2012

New Year's Eve.  Seems crazy that it's already the end of the year!  Each year it seems to go by quicker and quicker.  

It's been an interesting year.  Some highs and lows, but that's true for everybody.  But taking the time to reflect, there was a lot of good things that happened this year and I'm truly grateful.  For those not so great times, well, what can I say?   Can't say I long for them.  But it's true that it's those moments that your true colours come out and it's moments like those that define you and shape you.   

So, I hang on to the good moments.  There have been many.  And for those people that continue to be in my life, I am truly grateful and thankful for them.  We may not always agree on everything.  But I think we have a great time with each other and we are supportive of each other in so many ways.  Would rather have a small handful of friends like that than a huge bunch of people in my life that serve no purpose.  

Not sure what 2013 will bring and that's ok.  No dread, no fear.    Just a bit of wonderment.  

Wishing you all the best in 2013!  

TV Viewing

The one "advantage" of being sick over the holidays is that you can watch tv...all day long.   And I really do mean, all day long.  You feel like crap, but you can't sleep.  You can't really clean because you don't have the energy but you want to be somewhat entertained.  Reading is good, but it does take some effort.  

So I caught up on a lot of tv this holiday.  Seems like a bit of waste of a holiday, but resting is never a bad thing.  Work and life is crazy at the best of times.   Almost seems like you have to be sick just to rest! 

But I digress.  Caught up on a gazillion CSI shows.  My goodness.  When you can start naming off diseases and possible causes of death just because you're used to the format of the show, you know you've watched a lot.  I know...nothing says Christmas holidays like CSI and murders.  

Million Dollar Houses.   Wow.  That is just crack for me.  Crazy houses/rooms worth millions of dollars each.  It's a good thing they don't film in Vancouver as they'd get a complete dump for a million dollars.  But these houses and room are just unbelievable.  I don't know how many times I had to pick up my jaw.  My hubby was the same way.  The kids were screaming as they were so excited about some of the houses.   But it's true, why are these people spending that kind of money on houses?!   The perspective just isn't there.    

Coronation Street.  I can't believe I got hooked on this UK soap opera.  I can write the story lines.  But I think it's the accents.  Seriously.  Everything sounds better in accents.  

Live Here.  Buy This.  Yep.  Total crack like Million Dollar Houses.  All the places I'd want to live at way cheaper prices than my house.  I don't know why I watch this show as it actually makes me sick to my stomach.  To think that a Vancouver home could afford me a total life of luxury some place else. I'm not slumming it...but luxury would be nice!  

And last but not least, An Idiot Abroad.  OMG.  This is comedy gold.  As Ricky Gervais says...it's the most expensive practical joke for my amusement.  As a person who likes to travel, I like travel shows.  But this guy is sent to travel and go an assignments and he's really not into it.  He's constantly got his inner monologue on and it's just hilarious!  I haven't finished the series, but I'm hoping he comes out a changed man as his adventures are pretty wild.  I would love to try something like that.  Though, I hope I would never be called an Idiot Abroad.  

So, here's to catching up on some shows before I head back to work.  My PVR is much clearer now.  

Christmas was quiet this year as it was just us.  We had celebrated with the different sides of the family and we had the day to ourselves. 

It was good as we got to chill all day.  I still had to cook every meal but that was still reasonable. I didn't feel guilty one bit when I sat my butt down to watch tv.  My husband and I caught up on a whole bunch of shows!  Woo hoo!  

The kids got to play with their toys, read their books and just have fun...all day long.   They had favourite foods only.  Chocolate?  Sure...total food group that day.  Cookies, absolutely!  Hot cocoa...a must!  Bacon...lots and lots of bacon. 

The only downfall is that we were all feeling a bit unwell.  We all contracted a cold/mild case of the flu.  So it was probably good that we weren't with family.  So chilling was absolutely needed for us to all get better.   I can tell we are definitely good at chilling. 

And just like that, another Christmas!  I've got over 300 days to plan for the next one.  

Christmas Eve

It's hard to believe it's Christmas Eve.  Seems like the year has just whirled by and I barely blinked.  

Tomorrow, my one kid will be 9.  I still remember giving birth to her on Christmas Day and coming home later that week to stick her under the Christmas tree for a picture.  Other Christmas memories include having my husband home from surgery, having my youngest climb up on the train set as if she was Godzilla, putting up the baby hat on the tree that my Christmas baby was given by the nurses and putting up the ornaments on the tree...with each ornament having its own story. 

I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring.  Hopefully just lots of laughter and wonderful memories.  To you and your loved ones, may you have a wonderful day celebrating the holiday and each other.  

Mattress

My hubby wants to buy a new mattress.  This one just isn't working out for him anymore.  Poor guy has a bad back so he needs a mattress that works for him.  I'm fine with this mattress.  I can sleep just about anywhere.  

But try going into a mattress store to get the right type of mattress.  Everybody seems to say something different.  Oh yes, a memory foam mattress is perfect.  Oh, no, you need to go with a double coil one.  Oh, why would you get one without a the zip top cover?  

Ummm.  How about we get one that feels comfortable for him?  

So we'll see.  I can't say I enjoy mattress shopping.  

Equipment

As I was searching harmonicas, inevitably, my search guided me to other things.  Oooo...a best h4n digital recorder?  Sure, I'll click on that.  

Wow.  The specs are cool on these things.  The only problem is that I'm not a professional musician nor do I have music studio.  Gosh.  The little gadgets I could have if I had an actual studio.  I used to do the MIDI type of musical making (gosh, I'm aging myself).  That's the closest I've gotten to using a studio.  

But I'm no famous musician.  I'll leave the gadgets and studios to them.  

Instruments

As I was cleaning, I found an old harmonica my mom gave to me.  My kids have destroyed it.  But I didn't have a lot of attachment to it.  And really, what don't my kids destroy?  

But I thought, since they broke this one...what if I got them a new one?  Not sure how I'd like the noise though.  

