i have an addictive personality. i haven't done much reading about this but i believe it runs in families. my family to be exact. i get stuck on things and do them lots and lots. eventually i stop and maybe that makes me not an addict at all. but really, when someone (i won't say who) merely mentions marble drop on her blog, i play until my wrist hurts for weeks at a time. soon my little go at marble drop will be over and my wrists will be shriveled up and whimpering but will eventually get better. why do i do this to myself?
marble drop surely isn't the worst thing to be addicted to. i mean, it could be worse. believe me, it could be much worse. but something mindless like marble drop (or minesweeper from way back) gives me a chance to not think and to, therefore, think. i read an article about multitasking and how to multitask and always be on the go is to sacrifice things like our short term memories and quality of life. weu enjoy things less when events are packed in like sardines. so mindless repetitive tasks, while keeping my hands busy, allow my mind to wander and come up with all sorts of interesting things. i do some of my best thinking while zoned out in front of the computer. maybe that's a kind of multitasking, i'm not sure.
my work involves a lot of multitasking and juggling multiple files at once. i'm still trying to get used to this. the hardest part i find is keeping track of all the little things going on in every file. when you're walking down the hall (going down to the caf for some food or leaving for the day) and someone stops you to ask about the file there's no way of remembering what they're talking about. some people can do it. not me.
since i started this job (in october in honest, since i moved groups then) i've found that i'm stressed. and i didn't realize this because i could tell i was stressed. apparently i don't know these things. my body has to whack me over the head, literally. i've been clenching my jaw so tight that i've been having headaches. i do it all the time now, but now that i've realized it, i do everything i can to stop it. i'm used to having mindless jobs that a trained monkey could do. maybe this is why they pay me the big bucks.
speaking of jobs though, i got an email yesterday about a job. it's a technician job at canadian food and inspection agency. i've been screened into the competition and have been asked to write the exam. it's time to talk to my boss. as a term employee (in government-speak, that means i have an end date, mine happens to be end of july 2007) my job is not guaranteed and so i've still been applying to jobs, though much less frequently than before. i don't want to have to take time off work to write this exam if they will give me a permanent job here. make sense?
i hate talking about money and contracts and jobs and any kind of topic related to those things. it's like confrontation, which i avoid, sometimes at all costs. but i figure that with all the christmas festivities coming up, me bringing up my position with my boss can happen in a more casual setting and i'll try and be very honest about it: i need some security. please give me a permanent job. how does that sound? maybe she'll whip out the papers right then and there and i'll be on my way. again, wishful thinking.
at least i'm not addicted to working. working makes me stressed while marble drop lets me consider the finer things in life. it's almost like seeing a psychic, which i've never done, but i assume it's similar, and so i will consult with marble drop tonight. marble drop will know.
Wednesday, November 29
Tuesday, November 28
the betties are back!
my volleyball team (the betties from the title) won last night after a 3-week non-winning streak. i'm not sure we played differently than the past two weeks yet we pulled it together and won in the 5th set. it was fun and my knee doesn't hurt. i was pretty worried about that.
as promised, some house pictures. we went out there after work yesterday to get our final price. they screwed up the paperwork so we haven't signed anything but we have a much better idea what we'll be paying (it's about time!) and now we know we have enough money saved up. can you say relief?
and now, some pictures. this is the front door:
and the view from the front door:
and that's all i'm going to post here. all the pictures - and believe me, there are lots - are up on my flickr page so go check it out! and the rest of the development will be under wraps. we have to keep a little mystery to our first new house. plus, this way, you'll have to come over and see the final product. am i mean? possibly.
i hope you enjoyed following along for the past 7 months (no, really. april 23 was the first picture and now it's the end of november. amazing.) the next two months will surely fly by, as the holiday season usually does, and then we'll be in the new house and we'll do a grand unveiling of the inside with all our options on display. fingers crossed everything matches!
as promised, some house pictures. we went out there after work yesterday to get our final price. they screwed up the paperwork so we haven't signed anything but we have a much better idea what we'll be paying (it's about time!) and now we know we have enough money saved up. can you say relief?
and now, some pictures. this is the front door:
and the view from the front door:
and that's all i'm going to post here. all the pictures - and believe me, there are lots - are up on my flickr page so go check it out! and the rest of the development will be under wraps. we have to keep a little mystery to our first new house. plus, this way, you'll have to come over and see the final product. am i mean? possibly.
i hope you enjoyed following along for the past 7 months (no, really. april 23 was the first picture and now it's the end of november. amazing.) the next two months will surely fly by, as the holiday season usually does, and then we'll be in the new house and we'll do a grand unveiling of the inside with all our options on display. fingers crossed everything matches!
Monday, November 27
the last weekend in november
the last weekend in november has come and gone and was rather uneventful. we didn't go out friday night instead opted to stay in and watch tv. saturday we did what more people should do around christmas time: bought ourselves stuff. we were both in need of new clothes so we braved bayshore for two hours and came out victorious.
new clothes mean laundry.
i did some more freezer paper stenciling. i made a prize for the cookie exchange and two christmas presents. i won't be putting up pictures until after the exchange and after christmas, for obvious reasons. it was fun though. much easier the second time.
yesterday was weird. we had gotten a phone call last week about a free meat sample. i said they could come and drop it off no problem. what i didn't know was that it was a sales pitch too. so we sat through this sales pitch. we may have even purchased something. i'll be sure to discuss more later once i know more and have tried everything out.
and then today, j got something done in a simple phone call that i had been trying to do for weeks. he got the final price for our house. so we're heading out there after work tonight. we'll get the final price and hopefully get a walk-through because, after seeing k1's house pictures, i realized we hadn't been inside out house for ages and there are likely lots of changes. we will have pictures up tomorrow, as promised.
also to come, pictures of my cookie attempts for the exchange this sunday, and sandy helping me bake. that should be "helping".
ps. my knee is feeling much better. i still don't know what i did to it but the pain has gone away.
new clothes mean laundry.
i did some more freezer paper stenciling. i made a prize for the cookie exchange and two christmas presents. i won't be putting up pictures until after the exchange and after christmas, for obvious reasons. it was fun though. much easier the second time.
yesterday was weird. we had gotten a phone call last week about a free meat sample. i said they could come and drop it off no problem. what i didn't know was that it was a sales pitch too. so we sat through this sales pitch. we may have even purchased something. i'll be sure to discuss more later once i know more and have tried everything out.
and then today, j got something done in a simple phone call that i had been trying to do for weeks. he got the final price for our house. so we're heading out there after work tonight. we'll get the final price and hopefully get a walk-through because, after seeing k1's house pictures, i realized we hadn't been inside out house for ages and there are likely lots of changes. we will have pictures up tomorrow, as promised.
also to come, pictures of my cookie attempts for the exchange this sunday, and sandy helping me bake. that should be "helping".
ps. my knee is feeling much better. i still don't know what i did to it but the pain has gone away.
Sunday, November 26
charity
here's a picture of all the scarves we gave to the snowsuit fund:
new pictures of the house tuesday.
new pictures of the house tuesday.
