Is Your Future Secure?

In the next 5 years, approximately 25 million "Baby Boomers" will be retiring in the United States. In my work section alone, 50% of them are retiring soon. Then, enter OUR generation--the children of the said baby boomers--to fill in the workplace vacancies. That said, Social Security pensions will be flying out of tax-payers' pockets faster than you can even say your own 9-digit SSN to meet their needs and you've probably heard of the rumor that "there won't be enough money left in the Social Security fund by the time we retire!"

Our generation has mostly led a carefree lifestyle. Coupled with fluctuating stock markets and the mind-set that 20 or 30-somethings should not be worried about retirement just YET, it is often rare for young adults to have stocks, money markets or savings bonds. It is sad but true that my peers are driven by material things--newest gadgets, faster cars, more advanced technology, wider plasma TVs, etc. Well, first off, we can't help it, because that's what we all grew up knowing... I mean especially, the generation after us. For instance, Rob's little cousins--who are all under the age of 8--have their own laptops and cell phones. Who would've thought, huh?

Well, all these things aren't so bad if you put your future first... There is no definitive time-frame as to when to start thinking about "what-if"s. But if you can start as early as college, the better--I'm strictly addressing my age-group here! Do you really need bigger rims for your car when you haven't even paid your tuition yet? Could you really afford to go to Cancun for Spring Break or would you be using college loans to pay for it? I mean, it's just a matter of spending wisely! Just because college loans don't have to be paid until you actually graduate and start your job doesn't mean you should enjoy them! It will bite you in the end. I have co-workers who are slightly older than me who have college debts. One of them said, by the time he pays it off, he'll be almost 40!!! And when asked what he would've done differently, he simply states "I wouldn't have gotten new rims for my Cadillac!" Too late...

But it's NEVER too late to start thinking about YOUR future NOW!!! I've been VERY FORTUNATE to be one of the few who do not have college loans. This is one of my weapons that I carry with me. I have an immaculate credit score and is very lucky to have married a man in the same predicament! Before we got married, the Catholic Church required an Engaged Couple's session, which we completed in a span of 6 months (from Sept. through Feb.) In it, we took a series of classes--from couple's therapy to Natural Family planning, which is the ONLY family planning approved by the Catholic Church... After 6 months, we took a "Compatibility Test" with questions ranging from arguments to financial stability. When we got our results, it is apparent how Rob and I have different views about politics, customs, and especially religion--him being Lutheran. But what struck the Deacon more than anything was that we were 100% in-sync with Family and Financial matters--which he says are the main causes of divorce amongst married couples these days!!!

Looking forward to the future... TOGETHER!

Truly, Rob and I have the same views about our future. We both like fancy things--this is undeniable, but we DO have set limitations and are very concious about retirement. Another fortunate thing is my job--not only do I love what I do, but I also work for the Florida Legislature. We have great benefits, such as free health, dental and life insurance for me and my family. We also have the Florida Pension plan--an account set up for us, FREE, by the state for retirement--a supplement to Social Security benefits. In addition, we have an optional Florida Deferred Compensation program, where you can withhold additional retirement pension with private financial institutions such as ING, Nationwide, Symetra, AIG Valic to name a few. I personally prefer ING, so I have an account with them. Since I'm not a STOCK person, I have a financial adviser from ING, who invests my stocks and I can check my investments and stocks daily on their website. Rob, on the other hand, has his own retirement plan with Syn-Tech, since it is very different with private companies. The only thing we have jointly is our checking and savings accounts. We always put 10% of our combined net salary into our savings monthly. We pay off all credit card bills every month--only using them for the benefit points and rewards such as free hotel stays. We pay more than the minimum mortgage payment for our home, thus accumulating equity faster.

And last but not the least, we are definitely enrolling our future children in the Florida Prepaid College Plan, wherein the cost of college for your kids are locked in to today's rate. According to Dept. of Education, the average cost for a student to attend a university in the state of Florida FOR 1 YEAR today is $15,000 - $20,000 (with tuition, fees, books, housing and transportation). It is twice that at private universities and triple for out-of-state!!! A newborn today will expect to pay $30,000 a year on tuition alone by the time he or she attends college. For more info, go to www.florida529plans.com to enroll your kids!

So, do yourself AND your (future) kids a favor... Start planning for your future today!

T.G.I.F.!!!

*Sigh*... That's all I can say :-) First off, Gennievi, I appreciate your sympathy, girl!!! Haha! But, my oh my... COBOL, huh??? Kudos to you... that's a really ancient programming language--even if you use, say, the most current, updated version--Cobol 2002!!! I didn't know some people still actually use that language... :p Actually, they don't even teach that (here in the US) in college anymore, unlike VB, C, C++, SQL and Java! Well, thanks anyways... I solved my problem this morning :-) It's hard to explain and I'm sure you can relate to this as well... You know how when you overlook one simple thing and that simplest thing often causes the error??? Yeah, that was it! I was attempting to build a datagrid with NULLs!!! Anyways, it's over and done with and I can now enjoy the weekend!

