Happy New Year!!

All the best in 2009!!

Winter in Vancouver!

So I'm sure you've heard all about the snow that has made Vancouver it's new home. It's crazy. I captured (from the safety of my apartment) the snow on my street.

Behold!
(clicky for bigger)

I forgot to mention...

that the new iMac arrived safe and sound on Tuesday. I'd had it shipped to work so I could sign for it. My co-worker helped me get it home as I was traveling via the bus due to weather. I unpacked it right away (like I could wait!) and have been working on setting it up ever since.

I'm so in love!

I just made an online purchase.

A very cool, shiny, large screened present. To me, from me.

This little bad boy will be coming to live with me soon. We're talking maybe before Christmas soon. Apple has raised my hopes up by telling me that it should be delivered Dec 23 or 24. Let's hope this is true, because we all know I'm sure not patient when waiting for shiny Apple toys!

The other day I donated blood.

And I didn't pass out, or feel sick or anything. I was completely exhausted after and had a nap after work, but that's about it. I think I may even do it again.

Today has been a good day...

I knocked another gift off the ol' list, had a great evening out at my work Christmas party, my new cousin Mia entered into the world and most importantly...

BOOKED MY MAUI FLIGHT!!!!

Can you tell I'm excited?!? Yeah just a touch. This part makes it seem a little more real right now. I don't even have a passport and my cousin is booking the hotel room we're sharing, so until now it didn't quite feel like I was really going. But now I have the flight part done and it was so cheap too. Like we're talking $400 cheap. Yeah. Woot Woot!! Once I'm done the laser eye surgery and have my new driver's license I can get the passport done and I'll be good to go.

Merry Christmas to me.

Oh and also...

can you believe it's only 1 month 'til Christmas?!?

I can see clearly now...

or at least soon I will be able to!

After much thought and deliberation I've decided to have laser eye surgery done. And when I say much thought I mean I've been thinking about it for over a year now. Yeah, I'm not one of those leap then think people.

So I went for the pre-op appointment a few weeks back and I'm a candidate for PRK (vs. Lasik). Google them for the difference (I'm too lazy to link things up for you). It's a longer recovery time but it doesn't have the creepy flap thing goin' on which is super awesome.

I've worn glasses since grade 5. I need them for distance and can't really get around without them. Oh and touching my eye really freaks me out, so I'm not really feelin' the contacts thing. Yeah I know...I'm weird! It's ok, I'm used to it.

So anyways, on Jan 7th I'll be letting someone shoot a laser into my eyes so that I may be glasses free shortly after. I'm nervous but more excited than anything. I've worn glasses for nearly two thirds of my life so it's going to be a huge change.

Oh to see the alarm clock!

My blog in words...

I stumbled across this site www.wordle.net and it's very cool.  You can enter in a blog address or a bunch of text and it creates a 'word cloud' giving greater prominence to words that appear more often.  

This is mine (clicky for bigger)...

Love this song!

Leave The Pieces
The Wreckers

You're not sure that you love me
But you're not sure enough to let me go
Baby it ain't fair you know
To just keep me hangin' 'round

You say you don't wanna hurt me
Don't want to see my tears
So why are you still standing here
Just watching me drown

[Chorus]
And it's alright, yeah I'll be fine
Don't worry 'bout this heart of mine
Just take your love and hit the road
There's nothing you can do or say
You're gonna break my heart anyway
So just leave the pieces when you go

You can drag out the heartache
Baby you can make it quick
Really get it over with
And just let me move on

Don't concern yourself
With this mess you've left for me
I can clean it up, you see
Just as long as you're gone

[Chorus]

You not making up your mind
Is killing me and wasting time
I need so much more than that
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Chorus]

Leave the pieces when you go
Oh, yeah
Leave the pieces when you go
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Leave the pieces when you go

Riddle me this Batman!

How come I continue to be disappointed when my expectations are so low to begin with?

Hope you have a great long turkey day weekend!

A bike update

So when I bought my bike I picked up a cable lock just so I'd have something. I didn't plan on using it since I barely was comfortable riding on the streets, so running errands wasn't on the horizon yet, but I needed to have something just in case.

