Remain calm...

… this is only a drill…

*brikd for the joke first thing*

Should probably nuke that first pic from last time. Apparently sharing things on the internet is wrong or something like that. (Yes, I know exactly what they mean. I’m just being a pain about it. >:P )

Woke up and had the strangest revelation today. I don’t have enough fun. True fun. Laughing-like-a-hyena, giggling-like-a-harpy fun. Everything that I remotely connect with the word always holds the possibility of turning sour the second I turn around. Or at least turning sour in my own mind. Why is that? My brain ruins everything. I hope I get a tumor. Stupid brain.

Now if I could only think of something to write. Nothing seems as interesting as it used to be. I need something new. Or, worse, someone new. Or do I? People only seems to complicate things, but it’s that lovely complexity that keeps us from becoming vapid shells of what we’re supposed to be. That is, that’s only if you believe that we’re supposed to be anything at all.

Meh…

Thank you, and have a nice day.

[Via http://creekofcognition.wordpress.com]

A quick one.

It’s the last half an hour of the last day of November 2009..which means exactly 25 days to Christmas and 28 days to my major exams..I don’t think I’m on time with my studying all but I’ll trust and believe for the best because I know that He wants to give me the best..really hope and pray that everything will turn out fine..or more than fine..

December this year will be a whole new experience for me..my first time spending Christmas away from home, away from my family..really don’t know what to expect..there are a few invitations here and there but I thought everyone spend Christmas with their families wan? don’t know lah..maybe KL is different..we’ll see..so yeah, will update again soon if I find the time to..will be heading to Kuala Kubu Baru next Monday to Wednesday for clinical rotations..I DON’T WANNA GO……but no choice. sigh~ I hope I’ll survive to tell the story..=P till then, adios!

 

[Via http://eunicepui.wordpress.com]

A New Beginning

Starting a new blog is a fresh start. I felt I never really kept up with the other one and it wasn’t really me. I think this will help me to update regularly and hopefully make time to do things I enjoy more often (making cards, crafting, cooking, photography, etc.) So I hope you will enjoy my future posts and things I make, and I would always love to hear from you.

 

Megan

 

[Via http://meganbirdwell.wordpress.com]

leftovers

My Thanksgiving table

To answer DebbieB’s question (she said: “I can’t stand the suspense! Didja cut it???”). Yes. I did. Now, I’m just assuming that she is indeed asking about the pumpkin pie. She may have been sidetracked and is asking me if I cut the well, ahem. Cheese. But I doubt it. Because we never talk about that here. And? We never will please. I know it’s only natural but here is a “THAT” free zone.

Yes, I did cut the pie. But not until after Thanksgiving dinner, like a good doobie. I had a sliver. I couldn’t eat any more after that. In fact, I was in bed by 8:30, snoozing away. Well deserved, I’d say!
However, for breakfast? Bigger than a sliver. A delicious way to start the day, if I don’t say so myself. I wish you pumpkin pie for breakfast. With whipped cream. And a scootch of nutmeg. I did not, however think of taking a picture until I was left with a plate and a few lonely crumbs. Perhaps tomorrow’s breakfast will be better planned out.

For dinner, along with my turkey leftover hash, (home fried potatoes, turkey, gravy and a bit of bell’s seasonings sprinkled in), a glass of leftover wine, pinot noir and a HUGE helping of salad. I am CRAVING veggies. Lots of them! That can never be a bad thing.

Salad!

I would love to say that I did not shop today but I do not consider myself one of the black Friday shoppers. I DID, as I do every year, think of the shoppers at 3:30. Then I rolled over and pulled up the covers. Some things are traditions and should never be tinkered with.

But around 3:00 (PM, that is)  Bethany and I went to Barnes and Noble. Sometimes a girl just has to buy books. One of the most basic needs of life, honestly. The store was bustling but not too busy, the lines were on the short side, which I was thankful for.
The thankfulness just goes on and on, doesn’t it?

 

[Via http://mysubstitutesandysknittingblog.wordpress.com]

Are men really better at shopping?

According to a new report by the Department for Stating the Bleeding Obvious men are better shoppers than women. Men on average spend five hours a week shopping; they know what they want, go in the shop, buy it and leave; whereas women spend on average eight hours, often forgetting what they went in the shop for and coming out with something completely different.

"Oh, yes, I remember now - a pair of gloves."

I may be a man but I’m not that stupid. The female art of pretending to forget is merely an endearing ploy in order that they get exactly what they want, albeit they may have to sneak it back home and tuck it away in the wardrobe, to then reveal with the immortal line “What –this old thing – I’ve had it ages! Don’t you remember I wore it to Rodney’s twenty-first…”

"What - this old thing..."

Must be off; today is International Buy Nothing Day and I want to catch the shops before they close.

[Via http://to55er.wordpress.com]

Pondering Human Nature

There are criminals– the ones who break, steal, and murder. Objective: To gain what they lack (take money for example). But money is simply a tool because it is used for exchanges. This means that financial matters are a way of buying security as well as the power that they don’t have over their own lives… so they take others’.

Then there are the sinister minds that can’t be controlled. They know not of logic and have never encountered rationale. In the same way that sometimes unconditional love cannot be explained, so it goes for indiscriminate hatred.

“Some people just want to watch the world burn.”

But it is not hate that can tempt humans into this state of malevolence. Yes, violence and aggression does its part perfectly well to make the sane go in, but it is negligence that becomes the driving force in fulfilling their lifeless purposes. Because purposeful they are not.

[Via http://daydreaming1.wordpress.com]

desabafo musical

Ultimamente nada tem sido fácil, mas se tem uma(s) única(s) coisa(s) que tem melhorado e embalado com trilha sonora esse carretel que a minha vida se tornou – e tem o feito com estilo – a culpa é dos novos álbuns que meu iPod tomou posse.

Definitivamente, disparado, Armistice do Mutemath e Only By The Night do Kings of Leon são os melhores álbuns que meu iPod adquiriu nos últimos tempos. Domingo fui introduzida ao novo do DMB, muitíssimo bom também. Mas isso era só pra desabafar. No fundo eles só servem de pano de fundo com um toque de lembrança de um alguém aqui, outro alí…

[Via http://aboutjules.wordpress.com]

It Can't Hurt

 

If I can’t make a difference … I just want to make it different.

 

note: I’m not a trendsetter … I don’t know anything about dogs and their breeding.

double note: the air seems fresher already.

triple note: I don’t know what that stinky tree smelled like before, but it smells like ocean fresh something now. It may smell like pine eventually.

quadruple note: the air freshner was tired of hanging on the rearview mirror tree.

quintuple note: everyone is a tree: we just live in mobile forests.

sextuple note: we all have roots … even if they are only in our hair and teeth.

septuple note: I’ve put on two obnoxiously short entries tonight.

