I was First Today!!!

Wooohooo!!!! I'm number 1 on the Couch body Beginner's Challenge today (well.. at least for a few hours)! Below is the screen shot to prove it. :)

I'm really loving this thing. It's feeding my very competitive nature and at the same time I am getting my work out. For the first time, I've been running almost everyday. I just hate being left behind in this competition.

My Progress

I'm too lazy to write anything right now. Still suffering from the effects of tryptophan from all the turkey I ate during Thanksgiving. Anyways, just to show all of you that I have been getting off my ass and working off all the stuff I've consumed, below is a screen shot off my Nike+ page.

21.83 Miles in 8 Days

I've ran 21.83 miles since I got my Nike+ gadget. Can you believe it? Even I can't. This is the most that I've ran in my life ever in 8 days. This thing is keeping me motivated. I'm really loving it.

Now I'm off to my aunt's house to eat turkey....

Nifty Gadget

I'm back to running again. Thanks to this nifty gadget called Nike+ iPod Sport Kit.

I love gadgets. I love graphs. I love tracking things and I am very competitive when it comes to sports. So this thing is heaven sent to me!

This thing tracks my workout -- how many miles I've ran, my pace, how long I ran, how many calories burned and pretty much keeps track of my run. It uploads the data that's saved on my iPod to the www.nikeplus.com website. The best part is, you can join challenges set by other people using the gadget. I joined this challenge called "Bringing sexy back 299 miles, one mile at a time." The goal is to run 299 miles. I really love the fact that this is keeping me motivated.

Mark on Grey's Anatomy

I admit, I have a crush on Dr. Mark Slone in Grey's Anatomy. His character in the show is such a huge BUT. But but but he is HOT!!! He's played by Eric Dane.

Every Friday, my conversations at work would normally be about last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy. I have several people that I talk to about the show. My male co-workers have dubbed it my "TV Club".

Anyways, writers, please, please, please give him a lot of airtime!

Ipod on Shuffle

I found this thing online and for lack of stuff to write here in my blog right now, I decided to just post this instead.

Instructions are very simple. You just put your music player on shuffle. Press forward for each question. Use the song title as the answer to the question. No cheating!

What does next year have in store for me?
If you were gay [Avenue Q]
** I don't know why....

What's my love life like?
Defying Gravity [Wicked - Eden Espinosa]
** Definitely defying gravity!!!

What do I say when life gets hard?
Not the Doctor [Alanis Morissette]
** Yep, I'm not the doctor. I don't want to fix everything.

What do I think when I get up in the morning?
Breathe [Kitchie Nadal]
** Breathe in and out....

What song will I dance to at my wedding?
The Wizard and I [Wicked]
** I'm already married but... I'll stand there with the Wizard, feeling things I've never felt! And though I might not show it, I'll be so happy I could melt!

Your favourite saying?
No More [Into the Woods]
** Yep, NO MORE INDEED!

Favourite place?
There's a Fine, Fine Line [Avenue Q]
** Wherever that fine fine line may be...

Describe your life:
Chimp in a suit [Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]
** Give him a dandy little topper, tie on a natty cravat, buy him a castle and he'll still be an asshole and nothing you do will change that...

What do you think of your parents?
Thank goodness [Wicked]
** Thank goodness indeed or else I would've probably been such a screw-up.

Where would you go on a first date?
You can be as loud as the hell [Avenue Q]
** Right there, right there.. that's the spot!

Drug of choice?
Don't I hold you [Wheat - Elizabethtown]
** Huh???

Describe yourself:
All I need [Matchbox Twenty]
** Yeah baby, all I need...

What is the thing I like doing most?
Every Story is a Love Story [Aida]
** Umm... I guess what it's trying to tell you is I love reading women's fiction.

What is my state of mind like at the moment?
The Light in the Piazza [The Light in the Piazza]
** I don't see a miracle shining through the sky...I'm no good at statues and stories.... Geezz... this is depressing!

How will I die?
Climb Every Mountain [The Sound of Music]
** I guess rock climbing is out of the picture for me now.

What was the first song you danced to?
Both Sides Now [Susan Egan]
** Yeah, you stay on your side, I stay on mine.

What would you say to the President?
Here I Am [Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]
** So, what do you need now?

What is your favorite movie song?
Come on in from the outside [Taboo - Boy George]
** Technically it's not a movie song but a song from a musical.

If I were to start a band, I would name them:
Flying Home [Songs for a New World]
** And we'd be singing showtunes.... hehehehe....

Under the moonlight, you like to kiss your sweetheart to:
Why do you love me [Barbie's Cradle]
** Yes, why do you love me?

Wicked in LA

They finally announced the cast for the LA production of Wicked. It's Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty for the role of Elphaba and Glinda!

I am sooooooo happy!!! They're my favorite pair. I've seen them perform together twice on Broadway earlier this year.

I was waiting for the casting news before buying tickets to the show. I was hoping it was going to be both of them or even just Eden. So, naturally, after I heard who was in the cast, off I go to buy tickets. :) Hubby and I are going to watch Wicked in LA on my birthday next year. That's 7 months from now (opening night February 10, 2007) but I couldn't risk not having tickets or not having good seats for the show. Anyways, I managed to get 10th row left of center orchestra. I am soooo stoked. This it that one birthday that I am actually looking forward to. heheheh.....

Anyways, I managed to find video clips of Eden and Megan singing at Universal citywalk today when they announced the LA cast. Stephen Schwartz (composer) is accompanying them on the piano. Can't get better than this! Enjoy!

Eden - Wizard and I
Umm... need I say more? She's awesome!

Megan - Popular
She's hilarious. She's definitely Glinda in the flesh. Love her!

