4/52: Circulate daw eh

I think mali bilang ko sa weeks. I feel this week pa lang ang 4th week at etong ginagawan ko ng week in review ay 3rd week. Pero kiber.

(1) Day 20/365: Business + Pleasure. Dinner with a friend after running some business-related errands. I really should start hauling my ass off and make it earn bazillions of money already this early because I like doing this, this meaning lunching or having dinner with friends whenever, wherever. Landlady of leisure nga, diba?
(2) Day 21/365: Work it. Worked on labels the whole day. Just got myself a new pair of non-stick scissors which are okay but the teflon wears off quickly.
(3) Day 22/365: Kung walang bayad, e 'delivery! Har dee har har. Delivery day with V. Toasted siopao and slurpee after makakubra, haha!
(4) Day 23/365: Iz my favorite building. Wasn't supposed to be in Makati until Friday pero dahil ang galing kong mag-schedule, napapunta ako ng Makati (and not to mention, napagastos).
(5) Day 24/365: Picture-picture! As my sister's official photographer, went to one of her clients wedding preps para kodakan ang mga works of art niya. I also like taking photos naman plus free lunch and movie (Bride for Rent) c/o AD.
(6) Day 25/365: Wicked! Watched the play with AC at the CCP. As usual, we were late but in fair, not as late as we were when we watched Phantom. Loved it.
(7) Day 26/365: Centerpiece. Cousin's birthday. Food galore. But still, nothing beats my daddy's anemic dinuguan. Ika nga ni Coco Martin, "Yammy!" 

introducing...
Daddy's anemic dinuguan ☺

3/52 of 2014: Neverending decluttering

Astrologyzone said January's the best for me to CIRCULATE! As to how, I have no idea. So circulate, I did the best way I know how which is to gallivant around the mall while waiting for AD to get off work then make my delivery, hang out in coffee shops and read while waiting for AD get off work then make my delivery and yup, that's pretty much it.

(1) Day 13/365: Shoo fly! Don't bother me. Lunch at Yabu with AD. Akala ko naumay nako. Apparently, not.
(2) Day 14/365: They're on sale (and yes my waistline is HUGE).
(3) Day 15/365: Can you guess my favorite color? I thought it's mint but after browsing several magazines, I found out it's pistachio.
(4) Day 16/365: Anting-anting. 2014 is supposedly a challenging year for Dogs. I rarely believe horoscopes, be it Western or Chinese... I only do when they're in my favor. Ho ho! But, citrine is supposed to increase my wealth and travel luck. No harm in trying, non?
(5) Day 17/365: Updated. Finally got to update my FB and website.
(6) Day 18/365: Walking, talking and breathing citronella stick (or ball). Concocted 11 gallons of citronella spray. Sumakit ang arms ko kaka-shake ng 6-gallon containers.
(7) Day 19/365: Snack-snack din pag may time. Can't bloody believe that I just used that fugly expression. Anyway, just think it's befitting of the situation- after 2 hours of doing my own gel manicure & pedicure, I helped myself to a slice of raisin bread. Wala lang.

So there, another evidence that my life couldn't get any more boring. But you know, I like my life. Of course sometimes I wish mas eventful ang buhay ko kaysa sa nanay ko, haha!

2/52 of 2014: More lakwatsa

It's so cold here in Manila and I'm loving it ♥ How I wish we could have this weather all year round. What I love about it is that it's cool yet it's not wet as what happens during the rainy season. Actually, mainit pa rin nga kahit tag-ulan. We could do without electric fans and airconditioning and hopefully this means lower electricity bill. This is one effect of global warming that I like.

I've been busy the past week and due to time management issues, I only get to post this now. Gusto ko sana I get to post this weekly chuva every Monday since mas fresh pa sa memory but more important matters needed to be addressed.

(1) Day 6/365: View of the Ortigas skyline from the CR of The Medical City. Took daddy to his psychiatric appointment. He's getting better already. Huzzah!
(2) Day 7/365: Delivery + errands + leisure day. Found these Cokes in SM Hypermart in Makati. Both flavors are not to my liking and are better left unopened and un-drunk and belong to my Coke collection.
(3) Day 8/365: New series alert- My Love from Another Star. Haven't seen anything from Jeon Ji-hyun for ages and I missed her acting. Though I think she had something done to her already-pretty-then fez. Tsk.
(4) Day 9/365: Paperwork. Which reminds me I am not done with it yet.
(5) Day 10/365: Enrolled my nephews in Colfinancial- better to start them early. Swerte ng mga bugoy may funding from Lolo and Lola. Yabu with V for dinner.
(6) Day 11/365: Get-together with friends. Lunch at Kettle. Overpriced, imho. Tried it already and not going back. Enjoyed catching up with my friends though. Hope we could do this more frequently and not just on an annual basis.                           (7) Day 12/365: And because I am on a roll, watched another K-drama, The Heirs, the entire day. Lee Min-ho is ♥. 

I really really need to learn how to manage my time wisely. 

