Sometimes I am still taken aback by people’s inability to read and follow simple instructions. I begin to wonder if the person’s (a) just busy, (b) confused, (c) slow, or (d) inept.
I’ve had a rough day at work today. Come to think of it, I’ve been a bit unhappy at work lately. To be honest, I just feel unappreciated and taken for granted. It just feels like the longer I stay with the company, the more unhealthy it’s becoming. I love working with Steve – he’s great and he’s probably one of the few things I love about my job. Aside from the paycheque that pays the bills and helps us afford a few things, he’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed for as long as I have with the company I work for. But everything else that surrounds us is becoming more and more unbearable as time goes by. I don’t know if it’s because we’re getting busier by the day and everyone’s stressed out and have the tendency to take it out on others. I’d like to believe the when all the stress-inducing factors go away, people would be less edgy and there would be less tension around the office. But I know the problems go deeper than that. It seems like every day, Steve and I have to talk each other into staying on the job. We both know it makes sense to stay for now... but there are days when we’d love to just hand in our resignation papers and walk out the door. Sometimes when I am so frustrated, I daydream about winning the lottery and being so stinking wealthy that I wouldn’t have to take BS from anyone anymore. That lottery ticket would be the slap in the face I am dreaming of giving them.
On the other hand, I can’t help but also be grateful that I am employed... that we are both employed. I watch the news and read about the lives of those affected by the recession and I feel extremely guilty for even complaining about my circumstances. By their standards, I have no right to complain. And to be honest, at the end of the day, I think to myself that it is better to have a job that I somewhat hate but pays the bills than having no job and worrying about where the money is going to come from. Despite all my work-related frustrations, I do feel blessed to have what I’ve been given.
I guess I’m just venting. It’s almost midnight and I’m tired. I am thinking of the things I need to do tomorrow as soon as I get to work. I am thinking of the little spat I had with one of my managers. I am thinking of all the things I need to follow up on and trying to prioritize my tasks so that nothing false through the cracks. I am trying not to screw up. I am trying.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Shopping Online - Love and Torture
I really have to stop window shopping online (if there is such a thing). It’s driving me nuts! I want to buy buy buy! But I can’t!!
Oh man, this is the hard part when you live in a place that has 4 seasons. You always feel the urge to check out the new stuff coming out for the coming season. The temptation to spend is so strong!
Arrgggh! Someone should just put some sort of security setting on my computers to prevent me from even visiting online stores. It’s pure evil.
Oh man, this is the hard part when you live in a place that has 4 seasons. You always feel the urge to check out the new stuff coming out for the coming season. The temptation to spend is so strong!
Arrgggh! Someone should just put some sort of security setting on my computers to prevent me from even visiting online stores. It’s pure evil.
A night to remember
I’ve had an interesting weekend.
Last Friday, we celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday by going to a dinner/dance event at this banquet hall he frequently goes to. I asked Steve what the name of the place is so that I could “Google” it in advance. “Googling” is something that’s become a habit of mine. If I wanted to check out a restaurant or a nail spa or a hair salon or even check out a store, I would go online and search for the website first before deciding on whether I should physically go there. Steve says I’m a little nuts for doing this but I tell him it’s perfectly reasonable to want to know whether the place I am going to is worth my time and effort. He finds it funny that if I wanted to check out a shoe store, I would first go their website and see what they have online and then call the store to see if they carry the styles I am interested in and if they have my size in-store. He calls it crazy, I call it research.
Anyhoo, the website for this dinner/dance event specified that there was a dress code which made me a bit uncomfortable. Any event that calls for a dress code always has the tendency to make me feel anxious. I’m not particularly good at doing my own hair and make-up so any event that’s fancy enough for me to have to do my hair and make-up is somewhat stressful. I did eventually manage to pull myself together and go to this thing.
I later found out that this dinner/dance is actually a single’s mixer. But it wasn’t a mixer for the young and the hip… rather, it was a mixer for the 50 and over… Steve calls it “the geriatrics mixer”. I felt out-of-place… Steve, my sister-in-law and I were probably the only ones under 50 there if you don’t count the bartender and the personnel selling the tickets by the door! At first I thought, “hey this isn’t so bad, we can grab dinner and maybe dance a bit and then go home”. Boy was I wrong! I had barely finished eating when a guy in his early 50’s (maybe?) asked me for a dance. I usually decline dances with strangers (I just find it so uncomfortable) but because these men were older, I thought it would be disrespectful to do so. I mean, how much harm could it possibly be if these men were old enough to be my dad or even my grandpa right? So there I was on the dance floor with this man and the first thing he says to me is, “I couldn’t decide who to ask first… you or the other girl.. I wasn’t sure which one of you was with the guy…” OMG I couldn’t believe it! I just laughed and told him that he asked the wrong girl. I was with “the guy” and that I’m actually married to him. He then said, “Oh.. okay.. I’ll ask the other girl later”. I couldn’t help but grin widely. I knew how feisty my sister-in-law can be. I politely answered all of his questions, danced the entire length of the song (despite the fact the he smelled strongly of cigarettes), thanked him for the dance and then went back to my table. Steve found it amusing because he knew how uncomfortable I was.
Shortly after, another man approached and asked if I would mind dancing. I politely declined but he was rather insistent and since Steve told me to go ahead, I decided to once again venture out into the dance floor with yet another stranger. The first thing he asked me was whether I came to the mixer often. I told him no, it was my first time and that I came to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday. He seemed surprised that I was married although I don’t know why he would be since I was beside Steve the entire time. I joked with Steve later on by saying that maybe my engagement and wedding rings weren’t big and sparkly enough for people to notice. Hahahaha!
I didn’t mind the dances – they were innocent. But what made the entire thing uncomfortable was how aggressive some of these men were and how often they kept coming to our table and trying to get phone numbers and such. It really was very, very weird. One man even told my sister-in-law that he could “take care” of her and that he had the means to do so. It’s like these men had no shame saying these things in front of Steve and their dad!
I couldn’t help but feel bad for some of the people there. What if they’re lonely? I couldn’t help but think that maybe some of them have lost their spouses and are now single and are in want of another life partner. Granted, some of the men there were strange and aggressive and unbelievable but I’m sure some of them were decent and are maybe there for the right reasons – to meet someone they can potentially have a relationship with.
In any case, this was definitely a memorable experience... for so many reasons.
Last Friday, we celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday by going to a dinner/dance event at this banquet hall he frequently goes to. I asked Steve what the name of the place is so that I could “Google” it in advance. “Googling” is something that’s become a habit of mine. If I wanted to check out a restaurant or a nail spa or a hair salon or even check out a store, I would go online and search for the website first before deciding on whether I should physically go there. Steve says I’m a little nuts for doing this but I tell him it’s perfectly reasonable to want to know whether the place I am going to is worth my time and effort. He finds it funny that if I wanted to check out a shoe store, I would first go their website and see what they have online and then call the store to see if they carry the styles I am interested in and if they have my size in-store. He calls it crazy, I call it research.
