And the cycle continues

... with 2 down and one more to go.

*sigh*

Its that time again. by week's end it'll just be us women (3 generation worth) left behind to fend for ourselves, and our only hope of 'protection' comes in the form of 3 lazy fur-balls... namely nicolei, adik and mamat. the lovable, incorrigibly manja and ofttimes a tad dusty, tomcats.

We saw the man jetsetting into the nite to his faraway destination on christmas. then it was AI, who incidentally is starting to look more and more like his father these days (except that he's probably the 'celup tepung' version hehehe.. abe jangan le marah, black has always been beautiful in my book ok lol). he left for lendu alone yesterday amidst the afternoon drizzle, much to my dismay. thank god he made it to registration well and in good time.

And by saturday its AF's turn. he plans to leave for sg petani by lunchtime (i think). its his final semester before getting his first posting. but right now he's in denial. he has this final paper to finish but he's been deliberately keeping himself busy with, among other things, playing out zombie marathons with his band of 4 (himself, AI, AH and any willing & able body.. usually one of his cousins).

Sheesh, tinggal brape hari je la aie... u better get that butt going my darling. otherwise, you're gonna be facing some pretty loud music i can betcha!!

Mak, me and my girl. so what else is new?

I need to run!

Maal Hijrah

Selamat Menyambut Maal Hijrah 1430H

Doa Awal Tahun & Doa Akhir Tahun.. a refresher as usual :)

Doa Akhir Tahun dibaca 3 kali pada akhir waktu Asar atau sebelum masuk waktu Maghrib pada akhir bulan Zulhijjah.

Sesiapa yang membaca doa ini, Syaitan berkata: "Kesusahan bagiku dan sia-sia lah pekerjaanku menggoda anak Adam pada setahun ini dan Allah binasakan aku satu saat jua. Dengan sebab membaca doa ini, Allah ampunkan dosanya setahun"

Doa Awal Tahun dibaca 3 kali selepas maghrib pada malam satu Muharram.

Sesiapa yang membaca doa ini, Syaitan berkata: "Telah amanlah anak Adam ini daripada godaan pada tahun ini kerana Allah telah mewakilkan dua Malaikat memeliharanya daripada fitnah Syaitan".

Doa Akhir Tahun:

Maksudnya:
Allah SWT berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad SAW, ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabat baginda dan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.

Wahai Tuhan, apa yang telah aku lakukan dalam tahun ini daripada perkara-perkara yang Engkau tegah daripada aku melakukannya dan aku belum bertaubat daripadanya. Sedangkan Engkau tidak redha dan tidak melupakannya. Dan aku telah melakukannya di dalam keadaan di mana Engkau berupaya untuk menghukumku, tetapi Engkau mengilhamkanku dengan taubat selepas keberanianku melakukan dosa-dosa itu semuanya. Sesungguhnya aku memohon keampunanMu, maka ampunilah aku. Dan tidaklah aku melakukan yang demikian daripada apa yang Engkau redhainya dan Engkau menjanjikanku dengan pahala atas yang sedemikian itu. Maka aku memohon kepadaMu.

Wahai Tuhan! Wahai yang Maha Pemurah! Wahai Yang Maha Agung dan wahai Yang Maha Mulia agar Engkau menerima taubat itu dariku dan janganlah Engkau menghampakan harapanku kepadaMu Wahai Yang Maha Pemurah. Dan Allah berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad, ke atas ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabatnya dan mengurniakan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.


Doa Awal Tahun:

Maksudnya:
Allah SWT berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad SAW, ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabat baginda dan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.

Wahai Tuhan, Engkaulah yang kekal abadi, yang qadim. yang awal dan ke atas kelebihanMu yang besar dan kemurahanMu yang melimpah dan ini adalah tahun baru yang telah muncul di hadapan kami. Kami memohon pemeliharaan dariMu di sepanjang tahun ini dari syaitan dan pembantu-pembantunya dan tentera-tenteranya dan juga pertolongan terhadap diri yang diperintahkan melakukan kejahatan dan usaha yang mendekatkanku kepadaMu Wahai Tuhan Yang Maha Agung dan Maha Mulia.

Wahai Tuhan Yang Maha pengasih dari mereka yang mengasihi dan Allah berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad. Nabi yang ummi dan ke atas ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabatnya dan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.

Another first

... in a series of firsts.

We usually recall with a certain fondness the 'firsts' in our lives, most likely bcos.. well lol, it is the first, yang pertama, yang mula. first loves, first dates, first kisses, first fights.. and baby's first steps, their first words (hey dia cakap ba-ba la.. eh no, ma-ma la), their first tooth.

And today, joining that memorable list of firsts is..... the discovery of my first grey hair!! right in front at the top of my head!! ish ish ish dah beruban rupanye cik tipah ni ekekeh!!

So abe, sama la kite skarang. but it does seem that i have a lot of catching up to do ;)

Moving on.. i really enjoyed today's aerobic session at the dataran. the instructor grilled the lot of us almost non-stop for more than 30 mins and altho the movements became a little repetitive (read: boring) after a while, the up-beat music more than made up for it. the strong hip-hop flavour was just the way i liked it to be :)

I love dancing and moving to music (even at this age) but the man just sings so i've only managed to meet that need during aerobics (and the privacy of my bedroom of course lol). i've toyed with the idea of joining dance classes/groups.. but malas la pulak nak susah2 squeeze it into my already longer than long 'to-do' list!!

So its readily available aerobics for me... and each time before it starts i send a little prayer that the instructor doesnt have any hindustani or pop yea yea songs in his repertoire of music lol!!

The boys are going back to college soon so today will probably be filled with related activities (read: beli barang2 keperluan kanak2 riang). and of course its awal muharram tomorrow, time for renewed hope, enthusiasm and passion :)

OUTPUT
AM - Aerobics/dataran shah alam/moderate pace/50 mins

p.s. Abe, soooo glad u're finally safe in tashkent after the bad weather fiasco.. risau sangat (and of course my overactive imagination didnt help one bit)!! rest when u can and do take care my love :)

He's gone again

... and each time he does that i feel my soul shriveling up that much more. as this goes on and on and on i begin to wonder, will there come a time when it will eventually disappear into nothingness?

Of course i am not incapicitated, nor am i rendered completely useless. you'll still see a fully functional makcik going about her business. the only difference is, her heart is not with her.. its in a godforsaken land, far far away with the love of her life. and her greatest hope is that it will be kept safe and not trampled over in the excitement & challenge of a totally different environment; one that includes beautiful sights & sounds.

Nope, being apart like this doesnt seem to be getting better with age. nor is it any easier even when it is the 2nd time around. long gone is the bravado that i used to have when i was younger, and fast on its heels is the strength to bear the weight of the responsibilities alone. i find myself seeking, wanting.. no, needing the shelter & protection that his presence provide.

