Silence in Darkness

Roses Off A Cliff...

2010-02-16T17:40:00.007+08:00

February 13, 2010

It was early morning, on my way to work. During that drive, plans were all laid out. More like the plans had a way of falling into place without much effort. Even the roses felt like just the right touch for what might turn out to be a magical evening. I don't normally do this for anyone unless I think she's really special.

Tonight would be great.

Later, in a loud, smokey billiard hall somewhere in Quezon City. I was taking my shots on the billiard table like a man on a mission. I didn't care for the yuppie crowd watching, nor the sorry state the tables were in. I was upset. She hasn't returned my calls, texts or messages for what seemed like the longest time and I wanted to understand why. Special thanks to Ryan and Henri for putting up with me that night.

Still not happy, as if something still has to be done to ease this ache. Still went up to the cliffs of Antipolo. Luckily I got parking and a table, despite the Valentines rush and had coffee. The view was amazing. Sigh.

February 14, 2010...

Still on the cliffs of Antipolo. Somewhere around past midnight. I just stood up, went by the rail, and threw the flowers off the cliff.

All that just for the effect.

Apparently it did, with the girls next table shouting out in surprise and asking why. I can't exactly remember what I said, only something about those flowers were only meant for someone else. Despite the poetic injustice of that act I still felt bad about it, even to the point of buying those girls single flowers from the door and a beer for their guy friends who were total strangers to me. I guess its ok, considering I'm also a stranger to them. Happy Valentines Day guys.

Then I went home after that, with more questions than answers.

One of those questions would be this: Could she be doing this very same thing somewhere?

And All I Wanted Was That You Be Totally Honest With Me...

2010-02-14T20:27:00.006+08:00

I need another story
Something to get off my chest
My life gets kind of boring
Need something that I can confess

Till all my sleeves are stained red
From all the truth that I've said
Come by it honestly I swear
Thought you saw me wink, no
I've been on the brink, so

Tell me what you want to hear
Something that'll light those ears
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away
This time
Don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics never jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

My God, amazing how we got this far
It's like we're chasing all those stars
Who drive the shiny big black cars

And everyday I see the news
All the problems that we could solve
And when a situation rises
Just write it into an album
Send it straight to gold
I don't really like my flow, oh, so

Tell me what you want to hear
Something that'll light those ears
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away
This time
Don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics never jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

Got no reason, got no shame
Got no family I can blame
Just don't let me disappear
I'mma tell you everything

Tell me what you want to hear
Something that'll light those ears
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away
This time
Don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics never jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

All my secrets away....

Might Be Time To Snap Out Of The Fantasy Coz That's Just The Way It Is...

2010-02-08T23:56:00.004+08:00

Deja vu in a bad way...

Doesn't matter who gets the best of who, or who can hurt who the most, no
It never was meant for it to be that way, never should be that way at all

The way it is, that's the way that it goes, happenin' day after day, yes
That's the way it is, that's the way that it goes
Workin' in the strangest ways

Even though we could never seem to work things out
I still love you just the same, I do
I miss your smile and that sparkle in your eyes
You're so beautiful, never change!

The way it is, that's the way that it goes, happenin' day after day, yes
That's the way it is, that's the way that it goes
Workin' in the strangest ways

What it is, and what it was, what shall be shall be, yeah
Sometimes it happens in the strangest ways
Sometimes it's hard to believe (do you believe?)
Do you believe, can you believe?

The way it is, that's the way that it goes
Workin' in the, workin' in the strangest ways

Now it really don't matter who, who gets the best of who
It never did and it never will, no
It never was meant for it to be that way, why must it be that way at all?

The way it is, that's the way that it goes, happenin' day after day, yeah yeah
That's the way it is, that's the way that it goes
Workin' in the, workin' in the strangest ways
That's the way it is, that's the way it is
That's the way it is, that's the way it goes, yeah

Yeah, that's the way it is, that's the way it goes
That's the way it is, that's the way it goes
I see it happen day after day, yeah, yeah
Now I'm workin' in the strangest ways
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Can you believe, do you believe? Do you believe, can you believe?
That's the way it is, that's the way it is, yeah yeah yeah
That's the way it is, that's the way it goes, yes it do

I just hope I'm wrong and it's all just a paranoid dream.

And The Irony Of 2009 Is...

2010-01-03T23:15:00.003+08:00

January 3, 2009

Belated Happy New Year Bloggers! Hope all is well with everyone. Wishing everybody only the best. And then some. :)

2009 has been a very eventful year. It had a lot of ups and downs, some tragedies and whatnots...

Personally what really got to me with 2009 is what I fondly call my personal Irony. Not wanting to be emo about it, it just so happens that it had to come from somebody I just met and what I would like to think still holds promise.

For the record my Personal Irony For 2009:

And while I thought she could be the Juliet I was looking for, she's searching for her King Arthur instead.

Ouch.

But enough of that. It's 2010. Got work tomorrow. Although I still "see" her from time to time, I think I'll regroup and let fate take its course.

To be continued...

Weekday Warrior Mode...

2009-12-18T22:44:00.005+08:00

December 18, 2009

Eastwood Bowl

Took to the pool hall again. Went there with the plan to play with a couple of friends but never really pressed the issue considering the Christmas rush and nothing really special to celebrate (I'm just kidding myself). So I decided to just play. Remembering Kevin Costner movie when he said to himself on the pitcher's mound, "Shut the mechanism" as I line up for a shot on the billiard table.

Getting used to the new cue. Seems like will be her name will be Nikki. She's a gorgeous blonde, what can I say?

"C" has been in the bag for quite some time. Now reduced to the role of spare cue. She suddenly felt heavy and solid compared to the light touch and response I get with Nikki (could be my imagination). Guess there will be times that "C" will come to play when I need to take certain shots that will need her. ;)

I Want Both... The PS3 AND The Car... LOL...

2009-11-14T14:33:00.002+08:00

I Wanna Do This... The Song I Mean...

2009-11-12T19:35:00.002+08:00

Starting November On A Right Note...

2009-11-02T14:25:00.003+08:00

October 31, 2009

Holiday today, but Typhoon Santi kept me up on stormwatch for most of the previous night until early this morning. Then pretty much slept for most of the day to catch up on some lost sleep. Later that evening I went over to the Shak to celebrate Pol's birthday and Halloween as well. One thing of note, most of the food weren't really promoting long-life. There were shellfish (all foods bad for Pol) and Arvin's chilli, bulalo, and bread. For da win! :D

November 1, 2009

Went to Loyola in the day time to visit Lola. Man, it was hot in the shade there. We only lasted four hours and went back home early afternoon. That's when I got a call from Faye! She just got married and was passing through Manila before taking a flight back to Singapore the next day. We had dinner and a few games of billiards. She's had practice by the looks of it. Congrats Faye and have a safe trip back to Singapore. Will try to visit when I get the chance. ;)

Uncharacteristic Play...

2009-10-18T16:13:00.003+08:00

October 16, 2009

Haven't played up to my expectations this last outing. Got beat bad, and broke my breaking cue in the process. Got some nice shots using the new cue but consistency in my play was elusive. And some things really have a way of gnawing my mind and screw up my focus...

You know what, while at we're on the subject of these gnawing thoughts, I might as well put this one thought to rest with this post:

"For the record, regarding that spur of the moment invite last October 7, I really thought it was a good idea at the time, but it turns out it became an ugly revelation of what has festered in her mind for almost a year now. All the lies that have been spread at my expense, and all the ugly truths about her that I chose not to believe, pretty much came out after that. I hate how she, for the spoiled brat that she is, has manipulated even our friends to take sides, and I pity them for taking hers. At one time I took inspiration at the sight of her, now I have nothing left to say to her. For any attempts I make to set things right would only empower her to live out that little world that she convinces herself to be the truth. She made her bed, then she can sleep with whoever she wants in it."

End of rant.

That being said, I got better things to do than call that a dark road to walk on. Like getting back on track with my billiard game for starters. At least the possibility for that to happen has promise.

Tokyo Mater. LOL...

2009-09-19T15:10:00.002+08:00

Doing My Gift Suggestion Research...

2009-09-15T22:35:00.006+08:00

This is serious. It's research for a Christmas gift.

Depending on whether she's been naughty...

Or nice.

Honest!

That Addiction Called Facebook...

2009-09-14T23:49:00.001+08:00

Probably one of the reasons why I haven't been blogging regularly lately. :P

You neither confirm it nor deny it. Everyone still has the right to remain silent, but your newsfeed will incriminate you in the court of law...

Dietary substitute to the midnight snack...

Had to wake up in the middle of the night to upload highschool reunion pics. Enuff said...

Some friends already do it as part of their daily morning ritual, probably close to taking over top billing to "trip to the bathroom"...

Some go for the games. Don't get me wrong but farming is one of my dream retirements but not online, just not my cup of tea online. Yet. ;)...

Some go for the quizzes... I take it every now and then...

Some send you stuff. Only pet peeve there is you have to subscribe and send stuff first to see who sent you the stuff to begin with. Did you get that?...

But some still wanna see in real time what their friends near and far might be doing or feeling or whatever...

Just because...

Gravity...

2009-09-14T00:48:00.003+08:00

How I Spent My Birthday...

2009-07-02T21:10:00.005+08:00

Woke up 5:30am.

Said a quick prayer of thanks. Thanks God, You rock!

Went back to bed... Hehehe...

My family greeted me first thing. To Darling Beautiful Mother, Darling Handsome Father, Gorgeous Sister, Sister Pie, Barry Pie and Ate Mely: Thanks, and HUGS all around. Sige na nga to Dodong, Bubbles and Snowy, thanks din! But pass muna on the hugs until you've taken your baths, eh? :P

My horoscope said Thursday will be my lucky day. Tried putting it to the test. Played online poker with a couple of friends around 8am. But I guess I was the only one on an Asian timezone. Went all-in a couple of times and lost a lot but it was a hilarious table. Guess I'm one of those who shouldn't gamble on his birthday. Only got the Cheap Date Achievement to show for it. To Ivy, Uly, Ken, Sugar, Joel, Michele: Thanks guys wherever you are. Sorry for not telling you it was my birthday in case you guys decide to go easy on me. Hope to play against you guys soon and win back my money. Haha... (Post gaming thought: Technically, all my opponents were playing on a Wednesday... no wonder I lost! Argh! LOL.)

Had my haircut for my upcoming "mugshot". P99 and P1 to the Bantay Bata can. Made a small pledge to keep my spending on my birthday simple. Dunno why I said that.

Before I went to LTO, me and the folks had lunch at Max's Robinsons Metro East. Wow, I remember the time I was always looking forward to eating at Max's Restaurant over at Roces and Sct. Tuazon everytime every time there was a special occasion. Brief nostalgia trip right there.

Went on to have my driver's license renewed. Found out while lining up that it has expired a year ago! That medical exam/drug alcohol test was a total drag. Now that I got my license renewed, I can now afford to test positive in the next alcohol test! Kidding. :P

Went home with the sun still up. Cool.

Did a bit of surfing... checked my blog if it still exists. Well, it seems like I wasn't the only ones with blogs in limbo. So I decided to draft this post in the hopes of bringing this blog back to life. Had Greenwich pizza for dinner. Too bad there wasn't any 3M anywhere nearby. Have some of you ever remembered that 3M pizza parlor over at Araneta Coliseum? You don't? Really? 3M would've made this whole experience totally nostalgic. Haha.

Got a few greets from a few friends. Some on Facebook, some on SMS, some via YM, some via ESP, or just plain wishful thinking on my part. To those who greeted (Yes, all THREE of you and you know who you are. Haha!): Thanks for remembering. Makes it all worth living this long. You're all an inspiration to a Nickelback song that keeps playing in my head (Special plugging: to Ria B,if you're reading this, belated! Naks.):

Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me...

Ending the day in a few minutes. The thought that I'm another year older has already sunken in. Still not much money on my pocket, but I'm not complaining. I had a wonderful time today. And no one can take ever that away from me now.

I'm bringing my cues tomorrow. Time to paint the town red.

Put It On The Line and Stepped Out One Time Too Many...

2009-05-10T12:29:00.004+08:00

This is pretty much my In The Moment state...

I can't believe what is in front of me
The water's rising up to my knees
And I can't figure out
How the hell I wound up here
Everything seemed okay when I started out the other day
Then the rain came pouring down
And now I'm drowning in my fears

And as I watch the setting sun
I wonder if I'm the only one

Cause everybody tries to put some love on the line
And everybody feels a broken heart sometimes
And even when I'm scared I have to try to fly
Sometimes I fall
But I've seen it done before
I got to step outside these walls

I've got no master plan to help me out
Or make me stand up for
All the things that I really want
You had me to afraid to ask

And as I look ahead of me
Cry and pray for sanity

Cause everybody tries to put some love on the line
And everybody feels a broken heart sometimes
And even when I'm scared I have to try to fly
Sometimes I fall
But I've seen it done before
I got to step outside these walls

These walls can't be my haven
These walls can't keep me safe here
Now I guess I've got to let them down

Cause everybody tries to put some love on the line
And everybody feels a broken heart sometimes
And even when I'm scared I have to try to fly
Sometimes I fall
But I've seen it done before

I got to break out...
I got to break out...
I got to step outside these walls
Love outside these walls
I felt my heart breaking
But its a brand new day
Im going down
Im stepping out
Im stepping outside these walls
I've seen it done before... and I'm walking on,
I'll walk it off, oh I'm moving on

6000 Silent Visits...

2009-04-26T13:14:00.001+08:00

And still going...

