So, today I woke up with the quesion, Why do we sleep?

Well, of course, scientist haven't been able to answer that question. It is believed that it is to recover from a day's full of work. Recover whatever energy we might have lost...lets the body fight of viruses and diseases better...help to learn more...etc.

PBS aired a program back in 2002 about the functions of the brain through out the human life.
 
Their last episode was about The Aging Brain and they talked about Alzheimer.
They mentioned that at the moment there were some researchers studying a Vaccine (AN-1792) for it. I was like, wow! That would be so cool! I wonder what happened? I mean, this was almost 4 years ago and nothing new has come out. So I did some research. Well, unfortunately the trial was terminated since some patients experienced central nervous system (CNS) inflammation; a very serious illness. They still say that they were able to collect a lot of useful data.  Let's hope that they were is some form of track.

I just saw from another blog a link to a new website for the Food Pyramid. I am a firm believer that if you stick to the Food Pyramid and do regular excercise, you will lose weight and stay healthy (not that I myself follow this but I like to think this is my motivation).

This new Food Pyramid is based on a more personal approach. Enter your age, sex and amount of regular excercise you do and it will tell you how your pyramid looks like.

Go check it out!

So, I had a one-hour massage today. I don't know what it is, but I wish I can fall asleep during a massage. This is the third time I get a massage and alas, I still can't seem to fall asleep. Today's massage was not so bad. It's called a Qi-gong Tuina Massage and I got here in Z&Z Herbal Spa . The only thing was that the guy sometimes put a little too much pressure and it bothered me more than it should. I told him about two times, a little less pressure. I won't give up on this place. The prices are not that bad. I'll try it once more. If I have a bad experience again, then I guess I shall find a new place for massages.

I finished my Sanctuary puzzle last night. It is a 550 piece puzzle. Not that complicated.The thing about this puzzle is that I bought it last July. And I came to finish it 8-9 months later. I can really say that I finished it in three weeks because all I had setup 3 weeks ago was the outside border. I took pictures of it last night and I want to frame it and place it over my fireplace.

I'll try to put pictures up ASAP.

Well, this was certainly a most relaxing night. There is nothing better than running a bath and just totally pamper yourself for an hour or two.

I really started enjoying baths over a year ago when I was in Rhode Island. Just run the tub, fill it with lots and lots of bubbles. A girl can then do her nails or wash her hair while listening to some nice music with candles alight.

Man, that is soo awesome and relaxing. Since I got here, it has been too few a times where I can actually use my tub.

I should definitely try it more often. And ladies, you should try it too!!!

So, it happened once again...I got sick with the flu. It seems like I didn't get well enough from the last time I got sick and the lack of rest since then has not helped. When I am stressed out, my immune system goes down as well. So, if I'm on that verge of being okay and being sick, I will get sick.

Because I got sick so soon I decided this time to go to the doctor. Perhaps they can prescribe something better. And what did they subscribe? A cough medicine....

How much I dislike cough medicines...they taste SOOO nasty. Just like Dr. Pepper (that's right Big-C, you heard me!). I have learned over time how to tolerate the taste enough so it can go down my throat without me puking...

1. Don't breathe...or if I have to breath, do it by the mouth. For some reason, that eliminates the taste greatly.
2. Drink water...I discovered this one time that I didn't have juice or anything else to drink down the medicine with. And for some weird reason, water nullifies a bit the taste. In just a few sips, the after taste is almost gone.

I asked my future sister in law (she is studying medicine and her dad is a doctor) why can't they make cough medicines taste good. She said that the chemicals that can be used to give taste cancels out the active ingredients in cough medicine that help "cure" the person. So, it will never happen. Man, I was soooo sad to hear that...

In a weird related note, when I was in elementary school in NYC, they would gives us little classes about health and stuff. On one of these, they were talking about AIDS. This was one of the first times I have heard about it. So, the way that they wanted to show us the information was through an animated video. All I can remember was the following scene;

You blood cells are like an army that go and do battle with the viruses that come into your body.

Then you hear this little song while the blood cells are going "into battle" saying: DEFENSE! DEFENSE!

Hehehehe, it always makes me laugh to think that my blood cells right now are saying war cries like: DEFENSE! DEFENSE!

Go blood cells go!

I got sick...3 days with the flu and counting.

Now, I don't get a cold usually. That by the way, what IS the difference between the cold and the flu?

I think one of them is that with the flu you are very weak. And there's not a lot of coughing involved. At least, that is the difference I have.

