happy

Oh what a joy!

I'm feeling so positive this week for so many reasons. Productivity is indeed a great booster. Ten more hours and I should be fine this week. 

I woke-up, checked the Celtics game against OKC, and jumped for joy as they won against one of the most elite teams in the NBA. I was seriously worried how they played their past two games, so weak on defense with very less efforts on rebounding. But this was a great game! I can't wait to watch it. Finally, the bench is contributing nicely. Jeff Green should always be aggressive like tonight. Rondo and the Jet are finally showing some chemistry. I love it! I can't wait to see Avery Bradley back this year. The Cs need all the help they can get to boost their defense. I just hope Danny Ainge won't trade anyone in the roster.

My leave was approved. I'm sooo looking forward to an internet-less vacation in Palawan. Woooohoooo!!! Time to think of packing, what to wear, and what to read. Yes, I'm screaming "Thank, God." right about now.

ball madness

It all started the summer of this year when once again I bit the bait and hooked myself to the game of basketball. It's one of the very few things people don't know about me. I love watching basketball. The memories are quite vivid. I remember crying hard in the confines of my room over Purefoods' win against Alaska during early 2000s All Filipino Cup. I "prayed" for that win. Prayed. I loved watching Reggie Miller shoot threes; the same way I feel about watching Noy Castillo (with his typical knee-high socks) shoot balls from downtown. I had a thing for the Stockton and Malone pair-up because I had a feeling they were the underdogs. 

Last summer it all came screaming back to me as I found myself watching the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. I wanted to root for a particular team because it's more fun that way. I hardly knew who the current stars were nowadays. The only familiar face was Kevin Garnett. Actually, that's a lie. To me, he's only a familiar name. As the game continued, one player stood out among all the rest: Rajon Rondo. By then the search for which team to root for was long forgotten. I have found my next Purefoods. 

Today, the first thing I check each morning is the Celtics game results from ESPN. Next, I try to look for uploaded games on Isohunt, hoping each and every time that a generous soul was kind enough to upload any one of the Celtics' regular season games. If nothing comes up, I try to watch some game highlights on YouTube and read sports blogs for a blow-by-blow analysis of last night's games. Because I don't own a television, I am sometimes forced to read the live NBA forums featuring live commentary from people who are currently watching the game, all the while anticipating the scoreboard update in favor of the Celtics. 

If there's one thing I'm grateful for this "MADNESS," it's the fact that I'm learning a whole lot more about the game: its plays, the great historical statistics, and the rare individual talent of select elite basketball players. It's quite fascinating to say the least.

And speaking of fascinating, nothing beats Rondo's talent and persona in the game of basketball. Simply put, he is one of the most fun players to watch in my humble opinion. You just don't know what to expect from him. The way he commands the offense of his team proves he is one of the smartest, most creative players ever to play this game. Rondo is also a great defender, a pest, even, when it comes to stealing the ball with his freakishly big hands and unbelievable speed. He even has a high percentage of boards considering his mere 6'1 frame.

no I'm not impossible to touch I have never wanted you so much

I felt lonely today.

I decided to go out and treat myself. When I say treat myself I mean go to Cubao and ukay. That didn't go well for me because there's no New Arrival, and I just don't find it appealing to scour thrifted items that are more or less doubly rejected. So I went home empty-handed save for the Dummy D40 book I have always wanted to buy.

It was early evening and I really had no drive to work. I decided I could go out for dinner with a friend but then I bailed out as soon as she said yes. What is going on here? I just want to feel something, anything other than loneliness. And thus I decided to watch Before Sunrise. Boy, did I feel great!

I think this is the movie (and of course Before Sunset) I'll be watching each year just because it makes me feel really good inside. Before Sunrise is the best boy-meets-girl film I've ever seen. Europe. Strangers. Conversation. Train Ride. Cafes. I couldn't ask for anything more. 

Have you ever watched a movie that resonates so deeply you almost always catch yourself laughing and crying because it's just so real and so romantic? I did exactly that. I love how these two characters, Jesse and Celine, connected in a way that felt so natural. It's amazing because it's rare to see these kinds of moments on film. I love how they portrayed the difference between men and women, specifically their views (and reactions) toward love, career, and sex. And I love how their conversation flows. One minute they're talking about American culture and the next they're lashing out on ex-lovers. 

