Mini Update

I'll be pretty scarce online until, maybe, next week. My internet router is all messed up. So said my provider. Methinks it's all a trick to get me to buy the new wireless router. Anyway we can't do much but purchase a new one.

Hopefully by the end of next week I'll be sorted out.

For now I'll be using my Berry Berry to read mails and blogs,tweet and update my facebook stream. Oh and play HP games on the laptop. :)

Have a great week-end y'all!

To Read Or Not To Read?

Since I've stumbled upon 20SB - it's been quite a while -, I've read many blogs.

Well I lie.

I haven't read that many.

I've, rather, clicked on many blog URLs.

The blogosphere is brimming with new bloggers signing up everyday; not to mention new blog posts are published every second if not minute.  So I came up with this mental check-list that I perform while visiting a new blog.

If the blog content is good, I'll definitely bookmark it.  If the grammar is spot-on, I'll certainly follow the blog.  And then if the layout is cute, I'll go back there more than once per day.

After a while, I've become quite an expert at perusing blogs quickly to spot a good read based on the above-mentioned criteria.

So out of curiosity, I would like to know what turns you off from reading/following/commenting on a particular blog?

Love You Berry Berry Much!

I’ve always dreamed of owning a Blackberry phone.  Mere weeks after purchasing an iPhone, my lust for Blackberry came back with a vengeance.  So hubby gifted me one for my birthday last year.  I was ecstatic!  He knows too well the long hours I used to spend online perusing websites for reviews and comparisons on Blackberry Smartphones.   I wanted it that much.  When I got my own, a Blackberry Bold, I immediately signed up for a suitable data plan.  And downloaded all my favourite apps…

Life was peachy.

And then my phone started acting up.  If you handle the phone with the slightest force it switches off on its own.  When it rings and I touch it, it goes off.  If I leave it idle for an hour or less, I’ll have to restart it before I can actually use it.

Consequently I was missing calls from hubby.  Which eventually got to his nerves.  Calling landlines is expensive and he likes calling me every five minutes when he’s on the road.

But I loyally put up with the crap for a little longer.  I love my phone!

My dear hubby wanted to sell it.  But I couldn’t let go of my sidekick.  I wouldn’t let go!

So yesterday hubby decided to sit down with my Berry Berry and investigate.  Something his lazy ass should have done months ago.  After all he’s a whiz in electronics.

And what do you know?!  With the help of my tweezer and a screwdriver he fixed it!

Apparently, something was loose.

Now I can throw my phone on the ground, or just hold it carelessly….and it’s still on!

Yay!!!

All I need to do now is to re-activate my data plan and I’m good to go…

Oh and the fancy Blackberry holster?  It’s back baby!

Bloggers, What's Your Niche?

I decided to take a break from my darling of a laptop and chose to instead sit down with my other darling, the hubby (it irks him to play second fiddle to my lappy toppy but he comes first; he knows it...methinks), on the balcony and talk about anything and everything under the stars.  So while we were there, him comfortably resting his legs on my lap, while I playfully rub his heels, a guest called for help - we rent apartments.  The guest's TV set stopped working so hubby had to give him another one.

While hubby was at task, I was left on my own, gazing at the star-lit sky and let my mind wander lazily.

And of course something hit me.  Not literally.

Anyways seeing that I'm unemployed, let's say I need to fill up some kinda application form (yes my imagination is way too fertile, not to mention rampant too) and I want to give the impression that I, at least, do something concrete in my life beside moping about online.

So can I actually put down blogger as my occupation?  Because seriously, that's all I seemingly do!  If I'm not writing a post or thinking about it, I'm reading others' blogs.  Anything to do with blogs, I'm in.  So when you think of it, I'm a blogger!

But in which category of bloggers do I fit in?

Personal blogger? Almost.  I'm not sure.  I mean I don't really rant about personal and deep stuff you know.

I'm neither a fashion blogger.  Far from that! Nor am I a professional blogger.  Travel blogger? Yeah right.  I haven't traveled much and I'm not verbose enough to review a place, lest an entire country.  Political blogger is definitely not it.  I'm too shy to ever post a vlog.

