Feeling down and detached? Here’s a pumpkin pie!

Friday was no work for me again. Really, I was contemplating on cutting my head off so I could no longer feel the throbbing pain. I wanted to slam it against my pink matte walls until it splits open, turning my walls into splashes of slimy crimson. Ok, that was morbid… But it's either my head or my tummy which is constantly bothering me. It's like they have a sort of allegiance to make me suffer… and it's driving me insane now. Just go away!

Oh, yea and I wasn't able to see my cousin on her last day here cuz I was in such mood of locking myself in my room all day…

And so Saturday, I tried tiring myself with some old school workout and then rearranged my room in the afternoon. I kept tripping on those wires and I missed having just a lamp on before taking the final plunge into slumberland. Who would want to get up to turn the lights off when your feet are comfortably tucked warm under the pillow and sheets?

Sunday was free lunch! Too bad I ate just three pieces of lechon from Lolo's 85th birthday (again, because my tummy's revolting against me.) But the afternoon made up for it… I had been craving for pumpkin pie for years now and had constantly been in failure to find one.  Finally, yesterday was the long awaited day… Me and Christian made a refrigerated pumpkin pie from this really easy recipe I found in the net. It's not as good as the baked one but it'll do, for now…

    CRUST:

    1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs,   1/3 c. diet butter, melted

    FILLING:

      1 env. unflavored gelatin
      1 tsp. cinnamon
      1/2 tsp. ginger
      1/2 tsp. nutmeg
      1/4 tsp. salt
      2 eggs
      13 oz. evaporated skim milk
      16 oz. pumpkin
      8-12 packets Equal (we used regular sugar though)

    Prepare graham cracker crust and set aside. Mix gelatin, spices, and salt in saucepan. Beat eggs and milk together and pour into dry ingredients. Let stand 1 minute. Stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Stir in pumpkin and Equal. Pour mixture into prepared graham crust. Chill until firm.

Despite of the success of homemade pumpkin pie, I'm still feeling like my feet are glued on hot asphalt with an annoying dog lingering around me, sniffing my legs while drooling. I want to kick the dog away and run as fast as I could to as far as I could to let air cool down my feet or if not, at least forget that they're getting burned. It's a never-ending struggle and it's getting frustrating…

Cheers to pumpkin pie though!

Random Thoughts: Part I

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT? AMBIVERT!

There is such thing as in between introversion and extroversion, I just found out yesterday from an acquaintance who falls under the same category. I never really admitted that I just always enjoy being with myself. I do seek company of other people that’s why I often have this urge to be out with salsa peers, join a mountaineering or running club or simply be out with friends talking and drinking til we fall asleep. But following that is a need to be entirely with myself, with minimal interest of having a conversation or any form of interaction with another human being.

 —————

SURVIVING ENDLESS RECEIVABLES $$$

A computer and a creative brain are adequate capital duo. I could have a hand in my pocket clutching the last 100 bill and a few coins I have to survive the week and a few hours to turn that last cash into 100x more. To anyone this is just the best thing. It could be, if no studies have to be presented anymore, no more waiting for approval and several revisions, just hand in the design, have it printed out and here comes the money!

But no, most artists live through receivables. We have rendered our service and all we could do is wait for the client’s payment. Banking through them is not exactly an idea I am in favor of. First off, I can’t “withdraw” money if I needed it. Then, wouldn’t it be better if that money’s just sitting in the bank earning interests? And of course, not to mention the possibility of not getting paid at all (but this rarely happens unless you’re stupid enough to accept a job from a company who doesn’t look like they can pay.)

But at least there’s money lying somewhere that soon enough will be received aside from the twice a month salary…

 —————

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

“Why do people have to do something that isn’t exactly necessary in life?”

“Uh, for self-fulfillment?”

“When can you say you’ve already done something and would finally stop doing it?”

