www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=108356952517874

Should I post this on facebook? LOL

Love in a bottle...

I'm tossing out a proverbial message in a bottle for my long-lost sister April...if anyone happens upon this bottle and knows her whereabouts...please reply to the comment page listed under this posting. My sincerest thanks and good wishes to all!

Godspeed...

Paul Ryan leads P90X class for politicians - POLITICO STAFF | POLITICO CLICK

Paul Ryan leads P90X class for politicians - POLITICO STAFF | POLITICO CLICK

Ok..I don't like this guy's politics..but I'm liking his workouts...hope this link works...

The War on Heat

Or the battle to contain my heating bills costs...

From November (I moved in on November 18th) I've been waging a war on my exorbitant heating bills. Approximately, my bills were $300+ the first month, $237 in December, $160 in January, $84 in February, and should come in at a flat $000 for March. I was out yesterday at a large electronics market and picked up another weapon in my arsenal. The shop had a legitimate looking promotional flyer listing the MSRP at $365 but slashed down to $245. Because I was in some, err, 'questionable' shops..the guy was offering it for $120...I dickered him down to a flat $100 and got the largest size available. I'm still hoping to get a room dividing curtain (burgandy, dark Cabernet Sauvignon colors on a metal rod with that classis metal shower ring sound as I slide open the split curtain like the Academy Award stage set---yes mom, I enjoy decorating :) but having that would allow this heater to work in a smaller space, or in other words, more efficiently (rather than trying to heat my entire apartment.)

But I plugged it in last night, and the temp. in my place rose 5 full degrees CELSIUS by the time I went to bed. So...I'm looking forward to next winter and much cheaper bills.

Also, a shot of a random gift a student's mother gave me, a really decent cookie set. I always thought her son could have been mentally retarded, turns out he just needed the right teacher, 'moi', and low-and-behold, he's becoming a class-leader. Teaching...what a way to make a difference in lives...

Enjoy...

Bonus Announcement

Sorry to keep raining good news on everyone's shitty news parade..but here's another accomplishment. P90X (the first 90 days) is in the books. I'll keep it simple and just say, it is as hard or harder than advertised, and delivers as good or better results. I am going to let my body rest for a week, then get back on the horse next Saturday and look forward to a late-June finish to my P180X mission.

See you in health!

Additional Spoils

Here's something I've been patiently waiting to add to my home. A computer desk and I happened to find a TV stand to go along with it. I talked them down to about $160 for the pair. Not bad...how's it look?

I also don't know if you guys ever saw my chocolate brown leather couch. Here it is being occupied by Puppy and some pillows...it has served as my bed for the winter. It's a sofa/bed combo...just click the back and it reclines to 45 degrees or 90 degrees depending on what you want to use it for (wink, wink). Not bad..not as sturdy as a true bed or a true couch, but pretty multi-purpose.

To the Victor go the Spoils

Here's is my reward meal for having received my first post-contract paycheck. In other words...after fasting for two weeks in order to put up the cash for the final payment on my housing contract, I received my year-end severance payment from my company today. That's about $2200 in extra cash, just thrown on top of the pile. So..what does a chap do with that...here it is. Mom and dad should recognize it from Hahoe Village..the small traditional village we visited while you were here and had that meal in the thatch-roofed huts. Along with it is some cola (a sin for us "body-building" types) and 960 grams of Baskin Robbins impulse purchasing. There's one about a block or two down the road...I got to choose five flavors, of which I probably only tasted 2 or 3 tonight...it's a massive container...(and not even the biggest one they sell!!) All in all, a worthy reward for a job well done. Cheers!

Oh yeah..and my copilot in all things...(she's not blinking in the one photo..I just forgot to turn off the flash...oops..sorry Puppy...)