Caution... In Training.

http://www.timhortons.com/

Hubby and I were doing our usual mad-dash errand running after work last night, when I decided that I just HAD to have my Tim Hortons coffee fix. The line up was only 2 cars long so I figured we should be able to make it through drive through, and still be on track to run out to the local WalMart and still make our movie on time. We pull up to the speaker. I order 1 large coffee with 2milk and 2 sugar (god I miss those french vanilla cappuccinos..).

I began to get suspicious when the car in front of us shut off his engine. Why would someone need to shut off their engine to be in line for 30 seconds to get a coffee? Maybe he was trying to prevent global warming by decreasing his vehicle emissions? Weird. We put the car in park and waited.

About 3 minutes went by and still nothing had come out of the window... what was this guy ordering? A full course meal? What a jerk to make a huge order in drive-thru. I mean, there are no rules limiting your order, but it's just plain rude to hold everyone up when you could go inside and with your larger orders. Someone else has now pulled in behind us effectively trapping us in the line-up until we can exit after receiving our order.

Finally she hands him one medium coffee and hubby and I sigh in relief. Awesome. He's got what he needed, and now it should be our turn. 10 seconds later he hands the coffee back through the window.... what? What's going on? After all that time they didn't even give him what he ordered? Wow. Coffee is what this place does. How could they screw that up? 2 minutes later she hands him a large coffee, and he spins out of the parking lot in a hurry. Well, there goes one dissatisfied customer.

YAY, it's our turn! My mouth starts to water in anticipation of the bitter-sweet richness that is my obsession. Just thinking about the dark, smooth aroma instantly lifts my spirits. We pull up the window and the girl stares at us blankly like she has no idea why we would possibly looking at her expectantly. I read her name tag... it says "In Training". Ohh. Well, that explains the speed problem. No worries, people have to learn sometime right? My irritation evaporates and I smile at her through the window. She is still staring blankly. Finally hubby knocks on the window and she opens it...

Hubby: Um... do you want our money now?
Trainee: Sure. Thanks.

Said trainee takes the money and turns back to the counter. We can see that she is not putting the money in the register, but instead carrying it around in her hand. She is standing there staring at nothing, and after a few minutes turns back to look at us as if wondering why we are still there... I speak up:

Me: Um, my coffee?
Trainee: Oh. Sure.

She pops out of sight for a moment and comes back with a large cup.

Me: 2Milk 2Sugar?
Trainee: No. 2Milk 2Sweetener.

She moves to hand hubby the cup.

Me: May I have one with sugar please? I don't like sweetener.

By now we have been in the drive-thru for a total of 10 minutes and hubby is VERY impatient with me, the poor girl, and the entire world in general. We are running behind schedule and hubby hates being late... (Aside... I am late for EVERYTHING.... so this really doesn't shock me at all).

The trainee hands me a new coffee and we drive away. She never did give us our change... good thing I didn't give her a twenty. Hubby is muttering under his breath and driving like the world will end if we don't get out of the parking lot ASAP.

I open my cup, mouth watering. It was worth the wait, I think. I take my first sip and almost spit it all over the windshield. By now I am laughing hysterically, as if this is the most hilarious event ever.

Hubby: What now?
Me: Um. Well.... she got the 2milk 2sugar thing perfect.
Hubby: Good. So you got what you wanted then...
Me: Not exactly... I'm afraid that she's given me tea.

Hubby threatens to turn the car around.

Me: No, No, No. Tea is just fine. Lets go!

I can see the irritation is making Hubby's eye twitch. I try to sooth him by telling him about the lovely flavour of my steeped tea, (Incidentally.. I hate tea). It works and soon he is laughing too. We are both wondering where all the other employees were. Tim Hortons is usually run by a small army of workers to ensure super fast service and accuracy. They are considered to have one of the most efficient management systems in Canada. Who leaves a trainee alone to deal with drive-thru? Maybe no one else showed up?

We go and do our shopping, and drive by the same Tim Hortons on our way to the movie... which we are now late for. Cars are lined up around the parking lot and nothing is moving. It occurs to me at this point that Tim Hortons should probably consider putting up a sign at the entrance to the drive through that says: "Caution.... drive-thru attendant in training"... but then I changed my mind. It would completely take the mystery out of life.

Edit: We were mentioned on post of the day! Please go and check out David's work on autorblog if you have a moment! Thanks again David!

Oh Mother, Where art thou?

I'm not exactly sure what my cats THINK is happening to me when the bathroom door is closed, but I'm assuming they believe that a giant monster will swallow me whole unless they get in there.... immediately.

No sooner do I close the door when I see little kitty feet appear under the door. One chocolate coloured one, and one white and grey. Then come the frantic sounds of them digging at the carpet, as if they could burrow their way in to save me from the terrible monster. Last come the loud and insistent, "WOW?" from Felix and they sweeter, more lady-like cries of Samantha, as they look for reassurance from me that yes, I am still alive. I haven't disappeared, and the monster has not eaten me. Finally I open the door so they don't wake hubby and they rush in to investigate. Felix immediately jumps in the tub to vanquish any evil terrors that may be lingering amidst the shampoo and the bodywash, while Samantha hops into the sink to ensure that she has all of my attention to herself and that I will protect her from the monster should it re-appear. After they have assessed that all is as it should be they hop to the floor to play their favourite game... attack of the mystery paws! With one cat on each side of the open door, they take turns sticking their feet under the door to entice the other to attack. This can go on for hours. If I close the door and one cat is outside, the other immediately wants out and the entire process begins again. I have no idea where they think the monster is hiding when the door is open.

Interestingly enough, they don't seem to care if hubby gets eaten when he is in the bathroom with the door closed.

Look Out! Golf Season is here!

I am a walking contradiction. I am probably the klutziest person known to man, yet I love the game of golf. I should take a minute to mention how horribly bad I am at all sports... including this one. I hit the ground more often than I hit the ball, and I'm quite sure I look like an idiot when I swing my girlie clubs. I believe that I hit geese more often than the green, but this is unimportant. What is important is that rush of adrenaline that shoots through my veins when I actually hit the ball in the correct spot, the correct way, and it goes roughly where I hoped it would. Then I can finally say, "I did it! Did you see that shot? I'm amazing!" Of course, this could all go down hill rapidly with a badly played chip that was supposed to land on the green but somehow managed to bounce of the cart of the team playing the hole next to the one I'm on... but for that brief moment, I am the best golfer who ever lived.

I have to admit, I found golf scary and very intimidating at first. It seemed an "upper-classmen" sport where I didn't really fit in. This is not the case. Look around the clubroom and what you will see is a lot of people trying to look posh and sophisticated, but who are really just everyday people with a set of used clubs and some fancy duds. Just like me. There are plenty of people, who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, who are just there because they love the game, the challenge, and the culture of golf.

It's raining now, but as soon as it clears up I off! Happy golfing!

Stationary Pack-Rat

I could spend hours in a stationary store. What a shame the world has stopped writing letters and the average ninth-grader need not worry about his or her penmanship. The delicate script, the bold ink, the feeling that can be expressed by double underlining and ripping the page slightly... all pieces of a by-gone era. Do you remember the excitement felt when you received a letter? Not a bill, nor a flyer, nor a new credit card with fake promises of low interest rates... but an actual letter?

