I Want to Go Camping

In summer, one of the things I plan to do is go camping. Hopefully, Bubba will have the time to join me. It's going to be a romantic and memorable moment being able to enjoy the beauty of nature with him. Being far from the hustle and bustle of the city life is something that I really miss. I just want to be in a serene environment. I miss being able to convene with nature. I also want to go trekking, and hiking. It would be such an exciting adventure!

But we do not have an rv that can take us to the places that I have in mind. Well, we can always rent. There's numerous rv rentals that I see online. I am pretty sure, there are local businesses here that rents rv as well. I just have to look for an affordable one. I don't have a very big budget for this summer activity. A large portion of the budget will be for food and gas. I need to bring a first aid kit. The only thing I dislike about camping are mosquito bites. I should not forget to bring calamine lotion and antipyretic cream.

I have a few more months to plan for the camping trip. I'm sure it's gonna be fun.

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RepairPal

Our car is an important part of our everyday life. It makes it convenient for us to go to work and go anywhere we need to go. We cannot afford to change our car every year that's why we need to make sure that it is properly maintained. But, we have other things to take care of, so we make sure that we spend wisely on car repair and maintenance. There are lots of repair shops. To be able to get unbiased repair estimates user ratings and reviews, you can try RepairPal.

If you need a reliable Dallas auto repair shop and mechanic, you can simply research on RepairPal. You'll have an access to their contact details plus you can see reviews and ratings from their clients.

Another good thing about RepairPal is that, it lets you know useful information about the car model you are interested in. For instance, you want to know more about 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, you'd be able to see ratings and reviews about the car, question and answers and common problems encountered by car owners.

I admit that I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to cars. I rely on Bubba when it comes to that. But now, with Auto repair encyclopedia. I learned more about brake job, and meaning of certain auto terms.

RepairPal is a big help to car owners and car enthusiasts. It's easy, accurate, and FREE!

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My Supposed Entry for Music Monday

I participate on Music Monday regularly but last Monday, I was not able to post something because of unstable internet connection. For those who haven't participated in Music Monday yet, I hope you do because it's a fun activity. You can share with your readers the songs you love.

Well, there's always next week. I was supposed to place the music video of J Holiday's Be With Me. I first listened to that song when I first heard a friend humming it. The song is about this guy hopelessly in love with a girl but the girl only sees him as a friend. The man is determined to make her know how much he cares for her. Such a sweet song!

Both my friend and I did not know at that time who was the singer of that beautiful song. We had to do a Music Search. After that, I checked out other songs of J Holiday and I enjoyed listening to most of them. I also liked his song "Bed" and the remix of it. but "Be With Me" is still my favorite. When it comes to music, I prefer R&B and Hip Hop. J Holiday is one of my favorite singers.

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Do You Easily Get Jealous?

I took this short personality quiz at Blogthings and this was the result:

You Are 49% Jealous

You're a fairly jealous person, but it's nothing to beat yourself up about. A little jealousy is perfectly normal, though sometimes you take it a little far. Recognize when jealousy is taking over your life, and try to hold back your impulses. You'll be a better (and happier) person for it!

I am pretty sure Bubba won't agree with the results. Let me explain, I tend to easily get jealous when it comes to romantic relationships. But there were questions in the quiz which asks me if I get jealous of other's happiness or success. That's a Big No. I always feel genuinely happy when something good happens to my friends or loved ones. I just do not like my man looking at other women which I think is perfectly normal.

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Long Distance Relationships

Maintaining a long distance relationship is not easy. You can not do a lot things together. You cannot see each other as often as you like. There's a big physical distance between the two of you. He might be living in another time zone making it difficult to adjust your schedule together. There's indeed a lot of challenges when you are in a long distance relationship.

What are the things to keep this kind relationship growing?

Communicate regularly. Thanks to the internet and cellphones, keeping in touch with our loved ones is fast and convenient. It can be done everyday! You just have to find cheaper services. Also, sending cards, letters, surprise boxes through postcard mailing services is sweet. It helps a lot when we communicate regularly with our partner.

Trust your partner. This is very important factor whether what you have is a long distance on not. But it makes it harder to trust someone especially if we rarely see them. For that trust to grow, do not break the small promises. Be true to your words.

Do things together. There may be limited options for lovers like you. But then, you can learn a language online together, you can play games together. After a while "just talking" may become boring and monotonous. Find a common interest that you can do even if you are far from each other.

Make plans for your future together. You do not intend to be far away from each other forever, right? So make plans for the future. Start with baby steps. Planning your future together will make it clear where the relationship is heading.

