cause of my headache...

Not only I've been sitting in front of the computer since lunch time, I also tried digiscrapping early tonight. No wonder, by 9pm I needed to take an Advil. Hehehe...

Digiscrapping is something I've intended to start on months ago. I've actually downloaded some stuff which I could use in my layouts. But it's only today that I actually started to work on something (after I got bored bloghopping, hehehe). And these are my first two layouts:

For both layouts, it took me approximately an hour each to finish. Imagine, I stopped thinking about the wedding and did these instead? Well I had fun anyway. And this new hobby (if I decide to keep on digiscrapping until I get bored doing the same thing) might take too much of time. As if there is more than enough time to spare. We'll see.

Credits: Except for the pictures, all other designs aren't mine. For the first project: button by Lindsay Riches, frame by Lynnie Smith. For the other designs, sorry I failed to note where I got these from as I have downloaded the items weeks ago. I have no intention to own the designs and to even sell my projects.

The first project is for Shay (Rissa and I took it upon ourselves to call her that!). She is the new addition to our college barkada family. :) I had to wait to capture this shot! No regrets! The second one is Rian, my godchild and daughter of my highschool bestfriend. Such a cutie!

That's it! Time to conceptualize the next digiscrapping projects!! :)

today's lessons

I do business. Yes. But when it comes to requirements with the BIR, I let others do that for me. It's a shame to admit, though, that I know only little about what needs to be done. Every deadline (and boy there are a lot!), I just sign the forms, vouchers and checks...and I'm as good as done. Today, I'd say, is a humbling experience. I realized it takes effort to follow the law, by the book.

First, for the organization I belong to. And second, for Mhel's friends who know that I have close relations in the bureau. So I went to the office and asked questions and I was hyper when I left. You'll know why because the list below includes my learnings today:

Disclaimer: The following list may get too technical and may bore you. Read on but don't say I didn't warn :) These might help you in the future.

1. One entity must be registered with the BIR within one month from being registered with DTI or SEC. Failure to comply would mean P1,000 penalty.

2. If unregistered, Official Receipts may not be printed. Late request for printing merits P10,000 penalty! Some districts allow this amount to be waived if proven that there were no operations during the months the entity failed to register.

3. A minimum of ten booklets must be printed initially, even the entity is as small as our group.

4. Taxation is a tricky subject, believe me. Some items apply to some entities, some don't. To be able to figure out what needs to be done, all aspects must be examined closely.

5. There is a threshold for computing for VAT which is different now and different until the TRO on the new VAT is lifted. Even the rate of 10% now may be changed to 12% in 2006. If threshold isn't met, a 3% percentage tax is collected instead.

6. The Income tax is computed based on gross income and is computed using a table. It is due quarterly except for the last quarter of the taxable year which is consolidated in the annual return.

7. Expanded withholding tax is 10% of rental expense and is due to be filed monthly.

8. Withholding tax compensation of employees is based on a table and/or 10% if on Commission basis. Also filed monthly.

9. The VAT return is filed monthly except every third month which is consolidated into a quarterly return.

10. The registration fee is p500 annually.


Hey! Still there? I sound so scholarly, hehe. For once.

blocked

I can't really say I am too busy. I can't really say I have nothing to blog about. There is so much time to spare (not even counting yet the number of hours I oversleep daily!!). And there is so much going on in my life and in my surroundings.

So why haven't I been blogging? I dunno. But I will volunteer an answer. Maybe I am overwhelmed by everything, absolutely everything. That even before I start writing about things, my brain synapses suddenly send excited messages urging me to start my entry with one topic or another.

In other words, I am simply disorganized. No matter how organized I think I am.

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The past weekend's schedule was again full. After the first major DP on Saturday, we went straight to Dreamscape Galleria to attend the birthday party of Ralph Gabriel, lovingly nicked Buchoy. Buchoy is C's kid.

At one point in time, I swore I would boycott any party thrown by C. Who wouldn't? She would miss most of our gatherings. She didn't invite us, her considered close friends, to her wedding (both civil and church) and to Buchoy's dedication. Those three ocassions were actually done in secret. Nagulat na lang kami nung nabalitaan namin na nangyari na ang mga iyon. Who wouldn't feel betrayed?

