41st Birthday

Group Shot - super thank you guys!

My team gave me a surprise gathering within my supposedly birthday treat. A great way to end a long OB day.  Foodie JST recommended we try Charlie's Grill at Kapitolyo

Surprised! with tears

Here's to me!!  Thank you for another year, Lord!

Family Xmas Party 2012

With no one really organizing our event this year, we had lunch with my Medina relatives for our annual Christmas get together. Not much exchange of gifts, just a schedule for the pot luck, no games lined up and worst of all, not much in attendance. To a point that even we had to leave early to visit Dad's relatives for their Christmas gathering instead.

Since it was our last get together for the year, I was still happy and winging it.. After all, it's not really about the material things but its the gathering of family. It was nice to see my Auntie Baby, my Uncle Ed and my usual suspect cousins haha..

Hopefully next year? Maybe in a different venue hopefully? 😃

Thank You Treat

This year, I decided to start something new in thanking my team mates for a wonderful year with what we all love best.. eating out!!   December may be too busy and we have a long weekend ahead of us so November 29 it was, after a long day of bookings. It was my way of thanking them for a job well done, for putting up with me and for pep talk for the coming year end hurrah.

After careful planning, whispering and texting, my team and I went to Seafood Island at RG for a yummy dinner which we capped with a Starbucks drink afterwards.  To the regular night out goer, it may seem such a blah night out but I was going for my team becoming closer and sharing more experiences will help achieve that.  Hopefully, this one will.  The only downside to it was, we couldn't take a photo to avoid issues.  Maybe there will be other ways next time.

It set me back a couple of grand but if it means a smooth sailing voyage in future, less stress for me.

Photo from Blackbeard's Seafood Island FB page.

Ebook Affair

I love books!  I'd buy it as often as we'd do groceries.  Reading books to me is something I should do daily.   Love for reading and the smell of new book is one thing I share with my Papa.

Lack of bookshelf space and the rising cost of books have 'forced' me to look at the current craze of Ebooks.  Since we need to be practical, I have since limited my purchases to books I really like.. favorite authors, continuing series and books I feel I should have.  The rest..  well, what matters is I've read the book.

This series -- and genre, got me started in this wonderful new world of ebooks love affair.   Cozy Mysteries have colorful covers,  light plots, easy reading.  This series combined two of my favorite things - cupcakes and a who dunnit mystery in a book?  I was hooked.




Cupcake Bakery Mystery by Jenn McKinley - photo from the internet



I'm still in the market for the "perfect" reader but for now, Busy Boy's Ipad will do. I'm actually on the fence here,  invest more on Ibooks  with epub version or purchase a Kindle and convert all my books to mobi.  For now, read and search and download while I can. Or message my friend, K for help. :)

With so many titles to choose from, this affair might actually be a permanent thing. Long live the happyNerd!

The Path to 40

And so I begin.  As with any new company you join, a new colleague to work with or a place to visit, a little history goes a long way in helping one understand who you're dealing with, how you came to be and most importantly, why you are the way you are.

My 20's - Age of Discovery

The first half can be described as wild.  Newly employed, having my own money, meeting new people, going places, buying things.  Before I knew it, I was deep in credit card debt and the receiving end of an ugly office drama.  So I shook it off, buckled down to work, started believing in myself and not caring what others thought.   I went back to who I was and I couldn't be happier.

The second half was all about love.  Meeting, dating, going out, eating out, sex, saving up and planning for the future.  I met new friends, had better colleagues. It was about the two of us.  All I wanted was to have my own family.

My 30's - Beginnings and Endings

Now married and my son has been born, I was learning about the joys and pains of motherhood, of running a household, on becoming an OFW wife, on travelling outside the country on your own.  We took out a loan for the house and car and my boy beginning his schooling.  I learned how to drive. The family life I wanted is here.

The middle part of my 30's were my turbulent years. When the dust began to settle, everything was becoming routine.  And that's when I was introduced to death.  My papa, two aunts, three uncles and my boss.  All in 3 years.  People who were my major influences.  Then the office suspension even if I am of no fault.  I just wished everything will soon be over.

Ending my 30's was better... family is fine, financially better off, trying out cooler gadgets and being more confident with myself.  I finally decided I want to blog again.

Life Begins at 40

The past 20 years had both best and worst memories..  Am now at the threshold for the next 40 more years.  Tally ho!