And that's when I hit up the never-disappointing Google and it faithfully spewed out millions of results.  I settled for Wikipedia and clicked on its link.

How many types of bloggers do you think there are?  Well check it out for yourself!  Here's the link.

So after reading Wiki's definitions and explanations, I will surely categorize myself as a personal blogger.  Although I don't really blog about private issues - read marital hisses! -, I do try to utilize the Blogger platform as an outlet to voice out my general opinions.  Or reminisce about the past.  Or simply talk crap.  But none of the emotional/lamenting type. I keep those to myself, close to my chest.

Next time I get a job application form to fill I'll include 'Personal Blogger' as present career.  That should definitely raise some eyebrows!

Now you get to tell me what type of blogger you are...

P.S: You need to check out this Youtuber!  Imagine if she starts blogging or even vlogging...I think she'd cure you out of depression.  Laughter is a good medicine right?




I laughed so much that I had to subscribe to her Youtube channel.  Awesome eh?!

Photo Source: [via WeHeartIt]

Funny Foto Friday

Photo Source: [ via SmilePanic]

Wednesday Emails - Why Boys Need Parents

**It's one day late but hey who's counting?!  Better late than never...

From: Anuska
To: Me
Subject: Why Boys Need Parents

Smell Of Satisfaction

Isn't it strange and yet funny how one trinket of information can take you back on a particular day in your past?

The who, when and where are not much of importance.  So I'll get right down to it.

My first oral sexperience.

Back to whenever it was I had friends who've been there, done that, and hated it.

And I somehow have never let my friends' experiences cloud my own judgement.  I'll reach to my own conclusions after finishing whatever deed it is.  However unpleasant, according to them, or pleasant, again according to some, the task is.

There I was, heart pounding with excitement, palms sweating, mouth all dried out, eyes closed, hairs standing on the back on my neck, fumbling fingers, and breaths turning into short gasps...I wasn't thinking of anyone or anything.  All my mind was registering at that moment was the sweet smell.

Oh yes!

The sweet smell of...wait! I know that smell. What is it?  I've smelled it before...where the hell did I smell that?

Oh fuck the smell.  I'll think of it later.  Because I'm sure I've had a whiff of it before.

Anyway, I was in the most beautiful garden and breathing in the purest fragrance ever.

Hours later, we parted ways because I had to clock in at work before I'm penalized.  Again.

As soon as I stepped into my workplace, the plastered grin I had on my face kinda gave me away to my friends.  But I kept mum.  I got teased and laughed at.  And still I didn't utter one single word.

During my break,  I tried to escape their curiosity and sought the company of one of my friends who wasn't too keen on bombarding me with questions.  On my way to her, I had to walk through the detergent and soap powder aisle.  And I stopped mid-way.

That smell again!!  But how...? What the fuck...? Is my mind playing tricks on me?  What's going on?

I kept trudging towards my incurious friend.  She mouthed, "What's wrong?" and I just shrugged.  The nearer I'm getting to her, the more I can smell it.  I stopped again and did a 360, looking around.  All I can see are boxes of soap powder on the shelves.  Once I reached my belle amie, I asked her if she could smell anything weird?  "No", she said.

The scent was so strong that I couldn't simply shrug it off.  I needed to find out what is it.  I mean I can't be smelling his private parts everywhere I set foot.  So I started sniffing the shelves.  Soap powder box after soap powder box after soap powder box....

Until I reached the Ariel section!!!

It took me a full goddamn minute for the realization to set in....

The damn mister washes his underwear with Ariel soap powder!!!

From then on, every time I passed through that aisle, my senses sang...

Yes, just like that...!!! Hahaha

Photo Source [ via Flickr: Creative Commons]

Re-Post: Asking For Help Is Hard To Do

Hi friends!


I have a special post today. 


Ashley, from Germato, and her fiance are going through a rough patch.  We've been all hit by the recession and consequently jobs are pretty much scarce in the labor market.  So, along with Ashley, I'm asking you to please offer as much advice, suggestions and ideas as you can.  I wouldn't say much as her post is pretty much self-explanatory.  Please spare a few minutes and read the following.  Thank you.  