So, this weekend's going to be pretty cool--not just temperature-wise!!! LOL... Tonight, Rob and Kevin have a basketball game at Swfit Creek and then we're all going to dinner after that. Tomorrow, there's a Gun Show at the Fairgrounds that I'm sure Rob won't miss! Have I mentioned my husband's been into guns and stuff lately? So, he's thinking of slowly building his collection or something! He just got a Glock-40 and now he wants to buy an AK-47 ?!?! Well, I just got him his Birthday present (even though his b-day's not until Feb. 19th) and besides, I would NEVER buy him a gun! I told him to get whatever he wants though (other than guns!). It's much easier that way, trust me! So, he bought a new front spoiler for his BMW! And eventhough it's pretty pricey, it's still WAY better than having another weapon! So, we're both happy!

Speaking of Rob's birthday, I'm throwing him a karaoke party at our house on Feb. 17th!!! Haha! He hates singing, but I told him he doesn't have to sing at all!!! I know our guests would love it, though, so that should be a LOT of fun :-)

This weekend, we'll be laying out plans for our trip to Vancouver!!! Rob's getting really excited when he found out from Tita Loren that we can still go skiing in May!!! He was so psyched-up that he was digging through his stuff for ski clothes and buying new ski goggles online, etc... Apparently, we're going to Whistler Mountain, which is the top ski resort in Canada and is where the Winter Olympics of 2010 will take place! I think we're staying there for 2 days or so... Now, my husband's a pro-skiier and I'm MOST definitely NOT, so I can't really get too excited about skiing with him! I'm just really excited about all the neat places we get to visit and spending some quality time with my grandma, aunt and uncle!!!

Well, according to my dad--who pretty much knows his way around Vancouver by now, these are some of the places we're going to visit... I can't wait!

Grouse Mountain

Whistler - 2 hours North of Vancouver

Downtown Vancouver

Vancouver Harbor at night

One of the many gardens

... And of course--> Seattle!!!

Debugging Is NO FUN!!!

This week, I've been testing the new Report Distribution application at work--the one I've been working on for months now (Well, of and on anyways, also been coding other applications among other things)!

I love developing programs... figuring out and solving problems logically... mathematically. Everyday, you watch in awe at your own creation as if it were a work of Art, as it slowly progresses and transforms into a new tool that others will one day use to make their work and LIFE A LOT better... And so, when testing phase comes, it's kind of bittersweet! You get a HUGE sigh of relief that the project is FINALLY complete (almost!)... but every programmer and Software Engineer knows what a pain it is to debug programs. Well, not only do you have to intentionally "break" the application, you have to undo what you did as well and figure out the following...
a.) What caused the program to break?
b.) How did it happen?
c.) Was it a compilation error... a run-time error?
d.) Or was it a syntax error?
e.) Did I use the right algorithm? (No, scratch that, did I use the BEST algorithm?)
f.) Did I follow the specs correctly? Is it "user-friendly"?
g.) Am I maintaining relationships and database schemas (if using SQL)?
h.) Am I getting good, PRECISE data (this is VERY important, especially for CPA's)?
i.) And the list goes on......

And today, I was stuck figuring out an "unhandled exception" on one of my pages. So, I thought, maybe somebody reading my blog can figure out part of my code... So, to all fellow Software Engineers and programmers out there... Here's a challenge. Maybe you can spot what was wrong with my code? By the way, I'm programming in Visual Basic (Microsoft Studio 2005) in ASP.NET with embedded SQL code (Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 2005 - syntax compatible)... NOT MySQL!!!! If you think you know the problem, e-mail me: KerstinWalling(at)gmail(dot)com. I'll explain in a more-detailed fashion the sequence of errors that was thrown at me...

Oh, and here's my code (below) :-) HAVE FUN...

#Region "Data"
Private Sub Get_Data()
Dim dtRC As DataTable
Dim strConnection As String
Dim strSql As String
Dim strRecID, strLastName, strJobTitle, strCompany As String
Dim strSortBy As String
Dim strStatus, strStatusValue As String
Dim strStandard, strStandardValue As String

'*
'* Reset dgRC page to 0 dgRC.CurrentPageIndex = 0
strConnection = AppSettings(CType(Session("sCONNVAR"), String))
'*
'*** From Recipient Inquiry Request
If hdOrigin.Value = "RPTRCIREQ" Or strPrevOrigin = "RPTRCIREQ" Then
'*
strSortBy = Trim(Session("RPTRCIREQ_strSortBy"))
strStatus = Trim(Session("RPTRCIREQ_strStatus"))
strStandard = Trim(Session("RPTRCIREQ_strStandard"))

'*
If strSortBy = "LastName" Then
strLastName = Trim(Session("RPTRCIREQ_strLastName"))
ElseIf strSortBy = "JobTitle"
Then strJobTitle = Trim(Session("RPTRCIREQ_strJobTitle"))
ElseIf strSortBy = "Company" Then
strCompany = Trim(Session("RPTRCIREQ_strCompany"))
End If
'*

If strStatus = "Active" Then
strStatusValue = "A"
ElseIf strStatus = "Inactive" Then
strStatusValue = "I"
Else
strStatusValue = ""
End If

'*
If strStandard = "Yes" Then
strStandardValue = "Y"
ElseIf strStandard = "No" Then
strStandardValue = "N"
Else
strStandardValue = ""
End If