Anyhoo, the website for this dinner/dance event specified that there was a dress code which made me a bit uncomfortable. Any event that calls for a dress code always has the tendency to make me feel anxious. I’m not particularly good at doing my own hair and make-up so any event that’s fancy enough for me to have to do my hair and make-up is somewhat stressful. I did eventually manage to pull myself together and go to this thing.
I later found out that this dinner/dance is actually a single’s mixer. But it wasn’t a mixer for the young and the hip… rather, it was a mixer for the 50 and over… Steve calls it “the geriatrics mixer”. I felt out-of-place… Steve, my sister-in-law and I were probably the only ones under 50 there if you don’t count the bartender and the personnel selling the tickets by the door! At first I thought, “hey this isn’t so bad, we can grab dinner and maybe dance a bit and then go home”. Boy was I wrong! I had barely finished eating when a guy in his early 50’s (maybe?) asked me for a dance. I usually decline dances with strangers (I just find it so uncomfortable) but because these men were older, I thought it would be disrespectful to do so. I mean, how much harm could it possibly be if these men were old enough to be my dad or even my grandpa right? So there I was on the dance floor with this man and the first thing he says to me is, “I couldn’t decide who to ask first… you or the other girl.. I wasn’t sure which one of you was with the guy…” OMG I couldn’t believe it! I just laughed and told him that he asked the wrong girl. I was with “the guy” and that I’m actually married to him. He then said, “Oh.. okay.. I’ll ask the other girl later”. I couldn’t help but grin widely. I knew how feisty my sister-in-law can be. I politely answered all of his questions, danced the entire length of the song (despite the fact the he smelled strongly of cigarettes), thanked him for the dance and then went back to my table. Steve found it amusing because he knew how uncomfortable I was.
Shortly after, another man approached and asked if I would mind dancing. I politely declined but he was rather insistent and since Steve told me to go ahead, I decided to once again venture out into the dance floor with yet another stranger. The first thing he asked me was whether I came to the mixer often. I told him no, it was my first time and that I came to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday. He seemed surprised that I was married although I don’t know why he would be since I was beside Steve the entire time. I joked with Steve later on by saying that maybe my engagement and wedding rings weren’t big and sparkly enough for people to notice. Hahahaha!
I didn’t mind the dances – they were innocent. But what made the entire thing uncomfortable was how aggressive some of these men were and how often they kept coming to our table and trying to get phone numbers and such. It really was very, very weird. One man even told my sister-in-law that he could “take care” of her and that he had the means to do so. It’s like these men had no shame saying these things in front of Steve and their dad!
I couldn’t help but feel bad for some of the people there. What if they’re lonely? I couldn’t help but think that maybe some of them have lost their spouses and are now single and are in want of another life partner. Granted, some of the men there were strange and aggressive and unbelievable but I’m sure some of them were decent and are maybe there for the right reasons – to meet someone they can potentially have a relationship with.
In any case, this was definitely a memorable experience... for so many reasons.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Feeling a little frustration
Uh oh, I’m feeling the shopping itch again… tsk tsk… very bad. I did a bit of shopping during our 1-week stay in Virginia and my primary objectives were to buy a pair of nice, comfy black leather boots and a sweater dress to wear during the cold season. I specifically wanted to buy boots that would look nice with a dress or a skirt, preferably with heels and one that covered my leg up to just below my knees. Who knew it would be so impossible to find a pair that looks good and fits me well at the same time?! I tried on so many different pairs but none fit right. I’m beginning to think that maybe I have odd-shaped legs. I have really small calves which makes it extra difficult to find a nice fitting pair since most of the ones I do find don’t hug my legs well enough and there’s always a bit of a gap between my legs and the boot. Not flattering at all. Over-the-knee boots are what seems to be dominating most shoes stores and those just make me look even shorter than I actually am. I also find that scrunch boots seem to look best on me but I don’t know if they look good with dresses or skirts.
I found a nice sweater dress at Banana Republic here in Canada before we left for the States. I had seen it online before and had always wanted to buy it and it finally went on sale for $100 at the store. But because I had planned to go shopping with my cousin in the States, I wanted to wait until I was out with her before spending money. And so I didn’t buy it. As it turns out, I didn’t really find any nice sweater dresses during my stay in Virginia so when we got back to Toronto, I checked out Banana Republic to see if they still had the dress. As expected, it was gone. Not a single one left in the store. Bummer.
I saw this one very cute dress at Esprit in the States but they no longer had my size. It was on sale too which was a bonus. I checked online to see if they maybe still had sizes on their website but as it turns out, they’ve completely run out of my size.
I can’t help but get frustrated because when I have the means to shop, I can’t seem to find what I need and there aren’t a lot of nice things out. But when I’m completely tapped and shopping is out of the question, the stores will be filled with nice, shiny items. Why is that?
I found a nice sweater dress at Banana Republic here in Canada before we left for the States. I had seen it online before and had always wanted to buy it and it finally went on sale for $100 at the store. But because I had planned to go shopping with my cousin in the States, I wanted to wait until I was out with her before spending money. And so I didn’t buy it. As it turns out, I didn’t really find any nice sweater dresses during my stay in Virginia so when we got back to Toronto, I checked out Banana Republic to see if they still had the dress. As expected, it was gone. Not a single one left in the store. Bummer.
I saw this one very cute dress at Esprit in the States but they no longer had my size. It was on sale too which was a bonus. I checked online to see if they maybe still had sizes on their website but as it turns out, they’ve completely run out of my size.
I can’t help but get frustrated because when I have the means to shop, I can’t seem to find what I need and there aren’t a lot of nice things out. But when I’m completely tapped and shopping is out of the question, the stores will be filled with nice, shiny items. Why is that?
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Holidays in Virginia
I spent the last few months looking forward to our trip to Virginia and I can’t believe it’s all over now. Ang bilis talaga lumipas ng panahon.
The drive to and from Virginia took 12 hours and I managed to stay awake during the entire drive there but I slept during the drive back. We were worried because our car hasn’t been running well lately and we didn’t know if the car would make it. We held our breaths as we drove through the Appalachian Mountains. Getting stuck in the middle of nowhere would have been catastrophic. Thankfully, the car survived the drive and we didn’t experience any car trouble during the entire trip. We even made it back to Toronto just fine and dandy.
It was nice being able to see my relatives again. It’s been a while since we’ve had a big family reunion like it. Although we still weren’t complete (we were missing one family and my dad wasn’t able to come because he had to work), it was still just as enjoyable. I finally got to meet my nephew – Aiden (who’s over a year old) and my new niece – Jacqueline (who’s about 6 months old). I’ve only seen them in pictures and I was really excited to meet them. I was also happy to see my other nephews (Chris and Cjem) and my niece (Charis) who I haven’t seen since May of 2008 (or was it 2007?). I always have to remind myself that Alicia (who is 2 years old) is my cousin and not my niece. It never fails to surprise me to see how fast they’re growing. I swear they grow an inch by the minute. The last time I saw Alicia, she had already started talking but she was so shy that she’d burst into tears whenever someone looked at her. But when we walked in the door at my aunt’s house in Virginia the night we arrived, the first person to greet us was cute, little Alicia with her squeaky little voice. A very high-pitched “Hi Tita” and “Hi Tito”. I couldn’t believe how tall she’s grown and how social she is now. She’s still a bit shy but she’s very cheerful, very friendly and very polite. I can go on and on and on about how adorable the little ones are! Aiden’s charming smile, Jacqueline’s chubby cheeks... so cute!
