Merry Ho Ho!

The One Where I'm Almost All Set

Well, in about 24 hours I'll be on my way to the airport!

Yep, it's true, the time has come for me to go home. At least the weather is not so bad there. Pretty much like Vancouver actually.

So I've checked in online already. I've got my presents packed. I have the stuff for my carry-on bag all ready to be packed. I just have to do a bit of laundry and then I can finish packing my clothes.

I'm really glad I have the week off and that I'll be able to see the fam. I really need to break after the past couple of weeks. Let's see, work was stressful which caused me to have trouble sleeping for pretty much every night for two weeks. Not sleeping caused me to get sick. Getting sick caused me to keep not sleeping well. And the cycle continued. Oh yeah and I cried at work. And I burned my hand while trying to pull out my frozen dinner from the microwave at work which caused me to drop it and it spilled all over the counter. Needless to say it's been a lot of little things that have made it a crummy time lately. Hence the need for a vacation.

In other news, I had my Big Sisters screening interview a week ago. It went pretty well. I also had my criminal record check...which I passed, of course! So I should have me a Little Sister in the next couple of months.

And now for something completely random, every year we take a few hours off work and volunteer our time locally for Charity Day. Different departments do different things and it's really great that my company gives us the time to do it. So anyways, last year we sorted food at the Vancouver Food Bank. This year, we switched it up and went to the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen. It was really interesting and I think I want to go back on my own. The people that work in the kitchen are in a drug/alcohol recovery program and work in the kitchen outside of the classes they take. We were there for only about an hour, but we served three hundred people! Most of the people eating were really nice and thankful. And the guys in the kitchen were great too!

I guess this year I've really felt like giving what little I can. I'm close to becoming a Big Sister, volunteered at the Soup Kitchen and I donated a small bag of food to the Food Bank too. Giving is good. : )

The One Where I'm Lookin' Good!

So I got some sexy new hair today!

No, seriously. It's really sexy! I'd show you a picture, but I don't want to ruin the in person surprise since I'm going to be seeing you all soon. I fly out 1 week tomorrow in fact.

So, how's that for some teasing?

See you soon!

Your Birthdate: July 22

You don't love lightly. For you, love is always a serious undertaking. However, you are able to love many types of people. You can bring out the best in almost anyone. Love surprises you often. You never know when or where you'll find it next. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 4 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 5 You are most compatible with people born on the 4th, 13th, 22nd, and 31st of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

The One Where I'm Sick

Blah. That's how I've been feeling all this week. You know that feeling? Where you're not really all that sick, but you still feel crappy? Yeah, well that's how I've been feeling since Sunday morning. I can't wait until tomorrow night when I can get a good night's sleep...and maybe even sleep in on Saturday! I think I'll feel tons better after that!

Oh yeah...I have my Big Sisters screening interview tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully it goes well. I still have to get my records check done, but I'll probably do that tomorrow afternoon too. I'm off work around 1, so I should have lots of time.

Did I tell you I finally booked my flight home? I'm on the red eye Christmas Eve (I get in around 6am) and I fly back out lunchtime on New Year's Day. Should be good times!

That's all for now kids...

P.S. - 10 days until Christmas!

The One With A Christmas Party!

So it was my work Christmas party last night. Soo much fun!!

We had dinner at this little Italian restaurant in White Rock. It was very nice and we even had a little section to ourselves. While we were at the restaurant we did our secret santa gift exchange. I got a white chocolate snowman. Yummy!

Afterwards, we went to the house of one of my co-workers who lives close to where we had dinner. We had desserts and drinks and socialized. We also had a few things planned for a guy at work who is retiring in January. We had a PowerPoint presentation, some gag gifts and of course a real gift too. But the best part was the video. The guy that is retiring is very, um, routine, shall we say. Always has toast at 10am, goes for a run at 12, etc etc. So we did a week in his life, starring a few people from the office. Trust me when I say that it is hilarious! People were laughing so much that they missed parts of the video.

The best Christmas party yet!

The One Where I Get Stuff Done

Ok, so I've been totally productive today. So productive that you shall be informed via the ever lovely bulleted, point form list:

-slept in (totally needed it!)
-walked like 5k and finished up some shopping for Christmas (had to get a printer cartridge and a couple little gifts)
-re-arranged my living room/cleaned
-organized my Christmas gifts (stuff that has to go home/stuff for here)
-put up my star lights (from IKEA) in my window
-wrote out my Christmas cards...all 23 of them

Not a bad day at all...still have a little more cleaning to do but that can wait until tomorrow.

22 days until Christmas!

The One Where It's Getting Better

Ok, so finally the Boil Water Advisory is over...after nine days!! I can now drink my water...and cook with it. And brush my teeth. Can I get a woo hoo for that?!

And in even better news...it's warm again in my apartment. It's been quite chilly lately. We're talking 15 degrees or so. I figured it had a lot to do with the weather lately, but it finally got bad enough (read: my hands were like ice inside my apartment) that I talked to my building manager guy. He did checked a few things and ta da! Heat, glorious heat!! Just checked the thermostat and it's back up to 20 degrees. Yay!!

And in case you've been living under a rock, Vancouver has been hit by a snowstorm the past few days. It's been cold (below zero thankyouverymuch) and the streets have been slushy and icy. Yuck is all I have to say. Of course to anyone that's lived outside of the Lower Mainland, this is nothing. But to all those that have never lived outside the land of eternal rain, then this is a nightmare. The forecast shows rain and above zero temps this weekend, so hopefully this nonsense on the roads goes away. Or else.

