New technologies. The office assigned me a new laptop, upgrading me from my desktop computer to a sleek Compaq Presario V3000. The computer, while incredibly sexy, is terribly inefficient, thanks, I’m told, to its turtle-slow Windows Vista OS. I therefore bask in the sexiness of its ultrahot Altec Lansing speakers and shiny black exteriors while waiting five minutes for it to boot, ten minutes to launch Windows Media Player, and fifteen minutes for the OpenOffice Writer to start up.

To go with the laptop, I upgraded the hot pink (U)Nano - the 1GB Chinese-made Nano imitation mp4 player I bought for Cathy - to a 2GB one made by CD-R King. With twice the memory and its sleek black exteriors, it’s certainly an improvement. Matching these two new tech toys with my black CD-R King headphones, my black Nokia 6020, even my black 64-oz. drinking bottle (for the 8 8-oz glasses of water diet requirement!), all color has literally disappeared from my life.

Old shoes. Ironically, as I start to look the part of a hot new lead for the hot new phase of the company, I sport a pair of ancient Reebok tennis shoes whose seams above the laces have literally torn open. I therefore spoke to my brother-in-law to lend me a pair of shoes so I could retire my geriatric footwear, and today is now Day Two of my ancient K-Swiss rubber shoes. Strangely, these are probably the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I wonder how a brand-new pair would feel.

New lifestyle, old blues. It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve been to the gym, and I feel my old weight and lifestyle starting to creep up on me. Today alone, I wolfed down a siopao, two candy bars, a can of diet soda, and two packs of nuts. And that was outside of lunch. I NEED TO GO BACK TO THE GYM ,STAT.

A toast. Jessie, an officemate and friend of mine, has asked me to deliver a toast at her wedding on the 15th of February. Isn’t it the maid of honor’s job to do that? I asked. We need someone… outspoken, she replied, asking if I could deliver a speech leaning more towards serious and emotional, rather than funny and entertaining. A dramedy? I asked, invoking Jolina Magdangal’s oddly phrased drama-comedy combo. Sure, she replied. Me, serious? Sure, I can do that…

A boast. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, Let he who boasts, boast in the Lord. Well, Lord, I praise you, because now my hair looks spectacular. Brown in sunlight, dark brown in office light, dark at night. Couldn’t have turned out better if I had prayed for it (which I did, by the by). Now, if only I could do something about my belly and thighs…

A roast. Tomorrow’s our Lucky Table blog gathering, for those bloggersaong us who sat at this one table during the Blog Parteeh where everyone at the table won something. Not everyone can make it, unfortunately, but we’re looking forward to at least four people. Hey, it’s a lunch at Cafe D’Angelo, it’s not a sponsored blogathon. Hopefully, no one will pick on me the way they did after the last party.

Two naked men. Bloghopping has resulted in my finding that a titillated Perez Hiltonblogs about a naked Daniel Radcliffe in Equus, and a presumably exhausted diva’s coping mechanisms include talking to Jesus about the possibility of looking more like a naked Paul Rudd after all his gym work is done. (Sorry, no links, what, you think I’ma lead you to sin?)

Now, I have nothing against Harry Potter taking his clothes off, especially since Cathy apparently thinks he’s hot, and I also have nothing against ‘Mike Hannigan’ taking his clothes off, because Phoebe Buffay thinks he’s hot, but y’all should give us web visitors warning before launching those naked pics on us, yes?

Yes, my tagline reads ‘naked and sacred,’ but that doesn’t mean you’re getting those two things on my website, literally. At least, not yet. Wait until I’m 150, with pan de sal on my belly and thighs that can crack walnuts, then we’ll talk… no, not even. This website is supposed to be G, not PG-13.

A book. I started on a new book last night. Titled How to Be a Man of Character in a World of Compromise, this devotional book from Richard Exley details how godly men can build for themselves a solid foundation of character and integrity. It takes its lessons from the Bible’s book of Proverbs.

I am looking forward to learning a lot, especially in light of last week’s Blog Parteeh. I don’t think I made the best impression.

A bib. I uploaded a new design onto FaithFactor. It’s a bib featuring FaithFactor’s resident cartoon sheep. The text reads, “I am the sheep and Jesus Christ is my shepherd.” If you’d like to purchase one, it retails for only US$8.00. Support Christian designers!

A bruise. Cathy sprained her foot early yesterday. Combine that with all the nausea and dizziness, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for two stay-at-home parents. Nathan spent the entire day in front of my desktop, playing on Orisinal.

Baby Names. Meanwhile, Baby Deen #2 has started to kick. Cathy finds it a bit discomfiting, but this baby seems to be a fighter. In about two months, we’ll go for that ultrasound and find out if Nathan’s sibling is going to be a boy or a girl. We’ve TONS of potential baby names, especially since we’re hedging on the original names we came up with. My shortlist, which Cathy has neither seen nor approved, includes:

• BOYS
  • Nicklaus. The strongest contender for a boy’s name, since it’s similar to my Dad’s name, Nicholas, and is English for “victorious.”
  • Noah. I like going with a Biblical name. It’s Hebrew for “rest.”
  • Nolan. It’s Gaelic for “famous.” When I hear Nolan, I see a well-adjusted, good-looking guy. What do you see?
• GIRLS
  • Caitlin. Cathy’s always loved this name. It’s Irish for “pure soul.”
  • Catharine. I like this because it’s a variation of Cathy’s name. English for “pure.”
  • Charlize. Nothing to do with Ms. Theron, but it is a pretty name that means “beautiful star” in South African.
  • Nichol, Nicole, Nichole, or Nicolle. “Victorious” in English. Female version of Nicholas, really, again, paying tribute to my father.
  • And finally, my dark horse for a girl’s name starting with “N”: Nitika. It’s Indian for “angel.” It’s so left of center, but I find it such a beautiful name. Her nickname can be Nikki, which still is an homage to my dad. Cathy would never approve, though.

What do you think? Any baby name suggestions, preferably starting with N or C?