Merry Christmas

This Christmas I pray and thank God for all my blessings: Family and friends. Challenges and new beginnings. Life, love and health.

From New York, I send my warmest Christmas wishes.

Holiday Rush

As far as I can remember, this year tops as my busiest December ever! The slowest one was back in 2005 when I took the entire month off from work.

I won't go into the details here at work, but golly gosh, work has been rough. Deadlines, pressure from all department to produce numbers and reports, closing of projects, starting new ones and so on.

However, on a personal note, the rush during this month have been quite enjoyable, tiring at times, but still enjoyable. Let's start off with the first weekend of December.

I got this free museum pass from a co-worker for the American Museum of Natural History. If you haven't been there, you should definitely try to go there at least once. I've been there a couple of times and the museum brings out the kid in me. Marianne and I have been wanting to see the exhibit on Mythical Creatures and yes we did see griffins and unicorns. But aside from these special exhibits, I always need to visit Hall of Marine Life and just gaze at this giant whale that is suspended in this great big hall. Very fascinating.

The following weekend, I find myself in Charlotte, North Carolina. Marianne's hometown. Got to experience southern hospitality, eat pulled-pork bobbyque (later on the spellings), drink Cheerwine, drive up and down 485 and heard the Charlotte Symphony perform Christmas Carols with Charlotte's choirs, jazz quartet and UNCC's Percussion Band (thanks to Mr. Duca for the tickets). The weekend trip was more of a meet-and-greet. Got to meet (for the first time) Marianne's friends (Julie and Glenn), Petey (Mare's bro), and church people from her home parish. We are planning on going back there around Spring time next year for more grubbing and relaxing. Flew back to NYC on Sunday night.

After the Charlotte trip, I zoomed in all the next activities.....

Monday, I went to my dentist in the morning and checked myself in for a sleep study. Apparently, my snoring is not just because I'm tired (my all-time favorite excuse), but I have sleep apnea. I did not take a nap nor dozed off on the train. When I got there at 9PM and after hooking me up to the machine, I slept right away. They woke me up at 5:15AM to tell me that the study is done and that I can go home. Instead, I went to the gym and kicked-off my Tuesday.

Tuesday after work, I went to Johnny Utah's (http://johnnyutahs.com/) for dinner with friends. Was supposed to ride the bull, but then again, not enough beer made me do that. Got home at 11, slept at 1:30AM.

Wednesday after work, I had to meet with Mike regarding BustedHalo's Lent's Retreat 2008. I think it was a productive meeting, I was able to share some of my thoughts on how to make things more engaging. After the meeting, we had dinner at Donovan's in Woodside. Named best burger in NYC. You got to try it.

Thursday... you'll never guess. Those who know me have not seen me dance (except those grade school field demonstration days and that one time in college which I am still trying to suppress). Can you imagine me square dancing?? Well, Marianne dragged me into square dancing. I had fun. Really. I had FUN. I won't be doing it everyday now, but I had fun.

Friday, after a relaxing dinner at La Lanteria, Marinne, Cary and I found ourselves at Lion's Den in the village for some Queen music. Almost Queen is a band that plays all Queen music, they even dress up like them! That ended at 12midnight.

Saturday was sort of slow, I had to take Winrich for his birthday treat at Max Brenner (he turned 9 last week). At around 2PM, after the first order came, Winrich already had sugar high. He was off the wall with his antics and banters. But he still insisted on desserts. A chocolate pizza did the trick. After Max Brenner, I met up with Marianne at Cary's place. Marianne did her Christmas shopping and since Cary lives right behind the mall, we decided to meet up there before heading for a Christmas party in Astoria. The game plan, leave the holiday party after an hour since we dead tired. Once we got to the party, we kinda forgot about the time and left at 11:30pm.

Sunday was a relief. Went to church. Went to the gym. Watched a movie on dvd. That's what I did. Marianne on the other hand had sister time with Angela. And from what I heard over the phone, the two of them had a fun evening.

Now, this week... we are trying to slow things down. Just had dinner Monday (12/17) and exchanged gifts with Mare. Last night, Mare had to play pool. She won her match, but I had to leave after that since I need to be at the office (early, alone by myself) to proctor an exam.

I write this entry on a laptop, while counting down the time for the examinees. That is what I call multi-tasking.

Borders was the very first establishment that I've set foot when I got to NY and it was in the World Trade Center. Books and coffee. Such a sweet combination.

