8:18 AM » I don't have to go to work until ten today -- yippee!  Usually, I have to be there at nine o'clock sharp.  Now I'll actually have a full hour to get ready, instead of the usual thirty minutes..  I may even have enough time to do my hair (if I'm lucky)!

P.S.  I started to write, "I don't have to go to work today," and actually burst my bubble.  Not having to go to work at all would naturally be a much better prospect.  !

February 20, 2002

8:30 PM » Change of plans!  Suzette is going to the mall with Bong -- probably to buy an outfit.

Let me share something that I read in Elle recently:

DEAR E. JEAN:  I've been married for four years and I'm extremely happy.  My husband and I share so many interests---sports, reading, watching stand-up comedy, eating bad diner food---and we do just about everything together.  As a result, I've let many of my close female friendships languish.  I just don't feel the need to get together with them (unless they're having some sort of crisis) because I have much more fun with my husband, and female friends can be so touchy and high-maintenance.  I recently read somewhere that your husband shouldn't be your best friend.  Are we headed for trouble?  Should I try to revive some friendships that are all but dead from neglect?---Worried Wife

WIFE, YOU BIG WIFFLE BALL:  Congratulations, madam!  You've just walked off with the fervently coveted We-Should-All-Have-Your-Problem Prize.  Now, give old E. Jean a kiss and get out of here.

P.S.  Make plans to see your girlfriends twice a month (for shopping, margarita quaffing, parachute jumping, et cetera), but it won't do much good.  Some marriages are so tight, so sparkling, so joyful, they can't be disrupted.

A smile crept across my face as I read that.  I didn't write the letter, but it sure sounds like I did!  That's my life!  That's the kind of relationship that Brian and I share (and god-willing, will continue to have even after we're married) right now!  !

7:08 PM » We met mom at Countryside West Lanes the other day.  Brian and I hadn't gone bowling in almost a year.  The last time we went bowling was last summer.  It was a Muscular Distrophy Association fund-raiser at work.  Anyway, our purpose was two fold: (1) to go bowling, and (2) to deliver samples of our wedding favors to Tito Francis, who's going to do the floral arrangements and center pieces for the tables at the wedding.  He was asking mom what our theme was and, while I'm not sure quite what it is yet (probably a French country garden theme), I was hoping that the wedding favors would inspire him or at least give him some idea of what he has to work with.

What do you guys think of it?

Anyway, here are some of the pictures that we took while we were at the bowling alley..

We had loads of fun!  Naturally, I bowled like crap because I hadn't bowled in a while..  Brian got finally got a bag for his bowling ball so he won't have to carry it around with him anymore.  He can just put it in the bag.  Mom says that she'll buy him bowling shoes for his birthday, which is great because he doesn't have any and they're really expensive.  I actually paid $75 or $80 for mine.  But that was when I was bowling a whole lot and I thought that it was worth it.  Since we don't bowl all that much, neither Brian or I can justify spending almost a hundred bucks on shoes -- but if someone gives it to him for his birthday, that's a whole 'nother story because then, it's free!!

I was actually glad that we went to the bowling alley.  While we were there, we scored a last minute invite to Gina Ann's debut at the Hilton.  That was kind of neat!  I mean, I really wanted to go -- but I didn't want to go -- because we (as in, Brian and I) weren't invited.  My mom received an invitation, but since I don't live with her anymore I didn't want to assume that the invite extended to me.  As much as I dig large, formal events (because I love dressing up and having the opportunity to swing and ballroom dance), I certainly didn't want to crash their soirée.  When we ran into Tita Rose at the bowling alley, she invited us personally.  So I was really thrilled!

Anyhow, I guess that's all for now..  Suzette will be here any minute to check out the outfit that I will be wearing.  Since I don't have the time (or the money, for that matter) to buy a nice evening dress to wear, I'm just going to "recycle" one of the dresses that I've worn at one of the previous events.  I don't mind wearing it again as much because it has been almost four years since I wore it last.  Besides, it's not like I have a choice.   !

6:42 PM » This or That Tueday -- a day late!

January or July?  July.  I hate winter!

Email or letters?  Letters.  They just feel different.  Granted, you don't get the immediate gratification that you do with email -- but I think that's what makes letters special.  One has to put a lot of time into it.

Milk or orange juice?  OJ,  because it tastes better with vodka!  Ha.  Ha.

Brunette or blond?  Brunette.  Actually more like black.  I fancy having blue-black hair, though, like those cool Japanese girls.

Digital or film camera?  Digital, because I'm cheap and I don't want to pay for developing.  And I won't have to wait for the film to get developed either!

Camping or hotel?  Hotel.  I can't do without showering for more than 24 hours.  I can't do without a bathroom either.  The only way that I'd pick camping is if you tell me that outdoor-sex is involved.

Pencil or pen?  Pen.  I love pens!  Specially gel pens.  I have tons.  Brian got me two cases for Christmas!  I have metallic ones and milky ones..  Even tri-color ones and glittery ones!  Besides, I don't like the sound that pencils make when I use them to write on paper.  To me, it's just as bad as nails on a chalkboard.  If I'd have to use a pencil, for whatever reason, it'd have to be a mechanical pencil.

Rollerblading or roller skating?  Roller skating.  Not that I think it's fun.  But, at least, I can do it.  I tried to rollerblade a few times, but it's just too difficult.  Then again, you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

Fly or drive?  Drive.  Granted, you'd get there faster if you drive -- but roadtrips are so much fun!  I'll have to talk Brian on taking a roadtrip with me one day.  It's going to take a lot of persuading because he's not so keen on the idea.

White or black?  Black, because it's slimming!

