A Day in the Life of a Canadian Girl

Am I Back?

2006-12-12T03:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I kind of dropped off the face of the planet last year. I got engaged and it seems that I had no time for anything! Who knew that planning a wedding and a honeymoon could be so much work! But things have settled down now (well almost, Christmas is around the corner) so maybe I can keep up with my blog. I have a few minor things to update but I would basically like to keep the same format... posting about life and my favourite recipes!

Me, Myself and I

2005-09-24T12:21:00.000-04:00

Not much has happened in this last week, which is good. After all of the people laid off at work, schedule changes, training, inspections, etc it was nice to have a somewhat normal week at work. But it was slow. Which makes for a long day and long week.
Last weekend I went to a local apple festival. It was a beautiful day and I bought some of my favourite candles, 3 lbs of apples, gourdes and a kick-ass apple peeler/corder/cutter. It works great! I used it on the 3 lbs of apples and made 2 apple crisps... one small one for home, a large one for work. I should have bought more apples!
Here is the recipe that I use:

Apple Crisp
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon,
nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly.
Sprinkle apple slices with crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender.

Makes a 9x13 pan.

The S.O. is away up north for two nights so I have the place to myself until Sunday afternoon. I think I will take the dog to the groomers, pick up some sushi for supper and some snacks for later and maybe a movie. Exactly the weekend I need.
I am still suffering from that rash and my allergist appointment is just over a week away. I have been spacing out my predisone to make it last. But I have to be drug free for 4 days before I go. IT WILL BE HELL I am sure. I finally found a few conditions that it could be so I will show them to the doctor and see what he has to say. The last one I found really sounds like it could be it. It is called Atopic Dermatitis, which is a type of eczema. As long as I can find out what it definitely is, that is all that matters!

The Axe Fell

2005-09-15T11:28:00.000-04:00

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update. The weekend was a right off as I was feeling really rough with the rash/allergic reaction I am having. I actually didn't leave the house all weekend. I saw my family doctor Monday and got put back on Prednisone (thank god!) and she is supposed to set up an appointment for me to see an allergist. I haven't heard anything yet and if I don't hear my tomorrow, I will call her. My biggest fear is that I will run out of Prednisone before I see the allergist and I will be right back in the beginning.

Things at work were very bad Monday and Tuesday. The axe fell with several hundred people across the province losing their job in our division. We lost one full time and 2 occasional people from our department. The f/t was going to retire next year anyway and the package she receieved was unbelievable. If she would have left last year she would have gotten nothing. One occasional had been with us 20 years but this was a second job for her and she was ok with it. The third was pretty upset as she had a f/t job in another department and worked with us occasionally. Her entire department got let go. But losing the people also means that we can't fill their shifts. So we still have the same amount of work with less people to do it. As sad as I am for everyone, the selfish side of me is happy that I still have mine. I love my job and the prospect of finding another like the one I have was terrifing. It is not a common job.

On top of all the job losses, it was announced that we are receiving an analyzer from another department and will now be responsible for all that testing. I am actually looking forward to it. It will be something new to learn (which I always think is a good idea) and I have already put my name in for the training responsibility. Everyone else is busy with committees and job duties and I don't have anything I my plate and I think that I am ready. I have been there over 2 years now and I don't think me being added some responsibility is too much to ask for. I mentioned this to my boss and he actually said that my name has been already put out there to be a trainer between the other department's supervisor, himself, and their boss, our manager. Made me feel kind of good! And our band new set of analyzers are coming next month. Ths will be a longer process as it has to be shipped in, set up, calibrated and patient verified. And of course everyone has to be trained. We also have our lab accreditation and safety audit. All of this is happening at the same time within an 8 week period. It will be sterssful and very busy but if we can get through these next 8 weeks, we can get through anything! Rumour has it that after the 8 weeks everyone has to get reorganized, there may be job losses again. I know that it could be me but after speaking with my boss, their thoughts are that they want to keep us young scarce skilled workers. That would leave me safe. I guess I will find out for sure in 8 weeks.

After work last night, 4 of us went out and had maragritas and food. We blew off some steam, openly talked and tried to keep a positive outlook on the whole picture. It was exactly what we all needed and we had a great time. It is a fairly common occurance to go out Wednesdays but since we hadn't in awhile, this one was quite therapeutic.

You Betcha

2005-09-10T01:31:00.000-04:00

Ever feel like just chucking everything out the window and saying:
?

Uugh

2005-09-09T11:20:00.000-04:00

So two days after I finished my steroids for the rash, it came back. I left work early yesterday as I was so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday where she should give me another prescription and send me off to an allergist. WTF is going on?!? I had plans all day tomorrow so I had to cancel those and I have nothing going on Sunday so it looks like a weekend on the couch for me.

We have a meeting at work with our manager on Tuesday. We are assuming that it will be the announcemnet on what is going to happen to our division. Hey, I don't care who buys us, just as long we all have a job. We think the layoffs will be management only. Someone needs to run the lab right? And if some lab personnel are let go, we figure the ones close to retirement will take a package.

The S.O. has been on contract for 3 years and as soon as he heard about my job, he got pretty worried. Wouldn't that be wonderful if we were both out of a job? But I think I am safe and he has an interview for a full time position! He is so excited as am I! He has applied every year to get hired full time and has never been given an interview. He says it is a really good sign and from what he has heard, the "interview" is just a formality. So hopefully he will know next week! Keep your fingers crossed! He wanted to get full time before he proposed to me. Maybe his will mean we can finally get married. I'm not getting any younger. ;)

Chicken With White Wine & Stuffing

2005-09-07T10:45:00.000-04:00

He is one of my favourite yet simple dishes. The S.O. loves this and I like it because of the wine and cheese. What could be a better combination than that?

Chicken With White Wine & Stuffing

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups pre-shredded Italian blend cheese (I like Sargentto)
1 can mushroom soup
1 box chicken flavoured stuffing
1/4 cup melted butter

Place chicken in a 8.5x11 baking dish.
Cover chicken evenly with shredded cheese.
Mix soup and wine together and pour over chicken and cheese.
Mix melted butter with the stuffing and sprinkle evenly over top.
Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more.

Bits and Snippets

2005-09-06T12:21:00.000-04:00

So no major or earth shattering news so here is just some pieces of several small pieces of news:

We stopped by a friend's place on Saturday on our way to Costco. I think we "caught" them as it took him a long time to get to the door and he was looking a little disheveled. But it turned out they were going too so we waited for them to get ready and we all went together. After dropping $200 we went to Jack Astor's for a yummy lunch. We parted ways after that and the S.O. and went to pick some verticle blinds for our patio doors. We have been here since October and we still have nothing covering them. I think it is about time. I am ordering them today.

My rash is 95% gone! Thank goodness for steroids! My colour is back and the itching is gone. But the predisone did have two side effects: I lost my appetite (which isn't a bad thing really) and I was starting to get irritable. I only was given enough for 5 days so today is my last dose. Thank goodness and I hope it never returns!

My company that I work for is selling off the division I work for. At first I was pretty nervous about what would happen but everyone will think this is good news as we will finally get some attention given to us. We have been put on the back burner for a long time and kind of forgotten about but now we will be able to get our new equipment and systems, some of which is already in the works. There will be layoffs but everyone seems to think it will be lower and middle management, not the lab personnel. We are what keeps the lab going and we are getting our first set of new analyzers next month, several hundred thousand dollars worth. But if there are a few of us that has to leave, I think a few of us will be taking early retirement packages.

My babysat my niece for 8 hours on Saturday while my sister and BIL were in town for a baseball tourney. It was so fun! She is a great baby and is happy to play by herself. She is finally sitting up on her own now. Last month she just decided to do it. That was it. She is just over 10 months old now. She is definitely not in a rush to crawl and walk I think. :) We had lunch, snacks and a couple of naps and she was happy all day. My sister stopped in a few times between games and our folks came down to watch a few so they stopped by for a bit. It was a great day.
My niece looks so much like my dad. Our family definitely has the stronger family resemblance.

Posting pics through Blogger is really starting to piss me off. After I upload them and click to insert, nothing happens. No link gets inserted into my post. I don't know what is happening but it is getting frustrating. I have tried all weekend to post 12 pics on my other blog and I have only gotten to 6. I think I will just have to link them from my online photo hosting site. Stupid Blogger!

Going, Going...

2005-09-02T23:15:00.000-04:00

But not gone yet.
My doctor has no idea either what the rash could be from either. She gave me a script for Prednisone (steroid) and although she said it probably won't help until tomorrow, I can feel relief already thank goodness.
If I still have it in 5 days she is sending me to an allergist. I last time I itched was over 7 hours ago. Hopefully this is a good sign. And rash on my back seems to be going away.
But... I think I have had a slight fever on and off and my facial colouring shocked me. I look almost grey. Even the S.O. commented on it. But I feel ok. I hope it is just me fighting whatever it is that I have. Or me taking the Prednisone.
We will see what happens tomorrow.

Please Scratch My Back With Something Sharp

2005-08-31T12:17:00.000-04:00

I am going slightly nuts.
I have had a rash on my back and shoulders since last Wednesday. It wasn't until last Friday that I figured that it was probably coming from the new scrubs I just bought. I washed only the pants and not the tops, hence no rash on my legs. The scrubs were treated with teflon to make them water resistant. I thought I was having a reaction to them. Yesterday it got really bad and was spreading down my arms (these are short sleeve) and legs, but I had washed the pants. I washed all of them again and my bedsheets and it is still getting worse. Maybe it isn't from the clothes. I guess I had better call the doctor. I actually woke up at 5am in agony as it was iching so bad. I took allery medication and nothing. Like I said, I think I am going nuts.

Got a call last night at work from my sister and I was asked to babysit my neice on Saturday! Yippee! My BIL is in a baseball tournement here in town and my sister would like to have the afternoon off to watch the tourney. And she knows how much I love to spend time with my neice and I don't get to see her as frequently as I would like. So far that is all I have planned for the long weekend. How about you guys? Any plans?

What do you think of the video player? Yea or nay? It is causing slow downs or freezing? Have any requests that you would like to see?

Died This Day

2005-08-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

I got an email from my mom today. She forwarded me an article that was in the Toronto's Globe & Mail which was forwarded to her by my grandmother's cousin. Grandma passed away last year but many of her cousins still keep in contact with my mom. This is the article that was sent to me. One of the men mentioned was my grandmother's brother who served in the Canadian Navy. He didn't make it to his 18th birthday.

Died This Day
59 RCN sailors, 1944
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Served aboard HMCS Alberni, commissioned in Esquimalt, B.C., in February of 1941.

The corvette performed rigorous convoy-escort duties back and forth across the Atlantic and in home waters before being sent to Britain to support the invasion of Normandy in June of 1944. The ship was torpedoed southeast of the Isle of Wight by the German submarine U-480 and sank in less than a minute. Fifty-nine of her ship's company, most of whom had just been ''piped to dinner'' and were trapped below decks, lost their lives. Three officers and 28 ratings were rescued by two motor-torpedo boats returning from Normandy. U-480 was later hunted and sunk by the Royal Navy frigates Duckworth and Rowley in February of 1945. Newspaper Article

This is my great uncle Dick who died on the HMS Alberni at the age of 17. He was the youngest child of my great grandparents and I know his death was extremely hard on my family.

My grandmother had another brother who served in Canada's Airforce and was a highly decorated pilot.

Ho Hum

2005-08-26T11:53:00.000-04:00

So not much is really new.
I got my test results, probably before the study people did. I work at the lab that has the contract to do this study so I looked it up. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. You might find the next part boring (or interesting!) so feel free to skim if you want to.
Anyway, all my liver function tests are normal but ALP was a little high, but still within normal range. Urine tests all good, CBC what I expected (low hemoglobin, high platlets which is normal for me) but my tolerance test is off.
When I was at the study office, they did a quick finger prick to see where my fasting was. My glucose was 6.2, that's a litle high. When I saw that blood tests for fasting was a 5.4 I realized that portable testers and instrument testing can be off as as much as 20%. The instrument result would be more accurate. They took a sample 30 minutes after I had the sugar drink and it jumped high, just like it should. It was 9.4 but I am wondering if that it too high? 9.4 is pretty high. They then took a sample at 2 hours. It should fall near or below the fasting. It was 6.4. That's a little high and didn't fall to where it should. Now to be a true IGT, the 2 hour should be >7.4 but to be nomal is should be close or below the fasting so I am not sure where I fit in and what the study's criteria are. They might use a different set of standards. Anyway, that is what I know so far. Pretty normal but it also looks like a slight IGT.