The bad thing about this is that the world doesn't stop if you are sick. Work continues on...people continue on. Man, it was nice to be sick when you were younger. Your parents were there to help you. To make you Lipton soup...or give you lemon juice with honey from fresh lemons from the backyard.

Now that I am by myself, I have to do everything.  No one to añoñarte...

I hate stress..don't you? Here I am, after working a hell of a weekend, taking a Monday night off. So, I can perhaps rest and sleep. I can just feel my nose and throat ticlking. I am going to get sick..and it's because of the lack of sleep...and it's because of stress.

Stress hits me in various ways. I think one of the worst things it does to me is not permit me to sleep. My mind is at this constant state of being awake. And when my mind is awake, it doesn't let me sleep. It keeps thinking, and thinking, and thinking...oh, just doesn't know when to give it a rest. If you people think I talk to much, you should be thanking the heavens that you don't have to live with my mind.

It keeps thinking about the things that are giving me stress...work and personal things. I actually went to bed today at 10:30 pm!!! That is like mega early for me. What time is it now? 1 am! And what have I slept? Nothing!

Then I keep thinking, because I have not rested today, I will be tired tomorrow. And then tomorrow, I have stuff to do. So, I can't take the night off. So, that gives me more stress and more reason for my mind to stay awake. How come the mind doesn't respond to the exhaustion the rest of my body has?

Yeap, just felt my throat now...I am definitely going to get sick...Ugh! This sucks...

Hope you guys and gals had a better night than I did...

I was walking through the lobby of my building today and I got this immense feeling of shortness. It was like, wow! I feel very close to the ground today.

I know, I know, I am that close to the ground, but somedays (especially when I wear my 3" heel boots) I feel sort of tall. Well, that is until I hang out with Mando, Elfred and René..or Cody, Reshma and Eric (which Reshma is the shortest of them all and she is 5' 10"). Then I feel short as well.

But normally, I am comfortable with my height. Until moments like these...I also have sneakers today. So, there isn't much height in there.

What is a short girl going to do...Could it be that I am shrinking???? NNNOOO!!!!!

When do people reach that turning point where they undertake physical activity then the next day their muscles are so stiff that they can barely walk?

Man, I can remember being a little girl (in age BTW, 'cause I know in height I'm still little ) where I could just play for hours and not be bothered by the physical acitivity.

I found something of this sort about 3 1/2 years ago. I was with my college dance group at a vacation spot for the weeked. Another girl and I decided to go on the swings for a while. Man! I used to love swings when I was younger. So, I start swinging. After 1/2 hour, my legs where burning. I had not realized until then all of the strength and strain one puts on one's legs when swinging. When you are a little kid, that is something just so natural that you notice what you are putting your muscles through.

Well, a co-worker who was by my office dropped by today and told me, you know, you are really a happy person. I'm going to come into your office everyday for like 10 minutes to get energized.

I have received comments like these through out my whole life. One of the latests I heard was that I was bubbly. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

I don't know, I just think, if you are going to be in a default mood, why not be happy and then try to spread that out to the rest of the world. Perhaps it will be a better place if we were all by default happy.

What do you think?

My mom's and sister's xmas present from me was an afternoon at the spa. Let me just say, WOW!

We had a manicure, pedicure and massage. Plus, as a bonus we were able to use the sauna for a while as well. What an experience.

Really, having a pampering afternoon helps you relax, and feel good about yourself. Not only do you learn new beauty tips, you also make your body and mind feel good. You treat yourself right. You also look and feel more beautiful. I think I'm going to try and do this more often.

My only downside are the nails. I'm not used to paiting my nails and I'm too hyper to wait for the nails to dry. So, as nails do, they got a little damaged. It's okay. The color in my nails starts to chip in a couple of days, so they weren't going to last a long time anyhow. It was worth a try...

I also got to enjoy an afternoon with my mom and sister whom I love very much. And I know that my sister and mom left there feeling like new. And that was the whole purpose of the present.

So, I was putting on lotion on Wednesday, when that dreaded moment happened...no lotion came out with the next pump!

NNOOO!!! That means, that my lotion is soon to finish. I will have now did for it in the bottle. The problem is, I can't find my lotion in stores anymore. Did they discontinue it? I hope not!

The lotion is by Caress: Shimmering lotion (or something like that). This is sad, very sad indeed.

On another note, I looked at my nails this morning and what I saw was not good. I need a manicure. Now, this is big for me because I still have a little of my tomboy in me and well, nails isn't (or wasn't) such a big deal for me. But now, I can't stop looking at them and I keep thinking that they can look better. I never knew I was going to be capable of saying this...