February 17, 2002

5:55 PM » We'll never get our living room done!  We have lost all desire to work on it..  Particularly since Brian has rented Red Faction.  I think I'll just have to give up all hope of our living room returning back anytime soon.  Perhaps by the fourth of July -- that's if we're lucky.  Hey!  At least we took our Christmas decorations down in a timely manner!  Brian favorite house on Rock Road still had their Christmas lights up when we drove by on Valentine's Day!  And it's probably still up!

We had hoped to sleep in today, but mom asked us to come to the house early this morning to let the Reddi Rootr guy in and supervise the proceedings.  I didn't bother to ask about Jen, but Brian was curious.  According to mom, she had to work very late the night before and would probably be still sleeping.  What did she think Brian and I would be doing?  We were planning on doing the same thing?  Anyway, mom concedes that she doesn't trust Jen for anything.  Who in their right mind would?  She's completely worthless!

We really didn't mind.  We were going to go there anyway to use their Turbo Tax so we could do our taxes.  The only difference now is that we'd be coming to the house six hours earlier than originally planned.  Mom promised to buy lunch and, you know, food is always good in my book.  It was a fair deal.

We arrived bright and early at eight-thirty-ish.  The guy arrived about an hour later.  As I suspected, payment was due upon completion of services.  Good think I asked mom to leave a signed check.  All I had to do was write down the amount ($97.50).  When mom arrived home from work, she was relieved to find out the amount.  She was afraid she would have to fork out two hundred bucks.

We got our taxes done, by the way.  We were initially debating on whether we should file jointly or separately this year.  On one hand, we'd face the marriage penalty if we we're to file jointly..  And on the other, we would wouldn't be able to claim our house if were to file separately.  Brian ran both scenarios.  The results came out about even.  We'd only gain $79 more by filing separately.  But then, we had to ask ourselves: is it really worth the inconvenience?  Because we'd have to mail four things instead of only two, if we file together.  Ultimately, convenience won out.  We said screw it and filed a joint return.  We're getting almost $2500 back in taxes, which we are devoting towards our honeymoon (Belize here we come!).  It was less than what we had hoped it would be, but better than any refund we'd ever gotten back in the past.  In the end, we were both satisfied with the outcome. [I'm just happy that we didn't have to go to H&R Block or hire an accountant.]

After doing our taxes, I had to test the plumbing..  Ha!  Ha!  Brian thinks it was the meat pizza from Papa Murphy's the night before.  Anyway, we had to make sure none of the lines were clogged up and everything was working properly!

We watched Return to Me while we waited for mom to come home from work.  It's pretty sappy, but not altogether horrible.  It was funny because when mom arrived, she asked us if we were watching her DVD..  We told her it was rented -- Brian had rented it the day before Valentine's Day.  It turns out she owns the darn thing!  We could have saved our money..  I'm going to need to invetory the DVD collections of everyone I know one of these days..  I think it'll save us quite a bit because the majority of our entertainment expenses go toward movie rentals.

The three of us went to Felipe's Jr. (still my favorite Mexican restuarant) for lunch.  Brian really didn't want to go there because we met for lunch there the other day.  To me, food is food..  But to Brian, variety is a must.  Anyway, I pleaded and he relented.  So that's where we went.  Man!  I was so full!  We went home straight after lunch and took a two-hour nap.  But that came after Brian killed his 8290.  He jumped on the bed and hit his knee on something hard.  When he went to inspect, he found out that his knee had landed on the 8290 that was still in his jacket pocket.  His phone had been acting up for a while, but this was definitely the last staw.  It wouldn't even turn on!  Brian had been dying to buy a new phone (a 3390 this time around) for several weeks now.  With his phone dying, he had a reason to.

We were out like a light.  We napped from two-thirty to four-thirty.  Our nap would have been longer if the phone had not rung.  Suzette felt really bad about waking us up.  It was time, anyhow.  We needed to work on our walls.  Of course, Brian wanted to go to Best Buy first and get a replacement phone.  So off he went.  He returned some DVDs to Hollywood while he was out.  I decided to stay home, load up the dish washer and finish doing laundry (which is still going, by the way).  Now, we're both in the office: I'm blogging and he's playing Red Faction on PS2..  Our walls in the living room are still far from being done.  I think we both desperately need a bottle of motivation (make that a bottle each).  Care to send us some?  !

12:42 AM » Brian is busy playing Red Faction on PS2 behind me..  Which is cool because then I can have some quality blogging time.  I still have to share my Valentine's Day story.  I'd been busy lately, so I wasn't able to..  Anyhow, I can do that now.

It started a little rocky..  Lots of drama and hysterics.  Brian said he had a surprise for me.  I thought he had made plans, dinner arrangements, etc.  His surprise was actually a gift.  Two days before Valentine's Day he tells me that he wants to make reservations at Sumo (a Japanese steakhouse where they cook in front of a hibachi -- it's his favorite restaurant and we go there all the time).  I tell him no -- for exactly that reason..  We go there all the time.  Even just on regular nights.  I wanted our Valentine's Day dinner to be somewhere cozy and special..  Somewhere we don't go all the time.

On my way home on Wednesday, he's being very negative.  He says that almost everyone is booked.  I don't doubt it, but at this point I'm getting really upset.  We couldn't find a place that we could agree on.  We finally settled on Max's (this fancy restaurant that his parents and, on a separate night, we also went to for Valentine's Day last year).  He said that everyone at his work said not to bother because Max's would probably be completely booked, just like all the fancy places in town.  Guess what.  They were not fully booked -- they were closed.  Times must be really rough.  I don't think they were open for a year, if even that.

