Thursday, October 20, 2011

My 2011 Christmas Wishlist v1.0

Christmas is still a little over two months away. But in the Philippines, ones the months start ending in "-ber" (for example, September) Christmas season more or less begins. I'm not here to discuss why that is, I'm here to discuss my wishlist for now. The items I will be listing are either realistic to get or highly improbable. So here we go.
  • A good quality acoustic guitar. An officemate of mine has an acoustic guitar at work and I've been playing it, making me wish I had my own. I've managed to remember how to play Dream Theater's The Silent Man with the guitar solo. And my desire to start playing again is rekindled.
  • Jordan Trunner LX 11. Great pair of cross-trainers I'll need for my brisk walk / jogging sessions. I'm not too happy that I'm using my Kobe V's to jog, since those are basketball shoes. My old adidas tennis shoes are too beat up and could break down anytime I use them intensely.
  • Sony Ericsson Xperia Active android phone. My phone's LCD is damaged. Plus this new phone is for people with "active" lifestyles, and I want to be more active. Plus I'm guessing this phone would be more useful when I do my cardio workouts since it comes with an armband holder so I don't have to keep holding on to my phone when I jog.
  • Sony Playstation 3. I think I mentioned before that my PS3 suffered a YLOD (yellow light of death) so I need a new one. I don't want to spend to fix my PS3 since I had it repaired before and I dont' want to spend on it anymore.
  • A new DSLR body. The CMOS sensor of my DSLR has molds growing on it. I haven't been able to bring it to the service center yet, and if it can still be salvaged scratch this off my wishlist. What I want? If not a Canon 7D, a Canon 5D.
  • A fully set-up desktop computer. This includes LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse, WACOM tablet, and a super CPU.
  • A 1969 German Volkswagen Beetle in reliable running condition. Then I'd save up and turn it into a Baja Bug.
  • A 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STi hatchback. If not the Beetle, then this. One of my dream cars and this would be a fun daily driver, except when its time to fill up the gas tank.
  • A decent sized house and lot in one of my ideal locations (that I won't mention) preferably 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms, maids' quarters with bathroom, four car garage (so there's two or three slots available for guests to park) and a decent sized garden. I don't mind losing the garden to make room for the parking.
  • A decent two or three bedroom condo unit in Makati with at least one free parking slot. So that I can either rent this out or the decent sized house and lot. Extra income.
That's it so far. I'll probably be updating this sometime I'm "bored" again. Oh, and just because I have a wishlist doesn't mean all I'm thinking about is receiving. It's still better to give than to receive.


Out.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Comfort Food

I have one simple philosophy regarding comfort food. Whatever is served in front of me at the time I need comforting is my comfort food.


Kidding aside (although let's just say my previous statement is half-true) I don't really have a clue as to what comfort food is. Is it something to warm you inside? Because soup does that. Is it something you eat that fills you up? Salads can do that. Is it something you eat on cold, rainy days? Again, something hot can do that.


Let's just say that my definition of comfort food is something that makes me feel better when I'm down. And not the, I eat anything because I'm depressed sort. I mean the perk me uppers. The food that I don't have to stuff myself with, but just to eat a decent amount and it instantly picks me up.


So what are my comfort foods? Soups, for one. Specially chicken mami, and chicken noodle soup. Asado congee also perks me up and always makes me feel good when I have a bowl.


Potato chips, sadly, are comfort foods for me. Specially french onion and barbecue flavors. Just snacking on them takes away my sadness, even for a few minutes.


Burgers and other sandwiches aren't something I'd consider comfort food. Neither desserts, surprisingly. I find them too heavy and messy to eat in times of "sadness."


The list would probably get longer, but unfortunately I'll just leave it at that. I guess the statement I said above regarding any food is my comfort food might be a lot more than a half-truth. Maybe 80% true.


Out.

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

End of October Goal

I've got a realistic goal by the end of October. I plan on breaking the 100kg barrier, to have my weight at less than 100kg.


Why kilograms? Why not pounds? I find that it's easier to lose weight if I count kilos. Plus the results are better. Right now I'm at around 102kg. If I make it to 99kg at the end of the month, then I'll have lost 3kg. In pounds that's 217.8 from 224.4lbs and a loss of 6.6lbs.


From my perspective, it's easier to lose 3kg than 6.6lbs. Yes, I'll still be over 200lbs but it's a start.


How do I plan on losing weight? Well, I've got to force myself to do the barbell complex exercises I saw online. Then there's my weekly brisk walk/jog, which I plan to increase to at least twice a week.


My biggest impediment is myself. Changing my eating habits and forcing myself to actually do the exercises is very crucial. So far it's hard for me to do them, but I hope I can force myself. Or at least convince myself.


Out.