Alan Rickman

January 14, 2016 will forever mark a sad day. It marks the day when the world lost a great man, a thespian, an actor by the name of Alan Rickman.

Like many fans, I grieved the passing of this incredible man. After all, a lot of the movie titles I watched these past few years were ones I deliberately sought out, all because he was in it, one way or another.

It began with the Harry Potter series. The book series was still well underway when the films began to come out, so it helped shift a lot of my respect and love for the characters more, especially as the last of the books were shipped out. By the time Deathly Hallows was released and I came to the latter part of the book to find out that Snape would die, I dreaded how it would come out on screen. And with each time I died a little inside.

Since then I took interest in seeing his other works, and before I knew it, the list just kept piling up. Of his large film repertoire, here's the list of movies I've seen him in:

1. Die Hard as Hans Gruber (1988)
2. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves as the Sheriff of Nottingham (1991)
3. Sense and Sensibility as Colonel Brandon (1995) 
4. Galaxy Quest as Alexander Dane (1999)
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as Severus Snape(2001)
6. The Search for John Gissing as John Gissing (2001)
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as Severus Snape (2002) 
8. Love Actually as Harry (2003)
9. Something the Lord Made as Dr. Alfred Blalock (HBO TV Movie) (2004)
10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as Severus Snape (2004)
11. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as Marvin (voice) (2005)
12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Severus Snape (2005)
13. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer as Richis (2006)
14. Nobel Son as Eli Michaelson (2007)
15. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as Severus Snape (2007)
16. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as Judge Turpin (2007)
17. Bottle Shock as Steven Spurrier (2008)
18. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as Severus Snape (2009)
19. Alice in Wonderland as the Blue Caterpillar (voice) (2010)
20. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as Severus Snape (2010)
21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 as Severus Snape (2011)
22. Gambit as Shabandar (2012)
23. Lee Daniels' The Butler as Ronald Reagan (2013)

Without a doubt, Sir Alan will be missed by many. He touched many hearts young and old, including myself. Not enough words can express how thankful I am that he came into the radar of the film industry, for his talent would not shine any brighter than it did elsewhere. I've read that off-screen he was a very kind man, so I'm quite sure that those who personally knew him will miss him terribly.

RIP Alan Rickman. I raise my wand to the sky for you, in hopes that you find solace in the afterlife. Enjoy your coffee with 3 cubes of sugar and a half cup of milk, as I imagine you'd fancy it.

BIR Experience

I had two major issues during my struggle with BIR.

• My RDO code was 028, which pertained to my residential address as compared to my employer's address.
• My TIN's taxpayer type was listed under E.O. 98. Because I applied for a TIN to acquire a driver's license, I was listed as unemployed. When I began working 3 years after that, I was not able to update it with my company (and since I already had a TIN, we didn't think it needed any updating). 

This is what roughly happened during my FOUR trips to BIR offices just to file my Income Tax Return (ITR) or Form 1700 on time.

Trip 1 to RDO 028, West Avenue

During my trip to RDO 028, I filled out Form 1905 so I could do the following:

• Transfer my RDO from 028 to 047
• Change my taxpayer type

I explained the situation to the counter lady, and she just asked me to fill out the form so they could process it. Among the choices was "Change Tax Type". THIS IS NOT THE SAME.

Filling out a 1905 takes at least 5 working days for it to be processed.

Of course, I didn't learn this until our company HR attempted to submit it along with the other employees to RDO 047 a week after, but came back with the explanation that my TIN wasn't under any employer, so that had me attempting to call someone at RDO 047.

Among their many listed numbers, only 1-2 worked, and the rest was scarcely picked up or were telefaxes and were seldom answered. When someone answered, they told me to call a particular number. But upon mentioning to them that the number was always leading me nowhere, she decided to answer my query. She confirmed that my TIN was successfully transferred to RDO 047.

Trip 2 to RDO 047, Gil Puyat Ave

Now the problem was the taxpayer type. She told me to fill out a Form 1905 and submit it to Counter 4 (Tin Issuance). I filled 3 copies out and went to BIR the following morning (April 14) where I talked with the Officer of the Day (O.D.), who then explained to me that it was a Form 1902 that I needed to fill out.