As soon as I arrive home, I plopped myself on the couch and started thumbing through the phone book.  Brian tells me that I'm doing exactly what he had just gotten done doing.  As upset as I was, the comment didn't help matters any.  I run across Sweet Basil's ad in the yellow pages.  I'm not particularly fond of Italian food, which is what they serve, but the ad touted that they were "the most romantic restaurant in Wichita."  I'm very impressionable so, of course, I decided that I wanted to have dinner at Sweet Basil!  I called them up to make our Valentine's Day reservations, but guess what -- they were completely booked!  I was so pissed because I really had my heart set on having dinner there.

I started getting really stressed over the whole ordeal.  Brian had relented and agreed to go to Hana Café.  It's just a little, rinky-dinky Japanese-Korean restaurant right next Max's, but it's cozy.  The food takes forever to come, but if you've got all night it's worth it.  Hey, they were open before Max's came to town and now that Max's is gone they're still around -- they must be doing something right!  The problem was that I couldn't find their number in the phone book.  I was getting really depressed and I started tearing up, so I stomped off to the office.

Brian thought that I had gone to look up Hana Café's phone number through the internet.  I did, but I also came to the office to bawl in private.  I was totally depressed at the fact that Brian and I had nowhere to go on Valentine's Day.  Looking through the phone book didn't really help matter any.  I mean, how romantic is that?  That's supposed to be his job!  I was totally hysterical.  Brian felt awful.  He thought he'd ruined Valentine's Day by not making plans in advance.  He was sweet, though, and really did his best to console me.

I finally find the number to Hana Café.  He makes reservations and we make up.  I was just a little disappointed that our Valentine's Day plans didn't go as smoothly as I had wanted.

Valentine's Day started kind of crappy.  I was thinking of saving time by not having to change clothes after work -- so I decided to wear something that would take me from work to dinner.  In the process of doing so, I found myself running late for work that morning.  I remembered to wear all my jewelry except for my most important one -- my engagement ring.  I didn't realize it until I was already on Woodlawn and by then it was too late.  I didn't have enough time to go back for it.  I barely made it to work on time (got there at exactly nine o'clock) as it was.  I told Brian this and that upset him a little bit, but he understood that I didn't leave my ring on purpose -- I was merely a victim of circumstance.  Not having my ring on upset me a lot, but I didn't share this with Brian because he was upset enough as it was.

I got off work rather late so I only had thirty minutes to get ready.  Good thing I didn't have to change outfits.  I just curled my hair and put some makeup on (to liven up my face).  We made our seven-thirty dinner reservations with plenty of time to spare.  Brian had planned on coming back home, exchanging Valentine's Day presents and watching a romantic movie in the family room after dinner.  I had other plans, though.

He bought me an oval sterling silver velvet-lined jewelry box from Kay Wiggins (the same place that they had bought my bracelet that I received for my 24th birthday).  He actually got me naughty dice and a vibrating toy from Priscilla's also, but he gave those to me a couple of days before.  The jewelry box is beautiful!  Which reminds me, I need to take a picture of it so I can post it here.

I got him the Kama Sutra pleasure tin from Red Envelope.  It cost quite a bit, but I think it's worth it in the end.  It contains full sized bottles/jars of the same stuff that you get with the weekender kit and more (Original Oil of Love, Pleasure Balm, Honey Dust, Honey Almond Massage Cream, Sweet Almond Massage Oil and a hand-made feather applicator), but I thought that the weekender kit wouldn't last us very long because Brian and I get kinky pretty frequently.  Anyway, I thought we'd get good use out of the potions and stuff.

As far as that movie went (after the gift-exchange), I let Brian make the call: we could cuddle on the couch while we watch a movie or I could give him the rest of his Valentine's Day present (an hour-long full-body massage).  Needless to say, Brian came to a decision fairly easily.  Although he had his doubts..  He didn't think that I could last an hour.  Sure, I'd given him full-body massages before -- but they usually didn't last an hour.  I was a woman on a mission and I was totally determined to prove him wrong.  Armed with a bottle of Sweet Almond Massage Oil and a plan, I set forth to give Brian the best massage he's ever had..

I started at 10:39 PM and told Brian that I would not finish until 11:39 PM.  I spent ten minutes on his shoulders and back, five minutes on each arm, five minutes on each thigh/inner thigh, five minutes on each leg, five minutes on each foot, five minutes on his chest and five minutes on his face.  I went back to rub his back briefly before I finished the massage.  An hour is a long time to massage someone, but when you break it down into sections it actually goes by pretty quickly.  He was totally relaxed at the end of the whole thing.

We made love and ended our Valentine's Day evening on a wonderful note.  Things started a bit, rough at first -- but we managed to turn that around and had a truly memorable Valentine's Day celebration.  We even have the kinky pictures to prove it!  !

February 15, 2002

8:23 PM » It's time again for the famous Friday Five!  Here goes..

1. What was the first thing you ever cooked?  I really can't remember.  If I'd have to guess at this question, I'd say ramen noodles.

2. What's your signature dish?  Breakfast-Gumbo.  That's what Brian calls it anyway.  It's my very own concoction.  I fry hash browns, ham, eggs, and whatever else I might find edible in the refrigerator all together.  It's pretty good actually.  But Brian refuses to touch it.  It's not like I'd try feed him anything poisonous.

3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) Describe.  I've had my fair share.  My most recent fiasco is when I decided to add a can of smoked mussels to egg drop soup.  I tried to eat it -- but it was nasty!  Needless to say, it met an untimely demise in the hands of our garbage disposal.

4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal?  I'm not really picky when it comes to food, so my dream meal would be Filipino spaghetti.  You're probably wondering, "What the hell is so special about Filipino spaghetti?"  Red hotdogs!!  Many of you might not know, but red dye no. 5 (the food coloring used to make red hotdogs red) has been outlawed in the US because it has been found to cause cancer.  I love red hotdogs!  Regular hotdogs just don't taste as good.