Thanks for following, wherever you may be. :)

Downtime...

2009-02-23T14:16:00.006+08:00

February 23, 2009...

I got these from more than one person over the course of Friday and Saturday. They seem a little diverse, but somehow I secretly know they're interconnected:

"Geez Romy, you look... different. Is everything alright?"

"Hey, you ok? You look tired."

"You are in serious need of sleep my friend."

"Hon, is Romy ok? Even when he's quiet he usually looks happy... now, I don't really know."

"Whatever's on your mind is probably not helping you..."

"He's spaced out. Something's bothering him."

So... having spent most of my Sunday sleeping and then sleeping late because I felt I overslept... I just decided to take the Monday off and give myself some time to recharge. That didn't exactly last long considering my mind was still drifting to the office knowing how much work I've left behind that's not being done. So, my Monday did not end without placing a call to my assistants and check on them and how they're doing. Sadly, I have this shameful hope that she answers the phone when I call and maybe just hearing her voice would make me feel better.

One Word...

2009-02-14T09:51:00.009+08:00

From Katia. USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to tag the person you received it from!

1. Where is your cell phone? POCKET
2. Your significant other? MISSING (le ouch...)
3. Your hair? SHORT (more like balding)
4. Your mother? HOME (with father)
5. Your father? HOME (with mother)
6. Your favorite thing? "CHARMAINE" (she's a billiard cue stick named after a girl of similar temperment)
7. Your dream last night? TRAGIC
8. Your favorite drink? BOURBON
9. Your dream/goal? WIN
10. What room you are in? OFFICE
11. Your hobby? BILLIARDS
12. Your fear? UNLOVED
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? ELSEWHERE
14. Where were you last night? QC
16. Muffins? HUH?
17. Wish list item? FERRARI
18. Where you grew up? MARIKINA
19. Last thing you did? DRIVING (in a Ferrari... :D )
20. What are you wearing? SHIRT
21. Your TV? OFFICE
22. Your pets? SMELLY (don't get me started...)
23. Friends? COOL
24. Your life? BETTER
25. Your mood? JADED
26. Missing someone? IRONIC (she's just across the freakin' room...)
28. Something you're not wearing? RING
29. Your favorite store? SHANGRI-LA
30. Your favorite color? BLUE
33. When is the last time you laughed? TODAY (something about my earphones worn inside out...)
34. Last time you cried? MONTHS (forgotten why...)
35. Who will resend this? DUNNO
36. One place that I go to over and over? METROWALK (I do NOT own Elbow Room...)
37. One person who emails me regularly? AUNT
38. My favorite place to eat? ANYWHERE (as long as somebody else is buying...)
39. Why you participated in this survey? BORED (in need of inspiration...)
40. What are you doing tonight? DOWNTIME (this Dark Road is long...)

The Elbow Room Hat Trick...

2009-02-09T11:14:00.005+08:00

First Night: February 5, 2009...
Attendance: Me, KC and Marvin
Band Peforming: Woodnote

Went to Elbow Room to reserve the place for the next couple of nights... But when I saw a familiar face, I inadvertently started my glory run. :P

I know KC a couple of months back, though only by the familiar nod when we come across each other. Nothing more. But a chance for a pick-up game of billiards was a good starting point to catch up on stuff we don't talk about in our line of work for ethical reasons. And it turns out he's not bad. He's cool. We hope to hook up again sometime.

Second Night: February 6, 2009...
Attendance: Me and Queenie... Where'd da heck did everyone else go?
Band Performing: Ashley and The Gallery... Woohoo!

Rain screwed this night up real bad. But it was nothing compared to the collective hurt the officemates I invited did to me that night. It was the first night where I plan to make a statement that just fell flat face first into a puddle of mud. To hell with those who canceled last minute or chose to go diva mode that evening. One "VIP" in particular broke my heart with that last joking statement that could possibly seal things for an irreparable good. Only saving grace was Queenie, of all people. Among them, she at least stood up and braved the rain and proved a pleasant surprise with her depth and humor. You're a King in my book Queen. ;)

Third Night: February 7, 2009...
Attendance: Midnight, Kuneho, BattleCaptain, and Henri representing the HGR boyz. JakeMonster, Fluffy, CrispyBeefRibs and Garrboi representing the Fortress Peeps. Jeff and Jumping Johnny representing Da Shak. And Me, representing myself. :D
Band Performing: Seal of Benjamin

At least these guys did not disappoint. Most of these guys got game, and I pretty much gave them some friendly competition but what's more important something that has eluded me these past couple of days: I had fun. I enjoyed my game. I even had that familiar confident swagger back, whether I was winning or losing that game, and it comforted me. It was a good sign.

The band is ok, just went a little over the top on a few occasions but I was beyond caring.

My newly acquired toy (picture to follow) now makes me look and feel like I have a point to prove now, that I should not be messed with. Not anymore.

VIP Room No. 4 Rocks!

We had a ton of fun. Unanimously, the guys plan to go at it one more time another time, as well as those who sadly did not make it that night. Hopefully soon.

Impromptu Reunion...

2008-11-24T08:55:00.004+08:00

November 23, 2008

Qizia Resto over at SDS, somewhere in Marikina

Da Batch '87 Suspects: Jet, Dave, Nan, Cardo, Erick, Gee, and Yours Truly

Came across one of my highschool buddies online by accident. Just a couple of days later did I get to join them for dinner at this remote resto behind the local hospital near my house. Apparently its a regular thing and I've been missing out. First thing they tell me the minute they saw me was a unanimous "Where da heck have you been these past couple of years?!". Guess that pretty much sums up their reactions.

I'm a little bit at a loss for words and was very much on listen mode after being out of the loop for too long a time. Dave just got married, Jet and Cardo are HUGE, Erick's back on contract leave from Dubai, Nan's still an archi professor in UST and Gee's also married and expanded his business last time we hooked up.

High school memories hit me like this big wave. Almost forgot how it felt like being with these guys. Good times.

How More Pathetic Can It Get?...

2008-11-13T22:47:00.008+08:00

It's been close to a two-month hiatus from blogging. Not really a forced thing. Still got to go online, lurk at a few forums of choice, but not inspired to write anything. In fact, this post has been on my drafts for close to another two months. Still find inspiration wanting.

So maybe to get things started here's a message to certain people that maybe will help kickstart my creative juices in the wrong direction:

To C.G.,

Moth to a flame...
Why come to my life just now?
Why do you torment me?
Why?
I just hate why circumstances are turned around to make it look like I play the role of the asshole here.
Schizophrenia to the WTF level indeed.

To D.P.,

Why should you look like a former love of mine?
Too bad you chose that we meet at such circumstance.
But a friend I shall remain.

2 Strikes. Here's the pitch.

To T.R.

You're so young. I can only advise you up to a point.
I hope you find your happiness. How I sometimes wish that I have a part in it.
You said you want to be upfront and not involve others into whatever we discuss whether it's at work or personal life. Then why involve C.G. into all this? Or worse yet, everybody else?

End of Rant.

A friend of mine once told me that there's a common denominator to all three. Try to reserve a little love for yourself, for these people will still take you for granted. Or something like that. That's been the story of my life, what can I say?

On Retail And Gastronomic Therapy...

2008-09-20T08:35:00.005+08:00

September 19, 2008

Somewhere in the San Juan/Ortigas area...

Traffic was horrendous that night. Took a little longer than usual to get where I was supposed to go, and the fact that I had previous plans to go out being construed for something else really did not help my mood. It was a Friday night and nothing, not even Oktoberfest traffic, rain, jealous girlfriend wannabes, or even bad parking is gonna stop me from having fun tonight.

Before considering walking my Dark Road alone, I did a little retail therapy over at my usual store of choice in Galleria. Just received word that there's no gaming tomorrow. Guess the guys will try to get their gaming fix elsewhere for now. I hope this will not be a regular thing.

It just so happens Obi was at NG Galleria. He said he's passing by Fortress after to meet up and hang out with the boyz assembled there. After buying some 40k stuff, I tagged along. Hung out with the guys until closing, and we went on over to MienSan for dinner. For a change. Don't get me wrong, but despite the predictability of our habits, gosh I missed this. It's just one of those days that some retail and gastronomic therapy with these guys goes a long way.

I Just Hate...

2008-09-09T00:18:00.000+08:00

Damsels in distress who hang you out to dry after you save them and allow themselves to be swept off by the next knight in shining armor at the drop of a hat.

And the vicious cycle repeats itself all over again.

Psh.

Unusual Way To End August...

2008-08-31T22:24:00.003+08:00

August 31, 2008

Last day before the Ber-ber months.

Called up two exes today.

First I greeted briefly a belated happy birthday. By the sound of it, she's probably wondering why I still remember her birthday despite it all. Somehow it's comforting to know that she's doing fine.

Second one's slightly different. She's shut herself from the world that she knows and wants to get back on her feet on her own terms, with no help from others. Including myself. Especially myself, knowing full well that she broke up with me because I remind her of her past. Its a sad arrangement, but I'm glad she felt a little better after I checked up on her. Kinda ironic ain't it? I hope she gets back on her feet soon.

I'm back to walking my own Road.

All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go...

2008-08-30T07:08:00.004+08:00

August 29, 2008

Today was a good day to give myself a pat on the back. Been out on official business and things went relatively well considering the stress involved leading to that day.

On the way back to the office I received a message from a friend saying she's sad. Super sad. Called her up. She was depressed. Thought I was going for the hat trick if I went over after office and help cheer her up while letting the traffic pass. She said we'll see when I get there.

Got to the nearby mall in good time despite the Friday payday rush hour. Called her up. No answer. Ate dinner. Called her up. No answer. Walked a couple of minutes. Called her up. She answered. Unusually cheery. Wasn't she super sad a couple of minutes ago? Oh well. Asked her if she's coming over. She says we'll see. I said I can wait.

I didn't wait long.

I know her for being moody. She told me that herself. But this is taking it to the extreme a bit. Extreme enough to the point that it's reached my "What Da Heck?!" category of extremes. Call it pride, but I'm too old to wait for God knows how long on a "We'll see". I want to live the rest of my life on something more definite than that.

Took me less than ten minutes to figure that out. Got to my car, drove off. Did I mention it was still payday rush hour traffic? I was too pissed off to notice. Only thing I did notice was reading a message on my phone 30(!) freaking minutes later:

"Sir, san kna?"

Two things. 1) I don't mind being called "Sir", except if I told you NOT to call me "Sir". and 2) "Sir" is supposed to be used as a sign of respect. Not to rub in the irony that you were impolite to me just a couple of minutes back.

Didn't feel like going straight home yet. I wandered a bit. Went Emo/Loser Mode on the hills of Antipolo for a couple of hours. No cellphone signals, no text messages, no calls. I got a meeting at 8AM on a freaking Saturday. Time to go down, get home, shower, and drive back to work.

Mall-Wide Sale Experience...

2008-08-18T13:17:00.004+08:00

August 17, 2008...

Haven't gone out with my parents in a long while. And Robinsons Metro East is more their territory than mine, so I agreed to be their driver and let them show me around.

It's a mall-wide sale here, and parking is so full even the speed ramps got cars parked. Got a few pants. I felt sad at the realization I went one size up, well at least for one style of jeans. But getting three pairs of jeans in under PhP 2,000 (That's a shade over USD 40 given the current exchange rate, which is not a bad deal if I might say so).

We then had a quick snack over at Sta Lucia Grand Mall next door. Seems my Mom and Dad like Country Style bagels. Did a little grocery after that and left for home. But we took one more detour, Mom has this craving for Hershey-like soft icecream over at the local Mini-Stop.

That's pretty much it. :D

Before going to bed, I took out my 1750pt list for painting. I got about 42 models of different shapes and sizes that need to be painted and flocked in under 6 days, complete with some "distractions" surely thrown in the mix. Good luck to me. :P

A Coin In The Fountain...

2008-08-09T01:37:00.007+08:00

Walking that Dark Road

August 5, 2008

Made a decision today. What the heck, I'm going out. I will bring along friends from the office. Let them see me in a different element, one these particular friends of mine are not so used to seeing me in. I brought along my cues today. Usually people from the office have not seen how I play billiards other than at the downstairs table after office hours.

Took them to Elbow Room. Saw a few old friends. A familiar albeit different group that somehow helped me through what I fondly called a Dark Road I previously walked. Now I'm walking a similar Road, I welcome those familiar faces. Looks like I will be here a while.

