The Lake

After what feels like 10 years we were finally able to get away for a weekend. I have been going extremely stir crazy lately on the weekends because I want to forget the entire past week and just focus on family and enjoying the purpose of life.

Well no better place than Birch Lake to do this. I will most definitely miss the place when it sells and we can no longer escape there. We didn't do too much. However we finally were able to just focus on us. And that was enough.

We went canoing which was amazing and the Little Monkey was amazed that you could go on the water and travel. She even left her puppy "truck" at the house. She adopted a wooden truck over the weekend and determined that this was her puppy. When we all decided to take a dip in the lake without bathing suits on she was a little confused "is this a tub?" which was responded with no this is lake which only then naturally led to "is this a tub lake?" To the answer was yes.

Children are truly refreshing, especially when you have the time to fully appreciate the wonders of parenting and watching them explore the world around them. However back to the grind now and only dream of the day when that grind no longer exists. I HATE STUDENT LOANS!!!!

We discussed moving to the lake however that ever ominous question arose:

"What about money? and jobs?"

To which 10 years ago I would have said who cares we can wing it but I repeat, I HATE STUDENT LOANS!

Sweat!

Okay so with the temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees I feel like I should express my discontent for this weather.

The other day Drang passes the comment about how annoying it is when sweat collects behind your knees and in your forearm. Although these sweaty parts are rather irritating on a hot day I would just like to point out the lack of sympathy for anyone who thinks that is the worst experience of sweating. Imagine, a hot summer day and you are strolling down the street listening to the birds sing and the dogs bark when for the millionth time in what feels like 30 seconds that continual trickle of sweat in between your breasts hits again. This continual trickle and "pool" of sweat collected beneath happens to be for me one of the grossest feelings I have ever experienced.

I like May, June, April, September, October and part of November when my breasts are not two hills or a valley intended to allow the fountain of sweat to make its way out of my body.

Take that knee sweat!

Line ups!

Patience!

Why do only a handful of people that I know have any patience? For example, if a mechanic is fixing your vehicle and they are not sure what is wrong with it and to ensure that you have a working vehicle it is going to take 2 extra days. I understand the inconvenience this may cause people but I don't understand what one thinks they will accomplish by going to the mechanic every 1/2 hour and complaining. I would naturally think NOTHING!!!! If I was the mechanic in this example I would probably never fix the vehicle or pull a hose somewhere.

Or when waiting in a line and the people around you are muttering "can't you just hurry up" or "jeez, how much slower could this be?" My answer to these questions is A LOT slower. I think at times we forget that we are the ones in line to consume something and the person on the til is there to provide us with a service as well as the other 100 people who have come to pick something up. Do you really think that individual at the til is enjoying what she is doing? I highly doubt it as I have been there before and really if they could move any faster they would just to get you out of their line up. However the person ahead of you in the line up is the reason the line up is taking so long not the cashiers. Maybe if you just stopped shopping and spent more time at home or outside then you could learn to be more patient because then your world would really revolve around you because it is your home.

I hate waiting just like a lot of other people but really the only thing I can control in that situation is why I am there in the first place.

And by the way I don't like facebook! I spend way too much time there.

Pie Eating Contest:

If you have not already checked this out on my facebook page you have to watch Drang and I in this pie eating contest....

Summer Party

So, every year my company throws a summer party at the EVP's home in Hague.

This year the party was great. I didn't even drink too much and make a complete ass of myself this year. We had the following activities:

Potato Sac Races
Wheel Barrow Races
Three Legged Races
Scavenger Hunt
and the Screaming Slingshot Monkey Shoot Out

The best part of all was the banana cream pie eating contest.

Drang and I both entered the contest and being the only woman willing to try and eat an entire pie was interesting in itself. However after one mouth full I soon realized that with the cream already up my nose I was in no way going to even come close to a third of the pie being completed. However 15 seconds in I look up and the big E is like half way done his pie and the guy across from me has his flipped over and I burst into laughter. I decided that I must do something. I am going to get my butt kicked. So, the Big E is technically done his pie so I pick mine up and dump it into his and declare I am done. The best part is that he did not even realize that I had done this as his entire face is one big cream puff so he kept eating. After a few seconds of everyone laughing we determine that we must stop him as he would have continued.

