Monday this week, a former fling went all the way here to CamSur to visit me. But this is not where everything started. This is just the point when things could have ended differently for all of us.

Fast forward to the time when his most recent love interest, who happened to be one of my closest friends, braved the 8-hour bus ride so he could come over and win him back - from me.

The whole day he was here was all a blur to me. I did not let myself feel anything at all. I just went with all the motions, letting the world turn on its own, just becoming a passive observer. This whole fiasco did not end good for my friend - he went home alone and more distraught than the first time. My former fling and current flame, the object of his self-destructive love, did not give him any chance - never even spoke to him.

This whole time, I was also experiencing random flashes, episodes of overwhelming pain in my chest. But each time only lasts for a minute, give and take a few seconds. I know something is wrong but I didn't want to face it yet.

So all was well, with my current flame and I, until what everything unsaid was brought out in the open. There was no excuse left for any of us. He left.

All the time, I was thinking it's only a matter of time and the deceit and all the bottled emotions we kept hidden from each other and even from ourselves have to be brought to life. He couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle it.

And I may not have Angina pectoris, which I think would be scary and very life-threatening, I discovered I have GERD - Gastroesopheagal Reflux Disease. And it was only a matter of time that my lifestyle would catch up on me.

Now I am thinking, what else lies ahead for me?

I'm scared.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Currently, the two of them are back together. All I can say is Best Wishes to the two of you. My second time to figure in your worlds would hopefully bring the two of you closer than ever.

And I can't have coffee.

In no particular order...

1. Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill Album
2. Flat and full pillows
3. The color Green
4. Rogue of X-Men
5. Sci-Fi Series: Startrek, Mutant X, 4400, Heroes, Kyle XY, Eureka, etc.
6. Discovering good music with the Shuffle function
7. Fairy Tales
8. Big and chunky cellphones
9. Bags
10. Floor native lamps (I have two, now)

11. Marlboro Reds
12. Comedy movies that made me cry (Mamma Mia, Click)
13. the singing voice of David Archuleta
14. Kiki - my blue fighting fish
15. the Earthlink pen I got from Trainer Sonny
16. UNICEF and what it stands for
17. Venice
18. the lone Coconut tree at the UP Sunken Garden
19. DCNHS' The Singing Teens
20. White tee shirt

21. the number 10
22. Monarchies of the world
23. Misterhubs
24. Harry Potter
25. My Dunhill clutch
26. Lightscribe technology
27. long hot showers
28. taking candid pictures
29. my Cherfer Team
30. the Milk lotion bottle of Human (not being sold anymore)

31. the rains
32. Manila bay
33. Spaghetti
34. reunions with EX's
35. sleeping
36. opening gifts
37. Harry Potter slash/fan fiction
38. Macadamia nuts
39. Scented oils
40. white tank tops

41. Century tuna
42. Yahoo Messenger
43. notebooks
44. Brown and black pinstripe pants
45. my white Visor
46. dirty ice cream
47. porn
48. liquid soaps
49. showbiz news
50. mutual funds

51. John Irving
52. my high school play microscope with slides and up to 10x lenses!
53. the Japanese language
54. blogs
55. coffee
56. warm and crisp blankets
57. the MRT
58. SGS Cam Sur site
59. cute, baby-faced men
60. Black boots

61. love stories
62. my mommy
63. reading in-flight magazines and newspapers
64. the Podium
65. Basti's Brew
66. Studio 23
67. snowballing - thanks Carlo!
68. Whitney Houston
69. 69

My officemates and I are looking for a girl friday.

Personally, I need one soon. Whenever I get home, my dishes in the sink greet me. I go to my unmade bed and I feel the dusty drapes shouting at me.

I need one. Badly.

Moki - A birthday Gift from Eric of Mocha Blends; my blue stuffed bear; name given by KM
Titi - my blue fighting fish; lone survivor of the Aquarium of Hell
Kiki and Fifi - my two dead fishes; gifts from Patty; gold, orange and white bubble-head

Blue - my lappie
Slim - my portable dvd
Green - my Samsung mp3
Jabra - my bluetooth headset
Reds - my two other useless phones; my smokes
Maroon - my footstool

Cherfer - the best Lycans (ahehehe)
Lycans - earthlings that roam Naga

371 days (approx) - tenure in my current company
230 days (approx) - time since I first set foot in Naga
196 days (approx) - tenure in my current position

4 - number of times I was in Lieu Leave
1 - number of times I used VL credits
32.5 - number of remaining VL and SL credits

3 - number of fishes in my aquarium the first time
1 - number of fishes left swimming today
5 - number of days since I last replaced the aquarium water

3 - number of cellphones in my dresser
1 - number of phones in use
4,000 - outstanding balance due on my Globe bill

202 - amount of credits left in my Smart prepaid
7 - days since I topped up 300 credits
25 - the ever smart number of credits for Unlitext

3 - number of constant Uzzap buddies at present
2 - number of Uzzap buddies I personally know
1 - unknown Uzzap buddy

5 - number of pillows on my bed
1.5 - number of persons who fit in my bed
3 - number of persons on my bed, presently

Weeks before my birthday, I was racking my brain for the best (and cheapest) way to celebrate. I couldn't come up with a plan, my fast dwindling resources not helping a bit.