Its no fun going about it alone.

Letih.

Sepi.

Dan rindu.. yang teramat.

Derailment

.. we're back.

But something's just not right. in fact something might even be very very wrong. i can feel it in my bones.

Hmmmm.

Bandung was bittersweet. time for some serious deliberation.

With love

from the bunch of us in Paris...



... Paris Van Java that is ekekekeh ;) btw thats AF's hand, just to show that he's also around lol

We were more than overjoyed to find out we had free internet access at the hotel.. gratis gratis gratis!! it sorta made up for the cessation of almost all maxis services (the kids are in sms withdrawal right now heheh) maybe because of the mountain ranges or something, dunno.



Oh and AH seem to have sprouted wings here in west java!! hmm, i wonder when mine would start growing?!?

Away for a week

.. on a national lampoon's vacation but hopefully, without the mis-haps lol






Will be back next sunday so see u then :)

Bulan Kahwin

.... the juru nikah of last nite said, november & december are without doubt the busiest time of the year for people in his profession. on an average, they conduct about 10 marriages per day!!!



Last nite was the nikah of my neighbour's daughter and the family had decided on making their home the venue for both the nikah & bersanding ceremony. its something i've been giving serious thought lately... buat kenduri kat rumah ke atau kat luar ke, macam dewan, galeri, hotel etc?

Of course nothing beats the personal touch of a home wedding.. it is history in the making and sememangnya our home already holds so many precious memories. but by making that decision, we inadvertently rope in the rest of our close neighbours into the process.. especially when the tents for the kenduri span well across the length of the neighbourhood. oh its no big deal kalau kat kampung tapi agak susah la bila senario sebegitu dibawa ke bandar.. walaupun ramai yang willing to bantu (especially kita2 yang akan kawinkan anak2 jugak nanti), akan ada jugak jiran yang merungut. also for the invited guests, finding suitable parking can be quite a nightmarish experience.

Hmmmm.

For now i'm thinking of nikah at the masjid negeri (the rooms there are actually quite adequate for such occasion) and reception kat dewan memane where parking can cease to be a giant headache for the guests.

Now back to my neighbour's majlis. gawd, the pelamin and table settings were absolutely gorgeous.. flowers flowers everywhere... both artificial & fresh flowers!! memang macam heavenly garden gitu :)

pelamin dalam.

pelamin luar.

reception area (malam nikah).

To the newlyweds, semoga perkahwinan ini dirahmati Allah & kekal aman damai bahagia dunia akhirat.. insyallah.

Occupational hazard

.. that includes brain busting, among other things.


De Palma Ampang, 10/12/08 - 11/12/08.

Ultra vires, ab initio, 'consequential loss', quantum meruit, 'probable certainty', inter alia, prima facie.. 'nemo dat non quad habbet' !?!

Yup i'm on a 2-day work-related course and muh grey matter is jez about ready to ooze outta muh friggin' ears yall lol.

Where are the ear plugs? i gotta keep it all in -_-'

And what have the kids been doing in my absence?

Gaming of course!! mak reports that they've been holed up in the boys' room pretty much the whole day. this time all 3 hooked up their lappies and teamed up in 'left 4 dead' some kinda zombie killing game. hai, habis la zombie kg pisang nanti ekekeh!!

OUTPUT
PM - 2k/neighbourhood route/slow jog with golfman.. he's getting better :)

Kemeriahan eid

.. dan kemesraan bersama keluarga :)

Hope your eid was as joyful as mine. we didnt take part in the qurban this year but we had a house full of children & laughter nonetheless.

And judging from that perpetual smile golfman was wearing on his face, i'd say he was happy.

And i want him to be happy.. surrounded by his children, his siblings as well as anak2 & cucu2 sedara, cocooned in the warmth of their love & affection.

So that when he is eventually alone again, the memory will serve to comfort him.

That he will clearly remember,

.. he is dearly loved.

.. he is sorely missed.

OUTPUT

AM - 2k/tasik/18mins

(ceh, lethargic gile.. and after eid yesterday malas betoi nak keje haish!!)

Eid Mubarak

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha

Semoga dirahmati NYA

Kerja sambil2

.. while the rendang is simmering on the stove, thought i'd post a few random pics i picked up from the kiddoes collection.

Its goofing that makes the world go round lol

And i think its high time i went back to tending my wok ;)

Yay yay..

.. golfman's finally moved up a notch and started jogging again!!

Once upon a time, many many many moons ago, the King of the house graduated from brisk-walking to jogging and was well on the way to better stamina. unfortunately crisis upon crisis wrecked the land (read: overtime & relocation) and his loyal highness was forced to abandon his new found interest.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. before he knew it he had lost all momentum and completely forgot how good it felt to be pounding the pavement. he started to eye the pavement with suspicion & mistrust and before long, there was no love lost between the two. in fact, they had now become sworn enemies!!

Out of love & devotion (cewaah) for her master and secure in the knowledge that constant pounding could bring nothing but good, his Queenie worked tirelessly at re-uniting the two.. master pavement, pavement master; run for golf, golf for run (huh, say what?!??).

Ignoring apathy, rebuff even censure she kept working at it and working at it. but even tho she sometimes felt she was making some progress, for every step forward it usually ended with 2 steps back (the King was a stubborn old fart despite his comel-ness).

But the King finally came to his senses when he woke up one morning and discovered he couldnt see 'south' anymore and with it his most 'prized' possession!! 'it' could've turned purple for all he knew or grew horns (heaven forbid said the Queenie hik2).... and all because the area he fondly called his 'telly belly' had suddenly (well actually not so suddenly laa) turned into a hard, distended, swollen monster. how could such monstrosity make an appearance? for the life of him he couldnt remember ever swallowing a beachball, accidental or otherwise.

With so much at stake (if his 'prized' possession did decide to turn purple, the king certainly didnt relish the idea of being the last to know), the song that his Queenie was constantly singing over the years started to sound melodious to his ears. yes, maybe it was time he paid the pavement a visit. maybe the pavement wasnt as hard & relentless as he remembered. maybe the pavement wasnt all that bad.

It was just a misundestanding... the pavement IS a friend after all!!

Yay.

2 days ago, he came back from work and agreed to a walk/jog session. the 3 of us - golfman, AF & me did a neighbourhood loop up till 711 section 9 (even bought some fruits @ just fruit) and back again. about 3k.

Yesterday, golfman and me went on a jog from start to finish. about 2k.

He's feeling good.

He even brought us all out for a chinese dinner @ KSAS, followed by a long karaoke session... sampai nak muntah2 la bebudak (with the exception of AI) melalak lagu ntah pape haha.

I'm feeling hopeful.

