Really disappointed that after training regularly  for the past few months for the Safra Quadthlon, Vinay decided to pull out. Seems like he has lost confidence in swimming in open waters after the tragic incident where someone died which swimming during Osim a couple of months ago. That's fine but i was peeved he decided only to tell us yesterday on the race pack collection day. I even sent an email asking if everyone's ready for the race last week. No wonder no greetings even when we meet in the pantry =\
Dun even have time to go collect the race pack as souvenir :(

Finally got my Tee! Got the spree organizer to send it to the office. That way, sure will get it and no comments from the man.



Might have watched too many Zombie Movies but I tot this is cool. The print is nice and bright but I hope it doesn't fade after washing.

It's Linchong birthday so we brought him to Bugis MoF for lunch. Ok, it wasn't very good. Service was pretty bad. The waiters seemed to have some attitude and ain't very well trained. Considering it's supposed to be a Japanese restaurant, it's pretty terrible. The food was also subpar. The curry is diluted and the 2 ice-cream desserts reached us partially melted. Must have been left standing there for sometime before being served. Bleah...

Bought the Faceshop Raspberry Roots Sleeping Mask on our way back. Sneaked and tried a couple of times when Hui was away in US. Think it made my face softer heheh...anyway the smell is really nice. Wanna see how it works over a longer period.

It's a blue blue day again...time seems to crawl and i don't feel like I was conscious at all between 2 to 3...This is despite the fact I forced myself to sleep early last nite...0045 instead of the norm at 0200 on most sunday nights. Maybe I'm lacking in some nutrition that is resulting in this lack of attention and energy. Just realised I stopped taking vitamin pills for many months. Time to take them again.

Trying out the blog posting function via email with the new phone. This is cool. That means i can blog whatever comes to my head anytime especially on the bus though i paranoid that ppl will see what i'm typing since i have seen others' too.

On a plus after the whole day, I finally got my new phone after months of consideration. A Nokia E75. Was waiting for E72 but it's not due till Oct so i need a standin. Hope the E75 can fetch a reasonable price at the end of the year so I can trade in for a E72 if it proofs to be good.

Rushed home cause I don't want a repeat of the starhub modem debacle last month when the delivery guy turned up at 1800 even though I specifically told the guy to deliver only after 1900. Made the man at home jumpy when I didn't realise he called. Luckily I got Hui's call and just ask her to take the modem and ask the guy to leave or else he will try to fix it incurring installation cost.

The phone guy is better and called me up in the afternoon to inform me he's coming and I reminded him. He turned up at almost 1930. I didn't really test it so I hope everything's ok with the phone. Still playing around and getting used to using a qwerty keypad. A bit heavier and chunkier than my old E65 but definitely better than having a N97 or iphone in my pocket. Hope I learn to use most of the functions.

Felt horrible and couldn't sleep well...just because I saw something in Facebook just before I shut off the PC last night..Ashley is in a relationship with Melvin. I didn't even know the two are in contact. Well, either I'm soo damn blind or their underground is deeper than the tunnel beneath my block. I just can't help thinking, when did it all started? And probably I'm the very last person to find out about it.

It only got worse that for the 2nd night running, I have to get up in the middle of the night to close the window due to the rain and that made me think of it all over again when I got back into bed. I'm prone to such negative thinking and it tends to get me down. I engrossed myself in work today despite a headache and a heartache and took it out my frustrations on Sylvia...in my head of cos. OMG...her EQ is so damn low. She thinks I kept walking around cause I got nothing to do! I dunno why she keeps talking to me. I might be bias and once someone gets into yr bad books, no matter what s/he says, it lost a lot of good will.

Anyhow, though I still feel the squeeze in my chest, I'm in no position to con't thinking about it. Both are my friends and I should be happy for both of them. I didn't know what transpire these few months and it's best I never know. Maybe I'm just upset I was absolutely clueless.
I also felt bad that after the last time I saw Ashley, I didn't behave like a friend.It might be for the better. I liked her the 1st time I saw her when she came for the interview and got all giddy hoping that she gets the job and i will get to know her better. I got my wish but no thanks to all my silly wishy washy character, it's the end too.