Friday, November 24
when the doctor stands you up
we got in the car yesterday after work and i decided i was going to go to the clinic. yesterday was the day. my knee had been feeling better but there was still pain when i did certain things. so we went and got gas and a car wash and by the time we got to the clinic the doctor was "done for the day" and the next doctor wouldn't be in for over an hour and a half, would i like to wait? hell no! i have better things to do with my time (read: play marbledrop, it's addictive so don't say i didn't warn you). i didn't go back and i likely won't go today. i haven't had any pain today so far (i know it's early) but i am expecting some pain tonight because my knee seems to be worse at night.
besides, if it is something bad, the pain won't go away and i'll know for sure. that's maybe not the best approach to one's health but it's an approach and it's my approach. i'm going with it.
we've been really bad at domestic things lately, like "getting groceries" and "cleaning", so the cupboards are bare and the house is dirty. that's how we roll. the cats don't seem to mind because their little food dishes are always brimming with kibble. i call them my little hippos. back to the point: i got us mcdonalds last night. and while i was driving home with the greasy smell overloading my senses i realized that we won't have a mcdonalds close to us at our new place. what were we thinking?? maybe they'll build one. or build that bridge into barrhaven so it'll be a quick hop over the river for my grease-fest. remember when you were 17 and the alcohol was a hop, skip and a jump over the river in hull at the dépanneur? me too. gotta love mcd's and quebec's lower legal drinking age.
after chowing down, i went knitting last night at sylvia's house. you can hardly tell they had a party, except all the new plants everywhere. i have been mia so far this year for knitting and it felt nice to see those girls and sit and talk and knit. i finished a christmas gift scarf and had time in the car on the way home to think about christmas and the cookie party coming up and other things. apparently i needed some downtime to let my mind wander and come up with things i'd missed. also, we decided that all the charity knitting we did last winter would be donated to the snowsuit fund. i gave in everything today and it feels SO GOOD. there was 9 or 10 scarves, one pair of misshapen mitts, and 5 hats. good work girls!
today's friday!!!
besides, if it is something bad, the pain won't go away and i'll know for sure. that's maybe not the best approach to one's health but it's an approach and it's my approach. i'm going with it.
we've been really bad at domestic things lately, like "getting groceries" and "cleaning", so the cupboards are bare and the house is dirty. that's how we roll. the cats don't seem to mind because their little food dishes are always brimming with kibble. i call them my little hippos. back to the point: i got us mcdonalds last night. and while i was driving home with the greasy smell overloading my senses i realized that we won't have a mcdonalds close to us at our new place. what were we thinking?? maybe they'll build one. or build that bridge into barrhaven so it'll be a quick hop over the river for my grease-fest. remember when you were 17 and the alcohol was a hop, skip and a jump over the river in hull at the dépanneur? me too. gotta love mcd's and quebec's lower legal drinking age.
after chowing down, i went knitting last night at sylvia's house. you can hardly tell they had a party, except all the new plants everywhere. i have been mia so far this year for knitting and it felt nice to see those girls and sit and talk and knit. i finished a christmas gift scarf and had time in the car on the way home to think about christmas and the cookie party coming up and other things. apparently i needed some downtime to let my mind wander and come up with things i'd missed. also, we decided that all the charity knitting we did last winter would be donated to the snowsuit fund. i gave in everything today and it feels SO GOOD. there was 9 or 10 scarves, one pair of misshapen mitts, and 5 hats. good work girls!
today's friday!!!
Thursday, November 23
lovin it
guys, i am just loving all the comments you are leaving. i can't thank you enough. really.
you obviously all have lots to say about travel and believe me, i'm listening! i'm such a travelling-virgin so i have lots to learn. while about 80% of me really wants to pack up and go on a last-minute week-long all-inclusive RIGHT NOW the other 20% of me knows that my days off are limited and therefore extremely valuable. i'm going to wait it out until costa rica. we'll get two weeks off at once and the thrill of doing something not everyone and their dog has done and we'll likely be staying at an all-inclusive resort down there anyways.
bottom line: i'll wait, but i won't stop dreaming. AND i will eventually just pick up and go somewhere last minute for really cheap.
while dreaming about travelling and far off exotic places i've never been, my life is still rooted here and it's not all that boring. my knee was feeling a little better yesterday afternoon so j and i decided to go to ikea. we're keen on design ideas with the completion of the new house on the horizon (68 days till we close!) so ikea is a great place. we took our time and looked at all the rooms and things.
we were pleased to see that they have a good variety of mirrors. our house will not have mirrors or any hardware in the bathrooms so that's something we'll need to get. that was a decision we made so that we can have something different and hopefully fun and cool instead of the regular rectangular mirrors and whatever-the-standard-is fixtures.
also, we stopped by the dining room section to look at bar stools. our kitchen is open to the living room / dining room and has a bar counter. we ended up sitting at a table and both finally saying that we don't like the table and chairs we bought at the brick. the set was definitely the one we liked most at the brick but it really isn't us and feels so wrong. i didn't want to admit it so i never told j about it. apparently he was thinking the same thing (miraculous!) so we decided right there that we would cancel our dining room table and chairs from the brick. i am SO relieved. i was really worried about the similar-but-likely-clashing wood tones everywhere on the main floor and the fact that j had said not too long ago that our house was going to have a cottagey feel. no thank you. the table at ikea that we like it still wood but it's brown-black and has two leaves that are stored inside the table when not in use. it has funky chairs that are so much more our style and smaller so less intrusive. i'm positive this set will look much better in our space.
that was a load off. until we went to the brick. we went right there from ikea hoping we could cancel the order without having our invoices with us. it's all computerized, right? it is, but the orders weren't exactly done right in the first place so we had some issues. we left a little frazzled and worried but j went back and sorted everything out. no more dining room set but everything else is secure. perfect.
and then i ate red meat. we had meat lasagna and i haven't paid for it yet. i'm very impressed with my stomach. we caught up on the episode of house we missed two nights ago and i went to bed early. i didn't go to the clinic about my knee. i didn't get anything else done but i'm happy. sometimes it's good to not do a lot.
you obviously all have lots to say about travel and believe me, i'm listening! i'm such a travelling-virgin so i have lots to learn. while about 80% of me really wants to pack up and go on a last-minute week-long all-inclusive RIGHT NOW the other 20% of me knows that my days off are limited and therefore extremely valuable. i'm going to wait it out until costa rica. we'll get two weeks off at once and the thrill of doing something not everyone and their dog has done and we'll likely be staying at an all-inclusive resort down there anyways.
bottom line: i'll wait, but i won't stop dreaming. AND i will eventually just pick up and go somewhere last minute for really cheap.
while dreaming about travelling and far off exotic places i've never been, my life is still rooted here and it's not all that boring. my knee was feeling a little better yesterday afternoon so j and i decided to go to ikea. we're keen on design ideas with the completion of the new house on the horizon (68 days till we close!) so ikea is a great place. we took our time and looked at all the rooms and things.
we were pleased to see that they have a good variety of mirrors. our house will not have mirrors or any hardware in the bathrooms so that's something we'll need to get. that was a decision we made so that we can have something different and hopefully fun and cool instead of the regular rectangular mirrors and whatever-the-standard-is fixtures.
also, we stopped by the dining room section to look at bar stools. our kitchen is open to the living room / dining room and has a bar counter. we ended up sitting at a table and both finally saying that we don't like the table and chairs we bought at the brick. the set was definitely the one we liked most at the brick but it really isn't us and feels so wrong. i didn't want to admit it so i never told j about it. apparently he was thinking the same thing (miraculous!) so we decided right there that we would cancel our dining room table and chairs from the brick. i am SO relieved. i was really worried about the similar-but-likely-clashing wood tones everywhere on the main floor and the fact that j had said not too long ago that our house was going to have a cottagey feel. no thank you. the table at ikea that we like it still wood but it's brown-black and has two leaves that are stored inside the table when not in use. it has funky chairs that are so much more our style and smaller so less intrusive. i'm positive this set will look much better in our space.
that was a load off. until we went to the brick. we went right there from ikea hoping we could cancel the order without having our invoices with us. it's all computerized, right? it is, but the orders weren't exactly done right in the first place so we had some issues. we left a little frazzled and worried but j went back and sorted everything out. no more dining room set but everything else is secure. perfect.
and then i ate red meat. we had meat lasagna and i haven't paid for it yet. i'm very impressed with my stomach. we caught up on the episode of house we missed two nights ago and i went to bed early. i didn't go to the clinic about my knee. i didn't get anything else done but i'm happy. sometimes it's good to not do a lot.