P.S:  You can visit her site and leave a comment there if you wish.  

I pride myself on being able to take care of myself. I pride myself on knowing a lot and doing a lot. I pride myself on being able to do most things on my own without needing someone to hold my hand all the time. But we all stumble from time to time. And those that offer a helping hand at those times of need are truly magnificent people.

But I’ve stumbled at this point and I’m asking for your help in whatever way you can.

Nathan quit his job today. A job that made weekends an extension of the week days. A job that forced him to find himself at his desk more often than he found himself at home. A job that left him miserable and me frustrated. A job where respect for a person/person’s family/person’s life outside of work was a foreign object to every manager above him.  A job that drove a wedge between us, almost permanently.

To some, this is a foolish step. With the economy how it is. With the job market how it is. With us wanting to move and plan a wedding. But to me, and I hope to Nathan, this was a step in gaining back the respect he had lost for himself. Gaining back the happiness that he forgot about over six years ago. Gaining back a life that doesn’t revolve around a job that gave nothing in return. Gaining back his hopes, and our dreams.

I encouraged this step whole-heartedly, knowing it would put a different kind of strain on our relationship. Knowing that I would most likely need to work overtime, or cut back on my spending, or not eat out. Knowing that a move may be less likely and that our dream wedding may have to change. Giving up all of these things and more was worth it. To get that phone call this morning and hear “I feel like I was let out of prison” was so bittersweet.

I will be the only source of income after February 1st. He will be actively searching out a job, but it’s not always that easy. On top of that, our pets will be my main priority in all of this. My goal is that they don’t notice a change, other than that Nathan is able to spend more time with them. So we’re looking for extra ways to make money. Ways to cut back, but still have fun. And if you want to go all out, a job for him. And if said job requires a move, a job for me too. (I am kidding, sort of.)

So my plea for help is this: Share your knowledge. Tell me what got you through the tough times. Explain your extra sources of income. Leave me/us words of encouragement. Keep us in your thoughts. And if you can, repost. The more people that can give me insight on what’s looking to be a rocky road ahead, the better.

Oh, and while you’re improving your karma? Keep Brittney in your thoughts too. She lost her cat last week and I’m hoping for his safe return.

May God Bless Us All...

Since the earthquake in Haiti, everyday I wake up to the CNN news blaring out loud on my TV.  Hubby gets up early and watches the news.  But now since the Haiti catastrophe, he's at it almost the whole day.  Keeping abreast of what's happening in the neighboring island, Haiti, is good but I don't want to watch.  It tears my heart and I prefer doing something else.

So this morning I was a bit concerned when I heard about the quake in Venezuela.  If you're not geographically challenged then you should know that St Vincent and the Grenadines, where I'm currently based, is between Haiti and Venezuela.

Haiti and Venezuela share the same seismic fault line! That got me all flustered because I don't want to die! Not now at least.  I went online to look up the path of the fault line in Central America and thank GOD SVG is not on any seismic plates!! Phewww!!

Maybe we'll have a tsunami.  That's a fear that grips me every time I sit on the balcony and stare at the ocean which is almost half a mile away.  Last year a Norwegian visited the island to warn the locals about tsunamis in the Caribbean.  He said that God sent him here to give us fair warning on the impending calamity that'd befall upon the islands soon.  I didn't really pay attention to his ramblings.  Vincentians scorned his so-called predictions and deported him.

Yesterday afternoon, I was trying to coax hubby into packing a bag with bare essentials just in case something happens.  You never know.

Anyway here's a Youtube video of David Rudder singing a song called Haiti.  David Rudder is a Trinidadian singer who, according to Wikipedia, "released his best album to date, Haiti, which included the title track, a tribute to the glory and suffering of Haiti."  Read more on the singer here.



May God give strength to the Haitians and if you can help in any way please do so.  There are so many alternatives to donate.  Just as I'm writing this, Obama, Clinton and Bush are giving a speech, together, live on TV.  It's a rare sight to see.  Obama also informed us of a recently-launched fund website where you can help out the suffering Haitians.

Peace out...

