running in the cold...

The temperature hover around high 20s to low 40s. Occasionally, coupled with windchill. Not exactly a recipe to put on those long tights, and a long tee, and my running shoes to head out for a run. I should be sitting by my fireplace, bundled with a blanket and some warm chocolate.

Of cos, that's not about to happen. With the amount of indulgence (krispy kreme doughnuts, some burgers, some buffets), i should really workout. It's killing me to feel lethargic, and i wasn't about to put on anymore weight. 

I'll confess i didn't bring any running shoes to US with me. Partly cos i wanted a new pair. I ended up getting a pair of trail running shoes (to further motivate more seshs at MR when i get to Singapore). Adidas Response Trail 15 --- sworn by some hardcore runners. Truth be told, i've gone through a fair number of shoes, before deciding on this pair. It fits my budget : ok ok i was cheap, it barely cost 70 Singapore Dollars, around 38 USD. Plus the colors are friendly. I could use these same greys & pinks on any pair of jeans, and tee and just go out. Good for travelling. I am a huge fan of grey & pink. 

So i took the shoes and myself all bundled up, from my home in Franklin TN to the Christ Church. Distance is 5km. That feeling of coming back feeling good, and the shoes serving the purpose of keeping me on track in the grass patches, and along the wet and slushy ground just made me want to go out and run. 

Run Baby Run

Snowboarding & Vegas

The weekend went by too soon. To describe it as what feels like a week is totally an understatement. Hey a lot of people don't do stuff like that.

A bunch of my friends from NorCal & SoCal ( i love you guys, btw!) got together and we headed for some snowboarding. I don't really have much time to spread around. Sure there might not be powder, but hey we had fun. Hahaha, a lot of laughter, a lot of joy. Watching other guys just snowboard down with zero worries, and those lil kids who just zoom down. Maybe it's true, the younger you are, the less worries you have. Hmmm... But i had fun. Pictures would be posted shortly. I still have ski lift phobia. The funny thing about the place we went , which is Mountain High at CA somewhere off San Bernardino, is you have to take a ski lift over the intermediate hill to get to the beginner slopes. So when the park closes, we have to either choose option A) snowboard your ass down the intermediate slope (which is really scary...) or B) stop the ski lift, and take it down, holding your board with you. For someone who hasn't snowboarded for two years, i had tons of fear, and less guts. I was freaking out, and couldn't do toeside turns (still can't...after a day,...dammit). By the end of the day, we scooted the intermediate slope, and of cos my other friends Robin and Ted reminded me i won't die, and it's gonna be fine. I was scared, it was steep. We were laughing like crazy, and absolutely scared out of my wits. I could accumulate snow between my legs, cos i was sliding down if i sit down on the slope.

With that, we ended and then went off to have shabu shabu in J-town and sake. Huge ass bottle of sake. I have to say nothing ends a day of snow better than shabu shabu. You get all warm & fuzzy. Knock out from the lack of sleep, was awake at about 7am that friday morn, plus some boarding, and then sake. Lethal combi, and i set immediately to sleep when i dragged myself into the car. Not before declaring I am not gonna drive.

The next morning, we were up early to yumcha, before heading to Vegas. Vegas was a blast too. The strip has changed quite a fair bit, since i last went. We stayed at the Mirage, but were everywhere else, from Wynn, to Wynn's latest Encore, to Venetian, back to Mirage. We were out and about, playing poker, roulette, texas. And i was of cos drinking myself silly at every table. I didn't really care if i shouldn't drink while gambling. Afterall, it's Vegas. I think Vegas is really over-the-top when it comes to everything. Everyone's dressed up, and you can drink everywhere.

I must say i had a blast. I really am appreciative of the friends, the weekend they sacrifice to be with me. And how they throw caution to the wind, when they are out with me. I can't believe it's been somewhere between 10-12 years since we first met. True, i might have been tired, but i still love it.

:) Like Ted said , i'm off to where my real holidays, back home to Nashville.

LA...

So i spent the last few days of my somewhat long trip to the US out in LA. Yea, where i spent a few good years of my life at. And it feels awesome. It's such a rush trip out in LA. I didn't plan on meeting anyone. I did however call up my friend Ted & his wifey Helen, more on our stuff later.

What did i do out in LA? Shop shop shop, eat eat eat, hang out hangout hang out. Damage done on the card, let's just say i don't wanna talk about it. heh heh :P the best is if the bills disappear... doubt that's going to happen.

I spent some time with Ted & Helen out at their apartment, just chatting & catching up. I also went out for drinks with them at K-town. Now soju & yakult is an interesting drink. Way too interesting. Perhaps it should even read : caution when drinking. It's so sweet that it just doesn't hit you till later. Hmmm... It was a fun night... of drinking and eating some korean abalone chauder. I kinda miss them already. Funny how we met each other? And really time flies. Now we're all so different.

Now to pay off the credit card bills.... which i will somehow ... sometime... perhaps with better money management. sigh.....

