on drinking & gambling

after attending deg's and michelle's wedding last friday, ali invited us over to her house for an impromptu poker & drinking session. i was debating whether i was going so i decided to stall for time and go home, take a bath and change into more comfy clothes. i was feeling kinda tired from working in the office until 4pm and then attending the wedding and was already looking forward to a restful evening. so was trixy, but i was already texting her and convincing her to go even though i wasn't even sure i was going.

bene called up around 930 talking me into going and because i have a hard time saying "no" (especially if i can't think of any valid or more plausible excuse), i said i'll leave in a bit. i've never really taken a keen interest in poker - i mean the game is interesting and challenging, but i've never really liked gambling, whether it involved loose change or a few hundred bucks. i grew up in mandaluyong where gambling was everywhere - mahjong, poker, cockfights, jai alai and even horse racing. i couldn't understand how people who already had little money left in their pockets will try to gamble their money at these games at the expense of probably putting a decent meal on their tables for the next few days. losing a few hundred pesos probably isn't a big deal to me now, but i just don't like to spend money that way. occasionally of course, i'd indulge and play with my friends but i probably never get the hang of it, my heart's just ain't in the game. i'm not being righteous or anything, i just know what it can do, having seen it with my own eyes growing up. that's in my "sison" blood, and if i am not careful i will end up like them.

so now im down with going there for the alcohol, i don't think i'm much of a drinker. i've never really gotten the hang of drinking more than 3 or 4 bottles of san mig lite. two bottles and i'll start getting all red - probably not tipsy but i'll start being chatty. i am very conscious how much i drink because i know how badly it can affect my judgment and what harm i can cause if i drink and drive. i know because i saw what it can do to my dad and my black-sheep brother. cars crashed, going to the hospital and people getting injured. i can't be part of that. sure, sometimes i drive even after drinking, but i know i can get home safely in one piece. it sure is fun to get really drunk from time to time (when you don't have to drive) but i need to be careful because the "santos" in me can pull me down into alcoholism. and add to that, i get very bad hangovers in the morning. so the mix in my blood poses a dangerous combination, alcoholism & gambling, and when not in check, i'd probably end up with a serious uncontrollable dilemma.

i do love hanging out with my officemates, they are very very fun to be with - except when they're showing attitude (like trixy in her "tigilan mo ko" mode) - biatch! hahaha but they're like that understandably because of their own personal troubles (or the troubles they create themselves) hahaha i think i have a rich mix of friends and it makes our circle colorful enough that i'll never get bored.

i love 'em people!