Raising a family, making a home.
At the end of the day, your happiness really depends on yourself. You find your own reasons to get up in the morning. You find your reasons to smile. You find your reasons to keep going. It’s all you. Nobody else.
Others may play a part in your happiness, but the choice to be happy is no one else’s but your own.
Today was my first day of Zumba Fitness at Gold’s Gym Alabang. Like I mentioned a few blog posts ago, I just signed on for a year at Gold’s Gym, following the expiration of my six-month membership at Slimmer’s World Alabang. In all honesty, Slimmer’s was a total waste of money for me. I didn’t like it there, and so I wasn’t motivated to go. I think I only went four or five times during my membership, and now I regret not signing on for a shorter period instead. But anyway, that’s over and done with, and I’m now back at Gold’s, the first gym I ever went to, and I am so happy to be back. When I first enrolled in 2009, my schedule didn’t allow me to make it to any of the classes. This time around, I can take all the evening classes I want! So tonight I started with my first Zumba experience.
I have a feeling I will wake up all stiff, with limbs that feel like lead, and muscles that are too sore to function. I honestly miss that feeling. I have been out of shape for so long that my body is now actually looking for the exercise. One thing I realized in class today was how much heavier I am now. It took a lot of effort for me to maintain my balance, to stay on my toes and not find myself flat-footed in the middle of dancing. I lost my footing a number of times, and I realized how difficult it is for me now to bend, turn, twist, pivot, and shake my booty like there’s no tomorrow. It makes me a little sad because I used to dance when I was still in school, and feeling myself struggle to keep up makes me feel a wee bit defeated. The good news is I’m, excited to try again tomorrow. My mother-in-law, a certified Zumbaholic, told me not to feel discouraged if I can’t follow all the steps at first. Now I totally get what she means, and I look forward to the day when I can do at least one of the dances without a misstep.
So tomorrow is another day, and I’m looking forward to spending time at the gym again. I’m happy to be getting back on track, slowly but surely. In my showbiz statement to Mr C over dinner I said, ‘I’m looking forward to all my gym visits because I want to be healthy. Losing weight will just be one of the perks.’
Don’t you just love it?
I’m supposed to be on a diet, but it’s really hard to do that when the de Castro family is celebrating. Birthdays in our family have always been treated as week-long occasions, a cause for prolonged partying, wating, drinking and all-out merriment. This weekend, we celebrated 3 birthdays and a death anniversary in true de Castro fashion – with great food and family.
Friday Night – Dinner in Sanlo
November is a big month for my dad’s side of the family. He and his three siblings celebrate their birthdays this month, and we also get together for my grandfather’s death anniversary. Each year at around this time, we have dinner in my grandparents’ house in Makati. For this year’s potluck, we had a huge spread consisting of a tossed salad, a nice turkey with bread and apple stuffing and cranberry jelly, meat and cheese lasagna, vegetarian lasagna, chicken and garlic sotanghon, and a mango pavlova for dessert. The food was lovingly prepared by my mom, Tita Nini and Tita Chiqui. I was actually pretty tired that night and didn’t really move much, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Mr C took photos of the all the food. I think I’m starting to rub off on him.
Saturday Night – Dad’s Birthday Dinner at Dampa
My friends Gina and Salie from Frontrunner Productions always make sure that I didn’t go hungry when I do events with them. Last Saturday, I did the script and live continuity for my a project with them at Cuneta Astrodome. I was treated to styro packed prod meals prepared by Salie’s mom. Styro meals bring back memories of fun times with good friends from the events agency I used to work for, and so I enjoyed my lunch and meryenda oh so much. To think I wasn’t all that hungry since Mr C and I had a drive thru Mc Donald’s breakfast meal on our way to the event. After the show, we grabbed some coffee at Starbucks on our way home. I was actually pretty stuffed from all the eating, but then dad announced that he wanted to have dinner at Dampa for his birthday. And who can say no to chili garlic shrimp?
