New hobby

Got up a little earlier than usual today, just so I could check my emails from home. Barely got to post on my blog except for the past 2 days when I posted lyrics to songs I liked. If blogging were a contest, would that be cheating? hahahah... :D Well, nothing really 'news' worthy to blog about... Work? Ok. Going merrily along, I must say. :) Kids? Happy, healthy and gaining weight this vacation (which is good!). And with the kids happy, I'm happy. :) Social life? Well, this week hardly have time to meet with friends since I have a lot of things keeping me busy after office. For one, I still have Toastmasters twice a month, and this new hobby which I need to focus on 2 days a week.

Talking about that new hobby, people who know me will probably be sooo surprised that I finally took up a sport. And a contact sport at that! In high school, I 'hated' volleyball, basketball since I didn't like getting hit coz I easily bruise. The only sports I've dabbled in since then was track (running), bowling, billiards, and lastly, badminton. Actually, with bowling and billiards, they're more of what I consider part of my malling activities. Nothing I took seriously because for me, for it to qualify as a sport, it should be something that would actually help me to sweat, and lose weight in the process. But with bowling and billiards, when it's not my turn to play, I just sit down and eat! So no, these are not what I would consider "sports". :) Bwahahaha!!! As for badminton, I still enjoy playing but since I started working, haven't found any other people to play with since my schedule doesn't jive with that of my former officemates. Oh well...

So what sport have I VERY recently taken up? Ta-da-dan...KICKBOXING! yup, little old me -- dabbling in kickboxing. Can you imagine?! Me, kickboxing? I can hardly believe it myself. :) Last night was my first lesson, and oh boy, the stretching for the warm-up alone got me sweating bullets! But then, I'm sure all that stretching helped me during the actual session and today, the morning after, since I'm not feeling any pain at all in any of my joints. Though we were advised to do stretching daily, at least 5 minutes per day upon waking up, just to help loosen the joints, and avoid injury in the future.

Last night I was taught to box, the stances, the footwork, and to kick! Finally, a sport I can do to release all the pent-up anger and aggression! Bwahahaha!!! ;->

You know what I like about this sport? It's a total body workout, enhances flexibility, targets my problem areas (arms and abs), plus, since it's a form of martial arts, I can use what I learn to protect and defend myself. But the most fun part for me? I love the "surprise" factor. It's how surprised (maybe even shocked!) some people will be when I tell them I'm taking up KICKBOXING! Ha ha ha! :D

The 1 1/2 hour session last night just flew by! Whew! After that session, my shirt was drenched with sweat. Exercise? Oh yeah! I'm looking forward to my next lesson on Thursday. Am enrolled for a total of 8 sessions, so for the next month, every Tuesday and Thursday night, I'll be at Wack-Wack. What will happen after my 8 sessions? Who knows? If by that time I like the results and I'm hooked on the adrenaline rush, I might find another class to join! Only time will tell.

Got to get up, stretch out, and get ready for work. The adrenaline from last night is still pumping... :)

The Reason

The Reason
by Hoobastank

i'm not a perfect person
there are many things i wish i didnt do
but i continue learning
i never meant to do those things to you.

and so i have to say before i go,
that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me,
to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new,
and the reason is you

i'm sorry that i hurt you,
its something i must live with everyday
and all the pain i put you through,
i wish that i could take it all away

and be the one who catches all your tears,
thats why i need you to hear

i'm not a perfect person,
i never meant to do those things to you
and so i have to say before i go
that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me,
to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new,
and the reason is you

i've found a reason to show
a side of me you didnt know
a reason for all that i do,
and the reason is you

*******************************

This is one song I instantly liked the first time I heard it. It was more of the beat I liked more than anything else. So when i finally got hold of the lyrics and was singing it, my brother (smart aleck that he is!) suddenly asks, with a tinge of teasing, "why do you like that song so much? siguro may significance sa yo noh?"
Nye. Hello?! Reading through the lyrics, no, I didn't think I needed to say these to anyone in particular. No one came to mind. But then I did think of someone who I would "like" to actually sing this to me. HA! i wish... (back to wishful thinking)... ;->

Born To Love You (2)

Here's the version of that song "Born to Love you" from Ben. Phil Perry version...

