Escape.

It is remarkably eerie how most of the books I have been reading lately reflect my current state of mind, or where I wish to be, or how I want to feel. Then certain keywords pop out and I can't help think if my Fates are teasing me yet again. It's like little windows being opened, a bit of sunshine peeks in and gives me a ray of hope. (Naks, drama.) If only.

...

I should revive my habit of stamping books after I've read them. A friend made this personalized rubber stamp  as a gift years ago and naturally I used it to stamp stuff with my name. Mine, mine, mine. I specifically used it on the front or title page of the books I owned.

Actually this stamping business started with my dad. He had a stamp with his full name and he used it on his books also. He used various other stamps at the office, too, and we loved playing with those. Eventually he got our own stamp made, too. (So yeah, that's a precious memento now.)

At first, I'd stamp my books as soon as I got them. Then it just happened I started stamping them after I read the book. I was acquiring more books and was starting to get confused as to which ones I've read already. So if I see a book already has my name on the flyleaf or front pages, I'd know I'd already read it. It would be my read indicator.

I don't remember when I dropped the habit, though.

I'm still getting a lot of books (Book Sale junkie here). It's gotten to the point that even when I'm hungry and I know I should buy groceries, but I happen to see some books I like, I'd buy books instead. I always think: at least I'm feeding my mind. Next to the bed, books are the dominant objects you'd see in my room. I remember some of my cousins' reactions when they first saw my room. They were stunned at how many books I had, like they couldn't believe one person could own -- and READ --all those books.

The book shelves have long run out of space, because, duh, in the first place they didn't built enough. So now I've bagged and stacked them on the floor. There was a time when I hadn't gotten around to organizing the latest additions that these were stacked on the bed and I was sleeping next to them.

So, because I cannot see my library at a glance, I do forget which titles I already have, or which ones I've read. (My OCD has been dying to organize my books for the longest time, but it will have to wait.) And it is confounded by the fact I stopped stamping my read books.

I've recently finished Jane Hamilton's The Book of Ruth. I'm aware she also wrote A Map of the World, that it was a critically acclaimed novel (aside from being on the Oprah Book Club), and I knew I had a copy of it somewhere. Luckily I found my copy right away (it was in the middle bag of the 7th stack) so I started reading.

Somehow my brain started raising signs that this reads familiar already. Have I actually read this before? Isn't this one of my rainy-day books? (It's when I get a book but don't feel like reading it right away, so I save it for a rainy day.) Sure enough, I flipped through the pages and see some pages have already been highlighted. That's another habit I have: I highlight the passages I like with a dermatograph. Not with a highlighter because it's too fluorescent and it hurts my eyes, not with a pencil anymore because it fades after some time. That's actually another clue that I've finished reading something, the highlights, but it's not too reliable since sometimes I haven't marked anything.

It would simply be more convenient if I just start stamping my books again, no?

Best laid plans.

I was supposed to go to Hidalgo today and check if any shops there have the Panasonic Lumix LZ8 available already. I've been wanting a digital cam for the longest time, and now I finally have the means to own one. Lately, this hankering is escalating; I got to have the cam NOW. Sheesh. When I'm obsessed, I'm obsessed.

Good thing I was able to go home early last night. I still felt pretty bad, and when my supervisors saw me at the office, they told me I could go on CUT already. Yay! At least I was able to rest thinking I'd have an early start going to Quiapo.

But my Tiya called me real early this morning to tell me she'd be coming over and bringing the orders of polvoron. Ayyyy. I couldn't say no to her because she was on her way already. I was thinking maybe I'd go after her visit, but by the time she left it was noon and my laziness was setting in :(

Oh well. Then again, I think it would be better to go next week when it's payday! At least I wouldn't have to worry if I go over budget or something. But Mary Anne says that's unlikely. I nearly went to Anson's and just bought the cam there for around 12K, but she suggested I should check Hidalgo first because they definitely have lower prices. And who will say no to a bargain?

