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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Sunday, 04 January 2009 |
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... and yes, there's my new chair -- the 55cm fitness (gym) ball that I was so excited about. I am bouncing around!
 Seriously, I had to get myself a new chair because apparently, the red wooden chair that I grabbed from my niece's old playhouse, is not good for my lower back (not to mention, my butt!). Not, especially when I am working for a long time in front of GreenApple. And as some of you may know, I and my lower back, have had bad history that at some point I was put into complete bed-rest and was unable to play badminton for a few months or sit and stand up without that excruciating pain that went from my lower back down to my right leg. Since then, I was, and I am careful in lifting any heavy stuff and I have been more careful on the exercises and activities that I do. Well, I have to give credits to my PT at the gym before who has taught me how to lift heavy weights correctly and has actually taught me some strengthening exercises for my back.
 Having the right size (my legs are parallel to the ground), my gym ball helps me sit straight, taking away the pressure on my lower back.
Balance is the key because it is not stable. You will be forced to align yourself into the proper posture, thus, will improve your spinal health and decrease back pains. Then each time you move into a different angle or position, say, you turned your head to the right, you will have to do some small adjustments and balance yourself on the ball, thus you are reducing your risk of having injuries from prolonged sitting in the same position. Talk about improving your sense of balance, eh?
And there is more (from Gearfire.net):
... your body primarily uses your core (abdominal) muscles to help compensate for changes in balance. Thus, you're essentially getting a low-key abdominal workout. This may not sound like a lot, but consider the amount of time you spend on your computer at the office, or at home. Those hours can build up, and result in a strengthening of ab muscles.
... Using an exercise ball will keep the blood flowing to all parts of your body, throughout the day. A desk chair on the other hand, reduces circulation to some parts of the body after prolonged use.
... It has been proven that staying in one position, will make you more tired, while moving around and being active will give you more energy. With an exercise ball as a chair, you will feel much more energized after you finish your work.
... More movement during the day = more calories burnt. Burning 350 calories per day = losing one pound of fat every 10 days. You may not burn quite 350, but nonetheless, it will help you stay fit.
And I'm sure that buying a computer chair or any comfortable chair would cost me more. But with my gym ball, it has only cost me $11.88 (thank God that my SIL is a smart-buyer-- I am being trained! She took me to Target). Yeah... I can't stop raving about it! I can even do some crunches when I am bored! *teehee!* But of course that is when I have the luxury of time to be bored.
Cheers to a fit and healthier year ahead!
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Music & Me
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Saturday, 03 January 2009 |
Lyrics from: www.lyrics007.com
Email me at Silent[DOT]Hollo[at]gmail[DOT]com for a copy (MP3) of this song.
Genre: Pop/Inspirational
No Greater Love
- Rachel Lampa -
Before I knew your name
You knew my every breath
Before I found my way
You knew my every step
Before I knew everything that I need
You gave it all to me
No greater love than this
That you should lay down your life
For someone such as me
I'd spend a life time wondering why
The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And I know there can be
No greater love
Than this
I never understood
How mercifull love could be
Untill I felt His flame
Light every part of me
And I would give everything that I am
Cause I have been saved
Yes I have been saved
No greater love than this
That you should lay down your life
For someone such as me
I spend a life time wondering why
The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And I know there can be
No greater love
Ooohh...
The beauty of heaven is here in my heart
And I know there can be
No greater love
For someone such as me
No greater love
Than this
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The Writer Within
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Friday, 02 January 2009 |
I am a writer and this is one of my stories...
~~~ 1 ~~~
He's not supposed to be starving and he's not supposed to be salivating over the food of a child eating inside McDonald's. How come he feels deprived of so many things when their living status is far from being poor?
Not so many years ago, I saw this young boy in the streets of Manila. He looked refined for a street kid. He was playing with his friends, a game that they call, Chato. I knew it was that game because he was shouting "Chaaaaaato!" while he was running as fast as he could back to a small hole on the ground where another boy has successfully hit a short stick with a longer one. Discreetly, I was smiling as I remember playing that same game with my cousins and my grade school friends in my hometown.
That was the first time that I saw him and which in turn, was never the last. He and his group of young boys and girls would be seen playing in the middle of the street where I would usually walk through to get to my apartment. And I've seen him not just once or twice, but many times, sitting in front of a fast-food chain at a specific time each day.