5. What are you doing this weekend?  Taxes.

February 12, 2002

10:59 PM » Here's something new to throw into the mix..  I encountered it at A Life Uncommon.  I don't know if it's a weekly thing or anything like that.  I guess we'll find out next week.  Needless to say, it's kind of like the famous Friday Five.  I'm a sucker for this sort of stuff!

Without further ado, I'm pleased to present: This or That Tuesday.

Picnic on the beach or picnic in a park?  Park.  No sand gets in the food of this princess!  Besides, we don't have any beaches in the area..  So I kinda don't have a choice.

Atlantic Ocean or Pacific?  Definitely Pacific!  My native country is the Pearl of the Orient.

Museum or the ballet?  Ballet.  Because I've never seen an actual performance.  I've been to museums.  I'd like to watch a ballet sometime in this lifetime.

Lots of pillows on the bed, or just a few?  Just two.  Right now, anyway.  We have lots (standard ones and toss pillows, for whenever we actually make the bed).  Right now, though, they're just on the floor.  The pillows situation will change when we get a bigger bed -- that's for sure!  I like lots of pillows, but it's kind of difficult because we have to share our puny queen-sized bed with Hobbie.  If you've seen her, you'll understand why.

Homebody or not?  Homebody.  Brian and I love to just stay home and watch movies.  The batroom is the best place to be.  Of course, the bedroom is great too.  [wink]  Ha.  Ha.

Introverted or extroverted?  Extroverted.  I'd like to think of myself as an outgoing person, but I also get shy sometimes.  Let's say 65% (extroverted) to 35% (introverted) -- is that allowed?

Sunrise or sunset?  Sunrise.  I see sunsets all the time.  Watching the sunrise actually involves preparation (like setting the alarm clock) and is more infrequent.  That (having to work for it), to me, makes it more special.

Do you prefer ceiling fans or light fixtures?  We have ceiling fans with light fixtures all over the house.  I can't imagine having to do without either one.

Lions or tigers or bears?  Bears.  Because I love teddy bears.  They're cute and cuddly.

The Beatles or The Monkees?  The Beatles.  I've never been into The Monkees.  I don't know why.  I suppose it's because they just weren't that big in the Philippines, where I grew up.  But everyone knew who The Beatles were.

10:23 PM » Brian has been playing GT3 for the past three hours now (or so it seems).  That's him in the webcam.  I figured that you were all tired of staring at my double-chin and so I pointed the cam at Brian.  He moved the PS2 here (it was hooked to the big TV in the batroom) so that he could play video games while I blogged and we could still be together in the same room.  Isn't he sweetest?

Anyway, he's been cussing and screaming and getting pissed off at the game -- don't ask!  I keep reminding him that it's just a game.  He gets really frustrated, though, when he doesn't win and he claims that the computer cheats.  I don't even bother arguing with him.  I've learned that it's best not to fuel the flame.

Wanna know what's really funny?  He's playing GT3 to relieve stress (from work).  I find it really ironic that his so-called stress-reliever is actually stressing him out.  I think he needs to find another release!  What do you think?  !

10:13 PM » Six months into the planning and only six months to go before the wedding, and I am still trying to decide whether or not to have a wedding website.  There are pros and there are cons.  But I'm really digging all the beautiful wedding websites out there.  I'm itching to have one of my own.  What do you all think?

Work is really stressing me out.  I have zits all over my face just because of it.  It's really starting to piss me off.

The team reassignments were finally released today.  I've had this burden on my shoulder for a week now and I'm glad that the load is finally off.  Melanie talked to Annette, who in turn had an impromptu team meeting this morning.  We finally told the team that we were moving to Bon Prix and that the team would dissolve.  All the team members will be reassigned to other teams -- further details to be released later in the afternoon.  They were all curious about their fate, of course.  Can you imagine?  Knowing that you were being transferred, but not knowing where..  I would not have been able to work for the rest of the day.  And some of them did not.

Annette moved offices shortly after the meeting.  I did not want to move until all the files have been forwarded to the new teams.  How could I?  I couldn't just leave them there.  I wanted to be sure that nothing got lost in the chaos.  Vickey had already moved to her new desk, so my future desk was vacant.  I could've moved.  Anyway, the information on the team changes was released later that afternoon.  As soon as we got the information, I sent all the files out.  Everything.  Including things that still needed to be presented.  The associates went every which way (some went to teams 1, 23 and 9), but most of them ended up on teams 15 and 16.  Five people ended up being transferred to team 6, the same team that Annette and I are tranferring to.  I forwarded all the files to their respective teams right away.  I had to get it done immediately because I felt I couldn't move my stuff until then.  Now I'm ready to pack up and move to my new desk.  I kind of like it better than my old one actually -- it's closer to the door!  !

February 11, 2002

11:20 PM » Somebody actually found my site by typing "veo stingray crap" on Google.  I thought that was pretty funny.  Perhaps not as funny to them.  I hope that they found what they were looking for.. eventually.  !

11:15 PM » And Brian says..

"Do you really think that somebody's going to buy you stuff?"

To which I say..

"No....  But I'm hoping that you'll click on it."

That wasn't so subtle, was it?  I never was any good at that.  !

11:07 PM » I am such a moron!  I finally figured out why my wishlist link wasn't working.  I didn't put the proper ID in the URL.  It's working now, so you can start buying me stuff!  LOL!  (",)    !

