WHEN THET SPEAKS: Unbounded.Uncensored.Unsuppressed.No Rules.No Non-Sense.

I admit, one of my waterloos is I tend to over react and to jump into a quick conclusion every time a conflict arises. I REALLY REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON THIS ATTITUDE. Just a couple of minutes ago, I received a text from one of my closest friends in the office. He said that the latest post written in his blog wasn't meant for me. I was quite relieved to know that and at the same time, feel ashamed of what I have already posted. As the cliche goes, "the damage has been done". Siguro, pagdating talaga sa team members ko biased ako at madali ako mag-wating kapag feeling ko eh naiisahan sila. Anyhow-inihaw, I'm SORRY naman tukmol. Pagpasenciahan mo na ang mga ka-Franciahan (praning) ko. Loves mo pa rin naman ako di ba? Di ba? Coffee ba lang tau sa Starbucks sa Friday. Hindi ako papasok ngaun... coz it's raining and I am in Cavite... *wink wink* LOL

Let me set this straight. My people are the ones doing you a favor. It should never be the other way around. Who would not want to relax after getting the job done? Sana nipisan ng konti ang pagmumukha. If you know that you are "relaxing" at the expense of other people, please have the courtesy to take back whatever workloads that have been assigned to you. I guess I am overly reacting because that incident happened during the time I was not there. My people cannot complain because I WAS NOT THERE. Bakit nga ba nag-aangas pag wala ako. Utang na loob, wag naman mashadong madugas! Come on! Why not try giving me a dose of my medicine? You think I am violent? Oh yes I am VERBALLY violent. Of all other people, you should have known me better. You should know that I care a lot for my people because you have also been my subordinate, once. I just need to ask you this:

Was there ever a time that you really "EXTENDED A HAND TO US"? Have you ever helped us complete our task? Last Monday, I joked around as I told you to do something for my team. But you just ignored me. You IGNORED ME--something which made not only me, IRRITATED, but my entire team. I am not sure if you didn't decipher the message that I am trying to convey or if it's because just you're numb. And now you got the nerve to tell in your blog that you're playing such a crap philanthropist?!? EXCUSE ME?!?!!!!

I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS: You are being paid to work. If you have completed the task, you have the right to go on 'petiks mode'. But hell no that it is just and right to let others do the job for you while letting your ass get fat on your comfy chair.

Are you even aware of the impact of those actions has brought to your former team members? They are SLOWWWWWLLLLLY finishing their assignments because they simply don't want to be the reliever of your project. Albeit that kind of attitude is not right, I just can't blame them. And now that I am going to be away for more than a month, I fear that I will come back with a bunch of disappointed and unmotivated people. All of us are being paid the same amount of salary but workloads for them are being doubled. Have you ever tried putting your foot on their shoes? THINK.

I am not really mad at you because I consider you as one of my closest friends in the office. I am mad with the way how people are being managed. I hope our relationship won't get tainted as both of us are just expressing our utmost honest and sincere opinions here. But just a piece of advice, have some time to REFLECT what is really going on.

My cousin in New Jersey just emailed me of what gift she's gonna give me for my upcoming wedding. She's teasing me that she got some Dell Coupons and Best Buy Coupons so she can conveniently buy what ever electronic products I would want. Hmmm... Now I am thinking about how much tax is going to be. It feels great though that she's thinking of what gift she's going to give me. But knowing her, she just loves shopping!

It's been a while since I did some shoping for myself. Most of the time, I would buy things for other people. I don't think I have bought someting form yself this year aside from 2 pairs of 'office' pants that I need since our company doesn't allow dress down during weekdays. I heard that bench and other flipflops now offers their product to overseas Filipinos through their online store. How I wish they also have coupons discounts so that people can take advtange of the discounts. This Christmas, I am going to buy myself a couple of Old navy t-shirt and a pair of pants. It's a gift for myself this Christmas!

We have booked our plane tickets month's ago but to my dismay, Beh unintentionally put in the wrong date. Instead of a return date of Dec. 30, he had 31st at5:30pm. Now tell me, how are we going to have some rest if at 5:30 we are still in the airport? We called Cebu Pacific to rectify this issue but the 3 differents we have takked told us that we need to pay another P6k. WTF? We already paid P7k ++ and just for teh reason of rebooking the return date, we need to pay almost the same price of booking another round trip ticket? That is totally outrageous! To make the long story short, we had to cancel our plane tickets there. I know I have posted something about Hotel Reservations but I just didn't pay enough attention back then because we already have our bookings done.

Now that Cebu Pacific is out, I am thinking of getting a tour package from this site.I no longer want to gettroubled thinking of our transportation and hotel accomodation. What I want now is a worry-free total package. I'm still browsing the website at this very moment in the hope that I can find a great deal.

Bebeh and I were just talking about howour love story AVP will turn out with the limited time we gave to Playback. To my surprise, Bim already posted our save-the-date video where some clips from our prenup pictorial session were collated and turned into one-not-so-funny STD video. Curious about it? Then watch this.

