Birch Bay

Awesome. After a great day with some gal pals on Sunday, Monday was a day for adventure! Off to Birch Bay I went with my 2 girls to hang out at a friend's place. The border wait times were short (YES!). And his place was very close to the border. In no time I was there.

There are so many reasons why I love coming down to his place. He's a great friend and spending time with him outside of the work place is just awesome. His place is in a community that is so quiet that soon as you get there, you feel the stress just go away. He is a 3 minute walk to a beach. Everytime I go to this beach, we are always the only people there. Reminds me of the girl's great grandma's place.

Once I got there, caught up with him, his girlfriend and son. Then lunch. Seriously, no one starves when with this guy. He really is such a great host. That was an event in itself!

Then it was time to do some serious shopping. We hit Costco, Bath, Bed and Beyond, Target and Bellis Fair. I got some great deals! Four pairs of shoes for the girls for about $55. And they were good shoes so that should last them for a little bit. Got some pizza pans for my gal pal T. Got the cake pans for my boss as she wanted to give some away for Christmas. Got about $8 pairs of jean shorts/pants for less than $50. SWEET. Shopping for food was awesome! I do wish we went to Fred Meyer's but I can always go another time.

Four hours later, time to pack it in and go back to my friend's place to get ready for dinner. OMG. Again, another feast. Ribs, burgers, salads (stuff right from his awesome garden!), home made french fries and other stuff. I was STUFFED.

In order to work off some of the food, we went and took a long walk on the beach. Hearing the ocean is just amazing. The sun set was actually quite pretty too that night. Watching the kids look for shells, running in the sand, learning how to skip rocks and just enjoying the night was awesome. I just kept skipping rocks, chatted and chilled. And seriously, in this community, the ocean waves are the only thing that's loud. Having it so quiet was so soothing for me.

Back to the house we went...time for a campfire and some desserts! The kids were just loving the fact that they had to go get twigs and paper to start the fire. Then my buddy got his logs over to get the bonfire really going. Yep, you bought roasting marshmallows for some smores. Had some good red velvet cake, apple pie and cheesecake. And again, just some more good chatting. By then, we were all pooped and it was time for bed.

Next morning, got to sleep in (yay!) and then off to breakfast. Holy smokes. Again, so much food. And my buddy being the awesome host that he his cooked up food for everybody. He really should open a B&B or be on a food network show. Comedy gold watching him cook.

Then we thought one more walk at the beach. The day was beautiful! Looked for more shells and rocks for the girls. But before you knew it, it was time to head back to the house to pack up all the stuff. And considering I was only there for 1 day...I had a ton to pack.

As it was time to go, the girls tried to keep hiding so they wouldn't have to leave. They really enjoyed their time there. So did I. I would have happily stayed for another day or so. But my friend is a social butterfly...he had friends coming over within an hour or so of me leaving. Love it.

So for a 1 day jaunt across the border, it really was the best. Nothing like having great company and good food.

Sunday

Me and 3 other gal pals decided that today was going to be a day to meet up and gab. It's not like we don't gab enough, but why not! My husband wasn't going to be here so even better. Just gals yapping with good food. For my kids, best day EVER. You want a freezie? Sure...go for it. A cookie? Why not?! TV...absolutely. Go wild kids. As long as I can see you and you're not crying, good enough for me.

And gab, gab, gab about everything under the sun. I think we're all so different in personality and style. But it works! Holy smokes...about 6 hours later, they left. Marathon chat fest, many, many giggles...I really do think my sides hurt. But it was awesome. Totally what I needed and a great way to start off my holidays! Thanks gals!

Camera

I bought a camera in March of this year. I really wanted a point and shoot that worked properly so that when I went on my Disneyland trip, I could capture moments and not have to worry if they were going to turn out or not. And I have used that camera a lot since March.

But I don't know what happened. The lens isn't working properly. When you press the power button, it only opens halfway. When you take a picture, it looks like someone looking through a half open eye. =(

Thank goodness for a warranty or I'd have to buy another camera. Of course, that didn't stop me from looking at other options. I considered the Exilim EX-H20G with Hybrid GPS. 500 shots per battery charge. That was a plus because I wouldn't want to worry when my battery was running out. And it had some other neat features too!

But I'll just keep that thought in my back pocket as my camera is currently being fixed. Let's hope back to normal!!

Technology

Ooooo. I love technology. We really do live in an amazing time where we can do so much and we have so much technology to help us. Though, it's not always welcome, I'm always amazed the ideas that come out.

And I think of this as I was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition with my kids. That's such a good family show. Anyways, they had a mom and dad that were both blind, one kid that was deaf and that was "normal." As a mom, I can't even imagine losing my sight and having to do all that a mom does. Losing my sight would be frightening enough. But to do everything while blind? Yeeesh!

