28 November 2005
First Frost
Woke up this morning with ice on the road. Forecast for tonight and tomorrow is snow. Yes, it is cold.
25 November 2005
Today is the official start of the holiday shopping season here with shops opening as early as 5am earlier. Retail shops promised huge savings for people who would go early, so KC and I decided to go and check it out.
We woke up at around 6am and it was still dark out and raining. This is not a civilized time to wake up. Well, we tried to get up from bed and eventually left our apartment around 6:45. Passing by Ridgetop Boulevard on the way to Macy's, we saw a long line of eager shoppers outside Old Navy waiting for it to open. I thought, "Crap. This is bad." People lining up outside near freezing temperature in the rain is never good news. At least people who waited outside Best Buy last Tuesday for the Xbox 360 did not have to endure the rain.
We arrived Kitsap Mall five minutes to 7am and luckily, we found a parking space near Macy's without problem. We entered Macy's and saw a lot of people (well, a lot for seven in the morning) but kinda disappointed on the selection that was on sale. Not all items are on sale and those that were were only discounted by about 20%. Not worth waking up early for. Anyways, KC and I walked around the mall for about half an hour and finally called it off.
Around 7:40 when we got back to the parking lot and the sun was just beginning to rise near Highway 303, we went back to the apartment to catch an extra hour of sleep before KC had to go to work.
After bringing KC to work, I passed by Walmart on the way home to check if I can still catch some of the sale they have (laptops as low as $348). Disappointingly though, most of the electronics section looked like Katrina hit the Pacific Northwest.
Home at around 11am. Had coffee and read the papers in the clubhouse. Just another day.
We woke up at around 6am and it was still dark out and raining. This is not a civilized time to wake up. Well, we tried to get up from bed and eventually left our apartment around 6:45. Passing by Ridgetop Boulevard on the way to Macy's, we saw a long line of eager shoppers outside Old Navy waiting for it to open. I thought, "Crap. This is bad." People lining up outside near freezing temperature in the rain is never good news. At least people who waited outside Best Buy last Tuesday for the Xbox 360 did not have to endure the rain.
We arrived Kitsap Mall five minutes to 7am and luckily, we found a parking space near Macy's without problem. We entered Macy's and saw a lot of people (well, a lot for seven in the morning) but kinda disappointed on the selection that was on sale. Not all items are on sale and those that were were only discounted by about 20%. Not worth waking up early for. Anyways, KC and I walked around the mall for about half an hour and finally called it off.
Around 7:40 when we got back to the parking lot and the sun was just beginning to rise near Highway 303, we went back to the apartment to catch an extra hour of sleep before KC had to go to work.
After bringing KC to work, I passed by Walmart on the way home to check if I can still catch some of the sale they have (laptops as low as $348). Disappointingly though, most of the electronics section looked like Katrina hit the Pacific Northwest.
Home at around 11am. Had coffee and read the papers in the clubhouse. Just another day.
23 November 2005
England 24-hour drink law starts
England 24-hour drink law starts
Self-explanatory. How many a nights have I wished this would happen. Now that the Brits have started it, it won't be long before the rest of the world catches on. And now for that pint of Guiness...Weird thing...
Somebody knocked on our door about 30 minutes ago and delivered a baby stroller. At first I thought it was a mistake but when I looked at the packing list, it was really intended for us. It is the first gift that we have received for the baby. Thanks Jill! :)
Anyway, now that it has started, I guess there is no sense it keeping it for longer. Just in case you people are feeling generous and want to help us out with this new major development in our life, we would appreciate it a lot! Log on to our baby registry at Amazon.com and see for yourselves. Thanks in advance.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/babyreg/3IO3F2UGHWA0M
*********************
Also, went to Best Buy earlier and grabbed the new CD collection of Billy Joel with a bonus DVD. Very excited to listen to it and what made it more exciting is hearing that Billy Joel will resume touring early next year! We will definitely watch the concert if ever he passes by this area. Talked to KC about it and she agreed to watch it as long as I agree to watch a Backstreet Boys concert too. Well, it's a huge price to pay but what the heck...
