Personalized theme

I don't know if anyone noticed but ... that is really me on the header. I know, I know, it's lame, right? And it isn't like other people could use it but me. The place and weather was just ideal and so, on the spur of the moment, Tina and I decided to take the photo and I tried to make a theme around it.

It is very similar to another theme I created a while back --- that was actually the inspiration for this one. The one before was based on the skyline theme, while this one is based on black lily.

Creating themes is something I can only do when I am in the mood for it. The muse visits me infrequently, which is why there are big gaps between themes for me. My next project will be ... a theme for my sisters. I'm just waiting for them to give me an idea what they want and what photo they want to use, if they have one already.

Oh! I already made one for Tina before 'cause she already knew what she wanted. Just waiting on Gigi's now.

A fun day at the Manila Polo Club

Today my Uncle Ed invited his Manila relatives to have lunch together at the Polo Club for a belated birthday celebration (his birthday was Sept. 13) and to celebrate his cancer being cured (Yey!). It's your usual buffet, nothing unusual, but the food was definitely good.

See here the happy faces of two people who just finished eating a delicious meal!

Afterwards we decided to take a walk along the pool and explore the club. Eventually we found ourselves at the stables to check out the horses.

I've seen my share of ponies and I've ridden at least 4 times in my life in Tagaytay and Baguio. These horses, were really jaw-dropping beautiful! Most of them had backs higher than my head ... and I was wearing booths with 2 inch heels! Most of the horses were in their stables being fed or groomed, at the yard having a bath, or at the lawn chewing down the grass. Who needs a lawn mower when you've got horses, eh? We also saw one horse training in the ring. The owner was funny. He couldn't get his own foot into the stirrup without guiding his foot into it with his hand, hehehe. I guess he isn't as flexible as he used to be.

Check out my nephew, Jean-Luc. He really got a kick out of feeding the horses. See that horse on the left? It got jealous because Jean-Luc kept feeding the one on the right, so it kept trying to lunge at Jean-Luc to beg for food.

After the horses we decided to wash up. Girls being girls we explored the restroom facilities and took a few photos.

After exploring what we could of the restroom we headed over to the Polo field for a look see.

The kids frolicked on the grass and ran from one end to the other while the adults sat on the sidelines and watched them. Ok, maybe the men weren't really watching.

Afterwards we went to the poolside for a snack and to let the kids play at the playground.
One things, for sure ... EVERYONE had fun. Maybe next time I would be wearing jeans and the kids would have their swimsuits.
It was a perfect day.

Credit card blues

Once upon a time I had a credit card ... an HSBC Gold Visa card to be exact. Then in 2002, when I went into depression, I cancelled it. I had no job, no immediate source of income, I was on meds for my depression ... in other words, I was miserable.

Despite that, though, everytime I was able to I would make sure to make some sort of payment to my debt, even if it is just P500 or P1,000 at a time. When I had a job I was paying twice a month, I didn't even bother to wait for the bill. Now that my income is not stable, I also pay when I can.

HSBC has offered me amnesty. Instead of the full amount I am supposed to pay them (inclusive of interest charges) they are asking me to pay them P28,000 by September 25, 2007 and all debts are cleared. Whoopie, right? Except ... if I HAD P28,000, don't you think I would have given it already?

The person who calls here (Marlon Raya) tells me, maybe I should sell my car so that I could pay the debt. When I tell him I don't have a car to sell he disbelieves me and mocks me ... telling me he doesn't believe I do not have a car. He even goes on to say if I should swear to God that I am telling the truth then lightning would strike me. To say I was incensed is an understatement. How DARE he say that? And how DARE he drag God into this?

I don't have a car.
I don't have my own house.
I don't have a checking account.
I don't have a job.

He doesn't believe me. The fact that I even pick up his calls should tell him I am not avoiding my responsibility. He wants me to say ... no, PROMISE ... that I will pay the P28,000 by September 25 and I told him I could not promise that. Of course I could just SAY "I promise" but I know for a fact that I can't. I don't even have P10,000 in my bank account.

I give what I can, when I can. If it means that the amnesty is off and I am in debt for life, then, so be it. I brought it on myself for getting a credit card in the first place. Credit cards are evil.

Technically, I COULD ask my dad for help 'cause I know he has that amount in the bank. But I don't want to. He's saving that money for something, I don't know what. But it isn't for settling his kids' debts. Besides, he knows about my situation and he hasn't offered to help out so I figure he isn't really willing to help.

I'm expecting to get maybe 5k this month. I'll give that to HSBC to shut them up a bit. If it means I lose the amnesty for not paying the full amount then ... oh, well. consider me "in debt" until I am old and grey.

Wanted: Active Bloggers/Reviewers

Okay, I know that there are more than a handful of people out there who blog, and specifically, like to review stuff like movies and plays we see, tv shows we like, music we hear, restaurants we visit, etc.

So to those people, I would like to invite you to join me in a "presscon" for bloggers being organized by Tanghalang Pilipino. They are asking me if it is feasible to schedule the first one for next week and I tentatively said saturday is a good day but I thought I would ask you all for a consensus. What do you think is a better day and time to meet? Weekday or weekend? Afternoon or evening?

Hope you active bloggers (located in the NCR) can get back to me soonest so that I could give them feedback ASAP. Thanks!