confined.

Glad to be back. Been confined in a hospital cell the past 4 days because of intestinal flu. the kind that makes you move without your wanting to (Record:12 times) along with chills caused by high fever. my first suspect was that it was the kare kare the day before. but everyone else from the family ate it. I just assumed that I must have eaten something that had already dropped on the table(i don't believe wasting out food to bacteria - but bacteria got me this time).

1st day. I was so weak and feverish that I could barely think, let alone move and type right but I had to refine my PPR and after countless hits on the backspace I had finally gotten it done and sent - it was only later on that I found out that I had made a booboo of a different sort. My dad then decided that it was time to bring me to the hospital. He noticed I wasn't my natural color and that I would need divine intravention (IV) already. So we went. Lals and my sister came along - a good thing too - because the wait at the emergency room was ginormously long. I was too dehydrated to speak and to move. But when they stuck the IV in, I started feeling better. We were talking in the ER for about 2hrs before the hospital finally checked me in. The first night was not too bad except for the chills. But the nurse on duty always checked in to see if I was doing ok.

2nd day.Hospital food sucks.Or at least mine did. mine fell under the BRAC category. Banana Rice Apples Carrots(?)... My dad had another version, BRAT. Banana Rice Apples Tea. At least they served sola. But the hospital version of lugaw.I don't believe they even serve that in prison.It looked and smelled like glue. More like gluegaw. Or as lals would call it, lugawgaw. So I relied on the crackers. I was on crackers and fruits for the next 3 days. This was the day that the doc came by and prescribed an antibiotic already. So those made me feel better. I got to catch an NFL game between the Titans and the Colts. The Titans are just superb this year. They crushed the Colts in that game. Their defense is great and their WR Johnson is just doing wonders for them. QB Collison is not doing bad either. My dad was pushing that I get discharged early because of the CMMA awarding the next day. Lals lent me their "Kite Runner" book.

3rd day. I'd have to miss the awarding as I was nowhere to getting my wastes solidified and I was still having chills. Watched LA vs Portland game and reading kite runner in between ads. It's nice to see how much noise LA is going to make this year. I wasn't a Kobe fan before but I've seen the way he matured over the past few seasons and I'm rooting for them this year. My IV stopped flowing this afternoon. They had to switch the needle to the other hand. It took two tries, two needles and a very patient nurse and patient to get it done. It took a smaller needle too (size 22 as opposed to 20 - don't know why their needles are sized reversely). By the time we were done, I got two unusable hands, one hurting from pain, the other on dextrose. But it was only a matter of time before the other hand was pain free again.

4th day. Finished the kite runner. Sad sad story but I'm glad Amir was able to redeem himself or else I would've hated his character till the end of time.

Talking with my dad, we tried to figure out what it was. What was that one thing that I ate that nobody else did. It turns out that Adrian and I ordered Wendy's for our Iowa upgrade last Saturday. I ordered Chicken Breast Fillet and he ordered Bacon Mushroom melt. Bingo. I remember not looking at what I was eating. Didn't notice if the vegetables were fresh. I just ate. Lesson of the story is, watch what you eat.

My prayer for today.

Harder.Better.Faster.Stronger. Keep me on my toes. Maintain my vigilance. For it is only when I know that you are there that I can truly feel alive. Somehow, because of all this, my awareness has been heightened and I am beginning to enjoy things that I regret not seeing before. You have opened my eyes. And I am more grateful than ever. You have been prodding me every now and then to look your way. And I always look away, believing that I have something else better. Keep me. I want to give back everyday. Keep me in your grace forever.



Tha that that that cannot kill me, can only make me stronger. I need you right now.

Retreat

it's difficult to want something that I haven't been accustomed to (the whole year round since my last retreat). For the past year, I haven't been exactly your model catholic.so now,fresh from another retreat this year, I've been rejuvenated with a new resolve. I've forgotten so many things that are based on my faith. Mired in the own pit that I created, I forgot already the inner joy and peace that others feel when they are one with our creator. These are some of the points that I want to remember for the rest of the year until my next retreat:

:: Life of man is happiness and joy, not pleasure. Pleasure is fleeting. Happiness is something external (outside of yourself that you gain). Joy is something within yourself that overflows and are able to communicate with/to others.

::Sanctify your work. Sanctify it by offering it to our Lord.

::We are all born to love God. It is in our nature.

So for a change, I will try to use what I have learned. I'm too tired of becoming selfish. It's time that I loved back.

I'm posting this because I want to be reminded of the things that I learned. Sharing it just in case someone else may learn from it.