But I loved all the technology in the house and technology that they gave this couple to assist them. Sound domes so they can hear the translation of the movies but only they listen to it under this dome...that way they can still enjoy the movie with their kids but the kids can watch it like a regular movie. They had a barcode scanner for in/out of the house...take the machine, scan the barcode on an item and a voice lets you know what the item is. OMG. How awesome! Imagine having CANS and CANS of stuff in your house/items in the fridge and knowing what it is. And I loved how this blind couple could choose to read a book. They take a book, put it under a machine and the machine reads it for them.

I know some of this stuff has been around for a while. But it just goes to show that folks that have disadvantages can live a full life. Love it!

Handheld Units

My eldest daughter is wanting some type of handheld game unit...maybe the psp. Fun stuff. You bet. But I don't think she's ready. I'm a real believer that kids should learn and use their social skills at the table. When my kids try their friend's handhelds while at dinner, they are zoned out and don't even eat dinner. No thanks!

Or maybe I just don't want to pony up the money yet...especially the games! It's not like they don't have a computer to play with. But hey, in this day and age, not having a game console may be the equivalent or poor torture.

Yeah. Not feeling too bad for my kids.

Colony

My husband and I were totally into the reality show The Colony on the Discovery Channel. That is one intense show. And part of me thinks that if there really is a nuclear explosion or some type of major devestation, we would all be living this way.

What's amazing is how creative these people are. How they can turn metal buildings into complete shelters, or use carcasses for bio fuel, or make their own windmills out of junk. But for 40 days, these people fought off hunger and intruders, made a family, lived off of nothing. But like I said...really intense reality show.

There is no way I'd be trying out for the show. I'd be dead within a day!

One more week

Sometimes I forget how much I need time away from the office. It's not that it's bad. But a break is just good for the mind, body and soul.

I have 1 week before I'm off for 2 weeks. I'm stoked. First week off is a week off with my girls. My hubby has to be away. But me and the girls will chill. We've definitely got plans...PNE, Grouse Mountain, Birch Bay to start off. We'll see what else we end up doing! Either way, it'll be fun.

The girls will also have some chill out time when my peeps come over to my house in between my first and 2nd week off. Time for some good eats and some good gabbing. The 4 of us together...it's going to be a fricken riot.

Then the second week off will be taking the kids to school the first 2 days. This will be a milestone for my youngest as she will be entering kindergarten. She's so ready! Originally I was going to take the kids to school the whole first week...then I thought I need a little time to myself too.

So 2 of my last days off will be to do things I want. I recently won a massage from Absolute Spa, so I'll be using that. I need some pampering too. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do with the rest of the 2 days, but it will be for me and whatever I want. I'm feeling like my "bucket is empty" and it's time to fill it up again.

Can't wait for this week to be over!!

Booths

Ahhh...the PNE opens today! SWEET. Besides all the awesome food that will be there, the Showmart. Oh, I just love it there! Tradeshow booth here, a tradeshow booth there...all trying to sell me stuff. I've bought stuff before and I enjoyed my items. But I really need to limit myself to just one item per year. Seriously, 'd love to buy one of everything there so I can test it out! But I haven't won the lotto yet.

As I won't be going until the week after, I have some time to research which vendors will be there and what I'm going to buy. Ooooo. Giddyness!

Trader Joe's

Ok, I've heard all the hype about Trader Joe's. But it's only recently that I've gone! I had a day off and wanted to go to the states to do some shopping. Just so happens my friend T also had the day off...so I asked her to go with me. SWEET.

We wanted to hit Costco, Fred Meyer's, Target and Trader Joe's. Well, that was our wish list. But we hit a bit of a wait at the border and we were concerned that we wouldn't be able to hit all the places. Thank goodness the line went fairly quickly and off we went!

Our first stop ended up being Trader Joe's. OMG. I heart this store! First of all, when the bananas are 19 cents a pound, what is not to love?! But I couldn't bring that over the border so it didn't matter how cheap it was. But I found some jalapeno cilantro hummus and some eggplant hummus. A-MAZ-ING! Cheap balsamic vinegar, neat baking section, and cheap cheese. Cheaper than Costco. Seriously. Heaven!

And great customer service to boot. You've found a new fan TJ! Will be back soon!

Rings

I met up with my girlfriend from Toronto for lunch. She's a hoot. I really enjoy her company and have known her for about 18 years. However, she married, and she married well. And the guy is good with his money. GOOD on him and for her. But it always makes me laugh when she shows me her latest piece of jewellery. "Oh, we just celebrated our 10 year anniversary and my husband thought he should get me a ring." ROFL! Every one of her diamond rings has a diamond the size of my eye. Seriously. If she was stuck in a glass case like MacGyver, she could use her ring to cut herself out.