Sweetest Goodbye

Where you are seems to be
As far as an eternity
Outstretched arms open hearts
And if it never ends then when do we start?
I'll never leave you behind
Or treat you unkind
I know you understand
And with a tear in my eye
Give me the sweetest goodbye
That I ever did receive

Pushing forward and arching back
Bring me closer to heart attack
Say goodbye and just fly away
When you comeback
I have some things to say

How does it feel to know you never have to be alone
When you get home
There must be someplace here that only you and I could go
So I can show you how I
Dream away everyday
Try so hard to disregard
The rhythm of the rain that drops
And coincides with the beating of my heart

I'll never leave you behind
Or treat you unkind
I know you understand
And with a tear in my eye
Give me the sweetest goodbye
That I ever did receive

Pushing forward and arching back
Bring me closer to heart attack
Say goodbye and just fly away
When you comeback
I have some things to say

How does it feel to know you never have to be alone
When you get home
There must be someplace here that only you and I could go
So I can show you how I feel

Missing You

Every time I think of you
I always catch my breath
And I'm still standing here
And you're miles away
And I'm wondering why you left
And there's a storm thats raging
Through my frozen heart tonight
I hear your name in certain circles
And it always makes me smile
I spend my time
Thinking about you
And it's almost driving me wild
And there's a heart thats breaking
Down this long distance line tonight
I ain't missing you at all
Since you've been gone
Away
I ain't missing you
No matter
What I might say
There's a message
In the wild
And I'm sending you
This signal tonight
You don't know
How desperate I've become
And it looks like I'm losing this fight
In your world
I have no meaning
Though I'm trying hard
To understand
And its my heart that's breaking
Down this long distance line tonight
I ain't missing you at all
Since you've been gone
Away
I ain't missing you
No matter
What my friends say
And there's a message that I'm sending out
Like a telegraph to your soul
And if I can't bridge this distance
Stop this heartbreak overload
I ain't missing you at all
Since you've been gone
Away
I ain't missing you
No matter
What my friends say
I ain't missing you
I ain't missing you
I keep lying to myself
And there's a storm that's raging
Through my frozen heart tonight
I ain't missing you at all
Since you've been gone
Away
I ain't missing you
No matter
What my friends say
Ain't missing you
I ain't missing you
I ain't missing you
I keep lying to myself
Aint missing you
I ain't missing you
I ain't missing you
I ain't missing you
I ain't missing you
I ain't missing you
Ain't missing you
Oh no
No matter what my friends might say
I ain't missing you

The One Where I Give You An Update

Hello Nobody!

Ok, I'm not sure if you haven't been reading because you're too busy or because I haven't been posting. If it's my fault, my sincerest apologies, I didn't even realize I hadn't posted in a couple of weeks. Oh the crazyness that is me.

Let's see...

I've started with the Big Sisters process. Attended the sessions and submitted my application/homework with references. And my three references have already submitted their written submission! I just have to get my criminal records check done (at Hastings and Main area!) and then have the screening interview. I feel like I'm halfway there...yay!

Oh yeah...I pretty much finished my Christmas shopping last night. I may have a few small things to pick up, but I have all of the big stuff, which is nice. It is only 1 month until Christmas!

And speaking of Christmas, I still need to book my flight. I've been looking at various travel days and airlines and it's getting scary!! I'm worried that there won't be any seat sales and/or the days I'd like will be sold out. Also tough is ensuring that I'll have a ride to the airport in T.O. Here it's not so bad, I can take a cab and it's not too expensive. But back home it's way far to the airport. Also I'm not sure if I should stay for New Years. I just don't want to end up spending it alone there. If I'm going to be alone I'd much rather be at my own place. So I've sent an email out to see who may be around to spend time with and/or provide me with some transportation to the airport. I'll keep my fingers crossed that someone will be around.

And in other news...it's snowing out! And it's actually sticking to the grass/vehicles. I tried to take a picture to prove it, but alas it's too dark out.

P.S. - I've upgraded my Blogger account and made some changes...what do ya think?!

UPDATE: I got a picture of the snow today..it's not as pretty as yesterday though. It's gotten slushy and gross now. Walking to the grocery store wasn't the driest walk ever!

Well, it's official!

I've started my Christmas shopping. And am I ever glad I did! The mall was already getting kinda crazy. I guess part of it could've been that the rain poured down today. But still, it's almost two months 'til Christmas!

The One Where I Start My Life

So, how's it going? I haven't really had much to post about lately. But that has changed this week (it's funny what you can accomplish when you just do something).

First, I've been wanting to donate something (other than the growing pile of clothes and various items that will be heading to Sally Ann's tomorrow), the usual choices are time and/or money. Since I don't really have a lot of extra money (still paying off moving to Van. Long process, but well worth it!), my remaining choice is time. I spent some time online a while back looking into some different volunteer opportunities. Lots of positions, but not many worked for my schedule. The one that did is Big Sisters. It's quite the process (info session, application, interview, criminal records check) and so it should be. So anyways, I'm registered for an info session in a couple weeks. I'll keep you posted!

Second, I've been wanting to get more exercise in my life. I love walking and want to learn to run, eventually anyways. Backing up a couple of months, Kenny kindly gave me a gift certificate to The Running Room for my birthday. Isn't he the bestest!? (Really he just wanted me to stop looking at running shoes and buy some already!). Anyways, yesterday I decided it was time to stop wasting time and being lazy and just get my butt to The Running Room already. So off I went last night, rain and all. Thankfully I was the only customer in the store. They watched me walk and declared I'm a neutral, high arched, wide foot-ed kinda girl. This put me in the yellow grouping. I tried on a five or six pairs of shoes and walked a little to test them out. I finally decided on the Saucony Grid Triumph 3. They even come in Silver/Orange! I wore them at work today to make sure they were comfy and so far so good. I'm sure they'll get a little more comfy the more I walk/run in them, but they seem to be quite stable/supportive and c'mon people, they're orange!

So that's that. I'm getting started on my life. 'Bout time, I'd say!

We are family!