Been spending more time on it since I'm will by doing the 20km cycling leg of the Safra Quadathlon relay which I signed up along wit some colleagues. Bipin[Vinay's fren(12km skate)] > Vinay > 500m swim > 20km cycle > 6km run. Want to turn in a decent timing since my leg should be the 2nd longest in terms of time taken. I wonder if the 12km skate will take at least 1hr?

I tried going 20km on the training yesterday and I took almost exactly 1hr. How much easier is it without the resistance from the trainer? I think I will at most be 3km/hr faster on the road so I might be averaging 25km/hr. Wonder if I can raise my average speed up by 2-3km/h by Oct.

Some pictures of the bike.



I bought a new saddle on last Wed but only mounted it after I took the above photos so the above photos be the "stock bike" photos minus the aerobars I bought last month with Yinz. The ISM Adamo saddles got pretty good reviews for preventing numbness in the balls area so I thought I gave it a try. Bought it at The Bike Boutique for $185 and in red cause I am hoping to change the handlebar wraps as wells as add wraps to the aerobars in red. If only there's pedals in red then all my body contact points with the bike will be red. It should look nice. I even addeda red bottle cage. Now, if I can afford a good wheelset with metallic red rims and hubs hohoho...

Anyway, here are the pics of the ISM Adamo Road saddle.

I would have preferred it without the strips or if the strips are of darker shade and apparently, the stripes will fade with use...
There's a release of new design in solid colour schemes but no red!

I have used it for yesterday's 1hr spin and I really didn't get the usual numbing of the nether region. Instead, it's been replaced by pain along the bony area of the groin to the sit bones where the 2 padded rails are in contact with. I read and also told that this will go away after the body is broken in/adapted to the saddle. Usually, it should be the other way right? I will see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, I will sell it and buy either a Fizik Tri 2 saddle or Specialized Toupe. Too bad there isn't anywhere in Singapore that lets customers try the saddles first.

So sad...no travelling this year again. This is a choice I made on my own as I swore after the last Taiwan trip in '06 that I won't join couples on a trip if I'm alone. This time, another Taiwan trip in late Nov and most likely covering the same places I went the previous round so nothing new and with only 3 couples, I think I will feel even worse that the last time.

Regretted not going Thailand earlier this year but I wanted to go with Ashley at that time. In the end, all comes down to naught.

Lately, I have been blogging about my dreams quite frequently but today's takes the cake. Seems like I have been 'running' around all over bare butt and hanging loose. 1/2 the time, I was figuring how to hide my...massive...anatomy =Þ

Not sure what triggered this but i was reading Runner's World at Borders last night and there's an article on this Nike Ad I embedded below. I saw this before a couple of months back. Maybe it just refreshed my memory as it's really...refreshing :)

Strange dream this morning...again. Dreamt of my ex-colleagues at I 2 R and it seems that I have changed jobs and gone back. When I woke up, it took me a while to figure out where should I work now. I can somehow relate to some metally confused people who have lost their ability to differenciate reality and the dream world. Sometimes, it's just so real and emotions coming through so strongly. Yesterday, I mentioned that dreams might be a reflection of our subconcious but i'm pretty sure I have not thought of I 2 R for a very long time.

Finally cleared the stack of Cleo magazines I have been using as a clothes stand for the past 5-6 years. Slightly sprained my right wrist again just holding 5-6 volumes at a time packing them into plastic bags so I can haul them to the paper recycle bin over the next few days. The room looks more spacious now. The old chair shall now take ita place to hold the clothes after laundry before packing them into the wardrobes.

Addicted to Xian Jian 3...watched again for the whole day and night and didn't get to spin my bike all weekend...tsk tsk. I'm definitely a machoist. So heart wrenching yet wish it doesn't end. It's basically a Chiong Yao disguised as a Wuxia story. I dunno any other shows with so many tragic romance arcs.

"Running" a 仙劍奇俠傳三 marathon...been watching the entire afternoon and night. I dunno why all the Hu Ge shows I watched has a bevvy of good looking girls surrounding him. Even though it's supposed to be a wuxia show, i always ended up teary. Too many romance arcs in the plot and seldom isit a happy one.

Reminds me of the dream I had this morning. I dreamt that I met Gladys...the details are fuzzy as all dreams after one wakes up. Somehow, shewhy we ended up holding hands and she removed my ring and slipped hers onto my finger. Even remembered i commented it's too small and wore it on my little finger. After wandering around this building tt looked like a grand and old style hotel, i lost sight of her and hunted all over for her but never did till I woke up. I can't remember much else but my heart ached...as if I lost something important.