I should keep in mind that Patience is a virtue ;)

From rest to motion.

This was a pretty good week. First off, I only spent 2.5 days at the office. Yay! Even if it's already over, I am/was pretty excited about it. Normally, when I file for AUT it does not get approved for the whole day, so I'd play safe and just file for a half-day. Then lately Traffic issued odd schedules for the under time: it'd start and end on the half-hour, and that's especially awkward for the 12-9 ppl. Anyway, since I didn't want to use my leave credits and so badly wanted to take a break, I still filed for 0000-0830 AUT and would just wait and see if it would get approved or not. Either way, I tried.

So. Last week, while I was still logged in, Joby puts me on POS busy. At first, I thought, uh-oh, what did I do, did I do something bad? Then he says that Traffic was asking if it was alright to change my AUT to 0000-0900...the entire shift! Duh?!? Tinatanong pa ba 'yun?!? Who'd in their right mind would decline?? Of course, I accepted!!! Yay! And I applied for TWO days, too!

When I checked the approved form, I definitely had two full days off AUT... and a half. My Saturday AUT was only approved from 0000-0500. But that's still a good thing. Especially since upon getting off that sked it was my off already. Mini-vacay!

I did get a lot of rest this week. I was alternating between working (ie, playing games) on this here PC, and when I'd get tired, I'd get some hours sleep. Then the cycle begins again. Plus of course got to play with my cats, too.

I'm thinking I should just apply for AUT every week. Because I'm able to get more rest, I wasn't as stressed like before. (It also helps that we didn't have such high volume of calls, too.) But I should also "ration" my undertimes so I wouldn't get a big cut from my paycheck.

So this weekend, on my actual days off, I got around to cleaning/organizing my room yet again. Now I was able to arrange some of my stuff more neatly, so at least there's a semblance of order to my room. (I could still definitely use more storage space.) Then I was also able to organize some of my files on here PC -- I still haven't gotten around to completely integrating my files from my old PC.

I'm feeling really productive, like for once I finally accomplished something on my day off, and for someone with OCD, that really is an achievement. ;-)

...

I met up with my college best friend earlier today. Willa emailed me out of the blue and said why don't we meet up because it turns out she still lives in the same city...and in a neighboring village to boot.

Some things never change! I was a bit early so I was able to check the bookstores first, and Willa was late, haha. We had a very leisurely lunch at Italianni's -- and by leisurely, I mean I haven't taken a lunch that took as long as it did today: it was past two when we left!! Of course, we were talking and catching up the whole time, and you also have to factor in the huge servings they have. Memories of high school: I felt it was a "magic plate" because no matter how many bites I took, it seemed as I still hadn't made any progress on my pasta!

Afterwards, we went to Starbucks and more kwento. This is what I truly like when you see old friends again; it's as if there wasn't such a huge amount of time since we last saw each other and we just pick up where we left off. Awwwwwww.

We got around to talking how frustrating my job is (of course), how even if she's married all this time she still adjusts to her marriage (I didn't know that), how her kids are (my inaanak is 11 years old already!), how she's studying again to get a teaching license... She also wants to get a master's degree in Art Education, and I want to do that -- but before I can do that, I have to get my B.A. first! OMG, my being an undergrad is not 'cute' anymore. She also offered to help me out since she's just a stay-at-home mom. (And I might take her up on her offer since she was my classmate after all. And she's been through what I'm still experiencing -- also took her some quite before she finished her "T"...but not as long as I am! Haha, am I setting a record here?!?)

Anyway, we just spent the afternoon catching up and promised we should see each other more often. Yay!

(Willa also brought up a very interesting career opportunity. If it's okay for me to send in my resume, I'm really going for it. Here's hoping.)

Tag away.

I didn't put tags in my entries before because I couldn't figure out why you need to tag entries. And I thought I was obsessive-compulsive?!? But now I've realized the logic behind it, so before my entries get out of control I've tagged my past entries. Neat.