Sally

SaLLy

Last Friday I finally got the much awaited email from Sally. It was pretty long and was worth the equally long wait. Good to know she's been doing great in Illinois. She flew there early March of this year with her friends. Kaka-miss tong' Sally na to'. She's my fellow PS batch 15 and she would've turned 3 here had she not resigned. But seems like resignation was a good idea on her part. She's actually enjoying her stay in the US - she's got a job, her own car, her own flat (sharing it with friends), got to watch Maroon 5 and John Mayer live (waaaaaah!!!), and night outs every other weekend. Another good news is that her stay got extended until February next year (sarap naman!). I'm really happy for this girl. But as I've said, sobrang miss ko na to'. I used to find her conio and pa-sosyal but not long after, I got comfortable with her. Little did I know then na Blooper Queen pala to'. Haha! And she became my gateway to adventure.

* The first ever Sally blooper I remember is "Q for Cuba..."

* I got to talk to her over a landline phone only once and she's got a road runner mouth! I told her, "no wonder why you get so many calls!".

* I'll never forget the famous "Manongs!!!! I'm sorry!" (when she forgot that her car was parked so that it blocked the Insular Life parking entrance) and "Manong!!! Kadiri ka!!!!" (when a MMDA asked for her phone number)

* It was Sally who introduced me to Bailey's (yeah!!!) and we were at Ponana then in Libis. I'm sorry, ang Bailey's don 140 pesos! Oh well anyway, that was December 15, 2001 and it was also my first time to go to a bar. Pathetic? You have no idea. It was after getting out of our first Christmas party in PS. After Libis, we went back to Makati and drove around Rockwell, then went to the ladies room at the Captain's Bar in Mandarin Oriental, and finally had a "happy-eating" time at Country Waffles staying there until the sun went up.

* One time, nagbulakbol kami ni Sally sa trabaho because we wanted to watch Spy Game. Our login was 10pm, we got to work at 12mn. Hehehe...

* Sally got tired of our usual route going home so we decided to test our sense of direction and tried to discover another route - Mandaluyong - San Juan - Quezon City without passing through EDSA. We left the office at 7am and got home at 10am.

* Coming from GY, Sally would ask me to accompany her to Greenhills para mag-shopping. Eto ang catch: may pasok pa kinagabihan. Waaaaah!

* When we're craving for food afterwork, we drive to UP to buy corn and gulaman.

* Coming from another gimik, Sally dropped me home at 5am. We stayed at the car for an hour pa because I was teaching her how to put eye-shadow. Then just when I'm about to get off, we saw Xia's car key at the backseat. So from Novaliches, we went all the way back to Makati and then back to Novaliches again. Happy driver!

...and many to mention!!! Sallyyyyy! Bumalik ka na dito! :op

The Best Day of My Life
By Gregory M. Lousig-Nont, Ph.D.

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever!

There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know. Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for her and how much she means to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

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