What's Your Stress Buster? Contest

They picked my entry...

Stress Resiliency Week

Please click the picture to read the clearer version of my contribution.

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Playing House

http://www.brittany.com.ph/v2/homes.html

Not that I am too excited planning for my future but I think it is high time for me to reconsider things, check my options and go shop for a domicile I can call my own home. I have told Joyce about this and she agreed for us to find some common time and visit open houses. Sigh! Am I really doing this? I am already considering realities and I’ve got to make big decisions already.

I could still remember when I used to play house with the kids in the neighborhood. I would always, never fail, play mommy. I don’t know. Maybe I am just the most mature or maybe it’s because I had all the toys a child could ever wish for. I have my parents to thank for that. But yeah, playing house, nursing a doll, cooking in a clay pot with real fire and concocting potions only kids would ever know was for the most part the next best thing to none when I was little. Oh not to mention the kindergarten play I participated in and got casted as the mother. Well I know the reason for that, it’s because my teacher thought I’m her best pick to memorize all the lines. LOL!

Anyhow, back to present time. It’s 2008. I have been working for exactly 5 years and 24 days today. I have no real properties I could call my own except my brimming full closet and my shoes, the electronic gadgets and the many beanie babies. I long for properties I could call my own and the most practical thing to invest on would probably be a piece of land. Not a car, I don’t know how to drive. So, what I think I need to do is to make this a reality, put things in action and devise a savings plan. I don’t want a big property really. I just need a space where I can build a house and call it a home and have my own little garden with roses and gerbera and herbs and other greens all around it. And I want a little swing and a little fountain where I could play with my little ones soon.

Soon…

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Why Do I Blog?

Because...

Quote of the Day: “If you're not blogging, you're an idiot... No single thing in the last 15 years has been more important to me professionally than blogging... It's changed my thinking, it’s changed my outlook… it’s the best damn marketing tool and it’s free." – Management uber-guru Tom Peters speaking to attendees at the 27th annual Inc. 5000 conference.

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Off Limits!

Starting today, I have decided to make this blog a private blog. Only those I have invited will have access to read the articles. Yes, I will have lesser traffic but who knows. Will probably decide to make this public again in the near future. But for now, my thoughts are privately withheld from the masses.

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Happy 52nd Birthday Mom!

It's mom's birthday today and I would like her to know how special she is and how I am thankful that she's my mom. She's just the best mom in the world!

Thank you for raising me just the way you did. Now I understand why I had to be scolded and not spared the rod. I am who I am now because of you and Dad. Thank you for doing the best you can to provide for me and to nurture for me. Thank you for everything...

This song is for you...

A Song For Mama

You taught me everything
And everything you've given me
I always keep it inside
You're the driving force in my life, yeah

There isn't anything
Or anyone that I can be
And it just wouldn't feel right
If I didn't have you by my side

You were there for me to love and care for me
When skies were grey
Whenever I was down
You were always there to comfort me
And no one else can be what you have been to me
You will always be, you always will be the girl
In my life for all times

Mama, mama you know I love you (I love you)
Oh you know I love you
Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart
Your love is like
Tears from the stars (yes it is)
Mama, I just want you to know
Lovin' you is like food to my soul

You're always down for me
Have always been around for me, even when I was bad
You showed me right from my wrong
Yes you did

And you took up for me
When everyone was downin' me
You always did understand
You gave me strength to go on

There was so many times
Looking back when I was so afraid
And then you come to me
And say to me I can face anything
And no one else can do
What you have done for me
You'll always be
You will always be the girl in my life

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Thank You God!

Start of my week...and I have a venti cafe latte triple shot to get me by.

My weekend went well. A few hours glued to my laptop, decent hours of sleep and yes, I went to church and had lunch with Uncle Don in North Park. Was also able to cook something for myself after class last Saturday. It was good to finally be able to taste something homecooked. KB said I spoiled myself.

It's not a secret anymore that I work the night shift and it has taken a toll on me already. I have missed some appointments because of it. Take the wax appointment as one. I was supposed to be at the spa around 5PM last Sunday but because of pulling an all-nighter chat with KB, woke up around 10PM already after sleeping at 3PM. Needless to say, the spa is closed and it would be futile to dash there in the hopes that they have extended their hours of operation. Anyway, it was fair deal. I would never trade anything to a much-anticipated conversation with KB. Okay so I guess it was the longest time I have ever chatted with someone. I am guilty for making him stay up so late knowing that he was enduring a sore shoulder and probably some sleepless nights while out in the desert. And oh, I hope he doesn't get shot again. I know it's part of his job but still I don't want him getting hurt. Sigh!

We ended our conversation with a phone call and a promise to talk again when he gets back. Since he doesn't know when it would be, he said he'll give me a call again. I still couldn't shake what happened off my mind. I am scared but at the same time I am positive that I should not feel any fear but instead have some faith. There is God and the God I know shields us from all the harm that comes our way. Keep KB safe, we still have unfinished business. Wink!

