hatch day remembered

Another year came. And went.

But slightly not quite the usual treatment this time.

Took a day off Friday and headed down for some serious relaxing with palms and sand and breeze, come haze or hellwater. Suuuuch a nice feeling that I nearly forgot how much I needed to get away for a while. It wasn't the beach that I missed and felt such release, it was the feeling unravelling as I was walking that I am at a totally different environment and away from all that sickening madness in the office.

That was what felt clear and soothing about getting away. Even for just a day.

Of course work is a conniving unsinkable siren, keeps coming back in flashes and sparks and you can't rid of it. Still, managed to read like gazillion pages off books so felt accomplished at that. Just lazed about, then went home to change and headed for din with sis at Billy Bombers, which kind off bombed but not in a lousy way.

Saturday was spent watching DVDs and then popped over to Gene and Wee's for a little get together. They prepared stuffed spring chicken and couscous for me - yum. There was also this weird butter fruit (alas not butterbeer, and tasted like hardened papaya!), and then voila! a petite but perfectly rich not too sweet double chocolate praline cake from Swiss Bake. Followed by gelato. AND grapes and strawberries. Niiiiice.

For me pressie (which I prewarned him NOT for heaven's sake to get me another book or book voucher) Gene picked me 2 luscious pieces of clothing from projectbloodbros. And it was so tasteful - am so touched and glad that he is so instinctive about what I like. Loved the card and what they and Dorothy wrote in it too.

It was a wonderful feeling - small cosy group and simple tasteful setting and ample room for talk, gripe and laugh. We ended up not watching any DVDs which was fine as the baby was fidgety so Gene drove us home early and I got to sleep in early.

* * * * *

Monday, yesterday, was plain rush shit.

Period.

Tomorrow and the rest of the week is going to be lousy.

Gotta run over some stuff later on for the new girl and other work chasing to be done tomorrow.

Breathe and let it slide over gradually. Let's look to the weekend. And back to another fact.

That I spent some quality and unforgettable time and company with people that matter to me.

(relegated to the archives now)

"Be anything but a coward, a pretender, an emotional crook, a whore: I'd rather have cancer than a dishonest heart."

"I saw a place in Mexico. With horses. By the sea."

- Breakfast at Tiffany's

gotcha catcha

Usually dignified doyennes and dapper dauphins in dishy fur caught dans le moment de folie supreme... ;o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHJ9eUkjWgY&mode=related&search=

mumbles to meself on another saturday after work when i shouldn't be - again...

It's become ingrained in me going back to work on Sats when you don't need to that I've developed a guilt reflex if I don't. I'd rather polish the poo today and I'd feel better afterwards.

Mike says I'm totally Dark Side now and worries for my soul so I asked evenly if he's gonna pay my household bills, expenses, meals and everything else that comes along for life to save my soul. Grave silence. Right, next topic...

[Aside note: not read a single headline or watched the news in like 2 weeks so when Mom told me about the kidnap whatchamacallit of kids in Italy (or was it Spain?) and other bits of juice I just gapped like a fish at her to which she rolled her eyes with her tone of voice. I am like so totally clueless and out of touch with the world lor.]

I digress.

Anyway, it's one of those Strange Mystical Threads playfully at work yesterday.

I didn't feel like heading home after leaving the office but don't know where I should go.

Now where to go, oh ok go Sentosa for lazy short lie-down by the beach and breeze, been a long while and got me trusty murder book. And it's a boon we're connected to NEL at the office.

But when I surfaced at the gates:

WHAT THE FUCK??!! Hoardes of fucking irritating humans jamming, packing, shouting, screaming at the station - why the FUCK did I want to in the first place? Free show here??

Fuck, spoil my night only, so damn testy now. Keep walking lah, get decent dinner at HarbourFront and then home time. Eeeyyy... What's this detour here hah, never see before last time leh. What the fuck, new place, how come I don't know one?? Follow lah, so interesting, let's see what gives lah...

...Aiya, I thought what, man - that In-Vitro Wee-Woh City thingie only lah. Today got opening meh, what the big bloody deal. Half of Singapore nothing better to do than come here for fuck? (Yeah, and I am here lor...)

Nothing much to see one, shops not even fully open, fuck. Ok lah, ceiling very high lor, nothing else impressive, just like another shopping mall mah, what is the fucking deal?

Alamak, only 4 fucking storeys?? That's it?? Shit!!

Oi, here got glass panels one!! Can go out not? Can leh! Wah piang, got people walking outside one somemore. Go out and see lah, then fuck off from here lah.

I like didn't fuck off till nearly 1 hour later lor, walking around the top level of that In-Vitro City. Damn hazy lor, but quite a sight. Glad I came, crowd pulling and instincts notwithstanding.