Once, a very long time ago, I had a pen-pal in Luton, England. His name was Mike Waters. I've tried many times to find him again, unsuccessfully, just to say thanks. He wrote wonderful letters full of the charming culture that is England. He sent me photo's and wrote of the scenery, and parts of his everyday life.

I also used to write letters to my friend Corinne... even though we saw each other every single day. We never seem to run out of things to say, which is unsurprising as when we are together no one else can get in a word edgewise.

When I would get a letter, I would patiently wait until I got inside to open it. Then, carefully peeling back the lip of the envelope, I would gently slide the folded parchment out as though it were made of glass. So cherished were these letters... something I could keep and preserve for a lifetime. I can remember the rush of excitement as I hungrily devoured each beautifully scripted word. Brief disappointment followed the signature, for I had finished and the tale was never long enough. Disappointment quickly faded, only to give way to the excitement of creating my own letter.

Of course I thought I was a literary genius, with my pink pen and purple paper. I still smile when I see those pink bic pens that are floating around in my old pencil case. They are probably dried up but I can't bring myself to part with them.

Now that I'm a scrapbooker (see my other blog if you're curious), I have all kinds of pens and paper, glue and tape, stickers and buttons. It would probably shock you if I tell you how much I spend on this creative craft. Of course, my favourite part of scrapping is journalling... telling the story. The love of which has blossomed over the years, beginning with my very first stationary set.

Good News for Cereal Junkies Everywhere

Cherrios has come out with honest-to-God good for you junk food! I bought a box yesterday. They taste like Fruity Pebbles, except with the goodness of whole wheat! Life is good. I would have never beleived it possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

Mmmm.... fruity.

Do you drink as much water as you should be?

So. By now I am completely obsessed with reaching my healthy goals, but as a requirement of losing the equivalent of an entire extra person that seems to have grown onto my ass, I have to drink more water. MORE water. I thought... you know, the whole 8 glasses of day thing was enough. They don't tell you how BIG those glasses should be. My trainer tells me I should be drinking 2000ML or 2L per day. Which doesn't sound that bad until you realize that 2L per day computers to 4 bottles of water. Even then.. 4 bottles of water... how can it be that bad? Well I'm here to tell you that it's really, really challenging. I was probably drinking about 2 bottles before... and that was forced down at meal times. I'm not a big water drinker... yes, yes, I know the benefits... healthy skin, weight loss, less water retention... but I just don't think about it until I'm so thirsty, I chug an entire bottle in one breath. So my challenge this week is to drink my entire daily portion of water everyday. By the way... coffee doesn't count! So I have this water bottle on my desk... It's staring at me ominously... I pick it up... drink... and immediately the urge to pee hits me AGAIN for the 6th time today. I can't stop really. I think I've spent more time in the loo today than anywhere else. People are going to start thinking I'm having a problem. But really, how often does the average person go to the bathroom anyway? I have no idea, however, I believe that 6 times in eight hours is WAY too many!

So I was over at So I Stabbed Him In The Head With A Fork and found this interesting link. Find out how bad you are!

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Very Low
Pride:	Low

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com

Returning to the world of normalcy... is that a word?

Where have I been all this time you ask? Easy answer. I've joined a gym! I've joined a gym and it is consuming nearly every waking minute I have that I am not working. They say you only have to work out 20min a day to lose weight. HA! Really what they should be saying is that if you want to MAINTAIN your current weight, you should work out for 20 minutes a day. If you want to LOSE weight, you should be doing 3 grueling hours of cardio, plus at least two 30 minute sessions of weights... perferrably three. And when you're not doing that you should be planning your meals so that you're eating less than 1300 calories in a day. 1300! Ghandi ate more than that! But I digress.

So I'm actually having fun and feeling very proud of myself. I haven't lost very many actual pounds, but my clothes are too big and I have loads of energy. Hubby is doing great as well. I feel motivated for the first time in AGES. Unfortunately, almost everything else in life is kind of at a stand-still. Until we actually move, the gym is a half hour drive... plus 15 min to change... and hour to work out.. half an hour to change and shower... half an hour to drive home.. that's almost 3 hours gone and I haven't even made supper yet! Whoa. Once we move, the gym will be around the corner though. Much faster.

Coming around to catch up on my reading now!

Cheers.

Confessions of a cereal junkie

I have a confession. I am 27 years old, and I'm addicted to fruit loops cereal.

I know this is wrong... fruit loops is for children right? I mean... there are cartoons on the box, and a free star wars action figure inside... I hope it's Yoda... anyway, it's pure sugary nonsense.

I don't discriminate, I'm addicted to most sugary nonsense cereals. My other favourites are Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, and Captain Crunch. I also dearly love Honey Combs, and Reese Peanut Butter cereal.

If I had my choice, I would eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Other than the fact that there is no nutritional value, other than the milk (although, it IS made with whole grains...), and I'm afraid I'd die of scurvy, I probably would eat it for three meals a day.

Sometimes I am afraid that I will never grow up and will hold on to pieces of my childhood forever, but who could resist the fruity goodness, and wholesome crunch of Fruit Loops? Not this junkie, that's for sure!

Dear Readers:

Dearest Jinxy, and those who are now paranoid about using your exclamation points:

Don't be afraid to use your "shift 1"
it is perfectly fine, when properly done.
It's not that I hate it,
or find it uncouth,
I just tend to dislike it
when it's over-used.

So please don't be hasty,
or call me unkind
I'm just writing down
these opinions of mine.

I'm not criticizing
or knocking it down,
just telling a story
and being a clown.

Don't fret my dear readers,
for I do so adore
this sharing of stories
and laughter galore!

(tee-hee, thank god I'm in manufacturing and not an author trying to make money! This made me giggle).

How Could Something So Good Be So Evil?

I have learned recently that the French Vanilla Cappuccinos, that I so dearly love, are heart-attacks in a cup. Put on your sad faces people... this is depressing news. While somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that something that was so wonderfully delicious could never be healthy, I didn't consider that it would be that bad for me. Apparently the blended cream with the sugar and lovely vanilla is not heart-healthy. Who knew? (whistling innocently).

Tim Hortons, (my favourite coffee joint), has released a health check guide with all the fat and calorie counts for all of their products. DO NOT READ THIS EVIL RUBBISH! IT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE. I could have looked interestingly at the cover and left the shiny pamphlet alone, but no, I picked it up and looked inside. Now nothing will ever be the same. The long, and short of it is... drinking an extra large french-vanilla cappuccino is the equivalent of eating a McDonalds big mac sandwich. WHOA. I drink, or should switch to past-tense here and say drank, at least one and occasionally two or three of these monsters PER DAY. No wonder my pants don't fit! I tried to sooth myself with the knowledge that I purchase a low-fat yogurt with my evil-calorie-fest of a coffee everyday, but so far that's not helping. Be wary of the hidden beverage fat! You too could be a victim!

The over-use of !!!!!!!