Week 1 of 2014: Lakwatsa

Still haven't acclimatized myself to the New Year. My daddy just went back to the province yesterday and during his entire stay here at home, we've been entertaining daddy, pasyal engrande with mommy, my sisters and the grandkids. Daddy still isn't 100% back to his old self but he is making good and quick progress, even his psychiatrist says so. We just hope and pray that he gets better soon. I am not used to seeing him very quiet and weak. 

Also, I will attempt to do Project 365 this 2014. I have a new phone (which I got for free, thanks to Smart) which is app-friendly unlike my old HTC phone (which I loved but during the last few weeks of 2013 has been conking out on me and there's I have no other choice but to let it go). It's a Samsung phone, the less flashy ones from its Galaxy series but I am not really into phones and this phone is enough for my call, text, camera and Instagram needs. Will not shell out additional moolah for a flashier Galaxy S4 or for a Sony Xperia Z1 (although I was originally lusting for its 20MP camera). I could have opted for an iPhone 4s but alas, I am not fond of Apple or Mac products and I do not understand bakit ang die-hard ng mga tao over it.

So going back... 

Here are the first five images of 2014:

Día 1/365: Prepping my nails for the New Year!
Tried if the gel nail top coat AB sent over would work with regular polishes. At first I thought it did but after a closer look (and feel), found out that it was a FAIL. Well, my manicure is still intact after seven days but it's not chip-free. Akala ko naka-jackpot nako.

Día 2/365: This is when I actually decided to do Project 365 for 2014
Because we were busy busy busy for the last few days of 2013 (prepared for the nail spa's Christmas party on the 30th and prepared for an impromptu family get-together the morning of 31st and media noche of New Year's), we weren't able to get some cleaning done. So ayan, mega-cluttered pa rin ang kwarto namin and working space ko.

Día 3/365: Happiness is two kinds of ice cream
Or an eat-all-you-can buffet! Har dee har har. AC and AD treated daddy, mommy, Nonoy and me to a pig-out session in Tong Yang. Hindi ako sulit sa mga eat-all-you-can dahil kahit hindi man halata, I do not eat that much. Frequent lang, hoho! But anyway, loved the ihaw-ihaw.

Día 4/365: Unfaithful
I've been collecting stickers for the Starbucks planner for years now and I think I have four or five of their planners but this year, pass muna ako because I find their planners very bulky plus their coupons have gotten suckier every year. AD's collecting stickers from CBTL and she promised me the planner she'd get from completing the stickers and she's only six stickers short so we treated mommy & daddy to a coffee merienda ☺ Mommy didn't order anything so I'm still a sticker short. Then Monday morning, my cousin said he'd just give me his CBTL planner. Bakit ngayon ka lang...

Día 5/365: Tubig at asin
Went to Don Bosco Mandaluyong for a seminar on health using just water and salt. We were there around 12:30. Seminar started 1:30 and ended 3:30pm. After that, we just waited for our turn to get enzymes. We finished around 7:30pm. Career. But it's worth a shot and there's no harm in trying.







So there, the first week of 2014. Mas eventful than the usual and I hope my 2014 will be more exciting and eventful and more amazing than 2013. 

2014 Book Challenge #1: Charmed Thirds

So I never got to finish the Jessica Darling series before the year 2013 ended. I was a little torn whether or not to start the book challenge with re-reads but why the hell not, ya? Starting the year with Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie is much better than starting it with Mr. & Mrs. Grey, right?

Out of the five books in the series, this has got to my least favorite book because this has the least Marcus Flutie appearances. This is also where I least liked Jessica Darling. The first time I read the book, I found her funny in spite of her I'm-better-than-everyone-else attitude. But now I kinda find her a little too egomaniac- she even thinks lowly of her own family and for her friendships to thrive, it has to be long-distance and on limited exposure only. Nevertheless, I still had fun reading her thoughts and adventures (or misadventures) and enjoyed her journey towards Marcus Flutie.

I guess what I love about their story is the uncertainty of it. We know we want them to be together and in every book we just can't wait for their happily-ever-after. Marcus is ever-changing and I already know that he'll be a different Marcus in Book 4 and a different Marcus in Book 5 and of course my favorite is the last one because I can read Marcus' thoughts. From Jessica's point of view, we know of him as indifferent and to borrow Bridget's description of him, a stonah lovah man. So even if I am rooting for Marcus, I am guilty for also liking Len for Jessica. Sure, he cheated on her with Manda (did he? or did he just dump her for Manda? I can't remember) but the irony of Len finally doing  it and losing it to Jessica four years after he rejected her...

This is the best book to start 2014 (as opposed to a book about cancer or suicide).

Hello 2014

Happy New Year! I swear, time seems to be traveling in breakneck speed these days.  I don't know if I should blame that, too, on global warming or maybe old age. But you see, being old is relative. When I am with my niece and nephews, they think of me as ancient; But when with with my 40-, 50-something friends, batang-bata pa daw ako. Haha.

So anyway, another year is here and what better way to start it than to look back at 2013. Even if 2013 wasn't one of the best years of my life, I'd have to say it didn't suck big time.