.

notes to myself #68

Your family tree is a renewable resource. You may be a stump though. sorry.

[Via http://planetross.wordpress.com]

Bilakah Mahu Upload... Haha!

Bila la aku nk bersemangat update blog ni.. HU… Bukannyer aku x smangat sgt pon, tpi mang kalo bab nk tulih Catchin-Up post ni mang aku berat sket. Coz yg pertama, aku maleh nk upload pics. Yang kedua, aku x bape ingt pon ape yg berlaku. Hahahah. Tpi ni meh la aku kasi brief je ape yg dah berlaku arie ni. Arie ni aku dah abes exam KISSMe! Pastu, sok aku balik umah psl lusa nk raye aji. Hmm.. Before2 tuh, aku gi Muar (lagi skalik) psl saje jalan2. Bese2 aku pegi, aku raser bese jer. Tapi arie tu gie, raser serrooonokk sgt pulak! Hehehe… Nnti la aku citer detail. Yang best, aku dh free skang ni. Yang paling best, aku dah bukan student!! Hahaahaha. Nnti jap lgi, aku pulak yang akan ade student sendiri. Heee… Okayla. Xbleh lame2. Mahu dating petang ni! So, chow dulu!!! MMMuah!

[Via http://emywinchester.wordpress.com]

I may have found everyone's Christmas gift

This is, believe it or not, a pear cozy.  The idea seems to be that you wrap your pear in this pear cozy and it will protect the pear from bruising.  It seems suspiciously poorly engineered to me.  What about that entire area on the right side of the pear that is vulnerable to potential bruising?  The same seller offers other fruit jackets as well as tea-bag totes and (potentially useful) knitted coffee cup sleeves.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33694388

Thoughts about gum

It has become increasingly important to me to have a package of chewing gum on my person at all times.  There are many things that have reached this level of importance – ibuprofen, driver’s license, pens, cell phone, headphones – but none of these items have such a range of useful positive consequences.

1. Better breath.  (This is obvious.)
2. Healthier teeth. (This is obvious as well, because chewing gum manufacturers advertise this heavily.  If you read the fine print, many only makes your teeth healthier if the gum is chewed directly after consuming food or drink because chewing gum increases saliva flow, which evidently leads to  healthier teeth.  A few kinds have special things in them which are supposedly good for your teeth as well.)
3. Alleviation of sore throats.  (Not as good as throat lozenges, but much more subtle.)
4. Mental stimulant during really boring lectures.

Phone interview

Today I did my phone interview with salesforce.com in my bedroom.  My parent’s cat came in during the interview.  I petted her too much and she bit me.

Cat video

I’ve evidently become  the person for my friends to go to with interesting internet cat videos.  This one does not have sound.  I think it is funny.

http://www.videosift.com/video/Kitty-Cat-Loving-Nearly-Interrupts-Traffic-Ticket

Cats come and go without ever leaving.  ~Martha Curtis

[Via http://catsandblogs.wordpress.com]

Emotionally Unavailable

Was randomly pondering why I haven been able to get involve emotionally.. Seems like I am “emotionally unavailable”. Am I having an identity crisis?

At times it seems like only work is keeping me sane. Am I becoming depressed again? I can’t let myself slip down the downward spiral.. But i seem to have began struggling with myself. God please give me enough strength to paddle on.. God please give me wisdom to see the light.. God please give me courage to hold my head up high.

 

[Via http://claudiaration.wordpress.com]

My feet hurt!

I had an overall good weekend!  Friday I hung out with my best friend who I miss so much!  But I’m sad that I won’t get to see her until the winter break because she has to focus on her school work!  I wish her luck!

On Saturday I woke up at 7:45 AM because I had to go to my last training session for the store I applied to, which started at 9 AM!  I got to do a little more this time so that made me happy.  I’m still getting used to things but I’m excited to work!  The only bad thing about it is that my feet hurt at the end of the day  I ended training at 1 PM and got picked up my sister’s friend.  I’m saying “friend” for now because I’m not sure if he’s my sister’s friend or boyfriend?  Oh well, I don’t know.  At least he seems sweet!  So I payed him back for the ride home as a thank you by buying him food because I thought he might be too nice to accept money!

When I got home around 2 PM I had to do a load of laundry, washed the towels, and hung up new ones in the bathroom.  At around 7:30 PM I got picked up by my other friend and we went to our school theatre because she had to write an essay on the production that was being played and she invited me to come with her.  It was a very interesting play.  The only problem I had with it was this is was suggestive and provocative.  Other than that I enjoyed the dry wit and humor of the characters.  It’s what I would call a “typical atypical play”!

I ended up sleeping over and her house since it was late, and I had to go over her house the next day, anyway, to work on our class project.  We ended up watching Boys Over Flowers, a Korean drama version of Japan’s Hana Yori Dango.  The Korean version is okay, but I prefer the Japanese one.  Maybe it’s because I expected too much out of the Korean version because I usually prefer Korean dramas to Japanese ones.  Oh well.  It’s still entertaining to watch because each version has its own different element to the original story.  I could write much more than this but I think it’s best that I don’t so I’ll just stop here…for now.  We finally went to sleep at around 1:30 AM

Because I tend to sleep earlier nowadays, but in this case slept late, my friend and I woke up at 11:30 AM.  Haha.  It was already noon!  I had a weird dream but I don’t remember everything.  Yeah…Anyway we finished our project with 3 hours to watch more of Boys Over Flowers until my dad picked me up!  So I’m going to go sleep soon, but I felt that I should post this up!  Goodnight!

lots of love!

ash<3

[Via http://0ash0.wordpress.com]

Dad jokes and short shorts

I like dads. I was going to call this post ‘I like dads’, however felt it could have been read into a little too disturbingly and wasn’t quite worth a disclaimer so early on in the piece. So it’s called ‘Dad jokes and short shorts.’ But you already know that.

Dads are legends. They’re a mysterious and humorous beast, though they are completely oblivious to being either. They have weird habits of ‘tinkering in the shed’, saying things like ‘bloody useless’ and take the greatest pride in being the master of the BBQ. Ah, the simple pleasures. They also say dad jokes and wear short shorts. These are not to be confused with the more the more family friendly versions of the seedy dad jokes and the budgie smugglers. (On a side note, saw my first pair of budgie smugglers attempting to fit a happily engorged man this beach season. My eyes are burned.) These are my favourite dad habits.

As Summer takes an early kick-on and the temps soar, so do the short lines. Dads are brazen, dads are bold. It is November but, boy, do they challenge hem line lengths. They enter the realm where many a man has entered before. And no, they do not do so like the strapping young lads of today with shaved and oiled up pins, coiffed hair and pouts. They do it as real men do. Hair, sweat and with the slight overhanging of gut.

