Dahn Yoga

For how many months now, I have been complaining of back pain, specifically in my shoulders. I do not really see it as back pains but more of a muscle pain. I have told my doctor about it and he suggested that I should do more movements and exercises. I know my work is not helping at all because I sit the whole day so I need to do something. A friend suggested that I should do yoga called Dahn Yoga. It is an ancient training tradition that started in Korea that involves the mind and body. The training method integrated the mind and body; a combination of yoga, tai chi and martial arts.

The Dahn Yoga benefits are too many to mention. It can help you with your flexibility and strength. It also helps you recover from pain or injury faster and you can lose weight without going into diet. It reduces stress and the most important to me is it relieves shoulder, neck and back pain. It is a total body healing, not only physically but mentally and spiritually.

Dahn Yoga is for everyone. Also available for you to have are yoga videos for beginners, books by Ilchi Lee and music CD’s. Dahn Center teaches Dahn Yoga and Brain Respiration at any of 360 Dahn Centers around the world. Go to dahnyoga.us for locations near your area or you can give them a call at 1877-DahnYoga.

Tilapia Fillet

Tilapia is our favorite fish. It's either we buy the whole fish (only filipino or asian stores sell tilapia whole fish) or fillet if we buy them at the local supermarket. This picture shows a pack of fillet tilapia from costco ($19). Other supermarket sells them too like walmart or shoprite but their slices are smaller/thinner than costco's. I think they are smaller tilapias. Fillet tilapias are good for frying but whole tilapia's are the best for grilling. I love both.

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Web Host Renewal

As I was cleaning my mailbox this morning, I found an email regarding a domain registration reminder for one of my websites. The webhosting company normally sends out reminders at least 60 days before the deadline so that you have ample time to prepare or to decide whether to go for a renewal or not. Even if you decide on the last day, it is easy to renew your domain registration by just replying to the email or giving them a call. These web site hosting companies already have your information and credit card on file for easy payment processing.

The why I have not responded to the email is because I am not yet sure whether to continue with my contract or find another webhost. I am not fully satisfied with the service and I think I am paying too much per month. I have to check the best web hosting offers available online before I make my final decision. Although I found this reminder a bit later, I think I still have time to compare and check the special deals that are being offered right now. I will be checking http://webhostingfan.com for more reviews and news on best web host companies.

Alf Buys An Adapter

Hope this is the solution to my lappy's problem. I can't wait for the replacement to arrive. If my still does not power on, it's something serious. I hope not.

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Snow Again!

So it did snow a lot last night. I was waiting for a phone call from the school canceling classes for today but they did not call all night until around 5:30 in the morning. At first, they were informing us that school will be on a delayed opening, meaning it starts 9:45 am instead of 8:40 am to give them time to clean up the snow. Then I got another phone call around 6:30 am declaring the school will be closed for the day. I was already surprised when they said delayed opening at first because when I looked at the window, the roads were not plowed yet and even if you wear your tallest old gringo boots, the snow will still get into your feet. We probably got around 12 inches last night.

Now that school is closed, we have to do plan B which bring Isabella to work with me. First, I have to dig my car out of the snow and I hope by that time the streets will be cleared and plowed. I took my time in cleaning my car. I tell you, shoveling is the best exercise. I was sweating inside my thick jacket. After two hours, we are all set to leave the house. My town did a good job in clearing all the main and secondary roads. There was no problem driving. I just have to slip on to my tory burch shoes i bought from Shoe Inn as soon as I get into my car because my snow boots was dripping wet then put it back on when I have to be on the streets again. You may call me an OCD but a wet shoe is not safe for driving.

I am already tired. My body is starting to hurt because of shoveling. I need to take a nap before I start cooking dinner.

Notebook's Adapter Is Busted

I was not able to use my laptop since last night. I think my battery adapter is busted, giving no power to my notebook. I smell something burrning inside the box. My apologies if I can't return all drops but I'm trying it from my smartphone. I already ordered a replacement online and it will come by Feb 1st (hopefully!).

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Watching Aussie Tennis

It is another snow day. I left work early today before sleet starts. It is more dangerous to be driving when the roads become icy. First batch of snow already fell around noon, then we had a break and now the biggest storm is about to start that would last up to the morning. I do not know how the condition will be for the morning commute.

