AI7 : Top 20 Results

the second set of four contestants bid AI7 farewell. alaina leaving is a complete shocker. i thought she deserved to stay longer than some of the other girls. once again, america never fails to surprise us.

antibiotics and dizzy spells

still pretty much shaken up by the whole episode with my ortho yesterday, i was a bit feverish yesterday. though not so much so to warrant staying in bed but enough to take things a bit slower today. i need to take my antibiotics except that i'm actually allergic to penicillin/amoxicillin that the doctor prescribed erythromycin instead. i guess the only thing about this drug is that its more powerful and it can cause a bit of a stomach discomfort (read in tagalog as "sinisikmura"). i took my meds right after i've had my bowl of oatmeal and glass of orange juice and realized that maybe mixing that meds with the orange juice is not a good idea. still not sure but i can say that i haven't felt great since this morning. i had another serving of food to make sure that its not because i haven't eated enough but earlier on, i had a severe attack of dizziness. i was seated working on my laptop when it came so suddenly i thought there was an earthquake. my desk literally seemed like it was flipping right in front of me. that scared the sh*t out of me mainly because if that happened while i was driving, i would have seriously gotten into an accident. i can't wait to get out of this drugs - damn getting that wisdom tooth extracted. damn these braces. vanity can really screw you over.

50% less wiser

when i decided to have get my braces, my primary reasons were to close the widening gap between my two front upper teeth and benefit from the pain and suffering of adjustments to jumpstart my getting fit strategy. i did manage to hold off eating a bit when biting and chewing became unbearable after adjustments but the pain and suffering unfortunately tapered off the more aligned my teeth became until eating once again became a pleasurable experience.

fast forward to this year what with my ortho telling i need to get my wisdom teeth extracted so the final leg of the alignments will work properly. ok, so after delaying the inevitable since i got back from my trip, i finally decided to pay him a visit today. i could have said i can't do it today but i decided there was no use delaying and i asked him to take the first one off. he gave me 4 shots of anaesthesia instead of 2 and i have to say the whole experience still felt like i was a POW and i was being tortured into revealing some sort of top secret information. ok, so maybe i am exaggerating but no kidding, despite the numbness it was still quite painful. when he was doing the sutures, it wasn't really that bad and almost an hour after, the left side of my mouth still feels numb. the experience was quite traumatic and i'd have to go back two weeks from now for the other one to get extracted. i'm already expecting it to be more painful because the other tooth is planted deeper. so two weeks from now, march 11 is going to royally suck.

AI7 : Top 24 Results

the first four contestants off american idol season 7 bid farewell.

i can eat again!

today was the first day i could finally eat sorta normal food but i wanted to make sure that my 10-day detox isn't going to go to waste that i decided that instead of the usual, i am going to try and eat healthy. i'd have to say that having to eat healthy in some ways isn't quite fun. i started the day off with oatmeal - the plain, sugarless not even fruit-flavored kind which thankfully with the addition of some blueberries made it bearable. yuckness #1. lunch was great though - wheat bread, slice of turkey ham, lettuce, tomatoes and dijon mustard. i helped myself to 24 almonds. yumness. i forgot though that in between meals, i gave in and finally tasted the banana bread and carrot-apple muffins that my sister made which i have stayed away from for two whole weeks. they were quite good but for some reason, i'm not really craving as much sugar right now. i roasted a rosemary marinated chicken tonight and had a good serving of skinless chicken breast and some steamed spinach and mixed carrots, peas & corn. one of the things i've discovered is that plain yoghurt taste is super yucky - the only thing that made it salvageable for me was i mixed it with some blueberries whose natural sweetness made it bearable. otherwise, yuckness #2. yeah, being healthy isn't as easy as it seems - if it was, all of us would be looking fit & healthy. but like they say, its always the bad stuff that's delicious.

