Wednesday, October 17, 2012
2wo
I can't forget the reason for this blog; to track our steps during our wedding process. And after our wedding, to track our steps during this journey.
Two years later, I'm still writing my thoughts here and there -- maybe not as often as before, but whenever something comes to mind, I come here to jot it down.
Yesterday marked our second anniversary. Already, two years has gone by. It still seems like yesterday when we were prepping for the wedding, making sure things were complete, and making our final checks.
Many things have happened during the past two years that I'm glad I shared with my wife. I know all husbands must say this about their wife, but I have the best one in the world. She's honestly the most amazing person that I know. She also puts up with my bad habits too :)
I look forward to the many years to come to celebrate not only each year on this date, but each and every day that goes by. I love experiencing new things together and sharing our thoughts. I may not be the most emotional and expressive person in the world, but in a way, I think she knows how I feel without me even telling her. We may be two different people with different personalities as an individual, but as a couple, we complement each other in every way.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
My One Scent
Hello out there! Haven't posted in a while. Just been busy with a few things, and also not much to post about -- at least nothing I want to post on the Internet for everyone to read :)
I find the smell of things always brings back a certain memory to me, whether good, bad, or just a regular smell.
The smell of the summer air at 6am will always bring back memories of waking up early to go fishing at the cottage I used to go to with my family every summer. Something about the morning dew, mixed in with the crisp air will always remind me of those mornings.
Every fall, the weather gets cooler, and whenever that hits, it reminds me of Halloween. More of a feeling than a smell, but the cold mornings or evenings in September after the transition of summer reminds me of every year when I used to go trick or treating.
For some odd reason, the smell of parking garages smell the same, and not that I enjoy the smell, but it's a recognized smell to me.
Chlorine is also a familiar smell, always reminding me of swimming pools, whether at my neighbours backyard pool when I was younger, or whenever we went to the public swimming pool.
Whenever I smell cigarette smoke, it reminds me being at the casino when they allowed smoking. Not the best smell in the world, and not that I've had fond memories at the casino, but it was the only time that I was exposed to that much smoke in one area.
Hotel rooms always have that certain "hotel" smell as well. I love that smell because being in a hotel room for me means I'm on vacation!
The smell of fresh cut grass (especially the first cut after a long winter) is a fresh reminder of the spring/summer season. I like the smell for a second, but if I'm around it too much, my allergies will activate.
One of my favourites is the fresh smell of a new electronics!! Nothing beats opening up a new box of electronics (game console, tv, camera, dvd player, video camera, anything!) and smelling that new electronics goodness that's been sealed up in that cardboard box.
The smell of a car - brand new smell, "little-tree" car fresheners (the ones my Dad used to put in the family car and we all complained, so he had to take it down, but then we'd smell it again the next day because he'd hide it somewhere), or general taxi smell.
Thanks for coming to visit. I know it's been a while. I'll promise to blog as much as I can.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Back to Rushfit
GSP says that if you become sick, then take the rest of the week off the program and then start the week again the next week.
We took last week off Rushfit because Devika wasn't feeling well. Since the program takes a lot of energy, we decided it was the best decision because we don't want her not getting better, or not doing the full program.
So that was last week, and yesterday was the first day back into the swing of things. It felt like it was a long time since our last session, but we got right back into it. It's week 4 of the program, so there will be a couple different routines and it appears the second half will be the harder ones.
We took last week off Rushfit because Devika wasn't feeling well. Since the program takes a lot of energy, we decided it was the best decision because we don't want her not getting better, or not doing the full program.
So that was last week, and yesterday was the first day back into the swing of things. It felt like it was a long time since our last session, but we got right back into it. It's week 4 of the program, so there will be a couple different routines and it appears the second half will be the harder ones.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Rushfit -- Day 12
It's been almost two weeks since we started GSP's Rushfit, and it's going pretty well.
Since the last time we talked, we did two new videos, the "Full Body Strength and Conditioning" and the "Fight Conditioning" workouts. Each of the workouts targets a specific region of your muscles, so the schedule has been designed to give you proper rest so you're not hurting yourself.
One of the hardest parts of the program is eating well. According to the program, you should be on a healthy diet, limit the sugar, no alcohol, no fast food -- the basics. We've tried our hardest to be on a good diet, but it's hard not to. I think as long as we don't gorge ourselves with junk food on a daily basis, then we're good to go. We're not training to be a MMA fighter or anything like that, we just wanted to tone up a little.
Although it's only been two weeks, I foresee this program to work out quite well. As long as we follow the schedule and do the workouts, I think we'll have some decent results!
Since the last time we talked, we did two new videos, the "Full Body Strength and Conditioning" and the "Fight Conditioning" workouts. Each of the workouts targets a specific region of your muscles, so the schedule has been designed to give you proper rest so you're not hurting yourself.
One of the hardest parts of the program is eating well. According to the program, you should be on a healthy diet, limit the sugar, no alcohol, no fast food -- the basics. We've tried our hardest to be on a good diet, but it's hard not to. I think as long as we don't gorge ourselves with junk food on a daily basis, then we're good to go. We're not training to be a MMA fighter or anything like that, we just wanted to tone up a little.
Although it's only been two weeks, I foresee this program to work out quite well. As long as we follow the schedule and do the workouts, I think we'll have some decent results!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Rushfit -- Day 02
Day 02 proved to be harder than Day 01.
Yesterday's workout was Abdominal Strength and Core Conditioning. I guess my abs and core aren't that strong, or maybe I was still sore from the first day (most likely the first option).
They structure the workout as if it's a UFC match; they do five "rounds" of workouts, each five minutes. For those five minutes, they push you and keep rotating exercises, then give you about a minute rest. For yesterday's workout, I stopped with maybe 10-15 seconds for each exercise near the end of the workout because it was too much! I think my form was just bad and most likely because I don't usually do those types of exercises.