I returned to my office and requested for one. Because BIR had downloadable forms available, we decided to grab those and I took a second jab back at BIR.

Trip 3 to RDO 047

When it was finally my turn at Counter 4, I was expressly told that it was an old copy and they wouldn't be accepting those anymore (the downloadable copies were circa 2008 as opposed to the 2014 physical forms handed out).

Now, the 1902 has a particular requirement -- an NSO-certified birth certificate. I went through the trouble of seeing if my mother already had one of mine, which she did but from 14 years ago. But after a call to the NSOHotline, I was assured that those had no expiration date, which lifted my spirits as well as the shave off some of the stress levels I had been feeling with all these issues.

So I was forced to take some 1902 forms back to the office, have it signed and return the next day, April 15 (deadline of filing taxes) one last time.

Trip 4 to RDO 047

While I was informed that I just needed to show my number from my prior visit, I decided to get new queue numbers to be fair to the others in line. When my number was called for Counter 4 once again, the same man who didn't accept my outdated 1902 accommodated me.

What I was grateful for at this point was that he knew my situation as I mentioned it to him yesterday and he personally updated my taxpayer type on another counter's computer after some debate that I still needed to fill out a Form 2305 (which tied me to a company basically). Nothing became of the xeroxed copy of the birth certificate I scavenged for, but with the 1902's stamped, I was prepped for submitting my ITR!

As was a tactic, I arrived at the RDO and requested for queue numbers for Tin Issuance and Collection, so by the time I finished with Counter 4, I waited for about another half hour to an hour for my number to be called before I successfully submitted my ITR.

---------------------------------------

Hopefully this helps anyone who may have gotten themselves in the same situation as me to make sure that you have the right taxpayer type. It's more hassle than it's worth to update, but government offices here seem to be keen on making things difficult for the masses.

Regular Status + APE

Talking about something semi-work related now, I had two things I wanted to talk about for this post.

1. JM's Regularization

JM first took internship with Anino Games back in May 2014. I vividly remember him being the only applicant to date who actually created a Test Plan for one of our games Manila Rush. While I was impressed with the gesture, I similarly questioned who would go through the trouble. A simple thought of 'He must really want this opportunity' crossed my mind, so I reviewed it after I confirmed that he had passed the Skills Test and set him up for Interview.

To me, everything felt awkward - he was older than me though he was taking an internship (a long story about his educational background that need not be said here), and this was the first time I was screening interns since I was already the lead of the department at the time. Nevertheless, I saw that he had potential so I gave him the go signal to work for our company.

After his internship finished, I was impressed with his work and urged him to come apply again when he was done with school. Come August, just at the time of the Playlab merge, he applied and entered the company. It was a hard 6 months from there, but I was glad to see him grow and tease him in-between. While he showed signs of emotional scarring due to the teasing (all in good nature of course), I encouraged him to push onward, and I'm happy he did. Now he's officially been regularized, and I look back and pat myself on the back a little for setting him on the same path as I once took 4 years ago.

2. 2015 Annual Physical Examination

Shifting topics, we always have this annual examination. What company doesn't right? I dread it for the reason that I get pricked with a needle, and I have a history of not taking that too well unless I eat something beforehand. Thankfully this didn't require fasting, and I didn't want to think about it all too much. Luckily, the person who took my blood this year had excellent light hands that left me with no bruise like I've experienced the past 2 years. The only odd thing though was since I had blood taken from me from my right arm, my blood pressure was similarly taken on the same arm. You could imagine my confusion and slight panic, but nothing bad happened anyway, so I guess that was a good sign.

Planning Sessions

In the 6 years we've been together, Kai and I filled our time with plenty of random discussions of the future -- what we'll be doing in the next x years, where we'll eventually live, when we plan to do one thing or another -- amidst all the everyday conversations of the TV shows we follow or the stories that we write. I've always felt that couples talking about the future together is usually a good sign -- that they're ready to take the next big step into their relationship.

Nowadays I don't find it the least bit embarrassing telling people that I have a girlfriend. It's a phase I've long since overcome and I'm quite settled with the idea that I want to spent forever with her. There's just this crazily deep understanding we have of each other that I love that might be misinterpreted by other people.