Today is Swiss Chalet day at work. We are all ordering from there for supper. Funny how food can make everyone excited.

Our new instumentation is coming in 2 months. That is not a lot of time to prepare. We can see major shift and staff changes. All I hope for is that I don't lose any hours.

I have to work Saturday, it's my turn. But it won't be busy so I can have my long lunch. And that is all I have going for the weekend. Well, that and cleaning too. How exciting!

More Blog Changes

2005-08-23T12:28:00.000-04:00

A few chanes to note:
I have added in the word verification feature so combat the spamming. I hope you all don't mind typing in a few extra letters after your post. And if you do, you are just too lazy!
I added a new poll. If you would like another specific category added, just holler. I will try to accommodate you. But I think I have all the main ones covered. And no, I am not adding Swiss yodeling as a category!

Diabetes Study

2005-08-23T10:51:00.000-04:00

Well I think I have recovered from camping but the S.O. hasn't. Seems that he picked up a head cold so of course he is really grumpy and thinking that it is much worse than it is. Why are men big babies when they are sick?
We had a major storm go through just north of the campsite before we got there but the site just got a lot of rain and wind. Glad we didn't go any earlier! But there were confirmed tornadoes that touched down in the Fergus area. Tornadoes are a definite rarety around this part of Ontario.

I have signed up for a Diabetes drug study and have my first appointment tomorrow. It is a double blind study so no one will know if I get a drug or placebo. They are trying to determine if drug therapy can help lower your chances of getting Type 2 Diabetes even before you are diagnosed with it. I have a family history on my dad's side and I could stand to lose a few pounds so I was admitted to the study. They first screen you by blood tests to see if you have an impaired glucose tolerance. If it is positive there is a really good chance that you will develop diabetes in the next 5 years. If it is negative, you can still be a part of the study, but it is a side study where there is no medication involved and they monitor you. The study lasts for 5 years but you can opt out any time. Should be interesting and I can find out what my chances will be in developing diabetes. You can read all about the study on the CANOE website or here.

I had my first dentist apointment in three years yesterday. I lost my benefits when I got this new job and when I finally got benefits again, going to the dentist was one of the first things I wanted to do. I had a really good cleaning (I hate that part) and now they have digital x-rays. She took the pictures and they came up immediately on the computer screen. When the dentist and hygenist talked about certain teeth, I could look at them and see what they were talking about. I have just one cavity and she has to do some major refilling and some have come out and one even came out and chipping the inside and side of a back molar. I have deep pits in my molars and had a lot filled to prevent cavities. That is what mainly fell out. They set up 3 appointments for these in November. Ahhh what fun! But I really like my new dentist. She is young (mid to late 30's) and very nice. Good thing as I will be seeing a lot of her.

Quick Updates

2005-08-18T10:18:00.000-04:00

Ok, first off, the Def Leppard concert kicked ass! They put on a show like it was 1987 again! Joe sounded amazing and moved around the stage like he owned it. Joe, Viv and Rick S we on cue all night and all had amazing solos. Rick A played those drums like it was nobody's business.
Here is the set that they performed:

# Action
# Let's Get Rocked
# Women
# Foolin'
# Hysteria
# Promises
# No Matter What
# Love Bites
# Armageddon It
# Two Steps Behind
# Gods Of War
# Rock On
# Rocket
# Photograph
# Animal
# Rock Of Ages
--------------------------------
# Bringin' On The Heartbreak
# Pour Some Sugar On Me

18 songs that blew me away. Myself, and most of the crowd were up dancing and singing for all of them. The 18 year wait was worth it!

Today is a day off. But I have chores to do. I have to pick up my scrub pants that I am having hemmed, go grocery shopping for our camping weekend, laundry, clean up the back yard and pack all the camping essentials. We will be leaving when I am done work on Friday. We will be home Sunday. And it is supposed to rain all weekend. I hope they are wrong. At least there will be three trailers there that we can hang out in if it does decide to rain.

Pour Some Sugar on Me Joe!

2005-08-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

So tonight is the Def Leppard concert and I am so excited! I have waited a long time (18 years!) to see them and tonight is the night! I will be able to get up and close with Joe Elliott. Mmmm...

Not much else is new. My work uniforms came in on Friday and the pants are too long so I have to get them hemmed. 6 pairs. But at least they were free! Thank you work allowance!

Camping is still a go for Friday night to Sunday. I got to keep my day shift, even after all the drama (see previous post). She was cool about it with me and said I could keep it. She and FSIL have history and I got caught in the middle. She even mentioned that it had nothing to do with me. So I am safe. :)

It's All a Soap Opera

2005-08-15T08:05:00.000-04:00

It was another busy weekend from us.
Saturday we went to the wedding from hell. The ceremony was short yet meaningful and went off without a hitch. We had a few hours before the reception so most of us went over to my FSIL for drinks and munchies. It was a coworker of ours that was getting married. The reception was unbelievable. Our group (there were 12 of us) were very out of place. It was trailer park vs. the indian reserve. We saw no manners, ettiquite or couth at all. My friend isn't like that so I have no idea where it came from. We all left early.

Sunday we went to visit my parents as it was my dad's birthday on Friday. My sister wasn't there as she was shopping in Erie with a friend for the weekend. My BIL and neice weren't there as I guess BIL was tired as Paige was up all night. I think she knew mommy was away. :)

As most of you know, I work with FSIL. She helped me get my job that I have today. I honestly like everyone I work with and I get along with everyone. But FSIL and a coworker don't get along. And sometimes I get caught in the middle. Like right now.
I guess the coworker asked months ago for this Friday's day shift if FSIL didn't need it. She did at the time but situations changed and she forgot about this coworker asking for it. Fast forward a few months and I see FSIL name on the schedule for this Friday. I ask if we could switch (we are going camping and we would like an extra night) and she says sure. All is fine until coworker sees Friday that it is switched. She is not happy. So she emails FSIL over the weekend and tears a strip into her about it. I heard the email and it was really nasty. First, just relax. It is just a shift. 2. Act professional and talk about it at work. It was an honest mistake as FSIL forgot about the request and of course, I had no idea about it. If she really wants it that bad, she can have it. Sheesh. I am sure she will go running to the supervisor today. Excessive drama don't you think?

Lazy Eh?

2005-08-11T23:26:00.000-04:00

I got this from Jennifer's Blog.

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Lazy Sailor.

Where You Lived: North Africa.

How You Died: Consumption.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

I Am Popular!

2005-08-09T23:19:00.000-04:00

Holy crap! As of April, I have had exactly 1500 visitors at this exact moment!
I would like to thank all the little people for making this possible... ;-)

More Reunions

2005-08-08T11:27:00.000-04:00

So The Man and I had another family reunion this weekend. This one was for his mom's side of the family in Owen Sound. What a hoot! That family is so much fun and sometimes just nuts!

We left Saturday morning. We were driving BIL up with us so after we arrived we took the dog to the kennel and I think we made it up there in about 3 hours. We met the rest of his family at the park where the reunion was to be held. There was volleyball and bocci ball before supper. Supper was a wonderful potluck and everyone loved my rhubarb strwberry pie :). After the clean up we went to a cousin's cottage right on the bay so many people went swimming. There was a campfire with leftover hotdogs while we watched the sun set over the bay. The wind was calm and it a pleasent temperature all night. It was unbelievably relaxing.

Sunday was the traditional golf tournament. I don't play (never have) so me and the MIL drove to Port Elgin to a scrapbook store. When we got back we also went to the mall and Wal-Mart to do a little shopping. It was quite fun. SIL and her family didn't golf this year so they went to Sauble Beach. They said it was a perfect day out there.

We had leftovers for dinner and were on the road by 5:30... which is a very late start for us. I was so tired on the way home that I couldn't fall asleep. I was overtired. It was an early night for everyone I think. But it was a fun and relaxing weekend and everyone had a great time.

Today I had to be in Ingersoll by 10am to pick up the dog from the kennel. They are in New Hampshire right now picking up more dogs for adoption. They get them from track there, bring them back here where they are fixed and get a full vet check up. Everytime I go out there I want to bring home 3 more with me. They are all so cute and happy to see people not to mention so sweet with a great disposition. They have volunteers that go out to the farm twice a day to feed them and take them out for a run and exercise so I wanted to make sure I didn't miss them. I would love to volunteer but with my schedule and being 30 minutes away I don't think it would be possible. Their website is temporarily down but when it gets back up I will post a link so you can see all the wonderful dogs that are waiting for their forever home.

Paige is Swimming!

2005-08-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe with a little help from my sister. :)
My neice just started her first swimming lessons yesterday and she loves it. She loves her bath time and another aunt of hers (my BIL's sister) has a pool and whenever she has been in it, she just splashes away and laughs with delight. Too cute!

I think it is good to gets kids used to the water at a young age. There is nothing that scares me more is to see kids scared of the water or even older kids that have no idea how to swim. The should make it part of their education. I took swimming lessons for years and could of taken the lifeguard test and I have seen my fair share of accidents and near misses. Scarey.

Recover

2005-08-01T19:13:00.000-04:00

So it is the day after the party and I am in recovery mode.
After a really good night's sleep we got up and finished the clearing up. We gathered all of the empties and I realized how much was consumed. We had about 35 people and surprisingly not a lot of food leftover. Most people had gone by 8:00pm due to kids' bedtimes but we had a few stay to the end. Which was good as I wanted the night to last a little longer than 8:00pm! But by 1:30am none of us could keep our eyes open, a sign to call it a night. But it was great being outside all day and sitting under the stars at night with lots of candles and lanterns lit. It really did feel like a holiday weekend! But that also means going back to work tomorrow!

The slush recipe was a hit. Three of us polished off the entire batch. I may have had more than the others. ;-)

Slush Recipe

2005-07-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

Here is a recipe that I am making for the BBQ. It is a staple among my group of friends during the summer months. Watch out though. It packs a punch.

4 cups of steeped tea (use 2 tea bags)
7 cups of boiling water
2 cups of white sugar
12 oz unsweetened orange juice (don't add water)
12 oz of pink lemonade (don't add water)
2 cups of lemon gin or whatever booze you want
FREEZE

Scoop into glass and pour wink over the slush to taste.

No Rest for the Wicked

2005-07-29T10:21:00.000-04:00

I had the day off yeaterday. I usually get every fourth Thursday off when I work Saturdays. If I didn't I would be into O/T and you know how most companies try to avoid that. So I did most of my errands.

I first went to Costco to get a few digital pictures developed. I am way behind in my scrapbooking just because I couldn't drag my ass there and get it done. I am making 3 albums that need to be done before Christmas so I have to hussle.

Next I went to the new Linens 'n Things and spent a $10 coupon that was given to me by my SIL. I didn't see anything I absolutely had to spend it on until I saw a BBQ skillet. It is the type that has the handle and small holes so you can cook things like shrimp, veggies, anything small or cut up. It is cost $11.99 so I only had the pay the $2. Good deal.

Next it was to Marks Work Wearhouse. I normally don't buy anything there but I finally got my uniform allowance and went there to order some. I got the scrubs because they were the cheapest so I can get more for my money. We also get a discount on the ticketed price so I ended up buying 6 pairs! I also have to pay for the embroidering of our logo. So between the $150 allowence and the $20 in gift certificates I got this month for donating plasma (that was a first!) I will only have to pay about $10. Free new clothes!

Off to the mall next door. I am trying to find an outfit to wear to a wedding in two weeks and I couldn't find one thing. Seriously. Everything was either totally hideous (clearing out old stock) or the wrong size or not summery. It was very frustrating to say the least. I heard Sears Outlet had some good stuff recently. I live no where near there so maybe I will go there on my way to work.