The rest of the night was a blur. But at the corner of my eye, something stands out with a crystal-like clarity I did not notice before. I felt a strange kind of comfort, the kind you don't really want to linger on due to its limbo-like appeal. I felt good about my game. I was competing more against myself while I play with officemates to have some fun. Time flew. But even after quitting time, I still made sure my friends got home safe. But on my way home, that vision still burns clear at the back of my mind.

Like the ridges of a coin I hold in the palm of my hand...

Opening Ceremony

August 8, 2008

Beijing Olympics 2008! First day, and opening ceremonies will be a very highly anticipated event. But I wasn't home early watching the Opening Ceremony. I was elsewhere. This "Opening" of mine took me across most of Ortigas as well as fringes of Quezon City. Never had such interesting conversation that bordered on extreme caution in quite a while.

My back to the fountain, I close my eyes, held the coin for one second more...

Today felt very much like my highschool days all over again. But today is pretty much twenty one years later. An assuring cup of coffee in my hand, overlooking a view blocked by an overgrowth of trees, with the quiet trickle of the fountain beside us, I tried to savor this moment of awkwardness. Why is this all happening to me? And why is it happening so fast?

I could feel the ripples in the fountain when the coin hit the water. Pitting myself against Fate once more, I quietly made my impossible wish...

I still got home in time to see the torch lighting ceremony. It was perfect. :)

As Fate Would Have It...

2008-07-31T13:16:00.008+08:00

July 31, 2008

This rain is not helping my current state of mind...

Office is currently playing some music to soften the sound of the rain splattering on the windows. As a creature of habit I rarely miss a beat in taking note of what's playing today, but everything seems like a distant buzzing noise that could not quite relate to my melancholy. No single song has yet been written to describe what I feel this very moment. Keri Noble would probably be the closest soundtrack to the heartbreak I feel.

Where to start...

Call me a hopeless romantic. I've believed all along that I was meant to save someone, be her knight in shining armor. It seems my choices of damsels in distress are much stronger and could've easily saved themselves, having no need of someone like me. Guess I'm more in need of saving compared to them.

I had a dream about you last night...
...When I woke up I wanted to call
And get it out of my head

I always knew that it wasn't right
To get involved with you...

...But now you seem like youre fine
Like you've moved on with your life
But I'd give anything to talk to you
And tell you I know I didn't treat you right...

Things have a way of happening too fast. Has it been more than a year? Should I have taken matters into my own hands? I've always been a firm believer in fate, but fate has been cruel to me. What consolation is there if all seems lost? After today, seeing her happy in the arms of another hit me hard. Surprisingly and irrationally hard. Is this what I think it is? It is not predictable and never was it rational, and yet I know I am being unfair. I didn't care for the circumstance nor the distance, even if it was 605 miles then or 9307 miles away even. I was so wrong. And I have no one to blame but myself for falling blindly to its depths.

"You'll feel better having said what you feel than having said nothing at all."

I just realized I suck at practicing what I preach.

August 4, 2008

Start of my week and the rain has not stopped. Its been five days and there's no respite from the weather nor from the jumble of thoughts that is my brain. I've tried rationalizing that things have a way of turning around, maybe even get my fairytale ending. But it seems like there's only an end to it, asking for more would only make things worse.

I got work to keep me busy. I will pick up my cues again soon. I will walk that Dark Road. I will take inspiration from this sad story. I will.

I didn't know if I would ever feel the same
The way I used to feel before you'd gone
I didn't know if the ache would ever go away
I only knew I had to go on...

Yesterday I was trying so hard not to cry
But today I feel fine...

Let it rain...

Toxic April... May... June and July...

2008-07-25T01:15:00.005+08:00

Been away for quite some time, well at least from my blog. As the title states, I've been busy. Work has been extremely toxic these past couple of months. I was pretty much out of it, had to give some focus on work over a lot of what I consider more fun. ;)

Still working on three building projects since the start of the year, all of which have started to experience their own set of problems that takes up most of my time. Suffice it to say, it was toxic enough. Enough for me to look for every opportunity to escape from it all every way I can to stay sane. I've been looking forward to playing more tabletop gaming during weekends, which is kinda sad if you tend to miss a few weekends due to the occassional demands of work. Maybe I haven't been playing billiards as often as I would want to. Tried taking up the cue again after a long drought and I'm rusty. Very. It's time I challenge myself again.

It's been a toxic four months, with no signs of letting off just yet. I guess I just have try to endure it a little more.

Most Misunderstood...

2008-06-30T15:24:00.004+08:00

You are The Devil

Materiality. Material Force. Material temptation; sometimes obsession

The Devil is often a great card for business success; hard work and ambition.

Perhaps the most misunderstood of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really "Satan" at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius. These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. This is a card about ambitions; it is also synonymous with temptation and addiction. On the flip side, however, the card can be a warning to someone who is too restrained, someone who never allows themselves to get passionate or messy or wild - or ambitious. This, too, is a form of enslavement. As a person, the Devil can stand for a man of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad man, but certainly a powerful man who is hard to resist. The important thing is to remember that any chain is freely worn. In most cases, you are enslaved only because you allow it.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Breaking The Silence...

2008-04-26T00:51:00.004+08:00

April 26, 2008...

I'd been away maybe a little too long. Been a little busy at work, and can only get online in every now and then. The weather's not helping either. Been under the weather on and off for the past couple of weeks, come to think of it, most of April.

.......

July 31, 2008...

Never got to finish that train of thought considering a lot of things have happened that made me maintain some form of silence for quite some time. Writer's block maybe, but I guess you be the judge in the next couple of posts I'll be clearing from my drafts, some instances where my thoughts are finished or will remain unfinished. Some people I have thanked personally one way or the other during that long period of silence. You know who you are, and again my thanks. I intend to change all that in the next couple of days. I won't be silent for long.

Migraine...

2008-04-01T23:22:00.003+08:00

March 29, 2008

40k Megabattle. Terminators left under the sun, at the back of the car. Doh! My brief moment of stupidity proved ominous since Dark Eldar was the better choice to use in a megabattle considering the sheer size of the battlefield, which did not prove much of a problem bringing assets to different points on the battlefield and even claimed a vital objective that assured my side of the win.

March 31, 2008

Timed out early to get some rest. The heat did not help in relieving me of my headache, which started to feel like a full blown migraine.

April 1, 2008

Took half the day off. Had to report for work in the afternoon for a meeting. A lot of people were either late or absent. Talk about being professional about it. And now, they provide a problem that will cause major revisions if not addressed correctly. This is not helping.

Post-Easter Monday...

2008-03-24T06:41:00.008+08:00

March 24, 2008...

Good morning bloggers and readers! It's a little before 7am and I'm at the office early. I'm a little lazy to do a Starbucks Chronicle just yet.

My family celebrated Easter relatively quietly. Actually, most of the Holy Week was spent on rest, me included, cancelling previously made plans of going out. Easter Sunday was a little special. We went to Sister Pie's and Barry Pie's church in Shangri-La to watch their cantata. Sister Pie had a solo in one of the numbers! Me so puwawd of Sister Pie.

After that, we left Barry and Sister Pie at church who had to stay to help pack up. The at the last minute, the rest of us had dinner out for a change. We ate at Tiendesitas and had a look around at the pet shops and antique stores before going home.

Belated Happy Easter to everyone! Well, like I always say to friends, it's not about the bunny. Though I still get the reaction from some of my female friends that it's about the egg... ;)

Hobby And Gaming Thoughts On Hump Day...

2008-03-06T07:12:00.005+08:00

March 5, 2008...

Went to Fortress to meet up with Arvin to get some of the paint I very much needed for my Warhammer 40k miniatures. Some of my stocks of the paints I regularly use are in need of replacement. With the momentum in painting going, I should seriously address this or plan what else to paint given the limited stocks. Lost my focus temporarily (it wasn't Disruption or a shot from Eiryss) by getting another Paladin of the Order of the Wall blister to add to my Protectorate of Menoth collection, with Doc Killingsworth reserved for a later visit. As if I don't have a considerable backlog in Warmachine figs lately. ;)

Doc Lance also passed by a little before closing time to stock up on some Circle of Orboros figs. He's one of the regular WM/H players, and a good one at that. We got to talk about Warmachine/Hordes (I'm not so surprised he seems to know more about Menoth than I do) and his take on the current gaming scene. We've also talked about 40k gaming, to which surprisingly he's still pretty much in touch with the rules and will be considering playing a few more games in Galleria with the Regulars to see if he can be competitive for the GT in August. Doc Lance and Arvin have also given me good reason to rethink my Dark Eldar tactics next time I decide to field it.

After Fortress closing, Arvin and I went to da Shak to check what the boyz have been up to. Pol was there busy at work on an Ayana and Holt project for Jake, Jason da Mad Scientist was there (who wasn't working on a gun project but was noteably wearing slacks!), Jumping Johnny was working on what Arvin fondly called a "gi-normous" B-52, and Jubaybomber working on some personal plastic modeling and painting projects. I decided to join in the fun by putting in some paint on a few Chaos Space Marine figs I brought along for retouching. It's been while since I've had a chance to paint here at da Shak, sharing a couple of litres of Coke and a few laughs along the way.

Time flies. Went home an hour later since it was getting a little late. Hope to do this again soon.

Starbucks Chronicles Vol. 05...

2008-03-03T07:30:00.003+08:00

March 3, 2008...

Starbucks Rockwell 6:30-ish in the morning

I got in super early. Too lazy to open up the office. So, I went to Starbucks to do my usual chronicles to pass the time (a little over an hour), as well as bring a couple of 40k miniatures for some paint retouching for a change.

First people I see in the place is a couple of hip seniors. I say Hip because they wore rubber shoes jogging outfits and have their ears connected to iPods. I figure them to be in their 70's, obviously enjoying life.

Some noteable patrons this morning: I guy sporting an artistic skinhead haircut. I dunno if I'd like to have my hair done like that. I cute girl in a tiedye(?) shirt driving a red Vios comes in and orders. Never really saw much of her after that.

I decided to order a bacon strip, cheese and egg sandwich on multi-grain bagel. Still no salad.

Decided to eat al fresco for a change. Eating outside may be a good or bad thing.

- I get some sun - Good
- Heard a labrador bark somewhere in the distance
- Flies are a slight nuisance. Tried to slash one with my knife - not exactly the most wise or literally well-described thing to do. Suddenly I need to change knives just to be sure. :P
- The air's a little cool, being close to a garden and all. I just hope the gardener doesn't water the foliage with me on the other side of it.
- Got enough sunlight to try fix a few miniatures before work

Started off some Black Legion figs, two Aspiring Champions and 4 Icon Bearers. I'm not exactly keen on dunking these plastic models in some brake fluid to strip off the paint, besides the thickness of the existing paint was reasonable enough to let some of the finer details stand out and maybe a few cleanings here and there might just do the trick. I started off by cleaning the excess flash (that's excess plastic where the casting molds usually meet) with my X-Acto knife. While I was doing this, I was also tried to map out how I will go about repainting/retouching the existing paint job. Plus, made a quick inventory of what paints I will need to ready or restock so as to keep the momentum going.

Guess it's time to head on back.

Train Man Rising Chapter 1...

2008-02-14T04:09:00.003+08:00

February 13, 2008...

Undisclosed venue where I plan "Da Date"...

I decided to scout the place that first came to my mind when Ms. On The Way agreed to go out with me, next week after Valentines Day. It's been a while since I last been here since it IS a considerable drive from my usual route. Imagine the potential embarassement it would bring if me and my date got there and all I can say would be, "It's gone?!". Haha.

Sat myself next to "Da View". It's not bad. You could see Metro Manila and parts of Laguna at night, the city lights gives an impression of stars fallen to the ground and the sky slightly aglow, probably reflections of the cityscape below. Not exactly picture frame perfect, but I guess it will do. I recall the view to be more breathtaking in its earlier years.

Took a small bite to eat to check out the food and a couple of beers to "drink in" the view, and let my thoughts wander...

Ok, the venue's ok. The food's not bad. And the view is great. Will she like it?

Bweh... some things come to my mind as well. Like, what would you say to her? Like I said, it's been a while since I dated anyone. Does one go straight to the effin' point? Come to think of it, what IS the effin' point? Guess I'll just wing it. Getting her here first might be the problem.

Valentines Day is just a couple of hours away, so before my thoughts wander further off I'd probably greet all of you a Happy Valentines Day, wherever you maybe. Hope you're having a good one, just like me. +P

Cheque please. :D

Starbucks Chronicles Vol. 04...

2008-02-13T09:14:00.003+08:00

February 13, 2008 6:30-ish in the morning...

Starbucks Rockwell Drive

It's quiet, except for my Mp3 player on repeat.

Valentine's Eve.

This place had a few renovations the last time I was here. Noteable was the wood floor's a warm complement to the tiled half of the space. Hmmm. No couch?! That's unusual I think for a Starbucks not to have one.