It was 2 weeks before we mark off our second anniversary (by the way,our anniversay is Dec. 7, 2002) . I was really pissed off because he's not able to come home. Imagine how dismayed I am knowing the fact that I am going to spend again another Christmas without him. To console me, he sent me those flowers, cake and (stuffed toy with chocolates too!). It was a wonder to me how he was able to send flowers here in PI while he is in LA. Then I found out that he ordered those through an online store.

I am really amazed on how do these online stores are able to send flowers overseas, especially flowers germany. Placing orders on these online store is just like shopping your fave items in ebay. Once you have the item in your shopping cart,all you need to have is your credit card and the address of the recipient.

I am really not into flowers sometimes when our realtionships get rough, flowers can tame my anger and disappointed. That's what you call flower power!

The spring is a great time of the year for so many reasons. The blooming of the trees and the flowers, the cold, brisk afternoons turning into warm, wonderful days, and best of all - MLB spring training is in full force. Fans from all over the world head out to their favorite spring training facilities to get a chance to see their team heroes, and the future heroes-to-be all getting their arms warmed up and bats swinging for the new season.

When I was in Japan, I heard so much news about Ichiro Suzuki joining the major league, Seattle Mariners. But my Japanese brother-in-law is going crazy over Boston Red Sox. He is dead set over going to the US just to see his favorite team play in action. I advised him that if he is really serious in seeing the team in action, he should take a look at the complete Boston Red Sox Spring Training Schedule before heading out to the ball games. It's best to check out every game available or prepare the travel itinerary according to the team schedule so that don't he won't miss any action.

Last Saturday, before heading to MOA Global Fun Carnival, we went to Binondo to look for some jewelry stores. I had a hard time looking for Mayfair and too bad! I saw the store after we already purchased our rings. Russell is the one who chose our wedding band. I am pretty happy with it. It's simple and I like its two-tone color. Russell doesn't want the engraving font that was used but really--- getting very particular with our ring's font is the least of my priority. What I am going to be particular with is the ring we are going to wear on our silver anniversary. At that point, I'm gonna be an OC bride real big time. LOL


Oh, by the way...we already got our marriage license. Everything is almost set. We just have to meet with our AE from Hizon's, the photo/video team, event stylist and our wedding coordinator for the production meeting. The next thing we have to do is the ocular inspection of our wedding venue. We needed to get in touch with Sensitivity since they are going to be the one who will do the full drapes on the tents as well as our lights and sound system supplier.

hayYyYY.... I can't wait for December 7 to come. That is actually my last day at work and the next time I'm gonna set foot in our building is on January 3, 2008! Vacacion Grande!!!

Since we missed Princess (Russell's younger sister) when we treated his family for his mom's birth day last Friday, we had a part 2 of a celebration. It's just wasn't right in time as Mama Luvie was set to attend a Rotary affair in Manila Hotel. So we just headed to the theme park beside MOA without the birthday celebrant.

One cold November

I guess we're beginning to feel being "old" as we no longer opted to have the ride all you can ticket. We just wanted to roam around and look for the game booths. We were ale to get 1 stuffed toy but for the price of P300 pesos. LMAO I know, we're sore losers. It took us 6 games before finally winning a prize. I got a little dismayed at this theme park as I was expecting more. Global Fun Carnival is just like EK, albeit it has more rides for kids than adults. Needless to say, grown ups won't have as much as fun as the kids. The only ride that will give you goose bumps is the RANGER which is something that rotates 360 degrees and tilts 180 degrees. Oh yeah. Hold yer stomach!

Instead of picking up Mama Luvie at the Manila Hotel, she was dropped off by a fellow Rotarian in the carnival. We lost track of the time and we did not realize that it's almost midnight and we're hungry. We decided to drop by at Yellow Cab to have some light snack (is pizza light?!). Chelsea at 3, showed off how good she is at feeding herself without any help from her Yaya. She was able to finish one plate of spaghetti and a full glass of water. :) We finally arrived home at around 1am and we immediately dozed off upon hitting the bed. ahhhhh...I'm a dead meat!

Sometimes while on my way to the office, I just can't help but think of commercials that hit the boob tube by storm. Who is not aware of the LSS (last song syndrome) Sinabawang Gulay (Soupy Vegetable Dish). It took me 2 months before I finally watched that commercial in YouTube. I have Internet Access through my phone and I could have easily browsed any corporate site but I just don't like it's resolution. Good thing I found Avot Media Blog.

Avot Media, an innovator in intelligent search, near real-time streaming and personalization of video delivery to web-enabled mobile devices, delivers Avot mV - a third-generation discovery, personalization and live video streaming service for mobile users. T Avot mV is the first mobile video solution that removes traditional barriers imposed on mobile users by limited video selection and poor-quality display on their web-enabled mobile devices. This innovative mobile video solution provides high-quality playback of ANY web-based video to ANY web-enabled mobile device. his site is very helpful especially when you are going to search for a particular product site.

Avot mV is the first solution to give mobile users unlimited access to any web-based video by providing an intelligent, content-based search capability that incorporates personal preferences so that users can quickly discover and choose from among billions of videos posted on the Web. Avot mV also provides point-and-click access to videos, making it easy for mobile users to navigate through content providers’ web sites without having to type out long URLs.

