Going furniture shopping

Posted on January 21, 2012 by andoyitok

After work today, I will be accompanying my supervisor as he goes furniture shopping.

After our major head office reorganization, there were some of us that were previously on ‘rotational’ schedule, that were now ‘localized’. By rotational, I mean that we work on a 20/8 schedule, or working for 20 days straight including weekends, and then having an 8 day break. Plane fare to and from work is shouldered by the company. And now that some of us have already been ‘localized’, we no longer have that schedule, and are now on a normal office working schedule of 5 workdays, and have the weekends off. Being localized also means that plane fare going home to our home bases would now be personally shouldered. I have been lucky to instead be sent out to the field, in preparation for taking our new positions as Wellsite Managers, or what is known in the Oil and Gas Industry as the ‘Company Man.’ I will now be on a 14/7 schedule, which means I get to go home more frequently than before!

My supervisor has decided to relocate his family near our head office and transfer his son to one of the nearby schools. Just last week, he has made a deposit for a 2-bedroom condominium unit and is now selecting the furnishings. He told me he had his eye out for rustic furniture, and was hoping to have those to adorn his new pad. I hope to be able to get some dog-safe frisbees after accompanying him furniture shopping. Yay!

Only 1 more week to go until my base off. I cannot wait! :)

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Just because

Posted on January 21, 2012 by andoyitok

I am feeling a bit spontaneous today. Perhaps I just woke up on the right (or wrong) side of the bed. However, not the kind of spontaneous to make me wanna go bungee jump. That one needs more than me waking up on the right side of the bed.

What I had in mind was buying and pampering Borski with these hand-made zoo animal chocolate pops. Why? Just because.

I wanna treat her to a week-long vacation, where she has nothing to do but just relax and enjoy, sipping a cocktail, and just lounging by the beach. She more than deserves it.

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Teach me how to frisbee

Posted on January 19, 2012 by andoyitok

Lately, having discovered illustrative video tutorials on dog training, I haven’t been able to put off from my mind my excitement at finally finding a ray of hope for my dog training skills. LoL. I have always been at a loss and quite frustrated at not being able to train our German Shepherd Dog Kobe how to fetch. He does go after a ball when you toss it, but he doesn’t return it back.

However, now that Kobe is quite ‘old’ at 9 years old, I am still quite positive that he will still be able to learn how to fetch. Last week, I went scouring around a known pet store area in Tiendesitas, and was surprised to find that in the 20+ stalls, there was only 1 stall selling a clicker!!

Growing up seeing and admiring German shepherds playing catch frisbee in the park, I have made it a goal to be able to teach Kobe or Rambo, our younger GSD, to learn how to fetch, and to catch a frisbee as a bonus, before the year ends.

Someday, soon…

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Out in the Real World

Posted on November 19, 2011 by andoyitok

Now that brother No. 5 is out completing his on-the-job-training (OJT) requirement for graduation, I am finding it particularly amusing how he is so simplistic at times. Just recently, I have learned that he had collapsed while he was on duty due to him not taking any breakfast before he reported for work in the hotel where he is doing his OJT. Seems like he has to get up early to be able to report for work on time, and (quite normally) during that time, nobody has gotten any breakfast ready for him. Low on funds, and, based on his account, the food at the hotel is out of reach of his pocket, all these factored in on that incident. That day, they were doing Banquet Staff Jobs for an official function. Good thing he passed out in the kitchen and not out in the function room.

I have since chided him to always have handy something to eat, and if he was trying to lose weight, this was NOT the way to go about it.

I am planning now to treat him to a food binge the next time we meet.

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Christmas Wishlist Addition

Posted on November 19, 2011 by andoyitok

Now that the Christmas season is just around the corner, I have to double time on populating my Christmas wishlist. Part of my wishlist at the moment now includes some cargo shorts (which surprisingly I am finding a scarcity of when I go through the dresser), as well as some cargo pants for some loose fitting gear when taking Prince and Hershey (our ever energetic Shih Tzus) for walks. I am due for another week-long break starting tomorrow, and I am so looking forward to walking with them and unwinding from yet another 3 straights weeks of being swamped with work.

