I've been M-I-A for a while...  Truth be told, I am currently working on a serious weight loss project, yep, my own.  The reason behind it all is a sheer desire to look uber-fabulous on my 40th birthday by the end of the year.  I have roughly three months to go to achieve it.  There's a big change that I will fall short, but I know it wouldn't be too far behind. 

I also gave up on trying to squeeze in a workout on my own in my flurry of everyday chores and I recently enrolled for gym membership.  I was so lucky I chanced up it while walking around my favorite place.  They have just started branching out from Southern California, and I got me the gym and spa package so I can also avail of a massage or facial once a month.

I've been a good girl so far.  I've pretty much gone everyday except for the weekends.  I think my body is responding well to the workout.  It had always responded well anyway, except that I stopped somewhere and lost my fitness in the bermuda triangle some years back.  I'm just trying to get it back, slowly but surely.

It's funny though because today, after I was done, I heard my mobile ringing and picked it up.  Somewhere between deciding if I was going to answer my friend's call and actually twisting my torso sideways and downward to reach inside my cross body gym bag, I felt my back and ribs cramping.  It wasn't the scary kind, it was dull and achy but it never left, like a constant current electrifying my muscles.  Seriously, a ribcage cramp?  Maybe.  I know it is anatomically possible but this is my first time.  I must have done something wrong. 

But anyway, the sensation finally left when I relaxed in the car.  But I know that I can use a little action from my  Muscle Stimulators at home which we bought when a stiff neck incident made me Visit LGMedSupply Online
I bought it for Pain Relief of my stiff neck which used to attack a lot back in those days of wrong pillows and sleeping positions, combined with stress at work and the hubs family problem (uhrm!)/  Now, I'm going to be putting the LG-TEC Dual Combo TENS Unit and Muscle Stimulator to work again but this time for my weird rib cage cramp incident.  I wonder if I can also use this more often for muscle toning? Like get a six-pack in time for my big 4-0 perhaps? I'll check the online customer blog.

I really welcomed that alone time at church this morning.  It symbolized the long overdue start of new beginnings that I have long been wanting to make in my life.  I'm just very optimistic that things will really take a better and brighter direction from now on, not because things are changing around me, but because I am changing the way I deal with things.

The external things are pretty much uncontrollable, and accepting this as unchangeable part of life is a first step for me.  I now refuse to be stressed by things and people and instead take on a proactive stance in my life.

Last week, I started going to the gym again. I'm going to give up my original monthly massages because this new membership comes with a monthly massage or facial of my choice.  Treadmills and workout machines never fail to give me happy hormones that I so need.  Three days into it and I already see the difference.

Yesterday, I woke up and bathed and TOOK MY TIME TO BLOW DRY AND CURL MY HAIR. 

Today, I went to church.

Now, at this very moment...I am sitting in front of the TV and mastering the art of relaxation.  So what if there are chores calling my name, they can wait.  Because I said so...


Later this afternoon, I am going shopping with the hubs because I need a new pair of jeans for boots weather!!!  I love fall.  Sometimes, I feel like I like it more than summer. But yeah, nothing beats summer.  We had some great times this summer hanging out on our backyard...yes, like I always say, my beloved hazy crazy summer nights of bike rides and water balloon fights, firepits and smores, tiki torches and margarita nights.

I am now looking for sales of summer stuff for my outdoor patio because it still needs dressing up. (Yes, that's part of my relaxation plan)... Because I want a hip patio, I am now looking for customized signs that can say "Patio Medina" and my friend told me I can order it this website that sells traffic signs and  parking signs.  I actually want to fill up the entire length of the wooden fence on one side of the house with these.  Like, Claire Ave (me of course)among other things. 

I am also thinking of doing some cosmetic upgrades on the kitchen.

Of course, when the wife is happy....the house is happy!

