who?

i was on the phone christmas morning when my sister came in.  she went, 'who's that?'

i tell her.

sister:  i knew it!

guy on phone asks how come she knew.

sister:  you're always talking...  even in the wee hours you talk.

caller:  wee hours???  that's not me...

ooops...

love handles

sometime back, these drooping, fatty bulges appeared on my back, close to the sides, which horrified me and made me embark on a slimming mission (i cut down on my already minimal food intake).

well, guess what, for the second time, someone told me last night that you really call those excess flesh 'love handles.'

uh-oh.  i've too successfully lost so much weight i've lost the love handles.  does that mean i won't have the love as well???  waaaahhhh!!!

matter of taste

two guys were shown talking on TV...

my mom went:  who's that?  he's handsome.

my sister asked:  which one?

mom:  the younger one.

me:  huh?!  it's the other who looks handsome to me.

mom:  what???!!!

ooops...  chuckles...  different tastes, mom and daugh...  ; )

someone else

i was driving so i asked my friend to call this guy from my phone to check the stuff he wants from the duty free store.

was i surprised to hear her saying this and that over the phone.  huh?!  what on earth are they talking about?!

it turns out the guy was not picking up and my friend was instead talking to an officemate of hers from her own phone.

oh, hahaha... the things that surprise you when you're not aware of the current situation...  ; )

the choice is mine

i hold office at a glass-enclosed area  ->  floor-to-ceiling glass walls on both sides.

this morning, we had a distinguished guest and he made some remarks about my office.  i told him insiders actually call it the aquarium.

he said 'aquarium' does not have a good connotation with guys.

i was like, 'huh?!  why?'

he said an aquarium would be someplace where you check out and choose women.

ooops...  how come i haven't been chosen up to now?!

JOKE!!!

excuse me...  i am the one who hasn't made a choice yet...  (sigh)

compliance action

i'm trying to help someone make some lifestyle changes.  this guy regularly stays out way past midnight so we've mapped out some targets that would get him home at a more healthful time.

for november, he's supposed to be home by midnight.  for december, home by 11 pm.  and january, home by 10 pm.

last night, the guy called me to sort of report that he was already home.  hey, goody-good!  'twas a few minutes before midnight  : )

i go, 'have you brushed your teeth?'

the reply:  'i knew you were going to ask that so i brushed before i called...'

ooops...  hahaha...  if i were not going to ask, woud he not have brushed?  yuck!  ; )

ellipsis

chat turning serious and then...

guy:  "why are you so...?"

me:  "because...."

guy:  "what?"

me:  "what does your ellipsis stand for?"

guy:  "what's Ellipsis?  sorry."

ooops... hahaha

me:  "the three dots -> ..."

...

guy:  "why can't you just say "dots"?"

hmmm...  good point...  but i've called them ellipsis from as far back as high school...  next time maybe...  this time though the term diverted the conversation so i guess it was just fine...

sleep already!

i slept around 4 this morning  : }

this guy and i were telling each other to sleep already but then we kept on exchanging messages.

i told the guy pretty woman came to mind.  richard gere was telling julia roberts not to answer the phone and the retort was, 'then stop calling me.'

the reaction:  'naks, you're julia roberts...'

ooops...  i didn't mean it that way.  anyhow, i replied, 'haha...  and you're richard gere?'

yiiiieeee!!!

unable to think straight these sleepy two...  -_-

crazy minds

i received the following text this morning:

"Dto n k [hospital]. Buntis daw ako 2yrs n kaw nanay. Lol."
-> ' am at [hospital]...  they say i'm pregnant, 2 years...  you're the mom...

huh?!  hahaha...  contact-less pregnancy by a male?!  whoa!

i replied:

"Di tayo pd pakasal, pero pananagutan ko... LOL!"
->  we cannot get married, but i'll support you...

then this evening the guy tells me:

"Paglalaruin k lng anak natn.  Hahaha."
->  i'll just let our kid play

eh?!  hahaha...

i was like:

"nanganak ka na???  hindi mo man lang ako tinawag?!  ano, caesarean?"
->  you've given birth???  you didn't even call me?!  so, was it caesarean?

hahaha...  the story unravels...  crazy!  ; )

practical

i have two mobile lines, one official, the other personal.  (i have a third number, actually, also personal but i haven't really been using it.)  as much as possible, i try to segregate my calls accordingly.  work-related to the official number; personal calls to the personal number.

after office hours, i received a call.

caller:  hi, cynthia...  are you driving?

me:  why are you calling my personal number?

caller:  [chuckles]...  i haven't asked anything work-related yet.  all i've asked is whether you're driving...

me:  nope.  i'm still at the office.

caller:  ok.  i'll switch to your other number.

me:  eh?!  haha...  don't bother.  let's just talk here.

' am not that impractical, guys.  hello!  ; )

stretching

i was returning a missed call yesterday but the caller was not picking up his phone so i just sent a text message asking why he called.

a while later the guy called asking why i called.

ooops... hahaha...  i told him i was simply returning his call.  i asked whether he didn't receive my text.

he said not yet.  anyway, he said he just wanted to know whether my friends and i were able to go to this certain place (where he wants to buy something).

oh, ok.

hours later, apparently in reply to my earlier text, i receive a text from the guy telling me he called because he missed me.

eh?!  he told me on the phone earlier he called because he wanted to know whether my friends and i were able to go to this place.  i reminded him and chided him for changing his story.  i jokingly added he was "Bolero, sinungaling, manloloko, babaero, palikero..."  (hahaha...  OA!)

the guy explained his statements could complement each other as they are not contradictory.  he said he missed me and at the same time wanted to know whether i went out.

oh...  really???  hmmm...  your style's rotten, friend.  try something else...  : p

same time, different places

phone call this morning:  'did i wake you up?'

me:  not really...  i'm about to take a shower...  why did you call so early?

guy:  i'm about to take a shower...  i was going to tell you to take a shower now, too...

me:  haha...  so we'll be showering at the same time?

guy:  yes...

we both laugh  ; )

this is not the first time we're taking showers at the same time...  every single one though, we are not at all together.  he'll be at his place;  i'll be at mine  ->  different houses, different cities...  cool...  ; )

sucker : }

i walked past a mirror and blurted out: 'ooops... i thought there was someone there... ' turns out 'twas me...'

my friend chuckled...

i added, 'i was going to say so pretty... joke!'

the guy goes, 'it's true!'

aaaw... sweet, LOL!

a couple of weeks ago we were browsing some pics and i went, 'hey, i like this pic... i look sexy here...'

he replied, 'you really are sexy.'

huh?! hahaha...

i think this guy has a tendency to flatter women... his statements make me happy nonetheless... ugh, sucker! toinks!

an end in sight

there is a logical progression to things.  some antecedents have to be completed before you proceed to the next step.  this morning therefore, was i surprised to learn that up to now, these certain endorsements that were supposed to have been among the first have not yet been given. to prevent a stall, jumps were instead made with the intention at least of going back again later.

normally, something like this would have irked and dismayed me.  guess what, i found myself just chuckling it off this time.  hmmm...  hmmm... hmmm... yup, things are so much different when you know you won't have to deal with certain situations for long...  : )

optional vs mandatory

i was discussing some technical stuff with a friend and then he veered toward something i was not really familiar with.  there he was trying to explain this and that and there i was merely hearing what seemed like random words and sounds.  yikes!  i told him i really do not quite know about those things  : }

hmmm...  good thing it simply falls under the nice-to-know category for me.  could you imagine if it were something i was supposed to be knowledgeable about and there i was unable to make sense of the terms and concepts he was talking about. uh-oh...  that would be really baaad...  : (

attributing their idea to me : }

i prepared a document last month which i was supposed to submit to someone.  but before i do that, i had to give a heads up first to a few other people.  ok.

talked to this and that and that.  done.  off to the penultimate recipient.

before i got to said person, i was told that the previous persons i talked to wanted to talk to me again.

oh, ok.

so i go there and they tell me that they've raised it with the person who was my next stop.

yey!  thanks...  : )

then they ask me about dates.

i told them what i had previously told them, even showing them the printout of the document i had earlier prepared.

then they ask why that date.

oh, take 2?  no prob.  i again told them what i had earlier told them:  this certain thing is supposed to start on this certain date and i'm just going to see it through and then i'm going to avail myself of certain internal credits and after that that's it.

oh, so that is your basis?

yes.

how about this other thing, aren't you going to utilize it?

will you allow me?

yes.

are you sure???

yes, that is yours.

hmmm...  will this other person allow me?

why not?  you've earned it.

wow, good then.  'twill be easier to do that than to collect.

so this time, we ended with them telling me to revise the doc, mentioning this particular term and specifying a different date.

ok.  so revise the doc i did then presented to them.

guess what, they were surprised the revised date was too far ahead telling me such couldn't be.

i said that is precisely the reason i did not choose that option before, reminding them they were actually the ones who brought it up.

the retort almost made me fall off my seat.  they said i was the one who brought it up, quoting my statement about utilization being easier than collection.

huh?!  i said that is something i said AFTER they raised the utilization option.

they told me they just followed my lead.

what???!!!  i showed them the earlier printout i was supposed to submit to the penultimate recipient.  the date i placed there would show that i was not going to go the route of utilization.

regardless.  they still maintain i was the one who brought it up.

ugh!  my original printout and my earlier verbal pronouncements would show otherwise.  i told them i'll just submit my original printout.

they agree emphasizing i better just collect.

ok, ok.  that was my original intent, duh!

too much

i was on the phone with someone and the guy was asking whether his eggs (the salted ones he gave, haha) were good.

i wasn't able to try them but my sister beside me did so i asked her.  she said they're good and kidded i could tell the guy he's welcome to give some more.