While we were there, we visited the Smithsonian museums (the Natural History and National Air and Space Museums – both located in Washington DC which was about 20 to 30 minutes away from where my relatives lived). We were quite impressed with the museums... all very big and free! Yup, no admission fees (which was awesome by the way)! I went shopping with my cousins a few times while Steve and my brothers visited the different monuments in Washington DC like the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, etc.
We played a board game one evening which was total chaos because we were all laughing so hard and it was really fun because our aunts and uncles joined the game too. We played a bit of Scrabble too so our lola can join (the other game was too fast and chaotic for her). It was quite cute watching everyone play and just have fun. The entire clan seems to enjoy playing board games. As far as I can remember, we’ve always either played cards or a board game whenever we’d get together for reunions or birthdays or holidays in the Philippines. It was always either a game or watching the Sound of Music. Hahaha
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad going back to Toronto. Sure I missed home and my routine but it was nice being able to spend time with my relatives. I can’t help but envy how close they live to each other (generally between 15 to 30 minutes apart). They can easily come over to each other’s houses for lunch or dinner or they can meet up and go shopping together if they wanted to.
The trip was a bit exhausting because we slept at 2 am and woke up at 6 am almost every morning the entire time we were there... but I have to say, it was all worth it. I would go back and visit again in a heart beat.
The drive to and from Virginia took 12 hours and I managed to stay awake during the entire drive there but I slept during the drive back. We were worried because our car hasn’t been running well lately and we didn’t know if the car would make it. We held our breaths as we drove through the Appalachian Mountains. Getting stuck in the middle of nowhere would have been catastrophic. Thankfully, the car survived the drive and we didn’t experience any car trouble during the entire trip. We even made it back to Toronto just fine and dandy.
It was nice being able to see my relatives again. It’s been a while since we’ve had a big family reunion like it. Although we still weren’t complete (we were missing one family and my dad wasn’t able to come because he had to work), it was still just as enjoyable. I finally got to meet my nephew – Aiden (who’s over a year old) and my new niece – Jacqueline (who’s about 6 months old). I’ve only seen them in pictures and I was really excited to meet them. I was also happy to see my other nephews (Chris and Cjem) and my niece (Charis) who I haven’t seen since May of 2008 (or was it 2007?). I always have to remind myself that Alicia (who is 2 years old) is my cousin and not my niece. It never fails to surprise me to see how fast they’re growing. I swear they grow an inch by the minute. The last time I saw Alicia, she had already started talking but she was so shy that she’d burst into tears whenever someone looked at her. But when we walked in the door at my aunt’s house in Virginia the night we arrived, the first person to greet us was cute, little Alicia with her squeaky little voice. A very high-pitched “Hi Tita” and “Hi Tito”. I couldn’t believe how tall she’s grown and how social she is now. She’s still a bit shy but she’s very cheerful, very friendly and very polite. I can go on and on and on about how adorable the little ones are! Aiden’s charming smile, Jacqueline’s chubby cheeks... so cute!
While we were there, we visited the Smithsonian museums (the Natural History and National Air and Space Museums – both located in Washington DC which was about 20 to 30 minutes away from where my relatives lived). We were quite impressed with the museums... all very big and free! Yup, no admission fees (which was awesome by the way)! I went shopping with my cousins a few times while Steve and my brothers visited the different monuments in Washington DC like the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, etc.
We played a board game one evening which was total chaos because we were all laughing so hard and it was really fun because our aunts and uncles joined the game too. We played a bit of Scrabble too so our lola can join (the other game was too fast and chaotic for her). It was quite cute watching everyone play and just have fun. The entire clan seems to enjoy playing board games. As far as I can remember, we’ve always either played cards or a board game whenever we’d get together for reunions or birthdays or holidays in the Philippines. It was always either a game or watching the Sound of Music. Hahaha
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad going back to Toronto. Sure I missed home and my routine but it was nice being able to spend time with my relatives. I can’t help but envy how close they live to each other (generally between 15 to 30 minutes apart). They can easily come over to each other’s houses for lunch or dinner or they can meet up and go shopping together if they wanted to.
The trip was a bit exhausting because we slept at 2 am and woke up at 6 am almost every morning the entire time we were there... but I have to say, it was all worth it. I would go back and visit again in a heart beat.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Senseless Dressing.
We are finally getting snow. Although winter doesn’t officially start until next week, it’s been slowly getting colder as the days go by. I can’t complain though because it stayed relatively warm during all of fall and the temperature only started dropping to the negatives last week. Hey, I’ll take what I can get!
During this time of the year, I find it puzzling and amusing to watch the way some women dress themselves even though it’s freezing cold outside with risk of hypothermia. The other day, Steve and I were walking down the street dressed in our warm clothes with our boots on and a heavy jacket on top and we saw this woman frantically waving down a taxi and she was wearing a mini skirt... a MINI skirt! The kind that when you sit, you can practically see everything. The weird thing is, this was at 10:30 am. I can somewhat understand if this was in the evening because maybe she was on her way to a club or a house party or something. But where does one go at 10:30 in the morning wearing skimpy clothing in -3 degree weather? She wasn’t even wearing any tights or leggings or even a pantyhose to keep her legs warm. I had layers of clothing on me and I could barely stand being outside for more than 15 minutes!
It’s really bizarre how many women would rather look “hot” than be comfortable. I often see women walking by wearing clothing that you know isn’t geared towards keeping the “wearer” warm in any way. I always see women in high-heeled shoes walking down a snow or ice-covered street. It’s an accident waiting to happen. It’s funny how some women dress themselves with every intention of looking like a runway model except that it somehow doesn’t fit the picture because as they’re “strutting” their stuff down the street, there’s strong gusts of wind blowing and snow all over the place. You can see white smoke coming in and out of their noses as they inhale and exhale the ice-cold wind.
Some people are just impractical I guess. Well at least they look good.
During this time of the year, I find it puzzling and amusing to watch the way some women dress themselves even though it’s freezing cold outside with risk of hypothermia. The other day, Steve and I were walking down the street dressed in our warm clothes with our boots on and a heavy jacket on top and we saw this woman frantically waving down a taxi and she was wearing a mini skirt... a MINI skirt! The kind that when you sit, you can practically see everything. The weird thing is, this was at 10:30 am. I can somewhat understand if this was in the evening because maybe she was on her way to a club or a house party or something. But where does one go at 10:30 in the morning wearing skimpy clothing in -3 degree weather? She wasn’t even wearing any tights or leggings or even a pantyhose to keep her legs warm. I had layers of clothing on me and I could barely stand being outside for more than 15 minutes!
