the workarea

This is where I've been spending 12-hour days and some all-nighters. It's not much but for now, it's home. I wasn't able to take a picture of the mobile cabinet, which, come Monday, is always stocked with snacks and what-not.



Now playing : Putumayo - Samba-Bossa Nova

My Brush With Identity Theft

Early morning one Saturday a few weeks ago, I checked my credit card balance through the internet. It was over four thousand pesos above the balance I was expecting and a panicky thought ran through me. Despite the fact that my annual fee was charged, accounting for PhP1,200 of the extra balance, there was an additional transaction for PhP2,900 charged by a restaurant (Kochujang restaurant in Pasay--I know, I've never heard of it either), last Tuesday. I wasn't even near Pasay on Tuesday (obviously was in the office most of the time), much less spending three thousand bucks in an unheard-of restaurant that could very well be a GRO place (heck, it's Pasay). Needless to say, it was a bad start to my Saturday morning.

At 7am (on a Saturday!) I was on the phone to my bank's call center. At least I do know that they provide 24-hour service. Although the customer service rep was nice enough to file a dispute for me, I still had to fax a letter of dispute, which I hurried within the day. I have been using my Equitable card for almost 10 years now, but I haven't experienced something like this. This card, I have been using for less than a year (I just activated it when we went to HK last year and I didn't have money). Is their system less secure than Equitable's? Or have I been swiping this card in non-secure places? Aside from Cash and Carry and Rustan's, I used the card last week at Heaven n Eggs. I would wonder, if indeed one of them were not secure, which one it would likely be.

The folks at the credit card company have temporarily reversed the charges, but it's still under investigation. It still strikes a chord of paranoia with me, especially after watching the weird TV movie about identity theft starring Kimberly Williams as the victim, and Cynthia Gibb as the identity thief. This could have come at a better time; I've been less than frugal lately, what with the impending transfer and the extra expenses with spending more time in the office and then playing hard afterwards*, and have accumulated quite a large bill (hence the checking of the balance on the internet). I hope that all's well that ends well. I wouldn't want to deplete my savings because of a useless matter such as this.

*Spending more time at the office gives you the notion that you owe yourself more, hence spending more on little rewards to yourself. Sigh. I know it's wrong but it makes me feel better.

silent all these weeks

it
is
great
to
blog

Typing stuff that isn't email, or test scripts--it's a joy. This is the first time in three weeks that I've been able to blog. I've been able to email, and I've surfed, but I couldn't find the time to sit down and create a blog entry. It's nice to be in the blogging world, if only for the meantime.

You see, today is probably the only respite that I'm getting from the hoopla that is User Acceptance Testing at GeeksForHire. Users in the foreign office are testing the finished product and we are providing the support. Unfortunately, this means late nights, some overnights, and weekend work. So there, I'm glad to be home in front of the PC on a Tuesday evening. This, after logging 80 hours of overtime on a fortnight. That used to be my record for a month at StingyCo. And to think that time, my salary just about doubled. For this I get a measly allowance and the hope of a project bonus. Well.

6610 is gone. I sold it in a fit because of intermittent signal loss. I still got 3,500 for it, not bad. Bought some pDVDs and stuff at Book Sale. Now the SO and I are going to try out those dual SIM packets that are must smaller and lightweight than the old variants.

Lost is done. The heck with that season ender! When does it start again?! Hee. House MD is proving quite entertaining. Nins is viewing the first season of Gilmore Girls and I think she kinda likes it. I don't have any affection for it, though.

Finally, the transfer. We moved too slow on the nice place nearby and it was snatched up by the owner's friend. Instead, we found a place along Pililia near the Makati LTO. The father-unit was able to haggle and we're getting it for a reasonable price, and without the 1-year requisite terms. So if the house is done in 8 months (the target is 6 months), we can terminate the lease straightaway. We're psyched because there's a two-car garage, one really big masters bedroom and two regular sized bedrooms, a mini-garden when we can place the dogs, and a good-sized maids room. My friend said it's a steal for the price, especially since the owners are going to repaint (not just repair and clean), and refinish some stuff. Can't wait to move in. Because of the incessant rain and the roof being beyong Vulca Seal salvation (and of course, us not wanting to spend any more on what's going to be torn down in two weeks), there are mushrooms sprouting in my room. You have to see them to believe it.