My house is so quiet now. On every snow days, almost always my husband is not home. His job always ask him to stay during winter storms. I also asked my daughter to sleep early just in case she has school tomorrow. And, right now I am watching the Australian Open women’s semi-finals between China and Denmark. These girls are just in their twenties and they could play the strenuous game of tennis for hours. I wonder what are their exercise programs to keep them fit and healthy. I’ve seen both of them play at the U.S. Open. They are both in the top 10 but never won a grand slam yet. Let us see who will be the champion this Saturday. Another set is also playing after this but I am not sure if I would still be awake for that match. I am watching live from warm and sunny Australia.

School Lunch For Thursday

twin chicken sliders on buns or

chicken salad with lettuce on a roll

potatoe wedges

mixed fruit

choice of milk offered with lunch: skim, 2%, low fat chocolate

This is what's on the school lunch menu for tomorrow but my daughter wants to bring her own lunch. That if she has school otherwise she will have bacon and eggs for breakfast with mommy :)

Printer Ink

My printer now says: printer ink low. I am happy now that this message does not pop up every month. We used to have a colored inkjet printer. It was fine until my daughter learned how to print from the computer. I have to buy new inkjet cartridges every four weeks and these colored cartridges are not cheap. I made a major decision by changing our printer from the colored one to a black and white laser printer. You may say that laser cartridges are also expensive but I buy those cheap ink online. I do not buy the branded ink but the generic ones. For one ink cartridge, it can make up to 4,000 to 5,000 copies and that is already a lot. My daughter can now print as many as she wants every day. She calls her printing stuffs "printables".

If you have empty printer cartridges, do not throw them away. You can bring them to a supply store and get store credit for recycling. I used to do that but now I bring them to my daughter’s school for their fund raising.

Philippines Dried Mangoes

This pack of dried mangoes is being sold here in the U.S. at Costco. It carries the Philippine brand and these are mangoes from cebu. A trip to costco is never complete without buying dried mangoes. I have introduced this to my friends here and they all love our product.

Proud to be Pinoy.

Thanks to Philippine brand for bringing cebu's dried mangoes to Costco.

Price: $10+

Eating Right

When I went for my annual physical exam early part of last year, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. My doctor called me after he got the results of my blood work. He told me my total cholesterol level which is quite above the normal per my age. No medicine was prescribed but my doctor emailed me a list of acceptable food that I should eat with their corresponding cholesterol and saturated fat content. I was also told to do my exercise regularly. I was told that my next cholesterol check is after six months.

From that day, I have been watching my diet, do walking if not playing tennis. I stayed active. Then, on one picnic day with fellow Filipinos, I met somebody who had the same fate as me and he said that he has been taking garlic every day. Not the garlic tablet but the fresh ones. What he did with the whole garlic is cut the top part then put a little olive oil and bake it, then take 1 clove a day. I know that garlic is a medicinal herb so I did the same thing. I made some research and found a lot of medical information about garlic.

My cholesterol level went down to normal on my xt doctor’s visit. I still do what I’ve been doing, keeping the same diet and doing exercise regularly. I did not stop taking garlic and even my husband does it now too.

So We Had Mongo

I did go to the Filam store last weekend to buy the mongo. A 400 gram pack is $1.35 plus chicharon $1.85. I cooked it yesterday but we ended up eating it only tonight. I also put some shrimps and my favorite kamunggay leaves. I opted not to put the chicharon on the last minute because I picked the one with vinegar and also it tasted like old.

I took photo through my cellphone. My apologies for the picture.

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Birthday Vacation

My husband is turning 50 this year but instead of having a big celebration, he wants us to go for vacation, maybe around Europe or the U.K. Being a tennis player and avid fan as he is, it is his dream to watch the French Open so we should plan his birthday holiday vacation around places close to where the French Open is held. I voted for Spain and he is agreeing to it. Now that we selected the place, we need to get a place to stay. I have been browsing HomeAway Holiday-Rentals for some apartments in Pueto Pollensa. We do not need a very big place to rent; it’s going to be the three of us, my husband, me and our daughter. Maybe a one bedroom is good for us. I am interested on Cipreses (El Pimaret), a 1 bedroom apartment that could sleep four persons. It has one bathroom, one separate WC, with balcony and only a five minute walk to the beach, shops and resorts. It is also close to the supermarket and the apartment has a full kitchen and a dining area. I saw the pictures on the website and it looks that this place is furnished. We just have to get ourselves there and enjoy the beautiful place.

