How iss life having to drive 40 miles each way, listening to insurance lectures for at least 5 hours a day for 4 weeks? Well, it has been one week and a day so far and its been very tiring.

I think my body is trying to catch on, having to drive 40 miles to Mountain View, and back...in this rainy season. Sure, love the beautiful scenery on I280 but I miss commuting only 8 minutes to work!

Good thing is, this like a smooth sailing no brain wrecking class for me as I know insurane inside out. So its like revision time for me. The real deal is when I get home, when the baby is sleeping. Thats the time for me to work till my eyes refuse to open, weekends included.

2 more weeks to go before I am home free. Anyone wants to buy insurance from me?

Here's munhckin taken last weekend.

This posting was firs initiated by my twin, Nazrah...looks kinda fun but true to me! My comments in red

What Ely Suraya Means

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. Very true, and i talk too much too! You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. Always true...i can be Oprah Winfrey with Dr Phil's touch! At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. Yer ker??? But for the important things, you pull it together. Always, u can count on me You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. But my boss says that i am high maintenance and such a complainer! Lets not ask what the husband says of me on this. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Sometimes only, the dont get worked up part. The rest is correcto! Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. True true, but when i am mad and not happy, they all run away! You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. How do u know eh! You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. Yeah, ask my parents...Allah blessed them with strong hearts. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. Eh, i am married twice...so this is not true. I am settled now. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. Suave? Okaylah. Sexy? Ahemm, but of course! Smart, hello, cant u tell? Strong? Not physically but i have a strong head! Like a mule! You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. True, i wont argue with that. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. I dont victimize the weak, i turn around and make them stronger. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. Eh....so true! like the husband says 'whatever Ely wants Ely gets'...which means he'd rather give in to me than fight with me...not worth the suffering hahaha. And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. True...Tawakkalallah You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Never! Greeds evil! Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. i dont have the $$ to spread around but i am not stingy. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. Geez, stop it! Thats what my boss says to me ALL THE TIME! You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. Some say that i need to stop and breath cos i dont stop doing anything! You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. Heheheheh...Ely aka Troublemaker You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. Oh yeah babeh! But pls dont go into my bedroom...i am not perfect in terms of housekeeping. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. Really??? I think so lah You have the classic "Type A" personality.Wahhhh...is it?

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

So the time has come, for the torturuous 4 week sales class. I hate classes cos 80% of the time, after lunch, I fall asleep. I am so not use to sitting down for an hour listening, which means 8 hours is oh so tidak. Usually, I do the talking hahahaha. Also the class is mandatory before I start selling in March. I know 90% of the scoop. My boss says that now what I have to do is tech the class???? I can do that!

Long weekend...thanks to Martin Luther King Jr. Kakak Mas is such a peace activist, she knows the history of these holidays, shes a peace historian. She is also the one who will smack you on the head if you make a stereotypical comment on someone of a different ethnicity. I think she will grow up with a mission to go to Africa to care for the kids there and then go to Rome to pursue her ancient Roman history while listening to heavy heavy metal that sometimes contain suicidal lyrics which she says is not effecting her (althought sometimes she says that she will totally DIE if she has to run 1.5 miles in school tomorrow!).

Back to my work scene. I love my new job. Its all about me now. Nothing about the boss, nothing about my subordinates but about ME. How do I generate business? How do I market myself? Being in the company for more than 5 years and in the same department. Being once an underwriter give me A LOT of 'cracks' on where I can find open business. Its so addicting when you know that you can generate business. Will I ever share my trade secrets with someone else? Not unless I want them to take away my ideas. In short...NOT!

I love talking to people and I have no problems marketing myself and giving out my business cards. But kakak Mas sometimes has a problem with that...saying that I am over rated. Who cares!

Anyway, enough ramblings...I forgot to bring home the laptop charger this weekend, now I have to force myself to watch tv...ooops, yaya just found a spoon from the computer table!

Oh yeah, my new boss found a new name for me...Ducati Ferrari (which means, HIGH MAINTENANCE!), I kinda like that name hehehe.

I just have a funny feeling that I am going to turn into a workaholic in a few days time. As it is for now, I tend to wake up hallucinating...about work! Need to get into that laptop and drum up more business! Or sometimes, I would wake up with my eyes opened wide and said 'Pergi kerja...pergi kerja!', but it was Saturday night, 1am!

Maybe the stupid Sales Congress that I went to this weekend has programmed me into this work mode. 3 days and 2 mights at the San Francisco Marriot...semi party Friday night, listen listen listen all Saturday and by Saturday night, I was oh so done with this Sales crap. Thank goodness the husband was staying in the hotel (he was bored to tears) with the baby, we went out to dinner at the indian place, I abandoned my company dinner with live music and GREAT DJ, thats okay.

