Keeping up with the trend, here's a look back at things that have highlighted 2005 for me -- otherwise known as Pimpin' Meself Sum Mo'.

January went rather fast. Lost a Yahoo! ID, lost a premolar, and at a long last read The Da Vinci Code. Oh, I also got a weeny bit of a raise. Rather exciting way to start the new year.

February was even faster. Had a Valentine's Day I can't recall now. I think I bought someone some flowers. Or something. Funny, you would think someone who buys flowers once a year or two should remember. Had my second anniversary with the firm. East beat West yet again, in the Mile-High City this time.

The Miracle

"What finally happened that night?" asked Yos. He could no longer contain his excitement. "What did you do when the Japanese finally attacked?"

Karno stared at the two men for what had to be a full minute. "Nothing," he finally said.

"Huh? What do you mean, nothing?" Yos demanded.

"Nothing," the old man repeated. "We did not do anything because the attack never came."

"Never came!" exclaimed Yos. His priest let out an audible sigh.

Shepherd in Doubt

It was an ordinary Thursday afternoon. As ordinary as a day before Christmas could be anyway. The small church was buzzing with activities. People came and went with this and that. A few teenagers were cheerfully giving finishing touches to a small construction that passed for what popularly -- and mistakenly -- known as a Christmas cave. That Baby Jesus had not really been born in a cave meant little to them, to anyone. What was Christmas celebration without a Christmas cave? So they joked and laughed at one another while arranging small, hand-made dummies that represented Joseph, Mary, and the three Magi.

A mini choir of ten was rehearsing the songs for the night service. The leader -- a middle-aged lady in Javanese traditional dress -- was showing them how to articulate the songs more by forming perfect Os with their mouths. Here and there kids were putting on the usual Christmas decorations, which were getting more Westernized every year. Young men were bringing extra seats into the church and arranging them neatly. People say that you can skip regular Sunday masses now and then, but you have to come to church at least for Christmases and Easters. Hence the extra seats.

"Romo Bouten, the cave is set. We're saving you the honor to put the star on."

Well, there they go. The final few hours of my twenties.

It was fun while it lasted. Could've been better. Could've done better. Could've been worse, of course. All things evened out, wouldn't have had it any other way.

Goodbye, my twenties. I may miss you.

Current music: Extreme - Christmas Time Again
Current mood: peace-making

I wanna write a review. Just like Dettol and Siwis.

First things first, spoiler's warning!

All right. I'd like to start by proudly announcing that King Kong was the first Peter Jackson's movie during which I managed not to fall asleep. Yawning is a totally different thing, of course. When you leave office at 21:15 and rush for a 3-hour-long movie that's to start at 21:30 yet actually does at 21:45 (damn you, commercials), you're entitled to 20 yawns or so.

Just so we're clear: the yawns don't count, OK? I enjoyed the movie. Honest.

OK, WTH was that?

One hour of waiting, five minutes in the exam room, and it cost me $92? Seriously. Ninety. Two. Dollars?

See, this is exactly why I don't like taking sick leave (read: getting MC). Even my tooth extraction cost me less than that and it involved Doctor Rahul The Specialist.

I guess that explains the bunch of Minis the doc owns. Or so the pictures in his room seemed to suggest.

Current music: none
Current mood: obviously not very happy

Dude! You won't believe what just happened! I was this close to be run over by... Guess who.

Annika Sorenstam.

Nope. Kid you I do not.

I was walking innocently along Orchard Boulevard when this Lexus pulled out of the Four Seasons Hotel and was millimeters away from a brush with yours truly.

All right. Meters away. And a contact was not even in the equation -- this is a blog, after all.

I realized I didn't write much on Saturday. So here's one, just for the sake of it.

You know you have a problem when your mom keeps telling you to dress more fashionably, even offering to pay for branded stuff. Yes, in addition to being insipid I'm also Scrooge-stingy, but that's for another entry. On another Saturday perhaps -- one can hope.

Take my cellphone, for example. When this entry is written -- one never knows -- I'm still faithfully using a Nokia 8250. A terribly worn out Nokia 8250. Well, I have the T630 my dad gave me, but after playing second fiddle to the 8250 for a few months, it now stays in its box.

For 2005 -- or, for that matter, ever?

BTW, does anyone know how to do that pile of letters effect? Too cool.

I'm with .... Definitely mrbrown.

Of course, as proven time and again, my picks are not necessarily the picks. Such is life.

There was a time when broken hearts and broken dreams were over...

Current music: Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat
Current mood: happy

...but which one?

That's what popped up immediately in my mind upon hearing Naked News' "If you can only have one CD to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

Tough one. I like all of them.

In the end I settled for S & M. It's damned good, it was a birthday present from Iduy, and it has more than once kept me all-night company in the old Boat Quay office.

So. If you can only have one CD to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Current music: Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra - Until It Sleeps
Current mood: happy