American Idol (2008) Texas Audition - Pinoy Brother of Simon

Was laughing my arse out watching this! And he's Proudly Pinoy! The next big thing after William Hung! You have to give it to the guy's positivity. Hope he inks a record deal after this haha. Grabe LSS ko to kahapon pa!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KwSOx_FYZkc&feature=related

Desperate Times Call for Drastic Measures

Yep, I have accepted the fact that I don't look that pleasant anymore esp. in my pics -pleasantly plump pa siguro hehe. I had been working out at Pinnacle just right smack in front of our building when it just suddenly closed shop (huhuhu I still have a month's worth of membership). Fitness First is also there but ewan ko ba parang nawalan ako ng gana. I tried the 3-day diet (you know that one with ice cream and hotdog), fruit diet and until recently, Hip Hop Abs by Shaun T. (who looks eerily like Will Smith, landicious nga lang haha). Well, obviously, all to no avail.

Until one of my officemates suggested that we try boxing. There's a gym near the office, Power Punch, which only charges P150 per session (P500 membership for one year). Why not, after everything, what more is there to lose (except hopefully my weight). So off we went last Wed night to enrol. Actually culture shock on my part - no aircon and the people there look katakot to me. Good thing I have Deth with me.

Trainer Erwin is the one assigned to us. First, he helped us put on our handwraps, then off to stretching. Deth went to the speedball while I did some punching with the trainer. Wow, I never thought that 2 minutes of jabs & upper cuts could give me that kind of sweat! 5 rounds in all. Then, my turn at the speed ball. Ha! It's not as easy as it looks pala. I look so pathetic in this haha! Erwin says, in 2 months I'll be able to get the rhythm. Sana nga. Then the Punching Bag, ok rin, I was sweating it out as well. Ah, the jumping rope. Easy piecy! Or so I thought. Of course, way back in grade school, I didn't have the "twins" yet and I was so stick-thin then. So looking-engorks time na naman. Then, the abs workout. Next! Di ko kinaya, after 3 counts I was whining. And Pacquiao does thousand counts of this. Please, di ko naman pinangarap maging world champion ano. But the next session I was playing catch using the medicine ball with my trainer - mas kinaya ko yon.

And finally, the last part - ze Massage! Kahit at the start, kinda uneasy with all the lapirot my trainer is doing to my bod, but, ang saraaaapp! Galing galing. There is pain alright after, but it's the kind of pain I like. It means I'm on the right track. Erwin is so patient, and really explains everything to me. Ganun pala yon, the trainer would be the one to wipe your sweat, give you water and all that stuff. Feeling Laila Ali ang lola nyo. The staff and the other trainers are very nice and accommodating, too.

Boxing is really the ulitimate workout. It provides all-body cardio and strength training, It's a great way to condition the whole body because it builds muscle strength, endurance, balance, agility and coordination all at the same time. Of course, there's the promise of weight reduction of which is what I'm really targetting in maybe 2-3 months.

Hello Bora again in April, this time in my 2-piece! Nyaha!

Power Punch Gym
Unit H Ground Floor
Intrepid Plaza (near Omakase, Rufo's Tapa)
E Rodriguez Jr Ave. Bagong Bayan , QC

PogiPogi!

Dear mother-in-law just relayed the good news to us. My panganay, Gino (the new teener in the house) has just topped the Math exams sponsored by MTAP (Math Teachers Assoc of the Phils). Aside from besting his fellow freshmen in his school (QC Sci HS), his score is also the highest in all of QC govt schools! Please indulge me this moment, papaka stage mom lang muna ako haha.

At an early age of 2.5 years, he was tested to have an IQ of 155 (Stanford Binet). He can already read words at 1.5 yo, can write and draw at 2. Though, there were also delays in his speech and social development that at one point, he was diagnosed to have mild Asperger's. But by the grace of the Lord, countless visits to several developmental psychologists, his guidance counselors & grade level coordinators from his former school (ADMU), he has matured to be a fine young man. He has adjusted pretty well in his freshman life with plenty of friends (and if I may add, crushes haha). And oh, just to balance it out - he's also a Guitar Hero freak!!!

Daddy & Mommy are so proud of you, our Ginoynoy! Keep it up! We love you!

From an Auspicious Day to...

Woke up with a terrible pain in my left thigh. Actually it started in the wee hours of the morning while I was finishing up my first blog entry. It was painful walking that I just slept it off with the thought that come morning it will be gone. Actually, been having this pain for the past month or so that I would walk with a discernible limp, but it would get better eventually.

This time, because of the excruciating pain, walking or merely moving my leg was sheer agony. Off I went with hubby to the ER of Medical City. Waited and waited, first for a resident to check up on me, another eternity for x-ray. After being in the ER for 48 years, results are out. No fracture nor mass. Hallelujah! Honestly, I was already getting worried. Good thing it was just a "simple case" of musculo-skeletal strain (muscle spasm). Dunno if it was just being psychosomatic or what but after hearing the news, my leg got a wee bit better that I took advantage of this respite to do some grocery shopping on the way home. Talk about multi-tasking.