Well I will see if I can get some pictures and post them from work tomorrow.

Come work with me:

If you are interested in earning some extra money we are looking for fun people to come work with us at Itracks. I know that a lot of you already have well established careers however if you know anyone interested in earning extra money, like your gardeners neice we would love to talk with them. They must live in either the Saskatoon area or the Kenaston area. If you do know someone let them know to say my blog directed them to us and I will recieve $50. If I get enough we can have a party!

This advertisement does not reflect the attitude and opinions of its viewers. This advertisement was paid for by no one and is intended to help me staff my call centre.

My sister is Moving HOME

After two and a half months searching for a home with a small preapproved mortgage and the Saskatoon market as it is I have successfully found my sister a new home.

I AM SOOOOO excited. July 14th is the possession date and she comes in August.
I can't wait to get to know my sister again and her daugter.

We'll get political:

When I think of a real estate agent the first image that used to come into my head was a snake that lacked empathy (not that I think snakes are capable of empathy). However this image has now changed and I see Nic. Nic has been an amazing agent to our family and has gone beyond his role as an agent into someone I can get advice from on many subjects.

After spending an hour going over the cons of being a buyer in this market and telling us that we could list our house for more than double what we paid for it last year he let me know about the Good Community Law that from my understanding was created to help clean up neighbourhoods like ours. He was so kind as to give me the name of a person (which of course I forget) to call and discuss this law with and recommended that I drop his name. He then went as far to say that if nothing gets done to let him know and he will sit down with me and we will get "political" to help solve the junkie neighbour issue.

I REALLY REALLY like having a socialist real estate agent who is not solely driven by the money he could make off the sale of our house but is more than willing to help us enjoy our current house more. He is also going to contact me about going to a "talking circle" with him where he and a bunch of other 50 to 60 year old men get together and discuss the social illnesses of our province and possible solutions. This I think is what excites me the most as lately I have been feeling rather bogged down with everyday life that I forget to look around me and remember that I am part of a larger community that I should be helping to improve for all and not just myself.

Housing Market Pondering

There is technically nothing wrong with our house. We have all space we need and then some and the neighbourhood is not that bad but we have begun the exploration into selling and repurchasing in this crazy market. See the thing is we could sell our house for over double of what we paid for it. And this would allow us to be student loan free! So do we sell?

The problem is that we have to purchase in this crazy market. We have found a house that is really tempting us. This house is the same size as our current home.
Pros of this house:
Close to gramma and auntie,
awesome dining room and den,
windows are amazing,
the yard is to die for,
a dog run (hint hint)
and there is an enclosed hot tub.

Cons to this house:
Price,
Across from the youth detention centre,
the roof needs work,
old people bathtub (the kind with a door that I make fun of when the ad comes on tv)
and the basement is not completely developed and this is the third bedroom.

Lets face it, the BM is going to be moving out in 4 years and which house could I prefer to grow old in. Well the current house has a flight of 15 stairs up to the washroom (not ideal for when my bladder starts to go). The potential house already has an old person tub and no stairs.

Pitch in your thougths, should we sell?

Spending the day at home:

Today the Little M is not feeling well so I have decided to spend the day with her and she is overly excited about her trip to the doctors. This will be the first visit since she was a year old. Other than visiting the doctor we have a busy day planned.

Play with our new lego.
Get new tires (all four) for the car.
Check out swing sets for when we are feeling better.
Hopefully have a nap.

The little M has so graciously agreed that the doctor should look in her mouth and is anxiously awaiting the special light the doctor will use to look in her ears. I am hoping that she just has a cold and has not picked up some horrible bug from her playmates at daycare. Only 2 more months until she starts "school" and I am not sure which of us are more excited.

On another note, my little brother has come to stay with us. I am so excited to have him here and to see him on a more regular basis. It is amazing how you come to realize that you have missed someone when they are near. He is working in Vonda and will only be staying with us for four days a week and then going back to MJ. (Poor him) He has left his puppy and girlfriend in MJ so I am sure he is missing them both. After he plans on renting a place in or near Vonda so he does not have to commute so far. Atleast he is closer than MJ.

