Discovering American Idol

I never really got into American Idol. When my colleagues and friends were hurrying home - missing out on a night's drinking, eating, and chatting - to watch the latest episode of the reality TV show, I just couldn't get it.

Now I think I do.

While surfing the channels this Saturday afternoon, I came across a replay of American Idol and I have to say, it is quite entertaining to watch! Seeing these young men and women who look really good, perform great songs, and sing really well is a pleasant way to pass some time. Maybe it helped that they sang songs that I have on iTunes - Alone by Heart, Bette Davis' Eyes, If You Could Only See by Tonic, Man in the Mirror, etc.

I still don't think I would rush home to watch it at night but I wouldn't mind watching it every time I chance upon the show on TV.

Karma is SO Fast

Growing up, my mom always chided me when I made fun of other people. I had that mean streak in me but it was successfully erased by mom's guidance. Almost 3 decades later, I have come to realize that it was not totally erased.

I am not going into the details but let's just say that I broke my rule (If you don't have anything good to say, say nothing at all) the other day. Last night, karma came crashing down on me like anything.

In my last post, I was talking about people needing upgrades. I could have used some last night! Peripherals,flash memory, hard drive, turbo function - heck, maybe even a new processor! But since people can't be upgraded like computers can, I allowed myself the luxury of sleeping for 9 hours straight on a week night. Woohoo! I should be good to go for the last day of work this week.

Upgrades

Sometimes I think of how great it would be if we were able to buy upgrades for ourselves much like how we can buy upgrades for computers. For example, I only have to go to a store to get extra memory for Koryu. Just one 1G RAM module would make her go considerably faster and allow her to process more things at the same time. An external hard drive would give her more space to store my data - movies, articles, music, and photos.

If this possibility were open to us humans, we would simply have to get these add-ons and we could function much better. People who are slow to process things would merely need to get more memory. People who cannot seem to understand things because of lack of "storage space" would only need to get another hard drive.... Sigh.

Monday Pick Me Upper: Corporate Lessons

Got this in an e-mail from a colleague...It's pretty long but it's worth the read. Trust me. ;)

Lesson #1
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. After a few seconds of arguing over which one should go and answer the doorbell, the wife gives up, quickly wraps herself up in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you $ 800 just to drop that towel that you have on". After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. Bob has a close look at her for a few seconds, hands over $800 and quietly leaves. Confused, but excited about her good fortune, the woman wraps back up in the towel and goes upstairs! When she gets back to the bathroom, her husband asks from the shower "Who was that?" "It was Bob the next door neighbor," she replies. "Great," the husband says, "did he say anything about the! $800 he owes me?"

Moral of the story: Share critical credit information with your stakeholders to prevent avoidable exposure!


Lesson #2
A priest was driving along and saw a nun on the side of the road, he stopped and offered her a lift which she gladly accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to open and reveal a lovely leg. The priest had a look and nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun looked at him and immediately said, "Father, remember psalm 129?" The priest was flustered and apologized profusely. He forced himself to remove his hand. However, he was unable to remove his eyes from her leg. Further on, while changing gear, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, "Father, remember psalm 129?" Once again the priest apologized. "Sorry sister, but the mind is weak." Arriving at the convent, the nun got out, gave him a meaningful glance and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to retrieve a bible and looked up psalm 129. It Said, "Go forth and seek; further up, you will find glory."

Moral of the story: Always be well informed in your job; or, you might miss great opportunities!

Lesson #3
Usually the junior executives and staff of the company generally play football; the middle level managers are more interested in tennis and the top management usually has a preference for golf.

Moral of the story: As you go up the corporate ladder, the balls reduce in size.

Lesson #4
A young executive was leaving the office at 6 PM when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand. "Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?" "Certainly, Sir" said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button. "Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. "I just need one copy."

Moral of the story: Never, never assume that your BOSS knows everything.


Lesson #5
There were these 4 guys, Russian President Putin, Germany's Chancellor Kohl, America's Dictator Bush and French Premiere Chirac who found this small genie bottle. When they rubbed the bottle, a genie appears. Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out of the bottle, he said, "Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will give each of you a wish. When you run towards the pool and jump, you shout what you want the pool of water to become, then your wish will come true." The French Premiere Chirac wanted to start. He ran towards the pool, jumped and shouted WINE". The pool immediately changed into a pool of wine. The Frenchman was so happy swimming and drinking from the pool. Next is the Russian President Putin turn, he did the same and shouted, "VODKA" and immersed himself into a pool of vodka. The German was next and he jumped and shouted, "BEER". He was so contented with his beer pool. The last is American's Randy. He was running towards the pool when suddenly he steps on a banana peel. He slipped towards the pool and shouted, "SHIT!!!!!!!........."