But then I took that class and started feeling more comfortable and riding a little more. Through research and what I learned at the bike class it seems a cable lock isn't so good at protecting my investment; a U-lock is really what I needed to get.

So yesterday I went to one of the local bike shops and got a run down on locks. Kryptonite is a really good brand but is a little pricey for me. It's more for really expensive bikes or if you'd need to lock up your baby all day somewhere. But mine is not and I do not, so I got one that's a little less spendy, but still quality.

It's got a nifty little bracket that attaches to my bike so I don't have to carry it in my backpack. Which is good because it's a heavy little sucker.

So yesterday afternoon I took it on its' first spin around town. Went to the bank, but there wasn't anything to lock it to in the vicinity, so I just took it in. But then I went to Canadian Tire/Save On and they have a couple of bike racks. I'd say my first use went well and I now feel more comfortable leaving my bike while shopping.

From a Page-A-Day calendar I have:

Many have died in many ways in this world. It's good for us to pause and remember that we, too, are part of a long succession of individuals who will come and go. There's relief in that knowing.

My Summer...in Pictures!

I was a bridesmaid in the wedding of my friends Lynda & Jeff.

I met one of my newest cousins, Liam.

I welcomed a new member to my household in July.  

His name is Sam and he's a Siamese Fighting Fish.

I bought a bike in July.  

In September I took a class to learn how to ride on busy city streets properly.

In August I took a trip to Mayne Island with Dave, Marcia and Robert.  We went on a hike, saw seals, jellyfish and purple starfish, and spent much time relaxing.

In late August I flew home to see my cousin Lee-Ann get married to Jay.

***

All in all it's been a great summer!

My New Bike!

So here's a picture of me and the new bike.  Isn't she a beauty?

The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment.  Suddenly, the man realized that the next day he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 am for an early morning business flight.  Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and lose) he wrote on a piece of paper "Please wake me at 5:00 am."  He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning the man woke up only to discover it was 9:00 am and he had missed his flight.  Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.  The paper said "It is 5:00 am.  Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

You know I've been busy when...

I forget to countdown to my birthday!

Well it's come and gone without a single blog post.  Shocking I know.  I usually like to start a few months ahead.  

At any rate....I had a lovely birthday.  I had a yummy chocolate brownie cake at work.  After work I went for a bike ride with Dave.  It was really my first good ride and we went 6KM!  Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.  After that we met up with Mandy and Wayne for dinner at Incendio.

  It's a yummy pizza/pasta place in Gastown.  After a delicious roasted veggie pizza, they surprised me with a lovely necklace.  It's seriously awesome.  

I think it was my best birthday yet!

The World's Shortest Fairytale

Once upon a time a guy asked a girl "Will you marry me?".

The girl said "No!".

And the girl lived happily ever-after and went shopping, dancing, camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, didn't get fat, traveled more, had many lovers, didn't save money, and had all the hot water to herself.  She went to the theatre, never watched sports, never wore friggin' lacy lingerie that went up her ass, had high self-esteem, never cried or yelled, felt and looked fabulous in sweat pants and was pleasant all the time.

The End.

Living Green quotes

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them" - Albert Einstein

"What we think, we become" - The Buddha

"The ultimate test of a man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard" - Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day Founder

"The future belongs to those who understand that doing more with less is compassionate, prosperous, and enduring, and thus more intelligent, even competitive" - Paul Hawken

I bought me a bike!!

I decided last year that I wanted a bike, but then Stella had to go and need 4 new tires so that put a large dent in the bike fund.  So this year I had the extra money and decided it was time.  I had some help in choosing the bike (thanks Dave!) and ended up with a Norco Yorkville Ladies Hybrid.  

I've only taken her for a small test drive at Mandy & Dave's since it's been, oh I don't know, close to 20 years since I last rode a bike.  I plan to go out on either the seawall or a paved trail in North Vancouver to get used to riding again before I hit the road.

Of course I have all my safety gear: helmet, lights, bell and lock.

Watch out Vancouver!

P.S. I'll post a picture when I have one

Summer is here!