His name is Mervin and I got to know him more when one time I have decided to date someone that I would choose randomly from a crowd. Only that time, I knew it was him who I'd choose. So I sat by the window where he would usually stand outside and watch people take a bite of their Big Mac burgers. That scene has left me wondering what he was thinking about or what he was imagining while watching a kid take a huge bite of their juicy meal. That same scene would send a prickly sensation in my heart.
Tok.Tok... I tapped on the glass window to call his attention. I have ordered two cheeseburgers, a plate of spaghetti with a piece of chicken, some fries, two glasses of soda, a plain vanilla sundae and another one with caramel toppings. I knew he'd be outside doing the usual "waiting" until the guard would shoo him away or until some people with a kind heart would go out and hand him their left-overs. The latter would be his lucky days.
With a look of both astonishment and pleading, he stared at me, not sure if he was the one I was calling or someone from the crowd behind him.
"Yes, you!" I smiled, nodded my head, and pointed at him. He turned his head. To his left, to his right, and then he turned around confused if I was talking to someone other than him. I was laughing while waiting for him to turn to me again. A glass window in between us. The guy from the other table was staring at me. I didn't actually care what was on his mind. I was concentrating on my task for the day.
"You, get inside and join me here." I tried to say the words slowly so the kid would be able to read my lips. Pointed at him and pointed at the empty chair in front of me. He clasped his hands together and smiled a smile that was more like a mirth, a grin of excitement. Finally, he got my point. I was probably as excited as he was. At the same time I was scared. I don't really know the boy. What if someone's looking after him? A gangster? A hoodlum? Uhh... a serial killer?
Without consideration, I dismissed all negative thoughts and focused on "our moment". It was a date that I will never ever forget. Something that I don't want to be erased in my memory.
"Hello," the boy looked at me in the eye and I felt that there was an embarrassment on his side. "Am I the one you're asking for?", he asked. His cheeks have turned red. I laughed and that may have given him the hint that he'll be all right with me. That has probably convinced him that I was harmless and that I don't devour children for a meal.
"Yes, you're the one. Join me in my meal." I told him as I gave him a sign to take the seat in front of me. "Don't worry. There's no poison in there," I was pointing at the food, "if there is, we could sue the restaurant." By then he was all smiling and was comfortable on his seat. I saw him fix his hair and straighten his old but clean blue shirt that says, "Vote for...", oh, never mind the politician. But judging by that promotional election give-away, his shirt was more than half a decade ago. No wonder the color has faded already, yet the size is still big for him.
"My name is Mae. What's yours?" He was staring at the food then at me as I went on with our conversation. "We'll both have a cheeseburger and a soda. You take all the fries, and the spaghetti with chicken, and..." I was arranging the food on the table for us to have more space, "... what would you like? A plain sundae? Or the one with the toppings?"
"This one," he pointed to the sundae with the toppings. I was relieved. I would take whichever but I like the plain sundae better. "Good choice. Now, let's dive in to our food. I am starving!" I said, giving him the go-signal to enjoy his meal.
>> Chapter 2
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Thursday, 01 January 2009 |
... or some could bridge the gap between the past and the future.
What is in store for us in 2009? We never know. But I know one thing that is certain and constant from the beginning to the end. God has taken care of us, He is taking good care of us, and He will be taking care of us no matter how bumpy the road is. He won't be the light at the end of a dark tunnel. Instead, He will be the Hand that will guide us to that end.
Look back to 2008 with recollection: Of the tests that you've passed and of those that you've failed. Of the tears that you have shed and the joys that you have felt. Of the people who has blessed your life and of the lives that you have touched.
Look forward to 2009 with hope: that all shall be well and shall continue to be better.
Happy New Year to one and all! 
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Monday, 29 December 2008 |
"Hi. How are you doing?"
I was shocked when a voice came from my behind while I was doing some yardwork this afternoon (this time, it was masonry). It was a good day to work outside so I geared up-- wore my brother's snowshoes, working gloves, and my jacket before I headed to the backyard. I thought he was one of those commercial real estate guys or an angel coming from nowhere, until he has introduced himself. If I remember it right, he's the brother (or was it brother-in-law? Uhh... I wasn't even paying attention to the details!) of Victor, the owner of some home improvement company here. They're almost done with the house. They've changed the windows, sidings, and the roof.
