Poc & Poch

5 July, 2016

Wonder Girls – Why So Lonely

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Wonder Girls have released a new song, Why So Lonely. I can’t believe how many years have passed since I first listened to “Tell Me”. I feel a bit nostalgic.

For me, summer means Bollywood movies, kpop comebacks and a lot of ice cream. I got my kpop comeback! I’ve been eating ice cream for a while. It seems I am only missing out on Bollywood movies.

~~~ Wonder Girls: “Why So Lonely” ~~~

I am still not used of seeing this group without Sun Ye and So Hee. It still doesn’t feel like they left the group. I was thinking it is a bit funny how 4Minute disbanded this year, yet Wonder Girls are keep going strong. It is sad that Hyuna has two groups under her belt and now is going solo.

Is it wrong to wish for a special comeback with all of the members, past and present? I kinda miss Sun Ye voice, So Hee charms and even Hyuna.

Oh well, I guess you can’t have everything in life.

Regarding the new song, I am loving it. I really have nothing more to add. I guess, with Koreans songs you either love them or not. There is no inbetween way. I am now trying to find the full album (if there is one).

~~~ ~~~

From Why So Lonely, I ended up listening to Tell Me and Nobody. I guess I do feel nostalgic for the good old days. They were good, and it is sad that I am only realizing this now.

3 July, 2016

Books, books and more books

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Books, books and more books!

One can never have enough books, even if they are running out of shelving space. I must admit, it is a pain in the ass to clean up the bookcase, considering the amount of dust and animal hair that goes around in this house. Yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am going for two things this year: pay off my debt (4 months to go) and completing my reading challenge (50 books). So far, I am on track with both of them. If all goes well, at the end of the year I will be able to say “I am debt free“, and also that I have cultivated my mind and soul.

While I do own a Kindle, I also listen to audio books and I also love reading the good all fashion way.

I am not prejudiced to any method of devouring the content of a good book. For a while audio books have been the obvious choice for me. Given the amount of work I put in, at my actual workplace and at home. Audio books free up my hands! I can do other things, like cleaning, cooking or even stitching.

Kindle helps me be a hoarder on my laptop, without killing my budget or filling up the house. It saves space, and I never liked a cluttered house.