It’s really bizarre how many women would rather look “hot” than be comfortable. I often see women walking by wearing clothing that you know isn’t geared towards keeping the “wearer” warm in any way. I always see women in high-heeled shoes walking down a snow or ice-covered street. It’s an accident waiting to happen. It’s funny how some women dress themselves with every intention of looking like a runway model except that it somehow doesn’t fit the picture because as they’re “strutting” their stuff down the street, there’s strong gusts of wind blowing and snow all over the place. You can see white smoke coming in and out of their noses as they inhale and exhale the ice-cold wind.
Some people are just impractical I guess. Well at least they look good.
Loving this song right now.
I'm five years old, it's getting cold, I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home
I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today
I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names
I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today
I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you
There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world
And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today
The Best Day
- Taylor Swift
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home
I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today
I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names
I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today
I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you
There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world
And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today
The Best Day
- Taylor Swift
Monday, December 07, 2009
Hey new Dell! Welcome!
My new laptop finally arrived last Friday! Yay!
I must say I love Windows 7 so far. Certainly better than Vista in my opinion! I don’t really know it well enough yet but I like what I see and the little new features that are available. My laptop is a 15.6 widescreen and I ordered it in Cherry Red (which I adore by the way). I would have purchased a better laptop (maybe a Mac or a Sony Vaio) but since the laptop got stolen unexpectedly and we weren’t really planning on buying a new one so soon (wasn’t in our budget), we decided to go with a Dell which is relatively more affordable compared to the other brands. I know most people would cringe (“What?! A Dell??”) but it really is good enough for what I use it for. I don’t really do any sort of programming on it (unless you call changing my blog layout “programming” and neither do I do anything considered to be “heavy” on the machine).
I was pretty thrilled that it was delivered so shortly after we made the order. It would have sucked if we had to wait several weeks for it to arrive. I love having a laptop and since Steve and I both use the computer at night, it really is convenient having 2 computers at home.
Now all I have to do is to make sure I get all my programs installed and find the files I lost. I’ve already asked my dad for a copy of the wedding photos he took with his camera. It’s a good thing he has a back up of some of my files from my former laptop (he reformatted it about a year ago so he made a backup of it then) and so I can just hopefully put it all back in the new one. I am a bit worried though about the songs I purchased through iTunes because aside from my iPod, I don’t really have a backup for it. My brother has a CD that lets me rip songs from the iPod back to a computer but when I spoke to him last night, he said he ran an update for it and now he can’t get it to work. I am hoping we’ll be able to figure out a solution because I would hate to not be able to get the songs out of my iPod and re-purchasing all those songs is just not an option for me.
I wonder what the thieves did to my former laptop. Did they sell it already? If they did, to who? How much did they sell it for? What did they do to my files? They probably deleted all the files and just reformatted the computer but I wonder if they looked at them first before getting rid of it. Don’t they realize that those files were important to me?! How do these people sleep at night (oh wait – it probably doesn’t bother them anymore... Mine was probably not the first laptop they’ve stolen and I’m sure they’re pros considering the manner they opened the car – swift and skilfully I imagine).
Although I am happy that I have new hardware, I still can’t help but feel sad for the one I lost. It had some nice features to it that I would miss, it had all my photos and important files and it was the first big purchase I ever made with my own hard-earned money.
But what can I do... there’s no point in crying over spilt milk.
I must say I love Windows 7 so far. Certainly better than Vista in my opinion! I don’t really know it well enough yet but I like what I see and the little new features that are available. My laptop is a 15.6 widescreen and I ordered it in Cherry Red (which I adore by the way). I would have purchased a better laptop (maybe a Mac or a Sony Vaio) but since the laptop got stolen unexpectedly and we weren’t really planning on buying a new one so soon (wasn’t in our budget), we decided to go with a Dell which is relatively more affordable compared to the other brands. I know most people would cringe (“What?! A Dell??”) but it really is good enough for what I use it for. I don’t really do any sort of programming on it (unless you call changing my blog layout “programming” and neither do I do anything considered to be “heavy” on the machine).
I was pretty thrilled that it was delivered so shortly after we made the order. It would have sucked if we had to wait several weeks for it to arrive. I love having a laptop and since Steve and I both use the computer at night, it really is convenient having 2 computers at home.
Now all I have to do is to make sure I get all my programs installed and find the files I lost. I’ve already asked my dad for a copy of the wedding photos he took with his camera. It’s a good thing he has a back up of some of my files from my former laptop (he reformatted it about a year ago so he made a backup of it then) and so I can just hopefully put it all back in the new one. I am a bit worried though about the songs I purchased through iTunes because aside from my iPod, I don’t really have a backup for it. My brother has a CD that lets me rip songs from the iPod back to a computer but when I spoke to him last night, he said he ran an update for it and now he can’t get it to work. I am hoping we’ll be able to figure out a solution because I would hate to not be able to get the songs out of my iPod and re-purchasing all those songs is just not an option for me.
I wonder what the thieves did to my former laptop. Did they sell it already? If they did, to who? How much did they sell it for? What did they do to my files? They probably deleted all the files and just reformatted the computer but I wonder if they looked at them first before getting rid of it. Don’t they realize that those files were important to me?! How do these people sleep at night (oh wait – it probably doesn’t bother them anymore... Mine was probably not the first laptop they’ve stolen and I’m sure they’re pros considering the manner they opened the car – swift and skilfully I imagine).
Although I am happy that I have new hardware, I still can’t help but feel sad for the one I lost. It had some nice features to it that I would miss, it had all my photos and important files and it was the first big purchase I ever made with my own hard-earned money.
But what can I do... there’s no point in crying over spilt milk.
Monday, November 30, 2009
New Moon - Yay!
As usual, the weekend flew by in a blur.
I finally saw New Moon on Friday night with a couple of girl friends. It was a girl’s night out at the movies while the guys spent their evening with chicken wings, beer and video games.
I personally liked New Moon better than the first movie. I guess having a new director and an increased movie budget helped. The special effects were great! Of course, I still think the books are 100 times better than the movies but I enjoyed watching it nonetheless.
There were some things I found frustrating in both the first and second movies like how exaggerated Edward’s make-up is. I know they’re supposed to be somewhat pale – being vampires and all – but I honestly think there’s too much powder on him (look at Jasper!). I also feel like they didn’t really do him justice in the movie… there’s so much more to him other than his good looks and I feel like they focus too much on the fact that he’s hot rather than his personality, the complex relationship he has with Bella and his internal conflict.
I liked how they developed Jacob’s character in the New Moon movie because you can see why Bella would have conflicted feelings for him and Edward. To be honest, when I was reading the books, I envisioned all the characters looking differently and Jacob wasn’t that hot in my imagination. Admittedly, he’s gorgeous in the movie and I can’t help but swoon when he finally appears on screen with short hair and a buff bod. Don’t worry, I didn’t squeal in the theatres like a schoolgirl although the tweens sitting in the row behind me were beside themselves with sheer delight (it was quite annoying – you’d think it was the first time they saw a hot dude on screen). Despite how loveable Jacob is in the movie, I am and will always be pro Edward.
