From the vault #4

Listening to: Usher - U Got It Bad (2001 8701)

Right now, I feel: Nostalgic and sad

Hello there! It has been a while since I updated my blog. I wasn't able to go to the gym since I feel sick since Monday. I will make another post about the things that happened for the whole week, maybe later this morning or afternoon.

I am a comic aficionado for almost a year now. I have great comics and graphic novels like Watchmen and Trese. I remember when I was a kid, my cousin have lots of comics coming from X-Men and other Marvel guys. He even had this Death of Superman saga that I really liked. I don't read that much when I was a kid, I just love the comics due to their kick ass drawings. But I remember almost every scene on every comic I've read. I even remember my cousin having this magazine all about comics and the price guides for each of them. As far as I can remember, my cousin was more into the comics coming from a new company called Image Comics. It was the time when artist from Marvel with the likes our pinoy Whilce Portacio and Jim Lee left the company due to some disputes about their creations and works. I fell in love with the comics coming from Image Comics such as Wild C.A.T.S, Wetworks, The Maxx and Youngblood. There was this another comic company that I became interested in, the Valiant comics. The titles I liked was only Bloodshot and X-O Manowar. As I've said before, I only like these comics before due to their drawings and their kick ass covers. Some are embossed or have this chromium effect that was like a first time for me to see in such comics.

I am sharing you this because last Monday, while my girlfriend was having her sore throat checked up, I was checked out Planet X Comics in Glorietta 4. They're selling comics for 20 pesos each with a buy 5 and get 1 free. I looked for some old titles and was able to found 1st issue titles. Here's the list:

Youngblood #0 and Youngblod: Strikefile #1
The Maxx #s 1-3
ShadowHawk II #2
Bloodshot #0-1
Shaman's Tears #1
Deathblow #1
Turok: The Dinosaur Hunter #1
Wildstar #1

I liked what I got and found myself nostalgic when I was digging up these titles. My girlfriend even helped me find comics that I liked.

Here's a picture of what I got.




I really became nostalgic at that time remembering the day that I loved comic books. Tuesday came and I went with my younger brother Kiko to Trinoma for the usual grocery chores. I went to Neutral Grounds since I became interested in playing Magic: The Gathering again. I used to play this when I was in high school and I played it almost everyday. It was just too time consuming to me and it eats up a lot of my money. I tried to join tournaments but I became frustrated when I always loose and can't build a nice deck to play so I stopped when I was in my first year in college. I tried to play it again a couple of years back, but since I work in a call center before and the low salary I was getting at that time, I decided to quit for good. I sold all my cards and the only thing that is left are cards that are no use for a good deck to build around. I am still thinking about it if I will play. Maybe I can start next year and I'll just do my research about it for now. i just hope it won't eat much of my time and my money as well.

Here's one of my favorite cards.




Right now I asked my friend Chigo on how he manage to play and spend money for these game since it cost a lot! Right now a pack is 160 pesos with 15 cards and a single card can cost as high as a thousand pesos. It really depends of the demand of the card and the rarity as well.


I just really feel nostalgic and sad somehow since it seems like I can't cope with the cost and time it can consume on it. My girl doesn't even like the idea of me playing that game I gain. It's been days that I've been thinking about this and giving consideration on a lot of factors that can or might be affected if I do play again. But right now, let me go nuts about two things that I love to collect before and falling in love again to them now.

Sometimes, old habits just don't die.

I am a gym class hero! #3

Listening to: Telefon Tel Aviv - Fahrenheit Fair Enough (2001 Fahrenheit Fair Enough)

Right now, I feel: Sleepy

Wow! It has been months since I didn't post anything new about my gym adventure. Well let me make up for the time loss.

I am now on my 2nd month of going to the gym. From the weight of 269 pounds, I am now at 249 pounds. The progression seems to be a little bit slow since I was able to trim down to 260 pounds in the first 2 weeks alone and then 250 pounds after my first month and now I am on my 2nd week of my second month and I am somehow stuck at 249 pounds. Blame the too much I deserve to drink and eat out. For the rest of November I will eat less and gym more.

Apart from the pig out and drinking session, I can also blame October since it wasn't a good month for me, thus making me too lazy to go to they gym. I can go and have a 3 hour work out but I can only do it 2-4 times a week. Congratulate me if I can finish 6 days in a week of work out.

I also lost the drive of working out since my gym instructor resigned and I felt like I was left all alone with all the progress that I made. Even with a new gym instructor, I didn't feel comfortable asking for help, I feel like the new guys is the one who doesn't care for you and doesn't even thought of taking over the gym members the previous gym instructor handled. So I decided to have my work out in the early morning (6 am.), I just have a mindset that I can do the work out on my own. Then, after a few weeks only the new instructor left again.

