"Sleepy Conversations with my wife: Close Contact"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
While lounging around my wife told me the other day that Lisa of Black Pink was covid 19 positive.
Told her not to worry wala naman kaming close contact ni Lisa in the last 2 weeks.
She was giving me that look. That look that wives give to their husbands to clarify what they said in the next few seconds or suffer.
"Wala kaming close contact ni Lisa ever?hihihi?"
She continued watching Tulfo on her phone
"Innistrad Double Feature: Singles. Buy Em Singles"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I wanted to say cautionary things about Innistrad Double Feature which is coming out January 2022.
I wanted to say that if you were not into Midnight Hunt or Crimson Vow this might not be a set for you.
I wanted to say that players who got the initial version of these cards might get tired and not be interested anymore.
I wanted to say who collects horror themed cards on the first month of a brand new year? which would make the theme past it's intended season.
Then I countered all of these myself by saying , These cards exist and if you want them they are there in this version.
It doesn't matter if you play the cards or merely collect the cards. They exist. Some will buy them just because they are there.
Oh and for the last part , Horror or no Horror there is always a place for great art and themes like this no matter what part of the year.
"The Bloodline Progenitor who believed in the Unseen god of the Depths"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
In the Lore of Innistrad Runo Stromkirk , The Progenitor of the Stromkirk bloodline was a described as a brilliant vampire who turned the backwater village of Nephalia into a thriving city as well as that part of Innistrad that featured it's prominent coastal lines.
He was brilliant yes but he also believed in a power hiding in the depths of the water. And that is Krothuss! It seemed that this Kraken Horror has bonded with the powerful progenitor.
The goal of EDH decks focusing on Runo Stromkirk is to flip/transform him with big mana costing creatures to become Krothuss. And that is when the fun begins. This deck though headed by a Vampire is really a seafoods deck!
As Krothuss can easily attack , copy an existing creature , hopefully a Kraken , Leviathan , Octopus or Serpent so that it can double the attacking tokens that it will create.
Imagine if you have a Nemesis of Reason already in play , this is a Leviathan Horror so if it attacks with Krothuss , you create 2 copies of Nemesis of Reason....so your opponent mills 30 cards per attack!!!
No wonder those quest for Ula's Temple copies are spiking in price. Seafoods is alive and well hahahaha
"3 things I would like to see in the Train to Busan Remake"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
So they will be doing a Train to Busan remake called "Last Train to New York". I would like to see a couple of characters in this adaptation. And also let them be the first to die.
1) A tiktoker who doesn't mind disturbing others in the public transport. Mauna ka na.
2) A character who wants to understands the feelings of the zombies by trying to speak to them. Sumunod ka na.
3) Also that character who only hits non white zombies. Sana makain ka ng mga white zombies that you spared.
"Hullbreaker Horror: The Kraken of Blue Mages Dreams"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Blue mages are salivating at the sight of this Kraken or maybe they are hiding all that excitement under a cold, uninterested veneer.
"Meh" , some would say while looking online where they can pre order this.
I mean what is not to like right? 7/8 can't be countered with flash?
Lier would love this. While spells can't be countered , you can cast a Brainstorm and trigger the Hullbreaker Horror's ability of returning a spell that you don't control. It is basically a split version of Unsubstantiate. And this is just the first part!
The other triggered ability is to bounce a nonland permanent. The whole Ghostly flicker, Archeomancer + Peregrine Drake combo comes to mind. You keep doing the combo for infinite mana while your opponents begin to see their non land permanents dwindle while you bounce them all.
Like I said earlier, what is not to like?
"Begin Again"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
Forgetting that the Endless Sorrow
Began in a place I cannot reach
The dust must still be flying there
Even if I do finally reach within
II
With this Darkness Falling
And this torch only in my hand
I began that lonely descent
Into an even chaotic mind
III
In hopes to grasp that hand long gone
To hear that lie long promised
I will be returning you.
I will be returning you.
