Our recent trip to the US had me think of the possibility of migrating. If that’s going to happen, we never know when and how. I know we are all unanimous in wishing we stay there for good. Anyway, the only migration that’s going to happen this year is the one from my self-hosted blog back to the free WordPress.com. My GoDaddy subscription ends this March and I have decided not to continue it as it is becoming more expensive to maintain. My initial plan back then was to have this blog monetized through ads but it never happened the way I expected it to be. Nuffnang wasn’t just enough to cover the renewal fees and this year subscription to the cost of the economy alone has tripled. It was only P7000 the last time I paid for it. I have already started the transfer to the free blog environment and I am now in the process of linking marcuscanblog.com to marcuscanblog.wordpress.com so all updates moving forward will be done on the latter.
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We heard there’s a new McDonald’s nearby so we tried its drive thru last Sunday night. The attendant was good enough to take our picture and I think this one reveals the pounds I have packed during the vacation.
What seems like in a snap of a finger, we find ourselves staring at 2017. Now we once again wonder what this new year has in store for us with all hopes up that it would be better than its preceding year. In our books, 2016 is hard to beat especially that its last days ended with a bang. But after three weeks of living the life in the land of milk and honey, our life goes back to normal. We have returned home, we move on.
Meeting 2017 at Old Sacramento.
Yes, we move on. One tall order after one unique travel experience. In the next days we merge back to the rat race–like it or not. In Marcus’ case, however, moving on is a pun and at the same time a big dream. And time is of the essence. This year we need to execute what we have regularly discussed between pauses during our American adventure. Our good hosts, my sister and her hubby, want to see Marcus undergo the next phase of DMD testing. They pledged to support it.
Kid in America.
To say we were happy at their commitment would be an understatement. DMD is one of those medical conditions that is expensive to deal with despite the uncertainty of success. With the much needed support we can now proceed and see if the available DMD drug in the market would be of benefit to Marcus. So as early as this January we’ll be busy. It’s time we see the doctor again. Fingers crossed.
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Marcus is among those in wheelchairs waiting to board the plane from Manila. He is the only child.
We continue to realize the challenge of travelling with someone in a wheelchair. Not that we are complaining but its a struggle we have to face. This is why I didn’t have any issues staying at my sister’s home and just enjoy time with everyone. I just know that Marcus preferred it that way too.
Even within the confines of the house there’s always something to keep us occupied anyway: gym, pets, TV, toys, food. They are also fond of non-smartphones games like Uno and Jenga. And it was where I learned my second card game (Trump cards is first) while Marcus proved he can play the latter.
He’s got steady hands.
Marcus once mentioned that he has seen how Jenga is played but we never saw him play the actual game not until this trip. To the surprise of everyone, he was a natural. He picked Jenga blocks on his own although I carried and assisted him to be able to place the blocks when the stack got higher. His dexterity to handle the blocks gave me some sort of hope. It proves that after all his remaining muscle functions may be preserved somehow. Let’s see.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Now using Marcus’ HP PC which we fixed ourselves. Thanks to the male Santa.)
To jump out of an airplane and eat at McDonald’s were two of the things I mentioned when I was asked by my brother in-law what I plan to do once we are in the US. I never thought the former was possible as I just want wifey and Marcus to experience their first US trip–everything else would be a plus. Then budget was an issue and the more we got closer to the trip the more I learned that weather could be a factor. But as fate would have it, the skydive happened. On a fine Elk Grove day, my brother in-law jumped strapped to our own instructors.
Tandem freefall from 13,000 feet.
The freefall was thrilling, the view was spectacular.
This is the second time I have jumped out of the plane and maybe this wouldn’t be the last. Fingers crossed.
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In pictures
My sis and I after my first jump so may years ago.
Back to the arms of with my ever supportive wife. (Take note of the shadow.)
Grounded and happy to drive back home.
Anxious beneficiaries at the jump center in Lodi taken while I and my in-law fill up our respective waivers.
Late afternoon stroll at the park after the jump.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Inside an RV somewhere in San Francisco early in the morning.)
To be in the snow seems like to be just a dream for people like us. It’s like we can see it only be in the movies, in the games. I have never imagined that soon we’d frolic in it. Yesterday it happened.
Red wheelchair in the snow.
Marcus is someone who can go sleep in an air-conditioned room just wearing sando and pajama so we had a hard time getting him to wear extra layer of clothing since we arrived in the US. He would complain at every opportunity justifying he could take the cold. However snow changed his mind in an instant.
Bally the Snowman.
To build a snowman had been his main plan when he learned we’d be at Kirkwood. So immediately after lunch we made one for him though it didn’t look like typical–one with the carrot nose and button eyes. He named it Bally.
Using apple and grapes. This is the best snowman size and look we can do.
Marcus had fun nevertheless. He experienced his first snowfight and saw the elements he used to only see in his Call of Duty map–the condensation when he exhales, the bright red plastic fence, the massive white snow. He loves the snow so much that he would’ve wanted to stay longer.
