Mumblings

The school holidays are almost over and that means it's time for the boys to start their Sunday school classes again. That means waking up early on Sundays to get them ready for church and then waiting nearly 1 1/2 hours for them to finish their classes... sigh.

But what to do, being a 'responsible' parent one has to educate the young ones especially when it comes to religion. We wouldn't want our kids to grow up not having any beliefs at all, ya. Not that I'm expecting my boys to become priests but if it's their calling, then that's what they'll be!

It can be can be such a bore waiting for them. Sometimes the classes drag on even longer than the scheduled time and at times like these I really wish I had a laptop or even a Blackberry with me to pass the time. I could probably log on to a Catholic Chat Room and chat with other mothers waiting f0r their kids to finish Sunday school too... hehehe
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I would normally feel bittersweet on the last day of the year, reflecting past happenings... some things I wish I did differently but they said what's done is done and cannot be undone. We learn from our mistakes and move on. I could cry and cry but it's not going to solve anything, just a waste of energy and my precious air mata :)

I'm an emotional person by nature, I let myself get absorbed with minor things and get affected so much that I'm unable to see things in perspective. 2008 has been a year full of trials and I have realized one thing... to be happy, I must make myself happy first and not worry about what other people think of me. I have always told myself to be selfish once in a while but it's hard to break the shell when all my life I've been taught to think about other people first. But don't get me wrong, I'm not out to make enemies ya :)

Being patient has its merits but not to an extent that it ruins your inner self, eats you up inside and hurts you to the core of your heart. So, in 2009, I don't give a damn anymore! Muahahaha... Hey, they did say it's survival of the fittest ya.

For my last post for 2008, I'm ending it with a tag by Yoon See. I still have pending tags but they can wait... I have the whole of 2009 to do them ;)

Happy New Year 2009 everyone!

1. The age you'll be on your next birthday ~ 37 years young... :)
2. Place you want to travel to ~ New Zealand, Austria, Scotland
3. Your favorite place ~ Bookstores and Flea markets
   
4. Your favorite food ~ Nasi Lemak and cupcakes
5. Your favorite pet ~ I don't have any pets :(
6. Favorite color combination ~ Black and brown
7. Favorite piece of clothings ~ T-Shirt and Jeans
8. Your all time favorite song ~That's What Friends Are For
   
9. Favorite TV shows ~ Asian Food Channel, Reality shows, My Wife & Kids, Doc Martin, Midsomer Murders
10. First name of your significant other/crush ~ :)
    
11. Which town do you live in ~ Subang Jaya
12. Your screen name/nickname ~ Nessa
13. Your first job ~ Audit Assistant
14. Your dream job ~ A stress-free job!
15. One bad habit that you have ~ I have a monster in me
16. Worst fear ~ Illness
17. Thing you'd like to do before you die ~ To see my sons be independent and be successful in life
18. The 1st thing you'll buy if you get $1,000,000 ~ A nice cottage style house in the country side

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It's a nice cool cloudy morning and I kinda slept in a little. I don't normally sleep in so late but the boys and I stayed up real late last night watching Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End and it ended way into 12.45 am. We've been waiting all week to catch that movie with the youngest boy having marked in down on the calendar nearly two weeks in advance.

The boys, well the younger fellow really has this habit of keeping track of all the nice movies we haven't watched and marks them on the calendar so we won't miss it. And most of these movies that we watch always airs on Sunday nights and they do last till pretty late. We've unofficially made Sunday nights our movie night. I say unofficially because they don't always show good movies.

The kind of movies we normally catch are mostly comedies, thrillers or those 3D animated kind, the likes of Madagascar, Shrek, Surf's up, etc ... The kids get a blast laughing their heads off and to be honest, so do I ... I mean, how can you not laugh with lines like 'Just smile and wave, boys, smile and wave' from those rascally penguins or even that catchy 'I like to move it, move it' song from Madagascar... LOL!

Anyway it's not always comedies and thrillers for us, once in a while we do catch movies like All Roads Lead Home The Movie. The boys don't really like movies like these when it does come out over here, I'm going to force them to sit through it cos I watched the trailer and it seems pretty cool. Sometimes it's good to watch movies that provide important message like this one. Do check out the trailer below and you'll see what I mean.