I'm glad I'm blogging this now because it'll be interesting for me to read this again later on in the program to see the improvements. I hope down the road, this particular ab and core workout becomes easier. Devika did pretty well in this set since it's about the core and she's done the whole yoga thing, so she was able to hold on to the moves better.
Today, Day 03, is cardio day! Somewhat of a relief :) we're supposed to do at least 30 minutes of cardio.
Who knows, maybe I will keep updating this on a daily basis, or as much as I can.
Yesterday's workout was Abdominal Strength and Core Conditioning. I guess my abs and core aren't that strong, or maybe I was still sore from the first day (most likely the first option).
They structure the workout as if it's a UFC match; they do five "rounds" of workouts, each five minutes. For those five minutes, they push you and keep rotating exercises, then give you about a minute rest. For yesterday's workout, I stopped with maybe 10-15 seconds for each exercise near the end of the workout because it was too much! I think my form was just bad and most likely because I don't usually do those types of exercises.
I'm glad I'm blogging this now because it'll be interesting for me to read this again later on in the program to see the improvements. I hope down the road, this particular ab and core workout becomes easier. Devika did pretty well in this set since it's about the core and she's done the whole yoga thing, so she was able to hold on to the moves better.
Today, Day 03, is cardio day! Somewhat of a relief :) we're supposed to do at least 30 minutes of cardio.
Who knows, maybe I will keep updating this on a daily basis, or as much as I can.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
GSP Rushfit
GSP is Georges St-Pierre, a UFC fighter, and Devika and I started the GSP Rushfit program last night. Let's just say today, we're both a little sore.
Rushfit is an eight week program that guides you through a 45 minute workout almost every day. My cousin completed the program recently and he said he lost weight and built muscle at the same time. I'm not usually the one to try these Made for TV programs, but since my cousin tried it out and said he saw results, we both decided to try it out as well.
Yesterday was "Day 1" of the program. Everything's on a DVD, so we brought down the laptop to the gym and followed along. I've never tried these workout videos, so I didn't know what to expect. I actually like it because they're there doing the exercises with you and counts down how many reps and time is left. I assume all videos are like that, though.
The program follows a plan of two days workout, followed by a day of cardio, another two days workout, another day of cardio, and one rest day, covering 1 week and repeat itself for for 8 weeks. It comes with six different DVDs, so you follow the schedule and do the workout listed on the timeline. I like the program because I have something to follow and do various types of workouts. Before, I would go to the gym and do what I know, but at the same time, I'd go at my own pace. Following this program at least pushes me to keep continuing on and work up a sweat. It also gives Devika and I a chance to go to the gym together and motivate each other.
So Day 1 of 60 was yesterday...I'll definitely do a summary post at the end of the program, but I'll try to do some updates in between. Wish us luck!
Rushfit is an eight week program that guides you through a 45 minute workout almost every day. My cousin completed the program recently and he said he lost weight and built muscle at the same time. I'm not usually the one to try these Made for TV programs, but since my cousin tried it out and said he saw results, we both decided to try it out as well.
Yesterday was "Day 1" of the program. Everything's on a DVD, so we brought down the laptop to the gym and followed along. I've never tried these workout videos, so I didn't know what to expect. I actually like it because they're there doing the exercises with you and counts down how many reps and time is left. I assume all videos are like that, though.
The program follows a plan of two days workout, followed by a day of cardio, another two days workout, another day of cardio, and one rest day, covering 1 week and repeat itself for for 8 weeks. It comes with six different DVDs, so you follow the schedule and do the workout listed on the timeline. I like the program because I have something to follow and do various types of workouts. Before, I would go to the gym and do what I know, but at the same time, I'd go at my own pace. Following this program at least pushes me to keep continuing on and work up a sweat. It also gives Devika and I a chance to go to the gym together and motivate each other.
So Day 1 of 60 was yesterday...I'll definitely do a summary post at the end of the program, but I'll try to do some updates in between. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Travel Bug
I feel lucky to be able to travel, having the money to do these trips and enjoy ourselves by splurging a bit on certain items like shopping or dinners. We always do a budget before we travel, so we know how much we can spend.
Over the past couple years (yes, it's been that long), we've been trying to look for either a nice globe or a map of the world. Sure, there are tons out there, but we wanted a cooool one. We finally found a globe that we both liked during our recent trip to Tokyo. Maybe they have it here in Toronto, but we haven't seen it anywhere:
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One of the reasons why we bought it was because it came in a flat envelope, so packing it in our suitcase was easy. It came in different pieces and you assemble them together to make the globe.
The other reason why we bought it is because you're supposed to colour in the countries that you've visited. Before we did any colouring, we made up some rules which allow us to colour in the country, a) we must have been in the country for at least 12 hours [we originally said 24 hours, but 12 hours was chosen because when we went on the cruises, we visited the different countries only for the day, and I wanted to at least colour in the Caribbean area] b) for North America, we would only mark off the province, city, or state we visited d) all other countries are to be coloured in fully [for Japan, although we just scratched the surface with Tokyo and Kyoto, we coloured the whole Japan in and c) one, or both of us, have travelled there.
It feels like we've done a lot of travelling in the past four years, but after colouring in the countries, it didn't appear that way! Only little chunks here and there were coloured in. It puts it into perspective how big the world is and how many countries there are left to travel to. Our goal is to be able to look at the globe one day with all the countries coloured in :)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
April Goals: Summary
Last month, I set myself some goals to accomplish by the end of April. Here is a summary of what was accomplished...and what wasn't :S
Goal #1: Start and Finish a Novel - I started reading Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol"; this is the third and last book of his trilogy of Robert Langdon and his quest to solve mysteries. I read and enjoyed the first two books (and all of Dan Brown's other books, actually), so I thought I would finish the last book with ease...that was two years ago. Devika got the book for me when it came out and I got through 100 pages in about a year and never got back into reading it; it was just collecting dust instead. I figured I would pick it up again to accomplish this goal. I started reading it from the beginning to refresh my memory of what happened in the first 100 pages. I actually finished it about a week ago, so well ahead of schedule. It was a really good read, a typical Dan Brown style of book! - Accomplished!