Optum, Quezon City. November 6, 2021. 5:47am
"Sleepy Conversations with my Wife: Kapwa ko , Fairy ko"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
After breakfast Aven made a pose and asked her mom where that pose came from because she only saw it as meme somewhere:
Hanie De Leon : "Yung sa...yung Kapwa ko, Fairy ko!!!
Me: "Yung kay Alice Dixson at Vic Sotto? Parang di naman kasama si Orly Mercado dun."
Hanie: "Ay Okay Ka, Fairy ko pala."
Me: "Akala ko need pa nung nagtatranslate sa kanto eh. Hahahaha"
Mahal matulog ka pa.
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi :Brilliance bordering on Lunacy"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Out of all the characters from Bleach , One of my favorites is this guy. Mayuri Kurotsuchi , Captain of the 12th Squad which is basically the science division of Soul Society.
His greatest asset is his brilliant scientific mind and out of all the characters he seldomly doubts himself.
I like the fact that he is always true to his nature which is wonder and excitement in improving and creating things.
Sure many will have the opinion that he is cruel and he is heartless but that is due to the fact that his one goal is to continually keep improving regardless of anything else.
Battles with Mayuri always end up in those horrifying ways that you would not expect.
Win or lose he provides such entertaining results. Don't let the mad scientist look fool you , he will always come fully prepared.
"Old Rutstein will fix you up."
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Old Rutstein. Do you like treasure? Do you like 1/1 Insects? Or Maybe a blood token? Old Rutstein has got you covered. All he needs to do is exist on your side of the battlefield.
He has an ETB that lets you mill a card and depending on what was milled gives you one of the thrree. Great right? And He can just stand around until your next upkeep and you can mill again and get something out of him.
Call him a Random Graveyard Token Generator. He basically converts what you throw into the GY as something useful for you. And if you are well versed in the Golgari colors of play you know that things in your Graveyard have the tendency of not staying there for long. So why not put something there , get something and then get what you threw in there back right?
I have a few and when I say few I mean a lot of Golgari decks that is going to love having Old Rutstein.
"The Bloodline with Demons Blood"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I often wondered if Humans were the only sources of blood that the vampires would go for. I mean it is common food and for them on Innistrad and some might be a little bit bored by it by now.
I doubt that they would go to feed on animals or even the other monsters. I don't see them feeding on zombies (That could make the first Zompire on Innistrad possible) , nor on Werewolves , and Geists have no blood.
For those who want to live dangerously there are the Angels. I guess it has to be prepared properly as it does have properties that could kill them. Like a Puffer fish meal.
And then maybe some of then would feast on Demons blood. I guess I was right because Henrika here developed a taste for them.
"Aven's Second Dose Observation: Sensible Clothes"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
While we were in line for her second dose I praised Aven for wearing sensible clothes. She just smiled at me.
There were kids in line that looked like they were on their way to a fashion show , some were wearing mid ribs and tubes. Some were wearing long sweaters and plaid polos in the sweltering heat of the Valenzuela Astrodome.
Some were wearing boots as if they were on their way to ride a horse. And some looked uncomfortable as if they were forced to wear what they wear by parents who mean well but might have gotten out of touch that this was supposed to be a vaccination drive.
Aven smiled at me as we talked and pointed out these silly things.
"Tapping Power"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I am pretty sure what they mean is that this Hearse is powered by sex. Yeah Sex. Two tapped Creatures. But why oh why do you want to do it in a hearse? Or is it daytime travel sex for vampires then?
At least someone is still Thirsty back there in WoTc. And the Thirst shows. Probably the same dude who insisted on including Bird Watcher in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt.
Pretty sure this is a good card to draft or to have in those limited PR decks. A 3 Mana cost 5/5...powered by 2 tapped creatures aka tapping each other aka doing the vampire nasty. Yeah.
Doc In , Doc Out: "Agad Agad?"
By:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Nurse: "Sir bago po tayo magtuloy ng teleconsult may ipapadala po ako na consent form sa email ninyo. Pakipapirmahan po at isend back sa amin."
Patient(Over Phone): "So isesend niyo po sa email ko?"
Nurse: "Opo"
Patient: "Tapos sasagutan ko na agad?"
Me (Nakikinig lang): (Sige Sir Next week mo na lang sagutan para next week na tayo magteleconsult).
Patient: "Tapos Nurse isend back ko na ba agad?"
Nurse: "Opo"
Buti na lang ang haba ng pasensiya ni Maam Nurse Hehehehe.
"Forgetting those years"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
It was never going to be a different place
It was never just the different face
Obliterating any reality that you were in it
Was just a matter of my days
II
But I kept seeking that smile of yours
And all it gave me was utter misery
I still could not understand while standing still
How so little of you could make me feel
III
Just ending things may not have been best
but we shook hands on it and parted ways
Acceptance was something we could both live with
So why don't I feel alive while I am here?
Optum , Quezon City. November 3 , 2021.7:31am
"Breakfast Surprise With Aven!"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
On my days off I usually make breakfast for Aven or have something delivered so I always ask her before she goes to sleep.
Me: " Anak ano ang gusto mong breakfast?"
Aven: " Sleepy na po ako. Wala akong maisip. Surprise mo na lang po ako?"
Me: "sure."
During breakfast.
Aven: "Daddy ano po ang breakfast?"
Me: "surprise!!!! Walang breakfast!!!"
Aven: " Daddy!!!"
Me: "Joke lang. Parating pa lang si Kuya Grab. Hahaha"
"Cultivator Colossus : Cultivating your opponent's doom"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
A new monster looms in EDH. And one that could get you all of the lands in your EDH deck.
So when Cultivator Colossus enters the battlefield you may put a land card from your hand into play. Draw a card and repeat this process.
With an Abundance in play , all you have to do is choose land all the time and there you have it. The chance to get all of your lands from your deck.
And since this Plant beast grows to for each land you get to put in play this can end up as a 36/36 if that is the amount of land you have in your deck.
I would probably put a Blanchwood Armor on this just for kicks.
I could just image the land fall triggers this would cause.
You are on my list.
"Hunyo's Food Review: Lola Nena's Donuts"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
If you were able to watch the anime Cooking Master Boy, Lola Nena's Donut can be considered as "Sa Unang Kagat, Flashback agad" kind of food.
Instantly it brings back images of a 10 year old me on a hot sunday afternoon buying one of these old fashioned donuts in a bakery in the province.
Lola Nena's Donut elevates the taste of that childhood treat with better ingredients. It is soft and the powdery sugar doesn't make you feel like a hyperglycemic zombie afterwards.
Try the normal one first as the triple cheese one, well , you need to eat that slowly otherwise you will be overwhelmed by its taste.
In Valenzuela and QC I believe this is alreadt available in Grab. The newly opened shop is in front of the Fatima Shrine.
"Doc In , Doc Out: An Open Letter Para sa Nagpapafit to work 2021"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Dear Ate/Kuya na Nagpapa-Fit To Work,
Ang Fit to work process po ay ginagawa BAGO kayo mag log in sa floor. Pinapadaan po kayo sa Clinic , ichecheck kung kumpleto na ang mga papel ninyo at kung kayo ay physical na puwedeng pumasok. Kung ang pasok niyo po ay 9pm at kayo ay dadaan pa sa prosessong ito mangyari po na agahan ninyo ang pasok ng kaunti dahil di lang po kayo ang kadalasan na pipila para dito.
Kung kayo po ay pumasok na at di na dumaan sa Clinic para dito , wag na po kayong dumaan ng 6am kapag kayo ay pauwi na dahil di na po namin kayo mabibigyan nito. Pinagkait niyo na po sa amin ang tsansa na masabing di pa kayo puwedeng pumasok o di kaya ay magpahinga pa. Sana lang po ay di kayo naghasik ng lagim sa floor na siyang makakaaapekto sa inyong buong team.