And so I went and did a google search.  A lot of different sites came up which actually suprised me.  But I decided to check out hohner harmonica at Musician's Friend.  Really surprises me about all different types of harmonicas!  Really?  

But I guess it doesn't matter the cost or type...if you can't play, you can't play.  Maybe I'll save my money and my ears by not getting my kids a new one.  

Cleaning

Well, it's just about Christmas and I'm off for a couple of days.  YES.  Lots to do but at the same time, nothing too crazy.  I feel like I've got everything, wrapped everything and done what I can.  And really, I don't want to head to the stores if I don't have to!  

But one of the things that I've been doing is throwing some old school notes away.  It's taken a while to get to this point.  But I'm doing it. I don't need my notes on e commerce workflow anymore.   Forensic Psychology?  Nope.  Though it does make it more fun when watching Criminal Minds.  Chemistry 101?  Ummm...haven't had to draw out carbohydrate molecules in a while.  Stats?  Loved stats...but really, no need to deal with Z scores these days.  

You get the picture.  Lots of info that makes me feel dumb now as I've probably forgotten everything.  But at least it'll make a little extra room in the house.  

Kids

I don't know what it is about kids, but they just love to roll about in bed.  For no reason but to just roll around and get dizzy.  

The more covers, blankets and pillows, the better!  The dizzier they get...awesome!  

I don't mind it because when they're in that moment, they're laughing and it's the good type of giggle.  Now, if they would just make the bed after they're done as it's ALWAYS my bed that they do this activity in!

Yoga

I know quite a few people who do yoga...some are even yoga instructors.  I've yet to take an actual class.  I like the idea of it all.  But just haven't gotten my butt to a class.  Part of the reason is that the timing of my work and life doesn't coincide with when classes happen.  

I'm not sure if it will give me the type of exercise I want though.  Seems very relaxing, but I don't know if it's my thing.  Almost seems a little too relaxing.  

Though I must admit that I like all the equipment and apparel.  I really like the yoga blocks from dragonfly.com.  They look SO awesome.  I could throw it at someone and it wouldn't even hurt.  

I love the idea of yoga pants but my pot belly just won't allow for it.   I'd look like a sausage!!!

So maybe in the future I'll get to a yoga class.  Until then, other exercise classes for me.  

Equipment

This hospital ward that I've been going to has every patient hooked up to a pulse oximeter.  It's to measure the blood-oxygen level in a patient.  It's actually pretty cool and I'm so glad it's non-invasive.  

As a patient, the less you have in/on you, the better.   Better yet, not being sick.  

Seriously, I want nothing but good health for people so they can live out their lives the way they want.  But if it's their time to go, I would hope that they could go peacefully.  

Not sure what is going to happen to this patient.   But I am quite worried.  There is nothing I can do though at this point.  Just wait and see.  

Gifts

In previous posts, I talked about helmets for my brother who sometimes rides a motorbike. Went to some websites including a website to check out shoei helmets.  They seem cool enough.  But my question is this...why such a price difference?  Is the $190 helmet going to protect him properly versus the $500?  

That's a big price difference!  Nice to know that there is one but it makes me wonder if the lower one is as safe?!  Gosh.  I feel old now.  Maybe the kid shouldn't ride a motorbike.....

Scrubs

I've had to make some recent hospital visits.  Those are never fun, especially during Christmas time.  But it's not about me.  It's about the other person that it in the hospital.  They need people's support.  And if that means me going in to say hello, then that's what I will do.  

The ward I'm visiting has a lot of older people in it.  The nurses seem fantastic.  But they have terrible scrubs uniforms.  But I guess wearing the cool and cute ones are probably not a great idea in a ward with older patients. 

I'm contemplating going tomorrow.  But I'm not so sure.  I have a cold as my kids do.  I'm worried that the patient will catch it.  And that would just be terrible.  

Will give it some thought and go from there.  Sending good vibes hoping the patient is a-ok and  can go home for Christmas.  

Cleaning

I was downstairs tonight looking for something.  Then I noticed a box that I didn't recognize.  Thought I'd open it to see what was there.  

I found some old textbooks, knick knacks and a trophy.  I had a good laugh as it was a trophy that I got in grade 7.  No, not a special trophy for winning an event or doing well at school.  It was a gift from my friend's mom.  

The trophy was for my grade 7 graduation.  She thought by giving me a trophy, I would be motivated to do well.  Hmmmm.  Now that I'm older, I wonder if she thought I was a little dull or not "the brightest star in the sky?"  But she must have spent some good money on it as it was a pinewood derby trophy.  

Not sure what to do with it as it doesn't hold much memory for me.  Can't sell it in a garage sale.      Can't give it to my kid's as it has my name on it.  

Oooo.  Maybe it can join hula doll on the next trip.  

Snow

Well, here on the West Coast, when snow arrives, chaos ensues.  Doesn't matter if it's 1/2 an inch or 30 inches.  The city just cannot function.

And today was an epic example.  I was extremely thankful that I was working from home today so I could miss all the craziness.  I didn't miss the previous day's chaos but one day of chaos is more than enough.  

From a billion dollar bridge that people couldn't cross, to traffic accidents galore, to cars off in the ditches...today was a bad day for commuting in the snow.  

If there is any more snow this winter...please, please, please...let it be up in the mountains where the snow buffs will enjoy it, where we can continue to get our water from when it melts, and it's in a place no where near the city for another day of chaos. 

Get Together

I got a chance to get together with my one group of great friends this weekend.  It was our annual Christmas get together.  It was small but as always, lots of fun.  Great food, great conversation and lots of laughs. 

It's a shame I don't see these people on a more regular basis.  But it's great that when we get together, we just pick up where we last left off.  

Perhaps my circle of friends isn't huge.  But it's perfect to me.  And I'm happy to be part of their lives.  

What Do We Do?

Everywhere you go, there is someone talking about the awful incident in Connecticut. There are a gamut of emotions.  From sheer sadness to pure anger to absolute disbelief.   Just a huge range of emotions...what more can I say? 