Looks like graduate students and yuppies are starting the day early. Well, I'm not on a graduate program, so does that make me a yuppie? Haha...

Ordered a cinnamon roll and orange juice. cinnamon roll's a little on the flaky side. And no salad?

There's a koi pond outside. I always loved fish ponds. Suddenly remembered memories that I wanted build myself one for the house.

Tall girl in white comes in! White pants, LONG legs that go on forever. Tall girl orders and leaves.

Couple comes in with cute baby!!! Cuuuttteee!!! Cute and bubbly.

I see two laptops on different tables. I should get myself one to make my work a little easier so that I can get to work on something whenever and wherever I feel like it.

LSS: I'm In Love With A Girl by Gavin DeGraw. How true is that and with whom? Haha...

Some thoughts on my mind:

Train Man Rising? - I'm back to newbie status on this dating thing. Some kind of mating ritual this is turning out to be. I'm not assuming anything on this one.

Work is a bit stressful, with a bit of a problem with one of my assistants thrown into the mix. There's some things I prefer not to worry about. I got bigger priorities to take care of, and assistants sometimes just have to keep up.

Gotta get back to the office. Laters.

Weekend Therapy...

2008-02-03T18:03:00.000+08:00

February 2, 2008...

Had to get my mind off work and other stuff so I timed out early to catch up with the Galleria Regulars and maybe play a couple of games.

Lots of the players were in attendance. Got to play one game against a new player, who fielded an Armored Company with a Baneblade as a centerpiece. First time for my army to take on mechanized Guardsmen. Had some serious fun in winning that game, considering I had to put my thinking cap on the very first turn with the tactics I had to dish out in getting to his battle line and braving the Armored Company's opening salvos.

Good game.

February 3, 2008...

Getting some of my miniatures ready for painting. Mapping out my plans for assembly and painting my miniatures. My Temple Flameguard's almost done, too bad the weather wasn't ideal for spraybombing some more Menoth stuff for painting. So I'm readying some earlier primed 40k stuff instead. Hope to post some pictures of my finished work soon.

The Dreamer Emotes...

2008-01-28T21:22:00.000+08:00

In the absence of a San Mig Lite moment...

[Drama Mode : On]

[Drama Mode : Repeat]

Seems like forever already, waiting for that San Mig Lite moment to hit me. It's a crappy feeling...

An Update In The Life Of A Dreamer...

2008-01-22T07:23:00.000+08:00

I sometimes hate those times when you have to dream to make yourself feel better.

I've been so wanting to start my year out on a good note. But some things really just don't want to cooperate.

Work has been hectic, can't afford a day of rest. Working on three(!) separate building projects is a real juggling act. But I'm not really complaining... much. It's still work, and I'm happy I have it. I still get that feeling of satisfaction that I am contributing something good still. But work still has its share of villains, people who don't really get with the program, people who still think that they know what they're talking about but in actual fact they haven't the slightest clue on what should be done. All talk but are chicken-$#!^ to put their money where their mouth is. Most of the people who kiss ass just to get around in the world are more often than not the loudest, grandstanding lot. The thought of these people make me sick, more often giving me pause for thought to protect myself than fall victim and be used as a means to elevate themselves further.

Talked to her last night. It's been a year of waiting, only to know that all is still lost a year ago. I felt betrayed. No matter what mess she claims she's in, I don't believe that shutting yourself from the world is the solution. I refuse to believe I've lost my Sunshine forever and I refuse to think that the time spent together or waiting was a total waste.

Family's going through a rough period, financially. We do what we can. Money goes out faster than it comes in. Not that we're going hungry or anything, just a few sacrifices have to be made here and there for a couple of months. It's frustrating how some of my plans (no matter how shallow or life changing they may be) are put on indefinite hold because of it.

.....

I refuse to give up hope.

As The Smoke Clears...

2008-01-01T00:46:00.000+08:00

January 1, 2008...

First post for the year...

We spent it relatively quietly here at home. Nothing fancy. Just a humble celebration to what has been a trying year 2007. No complaints here. Just happy that life always shows signs of hope whenever you feel there's none.

Well, people here at home are starting to call it a night. I still got my first beer for the year in my hand and look at what's ahead for me.

Here's to looking forward to a better 2008 for all of us.

Something About These Blondes...

2007-12-30T13:09:00.000+08:00

December 29, 2007...

Last day of work for the year.

It kinda went relatively quietly. Came in late, not expecting much to happen really. Its just when one of our Contractors wanted me to do some last minute inspections across EIGHT floors that really kicked me in the gut. I tried to be fair, honest. Must be how they rushed things to get those eight floors ready that ended up with one partial floor approved by me that really made my day. I really was wanting to get my work year end on a positive note, but I guess some things have to change now before hostilities at work will resume next year. I really hate playing the role of the Bad Guy but you really have to put your foot down on certain things if you want to get them on the right track again.

After that minor incident, there wasn't much to do after that. I was better off elsewhere than at the office. My officemates started leaving after lunch. No need to stay until closing time anyways. I stayed closing only for the sake of staying.

Later went to the RHGC Summoning. Lots of the boyz were present, all playing Warhammer 40k, Warhammer Fantasy Battles, and Warmachine/Hordes in 7 tables. Lito was as usual, a gracious host. A few rounds of games, food, and lots of drinks later, some talks ensued among the regulars to hold some Grand Tourneys to get the gaming going. Schedules are:

Warhammer Fantasy Battles GT - April 2008
Warhammer 40k GT - August 2008
Warmachine/Hordes GT - December 2008

I hope to be active and participate in these tourneys. Hope my other friends will as well.

Went home around 11PM.

---------------------

Completely random thought brought about by vegging during the holidays:

Imagine breaking up with these two. Must be enough to vote you Stupidest Mofo Or Something... :P

In Search Of A Medal...

2007-12-27T01:19:00.000+08:00

December 26, 2007...

Not really.

Christmas was only yesterday and already it was back to the grind the very next day. As expected, a couple of officemates didn't report in for obvious reasons, not as if their presence on site would make much difference anyways. Majority of the workers' minds were still on vacation mode, so progress on site was relatively laid back, taking it slow.

Sadly, not for me. While my sitework is very much taking the backseat, my start-up projects are calling for deadlines left and right. Despite that, things seem to be working for us and hopefully stress levels will not be so high as the week progresses. Well, as if work done during the course of this week would make much difference come New Year. We'll see.

Trying to do a Jessica Rabbit? Hehe....

5000 Silent Visits...

2007-12-25T23:12:00.000+08:00

And on Christmas day too!!! Thanks for visiting folks!

Quick Christmas Greeting...

2007-12-25T21:16:00.000+08:00

December 25, 2007

The blogger who slept through Christmas...

Joke.

No, I didn't fall along that storyline. Well, just a couple of hours actually. Christmas started a day early as always for us, as we celebrated my Sister Pie's birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday Sister Pie! Hhhuuuggg!!! Celebrated her birthday over at her house in Parañaque. Christmas Eve traffic was surprisingly cooperative, most likely because of the fact that most of the people in the Metro are probably celebrating Christmas in the provinces or just at home.

The food was great. Dad's potato salad still rocks. Hehehe...

Spent Christmas day at home. Other than the traditional countdown earlier, it was Katia who best described it as "so-so for the moment". I just surfed the net a bit, did a couple of sculpting work on my miniatures, watched MTV for a couple of minutes, and tried to catch up on sleep. MTV Playlist showed a Nickelback song that kinda stuck to me.

Now, I have to get ready for work tomorrow. Oh well, at least I was able to spend Christmas with family and from their greetings, knowing that all my friends are in the spirit of things is all good.

Merry Christmas to everyone, wherever you may be. Wishing you all a good one! ;)

Two Years...

2007-12-15T00:02:00.000+08:00

My blog just turned two years old today! That's 234 posts of treasured memories and close to 5000 visits.

Thanks!

Not Yet In The Christmas Spirit Of Things...

2007-12-14T00:18:00.000+08:00

December 13... Make that 14...

Could you believe it I'm still in the office?! And it's Christmas season!

Just to take my mind off why i'm still here at the office...

The Younger Ones...

Younger generation take things differently these days. Been playing the role of guidance counselor a quite a few of them a little too often lately. What is it, really? Peer pressure, family problems, love life, just to name a few. Must be that time of the year too that's not making things easier for them.

My current work load...

Some bullet points of harsh truths.
- I've got 5 building projects that will take me from Makati to Ortigas to Roxas Blvd to Domestic Airport to EDSA on a regular basis in the very near future.
- Though I feel I can take this on, I think this load is beyond my pay grade.
- And THIS is how I'm being repaid. Talk about heavily investing in sacrifice.

An Injustice...

Makes me think sometimes if life has been unfair. Expounding on the subject any further would only make me feel bad. Sigh.

Bangin' Saturday...

2007-12-09T10:40:00.000+08:00

December 8, 2007

Happy Birthday Mama Mary! I'm still a Maristian at heart after all. ;)

Arrived at the office super early (6:30am). Well, I WAS supposed to go on leave but since I did drive in the wee hours of the morning to drop off my Gorgeous Sister to hospital duty, might as well pass by the office before going to Sister Pie's house blessing. Nothing much to do in the short period of time, so no sooner did I arrive, I was leaving the office again.

Sister Pie's house blessing was a success. Lots of friends came, the weather cooperated, the house "behaved", and the food was great. Played a little Burnout on Barry's PSP while half asleep from all the food I ate. Then we went on our separate ways a little later in the afternoon after a little rest, the guests have gone and all of the catering stuff have packed.

Passed by Fortress again, this time arriving to see the boyz playing Bang!, a card game portraying sheriffs and outlaws... in Italian! Spaghetti western? Lolz. Played a couple of games with the boyz. Drew the sheriff on my very first game and the Deputy the next. The game dynamics was simple enough, and eventhough some card rules they say may be sound broken, we had a great laugh nonetheless.

VMall closes 10pm on Saturdays during the Christmas season, so I was able to play a couple of Warmachine/Hordes games against some of the Fortress regulars using Steamroller 3 rules and scenarios. I decided to use Amon Ad-Raza as warcaster with a warjack heavy list. For fun. ;)

Game1 - Romy(High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza) vs. Fred(Iron Lich Asphyxious)
500pts Invasion
Iron Lich Asphyxious wins by Objective

Game2 - Romy(High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza) vs. Kim(Vlademir Tzepesci)
500pts Divide and Conquer
Vlad wins via Assassination

Apparently, I lost both games. But overall it was good practice as well as a good opportunity to think on my feet against people I haven't played against in a long while. And despite the losses, it was still fun. Wish I was able to take down that Behemoth though to add to my list of WM/H accomplishments. Hehehe...

Gaming ends 9:40PM.

A Comedy Of Disappointments...

2007-12-08T07:45:00.000+08:00

December 7, 2007

Some nights really try their best to wipe out your positive outlook in life. When you'd think you've planned your night down to the tee, the call of family forces you to cut the evening short and rush some things, and be compounded by other foul ups in your perfectly planned trip. Oh joy.

Braved Makati to San Juan traffic to meet up with a friend in Greenhills, only to find out on the way there that he's not coming. Great.

At least there's the consolation that another friend is supposed to drop off a CD for me to pick-up only to realize when I got there that another friend brought it home with him. Doh!

Wanna grab a bite to eat but everyone was waiting for a friend with me waiting along with them... but I had to leave eventually to pick up my Mom in ... Parañaque! Argh.

Got home late. Feet tired for driving through a combined 2+ hours of holiday season traffic without much to show for it. And I have to wake up in four hours to drive for my Gorgeous Sister to nursing duty. Sigh.

Teardrop on LSS (obvious ba...). Sounds ominous.

I Am So Getting This...

2007-12-04T23:37:00.000+08:00

The chemistry tugs a couple of heartstrings. Makes you wanna lay back, get lost and just chill.

Now if I can only find a cleaner version of this...

Long Weekend To December...

2007-12-02T18:43:00.000+08:00

December 2, 2007

My long weekend really didn't turn out to be the kind of long weekend I had hoped for. First off, its started off with a looong drive home from what turned out to be my last day of work for the week, brought about by some political nonesense, to which I'm not really in a mood to discuss at length on this post. Suffice it to say, it took me THREE hours to get home, negotiating traffic through roads where you can see the effects of political unrest that event caused.

My Friday holiday, Saturday and most of Sunday, I was ill (actually still not 100% just yet). Must've eaten something that didn't really agree with me. It's a bummer getting sick at a time when you can actually get a chance to rest and relax. Missed out on a lot of things, including a day of gaming with the other HGR dudes.

And, in a couple of hours, its back to the grind again... what happened to the long weekend?

Sigh.

Found It!!! Nyahahaha...

2007-11-18T16:07:00.000+08:00

Woohoo!!! Found that song I had a chance hearing in the car a couple of days back! You could just imagine the relief! It's like that big thorn being pulled out of my... never mind...

Thanks to Katia and Acey who, despite being far from where I am, kinda put me (more like bumped my head) in the right direction to find it. Though this may or may not apply to you girls, this one's for you. ;)

San Mig Lite Moment...

