Take Me As I Am

Lazy Girl

Monday ... back to work supposedly. But I extended my glory day just one more. Still reeling from that warm, cozy, happy, lazy feeling from yesterday.

And no thanks to my husband's indulgence, instead of pushing me to work, he called our company's sick hotline on my behalf...

("Hi, this is the husband of MJ, with agent ID # so and so. She can't come to work today because she's sick ..." (and tired of her job) {omitted} ha, ha!

One Fine Day

Last Sunday (Feb. 25) was by far the best day in my life this year. No, nothing special to celebrate about. It was just an ordinary day that we turned extra-ordinary special.

You see, after days of experiencing stomach flu symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, body pains, fever, etc.), my family has just had about it. (I said symptoms coz we never really knew if what we had was stomach flu – we didn’t go to the doctor - it’s useless here in Canada, unless it’s an emergency; but not “emergency” in your own point of view, but “emergency” by the hospital’s standards, and even then, you’d still have to wait several hours to be accommodated).{Grrrr!}

But anyways, that particular Sunday was when our family had the greatest time of our life:

We slept in till 8:00 am (Sorry to say we missed Mass; Well, only because kids were still recovering, plus there was a bit of a snowstorm so no good to sacrifice health. Ok, ok! no excuses).

We ate breakfast all together for the first time (we usually feed the kids first before my husband and I grab a bite, and usually that bite is what’s left over by the kids on their plates.) {sigh!}.What we did was place baby J8k (with his seat) on top of the table, Jaq on his high chair, JM on her booster seat, and well, JJ is already 5 so he usually sits with us. We fed baby J8k and Jaq while savouring our meal of bacon, eggs, rice, soup and hot drinks – first time I actually enjoyed a meal coz it wasn’t left over. :)

We watched “Little Mermaid” together (newest addition to the kids’ DVDs, so no wonder it’ll be the favourite movie for a month or so, or until the DVD no longer plays well coz of too much scratches).

We played Monopoly together – me and JM vs. JJ, Jaq, J8k and Daddy.Of course, we beat the guys dead bankrupt – twice!!!! Girls rule! ha, ha!

We took a family nap together – all cozy tucked in our double bed, except baby J8k, of course, who slept in his crib.

What else did we do? Oh yes, my hubby and I, ummmm .... can't tell … x-rated (naughty grin)

Oh, well I couldn’t recall every bit of event that happened that day.But one thing’s forever stuck in my heart and memory … JOY! (Ah, life is simply wonderful!)

Mean Girl - Part 2

I must have downplayed the racism of Ms. RS (Racist Slut from Mean Girl – Part I) too much that I have portrayed myself as a very judgmental person.

Take note: I didn’t judge Ms. RS based on her status. Heck, I couldn't care less even if she were a hooker infected with HIV or any STD for that matter… she could still be a friend. It was because of the animosity that she showed towards the group that really irked us.

One would think that racism is a thing of the past till you experience it first hand and smacks you right on the face. Here in Canada,it’s subtle but widespread, particularly in the workplace.

But I’m far too content with my life to be bothered by such behaviour. I just felt compelled to write something mean about Ms. RS for all the Neeta’s and Greta’s out there who at one point in their lives, have been unjustly looked down upon and discriminated against by reason of their color, and who did not have a broader avenue to voice out their minds. I hope I have vindicated them in one way or another.

Oh, by the way, Ms. RS’s attitude cost her her job coz she didn’t have anything to back her superior complex other than her color, not even her so-called “intellectual capability”. ‘Twas to the delight of everybody in the campaign group! Good riddance!

Mean Girl - Part 1

I’m back to my old habit of being mean.

There’s this lady in my campaign group (she’s white) and who didn’t want to mingle with us brown people (me, pinoy and the others from East Indian background). I’ve tried a few times to get her to join in our conversation but she always kept her distance and would only join a few others (all men) who didn’t have any accent. Seemed like a bit of racist, if you ask me.

Then we found out a major flaw in her – she’s a divorcee with 3 kids fathered by 3 different guys! No wonder she preferred the company of guys and comes in to work dressed like a slut, coz she is one!

A racist slut. What a fine combination!

I’m soooooo mean, I know!

The Downside

I’m beginning to like my new job. Just today, I was the top grosser in my group. (To tell you the truth, I just got lucky with my calls coz most of them were students). I like the promise of bonuses and other perks.

But the thing is ….

I miss my husband. I miss cuddling up with him, kissing, talking about practically anything, watching movies with him, or just being together doing nothing.

I miss my kids …. hearing their boisterous laughter as well as their shouting, whining, kissing their sweet little faces, tickling, playing with them.

You must understand, I have been a stay-at-home Mom for the longest time, so, being away from my hubby and kids for more than 8 hours is a great deal.

This new job of mine has this crazy hours like 9-5, 1-9 and 10-6. Oh, I can’t wait till the training’s over so I could have a permanent shift of 3-11. Or much better yet, just to win the lotto so we don't have to work! (wishful thinking).