Anyway, now that it has started, I guess there is no sense it keeping it for longer. Just in case you people are feeling generous and want to help us out with this new major development in our life, we would appreciate it a lot! Log on to our baby registry at Amazon.com and see for yourselves. Thanks in advance.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/babyreg/3IO3F2UGHWA0M
*********************
Also, went to Best Buy earlier and grabbed the new CD collection of Billy Joel with a bonus DVD. Very excited to listen to it and what made it more exciting is hearing that Billy Joel will resume touring early next year! We will definitely watch the concert if ever he passes by this area. Talked to KC about it and she agreed to watch it as long as I agree to watch a Backstreet Boys concert too. Well, it's a huge price to pay but what the heck...
Went to the bank today and after finishing all my transactions, the teller said, "Have a nice holiday!"
It took me a few seconds to digest that. In my mind I was thinking that it was still way too early to greet people for Christmas - as much as retail stores want us to think, and then I realized that the greeting was for Thanksgiving.
Now, the concept of Thanksgiving is totally alien to me. First of all, I have never celebrated it ever before and second, I just don't get it. What is the holiday actually about. Well, I know all about the pilgrims and the Indians. But how does the turkey fit in? Is it just one of those holidays (again) that is glamorized in order to lure people to spend more money?
KC and I were talking about it and we agreed that this holiday is on the same level as Christmas for the Americans. This is the time when families get together and try to be nice to one another. We are still thinking of whether to celebrate it or not.
The pros of celebrating it would be:
It took me a few seconds to digest that. In my mind I was thinking that it was still way too early to greet people for Christmas - as much as retail stores want us to think, and then I realized that the greeting was for Thanksgiving.
Now, the concept of Thanksgiving is totally alien to me. First of all, I have never celebrated it ever before and second, I just don't get it. What is the holiday actually about. Well, I know all about the pilgrims and the Indians. But how does the turkey fit in? Is it just one of those holidays (again) that is glamorized in order to lure people to spend more money?
KC and I were talking about it and we agreed that this holiday is on the same level as Christmas for the Americans. This is the time when families get together and try to be nice to one another. We are still thinking of whether to celebrate it or not.
The pros of celebrating it would be:
- We have a lot of things to be thankful about this year.
- If ever we decide to cook a turkey, we wouldn't finish it until after Christmas.
- It would be sadder for us because our families and friends are not here with us to celebrate.
21 November 2005
19 November 2005
Thank God for eBay!
After a week of waiting for my new keyboards to arrive, well, it finally did. It's just fascinating how you can find almost everything on eBay! Who would expect that you can get an OEM keyboard which you can not possibly get in any retail or wholesale store and get it in eBay for like 20% of the price!!! I love shopping online and eBay definitely is now one of my fave online sites.
After a week of waiting for my new keyboards to arrive, well, it finally did. It's just fascinating how you can find almost everything on eBay! Who would expect that you can get an OEM keyboard which you can not possibly get in any retail or wholesale store and get it in eBay for like 20% of the price!!! I love shopping online and eBay definitely is now one of my fave online sites.
18 November 2005
"We don't make mistakes here, we just have happy accidents.We want happy, happy paintings.
If you want sad things, watch the news. Everything is possible here.
This is your little universe."
Sitting here in our apartment during sunset is one of the most enjoyable times during the day. Not only because it's because only a few hours more until KC finishes her work but I can also enjoy the wonderful sunsets Washington has to offer. Here, the sun sets behind the snow-capped Olympic Mountains.
There is only one way to describe the beauty of the mountains here, and that is to compare it to Bob Ross' paintings. For people who don't know Bob Ross, he is the person who paints entire landscapes in 30 minutes on TV. I first saw his paintings on his show "The Joy of Painting" on RPN 9 in Manila when I was still in grade school. And when I googled him, I found out that he died about ten years ago and had a huge cult following not only here in the US but in numerous countries worldwide.
He is one of those people who makes something look so easy - like watching Wok with Yan and telling yourself that you too can prepare food that good.
The Goblet of Fire
Got tickets to watch Harry Potter tonight. Despite the cost of the tickets ($8.50 a pop), I am sure that it's gonna be worth it. :) And I'm sure KC will be thrilled to know that I got the tickets.
