I'm already tired just thinking about what I'm going to do after work tomorrow:

I'll be going to the town center (I fondly refer to as South Shore) to accomplish a few things. Good thing everything I need is clumped together in one complex, and only separated by parking lots here and there. I purposely schedule my things for a one-stop run.


First Stop: POST OFFICE - to mail some piano pieces I bought online for my dad. I went to http://www.greatscores.com and they let you pay by paypal and download the pieces right away. I was able to print them out instantaneously. I'm sure dad will be happy, I got him his favorite Mancini's and other things. THE PINK PANTHER, BABY ELEPHANT WALK, BEN (yes, Michael Jackson's "Ben"), FASCINATION (by Marchetti). I'm still waiting for TWO FOR THE ROAD, I got it from http://www.sheetmusicplus.com. Uhm...err...I haven't ordered it yet. I plan to order a Mancini collection too, but I'll wait til November. Funds-ah-low!


2nd Stop: HARDWARE STORE - To buy hubby a hard hat because he will be a Rescued Chilean Miner for Halloween. I just need to affix one of our portable drawer lights to the front to make it look like a miner's hat (since I don't know where to get one at this time). He's gonna be wearing some Oakley sunglasses, and a harness around his body (thanks to the orange furniture lifter laying around in our garage), longsleeves layered on top with an old shirt that would say "Mision Cumplida". I'm excited now.


3rd Stop: DRY CLEAN - To drop off some winter stuff like scarves and sweaters (and yes, my favorite black peacoat) that have been laying inside my dry clean basket. There's no delaying further as we are beginning to need them now. Brrrr!


4th Stop - CRAFT STORE - To pick up a wide ribbon and black fabric paint because I'm going to make a sash for myself. I'll be "MISSED" UNIVERSE for HALLOWEEN. Yes, "Missed". Just to spoof out a beauty queen. I'll be wearing an old formal and re-use a birthday crown made of silver plastic and fake gemstones. I need to cover the "Happy birthday" with foil. I'll curl my hair and wear heavy make up, smoky eye and mascara and red lipstick and all. Then wet my eyes so the mascara will smear and drop like tears. I was running out of creative Halloween ideas where I wouldn't spend a lot. So I hope this works.


5th Stop: TJ MAXX - because I need to return a shirt that doesn't look right on me, and a pair of pants that's too lose for hubby. They are victims of impulsive shopping last Saturday. In return, I will buy the accessory organizer that I so need. It's a plastic/fabric panel that you can hang on a hanger that has many tiny plastic pockets on both sides.


6th Stop: ROSS - to buy a curtain rod. We badly need one for the master bedroom because our we do not have a door to the bathroom, just an arch that opens to his and hers sink, and a glass shower on one side.

7th Stop: GROCERY - to buy a pumpkin as I promised my sister I would make my 9-month old niece her first one this halloween. I am not going to join any pumpkin carving competition this time. Too lazy. I also felt bad when I fell Second last time, which was really okay if the one who won first place obviously used a store-bought template. =( I also need to pick up some phyllo dough because I'm craving for and planning to make BAKLAVA this Sunday. Well, in honor of my late mother-in-law whose Bakalava really rocked, so I heard. I'll probably have to make hubby taste-test so I can adjust my recipe accordingly. And oh, I also need Veggie trays and Dip for our Halloween potluck at work on Friday. And CANDY, CANDY, CANDY for Sunday's neighborhood trick or treat .

My massage place is in the same complex but I doubt if I'll even have time to get my October massage. Good thing it rolls over to the next month.

Then tonight, I am going to Check out Zenni's new site! Because it's time for me to change my eyeglasses again. And ZenniOptical $6.95 Rx Glasses for me are the best practical options out there. Imagine being able to change your eyeglasses each time to match your wardrobe and whole look.  That's what I do. And I'm not splurging! I heard that Zenni now has the best tryon: Frame Fit and I'm going to try to take advantage of that! But that's not until I've done my errands for the day and go online tonight.



I'm already tired just telling you about it. But it's exciting. I like it when it's happy kind of tiring. Not the sad things.


Enjoy your Halloween, dolls!