Wednesday, November 22
the knee issues
like i said yesterday, i did something to my knee. i hurt it. i hurt it good. i hobbled around yesterday at work, wondering what i did to myself. i took some advice and didn't do much last night. i was flat out on the couch icing and not-icing and icing and not-icing.
even when j's dad had a contractor over. i was interested in the plans for the house but didn't walk around with them.
j was really good to me. he brought me things and made me dinner. what a nice boy.
i heard from my hockey team captain that we lost last night. she even said that they missed me. i wonder.
but since i had the night off i was able to catch up on some tv that i had missed, watch some new tv, and be in bed before 10. so today i feel good. i'm not painfully tired and counting down the hours starting at 8am - believe me, that makes for a VERY long day - i'm as perky as i ever get and productive. it's nice in a way to have deadlines. dealines keep a girl honest. though i still take time out to blog and read the internet news and dream about costa rica.
i find that from mid-october to mid-december and mid-january to mid-march is when i really want a vacation. i find myself thinking about hot places and time off and activities i could do. are other people the same? i know a friend here at work is heading to mexico for a week in two weeks. and i know lots of people who head south at least once a year. and then i wonder why my priorities don't take me on a vacation that often. why am i so different? can i afford the money and the time off work? certainly because other people can. then why don't i do it? there's something about me, something that runs deep, that won't spend the money.
though i read in an article about happiness on cnn.com that said that taking a trip is better bang-for-your-buck than buying expensive things. and the reason, expensive things are around long enough to disappoint you whereas trips have an end date and leave you only with memories, often good ones. i sent the article to j in hopes of getting a little week-long trip before costa rica out of the deal. no such luck.
even when j's dad had a contractor over. i was interested in the plans for the house but didn't walk around with them.
j was really good to me. he brought me things and made me dinner. what a nice boy.
i heard from my hockey team captain that we lost last night. she even said that they missed me. i wonder.
but since i had the night off i was able to catch up on some tv that i had missed, watch some new tv, and be in bed before 10. so today i feel good. i'm not painfully tired and counting down the hours starting at 8am - believe me, that makes for a VERY long day - i'm as perky as i ever get and productive. it's nice in a way to have deadlines. dealines keep a girl honest. though i still take time out to blog and read the internet news and dream about costa rica.
i find that from mid-october to mid-december and mid-january to mid-march is when i really want a vacation. i find myself thinking about hot places and time off and activities i could do. are other people the same? i know a friend here at work is heading to mexico for a week in two weeks. and i know lots of people who head south at least once a year. and then i wonder why my priorities don't take me on a vacation that often. why am i so different? can i afford the money and the time off work? certainly because other people can. then why don't i do it? there's something about me, something that runs deep, that won't spend the money.
though i read in an article about happiness on cnn.com that said that taking a trip is better bang-for-your-buck than buying expensive things. and the reason, expensive things are around long enough to disappoint you whereas trips have an end date and leave you only with memories, often good ones. i sent the article to j in hopes of getting a little week-long trip before costa rica out of the deal. no such luck.
Tuesday, November 21
thankful.. and it's not even our thanksgiving
i wanted to thank everyone for their comments to my post yesterday. without comments i find my blog rather boring so it was nice to have something new to read everytime i came back. and yes, i check my blog often during the day. what can i say?
yesterday was the most frustrating day i've had so far at this job. i had to deal with some not-so-pleasant people (you might even say they were bitchy) who kept jerking me around and taking their time with time-sensitive things. yeah, thanks. it's one thing to be genuinely busy and swamped with work but it's quite another thing to be busy because you take 23 15-minute breaks a day and then choose my invoice to train another person with 5 minutes before the end of my day, which you know is at 3 because i've told you. some people. but then i had some help from a friend and was able to leave only 5 minutes late and everything got done. i have more deadlines this friday so i'm going to be busy whether i like it or not.
when i finally saw j after work and we were walking to the car, i vented EVERYTHING from the day. poor guy. and then i took a huge deep breath and was okay. we got home and i put on my pj's and read in bed before i fell asleep for 2 hours. it was great. and when i woke up there was dinner ready for me. i had time to eat and watch millionaire and go to my volleyball game.
we lost again, second week in a row and i'm not entirely sure why. i don't think we're playing much different than we played the first 5 games, all of which we won. i don't know what it is. i got home and a very sleepy j stumbled downstairs and said hello and stumbled back upstairs and was asleep in minutes. i was up late, that's what napping will do, but i got to read and spend time with my cats so it was okay.
and now we're here. my big plan for today is to get through the next 6 hours of work and then not nap and go to bed early. i did something to my knee last night so i'm skipping my hockey game so these plans are attainable. with a little luck.
yesterday was the most frustrating day i've had so far at this job. i had to deal with some not-so-pleasant people (you might even say they were bitchy) who kept jerking me around and taking their time with time-sensitive things. yeah, thanks. it's one thing to be genuinely busy and swamped with work but it's quite another thing to be busy because you take 23 15-minute breaks a day and then choose my invoice to train another person with 5 minutes before the end of my day, which you know is at 3 because i've told you. some people. but then i had some help from a friend and was able to leave only 5 minutes late and everything got done. i have more deadlines this friday so i'm going to be busy whether i like it or not.
when i finally saw j after work and we were walking to the car, i vented EVERYTHING from the day. poor guy. and then i took a huge deep breath and was okay. we got home and i put on my pj's and read in bed before i fell asleep for 2 hours. it was great. and when i woke up there was dinner ready for me. i had time to eat and watch millionaire and go to my volleyball game.
we lost again, second week in a row and i'm not entirely sure why. i don't think we're playing much different than we played the first 5 games, all of which we won. i don't know what it is. i got home and a very sleepy j stumbled downstairs and said hello and stumbled back upstairs and was asleep in minutes. i was up late, that's what napping will do, but i got to read and spend time with my cats so it was okay.
and now we're here. my big plan for today is to get through the next 6 hours of work and then not nap and go to bed early. i did something to my knee last night so i'm skipping my hockey game so these plans are attainable. with a little luck.