one of the cool new things i decided to buy of late is the 9-minute marinator. yeah, blame it on tuning in to those tv shopping channels. but i've been eyeing this one for quite a while now and read that it really does work. so far i think it does work with some of the dishes we tried. i'll probably know for sure when i do the barbecued ribs over the weekend. i'd have to say its a pretty expensive cooking gadget and i'll slap myself silly if it proves to be a dud. so far though, i am satisfied.

getting back to normal

so yes, i managed to complete all 10 days of the "Master Cleanse" program last sunday. Yes, 10 days of having nothing except the lemonade concoction. this was my first attempt at detoxifying my body and final tally - 10.2lbs less than when i started. again, i look like i have a jawline (lol!). 10.2 lbs in 10 days isn't too bad. i'm now breaking off from the detox program and today, i had orange juice galore for the whole day - managed to finish all 2 liters of it.

as i promised, i went to the gym after finishing up work - faithfully did a 20-min stop & go cardio and did my weight training. i didn't really care if i was only using 5, 10 & 15lbs dumbells but i decided to start slowly lest i overexert myself and find myself too sore the next day. i've had that happen last time effectively preventing me from going back to the gym the rest of the week. its pretty hard to do more abdominal exercises because i think i have a weak back or i might not be doing these abdominal exercises properly. tomorrow, i'll do the hip-hop abs here at home --- yeah, i need to get back in shape (for the fans! hahaha).

one thought-provoking thing kept popping into my head the whole time today and more when i was shopping at S&R after my workout. i was talking to a colleague today and we talked about our future in our current organization. we realized that what happened to some good friends (who got retrenched) can very well happen to us too. we agreed that whatever amount we will be getting isn't really going to last very long - and there is truth to it. the thought of not having a job mortifies me - and makes me more determined to figure out a plan B. i am praying that rr/jfc gets back (as they promised) this week and bring forth good news. i am in serious need of a new adventure - a fresh start. God-willing, i know that there is good news coming in the horizon.

survey. survey. survey (from my classmate hazel)

can't you tell i'm bored?

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6am
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? one more chance, i think (lol!)
4. What's your favorite TV show? grey's anatomy, house, brothers & sisters, bsg
5. What did you have for breakfast this morning? a glass of lemonade concoction
6. What's your favorite cuisine? chinese>japanese>spanish>american>italian in that order
7. What food do you dislike? Blood stew (eeewww)
8. What is your favorite chip flavor? BBQ
9. What's your favorite CD at the moment? everything on my ipod's LSS playlist
10. What kind of car do you drive? Honda CRV
11. Favorite sandwich? Ham & Cheese and Crabstick sandwich from Oliver's
12. What characteristics do you despise? Backstabbing beyotch
13. What is your favorite type of clothing? Jeans, shirts & havs
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation. Where? Europe
15. What color is your bathroom? Blue
16. Favorite brand of clothing? American Eagle Outfitters, Springfield
17. Where would you retire to? Either near the beach or somewhere in the country
18. Favorite time of the day? Mornings - reminds me that i am alive
19. What was your most memorable birthday? All of my birthdays are memorable
20. Where were you born? Mandaluyong
21. Favorite sport to watch? F1, World Cup, Volleyball
22. Were you named after anyone? Probably from someone who is royalty (lol)
23. Do you wish on stars? When i was a kid
24. When did you last cry? I don't cry anymore
25. Do you like your handwriting? I have very nice penmanship
26. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? BFF
27. Are you a daredevil? Oh yeah, i'm an adrenaline junkie
28. Do looks matter? Only if you are superficial
29. How do you release anger? I bitchslap anyone caught within the warpath
30. What were your favorite toys as a child? Hmmm i don't think i had any favorites
31. What class in High School was totally useless? Work Education
32. Favorite movies? Under the Tuscan Sun, LOTR, Matrix
33. What are your nicknames? Jay. I don't respond to anything else.
34. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Of course. I love my shoes too much.
35. Do you think that you are strong? I get by
36. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Vanilla Bean forever!
37. What are your favorite colors? Blue, White, Green & Red. I look great in those hues.
38. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? I can be super OC
39 What color pants are you wearing? I'm wearing shorts right now.
40. Last thing you ate? My lemonade concoction, naka-detox kasi ako!
41. Favorite song? With You by Chris Brown
42. If you were a CRAYON what color would you be? Blue (Red daw is the ultimate slut color)
43. Last person you talked to on the phone? My classmate, Mark.
44. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Her clothes
45. Favorite drink? Water
46. Do you wear contacts? Nope, i have 20/20 vision
47. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
48. Endings happy or sad? Happy definitely
49. Winter/summer? Summer, i get to go to the beach!
50. Hugs OR Kisses? Why can't i have both?
51. What is Your Favorite Dessert? Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
52. What Book(s) are you reading? None, i don't feel like reading lately.
53. What is on your mouse pad? A Black canvass
54. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? American Idol
55. Favorite Smells? I love anything citrus - it smells clean.
56. Stones or Beatles? Let's just say i'm not such a big fan of the oldies
57. Where's the furthest you've been from home? Arizona