i was relaying the message but reached only up to the part where i was saying they're good.  the line was cut before i could get to the welcome to give again part.

haha...  it's a sign  ->  don't abuse his kindness, girl... ; )

better luck next time ; )

i need to haul some stuff from my place to my new place that wouldn't fit in my or my siblings' respective cars.  my sister therefore suggested that i borrow my dad's AUV.

now my dad is an über-caring and -worrying dad.  i guess it hasn't really sunk in to him all this time that his kids are not kids anymore but adults way past the toddler stage.  you borrow his car, he worries and worries and worries, as much for the car (?), haha, as for the fact that it's not yours and you're not really used to driving it.

i told my sister, 'you ask him.'

sister:  you do.

me:  let it be you.

why me?  you.

it was a verbal tug of war and finally we both ended up asking my dad.

guess what?  after all the hewing and hawing, the car was not around.  my sister-in-law beat us to it, haha...

mystery guy

last week, i picked up a cake from my favorite bakeshop, estrel's.  well, someone from the shop told me, one time i had an order, another customer saw my name and told her to tell me "love ko pa siya"  ->  'i still love her.'

huh?! who's the guy???

she doesn't remember the name.

ugh!  i was curious!!!

since the guy said "pa" ('still'), i tried to figure out which of my exes (haha, not that many, ok) would go to estrel's.  this, this, that?  nah, i don't think they'd bother to come over.

i did introduce someone to estrel's...  nope, not an ex; future, i wish, haha... but then i don't think he needs to say something like that.

anyway, i couldn't come up with anyone so i just left it as is.

then this evening i saw that i have missed calls from the cake shop.  ei, i did not order a cake.  i called back but since 'twas already past closing time, no one was answering the phone.

hmmm...  what could those calls have been for?  maybe they now know the name of the guy?  goody-good!  i can't wait to call again tomorrow...  : D

big heart ; )

i was talking to my officemate when my br_ suddenly got unhinged.  (nope, my dress remained all zipped, thank you very much.)

i blurted out, 'yay!  my br_ popped open!'

she retorted, 'why?  is there a handsome guy around?'

haha...  there were just the two of us...  plus one other female a little farther.  no guys at all in the vicinity.

'then why did it pop open?'

hmmm...  maybe it could not contain my, uhm, heart?  LOL!  ; )

latin

this body was grilling me about an enumeration i put in in my specs (per their instructions, actually).

question:  if they submit something that is not there, will it be acceptable?

reply:  could be... depends on what it is.

Q:  how would you know whether it's acceptable or not?

R:  if it's in the same league then it is.

Q:  how would you know it's in the same league?

R:  if you're from the industry you'll know.

questions, questions, questions...

reply, reply, reply...

i was getting frustrated and asked, 'would you like me to make that i.e.?'

I.E.?!  what I.E.?

me:  id est.  that one's e.g.  exempli gratia.  would you like me to make it i.e.?

laughter...  it was Internal Examination which crossed their mind!

yikes!  i'm a doctor not.  the medical meaning makes me cringe...  : }

namesakes

i was expecting a call when my phone rang.

the guy opened with, 'cynth, (name) here...'

i went, 'ei, hi, (expected caller's nickname)...'

the caller replied, '(name)!  (name) (surname)...'

ooops...  same name, different guys...  good thing they have different nicknames...  otherwise i might have gone on blabbering about something intended for someone else...  : }

i know not these things

i've been driving for years but up to now i really still don't know anything about cars.  whatever knowledge i have is limited to driving and gassing up  : }

well, last sunday i had a flat tire so i went to a vulcanizing shop and while there, checked in at foursquare.  now my foursquare account is linked to my facebook account so the check-in appeared as a post in my wall.

a few hours later, while logged in in facebook, a chat window popped up.  the guy at the other end was giving me tips about tires and flats.  oh, ok.  thanks.

and then he mentioned X5.

i was like, huh?!  i have to replace my spare, too?!  only one of my tires was not ok!

he said i could replace either just two or all four.

why X5 then?

it turns out he was referring to a BMW model.

hahaha...  i thought he meant my four tires plus spare...

toinks!

lovers not

he thinks of me
when he's with her
and talks to me
instead of lie with her

he tells me things
she'd hurt to hear
and pines for times
that couldn't be

i pity her
for she's not me
i pity me
for i'm not her

holiday spoiler

i first had my encounter with the book the celestine prophecy by james redfield when i borrowed my mom's copy a looooong, long time ago.  (i checked the copyright, it's 1993.  so that must have been around a decade and a half ago.)

all i remember from the book now is that there are no coincidences.  everything that happens has a significance, we just oftentimes don't realize right away.

well, i am at my parents' place now and i decided to re-organize the books on the shelves which have fallen in some sort of disarray after having been taken out and piled just about any which way with the house repainting which ended just yesterday.

well, i again came across a copy of the book.  i flipped through the pages trying to find that coincidence message which has stayed with me since.  guess what, 246 pages, i was able to locate it right away.  hmmm...

i re-read.  and now i have so many questions, so many thoughts.  why is this person in my life?  should i really keep distance?  isn't that decision keeping us from moving to a higher and better plane?  how about this other guy?  and that one, too.  how do each of us fit in the big puzzle?  why this?  what that?  ugh!

i'm thinking now instead of reading these books maybe i should just concentrate on the bible.  but then i somehow always feel guilty whenever i am reminded of the what-God-hath-joined-together-verse...  : (

my, my, my...  it is a holiday.  i don't want to be thinking real think at all.  i want things to be light and easy.  next time, i'll limit myself to glossies...

happy not sad

i came across something in facebook that made me break out into uncontrollable laughter.

my sister saw me and asked what the source of my amusement was.

i tried to tell her but i couldn't talk straight as laughter kept on interrupting my story.

she left me awhile telling me to calm down a bit then later came back chuckling herself.

she tells me she just told our mom her daughter (me, haha) has gone crazy.

our mom reportedly asked why.

my sister said it's because i was laughing all by myself.

our mom's reply?  'well, that is better than crying.'

yup,  definitely true, mom...  cheers...  : )

what i do online

i post pics in  picasa
upload vids on youtube
read articles in yahoo
search in google
mail in gmail
chat in ym
play no more in myminilife ->  they've since shut down the site  :'(
look at posts in tumblr ->  no i don't have an account
follow on twitter
blog in friendster
answer questions in formspring
interact on facebook

offline,
i live  : )
and love  ♥

higher

i was on the phone trying to redeem a cash gift card with my credit card rewards points.

i went, 'so that's 8,000 points, right?'

phone banker:  no, ma'am.  10,000.

me:  oh?!  which is the 8?  the gift check?

phone banker:  the gift check's also 10,000 points, ma'am.

me:  hmmm... which one is 8?

phone banker:  they used to be 8,000 points, ma'am, now they're 10.

me:  ooops... since when did they become 10?

phone banker:  end of june, ma'am.

ouch!  i'm a month late...  : }

almeria facebook posts II (2010)

JUNE 7

6:48pm
i've booked my flights for my mama in's birthday in almeria next month. she's my second mom. she took care of me (and my siblings) from the time i was a baby to until after i got married. i was booking through the web and initially could not decide on the available flight times. by the time i've made my choice, the lower fare was not anymore available. gone in a matter of minutes : }


JULY 4

12:38am
ano ba???!!! i've booked my flights, ba't ngayon nag-si-seat sale 'tong mga 'to (PAL, cebu pacific, tiger)??? ugh!


JULY 9

8:46pm
going to almeria, biliran... leaving manila for tacloban, july 10, 9:10 am, PAL PR 391... coming back july 12, 5:00 pm, PR 394... still don't know how to get to almeria from tacloban... i've been there just once, last year... i've forgotten... : }

11:05pm
grabee, nagulat 'yung ibang shoppers kasi bigla akong napasigaw ng 'aaaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!! huwag!!!'... kasi naman 'yung saleslady, 'yung binili kong shirt and slippers, pagsasamahin ba naman sa isang bag! ano ba????!!!


JULY 10

7:01am
cab now... yesterday my officemate was asking whether i want someone to drop me off at the airport. i asked, 'guwapo ba 'yan?' she chuckled and said, 'slight.' haha... ok, thanks... i'll just take a cab... ; )

8:21am
ooops, a guy just stood up here at the waiting area and took a pic arms high. dunno whether i'm just being conceited but it seems from that angle the pic he took has me at the center... oh, well... i hope he didn't catch my tummy bulge... had i known i would have inhaled, haha...

8:41am
boarding now...

10:07am
just landed in tacloban... hmmm... dunno yet what's next, haha... what do i take to get to almeria? where? i'll ask around...

10:47am
at robinsons tacloban to buy additional pasalubong... : )

11:10am
nice shirt print: stand for what is right even if you stand alone...

12:28pm
hey, they have a jr. version of pakil's ping-as here in tacloban... theirs is a smaller white cross at mid-mountain level...

12:31pm
at van now going to naval...

1:00pm
i'm sleepy... van has no headrest... : } ... i slept at 4 this morning... got up at 5:30... -_-

3:11pm
naval now on board jeep to almeria... good thing one of the passengers knows my mama linda's house... i don't... : }

3:23pm
ano baaa???!!! tumutulo 'yung luha ko!!! OA, huh?. papunta pa lang kaya! ugh!

4:59pm
grabeee!!! parang pelikula... my mama in was in the porch when she saw me in the jeep. she immediately went out to meet me, barefoot (!), and hugged me in the middle of the street... aaaawww!!! thank God she looks healthy... thank God we were not run over... ; )

10:05pm
back to basics... cooking with firewood... sleeping on a bamboo bed... it's good every once in a while...


JULY 11

3:55am
awakened by early morming serenade (mananita) for my mama linda on her birhday...