I need to get more information about Spain. I told my husband that we should get a Spain travel guide to familiarize ourselves with the popular places and destinations in Spain. Maybe, we can also do a side trip to Mallorca and get a glimpse of the resort that belongs to the family of Rafael Nadal, my husband’s favorite tennis player.

Chillin@Panera

It's Saturday morning at 17 degrees temperature. It's our day off. Came here to panera to have our bagel and dark roast coffee. Taking our sweet time while enjoying the free wifi.

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A Friend's Forthcoming Wedding

A friend from my hometown in the Philippines is finally reunited with her three kids. After almost four years of waiting, the kids came to America before Thanksgiving. They are all grown, one in middle school and the two boys are now in high school. I still owe them a visit. They are from Virginia, only a four hour ride from NJ.

This morning, I got a message from her that they are going to have another wedding in Virginia this coming June. It’s not going to be a simple wedding because a professional Virginia Wedding Photographer is being hired. I wonder of it is the Roman Grinev Photography, one of the leading Virginia Wedding Photography studios. I know there are a lot of Virginia Wedding Photographers but you have to choose the one that is trusted in the business and with excellent customer service. The wedding ceremony is a once in a lifetime event that has to be treasured in wedding pictures which can be passed from generation to generation.

There is one request from the bride to be. She also wants my daughter to be part of the entourage. I was really honored by the invitation. I am more excited than my daughter now. I thinkI have to schedule the date when to drive down to Maryland as soon as possible. I have to see the whole family before this big event happens.

Today's Lunch

My daughter's lunch to school today. I made her a chicken sandwich plus a some grapes. At least twice or three times a week, she brings her own lunch now which is good. So, I have to pack two sets of food in the morning - one for snack and one for lunch, each in a labeled individually in a brown bag. For her drinks, she a juice and a bottled water.

Snow Again

Do you that we are expecting another storm this coming Friday morning? This is probably the fifth storm we have in about four weeks. I am so fed up with snow and the winter is not even halfway done yet. When I told my neighbor about the forthcoming storm, she was screaming mad because the above ground pools at the clubhouse where she works are still full of snow from the previous snow storm and here comes another one again!

I think I forgot to mention that I fell on the snow. Not on the snow but it was black ice. I just got out of my car walking to my house when I did not see this very little tiny ice on the walkway. It was dark. As soon as I step on it, I slip and fell right away on the ground. I have been very careful when the snow turns into ice because it is very scary to walk but it was dark. I had a box full of cookies on my hand, everything fell so with my pocket book and car keys. I took me few days to recover from my fall. My second fall since I moved to the East!

Skywatch Friday

Just because it is going to be a snowy day tomorrow (AGAIN!), i think this picture is perfect for my skywatch friday.

Have a wonderful winter white weekend!

More of skywatch friday, click here.

Phone Internet

I find it too difficult to be browsing at my Smartphone than in a regular computer. I am here at work, and you know that browsing on shopping websites has been prohibited so I have been using my phone to surf the net. I have been searching for a pulse oximeters for sale. This is not for me but for a relative. When my cousin asked me if I know what it is, at first I have no idea what kind of medical instrument it is but after she explained it to me, I told her right away that it's something the hospital put on my finger when I had my baby. She just said, “that’s right!’

I hope I would not go beyond my data plan for my phone this month. I never had a data plan before with my previous phones but since I switched to a Smartphone, a data plan is a must. I subscribed to the basic plan so I try to minimize my internet usage. Let’s see how my usage for the month before I think of upgrading my plan.

Starbucks Trenta

Few days ago, Starbucks announced a new size for its iced tea or iced coffee - the trenta, a 31 ounce size drink. The trenta is bigger than the current 24 ounce venti. Initially, the trenta is being tested in Phoenix and Tampa and will soon be availabel at your favorite starbucks coffee shop starting May. The trenta is around 50 cents more money than the venti.

Save the Date

I received a save the date invite from one of my friends that lives in New York state. The wedding is this coming summer in California. Oh, how I love to be in California for her wedding. I am not really sure but it’s just that I missed Orange County so much.