Monday, November 20
it's fixed!
i broke down and upgraded my template to go along with the new version of blogger. i tinkered with it a little and am semi-happy with it. but the biggest thing is that the comments are working again. and not a minute too soon! i'm borrowing this from my aunt-in-law (i've never said those three words together like that before but there you have it) inner dorothy: it's thanksgiving delurking week!
this whole week please leave comments on every blog you visit even if it's just a "blogstone" (where blogstone = (o) ) to let the blogger know you've been by and read their words. blogging is about community so let people know that you're there.
and now, the regularly scheduled weekend updates.
friday: friday friday friday. i definitely napped after work. i definitely made some yummy perch for dinner. i definitely caught up on a bunch of shows i had recorded. i definitely knit and spent quality time on the couch with my cats. definitely.
saturday: saturday was a busy day. we did some running around and then made our way to kanata for a little get together at j&s's place. we ate and watched tv and talked. i got to see their house and their new cat.
we left early and went to a&s's place for their two-monthiversary housewarming party and what a party it was! there were lots and lots of people and food and beer and cake. j has a new friend. her name is lindsay and we met her and her husband about a month ago. they are both really nice people.
sunday: we checked out the house. the brick is almost all done.
i was talking to sylvia about this on saturday night and finally looked it up: it's 71 days until we close. i guess the countdown should now be officially on. except christmas stands in our way.
we broke down and got pizza for dinner - at least we have food for lunch - and then i went to k2's for scrapbooking. i brought my knitting instead, i'm not feeling the scrapbooking. but i had gone into the craft room earlier and the kitties found a great nesting spot and were absent for a lot of the night.
it was a late night but an okay morning so far. i'm hoping to nap tonight before my volleyball game because i have big plans of not living to work. and to do that i have to sleep enough so that i can go out and be social every opportunity i get.
this whole week please leave comments on every blog you visit even if it's just a "blogstone" (where blogstone = (o) ) to let the blogger know you've been by and read their words. blogging is about community so let people know that you're there.and now, the regularly scheduled weekend updates.
friday: friday friday friday. i definitely napped after work. i definitely made some yummy perch for dinner. i definitely caught up on a bunch of shows i had recorded. i definitely knit and spent quality time on the couch with my cats. definitely.
saturday: saturday was a busy day. we did some running around and then made our way to kanata for a little get together at j&s's place. we ate and watched tv and talked. i got to see their house and their new cat.
we left early and went to a&s's place for their two-monthiversary housewarming party and what a party it was! there were lots and lots of people and food and beer and cake. j has a new friend. her name is lindsay and we met her and her husband about a month ago. they are both really nice people.
sunday: we checked out the house. the brick is almost all done.
i was talking to sylvia about this on saturday night and finally looked it up: it's 71 days until we close. i guess the countdown should now be officially on. except christmas stands in our way.
we broke down and got pizza for dinner - at least we have food for lunch - and then i went to k2's for scrapbooking. i brought my knitting instead, i'm not feeling the scrapbooking. but i had gone into the craft room earlier and the kitties found a great nesting spot and were absent for a lot of the night.
it was a late night but an okay morning so far. i'm hoping to nap tonight before my volleyball game because i have big plans of not living to work. and to do that i have to sleep enough so that i can go out and be social every opportunity i get.
Thursday, November 16
comments not working
sorry everybody, but since i made the move to blogger beta, my comments aren't working. i haven't had a chance to really look into it, but i will. for now, if you have something burning to say, please email me ( nananabatmanATgmailDOTcom / work: myfirstname_mylastnameAThc-sc.gcDOTca).
yesterday i did some wonderful things. i read a bunch of a magazine that came in the mail, i napped, i didn't cook dinner, i saw a movie, and i saw the dancing with the stars finale. what a night!
i napped so i could go out. i didn't cook dinner because we stopped for subway on our way to the movie. i saw the prestige and then watched my pvr'd episode of dancing with the stars. AND i was asleep before midnight.
i really liked the prestige. it was fun and twisty with so many things that i didn't get, but in a neat way not in a super-confusing-i-hate-this-movie way. i haven't asked so many questions after a movie in a long time.
did i mention that it's almost christmas? i can't believe we're half-way through november. what happened? why is time flying by so quickly? it feels like i'm observing life as it flies by instead of participating. but then i think about it and realize that i am doing things, maybe not enough things, but things. i have friends and hobbies and ... things. is this normal? does everyone feel like this? is it because we haven't had any sunny days in the past forever? where do we live, england?
that was enough ranting to get the blood flowing.
i'll leave you with this: ohmibod. it's something i read about in chatelaine yesterday. it made me laugh. and then it made me wonder. ps. it's not safe for work. in fact, the site is blocked for me. go home and enjoy!
yesterday i did some wonderful things. i read a bunch of a magazine that came in the mail, i napped, i didn't cook dinner, i saw a movie, and i saw the dancing with the stars finale. what a night!
i napped so i could go out. i didn't cook dinner because we stopped for subway on our way to the movie. i saw the prestige and then watched my pvr'd episode of dancing with the stars. AND i was asleep before midnight.
i really liked the prestige. it was fun and twisty with so many things that i didn't get, but in a neat way not in a super-confusing-i-hate-this-movie way. i haven't asked so many questions after a movie in a long time.
did i mention that it's almost christmas? i can't believe we're half-way through november. what happened? why is time flying by so quickly? it feels like i'm observing life as it flies by instead of participating. but then i think about it and realize that i am doing things, maybe not enough things, but things. i have friends and hobbies and ... things. is this normal? does everyone feel like this? is it because we haven't had any sunny days in the past forever? where do we live, england?
that was enough ranting to get the blood flowing.
i'll leave you with this: ohmibod. it's something i read about in chatelaine yesterday. it made me laugh. and then it made me wonder. ps. it's not safe for work. in fact, the site is blocked for me. go home and enjoy!
Wednesday, November 15
change is upon us
blogger has been updating things and now i'm using the beta version. so i'm still getting used to some of the new features. i don't know if i like this version better yet but we'll see after a bit.
more change: i'm moving cubicles this week. or so it said in an email that i was forwarded from a coworker, not my boss though. i'll be closer to my team and the elevator but farther from my old coworkers and the bathroom and the kitchen. tradeoffs. i will definitely miss the chatty-ness of the people right around me. we have fun over here.
we're starting to buy christmas presents but couldn't help but buy a sonic game for the xbox. i loved sonic when i was younger, probably because we had nintendo not sega. this game though isn't the original sonic but it's still good. and worth the $20. i played until my hands hurt. i just don't have the stamina i used to when it comes to console games.
hockey last night was probably the best game i've played in this league. my team is in 2nd place and we were playing the 4th place team but they brought it good. i was very tired nearing the end of the game, though i am used to having more people there and therefore getting less ice time. at least i didn't get any penalties and even scored a goal. it wasn't a pretty goal but a goal.
after hockey i decided i was going to go get groceries, because when it's 10pm and you get up at 6, groceries is a good idea. stupid girl. i got groceries and am happy about that but this morning was rough. i was a zombie for the first hour at least. i did it to myself.
i went to the doctor today to get a prescription refilled.. or so i thought. i was told to strip down and cover myself. what? apparently i was in for a full physical. i talked them out of that and just got my prescription. sweet. i also found out that we'll need only one shot to go to costa rica in the spring. (richard, have you had your hepA shot? you need it!)
now i just want to nap and nap and nap but friends are going to see a movie tonight. it's an early movie but should i do it? i'm exhausted and the weekend is still two and a half days away. decisions decisions.
more change: i'm moving cubicles this week. or so it said in an email that i was forwarded from a coworker, not my boss though. i'll be closer to my team and the elevator but farther from my old coworkers and the bathroom and the kitchen. tradeoffs. i will definitely miss the chatty-ness of the people right around me. we have fun over here.
we're starting to buy christmas presents but couldn't help but buy a sonic game for the xbox. i loved sonic when i was younger, probably because we had nintendo not sega. this game though isn't the original sonic but it's still good. and worth the $20. i played until my hands hurt. i just don't have the stamina i used to when it comes to console games.
hockey last night was probably the best game i've played in this league. my team is in 2nd place and we were playing the 4th place team but they brought it good. i was very tired nearing the end of the game, though i am used to having more people there and therefore getting less ice time. at least i didn't get any penalties and even scored a goal. it wasn't a pretty goal but a goal.
after hockey i decided i was going to go get groceries, because when it's 10pm and you get up at 6, groceries is a good idea. stupid girl. i got groceries and am happy about that but this morning was rough. i was a zombie for the first hour at least. i did it to myself.
i went to the doctor today to get a prescription refilled.. or so i thought. i was told to strip down and cover myself. what? apparently i was in for a full physical. i talked them out of that and just got my prescription. sweet. i also found out that we'll need only one shot to go to costa rica in the spring. (richard, have you had your hepA shot? you need it!)
now i just want to nap and nap and nap but friends are going to see a movie tonight. it's an early movie but should i do it? i'm exhausted and the weekend is still two and a half days away. decisions decisions.