Seven Reasons Why 2013 Rocked (in no particular order):

1. Top of mind, first reason why I think the past year was amazing because I was amazed that I got to read 55 books. FIFTY FREAKIN' FIVE. Never thought I could do it but I did and who cares if they're mostly YA-genre, easy-reading (relatively) books? For years I couldn't even get myself to get past 10-15 books but look at me now... I've certainly gone a long way, baby!

2. AB came home after three long years. She only has ten days to spend with us but it was ten days well-spent. She finally met Jacob and Cio, the nephews she's never met until April last year. Merienda (AM at PM) at Kopi Roti, her favorite coffee place. Family outing in Bataan- for the first time in three years we are complete again. We had a family picture taken. Complete attendance. No need to Photoshop her in the picture.

3. Daddy turned 70. It is a milestone not only for daddy but also for us- not a lot live until 70. Maybe we take it for granted that our parents are indeed old- as in, very old- because they still are very active and thanks to hair dye, don't look their age. Though after Yolanda, my dad's been weak and showing signs of slowing down. We're helping him recover though and I hope he does very soon. He has to be healthy and back to his old self because in eight years' time, he and mommy will be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary!

4. Seeing Linkin Park in the flesh... from 20 feet away. Yun lang. Haha. But who cares? We're, like, breathing the same air! It actually broke my heart that they didn't fill up the entire MOA arena but I guess that's the price they had to pay for waiting too long before following up their 2004 Manila visit. But omgeezers, it was a super fun night! Juno and I were also geared to watch Matchbox 20 in concert but because of Yolanda (nakakarami ka na ha!), it didn't push through.

5. In fairness, it was a pretty busy year. Legit busyness at hindi busy-busyhan lang. The big account ordered again (huzzah!) and they were pretty quick to pay this year but because of my shortcomings, I still wasn't able to collect (which reminds me to do it pronto). Also joined two bazaars in Eastwood and although it didn't really do good, it was a good experience. Hindi naman ako matututo kung hindi ko susubukan, diba?

6. More time with friends. Most of my friends are not here in Manila so I get to touch base more frequently with just one friend. There was a time when I felt that she changed and I was not into the things that she was into but now I'm just grateful that we are on the same wavelength again, more or less. Of course I wish all of my friends are just a train-ride away but I guess we do not live in a perfect world. I'm just glad that my friendships aren't high maintenance and can thrive on occasional personal hanging out.

7. Going back to my roots- vacation in Capiz for my cousin's wedding. All my other cousins' wedding, I can forego but this one cousin of mine, I knew I can't miss her wedding for the world. It was nice that she finally got her wish- to get married and start her own family. Aside from her wedding, we had a nice time with our parents going around the province and eating (and looking for the perfect inihaw na baboy). And this was where I was able to buy the pendant I've been lusting over for over a year.

Dang! I was going for thirteen reasons why 2013 wasn't so bad after all but I only got seven. Surely there were numerous little things to be grateful for but we're talking about highlights here and those I do not have too much of. So anyway, here's the part where I tell you what I plan to do this 2014.

Resolutions for the Year 2014:

1. Learn to drive. For realzzzz. Before, my motivation to learn how to drive was because of business reasons. But things have changed and I bet you can never guess what is my motivation now. Siret? Okay. Here it is: I want to learn how to drive so my chances of survival in a zombie apocalypse is higher. And I am serious about this.

2. Lose weight. Another one of the perennially-included item in my resolutions list but I really really REALLY want to do it already this time. I think I have grown bigger the past year and I really want to put a stop on it. Dressing up is becoming a struggle and it is feeding my insecurity. At please lang no, ayoko na munang bumili ng bagong bra! I have a bootlegged version of A's Cohen diet and I haven't decided whether or not to do it.

3. Read 50 books. I read more than 50 books last year but I am not sure if I can do it again this year. I want to so I hope I can find the perfect books to get lost into.

4. Circulate! According to my horoscope, the prospect of love is possible but first I would have to part with you, my beloved computer, because to be able to do this, I need to circulate. At saan naman, aber? Well, I think I just have to keep an open mind and be more open to possibilities.

5. Be more hands on with the business. I admit I neglected the NS last year. I can count the number of times I've been there with my two hands. This year, I want to be able to make my presence felt more and be there two to three times a week. I need to push my lazy arse into getting off the bed (or the chair) and haul it into the shop. Kailangan ko siyang gawing kumikitang kabuhayan.

6. I want to say 'Go to New York City' again but I guess I would have to start first with Get a US Visa.

7. Be more organized with my stuff. Now that I have my own work space for my concoctions, I can place all my work-related stuff in there. Although it's very tempting to put everything inside my room so everything's within my reach, I guess I would have to discipline myself and organize my supplies, documents and other work-related stuff.

8. Quit procrastinating. I'm so good at this it's not even funny. I swear I should stop waiting for the last minute before doing something because it is not fun. It's very stressful and now I do get tired very easily so getting stressed is very stressful. For a change, I want to be finished way ahead of the deadline.

Let's see if I can keep even just one of my resolutions. You know naman, the mind is willing but the body is weak. Anyway, CHEERS to 2014 and hopefully it will be a whole lot better than 2013.