I am restless beyond measure.  And a little frustrated this week that I wasn't able to put all my creative juices to use. Sleep still eludes me and it's past 1 am.  I am slowly realizing that I fight sleep  because the quiet night affords me the silence and calmness that I so need.  It's a funny thing.  I hate being sleepless but I love being awake.  Has that ever happened to you?

I am restless because there are so many things I want to create...so many art projects...yet there is so little time.  I've had such a busy schedule eversince I came back from vacation last month, and I haven't had the chance to fully recover yet...an 8-5 job to put up with (because that pays the bills), household management (and engineering so they say), social functions, and my homebased business --- that has been forever on pre-flight mode since I started it....What can I say...not enough time!!!  This is an old song.  A melody that keeps coming back, even if I seek to change the tracks.

Anyway, my friend wanted me to check out my options at Rummyownthink.com , an online agency that helps individuals manage their own business, innovate, earn and grow.  They are accepting 5 applicants for 2012.  I still have to check out the entire site, but it looks really helpful.  I heard that the goals are running own workshops, consulting and training business teams to create new ideas (ooooh, I like), and training for innovation techniques (thumbs up, baby, I likey likey) and a flexible business which can be run from home (what more can you ask for?)

So while I ponder about my existence and rethink the process of where my life is going, I will consider this option.  After all, I'm already the queen of innovation -- and yes, I already have a product that will sell like hotcakes when it launches --- a hightech gadget that adds 12 more hours to a really short 24-hour day cycle, especially when you have so many art projects in your head, but so little free time to make them happen.  I should know!

A Day-Booster pack, anyone?

 

I really like how my Saturday is unfolding.  It's a far cry from last weekend.  I was up in the clouds last weekend, literally. I went on a 3-wk holiday to Philippines and Singapore, plus some hours in Taiwan (food tripping), and the plane ride back last Saturday sucked out all the energy out of me.  And then I had to wrestle with jetlag because I was crazy enough to get back to work right away.  It was hard pretending to be okay when my mind was floating and sinking and floating and sinking.  The first three nights too, the hubs had been waking up at really odd hours of midnight and before dawn and he made sure that I shared the curse of jetlag but waking me up as well.  Watching TV, cranking up the volume and pushing me off the bed trying to be cute.  But boy, that wasn't cute at all.

Anyway, yes, my saturday is unfolding really good.  I finally woke up stress-free.  I wasn't rushing to go to work, I wasn't fighting jetlag and I have free time that I could spend to my heart's delight.

This morning, I just threw some leftovers in the microwave for our brunch.  I also pretty much accomplished unpacking all the luggages now, and I'm done sorting the going back presents and souvenirs for family and friends, I also sorted our clothes, wondering if I should put away our tropical clothes (because I believe they will really be of great use soon since the weather had been getting nicer and nicer here, I'm wearing short denim shorts right now).  I'm accomplishing things and resting in between.  The hubs is done vacuuming the entire ground floor of our house, and he finally brought in all the mail, which needs sorting today.

Come to think of it, we've accomplished a lot so far, and I haven't felt any stress at all.  Oh, I need to pore over the paperwork for my home business which I have pretty much neglected during my vacation.  Anyway, it's worth it. We also need to consult a lawyer for some real estate concerns.  It's really for the hubs because of inheritance issues and other things.  Good thing I found some good lawyers who can really help facilitate matters for us.  Convenience is really my goal at this point and so we hope to find good ones to help us with these things.  I already have some handpicked like the Stewart Esten group.  I hope they can assist in the sale of properties too so we can once and for all get those things over and done with.  I am not after the money, but I am after peace of mind.  That's what I wish for the hubs and his siblings.  Once everything and every fate of every property is settled, everyone can move on without property issues perpetually hanging like daggers above their heads.

At this point in my life, I hate stress in every form.

And so I wish Saturdays and Sundays are longer.

