Photo by Em Somera

My head AND heart have been in the clouds for the past few days. The lingering feel of fingers intertwined with mine. The warmth of his tight bear hugs. That mischievous smile coupled with his playful snicker. These memories paste a smile on my face and send me shivers down my spine at least once every 30 minutes. At least once! Sometimes twice. Sometimes thrice. Or even more…

I AM THIS EXCITED. Our LDR dream is coming true in the next 9 days. 9 days to go!

He is finally coming home after more than 7-months of being away. The longest EVER in our 3-year long distance relationship. So I am really just EXCITED to see him again. Sigh.  I've been living in my daydreams and night dreams with Dodong, replaying memories with him. These really help me get up in the morning, even if the weather is just too good for staying in bed.

Each day, I wake up more ALIVE and with PURPOSE, comforted by the fact that in 9 days, Dodong and I will be together. Sigh.

Sinabi ko na ba na excited ako? SOOOOBRAAAAAA!!!!

Will I ever be satisfied with holding my own hand?

I miss Dodong terribly. Every single day. I'm pretty sure he misses me too. But have you ever wondered how much time does it take for us to be on the brink of crazy missing each other?

After almost 3-years of being in a LDR, we've pretty much calculated the average duration of how long does it take to REALLY miss each other after getting to see each other physically. 1-month is obviously too soon. 2-months a bit too soon as well.

For us, it's 4-months. That's our Missing You Threshold. It's after 4-solid months of not seeing each other that we start to just lose it. I'm sure you've read about the 5 Telltale signs that Dodong misses me and Dodong transformed into a totally different person: from bitter to saccharine. So after 4-months, expect your sanity to go downhill from there.

I'm just really glad and super duper blessed that even if we both get the Missing You crazies after the 4-month threshold, we still are there for each other through and through…

This weather has not been good to me

I've been a delinquent blogger last week and was not able to share anything with you guys as I have been out of commission (well, I still am…sadly). I am in dire need of some kisspirin and yakapsul because of the damn pneumonia. Oh, I am not allow kisspirin because I might infect somebody else (?).

Now, I am pretty much stuck with these for the rest of the week…

An apple and meds a day keeps the bacteria away

An apple and medicines for breakfast. Sadness. Today, I have nobody to take care of me since everybody else has school and work. I really do need a dose of kisspirin and yakapsul from Dodong right now. Huhuhu. Don't you think that would make me feel all better?

Okay back to really resting now…even just one blogpost makes me feel awfully tired.

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

I'm a wreck on rainy days

My incessant cough (which only appears during the rainy season) is killing me. Plus, the cool weather, perfect for cuddles and snuggles is DOUBLE KILLING ME! This is THE weather for sharing the body warmth with Dodong: Bear hugs and kissies! Hay. And I don't get any of that. Darn.

What do I miss about us during days like this?

…Eating a bowl (or two or three!) of steaming hot Mongolian BBQ at Sweet I.

…Sharing a nice tight hug while watching the Summer (US season) movies — Could have watched Inception (which I haven't watched just yet), Karate Kid, Toy Story 3 with him.

…Standing under a big golf umbrella in the rain An excuse to stay super close to each other in public! Hahaha!

…Going to Starbucks / McDo Cafe / Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for a cuppa hot drink: sometimes hot choco, sometimes coffee, sometimes tea

…Taking care of each other when one gets the sniffles or fever or cough like now

…Picking me up after a long day at work! My knight in shining armor to save the helpless commuter on a rainy day!

Haaaay. I miss Dodong so during rainy days What do you miss about him the most on days like this?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

I think I forgot what No. my university grad was...

Last night, I attended my brother's college graduation. We actually attended the same university so it was a treat for me (aside from the fact that he finally graduates) as I suddenly took myself through a walk down memory lane.

Because almost exactly six years ago, Dodong attended my college graduation…

It was one of the most memorable moments for me then. Dodong was working in a call center during graveyard shift and he could not promise he would be attending my graduation. I was a bit sad but I kept myself sane by agreeing that it was a reasonable excuse: If Dodong attended my graduation, he would not be able to get himself to work.

And so my family and I all trooped to PICC for the graduation. I fell in line together with the hundreds of other graduates, while my parents and siblings (including the brother who graduated) took their seats in the audience. I was happy but not completely happy since Dodong was not there to witness a milestone in my life. Or so I thought…

An hour into the graduation rites, I received a text message from Dodong saying that our university graduation made him feel as if he were at Hogwarts and he was seated at the back of the auditorium.