'*** From Recipient Multiple Inquiry
ElseIf hdOrigin.Value = "RPTRCIM" Or strPrevOrigin = "RPTRCIM" Then
strStatus = Trim(Session("RPTRCIM_strStat"))
strStandard = Trim(Session("RPTRCIM_strStd"))
'*
If strStatus = "Active" Then
strStatusValue = "A"
ElseIf strStatus = "Inactive" Then
strStatusValue = "I"
Else
strStatusValue = ""
End If
'*
If strStandard = "Yes" Then
strStandardValue = "Y"
ElseIf strStandard = "No" Then
strStandardValue = "N"
Else
strStandardValue = ""
End If
End If
'*
'*
strSql = "SELECT "
strSql = strSql & "RecipientID = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.RecipientID, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "Stat = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.Stat = 'A' THEN 'Active' "
strSql = strSql & " WHEN Rpt_Recipient.Stat = 'I' THEN 'Inactive' END), "
strSql = strSql & "Standard = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.StdInd = 'Y' THEN 'Yes' "
strSql = strSql & " WHEN Rpt_Recipient.StdInd = 'N' THEN 'No' END), "
strSql = strSql & "LName = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.EmpID IS NULL THEN "
strSql = strSql & " IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.LName, '') "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE "
strSql = strSql & " IsNull(Emp_View1.LName, '') "
strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "Name = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.EmpID IS NULL THEN "
strSql = strSql & " ((CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.FName IS NULL THEN '' "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE Rpt_Recipient.FName + ' ' END) "
strSql = strSql & " + (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.MName IS NULL THEN '' " strSql = strSql & " ELSE Rpt_Recipient.MName + ' ' END) "
strSql = strSql & " + IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.LName, '') "
strSql = strSql & " + (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.Suffix IS NULL THEN '' "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE ', ' + Rpt_Recipient.Suffix END)) "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE "
strSql = strSql & " (CASE WHEN Emp_View1.MI IS NULL THEN "
strSql = strSql & " (IsNull(Emp_View1.FName, '') + ' ' + IsNull(Emp_View1.LName, '')) "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE "
strSql = strSql & " (IsNull(Emp_View1.FName, '') + ' ' + IsNull(Emp_View1.MI, '') + '. ' "
strSql = strSql & " + IsNull(Emp_View1.LName, '')) "
strSql = strSql & " END) " strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "JobTitle = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.EmpID IS NULL THEN "
strSql = strSql & " IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.JobTitle, '') "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE "
strSql = strSql & " IsNull(Emp_JobClassTitle.Descr, '') "
strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "Company = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.EmpID IS NULL THEN "
strSql = strSql & " IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Company, '') "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE "
strSql = strSql & " 'AUDITOR GENERAL' "
strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "DivSect = (SUBSTRING(Emp_View1.Org,5,4) + ' ' + SUBSTRING (Emp_View1.Org,9,3)), "
strSql = strSql & "Addr11 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr11, ''), Addr12 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr12, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "Addr13 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr13, ''), Addr14 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr14, ''), Addr15 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr15, ''),"
strSql = strSql & "City1 = (IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.City1, '') + ','), "
strSql = strSql & "State1 = IsNull(Gen_StateTitle1.Descr, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "Zip1 = (CASE WHEN LEN(Rpt_Recipient.Zip1) = 5 THEN "
strSql = strSql & " Rpt_Recipient.Zip1 "
strSql = strSql & " WHEN LEN(Rpt_Recipient.Zip1) = 9 THEN "
strSql = strSql & " (LEFT(Rpt_Recipient.Zip1,5) + '-' "
strSql = strSql & " + RIGHT(Rpt_Recipient.Zip1,4)) "
strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "City2 = (IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.City2, '') + ','), "
strSql = strSql & "State2 = IsNull(Gen_StateTitle2.Descr, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "Zip2 = (CASE WHEN LEN(Rpt_Recipient.Zip2) = 5 THEN "
strSql = strSql & " Rpt_Recipient.Zip2 " strSql = strSql & " WHEN LEN(Rpt_Recipient.Zip2) = 9 THEN "
strSql = strSql & " (LEFT(Rpt_Recipient.Zip2,5) + '-' "
strSql = strSql & " + RIGHT(Rpt_Recipient.Zip2,4)) "
strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "Addr21 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr21, ''), Addr22 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr22, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "Addr23 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr23, ''), Addr24 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr24, ''), Addr25 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Addr25, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "Phone = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.EmpID IS NULL THEN "
strSql = strSql & " IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Phone, '') "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE "
strSql = strSql & " (CASE WHEN Emp_View1.WrkPhone IS NOT NULL "
strSql = strSql & " AND Emp_View1.WrkCity = 'TALLAHASSEE' THEN "
strSql = strSql & " '(' + LEFT(Emp_View1.WrkPhone,3) + ') ' "
strSql = strSql & " + SUBSTRING(Emp_View1.WrkPhone,4,3) + '-' "
strSql = strSql & " + RIGHT(Emp_View1.WrkPhone,4) "
strSql = strSql & " WHEN Emp_View1.WrkSunCom IS NOT NULL "
strSql = strSql & " AND Emp_View1.WrkCity <> 'TALLAHASSEE' THEN "
strSql = strSql & " 'SC ' + SUBSTRING(Emp_View1.WrkSunCom,4,3) + '-' "
strSql = strSql & " + RIGHT(Emp_View1.WrkSunCom,4) "
strSql = strSql & " END) "
strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "Extension = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Extension, ''), Fax = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Fax, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "HCCopies = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.HCCopies = 0 THEN "
strSql = strSql & " NULL "
strSql = strSql & " ELSE "
strSql = strSql & " Rpt_Recipient.HCCopies "
strSql = strSql & " END), "
strSql = strSql & "LetSalutation = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.LetSalutation, ''), AddrSalutation = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.AddrSalutation, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "Email1 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Email1, ''), Email2 = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Email2, ''), DeptNo = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.DeptNo, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "SendLetter = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.SendLetterInd = 'Y' THEN 'Yes' ELSE 'No' END), "
strSql = strSql & "FedListing = (CASE WHEN Rpt_Recipient.FedListInd = 'Y' THEN 'Yes' ELSE 'No' END), "
strSql = strSql & "Note = IsNull(Rpt_Recipient.Note, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "HCFormat = IsNull(Rpt_FormatTitle_HC.Descr, ''), EMFormat = IsNull(Rpt_FormatTitle_EM.Descr, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "HCDelivery = IsNull(Rpt_DeliveryTitle_HC.Descr, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "EMDelivery = IsNull(Rpt_DeliveryTitle_EM.Descr, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "HCShip = IsNull(Rpt_ShipTitle.Descr, ''), "
strSql = strSql & "LastChange = ( SELECT TOP 1 (CONVERT(Char(8), Rpt_RecChanges.AddDt, 01) "
strSql = strSql & " + ' ' + IsNull(Rpt_RecChanges.LastUpID, '') "
strSql = strSql & " + ' ' + IsNull(Rpt_RecChanges.Text, '')) "
strSql = strSql & " FROM Rpt_RecChanges "
strSql = strSql & " WHERE Rpt_RecChanges.RecipientID = Rpt_Recipient.RecipientID "
strSql = strSql & " ORDER BY Rpt_RecChanges.AddDt DESC ), "
strSql = strSql & "LastChangeCount = ( SELECT COUNT(Rpt_RecChanges.AddDt) "
strSql = strSql & " FROM Rpt_RecChanges "
strSql = strSql & " WHERE Rpt_RecChanges.RecipientID =Rpt_Recipient.RecipientID )"
strSql = strSql & "FROM Rpt_Recipient "
strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Emp_View1 "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.EmpID = Emp_View1.EmpID "
strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Emp_JobClassTitle "
strSql = strSql & " ON Emp_View1.JobClass = Emp_JobClassTitle.JobClass "
strSql = strSql & " AND Emp_JobClassTitle.CntInd = 'C' "
strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Gen_StateTitle AS Gen_StateTitle1 "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.State1 = Gen_StateTitle1.State "
strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Gen_StateTitle AS Gen_StateTitle2 "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.State2 = Gen_StateTitle2.State "
strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Rpt_FormatTitle AS Rpt_FormatTitle_HC "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.HCFormatCode = Rpt_FormatTitle_HC.FormatCode " strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Rpt_FormatTitle AS Rpt_FormatTitle_EM "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.EMFormatCode = Rpt_FormatTitle_EM.FormatCode " strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Rpt_DeliveryTitle AS Rpt_DeliveryTitle_HC "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.HCDelCode = Rpt_DeliveryTitle_HC.DelCode "
strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Rpt_DeliveryTitle AS Rpt_DeliveryTitle_EM "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.EMDelCode = Rpt_DeliveryTitle_EM.DelCode "
strSql = strSql & "LEFT OUTER JOIN Rpt_ShipTitle "
strSql = strSql & " ON Rpt_Recipient.HCShipCode = Rpt_ShipTitle.ShipCode "