Born To Love You

You walk into my life
And change the balance of my days
With your eyes you say
I am yours and you are mine
But still something's very wrong
No I can't just go along
Though you want to stay
I must find a reason to delay

Chorus:

We're not the same
You play a game

I know
But if I keep my feelings strong
I'll find the song you sing
Though i can tell
We're worlds apart and in my heart it's clear
That Love has found a cloudy day
I'm here to say that
I was born to love you

Such a lovely face
With a warm and tender smile
Something deep inside keeps saying
Don't trust your heart this time
Could my mind be playing games
Am I so betrayed
That my heart and mind can never be the same?

(Chorus)

Describe me...

Got this thru sms/text last Wednesday, and promptly sent it out to a few of my friends:

“Describe me with one word, just one! And send it to me… Send this message to everyone and see how many wonderful/strange things people think of you.”

And you know the responses I got? I got 2 BEAUTIFULs, and 1 each of NO-NONSENSE, FUNNY, SWEET, GREGARIOUS, FRIENDLY, SUPERGIRL, KIKAY, HOT, PATIENT, TOUGH, DREAMER. Hey, this is what they said…:)

SMS.ac

okay, okay, so this is my 3rd post for today. hey, can I help it if there's so many things I want to write about today? What can i say? i'm on a roll! :) Just think of it as making up for lost time since I haven't posted that much the past week/s. Whereas before (as in late last year or so), I posted almost every day! Now I'm lucky if I get to post 2x a week. So now that it's a weekend, better take advantage of all this free time to post all I want. Ha! :D

anyway, got another invite to join sms.ac which is an online sms/text service so you can send text messages for free, using your pc. A number of my friends are on it now, so decided to send out invites to my own set of friends. This is different from friendster, mind you, since the purpose here is to make use of the free sms service. So anyway, check it out. Here's my profile:
Web: http://profiles.sms.ac/shydelacruz
WAP: http://wap.sms.ac/shydelacruz

Gay guys

Yes, they’re vain. They care about their appearance. They understand the woman’s point of view, mainly because they feel and think more female than male. And they’re loads of fun to be with. No inhibitions, they make catty remarks in public, and one even danced the “ocho-ocho” in a crowded Greenbelt Seattle’s Best a year ago. (You know who you are! :) )Maybe it’s because they truly don’t care what other people think, or they’re too self-absorbed to even care. Hahaha! (Peace, guys! :) ) No matter which one, I really enjoy being with them.

I actually counted how many close gay friends I have, and they’re already more than I can handle! Close gay friends number more than 10 already. Not really many, you might say, but add this to the other gays I know (just acquaintances really) and put together, their sheer number may mean that there “might” soon come a time that heteros will be discriminated on. I can imagine it now, gays whispering to each other, “you mean, he’s straight?!” Ha ha ha!!! LOL!

Why am I writing about my gay friends now? Well, considering they’re so much part of my life now, it’s not surprising that they should find their lives ‘exposed’ on my blog. Ha ha ha! :) For these “guys” who are really close to me, I am the “Grace” to their “Will”. So I can really consider myself a true blue fag hag, in the truest sense of the word.

Saturday night out

Had a Saturday night out with friends, old and some new. Attended a fashion show and spent the night critiquing (and laughing!) at the clothes they wore, and ogling at the models. Ha ha ha! :) Got to admit, was already feeling sleepy before the show started, but once the models hit the stage, we were all wide-eyed.

Thanks for the invite, Ben! Am glad I joined coz I really had fun... :)

Now what to do with the rest of my weekend? Hopefully, spend it just relaxing with the kids, watching tv, or reading a book, and psyching myself for the start of another working week tomorrow. Aaargh!!! i hate mondays... :(

The week in review

It’s been a week since I started at my new job. As expected, not too busy yet during the first day. But steadily, slowly got busier by the day. Still adjusting, and of course, planning out the things I have to work on, the issues that need immediate attention, etc. Funny is, I feel so sleepy at work after lunch! How I miss my afternoon ‘siesta’! Ha ha ha! :) Have to work with a lot of expats, so the joke is that our company is like “united colors of benetton”. Ha ha ha. :)

What am I doing now? Here I am, relaxing, sitting in front of the pc, writing down my thoughts, when I happened to look out the window. Patrick is sitting outside, alone, with a basketball in hand. Turning the ball in his hand, looking it over, throwing it up in the air. Seems 'satisfied' (for lack of a better term), even if he's alone. So intent on what he’s doing, until I realize I’m watching him just as intently. The kids are growing up sooo fast. *Sigh*… :)

I wonder...