So does it really feel like Hogwarts?!?

My head went spinning in a frenzy, trying to scan the audience for Dodong. I was not able to spot him but the fact that he was physically there made my heart skip a beat. He decided to go to my graduation and join us for the dinner celebration even if he still had work after Thanks to another good friend (whose ex-girlfriend was also graduating), Dodong was able to hitch a ride from the home all the way to PICC.

That text message really made my graduation extra special. Physical presence does mean a LOT right?

Just imagining that he was going down these steps to meet me in my graduation garb made me miss Dodong more…

Dodong went down these stairs too...

Okay wait, I need to shift my mood. I am truly happy that bro graduated on time Hehehe! Three down and three more siblings to go!

Congratulations to all graduates of 2010! School ends and the working life begins

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. I'd like to get to know you better so hope you could answer a quick survey here.

P.P.S. Congrats again bro!

My gown looks extra lonely without you.

I'm attending another wedding later…alone as usual. No stand-in guy nor girl nor gay friend as my plus one. Just me.

When my friend was still in the planning stage of building her guestlist, I asked her if I could have a stand-in plus one. But, of course, due to tight budgets, it wasn't possible. And I completely understand.

Yesterday, I was feeling another bout of loneliness because I would be going on my own, while my friends would be with their significant others. Why do I think weddings are meant for two-somes?

I want somebody to help me zip up my gown.

It's hard to zip up my down. Really. It's the kind of zipper that goes up to the side of the torso so you do need an assistant to get it up. Oh and yeah, the gown has a hook, so I do need help with that too

My little sister is helping zip me up later. But it's not the same because it's not YOU.

I want somebody to bring me there AND bring me home too.

The travails of not choosing to drive a car (out of laziness and love for Mother Earth – one less carbon imprint ok?) include commuting to a wedding in a long gown without looking stupid. Imagine me hailing a tricycle / FX / Jeep in full formal regalia. Ayayay!

If Dodong were here and was my wedding date, we'd be cruising along EDSA or C5 in trusty and handsome Sharkface. But thank God, I have my mom who will bring me there. Gas c/o yours truly. But still better that commuting right?

And yeah, I do miss the goodnight kiss post wedding date. Tonight there will be no goodnight kisses only goodnight waves and besos from friends.

I want somebody to snicker with me in the absurdly cheesy moments.

Dodong and I have attended weddings in the past. For me, one of the highlights would be snickering and chuckling in the cheesiest of moments during the wedding. Yes, we like to poke fun at weddings sometimes. Hehehe! It's just such a relief to know that somebody else can't take too much cheese either.

Later I do not have Dodong with me to do that. Perhaps I would end up texting him cheesy lowlights if any. But knowing my friend, I think there hardly be any. I hope.

But anyways, I am still happy to be attending this evening's wedding even if I am all alone with my lonesome self. I am glad to know that my friend has found her prince charming Best wishes my dear Anna!

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. I'd like to get to know you better so hope you could answer a quick survey here.

P.P.S. A bit of trivia: I've known Anna since our kindergarten days. She was actually my mother in a play we did then.

Is being too busy in the Future?

Hay. The iBlog6 is done and it has been crazy: with the iBlog preps plus the regular workload (but still fun I must say). And with busyness comes the budget time spent with Dodong (at least online). He has been very much busy with work as well so basically we have been busy with our own lives.

And today, I have experienced some withdrawal symptoms of him missing me. I miss Dodong's missing me. Gets? We've been so super duper busy that we've kind of "forgotten" about each other…sad!

Here are the 3 signs I miss him missing me…

I was texting him incessantly today

I started texting me since this morning and I told Dodong: "This is me craving your attention. This is me missing you." I may sound a bit desperate, which I am. But I also knew he'd be busy at work and would probably have a hard time logging onto Chikka (which sends text messages at no cost).

And I guessed right because that's what he told me when I got his text message later this evening. His name flashing on my mobile phone's screen just made me smile a giddy one for the books

I call him on his Dubai number in the middle of my sleep

Last night, we weren't able to chat since he was on call at work. And on the other side of the globe (I think), I was just too tired to stay up late from all the work I did for the iBlog6 and other work stuff and errands and events. So I ended up sleeping early.