I liked it when Bella says in the movie, “Please don’t make me choose… because it’s him. It’s always been him.”
Ahhh… I love love love this book!
I finally saw New Moon on Friday night with a couple of girl friends. It was a girl’s night out at the movies while the guys spent their evening with chicken wings, beer and video games.
I personally liked New Moon better than the first movie. I guess having a new director and an increased movie budget helped. The special effects were great! Of course, I still think the books are 100 times better than the movies but I enjoyed watching it nonetheless.
There were some things I found frustrating in both the first and second movies like how exaggerated Edward’s make-up is. I know they’re supposed to be somewhat pale – being vampires and all – but I honestly think there’s too much powder on him (look at Jasper!). I also feel like they didn’t really do him justice in the movie… there’s so much more to him other than his good looks and I feel like they focus too much on the fact that he’s hot rather than his personality, the complex relationship he has with Bella and his internal conflict.
I liked how they developed Jacob’s character in the New Moon movie because you can see why Bella would have conflicted feelings for him and Edward. To be honest, when I was reading the books, I envisioned all the characters looking differently and Jacob wasn’t that hot in my imagination. Admittedly, he’s gorgeous in the movie and I can’t help but swoon when he finally appears on screen with short hair and a buff bod. Don’t worry, I didn’t squeal in the theatres like a schoolgirl although the tweens sitting in the row behind me were beside themselves with sheer delight (it was quite annoying – you’d think it was the first time they saw a hot dude on screen). Despite how loveable Jacob is in the movie, I am and will always be pro Edward.
I liked it when Bella says in the movie, “Please don’t make me choose… because it’s him. It’s always been him.”
Ahhh… I love love love this book!
Friday, November 20, 2009
My laptop
got stolen today. Huge bummer.
We had planned to pass by the mall today after work since there was a lamp I had seen on a website that I wanted to check out. We eventually did buy the lamp together with a few other items, had dinner there and when we got home, I noticed that my laptop bag wasn't in the car anymore where I left it. Out of panic, we decided to drive back to work and see if I had somehow left it there by accident. I knew I brought it with me but since we lived only 20 minutes away from work, it wouldn't hurt to go and see if it was there. Turns out I was right, I did in fact bring it with me and it was in fact gone.
I gotta tell you, whoever stole it knew what he was doing. Somehow he was able to open the car doors, take the bag and locked the car again. We didn't even notice it was gone until we got home!
I can't tell you how bad it feels to lose something so personal as a laptop. I invested quite a bit of money on it when I bought it 3 years ago. It had all my photos, music and various files. The laptop itself is replaceable but the contents aren't so easy to get back. Thankfully, I have back-ups of our wedding photos and my dad has a back-up of most of my photos on his computer (I don't know why he has them but he does). My brother has a software that allows me to grab the songs that are in my iPod and put it back into a computer so I can always give that a try. I am just a bit perplexed about all the other pictures that I may not have a back-up of and knowing that someone else has something that rightfully belongs to me is unnerving.
A laptop is something I consider personal and I can't help but feel somewhat violated. I know there are people out there who have no qualms about stealing but it doesn't make it right.
We had planned to pass by the mall today after work since there was a lamp I had seen on a website that I wanted to check out. We eventually did buy the lamp together with a few other items, had dinner there and when we got home, I noticed that my laptop bag wasn't in the car anymore where I left it. Out of panic, we decided to drive back to work and see if I had somehow left it there by accident. I knew I brought it with me but since we lived only 20 minutes away from work, it wouldn't hurt to go and see if it was there. Turns out I was right, I did in fact bring it with me and it was in fact gone.
I gotta tell you, whoever stole it knew what he was doing. Somehow he was able to open the car doors, take the bag and locked the car again. We didn't even notice it was gone until we got home!
I can't tell you how bad it feels to lose something so personal as a laptop. I invested quite a bit of money on it when I bought it 3 years ago. It had all my photos, music and various files. The laptop itself is replaceable but the contents aren't so easy to get back. Thankfully, I have back-ups of our wedding photos and my dad has a back-up of most of my photos on his computer (I don't know why he has them but he does). My brother has a software that allows me to grab the songs that are in my iPod and put it back into a computer so I can always give that a try. I am just a bit perplexed about all the other pictures that I may not have a back-up of and knowing that someone else has something that rightfully belongs to me is unnerving.
A laptop is something I consider personal and I can't help but feel somewhat violated. I know there are people out there who have no qualms about stealing but it doesn't make it right.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Farmville Rocks.
I’ve been playing a game on Facebook called Farmville and I am totally addicted to it. It’s amazing how hooked I am to this game considering how boring it must seem to other people. It’s exactly my type of game and I could spend hours on it planting, harvesting and buying different things for my farm. My cousins were the ones who got me to play it and I’ve been playing so much that I’ve pretty much surpassed them in level. Steve says that these days when he finds me sitting in front of the computer, it’s always Farmville that’s on the screen. That and my hotmail. I’ve actually started playing some other farming games on Facebook like Farm Town and Li’l Farm Life but Farmville is still my primary focus and my favourite.
I was so excited this morning when I found out that Zynga (creators of Farmville) has just recently made the farm expansion to 22x22 available plus the ability to gift chicken coops which produce mystery eggs. I have been waiting for this farm expansion for the longest time and it’s finally here! I didn’t even bat an eyelash when I happily spent 250,000 coins for additional farm land. I was also happy to have received a chicken coop from some of my farm neighbours (thank you!). The only problem is, I’ve been experiencing a lot of connection issues with it and it’s really beginning to annoy me. I’ve been trying to send a chicken coop to my neighbours with no success whatsoever. I’ve also been trying to acquire a mystery egg and some fertilizer bonus and again to no avail.
I also found out from the forums (yes, I actually read this too) that apparently if you harvest flowers, there is a chance you might be able to purchase a garden shed. I haven’t been offered one but I definitely want it. It sucks that it’s not available for purchase at the market. I don’t know why they don’t just add it there so everyone can have one. Soooo annoying.
As you can see, I really am hooked on this game.
I was so excited this morning when I found out that Zynga (creators of Farmville) has just recently made the farm expansion to 22x22 available plus the ability to gift chicken coops which produce mystery eggs. I have been waiting for this farm expansion for the longest time and it’s finally here! I didn’t even bat an eyelash when I happily spent 250,000 coins for additional farm land. I was also happy to have received a chicken coop from some of my farm neighbours (thank you!). The only problem is, I’ve been experiencing a lot of connection issues with it and it’s really beginning to annoy me. I’ve been trying to send a chicken coop to my neighbours with no success whatsoever. I’ve also been trying to acquire a mystery egg and some fertilizer bonus and again to no avail.
I also found out from the forums (yes, I actually read this too) that apparently if you harvest flowers, there is a chance you might be able to purchase a garden shed. I haven’t been offered one but I definitely want it. It sucks that it’s not available for purchase at the market. I don’t know why they don’t just add it there so everyone can have one. Soooo annoying.