My great Aunt and Uncle were visiting Vancouver this week. They took the Via train starting from Toronto last Saturday morning and arrived in Vancouver Tuesday morning. They stayed at a hotel downtown and did some sightseeing during the day while I was at work (I didn't have enough vacation days to take any while they were here). I went to their hotel after work on Wednesday and we had dinner at Milestone's a few blocks away. I had some stuff to do on Thursday so they were on their own. Friday I met them again after work at their hotel and then we stopped by the beach while the sun was setting and my uncle took a few pictures. Then it was off to The Macaroni Grill! It was a very nice place, a mansion basically, complete with valet parking (which, of course, we took advantage of!). It was super yummy and as a nice suprise, the table next to us had a birthday. This was great because one of the kitchen staff came out and sang Happy Birthday, in Italian Opera no less! Here's a pic of us:



Then on Saturday morning I picked them up and showed them my apartment. Then it was off to lunch at the The Bread Garden before it was time to take them to the airport.

All in all, a great visit!

Is this me?

I found characteristics associated with your birth month online somewhere. Here is July's:

Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Spazzy at times. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

So, what do you think? Does this sound like me?

Goodbye to Saturday...

A quick way to ruin a Saturday? Sleep in 'til 11am and wake up with a migraine.

8 hours later and it's better but still here.

What have I done since waking up, you ask? A lot of quality time with the tv, couch and internet.

Boo to the migraine!

I've never felt the need to lose control*

You know it's true, I haven't ever felt the need to lose control. A while back some co-workers and I were out for breakfast and the topic turned to high school and how everyone 'tested' their parents. Drinking underage, staying out really late, you know the usual kind of things young people tend to do. But I had nothing to contribute to the conversation. I haven't ever broken curfew (probably because I didn't really have one). I've never been drunk (or really consumed much alcohol). All things considered, I was a pretty good kid (I think anyways).

So anyways, it got me thinking lately after hearing those lyrics. I just never felt the need to do any of those things. Which makes me wonder why. Is it a good thing? Maybe I just need to let go a little. Or maybe it's just that I could've drank at home if I'd wanted to. And I didn't have a curfew per se. I guess I never felt the need to lose control because no one was trying to control me or my actions (as long as I was within reason).

And as we all know, I do tend to be quite logical and reasonable.

*lyrics from the Jesse McCartney song 'Right Where You Want Me'.

What do you mean?

So I had a dream last night (this is a big deal because I remembered it, something I rarely do). It's the second time that I've had this type of dream. And I don't like it.

While I can't remember the details, basically I've either lost my wallet or had it stolen (I'm not exactly sure which). What I do remember is feeling very much like my whole world was lost and I was very stressed out. Being that it's the second time I've had this dream I decided to look it up. Here's what I found from Dream Moods:

Wallet

To see a wallet in your dream, symbolizes financial resources or self-identification.

To dream that your wallet has been stolen, indicates that someone may be trying to take advantage of you.

To dream that you lost your wallet, suggests that you need to be more cautious and careful about your spending and finances. You need to be more responsible with your money. Alternatively, it indicates that you are losing touch with your true identity.

I think it was stolen in last night's dream, so the question now becomes who's trying to take advantage of me.

Is it you?

Happy Anniversary!

So it's been two years exactly since Kenny and I arrived in Vancouver!

It's been super fun and I'm excited for the next two years!

John, Sheryl & Mariah

This weekend has been a whirlwind of fun and music!

I started out Friday night at the Sheryl Crow and John Mayer concert. It was super fun. I didn't know much of John's stuff, but I can now say I'm a fan. Plus he's hot and stuff. And Sheryl is Sheryl. Cute and happy and feelin' good.

And as if that wasn't enough concert fun for one weekend, Saturday night I was at the Mariah Carey concert. The best part was her doing old and new stuff, Hero and We Belong Together kinda stuff. Good times.

So after two concerts in one weekend, I'm kinda tired. Laundry, groceries and chilling out is all that's in the cards for today.

Get 'er done!

Holy crap, was I ever productive today!

-cleaned my bedroom and moved my bed to a different spot (really opened things up)
-went to Costco and picked up some blank CDs, gum, Advil and peanut butter (my new Costco theory is to not get a cart. if I only buy what I can carry, then I can't go overboard!)
-went to IKEA and got a small table for my balcony, an ice cream scoop, a veggie peeler, plastic tongs and this, except it's black with silver knobs
-went to Reitman's and got 2 skirts on sale, one denim and the other brown corduroy. both are long and very cute
-stopped by Save On and got some groceries
-filled up Stella with really cheap gas, in the mid-nineties! it only cost $42 to fill up and I was nearly empty too
-did 2 loads of laundry

See? I told you I was super productive today!

Tomorrow? Terry Fox Run (well I'll be walking it, it IS 10K) and some chilling out time.

UPDATE: I finished walking the 10K Terry Fox run in 1:44:34. Not bad time for someone with short legs and who is kinda out of shape! It was fitting that it rained most of the time considering Terry ran in that and much worse. We saw a man running with a baby stroller. It warmed my heart when I saw his prosthetic leg. There are some great people in the world.

Here comes the rain!

You'll probably this that this is quite amusing...however, I missed the rain. Yes, in a location where it can rain every day for a month, I missed it.

The first big rain on the season showed up tonight. And it was a good one. Poured down for a good 10 minutes. Ahh, nothing like the sound of a good rain!

Too bad it's stopped, or I could have fallen asleep to the pouring rain.

A little of this, a little of that and a whole lot of nothing

Ok, so I haven't had much goin' on lately and so I haven't posted anything.

But I remembered that I've posted quite a bit of pointless stuff in the past, so why not now?

Well this weekend I've felt like a cold is coming on, so I've been spending a lot of time on the couch relaxing and drinking lots of juice. I watched Maid in Manhatten and 13 Going on 30 last night. Such silly feel-good movies. I also went a little old school and sent out some postcards and letters. Actually 8 of them! So you just might be a lucky one and receive some mail at the end of the week. How exciting!

And in other news I bought a small indoor grill a few weeks ago. It's the best thing ever! M'mm grilled veggies!

And that's pretty much it. Nothing too exciting at all.

Later kids!

Welcome to the world, Keenan!