My friend is going to have a bridal shower this April. It is good thing that she signed up her registry at a store that has branches nationwide. I could tell what is on her registry without even checking it online. I know she has a collection of wine glasses and for sure she will need a bigger wine glass racks by this time. I have one wine glass rack that I took from her before I left for the East. It is a small token of our friendship. Every time I see wine glass racks for sale, I could not think of anyone else but this good friend of mine.

I am happy that she found the right guy for her. They have been together for almost five years now and they finally decided to settle down. I cannot wait to see some little munchkins soon.

I Miss Balatong

At first, I did not get it. I mean, I was not sure what my husband means when he said, I want balatong. In our dialect, we don't call it balatong but mongo. Balatong to us is long beans. We have cooked mongo but we ran out of the mongo seeds for a while now so we kinda miss it. I usually cooked it with shrimps, malunggay and chicharon. I'm going to the filipino store this weekend to buy several bags of mongo seeds.

Web Filter

Few weeks ago, they installed Anti Keylogger Software in our work computer and now, there is a web filter. The anti keylogger is for the security of your computer from hackers and viruses. This is a work computer and we are inputting customer’s information, addresses and credit card numbers so we need to make our computer secure and safe. Now, this web filter is more on employees who spend a lot of time doing personal things online. They got rid of websites according to different categories. There is no more shopping, social networking, games and entertainment websites that you can access. If you try to access these websites, you will get a message that it is inappropriate. Good thing, they left news and banking categories.

Another new for this year at my workplace is the CCTV Pro Cameras installed around the building and inside the warehouse. We have been victimized by customers who walked away with some expensive units. My boss hopes that with the cameras in place, it will somehow minimize theft in the company. They are now installed in places where faces of customers are visible from the counter to the parking lot. I wonder what's next to be installed in the coming months.

1/2 Off At Applebees

I was already in my pj/sweat pants last night when hubby came home from tennis. He was hungry. Normally, on fridays, after tennis, he would have a bowl of soup or cup noodles. But last night, he was probably so so hungry that he wanted to go to Applebees. Sure! We haven't been there for quite a while. The place was still packed around 10:30 pm. We even saw the stepdaughters and the kids.

What's the deal at Applebees? All appetizers are 50% off after 10 pm everyday.

The lady said the waiting is around 25-30 minutes but we were called after 5 minutes. Maybe because there's only 3 of us. Hubby had the buffalo chicken (mild), I had the chicken quesadillas and the daughter had mozarella sticks plus iced tea unsweetened.

Our bill $16.05!

Gold Jewelry

While reading the Sunday paper, I saw big flyer (a half page) of a big gold spot event to be held in one of the hotels in our area. A certain company that buys jewelry and gold will be there for three days and you can bring any piece of jewelry, old or new, broken or not that you want to get rid of. I know that the price of gold is increasing so this company is inviting everyone to come and sell your gold to them. The gold price is not the same for all the three days that they will be at the hotel; it depends on the market. It may increase or decrease at any time. Like what I always hear, since the gold price is going up, this is the best time to convert your unwanted jewelry into cash.

I remember, I still have jewelry from way back when I was in kindergarten. Most of my stuffs were given to me, thus they have sentimental values attached to every piece I have. Those that I bought through my earned money are also hard to give up. I’ll keep them for my daughter. I am not ready to give up any of them. To me, they are all priceless.

Dole Bananas

I always these dole bananas but never did I get bananas from dole philippines. Every time I see the trade mark I always check where they came from. This one is a product of Costa Rica. In fairness, dole philippines bananas are more beautiful than these.

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Boxhead

Every night I tried to play wii with my daughter as my exercise. Since i cannot play outdoors yet because of the weather, I try to substitute my outdoor sports with something that will make me sweat. I bought two controllers so that we can play together. It is always fun to play the sports game with her but this weekend we might do the dance move. I have been blogging for money to be able to buy more games and i tell you, they are not cheap!

So, while we were playing together, she asked me if I can buy her age of war. I said, what is that? It is a game, mom! Then, she continued by saying, “I also played boxhead 2 with ethan.” Now, I know. When she mentioned her nephew’s name, this is influenced by the boys we had over the weekend. Two nephews, one is 4 yr old and the other is 5, were at my house to sleepover last weekend so probably they were talking or played these games with my daughter. All my daughter’s games are girlish, sports or puzzles. She has no clue about boy's games. I still don't know if I am going to buy these games for her.