I've wanted a running partner for so so long now :)


OUTPUT
PM - 2k/section 9 S.Alam

Accessibility

.. and its impact on a relationship.

I'm fascinated by the differences each generation go thru as they play the courtship game.

I remember stories my maktok used to relate about her many beaus and how they had to curi2 pandang during kenduris and social gatherings. but nothing really happened unless somebody did the meminang because courtship then did not include going out on dates and such.

I also recall stories of my besotted father cycling all the way from ipoh to sitiawan, probably on some rundown basikal tua, just so he could meet my mom. but however ardent, distance separated them and meetings were few and far between.

And even during the courtship of golfman & yours truly, where public transport was so much better, snail mail greatly improved & phonecalls though expensive, were at our disposal; there was still a vast amount of time when we were on our own... missing the other half, wondering what they were up to... merindu dan terus merindu.

But now, with the advent of the mobile phone or cell phone or handphone or whatever you want to call the most canggih of canggih means of communication, made accessible to ALL regardless of age, position, belief (or political standing lol), we are accessible to one another 24/7.

Not only thru the calls & sms'es, but theres also the internet with the webcams, im's and ym's!! is there a time when we're not connected?

On one hand i consider it a great improvement from the uncertainties that existed in the past...

"Hmmm.. dia ok tak ek, dah lama tak dengar berita"

"Dah bertolak ke belum ni? harap2 jangan la terlepas bas pulak nanti"

"Ish mana pulak dia? dah sejam setengah tunggu tak nampak bayang pun lagi!!"

(Yup, all the anxiety & worry that such questions generated would've been easily settled by just a call or an sms).

On the other hand, i'm starting to think that being too accessible can actually be quite detrimental to a relationship. and that it is also the cause of many unnecessary break-ups. the key as always is in the balance. tapi boleh ke people, who are head over heels in love, exercise restrain when the technology is there for them to use and abuse?

For example..

- bila kita asyik sms or call everytime we worry about somebody.. agaknye rimas tak the other person?

- when we're required to be lovey dovey all the time.. rasanye boleh bertahan tak perasaan tu when in actual fact, we have our moods & temperaments?

- bila the other person decides to have some 'me' time (like out with her/his buddies or shopping/gaming) and she/he doesnt respond.. are you strong enough not to take it as a rejection and leave him be, or do you sulk & merajuk?

- kalau asyik connected je (and we're talking about 24/7 here).. will there still be that sense of mystery & wonder left to keep the relationship interesting or will the couple be headed for burnout?

Pening jugak bila difikir2kan. i personally feel that intimacy shouldnt be rushed, that it has its own sweet pace. in this era of instant gratification, young people rush in and rush out of relationships at an alarming rate. most of the time they dont give it enough time to mature & develope. and mostly i blame the excess in accesibility because i think it somehow creates a false sense of intimacy and allows everything to happen too fast too soon.

Only the commited, the more realistic ones and the lucky few will make it thru the courtship and into the next level. sayang sebenarnye bcos so many i'm sure would have made it if only the pace was slower, and enough space given to each other. space necessary for each to do their own thing, without having to feel guilty about it.

Macam buah tak cukup masak. kalau nak sedap kena la bagi masa untuk masak ranum.

Just my 2 cents thru observing the kiddoes & their friends.


OUTPUT
AM - 3k/tasik/3 mini loops 25 mins
(ceh, i was late again.. this time i got carried away preparing brunch for the kiddoes).

December already?

I dunno.. for me 2008 has passed by almost like a dream. almost like grasping onto a fistful of fine sand and ending up with nothing but a gritty feeling upon my palm.

Its december already?

Almost 12 months have passed and i havent anything substantial to show for. i'm not any better, or richer, or wiser. i havent solved any major problems or created anything new. heck i've barely even touched my 'new' year resolutions.

I'm almost into the last chapters of my life's journey (to be honest, i cant even picture myself hitting 70), and all that i'm doing is managing!!

Sigh.

Its kinda sad that as i age, i seem to be bogged down by the mundane. i know the passion is still in there somewhere, buried deep, but i keep letting another day slide by without making much effort to go beyond the necessary. like a comment i chanced upon by a fellow blogger, i too need to be kicked hard into doing something meaningful.. an accomplishment to be proud of, something to call mine and mine alone.

I do not regret one bit doing what i do for the family because that in itself is meaningful, but i must make sure i also make time for me.

So, lets see what i can wring out of 2009. i really dont think i have that many more years to waste.

OUTPUT
AM - 3k/tasik/22mins

Cat's age

.. converted to human's, just so we may understand and perhaps empathize with the physical changes as well as their peel-s & perangai-s.


Nico the lazy fella, is almost 4 so he would be about 30 in human years kot..

Converting Cat Years to People Years

There are many tables for converting between cat years and human years.Many of them use a very simple calculation (e.g. 1 cat year equals 7 human years). This is inaccurate because:
The average life for a house cat (excluding accidents, in particular, car runovers) is about 1/5th that of a person, not 1/7th.

A cat has a relatively short childhood. A cat with an expected lifespan of 15 years would be sexually and physically mature within 18 months. A man with an expected lifespan of 75 years would have the equivalent maturity at 15-18 years of age. For this reason, an accurate mapping of cat years to human years needs to consider factors other than chronological lifespan. This is shown in the following table:

Calendar Years In A Cat's Lifespan/Equivalent Human Longevity:
0 - Birth/ 0 - Birth
1 - Sexual Maturity/ 15 - Sexual Maturity
2 - Physical Maturity/ 20 - Physical Maturity
3 - Adulthood/ 25 - Adulthood
4 / 30
5 / 35
6 / 40
7 - Middle Age/ 45 - Middle Age
8 / 50
9 / 54
10 / 58
11 - Senior Age/ 62 - Senior Age
12 / 66
13 / 70
14 - Geriatric Age/ 74 - Geriatric Age
15 / 78
16 / 82
17 - Venerable Age/ 86 - Venerable Age
18 / 90
19 / 94
20 - Remarkable Age/ 98 - Remarkable Age

The oldest confirmed recorded age for a cat is 34 years. The oldest confirmed recorded age for a human is 122 years.

Factors affecting lifespan and health

It is not unusual for a house cat to reach 15 years or even 20 years of age, whereas an intact tomcat living in the wild has a life expectancy of about 3 years.Some general factors that affect lifespan are:
- Gender. Female cats tend to live slightly longer than male cats.
- Neutering. Neutered cats tend to live longer than intact cats.There is evidence that neutered cats, especially neutered tomcats, benefit from a reduced exposure to infectious diseases (they stay closer to home).
- Diet. The three major natural causes of death in cats are kidney and/or liver failure, cancer and infectious diseases. Suitable foods (including special reduced protein cat food for older cats) can significantly delay organ problems and may also reduce cancers.
- Living Conditions. A claimed and protected environment will result in a healthier cat, which can be expected to live longer. For this reason, house cats typically live longer than barn cats or feral cats.
- Medical Attention. Cats should be vaccinated against the common feline diseases. Infectious disease is one of the three main natural causes of cat death. Like people, cats periodically require medical treatment for illness or injury, especially as they get older.
- Individual Characteristics. Just as some people are born with a strong constitution, so are some cats. Consequently, while one can talk about the expected lifespan of a cat based on the above factors, individual cats will vary somewhat from this.