But Mhel and I attended. Because C went out of her way to reach me and deliver the invite. Baka nagbabagong buhay, pagbigyan.

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We left the party early because Mhel, Gian and I had a Badminton Levelling to go to. When we got to courts, my partner Freegal have not arrived as well as Gian's pard. Roy, Mhel's partner, was there though.

Then we realized that there is an age limit. One must be sixteen in order to join, which makes Gian not qualified. Some of his friends faked their age and got away with it. Gian was thinking of doing the same thing. I dissuaded him even if his looks and built would pass as a sixteener. Lying has never been an option for me. Besides, the tourney is such a big event that if they were questioned later on and was found out that they were not qualified to join in the first place, they might be banned for who-knows-until when.

So only Mhel and I got to join. We were done in less than an hour unlike AJ who was there at 9am, waited for 3.5 hours, and was levelled for 4minutes. We were lucky.

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Next came the usual saturday afternoon badminton games at c650. I played about 4-5 games (can't remember!) and decided to stop when I felt my throat to get really sore.

Before the night ended, my voice was hoarse and my eyes watery. I was sorry I ate and drank too much sugar that day! I definitely caught the colds virus (remembering that I missed to take VitC for the last three days).

I hate being sick and there's still the family lunch to go to the next day. Sigh.

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I had a restful night and at 10am Sunday, Mom called, said that they can't leave Bulacan coz they couldn't find dad yet, and insisted that we should go early to Makati to reserve seats or we would be dining elsewhere. Or she suggested that I call Dad's Glorietta to reserve tables for us. We are 25-30 pax and that could prove that I will have a hard time getting slots at such short notice.

I took my chance and tried calling my friend Rissa first but she missed my calls. She was either still asleep or already busy at work. So, kapalmuks that I am, I texted her mother, Tita N, instead, someone I haven't talked to since I left my old company. I told Tita N what I needed, asked her what I should do and she suggested that I should just go early that being a Sunday and probably a busy day too. I was kinda disappointed that she could not help me but another text came in saying that she could not promise anything but she already informed the OIC for the day to expect us. And a little later saying that she actually got tables for us and that we should look for this person should any problem arise. I couldn't thank her enough! And she replied, something that made me really smile, "I'll go back to mass na, ha ha!". Such a cool tita. Of course, I did not reply anymore. I bugged her enough. I decided to just text her later on.

But she called me just before we left the house! And excitedly asked me, "Pamanhikan na ba yan?" Tita N has always been interested in our love stories that she wants to be updated all the time. So I said, "hindi po, tapos na po iyon last week. Birthday po ng lolo namin." And while on the subject, I decided to tell her that we chose her as one of our ninangs and that we will schedule to visit her once everything is okay. Her replies were, "Naku ang taba ko, ayoko yata! Kelan ba yun? Ah July pa. Okay may time pa magpapayat! Pero naku baka sa probinsya yan, walanghiya ka, wag mo ko pahirapan!" Coolness, ayt?! Teehee! Can't wait to meet up with her!!

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I can see I have yakked on and on again. This is the result when everything happens one after another. My life is truly an adventure.

manang anecdote 3: pengeng tubig....

One day, mommy started hyperventilating and palpitating...

Mom: (hindi makahinga, hawak ang dibdib) Manang, pahingi ng tubig...
Her: (looking kinda alarmed) Opo mam, sa baso po ba o sa tabo? (clueless?)
Mom: Mmmaaaaannaaaang, sa basssoooooo!!! (still could not breathe, but not shouting..)
Her: Ok, ok, malamig po ba o mainit?
Mom: Kaaahhhiiiitttt aaannnnoooooo!!!

E malay ba naman ni Manang di ba? Hehe.


Who is manang?

i've been around...

Literally, I've been around. It wasn't easy. But it was fun. Though tiring.

My very long weekend started on Friday night. I was invited to watch Repertory Philippines' The Emperor's New Clothes for free courtesy of Jet of Baddicts!. It was a very entertaining watch. I was glad however that Mhel did not join us since not only it was for children (and children at heart like Mae, Des and I, heheh), it was also a musical. Definitely not Mhel's type. Before the show, I was able to buy gifts for saturday's events.