But then ultimately, the conversation swings to what needs to be done.  There are the strong believers that gun control is the answer.  I don't think it's so simple.  Of course, gun control would anger all those that couldn't have their access to guns for legitimate activities such as hunting.  

This next part is purely my opinion and I know some would disagree with me.  And that's ok.  But the reality is, our society keeps stripping resources from organizations and hospitals that deal with the mentally ill.  How can one even begin to be rational with an irrational person?  Their behaviours and actions are not predictable.  Gun control in itself is not the answer.  It's also about providing families with support to deal with the mentally ill.  If we had sane people in this society, the current gun laws we have would most likely be "enough."  

It's easy to strip resources from places that we don't see "big" outcomes.  It's easy to send these people to other organizations to deal with them, but the problem is, these other places don't have the resources or knowledge to deal with the mentally ill.  And so, many, many people who need help are not getting it.  

There could have been other factors such as bullying, etc.  But when a person isn't mentally ok, those actions that people have taken towards them are not easily handled and makes them easy to snap.  

Preventative medicine in itself, just as gun control is only part of the answer to a healthy society.  

Connecticut

There are days that I struggle with people's first world problems.  Really struggle.  

Like millions of others today, I'm wondering why in the world that one man would go into a school and kill so many innocent people.  And that includes 20 young children.  What was his issue that caused him to unleash such pain on others?  Something about the pain of a ex girlfriend.  Not to say that wouldn't be painful, but to bring about such hell on others?  Why?  Those innocent people did nothing to you...nothing.    

Unfathomable.  Tragic.  Heartbreaking. 

As a parent, this makes me cry and ache for those parents who will never see their children again.  All that joy...gone.  All the dreams...vanished.  A child should never leave before a parent.    

An event like this, regardless of what time of year, would be painful for bystanders and those impacted by this tragedy.   But so close to Christmas?  There are really are no words to explain or even justify this sad event.   Those left behind will never view life, community, school or Christmas ever the same again.  They have been forever tainted all because one man had a first world problem and he wanted someone to pay for it.  

May the community rally together behind one another.  Of those that left well before their time, may you rest in peace. 

Folders

Whenever I have to make some briefing note or some report to somebody, I wish I could go fancy on them.  I never get to do any presentation folder printing as I want something fancy.  

I can rarely do colour as the documents take forever to print and we don't have a colour photocopier.   I can only use certain colours of paper for certain pages.  And those colours suck.  Pastels are not my thing. 

I think next time, I'll just bring in my origami paper and fold stuff.  I'm sure our visitors would find that amusing.  

Calgary Stampede

I'd love to go to the Stampede one day.  Looks like a ton of fun. 

But I don't think I'd make a good cowgirl.   I look terrible in hats...so a cowboy hat too?  Yeesh.  Though someone did mention to me that Buckskin Cowboy Hats may be a good option.  

But I really don't think any cowboy hat would look good.  And I have to get boots too?  No way.  Give me my runners and chunky shoes anytime.  

What?  Cowboy vests and collar thingies too?  What the....?!  

I just want to go and party.  I'm not good at the dressing up part.  Maybe they have the Stampede with a section for those that don't want to dress up?  One could hope.  

Helmets

My brother rides a motorbike some of the time.  I worry about him as he's been in accidents before.  Thankfully, he does wear a helmet. 

But I think at one point, he said he was wearing one that didn't meet Canadian standards.  DUDE.  Get a real helmet!  There are a gazillion types out there that do meet standards of this country AND will probably save your life if you need it.  

How about a Shoei RF-1100 Glacier?  Actually, they do look really cool.  

So here's to hoping my brother gets a REAL helmet.  

Telemarketers

Most telemarketers are totally harmless.  But lately, there have been people calling saying that there is something wrong with my computer, it's been infected by a virus and it's IT folks claling to do a Windows cleanup .

I didn't fall for it because I did hear about others who had fallen victim to this crime (basically they get charged $200 on their credit card for a service that never happens).  That's a good chunk of money to part with. 

Instead, I just lead them on.  I make all these sounds like I'm very worried/scared about the whole situation.  Then I start asking them if they can specify what virus I've been infected with or from what site.  They can never tell me.  

Then after I've had my fun and games, I tell him my husband is a techie and I know they're a fraud.  Click!  

Well, if these types of nasty telemarketers are going to waste my time, I'm going to waste theirs. 

Curtains

Honestly, it takes me and my husband years if not a full decade to decide on certain things for the house.  The one painting we have that we quite like took us 12 years to find.  Climbing Everest might have been easier. 

Now the question is curtains.  Ones that block out a ton of light or ones that are the sheers curtains that let in some light?  Pros and cons to each.  

And then even if we figure out what type of curtain, then it's the colour.  I might retire before we actually decide.  

Christmas Cards

This year, I opted for smaller Christmas cards.  Nothing too fancy.  But definitely smaller.  

So, I wrote out all my cards.   As many were being mailed, made sure I had everybody's addresses on them properly.  I was happy that I had them all done, ready to be sent out.  I had some packages too, so I thought I'd send all the mail and packages at once.

Imagine my surprise when I showed them my stack of letters to be sent out and the said I didn't have enough postage.  I had those special stamps that had a P on it which should have allowed me to send my mail regardless of what the postage cost was.  

The issue was the size of my card.  It was considered too small.  In order for the post office to deal with those cards, they needed close to triple to postage.  Are you kidding me?  It's smaller, not tiny.  They're smaller, but not atom sized.  They're smaller, not so small you can't hold it.  

I was choked...all that time for nothing.  But then, I'm not going to rip off the stamps and buy new cards.  I'm going to a mailbox tomorrow and just dumping them all in.  I've already warned people they may not get their cards.  But here's hoping that they do!

Rings

I have obviously been married much too long.  I was at an appointment the other day and I happened to pick up a wedding magazine.  Those are always fun to look at.  See new trends, party ideas, pretty dresses and whatever else that goes into a wedding.  

Then I noticed that every ring seemed to have a designer behind it.  For example, scott kay bands.  They were quite a few designs and some were very pretty.  