A Sappy Entry

Well, I guess it's not really a sappy entry... but I'm writing this with no idea where this is going. I have all this emotions bubbling inside. I can't even identify them. Love. Hope. Anger. Dis-illusion. Confusion. It could even be more than emotions. Tired. Job-burn out. Energized.

I know its confusing, I don't even know where to begin.

Random stuff I want to do:

1. Take a weekend trip somewhere (though I'm going to Charlotte second weekend of December).
2. Walk all over Central Park (but its cold!).
3. Get a new job (been thinking about this for the past months).
4. Go back to school (wanting to since last year).
5. Not work for a whole year (just thought of this now, possible? maybe.).

BustedHalo in NJ

36 young adults found themselves in the midst of Oak Ridge, NJ in the vast acre of Mt. Paul. It was another experience that will be cherished. Malo, malo Mike, Rosemary, Chris, Diane, Michelle, Katie and Missy for making me part of the team. Danke schon to Kara, Paul, Nik, Abigail and Idania for a very open small group session. Dziekuje goes to everybody who were present during the weekend, I learned a lot from everybody. Believe. Connect. Share the faith.

Grazie, maraming salamat, mesi bokou for a weekend of renewal.

20071109-11 - BustedHalo Retreats #16

BustedHalo Retreat - November 9 - 11, 2007

Weekend at AC

We found ourselves planning this weekend two weeks ago. I don't gamble but enjoy the sights and sounds of Atlantic City. From its boardwalk, pier carnival, overly aggressive seagulls and bright lights! But one thing I enjoy the most is the peace and quite I get while sleeping inside a hotel room when everybody else goes out to gamble.

The first agenda to the weekend was to spend it at the carnival. Everybody went on the Crazy Mouse, some did the Disco Ball, and the two fearless (Cary and Marianne) did the Slingshot. The gambling started when everybody thought that they could shoot the ball through the hoop. I'm guessing around $75 was spent just for that single game.

After the carnival, everybody went for the Karaoke Night sponsored by the Wyndham Hotel. Free beer, so everybody went. I guess we were the life of the party. People started to request songs for us to sing. Let me just make it clear, the us means everybody else except me. I don't sing, sorry. But we, yep, including me, danced to the Electric Slide.

After karaoke, we decided to continue the party over the local bar, AC Bar and Lobster. We got two rounds of drinks while the other half watched the baseball game and the other half saw the boxing game. Pacquio won by the way.

Sunday, after church, everybody had their plans. Shopping. Sun bathing. Casino. I stayed in the room and slept. When everybody got back from their thing, they decided to treat the kids to Sundae Social. Marianne and I decided to skip it. Too much eating for the weekend for me.

Left AC around 8:30 an got home around 11pm.

BustedHalo Organizes Another Retreat

Hey guys... BustedHalo.com is organizing another retreat this year at Mt. Paul, NJ.

There will be a pre-retreat event with wine and cheese after the 5:15 Mass at the Church of St. Paul. The event will be at the Parish Center, 405 59th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues.

This pre-event retreat will be a great environment for everybody to meet those who have been on the retreat, meet the people behind BustedHalo , and learn what to expect about the retreat.

The actual retreat happens on November 9 to 11 (Friday night at 8pm to Sunday lunch). It is an all inclusive retreat, so you get to relax and find your faith over the weekend without the NY noise. Visit http://www.bustedhalo.com/retreats to reserve your spot. Limited space is available.

Found in a Restroom Wall

It's not a good idea to take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Photos for Charity

After passing by Court House Square on 45th Road Station one afternoon, an idea came up and I started to brain storm about it with my friends and siblings. I decided to sell pictures that I took. Put it in a frame and sell it. But to make something out of it, I will be donating all of the profits to a charity.

I was thinking of setting up a website with all the bells and whistles, but then again, I don't have the resources to do them. However, I cam across eBay's Charity listing that allows the seller to donate the profit to a charity of choice. Super!

So, watch out for the listing soon. I'll be posting maybe 3 pictures to start off.

Sa Kambas ng Lipunan - In Society's Canvas

The video runs for about 20 minutes and is worth every minute of it. Pass around... let us be inspired to do something.

Full Force in RawVegas.tv

My cousin has been a BBoy ever since. I would hear about it. Saw pictures of it. But not until I visited Vegas in 2004 that I saw the entire crew in action. From the girls to the guys, you would not believe how they are able put one foot on one side, the other foot flying the opposite direction while the rest of the body spinning in all directions.

Their group, Full Force, was picked up by RawVegas.tv and has recently launched last week their on-line reality TV broadcast. Check out the premiere video.

I can now travel the world!