7:58 PM » My French Script MT font just disappeard from my computer!  I almost had a heart attack..  It took me a while to realize it.  The address/envelopes file looked different for some reason.  I had to stare at it for a long time before it dawned on me that Word had substituted a different type of script font, instead of French Script MT (which is what was supposed to be used).  I felt like crying!!

I opened Excel and checked.  It did not have French Script MT listed as one of the available font types either.  I was now in panic mode.  I opened my fonts folder and the file was right there.  Everything seemed normal from that end.  But why wasn't it showing up in any of the apps?

While I was in the fonts folder, I took it upon myself to clean it up a little bit.  Brian had been getting on me to remove some of the more useless fonts that we have.  You know me.  I'm kind of a pack rat, when it comes to files in the computer.  I was reluctant to part with my fonts.  I know what you're going to say -- you can always re-install them later..  But I never save any of the source files.  As soon as it's installed, I delete the .zip file that it came from.  This should teach me to be more organized in the future!

Back to my dilemma..  What to do?  Well, when it comes to computing and such, my mantra is:  if all else fails, reboot.  So I did.  I opened Word and voila!  French Script MT is back!  Hallelujah!!  You have no idea how relieved I am.

Anyway, Brian and I watched Rollerball this afternoon.  It was pretty good.  Nice action scenes.  Good pace.  It deviated from the original (according to Brian -- I haven't seen the original film, so I can't say really), but the premise was the same.  I guess they had to update it a bit to make things more interesting.  People have shorter attention spans these days, so most movies nowadays have to include fancy cars and lots of action in order to draw large audiences.  I was entertained.  I still think Chris Klein is cheesy, though.  No offense to all the Chris Klein fans out there.

SIDE NOTE:  I've gotten hooked on JISH.NU lately.  I even joined JishExpress for updates.  I guess I should add him to my link-list.  !

February 10, 2002

10:40 PM » What I've been longing for lately.. (HINT!  HINT!)

It's from Carabella, the swimsuit company that I got my faux suede bikini last year.  I just ordered Body Bare swimwear from Victoria's Secret, too!  But it was in the clearance catalog -- so it wasn't too bad.  If I get the cherries bikini, I promise I won't buy anymore.  Brian thinks I have way too many swimsuits as it is.  I'm using our honeymoon trip to Belize (not yet final, still in the deciding stage) as an excuse to buy some more.  I'd have to stop after this last one, though..  I mean, if I had to wear a different swimsuit each day for two weeks I would be able to.  I have that many!  I kid you not!  I think I may need to invest in a one-piece, though, because I gained some weight and my belly has gotten quite flabby in recent months.

This one is from the Playboy store.  The have the coolest stuff!  They offer free gift-boxing, too!  I think that's pretty cool, considering that most places charge five bucks for this service.  Brian may still be wondering what to get me for Valentine's Day..  I thought I should give him a hand. [wink]  !

February 9, 2002

10:28 PM » Misty was at work today.  She was one of the people directly affected by the "re-organization" (they laid her off).  She's thinking of becoming a Slumber Parties distributor also (they better pay me for all the plugs).  Considering how much you can make doing just one party, I don't think it's a bad idea at all.  In fact, I've thought about it myself.

Anyway, things sure are different without her at work.

Annette (my immediate supervisor) is taking her place as the supervisor for team 6 and I'm replacing Vicky (Misty's team coach).  Vicky is replacing Amanda as the team coach for team 1 and Amanda is moving to the Operations Desk.  The same option was offered to Madhavi, but she'd rather work on third shift rather than work at the Ops Desk.  Besides, she feels that this will work better for her.

That's just the tip of the iceberg!  So much is going on and so fast that I'm completely and totally lost.  I think this is my cue to start looking for a new job.  !

10:19 PM » I was so busy blogging last night that I forgot to register for HGTV's dream home!  I just remembered today.  Too bad you can only enter the contest once per day.  = (  And, by the way, I'm not linking to their site.  You'll have to go there yourself..  Because it's mine..  All mine!

Hey, if Brian and I win, I won't have to buy a new vehicle for the Slumber Parties sex-toys business that I want to start (you get a Chevy Blazer as part of the grand prize).  He.  He.

[BRIEF INTERMISSION] Madhavi's husband thinks I have way too much time on my hands. [/END INTERMISSION]

It's only been a day and I miss Madhavi already!  I met Brian and his co-worker, Mary Beth, at Arby's for lunch today.  Sometimes Brian, Madhavi and I go to lunch together.  She started her new shift this week..  It's just not the same without her.

The climate is starting to get very cold again.  Yuck!  I hate this weather!  I can't afford to stay home because I'm broke.  Besides that, I can't lose any more ATU points either!  Too bad we're not old enough (as in, not senior citizens) to win the lottery!!

P.S.  Brian is a wanna-be camgirl!  !

February 8, 2002

8:44 PM » I'm seriously craving some cake!  I want some cake!

"How many times are you going to blog in one night?"  Brian asked.  "I don't know!"  He's still eating, so I'm going to sneak in as much blogging as I possibly can until he takes his turn on the computer.

By the way, I got invited to another Slumber Parties sex-toy party.  I already know what I want to buy, too!  It's just a matter of having some extra money.  I still owe Brian $100 for the rest of this month's bills.  =(    !

8:20 PM » I think I'm going job-hunting in the next few days.  There's just so much re-organization (not to mention lay-offs, my friend Misty is one of the recent victims) going on at work that I'm starting to get nervous.  I know I'm not in any immediate danger of losing my job, but it's better to have a Plan B.  It's always better to have some sort of backup plan, right?

What do the Boy Scouts say?  "We hate fags!"  -- No.  Not that one.  "Be prepared."  -- That's it!

So, I'm going to go out into the world and get me a backup plan.  !

