1,2,3 Surprise!
Two weeks ago, I got calendar invite from one of my teammates here in Chicago for a "Sharepoint 2007 Training/Demo". The date was Feb 22, 12 Noon to 1 PM - hmm…., its lunch time…and being one of the "pioner" birthday organizers in the team (in Manila that is) - I thought, "oh,great! they are going to surprise me for my birthday". At this point, I was 99.8% sure that they are cooking something up for my birthday.
The invite says "Microsoft Sharepoint 2007 Demo"…nice gimik…very techie…very clever! But since everytime we have a team meeting, they kept discussing about the new technologies in the Market (Vista, OFfice 2k7, etc) it’s not far off that this could be a real Sharepoint Demo. I said to myself, "Rog, drop the idea! It could be a real demo after all…Don’t be too assuming".
After a few days, they moved the time to 11 AM til 12 Noon so I thought its probably not a surprise for me… My gut-feel that they have a secret birthday plan for me dropped to 25.46%…uy still hoping! hehehe!
Come Thursday morning - Feb 22, my manager in Chicago told me that we will be doing the demo in the Microsoft site…He told me that they have a kiosk there and stuff…really really nice and in a way, believable story. At that point, my gut-feel percentage dropped to below freezing point (negative percent…if such exists) because I didn’t even thought my Manager knew about my birthday because he wasn’t attending our Weekly Cross-center call…and being not familiar with the City, I couldn’t argue that there ain’t no Microsoft office in Michigan.
Needless to say, I said sure (hey, he is my manager, how can you argue with that?) He told me that it might take up some of our time for lunch and asked me if I have lunch plans…. hmmm… lunch plans! I wonder what they are going to do if I said yes…hehehe!
Then they told me its going to be somewhere in North Michigan. I know where Michigan is. Its very near our apartment but I don’t know where North, South, West nor East is. I’m really really bad at directions. So at this point, I still have gotten no clues yet.
Anyways, we took a cab…it was soo traffic and they were talking about the Microsoft Lab. One of my teammate even said that he haven’t been to the Microsoft Lab in Chicago (0f course you havent been there because it doesnt event exist - in Michigan atleast…hahaha!). They were pretty convincing…Until my manager said that there is a way out from the Cheesecake factory to the Microsoft lab…
Hmmm…Cheesecake Factory in Michigan. I know there is a Cheesecake Factory in Hancock but I didn’t know that there’s a Microsoft lab in Hancock…and that there is actually a way out from Cheesecake factory.
"Suspicious!". It further grew when I saw my Manager’s face on the reflection on the cab divider…he was smiling…you know…the type of smile that has a certain meaning…As if its telling me, "wait until we get in Cheesecake factory."
Then, we went inside Cheesecake factory and my Manager talked to the person on the desk and directed us in our table. I held my ground. I wanted to say something, you know, my funny "hirits" but I was completely shut off. Ganun pala pag nasusurprise ka…You wanted to say something, but you can’t…my brain is too slow to process something funny to say plus, translate it in english…probably I have to replace my mental processor and switch to Intel core duo (whatever that is!). Then finally they said, "Surprise! Happy Birthday Rogeena!" and they were all laughing! I didn’t know what to say. I admit, they got me there. I even brought my starbucks planner with me. Good thing I didn’t bring my laptop, that would make it even funnier.
That’s a nice way of celebrating my Silver life anniversary. I just wished I knew so that I was able to bring my camera. (Duh! Surprise nga e!) Cheers to my Chicago teammates for making it one of my most memorable birthday celebration ever! It just gets keeping better! 
Ofcourse Manila also prepared their trademark high-tech video presentation greetings for me. Cheers to my Manila teammates too! I’ve uploaded the video in my multiply site…it made my day, I swear. I watched it a million times especially the part where the boys (Sonny, Mike A. and Eric) were dancing "Kay Rogeena Cruz ka na"…that’s so hillarious! 2 Thumbs up! 
Careers…I Love!
Then finally, my highschool friend called me, the morning of my birthday, CST. She asked me if I was able to see the watch that she sneaked in to one of my drawers…I would commend her for picking the right drawer to hide the gift. That was the least accessed and the most messy among the 6 drawers. She left it in my drawer last Monday (2/19) and I didn’t even had a single clue that there was a watch hiding somewhere inside the bush of papers. Thanks Sneaky Alnie! You picked the right watch…just the watch I wanted. Thanks again and see yah June! 