I had an hour to kill before the Stampin' Up party I was going to so I grabbed the magazine I hadn't finished yet and went to Chapters and had an iced venti non-fat tazo chai. It was nice to sit and relax.

The party was fun but it was mainly geared to new stampers... which I am not. But I made 2 new cards, chatting with the gang and ate some food. They even served fresh lime margarita's! I was a good girl... I only had one and only ordered $60 worth of stuff. Trust me, that's good for me.

Today is a pretty quiet day but the weekend is going to be a doozey!
I work all day Saturday. Then I have to run to Costco and grab enough hamburgers and buns to feed 30+ people on Sunday. We are hosting, what I hope will be a yearly tradition, a BBQ for all of our friends, families and co-workers. I planned this back at the end of May and this was the only day during the entire summer that we could have it. Seriously. Well there we 2 Saturdays free in June but that was less than a months notice for everyone. There would have been a lot more but a lot are out of town because of the holiday. I think I had originally invited 60+ people. I also have to do some cleaning (inside and out) and also clean out the fridge and freezer as I know I will need more room.
I plan on drinking a few so I will have Monday to recover. ;-)

Coke or Pepsi?

2005-07-28T01:53:00.000-04:00

I just added a new section in the sidebar where I have put links to all of the recipes I have previously posted. It will save time scrolling through the archives as some of the recipes were in posts where the recipe wasn't listed in the title. What do you think? I like it but I am thinking about what will happen when I have too many recipes. There must be a way to archive them like regular posts. Anyone have any ideas?

And here is a simple poll for everyone! You can find just under my profile on the left hand side of the page. Each week the poll will be replaced with a new one.
My vote is for Pepsi.

Blueberry Jelly

2005-07-27T01:31:00.000-04:00

My final item that I made with the blueberries is blueberry jelly. If I had made jelly before I would have known that you needed a jelly cloth to strain your fruit. If I would have really read the recipe, I would have known that. And since I was almost finished with the cooking process I didn't have time to try and find one. I did have cheeescloth and that worked ok. I needed 3 cups of juice and when I could only get 2 1/2, I had to really strain the blueberries so a little bit of fine pulp got in. But no worries. I am still callling it jelly! I tried some of the finished product when it was cooled and it tasted great and it set perfectly! Next time I will have to remember to find a jelly cloth.

1 quart fresh OR frozen blueberries
2 cups water
6 cups sugar
1 pouch (3 oz each) liquid fruit pectin

Place blueberries in a large kettle and crush slightly. Add water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Strain through a jelly bag, reserving 3 cups juice.
Pour juice into a large kettle; gradually stir in sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add pectin; bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Skim foam. Pour hot into sterilized hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water bath.
YIELD: 12 - 125mL (1/2 cup) jars.

The original recipe was double the ingredients listed but I didn't have enough fruit so I cut the recipe in half.

Liqueurs

2005-07-26T01:32:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to mention that since I started this blog in April, I have had over 1,150 visitors!
Thanks for visiting everyone. And thanks for continuing to visit.

While I was sufing around Jennifer's site, I stumbled upon Alice's blog. It was here that I read her recipe for Raspberry Vodka. I had a basket full of blueberries and I starting searching for other possible alcoholic drinks that I could make. I found exactly what I was looking for. Liqueurs. Very simple and easy to make. I ended up making both Raspberry and Blueberry Liqueurs.

1 lb. (450 g) berries or fruit
3 cups (710 ml) 80-proof vodka (or 1.5 cup pure grain alcohol + 1.5 cup water)
---------------------------------------
1 1/4 cup (300 ml) granulated sugar

Rinse the fruit or berries. Fruit must be cut into small pieces. Place berries or fruit in a container, add vodka. Cap and store in a cool, dark place, stir once a week for 2 - 4 weeks. Strain through metal colander. Transfer the unsweetened liqueur to an ageing container (glass bottle or container with tight cap). To 3 cups (710) ml unsweetened liqueur add 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) granulated sugar. Let age for at least three months. Pour carefully the clear liqueur to a new bottle. Add more sugar if necessary.

The fruit used for liqueur making can be used as desserts: mix with sugar and use with ice-cream.

It is going to be tough to wait the four months until it is ready!
Hmm, peaches will be in season soon. Peach liqueur might be tastey as well.

The last recipe I made will be posted tomorrow. Anyone have any guesses what it could be?

Dill Pickles

2005-07-24T19:55:00.000-04:00

So this weekend I found myself doing a lot of canning. I wasn't planning on doing any. Until I went to a local market called Farmer Jack's and saw what beautiful produce they had. I ended up buying 2 pints of raspberries, a small basket of blueberries, large basket of pickling cucumbers and a large bunch of fresh dill.

The first item on the agenda was dill pickles. This is the recipe that I used:

2 tbsp Mixed pickling spices
3 cup White distilled vinegar
3 cup Water
6 tbsp Sugar
6 tbsp Pickling or coarse salt
10 4-inch-long pickling cucumbers
4 Fresh or dried dill seed heads
4 Cloves garlic

In small piece of double-thick cheesecloth, tie pickling spices to form a small bag.
In stainless-steel 3-quart saucepan, heat spice bag, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to boiling.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer vinegar mixture, or brine, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare 2 wide-mouth 1-quart canning jars and caps for processing.
Pack lightly into hot jars; place 2 dill seed heads, 2 cloves garlic into each jar.
Discard spice bag from brine.
Ladle simmering brine over cucumbers, leaving ½ inch space at the top of jar.
Keep brine simmering while filling both jars.
Place small knife or metal spatula between cucumbers and inside of jar.
Move knife around jar to release any air bubbles that may exist.
Seal jars with caps.
Place jars on rack in 12-quart canner filled with boiling water (water should cover top of jars by an inch); cover canner and process jars 15 minutes.
Cool jars; label and store in cool, dark place at least 2 months before serving.
Store opened jar of pickles in the refrigerator.

I ened up multipling the recipe x5 to make a large batch as this recipe makes 2 500mL jars. I also like to use brine recipes that calls for pickling spices. I think it adds so much more flavour. There was some extra brine so it used it and made pickled eggs! Yum!

Tomorrow I will talk about the 2 recipes that I used with the wonderful local fruit that I purchased.

Quizzes! A New Blog Feature

2005-07-23T01:30:00.000-04:00

56 Questions

Who doesn't like quizzes?
Don't worry. They aren't long or complicated. Some you just choose one answer. Others maybe six or so to determine something about you.
So let's do the longest one first.
A new quiz will be posted weekly (hopefully every Wednesday). Unfortunately most are too wide to fit in the sidebar so they will have to be posted in a post.
Have fun!

I got this from Sylvana's Blog

UNIQUE

1. Nervous habits - laughing, chewing nails
2. Are you double jointed - I wish
3. Can you roll your tongue - No. Everyone in my family can though. I must be adopted.
4. Can you raise one eyebrow at a time - Not really
5. Can you blow spit bubbles - yes
6. Can you cross your eyes - Yes
7. Tattoos - one. On my left shoulder
8. Piercing - ears
9. Do you make your bed daily - no

CLOTHES
10. Which shoe goes on first - usually right first but I never thought about that until now.
11. Speaking of shoes, have you ever thrown one at anyone? - no
12. On the average, how much money do you carry - $20 if that. I usually debit everything
13. What jewelry do you wear 24/7 - diamond stud earrings
14. Favorite piece of clothing - Jeans

FOOD

15. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it - twirl it
16. Have you ever eaten Spam - Yes and ewww!
17. Do you use extra salt on your food - sometimes
18. How many cereals in your cabinet - 5
19. What's your favorite beverage - Ice tea, lemonade or anything alcoholic
20. What's your favorite fast food restaurant - Taco Bell and Subway
21. Do you cook - I love to cook. Just wish I could do it more

GROOMING

22. How often do you brush your teeth - twice a day + whenever they are grossing me out
23. Hair drying method - usually on it's own but I'll blow dry it if I want to look nice
24. Have you ever colored/highlighted your hair - Yes

MANNERS

25. Do you swear - yes. I'll throw out a word out here an there
26. Do you ever spit - no. Yuck!

FAVORITE

27. Animal - dogs
28. Food - sushi
29. Month - May
30. Day - Saturday
31. Cartoon - The Simpsons
32. Shoe brand - Fit and feel is far more important than brand.
33. Subject in school - Biology
34. Color - purple
35. Sport - Nascar to watch, pool to play
36. TV shows - CSI, House, Law and Order, Simpsons
37. Thing to do in the spring - garden
38. Thing to do in the summer - stay cool
39. Thing to do in the autumn - plan garden for next year
40. Thing to do in the winter - stay warm

IN AND AROUND

41. In the CD player - The Perishers
42. Person you talk most on the phone with - my sister and mom
43. Reading - nothing at the moment
44. Do you regularly check yourself out in store windows/mirrors - sometimes
45. What color is your bedroom - beige with white
46. Do you use an alarm clock - no
47. Window seat or aisle - window. I like to take pictures.

DUMB

48. What's your sleeping position - side or stomach
49. Even in hot weather do you use a blanket - just a sheet
50. Do you snore - only if I have a cold
51. Do you sleepwalk - no
52. Do you talk in your sleep - no
53. Do you sleep with stuffed animals - no
54. How about with the light on - no
55. Do you fall asleep with the TV or radio on - I prefer a fan
56. Last interesting person you met - I have no idea. It's been awhile

Say Hello Paige

2005-07-22T01:42:00.000-04:00

Here is a photo of my neice Paige that was taken yesterday. She was born 3 weeks early and weighed 6lbs. 3oz. Now look at her. No trouble putting on weight for this girl. She is almost 8 months old. They do grow up so fast! Every time I see her she looks more and more like my dad. Paige is a very good and happy baby and is very content to amuse herself. No wonder why I love babysitting her so much!

Cars Suck

2005-07-20T11:59:00.000-04:00

The Man's car is in the shop right now. Has been since Thursday. What is wrong with it? Oh just needs a little part called an ENGINE! Seems that one of the shafts was starting to go and since they said it was cheaper to get a new engine than to fix the currernt one, he had to have the old engine replaced. Now the one he got is used (cheaper) but they are only guarenteed for 90 days. So this set us back about $1000. The car is supposed to be ready today.

Then there is my car. It is a 7 year old Chev Mailbu LS. Power everything. All the bells and whistles. I love my car. But it is getting up there in years and I do have over 194,000 km on it. There is some rust starting to form. Must have been the 90 minute commutes I used to do each day. And the winter salt doesn't help either. I have only taken it in once for service that wasn't regular maintanence or wear and tear. Until yesterday.
I was driving to my plasma donation when I hear a "ding ding ding" and I look down and I see that my battery light had just come on. I thought that was pretty odd. Then my ABS light comes on. Then my seat belt light. Next thing I know all my dash lights are on. Ok, now I am starting to worry. I start to pull off the main street onto a side street and the radio becomes static. I quickly turn off the car and let it site for a minute. I then try to start it and nothing. I still had a little bit of power as my radio turned on but it wouldn't turn over. I knew it wasn't the starter because that is a whole different sound. I couldn't even get it to slightly turn over. Luckily I had my cell so I called The Man and told him what was happening. Of couse he couldn't come get me as his car is in the shop. He arrived about 10 minutes later with a neighbour. They give me a boost but it died a minute later. I bet it was the altinator. We called CAA and got a tow. Long story short, it was the altinator AND the battery. Seemed that the battery must have been bad for awhile so it made the altinator run constantly, which in turn ended up burning it out. Cost me $450 to fix it. The also asked if I needed it back today. It was after 3pm and I was scheduled for work at 4pm. I said oh yes because if they kept it, we wouldn't have one car! I made it to work just after 5pm. If I have to put any more money into it, I am buying my new SUV earlier.

My FSIL and her husband just bought a new Ford Escape. Nice SUV but I wouldn't buy it. A) it's a Ford. And B) it doesn't have a lot of cargo area. They are impulse buyers and they didn't test drive anything else. They have a 5 year old and always travel with lots of gear so I hope they are happy with it.