7:59 PM » Brian and I watched The Count of Monte Cristo last Monday.  It was really good!  Guy Pearce makes a really good villain.  I hated Fernand Mondego so much!  It tore me to see Edmond Dantes (James Caviezel, of Angel Eyes and Frequency fame) suffer in prison.  I was so rooting for him!

This Monday we're hoping to see Rollerball.  Brian has been waiting for the movie to be released since last year.  He has seen the original (the one that's coming out is a re-make -- wait, today is Friday, so it should already be out), but I haven't.  I'll let you know my unbiased opinion next week.  Stay tuned!

It's time once again for Smattering.Org's famous Friday Five..

What's the most romantic thing that you've ever done for someone else?  I had to ask Brian this because I was thinking that I was the ultra-romatic and that I had done so many things that I couldn't even begin to think of what the most romantic thing that I had ever done was.  He says that the most romatic thing that I had ever done was send him a dozen roses.  They were delivered by Tillie's to his work, back when he worked at Intrust Bank.  I had to ask him twice if that was the most romantic thing I'd ever done.  I could have sworn that I'd done more romantic things than that before.  I guess he was truly touched by the gesture because no other woman had ever sent him a dozen long-stemmed roses before.  Usually that's the guy's job.  That was on Valentine's Day of 2000.  It was very memorable because we went all-out that year.  I ended up spending a lot of money on lingerie, too.  As if $80 on roses wasn't expensive enough!

What are your erogenous zones?  According to Brian: my neck, my nipples, my ears -- everywhere!  He could touch me anywhere and I'd get turned on.  I guess I'm just one, big, walking erogenous zone!

How old were you the first time that you had sex?  Care to expound?  I was about nineteen, I think, and it was completely meaningless.  I gave it up just because I was tired of being a virgin.  Now, I wish that I had waited.  I still claimed to be a virgin for a few years after that, though.  I'm such a liar, I know!  I'm not so sure how believable I was..  I think I was pretty convincing.

What's the most unusual place that you've ever had sex?  During a summer trip to the Philippines in 1998: on the front porch of an old elementary school, in the middle of the night..  in a fish pond hut..  Prior to that: in the coat closet of the Cotillion ballroom, during a hip-hop-slash-rap party..  I've not had sex with Brian in an unsual place because he refuses to be adventurous!

Do you have plans for Valentine's Day or is it just another Thursday?  Brian and I are exchanging gifts.  That's all that I know so far.  We haven't really made any plans yet.  Maybe he'll surprise me.  (HINT!  HINT!)

February 7, 2002

8:25 PM » I have to link Rhiannon because according to Sidney (of SuperHyperDemonChild.Com) she's my camgirl alter-ego.  !

February 6, 2002

8:29 PM » Came up with a temporary fix!  This should do for the time being.  !

8:13 PM » I'm trying to talk myself into re-designing this blog..  I so don't want to, though..  Because of all the work that is involved.  I want to incorporate my webcam into the design, though..  I desperately want to because no one can find the darned thing!  It's really ticking me off!  I want to re-do the whole darn place and just do an overhaul!!  I think I'm going to work on Brian's blog, first because it looks like crap.  It really needs help!  !

8:07 PM » I was just re-living old web-clogging memories with Brian.  Little did he know that he had a semi-famous girlfriend.  I showed him the place where one of my old, unrefined webpages (as in, pre chingay.com, which was pre chingay.net -- both domains now defunct) was listed as one of "best of the cyber pinoys."  It was at Tanikalang Ginto (August 29, 1998) if you must know and it was on Xoom no less.  I don't know how many of you remember those days.  But man!  Those were the days, weren't they?  !

February 4, 2002

11:31 AM » Brian and I had a truly eventful day yesterday.  We went to our tasting first.  It went really smoothly.  We got so full though, because he served us several different things to try.  The food was so good!  The tasting resulted in minor modifications to our menu, which will now consist of Southwest Baked Chicken, Beef Brisket in Rosemary and Burgundy Sauce, New England Rice Scampi, Roasted New Potatoes and German Mixed Vegetables.  Yes, we ended up ditching the Smoked Pork Loin.  I just didn't like it as much after I'd tasted it.  I don't know if it was because it was served last and I was already full or what.  Mom was pretty happy.  She wanted some beef on the menu and isn't really a big pork fan.

After the tasting, Brian and I went and registered at Target.  It was so much fun!!  You go there and register at the computer, it prints out a couple of sheets, you take that to the lady at the Guest Services counter, she scans it and gives you your very own scanner to play with.  It was so much fun.  Brian and I went around and scanned just about everything in the store!  We were actually fighting for scanning duties.  I wanted to scan stuff and he wanted to scan stuff.  Ultimately, he won because I could not aim it for shit.

We spent almost three hours at the store, just scanning various items.  After that, it was time for Misty's Slumber Parties sex-toys party.  Brian just drove me.  He could not stay because it's a girls-only kind of thing.  It was so much fun!  We all had a blast.  I learned so much about some of my coworkers.  For instance, Anna and Jolene are very kinky!  Anna actually bought this vibrator (it's the Mercedes of vibrators) that cost over a hundred dollars!  I didn't have any money so I just got a few things: wireless vibrating panties (an advance Valentine's Day gift from Brian), ben wa balls, a large tube of Good Head in cinnamon, some body glitter..  And because I bought all that stuff I got a vibrating egg for free!

Here are some of our pictures..

It was so much fun that I came away wanting to host my own sex-toys party!  [ P.S. You get a whole lot of free stuff too, just for hosting a party!  I'm there!! ]   !

