Thank you so much for your comments on my UP100 layout. I realized I didn’t post the story behind the photo and the layout, so here goes.
When we first walked the streets of Diliman as freshmen students, and gone up the steps of Palma Hall and its Annex – our beloved PHAn – the University of the Philippines was just celebrating it’s 90th foundation anniversary. Now, it’s Centennial year.
Ten years, that’s how long we’ve known each other. Ten years of friendship. 🙂
Because our paths crossed in UP, the UP will always be part of us when we celebrate our friendship. There’s seven of us in the group but only three in that picture: Arianne, Yrish and Mayeen.
This Centennial year, there are a lot of ways that the UP community is celebrating – this includes the release of memorabilias. And what are UP girls to do with all those collectables? Why, grab ’em of course! That’s Mayeen showing the rest of us her piece of the limited edition hundred peso notes that were released this week. I have one myself but I don’t bring it with me anymore. I used to have two crumpled pieces in my purse but I accidentally gave one to a taxi driver when I was paying in a hurry. When I got a better looking piece, I parted with the last crumpled one. Haha.
I endured not having the use of my desktop PC for several days, and I am now rewarded with a much faster and reliable system!
Short of dumping my old PC in the trash, Alfred and I bounded to Gilmore Avenue and came home almost two hours later with boxes and boxes that held what would make up my new PC tower. I blabbed about it over there, so if you want to know a little more of the specs of my brand new tower, go there and read up. 😉
Another reason to smile is this poem shared by fellow blogger Dette of Mammadawg and MuthahoodCrib fame:
We need friends for many reasons,
all throughout the season.
We need friends to comfort us
when we are sad,
and to have fun with us when we are glad.
We need friends to give us good advice,
We need someone we can count on,
and treat us nice.
We need friends to remember us
one we have passed
sharing memories that will always last.
I’m only spreading this to one other friend though: Tracy 🙂
I, and the rest of the family, Alfred included, are looking forward to our new fitness equipments. Okay, I haven’t actually confirmed if my parents made the purchase, but my dad is suddenly motivated to exercise. We’ve had this treadmill for years but it mostly just gathers dust, until my dad started using it again daily since last week.
The treadmill was also my equipment of choice when I used to go to the gym. The ones there are electronic, and were more comfortable for me to use than the one we have here at home. If dad is getting a stationary bike though, there’s something I would definitely make time to use.
Remember that Alfred and I are supposed to be on a program now? Well I still wouldn’t remove the supposed in that sentence. But you should see how animated our conversation got when I told Alfred about the pending arrival of new workout equipment. I just hope he does get to use it. He says he’s really looking forward to getting rid of his beer belly. I’m not quite confident. I’ve been kidding him and saying that he should probably pop bodybuilding supplements because he needs all the help he can get to have a body that girls would swoon over. 🙂
My favorite part of his body is still his chest and all the way to the shoulders, because of the way I feel so comfortable just snuggled there. I don’t really want that to become rock solid, but lifting weights might just give him the build that I know he wants too.
My nephew has a new puppy, also a Shih Tzu like my Zune, but this time a girl. She’s here, with my nephew and his older sister too. Finally, Zune is going to have a girlfriend! They named her Sharpei, from Disney’s Highschool Musical. She is so cute and cuddly, but quite feisty. She isn’t enjoying the attention that Zune is showering her with. Haha. One minute we think they’re playing, the next, well they sound more like they’re fighting!
They’ve got plenty of time to get along though. Sorry no pictures of her to show yet, maybe in another few weeks.
I am done reading the entire Twilight Saga, much to Alfred’s surprise. But I think I’ll keep my thoughts to myself for now, I don’t really want to spoil it for him. He reads my blog you see, and he’ll surely ask me about why I say what I say and so it will just spoil the reading part for him. 😉
Unfortunately, I don’t have any update for our weight loss program – because there’s still no program to speak of. I stayed home all weekend which means I didn’t go to the grocery to buy ingredients for salads that I could take to work with me everyday.