2007-11-17T12:20:00.000+08:00

November 15, 2007...

San Mig Lite moment:
Had one for the road with Emcee on our way home to pass the traffic as well as let off a bit of steam... A convenient excuse to hang out before going home. ;)

Some "Celebrations":
Today marked the first anniversary since I kicked a habit which others might find hard to break. I count myself blessed, and hope to keep this up.

Today also marked the 9th month since I haven't had to see and hold my sunshine. Time and space has its funny way of making you count some of the most trivial of things. Whatever comes out of this if it ever reaches one year, I just hope its for the best.

Some "Frustrations":
It's frustrating how some people judge you. I've been on the receiving end of some crap dished out by people who at times can act as if they are the said authority of things. My patience normally gets tested and shouldn't really be a problem, but the mere fact that they STILL try. Long story...

When I Thought Things were Awful Enough...

The next day I get a hugging smilie in my offline message box...

I'm such a sucker for those... Crap.

Gaming For Painting...

2007-11-11T10:03:00.000+08:00

November 10, 2007...

Wanting to escape...

Left the office relatively early. Actually, I wanted to leave a LOT earlier than my actual time of departure from the office, wanting to just get away from it all and start enjoying the rest of my weekend a little early.

Joined up with Emcee and Joel over at Ryan's house to play some 40k and WM games. Brought a couple of figs, still sorry for the state they're in. Some of my Menite figs are off their pins, or with paint chipping in some places. The concept I started out for basing my figs takes a lot of time, which makes the going a little slow. I arrived to see Emcee and Joel in the middle of a 40k game (2000pts on a 4x4 table) and I was outright impressed on the use of the new Chaos Space Marine rules. Impressed enough to make me restudy my old config and hopefully make full use of my current collection of miniatures.

I agreed to play a 750pt Warmachine game against Ryan's Epic Stryker using my High Exemplar Kreoss. First time for me to play 750pts and against an epic warcaster at that. I lost that game, still had fun in the process, and did a bit of analysis of the outcome.

Time for some boring gaming details...

I think I did well in surviving Epic Stryker's feat by weathering out his battlegroup's extra attacks as well as keeping his storm lances stuck on the far flank. I tried to counter it by popping Kreoss's own feat to deal some considerable hurt back at the opposition. But I guess it wasn't enough and the casualties both sides inflicted created some avenues for some precise charge attacks. It was the centurion slam/Kreoss knockdown + the Stryker overcharge(?) that caught me flat footed. Simple error in judgement of charge distances and in placement of my remaining forces on the table. It's nothing a little more practice and gaming time can't fix. Good game against Ryan. Didn't disappoint.

Trying to paint again...

Got my gaming fix for the week, enough to inspire me to start painting again in earnest. Mental note to give some regular updates on this. When I got home, almost immediately I made a quick inventory of my Menite figs for assembly and painting.

45 troops and 2 warjacks...

Yikes.

How Do You Spend The Last Day Of A Supposedly Long Vacation...

2007-11-04T12:42:00.000+08:00

Laid back...

Who's online?

Janine's online... and on a Sunday at that! She sounds happy and enjoying life as a whole. Something all of us should be doing. April went online too but we didnt get to talk much. Kim went online later on, at work, getting an early start to the new work week.

Birthdays and Greetings...

Today is Oliver's birthday. One of my buddies in high school and college. But its been a couple of years since I lost contact with him and his wife Quey. Mental note to self to find this guy.

Also found out it's aCey's birthday today too! Happy birthday girl! Hope you have a good one!

Currently doing...

Woke up early and unusually rested despite the short hours of sleep (7 hours). Started the day downloading a couple of songs for the mp3 player. Slow internet connection's taking forever. Current playlist's not too heavy but not too light. A little Paramore here, Secondhand Serenade there. Worked on the finances a bit. Coming days will be a little tight I note. Still a little bored to go out. Got a couple of bills to pay and maybe get a haircut or something.

Watching the second day of the World Pool Championships while blogging. Efren Reyes and Ronnie Alcano's through to the final 64. I hope most if not all of the Filipino contingent advances for a chance to make us proud. And most likely all of the better pool halls here will be filled up with players playing as if they're part of the whole competition.

Looking back at the last couple of days...

Well, we did help out Sister Pie and Barry Pie with their house move. Been doing most of the driving and a few errands during that period. They're almost settled in, with the engineer in me also mentally taking note of some things in the house that would need some fixing next time I get a chance to meet up with the builders.

Visited Lola in Loyola. Took a couple of visits because of Sister Pie's house move. Good thing the traffic was not that bad. Seems like everyone's adjusted to the usual traffic route as well as given their cooperation to make All Saints/Souls Days a little bearable.

Then there's my miniatures of course. Was able to sneak in a 40k game last Friday as well as a Warmachine/Hordes demo game last night. That's a good enough push to get my minis back out of the box and start planning what to assemble and paint next.

Chivalry is not dead...

Was on my way out of Shangri-La mall last night when I came across a young lady struggling to get her car out of the parking lot. I couldn't stand to watch so I agreed to one of the security guards' suggestion that I drive her car for her to get her out of that jam. Took me close to 15 minutes doing what looked like a scene from an Austin Powers movie (remember that scene involving an electric car in a narrow corridor?) going forwards and backwards in millimeters and finally getting the car out of the jam without a scratch on it. It was a bit nerve wracking for me and the young lady but her baby daughter sitting at the back seem to have enjoyed the whole ride. Good deed for the day. I found it funny too that one of the guards opened the rear door for the young lady thinking I was her driver. Lolz...

Parting words...

I think I did relatively well this vacation and I should give myself a pat on the back for it. But I miss my sunshine. It's put a slight gloom to my otherwise laid-back Sunday.

Not Exactly A Long Vacation Now, Is It? ...

2007-10-28T23:03:00.000+08:00

October 28, 2007...

No work Monday, Thursday and Friday. That means I got this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday still. It's one of those weird sets of days were construction will not exactly regain much of its momentum considering the short period between holidays. And sure enough most of us would be distracted feeling its still a holiday, when in actual fact, its not.

Got started with some prep work and assembly of some Warmachine figs I still have stored here and there. Currently cleaning up a couple of temple flameguard and dervish models. And a whole bunch of bases for sculpting. Great. Plus, I'm having a little trouble getting myself into a groove in terms of painting the other stuff too. I'm sure it will come to me when I'm ready.

And the holidays are not exactly a time for rest either. Will be helping Sister Pie with her house move on Monday, while Thursday/Friday will most likely involve the traffic and the hectic atmosphere of All Saints and All Souls WHILE helping out with my sister's move still. So I'm most likely expecting my vacation all wrapped up in bubble wrap, boxed, and smelling like the sun these next couple of days...

Guess I just have to make the most of it.

Numb...

2007-10-25T22:02:00.000+08:00

Very much sums up my day.

5 meetings in 9 hours...

First one was a new project, technically the third of four projects I'm doing simultaneously. Though not yet on full steam, I'm the only one working full time on this, well, at least during what little spare time I have. +P

Second one is still for this same client, a "pakisuyo" you might say to help them out of a tight spot. Potentially two more projects to add up to my earlier meeting? *Searching for white flag*... Wouldn't hurt to be prepared. ;)

Third was shortly after lunch here on site. This is for the first of the two towers I'm currently working on. Not wishing to bore the readers on technical stuff, suffice it to say that some things between my group and our contractor's operations people needs some settling immediately before things get out of hand. Been involved with operations a little more now than before. Maybe a little more than what is expected of me. But with limited resources (i.e. engineers), I have to help take up the slack brought about by the outflux (for lack of a better term) of engineers going abroad. It's tough getting new people nowadays. All this promise of better opportunities for engineers abroad is taking its toll on current projects here locally, as well as on the engineers left behind. This meeting involved a couple of heated exchanges of words and cooler heads were required to prevail and cut the tension decisively and with a touch of diplomacy. So I'm a peacekeeper now. +P

Fourth was immediately right after the third was adjourned. Had to huff it a bit considering I was a little late. This one's for the second of the two towers I'm currently working on. Sadly, the meeting venue's a couple of blocks out, and it's one of those times you'd wonder why can't such things be more convenient for me?

Fifth one was an hour right after my fourth. Same venue. The gap between meetings was too short to go to the site to finish some paperwork and come back later. So I took the opportunity to get whatever rest I can get while waiting for the appointed hour. Time of the meeting eventually arrived and found it not exactly worth the wait. Why did they need me to attend this thing in the first place anyways?

The walk back to the jobsite was a long one. My brain cells need some rest. Still got the paperwork that's sure to have piled up on my desk since I haven't actually seen my desk this past 9 hours. Oh joy.

Checked my calendar during my walk back. Four meetings tomorrow...

Lamentation.

B.I.21 : Unplugged...

2007-10-21T19:12:00.000+08:00

7:12 PM...

I'm a little under the weather since yesterday. Just a little paracetamol, vitamins and ascorbic acid to tide me over, went to sleep most of the day. No emails, mp3's, text, nor dvd's. Just sleep. The hibernation did me some good.

Just stayed up long enough to get some dinner and write a short something for this blog.

That's it for now. I think I should be getting back to sleep. Sweet dreams Dudes...

Hang on... there's ice cream?! Hold the phone! Maybe just a scoop or two and then I'm good to go back. Promise. ;)

Off Key...

2007-10-15T21:57:00.000+08:00

"I sat alone because of thy hand, for thou hast filled

me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual,

and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed?

Wilt thou be altogether unto me as

a liar, and as waters that fail?"

- Kameron M. Franklin
Maiden of Pain

Big Hamster In Manila...

2007-09-27T23:56:00.000+08:00

September 26, 2007...

Met up with Big Hamster today. He happened to be in Manila to meet up with his C.I.C. Silver-Tongued Lady (that's acronym for Commander-In-Chief) who just finished her bar exams a couple of days back. S.I.C. Hamster (that's acronym for Second-In-Command :P) was allowed a couple of hours of R&R with the boyz. It was a race against time, so off we went. First up was a trip to Hobby Haven to play some Warmachine and some WOWCCG. Midnight was there, sadly there wasn't enough time to get another WM game in. No need to remind everyone that Big Hamster (same goes for Kyuzo and Midnight) was on Cinderella time. The ensuing game length was fair enough, considering that Big Hamster had to learn the ropes on the game rules as well as the dynamics of his army. I'm glad I was able to introduce him to his first ever Warmachine game. Some lessons learned, which was both educational and fun for the both of us. Too bad Shink1m and Salubri were indisposed to come over to hang around with us.

Next we had dinner over at Shakey's. Midnight had this observation that it's usually three of us with the third guy always changing. Basta yun. With the usual pizza/chicken/beer on the side, tried to catch up on a lot of stuff. Diverse topics from old gaming stories, the next GT, some of the finer points of Warmachine/Hordes, other miniature games we play, the LaSalle/Ateneo rivalry (though none of us studied in those colleges), to the intricacies of the bird's nest soup business (Don't ask how it got there. Basta it got there :P). Conversation sobered up a bit, ending in a toast to Mark Lim, a fellow gamer and friend who recently passed on early in life. May he rest in peace.

Time flies, and S.I.C. had to get going. Dropped them off to their respective drop-off points and headed on home. We were so in a hurry we even forgot to take picture for posterity! Doh!

Too bad I wasn't able to see Big Hamster and Silver-Tongued Lady before they left Sunday for home. Well, who knows? The next opportunity will not be that far away... ;)

Frustrated MTV Director...

2007-09-18T21:52:00.000+08:00

Was chatting with a friend when I got inspired to associate her to this song that was playing in the background. Pieces of the song here and there was enough inspiration for me to draw up the scenes of a music video in my head.

Dedicated to Katia and aL. Hope you guys are having fun together somewhere at the other side of the world.

See You Soon
by Amber

My bags are all packed
The car would be here soon
We could make it to the airport if we leave by noon
But you're not even close to ready, don't you wanna say goodbye?
What's the matter, Baby?
Though we made plans to be together, right before I fly

And then he told me, Baby,
You know I love you but I hate to cry
So I can't be there when it's time to say goodbye
Just say the words, "I'll see you soon"
And I'll be waiting for you right here in this room

I'll see you soon... I'll see you soon...

Let me hold you close
Just one last time
So I'll remember what it feels like with your heart so close to mine
Coz I'll be gone in the morning it will be too late
But we still have some time, are you sure you wanna stay?

You know I love you but I hate to cry
So I can't be there when it's time to say goodbye
Just say the words, "I'll see you soon"
And I'll be waiting for you right here in this room

I'll be gone it will be too late
You know if doesn't have to be this way
But we still have some time are you sure you wanna stay?

...I'll see you soon...

Other cerebral MTV's and dedications in the future...

Peace.

No Rest For The Good-looking Ver. 02... I Think

2007-09-02T21:40:00.000+08:00

This took a while to post. Having a problem with the office internet in the posting of pictures. Hopefully this technical difficulty will be resolved in the nex couple of days.