(from: http://www.imaramusic.com/Oreo/lifespan.htm)

Hangover.

Arggghh..

I went overboard with the ice blended lattes yesterday and woke up with a caffein hangover.

Pening.

Pusing.

Mual.

Macam nak mati (well not really.. nak pengsan ada la kot).

We were in KLCC hunting for a sony laptop, red mind you, that my hub's turkmen colleague pesan. Kebetulan the one she wanted came with a great promotion (free coordinated wireless mouse, coordinated mp3, coordinated padded bag & black backpack - totalling RM913). unfortunately to make sure that the freebies were suitably colour coordinated, we had to move on to midvalley and menapak several pc outlets.


*the mp3 was out of stock so they still owe us. but still thats a whole lot of freebies, all part of the pc fair promotion.

Aduh. susah kalau orang pesan2 ni sebab dek kerana tak sampai hati, we try our very best to get them what they want. even if it means combing 2 major shopping malls. even if it means pusing2 like mad cows.

Lucky thing it was just the 3 of us so trailer tak la panjang sangat. AF & AH had left earlier for another poetry reading session, this time somewhere in bangsar. Still we were so focused in getting the laptop we quite forgot about sitting down to lunch and just ate on the run. had some fancy bagels at klcc (a cross between jco doughnuts & aunty annes pretzel) and sushis from isetan. also.. lots and lotsa lattes!!! the cool smooth ones that go down nice & eeeeaaassy hehehe.

But.. i sure as hell paid a hefty price for being sooo indulgent.

The kepala-hotak-pusing-sampai-tertonggeng kind!!

It didnt help that as the nite progressed everyone started becoming totally mental... over, of all things, a misplaced battery charger (thats what usually happens when everyone's had a long day). orang ni kata orang tu, orang tu kata orang ni, bising betui.

Haaishhh. when it rains it just pours.

Thank god i became quite comatose after that and nothing really mattered anymore.

Not until i woke up that is.

But not wanting to waste an otherwise beautiful sunday morning, i dragged myself out of bed and right into the shower. one thing led to another and ta-daaaa... i was out shaking more than my butt (dah tua semuanya shaking gitu ekekeh) with my aerobic friends at the dataran.

Nothing beats sweating it out.

I feel goooood now :)

Hope yall have a good day too.

OUTPUT
AM - 50 mins med pace aerobics/dataran shah alam

At last

.. after a long, long, loooooong wait AF finally deign to convert his raw sony files (whatever that means) into uploadable pics. pics he took of the family during eid. pics that i had to wait more than a month for!!

Anyways, here we are in all our 'glory' hehehe.. introducing the nutty AA family ;)

Eid 2008 - Pic 1

Eid 2008 - Pic 2

Oh and heres the daddy, making sure he's never taken for granted ekekekeh

.. and his Katana Princess ;)

(note: all rifles, guns & katanas are props & nobody was hurt in the process hik hik)

Twilight frenzy

.. and AI is definitely responding to the call of the vampires.

What can i say about my 2nd except that he's a sucker for all thats dark & mystical. maybe not too much into the macabre, but dark enough to dwell within the realms of the nite creatures. Its wizards & vampires, da vinci & templar knights, rowlings & rice, conspiracies & vendettas. sometimes i kinda think he'd have prefered to live in the days of the past.

He adored gandalf. and potter. and v. and lestat.. and in all probability its cullens now. edward that is. mysterious & slightly menacing, he cuts quite a dashing figure.

Knowing the ban on driving alone especially when its late, he dragged his bro to midvalley last nite just to catch the midnite show. it would've included AH, but she had her own plans.. which usually involves her bf one way or another.

But dark or otherwise, at least he's still a romantic at heart. but then again, all my kids are. they're just good at putting up a tough front. quite like somebody i know, and know well ;)

I read the 1st & 2nd instalment of the series of 4. wasnt driven to continue bcos its a bit too mushy for my age. i guess i still prefer the darker more realistic nuances of anne rice.

Somehow, theres just something sexy about vampires and its no wonder the stories never really go away. myth or not, the ghaib is too vast for us to fully appreciate, nor comprehend.

Oh btw

.. take a look at this book and tell me what jumps right out at you.



Hehehe.. i may be completely old school when i sometimes hang on tight to the queens english but doesnt that just scream of typo to you? judgment as opposed to judgement? heh, the americans really go all out to be different dont they... its not enough that they confuse us on the highways & freeways, the football fields & soccer fields lol.

Its a management book golfman brought back from one of his work-related forums.

It disturbs me to no end. it really does.

Mulling over

... a few things this morning.

I've cleared my in-tray, finished my report and am now enjoying a break consisting primarily of ingesting a variety of vegies along with my mee-hoon. one of the things that i love about the suk canteen is, pepagi lagi dah ada banyak lauk and that includes a large choice of vege dishes.

So while i carefully chew on the oh so yummy green leaves :) i'm slowly accepting the fact that i really, really cannot stand another day of the 'redness' thats dominating this blog (it used to be the RedKebaya thus the justification at that time of the colour RED).

Its overpowering and i never was a red kind of person, thats more my husband. in retrospect, it was actually a rather lame effort on my part to inject a little energy & colour into my otherwise 'dark' world. yup, i'm into all things black (black IS beautiful)... though earthy colours arent too bad either.

I had a feeling this was going to happen but i went ahead with it anyway. tak cuba tak tau.

So, its an experiment gone bad.

So, i can always get rid of the red by changing the template.

But i also know from experience that changing templates isnt as easy as it sounds...

- i will lose most of my links.

- i risk losing certain functionality.

- i'll be stressed bcos i dont understand html enuff to fix things

- i'll also risk feeling like a stoooopid idiot.

So.

Maybe its time i start a Phase 2 to my blogging. maybe moving on to a new blog, which is sooo much easier, isnt such a bad idea after all. as long as i link up Phase 1 and Phase 2 i'd still be able to keep track of the past.

Besides keeping family members & friends updated, keeping track of the past is one of the main reasons i blog. the way my memory is deteriorating scares me sometimes so its actually quite comforting to know theres something i can fall back to.

Hmmmm.

I musnt be impulsive. not again.