Once users select the videos they want to watch, Avot mV transfers the content to their web-enabled mobile devices within seconds, much faster than earlier mobile video solutions. The near-real time playback eliminates jitter, delays and grainy video quality. Mobile users experience the same fast, high-quality video they enjoy at their desktops—or even in front of their television sets. Avot mV also maximizes the size and clarity of the video display by removing unnecessary clutter from the mobile user’s screen. The result is the optimum display possible on a mobile device, no matter what, when or where the mobile user is watching.

The solution lets user organize the web videos in the playlist and watch them on the go. The user can create/add unlimited number of playlists and manage videos on the mobile device. This allows users to watch what they want, when they want by converting their mobile phones to an entertainment jukebox. The Avot mV service works across all mobile carriers with EDGE, 3G, EV-DO data networks and Wi-Fi. While the service is free, users must have a data plan with their cell phone carriers. Isn't this cool?!!!

So much has happened over the past few weeks. I just couldn't squeeze in some time to write everything in one post, I mean all at once.

November 16

Last week, 4 of my QAS celebrated their birthday's. Too bad, I am really in a tight budget that is why all I could give them is a small box of Toblerone chocolates. I was supposed to be on leave on this day but I just couldn't afford to be absent on this day since it's the birthdays of my 4 beloved QAS. That is why I decided to go on half-day. We had some small feast. I asked my Ate Grace to cook some Carbonara for 19 people. I think I have over estimated the "eating capacity" of my team since there were so many pasta left overs. There were 2 pasta containers and we only finished one so we decided to give the other container to the day-shift teams. Oh, by the way, the four celebrants had some loot bags that was distributed to the rest of the team members.

We had fun big time. Every body was laughing when one of my fave-funny QAS, Josh, danced to the tune of Happy Birthday!

Russell was also there. He helped me as I did some cut-outs for the birthday banner. (side story: one of the QAS from the other team commented how "tyaga" and "maalaga" I am to my team members--wow...nakakataba naman ng puso!) He also brought his digicam and camcorder. So everything was documented. At least, I'll have something to watch after I resign come mid-2008.

Oh yeah. Though things are doing well now in the office, I just find my current state in the company too un-needed. I need a place where my thoughts could be heard and where my action plan can be executed. I am a very result oriented person that is why it is such a bummer when things don't materialize according how it was planned because of bureaucracy.

November 18

We completed the second part of our Pre-Cana seminar. It was the last of the 2-part seminar we have to attend as part of the church requirements before getting married. On the first Sunday that we had, there were at least 18 couples who attended the seminar. But on this day, there were only 2! Oh yeah, that 2 couple already includes us. We really didn't know what happened but we're thing of the Feast of Our Lady of Remedies as the main reason why some couples didn't make it on this day. Anyhow, I enjoyed this part better than the other part of the Pre-Cana Seminar. On this day, we were thought how important Sex is in marriage. We were also thought how to make a baby boy and/or a baby girl. Boy, Russell was really listening on this part and he even took down notes. We were quite exhausted after this seminar so instead of going to a spa in SM Bacoor, we just decided to go home and have some sleep.

November 19-21

As what I have posted before, Russ and I had some silly arguments. I am just thankful to God that he gave me Russell because Russell always make me see the other side of the world. That every person has a good side. I won't go any further into this matter but all I can say is that, I am marrying not just a good guy but a GREAT one.

November 23

We were supposed to attend the W@W X'mas Party but since it's also the birthday of my mother-in-law to be, we headed to Tagaytay instead. Mama was quite busy with her Rotary Club affair so we only left Noveleta at around 7pm. When we got there, it's already 8pm. It was really cold out there and too bad, I didn't bring any jacket. I got colds now (AGAIN!). After having a sumptuous meal in RSM Tagaytay, we went to Cafe Lupe (at 10:00pm) to see some live bands only to realize that we have a chikiting with us. Chelsea (Russ only niece) is already sleepy! We just enjoyed ourselves with a 10-minute sound trip while having our coffee in Starbucks. We got home around 11:30. I thought we're gonna snooze at this time but lo and behold. Russell is meticulously fixing the wet PSP of Girlie (youngest sister). Ambait talaga ni Kuya! It's now 8:30 and Russell is snoring like hell again. I really wanted to turn off the A/C because I am feeling real chilly but I am afraid I am wake him up. Good luck na lang sa sipon ko!

Today, we're gonna attend the bridal fair in Megamall to look for our wedding rings. Oh yes, we don't have our rings yet. We were waiting for some people to sponsor our rings. Thank God, he heard our prayers! Oh cia, I am really excited over our activity today.

'Till next update!

Why do I always have to take the backseat?

After I revealed to Russell all the nasty things that his jerk bestfriend told me a couple of years ago, Russell just doesn't seem to care. As if I am not hurt. As if I was not offended. As if it didn't matter tome.

Why do I have to be the one to adjust? Why is it I should always be the one who should understand?

I feel very unsupported and.....neglected.