Last day of distance learning class.

Sunset

View from Top of the Rock.

Welcome August 2007

My dad finally caved in and had DSL installed in his house. Now with the PC that I sent him and the webcam that followed, he is able to enjoy being "connected". He can now see pictures that I took and blog entries that we write. The last time I spoke to him, he complained that we are not writing that often. With time in my hands today at work, I decided to go in and write an entry. About what I ask myself. So I decided to peek into my entries that past 3 years and here's what I saw.

August 2004: Went to Buffalo, NY to teach what was then the last class for the Medical Secretarial program. Since I was in Buffalo, I also went to Canada that weekend. That month, I was also doing my first ever photography class and was busy preparing for a photo exhibit. That month, we celebrated the first year anniversary of Digirati Creations, Inc. My first ever venture into "professional" business.

August 2005: Apparently, I was stuck in the office doing nothing. All my entry was about my upcoming vacation (my very first 36 days of vacation). So with all the time that I had, I attended a Franklin Covey Seminar and enrolled in a free Business class at Baruch College.

August 2006: My entries were mostly pictures. Pictures of my desk and my bag in Starbucks. My entries were also about me going to the gym, finding out that the pilates instructor, Sherry Mae, was moving to London and that I had to lose 10 pounds (as directed by the doctor last year, I still have to lose them today!).

Since August 2007 is just starting today, I would not have any to compare those entries yet, but this month I can guarantee the following things to happen:

1. Two-week distance learning classes.
2. 1 week of preparation hell.
3. Lots of scheduled get-together with friends and family.

Will keep up with the pictures and entries. For now have a great summer!

Weekend Slideshow

Top Ten Things About My Weekend at Oak Ridge, NJ

10. Great weather.
9. Beautiful Lake.
8. Sumptuous food.
7. Introduction to Facebook by Chris.
6. Brownies c/o Ruth.
5. Intellectually simulating conversations.
4. Book suggestions by Sarah and Becca.
3. Silence.
2. Met great people who are now great friends.
1. Spiritually re-charged.

Busted Halo Retreat - Summer 2007

This would have been my fourth young adults' retreat since I crossed paths with Busted Halo and the Paulist Young Adult Ministry. Though every retreat experience is different and great things have been taken from every moment of the weekend, this last one is by far the best experience I have ever had in retreats.

From the great discussion with my small groups, to dinner conversations about NY housing problems and Lindsey Lohan's stint at the rehab, the weekend was a satisfying fill physically, emotionally and spiritually. The only thing I pray is for everybody to find its significance outside of Oak Ridge, NJ. There have been talks on extending the retreat over coffee or a small "seekers' wii reunion" and I truly wish this would happen. Living in the bustle and hustle of NYC, everybody needs reminding from time to time.

I believe this would be the first time that genuine connections were made. From acts of kindness and support such as a book suggestion and a raspberry brownie to take home for the trip.

To everybody who was there, thanks for a great weekend. Though you may not know it, the words, ideas and acts of friendships will be treasured forever.

Boston, Connecticut, Steam Pipes and a Retreat

I took a a few days away from work to show friends around NY. It was a tiring but a worthwhile experience. I get to enjoy the city that I love and learn a few more things about what ticks inside of me.

As part of my friends' NY trip, we headed to Boston for a day. It was great experience being able to walk around Boston and seeing the sights just through Internet download-able guides and maps and a Bostonian friend on the phone to give suggestions for great eats. Technically, we stayed in Boston for like 12.5 hours, got in at 7:30AM and left at 8:00. All went well according to our plans except for the duck tours. Tickets were sold out once we got ourselves to the Museum of Science. Still, it was a great trip. Their NY trip ended with Coney Island the day before they went back to MN.




The following weekend, I found myself back in Connecticut. Swim. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Swim. Eat. Eat. Eat. Aside from that, we saw the Harry Potter movie then back to sleeping and eating. It was a relaxing weekend so to say. If the trip could be shorter, I could find myself there every weekend.



Work was slowing down this week. I was quite busy the first two days but slowed down drastically. Had dinner with friends who came down from Buffalo, NY at Sammy's Tuesday night. I learned that I got used to sleeping in early, I was so dead tired when I got home at 11PM.

Wednesday was a quiet day until this big rumbling and thundering sound from a steam pipe explosion created chaos at 43rd St and Lexington Avenue. It was far from where I was, but it was like watching a movie. Steam was rising that it was visible from where I live in Queens. As of this morning, it has quieted down, lets just pray for the one who died and those hurt.