Maybe its best if i keep on experimenting a bit more while i give myself until... awal muharam to decide. that should be enuff time i think.

Yup.

Thats what i'll do.

OUTPUT
AM - 2k/tasik/15 mins
(i was LATE leaving the house much to my disgust)

Lets just

.. do it!!!!

Yup in certain cases too much thinking becomes a stumbling block.

Live a little.. and seize the day.

*deep breaths*

OK.

Moving on.. golfman and me have been left to our own devices tonite. yup we're actually 'home alone' (mak dont count bcos she retires to her room pretty early) and we get to do what we luuurve best heheh (you can start using your imagination here).

Ekekekeh. and if your mind's in the gutters you can climb out now bcos golfman's most favourite, bestest than best hobby is... drumroll please... SNOOZING!!! yup, he's a zzzZZZzzzZZzzz man thru and thru (or on second thought maybe drums are not really a good idea lol).

Anyway, the 3 kiddoes have all gone to kl for a poetry recital at.. where was the place again? errm, crown princess hotel i think. AF and his gf are meeting some friends and AI & AH decided to tag along. they didnt get any objections from me (even tho i had to fork out RM40 for each) bcos it should be a good experience for them. maybe meeting up with artsy people might add a new dimension to the way they look at certain things.

Hmmm, which brings me to wonder, when on earth will the new teater selangor (the one right beside the grand blue wave hotel) start operating? looks like the building's all done so what could be holding back the grand opening? dah la kat shah alam ni takde cinema, ada teater pun tak buka2 ish ish.

Cant we have some fun around here?

(kenapa la bebudak ni tak balik2 lagi ni? haaish... they're big oredi la so i shouldnt worry right?!!)

OUTPUT
AM - 3k/tasik/25 mins
Really slow but a great jump start to my day.. i should start doing something in the PM as well!!

Poetry

Here are 2 books that AF & AI bought at the recital.. collateral damage & voices from the underground.



Poetry Paralysis

People are frightened of poetry - why?
They think it must be something they dont understand
Meaningless high faluting empty words that just sound grand.

Perhaps its a memory sown, a mistake
Of painful hours in a class you had to take
Taught by that teacher you love to hate
Who used Poetry as a weapon to make you feel inadequate
Dragging out her dread dreary tortured hours in a language thats dead.

Theorizing the metrics and rubrics and school bricks and old farts and school pricks.

But Poetry is not just about what rhymes
Poetry is not always long run-on lines
And Poetry is nothing you dont understand
Because where Poetry lives; began -

Its that healthy naked body you couldnt take your eyes off
Poetry in motion, beauty, flowing to the beat
That cutting soulstring melody of a song
The feeling that suddenly... you're home, you belong
The best sex that you ever (or maybe never?) had
Poetry is the one word that someone said to make you glad.

Poetry is anything
Anything
That
Moves
YOU

By Kathleen Choo, Voices From The Underground.

Settling in

.. and becoming a complete family unit once again.

For now.

Today has been a lazy, lepak sort of day for golfman, the kids and me. after a round of golf earlier this morning, the man was in a mellow mood and after lunch all 5 of us ended up 'berlonggok' inside the boys room (bilik kecik so semua jadi macam ulat gonggok je lol). in the coolness of the aircond, everyone settled down to their own thing.

- AF & AH have been locked on to this battlefield game for almost 2 days and 2 nites now, both their laptops linked together via bluetooth or something, i'm not sure. makan minum pun ntah kemana asyik dok menembak je (yes sidaro is a kick-ass gamer courtesy of her bros).

- AI's in his own little corner lost in his own computer game (i forgot which)

- Golfman and me pulak was alternating between checking our email, blogging & him listening to agnes monica on u-tube (eeww).

It was then that i realised we were all glued to our laptops!!! hehehe dulu2 mengadap tv tapi semenjak ada banyak sangat pilihan dah jadi susah pulak nak agree on a common channel. so the computers have taken over and specially with the internet, you can go places without leaving the room. i dont quite know if its a good thing or a bad thing but whatever it is, its also keeping the family together.

After a while i brought in some refreshments, and like ravenous baby birds yang menunggu mama bird bawa makanan, habis kueh teow pagi tadi (reheated of course) kena tibai ekekeh. and of course bila dah makan2 macam tu, maka timbul la pelbagai topik perbincangan dan usik mengusik yang tak berpenghujung.

And looking at the happy faces of my husband and children, contentment spread through my soul like the warmth of the morning sun.

Ya Allah syukur di atas segala nikmat MU.

OUTPUT
AM - Aerobics/ medium to fast/ 50 mins.
Oh and btw, golfman finally got me a swatch yesterday yay.. now i can keep a better time of my workouts :)

He's back

.. yup, the man's home.



Enuff said.... agagaga :D

ABE

.. toloooong!! i have a house full of rowdy males and they're taking over!!!

AF's ex-dormmates are staying the nite and they seem to be having quite a riot downstairs. gruff male voices & guffaws reverberating through the house and you wouldnt believe that its over, of all things, a game of monopoly!! hehehe in this age of technology, it warms my old heart to see young men still enjoying boardgames.

But it's also sorta obvious that theres now a certain 'distraction' about the place hik hik.



Errmm, Abe, do you think we should start getting a shotgun soon?

Ekekekeh...... just kidding ;p

Us gals are holed up in our room and glued to our laptops, me surfing sana sini (cant sleep) and sidaro furiously typing out one of her stories (tengah dapat ilham la tu), but like always bukannye dia nak bagi baca pun.... unless curi2 ;)

(counting the hours till you get back babe)

Time for cheer

.. because everyone yes everyone is almost here :)

So lets do a head count shall we? ok, from my last record there should be 6 hot-blooded humans and 3 super-spunky felines..

The felines:

Nico da Mafioso? check

Adik da Slinker? check

Mamat da Yowler? check

(Eh anak kucing saper lak ni..... maaaaak no more pls no more!!!!!)

The humans:

Opah da Supa Snoop-ah? check

Aie da Karie Marie? check

Ijat da Lidi Midi? check

Echa da Hanis Manis? check

Oh and moi of course, hehehe. check.

Abe da Saye Maye? errmmm, he's probably somewhere in samarakand right now.

But... insyallah, in a couple of days the man will be home and by then it'll be full house again agagagaga.

(doing the jiggly miggly)

As you can see i'm obviously still high on drugs =_=

Its tough

.. just standing by while your chidren venture out to explore all of life's possibilities. you know its a big world out there, one with good & bad in equal measure. you also know that, although its a difficult thing to do, they should be allowed to make mistakes. little ones of course (bcos you'd have to step in otherwise) in the hope that they will learn something from it.

Its a mom's default to worry but its also a mom's duty to encourage growth.

Sigh.