I know some of my high school buds and college friends trying to find their luck as they work abroad. While getting either a tourist or working visa in the US can be pretty tough, visiting New Zealand is a breeze. Now that Christmas season is just around the corner, plane ticket prices have gone up wild. Having said that, finding the cheap flights off to New Zealand can be really taxing. You can find the best holiday offers on flights to Christchurch through DialaFLight.com. This is an al-in-one website where you can book your hotels, plane tickets and land transportation all in.

I stayed in Cavite for 2 nights. My family went there to pay Russell's folks a visit and it turned out really well. I will share some pictures and stories but not now. 'Cause I have to leave na and a pile of work is waiting for me tonight.

OMG. My heart is bleeding every time I have to leave. While I want to spend more time with my family, I can't bear not to be with Russell even for a day. I'm missing him so much. I may not be showy and expressive on how I feel, but the truth is, I'm really having a hard time, as in REAL HARD TIME every time I have to go. Russell doesn't know that I am blogging right now. He is sleeping. While looking at him, I want to cry. Sometimes when I look at his innocent face, I just wanted to hug and kiss him. I just want to marry him. If we can only skip the stage of tedious wedding preparation, I certainly will.

It's only November, and yet I am already feeling this way. What more when March comes? Dapat sanay na ako sa eksenang airport. But March is going to be a different one, for that that, I'm already MRS. RUSSELL HERNANDEZ. I'm really going crazy. Will you please help me out? Kaya ko ba? I don't know. Naiiyak na ko. :(

Sometimes, I really want to surprise Russell by sending him clothes while he is abroad. I never had the chance to buy Russell some pair of jeans while he is in L.A. I only get to buy him clothes when he is around. Aside from the fact that he might not like the clothes I will buy from him, shipping fee as I send the package can be pretty expensive. Returning the merchandise can also be a pain the ass. That is why shopping through Tobi.com can be really helpful to me. The site offers free shipping and easy return policy. In addition to that, customers can also talk to an online stylist to ensure that what the customer will buy is the most suitable outfit for him. Just now while I am browsing Tobi's site, Russell saw this pair of nudie jeans and he finds it really sexy. Nudie cuts of jeans are now back!!!

Tobi.com offers a wide variety of clothing line and you can simply choose an outfit based on your preference and budget. The search section of the site is rally a great help. You can also look for your preferred outfit through its category section. For women, Seven for all Mankind has the hottest collection of jeans ranging from crop jeans, trouser jeans, bootcut jeans and many more!

Maybe in the future, he will just be surprised as he will receive something from me. :)

I never had any difficulties doing college essays when I was still in the university. The more interesting part of my of my college writing saga is that, I would wait till the 13th hour before my brain secretes the creative juice for writing. While others would opt for the infamous Recto-style of writing, I would rather opt for a custom writing service to ensure that I will not have a generic type of essay. If you have the moolah, custom writing for term papers is really a good option especially of you don't have the time and patience of writing an essay. LOL

Today, I was approached by a QAS from another team regarding suspension process. He asked for my opinion as he knows that I am one of the most senior supervisors in our department.

We are very strict when it comes to attendance that is why we really keep track late and absent incidence for each of our team members. After all, one of the things that are included in our job parts and standards is that, EPS (supervisors) are expected to coach attendance incidences and inform QAS the level of coaching they are going to receive. Apparently, this QAS who approached me is on the verge of being served with 1-day suspension. Here is what happened.

There was an emergency at home that he needs to attend to. This emergency case is really not a matter of life-and-death but of course, it’s better if he will be there to personally take some necessary actions. He knows that one more .5 incident (this is a half-day incident) will lead to his 1-day suspension. . He’s not going to have a half-day shift but rather, a “LEAVE EARLY” shift. (We have different definitions for that two) The supervisor of this QAS is nowhere to be found. They are of different shifts. He, and another EPS (my former QAS... hehehe) tried to contact this EPS but this person can’t be reached.

They got a hold of the ‘commander in chief’. They asked if leaving early will be counted as a .5 incident. Chief confirmed, with the other EPS as witness, that leaving early will not be counted as a .5 incident. So this QAS went home with peace of mind and with confidence that he will not get any sort of suspension. The following day, the EPS talked to the QAS and discussed the attendance incident the previous day. QAS argued that it was the “chief” who confirmed that a leave home early is not coach-able as .5 incident. EPS told QAS that because Chief got so many things to worry about, we cannot hold Chief accountable for every information that Chief is going to disclose. QAS tried talking to Chief about this incident. To the QAS’s dismay, Chief overturned what was previously disclosed. Leave early is now coach-able, so to speak as per company’s newest policy. QAS got no other choice but to serve the 1-day suspension due to mis-information.

