Sketches of Life|Life Lived in Simplicity

This guest post from Mickey Garza

We just got our Expert Satellite TV set up and I am loving it! A few years ago we had turned off our cable to save money so that I could be a stay-at-home mom. We had decided that it was more important for me to be home with the kids while they are young and that if we had to have a few sacrifices it was worth it. When we sat down to make a list of what we could cut from our budget, TV was at the top of the list. Well, my husband got a promotion last month and we are adding satellite TV to our lives! I am loving all the channels and the ability to watch all these shows and sitcoms that all my friends are always talking about! They have been talking about this show The Walking Dead. It sounded crazy hearing it from them. I mean, who wants to watch a show about zombies? I watched the other night and I actually like it! My friends will be so proud of me!

My hubby loves watching Korean drama because of their pretty and sweet actresses. Recently, he got me to join him watching Baby Faced Beauty on Direct TV that made me all emotional and softy. I cried so much watching Episode 11. I got hooked to it due to the suspense and drama. Now, I am a Korean drama addict too! I can’t wait for Episode 12.

When I am too engrossed watching the Korean drama, even my children’s call I can’t hear. This is dangerous eh. What if someone breaks into the house while I’m watching the Korean drama? What if someone kidnap my children during that time too? I better call the home security sierravista to check their home security system package. I can watch my favorite Korean drama with a peace of mind that my home and my children is safe.

After 3 years living without any LocalTV-Satellite, it is now back in our home. I canceled it last time because I hardly have time to watch TV due to my clingy son and hubby was busy with his newly found business. Furthermore, we started living on single income and we have to reduce expenses that is unnecessary.

Thanks to God’s blessing on hubby’s business and also thanks to the TV antenna that is not working, we subscribed to Direct TV again. I was not so keen to have it back into our home because I do not want my children to be glued to the idiot box but we pitied MIL because when she is free, she just sit in the hall and stare at the idiot box.

So for her sake, we visited localtv-satellite.com and bring satellite tv into our home again. Thank God that my children did not glue themselves to the idiot box because they are so used not to watch TV at home. A few times, they insisted that I bring them to their Mama’s house so that they can watch Disney Chanel!

Hubby told me this story while we were having breakfast this morning.

“A young man in his 20’s went to work one day. He has to take the LRT and as usual the train was packed. As he entered the train he saw a beautiful, sexy, young woman with round voluptuous breast. He couldn’t get his eyes from her especially her boobs. As more people get into the train, the young man had to move until he is next to the young woman. He was excited of being able to stand near the young woman and being able to steal glances at her cleavage.

Suddenly, the train made a sudden brake and the young man’s arm accidentally brushes against the young woman’s boob. Before he could even apologise, the beautiful sexy, young, woman said to him sternly; Matthew 7:7! He was puzzled coz he knew nothing about the bible verse. Upon reaching his office, he quickly Google search on Matthew 7:7.”

Today we went to watch Alice in Wonderland at MBO Cinema with our 3 older children; 7,5.5 and 4yo. Baby, I left with my mom. Thank God for Mom!

This is the 2nd time we brought along our children when watching movie in the cinema. And for the 2nd time hubby “swear” not to bring the younger ones to the cinema again until they are much older.

The first time was 2 years ago and my 2nd girl got “kiap” by the seat and ended up sitting on her daddy’s lap. She can’t sit through the movie too; got restless after half an hour even with food and drink to keep her occupied.

1st tips; do not buy a seat for your child if you think your child is too light or too short.

Today, we did not buy any tidbits because we went for lunch right before the movie starts but it was way too cold in the cinema that I ended up going out to get some popcorns for them. Btw, why they don’t sell hot drink one?

2nd tips; bring a sweater along in case the movie theater is too cold for your kids.

3rd tips; no matter how full they are, must buy tidbits to keep the restless ones quiet.

When choosing the seat, we chose the most back seat and our children got to stand up to be able to see the screen. Thank God the theater was not filled up and we moved right to the front. It may be “neck breaking” for the parents but sacrifice lar since we are doing this for the children.

4th tips; choose the front seat but not way in front. We chose row No.10 from the screen. Just nice for our neck.