Susah.. susah. especially during those times when you feel they should've taken another route or made a different choice.

My sweet sweet babies. they have a long way to go.

*bite my tongue till it bleeds*

The irony of it is

.. instead of making a fresh start elsewhere like i probably should be doing, i'm at home on 2 days medical leave hahaha.

Last friday i received a faxed letter from the kementerian offering me a promotion in the form of a kader post in putrajaya. the letter was dated 13th Nov, i received the fax on the 14th and they expected me to report duty today, 17 Nov 2008. admitting that the whole thing disturbs me is putting it too mildly. wth? you guys are giving me just 2 days (weekend plak tu) to mull things over? macam tak nak bagi je..

Coming down with flu didnt help but to be honest, i didnt really need to ponder & deliberate all that much anyway. with the man away and my life in a perpetual state of chaos, its pretty obvious that staying put was the best option.

I can imagine the furor down at the office. with my absence today, they're probably thinking their hard-core akak, the last bastion of seniority (not senility mind you) has finally succumbed to the dark side!!! heheheh, adik2 akak, you people know already how i feel about naik pangkat n stuff kan. i just wanna do my work in a quiet lil corner until pencen comes a-knocking :D

For now let my meds work its magic and take me away to that wonderful place where nobody sneezes, nobody coughs and heads dont spin.

AI- all the best for your last paper tomorrow k

Abe ku saye, how was 'airforce one' btw hik hik?

Dripping like a faucet

.. and croaking like a frog.

I'm down with flu and feeling like shite. i cant breathe, i cant sleep and my head feels like exploding :(

Gaah.

And to make matters worse, i caught my 'bodyguard' sleeping on the job hu hu.. now who's gonna mind the house while i conk out huh ?

Jokes aside, i feel truly awful.

Abe - i dont know why i hafta share you with the P & PM la, you're mine aincha?

(Sneeze sneeze.... pulling out tissues, tissues and more tissues)

Chance meetings

.. and how it can affect our lives.

We meet new people every day (unless we're a recluse or on house arrest, courtesy of disturbia lol). some just breeze thru, others become acquantainces and there are those who stays on to become really close friends.

But the time or duration of interaction with another is not a direct measure of their impact on our lives.. there are people who suddenly appear out of nowhere and leave a deep impression. there are chance meetings that can jolt you in unexpected ways and spark a change. sometimes its a cause for reflection, for deliberation or better yet for improvement.

I was reminded of this fact quite recently, although it didnt really involve me directly. AH had an unexpected encounter that surprised her to no end and thanks to the ripple effect, had also given me cause to re-examine myself. i realise i had become too busy for personal reflection and it took a young questing mind to remind me of this.

We all have this potential for affecting others positively but we dont usually tap into it because we are unaware or unappreciative of ourselves. but the beauty of it is, when goodness IS there it shines through anyway.

Thank you, may you have a blessed life.

Moving on.. AF is back for his break and will be around till january yay!! AI will be home by the 19th, and golfman will tentatively be flying back on the 28th so it'll be full house again soon double yay!!

Isnt life just peachy :)

Oh but maybe not quite so for my little gal. seems that her bf will be gallivanting off to the land down under on a family getaway so i should be expecting a major meltdown coming our way in the not so distant future ekekeh.

Hai budak-budak :D

Please la

.. can you NOT treat me as if i was still that 5 year old you bullied into submission?

.. can you NOT dedicate your life to judging people and always, ALWAYS expecting the worst from them?

.. and most importantly, can you just leave me & my children be? everything doesnt have to work your way you know and unlike you, i still happen to see the intrinsic good in humanity.

Enough with the double standards and please... we dont need a 'martyr' in the house.

*SIGH*

Thank god for the release i get from running.

Moving on.. i think i bit off more than i could chew (again) when i went a-fiddling with feeds & widgets yesterday. gawd, why i get myself into this sort of situation is sometimes beyond me lol. my actual intent was to get into a blogger forum, sort of slowly feel my way around and finally get up the courage to ask for help with my 'unresponsive' blog archives (something's wrong with my widgets that much i do know).

So i went tra-la-la-la-ing over to blogmalaysia, malaysiablogger, allmalaysiainfo, blogger-something-or-other and ended up joining technorati (dont ask me why, i'm still foggy about that one lol). waah signing up was a breeze... but then they gave me this option of 'claiming' my blog, then they asked me whether to do it just once or for always or not at all. wtf?!!? thats when i knew i was in deep shite.

Tu la takde pasal cari pasal (as always).

Now i need to figure out what i've actually gotten myself into and read up more about rss feeds & widgets. it seems that theres also a guy on u-tube who explains it to idiots like me but i cant access u-tube at work so that will be my activity tonite i guess.

Weh aie tak bole tolong mama ke?

OUTPUT
AM - 4k/full loop/half hour

The Other Paths

... that you could have taken in this journey called life.

There are crossroads in everybody's lives and we are where we are by virtue of the choices we made (of course God has the final say but thats a given). With time on my hands, my overactive imagination has enjoyed free reign lately (and i honestly cant decide whether thats a good thing.. or not lol).

So i got to wondering where the other paths might have led me?

A click here & a double click there and guess what i came up with ekekekeh.... meet the alternate latiffa people!!

*blink blink.. blink blink* errr, belly dancing anyone?!!

See Abe, i told you prolonged absence always drives me cuckoo hahaha!!!! And have a good week in tashkent dearest.. dont go losing your funny bone now ;)

(why am i on a running break this morning?)

SPM

.. its D-day for AH's seniors and marks an early start to the school holidays for her.

I wish all the students the very best of luck & hope they do well bcos like it or not, spm IS an important milestone in their young lives. and it also affects the parents directly.. we're anxious because we already know just how much is at stake.

2 down and 1 more to go, at least for me that is.

Sooo lil miz echa, you know well enough what that means aight?!

(must keep prodding AH to start early).

Tak makan cili

... jangan la pula terasa pedasnya!!

Easier said than done as it has been proven time and time again.

My niece called me up recently and we had quite a lengthy chat. usually whenever my anak2 buah's head are screwed, i'm the place to call (that catchy tune 'now who do u call? ghostbusters!!' is ringing in my head right now lol).

She's fresh out of college and has just started working at an international transportation company. Still in her probationary period, she couldnt help but be thrilled to hear from her supervisor that management was already considering her for permanent status. A time to rejoice but for one minor detail... she would be bypassing some other temporary staff who was there much much earlier.

The poor kid is racked with guilt. unnecessary of course but thats being young for you. me being the realist that i am didnt pull any punches and told her, as long as you've worked diligently and didnt go round parading your boobs & butts with the sole intent of getting up in the company's ladder, be at peace with the situation. it means that your effort & hardwork is recognized and whatever your employer decides is independent of you.

