Since andrea and I are engaging in online businesses, we deemed it necessary to purchase domains of our own. This not only sets  our urls unique but also free from all the burden of confusions. You see, advertisers favor those with their own freedom and restrictions. Not to mention, you get to customize your very own name which makes memorization a thing of the past.

In this area, we are already very comfortable and adventurous. But when it comes to hosting, we are nothing more than novices. For one, we don’t know how hosting works and who dictates what restrictions should the client have. Second, our experience on hosting was confined to free ones that come with the domain. So basically we have close to none.

Fortunately, in our search for the best web host, we came across various references that were able to help us out in choosing the most appropriate one for us.  We saw pages that list down various hosting services and compare them based on so many add-ons. These were very helpful indeed.

As for me, I feel happy with what we got. There are no more advertisements on top of my page, and it comes with the luxury of additional emails too. Lags are sometimes evident, even intermittent signals, but I just consider them the minor prizes for great hosting. I guess we’ve finally concluded our search for a host.

We’re approaching the final leg of the school year. I know, because I can feel the pressure of the deadlines and the grades steadily bearing down on me. But tantamount to the stress I’m starting to endure is the anticipation of the coming vacation.

At last, I’ll be able to relax a little as I lay down this TIC’s mantle of leadership at least for the summer. It’s only just a few weeks away before I can get rid of all these emotional responsibilities and start worrying about my own. At last… at long last….

For the time being, I’ll just work on finishing my assigned tasks, continue thinking of a great culminating activity, and finish updating my grades. I’ll work on all these while counting the days - all the sweet days before summer vacation.

Every now and then, I come across articles in the net that simply invoke more than random interest. In fact, just the other day, I saw exactly just that. While going through random links, I happen to read an article about aging and skin care that proved to be more than skin deep.

Chantal Burnison, owner and CEO of Chantal Skin Care Corporation was featured in a news article for turning a doubting employee into a walking, talking proof of the potency of their pharmaceutical breakthrough, Ethocyn. According to the story, one of Chantal’s employee conducted an experiment on herself by applying the product on the right side of her face. Upon hearing of her employee’s test, the CEO offered her a promotion for her face to be shown in advertisements. She agreed and Chantal Skin Care has been on the spotlight ever since.

Now, I’m not half as amazed with the product as I am with the CEO. With the results from the experiment, it is clear that the product really works. But with a CEO with that much creativity and determination, I’m not surprised.

When andrea, mateo and I got to our parents’ house in Novaliches last Friday, we were already full having ate dinner at The Block. So I though that was it. We were already done eating at least for that night, but I was wrong.

When we got there, they were having lamb chops for dinner. LAMB CHOPS!!! Oh my gosh! It has always been one of our favorite dishes even before we got married.

You see, when andrea and I were back in college, we’d go out of our way, ride the jeep, sometimes give up snacks to save some money just to be able to buy lamb chops at ISMED (NISMED now). It was one of the more costly food there in UP, but it was well worth it - all the trouble we’d go through.

That’s how much we love lamb chops. And even though the last time I ate was 5 years ago, I still couldn’t forget how much we like it. So now that that’s what they were having for dinner, I could only do so much to restrain myself. Despite having dinner already, I took some lamb chops. Finally!

It’s already the middle of February. For most people, it’s just simply Valentine season. For juniors and seniors in High School, it’s prom season.

I know because recently that’s all I’ve been hearing from my 3rd year high school class. They’re so hyped up about the event that everything I say in class, they find a way to connect with the prom - even cars. You see, there was a time when I was talking about types of cars when they suddenly turned the discussion around by asking about which kind of car would be best for picking up a date for prom.

To worm my out, I graciously answered them by saying, it’s not just the car that matters. For one, they can’t drive yet. Second, they don’t have any driver’s license. But if you really want to come in style without worrying about your parents accompanying you because you don’t have a license yet, I told them, then just dial for limo service. If they can afford it, then it’s so much better. There’s no need to worry about parking, the traffic, or parents looking at the rear-view mirror. And if the service here is like the limousine service LaGuardia in New York, then there’s the additional benefit of choosing from 450 late model sedans and Town Cars. In fact, Dial 7 Car & Limousine Service, Inc., the company that provides limousine service La Guardia, even offers door to door 24-hour service which takes away virtually all hassles of transportation.

I told them, with a limo service, they can come in style, comfort, and luxury. That would surely make their prom something to remember. That is, if they can afford it.

Last Friday, andrea, mateo and I went to mamu and papu’s (andrea’s parents) house. But on our way there, we stopped over to meet up with my mama and papa first in SM City’s the Block. We were there to pick up Mateo’s pictures to show them to his grandparents.

For Mateo, it was his first time there to walk around freely. You see, we’ve been there several times before but only for picture taking so we never got to bring him to the atrium. Last Friday, we did. And he was just so happy.

There were balloons on stage. The atrium was relatively free (compared to times when there are events being held there of course). He was all around the place looking up at everybody’s faces, chasing balloons, playing pick-a-boo with people he doesn’t even know. He was having the time of his life. And we were too as we watched him do his antics. Everyone around him was so amused by him - we were, his grandparents, even the strangers there whom he was playing with (whether deliberately or not I don’t know).

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a picture of him in the atrium. So instead of that, here are just the pictures we got from the studio instead - the ones we went there to pick up.

Whenever andrea and I would talk about which career or job generates the most money, we always end up without having a winner. This is mainly because each job we choose to defend always has a great sacrifice that comes with it like time off from your family, pride, humiliation, health, and sometimes even your values or morals.

This is also why we think that the best solution to money problem is not a job but a business - your very own business. But even that too comes with a hefty price - a huge amount of courage to invest time and money. Because with any business, there comes an equal amount of risk. And usually, the higher the target profit is, the higher the risk gets.

Fortunately, for wannabe entrepreneurs like us, there are advertising experts out there that help increase the chance of success for rookie businesses. All that investors have to do is to choose which type of media to invade and they’ll do the rest for you. Whether it be through TV media, digital, print or even through mail, advertisers now promise help in sales by promoting your business through all possible means. There are direct marketing companies like Hawthorne Direct which would make advertising hassle-free. They offer a complete range of services including long and short form infomercial production, TV commercial production, and media buying.

All that’s really left for us now, is to figure out what business to engage in. Huhu!

I don’t exactly remember if I went through the same phase, but mateo is now in a stage where he’s always seeking the confines of his toy box. Whenever we’d leave his box of toys open (a medium-sized roll-away plastic box), he’d immediately climb in and settle himself inside it. Even amidst all the toys, he manages to somehow find a nice and comfy spot in the middle and then he’d stay there for like 10, sometimes even 30 minutes.

It’s really bizarre, but I think he enjoys sitting inside his box. He often does this now especially when he’s watching something interesting on TV.

The only trouble about the whole this is the getting in and out of the box. You see, he’s still very tentative with his steps especially when climbing in and out. He’s fallen twice already. It was just fortunate that we’re close to him when he lost his footing.

Up to now, we still don’t know what he’s doing inside the box. Is he enjoying the feel of his toys underneath him? Or does he just find being surrounded by the box comforting? I’m not sure. Sometimes I would just joke around with andrea and tell her that mateo is just thinking inside the box.