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I'm watching Dancing with the Stars.  Yes, that's part of THEE GRIND. Gotta get a little "nice" from the daily toil just to balance life.  Work was busy today, which merits a complaint but these days, you really don't want to be complaining about being busy at work.  "Busy" is good. Even if it's tiring and stressful, it's always good. Better than nothing at all these days of recession. Yep, so much better.

Watching Bristol Palin push her limits (or not at all) is entertaining for me. It takes the stress of the day out. Don't get me wrong. She actually grew on me. I like her now! Like I'd vote for her if I do that kind of stuff. I'm happy that she's growing in a different aspect at least.

These little things, my friend says, they make her forget the things that bug her down at the moment, the stress of taking out loans for bad credit for instance, because she's about to hit rock bottom.  I told her

that there are good websites out there to take out personal loans and payday loans that she can rely on. And it's supposed to be easy too. If you have no idea what these payday loans are, they are small, short-term loans meant to cover a borrower's expenses until his or her next payday. They are sometimes referred to as cash advances.  I just wanted my friend to have a little peace of mind that she deserves, albeit temporary.

I'm glad I don't have to resort to that one, and hope never to resort to it. But knowing the website gives me a ready option just in case life will throw a curve ball.

Meanwhile, I'll watch Briston Palin dance to de-stress my life....not because of financial reasons, thank you very much. But some health concerns, and some vampires lurking around.  Oh well.









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This is long overdue, but it's never to late...

TO BE GRATEFUL!!!

For an AWARD!!! Yeah....

It's been eons since I received my last one. I guess it was when I was still a very zealous blogger who breathed, ate (and pooed) posts at my Coffee, anyone? site which, truth be told, is now barely hanging on to the last frayed threads of survival. I would have axed it a long time ago had it not been for the residual income that it earns, which is slowly going to the dogs as the weeks pass by anyway.





But hurray for this! And thank you Jenny of ~ Ever After ~. Thank you mucho mucho. Gracias very much-O! Actually, this VERSATILE BLOGGER Award puts my thoughts back into perspective. It tries to bring back my old goals from the dead. I mean, the old blogging goals I've had when I first launched this site, and before I got swallowed and swirled wildly like clothes in a mad washing machine by a monetized post too many. That, plus a full-time job, household responsibilities and a buzzing social life to juggle, it was indeed a formula for disaster. Posts that come out of nowhere and making no sense at all? Name it, I've dunnit!

So with this Award, I am reminded of what I have always wanted to be as a blogger to begin with.

Here are the THEE RULES that it came with:

1. I love to cook and eat but I'm perpetually on a diet.
2. An artist lives inside me and it gets frustrated with my busy schedule. It struggles to come out all the time, and demands more time. But I love my full time corporate job. It pays the bills LOL.
3. I am a sucker for designer sunglasses. Let me rephrase, good quality UV sunglasses. Because my eyes can't stand too much brightness (seriously, I guess I'm an astigmatic vampire) but yeah, because they're fab too. But I'm not kidding about the eye situation.
4. I am terrified of earthquakes. Which will make you wonder what on earth am I doing in California...
5. Well, because I'm happily married to my BFF here and our warm n cozy happy home happens to be built on this quake zone. DUH.
6. I want to be pregnant again after I lost the last one, but it's not happening.
7. I am a stepmom to a very nice stepdaughter who is now in college, and stays with us during summers and spring breaks.

OK. TIME TO PAY IT FORWARD.

Geez. I'm stumped. This makes me realize how long I've been MIA and have pretty much lost touch with all the awesome people in the blogosphere. But I'll try.

I'm giving the award to the following:

• A blogger I truly respect: Cindy of Language is Wine Upon the Lips
• A blog sis I miss: Cyndi of Thinking Beyond
• My real sis: Katrina of Quench My Thirst
• My Angel: Kaye of Wahmaholic
• My TGIF buddy...which is really good timing because it's Viernes today: Juliana of Pinay WAHM

Hope you can all pay it forward, dolls!





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When it's baked chicken heaven, that means I can blog! It frees up my spare time, that little window after work and before dinner because I don't have to stare at a pot and stir my life away.