My take on his case (as what I told him): He shouldn’t have accepted the suspension. More than the subordinates, supervisors and managers should be accountable for every action that they are going to make and every information that will be cascaded to the team. A supervisor’s main task is to supervise and manager’s are expected to manage and give direction to it subordinates. In the first place, the EPS should have informed her whole team before hand that a leave home early is now coach-able. Likewise, managers should hold their selves accountable for what ever situation a mis-information might lead to. If a QAS gets a reprimand regarding a work inaccurately done, supervisors and managers should also get the same. An incidence like this one is very disappointing. Yes, I am a supervisor and I should be on the management side but I just can’t bear this kind of system. Besides, Chief could have just passed this one since it was a mis-information on Chief's side. But she jsut don't wantto do it, for some reason. Maybe these people (EPS and manager) think that they going to be popular if they will suspend people. Yuck! Bulok!

What I advised : QAS should go to the ERC (employee relations coordinator) to let the executive management be informed of what kind is happening in their off-shore sites. Suspension may not be lifted, but manager and supervisor getting a memo from the executive management will be a good consolation. Employee dissatisfaction towards management process is one of the most perennial reasons why attrition rate could be high and why a particular campaign won’t just generate the ideal revenue. More importantly, if more and more employees are going to resign because of management process, the company’s reputation will be at risk.

P.S. Etong supervisor at manager na ito eh di ako masagi-sagi because they know that I know the skeletons they are hiding in their closets. Sinasabi ko na..sa lahat ng ayoko eh ung mga kamoteng napo-promote! Tse! LOLz

I am so sad and at the same time proud, that one of my people has been promoted as an oprations supervisor. A former team member of mine said that my "legacy" has never fade. When this girl was transferred to my team, I didn't know her but I embraced and welcomed her in my team whole-heartedly. When she was on the process of answering the questionnaire given to EPS aspirants, I asked her not to answer the question right away but think it overnight. Marami pa syang maiisip na isagot na baka di nya maisama kung magmamadali syang sumagot. Upon learning the good news, she texted me and thanked me for all the lunchesand experiences we shared. Tomy surprised, I received an email from her yesterday:

I am so used to the gesture that people from my team who got promoted will treat me to starbucks or lunch but this simple email really made my day. I didn't actually realize that in such a short span of time (2 months), I was her model and now that she is going to be a supervisor like me, she will try to use the same people management that I do.

Oh well, So long Roxanne! I'm gonna miss you!

I am still waiting for Kix's pictures. As far as I can remember, there were some 300+ pictures taken during our prenup pictorial. I really wanted to blog all the details that transpired during that day but I am afraid that I won't do any justice to it without sharing pictures that would support my statement. Anyhoo, Kix has already posted 5 RAW pictures in his multiply account. I was expecting to see our "gulpihan" moments ala-Full House but I didn't see it. HayYyYYyy :(

Anyway, here are a couple of shots from the "makahiya area" of picnic grove. Dyosko, kalalaki ng lamok jan! Good luck sa dengue!

Tweetums

When we did our pictorial, we brought some props like a notebook, magazine, balloon, flower etc. I honestly don't remember anymore when did Russell take this shot but all I can remember is that grade school students were teasing me that I am Sailor Moon. LOL

Next time, I will no longer post partial pictures but an AVP with a korean song as our background music (yung makulit na kanta sa Full House). We are planning to show these pictures (aside of course from using it for our guest book) during reception while cocktails are being served. Pampalipas oras lang while we are taking our pictorial in the Manila Bay area.

O cia, I'm tired now. It's already 1:03 am. We still need to file our marriage license by tomorrow. I am also going back to my real world of grave yard shift. *sigh*

Some of my team members opted to get their SSS salary loans. For some reason, they cannot process their loan online so they have to resort to the old school way of filing the SSS loan. It is our company then, through our representative, Kuya Dong who process all these applications. Getting some sort of payday loans is actually good as it allows its customers to build/establish their own financial reputation plus a payday loan or cash advance can give you the money you need to cover emergencies, unexpected bills and other unforeseen costs until you receive your next paycheck.

Getting a loan sometimes can be too time and energy consuming. Typically, lenders would ask its applicant to submit some supporting papers though fax. It's great to know that PayDayLoanQuotes doesn't require any papers though fax. It was a relief that this site offers a faxless payday loans.

I couldn't even stress further the convenience of no fax payday loans as I don't even have a fax machine at home. I am not that abusive either to use of company's fax for my personal use. I would definitely would not go to teh hassles of sending papers though fax if there is somebody who is willing to lend me some emergency cash without doing the ugly paperwork. All I want is to submit my application online. But of course, it should come with security and confidentiality. Otherwise, I wouldn't risk showing my financial records in the entire global financial community.

Diamonds have always been a status symbol for most women; whether a lady is single of a married one. In my yahoo support group for couples that are getting married, brides would always "share" the Engagement Rings that their loving husband-to-be gave them when they proposed to them. Most of these rings that future brides would show are Diamond rings. I don't think I have heard any stories where the engagement ring that was given was no other than diamond rings. What I have read though is that some of those brides/grooms who came from a traditional family were given with Sapphire Rings. Unlike them, I don't think that any of my grand mothers gave my father/mother any sort of "legacy" that they could pass on to their children and grand children. Having said that, I am now thinking of getting a Diamond Pendants that I could pass on daughter who will be first to get married. She can then pass this one to the first grand daughter who will face the altar. I want to start my own legacy so to speak.