Then I woke up in the middle of the night (well, morning as it was 3AM Manila time and 11PM Dubai time) to make a phone call to Dodong. I just wanted to hear his voice and tell him how much I missed him And I still do…

I reread his mushy messages on my mobile phone

We were stuck in traffic earlier and I just went through some of his messages to me. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes and I just breathed in to stop them from falling down. Buti na lang kamo madilim sa sasakyan ano!

I'm kinda shy to let everybody else know that I am teary eyed because I miss Dodong so much. And that I want him to badly miss me too (which I know he does but work just keeps him busy and tired).

Oh brother. My wish now is that Dodong would let me know how much he misses me also. Like the mushy kind. Hehehe. Is that too much to ask?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

This I will definitely miss.

The sad thing about LDRs is the "Goodbye for now…till we meet again" moments, which I am in right at this very moment. In a few hours, Dodong will be boarding his Emirates flight (hopefully upgraded to business class again!) back to the land of the camels and sheiks.

I already cried my eyes out, which is quite a  surprise. I know I should be used to this already since this isn't the first time he left. BUT it's not easy to let him go…literally go. Go back to the desert. I will miss him a whole lot. I even think a whole lot is an understatement!

I miss Dodong but there are some things which change during each homecoming. What will I miss about Dodong this time around?

The mere nearness of him

The fact that he is in the same time zone and very accessible via mobile phone. Even just a 5-minute commute to his house (He does live a stone's throw away from my place) or maybe a meet-up within Metro Manila (except Makati because he hates the place. Hehehehe!).

With him back in the desert, I'd have to wait until we would come to a common ground before he'd be able to get back to me. Yes, I'm used to it BUT, of course, I'd want him to be more accessible especially when I need him the most.

The rides with Sharkface (his new Mitsubishi Lancer EX)

With our new found mobility through Sharkface, it's so fun to just go around. Though gas here costs an arm and a leg versus the costs in Dubai, car rides are great for conversations, jokes and holding hands Cheezy? But I love it Especially that this time around, we did get around quite a lot…we got to Pagudpud right?

The food trips!

Well, it has been significantly less this time around since we are both "conscious" about gaining weight now. He also did the GM diet when he saw that it did work wonders for me. Competitive! hehehehe!

When Dodong is here, I do get to eat in more places…his treat of course! I really feel like a princess

The physical intimacy (of course!)

Hugs, kisses, hugs, kisses, hugs, kisses, hugs, kisses, hugs, kisses…need I say more? I think this will appear in all of the top things I will miss about Dodong's being here.

The prayers together

This I believe is the most significant of all. We were able to pray together, on his first Sunday here, during our roadtrip (for safety on the road) and earlier this afternoon before leaving for the airport. I do firmly believe that prayer has and will play a big role in our relationship for the future. We are thankful for all the blessings…most definitely! We truly realized how blessed we are now. And we also prayed for strength, daily safety, abundance, and good health for the coming months.

Hope you'd take the time out (just a few minutes) to pray with us as Dodong and I continue through our LDR journey

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

What gives me hope in each LDR day?

Ever since the day Dodong left for the hot sands of the UAE (it's been exactly 437 days that we have been apart), I often catch myself daydreaming of him and of us. The things that we did together when he was home and the things that we could do together when he comes home.

Sometimes you may think that these are the things that are out of this world, but then when you've been apart for so long, you get to value the simple things that the two of you do as a couple. Things and gestures that I wouldn't have even noticed, or more so given value to when he was here. But in reality these are what make you go crazy when the I'm-missing-you-so-bad feeling kicks in (which is most probably what Dodong is going through at the moment.).

Now that Dodong is going gaga over missing me, again it really breaks my heart to "see" (because I don't get to see him, see him) or rather hear him going through this. I know that this trial has and is continuing to make our relationship stronger by the day. It is definitely not cliche when they say: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Because it does! It so does make the heart grow fonder. Yes, crazy-in-love, head-over-heels fonder…at least for us.

And so what are the things I do miss like crazy and look forward to at the same time?

I miss holding his hand.

Dodong's got soft hands with a calyo (Help! What is the english word for calyo?) on his left thumb because he is left-handed. I just miss wrapping my fingers around his. Haaaaaay. The comfort that his hand brings. I am at a loss for words to describe it.

I miss giving him gigil hugs!