Congrats go out to my cousin Sherri, and her husband Chris, on the safe arrival of their first child.

Their son Keenan arrived this morning, bright and early at 6:15am (9:15am EST), weighing 8 lbs, 10 ozs.

Can't wait to meet you!

UPDATE:

Here's a pic of the lil' guy!

I got my hair did!

So here's me before (this is in case you've forgotten what I look like!)



This is at the softball end-of-year awards thingy.

And here is me today!



Yep, I'm now a red-head!! I feel all sassy and stuff. Woo hoo!

Go Meta Sluggers!!*

So previously I'd mentioned that a couple of my co-workers were playing softball. Well this weekend it was the end of season tournament.

Let me preface this by saying A) it's a fun league, basically a beer league, B) the team was never consistent as some players dropped out and some had other commitments which conflicted with game nights and C) the team was voted Most Sportsmen-like.

Let me also say that of the 20 games played in the regular season, they had won 1, tied 1 and lost 18!

So the first game was at 8 am yesterday. Yes on a Saturday morning. And like the good team fan that I am, I was there. They won that game. Second game was at 1:30. They won that game too. Third game of the day was at 4:15. And yes they won!

I'd never seen them win a game and then got 3 wins all in 1 day. Go Team!

At this point they had made it to the final game at 2pm Sunday. They only thing to be decided was what team they played against.

So this afternoon I went back (like I said, I'm a great fan!). Due to how both teams had played, we needed to win this game to get 1st place. If we lost we had 1 last game to get the win. Sadly we lost both. But it was quite close in the last game.

Considering that the Meta Sluggers went from last place in the regular season to 2nd place in the playoffs, I'd say they rocked this weekend!

*The team name is Meta Sluggers

Dear Boy Formerly Known As Hot,

I do not understand why it is that you continue to read my blog, since it was you that ended things. I'm not really certain why you would (quite recently) read the archives of said blog.

I also do not understand why it is that you attempt to use an anonymous proxy. I say attempt because clearly it did not work.

Sincerely,

One Confused Girl

Getting Along With People

1 - Keep skid chains on your tongue.  Say less than you think.  Cultivate a soothing voice.  How you say it often means more than what you say.
2 - Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully, no matter what the cost.
3 - Never lose an opportunity to say a kind word to or about somebody.  Praise work well done, regardless of who did it.
4 - Be interested in others, their pursuits, their homes and their families.  Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel you regard him as important.
5 - Be cheerful.  Keep the corners of your mouth turned up.  Hide your worries and disappointments under a smile.
6 - Keep an open mind on all debatable questions.  Discuss, but don't argue.  It is a mark of a superior mind to disagree but remain friendly.
7 - Let your virtues speak for themselves and refuse to discuss the shortcomings of others.  Discourage gossip by changing the subject.
8 - Have a respect for the feelings of others.  Wit and humour at the expense of a friend is never worth it.
9 - Pay no attention to destructive remarks and personal attacks on you.  Live so that no one will believe them.  Remember, a common cause of backbiting is a dissatisfaction with oneself.
10 - Don't be concerned about your "just due".  Do a good turn for the sake of being helpful.

Back on the Best, er I mean, West Coast!

So my trip home was good.  Just about the perfect amount of time home.  I didn't get to see everyone, but I also didn't get cranky with my family this time (always a bonus).

The wedding was pretty good despite the rain and heat.    Check out some pics below...don't we clean up good?!





Nothing really too exciting to report sadly.  The flight out was packed.  The flight back was better, the middle seat was empty and that plane had seatback tv.  No cute boys to speak of, sadly.

Went to see the fireworks on Wednesday night.  Walked to the park.  Took about 2 1/2 hours to get there and back.  Yay me!

I'm dead tired now, so that's all I can think of to share.  I plan on sleeping lots tonight.

Ciao!

Feelin' hot, hot hot!

Have you checked the weather lately??  It's been hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.  Or on my forehead maybe.  All I know is it's been too damn hot the past few days.  Even now at 10:15 at night it's still in the mid twenties.  Blah!

P.S. - 3 more sleeps until I fly home!

Well...

I'm officially 26.  Another day older, another year older.

Not too much has been happening since I last posted.  A couple of my co-workers are on a softball team, so I've watched a couple of their games this week.  Last night after the game we went out for dinner with some of the other players.  It was super fun!

Tonight I'm going out for dinner with another co-worker.  

On Wednesday Kenny took me out for dinner and gave me a gift card to get some proper running/walking shoes.  

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone!

A little of this and a little of that

Nothing like a little retail therapy to cheer a newly single girl up.

Look what came home with me today!



I've been on the search for some chocolate brown flip flops and finally found some today at Winners. It was a glorious moment when I spotted them hidden among the rest of the unwanted summer footwear. And they were my size! And even better was the price tag...$9.99! Woo hoo!!

P.S. - with the craptasticness that was today I completely forgot to update you...7 days! (and if you have to ask, you clearly need to get with the program).

I can see clearly now...

and it appears I'm looking a little more on the single side of things these days.

If only I could figure it out...

The last few days I've been feeling really edgy.  Like I can't get to something fast enough, but there isn't actually anything I'm working towards.  I do things but can't get through them quickly enough, no matter what it is.  And I'm working so fast that I'm making mistakes, which just makes things worse.  I just want to run and run and run until I can't run anymore.  I feel like there's something happening, but it's just beyond the horizon.  I can't see it but I know it's there.

I thought all of the pieces of my life were falling into place, but not so much.

Blah!

I'm hungry but don't want to make anything.
I'm edgy and need to burn off some energy, but it's too dark to go for a walk alone.
I want to do something but I'm in a bad mood.
And I need a hug, but I'm all alone.

Poor me...

T.O. here I come!

I'll be flying in for Shanyn and Jody's wedding.  Get in really late on Thursday the 27th and fly out Tuesday the 1st.  

Short but sweet.

Huh...just like me! : D

On Speaking Your Mind...

