i still can't get this huge smile off my face. rarely does this happen to me, so i'm making the most out of what seems to be the most memorable weekend of the year by riding on the coattails of that event and bringing a positive attitude into the work week. to add icing on the cake so to speak, is that i had a four-day weekend. saturday night was a night to remember.

it began as an informal talk weeks ago between me and one of my reps who also happened to be a teammate at a former center back when i was also a rep. that time was about close to four years now. this rep and i would talk about how things were with the fax team and how a closely-knit group we became. we would reminisce on coming to work everyday not because of the work itself, but for the real reason of our teammates being there to enjoy another fun-filled day at the office (i mentioned that it was the "real" reason because that reason is often misused, mostly by employees wanting to impress their bosses; it's different in our team's case). but ever since me and some of the other fax team members got promoted, it was the beginning of the end of what i would call the highlight of my career in the call center industry. not that we wanted it to end, but the truth is that we all had to move on and move up to better positions. so there we were, that rep of mine and me talking everyday of how life was back then when an idea suddenly cropped into my head: "hey liz, why not have a fax team reunion of some sort?" liz' eyes brightened with agreement. "cool! i'm sure the others will definitely jump at the chance to have that!"

from then, it spread like wildfire. i immediately got in touch with two or three other members of that team, to see if they are amenable to the idea. both of them replied with a resounding "yes." since most of them are still in that center, i asked them to spread the word. most of the team members also had moved on to other positions within the company, yet they were just an email away. so an email trail was started for those who were still working there. for the very few who had left, they were reached through their mobile phones. almost all signified their intention to be there, except for one who left for the US more than a year ago. even our supervisor at that time will be attending. we learned that he got promoted to an even higher position, so we even joked that he'd treat us that night, although we had no qualms of pitching in since we all had "moved to better positions," as one former colleague wrote on the email. what's important is that most, if not all of us, will be there.

though the event itself lasted for only about three hours, it was something i'm guessing that all of us who were there needed. a chance to reconnect and touch base with one another, share a meal together (come to think of it, this was the very first time that majority of the team went out!), and of course travel back in time and remember what was it like back then. stories, anecdotes, and laughter were heard throughout the time. even though some who confirmed of coming didn't arrive for one reason or another, i'm pretty sure that they felt they missed out a lot. but there will be another one soon. that teammate who went to the US will be back here next year so it's most likely that we'll be having another one by that time. there's nothing i'd love better to do now than to post the picture that was taken before we all went our separate ways that night on this blog. but until i learn how to do that, it'll just have to wait.

being on that fax team was the highest point of my career–bar none. being promoted was a different high, but not as much as those days brought out. that team was filled with the best people, including the supervisor, who by fate came together and became the best, if not one of the best teams ever on that account. i'm proud till this day to say that i was part of that team. we became not just teammates, but friends. for those who were there that saturday night: gil, chi, fabs, step, liz, ces, david, and kei: 'twas really, really nice being with you, sharing stories and just being with your company again. let's do this again next time, ok? to the remaining members of the team: kitt, sandy, eunice, rams, kelvin, julius, vhann, mitzie: you were missed terribly yet with the hope of you joining next time we have this. cheers to the best team and best people i have worked with. ever. hope to see all of you again soon.

i've decided to create a spin-off of a fellow blogger's original idea, "what the f**k?!" series by creating my own entitled, "indiscriminate, canned thoughts." the difference from the former is self-explanatory really, this being randomly cropped up thoughts coming from my noggin that may or may have no sense or meaning at all. hence the word, indiscriminate. as for the last two words of the title, well, i'll consider and label you really, really and i mean REALLY stupid if you can't read between the lines. it's just my way of adding comic to the phrase the MTRCB regularly uses, "double meaning."

disclaimer: this will appear sporadically, meaning if i have nothing out of the ordinary to write about, yet i have the urge to do so, then you'll be seeing the next installment of this series. as always, feel free to comment on my sometimes weird mind and the (canned) thoughts that come out of it. on with volume one then…

***thought number one: where in the traffic laws of the philppines does it say that when it's 1:30am, you can run red lights as you wish? i almost had an accident twice because i was following red equals stop, and green equals go. the second time was just the other night. i was making a left turn at a green light on an intersection when this good-for-nothing, son-of-a-bitch driver of a delivery truck came rumbling down at close to 80 kph! good thing i applied the brakes in time, otherwise i'll be instant grind meat! granted, i'll get my wish of being dead, but not at the hands of stupidity! i then instantly chased down that motherf**ker and pulled in front of him and slowed down to 40kph, blocked him and never let him overtake me until i reached the service road. i let the other vehicles pass, but not that a**hole. he tried honking his horn, brighting his lights at me, but i never budged. i rolled down my window and flashed him the dirty finger sign every time he'd honk his horn or flashing his lights. and as i came upon the service road, i then sped up a bit, stopped, got out of my car with my trusty baseball bat (my insurance policy), grabbed a pebble and threw that coin at the truck as it passed by. the truck suddenly stopped, and i was ready with bat in hand to whip some dumbass. the person on the passenger side of the truck saw me standing, was about to get out of the truck but when he saw that i was packing, told the driver to just go. and off he went. wow, i didn't realize that i had a streak of road rage in me. and to think i'm always a passive driver.