Blueberries & Family Reunions

2005-07-18T11:57:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite fruits this time of year is blueberries. I have been buying, and eating quite a bit this year. I love eating them just by themselves but they are also wonderful in cereal, mixed with other fruits or made as scones, like I did a few days ago. The recipe I found was not as dense and the scones I was used to but they turned out wonderful and even The Man enjoyed them.

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Blueberry Scones: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks 1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones 1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze: 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 lemon, zest finely grated 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler (i.e. over a pot of simmering water with a heatproof bowl set on top) but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Family Reunion

Yesterday was one of The Man's family reuninon (we have 2 this year) that was held in Cambridge. As we drove through the pouring rain, I was hoping that our hosts had a back up plan as it was to be held outside. But when we got there we saw that the rain had not arrived yet. But two hours later it did arrive but it only lasted about an hour. Everything dried quickly outside and then the eating got underway. Of course there was too much food but all the dishes were so good. I was asked to bring a dessert. I was going to bring my rhubarb pie but I haven't seen my parents for a few weeks and since they are my supplier I had to come up with something else. I found this recipe while surfing around. They are not fancy but they are oh so good! A little fiddly to make but so worth the effort. I made an extra pan so between the leftovers from the reunion and the extra pan, I have lots! Looks like my coworkers will be very happy today!

Kit Kat Squares

80 buttery round crackers
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter

Put graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, white sugar, butter and milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes being careful not to let it burn!
Put a layer of buttery round crackers in a 9x13 inch pan and pour 1/2 of the graham cracker crumb mixture over it. Put another layer of crackers and pour the remaining mixture. Add last row of crackers.
To Make Topping: Melt over low heat the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Melt at low heat and spread over the top. Chill pan in refridgerator.

Car Shopping

2005-07-14T11:52:00.000-04:00

I have started car shopping for a new vehicle. I promised myself that I would wait until around spring (or if they have a deal early next year) but the excitement is making me want to buy it now! But I would like a few more months being car payment free and before long winter will be here (shudder) and who want to get their new car dirty and covered in salt? So next year it is.

From what I have seen online and heard from other people, I think for the first time in my life I am going foreign. They have better warranties, come with more standard options, more free maintenance and are built much better. At a better price too. I haven't test drove any yet (maybe within the next few weeks) but from what I have researched online and have seen around, these are my favourite 3 so far:

This is my favourite so far... the Kia Sorento:

Next is the Kia Sportage:

Then there is the Hyundai Sante Fe:

I know I would like silver or dark grey. And I would be getting either 4x4 or all wheel drive.

Do any of you have one of these vehicles? If so, what are your opinions on them? Or do you know of any friends or families that have had experiences with any of these?

And some good news!
I just paid off one of my credit cards today! Whoohoo! Just 1 more to go and that one should be done in the next few months!

A Little Burned, A Little Bitten

2005-07-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

We got back Sunday afternoon from our camping trip a little tired, a little burned,
a little bitten but so relaxed and rejuvenated.

We arrived at our site around 8:30pm, set up and stayed up until about midnight. I bought one of those portable beds and Canadian Tire on Thursday and what a great thing! The collapsible frame is about 2 feet off the ground and comes with the air mattress which slides over the bedskirt and under the mattress cover. We had an electrical site so in no time flat our bed was ready with the electrical pump that came with it. I made the bed with regular queen sheets and a blanket and it was ready to go. We brought a lamp so we decided to read in bed before bed. I know, not really roughing it but I just can't sleep on the ground anymore. I must be getting old.

Our camping buddies arrived around 11am. By then we had cleaned up from breakfast (cereal and eggs) and I had already had my shower. After they set up and we chatted for a bit, we had a quick lunch then we decided to check out the beach. Dogs were not allowed on the beach and I was still feeling sick from the head cold I got Friday, so I just went for the walk. I dropped them off then came back to the site where I read for a few hours under the shade of a tree. I had a drink, a comfy chair, a good book and a nice breeze. It was perfect. And relaxing.

We had a great supper that night. Steak and potatoes cooked over the fire along with onions, mushrooms and broccoli in their own foil packet. It tasted wonderful being cooked over the fire. After clean-up, we got the fire rolling and got out the drinks. As the night wore on, we had our pie irons, s'mores and chips... usual standard camping fare.

Our breakfast Sunday morning was probably the best I had ever had while camping. We had scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and leftover steak an potatoes. Amazing. After an efficient clean up, our camping buddies left and we did shortly after. The Man wanted one last swim before we left so I took him to one access point where I knew I could be close to the water with the dog but not be on the beach. He had a quick swim then it was the hour drive home. That trip is exactly what we needed.

I booked the day off today so I could go out for dinner with friends to The Verandah Cafe. Unfortunately both friends had to cancel. This place is hard to get reservations for and I really wanted to go so I managed to find two others to go with me at the last moment. I have never been but have heard it is fabulous. It is run by two men who are gay and the restaurant is right over the top. And they provide bits of entertainment. I am sure it will be a hilarous night!

Food & Camping

2005-07-07T11:19:00.000-04:00

So on the spur of the moment, The Man and I are going camping this weekend. We had nothing planned for the weekend and I am working days on Friday (which never happens) so we though some time away would be just what we need.

I drove to Rondeau Provincial Park yesterday to check out the park and it is beautiful. I first went to Ontario Parks to what what was available around here and there wasn't that much. We left our planning a little too late. But Rondeau did have a few sites left and with the online booking system down, I decided to take the 1 hour drive and have a look. After booking the two night stay, I had a drive around the park and took a walk to the beach. The sandy beach had 9 access points and is 8km long. We also thought it would be fun to see if we could get one or two more couples to join us and it worked out that another couple will be joining us Saturday morning.

We are planning a large group meal Saturday night and it looks like it will be BBQ'ed steaks, my famous campfire potatoes and maybe some roasted corn on the cob. Yummy! We will also we taking the staples of hot dogs, fruit, granola bars and the makings for a big Sunday breakfast: bacon, eggs, cereal and toast. We also can't forget pie irons! For those of you unfamiliar with pie irons they are like a portable sandwich maker. You first butter 1 slice of bread and place it in the iron. You then add your filling such as the makings for a pizza, or a dessert one with pie filling, or cheese slices, or our favourite: cheese slices with sliced onion. Yum! You then butter another slice of bread, put the buttered sides against the iron, close it and then place it in the fire. You turn the iron often and check occasionly to make it it hasn't burned. When it's ready, you open up the iron and eat your toasted pie! They also have irons for hot dogs but those are hard to find. And of course, you can't forget a camping signature snack, smores! We always take too much food but my thinking is it is better to have too much and a good variety, then not enough.

I am offf work today so I am planning on doing the shopping and packing so we will be ready to go when I get home from work tomorrow. The phone rang this morning and I had a thought that it was work so I didn't answer it. Sure enough it was and they want me to come in today. If they didn't hear from me by noon, they would try someone else. I will call them back around 2pm. ;-) I just have too much to do today.

So have a good weekend everyone and I will be back Sunday night.

The Ultimate Banana Bread Recipe

2005-07-06T08:18:00.000-04:00

While I was baking my peanut butter cookies the other day, I decided to make a batch of my famous banana bread. I had noticed that I had two overripe bananas and what a better way to use them up.
This recipe is another one of More Gram's. My family has had this recipe for as long as I can remember and it is one of my favourites to make. Just like my Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe, I was making this when I first started to cook. My family is quite small and close so whenever I would bake a pie, or a batch of bread, Grandma and More Gram always got some. It was one of their favourites too.
Whenever I take a pie or banana bread into work, it is gone the same day. I always give More Gram the credit.
Now there is one ingredient listed that when you look at it, I am sure you will say "WTF" to yourself, but it really makes the recipe. Trust me. You can also use this recipe for muffins too. Just adjust the time accordingly.

More Gram's Banana Bread

2 overripe bananas
1 egg
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
dash of vanilla

Mix all of the above throughly then add the following:

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients well and pour into loaf pan and bake at 350* for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Or pour into muffin tins and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
The Miracle Whip make the bread moist and adds a subtle flavour.

*As a treat, I sometimes add 1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips*

Baking Up a Storm

2005-07-05T10:40:00.000-04:00

So I was feeling the itch so do a little baking yesterday. Something I haven't made for awhile. And then it hit me... peanut butter cookies. Both The Man and I like them with a firm and slightly crumbly outside with a soft inside. I found my recipe that I always use and got to work. When The Man saw the recipe that I was making he got excited and stood beside the oven and watched the cookies while they baked. I actually had to shoo him away at one point so I could get in and out of the oven. When he got a still warm cookie you would have thought he died and went to heaven.
So here is the recipe that I always use. Once I found this one, I never experiemnted. Why mess with perfection? These are not for someone who is one a diet as they contain butter and shortening but it is the shortening that gives them that perfect soft centre.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter, butter flavored shortening, and sugars. Add eggs and blend. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended.

Measure out tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make criss-cross pattern with fork.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) 8-10 minutes until set, but not hard. Do not overbake. Leave on sheets for 2 minutes before removing. Cool, and store in covered container.

Tomorrow is More Gram's recipe for banana bread.

Lazy Coworkers

2005-07-04T09:20:00.000-04:00

Well the long weekend is over (well it wasn't really a long weekend for me as I had to work on Saturday) and it is the start of another new week.
Usually Saturdays at work are quite calm and uneventful. There are usually two of us working, a technician and a technologist (me) and in the summer I am usually finished around 3pm. On holiday weekends, just the technologist works as the workload is severely decreased. On Fridays (or in this case Thursday) some cleaning is done and since there was no technician on Saturday, they usually do some of their Saturday duties the night before. It was the end of the month as well so there was other things that needed to be done such as filing, creating new files, changing sign off sheets, etc.
Well I walk in there Satuday morning and not one thing was done the night before! Not one! Not one did a thing! Which makes more work for me. The whole point of doing these things the day before is that the Saturday person has enough to do without doing mindless cleaning and filing. I have 3 analyzers to set up for the and run so I have enough to do already. It only took me an extra 90 minutes or so but the point I am angry about is that they didn't do a thing. Oh I left for notes for everyone that day.
See what happenes when I have my first Friday night off ever? It goes to pot.

Canada Day- The Red and the White

2005-07-01T10:51:00.000-04:00

Well today is the day. Happy Canada Day everyone! It has been a sea of red and white for the last few days, even at work. If we wore red and white yesterday we could wear jeans or shorts. On special days we get to wear jeans or shorts but me being up at 7am and being on days all week (which I never am) I totally forgot and just threw on my usual scrubs. Too bad, I even had a few fun hats I could have worn.

Today is also The Man's nephew's birthday. And he was born in 2000. A July 1 millenium baby. The sister in law is throwing the usual Canada Day/Spencer's birthday party day which is always fun. The pool is open and the drinks will be a-flowin'. We might head over to some fireworks later as there are some close by to them. I am working tomorrow so no late night, no being drunk for me.
Sunday is our day off. We will probably just hang out around here, get some outside work done and be lazy after our chores are done.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Duking it Out at Work

2005-06-27T11:57:00.000-04:00

I have been around the block and have seen pretty much every situation that can happen at work. I work with all women so I try to stay out of other people's squabbles and I don't get invloved in gossiping or cause shit. 99% of the time it doesn't concern me anyway. Until this time. And I did cause shit.

"Jane" at work is a poor me women. She always wants more from everybody (usually shift changes or switches) due to doctor's appointments, being able to visit with her granddaughter or just whatever. Most people switch from time to time but she does it constantly. But the thing is that whenever someone asks her, she never says yes. All take and no give.

Now her mom had a stroke recently (say 3 months ago) and it was touchy for awhile. We changed her schedule around for weeks and when she called in sick several times we tried to cover but most often we worked short. Never a sorry. Never a thank you. Always wanting more from everyone.