There were many instances I could actually see myself in. I've been a fan of Q&A talks, the one where you ask someone a question and they just have to answer it honestly. I think it's a straight forward way of getting to know someone, and it's always interesting to hear the answers of people. Stuff like your first sexual feeling or first childhood memory or have you ever been in love -- these are the things I want to know about a person.

If I could do I slow clap I probably would have when Celine uttered these words:

"I always feel this pressure of being a strong and independent icon of womanhood, and without making it look my whole life is revolving around some guy. But loving someone, and being loved means so much to me. We always make fun of it and stuff. But isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more? "

Lastly, I totally lost it with this song. It's exactly what I needed today.

ahhhh

Monday is rest day for people like me. Actually it's not. Monday is errand day, which means you have to get the laundry done, pay the bills, clean the apartment, and just check-off those mundane items that we usually disregard on a normal day. 

And here I am, getting ready to retire. These are my simple joys. While doing my groceries earlier today, I decided to buy a cheap bottle of wine. I already envisioned enjoying quiet nights alone with a glass of wine, a book or, in my case tonight, two fully downloaded Boston Celtics games. 

Lately I'm contemplating if I should buy a TV. The only reason I'd like to own a boob tube is to satisfy my NBA cravings. (Ang sarap magblog painum-inum ng wine in between. This is it! =D) However, I find that it's not enough reason to buy one. I don't like watching TV because I'm already addicted to so many couch-potato activities that I don't need to add anything to my lazy repertoire. BUT, I can't get enough of the Celtics. Last Sunday, I was reading live forums on nba.com; my eyes were glued on the scoreboard. It was pathetic but that was the closest thing I could get to actually watching my favorite NBA team. I just realized my problems are sooo deep. Hahaha. This is what Monday night's all about.

Alright it's warp time. I'm off to watch the 2008 NBA championship season Boston vs LA. I'm planning to write a word-vomit entry on why I can't get enough of Rondo, Pierce, and Garnett. (All smiles)

good exhaustion

I can use a warm bath right now. This song, this voice, this video... ahhhhhhh! Have a glass of wine with me and let's drift off to sleep.

let's do a free flow

All I can hear right now is my electric fan droning in the background. It's been awhile since I have been alone. Yes, I live alone but I rarely have quiet moments just like this. However, I realized I don't like too much silence either. I'm in no mood to read the newest book I bought nor watch my never-ending Grey's Anatomy loop. I just got back from an impromptu shopping spree. It's not really a spree. I don't do sprees. I don't have the money to do sprees. But it was quite a spree. For the first time ever, I bought myself a ridiculously expensive white button down silk blouse. How unique right? The justifications in my head are swirling just so I can live with this purchase. Tomorrow I'll meet my colleagues from Google. I'm excited and worried at the same time because it's been awhile since I've interacted with people from work. Unless you call my laptop, my coffee mug, and my crazy friends "colleagues." Damn, I'm jittery. It feels weird to meet people again. Actually it's weird to wake up at 7am and wrestle with Manila traffic again.

On another note, I did something for the first time last night. Yeah, no one-night stands here. Booohooo. I had a massage with a male masseuse. I can hear spakol screaming. No. It's not like that. There were no female therapists available. So me and my friend just conceded (not so happily) to be massaged by a male masseuse. It felt awkward at first. These guys were not gay. Although there's nothing much to look at, I still feel uncomfortable. I don't strip in front of strangers every chance I get, and I'm sure my father won't be thrilled  to hear this story. But I have to say they touch all the right places. The best thing for me was the lack of tickling sensation. I am very tickle-ish I'm the type of person who can easily get killed with tickles. I was relieved that male hands don't tickle as much as female hands. The pressure is harder, plus I'm more conscious of the touch. It helps when you imagine a hot guy while lying face down on the bed. "Yeah right there baby. I love it right theeerreee. Keep it coming. Hmmm... Oh yeah!" Definitely recommended.

This is pointless. I need to sleep.