Good news though is by January, I am going back to the field, for re-orientation back to field work, in preparation for actual field duty. Although I do have my own apprehensions with the pressure of field work (with the million-value decisions on the plate), but hey, this is where the big boys are, and this is but another opportunity to prove that I can run with the best of ‘em.

Now back to that wishlist, I have been thinking for quite a while now on getting another set of wide screen LCD TV for our bedroom, although I don’t think that we can fit that into our budget at the moment. For now, we are prioritizing paying off our existing loan, which would be the most sensible and practical thing to do. I was initially planning on getting a new laptop, as my current laptop is close to retirement, with the increasing frequency of screen flicker, to which the only solution I’ve had so far is to adjust the laptop screen on the swivel back and forth. It seems to work for only 10-20 seconds, and the flicker begins once more. Just like everything else, the new laptop will have to wait until we have settled our current obligations. Thank God, it is looking good so far, and we are on schedule.

Another item which I’ve set my sights on for quite a while now is the electric ohm sunglasses which I found online, specifically the gold frame with bronze lens. This less cheese more meat approach to styling allows the modern definitions to blend well with the Bronson-esque 70′s flow. It also is complete with 100% UV protection and 8 base polycarbonate lens. I am just wondering if this type of sunglasses would need an electric technician for maintenance, as I don’t think I can find anyone near.

Oh Borski, do we already have a budget for our Christmas shopping? :D

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I owe, so off to work I go

Posted on October 8, 2011 by andoyitok

Most of you familiar with the children’s tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves should know that the title of this post is a play on the dwarves’ song when they go out to work, leaving Snow White in their home.

“Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s off to work I go!”

On a more serious note, our motivation to work is as varied as they come. Ideally, it should be for the love of the work that you do. As they say, if you love your work, then you don’t have to work a day of your life. Sadly, such is not the case, as people do tend to get into a cycle of debt. It could come in the form of an investment, like a house and lot loan, or a car loan. People shouldn’t have to lose focus, and avoid falling into the pit, or the frame of mind that motivates you to wake up and show up for work just thinking of paying off the debt.

Having received my retirement pay earlier this year, we had gotten the chance to fully pay off our lot loans. But then, the Montero Sport got the better of us. LoL. It is not a decision I regret. Rather, it is an added reason to show up for work. It has not in any way diminished my zeal and excitement for my job.

Thank God for drilling engineering! :)

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Crossing out Shanghai from the list

Posted on July 17, 2011 by andoyitok

I am referring to the “Travel to…” list. Borski and I have gotten promo tickets to Shanghai, thanks to good friends and Borski’s former classmates Ron and Ivy, who booked us together with them when they found those. That time I got to have my passport stamped when I went on a company sponsored trip to inspect casings prior to its delivery in the country, I was at Tianjin City, a port city 112 kms southeast of Beijing. One of my colleagues, Eric, got to travel to Shanghai to also inspect major drilling tools that we were purchasing.

At that time, there was an ongoing expo involving many countries and he had gotten a chance to check out the various cultures on each country’s Tradeshow booth. Hopefully we can go to a similar tourist destination.

Time to browse and read up on what Shanghai has to offer. Hopefully, we can be able to post more pics also.

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Flexibility at its best

Posted on July 17, 2011 by andoyitok

Growing up, I remembered how it was to construct a house from the ground up. You could say that I’ve had my share of constructions, may it be from scratch, or simple renovating our existing space. Now that Dad has his hands full with the general construction business that he manages, Borski and I get to have more exposure on this industry.

The only other time that I encountered construction that was not from the ground up, was when we had our high school classroom ‘assembled’. We called that the demountable building, which was made from many parts, majority of which are from corrugated GI sheets. The design in itself was pretty much acceptable for an easy to assemble building, but as to the soundness of the structural design, hopefully it would stand nature’s tests. That was some 15 years ago. As far as I know, the building stands till now.

But even with improvements in the flexibility of constructing buildings and homes, I have yet to see a similar adaptation of a park model rv, which is common in the USA, perhaps their solution for cost-conscious individuals wanting to own a home. Hopefully, the official in charge of housing issues can take a look at this and offer the same option in this country.

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