These past 6 years have never been the smoothest course. After all, we were two girls facing the world, and we sometimes get pretty paranoid with how the world might judge us. Whether it be family, friend or officemate, the whole idea of publicizing that we were dating has always been a touchy subject. It's only just recently that I (a bit more than we maybe) have just stop caring about how other people might think and just charge ahead. After all, we have that right just as everyone else does to plan our own future.

That being said, we're taking the first step by doing something we've been wanting to do for sometime now -- taking an out of the country trip together. Of course, this would have some very elaborate plan to pull off, but we're really just checking things off our list.

Earlier this week I chanced upon the Piso Fare from Cebu Pacific and booked our flights in November already, so now what's left is the hotel and any other itinerary we end up doing.

APT 2015

Happy 2015! 

2014 saw an all-time low of blog posts, but mainly because I rarely found the time or patience to do any recent blog entries. Hopefully this time will be better now that I have Trello reminding me of topics to write about~

The Annual Asuncion Texas Hold'em  Poker Tournament is probably the first highlight of my year, so this calls for an semi-immediate blog post to commemorate the occasion. Why? I've joined the family tournament since 2011 (4 years into the tradition), and I've been getting varied results of my placing. The closest I got to tasting sweet victory was back in 2013 when I placed 3rd. 

Tonight though, with fewer participants (there were just 10 of us), I joined the tournament sponsored by my Dad who paid for my (and my sister's) buy-in fee. And with a whole bit of luck, I won it all!

For winning 1st place, I got most of the grand pot, the neat Chip trophy provided by our cousin Troy, and a prize sponsored by last year's champion Matthew (who didn't participate this year due to his 3-time win over the past 7 years)! 

Me with 2014 Tournament winner Matthew

The prize turned out to be a beer tower (or a tower for any beverage actually)! It was fitting really, since my Dad loves beer, so since he sponsored me in the tournament, it goes to him! 

Me posing with the prizes. This was actually the third shot my Dad took of me since my Uncle Chris kept photobombing!

Overall, I think this was definitely a great way to kick off 2015. Last year saw some crazy ups and downs, but I'm keeping positive that things will definitely be bigger and brighter this year!!

3DS - Layton vs Wright

A couple of years back before the 3DS was released, stories were circulating about an upcoming game that would be made particularly for the new console -- Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright. Now, I was quite a fan of the Ace Attorney series, and a bit of a newbie in the Layton world having barely scraped the surface of the first game on the DS, but I enjoy myself a good puzzle.

It was a calling to get a new console and retire the old DS. This was on my wishlist last year that my parents had gotten for me, but it wasn't until 8 months after the localized version of the game was going to be released.

The story itself was a very unique one, which made it seem that the crossover was just as feasible given the nature of their work and gameplay. The incorporation of both aspects of the style that best suited the overall experience (ie. taking the easier travel method by AA, hint coins used for both the PL puzzles and AA cases). It was solid, and I daresay quite brilliant, and Shu Takumi-san has indeed outdone himself. I have no qualms of revisiting Labyrinthia to experience it a second and third time. :)

New iPod Nano 7th Gen

One of the longest standing gadgets I've had that saw the evolution of my phones was my trusty iPod Nano 4th Gen that I've had with me since 2009. It's 8GB memory gave me quite the restriction, and over time it was coming to a point when I had dropped it too many times to count that the cells on the screen were starting to die out. But if it still played my music, there wouldn't really be much to complain about.

But one of the few upgrades I had this year was to put him to rest. Ever since last year, it had been on my wishlist but I never really found the time to nag someone about it. But three months ago, Kai had finally convinced me to get something for myself. A new iPod.

"The least you could do is upgrade the poor thing."

Kai and I were strolling around SM Annex over at the North Edsa branch canvassing for phones, but as the day wore on, it was becoming a tad bit depressing that things were just really out of price ranges for the time being. I was almost going to get a new external hard drive for myself before Kai finally coaxed me to consider getting a new iPod.

We passed by the Power Mac Center and found one! Since I needed some flexible terms along with other things I needed to pay for, I decided to pay in installments instead.

And with double the memory that my previous iPod had, I'm not complaining!

Trello

I don't normally blog about anything work related, but this project management tool we've been using ever since we became PlayLab has been so intriguing and intuitive I decided to make a personal one for myself. Primarily I needed to keep track of several stuff I needed to do - whether it was remember what books I had yet to read, bills I needed to pay or movies I wanted to watch with my girlfriend - so Trello turned out to be a great tool to help me do all that!

