Looking back at my old tabulas blog, I came across an advanced Christmas list which I posted last October. Very advanced, but well, I wanted to give my fans ample time to buy them for me. In the end though I bought most of them myself:

1. a book: Your Money or Your Life
2. laptop
3. new shoes – my mom bought me a pair and I bought myself another
4. gift certificate to a spa or massage  – check and consumed already
5. a new web/blogsite – THIS IS IT! I love you Joni!
6. a trendy pair of glasses or contact lenses – check
7. make-up – i overdid this one
8. 1 gig USB flash drive
9. 2008 starbucks planner – one sticker short… i succumbed
10. an ipod or mp3 player
11. a new nokia cellphone – naaah. i’ll wait for my old 3310 to crumble into dust first
12. coffee press
13. hardbound set of HP, LOTR or Narnia
14. new QT journal and guide (I already have My Utmost and Experiencing God) – check, from Doulos the bookstore on a ship

And for the first week of 2008:
Started packing for my move to QC… and noticed that my backache lessened a lot when I changed beds. Must have been the mattress that was giving me trouble for the past few months.

Sold empanadas and brownies galore.

Served as a pro bono consultant for a jobseeker, a thesis writer, and a investing-beginner.

Met for the first time with the Friday IVPM Discussion Group, mostly with my kcmates, and discussed faith, career, finances and what not

Last Saturday, I spent several hours on the metal box at the sunken garden. With my two accomplices, shared thoughts on career, maturity, ministry, dreams, summer outings and how 2 weeks’ vacation can shake (alog) the best laid plans. also watched the fireflies dance, silver moon sparkling and introduced them to the joys of Sweet Inspiration.

Got a mini vacation yesterday. Slept for almost 20 hours total and skipped the UP Centennial. Night time slumber is bliss for the graveyard shift worker.

Interviewed a group of Koreans who will be staying here for a week with my EDL classmates. I remember my English tutor days and playing charades, scrabble and hide-and-seek with my Korean students. I wonder what kind of paper (sweet torture) our professor has in store for us?

Had my first ever formal voice lesson. And I reached the high C! by throwing my head back and pretending my vocal cords are made of rubber bands. Solo act and recording contract, here I come! =)

Received a book (Tuesdays with Morrie) and a WK (concentrate and March).

Scheduled a KC reunion and a play date for later this month.

Noticed that looking for a mentor is like looking for a boyfriend: easier said than done. You can’t force it. It’s a two-way affair. Long distance relationships are difficult. And I still do not have one.

While blog hopping, learned that according to the Mighty Bargain Hunter (http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2007/01/04/do-you-budget-by-using-the-force/) there are two ways to save money. First is the formal budgeting type where money is carefully alloted to each expense. Which of course is an impossibility for me. So instead, I budget by the Force; I save a certain amount on auto-pilot and consider the remainder well spent. Jedi I am, use the Force for budgeting I do. What kind are you?

This quote courtesy of a papemelroti calendar: “Never let the demands of tomorrow interefere with the pleasures and excitements of today.” – Meredith Wilson.

Learned another quote in one of our training programs: “Do what you love. Love what you do” – Life is Good.

And in the first week of the year, at last! God said go.