But there are some books that I would rather own. Not many, but some I just love seeing in my bookcase.

~~~~~~

I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie. If I ever get to visit U.K., most likely I will visit all the places that have connection with her and with Hercule Poirot. It is also my dream to have a book signed by David Suchet. He is the one and only Hercule Poirot! Following this logic, it was only natural for me to freak out when I saw this jewel in Carturesti Carusel:

David Suchet: Poirot and me

I did try to get the English version, but they didn’t have it. I won’t complain, since it was such an unexpected find. I didn’t have the heart to remove the plastic cover. I think that will be done when I start reading it. I am keeping it for our August vacation.

In fact, in the last two months I managed to get my hands on a few volumes that are certainly interesting.

There are more actually, is just they aren’t in the house at the moment. At work, we do borrow from others, but we also lent others our books. This is one of the things that I love about work.

I did read “The girl with all the gifts”. It is the only one I got the chance to finish. In fact it was hard not to finish, since it captivated me so much. It took me just one Saturday. It was a well spent Saturday. I have no regrets about it.

In fact, I am thinking that once I do finish paying off my debt, I could invest in a new bookcase. The one I got from Ikea many years ago is still fine and can hold quite a few volumes of different sizes and shapes. My only problem is that there is no more room in our bedroom, so I will have to set it up in the living room. And yet, I can’t just have one bookcase there. It’s not symmetric enough. So, I will have to settle for two.

I can also use them as storage space, so that’s a win – win situation.

And yes, I am bragging with my lovely collection!

28 June, 2016

Happy thoughts

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To think positive is hard. Trying to have happy thoughts when everything around you goes wrong, is harder.

Yet, it always good to step back from certain things. For example, it is not alright to overwork yourself, no matter how many things you want to complete, take of the to-do list and so on. I find this counterproductive.

It does no one any good if I am tired, and if I look and act like a total grinch. Which is exactly what is happening at work.

In fact, it is happening to all of us, not just me. We are really being overworked, and in a way it will get worse. So, for today and I am going to skip a meeting which is right in the middle of the day. Meaning, it doesn’t give me enough time to rest for tonight. Not only that there will be another meeting this evening, but I will also work on a shift with a man short.

While I can handle work with a person less on the shift, I cannot handle being tired.

So, here I am with a face mask on my face writing a post and thinking about happy thoughts. Oh, I also did my nails a sparkly blue.

One of those happy thoughts that I mentioned is a 3 day weekend, that will come soon. Then there are the new books that I have, and the new stitching cat project that I am working on. Even the thought of being lazy and not to anything, makes me happy.

Also, my project for next month is on its way. I want a photo album, and I am gonna get one. The hard part is sorting the pictures. I think I will go for a family theme, with all four of us. Yes, I am going to include the fuzzballs as well.

*Happy thoughts*

22 June, 2016

Tired

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If I would rate my current state of mind and body from 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, I would probably say tired.

Yep, tired is the best word to describe me at the moment.

The heat isn’t helping either. But, I do enjoy the landscape.

I think I bit off more than I could chew when I decided to apply for a higher position. It is too much and I don’t have enough time to assimilate everything. I guess you could say I am overwhelmed. I don’t like to admit this, but its true. Now, I am not one to shy away from work. I enjoy working, but I don’t like it when it changes me.

Being tired makes me very touchy feeling. You could say that I feel that everyone and everything is working against me. Yet, that’s not true. A lot of people have helped, as much as they could, to get me through this period. I am really grateful to them.

So, I am determined to stop being a grinch and get back on track. So, I will get back to my resolution: no more complaining.

On a happy note, I would like to mention that I really like my new position. I like the fact that I get to learn new things and it puts things in perspective. I get to see things from the other side and realize that things are not always as they seem. With that, I do feel bad for the previous owners of this position.

Will, I quit? I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway. When the time comes to move on, I will know.

~~~Quick update on our life~~~

we went to the country side, at my parents house, just to have lunch;
we went to Fetesti, for a weekend! It was refreshing and it has been such a long time since we paid a visit;
we went to the cinema for free since Johnny won two tickets at “Now you see me 2”;
we went to Bookfest, where I got three lovely books about cat warriors. YES. I bought books for children.
made a new friend which works at a publishing company and she provides me with books! We wouldn’t have had the chance to meet her if it weren’t for Pluto. Owning a dog ROCKS!
had a lovely workshop (work related stuff), meet new people. Realized that our entire company is made out of crazy people.
got new clothes;
paid half of my debt. It took me 4 months to do this, and it will take another 4 to pay it in full. Overtime is my new best friend at work.
August is right around the corner and that means Vacation for both of us.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to good things. I might be tired, but in a way I am happy. I am tired because I work and I do things that make me happy.

And no matter how tired I am, I will always have time and patience to take photos of the moments that make my life great.

2 June, 2016

Gloom and doom

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Growing up sucks! I know this is not something new,but I just feel like ranting. Half a year has gone by, and I swear I didn’t feel it. Days come and go, with no real meaning or anything that might differentiate between them.

Everything is hectic and depressing.

No free time for hobbies or for relaxing. If it is not work, then the house needs attending. I swear, as much as I love cleaning it has become a herculean task. Combined with cooking and taking care of our pets, it leaves no time whatsoever for myself. If I would be asked for one word to describe myself at the moment, it would be a “hobbit”. Why? Well, hairy legs is the first thing that comes to mind. At least hobbits have nice clean houses.

Even as I write this, I am looking around and all that I can see are things that need to be done. At least I have my audio books. They make cleaning so much easier.

