Life Goes On..

A couple of us were in the office last night, past 8pm, typing away - trying to get the 500 emails down to a manageable handful. We knew this was wishful thinking of course, as one email sent out equals 5 emails coming in. This is the way of life for us in the buying office industry. We are so accustomed to unexplainable maths - where 1 minus 1 equals 5.

Anyways, we were chatting over our cubicles about the day's big event - the glorietta bombing. Glorietta - being a 5 minute FX ride away - was literally close to our hearts.
Amidst keyboards clicking, we tried to make sense of what has happened. The discussion being serious and earnest. This was no joking matter.

Then I realized something that we all have unknowingly accepted as part of our corporate lives - there we where, late at night - WORKING. Not even a bombing so close will get us to go home.

Talk about dedication.

Appreciation

My heart is bursting with happiness. My William Sonoma/Pottery Barn/West Elm buyers have made me feel so appreciated. It feels great to leave knowing that you did not disappoint.

I am posting their messages here for my sake - I know that whenever I feel low, I will need to remember that there will always be people out there who appreciates what I am doing.

-----Original Message-----
From: Brett Kladney
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 08:04 AM
It is with sweet sadness that I hear this news. I am very excited for you and your new projects! But It is with sadness as I will not be working with you!You have done such a great job for us, I greatly appreciate all that you have done for us here at Pottery Barn!Take care and hope to see you in the Phillipines!All my best,-- B

-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Millero
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 09:05 PM
Dear Kathie,
Congratulations on your new position! We will miss you!
Best Regards,
Frank Millero
Designer, Tabletop/Table linens

-----Original Message-----
From: George Vollmer
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 07:50
Kathie
We will truly miss you. You have been such a great asset to our team. We really appreciate all the support and help. Best of luck to you with your new endeavor at WECA.
Best
George
george vollmer sourcing director hardlines pottery barn kids

-----Original Message-----
From: Lina Restrepo
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 07:40
Kathie!!
I am CRYING! I am going to miss you so much. You have been a pleasure and joy to work with. You will be a huge asset to your new group. They are lucky to have you!
Best of luck! You will be missed
Lina

-----Original Message-----
From: Megan Patricia Smith
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 08:00 AM
Kathie- Best wishes in you new role at WECA.
We will miss you. You have been very patience with us through the easter basket nightmare.
All the best,
Megan

-----Original Message-----
From: Tracy Henderson
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 07:40 AM

Kathie – Where are you going??? We will miss you! You are so talented!
Best,
Tracy L Henderson Sourcing Manager, Pottery Barn Kids Dec Accessories

Early bird catches the ....

Got to work early. 7.02am to be exact.

Office quiet, only 1 overhead light turned on.

Ate Jo and Kuya Paul still down at the jolly jeep station waiting for breakfast to be served.

I was not bothered. It usually is this way when I come in real early.

So I walk towards my space thinking of the day ahead.

Saw a figure go out the other way. Didn't think twice about it.

Then I backtracked - wait! nobody else comes in this early!

Went back, looked at all the other cubicles and found no one.

It hit me. I just saw a ghost!

My head went all big, my hairs stood on all ends. I was near tears.

I casually walked out. When I reached the door, I walked faster.

Tried calling hubby, but he was not picking up. Probably still driving.

I waited outside, looking over the makati skyline. Wondering what to do next.

Got tired waiting. Went back in, turned on all the lights.

Back to my space, downloaded my emails and tried not to think about it.

Then Ate Jo and Kuya Paul arrived - only to confirm that indeed I was the only one in the office until they got back.

So that is how my day has started. How was yours?

Things happen

When I started looking for a job, my only requirement then was that it not be in Makati. I was still living somewhere North then, so Makati meant a really really loooooong ride.

So I ended up working for Sy's commercial bank, eventually moving on to lodge an almost solid ten-year career with a food ingredient manufacturer-exporter giant.

Then I did a short but successful stint with another manufacturer-exporter somewhere up in the rural mountains of Rizal.

For reasons I can only attribute to a Higher Being, I quit that job, got an interesting offer and I landed in Makati. The very place I wanted to stay away from.

Of course, logistics are different now. I live near the area.

And as if these small miracles are not enough, just when I am starting to want to move on, a new opportunity opens up. Talk about things happening at the right time and at the right place.

In my heart I recognize that all the decisions I have been making as I trudge along my life were guided decisions. I never know where the path I choose will lead me, but I know that wherever it will be, it is where I am planned to be.

Gail

Orange FUN Day

It's another fun FUN Day in school!

Gail was the color bearer for the Orange Simba Team.

All excited to go beat the Red Tigger team.

Cheering it up for the team

The Orange Simba Rythmic Dance Squad

My Will

I love to write. I have written a good number of stuff, but I am guessing that when I die, my most precious written piece will be this. My will. {Not that I am dying, but heck, we take out life insurances, why not do our will at the same time?}

======

* My cat, Muningning, I am entrusting to our househelp. (Assuming I happen to take on a cat, and if I do, I am pretty sure I will delegate the feeding and cleaning tasks to the help so it's really going to be technically mine - since I will be buying the catfood - but it's emotionally my yaya's cat}

* My boxes and boxes of fashion jewels and rolls and rolls of elastics goes to my favorite girl cousin, Inah, as she needs something to do at home when her Tatay and Kuyas scare the bejesus out of the guys wanting to date her.

* My collection of pirated cds and dvds I entrust whole heartedly to long-lost relatives who I see only when a relative meets the light.

* All my eletronic gadgets must go to hubby, since he was the one who bought them for me in the first place.

* My treasured lacoste bags will be the family heirloom - so my daughter gets them.

* My secret sinangag and pritong hotdog recipe will be a family kept secret, so I guess, my daughter is burdened with it.

* Hubby will also get my pochim (my thin cuddly pillow), my havaianas (we have the same size), my jurassic photo albums, my computer and all its viruses.

* My small collection of jewelries will be Gail's. So she has something of mine that she can wear everyday.

* My mom will get all my clothes, shoes and all the non-lacoste bags. Oh, and she also gets all those lotions, body scrubs, facial masks that I keep at the back of my drawer unused.

Sadly, these are all of mine that I can rightfully give away. Apparently, I am not much of a gold mine. Either I make so gaddang little money to buy more, or I just spend way too much on hot fudge sundaes.

Green Green Grass

"The grass is always greener at the other side of the fence".

Wherever we go, there's always someplace else that looks to be a whole lot better than where we are. But when we get there, we find worms and a bunch of critters. Then we go scooting over to another fence, searching for that greener grass.

It's a cruel truth - you will never find that green grass.

There will always be something amiss, something you prefer to be otherwise.

The search is fun, the travel exciting.

I think the trick is to know when to stop, enjoy the grass you landed on and have fun with what you have.

Eventually, when you get tired of it all, you pack up and go with a cheerful heart knowing you did good at your last stop.

Uno!

Gail has found a new past time. UNO! She's so good, I swear, I have not won one round against her - and I was not even losing on purpose!

A Day at Mommy's Office

I bring Gail to the office whenever I need to work on a Saturday. Multi-purpose activity actually - I get some work done, she gets to play with all the toy samples I develop and we get to go shopping afterwards! Really good quality bonding time for us!

Oh yes, she has soooo much fun at work!