She has been looking forward to watching this film since the end of the last one.
******************
Also got a new DVR for our TV and finally got to experience HDTV. I must say, I was very surprised to see the difference in quality from regular TV. The video quality was superb and the audio is in Dolby Digital. Now, regular TV just looks like crap.
11 November 2005
I had the worst experience yesterday with my laptop when I spilled water on the keyboard which might have shorted the circuit on the board. I spent the whole afternoon trying to dry it up but alas, I gave up and just went online to order a new keyboard.
Ordering a keyboard for a laptop is a lot harder than getting one for a desktop, for one, you can't just go to Best Buy or Circuit City and purchase a $20 keyboard. But after dismantling my laptop and finding the part number, I found a relatively cheap keyboard for the Toshiba Satellite M30 for $21.95 plus $7.99 for shipping. That accidental waterspill just cost me about 30 bucks! What a waste. Sigh. (At least it is still a way lot cheaper than bringing it to a service center and paying 300 bucks!)
And it was the first time I tried ordering something off eBay, the experience is not bad and good thing that I set up my paypal account last week. Bad news is that the keyboard would be coming from Montreal in Canada and it would probably take about 2 weeks to arrive. So, until I receive the keyboard, I would be forced to clean up the text manually. Lesson learned, never ever place beverages on your computer desk. Tough lesson to learn, believe me.
Just for your information, I have included the text that came out from my computer before I edited it to be readable.
Ip 6hadp t6hep worstp exp eriencep yesterdayp wit6hp myp lap topp w6henp ip sp illedp waterp onp t6hep keyboardp w6hic6hp mig6htp j6havep s6hortedp t6hep circuitp onp t6hep board.p Ip sp entp t6hep w6holep a4fternoonp tryingp top dryp itp up butp alas,p ip gavep up andp justp wentp onlinep top orderp ap newp keyboard.
Orderingp ap keyboardp 4forp ap lap top isp ap lotp 6harderp t6hanp gettingp onep 4forp ap desktop ,p 4forp one,p youp can'tp justp gop top Bestp Buyp orp Circuitp Cityp andp p urc6hasep ap $F20p keyboard.p Butp a4fterp dismantlingp myp lap top andp 4findingp t6hep p artp number,p Ip 4foundp ap relativelyp c6heap keyboardp 4forp t6hep Tos6hibap Satellitep M30p 4forp $F21.95p p lusp $F7.99p 4forp s6hip p ing.p T6hatp accidentalp watersp illp justp cosytp mep aboutp 30p bucks!p W6hatp ap waste.p Sig6h.p p (Atp leastp itp isp stillp ap wayp lotp c6heap erp t6hanp bringingp itp top ap servicep centerp andp p ayingp 300p bucks!)
Andp itp wasp t6hep 4firstp timep Ip triedp orderingp somet6hingp o4f4fp eBay,p t6hep exp eriencep isp notp badp andp goodp t6hingp t6hatp Ip setp up myp p ayp alp accountp lastp week.p Badp newsp isp t6hatp t6hep keyboardp wouldp bep comingp 4fromp Montrealp inp Canadap andp itp wouldp p robablyp takep aboutp 2p weeksp top arrive.p So,p untilp Ip receivep t6hep keyboard,p Ip wouldp bep 4forcedp top cleanp up t6hep textp manually.p Lessonp learned,p neverp everp p lacep beveragesp onp yourp comp uterp desk.p Toug6hp lessonp top learn,p believep me.
Justp 4forp yourp in4formation,p Ip 6havep includedp t6hep textp t6hatp camep outp 4fromp myp comp uterp be4forep Ip editedp itp top bep readable.
Ordering a keyboard for a laptop is a lot harder than getting one for a desktop, for one, you can't just go to Best Buy or Circuit City and purchase a $20 keyboard. But after dismantling my laptop and finding the part number, I found a relatively cheap keyboard for the Toshiba Satellite M30 for $21.95 plus $7.99 for shipping. That accidental waterspill just cost me about 30 bucks! What a waste. Sigh. (At least it is still a way lot cheaper than bringing it to a service center and paying 300 bucks!)