February 3, 2002

11:00 AM » I'm really glad that we attended Tita Tessie's anniversay party.  Brian and I both had a blast.  We couldn't stay very long, though, because we had to stop by his parents' house (to pick up some movie posters) right after.  Then we had to go to the naughty video store (which closes at midnight) to get the third volume of Shusaku (it's an adult japanime, perhaps not your cup of tea -- Brian and I are kind of perverse.. correction.. eccentric).  It was checked out, unfortunately..  But the guy said that it would be due back the following day.  We had him hold it for us, naturally.  We've already seen the first and second volumes.  We need to see the final one!  Gosh, darn it!

Anyway, we ended up renting Blackmail 1 (also an adult japanime) instead.  I really didn't want to because the story line was somewhat similar to Shusaku and I wanted to see something different, but there wasn't anything else there worth renting.  We walked away with that video and a Barely Legal DVD (#13, by Hustler).  BLs you really don't have to watch in series.  You can watch them in any order you want.  ;-)

Needless to say, Brian and I had a lot of fun last night!  Even more fun after we left the party!!   !

10:52 AM » I called mom yesterday at around noonish to confirm if she was still going to have a party.  "No.  Tita Tessie's party is tonight,"  she tells me.  Apparently, I misunderstood.  When I spoke to her last week, I thought she said that she was having a party.  She actually meant she was going to one.  Mom is confusing sometimes.

"You and Brian should go," she adds.  "But we weren't invited," I replied.  It was a formal gathering, Tita Tessie and Tito Don's 25th wedding anniversay party, because they were renewing their vows to each other.  I didn't want to crash it.  "I don't want to go.  It's embarrassing."

"You and Brian can go as our guests.  Just don't bring anyone else."  Mom can be very persistent.  I remained firm, however.  I don't like showing up to parties uninvited.  I guess I'm not your regular, everyday Filipino in that regard.

Brian and I continued to toil away.  There was still much to be done.  I was kind of relieved, actually, that we didn't have any plans for that evening because that meant that we could spend more time working on the wall.  I'd have to make dinner..  But that was really no biggie.

A couple of hours later, the phone rings and it's Tita Tessie.  She spoke to Brian and invited us personally.  She turned the phone over to mom.  Brian spoke to mom briefly and turned the phone over to me.  "Are you sure it's okay with Tita Tessie?"  I asked her, not realizing that it was Tita Tessie that Brian had spoken to at first.  "Yes.  It's at six o'clock.  See you later, okay?"

Mom had her way.  We stopped working on the wall at a little before five, took our shower and got ready for the party.  Since it was a last minute invite, I didn't really have anything planned to wear so I just recycled (that's the term that I use when I wear an outfit for the second time) one of my outfits.  I wore the silk wrap dress that I wore on Christmas Eve (you've seen it because I posted lost of pictures from Christmas Eve last month, Brian hates that dress, he thinks the print pattern is ugly) to the event.  I didn't mind recycling because this crowd hadn't seen me in that outfit anyway.  Brian ended up wearing one of his work outfits, but when we got there he was thinking he could have worn his barong because some of the guys there were dressed really formal.  There were other guys that wore more casual outfits too, though.

Brian helped me fix my hair (which I actually slept in last night and it is still intact, which is amazing considering we didn't use any hairspray -- I'm the ultimate poster girl for the anti-hairspray campaign).  I actually got a lot of compliments on my do.  I didn't have time to get my hair done because of the last minute invite so we were just kind of wingin' it.  I didn't even have time to dry it and flat iron it straight (which is what I usually do to my hair -- hey, it's simple).  So while we were in the shower I dreamt up this do: I just put my hair up into a pony tail, divided the tail into four sections, braided the three sections separately, folded each one of them and clipped them to the base of the pony tail, the fourth section (with the help of a hair-a-gami thinga-ma-jiggie) is used to wrap around the pony tail and hide the ends.  I couldn't do it myself, of course, so I needed Brian's help.  He's great.  He follows instructions really well.

Anyway, it came out looking very elegant..  As though I had spent a lot of time fixing my hair, which is not true because it only took like five to ten minutes.  Pretty neat, huh?  Brian and I are convinced that I should go to hair school because I'm very creative when it comes to hair styles.  !

February 1, 2002

11:19 PM » Today is Friday, no?  I happened by this neat Friday Five thing at TEN15.  It's still Friday so I can participate.  Whoopee!  [ I just hope I'm able to keep this up. ]

1. Have you ever had braces?  Any other teeth trauma?
I've never had braces.  I refused to.  The dentist kept trying to talk us (me and my family) into it.  My sister had them.  I never did.  My teeth aren't perfect, but they're good enough for me.  As far as other teeth trauma, I've had several.  I'm missing some teeth already.  And I'm only 24.  At least, the ones missing aren't in front.

2. Ever broken any bones?
Yes.  Several.  One that will be with me forever because it was never set straight.  I broke my pinky in fourth-grade and I didn't tell anyone because I was scared.  It's still crooked.

3. Ever had stitches?
Yes.  In my head.  I have the bald spot to prove it, too.  Thankfully, I have very thick hair so you can't tell.

