I've been picking up stuff for the trip. I'm nearly finished. I forgot to pick up band aids & notepaper though. Yucky... but I always end up with blisters when I run around all those airports no matter what shoes/sneakers I wear. So I need to pick up some for my carry-on. And notepaper for writing letters on the plane when I'm bored. I can't believe I have to pack next weekend. I hope I remember everything. And I've got an e-ticket this year. All the other times I've traveled I've gotten a paper ticket. So I'm a bit nervous about the e-ticket. Not so much for leaving the USA, but for leaving the Philippines. How do e-tickets work when leaving there? Hmmm. I guess I'll find out... I've never seen those e-ticket machines in the Philippine Airports.

So much to do and so little time. I've got alot I need to get done before I leave October 6th. My eye glasses also decided they wanted to break last Thursday. So I had to drive down to my eye doctor and thank god my insurance covers new frames... I just hope they are ready before I leave the country for 2 months. They are going to swap my lenses out. I miss my glasses... I have funky black/purple plastic cat eye frames and I love them. They are the first glasses I've ever loved. Usually I hate myself in glasses but these ones are like a fashion accessory to me!

And my Fiance's Birthday is October 9th! I'm so excited I get to be with him on his birthday this year. We'll probably be going to Saisaki Buffet with his family. And I got 2 gifts for him that are related somehow.... hehe. But I'll share them with you all once I've given him his gifts. I can't believe I'll be in the Philippines in just under 2 weeks!!! I won't arrive there until October 7th, around 10pm.

Oh! I picked up Philippa Gregory's new book 'The Other Queen' at Barnes & Noble last Friday. $22 for a hard cover. EEK! I don't like paying full price for books, I usually get them on Ebay or used on Amazon.com for a few dollars each. I read ALOT of books & I can just imagine how much I would spend if I always paid the cover price. But the book just came out last Tuesday and I wanted something new to read on the plane. I'm excited though, it's about Mary Queen of Scots.

I don't know if I mentioned before but I also ordered 'The Life And Death of Anne Boleyn.' By, Eric Ives. Which I thought was a great biography about Anne. Er... and I also finally gave in and bought 'The Other Boleyn Girl' on DVD even though it is nothing like the book or history and I was outraged by them making Henry VII rape Anne!!! (Read my review of the movie here!) Oh well... I got it for $5 on Ebay so it's something to watch on my ipod while on my 15 hour flight to Hong Kong!!!! I am not looking forward to 24 hours worth of traveling... but at least I get to see my boy soon! Miss kita nobyo ko.... mahal kita...

I'm rambling, I'm exhausted and I have to get up at 5:30am. So it's off to bed for me. I will leave you with a pretty picture I took of a bumblebee the other day:

Cinnamon:



























Sugar:

























I also ordered a rattie charm off of ebay and put it on a necklace. It's really tiny, but adorable!












And for an early birthday gift to myself I ordered a silver charm bracelet from Esquivel and Fees. I am getting my name 'Sarah' engraved on the charm in script. They make really nice handcrafted jewelry. They said it should ship in 2 weeks. I can't wait to receive it!












Only about 8 more weeks until my trip to the Philippines! I'm so excited! I have to start getting stuff I need to take with me. Also I'm still not furloughed from work... we've always been furloughed in August/September. This year we are getting in a ton of paperwork and they said that there was no talk of being furloughed. I talked to both my managers and they said I may be able to use what vacation time I have saved up and perhaps take leave without pay since I'll be in the Philippines for 2 months. They said they would discuss it with our department head. I always plan my trips for later in the year when I know I won't be working and it figures the one year I decide to stay 2 months I'm still working! I'm crossing my fingers that we'll be let go before my trip. The latest I can leave work is Friday October 3rd, since I'm leaving October 6th!

We want to stay in Makati City again for a few days. I really love it there. And last year I got to meet up with my friend Gayle. I think we might stay 3 days 2 nights. And I also want to visit a beach so, F.B. is going to talk to his Mom and see what's close by that we could drive to. Then we could stay a few days at the beach or a beach resort. I want beach pictures!

We'll also be celebrating our birthday's together this year, since F.B.'s birthday is October 9th. I think we'll be going to Saisaki Buffet for his bday. I already got him two gifts. hehe. I just ordered the 2nd today. I asked F.B. if he would get me Cueshe's new album. It came out in April and it's really tough to get Filipino bands here. I have their first 2 albums and I really want the new one!

F.B. and I have been talking about next year. And we've decided we'd like to get married in December, since that was the month we first met each other, first kiss, etc. It would be nice to get married in that month. No date set on that yet though, because it depends on how soon our paperwork gets done when I arrive next year. I have to get a paper from the US Embassy there that says I can marry and then we'd have to apply for a marriage license, then there's a 10 day waiting period & then make an appointment for a civil ceremony by a judge. So I'm thinking I'll arrive November next year and stay until January sometime. Then we want to take a honeymoon to Boracay!