5th tips; bring them to the toilet to PU right before the movie starts. I guess this is common even for adult.

6th tips; don’t give them heavy lunch. They would want to pass motion half way through the movie.

If anyone have good tips, please add to my list.

They were right above me and it was awesome! I was so worried that the sparks will drop into my eyes.

This year we are going to have Astro for Chinese New Year. I am sure there will be lots of interesting show and movies during this festive holiday. I am one that does not like to go visiting during CNY. Not that I don’t like meeting close relatives. I dread going in and out of the car under the hot scorching sun. It is like going into an oven after each house we visited. If possible, I want to stay at home, watch Astro and entertain guess that I hardly know.

Astro are too good to resist. I think I can use my baby as an excuse to stay home this year since my 9.5mo baby is still breastfeeding on demand. I can’t be “flashing” my boobs to those relatives that I only meet once a year.

Oh ya! Hubby has to attend church on that day too coz he will be on duty. So we got to wait for him to come home before we start visiting. Meantime, I shall glue myself infront of the idiot box, munching on CNY cookies and watching Astro while breastfeeding my baby to sleep.

A few years back, we subscribed to Astro. Due to busyness, we hardly have time to sit in front of the idiot box so we unsubscribed Astro.

Last month we received a postcard from Astro offering free reconnection fee. The offer valid until 13th January 2010. We have no plan to subscribe to Astro again so I just chuck the postcard somewhere. A week after that my mom asked me to apply Astro for her coz the one she is having is being paid by someone else; she does not feel comfortable about it coz that someone else does not want to accept the monthly subscription fee from her.

That’s where the offer postcard comes in handy. I will reconnect mine and give the Astro card to my mom. Here is where the problem comes…

Call the number on the postcard (they are Astro’s agent).
Told me to call Astro to get new Astro card.
New Astro card received.
Call to activate the card BUT they know nothing about the offer I received. Told me they will call me back. After a few days, no call received.
Call the Astro agent again. They said kenot be, they must know. Told me they will send report and Astro will call me.
After a few days, no one call. Call again the agent, send report again. Told them that Astro will surely call me back after the offer expires. Mark my word!
A day before the offer expires, I called the agent again. They called me back informing my account will be activated in 3 days time.
A day after the offer expired, I called Astro asking whether they receive any report from their agent. They have no idea and told me they will call me back.
3 days later, Astro finally called me telling me that the offer has expired and they can’t waive the reconnection fee. Told me that they actually called me on the same day I called them.
Apalagi, I scolded her cow-cow. If they call, sure have miss call mah. Ini satu pun tarak. That was on the 2nd of January. It took them 14 days to call me again! After the offer expired as expected. After kena scolded cow-cow from me, then only she told me that they can waive the reconnection fee coz I unsubscribed a few years ago.
I asked, “Why do I have to scold you then only you said you can waive?” She kept quiet.

This people arh…cannot be soft with them. If not, you surely have to pay the reconnection fee.

And then hor, Astro called my sister informing her that she did not pay her latest bill. Padahal I paid for her already and Citibank confirmed having made the payment to Astro. Even threatened my sister that she will disconnected my sister’s Astro. I told my sister that if she calls her back, just tell her to disconnect. You think, we cannot live without Astro meh.

End of my ranting after a few days of silence. Very busy lar.

Thanks to the internet, I am able to watch the latest season of CSI Miami on my desktop and at my own time. The last episode that I watched was S0811, a week before Christmas and since then, no more new episode is being uploaded. What happened? I miss watching dead people in those cheap hotels in panama city beach fl and how the CSIs find the killer with their high tech equipment; dunno real or not. I think they are still on holiday mood.

We live in a house with a huge compound. That gives me backache each time I sweep the fallen leaves on the ground. Big enough to play paintballs because we have so many trees around to hide behind them! Unfortunately, we still cannot afford to buy Proto SLG Paintball Guns. Maybe one day hubby will buy them; you see, each time hubby passes by the paintballs equipment at Giant, he will surely stop and admire them. I read that ZephyrPaintball.com has Paintball Gear with low prices and free shipping on paintball guns, paintball goggles, hoppers and paintball starter packages. I wonder whether they provide free shipping to Malaysia too.