So, without further ado...
-------

August 26, 2007

It's a Sunday, 2nd day of what's supposed to be a long weekend. I said "supposed to be" coz I'm working. Second of three installments of the third tower's foundations is being poured today, and the long weekend's a good chance to do it without causing much stress to everyone. Yeah right.

Arrived around 10am. They've been pouring concrete for a little over 12 hours straight now. In big volume pours, there's no breaks. Concrete is given some form of respect in our line of work. Especially when it comes to pouring foundations.

Walking on top of rebar is very tiring feat. You have to be able to walk across a criscrossing frame of rebar that's elevated close to 6 meters high from the bottom of excavation below. It's a bit intimidating, with the rebar being spaced far apart and treacherously slippery in some spots, so you have to have your wits about you.

And then there's what I fondly call the Hose. It's just a 12-foot long, 8-inch diameter piece of heavy duty rubber serving as the flexible end of a series of pipes connected to the concrete pump. Takes about 10 people in a concreting crew to keep it steady while concrete is being poured. Watching them move that thing around you can somehow equate it to wrestling an anaconda in a swamp.

Finished bulk pouring at 10:30pm. Too tired to watch them clean up. Standing on rebar all day for almost 12 hours straight left me exhausted and welcomed sleep quite easily.

August 27, 2007

Slept over at the office. It's a non-working holiday on a Monday. Well, not for me. Woke up a little late in the office barracks after a gruelling 12 hours of non-stop concreting. Will check on the jobsite for couple of hours before going home by lunch time.

Got home, quick lunch, but it didn't take long and I'm off again, this time to help my Sister Pie and Barry Pie check out give some technical consultancy on the house they're planning to buy. Was impressed on how the house was built. I was even able to meet the realtor's consultant who used to work at my former employ. Small world. Had dinner before going home and didn't remember much after that since I was too tired to do anything else.

Hopefully I can get a long weekend one of these days soon...

In Loving Memory...

2007-08-18T02:07:00.000+08:00

Was in the middle of a meeting when I received word that Chris passed away just the night before. I had to leave the meeting abruptly just to make sure it was no joke. It had to be. Only after a few calls later did the reality of it all began to sink in. Little Chrissy's gone. She was 28.

It's been a little over a year since I last saw her when I resigned from my previous work. It was a lot less than that when I was able to talk to her on her last day at work in our former office, with plans on becoming a full time housewife, at least for a while, before she considers working again.

Chris and her Kuyas (Jong, Kiko, Romy, and Joel)
Remembering happier days...

Had fond memories of her in the brief period that I got to know her. She was the youngest and only girl in our department, our muse you might say. But a muse that packed a mean punch. Like any rose among thorns, she knew how to keep us (her Kuyas and Tatay) in our place when she's around. Sometimes I catch myself babytalking when I'm with her at work. And all the Kuyas, myself included, protected her like any other brother would his baby sister. We all laughed everytime she laughs, we all offered our hanky in the numerous occasions that she cried, and we all hid in embarrasment everytime we made her mad. She was always there for us when we were down, sometimes giving the simplest and yet the most practical advice, unusually profound wisdowm despite her years. It was with some reluctance as well as pride that we got to see her walk down the aisle on her wedding day. Those were happy days.

It's gut-wrenching knowing that such memories would not be the same to the reality that is the present. It was a sombre reunion among friends at her funeral. I saw former officemates come to pay their respects but did not really get to talk with all of them. My mind was elsewhere. The original Kuyas were present, but we were all at a loss for words. Nothing need be said, their faces told me that we were all still wondering why. It's in these instances that makes you think and question God's Purpose, for her and all of us in our brief stays here on earth.

When they left, I stayed behind for a couple more minutes, at times wishing it was all a bad dream. It was a long drive home.

Chris
August 3, 1979 - August 13, 2007

Farewell and miss you Baby Chris, wherever you are...

Day-Off...

2007-08-07T14:47:00.000+08:00

Took the day off... the opportunity to avoid the traffic and catch up on some sleep with a storm out was too tempting to pass up.

Woke up late. Called in sick. Looked at what I can do at home.

Checked my mail. Asked the office to send me the draft letters I needed to finalize and send out. Hopefully they had them signed on my behalf.

Got to see my YM and found some of my friends' status messages funny. Here's a couple of them for posterity:

1. Conducting "scientific research"... no, really!
2. Oh crap, people really do actually read my status messages!
3. Lord, do not lead me into temptation, I can find the way myself.
4. Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.
5. I don't plan on giving the world to you... the super villain inside me says it's not right.

Checked my miniatures. Still not inspired to paint. My Warmachine needs to get out of the box. There's a possibility of maybe playing at Hobby Haven after office. We'll see.

I'm a slow reader. Just finished Doppleganger by Marie Brennan only today, after reading it for more than a week now. Not much, but it was enough for me get back to sleep. ;)

-------

10:15PM

Just had a FASM at this hour. FASM's (aka Father And Son Moments +P) usually don't pick convenient times though I cherish them nonetheless. Tonight's FASM started when Handsome Father notice a peculiar sound to Gwapo's car's engine note when we switched parking spaces in the garage. Sounds like the hose connecting the carburetor to the air filter's came loose again. I recognized the look the minute he stepped out of his car. Here we go...

Hose is cracked, and while searching for a replacement won't start until tomorrow, we had to cook up a remedy to the noise. You have to admire my Dad's tenacity at these things at this hour. So with a good deal of electric tape and some elbow grease, we practically reconstructed the hose... well, at least temporarily. All that time, I hear Dad's familiar lines, like "No, the OTHER way..." and "...an ENGINEER should know how to fix a hose...". In some instances, I'd know when I'm doing something right when he keeps quiet when I did something right for a change or I thought of a better solution compared to what he was figuring out. He'd still grudgingly admit defeat, but I love him nonetheless.

-------

Back to work tomorrow.

Two Weeks?! More Like Six Months...

2007-08-01T22:54:00.000+08:00

Message to the Void:

BEGIN TRANSMISSION:

Whatda...

Two weeks? We're on hold for two more weeks? That will be six months the last time I actually SAW you.

What the heck is going on over there? Talk to me.

END TRANSMISSION...

LSS... Aaarrrggghhh!!! Lolz...

2007-07-27T22:41:00.000+08:00

July 25, 2007...

Last Song Syndrome

Came across this song at a stopover on our way to Pampanga on official business. The song stuck ever since. Lolz...

There's something about Hikaru Utada's style that appealed to me I guess. Sometimes you get that feeling you won't need a translator to figure out what she's singing.

July 26, 2007...

What da heck?

Work has been a blur. Have a milestone deadline to meet by the end of the month. Not that I NEED to strictly meet that deadline, as long as nothing in the quality of work has been compromised. Been going up and down the building on average twice a day. And the building's getting taller and taller. With another building getting set to get off the ground in the next couple of days, the phrase "having my hands full" will soon become a major understatement.

Whatda... Somebody just firewalled(?) my YM AND Blogger! WTF?! What's so freaking wrong with an IM service? And why is only one blogging service firewalled while other blogging services being used by other officemates are still up and running? The logic in this "selective filtering" crap is something I just don't see. =((

Only when I got home was I able to surf the net properly, only to learn that Aperire's going abroad, for how long, she didn't exactly say. For someone who's already a few thousand miles away, the knowledge of knowing that she'll be couple thousand miles farther away still saddens me. Lot's of friends and officemates have been going abroad for better opportunities lately, and it's been a trend that will take some time to reverse itself. Well, I wish her all the luck and hope she keeps in touch somehow.

July 27, 2007...

Blind Item

Have some disappointments in a couple of friends. Some of these disappointments are observed, or just heard from reliable sources. Despite all that, I would still give them the benefit of the doubt...

Closing Remarks

It's. Automatic. +P

Midnight Snack...

2007-07-22T23:46:00.000+08:00

July 22, 2007...

Had a sudden craving for peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It just happened. Bought a small jar of Jif (chose creamy over chunky for now), Smuckers (strawberry preserves) and a small loaf of Gardenia at a nearby grocery and I was set. And here I sit, in front of my computer with sandwich in hand. :D

For the life of me, I just realized that I never really HAD a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. EVER. Why is that? For starters, having a midnight snack when we were kids is simply unheard of since you're most likely be violating curfew. And in those days, I was more of a condensed milk (Milk Maid anyone?) and pandesal kinda guy. Only later on did I learn to eat a peanut butter- or jelly sandwich separately, but together? Guess it's never too late to try one out. It's practically an American icon in itself, so what could possibly go wrong?

Didn't exactly take the rocket scientist's approach. Pretty straightforward really. Just took two pieces of bread, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on one slice, strawberry jelly on the other and bring the two together, and voila! My first peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Now with a tall glass of ice water nearby, it's time to taste test my masterpiece...

Hmmm... didn't take long for me to figure out some minor adjustments to my second sandwich. My peanut butter's spread a little thin so that's addressable. I think two pieces of bread is better than a double decker. Strawberry's good, blueberry and raspberry might do as well. And water's still the better choice over soda or juice to wash the peanut butter down. Milk still is tops but sadly, I ran out. (Mental note to self: re-stock)

Guess that's what's fun about failure on this test. I get a chance to adjust and try again. ;)

Three's Ver. BI21...

2007-07-17T21:31:00.000+08:00

Following Katia's lead...

Three Things That Scare Me
1. Heights
2. Something hitting my eyes
3. Breaking bones

Three People Who Make Me Laugh
1. Whoever's on Comedy Central Presents
2. Mom when she's with Dad
3. Dad when he's with Mom

Three Things I Love
1. Billiards
2. Music
3. Gaming

Three Things I Hate
1. People talking behind my back
2. Blood
3. People who try to lie their way out of trouble

Three Things I Don't Understand
1. Why people have to lie
2. Why some people just don't get along
3. Some telenovelas

Three Things On My Desk
1. A pair of dice (there's a story behind that)
2. A pen
3. A dictionary

Three Things I Am Doing Right Now
1. Blogging
2. Chatting
3. Painting miniatures

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die
1. Get married
2. Have kids
3. Leave a worthwhile legacy

Three Things I Can Do
1. Card reading
2. Lend a listening ear
3. Make the world a better place ;)

Three Things I Can't Do
1. Swim
2. Ride a bike
3. Walk the tightrope

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To
1. Yourself
2. The ocean
3. God

Three Things You Should Never Listen To
1. Gossip shows
2. Old-school politicians
3. Squeaky chalk

Three Things I Want To Learn
1. Photography
2. Cook
3. Violin

Three Favorite Foods
1. Sushi
2. Steak
3. Crab

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid
1. Sesame Street
2. Voltes V
3. Star Rangers

Three Sets Of Three People I Am Tagging
1. Obi
2. Salubri
3. Aperire

Slow Sunday Carrying To Monday...

2007-07-15T20:23:00.000+08:00

July 15, 2007...

I miss the Weekday Warrior Sessions. I get to play an extra game of 40k with the boyz other than the weekends, and even that too doesn't happen on a regular basis. I miss the action, the mental preparation, and the battle of wits with friends. And most of all, I miss the fun. Hope to get a chance to play this coming weekend.

I tried to set up my painting stuff as well as a couple of figs to paint in case the painting bug bites me. So far, no dice. I don't seem to have the inspiration to paint. Hope that feeling comes back soon. I'd better bring my stuff along tomorrow in case I suddenly feel like painting in the office again the next time I sleep over.

Been listening to a girl at work regarding her boyfriend having to understand her personal issues. First off I felt the guy's plight kinda sounds unfair. Somehow I could relate considering I'm somewhat on the receiving end of a similar situation as well. Us guys sometimes have to have extra enhanced telepathy to be able to understand women. Well, whatever it takes I guess.

July 16, 2007

My car's a mess. Just realized that before going to work. I need to take care of it more. As if my finances haven't been hurt enough already. Sounds like an ominous sign to the start of my week.

First order of business at the office is going off-site to Bulacan to check on one of the subcontractor's plant output and hope to get them back in line with our construction schedule. Already 3 weeks delayed as of my first assessment and we hope to address that on this trip. This should keep me busy for most of the day.

Mid-Year Crisis? Don't Think So...

2007-07-02T00:02:00.000+08:00

July 2, 2007...

12:00MN

Gosh, I just turned 37... WOW. So, how does if feel like to be 37 you may ask? Still feels like 36 a year ago, and 35 two years before that, etc. Hehehe...

I'm going to work in a couple of hours. Let's see how quietly I can pass the day. :)

7:00AM

Timed in, just inside the coding cutoff. At least the office Biometric remembers my birthday when I timed in. Hmmm... +P

8:10AM

Hey, somebody actually remembers my birthday! Well, wouldn't that comfort me when I later find out that he remembers because me and his BOYFRIEND were born on the same day? #-o

8:35AM

Just got a call from my Mom at the office at the office landline then I realized I actually forgot to bring my cellfone in my rush to get to the office before coding. #-o Sign of old age? Lolz.