Am I jealous? No. She totally deserves it. And really, I'd just poke my own eye out with the diamond that big.

Homemade goodies

I have been on a totally "bake your own basics" kick. And I'm loving it! And my family is liking it too.

I don't how many times I may buy some new type of food because I think the family will like it, or it would be a nice change, or hoping that they'll actually eat it. Nine times out of ten, they reject it. So I end up buying the same thing over and over or the stuff goes into the garbage. Hey, I'm asian...there's no wasting food around here!

So I started making my own bread (without a bread machine), my own pizza dough and even my own hamburger buns. Still working on the hamburger buns, but my family still likes it. The point is, everybody is eating the stuff. I know what exactly is in it and I don't feel bad at all. It's also so nice to change up what my family has in their lunch boxes. Yeah.

Time to buy another bag of flour soon. OMG. when I first bought the 10kg bag, I thought I'd never get through it. I have a 1/3 of a bag left. It's been about a month. Just baking like a crazy woman.

But I'm happy. Seriously, not hearing any food complaints is a blessing.... =)

September

I feel that I've blinked and the summer is just about over. There are still a couple of weeks, but I know those will go fast. I've really enjoyed the pace of this summer. Lots to do, but no so much that I feel overwhelmed. Had a chance to visit with family I don't see often, chance to do outdoorsy things with the family and enjoyed some much needed chilling time too.

Come September, it's full force again. Every parent out there gets it...driving to lessons, helping with homework, getting ready for the next day, extra projects, still ensuring the house is running properly, working, etc. It's not that I don't enjoy it. But really, there are some days that I don't remember what I did earlier that morning let alone last week. It just is.

So, I am going to be mindful of the remaining weeks of summer before the craziness starts.

Invites

In any given year, I can count on certain invitations...i.e. certain parties, certain dinners, certain get togethers. I love them. And really, helps me plan.

But then there are those unexpected invitations, big and small. And those are always such a lovely surprise. They can be a house warming, a friend returning from wherever, a new friend's birthday, a dinner. Whatever! I'm so in!

Thank you for thinking of me. =)

Credit Card

I have 2 main credit cards that I use on a regular basis. All the other ones I cancelled because I wasn't using them, and then they were charging me $10 for not using them. By the way, if that happens to you, cancel the card and you don't have to pay the $10.

Anyways, I always get the PINs for the ability to do transactions, including cash advances. But I really do wonder what the difference in terms of interest rate is for this type of advance versus going to a place where they do these types of transactions? Well, I won't be finding out anytime soon. I'm too cheap to pay the interest.

Career

There are times that I would consider a career change. And sometimes, I just go and see what the "new" job trends are. Apparently, being a chiropractic technologist is one of them. I had to look it up because I'm not sure what the difference was from a chiropractor.

Then I thought, would I want to go into the medical field? Perhaps. But at my age, I don't have the drive for something like that.

Perhaps something in web pages or in the creative field. But, people are being cut in droves.

Or something with the Canadian Space Agency. But there are no offices here in BC...you have to go to Ottawa. Just not the right time and really, I couldn't survive an 8 month winter.

Not that I'm in a rush to find something new as I really do enjoy my job. But sometimes I just want to get out of my comfort zone.

Love

When I came to Canada, my dad had me in a number of daycares/with family daycares. And I would have nothing to do with those places. OMG. Apparently, I just cried and cried. But fate would have it that I would be matched up with an Italian family as my caregiver.

Imagine my dad, knowing no English when he first got here...trying to communicate with this Italian family who also barely knew any English. I have no idea how in the world they did it...but they did.

And fast forward 36 years and I'm still in touch with this family. They've been through every milestone in my life with me. They watched me grow up, they had a very large part in helping me grow into the person that I am today, and they're also part of my kid's life. I love it.

What I love even more is the love this Italian couple shares. Their love is truly rare. I believe they're celebrating something like their 60th anniversary this year. Kudos. You would think that after 60 years, you could do with a little time to yourself. But I am sadly mistaken.

The wife had to go to Italy to deal with some family related stuff. So the husband stayed here. I called last night to just say hello, let them know I was thinking of them and just wanted to see what was new with them. The husband told me that the wife was away and how much he missed her. She'll be coming back tomorrow but it will have been 3 weeks away from each other. He missed her so much that you could hear it in his voice, how lonely he was, and just how much he truly loved her. And I know the wife so well too, she is probably just as sad missing him. After all this time, and yet they sounded like they were just married and in the honeymoon stage. I'm sad that they miss each other, but it really is inspirational that after all this time, they can still love each other this much.