Last Song Syndrome : Shoebox - Barenaked Ladies

short takes

Saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Were the Oompa-Loompas supposed to look like that? I preferred Gene Wilder's Oompa-Loompas. I think I expected too much from the movie. It was nice, but it wasn't that nice. And Johnny Depp reminded one more of Michael Jackson (oh come on, don't you see the resemblance? pale skin, white even teeth, and invitations to kids to come hither?) than Marilyn Manson on whom fafa Johnny said he based his characterization.

Been on a used-magazine buying spree, although I will only consider them if they're worth less than PhP150. I just think that you don't really have to be up-to-date on international home decor magazines since the "styles" usually trickle back here after a season or two. Besides, we're looking towards a modern classic interior, instead of a trendy one, so the magazines I've bought have been basically Romantic Homes, Better Homes and Gardens (and their tons of spin-off magazines), Victoria and Traditional Home (more for the mother-unit), and House and Garden. Is fun, especially when you consider that you've bought 8 back issues for the price of one current issue. I'm clipping away!

More on the homefront: the parentals are finally going to visit the apartment which zeester#1 and I have already checked out. It's owned by this nice Indian lady who lives in Magallanes. I think it's a good find for 20k a month in the Makati area, four bedrooms, two baths, and lots of storage space for all the things that we're packing. Speaking of packing, I've now sorted about 30% of my books and donated about a dozen to this "reading club" about three blocks away from our house. Some of them will be sold, especially the Tom Clancys and Danielle Steels that I've received as gifts but never bothered to read. Some are in mint condition and will sell for about 40 bucks each to this girl I contacted through Bidshot. I'm still taking about two travel boxes' worth of books along, including almost all my Dragonlance books and about 20 new books that I haven't even torn the cellophane off.

Am reading the eBook of Anne Rice's Blood and Gold during breaks in work and during lulls elsewhere. It's both on AchTung Baby and my work PC (It-That-Must-Not-Be-Named, lest I get attached). The character or Marius really interests me, but I wasn't in any hurry to buy the paperback (seeing as there are still around 20 books that I haven't unwrapped). Of course, I still ended up reading the eBook, even before giving much attention to Jonathan Strange, or 2004's Best Fantasy (although I had to read Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Nameless House of the Night of Dread Desire... whew!).

cellphone suicide

I know it. The 6610 wants to be let go. Today it jumped of its own accord into the trashcan under my workarea. I tried to find it for 10 minutes and when I checked if it could have fallen onto the floor, lo and behold, there it was. Sigh. I think this weekend I will bid it farewell and trade it in for a 6020.

Last Song Syndrome : Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day

the search continues

The house-hunting continues. Found a good one on T Street near the contractor's house and David's. The mother-unit will inspect later. Strange Indian landlords, but it's the cheapest 4-bedroom this side of the fringes of Makati. And a lot of storage space too for all our junk stuff. I've emptied half a cabinet and I've already filled a "travel box" (the one you can buy from SM at 69.75, sturdy enough).

The house-hunting was made more urgent by the fact that like ursula_lear, I had the roof "fall" in my room... a portion of the right wall (which was my creative aspect, per feng shui) started leaking from minimal rain, drenching most of the stuff on my table including my high school yearbook, various books, and pictures. Honestly, I cried. Because my yearbook was quite ruined (one that I had worked on myself), and so were the pictures, some of which were irreplaceable. Fie upon leaky roofs and delayed house renovations!

Last Song Syndrome : The Day You Said Goodnight - Hale
Can't get that frigging song out of my head!

topsy-turvy

Things are a mess right now. Literally and figuratively. Packing has started for the move to the apartment, because I have so much stuff (taking comfort in objects and all). A box of books and another box containing clothes and (memorabilia? knick-knacks?) and will be parked at the SO's house temporarily. The temporary living quarters will be quite cramped. Adding to that, the gutters in my pad finally gave way yesterday with minimal showers at that. A lot of stuff that wasn't packed yet were, basically, drenched, including my high school yearbook, some pDVDs, and a lot pictures. Yesterday afternoon was spent basically fixing up after a mini-flood at my place, and then looking at apartments within the vicinity. Goodness!

