Highlights and Lowlights

.. Nope, I'm not talking about my hair..
Just the regular roundup of the year that is (soon to be was) 2007

Laugh out loud moment
- Ni-Mu wanting to brush my hair down there with her toothbrush.

Proudest moment
- Ni-Mu saying out loud repeatedly, "..mmmmm, so i-cious!" while having her carbonara, which I made from scratch.

Victoria Beckham moment
- That superb photo at HK Disneyland!

Blood curling moments
- Telling somebody that trust can only be gained.

Momentums that just don't quit
- Fabulous friends, my terrible two monsterina, the much too real Homer and all those wonderful outfits!

Longest 6 hours of my life
- Daddy dearest undergoing heart bypass

And for all those in between moments that makes this life what it is and who I am today. I salute you.

We'll have more respect for each other next year, I promise.

-tired-but-never-out-L

What I want for Christmas..

I desperately need a new laptop.

And I am due for a new one from my company, but then, that means I have to make a trip to HK and face the boss. Yikes! Am not sure if I'm ready for that. I guess I can wait till next year. Or perhaps I can ask whether I can just get a new one here and get them to pay for it later...

So anyways... here I am..back to the old "office".. Starbucks . And I'm stuck with a laptop that constantly needs to be connected to the powerline. Argh!!!!!

Looking around, I have the most pathetic laptop.

I desperately need a new laptop. That's it, I'm writing a mail to my boss.

-kuno-laptop-L

The price for vanity

Nobody to blame except oneself.

Example-

My skin was perfect the way it was, it's tough yet break-out free, not blemish free and perhaps the pores would be better off if it shrinks a little, but like I said, problem free. In fact I just use over the counter facial wash.. no toner, and some sunscreen.

..and then I decided to try SKII, skin was perhaps slightly better (slightly more work though.. toning, essence and all..) After that , got suckered into a year long program of facials and of course new facial products from the salon. Still, skin was perfectly fine.

Now that I'm done with my "facial program", I decided to go back to SKII. After all, my skin was alright when I used it.

RIGHT?

NO!

I present redness-with-extra-dry-flaky-skin-L

So according to the ladies at the counter, my skin's PH has changed since the last time I used their products and has become very dry, hence the sensitivity. For their products to work its magic... I just have to keep on course (minus the toner and some other stuff) and let the dry skin die and fluff out.

So, until Friday, I will be a humanoid lobster face, with some flakiness. Sans make up. *aiiieeeeee*

Ni yang orang kata, masalah cari sendiri.


-yummy-lobster-L

Keeping Fit.. My way

- Run around the house, chasing a naked little girl who has managed to take off her pyjamas and diapers, all by herself.

- Put dirty clothes in the washer, while keeping an eye on naked chick.

- Fight off a clingy naked toddler while trying to find the used diaper that is nowhere in sight.

- Play "aeroplane" and then using your legs as a platform, re-enact plane taking off and landing down, still with the naked girl, while lying on your back... (okay, it's difficult to explain, but trust me, it does wonders to thigh and stomach muscles)

- Bending over many times to check whether there's been any "accidents". This is done while the naked toddler is clawing and screaming her head off. I never knew I was that flexible.

- Hang laundry to dry, while keeping an eye on the still naked chick.

- Some stretching exercise is squeezed in during bath time, cleaning a toddler is no easy task.

- Eat a simple lunch which consists of boiled broccoli and some rice, which is all the little girl wants to eat for now.



-half-a-day-in-my-life-L

How many cards did you get?

Remember when we're (a lot) younger, and getting raya cards were all the rage? With all those pantuns like

Pecah kaca, pecah gelas

Sudah baca, harap balas

Gone are the days.

For this Raya, I received a total of 5 cards, two of them were jointly named between me and Homer, the other three .... well the other three is a bit scary considering that it was addressed especially for me, at my parent's home, with the stamp ripped off ..

Signed....

Salam Perjuangan, (with photos)
YAB Tuan Guru Dato' Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat
YB Dato' Seri Tuan Guru Hj. Abdul Hadi Awang

Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS)


Three raya cards, from PAS... hand delivered to my old address!

Even my dad was amused.

Should I be scared? For now, I'll stick with being blessed.. that at least, someone thought of me.. in a "greeting card" way.

-give-Islam-a-chance-L

Eid is upon us!

Selaaaammmaaattt Haaarrrrriii Raaayyyyyaaaaaa....

Taram tum tum tum tum tarra tum.....

Just be glad you all didn't have to hear me singing ..

May all be well and happy during this blessed Eid. Raya money for lil' Ni-Mu is most welcomed...

-yum-yum-lemang-L

Short.. shorter...

So I made another trip to see Mr. Ninen yesterday.

The hair's shorter now.

But still nowhere close to V.Beckham's style. I guess I need some collagen injected on my lips and lose another 5 kilos before that can happen.

The Vain Pot that I am, (glancing sideways to see reflection on mirror) this hairstyle reminds me a lot of me 6 years ago.... when Homer will do just anything I tell him to. Based on last night, this hairstyle doesn't do that anymore. Obviously, he was on the "I'm wooing you" stage, and now that we're on the "I think I have you" stage... emphasis on the "think"..

Selamat Berbuka everybody!

-light-and-easy-L

In your Face!!!

I've been turned turned into a zombie, given hot coco for sahur, received and bought designer bags and got into trouble over sticky notes.....

Yes, I have finally made my entrance in facebook.

I don't know what took me so long...

Oh I forgot..

1. I DO have a job
2. I AM a supermom
3. And this new hairstyle needs a LOT MORE attention.

Can't really do much with #1 and #2, but I sure as hell can do something about #3... *gasp* watcha think???

-have-no-time-for-facials-L

A Grim Reminder

BLG sent this link to me..

http://nurinjazlin.blogspot.com/

It pains my whole being.
I'm not sure whether my lungs are expanding or crushing, so hard to breathe.
And everything turns a little bleary.
Every single time I read or hear about this little girl.

I cannot begin to imagine what the family is going through.

"This too shall pass" has no meaning in this context.

The monster is still at large. I wish for it to be caught, and then die a thousand deaths. Burn in hell for eternity.

-enraged-L

The Marrying kind.

So I came across this in my email, and not wanting to sound too much like Oprah (but already beginning to..) decided to put it up here.. have a read and let's analyze together.. ala Dr. Phil.. shall we?

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question.

She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?"

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said,

"It depends. Is that your husband?"

In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience.

You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love...

Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that _expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling is love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work,a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the _expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable...you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling.

The rules applies, no doubt, and for those who's been married and have at least celebrated their first anniversary , knows that it's HARD work. The thing is, we being women have this weakness of (over) analyzing things... So we need affirmation, like the article above, we already know this, but having it written out and spread out in mass email is important to women all over the world.

But the excerpt above will have different effect depending on who reads it, whether they're in a relatively good mood (or not), crazy in love (or not) , etc..

I'll bet my bottom dollar, that when a woman reads this, they'll share it (guilty!), but men... ahhh Men.. they'll delete it the minute they read "Did I Marry The Right Person?" on the title of the mail. Why? Because, they don't want to get into the nitty gritty of relationship analysis. If it happens, great, if it falls apart, too bad.. time to move on, people heal and happiness is around the corner.

For us delicate kind.. If it happens.. oohhh, how deliciously wonderful! The world suddenly becomes a better place, and if it falls apart, ooo what went wrong? why? is it really time to move on? healing is such long and painful process. Drama. Easier said than done of course.. I can write about how everything will be okay.. as long as you stay strong.. bla..bla.. but I'm not gonna be a drama mama today.

I'm not saying that the snippet above is total crap because it IS true, but for once, I just wish that instead of us just worrying about how hard we've worked on the relationship .. take some time out for YOU... yes, I'm talking about ourselves.. remember who you were .. and who you've become now. And for once, I wish the guys know that EVERYONE can fall in love, yes, including your partner.. You fell for her, right?

People IN love and people OUT of love share one thing in common.. They're irrational. Remember that. Love is a funny thing, marriage is not even a thing... it's everything rolled into one.. like a rainbow roll and sometimes dipping it with a little soya and wasabi mix makes it more interesting.

In the end, it's as simple as this.. Are you happy? Is this what you want? Cos, if you're not happy, you'll find ways to be happy.. it's just HOW you are going to make yourself feel better... Staying true to yourself can be hard.. but look where it has gotten you, right?

Take care of yourself, and then take care of each other. NEVER take each other for granted. Not even for a little while....

I sound more like Oprah on Vicodine.

-Merry-L

The tale of Fiji and Kiki

So, when we were in HK, G-Man wanted to take us out for dinner. First of all, it was so weird because he insisted I bring my kid along... and on top of that he went out of his way (well... he didn't do all the work..) to find a "child-friendly" restaurant to go to.. Obviously being (erm..perhaps.. thinking that..) single and HOT, the only place he goes to are in Lan Kwai Foong.

In the end I just told him that we can just go anywhere as long as it's not the pub/club scene, as I doubt that they'll have high chairs (the ones at the bar doesn't count). We decided on Ruth Christie's steak joint.

Food was great, company was even better and when it comes to getting the bill, G-Man paused... I've known this guy for 6 years now, and I've never seen him flinch when it comes to picking up the tab.

Eating out in HK is expensive.. but you'll never guess how much our precious mineral water cost us.. well him.

US$15

For less than a litre.

And we went through 5 bottles.

The water was more expensive than my meal!

The water was about 260 ringgit.

More than his wine.

... And yes, he made us finish the water we had in our glasses..

Does water from Fiji taste better than water collected at some water source in Taiping? I don't know, as far as I'm aware, I've never heard of any water tasting session...

At least it was perfectly chilled...


And for those who were curious.. When Ni-Mu caught sight of Mickey Mouse.. she hopped and clapped all the way to the town square screaming "KIKI!KIKI!"... I see a groupie unfolding right before me....

-drink-a-lot-L

I wasn't dreaming..

Was it me.. or did I just felt the room move. I swear the wardrobe sliding door shook for a little while.

No, I'm not on drugs.
No, I'm not under any medication that can cause hallucination.

Checked out latest news - Nothing.

Tomorrow is Ramadhan Kareem, as my Egyptian friends puts it.

Oh God.. Homer just confirmed that CNN has just reported of an earthquake in Indonesia.

My prayers goes to them.......

-L

M-I-C... see you real soon!

How come when I go away on business trips, I always manage to make a family trip out of it. I guess so far I go to "not boring" places as Homer puts it... (ye ke?)

And I guess I'm lucky to work with a bunch of people (yes, one of them is my boss) who insist I bring the babies (big and small) for a site visit in Macau, when they found out I brought them with me to Hong Kong.

We didn't win anything.. since we never went to the casino.. but I have to say, Macau's Venetian is HUGE.. bigger than its' original in Vegas. Crazy, right.. they're planning to replicate Vegas' strip in Macau.. I wonder if the clubs will be as "hot" as the ones in Vegas. And speaking of Vegas, G-boss have ruled out any possibility of me going for our annual meeting/training there.. Dang! I've missed out on that trip for 3 straight years.

Got tomorrow off and we're going to see Mickey Mouse speaking Cantonese. Imagine that. Can't wait to see Ni-Mu's reaction when she sees her "kiki-mouse".....

-kiki-mouse-L

Do I still need a helmet?

What does one do when they suddenly have some free time and feeling adventurous?

Unlike Subby Hubby's comment in the previous post, not everyone has the luxury of having affairs with two of their bosses..

Today, I plonked myself on Mr. Ninen's chair and let him do his magic.

45 minutes and 2 chinese teas later, my reflection stared back at me .. There I was, sans curls and 3 inches of hair..

I LOVE it...

Mr. Ninen of course loved it too.. but then, he says that to all his clients.. So, can't really take his word.

*******

So here I am, typing.. and every 3 minutes; I sneak a sideway glance to see my reflection (yes, again and again) on the wardrobe mirror.

Funny, at times, I look like I'm wearing a helmet.. and at other times, I'm loving the new do ...

Whatever it is, I am officially no longer able to sport the beehive ala Amy Winehouse. I wonder if the thick black eye liner effect can work with helmet-ish hair..

"They tried to make me go to rehab.. but I won't go.. go.. go.."

Okayyy, definitely won't work.

-my-helmet-needs-some-highlights-L

You don't know me... or do you?

I'm one complex woman. Really.

I'd like to think that I'm highly intelligent, but to date, I have no inkling on what MENSA stands for.

I'd like to think I'm tech savvy, but I still have problems creating charts from my excel files.

I buy those hard cover marketing / sales books, but I find myself drawn to the racks where pictures of Britney, Katie Holmes, Posh Becks are splashed in a collage-like manner. (..and bought those to..)

The good thing is, I know I am complicated, hence the title of yours truly's blog.

I am everything rolled into one quirky ball, the good, the bad and the ugly... but a BALL nonetheless. I do distinctly remember Barney (yes, the purple dinosaur), singing.. "if you have a ball, you have the greatest toy in the world!" .. So I guess I am the greatest toy in the world!

I forgot why I started typing this entry.. Looking back, it could have been the beginning of a very deep insightful composition on the complexity of human nature. But I've lost track of my thoughts and now it's just another account of a spaced out gal who's been watching a lot of imaginary dinosaurs, monsters and people dressed up as the alphabets on TV.

*sigh*

-not-a-shopping-complex-L

My solecism...

A long lost friend once told me that people do stupid things. And there's nothing we can do about it.

I asked him, "Have you done lots of stupid things?"

He answered, "Yes, many.. "

I asked again, "Do you think I'm making a stupid mistake now?"

"Yes.." He said , his eyes bore into mine. Pleading. " I don't want to be your stupid mistake"

That was 10 years ago.

I saw him today, as I was walking to the car, my whole life in tow.

He said hello. I smiled back, "Hey! Look at you.." . I wanted to say so many things, but just couldn't.

I wanted to tell him, he was right.. people do stupid things .. but he was not a mistake per say, because I learned so much from him. Seeing him again today, reminded me how much I have grown. Without trying to make him appear like a mere object ... he was useful after all...

-there's-always-something-somebody-can-do-L

Wanted...

I'm looking for a part time baby-sitter. Preferably someone who can make their own way to my place. If anybody knows of someone that does this kind of services, let me know.

The other option is to find a drop off nursery.. Any recommendation for Ampang area?

-stretched-out-L

Life is a stunt!

I am huggable.
I am adorable.
Made 100% to be cuddled, played with, loved.
Most importantly I am here to love without ever judging you.

Unconditional.

You dress me up, adorn me.. you even gave me flowers

And now I'm strapped at the hood of the car, going 100 kph!
Bugs splattered across my face, my beautiful soft fur is now splotchy .. almost a rag.
Whyyyyyyy????

.
.
.
.
.
.


My version of what those "poor teddy bears used as part of wedding car ornament" are thinking...

Poor teddies! Every single time I see teddies on any of those lavishly decorated cars, I kept imagining the horrors it must has gone through... It's like, so you think you're gonna be hugged and loved.... you're wrong!!! I'm gonna strap you up and let you have a taste of life in the fast lane!!

Kesian Teddy... I'd give you a hug but....

-i-love-ted-teddy-roooooo-L

I'm still here..

My.. my.. just realized how long it's been since I last updated this blog. I don't even know where to begin.. Isn't it scary how today became yesterday, and yesterday became last week, and last week became last month? Time is a funny thing.

And what, pray tell, have I been doing all this while.. BUSY.. doing I can't remember what anymore ..

All I know is that there has been a lot diaper changing, cos Ni-Mu had a bout of diarrhea.. going over endless invoices, cos it's the end of 2nd quarter.. and of course lots of making up in the "buying" department. I've forsaken my shopaholic self, and now she's back with a vengeance!

But amidst all this, I'm a woman with a goal.. To achieve this goal by end of this year I must -

1) Cook dinner every day. We spend waaayyyy too much on food. An average of 2 dinners at Chilli's every week is inexcusable.

2) Stop buying white shirts/tops/dresses. I have too many .. Other colors are permissible, I can't "kill" fashionista-L, can I?

3) Not charge anything to the old credit card.. Seeing my bank account shrink should scare me silly plus, cash is the way to go right?

On the bright side -

1) I've almost cleared my credit card. "Almost" being the key word here.. I should've never taken up that bloody "on the phone loan".. for people like myself, it's a total scam... and now I have to pay the remaining stupid loan....

2) Ni-Mu is helping out by refusing to eat her proteins... She actually prefers vegetables.. go figure! I had to sneak her chicken bits underneath the carrots and green beans. Veggies are cheaper than chickens, right?

3) The whole of Malaysia's on sale now. So basically I'm getting my stuff cheaper... (Okay, I'm not sure whether this should be categorized under "the bright side" but 50% off gotta mean something!)

And on the high note -

1) A designer cum boutique owner in KLCC actually came up to me last week in Zara's changing room and asked me whether I got my dress at Pucci, and whether it is still available. *gasp* I can carry off 99 ringgit dress as Pucci! Beat that! I normally don't make a big deal out of this.. but this woman is a designer in her own right.. I even have some of her stuff. To top it all, she showed me a beautiful Pucci jacket that she had just bought!

2) I'm grateful that my silver lined jelly-ish tummy is what it is... Did you all see that "Sextuplet" docu-drama? That woman is brave indeed!

-striker-L

GST

Short for Great Singapore Trip...

No surprise that Ni-Mu loved the Zoo... Suffice to say that she was completely knocked out! And went crazy at the gift shop.. (ke mana tumpahnya kuah kalau tak ke nasi???) ..

But the greatest surprise is the fact that I... yes, the shopaholic that I am DID NOT BUY anything while we were there!!.. Bear in mind that the Great Singapore Sale was ON!

Kenapa? Tak percaya ke??

I don't believe it myself...

-am-i-cured?-L

Is it really 6/6?

Today I turn thirty three
Wish I can go for a shopping spree...

But then..

When will I ever be debt free?

Ah well.. Happy Birthday to me!

The skinny on skin

I hate people with great skin.. And I'm talking about the skin all over our body... you do know that skin is the largest organ in our body, right???

After having the baby, I have managed to get back to my old size.. and before my friends roll their eyes.. yes, we're talking really old size.. like before I was married.. And I'm really ever-thankful for that.. (I thought my mom's genes has forsaken me.. ..) But my skin.... arghhhh my skin!!

To put it bluntly, my tummy area looks like one of those cotton shirts that needs ironing. When I button up my pants, the creases around my belly button magically turns into some flower-like decoration .. While Heidi Klum, Denise Richards even Britney Spears seems to still be able to parade around in a bikini...

Well, at least I can pretend that I'm a beautiful package, with a ribbon in the middle!

Care to unwrap me?

A year wiser? Really?

He's no zombie... he's my husband. Oookaaayyy, maybe he IS a zombie.. at the very least, acts like one from time to time.

He's gonna be 32 tomorrow.. BIG deal, I'm a good one year ahead of him, yup.. I was already walking and have had many childhood milestones before he came to the world! In so many ways, he's yet to achieve some emotional and sociological yardsticks, which sometimes just makes me wanna really ...... argghh! OK, let's not go there, it might just be used in court one day..

And he (still) dares to question my decisions ... Get it through that head of yours.. (like that bloody knife!).. I am always right, have always been .. and will always be. It's one of the many unexplained reasons, why we're together. I guess it's God's way of balancing out this crazy world.

Do I sound overly condescending? Well, I guess that's because I promised myself to be REALLY NICE to Homer tomorrow .. since IT IS his birthday.. So I just gotta let it out today, get it out of my system, you know what I mean?

So here's to you Homer, act less like a zombie.. we both know how I can't stand people who lacks consideration for others.. u-huh... yessirreeebob.. you know what I mean... and you might just surprise yourself (and yours truly) on how much you can gain (as in wisdom... not weight, okay?) when you're true to yourself.

32 years and more to come! And please do NOT wear that mask tomorow when I take you out...

-so-not-zombie-L

Another confession..

Confessions of a Drama Mama..

This is my story, I may get a lot of backlash by spilling this out but I just gotta do it.

"Mandi tak basah, makan tak kenyang, tidur tak lena".. literally and figuratively hits the mark when it comes to explaining motherhood.

How do you clean yourself while having a tiny person screaming and banging on the shower screen... How can you truly enjoy food when every other minute you're making sure that tiny little person is eating their share of food and entertained... How do you have deep sleep knowing that a tiny person relies solely on you to comfort them..

I cannot recall the last time I had a great shower.. or a nice soak in the bath. Tried having that on my last business trip, but my schedule was just jam packed, I ended up enjoying the toilet seat more.. and look at how long I raved about that. Which reminds me that I no longer have privacy during nature's call, yep, she follows me there too.

I order the same thing everytime I go to Chilli's - Triple play, because.. Firstly, Nimu can eat the chicken crispers; secondly, they're finger foods so it is easy to just pick up and gobble down; thirdly, I seriously don't remember how it tasted in my previous visit... It's like, "hang on.. didn't I like the buffalo wings? it was good right? maybe i should just order that again and remind myself how it was..". And this happens EVERY time we go there. And really, it happens every single time we eat together, wherever I am, I just don't remember how the food tasted.

Even with Nimu sleeping through the night since she's 3 months old, I don't sleep like I used to. Just before I sleep, I worry about things I should have done .. like that small plate in the sink.. or her bottle, then I'd go out and clean the damn plate and bottle, then I'd realize that the clothes have been dry for the past 2 nights and I really should take them in and fold them... the list goes on.. which in turn manifest themselves into nightmares. I'd wake up all sweaty because my laundry just won't leave me alone!

I'm a magazine junkie, and I've a pile of InStyle that I haven't gone through, let's not forget books.. Ambitiously, I bought two last week.. only to take them out of the bag last night. And I swear I bought at least four in the past 6 months or so, but I have no idea where it is now. I guess this will explain my "not been shopping" but actually has bought gazillion new outfits..

There! I've said it! In as much as I love the fact that my baby girl can't let me go, or needs me to feed her or cries for me when she wakes up in the middle of the night ... that little part of me misses the time when it used to be all about ME....

And how do I handle "Motherhood"? With MIXED feelings .. the good, the bad and the ugly all rolled into one .. making me the "DRAMA MAMA". All I know is that I'm going to give my mum a trip to the spa for Mother's Day... after all, I'm sure she went through the "Mandi tak basah, makan tak kenyang, tidur tak lena" - phase.

To everyone who can relate to this entry, Happy Mother's Day! To Homer, happy golfing! (Homer bashing welcomed, although I have taken the "lantakla" attitude which to me is considerably more than the "whatevaaaa" stand point )

-dang-i-have-to-wash-the-dishes-now-L

My name is L...

and I am a shopaholic.

About a month back, I told my friend that I haven't shopped for a long time, and she was shocked.. so was I. I told her, "yahhh.. I haven't bought anything for like a month! WOWser!". Shortly after that conversation, she called me up and said, "L.... you know in that bag where you put the bubble machine, I found a receipt from MNG totalling up to RM250 dated 2 weeks ago!! "

It struck me.. I've gone beyond shopaholism.. I'm now a shopaholic in denial. Seriously, I completely forgot about that particular buy.. How could I? I've even worn that dress! And really, I didn't mean to lie about it.. I've also realized that I have a shirt that is in it's paper bag, still nicely wrapped with sugar paper!

And yesterday, while helping soon to be the most important woman in Petronas (she will! she will!) find a glitterati outfit to perhaps the biggest wedding of the year, I found myself trying on stuff and buying a Pucci-look-a-like dress... in the first store we went to!

I need help.

But I can't cut up my credit card.. or my ATM card.. that's just crazy! And so I have a mission.. I'll get my friends to buy stuff... should really call Mrs Vice President and get her to buy funky clothes for her pregant self, found lots that can fit her at Innai and maybe Brave-Lawyer-Gal and Entrepreneurina, for new power outfits.

If I can't beat this... I'm taking everyone down with me!

-I-refuse-to-be-alone-L

Has it been that long?

Have you ever felt like you're living in the Twilight Zone? *cue music*

Well, I've been there and back.. hence the long silence.

All I know is this ..

... I no longer have privacy, even in the bathroom, my mini me will be there.... sometimes kissing my knee.. I love her to bits.. but really, this is becoming a bit ridiculous!

and oh, by the way.. I am sooooo tired, even with the last minute break away from KL, I am still spent. Was that only 2 weeks before? It seemed like ages ago that we were up at the highlands.. And I'm probably the only person who goes up there and came back with no flowers.

And now I'm entering another twilight zone.. but I will return, you can count on that!

-bag-changing-L

Time after time.

The thing about time is that; it's ever changing, always in a hurry to move forward, sometimes, leaving us mith a messy past that can't be undone. With that being said, we always say we must live for today... but think about it... even today, "time" has changed.. I'm talking about how it was before and how everything is right now.

When I was younger, I worry about having my picture taken while holding a cigarette... and that picture being distributed spreading the rumour that I'm "wild".

Nowadays, kids have to worry about having their nude photos posted on the net.

Time has definitely changed.

Can't blame technology, after all, it's all about getting better, smaller, faster.. moving on with time, right? Could it be that our creations are becoming our enemy?

But didn't someone say that we can always learn .. even from our enemy?

-feeling-philosophical-L

Things I discovered this past week

- I am not that weird after all, so does this make me normal?

- Drive thrus are not just for fast food anymore. I got a DVD while waiting for my turn at a Mc Donald's drive thru. I drove away with Mc Chicken meal, milkshakes and a copy Little Miss Sunshine. Kinda perfect don'cha think?

- My hands look old and there's nothing I can do about it.

- Even when I try to sleep early, I can't.

- And yet, I still have not finished my collection of "must-reads".

- I haven't cooked for the past 2 months.

- .. lot's more of "I haven't.....".

Time is just swooshing by. And yet I am still here.

-sleepy-L

Tagged!

It's been a while since I played tag.. and even after being tagged, I'm like a sleepy giant .. *huh?*

What can I say, you can thank Blabs for now, weird L is coming out .. thank goodness for the rules .. (cos I just realized how many weird stuff I do on a daily basis)

"People who are tagged should write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

Weirdy-weirds...

1. According to the MRI scan I had a few months ago, I have fat deposits in my brain. Unusual but not dangerous, according to the good doctor. I guess my brain wants to stay warm and have a little bit of "cushion" in case I bang my head. God... I can never get rid of my fat-fatsssss!!

2. I read car plate numbers, not out loud, just in my head.. And not just on obvious ones like KAR 1505.. which reads "karisos", or BAD 8011 .. "bad boyy". I'm talking about any plate numbers that I come across, for example WNQ 8230 will be "wink bzzo" or WLY 412 becomes "wooly eyez". It doesn't matter whether it made sense or not.. I just spell them out.

3. Before I decided to take the plunge, I've had my fair share of boyfriends/dates. And from there, I came up with this L-Dating-Formula. I will not date anyone whose name starts with "A" or has "A" in his intials. When my friends wanted to introduce me to someone, my first question would be, "Does his name starts with an "A"? and my next question would be, "What about his middle name?". Why? All... I mean every single guy that I've dated prior to the BIG discovery of "formula non A" , their names or their middle names started with A.

4. I MUST have my KFC with tomato ketchup. Once, I yelled in one of the KFC outlet in Shah Alam for not having ketchup and got the manager to buy a bottle of ketchup for me. Hey, it's not my fault, they don't keep track of the ketchup inventory. And yes, there are people out there who eats KFC with ketchup whom are above 5 years old!

5. Once in a blue moon, I'll have this menacing stray eye lash that pokes my eye ball. It just won't curl out - straight like a needle, and it feels like I'm having a tattoo done on the inside of my eyes. It's so painful that I actually pulled it out with a tweezer (the hair, not the eye ball of course... now THATS really weird). So now whenever the stray lash returns, I just pick up a tweezer and .. "aaddoooiiIIIiii... b#b$... aaaaarrggg" .. its done.

6. When I travel, I MUST sleep on the side that is nearest to the TV. It doesn't matter that I sleep to the left of Homer at home, but when we're not in our bed, I sleep nearest to the TV. In a situation whereby the TV is located across the bed, right smack in the middle, I will sit on both sides of the bed, squint my eyes.. to determine which side is closer to the magical box we all call TV. I don't know why.. and it has nothing to do with getting the audio balance or anything.. I just need to be nearer to the TV.

So there, 6 weird things that you never knew about me. I have others but I'd rather die than write those out. Now it's someone else's turn.....(and I've been so busy, so I hope you guys are not tagged yet.)

1. Dade-Ghost
2. Miss Ketchup (I wonder if she eats KFC with Ketchup?)
3. The Young Retro Diva
4. Buaya-man
5. X-man
6. Subby-Hubby : you write on my comment.. okay??

-all-weirded-out-L

Java Jazzzzzzz

..

Really, I know almost nothing about jazz, in fact when I was at the Jazz fest, a 5 year old girl put me to shame. She was telling us how bummed out she was that she missed Jeffrey Osborne's show. And all I could think of was, "hmmm.. I wonder if he's related to Ozzy?". I didn't say that out loud of course, or I might just be stoned to death by the throngs of jazz lovers at the Convention Centre.

Okay, so we went to Java Jazz, I'm not a die hard jazz-erina.. but I do love music in general, the experience, the sounds, the way it makes your body sway and groove.. and of course, the musicians (wink*).

But this trip was extra special, it was intended to be a "girls only" weekend, with lots of shopping, bargain hunting, eye candy hunting, a little music... spa-ifying.. You get the drift. We meant to go on Friday night to catch Sergio Mendez, but Mangga Dua drained us out. Went to see the band at HRC instead.. heheh.. signs of becoming a groupie.. I think .. yesss!

Our groupie-ness came into effect when with sheer luck and a little bit of perseverence in trying to find a local designer kebaya top in a very unassuming mall brought us to a corner where some shoes were on sale.. There she was.. all in black, hair big as ever.. (to match her *erm* chest, I guess) walking and laughing!!

Chaka Khan

It's a long story.. and one that I will be telling over and over again to my friends. But since I'm not really coherent right now due to extreme pill popping over the last 5 days, I am unable to re-live that episode of my life.. I'll go straight to the big ending.

We had our picture taken with her while screaming, "Malaysia-lah!".