Goal #2: Run 3 Laps in the Morning - As I mentioned at the beginning of April, I was running one lap as a warm up but I did it at a speed of 7.5. This wasn't a sprint, but it was a good paced run. Two weeks later, I was only able to run about half a lap more, so the goal of three laps wasn't looking good. Devika suggested to turn the speed down a little to 6.5 and see if it's better. I gave it a try the next day and I was able to run about two laps right away which gave me more hope in completing the goal. After a week or so of running at the 6.5 speed, I was able to run my three laps! I must've been feeling good that day because for the next few days, I stopped running after two-ish laps and didn't hit three again, but I'm glad I hit three laps at least once and that was my goal! - Accomplished!
Goal #3: Business Cards - I placed the order for the business cards through an online printing company. I found an online coupon so I figured I would try them out. I ordered the cards the first weekend of April and on their website, it says it'll take a couple days to print it, and then another few days to get it shipped. Eight business days later and with no indication of anything being shipped, I called them and asked where they were. They gave me the excuse of being busy and the Easter weekend being a holiday. Being the person I am, I just made a few comments and let it go because I was getting a deal on the cards. Later that same day, I get an email letting me know that my order has been shipped -- gee, I wonder why! I was afraid I wouldn't accomplish this goal because of the company not shipping it, but I received them last week and I'm happy with them. I now have 500 business cards, so I just need to start handing them out! - Accomplished!
Goal #4: Go to Hot Yoga with Devika - Devika started going back to hot yoga in April, so the first day she went, I tagged along. When we got there, we found out that we both had a 10 pass of visits left in the system (after not going for a while, we weren't sure what we had left). We each had eight visits left in our name, so we used one that night. It's funny because I don't ever remember buying a 10 pass, so we came up with a theory that there was another "Dennis" out there with the same last name and I was just using his. This happened last year as well because we ran into the same situation. To make a long story short, we did some Sherlock Holmes investigation and found out that the 10 pass is indeed mine -- Devika bought it under my name last year, so that's why I don't remember buying it :) - Accomplished!
Goal #5: Play More Basketball this Summer - April was a month of wacky weather. We had warm days and days that even snowed a bit. I had planned a day to play basketball with friends but we didn't end up going. I saw my parents one weekend and I got them to bring me my basketball from Whitby so I can play at a court near where we live. There weren't many opportunities to play outdoors the past couple of weeks due to either the weather or the fact I was busy, so you can probably guess the outcome of this goal. This was one of the goals I was looking forward to, but ended up not finishing it. - Not Accomplished.
Goal #6: Finish Strong on my 365 Project - April 30th was the 365th day of my 365 Project that I started last year. I wanted to take a good picture each day for the month of April to complete my project. Some may argue about whether or not I accomplished this goal, myself included. There were some days that still included pictures I took from inside our condo, but I tried really hard to make it as creative as possible. I'm glad I finished this project, and although I didn't take 365 new pictures each day (there were some days I didn't get a chance to take a picture, so I posted a picture I took from another day), I'm still glad I completed it. - Kinda Accomplished!
I'm glad I made these goals for myself, otherwise I probably wouldn't have done half of these on my own free will. It gave me something to work for and I would recommend it to anybody -- it gives yourself something to accomplish. Today is May 1st, and I hope to have a new set of goals by the end of the week. I may do a three month time period instead of one month, but I haven't decided on the goals yet. The three month goals will definitely be more thorough as it'll take longer to accomplish.
Stay tuned for more!
Goal #1: Start and Finish a Novel - I started reading Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol"; this is the third and last book of his trilogy of Robert Langdon and his quest to solve mysteries. I read and enjoyed the first two books (and all of Dan Brown's other books, actually), so I thought I would finish the last book with ease...that was two years ago. Devika got the book for me when it came out and I got through 100 pages in about a year and never got back into reading it; it was just collecting dust instead. I figured I would pick it up again to accomplish this goal. I started reading it from the beginning to refresh my memory of what happened in the first 100 pages. I actually finished it about a week ago, so well ahead of schedule. It was a really good read, a typical Dan Brown style of book! - Accomplished!
Goal #2: Run 3 Laps in the Morning - As I mentioned at the beginning of April, I was running one lap as a warm up but I did it at a speed of 7.5. This wasn't a sprint, but it was a good paced run. Two weeks later, I was only able to run about half a lap more, so the goal of three laps wasn't looking good. Devika suggested to turn the speed down a little to 6.5 and see if it's better. I gave it a try the next day and I was able to run about two laps right away which gave me more hope in completing the goal. After a week or so of running at the 6.5 speed, I was able to run my three laps! I must've been feeling good that day because for the next few days, I stopped running after two-ish laps and didn't hit three again, but I'm glad I hit three laps at least once and that was my goal! - Accomplished!
Goal #3: Business Cards - I placed the order for the business cards through an online printing company. I found an online coupon so I figured I would try them out. I ordered the cards the first weekend of April and on their website, it says it'll take a couple days to print it, and then another few days to get it shipped. Eight business days later and with no indication of anything being shipped, I called them and asked where they were. They gave me the excuse of being busy and the Easter weekend being a holiday. Being the person I am, I just made a few comments and let it go because I was getting a deal on the cards. Later that same day, I get an email letting me know that my order has been shipped -- gee, I wonder why! I was afraid I wouldn't accomplish this goal because of the company not shipping it, but I received them last week and I'm happy with them. I now have 500 business cards, so I just need to start handing them out! - Accomplished!
Goal #4: Go to Hot Yoga with Devika - Devika started going back to hot yoga in April, so the first day she went, I tagged along. When we got there, we found out that we both had a 10 pass of visits left in the system (after not going for a while, we weren't sure what we had left). We each had eight visits left in our name, so we used one that night. It's funny because I don't ever remember buying a 10 pass, so we came up with a theory that there was another "Dennis" out there with the same last name and I was just using his. This happened last year as well because we ran into the same situation. To make a long story short, we did some Sherlock Holmes investigation and found out that the 10 pass is indeed mine -- Devika bought it under my name last year, so that's why I don't remember buying it :) - Accomplished!