Work went on its usual... err... so far.

Had a brief lunch with those I work directly. Just a simple bucket meal. Had a laugh.

5:00PM

Rained hard outside just as my officemates were about to leave. I have to wait it out until 7PM. Rain's supposed to be a sign of good luck.

8:00PM

Had a last minute meeting regarding work. Seriously considering taking the day off tomorrow and coordinate my work from the comforts of home.

9:00PM

Arrived just in time to see my parents off to bring my Gorgeous Sister to her nursing duty in QC. Have some spaghetti and BBQ, but will wait it out till they get back so that I'm not eating alone. Kinda pathetic ain't it? Got 13 messages, more than half of them work related, nothing surprising. Decided to check out my Horoscope online...

Daily Forecast:

Is your money (or lack thereof) causing you stress right now? In order to get out from underneath all of the frustration, step out of the fiscal realm. Remove yourself from any situation that requires money today, and challenge yourself to live without your wallet. It won't be easy, and it might require a bit of advance planning, but you can do it if you try. Bring your own lunch, avoid stepping out for coffee, and see what the world looks like when you don't have any money

Daily Love:

Daily Flirt:Your heart skips a few beats today, seemingly at random times, but occasionally when your crush drifts near. The weird part is that all your friends seem practically emotionless!

Daily Couples:An impossible wish about your relationship comes true unexpectedly. Afterward, the two of you may need to rearrange a few things so you can capitalize on these magical events. Don't hesitate to make a major move.

Daily Singles:It's only natural to react emotionally when it comes to matters of the heart, but before you get wound up about something, consider the logical angle. Why take it personally when you can be philosophical about it?

Daily Career:

Work is a great place to practice your intellectual cool. Even if you feel deeply invested in a method or means for a project, evaluate the merits of other suggestions based on abstract reasoning, not loyalty.

Got me a couple of books stashed in my room as well as my miniatures still for painting. They're starting to look like an interesting activity for tomorrow. We'll see...

So happy birthday to me... wherever I may be. Special thanks to those who remembered. Thanks for reading. :)

Approaching My Mid-year Crisis...

2007-07-01T09:30:00.000+08:00

July 1, 2007...

Only at home do I get to surf the net, with the office internet connection down for the past couple of weeks now. Only on these rare occassions at home do I get to update my blog and check my mail.

These past couple of days have been hectic. Work on site has been on the stressful side lately, with certain milestones in the accomplishment not met making the whole atmosphere a little tense. Plus, there's the usual instances where quality of work takes a u-turn and you have to re-orient all of those involved in getting them all back on track. It takes more common sense than rocket science to understand what we do on site, and yet you have to be vigilant that all of your engineers down to your installers are doing the job right.

Watched Transformers the Movie last Thursday with my Sister Pie and Barry. Transformers Rocks! Megan Fox rocks! Enuff said.

Answered a last minute invite to a game of pool over at Elbow Room last Friday night. Roel and Andy was there, along with a few people from another construction project they were working on. Didn't take long when I arrived it was already my turn to step up against Charlie, one of their better players. Rightly so, seeing the way he was stringing a couple of shots together. He was the "one miss you die" kind of opponents. I was lucky to beat him 4-1. Heck, I was lucky to beat everyone by a convincing score and only conceding one rack against everyone I faced later that night. Good game. :D

Some senseless trivia: Did you know that July 2 is the 183rd day of the year, making it the middle of any given year except leap year? Senseless diba? Not to me in the next couple of hours... :)

KTM...

2007-06-24T20:05:00.000+08:00

Went on Kain Tulog Mode practically the whole of Sunday. Best way to catch up on lost sleep I guess. Which is a good thing.

Over the past week, work has been taking a lot out of me. The team of engineers and architects I'm currently working with on a particular phase of the work has already established their learning curve and hopefully with the help of some factors like good site prep and plant support, they'll do fine. My office is getting some new engineers on board too, a welcome addition to the group.

Miniature gaming has been good to me too. Played two games of Warhammer 40k this week. Learned a good deal from Arvin and his Iron Warriors in the last Weekday Warrior session. Hopefully I'll see more of him across the gaming tables soon. What counted the most was my win against Ronald and his Space Wolves in the Gladiator Cup final last night, a game which was long overdue yet still gave a sense of satisfaction on my part as well. A very hard fought technical final, one that you'd usually experience when you go against Ronald, and winning against a vet like him on such terms was extra special.

Oops, gotta run. Have to drive for Gorgeous Sister. Be back soon.

This Takes Another Cake...

2007-06-20T00:08:00.000+08:00

And I don't know
This could break my heart or save me
Nothing's real
Until you let go completely
So here I go with all my thoughts I've been saving
So here I go with all my fears weighing on me

Three months and I'm still sober
Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers

And I don't know
I could crash and burn but maybe
At the end of this road I might catch a glimpse of me

Three months and I'm still breathing
Been a long road since those hands I left my tears in but I know

It's never really over, no
Wake up
Three months and I'm still standing here
Three months and I'm getting better yeah
Three months yeah, three months I hurt

Three months and I'm still breathing
Three months and I still remember it
Three months and

Wake up

Three months and I'm still sober
Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers...

Been Away For A While...But Not Really...

2007-06-15T21:13:00.000+08:00

Hi.

I haven't been posting much stuff on a regular basis. Been busy... sort of. Here's a quick list of what's happened lately, but not necessarily in that order:

Things have been hectic at work lately. Must be that time of the year when the construction accomplishment is expected to pick up. My line of work takes that into perspective while trying to maitain acceptable quality of work consistently, and on schedule. I've been more involved in the second tower's architectural operations these past couple of days to help lighten the load my other officemates are going through when they go on site. It's frustrating work sometimes, and maybe worth discussing in a separate post in the near future.

Ever had a bag of peanuts and its highly likely that the last peanut you're eating will end up the rotten one of the lot?

Check yourself when you sing along to your MP3 player inside your office. When your officemates are giving you a strange look, maybe you turned up the volume... of your player AND your voice. ;)

Well, it's better than the officemate who suddenly breaks out into her "hauntingly melodic voice". Aptly described because it really scares the shit out of me sometimes, especially when she starts singing for no apparent reason while everyone's quiet.

I check out my friends from time to time in their blogs to see if there's anything new with them. Pictures helps lots. Though some I don't excactly know personally, you can't help but feel like they're just there... somewhere.

Some interesting YM status messages from friends. Some you might not get, but some I really found funny the first time I read it. Maybe you can recognize your own:

1. turn the clock to zero, honey, sell the stock and spend all the money...
2. "Honesty is not synonymous with the truth."
3. Im just a vivid manifestation of your imagination
4. Im not crazy Im just a little unwell
5. tank! i need a pilot program for a V2 helicopter!
6. the only good thing about being a pessimist is that youre always proven right or your pleasantly surprised
7. you... me???
8. Sometimes you gotta roll the hard six.
9. When in doubt, step on the gas.
10. Hakuna matata, bitches.

Love life is somewhat on hold. It's a good thing I guess considering the present circumstances at work and with the rest of my personal life.

Still takes my breath away evertime I see her go online. Wow. Sigh.

But who am I kidding? I know she's not reading this blog anymore. #-o

Been a regular gamer these past couple of weeks. Needed a regular outlet I guess. Been getting good results playing my Emperors Children in the local Warhammer 40k gaming scene. Hopefully I can maintain that good result as well as get some painting done to the army in the next couple of weeks. Will be going up against Ronald, a old friend and HGR regular in the finals. Probably our geek version of going for glory.

Been listening to Red Jumpsuit Apparatus lately. Some of their songs have a way of hitting home somehow. Your Guardian Angel rocks.

So it goes to show you that a lot of things have kept me occupied these past couple of days. But a part of me is elsewhere still...

4000 Silent Visits...

2007-06-07T12:55:00.000+08:00

As of June 7, 2007

Thanks for visiting. :)

How To Best Describe You...

2007-05-24T12:11:00.000+08:00

You're my cup of coffee on a cool morning.

Drink the Inspiration... Hold the Warmth...

Consistent...

2007-05-07T12:54:00.000+08:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

S.O.M.L....

2007-05-04T18:55:00.000+08:00

To pretend no one can find,
The fallacies of morning rose,
Forbidden fruit, hidden eyes,
Courtesies that I despise in me
Take a ride, take a shot now.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.

Covered by the blind belief,
That fantasies of sinful screens,
Bear the facts, assume the dye,
End the vows no need to lie, enjoy,
Take a ride, take a shot now.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.

Who am I, what and why?
‘Cause all I have left is my memories of yesterday,
Oh these sour times.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.

After time the bitter taste,
Of innocence descent or race,
Scattered seed, buried lives,
Mysteries of our disguise revolve,
Circumstance will decide.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you

Nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do

Valthera...

2007-05-03T23:54:00.000+08:00

Got this from Kim's Karmic Backstab. Got me a butterfly as a result!

Interesting...

Guess we take these things as it is. Hehe...

-------

Events have been slow these past couple of days. It's the heat. It takes an extra effort in these oppressive conditions to work, especially on site. More of an unwanted distraction really, this freak in the weather. Even a few friends' patience is on the short end because of it too.

-------

Tabletop miniature gaming's been keeping me sane. My Emperor's Children has been doing well. Been able to play more regular games when I can play them, and with fairly good results I might add. Though with rumors of it's rules bound to change, until I see the final actual official rules changes (:P) I'm taking those rumors with a grain of salt. Tried to resume painting them last night, only to end up frustrated coz the paint's drying faster with the heat. Still in search of an inspiration to keep me going...

Hint Of Rain...

2007-04-28T02:09:00.000+08:00

April 27, 2007...

Came to work late. More like took the half day off really. Was making my turn towards the jobsite I could already see from outside that something's not done right. The minute I timed in, I already reached for my hardhat and went straight up, not bothering to stop and sit down and check the paperwork on my desk. Closer inspection on the floor I observed confirms my suspicions. These non-compliances by our contractor spells more paperwork for me. Crap.

Got into a "friendly debate" with the contractor soon after. Well, sometimes you really have to stand up and prove to them on the plans that they're wrong and that you know what you're talking about to gain their respect. It takes a lot of patience as well as a test of your people skills to get them to admit their mistake and get them to do what's required. An agreement almost as soon as the wind started to pick up. Wordlessly, everybody on site diverted their focus on safety, knowing all to well what summer storms (if ever this might turn out as one) can do.

April 28, 2007...

It's kinda late. Got to work on some paperwork that's piled up while I was on site practically the whole afternoon as well as a good part of the evening. Got a few friends online to keep me company while I burned the midnight oil. Somewhere along the way, memories of New York and New Jersey became a topic of conversation. Left my heart there one time. Good memories. I should be turning in a couple of minutes. Still got a busy day tomorrow, which is just a couple of hours away.

Twenty One...

2007-04-18T22:29:00.000+08:00

Can't remember where I got these and I didn't realize how much I lived by most of them... ;)

ONE
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their
conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR
When you say, "I love you", mean it.

FIVE
When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

SIX
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN
Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT
Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who
don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt
but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN
In disagreements, fight fairly. Please No name calling.

ELEVEN
Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE
Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN
When someone asks you a question you don't want
to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN
Remember that great love and great
achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN
Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN
Remember the three R's:
Respect for self;
Respect for others;
Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN
When you realize you've made a mistake,
take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY
Smile when picking up the phone.
The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY ONE
Spend some time alone.

Post Holy Week Stuff...

2007-04-12T12:24:00.000+08:00

On Black Saturday Gaming...

Got to play a little 40k game with Balian, one of the HGR regulars on Black Saturday. Hobby Haven was packed to the rafters so it was a good thing Midnight was able to accommodate us since he and the family just arrived from out of town. Details of that game as well as a quick meet up with Salubri can be found here.

And Easter Sunday Seafood Galore...

Did the rare indulgence on some seafood favorites Sunday night which kinda lasted until Monday. Alimangos not exactly the size of Volkswagens like last Christmas, shrimps and alupihang dagat (that's the local crawfish, if you Google it up, tatampal according to a friend from her part of the world) kinda overlapped each other from dinner, to breakfast, to lunch, and dinner yet again. My small slice of heaven before I go back to the grind the next day.

From A Slow Restart...

Tuesday proved to be slow, with the people still getting over their respective vacation modes. Slow and easy's ok with me. Though sadly later in the day, things got a little hectic which will later on prove to be an interesting week for me.

To An Early Break...

Spent most of the day getting people organized to straighten out some workmanship issues on site. These have cropped up apparently since the Holy Week break.It really is a pain in the butt, but necessary that it to be addressed while its still in the early learning curve stages, and still be diplomatic about it for better cooperation from everyone involved. No one's allowed to bitch around on my watch, except for me of course... ;). Hopefully things will normalize itself in the next couple of weeks.