american idol - top 24

yes, i'm a self-confessed american idol fanatic. there's just something about it that's really addicting and something about cheering for your favorite that makes it worthwhile to see. there seems to be a whole lot of talent this year - not reminiscent of the horrible sanjaya malakar season. i could be wrong of course - how everybody fares remains to be seen. but here's the top 24 - who are you rooting for?

fat boy

the realization of how much weight i've gain over the past six months hit me like a brick wall. over the past month, i've been building up the supplies needed for a much needed detox diet even buying some of the supplies during my trip. i've made up my mind that i need to start this detox tomorrow. weighing in at 190lbs is career topping if i may so with me being the skinny kid back in high school. age really has a way of screwing up your metabolism and the stress-free, laid back life i've grown accustomed to over the past year is really showing. gym has gone back to being my charitable institution but i seriously plan to make a comeback - this time with a major purpose. i'd really like to work on achieving my "body for life."

hopefully i get to lose all 25lbs, get back to a cool 165 and finally be able to wear my S & M-sized shirts again.

Tiger in the Year of the Rat

2008 Predictions

1. It will be a mixed year of good and not so good (not bad) and a year of learning new skills; investment opportunities and career change with some slight negative side to the year although if you follow my advice you can have a great year.
2. The rewards for the year can be very good if you are prepared to work hard and able to accept some changes, the changes will be good for you although it may not seem it at the time.
3. This year can also be a year of learning and this is why changes are frequent as it could be learning a new job, ideas that you have had in last year whether for a new business, career or new hobby, this is the year you should put them in place.
4. It is a better year for those in paid employment rather than self employed.
5. 2008 will be a busy year and whilst all should go well with career and finance you can overlook partners needs, so make sure you make time for loved ones whether it is your wife, boyfriend, Mother, sister or best friend.
6. The single Tiger will find a few offers but you will need to choose carefully as it is hard to tell a book by its cover.
7. A mixed year for finances and investments and make sure you read the small print as the annual stars suggest legal issues and back stabbing, so be careful.
8. Make sure you leave time for yourself and try to relax more as stress can be an issue and you may feel down at times, whatever is on your mind right now it WILL pass.
9. Although overall it should be a good year for the Tiger please be positive as you can suffer from sadness.
10. For further protection wear some hematite beads or place some hematite beside your bed.
11. In 2008 you should use the four pillars enhancers. If there is one month in the year to tread carefully it will be in October 2008, so please remember this month.
12. Be careful of gossip/slander and people who are jealous of you, they may try and make you look bad.
13. Young Tigers born in 1998 should do well this year.
14. In October you should be careful of accidents with knives so if you have children of this age keep them away from sharp objects.
15. To enhance romance and career in 2008 place four pieces of hematite crystal along a very auspicious i-ching coin placed in a bowl of still water, this cure is very important in 2008 as is the Four Pillars Taiyang enhancer placed in the inter-cardinal compass sectors SW-SE-NW & NE.
16. Take extra care in the months of April, June, October and November and make sure you check back with us monthly to get your updates for the month.
17. Your lucky sector: (astrological zone) is the Northeast (52.5º - 67.5º) of the home or office.
18. Although the northeast is your astrological zone, this may not be the best direction for you to face when seated at work or doing anything important.
19. If you are relocating your desk this year to face one of your favourable personal directions, please be aware of the directions and locations of the annual afflictions in particular south and northwest in 2008.
20. You are in affinity with the Pig/Boar. For your protection, you should have a key chain pendant of a Pig.