Chinese Food For Dinner

We are both tired because of the snow. Hubby worked an 18 hour shift since last night. I cleared up snow on two cars this morning. My muscles started to ache now. No more strength to do some cooking so we called our favorite chinese place. We ordered beef with brocolli, half fried chicken, shrimp fried rice and lomien.

Without so much effort, dinner was ready in 15 minutes.

Splitting Family Dinner Times at Christmas

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

Having a few families to visit over the holiday season and trying to visit with everyone can get a little tricky. All of the family talked it over and each schedule parties so each side of the family can have a party without interfering with another one. The weekend before Christmas is one of the family parties that we exchange gifts, play games and have fun with the kids. Since we are gone all day, we lock the house and set the home security systems, especially at this time of year.

Most of the grown kids with family of their own want to spend Christmas with their little ones and we find as a family, splitting up days, overall works better for everyone. We do a gift exchange to save money on buying presents for everyone, and the kitchen load for who is having it, is lessened by having everyone bring something. It is about the only time of the year when everyone can get together, which is what makes it extra special. Paper plates and cups make it easier to clean up quickly, some may frown on it, but it is a time for family and not a time to worry about dirty dishes.

Hot Choco On A Snow Day

It could have been a perfect snow day if I'm sipping this hot chocolate at home while watching TV. The venue is changed from home to work. Yes, I am work. The snow was not big enough to be excused from not coming to work. I just stopped by mickie dees to get my fav hot drink before coming to work.

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Getting Rid Of Debts

It has been six months since overtime was cut off at my job. We used to have unlimited overtime hours but because of the recession, they cut it off. Although it sure hurts a lot in our pockets but it is what it is. We, as workers have to find means to fill the gap created by the slow in business. I think of getting a part time if my schedule permits.

I have a mortgage, bills and a car note to pay. I am wondering if I have to apply for a credit counseling, just to see how many options I have to lower my bills without hurting my credit. If I go for debt consolidation, I do not know any company that is trusted to do this job. Debt consolidation is one better option to avoid a financial downfall in the future.

So far I was still able to make both ends meet. A huge tightening of the budget is needed. You just have to give up a lot of the luxuries to avoid overspending and still have something left at the end of the day. Every dollar counts these days.

When Can We Eat At Max?

The only reason why we have not been to Max Restaurant yet is the rumored line or waiting time before you finally get a table. A friend told me that they waited for an hour to get a table then another hour to be served. This was on a weekend. This is the same scenario the first time Red Ribbon Bakeshop opened in Jersey City and Jollibee in New York. Miss na miss talaga ng mga Pinoy ang pagkain natin! Me too, I miss Max fried chicken....

Bad Me!

It's 10 p.m.

I feel hungry

....and now, i'm eating chips ahoy!

not just one, two, three but five already!!!!!!!

This is bad.......................

Good To Be In NJ

One evening while hubby was watching his favorite baseball team on TV, I asked him, if given the chance to move to another state, like one where the weather is warmer than the East Coast, where would he prefer? He answered me back by saying, maybe New York! I said that is not counted because New York is just across the river. So, as a follow up to my question, I asked him again, “what do you like most living in New Jersey?” He said, “It is sports.” Now, I got him fully well.

My husband likes sports. His favorites are baseball, football, soccer and the one that is really in his heart is tennis. You see, we live in an area in New Jersey where it is very close to a lot of stadiums. We have the Izod Center two miles away from us. Then going east bound to New York City, not too far from where we are, we will hit the newly built Yankee Stadium right after we cross the George Washington Bridge. The Citi Field stadium is also brand new right off Northern Boulevard in Queens, New York. We should not forget the Madison Square Garden at the center of Manhattan. I have not been to the new Yankee Stadium but I already have pictures of Citi Field, taken last September 2010. I regret that I was not able to go to the Staples Center in LA when I was still living in California.

So, is there still a reason for us to leave Jersey? I guess none.

The Morning After A Sleepover....

...we brought the kids to McDonald's for breakfast as per (their) request. Too bad this mcdonald's does not have the slides inside the store. They still enjoyed cartoons on the huge flat screen tv. This is the upgraded mc cafe.

