Staying on Track

"Just claim it and it somehow becomes yours," a friend once shared when I asked how she bought the house she was dreaming to one day own. I wished it were that simple. 


Then she elaborated: she would pass the house day after day, claim it, then dream about it obsessively. Then it became hers... in a nutshell. Very Rhonda Byrne in "The Secret".  For me, though, more simplistic:  very Wayne Campbell in "Wayne's World": 

"It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine."

better late than never

I haven't had time to plan because the New Year's festivities combined with my allergic rhinitis really got to me. Nevertheless, in my head, I was formulating my personal goals and plans for the year. It's never too late and one doesn't really have to begin in January, or am I just rationalizing? Nah, I belong to the better-late-than-never crowd. So, technically, even if I had nothing down on paper, which is the ideal, I've had the following going in my head and setting my directions for the year (remembering, of course, the fundamental principle of setting goals that are measurable, realistic, and specific):

Who's name is that on your cup?

This is something I wrote seasons ago. I can let it go, but it's something I'm a bit finicky about and it continues to happen often enough for me to notice.  Like today. Short of ranting, let me re-post this edited version from my other web space.

A brother of mine gives the name Richard when he orders coffee at Starbucks. It's not his name -- in fact, far from it.  Apart from privacy issues (like not wanting his name to be shouted out in a public place), he uses it because his name is often misspelled or mistaken for another "off" name. Richard is safe, I guess.

reading time

Still on the fresh-start/new-chapter mode, I have to point out one observation. While I read a lot of books in 2010 (more of that in another post), it felt like I had less time for reading because it took me more time than usual to finish most of the books I did get to read.  Could it have been that...

• I'm becoming a slow reader?
• I'm losing interest in books?  *gasp*  Noooo!
• I'm overloaded with work?  Show me the money, haha!
• I'm becoming busier with homemaking and parenting? 

In fairness, these books happen to be long.  But that's another point altogether.

Resolutions: should I bother?

 

I needed two cups of freshly brewed espresso to begin day one of 2011. After a quick review of my previous years' resolutions and what had become of them, I made a mental note not to make a New Year's resolution.  Yeah, right.  Many of us do anyway, deep in our minds.  Secretly.  How can anyone pretend New Year is just another day? I can't. Just too much celebration and revelry. And there's something exciting about starting fresh.  But I have a problem with fresh starts sometimes.  Beginning a new year for me is like:

The allergy culprits

Inspired by the new chapter syndrome of the coming new year and my long bout of allergic rhinitis and cough, I decided to clean out my side of the room. I have unwittingly amassed dust and dust balls with stuff that I had the forgotten intention of dealing with at a "more appropriate time".

All these weeks I was blaming the weather and pollution for my sneezing, headaches, nasal congestion, and cough, when here, next to where I sleep -- within breathing distance at my most vulnerable resting and stressed hours -- lay what could be the culprits:  dust-gatherers by my bedside!

dealing with monster clients

Tomorrow, I meet with a very difficult client.  "The" difficult client where I work.  I don't have to see or meet said client (let's call her "C") on a regular basis, thank God.  But those who do, they cower at the very thought of the regular meetings with C.  These unfortunate ones have different ways of dealing with C and the variety of symptoms they acquired from frequent exposure to C, and these range from breaking out in hives, difficulty breathing, stomach disorders, sudden new twitches, and even hysteria!  Imagined or not, they suffer from it, right about 24 hours before and another 24 after the meetings.  Naturally, they put all the blame on the said client.


No one was spared, apparently, because even our own resident temperamental and stern b*tc*y top gun got the treatment and suffered for it. She has taken the most hits, I believe, judging from her 'symptoms' that come once a week, on the dot.  Hard to believe, but she has reached a point of addiction to these hits and seems to crave for them.  And her curious love-hate for C lingers.

what's her takeaway this year?

Our youngest -- a precocious, charming, witty, little girl with a head of tight curls -- turned seven recently.  She's now in first grade and since school opened, has attended a 7th birthday party almost every weekend.  All of these celebrations were theme parties, meant to thrill today's seven year old grown-ups (Fancy Nancy's) with booths for face painting, salons for funky hairstyles, red carpet-style photos, glam accessories, and little girl games.  Those are apart from chef-designed girly-girl party food and loot bags.

These milestone celebrations have fanned the party and event business frenzy like anything, with themes, concepts, gimmicks, and party favors that would make any kid go crazy about turning a year older. Yet some parents just don't stop there.