Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Lost In Translation

I received a forwarded SMS regarding a quote from Bob Ong, a writer who writes truths in paper lined with humor. His writings are actually interesting...if only I did not have difficulty reading in Tagalog.

It is very embarassing for me to translate the local language into english so that I can understand. Just for kicks I translated the SMS message into english & sent it to the sender.

I don't know if she got the joke but I found it entertaining. Maybe I should start doing that when I don't understand something. Translate in my head to something I could digest in my mind & absorb it's contents.

I hope I don't get lost when I do....

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Bad Storm Blues Party

Have I ever mentioned that during my work weekends I have a small group I call my My Girls?

Yep, you read it right and no I am not sleeping with them or anything like that. A bad storm was brewing outside the office on a lazy Sunday. One of my girls couldn't reach the office premises because of the bad weather and she felt sick & claims to be throwing up like an anorexic. I offered to cover for her during her absence. I was just fortunate enough to come in before the storm. My girl was supposed to come in earlier than me but due to unfortunate circumstances she could not make it even to take half the day off due to the weather. It was ok though. My issues with her have already passed after a few months of not talking to her. Time does heal I guess but like I said it leaves scars.

This storm has been brewing for 2 days now & very unpredictable. It's sunny & warm out then suddenly the clouds darken, the wind whistles an evil tune & the sky weeps...or spits on the window depending on how you describe a bad weather.

I must be very lucky this week. I partied out last night at Mark's because it was Trish's birthday, I came in a few minutes after 12AM. The birthday girl seems tired, she's taking up law now at my old college & she looks haggard, unsure of herself, and thinking the amount of words she has to read. Bah! I'm glad I didn't take up law. I probably would've just wasted my time reading & memorizing something I probably won't even use. Then again there father is part of the business of jurisprudence & somehow it is very interesting but it's a body too deep for me to swim in.

I brought my umbrella today when I didn't yesterday which was when I needed it most.

This past week has been lucky. Erin & I still have a date on Wednesday & I am taking half of the day off to watch Lea Salonga's Cinderella at the CCP.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

The Word Of The Day Is Outage

It's always sad to know when a co-worker leaves the program. Apparently there was an outage under the account I work for. We were always told that only leads can declare an outage but as it turns out we can too!

A pregnant co-worker got first dibs on the ticket. We on DayS(hift) don't have a lead to consult after 1PM & our west coast counterparts leave for the day after 8AM so we are pretty much left to ourselves. What kills me is that other co-workers who had a lead later that time did not know whether they should declare it or not. The lead did not know either probably due to a lack of training since he just came on board or he was uniformed of the process for outage.

Well, I hear top management tried to keep my co-worker on the program but losing $7 million isn't something you can just wave away. It was also on that day of the outage that it was posted on the intranet that last quarter loss was $33 billion and they are struggling with a bad economy but things are still afloat. Do I dare blame operations management, training, or just lack of common sense. It's actually all those three but of course, there is nothing else to be said. The shit had hit the fan already and at the very least this was salvaged with some damage control.

Outage is the word of the day my dear reader...I will risk getting blamed for firing up the smoke signals indicating an outage rather than ignoring the emergency at hand.

I wish this preganant co-worker the best of luck & hopefully nothing like this happens again...

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Missed Tasks

I was supposed to make a facebook group today for WaMu TSG. I checked on my finances and had to postpone it for a later date.

No one's at home as usual, haven't had a decent meal for a while so scoffed up some pizza and reluctantly paid for it from what I had left on my billfold.

Hmm...i hope I can fulfill my plans next week. I still have to go to the Cinderella play next week with Erin and still do some work on a few projects that I have been working on.

The last thing I need right now is this harsh temperature. It's like 90° out...well, not really but you get the idea. I feel a storm coming up soon enough....again, it's the last thing I need.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Erin & An Arab

I took my best girl out today. I promised her I'd buy her something if she finished the writing book in 3 weeks. I'm glad she did. She probably had help from her mom. It was good nonetheless.