10:55am
heard sunday mass. nope, not the usual catholic service. this time it's aglipayan (iglesia filipina independiente) -> in visayan... i could not understand the words... but my heart understood the message... thanks be to God...

7:50pm
someone asked for my number. i don't usually give it out... but then i didn't have the heart to turn down this guy's request... oh, well... i'm leaving tomorrow anyway.... we'll be too far apart...


JULY 12

6:44am
hahaha... guhit-guhit ako... the blanket i used as bedsheet on my bamboo bed / couch moved while i was asleep, i ended up in direct contact with the bamboo. now i have vertical marks on my arms and legs. para akong striped whatever... ; )

11:52am
leaving for naval -> in my bedroom slippers... i'm leaving my footwear in almeria , they'll find it useful there...i'll just buy slippers in naval...

12:15pm
i said i didn't want to ride a motorcycle (from almeria to naval) this time. i said i'll just take the jeepney. guess what, they rented me a jeepney! soooo spacious! ugh! i meant public jeepney... they pass in front of the house...

12:31pm
leaving naval for tacloban... i wasn't able to buy slippers... : }

1:50pm
tulog na 'yung babaeng katabi ko sa van. nakasandal sa 'kin. napipisa ako... : }

2:50pm
van passed by the palo metropolitan cathedral... so nice the, dunno what you call it, carillon, belfry, whatever...

3:06pm
tacloban airport now -> in my bedroom slippers : } so long the queue for check-in...

3:40pm
checked-in... flight is at 5 pm yet... no footwear being sold here at the airport... i can't believe i'm traveling from almeria to manila in my bedroom slippers... ang laki ng bedroom mo, huh!

3:55pm
waaahhh! natapon pala sa loob ng bag ko 'yung sabaw nu'ng paksiw na lechon na padala ni mama in... : (

4:33pm
haha, shirt print: one tequila | two tequila | three tequila | floor... ; )

4:49pm
hey, our plane is here now. well, i'm ready for the walk at the tacloban city airport tarmac. unlike last year when i was wearing a skirt, this time i'm wearing knickers. hah! the wind can't blow this away... ; )

6:26pm
NAIA 2 now (centennial airport)... plane has landed... : )

6:41pm
ooops... long queue for cabs... ba't naman kasi up to now wala pa rin akong sundo... :' (

6:47pm
bait naman,,, a guy (foreigner) let me go ahead of him in rhe queue... thanks... : )

7:11pm
home now... thank 5od for a safe trip...

within my control

i received a call landline.  talk, talk, talk.  and then before hanging up, the caller told me he already has my cell phone number.

oh, ok.  (i wonder how he got it.  i should have asked.)

and then he asked whether he could text me.

huh?!  i don't really remember anyone asking me permission to text before.  they just text.  they just call.  anyway, i said ok.

the question actually is whether i would text back... ; )

continental drift theory

' dunno why but this exchange that happened over a month ago suddenly crossed my mind.

i was dining out with a friend and he was telling me that this girl i knew he liked a lot already has a boyfriend.

i comforted him with something i saw from tumblr which amused me so much:

kung ang taong mahal mo,


may mahal ng iba..


huwag kang mag-alala.


tandaan lang ang continental drift theory


kung ang mga pulo nga naghihiwalay, sila pa kaya?!




->  if the one you love


already loves someone else,


don't worry.


just remember the continental drift theory.


if islands break up, what more them?




his reply dampened my amusement:

ang mga pulo walang kontrata.


->  islands don't have a contract.



ooops... ouch! : }

who matters more

haha... clicked the app Inside The Head... it turns out it's not just plain and simple random... you have to type a facebook friend's name to find out what's inside their head...

i typed a guy's name, what came out was '(guy1) thinks you're cute'

oh, ok.

i typed another, 'twas '(guy2) likes you'

hey, i like that.

and then a third, '(guy3) thinks you to be cool'

uh-huh...

a fourth, '(guy4) adores you'

up to now?!

a fifth, '(guy5) dreams about you everyday'

aw, sweet...

wait... no 'loves you'?  LOL!

anyway, in terms of thrill and elation, the fifth should be it, right?  but no, '(guy2) likes you' brought me most joy.  i think it's as much the phrase as the guy himself.

on hindsight, too, the order in which i entered the guy's names probably is an indication of something, too.  their rank in my heart maybe.  ' am not really sure.

and i'm actually surprised now at the sequence of two names.  how come i checked this one ahead of the other?  i thought i liked the other more?  hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...

? ? ?

i love it : )

hidden meaning

last week, i came across this jpg which purportedly lists the "hidden meanings behind filipino expressions."  one item stuck to my mind, amusing me no end:  "kayo pa rin ba?"  is supposed to mean "ako naman."  hahahaha

then this evening, i logged in to facebook and saw a dear friend online.  i said hello.

his reaction made me chuckle.  he said he missed me and followed it with a series of muaahhs.

i amusedly told him it seems to me he again is in love and asked who the object is this time.

his reply:  "secret"

ok.

after that, i was sorting pics and again came across the hidden-meaning-jpg.  i re-read and this time was struck by the following correspondence:

"mwah" means "i love you"


and


"secret" means "ikaw"



huh?!  hahahaha

i am pretty sure my friend has not come across this jpg.  he most likely does not know the words he used supposedly have this certain meanings.  pure coincidence.  nevertheless, i sooo luvvvvvvv it!!!  yay!  ; )

focus on the positive

facebook chat with my niece:

me:  hallo... am i disturbing you?  was the movie good?

niece:  no

me:  it wasn't good?!

niece:  the movie was good.  no, you are not disturbing me...

ooops... hahaha

not that far

i was on the phone with a high school batchmate yesterday.  he showed me around when i was in the U.S. last year.  i told him if he likes, i could in turn show him around this time.

he said he wants to go to boracay.

ooops... my offer covers only metro manila, haha.  i told him if it's boracay he'll have to bring a guy.

he chuckles, 'why guy?  should be a girl.'

'ooops, yup.  girl.  as long as it's not me.'

no out of town with guys for me. sigh...

competent

i was struck by the reaction i got for a recommendation i made.  the other party immediately understood what i was saying and readily agreed that it should be done.  whoa!  i haven't had that in a looooooooong time!

for so long now, there i'd be, raising all these things that should not be skipped and the other party's reflex reaction would be to ignore, object and/or not do them at all.  i'd go into details to explain what it is we should do and why it should be done and still i would fail to get through.  aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!!!

what's worse, the things i am raising are things that really should not be coming from me but from these people themselves who object to and ignore the action points!  hello!!!  this is supposed to be your lookout, you're not seeing it (!!!), given my previous assignments i am able to do the heads up for you and you're the ones who object?!  insane!!!

no matter how much lip service you pay about acting on the recommendations, the developments would show that certain things were not done.  the effects are there, in black and white, in actual disruptions.  if you are someone worth your salt, you would realize that these things were caused by certain inaction.

i've said so many times, if you do not understand the technical aspects of what i am saying then maybe the non-technical aspect you could comprehend, that is, it is not in my interest to delay anything.  i am onsite here!  i want to go home!  i want a successful activity otherwise we're going to schedule another attempt.  i don't want repeated attempts, more so unsuccessful ones.  they wreck my weekends, they eat up my time!

it's really nice talking to people who know what they should know for a change.  that was how it used to be.  i hope we can bring it back.

mi amor

the dude to my dudette
the homme to my femme
the smile on my lips
the joy in my heart

: )

if it's not broken, don't fix it

a month ago, i brought my car to a service center near my parents' place to have it checked.  no trouble actually.  it's just that i had a full load of passengers in the backseat one night and i heard a grating sound as if the bottom was scratching the ground.  this happened several times, i was afraid a hole might have been borne or something  : }

well, they raised the car, checked it (i looked as well), no scratches whatsoever.  what could that have been?

they checked under the hood.  everything seemed ok.

they test drove the car.  nothing.

i told them to fill the car and asked to ride with them.  three guys in the back seat, i on the passenger seat in front, another guy on the wheel.  we test drove again, over humps and around curves, sudden acceleration and quick stops.  still nothing.  they were kidding we were not heavy enough.  they said we should load a truck inside.  yeah, funny...

anyway, they checked the shocks.  they said the shocks are good.

they were telling me maybe my car is just not used to having passengers.  hmmm... true.  but then where did that sound come from?  how come there were no scratches?

i was already at the shop anyway, i asked them to check everything and replace whatever needs to be replaced.

they again checked under the hood.  they asked me when i last had my timing belt replaced.  i said i really don't know.  they replaced the timing belt and switched the tires.

a few days later, i started hearing a faint, high-pitched sound from the hood.  i'll be parking in my garage, i'd get off to open the gate and i'd hear it.  this does not happen all the time but it has happened several times.  i have not heard that sound before.

so today i brought the car to the shop again.  i told them my brother was saying it could be the fan belt.  they checked.  they said the fan belt is not aligned.  i go, 'weren't you the ones who fixed the car before?  no one else has touched it since.'

i don't go around tinkering with the car.  all i do is gas up and bring it to the car wash.  whenever i gas up, i request the attendant to check the oil, the power steering fluid, the brake fluid, etc.  i don't think he goes around tinkering with the fan belt.

anyway, the shop fixed the fan belt then turned over the car to me.  i drove off.  guess what, just a block away and i started hearing this loud, piercing sound.  whoa!  that was definitely waaaay beyond the faint, high-pitched sound that brought me to the car shop again.  i drove back.

this time, they said the belt is too loose.

eh?!  you're the one who just fixed it.  how come it is now worse?!  fix it well.  this is supposed to be a reputable car shop here. 