"At the end of the day, there are some things you just can't help but talk about. Some things we just don't want to hear, and some things we say because we can't be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they're what you do. Some things you say cause there's no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves."

-Merideth Grey, Grey's Anatomy

On Giving Thanks...

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate."

-Merideth Grey, Grey's Anatomy

Snapple Real Fact #62

The lifespan of a taste bud is 10 days.

Another birthday update...

12 days, 9 hours, 45 minutes, 5 seconds...yay!!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Ok, so yesterday I did something that was possibly the best and worst thing I've ever done. I'm sure in a few days I'll only think it's the best thing, but right now I'm in a little bit of pain.

Hot Boy and I went to Shannon Falls to hike. Shannon Falls is probably one of the most amazing places I've ever been.

We hiked to the top of this!

View from the top, isn't it amazing?

Proof that I actually did it!

Proof that Hot Boy does indeed exist!

Happy Canada Day!

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!

So it's about 32 degrees Celcius right now in Vancouver.  And it feels really hot to me.  I've been acclimated to the weather here. In Ontario, this is hot but it can get worse of course.  Here this is probably the hotest it's been since I moved here.  I'm very lethargic today (although I'm trying to be productive despite that).  

Speaking of hot...yes he's still around.  Shocking I know.  Nearly a month later and he still puts up with me!  

We went to White Rock the other night and walked on the beach and then had dinner at a restaurant over looking the water.  It's very beautiful there.  Oh, to have a place on the beach...

The countdown is on...

it's only 4 weeks, 19 hours, 16 minutes and 30 seconds til my birthday!!

My new favourite snack!

Ok, so I feel a little grade 6 admitting this, but it's apples and peanut butter.  So yummy!

Five Factor Personality Profile

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have low extroversion. You are quiet and reserved in most social situations. A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you. You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people. Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is low. You're a pretty conservative person, and you favor what's socially acceptable. You think that change for novelty's sake is a very bad idea. While some may see this as boring, many see you as dependable and wise.

The Five Factor Personality Test

You may not be aware of this...

but I'm not the most domesticated person. 

I don't like cooking, but since I need to eat to continue living I do the bare minimum when it comes to food preparation.  Now given, this is because I choose not to cook.  It's really just not that fun for me.  I'm sure if I wanted to I could do so without causing me or anyone else any major illness. 

And while I do get some joy out of laundry, it really is the sense of accomplishment that comes with having it done and put away and also with the knowledge that for a week or so I have an abundance of clean clothes.  

(There is some method to my madness here, so stay with me people!)

Maybe you should sit down first before we continue.

I went shopping today.  And I bought...an iron!  

Ok, I know that it isn't really that amazing, but
considering I've based my decision on whether or not to buy an article of clothing in the past on what kind of care it needed, this is a big step for me.  Before, if a shirt was dry clean only or required ironing it was an automatic no for me.  I didn't want to put that much effort into my clothes. 

But I bought a cute little cardigan a month or so ago and while it didn't require ironing per se, the bottom tends to curl up after coming out of the dryer, so an iron seemed like the only logical solution.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that not only did I not burn the clothing, but I didn't burn myself either!  

It's all baby steps on the path to change.

Snapple "Real Fact" #42

Frogs cannot swallow with their eyes open.

Bet you didn't know that!

MEC, Gigi's and 1 Hot Boy

So my aunt and uncle are in town tonight. They've been travelling across Canada from Ontario to BC on a 3 month photography tour. Check it out here.

I met them at MEC because it was an easy spot to find for them and also because they needed to pick up a new tent. After that we went to Gigi's for dinner. Gotta love pizza #35...it's quickly becoming my usual! They're only in town for tonight before they head over to the island. I'm glad I had a chance to see them on their short stop in Van.

P.S. - Hot Boy is still in the picture. I'm debating downgrading him from Hot Boy though. He's read this blog and I don't want his head to get too big! : p

The long and the short of it

So I've been doing some thinking about my goals in life. And mostly about the fact that I really don't have any at the moment. Now I know that probably sounds bad, but it's just that I'm between goals, shall we say.

Around the time that I was graduating from high school I had two main personal goals.

The first was to buy a new-to-me car. One that had a few more features than the '86 Chevette I was touring around in at the time. Good ol' Blue Betty. She was a great car, but she lacked some of the finer things in life, like power anything (steering & brakes for instance) and a radio that didn't turn off and on at every bump in the road.

The second was to live alone. At that time I had only ever lived with my parents and brother (like most people that age I think), but I also knew that I was embarking on a period where I would be living with roomies at least until I graduated college. Suffice it to say that my first roomie situation didn't exactly turn out well. The next ones were much better, of course. But I still wanted to live alone, for many reasons. I wanted to have my own space and be able to decorate it the way I wanted to. I wanted to be able to come and go without an interrogation. I wanted to only have to clean up after me or alternatively, not clean up if I so desired. But ultimately I knew that if I one day I got serious with a guy and we lived together/got married then I'd regret not having that alone time even if it was just for a year or two.

So fast forward about six years. I've realized my two goals. I got my new-to-me car, Silver Stella, in 2003. She was everything I was hoping for and more. I've recently moved to an apartment for one, me! And I've also done some other super cool things like move across the country and find a great job that I really enjoy.

So the question is, what now? I guess I have some thinking to do.

Any thoughts, suggestions, stories you'd like to share? Maybe you've done (or are working on) something that might inspire me?

So just so we're on the same page...

I don't want you to think that this thing between Hot Boy and I is more than what it really is. We had our 3rd date last night. It was lots of fun, dinner and a movie at my place.

But really, it's only been 3 dates. I guess I'm just really happy about meeting someone so nice. It's been a while since I've had some nice in my life and I'm ready for it. Of course it does help that he seems to think I'm pretty great!

Bottom line is that I'm pretty happy with things in my life right now, and Hot Boy is just adding more happiness. And really, who's going to complain about that?