Goal #5: Play More Basketball this Summer - April was a month of wacky weather. We had warm days and days that even snowed a bit. I had planned a day to play basketball with friends but we didn't end up going. I saw my parents one weekend and I got them to bring me my basketball from Whitby so I can play at a court near where we live. There weren't many opportunities to play outdoors the past couple of weeks due to either the weather or the fact I was busy, so you can probably guess the outcome of this goal. This was one of the goals I was looking forward to, but ended up not finishing it. - Not Accomplished.
Goal #6: Finish Strong on my 365 Project - April 30th was the 365th day of my 365 Project that I started last year. I wanted to take a good picture each day for the month of April to complete my project. Some may argue about whether or not I accomplished this goal, myself included. There were some days that still included pictures I took from inside our condo, but I tried really hard to make it as creative as possible. I'm glad I finished this project, and although I didn't take 365 new pictures each day (there were some days I didn't get a chance to take a picture, so I posted a picture I took from another day), I'm still glad I completed it. - Kinda Accomplished!
I'm glad I made these goals for myself, otherwise I probably wouldn't have done half of these on my own free will. It gave me something to work for and I would recommend it to anybody -- it gives yourself something to accomplish. Today is May 1st, and I hope to have a new set of goals by the end of the week. I may do a three month time period instead of one month, but I haven't decided on the goals yet. The three month goals will definitely be more thorough as it'll take longer to accomplish.
Stay tuned for more!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Goals: Update
I set myself some goals for the month of April a few weeks ago and I bet you're wondering how I'm doing. Even if you're not, I'm going to tell you anyway.
I'll save the final summary of which goals I've accomplished when the deadline is over, but to provide a preview, as of today, I can only cross out one of the six goals so far. Kind of bad, I know, and with a week left in April, I hope to be able to cross out the other five remaining. I'm confident I can complete all my goals for April, but there's a possibility I won't.
Stay tuned for next week when I summarize which ones I've accomplished!
I'll save the final summary of which goals I've accomplished when the deadline is over, but to provide a preview, as of today, I can only cross out one of the six goals so far. Kind of bad, I know, and with a week left in April, I hope to be able to cross out the other five remaining. I'm confident I can complete all my goals for April, but there's a possibility I won't.
Stay tuned for next week when I summarize which ones I've accomplished!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Next Stop: JPN
After our last trip to the very green Galapagos Islands and Easter Island, our next stop will be the very urban Japan! We are off in less than a month and very excited.
We booked our flight and hotels last month but since then, the planning aspect of the trip has been minimal. We've been reading travel books here and there, but no "real" planning has commenced -- until now. After discussing last night, we realized there is very limited time left until our bags are packed and ready to go.
Although we enjoy site seeing and being lost (metaphorically) in area, we always plan. Although my sense of direction isn't the greatest, I'm usually the one to look up the directions and print off maps and to be honest, I enjoy doing it. I opened up a Word document today and titled it "Japan Master". In it, I have a couple pages of little notes so far about how to get from the airport to our hotel and also another location we plan on visiting.
I think getting around will be the biggest struggle for this trip, not only the language barrier, but also the quickest and more cost effective route. During my research today, I found out more information about the subway lines: there are two types in Tokyo and with it has different fares, whether it's single ride, day pass for a certain area, or day pass for a bigger area.
I'm looking forward to this trip as we will be travelling once again, but this time with a few friends. I feel fortunate to be able to go and experience how people live on the other side of the world.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The Month of April
All together now, take a deep breath in, and slowly let it out...ahhhhhhh! I wrote my exam last night for my BA course and there was a slight sigh of relief as that was my third and final course in order to get a BA Certificate from UTCS. I will do a full sigh of relief when I get my final grade :)
I decided the other night that after my exam, I will be using April as my month. How you ask? Wellll...
I'm going to set a few goals for myself to complete by the end of April. They're not going to be huge goals, but goals nonetheless. I wanted to set some goals to complete because I felt like the past few months have been kind of blah in terms of completing something. Yes, I completed the course, but other than that, I don't feel like I've finished anything else. So here goes:
Goal #1: Start and Finish a Novel. There have been many times where I've started reading a novel, but I've either never finished it or it took me way too long to finish it. So this month, I will start reading one and finish it! I'm not sure which novel to read yet, but it will be one that Devika has read and has at home. To accomplish this goal, I will probably stop doing "useless" stuff like going on the computer in the evenings, because I clearly have lots of time to do that during the day :)
Goal #2: Run 3 Laps in the Morning. I'm on my fifth week of working out in the mornings and it's going great. I haven't missed a day of my 4-day a week plan, although I admit there were a few mornings that I didn't want to get up [and some mornings where I didn't do my full workout, but that doesn't matter ;)]. Anyways, I usually go on the treadmill as a warm up; I'd walk half a lap (according to the square looking LCD map on the machine), and then do a full run for one lap, nonstop. For those runners out there, one lap is nothing, but to me, it's something :) I'm not a runner, so I'm trying to slowly ease into it. So my goal is to run three continuous laps in the morning as a warm up.
Goal #3: Business Cards. As you all know, I'm the cool guy behind dlography. I've been wanting to get business cards made for the longest time, so since I'm doing these goals, I figured I put this one on the list. I saw a good deal online the other day for business cards, so I want to buy that, order AND receive them by the end of the month.
Goal #4: Go to Hot Yoga with Devika. Devika has been urging me to start going back to hot yoga with her, but since I don't like it, I don't go. I don't like it because frankly, I don't want to pay for it :D BUT, for the sake of my lovely wife, I will add this goal to my list. The goal is to go at least once, which is a fair goal because that's all she wanted from me.
Goal #5: Play More Basketball this Summer. Last year I played basketball just once. I used to play a lot when I was younger, and even in the recent years I'd play with friends at rec centres. This year, I want to play more, and with this goal, at least once in April.