Di Umaasa na Magbabago kayo,
Doc June
"Horobi and Gisa: The Killer and Resurrector"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Sometimes fate provides something unexpected. I recently salvaged my Horobi ,Deaths Wail from a Non- Performing" EDH deck and finally decided to make a deck for it. Without thinking of it I then put it in a binder right beside Gisa , Glorious Resurrector. It was then that I noticed something cool.
And these guys, well I thought that they would hit it off.
Horobi makes sure that the creatures your opponent's control dies. Gisa makes sure that the things that die this way become exiled and at your upkeep return them , as Zombies with Decayed! You have the killer and resurrector all on one side.
Perfect for all of those creatures with ETB that can now benefit me. The best example would be the Titans. Sun Titan or Grave Titan coming back on my side of the board after I kill with something from Horobi? Massive upswing in benefits right there.
The copy of the creatures that I would gain maybe crumbling a little bit but if they do die again....well they have probably already served their purpose.
Time to brew.
"Aven's First Dose Observation: Mama's In Command"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I find it interesting that while we were in the Vaccination area , There are a lot more over protective mothers over their 15 -17 year old sons. Some of these children can't even walk properly as the moms cling to them and try to catch up to their very tall sons.
While daughters seem to be so independent, listening to their own music, watching videos. Most of the girls seem to easily amuse themselves. The boys seems so bored without their phones hahahah
This whole scene reminds me of my own mom. If this was our situation she would be doing the same thing. Hahaha. I miss her.
"Necroduality: Zombie Doubling Time!"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Geralf has been getting better and better with his craft as evidenced by the Nercogenesis Ludevic himself in this card.
Necroduality is something that has gotten me excited ever since I saw it. It has the potential for abuse and this is one of them. The Necroduality + Phyrexian Altar + Grave Crawler Combo!
So with these 3 cards on the battlefield and another zombie , you can have Infinite Gravecrawler tokens and mana!!!
1) Sacrifice Gravecrawler to the Phyrexian Altar, get 1 mana of any color.
2) Play Gravecrawler from the Graveyard because you have another zombie in play. Get a copy of Grave crawler.
3) Repeat.
Evil plans are brewing once again.
"The Doll"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
It sat there gathering dust
Forgotten but still waiting
Full of whispered promises
and often regretful endings.
II
Held by so many hands
Their only friend in this place
Sooner or later they leave
And it waited for them in lace
III
Borrowed and broken and passed
Still into much tender hearts
Unjaded and still beating
It is there, gathering dust , still waiting.
Optum. Quezon City. November 2 2021. 3:35am
"Sleepy conversations with my wife: "Yes"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Due to our schedules we usually wake up late on Saturday Nights. So there are times that I have to ask if we eat dinner or sleep till breakfast. This is one of those times.
Me: "Mahal kakain na ba tayo ng dinner o matutulog pa?"
Hanie De Leon (still half asleep) : Yes.
Me: "Kakain na ba or tulog ka pa?"
Hanie : "Yes"
Me : " kakain o matutulog pa?"
Hanie : "yes nga"
Me : "bahala ka diyan hahaha"
"The Path that she took"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
It was hard being a diabetic. I woke up to pee at 3am. I made my way from our loft quietly as to not wake my husband , he had pulled another double shiftt most likely and he was slightly snoring on the couch. Since the pandemic we decided that he would sleep on the sofa while me and my daughter would sleep up so that he can come and go as he pleases.
I heard the wooden steps creak a little under my weight. So much for being quiet. My husband turned his head towards the stairs. "It's just me" , I said and he went back to sleep.
I did my business and flushed the toilet. I went over to my husband whose back was turned toward me. I give him a kiss on the head. I would usually wake him up to ask if he had eaten but by now I know the answer would be , "Let me get some more sleep." And so I backed away and went up the stairs. Making the same creaks as I walked. I really need to get on that diet he was always saying.