Wednesday Emails - How To Recruit The Right Person For The Job?

From: Mum

To: Daughter
Subject: How to recruit the right person for the job?

Put about 100 bricks in some particular order in a closed room with an open window.

Then send 2 or 3 candidates in the room and close the door.

Leave them alone and come back after 6 hours and then analyze the situation.

If they are counting the bricks put them in the Accounts Department.

If they are recounting them put them in the Audits Department.

If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks put them in the Engineering Department.

If they are arranging the bricks in some strange order put them in Planning.

If they are throwing the bricks at each other put them in Operations.

If they are sleeping put them in Security.

If they have broken the bricks into pieces put them in Information Technology Department. 

If they are sitting idle put them in Human Resources.

If they say they have tried different combinations, yet not a brick has been moved put them in Sales.

If they have already left for the day put them in Marketing.

If they are staring out of the window put them in Strategic Planning.

And then last but not least...

If they are talking to each other and not a single brick has been moved congratulate them and put them in Top Management!

Speaking Of Curly Hair...

For the past couple of weeks, I've been washing my hair without using hair conditioner. The local shops ran out of my favourite conditioner - Pantene Anti-breakage. So imagine the state of my hair after every single wash...dry as the African crops!

Whenever I run out of conditioner I usually use aloe-enriched, alcohol-free hair polisher.  But today, for some unknown reason, it's not working.  I couldn't get rid of the stubborn knots.  Running out of patience I picked up a pair of scissors and chopped off two big chunks of tangled hair.

I know! Terrible.  And stupid.  I'm dreading the sight I'll be faced with once my hair gets dry.  I was so tempted to take a picture of the damn unwanted hair.  But then I thought against it.  I don't want a reminder of my foolish act! The mirror will take care of that.

After the abrupt operation, I combed my hair and somehow, my head feels lighter.  *sighs*
Thank god I don't have any special engagements in the next few weeks coming up.  By the time my social life picks up again, hopefully my hair will grow back to a reasonable length, and enough to camouflage the gaping, unmistakable void at the back of my head.

If for any reason I'm being asked about my new hairstyle, I can give the 'gum' excuse! Ha!

Life On The Rocks

A couple of months ago, I came across this website where Zoundry Raven was listed as one of the best alternative ways to publish your Blogger posts. I downloaded it and never used it until now. It has a similar interface as that of Outlook Express. It's kinda cool because sometimes, I simply can't stomach the ugliness of Blogger's dashboard. And besides Zoundry Raven is just a click away. You can check it out here, if you're remotely interested. :D

Anyway, let's move on to the purpose of this blog. Everybody knows how hot the Caribbean is right? Even during the winter season, it's bloody hot. Not to mention humid. But I guess it's better than snow and sleet huh? For me it damn is. Any time I flat-iron my hair it goes back into curly mode.

So yeah, I gave up on flat-ironing my hair. I'll have it straightened on special occasions only. December proved to be another humid month where the rain didn't help much. It rather accentuated the clamminess.

And then was born my new addiction.

I.C.E!!

Well yes, I had ice before. In my drinks. But I never bothered eating it! Which is the current situation. Any drink I order or mix at home, I need ice. A few sips after, I'd painstakingly fish ice cubes from my glass and eat it. I get a rush when my teeth grind ice. The crunching noise makes it more pleasurable. I believe that's what drug addicts go through? The adrenaline that follows...makes it all so tempting and now I can't stop. The thought of having ice traversing my throat is enough to have my weird hormones charged with unadulterated excitement!

And the icing on the cake is that hubby has his own Ice Machine!! My freezer is ram-packed with ice bags. I'll never run out of ice! How lucky I am...pfftt...

But at least, I managed to get a temporary reprieve from sniffing disinfectants and bleach bottles.

Until I find another injurious - for surely it is - habit, I'll keep on sucking on ice cubes...

Not Peachy At All

Lately, I've been focusing more on how my blog looks like, rather than produce quality content. I've been assailed by negative thoughts pretty much everyday since this year began. Today, while lying down in bed with hubby, he came up with the crazy idea that he turned me into a cruel soul. According to him, I'm no longer nice. He didn't want to go into further explanations but his comment left me in a weird mood.