And on a totally different note, if you're Catholic like these two AND you make it to a 50th wedding anniversary, you can write to the pope and he'll send you a signed certificate (and it's HUGE) to wish you a happy 50th. Totally worth staying together for! =)

Gifts

Sometimes, I have to remember who I'm asking when I ask for advice on gift ideas. Most people give me fantastic ideas. And then there are those who give great ideas...but I'm not the right person to receive them.

Me: What do you think would be a good gift idea for a housewarming?

Friend: How about some hoyo de monterrey cigars?

Me: Pardon me? Hoyo de what?

Friend: Cigars...!

I'm thinking whatever! None of my friends smoke so why in the world did my friend come up with this idea? Ok, I'm some other person would have thought that was perfect. Yeah, time to ask another friend for some ideas.....

Summer Camp

My kids have been loving summer camp. My youngest got to participate this year. And the first 2 weeks, wow...she was falling asleep in her dinner. She was that tired from all the activities. AWESOME.

Today, they had creative arts. And they had sponges to work with. I heard the idea and was skeptical. But I have to say, my kids have come home with cute sponge people! One was yoda. One had equestrian clothing on. One was dressed up as mom...apron, yellow and orange hair, brown dress and a bell as a necklace. Yep. Totally looks like me.

Oh, how I miss being a day camper and a day camper leader.

Medicare

I have friends in the states who are against the Medicare plan. To me, this plan is similar to what we have at home. Honestly, the only medical costs that I really think about are any drug related costs, i.e. antibiotics, etc. Every appointment I have, never even think about having to pull out my cheque book.

Why are they against it? Because some think that they would be subsidizing drug users and others who abuse themselves...they don't deserve medical treatment. Hey, to each their own. And there probably is some merit.

But how many times have I entered a doctor's office and thought about how much a test would cost? Never. My drug costs, bearable. Cost of me giving birth to children, a lot. If I had to pay for my husband's surgeries? I'd be homeless.

This safety net we have is precious. Does it have some holes and needs some fixing? Yep, but I'll take that any day.

Another Weekend

Considering it was a short week of work, wow...it was intense! Lots to do. So I was definitely looking forward to the weekend.

Started off today with a bit of sleeping in. Yes, until 6:40am. Pretty late huh? I woke up to my youngest kid talking. When I finally got my butt out of bed, I realized she was just talking to herself "loudly" while playing on her computer. CHILD. I love you...but momma needs some sleep!

Off to swimming lessons. It's so great that there is a mother and husband there that have 2 kids that we have other activities with. I just adore them because they are so down to earth. Their kids are lovely. And they filled me with such fun news this weekend as they just returned from vacation. So happy for them!

Then I headed off to a friend's house to hang out with her and her kids. As well, we had a mutual friend that also came. I didn't expect to stay as long as I did. But it was such a great afternoon! Catching up with all of them, having the kids play together, minimum tears and those tears were due to accidents not because the kids were fighting. The one friend who hosted had her husband there too...and he was a hoot! Such an easy, peasy afternoon of gabbing. And yes, some good eats in there too.

By the time I came home...an easy dinner, chilled out with everybody. Great day with great weather.

Tomorrow, off to my nephew's birthday party! Another fun filled day. This is the 3rd weekend in a row with my brother in law and sister in law and my nephew!!! Good times...I'm savouring them!

Kelowna

During the long weekend, I attended a family reunion up in Kelowna. We were celebrating a number of milestones...from a 3 year old birthday, an 11 year old birthday, a bon voyage and a 25th wedding anniversary. We were all meeting up to surprise the 25th wedding anniversary couple...and we also used these milestones as an excuse to meet up.

It was a total blast! The drive up was pretty good. Long, but the terrain was interesting. The kids were good in the car. It was an opportunity for us to just chat.

First time driving over the Bennett bridge...yeah! that's pretty cool. You can tell you're getting old and driving over bridges is a cool thing...which reminds me, if you ever get to the Atlantic, drive over Confederation Bridge. Seriously, it's like driving into heaven. So cool!

I digress!!! We made our way to where the party was going to be. So many pictures. Great laughs and great surprises! It was a really great family reunion. And it was so neat to see how all the kids have grown up. They all took a group picture and the last group one they took like this was about 4 years ago. So cool.

By the time the reunion was over, off to the hotel. I wasn't brave enough to endure the long drive back again to home. It was a long enough day. The girls were thrilled to be in a hotel. The pool in the hotel was awesome too. And before you knew it, it was time to go to bed.

In the morning, the girls were happy as clams as they got to go to Denny's for breakfast. They must have been hungry as they ate everything on their plate. I thought they were going to lick it at some point.

And just like that, it was time to head home. Small trip but it was just so great to touch base with everyone. And it was great to have some much needed family time. See you next year Kelowna!