And it was the first time I tried ordering something off eBay, the experience is not bad and good thing that I set up my paypal account last week. Bad news is that the keyboard would be coming from Montreal in Canada and it would probably take about 2 weeks to arrive. So, until I receive the keyboard, I would be forced to clean up the text manually. Lesson learned, never ever place beverages on your computer desk. Tough lesson to learn, believe me.
Just for your information, I have included the text that came out from my computer before I edited it to be readable.
Ip 6hadp t6hep worstp exp eriencep yesterdayp wit6hp myp lap topp w6henp ip sp illedp waterp onp t6hep keyboardp w6hic6hp mig6htp j6havep s6hortedp t6hep circuitp onp t6hep board.p Ip sp entp t6hep w6holep a4fternoonp tryingp top dryp itp up butp alas,p ip gavep up andp justp wentp onlinep top orderp ap newp keyboard.
Orderingp ap keyboardp 4forp ap lap top isp ap lotp 6harderp t6hanp gettingp onep 4forp ap desktop ,p 4forp one,p youp can'tp justp gop top Bestp Buyp orp Circuitp Cityp andp p urc6hasep ap $F20p keyboard.p Butp a4fterp dismantlingp myp lap top andp 4findingp t6hep p artp number,p Ip 4foundp ap relativelyp c6heap keyboardp 4forp t6hep Tos6hibap Satellitep M30p 4forp $F21.95p p lusp $F7.99p 4forp s6hip p ing.p T6hatp accidentalp watersp illp justp cosytp mep aboutp 30p bucks!p W6hatp ap waste.p Sig6h.p p (Atp leastp itp isp stillp ap wayp lotp c6heap erp t6hanp bringingp itp top ap servicep centerp andp p ayingp 300p bucks!)
Andp itp wasp t6hep 4firstp timep Ip triedp orderingp somet6hingp o4f4fp eBay,p t6hep exp eriencep isp notp badp andp goodp t6hingp t6hatp Ip setp up myp p ayp alp accountp lastp week.p Badp newsp isp t6hatp t6hep keyboardp wouldp bep comingp 4fromp Montrealp inp Canadap andp itp wouldp p robablyp takep aboutp 2p weeksp top arrive.p So,p untilp Ip receivep t6hep keyboard,p Ip wouldp bep 4forcedp top cleanp up t6hep textp manually.p Lessonp learned,p neverp everp p lacep beveragesp onp yourp comp uterp desk.p Toug6hp lessonp top learn,p believep me.
Justp 4forp yourp in4formation,p Ip 6havep includedp t6hep textp t6hatp camep outp 4fromp myp comp uterp be4forep Ip editedp itp top bep readable.
10 November 2005
Talk about biting the hand...
Sony Music is in deep shit following controversy about copy protecting music CDs while at the same time also installs spyware in the computer. The music industry is really paranoid about piracy to do such an underhanded tactic like this. A group of California consumers have already filed a suit against Sony Music and I am sure a lot more people will follow.
Do I hear boycott??? :P
Just avoid these CDs for now as listed in www.eff.org
Trey Anastasio, Shine (Columbia)
Celine Dion, On ne Change Pas (Epic)
Neil Diamond, 12 Songs (Columbia)
Our Lady Peace, Healthy in Paranoid Times (Columbia)
Chris Botti, To Love Again (Columbia)
Van Zant, Get Right with the Man (Columbia)
Switchfoot, Nothing is Sound (Columbia)
The Coral, The Invisible Invasion (Columbia)
Acceptance, Phantoms (Columbia)
Susie Suh, Susie Suh (Epic)
Amerie, Touch (Columbia)
Life of Agony, Broken Valley (Epic)
Horace Silver Quintet, Silver's Blue (Epic Legacy)
Gerry Mulligan, Jeru (Columbia Legacy)
Dexter Gordon, Manhattan Symphonie (Columbia Legacy)
The Bad Plus, Suspicious Activity (Columbia)
The Dead 60s, The Dead 60s (Epic)
Dion, The Essential Dion (Columbia Legacy)
Natasha Bedingfield, Unwritten (Epic)
This is not a complete list and Sony-BMG continues to refuse to make such a list available to consumers. Consumers can spot CDs with XCP by inspecting a CD closely, checking the left transparent spine on the front of the case for a label that says "CONTENT PROTECTED." The back of these CDs also mention XCP in fine print. You can find pictures of these and other telltale labeling at http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/Sony-BMG/.