But I guess what hit me was that I didn't realize how many name brands there were for rings.  Holy smokes...mind blowing.

Glad I'm not getting married anytime soon.  I don't think I'd be able to make a good choice on rings!

Guitar

As I mentioned the other day, I went to my kid's Christmas concert.  One of the "highlights" was the band playing.  I've been in band and I get that we all have to start somewhere.  None of us were good in our first year.  We just deceived ourselves into thinking that we were awesome. 

Because kids are not great in their first year, the equipment shouldn't be great either.  Why spend a gazillion bucks for an instrument they may like or may continue with.  If they like it, they can work up to better equipment.  For example, start off with a used electric guitar and work your way up to affordable fender jaguar. 

But hey, that's me.  Some parents want to start off with the best for their kids.  To each their own.  

Wallets

Should I go with one of those plastic or one of those leather wallets.  Maybe even pleather or fabric?

I always have this conversation with myself when it's time to look at new wallets.  Do I really need one right now?  Probably not.  But because I'm working downtown, I have more opportunities to just window shop.  Lots of good sales too!  Maybe too many.  

But I'm not seriously looking for a new wallet but it's time to start.  I know.  Such drama over something so tiny.  

Christmas Play

It was time for the Christmas concert at the local school.  Both my kidlets were in it.  Wasn't sure what to expect this year.  Last year's was AMAZING as they had a person come in and coordinate everything.  It was honestly like a Broadway play.  So good!  I wanted to buy the music.  

But this year, they went for the performances from each class.  The band had some issues because there were some songs that took me until the middle of the song to figure out what carol they were playing.  They were so keen that you couldn't help but clap and be proud of them.  The younger kids are adorable whatever the heck they do.  Lots of cute reindeer kids, cute elves, and good singing.  Overall, it was great and the school kids were cute!

Little sad that my hubby and youngest ended up not going to the concert.  The youngest couldn't perform.  Talk about rainbow yawns!  My goodness.  That kid was sitting by the toilet quite a bit just in case she had to vomit.  And when she did, it was pretty "awesome."  

Since I'm the camera bug, I went.  Was sorry to miss my little one performing as she totally practised.  But the other kid did well.  She played Jingle Bells on the ukulele.  

Another year, another concert. 

Sayings

I honestly cannot believe it's December.  I think when you have kids and they're finally in the school system, your life really does flash before you.  Blink...it's a year later.  

And sometimes, some days are harder than others.  There are days where running into a wall is just so much less painless than with all the frustrations and challenges of having kids and a family.  

But then, it takes one comment and everything is ok.  Just one. 

And this week, I got lots of comments that just make me happy.

"Mom, I'm working on a 'I Am' poem for school...and my first sentence is that 'I am an incredibly happy child."  

"Mom, I really, really, really, really love you."

"Momma, you know that when you get older that I'm going to take care of you right?"

"Momma...I missed you all day." 

"Mooommmmmm.  Extra hug and kiss!!!"

And maybe these aren't incredibly "deep" comments from kids, but they are an expression of how they feel.  Believe me when I say my kids don't sugarcoat things.  They say it like it is.  So I'm grateful and thankful that my kids love me because let's just say, I'm not always pleasant!  

So for all those moments/days where I feel like I'm hitting a low or having my first world problem kind of day, comments like those above just make it all ok.  

New Office

I've been at the new office for a couple of weeks now.  It's been a real change for me.  I used to work downtown, but I used to also live a lot closer than I do now.    

Let me start with the bad:

• I'm up at 4:45am...the sad part is, some folks have to wake up even earlier than me to start work early.
• I'm commuting by 5:40am
• I usually get to work by 6:35 (when I carpool) but my contract says I can't start until 7
• Bussing it in the morning also sucks because I have my laptop on my back
• Commuting home...well, that's just long.  Leave at 3:30pm and don't get home until 4:50pm only to then drop off my stuff at home, take the car and go pick up the kids.  
• Of course, commuting longer means less time for all the other things I have to do

Am I complaining?  Probably a bit here.  Having that much time taken away from me just for commuting just bites.  

But, there are some upsides to moving:

• My new view is actually my old view when I used to work on the same floor - and it sure beats seeing homeless people urinate in the alley
• I get to work at home which means that I'm not doing that terrible schedule everyday
• I'm close by my bank!!!  Yeah, not huge for others, but that's huge for me!
• Close by Canada Post!  Again, big for me as I'm always buying stamps and mailing stuff.
• Meeting up with some friends I haven't seen for ages.  I've forgotten how many people I used to work with that still work downtown.

So the "bad" probably still outweigh the "pros."  But it is what it is.  I'm thankful I'm working and didn't get chopped during the big lay-offs.   

Like everything else...I'll figure it out and make it work for me.  

Chapters Event

I entered a contest last week (surprise, surprise) for a Chapters Members event. Basically, if you were a Chapters member...even if it's just their free Plums club, you could enter. So I did.

I was so thrilled that I won an invitation to this private event!  I love this store!!!  I felt bad though that I couldn't bring my hubby but he was on pager. Nothing I can do about that. So I brought my friend who happens to be a co-worker with me. Seemed like a great idea...get off work, grab something to eat, 2 friends hanging out, a night away from our kids and chilling. 

When we got to the store, there was a section cornered off for this event. The purpose of the event was for Chapters to showcase their newest products. There were munchies out that showcased their newest chocolates, cookies and brownies and other goodies.  Yep. I tried a bit of everything. 

We were early but we still decided to go into the cornered off section because we saw a whole bunch of people in there.    I didn't realize until we got in that media was there and they were finishing up a media event. Oops! But extra time for us to shop around. 

Once we started looking around at the people at the event, we noticed that Chef Rob Feenie was there. Score. There were also some authors. And then my girlfriend's jaw just dropped when she saw this person.  She asked me if it was Mijune. Yeah, I know...you're thinking who?!! She's a food blogger.   Obviously my friend follows her...a lot.  OMG.  Her eyes were as big as the dinner platters she has at home.  But then she suddenly got shy and was afraid to ask. 

