quick fix-its

It's one of those days when I can't sleep because of things weighing me down -- thoughts, feelings, apprehensions... paranoia, even. At the same time, I'm so physically exhausted from long days amd anxieties, my immune system's complaining and my body really yearns for sleep.

I'm in a state that's somewhere between what old Filipino folk call, 'nauupos na kandila', which would be a melting candle in English, and a dam that's about to burst. I really should just go to sleep and get it over with but I find that my chaotic thoughts are battling with my tired body. Hmm.  What to do, what to do?

Here are 5 quick and safe solutions that just might work:

1. Have a cup of sleepytime tea instead of the the usual coffee before bed. I love Celestial Seasonings' and Yogi's Bedtime Tea.
2. Take an anti-histamine already, for goodness' sake! A couple of shots of saline solution up each of my nostrils and probably some badger winter wonder balm or a whiff of Echostore's Spa in a bottle would help, too.
3. Take my vitamins. See, all that worrying and stressing makes me forget sometimes. For all I know, with a vitamin every day, I'd feel less defeated.
4. Sign out of all those social networking sites, and just get up from my chair and into bed. Oftentimes, getting stuck in front of my computer's what keeps me from precious sleep.

I know whatever deeper thoughts or prevailing challenges that have been keeping me awake these past few days could still be there tomorrow, but let me handle them on a better day, one I hope to get with enough sleep, clearer sinuses, a refreshed body.

In case I still have some tension, a headache and these blasted allergic rhinitis symptoms when I wake up after, say, the third try, I'll try a no-fail cry a bucket of tears movie. And, of course, there's 

      5.  Prayer, the #1 no-fail fix-it healing balm.

I really should try to put it in the top of my list, instead of at the bottom, for an 'in-case-nothing-works' situation. Maybe then, I won't need to find myself in a state that will motivate me to come up with a list like this.

Event Giveaway Keepers

I just got my nth USB flash drive at a press conference today. How did I get x number of flash drives (when I was just planning to get one 3 months ago)? It was the giveaway. It is the giveaway du jour at events, media launches, and conferences. Here are some:

flippers. Simple metal, or
encased in leather for some elegance

shaped  like a their product

ball point pen and laser pointer, too

I've received really funny, inane, useless, and creative stuff, but I'm liking the current trend. We've at least moved on from mugs, and for that alone, I do not complain. Here are my top 5 fave giveaway items, so far.

1. USB flash drive 
2. iPod (who wouldn't appreciate that)
3. Notebook (the paper kind, double points for unlined ones)
4. Pen or umbrella (at the rate I lose them)
5. Coffee

There's always a reusable tote or even gift certificate, which is a hit whenever it's part of the swag bag, but where's the fun in those? For a PR person like me, who also gets the chance to be at the receiving end when covering a story for a publication, I'd say go for an item that will work double-duty. The item should:

1. make an impact. "So cute!!!" is ok. It's an impact.
2. be useful. Otherwise, it'd get thrown into the same hole as those glass swans or even mugs. The iPod... no-brainer, but what made it work? The organization's video and playlist were already in it. Smart! Same with flash drive; these were loaded with the press kits.
3. be related to the product, service, organization being promoted or introduced. I mean, why give a paper fan if the product is an ISP?
4. be the product itself, if a product or bunch of products are the focal point of the event or launch. Let the receivers get a whiff, taste, experience... you know? Hit two birds with one stone.
5. be branded. Put a stamp on it as a reminder. Make it a mini something like that USB flash drive shaped like a tire from this tire company; branded, of course. 

I'm looking at this latest addition to my growing collection of USB flash drives. It's different, and it's a USB flash drive, and these days, one can't get enough of these handy-dandy items. The uniqueness factor is icing on the cake or a piece of string the organization that gave it away just tied around my finger to remember them. For those two reasons alone, they're keepers. But I still want the Hello Kitty one I saw recently.

Holy Week with a Twist

I spent nearly the entire Holy Week in a hospital this year.

Being independent and autonomous, not foolish.

When asked to describe myself I would always point out something that has become very obvious to me, I've acknowledged and accepted it. I am a jill-of-all-trades. That's fab, I mean, what can you not do as long as you're willing?  Unfortunately, this multi-tasking bit habit comes with quite a trade-off.

The Trouble with Writing

Actually, the trouble I encounter happens when I write, not with writing in general. I once posted this bit years ago in another blog:

Old School

I wonder why, in the midst of today's tech advances, the phrase "old school" has been going around a lot.

Hey, c'mon, it's Christmas, guys!

It's officially nine days to go before Christmas. It should start to get merrier. I just missed the first Christmas party lined up this year and I really wanted to attend it. Why the heck does it all have to get bad?!

In my own little tribe in my little circle, these are the top 5 dramas that upstage the joys of Christmas:

Top of my lists

Along my journey of becoming who I am today -- not who I always thought I would be --, I dropped some good habits, acquired some bad habits, lost sight of the key result areas in my life, consequently neglecting to give priority to those which need attention and action from me the most.

What happened? How'd it happen? Was it in one single sweep, or did it slowly creep into my system?

I'd like to think I was organized, a bit impulsive but I had a strong head on my shoulders. A bit conceited but humble enough to acknowlege my mistakes and learn from them.

Now, just when I am supposed to be mature, at the ripe old decade when life "begins", I am generally just going with the flow, allowing myself to be swept this way and that way by life's daily dish for me, sometimes laughing the day off, sometimes, grumbling, but mostly just going, "wha...?" More appropriately, actually, I go, "what the...?!" Then on to the next day.

Is that being resilient? I don't think so. More like apathetic. Probably helpless. Or even resigned. *sigh* --- Ooops, there you go.

So today I make a decision. *enter theme from Rocky* -- I will grasp life by its flowing skirt, ride with it, but yank if I need to slow down or pause a bit. I will manually re-activate my five senses and appreciate what is happening and join in. I shall start by replacing the future tense- verbs in this paragraph. Grasping, check. Riding, check. Yanking, check. Reactivating, m-hmmm. Replaced, yes, go!