they fixed it again then told me if i hear a sound again then maybe it's the water pump.  oh, yeah?!  i don't want to wait to hear another sound before i replace the water pump.  i told them to replace it as a pre-emptive measure.

now the car seems ok again.  i hope nothing unusual crops up.  otherwise, i'm going someplace else.

my dad was telling me it's about time i replace my car.  i told him i'm actually saving up for a new one next year.  i was planning to get it on installment through bank financing.  guess what, he offered me a loan so i could buy in cash.  wiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeee!!!  : D

he told me to just tell him anytime.  gee, thanks.

actually, i prefer the year 2012.  dunno.  i just like the number.  my officemates, however, have been badgering me to buy a new one asap, i don't know why.  hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... two of them are waiting to snap up my vehicle the moment i put it up for sale.  aha!  so that's why?

well, they'll have to wait some more.  i'm really still happy with my car.  to me it's still ok.  i'm not really a car person.  as long as it's running then i'm fine with it, haha.

bouncing back

my best friend was telling me she asked the guy whether this was the first time i got mad at him.

she says the guy chuckled and said no.

haha... true.  we've gone through worse... and survived.

credit goes solely to him.  if it were up to me he would have been out of the picture the first time.  but then he knows how to handle my wrath (yup, that strong  : }).  and he knows how to creep back.

this recent one is nothing compared to the first.  we survived that one.  we're surviving this one as well.

what doesn't break you makes you stronger...

jumping into conclusions

i was on the phone with an old friend and i was trying to give a push to his much delayed action on this other girl.  we kept on parrying each other's arguments and the conversation ended in a stalemate, i think.  neither of us would concede  : }

after the call, my mom who was right beside me all along, chided me, "ang tiyaga mo naman!  tingin ko sa iyo may gusto 'yan..."  (you're so patient!  i think you're the one he likes...)

huh?!

me:  "do you know who that was, mom?"

mom:  "no"

eh?!  hahaha...

the guy and i are DEFINITELY just friends.  no romantic angle whatsoever.

oh, moms...

dreams

i dreamt twice early this morning.  maybe more, but it's just these two i remember.  (i've read we dream several times during sleep, we just don't remember).

around 3 am, i woke up from a not so pleasant dream.  there was this stranger who was following me.  he wanted me to board his car.  hmmm... i think i know where that dream came from...

even if the dream was unpleasant, it didn't really bother me.  a little something someone did a few days back crossed my mind and it brought me so much joy, hahaha.  (nothing big... super trivial actually... i feel so silly feeling so happy about it.  yuck!)

i went back to sleep with a smile in my heart  : )

and then the second dream.  the guy whose action brought me so much joy appeared in this dream.  if i remember right, this is the first time i ever dreamt about him.

there were free tickets to a show.  i thought he was going to invite me but then it seemed like he was going to invite someone else.  ouch!

the dream did not really show him inviting another girl.  what it showed was him seated on a long table (not on a chair) side by side with this girl and they were holding the tickets.  i was just looking at them from not so far away, hurt and disappointed at the thought that he would invite her not me.  oh, heartache...  : }

i wonder why someone who gives me so much joy in my waking hours appears a heartbreaker in my dreams.  hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... not sure i should analyze.  i prefer to hold on to my joy...

PP vs PG

i was telling my officemate i'm so happy.

she asked who it is, PP or PG?

me:  huh?!  who's PP?

officemate:  Poocha, ang Pangit...

me:  haha... and PG?

officemate:  Poocha, ang Guwapo...

oh... the ugly one... yiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeee!!!  ; )

it matters when

we were trying to cull lessons from a totally unexpected event so there i was making these general recommendations.  guess what, this guy who was supposed to be on top of things but somehow faltered during the critical period kept on explaining himself.  eh?!  defensive, yo!  guilty much?  ; )

i resorted to prefixing my statements with, don't take it personally, nothing personal, and still the guy would go on to explain why he did or failed to do certain things.  i was a combination amused and annoyed.

so that is our framework, huh?!  i can do that.  game.  from general i shifted to specifics.  boy, did i touch a raw nerve.  the guy went on to say he actually did this, he actually said that.

really?!  when was this?  i was literally an arm's length away from that person that time. what time did you say that?

oh, this time.  oh, that time.

gee!  there was this certain period when action was most needed.  actions within this period would decide the direction the situation was going to take.  how come the times you're mentioning do not fall within that?

stop bandying about what you did or tried to do before or after the critical period.  the truth is, you failed to deliver.  test of mettle and you failed miserably.  someone else had to step in.  an unfortunate consequence was averted not because of you but in spite of you.  not everyone knows that.  but there are those who do.  at least a roomful of them, some now scattered all over the place.  deal with it.  learn from it.

angry me

yesterday, i was angrily recounting irresponsible actions by this fair-weather, absentee, long-distance species of a supposed top dog when the one i was talking to remarked, "galit na, nakangiti pa."  (mad but still smiling)

oooops... i've gotten that so many times before!  as in, there i'd be, boiling mad, and someone would point out that my tone is still so soft (c'mon!) and there still is a smile on my face.  ugh!  insane!

this quirk has almost cost me a leg, literally.  i was boarding the backseat of the car with my brother on the wheel and he thought i was already inside so he was going to drive on.  my left leg was actually still outside and it got caught under the tire.  i was yelling out, "bill, bill, naiipit paa ko." (you're squeezing my leg.)  still he was trying to drive on.  good thing he eventually stopped, not sure whether because of my pleas or because he thought there was something under the car.

there were tire marks from my ankle to the middle part of my leg.  fortunately, tires are round and the curve of the tire fit in to the angle of my leg.  my brother was telling me he did not realize my situation as he could still see me smiling from the mirror.  eh?!

i've even been told this quirk might have been contributory to the breakdown of my marriage.  (ouch!)  a friend of my mom's was telling me the hubby probably thought there was no issue as the magnitude of the things i was saying was not coming across given the tone of my voice.  my, my, my!

maybe when i'm mad, i should not express it face-to-face but rather just vent it out over the phone.  that way, the other party would not be confused by my facial expression.

but then i have this habit of starting a phone conversation with a greeting.  i'd commence with "good morning," "good afternoon," or "good evening" and then 'twill be followed by a rant, hahaha.  crazy!

maybe next time i should just vent out in e-mail...

ugly not

my officemate was asking who the source of my joy was.

i replied i am not going to tell.

officemate:  'tell me, tell me.  promise, i'm not going to say he's ugly.'

huh?!  hahahaha... this one's good-looking!  for a change... LOL!

happy

i was at my parents' place last night.  i was lazing around on the sofa when my niece blurted out, 'you're smiling by yourself, tita...'

i went, 'was i?!'

my niece said yes, mimicked my smile, ribbed me about it and then amusedly asked for the reason for my smile.

hmmm... honestly, i wasn't aware i was smiling.  i came up with something about taking only so many muscles to smile while it takes much more to frown.  i told her you get less wrinkles smiling than frowning.

she pointed to her forehead and asked, 'wrinkles like this?'

i told her those are pimples (ooops!) on her forehead not wrinkles.

she didn't know what wrinkles were!  oh, the blessings of youth.  i therefore explained.

anyway, i tried to recall what it was on my mind that time that could have triggered a smile.  well, the song two less lonely people in the world crossed my mind that time:

♪  in my life where everything was wrong


something finally went right


now there's two less lonely people


in the world tonight  ♫



i guess it brought a smile in my heart which crept up to my face, haha.

i dunno but i've just been really happy lately.  (nope, i don't have a boyfriend yet.)  simple things have been bringing me so much joy.  out of proportion, actually.  oh, well, happy state.  i won't complain... : )

jejemon

i received the following text this morning:

Eow pow.  Je je je.  Je jemon kuh bah?  Je je je.  Ãœ



it sent me chuckling, hahaha.

i first encountered the word jejemon two days ago.  an officemate showed me a supposedly funny photo of gibo teodoro holding a piece of paper on which was written:  "Pababalikin ko Ang mga Jejemon sa Elementarya."  (i'm going to send the jejemons back to grade school.)

the humor was lost on me because i didn't know what jejemon was.  i asked her.  she explained.  i sort of got it... i think...

and then yesterday, a male officemate (no doubt about his masculinity) used the word during conversation.  i was surprised.

me:  jejemon?!  you know the word?!  what does it mean?

he explained.  i was amused.

initially i thought it was just some obscure coinage.  on hindsight, maybe it's now part of popular parlance?  a presidential candidate no less was photographed holding a piece of paper with the word.

on the phone later, i excitedly told my caller i've learned a new word  ->  jejemon.

he didn't know the word.  he asked whether it was a pokemon.

huh?!  hahaha.  my initial reply was a quick no but then i don't really know all the pokemons so maybe it could be.  i told him to google it.  well, apparently he did as this morning he sent the above text.

hhoOowWwRrreeeeiiiiiizZz  fPoWrh  jejemons  ; )

rain on my parade

i was on the phone with a friend.  i gushed, 'i'm soooo happy... i wonder up to when...'

friend:  'until you bang your head again!'

ooops... talk about dampening my joy.  that was a rhetorical question, if at all.  i wasn't expecting a reply... ugh!

a dozen figures

1.  How old are you?

old enough

2.  How tall are you?

5' 1 1/2"

3.  How much do you weigh?

125 lbs

4.  How many social networking site friends do you have?

friendster:  155

facebook: 445

5.  How many e-mail accounts do you have?

seven... i regularly check only two though...

6.  How many unread mails do you have?

yahoo:  17,564
gmail:   8,081

: }

7.  How many credit cards do you have?

three... all from the same company... i want to pool my points together...

8.  How many cities have you lived in?

two

9.  How many countries have you visited?

nine

10.  How many languages do you speak?

right now two... i've known, at different points in time, a total of seven languages though...

