my return to work this past week was filled with three comments, most of which were mentioned when my colleagues and co-workers saw me for the first time in 10 days:

"you've lost some weight!  what did you do?"

"you look better now!"

"there's something different about you…"

i never imagined that a 10-day vacation would give rise to such comments.  i mean, i never felt any different during those 10 days.  well, except for my voice slowly returning to normal, but for me to actually look like i lost weight still puzzles me.  i even stopped going to the gym the whole time i was on hiatus.  so, is bumming around the house considered a weight loss plan as well?  still, i'm not convinced.  the most i did to myself was get a haircut.  and i do that on a regular basis, which is every month, with six weeks at the most.  i guess not thinking of work–and all the attachments that come with it–did help in some way with my physical appearance.  i mean, i do believe that stress of any kind affects the body, so in some point, how i look today is the result of a stress-free environment.  even for at least 10 days.  heck, i even seldomly reply to text messages from the office!  during that time, i didn't care about work, how my team was doing, what's been going on at the office, absolutely nothing.  i wish it was that way always, but that ain't possible now, would it?  at least, not while you're getting paid.  in any case, i take the compliments in stride and just say "thank you."  it's nice to hear good things once in a while.

on another note, i saw ocean's thirteen this past thursday with my sister.  i'd have to say that the third installment is the best.  no julia roberts though, but story-wise, it's good.  though you really have to sit and pay attention to the babble because if you don't, you'll get lost.  this week, it's f4:  rise of the silver surfer.  only this time, i'll be watching it alone since the screening time is a couple of hours after my shift, so there's no one to ask to tag along.  friday is still empty on my social calendar, so i guess it's another stint at home for me this weekend.  and to think it's payday weekend!

my 10-day vacation ended last night, so tonight, it's back to work for me.  ugh, i could just imagine the tons of emails waiting for me at my inbox in the office!  it'll take me the whole shift tonight just to read them!  plus updating my team's month-end stats for the previous month!  i haven't set foot in the office yet, but i'm already beginning to feel the stress coming right back at me!  hehehehehehe!!  i actually planned to go to the office during the middle of my vacation just to read the emails so as not to get swamped when i report back.  but i was enjoying too much of doing nothing that i put that off until when i return, so i guess that's that.  although i did go there last friday morning because i had to submit my team's attendance tracker for the second half of the month for payroll purposes, which is very, very important.  but i didn't dare open my inbox and see all those unread emails.  i was there for just about 15-20 minutes.  i greeted some colleagues, submitted what needed to be submitted, and i was outta there.

i really needed that vacation.  a week before the start of my 10-day hiatus, i had a bad case of cough and colds which affected my throat, thus causing me voice problems.  the cough and colds went away, but my voice remained the same–hoarse.  so also last friday, after dropping by the office, i went to see an ENT doctor at healthway in festival mall to have my throat checked.  it was covered by our HMO provider so i didn't pay anything.  good service, too.  i only waited around 10 minutes after getting all my information when the doctor called me in.  i briefed her on the history, and at that time, i was already feeling fine.  no more coughs–at least it was down to around two percent from when i was coughing a lot two weeks ago–and everything was normal, except for my voice.  she did take a look at my throat and told me that the whole throat portion was so red and had like some, well, not really lesions, but things around it.  she performed three procedures on my throat, all involving placing and spraying some medication which almost prompted me to throw up, but i was able to control it.  my throat went numb after a couple of seconds which i felt like something was coming out of it through my mouth and the doctor just advised me to keep swallowing during that sensation.  she then prescribed me to take three types of medicines, one antibiotic to be taken twice a day for seven days, one normal medicine also twice a day for five days, and one steroid also twice a day for five days.  i was quite taken aback when she mentioned the steroid, but she quickly added that that won't make me fat or high, or something like that.  it's for the insides of the throat to stop swelling.  she also listed some of the things i cannot take and drink:  fruit juices of any kind, menthol candies and or lozenges, chocolates and peanuts.  i was ok with the latter part, but the juices were a downer.  of course, alcohol was also a given since i'll be on medication but i drink fruit juices on a daily basis.  even at work.  so it's mostly water for me.  she didn't mention softdrinks on the forbidden list, but i took it upon myself to not take softdrinks–at least not always.  no ice as well on anything.  cool, refrigerated water is fine, but absolutely no ice.  and her final recommendation is to rest my voice as much as possible.  no whispering, but i can talk as normal as i can, but not too much.  only what i can manage.  good thing is not total voice rest or my boss will kill me, even if i don't take regular calls.  at least i still won't be taking any supervisory calls.  hehehehehe!!!

to sum up my vacation, as i have said, it was something i badly needed.  the cough and colds were already an indicator that i really had to take one.  though i wasn't able to go back to puerto galera as i had originally planned, the rest and actually doing nothing helped me recuperate and recharge for the next couple of months of the daily grind at work.  my next long vacation will be during the christmas and new year's celebration, so that's still far off.  i spent my birthday quietly two saturdays ago with my family, aunts, uncles and cousins so i guess that's the only highlight of my vacation.  i actually regained some of my voice that night after a few shots of alcohol but went back to hoarse the next day.  in any case, today is day two of my medication and water-only treatment.  five and seven days isn't that long, so i won't have to anguish in not drinking any orange or pineapple juices (my favorites) for so long.