Moral of the story: Mind your language, you never know what it will land you in.

Sunday Afternoon @ The Block

We normally spend Sundays at home but as you may already know, Koryu got me worried Friday night so I decided to go to SM North to have her checked where I bought her. Unfortunately, the guy said that I had to take it directly to the MSI service center. The good news is that there is one right beside Eastwood. Then again, when I got home, the discoloration on Koryu's screen had disappeared. Perhaps it was due to Mark's (brother-in-law) uninstalling and re-installing of the graphics driver.

Anyhow, we also took the opportunity to spend time together as a family. Jerry wanted to eat at Gumbo so we did. It was really a pleasant experience - from the ambiance to the flavor to the service. I was quite surprised because the last time we ate at Gumbo - the Mall of Asia branch - I was not really impressed with the food. It was good, but I didn't feel the craving to go back.

The food at their branch in The Block was quite tasty, though! We ordered steamed clams for the appetizer:Main dishes below.

Jambalaya

Seafood Spaghettini

Seafood Gumbo

Sam had a blast as I suppose he had sensory overload. From the sounds - jazz - to the myriad of colors (Mardi Gras!) and the wonderful flavors - Sam had a wonderful time. He couldn't get his eyes off this lady server:
And he couldn't get his hands off the food:
As usual, he kept staring at his Uncle Jerry.
When it was time to go, I couldn't resist taking another picture.

Impatience

Patience is a virtue that I really have to develop. Even as a kid, I had never been one to sit back and wait patiently. Now that I am an adult, I think that I have learned to be more patient in certain things. But when it comes to gadgets and toys, I still find myself fidgeting a lot until I get what I want. As the girls at work say - I have no EQ when it comes to these things.

What am I fidgeting about now? Koryu. I want to find out whether or not I can get that free MSI Wind battery upgrade. Also, last night, I noticed some discoloration on the screen. It's very slight but it is bothering me so much. I need to get in touch with MSI but it's Saturday. I wish they had a 24/7 toll free number that I could call!

Anyhow, does anyone know anything about color calibration of an LCD monitor? I am hoping it's just that and nothing serious.

MSI Wind Free Upgrade to 6-Cell Battery?

I love Koryu (my MSI Wind U100) and I really have no issues with her. In fact, when my friend Lenna asked for some info on what laptop to buy last week, I had no qualms about telling her to get the Wind. When I met up with her tonight, I was thrilled to see her new Wind - Koryu's white (literally) sister.

I guess we made a funny sight at Starbucks...two women taking out their tiny netbooks from their bags...identical except for the color. Anyhow, she told me that she bought it with the standard 3-cell battery. However, MSI has a promo right now and she was able to exchange the 3-cell battery for a new 6-cell battery.

Now why would I want that? Getting a 6-cell battery would almost double Koryu's weight. Then again, getting that battery would more than double the battery life! Right now, I can use Koryu for 1 hour and a half without having to plug her in. With the 6-cell battery, I can - supposedly - use her for 5 hours! That in itself is worth the extra pound, I think. I appreciate this even more since I kinda like the idea of working at a coffee shop every now and then.

On another note - did you know that Mocha Blends in Eastwood has free WiFi? It is located in Excelsior, right across the new Eastwood Mall. It is not frequented by people as it is far from the popular watering holes. It is thus a good place to just sit and relax - and write! Here's the downside: you have to pay PhP50 for every hour of charging your laptop!!! It was the first time that I ever heard of a place that charges a fee for plugging in your lappy. Kinda ironic since the WiFi is free...

Anyhow, I really want to see if I can get that free upgrade. I am not sure if it will apply to my case since I got Koryu 6 months ago. Maybe the promo is just for recent customers? I hope not! I can't wait till Monday so I can call MSI.

Anyone have info on this promo?

Photo courtesy of Masaru Kamikura

Busy Busy Week

I don't think that I have been this busy since...I don't remember when. On the one hand, I feel very good about it as there is nothing that can compare with the satisfaction of getting things done. On the other hand, I feel swamped and irritated because I am finding myself behind with regard to my freelance writing and personal blogging.