Russell and I are currently on the look for our wedding rings. I know, I know! At this point in time, we should already have our wedding bands. I don't know what is taking us soOooo long but we just don't feel yet the "This is our wedding ring" moment. I prefer having just a simple two-tone wedding bands (crossing my fingers that it would be platinum). But since our wedding rings are going to be shouldered by my wonderful mother-in-law, I guess we are going to settle for rings with diamonds. In a few days time, we are going to Ongpin to visit the shop where they would always get their set of jewelry. I have been to Ongpin for quite a lot of times already and I have seen the sample wedding rings that most of the shops have there. That is why visiting websites of diamond dealers in the Internet consumes our time for the past two days. At MySolitaire.com, I was introduced with the idea of Black Diamond rings. I am so used to the fact that diamonds should be as clear as a crystal. I didn't know that black diamonds exist. Ins't that cool?! Their website is user friendly as the web pages are pretty straight forward. I mean, you can find the information that you want by just clicking the option buttons. For example when I browsed the black diamond category, it prompted me with options like black diamond jewelry, black diamond earrings, black diamond pendants and so on and so forth. So for those guys who are still on the verge of finding your perfect engagement ring, you might want to check this out.

I was once a part of an outsource elite sales force working for Dell computers. Being in a sales division of the call center industry, tracking my sales is really tough, it's very competitive. I didn't know either how my former call center employer managed to keep track the sales of some 500 agents for particular campaign. I know that all call centers use CRM (customer relationship management) software. I just don't know (a lot) about how CRM software can help companies can track leads and actual revenues.

Getting a CRM software can be really quite expensive. That is why knowing the CRM features is really a must so just you know if you are getting what you are ought to get with what you are paying. At AIMpormote, this group offers a significantly lower cost of implementation and total cost of ownership than any other CRM software provider. There are no set-up fees (which means a lot of saving for your business) and they can even integrate your system with your website and that is free of charge. In addition to that, once can keep sales representatives work efficiently as you enjoy the ease of use and fast learning curve of AIMpromote's lead management system.

Having said these things, getting AIMpromote is having the best choice for increasing sales and improving business intelligence. Sign up now and get a 14-day trial period absolutely FREE!

It is so unfortunate that our photographer's notebook, Kix, ran out of battery. We never had the chance to transfer all our 400 pictures from his notebook to Russell's. To my dismay, Starbucks-Tagytay doesn't have any outlet where we could plug those batteries. Bugger!

We woke up at around 5am to fetch our make up artist (Val Villarin) in QC. Kix already left at round 7am and he came to the location shoot at 9am pronto. That was our call time. Playback and Kix had a misundestanding. All this time, I thought they're gonna go together. Pero nauna na si Kix at nagmeet na lang kami ng Playback somewhere in Gateway. The traffic condition along EDSA is really terrible and it's been a perennial issue for ages! We managed to arrive in Tagaytay around 10:30 am. Konti pa lang ung shots na nakukuha namin when it rained real hard. We had lunch in RSM and after an hour or so, the rain has stopped. We went back to picnic grove to resume our pictorial. Kix and Playback are really fun to work around with. We were joking all through out the shooting.
We initially wanted to have a final fantasy theme but getting costumes from Costplay is either too difficult or too expensive for this one-time event. Alas, we ended having a Japanese school theme. Nagparush pa kami ng patahi ng school uniform nyan. That's the reason why the fit of the uniforms are somewhat off to our body measurements (as shown in the pictures).

Anyways, as I have said, batteries from Kix's notebook ran out of battery. We were only bale to transfer a couple of pix so all I'm gonna share to you are just RAW files. I will share the edited pictures once Kix give us the CD.

Doing some paid posts once in a while really helps me financially nowadays. You can just imagine how much money we are spending on gasoline every time Russell and I would need to meet a supplier or visit some very important people. Processing some legal and church requirements also prompts us to shed some money. Russell has just quit his quit in L.A. so I am the only one who is working right now. It was a good thing though that he has saved enough for his expenses on his entire 5-month stay here in the Philippines.

Just today, we had our prenup video and pictorial shoot done with our P/V team. It was like a dusk-till-dawn engagement. It was indeed a very tiring activity but we enjoyed it. While having our lunch with RSM, Bim of Playback Productions asked me how am I earning with my blog. I told him that it was all about clients getting traffic from blogs. Clients do advertise on blogs. It's a win-win situation, so to speak. They are yet to learn the tricks of the trade but I'm sure, if time permits them, they will also indulge themselves into paid blogging.

I guess most households especially U.S. households where having a house help is something considered as luxury, having a vacuum cleaner is a must. It does not only lessens the time that one consumes when cleaning the mess in the house but it also consumes so much energy form doing manual brooming err cleaning.

The only problem that I see from deviating from doing the old school way of cleaning the house to using a vacuum cleaner is sometimes, it gets tough when vacuum cleaner parts gets worn out. Getting vacuum cleaner parts does not only mean consuming another time looking on stores but it could also mean flushing away your hard earned money in case you get parts that are really not suitable for your needs. At Dyson, their site offers a lot of vacuum cleaner models that will help suit your needs. When you visit their site, they offers outrageous deals like getting a free car cleaning kit worth 20pounds when you buy a cylinder or upright vacuum cleaner. Their online support is also great as you will get to talk to their support agents if you are looking for expert help on vacuum cleaner. Having said that, UK residents should consider getting a Dyson vacuum cleaner.

