The Short Work Week (this is not a rant)

This week is a short work week.  The Barangay and SK elections (a national holiday) were held yesterday (29 October) and we have two more holidays All Souls Day and All Saints Day on Thursday and Friday respectively.  And all we have left is today and tomorrow for work.  I am not complaining and this is not a rant.  In fact, I am perfectly happy that we have this short work week.  In principle, at least.

 

However, things at work have come to head because of this.  I was given two projects to manage and for turnover from the current Coordinator, and her last day of work is tomorrow.  Normally this would have been just a matter of paperwork but one of the projects have some updates needed on a daily basis -- at nine o'clock in the evening.  Additionally, some data clean up is needed before the update.  With only five branches, the data clean up could be done easy.  But once this is rolled out, the data clean up has to be automated. Less user intervention, less data errors and all that entails.

 

This will be a hectic two days.

 

And a dentist check up at the end of the week.

--andoy

30 October 2007

Naomi Singing "Dancing Queen"

Naomi singing "Dancing Queen."

--andoy
22 October 2007

Naneng, Darwi, Roselle and Naomi singing and dancing to FOOTLOOSE

Naneng was singing and dancing, with Darwi, Roselle and Naomi doing backup singer/dancer roles.

--andoy
22 October 2007

Naomi sings "Beauty and the Beast"

On the weekend before Bert left for the Middle East, we had a small get-together and Naomi sang "Beauty and the Beast." At her age, she's still pretending to read from the TV screen.


--andoy
22 October 2007

Saucony Shoes

The new shoes, the white ones are Kenneth's and the blues are mine. Courtesy of Albert. Thanks Bert!

--andoy

Saucony Shoes

Kenneth's first pair of Sauconys.

Saucony Shoes

New Saucony shoes

Mama's Birthday Weekend

Goofing off outside Gerry's Grill while waiting for a table.

Mama's Birthday Weekend

Roselle, Darwi and Naomi

And then they came for Mama's birthday

Over the weekend was my Mom's birthday.  And my sister Irene and brother Bert had to surprise her.  Irene arrived in the afternoon from Singapore.  And then Bert arrive around 9:00pm.  They just arrived without informing Mama beforehand.  That was fun.  We had dinner at Max's the following day.  Sunday afternoon, we had spaghetti in the afternoon merienda before going to Gerry"s Grill for dinner. 

 

Irene went back to Singapore Monday morning.  A quick stop, really.  And Bert will be going back to Qatar in another two weeks.  He's been abroad for more than three years.

-- andoy

20 September 2007

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea."  - R. Heinlein

Pictures from Mama's Birthday weekend

Irene, Mama and Darwi

Pictures from Mama's Birthday Weekend

Adora, Irene, Darwi, Roselle, me, Mama and Bert the night Bert arrived.

From MSN: 'Unchained Melody' Writer Hy Zaret Dies

I first heard this song from my Dad. Whenever he was driving he kept singing this song. But I guess he only sang this song when he wanted to keep awake while driving. Truth is, I'm not sure he even sings this song when there are more people in the car.

Back to the song... There was a Harry Belafonte version with a different stanza: "Lonely mountains soar..." I can't remember that one but I've been trying to find THAT particular version for a long time now. Elvis Presley sang it in one of his concerts, and U2 as well.

And even though the most popular version is by the Righteous Brothers, which version was included in the movie GHOST, I like the more sedate version of a straight ballad.

So now I know who wrote the song and when. Thank you, Mr. Zaret.

--andoy
4 July 2007

And in my head I am dancing...

Listening to CRASH INTO ME. Standing immobile with headset on
listening to nothing. With the music in the background. And in my
head I am dancing.

-- andoy
26 May 2007

LSS out of nowhere: Your Love by Alamid

Your Love

Artist - Alamid
Lyrics - Your Love

verse:
you're the one that never lets me sleep
to my mind, down to my soul you touch my lips
you're the one that i can't wait to see
with you here by my side i'm in ecstasy

pre-chorus:
i am all alone without you
my days are dark without a glimpse of you
but now that you came into my life
i feel complete
the flowers bloom, my morning shines
and i can see

chorus:
your love is like the sun
that lights up my whole world
i feel the warmth inside
your love is like the river
that flows down through my veins
i feel the chill inside

verse:
every time i hear our music play
reminds me of the things that we've been through
in my mind i can't believe it's true
but in my heart the reality is you

repeat pre-chorus and chorus

-=0=-

A slow day and you find people singing this song from out of the blue.
Even my kids sing this song. Maybe I really am getting old.

--andoy
25 May 2007

Dragonfly

Dragonfly
(Magne Furuholmen)

I will never let you down
I will always be around
In the time we are here
We'll see love disappear
Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, dragonfly

I will never bring you down
I will always stick around
I will heat you when you're cold
In the time we have left
We'll raise eyes to the sky
Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, dragonfly

Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, fly, fly dragonfly

-=0=-

Another LSS.

--andoy
3 May 2007

I have nothing against Manny

During the weekend and on till Monday, the news was all about Manny
Pacquiao. (Well, there was this little piece about the First
Gentleman Mike Arroyo, but the only way he would have grabbed the
headline would have been if he had died. Which I don't believe would
happen anytime soon. Not in the next twenty or thirty years, in
fact.) But sorry to say, I have not watched any of his matches. I
have never wanted to watch any of his matches as a matter of fact.

Frankly, he may be good and worth his weight in gold, but the only
reason I am writing about him now is that he is falling into a
classical trap where people (specifically politicians) are fawning and
falling all around him and he is beginning to believe his own
propaganda. The worst that can happen to him and to his province is
if he wins the election as a congressman.