The sense of achievement seems to be getting the best of the feeling of being swamped, though. Sometimes, late at night (or early in the morning), I get these silly images of myself getting awards like those you see in sports - softball trophies, Michael Phelps's gold medals, etc. The funny thing is that I see myself giving myself those awards. It happens when my mind is still cloudy with the cobwebs of sleep...perhaps I am dreaming during those times.

And when I "wake up," I realize that I might have bitten off more than I could chew.

Off to chewing...hard!

MONDAY PICK ME UPPER: The Wife Translations

In keeping with the spirit of Valentine's Day, here is a post on marriage. Some of these "translations" are quite accurate, if I say so myself.

The wife says: We need
The wife means: I want

The wife says: It's your decision
The wife means: The correct decision should be obvious

The wife says: Do what you want
The wife means: You'll pay for this later

The wife says: We need to talk
The wife means: I need to complain

The wife says: Sure... go ahead
The wife means: I don't want you to

The wife says: I'n not upset
The wife means: Of course I'm upset you moron

The wife says: You're ... so manly
The wife means: You need a shave and sweat a lot

The wife says: Be romantic, turn out the lights
The wife means: I have flabby thighs.

The wife says: This kitchen is so inconvenient
The wife means: I want a new house.

The wife says: I want new curtains.
The wife means: Also carpeting, furniture, and wallpaper!

The wife says: I need wedding shoes.
The wife means: The other forty pairs are the wrong shade of white.

The wife says: Hang the picture there
The wife means: No, I mean hang it there!

The wife says: I heard a noise
The wife means: I noticed you were almost asleep.

The wife says: Do you love me?
The wife means: I'm going to ask for something expensive.

The wife says: How much do you love me?
The wife means: I did something today you're not going to like.

The wife says: I'll be ready in a minute.
The wife means: Kick off your shoes and take an hour nap.

The wife says: Am I fat?
The wife means: Tell me I'm beautiful.

The wife says: You have to learn to communicate.
The wife means: Just agree with me.

The wife says: Are you listening to me?
The wife means: [Too late, your doomed.]

The wife says: Yes
The wife means: No

The wife says: No
The wife means: No

The wife says: Maybe
The wife means: No

The wife says: I'm sorry
The wife means: You'll be sorry

The wife says: Do you like this recipe?
The wife means: You better get used to it

The wife says: All we're going to buy is a soap dish
The wife means: I'm coming back with enough to fill this place.

The wife says: Was that the baby?
The wife means: Get out of bed and walk him

The wife says: I'm not yelling!
The wife means: Yes I am! I think this is important!

In answer to the question "What's wrong?"

The wife says: The same old thing.
The wife means: Nothing.

The wife says: Nothing.
The wife means: Everything.

The wife says: Nothing, really.
The wife means: It's just that you're an idiot.

The wife says: I don't want to talk about it.
The wife means: I'm still building up steam.

Obviously, the ones in bold mean something...thanks to Aha Jokes for this list.

The Day of Love

Not everyone celebrates Valentines Day. I personally think that it is such a commercialized event, much like every other holiday we have these days. Just take a look online (or even offline) and you will see hordes of things on sale for Valentines. Still, it is a nice opportunity to do something special for your loved one, isn't it?

Last night Jerry and I had our own thing - separate from each other. It was a good thing, actually as we both didn't stress out. I had fun with my friends, he had fun with his. I really liked the surprise that awaited me at home. I remember wondering out loud last night whether or not I would get anything for V-Day. This girl at the other table got a huge bouquet of flowers. Well, to my pleasant surprise, I arrived at home to my own bouquet. :)

Now I am off to prepare a special lunch (although it's 3 pm) of steak and baked taties...yum!

Grumpy in the Morning

I have never been a morning person but for the past 2 weeks, I have been waking up at 6 am, even earlier. Interestingly, I have become more productive and have actually been able to write more and do more things around the house. Although I still am grumpy in the morning it hasn't been that bad - until today.

For some reason, I woke up in a foul mood. Jerry's insensitivity didn't help. He's like that most of the time.

"Oh you're mad at me. Ok." Then he walks away without a good bye. That pisses me off even more.

And then my mind starts getting inundated by other stuff that bothers me...work...credit card bill...auto insurance quotes...rent...more work...

Am I overly grumpy in the morning? Is there really such a thing as a morning person and a night person or is this all in my mind? I don't want to be grumpy. It sucks.