Happy New Year .... a year gone, a new year ahead

For the lot of you out there who think i got wasted through NYE, sorry, but i didn't. The past two weeks back at home in US has been detox. I feel my liver singing "i will survive..."! The time away from alcohol from everyone else from my office has been refreshing. I have more time to think about resolutions and goals and directions for the '07.

I have been spending more time at Super Suppers, helping out in whatever way i can. I may suck at kitchen work, cutting, getting the dough work the right way, chopping stuff up, washing stuff up, and i totally suck at domestic work. But that's me. I can't do kitchen work, cook, clean & sew for whatever reasons. I think i finally come to terms with that. I have started doing a lil' more kitchen work. Be thankful.

I've started to spend more time at home. Spending too much time at malls can be energy-draining. I normally buy more sports stuff & jeans, clothes that i chill in... whenever i am back in US. So it's the same stuff over & over again. So it's far more simple these days. Time to simplify stuff and focus on what i would want to accomplish.

So here goes my New Year's Resolution :

1. Get into school... (hopefully, if time permits, work permits, etc)
2. Get a new ride... (hopefully, if i balance my checks properly)
3. Get fit & toned ... (hopefully, if i manage time wisely)
4. You know what... this is ridiculous. No need for resolutions. I'll just do what i like, when i like.... and just be Eve.

Happy New Year everyone! Cheers...
xoxo,
Eve

Post Christmas...

Christmas Day : I spent a good 12 hours dead to the world post-ski trip. I ushered the whole Christmas in, in my sleep... i fell asleep about 3 minutes before Christmas Day. That long sleep did wonders to my aching body. Of cos, it still hurt, the muscle strains, but i think me working out in Singapore has helped. My sis had it worse, she felt like the world's going to end. It's Christmas Day ... and we decided to head downtown Nashville for Christmas lunch. While on I-65, the jam was bad, really bad. A section got closed due to a bad accident. It was a 4 car pile up. A SUV got totalled, a woman died, and a man was seriously injured. I couldn't bring myself to take pictures of the accident, so i took a pic of the long traffic. We got held up for a good two hours. So lunch started at 4pm. But it's Christmas. I like Christmas... i spent the evening watching CSIs. It's nice for a change, than nursing a hangover. Too bad, it didn't snow this year here at home.

26th is boxing day to the aussies, but not for America. It's Post Christmas sale to Americans.. most stores start early like 6am on 26th. The family packed off to Atlanta, Georgia for some shopping (they have lower taxes) and to catch up with family friends. Once again, on the road for like forever. We went to Discover Mills, an outlet mall. I managed to get some sports stuff for my runs, and workouts. Still haven't managed to buy running shoes, golf shoes, my swim shoes. There's really nothing much that i buy these days. Hahaha, can you imagine i just said that? But maybe in LA, where the clothes suit my style more, i might just go wild on my credit card again. We ended early at the mall and went off to Ikea, to grab some stuff for the house. I still vividly recall the opening of the Ikea store at Atlanta, when i was there a year ago. This time round i saw a picture that caught my eye. It's a poster of Audrey Hepburn. It's printed a huge piece of canvas, too huge for me to carry to Singapore. Sigh... but very nice print. I like Atlanta, the whole look of the city is just so cosy. It's arty, the apartment blocks are so arty. I like places like these. I guess every major city in US has a part that is arty, from LA to Chicago, to Boston.

I heard Singapore's raining really badly these days. Hmmm... i like the fact i don't have to drive in the rain. And i like the cold weather out here. A pity it didn't snow this Christmas. I wonder if i'll see snow this time round.

Think i'll head back to my couch to watch 24, CSI & Scrubs... all day, everyday, while i wrap my freezing butt up in a blankie. Been spending a lot of my time, reading, chilling out at home. It feels good... but there are people out in Singapore i miss hanging around with, laughing over a beer or my fave dessert.

Laters dudes,
Xoxo,
Eve-il

Back @ Home...

It's barely 48 hours after i have finally arrived back home.
The ride here was long... by which i meant 32 hrs, including layover after layover, and the drive home... at frigging 1am (Nashville Timing).
So it's Singapore-Tokyo-LA-Vegas-Nashville. Not a pretty ride at all.

We went to do some Christmas shopping. I didn't buy anything. I will shop when i wanna shop. We did get bored, and got into one empty closet, and started our picture-taking. Heh heh... The joy of just being in sneakers & jeans everyday, though i am all wrapped up and it's cold out here. And the bliss of feasting on Krispy Kreme donuts. Screw the diet, i'll work out when i get back to Singapore. And to watch tv in the middle of the night. I just started on 24 Season One 12am to 4am, yelp... i need to watch the entire day at one go. But that's too crazy.

I will update u guys again soon...
oh yea, i got new geeky glasses done when in Singapore. It looks retro... blame the Oakley frames, but i love them. it's very me. I love being the retro lookin chick.