What did we eat? The mickie dees's big breakfast platter.

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Go For Oil Change

We have not been using my car for long distance driving anymore but before you knew it, you already run another 3,000 miles again. Yes, that time to do my oil change came by again last weekend. Actually, I was 300 miles over already. Thank god for 10 minute oil change. I spent $29.95 less $3.00 coupon plus the cost of the air filter.

If you see my car, you would not believe that it has 113,000 miles on it. It is a 10 year old car but it still runs good and very well maintained. Hubby always tells me that it is time to lease a new mini but I refused to listen to him. Even if I find cheap prices on new cars, I will drive my car as long as it takes. If we did not buy a new Volkswagen two years ago, I would probably consider trading my car for a new one but not until we pay off the VW. It would be very difficult for us to have two car notes every month. Why, am I talking like this? My car is perfectly fine and still fun to drive.

The Longganiza Picture

This picture goes with my previous post about Pinoy food but for some reason I can't upload it using my phone to my blog. And, it is too small. I've been blogging using my phone but now it's acting up. Sorry, for the tiny tiny bit photo.

A Story Of A Friend Who Moved To Texas

“Life is a lot different here in Texas than in the East Coast,” this is what my friend always says. She brags to me about their warm and sunny weather. I told her about the snow we are expecting tomorrow, she answered me back by saying, “ we are going to have a high of 49 degrees.” What! That is like a heat wave for us!

When the conversation gets serious, she tells me that moving to another state is not easy. The whole family moved to Texas right after they closed a house. They only made sure they have a place to stay before moving and all the works can come later. When they got there, immediately they began searching in the internet for rug cleaning service Austin to make sure that they will have a fresh carpet inside the house. She said that although the carpet looks clean, they still want to make sure that it is done correctly. They got a good deal because of the carpet cleaner coupon Austin they found in the mailbox that was left by the previous homeowner. According to my friend, there was really nothing major that needs to be done in the house except for a little cleaning and some painting.

I forgot to ask my friend why do they still need storm damage insurance? She mentioned it to me but I did not really get her explanation. I will ask her again when she calls me back tonight.

Pinoy Food At The Supermarket

Now I don't have to drive far if I want to eat longanisa or tocino. They are being sold now at Shoprite, a big chain of store here. Shoprite is like Albertson's in other states. I surprised when I saw hot longaniza, longganizang bawang and tocino inside the freezer. This is something new at the store. I know they sell miki noodles, dumpling wrappers and shrimp rolls but nothing Pinoy. Sa saya, I can' t resist not to take a picture.

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Hail Hail The Gang's All Here For New Year's Rockin Eve

Guest post written by my buddy Aldo Mays

I am so looking forward to New Year's Eve. We are having the gang over and we are going to watch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve with Ryan Seacrest on satellite TV from bestchoicetv.com. We do this every year and have so much fun. Our friends come over and bring with them some of our favorite snack foods. These can be anything from chips and dip to fancy hors d'oeuvres. The thing of it is that we don't have to cook but we still have lots to eat.

The kids like to watch the ball as it moves up the pole. They spend a lot of time playing kid games and running in and out to see who will get "frozen" first. Of course, after awhile someone tells them to close the door and stay inside so that the heater will not run all night long. This just seems to have become a part of the tradition around here and they are sure to keep it going.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve with Ryan Seacrest may have changed some over the years with the changes in singing styles of the entertainers, but I still like the excitement it generates around my house.

Kids Making Brownies

My daughter invited her nephew to sleepover at our house tonight. They asked me if we can make brownies, so here's a picture of the untouched (yet) ingredients. They want to do it by themselves (I could imagine the mess!!!) so I told them I put everything in a bowl and they mix them together. They had so much fun.

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A Co-worker Quits

It was not a good day last Friday at my job. One of our top salespeople submitted his resignation. My boss was not expecting this at all. It is a big blow to him if he totally lose this employee. He has been working at the company for almost 15 years. He used to work as a sales representative of an advertising agency in New York and was recommended to this job by another co-worker. He has a good track record and always in the top three in terms of sales every month. Nobody knows what company is hiring him. Knowing him, he will not leave his present job unless he gets a better one. We all have our guesses and presumptions but nothing is definite yet. He was not returning any phone calls, text messages or emails.