Hubby found a SNAKE in our backyard!  It's a relatively small one, about a foot long and only about as thick as my fingers (I have chubby stubby ones, by the way). It's generally black with yellow vertical pinstripes that are widely spaced.  I checked online and it looks like it's only a garter snake and is not dangerous ...I hope.  It's a first for me and I'm a little alarmed but hubby and I agreed to let nature take its course and let the snake find its way out. Creepy though but I trust that the house is pretty much sealed and it will not find its way inside.  I hope.  Teehee!  I won't be surprised if this will only be the beginning but I will be extra careful now when I lounge in the backyard.  Just when I was thinking about having a little jacuzzi pool on the left pocket of our yard!  But my Chinese friends usually say snake means money crawling in, so I guess it's a good thing.

Second discovery of the day...SINGING BOWLS! Go ahead you can laugh at me now but I never knew those even existed, and I had no idea what they were for.  But my peace-loving, tree-hugging, nature-meditating, yoga-flexing friends are all going crazy about getting their own Crystal Singing Bowls and I really fell in love with them too when I heard them make harmonic sounds.  Now I'm thinking of acquiring one for my own use. I would prefer an original one since I'm a big fan of antiques but I guess that will be too costly. I want to find a good one even if it doesn't have a past.

So there.  Snake and singing bowls today.  I hope this means good luck and good fortune for the days to come.

Authored by Rickey Combs

 

I recently read an article that said that it wasn’t healthy for a child to fall asleep watching tv. I guess I kind of new that intuitively, but it was the only way I could get my son to fall asleep and stay in the bed at night. If I didn’t go on http://www.cannonsatellite.com/ and get tv for him, it would be very difficult to get him to stay in the bed. I turn off the tv once he has fallen asleep, but I let him use it to fall asleep. Our routine right now is bath, pjs, teeth, book, song, prayer, and then tv to fall asleep. So, it’s not like he isn’t getting enriching time with me. We read, we sing, we talk, but then when it is time for me to leave, I turn the tv on to keep him in his bed. I wonder if that is what the article is talking about, or more like the kids who only get tv at night, and nothing else.

Guest post written by Jessica Lewis

I've had some really great plans for our home as soon as I set my eyes on it. Sure, the carpet wasn't my favorite color and I had some major issues with the bathroom. But, I think that now that we're all moved in, I'm going to take my time doing all of these things in our home. Besides, that fits in better with our budget anyhow.

I've been doing most of my research online to find pricing and what services I'm going to use to do each thing in our home. I know that at least for now, I'm going to use http://www.homeproimprovement.com to handle our carpeting. I'm not really sure what the former owner had in mind when she picked out sea foam green for carpeting all over the house, but I don't think that I want to get it.

So I'm going to replace the carpet with a much more neutral tan. I think that will be a lot easier to clean and match all kinds of new decor to. I'm really looking forward to having a normal color of carpet.

I'm back for my random 10. A thoughts snapshot for the week, er, month?  How long does it take for me to come back and visit anyway?

Anyhoozens...

1. The bosses gave away extra pizza from their power meeting...and I willingly accepted three slices. (You bet, I was gonna scratch that off and write "two" instead, but I decided to be honest).  Then another one came by with a tray of free dessert, and I got me a slice of banana bread.  I was like, OMG, I'M AN EATING MACHINE!  *with matching thought images of a real machine with a funnel on top where you can drop food and it will be sucked into a grinder going chu-chug chu-chug chu-chug*  Too funny!

2. I just realized I PURPOSELY step on sidewalk/pavement cracks......because I always hated it and I still do.  I defy myself.  That's how I roll.

3. I'm currently smitten with iPhoneography.  I always thought huge DSLRs are intimidating and a burden to carry around.  so perhaps I'll never own one. Right now, I'm having a love affair with the photo apps on my trusty iPhone.  I have an album on my FaceBook called "RANDOM SNAPSHOTS FROM A MOVING TRAIN".  It's a happy journey.  Simple, and instantly gratifying.  I like that.