“When I’ve done the basic, the intermediate and probably the advanced when I FEEL and KNOW that I can still push myself to go through it…”

“There will always be things to do, places to see, challenges to overcome, danger to be encountered. Enough is when you finally lost interest in something…”

Back are the days when I’m just burning seats…

Fun Run and Marathon 2007

Hear ye runners and aspiring ones like me! Get your feet ready to do some running for this year. 

1. February 4      :    Adidas Race, Baguio City (Hehe! Wanna try this one…)
2. February 18    :    DZMM Takbo Para sa Kalikasan, Quirino Grandstand  Registration is until February 15 only at Ground Floor, Vasquez Madrigal Plaza 51 Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan. Race starts at 6am. Registration fee: P150
3. February 25    :    Pasig Marathon, along Pasig River (Full Marathon)  Registration is at The Orchidarium, Teodoro Valencia Circle Rizal Park, Manila. You may contact 5276376 / 78 /79. Deadline of registration is on 22 February 2007.
4. March 11         :     KOTR Championship Run, Manila
5. April 29            :     Global City Run
6. May 13                    :     Runnex  Contact Mr Fidel Ringor 366-9367/364- 6201  Runnex Shed , QC Memorial Circle 6-8 am
7. May 20                    :     Champion Run   Registration is at Champion Store in Chino Roces or you can contact Contact Harvey Tan 09224945578 or Willy 0919-3770556
8. May 27             :     New Balance Power Race - CANCELLED
9. June 17           :     National Run For Peace 3k/5k/10k/15k/21k  RunCPI activities/ call Jove Usana tel 541-3487 and mobile no. 09196901295
   Registration: P 60 at National Capital Region Training School, Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City
10. June 17           :     Adidas Simultaneous Run - POSTPONED to July 1 (Tentative Date)
    
11. July 1              :     Run to Bring Hope Rajah Sulayman, Roxas Blvd. Contact Tel 364-4491 /Runner's Plus Inc
12. July 15            :     TARA Run (UP JPIA), UP Diliman  Registration: P 100 for kid/150 for 6k and P 200 for 15k. Grandstand (Sunken Garden) June 9,16,17,23,24,30  July 1,4,6,7 6-10am. Contact Kristelle 09165162882/Kating 09063062976
13. July 22            :     Milo Marathon Manila Elimination
14. November 11    :    Yakult 10 Miler, CCP

For more info, you may contact Mrs. Biscocho at 7279987. 

Reference: http://www.malaya.com.ph/jan08/spor4.htm

See ya all! 

Work and sleep: Pros and Cons

Up at 5:15 am and on my second cup of 3-in-1 instant coffee. This is one of the rare instances when I was off to bed before the clock hits the hour before midnight and was perfectly awake after a good 7 hours. Why doesn't this happen more often than needed? I could sleep at 12 but then 9am doesn't seem enough to keep me running about during the day. Maybe I should always get myself some work that would bother me all day and night long. 

I can't say that I am a perfectionist… I really don't think I am, but I couldn't help thinking that sometimes (just sometimes, or is it often?) I'm being too hard on myself. I see every single flaw, every minute detail that needs improvement and it drives me crazy when I notice something that doesn't seem right after a thing has been done. Perfect example is this:

This had been the image lingering on my restless mind during the last few minutes before drowsiness totally overtook me. Somehow I couldn't forgive myself for missing out that "important" detail and I half blame the printing press for not verifying this with me. I did some size adjustment and apparently, I forgot to resize that orange layer. But they should have noticed that it looked really awkward with the rest of the layout! And that image haunted me in my dreams, forcing me to open my eyes way before the sun shines and take another look at it. It's annoying, not to mention the paper. The paper wasn't thick enough but I could forgive myself for that. But that extra image at the back, never! It's too obvious and the fault is entirely on me. (Fellow artists do understand, right?)

Well, at least I'm up early and I still got an hour and half to work out and prepare a decent meal for the day and yea… be in the office at 9am! If only this could happen everyday, sans the sidejob nightmares of course…