Day 71: Zoomin' at LTO

I was able to take a quick glance at my driver's license about two weeks ago and was shocked to see that it was going to be expiring this year. Time sure flies so fast...it seems only a year ago when I renewed it and now I have to go through that LTO process once again. My experiences in the past have already given me the impression that renewing one's driver's license would normally take a whole day to process plus a waiting period of no less than three months for the card-type license to be released.

Imagine my surprise when I breezed through LTO-Butuan from 10:45-11:20 am only. Well, if you include the medical check up and drug test, it took a total of one hour and fifteen minutes. I've never experienced a process as organized and smooth-flowing as this in the many years I've been renewing my license.

Having a color-coded number also made it easier for the public to know who's next in line at what station. Another thing that was quite remarkable was how friendly all the staff were...definitely no grumpy Manangs or Manongs here.

I can say that technology has indeed made things so much easier and more convenient at the LTO...I'm one happy customer!

Day 169: My First Online Purchase

These lovely pair of wedge shoes arrived today! They were ordered and paid for 4 days before. It was my very first domestic online purchase.

For sometime now, I'd been curious about all these online sellers sprouting here and there on Facebook and Multiply. I've really toned down in my shopping habits ever since I got married so I seldom make fashion purchases for myself. This was until I came across pictures of these wedge shoes on Facebook. I've been scouting for a pair for months now but I couldn't find a lovely pair with a reasonable price tag. Even though online shopping seemed an unorthodox way to obtain what I wanted, I bit the bullet and tried if it was a process I could really trust. 

Well, the online seller was very accommodating and always answered my inquiries promptly. She also posted pictures of her sold goods ready to be shipped out and identified herself with personal photos too. Hey payment option was convenient too as it was through the payment facility of my mobile phone. How cool was that? And so as soon as I made the payment, she confirmed receipt and told me to expect the shoes in 3-4 days. In fact, a day after I sent payment, I saw a picture of my parcel on her profile. 

Suffice to say, I'm one happy online customer and I can see myself doing more shopping this way from now on. Of course, there are also horror stories of bogus sellers lurking all over the world wide web so utmost care should be observed when doing this kind of transactions. Here are some tips to note:

1. Make sure the seller identifies herself well on her profile page by exposing her working email address, mobile number and/or landline number.
2. Look for pictures of the seller so you can match her shop name with a face. If you can't find a photo of the seller on her page, that's a red flag.
3. Search through her archives for proofs of sale or shipment: photos of courier receipts, packed goods ready for shipment, etc.
4. Take time to skim through comments from other shoppers or buyers on her page and look for positive feedback. If you find none, that's a red flag too.
5. Do contact your seller through PM, email and mobile phone to be sure she responds quickly to your queries. Another check I made was through the mobile phone payment facility I opted for. I found my seller's full name tagged to her mobile phone number.

These are just a few reminders to make your online shopping experience both safe and exciting. HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Day 124: Out of Order

I had a bad day today. After waiting for the power to come back (which took about 5 hours), I was excited to get back online. Imagine my horror when upon pressing my PC's power on switch, a black screen appeared to say that a system file is missing or corrupt. I tried turning it off and on several times and still the same message appeared.

I was almost in panic mode when I found out that the shop that usually services our PC is backlogged and can't accommodate my unit. Another thing is that I'm alone with the kids so I can't really leave them to bring my PC to a repair shop.


Well, thank God for kind-hearted friends like Siansi Jenny who went out of her way to look for someone who could assist me. Well, the unit was picked up from the house and well on it's way to recovery (I hope!).


I just pray I don't lose much information or files when the technician finally finishes the repair. And so now, the countdown begins...dum dee dum (twiddling my thumbs while waiting).