More Updates on my Week

It's been over a month now with Björn and I'm still not 100% used to it's keyboard. Spanish keyboard... damned, I miss the Hungarian keyboard so much!! I guess I'm still quite at odds with my new laptop (or is it a netbook? I think it's a netbook), but we are working quite ok with one another.

Well, this week - series-wise - I've got completely hooked on this Netflix series called Sense8. This series is about eight people from around the world, whose conciousness suddenly get connected among them after the death of a woman - Angelica - who is a sensate who, by her death, gives them a second birth as sensates. What's a sensate? It's like a kind of person who can connect, communicate and share skills with a given group of people, who are called their "cluster". At first they can't control their connection, and seem to be sharing in this open-sensory-channel of theirs all sorts of stuff that only confuses them the more. By the end of the first season (they have 12 episodes for the first season), you are not entirely convinced that they have managed to control their connection, but it seems like they are making progress. The story pushes boundaries, touches many sensitive topics, regarding sexuality and some old-story social topics as well. In my opinion, it pushes hard the sexuality topic, which is nice and sells well in today's occidental society, but it carefully skims over social topics, minding how much it delves into things that - taken with much more seriousness - could really become a political topic and a serious proposal interesting to watch. The second season has been authorized, from what it's heard down the grapewine, so yeah, can's wait to see what will be next!!

This week I've also been a little bit more... "girly", to call it somehow. I've been keeping my facial care regime, which isn't always easy, as I'd rather sleep or read rather than lock myself in the bathroom to wash my face and put on a facial, but truth to be told, once I get to do it, I kind of like it. I'm being quite careful to always do the whole clean-wash-tone-eyecream-facecream-sunblock ritual in the morning - due to which I think I'll have to start waking up even earlier than already - and then the matching clean-wash-tone-eyecream-nightcream ritual in the evening, and that can prove to be rather tiresome, but oh well. We shall see if 1. I can keep doing it, and 2. what effects may it yield in the long run. It's a tad of pampering, and my skin feels a bit better, but then again, I'm noticing a bit of oilier skin, though I suspect that's due to my CC cream. Oh dear, yes, I've a CC cream.

A CC cream is like a BB cream, only with more pigmentation. A CC cream is a moisturizing cream with a sunblocking and just a dab of color. Like a very-very light foundation you can use on its own to even out your skin tone. I'm basically using it like a sort of "trainer foundation", since I'm still not very fond of make up. Actually, the other day I put on make up to go to a forum, and the whole day I felt like I had his mask glued to my face, and I wanted nothing but to scratch it off. My coworkers commented on it, said it looked nice and very natural, bu I didn't feel comfortable in the least with it. I guess I have no practice still wih make up, and maybe I should try and practice more, but damned, it feels stiff on my face and it looks so... I don't know, weird. I guess I just don't know how to blend the color properly make the base look well, but still... Well, one day, maybe. Who knows?

Along with the make up, I've been also wearing more dresses, ad pulled out some of my shorter dresses, which I combined with my opaque thighs and legwarmers. I love legwarmers! It's absolutely not a thing here, and I haven't seen anyone else in hear wear them, and everbody around me goes "Flashdance" when they see them - and really, I don't like much being compared to Jennifer Beal - but I've been taking the chance to be feminine on my own terms. I do my best not to wear them in front of my boss, since he has this ideas about how we should look, and I guess my legwarmers go against his idea of Armani-suit-clad-money-talking-professionals, but I still try to wear them as often as I can. And that's not very often, considering that I only have three of them. Naturally, as you can guess, my next trip to Hungary will include a mandatory stop at some of my favorite stocking stores to stock up on opaque thighs and legwarmers. And of course, a couple of stops at my favorite clothing stores to get the kind of short skirts and dresses that can showcase my latest love for opaque thighs and legwarmers.