 "What if it's not her?"
 "So, she tells you." 
"I don't know..." "When have you ever gotten shy...go ask!" 

And she did.   It ended up being the food blogger she follows. And though I haven't kept up with my food blogs, I joined in the conversation. This blogger wasn't pretentious at all. Completely sweet, passionate about food, I enjoyed listening to her adventures.  

I bought a present for someone's Christmas gift and got it signed by one of the authors that was there.  Bought a bunch of presents for other people.  And then also won a door prize!  

All in all, a fun night of shopping, meeting new people that I would never thought of meeting and crossing people off my Christmas list at my favourite store.  Love, love, love.  

Music Maker

I dabble into everything.  But I can't say I'm particularly good at any one thing.  And that's ok.  I find that I flit and fleet with activities.  I just like trying everything.  

One of the things I like doing is playing music.  I can't say I'm even decent.   I tend to be more strings based.  Horn instruments I suck at.  I might have better luck blowing into balloons.  

With all the fancy, schmancy equipment out there now, I do want to try music mixing.  EONS ago, I did try a midi music class.  And it really was neat to mix music, try different layers, make different sounds with the one piece of equipment. Then I see this...the great psr s910 from guitar center. Wowsers. I could make my mediocre music sound good.   But I would have to clean my house in order to have one more thing in here. It'll just have to wait.

Photos

I have a camera that I really love.  I haven't even tapped it's full potential.  But it's great to be able to capture moments that actually look half decent.  

My point and shoot was great but the shots were always meh to say the least.  And there is nothing wrong with point and shoots.  But they are not giving me the quickness or options as my current camera.  

I have lots to learn still.  But I recently entered a photo contest.  Ha ha...I know, me entering a contest seems like a foreign idea!  But I did because I wanted to push myself.  I didn't think I would win and no, I did not win.  I really wanted to see what I was up against and hopefully push myself into learning to use the camera better.  

It's my first photo contest and I was proud of my submissions.  Compared to the winners, I had no chance.  I was impressed that the judges actually gave me feedback on my photos.  I was really happy to see what they had to say as I figure it can only push me in the right direction.

Who knows?  Maybe one day, I can add that I'm a photography website creator.  Weirder things have happened.  

Equipment

If you're talking to me about things I know, I'm comfortable in putting in my 2 cents about what I think about something.  

Put me in an environment where I have no clue what you're talking about...well then, you're going to get a big blank stare.  Most car related things...I have no clue whatsoever  

Rack and pinion steering?  Sure...I can tell you that Leonardo Da Vinci actually created that.  Nuts and bolts?  They go somewhere and tighten.  

How about shaft collars?  I'm going to assume it's for a car but I have no idea.  I actually tried to look it up.  Can you still see my blank face?

Hopefully when I chat with people, I actually am not lost too often.  It's not very becoming.  

Wizard of Oz

I have a girlfriend that has watched a gazillion movies.  And she's constantly amazed that I haven't watched certain movies.  Apparently they are rights of passage. 

But, my parents were immigrants and they weren't up on the latest and must see movies for kids.  So I'm finally making my way through some of these childhood movies that I have yet to see.

This weekend, finally watched the Wizard of Oz.   I think there is a certain charm to this movie, especially if you watch it from a child's perspective.  

But my life and adult perspective probably ruined this movie for me.  I still enjoyed it and glad I finally watched it.  But the take on this movie was not about innocence and Dorothy getting home.  

This movie had a real religious tone and religious perspective.  I thought I was kind of going nuts.  So I did a little research.  And sure enough, this was the author's perspective on what he thought of religion.  The symbolism and the what the characters were saying proved the point.   I was glad to actually see some papers out there about this.  

But of course, this is my perspective and what some other folks are thinking.  Whether or not it is a religious movie, I can say I finally watched it.  Tick off my movie bucket list.  

Lazy Weekend

Yep.  Completely lazy as it was a long weekend.  I get an extra day off so it's a 4 day weekend for me.  I might actually do something tomorrow.  

Not to say I was totally inactive.  I did my workouts, made meals for the family, did a bit of clean up.  But in my regular schedule, that is LAZY.  Watched movies and caught up on some shows.  

My kids?  Well, they had no lessons this week.  Thank goodness.  That meant they got to laze around too.  

Hubby was on pager so it's not like he could go anywhere.  So he stuck around home and lazed with us.  

Do I feel guilty?  Maybe.  Do I feel rested.  Much.  And sometimes, that's exactly what is needed.  Taking care of one's health and sanity.  Just chilling out because we could. 

We were all happier because of it.  

Time Change

I love getting to turn the clocks back during fall.  It's an hour to stay up or to sleep in!  An hour to get something else done.  An hour for something for what I want to do. 

But this year, not so much.  The kids were up "earlier" than usual and making noises louder than usual.  Ok.  Not such a great start.  But I figured that I would still go to bed early and it's like the hour wasn't wasted. 

Fast forward to Monday morning.  OMG.  I set every clock in the house except for own alarm clock.  Yep. I wake up at 3:50am.  Since I was carpooling that morning, I didn't want to go back to bed and miss my alarm and be late!  Let's just say Monday was a very long day and coffee was my best friend.

And it looks like this Tuesday morning will also be another long day where I get to hang out with coffee again.  Without the alarm, I just woke up at 3:00am.  I haven't been able to sleep.  Not sure what is going on but I need to get some shut eye.  

I guess maybe it's a good thing that I'm commuting by bus these days when heading home rather than driving.  I'd be a wreck on the roads.  

Ok.  Hoping that tonight is the night I get some good shut eye!

Live Here. Buy This.

I am obsessed with the Live Here Buy This show.  It's a better version of International House Hunters.  Basically, the premise is, they assess your house at a certain value then based on your criteria, they find 6 different houses in 3 different locations of your choice assessed at the same value.  Basically, the person then chooses what house they want at the end.  The good part is that they don't have to actually choose and go.  But basically, it's living out a bit of a fantasy.  

