My Empire State of Mind [Updated]

I'm coming back, New York!

Me, freezing in Times Square, December 2011

That Lady Liberty, December 2011

The first (and last) time I was there, J and I only had one day to do sightseeing. ONE DAY.  That's definitely not enough to see one of the cities I've always dreamed of visiting one day.  Thank you, J, for letting me tag along on your one-week business trip, so I can continue my adventure!
Here's a list I came up with just now of things I want to do while I am there.  It would be nice if I could do all of them with J, but let's face it, he brings home the bacon, and to be able to do that, he needs to work.  So I will have to get used to going places on my own.  New York is the most exciting place to practice! (And in case I chicken out, I know I have a handful of friends there who are willing to accompany me on some of these goals. :P)
- Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
- Tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Visit the Guggenheim Museum
- Visit the Museum of Natural History
- Check out Rockefeller Center
- Visit Chinatown
- Get on top of Empire State Building
- Spend an afternoon at Central Park
- Catch a Broadway show
- Check out the Grand Central Terminal
- Check out the Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum
- Get a cupcake (or 5) at Magnolia Bakery
- Drink a Manhattan cocktail in Manhattan
- Eat a New York Strip Steak in New York
- Ride the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island
- See the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island
- Take a walk through the New York Botanical Garden
[Updated]
- Eat an eclair from Boucon
- Have a Junior's Cheesecake
- Have breakfast at Tom's Restaurant

That's what I have so far. Anything else I may have forgotten to include that you think I should do while I am there?  I am still figuring out how to do all these as cheaply as possible, so any help is definitely welcome. :)

This time, I'll get to the top.

I knew there was a reason I felt compelled to listen to the DMB station on Spotify today.

Nothing else has been playing all day.  I AM SO EXCITED!!!

How To Snap Out Of A Writing Hiatus

For someone who claims writing is her passion, I sure have not been doing what makes me happy.  Add making art and doodling to the list of things I would rather do than sit and zone out in front of a laptop.  This stops NOW.  And I hope I don't back out of yet another attempt to jumpstart the juices from flowing.

I will write.  I will make art.  And I have just the stuff to make everything feel like a fun exercise I will not be able to resist.  I have a tool box containing a slew of art supplies, which includes a couple of colored Sharpies and colored pencils.  I have a brand-new sketchbook that's been sitting in my bookshelf for months, dying for me to use it.  I also got this book.

I was in a nearby Barnes & Noble with my husband, browsing at art books, and this caught my attention.  I had a previous doodling project that started out as a daily effort, but gradually, like most of the art projects I've been coming up with these days, it became occasional to non-existent.

It's not that I don't have the discipline.  I just realized why I keep stopping in my tracks with these projects: I have no visible goal to target.  I have no reason to push myself to get off my ass and go write/create something.

Now I do.  My application for a work permit in the U.S. is currently being processed, and I am determined to land a job that's at least related to what I love (writing) or what I went to college for (Multimedia Arts).  I will make it my mission to build up my portfolio and make sure that my work speaks for itself.

The idea of being stuck in a job that I don't enjoy.  That's a thought scary enough to will me out of my writing rut!

Oh, right. I have a blog!

I'll be honest—blogging daily is a tall order, and it only seemed like a doable goal because I was energized at the beginning of the year, blah blah blah.  I really do want to blog everyday, but unfortunately, there won't be much to blog about, if you consider my day-to-day activities (you'll see what I mean in a sec).  The blog name change (from A Daily Dose of Jam) is supposed to both help manage expectations and guilt me into getting back into my passion—writing about stuff that inspire me, sharing interesting ideas, making up stories.  One of these days, when I've got no distractions, I swear I will.