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Week In Review

I haven't written any update about me and the goings on in my life lately so here goes:

MONDAY
-met Olive for breakfast and then we went to shop for some stuff so we can catch up on not seeing each other for quite a long time. We missed Darice's presence though (she's back in Davao already). I bought a new purse, a book on relationships, a wedding magazine, a set of shower gels and dry oil mist from Body Shop, and a set of sleep wear. I was supposed to buy Mom a Rachael Ray cookbook but I chose to forego it and buy one in National Bookstore next week. We went home a few minutes before noon so we can both catch some sleep since we work the graveyard "call center zombies" (she works for BPI, I work for Dell). I went home and it rained so hard in the afternoon that our driveway was flooded, so I had no choice but to call my manager and inform her that I could not report for work. I cooked a latenight feast for me and Uncle Don and then worked on my school assignment before finally heading off to bed.

TUESDAY
-attended a string of meetings and Mike (coworker) said I lost weight. I also received a thank you SMS from Adolf telling me that he credits his promotion to me as his former manager for training him and giving him the opportunities to excel. I was touched. And oh, Vince said thank you too. They are both trainers now. It rained hard again today. Talked to Tutei and agreed to have our next session of some waxing (Oh, pain!) on Sunday afternoon. Watched CNN. I think I like Sarah Palin and would vote for her if I'm in the States.

WEDNESDAY
-it's RED day for my team today. Went to work wearing a brown and red ensemble. I attended a meeting where I was not supposed to attend and got out midsession. Haha! Funny! It's Marvin's fault and I hate him a little. I wasted one too-many minutes in there. It was raining when I got off work. Woke up with a heavy head and a slight fever and threw up some. TMI!

THURSDAY

My MAHAL called me up after chatting with my sister. We had a few minutes more than thirty together. God, I miss him. Please bring him home safe to me in March. Anyway, we talked about sweet nothings and future plans and all that. When I got home I checked my offline messages and there's K and his cute thoughtfulness (KB: Miss na miss na kita so much!) --- isn't that extremely sweet? Worked on my Management Accounting assignment again. Couldn't answer the last two problems as the questions were not part of the pages I photocopied. Silly! A mother and daughter approached me on my way to work asking if I can give them some money as they haven't eaten yet and they have no money for fare. Since I was in a hurry and didn't have loose change, gave them both some cash (will not be disclosed).

FRIDAY

-read the Iraq and Afghanistan chronicles blog by Blackfive. Shed some tear and had goosebumps. We surprised Ma'am Abi with some balloons and cake and a Mango wallet in one of the meeting rooms at work. I am now planning to head home early as I will have my grad school class at 1PM. Need to catch some snooze to get me up and going and be able to participate in the discussion in class. I am missing KB bigtime. Stay safe Mahal.

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God Bless The Broken Road

***To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage. – Lao Tzu***


I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love
Along the broken road

But I got lost a time or two
I wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to YOU

That every long lost dream Led me to where YOU are
Others who broke my heart
They were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way Into Your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road That led me straight to YOU

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost
And give it back to YOU

But YOU just smile and take my hand
You've been there and YOU understand
It's all part of a grander plan
That is coming true

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I Spelled Rendezvous Before I Learned to Spell My Name

Yes, the title is right. I spelled rendezvous before I even mastered spelling my name. I could not forget the time in first grade when my teacher posted my test paper on the board because I misspelled my name. For a period of time, I was the talk of the class. I wasn't dyslexic, not even a bad speller. It was just one of those days. I spelled my name "Kessa Thae" instead of "Kessa Thea". From then on, I resolved to be more careful, to be more cautious of the written words that come out of my ink stick. The embarassment became a blessing in disguise. I won spelling contests left and right.

Highlights were in high school and these are the words that I still remember made me win:

First Year HS:
1. ennui - a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom
2. quay - a landing place, esp. one of solid masonry, constructed along the edge of a body of water; wharf
3. schuhplattler - lively Alpine folk dance

Second Year HS:
1. chevauxdefrise - a portable obstacle, usually a sawhorse, covered with projecting spikes or barbed wire, for military use in closing a passage, breaking in a defensive wall, etc.
2. effervesce - to give off bubbles of gas, as fermenting liquors
3. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - used as a nonsense word by children to express approval or to represent the longest word in English

Third Year HS: - i won against the college students in our school
1. schism - division or disunion, esp. into mutually opposed parties
2. bourgeoisie - (in Marxist theory) the class that, in contrast to the proletariat or wage-earning class, is primarily concerned with property values

Fourth Year HS:
1. epaulement - a position in which the shoulders are at right angles to the direction of the supporting leg, with one shoulder thrust forward and one back
2. bivouac - a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire

So there it was, I'm glad I can still remember them. I admit bourgeoisie and bivouac gave me a hard time while writing this. I am saddened by how I've tarnished a bit. I mean I could easily spell it 10 years ago but now damn it. I hate texting.

