Filling in empty spaces

I feel oddly today similar to the joy of turning 10 years old. I keenly remember how happy I was to be 10 - to finally be the long-sought DOUBLE DIGITS. I think my joy had something to do with feeling a closer kinship to teenager-hood with its glorious abundance of double digits. I knew that 10 certainly didn't qualify me for membership in The Teenage Club (the coolest club on the planet!), I felt like it at least got me something like prequalifying status. That's how I feel today at 25. It's me---I'm it. Turning 26 in 5 months feels like I'm a solid member of the adult club. I no longer have to answer happy questioners! I'm getting close. I'm definitely in the prequalifying stages, at least. We're a weird bunch that feels a little less afraid, a little braver, a little happier, a little more willing to trust that this might all end up okay. We're not nearly the jittery chickens we were a few weeks ago. And, yeah, if we're badass at one-quarter through, just you wait until we hit the halfway point. We'll be killah!

avoiding That FOUR letter word

I’ve pretty much avoided the SALEs so far. I absolutely hate sale shopping. It’s just too stressful, and I just can’t be bothered to sift through rails and rails of rubbish in the hope of finding one gem, in my size, at a decent price.

Now saying that, I’ve bought a couple of things, a crisp dress shirt from Rustans, a store that is beautifully peaceful even in sale time. I don’t have the energy to get it out and photograph it, which is terrible blogging. It was way out of my price range, but it was just one of those items where you try it on, and there is just no question, you have to have it. I wore it last weekend and managed not to ruin it, and am still absolutely in love with it.

I also bought a pair of black oxford semi slim from (…), remarkable practical for me. I had eyed them up earlier in the season, but wasn’t convinced enough about them. Then when I saw them in the sale I just decided to go for them, and I’m really glad I did. But those are the only things I’ve bought.

Actually that’s not strictly true. They are the only fashion items I’ve bought. No, this weekends sale has been seriously wardrobe update focussed.

Oh well. Sometimes theses things just have to be done.

7 not so useless hours of Manila humidity

repost : Apr 7, '08 6:01 PM

I spent my Saturday morning running errands. By “morning” I mean the time after I dragged my ass out of bed at eight thirty, had pancakes for breakfast, scanned the new Details and GQs inside my den ( bathroom) , poked around on the internet long enough to realize that I did nothing of note this past weekend, made a grocery list and put on weekend clothes ( plaid shorts and preppy pique top) some people also label this time of morning as 1:00 in the afternoon. I’m not one for details.

Everywhere I walked yesterday, I hemorrhaged money. Time to renew my bags! Oh look! I forgot to give mom and dad a call! A book that I tried to read and absolutely couldn’t get into! (“The Secret” is still a secret to me… sorry Philip, I really did try). Birthday celebrate-y gift for my Ex! Grocery store! Pedicure!

I should point out that all of these errands were accomplished within about a three mile area from Rockwell to Salcedo Village. And as the day drug on (a day that I had somehow still deluded myself into thinking was all productive since I was running errands in THE MORNING THAT MOST NORMAL PEOPLE CALL “AFTER LUNCH”) I watched it get later and later and the temperature climbed higher and my weekend clothes were getting so icky from the sweat that resulted from running around in Manila humidity. For some reason it seemed bad form walking around the park with two-thirds of an iced Caramel Macchiato on my shirt. And socks? How did that happen?

I went grocery shopping without passing go although that would have been a pleasant remedy to the aforementioned hemorrhaging money situation. I’ve found that grocery shopping immediately after a 45 minute sweat on the roadl (oh who am I kidding, a 45 minute workout and a 2 hour sweat) makes the items in my cart magically more healthy. I notice a distinct lack of cookies and soda and a drastic increase in fruit. This makes me feel all healthy and superior.
But what I couldn’t figure out as I was walking was how on earth it had become 7:00 in the evening when all I did was spend the morning running errands.

MY FIRST INTERVIEW – circa 2000

While rummaging through my stuff, I came across this newspaper clipping from a local publication published 8 years ago. I couldn’t believe I still have it.