My Turn With The Beeper

It's Monday and just before 8:00 this morning, I got handed the team beeper. That signified that I am officially on-call 24/7 for any issues that may arise on the data warehouse world for this whole week. Yes, that includes both Staurday and sunday too. I wasn't looking forward to this duty but once every eight weeks isn't really that bad compared to the previous jobs I had where it was 24/7 for the whole year and was pretty much a thankless job. Over here, you are appreciated.

I got on my first case this morning and got it closed right away. Not bad and I'm hoping no other big thing will pop out at me this week especially the ones that happen in the middle of the night. (*knock on wood*) I'm going to take it easy on the other projects on my plate for this week just in case. That way, I won't be in the middle of something big when a "big" thing comes out to eat up my time.

So far it's been quite and have enjoyed two cups of coffee without being majorly interrupted. Now, that's what I call a nice morning. I'm getting hungry though. Hopefully lunch will just creep up on me so I can go down and enjoy my sandwich in peace. Ham sandwich and jello, now what could be better than that? Okay.. everything else. lol

Oh well.. as they say, one day at a time.

Comic Books

I'm a big fan of comic books but I'm not one of those die hard people that over-analyzes what is being drawn. I just enjoy a good story line coupled with good artwork. Plain and simple. I do feel the anxiety attached to the waiting for the next issue to come out. I can't wait. I just want to know what happened to my favorite superhero or rather, what will happen.

Childish? Perhaps. But everyone has their own poison. And this one is mine. I grew up surrounding myself with comic books though limited to what my meager allowance would allow me and to what is available in the market. See.. growing up in a third world country 20+ years back, you don't enjoy the same perks the youngsters now are enjoying. No wonder kids nowadays take things for granted. But enough of that.

With great power comes great responsibility. Spiderman echoes that a lot in his story line. I'm using the same line for myself. With great income comes great buying power and the responsibilites attached to it. Just because I can afford it doesn't mean I just have to get it. Arggh.. it pains me to think about that but its true. If I buy all the comic books I want, I won't get to save for my future. Much less to clothe and feed myself.

Marvel and DC are the front runners with the independent ones behind them. So many have changed in the comic world too. Characters have died and came back from the dead. Some are re-introduced while others are pretty much replaced by successors. Old stories are re-told. Other old stories are re-invented and re-told. I have to say I'm all for it but some of my favorite characters just didn't feel right anymore.

One thing will be constant though. I'll still be reading comic books in the future.

Scared

I get scared easily. I admit that. I don't think I'd want to be in the same room with a dead body unless I'm in a group. That would explain why I never even thought of being in the medical field. The sight of blood in situations like these grosses me out. And with the kind of imagination I have, I couldn't help but think what if the body suddenly sits up right? You know it's already dead so how would you kill it again? Zombie movies are just movies and I don't think I want to hit a dead body coming back to life in the head. What if it won't kill it and would just make it angrier? I hate to be the person holding the stick when things like that ever happen.

I love a good scare though. Not the kind of scare you get when you ride a roller coaster. That's thrill scare. I'm talking about being in a haunted house scared. Or maybe a horror house. I think there's a borderline difference there. Haunted house scared is based on the fact that there maybe a spirit in that place. And the feeling attach to encountering that spirit, malevolent or not, is just a rush. Now, for a horror house, the mind is set to the fact that the being scared part here is fun. But one has to understand that being scared half to death may not be that fun at all.

Sure, a horror house is a controlled environment. But in the back of my mind, I always have that thought that what if there was an uncontrolled element in there. Think about it. The place is perfect for this kind of scenario. No one will know until the damage is done.

We went to San Antonio, TX a couple of months ago and we decided to experience the Ripley's Haunted Adventure. Everyone was joking around while we were waiting to go in but once inside, nobody dared to step up and take the lead position in the single file. Who would want to be? I mean, if everything goes wrong, you are it. Anyway, to make the long story short, I was pushed in front and had to be the lead person walking through the dark maze of horrors. I never thought I could deal with it but I did. And I am very proud of that.

Now, if only I can find that person that put me in front.

