1. Do not bring your laptop home.
2. Do not check email.
3. Do not give out your mobile number.
4. Do not give out your house number.
5. Do not WORK!
6. Do not get STRESSED!

Unfortunately, I violated all those stuff that I just listed. I have been sittiing in front of the computer for two days now, when I should be:

(a) sleeping my ass off
(b) burning my ass off on the couch and burning my eyes while watching TV and DVDs
(c) burning my fingers playing Diner Dash 1 (if you don't have anything special to do, download this kalurkei game!)
(d) nurturing calouses playing the guitar (*ehem* pansinin *ehem* pansinin and parinig ko...)
(e) eating the Daim chocolates I brought home, supposedly as pasalubong, which I, in the end, consumed almost 60% of.
(f) eating my ass off but there happens to be a lack of junk food in the house right now.
(g) exercising
(h) cleaning my room
(i) making plans for the future (naks!)
(j) making cookie samples and exploring bazaar opportunities

Of course, need I tell you that I wasn't able to do all the stuff I just mentioned. Sigh. Well I did accomplish quite a number of things. Last Monday I watched three to four movies and ate a lot of Daims. And then on Tuesday, I successfully - and really, I take credit for this - restored our Internet connection at home. Not by natural means, no, but by my powers of pesuasion.

It started as a bad day because I suddenly had to work but our Internet connection at home wasn't working. So I spent the whole morning, starting at 8 am, mind you, freaking out at two PDLT customer representatives. The first lady I spoke with had it easy because I was still polite then. After an hour and a half and I still had no update, I called PLDT again and this time spoke with a guy. I was still quite courteous - no actually I wasn't. I started ranting about how I've been told I will receive a call at 9 am but it's 9.30 already and my phone hasn't rung. He tried to appease me and it worked for a while but then another hour went by and the Internet still wasn't fixed. I called the hotline again, and probably much to his chagrin, the same CSR rep answered my call! We started off cordially, as he tried to trouble shoot the computer by making me check cables and lines and connections. When that didn't work he used the magic line - "ok, I'll just refer you to..." Uh-Oh. Namula ang tenga ko.

At that point, I started acting like the *****y customer you wouldn't want at the other end of your phone line. I said they were wasting my time, which they really were - making me wait by the phone when I really wanted to go out of the house to run some errands; wasting our money, because we are paying a fixed amount only to have no Internet for 1-2 weeks almost every month these last three months. My opportunity to deliver the best line ever was when he said someone will assist me in the next 24 hours. I then said "ok, you said within 24 hours ha, kapag hindi niyo naayos ito within the day, lilipat kami sa Bayantel." He said our call was recorded/monitored and he will log my request so there's sure to be someone to assist me. And I said, with all conviction - "Sige, ilagay mo yan sa record. Sabihin mo sa kanila - lilipat talaga kami sa Bayantel kapag hindi naayos ang Internet today!" (I don't even know if Bayantel has Internet - do they???) Man, I have such a mean streak, I hate it!

As I still had to work, I decided to go out of the house in search of this precious commodity called Internet. I could have gone to the multitude of Internet shops 10 minutes away from our house, but alas, I needed some files on our company's server, which I can only access on my laptop, which means I have to hook it up. I debated whether to go to the office but that would be too martyrish-tic.

So I had a bright idea and went to the Burger King food chain in Marcos Highway where there was free wireless broadband Internet. So anticipating that I'll spend hours there, I ordered A LOT. When I sat down and started to assemble my computer, a BK staff approached me and said they were having Internet trouble but they were trying to fix it. Huwarrttt!!!??? After I bought a Php 190 meal with no spaghetti and onion rings??? I was fuming but decided to have my lunch there anyway while I think of an alternative.

After about 20 or 30 minutes, I noticed that there was wifi signal coming on so I immediately tried to connect. It was a success! Unfortunately, the signal wasnt too good and it came on and off. The time it took to connect was even longer than the time I stayed connected. Also, I spent the time I was connected chatting away. hehehe So I didn't really get anything done, except tallying some feedback forms. Finally, I gave up after 3 hours and decided to walk to Robinsons Metro East, which also supposedlly had wifi. I went there, and there was wifi all right, but no sockets. DUH! well my computer only had about 5 minutes battery life. I won't even get to the google page before it dies out on me. So defeated once again, I decided to just go home and try dialling up, which is absolute torture.

When I came home though, the DSL connection was already fixed, thanks to who??? =P So come Wednesday, I am working the day away - blogging and playing guitar on the side. No time for Daim and Diner Dash and Bourne Identity trilogy yet (would you believe I haven't watched that yet?)

Well my VLs aren't finished yet and I have two full days coming up. Tomorrow, I'm planning to try to attempt to get a non-pro driver's license. (Mind the disclaimer, ha.) Wish me luck! On Friday, there's this whole day Amazing Race type promo which Shangri-la invited me to. I hope its as good as it sounds! But in between I committed myself to two conference calls and catching up with a friend. sheesh somebody stop me!