With that said and done, I wonder what's the next movie the boys have marked on the calendar for next Sunday. I hope it's something as good and funny as watching Captain Jack Sparrow last night. He was a hoot to watch :D

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I've been so lazy to update my blog ever since Christmas... every part of me just wants to laze and laze and laze... sighh... I guess that's what happens when you're in a holiday mood. I hope once the new school session starts, I'll be ready to blog like crazy again! LOL!

Just before Christmas, on the 24th to be specific, I received a lovely surprise from Emila. She specially made me an apron with a lovely illustration of Nessa with a snowman and her very own personalized Christmas card. Not only that, she also sent me some used stamps seeing as how I collect stamps too. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart Emila. You are an amazing person! ((Hugs))

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A few days ago I came across this article about the government's plan to ban 'tortoise' helmets and I had to actually do a double take. I know our government seems to just love banning stuffs lately but I have never heard of a tortoise helmet before! Really, I haven't!

The first thing that came to mind was a tortoise wearing a helmet, next image was a person wearing a tortoise-shaped helmet. Imagine a man with a picture of a tortoise on his head... LOL! That would be quite a sight indeed :) I was really intrigued so I actually read the whole article and found out that a tortoise helmet is named as such because it resembles the shell of a tortoise. Sort of like half a helmet.

I suppose those of you who frequent those Free Biker Chat rooms, the chat rooms specifically for bikers looking for your perfect biking partner, would definitely know what a tortoise helmet is and would probably be shaking their heads in disbelief at me :)

Well, all you people out there with tortoise helmets, you poor guys are going to have to buy new ones real soon once the road transport people start cracking down on you guys with that tortoise helmet (which really isn't a 'real' helmet in the first place anyway). But then, I suppose with the way our enforcement works, you'll probably still see a lot of that tortoise helmets still being used.

And by the way, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone. Be safe on the roads ya!
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Now, this is what I need after a long day of frenzied shopping : A spare pair of legs!!

Product description:

Reduces the load of your legs by supporting your weight as you walk. Sit on the unicycle-type seat, leg frames bend just like your knees. The robotic legs (designed by Honda) run on two motors controlled by signals from the sensors inside the shoes.

Looks pretty weird and I'm sure you'll get a lot of stares while wearing them. It does remind me of those Stormtroopers from Star Wars. Now I can go shopping for ages and don't have to worry about achy legs at the end of the day... LOL!

Source: Revoo.com
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I can't feel my legs!!! Really, I think I need a new pair of legs!!!

That pretty much sums up my day today... last minute Christmas shopping from 9.30am till 3.30pm, that's 6 hours of shopping frenzy. I'm beat, totally!

I braced the mad rush of last minute Christmas shopping with two boys (fighting most of the time) tailing me. Both were fighting each other off to push the trolley! *rolls eyes* In fact, most of the kids were either fighting with their siblings or parents for the trolley. I wonder what's so special about trolleys... but then I already expected the more-than-normal sea of people with Christmas just a few days away and every parents buying back-to-school stuff for their school going children.

Fortunately for me, I managed to find what I was looking for. Thanks Kadus Mama for your suggestion, which was exactly what I bought! :D Of course there were so many types to choose from that it took me quite a while to make my decision. And I thought it's easy finding the right gift for toddlers! I was amazed with the array of toys, some I wouldn't even mind having for myself like the toy vacuum cleaner and microwave oven, they almost looked like the real thing!

I think buying gifts for adults is so much easier. Those who have a passion for reading, Nonfiction Audio Books are the perfect gift. If you're wondering where to find these types of books, just head to Music-Clubs.com and you'll find an array of books ranging from parenting, business management to classical literature. It is a website catered for those who prefer information through listening. There are other genres as well besides the non-fiction stuffs such as classic, fiction, thrillers, comedy, romance, fantasy, drama and poetry.

Audio books are also just perfect if you're really lazy to actually 'read' a book. Think of it as the old days when they had story telling programs over the radio. Just lie back in bed, with the lights set way down low and just listen to the story being told and be transferred to another reality...