***thought number two: looking forward to a four-day weekend for me. what's on my itenerary? a bowling game with colleagues (finally, i'll get to go bowling again!) and a reunion with my former co-workers at PS. maybe i'll throw in a rubber-shoe shopping in greenhills in there as well, since my four-year old basketball shoes have already given up on me.

***thought number three: kate beckinsale never looked oh-so hot in click! watched it last week and it was seriously funny… or was it funny but serious? i said to my self that i'd never, ever let work get in my personal life. oops, i may have hit some people reading this who take their work too seriously. here's unsolicited advice: don't. so what if there are deadlines? i always take my time to do the things needed to do and not rush things, yet i still manage to meet all deadlines. i would put things off at work if i feel that it's getting crowded. i always make it a point to have time for myself. same goes for everyone, regardless of company position.

***thought number four: i just wish the weather would be always cloudy and/or rainy. it fits my mood. i like it that way.

***thought number five: looks like i'll be having the same shift and same days off for the rest of the year. friday nights and saturday nights off? heck, what more can i ask for?

until the next indiscrimnate, canned thoughts… enjoy your weekend. =)

it's a rainy saturday night and i'm at home, in front of the computer with rock ballads setting the background tune for hours of melancholy. after days of wringing my brain dry of data gathering, creating write-ups, deliberating, editing and finalizing mid-year performance reviews for my team, i could finally have some time for myself. now don't get me wrong, i've done my fair share of relaxing last night when i went out to see miami vice on the big screen (which is an ok movie, by the way) and by driving around the city, getting a glimpse for the first time in months how metro manila looks like in the early to mid-evening. for tonight, with the rain as the supporting cast member, i go to wish mode. it's pretty self-explanatory really, i just look back at the times when things went wrong, wishing they didn't. in other words, looking at my pathetic, miserable, loser of a personal life, amidst the screaming guitar melodies of slash and joe satriani, and churning vocal harmonies of axl rose and sebastian bach, wishing fate could cut me just a little bit of slack and having things my way for once. in any case, that's one way to spend a rainy saturday night. and i found a perfect song to carry with me at least until this wish mode feeling wears off. i'd like to share the words with everyone and i hope you get to listen to the tune some time. it perfectly describes how i am, how i really am. i'm alright.

BREATHE
by Greenwheel

I'm all right
I'm all right
It only hurts when I breathe
I'm all right
I'm all right
It only hurts when I breathe
when I breathe
It only hurts when I breathe
when I breathe
It only hurts when I breathe

wish i had a beer handy…

the rains have been falling again and i kinda like it. somehow it gives the feeling that mother nature is empathizing with my personal life. now if you don't have any idea how that's going, well, i ain't wastin' my time tellin' ya. just read previous entries.

"To see a grasshopper in your dream, foretells of enemies that will threaten your interest, disappointments in business, or illness. To draw other people's attention to a grasshopper, signifies your indescretion in dispatching your private business."

i was surprised at the interpretation, yet quite unfazed at the warning of enemies that will threaten my interest. i was curious though of the illness part. so, to put two and two together, dreaming of big-ass grasshoppers means i'll be having a major illness coming soon. hmmm… not bad. yet, so what? if it's my time to go, then it's my time. i'm always ready to face death anyway, so thinking about it, i was quite disappointed with the interpretation. i wish it meant more of other things, like wealth or something else. but hey, bugs are omens of famine, so there goes wishful thinking.

the second half of the year is underway. can't wait till the holiday season….

out of the blue and for reasons i couldn't seem to find, i feel…

down.

yep, it's one of 'em days again. another episode of unadulterated negativity, wishing that my existence in this world would come to a swift end (though i always conjure up that same thought everyday–just not that blatant), or wishing that i could just go…

up.

up where i could look at the world below me and command, "worship me, and i'll save you from yer suff'rin's. defy me, and you'll end up bitch-slapped seventy times seven…" or something like that. most of all, just to have that feeling that i'm always…

right.

now granted, that wouldn't be outright possible, even if i force the issue, even if i explain the issue, even if the issue makes common sense, and even if the issue is not the issue at all. i could go on and on about what the real issue is, run my voice hoarse, and still make no progress until there is nothing…

left.

where does that lead me? obviously, back to square one. where out of the blue and for reasons i couldn't seem to find, i feel utterly and pathetically…

down.

get my drift?