How You Play The Cards

"You see, things aren't sequential. Good doesn't lead to good nor bad to bad. People steal, don't get caught. Live the good life. Others lie, cheat and get elected. Some people stop to help a stranded motorist and get taken out by a speeding semi. There's no accounting for it. How you play the cards you're dealt, that's all that matters."

-- Jonathan Kramer

I saw this quote in an e-mail I received earlier today. It struck me so deeply that I could not help but think about it even as I sit here at home ready for bed.

Indeed, life can be unfair - it is unfair a lot of times. There are things beyond our control and there is nothing that we can do about those things. But then, whether or not we dwell on those things depends on us. The decision to whether or not we let our lives be derailed because of the unfairness of events lies solely in our hands. How we play the cards we're dealt - that is all that matters.

In other words - pardon my being crass - shit happens. The answer to "What now?" lies in our hands.

Things I Like About Baguio

Yesterday, while I was waiting for a cab, my mind wandered to Baguio and other "provincial" places that I have been to. I couldn't help but notice the big differences that exist between Manila and those places. Baguio, for example. It is a city also but there are so many things to like - things different from the capital.

1. People are so much nicer. The sales people help you out without complaints. They actually go out of their way to help you!

2. Motorists are courteous. Generally, that is. I think that in the several hours of driving around the city, we heard a horn blown only once or twice. And the drivers actually let other drivers pass!

3. People know how to give directions. Now we only probably got lucky but each time we asked for directions - maybe a total of 5 times - we got clear instructions. Oh, and the people did not look as if they didn't want to stop and help.

4. The weather. I am not very good when it comes to cold. I was lucky that the weather that weekend was good, though. It was nippy but not freezing cold (except late in the afternoon when I had to go back to the room and warm myself up). But all I can say is that I did not sweat - and I do that A LOT!

5. Scenic views. The places that we went to were picture perfect! I am not a scrapbooking type of person but that city just makes me want to give it a try.

6. Clean market with lots of CHEAP stuff. From sausages to vegetables (which are really dirt cheap) to blankets to brooms - the market was a veritable treasure trove of cheap buys. I just wish we had more time to go around and buy more stuff.

Now I really want to go back...

Weekend in Baguio

My weekend did not start out very well - it started out really badly, in fact. We had been planning on the weekend trip to Baguio for a month or so and we had really been looking forward to it. That morning, however, Harvey (our truck) decided not to start. I think his battery got discharged or something. Since both Jer and I had to go to work, we were not able to have him fixed during the day.

And things just got worse...let's just say that my day at work turned out to be full of "dropped bombs." 'Nuff said.

So I hurry home around 9 or 10 pm, hoping that Jer had Harvey fixed since he got off work at 6pm. BUT NO! He was not around, Harvey was sitting out front, and his mobile phone was off. You can just imagine how mad I was getting...bad day at work, dead truck, missing husband, cancelled trip?

I had given up the trip for lost. Then Jerry came home around midnight - apparently he had a beer (more like a case) with a coworker. Despite my mood and worries about the truck, he said that we should go. How? He pushed the truck and I popped the clutch. After 3 tries, a neighbor helped us push and we got Harvey running.

Then came the scary-exciting part: We could not turn the engine off till we got to our destination - Baguio.

Baguio is a city in the mountains, about a 6-hour drive from Manila (our friend made it in 3 hours in his Z3 Roadster, go figure). It was built by the Americans who dubbed it as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. For more info on Baguio, visit GoBaguio - a very informative site where I got my directions from (I have been there countless of times but I never really had to be the navigator).

Anyway, we made it as far as Shell on Julia Vargas, where we had to top up and turn the engine off. Harvey wouldn't cooperate and the gas boys had to push again...embarrassing huh? From there, though, it was all smooth sailing. We stopped for coffee and food a couple of times (NLEX and Tarlac) but left the engine running and we made it to Baguio at around 7:30 in the morning.
That's the lion that is a must-stop place for every tourist to the city. Obviously, we didn't stop. What could be worse than having to push the truck up a mountain?
Then the fun part began. You see, my friend Donna texted me about her wedding and the arrangments months ago. She was the one who made the reservations for the hotel as they had a tie up with them. All this time, what I understood was that we were staying at the Manor Hotel in Camp John Hay. We found it easily - it is, I think, the best in the city. Jer and I were so excited when we saw the building - it was so beautiful and we were so tired, we had been up for more than 24 hours then.