Note 1) I started this nearly 2 weeks ago and don't wish to revise it

Note 2) It's really very long...get ready!

*****************

So it seems that the Vancouver area is in the middle of a heat wave.  We're talking like as high as 30 degrees in some areas.  Bah!  I don't handle the heat very well, for those that don't know me.  It makes me tired and I lose my appetite.  Today appears to be a little cooler which is nice since I have a double header softball game tonight (2 games back to back, 6 innings each).  

So since I'm basically doing nothing it's time to update the ol' blog.

Here we go!!

The biggest thing lately is my trip back to Ontario for my friend Lynda's wedding.  I was in town from May 31st to June 10th and shockingly it was a very busy time.  I'm still a little tired just thinking about how busy I was!

I landed mid afternoon on the 31st.  My parents picked me up and took me to Pickering where I picked up a car they were letting me use for the weekend.  From there I went to Chris and Amanda's place.  Amanda threw a BBQ for Chris' birthday.  It was good because I got to see a lot of people that I wouldn't have been able to see otherwise.  

I was only able to stay a couple hours though because my main plans for the night was the bachelorette party for Lynda.  I made my way to the bride's aunt's place where the party was being held.  The rest of the girls were there and they'd kept my attendance a surprise for Lynda.  Her mom met me outside (after giving me directions to the house, I got a little lost) and snuck me in.  Lynda had thought I was flying in on the Sunday so needless to say she was very shocked and even cried a little.  She's so sweet!  So the rest of the night was spent eating, drinking and chatting.  Some of us stayed over (I was far too exhausted to drive home and the other girls had been drinking).  Lynda's aunt made us a yummy breakfast the next morning and then it was off to the 'rents place.  I chilled out there for the rest of the day with the fam.  

Monday during the day dad and I ran some errands in Uxbridge (had lunch, went to the bank, Dollarama and Staples).  Monday night I spent with Mel, Brandyn and Nate.  I can't believe how big Nate is!!  The last time I saw him was September and he was barely rolling around.  Now he's walking and starting to talk a little.  It's crazy how fast they grow!

Tuesday morning I spent a couple hours with my grandma.  After that I went to Shanyn's to meet Liam.  Boy is he a cutie!  We went out for lunch and ran some errands and then picked up the girls on their way home from school.  I can't believe how big they're getting.  Connor made his way home eventually and I spent some time with them before heading out to meet Holly for dinner.  We met at The Lion and had very yummy salads and got caught up.  It's always nice to meet up with Holly and I'm glad we could make it happen this trip back.

Wednesday morning dad and I got up early and headed out to Brockville to see Grandma.  It was very nice to see her since it had been many years since I'd last visited.  It was also sad though because Grandpa wasn't there.  Grandma played the video my uncle had made after the funeral and of course I cried.  I tried really hard not to because I didn't want to upset Grandma, but there's only so much holding back one can do.  While in Brockville we went to dinner at my uncle's place.  It was nice because I got to see my cousins who I hadn't see in about 8 or 9 years.  Of course they're much bigger now!  Thursday morning we had breakfast with Grandma and then dad and I had to hit the road so I could make it to Peterborough by early afternoon.  

I met up with the bride and along with her mom went to Lindsay to get our nails done for the wedding.  It was my first manicure/pedicure ever!  I didn't think I'd like the pedicure part because I don't really like having my feet touched.  But as it turns out it was nice!  I think I'll start doing it here in Vancouver.  Thursday night and Friday morning were spent doing last minute wedding stuff.  Friday afternoon we rehearsed in the park and then boarded a boat for the dinner.  It was a Hawaiian themed boat cruise.  So much fun!!  Saturday morning we got up early to get our hair and makeup done.  Once we were suitably done up, we headed back to the bride's place to get our dresses on.  We headed to the park around 2 I think and did the ceremony thing.  After we did the photo thing, which was fun but it was really hot out that day (not surprisingly I got a nice sunburn!).  The rest of the day/night was the usual dinner/dance/party thing.  Sunday morning I went for brunch with the bride/groom and some of their families.  