I went crazy and made a number of boards for myself and my girlfriend Kai since we're busy little bees with all our little projects (ah writers and their free-flowing imaginations). Up until now I'm still the one who makes more use of it than she does, but it's coming to a point where I'm sure she's starting to see the usefulness that it has.

What it is basically is a board that allows you to create an infinite amount of lanes and cards. Each card you can assign to a particular lane that may refer to that general status of that card. Say for example we want to track a bill payment -- we create a card under a "To Do" lane, then move it to "In Progress" when we're doing that task, then to the "Done" lane when we're through. It's that simple! You can add due dates, checklists and attach files and pictures for your convenience as well, and change the background and add labels to make things easier. If you hate clutter you can always archive finished/unneeded cards and lanes to keep things tidy.

If that piqued your interest, try out Trello today!

Masterchef

Masterchef US Season 5

I don't think I made an attempt to actually make sure I watched all the episodes of a season of Masterchef until this one. Why? I'm not quite sure myself, but I would think Graham's incredible transformation may be one of the factors. Another would probably be the fast-tracked way they started the season compared to previous ones where they showcased the "audition" stages.

Season 5 began with 30 home cooks entering the Masterchef Kitchen. And in the first few minutes of cooking, I immediately handpicked some of this year's contestants that looked promising:

Christian, Elizabeth, Victoria, Jamie, Willie, Daniel and Leslie.

That said, while I had to hand it to Courtney, she just seemed so... Rachel Berry pre-season 4.

In the end, I decided to root for Leslie, even if he came off as a pain in the ass for most of the other contestants.

As the season progressed towards the Top 5, I saw a few of my favorites get sent home, and I think the Top 3 was just such bad luck for Leslie, who clearly had a shot at the Finale if he just got his white stuff right. At least that 7th Pressure Test got him a good record, and snowballed into my wanting Cheesecake more frequently now.

Anyway, by the Finale, I was definitely rooting for Elizabeth until the end. But things just didn't want to cooperate with her. So I'm pretty sure it can be deduced who eventually won this season.

Anino Playlab

I haven't really talked about work much, but if you've even been following me on my Instagram, you'd know that quite a few things have changed since the last time back in May. Well, I had to wait until August before I could freely mention it, and then the month just swept under the rug quite quickly.

Anyway, Anino Games was acquired by Pocket Playlab when July hit, and since then, our studio has been able to now focus on making something close to our own games. It was a good time for the company, mostly because it was a lot of new beginnings, and steering in a direction where a lot of change was expected. One of the biggest happy changes I personally felt was the expansion of the QA team, and my reinstatement as a lead QA rather than having to worry about the company's products and analytics as Product Manager.

While up until now this is still being worked on, I'm seeing potential for growth finally coming to fruition. I'm looking forward to the rest of 2014 career-wise! :)

Different Goals

Different Goals

Kuroshitsuji, Volume 18, Chapter 84, Page 18

(click on the image for the full image preview!)

I'm not quite sure how long this has been on hiatus, but I finally decided to finally put the finishing touches on coloring this manga page from Kuroshitsuji. Undertaker has always been one of the more interesting characters, and at this stage of the story, he just became more annoying and cool at the same time.

But I guess overall, the reason I chose this page had mostly to do with the tea.

Germaniumify Layout

Theme Name: Germaniumify

Source: Blogger Themes

Link: Germaniumify_Template

Remembering Robin Williams

As I look back after hearing (and confirming) the news of Robin Williams' passing, I came to realize that a lot of my childhood involved watching a comedic genius show off two sides to him. As a parting tribute to a great man, I wanted to list down some of my most memorable movies he's been in.

Patch Adams - Where kids learn that laughter can be one of the best medicine in the world.
I don't recall the first time I watched this, but this was definitely a true story told best by Robin Williams. I loved the message it portrayed - that you need to understand the patient, and that medicines and know-how aren't the only ways to cure them of their illnesses.  

Jack - Where we remember that "life is short", so make the most out of it. That you gotta make something spectacular happen with the life you're given.
There's something endearing about watching this movie - that you see how a boy who ages so quickly is still able to make friends because those friends don't think of him as a monster as other kids do - sort of how prejudice works in society today - the perspective from kids always gives you hope for the future.