Just Perfect

Some eyebrows will surely raise when I say my family life is perfect. But it’s true!

I F : You don’t measure life’s success by the world’s standards.

You see, I got a very loving husband, who to this day looks at me like I’m the sexiest woman alive (well, I’ve gotten really plump since my wedding day, what with 4 kids and all). But that's how he makes me feel with his ever tender love and passion; I’ve got 4 beautiful, healthy, normal kids (by normal I meant whining, tantrums, silly fights … kids who send our BP level sky-rocketing high on any given day).

And that’s all I ever needed in this life.

HOWEVER: We are flat-broke.

Should that count as imperfection? I think not. Life is just as perfect with or without $$$.

But then again, it wouldn’t hurt to have some.

Kill Billy - Part 2

Well, most of you already know that my data entry career was cut short becoz of my amazing typing speed of 7 numbers per minute. So, now I was faced with a very difficult question:

Did I earn enough to cover the costs of my Iman, Revlon and Elizabeth Arden cosmetics which I bought particularly for my comeback to the career world? (As a stay-at-home mom, I was content with just using Johnson’s baby powder and red sourburst for a lipstick).

The answer is (sigh) NO! So, the obvious solution would be to find another work. Naturally, I couldn’t kill my agent as yet coz I needed her to get me a new job. In any case, it was back to square 1 again in online applications.

I was fired Wednesday, got 2 testing and interviews on Friday, and the following Monday, I was starting a new career in

(drum rolls pls)

Call Center-Outbound!

What the heck do I know about call center? But hey! I gotta stay focused on my goal: to offset the costs I spent on my cosmetics. Go figure!

Don't Judge This Book By Its Cover

One of my co-workers in the data entry job I had was this nice, chubby, middle-aged lady. She’d sit and do her job meticulously then read mags during break. She’s very friendly though coz she knew everybody there by name.

First impression: quiet, reserve, shy, just like a mom (though she’s unmarried). You know, somebody you’d respect.

Everyday, I learned tiny bits of pieces about her. And you know what? She’s nowhere near enough my first impression description of her. Quiet? Reserved? Shy? Heck, no! She had her driver’s license suspended once coz of her reckless driving; She’s a member of a nudist colony; She’s got tattoos; and she even had breast reduction done. Beat that!

But I love her. I admire her. She’s intellectual, funny, free-spirited.

I sure miss her, along with a few other co-workers there whom I’ve gotten so close with.

(I swear, I really am gonna kill my agent for this).

Kill Billy - Part I

Several factors forced me to get out of my little cozy warm cocoon and join the workforce. So there I was, back to square 1 in signing up with placement agencies.

A week before Christmas, my agent sent me to this nightshift job which I thought was an admin position. Cool! At first it was ok. You know, clerical stuff. Nothing I haven’t done in the past. By the 3^rd week, I pretty much ‘mastered’ most of the tasks.

And then they started with this account where you had to key in figures (naturally, using the numeric keypad). I was struggling so hard to type the numbers right but my co-workers were typing like maniacs!

How I managed to land myself to a Data Entry position was really mind-boggling to them. Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! Data Entry, you say? I never applied for a data entry thing. Had I known in the first instance that it was data entry job, I wouldn’t have bothered. Data Entry, my neck! Sure I could type faster with alphabets. But numbers? No way! I’ve hated figures all my life. Heck, I don’t even know my multiplication table. I’d never survive this job.

Sure enough, my ass got kicked on my 4^th week there.

I swear I’m gonna kill my agent for this.

Panicked!

A fortnight ago, I had the greatest scare of my life.

My 3rd child, Jaq, had developed a fever due to teething. His fever was not that high, only about 38 or so. Nevertheless, I gave him some Tylenol, but I did not administer the medicine as prescribed (every 4 hours). The last dose I gave was around 11pm.

During the night, I heard him giggling in his sleep. "Probably just dreaming", I thought. Then at about 5am, he woke up. He still got a slight fever so I let him sleep beside me in our bed (he still sleeps in his crib). Shortly thereafter, it happened.

I felt the bed shook and I thought that he was giggling in his sleep again. When I turned to look, his whole body was twitching violently, his eyes were rolling ... goodness me! he was having a seizure.

Then, I did the most STUPID thing to do in case of an emergency ... I panicked! I picked up my son and screamed "Call 911, call 911" to my friend who was sleeping in the other room. For what seemed like eternity, my son shook heavily in my arms. Then, he went limp. I swear I thought he had died in my arms, and my heart just stopped beating. I just stood there helplessly cradling my child, calling out his name over and over.

He regained consciousness a little while later; paramedics came, and off we went to the Emergency; my hubby followed (soon as he arrived from his graveyard shift); all blood tests turned out ok, and there seemed to be no cause of panic ... "just a febrille seizure", doctor said. Normal occurence in 1:25 kids.

Still, it was the most frightening thing that ever happened to me. I realized that I am no superMom after all. With 4 kids, I should have been more experienced, but I wasn't. Should have known better, but I didn't; I felt so ill-equipped with the usual know-hows of a mom. I felt so terrible.