Today, my boss walks in our office and goes on with her daily "how are you, here's what happened to me spiel". I was glad to have listened. She tells us that we start our summer hours, that I get to leave work at 3PM! Whoo-hoo!! I can now go to the gym after work (less crowded at 3 than 4 or 5) and with less work for the next two weeks for me, I get to study for my GMAT.

Tomorrow, I get to kick off my weekend with a trip to Oak Ridge, NJ for a BustedHalo.com retreat. It would be my first time to attend a summer retreat, so I have to bring my camera and hopefully take pictures of mother nature. I believe there are bears and deers around the vicinity.

That's a wrap. I'll try to post something when I get back Sunday. Until then...

Crab cake at McCormick&Schmick's in Boston.

Deliver mail we rain or snow, my Jedi.

Adventures and Stories

June has been quite a busy month. Aside from the daily grind, weekends were filled with appointments, errands to run, family trips to go to and even work. Instead of boring you of the details of the Connecticut weekend were we visited my mom or that Cafe Wha event were we went home at 2:30AM to wake up for work at 9AM, let me just tell you of the last three events.

Thursday night, I went to an art exhibit of a Filipino artist, Cesar Llamas dubbed as New York Roadkill. As the name implies, it is a collection of painting and expressions of various road kills sans the dead animals. It focused primarily on junk such as cola cans, Starbucks cups and various "trash" that have been squished and left for nothing on our roads. It was put up in a Japanese restaurant at Great Jones Street, near SoHo. The collection was good. It could have been better if it was tied up to an event like Earth Day or something. Just to make the art more relevant.

Friday night, I find myself sitting in a church's basement listening to the works of the students from Literacy Partners, Inc. They had what they call a "Reading Celebration." A friend who teaches ESL for the non-profit had 3 students out of the 7 read their compositions. Very powerful writings especially for someone who just started to learn English 6 months ago. By the way, Literacy Partners Inc is a non-profit, free training programming. You just have to basically show up and want to learn. Aside from ESL, they also provide GED studies.

The whole day of Saturday was set aside from NYCares. I signed up for this organization last year, but after my orientation I was not able to go to any programs. Three days prior to this Saturday, I got an email of what they call "hot projects", saw the camp cleaning program in upstate New York and signed up for it. So after getting my a cup of coffee and bread, I headed to Union Square to board a school bus that brings us up to the camp. I guess, there were like 30 people who joined us that day. It was supposed to be an hour ride to the camp, but New Hempstead Avenue was just eluding us. We were an hour and half late. There was no time for chit chat when we got there. I volunteered to repaint the ceiling of two of their bathrooms. How hard could that be right? I partnered up with Brian who has been volunteering since he moved here in NY. As I taped up the ceiling, he proceeded with cleaning the mold and stuff. From the looks of it, he has done this a lot. I would not have thought of putting up spackling paste on some of the holes on the ceiling (I have always thought that paint could cover it). Anyways, it was an easy task, we finished two bathrooms way before 3PM. So we headed outside and volunteered our "painting skills" to those painting the outsides of the dormitories. I had my camera with me, but since we were late and had to go to work right away, I forgot to take pictures. As we were loading the bus, that's when I remembered.

My Saturday adventures was supposed to end after I got my haricut, but I went to Central Park and met with a friend. Just to hang out, people watch and relax. I found out that night, that they do free Tango lessons every Saturday night during the summer season right in the middle of the park. Pretty cool if you like dancing or can dance!

Friday confession - I was walking along 7th Ave and had a grade school moment. It had to do with white polka dots.

Grande iced cafe americano from Starbucks - $2.39. Lemon cake - $2.75. Paying with a gift card - priceless.

Coney Island - 05.28.2007

Being the Middle Child

I knew it all along... read on...

"Contrary to their rep as insecure messes (think: Jan Brady), middle kids actually make stable and loyal partners. “One thing you’re not is spoiled,” Dr. Leman says. You probably grew up feeling you got less attention than your sibs, and that drives you to work for every perk—including a happy relationship. Also in the plus category: You’re “a compromiser and negotiator,” Dr. Leman notes, so you’ll give your partner plenty of say in everything from how quickly your relationship progresses to where you go on vacation together. And your romance should be free of daily petty squabbles (middles hate conflict); instead, you try to put others at ease. Your love challenge: Opening up. Have you ever been told you’re hard to read? “Middle children can be very secretive,” says Dr. Leman. “They got hammered by the first-born and swindled by the baby, so they keep their cards close to their chest.” You’re also not the best communicator when you’re upset. But if you learn to speak up instead of holding your anger in, you’ll have a more harmonious relationship.Best match: Youngest child. “Middles aren’t as threatened by last-borns as they are by exacting first-borns,” so the odds are good for open communication, says Dr. Leman. " Complete article can be found here.