Goal #6: Finish Strong on my 365 Project. As you also know, I started doing this 365 Project on May 1st, 2011. I have less than a month to go, and I'd like to finish strong with a quality picture for the rest of the month. Not that I haven't given it my all throughout the year, but there have been days (recently, too) that I'm standing there with my camera at home and it's 11:00pm, and I'm just looking for something to take a picture of. So for the last month, I will make an effort to be out there and take a thoughtful picture each day until the end of the project.
That's it for now. So all of the above goals will be started today and completed by April 30th. It's April 5th today, so I've already lost 4ish days, but I'm determined to complete these goals! I will post an update in May.
I decided the other night that after my exam, I will be using April as my month. How you ask? Wellll...
I'm going to set a few goals for myself to complete by the end of April. They're not going to be huge goals, but goals nonetheless. I wanted to set some goals to complete because I felt like the past few months have been kind of blah in terms of completing something. Yes, I completed the course, but other than that, I don't feel like I've finished anything else. So here goes:
Goal #1: Start and Finish a Novel. There have been many times where I've started reading a novel, but I've either never finished it or it took me way too long to finish it. So this month, I will start reading one and finish it! I'm not sure which novel to read yet, but it will be one that Devika has read and has at home. To accomplish this goal, I will probably stop doing "useless" stuff like going on the computer in the evenings, because I clearly have lots of time to do that during the day :)
Goal #2: Run 3 Laps in the Morning. I'm on my fifth week of working out in the mornings and it's going great. I haven't missed a day of my 4-day a week plan, although I admit there were a few mornings that I didn't want to get up [and some mornings where I didn't do my full workout, but that doesn't matter ;)]. Anyways, I usually go on the treadmill as a warm up; I'd walk half a lap (according to the square looking LCD map on the machine), and then do a full run for one lap, nonstop. For those runners out there, one lap is nothing, but to me, it's something :) I'm not a runner, so I'm trying to slowly ease into it. So my goal is to run three continuous laps in the morning as a warm up.
Goal #3: Business Cards. As you all know, I'm the cool guy behind dlography. I've been wanting to get business cards made for the longest time, so since I'm doing these goals, I figured I put this one on the list. I saw a good deal online the other day for business cards, so I want to buy that, order AND receive them by the end of the month.
Goal #4: Go to Hot Yoga with Devika. Devika has been urging me to start going back to hot yoga with her, but since I don't like it, I don't go. I don't like it because frankly, I don't want to pay for it :D BUT, for the sake of my lovely wife, I will add this goal to my list. The goal is to go at least once, which is a fair goal because that's all she wanted from me.
Goal #5: Play More Basketball this Summer. Last year I played basketball just once. I used to play a lot when I was younger, and even in the recent years I'd play with friends at rec centres. This year, I want to play more, and with this goal, at least once in April.
Goal #6: Finish Strong on my 365 Project. As you also know, I started doing this 365 Project on May 1st, 2011. I have less than a month to go, and I'd like to finish strong with a quality picture for the rest of the month. Not that I haven't given it my all throughout the year, but there have been days (recently, too) that I'm standing there with my camera at home and it's 11:00pm, and I'm just looking for something to take a picture of. So for the last month, I will make an effort to be out there and take a thoughtful picture each day until the end of the project.
That's it for now. So all of the above goals will be started today and completed by April 30th. It's April 5th today, so I've already lost 4ish days, but I'm determined to complete these goals! I will post an update in May.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Cold Food
There are certain foods out there that are meant to be eaten either hot or cold and will taste bad if it's not one or the other. For example, rice will not taste good when it's cold...or...
Actually, I'm finding it hard to think of things that won't taste good if it's regularly eaten hot or cold. I thought about fruit, which is normally eaten cold or room temperature, but you can easily put it on the bbq or cook it for a dessert or something. Most vegetables can be eaten raw or cold, or can be cooked and eaten hot. And then there are things that are only able to be eaten cold or hot, like ice cream.
The original point I wanted to make was that there are a couple foods out there that I don't mind eating hot or cold. First one is pizza, which I equally love to eat right when it's fresh out of the oven and really hot, but I also enjoy eating day old pizza right out of the refrigerator. Chicken wings or chicken is another food item that I enjoy eating when it's hot, but also when it's day old as well. Sandwiches are delicious either way as well, and I sometimes prefer when it's warmed up.
That's all.
Actually, I'm finding it hard to think of things that won't taste good if it's regularly eaten hot or cold. I thought about fruit, which is normally eaten cold or room temperature, but you can easily put it on the bbq or cook it for a dessert or something. Most vegetables can be eaten raw or cold, or can be cooked and eaten hot. And then there are things that are only able to be eaten cold or hot, like ice cream.
The original point I wanted to make was that there are a couple foods out there that I don't mind eating hot or cold. First one is pizza, which I equally love to eat right when it's fresh out of the oven and really hot, but I also enjoy eating day old pizza right out of the refrigerator. Chicken wings or chicken is another food item that I enjoy eating when it's hot, but also when it's day old as well. Sandwiches are delicious either way as well, and I sometimes prefer when it's warmed up.
That's all.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Locking the Door
I usually leave later than Devika, so I'm the one to lock up before I leave for work. I do my usual quick checks to make sure everything's off and the refrigerator is closed (we've left with it not closed before), and I leave and lock the door. We live right by the stairs so I take the stairs. I go down one flight of stairs, and out of five days of the week, about three of them I have to go back and confirm the door's locked. I know it's locked, and I know I put in the key and locked it, but I need to go double check. Never has there been a time that it's been unlocked, and there's never a time I run out the door and just close it without locking it.
Just one of those things...
Just one of those things...
Friday, March 16, 2012
Gym
The only facilities that I use at our condo on a regular basis is the gym. It's worth it because I don't feel like paying $30+ a month for a membership somewhere else, especially when I don't use a lot of the equipment.
