the Wednesday habit

i'm glad i'm doing it again! since high school, i've been going to church every Wednesday but somewhere along the way, i stopped. when my zach got sick, i prayed for his fast and complete recovery and i "promised" that when he gets well, i will revive my Wednesday devotion. today, i heard the novena mass with mama who's also a devotee herself.

certified mall rat

that's what i am! even if don't buy anything, mall visits are so therapeutic to me.

i particularly like going to ayala. i don't get tired going to ayala everyday. i went there twice today and i'm glad i'm done buying Christmas gifts for my office manito and close friends. i am still thinking of what to give my dearest hub and parents. although they always say i should not bother giving them gifts, it's still nice if you have something to open on Christmas eve (which, i hope will be my day off from work). i don't have any problem about what to give my little ones, i have a lot of choices to choose from. it's just a matter of what suits my budget.

i love malls, among other things =)

p.s. marti must have noticed how i frequent the malls. one time when her yaya went on 'vacation leave', minoy looked after her and around noontime that day, she was already crying looking for me. they drove to IT park and waited for me to get off from work. since it was already almost an hour and i was still working, minoy told her that they will just go home 'cause mama already went home. she replied "no dy, she's in ayala."

gratitude list (11.21.2008)

* 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep

* waking up with marti and zach on top of my tummy

* zach turning 19 months old today and slowly getting his groove back :)

* my fourth month at convergys

* a senior-citizen dad who drives marti to school

* fetching marti from school

* lunch with marti and yaya and kaith

* 2 hours at fully booked with marti enjoying a lot of their children's books

* finally replacing the car's old tires

* buying gifts for my friends (based on their wish list)

* being able to collect the needed amount of urine for zach's urinalysis

* getting a pair of shoes (in my fave color) at half the original price

* a bowl of peanuts after dinner =)

* finally reading books again

* family and friends

* being alive

happy 19th!

happy 19th month, zach!

i thank the Lord and Mama Mary for your recovery and i pray that they will bless you with good health and always keep you safe.

i love you more than you'll ever know.

hsbc

i've been an HSBC credit card holder for over 5 years now. i've been loyal to them 'cause they have good service and they always approved my request for waiver of annual fee without having to use my rewards points and they're one of the few who offer zero interest for installment plans. but this loyalty will end in a few days.

i was surprised when i got my recent bill yesterday and saw that the due date is already on the 26th. it's so crazy that their due dates change every so often and they don't even bother to inform the cardholder. when i first started over 5 years ago, my due date had always been every 6th of the month (for purchases made on the 16th onwards of the previous month) so i scheduled my purchases in such a way that i could pay my dues using the pay i got every 30th. i noticed last year that the due date was moved to the 3rd. i didn't complain 'cause it was still covered by my 30th pay. then the past few months, the due date was changed again to every 29th of the month. this started to bother me 'cause i'd have to pay a day late if i use my 30th pay but i was too busy to give them feedback. this time, however, i could not take it anymore. i mean, how could one change the due date that often without any notice?! you get your bill on the 19th and payment is already due a week after (26th)! since i am just a corporate slave, where the hell will i get the money when pay day is still on the 30th! they're definitely screwing up my "financial positioning"/liquidity =) if i do ot get to pay on the 26th, they will be penalizing me with late and finance charges. oh well, that's how they earn anyway. and so, i am having my card cancelled after more than 5 years of loyalty.

i know it's not the fault of the customer service agent i spoke to but i really gave her a piece of my mind. worse is she tells you there's nothing she can do as it is system-generated. i know that, what i was just trying to say was escalate my concern and feedback to the proper authorities. and then she further tells you " ganon naman po talaga kami, nagbabago ang due date depending on how many days are there in a month. " what!? how come citibank and bdo do not do that when i guess they're using the same calendar as you do!

i don't know how you feel about it but for me, it's simply crazy and customer-unfriendly!

gratitude list (11.20.2008)

* not having to wake up early, today being my day off from work

* lingering in bed with the kids

* my little boy waking up with fever and lbm gone

* time spent at the mall with my folks and my little girl (we didn't bring the little boy since he just got well)

* buying a new AC after our 5-year old one gave up on us and getting a free stand fan with the new purchase

* being able to pay my BDO visa dues before the due date

* dinner and coffee and laughter with kaith and malou. chin was too tired and sick to join us

* hanging out with kaith outside fully booked, can't wait for their opening tomorrow =)

* driving around with kaith

* exchanging text messages with minoy, stella and aileen

* birthday gifts from kaith and malou. they're lovely, exactly what i wanted to receive =)

* being asked for my wish list for Christmas

* a jack-of-all-trades dad (he set up the new AC and fixed our bathroom faucet today)

* lactose-free milk for my little boy

* getting home safe

* the gift of family and friends

new beginning

welcome to my nth blog account! :)

since i got introduced to blogging, i have created at least 3 blog sites to date. haha. as if i write regularly.

for this one, my friends kaith and ben "inspired" me to try it. and i hope that at this new home, i will be writing more and will be writing well ;-).