I have been with this company for about 10 years now. Some employees have left and come back but I have never seen my boss as worried as he was last Friday. He has a lot of reasons to get worried. First, in about three weeks, we are going to open another branch down the shore and this salesman who quit was supposed to run that new branch. After this resignation, I do not know if he will still push through with the opening or wait until he gets somebody to take over his

place. Then, come spring and summer time, these are our peak season, so he needs the best salesperson to compete in the business. Hay, too many problems for my boss. I hope he find ways to resolve this the earliest possible time.

The Best Remedy When You Are Not Feeling Well.....

.....is chicken soup. Instead of having coffee and bagel for breakfast, he ordered for a bowl of chicken soup. Where? Of course, at our favorite weekend breakfast place, Panera! While he is having his soup, I'm having my french toast bagel and dark roast coffee.

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I Found A Wallet In The Garbage

Here is the whole story. I went to the bank to deposit money at the ATM for the checks I issued to pay my Chase credit cards. There was a line at the machine because the bank was already closed that time. Since it was freezing, I went back to the car and wait for everybody to leave before I do my deposit. The payment for the chase and citi credit cards are not due until Monday anyway, so there is no need to rush. Now, when it was my turn to make a deposit and this time I was left by myself, I saw a man’s branded wallet in the garbage right next to the ATM machine. I did not do anything, I finished my transaction but my mind was still in that wallet!!! Maybe, somebody threw it there? Or, it was left there on purpose, like finder’s keeper??? Or, it just fell without the knowledge of the owner? In my mind, I know cameras are all over when you are in the bank and there is even one right at the ATM machine in front of me. I do not want to be caught on camera picking up somebody else’s wallet although I know my intentions are good. Then, what if somebody really lost a wallet - a wallet full of credit cards, driver‘s license, insurance cards, etc? The more I would be scared if there was a lot of cash inside. I don’t think so because it doesn’t look bulky. All these questions were in my thoughts but I did not dare pick up that wallet, then when I looked at the ceiling, there is one camera right on top of the garbage can!!! I said, that’s it, I am leaving now!!!!

I told my husband the story as soon as I got home. He was laughing at me. I just hoping the wallet was really intended to be thrown away.

Impromptu Dinner @ Charlie Brown

As I was doing my online work, hubby called telling me and my daughter to get dressed and we are going out for dinner and he is on his way home. I thought he would be staying late at work because of the snow (as they normally do but maybe because this snow is not that big, they sent them home early), so we hurriedly took our bath. I was already cooking some dinner when he called but Charlie Brown is more inviting than what I was cooking. When he got home, we are already dressed so we just waited for him to take a shower and off we went.

Charlie Brown is one of our favorite steakhouse. I love their salad bar. They used to have chunks of cheeses on their salad bar but i don't see them anymore now. For tonight, I only have some greens, macaroni, potatoes, croutons with 1000 island dressing plus the some raisin and almond bread for appetizer. I don't want to get full on the salad because I know my food is coming out in minutes. But the salad is good and it is eat all you can! Then for the main course, hubby had the filet minon with baked potatoe while i had the tilapia with seasoned rice. Hubby's steak was HUGE! And, the daughter had her favorite kid's meal - the mozeralla sticks with french fries.

It was an early dinner at 6pm. There were not many guests at the restaurant because of the snow storm earlier. The snow has stopped but it is freezing turning all the snow into ice which is not good. Too slippery.

So, we're back home. Thanks papa for a nice friday dinner.

*forgot to take pictures!*

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Thanks to Jonathon Woods

When I asked my wife if she wanted to go to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl with me, she told me she preferred Pizza Hut. Sorry, that was my corny little anecdote for the day. Regardless, the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is technically a college football bowl game. Though one would never guess it to be so by name. The game happens to be played right here in Detroit, Michigan at Ford Field. I've lived right here in Detroit my whole life and never knew this game existed. I've also never heard of the two teams set to play in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, the Toledo Rockets and the Florida International Golden Panthers. To be frank, these two schools don't sound like real colleges. But I digress, I won the tickets via Little Caesars and their "instant win game and sweepstakes" contest.

I ended up convincing my wife to come with me. On the plus side, I won't be by myself. The downside being that now I'll have to remember to set the home alarm from www.inhomesecurity.net/adt-home-security-safety-tips.html before we depart since we'll be leaving the house unattended for three or four hours. Might not sound like much, but then you've probably never lived in Detroit. It is the day after Christmas so people should be filled with the holiday cheer, but I'm not taking any chances.