As well, my big sister is looking to buy a house here in Saskatoon. This will be even weirder as she has not lived in the same province as me since I was 17 years old. I am so looking forward to having the three of us in the same area so much. It has been way too long and I think the three of us closer will help to keep the brother in a more positive mind set.

Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it all works out!

Weed Wacker:

For about 3 years now I have wanted a weed wacker. Quietly I had wished that I knew what to look for in one so I could buy it. We use the old-style lawn mower that is inefficient with edges and around trees etc. so the 3 foot high grass all along the fencing is very unattractive. In the past I have broken down and pulled these out by hand because the shaggyness that this adds to my yard drives me crazy.

This year however I decided to ask for a weed wacker for mothers day. I find it odd how I ask for yard tools and Drang asks for kitchen supplies when ever an event such as this comes up. However this is one of the many reasons we work so well together. Yesterday I received a surprise from Drangs mother. A weed wacker for mothers day and not just any weed wacker. I am anxiously awaiting to take the thing out and play with it. From the box it appears to be a big as I am and I should have hours and hours of fun just learning how to turn it on. Then once I figure that out everyone else will have to remain in the house as there is a reason I do not use sharp knives and I want to ensure my family is at a safe distance from me and this tool!

Keep your fingers crossed that I keep all my toes. And thanks!

First Ball Game

After taking a 6 year break from playing organized baseball I have started again.

My new glove proved to work. My Wii batting practice however has not.

Our first ball games were tonight. I had so much fun. I actually hit the ball and made it to base. It was amazing. We however lost both games that we played. The first game we lost 6 to 5 and the second game we gave up a commanding lead of 5 to 1 and lost 8 to 6. It was a rough inning.

However great times with my husband and coworkers. I can't wait til next week and the mid season tournament.

Yard Work and City Council

Today we spent about 4 hours out in the yard digging up the garden, raking, and pruning shrubs. Our yard is starting to look amazing. The best part of the day in the yard was NO CATS! I am not sure what happened to them all but 4 hours and no cats was paradise.

We have the following produce now ready or getting ready to grow in our yard:

Strawberries
Rhubarb
Apples
Green peppers
Tomatoes
Herbs (a wide variety)

We plan on putting in:

Peas
Corn
Cauliflower
and many other items.

We can not wait for the LM to explore these as they begin to produce food. She is absolutely amazed by the wonders of the outdoors.

City Council:
We heard a rumour that the city wants to purchase our land and a variety of properties surrounding us to put up affordable housing 4 plexes. This ofcourse has me in a panic as I do not know much about city bylaws etc. So, Drang writes an email to our respresentative on the city council and his reply is: I don't know, go ask this guy. I am not sure but I feel that his response at 7:59 in the morning was not a well researched response and he was just trying to pass the buck. I expected a little more from this man however I guess when you are not voted in because nobody else is running against you you then become complacent in your actions as who the hell really cares. I guess on Monday we will have to call this person and see what is up.

They are multiplying!

So, we still have 6 cats but they appear to be multiplying. I wonder if this has anything to do with the 3 mice we have had to help to mousey heaven this winter.

I have not had a chance to name the new cats in our yard. Their personalities are still unknown to me however their presence is not. We have atleast 2 new cats. One without a tail and another tabby type cat.

To ALL: Would it be unneighbourly of me to call the cat police and have them picked up? My dilema is that I know for sure that one of them belongs to the lady nextdoor. She however feels it is okay to allow her cat to roam around. She also feels it is okay to leave her garbage from November until March in her backyard. Hmmmm, I wonder if that has anything to do with the rodents in the neighbourhood.

I am not sure but I don't know if you know, I don't overly like cats. I have had one cat in my life and Bob was a great cat until he brought home a present for me. It was then that I no longer had a cat. I know they hunt but really I don't want that kind of present. My mother and grandmother were terrified of cats. They would seriously run back in the house when they saw one and if it would not leave the yard and they really had to go out they would chase it away with a broom.

So once again if you are feeling lonely and would like a cat let us know.