'*
If hdOrigin.Value = "RPTRCIREQ" Or strPrevOrigin = "RPTRCIREQ" Then
strSql = strSql & "WHERE Rpt_Recipient.Stat LIKE '" & strStatusValue & "%' "
strSql = strSql & " AND Rpt_Recipient.StdInd LIKE '" & strStandardValue & "%' "
If strSortBy = "LastName" Then If Len(strLastName) <> 0 Then
strSql = strSql & " AND (Rpt_Recipient.LName LIKE '" & ReplaceQuote(strLastName) & "%strSql = strSql & " OR Emp_View1.LName LIKE '" & ReplaceQuote(strLastName) & "%') "
End If

strSql = strSql & " ORDER BY LName, Name, JobTitle, Company"
ElseIf strSortBy = "JobTitle" Then
If Len(strJobTitle) <> 0 Then
strSql = strSql & " AND (Rpt_Recipient.JobTitle LIKE '" & ReplaceQuote(strJobTitle) & "%' " strSql = strSql & " OR Emp_JobClassTitle.Descr LIKE '" & ReplaceQuote(strJobTitle) & "%') " End If

strSql = strSql & " ORDER BY JobTitle, LName, Name, Company"

ElseIf strSortBy = "Company" Then
If Len(strCompany) <> 0 Then
Dim strAG, strEditAG As String
'*
strAG = "AUDITOR GENERAL"
strEditAG = Left(strAG, Len(strCompany))
'*
strSql = strSql & " AND (Rpt_Recipient.Company LIKE '" & ReplaceQuote(strCompany) & "%' " strSql = strSql & " OR (Rpt_Recipient.EmpID IS NOT NULL " strSql = strSql & " AND '" & strEditAG & "' = '" & ReplaceQuote(strCompany) & "')) "
End If
strSql = strSql & " ORDER BY Company, LName, Name, JobTitle"
End If
ElseIf hdOrigin.Value = "RPTRCIM" Or strPrevOrigin = "RPTRCIM" Then
strRecID = Session("RPTRCIM_strRecipientID")
strSql = strSql & "WHERE Rpt_Recipient.Stat LIKE '" & strStatusValue & "%' "
strSql = strSql & " AND Rpt_Recipient.StdInd LIKE '" & strStandardValue & "%' "
strSql = strSql & " AND Rpt_Recipient.RecipientID = '" & ReplaceQuote(strRecID) & "'"
End If
'*
strConnection = AppSettings(CType(Session("sCONNVAR"), String))
'*
tRC = ExecuteDataset(strConnection, CommandType.Text, strSql).Tables(0)
'*
hdRecipientID.Value = dtRC.Rows(0).Item("RecipientID")
Session("RPTRCIS_dtRC") = dtRC
'*
blnDataFound = False
If dtRC.Rows.Count > 0 Then
blnDataFound = True
dgRC.DataSource = dtRC

'* Bind data here when Origin is the
'* 1) Inquiry Request or the Single Inquiry
'* 2) Update page to get the new dg.PageCount then DataBind again, see "Note" below dgRC.DataBind()
If hdOrigin.Value = "RPTRCU" Or hdOrigin.Value = "RPTRCIDG" Or hdOrigin.Value = "RPTRCUDG" Then
If Session("RPTRCIS_LastPage") = True Then
'* When the only record on the last page is deleted or no longer within original request
If CInt(Session("RPTRCIS_strPageCount_BeforeUpdate")) > dgRC.PageCount Then
'* Go back to prev page but one dgRC.CurrentPageIndex = CInt(Session("RPTRCIS_strPageNo")) - 1 Else
'* Go back to prev page
dgRC.CurrentPageIndex = CInt(Session("RPTRCIS_strPageNo"))
End If
Else
'* When not the last page
'* Go back to same page
dgRC.CurrentPageIndex = CInt(Session("RPTRCIS_strPageNo"))
End If
'* Note: Adjusting the page number only affects the page index being displayed,
'* need to rebind to show the correct data for the page index adjusted above
dgRC.DataBind()
End If
Else
blnDataFound = False
Exit Sub
End If
'*
'*
dtRC = Nothing
'*
End Sub


Private Sub Restore_RC_Data_BindDG()
dgRC.DataSource = Session("RPTRCIS_dtRC")
dgRC.DataBind()
End Sub
#End Region

Change of Plans...

Between me and Rob, we only have one living grandparent--my mom's mother, Lola Pacita. She lives in Vancouver, Canada with my mom's sister, Aunt Loren, and her husband, Uncle Boy. Lola Pacita came to our wedding last year, but I did not get to spend much time with her because of all the activities that were going on around that time.

They--Lola Pacita, tita Loren and tito Boy--arrived here on Wednesday night, May 3rd, 2006. The following day, we had my bridesmaids' luncheon. On Friday, my mom and I spent half the day at the spa--getting our nails done and stuff. The rest of the day was spent checking on the reception venue and helping with last-minute details. That night was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. Then, Saturday, was the wedding and the only time I really spent with my grandmother was when we were taking pictures. On Sunday, we had a barbecue cook-out at my parents' house with my side of the family and that night, we said our good-byes. We left for our honeymoon on Monday at dawn and when we came back 2 weeks later, my grandma was gone!

I have not seen her for almost a decade when she came to our wedding last year and all I could remember was her emotional outbursts everytime she saw me or any one of my siblings. She would just stare at us--sometimes even forgetting our names--and the tears would start streaming down her face, or she would burry her head in my brothers' shoulders and sob. It was really sad, now that I recall, and I can just imagine what was running through her head. Perhaps she was wondering where the times have gone and how we've all changed--from little babies to mature, strong individuals. Or perhaps she was thinking of all the summer days we've spent at her house in Tarlac, back in the Philippines. Or better yet, perhaps they were tears of joy... that for the first time ever, she is able to attend one of her grandchildren's wedding! I will never know...