I’ve been thinking about taking those replacement diet stuff, you know, the ones where you’re supposed to just drink their special shakes in replacement for one of your meals? I don’t actually know anyone who has actually tried it and had significant weight loss though. I’ve been reading up on different product lines and testimonials about stuff like orovo. The only thing that keeps me from trying them out is the added cost.
Hmm… maybe I’ll walk to the office early morning tomorrow to pick up Alfred. That will be good exercise for me 🙂
I’ve all but given up on my PC – it refuses to boot up, not recognizing the IDE Hard Drive properly. I don’t want to think about it for now. I’ll concentrate on convincing my brother to lend me the money to completely overhaul the darn thing.
I was looking forward to get home last night because I wanted to share an IM conversation that Alfred and I had. Here it is, in a mix of English and Filipino:
Alfred (NCO) says:
kala ko ba mag 5 step na tayo sa pagpapayat verabear [@87934] says:
nga pala no
so ano ung step
1 Alfred (NCO) says:
setting goals verabear [@87934] says:
so what are your goals?
ako to lose ten pounds in one month Alfred (NCO) says:
pumayat health reasons verabear [@87934] says:
motivation yan
concrete goals dapat Alfred (NCO) says:
ok verabear [@87934] says:
to wear my skinny jeans by october 25 Alfred (NCO) says:
lose 30 lbs in 2 months verabear [@87934] says:
ano pang goals?
skinny pants pala ung sakin, hindi jeans Alfred (NCO) says:
dapat mag 180lbs verabear [@87934] says:
be 180lbs by nvember 25 ? Alfred (NCO) says:
di naman
baka pede next year verabear [@87934] says:
january?
concrete
anong month? Alfred (NCO) says:
mga late jan or feb verabear [@87934] says:
january 25 Alfred (NCO) says:
oo verabear [@87934] says:
ano ung step 2
step ba o rule? Alfred (NCO) says:
start now
step verabear [@87934] says:
number one – start now
step one – start now
step two – set goals
step 3 – find motivation? Alfred (NCO) says:
indi verabear [@87934] says:
ahihi Alfred (NCO) says:
1= set goals
2 = start now verabear [@87934] says:
lista mo na lahat Alfred (NCO) says:
3 = no shortcut
4 = motivate
5 = be happy
So where was this coming from? Alfred bought DVDs the other day and watched one movie after another while he was home. Among those movies is Toni Gonzaga and Sam Milby’s My Big Love (local). I haven’t seen it but parts of that movie were shot in one of the houses near us. While they were shooting the film, they had to use next door and then also our garage area to setup dressing rooms for the stars. I didn’t see the stars when they were here though. Ugh.
But back to our conversation… The film is about the girl helping the obese guy lose weight. Since Alfred is on his “I’ve got to lose weight” phase, he couldn’t have chosen a better time to see that film.
What does this mean for us though? Are we going on a diet? Are we finally going to sign up for the gym? I’m not yet sure really. It’s quite hard to pin down Alfred and have him come up with a concrete plan.
At least we’ve agreed on Step 1 – we’ve set goals:
– Me – lose 10 pounds by October 25 (this is so nothing compared to how much I really need to lose but it’s a stretch to actually lose 10 pounds in 30 days. Haha)
– Him – Weigh 180lbs by January 25. That’s three months away. I’ll post our starting weights at a later time. 🙂
– Me – Be able to wear the sleek skinny pants I bought two months ago. It fit me then, it doesn’t fit me now. Arghh!
And, though he has no real concrete plan yet, we’ve officially started (remember Step 2 in the conversation?).
I’ll be grocery shopping this weekend for salad to take with me to work. I’ll figure out a way to make it less work for me to have to prepare healthier food, and still less expensive than just ordering salad from Starbucks, Country Style, Wendy’s, Sexy Chef and/or Cibo (all available at our office building).
I’ll have to fit in some exercise too – what activity I’m not sure yet. Walking has got to be there. Then there’s also taking treatments at MF, something my mom has been bugging me about.
I can only hope I achieve my goals this time around. If I stick to whatever plan I’ll be making, even if I don’t lose much weight, at least I’d have given myself the best acne treatment, eh? Not that I actually needed one. I just suddenly remembered this kid who I think needs some help on her pimples. I wonder if it’s because of what she eats? Aw, stop it.