But then again, this might not wholly apply to me, since I am the only boy in the family as well. What do you think?

Streets of New York

As I wander the streets of NY last saturday I came across this building in SoHo. I don't know why I like it though, I just do.

Relief

I have been in this situation for a very long time. Just last Sunday did I realize that I have been spreading myself too thin. I have been pulled in almost all directions. Which leaves me to nothing.

I need a break. Knowing this is a relief.

Enough said.

Pearl

A new gadget added to my family... the Blackberry Pearl. Nice sleek black shiny phone with a glowing pearl button. The afternoon that I got it, I activated the Blackberry option on my plan so that I can start receiving and sending emails. Cool, right? For me, I find it useless... I'm in a computer all day, so why would I want to check my email on a 2 inch screen? I cancelled the option a few hours later, saving me $20 a month.

On my way to work today, I was standing next to a lady who is busy punching away messages on her Blackberry. I got curious as to what could be so important to be doing emails in a subway under the streets of NY with no signal? She was replying to an update on a "Spring Fabric Touchbase". I guess she worked for the fashion industry where this highly classified fabric is being transported from a secrete location and she needed to be updated minute-by-minute by her assistant. She replied, "Thanks for the update ---name----." She couldn't send the message because we were two floors down the streets of NY. So she taps the option to send later and I got off the train.

Stress

I have been feeling all sorts of stress. I have also been planning on releasing stress by going for a massage. Having a 1 hour massage costs around $60 to $120 depending where you get it. By this I mean if you will have a chair massage by Chinatown or a luxurious spa treatment with that sea breeze music in the Upper East side. Here in Chelsea you get those legit spa and the not so legit spa. I'd browse by one of the websites of a spa around where I work (it is a legit spa) and just reading the descriptions of it feels like heaven already. I could feel tension being released from the soles of my feet.

In Manila, this wouldn't be a problem. A 1 hour in-house massage would cost around $10 - $15. A spa treatment around $25 - $30. When I was in Boracay, I had massage by the beach, by the pool, during sunset, during my afternoon nap. It was heaven on earth.

Anyhows, I plan on getting a massage tomorrow. A quick massage after work should be a good thing.

A Crazy Month

This month is far the craziest month ever. From national events to my private life. I am just thankful that everybody is still well and good. Though I can tell that it has been a very stressful month, I still believe that me and my family have been blessed and is being sheltered with God's blessings and grace!

Thanks God!

This Feeling Inside

For the past few days, I have this feeling inside of me. I don't know how to describe it. Anxiety? Nervousness? Scared? Happy? Sad? Disgust? Or is this a sign that I'm getting sick?

Do I need to relax? I think I need one but I feel that it's what I have been doing every weekend.

I need to detoxify physically, mentally and spiritually.

High Definition

I got a nice TV as a gift from my mom. It now resides in my room acting as morning-news-alarm-clock-getting-ready-for-work gadget and a PC monitor extension. I get HD local channels through a cable split, no additional cable box needed.

Another techie addition to my household is this new Toshiba HD DVD player as a gift from Jen and Horacio. I paired it up with my other TV in the living room. I thought TimeWarner HD channels were excellent already until I saw Children of Men on high def. HD DVD + HD Player + HD TV = an explosion of pixels in the screen!! It was more than superb!

Before I forget, a more recent addition is this Wii. It's not mine. Horacio just thought of leaving it at my apartment since he's always with Jen anyways. A lot of gadgets in my small apartment. If the cellphone-cancer thing was true, I'd be fried right now!

Big Birthday Bite

A big bite for a more bountiful year!

Thanks for the Party

After all the chaos, the party was still a blast. Food to feed an army!

Thanks mom!

Pictures coming soon.

Twenty-seven

Today I'm 27.

A year wiser and definitely a year older.

Thanks everybody for everything.

Wishing on a Whim

Last Sunday, my cousin asked me what I wanted for my birthday. Being someone who doesn't ask for anything, I answered, "World Peace!"

Today, after the fact that my mom gave me an early birthday present of a TV for my room, I am now wanting a mac mini. A cool way to transition to the mac world, right? However, thinking about it, would it just destroy my eyes since that TV I have is so big to act as a computer monitor? Anyways, still dreaming about it.