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Short Term Health Insurance

Being employed gives me a sense of security because of all the benefits that come with it. At my last job, we were given health benefits. It was a big help because it saved me a lot of money whenever I go visit the doctor. We had free annual general check up. The health plan also includes free prophylaxis and it covers most illness.

However, I resigned from my job last month due to personal reasons. Since I resigned from job, that also terminates my health plan that was given freely by the company. One of the things I was worried about is that I no longer have a health insurance just in case I get sick. So, I looked for a temporary temporary insurance I could use while I do not have a job. I needed a short term health insurance which I could terminate when a new job gives me a free one.

I have been looking online for a affordable ones. I must admit I don't have that much money to pay for an expensive one. Besides, it's not practical if I would spend a lot on it and then I would stop using it later on.

Hopefully I can find a new job next month so that I won't have to worry about this thing.

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Golden Globe 2010: Chloe Sevigny Wins Best Supporting Actress‎

Chloe Sevigny wins "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series (Drama)" at the 2010 Golden Globes for her role in Big Love. I love Nikki Grant's bitchiness! Unfortunately, she had a wardrobe malfunction when she was about to accept her award. An escort stepped on the train of her Valentino dress and it ripped.

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Saving for Rainy Days

I think we all know the importance of saving for rainy days. The hard part is actually being able to allot a portion of our earnings to our savings account. We should save at least 20%-25% of our income. However, in this time of recession, it's really difficult to save money. Sometimes, we spend more than what we earn and that's when we start owing money to other people and the bank.

I am very thankful that Bubba taught me a lot when it comes to spending wisely. I used to buy a lot of unnecessary things which leaves me penniless even before I get my next salary. Before I knew it, my money is all gone and there's no money in my savings account. This would leave me wondering where I spend the money on.

Now, I am proud to say that I can stick to my budget. If the place is pretty near, I'd rather walk than spend money on fare. I rarely eat out anymore. I realized that eating at home is a lot healthier and I can even save a lot. I also avoid buying those expensive cappuccinos. The amount in my savings account may not be that big, but I am glad I changed my ways. I ca say that I am a lot more responsible now.

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Big Love Season 4 New Opening Credits

When I watched the first episode of Big Love Season 4 with Bubba, I was greeted with an unexpected change in the show. The opening credits is different compared to how it was in the first three seasons of Big Love.

Since the song on the opening credits was not familiar to me, I did my research online and found out that it is entitled "Home" (sung by Engineers).



Home (lyrics)
Is this my home
Been starting over
Bathe in the water

Time
Time after time
I'm feeling so sorry
I run out of words to say
Relieved
I'm so relieved
The table are turning
Don't sacrifice this feeling

Goals
There are no goals
There is no order
Paid for in laughter

Home
Is this my home
Been starting over
Bathe in the water

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Financial Issues

The other day, my friend and I were talking about financial issues. She will be moving to another apartment and she needs money for down payment. Most of the people I know, including me, are having money problems. With the ongoing recession and job losses, a lot of people's credit scores has been affected.

We know how important it is to keep a good credit score. It is a vital part of one's financial standing. Credit score plays a big factor whether banks and other financial institutions would approve your application for a loan. It is a common knowledge that having a low credit score will make it difficult to find a bank or credit card company to lend you money.

But everyone deserves a second chance. Nowadays, there are bad credit loans available for those who have history of bad credit or no credit history at all. It's just a matter of finding the right credit company that won't kill you with very huge interest. It's never too late to try to rebuild your credit score.

There might be a lot of strife that come our way, whether it financial, spiritual, or emotional, what's important is we are able to bounce back from life's challenges.

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Going Back to School

I am experiencing a quarter life crisis. After my first job, I realized that I took up a college course that I was not really passionate about. This may sound stupid, but I struggled to finish the course just to be over and done with it. What I really wanted to take up was fashion design, but this did not make sense to my parents. Do not get me wrong, I do not have anything against them. It's just that they encouraged me to take up a course that they think would better prepare me to face the corporate world.

It makes me wonder what would life be right now if I chose a different path. I do not think it's too late to chase my dream of being into fashion design. Luckily, in this Internet age, real online degrees exist. I can still work and go back to school by doing it online. People have more options now. No matter what age you are, you can still go back to school and finally do something you've always wanted to do. You do not have to suddenly leave everything behind. You can still stick to your current job and do the career shift gradually.