So there. Add to work, some stress, and unpaid bills... I need Stresstabs or something. Hehe!

Last Song Syndrome : Cool - Gwen Stefani

one day in hp

Because the SO was meeting his friend at said friend's condo along Vito Cruz, we found ourselves at Harrison Plaza. I haven't been to this place in ages; the last two times were just at the Village Square's Seattle's Best (with Bespren J while she was studying for the US boards, and with G! on his birthday two years ago (has it been just two years?!) when I had just broken up with the SO and C!&G! were just starting to get together).

Is a fun and funky place... where else can you find a tattoo booth right beside Rustan's, people getting away with smoking inside the mall, a good-sized chapel, an SM Light Shop with a myriad of lightbulbs on display, tons of bargain/surplus stores, little tiangges sprouting everywhere, dibidi-dibidi stores and an off-track betting site? You go, HP!

Was able to scour Booksale and bought home decor magazines (Maleen's and my current passion) and a Simple Wicca book (was pretty, and, well, Wicca). There's also something to be said about the Rustan's in HP which stocks more pedestrian garb than the other branches. And of course, there's SM. 'Nuff said.

bye bye little boy
Zeester#2 found a better home for Dallas. He was causing the mother-unit's asthma attacks, so he had to go. It was sad, after being attached to the little guy for more than a month despite declaring that his only use was being cute. Any suggestions for a cute, small, but short-haired dog with a good temperament? We don't like mini-pins nor chihuahuas. Do Jack Russells have good temperaments?

the other little boy
Wasn't sure if it was a Freudian slip but I was talking to the SO about G!, but I ended up saying the little boy's name. SO was on my case for a whole minute. And then, well, no more. He's great like that, although sometimes I wonder if it's percolating somewhere within, just waiting to blow. Anyway, about the little boy, I read this testimonial that he wrote on friendster about this girl, and he reused the parting words on my testimonial for him! Haha!

Last Song Syndrome : Across the Universe - Fiona Apple (thanks boi_bitch!)

sick again

Sir Nick had ominous words during my going-away dinner at Zong a few weeks ago: "take care of your health." I thought that was a jibe at my constant sick leaves (which was to take care of my employment requirements at GeeksForHire). Well now it seems it was some sort of hex. I've been sick a whole lot more often now compared to before. Oh well. I hope it's not true that sickness is a manifestation of ill feelings and suppressed desires or rage. I think I like my work now, I'm happy with the SO... if anything it would probably be caused by stuff at the homefront. Oh well. I'm not well.

Listening to : Putumayo - Celtic Tides

not incommunicado for long

Somebody was bound to die, again. Once more, one of my favorite characters. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince started out sluggish, definitely, but momentum and tension built until that ending that left us shaking and teary-eyes. What can I say? Rowling has definitely left us hungry for more. Personally, Prisoner of Azkaban remains at the top of my list, but this story, with its romantic subplots (oh yes, at 16 the Hogwarts barkada should definitely be thinking about romance) and its little jokes, was thoroughly entertaining. It was also thinner than Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, making for an easier read (I think I took 5 hours, give or take some breaks).

People weren't lining up for it like before, though. By 7:45am, the "crowd" had thinned at Powerbooks Greenbelt 4. Of course, stalwarts like myself had to be there early, if only to read about how -bleep!- ended up kissing -bleep!- and that -bleep!- was (surprise!) the Half-Blood Prince. Hermione does a little cheating, Ron's place on the Quidditch team is tenuous, and Harry, well, Harry has been anointed "The Chosen One". Neo, much? There is still some politics, Percy is still the hated Weasley, Draco is still sinister (even more so that his father is in Azkaban), there's a new Minister of Magic, and there's a whole lot more Fleur Delacourt and a lot less of the Dursleys, although not enough Luna Lovegood. Hee!

Harry is definitely older, not much wiser (unfortunately), but altogether, the penultimate book does not disappoint. It is, however, definitely reading like the first act of a two-part ending. Rowling! Give us book 7 soon!