Back from Manila, and what a week it was. I arrived just as the storm Ondoy finished dumping as much rain on Manila in 24 hours as they get in a whole month. People were sleeping in the airport and hanging out at any place that was open because they could not make it home with the flood waters. The damage done to Marikina City was daunting. I was able to watch the flood waters enter Manila Bay for the next 9 days, and the amount of not only mud but of anything that could float was distressing. The muddy water from the river running into the bay was huge. I didn't get out much because of the rain and such, so there are actually no pictures, sorry to disappoint.
Luckily the second typhoon was north of metro Manila, so they didn't have another flood to worry about, though the winds along the bay were getting pretty high. All in all it was a good vacation for me, to just relax and enjoy my time with =FairyLi , but I do feel badly for those who were affected by the storms. Here is a link to the Philippine National Red Cross ( [link] ) if you would like to help out.

Anyway, this was a reminder to me not only of how fragile life can be, but how strong we can be when we come together. Some of the stories from the storms, such as the judge who used his jetski to help rescue people, or the swimmer who rescued 20some people before finally succumbing to the flood waters give me hope for humanity that I don't often feel.

I now have my cats from my ex-wife. She was no longer able to take care of them as well as they needed, since she has become very busy lately. Its a bit of a transition for both me and the cats at this point. They have to get used to the new place, and I have to get used to being woken up by cat cries as they play early in the morning, but I'm sure we will work things out.



I havn't done very much at all lately as far as photos. I have a lot going on in my head and a bit in my life, and for some reason, I just don't seem to have to drive to go and take photos. I sometimes see things that I would like to get a shot of, but just feel too lazy to be bothered about it. I hope that this changes for me soon.



If anyone wants me to make an announcement for them, let me know.