I turn off the lights and went back to sleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was the same time every night. 3am. The lights would go on in the loft. I knew who it was but I pretend to be asleep. I have not been up there since she...Anyway I knew it was her.
This would be the same time that she would wake.
It would be the footsteps next. Creaking wooden stairs with each one that she took. It startled me the first times that this had happened. I would turn to look around expecting that she was still there but in a way she was. My daughter told me that I should move out of this old house. But I simply could not because this was the only place that I knew that she still existed.
Then it was the toilet itself , she would flush , and she would close the lights. This happened now as well and so I waited for the thing that she always does next.
I felt it like it was the first time it happened. It was a cold presence on my left cheek as I pretended to sleep. People would be afraid of this but I have never felt anything but longingness for her around me. And then in an instant. I would her hear walking up the steps once more. The lights on the loft would turn off and again I would be alone.
I would sit up and sob. I wanted her to wake me up so we could have that late dinner , so that we could laugh at all the funny things that I encountered that day , that she could rant to me about work. It never got easier but like she said I had to do it one day at a time.
There were times that I thought that it was not worth it to be here without her. A world where I don't hear her laugh or see her smile but I imagined that she would give me that stern look whenever I talk about death. She would also smack me in the head. I wish she was here to do that now.
After I have calmed myself I had to go. There were still patients who needed me. Maybe one time I would be careless and I would join her wherever she was at the moment. For now , I will go to where I have felt her the most. This house , the hotels we frequented. For now while the world still needs me. I will stay here.
"3 things I would do if it was 5 minutes to log out and the calls kept coming"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I was recently tagged by my friend and workmate Squat Cruz in a post that featured what veteran reps would often do if there was still 5 minutes before log out. I think I had too much coffee and started typing away. I have been feeling like I was funny lately so here are 3 things that I shared.
1) Ah Ano....Lahat ng papasok na calls in the next 5 minutes puro Ghost Spiel then log out.
A Ghost spiel is initiated when you are not able to hear anyone on the other end of the line. Maybe someone butt dialed you or maybe is having a difficult connection. You encourage them to call you back at another time.
Some agents would do the Ghost Spiel , even if they were hearing customer clearly.
2) Initiate Warm Transfer , Wait 5 minutes. Cold Transfer. Log out Combo.
"I see , Unfortunately we do not handle that here let me connect you to the correct department."
If it was a really nice customer Agents would indeed transfer them to the correct department.
Nasty customers are sent to the back of the queue or to a foreign language queue. See it does pay to be nice right?
3) Power Cycle Modem. Hold While checking for outages in area. Come back at around 4 minutes. And then confirm that Modem is working. No outages. Log out.
I know , I know it isn't as funny as the other two but the fact that you can power cycle and get results and log out on time is priceless. Hahahhahaha
"Doc In , Doc Out: An Open Letter Para sa Antok 2021"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Dear Ate/Kuya na Antok,
Kung di niyo po kayang magtrabaho dahil kayo ay walang tulog. Mangyari po na ipagpaalam na ninyo ng mas maaga sa inyong mga TL. Di yung , nakaligo ka na , nakabiyahe ka pa at higit sa lahat nalakad ang pagkahaba habang pasilyo papunta ng clinic para sabihin lang na di mo kayang magcalls at nahihilo ka dahil wala kang tulog.
May gamot akong ibibigay sa iyo pero nasa iyo na yun kung paano mo gigisingin ang iyong sarili. Marami ding antok sa mga kasama mo at mahirap din ang adjustment kung ikaw eh nasanay na pang araw. Kaya di talaga para sa lahat ang trabahon na ito.
Kung gusto mo ang trabaho at kailangan mo ang trabaho. Matulog ng maayos.Uminom ng kape o energy drink na pamgpagising. Kung di talaga kaya , magsabi sa kinauukulan. Hayaan natin na ang clinic ay maging lugar para sa mga tao na tunay na nangangailang ng tulong at di tulog lang.Salamat.