I would love a vacation right now. At least a week away from all of this. Yet, I am fully aware that a vacation will come (in August) and that I won’t enjoy it. Plans are already being made for us and I am dreading every bit of it. I am seriously starting to think that we will never have children of our own. The spawns of other people fill me up with disgust. Not sure if it’s because of the children themselves, the parents or both.

Half a year gone in a blink of an eye. It is so sad. In half a year, I used to stitch, read books, go out and have fun, enjoy the company of others, watch movies and entire anime series. We used to make happy memories. I used to gather photos that would remind me of those times.

It has been a long time since I made a happy memory, without it to be spoiled by anyone. I really need to rethink my priorities!

14 May, 2016

Break from the city!

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At last, we had a much needed break from the city!

It’s been a hectic period for us. I still can’t believe that almost half a year is gone. Time really flies when you run around, trying to get things done. You would think that waking up early and going to bed late at night, would offer you plenty of time to do as many things as possible. Well, it doesn’t work like that.

It has been one month since I went from the night shift to the morning shift. Two weeks since I got promoted (still deciding if it was worth it or not), and a very long time since we went out, just the two of us.

We even left the dog at home.

Sure, we went out to the movies (Deadpool was the last one we saw at the cinema), we went out with friends; but it’s been a very long time since it was just the two of us.

The best part of this specific break from the city, was that Johnny decided on the location. He never decides on the location. He just lets me pick a random place and goes along with it. Today it was his pick and it was a beautiful one.

It wasn’t very far from Bucharest, just half an hour away by car. It wasn’t crowded, the food was great and I got the chance to feed two ostriches.

It was fun and relaxing. It was a breath of fresh air after all that has been going on in our lives.

1 April, 2016

Thoughts in the middle of the night

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Thoughts in the middle of the night:

It was a productive weekend. I slept one day and the other one I was a busy body. I have managed to clean the house (finally!), cook (it’s been a while) and even wash half of the dirty clothes.

Doing stuff always helps me relax and put my mind at ease. Being productive is a good thing for me. I even had the time to watch a Bollywood movie and start the second one! That is a rare occurrence these days.

For a brief moment I felt the good old days. I really do miss having no responsibilities.

~~~~~~

Of course I had to wake up in the middle of the night. The furry ones wouldn’t have it any other way. Why sleep for more than 6 hours at a time? And the best part of this is how they (Pluto & Marlanu’) went back to sleep. They had their way with me – one wanted a walk outside to pee and the other wanted food – and now, they left me all alone in the loving room.

It’s just me and my computer.

~~~~~~

The new shifts for work have been handed out. There is just one night shift that starts at 11 PM. Till now, there were 2 of them. It’s not a good omen. Yet, I am not sure if I should go for the morning shift or try the same old shift I had till now. While the morning shift is really attractive, it also pays a lot less. I hate taking decisions, especially when I am tired.

I shall have to wait till tonight, when I’ll start my shift to see exactly what are my chances at getting what I want (if I can decide till then).

Until then, I plan on cleaning my poor PC and figuring out what I can do in order to make things better. Or at least to make things like they used to be: simple and fun.

31 March, 2016

I miss mornings

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I miss mornings. I miss waking up in the morning, making coffee and enjoying the sunrise. It feels so weird when I wake up at 1 AM, when everybody is asleep and outside is pitch black.

Yesterday was Saturday for me (I know it was Wednesday), and I slept from 6 AM (an hour after I finished work) till 1 AM. I just couldn’t get out of bed. I was dead tired and the bed was the best place in the whole world to be in. And here I am in front of the computer, trying to be as quiet as a mouse. I’m trying not to wake up John and in a way to be productive (which is impossible at this hour).

I am grateful that I have sleeping buddies. They keep me company all the time, everywhere..

