A Venetto Dinner

Met up with SGV friends Sharon and Macoy for Sharon's Birthday Dinner at A Venetto yesterday. While I get to meet Sharon often, it was quite some time since I last saw Macoy. A nice dinner to quench our cravings for pizza and pasta. After a while of not being in Avenetto, it sure reminded me that they serve great pizza and pasta here at an affordable price.

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Nice chat at dinner and went on to shop a bit. It's Christmas soon and finally, had felt a little itch to shop for gifts. The Christmas bug has bitten me too late. Sharon went home at past 9 pm but Macoy and I continued to shop til past 11 pm. That reminds me, I need to continue my Christmas shopping today...

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Received an SMS from Sharon later that Yohannce liked my gift. Yehey, Yohannce liked my gift!! It's always nice to be a appreciated even coming from a 2 1/2 year old Yohannce.

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The dinner was suppose to include FAA, but he was suppose to have a partners meeting, which eventually got cancelled... so funny thing when I texted him, he was on his way to Batangas already... Next time Boss!!! =>

Office Alone

I'm just in the middle of my office alone day... One of my manager is sick and the other one is on leave... I should be ok since I'm more of a hands on person so things should go well...

So started thinking what to do first... the next in line of Jing's to do is... the long overdue management letter... This would be tougher than I thought... = < This has dragged on for so long so might as well do it...

In the middle of what I was doing, the CEO called me for a meeting regarding the impact of foreign exchange in our operation... Ok, I had prepared a material for that during the recent board meeting... After the CEO explained his say on the impact and being grilled for my analysis, I then presented that it would be easier to look at it on a cash flow analysis and shortly thereafter, he agreed to my analysis...

Suddenly remembered that we need to have an announcement posted in Singapore by noon so had to get the CEO to sign off... and another tasked accomplished... Finished the ML part of the job... and took the first chance I have to bring up the salary adjustment for those affected by the recent finance, treasury and accounting restructuring... He told me to check on him next week... I hope he gets to approve it... I feel happy that I've finally brought forward this proposal since it would uplift so many people... A good deed...

A half day towards my office alone day... so much has transpired and accomplished... I still have one short meeting to attend to... Finance matters to resolve... and in a few more hours, have dinner with SGV friends, Sharon and Macoy!!!

The only downside of the day is that I miss my breakfast and lunch buddy Jing since she's down with a flu... Get well soon!!! Just get all the rest you need. Hope you'll be around for Tagaytay with Rondz on Sunday... =>

Excess inkblogs: The dinner with Sharon and Macoy was a life saver, had I not have a previous commitment, I would have been obliged to join in the meetings in Bataan... In this festive mood, I don't want to work on weekends... =>

Another Bits and Pieces...

To free up my thoughts... decided to blog a bit today...

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The drama I get to witness day to day have turned from annoying to amusing... though I still wish for a more serene environment... I plan to cut down on stress and just look forward to the holidays... We all do....

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I just don't know if I'm starting to get the hang of my mom's spending spree charged to my credit card or I'm just too royally screwed up by all the hullabaloos happening around me... I'll just say that I'm just feeling a bit more generous this holiday season... but on a mental note... I want to start to save more in the future... Please let me save a bit... the future is uncertain...

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Finally got to apply for my Ateneo Graduate School of Business alumni card yesterday... also had a stress relieving coffee with AGSB friend Grace at Rockwell... I miss Rockwell and School... At least, even after graduate school, I still get to hang out with my AGSB friends often... Para sa Tagumpay... hehe...

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A dilemma at hand... If the waters are rough and the waves are turbulent... Should you start swimming to the shore or allow yourself to drift apart to something uncertain??? What to do??? Dunno how to swim... hehe... but in time I'll learn to swim away from the turbulent waters...

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I really liked Lenne's blog on how things are so much harder now than years ago... I share the same sentiments that life was a lot more easier back then (traced from our parents and grandparents generations)... They live simply and still manage to acquire properties and send so much kids to school... While we try to bear more these days... traffic, higher cost of living, skyrocketing price for properties and a lot of political nonsense... so then again even at the most difficult times, there's still life's gifts that are free and it's up to us to appreciate...

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Just want to add some greetings here... Of course, It was Sharon and Jay Anne's Birthday last Monday... so just want to wish them the best!!!

Christmas Tags

After all the work, the tension and the drama at work (that's an understatement)... I finally had a weekend off and in time for Christmas Party at Tagaytay last Saturday and Sunday... it was time to play house mates again though this time, there were only a few of us around(Blue, MJ, Jan, Cig, Bogz, Paulo and me)... Though a break is a break and the cool confines of the Rodeo Hills house we stayed in was not only an excellent place to have fun but to catch some sleep as well...