This "newfound" passion for clothes and skincare is kind of a product of the changes going in me body-wise. I'm closer to my ideal weight (the one that gives me a body-mass index of 22.5), and I'm already thinking in pushing that a little more, go for an index of 20. I'm getting more and more Narcissistic, which  love, and want to do stuff like, I don't know, be naked for as much time as possible. I'm just so pleased and so in love with my body! For over a year I've been careful of my diet, and getting some exercise, and then some daily exercise. I can't tell you that I'm hitting the gym regularly, but I've some rutines, and I try to do something more than my daily 35 minutes each morning every week, even if it happens only once a week. Today I actually found something I might be able to add to my weekly program: The "90 Minutos Powerade" or "Powerade 90 Minutes". It's a program of two 45-minute free exercise classes that's held every Sunday at the Capital city's Metropolitan Park, which is better known as La Sabana, right in front of my workplace. The first class - at least today - is a kickboxing class, which was quite demanding and I didn't like so much. The second one I liked better and it was a zumba class. I actually thought it was all about zumba, so the kickboxing came as a surprise for me, but I still did it.

I had decided to go with a friend of mine, who has been asisting for a while now, though she only goes for the zumba class.

This activity, I believe, is part of a municipal initiative - or maybe a Health Ministry - to incentivate people to be healthier. In several communities now you can find exercise machines at the parks for people to go there and exercise at no cost, and now this sort of fitness activities are also held, so that people who want to be healthy and fit don't feel constrained for economical matters. The success of the program was evident in the fact that, thought it was a cloudy day and it stared rainig at some point, the area for the program was filled to capacity and people weren't leaving even in spite of the rain.

Every week I plan to go to the gym at least two times, and end up going one or none, but with the discovery of the 90 Minutes, I think I could make sure to add a little more of fitness into my week, and so help myself reach my goal. Who knows? Maybe in a year I'll be posting pictures of my hard abs. ^_^

My Week

I don'thave a specific topic for today to talk to you about, so I'll simply go on rambling about my week. Is that ok? Well, I hope so, because that's what you are going to get.

This week I had my monthly appointment with my nutritionist, and my results were rather good. I'm not entirely trusting those numbers, since last week was hell week, and I tend to gain back some weight after hell week, ut I guess we shall see about that next month. As I stand right now, I'm only 2 kg (about 4 pounds) from my ideal weight. I'm already in the good zone, mind you, with a good body mass index and healthy percentage of fat on my frame, but he nutritionist says it's better to bring it to this ideal weight, so I can keep it easier. I've been thinking about it, and told her that once I get to this ideal weight, I'd like to consider to push it a little lower, since the hormonal change at 40 is coming close, and I'd like to have room for changes. I told her about my goal and she found it reasonable. However, we shall see how I do n getting to the ideal weight first and then we'll talk about bringing my body mass index to 20.

This month I don't have any crazy plans to adhere to. No hell weeks, no shake-days, just regular diet. And should work a little bit more on my exercise. I've been taking a little bit more seriously my beauty regime, keeping up the facial program I made for myself, and doing that annoying rutine of facial care in the morning and in at night, which has me considering rescheduling my waking hours, so maybe I can get to the office in time to get a good spot at the parking lot. Hell, it's taking me up to 20 more minutes to get ready just because I need to do my face! And I'm not even wearing make up! It's so much time. Yes,of  course there are results, like a much rested look, softer skin, more even tone, but still, I have to get used to the time it demands to do so much for your face. And well, I must admit that I like those minutes of pampering, they feel good. :-) So yes, I bitch about it now, but it's not so bad, just a matter of readjusting my schedule to fit all my new activities in.

The plan also has the advantage that it pushes me to keep up my gym appointments, since I only have two days open to go to the gym - either way, at the gym I go, you can only schedule two appointments a week - so I make my best to take them and use them. Also came recently to flirt with the idea of joining a free zumba classes at our Metropolitan Park.

To be honest, I do see the changes on my body, and I do feel them as well. I guess this is what's pushing me to do more. Hey, I gave up weight, I'm being more active, why not see if I can improve other areas as well?