it's back to reality.  it's just as fitting like ending summer vacation and starting school.  but i won't be totally ending the fun, for i have already reserved tickets for ocean's thirteen this thursday and fantastic four:  rise of the silver surfer next thursday.  two good movies to be seen in two weeks.  not at all bad.  plus, i'm starting to get the transformers fever!!  one month to go, and i can't hardly wait for it's screening!  hmmm… where's that dvd of the animated movie?  might worth watching it again…  hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a good week ahead!  😀

today marks the final entry of my 31-on-31 series for this month, celebrating 31 years of my presence here on this world.  i admit, it was hard coming up with entries on a daily basis and most likely, this will be the first and last that i'll be posting one entry per day for a month.  to everyone who passed by and read my daily entries, whether you have left comments or not, thank you for your continued visits.

the month of june starts tomorrow, and i'll also be ending my 10-day vacation when i go back to work on the night of june 3rd.  i still have a couple of days left to savor my vacation, then it's back to reality.  i do hope you have enjoyed reading my entries for this month as much as i enjoyed posting them.  some have been asking me about a layout change, well, maybe there'll be one soon.  i.ph has some new and cool templates, so if i have the time to check each and every one out, a version 2.2 of my blog may be launched not too far off.

my voice is at 80% at best, and hopefully will be back in full swing as i go back to work.  thank you for your well-wishes and again, for the birthday greetings–even those belated ones.  this has been the 31-on-31 series, signing off.  have a good one!  🙂

i was recently assigned to be a moderator for the RX-Talk Mailing List which i am a part of since almost it began.  the list owner decided to ask for volunteers to help out with moderating the mailing list since not all of the rx airstaff are actively doing it (as what i was told).  i was interested in the position–and i emphasize the word was–because i really was interested way, way back, say, several years ago.  at that time, the position wasn't open and i left the moderating to the higher ups of the radio station.  i made my intentions of being interested before since a friend asked me if i may be up for it.  i replied through the mailing list that with my work, i might not be able to check the list on a regular basis (which is true, i just started to make a comeback and try to be active again).  lo and behold, the list owner then announced my name and my friends reggie and carol as the new moderators of the mailing list.  i was shocked, but at the same time honored to be named one.  i humbly took the position and been starting checking posts for off-topic messages that need not make it to the list.

when i accepted the role, i made my intentions of cleaning up the mailing list of unwanted posts known from the get go.  it has been a problem of the list since it began.  in general, the mailing list guidelines are to talk about the station, it's music, airstaff, events, promotions, parties and events for starters.  so from my understanding, you base the topics of discussions from the subjects given, and go from there.  examples of what kind of off-topic messages the list has been getting are forwarded messages (quotes, jokes, passages), chain emails, articles from newspapers about political, social, religious, and economic concerns.  and since i have been a member, seeing those messages started from being a nuisance to being, "what-the-hell-bullsh**-is-this?!  this-shouldn't-be-here!"  i mean, it's ok to go off-topic sometimes, but not that overboard.  other members of the list have been complaining about it and back then, nothing was done about it.  i asked the moderators at that time to do something about it, but with respect to them, never pressured or bugged them about it as i left it to their best judgement what to do with them.  i didn't complain, i just continued to be a member.  other members have gone maybe because of it, i don't know, but i guess it's one of the reasons why they left, which was of course, a waste.  i have established friendships with people who have a common bond with me, and that's listening to this radio station.

as i made my intentions known, one member questioned my motives.  that member said that those kinds of messages give color to the mailing list and that we would be labeled as "air heads" if we continue to talk about RX day in and day out, for the station doesn't hold events, premieres, and other station-related activities often.  and as for the forwarded articles, they're the sender's way of informing the public about it.  i was quite surprised by what that member said.  the member also said that he/she was part of the mailing list and liked it the way it is and doesn't see the need for added moderating of the list's messages.  and he/she also said that if he/she didn't like the way i'll be doing the moderating, then he/she will leave the list.  i answered his query to the letter and explained that it's not just me who was complaining about the off-topic messages, but a lot of others.  one of the new moderators actually supported my initiative and will help in the clean up drive.  the ironic thing about all of this was he/she was the only one complaining about my initiative.  no one else backed him/her up.  he/she then answered my rebuttal by saying that he/she was just asking questions about how i would do things and repeated the line that if he/she doesn't like that way i moderate then he would leave the list.  i didn't continue to argue with him/her and replied back that we're just agreeing to disagree on how moderation should be performed.

you really cannot please everybody.  this i have learned both the good and hard way.  but in any case, if the list owner doesn't like how i do things, he can easily take me off the job, and i won't complain.  hey, for the record, i didn't apply for it.  again, i was shocked but honored to accept the list owner's faith in me since he knows that me being one of the pioneers of the mailing list, i know what it has gone through and would know what's best for it.  and to that member who happens to pass by and read this entry, do not–and i repeat, DO NOT–even think about arguing with me on this space about my thoughts.  this is MY SPACE and I CAN SAY WHATEVER I WANT TO SAY.  i have dealt with this as well before also with a lister, so don't even think of starting something.  every blogger has the right to say anything they want to say on their own space without being held legally liable for libel or slander.  yes, you can comment on what i said, but hey, don't take it personally that you'll curse me to kingdom come.  you diss me on your blog, i won't react.  why, because that's what you think.  i'll give you the respect of freedom of expression.  say whatever you want about me, as long as it's in your blog, and i won't take it personally.  say it somewhere else outside your blog, well, that's a different story.

looks like this new role is going to be exciting, dontcha think? 😀

i had site problems during the past few days so this post was originally made on the morning of may 31, 2007, but i decided that the posting date is may 29, 2007 to keep up with my 31-on-31 series.  in any case, the series is about to end but i still have a few things to talk about before i go back to my old posting ways.  one good thing though, that it's already starting to rain!  so less heat, more cool temps.  🙂