Tuesday, November 14
weekend round-up
thursday night we went out to the outback for a falling-off-the-veggie-wagon party. j's coworker adam has been a vegetarian for three years and decided that he had to give into his meat cravings that had gotten worse and worse.
we were positive that he was going to be paying for it that night and the whole next day, if not longer. but he was all fine and at work friday and a happy camper. that bastard!
but it was fun. the restaurant is a little pricey compared to what we're used to but the food was good and we only had ranch dressing spilled on us once.
friday night j and i went our separate ways and each saw a different movie. in a different theatre no less! j's dad thinks we're swingers - i think borat has no appeal. that's what j saw. he said it had funny parts but overall wasn't that great. i saw babel with brad pitt and kate blanchette. it was an interesting though convoluted story line with crazy cinematography that made me want to puke the whole time. yuck.
saturday was a strange day. it's honestly a black hole in my mind. i can't say that we did anything, interesting or not because i can't remember.
i do remember though that we went to m&j's new house for a little get together. their house is really nice, very open and spacious for a townhouse with a nice layout on the main floor. i will admit that i like our house better but it is our house afterall.
sunday was a family day. we went and saw the house first (our little family):
we have brick on about one third of the house. i am super pleased with the colour of the brick. i was hoping for not-red brick and we didn't get red brick so it's perfect. other than the brick there aren't many changes, none that we could see at least.
then we went to kanata (my family) and hung out there with my brother, his girlfriend, his roommate and my parents. i got all covered in cat hair and loved by the dog. after a quick stop at home we went to j's grandparent's place (j's family) for dinner.
we stayed much later than usual and were going to go out but ended up just sitting at home (j played wow while i watched tv shows and knit). it was nice but not a very good use of a non-work-night-sunday night.
monday was our free day off thanks to the government and remembrance day. j got up pretty early and took the car in then walked from the car place to the gym and then home. meanwhile i was comfy in bed. we got the exhaust leak fixed and an oxygen sensor thingy installed (it's all very technical) so j can now play with the fuel-oxygen ratio.
j's dad came over and we all went and voted. larry o'brien is the new mayor. i don't know how i feel about that. at least i voted and can now gloat/bitch about the results (i won't tell you which because i just don't care to talk about politics). other than i we ate food and did stuff around the house. i vacuumed under the couches where 6 mousies were lying in wait. toy mousies. the cats are extremely happy and crazy now that those have been unearthed.
i caught up on grey's anatomy and prison break and some other shows i had pvr'd, got about half way done a christmas-present scarf, and still got to bed early. and that's the weekend. now it's back to work and back to waiting for the next weekend.
we were positive that he was going to be paying for it that night and the whole next day, if not longer. but he was all fine and at work friday and a happy camper. that bastard!
but it was fun. the restaurant is a little pricey compared to what we're used to but the food was good and we only had ranch dressing spilled on us once.
friday night j and i went our separate ways and each saw a different movie. in a different theatre no less! j's dad thinks we're swingers - i think borat has no appeal. that's what j saw. he said it had funny parts but overall wasn't that great. i saw babel with brad pitt and kate blanchette. it was an interesting though convoluted story line with crazy cinematography that made me want to puke the whole time. yuck.
saturday was a strange day. it's honestly a black hole in my mind. i can't say that we did anything, interesting or not because i can't remember.
i do remember though that we went to m&j's new house for a little get together. their house is really nice, very open and spacious for a townhouse with a nice layout on the main floor. i will admit that i like our house better but it is our house afterall.
sunday was a family day. we went and saw the house first (our little family):
we have brick on about one third of the house. i am super pleased with the colour of the brick. i was hoping for not-red brick and we didn't get red brick so it's perfect. other than the brick there aren't many changes, none that we could see at least.
then we went to kanata (my family) and hung out there with my brother, his girlfriend, his roommate and my parents. i got all covered in cat hair and loved by the dog. after a quick stop at home we went to j's grandparent's place (j's family) for dinner.
we stayed much later than usual and were going to go out but ended up just sitting at home (j played wow while i watched tv shows and knit). it was nice but not a very good use of a non-work-night-sunday night.
monday was our free day off thanks to the government and remembrance day. j got up pretty early and took the car in then walked from the car place to the gym and then home. meanwhile i was comfy in bed. we got the exhaust leak fixed and an oxygen sensor thingy installed (it's all very technical) so j can now play with the fuel-oxygen ratio.
j's dad came over and we all went and voted. larry o'brien is the new mayor. i don't know how i feel about that. at least i voted and can now gloat/bitch about the results (i won't tell you which because i just don't care to talk about politics). other than i we ate food and did stuff around the house. i vacuumed under the couches where 6 mousies were lying in wait. toy mousies. the cats are extremely happy and crazy now that those have been unearthed.
i caught up on grey's anatomy and prison break and some other shows i had pvr'd, got about half way done a christmas-present scarf, and still got to bed early. and that's the weekend. now it's back to work and back to waiting for the next weekend.
Thursday, November 9
pretty in pink entry # 2
ta daaaaa! my second pretty in pink contest entry - a basketweave scarf:
i have no idea what it measures because i'm not that way inclined but i can tell you it's not as long as the scarf i normally wear. i didn't think it had to be. it's to be donated along with the puny tukey.
and, for good measure, here is rolo modeling the scarf:
i have no idea what it measures because i'm not that way inclined but i can tell you it's not as long as the scarf i normally wear. i didn't think it had to be. it's to be donated along with the puny tukey.
and, for good measure, here is rolo modeling the scarf:
i love my cats
we did the unthinkable yesterday: we went out right after work. we went and got catfood and then got groceries. and we were still home before 4pm. and that's why i love working early.
president's choice has a new kind of cookie, chocolate brownie somethings that are SO GOOD. so. goood. also, the knorr dinners that you see advertised are pretty good, but small. we had just enough for the two of us with no leftovers for lunch. not great for making a meal stretch but good tasting.
the title of this post is "i love my cats" and here's why. i was talking on the phone yesterday after work to someone who talks a lot. you know the type. you get them on the phone because you need an answer or two and before you know it they've rambled on for an hour.
so i was on the phone and i thought the conversation was coming to an end and i had to pee. put two and two together and you find me making my way to the bathroom. the conversation didn't end and i bounced around from room to room. but the kitties, well they were in the bathroom because they burst in there every chance they get. and what do they find? a lady bug. so they're "hunting" the lady bug and chirping away and i'm thinking 'i really should go get the camera' and i know that i'll have time because talker is still talking.
so long story short (almost done i mean) - i got this picture of the cats and i love it!
other than taking pictures of the cats, i also watched tv and saw a man almost win a million dollars on who wants to be a millionaire. and the best part is that he knew the million-dollar question but walked away with $500,000 instead. i don't blame him but he was so close. and why is it that i like to watch america's next top model? i'm not proud of that, believe me.