Helplessly hoping a animal lover comes by.

1-Get-Out-Of-MY-Yard

If you would like to add a new feline member to your family just let us know.

They are not ours but we have 5 cats to give away. Continue to read in order to select the one that is right for you! The vary in their skills from peeing under our deck, crying all night in your yard, and having a bad hair day.

1) Church - the creepiest of them all. Church will hide in the darkest corners of your yard and glare at you as though you have just invaded his/her space. Church is a lovely all grey cat that reminds me of the cat from Pet Cemetary. He/she is a definate asset for any upcoming Halloween parties. Church also likes to pee under your deck.

2) Bed Head - Bed head is new to our yard. A long haired tabby cat that is in serious need of a brush. Bed Head is not a bad cat, just in need of some serious TLC. If you are looking for a way to keep your family members and friends with allergies away then Bed Head is the cat for you.

3) Follow - Follow is also a new addition to our yard. If you can't sleep at night then Follow is the kitten for you. She/he will cry all night to try and tempt you to feed it or let it in. Follow is a guard cat as well as she likes to sit on the stoop at a house that is not home. Very playful and whines if this is what you are looking for Follow is yours.

4) Crash - Crash is stupid. Crash has no sense of property boundaries. I am sure he/she belongs next door but likes to use our yard as a personal toilet. Crash and I have had our differences over the past 11 months. After a starring contest Crash ran into our fence and flew 10 feet backwards. It was hilarious. If you are looking for pure amusement Crash is sure to provide.

5) Hunter - The window jumper. Hunter's favourite past time is to jump at the birds eating from the bird feeder on our window. Unlike the birds, Hunter is not fed or welcome on our deck. However, if hearing loud noises when you are home alone is something you enjoy then come pick up your dream cat.

Seriously, we have never fed any of these cats, the LM may have petted one, and they will NOT leave our yard. I have thrown coffee grounds at Crash and he/she still insists that our yard is heaven. If you are looking for a cat please call 1-get-out-of-my-yard to reserve yours.

Cresent Park!

As many of you know I have had the misfortune of growing up in Moose Jaw. Some people ask me why do you feel that way and others just give me a sympathetic glance when they hear where I grew up. For those that ask why?

1) The people there are not really that friendly.
2) As a teenager and young adult there was truthfully nothing to do there.
3) The people there still remember what did when you were 11 and hold it against you as an adult.
4) There is a large population of Canadian Rednecks. And the majority of the people that I had been around were in one way or another a racist, sexist, or classist. Mutlitculturalism does not exist in MJ. When I grew up there was two families that were not caucasian. Ironically enough a member of one of those families was my previous boss. There is a population of Canadian Asians however they kept to themselves for the most part as the rest of the community did not open their doors and minds to them.

Now maybe some of these things I am remembering from an inexperienced perspective. I don't think so. Whenever I return for a family visit I still feel the same way. I am always confused why my mother decided to keep us in Moose Jaw. She did not enjoy her time there and was happiest when away from there. These questions will never be answered but I do know that I will not be returning there for more than a two day trip. I have become a MJ tourist.

As I feel rather negative towards this place Drang and I were discussing the other day my fear of heights and his unease with gravity. It brought me back to the Nat (where Drang actually participated in swimming lessons) and how between the ages of 10 and 13 I would ride my bike downtown everyday to go for a swim. Sometimes with friends and sometimes without. It was during this conversation that I realized that the I am correct when I say the value of Moose Jaw is a three block radius. Cresent Park is amazing and peaceful. The swimming pool, the small river that runs through it, and the library. It was also here that I drank my first beer.

I do not like MJ but will give it credit for what it does have.

Off to K'town

Tomorrow I am off to K'town where my companies remote call centre is located. I am going there for the first time since that dreadful day a month ago. I am a little hesitant to walk in and stay there all day. I am mostly worried because I am the person who decided to let the employees supervisor go and am not positive I have gained their respect. I am looking forward to my pr appearance to ensure all is well in K'town and that their needs are being met as their employer.

I find this new worry of mine interesting as I am learning to counter balance that work has to be done and friends can not be made everyday in the workplace. A job needs to be done and if you are not doing that job no matter how much I appreciate your sense of humour if that job is not being done then discipline and direction are needed.