"Spring"ing Forward

In a few short weeks, I'd be turning a year older. Back in Manila, summer kicks off this occasion. Here in NY, it's spring. I kinda like it that way... a new beginning, a fresh start. Every year, the same questions pops up. Am I where I'm supposed to be?

However this year, that question went away pretty fast. I have the answer. I am happy where I am. I don't have to compare myself to my friends. They took one route, I took another. I can honestly say that if I decide to pursue other endeavours, I can. I may not have the riches, but I definitely have the freedom.

Single? Yup. Still single at 27. I don't care too much about it. Eventually I will find that right girl. Or maybe a few wrongs first. I just don't find the "sense of urgency" in being in a relationship. I get to go out, have fun, meet people. When I'm done, maybe that relationship will find its way. Maybe I need to explore the world to find that special someone, something that I have to travel for and discover.

I have always told my sister, if I get canned a work (which I am not really wishing for), I'd take whatever I have saved and go to Europe. Maybe stay with relatives in Austria, learn how to fish and be a farm boy for a while. Get to study German. I'd become that cool uncle to my nieces and nephews who travelled the world and give them ice cream when they are not supposed to.

My only thing for this year is that I look forward to everything that will come my way and see the God in everything. He made a great deal with me... after all the "character building tests" He gave me in my earlier life, I'd be enjoying the remaining part of it. I pray.

And I thought winter was over! Picture taken 3/16/07.

What's Up??

I have been out of commissioned in the blog sphere for the past three weeks due to a second job that I took. Good thing, that class is ending tonight. The students were pretty good students. Each has their own personalities that made the class what it is. They would be better students if I was their teacher at the very beginning. I think. Just attendance alone, I have been getting all of them come to class everyday!

The extra cash isn't that bad, but in taking this job, my health suffered. For one thing, I haven't been going to the gym as much as I have been in January. I have gone like 3 times in the three weeks since I have started to teach at night. I have made it a point at the house that we eat well before 8 in the evening, but for the past weeks, I have been eating at 9:30 or 10 and be sleeping at around 10:30 or 11. Not good at all.

Anyways, one news... I'm getting finger printed next week. A start to my process of becoming a citizen of this country.

Astrology

As a Catholic Christian I should not believe in astrology and all the horoscope brouhaha. I don't put my faith in it, but everyday I find myself reading what's in store for me as "written in the stars."

Anyways, my horoscope today dropped a few lines that could make sense but one thing stood out... "Someone of authority might say something unusual to you."

I was going to the water cooler, I pass by on of the Directors and the Chief Financial Officer. After the initial pleasantries of good mornings, the director blurted out, "I'm concerned whenever you are up here (since my office in one floor below)." in which the CFO replied, "I would be more concerned if he doesn't come up here."

What does that mean? Any takers?

Updates

Well, it's February and the next thing we know its summer once again then come Thanksgiving then Christmas.

Anyhow, life has been good. Can't complain. Got a black video Ipod as a replacement for my photo Ipod. Been going to the gym at least 4 times a week in the morning before coming to work. Have started to browse through my GMAT books. Kinda confident in the verbal part and need a lot of work on the math part.

My next few plans would be to go on a retreat before Lent. This year, I'm giving up on rice and pasta. I have been thinking about fasting for at least one day in a week, I'll have to pray on it.

I have been getting the pre-hives thing. I'm guessing the season is finally changing either going to Winter (since we have not really had it in January) or skipping to Spring. We'll ask the ground hog this Friday.

Saving Pays Off

I have been saving on everything since the new year. Come to think of it, for past few years, I have developed that habit of saving. I was able to simply move out to a new apartment after coming back from a vacation. And as we all know, moving to a new apartment costs money.

This post was inspired by what happened to my ipod situation. Since new year, I have been scrimping on stuff. I bought $60 worth of GMAT review books for $5.50, thanks to email coupons and points. I bought almost a year's supply shampoo, toothpaste, face wash (all high end stuff, around $480 worth of stuff, $200 of which is for my mom) etc for $40 thanks to ADR points.

Now with my ipod. My ipod went Halloween on me since December. The last thing I was able to listen to was an audio book that I wasn't even able to finish. Any hows, I remember about buyer's assurance from American Express. I called them up, filed a claim at the nick of time (just 2 1/2 weeks until expiration). After almost two months of wait, I got a call from Patrica from AmEx's Claim Processing and she gave me the go signal to purchase a new ipod and I get reimbursed. Since Apple don't carry the 40Gig photo ipod, I was told to get the 80Gig Video Ipod. The problem now is, which color black or white??