Imagine our irritation AND embarrassment when we walked up to the extravagant lobby (we were in our laidback clothing by the way) only to find out that we had no reservations! Apparently, something went awry in our communication - we were supposed to stay at the Baguio Country Club and not The Manor. Jer and I were so tired already, though, and we were ready to check in at The Manor, prices be damned. They had a superior room available and we just really wanted to stay there. However, we got on the phone with our friend and our rooms were waiting for us at the Country Club - or so we thought.

When we arrived there - both of us grumpy already - it turned out that they couldn't arrange an early check-in for us since they were booked back-to-back. The earliest we could check in was at 2pm and the wedding was at 3pm...On to breakfast. Country Club food is known to be the best. Well, don't believe whoever says that. Jerry had bacon and eggs and I had sausages. For the price, the food was NOT worth it. And their fruit juices were powdered!See how much food you get? That was really disappointing but what could we do? Their service was excellent, though. Since they knew we were waiting for a room, they ushered us to the waiting lounge where we were offered pastries, coffee, and tea. Both of us were so tired, though, that before long, we were snoring away. Around 10:30, they told us that a room had opened up. It was not our room but we could take it if we wanted. DUH, give me it!!!
As you can see, we got twin beds, which we normally wouldn't get but hey, we were sleep deprived and had just come from a 6-hour drive. ANY bed was more than welcome!

Then I discovered that I left Jerry's shoes at home.

He was wearing leather slippers. We were supposed to go to a formal wedding. Jerry was asleep the minute we got into the room. What to do? I rushed over to SM Baguio, hoping that they would have shoes that fit. If you have size 11/12 shoes, you would know how hard that can be here in the Philippines. Luckily, the sales people were very nice and helpful and despite my asking to look at 10 different pairs, they helped me with beaming smiles. Even more luckily, the shoes I got fit Jer perfectly.
And so we made it to the wedding. That's the view from our balcony, by the way.

It was a very beautiful wedding and it was great to see friends from college again. Despite the fact that I broke the heel of my right shoe - yeah, what else could go wrong, huh? - we had a grand time.
The food at the reception was awesome! I am not sure whether the caterers were from the Country Club (I am pretty sure they were) but the food served during the reception was waaaay better than the breakfast we had. I wasn't planning on eating much but I couldn't help it! Time to take a weight loss pill? LOL, seriously, the Country Club's reception buffet made up for their sucky breakfast.

We didn't make it to the end of the reception party though, as the beds were calling our names. I think we fell asleep at 10 - there went our plans to paint the town red that night! We didn't really get to rest, though, as Jer's mom called us around 2 am to tell us that his grandma just passed away. I felt really bad for Jer as he cannot really do anything as he is so far away...he took it quite well, though.

The next day, we went around the city - literally. We didn't really know our way around so we found ourselves going in circles a lot, but it was fun. The people there are SO friendly. Can you imagine drivers actually giving way to other cars??? Oh, and we got our own police escort to Minesview Park. We asked some cops how to get there and it turned out that they had people going up there so they guided us.
At Minesview - the horse with pink hair was right in front of us but you had to pay to have your picture taken. I didn't feel like parting with 10 pesos. :p
We also went to the most unique Starbucks I have seen.
It was really pretty but - Murphy's Law again - their espresso machine was broken and they didn't have anything but plain brewed coffee. A Starbucks without lattes...*sigh*

This post may have been 80% complaints but we really had a good time. We would probably go back soon - this time for a more relaxed stay. Anyone up for a road trip?

MONDAY PICK ME UPPER: Two Sisters

Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch. Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble.

In order to keep the bank from repossessing the ranch, they need to purchase a bull from the stockyard in a far town so that they can breed their own stock. They only have $600 left.

Upon leaving, the brunette tells her sister, "When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull, I'll contact you to drive out after me and haul it home."

The brunette arrives at the stockyard, inspects the bull, and decides she wants to buy it. The man tells her that he will sell it for $599, no less.

After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a telegram to tell her the news. She walks into the telegraph office and says, "I want to send a telegram to my sister telling her that I've bought a bull for our ranch. I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here so we can haul it home."

The telegraph operator explains that he'll be glad to help her, then adds, "It's just 99 cents a word."

Well, after paying for the bull, the brunette only has $1 left. She realizes that she'll only be able to send her sister one word.

After a few minutes of thinking, she nods and says, "I want you to send her the word "comfortable."