Do thoughts of me still cross your mind? Do you feel a tinge of sadness, or regret? Or do you think of me with a smile on your face, recalling the happy times we shared? (i hope it's the latter)...

Still I wonder...

Sunday morning

It's a Sunday morning, just got up and relaxing, while the kids are eating breakfast. Have been thinking about my new job, and the things I have to prepare for tomorrow. But honestly, am not even worried or nervous at all. For me, this is just a new day, a new job...

But I am hopeful that things will go well with this job.

Born To Love You

just wanted to share this beautiful song (got the lyrics from grace). beautiful, but kinda sad if you think about it...

Born To Love You

You walked into my life
And changed the pattern of my days
With your eyes you say
I am yours and you are mine but still
Something's very wrong
No I can't just go along
Though you want to stay
I must find a reason to remain

We're not the same
You're playing games
I know
That if I keep my feelings strong
I'll find a song
To sing
Though I can tell we're worlds apart
And in my heart
It's clear that love has found a cloudy day
Im here to say
That I was born to love you

Such a lovely day
With your warm and tender smile
Though I want you so
I found it deep inside me saying
Don't trust your heart this time
Could my mind be playing games
And my soul betrayed
That my heart and mind
Can never be the same

Splash Island

Our ‘outing’ at Splash Island was great! From the time that we arrived (9:30 a.m.) to the time we left (4:30 p.m.), it was all fun, fun, fun! The kids had smiles on their faces the whole day! And when asked where they had more fun, what they enjoyed more, Splash Island or Enchanted Kingdom, they both chose Splash Island. Told you they were water babies. :)

Was sooo tired that we all fell asleep on the bus on the way home. Their energy level when we got home was sooo low, that they went to bed early, and without any complaint. Which just goes to prove how tired they were from all that swimming they had yesterday.

Promised the kids that we'll be back at Splash Island soon. Dunno when actually, but do hope to keep this promise. :)

Outing muna :)

Great news. Already received that job offer, finally! It’s way overdue since I was told to expect the job offer before Holy Week. Well, anyway, I finally got the job offer yesterday, and yup, I accepted. Starting work next week so have to squeeze everything that I need to do until this week!

For one, the kids and I are going to Splash Island tomorrow for some swimming and great fun at the giant slides. The kids are so excited already since they’ve always wanted to go there. They never fail to “oohh” and “aahh” each time we pass the giant slides at Splash Island. Can see it now – the kids will be sunburned by the time we leave the place tomorrow (even if I do slather them with sunscreen). Am sure it would be difficult to get them out of the pools once they start swimming. Water babies that they are, you can bet on it. :)

Oh, and back to that job? Left my last job January 14, so I was jobless less than 3 months. And what a vacation that was. Well, no more vacation for a while once I start work. Got to save up again to replace all those savings I used up. Oh well…

Oh, and before I forget, wish me luck on my new job! or better yet, include me in your prayers... :) thanks in advance! GOD BLESS us all!!!

DVD marathon

Friends came by yesterday afternoon. Nothing doing, just chatting until we decided to watch some DVDs. Started off with "Spanglish", starring Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, and this very pretty Spanish lady which looked somewhat like Penelope Cruz, but much prettier!

Anyway, after "Spanglish", we saw "Swimming Pool", then last was the HBO made-for-TV movie "Angels in America". We finished watching 1:00 a.m., Monday, and we haven't even started disc 2 of "angels in america". so definitely, they'll come over again soon to finish watching that disc. :)

For Men

Here are some grooming tips for men. Am feeling ala “queer eye”… blame it on watching all those makeover shows. Ha ha ha… :) Anyway, this is from the column, FYI, written by Times staff and Knight Ridder newspapers, 10/25/04…

Groom Club for Men

With men’s large pores, rough stubble and exposed cuticles, you’d think they would be the more high-maintenance sex. While they might not swap testimonials as often as women do, a growing number of men are beginning to search out fountains of youth along the beauty aisle. And they’re not all metrosexuals.