An advise to Sony... You cannot stop progress... Go with the flow. Piracy will not be solved by aggravating consumers - not only do you charge exorbitant amounts for a CD release (why would you buy a CD for 450 pesos (or $14.99 here) when you can buy the same CD in Quiapo for 50 pesos) but now you are distancing yourselves from the very people who are giving you the business.
By the way, I pity you if you're stuck in this shit if you bought the Celine Dion album. :p
Gives you another reason to get your music from iTunes...
Sony Music is in deep shit following controversy about copy protecting music CDs while at the same time also installs spyware in the computer. The music industry is really paranoid about piracy to do such an underhanded tactic like this. A group of California consumers have already filed a suit against Sony Music and I am sure a lot more people will follow.
Do I hear boycott??? :P
Just avoid these CDs for now as listed in www.eff.org
Trey Anastasio, Shine (Columbia)
Celine Dion, On ne Change Pas (Epic)
Neil Diamond, 12 Songs (Columbia)
Our Lady Peace, Healthy in Paranoid Times (Columbia)
Chris Botti, To Love Again (Columbia)
Van Zant, Get Right with the Man (Columbia)
Switchfoot, Nothing is Sound (Columbia)
The Coral, The Invisible Invasion (Columbia)
Acceptance, Phantoms (Columbia)
Susie Suh, Susie Suh (Epic)
Amerie, Touch (Columbia)
Life of Agony, Broken Valley (Epic)
Horace Silver Quintet, Silver's Blue (Epic Legacy)
Gerry Mulligan, Jeru (Columbia Legacy)
Dexter Gordon, Manhattan Symphonie (Columbia Legacy)
The Bad Plus, Suspicious Activity (Columbia)
The Dead 60s, The Dead 60s (Epic)
Dion, The Essential Dion (Columbia Legacy)
Natasha Bedingfield, Unwritten (Epic)
This is not a complete list and Sony-BMG continues to refuse to make such a list available to consumers. Consumers can spot CDs with XCP by inspecting a CD closely, checking the left transparent spine on the front of the case for a label that says "CONTENT PROTECTED." The back of these CDs also mention XCP in fine print. You can find pictures of these and other telltale labeling at http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/Sony-BMG/.
An advise to Sony... You cannot stop progress... Go with the flow. Piracy will not be solved by aggravating consumers - not only do you charge exorbitant amounts for a CD release (why would you buy a CD for 450 pesos (or $14.99 here) when you can buy the same CD in Quiapo for 50 pesos) but now you are distancing yourselves from the very people who are giving you the business.
By the way, I pity you if you're stuck in this shit if you bought the Celine Dion album. :p
Gives you another reason to get your music from iTunes...
06 November 2005
03 November 2005
BEEP BEEP!!!
I have been driving here for about a month now and am now getting the hang of following street signs, not swerving and following the speed limit (gasp!). But the one thing that I am very surprised with is that I haven't used the car horn ever! I never had the use for it (unlike in Manila when it is crucial just to survive travelling along EDSA) and honestly, I feel better about it.
It makes driving much more comfortable without having to hear cars honk their horns at you every few minutes. It also reduced the headaches I usually have while driving. It does sometimes get boring though driving at 60mph on the Interstate without cars in front of you. That's a waste of time and good asphalt, if you ask me.
I have been driving here for about a month now and am now getting the hang of following street signs, not swerving and following the speed limit (gasp!). But the one thing that I am very surprised with is that I haven't used the car horn ever! I never had the use for it (unlike in Manila when it is crucial just to survive travelling along EDSA) and honestly, I feel better about it.
It makes driving much more comfortable without having to hear cars honk their horns at you every few minutes. It also reduced the headaches I usually have while driving. It does sometimes get boring though driving at 60mph on the Interstate without cars in front of you. That's a waste of time and good asphalt, if you ask me.
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