So what have I been up to lately?  Well, with my husband in Australia on business for two weeks, I've been focusing on not focusing on the fact that I am alone for two weeks...did that make sense?  I actually have a bunch of stuff I can do.  I recently bought a guitar in the hopes that I can get myself to self-study again, and I just got my friend to tune it properly (ignore the fact that I couldn't do it on my own for now).  I have a bunch of materials at hand I can transform into art, for our bare apartment walls.  I have a bunch of shows to catch up on, waiting to be marathoned (Downton Abbey, Happy Endings, 30 Rock, Doctor Who, Chuck) and a couple of movies I've been dying to see on my own (yeah, like I can get my guy to watch Love and Other Drugs, The Help [he might actually like this], and Blue Valentine).  So really, I have no reason to be bored and sad.  However, because the 40-inch TV we ordered online just recently arrived, I've been focusing more on the shows and the movies I've got lined up...which all look so badass magnified!  I've been enjoying it non-stop for almost 5 days now...my eyes are actually starting to hurt.  I should really take a break from the watching and do some of the other stuff I vowed I would do.


To try and give me something a great reason to get out of the house and learn how to commute by myself without being terrified, I signed up for pole fitness lessons.  I actually have not heard back from them regarding my intention to reserve a slot for a class that starts next week, but if I ever get my slot, this would definitely be something to look forward to every week!


Speaking of things to look forward to, I have to end this post for now.  It's 2:08AM, I'm a bit groggy and I have George R.R. Martin's A Storm of Swords waiting for me on my bedside table.  Today was spent migrating 7-8 years worth of emails from one account to another...the OC-ness provoked by this exercise is exhausting!

The Fairy Tale Is Coming To Life! (Part 1 Of Many)

Today J and I got our marriage license.

(.....in my head, I am screaming and jumping for joy!)

The moment the clerk asked us both to raise our right hands and swear that all our information was true, it suddenly hit me...shit, this is really happening.  To me.  To us.  

And I've never been happier or more excited.

At this time, 2 years ago, I didn't even know what I wanted from a man, and I was definitely settling for something that wasn't worth it.  Now, I'm more sure than ever.

Becoming Mrs. JK is definitely a dream come true. ♥

Operation Get Back Into Running Shape Is Under Way!

We went back home to San Jose from Pennsylvania with a suitcase full of Jason’s books about running he accumulated over the years with the intent of using them.



So over the weekend, we prepared our training plan together, based on the book Daniels’ Running Formula by Jack Daniels, PhD, pegged as the World’s Best Running Coach by Runner’s World Magazine.  We even bought this whiteboard calendar to document what we need to do on what day.  Since I’m basically starting from scratch and I wanted to take it slow and easy until my right knee becomes accustomed to hard work, J tweaked my plan a bit.

For Week 1, I’m supposed to run every other day (3 days total), starting with this scheme (other days I can do whatever workout I wanted to do):
5 minute brisk walk
10 rounds of 1 minute easy run followed by 1 minute brisk walk
5 minute brisk walk
Total: 30 minutes

The idea is to get used to running again at a gradual pace and to rebuild my leg strength.  The whole program for the next 12-16 weeks is just to get myself built up to the point where I can move to the next phase and take on a harder program.

Today, at 8AM, I went out for my first run on the new training plan.  It was really cold, and I thought my new long sleeved running shirt would be enough to keep me warm…but I was freezing!  After 10 seconds of debating with myself on whether or not I should go back for a jacket, I just decided to press on and suck it up. 1. If I go back inside, I will most certainly make room for more excuses not to go back outside, and 2. The cold will make me do my rounds faster.

Tip for the first-time runner: Once you’re outside, don’t go back in.  It’s better to go for a run in the morning when your mind is still free from worries that will stop you from exercising.  Execution is better than excuses.

This was also the first time I am going for a run without music in my ears.  J thinks listening to music while running takes away from the experience, which he sees as a meditative practice.  I thought about why I listened to music when I ran in the first place: I wanted to distract myself from the exercise, from the expected aches and pains.  Distraction—that’s my problem.  I should change the way I see running as just a tedious workout to something that will help clear my head from garbage and allow me to attain better health. 