4. What are the stories behind some of your [physical] scars?
I've got lost of scars.  It's sickening.  I have a scar on my eyelid from chicken pox.  They made me drink raw eggs because it would supposedly help.  It only made things worse.  I had the worst case of chicken pox in our household.  I have a scar on my knee.  Got it from playing with the boys in the neighborhood that I grew up in.  I tripped and fell and I scraped my knee.  It got infected pretty badly.  It was really gross.  I can still picture it to this day.  I have some scars on my legs because of this rash from hell.  I don't know where it came from, but it made me itch really bad.  It's gone now.  Sometimes it returns, but Brian always keeps me from scratching.  I have this thing about scratching myself till I bleed.  It's a nasty habit (those are the ones that are hardest to break) that Brian absolutely hates.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
Brian and I are painting the living room (because he hates the wallpaper..  I hate it too, but not as much as he does).  We have to remove the wallpaper first, though.  That's pretty much all day Saturday (if we even get it done then..  at the rate we are going, it'll probably take a month to finish).  Saturday night will be spent at my parents' house.  Mom is having a party because Dad is in town.  He comes home every month, but mom felt like throwing a party this time.  On Sunday, we go for our tasting at Corporate Caterers (their quote sounded good, so we won't bother getting a second quote..  they've got the gig).  I'm very excited.  The three of us (Brian, mom and I) are going.  Mom has to be there because she's financing the wedding.  Misty has this slumber party (it's a Tupperware party for sex toys) on Sunday afternoon.  I didn't want to go without Brian, but it's girls only.  Brian will take me and just hang out with his dad for the duration.  !

7:46 PM » These next set of pictures are from what I've fondly titled Home Improvement Hell series.  You'll see what I mean once you get to looking at them.  And yes, that truly is what our living room looks like right now.  It's a good thing we've got a family room where the three of us (Hobbie, Brian and I) can seek refuge because otherwise I think I'd go bonkers.

Brian ended up having to buy a wallpaper steamer from Home Depot (a totally unexpected expenditure) because the stupid blue goo (the chemical stuff that you spread on your wall and after thirty minutes the wallpaper supposedly peels right off) does not work!  Steaming the paper off actually takes forever, too..  Although it's much quicker than the stupid blue goo.  I think they used industrial grade wallpaper because this stuff is thick!  The steamer can barely penetrate it!  It's a major ordeal and it's messy to boot! After the first two sheets, Brian was actually seriously considering just panelling over the pre-existing wallpaper.  It's faster, true..  But it's a lot more expensive.

Anyway, without further ado -- here are the Home Improvement Hell pictures.

P.S.  Any advice you can give us on how to complete this cumbersome project faster would be greatly appreciated.  !

1:13 PM » Brian's dad just sent us a link to this site (www.colorgenics.com) that profiles your character based on the colors that you feel most in harmony with.  Brian and I tried it.  We were both skeptical at first, naturally..  His results came out almost completely accurate..

You are so adamant at this time you are not willing to concede to anything. You are dictatorial with your own ideas and the way you are feeling at this time there is little that anyone can do to make you change your mind, or to be able to persuade you to make concessions or to accept any compromise.

Being impulsive and irritable, your desires and needs are paramount. You do things with insufficient thought - with little regard to the consequences that may follow. As a consequence of this attitude, you may be experiencing stress and conflict.

You are a rather inhibited sort of person. This could be the result of your upbringing or of your schooling, whatever. You are able to obtain satisfaction from various forms of physical or emotional activity ...but all in all- you are inclined to be emotionally withdrawn. As a consequence of this you find it difficult to sustain any deep involvement.

Recently everything seems to have gone wrong .. and so you are experiencing considerable stress and anxiety due to mental conflict. A continuous case of "Should I?" or ... "Shouldn't I?"..At this particular moment in time you feel as if you have reached the end of your tether and it seems impossible to ever rectify the situation ... and so you have decided, perhaps quite unrealistically, to postpone making any further decisions. Disappointment and unfulfilled hopes have given rise to despondency. This conflict between hope and necessity is creating considerable pressure. Instead of resolving this by facing up to making the essentialdecision, you are likely to immerse yourself in the pursuit of trivialities as an escape route.

The tensions induced by trying to cope with conditions which are beyond your capabilities, or your reserves of strength, have led to considerable anxiety and a sense of personal inadequacy. Your inability to take control of the situation causes you to over-react in stubborn defiance blaming everyone but yourself for your own failures.

However, when it gave me my results we were sold!

You seem to be trying to sweep aside the situations and maybe the people that you feel are standing in your way. You are impulsive and apt to follow these impulses seeking to be involved in special or exciting happenings. In this way you hope to deaden the intensity of your conflicts, but your impulsive behaviour is leading you to take some unnecessary risks ... back down a little and remember "more haste - less speed".

You are need of rest, some peace and quiet. You feel the need to be close to that someone special .... that someone who can give you that special consideration and unquestioning affection that you seek. If you don't find that "special someone" and resolve your problems very soon .. you are liable to become extremely introverted and cut yourself off from society.

At times one is burdened with more than ones fair share of problems .. and this would appear to be your situation at present. But you are adamant-you know what you wish to achieve- ...and by giving a little...and taking a little..you may well find that the realization of your dreams could well become a reality.

Whatever has caused the situation...you just don't seem to be able to sustain or maintain relationships as you would wish to. What you really seek is to be able to develop a relationship with someone with whom you can truly share: Love, Serenity, Peace and Quiet. But you are a very demanding person and it is your nature that leads to disquiet and discord...you are like the tide,.. flotsam and jetsam...One minute you experience "highs" and a few moments later "lows". This obviously will introduce discord into any relationship and it is the demanding attitude, the ideal state you desire, is unable to develop. Despite the urge to gratify your natural desires, you impose a considerable self-restraint on your instincts in the belief that this demonstrates your superiority and raises you above the common herd. You are extremely critical of everything that is presently going on around you...and you find it difficult to listen to, or to take advice from anyone. You enjoy the original, the ingenious and the subtle, and you strive to ally yourself with others of similar tastes.

You really like doing what you do and more than that, you like yourself. Your attitude to work and to life is that "If its not fun - then don't do it" You want to be liked and respected, not for who you are but , for what you are.. and it seems to be working..

The profiler pegged me to a tee!  It was very, very freaky!  !