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I'm having problems with my recent comments widget. I'm so not used to not having it, not knowing what/which post has a new comment is so frustrating. I removed the widget since it wasn't showing the latest comment. I wonder if this is an isolated problem or if it's affecting a few bloggers... All you tech gurus out there, HELP ME!!!

I spent the day doing nothing much at home. Well, I usually prefer to just laze on weekends and boss my kids around to do things for me... except cook that is... hehehe. Would be awesome if they can cook. The eldest can cook Maggi mee but I'm not too comfortable with him cooking on his own. Maybe I should let him be independent but I think at 13 he's still too young to be playing with fire...

I remember I started cooking rice at the tender age of 10 or maybe 11. I can't recall who taught me but I'm pretty sure it was one of my sisters. Those days I used to frequent my cousin's house which was nearby and I'd be all eager to learn her cooking skills. She was just 3 years older than me and she could cook all kids of yummy dishes. I was amazed! :)

Cooking story aside, here are 2 Christmas socks for Santa to fill with loads of presents... if not, you guys can too ;)

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Five days more to Christmas!! Wow... time sure flies ya. I'm looking forward to 2009... hopefully it'll be a better year for everyone and for the country as well :)

Would you believe I'm still not done with my Christmas shopping?? I still have two more gifts I need to get for my friends' kids. What do you get for a ten month old baby besides toys?? I know I'm running out of time... last minute shopping surely doesn't help when there so many things to do and you have so little time. I really have to learn to manage my time that's for sure.

I'll be missing my hometown this Christmas. We would normally have a small gathering and have Karaoke sessions... hehehe. I haven't celebrated Christmas with my Dad for three years now... sorry Dad. I really wanted to go home but had to change my plans at the last minute. I'll make it up next year ya.

Talking about Christmas, I can't seem to recall having any boyfriends over for Christmas when I was in my teens. Well, I probably didn't cos my dad would probably chase them away with an axe... LOL! Yeah, he's a strict dad. It's a good thing then that we didn't have such things like the totally free dating site! My dad would have freaked out at the amount of boys I could meet online :)

If you're lonely this Christmas and desperate to bring home a boyfriend this Christmas, I suggest you check out Down To Earth. Don't worry, the site is pretty cool that you wouldn't be saddled with a sicko or jerk who claims to be Michael Schumacher but is really some kid with a bicycle... LOL! The Down To Earth community consist of real, respectable and honest singles.

They even have something called RealRatings which is all about proving that you're who you claim to be. It's their tool to keep the community as genuine and safe as can be. At least mom and dad won't faint when you walk in the house for that Christmas dinner with someone who resembles Freddy Kruger!

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News in brief...

DEARBORN, Michigan: If you love something, set it free. And if you can't, call the police. The Detroit Free Press reported police responded to a call Thursday morning by a Dearborn man who handcuffed his wife to their bed but misplaced the key.

Police used a universal key to free the woman.

Sgt. Ray Patrick said the situation was "more of an intimate relationship than an unlawful imprisonment."- msnbc

Sometimes things don't work out according to plan... hehehe. I'm sure it made the cops' day though! :D

Next time, don't use handcuffs... use ropes instead and make sure a knife is nearby, just in case you tied your partner way too tight! But then again you may accidentally stab your partner and gets jailed for murder! Gah!!
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Here's another giveaway contest! People are exceptionally generous come December ya :) This time it's from TH of Twins Happiness. TH is giving away a Pink Pearl Necklace (all the way from Hong Kong!) to commemorate her 6th wedding anniversary.

Wah, you ladies read that?? Come la and participate in the contest. Guys are also welcomed to join in :)


Here's what you need to do :~

1. Subscribe to Twins Happiness by email and be sure to verify it. {1 entry}
2. Add my Twins Happiness and ThereisHappiness blogs to your blogroll. {2 entries}
3. Blog about my giveaway at your blog, remember to link back to this post. (5 entries}
4. One Lucky Winner will be chosen using the random.org.
5. This contest is open for blogger with Malaysia address. As I am only sending the giveaway in Malaysia.
6. Contest runs on 24 November to 24 December 2008 (12midnight Malaysia time).
   

Another year to create
precious memories together.
Another year to discover
new things to enjoy about each other.

