Glamrock for the soul

My iPod's been with me for... Oh, I don't know, 6 years give or take. Its a 3rd gen 30g iPod video, which to my honest, albeit little, opinion, is the best iPod in the world.

It holds God-knows-(and likely iTunes) how many songs, everything from the Beach Boys to Vanessa Hudgens (yes, I have a couple of her songs...so sue me). Its got a few movies, too but that's for a different post.

Going back to the songs, by far my most played list is my Glamrock Rules album. Its a made-up album of mine where I compiled my favorite late 80s songs from the big haired, wild make-up days of rock and roll. I have songs from REO Speedwagon, Heart, Roxette, Def Lepard, Harem Scarem, Mr. Big, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith....the works, I tell you!

Something about these songs just ease my restlessness and calm my nerves. The bad day's stress somehow melts away as I listen to Bad English sing the lines "when I see you smile, I can face the world. You know I can do anything..." *sigh* Can't you feel the love?

I think Glamrock calms my soul because its the music I associate most with childhood. I don't know who taught me to listen to these songs...likely the radio, particularly 96.3 WRock because that's the staple FM station in our cars back in the day... I just know its not my mom and dad...their taste is, naturally, older and more eclectic.

What I love about technology though, is how its enabled me to build my own playlist with these songs I find most comfort in, for me to just turn on and play whenever I need the reboot. My iPod may by old but it still does what its meant to do.

THE HIDDEN JOB MARKET

Here's an interesting article I saw on LinkedIn. It basically says that employers and employees should tap into their (social) networks to get/fill in jobs, that there is a hidden job market available thru asking around and its much broader and more reliable than the public job market listing found online or in print.

Hidden job market eh? Sounds interesting. Too bad I'm not much of a social butterfly, on- and offline. But desperate times call for desperate measures and these just may be the days to peddle my self-worth out on the streets to shape up and ship out of here.

If you, dear friend how has not heard from me in a million years, suddenly get a text or a call... that's me exploring the hidden job market. :)

You've been forewarned.

As we wait in joyful hope...

A wise priest reminded me once that patience, waiting, breathing, anticipation... Areanot bad.

Taking time and being open to the next big thing is something worthwhile, worth doing. Kind of glad to be reminded of this today, of all days. Today when choices and changes have to be made and life directions may sway one way or another.

Glad to have known a brilliantly kind, gentle and patient mind such as Fr. Lenny.

Father, I wrote this pohttp://www.insightsfromthemovies.blogspot.com/2010/07/as-we-wait-in-joyful-hope.htmlst on your sermon almost 3 years ago. Words still as true as they were then as they are now.

Rest in peace.

Coming back to Baking

Whenever I'm stressed or high strung or just plain sad, I find myself heading out to our kitchen. I cook, or at least help our yaya cook. I was the dishes or rearrange the pantry. But more often than not, I bake.

Baking has become my therapy the past few months. Coming home to the kitchen and surrounding myself amidst the soothing aroma of flour in eggs and butter have always calmed my angry nerves. The past few weekends have been busy though, leaving no time for frou frou baking. Til now.

I'm happy to report that I've made two baked goodies this afternoon, in preparation for the long night of waiting for a dear friend to cross her 42-kilometer marker (Yey Palawan Budz!!!!). But before I get into the specifics of what I made, here's a quick rundown of my baking essentials:

Sucker for magic numbers

We're calling this race "21 at 31."

This is it, kids. I'm getting back on that running horse, by hook or by crook.

With numbers like that, who wouldn't be inspired.

Sorry, really mababaw like that when it comes to running.

WOOHOO! Let's go do this!

10Xer and the fight against mediocrity

I'm reminded of a concept in Jim Collins' Great By Choice today.

My google search for 10Xers led me to this article, with an excellent closing statement:

On the one hand, 10Xers understand that they face continuous uncertainty and that they cannot control, and cannot accurately predict, significant aspects of the world around them. On the other hand, 10Xers reject the idea that forces outside their control or chance events will determine their results; they accept full responsibility for their own fate.

(Source: www.27gen.com)

Inspired, I search for Jim Collins on Twitter. Although I don't find his account (he may not be socially connected here as he's busy touring the world to research content for upcoming great works) I find quote after wise quote:

The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change but rather, a chronic inconsistency.

(As tweeted by @MaryIrungu)

Its these little bits of learning that get me thru the daily grind. And become a fount of inspiration for the passionpreneur in me.

Temporary Bio

This was my bio on twitter yesterday...

"Not-yet-master baker. Online shopper. Theater dreamer. Introvert at heart. Extrovert for the job. Kinda dumb and comes with anger issues."

Me, in 160 characters (spaces included) or less.

It was the first time I'd put something under bio on that social medium, seriously, since I started tweeting ... last ... Jan 2012 (apparently not too long ago!). Not sure exactly what compelled me to put it in there but it felt like this sudden need to be able to identify myself.

I deleted it three hours later.

I realized putting myself in a box that way limits me. Yes, true that I am getting a groove on baking, but it's not the only thing I do in the kitchen. I make awesome pastas and entrees, too. Yes, true that I just bought a ton of stuff online, but that mostly because 1) lately I haven't been to the mall, and 2) browsing thru pretty and nifty kitchenware takes away my stress. Its the same as any other homemaker who calms down whenever she nears pots and pans in the department store. Yes, true I've always dreamed of being part of a theater production, as either a chorus member or a stagehand but it's been relegated to the backburner, revived only recently (as in, yesterday) by an ad for Miss Saigon auditions within the month.

But there is much more to me than these. These statements may represent me now, or over the weekend, or for a quarter or two but it doesn't seem right to limit me to these. I sing, I work too much, I'm obsessed with cable TV, I apparently like to decorate things, I enjoy writing the senseless ramblings of my brain, I used to run, I have never eaten dinuguan, ever, etc etc etc.

To be asked to describe yourself in 160 characters or less is insane.