Then there is me. Just to fill you in on my work ethic. In the two years I have been there I have called in sick twice. Once one one day, the other was 3 days. Both times was when I had a sever case on bronchitis. If someone asks if they can switch for me, I have never once said no. When they call me at home on my day off and ask if I can come in, I have never said no. This year I am working 3 holiday weekends in a row (the way the normal schedule went) but I never complained. As for holidays, none this year. I did take 2 individual days but then some full timers wanted holidays and we would be short so me, being the way I am, I gave up those 2 days so we wouldn't be short. In the two years I have been there I have worked every Friday night. No exaggeration. I have never had a day shift on a Friday. I am the only one. And I never complain about it. It is just the way it goes.
So why did I duke it out at work on Friday? I come to find out that "Jane" has pulled another one of her schedule stunts and this time it invloved me. She has been caught before changing the schedule before it has been posted so she works what she wants to work. In two weeks, I was scheduled to have a day shift. On a Friday. There are several people off and one person has a meeting so that is how I got it. I guess Jane took it upon herself to swtich it so that she would have it and I would work afternoons. Of course I didn't know about it because it hadn't been posted when it was changed, but someone higher up mentioned it to me. The scheduler knew nothing of this and that she hadn't asked her if she could have it. And the switch is in Jane's handwriting. So I called her on it. I first said that I noticed that she had switched my shift that day. She wasn't looking at me and didn't say a word. This made me think I was on the right track. So I ask her why she switched it without asking me. She goes on to say that this was planned even before the schedule was made and that it has already been cleared. I ask her why it is in her handwriting. Aagin she says that it was already cleared. When the scheduler has no knowledge of this and the change is made in Jane's handwriting it makes me seriously doubt her. It is always poor Jane so of course she lays the guilt trip on me later, twice! She says that sahe is hurt that I would think she would do something like that, yada. yada, yada. Well if this was coming from someone else, I could see it. But from her, no. She has pulled stunts so many times she is not laying the guilt trip on me. She says she will speak to the scheduler today. Of course she will. And I am sure she will speak to the supervisor who has no balls when it comes to shit like this. She always gets her way with him and she knows it. But the scheduler is talking to him today too as she had had enough of her. She will twist the situation and try to get herself out of it. Don't worry, I will be talking to the scheduler too. Jane said that plans have changed and that she doesn't really need the day shift anymore anyway. I said good. If you don't need it I will take it back then because I want it. She looked shocked and didn't say a word. I think she was surprised that I said that. Too bad. I am tired of her games. And I want a Friday night off for once! I will be talking to the scheduler today and telling her that I will be taking my shift back.
Causing shit every once in awhile is fun!

Up and Running

2005-06-23T12:24:00.000-04:00

Well I think I finally have my computer up and running where I want it to be. It feels strange as it is like I have a brand new one! All this free space and speed!
The technician that worked on mine saved not only the pictures and fonts that I asked for, but he also saved all my files! Yippee! I thought I would have to redo some of them! I also found all my drivers, my antivirus programs are running and some of my other favourite programs are also installed. It wasn't as bad as I thougt it would be. But I guess I should start backing up for frequently now.

Sunday my sister had the family over and we spend father's day together. Dad liked his gift but was more excited I think that we were having KFC for dinner! It is his favourite and mom isn't a huge fan so they never have it. The men sure went to town on that chicken where I had one piece. I like their sandwiches better.

Work has been steady all week and tonight is our fundraising BBQ. We have them several times a year and this one is going to The Relay for Life for the Canadian Cancer Society. Yum!

Saturday I am going down to my mom's where we are babysitting my neice. My BIL has a baseball tourney all day in Dorchester and my sister was asked to work all day so that leaves Paige in our hands. I love babysitting her. She is a great baby and I don't get to see her as often as I would like. My sister is leaving her car with us so we have the car seat. I think we will go out to a local farm and get some fresh strawberries. My mom also has a stroller so I think a walk would be in order. It will be a busy day!

My sister had Paige's 6 months photos done and asked me to do something creating with a shadow box frame and the pearl pins that came included. She has no idea I did this instead:

I put June stead of May in the date so I just have to change that.
I hope she likes it!
She gave me a picture of all 3 poses she had taken so I have them already framed. She looks just adorable!

I also mentioned earlier that I was working on some coasters. Here is the first attempt:

It didn't turn out bad but I have to be careful with the glue as it doesn't dry totally clear.

Update on the PC

2005-06-17T19:07:00.000-04:00

Today I got a call from my PC repairman and the bad news is that they were unable to remove the virus and they think that is what is causing all my other problems. So for the first time, I have to reformat my hard drive. Since I bought the PC from that company, they only charged me half of the full price for formatting and re-installing windows. So for doing that and the 3 hour diagnostic scan it is going to cost me $179. They are saving all my photos and fonts for me since I didn't back them up for no charge. My repairman is great and doing a lot extra for me. So it could have been a worse situation.
Now I have to remember where I pull all the drivers...

AFK

2005-06-16T23:35:00.000-04:00

(Away From Keyboard)

My hard drive is in the shop right now... the first time EVER in my life I have had to take one in. Lots of internet problems and also a virus so hopefully they won't have it too long. They are doing a 3 hour diagnostic scan and I also told them to give it a good cleaning.
Hopefully it runs like a top when I get it back.

In-laws, Showers and Crafts

2005-06-14T17:37:00.000-04:00

My machine is down right now so while the other experts are trying to fix it, I have time to post an update.

Well it was another busy weekend. Friday night I met The Man at our neighbours across the street after work where a few others were also there. We just had a few drinks outside and got to know everyone a little better. I totally lost track of time and we ended up leaving there around 2:30am. Good thing we lived across the street as I drank a little too much wine.

Saturday it was cleaning the house and getting it ready for the FIL's inspection on Sunday. We also did a little yard work and chatted with the neighbours. It was after 8:00pm when I realized that we hadn't started supper yet so Pizza Hut it was.

Sunday the in-laws arrived around noon. We had a quick visit before I had to go to a bridal shower. I met my mom there and it was really a lot of fun. We were there almost 3 hours before I had to go to the FSIL's for supper. We had a wonderful BBQ and while that was cooking, the boys had a great time swimming. After supper we sat outside and enjoyed the weather. To me this is summer.

Monday was pretty quiet but today the in-laws were back over as well as the guys that installed our flooring. Turns out they put the wrong finshing trim on so it all had to be replaced. The FIL was there giving directions and asking questions. Did I mention he is a control freak who likes everything done the right (his) way? I managed to get out of there at 1:30pm to go to my weekly plasma donation. I have had to miss 5 weeks in a row due to my bronchitis and when I go today what happens? The new girl missed. So I have to wait again to next week.

I am really into crafts. All sorts really. But I especially love scrapbooking, crocheting, cross stitch and simple crafts. I was looking through my Martha Stewart magazine (yes, I do love Martha!) and they had a neat idea for coasters. You wind thin cord in a circle starting from the centre on a circle of cork. I though they would look neat on the patio. I found some black cord but am on the hunt for some sheets of cork. I also have made coasters out of tumble tile. You just glue felt on the back and voila! They look very chic. Pictures will be posted.

Patting Myself on the Back

2005-06-10T00:21:00.000-04:00

It is not very often that I get a chance to brag about my job. Is it shameful self-promotion if I do it right now? It is? Oh well.

As some people know, I work in a medical lab. We do many different kinds of testing such as blood counts, chemistry tests such as glucose, liver enzymes, electrolytes, monitoring patients on blood thinners, and the usual pregnancy and mononucleous tests. I love my job and although I feel that they job I do is very good, I also feel that I don't have a lot of the expertise yet when it comes to some of the instruments. Don't get me wrong, I am quick learner when it comes to the way machines work and I am a good problem solver but with only two years of experience on these machines, I don't know them inside and out yet. Most of the time our chemistry analyzer runs like a top. We have had this $250,000 machine for about three years now and it is pretty reliable. Until last night. Or so we thought.

We run our quality control (QC) twice a day on this analyzer, at the start of each shift. I was not running this analyzer yesterday but a fairly new technologist was. Her QC was all fine but when she went to run patient samples, one of the meter arms that is used in the testing of electrolytes was not functioning. She tried everything she could think of she called over one of the senoir techs. I am assuming not me because even though I have been there much longer then she has, I figured she wanted an expert opinion. Well she couldn't get it going either. After many calls to help lines, the manufacterer and our service rep, it still wasn't going after being down for almost 5 hours. Although we couldn't test electrolytes, we could still test everything else. That meant scanning of the of the sample's barcodes to determine which ones didn't have electrolytes so we could run those.

After our 10:30pm break, I was the first one back in the lab so I decided to take a look. My opinion hasn't been asked for but I know this machine pretty well and it sounded to me that something was blocking the arm physically as the QC was fine, then right after that it wasn't working. There is a bucket that needs to be emptied after the QC is run and this was another reason why I thought something was blocking the arm. No one has bothered to get a different perspective at it by going around to the back of the analyzer. I did and started moving the arm and it was just then that I saw one of the small electrical cords that connects the arm to the motor was ever so slightly caught in the teeth of the motor that allows it to move both up and down and side to side. I pulled it out and manually moved the arm around. I decided to test this and I put on a sample that had electrolytes ordered. It was just then that my coworkers came back from break and saw that I was putting on a sample. I explained what I had found and I was testing this theory. Well sure enough the arm worked perfectly! I got some "way to gos" and "thanks a lot!" We were back up and running.

But what really made it sweeter for me was when the head technologist for this analyzer came up to me the following day and said that the senoir tech should have found the problem and that next time there is a problem and she is called at home, she wants me to handle the situation. She said that I did a great job and was very disappointed that I wasn't consulted. It was great to hear that she has more confidence in my problem solving abilities. This sure gave me an ego boost!

*End of shameful self-promotion.*

Slip Sliding Away

2005-06-08T12:16:00.000-04:00

So our new floor is installed and I must say it is quite the change from what be had before. But we both really like it. Before we had a very pale taupe and white acolour with a smaller pattern. This pattern is 1 foot by 1 foot and looks like slate or stone with the dark colours. And it is so smooth! I could almost skate across it in socks! They guys did a fantastic job and actually did extra like removing the old flooring. The plan was to go over top of the old but when they saw the holes and found out that there was hardly any glue holding it down, they decided to rip up the old. It took a little extra time but it will last longer and look better.
Now to get the kitchen back in order.

New Kitchen Floor

After sleeping in this morning (I was so tired yesterday as I had to be up at 8am when the guys came over) I decided to throw in a load of laundry. I am stuffing the machine when I hear a drip, drip, drip. I look around and I see wet spots on the floor. Looking up I saw it dripping but couldn't tell from where. I have no idea what could be causing it. But whatever it is we have to fix the problem. The Man called to say he was on his way home and I told him about the leak. He said it may be condensation. Maybe, but that is a lot and if so we have to get the water into the drain, not the floor.

The Man picked up the dog yeaterday afternoon and got home after I went to work. I wanted to see her before I left. I missed her while she was gone! But she was happy to see daddy, happy to be home and she always has a good time out at the farm playing with the other greyhounds waiting for adoption. I was going to out and get her nails cut but it is just too hot! I think I will stay where there is central air.

Milly This Morning

My Stove is in My Livingroom

2005-06-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

The last few days have been hectic around here as we are getting the house ready for the new flooring that is being installed today. We have removed all the baseboards and everything out of the kitchen, bathroom and front closet. Now our livingroom is a disaster and will be worse when the stove and fridge get moved in there. I think I will be hiding upstairs for the day. But I can't wait to see it finished. Like I said in in previous posts, our house in only 4 years old but it was trashed. The flooring has stains and holes in it, holes that go right through to the subfloor. This was something that definitely needed to get done. I would have loved to get tile, but it would have cost us twice as much. So we picked out a laminate that looked like stone. I will post pics of the final result.

Yesterday was a fun day. The Man was going to be gone all afternoon so I decided to have a me day. First, I went out for lunch at Wonder Sushi, and all you can eat sushi restuarant where I proceeded to stuff myself silly. Then I went to Costco down the street and picked up some of our usual necessities and also a pair of beautiful solar lights. I couldn't resist them. I thought our little front garden would be the perfect place for them and they do look great. Once our shrubs get bigger, I think they will fit in better.