A few days before November came, a new gym instructor came, I thought not to seek for advice if I need a new program or for any assistance at all, since I had a feeling that this new guy won't handle my weight loss program and monitor my progress as well. But after a couple of day. After doing my usual treadmill run and the elliptical work out he approached me and said "Mag circuit ka." To which I was surprised, not from the fact that he told me what to do, but I feel like I was being given an advice to do something new. My interpretation of doing a circuit is my usual routine of doing crunches and doing some light weight lifting. I told him that I usually do my crunches first. Since I still have a big stomach, he told me that doing crunches are not recommended to me since it will just make my abs or stomach stiff having an effect of making it smaller. The new instructor told me to just do a high intensity but light work out that focuses on my cardio, arms and legs. The result will make sweat more than what I usually do.

He introduced me to a new program. The first thing I did was a bicep curl up and triceps pull down. Then he told me to run as fast as I can with raising my knees up to my waist or as high as I can. I was sweating a lot after running 8 times! I felt like I'm gonna pass out since I was running out of breath and my heart beats soo fast. I took a rest and he told me to jump with my feet together. He added that I need to jump diagonally like making a zigzag line. It made me sweat more that my shirt looked like it just came from the washing machine. After a few break he introduced me to do some dumbbells with a weight of 5 pounds and a step box. I did some lifting with the variations of either raising my knees or stretching my legs sideways or backwards with 20 repetitions each. I swear, it really made me exhausted but I can the results of what I am doing right away. The sweat coming out all over my body felt so good. Plus the fact that with each workout I can feel my heart thumping hard and fast, not to the point like I am having a cardiac arrest but I can really my heart work out as well. The last part of the program was the dumbbells work out still but this time I have to move my leg to the front while the other one is stretched backward and being the leg the is stretched. It was really a nice work out. He even boasted that I can stop using the treadmill and just do the new program he gave me. I remember him telling me "Kaya bang maglabas ng ganyang karaming pawis ang pagtakbo mo ng 30 minutes sa treadmill?" I just smiled as a sign of agreeing with his point.

The only drawback with my new program is that I felt my muscles got tightened up to the point that I find it hard to take a sit. My legs hurt big time but after a doing the new program, the pain subsides and I can withstand the cramps I am getting.

I was doing the new program for a week now. But last Friday, he gave me a new program as well. Before I do the running with my knees raised up high, he told me to run sideways 8 times. I felt my legs tightening up again since this is a new routine for me. After that, I did the running thing that I usually do as my first part of the work out, then he had me do the same thing again but this time I have a long rubber strapped around my waist with the other end attached to a pole. The effect was a mix of torturing my legs and feet but it made me sweat out a lot and feel my heart on a work out as well. But the exciting part is that he had me lift some weights. I used the 10 pounds dumbbells to do my arms raise front and side ways. He also made me the triceps and biceps work out using only 1 bar as its weight. I did it with 3 set of 15 repetitions. I did some bicep curls on a barbel while I am seated but my arms are inclined downwards. I did the shoulder lift as well and the leg curls. But the most painful part is the arm pull. I don't really know what this work out is called, I'll ask my instructor about this! It is a workout where your arm is bent on a 90 degree angle and you pull the weight backwards making your arm stretched. I felt the triceps on both of my arms hardening up and the pain is just unbearable. Good thing I was able to finish it.

He explained to me that I need to do some weight lifting so my muscles won't sag and have a form. At the same time it can train my arms to do more repetitions when I do my dumbbell work out. He told me that I can do the said work outs every other day. So I have 2 new programs for me. One is for burning my fats and for heart conditioning and the other is a weight lifting one.

Right now, my arms hurt as they are stiff and I can't even stretch it straight. It is somehow bent. Imagine that you have a broken arm and you have a arm sling strapped around your neck. That's how my arms look like. But hey, no pain no gain right? SO bring it on!

I can't wait for Monday. Here comes the pain!

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Bonding time!

Listening to: Regina Spektor - Prisoners (2002 Songs)

Right now, I feel: Lazy

Last night was a good one. I dated two girls in one night! At the same time! Hahaha! Actually I went out last night with my girl Ayann and our friend Eunice.

We agreed to meet in SM MOA so we can go around the place and then have dinner at the dampa area in Sea Side. Eunice treated us for dinner since my Ayann treated us in Yellow Cab last month.

