November Rain

I'm not entirely sure why I entitled my post "November Rain". Perhaps, it's the fickle weather we're experiencing these days or maybe it's just me. I feel dark and gloomy about the fact that I only have two months to go before 2010 ends and it seems like nothing has changed with my list of unaccomplished projects... they still remain unaccomplished. My hectic hours at work are to be blamed, as well as the fact that I seem to be attending more blog events now. The rest of my so-called free hours are left to do house chores, watch my favorite DVDs and read some books. I don't even get to sleep a lot anymore. So what's new?! Sigh.

However, I am happy about the fact that my days last month have been filled with meaningful work and a lot of fun blogging events. And now that Halloween has just been over, which means that Christmas is almost here, that's a whole new reason to be excited about! ^_^

Anyway, gloominess aside, I still have hope. If only I can discipline myself to only take care of things that really matter, I know I can still accomplish my personal projects, even if not all of them. So let me rack my brain for a little while and think of a good schedule that I must keep (by hook or by crook). Hihi.

Nuninuninuninuninunu.....thinking....


Okay, here is my basic plan:

1. If I'm invited to events, attend only one-two events per week as much as possible. Choose the ones that I am passionate about and ones that I'd really enjoy. Like, later, I'll be at Resorts World for some food tasting and on Nov. 6, I'll be at Nido Discovery Center with my parents.
2. On Nov. 8, Monday, I should take the time to take care of my DTI application and business permits.
3. Do general cleaning and laundry once a week, preferably middle of the week, after work, so my weekends can be allotted for more important projects.
4. Avoid doing more than 10 hours of work per day from Mon.-Fri. unless really, really necessary.
5. Every work week, after work, I should allot 1 hour each day for beading, 1 hour each day for spa making, 1 hour each day for drums/guitar & keyboards, 20 minutes for biking, 20 minutes for Wii workout, 20 minutes for tarot.
6. On Nov. 11, I shouldn't stay so late at the Brownman Revival Gig. I should also avoid getting so drunk so I can still work once I get home.
7. On Nov. 13, I should accomplish all the things on my errands list (like buying my own mannequin, a couple of photo frames, baking ingredients, soap making ingredients, candle making ingredients, some potted plants and a wall mirror; have my nails done; buy new DVDs; check out Citibank promo --- I want a simple digicam with video recorder coz our Olympus digicam has been having problems for a while now).
8. On Nov. 14, Peter and I should continue with our windsurfing lesson plus camping & picnic.
9. On Nov. 15, I should start uploading my new supply of clothes.
10. On Nov. 16-19, I should urge Peter to finish processing papers for the Bulacan house, have the Yaris aircon fixed and schedule our Boracay trips c/o Panoly.
11. On Nov. 19, I should allot a few hours for HARRY POTTER screening. *Excited!*
    
12. Nov. 20 will be for baking, soap making & candle making, plus a few blog posts about my Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur trips if possible.
    
13. On Nov. 21, I should start packing for our Dumaguete trip.
14. Nov. 22-25 will be devoted to work and the scheduled personal projects.
15. Nov. 26-30 will be for fun, fun, fun!

Okay, it's settled then. Wish me luck!

Prepping For My 2010 Projects

I want to let you all know that I am serious about this project of mine. Like I told my new author friend --- Dennis Hambright --- I know I'm not getting any younger and I'd like to make a new set of goals come 2011 (like going to Brazil or even Paris!) but I won't be able to do that if I can't finish these little projects of mine. They always pop up in my new year's resolution list every year but I never seem to follow through. So... like what my  late idol, Michael Jackson, said: "THIS IS IT!" It's now or never.

So in preparation for these projects of mine, I made sure that I have all the materials/knowledge that I will need. This will reinforce the fact that I have no more excuses for not finishing them all next year.

 Let's go back to my list earlier and see what I have so far:

Soap Making

I bought this book in 2003 right after I took a soapmaking seminar in U.P. Soaps were supposed to be one of those things that I will make and sell together with my other spa products I called N.I.B.s / Nature in Bottles (which were even published in the lifestyle section of Philippine Daily Inquirer that same year). Well, guess what? I got very busy supplying tons of people with my spa products that I never got to commercialize my learning in the soapmaking seminar. I hope to study it again next year... not really to sell but for my own personal satisfaction. The selling part will just have to follow much, much later... depending on circumstances. ;-)

Level 2 of Drums

I got the drums, I got the books... what else could I ask for, right? The purple book on the left taught me the basic rock beat. I studied that early this year and it was cathartic. Never mind that my neighbors probably detested me for harrassing their peaceful sleep at night. Lol! Anyways, the book came with a DVD so it was very easy to learn. The white book on the other hand, the one on the right, is for my level 2. It will teach me more difficult drum beats. Gosh! I'm so anxious just thinking about it. The book comes with an audio CD so it will be harder. I'm more of a visual person, you know. But I gotta do it. So good luck to me!

Baking and Cooking

When I was in high school, during our Home Economics class, I was usually the dish washer rather than the cook. I preferred the lull of the flowing water in the sink than the heat of the oven or the stove. I even tried baking a cake for my boyfriend back then. I just didn't know if he ate it. It was so hard! Literally, the cake was like a rock.  So I fully understand if he never ate it. But now, cooking and baking are starting to grow on me. We don't have a real oven (YET) but maybe I can start with an oven toaster instead and try to make cakes that don't really require an oven. Hmmm. I got all the recipe books I will ever need, one of which (The Joy of Cooking, the one on the right) was even used in the movie Julie and Julia which inspired me to do all this in the first place.