He can’t move his legs so I got a good excuse to make a snow angel for him.
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Marcus with his uncle.
Wifey and I had our first ski lesson and it was one I didn’t expect her to enjoy. She was so anxious about it that I had a good laugh when I discovered she was watching YouTube ski videos during the wee hours of the morning before our trip. The tutorial seems to have paid off as she did better than expected. Had she hydrated enough she could have reached the Graduation slope with me.
There was bitterness in the experience though. Along with our ski class were kids learning how to snowboard. I couldn’t help but admire how cute they were in their complete gears.
“How old are you guys?” I asked some of them when I got close to the group after I exited the conveyor.
“I’m 5…I’m 8,” came the replies. For some moment I almost teared up. Marcus could have been one of them.
We must have been so nice that this year our Santa Clauses decided that we personally pick our gifts from where it come from.
No reindeers here but fat cats and nosey dogs.The table has been cleared and beers and gifts take over.
While this isn’t my first time to set foot in the US, this is the first time to be with Marcus and wifey and with our Santa Clauses. Needless to say, this is one unusual Christmas for the three of us and we couldn’t thank God enough for this opportunity and for surrounding us with people who support us: people who paid for this trip and even people back home who wished us well.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
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Mood: 2/10 Honks!!!! (Our Garmin watches are waiting to be tested.)
Rogue One is one of those movies that Marcus had been waiting but it premiered in the Philippines when we were already busy packing stuffs and going through our travel checklist over and over again. He was all smiles when he heard he’d catch up on it where we would be after four days.
Cold but eager Rogue One fan. Outside Arden Fair while we wait to get our tickets.
I’m beginning to get the hang of taking selfies from different angles.
We are lucky to be one of those watching in this recently opened cinema in the area.
Big bucket of popcorn and comfy seat complete Marcus’ experience.
Team popcorn.
Did I just say popcorn? Well, Rogue One is one of those movies I fought off sleep by eating popcorn. At some point I knew I slept and twitched and dreamed and talked in Filipino. Sorry American seatmates if I snored as well.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Achievement unlocked: found food in the pantry on my own.)
So this is the land of milk and honey and it’s cold.
Blown away. He was overwhelmed with everything and this was just the beginning.Two hours after the long Customs Border Protection queue we finally step into the land of milk and honey.And the adventure begins. Face to face with a drone though not those he sees in Call of Duty.He discovered not everything is sweet in a candy store. He just tasted Toxic Waste.
This is just day day one and this the first official post that says we have landed.
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I had cancelled trips in the past and I don’t want this one to be among them so I never told any of my friends about details of this trip as I don’t want to jinx it.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no…it’s a wheelchair. Yes, the long wait is over and Marcus and his wheelchair is flying against all odds, against weird baggage weight requirement.
I’ll be there…
Our plan to pack light, just a carry-on bag and one for check in, seems like a bad idea. We didn’t know that what works in domestic flight won’t do in international. We discovered that the weight requirement is strictly enforced per bag so we have to summon our packing talent, or the lack of it, in a whim. It was a good thing we brought one extra backpack to distribute the excess stuffs. We eventually found ourselves waiting to board the aircraft, tired, hungry, sleepy but we made it.
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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (That expensive jumbo siopao made my day.)
Depends on who you ask, the idea of Christmas could differ. For most kids, it’s all about Christmas socks. For most adults, it’s Christmas sucks and that is just sad. It is why it pays to be a kid or a kid at heart this holiday season. It’s about setting aside all that pride and prejudice that hinder the true spirit of Christmas. It’s about having that innocence, at least for the time being.
Christmas is the perfect time to once again believe in Santa because Santa does exist. Baloney? Grinch, eh? Hear this. You see kids do not have a strong grasp of the origin of Christmas yet and so it takes some creativity to enforce to them the reward system–what one gets when he’s naughty or nice. And this is when Santa Claus comes to the rescue. With his sleigh and reindeer. With Rudolph the red-nosed leader. Remember that even Jesus made use of parables to get his message across. To use therefore a fat bearded man in a red suit who tirelessly shouts ho, ho, ho isn’t really a bad thing. Given the right parenting and faith, kids will soon understand the real reason behind this season. For now let’s allow Santa Claus to fill those Christmas socks.
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I have to stressed most kids in the statement. There are others out there with an empty Christmas socks as the least of their worries. Let’s spare a thought and a prayer for them.
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Mood: 1/10 Honks! (One more day and Marcus’ dream will come true.)
For months I have prepared for this day when I and wifey became a couple 20 years ago. And this is where she protests. Hehe. I actually have forgotten about it until she reminded me last night. Anyway, looks like 20 is a significant number this December as a day after this impromptu cake turns unfit for consumption (don’t worry we’ll make sure it happen) we’ll all be into something wonderful again. I love you wifey 😉
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Mood: 3/10 Honks! (That baked beef for lunch was heaven.)
Marcus Can Blog 