Lather, rinse, repeat!

So Hot Boy and I had a second date last night.

Dinner at Earls, then we went to see X-Men: The Last Stand.

It was awesome. And we have plans for date #3 this weekend.

Still very much smitten...

365 days later

So I guess in all the excitement of doing nothing lately I'd forgotten that I had my 1 year anniversary at work last week!

My how time flies by when you're having fun (and working hard).

I guess there's not much else to say yet; I have my performance review in a couple weeks. Here's hoping for a nice little raise!

Deep inside I hope you feel it too

So...the short story:

1 Hot Boy + 1 Great Date = 1 Smitten Steph

The not-as-short story?

I met a very nice boy on Friday night. We had dinner, then played pool. He kicked my butt, but I blame it on the fact that I really haven't played since I lived in Ontario. A little more practice and I can bring my 'A' game again. All-in-all it was a great first date.

So happy right now. Yay!

Just checking in...

Not much to say, same ol' same ol' happening in my world. Just realized that I hadn't posted in a few weeks, so I thought I should at least make an appearance.

So here I am. Nothing new to report, but I'm alive and well.

Ciao for now!

It has come to my attention...

that the general population are very rude!

Come with me on a short visit down memory lane, won't you? (read: I went to Extreme Pita yesterday for lunch while out shopping).

I got my usual veggie pita, root beer and 2 chocolate chip cookies (have you had them before? Soooo good!). A few minutes later I noticed that a car full of young girls* had stopped directly outside the doors. 3 got out and I heard when they came in that they just wanted drinks. Ok, fine. You're not going to be long, so I can understand just stopping outside rather than parking. Actually, wait. Nope. I can't understand that. You're young and there were parking spots like 10 feet further. C'mon.

Anyways, I continued eating (yummy feta goodness!) but my attention was drawn to the door a few moments later when the driver came in. She announced that she was hungry and she was going to get a pita. Congratulations, you're at Extreme Pita, it shouldn't be too hard to get one. I noticed that she'd parked the car before coming in.**

Fast forward to when they were done eating etc. They just got up and left. Without putting their garbage in the bin. Which they walked right by to get to the door. Please note that one girl did stop to finish a drink right in front of the garbage/recycling and managed to put that in the appropriate spot.

I finished my lunch and put my pop can in the recycling and the wrappers, etc in the garbage. And then do you know what I did? I walked over to their table, picked up the 2 trays that were on the table and put everything where it belonged and walked out. See how not difficult that was?

I mean, seriously! It's not that hard. If you're eating out and you can see the garbage then you're supposed to put it their yourself. You know the food court at the mall, Subway, McDonald's, etc etc. If you're at say Boston Pizza or East Side's then of course you don't clean up after yourself.

*ok, so maybe they weren't THAT young; one was driving, so she had to be at least 17. But they did look pretty young to me (could it be that I'm just feeling old?)

**I'm not sure what her motivation to park in an actual spot was. I figured she'd just park right where she stopped, but oh did she surprise me.
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On a similar theme, I was out getting grocies today. What is it with people that just stop suddenly or leave their carts in the middle of the aisle!? I guess they don't realize that the rules of the road can be applied when you're out of the car too. Well there are the people that have enough trouble with the rules of the road when they're actually on the road, so it is asking a little too much of them to apply it elsewhere.

Apartment Sweet Apartment

I think a while back I promised pics of my new place, once I was settled in.

I'm settled in and as promised here is a pic...

There is light at the end of the tunnel...

I'm finally starting to feel better. Throat isn't nearly so painful and I actually have energy. Woo hoo! Even managed to do 2 loads of laundry tonight.

The One Where I'm Sick

Woke up this morning feeling even worse after barely sleeping last night. Had a few things to get done at work, so I went in for about an hour and then went to a walk-in clinic. One look at my throat and the doctor was clearly disgusted by the condition it's in. i can only imagine that it looks like it feels. So off I went with a prescription in hand...yay for amoxicillian!

Went to Save On, got my prescription filled and picked up some Advil and cough drops. I've spent the rest of the day on the couch resting, sleeping, eating and watching TV. Hopefully by tomorrow I should be feeling better, I'm only 2 pills in so far.

Can't wait!!

P.S. - hey Ryanne, do you like my Friends references??

ATWTTOW (part 2)

So in case you were wondering if the week managed to get better or continued on down, I'll put your wondering to a rest.

Yes, it managed to keep going downhill. Long story short, there was a mis-understanding at work (note to all, keep in mind that emails lack tone of voice and body language so even if you mean for them to be joking or sarcastic, sometimes they do not come off that way) and I'm getting more sick instead of better. Yesterday was ok, but this morning it's worse again. Sore throat, coughing, headache and I've almost lost my voice.

Fantastic!

Here we go...

Well I said I'd recap my trip to the T-Dot for you, so here we go!

Let's back it up for a bit, shall we? I surprised almost everyone I know in Ontario when I showed up for Easter, but I knew for about a month before hand that I'd be going. How much do I rock for keeping it a secret!?

So I flew in Tuesday the 11th and picked up my car rental (a PT Cruiser. Not too bad, lots of power, but reminded me of a squished mini-van or a '20s mob car). I made it home in record time from the airport ('bout an hour door to door) and freaked out my family (yes dad, I got fired that's why I'm home).

Getting up the next day was sooo hard! (felt like 4am BC time, ouch!) Went to the Markham office for the day, got to chat with some people I work with (nice to have the face time) and left around 4 so I didn't fall asleep on the drive home. Did the same thing on Thursday, but stopped by Markville to meet up with Lesley for a little shopping. Didn't buy anything, but played fashion consultant for Lesley.

Good Friday was fun but tiring. Long day with too much family; I'm used to the quietness of my apartment and the lack of family in BC now.



Saturday I went to the P-dot. Ahh the P-dot, how I miss you at times! Let's see, I had old friends, a new friend, Charlotte Anne's for dinner (I'd fly back for their food alone!), McDonald's hot fudge sundaes, a sleepover, Smitty's for breakfast, surprising an old friend and shopping!