Next it was to Angelo's. I have never been to that one before and it was huge. They are a wonderful deli/bakery that also sell imported European items and yesterday it was a mad house. I picked up a wonderful caeser salad for supper. I would have bought lots more but with out kitchen being out of order for a few days, it wasn't worth it.
My next stop was Linens 'n Things to pick up a shower gift for a shower I am going to next Sunday. I bought her an 11 piece margarita set that she wanted. They also had a neat glass rimmer set so I bought that too. I am including some of my favourite margarita recipes with her gift as well.

I got home around 3pm and set up my new solar lights and started on dinner. I wanted something simple as it was so hot out so we had BBQed asparagus and lemon/garlic shrimp and a caser salad. So was very good and certainly hit the spot.

Last night we finally got ahold of the kennel and took out Milly last night for her two night stay there. We figured that it would be easier if she was out of the house while the floor was going in as no one can walk on it while they are installing it. She hates being locked in a room so at least in the kennel she can run around. We board her at the place where we adopted her from and she has a good time out at the farm. Everytime we go out there, I want to bring 5 greyhounds back with me. They are just so beautiful and when I see them in their crates and their big brown eyes looking at me I just melt.

My Favourite Family Recipe With Memories Included

2005-06-02T11:35:00.000-04:00

Well it is finally that time of year when stalks of rhubarb are waiting to be cut.
My parents have always had a large batch of rhubarb growing in their backyard. As a kid, I can remember taking a freshly cut and cleaned stalk and dipping it in sugar and eating right in the backyard. Sweet and sour at the same time. My mom would also stew it by cooking cut rhubarb with a little bit of water and sugar until it was like jam. It was wonderful as is or over ice cream.
But my all time favourite recipe has to be my great-grandmother's rhubarb pie recipe. I can remember having this pie all summer long, every single year for as long as I can remember. When I got older, I started making them myself and delivering pieces to her in the nursing home. It always brought a smile to her face. After she passed away in 1993 and my grandmother was on her own, I would bring pieces of pie to her at her house, and later to her in the nursing home.
This recipe is one of those recipes that brings warm memories everytime I make a pie. I can still remember sitting on a high stool in my grandmother's kitchen watching her make this pie while my great-grandmother sat in the kitchen, just watching the two of us. My sister was to little to enjoy the cooking part but we could hear her watching cartoons in the living room. The four of us spent many days like this. How my sister and I loved to spend the day or the weekend with our grandmother and great-grandmother.
From when we learned to speak to the day she passed away, we called our great-grandmother "More Gram". We just couldn't understand what a great-grandmother was. We knew that she was our grandmother's mom and my mom's grandmother, but after that we just didn't get it. Mom tried to explain that she was more than a grandmother and after that, the name stuck. More Gram was a wonderful woman and I was so lucky to have her in my life until I was 21. She loved having her only 2 great grandkids over any time, any day. We played cards together, made meals, went shopping or just visited. She had a very large impact on my life and how I live it. She taught me the importance of family and of being together. One of the last things I told her that if I was to ever have a daughter, she would have the name Katharine.
I miss you More Gram.

More Gram's Rhubarb Custard Pie

4 cups cut rhubarb (or 3 cups + 1 cup cut strawberries)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
pinch of salt
1 bottom pie shell

Mix all ingriedents together and add to an unbaked pie shell. There is no top crust to this pie.
Bake at 350 degrees for at least 70 minutes. In my oven it takes about 80 minutes. It will be done when the custard it set, and the top of the pie is golden brown and the rhubarb has dark golden brown edges.

Men Will Be Boys

2005-06-01T14:33:00.000-04:00

I forgot to mention this yesterday but after reading Sylvana's post about watching a bar fight, it reminded me of the little excitement and fun we had Sunday night.
Our backyard looks out to a soccer field that is used for rec. leagues; girls, boys, and men. Sunday morning I was woken up by high pitched shouting from the girls teams that were playing. After the hockey game, we started BBQing our supper. I was inside getting something ready when I hear shouting, not at all unsual when the men play. Just then The Man shouts in that there was fighting going on. By the time I got ouside, the shoving match was over. I was sitting outside, waiting for supper, when the shouting starts up again and all of a sudden both benches clear, everyone is shouting at everyone and the poor referee is blowing his whistle, trying to diffuse the situation. The shouting and the shoving go on for at least 10 minutes, men are being carried off the field, spectators start yelling at the players and all the while we can hear the whistle of the referee, like that will work. All of our neighbours are outside watching at this point, having a good giggle. One of our neighbours yells down to us "Is this a hockey game"? More laughing from all the neighbours can be heard.
Finally after a few more shirtless guys are carried off, things start to calm down, everyone is walking away... until one dumb ass starts up again and both teams get back into it. The Man and I roll our eyes at each other and we can believe how out of hand this has gotten. Just let it go and walk away! What was really getting to me was watching the kids in the stands and the neighbourhood watching all of this. What does this teach them?
Sometimes it takes a real man to let it go and walk away. Better than staying and looking like an immature child.

A quick congrats to Christine for getting her caramel corn recipe published! I haven't tried it yet but it is copied and ready to go. ;-)

We Got the Cup!

2005-05-31T11:50:00.000-04:00

As I am sure most people know, the Knights shut out Rimouski in a surprising 4-0 win.
Not that I was surprised that they would win, but that Rimouski played so terrible. Most of the game they skated around after the puck and London and Crosby's playing was unevenful. After after the first cheap sucker punch to Perry, the Knights dominated the game like I haven't seen in a long time. After their amazing season and the final game, they deserved to win.
Even around here, we could hear people cheering and screaming after each goal and when the game was over, there were even fireworks! Downtown went totally insane. I would have liked to been there but we decided too late and there was no way I would go while missing some of the game.
It was a long 40 years for them to win it, but I am sure they all felt it was worth it.

Saturday was supposed to be my babysitting day but the BIL hurt himself at baseball so they didn't go out afterall. My dad was out of town so we decided to get together anyway. We ordered pizza and watched "Meet the Fockers". OMG! What a funny movie. Better than the first I think.

Monday I worked my first day shift in over a year. Mondays are quite busy but I was ready. My analyzer was ready to go for the morning QC when it breaks down. After 3 of us tried to get it working we called for service. He was able to make it at 3:15pm. But in the meantime we have over 70 STAT and Urgent samples plus other work waiting. The boss was offsite and wan't returning my phone calls so we made a group decision to send all the work we had at the time to our Kitchener lab. But I called ahead first to make sure she could handle it as they are a small lab and close at 8:00pm. We ended up sending almost 150 samples to them. We owe Kitchener big time.
After having a whole assemply replaced it was back up and running and working great and I was able to catch up by 6:00pm... just in time for me to go home. It sure made the afternoon fly by! But it was also good experience as I had to make some quick decisions, make numerous phone calls to Kitchener and our Call Centre, calls to people I have never met. It was a bad day, but also a good day as well.

Go Knights Go!

2005-05-27T12:24:00.000-04:00

Here in London, the biggest events this year has to be The Memorial Cup. Everyone in London it seems have the Knights on the brain and they have been in the news for weeks. The Memorial Cup has given London a huge burst in tourism and is making everyone cup crazy.

It all started with the Knights setting many new OHL (Ontario Hockey League) records and CHL (Canadian Hockey League) records. In the CHL, they had the longest winning streak with 31 games, and in the OHL, they had the most number of wins at 59.
After an amazing season, they won the OHL final against Ottawa. It was now on to The Memorial Cup, which this year London was hosting. It consists of other champions in their respective leagues. The four teams in this years cup are:

Ottawa CHL
London OHL
Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL
Kelowna WHL

Since London was hosting this year, they would have received an automatic entry but since they won the OHL this year, their entry was even sweeter! Ottawa was in as they were the second place team in the OHL.

London has received a bye into the final due to their perfect round robin playing (3-0) and tomorrow's game will determine who will go to the final with them. Tonight it is Rimouski and Ottawa. Kelowna is out with a 0-3 record. I hope Rimouski makes it as the two teams are so close it would make an exciting game.

After work Wednesday night, a few of us went out to Montana's for a few drinks and some food. I walk in and see a sea of blue fans being loud and rowdy. Seems that there were a lot of Rimouski fans there. After ordering, we just happen to look outside and see the Rimouski bus pull up. And who gets out? The entire Rimouski hockey team! It was very cool. I had a good look at them and saw Sidney Crosby. He is 17 and many people are saying that he is going to be the next "Great One" (Wayne Greztky who BTW is from my home town!) So running into them make for a fun evening.

So now that you know all about the Memorial Cup you can also chant "Go Knights Go" and sent them some good vibes for the final game Sunday night!

Back to Reality

2005-05-24T11:07:00.000-04:00

Well the fun of the long weekend is over and it is back to work today. My house is still in disaster mode from Sunday so I will try to get as much as I can done before I go to work today for 5pm. I have to unload the dishwasher, sweep and mop the floors, vaccuum, put away all the empties and clean out the cooler.

Sunday went great and the guys finished the deck just before 5pm. They even added to the plans and added an extra stair that goes down to the lawn. We Christened it Sunday night by having a drink while watching the fireworks. The last of our company left at 10:30 and I was in bed by 11pm. I was exhausted. The night before I was up to 1:30am coughing, woke up a few times during the night, then woke up again at 6am coughing. I couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to stay up.

Monday morning I woke up hacking. It was so deep and hard that I actually couldn't catch my breath and I was now bringing up hard, green sputum (Sorry for the details). I finally decided to go the walk in clinic and he said I had a bad case of bronchitis. My two presciptions for my antibiotics and cough sryup (first time that I ever had a script for cough sryup) came to almost $80. Not good when my benefits haven't kicked in yet. I kept the receipt so hopefully I will able to get reimburshed for it. I also had a plasma donation today which I had to cancel. There would be no way they would let me donate. I go back into two weeks.

Here are some pics:

For the deck corners we will probably plant some bushy shrubs to hide the concrete and sand.

My FSIL gave us a deck gift. It wraps around the umbrella pole. She knows how much I love candles. We used it Sunday night it it's pretty and practical.

Here was Milly at 6am on Sunday. When a greyhound rolls on their back and stretches out it is called roaching. Some people say when they do it they are happy and content. They usually smile too, just like she is. I think it is the strangest, yet funniest thing I have seen a dog do.

Deck Building Day

2005-05-22T06:53:00.000-04:00

Well the day is finally here! Today is the day we get our new deck! I got home from work yesterday and saw all of that beautiful wood laying out in the backyard ready to go. Sounds like we will hopefully have 4 guys (3 for sure) so I think my only job is to keep food and beer handy.
When I have company coming over for a meal, I always prepare too much. I though more would be coming for supper so it looks like I have enough to feed a small army. Hamburg anyone?
I have been up since 6am. Getting woken up by a hacking cough is getting kinda old now. I finally fell asleep at 1:30am after going to bed at 11pm due to me hacking away. Now I have junk in my lungs so I think it has moved down and taken up residence there.
If I am still like this on Tuesday, off to the doctor I had better go.

Happy May 24!

Def Leppard!

2005-05-20T11:19:00.000-04:00

It's been a few days since I have posted. I am still quite sick and I think my cough is getting worse. Going to the doctor might be in order.

Everyone who knows me knows I love 80's music. When I was a teenager, music was a big part of my life. I like many types of music but I always come back to the 80's. A few days ago I heard from a friend that Def Leppard was coming here and I couldn't believe it! I was the biggest fan when I was 14 and I still like them today. So guess who I got tickets to see in August? It is just me and The Man going. This must be my year for concerts... this will be my third one this year.

I am so excited!

I am working today, tomorrow and off Sunday and Monday. Sunday is deck building day!
Monday is up in the air. Going to see some fireworks might be fun.

I finally decided and bought our new patio set yesterday! Turned out one I liked went on sale until today so I had to quickly make plans with a friend to borrow their truck. It is black framed with back and dark brown material. It looks sharp. I knew I was holding out and being picky for a reason.