Now, I'm blogging some minutes away.  So I'm sitting on my kitchen table and just chilling, while the hubs is figuring out how to activate the Netflix on our PS3. We're late bloomers aren't we?

So, what's up with me?

Uhm...

Err....

Uh-oh. Nothing new. That's a bad sign for me. I like it when I have news for you. Well, aside from finally buying the lip gloss I want (Chanel Glossimer, shade: Pagoda). It is the bomb.  I had to email a TV personality to ask her what she wears, who surprisingly has such a kind heart to email back! Woohoo!

And oh, I'm just surfing too. I stumbled upon this site that offers freelance academic writing and academic essay editing, check it out if you need them.  I saw it while looking for good college essay topics, I just like looking for ideas to write about. I guess I miss being in school.
When you're young and in school, you don't worry about real life and your main responsibility is getting good grades and learning. You can do what you want when you want it. The real world is different, you worry about finances, health, work, career, and what to make for dinner.

In the real world, you make baked chicken to be able to do other things.





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I'm so happy even my feet are clapping!

LONGSTORYSHORT...

~I'm finally going to be able to delete my Friendster account.

~I was vacillating on that because my original blogsite was riding with it. *slaps myself on the forehead* oh what was I thinking then?

~I managed to get help -- http://wahmaholic.com (because the whole migration process was to me as flummoxing as why socks disappear in the dryer)

~Or because I was too busy to obsess on XML codes, technical stuff yadadada yadadada

~Yeah right, I'm just more ill-apt in importing/exporting blog entries than I care to admit.

~Here's my link if you care to be in the know:

~And I'm writing in bullets -- because I'm too lazy to utilize my brain faculties on a Monday.

WEEKEND HANGOVER.

At least I'm starting my week happy!









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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

Anyone ever heard of Boost Mobile?

It is like your typical mobile phone service but definitely more special. Think Blackberry but with a Re-Boost plan where you are able to add funds to your account. Think flexible payment options where you canpay on-line, in-person, or pay by phone using your debit/credit card to make payments or sign-up for worry-free automatic payments.

I am about one to get myself. I just need to discuss this with the hubs. I'm sure he will like it as much as I will because Boost Mobile phones are social in natura and I will still be able to update my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Isn't it important (much like habitual) these days to be able to connect to social media from your phone? Or is it just me? Do you update your Social Networks a lot too, especially when you're on the go? Where do you most often update from?

Say you're about to kiss the love of your life and you just have to tell the world about it...before it happens?

With Boost Mobile devices you get unlimited connectivity to Facebook for one price per month. Sounds like a good deal to me. There are some popular phones that Boost Mobile offers such as Blackberry and i1 phone. I should go check out more features and the sign up process, even getting some extras so I've heard, before I fall behind in the boost bandwagon.

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Made "Suppli" for my sister's surprise party last weekend. These are Risotto Balls....


Risotto before the finished product:
SUPPLI" is the very first snack I ate when we went to Rome in '06. After getting out of the airport, we went to a trattoria by the train station and had this. I fell in love with it (like I wanted to marry it -- yeah I get that with food) and ate different kinds everyday. I had to learn how to make it!! Here's my assembly line, uhm, circle...


So easy and simple to make yet time consuming...Best when eaten hot. It's sometimes called "Suppli al telefono" because the mozarella inside stretches in a string when you bite into it (like a telephone cord, oh Italians!). It just isn't the same in room temperature. But well, phones are wireless nowadays anyway.







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The hubs and I just came back from a really sumptuous scrumptious Chinese dinner in Alameda which is really not your typical MSG-in-a-box taste. I had a grand time chomping down the egg tofu and my favorite soup dimsum. Truly one of a kind. The place was packed and bursting at its seams with people, while the neighboring eats are dead it felt like twilight zone.

We miss Alameda. I miss the quaint town, the night crowd, the peace...Ah, what a life. It's been two years since we moved to another city but I'm happy that it's not too far to reach when we crave for the old digs we used to visit.

It doesn't seem like two years. It's not that I'm not happy with where we moved, but finally having our own house which we worked hard to afford? I cannot complain. One day, maybe we will move back to upgrade, and back to A-town in a new development there. Meanwhile, we're enjoying our place, and happy that we get to visit the old places still when we want to.