So we went out & we just walked around SM. She chatted up on what has been happening since the last time I saw her about her grandfather having a stroke & has difficult seeing which of course I'm really sorry to hear. She also talked about something about her mom & this co-worker that she has been seeing and her of course being together. I think what she was trying to say is that they went out or something. Being a 5 year old she left out the details. I'm glad she got to spend time with her mom. I've always felt that Erin was being neglected but I guess that is me feeling guilty not seeing her often.

I bought her a small billiard table that came with a overpriced tag price because it was branded off with HighSchool Musical, which seems to be very appealing to her. It seems to me that the whole world is akin to the show. All fruity songs about love and whatnots and whatcoulds.

Interestingly enough I caught up with my own parents at Starbucks. They talked a bit and since they were still waiting for my sister for dinner & they asked us to join them. Hey! It's a free dinner so why not. Since there was nothing much to do, I asked if she wanted to go ride the roller coaster. Being the kid and all you could see her eyes light up. I guess I forgot to mention that I am a bit strapped for cash but this is my best girl we are talking about so I went ahead with it. She always enjoyed that roller coaster maybe because she was in the mood for a little adrenalin. I didn't mind myself. I told her about this interesting tidbit I caught wind of in CSI. One of the leads rode the roller coaster when he got depressed or wanted to think. I myself would want to try something like that I guess but the ride at SM lacks the adrenalin I'd like to endure.

Anyway, we went back & had dinner at Tempura. She tried to use the chopsticks and started playing with it. The kind waiters saw her frustration and mine trying to learn and me trying to teach her how to use it, they proffered up a banded up pair used to train them for use. I told her to eat her vegetables and had some noodles too! I'm very proud of Erin when she knows when to behave. I don't mind her being a bit naughty sometimes, it's part of a kid's life I guess. It's both endearing and engaging to see her decide what's right and wrong then act on it.

After dinner, I asked her to join me so that we can walk around & I ended up with my usual after meal cigarette. I tried to test her on counting and this Arab nearby saw us and tried to teach her himself. It was kind of surprising and he was teaching my best girl to count in Farsi. There were only 2 numbers that I remember. Nen is 2 and Ashram is 10. I was looking at Erin and she suddenly became shy but you could also see he was curious as to who this stranger was.

I talked with the guy a bit and he says he was from the U.A.E. with family for vacation. I remember a friend working in Abu Dhabi that mentioned that it was summer there so I guess this warm weather isn't as bad. We are just probably not used to it.

We went back to Tempura and I just couldn't help smiling at Erin because I just knew she had an interesting day. I had one myself and I'm glad I spent it with my best girl!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Lazy Sunday

Lazy indeed!

I just picked up a few tickets that were still unowned. I've noticed that the weather has been warm as of late. So I played some tunes off my workstation speakers

(By the way, my play lists seems to agree with everyone today!)

The cute one from the office and another female co-worker borrowed my audio plug and they watched Knocked Up on the latter's 3rd gen Nano. Funny to think what people will do when they're bored.

There I go again taking pictures & videos of everyone. An idea popped into my head. Why not create a WaMu TSG facebook group so that we can put faces on the peeps we chat & talk with for support?

Everyone seems to agree with it. Tomorrow I'm starting that after seeing Erin or maybe the day after tomorrow.

I was browsing about El DeBarge in Wikipedia. Ha ha ha I just got a new track from an officemate...in a related note, I also found out that Aztec Camera,a band from the 80's when blue button down shirts & pink undershirts were the style of that time did a somewhat lighthearted rendition of Jump which was a Van Halen original. It was refreshing to hear a more light hearted tone and I just can't stop playing it in my head.

I also happened to chance upon the wikipedia entry for The Doors and found out that Jim Morrison's grave is located in Paris. I posted an interesting Greek saying here. (Link pending till I get my new blog up)

The same saying led me to another interesting blog made by Tony Powell. Interesting stuff if I may say so.

I'm a the coffee bean & tea leaf right now writing this since I am in no hurry to get home.

Just a few minutes alone with my thoughts....

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Blog Comments

An acquaintance chanced upon my blog and asked why I referred to my best girl as mine. It seemed pretty selfish she said. True enough I thought that Erin is mine but it's even blatantly true that I should mention Erin as OUR daughter.