"Do you like it?", of course he was pertaining to the house. And yes, the house looks prettier now. Lovely. But I didn't like being surprised like that. Not, especially when I was holding a club hammer. 
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Saturday, 27 December 2008 |
No more parties, please! Because parties and get-togethers mean photo op for me. Trigger-happy! I cannot deny that I like pressing the shutter release button of the camera whenever I am holding one. And having some photos in my hand would mean, creating layouts and post-processing. And lately, I am into iMovies!
My world stops whenever I am working with images. I love doing it, but I have got to stop myself before it's too late. I have my list of tasks. I have books to read, pages to create, and codes to decipher. Ahhh... the least tasks that I'd like to do are on top of the list.
Anyways, I am currently rendering another photo/video while the sidings of the house are being replaced (it's noisy outside). I am still freezing in my room even though they have already changed the windows. My room is the coldest place in this house (aside from the basement). The heater is working but I guess my SIL is right, it's my first winter, and my body have yet to adjust with it. I should change my beddings with fleece soon. You know, I cannot get sick. I have no health insurance yet and even if you give me an insurance quote, it will remain ignored! I don't have a stable job yet, remember?
Oooppsss... video is done. Gotta thaw myself and go over my tasks. Again.
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Friday, 26 December 2008 |
"You should buy computer memory now!"
Hmmm, I don't think I am hearing it right from GreenApple. For the first time, I have seen it crawl. Or was it just because of the heavy rendering that I have been doing in iMovie and iPhoto? Anyway, here is my first attempt at Vimeo. I like it better than YouTube. Well, at least for now.
Sorry for the low-res images. Not much time to pos-process. I am just squeezing it in my time while I rest my mind from CSS (20 chapters to go!). 
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Thursday, 25 December 2008 |
It was a white Christmas although it's definitely not my first cold Christmas! *heh-heh*
Minus the Christmas rush that I was used to back in the Philippines, minus the kids singing carols in each house, yes, minus the novena mass or what we call Simbang Gabi back home, it was still a merry Christmas for me wrapped in white and bright snow!
White Christmas! Luckily (well, at least for a first-timer), the snow from the snowstorm last week has not melted yet. Most part have turned into hard ice already, which, I have learned, in theory and by some "slippery" experience, is not good. But it definitely made my first Christmas here at Uncle Sam's, far from being ordinary.
Kuya, Ate Roda, Biel, and I heard mass at 5pm on Wednesday. Before 9pm, we started feasting on the food that we have prepared for Noche Buena. I had my favorite "Ate Roda's Macaroni Sopas" this year! Superb! I have been missing that every Christmas ever since they left the Philippines more than half a decade ago!
On another note, this Christmas is my first Christmas that I had nothing to give to the kids (godchildren, nieces, and nephews). Every year, I make sure that they have something from me, may it be a toy or a piece of clothing, a bag or a bottle of cologne or perfume. I know! This year, I owed them that excitement of having something to open on Christmas day. I will make it up to them soon!
DM have just reminded me of how I would usually spend the 25th of December in the Philippines. I would usually be caught in a traffic going back to Manila (work usually resumes on the 26th). And I would usually meet up with DM and the Salonga family for dinner and some coffee and dessert at a later time. Ahh... those were the days.
Here, the 25th of December was but an ordinary day, except that, for me, working outside is fun. I shoveled off some snow, uprooted some plants, dewatered the man-made pond, and removed the Christmas lights and decors outside. Yes, Christmas day is over. There will be people working on the sidings of the house the next day. And that reminds me, I have to start taking the CSS book seriously. Indeed, holidays are over...
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My Digiscrapbook
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Thursday, 25 December 2008 |
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[credits: all embelishments and papers from ShabbyPrincess.com; alpha: Handwriting - Dakota]
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Sunday, 21 December 2008 |
... and my mind is hibernating. It's been a busy weekend here. Some dinner and parties on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday I had the opportunity to take the train going to New York Aikikai (school of martial arts) to watch my cousin take his test in Aikido for a black belt (Congrats, Kuya Abet!). It was my first time to walk along the streets of Manhattan with snow. And I walked from the NY Penn Station (34th Street) to West 18th Street, where the school is located. There was one time that I almost slipped! Yaiks! Also, I kept on checking my nose (not that it's going somewhere, but couldn't actually feel it, I had to check if I am already having runny-nose or something, you know... *wink*).