It is no hidden secret that my grammar skills leave little to be desired. There is really only one thing that drives me crazy, and that is the over use of exclamation! points! It sounds as though you are yelling everything you say with tremendous excitement!

Dear Friend!

The other day I was reading your blog! I loved your post! It was so tremendously entertaining! (ok. I probably would put one there). However, your exclamations make reading your writing a little exhausting! How can one person stand that much excitement? Your words that are so beautifully written, so eloquently descriptive, are tarnished by the constant !!! at the end of your sentences! Believe me! We understand your enthusiasm just from your well put-together phrases, and your sense of humor shines! There is no need for all of that exclaiming!!! Not that I don't love you just the way you are! Feel free to tell me to go *$#* myself! I'm not a critic! Just someone who gets distracted easily!

Love and Hugs!
Jewels!
(before anyone says anything.. no this isn't any of you!)

Spring is in the air!

The frogs were out last night for the first time, which means the ground has finally thawed enough for them to crawl out of the mud! The temps here are finally crawling back up towards the 10 degree mark, which seems like heaven compared to a few weeks ago. I was considering taking my snow brush out of the car and putting it away, but didn't want to tempt the gods of fate. Enevitably, every year I put it away, snow comes immediately after. I have put my winter coat away though, which makes me happy.

We are setting off model rockets in the park this Saturday, I'm excited to see how it goes. Although, I'm not sure about the principles of teaching children the joys of lighting things on fire, I'm sure Step-Son will enjoy it anyway. I'm sure hubby definitely will. He likes fire.

Catch up craziness!

I've been under the weather for a bit and am desperately trying to get everything back in order. I've missed reading all of your blogs, and am looking forward to catching up in the next couple of days.

On the Bermuda front... this looks like it's not going to happen. We have yet to hear back about our questions, which has me concerned. We haven't completely taken it off the stove, but it's definitely on the back burner. Hubby was contacted for an interview at a local insurance company though! Which would be ideal. He interviews next Tuesday. Fingers crossed!

I am desperately trying to think of ways to keep my step-son busy for the entire week of March break. We have purchased some model rockets, which hubby is very excited about, depending on the weather. He is very crafty, but I'm beginning to run out of projects. Anyone have any ideas?

Still haven't won the lottery... no surprise there. Keepin the dream alive though!

Hubby is very ill this week, but is stubbornly refusing to take care of himself, and refusing to let me do things for him. He is being very good about not complaining, but I know he has a fever and is feeling like someone ran over him with a tractor. So, to punish him for not letting me help, I bought him the worst-tasting cough medicine I could find and watched while he drank it. Then immediately felt bad when I saw the disgusted look on his face. It really is terrible, but seemed to work quite well. He happily takes a swig every 4-8hrs and does not blame me at all.

We are moving back to my old house on June 1st. I'm in the process of contacting movers ect. Here's a photo:

It a 110yr old monstrosity. I had moved out a while back and rented it to some lovely people, but now that money is tight again, we've decided to make the move back as it's closer to my work. I only lived in it for 8mths after I bought it, and it seems strange to be going back. These photo's are from when I first purchased it in 2006. It needs some cosmetic love, but you can't beat the price.

Feeling Groovy and Skywatch Friday

Sorry about the blurry shot, but the rainbow looked so perfect betweeen the trees, I thought I should post it anyway. What a shame I have no photography skills.


There are so many things that are beautiful about today.

• My office is a giant chaotic mess, (I'm getting a new desk... however it's not arriving until next week) which has allowed me to do little or no work at all.
• I have two very giant, delicious steaks waiting for me at home.
• Hubby has found a new case of wine downstairs, I thought we were out!
• I'm in a cleaning and sorting kind of mood, and am excited to go home and attack my basement.
• Free lunch today! For some reason HR ordered wraps for everyone. Hope nothing bad is about to happen.
• My employees got heaps acomplished today, that I had been putting off for quite some time.
• Everyone at work was in a deliciously joyful mood and all was fun and happy. Which is a welcome change from the depressive craziness that has been smothering everything lately.
• I won a free coffee on "Rrrroll up the rim to win". For those of you overseas, it's part of a promotion thing put on by Tim Hortons.. my favourite coffee joint. You roll up the rim of your coffee cup for a chance to win prizes. It is the thing I look forward to most about march.
• I didn't run out of gas on the way to work this morning. Very surprising.

Hope you all had a loverly day. I'm going home to eat, drink, and be merry.

I am a vindictive sort of woman

I thrive on being right. I will go to great lengths to PROVE I'm right. And I have a hard time not rubbing it in peoples faces when I am finally proven right. This is bad. A serious character flaw, you might say. So, I hold back the, "I told you so", and the, "See?"... and I really do try to hide the self satisfied smirk that sneeks on to my face when someone tells me I'm right. It's not that I believe I know everything, but when I choose my battles and fight for what I believe in, I like to come out on top in the end.

The worst part is... I'm also vindictive. When I am in pain, I want to cause pain to the person that has inflicted that pain upon me... when really, I've probably done most of the damage to myself. I don't know why this is. I certainly don't feel better after I have intentionally said something hurtful, even when I felt it deserved. I think the real problem is I used to be this quiet, shy person who did everything for everyone because it made me happy. And then people started to take advantage of my niceness. After a very long time of trying to make everybody happy all the time, I became NOT nice. I'm not sure which is the lesser evil. I refuse to let people walk all over me... but something dies a little inside me when I am cruel to people. Plus I immediately regret my rash behaviour. There has to be a happy medium. Maybe I just need to drink more wine. On the upside, I have no problems admitting to my flaws, so there's something.

Interesting Turn Of Events

Hubby was approached by a head hunter for a job yesterday.... in Bermuda. The wage they offered him was staggering... until you do some research and discover that Bermuda is the most expensive place to live on earth. The cost of living is so high, a loaf of bread is $4-8 US. The average 1 bedroom apartment rents for $2500 per month. And those are the cheap ones. However, the country is stunning, and WARM all year round. Although, aparently the clothes hanging in your closet will grow mold within 10 days if you don't keep your lights on and buy some sort of dehumidifying device.

I was reading the blog of a few Canadians who have relocated to Bermuda for the same kind of job offer, and I have to admit, it's tempting. When else are we going to have the opportunity to pick up and live with a different culture? A chance to see some of the world, even if it's a small piece, (and I mean REALLY small, the whole island is less than 50sq kilometers). I'm torn. Hubby will call today to get some more info. I'll post the updates later!

Bad Communication

You would think that with today's various forms of communications that a man and a women would be able to express themselves. Specifically, to EACH OTHER. But alas, no amount of email, cell phones, phones, conversation, love notes, or dramatic hand gestures seem to help us at all. With more than three thousand years of recorded human history, no one has found a solution to this preplexing problem....

Woman: We need to talk.

Man: God. What did I do now?

Woman: Can't you stop with your negativity? I haven't even said anything yet! Jeez. And GET your feet OFF the coffee table!

Man: Calm down, calm down! What's your problem anyway?

Woman Takes a DEEP BREATH: YOU! YOU are my problem. Can't you just shut up and let me talk?