BK After School

It is a snow day again. The school was on a half day session, sending the kids home at 1:05 pm. No lunch was served at school so my daughter was so hungry when I picked her up. We decided to get food from burger king before heading home. There was a long line at the drive thru.....traffic!!!! I guess a lot of the students went at Bk too. After 30 minutes in line, we finally got our favorite meal. Hay......

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Making Calls

Are you still using phone cards when you call the Philippines? I used to but since we switched cable company, I signed up in their monthly 300 minute international calling for a flat rate every month. I do not really use up the whole minutes but I figure I am making cheap calls if I get the plan. I have no complaints about the service but during the holidays, I cannot get through on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. I guess a lot are calling their families in the Philippines to greet them Merry Christmas or Happy New Year. All the circuits were busy. My brother was suggesting another phone number to call but I was not sure if they have an international call forwarding service. I have to call them about this feature and also inquire about toll free forwarding.

I stopped using the phone cards to make overseas call. The only setback with having my international calling at my home only is that I cannot make a call if I am not in the house. It’s alright! I can live with that as long as I get more minutes for the money I pay for phone calls.

The Morning After New Year's Eve...

....was at Panera Bread having breakfast with my family. We woke up late but had enough sleep after the ringing in of 2011. It was almost 11:00 am when we got to Panera but we still opted for coffee and bagel instead of a brunch. Our stomach was not ready yet for heavy food.

Hope everyone had a nice new year's eve celebration.

Another Package

I am talking about the sea freight box that I sent to my folks back home. Anything and everything that I find cheap here that can be useful to them, I buy and put them in my box. In about two weeks, my next box is full and ready for shipment. I am just happy that the forwarding company does not count the weight of the box; as long as everything fits inside the box regardless of weight, it is good to go. My last box was actually heavy because of the tarps I bought. My brother needs those tarps for his trucking business. The only tarp that is not too heavy is the welding blanket because I had it customized that would fit exactly his small welding machine at his shop. My brother would be happy once he gets them. He thought I will be sending them in the next box. He will be surprised. I like to surprise people especially my family. I cannot wait to get a phone call from him.

This time, I am shipping food like canned goods, chocolates, candies and probably some clothes I got from Christmas. I take advantage of the canned goods sale at my local supermarket so I could send them home. They always do this after the New Year. This box is going to be very heavy this time.

Signing Off Early

I'm off to bed in a few minutes. Thanks for dropping by tonight. I will catch up tomorrow. I'm feeling chills inside my body with coughing. I'm sipping a cup of theraflu right now then get some sleep early. A good sleep is what I need.

Goodnight.

Rabbit Town Christmas Spectacular

Posted by Gaylord Campbell

Going to look at Christmas lights is a tradition that I have done with my family for twenty years now. There is just something special about getting into the car with your entire family and going on an adventure to find who has the best decorated house. One of our favorite places to go was this place called Rabbit Town in the north Georgia area. One man alone owned several acres and made it a Christmas wonderland. The lights covered every inch of his property and it truly was a spectacular sight to see. The lights were set up in a way that as you rode by, each area was a different theme. At the end of his property he had a small lot set up and he himself set up a scene and dressed up as Santa Clause. We would also go and get out picture taken with him each year. The amazing thing was that he did all of this for free. He simply had a donation bucket set up at the Santa scene to help him pay the electric bill. This family tradition was one that I always looked forward to as a kid. Now, that I am in college, I still look forward to it to see the excitement of my ten year old brother as we go though the scenes. No matter how old or young you may be, there is just something about looking at Christmas lights that never gets old. However, as i get older and see the drastic changes in the world, I now see the importance of keeping your house locked and secured with a alarm(adt Security System systems) before you go on any excursion like this. With the whole family gone, Christmas time is unfortunately also a robbers wonderland.

First Blog Of 2011

Before we journey to another year of blogging, I would like to thank all readers, droppers, visitors and those who have left messages and comments in this blog. I appreciate all the effort and I always try to return the favor. Hope we see each other again this 2011. Again, thank you very much.

Here is wishing everyone another fruitful and healthy year ahead. Happy New Year!