On a side note I had a couple of embarrassing moments today at work.

1) Oh my god! I say into the phone as the IT peron has just called me. J follows with what is wrong? Well, I had been rolling up my shirt and uncover a hideous bruise all along my forearm. I say to J, I have this huge bruise on my arm and I have NO idea where it came from. The other end of the phone is quiet for about 30 seconds and finally he asks: Do you need to go to a doctor? I apologized for my inappropriate reaction to his phone call and we returned to work. No, I do not have anything wrong with me. What I do have however is the inability to carry a can of paint properly.

2) I had about 45 minutes of feeling overwhelmed at work today so in order to regain focus and stay positive I decided to shut my office door and listen to some Dido. Sounds harmless right? Well my boss and I share paper as a well between our offices. About 10 minutes later a co worker looks into my office window and mouths are you singing? To my embarrassment I have to say Yes and then quickly apologize to him for having to listen to me sing "life is for rent". It only became extremely awkward when my boss walked into my office and gave me a grin as to say "You really can't sing and I heard you". I chuckled at him as sometimes words are not necessary.

Well, off to sleep soon as I have to leave for K'town bright and early.
Cheers!

Relaxing

It has been a couple of weeks since I have posted on my blog so I will try an update any of you that actually read this.

Work:
It has been going okay. I had a slight glimmer of hope that my old position would be fully filled by now however that hope has now vanished thanks to a boy name Brendon. Oh well, I will continue on focusing where most of my attention is needed.

Home:
It has been great having an extra day off this week! Catching up with Drang and the little monkey has been great. The big monkey is in MJ so not much time spent with her. The farmers market was great. The LM and I participated in the easter egg hunt. Her clue was "find a spinning wheel". We found it and then the lady at the stand says to me "Are you not going to look for the treat?" Oh there is a treat? So after a second we find a container filled with chocolate. I think to myself should I just return this clue so another child can enjoy this treat or just take it....well I decided that just because LM can't eat chocolate (violent vomit trips not welcomed) does not mean that I can't.

Weirdness:
Being the mother of a toddler and a teenager is definately weird at times. Any LM issues are typically ensuring that she makes it to the potty on time or that her toy is working how it should be. On the other hand BM has more grown up issues that we resolve and work with. This week she has experienced possibly the most traumatic experience she has had. A boy that she hung out with decided to end his life. This is not something I was prepared to deal and I am sure neither was she. BM is doing fine. I prefer the toy issues. Teenager are a different creature than the rest of us. Every day I remember how I was as a teenager and feel sorry for my mother and the hell I put her threw. If I had the chance I would love nothing more than to say I am sorry and that I understand a little better now. Patience however as a parent of a teenager is a skill that I continue to attempt mastering.

That is about all that has happened over the past little bit.

Consumption Here I come.

We currently own a Playstation 1 - which was given to us by the B. Monkeys father when he bought a PS2. Well, with the new nintendo game out we had decided it was time to upgrade. After 2 months of scoping out numerous retail stores and even attempting to win a bid on e-bay we are now the "proud" owners of a Nintendo Wii.

The story is long and short. Having worked at Zellers at one time in my life I begged the merchandise manager to atleast tell me if they had any Wii's when they appeared in this weeks flyer. With reluctance he gave me "yes I have some". Not too descriptive but there was hope.

I started making my plan. Okay Zellers opens at 8 in the morning. I MUST be there by 7:30 on a Saturday morning or else there is no hope. Sitting at my desk at work I discussed with Drang how he might have to wait at one set of doors and me another and then it happened. Drang has hockey at 7:45. Oh no, I am on this mission by myself. I must now be there even earlier to ensure my first place spot in line. So, after a restless night of sleep due to the anticipation of finally getting this damn game and a stop at Tim's I was on my way.

It was at this point that I realized that I was a consumer! And hooked on the need to get this piece of merchandise. Why? I don't really now, because the hype told me I had to have one because it is cool or maybe I just wanted a new toy.

