How Much More

The newbie needs help. What the heck is the difference between the following versions:

• Adobe Creative Suite Standard 1.1
  
• Adobe Creative Suite Premium 1.1
  
• Adobe Creative Suite Premium 1.1 Academic

After buying MS Office 2004 Pro this weekend, I really don't have another arm and a leg (okay, I do, but I need them to live) to buy the Adobe CS Premium edition. So my question is really whether or not I'll be fine with just the Academic version.

*SIGH. Switching to Mac is probably the most expensive thing I've ever done...I just really hope it's worth it at the end. Otherwise, you'll see me in Downtown Seattle, begging for some change with a nice looking laptop beside me.

With This Tax Bracket, I Thee Wed

I think I have finally found one very good reason to get married and procreate.

$854. That's two 40GB iPods. That's one Adobe Creative Suite package. That's a whole lot of dance classes. That's a round-trip ticket to Manila during the off-peak season plus money for Kamiseta. Unfortunately, that's also how much money I owe the IRS this year.

Is it my fault that I am a hardworking individual *ahem* and worked two jobs this past year? Is it my fault that I didn't get married this past year?! Is it my fault that I didn't give birth to a very cute kid this past year?! Is it my fault that I chose to live with my loving parents *ahem again* instead of moving out?! Is it my fault that I chose to work my butt off during college instead of owing student loans after I got out?! Then why, oh why, do I owe Tito Sam $854 this year? And if he's such a great uncle, why the heck is he asking me for money when he doesn't give me money during Christmas?

Then, I keep thinking, is this how it's going to be from now on? If I stay single forever, will this amount keep increasing over time? Why does everyone, including the government, care about my being single?! Grrr! LoL.

*SIGH. Talk about a major blow to my otherwise wonderful weekend. If I'm still mad tomorrow, I might have to get myself a gift (See, this is what happens when you don't have anyone to run to! LoL). If the IRS is getting a check that equals two iPods, don't I deserve at least one iPod? Or I could just marry Christian, right? Right? HeHe.

Strong Enough

Oh South Beach Diet, kaya ba kita?

I was at Costco on Monday. Once again, I ventured into the health and fitness books section, picked up The South Beach Diet book, held it for some five minutes, and left it where I found it before I went to get the things that I came to Costco for.

This is the second time I've done this and obviously, I can't get it off my mind.

I can handle not eating rice and bread at all. The biggest hurdle I think is that I would have to cook for myself. Cooking for one I think is the biggest reminder that you're single. It sucks. And you gotta admit, most items in a grocery store aren't packaged for single servings. You can't just buy one piece of meat; you'd have to buy the smallest pack which would last an entire week for one person (read: you'd have to eat the same thing for an entire week!). Hmph!

I know, I know, more exercise, less calorie intake, you won't have to diet, yeah, yeah, yeah, save it for someone who sits at home all day without nothing to do. ;P Ten pounds (okay 15, 20 if I want to be flat-chested), how bad do I want to lose you? And what would motivate me when vanity is not in my blood?

To Da Beat, Y'all

Well look what we have here. So, I'm assuming that hiphop dance is becoming more popular in Manila to warrant Nike Philippines to use it in their marketing?

Based on what I've seen on TV, I think hiphop in the Philippines is still not hiphop. I describe it is as "too much jumping" (and if I see the "Follow the Leader" dance number one more time, I think I'm going to throw up. I seriously can do the steps for the chorus now, thanks to repeated performances by the SCQ contestants!). The Manoeuvres and Hotlegs have it. I don't think the Streetboys have it, but Jhong Hilario and Spencer Reyes do. John Pratts and Maja Salvador are only as good as their respective choreographers. If only I could bring Dancing King to Manila, he would probably be the most popular guy in town (not to mention blow the competition away on Stardance, which sucks in my opinion...can't we just bring back Keep on Dancing?).

In 2002, it was only Powerdance who was offering hiphop classes and it was so expensive that I didn't even think twice about passing it up. Hopefully, hiphop won't be a conyo hobby because I'd like to see the style blow up and be more mainstream for the masses. It sure would do the collegiate cheerdance competitions some good.

So please, put away those Von Dutch trucker hats for now (actually, burn them!) and work on the choreography and attitude instead. Werk it.

And speaking of hiphop, when I said I wanted to do something that I love after 5 p.m., I meant for that to be dancing. Can someone explain to me why I have two freelance graphic design projects to work on? Is God telling me something again? ;P

For No One

Another year has passed. Once again, I'm a stronger woman because of it. ;P

Did any of you watch The Buzz on Sunday? People in Manila, I know for a fact that most of you have enough connections to be able to get Papa Christian to sing to me on my birthday this year just like what he did for Kris. I also want him to tell me what his birthday wish is for me and in turn, ask me what my birthday wish is, to which I shall reply, "To marry you!" Make it happen, people! You have 6 months! LoL.

And to alleviate myself from all the anger I felt when I read my future brother-in-law's Feb. 14 entry, here I go...

Where in those 8 stages of being single does "acceptance" fall under? To tell you the truth, I think I've gone through those 8 stages many times already and now I'm in the acceptance stage. There comes a point in one's life when you have to hold your hands up and say, "I surrender." Of course, I was crying when I did that, but hey, let's not go into the nitty gritty details! LoL.

There's really no one. People don't believe me, but really, there's no one. Trust me. For someone who works 7 days a week, that's not surprising, but even if I tried to mix business with pleasure, there's really no one to meet through work. Through family, I don't have the same taste as my cousins here so that's out of the picture. Through friends, all of them have moved away so anyone they would know would be from out-of-state as well. Sure, a date or two in Manila will happen, but reality-wise, those boys won't be able to move to Seattle to be with me...especially not with the tighter immigration laws since 9/11. LoL.

Crush-wise, out of all showbiz personalities in this whole world (Bayong and Ken Zhu included!), Christian is really the only one I would consider dating in real life (How many times do I have to declare this on my website! LoL). And it's not really him per se, but just the qualities about him. If I could just find "The Basics" in a man here in Seattle, I would be all set.

My point is simply (for the record!) that I don't feel any bitterness, anger, cynicism, or desperation. If there was any possibility that there was a guy in Seattle who have all the qualities that I'm looking for, then maybe, I would feel those emotions.

You can't really do much if you don't have anything to work with. You can't build a castle if there is no sand. You can't find something that doesn't exist. Hence, you just have to accept the situation as it is and try to make do with what you do have...in this case, me, myself, and I. But it doesn't mean that I can't sing lipsync my heart out when this song comes on:

Love Song for No One
by John Mayer

Staying home alone on a Friday
Flat on the floor looking back
On old love
Or lack thereof
After all the crushes are faded
And all my wishful thinking was wrong
I'm jaded
I hate it
I'm tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
So tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here

Searching all my days just to find you
I'm not sure who I'm looking for
I'll know it
When I see you
Until then, I'll hide in my bedroom
Staying up all night just to write
A love song for no one

I'm tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
So tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here

I could have met you in a sandbox
I could have passed you on the sidewalk
Could I have missed my chance
And watched you walk away?

I'm tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
So tired of being alone
So hurry up and get here
You'll be so good
You'll be so good for me

-end of sawi entry