We're off to Tagaytay for today. WhoOohoOo!!!!! Why? To have our long due prenup pictorial shoot. See this?

Philippines is slowly moving from a dial-up land into a high speed internet world. Coffee shops and malls now even have wi-fi features. Getting a DSL or any kind of broadband connection (except satellite and cable internet) is now a common household expense. Even Russell's home in Cavite (I'm in Cabite right now!) first acquire their wi-fi connection about a year ago. It was a good thing that he brought hoem his DSL router because Girlie (his sister) now gets to use her notebook even while somebody is using another notebook or a desktop. I would say however, that the package that they good isn't a good deal at all. The price they are paying versus the maximum speed of Internet they could get is not reasonable. Plus, their technical support really sucks!

If you are going to consider having a broadband supplier, there are some factors one must consider before going ahead and purchasing a package especialy if a customer is living in UK where everything has its price. At BT total Broadband, they got some pretty good deals for new customers that will make you really think twice of getting another broad band supplier. They a got three options:

Option 1: 12 month contract - £12.99 for the first 3 months, £17.99 thereafter.

• Option 2: 18 month contract - £13.99 for the first 6 months, £22.99 thereafter.

Option 2: 12 month contract - £17.99 for the first 3 months, £22.99 thereafter.

Option 3: 18 month contract - £18.99 for the first 6 months, £24.99 thereafter.

• Option 3: 12 month contract £22.99 for the first 3 months, £24.99 thereafter.

Introductory price achieved via credit on your first bill. On a 12 month term: £15 for Option 1, £15 for Option 2 and £6 for Option 3. On an 18 month term: £54.24 for Option 1, £54 for Option 2 and £36 for Option 3.

You see, the longer contract you get, the lower the price they will offer. But of course, it is always safe to get the shortest contract first as this will serve as a testing ground if the service is worth the money you are paying or if you are just flushing your money in the toilet. In addition to these outrageours deals, one will also get a referral fee if you will recommend BT Total Broadband to your friends and family and earn yourself £30 for every new person that signs up.

I know a lot of college graduate friends who studied care giving courses in order to get job placements in the United States of in Canada. For one, my former former supervisor who is a graduate of Masscom In Iloilo studied this care giving course while reporting to work as a quality supervisor. She left Philippines for Canada last April. I was asking her why she would settle for such kind of job when she already has a good one and in fact, she's running to be the fist choice to be our QA manager. Anyway, she has her own reasons that is why she still opted to choose this care giving job rather than her 8-hours corporate work.

Since we are talking about nursing homes here, it is important that one should look for the bestest if not the best, nursing home for your love one. One of the best nursing homes in the United States is Better Caring is a dedicated service for anyone who needs answers to crucial questions about care for themselves or their loved ones. With Bettercaring you can look at the care options that are available so that you can arrange the right kind of care, read daily care news and views, and receive tips on from care experts. There is also a community forum that allows users to discuss their own experiences within the care system.

If a couple is very conscious on saving space due to the limited floor area of the house, it is very important to find household furnitures that will consume lesser amount of space. If you are going to browse FurniturefromHome, it will prompt you with pages showing the specifications of a particular product just like this one.

The picture above is just one of the storage beds that you can find from FurniturefromHome. This bed costs $1,299, queen size. It weighs 566 lbs and is made with hard wood and beautiful okwood. This type of bed has available units so if you are going to order one, it will be delivered right away. No need to wait for the lead time. What is more exciting is that its delivery already includes in-home set up. Saves you time and energy huh! Actually, if you are going to take a closer look at their website, the bottom most part has links where you can request catalog, you can track your order as well as shipping information. You can also try looking space saving furnitures for your big screen entertainment center.

Dining Room Furniture can also eat up a lot of space so taking measurements will play a big role in choosing the right furniture for your dining area. One of the most effective way of spacing space is using bar stools instead of bulky chairs. So come'on, try navigating the site!

I have been very vocal that things with regard to office management has not that been ideal for the past few months. I have thought of resigning for a lot of times already but what really prevents me from doing so is my team. I have an awesome team members. They really make my bad day into one great day. They make me smile. When I get sick, they would offer me a lot of things in the hope that I would feel better. As we discuss my future month-long vacation this December, most of them have strongly expressed that they are really going to miss me. That is really something. I cherish those moments. It's not every team where subordinate-superior relationship get as good as this. I am so happy that things are starting to get better and better now. I really hope that our proposed team Christmas party will bring us even closer. Last Halloween, we got to enjoy and relax as this time of the month means petiks moments for us. I have posted some pictures before but I am going to post my favorite one. It's a picture after we had a pot lock. By the way, we won the Best Team Spirit Award and our prize? A precious one-week dress down for my team

Team Adik awwwww!

