Blue

Today was a good day. Lunch out with a friend, coffee & quiche in Barnes & Noble, talking about her trip to Europe! Work was work but manageable & I actually left somewhat on-time. Did some homework & research for school.

I have a feeling tomorrow will be awful. Or not. Sometimes I just don't care anymore, which is actually probably healthy.

Somewhere out there is a blue dog....

Green

Some days I hate my job, a bit like today. Luckily I've been actively living my life around other things, not just my job, so that's been fantastic & working out well.

Today we finally rearranged some furniture in the bedroom. Feels weird and different but good too. Also started book Spark on creativity. Also started another book called Kingdom of the Golden Dragon!

Here's to wishing & hoping for luck and prosperity.

Color of the day - green, for growth.

Good

I spent 8 hours plus talking/training someone today. My throat hurt & I am glad I'm not a teacher as a profession. Today was a good day. What color, not sure. Initially I thought red. So there. A pretty red day. A lucky & good color in Asian culture.

Anyway I hope my message & training all went through, and I'm hoping for a peaceful & uneventful week. Go big red!

Chocolate

Color of the day, chocolate. There comes a time in every girl's life, about once a month, where chocolate turns into medicine. That was this weekend. I also took iron supplements & overall took it easy. I don't have a sweet tooth, except about this time o month.

Went to church today. Haven't gone in ages, and it was actually nice & inspiring - rare and good. The sermon had sports references, talked about staying power, was about taking timeout to reflect, re-strategize & avoid temptation. Pretty nice.

Got a good haircut and I found a Supercuts lady I like. Polite, quick & great cut. Then got ideas at Lowe's, lunch out, Target run for toiletries & chocolate, productive at home doing homework, nails and cooking. Plus tried to catch some Oscars coverage & dress reviews. Very productive day overall.

I think the chocolate gave me energy & the day felt oh so chocolatey sweet.

Black

Past 2 days, color feels black. They haven't been necessarily bad days. After all, I like the color black. My latest book "The Night Circus" which I loved, features black as one of it's main colors. I want & fell in love with black Scottish terriers after watching Lady & the Tramp as a kid - Jaque!

I think I've been feeling hopeless. I've been working overtime at my current job for 3 months plus now, and I feel like it's never going to get better. I'm left with so little time or energy for any real works of love or passion in my life. My job is sucking the life and soul out of my life. I never intended it to, but somehow it has. It's not anywhere near the industry I want to work in, but it is a job, it is experience, and I am not ungrateful, I just feel like I need a recalibration of my spirit and energy. I need some healthy outlets, activities & pursuits to keep my life afloat.

Some possible projects.
- House renovations - fixing up, growing a garden, painting, redoing the bathroom
- Artistic pursuits - painting, writing, reading, bag making, scarf & sock looming, quilts or fun with textiles
- Cultural - cooking Filipino food, learning French (from a small secret love of French culture & a wish to read "The Little Prince" in French), traveling, museums
- Shopping - clothes makeover, haircut & makeup refresh,
-Tech - Buying a digital photo frame or getting an iPad. The frame is to keep a work to remind me of life outside the gray cubicle walls and of important moments. Then I thought, why not an iPad that I can use as a frame and/or toy. Also I notice when I feel a void in myself I tend to want to buy tech and/or purses and stuff more. Which is why I'm trying to find more creative outlets to satisfy.
- Health - eating right, exercising and shedding all that extra weight I carry around. I need to let it go.
- Music & Dancing - because I forget to listen & to dance.
- Relationships - Have better relationship with God. Also keep in touch with friends. Attentive to family & pay more attention to husband.

Of course, day to day reality, go to work, exhaust self, go home, eat take out, veg in front of tv to unwind, maybe do some homework, self groom (minimal) before passing out in bed. Yup that's not a healthy schedule. Spend weekends diverting attention or recuperating from work. Sometimes have fun. More homework, and resting & eating out. Right now my life centers around my job. I've got to refocus.

There has to be more to life than that schedule, that center. I have to make more out of my life than that routine revolving around the job. I admit I'm a perfectionist, workaholic, eager to please & afraid to disappoint.

What is my true center? Need to revolve my life around that rather than what it is now.

A life well lived is art. I want my life to be a frickin masterpiece. Full of color and variety, spice, spirit but most of all beauty - true beauty.

So here's to making my life a work of art rather than just work. Must find my true center & revolve my real life around that. It all starts with black. And I'm back in black.

Deep Blue

Today was deep blue. It was serious and good, a really good deep blue color. I had a nice lunch outside with coworkers & friends. Had a drama reduced day, even. Overall good.

Also Elvis blue beanie bear can be found at Charlie Brown stop on Pearblossom highway.

Room with a view

With great power, responsibility & work, comes a view. My messy yet often ignored view from my desk. Such a shame I spend most of my time with my back towards it.

Color of the day, rainbow. Let's say stripes. Stripes for the entertaining story of our zebra head Picasso. Saw at antique store, made us laugh, went back for it, now Picasso is our beloved work of art on our wall. His story made a bunch of friends & coworkers laugh too. Gift that keeps on giving.

Colors today ranged from red for stress & craziness, to green for good and in the end a happy mellow yellow. Maybe bit of black or gray for Ash Wednesday.

Yellow, the day ends with a happy warm & sunny yellow. Hope more days and moments are like this.

Pink

So today I thought, maybe I should start rating my days according to numbers. Then I thought, that's too logical. I spend all day with numbers & numbering things. We forget sometimes, the essential.