11.  How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had?

five

12.  How many sex partners have you had?

one

35 questions

1. What are you currently doing?

ha-ha... answering this survey obviously

2. What's your favorite color or colors?

blue

3. What is your hair color?

black

4. Do you have a best friend?

yup : )

5. Who is your favorite teacher in school?

dr. amado castro and dr. emmanuel de dios

6. What are you listening to right now?

none

7. Do you like rock music?

some songs

8. Do you only drink bottled water?

not really

9. Do you like to snowboard?

' haven't tried

10. What instant messaging service do you use?

yahoo messenger (invisible mode), facebook chat

11. When was the last time you took a nap?

i sleep loooong weekends unless i have to work overtime

12. The last thing you ate?

drank -> pineapple juice

13. What's your most hated food?

cinnamon... raisin... teriyaki... kikiam...

14. Are you a generally clean or messy person?

i'm very orderly but i don't clean so my stuff are in order but dusty : }

15. When was the last time you saw a movie in theaters?

last month, alice in wonderland

16. Have you smoked anything in the last week?

i don't smoke... i've never...

17. What is one emotion you are feeling right now?

hmmm... nothing noteworthy really...

18. How has this week been?

busy : }
happy : )

19. Who did you hang out with yesterday?

my best friend

20. Opposite sex on your mind?

my crush... ugh! i'm too old for this...

21. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you?

yup... my dad... my brother... my nephew... the one who puts a smile in my heart, ha-ha-ha...

22. Do you miss anybody?

not really

23. What was on your mind most yesterday?

work

24. Any plans for tomorrow?

on leave from the office tomorrow. going to the dentist to have my tooth (re-)filled. it got chipped, i had it filled last friday. then yesterday, the filling came off! last time i had a tooth filled was either grade school or high school yet (so looooooong ago)...

25. Have you ever liked anyone on your top friends?

i pinned them there precisely because i like them...

26. Who was the first person that called you today?

the last person who called me last night...

27. Who was the last person to send you a text message?

my best friend

28. Is there anybody you wish you could be with right now?

my crush, ha-ha-ha

29. Anything you wish you could tell someone but can't? why?

i love you... it's not that simple...

30. What is one thing you can't wait for?

someone who'll make me take the plunge again...

31. What was the reason behind the last time you cried?

frustration over people who, even after a loooong time (as in, more than a year, two even), still don't know the basics (!) of what they're supposed to know... and then when you try to assist and tell them, they get mad... ugh!

32. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

yup... but not a third...

33. Do you find the opposite sex confusing?

sometimes

34. Are you gonna be home alone tonight?

nope... i'm sleeping over at my parents' place tonight...

35. What are you going to do after this?

clean my face, brush my teeth, pray, sleep

i was amused

i was at my best friend's place this evening. we uploaded some pics.

i told her i was going to leave at 9. well, pic upload done by then but not girlie talk so we overshot 9.

i told her i'll leave at 9:30. well, we again overshot 9:30.

i told her i'll definitely leave at 10. guess what, as i was getting ready to leave, my phone rang. the caller has to be up early tomorrow so instead of postponing the talk to after i got home, i stayed on the line.

as we were talking, someone popped in my facebook chat. i requested my best friend to reply to the guy. ooops... i can very well see the exchange and felt i had to butt in at certain points. my best friend would type something, i'll add something. ' must have confused the guy in chat : }

anyway, my friend on the phone wanted me to say goodnight to the friend in chat for him. i asked what for. (they are not exactly friends.) he said, 'just say goodnight for me.' hmmm... obedient me, i relayed the message.

the chat friend's reply made me chuckle: 'it's morning here' (he's in a different time zone)

i relayed it to my friend on the phone.

his response: 'it's nighttime here'

oh... hahaha...

i relayed it to the friend in chat. his reply: 'cool'

good repartee... i like that... : )

keep it close

seven calls to my mobile, i missed every single one!

i returned the call, rang his two mobile numbers. one couldn't get through; the other one, he was not picking up.

an hour later, he called again. i missed it again.

i again called back. he again was not picking up.

ugh!!! is this hide-and-seek or what?

things turned out well

i attended a funeral this morning, an officemate's dad's. the text i received said interment is at 10 am. well, i've been at the cemetery awhile and i still could not see my officemate.


near the plot was a whiteboard and listed therein was a 1 pm interment for my officemate's dad. uh-oh. i was three hours early?! yikes! i was by myself and i am uneasy at cemeteries... : }


i was thinking maybe there was a change in sched and my officemate, in his grief, was not able to notify me anymore. (i was the only one from the office attending the funeral. all the rest went to the wake earlier. i wasn't able to join then.)


hmmm... hmmm... hmmmm... so much time on my hands... i called a friend, asked whether he was busy and, when the answer was no, told him to chat me up. nothing new. game. talk, talk, talk... talk, talk, talk.


he wanted me to leave the place and grab a bite. i said i don't feel like eating. besides, i was perfectly parallel-parked. i am awful at parallel-parking. this one i got right. i was telling him if i go out i might not be able to park that well anymore. he was amused, hahaha.


later, he made a remark about the basketball game on TV.


me: oh, you're watching basketball?


friend: yup.


me: ooops, sorry. you didn't tell me. ok, bye.


friend: what the... you're much more important than basketball.


aaaawww! i was touched. now let's hear you say that during a championship game, haha.


it reminded me of a suitor from way back. so he visited me at the house and the TV was on. we were chatting and suddenly he requested me to turn the TV off.


me: don't you like the show?


suitor: i do.


me: then why do you want me to turn it off?


suitor: it catches my attention and i can't focus on you.


oh, hahaha.


anyway, so my friend and i continued talking. and then at 11:20, a funeral car arrives and i see my officemate among the throng. oh. so interment won't be at 1 pm after all. good thing i did not leave the place. otherwise, i would have come back at 1 and i would have missed everything.


everything fell into place. i was perfectly parallel-parked. i stayed on the phone with a friend. i was able to witness the interment.


: )

come up to speed

with certain positions come certain responsibilities.  these responsibilities require a certain amount of knowledge and, in some cases, a minimum skillset.

initially, of course, you may not be properly equipped to handle your new responsibilities right away.  so others assist you, handhold you, take on certain things for you.  that could go on a month maybe, three months, six months, a year, longer (!) but it should not go on forever.

during the time that others are performing your duties for you, you yourself should be responsible enough to try to acquire the necessary knowledgebase yourself.

in the work environment, each office has a certain function, each person has a certain deliverable.  given that there is a fixed number of hours in a day (if only we can stretch it to go beyond 24), whatever time is spent doing something is time taken away from doing some other thing.

it's easy to appeal for kindness and understanding and consideration and assistance if you are at the receiving end, if you are the beneficiary.

but if you are the one who has been dispensing this kindness and understanding and consideration and assistance for so long, with no end in sight (!), and you yourself are subject to all sorts of demands required by the functions of your own office, then things could become frustrating, they could come to a head.  being only human, you reach your breaking point.

people should realize that they should not rely on others standing in for them indefinitely.  there will come a time when they will have to deliver the goods themselves.  others will help, sure, but they, too, should help their own selves.  otherwise, they are being remiss in the performance of their duties.  and they are doing a disservice to the organization.

this is not about how much you get paid.  it is about taking on a certain position.  if you are a math teacher, you cannot not know one plus one.

not for me

i was cleaning up my phone's inbox and found this message i received from an aunt in april 2008.  sharing:

what will you do with something which is lost?


find it...




if you can't find it?

replace it...




if you can't replace it?

forget it...




here's the question...

what will you do with something
which is lost,
can't be found,
can't be replaced,
and can't be forgotten?

ACCEPT IT.

blind leading the one-eyed

two nights in a row i left my car lights on  : }

saturday night, i was with someone, the car still started up.

sunday night, i was alone, it would not.  ugh!

i called my brother and he so gallantly drove over.  he pushed my car with me at the wheel, i couldn't get it to start.

my brother took the wheel and we had a guard push the car, he was able to get it to start.

he turned it over to me and we drove off on convoy.

anyway, reminded me of the time my battery died on me at the office parking lot.  i decided to just take a cab the moment the car failed to start.  the guards, however, kept on telling me that i still could bring it home.  they said they're just going to push and then i could make it start.

ok... so i took the wheel and they were pushing and giving me directions, mainly, "kadyot!   kadyot!"

i don't know what on earth kadyot means.  i asked.  they couldn't explain.  i couldn't get the car to start  : }

so i got off and requested one of the guards to take the wheel himself.  guess what, he declined saying he does not know how to drive.  he asked this other guard instead.  said guard also declined saying he, too, does not know how to drive.

eh?!  these guys were earlier giving me what seemed like authoritative instructions and neither of them knew how to drive?!  uh-oh.

i asked for a cab...

double

i was excitedly showing my niece arm covers i purchased at the supermarket last night.  they create the illusion of tattooed arms.

my brother asked where i got them.

"shopwise."

"how much?"

i happily replied "P99" thinking it was a very good price.

my brother goes, "bikers use that.  it's only P50 in antipolo."

huh?!  waaahhh!!!

excused

i was out with someone last night.  one of the ultra-rare times i go out by myself with a guy.

then today i learn that my high school best friend's birthday celebration was held last night.  uh-oh.  he invited me to attend a week back but that time no time and date has been set yet.

i honestly did not know it was last night.  but even if i did, i'm afraid i would not have been able to make it.  i don't want to be cancelling, resetting or cutting short a prior appointment to give way to something more recent.  i try to keep my appointments.

i've long realized that you cannot attend every event you are invited to.  there is only so much time, there is only one you.  sometimes you really have to choose.

and last night i was lucky i didn't have to choose.  i didn't know about the conflict in sched.  fate smiled at me last night, it made the choice for me, a choice i myself would have picked...

a different take

i received the following text this morning.  sharing:

the early bird gets the worm.
but has it ever occurred to us
that the early worm gets eaten?

being first may not necessarily be good,
because the first mouse gets trapped
but the second one gets the cheese.

we can either be the bird or the worm,
the first mouse or the second.

life is a matter of perspective.
we can whine, groan and moan.
or we can take the time to learn, love and laugh.

complete with all its challenges,
life is a great adventure to be enjoyed.