Earlier that day, I received great news that my college galpal Odie gave birth to a baby girl! I was excited to see the baby but since my weekend was basically all planned out already I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to sneak in the hospital to visit. Even if the baby's due should have been in the last week of August, it was no surprise that the baby was born this early. Odie has been dilating (is this the correct term?) 1cm as early as one week before July 30 when we had the baby shower (by the way, during that shower, I saw Adi again. Look how takaw he is in these photos). It has been a wonder that the baby was able to hold on until August 5. Hihihi. Anyway, Mhel and I weren't able to visit, well, because of the packed Saturday schedule.

Saturday started at 8am. We brought Gian to his Interbarkadahan Tourney at Club650 Libis. Since it would be impractical to visit Odie at the hospital in Manila, we decided to stay, watch some games and take pictures of ourselves. Heheh, vain.

Then we went to the baptismal party of P and W's twins in Filheights near Fairview. It took us a while to drive there via Katipunan and UP Campus because we forgot that the remains of Raul Roco was in Dela Strada along Katipunan and the UPCAT was also ongoing that day. We got to W's house just in time for lunch, we chatted a little and then...

We were off to my inaanak Rian's 1st birthday party in Friday's Glorietta. Now that was a long drive! We met mom and went together to the party. Rian's growing up fast and charming! Just before 6pm we left the party and went straight to Greenhills. Before we went to meet Gian again at the regular saturday EB of Baddicts, Mom wanted us to meet someone who's gonna discuss some business opportunities. It was a nice chat and it was convincing. We are still thinking of considering the offer as of today.

Finally, to cap off that day's activities, we played a few games of badminton and had the usual aftergames dinner with the rest of Baddicts. We were home around midnight. I was ready to prepare for bed when I realized I haven't fixed my things yet for the next day's activities.

I was picked up from the apartment at 5am on Sunday. We went to Villa Escudero to attend a wedding. We decided to go early since the Bride's and Entourage's Make-up artist is from my salon and my parents wanted to relax a little. It should have been a nice day for photoshoot, I brought my EOS 600 and cybershot as well as Mhel's digicam, but it was rainy. Gawd! It was a very long day which ended when they dropped me home past eleven pm. Pictures here.

Come Monday, I was dead tired. Ryan gladly offered to bring Gian to school (I'm the designated driver on mondays...). Hayy. But I was the one who picked him up afterwards, just before lunch. I planned to visit Odie but I couldn't get myself to even wash my hair! I decided to sleep a bit and when I woke up it was already too late to go out. So I took a shower and I snuggled myself while watching Ally Mcbeal dibedis. Later, my brothers asked if we could go out for dinner, I said yes. We ate at CPK Glorietta and boy, we had the right choices of food! Simply delish! The night ended perfectly with Ryan buying Gian and I this book:

Amazing, hehehe. Thanks bro!

And yesterday was both a bit eventful and relaxing. I accompanied Manang to the airport to catch the earlieast possible flight to Cebu. Sadly, she had to leave us for the meantime to take care of her ailing mother. We don't know yet if she will return. Later, I got a massage and a facial. Did some work and checked my emails. I slept early (well, around 12mn, that's early for me!), 'coz Rissa and I decided to visit Odie, Wes and Shay (now the nick's gonna stick!) the next day. And Mhel would ride with me to work so I can't possibly oversleep.

Today, I'm glad I was on time in picking up Mhel. He took the wheel and drove us both to Makati, then I went straight to the apartment, fixed myself and then it was time to meet Rissa. We went straight to Odie's house in Parañaque (thank God, no traffic), and we chatted non-stop and took pictures all the time! The baby, Leisha Celest, was asleep most of the time and we obviously took advantage of the pretty short moments she opened her eyes! There were 4 still cameras and 1 moving cam, imagine! We didn't realize the time until it was after 3pm! But we left at 430. I reached Sta. Rita after one and a half hours.

And I've been composing and uploading pictures since then (timecheck: 944pm)! And because this post is now too long and probably is boring you, I'll end now :)

manang anecdote 2: mangoes, anyone?

One day...Manang serving my bro R his meals...

Her: Dong, gusto mo ng mangga? Ipaghiwa kita...
R: Eh manang, bago po ba iyan? (he probably meant, did she just buy it from the market)...
Her: Ay hindi dong, bulok na...


ngwek-ngwek-ngwek-ngwek.

Who is manang?