for unknown reasons we stayed up late last night. late like almost midnight. i'm guessing today will be a yawn-er-rific day. it's already starting....
president's choice has a new kind of cookie, chocolate brownie somethings that are SO GOOD. so. goood. also, the knorr dinners that you see advertised are pretty good, but small. we had just enough for the two of us with no leftovers for lunch. not great for making a meal stretch but good tasting.
the title of this post is "i love my cats" and here's why. i was talking on the phone yesterday after work to someone who talks a lot. you know the type. you get them on the phone because you need an answer or two and before you know it they've rambled on for an hour.
so i was on the phone and i thought the conversation was coming to an end and i had to pee. put two and two together and you find me making my way to the bathroom. the conversation didn't end and i bounced around from room to room. but the kitties, well they were in the bathroom because they burst in there every chance they get. and what do they find? a lady bug. so they're "hunting" the lady bug and chirping away and i'm thinking 'i really should go get the camera' and i know that i'll have time because talker is still talking.
so long story short (almost done i mean) - i got this picture of the cats and i love it!
other than taking pictures of the cats, i also watched tv and saw a man almost win a million dollars on who wants to be a millionaire. and the best part is that he knew the million-dollar question but walked away with $500,000 instead. i don't blame him but he was so close. and why is it that i like to watch america's next top model? i'm not proud of that, believe me.
for unknown reasons we stayed up late last night. late like almost midnight. i'm guessing today will be a yawn-er-rific day. it's already starting....
Wednesday, November 8
a little grouchy
this isn't always the case, but today i will admit that i am grouchy. something about having nightmares and then having to wake up when it's still dark out and then heading out in the rain. at least it wasn't cold. see, i'm still optimistic.. just grouchy.
i may be getting sick and i may not be eating enough fruits and vegetables and i may have not done groceries in over a week. hmph!
but on the bright side of things it's hump day. half way through the week and then it's the long weekend. this time last year we were getting all ready to go to thunder bay to visit sj. we spent the long weekend trying to get her cat to come near us and watching a tattoo show on one of her exotic channels. i was also able to meet some of the family that i hadn't met before.
this year we have plans to take the car in on monday. after this though it should start the first time every time (it's running a tad rich) and that will be nice when it's minus a mazillion degrees out.
last night we played the last place team in the hockey league. i don't know what the final score was because they stopped putting up our goals. our superstar player was not being very sportsmanlike, which i don't like, but i can't say anything. she's one of those 18 year old "popular" girls. the ones that still intimidate me, even though i've got years on her. years and years. stupid girl. anyways, i had an awesome breakaway and put the puck in the net, not because we needed the point but because i deserved it.
the great part was that my finger didn't bother me at all. it only hurts now and then when i'm typing. i did block a shot with my ankle though. it hurt more than i expected but no bruising or anything.
i'm looking forward to filling the house with food tonight and lounging around in my track pants watching all of our exotic channels, which are still new and fresh and great.
i may be getting sick and i may not be eating enough fruits and vegetables and i may have not done groceries in over a week. hmph!
but on the bright side of things it's hump day. half way through the week and then it's the long weekend. this time last year we were getting all ready to go to thunder bay to visit sj. we spent the long weekend trying to get her cat to come near us and watching a tattoo show on one of her exotic channels. i was also able to meet some of the family that i hadn't met before.
this year we have plans to take the car in on monday. after this though it should start the first time every time (it's running a tad rich) and that will be nice when it's minus a mazillion degrees out.
last night we played the last place team in the hockey league. i don't know what the final score was because they stopped putting up our goals. our superstar player was not being very sportsmanlike, which i don't like, but i can't say anything. she's one of those 18 year old "popular" girls. the ones that still intimidate me, even though i've got years on her. years and years. stupid girl. anyways, i had an awesome breakaway and put the puck in the net, not because we needed the point but because i deserved it.
the great part was that my finger didn't bother me at all. it only hurts now and then when i'm typing. i did block a shot with my ankle though. it hurt more than i expected but no bruising or anything.
i'm looking forward to filling the house with food tonight and lounging around in my track pants watching all of our exotic channels, which are still new and fresh and great.
Tuesday, November 7
little bo-bo
my volleyball team lost last night. for the first time this season. but it was a good game - lots of good rallies and close sets. it was strange though. the ref wasn't calling lifts or when people touched (or sometimes got completely tangled in) the net, but then i get called for sliding a little under the net, not touching anybody though. odd. anyways, at one point, i went down for a ball and managed to flip a nail backwards. well that is PAINFUL and a little bleedy. it was right near the end of the game thankfully because i was seriously considering taking myself out of the game.
note to self: cut fingernails, at least a little shorter than they are now. stupid.
other than that last night was pretty uneventful. we went over to jr's house after our game and watched the hockey game. man, the sens sure can lose good. they were ahead 3-0 and lost 4-3. wow.
we're getting more used to our new early schedule. the sun isn't up on our drive in and the lights aren't on when i get here but i'm here. and i get to leave early.
and let me just end this post by saying that work is really picking up. i have lots to do and here i am posting. something i maybe need to work on....
note to self: cut fingernails, at least a little shorter than they are now. stupid.
other than that last night was pretty uneventful. we went over to jr's house after our game and watched the hockey game. man, the sens sure can lose good. they were ahead 3-0 and lost 4-3. wow.
we're getting more used to our new early schedule. the sun isn't up on our drive in and the lights aren't on when i get here but i'm here. and i get to leave early.
and let me just end this post by saying that work is really picking up. i have lots to do and here i am posting. something i maybe need to work on....
Monday, November 6
more pictures!
the focus for today's post is the new house (sorry if you're getting sick of hearing about it but really, it's so exciting!) we went out there yesterday. there are some changes: we now have a garage floor and a front porch. there is insulation on all the walls including in the garage. we have a door from the garage to the backyard. and the whole house was wrapped up getting ready for brick and siding.
pictures:
saturday night we went shopping! i mentioned this last post but now have pictures to share. our new washer and dryer, the couches (ours will be brown) and the dining room table:
and so my wishlist gets shorter AND longer. we no longer need to buy these things but there are things we didn't have on our list before. i will be making a whole post for the house wishlist, more for me than anything else. but in case you're curious i suppose.
we had a great time last night with the pvr. we were playing with the features - recording, pausing, rewinding and fast forwarding live shows. i recorded some shows last night that i can watch after work when the soaps are still on and j's at the gym. good thinking. anyways, the pvr is the neatest little thing.
m asked about the smart car in the comments from saturday's post. the smartie felt very stiff and jerky (the transmission feels so much like a manual, even in full automatic mode) but handles well and obviously can turn on a dime and would be great for parking. as for the size of the car, when you're sitting in it looking forward, it feels about the same size as our 3, but then you look back and the car ends. i personally think that it would be great as a commuter car, but i don't think we can afford to have just a commuter car. it just isn't practical enough. but if money were no option i would buy one in a second.
go out and test drive one. that's the best thing to do. and test driving costs you nothing but some of your time. just make sure you try the horn. i do love the idea of a two-person car that's super fuel-efficient with low emissions though.
pictures:
saturday night we went shopping! i mentioned this last post but now have pictures to share. our new washer and dryer, the couches (ours will be brown) and the dining room table:
and so my wishlist gets shorter AND longer. we no longer need to buy these things but there are things we didn't have on our list before. i will be making a whole post for the house wishlist, more for me than anything else. but in case you're curious i suppose.
we had a great time last night with the pvr. we were playing with the features - recording, pausing, rewinding and fast forwarding live shows. i recorded some shows last night that i can watch after work when the soaps are still on and j's at the gym. good thinking. anyways, the pvr is the neatest little thing.
m asked about the smart car in the comments from saturday's post. the smartie felt very stiff and jerky (the transmission feels so much like a manual, even in full automatic mode) but handles well and obviously can turn on a dime and would be great for parking. as for the size of the car, when you're sitting in it looking forward, it feels about the same size as our 3, but then you look back and the car ends. i personally think that it would be great as a commuter car, but i don't think we can afford to have just a commuter car. it just isn't practical enough. but if money were no option i would buy one in a second.
go out and test drive one. that's the best thing to do. and test driving costs you nothing but some of your time. just make sure you try the horn. i do love the idea of a two-person car that's super fuel-efficient with low emissions though.