Guitar Playing (must memorize 4 songs)

I started learning the guitar in grade school. My mom hired a teacher who  taught me how to play Hotel California. But for some reason (maybe financial reason, I don't really remember), the lessons suddenly stopped. I self-studied back in high school and even saved up my allowance so I can buy my very first Lumanog guitar. It was huge! As in literally huge. In 2006, I fell in love with this cool pink Krizzia guitar in Mega Mall so I bought it. It is smaller than what I was used to, so,  playing it became a lot easier.But the thing is, I only played when I felt like it. I lacked (and I still do) the discipline to at least memorize one song and be good at it. Next year, I'll have my chance.

Painting

I started drawing at a very young age. I had a favorite... For some reason, I loved drawing the beach... with the coconut tree, the white sand, the sea and the mountains from afar. It's always the same thing. Maybe it's my subconscious telling me that someday I'll be the Sexy Nomad that I am today. Hihihi... Anyway, back in grade school, I drew my own stationery and sold them to my classmates so I can have extra allowance. Yeah...I was kind of entrepreneurial even at a young age. I had to be or else I'd have nothing to eat (which happened quite often actually). I also remember being asked by my teachers to draw stuff. I even won in school drawing and painting competitions. They even sent me to an interschool drawing competition over at Midtown Hotel in Manila. See, I still remember! But then again, for some reason, it just all suddenly stopped when I went to high school. I got busy with academics and acting. I just started painting again in college. But I painted dark stuff portraying rage, anger and despair. I didn't throw my paintings but I kept them hidden all these years coz I don't wanna attract those emotions anymore. The Secret said that if I want to attract good things then  I must paint good things. I just miss drawing /painting. It proved to be cathartic and I was sort of good at it too. Sort of... now I actually don't know if I still know how to draw... We'll see... If you must know, I bought these painting materials in 1999-2000. I was still single then! And look, they're still as good as new. I better use them soon.

Candle Making

I did this in 2003 coz I  was curious as to how candles are made. Hopefully, I still remember how. If not, I recently learned how to make one with just oil and a wick. Then I'll just glamour it up with a nice candle holder and other accessories. I shall show you soon...

Spa Making

Like I told you earlier, I already did this in 2003-2006. I wanna make my own again. It's fun, exciting and I might even sell some to those who are interested in using all-natural spa products.

Making Beaded Accessories

I used to make my own before. Then life happened, I just didn't have the time. Most of my beaded accessories are made by moi and I still have a lot of raw materials left. I don't want them to go to waste so... Plus, making my own beaded accessories can be a lot of fun! It's just so kikay and so vain... so me!!! ^_^

Play Keyboards (must memorize 2 songs)

The keyboard you see here is my hubby's. He's had it since he was a child but he never really got to play with it. I had one too when I was still a student but it's not as big and high-tech as this. Lucky me I married him, I don't have to buy one for myself anymore. Those books you see on top, I've had them since college. This means that I've been really meaning to learn how to play. Just like with my guitar skills, they're very basic. I was just never disciplined enough to really memorize a song and be good at it. Hopefully next year I will be.

Palm Reading, Casting Spells and Tarot Reading

I actually have a separate blog for these wicked things. But I notice that it only gets updated when Halloween is near coz that's when I practice with my Wiccan skills more often than usual. Hopefully, I'll be able to spend more focused time with these shenanigans and be able to cast my own spell, do my own enchantments, read palms and do tarot readings without looking at my cheat sheet. I'm crossing my fingers!

So that's it for now. Be back when I have more ideas.

Oh,  hold on a sec... I'm pretty sure a time will come when I'll get bored doing the same project for a period of a month at a time. So just in case I won't be able to overcome my boredom and my being impulsive, I have my other toys to play with to kind of destress and regroup. That's why I am keeping my Wii and PSP handy. ^_^

Chat soon!

Why I Started This Blog

I was watching Julie and Julia earlier. It's a movie about the real stories of two people who both found joy in cooking. Not that I am particularly very passionate about cooking, I like to cook, just not all the time. The thing is, like both of them, I want to find that inner joy in me by doing something worthwhile. The challenge here now is this: I am interested in a lot of things. And most of the time, I just do whatever I want to do. Though it has been a dream come true for me to be having this kind of lifestyle, I sometimes find it unfulfilling. True, I can do whatever I want, when I want and how I want it but there has to be a system here somewhere. Like there should be some schedule that I should follow... like being in school. There has to be a particular goal and a particular deadline, like how Julie did it in the movie (500+ recipes in 365 days). But knowing how impatient and impulsive I always get, maybe I can chunk it down to like having a particular project every month. Like at the end of every month, I have to have something to show for it. It sounds like a plan, doesn't it?

Okay, right now, just off the top of my head, here are the projects that I came up with that I must follow through. I still don't have the perfect schedule though. I'll work it out on my next blog post.

1. Soap Making

2. Level 2 of Drums
3. Baking

4. Guitar playing (must memorize 4 songs)

5. Painting

6. Candle Making

7. Spa Making

8. Making Beaded Accessories

9. Play Keyboards (must memorize 2 songs)

10. Palm reading

11. Tarot Reading

12. Cooking

Wow! That's a lot. Do you think I can master all these things in 12 months? There's only one way to find out.

P.S.
Oh, and I want to vent out some real emotions here too. My other blogs seem to have no space for that anymore.

Chat soon!