What ever the reasons I was successful!!!! After racing to the HE dept with the other three early shoppers the clerk says:

"Umm, We don't have any" at which point I started thinking I did not waste my Saturday morning sleep in to hear this and replied with "Actually you do, I spoke with your manager yesterday and there are some in the back". After she looks at me like a deer stuck in a set of headlights she calls the manager and guess what I GOT A WII!.

Ofcourse, I apologized for being that bitchy know it all consumer and told the clerk I felt sorry for her as now she had to tell people for the rest of the day that they were already sold out at 8:03am.

Thanks Rilla and Suz!

Hopefully this works!

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A new glove!

I have a new glove!

Thats right a new baseball glove. As we walked in Drangs favourite sporting establishment it hit me. The last time I had a new ball glove I was 12. WOW! I am so excited to play ball this summer that I can hardly wait. I just about bought a bat as well but did you know that a baseball bat is like 200 - 300 ON SALE? The only ones that were less than 200 were PINK, okay so the girls get cheap pink ugly ass bats. Then again why am I making the assumption that only girls would be buying a pink bat. I wonder how many 12 year old boys will be walking up to the plate with their 49.99 pink bat.

Anyways, I am super psyched about ball. Plus their curling supplies were on sale so I now have an ORANGE curling broom. I am going to play with Rilla and Drang next year. I have warned Drang that I have not curled since I was 15 and then I was pretty darn bad at it. Our curling coach actually asked us to quit. I don't think that many high school students can say that their curling team was dismantled at the coaches request.

Excited for ball and curling!

Not about work!

Today was an exciting day.

I left work early to spend a few extra minutes with my family tonight as I have been missing them all lately.

We had an amazing dinner together (as Drang is an amazing cook) and then went grocery shopping. Grocery shopping is always an experience with the littlest monkey. If you are lucky you get to be one of those people who stand in the middle of the aisle not letting anybody by because she needs to hug you very tightly as you are pushing the cart. Or, you get to listen to her yell about how desperatley she needs grapes. You may be thinking oh my goodness that sounds like one of those families I dislike being in the grocery store with. But we are not. L. Monkey may be vocal and sometimes bossy, but she is listens to toddler reason and who doesn't want a huge hug from their baby anywhere they are?

L. Monkey has now gone to bed and the B. Monkey and I were hoping to watch our favourite Tuesday night show. Gilmore Girls! Unlucky for us, Global does not have Gilmore Girls on this week (or last). This is really stressful as you are waiting to see if Lorelei and her mother finally bond and if Rorie is leaving Stars Hollow for bigger and better adventures in Seattle or Detroit. If anybody has any insight please share and if Global has just taken GG off the air please tape it for me.

Ciao.

Too Much!

I need this, I need that, can we do this, can we do that? Sound like a child? Well its not.

Sometime when the goal is to get all that can and when you have reached the maximum and you can't give anymore one or another has to realize that the goal of everything and anything is not possible. I have always thought myself to be intelligient, proactive, and able to problem solve just about anything (except ofcourse on an LSAT). But when two things keep pulling in opposite directions on the same piece of rope or string (heck even a shoelace licorice) it is going to break eventually. I think this week I was the one to break. I have not been exceeding at my new position as I had hoped I would. I can't really pinpoint anything down except that when I say something to someone and they just blow it off or don't communicate it effectively to another than my team is put in a position of scarcity and pressure to do the impossible.

I guess I can take from this week the lesson that you can't try and please everyone and a mandate that is unrealistic is not your fault or your goal per say either.

Wow, that was long. On another note, my big sister has proposed a business plan to my lovely Drang. I don't know his thoughts on it as of yet but I think it might be kind of neat and worth while a little exploration. Thanks to all who have supported Drang over the past couple months and your words of encouragement to him while he continues to search for his new direction in the work force. He has been a little discouraged even though he gets to spend his days watching the most amazing two year old grow and explore. I am envious. Once again thanks.

Butterflies and Knots

It has been quite awhile since my last post.