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Summit Media launches Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines

A woman’s wedding day is one of the most important events of her life. That is why a great deal of preparation goes into making this one day beautiful, personal, and memorable—not just for the bride and her groom, but for all who will share in the celebration.

To help every Filipina bride-to-be have the wedding of her dreams, Summit Media, the country’s leading magazine publishing company, brings to Martha Stewart Weddings to the Philippines. With Martha Stewart brand’s signature creativity and style, Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines will inspire a new audience of brides eager to make their wedding day truly special.

Martha Stewart Weddings is the leading resource for the bride who wants a wedding that is beyond the ordinary. Filled with fresh ideas, inspiring photographs, and how-to information, the magazine takes readers from the engagement to the honeymoon and beyond, into their new married lives.

Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines will take the best of the American edition and tailor it with ideas and inspiration developed especially for the Filipina bride.

The premiere issue of Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines features the best bridal ideas—from choosing a color scheme and theme for the wedding to selecting the wedding cake and bridal bouquet. This issue also helps brides look their best with a gallery of exquisite gowns and a feature on bridal hairstyles, as well as tips for the perfect wedding reception.

Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines will be available this September at newsstands and bookstores throughout the Philippines for P295 per copy. -This article reposted from Summitmedia.

---I have already bought my copy and I saw a very nice Reem Acra gown inside the magazine. It will definitely be added to the collection I keep. Will upload some of the nice wedding gown designs I have so far. This will probably help some friends who plan to marry late this year or next year.

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K Squared

Thank you for bringing back my smile, the hop in every step, the swagger in every walk, and the hope that love exists. I look forward to wonderful days and awesome times with you. I am thankful that we came along each other's paths. I love that you love me so much not for what I give you or what you could get from me but because of reasons we both only know. It has softened our edges, quieted our fears, brightened our days and given us the courage to face life's many challenges. Being with you and sharing our life together is, to me, joy in its purest form.

I love you MAHAL!!!

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Typhoon Marce...NOT!

I woke up excited for work and while I was in the shower, I heard the first pitter-patters of the rain. Then it progressed to be a lot heavier until I saw some lightning flashes and heard some rolling thunders. I got out of the shower still pretty optimistic that the rain would eventually stop and I could go to work. When I got out of the house the driveway is flooded and I could not get past through our gate. I received one too many call-ins from my direct reports informing me that they could not come to work because their area were flooded too. Darn! Me too... Anyway, I informed my manager and she told me to just keep her posted if I could come to work or not.

I stayed in the living room while waiting for the floodwater to subside. Waited for 3 hours but the rain just wouldn't stop. I can hear the throng of cars outside the gate pile up and sirens and buzzes signal that once again the road became a parking lot for stranded motorists. I will wait for a few more hours before I get to bed and rest.

Looking into the PAG-ASA website, I found out that the typhoon hasn't even reached Metro Manila and no typhoon signal has been raised yet. Everyone were told to be on their toes for the next three days. Sigh!

I will keep you all posted...

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Sleepless in Cebu

After my shift Thursday morning, I waited for Jen to fetch me so we could go to the airport together to catch our flight for Cebu. We had a mission to accomplish and that is to make sure that the website we were tasked to run will be on its way to completion early next week. We were also tasked to make sure security measures were in place to prevent information theft and avoid integrity issues so we are to make sure that the website developer gives us our own subdomain. While at the airport waiting for our 7:30AM flight, I felt the need to sleep. I felt I needed to rest. But then who needs to rest when you have stuff to do?

We boarded our plane and landed in Cebu safely. No nap as Jen and I were busy talking about stuff. Just anything we could think of. Call it incoherence or just plain miss, we forgot to note the exact address of the company we were visiting. So, I had to hook up my laptop to my phone and connect to the internet and search for the address. We found it! I then changed clothes in the airport because I have been wearing the same red dress since last night. We took the airport taxi and safely reached our destination. The driver tried to chat with us along the way and that of course deterred me from catching some power nap too. We then sat down with the people in-charge of our business at PhilWeb Services (Cherette and Carl and Bernard). We discussed changes on our mock-up pages and some format and layout revisions. We finally were able to approve of the final mock-up later afternoon. We’re thankful that the developers were able to put up with our demands.

Not to forget the strength of the Red Bull Jen bought for us…One thing that kept me going throughout the day was the constant conversation with KB. (You kept me up throughout the day and that means a lot. Kiss!)

Anyway, we were off to the airport again around 6PM and our flight was not displayed in the wallboard. We were in a little panic but managed to talk to the airport officials and we were informed that it’s not a big deal if we don’t see our flight number in the wallboard. They advised us to just pay attention to the PA system so we don’t miss it. Knowing that we were both incoherent already made it a little more difficult but it would be good to note that we were able to get back to Manila safe and mission accomplished.

Big Boss would for sure be a little happy with Lil Boss’s and Jen’s news.

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