Hard work has it payoffs my dear. enjoy it, without the guilt.

OUTPUT
AM - 4k/complete loop/half hour

INPUT
B/fast - jamu tea
Coffee break during mtg - halfplate fried meehoon (lordy, they went completely overboard with the pepper).
Lunch - fried kangkong, half fried keli and bits of assam pedas pari.
Dinner - paper tosei & apple juice at pelita (temankan sidaro)
Also snacked on jambu air plucked from mak's tree.

Now you dont have to wonder why my equation is never ever balanced ekekekeh!

Santai

... that was the essence of my weekend.

Without golfman and the boys, the days are pretty quiet & laid-back. after all its just us 3 'gals' (mak, me & AH) and the 3 tomcats (namely nico, adek n mamat). we're usually content just tinkering about in the comfort of home... mak & her anak2 buah (kucing, gagak, tupai & all the other neighbourhood 'wildlife'), AH & her 'beloved black' (guitar that is), me & my.. uughh, thoughts (just meandering thoughts that doesnt really get me anywhere).

So in the absence of half the household members, we try to amuse ourselves the best we can. and while we cling to each other for the comfort that togetherness brings, we pretend that the emptiness doesnt really matter all that much.

OUTPUT
AM - 50 mins medium pace aerobics, 3k/tasik.

Social retard

... thats what i am, and i despise the fact that i might've dragged the children down with me.

I've always been a loner. not a recluse who shuns human interaction (tak la seteruk itu) but more of finding comfort & solace in my own company. i avoid crowds because they make me uneasy & it takes time for me to warm up to strangers... a long time. but that doesnt mean i dont like company. gawd i love meeting people & making new friends, i do, i really do. its just that i'm more a one-to-one person and at most can only handle small groups of people at a time.

Now it kinda looks like my kids are following in my footsteps, alas.

First and foremost its not a good thing bcos if you dont join in, you dont belong. and for a youngster trying to find a niche in life, acceptance is important. and even when we get older society demands that we.. aahh, mingle.. and mingle well.

To be a fully functional member of society, completely at ease in any type of social function, always making the right moves, gracious, confident.

Its a skill that i truly covet.

If only i could be that gracious, that confident.. if only i could stop feeling like a bull in a china shop.. if only i didnt act like i had 2 left feet.. if only, if only...

And in this case i wish that my kids were more like my husband. he's the social one and has phenomenal networking skills. somehow it has made life easier for him especially because no man is an island. unfortunately, he's away so often that his influence is hardly felt. not that you dont matter darling, please thats not the case at all. just that it takes time for such things to have an effect and the kids are with me 24/7.

Kiddoes... do something about it please, before it becomes that much harder to change. Go actively seek the skills necessary to fit in.

Believe me, its easier in the long run and will help you swallow the farce without it showing on your faces.

OUTPUT
AM - 4k/ tasik (but it was truly hard going today)

Hujan pagi lagi

.... but just a short light drizzle this time.

Hmmm the first black president... it still feels like a movie to me, an american thriller or something (i've had more than my fair share of hollywood cia & fbi tales rammed down my throat). still cant seem to believe that its really happening. lets see if it'll make a difference. call me a party pooper, wet blanket, pessimist tapi rasanya after all the hype it'll just be the same old same old. ntah la.

Prove me wrong obama.. pls.

Last nite was fun. AI's still home on study leave and just for the heck of it, we decided to hole up in the 'cold room' (aka the den with the recently installed airconditioner) on a scary movie marathon!! AH's bf was also invited and to her delight he was able to stay until after midnite. we had dinner the AA way (i.e. right slap bang in front of the screen) and with the lights out and the aircond on full blast, we managed to scare ourselves silly (even tho the movies werent even that seram pun hik2).

So.

AI's going back to lendu today in a convoy of 2 cars. he's pretty pissed that i insist he has company (he prefers driving back alone) but in view of his recent accident, i cant have it any other way. i'm thinking more in terms of car breakdown than anything else, and without auto assist (hari tu tak sempat but AA promised to take care of it when he comes home in december) friends would be helpful. in most cases many heads is better than one.

Semoga selamat dunia akhirat sayang mama semua.

AH grumbled her way to school this morning bcos theres this prize-giving function she has to attend while most of her friends are at home sleeeeeping (exam's all done so ramai yang ponteng). my quiet, nerdish echa does have a rebellious streak tucked in there somewhere.. after all she is a leo and i have caught glimpses of the lioness occasionally.

Manja tapi degil... hehehe thats my girl ;)

Oh Abe, who's the guest from dubai, anyone i know?

OUTPUT
AM - 4k/tasik/half hour.

Hujan

.. lighter than a downpour, heavier than a drizzle but i ran anyway, yay!

Not much pun sebenarnya.. half a loop just like before (had to stop at 3 huts along the track, it was that heavy!) but at least i've started the ball rolling and i'm feeling gooooood again heheh.

Doesnt take much to make this makcik happy eh?!

And yall have a good day too you hear :)

Abe - i'm glad u got to play some golf at tashkent.. ur all time stress-buster aight and at least it sorta prepared u for the onslought of the 'storm'!! luvya missya honeybunch (hehehe.. and i can just see u flinching at that).
AF - dude sori ma lambat masukkan ur allowance, terbz la plak... sori ek.
AI - maybe now u'll take me seriously when i say every driver should spend time getting to know their car & its 'perangai' (yup every car has its own perangai on the road.. it'll work in your favour if u know urs). driving is easy but its the crisis handling that we must work on and that takes time & concious effort. it wont happen overnite so be patient.
AH - its great that ur playing again. u've been more than a little 'distracted' lately so i guess its a good thing u broke ur guitar string eh?! bukan apa, i just believe we all need to keep at least one passion alive so as not to drown in the mundaneness of life. yup my darling i agree that life can sometimes be as exciting as a piece of moldy bread hehehe... but i still hate it when you young people keep chanting "ish boring la boring.. boring.. boring". truth is, life needs to be lived. true satisfaction & fulfillment dont just fall from the sky, one must seek it. oh btw, a new guitar is open to negotiation if you want one ;)

OUTPUT
AM - 2k/tasik half loop.

INPUT
B/fast - jamu tea & half toast
Lunch - small portion white rice, fish, omelette, fried okra with prawns
Tea - half a sandwich and black coffee
Dinner - small portion of white rice, roast drumstick, seafood tomyam, salad
(yea, i eat well thats the problem hehehe)

Running with RK

.. getting back into the groove and hopefully dropping off some unwanted kilos in the process :)

I've come full circle from couch kentang to pounding the pavement and back again... but this time i'm putting up a fight against the siren song of the couch (and the crunchy munchies).

Wanna join me? if nothing else you'll end up not so lethargic, not so semput as you go about your daily lives.