Of course my hubby and I have fantasized about moving out of this city and to another location.  Why not?  This city is expensive.  To think that I could live like fricken royalty  and not have to work...really, who wouldn't fantasize about this type of lifestyle? 

Based on the show and house assessments close to the current value of my home, they've shown a couple of locations that I would be willing to give a try.  Apparently, 3/4 of the cost of my house could buy a huge villa in Spain with 16 acres of olive trees.  Got potential.  Heck, I could press my own olive oil.  

Or, I could buy a huge mansion in Bali, with a huge pool, with a walkway to a private beach, and they even have a bathtub large enough to fit the whole family in.  Not that I needed on that big.  But in the event the pool and beach "bored" me, I could always lounge in the bathtub. 

I never really considered Palm Dessert, but seriously, I could buy a beautiful 5,000 square foot house.  Again, a pool on the side...just because.  

I could go on and on about all the places this show has showcased in terms of houses and what would fit in my budget.     At this stage of my life, it's just not going to happen.  

Until then, I'll just dream about where I could move to.....

Neighbours

I am so lucky to have really awesome neighbours.  They're quiet people that keep to themselves.  They're always working on their house and gardens.  Some have grandkids, and some have kids that are just about grown up.  Doesn't matter...they never make trouble for me.

However, I don't think they same of me.  OMG.  They're constantly helping me out.  For example, both neighbours on either side of me was doing landscaping, adding soil to their plants, reseeding, all types of gardening work.  Then there was me, did none of it as I was out and about for kid's lessons, etc.  

I come back and sure enough, my plants on both sides of my house have new soil.  The one side that has grass but was ruined, no thanks to me, has been reseeded and has new soil.  

Don't get me wrong, I help out the neighbours, such as helping them shovel their sidewalk during the storms.  But honestly, my neighbours help me out much more.   They help me shovel my driveway all the time.   I swear, I have to race them to get out there to shovel or they'll do it for me!! 

I feel so fortunate having such great neighbours.  I keep getting them stuff so they at least know I appreciate them. 

But I'm sure they'd like me better if I just took better care of my house and yard!!  I should be ashamed.

Wedding Saturday

We have had an amazing September and October in terms of weather!  Lots of sun and it's been fantastic!  So imagine my horror when I heard that big rainstorms were going to happen over the weekend during a wedding. 

I know in many cultures it's considered luck to have it rain.  I think people came up with that just to make everybody feel better.   But it poured, poured, poured.   Though, when they came out of the church, there was a break so they could take pictures!  Wonderful!

It wasn't a big wedding by any means.  But it was beautiful looking.  I got to sit with some people I actually knew and we had many good laughs that night.   

Considering I didn't know this couple well, I wasn't sure that I would even shed a tear for these folks.  But I have to admit, when the vows were read and repeated, I did tear up.   "For better or worse and sickness and in health."  And I liked how the minister ended it..."may you have more betters than worses" as it didn't sugar coat the fact that marriage can be one of the most difficult things you go through, but it can also be wonderful.  

So congrats to the new couple...and may you have many betters than worses.  

One Hit Wonders

Some musical artists have a long career and they are forever changing up their music.  Love her or hate her, Madonna is a good example.  She's been around for a very long time.  

Then there are the one hit wonders.  Basically one hit that hits the world big time and then we either don't hear from them anymore or they just have a string of crappy hits.   So many examples, so little time to list them out. 

Right now, the big hit is Gangnam Style.  I'm impressed by Psy as he's broken into an English market with his K-pop.  They have left the song in his Korean language...that's huge!  Of course, everybody is horse hopping everywhere and singing "hey, sexy lady..." and whooping in all the right places. 

In Korean culture, he's not a one hit wonder as he's been around for a while.  For the English market maybe.  But even if he is, I'm totally impressed at how he has amazing crowds watching him and totally cheering him on.  

Don't believe me?  Check out this video of 80,000 strong singing Gangnam Style with Psy at a free concert.  Yeah...wait until you get to the 50 to 59 second mark.  That crowd is big.  

I'm sure with all that horse hopping that night, Koreans thought they were having an earthquake.  

Band

As my oldest daughter is learning ukulele, she mentioned something about joining band in a later grade.  She was thinking about what instrument to play.  We talked about different options that would be available, but ultimately, it's up to her.

For band, I actually chose to play a trumpet as there weren't enough trumpets in the band.  As a parent now, I can look back and feel extra sorry for my parents.  That instrument was loud and I had no issues about playing it loudly.  Many times, I'd try to find ways to play as loudly as I could.  And I can't say I was great.  So they had to deal with loud mediocre music.  Lucky them.

So for my sake, I hope they choose a cool if not quieter instrument.  

Bike Rack

I was looking through the local flyers and was thinking about buying a bike rack...maybe a thule bike rack as the price seems right.  

But, I think I'm going to change that decision.  I took the girls out for a bike ride today.   Suddenly my oldest is freaking out while riding.  I'm a little further away watching so I have no clue what is happening. 

When she finally got to me, she showed me her hand brake.  The whole hand brake on the handle bar broke off completely.  Well, that bike isn't going to be any use now.  Why buy a bike rack?   Save myself a couple of bucks. 

Trunk

I love my car and the trunk space that it has.  But a lot of time, 1/3 of it is already filled up!  I have my emergency car kit, snacks and water just in case my kids and I are stuck in traffic for a long period of time and even a blanket.  

Seems extreme.  But you just never know what can happen.  I remember this one day going home, it took me 3.5 hours because of some terrible accident.

But I have to downsize or something.  It actually is quite ridiculous how full my trunk is when I don't even have groceries in there.  

Winning Part II

Well, in previous postings I mentioned that I had won a contest for a cream and gift card, but that it turned out to be a mistake.  I went on to their Facebook page to see what other crazy comments people writing on there.  

Wow.  Some were seriously going to sue the company.  Some were completely upset and had no problems in writing those comments down.   Some were downright nasty.