Imagine a guy with the potential to earn upwards of 100 million pesos
a year net, for the next six years, going into politics and be used by
countless politicians (including Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Chavit
Singson and Lito Atienza). He may be rich but the riches he has
earned and the "good" name (naive and innocent in politics) might not
be worth it. I think Gabriel "Flash" Elorde made the right decision,
he stayed away from politics and just lived quietly with his own
boxing gym.

Which reminds me of what Dolphy keeps saying whenever he is asked if
he will ever run for office. He always answers "eh kung manalo?" To
which a Marxist answer would be something of the sort: "but we've
already booked the Quirino Stadium for the victory celebration."
Paraphrasing Groucho Marx, that is.

Oh well. If we have senators like actors Ramon Revilla and his son
Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Joseph Estrada and his son Jinggoy Estrada, Lito
Lapid, and Tito Sotto as well as basketball players Freddie Webb and
Robert Jaworski, and now we have Cesar Montano and Richard Gomez
running for the post, maybe we do deserve Manny Pacquiao in Congress.
I have no idea what he'll do there, but I do know he's going to be in
a better position as a boxer rather than as a lawmaker.

--andoy
19 April 2007

New things; old things

There've been a lot of things happening. Some odd and unexpected. Others are just plain weird but should have been happening for a long, long time.

I was riding a jeep home one day, when I saw this guy, a vagrant, a "taong grasa", walking the empty street going to the Marikina Engineering offices. He was practically naked, except for his briefs. He may have been dirty all around, but his briefs was not as dirty. It was not brown or gray. It was pink.

As the jeep passed him (and he was going in the same direction as the jeep) I didn't have the sense to look back. I guess it was shock. More of a shock because of the pink briefs.

And during that same week, as I was walking around the mall, and into a Watson's store, there was this "matrona" who was walking around talking on the phone. It looked like a regular desktop phone. Except that she was walking around lugging around the phone. I didn't really pay much attention to it at the time. It could have been a Bayantel or Globe wireless phone. What grabbed me was that after the phone call, and not being able to stow the phone in her bag, her cell phone rang.

I just had to ask myself, up to what extent people want to be in touch with other people. I've seen a woman on the commute to work sending text messages, on two phones, at the same time. One cell phone in each hand. I didn't care if these were the same message or not.

And before the cell phone text explosion came along, I saw a guy on the corner of Ayala and Paseo de Roxas, talking over two phones. He had another cell phone on his belt as well as a pager. I did say it was way, way too long ago.

Again , I wonder up to what extent people would want to get in touch with other people. I have no idea about that answer.

--andoy
16 April 2007

LSS: PLEASE DON'T GO , KC and the Sunshine Band.

PLEASE DON'T GO
H.W. Casey and R. Finch

I love you
Yeah
Babe, I love you so
I want you to know
That I'm going to miss your love
The minute you walk out that door

(Chorus)
So please don't go
Don't go
Don't go away
Please don't go
Don't go
I'm begging you to stay
If you leave
At least in my lifetime
I've had one dream come true
I was blessed to be loved
By someone as wonderful as you

(Chorus)
Hey, hey, hey
Yeah
Babe, I love you so
I, I want you to know
That I'm going to miss your love
The minute you walk out that door
So please don't go
Don't go
Don't go away
Hey, hey, hey
I need your love
I'm down on my knees
Beggin' please, please, please
Don't go
Don't you hear me baby
please don't go

Don't leave me now
Oh, no, no, no, no
Please don't go
I want you to know
That I, I, I, love you so
Don't leave me baby
Please don't go

Copyright (c) 1975 , 1976 sherlyn publishing co
Harrick Music, INC

-=0=-

Man, I am getting old. hahaha This was a popular song when I was
still in high school. We actually slow dance to this song. Now, I
think those who went to high school during the late 70's slow dance to
this, very very slowly. hahaha

In a way, this song is a goodbye song. There've been songs which
sampled portions of the first stanza and chorus. Come to think of it,
it's not a bad goodbye song. A fun song for all that. Reminds me of
memories dancing slow.

Man, I really am getting old.
--
--andoy
15 November 2006

Another LSS: "Once In A Lifetime" sung by Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman
Once in a lifetime

Cuando anochezca
Te esperare
Quiero volverte loco esta noche
Con la luna llena
Te esperare
Hoy moriras entre mis brazos
Nunca soñaste algo igual

(When the night falls
I will wait for you
I want to drive you crazy tonight
With the full moon
I will wait for you
Today you will die in my arms
You never dreamed about something like this)

Let me dive in
To pools of sin
Wet black leather on my skin
Show me the floor
Lay down the law
I need to taste you more

Refrain:
Then I feel your sea
Raining down on me
Can this be my once in a lifetime
Hell's at heaven's door
As I need you more
You know you're my once in a lifetime

Todo tu cuerpo temblara
Pero esta vez, es realidad
Aunque el tiempo pase
Nunca, nunca lo olividaras
Sera
Solo una vez en tu vida

(All your body will tremble
But this time it will be real
Though time passes by
You will never, never forget it
It will be
Only once in your lifetime)

When you take me
And make me cry
Then I feel you satisfy
Show me the cage
It's all the rage
And lock it up

Found a part of me
That's a mystery
That will be just once in a lifetime
When the moon is high
Passion never dies
Will you want me for all a lifetime

Once in a lifetime
Once in a lifetime
Once in a lifetime

Giving you my soul
Letting you control
Took away a part of my lifetime
Memories of you
Left me black and blue
Now I know you're once in a lifetime

Refrain

Found a part of me
That's a mystery
That will be just once in a lifetime
When the moon is high
Passion never dies
Will you want me for all a lifetime

Refrain

Found a part of me
That's a mystery
That will be just once in a lifetime
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Music: Peterson, Schwarz, Meissner
Lyrics: Peterson, Brightman

-=0=-

--andoy
28 October 2006