As you can see, I really am hooked on this game.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Dedication
When you’re about to read a book, do you read who it’s dedicated to?
I always do. I always wonder who the author is dedicating the book to or who he/she is thanking. The ones that I love to read are those dedicated to the author’s parents, spouse, and children. I find those the most touching. I think it’s really thoughtful and sweet when an author writes even the simplest of poems to express the amount of love and gratitude they have for their loved ones.
Today, I opened a book and this is what the author put:
For someone to have so much love and respect for one’s spouse is truly magical and special.
I always do. I always wonder who the author is dedicating the book to or who he/she is thanking. The ones that I love to read are those dedicated to the author’s parents, spouse, and children. I find those the most touching. I think it’s really thoughtful and sweet when an author writes even the simplest of poems to express the amount of love and gratitude they have for their loved ones.
Today, I opened a book and this is what the author put:
For my husband, Ian
My heart, my love, my home
For someone to have so much love and respect for one’s spouse is truly magical and special.
Tid Bits of the Day
It’s Monday morning and I’m sitting at my desk at work trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do. For some reason I feel lost today. I know I have a call at 11 am to try and resolve an issue a client is having. But other than that, I have no clue if I’m supposed to be doing QA or trying to do some research for my boss. I asked my manager if she needed me to do something for her but she said she doesn’t have anything that she specifically needs me to do so I am free to use my time with whatever projects I have on the go. This is one of the things I like about my job... I have the flexibility to use my time however I want as long as I am able to submit my deliverables.
I think I’m going to do QA today since it really is my primary responsibility right now.
We had a bright, warm, sunny weekend which is rare for this time of the year. I spent my Saturday morning doing some chores around the house while Steve worked on an assignment for his CGA course. Then, we took my mother-in-law out for lunch at the Danforth. It would have been nice to be able to walk around for a little bit after lunch but we were rushing because we had dinner plans with a friend for 5.30 pm. So we practically had to scoot out of there right after eating.
I’ve been meaning to clean our bathroom for several days now and I feel bad that I still haven’t done it. I hate having to procrastinate on chores. But I’ve been busy doing other things and by the time I actually have time left to do the bathroom, I’m always so tired. So I tell myself I’ll do it the following day and the same thing happens and I just keep prolonging it. It also doesn’t help that cleaning the bathroom is my least favourite chore to do. But I have to admit I always feel better after I’ve scrubbed it clean all around.
I finally got my hair coloured and cut again! My gray hairs were beginning to be a distraction. Every time someone talks to me, it’s as if they are trying to figure out why I have so many gray hairs when I’m only 26 years old. They eventually say something like, “Wow, I didn’t realize you had so many gray hairs!” or “How come you have so many gray hairs? You’re so young!” which then prompts me to explain that it’s hereditary and that I’ve had it since I was fourteen. It really isn’t as bad as you think it is... most of my gray hairs are hidden but I still prefer to get my hair coloured every now and then. It’s also a good excuse to get it trimmed since I’m already at the salon. The only problem is, it gets a bit pricey especially since I have long hair.
I want to go to Ikea.. we were there last week but we went an hour before closing so I didn’t really have enough time to look around and there were a few things I wanted to get. I enjoy shopping at furniture stores and I especially love cute and unique items that are affordable. It’s just finding the time to actually go around and having the money to be able to buy things... is the issue. Ahh money, where are you?
I think I’m going to do QA today since it really is my primary responsibility right now.
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We had a bright, warm, sunny weekend which is rare for this time of the year. I spent my Saturday morning doing some chores around the house while Steve worked on an assignment for his CGA course. Then, we took my mother-in-law out for lunch at the Danforth. It would have been nice to be able to walk around for a little bit after lunch but we were rushing because we had dinner plans with a friend for 5.30 pm. So we practically had to scoot out of there right after eating.
------------------
I’ve been meaning to clean our bathroom for several days now and I feel bad that I still haven’t done it. I hate having to procrastinate on chores. But I’ve been busy doing other things and by the time I actually have time left to do the bathroom, I’m always so tired. So I tell myself I’ll do it the following day and the same thing happens and I just keep prolonging it. It also doesn’t help that cleaning the bathroom is my least favourite chore to do. But I have to admit I always feel better after I’ve scrubbed it clean all around.
------------------
I finally got my hair coloured and cut again! My gray hairs were beginning to be a distraction. Every time someone talks to me, it’s as if they are trying to figure out why I have so many gray hairs when I’m only 26 years old. They eventually say something like, “Wow, I didn’t realize you had so many gray hairs!” or “How come you have so many gray hairs? You’re so young!” which then prompts me to explain that it’s hereditary and that I’ve had it since I was fourteen. It really isn’t as bad as you think it is... most of my gray hairs are hidden but I still prefer to get my hair coloured every now and then. It’s also a good excuse to get it trimmed since I’m already at the salon. The only problem is, it gets a bit pricey especially since I have long hair.
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I want to go to Ikea.. we were there last week but we went an hour before closing so I didn’t really have enough time to look around and there were a few things I wanted to get. I enjoy shopping at furniture stores and I especially love cute and unique items that are affordable. It’s just finding the time to actually go around and having the money to be able to buy things... is the issue. Ahh money, where are you?
Monday, November 02, 2009
What's up.
We are back on Standard Time which makes it a 13-hour difference between Canada and the Philippines. I don’t know why but I always keep the time difference between Canada and the Philippines whenever we switch time zones. The Philippines seems to be my point of reference... always.
We were lucky last week because it was relatively warm. By saying relatively warm, I mean to say that the temperature stayed somewhere between 5 degrees and 10 degrees. I heard it will be cold again this week which means we’ll have to bundle up... which reminds me, I have to look for my gloves. I can’t remember where I put them (I think it’s somewhere in my dresser). I don’t particularly like wearing gloves unless I really need them but I like to keep them in my purse anyway just in case it gets cold enough for me to want to wear them.
Steve and I had a somewhat busy weekend. On Friday night, we went to Mississauga to check out the Homesense store located at the Heartland Centre. A co-worker gave as a Homesense gift card as a wedding gift and we haven’t used it since so we thought we’d go and see what they have. We’ve heard good things about it from some of our friends but when we checked it out, we weren’t too impressed. It felt like shopping at Winners. Piles and piles of random things that were neither nice nor unique. Maybe we just happened to go to a bad Homesense location. Sabi kasi nila, every location is different. There’s good ones and there’s bad ones. Maybe we went to a bad one. But we also checked out the Homesense store along the Queensway and we didn’t like that one either. Two bad stores in a row?? Parang unlikely.
Anyhow, we had dinner at an Indian restaurant with Steve’s cousin on Saturday night and the food was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! Just remembering how good everything was is making me salivate. I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy food but I really like Indian food. Yummy yummy! My favourites include samosas and butter chicken. I also like the chicken biriyani and nan bread. The restaurant we went to is relatively new and I wish they had better signage in front so that more people will see it and more people will eat there and they won’t close. I hate it when we find a good place to eat and then they close after a few months because there’s not enough business.