The thing we know for certain is that she is our only grandma living now. I hope and pray she has more years ahead of her, but you just never know what may happen or how things may turn out. And as Rob and I talked about these things, we've come to a decision to spend our first anniversary with her :-) We live in Florida, which is the beach capital of America. We have a beach house--only an hour away. We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon. We can take a cruise any time we want to because, again, Florida has the most cruise ships at its ports. Do we really want to go on a cruise just to see the same scenery over and over again??? Rob said, "The cruise can wait. We can do that anytime. We can even go in the winter if we want to, but you can never take back time supposedly spent with your grandma." ... WOW!!! And with that said, our plans fell into place... I love my husband and it's words like these that make me fall in love with him all over again :-)

The GREAT thing about this is that my parents are going with us too! They've been going to Vancouver every other year and they were planning on going this March, but I guess they're going to wait until May instead! We're also going to Seattle, which is a 2 1/2-hour drive from Vancouver. My aunt and uncle live 5 minutes from various ski resorts, but in May, we're out of luck... Sorry, Rob, you'll have to wait until next winter to go skiing :-(

We got our wedding pictures back in June and in all of the ones with Lola Pacita in them--there she was with a tear in her eye, barely focusing on the camera... Perhaps, we'll get happier shots with her in Vancouver this May, amid the beautiful settings... of oceans... of gardens... of mountains... of wilderness... of nature.

Hello, Vancouver... We'll see you all very soon!!!

A Fallen Trojan

Picture courtesy of www.Scout.com

It was the talk of the town yesterday... and it still is today. Newspapers emblazoned with the breaking news: "Former Lincoln RB Dorsey dies at USF"!!! Keeley Dorsey, who graduated from Lincoln High last year (2006), was a freshman at The University of South Florida in Tampa. He was recruited by the university to play football. Dorsey was doing his daily required workout at the gym when he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after...

The news of Dorsey's death hit home hard... I didn't know him personally, but we are bound by a common thread--of being Lincoln High Trojan alumni... And worse yet, both of my brothers KNEW him... especially my youngest brother Kevin. They played football together in the Varsity team.

How could this happen to a young, athletic guy? There have been many such tragedies in the sport of football--high school, college or the NFL. Both his USF and former Lincoln coaches are dumbfounded. You just never think it could be THIS close to home!

Having a college-bound, football-player brother does not make things any easier either! I worry about Kevin's safety all the time. Sure, he's had some injuries--a twisted ankle, a dislocated knee-cap, a hurt shoulder--but nothing too serious... Thank God! As much as I worry about him though, I have the full confidence in his abilities and athleticism--the way he could handle anything that comes his way. You cannot stop a man from doing what it is he loves. So, I simply remind him of little things that make a huge impact, i.e. "Don't forget to drink a lot of water!!!" And besides, I WORRY MORE for those he comes in contact with on the field... If you saw him coming at you in full speed, you'd be worried too ;-)

The Storks Are Coming!!!

... well... except at our home :-) As of today, we know of 4 couples who are expecting!!!

* Justin and Cindy Cross
Cindy is one of my co-workers and is a very close friend of mine. Actually, her office is right next door to my office and we always find ways to have fun on slack days... LOL... She and Justin have been married for 7 years and have a son, Ian, who is 3 years old (turning 4 on May 6th!!!). A couple of weeks ago, they found out that they're having a girl! I'm so excited for her!!! We--the girls at the office--are making her a (surprise) baby quilt blanket, hand-stitched, to match her lady-bug themed nursery room! I am so honored to be throwing her a baby shower at our home sometime in March or April (my first time ever to host a baby shower)!!! I think they're going to name the baby "Jenna." She's due on the last week of May or first week of June.

* Billy and Jen Brewster
Billy is Rob's first cousin--Aunt Pam's son. We heard the good news on Christmas Eve and we are so happy for them! They have a son Caleb who is 11(?) and a daughter Savannah--pictured here with Jen--who will be turning 2 this year. I think she said she may be due this summer the last time I spoke to her and they have not found out the sex of the baby yet, but they're hoping for a boy!!! So, I guess, we'll keep our fingers crossed!

* Jimmy Purvis and Jesse (Sp.?)
Jimmy (AKA "Primetime") is also Rob's first cousin--Aunt Helen and Uncle Pete's son, Jenny and Emily's brother. He was our bestman at our wedding. This came as a surprise when mom told us that they are expecting about a week ago. They were not planning on having a baby anytime soon, but nonetheless, it's always good to have another addition to the family :-) We still haven't confirmed the good news from them, as we have not seem them since the Holidays and they live in Greenville, FL (Madison County)! So, we're really clueless about the details, i.e. due date, sex of the baby, shower, etc, but we'll find out soon!

* Eric and Grace Pizon
Eric is Rob's co-worker at Syn-Tech and is one of their--Rob and my brothers'--basketball buddies. We used to tease Eric a lot about getting married since he was already in his early 30's or something. This was, probably, a year or two ago! Grace used to live in Canada. Eric went to visit her last Spring and he came back a married man!!! I guess all our prodding and teasing paid off... haha! Eric said the baby is due in July and they haven't found out whether they will be having a girl or a boy!

So... to the Crosses, the Brewsters, the Purvises, and the Pizons... CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Can't wait to see the little ones... SOON :-)

"So Stinkin' Cute!!!"

The weekend's over... again!!! *Sigh* It went by too fast! We didn't do much, which was the whole purpose of this long weekend. Actually, I DIDN'T DO MUCH, because Rob worked all weekend. Their company have been doing some remodeling and moving their offices around... So, Rob had to rewire their networks, maintain the servers, assemble their desktops and make sure the phones are all connected and working like they're suppose to... It was nice to have some peace and quiet around the house. LOL! It's just that when Rob's around, he's always doing stuff like playing video games, experimenting with computers and wires, networking, working in his garage, etc...