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Music Monday - Lucky (Jason Mraz ft Colbie Caillat)

I first heard this song when I watched the tv show Drop Dead Diva. Then I found out that it was sang by one of my fave singers, Jason Mraz. This songs reminds me of Bubba, my everything rolled into one.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

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Identity Theft

For the longest time, I am trying to convince Bubba to create a Facebook and a Friendster account. But according to him, social networking is not his thing. Based on what I observed, he would only disclose his personal information online when it's a secure transaction. He warns me that I should be careful when I give out personal details especially during this time that identity theft is rampant. He also makes sure that he shreds documents containing his personal information.

I am familiar with what identity theft is. It's actually one of the fastest growing crime in the US. Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. These thieves can go as far as look into your garbage to search for papers containing confidential information. Just in case you have given out pertinent information, you can count on LifeLock theft protection for your identity security.

With the nature of my previous job, I came across individuals who were deceived with emails asking for their personal and credit card details. Some of them fill up forms without realizing that they received a phishing email. If this happens, you should call your credit card company and the police to report the incident right away.

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Holiday Auto Problems

Since my entire family was with me during the holidays, we needed a car that's in a good working condition to go around town and visit our relatives. I had so much fun spending the holidays with them. My aunt would often invite us to have lunch or dinner with them. But their house was almost an hour away and there was too much traffic going to their direction.

On the second week. the car that my dad is driving encountered a problem. It was very untimely because we badly needed the car. The auto a/c parts have to be replaced. Hence, some of our Christmas money was spent on the a/c replacement. We needed the air conditioner because there were so many of us riding in the car and we always bring the kids with us. It's a good thing that my dad personally knows a car mechanic that helped him with the problem. He was able to tell us where to buy an affordable replacement.

After that, we no longer have to deal with auto problems. We had a wonderful holiday together. So far, it's one of the most memorable holidays I had with my family. Those memories are priceless.

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Not So Goodwin

Ginnifer Goodwin have this cute and sweet image on the HBO drama series Big Love. On the June 2009 cover of W Magazine, she doesn't look nowhere near her character role Margene. But she looks sinfully hot!

I am anxiously waiting for Big Love Season 4. Just a few more days to go...

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What Shopping Means to Men and Women

I think some girls can relate to what I am going to say. When I go shopping, most of the time, I am not yet sure what I want to buy. I may say I need a dress but I do not have any idea what color or style it will be. So, I spend hours "looking" for something that I want. I look for promotional products because they are often sold for a much lower price. When I see the word "SALE", sometimes, I end up buying something because it's cheap.

Based on what I observed, when my dad goes shopping, it does not take him that much time to choose. When I was a kid and he brings me to the mall, I am amazed on how fast he decides when he buys something. I think it's because he is sure of what he wants even before he stepped inside the retail store.

When we go shopping as a family, I do not think my dad or my mom enjoy doing it together. My dad has no patience to wait for us and my mom felt she's being rushed. In this department, I think it's better to agree to disagree. I suggest that mom should shop with her girlfriends instead of bringing dad along with her. There's a huge difference on how men and women perceive shopping. We better leave it at that.

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Another Year

My birthday won't be anytime soon but every start of the year, it makes me realize that I am about to turn a year older. I haven't accomplished yet the things that I want. But what is it that I really want? That's the big question because honestly, I am still confused.

There are lots of things going on in my head. I plan something but I am often scared to take the first step. I easily get disheartened. And then I end up giving up that dream without even trying.

I could have made use wisely the time that passed. My fear of failure made me feel inadequate to try. I lost even before the battle began.

Once, I told Bubba that I don't expect to win or lose that much in a gamble because I am afraid to take risks. Bubba replied, "When you are afraid to take risks, you can end up losing more." And he was right.

So, this year I will be...fearless. I won't be afraid to fail, and I won't be afraid to succeed.

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Post-Holiday Blues

After the holidays, I miss the bright lights and colorful decorations around the metro. Even if I was sick the entire time, it was a memorable holiday because I was able to spend it with my family. It's actually the first time that we spent Christmas together away from our home town. Normally, when I am in the city, it's either I spend the holidays alone or I go visit my friends.

Christmas is a time of gift giving. It was my baby who got a lot of presents. Most of them are toys and clothes. I can see the joy in his eyes when he opened his presents. Even my aunts from the province did not fail to mail him his gifts. I reminded them to not forget the return address labels just in case it gets lost in the thousands of mails and packages being sent during the holidays.

Well, the holiday is over. Students need to attend their classes again. For the corporate slaves, it's back to work. And I am back...blogging! I have 11 months to prepare for the next Christmas season. I hope I will be able to spend it with my beloved Bubba. But that guy is so workaholic. :)

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Big Love: Season 4 Trailer

Big Love Season 4 starts on Sunday, January 10th. That's a few more days to go. For those who are interested and excited to watch the said HBO drama series, here's the Season 4 trailer:

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