Fast forward to a couple of days after the mishap.  The company sent a small sample with a $1 coupon.   I was happy to just get a sample as it's a product that seemed good but I wasn't ready to fork out a ton of money for something I didn't know was good or not. 

Fast forward another couple of days, I get an e-mail and a letter stating that the company is giving me a full sized sample.  SWEET.   Going to the store to get my full sized sample!

I have to admit that I'm actually quite impressed by the company.  They took the bad press seriously and then corrected their mistakes on their technological side.   And the gave out full sized samples to thousands of people because of this mistake.   Maybe it doesn't cost them much to give out full sized samples, but it's got to be a dent in their budget.  

Like I said, I was thrilled at just getting a sample so I could test it out.  Getting a full sized sample, way more awesome.  

And because I'm nosy, I went back to the Facebook page to see what comments people were saying about getting a full sized sample.  Let's just say that I shake my head at some people.  While they continue to moan about not winning and sharing their misery, I will happily take my sample home and enjoy it.  

Music

Well, my one kid has come home with her school instrument. I am so thankful that it's not the recorder. I remember the squeals and the hell I put my parents through. Instead, she's come home with a ukulele. AWESOME. I love that instrument. And it sure does remind me of Hawaii. Her playing...well, not so much yet. But it's moments like this where I hope that she will get awesome at the instrument, my youngest one picks up something and then I pick up my guitar and we jam. I'd love to get some recording software like Propellerhead Reason to record our musical jams. Then I hear the plucking of a note on her ukulele and my other one banging on the piano. It's going to be a while before we jam together.

Office Move

Well, the news is official.  I'm moving to my new digs on October 29th.  I'm thankful it's not Halloween...I mean, I have to get home to give out candy to all the kids around the block!  Priorities!!  

The floor plan will be shown to staff very soon.  I'm slightly nervous of what the plan will show.  I know I won't get a window seat.  And that's totally fair since I don't work in the office as much.  Those that have to go in and have no choice but to go in should definitely get the great seats.  I used to work there so I know how good the view is.  

I'm more worried about who I will be sitting by.  I really like my area right now because it's quiet. Everybody is working at a certain rhythmn, phone calls and conversations with other staff are not loud, people can concentrate in their area due to the quietness, people are respective of each other's space.  LOVE it.  

It's pretty hard to give up that quiet and space.  Some people are just more invasive of my space which I'm not fond of, or take up more time than is really needed.  But it is what it is.  I will make the space work for me.  In order to stay sane, I just have to.

Definitely not the end of the world.  But some changes up ahead for sure.  I will definitely miss the great area that I'm in now.  

Music

This house is going to get a new "music"player.  It's going to be my kid...with a recorder.  ROFL!  I still remember how to play...especially my school song!  But thinking back to when I first started...lots of squeals and odd sounds.    That will happen soon enough.  

But I was thinking that I might get a usb with mic to record the kid.  That should be perfect for when she brings home all the boyfriends I hate.  That should scare them off just fine.  

Until then, I will suffer like any parent.  And help her along the way so music actually comes out of that recorder.  

Security

My organization has a whole department that does security checks.  I'm not sure how they do it.  But they sure know a heck of a lot about me.  

So I decided to do some searching on the internet to see how companies do background searches as I've never worked in that line of work before.  You type it into a search engine and you get returns such as "back ground check service here at easy back ground", or secrets to passing a security check, or just companies doing deals.  

Considering I don't do a security check very often, I'll just forget about it all now.  

Winnings

Lately, I've been fortunate to win a couple of contests.  I am thrilled to have won some and I like my gifts!  The sponsors of the contests have been ultra nice too.  

So imagine my giddiness when I saw an e-mail today saying I had won another contest!  I would have won a full size sample of a new product and a $100 Lululemon card.  AWESOME!  

But I guess there is a first in everything.  I am checking my Facebook and my e-mail and I see that the original message saying I won something was recalled.  This is the message:

Thank you for entering the Garnier Body 7 Days of Giveaways contest!
Earlier today, you received an email notifying that you are a winner of the grand prize in the Garnier Body 7 Days of Giveaways Contest (full size product and a $100 Lululemon gift card). If you refer to the rules and regulations of this promotion, you can see that this particular contest is ending in 2 weeks, and 7 consumers will win the grand prize.

Unfortunately, there was a technical glitch with the previous promotion email.
We are working diligently to determine how this happened and will update everyone on Monday.
Please accept our apologies for this error as we understand that it must be a disappointment for you.

Ok, yes, I am disappointed.  But I'm not bummed about it.  I get it...technology and people don't always mix.  And really, I feel that I've been so fortunate to have won some contests lately...others should also get the thrill of winning too!  Though if a win comes my way, I won't dismiss it...especially if it's a lottery win.  Hello universe?  You listening?  My lotto bunny isn't helping quite yet.  

So my attitude is slightly different.  OMG.  Checking out Facebook comments, this company might just lose a gazillion customers.  Obviously I wasn't the only one that got the same e-mail.  Some people are saying they'll sue!  Some say that compensation should be given.  This company is the worst one ever.    Ummmm.  It was a free contest.  They don't have to compensate for anything.   And isn't there some clause about the adminstrator getting the final say?  Well the final say is that they're not giving out thousands of this gift package.  

I'll be interested to see what happens on this one.

Garage Sale

One of the "exciting" things I did while on holidays was have a garage sale.  The main reason was to get rid of some stuff!  Not sure how we accumulated so much stuff.  But the kids had so many toys to sell.  Ridiculous!  We didn't get to half of their toys!  There were household items and goodness knows what else out there. 

The garage sale was held for two days.  Unfortunately, the 1 day, our signs had fallen down for a while and we had no idea!  So not a lot of sales.  The second day of sales was much better since the signs did stay up...and I added extra signs to the original ones.  "Motivated to Sell."  Basically, name your fricken price and you'll pretty much get it.  

My girlfriend came over to also sell some stuff.  So it was nice to have some company.  We get to check out a flick on Netflix, eat snacks and gab.  That was fun.  

