I have very limited number of leave of absence days so I must use them wisely. This morning though, instead of enrolling my kids for the following school year, I had to help one of my bffs because her car wouldn’t start after it was left unused in her garage for several months while she was in Belgium. I had to come to her without showering first because I know I’m going to be messed up after jump-starting her car.

I pushed her car out of her garage while she steered so its nose would be near my car’s nose. I pulled out my jumper cables. Pulled out my phone to review a Youtube video about jump-starting a car. With the help of an Italian neighbor, we tried jump-starting it… But the cables started smoking! I quickly took off the cables and my car key. Thank God my car is fully manual, its electricals didn’t get fried.

Went to some auto shops to ask if a mechanic can come with us to help jumping the car. We hired one, who pulled my car battery to bring it close to my friend’s car battery and powered the latter with a pair of wrenches. It worked but we had to recharge the battery by revving the engine. It slowly recharged but the power was not enough to start it again and again.

In the end, bff had to call Motolite for a delivery of a brand new car battery. The car battery guy told us that we won’t be able to recharge her car because the voltage was so low or zero, it may have become damaged. You do not let your car battery go zero.

I told bff she or somebody may have left the interior lamp/light left on for a long time and drained the battery the entire time she was in Belgium.

A high school classmate whom I called for help also didn’t know how to jump-start. After some time searching in the interwebs, he found the reason for the smoking jumper cables: I left my car key in the ignition. There shouldn’t be a key in the ignition when you are placing the clips on the battery terminals.

Ugh. I cannot emphasize this enough—being fully manual lets me live longer. No short-circuits. 🥹

After the dead battery drama this morning, I brought Kimchi to the vet hospital to have her anal glands expressed because she started getting stinky again.

Oil prices have gone up 6% today. Oooh boy, inflation will be through the roof!

I decided to leave my hotel early and head to Mitsui Outlet near KLIA just to see what’s out there.

I was tempted to buy one very discounted item but after going around the mall, I decided against it. I could spend that money for our trip to Anilao in the coming days and our stay in Chinatown (so we can explore the area while I process my birth certificate in Manila City Hall). I have to have my bike repaired as well.

I should start being conservative with my disposable income if I were to start freelancing in this terrible economy. That escalating violence in  Middle East is not helping my cause at all.

I finally asked their dad for contribution for their school tuition. He said he will send some but until now he hasn’t and I’m going to pay their school fees tomorrow. 😑 Although I already have the cash for that, it would help a great deal to have his contribution so I can fatten up my retirement accounts, especially that I know stocks will be falling tomorrow.

After my massage last night, I went around the food street market of Jalan Alor to see what the hoopla is all about.

It’s a touristy area but it’s ok. There’s a lot to choose from.

I felt robbed. Since I ate lunch really late yesterday, I really couldn’t partake of what is offered here. I couldn’t eat that much because I had that sad bak kut teh rice.

What I noticed in Jln Alor was that 70% of what is being offered there was Thai food. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was expecting the real Malaysian street food but here we are, getting bombarded with Thai seafood dishes.

This morning I took my sweet time getting ready for my meeting outside of KL—to Damansara to be exact. I checked which mall I could go to for lunch so that I won’t be huffing and puffing to rush to my meeting from Bukit Bintang. I went to Damansara City mall to have lunch.

I realized this mall isn’t really a mall where I can while away my time. I crossed to Pavilion, another high-end mall. Ah well, at least the bathrooms would be clean.

I walked a bit further and I ended up in Suria KLCC. And of course, Petronas Towers are just there.

I had a 2.5 hr conversation with our local reporter here and told him about the changes that will take place once I’m done with my medical leave. I told him I will go freelancer and it’s up to management to make arrangements for the management of the bureau. He agreed that our current set up is not sustainable.

Let’s see what happens…

It was already around 3:30 pm that I got to have my lunch.

I was disappointed. After the excellent Malaysian bak kut teh I had in Singapore, the one from KL is disappointing. It was like eating a soupy adobo. 😑

I went around that expensive mall and my bff who is really into toys and cartoon characters asked me if I could buy her Lilo & Stitch stuff since it’s always sold out in Manila.

Just her luck:

In the end, bff settled for the blind box.

My duty as a best friend done, I went back to my fancy hotel to get my stuff to transfer to a more humble, backpacker-type of accommodations.

That conversation with top boss never came. 😑

So how do I go from here?

One source said, “Oh I thought you were gonna quit a long time ago? You had been telling me that. What would trigger you to quit?” I said, it has to be income neutral.

He said he hasn’t found the right PR for what he was planning. Hmmm… I think he still wants to get me. 🤔

I’m done.

After my manager and regional head scolded me after my presentation today, our global head talked to me. I told her I wanted to quit. Not with the limited skillset that some of my team members have. I can’t keep carrying their weight. I’m trying to plug holes with what superhuman effort I can do. It’s not enough.

She agreed that I am overwhelmed and she said sorry that she wasn’t able to see I was already drowning and needed help. She said I’m already stretched too thinly. She said it’s equivalent to handling five bureaus that I need to be on top of, aside from trying to bridge the skills gap of my people.

I told her I saw a therapist when it was already too tough to remain sane and I need to go back and see a therapist again with the way things are going. I said I will go on medical leave next week.

She said she will talk to me tomorrow to draw a game plan. I will tell her that after 6 months I will quit and go on a freelamce mode and have somebody else manage the team. I have already exhausted everything and my efforts weren’t enough because it’s already the best that they can do given the limited skills they have. I’m working with I have, with whatever I’ve inherited. Hanggang dito na lang talaga, wala nang ibubuga.

I’m done.

I have six months to find something else to do. In the meantime, I will go on freelance mode.

My mental health is more important.