The internet is celebrating dads in short shorts. Visit Dads in Short Shorts, which artfully differentiates between the various breeds of dad. There’s the ‘Never-Nude Dad’, the ‘Why, When I Was Your Age Dad, and the ‘Weekend Dad’. It’s a dad sandwich!

I anticipate a world ‘Dads in Short Shorts Day’ any day now.

Bino out.

randomness

* I know i might sound like a silly teenager for looking forward to the new moon movie, but I am! And no, I am not in any way attracted to any of the characters! actually a few co-workers refer to robert (edward) as shovel face. and I agree, not my cuppa. very flat faced. anyway, I am actually looking forward to the new movie in the saga. further to wanting to watch it, I would like to read the rest of the books. I believe books are more interesting than movie makes of them. and certainly, anything vampire related is bound to become a fave of mine. I dont really know what fascinates me so much with darkness, and blood, and this sadistic instinct with a hint of subliminal violence.. but it does. I mellowed out in the gothic image area, except for the dark eye, but on the inside, i very much am a practicing goth! everything Acheronic is way more interesting than clear, bright, common things/lifestyles. At least in my eyes..

* I always get excited this time of year, seriously December is my favorite month only for the festivity! I love the colours of christmas, the spirit, the tree! this year I am really looking forward to the million holidays in December, thinking of taking 2 days off at some point, dont plan to go anywhere, but just kick back and relax, preferably with a book and a good massage lol. I am developing a cooking craze though, I would love to bake more, one day! I actually suck at baking or making desserts.. unless its cheesecake or cold stuff.. so maybe I can get inspired with the festive season as baked goods are everywhere, and I actually love the idea of giving home baked sweets as gifts.

* They unblocked deviantart! lululululeesh!

* This must be my new fave clip, Shakira ’Did It Again’ i love the martial art-ish bits.
I like! Oh and the song isnt bad either..

 

I thought you weren't supposed to talk about Fight Club

With blatant disregard to the rules, the media has been talking about Fight Club again.  There have been several reports that the new Blu-ray came out with a little extra in the opening menu. Apparently, when the disc is loaded in, a flash of the “Never Been Kissed” menu screen shows before the actual menu screen.  I guess this is supposed to be a practical joke, as no self-respecting Fight Club fan would ever have a copy of that movie in their house.  I’m sure it caused a few gasps, followed by relief, followed by everyone asking themselves WWTDD?

Apparently he would take a shower

But I feel as I am breaking the first rule of Fight Club just by writing this post.  If you’ve never seen Fight Club, it’s basically a movie about someone trying to find the point of being alive, wrapped up in a people beating up other people shell.  Also, if you haven’t seen it, go straight to Netflix and put it above all those awful movies presently in your queue.  NOW!!!  Yes, even above Twilight.

It will probably look like this when you're done

While we wait for some of our less cultured readers to do that, the rest of us will move on.  For those of us who are normal and have seen it, do you remember the rules of Fight Club?  Let me refresh your memory.  What else do you have to do right now?  Work?  Well, do what you must.  But remember, it’s your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time. (I had to get that in somewhere)

1st rule: You do not talk about fight club

It’s all coming back now, right?  Aside from the fact that you break the first rule every time you tell somebody about the rules, this seems like a good rule for this kind of social gathering.  I don’t think that the law would appreciate a bunch of douchebags getting together to beat the crap out of each other.  No wonder health care is going through the roof.

But there are problems with this rule.  How do you recruit new members?  I guess you have to say something like  ”Hey, meet me at that deserted warehouse on 5th street, and don’t ask me why. Oh, and bring a first aid kit”

2nd rule: You DO NOT talk about Fight Club

Um… yeah.  First, stop yelling at me Tyler.  Second, I know that The Narrator was short on sleep and all, but is there a need to be redundant?  The first rule really doesn’t  leave much room for interpretation.  Too bad these aren’t the first two rules of UFC.  My life would be much better.

3rd rule: If someone says “stop”, goes limp, or taps out the fight is over

Of all the rules, this one seems like the most logical.  Nobody wants to die at a gathering of friends.  Of course, most friends don’t give you a forearm shiver when they see fit. 

Suge Knight never came back to Fight Club

And I think “stop” is a pretty generic safe word.  Couldn’t they think of something more original, like “snuffleupagus” or something? 

4th rule:  Only two guys fight

I still think that tag-teams was one thing Fight Club was missing.  Aside from that, I can’t really think of anything witty about this one, but my comments on the 5th rule kind of include this one so let’s continue… 

5th rule:   One fight at a time

What are they tying to do, make it like a high school dance?  You know, where everybody is standing around the sidelines with maybe one or two couples dancing in the middle.  In these days of media overload, I think some people would lose interest after a while.  Wouldn’t it be better if it were like the fight in Anchorman? 

The kind of fight worthy of a club

6th rule: No shirt, no shoes

No dice?  This would be a much better rule if there were girls in Fight Club.  I don’t see any rules banning catfights.  Inaugural member: that New Mexico soccer player.

7th rule:  Fights will go on as long as they have to

When you combine this rule with rules no. 4 and 5, there could be some long, boring nights at Fight Club.  What happens if you show up, ready to fight, and you’re at the end of a line on a busy night. 

There is no cutting in Fight Club

If there’s only one fight at a time  and only two guys are in each fight, you may go home uninjured.  That would suck.

8th rule: If this is your first night at fight club, you HAVE to fight

This is where the first rule could be a little contentious.  You invite a buddy to go with you but you can’t tell him where you’re going.  You know, you can’t talk about it.  So your buddy goes with you because he trusts you.  The the two of you show up to Fight Club and wham!, your unsuspecting friend unwittingly gets his clock cleaned. 

Welcome to Fight Club, chump

Don’t expect a call from him any time soon.

So those are the rules.  Consider yourself re-educated.  It seems pretty basic, right?.  Follow the rules, pummel the snot out of fellow club members, and life is much better.  I do think that there needs to be a couple rules added at this point in time, but that would be enough for an entire new post.  In the meantime, please stop talking about Fight Club in 3… 2… 1…

23 Sundays

I’ve vowed to work 23 Sundays at the steakhouse.  I’ve made it though four and I want to hang up my food-spattered apron.  How is this different from culinary school?  It’s not.  My expectations for school were high and then, once my education commenced, I hated it.  I hated it until sometime between week 5 and week 10.  Something clicked, something changed.  Sometime in April or May, I got the hang of it, built my confidence, and became relatively comfortable.  I just have to muscle through; tough it out.  Eventually, I will find my stride, even here.

Two More Makes Four

We live in an apartment.  It is not small, it is not huge . . . its adequate in its 3 bedroom capacity to house our small family of 2 boys and a set of parents.