You know, I have brought my laptop home from work for 3 weekends but never get to work at home. How ah like that? Cos each time I plan to work after the baby sleeps, I tend to hit La La land...as far as her!

But next week must be serious. I will be going to a 4 week Sales class and I have 5 days to drum up business so that I could hit them as soon as I return from the classes.

*Ely's hanging the tag 'Busy working' around her neck!*

Ely got social life? Of course lah. We are heading to Kak Jah's house this Saturday to visit her 'already 3 month old ' granddaughter. I have requested for her to make me satay hehehe. Actually we were suppose to meet up at another malay singaporean's home at Morgan Hill. But Kak Jah didn't call me, she must have remembered that I am going to be busy this weekend. And next Sunday, we were invited to go to Elk Grove (near Sacramento, 70 miles away I think) for housewarming. The husband has to work so we have to request for a rain check on that.

It has been raining for 2 days. According to the weather forecast, there will be rain till Monday, and then no rain on Tuesday and more rain the days after. Rezeki Allah...syukur...we don't get that much rain here in California. I do miss the 'monsoon bing bang thunder storms for 30 minutes and then the sun comes out' weather back home. Over here when there is a storm, the branches would fall and the fence would start slanting...a sign of defeat to the 'up to 60 miles/hr wind'. We were out of power for a few hours. We travelling 10 miles in San Mateo for a sushi buffet...they were closed due to no power. Even my office and 18 other offices were close in Northern CA due to lost of power.

This time, our side door was ripped apart by the wind, the fences are still standing strong (they collapsed last year) and the branches still could not survive. The cats are all over the bed, trying to get the warmth under the covers.

I am off today. Nice to be home, hoping to be able to go out for lunch or dinner with family but alas...the storm. But thats okay...my family will NOT be deterred by the stromy weather. Whatever may come, nothing can pull the food and the Greenfield family apart...geddit?

Bapak was discharged from the hospital yesterday Alhamdulillah. The dr says that he could have just had some muscle spasm when he was at the beach. Otherwise, his heart is strong and healthy.

Seems like Abang Mat is doing very well in school. Sec 3 this year and I heard that he is loving is first days in school. I shall get the 1st hand news from him tomorrow. We all miss him here. Each time when we go clothes shopping, we always think of him. Paps misses dressing him up...so he says :)

Suraya is learning to speak. Yes, she talks a lot like her Momma and Dada. The only language that she speaks now is Jibberish...a common language among toddlers. Still not walking yet though she can stand for a few minutes.

Kakak Mas is counting down on going back to school. She has been a terrific sitter when paps needs a break from baby sitting. She and Suraya has bonded so well, it warms my heart greatly to see them together :)

Me? Nothing has changed much for me. I need to stay away from the shopping mall...seriously, BUT BUT BUT, I always seem to need something right? Someone at the new office was complaining about me. She accused me of stealing business from the other sales reps as I have been getting more exposure with customers. But hey, I stole from noone and I do have integrity. Thats a good sign, which means this new kid on the block is a threat to the old kids hehehe. I work with honesty, not the other way round and thats how it should be right?

Dieting has been good. I still eat alot, minus the carbs. Not that I don't eat carbs at all, I do...but sparingly. And I am still losing 2 lbs every 1-2 weeks or so. Now I just need to exercise again. Hard though cos this momma has got no time!

Oh hey, here's the munchkin wearing my camisole...in the midst of the big mess that she had created!!!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

People in my office find me kind of 'unique' for not celebrating Christmas (they keep forgetting that I am a muslim). So yesterday, on New Year's Eve, they asked if I celebrate New Year. 'Of course I do, you kidding me?'...hah! Well what do I really do at 12 midnight? Whatelse but to snore...just another night.

What do we do on new year's day? Not that its Chinese new year...which I also do not celebrate. I dragged the girls to the mall when the husband sleeps the day away after slogging at work all night last night. Spent 2 hours at the mall, with nothing but just cat food. You know, sometimes you shop so much during the holiday that you just lose that buying touch? Well, besides the fact that I had spent too much for myself and blew a tire of the car yesterday on the way to the mall...so thats at least US$150 spent to repair the tire.

At least I managed to wave hello and goodbye to my dream diamond ring which I keep showing Kakak Mas, just in case the husband would like to upgrade my ring (yeah right!).

Chicken's in the oven and Suraya's porridge is stewing. Time to savour the rest of the day before going back to work tomorrow. Good thing...I will be off on Thursday and Friday...wooohooo!

Oh and bapak's in the hospital. Did not know about it till yesterday when I called home. I think bapak had too much bbq'd food on Sunday that he had heartburn after that but did not know what to make of it. He's still under observation...insyaAllah, he will be fine.

So...how was your New Year?