Work, work, and work. The last 6 days have been filled with change, stress, and unimaginable amounts of support. Decisions had to be made and then actions taken based on those decisions. I kind of always thought that one of the hardest decisions somebody could make was deciding to spend the rest of their life with another person. I am not sure I believe this anymore and I have come to realize that you can't always believe in humanity either. I have always tried to be an honest and approachable person who tries to do what is best with a given situation. I never thought that I would experience ruthlessness or feel like I was a "ogre" because of anothers actions.

I guess what I have learned over the past week is that as the saying goes, keep my friends close and my enemies closer. I have been able to push through these recent events with the support and love from Drang and words of encouragment from others like "chin up" or "it will be me before you" or "I wish I could be there for you" and others like "don't worry it will be all over in a couple of days and we can move on" and "I brought you some homemade chocolate".

Butterflies and knots in your stomach can be easily removed when a weight has been lifted off of you and you know that those around you support you 100%. The time that leads to the cause of the butterflies and knots can be so intense that you can't focus on anything else and at times you begin to feel like who are is being lost, left behind, or ignored.

I thank all of those that helped me get through this tough time.

So, i never promised I would post every day but it has been quite awhile since my last post.

BUSY!
That is all I can say. Work has been insane and spending 11 and a half hours in a room where the walls are painted asylum green one would think they are in prison. Well then again maybe I am, just not like any other prison. One filled where I lead the prisoners and as their warden at times do want to use force to get what I need done. Anyways enough about that.

POTTY Learning:
Okay so I have read that you do not call it potty training as you are the trainer and your child is the student. But the Z has used the potty 3 times in a row. This is a result of S and I conditioning ourselves to watching the clock and timing successes. However it is working and she is extremely proud of herself. She phoned me at work today screaming into the phone with joy how she had just went pee pee in her potty. Wow, who could of thought that human elimination could be so exhilarating. Not I.

I just actually went online and purchased a "travel potty" so that when we go out Z can bring her own personal potty. Not sure how our hosts will enjoy this but she will.

Lets keep our legs crossed that this is a success!

What a day!

wow, today started out with opening electronic announcement to the company that one of our senior level management members is no longer with us. Putting ofcourse the entire company in a hush around the coffee pot as to why?what happened? who could be next? type atmosphere.

One thing is I know it is not me. But am I cut out for the "corporate hardcore" culture that is starting to express through decisions and lingo in the office. HMMMM......I like to get shit done, I like a good job done, and I also like being in control. Maybe I am cut out for it but at the end of 25 years will I reflect back and be glad that those attributes are what I posses? I don't know, I have no clue, and I don't expect an answer.

I stay where I am because I am damn good at what I do, the people are great, and the company has had a wholesome family type environment where if you had to leave early one day to take Suzie or Johnnie to the doctor or see their school play that was a totally acceptable reason for skipping out early. I like that.

Time to reflect and decide what is important to me when I am 55! Will you still love me, will you still need me when I'm 65? I was just bored there so typed that in. CIAO!

So, I am soooooo sick of the freezing cold weather that I actually wore a toque today when I went outside. I can not wait for Spring anymore.

Anyways, nothing much new here except that our daycare hunt has been unsuccessful to date and we are starting to think that maybe we are just "too picky" heck an uncleaned house, open cupboards, a dark basement, and veggie tales are not all that bad are they? Oh yah we only eat hot dogs about once a week and we also serve chicken nuggets. Hmmm, maybe McDonalds will open a daycare and my child could have apple slices dipped in pounds of carmel sauce.

Well, hopefully we find something soon. Did you know that people actually don't take children outside in the winter because the commute from home to daycare is enough of an outing for a small child during the winter months.

What a week!

This post is not really about anything at all, especially nothing profound.

I am sitting here in my 12 by 2 foot room and thinking wow what a week! I had to make the hardest decision of my career and provide the hardest to give feedback ever! I made it through with the help of a few colleagues, my husband, and a great big glass of Red Wine.

I have found myself lately really enjoying those opportunities to have a glass of Red Wine. I find this weird. When did I become a wine drinker? I am no great wine taster as I do not have the pallat (?) for that but I do enjoy Red Wine. I always thought that Red wine was for those "snooty types". Being raised by a biker and my mother resulted in only exposure to beer and rye, hence the stereotype, or have I become that "snooty type"? I don't think so, I am still the free spirited, enjoy all that I can individual who wants to see equality among the masses who has come to appreciate the taste of Red Wine.