A couple of times a week I watch two more tots . . . same age as my boys, 3 and 4 . . . close enough that I can say that.  I think Jordan turns 3 in December.  Thats beside the point.

When you get 4 boys under 5 in an average sized 3 bedroom apartment . . . trapped indoors due to rain and hail and cold winds . . . it is amusing, trying and “I-should-be-documenting-this-for-some-reality-show-revealing-of-tot-behavior-whilst-trapped-indoors-for-hours” kind of feeling.

I’ll leave it to the producers to think of a shorter name for the documentary.

Perhaps

“Trying Times in Tot-Land”.

Or something stupid like that.

The boys I watch are fantastic kids.  The listen and help pick up when I announce those times.  They eat politely and are mostly nice to my boys.  They use the potty . . . without me reminding them too much.  They stay out of the garbage and leave the fridge alphabet magnets on the fridge . . . while and after playing with them.  They buckle themselves in their carseats . . . no help from me, just a bit of supervision.  They share, for the most part, and enjoy interacting with my kids.

Unlike some other tots that live here . . . that listen on when I get that tone in my voice and pick up if I’m standing over them.  I’m pretty sure Tob had his dinner plate taken away tonight for throwing carrots at Sam, across the room, so the eating politely thing is stricken.  I don’t think I’ll talk too much about the “being nice to others” bit . . . except to say that wrestling and rough housing is fine for a little while and then the boys were done . . . well, not my boys, just the boys I was watching. I hate poop . . . poop in the toilet!!  ”Didn’t I just throw that empty Wheat Thins box in the garbage, Tob? Huh? Why are you using it for a car ramp? And, no, you can’t have the lid off he discarded milk carton either!” Gross! The stove is not my favorite spot for the alphabet magnets to be sported. You know, hefting a 20 pound 15 month old in a car seat . .. oh, who am I kidding . . . 30 pound 15 month old in a car seat was a feat of sorts.  I do believe that constitutes as an all-body workout.  Hoisting a 45 pound 4.5 year old into a car seat that now sits in a 4×4 SUV. . . I think my back is out.  I don’t think Sam ever relinquished the highly sought after ‘Mac’ truck (from the movie Cars) . . . the one thats made of plastic that is missing half its parts, not to mention missing the trailer that attaches to it . . . piece of plastic crap.  ”Take my friends back,” Tob kept saying all evening.  I didn’t really comprehend what he was referring to . . . then Aaron decided to clarify . . . “I think he wants to you take us back home.”  So frickin sweet my kids are! Like merchandise . . . just take them back.  Hmmm . . . is there return/exchange for kids?

Actually I love my kids . . . no worries.

I mean . . . who couldn’t love this!

Two  . . . two is a good number.

~blessings

It's Time For Me To Fly

I had a special post to a very special person, whom I’ve laughed, loved, cried for and with, have more passion with that anyone could ever imagine I dedicate this song to you. (hoping you read my post)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak6fZrkjWoA

“I’ve been around for you
I’ve been up and down for you
But I just can’t get any relief
I’ve swallowed my pride for you
I’ve lived and lied for you
But you still make me feel like a thief
You got me stealin’ your love away
‘Cause you never give it
Peeling the years away
And we can’t relive it
I make you laugh
And you make me cry
I believe it’s time for me to fly

You said we’d work it out
You said that you had no doubt
That deep down we were really in love
Oh, but I’m tired of holding on
To a feeling I know is gone
I do believe that I’ve had enough

I’ve had enough of the falseness
Of a worn out relation
Enough of the jealousy
And the intoleration
I make you laugh
And you make me cry
I believe it’s time for me to fly

[Refrain:]
Time for me to fly
Oh, I’ve got to set myself free
Time for me to fly
And that’s just how it’s got to be
I know it hurts to say goodbye
But it’s time for me to fly

Oh, don’t you know it’s…
[Refrain]

It’s time for me to fly
[Repeat to end]…”

For those of you who love deeply, I hope this has meaning.

Weekend Recap: 11/13 -11/15

** I told you I’m trying new things. This should be self explanatory but for those who aren’t that bright (SMH… LOL) it’s simply a sum up to my weekend. **

1.) I got beat up by a stripper the toy party on Friday… he left his marks… lol. No seriously. Apparently because I was the only light skin chic in the place he attacked me. He flips and swung me around every which way. Pictures will soon air on facebook thanks to one of my home girls.

2.) Found out my mom isn’t pregnant… something is wrong with her kidneys which caused her belly to swell. WTH?

3.) Woke up in Philly on Saturday morning… yes I was drinking the night before.. lol don’t ask.. SMH

4.) Went shopping with my BFF K. We were going to a thing with her army friends. Got tipsy and then headed to the VFW. After a couple of stepping to the “Cupid Shuffle” we headed to Club Dix to watch the fight. I have no idea who won… was doing shots. Military people know how to have fun and drink, me too. Then to the barracks we went…the rest was a blur..SMH

5.) Woke up around 11:00 am. Reminisced and laughed. Somethings are better left unsaid…lol just know it was mad fun!! Shocked, because I got my first hangover in life. Then got my pick me up… an ice cold PEPSI!!

6.) Got back home around 7 something and watched a movie with my little one.

Good times…and think I wanna join the ARMY…LOL!!

How Sweet It Is, Part II

A couple more sweet things to blog about from Taiwan!

Since bubble tea was invented in Taiwan, it’s no surprise that every aspect of each bubble tea can be customized there. The many options include: tea flavor (duh), bubble size (big vs. small), sweetness (no sugar, 30%, 50%, 75%, regular), and amount of ice. It’s almost as complicated as ordering a Starbucks drink! My favorite was passion fruit green tea with 30% sugar, since the passion fruit syrup is pretty sweet already. Even for a someone with a sweet tooth like me, the regular/normal sugar level was way too much.

Passion Fruit Green Tea with small tapioca. "The Tea of Cool" and don't you forget it!

My sister PJ could be a professional shopper. We usually shop all day (literally) and only take breaks for two things: to use the restroom and to eat or drink. She has memorized the layout of every single major department store in Taipei. It’s damn impressive. Anyway, during one such shopping marathon, my sisters PJ and JS and I stopped for afternoon tea (if you haven’t noticed, such things are common in Taipei). We each ordered a coffee and PJ ordered Belgian waffles with fruit and ice cream to share. Since I was still full from lunch, I told her I wouldn’t have any. However, as soon as the plate arrived, I quickly reversed my decision. It was too delicious looking not to take a bite… or two. Really, can you blame me?

Why yes, we are the official spokeswomen for this delicious looking dessert.

Up close and personal: waffles, fruit, and ice cream.

Alec Baldwin anyone?

This guy has made some awesome little movie speeches in his time, here are a few of my favourites.

