[1119] Looking Back

A lot of interesting things happened this year. Some good, some bad. I've been doing my best this year to try to change how I react to things, and I have to say it's been a relatively mixed bag of results.

Self-awareness helps, but I really have a challenging time changing my perspective and my mentality. I keep trying though, and trying to break really old habits and comfort zones.

It's a process, I guess. I keep trying to remind myself how I should think and behave, and hoping for the best as well. I'm not sure how long I have to keep at this so that I can make it second nature for me, but keep at it I must.

My wife is right, it's all about changing perspective. Rather than trying to focus on the negative things, try to find the bright spot. It may be hard to find, but it's always there. And adapting a relatively positive attitude will help a lot with me going through the rest of my life.

Out.

[1118] Holidays

Call me jaded, negative, pragmatic, or whatever. I just find that the end of the year holidays have been losing their meaning since a few years (decades?) ago. I just use these two weeks of Christmas and New Year as a chance to rest, recharge, and do stuff I normally don't enjoy -- going to social events.

My social battery is usually empty by the time work starts again in the first week of January. The good thing is I'm also relatively recharged and ready to tackle work life again, at least for a few months.

If this sounds sad or depressing, I guess it has something to do with how I think and my perspective in life. I do enjoy the memories I make with my loved ones and in-laws but at the back of my head I still think about the things that do cause me worry. Real life stuff.

Perhaps I should consider worrying less, but that's something I have no idea how to do. I would rather anticipate potential life problems so I can either prevent them or be ready for them.

And this blog post makes it six for December.

Happy holidays, happy new year.

Out.

[1117] Car Restomod Ideas

I've written about this before but I want to write about it again. If I do come up with the funds to buy and restomod a car I will have the following priorities: safety, reliability, and practicality.

Safety. This involves making sure the electricals, brakes, seatbelts, chassis, air bags, and other related things I can't remember, are in great condition. This means at least making sure the brakes are in great condition with no leaks in the brake lines. Maybe even upgrade the brake lines and refresh the calipers and other components. It could also mean replacing the wiring harness and electrical components with new ones. Costly yes, but crucial to make sure the car will be able to protect the riders.

Reliability. The engine, transmission, and other important components should be problem free. Could include having to overhaul the engine and transmission, specially after all the stuff we've experienced with our 2001 Rav4. Replace all fluids and make sure everything is in tip top condition.

Practicality. At my age my idea of a practical car is a relatively small, spacious, and fuel-efficient car (like my main dream practical car, a Honda Jazz gen 2). Also included in being a practical car is the creature comforts so having a reliable AC and a "modern" head unit, so Android Auto and Apple Car Play ready head unit. I'd also love to add roof rails that can carry a cargo box or bike rack.

And that's it. I do want to add "performance" mods. Stuff that aren't practical but will hopefully scratch my car guy itch. Things like adjustable coilovers so I can raise the ride height by two or three centimeters. A carbon fiber hood to lighten the car and make it more fuel efficient. LED bulbs for most lights, excluding the headlights. Fog lamps, both front and rear, for those really dark and low vis situations.

Out.

[1116] A Much Needed Break

In the next two or so weeks I'll be taking a holiday from my job. I think this is the perfect time to rest, unwind, and just break my routine.

I'm hoping this break will both get me motivated again as well as re-invigorating me to my current job. I'm pretty tired and excited for this much needed break. I still don't know what I plan to do, aside from celebrating the holidays.

So here we go. Hopefully this break will be fruitful.

Out.

[1115] Initial D

I've recently started re-watching Initial D and am now up to the 4th Stage (aka Season 4). It's interesting to watch it again through a set of eyes that have a different perspective in life since I first watched it around twenty years ago.

I still stand by my opinion that Initial D would have been more epic had Takumi lost a few races. You can argue he "lost" some races when his car broke down against Emperor's Sudo and his Evo 3. Or when his father, Bunta, outraced him on the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. That really doesn't count for me either.

Takumi is too much of a Mary Sue (or a Marty Stu as a friend terms male overpowered characters). I think it would have made him more human and more relatable if he lost some races and used those losses to grow as both a street racer and as a character.

However his wins have been heavily influenced by "divine intervention" so to speak. Accidents to the opponents or surprise road obstacles always lead them to slow down or give Takumi the opportunity to pull off a really amazing overtaking maneuver.

I still enjoy it and I guess re-watching this will get me excited for the second season of MF Ghost.

Out.

[1114] Tong Yang Review

My wife, daughter, and myself had lunch yesterday with my in-laws at Tong Yang's One Ayala branch. I must say, I was very happy eating there.

Tong Yang, basically, is an all-you-can-eat hot pot/grill buffet. Your table has individual induction stoves and one big centralized grill in the middle. You get your ingredients from a buffet table and cook them. You have different choices of what broth you want for your soup base.

It's basically a complete meal in the restaurant. Aside from the ingredients for the grill and hot pot, you also have some choices of sushi rolls, some cooked side dishes like vegetable, pancit, and rice, and you also have different desserts. There were also cold fruit drinks, beer, and coffee available.

Price was relatively affordable at around PhP878 per person, excluding taxes and service charge (I think, I didn't pay).

Would I eat there again? Sure, I enjoyed the experience and since I got what I wanted to eat I feel that I got my money's worth of food. However, I also realize that at my age I'm not really the type to "enjoy" all-you-can-eat places since I don't really like eating that much anymore,

Out.

[1113] Random Filler Post

Nothing new to blog, I've been relatively busy lately. I'm trying to wrap things up as the Christmas and New Year break is approaching.

I need a break, and not necessarily a vacation. I need to break the monotony of my daily routine and I have no idea how or what to do.

I'm hoping I can ride my bike during Christmas week. Hopefully less cars on the road and more time for me to go out and just face my fears. We shall see.

One thing I need to maintain are my morning exercises. I need to keep doing them because my portion control for eating is really gone at the moment. I know I'm making excuses but my discipline and willpower really aren't strengths of mine.

Out.