We just had our canonical interview done today. We were set at around 9am but due to some conflict of schedule of the priests in Malate, we were able to finish the interview with Father Michael Martin.

At first, I was really tensed on what questions will be ask to me. But even before entering the parish priest, we were warmly greeted with a seems-to-be Irish man. That is Father Michael Martin. He is also good with his tagalog. Russell was even amazed on how fluent he is. Anyway, I'm about to post a separate item on this event as I consider this encounter as a very memorable one.

After the interview, we gave out all the necessary requirements the parish had asked us. We were also given with wedding bans that we are ought to give to our respective parishes. I have already submitted mine in San Bartolome and Russell will submit his in Noveleta by tomorrow.

I'm really tired now. I don't think I can't make it tonight.

I was cleaning our bodega and saw some pages of the newspapers pertaining to the car jacker rub out that happened here in Ortigas (itwas actually very near here in my current office site.) One of the "alleged" car jackers that was killed in the rub out was Brian Dulay. Brian used to be my associate when I was still employed in Ambergris as a Tech Support Agent for Microsoft Virus Solutions (I wonder how he passed the medical exam.) He is not a car jacker. I firmly believe in that. But drugs? Brian was so vocal in telling us (Eric, Gus, Len and the rest of the gang) that he is into drugs. He tried admitting himself to a drug rehabilitation center as per his parents advise but the center'sprogram just ddidn't work for him. I guess, the program didn't fit Brian's situation.

When looking for a drug rehab, it is very important that the center recognize the unique situations of its patients. What worked for Mary might just won't work for Jane. I guess this is what CLiffside Malibu sets aparts among any other drug rehab centers. Drug Rehab Malibu offers each patient an individualized clinical program that includes individual therapy, cognitive-behavioral groups, process groups, and a family program. Cliffside Malibu also offers various activities to support recovery such as experiential groups, yoga and outdoor activities. Group sessions are conducted onsite and also available in the community (transportation is provided). Along with these clinical activities, Cliffside Malibu meets the daily needs of patients enrolled in the drug rehab center including gourmet meals, laundry service, transportation, scheduling of appointments, Internet access and special requests (where appropriate).

We are scheduled for our canonical interview today at round 8:30am, Malate Church. These last two days have been pretty tiring for me. Yesterday, we processed the necessary papers for our marriage license. I was feeling real groggy but I got no choice but to join Russell as we attend the family planning seminar. Today, I'll be off from work at around 5am.I'm gonna meet him at Aristocrat today at around 8am. If my body can no longer handle the physical stress that wedding preparations could bring, I might take another SL tonight. I'm really tired. I hope that wedding will be over soon. Russell and I hardly had the time to be "together". I miss the 'olgood days where the only thing we would worry about is getting home late.

*sigh*

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving (which is by the way only 3 weeks from now!) when major retailers around the country such as Sears and JC Penny give outrageous productdiscounts to help kick off the Christmas shopping season. This Black Friday ads are usually kep secret until you receive the circulars in your Thanksgiving day newspaper. However, at Black-Friday.net, teh site gives it users the advanatage by showing all the Black Friday 2007 ads before anyone else. Talk about getting leaks here. LOL The site also offers drect links to each product so that customer can purchases items online on Black Friday without the hassle of standing in line at the store. For non-shoppong fanatics like me, getting thanksgiving ads will really help me save the time and effort. I am really not fond of shopping. That is why planning my holiday shopping is a must for me.

Since Russell and I got some niece and nephews, I think that most of the gifts that we are going to buy this Christmas are for them. My 7-month old niece and his 2-yearold niece are huge fans of Dora. I guess shopping at Toys R Us is something that will come into our list.

I've been talking about givingRussell some gifts this Christmas as this is going to be our first Christmas as husband and wife. I'm wondering if he is intending to give me one as well.Oh well, we'll see.

With the help of Mama Luvie's some admin assistant in their gas station business, we were able to get Russell birth cert and CENOMAR within a couple of days. We got all of our legal documents here in Cavite.

Today we got our certificate of attendance for family planning. I'm really feeling groggy as I just came from my work of grave yard shift. I was expecting that it's going to be a hard core seminar where we will be taught how to really plan a family life. I was dismayed that after signing the form, we were just asked to have some donation. I was like, "huh? yun na ba yun? as in?"

Anyways, if there is one thing that this family planning seminar brought us, that is I will have some more hours to sleep tonight, I mean today. Plus, by tomorrow after having our canonical interview, we will be having our marriage license filed.

HayYyyY... wedding preparation can be really exhausting. Sometimes, I would just wish that we should get married civilly to avoid all these hustles and hassles.

I have always disclosed in this blog that Russell and I met on a free dating website some five years ago. During that time, the local website where we were chatting doesn't offer yet free phone chat. We just get to enjoy senseless conversation though its free live chat feature. One of the websites you can try is this site: http://www.friendsation.com/ . I'm not saying that you should try this dating website and give you 100% confidence. That should be my disclaimer on this one. All I'm saying is that if you are bored and got nothing else to do, gaining friends through this interactive dating website is a nice thing to do to kill boredom.