Are dreams a reflection of the unconcious mind? I bumped into her on Tuesday just outside the Flyer while running with the usual group. Guzen or hitsuzen?

The ball of my right foot is swollen from the run. I think the cushioning from the Adizero Mana is not enough for my weight or either that, my feet is not used to mid/forefoot strikes. Each foot has its own unique problem. Right foot hurts at the bottom but left foot hurts at the top. Strange huh. I should see a doctor over this but I dun wanna increase the risk of catching H1N1 in a clinic after 3 deaths as of yesterday and the stats of ½ of the flu patients have H1N1. Took leave this morning so my feet got more time to rest and reduce the swelling.

 

I will try one more week with the Adizero and if the problem still persists, I’m switching back to the Kayano. If only I can spurge on one of the shoes from Newton Running which supposedly have better cushioning in the forefoot but their prices are insane and not even sure they work. I refuse to spend more than $200 for a pair of mass produced shoes. The Kayano which was like $198 when I bought is considered my maximum limit.

Got free movie tickets also hard to find partner to go with. I asked Yinz, Grace, Stef, Youwen, Ash, Sue and Ryan before Khiat accepted. Haizz. I guess most people are busy on a Tuesday evening.

We were sitting in the 3rd row from the front. There's plenty of gunfire and really loud that I felt like I was at a range and I had to stick my fingers into my ear so they won't hurt. The shot wounds look real and not like as if they just get splattered by red paint. I guess I didn't really like songs from that era and everything look so drab. All buildings are in shades of grey and all cars are black no thanks to Henry(Ford). Worse of all, no good looking women except for Polly(Leelee Sobieski), a very minor character in the ending portion of the show.

Videography was horrible with handheld camera  so up close it reminds me of Cloverfield making me disoriented. Character development was also poor with all focus only on John Delilliger(Johnny Depp) yet it doesn't show why he's popular with the masses. He was supposedly some sort of Robin Hood in real history. There were some bits of humor especially the part where the gang were in a cinema and their wanted mugshots appeared. The audience were asked to look to the right and left and warned that these criminals might just be seated amidst and they just look past them all. Good example of looking without seeing.
Overall, I rate 6/10.

Rushed off at 6 sharp to meet Yinz. Arranged with her to go 3T bike shop in Siglap. She wanted to get gloves while I wanted to get…well, a whole list of stuff. Caught a bus and got there right before closing time which is at 1900hr. Since she just bought her bike there, they still recognized her so they kept the shop open for us. It’s business courtesy to remember someone who spent 5k in your shop just a week ago but lucky them too, they made more money thanks to us…especially me. I had my intent on the Profile Design Jammer GT but there’s no stock so the guy showed me the T1+ aerobar which is a recent release and I just took it without much consideration. Thank goodness there’s nary a price difference from the quotes online. I also got a front light and a bottle cage. Implusive but I told myself, I will get on the road again and I will require them all. Yinz said she’s shocked at my spurge but happy for me. She didn’t think I was serious and tot I only wanna look look see see.

 

We got our goodies and decided to go Aston’s Specialties. I heard of it long time back since they started but never had the opportunity to come down all the way to Katong just to eat. While on the bus, I asked Yinz if she’s free next Tuesday as I gotten the M1 perks tics for Public Enemies. She gave me this dirty look and asked if that is to be a date. I was dumbfounded. I wanted to ask, define date, but what the hell and just said ya… Then she said no, she doesn’t watch movies with guys as it gives them the wrong idea. Ok… I would probably have gone on and on but stopped there cos we are in the freaking bus and the woman(and god knows who else) next to Yinz was most probably eavesdropping and laughing to herself. Yinz has always been very straightforward person…part of her charm yet sometimes, wrong time at the wrong place. But this time, it’s my fault for asking in the bus despite knowing how she’s like. I must be a sucker for punishment knowing fairly well where this will lead to after all these years. Still, I’m disappointed with her reaction after knowing each other for more than 15years.