Glengarry Glenross Speech

Malice Speech

Funny scene from The Departed

This scene from Along Came Polly doesnt really feature Alec much, but I think he is hilarious in the scene

This video is a bit messed up, but all that matters is the first 10 seconds

R.I.P. Rad

I was informed Monday morning that a friend was in a fatal car accident Sunday night. It’s definitely been an emotional week for everyone. R.I.P. Radcliffe Calilap.

“Those we Love remain with us, for Love itself lives on. Cherished memories never fade, because one loved is gone. Those we Love can never be, more than a thought apart, for as long as there’s a memory, they live on in our heart…”

Children Shouldn't Know So Much

Once again, in a comments section, is someone spewing out the old…”Well, kids are so much more  mature now.  At the age of 9, my son knows about so much more than I could have imagined at the same age.”  First of all……..kids are not more mature. They’re still as immature at 9 now as 9 year olds have ever been.   Kids are simply exposed to more than kids were years ago.  Just because children are exposed to more things does not mean that they can understand it or are ready emotionally for something.  It’s ridiculous to believe otherwise.  Everyone cries out…”We must protect our children!”……but how many are actually doing anything about it?   I’m not calling for censorship of any kind.  I’m not saying there can’t be things out there not intended for children.  The whole world doesn’t have to be some strangely warped Disney movie…..but adult things shouldn’t be out in the open for children to see.

The television networks…advertisers…..magazine publisher’s and the like could be more responsible in what they put out there during the day and earlier evening hours.  It would be nice.  I could live without seeing a giant billboard of half naked men and women posed seductively in an effort to sell jeans.  Like I said…it would be nice if they did.  I guess I’m not really counting on it though. Sigh.

The ones who are first in the line of defense against inappropriate for this age battle are, of course, the parents.   This is to some of the parents out there…..YOUR CHILDREN ARE NOT LITTLE ADULTS!  Don’t treat them like little adults. They are children.  Get it?   Don’t let them be exposed to things that are too mature for them.  You don’t have to watch certain shows with your children in the room.   Don’t allow them to be exposed to mature content.  You have control over that, unless you’re a lazy parent or an ineffectual parent.  Don’t take them to movies that are too old for them just because YOU want to see it and don’t have anyone to watch your kids.  That’s just selfish.  If you’re going to have kids, then you better be ready to put out the effort…..sacrifice a little…at least.   You need to be involved with your children.  Don’t ignore them while you blab on your cellphone about absolutely nothing of importance.   You need to pay attention to what they’re seeing and hearing.  Oh yeah….and don’t expose your kids to inappropriate for their age music.  Just because you like it doesn’t mean your children should listen to it.

I also suggest that you don’t discuss grown up business within earshot of your kids.  They don’t need to know how much in debt you are……..that Daddy’s afraid he’s going to get laid off……..or the gory details of some stupid family feud.   Your children shouldn’t be laying in bed at night worrying about the bills. There are certain things your children don’t need to know about…or at least any real details.  Keep adult business between the adults.

Please…also pay attention to what they’re doing on the internet.  Some parents tend to not pay as much attention to this as the kids get older. Mistake. That’s when you have to be your most vigilant. As children get older…so does they’re capability to get in trouble.  Teenagers don’t think like rational people sometimes.  Emotions and logic are all over the place.  They need way more supervision at that age.  Teenagers are still minors….and children….just bigger more complex children.   And watch out for those video games.  There’s no reason a parent can’t restrict what games their children can play. You have to make sure things are age appropriate.  You should also know about a game before you let them own it.   You are in control if you’re willing to put in the effort.  Giving in is easy.  Giving too much is easy as well……..but both will do more harm than good in the long run.  Don’t spoil your children……let them get away with stuff…….or make excuses for their wrong behavior.  I know that doesn’t have to do with the actual topic here…but it has to be said.  Believe me…they won’t die if you say no.  Oh…and their crying…..whining….nagging….pouting…..whatever…won’t kill you either. It’ll just annoy the hell out of you.

Anyway….the point is……children don’t have to know so much…so young….because the parents can protect them the best they can.  There’s nothing wrong with children being children.  Everything should come at it’s own natural pace….not because it’s shoved down your kid’s throat by the media, etc.   Stand up and be in charge.  Your children don’t need you to be a friend…….they need a parent.  They won’t hate you forever.  Just a little while.  It’ll be okay. I promise.

Some thoughts this morning...

On going deeper with God and how it happens for me.

It comes through the simple truths of Christ’s’ love. The message of the cross: “I love you, and want to be with you, so enter here” That has to be the hardest truth to accept without thinking too hard:)  But when I get still, a door the leads me to the depths of God, opens up.  Isn’t it funny, when I think of depth, I always see water.  You can hear and sense things in water that you can’t hear and sense anywhere else.

Long Long no see

YEAH!!! long long no see hahahaa…so sleepy now as i type coz i realised i nv update hahahaa..but oh wells..if u really wana get more update…go to my twitter which i put previously…that side few lines..but mean a thousands words… anyway ystd manage to get quite a number of stuff with px… next is with rach hahahaha…well i lazy to type but nightmare of homework is coming…gosh i need a peace mind..hahaha… yeah…and some pic on wad we did on pec…using mirror image to draw with left..gosh…so hard…
mine…
aqilah’s..see the diff? i can draw man…
cutting hahaha

Self-Pity Is Bad. Very Bad!

Self-pity is bad. It is the work of the devil which hinders us from seeing the face of God. We become so conscious of ourselves and our circumstances that we often forget our Creator. This life is God’s. Should we continue on our pity-parties or choose to be happy? I learned something today in My Utmost For His Highest. To God Be The Glory!

Fellowship In the Gospel=Enjoy Your Life With God

University Life

Woah… Havent writen in here for a long time now. Well well.

University has been on for a couple of months now, but it seems i keep avoiding opening my books. But university life = no worries! Right?? At least thats what ive been told xD

So many things i wanna do… My ultimate goal is to manage to take part in the Erasmus programme (its a university students exchange programme for those who dont know). If i could participate in it, in about 2 years from now it would be heaven!! I havent checked on the requirements yet, but i know that in order to be accepted i have to complete a certain number of tests (that i pass of course xD) and to have some reccomendation letters by my teachers.

Yeah, ok mom, my goal is to complete my degree and bla bla bla…

Hehe.

Pfff… out of inspiration…

Cya guys.

Don't Taze Me, Bro!

I am really on the fence about this whole “2012″ thing.

On one hand, I enjoy conspiracies, weird prophecies, and the like. On the other, I am critical of everything I hear, read, or see.

We have “historians” and “archaeologists” telling us that the Mayan’s predicted our demise, thousands of years in the future. We also have “anthropolgists” and “scientists” telling us that there is nothing to worry about.

I’ve read a lot about the Mayans, and I am aware that 2012 is not the end of their calendar. It is merely the first galactic cycle – the largest revolution they’d catalogued.