Okay enough about the wine, or was there a purpose to this blog entry?

Days of wine and roses laugh and run away, Like a child at play. Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)Days of Wine and Roses

Sad Day :(

After 6 months of procrastination and avoidance of the issue we have made a decision. We have to take the littlest out of her present daycare as the hike across the entire city to get there and back is just not feasible anymore. This place has been her home away from home since she was 8 months old. M and P are exceptional people and Z will miss them soo much. I worry as she will most likely start biting again to show her discontent with change but I feel it is better today than in another 6 months. When S was in school or working one of us was always late for something or else we were late picking her up because of the proximity of daycare to our home. It is going to be a very sad day when Z has to say good by to her close friends and extended family.

I wanted a puppy today! It was so cute and I already named him Gizmo because he looks just like the little fluffy gremlin. However the puppyless husband has determined that he is not ready for sleepless nights or stepping in the urine left on the floor. I can't say I blame him since my last puppy attempt was a great failure due to my inability to deal with a 45 pound big dog. I tried swaying him to have a new puppy, I even threatened to withhold you know what, but then reality sunk in that I would be most likely punishing myself more than him so that plan back fired on me. I guess I will have to wait. But all in all it was a sad day, no puppy and drastic change for the Z.

A Fun Night Out

The birthday party was a lot of fun.

Dinner at Earls, which when we first entered the lounge I was not sure how long I could stay there. I have seen Moose Heads, Deer Heads, Bear Rugs etc. placed on living room walls or restaurant walls. When I looked up at this establishments walls there were Ostrich heads. And not just one, there was an ostrich head hanging over every table molded to either be leering at you shyly watching you. THIS WAS CREEPY! We had a debate as to whether or not these were real and guess what they WERE! I don't think I will be spending much time in that lounge as I do not appreciate what the owner must think is tactful taxodermy. An ostrich head belongs on the ostrich. The food was okay but not as good as the wild orchid martinis (they even come with an orchid...I asked the server to not bring them as I do not need a flower in my drink).

Because my blog is called Online Rant I feel I must live up to its name.

At Earls, there are televisions apparently in the mens washroom above the urinals so that men don't have to miss a minute of the sporting event that is being aired. THERE WERE NO TV's in the womens washroom. I like hockey and why should I have to miss out on the plays just because I am a girl. On another note what the hell is up with those Pink NHL Jerseys. Once again just because I am a girl does NOT mean I like pink. Why should my gender dictate that I should even want such a hideous piece of clothing. If I want a jersey I want the real thing, not this special line of clothing for women. I find this offensive to all women and can't believe that the NHL approved such a thing.

Enough, once again I had a great time at my friends birthday gathering and spending a night out with my husband that did not involve keeping a toddler happy in a restaurant.

Success!

After four hours of trying to make this blog work and not interact with my husbands blog I have come to determine my time and efforts a SUCCESS!

Tonight we are going to have dinner with a friend from work to celebrate her 35th birthday. It has suddenly occurred to me that I have friends that are 35. Hey wait a minute, I am 32. When the heck did this happen? It seems like not too terribly long ago I was still in my early twenties trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I threw around being a full time political activist and moving to BC with a 2 year old child to do this, or spending my days in the jungle observing gorillas. My idealistic plans turned into a degree in sociology. And as for what I want to do with my life well, I am still deciding on that.

The realization that I am no longer in my 20's and I am approaching middle age is in some sense relaxing. I have made a few successes in my life:

- I have had three beautiful children
- Married the most amazing man
- Graduated from University
- Have a career where I actually feel important and useful

There are somethings however that I have yet to accomplish:

- World Peace
- End to Poverty
- Travel outside of North America

All things to come in time I am sure. I guess I should get on that world peace issue though instead of being consumed by my need for consumption and maintaining a certain standard of life for myself. I'll let you know if I ever figure out how to start this one!

Take care!

Trial Post

I am slowly starting to hate the blog world. I have now set up a second blog since the previous one I failed at.

I am posting this to ensure that this new one is working.