I'd like to be fair to the mother, I thought. Even if we don't speak much anymore she still is part of something special & it physically exists.

Come to think of it I do miss Erin. I haven't seen her for quite sometime. I'm glad my half-day got approved even if I can't file it as paid which for some strange reason I still don't understand. I think I should talk to our Operations Manager and check with him.

Frankly, I guess for political reasons but that's too much assumption.

I'll look up Erin next week even if I don't take her out. I'm scrimping on cash right now and trying to make the odds & ends of this energy crisis.

It sickens me to know that we still rely on an 80 year old fuel that is slowly causing disruption in the whole social strata. I hope we fast track on renewable energy resource soon. It's just a matter of time...

For how long? I don't know

On to the lighter side of this post, I had a short chat & walk with this really cute girl from the office. Again, she is way taller than me...how frustrating is that? Oh well, I guess this ended not as light as I had hoped.

He he

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

In Debt & A Short Skirt

I've been consistently watching How I met your mother...Robin wears lots of skirts...i love girls in skirts, they're sexy

I'm in debt by the way not that much but still in debt. Blame it on credit cards....don't use them for small purchases. It's like sticking needles slowly on your spine. It'll hurt a bit only but a lot of it may soon hit a nerve and just paralyze you.

Sometimes capitalism doesn't really work...tsk tsk

Thursday, July 10, 2008

I Forgot My Umbrella & 6 Other Excuses

This sucks!

Instead of getting some shuteye tonight, the rain suddenly poured...

(Excuse #1) Just when I forgot my umbrella

I feel dizzy because...

(Excuse #2) I handled 30+ tickets today

I am thinking of leaving my current employ...

(Excuse #3) because of the rising cost of gas that just hit the Php 60 mark

I am broke & down to my last moolah

(Excuse #4) because some people depend on me to pay for their wants

I still remain unattached

(Excuse #5) since I can't find anyone who matches my standards

Ha ha, I just ran out of excuses (Excuse #6)

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Freakonomics

I just computed daily expenses & it seems I have to decide if I want to stay in the company I work for a little longer. If gas prices start hitting the Php 75 mark I should start applying somewhere else.

It just does not make financial sense anymore. I am probably going to give myself till the end of the year to make a decision. If I don't get a bigger paycheck soon it seems there is need to think about my economic strategy. I have to make up for my losses & I can't get from point A to point B with this kind of energy crisis affecting the global economic situation.

There are still a lot of plans to be made & soon I'm turning 3 decades and it is sad to say I am starting to feel the purse strings tighten.

I am now at a crossroads at what to do.

Think...

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Desperate or Bored?

Hmm...i'd like your opinion on something. Is it just me or is it because of boredom I am starting to watch chick flicks on DVD?

I have watched Grey's Anatomy & I sort of like it because of the surgery & the drama behind the surgeries (Actually, Kathy Hiegl is sooo...whew! That's the real reason). I can't call myself a fan because I forget the names or the exact details in the series, but it's entertaining.

I just started watching Private Practice, a so and so series spinoff of the aforementioned....and for some reason I get it, despite it's predictability.

It's not entertaining but Shonda Rhimes has written a more clean, honest, & stereotypical comedy-drama. It's so goody goody series but it kind of works. You just have to learn to appreciate the good side of human drama. I'm not saying that Grey's Anatomy is the opposite of Private Practice but the former is more intense as the latter is more light-hearted, mature & uncomplicated.

By the way, the highlight today is Wanted...the movie with Angelina Jolie-Pitt & Morgan Freeman. It was a very cool & action-centered film.

I give it 5 out of 5 tickets! (Sieskel & Ebert will start cussing my name just about now.)

Dinner out with my best girl was so and so. I wish I wasn't as tired, I would have loved to be with her the whole day. Well, easy come, easy go. Her mom & my almost In-law was there. I'm not complaining but I'd like to spend more time with Erin alone.

Anyway, it was a day of some note. I gotta go, I have a full sleep schedule tommorrow & it's going to be a busy day!