However, you hear these new stories – the scientific evidence – that we are about to venture into the underside of the Milky Way, and we have never been there before. “They” say our magnetic poles are going to shift. “They” say that we are entering a field of cosmic dust. Energy.

Who knows.

I used to enjoy the fear that ensued after reading such things. Now I find, I am bored by it. We won’t know until December 2012 anyway, so what’s the big deal? Why live in fear of something we can’t change? Anybody remember Y2K? Remember what happened with that whole ordeal?

Basically, I am just wondering where everybody stands on this issue.

End of the world? Or excuse to cause panic?

Let me know, I like talking about it.

Lest you think I'm brave or something

Let me just tell you that I despise crickets.  I don’t know why, other than their tendency to hop amazing heights ….and they’re just gross!  In fact, I have chills right now just thinking about how gross they are.  Yes, I realize that they don’t bite or hurt anything and they don’t tend to be very big.  And they sing nice songs at night (I’ll give ya that).  I realize all that, but still—gross!  And some fears are just not logical. Anyway, onto my story.

So this morning I was brushing my teeth, minding my own business, and I saw something wiggly on the floor.  That’s not terribly unusual, so I just kept brushing.  Then it seeped into my consciousness that the wiggly thing on the floor looked amazingly like a cricket.  Upon further investigation, that’s exactly what it was.  Its white underside was up, and it was obviously trying to flip itself over so it could (oh horrors!) hop around and torment me.  I was paralyzed for a minute as I thought about how disgusting it was.  I didn’t have shoes on, so had to find something else with which to crush the thing before depositing it into the toilet to be promptly flushed.  The trash can had a rim around it, so chances are I wouldn’t crush it, and maybe it could stick to the bottom enough to flip over and hop.  GROSS!  I didn’t really want to use the lotion bottle that lives on the counter.  And I couldn’t leave it to go get a shoe.  What if it got away?  So, I was obliged to use the garbage can.  After a couple (unnecessarily powerful) “stomps” with the thing, the hideous little creature was no longer moving.  Then I had to get it into the toilet.  The toilet isn’t overly…umm…powerful, so I try to use minimal amounts of toilet paper….which meant that I could feel the thing through the thin layer of tissue.  Sick.  I freaked out a bit as it was on the way to the toilet, then couldn’t see it in the water—what if it had landed on the floor somewhere and would come back to haunt me?  Deep breath.  It was probably still in the paper.  I looked around on the floor and didn’t see it, so I flushed the toilet and prayed that it was gone.  And then shivered because it was so gross.

So  now ya have it.  I’m a wimp.  Yes, I did move all the way to Africa by myself.  And I live alone in a house that’s right next to the main gate on a well-traveled road.  And none of the houses around me are occupied.  And I don’t always have a guard around.  And the only protection from a road on the backside is a very porous hedge.  And ya know what?  That stuff doesn’t scare me.  I know that my protection doesn’t come from people anyway.  God can protect me, and if I’m supposed to die here, so be it.  I’m not afraid of all that.  But this little dead cricket….that really did me in.  Go figure.

The NY Yankees Are The Champions But NYC Throws LeBron James A Party?

The New York courtship of LeBron James began in earnest when the scheduling gods curiously put his only appearance at Madison Square Garden on the same day as the Yankees’ World Series victory parade.
If you believe in conspiracy theories, then this is right up there with the “chilled” envelope pulled by David Stern in the 1985 Draft lottery, putting Patrick Ewing in New York. You mean LeBron, a die-hard Yankees fan, gets an up-close look while the city is being painted in pinstripes? Is there a better marketing opportunity?

Is this better than anything Madison Avenue could dream up?

The Knicks hope the intoxicating celebrity factor will be enough to sway LeBron next summer as a free agent, because that’s all the Knicks really have in their favor. They can’t offer more money. They can’t offer a better collection of teammates, at least not right away. They can offer Spike Lee while Cleveland offers Drew Carey. They can (and will, you watch) get Spike and Chris Rock, among other celebrity row fixtures, to make a recruiting film in which famous people explain to LeBron why playing in New York will be far more enjoyable than playing in Cleveland.

(Sample pitch from Rock: “Hey LeBron, where you celebratin’ after a tough game in Cleveland? Arby’s?”)

A handful of the Yankees, still smelling of champagne, will be strategically seated at courtside Friday, making LeBron the second-most loved athlete in the house … if Derek Jeter shows up. Then there’s C.C. Sabathia, big basketball fan and friend of LeBron’s from when Sabathia played in Cleveland; he left for New York and scored an instant jackpot, both with money and a ring. The video screen will constantly show their faces and they’ll get a standing ovation, all designed to show LeBron what it’s like to be a champion in New York. And the fans, no doubt, will chime in, cheering LeBron at warmups (like, who else will they cheer this year?), gushing whenever he does something spectacular and chanting “MVP,” as they did last year, when he dropped 52 on the Knicks.

All this will play to LeBron’s ego and convince him that a star of his magnitude needs to be in New York. That theory, by the way, is obsolete. Maybe 20-25 years ago, a star could receive better perks in New York, as Reggie Jackson did when he left the small market A’s. But with the global media and advertising of today, that’s not really necessary. LeBron blew up commercially without ever leaving Cleveland, and that will continue to be the case if he stays in Cleveland.

Obviously, the big factor for LeBron is collecting championships and whether his best chance is in Cleveland with a Cavs’ team that’s probably third-best behind Boston and Orlando and lacks a starry supporting cast, or a Knicks team being furiously stripped and rebuilt on the fly. The Knicks hope it also comes down to the stars and whether LeBron wants to hang with his buddy Jay-Z after the game, or retire to his palatial pad in Cleveland and call it a night.

That’ll be LeBron’s decision to make next July. And guess what? The Yankees should be in first place then, too.

that rapidly fading vivid emotion

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.

When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful.

There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.

Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby.

Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon.

You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.

- Bob Marley

First post

OK, so I had an old blog over at blogger but I decided to move it over here since I have my YA lit blog (and someday sci-fi blog) at wordpress.  So here I will write down my observations and ruminations on the fine art of knitting.  And sometimes I might post pictures.  So if you’re not a knitter or one of my friends (or even if you are) this will probably be boring as hale but otherwise, um, enjoy.  I guess.

Slayer/World Painted Blood

Formed in 1981, Slayer are an Extreme Metal band from California. Considered to be one of the “Big 4″ of Thrash/Speed Metal bands alongside Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth, the band has dealt with a wide variety of subjects including serial killers, Satanism, Religion and warfare. The band is a 2 time Grammy Award winning band, and this release [the band's 11th], was issued in Nov. 2009.

