Eat out

My sister and I went to a movie the other day with our hubbies and kids in Trinoma. I was really fun. We watched "UP" - which is a good movie by the way, we also bought pig-out snack like Jamaican patties, cheese hotdog sandwich and of course Tater's popcorn. We really love popcorn! That means, I need to burn the calories I gained on that day. I've been using the treadmill and something tells me I need those weight loss pills for me to achieve the 20 pounds off. Oh well, I think it's okay to eat once in a while, so enjoy it.

Word FaQ

IN/AT/ON Prepositions

For time:
In an older FAQ, we talked about the usage of in, at, and on pertaining to places. Now let’s look at the proper usage for them when referring to time.

IN:
Use “in” for months, years, and periods of time....
In January
In 1978
In the twenties

Use “in” for a period of time in the future...

In a few weeks
In a couple of days

AT:
Use “at” with precise time.
At 10:30PM
At six o’clock

ON:
Use “on” with days of the week.
On Thursday
On Wednesdays

Use “on” with specific calendar days.
On Christmas day
On Halloween
On July 22nd

ALSO…

We say “in the morning”, “in the afternoon”, “in the evening”, BUT... we say “at night”.

Trip

One thing I'm super excited about these days is that we are definitely going to Davao this coming October. I already booked the flight last week and my sister paid it already so there's no turning back now hahaha. I'm starting to prepare what I want to wear. I plan to bring less clothes since I'm sure our Samsonite luggage will be packed with pasalubong when we get back. Now I need to check out this new swim wear I saw on the Internet. Panic!

House re-decor

I'm thinking of replacing the main lighting in our room because it's getting more and more difficult to turn it on. The lamp itself is pretty old and needs an upgrade. Besides the lamp, I was also thinking of getting another television set for the guest room so the little kiddo could watch her cartoons there while the house help is cleaning the other rooms. There's so much things I want to do here in the house and sometimes I don't know where to start.

Medicare

The hubby has been complaining about his cough lately. I repeated instructed him to discontinue his bad habits and go to the doctor. He did went to the doctor but he needs to go back for follow up check ups. Good thing we had free family Medicare supplement insurance in the office which is a great help for us. Now we can go in and out of the clinic, free of charge, as long as it's covered. I hope he can visit the doctor anytime soon.

More birthdays coming up

I've been looking for a great place, something like a venue for birthdays and small gatherings because our dad's birthday is coming up. My mom suggested that we go else where, like a private lunch trip in Tagaytay but my dad insist that he invite his friends and jam and make some noise in the house hahaha. I hope mom would approve. Good thing all the party needs are listed in the directory list. So everything we need is just a phone call away. And oh! It's hubby's birthday also.

New pet

Mom and dad visited grandma last weekend and my dad called me asking if I want a Labrador puppy. Because my aunt's pet gave birth to a couple of cute puppies and they are trying to distribute them to the family. My dad was thinking of getting one so they can have a cute dog at my parent's house and I planning to get one myself because hubby's birthday is approaching and he loves pets especially dogs. I might as well order pet supplements for our new pet in the house.

Beach trip at last

I just booked us a flight to Davao this coming October and I'm very excited. At last, I'll be going to the beach soon. We'll be staying at my friend's house again, just like last year. So beach means swim suit, and swim suit means diet. Panic again! My sister was asking me to join her at the gym but I insist that I'd use the treadmill in the house for the mean time. Because going out for me is time consumable. So I'll be sticking with the house treadmill and a diet pill that works on the side. So I have 4 more weeks to go. I can do this!

Word FaQ

Is there a difference between “difficult” and “complicated”?

Difficulty is usually a measure of your endurance, your will, your fortitude and generally your commitment to following through on the task. These things are difficult, but simple:

Ø Run a marathon. Just put one foot in front of the other, for 26 miles straight.

Ø Lose weight. Eat less and exercise more than your base metabolism needs.

Difficult tasks have us fighting our impulses, our emotional needs, our desires and our limits.

Complication is a measure of the number of steps, components and elements involved in the problem. These things are complicated, but easy.

Ø Assembling a bicycle. Lots of little parts, but anyone who follows the instructions is fine…usually.

Ø Getting a Linux system running. Lots of steps, eh? But the instructions are well-documented online.

There are things that are *both*, but it's obvious that when something is one or the other, the reasons for why it will take a long time or be expensive are entirely different.

Special gift

Our youngest sister will be having her Birthday this coming Saturday. I promised her some booze for her small birthday get together this weekend but unfortunately, I can't make it because my vacation leave was denied on that day. But of course, the booze c/o myself will still be there. And besides the booze, I want to give her something special, like heart pendant jewelry or something she could use at work. I know I've been an annoying sister to her but it's just my way of showing love to my sister. Hmm.. I'm still thinking of another special gift option though.