It was a great feeling being able to see and keep in touch with a friend who used to be a colleague in our previous jobs. And now we share the laughter, the pain and the insights. Too bad Jaja (another good friend of ours) wasn't able to come. It seems like she's too "busy" at her new job. Well just let the photos do the talking. =)



You can check the photo album here.

It was really a great night. I wish we can do this again.

Halo-Halo espesyal #13

Listening to: The xx - Basic Space (2009 The xx)

Right now, I feel: Happy

Before I go on and blog non-stop, I want to greet November a big welcome! I was so excited for October to pass. That month wasn't really for me. If you've checked my facebook profile and twitter page, you'll see that October wasn't my month. I went through too much problems in such a rapid succession that I almost burst out to outer space.

Good thing it is November now. I can move forward and just forget everything that happened bad about last month. Sorry guys if I didn't blog that much.

I ended October in a good way. I met my friend Marvin and had a drinking session. I really needed a break and meeting a friend and drinking will be a big reward for me at least.

After that, November 1 greeted me with a radiance. But sad to say, my legs hurt so much that morning that I had no choice but to skip the time to go with my siblings to Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque. Thanks to my last gym session and a new program.

Speaking of gym, I am still locked down at 249 pounds. I have a new gym instructor and he advised me not to do any crunches anymore since it'll make my abs tighter and it will not trim down. He gave me some new workouts that requires the use of dumbbells. He made me do some knee up runs and some leg bending with the dumbbells that left my leg hurt so much. I can't even bend it and it's hard for me to take a sit. But the good thing is that I poured out a lot of sweat! Can't wait for another work out tomorrow!

Back to my story, they had plans of going to Bulacan after visiting my brother's grave in Parañaque. So I was left all alone in our apartment on a Sunday. I just watched some TV and I focused of watching the NBA. I was watching the New York Knicks versus Philadelphia 76ers game. It was supposed to be a boring one as Philadelphia was giving a beating to New York. But then at the closing period of the final quarter, the red hot Danilo Gallinari poured in the much needed three pointers to tie the game. The bad thing is that New York wasn't able to sustain the momentum as the 76ers came back and totally clobbered the Knicks 141-127. What made me focus really on the game is for New York's rookie Jordan Hill. I wasn't able to see him play. He only played on their opening game against the Charlotte Bobcats for only two minutes. He was the 8th draft pick of the Knicks, but it seems like the team who drafted him is not interested with his talent and skills as the team prefers to get Stephen Curry, a speedy guard who just fits the team's run and gun offense.

On that day I was also on a multitasking since I was checking the NBA site and monitored the other games that was going on that day. The Washington Wizards iced the New Jersey Nets. Is Agent Zero really back now? Will he be able to bring the Wizards to be an Eastern conference contender?

One team that I really want to watch was the Cleveland Cavaliers. As they beat the Charlotte Bobcats 90-79. It was a good thing for the Cavaliers to get a win on their last 2 games as they lost the first 2 games. They're on such a slump after acquiring the Man of Steel, Shaquille O'Neal.

Afternoon came and I watched The Simpsons Halloween marathon. It was really great to watch them. As I was watching, I was also checking the internet. I was able to get a copy of a Return to Castle Wolfenstien game. However, I can't run the game even I was able to install properly.

Ayann came to my house after telling her I was all alone. She stayed till the next day. She brought me some brownies and a graphic novel compilation from Summit Media. The title is Underpass, it is a horror graphic novel from the best people in the comic industry. The likes of Gerry Alanguilan (Wasted) and Budjette Tan (Trese) contributed to the said compilation. I was really surprised to have a copy of it as a gift. Ayann knew that I wanted it since I was about to buy a copy of it a few weeks back. Because of that I gave her a nice hug and kiss before going to sleep. Thanks by!

You can check more info about the book through this site and this one also.

Monday came and I was all alone in the house. I continued to check the cyberspace and I was able to watch MTV for hours. I was able to watched this video that I was waiting to watch from start to finish so I can know the artist and the title of the song. A few weeks back I was able to discover the band Passion Pit with their catchy song To Kingdom Come. I was able to discover a new band, The xx. The band is from London and their self-titled debut album is getting much attention to the music world. Their single and video Basic Space is getting airplay in MTV. I can't wait to have a copy of their album.

Here's their video of Basic Space.



The band is an indie pop group that has a trace of electronica and dream pop. Their influence range from Aaliyah to Justin Timberlake.

You can check more about The xx through their official site and their MySpace page.
I miss my blog friends. Russ and Vayie, I promise I'll do some major back track reading to your blogs.