The Tai-Chi Tape

So there I was in front of the tv last night wondering what to watch. There were a bunch of good shows last night but what caught my attention was the still unopened tai-chi dvd lying near the tv. I think I got that late part of december last year in the hopes of learning the basic moves. My mind deliberates. Do I play the dvd and follow or should I just do some finger calisthenics flipping from cannel to channel? I guess you can say my lazy bones won. I ended up flipping through all the channels occasionally stopping at a show to watch and then continue with the surfing.

With so many channels on the television nowadays, I'm not even sure if anyone out there has the ability to sit through just one channel. I know I can do that if I'm really into a show but then I'd be flipping them during commercials. The sad part is that if I see another one I want to see, I'd end up in that channel until commercial break and then flip back to the previous one that I was really into. Oh well.. life is too short to decide on which show is better.

One day, I know I can get my body and mind to agree that we need to watch and follow what's on that tai chi tape. In the first place, that's why I bought it. In the meantime, I think I'll enjoy the channel surfing while I can. I know it wont be long before I'd get up and do those fluid movements in tai chi.

For Want Of A Nail...

"For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail."

The words keep echoing in my mind... all for want of a nail. Sadly, this is true in everyone's life. Everybody passes through a phase like this in life where the line between wanting and needing dims. In some ways, it all boils down to greed.. the craving for a better something. But I guess that is just human nature. The ability to screw things up no matter how well things are.

Contentment. A strong word. But it seldom happens. Look around. People are never contented with what they have. There's always something better. Be it in life itself or the way things are... personal things.. material things. Again, this is plain human nature at its best. Even the simplest person knows that there is always something better. The true test comes when the person has the ability to say no when the craving starts.

Men, by nature, is greedy and can never be contented. Man, on the other hand, can be self-restraining and be contented. It is just how things are. Life is how we make of it. And the bottom line is happiness. When one is contented with what he has or have, it goes to follow that he is happy. Thus removing the necessity for craving. Don't get me wrong. The craving is there. It's how one deals with it that changes one's perspective.

Be happy. No matter what life brings you. Your disposition in life makes things look more worthwhile. Always remember this line.. "All for want of a nail.. a kingdom is lost."

Day of Hearts

I know.. a lot of other folks will be writing about this day in their blogs today, tomorrow and the day after. Some will write about how good it will be. Some will write how good or how badly things went. And some will write about how their hearts were broken. So what else is new right? Well, considering that there's going to be a lot of things that will be written about Valentine's day, I may as well join the fray.

So what are my plans tomorrow? Oh, I have lots of plans but then plans are plans and can or will change. One thing for sure though. The prices of chocolates and flowers will skyrocket tomorrow. They've already spiked over the weekend. If I have my say, I'd visit the stores on the 15th to avail myself of all Valentine products at 90% discount. :) Call me cheap but hey.. nothing beats the price of twelve big chocolate bars for the price of one. Which reminds me.. I need to write a memo to myself to visit the store on the 15th. lol

I think we'll be going to Casa Ole tomorrow noon for a nice Valentine lunch. I hate to join the crowd for an evening out. Worse comes to worst, we'll probably end up at the Chinese place for a nice buffet dinner. lol I know it's not romantic but then again, there's nothing romantic with elbowing around with a huge crowd just to get a good seat. Plus with a huge crowd, I'm sure it would be noisy. There's just no place out here that could constitute a nice ambiance for a romantic dinner. Well maybe in my own house.

As they say, it's the thought that counts.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Attention Deficit Disorder or most popularly known as ADD is that kind of afflection wherein one can't seem to focus on one thing. Maybe that definition is just too broad but if you think about it, this is very much common in almost everyone though with varying degrees. Personally, I think everyone has it and just didn't realize this.

Okay.. okay.. I know some of you are already raising their objections over there. Trust me.. I was one of you. There was a time when I know I will raise heaven and hell just to get an argument to prove that I don't have it. Until a few weeks ago. Let me show you an example.