So, what did we end up doing? Well, Friday night, we hung out at my parents' with the Tanguiligs. We always try to get together every now and then, even when there are no special occasions. Knowing it is one of my favorite dishes, they brought me some yummy Calamari!!! It was soo good! Thanks again, Tita Edith, for the Calamari :-)

On Saturday, Rob and JB went to their basketball practice. Kevin stayed home because he worked earlier that day and he was rather tired. So, yeah, JB's on their team too... Actually, last Wednesday night, during their first game, JB didn't play because he was working. Sadly, they ended up losing... but then the next night (Thursday), JB played and they won!!! 'Ey dude, I know you're always reading my blog... the team needs ya, man! You know Louie ain't got THE game, so bring it! Peace.. LOL!!!

Speaking of which... I know EXACTLY WHO reads my blog... I have it hardcoded (hidden Javascript program, of course!!!) that captures each and every IP address, city, state, country, date, time, web browser, OS, resolution, etc... and everytime I check it, I'm just amazed at how many people actually do read my blog on a daily basis!!! I get hits from far away places like Israel, Australia, France, Austria, Germany, UK, Malaysia, and especially the Philippines :-) And of course, I get a ton from the U.S. I'm not going to list names, or states because there are too many and you know who you are!!! It's just really flattering to have all these readers!

Anyways, Saturday night, we had salad and pizza from Momo's. They have the biggest pizzas in Florida... maybe even the country!!! Their pizza box is as big as our dining room table!!! We love Momo's and if you've ever been a college student in Tallahassee, you know that's the place to hang out on Saturday nights! After dinner, we had karaoke!!! Haha... YES, magic Mic karaoke! We finally got our very own with 2,100 songs! It was great!!! Kathryn and Kevin sang their hearts out... LOL!

On Sunday, I was finally able to have some reading time... I've read magazines--Redbook is my favorite, People mag, as well as Travel magazines. My subscriptions kept coming and stacking up, which was putting me way behind in reading, so I am now back on track :-) We had dinner at mom and dad's on Sunday night. We have this little activity which started months ago, when after dinner, we would watch old home videos of Rob and Spencer. So, after dinner, we watched one of Rob's when he was about 7-9... It was just really amazing to see Rob as a little boy... Not only was he sooo adorable, he was also quite the dare-devil... haha! I've learned so much from his childhood through those videos. For instance, he loved Sports, more so than he does now. He had his own batting cage in his parents' backyard. He had his very own personal baseball trainer. He played soccer and football, which he didn't continue through high school because baseball WAS and IS his passion! He was such an avid skier. He loved jumping on the trampoline, as well as diving competitions with his cousins at Aunt Helen's pool or at Grandma Purvis'! He loved slip and slides and being pulled around in a floater behind Jimmy's Go-Kart one snowy winter morning (Yes, it snowed once in Tally in the late 80's)!!! He was always the first one to try new things... He had so much energy!!! I've also learned what a great son Rob was and even more touching--what a great brother he was to Spencer! All this, while sitting by me, mom reminisces, with the occasional "Oooh"s and "Awww"s, and every now and then... "They were SO STINKIN' CUTE!!!" or "Geez, Ken, look how young we were!!!" It was great and we're looking forward to the next home video!

On Monday, while Rob was at work, I went shopping at Ann Taylor, the Gap, and Banana... I did our grocery shopping and when I got home, I started reading one of the books I've been dying to read. So, I'm currently reading "The Mermaid Chair" By Sue Monk Kidd. I've read her first novel "The Secret Life of Bees" and I just loved it! So far, her second novel, is equally entertaining and amusing. I need to finish this book ASAP as I've got 4 others waiting to be read--"A Wedding in December" by Anita Shreve, "The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian, rereading "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy, and "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards--which mom just read and and loves! She also told me she's got 2 more books by Anita Shreve that I must read--"The Pilot's Wife" and "Sea Glass"... We've got this unofficial book club amongst the women in Rob's family--me, mom, Aunt Helen, Jenny, Emily, Caroline and Pam. We've passed around several books such as "Cold Mountain", "The Da Vinci Code", "The Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisterhood", "Little Altars Everywhere" to name a few... It's really neat, but I just need to keep up with them... which is hard to do since they're mostly retired and stay-at-home moms... LOL!

This week's going to be a little hectic...
* Tonight is Rob and Kevin's 3rd game at Cobb (7 pm)
* Tomorrow night, FSU vs. Virginia Tech basketball at 7:30!
* Thursday, another basketball game at Cobb (7 pm)
* Friday night, Crop party at Jenny's (mom's going with me this time to work on her version of our wedding scrapbook!)

Have a great week, guys :-)

Go Gators!!!.... ???

Okay... before all you Seminoles out there curse the heck out of me... just hear me out for a sec, will ya? This doesn't mean I've disowned my beloved school (Are you insane? I WOULD NEVER EVER DO THAT!!!) I'm a Seminole through and through... Besides, I BLEED GARNET and GOLD, remember? And now that we have a fresh, new batch of coaches, there's HOPE and LIGHT at the end of the tunnel... or should I say next season??? 'Nuff said!