Sunday Morning – Breakfast with the Boys at Starbucks
I was hoping to visit Soderno this morning, but since schedules were a bit tight, I’m gonna have to postpone that visit for another day. Instead, because I was so excited to get my 2012 planner already, I treated the boys to a late breakfast at Starbucks Madrigal. Got to eat my fave sandwiches, have yummy Christmas coffee, and take home my new planner. Totally a great start to my Sunday! I thought today would be the start of my detox but I was completely wrong. After our big breakfast, we had leftover lasagna and homemade lemon merengue pie for lunch, then Chicboy takeout and chocolate cake for dinner.
It’s been a fun, calorie-filled weekend. Diet and detox starts tomorrow for real. Tomorrow marks the start of my 12-month membership at Gold’s Gym and the first day of my Zumba Fitness class. Gotta get ready for the calorie fest that Christmas is certain to be.
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Seaside, Daang Hari Road
Brgy Almanza Uno, Las Pinas
(02) 846-9699
Molito Commercial Complex, Madrigal Ave,
Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa
(02) 772-3533
If there’s one valuable life lesson I learned from my dad that I don’t think I will ever forget, it’s that your parents will take care of you while you grow up, and in turn you must care for your parents until they grow old.
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| Forever Daddy’s Firstborn Girl At my wedding, 09.10.11 |
Happy 55th birthday to the best Daddy in the world. You always make sure that we have everything we need, and in return you only ask for all the love in the world. Don’t worry, you will never run out. Love you forever Dada!
My mom picked me up from work yesterday. On our way home from the mall, she told me about how our next door neighbor had recently died. I honestly don’t remember him because he and his family moved abroad a few years ago, when I was too young to really care about the people in my neighborhood. I remember he had a bulldog named Sammy who liked to lie down on our driveway whenever his yaya would take him out for walks. His name was Desi, but I don’t have a face to tie the name to. Thinking about it now, it’s probably a good thing I don’t remember what he looks like. At least I won’t imagine seeing him walking down the street at dawn or anything like that.
According to my mom, he died of a freak accident a few weeks ago. Apparently this man carried a gun around, and I am assuming based on the story that he took that gun with him wherever he went. He apparently came from a childrens’ party with his family, and had his wife and kids in the car. He dropped off his wife at the grocery store, and sat in the driver’s seat waiting, with the children in the backseat. In true freak accident fashion, the gun holstered to his waist went off and the bullet struck some arterial vein near his thigh. The story gets all fuzzy from there. I really don’t know if he bled out or if he died instantly, and what happened to the children afterwards. One thing’s for sure, I bet they were scared, and it’s certain to have been an extremely traumatic experience for them. My mom says the kids are young, the eldest being only about 10-years old.
This story alone should be enough to discourage people from carrying guns. Seriously, who would take a gun to a children’s party? What for? And I honestly don’t get how anyone could be comfortable holding on to a gun around their own children. Many feel safer when they have that piece of metal on them, believing that it can protect them against nasty people. But what they fail to see is that sometimes the tables turn and that so-called protective weapon can prove to be your worst enemy.
To my next door neighbor, may you rest in peace. I sincerely hope the family you left behind is doing ok, wherever they may be.
My six month membership at Slimmers World Alabang ended a few days ago, and I honestly don’t think I’ll be renewing. Ever. It’s not that I have anything against the center, I just didnt enjoy my time there. It was cramped, crowded, and limited in terms of equipment and classes.
Since my mother in law speaks so fondly of Zumba, I decided to find out where I could take classes too. Lo and behold, Gold’s Alabang offers them, and the schedule suits my daily routine perfectly. The best part about Gold’s is it’s near the house, and I enjoyed being a member there when I was still with Smart. Too bad my schedule back then was not so friendly, and I didn’t really get to maximize the amazingly low corporate rate we used to get.
Anyhow, today I was offered a promo rate that was actually too good to resist. I start on Monday. Wish me luck!