Another year to build
a life rich in love and laughter.
Another year to strengthen
a marriage that defines "forever." Happy Anniversary!

By Joanna Fuchs
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Do you still remember your first chatting experience? I'm not talking about your normal chit-chats between friends but rather chatting over the internet using softwares such as instant messengers, IRC, ICQ... just to name a few.

For me it was IRC, I used it way back in 1999. I didn't know a single thing about it until a colleague explained about the whole thing. There I was looking at her chatting in various Online Chat Rooms and was intrigued! You see I was working in a telecommunications company, I should know these things right? But I didn't... duh! LOL!

So, one day I tried it out on my own (but not before asking my colleague's help on how to get connected). Man, all those codes were pretty confusing! I was hooked! If I'm not mistaken, I used PumpkinPi3 as my nickname. Don't ask me why I used that nick. Gimme a break la, I was new and everyone had cool nicks! I was desperate to stand out... hahaha! I had trouble deciphering all the abbreviations like ASL, BRB, ROTFLMAO, etc. I wonder who ever came up with such ingenuity...

It was a new experience, playing around... but of course I knew the dangers of chatting with unknown people. Most of the guys basically wanted to know more about you and even asked for dates! I wasn't into that sort of thing so tough luck for them... LOL! Well, that was before, now I don't chat as much except with family and close friends of course.

If you're new to this chatting stuff, and would like to try it out, why not try OnlineChatCity.com. It's an online webcam chat site offering free life time membership! Enjoy chatting but be aware of the risks. Just remember not to reveal too much personal information. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
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Ken, an interior designer is having a Christmas Giveaway which he aptly calls the ''Season To Give" contest :) The deadline is 20th December 2008 so if anyone of you are interested, come and join in! Here's what's up for grabs :~


For the life of me, I can't recall a truly memorable gift anyone has given me cos every gift is memorable to me. You must think I'm such an ingrate! LOL! But I won't lie and I don't want to spice up my story just to win a contest. So, instead of a story of me receiving a memorable gift, I would instead share with you a story of me giving my dad (or rather my parents) their wedding anniversary cake sometime in the 90's. I have a picture of it but it's at back home in Sabah.

It was actually a joint effort with my second sis L (I have four sisters). We were novices in baking back then, we didn't even have a proper oven, we only had that round metal container thingy that looks like a wok. We tried our best but the cake didn't rise properly (that's what you get when you keep on checking on the cake by opening the cover every few minutes) and all the dried mixed fruit sank on the bottom instead of properly mixing in with the flour.

Nevertheless my dad was pleased with the cake, he ate it (in fact, we all ate it till the plate was clean!) and commented that it tasted really good. I don't know if he was just trying to please my sis and me, we decorated it the best we could :) But dad did mention that the cake looked like a 'Sinaku', a local Sabah snack (made from Sago) cos the cake was crumbly! I remember that word till today and it always brought a smile to my face :)

OK, that's my story... nothing to shout about actually... hehehe

Now, let's move on to this week's paper cut... I present you Santa Claus! Ho! Ho! Ho! :D

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I'm just so happy the weekend is here again. I don't know why but I feel as if the week went by really slow this week. I was practically counting the days which didn't help cos the more you wait for something, the longer the day drags on. It's the same when you're in a hurry and all the traffic lights will turn red just as you reached them... as if they can read your mind!

Today also happens to be my dad's 69th birthday. I haven't even called to wish him a happy birthday... well, I normally call him during the weekend when he's usually at home. Other than that, he's probably at my aunt's place.

What do you guys think I should buy for him for his birthday? I bought him a shirt a few months back so I'm really out of ideas at the moment. I wonder what he'll think if I buy him one of those NFL Jerseys complete with pants, a helmet, and shoulder pads! I like the one in red cos it sort of looks like Manchester United colors... hehehe

I'm sure dad doesn't really want any gifts. I know he'd love to see his grandkids again... we were suppose to go back this Christmas but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I had to make some changes with my plans. That's life ya... we can only plan but things don't always go according to plan.