Jumanji -  Where"A hunter from the deepest wild, makes you feel just like a child" refers to your Dad.
No actual learnings from what I recall, but this was just a staple movie title that always stuck with me whenever the discussion came to Robin.

Mrs. Doubtfire - Where we learn that parents can have fights and still be able to make up... without really needing to dress up like an old nanny.
This was just the most memorable comedy I've seen with Robin - I just have no words.

Aladdin - Where all the cosmic powers of the universe contained in a teeny tiny space can give you the best friend in the world.
It doesn't need to be said that this was one role (beside Happy Feet) where Robin Williams' star shone brightest - his impeccable performance as Genie from Disney's Aladdin - from his bubbly personality to his constant encouraging to just be yourself - inspired me to be me for the magic to happen.

Dead Poets Society - Where we learn to just "Seize the Day".
I remember first watching this in 6th grade. It gave me a better perspective into poetry and generally living my life; then again, you really do get a better perspective of things if you're looking at them from a different angle, just like standing on top of a desk would provide you.

Hook - Where we realize that we're all kids at heart; we just have to find it in ourselves.
This was one of the reasons why Peter Pan still remains my favorite Disney story - because you can make Peter grow up, but ultimately still find himself. What made it doubly special is when Robin Williams played this role beautifully.

He will sorely be missed, but hats off to a legend.
RIP Robin Williams.

Presence

The second of the relationship points.

PRESENCE

The more exciting part of the relationship is the physical presence of one another. And I'm not even going into the intimate touchy-feely aspect. Going out and spending the day together, and for some sharing the bed and sleeping together, is one of he best feelings in the world because you get to see each other and know more about one another in the process.

Your countless dates will show you your partner's likes and dislikes, and not to mention their stamina with long walks. Your sleepovers will open your eyes to your partner's nightly habits (if any), and it will help you adjust in the long run for when you settle down. You will definitely find more and more reasons to love your partner for the time you spend together, but day after day after day? You'll begin to want some time to yourself.

And that's perfectly okay. Give each other space in between too to do what they want to do. That way you can both come back together with heaps of stories to tell each other. Love the time you spend together, and treasure it!

Kamen Rider Gaim

The current ongoing Kamen Rider series, Kamen Rider Gaim, is comprised of multiple riders, which seems to be playing out fairly well for themselves thus far. While I haven't been following the past few series faithfully (though I made sure to watch Fourze in its entirety and followed most of Wizard save for the last episodes), this is one I made sure to keep updated on, and that's not just because of familiar actors (Kubota Yuki, Aoki Tsunemori and Kobayashi Yutaka are Tenimyu actors).

Part of the reason why I decided to see this through (I even watched my backlogged episodes to catch up before I got left in the dust by the series) was primarily just because of the concept. I know this isn't the first time there were multiple riders for the series, but their play on it was interesting, and add to the fact that you have a diverse cast with different personalities and ideals make it even richer.

I look forward to how this story ends!

StyleMaster Layout

Theme Name: StyleMaster

Source: BTemplates.com

Link: StyleMaster_Template

Communication

Being in a relationship teaches you a lot of things. Not every relationship starts out the same way, nor does it have a template that guarantees success and longevity. Relationships will never have an expiration date because love is crazy and unpredictable. Each relationship is unique, but at its core some things remain constant. Over the next few posts, I want to talk about some of those constants, and my own take of what it's all about.

COMMUNICATION

Words are powerful. They can make you feel flattered or insulted, and therefore quite often misunderstood. Whether it is exchanged verbally (face-to-face, over-the-phone) or written, the intended tone will have varied ways of being interpreted, almost too often the wrong one. Actual verbal communications have a higher tendency of getting points across as opposed to written communication through text messaging, chat and email, simply because you actually hear the tone of the message.

Never put stock in written exchanges because chances are, you might just find yourself hurt, setting and prematurely lashing out. Every couple would have their own technique of "reading the mood" when it comes to communicating through non-verbal means, just to be sure they avoid jumping to conclusions. Admittedly, my girlfriend and I tend to have loads of misunderstandings whenever we chat over text, Viber or LINE, so you can imagine the squabbles we go through before we patch things back up again. How does it get resolved? Verbal communications.