Man: Okay, okay! Jeez.

Women: As I was saying... I need some help around here.

Man: I already take out the trash, cut the grass and shovel the snow! What more do you want?

Woman: Well, I really appreciate that, but I'm sure you also appreciate the clean laundry you wear, the dinner that's made for you everynight, and the clean house you live in... not to mention that the household finances are taken care of, the paperwork is filed, and the groceries are done.

Man: So what you're saying is you want me to do MORE? Do you have any idea how much it SNOWS here? Don't you know I work all day? I just want to relax when I come home.

Woman: Me too. That's why I want you to help with the cooking and the dishes.

Man: WHAT?

Woman: If you want to eat, you will help. I can live off of salads and lean cuisines. So, unless you want to eat take out everynight, you WILL help me!

Man: And what do I get out of it?

Woman: You get to eat. Please get your feet off of the coffee table.

Man: Oh.

Woman: What, were you expecting a weekly allowance?

Man: Do you want to help me change the oil on your car?

Woman: Don't I do enough?

Man: Do you want to drive?

Woman: Forget it. I'll get it done in town.

Man: Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how much that costs?

Woman: Than change it yourself!

Man: Not if I have to cook.

Woman: Then shut up. Jeez. You can be so difficult. Why can't you be normal? I just asked for a little help. Is that so hard? How horrible is it to help your hard working wife feed you and clean up after you?

Man: Here we go with the guilt...

Woman: There is chicken in the fridge. You can start with that. AND... FOR... THE... LAST... TIME... GET YOUR FEET OFF OF THE DAMN TABLE!

Both parties cross their arms in front of their chests... Woman stomps out of room... Man leaves feet on coffee table just to irritate woman... Woman uses mans razor to shave her legs to teach man a lesson...

SO what has this acomplished? Now both parties are irritated, hubby is burning dinner on purpose and wearing bandaids on his face, and neither one feels like they are understood. How exhausting!

Escape

I am feeling slightly overwhelmed today, and needed an escape. This is a view from the cottage we rented last summer on Crowe Lake in Marmora Ontario. Having grown up in cottage country, I miss it terribly. Especially with the coming of spring.

My mother lives just down the road from this cottage. My summers as a child were filled with days of swimming, rock-climbing, and jumping out of haylofts into piles of golden, yellow straw. Falling asleep to the sound of the crickets chirping, and the frogs singing. As children we would make up adventure stories about buried treasure at the bottom of the river and spend all day searching for it. The most I ever found was a nickel and an old shoe.

I don't know if we'll be able to get back up North this summer, but I shall certainly dream about it. Where there's a will there's a way.

Crushing Disappointment for Twilight, the movie.

I shouldn't have done it. The strange part is, I knew that. So WHY did I do it? Well, I couldn't help myself. I had to watch the movie. (I won't give out any spoilers for those who haven't seen or read the books.)

After reading the wonderful Teen-Lit book by Stephanie Myers, my anticipation to see the motion picture was off-the-charts. Most things in life do not live up to our extreme expectations, but I really beleived this time would be different. If I hadn't been so keen on the book and already knew the story, I probably would have given up on the movie before it was half-way finished. There was no chemistry between the love birds, not to mention, if you hadn't read the book, you'd have NO idea why they're in love in the first place. Like most movies that start out as novels, Twilight was trimmed for film production, a neccessary process. However, they took out the meat of the novel and left the dramatic fluff. What a shame. There are certain scenes where you look at the face of the lead man, Edward, and as a reader of the book you KNOW why he's making that particular face, and why he's looking at the new girl with undisguised loathing.... but the movie does nothing to explain this, or very little. Infact, the movie does little to explain anything. The screenplay writer is assuming you have read the book and so glosses over the final details, until what you really have is a movie about... nothing.

The special effects were poorly handled, and un-realistic, another huge disappointment. I wanted to see what my imagination couldn't picture. The incredible speed and strength of the vampires... what was portrayed were comic-like road-runner men with no upper body movement.

What was GOOD about the movie: It was lovely to see the characters brought to life. It certainly didn't hurt my impression of the book and it didn't make me loose interest in the rest of the series. I loved the attitude portrayed by the leading lady. Her performance was believable. I also liked the villains, all three did a supurb job. Word on the street is they're going to make another film for the next book and are still hunting down a director.

If anyone else has an opinion, I'd love to hear it... I'm feeling slightly demoralized. I would also like to point out that I'm not a critic. This is mearly my un-professional opinion. Lord knows it's a much better movie that I could produce!

Tidings of Magpies - Post Review

I was catching up on my Blog of Note reading today and stumbled across this post from a few days ago. It's a poem that I can relate to. In fact, just reading it made me want to smash my cell phone into little pieces... pop over and have a read, and tell me if these people drive you CRAZY.

I personally hate my cell phone. All it really does is provide my family with an instant GPS tracker. Typical conversation...

Riiiiinnnng, Riiiiiiinnnng,

Me: Hello?

Hubby: Where are you?

Me: Oh, here and there.

Hubby: And where exactly is that?

Me: Well, currently I'm standing in line for the ladies room.

Hubby: Oh, how's that going?

Me: Great. Do you want to know what's stuck to my shoe?

Hubby: Why would I want to know that?

Me: Forget it. What did you want?

Hubby: Oh, nothing. Just to know when you're coming home.

Me: Soon.

Hubby: Soon, when?

Me. At five-oh-four exactly. Or a few minutes after that.. I haven't really triangulated my position with the sun completely yet.

Hubby: uh... So when exactly?

Me: Soon. I'm not sure of the exact time. It depends on how long you are going to talk. I really do have to pee you know.

Hubby: Oh. So, you want me to let you go then?

Me: I think that would be best.

Hubby: Will you call me when you get out?

Me: Why?

Hubby: So I'll know when you'll be home.\

Me: I"LL BE THERE WHEN I GET THERE. I have no plans, I'm not flying to the moon after work, and as far as I know, aliens will not arrive from outerspace today so I will be home at the same time I get home everyday.

Hubby: Well you don't have to be rude you know.

Me: I HAVE TO PEE!! I'm hanging up now.

Hubby: Okay, okay. Can you pick me up some chips... you know, the cheesy ones?

Me: ....... *click* .... dialtone.

God. How did we ever SURVIVE without cell phones? I would like to smash mine with a hammer. All it represents is the most definite knowledge that I will never be completely alone ever again.

I have to go, my phone is ringing.

