Never expect things to happen and then you'll really be surprised.

Surprise #1:

From: Hasbro Sweepstakes Fulfillment Center

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2004 10:05 AM

To: ******@yahoo.com

Subject: Win the Sword of Aragorn Sweepstakes

Dear Loryces:

Congratulations! You have been selected as a winner of a Second Prize of a Top Trumps “Lord of the Rings” Card Game in the "Win The Sword of Aragorn" Sweepstakes sponsored by Hasbro, Inc.

Please provide us with your full name (first and last), street, address, city, state and zip code so we can send you your prize. Once we receive that information you can expect delivery in 6 to 8 weeks.

PLEASE RESPOND VIA EMAIL WITH YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS.

We must receive your response within 7 days of this email or we may be forced to select an alternate winner of the prize.

Thank you for your participation and your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

Ruth McGinnis

Marketing Coordinator

Alcone Marketing Group

Surprise #2:

CLICK ME!

Surprise #3:

CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE CAST AND CREW OF LOTR!

Here's the list of reaped awards in the 76th Academy Awards yesterday:

• Return of the King for Best Picture



• Peter Jackson for Best Director



• Grant Major and Dan Hennah for Best Art Direction



• Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor Best Costume



• Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex Funke for Best Visual Effects



• Richard Taylor and Peter King for Best Makeup



• Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges and Hammond Peek for Best Sound Mixing



• Howard Shore for Best Original Score



• James Selkirk for Best Film Editing



• Annie Lennox, Fran Walsh and Howard Shore for Best Music (Song)



• Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens for Best Adapted Screenplay

and this was me (literally) yesterday -->

Did I ever tell you I applied for two positions last week? Well I did. Yesterday one of them called me and asked for an interview. The interview was today. I almost had a heart attack when I was finally in front of the office. I mean, I didn't even prepare for it!!! All I did was put on some make-up (yeah you read it right -- make-up), hoping that it will make me 'more mature-looking,' and busted through the door. When they asked me to do a webpage with matching graphics for less than 30 minutes, I was dumbfounded. 30 minutes?!? Talk about pressure. Did I do well? Don't think so. The interview? Well, it's ok I guess. I answered as honestly and comfortably as I can. Will it count? Don't ask me. From what I gather, I think it's a 'high-powered' job, probably looking for very competent individuals in website-making. And what do I know? Just a bit of HTML and CSS, some copy/paste skills, and that's it. Do I regret applying? No. In fact I really did enjoy the interview. Although there's a big chance of me not getting it, at least I got an interview. My 2 previous attempts in applying for a student employee position ended in the trash can. Ooops I forgot. I gave my URL to my interviewer. Ngek. Dibale ok lang. Tagalugin ko na lang. Hehe. Haay buhay... Uh-oh I have a final exam to prepare for. What am I doing here in the netcafe??? Ack!!! Time to go! Wish me luck -- both the test and interview.

I've always been fascinated with skiing and snowboarding. That's why I can never understand why it took me this long to finally have the urge to try it. If not for a friend's skiing stories (who lives in California btw imagine that), I might not have thought of going online and finding out about skiing services in our area.

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A friend of mine just visited Skywalker Ranch. Can you say wow?!

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CONGRATS ANGEL!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The road to success is not straight.

There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion,

speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies,

caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs.

But if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance,

insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus,

you will make it to a place called Success.

With all the work I had to do this week, I completely forgot my mom and dad's birthday. I know it's not an excuse and for that, i deserve a 'twak' so here goes: . Oh well, better late than never.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND DAD!

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I did bad on my Pharmacology exam. I suddenly got a mental block and mixed up the alpha-adrenergics, beta-adrenergics, beta-agonists, alpha-agonists, anti-diarrheals, anti-emetics, and blah-blah-blah. I'm so frustrated I could tear my hair out. Coffee certainly didn't help. But you know what, the good (and weird) thing is, out of the 4 exams we have for Pharm, we could drop one exam that has a really bad grade. So for example, I got a 70 on today's exam and the other 3 I got them all perfect (yeah, yeah wishful thinking na kung wishful thinking), I could drop the first exam and not include it in the final grade. Isn't that nice (and weird)?

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Next week's the hell week. Then again, I would bravely say that's nothing compared to UPM's hell week.

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Sigh.

Ngek I didn't notice that it's almost two weeks since my last post. Already?! Wow. Time really flies when you're having fun -- almost having fun I mean. A lot has happened this past week. Homeworks, group projects, papers... ahh I should probably spare you that. Heehee. Anyway here are some pictures I took during the times I was bored.

This is the school's bookstore. I just realized that the textbooks they're selling cost less than the retail price in Amazon or in other bookstores. Good deal. I recently bought Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy and Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues last week. I can't help it. Everytime I pass by, I get this craving for a book. I just have to buy. It's so weird... and costly too.

Ahh the fitness center... I enrolled two weeks ago and just last Monday, I summoned my courage and stepped into the fitness world. I was so terribly shy the first day. I don't know why. Buti na lang I didn't chicken out. :) Lots of equipment in the center - Cybex, Nautilus, Stairmaster, Elliptical trainer. I must try all of them. *rubs hands together*

My very first play here in Chicago... I watched The Vagina Monologues last Friday. Very funny but poignant as well. A lot of good points were raised and now I'm really, really interested to read the book.

Yay! More winter pics before it's too late. :)

Been busy for the past two weeks. I'd forgotten how busy schoolwork can be. Mas busy dito compared to Pinas. In my Psych class alone (which I attend twice/week), I have to pass a paper every Monday. But that's not all. We also have quizzes every Monday and a group project every Wednesday. Nice di ba. Well the papers are easy to write -- all you have to do is answer the questions, copy the answers right off the textbook and you're done. Their quizzes are easy too (although I'm far from getting them perfect - katamad mag-aral eh) since they are open book (weird noh?). In my Pharm class, we also have weekly assignments and readings. And those are just my minor subjects. My major subjects are another story. Well compared to my first college, they are a piece of cake. Dami lang projects and assignments. Not that I'm complaining. Those things are what they call "bonus points" for us to make up on failed quizzes (failed for them is when you get one or two answers wrong). Such a different environment from the one I'm used to. Sigh. Kung ganito lang school namin, I think things would have been different.

BTW there are some activities in our school that's interesting to be part of: plays, musicals, and foreign films. Not that I would audition for a part but what I mean is, I would want to take part of it as an audience. Hehe. The plays I'm
looking forward to and definitely will be watching are The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler and Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. There's the Six Piano Ensemble I'd like to watch too and of course, the foreign films which would be available come March. I just hope school won't get in the way. Hehe.

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After much anticipation, I finally found out the truth. And it's not good. I wish I didn't have to hear (or read) about it. I was so pissed off, damn her.

To those people who are still living with their parents (or any parent figure), don't you just feel cramped and suppressed?? I hate not being in control, to be answerable to authority figures. Grrr... Sh*t.

*screams like a hyena -->

*calms down*

BTW I printed out the ROTK script and one of Rashbold's files (Origin of the Orcs) at the school. Tomorrow I'm going to print 2 more documents. Don't look at me like that. Mahal ng tuition ha.