 

When we got off the bus, she started on a parable of a guy that was after her, telling me how hard he tried and she didn’t like it cos he thinks there should be an ROI which is her being his gf. I was kinda rolling my eyes as she told me this cos it’s so weird especially the parts where she asked me why do guys have to find gfs and that she prefers to hang out with married men with wives who will not think too much. I think I was silent this entire time cos I really do not know how to reply.

 

We finally got to Aston Specialties after missing the first stop. There’s a long queue outside when we got there. Thankfully, the couple in front of us gave up and left so we saved another 5min. It’s all about timing. We were like 4^th in line but after a while, there must be another 5 parties behind us. The place inside is cramp especially if u get the 2 person table. Best to get the booths. Furniture’s worn. The food is decent…except for the fact that mine is barely warm. I can’t ask to reheat cos my steak would have been overcooked. L The only thing that made it up is the crowd. There was a bunch of RJ girls…uber cute! Can’t help turning around to look when they walked past me to the loo. There was another uber cute girl sitting diagonally to me. She kept looking at me or isit because I was looking at her? I might have started a cycle. I look, she look back and I turn away. Noticed she’s looking again so I turn to look back…haha. Anyway, price wise, it’s relatively cheap. My bill totaled $32+…alright for 2 steaks. It might have been better if my food was piping hot.

I was kind of disappointed with JC for a week then I realised, why am I getting worked up over such a small thing. She don't owe me anything. Poor excuses aside, I effectively cleared my debt owed to her for whatever she did for my birthday.

On a more joyous note, I congratulate my buddy, Felix, on finally getting attached last week after 33years of his life. One less kaki to jio out but I as well as everyone else are happy for him. Maybe he will finally grow up and be more responsible towards another human being. Virgin couple! Tough to find so let's see how they "discover" one another. Haha. Hope he doesn't mess it up with all his gungho antics.

Another good news is another old fren, Junping announced his wedding dates! Kind of a surprise yet thinking back, 2010 was the forecasted year for him to settle down though that was with a different girl 3yrs ago. Looking around me, most of my peers are married or at least taking a step towards that stage.

Always wanted to update this blog but after thinking and remembering all the bad things, also sian to continue. Okok, i was lazy too. I will try to update regularly again and fill in some gaps. Dun think anyone I know reads this so maybe I should just shoot my mouth and scold ppl haha.

Oh, last note to throw in...there seems to be a dyke bbq party being thrown hurhur.

I wonder where we are heading. To answer my own question, maybe nowhere. Its those awkward silences at times. In the bus or train and on the phone. I'm always the one doing the contacting. If I don't, I guess I might never hear from her again. At times, I just put it down as that she's just plain lazy to get out of the house but after sometime, I think she's just not interested in me and just going with the flow. Always the ok lor attitude resulting in nothing more than a platonic friendship. Going out together just for the sake of companionship and no further. I guess I have to clear things up with her and really hear what going through her mind.

The lure of home is strong but Melvin and I resisted the temptation to go home and went for a run. The fact that by six, most of the office has already gone home. There's a persistant strong headwind all the way except for the area under the Flyer on the way back where the wind helps to push us along.

Still a little niggy pain below my right knee. Hope its really not IT band symdrome like what I told Sharon last week. Last Wed was really quite pain even when I walk. Quite surprising when there's no problem for the past year. Must be all the inactivity over theXmas season and suddenly back to run at a fast pace. Urgh...Where's all the Royce ice packaging in the fridge when you need them!

Went down to Ikea last Friday with Hui to look for a chair for my room. Took a look at mattresses opposite the road at Alexandra village and thought there's one that's pretty decent but decided to check online. Really cheaper online but decided to put the mattress purchase on hold as I have really spent too much this month.

Found this decent looking leather but I was unwilling to spend $40 on delivery so I got my dear sister to get her bf's van. Met Peng & Agnes at Ikea too getting arms for their chair bought previously as the arms were out of stock for months -___-"

Anyway, Hui bought and hauled it home for me yesterday night...3 cheers for my dear sister especially when she said no when I asked her for her bank account so I can transfer the money to her...but I am still going to pay her.

The sad thing now is when I assembled the seat earlier, I found out that one of the screw holes is faulty! The screw thread cannot catch and go in. Everything is up leaving only the backrest unable to be fitted on. URGH!! I have to call Ikea tomorrow to check if I can change just the backrest alone as I do not relish having either myself or my sis to bring the entire setup back to Ikea.