The Longest Day

Today I have once again proven that the longest days are the ones spent in the outside world, far from a constricting office table.

It’s sticky hot outside, uncomfortable, and polluted. But that’s a small price to pay for freedom.

Yes, I was free for a day, thanks to birthday leaves! I remember spending last year’s BL with Nichi—helping out in having him discharged from the hospital. For 2006 I spent my BL watching Superman’s return. Meanwhile the first birthday leave I ever had which was in 2005, that I spent in my usual self-imposed house arrest where I must have sat and stared.

Today, almost 2 weeks away from my birthday, I packed an activity-filled birthday leave.

First on my to-do list was to drop by the school to get important papers. Unfortunately no one was there to attend to my concern. My contact person failed to tell me when I called her last week that they were scheduled to have their recollection the same day I set to visit them. Argh…

I proceeded to my next stop: A dental prophylaxis. There I discovered three teeth that needed filling. Noted to self to ask mom’s help in finding a dentist-friend to fill my teeth instead of the dentist provided by my health card.

I got inside a bus and headed to my asthma doctor who declared that my lungs are doing fine.

“Basta wag ka muna magnigarilyo,” the doctor said.

“Opo naman, hindi muna,” I replied.

If doc only knew, it’s the least of his worries.

Soon I dropped by the bank to consult the experts how feasible my Paypal plan is. As it turned out, it’s not. While walking, I drafted plan B: formulate another plan.

I made a quick stop for lunch and, along the way, searched rubber temple tips for my old eyeglasses. For Php 78 I may be able to use my old pair of prescription spectacles without the discomfort.

When I was trying to accomplish the 6th item on my list, the sun’s heat was at its finest which was great timing for me. I just had to subject myself to all its glory. I had to bear the heat while I was on my way to claiming the honorarium for my Youngblood article which came out last December. (Yes, everyone, you get paid when your work gets published!)

Then I visited my part-time boss and officemates to say “hi,” shook hands with my even higher part-time boss, and then got what I came there for. (At least this one worked well, unlike the school.)

Later, I met mom and went to the clinic where the dentist-friend who’s supposed to fix my teeth was supposed to be. His schedule was full. My appointment was set 17 days from now.

I said goodbye to my mom and was in a hurry to fulfill my next mission: to purchase some TDK blank DVDs…the only brand our writer recognizes. Snob!

By the time I was targeting my next to-do item, I was too exhausted to do it. I segued to watching “Caregiver” with my mom and brother, who conveniently were a few escalators away. But before entering the theater, we grabbed an early dinner first and waited for the showing time inside a bookstore where I got torn whether I’d buy Neil Gaiman’s “The Day I swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish” or not. It pained me to let the book go. It really did.

I was ready to call it a day and sit on a moving vehicle that’ll bring me home but scarcity of a ride prompted us to get some refreshments instead. We killed time in the proces. Soon enough we found ourselves a ride.

To complete the day, I decided to write this entry.

And so it ends.