I've been looking for a Timbuk2 bag in Vancouver, but never seemed to find one I liked (right colour and size). Funny how I managed to find a nice one in the P-Dot (go Wild Rock!!). So with only a second thought about the colours (there was one that was black/blue/black) this one was bought and was set to come home with me. Yay!!

Sunday night was dinner out for the family April birthdays. Here's where the week starts its' decent downhill. I'll spare you the gory details, but my driving was criticized yet again and I finally had enough. I got mad and over the next 2 days barely saw and talked to my family. They didn't really even say goodbye to me. Thanks guys.

Monday and Tuesday I had full day training, which was really good. I learned a lot actually; let's hope I can use it at my own office. Monday night I went to Lisa's after work because she wasn't at good friday. It was great to see her and we got to catch up, look at the wedding photos and just chill out. I miss that. It's hard sometimes being away and missing those little things. Ah well, I guess it makes me appreciate them even more when they do happen now.

Tuesday after training I went to Yorkdale so I could get my keyboard swapped out on my laptop (the numbers/letters are rubbing off and it's under warranty so why not?). Traffic was a bitch, the 2 keyboards they had for my laptop were french canadian and Phil left early that day so I didn't get to see him. Complete waste of a trip. And to top it all off I started getting sick that day.

So to make a long story short, work was good, and the rest was hit and miss and I was very happy when we touched down in Vancouver.

Welcome home to me.

And the whole thing turns out wrong

This week has pretty much gone downhill since Sunday night. 2 more days left of the week, can it get any worse?

I'd give you more details at the moment, but since I'm not in the best of moods it's probably best to wait. I'll recap my trip to the T-Dot this weekend sometime...

P.S. - please send some happy thoughts my way...I sure could use them!

Isn't it ironic?

So I went out for a walk tonight. Not too far, just down the street a few blocks, turned right, down a few more blocks, went to Canadian Tire and picked up a few things, walked home.

Anyways, during the first part of my walk I went by the BC Cancer Agency. There were two people outside smoking.

Ironic, no?

Don't waste the pretty

I promise to no longer waste the pretty.

I will realize that when a guy doesn't call or email or make plans to see me, that he just isn't that into me.

I will believe when someone tells me something about themselves - even if it's something not so good.

I will remember that better than nothing is not good enough for me and that no answer is my answer.

I will learn to be happy with myself, for myself and by myself.

I will not rationalize bad behaviour.

I will not waste my time with someone who isn't as into me as I am into them.

Because above all else, L'Oreal is right: I am worth it!

Welcome, come on in!

So last night I had my housewarming party (well I guess I should call it apartment warming). Anyways, good times were had. Thanks for coming guys!

Good day Spring, how are you?

Notice the buds on the tree...jealous?

So I'm sick

Wasn't feeling good last night. Woke this morning with a cold or something. Blah. Poor me.

One downside to living alone...there isn't anyone to get me another drink, you know...while they're up already of course! I need me some tlc.

And then there's the part that whenever I sneeze my right eyelid twitches. Very annoying!

if Microsoft designed the iPod packaging?

The Groundhog saw his shadow, dammit!

For the first time since moving here I actually had to clear off my car before leaving for work this morning. Given, it was pretty slushy snow...it was more than enough to make the ground white. I was going to take a picture as proof, but the batteries for my camera were dead and by the time I got home the snow had melted.

I leave you with this:

An observant woman died one day, and found herself waiting in the long line at the Pearly Gates for judgement. As she stood there, she noticed that some souls were allowed to march right through the pearly gates into heaven. Others, though, were led over to Satan, who threw them into the burning pit. But every so often, instead of hurling a poor soul into the fire, Satan would toss a soul into a small pile off to one side. After watching Satan do this several times, the woman's curiosity got the best of her. So she strolled over to find out what the devil he was doing.

"Excuse me, Prince of Darkness," she said, "I'm waiting my turn for judgement, but I couldn't help wondering, why are you tossing those people aside instead of flinging them into the fires of hell with the others?"

"Ah, those..." Satan said with a groan. "They're all from BC, they're too wet to burn!"

Repeated Behaviour is Habit

So...an update on my maternal parental figure. She's been going to a hypnotist to quit smoking. The results so far?? Well it's good news. She's pretty much quit cold turkey, save for a few here and there (last I checked anyways). Pretty good results for a pack-a-day-er, I'd say. Keep on sending those good thoughts.
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And in other news, I'm currently staying up watching some version of CSI. I always get sucked into these crime scene type shows. It only takes 5 minutes and I'm done for the hour. What is it that interests me so much? It's not like the subjects are ever happy things.

Nonetheless, here I am. Very tired, but staying up anyways. Thank goodness for the commercials, I can get ready for bed during them and jump under the covers after the last scene ends.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

So the past couple of nights I've been dreaming. This is a weird occurence for me since I rarely ever remember my dreams; either I rarely dream or they just aren't very memorable. Even remembering them, I still don't have many details which makes the random ones even more weird, I think.

The first dream involved dinner somewhere in Ontario, 3 friends (of which I only recognized 1) and a flirty older man who asked me out. I remember being happy about the attention, but I also remembering failing to get any concrete details pertaining to this outing such as where and when. I also didn't get his contact information, nor give him mine. Odd.

Last night's dream was also in Ontario. I ran into a girl from high school in a grocery store. She was a grade or two ahead of me, so I was suprised when she not only recognized me but knew about my move to vancouver and thought it was super awesome. After that I was on a bus (I think) and a guy I went to public and high school with was there. Shockingly, he didn't recognize me, but nonetheless I still said hi to him (wasn't that nice of me?). Then I woke up, ending the very random dream.

Considering dreaming is pretty rare for me, I tend to think a lot about them when they happen and see if I can figure out what they mean. Usually I've been talking to the person from the dream, or something in the dream can be linked to my life's current events.