The operator shakes his head. "How is she ever going to know that you want her to hitch the trailer to your pickup truck and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send her just the word "comfortable?"

The brunette explains, "My sister's blonde. The word's big. She'll read it very slowly ... com-for-da-bull."

Photo courtesy of Wallyg

Bad Bad Day

It's not over yet - I got about an hour left for the day. But I don't know how things will turn out. I don't even have the energy to go out and get wasted. How bad is that?

Coolest Libraries in America

Now why am I writing about this?

One, because my dream is to become a practicing librarian and help children discover a love for books.

Two, because this day is not going well and I need something to make me feel better and books and libraries seem to do just that.

Three, I don't want to let my emotions run wild and writing this long post will help me salvage a potentially disastrous day (or weekend perhaps).

So, on to the coolest libraries in America. These libraries were featured on MSN and I found myself putting them on my list of places to visit before I die. There are actually 10 but I only picked those that tugged at my heaHere goes.

Seattle Central Public Library, Seattle

Glass + steel = graceful strength
This building is beautiful in a modern kind of way. I can just imagine how high tech their system inside is.

Boston Copley Public Library, Boston

Photo courtesy of Celebrate Boston

This building just wows me with its appearance. Dubbed as an example of Renaissance Revival, the Boston Public Library at Copley is "dedicated to the advancement of learning." I would sure love to learn here!

Thomas Crane Memorial Library, Quincy, Mass.

Photo courtesy of Boston College

This is what is called the best Village Library in all of America. Can you just imagine going there every single day and breathing in the scent of the books? I can!

New York Public Library

Photo courtesy of NYMag

The facade of this building is very familiar to many, thanks to various TV shows and movies that have featured the library. Aside from the beauty of the edifice, I also like the fact that it has so much to offer in terms of content and technology. The MSN article actually described it as "WiFi technology meets century-old tradition at New York City’s famed Humanities and Social Sciences Library."

Things just got worse a few minutes ago and I can't even find the desire to continue with this post...How I wish I were inside one of these libraries and that I could read my cares away...

Wanting My Own Business

Don't get me wrong - I have a great job and I love it. Why else would I still be here on my fourth year with the company?

However, I also know what it is like to work for yourself, on your own time, and to make your own decisions. My freelance stint has taught me much and lately, I have found myself thinking of focusing on finding ways to make a living on my own. I am sure that I am not alone in thinking this way. I have seen friends and colleagues try to start small businesses of their own to supplement their income. Here are some of the best - and easiest - ideas that I am considering:

• Food franchises
• Baking goodies and selling them (yeah, Vicki!)
  
• Freelance writing

So far, it is the third one that has been helping me a lot. I really want to work on one of those food franchises and set one up in my hometown but I need a bit more capital for that. Got any ideas of your own?

What's Your Carbon Footprint?

Here's your chance to make a change and to help the environment in your own little way.

I remember taking a quiz about a year ago - courtesy of Earl - which told you just how wasteful your lifestyle was. I think my results weren't that bad but I know that I could still use some better conservation habits.

In this time of crisis - financial, environmental, and other sorts (maybe emotional?) - being part of something bigger than yourself can help make your life a bit easier to handle. Check out how much energy you use and take action to reduce your carbon footprint - click on the banner below!

Monday Pick Me Upper: CRACK!!!

I couldn't help it. I just had to post this picture I saw at Jump in the Ocean.Too morbid? Nah, it's the perfect pick me upper, I think. I am still chuckling...

Family Affair

I never realize just how much I miss my family until we all get together for one reason or another. Yesterday, Jerry and I went to Los Banos for my cousin Leslie's birthday. Although I really didn't relish having to make the trip down south and back to the city within one afternoon, I don't regret doing so. It's 6 am, I am dead tired, and in a bit of pain. I would love some painkillers right now (No, I don't have vicodin addiction) - my legs and back really hurt - but am quite happy.

It was the first time I met my "new" nephew, Jet. He really looks just like our little brother Silas!

It was also the last time I would be seeing our eldest cousin, Sherwin, for a while as he's going back to Canada. Times like these, I am grateful for family more than ever.Jer with our Kuya Sherwin

The girls - plus some of the boys

The kids showing off their swimming skills

Looking over these pictures again makes me want to hit the road and pay them a visit. Despite our differences and sometimes irritation with each other, there's nothing like being together with family. Or maybe, that's all part of it.