An Introduction

I realized this morning, while doing my usual speed run around the house before work, that i haven't introduced my ridiculously spoiled cats to the world yet.
This is Felix - also known as Bubba, black-faced monkey (doesn't he look like one?), baby blue eyes, dragon breath (he has the worst breath EVER!). I don't have very many good shots of him because he has exceptionally buggy eyes which do NOT photograph easily at all. In fact, I find the whole process frustrating because he always comes out looking like a red-eyed, psychopathic, serial-killer kitty, when really he is very sweet and stupid. I really do believe he has significant mental challenges to overcome. He was abandoned at the animal shelter with his friend... a Chihuahua... and he looked so pathetic, I knew no one would ever adopt him. Which was sad because he was so gentle and quiet. He's definitely not in the "best in breed"category... or in any category for that matter. His eyes are buggy and set wrong for a siamese, he has an incredibly large under-bite... fangs come up over his face and everything, his tounge sticks out of his mouth, and sometimes he wakes up and doesn't know where he is, has a panic attack, and attemps to flee through the glass patio doors... He is a classic example of what happens when you over-breed animals and there is not enough genetic material to go around... That being said, I think he's lovely. He is content to sit on your lap and snuggle, but will also leave you alone if needed, he doesn't try to steal food off of your plate, and he likes to be talked to. I really could do without the 5am wake up call for attention though. If you've ever owned a Siamese, you know what their lungs are capable of. Felix stands outside the bedroom door, pulls at it with his feet and yells, "WOW?" As in.. are you getting up now? Can we play a game? Do you know where I left my stuffed hamster? His favourite spot to sleep is on the corners of the couch where he can see everything that's going on, but still stay out of Jeff's way.
This is Samantha... also known as Princess, kitty face, goosebump (don't ask, I have no idea), fancy feet, girlie, pretty girl, crazy head, beautiful girl, baby kitty, sweetheart.... in fact... I don't think I ever call her Samantha...
Samantha was also rescued from the humane society. I got her for christmas two years ago. Her favourite things are eating... and eating. If I let her she would eat until she exploded, like a goldfish. Everytime I enter the kitchen she assumes it's because I'm going to put more food in her bowl. She waits paitently beside it until I leave the kitchen... sometimes she will stage a coux and push her bowl into the middle of the floor... just incase I didn't notice it was empty. She is rather solid for a little cat and I'm sure my vet will say she is obese at our next check-up. If I leave her alone overnight she will attack the bread, buns, muffins, or anthing else that is left on the counter. Once I couldn't find her and she was underneath my desk inside a chip bag. Apparently she had exausted herself by licking all of the seasoning off from the inside of the bag and had to have a nap - immediately.

She is rather stunning though. With lovely green eyes and a shiny coat. She photographs beautifully and makes an easy subject. She is unbelievably lazy, and makes almost no noise, except when she is staaaaarving, and even then it's only a very small, quiet "mew?" She likes to sleep in my scrap box downstairs, the linen closet, and the bathroom sink.

These are my children. Someday I would like to have some human kids, but until that happens, I will have cats.

The Twilight Craze

When the book Twilight by Stephanie Myers came out, followed closely by the movie... I admit, I was skeptical and not so interested. I do have a thing for vampire movies though, so I did plan to watch it eventually. While I was waiting for it to hit theatres, I picked up the first book. I wasn't expecting much as it was written for teens... I was pleasently surprised. I am now a complete addict. I read the first 350 pages yesterday and had trouble putting it down to get some sleep before work. Completely fabulous book. I had read some silly review from Stephen King earlier that said Myers was a horrible author and the book was crap... someone should shoot that man. Her character development was fabulous, and her descriptions so detailed (without being overly flowery), that I actually felt like I could look up from the book and see fog and mist. The story itself is very simple, but looks at the whole vampire legend/culture from a bit of a different angle. This isn't Buffy the Vampire Slayer, (which I was completely expecting). I can relate to the main character, even though she is seventeen and I'm 27, and when I'm reading, I feel like I AM her... the sign of a well written book. I'm so absorbed when I'm reading that I forget my surroundings. However, I will issue you a warning... if you're looking for the next piece of Great American Literature... this isn't it. It is a incredibly entertaining piece, but an easy read, targeted at teens and young adults.

Have you read it? Tell me what you think!

Now where did I leave that?

It's official. I've lost my winter coat. These deceivingly warm days have me running about coatless and, at some point in one of my adventures, I've laid it down and forgotten it. I'm hoping it is somewhere at the office... otherwise I will be forced to live out the winter in my spring jacket, and it's about -15C today.... not exactly spring weather!

I also seem to be missing my ipod, my book mark, one of my favourite slippers (NOT under the bed... I already checked..), and my eye glasses. I'm beginning to believe that the fairy who steals socks from the dryer has now moved on to bigger and better things... although I think that even the fairy would look silly in my eye glasses. I did catch myself putting the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge the other day... but I'm sure that's the fairys influence.

First - Welcome to all the new visitors, and a big thanks to David for the exposure on his blog. I loved reading your comments!

Second - The past few days have been a roller-coaster of craziness. My company laid-off a huge percentage of management yesterday, with little warning. I believe it was neccessary, and am grateful I still have a job, but my heart is hurting for those that are gone. Some have been here for as long as I can remember, and some even longer. My mentor is now gone. She has been an inspiration and a mother figure to all of us at one point or another. She will be dearly missed. Already it seems quiet and empty here. Despite this, I have hope that tomorrow will bring better things for all of us.

Third - It's Thirsty Thursday! What's in your wineglass? Today I've chosen Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon. It's mellow, but rich and sweet. One of my favourites.

I always like to end my posts like we're in the middle of a conversation...

Puzzled

Who started Skywatch Friday? I've seen this on a number of un-related blogs, including yesterday's Blog Of Note. Is this an international movement that I've missed? Maybe a Euro thing? And what are the rules? Do I just go outside and take a picture of the sky every Friday? Maybe I should watch the news more.

I admit I find the idea very entertaining. It's neat to see pictures of the sky from all over the world. A peak outside at my sky today will show you a crisp, eye-watering blue that goes on forever. It's hard for me to imagine that there are clouds anywhere in the world today, as Sounthern Ontario is so flat, sometimes it seems as though you can see to the ends of the earth. Somewhere on the other side of the world it's dark and people are sleeping. I know this, but it's tricky to imagine. In Australia, it's dark AND summer! How strange is it to look outside at the bright snow and know that somewhere, people are swealtering. I can't quite wrap my brain around it.

Anywhoo... happy sleeping, or whatever it is ya'll are doing, I'm off for a night of Lobster and a movie.

Teachers who have inspired me.

This post was inspired by a recent visitor, Emily , whose blogs at Essential E. Emily is a teacher, thus reminding me of my teachers, leading to this post, ect, ect, ect.

I have teacher friends that sometimes despair and think it is a thankless job. They, (or she. Specifically the she that lives in Thunder Bay and teaches Biology/Math/whatever else they have her teaching this week), think that the children don't appreciate what their teachers do.

Not true. Through-out my studies I have been inspired by some of the greatest people I've ever come across. I'm not just talking about likability... because I can get along with pretty much anyone... these are people that have had a profound influence on the person that I've become, and am still becoming.

To begin at the beginning...

Mrs Lutes - Grade 3. This was the beginning of my musical background. She gave us recorders and allowed me to spend recess inside practicing. She inspired my love of creative writing with one specific comment which I still remember to this day.. "Your writing is very descriptive and a joy to read, I hope you keep at it!" She could have just put the big red checkmark on it, (well and maybe a sticker... I love stickers!), and been done with it... but she didn't. She took the time to write that small piece of encouragement, and even though I didn't pursue writing as a career, (you have to have good grammar for that), she inspired me to try harder and develop my writing "voice" per say, (which sounds alot like my regular voice, only much quieter and lower pitched!!). I remember the sound of her voice and her smile. Although, last time I saw her she was alot shorter than I remember...