It can be in bed:

Or, when I am at the computer:

~~~~~~

The results for the new position at work came back. It was as expected, I didn’t get it. Truthfully, I was hopeful of my chances. That until I found out there was one more person who applied. It was all hushed up, and it was by mistake we (all who applied for it) found out. If we knew, we wouldn’t have bothered applying for it.

Soon, a new position will be opened at work. I’m still unsure if I should go for it or not. The job itself pays much better, but its one of those jobs that doesn’t give you much time for yourself, or for anything else if I think about it.

~~~~~~

Other than that, nothing has changed. I’m still on the night shift, John still works a lot during the day. The furies are doing good, no problems there. You could say, we are stuck in one nice routine. It’s annoying.

Did I mention that the weather is turning warmer? That is one of the good things. I was getting sick and tired of wearing boots and winter jackets.

In a way I was waiting for the nice weather. That means I can walk home from work, and actually enjoy myself. I have a lot of parks on the way home. Usually they are all empty in the morning. I could take Pluto for a walk. When Pluto was a pup, I used to take him on very long walks each morning. They were the best.

24 March, 2016

Rainy days

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We’ve been having some rainy days lately. I really can’t complain since they have their charm as well. That, and I always sleep better when it rains outside.

Rainy days

The last 2 weeks have been hectic enough for us. For me, long hours at work and just a lot of running around to get things done and for John has more responsibility at work. It is tiresome. I really have no idea how others manage their time so well. For us, it seems like we’re always running. And yet, with all the running around things don’t seem to get done.

I guess the term rainy days could be used to determine our current situation, not just the weather.

I am currently trying to keep my mind busy and not think of 2 things. One, which will give us a headache for the next 6-7 months (if we’re lucky, it won’t take longer) and the other which might improve something in this whole work equation.

Long story short, I applied for a better position at work. While I am pretty happy with my overall performance, I am cannot guarantee that I will get it. I haven’t forgotten how disappointed I felt last time when I had to much confidence in myself. That and others have applied for the position. There isn’t anyone who wouldn’t deserve it. So, until next week we all have to wait for the results.

“Optimism is the foundation of courage”

Hopefully, I had enough courage to give out my best during these rainy days.

18 March, 2016

When your favorite idols fail you

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How things change over the years.. I am not sure if I am in a rotten mood (because of reasons), or because I’m getting old (turning 29 next month), or because I cannot seem to enjoy certain things as I used to. For example, kpop is turning into a strange kind of music for me. Some of my favorite idols are coming up with songs that just leave me speechless.

Idol number 1:

Former Kara member, Kang Jiyoung, has debuted (in Japan!?) with a new song “Radio” which is in English

I am the only one that has the feeling she is yelling?! It doesn’t sound like signing, just constant yelling. It really hurts my ears and unfortunately, the video also hurts my eyes.

Her second song (from a total of 3, I might add), also in English, is a bit better than the one above.

I’m not sure in which direction she wants to go with her career, or what language for that matter, but I wish her the best (with the yelling and all).

Idol number 2:

T-ara Hyomin made a solo comeback just yesterday. When T-ara were in their prime, they shinned because they combined amazing vocals with amazing visuals. I swear those girls where the first ever group to combine the two perfectly. Yet, it feels that we were left with just the visuals and the vocals went on vacation.

This is one of the flattest songs I’ve ever heard!

I know for a fact that Hyomin has a good voice and can use it. But why did she choose to make a comeback with her body instead of actual talent? From all the hype that surrounded her comeback, I was expecting more. In fact, I was expecting something along the lines of “Paradise Lost” from Gain.

Gain nailed it! Hyomin missed the mark by a long shot.

I dunno. There are others that I really liked and now I cannot stand their new songs or projects. Either my taste in music in changing, or the music itself is changing (and not for the best, in my case).

Also, it irritates me to no end how hard it is to find the latest single from Choshinsei. I swear, each time it takes me up to 2 hours just to find an updated website with info regarding them. I wish I would also find their YouTube channel; that would make things much easier for me.