I never counted on a lifeline but like all unexpected things, there it was at the last minute!

At the office, my head was swimming with doubts whether I am really cut out for the work I have now. Even up to this point, when attrition in my team is as constant as the metric outliers I have, I am still burdened by this popoisonous feeling of inadequacy.

But I digress.

So, on that fateful night of January 9, my head snapped and it seemed my mood went 360 - I decided to be happy.

The day before, Patty and I decided to go to Mocha Blends straight after work for another laptop&coffee session. With the sudden change of mood, my hand groped for the marker and  started writing on the office whiteboard "Team Cherfer Brunch at Mocha Blends" before my mind caught up and decided to stop them.

We had four Meals to Share, a set meal of pasta, different types of bread, fries and coffee and hot cocoa, which definitely gave my wallet a sigh of relief. I had too much fun opening gifts I got I did not notice my agents talking to Nana and Eric of Mocha blends - they were planning a surprise!

After a couple of hours or so, they all decided to leave, except for Jeff, Pat and Krishna (our RA). I saw them all go and hugged them and thanked them for their gifts, giving a not so soft reminder to those who have not brought me anything (wehehe). Then, Pat, Krish and Jeff all went to the loo. I then understood that this was the time for their surprise. I went to see my agents go out of West Park and wait for their rides home. But at that point, I heard people singing Happy Birthday from the back so I looked and saw Pat, Krish, Jeff and Nana running from the 2nd floor singing. And my agents all ran and went back to me singing, as well. I looked back to where Pat and the others came from and saw, among them, Eric holding this huge Blueberry Cheesecake with a single lighted candle and singing Happy Birthday to me, too.

Oh - my - God!

I know, I know. My mind figured all these out before they actually happened. But I am not the one to spoil a surprise, specially if the surprise was for me.

My mind was still reeling hours after all my agents left and only Pat, Krish and I were lounging with our coffees and left-over cake. The night ahead was fast approaching and all three of us didn't have a single hour of rest yet. We all decided to leave and sleep, with standing invitations to both Nana and Eric for dinner that night with my Manager.

At home, I met with one of my backstreet guys (this is another story) and he decided to tag along for my birthday dinner. The night was so chilly my teeth chatter as we laugh ourselves out talking about the office comic relief (this definitely deserved a story of its own).

A week has passed, and the high never leaves. I still received random gifts from people in the office and this has brought me out of self-destructing insecurities in my job.

My birthday this year is definitely one for keeps. I may be away from my family but I don't have to go far to be home. Unconsciously, I have created one for myself here.

From a very unexpected text message, I finally got up and decided to go to the office 8 hours before my shift. I couldn't stand the thought of spending New Year's on my own. So with four hours of sleep, I greased my hair up, use the shirt I bought for the company's Christmas Party and went to work

I had several things in mind, coming to work that early. I wanted to send a running stats report, which I did. I also brought along my lappie to while away the time, waiting for my shift.

I stayed over at the Mansion, with a Monte Carlo sandwich, updating profiles. My sisters in Germany were online, too and so was my aunt; so we webcammed and a few minutes later, my mom and my family back in Davao went online as well.

I had two simultaneous webcams going on and it was fun just fitting the windows on the small screen.

A few more minutes and our very own Fireworks display and countdown began.

Then it was New Year!

What's your story?

It was very fortunate that I went to Mocha Blends one time with some of my team and one of them knows the Marketing Officer who in that few minutes we were introduced, did not waste time in talking about a possible party they can host for us.


And after several more visits, texts and calls, we had our Team Cherfer Party at Mocha Blends on December 21st. Contrary to what most people in my team would say, this did not happen because of one particular Mocha Blends manager who also happened to belong to the family who owns the whole establishment where Mocha Blends is. 

My manager dropped by, so good of him. We also were with Patty Lou, the QA and Marissa, the Trainer.

All in all, I can say that was the best Christmas Party ever.


What's your christmas story?

I have often joked about this during the lull moments at the office. I've always had this hankering to eavesdrop on Jabber personal messages we use in the office. Not everyone's though but mostly on my cherferlings.

And I have caught several of them!

Part of my responsibilities is monitoring them during their calls and I have access to their screens whenever they take in calls. I always get excited when their Jabber PM windows blink. AHA!

I can't say that some of them have blossomed to full blown in- and outside-the-office relationships but I'm hoping someday there will be a couple out there, somewhere...

Some more snaps I took of these people in blossoming Jabber affairs.

Lately, my team has been languishing in the performance polls and my SME Karen (The Princess) has this brilliant idea of mini-teams and competition. She has observed that most of my team memers are very competitive and they'd never balk on a chance to outdo someone else (then why are so poor in ratings, this I have to digress).

So, we now have mini teams: Karen and Irvin. And my mini team won.

As punishment to mini-team Karen, we had a post Christmas pizza party at Shakey's (It's still Christmas everywhere)...

And from the looks of things, miniteam Irvin will win again next week.