Ms. Slater - Grade 7. This was the year I became an academic (lol, if you can call it that). Ms. Slater put the desks in groups of 4 and numbered each group. Every week she would deal a deck of cards and the number on your card was the group that you sat in for that week. This is how I met Heather. Heather was one of those people who was good at everything she did, and also a good person. Because I'm competitive by nature, (so is Heather, though she'll never admit it! lol). I began to study harder to keep up with her, (no easy feat!). We were inseperable for years after that and still keep in touch.
Ms Slater also taught me how to cross country ski on her lunch breaks. She also encouraged me to try out for the soccer team - a big deal because I wasn't the most athletic girl in school. I made the team and played fabulous defense!
Everyday we wrote a journal where I would make up fantastic stories about things that never happened... not sure why... I think I considered my own life boring and so had to make one up. I still have the journals... quality entertainment that is! She would read our entries everyday and always write something back, or ask questions to answer the next day, encouraging your strengths and sympathizing with your dificulties. Of all the teachers I had, she was the one with which I was the closest.

Mr Grant - I'll remember him forever for teaching me how to sing. He taught our whole town to sing together in the centennial celebration. He also doubled as the french teacher in our very small community. He also happens to be the father of Joe Grant from Three Days Grace, (adam Gontier's (from the same band), dad was my french teacher in grade 4... weird).

Mr Simmonds - High school music teacher - carted us around the entire country for four years and definitely changed the course of my life. I had no drive and no goals. It was Heather who convinced me to go try out for band, (her older sister was a member), I went with her and the rest is history. I developed a deep love for all things musical and got to see the country. We travelled from Prince Edward Island on the east coast - to Vancouver Island on the west coast, and most places in between. Because we spent so much time away from home and school, he and his wife Isabel became almost like surrogate parents. So thank you for giving so much of your free time to us. We remember and appreciate it.
Also, that year I broke my arm and couldn't hold my clairinet... he handed me a flute and stuck me in the flute section beside Corinne, who became, and still is, the best friend I will ever have... and is probably horrified by my grammar in this post. She's been correcting it in her head all along, I promise you! The thing that drives her the most kind of crazy is when I use 'you're' when I should be using "your". Strangly enough, she is the voice inside my head when I'm editing my own writing.

On and on a separate note - I would like to apologize to my grade 9 English teacher - Mrs Phillips - whom I successfully convinced that I was seeing people that weren't there, specifically my imaginary friend named Melvin... if you ever read this - I am, nor have I ever been, able to see people that are not there... but don't you think that would be a great skill to have?

Sunday Scenery

This is my garden sleeping in the snow, waiting for spring.
Ninty-Nine Blackbirds sitting in a tree....

Now I wish upon a star...

OMG the lottery is estimated at 49 MILLION dollars. I'm buying a ticket. No one has won for ages now. But what to do with my millions?

• Buy a ranch.
• Buy horses for the ranch.
• Buy someone to teach me how to take care of that many horses... I'm only used to one at a time..
• Get more cats to eat the mice in the barn
• Buy a dog to chase the cats and to play with my horses... Finally I can have my Irish Wolfhounds and Great Danes... sigh.
• Buy a new farm truck. I'm thinking a Ford F1 Superduty. Whoa. That gave me chills.
• Build an adoption center for stray pets and hire a vet to do my bidding. Oh to have a clean place to take care of sick animals and offer adoption where pets are not crammed into those little tiny cages, waiting on death row.
• Buy a politician to pass a law that allows me to execute negligent and abusive pet owners. I will sink to bribery, I am that evil.
• Ask Christian Childrens Fund how much money they need to stop putting those advertisements on tv that make me cry. Then give them the money.
• Put some away for savings... after all, I think I've spent about 40 million already and even millionairesses need SOME income.
• Have George W Bush assasinated... or maybe just put in Guantanamo Bay and let the inmates torture him.
• Buy everyone I work with free coffee for the next 20 years.... or until they retire... whichever comes first.
• Buy my mom a house and a full time maid. And a doctor that will actually HELP her.
• Buy my cats solid gold collars... ok, no. But that would be super cute.
• Buy my own Tim Hortons and put it in the garage. I'll ride my horse there everyday to get a coffee! Ok... several times a day then.
• Find that kid I used to stuff in lockers and give him $100 G's just for all the crap I put him through... and maybe stuff him in a locker once more for old times sake.
• Send Carolina on vacation whilst the contracters are fixing her bathroom, cause who wants to live through that crap?
• Buy a plane so I can fly to Thunder Bay whenever I want. I'll build a runway on my ranch.
• Buy a new pancreas for Patrick Swayze... wait.. he can buy his own. He has more money than god and his own damn ranch.
• I'm pretty sure killing George Bush and giving him to the middle east will bring world peace, so no need to ask for that.

I think I'm probably out of money. Anything I have left will go to cancer research. I hope I win.

Today's Blog of Note:

I'm hooked. You should go check this out. What a great story. It's well written and very entertaining.

Chocolate does not belong in tea.

Yesterday my boss (the BIG boss) brings in tea for everyone (this is very unusual... normally he justs hands out money for a coffee run). The tea is Chocolatey Chai. I know what you're thinking.... who wouldn't want to put chocolate in EVERYTHING!! I love chocolate, and I love herbal tea, so why not put them together? Well. I'm here to tell you that it is a VERY bad idea! *Although... I should note here that it smells absolutely heavenly*

It's kind of hard to describe the flavour... kind of like cinammon flavoured dirt. Really HOT cinammon flavoured dirt.

I finally got the nerve today to tell him how terribly horrible it is, (because who ever wants to say anything bad to your boss... especially when he's trying to do something nice). The only reason I did it is because he threatened to bring in more. I don't think I could choke down another cup.

In the spirit of, "Hey, this tastes gross... wanna try some?" I encourage you to go forth and buy tea. I'm interested to hear if you think it's a terrible as I do. Maybe I'm crazy and ate too many mud pies as a kid.

Cheers.

Things I Love That Are Blue

While over at Carolina's blog I followed her link to a blog titled My True Colours. The author of My True Colours has issued a challenge for True Colour Thursday. This weeks challenge is BLUE, and I've decided to play along. Here are a few things I love that are blue:

Ok... technically I know that the actual water isn't blue, it's a reflection from the sky, but it's such an intense and vibrant colour that it definitely makes my top 3 list of things that are blue. Plus, it makes Tuck the Buluga look blue too! This photo was taken at Marine Land in Niagara Falls.
Baby Finns eyes also make the list of favourites. He has the bluest eyes I've ever seen. Plus he is also sitting on my favourite blue zero gravity chair! Very comfy.
My favourite colour for clothes is blue. If you look in my closet there are 3 colours that stand out.. blue, light blue, and dark blue! It really is the best colour ever.

Spring Rain and Cheap Shoes.

After months and months of endless snow... it has finally started to rain. The mild temperatures have me feeling invigorated and praying that we've seen the last of the white stuff - although, I must admit this unlikely as it is only February. Does anyone know if that damn groundhog saw his shadow?