Time Stands Still

December happened so fast. January is on the crawl.

After making all those goals and lists to do for this new year, I just realized that today is only the 23rd. Given that there are like 10 days before February, nonetheless, 2007 have started to be very well managed and paced just right.

One thing for sure that keeps me to one of my goals this year (manage myself better), is my re-mastering the art of multi-tasking. I do office work early in the day to leave the afternoon free for troubleshooting and stuff (meaning, work of others supposedly). For the past few days however, my afternoons have been free. This allows me to do stuff that I would otherwise plan to do at home but procrastinate such as balancing my check book, paying bills, preparing my bank statements for tax season etc. Mundane but time consuming anyways. If only I can influence my boss think that working from home would be beneficial for everybody! Then again, that is wishful thinking.

A Source of Inspiration

An article on MSN.com caught my interest. After all the things I have been worrying about, this gives me a different perspective.

I don't mean to plagarize or steal, but the article online might disappear or get buried in the vast universe of the www, so aside from putting in the link, I decided to copy the article and post it here... if there is someone out there who wish to have it removed, just let me know... don't sue me, I don't have money to pay lawyers.

Surviving (and thriving) on $12,000 a year
I've made my choices, and they include no more husband, a college education and huge changes in the way I spend money.
By Donna Freedman

I'll be living on just over $1,000 a month this year. That doesn't sound like much -- and it isn't -- yet I plan not just to live on it, but to build a savings account.

My 2007 "income," the money I can actually count on, will be $12,084. I know this because it consists of alimony and a portion of a school grant. (I went back to college last year; the grant covers tuition and books with a little left over.) I already know my big-ticket annual costs, too: rent of $6,300 and $1,200 for car insurance. Subtract these from my income and I'm left with $382 a month for food, utilities, clothes, medical deductibles and co-pays, gasoline, renter's and life insurance and any help I give my daughter, who lives on even less than I do.

Make no mistake: I'm poor by choice, because I needed to change my life. I chose to leave my marriage, and I chose to become a student. I can live this way because I know it won't be forever. I'll have my degree in two more years, and I'll go back to work.
I survive on economies large and small. I bring my laundry to baby-sitting jobs (yes, I ask permission). I brown-bag my lunch every single day. I combine coupons and rebates to get items for free (I haven't paid for toothpaste, shampoo or other toiletries for years). I drink water, not soda.

But in order to thrive, you have to hustle, too, always looking for ways to save a dime or to make one. I exchange spent ink cartridges for reams of printer paper at Office Max. Whenever I see a candy dish, I put a piece in my coat pocket; if my energy flags midday, those toffees and peppermints keep me from buying snacks. After I won a basket of specialty coffees at a college event, I immediately sold it on Craigslist.com; I sold a "free after rebate" phone that way, too.
If you've never been really broke, all these desperate little economies might seem silly. You're probably thinking, "Why not have a soda? It's only a dollar." Because I've got just 382 of those dollars each month, that's why, and those dollars have other places to go. The COBRA insurance runs out in May and I'll need to get student insurance, at $389 per quarter. The car needs a 60,000-mile checkup. My share of a dental crown is going to be $486; I will ask for a discount if I pay in cash.

Jill of all trades Last year I survived on a number of here-and-there gigs: freelance writing, work-study, baby-sitting, mystery shopping, resident manager (read: janitor and handyma'am) of my apartment building, paid medical research and writing for the community-college newspaper. (I was the oldest living cub reporter.)

There was little downtime; when I wasn't working I was studying, doing homework or writing papers. And I was perpetually weary and frequently ill all year long. Fact of life: A 48-year-old college student simply doesn't have the energy of an 18-year-old college student.

This year I'm dumping most of the part-time gigs. I'll still freelance and baby-sit, but very selectively. My new school means tough classes, a long bus commute and lots of reading and studying. More to the point, it's a great opportunity, and I'd like to take full advantage. So I'm choosing to work less in 2007, focusing instead on getting healthy and getting my education.
That means careful money management and a fair amount of sacrifice. I'm willing to do both. As a freelance writer and recent divorcee, I'm accustomed to lean living. Here are some of the mantras that have kept me going thus far:

It's not what I have, but how much of it I can keep. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, every dollar I don't spend is a dollar I have earned. So when I think I need something, I ask, "Can I do without this?" Often I find I can. If I can't, then my next question is . . .