Still Sick and So is My Dog

2005-05-16T14:34:00.000-04:00

After having a really rough night on Saturday due to a high fever and nausea, I figured it would be a rough day on Sunday. I was still sick but I felt well enough to got to dinner then to the concert that night. Sarah put on a phenominal show and did two encores. Even the first two opening acts were great. The first was a large Samba band that played right in the middle of the fans who had floor seats. There was no singing, just mainly different drums with a latin beat. The second band was from Sweden and they were so good that I bought their new CD.

It was when I got home that my sore throat and cough turned into a head cold as well. After not sleeping well and sounding awful, I called in sick to work. It has been over a year since I took a sick day so I think I am entitled. I also had to cancel my plasma donation tomorrow as they don't take donations from people who are actively sick.
So I think it is safe to say I don't have Rubella. I thought it was a possibility due to the sore throat and fever but when I also got a head cold, I figured it wasn't. And I couldn't find a rash either. But I will be having my Rubella immunity checked anyway just in case.

I woke up Sunday moring to hearing the dog puking. I wasn't concerned as she does it maybe every other week. It wasn't until The Man said that she was having a seizure that I jumped out of bed. The dog had a seizure last year while I was at work so I wasn't able to witness it to determine if it was in fact a seizure. I was just going with what The Man said. We took her to the vet and he said that since they were so infrequent, they like to monitor them first before the possibility of medicating them. Greyhounds are a very healthy breed but epilepsy is more common in this breed.
So for the first time I witnessed my dog having a seizure. It broke my heart. She was still trying to walk but she was very unsteady on her feet and was walking and banging into furniture. I tried to call her name and get her to lie down but just continued to try and walk and she couldn't hear a word I said. And her eyes were not focusing... like she wasn't even there. It only lasted about 2 minutes but it felt like 2 hours. We finally got to lie down when it was over and we cuddled with her and gave her lots of pets. Her breathing finally slowed down and she fell asleep and had a nap. It was so scarey to see her like that. But she hasn't had a grande mal seizure (where they collaspe and convulse) so we are thankful for that. She has an upcoming vet appointment so we will have to mention this lastest seizure to him. We just hope they don't get worse for more frequent.

Well I'm off for another nap. All this typing has made me tired...

Me Sick!?! I hope it isn't Rubella

2005-05-14T10:36:00.000-04:00

I very rarely get sick. Maybe twice a year and usually in October and May. Must be due to changing of the seasons. This year it was November, March and now today. The Man came home 2 days ago complaining he had the flu. He always says it's the flu when it is just a cold. I think he doesn't know the difference.

So yesterday I had a slight annoying cough and the first hint of a sore throat. Five hours after I went to bed last night I woke up with a searing sore throat. Great, just great. We have 3 couples and 2 babies coming over for supper tonight and tomorrow night is dinner then the Sarah McLachlan concert. And I never get sore throats and cough, just head colds.
Ever since I moved here 2 years ago I have gotten them.
Must be something in the air. Just as long as it isn't Rubella (German Measles).

There is a fairly large outbreak (almost 200 people now) of Rubella in this region and many experts believe that it will climb higher due to the fact that it's incubation period is two weeks.

I am all for vaccinations. I am a child of the 70's and I had all the shots that were available at that time. My mom is a nurse and she made sure of it. Back then, if you weren't immunized against certain diseases, you weren't allowed to attend school. I can even remember going to a mass immunization clinic at my high school. Now, they are giving the parents the choice to have their kids immunized and sad to say, this is what can happen when a population doesn't.

It is believed that the outbreak came from the Netherlands. There is a large population of Dutch Reform in this area and most of them don't believe in immunizations due to their religion. Now one school is almost 70% infected with Rubella and is still expected to go up. Most of the population around here are immunized and for those that aren't, getting infected isn't a huge risk to that person as long as they aren't or plan to get pregnant. Rubella in pregnant women most often cause blindness, deafness and brain damage in the baby. There are 4 known pregnant women infected right now. In people who are not immunized, they get a fever, sore throats and red rashes all over their body.

Just last year, WHO (World Health Organization) announced that they were quite sure that Rubella was irradicated in Canada. Well it isn't now.

My FSIL isn't immune. When she was pregnant, they checked her immunity to Rubella. She didn't have any even though she was immunized as a child. It was determined that she received a bad batch of vaccine which turned out, would not provide immunity. It was made and stored at incorrect temperatures which made it worthless. She was given another vaccine and her immunity was checked again. No antibodies. She is just one of those people who will never develop immunity. All of this makes me wonder about my immunity. It is standard practice not to have your immunity levels checked after a vaccine.
I read that a man the same age as me was vaccinated around the time I was. He is now infected. Did my vaccine really work? I was also in the region affected two weeks ago.
I'm calling my mom to get details.

Make a Decision You Wuss!

2005-05-12T11:28:00.001-04:00

So I made the mistake of looking through another catalogue yesterday and I found another patio set that I like. Sheesh. I have 3 choices and I would to buy it May 24 weekend as the BIL's truck will be here and I won't have to try and fit a patio set in my car. I guess I will just have to visit them each one again take a picture maybe and firmly decide. Yep, obsessive/compulsive. :-) And 10 more days until we build our deck!

Looks like I am making $300!
I put an add in our work newsletter that I have a mobile air conditioner to sell and a girl in our other department wants to buy it! I had no idea what it was worth so I went under what I thought I should ask for it. I am taking it to her today.
Maybe I should put that money towards my new patio set...

I Want My Blog!

2005-05-11T00:34:00.000-04:00

I finally had some time today to post on my blog and wouldn't you know it that the time I decided to go on was when Blogger was doing the maintainence.
So I am sneaking a few minutes at work while I am waiting for the machines to finish running for the night.

So while I was out today doing errands (paying bills, going to my weekly plasma donation) I decided on the spur of the moment to get my hair cut. I like it shorter during the summer and I was way overdue to get it cut anyway. What a difference three inches off can make you feel. I am definitely feeling a little more spring in my step today.

Did I ever mention that when I get an idea into my head about something I want or want to do, I usually end up being an obsessive/compulsive about it? I know exactly what I want in a patio set and patio lights and I know exactly what I want it to look like. I think I have hit every major store looking for a specific set. It has to seat 6. It has to be rust proof. And I have to like the colour. But I think I have narrowed it down to two choices. Same thing with the patio lights. They can't be plastic or have cables. They have to be cordless and solar powered.
Is it wrong to have specific tastes and know exactly what you want? Please tell that to The Man as he thinks I am nuts. I just don't want to go cheap anymore and have the things rust out. And of course it has to look nice.
I just have a few more stores to check out....

Happy Mother's Day!

2005-05-08T22:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms out there. Hope you day was wonderful!
My future in inlaws were down visiting this weekend so I managed to squeeze in a few hours to see them. I worked all day Saturday then I had to rush home and get ready for a wedding that evening. We had to miss the ceremony as I wasn't done work by then, but we made it just in time for the dinner. We were impressed that the speaches lasted only 5 minutes!
Sunday was brunch. We took the moms out and during dessert, I found out that FSIL was going to a local nursery and suggested we go as well. I have heard rave reviews about this place and they were right. The selection and quality were just amazing. We bought 3 shrubs and some triple mix then went to Walmart and Canadian Tire to pick up a wheelbarow, edger and topsoil. It took several hours but we put in a new bed at the front of the house and considering we don't have green thumbs, I think it turned out great. (Contrary to the pic, the edging is actually square. ;-)
What was there before was weeds and a little grass. It really makes the front of the house stand out now. In a few weeks we will add some annuals and also a pot or two of flowers on the front porch. How exciting!

We also added 6 bags of topsoil to the edge of our driveway and a bare spot in the front yard to bring the areas even with the rest of the lawn. We seed in two weeks!

Had to add a pic of my sleepy neice that was taken last weekend during her baptism reception. Awww.

Day of Rest

2005-05-06T11:08:00.000-04:00

Yesteday was my first day off during the week in a long time so I invited my sister out for her birthday lunch and some shopping. With Christine's recommendation of an all you can eat sushi bar, we went there for lunch. It took us a little while to get served each time we placed and order but the food was great and the menu was very extensive! We both throughly enjoyed it.
We then headed over to Rona to check out patio sets and gardening supplies, then it was off to the mall where my sister proceeded to always find something to buy no matter what store we went into. I managed to buy a new purse, wallet and watch.
It was after 4pm when we headed back to my place and she decided that my neice should be fed before leaving. Once Paige gets off her scedule, it takes days for her to get back on it again. Paige is such a good baby... always smiling and rarely fussy. I was asked to babysit and the end of the month! Wheee!
I didn't feel like cooking so drive through it was for supper. After a quick nap, I watched my favourite Thursday night TV shows. After pulling out all those dandelions the day before, my legs and back were killing me.
Ahhh, what a relaxing day.

Today is cleaning for the inspection tomorrow... FIL is visiting. Hopfully MIL will be with him. They are down visiting from Owen Sound for mother's day. I have to work all day on Saturday then we have to go right to a wedding so I probably won't see them until brunch on Sunday. Phew.

No Soup for You!

2005-05-04T01:48:00.000-04:00

Elaine: "Do you need anything?"
Kramer: "Oh, a hot bowl of Mulligatawny would hit the spot."
Elaine: "Mulligatawny?"
Kramer: "Yeah, it's an Indian soup. Simmered to perfection by one of the great soup artisans in the modern era."
Elaine: "Oh. Who, the Soup Nazi?"
Kramer: "He's not a Nazi. He just happens to be a little eccentric. You know, most geniuses are."

The "Soup Nazi" is Coming to a Location Near You
I read in the paper Monday (or was it Tuesday?) that the real Soup Nazi in NYC is hoping to open over 1000 locations in both Canada and the U.S. within the next 7 years. They will be in shopping mall food courts, airports and in markets. The first one is opening this summer in NJ. Count me in to try it when it gets here.

I don't know how I found out that there were copycat recipes of his out there in cyberland but I did end up making "his" lentil soup. Now I have no idea what the original tastes like so I can't compare but the one I made was quite good.

From what I read, the "rules" will still be the same but there will be no yelling "No Soup for You!"

Darn. That would have been quite funny.

