Camsdcute’s Lair

Last Sunday, we went to a gym for a one hour session. I don’t have a personal trainer but was lucky enough that one resident instructor is helping me in the proper usage of the equipments and the correct execution of some exercises.

One exercise that was taught is stomach crunching. As per the instructor, this works better compared to sit-ups in terms of helping in stomach weight loss. There are two ways to do this. One is by doing what seems to be a half sit-up by lying flat and raising your upper body without your head or elbow touching your knees. The second way is exactly the opposite. You have to lay flat, extend your arms on the floor and then raise the lower part of the body. Three sets of 15-count repetitions every other day is what you need to do.

I guess it’s worth the try.

Yahoo just published 18 tricks to help improve memory. Out of those eighteen, I personally chose some that I strongly recommend. I actually practice this four steps at some point when I want to memorize or try to remember anything – from names of people, titles of books or films, some new information and more.

1. Pay attention. When you’re introduced to someone, really listen to the person’s name. Then, to get a better grasp, picture the spelling. Ask, “Is that Kathy with a K or a C?” Make a remark about the name to help lock it in (“Oh, Carpenter — that was my childhood best friend’s last name”), and use the name a few times during the conversation and when you say goodbye.

3. Create memorable associations. Picture Joe Everett standing atop Mount Everest. If you want to remember that Erin Curtis is the CEO of an architectural firm, imagine her curtsying in front of a large building, suggests Gini Graham Scott, PhD, author of 30 Days to a More Powerful Memory.

4. Cheat a little. Supplement these tips with some more concrete actions. When you get a business card, after the meeting, jot down a few notes on the back of the card (“red glasses, lives in Springfield, went to my alma mater”) to help you out when you need a reminder.

15. Practice your ABCs. Say you just can’t remember the name of that movie. Recite the alphabet (aloud or in your head). When you get to the letter R, it should trigger the name that’s escaping you: Ratatouille. This trick works when taking tests too

Source: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/workingwomen/18-memory-tricks-you-need-to-know-1750663/

These steps may not be as effective as some best weight loss supplements, but practicing it will eventually help. It may take some time for you this to be part of your ritual, but if done frequently these will eventually be a habit.

Serena Williams just claimed this year’s Wimbledon Women’s Singles title by defeating Russian Vera Zvonareva in straight sets. This is her 4th Wimbledon Title and her 13th Grand Slam.

Up next: The Men’s Finals will be between Nadal and Berdych. Berdych was responsible of upsetting Roger Federer in the Quarterfinals.

I personally watched Nadal’s win over Petzschner. At some point, Rafa called for his trainer to attend to his injuries and these extended rests may have caused Petzschner’s momentum to slow down. Federer on the other hand mentioned about some injuries that could have been a factor in his defeat from the hands of Berdych. These athletes may not need health savings accounts, but their health issues may signal a change of dominance in the sport in the upcoming years.

After victories over the lone African country Ghana and the favorite Brazil, Uruguay and Netherlands will face of in one of semis matches. Teams for the other half is yet to be determined as Argentina and Germany will face-off, as well as Paraguay and Spain.

Here’s how the matches looks like as of now:

The defeat of Brazil just exposed the weakness of powerhouse football countries. While some countries were a big surprise, other countries that were expected to reach higher rankings were a disappointment.

The tournament was a venue for unexpected outcomes. First was France who just imploded as they can’t resolve internal issues. Then came Italy whose campaign might be considered lackluster. These teams seems to be like safe effective diet pills who unfortunately, did not click. They may be good on paper and in other tournaments, but they were beaten be better teams.

Last weekend, we attended another lovely wedding. It’s definitely one of the memories that we’ll cherish as it’s one of my favorites. Overall, the wedding was well-organized from the ceremony to the reception – especially the games.

The event actually paved the way to a mini-reunion with my former officemates since we rarely have the chance to get together. This one was special because it’s out of town, so we had more time to be together. The four day trip was enough for us to catch up and tell stories.

Again, congratulations to Mich and James!

Up next: Another Baguio Wedding for Karon & Wayne.

PS. We’re lucky enough to bring home a unique wedding party gift from the couples. Thanks for the tokens!

A day in advance, I’m writing this to greet all the fathers out there – particularly to my father and my father-in-law. My husband is not yet one as of now, but we’re planning to be parents soon. Hopefully, on the next father’s day, I’ll be able to formally greet him as well.

For those looking for a gift for their dads, there are father’s day sale both online and at different shops. You just have to do some work on choosing the perfect gift for a special person in your life.

Happy Father’s Day!

If you’re one of those addicted to Zynga’s Treasure Isles in Facebook, then by now you should have known about the mysterious egg – and you’re probably searching how to hatch it. Some hints will point you to the fire god mountain. Some forums will say that it’s a phoenix egg that if hatched, will take you to the said mountain.

Right now, nobody has the right answer. We only have hints/clues. Soon, the answer might be known faster than apidexin’s effects. Hopefully, we’ll get to know more information in the coming weeks.

We received a package last weekend wrapped in an envelope. It looked very familiar to the point that I had some bad feelings about it. True enough, it’s one of the wedding invitations that we mailed to our families overseas. This was supposed to be sent to my grandmother, uncles and aunts in Australia but was sent back to us. No wonder that they did not mention anything about the invitation whenever we talked over the phone. Nonetheless, we appreciate that even if they were not able to celebrate with us during our wedding, they sent us some gifts and warm messages.

This game Treasure Isle by Zynga was launched on April 1, 2010. Since then the number of Facebook users playing this game rocketed into millions.  If you’re currently using facebook apps and are waiting for exit signs to stop and consider other games, you might want to check on this.

I’ve started playing it only in June 2010 and I was hooked. Midway, I had a problem. I can’t complete the Tiki Atoll map even if every square has been dug up. It always says 78% complete. At first I tried to revisit it after a few days and I tried to walk on every area just to make sure that I have covered the entire map. Nothing happened. After another day, I searched it again in Google to check if there are other users experiencing this problem. As I was expecting, there were so many players complaining about this bug and they’re disappointed that no one is fixing the problem.

Another problem is that I can’t seem to find the Rain God in the Tiki Statues set.

I went to Zynga Customer Support site and reported the two problems. I wasn’t expecting any response because only a few companies give importance to user complaints via website, especially here in the Philippines including Government agencies (I tried it many times and I haven’t got a feedback)

After a few minutes, I received a reply through e-mail. I was really surprised and pleased because they took it seriously. They apologized for the bug and thanked me for bringing the problem to their attention. They have fixed my completion for the Tiki Atoll island and it is now 100% complete. They also gave me the Rain God which is a rare treasure in this game.

To add to these, they credited 1000 coins to my account for each problem. In total, they gave me 2000 coins and the Rain God as a bonus.

Good job Zynga! You deserve to be the number 1 game publisher in Facebook! I will definitely playing your games because you made one customer happy – and it’s me :)

For more than a month now, we haven’t been able to visit the gym due to several reasons. We usually go home late at night because of work, and we seldom do heavy activities in the morning. For the past two weekends, we spent the whole time with our brothers and sisters who came over for a visit.

Despite this, I’m still urging my husband to visit the gym and check on some best fat burning exercises. I just observed that he’s getting slowly gaining weight and that he should prioritize maintaining the right weight. As for me, I’ll hit the gym soon – in the next two weeks.