It's also common knowledge that everyone has their imperfections and sense of brokenness. That truth extends to both parties in any relationship. If your day was shitty, don't ever expect your partner's day to be all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows because chances are, their day may have been just as shitty or even worse off. Be considerate and know your cues. If your partner comes off as being too irritated in spite of your attempts to lighten the mood, don't convert it into a reason to be pissed at them. Allow them to explain themselves first before you pass judgement.

Oftentimes this is exactly what kickstarts an argument; being close-minded to the point that you'll deny any excuse they give, even if that was really the case. It evolves into pointing fingers, ultimately making the other feel guilty that one feels compelled to apologize, even if they weren't at fault.

In summary, communication is one of the vital aspects of any relationship. Never close yourself from your partner if you can, as that would be the best way you can understand and learn more about each other.

Review: X-Men Days of Future Past

I have always been a fan of the X-Men movie franchise, and this was by far the best of the lot. I'm not saying it just because it combines elements of the trilogy that started it all and what was intended to become a prequel of sorts to the whole thing. Rather, it emphasizes on the probable impacts of time travel (one of my favorite storytelling devices), and that the future is never set in stone if you can do anything about it.

As we're still in the phases of opening weekend, I won't want to give too much away, save perhaps this one quip that only people who've watched the film already will understand completely:

X-Men: The Last Stand never happened. This is what it should have been.

Marvel comics, by-and-by, hardly make any chronological sense with mutant superpowers. Bending reality - time and space included - only serves to their purpose that things can go in any direction possible. And I like those twists and turns as a fellow pseudo-established fiction writer myself. You take Logan who's been through each of the films either center stage or cameo and put him in a situation to alter the desolate future ahead, then you know the task won't be a walk in the park. A guy with anger issues despite being their only hope wouldn't be your best candidate after all.

But what the movie does capture is that you somehow see the richness and diversity in the characters themselves, especially now when you have younger versions of Professor Xavier and Magneto who were much more (or less) different than their older, wiser selves. The dynamics was interesting to watch, and the overall outcome, rewarding.

Though the film itself doesn't give a complete closure on everyone, it does give you the closure you felt unresolved by the end of The Last Stand. At the same time, it opens up a world of possibilities moving forward, which I think is something to look forward to.

Ambidexterity Progress

5/22/14

Time for another quick writing exercise! I did say I wanted to be able to become ambidextrous, and I found out earlier today that I have better aim gripping a gun with my right hand. I tried it for kicks with one of the Nerf guns at the office. We drew a target on one of the whiteboards. I rarely hit the bullseye with my left, but after switching to my right, it was a bullseye off the bat! A few shots later I found myself getting into the swing of things. This will be something I can improve on!

QA Three 2.0

Back in December 2012, I blogged about "version 1" of the QA Three (found here). Just over a year and a half later, I would be bidding farewell to yet another formed triumvirate that filled the void since the start of 2013.

When Jamie left, Tristan and I didn't stay a duo for long, since Boom had joined (or rather re-joined) our ranks. While the feeling wasn't quite the same, it helped filled the void. But we took another blow when Tristan had left, so that left Boom and I shorthanded again. Towards the middle of the year I made updates to the QA skills test and accommodated Maxine, an intern who stayed with us through the course of May.

The following month, I had made perhaps the best decision of endorsing Jed for initial interview even after failing the skills test. Why did I do that? He impressed me, plain and simple. And to everyone's surprise, he passed! And so another triumvirate was established. We kept it tight throughout the rest of the year. In the final quarter of 2013, I assumed the leadership position after JD transitioned to business development status.

Come 2014, we opened our doors to interested interns and since I was handling the recruitment of them and doing the interviews, we took in two so far - Issa and JM. And they've been doing the best of jobs in helping out our little portable bunch.

As they say though, these things don't last forever. Earlier during the year, Boom had said that he had plans of resigning to look for better opportunities. His last day was yesterday, so that meant our trio would be trimmed down yet again. I've been grateful to him and Jed for the hard work they put in, and I'm going to miss him. But I know that the memories we've shared together will always be with us. So here's a cheers to Boom on his new adventure, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my team develops this time around!