Anyway Dad, I just want to say that I miss you (and mom too... bless her soul) and not a day goes by that I don't think of you. We may not have the perfect dad-daughter relationship but I do love you with all my heart. Happy birthday Pa!
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It's meme time! If you have no idea what's a meme (pronounced : meem) is, well, Dictionary.com defines it as:


This time I was tagged by Rozella. Thanks dear :)

Two names you go by:
1. Ness
2. Adik

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Oversized Tee
2. Shorts

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Assignments!
2. More Money!!

Two things you did last night just before bed:
1. Folding clothes
2. Sweep the room

Two things you ate today:
1. Chocolate Wafer
2. KFC Snack Plate

Two people you just spoke with:
1. Darren
2. Nigel

Two things you are doing tomorrow:
1. Make breakfast
2. Type a proposal

Two longest car rides:
1. Kota Kinabalu to Poring, Ranau
2. Kota Kinabalu to Beaufort

Two favourite beverages:
1. Teh Tarik
2. Vanilla Coke

2+1 persons who are chosen to do this meme:
Crystal, Cindy and Chegu Carol
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Here's something you can do when you're exhausted from all the Christmas shopping. And you don't even have to go out, just sit back, relax and click on Free Local Singles! :D LocalMatch.com is the #1 local dating community on the net where you can join for free. It has been voted one of the top dating services online for its user friendly interface and active community members.

Oh, I'd like to wish selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all my friends who celebrated this auspicious day yesterday. Sorry it's belated ya. It rained the whole day yesterday, and I felt as if I was living somewhere in Europe cos it was so cold! I even wished I had a fireplace! That would be nice ya. Then I could roast chestnuts on an open fire... just like the Christmas song... hehehe
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It's December! And that means my paper cutting's theme for the whole of December will be solely on Christmas :D

It has been hectic these past few days, looking for Christmas gifts, clothes, this and that... money just flows endlessly and I'm gonna be so broke soon :*( I haven't even shopped for the kids' school needs yet... sighhh... well, there is still three weeks anyway :D

Here's this week's first Christmas themed paper cutting. Have a great Sunday everyone!

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When I first heard of the show 'Pimp My Ride' I didn't really know what the show was about. Heck, I thought pimp was a bad word and I was thinking the show must have adult contents! LOL!

When I did see the show, I was hooked! :) I mean, who wouldn't if you sent a junk of a car and at the end of the show, it transformed into one gleaming brand new modified car. Only then I realize that pimped actually meant changed or modified... duh! Yeah, silly me. Well, of course there's that other way you can relate the word pimp to but let's not go there... hehehe

I wish we had similar show here. I would gladly send my dad's old yellow (of all colors) Datsun and have it pimped! It really does need a good pimp job :D I can only imagine the transformation, probably start with some Custom Wheels, you know, the kind where the outer hub cap rotates even when the car stops, maybe one of those state of the art audio system (not that my dad listens to loud music) and a customized storage space for my dad to store his stuff cos he has this habit of storing loads of stuff in the car.

Well, at least I know where to look if I really want to get a cool pair of custom wheels for my dad which would really make that old Datsun have some attitude. At Wheelfire they offer quality rims and tires that come in great packages. It doesn't matter what kind of vehicle you have cos they also have a huge selection of truck rims (if you're into trucks, that is) ranging from 17 inch to 24 inch wheel!

The good thing about getting your rims and tires from Wheelfire is that it arrives at your doorstep already mounted and balanced. All you need to do is fit it to your car (or truck). I wonder if my dad will agree to have one of those extremely silvery bling bling kinda rims... Naaahhhh, he'd probably wallop me on the head! LOL!
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December 1st being World AIDS Day, I have dedicated my paper cuttings for this cause. Just a plain and simple design.

Miguel Gomez, the director of AIDS.gov in urging people to join the Facing AIDS: World AIDS Day 2008 Campaign, says we can help reduce the stigma around HIV/AIDS in four easy steps:

Step 1: Take a picture of yourself wearing a red ribbon. Be ceative!

Step 2: Add the photo to your social network profiles, Twitter, blog, and/or website, Leave it up for at least a week.

Step 3: Add your photo to the 'World AIDS Day 08' Flickr group

Step 4: Encourage your friends to do the same and to promote HIV testing!
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