God bless you.



: )

they thought of me

waaah!!! i just learned that i missed my niece and my nephew's music fest!!! i've been attending it so many years now! ugh!

it was held last saturday. my niece was a drummer; my nephew, a keyboardist. last year she was a vocalist; he, bass guitarist.

they said they didn't tell me anymore because i was at my place and they didn't want me to get tired driving over. huh?! i don't mind driving over for the ones i love! i've driven all over for people i couldn't care less about! waaaahhh!!!

oh, oh, oh. right now i'm just consoling myself with the thought that my family is a thoughtful and considerate lot. they took into consideration the effort i was going to exert driving over. i definitely could not say the same for so many other people. my driving life is riddled with passengers who act as if they own the car and you are their driver. thoughtless... : }

dispensable

i parked perpendicular to a busy street earlier.  parking was easy, i was facing the slot and turning from the right lane.  still a parking attendant 'assisted' me to the spot.  ok.


backing off, he was nowhere to be found.  do it by myself then.  risky.  i couldn't see the incoming vehicles.


when finally i was positioned with the flow, the attendant showed up running to my car and again 'assisted' me.  eh?!  i'm past the difficult part here!


oh, well, i gave him a tip still...  : }

reel and real

i watched my third movie for the year last night.  first was i love you, goodbye; second, avatar, both in january.

last night, it was alice in wonderland.  imax.  3D.  with sister and friends.  nice  : )

the story is somewhat different this time.  alice is grown.  there seems a love angle with the mad hatter.  hmmm... they've done that with pocahontas before.  turning pocahontas into an adult with captain john smith becoming a love interest in the movie.  i guess putting in some love really makes for something more interesting ♥

anyway, there were four of us girls who watched the movie but, as far as i was concerned, there seemed a fifth person with us, hahaha.  everytime jabberwocky was mentioned in the movie, this guy kept coming to mind.  i first heard jabbawockeez from him.  he was absent but his presence i managed to feel.  hey, i like that  ; )

something i couldn't say i like though is how things turned out for alice and the hatter.  earlier in the movie, the hatter told alice, "You're always too small or too big."  and then later when she finally was the right size and could have opted to stay (with the hatter), she chose to leave.  ouch!  that is sad.

this is a movie though, there is a hint of a sequel.  i suppose they'll finally end up together there.

if only real life were like that, too...

twister

in the news this evening, they showed footage of a twister at global city.  i dunno whether it was just the angle but the twister seemed big because the people in the background seemed small.  anyway, it was not huge but it definitely wasn't small either.

now when i posted a facebook status update the other weekend about my skirt being blown so high by the wind, someone told me it was probably blown high by a twister.  huh?!

i replied i've been going to the place for years and i haven't really seen any twisters in the area.  (the marilyn-moment happened at the parking lot of market! market!  in global city.)

the guy told me there are mini-twisters that are not really noticeable.

oh, ok.  still i thought the idea was far-fetched.

and now this video in the news.  hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...

maybe i should change my weekend get-up to pants...

non-disclosure

i'm on leave from the office today:  car registration, change oil, banks, car wash.

at the car wash, i gave my payment and then my tip.  inside the car, i noticed fingerprints on my rear-view mirror.  i asked the attendant for a rag.  then i noticed that they really didn't wipe clean a lot of spots inside the car.  so i went on wiping this and this and that and that.  a little embarrassed, the attendant told me he wasn't the one who washed my car.  oh!

he didn't tell me that when i gave him the tip... : }

hurting but having

i was on the phone with someone.  and for the nth time, he was taking issue with this certain criterion i've set for my next (and last) guy.

we've gone through this so many times before.  he has never been able to convince me.  i have never been able to convince him.

and then for the first time, he posed this question:  'which hurts more, hearing (unpleasant) things because of the one you love or not being able to have the one you love?'

ouch!  i've never really thought of things that way before.

i sure would love to change my stand... but things are not that simple.

sad...

car-less

i had overtime work earlier so i wasn't able to attend the noon mass at my place.  i heard mass therefore at my parents' place instead.

on my way to church, someone from the neighborhood asked me, 'why are you walking?'

i replied, 'i'm going to attend mass.'

he went, 'why are you JUST walking?'

oh.  because i can't fly?  joke!

my reply actually was, 'because the church is so near!'

we have legs for walking, y'know.  we need to get some exercise.  we need to conserve gasoline... : )

3 in 1

i was going to have three items giftwrapped.  to help the wrapper a bit, i took out the items from the bags myself, removed the tags myself, then handed everything to the counter guy together with the receipts.  ok.

i sat down and waited.

was i surprised when he later handed me a single pouch.  he wrapped all three items together.

eh?!

deadlock

my nephew has a new pre-paid SIM.

he couldn't have it loaded because he doesn't know its number.

he couldn't call or text anyone to display his number because he doesn't have a load.

his phone does not list his own number.  they'll be transferring the SIM to one that would.

; )

in my eyes

my officemates were swooning about this supposedly really handsome guy i have yet to meet.

i went, 'so he's really handsome, huh?'

an officemate hesitated a bit then replied, 'not sure to you... the ones you find handsome are not really handsome to us.'

eh?!

private talk

i was on the phone with someone.  he said he has nothing to post, no color for what's underneath, because he has none.  yeah, right.

anyway, our conversation veered to mine.  i said it's a pink and yellow string.

he did not seem to know what a string is.  (c'mon!)

i said you have bikinis where the side is wide, a string has a narrow side, half the width of a finger maybe.

he said he has wide fingers.

oh, ok.  make that one-third of yours.

ugh!  i can't believe i'm discussing undies with a guy...  : }

color posts

i was walking at the parking lot yesterday when a gust of wind suddenly blew my skirt  ♪ so high that i could almost see eternity ♫ ... hahaha... good thing there were no people in the vicinity.  as expected, i brought out my phone and did a facebook status update.

well, someone commented...  and another one...  and another one.  two dozen comments so far, hahaha.

one comment led to another until i suggested that we do a variation of the breast cancer awareness facebook color status updates last month.  this time, we're posting not the color of our bra but the color of our undies.  game.

so tomorrow, march 1, my facebook buddies and i are going to post the color of our uhm.  as one of the comments listed:

beige - sossy
black - r0cks!
red - sexy and seductive
green - biodegradable
white - virginal
violet - old lady
yellow - funny and carefree
pink - pa-cute

too bad i don't have red, haha.  i've therefore readied instead this pink-and-yellow-striped-string for tomorrow.  if i can't be sexy and seductive, then at least i'll be funny, carefree and an aspiring cutie...  ; )

there's this e-mail that's going around about the supposed house in the US of a presidential candidate.  the first time i received said e-mail, it seemed uncannily familiar.

the e-mail began with the following text:

Imagine who would have such taste and live in such opulence?


An American Billionaire?


A Saudi Prince?


Louis XIV of France?


Savour the pictures then scroll to the bottom of the page to see who owns this Work of Art.



i was thinking i've seen those pics before.

i searched my mails and true enough, i found an e-mail with the exact same pictures sent to me on september 6, 2008.  subject line that time was 'Opulence? PLEASE PASS ON TO THE WORLD!'  the e-mail circulating this time has the subject line, 'Who owns a house like this??'

the september 2008 e-mail ended with:

This Mansion is in Harare and belongs to:


The President of Zimbabwe  -  Robert Mugabe -


While his people starve, and die because of no medical help....


and we are asked to help his people over and over again...


he and his family live like this.......


his GREED kills his people.....


Send this to everyone you know,


they can send it to everyone they know,


soon the world will know what this man is doing to his people.



the current e-mail (with the exact same house and pictures) ends with:

This Mansion is in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and belongs to:


(Name of Presidential Candidate)  PHILIPPINES


While Filipinos starve, and die because of abject poverty ....


and while (Name of Presidential Candidate) brags that he had poor beginnings


and he had helped his poor countrymen over and over again...


but look now.. he and his family live like this.......his GREED kills his poverty stricken fellow Filipinos.


PLEASE send this to everyone you know.


They can send it to everyone they know.