The slightly milder weather and rain has me greedy for spring. I can't wait to see the grass grow, the birds sing, and the flowers bloom.

Of course, with the beginning of spring, comes the beginning of the flip-flop season. Don't get me wrong, I think they are the most comfortable shoes on earth... but that noise drives me insane... flip-flop, flip-flop, flip flop. The worst is when you have a whole bunch of floppers together... FLIP-FLOP, FLIP-FLOP, FLIP-FLOP. I often find myself marching to the beat of someone elses flip-flops. I can't help myself, the rythmic sound is hypnotic. Next time you have your flip-flops on, watch for people marching beside you in a robotic state of facination. No, it's not your new hair, or your latest purchase from Old Navy, they are enthralled by the sound of your $2 foam shoes smacking the bottoms of your callused feet.

Happy flopping.

To all the Valentines Scrooges:

So. I've heard several people comment on the "commercialism" of Valentines Day, (interestingly enough... these people are mostly men...). Come-on guys. Is it that difficult to do something nice for your significant other? Who said you had to buy anything? Cook a nice meal, finish your hunny-do list, do anything sweet and romantic!

February is a month of blah. Someone created a holiday to get rid of the blahs. Now the complainers are turning it into something we should be ashamed of because stores and manufacturers take advantage of it? So much the easier to buy valentines for your sweetie!

I, for one, have taken advantage of the day and bought Jeff some lesson books on playing the guitar. Just fun things. I've included free lessons from myself. So now, not only does he get the opportunity to try something new, but we get to spend more quality time together and have some fun.

Hubby did something extraordinary for me. He fixed my grandmothers clock. I can't believe it. I cried. I was downstairs scrapping a photo of them last week when I heard it go off. The clock has been broken for three years (creepy right?). So I came upstairs asking hubby if he'd heard anything. He said no, hoping that I would just drop it... but of course, i CAN'T do THAT! So I unpacked everything in the spare room closet and unwrapped the quilt that covered the clock, and there it was... ticking away. Best present ever. Yesterday I also received some beautiful pink roses, and a lovely card. To top off the celebration, we had the last of the crab legs last night with some fillet. It was to die for. Which is a good thing, because it will probably be quite some time before we can afford to throw money frivolously at such delicacies.

Cheesy Talk Shows

I remember watching day time tv with my mom when I was a kid... I don't remember them being as horribly cheesy as they are now. It's Friday morning, I have the day off work, and Jeff has tuned in on Maury. I didn't think Maury was a cheesy show... wasn't there a time where he was respected and talked about real issues? Todays - and I suspect MOST days - the show is about paternity testing. How can there possibly be that many people who don't know the paternity of their babies? I mean, I know that sometimes life is crazy, but WOW. And better yet, who could have guessed that it would be entertaining for the masses? I personally think it's a load of crap. It dramatic nonsense what sells these days? What happened to quality tv? Everyone expects cheesiness from shows such as Jerry Springer, but now it seems as though they're all the same, with the same topics. Surely we have more important things to discuss than this.

For me, these shows are on equal footing with those trashy tv court shows. I'm not sure whether it's supposed to be funny or not, but I find it sad.

Paper cuts are evil.

For those of you who don't know, I work in an office. I absolutely love my job. That being said, I have the sort of job that forces me to be constantly collating my own paper (new MRP program doesn't do it by itself... I don't get it... we can send people to the moon- yes, they really went -but we can't collate paper?). Anywho, I digress. So. I spend lots of time flipping rapidly through page-upon-page and ocassionally I get the odd paper cut. Today I got not 1 - not 2 - but SEVEN paper cuts! Seven! In one day! And one of them is from a file folder. If I put band-aids on all of them I would stick to my desk. I tried not to bleed on anything. Seven! I can't believe it.

Domestically Challenged

Well. I tried to bake yesterday. Notice that 'tried' is in itallics. It wasn't even that complicated really... pour mix in bowl.. add water... evenly distribute into 3 loaf pans of such and such a size... then bake. It was Angel Food Cake... or it was supposed to be angel food cake. I happily mixed the batter, which had the consistency of whip cream, and poured it confidently into the pans and put them in the oven. What came out of the oven was angel food cake on steroids. I would post a picture but the entire cake wouldn't fit in the lens (ok... it would have, I was just to mortified to show anyone). They exploded over top of the pans and looked like chef hats, with pleasingly browned tops. I couldn't get them out of the pans... what emerged by the time I was finished was a mishapen lump that resembled an overcooked, supersized marshmellow. It was suprisingly tasty. Next time I will get the bunt cake pan that you're supposed to use. So much for my experiments in being suzy homemaker. I'm supposed to cook a birthday cake for Austin's 8th birthday on Friday. Vanilla with vanilla icing. I think I'll just buy one.

I used to have good grammar, I swear!

I have taken several English courses over the course of my educational experience... excelled at them even. I'm sorry to report that a great travesty has taken place... I no longer remember my basic grammar skills. Yes, some of them are instinctive, and some are so ingrained that I couldn't forget them if I tried, but the rest are kind of sketchy. I re-read my posts thinking.. does that sentence even make sense? And what the hell is a semi-colon really for anyway? I'm switching tenses, I can't remember when commas are appropriate... I've forgotten my apostrophe S rules... so much so that I usually re-arrange the sentence to avoid using it at all.. leaving some of my writing sounding inappropriate and ill-written. I think I know what the problem is. In high-school, I had Corinne to edit most of my work and fix my grammar atrocities... now there is just me. In University my professor's must have taken pity on me and declined to comment, which would explain the decent grades despite my grammatical failures. The problem now is, how do I get it back? I'm too old to learn all over again! I don't think they make grammar primers for adults, unless you're taking an ESL course, but I don't have a second language to face my way through that. I'm sure there is supposed to be a paragraph break in there somewhere...

So take pity on me when you read my blog... I am not grammatically retarded... I just have the worst memory on the face of the earth... ok no really, what IS a semi-colon for?

What is a Chicki-Nut you ask??

If you have a minute, go and read this post. I happened on it randomly, and it was so funny, I had to read it twice. This is my favourite kind of humor. It's a bit of a read, but totally worth it.

http://funwithchickens.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-trail-of-wild-chicki-nu.html

Lazy Days

I live for the weekends. I try to get everything done that I need to do during the work week so that for at least one day a week I can have a Lazy Day. Lazy Days consist of the following: early morning scrapping, usually some non work-related surfing and blog reading... some chatting on my favourite web site, The Scrap Witch, and an easy supper. I live for these days. For the days when I can pick up my book and read as long as I want. Play a video game without guilt because I should be doing something else, and take an afternoon nap because, well... why not? Today was one such day. I was up early and chatted with some of the ladies on my scrapping website, headed down stairs for some scrapping, watched a good movie (U571), had take-out for supper (panzarotti..mmmm), and now we are watching the hockey game (canadians are loosing... HAHAHAHHAHAHAH). I even fit my nap in this afternoon. I feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready to tackle the world. God Bless Lazy Days.