I am back to my “let’s-furnish-the-apartment” mode. We already have the big items we needed to get and now we just need to paint and decorate the place a little bit to make it cozy. We’ve been concentrating on other priorities so we put it on hold for awhile but now I’m eager to get back to it. I always enjoy shopping for our place (come to think of it, I enjoy any type of shopping really). We’re trying to keep our spending within our budget (it’s super hard!) so we have to be careful with what we spend our money on. So far, I have been really bad with saving. Kawawa naman si Steve, lagi nalang siya ang nagbu-budget.
I received an email from a friend last week about the difference in symptoms between the cold and the H1N1 (swine) flu. I think I may have had the H1N1 and just didn’t know about it. My symptoms were very similar to what was in the email. But I’ve heard so many different things about it that I don’t really know for sure. I should have gone to the doctor and had myself checked when I was sick. Now I won’t know what I had. There’s such a huge demand for the flu shot and I’ve heard that a lot of the health centres have to put a limit on how many they can accept since there’s just an overwhelming demand for it. I’m a little wary about getting it since the swine flu vaccine is so new.
We were lucky last week because it was relatively warm. By saying relatively warm, I mean to say that the temperature stayed somewhere between 5 degrees and 10 degrees. I heard it will be cold again this week which means we’ll have to bundle up... which reminds me, I have to look for my gloves. I can’t remember where I put them (I think it’s somewhere in my dresser). I don’t particularly like wearing gloves unless I really need them but I like to keep them in my purse anyway just in case it gets cold enough for me to want to wear them.
Steve and I had a somewhat busy weekend. On Friday night, we went to Mississauga to check out the Homesense store located at the Heartland Centre. A co-worker gave as a Homesense gift card as a wedding gift and we haven’t used it since so we thought we’d go and see what they have. We’ve heard good things about it from some of our friends but when we checked it out, we weren’t too impressed. It felt like shopping at Winners. Piles and piles of random things that were neither nice nor unique. Maybe we just happened to go to a bad Homesense location. Sabi kasi nila, every location is different. There’s good ones and there’s bad ones. Maybe we went to a bad one. But we also checked out the Homesense store along the Queensway and we didn’t like that one either. Two bad stores in a row?? Parang unlikely.
Anyhow, we had dinner at an Indian restaurant with Steve’s cousin on Saturday night and the food was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! Just remembering how good everything was is making me salivate. I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy food but I really like Indian food. Yummy yummy! My favourites include samosas and butter chicken. I also like the chicken biriyani and nan bread. The restaurant we went to is relatively new and I wish they had better signage in front so that more people will see it and more people will eat there and they won’t close. I hate it when we find a good place to eat and then they close after a few months because there’s not enough business.
I am back to my “let’s-furnish-the-apartment” mode. We already have the big items we needed to get and now we just need to paint and decorate the place a little bit to make it cozy. We’ve been concentrating on other priorities so we put it on hold for awhile but now I’m eager to get back to it. I always enjoy shopping for our place (come to think of it, I enjoy any type of shopping really). We’re trying to keep our spending within our budget (it’s super hard!) so we have to be careful with what we spend our money on. So far, I have been really bad with saving. Kawawa naman si Steve, lagi nalang siya ang nagbu-budget.
I received an email from a friend last week about the difference in symptoms between the cold and the H1N1 (swine) flu. I think I may have had the H1N1 and just didn’t know about it. My symptoms were very similar to what was in the email. But I’ve heard so many different things about it that I don’t really know for sure. I should have gone to the doctor and had myself checked when I was sick. Now I won’t know what I had. There’s such a huge demand for the flu shot and I’ve heard that a lot of the health centres have to put a limit on how many they can accept since there’s just an overwhelming demand for it. I’m a little wary about getting it since the swine flu vaccine is so new.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Edward's Perspective
I’ve been reading the Midnight Sun draft from Stephenie Meyer’s website again these past few days. Even though I’ve read it a few times before and even though I know the story inside and out, I still get hooked on it once I start reading the first few lines. I still feel disappointed that the draft stops at 264 pages and that Stephenie has decided to put it on hold indefinitely. I understand why she would be upset about the draft being leaked on the internet but I wouldn’t have even known about the leakage if she had not posted anything about it on her website together with the draft. So a draft was leaked... she did mention that there were several versions of the draft... but because there was no confirmation of which version is true and accurate and since it isn’t finished, she could have continued writing it and fans like me would still be waiting for the real thing to be published so we could eagerly get our hands on a copy and read it. Sometimes I even wonder why she bothered showing some people the draft to her book which led to the leak.
I loved reading the book from Isabella Swan's perspective but I would equally enjoy reading the entire story again from Edward's perspective. To learn the reasons behind his gestures and facial expressions. To gain more insight on his character. It would be nice too to look at Bella from his angle when you're not as privy to her thoughts.
I realize I’m being selfish about the whole thing. I’m just really disappointed that there is a huge possibility she might never finish writing it and hence, I will never get to read it. It just feels so unfair to be denied that privilege.
Nakakainis talaga!
I loved reading the book from Isabella Swan's perspective but I would equally enjoy reading the entire story again from Edward's perspective. To learn the reasons behind his gestures and facial expressions. To gain more insight on his character. It would be nice too to look at Bella from his angle when you're not as privy to her thoughts.
I realize I’m being selfish about the whole thing. I’m just really disappointed that there is a huge possibility she might never finish writing it and hence, I will never get to read it. It just feels so unfair to be denied that privilege.
Nakakainis talaga!
Monday, October 26, 2009
I saw...
... this on Post Secret today:
I couldn't help but feel sad knowing that there are people out there who don't even have the most basic necessities. It's so easy to take for granted the things we have and we often forget that there are others who don't even have food to eat, water to drink or have a house to sleep in.
-----Email Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 8:50 PM
Frank-
I am typing this to you at the library because I cannot afford a postcard and stamp. My family and I are living in a self-storage unit illegally. It's getting so cold at night. I want them to know I'm sorry, it's my fault, but I can't say it.
I couldn't help but feel sad knowing that there are people out there who don't even have the most basic necessities. It's so easy to take for granted the things we have and we often forget that there are others who don't even have food to eat, water to drink or have a house to sleep in.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Flu
I’m just at the tail-end of the flu and I was finally able to go to work today. It’s literally been a week and thank goodness it was the Thanksgiving weekend so we had the Monday off for the holiday. At least that didn’t count towards my sick days. The past few days had been filled with on-and-off fevers, headaches, soreness, coughing, a few tears and lots of Advil. I’ve consumed more Advil in the last week than I have altogether within the 5 years I’ve been in the country. It’s totally ridiculous.
I can’t remember the last time I had the cough. I always get the cold but very rarely do I actually get the cough. It’s been so long that I can’t even remember what it felt like until recently. I think having the cold is much better than having the cough. My throat and abs hurt from coughing too much. Even when I’m sleeping I wake up because I’m coughing. My poor Steve had to sleep through all that coughing. It’s funny though because every time I cough, he would wake up, look at me and then fall back to sleep. Half the time, he doesn’t even remember waking up.
