Scenes from the weekend

At a wedding reception, before everyone else arrived:

Waiter: Sir, gusto 'nyo po ng drapper?

Guest: Ano?

Waiter: Drapper, sir.

Guest: Dropper? Para saan?

Waiter: Drap ver, sir.

Guest: Ano?

Waiter: Drap ber, po.

Me: Ahh, beer! Draft beer!

Waiter: Opo.

Guest: 'Wag na.

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After a movie:

LP: Why do they call it The Grudge?

Cat: What do you mean?

LP: 'Di ba a grudge is where you park your car?

Ngeeeeeee!!!

Shaking some brain cells to life

Milyeno's effects have been more long-term than expected. Even physically, for me at least.

Our weather-beaten roof and gutter (thanks in no small part to lousy construction) gave way to the pounding rains and rendered some parts of the house wet, to say the least. A good friend offered to fix the roof pro-bono, but I guess some damage was already beyond repair. Like the closet, for instance.

The door of which came slamming down my head yesterday morning, as I was getting dressed for work. I literally saw stars.

Head injuries are really messy. There was so much blood, I thought I was going spray all over.

Three ice packs later, I couldn't feel my skullcap, but the bleeding had subsided. I was taken to the doctor that same afternoon, who said I didn't need any stitches despite sustaining two cuts and an abrasion on my scalp, and a scratch on my back. An anti-tetanus shot, though, had to be administered.

I guess it's not so bad as getting hit by felled billboards.

Who needs a dentist?

"My tooth's moving, Mom," LP said, sticking her lower jaw out.

I took a look, and sure enough, one of her lower front incisors yielded to some gentle pressure from my index finger. She asked why.

"Sweetie, you have baby teeth that will last only a few years. It will fall out soon because your permanent teeth are pushing it out. That means you're growing up."

(Side note: She has the best set of teeth I've seen, among kids her age, anyway. No cavities, man! I made it a point to brush her teeth twice a day, since her first tooth came out. Bottle mouth never became a problem, and to think she has only begun to ease away from the bottle. At age six. That's another entry altogether.)

"Did your teeth wobble too when you were a little girl?"

And suddenly, memories came flooding back. Of Mama tying a piece of string around a wobbly tooth and giving it a good yank, of me screaming and tears pouring afterward, and of frozen Jellyace and ice being fed to me to numb the pain over the "stump" where my tooth used to be. For sentimental reasons, Mama kept one of my baby teeth, as well as one of my kid brother's, in her jewelry box.

Will be looking forward to literally pulling teeth!