Saturday, November 4
So. Much. To. Tell. You.
tons of stuff to say.
today we got our new pvr!
along with it we got about a gazillion more channels so we've been flipping through them just because we can. also, we've recorded a bunch of shows just because we can. see a trend? it's all so novel. the kitties agree:
we also went buckwild in the brick and bought tons of stuff! (pictures later.) we bought two leather couches for the price of one. they're chocolate brown (like rolo!) and super comfy. we bought a dining room table with two leafs and 6 chairs for half price and a washer and dryer (gas dryer) on the cheap. it was some mega sale thing and we definitely cashed in. AND everything will be delivered to our new house (the couches not until march but everything else the day after we move in) so it's all very perfect and exciting and lovely (and expensive, but you know) so we're on a high right now.
also we test drove a smart car today. holy. go and do it. and make sure you honk the horn. i did and both j and i burst out giggling. the horn is so high-pitched and squeeky and totally not intimidating or mean. fun!
and one last thing, right before dinner was ready tonight (we made fish for the first time ever - it was good) we were in the basement and heard a noise from the kitchen. it sounded like rolo had knocked a plastic cup on the ground. turns out he had and he had knocked over the milk container. there was milk everywhere:
i came upstairs. it was so cute. rolo was sitting on the counter looking down at his mess. and then i got closer and saw that he had some milk on his chin, like a milk mustach but a milk beard. it was hilarious.. and gross all at the same time. i laughed.
and then i thought of this and how similar this was:
j got cheerios everywhere. note to everyone out there: cheerios are much easier to clean up than milk.
so that's my story. we also went out last night. j tried to see the borat movie but ended up hanging out at east side mario's instead (i napped) and then we went to richard's house and watched nacho libre. don't see it. it was awful. and we saw my parents today and i got some books from them. that's about it.
today we got our new pvr!
along with it we got about a gazillion more channels so we've been flipping through them just because we can. also, we've recorded a bunch of shows just because we can. see a trend? it's all so novel. the kitties agree:
we also went buckwild in the brick and bought tons of stuff! (pictures later.) we bought two leather couches for the price of one. they're chocolate brown (like rolo!) and super comfy. we bought a dining room table with two leafs and 6 chairs for half price and a washer and dryer (gas dryer) on the cheap. it was some mega sale thing and we definitely cashed in. AND everything will be delivered to our new house (the couches not until march but everything else the day after we move in) so it's all very perfect and exciting and lovely (and expensive, but you know) so we're on a high right now.
also we test drove a smart car today. holy. go and do it. and make sure you honk the horn. i did and both j and i burst out giggling. the horn is so high-pitched and squeeky and totally not intimidating or mean. fun!
and one last thing, right before dinner was ready tonight (we made fish for the first time ever - it was good) we were in the basement and heard a noise from the kitchen. it sounded like rolo had knocked a plastic cup on the ground. turns out he had and he had knocked over the milk container. there was milk everywhere:
i came upstairs. it was so cute. rolo was sitting on the counter looking down at his mess. and then i got closer and saw that he had some milk on his chin, like a milk mustach but a milk beard. it was hilarious.. and gross all at the same time. i laughed.
and then i thought of this and how similar this was:
j got cheerios everywhere. note to everyone out there: cheerios are much easier to clean up than milk.
so that's my story. we also went out last night. j tried to see the borat movie but ended up hanging out at east side mario's instead (i napped) and then we went to richard's house and watched nacho libre. don't see it. it was awful. and we saw my parents today and i got some books from them. that's about it.
Friday, November 3
tunnel vision
there is a tunnel that goes beneath a major road near my office. this tunnel let's me go from the parking lot to my building without having to cross said major road. it's nice and probably important at stopping all sorts of dangerous jaywalking attempts. come to think of it, it may be there because of some jaywalking-attempt gone bad. i wonder.
either way, there is a tunnel. i go through this tunnel twice a day and always enter and exit right in the middle. the tunnel has a slight arch so i figure there's less of a chance of spiders being in the highest part of the opening and that's usually the case. except the other day when there was a spider dangling from the absolute middle. i almost walked right into him.
my other tunnel story has to do with leaves. it must be some sort of wind phenomenon but when i showed up at work one day earlier this week, i was greeted with TONS of leaves all along one side of the tunnel and since i am 6 i happily trudged through them, laughing. when i got to the other side i looked back to see another hc employee shaking their head. they probably wish they were as uninhibited as i. at least that's what i'll tell myself.
the leaves were gone by the end of the day. another miraculous wind story? i do not know.
well, i was going to tell you that we didn't do anything last night. that we took our night off after our first day of starting early. but we went out. first of all, let me say that it was marvelous getting home so early, except the tv programming sucks (until we get more channels that is!) but that didn't stop me from watching crappy tv. anyways, we went to a lighting store not far from our house and got some good ideas for our new house. since our dining room (see alan, only two n's this time in dining) and living room are essentially one big room, we're thinking that having the same lights in both rooms will be best. and we found some that we like.
and then we went out for pho. this crazy little pho place is like the crazy kitchen in that the floor is all bumpy and shifty and makes you dizzy just walking around. for reals. j liked this place best but i enjoy the closer place better. is it too much to ask to have a chicken vermicelli? instead i had spring rolls, shrimp on sugar cane - which is pretty disgusting - and meatballs. at least j gave me one of his shrimps. they were the regular kind.
but after that, we went home and i did veg out on the couch. my pink basketweave scarf (oops, i spelled it "skarf" at first and was wondering why it looked so wrong...) is almost done and then i'll have to find something else.
i'll leave you with this, the first snow of november (not of the season though):
either way, there is a tunnel. i go through this tunnel twice a day and always enter and exit right in the middle. the tunnel has a slight arch so i figure there's less of a chance of spiders being in the highest part of the opening and that's usually the case. except the other day when there was a spider dangling from the absolute middle. i almost walked right into him.
my other tunnel story has to do with leaves. it must be some sort of wind phenomenon but when i showed up at work one day earlier this week, i was greeted with TONS of leaves all along one side of the tunnel and since i am 6 i happily trudged through them, laughing. when i got to the other side i looked back to see another hc employee shaking their head. they probably wish they were as uninhibited as i. at least that's what i'll tell myself.
the leaves were gone by the end of the day. another miraculous wind story? i do not know.
well, i was going to tell you that we didn't do anything last night. that we took our night off after our first day of starting early. but we went out. first of all, let me say that it was marvelous getting home so early, except the tv programming sucks (until we get more channels that is!) but that didn't stop me from watching crappy tv. anyways, we went to a lighting store not far from our house and got some good ideas for our new house. since our dining room (see alan, only two n's this time in dining) and living room are essentially one big room, we're thinking that having the same lights in both rooms will be best. and we found some that we like.