At the end of the day, I gladly welcomed the Weekday Warrior Session here at the office. Some of the boyz went over to play a few games of Warmachine/Hordes and WOWCCG after office hours and hang out. Games were not as fierce, more relaxing than anything else. Had a few laughs in between as well. A welcome respite from the past 24 hours.

Troubled Dreams Through The Noise...

2007-04-04T00:50:00.000+08:00

April 3, 2007...

It started out as quiet night. Bought a ticket to a movie I've been wanting to watch before they stop showing it by tomorrow. First time in a long while to watch a movie by myself. Yey.

As I walk in search of a good place to have dinner, I see HER. Or what my heart wants to believe is her. It can't be. In all the times I've been here I've never seen her nor has this place been her usual gimik spot of choice. I catch myself from staring. Could it really be her? It can't be. She doesn't look like she gained weight which was contrary to what a few friends said. Yet now I see someone who looks just like her, and with someone who could easily pass for someone I also know. An officemate of hers. I walked on but I couldn't stop the questions that began running through my head. Was that really her? Did she see me? I thought she wouldn't date officemates?

Wasn't able to remember the taste of the dinner I had.

The music shop was a blur of color and sound, knowing I have to pass by that spot where I saw them again to get to my movie. Damn, what if they're gonna watch the same movie?!

It troubled me. Watched the movie distracted with these thoughts. Had a drink before going back to the office distracted with these thoughts still. Whether it was her or a figment of my imagination, I still felt disheartened by it.

Sigh.

2/61- Pretty Much Sums It Up...

2007-03-29T01:08:00.000+08:00

You used to talk to me like
I was the only one around
You used to lean on me...
the only other choice was falling down

You used to walk with me like
we had nowhere we needed to go
Nice and slow...
to no place in particular

We used to have this figured out
We used to breathe without a doubt
When nights were clear you were the first star that I'd see
We used to have this under control
We never thought... WE USED TO KNOW
At least there's you and at least there's me
Can we get this back...
Can we get this back to how it used to be...

I used to reach for you
when I got lost along the way
I used to listen
you always had the just right thing to say

I used to follow you
never really cared where we would go
Fast or slow
to anywhere at all...

Zone Music...

2007-03-26T18:30:00.000+08:00

Uploading my MuVo...

Daughtry... Check.

Hmmm... maybe a little heavier rock just to scare the competition. Papa Roach... Check. Tesla... Check. ;)

And maybe some blues to take me home. Johnny Lang... Check. KWSB... Check.

Psyching myself for what's ahead in 90 minutes... wish me luck! :)

This Weekday Warrior Just Needed To Vent...

2007-03-23T15:50:00.000+08:00

March 22, 2007...

Stress at the office reached a boiling point. Wanted to leave as early as lunch time. Drove off at the first possible opportunity. Met up with Joel over at CGG. The kilawing talaba, special barbeque and a bucket of St. Mike's somewhat calmed me down, but I knew I needed a more serious outlet. It was great to see Joel again, and catching up on each other's lives did me some good. Learned a lot of changes in my former place of employ as well as a few things about our common friends. Glad to know you and you're family's doing fine man.

We finished early and shortly after we parted ways, I drove on to Elbow Room in Metrowalk to play a few racks of 9-ball. Sadly, Emcee wasn't able to make it. But that didn't stop me. The weekday warrior in me just had to vent. So I gladly took my mind off work and focused on trying to make my first runout. Twice I was close to doing just that, but it didn't faze me. It will come to me eventually. I stayed there for something like close to an hour. Just took in the sights, enjoyed listening to the band playing in the background, and work on my game.

Ready to take on tomorrow again...

-------

March 23, 2007...

Got a call from my Boss over the cellphone. He talked to me for 27 minutes straight, kept me up to speed on what's caused me the unwarranted stress of yesterday and that I should not be worried about it. He wanted it to come from him of what he thinks of the whole issue on the question of my performance as well as the course of action that we're to take in the next couple of weeks. When shit hits the fan, the thought of your superiors backing you up is a good thing, something my previous job disappointingly lacked. Somehow, I felt a lot better.

Happy Anniversary Barry and Les!!!

2007-03-21T21:00:00.000+08:00

Happy Anniversary Sister Pie and Barry Pie!!! Many happy returns!

Labs,

Kuya Pie :D

On Acrylic Therapy...

2007-03-20T01:34:00.000+08:00

Just a couple of hours ago, it was one of those Mondays that really took a while to end. Lots of tension at work. What should have been counted as no-brainer solutions had to be taken for granted, among other things.

Timed out early. Took a walk. A long one. As I took in the mall scene, I come across a lot of people in such a short journey. Just too many.

Decided to take a 180º turn back to the office and get some painting done.

Got Daughtry and Hinder playing on the computer. Got an impromptu worktable set up in front of the computer while I check on a few emails. Outside, construction is still on-going but will wind down in the next couple of minutes. Despite things running smoothly, I'm still on call in case things go wrong.

With the time left, I'm just targeting to finish the basecoats of the next six. If there's time tomorrow, I can get started on the first details unto a couple of figs before going home. Starting to feel better after working on the first figs. Should've done this earlier.

I think its time to call it a night. Have to be ready to start another Tuesday in the next couple of hours...

Happy Birthday Gorgeous Sister!!!

2007-03-16T23:18:00.000+08:00

March 16, 2007...

Hope you have a good one! Labs!

Isang malaking hug para sa yo pag-uwi ko bukas!!! :P

Numbers...

2007-03-15T01:48:00.000+08:00

6 Models
14 Days
43 Paints
6 Inks
12 Down
36 To Go
84 Days More
2 To Convert
42 To Assemble

Just For 1

To be Continued...

If Everyone Cared...

2007-03-08T16:01:00.000+08:00

Pretty much speaks for itself first time I heard it. Nice video too.

Try following that lead. The effort alone to do your share can make a world of difference.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!

2007-03-02T17:27:00.000+08:00

Many More Happy and Funny Years! :D

From Darling Handsome Son, Beautiful Sister Pie, Drop Dead Gorgeous Sister.

Labs! >:D<

Sombre Reunion...

2007-03-02T15:12:00.000+08:00

March 1, 2007...

Somewhere in Valenzuela, Bulacan...

At the wake of Rolly's wife who passed away just recently.

Met up with Winnie and Ken over at Metrowalk first before we took the hour long drive to Valenzuela. Ken brought the kids with him. All bubbly and funny! Paupau now is a bit more on the mature side playing the role of "Big Ate" while Zach, Keanne, and Tyler are very much enjoying being kids. They're a handful, Meir told me, and Winnie and I had fun helping out in watching over them during the trip.

It's been ages since I was here, it was Rolly's birthday some ten years ago I think... Immediately, we recognized a lot of people we haven't seen in a while. Met up with some of the office "alumni", as well as contractors and friends. The construction industry is small, and when we don't work in the same project, it sometimes takes events like these to get the people together. We shook hands, clapped each other on the shoulder like we were some odd fraternity. A sense of brotherhood albeit a sombre one, was in the air. We didn't talk much about work, we all got together to show support and share in Rolly's and his family's hour of grief.

Another Take On A Classic...

2007-02-27T17:51:00.000+08:00

The atmosphere's a bit balmy lately, same could be said of some people's state of mind, brought about by affairs of the heart among other things. I thought this girl's version of a Cindi Lauper classic pretty much sums it up.

That goes without saying that I'm not exempt of the weather's influence...

From A Friend...

2007-02-24T17:01:00.000+08:00

A friend of mine went sentimental and has been sending me these over the past couple of days. Hope you get out of your slump soon...

I don't have any sleeping problems. I have no worries, no fears, no nothing, just myself. But then I met a couple this morning, laughing together, holding their hands tightly and looking through each other's eyes. It's harder to sleep now. Maybe they're right, I thought I'm better off alone. Maybe it would be nicer to spend your time with someone that you love, someone who means something to you. Maybe I'll try it, not for now but soon. Soon enough when I find someone to share my life with... - Single's Journal

We have to realize that love is not enough to make a relationship work. We need trust, respect, time, effort and total commitment. If a person does not show respect, does not earn your trust, and can't keep a promise then no matter how many times they say "I love you", those words will be empty! Take time to listen to what they don't say. Take time to look at what they don't show because there are secrets hidden beneath their words. So don't let passion but wisdom decide for you. Love wisely because its never easy to love and get hurt.

"If you really like someone you accept every part of them. But you can't do that unless they're willing to share every part with you. If you want to get close to someone, you have to take that risk. If not, then you might miss out on something that could be pretty amazing." - Lana Lang from Smallville

One Year Ago...

2007-02-20T12:04:00.000+08:00

February 20, 2007...

It's been a year to the day since I stepped into this jobsite. Already the 2nd Tower is on the 18th Floor (40 more to go) while the 3rd Tower's just about getting started with the excavation.

So how'd I celebrate my one year? Quietly. Very quietly. +P

Though I did get to meet up with some of my old friends for some badminton. Some changes were evident; new queuing system in effect, some of the newbies were improving, as well as some new faces in the mix as well. Got the workout I sorely needed. Hope to do that on a more regular basis.

Not much into other details today. Been busy lately. Miss blogging and other stuff.

Time flies...

Almost Competitive...

2007-02-19T08:03:00.000+08:00

February 17, 2007...

The Battleground: Neutral Grounds Galleria

The Players: Falin(Tau), Omegatron(Space Wolves), Sigismund(Black Templar), Casval(Space Marines), Shrumster(Imperial Guard), Badbeef(Lost and the Damned), Timberwolf(Space Wolves), Rurouni(Witch Hunters), Beefcake(World Eaters), O'Shavah(Iron Warriors), BataIsip21(Dark Eldar)

Other Attendees (Special Mentions): Neokensei, CrispyBeefRibs, Oberon, ObiXVI the Organizer, FarseerEkek, Tads517

Highlights:

First 3 games for me were major victories. My Dark Eldar remaining undefeated for three rounds was unheard of, which placed me in unfamiliar territory. My fourth game was a major loss to a worthy opponent in Owen and his Witch Hunters. Made at least two critical errors that cost me the game. For the first time I really felt the loss. Fifth game was more of a draw between me and Owen considering the missions we both rolled was enough for us to agree on a draw and prevent anymore bloodshed.

In the end, I placed 4th overall which was an achievement in itself considering the army that I was using. Other aspects in the total score other than gameplay was what put me in that spot. The top three I wasnt able play against during the course of the five rounds. So much for my chance at glory. :D

Well, there's always next tourney.

Its Random Acts Of Kindness Week...

2007-02-16T08:07:00.000+08:00

February 12-18, 2007...

Random Acts Of Kindness Week

Didn't realize there was one. But why limit it to this week? Hope you guys do at least one random act of kindness everyday. You'd feel the ripple effect almost immediately.

Oh, and a belated Happy Valentines Day to everyone as well! Share the love, that's what I would usually say.

Have a great one.

At A Loss For Words...

2007-02-13T23:39:00.000+08:00

What I thought was just your ordinary meeting turned out a bit serious and sad. We met up with one of our contractors who earlier wrote us saying they will be retracting their contract for the project they're currently working for us. They're closing, they're board of directors decided that as the best course of action to cut down on losses. This is yet another sad chapter in Philppine construction industry. I'm still shocked at the thought. We're talking of a very respectable company, heck a household name that's almost as old as I am. But in couple of weeks, close to a hundred regular employees will be laid off. Just like that. Can't help but feel sad for them. Everyone in the construction industry is aware of this. One day you're ok and secure, then just as quickly it's all gone.

On a lighter note, a couple of friends and I held our regular Weekday Warrior Session here at the office. Was only able to play WOW CCG since we were a bit late in starting to play more 40k games. Got to play 6 WOW CCG games and won 3. Not bad. Have to remember a few things in the card play as well as a few more refinements in my deck construction. Ta'zo and Elendril seem to me as the best way to go. Will focus more on the deck construction and play for those two characters for a while before considering playing another character class.

Auntie And Uncle In Da House...

2007-02-12T10:23:00.000+08:00

Da Date: February 10, 2007...

Da Place: Dencio's Rockwell

Da Family: Auntie Boots, Uncle Danny, Auntie Avis, Uncle Arthur, Cousin Abi, Cousin-In-Law Kim, Sister Pie, Barry Pie, Gorgeous Sister, Darling Beautiful Mother, Darling Handsome Father, and last but not least - Darling Handsome Son ;)

Da Food: Sisig Attack!, Yummy Tuna Belly, Chopsuey I Think, Sinigang na Something, Nilagang Something, and Turon on Ice Cream of Some Kind... ;)

Highlights:

Too many to mention. Just Auntie Boots and Uncle Danny visiting from the States. Based on the menu you can probably tell what I ate. Was too busy taking pictures of Da Gang. We kept each other up to speed on things since we last got together. Abi and Kim as I earlier mentioned are already married, Uncle Danny planning to retire and stay here in a couple of years so Barry Pie and I are surely expecting to keep him occupied on tennis and golf (mental note to self to get back on the driving range again...), and a lot more to mention.

Another file to my Happy Days memory bank. :D