It doesnt even have to be a great distance (we'll leave that to the younger & more committed ones... go haza!!!). lets just start it slow and easy. skit skit lama lama jadi bukit.. eh noooo, not bukit in this case!! lama lama jadi fit heheh.

Wheeeee....... jom lari!! we'll do it the makcik way together hehehehe.

Oh and heres moi's 'not-so-detailed' record of output & input, my puny effort at commitment ;)

OUTPUT
AM - 2k/tasik
*i was set on covering my customary 4k but i left the house too late so it was just a half loop this morning. i was also supposed to run after work just to put in additional mileage but it rained (sigh) so, thats it for today. on the bright side, at least i did do some sweating.

INPUT
Breakfast - fresh apple/lime juice from the canteen.
Lunch - small portion of rice, beef curry, green vege.
Tea - limau ice n shared bubur kacang at the office
Dinner - half bowl mee hoon curry at old town kopitiam (new place at shah alam mall).
Absolutely no snacking after... and dont you forget that RK!!!

Oh and Abe, AI's car dah ok. we picked it up during lunchbreak, after an exchange of a rather large stack of bills. and he also wants you to know he's very grateful & appreciative of your support & understanding.

ps. Beware of the couch, it can seduce you as well hik2 ;)

Creatures of the dark

.... and our fascination with all that stalks the earth.

Malam... yang syahdu, yang sepi, yang kelam, yang seram. it can so easily be any one of these and much more. Nites are certainly more interesting than day especially for people who thrive when darkness prevail. ordinary sights & sounds are transformed into something totally different. the dark brings with it a peculiar sense of beauty; a blend of mystery & menace.

Are you a nite person? well... i am.

The nite dangles to me both solace & fear. solace in the presence my Maker and fear of the whispers that resonates in the dark recesses of my soul. in the quiet of the nite, the calls are equally strong and my wild heart sometimes betray me.

Beware of the darkness, it can seduce you.

The soldier

.. Zam Zam Abdul Hamid. Beloved father & friend. He would have been 67 today,

I loved you dearly Babah.

AlFatihah... may you be at peace with your Maker.

AI's first

..automobile accident. thank god all's well considering the circumstances. seribu syukur.
Perhaps a little lesson in humility was necessary.

No amount of advice or info sharing can ever really prepare us for our first brush with another vehicle or driver. its the ultimate reminder of our own vulnerability and mortality. yup, we're rudely reminded that this steel shell that we're safely enconsed in is actually just providing us with a VERY false sense of security. we're not invincible... in fact, we're actually not safe at all.

And we're totally at the mercy of the moment.

- we might be physically hurt from the impact (or die for that matter but lets just not go there)

- we might be verbally (or physically) abused by the other driver

- we might be manipulated or exploited by others who're always ready to take advantage

- we might even have to face the wrath of deranged individuals

Fact is you can never be in control of the situation because strangers are involved. even tho you do not want to be afraid of your own shadows, there is certainly a need to practice caution. on one hand you want to keep believing in humanity but you are also aware that its a mad mad world out there.

So.. the best thing to do is to cut down the possibilities of getting into such a situation in the first place. travel only when you need to.

Yup, travel only when necessary my darlings.

(Huh, and i'm actually saying this to hot-blooded young males with cars at their disposal?!)

And Abe, thank you so much for the support & understanding :)

Undoing the good

.. of ramadhan. really, it doesnt take much. all you have to do is lose yourself in the madness of eating, eating and more eating, the scale of which is roughly equivalent to the number of open house invites.

Yup.. senseless eating.

And once you start feeling like a bloated old toad, your enthusiasm takes a hike & the excuses comes pouring in. its so easy to slide into passivity.

Passive indulgence?

Please, its something you DO NOT want to happen.

(i am not a bloated toad, i am not a bloated toad, i am not a bloated toad, i am not a bloated toad, i am not a bloated toad, i am not a bloated toad.......)

A reminder.. to ME!! but i sure as hell dont mind sharing.

Reminder 1.

Running is only Part of the Story
Putting in the miles will help you lose weight, but there is the other half of the weight-loss equation.

Weight Loss = Exercise + Reduced Calories

Reduced calories can come from running, but it must also come from reduced eating!

However, don't go on a crash diet! If you try and reduce too many calories through dieting, your body may think it is starving, and it may lower your metabolism in an attempt to conserve energy.

A reasonable goal is to reduce your calories from food by about 300 per day. That, plus losing 200 calories per day due to running will give you a weight loss of about a pound a week. That may not seem like much, but that is 52 pounds per year, and that is significant weight loss.

Be sure that the calories you do consume come from a nutritious diet. Eat veggies, fruits, fish, poultry, nuts, and whole grains. If possible, shun processed foods and prepare meals from "scratch".

Avoid eating three big meals a day. Instead, eat five or six small meals. If you eat more often but smaller meals, you'll be less hungry for each meal and may be better able to control your intake.

Bottom line: If you're exercising to lose weight, I encourage you to separate exercise and weight.

Yes, you should exercise for health, fitness, stress relief and, most importantly, for enjoyment -- After all, the E in exercise stands for enjoyment! I discourage you from exercising to burn off calories; that makes exercise feels like punishment for having excess body fat. When exercise is something you do to your body, rather than for your body, you'll eventually quit exercising. Bad idea. Instead of focusing on exercise to lose body fat, pay attention to your calorie intake. Knocking off just 100 calories a day from your evening snacks can theoretically result in a 10-pounds fat loss in a year.

Reminder 2.

Myth: The more you exercise, the more fat you lose.
Often, the more you exercise, the hungrier you get, and:
-the more you eat, or;
-the more your believe you "deserve" to eat, or;
-the more you want to eat as a reward for both getting to the gym and surviving the workout.

But if you spend 60 minutes in a spin class and burn off 600 calories only to reward yourself with 12 Oreos (600 calories), you'll wipe out your weight-loss efforts in less than three minutes!

The effects of exercise on weight loss are complex and unclear. A study showed that 56- to 78-year-olds who participated in a vigorous walking program had nearly the same daily calorie needs as those who didn't exercise (2,400 without exercise, 2,480 with exercise).

How could that be? Well, the exercisers napped more and were 62 percent less active throughout the rest of their day than non-exercisers.

Another study of post-menopausal women found the same results from eight weeks of moderate exercise training. Their 24-hour energy expenditure remained similar from the beginning to the end of the program.

Bottom line: Eat according to your entire day's activity level, not according to how hard you trained that day.

(from: http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/09/losing-weight.html & http://www.active.com/story.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&STORY_ID=12783&CATEGORY=eat%5Fright&NUM=1)

NOTE:
Rough estimation - A 30 min run at a comfortable pace burns about 12 calories per minute.
(from: http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/08/blog-post.html)