J also made me realize that in a race, it’s actually dangerous to listen to music through earphones because you won’t hear when people are passing you, you won’t hear when sudden traffic approaches.  He also told me that the races he planned for us to join will probably not allow earphones anyway (the upcoming major one he wanted me to do was a 10K trail run, which can be a bit harder than a regular run).

So for today, I left my shuffle at home and strapped on my stopwatch instead.  It was actually surprising how different the experience was without my usual walk playlist playing in my ears.  I was able to listen to my breathing and my steps, I was able to get into a rhythm that didn’t exhaust me too quickly. The stopwatch also helped a lot.  It broke up the run into short minutes and made the run quite easy—the 1 minute runs felt achievable and the 1 minute walks made me excited to get to the next run minute again.

Tip for the first-time runner: Don’t be intimidated by the amount of road you need to cover and the time it will take to do it—taking it one minute at a time will make your run easier and will make your progress to the next level quicker.

When I got back to the apartment, I felt good.  Hell, I felt great.  I felt like I could go on for a bit longer, but I knew my goal for the day was done.  I have lots of time in the future for longer runs—I should enjoy this pace while it’s still easy.

And yeah, it felt great to log in my workout on MyFitnessPal right before I logged my breakfast in.  For my weight goals (dropping to 100 pounds and maintaining it), I am allowed 1310 calories a day, and the run I just did put me in the negative!  I used to think calorie counting was such a chore, but after doing it for a couple of weeks, I saw its use and benefits.

Tip for the first-time calorie counter: It’s only difficult at first, but it gets easier the more you do it.  And it’s worth it—you will be able to moderate your out-of-control snacking habits and you will get more used to eating healthier, low-cal meals.

Quick (But Long) Life Update

Since the holidays are over, I have absolutely no reason to not get off my ass and fulfill my daily goals.  More importantly, I need to get back into writing shape in the hopes of turning it into a lucrative career someday.

So, updates….updates…

Well, I haven’t been exercising.  In my head, I’m running like the wind, light as a feather.  In reality, I’m hesitant to go out of the house and go for a brisk walk.  Why?  One time, J asked me what my reason was for wanting to run.  I thought about it and said, “I just want to be the runner I once was.”  He thought that wasn’t reason enough, that it wasn’t powerful enough to will me out of the house and hit the trail and actually do it.

Truth is, I just want to be healthy.  I want to be able to jog for long periods of time and not get winded after only a couple of minutes.  I want my damn right knee to stop aching every time I try to exert any effort to exercise.  I want all the gunk in my system to be flushed out, leaving only the essential stuff my body needs to get through the day.  And yes, I want to be able to do a 5K fun run, and eventually a half marathon, and savor the great feeling of being able to just do it and finish.

Solution to Daily Goal Related to Fitness: Get enough sleep.  Plan a training schedule and stick to it.  Continue counting calories.  I find that my biggest obstacle are my thoughts upon waking up. It’s too cold.  I’m sore from sitting all day long.  I’ll run after lunch.  I’ll run after I work.  I’ll just work out indoors.  It’s too late to work out.  Once I fix a running regimen and meal plan with J’s help, I’ll work on changing my morning thoughts, quickly dress up, and just go out.  I’m in the U.S.  Compared to what I’m used to in the Philippines, it will always be cold here.  Suck it up and go for it!

Lately, all my online time has been monopolized by Facebook and Twitter (and I have a reason, which I will get into later).  I have not been reading random Wikipedia pages for knowledge as planned.  I have not been cruising the nets for inspiration.  I haven’t been blogging (obviously).  I was able to catch up on my Google Reader feed (which is chock full of photos, comics, recipes, and interior design) yesterday, so that’s progress.  I was also able to catch up on some of my shows, but I haven’t written anything about what I thought of them.  Lately I’ve been raving about Mraz’s new single and how it’s my new anthem for the year and all that…that, I have written about in passing, but I really should exercise my writing chops and go deeper.  Will get into that later today.