Wow. Since coming back from Bohol, I have not spent as much time on the computer lately, as I used too.
Pre-Bohol, my days off work were alternately spent between sleeping and all things related to my blogging. This weekend, I have been sleeping, yes, but I haven’t been on the computer much.
Kids.
Whenever I get the chance, I take a nephew or a niece (or two, or more) with me, or tell stories about them to anyone who would care to listen. It is not at all surprising that the whole extended family is interested in what happens with each child – be it at school or elsewhere.
My 11-year old niece Dal, E’s elder sister, was in a concert yesterday and all hands were on deck to support her. Even my Papa (grandfather) came with us to watch. It was a showcase of sorts and it was more like a school presentation than a concert, but it was fun to watch 🙂
While at the mall a few months ago with my cousin Candy, Dal was approached by a talent scout and was asked to audition for a spot at a kiddie show at some UHF channel. After discussing things with her parents, they decided to give it a go. She was accepted to attend a series of workshops. It went on from some time in May and they had their graduation rights on Sunday before last. I learned last night that she had already been chosen to be one of just 10 new kids to join the show. Yay!
We were all so proud of our girl, and it’s not just because she’s ours. She was so confident up there dancing. I always knew she could dance gracefully but this was the first time I saw her do so quite confidently. She wasn’t conscious at all in front of a full auditorium!
Here’s a video of the kids performing outside, just for me, three years ago. Dal is the one to the very left.
Prayers.
Joy, a friend of mine from Asia ACTs, was with us at the concert too. She had known Dal and the other kids from when I would take them to work or to an event we had.
From the concert and some snacks, we went to see Daddy Abueva at the hospital. He had suffered a stroke (there’s a more technical term to what actually happened) while in Davao with his son and son-in-law checking out wood for his various projects. With the doctor’s approval, and with an actual doctor accompanying them, he was flown back to Manila a few days ago.
We were there for about five hours. Yep, that was a long visit. We didn’t really intend it to be that long, specially knowing that he needed to rest. But only Mommy Abueva was there when we arrived and we actually got around to chatting with her and keeping her company. In my years at Asia ACTs, and the many times she had us over for dinner, I didn’t really get the chance to just chat with Dra. Abueva like that. It was actually very easy. 🙂
There were other visitors too, and then eventually, Kuya Jimmy (Ate Ami’s husband) and son Dino came over; then Kuya Lawin, who was taking night watch. That was our signal to exit, we didn’t realize it was already late!
Daddy Abueva doesn’t seem to be in any danger anymore, in fact, he is raring to get back on his feet. But he still needs to rest, and go through some therapy. Being in bed though has not stopped him from being his funny self. 🙂
The family would appreciate prayers for Daddy Abueva’s fast and full recovery.
Freebie.
No, I am not giving away anything. But Flergs is. I’ve been a fan of Flergs for some time now and I couldn’t pass up the chance to win a kit that she had made.
Growing in Grace Magazine is running a promo to give readers the chance to win the Dusk Mini Kit, or perhaps even the entire Dusk til Dawn set? See the lovely new badge over at my sidebar? Click on it so you can read all about the promo. Before you go though, check this out:
This is my current desktop wallpaper. It’s a freebie desktop from Flergs’ blog and it was made using stuff from the kit in the promo. I just plopped it over one of my photos at the white sand beach of Panglao Island in Bohol 🙂
Go on over and check out the promo and the freebie desktop. You know you want to 😉
Other stuff. Come on, you’ve made it this far in my post, take a few more minutes 🙂 Thank you!
Yesterday, I saw a banner over at the tennis courts about individual lessons. I had asked my mom to check it out further since the court is just right in front of her office building. If I can afford it, I’d give it a shot. It’s been four years since I first tried the sport, with my uncle giving me free lessons.
Tennis would give me the much needed full body workout, and probably the kick in the butt I’ve been needing to get back to losing weight. I’m still not sure if FitRight is helping me out in that department, though I think it is. I’ve also been thinking about dietpills lately. I used to swear never to go near any product like that, but maybe it ain’t so bad?