4. I just realized yesterday that the reason why I don't play the piano as much as I want to is because I can only do it when:

     a.  Hubby's home with me and he's not watching TV

     b.  I'm by myself at home (but only while the sun is still up)

     I just came to terms with the fact yesterday that it creeps me out to play all by myself after sun down because of a stupid fear of having my two late grandmothers' ghosts come by behind me at the piano to listen, or correct my expression and timing since my most favorite pieces to play were their "signature" pieces while they were still alive (Drumheller and Baderewski).  Don't think it's stupid.  If you were in my shoes, you'll avoid it too. Teehee!

5. I'm finally overcoming my "wordlessness" and "speechlessness" following a hectic schedule at work with me spewing out document after document of corporate communication, an extra task our COO gave me.  It's fun.  But it left me "headachy" for a while.  I'm getting used to the grind now.  So, thus, I blog.  LOL.

6. There's approximately 6 minutes of keyboard time left for me before I take off.  I'm running out of things to say.

7. I can't wait to upgrade my iPhone...which is due next week.  More photo apps...wee hee!

8. It's Friday tomorrow.  I can't wait. 

9.  I have deadlines to beat tonight.  I'll do them in between cooking...and making talking to my mom and dad on the phone.

10.  Yippy, I stretched it to 10!  This thought is valid! 

    

    

5.

1.  I am finding it more and more (and rather shamelessly) convenient to write my stuff in bullets here.  I guess it works.  And this is my site so I make the rules.  Teehee!  I just like to capture my random thoughts as candidly as possible, sans any vacillation. Most of the time, I surprise myself each time I come back to read an old post. Like, hey, I really said that? Or like...hmmm, I don't remember this anymore but good thing I have the blog to make me remember! So, writing it all here in bullets is supposed to be a good thing.

2. My friend is so passionate about my own passion.  Dig that! Over coffee one time, I just mentioned how I dream of my art being printed on this *beep* [can't tell my secret yet] and she launched a full-blown marketing plan for me.  She's acting like an agent now, which really makes me happy because it's really hard for me to market my own stuff, while having to deal with actually executing them, and managing all these non-stop hypercreative thoughts that sprout every waking moment...and then, the 8-5 job that I so treasure these days too.  Sometimes, I still don't know how I am able to pull it all off....especially with my zealous commitment to my household, my kitchen, my hubby, and all my other family and friends. Magic, you say?  I'd say....Christ!  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!!!

3. It's Friday. I was planning to make Grilled Chicken on Pesto Pasta for dinner but the hubs was requesting if I can pick up our dinner from our favorite burger place.  Yeah, it's a premium meat place where I usually order THAT vegetarian burger.  Don't look at me like that.  I mean, I'm not vegetarian. But I'm really addicted to all things vegetarian that maybe one day, I won't be surprised if I really take the leap.  But I'm hoping to take bacon with me.  LOL.

4. I drink coffee again!  Did you get that... I.AM.DRINKING.COFFEE.AGAIN.  Don't ask.  But yeah, I do it in moderation.  Don't ask.

5. Sometimes, I wonder why I still hang on to this Bravejournal blog when I have a lot of other sites to take care of.  Habit, I guess.  So, you'll see me dropping by here until I have finally decided to lock the gates. Let's put it this way.... http://www.missclarisse.com is my home, http://www.wonderwifey.com is my office, and this one is my HOTEL.  The other sites are pitstops.  Here is where I take my vacation when I'm feeling fed up with the others, especially when I have to write opps when all I really want to do is hide inside my head.

5 today, when my target for each visit is a 10-point list.  Does that mean that the shorter my list, the less things there are going on in my life...ergo, the less exciting it is?

WRONG!

That means, I have more important things to do than focus on this list. Hahaha.  So, speaking of....

Toodles for now.  Other more important things are calling my name! And oh, TGIF....I hope your weekend rocks!