To the gym!! to the gym!!!

I had stopped going to the gym for almost 16 months. Sure - I had loads of excuses - work related travel being the prime one. It was like 3 weeks out of the country and 1 week back almost every month. On top of that I had sprained my left foot such that the Achilles tendon acts up once in a while. Doctor claimed that it was an inflamed tendinitis. Medication did not really help. So I can be walking alright one moment and hobbling the next. I would have to stretch my heel against a wall to get it okay again. So I quit the gym since I could not use it for one reason or another.

I guess they missed my money (not me really), and they made me an offer in the last 3 days of Jan. Come back, all is forgiven. Just pay monthly fees. No additional fees. Heck - I knew I was packing in the pounds (or kilos) since stopping. With my new job, travel will be a lot less. So what the heck, let me go back and try to get sub 100 kg again.

Mandy, the fitness consultant who attended to me was adamant that she could not reduce the monthly charges. Not unless I was her husband. Then it would be RM90 per month. I told her - okay, let's get hitch that day, sign up and I'll divorce her the next day (after getting what's due as the husband!!). It was worth a try!!. It also reinforced what someone else had told me about the way I looked or how people perceive me. Apparently I look all serious and stern (that's what Mandy said) when I first meet up with strangers. Within 5 to 10 minutes, they realize that I am really a pussycat who can joke. I was putty in her hands. So no surprises, I signed up.

Today, I went in for my first session to re-familiarize myself with the workout instruments. I manage to put in 15 minutes on the cross trainer at level 8 and an average 120 spm (speed per minute?). 10 more minutes on the treadmill at 5.5km/hr. I stopped at 10 mins because I felt a slight cramp creeping up on my calf muscle. Long time no brisk walk - that's why. I even managed to row 2000m on the rower.

As today was the first session, I did not want to overdo it. So I cooled down and went home.Starting stats:
- Weight 114kg (ouch)
- target weight 96 kg by end December 2008.
- Methods include giving up the group breakfast during office hours at the risk of being anti social. No indulging in the company provided breakfast in the morning. Lunch with the group limited to once a week ( 2 max under special circumstances like overseas visitors).

I have at least one auditor to make sure I keep to this. Ian - do your stuff

Bus Crash no more - sign the online petition

Recently, there was a brush crash near Slim River which robbed 3 people of their lives. The worst part of the whole incident is that the driver has multiple traffic summons issued against him.

There is an online effort to get people to sign a petition. Please see this link at Zorro Unmasked for a pretty good write up - http://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com/2008/02/three-lives-snuffed-out-no-prosecution.html

Go to this site to sign the petition - http://buscrashnomore.blogspot.com/ . I first got to know of this petition from my friend's daughter's blog - and she was in New York at that time! I have signed as no.954.

Do your part and sign this petition. If it can prevent one more needless death, you have done your part.

God Bless and have a prayerful Chinese New Year.

Looks like no new car for Chinese new year

Called Toyota Motors to get a status on the Camry that I had ordered 5 months ago

TM: Sir, the car has arrived at the port, but we do not have a status at this time

Me: I had asked the Toyota Merit team to ensure that I get a car manufactured in 2008. Can you confirm that?

TM: er..our record shows it is a 2007 car

Me: In that case, I'll wait for the 2008 car. I have waited for 5 months, what is another couple of months.

TM: I'll check on this and let you know. Can I have your phone contact please.

And that was yesterday. Till today no one from Toyota has called up.

So looks like no new car for CNY.

Darn!!!

Body Snatchers in Malaysia

Normally, I will refrain from blogging on politics or religions. But today, on Jeff Ooi's blog, he had an extensive writeup on another case of Muslims snatching the corpse of another allegedly converted deceased man.

See http://www.jeffooi.com/2008/01/gan_eng_gor.php#more for the details.

My personal opinion is that they are trying to grab as many non Muslim dead bodies as possible to get at their assets. They already had success with the case of a converted fireman in one of the southern states. When an allegedly converted Muslim passes away and his family is not Muslims, ALL his assets goes to the Muslim bodies and the non Muslim family gets NOTHING.

If I should pass away and anyone makes a claim that I had converted, use this blog as proof that I
- never converted to be a Muslim
- have no intention of converting to Islam
- and they have no rights over my dead body or assets. The assets that I leave behind are for my immediate family (Mother, Wife and Son) and my God Daughter.

Hands OFF!!

Happiness is when the ice is broken

By a simple "hi", the ice broke on the evening of 19th Jan. Dare I hope that the thawing will accelerate and be back to normal soon??