It was a Saturday morning and I woke up early with plans to go fishing before the motor boats scare the fish away in the lake. I got up at 6:00 am and went to the garage to get my fishing rods ready. While out there, I notice my cooler. I realized I need to put in some drinks and ice in there for the fishing trip. I brought it into the kitchen and placed some cans of soda and ice in it. Then I realize I had the last of them so I went to the Memo Board and added in the grocery list that we needed some more cans of soda. After putting the pen down, I noticed the week's mail lying by the desk. I reached out and went through them and found that I have to write the checks for the bills that needed to get sent that day. So I went to get my checkbook. I opened the first bill and saw that I can pay it through the internet, so I went online using my laptop. I went to my banking institution and was about to logon when I saw an IPO notice for Monday. I clicked on the IPO notice and it brought me to site which shows what stocks were going on sale that coming Monday. I checked on the stock's details and found a link to site that supposedly "will make you last a long time". Normally, I don't go to these sites but I kinda got challenged with what was being said. Besides, I don't want to feel inadequate.

After surfing for some time, I realized it was almost 9 am and I have to get back to my fishing. Chances are, the fishes are now hiding from people like me. So I went to the garage to prepare my fishing rods and realized that I have my cooler still in the kitchen. So I went to the kitchen to get the cooler and I realized I need to bring some chips since I still haven't had my breakfast. I went to the pantry and got the chips which was the last one in there. I decided to go to make a note in the grocery list at the Memo board. When I got there, I saw the other mails/bills I still have to make the checks to be mailed before lunch. I went to get my checkbook and saw the rest of the bills next to the computer. So I went and logged back on to finish the electronic bill payment. After doing so, I checked my email to confirm that the e-bills were okay and saw some emails worthy of being read against my better judgement. I proceeded to open them and I accidently clicked on a spam mail that was telling me I can "enlarge my manhood". Normally, I don't believe this kind of crap but hey, I'm a man and its my duty to see if I can in fact "enlarge my manhood". So off I went surfing on some sites that strokes my ego in more ways than one.

The next thing I know, it was 11 am and I still have to write those checks for the other bills not handled electronically. I went to the Memo board and got the other mail/bills that I need to work on. In my rush, the pen I was using slipped and went under the ref. I went down on my knees and saw the pen lying amidst the dust. So I went and got the broom and went back on my knees to reach for the pen. With one sweep, I got the pen out along with the dust from under the ref. So I decided that I may as well finish cleaning what's under the ref. With that done, I threw the dirt into the garbage can in the garage. There I saw my fishing poles and realized I need to be in the lake to catch some lazy fish before they start getting smarter.

So I went back in to get my cooler and chips when I saw the bills I need to get done before I leave. I sat down and finished everything and went to the post box to have the mailman pick them up for that day. By this time, I was also getting hungry since I haven't had breakfast and it was close to lunchtime. I decided to cook something and by the time I was done, it was lunchtime and the fish had probably went somewhere else.

Now, you all know the story doesn't end there but its a continuous loop wherein one thing that needs to get done gets pushed to the back on your list of things to do. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that experience.

Nyquil Works!

I came home Monday afternoon feeling a bit under the weather and at 4:00 pm was already in bed lying under the covers feeling chilly and miserable. The day started out fine and just ended quite horribly. I decided to take a dose of Nyquil to ease the misery and in a few minutes, I was off to dreamland with not a care in the world.

At 7:00 pm, I woke up a bit drowsy to get something to eat. I could have made do without but I'm a firm believer in my dad's philosophy wherein he states "we don't eat because we're hungry.. we eat because it's time to eat". After taking with what I though was my last meal, I decided against my better judgement to sit in front of the tv and watch a show I have been anticipating the previous week. With Nyquil clouding my already hazy brain cells, I sat in front of the tv at the start of the show and the next thing I knew, it had already ended and I didn't even had a peep as to what had happened. I should have just taped the whole thing but thanks to Nyquil, my whole brain ceased to function logically.

So off to bed I went and me being insomniac, I normally would wait for a few hours before I eventually drift off to sleep. But not that night. As soon as my body touched the bed, it was off to dreamland. The next day, a quick phone call to the boss allowed me some extra sleep time in bed. And pretty much stayed in it the whole day I did. Now am back to the corporate fortress I call the office. At least one day of being in bed makes me appreciate Nyquil some more.