Even before we were officially a couple, this is a thing I would do with him. I like to give him gigil hugs. I am having a hard time translating gigil in english so maybe somebody can give me a hand perhaps? Nosebleed. I miss his big bear arms wrapped around me, sometimes even twirling me around ala Hollywood movie.

I miss his scent.

For some strange reason I do. I heard from a friend (and maybe read up on it in some magazine) that the scent of the one you love really lingers. From time to time, I get a whiff of Dodong's newly bathed and shaven self (of course, he take a bath before we go out!)…it drives me absolutely crazeeeeehhh! Oh yeah, I also cannot forget his signature Michael Jordan cologne. I have been giving him that cologne since waaay back. Just to stock up on the stuff. I guess it's been phased out.

Last but not the least, I am looking forward to spending each waking moment with him.

We have been together for 7 years and counting and it is only now that we have seriously been talking about the Big "W" or the Big "M" or tying the knot or whatever code name you may give it. The big she-bang of the wedding is definitely something to look forward to. I've even started to create a vision board of my dream wedding. Sharing with you some of my fave stuff:

My Dream Wedding Images from the 100 Layer Cake Blog

But, of course, the thing I am most looking forward to is to spend each waking moment with Dodong beside me, sharing everything (well, except a girl or, worse, a boy…no threesomes for me!). I know that I want to spend the rest of my life (what's left of it) with him. Dodong is the One. I just know. I've prayed for this 7 years and 2 months  and 24 days ago.

Dodong will be coming home this November. I am really just excited for November to come. Time flies so fast lately so I think in just a blink of an eye, Dodong will be here to hold my hand, hug me, kiss me once more…well, not just once of course. Hehehe! Please let it be November already!

What do you miss and look forward to when he comes home?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Of course, I miss kissing him too!

Some experiences are best SHARED.

Work has just been crazy as I've kind of let it out here last Monday. These are really the times when I sorely miss Dodong D. Cierto. Yes, I know I received a phone call the other day, actually still get to chat with him and email. But the physical presence is just different.

I suddenly just miss doing couple things with Dodong. Here are my top 3…

Watching movies

The last movie I watched was BFF (Best Friends Forever). Yes the Sharon Cuneta and Ai-ai de las Alas movie. And no I am not ashamed to broadcast to the world that I watch pinoy movies. I missed almost all 2009 Hollywood Summer Blockbuster movies like Star Trek , Angels and Demons,  X-men Origins: Wolverine (kahit yung pirated unedited movie hindi ko pa napanood), NIght at the Museum 2, Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.

Aside from the tons of stuff I do, I'm not really in the mood to watch movies with people other than Dodong. Movies aren't the same without him. Nobody to laugh at other people in the cinema. Hehehe. You just have the insider jokes that only the two of you can understand. Nobody to hold your hand. Nobody to hug you and keep you warm in the cool movie theatre. Nobody to share greasy buttered popcorn with. Sadness.

Friday Night Pig Outs

Dodong and I have this tradition which we do almost every week, which kind of defeated the purpose of going to the gym as we usually pigged out after gyming. Hehehehe. We always ate at places which fulfilled the 3M requirement: Mura (cheap), madami (voluminous) and masarap (delicious). Our usual haunts included:

Michelle\'s Bulaluhan – porksilog for only Php 35!

Tapsi ni Vivian – for the BEST tapa in the world!

Something Fishy – for the Below P 100 buffet breakfast…though after a while it did taste pretty disgusting. Hehehe.

We'd even splurge once in a blue moon, on special occasions or on paydays. Even at hotel buffets if feeling extra generous. I just miss sharing a meal (or two or three or four…in one sitting that is. Hehehe) plus lots of stories and laughs. Nobody else to eat to my stomach's content.

Day-Off weekends

Since we are Dodong and Inday, we just feel the need to have day offs. Hehehe. We love love love walking around Bonifacio High Street. Just walking around. Not spending a single peso. Well, maybe just parking…Hmmm then again, we make sure we don't pay for parking. Hehehe.

Very day-off execution ala walking in the park with matching sosyal dogs and their owners. Ay baligtad dapat sosyal people with their dogs. Window shopping. Okay maybe sometimes shopping! Especially at Nike and Fully Booked. With lots of stories and laughs in between shops.

Okay. I have to stop now. I am missing him so bad. Sigh.

How about you: What activities do you miss doing with your better half?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay