Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday aka Bye Bye TV Backlog Time

(Been meaning to post this last night but our internet conked out on me. Now the internet's baaack. So here goes. This post a little too gabby - you have been warned. Haha)

It's been a busy couple of months and the 3 free days from Pinoy Holy Week is a very much welcome break. For my non-beach going family, the Holy Week just means staying in and reacquainting with the house. For me, it also means "Catch Up On My TV Backlog" time :)

I've been meaning to write out a schedule for the 3 days to make sure I don't go back to "real life" next week feeling like the 'staycation' kinda slipped thru my fingers just like that. But yeah, no schedule yet. It's all in my head still, heee. I'm too giddy about getting 3 free days to think haha.

Well for one, I said I was gonna wake up early today to catch up on reading. But surprise surprise - I got up at noon just in time for lunch. Forgot to set the alarm last night! But list or no list, I've just been loving the whole 'kicking back and steady lounging' in the house. (But I think I may have to come up with a list soon, cabin fever is slowly and steadily creeping up as well hehe)

Brad & Jane, Alex & Dave, Penny & Max
I don't understand why I like this show it makes me so happyyy :)

The Thursday List
I've ticked off a few things on this list in my head. I'm all caught up with "New Girl" and "Happy Endings" at least. Both shows have been going up steadily in my TV priority list! The "Happy Endings" brand of weird has successfully grown endearing and "New Girl" has become unexpectedly great. I also accidentally finished "Blue Valentine" this afternoon. I caught the first half of Blue Valentine a good few months ago and never got around to watching the rest to finish. I opened it earlier just to check where I stopped last time and ended up finishing the movie! It's so strikingly sad and brings to the fore all the things you're scared of might turn bad in your relationship. ( I think there will be a Blue Valentine entry.) So to kind of counter that 'real-ness' from all the Blue Valentine and dirty sex and balding Ryan Gosling which doesn't exactly add up to sunshine and smiles, I have decided to fill the TV list with all sitcoms.

What Friday Looks Like
Despite what oddly feels and looks like cabin fever (after only a full day spent at home) my Friday looks like another TV day. While I intend to get some actual "things" (aka non-TV related things) done tomorrow, I will dedicate time for Chuck, which I am 8 episodes behind. And also Cougar Town, which I am 5 episodes behind (Why I take on this much TV and why I feel compelled to watch all this TV is a mystery even to me, so no explanations in the next few lines.) I also have some new shows which I am excited to preview.

It's Lenon Parham of "Accidentally on Purpose". Let's see, let's see.

I found out that Lenon Parham's "BFF's" just premiered today. I loved Lenon as Abby (aka Blabby-gail) in "Accidentally on Purpose" and I'm excited to see this new show of hers. I read the credits and she apparently produced the show as well. There's also this other show "Bent" from NBC which I've been waiting on since David Walton stars in it. Walton is the lanky, brooding guy (think more pensive and poised, more suave version of Zach Levi) from "Perfect Couples". He topbills "Bent" with Amanda Peet, who I think is pretty and very charming, as well. Friday's booked solid (said the kid with no friends :p)

It's Amanda Peet and the cute guy fro (the show that flopped)
"Perfect Couples". I could always use a rom-com :)

Actual "Things"
I've had "Eat Pray Love" the book open since JR's birthday Bora in January of last year. Since I started taking my reading list seriously and added more business books to the reperoire, Liz Gilbert has been collecting dust in the book shelf. I want to give time to more leisurely reading tomorrow. And maybe some David Sedaris, too.

There is also some writing to be done. The Goal Book and oh, I want to start writing my own bucket list! Let's see how much of this actual list gets done. I wish us all a great weekend! :)

Berating Self: Online Edition

I write so I remember - I say on the blurb of this blog. Now, I am writing so I remember.. to do. I've been meaning to do many many many things. But as all things you *should* do go, well, they don't get done (by me, hehe.)

This is me berating myself online to remind me of things I should be doing (because I promised myself I would) but am not doing. Self frustrations in 3..2..

Running
I have been meaning to run since March. Heck, I have been meaning to run when the year started last January! And then it got pushed to February, for my birthday. And then to March, because I never got around to it in February. And now April -- because it feels like the last chance to get started. My vision board says I ought to be running 21K's come July 2012 -- that's assuming I picked up after myself and actually went on program July of 2011. But I didn't. So here I am, 3 months away from my target 21K, not even sure if my lungs can keep up with a measly 5K.

Not cool, self. Not cool. So what to do now?

Ang aking running peg - bra top and fierce ponytail

I actually jumpstarted running yesterday. Mum forcibly got me out of bed at 630AM and successfully got me to run with her in the village basketball court. That we stopped 20mins into it notwithstanding, the important thing being that I STARTED running again.

Now the clincher is today. Whether I can haul my ass outta bed for the second day. The verdict? A big fat NO. Just when I realized full well that the secret to good, sustainable behavior is consistency. Not big fancy ceremonies for when you start -- but the dirty second day. The question lies on whether you can repeat it again and again and again until it becomes the normal.

So running is a big fat flop. I can always try again tomorrow. Hello self, 21K?


Waking Up at 5AM
I wrote a few days ago about a habit I read in  the wonderful book by Robin Sharma "The Leader Without a Title." The book suggests that leaders wake up at 5AM EVERYDAY, and have longer, more productive days than the rest of the population.

Photo credit: 5am Sky alternative by Jay photo

In all fairness to the book, it admits that starting your day at 5AM is NOT easy. It actually even went on to say that the first week will be the hardest. It admits that some people who started the practice of waking up at 5AM were cranky and unhappy in the first week. But it also promises that just after 40 days of consistently waking up at 5AM, it becomes a default.

I want that default. I want to be that person with a longer, more productive day than the rest. But my Day 1 of the "40 Day Wake Up at 5AM Challenge" keeps getting pushed back.

Another day, another dollar. Tomorrow day 1, yes?

Hello self. Running and waking up at 5AM. Game?

Why I Love Nick Miller

I was on the fence when New Girl started. In fact, I almost didn't continue watching. I remember deleting the first 2 eps -- for me it didn't merit a folder in my TV files (haha, I'm snooty like that). And then somehow, somewhere along episode 3, things turned around.

I guess the show picked up it's groove and New Girl grew on me. Suddenly, the humor clicked with me, the characters became extra endearing, and the story seemed to resonate so much with me.

And then my love affair with Nick Miller happened :)
(haha natawa naman ako, kala mo real life lang!

New Girl's Nick Miller and his "take me seriously" look

Nick Miller, Why Do I Love Thee?
Nick Miller, former law school student, 3 months away from a law degree, is a bartender. He dropped out of law school and  the elusive law degree has been a sore issue since. Of the 3 boys in the New Girl house, he's the blandest personality-wise, least alpha male-ish, and most emotionally in-tune. He also has the most emotional baggage, the most personal issues, and the most regrets. But I love him anyway :)


There's something about Nick Miller that resonates so well with me. He's like a fictional version of all the ghosts inside my head. He's the uncertain, jaded voice inside my head that quietly tells me why things are not possible. He's the insecure grown up that is scared of the future. He feels like that devil's advocate inside my head in that adorable, scruffy, and disarmingly cute package.

He puts to words things I dare not say out loud - heck, even things I dare not let enter my mind in thought. In the "Bells" episode, I was squirming while watching that scene with him and Winston. Nick and Schmidt were fighting in the episode because Schmidt wants to use his disposable income to ensure a functioning apartment while Nick was being all sore about being poor and insisting on trying to do the apartment repairs himself. At the peak of the childish fight, Nick retreats to the roof and has this weird/endearing conversation with Winston. There's something about this conversation that hit home so hard:

Nick: You know what sucks about getting older? Your friends have known you for way too long.They've got too much on ya. I want friends who still lie to me cos they don't want to hurt my feelings. I sadly kinda mean that.
Winston: What happened to us, man? We used to be so cool. I was gonna play basketball and be a gazillionaire.     

I guess Nick is the 30 year old person I never want to be. But he's cute and scruffy and charming and inviting - much like how doing nothing and letting go and letting things just "happen to you" is cute and charming and inviting. Nick Miller is so promising just as I feel as I am promising. But I guess he brings to the fore, and very clearly at that, the kind of 30 year old I don't want to be.


I love Nick Miller for being whiny and full of regrets and charming and his own brand of cute. I love Nick Miller for showing me what I kind of 30-year-old I should NOT be.


P.S. I also love Nick Miller for showing me the kind of scruffy that I like :p