Highlights

When I got home from work today, I got the chance to talk with my good friend Luz over the phone for almost an hour. Now that we live in different cities and still work long hours, it takes extra effort for us to keep in touch. But every now and then when life becomes overwhelming, we text each other this line: "I need the sanity of our conversations."

Today was one of those days we needed to unload angst, self-reproach, affirmation. Great thing about these conversations - it never gets too serious. We always get to laugh about something. Usually, at ourselves. It is only with real friends you can feel comfortable calling yourself stupid over and over again, knowing that they will always point out and tolerate your stupidity, whenever necessary. And trust me, Luz is not the kind who'd interrupt you while you're realizing not-so-smart decisions in life. She lets you wade through your own mess until you're all dirty and icky and ready to get out of your own will. And THEN, we both laugh about it.

Not everything we talked about bordered on depressing things. We asked each other our day's highlight. Hers was when she did surgery to two dogs and she's happy that she's starting to get the hang of it again. She's a vet, by the way. Gosh, I sure needed to supply that relevant information or else I might've unintentionally led some of you to think she's some kind of canine sadist. Anyway, I'm so happy for her since this was what she really wanted.

The only highlight I could think of was an email I wrote to our team thread at work today. It was just an email stating the details of our Christmas Kris Kringle, but I tried to keep an amusing tone throughout its few paragraphs. It elicited a lot of response from my teammates. There were wisecracks about needing to open the WordWeb several times and a question if "Inday" - of the text jokes fame - wrote it. People were jabbing me about how funny they found it, but mostly they jabbed my seatmate Liz since I was in busy status all day. I was flattered when our senior dev replied to all saying that I write well and that he approves. What's even more entertaining is that EJ and Jerome translated the mail in Tagalog. Hilarious translations. (email = elektronikong liham; fat chance = matabang pagkakataon; tough luck = matipunong swerte)

To be able to trigger reaction from things you write is a natural high for me. Any reaction. I'd take negative feedback of my writing over any compliment over my programming. Seriously. And Luz, as opinionated as ever, takes this chance to stress to me a point she's been telling me for a long time now: I'm moving in the wrong world and I'll never meet him here.

Of course, "him" refers to the guy in Mars. And since I'm here on Earth, our lives will never cross.

Matipunong swerte.