Our trip, as they'd say it in Jakarta.. "SUKSES dong!".. it even includes bumping into Glenn and what else.. more photo opportunities.. too bad we missed his and Marcel's gig. And oh! Krispy Kreme.. how can I miss that one out?

And now I have to lie down. I just had my wisdom tooth taken out. Please do not assume that if I don't write in the next couple of days, I've grown less wise.. I'm planning to make big bucks with the little critter.. (yes, I took it home). Tooth fairy, come by tonight ya?

-I-can-still-eat-KrispyKreme-cos-it's-so-soft-L

That black guy..

Whilst Brave Lawyer Gal's predicament for the day is the fact her milk supply has seriously depleted itself, mine was more of a superficial one.

Have you all been following American Idol? Did you happen to catch the audition rounds where a young black man with Calvin Klein's underwear model looks (with voice to match.. ), which I was so sure will be on top 12.. was not even in the top 24.. Does anyone else, other than my cousin remember this guy? He's like really young and is adopted by a Cuban family or something like that..

He's just so beautiful, I can cry.

-bimbos-day-out-L

Not just Wednesday

I woke up with a kiss on the cheek.

Then he walked to the other room.

I got up and sat on my ordinary throne. No warm seat, no water fountain sprays.. no dryer.

Crawled back into bed.

The lights came on. Homer and Ni-Mu holding a paper bag.

"Happy Valentines's Day!"

Happy. Happy.. Happy..

I've been a mean grouch (with reasons..) lately.. I'm sorry Homer.. And of course, I am your Valentine.

-celebrate-love-and-all-that-comes-with-it-L

The throne..

So, I was in Taiwan last week to see my boss, introduce clients.. yadda..yadda.. It's nice to start travelling again.. and at the risk of sounding utterly selfish, be away from my usual routine. I'm sure all mothers understand this, even if it is just for work.

Taipei 101 was impressive.. although I think our Twin Towers looks so much more magnificent.. (Malaysia Boleh!).. but the one thing that really made the mark for me
during this trip was "the throne" .. Yup.. the shiny white porcelain bowl and it's magical fountain.....


Warm air dryer.... !!! and oscillating function...

Needless to say, I enjoyed every moment on it... plus heated seat...

-missing-my-throne-L

The dating game.

Don't you just love a public holiday in the middle of the week? And the best thing is that today is Friday!

Okay... I can't hold it in.. I'll just spill..

I . Had . A . Date . Yesterday .

Yep. Burnt out mom was finally asked out by this guy who probably thought to himself, "If I don't ask her out.. someone else will .. "

We nearly missed the movie because of my circumstance.. you know, dropping off Ni-Mu.. etc, but we had a great time.. the movie was a little violent for my taste, but, definitely something worth seeing since my whole work industry had mixed feelings when it was released in the US... plus, Leo diCaprio is just so yummy with his South African accent!

It's just been so long and I just loved the attention.. right up until we had to to the toilet after the movie.

He was smiling at me as I walked out of the corridor. And I caught a glimpse of us on the glass panels of some clothing shop.. We look great together .. Eventhough I was a tad bit overdressed (or was it "underdressed"..?) ..

God.. it was so good peeing just now.. and at the same time.. I farted too... hahahahaha.. best giler!

My date was officially over. Homer's back. I don't know whether I should cry or kiss him... I guess he was just being honest to me .. well, as long as he keeps it up.. there will be no end to weird dates for me..

And true to himself, he spilled coke all over my food and dress during lunch.

-you-owe-me-another-date-mister!-L

And how was your weekend?

Apart from the faulty sound system, the concert was GGRREEEAAATTT. They just bring back old memories when life was less complicated.. And the whole trip up to Genting was like a walk down memory lane. I'm talking about walking through the foggy wet and (surprisingly!) chilly weather, it's like I'm transported back to the good ol' days at uni, walking through Vicky Park getting to yet another lecture on European Political History.

What a weekend!

And then came Monday.. blearghhhh! Talk about killjoy.

My ever fickle client drove me nuts asking me why a certain shipment has not arrived and wanted me to do something about it. I am not the Custom's General's crony, nor do I know anybody in KLIA customs. And after having a big bru-ha-ha with one Fedex officer, my client told me that they've decided to just wait for the shipment arrive the next day! What the f*#k??!!?

I've always been very accomodating to them .. why do they have to harrass me like this?

On the homefront, Ni-Mu has learned a new word.. "go.." . She would reach for my bag, loop it through her arms (ala datin), walk to the door, and say, "..go! ...go!". As in, "let's go!". So now, I have included in her daily schedule, a short walk to the pool and back. Which translates to more frizz to my hair. I know.. I know.. I'm way too obsessed with my hair..

All I can say is, unless you've walked a mile in my shoes (or don my hairstyle), you'll never know how overwhelming all this can be. Homer always say I complain way too much, but for me it's not complaining.. it's telling people how I feel and maybe, just maybe, I'd get some compassion. I know my situation is nothing compared to those who have lost their homes in the recent floods..

but I'm just saying.. I am here, and I am talking to you... Indulge me a little.. We all go through phases.