Working out has been something that I've been doing on and off for the past few years. I would always start a good regime, stick to it for 2-4 weeks, then stop for 2-3 weeks (because of work or other issues). This hurts me because after not working out for 2-3 weeks, it's hard for me to get back into it again.
Obviously I'm not the biggest, most muscular guy out there, so that's why I need to go to the gym. It takes time and dedication to actually see a difference from lifting weights, and so far, I have not seen a difference :) but then again in my mind, I expect to look like a Hulk after working out for a week.
My old schedule involves me going to the gym in the late evening, usually around 10pm and sometimes as late as 11pm. I would do my work out, go home, take a shower, and go to bed. I've read and heard from people that that's not exactly the best way to gain muscle or mass because by going to sleep after you work out, your muscles just sit there. Also, I'd be inconsistent in the days I would go work out. I'd go 3-4 times a week, but it would be clumped together and sometimes I wouldn't go back to the gym for another 3-4 days. There would be nights that I'm just too tired from the day's events and just rather call it a night and go to bed. And sometimes I would have commitments in the evenings that matter more than going to the gym.
I leave home at 9am in the mornings to go to work. Before, I would set my alarm for 730am and snooze it until close to 8am, then get up and get ready. Two weeks ago, I started working out in the mornings. I thought, rather than slowly getting up in the mornings, why not use my time more wisely. So now I wake up at 710am and I'm at the gym before 730am. I work out for about half an hour or so, then come back at my regular "getting ready" time.
I've been doing it for two weeks and so far it's been good. I go four times as week (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri) and so far I've been able to get up and go on a consistent basis. I find it better because now I can at least control when I go and I don't feel as tired in the mornings as I would at night when I used to go. Also, I'm able to do my work out and I'm awake for the whole day as opposed to laying down and going to sleep afterwards.
It's only been two weeks but I really hope to stay consistent this time around, and when I say consistent, I mean months at a time. I will report back in a few months to let my giant group of followers know how I'm doing!
Working out has been something that I've been doing on and off for the past few years. I would always start a good regime, stick to it for 2-4 weeks, then stop for 2-3 weeks (because of work or other issues). This hurts me because after not working out for 2-3 weeks, it's hard for me to get back into it again.
Obviously I'm not the biggest, most muscular guy out there, so that's why I need to go to the gym. It takes time and dedication to actually see a difference from lifting weights, and so far, I have not seen a difference :) but then again in my mind, I expect to look like a Hulk after working out for a week.
My old schedule involves me going to the gym in the late evening, usually around 10pm and sometimes as late as 11pm. I would do my work out, go home, take a shower, and go to bed. I've read and heard from people that that's not exactly the best way to gain muscle or mass because by going to sleep after you work out, your muscles just sit there. Also, I'd be inconsistent in the days I would go work out. I'd go 3-4 times a week, but it would be clumped together and sometimes I wouldn't go back to the gym for another 3-4 days. There would be nights that I'm just too tired from the day's events and just rather call it a night and go to bed. And sometimes I would have commitments in the evenings that matter more than going to the gym.
I leave home at 9am in the mornings to go to work. Before, I would set my alarm for 730am and snooze it until close to 8am, then get up and get ready. Two weeks ago, I started working out in the mornings. I thought, rather than slowly getting up in the mornings, why not use my time more wisely. So now I wake up at 710am and I'm at the gym before 730am. I work out for about half an hour or so, then come back at my regular "getting ready" time.
I've been doing it for two weeks and so far it's been good. I go four times as week (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri) and so far I've been able to get up and go on a consistent basis. I find it better because now I can at least control when I go and I don't feel as tired in the mornings as I would at night when I used to go. Also, I'm able to do my work out and I'm awake for the whole day as opposed to laying down and going to sleep afterwards.
It's only been two weeks but I really hope to stay consistent this time around, and when I say consistent, I mean months at a time. I will report back in a few months to let my giant group of followers know how I'm doing!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Weekends Should be Longer
Why?
Because Friday, you finish work and most of the day seems finished already. Saturday, you get the whole day. Sunday, you get half a day because the next day is the start of the week and you have to set your mind to that instead.
There should be at least a three day weekend so you have two full days to make plans. Then Sunday, or the day before the work week, should be reserved for preparation. On Sundays for us, we usually do groceries, clean up around the house, and prepare for the week.
Maybe it was just this past weekend that felt too quick since I worked until 10pm on Friday, so by the time I got home, there wasn't much time to do anything. Whenever we have plans after work on Fridays, the weekend actually feels long.
Don't get me wrong, I love our weekends because it's obviously time for us to do something other than work (most of the times). Every weekend for the past few months has been planned with something with either ourselves or with friends, so it gives me something to look forward to during the week. One thing we haven't been doing as often as we used to is going back to Whitby to visit our parents, but I'm glad we have seen them for dinners and other gatherings.
One thing I will try to do are more posts here. Judging by the stats, I have a big client base that comes back to visit every day (not really, but there are a couple that are coming back, so I should give them something to read when they do).
Because Friday, you finish work and most of the day seems finished already. Saturday, you get the whole day. Sunday, you get half a day because the next day is the start of the week and you have to set your mind to that instead.
There should be at least a three day weekend so you have two full days to make plans. Then Sunday, or the day before the work week, should be reserved for preparation. On Sundays for us, we usually do groceries, clean up around the house, and prepare for the week.
Maybe it was just this past weekend that felt too quick since I worked until 10pm on Friday, so by the time I got home, there wasn't much time to do anything. Whenever we have plans after work on Fridays, the weekend actually feels long.
Don't get me wrong, I love our weekends because it's obviously time for us to do something other than work (most of the times). Every weekend for the past few months has been planned with something with either ourselves or with friends, so it gives me something to look forward to during the week. One thing we haven't been doing as often as we used to is going back to Whitby to visit our parents, but I'm glad we have seen them for dinners and other gatherings.
One thing I will try to do are more posts here. Judging by the stats, I have a big client base that comes back to visit every day (not really, but there are a couple that are coming back, so I should give them something to read when they do).