With these dreams though I'm fairly lost...

Who pressed fast forward?!

Wow, so the weeks just seem to be flying by! Seriously, I'm not sure where this week went to. I really haven't done that much, but all of a sudden it's Friday night.

I used to wish that time would speed up so I could get to something I really wanted to do, like Christmas or summer vacation. (Ok, let's be honest sometimes I still do.) But lately I've been changing my mind.

Time? If you're reading this, please slow down already!

The One Where I Get Stuff Done

I'm trying to be productive tonight so that I can relax and have fun on the weekend. So far I have a load of laundry started and I've paid my bills online. I still have to make dinner, finish my laundry (I only have 2 loads to do, so it should be no problem), take out the garbage/recycling and do the dishes.

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I've been trying to get more exercise in my life lately. I know it's good for me, but I also feel better and tend to sleep better, which is something I haven't really been doing a lot of lately. I went for a walk on the beach on Saturday. Yes, I said the beach! (Are you jealous? : p) I also went for a short walk (hey you gotta start somewhere) every day since then with the exception of yesterday because I wasn't feeling very well. Oh yeah, then there's the built in stairmaster I have in my building. I live on the top floor, so it's 3 flights down to the front of the building, 4 1/2 to the back where I park my car, and 3 1/2 to the basement where the laundry is. I'm so going to have buns of steel soon!

To all of you....

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love Me.

Grey's Anatomy

I've been watching it a lot lately. Tonight's episode left me with this:

It's your last day on earth; what do you want to do?

I know it may seem dramatic or morbid...but what are your thoughts?

Hi again...

Sorry for the delay in posting. My internet source wasn't as reliable as I'd hoped for. But now I have my own high speed lite internet, so I'm good to go.

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The Boy was here for the weekend. Dropped him off at the airport a little while ago. It's weird being alone at my place now. I've spent the past 3+ days with him. Before he got here I wasn't sure what to do with him; now that he's gone I'm not sure what to do with myself. It's a bit of a problem, don't ya think?

Sometimes reality has a way of ruining my life.

A quick hello...

It's only 10:15 and I'm literally falling asleep. Late night last night, long day at work, then I attempted to unpack. Made a fair amount of progress, or so it seems.

I've found a temporary internet source, so I should be able to continue to update until I get my own internet.

That's all kids, I gots to get me some sleep.

Goodbye McBride

Well this is it. My last night in this apartment. I picked up the keys to the new place tonight after work and then came home to help Kenny move some of his stuff. Then I packed a little more. Tomorrow it's up bright and early and moving my stuff. In some ways I can't wait. And then there's the part where I can't believe I'm actually going to be living on my own. It's crazy!

In other news...I shall be having a visitor in a couple weeks. This is wonderful news as it's a boy I'm quite fond of. Hey, Boy...if you happen to read this...you have no idea how excited I am!

And finally...yet another cousin is getting married this summer. Does anyone know what this means?? Yep, another trip to Ontario. It'll be a short trip though. I may want to save some vacation time for a fun roadtrip or something.

Adiós!

A little of this and a little of that

So I guess I spoke too soon about the rain. It's back and it's really pouring down right now. And of course this is the time when Kenny and I are moving so it's about the worst time for rain. C'est la vie!

It's our last weekend in this apartment. Soon I'll be singing "this is where we used to live". It's already looking pretty empty and I haven't moved anything yet. I'm pretty much packed up and I'll be good to go on Tuesday when I finally move. I'm not so into the waiting part of this move. I've been ready for a week now. Shouldn't rush my life I guess, it goes fast enough as it is.

P.S. I won't have internet for a while after I move, so I won't be able to update much.

Sun glorious sun!!

The rain is finally slowing down here. Thanks goodness, it was getting pretty depressing. Yes, I know; it's the rainy season here. But it does get a bit dreary after a while. I did hear a bird this morning when I was heading to my car on my way to work. It was a nice change. Spring may be on it's way.

Welcome, take a load off...

I've officially started preparing for life on my own.

Today I bought:

-a set of pots and pans
-a bath mat
-storage containers for the kitchen
-a couch (and I totally saved money by getting it in the as-is part of ikea because it had been assembled)

So when you come to visit, there will be a place to sit. Yay!

Rain, rain go away!

Vancouver has had 177mm of rain since January 1st of this year. It rained something like 28 straight days, which of course was one day short of beating the current record for consecutive days of measureable rain. So the 29th day was without rain. You know what happened on day 30? Yep, that's right. Rain. Again. And so far every day since then. Yay.

Of course I'm thankful that it's not snow, freezing rain and negative temperatures a la Ontario.

But c'mon, can we get a little break? Please? It's starting to get a little depressing around here.

Drum Roll, Please!

Let the packing begin!!!

The One Were No One's Ready

Ok, so here's the deal. I haven't been posting much lately. I started this blog before moving to Vancouver as a way to fill in my friends and family on the what's what of my life. But I don't think anyone's really reading this much. I debated whether I should keep writing or not; I decided that I will only because I like it. It's a place for me to write about what's making me happy and what's making me sad. The good news and the bad. So here goes...

My mom's cancer has come back. Pre-op next week, surgery on the 23rd. Apparently it's small and still in the bladder. But you know what? It still completely sucks ass. So does the part where she's still smoking and not sure she's going to quit. 2 heart attacks and 3 (almost) surgeries later and you're not sure? Good stuff. There it is; straight to the point, just like me.

In other news, I'm moving out on my own at the end of the month. A deluxe apartment in the sky. Ok, so it's a little apartment in a small building in Vancouver. But technically it's in the penthouse; top floor baby! Seriously though, it's a pretty nice, albeit small, 1 bedroom with a balcony. It's a pretty good area and there's lots of stuff in walking distance, too.

So, humour me now and then and post a comment. Even if you just say hi. You don't have to have a username to post, you can post under anonymous and just put your name in the comments part so I know who you are.