I was thinking that being in the ER for 5 hours was such a waste. But looking back, I was still able to book a flight for a colleague who's leaving for TW on Friday, confirmed 2 more international flights for my managers, even coordinated a bank deposit. I was in pain pa nyan ha. But more importantly, there was really nothing terribly wrong with my leg, however painful it was.

Capped the day off by watching the new TV series - Pushing Daisies which I got from a colleague. This will now be at the top of my list with my other watchables (GA, House, Heroes, PB, House, GW, et al) A MUST SEE!!! It's just the pilot episode but I'm definitely hooked. Even my 7yo boy was glued to the screen. I just learned that this will be shown in October yet. Anyone who's interested, just say the magic word ;)

But through all these, the saving grace of the day really was hearing the Erap verdict. I rest my case...

An Auspicious Day

Yey, my first foray in blogging. Bear with me folks in my first attempt. Hope I won't bore you to death. Just wouldn't want to end this day without sharing this "auspicious" day. Wow, I sound so old haha. Now I know, I should have a dictionary beside me or have a browser tab set to merriam-webster.com.

Auspicious - meaning fortunate. Yeah, I should say that. Because that's what just happened to me. After the weekend, I was dead broke. As in! Hubby was expecting something but didn't get it over the weekend. And it was his birthday yesterday - talk about great timing. But the night before we still treated the Lorenzo clan at this steakhouse along Kalayaan Ave in QC thinking we will have moolah again the next day being a Monday. We were 12 - 8 adults and 4 teens sans the 4 younger kiddos. Since this is a budget-friendly resto - the most expensive order of steak was just P99 - so I was thinking it would be just right even with drinks. We set our budget to P2,000 tops. Of course, upon seeing the menu, prices are exclusive of VAT. So, ok, still cool about it. Even ordered 2 more extra dishes (so it wouldn't look like were on a shoestring budget haha). Just want to tell you about this resto first – it has the usual fast food ambience so hubby and I (being self-professed food "connoisseurs") were not expecting too much. But it didn't disappoint. The servings were big - good enough for 2 even. Ordered T-bone; garlic steak; -ala pobre; sisig, & liempo meals. For a few more pesos (i.e., 10) you can enjoy your order with rice AND mashed potatoes. It was really good, I should say more than worth the price. Too bad, was not able to take photos. So, well, come bill time - and good thing my in-laws had their senior citizen cards with them - the final bill amounted to jan ja ran....P1,993!!! God is really good.

Going back to this day, I muttered to myself this morning that how I wish someone would treat me or Coors' team would invite me to lunch. This is not really unusual in the office. But I just remembered that we already had the team lunch last week (had it by the way, at Agave, the new mexican resto in Eastwood). So maybe someone will order pizza (again, this is a lunch staple in the office). I haven't had breakfast yet since I woke up late (well, what else is new?). Come 12:30, couldn't take it anymore I scrounged for my coins in my drawer – and what do you know – still found P75 from the 5’s and 10’s I would randomly stash to lighten my purse. So off I went to the next floor to buy lunch from our ever-reliable “manang”. Still happy with the “fortune” I got, even bought kakanin for dessert and as an added treat – sweet corn for my merienda. Total bill: P73. Manang could have seen my utter delight that she even gave me yema as freebie! Love you manang!!!

So, went back to my cube ready to devour my loot, when I got a text from hubby. It read: “Baba ka. Now na now na. Libre kita lunch. Crossing C5 from Gerry’s.” Whaddah?! As in I literally dropped my lunch on my desk and hurried downstairs. Turned out, I thought out loud about wishing for someone to make me libre for lunch and he heard it. He just got what we were expecting. Well, I think that was what made him more determined to really get what was due him this morning. My theKnox, you see, loves springing surprises on me– always thinking of such gimmicry! One of the reasons I am soo in love with this “mokong” kahit most of the time – pasaway! Lobsu bebekoy.

What can I say? All my moping and hunger throughout the morning were well worth it! That Paulo Coelho quote “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” readily comes to mind.

We ate at Jack’s Loft (hubby hasn’t eaten there yet, while I’m a sort of a regular). Ordered my fave Steak and Mushroom Gravy Sandwich and he – the Indian-style Butter Chicken and topped off our meals with Mango Mousse. But it was my first time to order their Fish Bowl Iced Tea. We had a blast taking pictures with that gigantic vase of a glass (hubby even kidded that it had a Flowers by Sylvia logo at the bottom haha). Food, as usual, was great. I am not much of a curry person but I liked the chicken. But more than the food, we didn’t care if we looked like a pair of lovestruck teeners, uttering sweet-nothings in between spoonfuls with nary a care in our own little world! Haaay, I’m still swooning…..

I should say that this capped off our Crystal Anniversary. Yup, 15^th anniversary na namin to ‘tsong! 15 years as Mag-Un!

So there.

I am really blessed.