Sunday, July 13, 2008

Marge in the City…


So it’s Sunday, and we’re back in the City… the Medical City, that is.

After a few days of her stereophonic coughing and a few drops of antibiotics, Marge’s increasingly labored breathing rate dictated that we bring her to the emergency room right away… so we did.

As I write this, Marge has received a drip of meds, an oxygen mask (which she hates), an oxygen gauge attached to her big toe (which glows a funky red…), and we’re camped in a room without a fridge.

Supposedly out of danger, but this is still a hospital, and we’re checked in…

* * * * *

For what it’s worth, I must commend the Medical City for having a separate pediatric section in their ER, and for having a very clean, calming and not too oppressive ER in general. Of course, the wifey just credits this to the hospital’s newness. But it was a total contrast to the smelly marketplace that was the Makati Med ER, the slightly better but obviously old and very eventful St. Luke’s ER, and the quite efficient, but obviously old and under-budgeted Capitol ER, where I screamed like a bitch while a resident jammed a needle into different places of my ripped palm…

Another bonus was me finding that the wifey and Marge were already being attended to when I got back up in the ER after parking the van.

The only thing that bothered me about the pediatric section was how fucking upbeat, sometimes cheerful and plain pleasant the staff was.

It was quite disconcerting. I was sweating like a pig on a treadmill, and asked the physician who attended to us and who received the instructions of Marge’s doctor, Dr. Delfin Santos, whether she seemed upbeat because Marge wasn’t in any real danger. She candidly and quite oddly replied that they are trained to act as though they are instinctively countering any potential panic situation. An answer of course, that somehow implies that I have something to panic about…

* * * * *

It’s funny how one has to be really good reading between the lines and forced pleasantries of medical professionals to patiently dig through to the truth sometimes. But I simply credit this to the fact that medical staff are still people. And as people, they don’t like delivering bad news. You have to pry their mouths open with some psychic crowbar.

Hopefully, no false pleasantries here, and no need for crowbars…

Sunday, July 6, 2008

marge photos... and the Canine Mafia (Part 2)

It's been a whole month and a half , so screw people who think I'm doting too much and am flooding this blog with Marge pics...

I have here... uh... Marge pics...


absolutely no reason for this shot above... just a moment of sheer self-indulgence...


The shots below, on the other hand, are just pure magic... Here we see why Jennifer (the cute poodle), is considered the queen of the canine mafia in our residence. She has anticipated the big role the infant human will play in the family and is currying the favor of said infant. Damn smart, huh?



* * * * *

there are moments that make you totally thankful you have a camera on hand...

and now, a parting shot...



Back in the Big City...


First Saturday back in the big city… wait… first Saturday AGAIN. Looks like it’s going to be a long series of first Saturdays. Hopefully. If it does become that, then I’ll be doing something right.

So Marge has effectively made us miss a handful of “cultural must-see’s,” like “Sex and the City,” Sharon Cuneta’s “Caregiver” (call me cheap, call me corny, but don’t forget to call me a fan…), and then there’s Angelina Jolie’s “Wanted,” and a few others I’ve forgotten about at this point… Partly due to Marge, and of course partly due to my now-regular up-and-down treks between Manila and Baguio city.

But we came back with errands to run, people to visit, movies to see, for me a company to run, and more meetings than I can shake a stick at.

And being back, the wifey and I made sure we caught a movie… Will Smith’s “Hancock” is showing… cool…

* * * * *

So the challenge now is how to be able to hit the ground running at any time with the least amount of rev time needed, if at all.

I now have a department in the store I’ve taken upon myself (unless Philip steps back in and turns things around), and I have to make sure that that orphaned department starts making some serious money. And I have to make sure that thing keeps running even when I’m not there.

In the same token, I have an ad agency with good people, and while some people seem to be stepping up, I’m still waiting for someone to step up and take crazy risks that pay off.

* * * * *

I still get raised eyebrows whenever I talk about my rather suicidal time management… wonder if I should start writing my epitaph…