Soon Filipinos around the world will know


what this man is doing


to the people he wishes to serve if elected President.



hmmm... when i told my dad earlier (before i searched and found among my mails the september 2008 version) about my memories of the same house but different owner pics, he said something about black propaganda, election campaigns, etc.  then he kidded, maybe (Presidential Candidate) has bought the house from the african owner.  we shared a chuckle that time.

just now before posting this blog i checked the web and found more about the said house.  i'd like to state here that i am not for the presidential candidate in question.  but i'd also like to say that if you have time maybe you could do some check yourself, not in the interest of any presidential candidate but in the interest of truth.

mad

there is this someone i haven't seen in ages.  we were not at all friends before but last year, we sort of, if i may say so, became friends, long-distance friends.

now i don't understand this guy, for someone so far away, he keeps on getting mad at me.  ugh!  and when he gets mad, he'd go and post on my facebook wall.  eh?!

me, you piss me off, i'd vent on MY wall (no names) or send you a message.  this guy, i piss him off and he'd vent on my wall.  what's worse, i'm trying to live my own life here and yet i keep on pissing him off!  i don't understand!

i've actually been keeping my distance from him for quite a while now.  he keeps on checking me out online and then he gets mad.  aaaarrrrggghhh!!!

trusted

i told him i've been good.  he said he knows i am good.  he added he does not worry about that anymore.  hey...

it used to be this guy would think i'd falter at every turn.  it seems by now he has realized i do keep to the straight and narrow.

he trusts me now.  i am so happy... : )

for my eyes only

someone was asking me about this guy who is very visible on my (facebook) wall... oh, hahaha... nothing to worry about...

i like to say, the sweetest things, the most treasured ones, are not public, they're private...

the ones on the wall are safe... it's the one in my heart he should look out for...

gift custodian

i attended a wedding this afternoon.  as it is with weddings, certain lines again went tugging at my heart.  oh, well...

anyway, the priest was saying that spouses are a gift from God.  and years from now, if God pulls you aside to ask what you've done to the gift that He gave, what do you think would you say?  did you love and take care of the gift that He gave?

hmmm... me, i'd say i tried to but the gift was too busy to receive and to notice whatever it was i was giving.  the spouse, i think, would say, he planned to when he retired but the gift was not able to wait out the timetable that he set.

sad...

punctuality

we had our model employee awards this morning.  among the awardees was one of my staff.  congratulations, ruel!!!  : )

anyway, i found it interesting that when reasons were cited as to why this employee was chosen over this other exemplary contender, attendance not just once cropped up.  hmmm...  it called to mind one of my favorites:  the first step to winning is simply showing up...  maybe we could modify that a bit and add on time...  ; )

grace kelly

haha... i got this in e-mail... you're supposed to forward it to all your friends with your star's name in the subject line... well, i'm blogging it instead...


my result is interesting:  grace kelly...  the description brought to mind a guy's observation just a couple of weeks back about the way i supposedly come across in my facebook posts and friendster blogs, i.e., a hopeless romantic.  hmmm... well, i guess i can't dispute that.  yup, i am a hopeless romantic, an unapologetic romantic.  i think there's nothing wrong with it.  all i need to find (sooo hard) is someone who's like that, too, and then we'll be perfectly fine... 


here's the quiz:


Ladies Only ... Which Movie Star Are You? This is kind of fun!


Ever wonder which movie star you are most like?


Well, a team of researchers got together and analyzed the personalities of movie stars.


The gathered info has been incorporated into this quiz.


There are only 10 questions so it doesn't take long.


Number your paper from 1 to 10, then answer each question with the choice that most describes you at this point in your life, and then add up the points that correspond with your answers.


Don' t look ahead or you will ruin the fun!


1. Which describes your perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner for two
b) Amusement Park
c) Roller blading in the park
d) Rock Concert
e) Have dinner & see a movie
f) Dinner at home with a loved one


2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll
b) Alternative
c) Soft Rock
d) Classical
e) Christian
f) Jazz


3. What is your favorite type of movie?
a) Comedy
b) Horror
c) Musical
d) Romance
e) Documentary
f) Mystery


4. Which of the following jobs would you choose if you were given only these choices?
a) Waiter/Waitress
b) Sports Player
c) Teacher
d) Policeman
e) Bartender
f) Business person


5. Which would you rather do if you had an hour to waste?
a) Work out
b) Make out
c) Watch TV
d) Listen to the radio
e) Sleep
f) Read


6. Of the following colors, which do you like best?
a) Yellow
b) White
c) Sky blue
d) Teal
e) Gold
f) Red


7. Which one of the following would you like to eat right now?
a) Ice cream
b) Pizza
c) Sushi
d) Pasta
e) Salad
f) Lobster Tail


8. Which is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween
b) Christmas
c) New Year's
d) Valentine's Day
e) Thanksgiving
f) Fourth of July


9 If you could go to any of the following places, which would it be?
a) Reno
b) Spain
c) Las Vegas
d) Hawaii
e) Hollywood
f) British Columbia


10. Of the following, who would you rather spend time with?
a) Someone who is smart
b) Someone with good looks
c) Someone who is a party animal
d) Someone who has fun all the time
e) Someone who is very emotional
f) Someone who is fun to be with


Now total up your points on each question:


  1. a - 4; b - 2; c - 5; d - 1; e - 3; f - 6
  2. a - 2; b - 1; c - 4; d - 5; e - 3; f - 6
  3. a - 2; b - 1; c - 3; d - 4;e - 5; f - 6
  4. a - 4; b - 5; c - 3; d - 2; e - 1; f - 6
  5. a - 5; b - 4; c - 2; d - 1; e - 3; f - 6
  6. a - 1; b - 5; c - 3; d - 2; e - 4; f - 6
  7. a - 3; b - 2; c - 1; d - 4; e - 5; f - 6
  8. a - 1; b - 3; c - 2; d - 4; e - 5; f  - 6
  9. a - 4; b - 5; c - 1; d - 4; e - 3; f - 6
10. a - 5; b - 2; c - 1; d - 3; e - 4; f - 6


NOW. Take your total and find out which Movie Star you are:


10 - 17 points:  You are MADONNA.
You are wild and crazy and you know it. You know how to have fun, but you may take it to extremes. You know what you are doing though, and are much in control of your own life . People don't always see things your way, but that doesn't mean that you should do away with your beliefs. Try to remember that your wild spirit can lead to hurting yourself  and others.


18 - 26 points:  You are DORIS DAY.
You are fun, friendly, and popular! You are a real crowd pleaser. You have probably been out on the town your share of times, yet you come home with the values that your mother taught you. Marriage and children are very important to you, but only after you have fun. Don't let the people you please influence you to stray.


27 - 34 points:  You are DEBBIE REYNOLDS.
You are cute, and everyone loves you. You are a best friend that no one takes the chance of losing. You never hurt feelings and seldom have your own feelings hurt. Life is a breeze. You are witty, and calm most of the time. Just keep clear of back stabbers, and you are worry-free.


35 - 42 points:  You are GRACE KELLY.
You are a lover. Romance, flowers, and wine are all you need to enjoy yourself. You are serious about all commitments and are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday, and never forget a Birthday. Don't let your passion for romance get confused with the real thing.


43 - 50 points:  You are KATHARINE HEPBURN.
You are smart, a real thinker. Every situation is approached with a plan. You are very healthy in mind and body. You don't take crap from anyone. You have only a couple of individuals that you consider 'real friends.' You teach strong family values. Keep your feet planted in them, but don't overlook a bad situation when it does happen.


51 - 60 points:  You are ELIZABETH TAYLOR.
Everyone is in awe of you. You know what you want and how to get it. You have more friends than you know what to do with. Your word is your bond. Everyone knows when you say something it is money in the bank. You attract the opposite sex. Your intelligence overwhelms most. Your memory is the next thing to photographic. Everyone admires you because you are so considerate and lovable. You know how to enjoy life and treat people right.


: )

not forgettable

i was on the phone and the caller asked whether i wanted pancit canton.

i said, 'yup, why?'

he said they had noodles cooked at the office and will be having some in a short while.

i (presumptuously, hehe) told him, 'eh?!  you're too far.  i can't really join.  i do have an unforgettable story about canton though...'

he asked what it was.

so i told him.

i was in this meeting a looooong time ago
and one of the attendees ordered noodles.
when the order arrived, the guy told me,
'i ordered canton because you said before you prefer it over bijon.'

whaaat???!!!  i was soooo touched.
the last and only other time we were together in a meeting
was soooooooo long ago, as in, at least a year ago.
he remembered my preference?!  whoa!

the guy on the other end went, 'that's really how it is.  those who meet you will not easily forget you...'

huh?!  aaaw... sweet... : )

bang on!

last week, i sent out what to me was just a simple and harmless e-mail.  guess what, the reply i got was just so totally unexpected!  the recipient went ballistic on something off-tangent.  whoa!  what line of thought was he following here?  what dictionary has he been consulting?  what on earth did he read between the lines?  there was nothing between the lines!  the sentences were straightforward; the words, at least to me, were simple.

anyway, i was pretty happy that time, nothing could really dampen my joy, so i sent out a solicitous reply.  i even apologized if my e-mail did not come across the way i intended it to.

well, following morning, i see a reply to my reply which seemed to me a step toward steering the topic to what i originally was discussing.  hmmm... so maybe the guy re-read my e-mail and sort of realized he earlier went seething at something i did not raise at all?  with some bit of stretching, he tried to pull together a response that wouldn't be as off-kilter as his previous e-mail.

but then BIG mistake.  he went on to say that next time i should put myself in his shoes.  whaaaaaaaat????!!!!  i've been doing that for the longest time!!!  i've been bending over backward, rolling over forward, practically falling all over myself trying to accommodate his short-term, missing-the-forest-for-the-trees-way.  bending the rules, if ever, is supposed to be just a contingency measure, right?  well, to this guy, it is a going-in position.  aaarrrgggghhhh!!!

i've given him concessions big-time.  unprecedented.  uncharacteristic.  and now it seems he does not realize this at all?!  grrrrrrrr!  it was my turn to fire off an angry e-mail.  i peppered it with statements, not at all irrelevant, which if he asked me to substantiate i could very well do.  and boy, if i did, he definitely would not be happy.

that was the end of the exchange, i think.  i did not anymore receive any mail.  at least, not yet?

and then this morning, we both had to attend this meeting.  ok, discuss this, discuss that.  suddenly, one of the attendees used exactly the same word i used in my e-mail.  uh-oh!  this guy in his non-sequitur reply to me truncated that word, took it out of context and so negatively appropriated it for himself.  and hear this, all these negative aspersions he cast on himself he so audaciously attributed to me.  eh?!  i wasn't even referring to him when i used that word.  and the word he bandied about was not even the exact word i used.  oh, well.  i cautioned the attendee not to use the word.  she persisted.  the word is fine, actually.  but i had to tell her it could be misinterpreted.  she wouldn't be stopped.  hahaha.  i was hilariously horrified wondering what the guy must have felt hearing that word so objectively used in my presence.  