Sana di na kita makita,
Doc June
"Descendant's Path : Getting Better With Wolves"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
The time to upgrade my Werewolf Pack deck has come and gone and I am happy with the new Tribal support from both Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow.
One of the things that I have seen affected greatly is Descendant's path. I initially put it in the deck to take advantage of high mana costing werewolves, so that I could at least cheat one for free even before I go to my main phase. However it proved too much of a dud as I would often get the lower end werewolves or mana dork werewolves.
With the Inclusion of Tovolar's Huntmaster , Hollowhenge Overlord or Huntmaster of the Fells. I am able to put down creatures that do not need to transform to provide an impact. That one play that I was able to top deck a Tovolar's Huntmaster basically getting me 3 creatures even before I reach the main phase. Sweet. And with Tovolar as commander you need all the wolves and werewolves on the battlefield.
Descendant's path has just grown more valuable in my new pet deck.
"Avalanche"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
You know that scene in the movies where someone yells or a rock falls and the sound triggers a massive snow of ice to descend from the mountains , engulfing anything and anyone in it's path?
Well that is the feeling I get when I get home and the build up of stories in my daughter Aven gets too much that when she hears me parking the car and I get through the door she would burst out with stories. An initial burst of things about make up , things about her day , how she found this cool thing online.
I say initial because she needs me to disinfect first and then as I comb my hair signaling the end of the disinfection process she asks me to join her in the loft , she hugs and kisses me and then the true Avalanche continues.
And it is at those times that I feel happy. I may not know about lip tints or how she suddenly loves frogs or how she turned from BTS Army to a full on DreamCatcher InSomnia but this is a part of her life and her day or her week and she wants me to be a part of it.
So I listen. Quip a couple of times and then she tires out or her mom asks me to go down so I can sleep. Sometimes the stories continue all through lunch if she is not busy doing her studies and for now I know that the force of the Avalanche has been dissipated. That it has flattened everything but the snow will keep on drifting. The stories will again build up inside my Aven and pretty sure it will be another Avalanche when I come home.
"Toxrill , The Corrosive : Gaining New Friends in EDH. Not."
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
Lately I have been talking about Toxrill a lot. Hey the possibilities of this Dimir color commander are exciting but mainly because I already have the cards to make a particularly nasty combo work with this guy.
So Toxrill puts a slime counter on each creature you do not control at the beginning of your end step. These creatures get a -1/-1 on them for each slime counter on them. If they are 1/1 creatures they die right away. If they are a bit bigger then we can just wait for a couple of turns for them to weaken and die.
There is a an upside to this toxic effect , for each creature which died with the slime counter you can create a 1/1 Black Slug on your side of the battlefield. One sided effect I know but it gets even worse.
With a Tomb of Yawgmoth in play you can turn all lands into Swamps. Add the Kormus Bell turning all Swamps into 1/1 creatures. Wait your your end step to have Toxrill spew some heavy duty killing slime. All of your opponents creature/Lands dies. So if each of your opponents have 7 lands each and there are 3 of them. You get a total of 21 1/1 Slugs.
So you are crippling everyone on the board as well getting all those slugs to crawl their way in the next turns. How is that for gaining new friends in EDH right?
On a side note , One of the first packs I opened had a Toxrill in the Eternal Night version and as I was rummaging through my boxes for pieces for my Meren EDH deck , I found the Kormus Bells that I have not yet given a home. Toxrill EDH all coming together hahahhaa
"It Lives. Remind yourself"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD
I
She cried herself to sleep again
Knowing that she was left here
Even though she held on to their promise
Every day she found it a little bit fading
II
The days were long , the nights were restless
Something was always happening
If it was not one thing
then it was sure to be another
III
This will end. They will come back
She whispered to the small brown bear
And as if knowing her pain
The small thing nodded
Optum , Quezon City. November 2 , 2021. 3:40am