Yesterday we had our second class at the Graduation Accounting Seminar, and honestly, I'm quite pleased with the teacher. This time around our team has been slacking a tad, but I'm sure we will soon pick up the pace and make things work. We had to take in another member, which our coordinator, Adry, didn't want, but we were told that we either brought up our team members to 4 or we wouldn't graduate. A team was dismembered, since they didn't have a company to work with, so I was quick to pick the one of them that seemed to be the best, a girl named Aracelly. I don't care if I came out looking rude to the other guy, we had a bad experience already in the last Seminar, so I rather pick the strongest of the lot. We met today via Skype and organized our work, decided on internal deadlines, and are now off to do our part. I'm dealing with the Methodology chapter. I picked that one, since I did it for the past Seminar and did a darn good job out of it. :-)  Personally, I consider this chapter to be stupid. I don't get why a thesis (in the end we make a thesis) must devote a chapter to explaining the research approach one uses to dothe job. Fuck, that should be selfexplanatory, doesn't it? What matters is the processing of the information, not all the academic crap about whether we are going qualitative or quantitative, exploratory or explanatory... but I'll do it, since I have those terms and stuff fresher in my head, and I'm organized enough to see the whole concept through. And I'm good at it, mind you.

I'm reading currently the last book of the Millenium trilogy, by Stieg Larsson. I liked the first book, but not so much the second. This third one is getting on my good graces. We shall see how it ends, though. Great books can be completely fucked up with a bad ending.

I'm also working on my smashbook for Carrie, which is taking quite some time. I don't get it, I was able to work on two within a year and send them to my friends, but then I can't seem to be able to finish one in over a year and a half. It's amazing. And it's not like such a big production either! Well, I do go changing layouts, and have printed out and cut out far more pictures that what I'll use at all, but still, that's not the point. The point is that it's taking me a freaking lot of time, and I'm about to ask for another deadline to get it done. Have I tackled more for this that what I can handle; Nah, I refuse to believe that. I've to complete ten more spreads, all of them already planned out, though I'm considering - again - to change some, replace them for other topics I like better currently, and then add some special stuff... if I can pull that. It's going to be cool, and I hope Carrie will like it, specially because I'm busting my ass here doing them for her.

Work is going on as usual. I'm disappointed by a lot of the stuff that's going on, and would even say that I'm heartbroken about it. It's really bad when someone you admired let's you down and shows you they are no better than the incompetent, slime, corrupt bastards you despise so much. It's tiresome to go around, looking ahead of you.

First Archery Class

First day of Archery and I love it! Got hurt with the string of the bow, and I'm actually quite proud of it :-) The trainer said it was a "rite of initiation", but then it happened because I wasn't wearing an arm protector. Most of the people in the class was quite an expert, and only another guy and I were beginers, though the guy had some experience - real experience - with the bow and arrow. Next week we'll have the last lesson of the year - I wasn't aware of that, but sure as hell, I'm going. ^_^

Getting to the Archery camp wasn't easy, specially because someone mislead me about how to get there. Well, plenty of people was misleading about how to find the archery camp within the Sport Facility of the UCR, but in order to get to the Sport Facility I wasn't sure about a certain street, or more like an exit of a rotary. It was the key exit to go to the city part where the Sport Facility was located. I knew the old exit was closed, so I had asked this friend about how to get there. She insisted the exit was open. I don't go there often, so there was a chance I remembered wrong, or I hadn't paid attention. However, I wasn't wrong, despite of this friend saying she had used the exit not a week ago. Then again, there's nothing asking around can't fix, so I asked a cab driver and quickly found the right path.

I've conquered Sabanilla!

Now I must practice and work towards conquering Archery. ^_^

Lessons to Learn from the Indiannapolis Colts

A friend of mine said I'm a "black cat", because whenever I pick a football team to cheer, it is most certain to lose. Well, if you follow the NFL, you probably think that's true, as my favorite team - the Indiannapolis Colts - haven't won a single game since the start of the season. That's freaking unlucky, right? I'm already getting to the point when I rather not watch any game of my team, but watch other games and other teams play.