Ok, happy lark now. Too hazy for Sentosa, where going to now? Ah, got coupon, hop down to Borders, see lucky or not got that Blue Man album on sale. So exciting. Not hopeful lah but nevermind. Go and see first and pick up anything I fancy by chance...

Got ah!! Buy lah, don't wait anymore! Got damn good MTV also: http://www.blueman.com/multimedia/video/index.php?vid=singalong&q=hi

Nice weekend there. Got me sights, me CD, me mooncakes to indulge...

It'll probably be downhill from tomorrow on...

:o

full moon early christmas

Yesterday ended up a good day.

Literally.

Had to go back to the Tunnel and Control again cos gotta show the agency guys around for orientation and film crew for recce on decent spots and angles, so it was a good half day wasted with no cases cleared and done and don't even expect your cover to chip in help out on a FRIDAY lor somemore.

And then before lunch while waiting for the gals, had to be bumped into by Her Majesty. But this time not caught off guard so SMIIIIILED mega watt big time and made sure I ENUNCIATED Her name lor and wished her good lunch. Phew...

And then at lunch office politics reared its ugly head (or heads?) though all so subtlely lor - gosh sooo soon??? They barely even started working seriously together and I'm already smelling gunpowder. Man, I am so trying NOT to get caught in the crossfire lor.

And then the Tunnel. Sweaty, sticky, sapped up your energy. 'Nuff said.

And then just on reaching the office after long tedious journey from site, had to bump into Her Majest AGAIN and luckily flash the mega watt amd waved. Seemed ok (or she just plain egging to go home and light lanterns??).

And then was about to settle some stuff when my DD called on mobile to tell me Christmas came early for me and of course I thanked her... Then decided, what the fuck, am dead beat, just leave for the day and come back on Monday and die lah, don't care already...

And then rushed calmly to Clarke Quay cos am soooooooo fucking late for dinner with Gene and Wee, felt sooo bad as we haven't met in like a century and he's driving us somemore.

A long drive back to his pad but things weirdly started to turn for better. Cooed and cheered up the baby - my god, soooo big now - and ate and chatted like old times with tasteful music.

Wee's tres superb arugula and gourmet bacon pasta, prepacked pizza, pickled olives, Limonade with lemon slices (damn shiok!), ultra delish seaweed (from Thailand eh, brader!) doritos and Swensons ice cream mooncake.

And Wee's idea that we light paper lanterns!! So thoughtful, she bought 1 for everyone, even their boy. Felt weird at first but turned out quite nostalgic. The spooky photos in the dark Gene took of us were a riot. Gene made us twirl our lanterns - are you crazy! wait set your carpet and house on fire ah! - and his got wiped out first, such childishlike thrill. Mine lasted longest - does it mean anything or just nothing??

And a nice loooong catching up with Wee while Gene snored his nose off on the couch with the cat snuggled under his hand and the TV blaring on. It was great talking to Wee alone-but-not-so-alone again and talked about stuff under the moon, I ALWAYS enjoy chatting with Wee, missed that a lot after the baby came and so when she looked really beat we decided not wake Gene up and I left at 1 and cabbed home.

Yeah, yesterday ended quite well for me.

limbo

For the past week, I feel like I'm on this little schooner bobbing up and down on temperate waves at sea under cloudy skies with faint rays nursing a sore neck and a throbbing eyeball.

That about sums it up.

I don't know if they'll renew the contract on my terms but in any case I let the dice rest where it rolls. I'm just not dizzy with expectation anymore.

They've got plans worked out with me in the big picture next year and while I appreciate the candour (or maybe just patronising?) in including me in the works, frankly I'm just not quite keen anymore or looking forward to dealing up close and personal with management and the mountain of work behind me threatening to topple and overwhelm any moment, which I am already foreseeing and partially living it. For starters, the thought of having to steer the monstrous annual report after watching one of my colleagues labouring over that protractedly painful birth for 9 whole months - literally, no puns intended - driven to distraction and stressful bits is enough.

So in lieu of my reaction the new boss comes by after everyone's gone home and gives a vague pep talk and another day the colleague tries to prep you up, trying to make you see 'the light', as chalking up for that 'career advancement in the resume', and all that jazz speech.

In the face of their attempts, I smile wanely and nod and twitch the corner of my mouth and roll my eyes in my mind.

Whatever.

For the past few nights, I've been unconsciously recapping some PageMaker and InDesign functions and vaguely recalling some editing preparation steps. And thinking of my editor friends a lot more than I usually would...

I'll see what the next month brings.

(Like another trip back to the Mask for a neck and shoulder massage would be sweet...)