But the most memorable part of the garage sale was my husband!!  My goodness.  That man makes me laugh.  

On the second day of the sale, 2 women came to the sale.  The one woman had 2 boys.  They happily bought stuff and got some great deals.  They the left.  I didn't think about them after they left.  About 10 minutes later, I hear a door close and a van leave.  I asked my friend if it was those 2 women that just left?  10 minutes later?  Seemed odd.  But whatever...who am I to judge.

Maybe about 30 minutes later, those same women came back.  The one woman with kids mentions she forgot to buy a tricycle.  And the she mentions that she dropped her car keys down the drain basin!   She asked if I had anything to help hook it out?  

I go and find whatever I can find.  But I also call my husband down. He's good at this stuff.  He goes out and looks.  Next thing I know, the grate has come off.  I've been asked to go get different things so he can try to get these keys out.  Rakes, sticks, hooks, shovels...etc.  

On the very last trip when I was asked to bring something, I happily went to go get it.  But when I come back to the street, all I could say was, "you're in a f@%*ing sewer!"  I was kindly reminded it was a drain basin.  Basically, my husband hopped into this sink basin to get the keys out.  Ummmm...YUCK!!!! 

But if you can believe it, with his toes, he found the keys and used them to pick them up.   It's ok if you're gagging because I know I did.  But those keys were found and the woman was really appreciative.  

Proud of the guy for helping out.  But I don't plan to touch his legs from the knee down anytime soon.  

Holidays

Well, my holidays are over.  It goes by so quickly!  And really, every time I'm on holidays, I'm really ok with the idea of not going back to work.  Not that I hate my job.  I just think I'm really good at not working and taking it easy!  

The family and I chose to stay close to home.  Kidlets are pretty pooped after a really busy summer with summer camp.  They did so many activities that they would go to bed early in the summer.  And for one week, I think the kids really needed the chill out time to do nothing or at least, activities on way less of a schedule.

We did do fun stuff like PNE, Britannia Mines, beach, flying kites, picnics, etc.  Just whatever we felt like doing.   It was great spending it as a family and just being away from work.  

Ahhh.  Holidays.  There are never enough of them.  

Smoking

I am not a smoker or have I ever been.  I've never even tried it before.  So no choking scenes when I'm inhaling for the first time.  No rush that feels like euphoria.  And I'm ok with it.  I'm healthier for it and I choose not to as I want to be around for my kids.  No judgement on my part on those that smoke.  People make choices.  I just don't choose to make that choice. 

But that's not to say I'm not curious.  I used to hang out with a lot of smokers.  And I have to admit that after dinner or at certain times of the day, I'd want to have a smoke because I was almost on their schedule.  It was weird!  But thankfully, I never got started. 

I do realize that sometimes when I'm stressed, I think that maybe smoking wouldn't be a bad idea.  I see everyone destress.  I don't know if it's any better by smoking those famous smoke cigars as they're bigger and smell a heck of a lot better. 

But I've trained my kids to know that smoking is bad.  They'd beat me up if I started up.  

Definitions

Today, I'd like to clarify my definition of selflessness versus martyrdom and some of the consequences of these 2 concepts.  They are sometimes used interchangeably, but I think they are two very different concepts.   Remember, these are my definitions and not by some dictionary or thesaurus.  

Selflessness is an act(s)/gesture to someone/living being to make them feel better or assist in some way.  There is no thought of being repaid in any way.

Martyrdom on the other hand is a completely different thing.  There is motive behind it.  There is a need to gain something from the action.  It can be control or power over someone.  It's the need to be needed or to feel important.  It's the need to be thanked and recognized for all the "sacrifices."

With selflessness, the person that is being helped will be helped in some form or fashion.  And from the person who provided that assistance, they will know that what needs to be done is done.  Perhaps there isn't true selflessness because I suppose there is some "satisfaction" that is received from doing the action.  But they are positive such as relief, gratefulness, happiness.  

On the flip side, martyrdom can have negative consequences.  If the person doesn't get the praise, thanks or recognition of all the sacrifices that were done (small or big), they get miserable, negative, feeling that the world is unjust and unfair, and angry.  What I really love is when the martyr feels that the other person hasn't given back in the same way.  BAH!

Martyrs fit into my category that I call "Vortex of Darkness."  They really suck the living daylights and any positive energy in me.  And I really can't stand that.  There's already enough negativity in life and in the world; I am not going to get sucked into your darkness.  And I just keep thinking to myself...for all of those that really have something to be miserable about, why are they the ones that seem the most positive and selfless?  They can somehow see and work past their situation and no matter how bad it is, they somehow still see the positivity in something.   They can still somehow give back and not be a martyr. 

Believe me.  I realize that life isn't full of rainbows and unicorns.  But martyrs are really a category of people that I don't deal with and avoid on purpose.  Definitely not my cup of tea.  

Oprah Life Class

I'm so behind on Oprah's Life Class!!  Thank goodness for PVRs.

Finally watched the latest one about Difficult Conversations.  I was surprised to see a family in my area on the show.  But issues between families happen in every neighbourhood.  

When the steps were listed out, I was open to the idea of it all.  Initially, I thought the answers would be easy for this family.  But once we got to the intention of the conversation, that wasn't so easy!  I think I would have answered similarly as those daughters did.  

So the difficulty isn't even in just starting the conversation with the other person, it's really about understanding the purpose.  That was an A-Ha moment for me! 

As much as I believe in the power of having a difficult conversation, the other person needs to be in a headspace to hear me say those words.  I have to be present in hearing what they have to say.  

And sometimes, two people are not in the same place to hear each other out.  That's just the way it is.  I've had difficult conversations with people and maybe I did unconsciously follow these steps and those conversations were fulfilling and created a new space between me and the other person.  And there were those conversations where I felt like I was the only one talking and the other person was in the blame mode or just in a negative space where my energy wasn't even making a dent into their negative bubble.  

Happily...no difficult conversations coming up any time soon.