and then we went out for pho. this crazy little pho place is like the crazy kitchen in that the floor is all bumpy and shifty and makes you dizzy just walking around. for reals. j liked this place best but i enjoy the closer place better. is it too much to ask to have a chicken vermicelli? instead i had spring rolls, shrimp on sugar cane - which is pretty disgusting - and meatballs. at least j gave me one of his shrimps. they were the regular kind.
but after that, we went home and i did veg out on the couch. my pink basketweave scarf (oops, i spelled it "skarf" at first and was wondering why it looked so wrong...) is almost done and then i'll have to find something else.
i'll leave you with this, the first snow of november (not of the season though):
Thursday, November 2
i was mistaken
i thought this post was going to be entirely different (note that i haven't actually written it yet, but i can feel it) - i thought that since we started on the 7-3 track that i would be grumpy and groggy and otherwise unpleasant, but i'm happy to report that i'm pretty much like i normally am in the morning, it's just earlier. and maybe i'm a tad bit hungrier. but not grumpy and certainly not groggy.
last night was a relief. last night we went to the bank where we'll have our mortgage for the next five years and met with our new banker (our banker up and left for toronto without mentioning it to us) and were told that we're on track for everything and we will be able to get our money out of our rrsps. about one third of our savings is in there so not being able to get it out would have been somewhat disasterous. AND our interest rate went down as of today. perrrfect!
if all of our numbers are correct and we pay only the mortgage amount (no extras) over the next five years, our 25 year amortization turns into 16.3 years left instead of (25-5=) 20. how exciting is that? the last thing we want to do is have a mortgage forever so we'll be doing everything we can, short of eating grilled cheese sandwiches while sitting on lawn furniture, to be free of this debt sooner. and thankfully we're in a good place to make that happen.
aside: matt and julie, we want to know about your new house! we want details and pictures and a tour!
another aside: congratulations to jessp who just landed her first teaching job. the poor girl is going away all weekend and starts monday, but i'm sure she'll do great. good luck, jess!
back to me, because this blog is all about me. so because of this move to starting work at 7am we had to get up early and wanted to go to bed early. somehow i tricked my body into believing that it was tired before 11 and managed to actually fall asleep so that when the alarms - we have 3 - started going off at 5:20, i was okay. we put j's second alarm and my alarm in the hall and across the room to make ourselves get up. tonight i'm going to make sure the heat will be on that early because doing that to yourself is cruel, but is even worse when it's frigidly cold out of bed. we were up and showered and at work all before 7am. amazing. and, the absolute BEST part of this whole deal, is that we get to leave at 3pm. leave at 3!
also, did i mention that traffic before 7 in the morning is non-existent? it took us just over five minutes, definitely less than ten, to get here this morning. there will be less of a difference after work but still.
and that is my take on things before 8am.
last night was a relief. last night we went to the bank where we'll have our mortgage for the next five years and met with our new banker (our banker up and left for toronto without mentioning it to us) and were told that we're on track for everything and we will be able to get our money out of our rrsps. about one third of our savings is in there so not being able to get it out would have been somewhat disasterous. AND our interest rate went down as of today. perrrfect!
if all of our numbers are correct and we pay only the mortgage amount (no extras) over the next five years, our 25 year amortization turns into 16.3 years left instead of (25-5=) 20. how exciting is that? the last thing we want to do is have a mortgage forever so we'll be doing everything we can, short of eating grilled cheese sandwiches while sitting on lawn furniture, to be free of this debt sooner. and thankfully we're in a good place to make that happen.
aside: matt and julie, we want to know about your new house! we want details and pictures and a tour!
another aside: congratulations to jessp who just landed her first teaching job. the poor girl is going away all weekend and starts monday, but i'm sure she'll do great. good luck, jess!
back to me, because this blog is all about me. so because of this move to starting work at 7am we had to get up early and wanted to go to bed early. somehow i tricked my body into believing that it was tired before 11 and managed to actually fall asleep so that when the alarms - we have 3 - started going off at 5:20, i was okay. we put j's second alarm and my alarm in the hall and across the room to make ourselves get up. tonight i'm going to make sure the heat will be on that early because doing that to yourself is cruel, but is even worse when it's frigidly cold out of bed. we were up and showered and at work all before 7am. amazing. and, the absolute BEST part of this whole deal, is that we get to leave at 3pm. leave at 3!
also, did i mention that traffic before 7 in the morning is non-existent? it took us just over five minutes, definitely less than ten, to get here this morning. there will be less of a difference after work but still.
and that is my take on things before 8am.
Wednesday, November 1
unnormal
i actually remember when i was younger learning about how to make words mean their opposites using little words stuck on the beginning. moral -> immoral, usual -> unusual. but why is normal -> abnormal? i think it should be UNnormal. UNnormal it is. at least for me. on my blog. because i said so. pffffftt!
i added a link on the right to my christmas survey, well the post where i talked about it. so you can click there and see my answers instead of having to wander through my old posts and eventually archives. thanks to everyone who has already posted (captain pants and tania). it's fun so go and do it! don't have a blog? answer in the comments. don't miss your chance!
back on track: unnormal. i was thinking that yesterday was halloween and i must say it was the least halloweenie halloween that ever halloweened. honestly. we didn't carve a pumpkin. we didn't put up any halloween decorations. we didn't make costumes or go out. the only thing halloweenie about yesterday (and this whole week) is the prevalence of chocolate. and this is no good. it makes me crave carrots and salad and other green things. but i still eat the chocolate. oh yes i do. and then i complain when my teeth and insides start rotting. yummm!
also a little unnormal for yesterday: i got home from hockey and i sat my sweaty little self down and watched tv for two hours. and then i showered. i didn't sweat as much as i usually do but it's still gross and not something i normally do. unnormal i tell you.
oh! one of my christmas-y wishes has already come true. we are getting a rogers pvr this weekend! j was on the phone last night with the rogers people and managed to score us a pvr, tons more channels, and got us 9 months of free home phone. i don't know how he did it and i don't want to know. i'm just amazed and impressed and looking forward to vegging out in front of the tv with all my halloween chocolate. winter's the time to fatten up so that's what i'll do!
i added a link on the right to my christmas survey, well the post where i talked about it. so you can click there and see my answers instead of having to wander through my old posts and eventually archives. thanks to everyone who has already posted (captain pants and tania). it's fun so go and do it! don't have a blog? answer in the comments. don't miss your chance!
back on track: unnormal. i was thinking that yesterday was halloween and i must say it was the least halloweenie halloween that ever halloweened. honestly. we didn't carve a pumpkin. we didn't put up any halloween decorations. we didn't make costumes or go out. the only thing halloweenie about yesterday (and this whole week) is the prevalence of chocolate. and this is no good. it makes me crave carrots and salad and other green things. but i still eat the chocolate. oh yes i do. and then i complain when my teeth and insides start rotting. yummm!
also a little unnormal for yesterday: i got home from hockey and i sat my sweaty little self down and watched tv for two hours. and then i showered. i didn't sweat as much as i usually do but it's still gross and not something i normally do. unnormal i tell you.
oh! one of my christmas-y wishes has already come true. we are getting a rogers pvr this weekend! j was on the phone last night with the rogers people and managed to score us a pvr, tons more channels, and got us 9 months of free home phone. i don't know how he did it and i don't want to know. i'm just amazed and impressed and looking forward to vegging out in front of the tv with all my halloween chocolate. winter's the time to fatten up so that's what i'll do!
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