Thursday, February 16, 2012
No Data, No Problem
I stepped into the world of a smartphone with data about a year ago. At that time, smartphones were already on the rise and now, they're everywhere. It seems like you can't go anywhere these days without seeing someone on their phone. You get those people walking on the streets with their head down, looking at their phone and walking in a zig-zag formation, and then there's me who's trying to avoid them by doing my own zig-zag formation. And then during rush hour on the streetcars when everyone's already packed in like sardines, there are the people who still have to take up extra room and not paying attention by being on their phone, because they just have to get to that next level in their game or they urgently need to see what their friends are doing on facebook. Anyways, that's another topic.
My main post is about data on my phone. We were talking to a friend one day and she doesn't have data on her iPhone; she cancelled it after a month and was charged a minimal fee. I thought this was a good idea for me too. I had a 1GB data plan for $30/mth and on average, I used around 200MB.
So I rationalized -- I'm at work all day, which has wifi access and I'm in front of a computer anyways so I'll use that instead of my phone. On most days, I go straight home after work, which has wifi. So the only time I actually need data on my phone is during my ride to work and when I'm out. Most of the time I'm out with D anyways, who has data on her phone, or I'm with someone who has data as well.
I called in to Rogers to find out the process. The cancellation fee was $5/mth for the remainder of the contract, or a maximum of $100 (I have two years left on the contract, so it would be the $100 fee). At $30/mth + tax for the cost of data, the cancellation fee would be equivalent to three months. At first, I thought I'd have to cancel my phone wireless and data plan, and get a new wireless plan, but luckily I was able to just get rid of the data itself.
So, I've been data-less since the beginning of February, which now that I think about it, feels much longer than it is. I'll admit it kind of sucks not having data while I'm on the road because it gives me something to do, but I honestly don't need to pay $30 a month for it. What do I normally do? Check my non-urgent email -- nothing that can't wait until I get wifi access and if it's really that urgent, the person would call me...or I would see what's up on facebook -- no offence to anyone, but it's not that important to be paying $400 a year to do. The only time I'll miss it if I'm by myself and I'm lost, I could easily use the maps feature, but hopefully that doesn't happen.
I'll stop now, seems like a long post.
My main post is about data on my phone. We were talking to a friend one day and she doesn't have data on her iPhone; she cancelled it after a month and was charged a minimal fee. I thought this was a good idea for me too. I had a 1GB data plan for $30/mth and on average, I used around 200MB.
So I rationalized -- I'm at work all day, which has wifi access and I'm in front of a computer anyways so I'll use that instead of my phone. On most days, I go straight home after work, which has wifi. So the only time I actually need data on my phone is during my ride to work and when I'm out. Most of the time I'm out with D anyways, who has data on her phone, or I'm with someone who has data as well.
I called in to Rogers to find out the process. The cancellation fee was $5/mth for the remainder of the contract, or a maximum of $100 (I have two years left on the contract, so it would be the $100 fee). At $30/mth + tax for the cost of data, the cancellation fee would be equivalent to three months. At first, I thought I'd have to cancel my phone wireless and data plan, and get a new wireless plan, but luckily I was able to just get rid of the data itself.
So, I've been data-less since the beginning of February, which now that I think about it, feels much longer than it is. I'll admit it kind of sucks not having data while I'm on the road because it gives me something to do, but I honestly don't need to pay $30 a month for it. What do I normally do? Check my non-urgent email -- nothing that can't wait until I get wifi access and if it's really that urgent, the person would call me...or I would see what's up on facebook -- no offence to anyone, but it's not that important to be paying $400 a year to do. The only time I'll miss it if I'm by myself and I'm lost, I could easily use the maps feature, but hopefully that doesn't happen.
I'll stop now, seems like a long post.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Waiting for Spring
I'm anxiously waiting for spring to come this year -- not that I don't like winter, but because of what's in store starting in spring.
Spring brings warmer weather, which means more outdoor picture opportunities. I'm going to try and focus more on portrait photography this year and see where that takes me. So for those who are reading this and haven't been photographed by me, expect to be asked this year :) and for those who have, expect to be asked again this year :)
Also in spring, the plan is to buy a new camera. What's wrong with my camera right now? Not much; it's in good condition, it still works, and it serves me well. It's sad to say, but if I'm going to take my photography seriously, I'll need a better camera. The one I have now is pretty much the lowest end on the Canon side. It's an expensive upgrade, but I always like to call it as an investment instead.
At the same time, I don't want the whole year to go by in a flash. It's only February right now, but I know the next couple of months will go by quickly. Once those months go by quickly, it'll be spring and I hope to be busy thereon after, but again, I don't want it to go by that fast.
I'll try to blog more too. I personally wouldn't visit a blog that often if I only see updates once a month.
Until next time...
Spring brings warmer weather, which means more outdoor picture opportunities. I'm going to try and focus more on portrait photography this year and see where that takes me. So for those who are reading this and haven't been photographed by me, expect to be asked this year :) and for those who have, expect to be asked again this year :)
Also in spring, the plan is to buy a new camera. What's wrong with my camera right now? Not much; it's in good condition, it still works, and it serves me well. It's sad to say, but if I'm going to take my photography seriously, I'll need a better camera. The one I have now is pretty much the lowest end on the Canon side. It's an expensive upgrade, but I always like to call it as an investment instead.
At the same time, I don't want the whole year to go by in a flash. It's only February right now, but I know the next couple of months will go by quickly. Once those months go by quickly, it'll be spring and I hope to be busy thereon after, but again, I don't want it to go by that fast.
I'll try to blog more too. I personally wouldn't visit a blog that often if I only see updates once a month.
Until next time...
Friday, January 13, 2012
Cable
We did it! We switched to Geico!
...actually, we downgraded our cable (for real). We had the Digital VIP package for the past year after getting suckered into it. As you may recall, we cancelled our cable last year for a whole 20 something days until we added it back because of a "deal" (and we weren't even without cable since we had 30 days to return the box).