things did not stop there.  two attendees started slamming and complaining about practices and shortcuts this guy himself has similarly been resorting to.  my, my, my.  so bang on!  there i was, putting in my two cents worth to this and that statement or complaint and the guy could not really join in lest he be put in the awkward position of having to pan something he himself has been doing.  ahahaha!

through all this, i could not help but wonder whether the guy was squirming in his seat.  moreover, i was wondering whether he thinks i shared our unpleasant exchange with the other attendees.  no, i did not.  and that makes what just transpired sweet poetic justice for me ...  ; )

on the other foot

i like to say, i'm on my (facebook) wall  ->  the only thing you're sure about is that the post is from me... whether it's for or about you is something you can only speculate about.

sometimes people think my post or blog is about them when it is not.  other times they think it's not about them but it is.

what amuses me (irks, sometimes, haha) is when people insist that a post or blog is about them when i have already said that it is not.  hello!  the world does not revolve around you.  there are other entities here...

now, however, there is this post.  really nice and sweet but sad.  it's my turn to wonder whether it is for me...

one-way

i was on the phone with someone and we were talking about this other guy.

he goes:  'what do you want him to write there?'

me:  "i love you!"

caller:  'you'll be problematic if he does that...'

me:  'huh?!  why?  i'd be very happy actually...'

caller:  'you'd be thinking about so many people...'

me:  'eh?!  i don't intend to say i love you, too, hello!  i just want to savor the statement...'

caller:  'what if he doesn't let up?'

me:  'i can handle it...'

i'm sure.

my name

i was at a conference this afternoon and when it was my turn to speak, i started out by introducing myself.


"good afternoon, i am cynthia (maiden name)..."


suddenly, the committee reacted, caught by the microphones, for all the roomful of people to hear, '(maiden name)?  you dropped the (married name)?'


eh?!  i rolled my eyes and re-introduced myself with my legal name:  first name, maiden surname, married surname.  ugh!


after my turn, i walked over to the secretariat and told them i think there is no need to include the change of name part in the transcription of the proceedings.


chuckles...

pleasant surprises

my workday started with a pleasant surprise this morning.  it put a smile on my face... and also in my heart   : )


then work, work, work which, as if to balance my joy, stretched my patience and tolerance close to breaking point.  aaaarrrggghhhh!!!


afternoon, i was on the phone when i saw my officemates let in two guys at the office.  i thought they were there just for the usual official business.  then when i put down the phone, i was told they were my visitors.


oh, ok.  what can i do for you?


they hand me a paper bag saying it was sent by (blank).


whaaaat???!!!  so totally unexpected!


my officemates squealed in delight  ->  they like the guy.  uhm... ah... uhm...


i check the contents and saw chocolates aplenty.    ooops...  hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... last month, i posted in facebook that i'm going to spurn suitors who will give me chocolates.  i've long been trying to cut down but it's sooo hard when there they are being handed to you and staring you so invitingly in the face  : }


anyway, i told my officemates to choose which ones they want, just leave three for me to give to my mom.  they made their choice and we partook of them.  yum!


'twas, on balance, a pretty good day today... : )


i know i'll be happy again tomorrow.  nope, not a surprise.  something i know beforehand.


♫  it's raining... ♥♥♥
alleluia!  ♪


; )

people notice

i received a text message last friday informing me of dance practice at the other building.  it was our group's turn at the flag ceremony presentations yesterday.

i was working on something long-overdue and so decided to skip dance practice and the presentation as well.  i was thinking there are so many others in the group anyway, no one would notice that i did not join.

monday as i watched the presentation from the grounds, my heart skipped a bit when i saw that they were dancing to 'nobody, nobody but you.' waaah!!!  i could have joined and would have loved to join that even without practice!  (ooops, sorry, modesty pushed aside big-time there, haha)  that tune reached waaaay beyond saturation point recently.  everybody was singing it.  everybody was dancing to it.

anyway, they changed the lyrics.  theme was accountability and the message was, YOU are accountable for your actions  ->  nobody, nobody but you.  hmmmm... nice...

at the grounds, one of the managers saw me and asked why i wasn't onstage (on the driveway, actually).  i said i wasn't able to attend practice.  i, in turn, asked why she, too, was on the grounds.  well, she, too, did not attend practice. a short while later, another manager walked by.  hey, so she skipped the dance, too.   goody-good.  at least i'm not the only one.

yesterday, even today, however, i've fielded quite a few questions as to why i was not part of the presentation.  (i've been joining the past dance presentations.)  my truthful and standard reply is that i wasn't able to attend practice.

i find it interesting that people noticed who were absent.  you have all these dancers in front of you and still you noticed that so-and-so was not around?  hmmmm... some people are observant.  we shouldn't bank on not being noticed, therefore.

mental block

i delivered something from a visiting batchmate to another batchmate this afternoon.  i haven't really been to the intended recipient's place so i stopped a few times to ask for directions.  frustrating.  people either do not know the street or would simply say, "it's over there."

i'd go, "how many blocks from here?"

they couldn't say.

i'd ask, "is it already near or still far?"

the one i asked earlier said it's already near.  the one i asked later said it's still far.

then hear this.  in one of my stops, i roll down my window and shout out to this guy asking where the street i was trying to locate was.  he crosses the street to approach me, starts to speak, then stops mid-sentence.  there was silence.  suddenly, he chuckles and goes, "naku, na-blangko ako!"  (ooops... i went blank!)

eh?!  we both laugh.  i thank him anyway then drive onward.

at the next stop, the people tell me that i've overshot my destination and i have to make a u-turn.

i turn back and ask one other guy along the way.  goody-good!  this one was able to give me concrete directions:  "go straight, not counting that corner, drive two blocks then turn right."  ok.

driving onward, i see this guy waving me to a stop.  i roll down my window and he tells me where the street i was looking for was.  oh!  so he is the guy who went blank earlier.  he recognized my car and has regained his memory, hahaha.  the street was already so near, imagine!

oh, well.  i was finally able to make the delivery.

one down, two to go.  second delivery is tentatively scheduled next week.  i've been to that place once, a long time ago.  i don't remember anymore.  this time, i'll download a map.

prefix

i was on the phone when i saw one of my officemates approach our filing cabinet to tape my name on the uppermost drawer.  suddenly, i had to interrupt the conversation.  he was going to label the drawer boss cynthia.  eh?!

all the other drawers just had their first names on it, how come mine had a prefix?

i told him to remove the boss and just tape cynthia.

he complied, scratching his head.

when i resumed talking on the phone, my caller asked what happened.  i told him and he chuckled.

i remember one christmas i received monogrammed pens from another officemate.  he gave the group monogrammed items with just the nicknames engraved.  mine, however, had as engraving, again, boss cynthia  : }

actually, i really just prefer to be called cynthia.  i tell everyone this but there are very few who comply.  i get ma'am cynthia, miss cynthia, ate cynthia, boss cynthia.  there are also those who call me by my initials:  the maiden one, CM or the married one, CMJ.

i'm thinking now i myself don't call my own bosses just by their first name.  the immediate one i call ma'am (first name); the next one, boss (nickname); the second highest, simply ma'am and the topmost, sir.  it's not really something i devised on my end.  it's just that that's how everyone else called them so i just followed the herd.

plus, they never really told me to call them by anything else.  but i'm thinking now if ever they did i'd have no problem complying.  if only my officemates were the same.  then i won't have to interrupt my phone calls...  ; )

footwear

i was rushing something through supposed lunch break.  just minutes (!) earlier, i was given a deadline which if i didn't meet would mean at least a month's delay in one of my projects.  i told my staff not to disturb me unless the building is on fire.

so it was lunch break and everyone was out  (we're not supposed to eat in our new room anymore  : })  and one of the phones kept on ringing.

i walked over, picked it up and ended up talking to someone who had the most basic of queries and whose concerns did not even fall under my office.  oh, so precious time... : }

in addition to that, a couple of people important to me (one officially; the other, personally) called.  of course i talked to them  : )

anyway, i was able to finish the required documents.  but then, it needed not just my signature but the initials and signatures of three of my bosses' as well.  instead of giving it to our messenger therefore, i decided to route it myself.

i was going to do a lot of hurried walking so i changed into my preferred footwear.  that means this spiky-soled supposedly therapeutic footwear, not at all business-looking, which i change into whenever i could.  i've been buying the type for years.  i'd wear out a pair then replace it with the same type.  i own several which i wear whenever i think i can get away with it  (read that:  i'm walking to and from our building and the parking lot; i'm with people i'm at home with; i'm with people i couldn't care less about, haha; i'm going someplace where no one knows me).

so i get to the other building but my boss was not anymore in her room.  she was already in a meeting i, too, was supposed to attend.  ooops, i didn't have time for that.  i went in, obtained her initials, then rushed out.

she told me that our boss is also not in her room but in the next building attending a conference.  uh-oh.  i rush there then text her that i urgently need her signature.  she does not respond.  i had to go inside.  with my footwear?!  good thing i saw someone i knew and borrowed hers for a while.  ugh!  anyway, i got the signature.  good.

now the third and last signature, our big boss's.  guess what, she was seated at the stage facing all the conference attendees.  waaah!!!  i had to change footwear again.  i saw another one i knew, and went borrowing again.  twice from different persons in a matter of minutes!  yuck!  i should just have stuck to my heels.  anyway, i got the final signature.

i was able to submit the documents before cut-off.  my project's timetable will not move.  whew!