World Painted Blood—-Beginning in a rather plodding, dirge manner with lots of added soundbites and odd noises, the song does not take long to enter the fray and blast of your forehead. The sound is less deep than the last release, the vocal is clearer and more down to earth. The pace of the song remains frentic….faster than I can move my fingers across the keyboard. The lyrical content is as dark and dense as you require…a good kick off.

Unit 731—-Grasping ahold of the more brutal pace that the last track seemed to lack, the song is violent in feel and a freakin’ free for all. The voice seems a little misplaced to me…like the passion is not quite as intense…..to me, compared to some of the Norwegian Metal bands I love, this is rather mild and sits well next to modern-day Megadeth.

Snuff—-Brutality from the onset….the guitars are in your face and the pace of the song is really incredible. It kills me that so many words can fit into a single sentence, but Slayer never lets you down. I would prefer the vocal to be a bit deeper, but I think that is just personal taste. All in all, this is standout…love it!!! And the lyrics…you have to read them to appreciate them!!!

Beauty Through Order—-For the song title alone, the song gets an automatic thumbs up….me being one of those anal retentive compulsively orderly people…you have to love it!!! The entire mood of the song is formed by the brutality of the lyrics that even after all of these years still manages to surprise and moderately surprise. The music is slower and really deep in sound, the song is driven by the voice and the evil word pukes into your headphones….this is freakin’ classic. A rant that includes death, mayhem and God can’t be wrong!!!

Hate Worldwide—-Moving at a much faster pace, this song really drives you to lose control. The chorus is a huge affair that will make you crazy…the words are spews of hate and distaste that makes you question your own beliefs…..the true message is a current look at the world we live in he outer edges of the shiny photographs of life we all wished we lived in…this is real and frightening. Slayer remain masters.

Public Display Of Dismemberment—-What a great title!!!! The music is relentless….better than Cannibal Corpse in recent years. This is dark…electric…full of dirge and moving all at the same time at an incredible pace. This is not to be missed. The downshift of the music in the middle of the song gives it that classic Slayer sound of older recordings…this is incredible…you will love this…I said so!!!

Human Strain—-Really dense in sound, the song never really breaks any new ground. Of course, that is what we all live for. I wish the sound of the song had just a tad bit more treble added in the studio, but that is just me…the musical breaks are nice and show diversity…this makes me smile…the band speaks of a future retirement…this just shows the enduring quality of the music they are making.

Americon—-Sounding much more current and clearer in sound, the voice is up front in the mix and you catch some nice clear vocals. The song reminds me..almost…of the classic days of Marilyn Manson….he could have really pulled off this song. The drums seem really up front…they get in and repel from your forehead….this is really favorite of mine.

Psychopathy Red—-Brutal from the very first note, this song travels at an incredible pace. The frantic pace of the music will leave you excited, in awe and lying on a heap on the floor by the end. This is pure brutality and the finest the band has issued in quite some time. The down shift of the nmusic…allowing the bass to come up front, and then the guitar…the structure is awesome…don’t miss this.

Playing With Dolls—-Odd from the onset, the lyrics of this very clear and concise song leaves visions in your head best not pondered on. Not as laughable as Cannibal Corpse, that is the precise thing that makes the song scary. The lyrics and the delivery are from a band that has mastered the dark and unnerving undersides of life that exist more than we would like to admit. This is great!!!!

Not Of This God—-Much more traditional Thrash Metal, the song begins from the very first note. The lyrics are shoved inside each bar at an amazing pace and the lead guitars are allowed to soar and shine. A classic Slayer tirade against religion, the song never loses its pace or intensity despite the drum interlude and the shiny delivery of a nice bass solo. Fantastic!!!

**** out of 5

Dragon Age review

Dragon Age Origins is out now, and much like I had hoped, it’s RPG gold once again from Bioware. I was cautiously optimistic about the game going in, and had avoided digging too deep into the pre-release hype, really only setting up a character with the free character creator and playing Dragon Age Journeys to get some more backstory. I’m about 5-6 hours in as of this writing, and I’ll warn you now that the below can be summed up as just me repeating ‘that was awesome’ over and over.

First thing I want to mention is my experience with Direct2Drive and my preorder. As readers here know I’m a huge D2D fan (and greatly prefer it over Steam), and their execution for Dragon Age was spot on for me. I was able to pre-download it a few days ago, and thanks to their online countdown widget, I knew exactly when the activation key was being release to allow you to install and play the game. I got the key promptly, the install went smoothly, and in less time than it would have taken me to even put the physical DVD in, I was installed and ready to go. Very happy with this experience overall, as I usually am anytime I’m dealing with D2D.

I was able to fire up the game, download all the pre-order, special edition, and DA Journeys content after logging in to my EA account, get my pre-generated character loaded, and start playing. Just as with D2D, everything here was flawless, and really set the tone of an extremely polished and well thought-out execution. Hats off to Bioware and EA (yes, good job EA).

It took only a few minutes in-game to make me realize I’m playing 3D Baulders Gate, and I mean that as the highest compliment. It really was a ‘holy shit’ moment too, as I had to blink, stop, and just marvel at the fact that in 2009, with a gorgeous game on my screen, I really was looking at Baulders Gate. The adrenaline was flowing at this point as highlights of Baulders Gate flashed in my mind and I could only begin to speculate what Dragon Age was going to offer. Yes, I was hyping Dragon Age in my mind to an almost unfair level after only having played it for about five minutes, but so far it’s lived up to all of it and more.

I have a rather high-end system (especially now thanks to the 295GTX), and the game picked up on this and defaulted the settings to the highest level, which I’ve left as is and not tinkered with. At this setting, the game is just flat-out beautiful. Characters look amazingly real while somehow avoiding the uncanny valley, great details fill every shot, and the animations are both epic and fitting in combat. The engine is this amazing mix of hack-and-slash LOOKING action will PLAYING exactly like a slower-paced, pause-at-any-time, tactical RPG. It really is the best of both worlds here, and an amazing accomplishment for Bioware. The sound, voice acting, and music are all top-notch as well. I’ve had zero crashes or errors in the 5-6 hours I’ve played, which is just fantastic for keeping you in-game and focused on the story.

Gameplay is Baulders Gate. You have a party of four you can switch control of at will, pause at any time, and highlight interactive objects with the tab key. You have a hotbar for character skills and items, there is poison/trap/potion crafting, and your party members will gain/lose respect for you depending on your actions. You loot barrels/chests/sacks, you slay monsters, you talk to NPCs using dialog options, etc. Dragon Age has all the ‘basics’ you would expect, perfectly executed so that they become second-nature within the first hour or so of gameplay. So far nothing feels like it’s missing, and there is nothing that sticks out and makes me wish it was different. This is exactly how I expect a ‘traditional’ RPG to play.