I can't believe its been two years since we moved. The memories are still fresh. Packing, moving, unloading, re-settling. I used to read “The BluePrint” which is a moving guide blog to keep people informed about issues, questions and concerns that come up when people are moving. It covers topics such as packing tips, parking issues, and storage and it offers an “ask the experts” tool where people can ask questions about moving. A really helpful resource for me. I was actually organized and systematic because of it. Moving is hard. Am I moving again? I intend to stay put for now.
Even if my most favorite dimsum place ever, is far away.














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I left my phone the second time this week! Oh, I'm getting old. Or there's just a thousand things in my mind right now because I'm in the process of "reorganizing" my "organization" LOL. And that means unearthing ancient TO DO and other task lists to make sure nothing gets left behind. It's the OC in me. What else is new.

I bought this organizer (I'm saying "organize" too much hehehe) last week and it feels so good to be back to the basics, writing down everything. I must say, my lifestyle (ideas, plans, thoughts and all) is something a digital device won't be able to keep up with. Seriously. Or it's just my brain. I need to see and write it down, and be able to shuffle back and forth pages, even draw helpful illustrations for the memory and the like.

I guess I'm just still not highly evolved in a way.


Don't worry about me. I'm fine.

My next project is a more efficient bill scheduler notebook because there's just too much to keep track of (and I don't trust the supposedly trusty phone alerts, because I end up snoozing the alarm and acknowledging them just to make it shut up, only to forget about the alert 10 minutes and 5 days later) . I'm the wonder wifey financial manager of the household. I'm not sure if I'm liking the job though. But I need to be on top of things. Otherwise...well...

Oh I do pay bills online. Hey, I'm not that jurassic. But everything else has to be manually done. Maybe one day, show me an app where you can view a whole calendar in a month, input the bills due dates and be able to access the payment sites directly on the appropriate due date boxes to pay , I'll give it a thought.

Maybe they already have one with the iPad (I have an iPhone but it's too small for the way I operate LOL).

I'm just too picky. Or maybe I just refuse to say that I'm so behind.

---

Oh I got sidetracked. I was going to tell you about me leaving my phone at home. But I guess it doesn't apply to the topic now. Typical of me.

Anyhoo, did I miss anything without it (aka camera, facebook, twitter and all)?

NO.







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Here's mine:

A NEW VISION BOARD!!!

It is a Treasure Map of sorts, (other people call it Visual Explorer or Creativity Collage) which is typically a poster board on which you paste or collage images that you’ve torn out from various magazines. The concept is when you surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.

Basically a visual tool to keep reminding us everyday of what we want to achieve...and action follows. Something like that.

Now, I'm not a total fanatic cult member of "The Secret" (no offense intended) though it has a point!

I strongly believe in WISH LISTS! I've been practicing it for about 2 decades now and so far, I've witnessed a lot of things scratched off it, by some unexplained force, blessings and coincidences.

THE UNIVERSE CONSPIRES...

They work as effectively as TO DO lists (that is, if you are good in following them!).

WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, THE BODY CAN ACHIEVE.

WHERE THE MIND GOES, THE BODY FOLLOWS

Even the bible says so:
ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE, SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND, KNOCK AND IT SHALL BE OPEN UNTO YOU...

and how about...


"FOR AS HE THINKS IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE." (Proverbs 23:7)

Applies to attitude, character...and dreams. How can you argue?


Anyway, here are a couple samples of a vision board if you're interested (not mine, I got them online)




Mine is still a work in progress (a vision board within a vision board, teehee!)

Just wanted to the template I'm using:


All I need to do is finish filling that all up in a big poster board with cut-outs from magazines, artistically embellished with scrap booking elements (of course) and start staring at the big picture every day when I wake up and before I fall asleep.

Chances are...the hubs will see them anyway and hopefully get some hints, har har, and help me achieve most of them. Hmmm, I wonder where a Balenciaga bag, or my very own cruiser bike (yes i=I want one) will fall under? (the purple I guess).

I'll share the final product within this month.





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