Category: All These Things

All These Things (7): Currently, again

Tina Leave a comment

The blog has a new look, sort of. I’ve been looking for responsive themes just because I kind of want something new, so I combed through some WordPress themes and found this cute pink one. I remember those days when I had versions for my site, and I was coding everything on Notepad and then uploading them all on the free servers. I kind of miss the simplicity of that, but I doubt I can properly code a whole site anymore. Still, those were good times.

But on that note, I’ve been thinking about this blog lately, and what I really, exactly want to achieve with this. I kept the blog because I wanted to keep on blogging, and it seemed like something that I can’t stop doing. This is primarily an outlet for things, which served me well during the tumultuous years of 2012 to 2013 (heh). Right now I’m hardly blogging, partly because I’m busy, and partly because I’m not quite sure what I want to write about. Why do I write what I write, other than the simple fact of sharing things? At the risk of using work jargon, I must ask: is this adding value to my life, or to anyone’s life? What is this blog for? What’s my vision for this, where is this going?

I have to admit: goal setting isn’t my strongest suit. Sometimes it’s so easy to just cruise, until something big pushes me, but I feel like I have to sort of take control over this, because this is mine, and I kind of need to take responsibility for it. I make it sound so serious, but really – what’s the point of keeping this if it doesn’t contribute, or if it ends up being a waste of time?

But give me some time to figure that out. For now, here’s the Sunday Currently on a Monday!

Reading

I just finished Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and whoa. What a lovely read. I started Ana of California by Andi Teran, a modern adaptation of Anne of Green Gables.

anaofcalifornia
I’ve already reread The Truth About Forever (Wes + Macy!), so now it’s Ana. I wonder who is Gilbert Blythe here. Hmm.

Writing

Finally, that block seemed to be going away! I’m still not finished with the manuscript, but I am slowly making my way to the end. Unfortunately, I have a ton of other things to write for work, but I’m going to make sure to leave the work stuff for work, period.

Listening

Ben Rector is releasing a new album this week, so I have his new singles on repeat. Can’t wait for the album! :)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8ydn09zms]

Thinking

Where did my work day go? I got to work this morning and immediately got into this one project and spent the rest of the day trying to do HTML and stuff all over again. I haven’t done that in ages. Thank God the task was eventually passed on. Whew. Now I have other stuff to finish after I’m done with this post that I’m treating as a mental break.

Smelling

Kornets classic. Is that classic? The blue plastic! Nothing like snacks like this on a busy afternoon.

Wishing

That tonight’s online class doesn’t go overtime.

Wearing

A green and black dress that my mom bought in an outlet store in Guam, my trusty black cardigan, and black flats. I realize that ever since I started working here, I have worn dresses 3 to 4x a week. It’s just easier to wear a dress now! I miss wearing heels though, but heels are terrible for commute.

Loving

Healthy You Trail Mix, for days when I get so caught up in work and I cannot be bothered to eat. I am also really loving the circuit workouts from Curves. I’ve only gone three times the past week, and I can’t go tonight because of class, but I will be there tomorrow. Endorphins, yay!

plueysWanting

New rain boots, because my old ones are really old and I’m afraid they’d break on me before I can get a new one. I saw some in Zalora a few weeks back. I haven’t bought anything, because I’m trying not to shop online so much because I might not stop! Especially now that Maybelline is now available on ZALORA Philippines, and just in time for me to get a new mascara.

Needing

More nephew time! I spent the weekend at my brother’s place to be with my sister-in-law and my nephew, and it was a weekend of baby laughter (and tears, because he seem to always forget who I was when I arrive there, haha!), and lots of drool and arms that ache because the boy is heavy for his age! Such a cutie pie.

Feeling

Just a tiny bit stressed because of work so I’m telling myself to calm down because hey, it’s just work. There’s time to do all of these things.

 

All These Things (6): Writing crap, and Current stuff

Tina 1 Comment

So I’ve been trying to write a post for the past few days, but everything I write seems blah. This is also happening in my fiction writing. Are you familiar with that feeling, too? I know what’s going to happen, and it all sounds good in my head but it’s all feels like crap when I write it down. I’ve been rereading some local romance books and some of my favorite books in hopes of making the magic happen, but the words that come out are still awkward. :/

I have several theories why that is happening, though. One, it might be because I am right smack in the middle of the story and we all know how I feel about middles. Two, I’ve been doing a lot of editing at my day job so it’s a bit hard to get rid of my editor mindset — now I understand what my friends who write for a living were saying about writing for a living and writing for fun. And three, I  guess this is the time where I’m supposed to just keep writing, so I’m still trudging on. (It helps when my manager at work actually encouraged me on this.)

There may be other reasons why the novel is so hard to write right now – art imitating life, life imitating art, or the lack of it, that kind of jazz. It could be that the novel is really just making me take my time instead of rushing, but I won’t know until I just keep writing. So I’m going to battle with the writing demons again this weekend (and also work on editing some overdue reflections). Wish me luck.

Onto other stuff, I’m adopting a meme that I found on several blogs, but I think this is the source? It’s not Sunday, though, but I’m going to do it today anyway, because it’s Friday. (Did not make sense, but hey. :P)

Right Here, Right Now.

Reading

unbreakable

(un)breakable by Kesh Tanglao. Rereading, actually, because like I said, I need words. And feels. Also, still reading John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Evert, which I want to savor. And The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammet, but I am stuck somewhere halfway and I kind of want to quit reading it because I’m just not engaged. The problem is, people say it’s good and I am still curious to how this will end.

Writing

Still Novel # 2. Still at the end of Act 2, and ugh, words. So awkward.

ktf
Spoiler-ish. Or not.

Also need to write a presentation for work and edit a bunch of reflections.

Read More

All These Things (5): May Edition

Tina Leave a comment

(Image credit.)

I decided to check my Feedly earlier for a quick mental break and started going through the long Relevant Magazine feed backlog. I saw this article entitled, Anxiety is a Spiritual Issue, and found this:

Maybe, even though God made the night and knows there is nothing in it to fear, He gave us stars to light it because He knows we might be afraid anyway.

I had to stop and read it all over again. There’s something about this that’s really comforting. It could be the mention of stars (that I always, always love), or it could just be the plain truth that this line carries.

The rest of the article is very good, too. :)

* * *

A few weeks ago,  I I lost my train of thought there — that phrase has been here since this morning when I started this post, and now I can’t remember what I was supposed to write. I’ve been experiencing this lately, along with other things that I figure is a sign of aging: wanting to sleep early, choosing not to drink alcohol, going home before midnight. I haven’t quite mastered not eating all the good sinful sinfully stuff like bacon, chocolates, and extra amounts of cheese in everything, or actually getting my work-out time back, but I’m getting there. (I started taking my coffee black, with a single serving of stevia. Yay, me?)

Anyway, the “shock” of realizing that I’m not getting any younger since I turned 29 hasn’t worn off, so I’m trying to make wiser choices to prepare myself for the next decade. Because…well, it’s about time, right?

* * *

Speaking of time, I’m right smack in the middle of writing my next novel. I signed up for the Spark NA class just to get me writing. It’s worked so far, but like with the first writing workshop I joined at the start of the year, I am not doing so well with time management, because work and other things. I have made significantly more progress than I would outside of a class. Slow and steady progress, as always.

I’m gonna work really hard to get this out this year. Especially since I really, really like my new Lead Interest.. :”>

* * *

One more, before I go back to proofreading: It’s the first of June on Monday. Can you believe it?