I Love My Truck

I can't help it... I love my truck. It's not a truck really, it's an SUV. I know in these environmentally conscious times I should be driving a compact like a focus or a civic... but I loooovvve my truck. I suppose that makes me selfish, if not irresponsible. It's economically ridiculous to be driving it when I should be motoring to work in something much more fuel efficient, but I love my truck.

I guess it's my redneck roots coming out in me. If I could afford it, I'd buy an even larger truck. I can't help it, I'm a truck girl. If someone asked me whether I'd like to have a corvette or an F-150 Super Duty... I'd definitely get the F-150. It's just so much cooler than a stupid plastic corvette. I like the luxury of space, and I like being higher above the road than anyone else. It makes me feel safe.

My truck has a sunroof. Nothing makes me feel more free than flying down the back roads on a summer day, with the sunroof open, and Bob Seager playing on the radio - the ultimate summer music, which is closely followed by Collective Soul and John Cougar Mellancamp. The world has unlimited possibilities and I can do anything. <---- I'm sure there is some psychology wrapped up in all of that but I'm too cheap to pay to find out what it is.

So no. I won't sell my truck and buy a compact. Trucks are a dying breed. I'm sure someday I will be forced by manufacturing circumstances to down-grade to something inferior... but for now, me and my escape are just fine.

Worth the Read

I was scrolling through the blogs of note today and found one that actually IS of note. She In China is smart, funny, and provides a unique view of Chinese culture. I actually laughed out loud. I also added it to blogs I follow because I can't wait to see what is in store for the Swedish heroine next. Here is a link, I definitely recommend taking the time to check it out.

sheinchina.blogspot.com

I am afraid of change.

there. I said it.

Tim Hortons

Question to self: When did coffee become part of my necessities? At what point did I need it so badly that I actually delagated $30 per week to Tim Hortons?

In these economic times, I'm sure we are all looking for ways to cut spending. I have x-amount of reduced hours at work, therefore I must cut x-amount of spending. However, I've noticed that rather than cut my Tim Hortons budget and put that extra money on something useful like my Visa, I make sacrifices somewhere else... like groceries. Sure, I'll eat kraft dinner for a week if it means I get my daily Java and bagel toasted with butter and jam... who wouldn't?

Praise be to the gods of Tim Hortons who make such addictive legal stimulates. Where would I be without you? Probably out of debt.

Video Games

Are you a gamer? I wouldn't call myself a gamer... more of a gaming enthusiast. I like to play, sure, but mostly only trivia related and puzzle games. Although I do like quite a few of the RPG games. My all time favourite being Final Fantasy. Currently I'm playing Zelda: Princess of Twilight on the Wii. It's realatively simple, but the puzzle aspect and the story line are what draw me the most. I've loved Zelda from the beginning. And I just recently learned that you can download most of the previous Zelda/Link games for the Wii directly to your system (for a small fee of course). This means I will no longer have to set up old consoles when I'm feeling nostalgic. Yard Sale here I come!

I also like to watch other people game. Since my hand eye coordination is the equivalent of that of a two-toed sloth, I find it more interesting and exciting when someone else is at the helm. I like watching games like the god-father... or scary stuff which I would never have the courage to play by myself... I know, I'm a coward. I still like to jump on the bed from three feet away so that whatever is under there won't get me. In short, the Wii is the perfect system for me. It has easy games, and I get to practice that all important hand-eye coordination. Maybe if they had developed Wii when I was a kid, I would be more graceful.

Stress Relievers

Ok, so I'm having a bit of a rough go at the moment, for various reasons. In short, I've had to find effective ways to relieve stress. Here is the best of what I've found:

Excersize: This is the absolute best. It's hard to get motivated, but once you do it's great to work off all of that negative energy, feel like you've acomplished something, and generally feel healthier (not to mention less depressed about those 10lbs you put on at Christmas...).

Hobbies: Scrapping is my lifesaver. I get to excersize my creative muscles, and it is so much fun. When I am all finished I feel like I completed something worth while... and theres that feeling of acomplishment again... hmmmm....

Tea: The variety of herbal tea out there is amazing... try to avoid caffine, it will add to your stress level. My current favourite is Summer Berry Blend by Tetley. It calms and relaxes me, not to mention warms me up. Cold weather causes us to bunch up our shoulders and adopt bad posture which strains our backs. This leads to more tension.

Talking: Don't bombard your family with all of your negativity... you may feel better, but they won't! Instead, talk about your feelings in a constructive way: "This is really bothering me... what do you think I should do?"

Have a shower and apply lotion... the rubbing increases your circulation and gets your blood flowing. You'll also be realeasing those feel-good hormones from your brain that trick you into thinking all is well, which leads to....

Sex: I don't have to describe this... of course it makes you feel better!

Creativity

How do we learn to be creative? Is it a gene that some people have, and others don't? Personally, I think it is a primarily nurtured gift. Those who are exposed to the arts and creative thinking as children will have stronger gifts as adults. However, like language or any other skill, it's lost if not exercised regularly. You have to stretch you creative muscles to grow.

The big question is... why am I more creative on some days rather than others? This weekend for example, I had the time, the tools, and the space, but I couldn't come up with a single exciting idea to excersize my creativity. Everything I put down on paper looked like someone elses work (and sub par at that). It seemed that because my own creativtiy was lacking, my brain automatically mashed together examples of other peoples work and output that as a back-up plan. Where did my own creative identity go? Maybe it is just taking a break. I hope it comes back soon, I've got 5 days off coming and am looking forward to spending most of it in my work room. Maybe I just need to find the right inspiration!

To the Bravest Lady I Know

Dear Cheryl,
Yesterday you finally rested. I know it is selfish of us to want you to stay, because you were so very tired. I watched you in the various stages of your battle and never did I see you let up. You fought harder than I have ever fought for anything in my life, of course, I have never faced cancer armed with nothing but determination. There are so many things I wanted to say but didn't know how. Still don't. I have many regrets. I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to be there for you, and I'm sorry that on the last day we saw each other I didn't have the courage to say what was in my heart. Perhaps wherever you are, you can forgive me.
I hope heaven gave you a motercycle, although, I'm sure if they didn't Al will have one waiting. I hope that you are young and that you don't remember your struggle. I hope you know how much you will be missed and remembered. I choose to remember you as you were on that day in November with your eyes flashing and your face smiling. I hope that someday I have your courage.

Try, Try Again

Ok. So I didn't go home and jump back into my musical glory days. Life gets in the way. I'm trying not to be too angry with myself. I'm going to give it another go this week. We went to Welland this past weekend, and we have the munchkin at the house over night again this Friday. I'm trying to plan a quick craft, as we have to take him home in the morning, but so far I am clueless. I'll go and surf tonight for an inkling I think.... after I practice my guitar of course!

Cheers

Get back into the music of life.

One of my resolutions this year is to get back my music. I have all the tools, and now thanks to cutbacks at work I have the time. I want to put aside time each day for my guitar. Even if it's only 10 minutes. I also want to get my clairinet out again... don't laugh... I used to be pretty good. I'm planning for tonight.... I'll let you know how it goes.