Eden and Megan - For Good
Awww... the end of this video is just so sweet. They both actually look happy singing this song together. The first time I watched Wicked and I heard the two of them sing this during the show, I was crying.

TV Weekend (End)

My TV marathon weekend is coming to a close.

I may not have watched as much TV as I hoped I would, however, I think I did pretty well. So far, I've done 5 episodes of Grey's Anatomy and 12 episodes of Nip/Tuck all weekend long. Not bad. I wish I was able to finish the entire season of Nip/Tuck. However, Arvin wanted to watch it too so I can only watch it at night with him.

As for my promise not to vpn into work, well.... I broke down and vpn-ed in today. I know, I know, I shouldn't have done it but what can I do? I'm a workaholic and I needed my fix.

TV Weekend (Day 1)

So far I have not left the couch ever since I planted my butt on it this morning, well, maybe except to go to the bathroom and let the dog out. So I feel like I am making progress on my TV weekend.

The TV series for this weekend is Nip/Tuck. I am so getting hooked to it now. It's a bummer that I could not start with season 1 -- tried looking for the season 1 DVD today and I just couldn't find them anywhere so I'm starting off with season 2. I had to ask a co-worker of mine today if I would understand season 2 if I didn't watch season 1 and she said it was okay and I can just watch season 1 some other time.

Lesson for today is : "When you start aging, gravity will be your enemy and the plastic surgeon is your best bet in defying gravity."

TV Weekend

I attempted to have my TV week about a month or so ago and it never happened. So instead of having a TV week, I decided to do a 4 day TV weekend instead. Realistically, at the rate I am going, what are the chances that I would actually take a week off from work? Probably will not happen before the end of the year.

I decided to take tomorrow and Monday off in hopes that I would actually be able to catch up on my TV watching. I intend to stay seated on the couch and glued to the TV screen for the next 4 days and will be incommunicado with work if I could help it.

I've officially started my TV weekend tonight. I've finally caught up on Grey's Anatomy season 3. I'm loving it so far. I was a little bit upset that my husband "accidentally" cancelled the recording of last week's GA episode when I was in Dallas. So off to the Internet I went looking for last week's episode. I was so close to buying the episode off iTunes when I found out that ABC has full episodes of some of their shows on their website for free. Check out ABC's Full Episode Player.

Tomorrow, I need to get cracking on Battlestar Galactica Season 2. I think I left it off at episode 12. I'm probably going to go and try to find DVD's of Nip Tuck tomorrow. A co-worker of mine suggested that I should try and watch it and see if I like it.

Breaking Point

For the first time in years working for my company, I reached my breaking point yesterday. I'm notorious in my group for being a workaholic and working long hours and well, sort of patient in dealing with a lot of things. I work in IT operations and my job is all about proactively preventing problems, fixing problems and trying to figure out how to make things better for the user community.

This week has been hell for me. Yesterday, I just could not bear hearing another complaint from anyone especially from people in my group. Each time someone from my group approached my desk, I would ask them if they were going to complain and if they had complaints, go take a number or get in line because I just could not deal with it.

I'm a problem solver. I have a one track mind when it comes to solving issues that my group is dealing with. If there is a problem, I fix it period. I have lost count of the number of times that I was told by the higher-ups to just go and take care of the problem -- just make it disappear. They don't care how I would do it as long as the end all is the problem has been resolved. One of our users told me today that I am the "super" problem solver that's why they come to me to take care of things. Maybe I do have some sort of super hero complex after all...

Travelling Again

I'm at SFO International Airport again right now. I'm off to Dallas this week for a few days for work. I hope it's not going to be too busy that I'll never see anything else except the hotel, the office and whichever restaurant I decide to eat at.

During my last trip, I was hoping to get to the mothership (Neiman Marcus flagship store) but I never did. I NEED, NEED, NEED to visit that store. I'm planning on taking off early today just to go and see it.

50th Post

Yipey! I've made it to my 50th post. I never thought I would actually make it this far. Remember, I never had a diary in my entire life before this blog. I've always been afraid of shooting myself in the foot that's why I've kept things to myself. Anyways, I am proud of myself for getting this far and no, I don't think I will stop blogging. I've realized that in a lot of cases, this is really the only way that my friends figure out what's happening to me.

Cleaning

Is it just me? Or is there anyone else out there who does not profess their love for cleaning the house? Ever since I was little, I have been taught that it is a woman's job to clean the house and you take great pleasure in making your home clean.

Okay, I must've lost that gene that takes pleasure in cleaning. I hate, hate, hate cleaning. Sure, I love a clean house. Who doesn't? However, cleaning is one of those chores that I could do without but unfortunately, it's not something that I really could do without since I refuse to live in a pigsty.

I am a great believer of automation. That's why I love the Roomba. Why vacuum the floors yourself when you can have something (or someone) do it for you? Unfortunately, I cannot bribe my husband enough to clean the house. The dog won't do it either. So I am stuck with this chore.

Is there such a thing as a self-cleaning house? If there is, I want one! Or maybe, I should just call the Merry Maids and schedule an appointment for them to come in and clean the house for me...

Eden's Last

Today was Eden Espinosa's last performance in the role of Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway. I'm so sad that she's leaving the show and I'm definitely going to miss seeing her on stage and listening ot her perform in Wicked. I wish, I wish, I wish I got to see her perform on her last show however, I'm here in SF. The reviews are starting to come out and it seems like she gave one heck of a phenomenal performance tonight and sang notes that went straight out of this world and blew the top off the Gershwin. Anyways, I'm thankful I got to see her perform 4 times.

Wishing you the best in whatever you do after Wicked, Eden! I feel so lucky having the privilege of seeing you perform. I admire you for always giving it your all on stage and will cherish the memories I have of each of your performance that I've seen. You're the best! :)