From the start, over and over the problem seemed to be the same: the teams Quarterback, Peyton Manning got injured and had to be operated several times, leaving him out of the game. This seemed to mark the team from the start of the season, connecting lost game after lost game. I remember I got to like the Colts because they were an aggressive team, that played always to win to to lose by the minimal difference. However this season, without Manning and lead by Curtis Painter, they have been playing like they would rather be doing something else. They step on the field as if thinking "Manning isn't with us, so we are going to lose anyway". They don't run what's need to be ran when chasing a player with the ball, they don't muscle up enough to stop the offensive, won't try enough to intercept... Last time the QB wasn't even paying attentiong at the begining of the game and didn't catch the ball when it was passed to him. What the fuck?

Then slowly I realized: these guys actually laid all the job and all their hopes on Manning. The current QB isn't prepared, wasn't prepared but isn't even trying to assume his role - because that's Peyton's job, and the rest of the team instead of actively trying to group up and make the game work, just hang around like a band of sorry assed livestock. Now sure, we could stone the Colts for being such bitches, but shall we?

Actually what we see happening with the Colts isn't something unknown to others. As it happens, in many groups and even in the individuals themselves there is a bad tendency to lay all the job and all the hopes on one skill or only on the one team member that can do the job. Often bosses and coworkers automatically give the projects to that one person who knows how to do the job. Of course, you want a job well done, and it's better if the one who knows how to do it does it, but in a team of many people, why the others don't try and work to get the skill needed to do it themselves too? In the family also people tend to leave certain tasks or certain chores or certain duties to one of them, and all the others just don't do it, nor try to learn how to do it.

As individuals, how many of us, for instance, put all our effort to develop one skill or bet everything on one skill. Women who put their entire future on their looks, guys who put their entire life on money, people who put all their hopes on their acquintances, on getting what they want through connections or anything as fleeting. Maybe something more broad, like focusing your entire life on your career, or your family or one hobby, or a political party... you name it. The thing is that when you put all your eggs in one basket - so to say - either because you depend on your partner to cook for you or fix the plumbing, or you relay on your coworker to take care of the maths of the project, or do the paperwork to get it going - despite that being their strong point, you are exposing yourself, or your team to a Colts-case. What if that coworker leaves the team? What if your partner and you break up or they die or get very ill? What if you lose your looks, lose your money, your connections and friends won't help you anymore or can't do so? What if something happens and you can't continue with your career, if your family decides that they want to do their own life or your hobby stops being interesting?

Well, of you centered all your life on that one skill, that one thing, that one interest, that one Peyton Manning in your life, when you lose it, you become a Colts team lead by a mediocre Curtis Painter. It becomes evident that your team can't even tie their own shoelaces, so their reputation at work will fall dramatically, the family that depends on one person to do something suddenly will be at loss and chaos will break, and the person... well, the person will feel like there's no way on Earth they can go on. It happens. Like a car from which you've ripped off the motor: just a pile of scraps.

Now, unlike in the stupid motivational tale of the Cow, where the lesson was "kill your Peyton Manning and raise new ones", I would say, you shouldn't have to separate yourself from your Peyton Manning, but while you have it, train all your other skills, prepare yourself to the eventual moment when your Manning gets pulled away of your game, be ir for a time or forever.

My team is now a load of crap, but at least they can teach us all a lesson: prepare yourself and prepare your team for the time when your best feature, your best element falls out of the game. Prepare yourself, your team , your skills, as a well working, cohesive group, where the sudden lack of one skill, one member doesn't bring down the whole.

Stories in Cellulose

First of all, hurray! Go Colts! Yesterday's game was exciting to say the least, and though it was disappointing and really stupid to watch Peyton Manning so evidently doubt his game and his strategy and change it haphazardly - was that like looking at a rookie or what? - some of the interceptions and catches were simply WOW. It was a suffered 27 to 24, where the Redskins gave a worthy fight, matc hing touchdown to touchdown.

After having finished "The Brothers Bishop" book, I'm left with "Moll Flanders" as only read right now. I decided to stick to one book, as usual, instead of the two simultaneous ones, mainly because this novel by Daniel Defoe requires somewhat more concentration due to the language it uses, and it's written in a more fluid, united way. Separation from the pages for too long may get you to lose the thread of the story. It is tempting, though, to tackle another book, particularly now when so many interesting books are piling around me. It's like being in a cakeshop surrounded by the most succulent pies and cakes you can think of. Key lime pie, cherry cheesecake, Black Forest, cherry pie... In this case, witchcraft, angels, noir crime, conspirancy, secrets to be unveiled. It's not as easy as pies and cakes, though, because once you start these books, you don't want to put them down until you've finished them.