Although it was nice having a valid excuse not to go to work, it got a bit boring staying at home all the time. I just want to feel normal again. Healthy and no coughing.
I can’t remember the last time I had the cough. I always get the cold but very rarely do I actually get the cough. It’s been so long that I can’t even remember what it felt like until recently. I think having the cold is much better than having the cough. My throat and abs hurt from coughing too much. Even when I’m sleeping I wake up because I’m coughing. My poor Steve had to sleep through all that coughing. It’s funny though because every time I cough, he would wake up, look at me and then fall back to sleep. Half the time, he doesn’t even remember waking up.
Although it was nice having a valid excuse not to go to work, it got a bit boring staying at home all the time. I just want to feel normal again. Healthy and no coughing.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Paint
I saw The Proposal last night and I loved it! I heard it was good but I missed it at the theatres so I only saw it last night on DVD. I have a huge crush on Ryan Reynolds now.. dang he’s hot! Steve’s pretending he’s jealous which I find quite adorable.
We are thinking of painting our apartment starting with the living room. The problem is, we can’t seem to find the right paint color. About a month ago, we picked up a couple of paint samples so we can try them on a wall in our living room. We realized that neither of them looked good with our furniture so we decided to go paint-shopping a second time. This time, instead of just buying paint samples, we decided to just go ahead and buy 2 gallons of paint. BIG MISTAKE!! We painted a section of the wall with it and it was UGLY!! It doesn’t even look like the paint sample on the picture! We were sooo disappointed. So we’ve decided to put our “paint project” on-hold until we are ready to go paint-shopping again. I find it a bit challenging choosing paint because it looks different on the paint swatch and it’s different when you put it on the wall. Plus, lighting affects it a lot so you just don’t know how it’s going to turn out. I don’t know how other people do it! It seems so much easier for them than it is for me! I am amazed at how some people can just pick a color, go home, paint the walls and voila! It’s perfect.
I was toying around with the idea of hiring someone to paint our place but after checking out the paint services on the Home Depot website, I’m having second thoughts about even inquiring. It says on their website that you basically book an appointment for a consultant to come over, do an assessment of your place and then they give you suggestions on what needs to be done and then I’m assuming provide you with a quote after. The whole thing just sounds expensive so maybe that idea’s out the window. I was just hoping we could pick out the paint color and let the professionals do the job. But I was hoping the professionals would do it for an affordable rate.
I’d love to have some fresh paint on our walls to make the room cosier... it’s just a matter of actually getting the work done. It just sounds so tedious!
We are thinking of painting our apartment starting with the living room. The problem is, we can’t seem to find the right paint color. About a month ago, we picked up a couple of paint samples so we can try them on a wall in our living room. We realized that neither of them looked good with our furniture so we decided to go paint-shopping a second time. This time, instead of just buying paint samples, we decided to just go ahead and buy 2 gallons of paint. BIG MISTAKE!! We painted a section of the wall with it and it was UGLY!! It doesn’t even look like the paint sample on the picture! We were sooo disappointed. So we’ve decided to put our “paint project” on-hold until we are ready to go paint-shopping again. I find it a bit challenging choosing paint because it looks different on the paint swatch and it’s different when you put it on the wall. Plus, lighting affects it a lot so you just don’t know how it’s going to turn out. I don’t know how other people do it! It seems so much easier for them than it is for me! I am amazed at how some people can just pick a color, go home, paint the walls and voila! It’s perfect.
I was toying around with the idea of hiring someone to paint our place but after checking out the paint services on the Home Depot website, I’m having second thoughts about even inquiring. It says on their website that you basically book an appointment for a consultant to come over, do an assessment of your place and then they give you suggestions on what needs to be done and then I’m assuming provide you with a quote after. The whole thing just sounds expensive so maybe that idea’s out the window. I was just hoping we could pick out the paint color and let the professionals do the job. But I was hoping the professionals would do it for an affordable rate.
I’d love to have some fresh paint on our walls to make the room cosier... it’s just a matter of actually getting the work done. It just sounds so tedious!
Monday, September 21, 2009
On repeat.
Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long
No matter what I say or do
I still feel you here ‘til the moment I’m gone
You hold me without touch
You keep me without chains
I never wanted anything so much
Than to drown in your love and not feel your reign
Set me free, leave me be
I don’t wanna fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall
I’m just the way I’m supposed to be
But you’re on to me and all over me
You loved me 'cause I'm fragile
When I thought that I was strong
But you touch me for a little while
And all my fragile strength is gone
Set me free, leave me be
I don’t wanna fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall
I’m just the way I’m supposed to be
But you’re on to me and all over me
I live here on my knees
As I try to make you see
That you’re everything I think I need
Here on the ground
But you’re neither friend nor foe
Though I can’t seem to let you go
The one thing that I still know
Is that you’re keeping me down
You’re keeping me down
You’re on to me, on to me and all over
Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long.
It never takes too long
No matter what I say or do
I still feel you here ‘til the moment I’m gone
You hold me without touch
You keep me without chains
I never wanted anything so much
Than to drown in your love and not feel your reign
Set me free, leave me be
I don’t wanna fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall
I’m just the way I’m supposed to be
But you’re on to me and all over me
You loved me 'cause I'm fragile
When I thought that I was strong
But you touch me for a little while
And all my fragile strength is gone
Set me free, leave me be
I don’t wanna fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall
I’m just the way I’m supposed to be
But you’re on to me and all over me
I live here on my knees
As I try to make you see
That you’re everything I think I need
Here on the ground
But you’re neither friend nor foe
Though I can’t seem to let you go
The one thing that I still know
Is that you’re keeping me down
You’re keeping me down
You’re on to me, on to me and all over
Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long.
Gravity
- Sara Bareilles
I recently came across a new TV series called Vampire Diaries. I have only seen two episodes so far and I haven't really decided on whether I like it or not but I am intrigued. Paul Wesley who plays Stefan Salvatore is absolutely heart-melting.
Anyhoo, whenever there's a scene between Stefan and Elena, this beautiful song is playing in the background. It's the same song that was playing on So You Think You Can Dance for the "Addiction" routine that was choreographed by Mia Michaels (I think?). I downloaded it on to my iPod and I just can't stop listening to it. Sara sings it so beautifully.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
The Time Traveler's Wife
I finally saw the Time Traveller’s Wife two weeks ago with Steve and my sister-in-law. I thought it was great! Very well done and stayed close to the book. Obviously there were some scenes in the book that didn’t make it to the big screen but nothing that you’d miss. I loved the cast (I think Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana were awesome for their roles) and the chemistry was believable to me.
I often get disappointed with books turned into movies because I always feel like it’s not even half as good as the book itself. But I wasn’t disappointed with this one. I really, really enjoyed watching it. I even cried twice! I thought I’d be immune to it, knowing the story already and everything. But man, it was good.
I am going to buy the DVD when it comes out. It’s def going to be a part of my Sappy DVD collection.
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