Sunday, March 16

Did yoga. Went to Reitch's for dinner with Marc, Rakel and Mike. Had dal, crispy pata, chicken paprika without the paprika, and fruits in ice cream. Found out Mike and I were neighbors and that his family knows my family down south. Watched a couple episodes of Flight of the Conchords. Went home at 2:00 AM.

Monday, March 17

Stayed home, did laundry. The only day this week I didn't go out or was visited by friends.

Tuesday, March 18

Went with Marc to Festival Mall so he could get a pair of nice-looking glasses. I also went to look for a pair of jeans. Neither of us got what we'd intended to get, and instead got shirts, and Marc got pants, which are hard to find in his size in New Zealand. Got home around 8:00 PM.

Wednesday, March 19

Went to Gateway to meet with Selena and Kathy to get a Rivers Cuomo CD and a Sondre Lerche-autographed notebook page for Aldus. Met with Aldus at Coffee Bean two hours after that to hand over the stuff.

Went to Alan's Grill in Cubao X to celebrate Alec's promotion with Beejay, Hec, Jovan, Nick, and Tobie. Alan's closed early, so we repaired to La Casa Palomo's rooftop for more beer, where Jovan promptly got an allergic reaction to the Japanese tuna Alec's parents had brought back. Was branded Chair Man when Tobie took my shoes and used his belt to tie me to a chair, the bastard. Managed to stand up with a Monoblock belted to my waist. Went home at 2:30 AM.

Thursday, March 20

Hung out with Luna at Yale when she came over to visit us. Had nilaga and strawberries in sugar and condensed milk over fruitcake. Nakakahilo.

Friday, March 21

As expected, Mika and Patton arrived at Yale at 6:00 PM. Had pasta (shamelessly used Rej's crushed tomatoes, smoked bacon ham, mushrooms, and trivelle) and more strawberries in sugar and condensed milk (finished the fruitcake the night before). As not expected, Duds, Ron, Tobie, and Urim showed up. Watched several episode of the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Had longganiza (the Flavor of Oriental!), eggs sunny-side up, and tomato salsa as a midnight snack. Went to bed at 4:00 AM.

Saturday, March 22

Looked forward to seeing the Purplechickens in two gigs, but ended up hearing the last song of their first gig from outside Freedom Bar, and not going to the second gig at all. Which was OK, because Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man was there, and I hadn't seen them since August last year. Plus I got a nifty button! Missed Jesus Is Watching the Gig when it relocated, though, as well as the Wuds and Outerhope. :(

Repaired with Aldus, Marco, and Zig back to the Manox pad in Morato, had some rum cokes. Was joined by Jonas (one of Aldus's friends from high school). Went home at 1:00 AM.

Sunday, March 23

Rej, Boks, and Tita Marian came to bring lunch and to drop off my haliparot housemate. And of course, Mika and Patton are still here, so the party hasn't ended.

And there's another party next weekend, too!

Since it's the birthday of our much-loved Ricky, we (my multiple personalities, that is) are unveiling the Ricky Sunico Memorial Games!

Tentatively set for all the weekends (Saturdays and/or Sundays) of April 2008, at UP's Sunken Garden, the New Worlds Alliance will remember our grandaddy's surprisingly fleet feet by playing games that involve a lot of running: Philippine games!

Moro-moro, tumbang preso, Pinoy football (complete with cheap-ass plastic ball), tuksong tinik, patintero, and whatever else we played as kids. We can even play hide-and-seek in the lagoon; remember, this has the potential hilarity of someone actually falling into the water.

Tentatively, the program consists of a warm-up walk around the University Oval and a few calisthenics, for which I will need your assistance, Mika. ;-) After that, game on! Food should be no problem, since there are a lot of places to eat, and we can always bring our own. And if everyone builds up the endurance, we can have a marathon to start off the fourth day of the games!

Yes, I'm a sadist.

Why announce it this early? First, to give people time to prepare their gear. How long has it been since you ran in those cross-trainers, anyway? Second, to get the rules out there so everyone knows them. Third, this is to open the topic for any other suggestions people might have: food, scheduling, and the most important of them all, giving the games a geek theme. (I suggest renaming Monkey, Monkey, Annabelle to Blink, by the way. *maniacal laughter*)

Please keep posted, repost this in your blogs, and do reply with your suggestions. Thanks, dahlings. And happy birthday, Ricky.

The first week of November is supposed to be sandwiched between two long weekends; it's Election Day tomorrow, and Araw ng mga Patay next weekend. It's supposed to be that one calm before the storm that is the Christmas season in the Philippines. Speaking from this end, it doesn't seem calm at all.

Yesterday was New Worlds 5, and while work kept me from participating in the ingress and setup of the booths, I did spend a little over two hours in a torture device designed by the Spanish Inquisition. Other people know it as the C-3PO suit. And then there was the egress, where there was much carrying of the Geeky Items of Great Bulk and Weight. I was feeling fine last night, but an hour ago, the right side of my back started aching. Minutes ago the ache spread to my arms. And now, my neck. Uploading pictures later.

And alas, there is no rest for the wicked. No staying home for me, because this afternoon is also my friend Dat's birthday party, which all the guests have been anticipating. (My bath water's heating up as I type.) Of course, this'll proceed straight to dinner and coffee and drinks and midnight snacks and ... yeah.

And then I should eventually go home and write some articles for work. It is the end of the month, or Publish and Perish time. It usually involves me losing sleep for two to three nights until the newsletter is sent out; I can't complain, really, since my boss is about to leave on a couple of international trips. But with an achy back (an achy all-over, really), and several nights of little sleep, I think the other long weekend will be spent hibernating.

Good night, folks. 

PS

Conventionitis. Noun. Any number of physical and psychological ailments that are the direct result of organizing and participating in a sci-fi and fantasy con.