After brunch I headed on the road to Markham to meet up with some family.  The plan was to get some softball tips and then spectate at my cousins' baseball game.  Well the weather didn't quite co-operate so I didn't get to spectate, but we managed to practice a little softball between the rain drops.  I stayed for dinner and then headed back to the parentals place

I spent the day with mom and she drove me down to Brampton so I could meet up with a friend.  We had dinner out and then just relaxed, hung out and did some shopping before I had to be at the airport Tuesday around dinner time.  I grabbed some pizza at the airport and did some window shopping.  My flight was nearly an hour late leaving which was so not cool, but what can you do?  I was quite happy to land in Vancouver later that night.

And that my friends is a long winded recap of my latest trip home.  

An update for my fans, uh, I mean fan ; )

I haven't really posted anything of substance since near the end of November.  I guess I just haven't had much I've felt like chatting about lately.  What I have posted has been very random, quotes & pictures found online, but much of my blog is random so this isn't too unusual I suppose.

I guess this might be a serious post...

Much of October/November/December (can't say for sure) I wasn't really myself.  I was exhausted all the time, taking naps on the weekend (and I never do that!), was much less social, generally just not me.  I even went to the doctor because I also felt like my glands were swollen and what with the unusual napping and all.  I had some blood tests run and I guess they were normal since I didn't hear back from the doctor.  Anyways, I decided to just take it easy, rest and concentrate on eating properly/sleeping well.  If it didn't seem to be helping then I'd head back to the doctor.

I can safely say I'm feeling much better now.  I'm working on taking my vitamins every day.  I'm trying to cut out junk foods/drinks.  I'm sleeping better now too.  

However, looking back it's possible I was slightly depressed.  Having lost both my grandfather and great aunt in the span of a month just before Fall was quite a lot to handle.  I think I did the best I could, but being so far from the family certainly didn't help.  (It's times like these that make me wish I was still living in Ontario).  I think I was also a little guilty since the last time I'd seen my grandfather was around 10 years ago.  I thought I'd have lots of time to see him.  Now I know.

I guess it really hit me when I had my performance review at work a couple months back.  My boss commented that I was a lot happier then I'd been in a while.  I guess I didn't really realize that I'd been so sad, especially at work.  Maybe sometimes you just don't realize how hard things can hit you.

So now 6 months or so have passed...

The guilt is lessoning.  I'm feeling happier.  I still have those moments of sadness where it hits me that I'll never see him again.  But it's getting better.  I'm going to see my grandma in June.  I'm a bit nervous about how it'll be.  How I'll be, I guess.  I'm sure it'll be sad for a bit, I just don't want to make grandma feel bad.  I will get to see my cousins though.  They were very small the last time I saw them so it'll be nice to see them so grown up (ok, they're like 11 & 13 or something).  But still it's a nice happy part to look forward to.

Anyways, that's all I have to report.  I'll try to post more in the future and especially on happier topics.

P.S. - Sorry for the depressing post.

My fav someecards.com

And in honour of St. Patrick's Day...

“A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.”
—John Sawhill, former president and CEO of the Nature Conservancy

“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.”
—Pope John Paul II

For the love of...

My new love is Matt & Nat. For those not in the know, Matt & Nat is a vegan line of wallets and handbags originating out of Montreal. I discovered them a while back, but spent some time tracking down resellers in Vancouver. While shopping on 4th Ave I stumbled upon a store that had a Matt & Nat sale goin' on. So I decided to be spendy and the following bag came home to live with me (mine is grey though).


Isn't she lovely?

So then I was shopping at Winners one day and discovered that they are carrying some Matt & Nat stuff. I spied this lovely wallet (but in raspberry - a pinkish colour):

I was happy with my purchases, especially because the wallet from Winners was a splendid price of $20 (taxes in thankyouverymuch!).

But alas it doesn't quite meet my needs (I have far too many cards I carry around), so I opted to visit another Winners and spotted this little feller (mine is about half the size and white):

It fits my many cards and I'm ever so happy with it.

There are many more lovely Matt & Nat items I wish could come live with me, but alas I'm on a self-imposed budget. Perhaps once I can be spendy I shall celebrate with this sexy little thing (in a lovely jade colour):

Hello 2008!!