One aspect that brought a huge smile to my face was when I lost an early encounter because I just stumbled into it and got overconfident, and then got defeated again when I went into it with a poorly thought out plan. Dragon Age is no push-over on Normal difficulty, and rewards smart strategy well. The first ‘boss’ encounter took me a few tries before I was successful, and that ultimately made the victory that much sweeter (not to mention watching the jaw-dropping ‘finishing move’ that happens without any loading or switching from the in-game engine. You don’t have a pulse if after watching that the game does not leave you impressed)

The story/setting so far has been very solid. I was half-expecting a Witcher-like world due to the mature rating, but Dragon Age is more NWN/BG-harsh than Witcher-harsh, think PG-13 rather than R. Which is not to say it’s all fairies and rainbows, it’s not, but it has so far lacked that very gritty tension that the Witcher had with it’s theme of racial prejudice and true ‘no right answer’ options, where most choices resulted in something bad happening, with the choice usually being ‘to who’. The Witcher really made me stop and think about some of decisions you had to make, and while the choices in Dragon Age are not always the clear-cut good/neutral/funny (there is never a true evil option) of NWN, I do wish they were a bit tougher/grayer at times. That aside, the story so far has been very interesting and well executed, while moving along at a good pace.

Obviously, I highly recommend Dragon Age to anyone with even a slight RPG interest, as so far it’s played as just one of those games that’s head and shoulders above the norm. I write this while sitting here excited to get back into it, and baring a complete 180 at some point, Dragon Age should put itself among the top RPGs I’ve ever played.

The Plan Keeps Coming Up Again

I have a plan.

For the entire month of November I am going on a diet, which I have made up myself.  Because I don’t care to follow diets made up by random people I don’t know.  This one’s for me.

I tried it out for a week last month, and it was kinda hard, even for a week.  But I’m going to stick to it.  So far (all three days) it’s been going all right.

Here’s what I came up with.

Meal 1: Cereal

Meal 2: Yogurt

Meal 3: Soup, Sandwich or Salad

Meal 4: Fruit

Meal 5: Whatever (within reason)

Rules: 1) Meals can be in any order  2) I reserve the right to substitute lunch with leftovers so I don’t waste food (because food wasting is bad!)  3) It is required to drink at least 5 glasses of water per day 4) Diet soda and ice tea are allowed

That’s all I can come up with right now.  I’ll let you know how it goes at the end of the month.

I’d also like to start some sort of exercise routine but it’s hard trying to decide what will fit into my schedule in the long run.  The only exercise I really enjoy enough to stick with is yoga.  Right now, I could start going back to my gym for yoga class, but the time is so inconvenient.  The gym is on my way home from work which would be great if the class didn’t start at 7:30 pm.  I’m not staying at work that late.  That’s just craziness.  4 pm and I’m outta there.  And when I get home… it’s just so hard  SO HARD to go out again.  And then there’s Matt.  Now that I’m home during the week, I get to spend more time with him.  I don’t want to waste that time by driving half an hour just to go to yoga class and back.

I know, I know.  Excuses excuses.  I have a couple other options.  A new yoga class just started up at my apartment complex.  I could try that for now, at least until next semester at school starts and my schedule changes again.  There’s also $5 yoga at a studio right down the street from my office.  The time’s a bit inconvenient for that too, but I might try to work something out.

In other news, I’m participating in the month long writingfest otherwise known as NaNoWriMo.  And I haven’t written one speck of a novel yet.  Ok, that’s a lie.  I wrote a little bit last month because I was inspired for some reason.  But it seems that inspiration went out the window with the end of October, or the end of the field season in which I spent many hours on the road dreaming up what I’d write in aforementioned novel.  Thoughts, however, are no good unless I write them down.  I really need to kick it up a notch.

Not tonight, though.  Tonight I have to eat dinner and watch Dancing With the Stars with one very good-lookin guy.

My passing encounter with Charlie

I know that a lot of people mind this end to Daylight Savings Time. I’m not one of them. I enjoy driving to work in the morning sunshine. But I especially enjoy coming home in the dark. I love the cold air as I leave work, the stars coming out (Or the sun setting if I’m so lucky!), the streetlights shining my way home. I especially love the warm glow of the light in the windows. I love to catch a glimpse of a family. (not a peeping tom, just a passing glimpse as I drive by). Of course, my favorite home to view is my own, looking inviting as ever to me, the warmth waiting for me.
Yeah, I love that.
~~
Today after work, I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. The lights there just remind me that I need to open my wallet, but that is not part of this story.
As I left my car, I noticed a man putting flyers under the windshield wipers of all of the cars. I immediately got kind of pissy to myself. You know, snobby about it, judgemental, thinking perhaps he is promoting some new weirdo church that worships a holy goat or something. He was very friendly as I walked past him, furthering my notion that he IS the minister to the goat. He was, in fact a good looking middle aged man but I did not give it another thought as I rushed past him into the store.
My bag full of my purchases, I noticed the flyer under my windshield wiper. I was suprised to see the heading: HANDYMAN. Hmm. I guess Mr. Handsome was not His Holy Goatness. He was a regular guy trying to work in a tough economy. His list was quite extensive. He is a licensed air conditioning and oil and gas technician. He could do emergency heat calls, furnace repairs, he would cut your lawn, clean up your yard, trim your trees, landscape your property, clean your gutters, seal your driveway, do general household repairs, painting and odd jobs. He would even plow your snow. All for the asking.
I climbed in my car, reading that flyer, feeling a bit bad for my judgement call, feeling a WHOLE lot lucky for my job and paycheck.
Well, if you live in my area and are interested in a kind of cute handyman that is a self motivator, call Charlie at 978 290 3613. Tell him you got his number from a friend who shops at Shaw’s.

God jul

Blåste nesten bort på vei hjem fra jobb siden Bergen har bestemt seg for at det ikke bare skal regne konstant, men også være storm. Slikt gjør underverker både for sminke og humør merker jeg…

Heldigvis hadde jeg fått århundrets pakke i posten da jeg kom hjem, og endelig kan julen begynne. Du skjønner det at julen begynner ca samtidig som man mottar årets jule-CD fra verdens fineste Elin, så siden den kom i dag ER det jul. HURRA!!! Nå skal jeg plage hybel-dyrene med både den engelske og den norske jule-CD`n sånn ca konstant. Livet er herlig!

November

I helgen har jag levt lantliv på Värmdö hos Linas bror och räfsat löv så att jag har träningsvärk. Sov som en stock inatt så den friska luften och motionen var nog precis vad min kropp behövde. Dessutom fick jag utlopp för min humor när vi sjöng låtar om löv. “If you leave me now…”

Idag blir det jobb med Bellas och mitt projekt. Det blir en kul men tuff dag och jag hoppas på minst 7 stycken “där satt den”.

På onsdag hör ni förresten en dokumentär jag har gjort i Christer i P3.