To encourage their curiosity (and necessary nose-hair waxing), this FYI offers a few pointers for the rookie groomer:

Skin
(Read: beyond soap on a rope):
* Add a face scrub to your regimen twice a week, which will help to slough off oil, dirt and dead skin cells. Use the scrub in the shower. The moisture will give you a closer shave.
* Hydrate your skin with a moisturizer. Everyone needs hydration, and it will also aid shaving.
* Invest in an eye cream, which is understandably a step often skipped by most men. But it will reduce puffiness and minimize the signs of wrinkles.

Shaving
(Listen up, especially if you have acne and ingrown hairs):
* Shave after a shower so that the skin is hydrated and the beard is softened. And stow the razor in a dry place to keep bacteria at bay.
* If you have acne, put a warm compress against your face first, and then shave with the grain of the hair. Don’t tug at the skin when you shave.
* Apply a sunscreen, which can double as a moisturizer.
* Those with acne may need to use a benzoyl peroxide cleanser when they wash their face.
* Men with really sensitive skin might require a mild cortisone cream following a shave to soothe razor burn.


Hair
* Invest in a good shampoo, conditioner and styling product. Steer clear of products that contain such hair-stripping negative alcohols as SD-40 or ethyl alcohol.
* Hair needs to be washed only every other day with a moisturizing shampoo. If you use hard gels for spiky looks, try a clarifying shampoo once a week.
* Figure in a regular hair trim once every four to six weeks.

Nails
* Soak your hands in warm water for five minutes. Use an orange-wood stick to push back the cuticles.
* Then take a nail brush and scrub the fingertips to get dirt from underneath the nails.
* Complete the process by putting a drop of cuticle oil on the nail to keep it conditioned.
* Now, you’re ready to clip. Start on an angle to trim the sides of the nail, then cut across.
* Follow the nail trim with a bit of filing to smooth the nail’s edge.


- Times staff and Knight Ridder newspapers

For Women

Here’s an article I came across in “In Style” May 2004 issue. Just thought it was worth sharing…

Great At Any Age

It doesn’t matter how many candles are on your birthday cake – each stage of your life offers something pretty terrific to love. We offer a multitude of reasons to embrace the age you are (with ideas on how to make the most of each decade). Because if they think you’re hot today, honey, just wait until they get a load of you tomorrow.

20s
* You can party like a rock star all night and still look good for breakfast.
* Bad fashion days can be described as “experimental”.
* Unlike Nick Nolte, you can still get away with wearing pajama bottoms to lunch.
* You look great in jeans. And you know it.
* That little four-syllable word: metabolism.
* You can use the word “perky” to describe something other than Kelly Ripa’s personality.
* You don’t feel ridiculous wearing a thong…to the beach.

30s
* You learn that the best way to lose weight is to edit out people who aren’t supportive.
* When dating, you can be the sexy older woman – or the sexy younger one.
* You don’t have to stay out all night to have a really great one.
* You realize that self-confidence is a whole lot better than a push-up bra.
* You (finally) stop denying your faults and learn how to manage them.
* You look hotter than you did in high school. (Bring on the reunion!)

40s
* You have more money to spend on shoes.
* You can show a little cleavage without feeling really self-conscious.
* If you go out only twice a month, it’s OK. Everyone thinks you’ve been everywhere anyway.
* Experimentation time is over (along with all the half-used lipsticks). Now you know what works.
* You actually enjoy spending time with yourself.
* There’s a silver lining for having pimples as a kid: Oily skin ages slower.
* Great legs. Still.

50s
* People assume that wisdom comes with age. They’re right.
* Those three lovely words uttered by your kids’ friends: “That’s your mom!?!”
* You’ve earned the right to be a role model (which, by the way, is a lot sexier than being a supermodel).
* All those years of eating healthy and working out? Payoff. Big-time.
* You finally become the person you were meant to be. And let’s face it, she’s pretty amazing.
ü Three words. Sexy. Older. Woman.