back on all the reasons you fell for him.

Us: 8 of 10 - CHECK!

What's your score?

THE DESTINATION

It's the journey, not the destination. The cliche can't be more true with last night's movie date. We watched "Il Destinazione" -- one of the movies in the 8th Italian Film Festival. And our "journey" to the movie was far more satisfying than the destination (the film itself)!

The journey:
*We were first in line! Tickets for the 9:30pm screening were released at 8:30pm.
*After getting our tickets, we decided to go home to kill time (Ang saya to have that option!).
*The tickets were free!
*I was excited because it's been awhile since our last foreign Film Fest date.
*We left our home 9:15pm and we were in Shang by 9:25pm. The film started after 9:30pm (Ang saya!).

The destination:
*The movie was only 2 hours long but it felt like it ran for 10 hours! It was such a streeeeeeeeetch! People were actually leaving the cinema 30 minutes into the movie!

SWEET SURPRISE

After a not-so-good work day, guess what I found on my office chair?!



I got two boxes of my favorite ROYCE chocolates from J! So sweet! I could melt! The sweet surprise didn't change the office hitch but it did WONDERS to my mood.

Thank you, Baby!

ONDOY

These pair of rain boots (they are no Plueys!) got us through the Ondoy clean-up. My 3 year old niece said,"I like your boots, Tita A!" It was enough to make me LOL!Something I so needed to do through the devastating disaster.



Our family's Ondoy experience was heartbreaking -- the flood water was chest-deep inside my parents' home; the first floor of my brother's home was also submerged in water -- but yes, we still have so much to be thankful for. We're counting our blessings.

Thank you to...

*J for staying with me (and my family) all throughout the Ondoy ordeal

*all the kind and thoughtful messages (calls, text, email, Facebook messages) from family, friends, acquaintances

*the prayers from every one

*my Tita Belen, Tita Cita, cousins Ana and Jon, for sending helpers to assist us in the clean-up; for bringing my parents' and sister's wet clothes to Nueva Ecija for washing and drying

*my Tita Belen and Family (and House Help) for feeding us all throughout the clean-up

*my bosses (specially Ham) for allowing me to take one week off

*my officemates / friends (specially Lots, Nadia and Maricel) for taking on my load while I was on emergency leave

*my cousins Arlene and JM for the rides

*my Tita Es, Tito Rey, cousin Kris for the help (so generous!)

*my Tito Cesar, Tita Lil, cousin Cza for the relief goods & cleaning materials

*my cousins Ana, Jon and Mylene for the cleaning materials (Complete! May mga sako pa for all the garbage!), fresh towels and dry beddings

*to my cousin Pia for trying to go to Kingsville twice

*my cousin Pia (again!) and Tita Tens for volunteering to pick my Dad up from the airport

*the mekaniko who's working wonders on my parents' flooded car

*our Cleaning Team: Ate Hasmin, Aling Ineng, Aling Ising, and a Boy

*Jill and Isay for welcoming my brother and his family to their home for so many days

*to my client Jenny for postponing our Friday meeting (so kind!)

*Gladys for updating me whenever she could

*Gladys (again!) and the Moments staff for bringing smiles to our Cleaning Team's faces. Wednesday, they were kidding me about wanting to be televised as "volunteers." They got their wish Thursday! They were on TV by Saturday.

*GMA for releasing our 13th month pay earlier than usual

*Maricel for working on the HR assistance (such an angel!)

*the GMA Coop for the help they're extending to members via grocery GCs

*Ondoy for reminding all that we cannot hang on to material possessions. Only Love endures.

*THANK YOU, GOD, for keeping my loved ones safe.

The darkest hours come just before dawn. I'm looking forward to sunshine-y days!