02.01.05; Old Ogre; 12:56

Greatest assessment of my mental capacity so far: dementedvixen: “Aha! Since you’re only required to wear your eyeglasses for 3 hours a day, you use it when you’re sleeping!” Excuuuuuuse me, I don’t get to sleep THAT long! Amount of alcohol consumed on New Year’s: 0, miraculously. Amount of cholesterol consumed on New Year’s: Infinite. It’s the Season of Hope, isn’t it?

Dear Niwee,

The official umalohokan refused to thumb talk on Christmas. If I did, I was only replying to those who remembered. Naysaying how delightful Christmas is might be dangerous to others’ mental health. But hey, some Scrooges stop sneering on New Year’s.

Since you may be looking forward to my Year End citations, let me be a spoiler and laud my favorite New Year greetings through text instead. Of course, personalization gets 100%. (Note: Text messages were spelled out, except for one, to prevent eye sore bordering to annoyance.)

The crown goes to Ms. Aileen‘s very hopeful croon: “To a year without question marks of doubt and fear, or exclamation points of hate and anguish, but full of commas of reflection, periods of happy contentment, and quotation marks of praise and thanksgiving. Have a good writing year!” For someone who has lost her writing voice, this will serve as a great encouragement. I was tempted to forward this message to EJ11 until ccunnings echoed the greeting. Ms. Aileen might have done it before me.

Then there’s dementedvixen’s friendly reminder to stay indoors. “Hindi ‘yan putukan ng tamod!” Or something to that effect.

saber_kite‘s tribute to blog friends, I assume, is effortlessly touching. She expressed her awe that she gets to talk to them just about anything anytime. “I’m glad I have you met you guys,” she concluded.

I’m also glad langlang invited me over once in her gallery. I discovered a new spot in Malate, got to hang out with shdwbxr and her late sister Candy (for the last time) plus I got her number. Her being a virtual ghost as of late made me long for her hilarious SFX entries, which she resurrected through text, starting it with BLAGABUM! BLAGABAM! and closing it with PLAKAPING! It’s undeniably her.

And there are the ones that will make you shake or scratch your head:

For example, workaholic (or so it seemed) Arvin‘s forwarded speech soared and dove into a link here and there. On his behalf, dear readers and stalkers, I implore for your sweet visit.

Let’s not forget vflaire‘s parody of that Tide commercial. She went, [or as how my dying memory captured it] “Ako na naman. Ako na lang parati. Ako na lang sa Math. Ako na lang sa spelling. Pati ba naman ngayon, ako pa rin mauuna bumati sa’yo ng Happy New Year?” With my gritted teeth, I barked, “Ulul! Nauna akong bumati sa’yo! I sent it around 15:30!”

So who got me clutching my stomach from endless gales of guffaws? My college friend Ira. She sent back my very own non-template-ish message and attached her very own “I love you all!”. You know I’m not the kind who’d shut up. “Hoy, sa’kin galing ‘yan ha!” Her defensive strike follows: “Hindi ah! Sa’yo ba? Hehehe. Happy New Year!”

Admit it. You remember those who didn’t text back. In fact, I committed the stupid mistake of asking a good friend if she got my PhP1-worth message. “Natanggap ko po. Yung akin natanggap mo? May graphics pa ‘yun ha!”

On with the program. An old colleague replied with a “Hu u?” then snubbed me after I introduced myself. Oh well. I’ll just bask in the fantasy that it’s his girlfriend who was on the receiving end and nagged him with jealous inquiries afterwhich. Ha! No sex for a week. Thinking side of the brain counters: But doesn’t ‘Lornadahl’ sometimes sound like a male name? Non-thinking side yells: Pantasya ko ‘to, walang pakialamanaaaan!

Out of my 3 international text messages, only leeney_v gave me the silent treatment. HOW I MISS HER REPLIES IN ALL CAPS. My heart suspects her Christmas text said it all but I only got this: “*some text missing* Fr: Andy, Lyn and David.” Great. I suck in mind reading, remember?

Old friends, new friends, those who expected a string of lovely words from me but didn’t, those who didn’t ask for my attention but got it, those who stumbled on this virtual lounge for whatever reason, congratulations for surviving 2004! Let’s gear up for the next. Happy New Year, folks! I ❤ you all. Now is THE time to be jolly.

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EDIT: 04.01.05; 23:22

Ms. Aileen says the text message is actually from her scriptwriter friend, Mr. Cris Lim.