[867] One Car Garage

I like to write about cars, that much is obvious. I also like to daydream about cars I wish I could own. So here we go again. A list of cars I would love to own if I had the money to buy them. I am basing all prices from Autodeals' website. They are my go-to local website for prices and specs of cars as well as online window shopping used cars. Because that's all I can do, look online.

My categories for my choices will be practicality and fit for the streets of Metro Manila. It should also be capable of going on roads trips, long and short, to visit other places in the Philippines. Finally, it should be available locally through a dealer. I'm listing down brand new cars, not second-hand ones. So here we go again with yet another list.

The attainable one. The Suzuki S-Presso. I could probably be able to afford this car with the price. And I really, really like the way this car is. It is exactly what I like in a car, practical and nice looking. It can seat around four to five people, and you can probably fix the space problem by installing roof rails and a roof basket / cargo carrier. Size is small enough that you won't have problems in parking spaces, ground clearance is tall enough that you won't scratch the bottom on tall humps and you'd probably be safe slowly driving over potholes that you can't avoid.

Less than PhP1 million. As far as I know all models of the Suzuki Ertiga still cost below one million. Decent size, can seat seven people if needed. With five people you have great cargo space. Again, you could probably add roof rails and a roof basket or cargo carrier if you want more storage. I think you just have to have it registered to carry cargo on the roof if they haven't changed the laws here.

Anything over PhP1 million. The Toyota Innova. The price range is so vast you can get some for a little over (or under?) one million to almost two million. So pick your variant, type of fuel, and transmission. The Innova has good ground clearance, is pretty practical, and can seat five to seven people. Again, an excellent practical choice.

So there you have it, my practical car choices. You'll notice I didn't include my personal favorite Honda Jazz in the list. It may also be practical, fun to drive, and nice to look at, but at the end of the day you can only fit five people there. Sure, there are only three of us in the family but I honestly believe the extra seating or storage space is better just in case you have other people riding with you or if you're going on a long road trip.

Out.

[866] Developments

Interesting developments have been happening to me since 2021 started. I don't want to mention anything here, because I've learned to censor myself to what I actually broadcast online.

Biggest change is that I've finally added one more cycle to my HIIT/Tabata workout. I used to do three 5-minute cycles of 20-second exercise and 10-second rest with a 1-minute recovery break. Since I've really slowed down the number of times I've been exercising since around October last year I decided to increase the duration of my exercise. I started last Monday, January 18. I finished my second workout earlier this morning.

I'm really hoping that once the weather slowly starts getting warmer, and the dawn starts getting brighter, that I will be able to exercise more frequently. If I can get back to my Monday to Friday frequency I'll probably be doing MWF with some lifting and TTh as all cardio.

As it stands now what I do is two cycles of cardio. Usually alternating between jumping jacks and a 20-pound kettlebell swing. After those two cycles the next one is usually either (if back day) suitcase deadlift alternating with left and right bent over rows or (for leg days) a combination of a kettlebell goblet squat, calf raises, and forward/backward lunges. I end the workout with (for shoulder days) some shoulder exercises I don't know the names or (for arm days) some bicep/tricep exercises I don't know the names either.

When I started this HIIT/Tabata workout last year my original goal was to lose more weight. I had gone down to 86kg and I wanted to go below 85kg. Since then I've gained weight and I am now hovering between 87kg to 89kg. This doesn't worry me. I am just refining my goals.

I've been here before, when I initially started my weight loss journey. I went down and hovered between 96kg to 99kg for quite a while before I refocused. I went down and hovered between 92kg to 94kg. Took a while before I managed to go down and now I'm hovering (yet again) between 87kg to 89kg. See the pattern?

The important thing I want to focus on now is to get back to exercising. Less for weight loss but more that I get my body moving. I'm already forty years old, I'm not getting younger, and I'm starting to slowly feel Father Time catch up to me. I need to be healthier.

Out.

[865] New Year New Weight

2021 has been here for two weeks already. First thing I need to get in control of more is my weight. I have gained weight and now I am hovering between 88 to 89kg. This is a big warning sign for me because I do not want to go back to 90kg or more.

I need to get my food intake back in control, and hopefully the end of the holidays will help with this. I am also trying to get back to exercising again but the cold early morning temperatures makes it very challenging for me.

I know, excuses excuses. I also know I need to dictate what I should be doing and not letting others tell me what I should be doing. So I will do my best to get good habits back again. Wish me luck.

Out.

[864] 2020

It's Sunday, you know what that means.

2020 is over and a new year has arrived. Looking back at everything that's happened I am thankful I have survived and have learned a lot of things from last year.

It was a very sad year with all the surprise deaths (non pandemic related), and unnecessary deaths that happened. I lost one of my very good friends and mentor, the world lost some amazing people, whether they were athletes, actors, leaders in their fields, young, old, whatever.

There were good things to happen for me personally in 2020. I cannot believe I am writing this but it is true. I cannot ignore the positives and focus on the negatives.

Out.