Reminds me of The Little Prince quote.

"Grown ups like numbers. They never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask: "What does his voice sound like?" "What games does he like best?" "Does he collect butterflies?" They ask "How old is he?" "How many brothers does he have?" "How much does he weigh?" "How much does his father make?" Only then do they think they know him."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

So maybe starting today I will rate my days according to colors. Today is a pink day, for the shirt & sunglasses I bought. Also for the pink of girl power I showed at a meeting today. Pink for blushing from shyness & awkwardness. Pink for kisses & showing my husband I love him. Pink because we must be delicate with people. Pink!

Also aren't my shopping goodies cute!

Strange Clouds

Saw this strange cloud leaving work today. Husband said it looked like bread. I agree, panini. Just kinda cool.

I'm officially a manager - eek! Busy, scary but also trying to keep it fun.

I finished a paper today! Feels fabulous! I also baked brownies for work.

I pray it's a nice quiet next few days at work - please!

Love!

Flowers from husband this morning even though I thought we were all done from this weekend :) Call from my dad in Manila this morning just to say Happy Valentines Day. Also I shopped and bought a purse I've been meaning to buy!

Love!

Why?

Why is doing the right thing so hard? Do homework, eat right, exercise. Was home sick feeling feverish Sunday. So I had mcdonalds for bfast, del taco for lunch, greasy Filipino food for dinner, and indigestion & heartburn today.

On Sunday, in addition to feeling miserable and trying to sweat out my fever under mounds of blankets, I got an achy back from sleeping on the couch because didn't want to sweat or bug husband in the middle of all my sick.

Felt better but nauseous most of Monday. I found out I get heartburn too. Now I'm home and need to research & write a paper, and I'm avoiding it.

So anyway ya. I wish I was motivated to do all the right things. Talked with an older chatty share friendly coworker & our little health discussion was scaring me straight a little. *sigh.

I need a tv series about the quirky fun and inspirational lives of librarians to get me motivated about school. It'll be called Dewey's Decimals. Nerd! I need some cool fake glasses to wear to make me feel more librarianish.

This is all elaborate stalling. K back to the grind. Nothing like going to work all day, coming home, then going to school & doing homework. Yeay.

TGIF

I got my promotion offer letter & will be an official manager next week. Overall had a nice workday but still worked overtime. My coworkers laughed because I referred to myself in 3rd person while my brain was frying.

Had a nice evening out with the husband and a nice lunch out with a friend. Overall a nice Friday. I heart weekends.

Oh and this pic is of an Indian restaurant in Canoga Park. LOL!

Best Husband Ever!

Early Valentines day gifts!!!! Today I worked through lunch. After clocking out I realized I worked 11 hours today. Plus couldn't sleep til after 12:30pm because work stress kept my brain up.

So, least to say I'm tired. Then as we're prepping for bed, husband busts out with early Valentines day gifts. Movies I love but didn't have. Dragon book from my childhood favorite move Flight of Dragons. Also, A DRAGON STUFFED ANIMAL!!!! he's really cute & husband said he looked the most like Smrgol - my favorite dragon from the movie!!!!!

Best husband ever!!!!

Cartoons

Busy busy at work. Feeling apprehensive & overwhelmed, but also feel like I have real support in my team which is cool.

Saw these at Costco. I miss the days when after school cartoons rules my weekdays & life was easier. I never wanted to grow up. I always knew it was a pretty great gig even as a kid. Alas, being an adult isn't so bad. Just gotta go with the flow.

My aunt is very sick in a hospital up north. Say some prayers for her if you say them. Not sure what else I can do, but we're all hoping for the best but things are grim.

Must keep perspective and recognize and remember what is truly important.

Nerd!

Nerd! Saw this post in a cube. All you tech geeks will get it. There is no test environment for life. (So profound!)

Anyway, back to work I went today. Was a good boss in recognizing a coworker's birthday & getting him gifts & lunch. It was a gloomy day & I still feel worn/unwell, but Monday home was definitely helpful and a relaxed change. I got to train a bit today since it slowed down from 120mph pace we've been going at lately.

Overall it was a nice day. I pray for many more nice days. That would be nice compared to the craze of late.

Nothing

Stayed home sick today. Had a list of productive things I could have done like laundry, but I didn't. I just didn't. I sat on my ass all day, on the couch, under a blanket, watching tv. Ate terrible food, took meds, Couldn't sleep, but did rest. Lovely lovely rest.

I did absolutely nothing today, and it was everything I thought it could be.

Eli & Lemons

Took it easy/lazy again today as still feeling under the weather. We had a ton of lemons so I made lemonade. Yum!

Also watched Superbowl at Mother in Law's house. Gram & I cheering for Giants/Eli, husband and MIL cheering for Patriots/Brady. It was a pretty exciting game to the end and we were happy!

My new favorite QB - underdog Eli!

Pair

Went to Burbank today. Saw this dynamic duo. She is wearing a Batman sweater. He is wearing a Robin sweater. Awwww! :)

I spent all day with my favorite sidekick. We shopped, ate and walked around. We laughed and chilled since we're both feeling under the weather. Here is to lazy relaxing days!

Shots of the day

A new office sign by the coffee? Also Chik Fil A in Northridge!

Tomorrow is Groundhog day. We've been inundated & buried at work. I've also been particularly under the weather. Just feeling worn out and needing rest. I might see my shadow tomorrow morning and call it a long winter.

Goodnight and good luck.