In the afternoon of Saturday, most of us were all asleep until Blue and MJ came back from Taal Vista... so then the dinner preparations... dinner and the gift grabbing which was fun even if there was only seven of us... It could have been wackier if the rest were able to come along... After a few drinks, a nice chat and whole lots of laughter... we all called it a night and I did have my nice long sleep I've been longing for the past few weeks...

The next day started with breakfast... After all of us were already done with their morning rituals... we then headed off to The Riviera for lunch with Owen... so it was a nice buffet lunch for all of us... Then we were on our way to Jan's bazaar in Valle Verde... wherein we stayed for a while and I left with Blue and MJ at around 5 pm to call it a weekend... So goes my nice weekend break... and back to the regular drama at the office... hehe... =>

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Rondz is Back!!!

The day started odd with me waking up real early and unable to will myself to sleep so with a lack of sleep I was Cranky Franckee early in the morning... until... as things has been in the office, a new surprise happened yet again... Too much drama, that's all I can say...

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After office, Jing and I went to Glorieta to buy my gift for the Christmas Party with AGSB friends... so had a short snack... and we were off to the Gym in Makati... suddenly, a better idea popped up... since we were meeting Rondz and he was in Serendra... why workout in FF Fort... so off we were to Fort... then being a bit late, we decided to just eat (calamares) and drink (Tsingtao beer) at Zong while waiting for Rondz...

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A little bit later... we met a bit trimmer version of Rondz after over a year in Australia... obviously, looking refreshed from his vacation here... So we shifted to Cafe Puccini to catch up and then ECP followed (talagang ECP tawag, di Eric, partnerabe... hehe)... so more catch up then followed... Stayed until past midnight before we went home...

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After dropping Rondz and ECP in front of SGV, and Jing at her house in Fairview, I was then back home in Makati... and now for that sleep I have to catch up... hehe... Ooops... I just remembered that I'll be off to Tagaytay for the Christmas Party with AGSB... so I'll just have to catch up in the nice cool confines of Tagaytay... Got to go!!!!

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Tough Times... Over!!! =>

I can now safely say that I survived another board meeting... and things did go during the actual board meeting... I wasn't grilled much with the financials... but I owe that to my new found strategy of limiting my answers... less talk means less mistake...

It could have been smooth from the start but I lost one key manager to a better opportunity abroad and had to I also had to assume some finance and treasury functions lately... This transition had made things a lot tougher... revisiting almost everything during turnover of the balance sheet to Jing... but on a good side, I was finally able to have a decent review of the balance sheet since I've been more focused in reviewing the income statement as of late.

It's been a really heavy transition but I'm sure glad that Jing, is more of a friend to me than a colleague so it made all those overtime a bit more fun... Thanks Jingy Bear!!! Let's go to Kopi Rotti again... hehe... We'll be spending more fun times soon with Rondzter back from Australia for a few weeks... Rondz, let's go to Baguio na!!! hehe...

I know it's gonna be the peak of the busy season soon... but the important thing is that soon is not today yet so might as well have fun... => Friends, I'm back to my carefree and relax mode... See you around during the next few days... =>

Tough Days Ends Soon...

It's a day before board meeting and I'm still not done with my presentations... the last few weeks was real tough and the reason why I haven't really entered an entry is that I just want to stop complaining at how pathetic things are right now... but when the smoke clears tomorrow, there'll be much time to think things over... A less turbulent backdrop may lead to more logical mindset to re-evalute passions I'd want to pursue... Though I don't expect to do anything drastic... hehe... Maybe just a mutiny at work... => hehe...

Anyway, I'm sure that the warm feeling of Christmas around family and friends will soon lit my somber mood and in a day and a half it's all I'd want to feel... the joy of Christmas shopping... the laughter at the company of friends... and the feeling of security family members brings along... the merriment of smiling strangers all in the tune of the yuletide seasons...

When things are not well, then there's always tomorrow to look forward to... and then there's also a weekend Christmas party in Tagaytay on Saturday... Friends celebrating birthdays... Friends coming back for the holidays... Christmas bonus that comes with the season... and Gifts (I wish I do get some this year... hehe)... parties and peace and goodwill to all mankind (ok... got overboard with this part... hehe)

Ok, once I'm done worrying about tomorrow, It'll be a new set of problems like a gift for the Christmas party on Saturday.... waah.... but in a way, I'd rather have that problem than the multitude of work I have to face today... = >