21. Be careful if your main door, bedroom or office or any other important room is located in the south, northwest or west this year 2008.
22. If your office or bedroom is located in the southeast or southwest please be aware that in the months of April & July 2008 make sure you place a Wu Lou or six Chinese coins tied in a row with red ribbon for the month especially if you are not in good health or very stressed.
23. When at work, you may sit facing the south direction if this is one of your personal good directions, but do not sit with your back to the south or you may find unscrupulous people working against you or you may encounter undue gossip and back stabbing during the year.
24. Because the south has the three killings and Sui Po combined with the #5 bad luck star this makes the south very undesirable in 2008 and considering I have my office in the south one cure I shall definitely be using and one that is an intricate and an exceptionally powerful cure in 2008 and can only be used in certain years is by placing a six metal Dragon hanging Pagoda.
25. The reason you can only use this cure in the south is because the Dragon is part of the three combinations (San He) and if placed correctly not only can it cure the negative effects of the south in 2008 it can also enhance a very inauspicious area making it an extremely powerful cure and enhancer.
26. North is where Tai Sui With Tai Sui (Grand Duke of Jupiter) , you may rely on him for support in that you may sit with him in the north and face the south.
27. Do not confront him (Grand Duke of Jupiter) by undertaking any renovation or construction works in the north or by sitting in a position that is directly opposite him (south).
28. In 2008, this means do not sit with your back to the south facing north even if this is your best direction.
29. Most traditional Chinese families would place a Pi Yao and a gold coloured three legged toad in the south of the home facing north or if your main door is in the north, place it just inside the door facing north.
30. Sui Po (The year breaker) year breaker occupies the division directly opposite Tai Sui Grand Duke, which for 2008 is south.
31. You should treat this area (The year breaker) the same as the other annual afflictions with no groundbreaking work, renovations or any noisy activities.
32. If disturbed this area (The year breaker) can and normally will cause immediate health problems especially for the elderly, so please be very careful.
33. If you have to carry out work or emergency repairs in the south place a six hollow metal rod wind chime (if you are using the 2008 cures kit you do not have to think about it) between the building and where the work is being carried out.
34. To soften the effects of the year you should hang six Chinese coins tied with a red ribbon and place it in the northwest of your home or office this year to control the #2 star.
35. You should also place a six rod metal wind chime in the south along with a set of six Chinese coins tied together with ribbon in your home this year to weaken the #5.

i'm back

having no internet connection for the past week was torture there were times i thought i was going to go out of my mind not having the liberty to check my email on a whim. so finally today, after calling everyday since tuesday they (pldt) finally sent somebody to fix the damn thing. a word of warning, if you are subscribed to pldt mydsl, good luck dealing with their customer service - they're pretty much useless. expect at least a week of outtage (if you are lucky) before they endorse your request to the service technician. anyway, i am just glad to be back online - means i have the liberty to start working from home again. yay, for that.

in the past week till today, both the remaining prospects i have called back for my final meetings. i managed to set-up the jfc/rr meeting after emailing them i was back in manila when surprisingly i received a call from a/ for the closing meeting. i think i did well in both meetings because i knew i was in my element during the conversations. i just know because words flowed effortlessly and finding the right words to say to the questions came instantaneously. while i was very hopeful, i also expect that neither of the last two prospects will probably be able to match the x/sg package. i will know soon and i remain hopeful the package is going to be good.

i'm excited at the prospect of going on a new adventure.