WORD of the day

forgo/for-GO/; transitive verb

: to abstain from; to do without

Example sentences: As much as Liza wanted to forgo checking the modem and go straight to the line, she knew that it would be best to take the troubleshooting one step at a time.

“One song we will NOT forgo,” the singer promised, “is ‘Wild Horses’ by The Rolling Stones.”

Synonyms: forfeit, forsake, neglect, put aside, refrain from, sacrifice, waive.

Word FaQ

What is redundancy in writing (and speech)?

Redundancy refers to the use of language that can be eliminated without incurring a loss of meaning. Redundancy is the adding of words or phrases that add nothing to the overall meaning because their senses have already been expressed.

Redundancy in writing and speech usually comes from these sources:

1) Wordy phrases, for example: "in view of the fact that" instead of "since" or "because".

2) Employing obvious qualifiers when a word is implicit in the word it is modifying, such as "completely finish," e.g., If you have incompletely finished something, you haven't finished it at all.

3) Using two or more synonyms together, as in “We’re the greatest and best!"

We hear many phrases spoken each day that are redundant: same exact, advance planning, mix together, actual fact.

Word FaQ

When to assume and when to presume?

These two words are—ahem—assumed to be interchangeable in most contexts. There is, however, a subtle difference between them.

To presume is to hold your belief on the basis of external evidence.

Leanne presumed the network was down, as the fire had destroyed most of the building.

When you assume, you are supposing something to be the case, without the slightest bit of evidence or proof.

Someone told Leanne that there had been a fire; she assumed, then, that the network was down.

WORD of the day

repertroire/REP-er-twar/; noun

: a supply of skills or devices possessed by a person

Example usage: Imagine an English trainer getting a tech call; most of the issues discussed would be far behind his or her repertoire.

Other ways to say it: ability, capability, experience, range, repository, reserve, scope.

Best treatment

We finally convinced my other sister to go to the dermatologist two weeks ago. We were glad she did decide to go. I know her first was quite shocking because of the pain but I advised her that no pain no gain. That's what I thought when I underwent the same procedure few months back but seeing the results now makes me realize that I had the right choice. I wish my sister the same because the best acne treatment is just waiting for her in the clinic.

one week diet

I think I gain a few pounds back when the house help left us two weeks ago. I felt bad because all the hard work was wasted. But it was somewhat my fault because I was always eating out at canteens and resto since we don't have any house help to cook for us. Please don't call me lazy for not cooking. I'm a working mom and time has been my constant frustrations. Anyway, since we got house help now, I plan to start my treadmill routine tomorrow and take the best weight loss supplement I snagged from a friend. I hope I can loose the pounds I again with just one week left.

Mid week

It's mid week already and I'm adjusting to our house help these past few days. Thank God we found a new house help because one week of dragging the little kiddo at the parent's house after her class every morning is not advisable, especially if the weather is not good. The little kiddo even caught a cough and cold because of constant traveling. Been busy also lately because of work and I'm thinking a lot these days. I can't help but worry about my health and if it will affect my future. Oh well, I'll just keep on praying.

WORD of the day

cavalcade/kav-ul-KAYD/; noun

: Any dramatic sequence or procession; a series

Example Sentences: There was a cavalcade of errors throughout the network, which confused the entire team for awhile.

The cavalcade of motor vehicles up and down Quezon Avenue can sometimes be physically painful to see.

Did you know?

When "cavalcade" was first used in English, it meant "a horseback ride" or "a march or raid made on horseback.” From there came the "procession of riders" meaning and eventual applications to processions in a broader sense.

Work FaQ

Comparative Forms in English

Comparative and superlative forms are used to compare and contrast different objects in English.

Use the comparative forms to show the difference between two objects: New York is more dangerous than Seattle.

Use the superlative form when speaking about three or more objects to show which object is the most of anything: New York is the most dangerous city I’ve been to!

Here are a few little things to remember when constructing sentences using the comparative form.

For one syllable adjectives

Add er to the end of the adjective, like this:

Hot=hotter/cheap=cheaper/high=higher

For two syllable adjectives ending in “y”

Remove the “y” and add “ier”.

Happy=happier/funny=funnier

For Two, three, or more syllable adjectives

Place the word “more” before these adjectives.

Manila is more crowded than Baguio

This test will be more difficult than the previous one.

Now there are some exceptions to these rules. Aren’t there always? Have a look.

Do not use “gooder” or “more good” when using the comparative form of this word. Simply change it to “better”.

The same thing goes with the word “bad”. Use “worse” for the comparative form.

Wordless Wednesday

~ Rock on mommy! ~