Well, moving on, as promised, here is my Christmas parol (click on the images for the larger views):
I won third place for that, by the way. I only got $10 since we had to divide the 30-dollar prize money for the triple-tie for the 3rd place. Not bad though, for something that is worth, I think, around $2 only (for the glues)? *heh-heh*
I used glue to preserve the leaves that I got from our backyard and the moss I got from my cousin's backyard in Orlando, FL. We wanted to put lights on it but one of the themes was "recession", so we left it that way.
I love how my project came out. If I have preserved each leaf well, it could actually last for years. But then again, that would mean spending too much on glue and taking too much of my time. The moss, on the other hand, will last even without preserving them.
It's hanging by the garage this Christmas, anyhow.
And Christmas is almost here...
I don't have my set of "barkada" to party with here so I am truly grateful every time my Kuya and SIL would tag me along their group's get-togethers or parties. I haven't really warmed up with everyone and I honestly couldn't remember every person's name yet but believe me, I am trying. Well, I don't get to see them every day, I guess that's an excuse.
Friday night was their party (prior to that, they were at our place dancing and feasting on food that most of them have brought). The party on the 19th was held in a rented cabin. And yes, this time I danced with them. Sweat! Sweat! Sweat! Oh! I love it! It was actually my first time to do line-dancing. I couldn't remember much of the steps but I sure had a great time following the leader.
Saturday, as I have said, was the day that I went to New York, afterwhich, we had dinner at home with Kuya Abet, Kuya Bong, and his 9-year-old kid, Kyle, who is so lucky to have, I think, both a PS3 or an XBox, and a Wii (yep! the kid is wearing a pair of eye glasses already!).
I haven't finished working on the pictures taken the past few days, but hopefully, I will have time to work on some of it this week. I enjoy my time working away from GreenApple lately. There are times that I don't want to wake it up.
Today, unintentionally, I let it sleep the whole day. I had to rake and shovel off the driveway. It was a good thing that I sprinkled some salt before the snowstorm. Except for the gutter, where the snow has already turned into hard ice, I did not have a hard time shovelling snow on the asphalted driveway. In fact, I had a good time that I even went to the backyard to play around (hey! it's my first time to walk on thick snow!). I have to say, I fell in love with my brother's insulated shoes, too. *tee-hee!* I will do it again! It was a good one-and-a-half-hour work-out too. Problem is, I have a sore throat again. *oucheee* And so I have to go hit the sack and get some rest now. I will update this entry for some photos/LOs soon. You may bookmark this page.
Have a good week ahead, people! Happy Holidays!
[ready to walk on ice!]
Talo man daw sa parol, at least...
[the winning tree and the team]
A reason to celebrate and join the line-dance!
[Yes, sir! I am fine as long as I am behind!]
[labas na ako dito!]
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Thursday, 18 December 2008 |
"My dad was looking to maybe fly you in for Christmas, if I can find a good last min deal. Would you be down for that? Well, keep an eye out for good air fare. I can usually talk my dad into getting something..."
Holidays with relatives in Utah and probably California? West Coast? Hmmm... 
*******
JHO.
Looking for some gifts and/or health and beauty stuff (the skin care products seem good *wink*)? Mona, a friend of mine, back in grade school, has got some stuff to offer at msison.ordermygift.com and msison.qhealthbeauty.com.
*******
How to burn/create a music CD for any component using iTunes.
It's simple! Just create a playlist, insert a blank CD-R, and click on the Burn Disc button found at the lower right corner of your iTunes. Hah! Now I can bring my music and play it anywhere using any component.
Ooppsss... 'just ran out of blank CDs!
*******
I am fighting the urge to pig-out but I like balut. Yup, this exotic thingy in the picture (maliit pa nga yung sisiw na yan eh!). You should try it with vinegar. Boy, am I glad that we have balut here! I will never miss this Pinoy delicacy. All right, delicacy isn't the word. But really, I am glad that there are Filipino stores in the area. I will never miss Filipino food.
If only they have Ferino's Bibingka somewhere... Christmas will be perfect!
*slurppp*
*******
Got another LO for my SIL and niece.
