a different Christmas...

While waiting for my mom to pack her things, I went around Glorietta to kill time. As I was browsing at National Bookstore (the newly opened one at Glorietta 5), I found myself tearing up as I heard a medley of Christmas carols being played at the background. It was my first time to hear Christmas songs playing in public (but not really a surprise since it's almost October already) and I was surprised at how much it hit me.

This will be our first Christmas without my dad :( The first time that he won't be around when we set up the tree and put up the lights outside...the first that I won't be stressing myself on deciding what gift to get him...the first time that it will only be the 5 of us around the dining table for noche buena (oh, make that 6 with Gabby!)...the first time that he won't wake us up early on Christmas morning and excitedly hand us our gifts...the first time that we won't be a complete family for Christmas breakfast.

And as I made my way out of the store, another realization hit me...this year, Lec won't be around as well. Though he was in Davao during the holidays last year, we were together preparing for it, doing our last minute shopping and enjoying the holiday rush. But this time, I won't have someone to share my favorite holiday with.

I don't know how I'd be able to enjoy the coming holiday season as much as I did the previous years, but for sure it will be different...

3Gs

Gossip Girl season 3

Glee season 1

Grey's Anatomy season 6

TV nights are back! :)

blah

That's how the past days have been. Just blah. The long weekend has come and gone and I just found myself playing catch, watching Blues Clues or putting Gabby to sleep. Not that I mind...it was really nice bonding with my nephew, seeing his cute antics and being smitten when he makes lambing and doesn't wanna leave my side, but aside from that, nothing much else happened. Work's pretty much the same. Still the same issues, same designs, same POCs and what not. What sucks though is he's not around anymore so it's quite an effort to go through the day and wait for the 9 hours to be over. Oh well.

I need a break. A long vacation of just doing nothing but relax and travel. Oh yeah. I wanna travel again.

I just hope I get out of this rut soon.

Seven

I almost forgot all about it until Ochie reminded me at the end of the day...today marks our 7th year in Accenture. Wow. We had the same thought - we're old! Hahaha. I can't believe that I've been working and have lasted this long in my first job. I can say that I've come a long way from that first day when I was still a JSE.

In fairness, I have a lot to thank for...7 years worth of laughter and tears, projects that I almost (or did!) cursed, colleagues who came and left, friends who touched my life, onshore experiences that I'll never forget, and finding that special someone who I'm hoping and praying will be there until the end :)

The question now is, who would still be here to mark the 8th year?! Hahaha.

:(

It was a day for goodbyes...well, almost...

As we took our regular morning fix of coffee, we realized that today is the last time that we'd say 'one short caramel macchiato and one triple grande soy no whip mocha'. I'll miss the baristas who know us by name and would ask 'the usual?' as they see us approaching the counter. I'll be laying off the caffeine for now.

And with that, a lot of 'lasts' happened today. It was the last time that I...

...dialed extension #26114
...answered my desk phone and heard 'hey dear' from the other end
...went down to the 21st floor to say good morning and head down to Starbucks to start our day right
...ended the day with him before heading home

Starting tomorrow, I won't have something...or rather someone, to look forward to anymore when I come in the office. I won't have someone to go to anymore when I just want to take a break from work. No one to share those little nonsense things that happened within the day. No one to simply make me smile with just a quick trip down the elevator.

Sigh.

:(

Surprise

I initially had second thoughts about throwing a going away surprise for him. I guess a part of me is still in denial that this is happening. But on the other hand, I can't let him go without doing something to make his last days memorable. So when Vane asked me the other day what they could get him as a going away gift, that's when I made up my mind...ok, I'm doing this!

We opted to hold our surprise this afternoon since he won't be in on Monday, and Tuesday will just be a blur coz it's his last day already. It was just a simple merienda but he had no idea at all, which made it quite special.

Thanks to Vane for keeping him busy and coming up with some excuse that needed him to stay behind after their meeting, we were able to buy some time to have all his teammates from Best Buy, and a couple of friends from the other projects assemble in the pantry. Not sure how he was lured to go to the pantry but by the time he came, we were all there and the look of surprise on his face was just priceless. Totally what I was aiming for.

One of our friends asked him what was his most memorable experience working in the company and I was happily surprised when he said that it would be the onshore thing coz that's when he met me, and without it, then there wouldn't be an 'us'. :)

He was really touched by the whole thing, and though he didn't show it to everyone, but he got teary-eyed and a bit choked up when he started his 'speech'. Goodbyes are really never easy.

Thanks to everyone who came, especially to Vane for orchestrating the meeting, Ochie for helping out with the logistics and Ling for rounding up the BBY peeps.

We still have a couple of weeks before he really leaves (though he'll be in Davao for majority of it), but I'm starting to miss him already...

Countdown

This is one countdown that I'm not looking forward to. As much as I don't want that day to come, it's getting nearer and nearer. Sigh. Can I just fast forward to about 6 months after and skip being away from each other? :(

there's always a first time...

I never watch tagalog flicks in the big screen. Don't get me wrong, I do watch them but only in TV or when a video of it comes out. But Friday night changed that when I found myself, along with Lec, Vane, Nes and Christian lining up in Shang to get tickets for...KimmyDora! Wahahaha. Pag kasama ko talaga si Lec, kung ano-anong firsts ang nagagawa ko! For the sake of love nga naman. Hahaha. I was quite apprehensive at first but what the heck, patulan na!

And the verdict? Winner! I was surprised that I actually found myself enjoying it. Hahaha. This was the first time that I got tired from watching a movie coz I was literally laughing from start to finish. Mag-r-recover pa lang kami from a funny scene when another one comes up again. I was sitting beside Vane and my gad, sumakit talaga tummies namin sa kakatawa. Even Lec was surprised that I was enjoying it so much. Hahaha.

In fairness, my first time was a success...oh, not to mention that Ate Shawie (yes, the megastar!) was in the same cinema with us! Naloka naman daw ang lolah Nes. Hahaha. It was really a fun night. If you want to just relax and laugh your heart out, this film will definitely do the trick. :)