A lot of people, nowadays, don't like to read. They find it boring, something that requieres a very big effort, or a sort of imposition. The thicker the book, the bigger the task. Then again, if you think of reading as a task, then you shouldn't do it, or you'll ruin many good stories for yourself. Reading then, requieres something that's less and less common in today's world: concentration. For instance, take a moment to look at your Internet window. How many pages do you have on? And how often do you check them? See what I mean?

Books have many, many advantages over other means of entertainment. For instance, you can read them whenever you want, and as long as you want. You don't have to wait for next week or next season to know what happened (unless you are reading sequence books). You don't need electrical power to enjoy them (unless you subscribe to e-books), they are portable, so you don't have to wait to get to a given place to enjoy them, but you can carry them in your pocket or your bag and pull them out any time. Then, there are so many books around, so many stories, so many genres, so many plots... it's a source you can tap forever!

Recently I discovered that the new owner of Doc Brown's is an avid reader, and we started swapping titles between each other. Thus, books can pull you closer to new friends. Books, are something that remain quite unchanged through the centuries, and so, if it has been effective all these many years, why would it stop now?

Books are awesome. Perhaps you should try them out too. And if you know them and enjoy them, what are you waiting for? Spread the good word!

I'm Lovin' This Game

New York Jets vs Baltimore Ravens. The game has been fun, specially as the 4th quarter closes up and the adrenaline pumps up hard just like the muscle and the bone. There's not a minute of boredom, as the teams push each other through the yards looking for the touchdown.

I thought I wouldn't like it since I'm more into Rugby, but the game is awesome. It's still strange see so many players who are rather big instead of slim anf fit, but American Football does find a position for everybody, not only the sport and fit kind.

The game was an interesting match, led by Baltimore since the first moment, and up to the end of the second quarter it made me think that New York was a bag of pussies. The Knicks suck, and it seemed so did the Jets. Well, the Jets actually took the pre season to test their new quarterback, Mark Sanchez. I wouldn't say he did well, but then again, the whole Jets was bad. However, after Flacco left the game, the Ravens remained pretty orphaned, and pretty much relayed on the shabbiness of the Jets to keep up the score. However, the Jets tightened up and got quite close. 23 to 24. It wasn't so bad. Now I'm waiting for the next game. Next Monday Vikings vs Texans.

I'm loving this game!

France 12 - Argentina 6

No, the RUGBY, glorious game invented by Hyne-knows-who-but-they-sure-knew-about-fun, is not for the faint-hearted, delicate spectator. If a bit of rough interaction, some smacking, some full body contact makes you sick, and think "it's not a civilized, fair game", go over with the delicate and watch/play American Football. Sorry, but that's the truth.

Saturday the match was something between streetfighting and actually trying to score (points? other players? Isn't the same?). So, it was regular Rugby. The Argentinian Pumas played aginst my beloved France Bleus. They were all hot looking (well, maybe all except the King of the Gauls, M. Chabal), but in the first time, the Argentinians looked positively... "bloody". Bloodied faces and shirts, split eyebrows, cut cheekbones... Maybe they should consider a darker coloured uniform. This time around, there were no pulling-down-pants, but there were many, many foreheads rubbing the dirt and scrum after scrum, many players came out injured. The score stands as proof of the fight that went on. 12 to 6. It's minimal.

Well, yes, that was a matter of kick-each other-into-the ground. It wasn't about the points, it was about setting sore spots and balancing other scorecards.

In any other game, the referee would have sent them home with red cards, but in this game there was only an advise when two players were going to fall onto each other's throat.

"Keep the discipline of the game, okay?"

Like in waterpolo, it might look nice and clean on the surface, but you never know where hands and fists are reaching and pummeling in those tight, all legs, arms and asses scrums.

There was blood, sweat and a whole lot of body contact in this game. Let's see what will we have next week.