A year has passed and we wanted to cancel it again but found out that we still had one year left in the contract, so if we wanted to cancel it, we would have to pay the cancellation fee. So instead, we downgraded to Basic cable. We'll end up paying more over the period of a year for Basic cable vs the cancellation fee, but not by much. We decided paying that little bit extra and having Basic was better than just giving them money and having no cable at all.
It's just ridiculous how much we pay for cable since we only watch a total of maybe 10-15 channels (10-15 of the channels only in the Digital VIP package mind you), so back to Basic(s). We're going back to a digital box as well, and returning the HD box :( it's in my bag as I type.
This should reduce the amount of time we watch tv, which wasn't even a lot to begin with, and allow us to focus on other things. I finally finished the novel I started reading over a year ago, so I'll look for another to start. And my third and final course begins next week, so I will put my tv time towards studying.
...actually, we downgraded our cable (for real). We had the Digital VIP package for the past year after getting suckered into it. As you may recall, we cancelled our cable last year for a whole 20 something days until we added it back because of a "deal" (and we weren't even without cable since we had 30 days to return the box).
A year has passed and we wanted to cancel it again but found out that we still had one year left in the contract, so if we wanted to cancel it, we would have to pay the cancellation fee. So instead, we downgraded to Basic cable. We'll end up paying more over the period of a year for Basic cable vs the cancellation fee, but not by much. We decided paying that little bit extra and having Basic was better than just giving them money and having no cable at all.
It's just ridiculous how much we pay for cable since we only watch a total of maybe 10-15 channels (10-15 of the channels only in the Digital VIP package mind you), so back to Basic(s). We're going back to a digital box as well, and returning the HD box :( it's in my bag as I type.
This should reduce the amount of time we watch tv, which wasn't even a lot to begin with, and allow us to focus on other things. I finally finished the novel I started reading over a year ago, so I'll look for another to start. And my third and final course begins next week, so I will put my tv time towards studying.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
2011 Year in Review
It's hard to believe that another year has almost gone by. It's December 21st, 2011 and there's only about 10 days left until the New Year.
When I look back at 2011, a lot of different things happened in just one year.
I finished two classes in a certificate course; the third and final one will be taken in the new year. I'm taking those courses to hopefully enter into a new field of work, but still relating to computers.
I also started my love for photography this year. We had our DSLR since December 2009, but we just used it as it as an expensive point and shoot camera. I started getting into photography around March and I taught myself how to use the camera. I'm still very new at it, but I think it's one of the bigger steps in my life of the year since I plan to pursue it further in the coming years.
Friendship was an important part of the Year 2011 as well. We now hang out with a close knit group of friends on a regular basis and it's great because we're all at the same stage in our lives of "growing up". Our likes and dislikes are similar, and I'm happy and confident to say that we will be hanging around these group of friends until we're all seniors and meeting up at a local Tim Horton's every morning for coffee.
Everything seemed to be packed in the summer months. We finally went back to a cottage I used to go with my family, and it was a real treat because I had a lot of childhood memories there. The weekends were non stop, and it seemed like we had something to do each weekend, which was great, I had no complaints.
At the end of August, two of our close friends got married! We were part of the bridal party, so we had our delegated tasks to do for those couple of days. We also prepped months in advance to do a surprise music video and performance, so the summer months included that as well.
And the biggest part of 2011 was our trip to the Galapagos Islands and Easter Island! We spent two weeks exploring parts of South America and we loved every single moment of it. This was our first time vacationing in South America so the people, city, food, and atmosphere was all new to us. We had an unbelievable time, had many experiences, and will store all those memories for the rest of our lives. That trip seemed to trigger a want to travel to more places, so hopefully the new year will be nice to us :)
What's going on in 2012? Only time (and this blog) will tell...
When I look back at 2011, a lot of different things happened in just one year.
I finished two classes in a certificate course; the third and final one will be taken in the new year. I'm taking those courses to hopefully enter into a new field of work, but still relating to computers.
I also started my love for photography this year. We had our DSLR since December 2009, but we just used it as it as an expensive point and shoot camera. I started getting into photography around March and I taught myself how to use the camera. I'm still very new at it, but I think it's one of the bigger steps in my life of the year since I plan to pursue it further in the coming years.
Friendship was an important part of the Year 2011 as well. We now hang out with a close knit group of friends on a regular basis and it's great because we're all at the same stage in our lives of "growing up". Our likes and dislikes are similar, and I'm happy and confident to say that we will be hanging around these group of friends until we're all seniors and meeting up at a local Tim Horton's every morning for coffee.
Everything seemed to be packed in the summer months. We finally went back to a cottage I used to go with my family, and it was a real treat because I had a lot of childhood memories there. The weekends were non stop, and it seemed like we had something to do each weekend, which was great, I had no complaints.
At the end of August, two of our close friends got married! We were part of the bridal party, so we had our delegated tasks to do for those couple of days. We also prepped months in advance to do a surprise music video and performance, so the summer months included that as well.
And the biggest part of 2011 was our trip to the Galapagos Islands and Easter Island! We spent two weeks exploring parts of South America and we loved every single moment of it. This was our first time vacationing in South America so the people, city, food, and atmosphere was all new to us. We had an unbelievable time, had many experiences, and will store all those memories for the rest of our lives. That trip seemed to trigger a want to travel to more places, so hopefully the new year will be nice to us :)
What's going on in 2012? Only time (and this blog) will tell...
Friday, December 9, 2011
THE year.
I was reading an old post here, which talked about our obsession of opening up presents in advance. It's funny reading the post from a year ago because it says that 2011 will be the year. It's 2011 now, it's Christmas season...is it the year?
Time will tell.
Time will tell.
It’s
December 09, 2011. We purchased each
other’s gifts already and they’re wrapped.
We don’t have a tree as yet, so there isn’t an official place to put
them and taunt us. With just about two weeks left until Christmas, we’ll see if
we get tempted J
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