-the-frizz-phase-L

Up, up and awaaayyyy

I'm making a trip up to Genting tomorrow.. (or more fondly known to my fellow Singaporeans as "J"enting). Gambling with this old girl's ability to lip sync with Boyz II Men, pretending I can still remember the words to their songs. Wooohooooooooooo..

I know to some of you think it's just a lame old group.. but this band of men, was THERE for me.. And as much as I hate to admit it.. when I'm feeling sad and any of their songs comes up, tears can just roll.. Yes, I'm sappy and can cry my heart out. Sue me. I dare ya.

I love you you Durs, for thinking of me when you had that spare ticket.. and I love you Elaine, for loving your sister in law!

-i-like-men-L

Yezzaa?

As I took a breather by our drying area, I heard a resounding, "YES! YES!". Myyyy... someone's doing it right, I thought .. Then I heard some illegible gurgles.. and more loud YESses.. hehe .. and to think I thought our apartment block is filled with unadventurous people..

****

Babies have an innate ability to press the remote control. The TV volume was at its loudest, in fact it said 100! For those who has never had the opportunity to watch PHDC (that's Playhouse Disney Channel), you should know that there's a lot YESses on the program.. I suppose it's meant to instill positive reinforcement..

****

Well, at least our neighbours would think that we are adventurous and making out like rabbits..

-boink-boink-L

Dr. House in the house!

Why does everyone look so great at the Golden Globes?
Because they get complimentary colonic irrigation prior to the event.

Okay, I'm just assuming the above, only because my hero, Hugh Laurie mentioned it in his acceptance speech. I don't know why, but I'm just drawn to English humour. Witty, intelligent and just brilliant! (Gosh, as I'm writing this, I'm even thinking with an English accent .. melampau or what?)

I'm loving House so much right now that I wouldn't mind him breaking down my multi layered personality and hear his interpretations of my cluttered life.

.. so is there anywhere for me to get this colonic irrigation that everyone's talking about? .. and HOW does this thing actually work? does the pipe goes to where I think it goes?

-people-in-hollywood-are-scary-and-never-have-fat-bulges-L

Holy Pants!

Still in the mood of ushering in the new year, I've decided to cleanse anything and everything my capricious mind decides to focus on at that particular moment. Being born in to the sign of Gemini .. (yes, the twin thing) I have to admit I have a rather disturbing dual.. even multiple personalities. With that said, if anything does happen to Homer, I blame it on one of my "darker" personality.

And so last night, I decided to venture into one of the many drawers in our wardrobe. It is aptly called "BIG SCARY UNDIES" .. these truly are big scary undies.. brings a whole new understanding on the word "underPANTS", they are so big, they are in fact .. PANTS! It doesn't stop at just the size of the garments.. the horror of its colour is just enough to send yours truly to fashion house of shame. You know what I mean.. pale blue, pale peach (yuck!) .. I'm even too embarassed and a little bit nauseous to continue..

But in my defense, those were bought in the period of el-preggo, and post partum.. where I was taken hostage by the abominable snowqueen, and ordered Homer to go to Carrefoure and get "cheap-big-ass-cotton-underwear-so-I-can-just-throw-them-out!". A year on, there I was thinking to myself.. I actually fit in those???

And so while I threw them into a trash bag, I felt a sense of relief.. my underPANTS are gone.. Then I heard someone groaning in frustration.. none other than my little pitter-patter Ni-Mu..

Great! In my fervor of getting rid of big scary underpants, one had managed to find its way on to her hands. Her head has gone through one of the leg openings of big-ass-undies, she was screaming her head off and was determined to take it out herself. I don't blame her, blue is definitely not her colour.

I should really start baby-proofing the apartment.

-shopping-for-undies-L

Curly-wurly-fuzzy-woozie..

Curly locks looks amazing on my avatar picture but somehow did not have the same effect on the real me.. I know.. it IS a computer animation representation of one self.. I mean, where else can you see me with a smoking-hot-cellulite & stretch-mark-free smoking body in bloody lime green bikini?

I am seriously having second (third, fourth, fifth, sixth, gazzillion-th) thoughts on my new 'do. Argh! Where's frizz-ease when you need one?

-frizzer-L

Just another day..

As I write this entry, I have that damn Jon Secada's song in my head.. you know.. that dang "lentok" song. But this entry has nothing to do with with the song.. It had everything to do with how we marked the new year.

Last year, I remembered being very tired and vaguely hearing the booms of the fireworks while I trying to sleep, and hoping that Ni-Mu won't wake up. 2006, what a year.. vivid moments, some good, some bad and some really ugly. And now it has packed itself and made way for the new year. 2007 is here, I have big plans... but just as the year started.. I'm feeling so exhausted.. I ushered the new year fighting my sleep.. just like any other day.. how can I carry on my big plans feeling so lethargic with life?

So what did I do? Like any other girls.. I went to see my stylist, having a specific look for 2007 (layered bob, loose the highlights and options for a darker look).. I came out with the ultimate messy poodle look. I'm still getting used to the new me.. sometimes I love it.. sometimes I hate it. Change can be difficult.. but with so many things changing all around me, I'll be taking it in my stride..

Viva la rocker chick hair... Viva la 2007... Viva L!

-2007-L