How can I get it free, or almost free? The obvious answers are sites like Craigslist.com and thrift shops, especially ones like Value Village that offer coupons and half-off sales. My 99-cent clock-radio wakes me up every morning just as efficiently as a high-tech alarm from The Sharper Image. Rummage sales are swell, too; my church has an annual sale called "Superfluity" (I love that name) at which I bought my desk for $4 and a small chest of drawers for $1. I also buy Christmas and birthday gifts at Superfluity and an annual "500-family" rummage sale. No one has to know that that hardback bestseller under the tree cost you only 50 cents.

Enough is as good as a feast. I love to eat. I don't love paying for it. Because I don't have a "regular" job of at least 20 hours a week, I don't qualify for food stamps. So I shop very, very carefully, and I go to the food bank. Most weeks I can count on potatoes, apples, bread and a can or two of vegetables. Some lucky weeks I get milk, orange juice, pasta, tomatoes, rice or a small package of meat. I cook a lot of beans and stews, and I'm adequately fed -- maybe not as richly or as conveniently as I'd like, but well enough to keep me going.

Every day is casual Friday! When my jeans are in tatters I buy a "new" pair at Value Village (one pair cost me just $1.63, and it was new -- still had the department-store tags on it). I spend $15 or less on running shoes from clearance tables. I've bought a couple of thrift-store tops, but mostly get by with shirts I've had for ages. (Hint: The clothes dryer takes years off the life of your duds. Get a drying rack.) Some days I wish I looked nicer. Most days it doesn't bother me, and I doubt it'll bother anyone else, since students at my school have been known to wear flannel PJs to class. Bonus: When you dress the way I do, panhandlers hardly ever ask you for money.

Announce my intentions. Time and again I have found that when I need something I should "put it out in the universe," which is also known as "prayer." One night last fall, squinting over my homework, I realized I needed more light in the apartment. A day later, a halogen floor lamp landed in the Dumpster outside my window. Recently my umbrella got cranky about opening. The next week I was given a high-quality bumbershoot as a thank-you gift for helping with a campus blood drive. Coincidences? Maybe.

$20 to feel rich I've decided to increase my monthly church tithe to $20. Sure, I could use that extra $240 a year. It just about equals the university registration fee, or the money I promised my daughter toward the price of her wedding dress. It also represents almost half of the car insurance premium heading my way in April.

But giving that money away makes me feel rich. No matter how straitened my circumstances, I can be a part of services the church provides for the homeless, the impoverished elderly and those living with AIDS. In other words, tithing reminds me that there are lots of people worse off than me, people who'd love to have my so-called "problems."

That's not to say that I wouldn't like to have more cash. It would allow me to help my daughter, to secure my future, to buy more roasts and fewer pinto beans. But I figure I won the cosmic lottery just by being born in America, a country where I can not only work on a college degree at age 48, but also find scholarships and education grants to help me pay for it. I have a roof over my head, food every day, family and friends, and occasionally even a $10 student ticket to the Seattle Symphony. Some days I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

If I really am lucky, then I'll make it through 2007 with a positive bank balance. Check back with me next December and I'll let you know how I did.

2007 Goals

Before I realized that 2007 is just around the corner, I have been eyeing on going back to school to get an MBA. When I realized that 2007 is just a week away, I started to visualize my 5 month plan to get that MBA. I have picked out my school, planned when to take my GMAT, planned when to take vacation before plunging into studies etc.

I still want to go back to school, but the first step towards it is finding a way to finance it. This leads to my biggest goal for 2007: to be debt free. I had my share of frivolous expenses, i.e. trips, eating out, gadgets which I don't regret since I did enjoy them some of which I am still enjoying. Not to rationalize them but I learned my mistake and is willing to face the music.

With that said here are my ten goals for 2007:
1. Debt free. I have created a plan, and if I stick to it I would be debt free by March 2008 that includes a savings account.
2. Take my GMAT. Test scores are valid for three years, so I take my GMAT this year and enroll in school next year.
3. Manage time (myself) better.
4. Create a place for everything, i.e. be more organized.
5. Be more consistent spiritually, i.e. going to Mass not just on Sundays but during the week as well.
6. Be more positive in my words and action, especially at work.
7. Finish one book a month.
8. Keep up with blogging. I may not be good as those novelist, however, it helps improve me more.
9. Dress for success. For the past year, I would come to the office in jeans and whatnot, but I realized that I should always be dressing for success even if I am stuck behind the desk all day. You'll never know who you will meet.
10. Consistently go to the gym. I did my first morning workout, it felt great!
11.See this list everyday so I may do more than expected. I had to start now, that is the reason for the 11th entry.