But we can no longer deny that Florida is Good... nay scratch that--they're GREAT! So, they ALMOST lost to the Seminoles last November, but "ALMOST means nothing" as my brother JB said... They truly deserve to win! They were the underdogs; nobody gave them credit and there were a lof of doubts and criticisms. But they took all that negativity and turned it around... and voila! They've got a National Championship! Both in Basketball and Football!!! So, it is their EVERY RIGHT to celebrate all year! (Sorry, Rob, but like I said earlier, if you were in their shoes, you'd do the same too!) And I'm not a Gator-Hater, because I just CANNOT BE ONE... I've known way too many Gators--cousins, friends, high school classmates and co-workers--my whole life! So, to the Florida Gators, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Anyways... We, Seminoles, have a lot to celebrate about as well... YAY for Jimbo Fisher, Rick Trickett, and Lawrence Dawse!!! Now, if we can only find someone to replace Kevin Steele, then we'll be all set! And our basketball team's not too shabby either! (Hey, next game's vs. Virginia Tech here next Wed. @ 7 PM). If you're interested, let me know if you wanna go with us, we can get you free tickets :-)... And our baseball team's definitely going to kick some butt--baseball season starts in 3 weeks!!!

In other news, city-league basketball starts tonight. Kevin and Rob are playing for Syn-Tech Systems--obviously sponsored by Rob's work! That season ends first week of March... and then softball and baseball starts shortly after that for Rob and Spring football for Kevin... So, it looks like we've got a busy Winter/Spring for the boys!

And as for me, I've been busy looking at various types of Granite for our kitchen and bathroom renovations, as well as looking at new kitchen appliances and some landscaping ideas. I've gotten mom (Jana) to redo her kitchen countertops as well :-) She just loves doing this... it's one of her passions! I mean, she's always doing projects around her house and at the beach house--whether it be her garden or repainting the rooms, putting up new wallpaper, etc... I can just imagine her getting really excited about preparing the nursery room when the right time comes :-) She helped Emily with her first nursery room for Jake at their old house and I just LOVED it!!! It's definitely great having mom around with all her expertise in so many areas--cooking, gardening, home renovations, decorating, flowers, event-planning, needle-work, investments, stocks, great novels to read and the list goes on...

So, we're all doing renovations at the same time... We can't really do anything major soon because of our busy schedules... Since I work for the Auditor General, which is under the Florida Senate, January through May are our busiest months because of the Legislative session, which means working some overtime and not taking a lot of vacation. So my next break would be in May :-( Everything slows down around June and July, then gets into high gear again starting August all the way to November for Fiscal Year audits, and then halts for the Holidays and the New Year... and the cycle continues... So, we're looking at this summer to start executing our plans! Can't wait...Lately, the weekends are pretty low-key. The hi-light of our weekend was partying with Pam and family at Macaroni Grill to celebrate her birthday! One of my goals this year is to find time to read more. I used to read a lot but with the hectic wedding plans and getting settled-in, I just didn't have the time to do so. I've accumulated a bunch of novels that I have not read yet, and since Rob will be working overtime this coming 3-day weekend, this will be my chance to get those done :-)

Happy New Year!

What an amazing year 2006 had been!!! I can't even begin to put into words how awesome it was... It was a year of great changes and big challenges as Rob and I embarked on a new chapter of our lives. We have learned to live together under one roof... Ironically, DIVIDING responsibilities and chores, while SHARING wealth and possessions :-) Getting use to my new name is another major change this year... And last but definitely not the least, some unpleasant incidences have occurred, which made our family a lot stronger and closer than ever! It's weird yet true, but because of this, we now have more peaceful times than before and we value these more than anything! We smile more. We laugh louder. We hug each other tighter. We lift each other higher. We help each other harder. We dream bigger. We're just really really thankful that we're all spending time with each other more and we're planning more vacations together in the near future, which makes this year--and the years after--something to look forward to!

So, to pay homage to 2006, we partied it up on New Year's Eve.

Kathryn's favorite-->ROMAN CANDLES!

Getting ready for Fireworks show... part 1

JB... with 2 Roman Candles!!!

We cherish each other more than anything :-)

My midnight kissing partner

Cheers!!!

Kevin's ready to explode!!! haha!!!

Fireworks show... part deux

JB's getting fired up!

We had a good competition going on with the neighbors... Guess who won?

Gold and Silver fountain

Another fountain

One of the great FINALEs... We had awesome ones that rivaled that of Magic Kingdom's... Too bad I was enjoying watching them instead of taking pictures :-(

50 Roman Candles --> $50
40 Sparklers --> $20
100 Bottle Rockets --> $60
10 Fountains --> $30
4 Huge light showers --> $30
1 Amazing Fireworks finale --> $25
Children's faces filled with amazement --> PRICELESS

Next year will be a LOT BETTER! Kathryn and Rob--our fireworks connoisseurs--are already making plans on what to buy and how to execute them!

Again, we'd like to wish you all a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR with great health, happiness and peace :-)