Solution to Other Daily Goals: I really should start scheduling my days, for real this time.  Being at home 24/7 can be really challenging in terms of productivity.  It’s so easy to get sucked into a 45-minute show, and then another, and yet another.  It’s so easy to do things at the last minute because you think, I have all the time in the world, and before you know it, you’re cramming so your weekend won’t suck.

I have a love for visual lists, so I’m going to start doing them on a daily basis.  Even if I have 1500+ friends on Facebook, it doesn’t mean I need to be updated on each and every one of them.  I’ve recently grouped my contacts into lists, and that allows me to focus on the updates from people that actually mean something to me.  I need to update my Google Reader and add more stuff to it that doesn’t only involve pictures.  I need to set aside an hour a day at least to write whatever comes to mine, even if it’s not-so-important.  While we’re on the subject of exercising my writing talents, I also need to get back to my art.  Doodle even if you think it’s not good enough to post online.  Doodle for you.


In other news…this is what’s been keeping my brain and heart preoccupied:

That’s it for now.  This is Jam, full of life and full of love, signing off.

On Feeling Good And Wow-worthy About One’s Gift

I don’t know what led me to do a Google search on my name—it seems like such a douchey thing to do.

A while ago, I was deciding on whether or not I should spend today trying to update my personal website, maybe collate some of my old works and put it up there for the world to see.  In between deciding to post a resort review I wrote for a magazine recently and finding out a way of creating a slideshow video of photos J took that I don’t want stolen, I got on Google and searched for my name to see if that particular review has already been posted somewhere by mentioned magazine.

Instead I found an old Xanga blog entry someone wrote wherein she copied an old interview I did (and credited me, praise you).  And let me tell you: I am one of those writers who secretly put in things into their work that are distinctly them—I once was able to prove that a classmate in high school photocopied my entire book report and tried to pass it off as his own because I mentioned a line that I knew nobody else in my class would ever think of using to describe the story’s setting—and it is thanks to that attention to detail that I was able to prove that this person either got my article from me or the people I had interviewed.  Back when I wrote it, online publications weren’t the in thing yet and the only proof I had of it ever being published was the magazine itself.

Anyway, that’s not what prompted me to type this entry.  What made me grin like a buffoon was a lone comment left on that blog entry that simply said “Wow.”  That’s it.  Three letters that summarize someone’s amazement at how well I was able to put strings of words together to make it seem like the reader was right there with me when I conducted the interview.  Three letters that made me want to get off my ass and back into writing about stuff I am passionate about.  Three letters that encapsulate my feeling about the timeliness of this discovery—I’ve been needing a morale boost, and I certainly got it.

Now I am even more motivated to do whatever I can to deserve that ovation.

Daily Goals

Here is a list I came up with just now and put on as my desktop wallpaper.  It is a list of things I need to do on a daily basis to gain control of my own inhibitions and insecurities and unleash the incredible, colorful, life monster inside me.

• Exercise.  Get that flat stomach I've always wanted.  No, "huge pusons run in my family" is not a valid excuse.
• Read a random Wikipedia page.  Knowledge is power.
• Listen to a Jason Mraz song and post about it on your other blog.  I know, too many blogs.  So what? :P
• Spend an hour on Google Reader.  Don't let the unread entries pile up to a thousand.
• Share a link or two...or five.  Prove that I am a social networking butterfly.
• Watch your favorite shows and write something about them.  Have something to show for the hours I spend torrenting and watching dramas and comedies.
• Visit websites for inspiration.  Don't be satisfied with an afternoon of just watching shows.  
• Doodle something.  It doesn't have to be spectacular or digitally rendered.  Move those fingers.  Use my Sharpies and prove that it was a good idea to bring them with me.
• Blog whatever's in my mind at the moment.  Don't think about my audience.  Do it for me.

That's it for now.