Fancy these songs

I almost always have a few favorite songs in any given month.  Some extend to two or maybe three months.  Others are old songs that find their way back to my favorites list.  For a couple of days now, I have developed a liking for this song by American Idol finalist, Katharine Mcphee. It is called Over it.  An upbeat heartbreak song.

 

Cool rocker chick Gwen Stefani is second with The Sweet Escape.  Another upbeat song.  Haven’t gotten ‘round to checking the lyrics though.

 

And last but not least, a love song by teener Jojo who has been belting out a few good songs since she started at age 14!! I like this girl.  Great voice too.  Check out an excerpt from her latest single, How to touch a girl. 

 

feel somethin happenin

could this be a spark?

to satisfy me baby

gotta satisfy my heart

do you know how to touch a girl?

if you want me so much

first I have to know

are you thoughtful and kind?

do you care what's on my mind?

or am I just for show?

you'll go far in this world

if you know how to touch a girl

There!  My list.

Just thought I’d share.  Let’s keep the music playing…!

 

 

The singular life

What happens when singletons attend the wedding of an ex-member? 

 

One, they buy very nice outfits.

Two, they go to the spa a few days prior to the wedding.

Three, have their hair done at the salon but do their make up themselves because they know that it will be a mostly-married-fifty-guests-only event.

Four, they use the out-of-town wedding as the opportunity to go on vacation leave for two days!

Five, they stay overnight in a hotel.

Six, they eat all the yummy desserts, enjoy the flowing wine and forget to count calories.

Seven, they take pictures of themselves when they get bored during the wedding.

Eight, they stay late that night and talk about why they are not in coupledom.

Nine, they take a leisurely buffet breakfast, still ignoring the calories.

Ten, they go home and face reality of going back to work the next day while their friend has her honeymoon!!

 

(We had serious fun during our friend’s wedding and genuinely happy that she found the man for her. Congratulations Petr and Victoria!)

 

Of work and working

Hi guys,

 

The kids' daycare is closed due to the icy roads so I won't be in today. I'll try to check email throughout the day but call me with any issues at 732-XXX-XXXX

 

Thanks

Rich

 

He is the Content Manager for Aggregates in the NY team also reporting to Maria, my boss.  And this is the email that he sent yesterday.  Since I am part of the group’s distribution list, I also get copies of emails like this one which I find irritating sometimes because I always have to delete them first thing in the morning.  Yet their email exchanges show me how generally flexible the team is.  Telecommuting is common.  Incidentally, my boss also sent an email this morning telling us that she will work from home but can still attend all conference calls. 

 

While a week ago, she sent this:

 

Hi.

I am working from home today.

Daniel's dr appointment was moved to 10:30.  Kenny, I will not be able to join the 10:30 call.

M

 

Kenny is her heir-apparent. Daniel is her five month old baby.  Why do I suddenly decide to blog about something that has been happening since I started with this team?  I don’t know.  Maybe because I still find it so refreshing.  Maybe because being under the project management team gives all of us more room to manage our schedules -- to take a personal day off when you need to go your kid’s PTA or to the doctor.

 

And maybe because the past few days, my colleagues from finance have been staying until 2am.   I was told that the January close involved template changes, rollout of another system, restatements and additional work assignments as one of the regional managers goes on maternity leave. 

 

Or maybe because one of them cannot even visit her daughter who was confined in the hospital for a week. I asked why not and who is taking care of her baby.  “My mother is with her the whole week and it is month close!  Bawal magkasakit o mag-leave!  (Nobody is allowed to get sick or take a leave during month end)”

 

Or maybe because I had to spend a few days joining one of them for lunch or coffee while I see her cry (literally) in frustration.  It saddens me that the workflow in finance has not changed much since I left the group.  Still too ‘labor intensive’ as my former manager used to say. It is also heartbreaking to see my friend looking so desperate and sad.  This time, I was more aggressive in telling her to either leave the team and move elsewhere within the company or leave the company altogether. I have always had the feeling that management accounting may not be her cup of tea.   I think she will be more suited to work within a more structured process (but she didn’t need to hear that at the moment). 

 

Finance people are generally unsung heroes.  We serve, we support.  It is a back end job.  The salespeople almost always get the glory (and the commission!) And so it becomes so intolerable when people from within the team fail to give you encouragement.  Been there.  On the other hand, it becomes a joy when your superiors up your morale on a regular basis.  Done that. 

 

Sigh.

 

In the meantime, I spend time with my friend whose shadowed eyes tell you she needs nothing more than ears that would listen and a heart that can relate.

 

Clam chowder for the highly strung

Food for a drifter’s heart

 

1.       A beep in the scanner as you exit a store means you took something that you haven’t paid for.

2.       When house hunting, check out those fancy houses in the more upscale areas. Never hurts to dream, right?

3.       Brisk walking for 20 minutes everyday will give you sore feet if you are wearing the wrong pair of shoes.   So quit brisk walking.  Kidding!! I mean, use the proper footwear.

4.       You don’t need to throw away a remote control device that doesn’t work.  You just may need to have new batteries.

5.       Don’t overeat during the holidays if you cannot commit to losing the pounds the following year. No wait.  DON’T OVEREAT.  Period.

6.       Going for job interviews will help you deep dive into what your inner compass tells you. ‘hear anything yet?

7.       Invest in black leather shoes but have fun with much cheaper yet funkier footwear. 

8.       When you find the right moisturizer for you, stick with it.  Same goes for the toner and the sunblock.

9.       When you ignore that fact that you are allergic to certain foods, face the bloated consequences.

10.     Dark chocolates.  Nothing comes close.

 

Release 0207

Shawie and Mr. Smith

Nope, this is not a sequel to the Jolie-Pitt blockbuster.  Nope, Brad has no other woman in his life..at the moment.  =P

 

She is the President of the company I work for.  And he is the SVP for International Operations.  They will visit the Manila office next week and Manila senior management is in high spirits.  HR is abuzz with plans for the Town Hall meeting to be held at the grand ballroom of Makati Shangri-la.  Next week, the ballroom will be packed as about 800 employees troop to the hotel. She is, after all, the head honcho and well..plus…who would want to miss the food food food!  (And Mr. Smith is a looker, by the way)

 

I found out that she will leave the country immediately after the town hall, probably to stay the night in Hong Kong or Japan where security is better (or exists).  NY Headquarters is probably on edge with just the thought of the boss dropping by an offshore business known to be training ground for terrorists.  (to the media, thank you very much).  Mr. Smith, on the other hand, will stay overnight.

 

So, if only to find out what she has in mind for the Manila office (lip service or otherwise) and hear her deliver her speech in her usual succinct British accent,   I will be there (while I sample the canapés, of course).

 

Go Shawie!