Once upon a time, I couldn't bear it when people would tell me how nice I am. Did you know that the word nice originally meant ignorant? I looked it up a while back and hated it more when I'm being tagged as a 'nice' woman.

But today, I rather took it to heart when my own husband lazily said that I'm not nice. Not anymore. I won't lie; it did pinch my heart. After all, I know I pick on everyone, not to their face but in the cozy comfort of my bedroom with hubby as my sole audience. I find fault with every damn thing. I emphasize on people's flaws rather than their good qualities. I'm not hunting for prefect friends, perfect family members, perfect in-laws, perfect parents, perfect siblings. But it sure as hell looks like it. And along the process, my self-confessed laziness keeps growing and growing. It's taking a toll on my poor belly. Ah! Well that's another issue.

So what is this thing about me seeking perfection in every bloody God-made thing?

Am I getting old? I mean mentally...'cause physically, in an un-braggingly way, I don't look 28. In 2 years I'll hit the third big O. I'm dreading it. I want time to stop. Indefinitely.

Is that such an unreasonable demand?

New Blog Face-lift!

Photo Source: We Heart It

Okay!

I've almost finished my new template layout! Feedback is welcome!

Few edits and it'll be as good as cupcakes.

And now I'm off watching He's just not into you.

Toodles!

Updates and R.I.Ps

I had my elbows deep in tweaking a new layout for my Blog. I decided to give it a break. I'd tuned out everybody whilst dabbling with CSS codes. Pheeww! I feel like I've been knocked down by a huge truck.

So, at the bequest - 'cause believe me, he gotta pay me in exchange for a no-coding day - of hubby, I wouldn't 'code' today. At all.

Just found out this morning that the mother of a good friend of ours passed away. May her soul rest in peace. My sympathies are also extended to every other grieving family out there.

I forgot to feature any emails for this Wednesday. I'll probably do it later or next Wednesday. Will catch up on your lovely blogs and comment!

Have a peaceful day!

A Piece Of Me...And Sometimes The Monsters Fall On Me

I'm honestly getting tired of reading about people's new year's resolutions.

Anyway I was way too busy yesterday to do my piece on, well....A piece of me, so I'll write up a quick one now.

If you want to know more about A Piece of me and how you can join in please visit Toothfairy's blog where she explains everything. As for my precious pieces, check out my categories section and click on the 'A piece of me' tag! Too much work? Here you go then.

So what can I divulge to the world for the month of January?

I like: that I found some answers I was looking for for a long long time. I managed to air out my misgivings into full blown arguments and then feel good about it. Very very good.

I don't like: giving up. I'm still going on because of hope. I over-hope (yeah well it's my blog and my rules) sometimes.

I've planned to: be more optimistic and less cynical.

I want to say to someone special: We've seen more downs than ups last year. The good thing is we know we're there for each other. Through thick and thin. At the end of the day, no matter how many hurdles obstruct our way, we clear the path hand in hand.

So there, that's it. I would write more but my fingers're all tingly. Why? Because I want to give my blog a makeover. For 2010 you know.

I'll keep y'all in the loop. Stick around!

Have a good week.

A Happy New Year To The World and To Me!

This morning I woke up early and not bright.

From what I can recollect I've always embraced each new year with excitement. It has always given me hope for tomorrow. My expectation for 2010 was the same until last night. Searching deep within for the usual annual excitement, I instead found despair. Plus fear. 2009 was a quiet year for me, with nothing much happening.

I won't let year 2010 be a repeat of the past year. I will gladly take on the struggles, the conflicts, the confusion, the pain, and other tribulations that come my way. I will savor each happy moment I find. I will love with all my heart. I will smile even though I'm crying inside. I will hug myself when it rains. I will take in the sun with open arms. I will appreciate each and every blessing I'm bestowed upon with.

That's a promise I make to myself on the 1st day of the new year.

I feel different. Something shifted last night.

How will I deal with it? Only time will tell.

But deal with it I will.

Here's to the world - may God bless each and every one of us.