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Wednesday, 17 December 2008 |
"Wow! You did well, huh?", the man at the MVC office said when he saw the result of my written/computerized exam. Finally, I can have a "lollipop" for passing the exam. Hah! State laws in driving? Sisiw! Tawagin ko ba naman lahat ng Santo at Santa kagabi at kaninang umaga bago kami umalis ng bahay ni Kuya! *teasing*
Was I really ready to take the exam again this morning? No. And I don't think I will ever be ready with my study habit (zzzZZZ). All I was thinking was "I have to get it over and done with," and I have to pass the exam and get a permit to drive around here. I went over the whole manual twice, highlighted some keywords, tried to memorize a little (uhh... what's that again?!). And prayed really hard. Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa. In my case, I have put everything in God's hand. Even asked all the Angels to gather around me while I am taking the exam, asked them to whisper the answers so I can pass. I guess some whispers were so soft that I didn't get the correct answer for some questions. *heh-heh* But I did it anyhow and couldn't keep myself from smiling when I handed my form to the guy at the counter. It was hard getting a grip of yourself when you're truly happy and so grateful at that.
I had two prayers before I left for my exam: One, that I pass the exam. I didn't want to go out of that office feeling disappointed and feeling "dumb" again for not passing such exam. I hated that feeling. Two, that getting an actual road test would be waived for me if I show them my Philippine (Non-professional) Driver's License. Meaning, instead of giving me a permit to drive, they should give me a license so that I could drive (or practice driving) around here with minimal or without supervision of a licensed driver. And of course, getting the driver's license instead of the permit would mean, saving my time both at work and my future studies. Plus, I can keep myself sane, without having to worry about the actual road test where an instructor would judge the way you drive. That has frightened me. So I prayed.
And you guessed it right! Both prayers were answered! Thank God! I passed the written/computerized exam and they waived my actual road test. And after paying $19.50 at the cashier, they handed me my driver's license! Yey!
Uhh... Only problem is, I couldn't drive (a little of "I shouldn't", I guess). Not yet.
But at least, now that I am worry-free about getting a driver's license here, I can move on to my next task now-- some serious Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)! There's more but I have decided to concentrate on this one for now.
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop
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Monday, 15 December 2008 |
A friend once asked me why I am talking about diet pills or the best diet pills, when I am not fat. I said, I simply had/have to. I am not taking any though even if I am overweight for my height (and it is getting more obvious now). I am far from my usual 105- or 107-pound weight. Farther from my 100-pound goal! Argh!
So here is my current routine, which I hope would make a difference the next time I step on that weighing scale.
For two weeks now, instead of rice, I eat 8 - 10 teaspoon of oatmeal with any dish during meal time, which is, by the way, only once or twice a day.
For a week now, me and my SIL have been drinking smoothies for breakfast-- still with uncooked oatmeal (plus a cup of coffee with brown sugar and creamer for me). Mind you, I was once a black-coffee drinker but now I have learned, and now I am used, to having creamer on my coffee. Yeah, I know, black coffee is still better.
Hot green tea is still a daily habit and so with nibbling on anything from the pantry or the fridge! *ah-hah! Gotcha!*
Well, I just went back to my work-out routine the past three days, we'll see if I'll progress or regress this month of feast and celebration. *hah!*
Previous: 110 lbs / Current: 111 lbs 
For my reference, I'm keeping this list of fruit combos that we should try for our next smoothies. FYI, you can add uncooked oatmeal, yogurt, milk and nuts on some, but not all, of these combos. But you will never go wrong with a spoonful of honey.
Carrot + Ginger + Apple - Boost and cleanse our system.
Apple + Cucumber + Celery - Prevent cancer, reduce cholesterol, and eliminate stomach upset and headache.
Tomato + Carrot + Apple - Improve skin complexion and eliminate bad breath.
Bitter gourd + Apple + Milk - Avoid bad breath and reduce internal body heat.
Orange + Ginger + Cucumber - Improve Skin texture and moisture and reduce body heat.
Pineapple + Apple + Watermelon - To dispel excess salts, nourishes the bladder and kidney.
Apple + Cucumber + Kiwi - To improve skin complexion.
Pear + Banana - regulates sugar content.
Carrot + Apple + Pear + Mango - Clear body heat, counteracts toxicity, decreased blood pressure and fight oxidization .
Honeydew + Grape + Watermelon + Milk - Rich in vitamin C + Vitamin B2 that increase cell activity and strengthen body immunity.
Papaya + Pineapple + Milk - Rich in vitamin C, E, Iron. Improve skin complexion and metabolism.
Banana + Pineapple + Milk - Rich in vitamin with nutritious and prevent constipation
Happy Eating! 
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