100 Things You Might Not Know About Me

2005-05-03T23:58:00.000-04:00

I borrowed this from another blog Syllogism

1. I was born and rasied in a small town 2. but moved to a small city for college 3. and finally ended up in a large city 4. I have one younger sister 5. and was jealous of her until recently 6. I spoil my 5 month old neice rotten 7. once I had two dates the same day 8. I live with date #2 now 9. we often sleep in separate rooms 10. because he snores and moves around a lot 11. and because I am a light sleeper 12. and I sleep with earplugs 13. I really haven't travelled much 14. but I would like to 15. I am Scotish so maybe a trip to Scotland is in order 16. I love my job 17. but it took me 8 years to get into my schooled profession 18. and I can legally add the letters MLT after my name 19. as my job is governed at the Canadian level 20. I like the man's family, even FIL 21. FSIL and I get along great 22. and she helped me get my job I have today as she is also a MLT 23. sushi is my favourite food 24. but my favourite comfort food is carbs: potatoes, chips, bread, pasta 25. I hate liver, brussels sprouts, pineapple and squash 26. I am not a picky eater 27. in fact I love trying new food 28. I like beer and hard liquor 29. but also like fuity and frozen drinks 30. margaritas are one of my favs 31. I won a shooter contest when I was 20 32. I drank 16 shots 33. I used to drink everyone under the table 34. but not anymore 35. I am a follower rather than a leader 36. but I can take charge when needed 37. one of my strengths is that I am a great multitasker 38. and I often stay late to complete work 39. I have a bad short term memory and often double check my work 40. but it is from a concusion I had when I was 27 41. and I still have amnesia from that day 42. when I tripped over an ex's dog and cracked my head open on cement steps 43. I got 8 stitches 44. I have never broken a bone 45. but I have severely sprained my ankle 46. while missing a step at the ocean while vacationing in Vancouver B.C. 47. but I have numerous surgeries like tonsils, foot, roof of the mouth, gall bladder removed and an endoscopy 48. I am a regular blood donor 49. and recently a weekly plasma donor 50. I am also on the National Bone Marrow Registry 51. I feel like I am helping others and hopefully making a difference 52. I have 4 ear piercings in 2 ears 53. and one tattoo 54. that I designed myself 55. I got it after graduating college as a gift to myself. 56. it is on my left shoulder 57. I want another on my lower back that has a maple leaf and says "Made in Canada" 58. I keep saying next year 59. it didn't hurt when I got my tattoo 60. I have been engaged twice 61. first when I was 17 62. then when I was 28 63. and I still have my dress and shoes and favour stuff 64. people say I should use the dress but I dunno 65. but it would save me money not having to buy another 66. I have lived with two guys 67. first guy I met over the internet 68. that lasted almost 3 years and the wedding was evenually called off 69. because he felt pressure and had a mid life crisis 70. the second guy and I own a house together 71. and marriage has been talked about 72. the man and I met through my dad when dad got is email from him 73. the man has known dad 4 years longer than I have 74. I will never live this one down 75. I have small hands and feet 76. my feet are a size 6. 77. which means I can wear kids shoes 78. which is great as they are cheaper and there is only one tax on them 79. my ring finger is a size 4.5 80. and my pinky is a size 2. small eh? 81. maybe my small feet is the reason I am always tripping over things and falling down 82. I write right handed 83. but I am left hand dominate 84. as I shoot pool, drive and use my knife with my left hand 85. math is my weakest area, I can admit that 86. while sciences are my strongest 87. I am a fairly sensitive person 88. and I don't usually tell someone when they have hurt my feelings 89. I don't want to be deemed as weak 90. I am a procrastinator 91. but I am nearly not as bad as I used to be 92. I am the type of person who has to have proof that something exists like aliens, ghosts, God, reincarnation 93. but I don't not believe in them either 94. there are facts and fiction out there 95. I am a night owl 96. and will often stay up past 1am 97. but I work afternoons and that is my excuse as to why 98. I used to smoke, but not heavily 99. and I still like the odd one now and then 100. as I have never been addicted to nicotine. Seriously.

A Bittersweet Weekend

2005-05-02T23:37:00.000-04:00

Why do the weekends seem end too soon? Is it because we look forward to them too much? I don't know but this weekend flew by. After the busy day I had on Saturday, I figured Sunday would be a little longer. I guess not.

Sunday we drove to Paris to my niece's baptism and the service was wonderful. I go to church maybe twice a year but this service just seemed more special. My grandmother was so excited to learn that she would becoming a great grandmother. Unfortunately she passed away last June 15 from congestive heart failure and cancer before my neice was born. Our minister knows our family quite well and she was mentioned many times during the service. It was bittersweet. I also felt that I needed to visit the cemetary before the service... just to let her know that we were all thinking about her that day.

After the service we had some food and drink, then we all met back at my parent's place. I then gave my gift to Paige... well my sister opened it and was very moved at the jewellery box that I had picked out. I was glad she liked it. It was funny; earlier that day she mentioned she would have to buy a jewellery box for her due to the bracelet and necklace Paige had already received. I did good.

Sunday night was our monthly movie night. It was my turn to host and I picked Roman Holiday. None of us had seen it and we all seemed to enjoy it.

Tomorrow I am meeting some coworkers for lunch then it is off to my weekly plasma donation. From there it is work until 1am. I think it is going to be a long day.

Weekend Satisfaction

2005-04-30T21:45:00.000-04:00

My List is Almost Done

While at work last night I decided that I better make a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish today. I checked everything off except for going to one grocery store. No biggie, I will go there on my way to work on Monday. This is what I got done today:

went to Home Depot or "The Pot" and the man and I call it and priced patio sets, solar lights, plants and shrubs. Bought a spreader and some fertilizer/weed control.
went to Canadian Tire and priced patio sets, solar lights. Bought gardening tools and bulbs to replace my burnt out rear tail-light.
went grocery shopping
went to Wal-Mart and bought a rice cooker/vegetable steamer, cards and toothpaste. Priced patio sets and solar lights
picked up a movie for tonight and tomorrow (for our monthly ladies movie night- I rented Roman Holiday)
replaced my burnt out tail-lights
wrapped my neice's baptism gift

What The Man did today:

met me at The Pot and then Canadian Tire
fertilized the front and back yard
ordered pizza for supper

Seems fair doesn't it?

Yep, Working Late Again

2005-04-29T00:28:00.000-04:00

So where else would I be on a Thursday night?

But I do get the odd Thursday off... just not lately. I like having my Thursdays off as it is good TV night: Survivor & CSI. Ahh well that is what VCRs are for.

So it was a pretty lazy day today. Made the man his favourite spaghetti sauce, and downloaded some Sting songs. I want to make a "Best of Sting" CD for FSIL and I. After the concert last Saturday we have been humming Sting all week. I was about ready to burn it when I realized that I was out of blank CDs! Oh the horror! That is one thing I hate running out of. That and peanut butter. Yum.

5 Things That Pissed Me Off Today:

Realizing that we may not get a vacation this summer.
My next door neighbour. He has been working on his backyard for 2 weeks and looks amazing. Ours, well...
I realized that I need my car fixed. Will have to budget for that one.
Finding out that I was out of CDs. Damn... I wanted to listen to it on the way to work.
Thinking about this weekend and realizing that most of Saturday will be taken up with cleaning and fertilizing the front yard.

Life After College

2005-04-28T02:05:00.000-04:00

More About Moi

Is there life after college? That is what I kept asking myself because it sure didn't feel like there was. I didn't get any job offers for woking as an MLT. Let alone any interviews. In 1995, there was a huge downsize and almagamtion of hospital labs due to government cut backs and budget restraints so getting any job in a hospital was next to impossible.
Lucky me.

So I had a few meaningless jobs (ie manger of a Subway. All the subs I wanted though) and a boyfriend that I thought was a keeper until he broke up with me over the phone. Christmas Eve. What an ass. But I did get something good out of it... a kick ass tent and a frienship with his sister.

After that mess I got a good paying job but it meant commuting 90 minutes a day. Which was fine. Met another boy that I thought for sure was a keeper... we even were planning a wedding but he had a mid life crisis at 31 so he moved out and it was just me again.
Fast forward 6 months when I turn 30. The hardest, most depressing day I my life. Yes I was feeling sorry for myself that's for sure. Mom and dad take me out to celebrate (what I really needed was to get wasted by myself) and dad mentions that he knows someone through work that would be perfect for me. You wouldn't believe the pictures I had floating around in my head about what this guy was like. So he gives me his email addy. I hung onto it for a month and decide to fire off an email just to say hi. Meanwhile, he is thinking about how desparate must be this chick if her dad has to get dates for her, and "why hasn't she emailed me?" He was actaully waiting for an email! So who was deparate here?
So we emailed a few times then decide to met. And that was that.
Dad has never let either one of us forget it either. Guess dad knows what men are better for me than I do.
Scarey eh?

Working Late.... Again sigh

2005-04-27T01:15:00.000-04:00

Why is it always me that works Tuesday night in this department? Tuesdays are one our busiest days and I am always here to the bitter end... 1:30am. If we are done earlier we go home. But nooooo, I always get shafted. Humph.

I also have to go grocery shopping and pick up some veggies for supper tomorrow. The man doesn't like veggies all that much but he really likes them in a stir fry. Stir fry for supper tomorrow it is! I am working 2:30pm-10:30pm tomorrow so if I want supper, I cook it before I go to work.

My plasma donation went fine. Being new to the program I had to meet a doctor and get a physical and well as a detailed case history. Yes, I am fairly healthy. But when the needle was inserted she missed and proceeded to dig around and find my vein. I was fine until she hit a tendon. Now that was NOT comfy. She called over someone else and voila. I am huting today and I am sure I will be hurting tomorrow. I don't complain though as I used to be one of those people that they called "those vampires" and I inflicted my fair of torture. Now I just test the samples. I am signed up to go weekly but I am not sure my arm can take it. Maybe every other week. We shall see.

Shopping for my neice's Baptism gift went great. I found a beautiful jewellery box in mohagany with a pewter top and I had a plaque engraved to go on top of it. It was a little more than I expected as I guess the engraving is charged by the letter. I decided to write a novel.

The Joys of a Puking Dog

2005-04-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

So I slept in later than I wanted to today. But that's ok... I will just have to get my ass going a little faster than usual.

I come in to turn on the computer this morning and what do I see on the floor? Dog puke. *sigh* This dog pukes more than any other dog I have met. It must have been recently because there wasn't that much. This dog with puke at the drop of a hat. Drinking too much water makes her puke. Eating too fast will make her puke. Running around too much will make her puke. Damn dog. This is the exact reason why I want to get rid of all of our carpet and add laminate instead. That and the carpet is just awful... rose pink and not in great shape. It was one of the first things we said when we bought the house last October.

I think she pukes so much because of her breed. I have hear others make this conclusion as well. Greyhounds have long necks and skinny thoats so there could be some truth to it. The vet says she is healthy so it isn't a medical condition, just her physical make up.

See:

Anyway it's all cleaned up and she's fine. Now if the man would have been home and would have had to clean ot up, I certainly would have to hear about it. He hates doing that kind of stuff.

So my day consists of getting ready for work, try to find a Christening gift for my neice, go to my weekly plasma donation then it's off to work.
I was thinking of a really nice jewellery box for my neice. I know she is going to get lots of jewellery and I want to get something that she can use for a long time... not something really girly and pink, just something elegent yet simple. The hunting begins!

Had to add a picture of my neice Paige. She turns 5 months old today! She is growning up so fast. She looks exactly like my sister did at that age.

Here she is at Easter with my mom:

Isn't she adorable?

The Calm After the Storm and Some Good News!

2005-04-25T14:56:00.000-04:00

So it appears FIL is gone.... but not forgotten. He has called 3 times in the last hour. And since the man isn't home from work yet, that leaves me to deal with him.
Second phone call he asked for measurements. He said no hurry... whenever. So I figured I would let the man do it when he got home. Phone rings 15 minutes later. FIL is asking for the measurements. Sheesh. This is our life. *sigh*

But I do have good news! I have recruited my dad and BIL and we are building our new deck during the long weekend in May! Whoohoo! Just in time for summer! Can't wait to start the entertaining.

Just had another phone call. Thought for sure it was FIL, but it wasn't.

Site Changes

2005-04-25T02:07:00.000-04:00

Just to give you all something else to look at.

Sting: My Other Man and Advice with an AWOL Friend

2005-04-24T12:20:00.000-04:00

So it is the next day after the Sting concert and I am still feeling all warm and fuzzy. My man Sting can sure put on a great show. The concert was sold out and from his first entrance which went right into "Message in a Bottle" the crowd was on their feet for most of the show. At least the people who had floor seats were. The others in the bowl... well let's just say it was embarassing that they were so reserved for most of the show.
Having floor seats myself, I was up and singing for most of the show. Two encores and over 90 minutes later my ears were ringing and I could barely talk but I was in heaven.

Here is a link to a review of last night's show:
Sting

Totally off topic but I just have to vent for a sec...
I have a friend who I have been friends with for over 5 years now. She looks after the dog when we are out of town and two weeks ago we asked her to let her out once as the man was gone all day and I was gone all weekend. Fine no problem.
Earlier that day were at a craft show and we split up to cover more ground. FSIL and I are about to leave and can't find her. Turns out she has already left and was short to me when I called her on her cell. Strange.

She takes the dog for a playdate with her neice's two dogs. This has been done many times before with no problems. The man arrives home at the same time she drops off the dog. She is short and barely says two words to him.

I have called and left messages 3 times and an email with no word at all from her. She travels for her job but she always retuns my phone call within a week.
I think she is pissed off at me but I have no idea. Maybe something happened to her elderly parents but I have no idea.

I figure I won't call again. I made the effort to find out what the problem was and she hasn't gotten back to me.
Should I just leave well enough alone and if she calls, she calls?

Be Very Very Quiet

2005-04-23T09:59:00.000-04:00

Shhh. I am hiding.
It's 10am and I have already had my coffee and toast and a shower. 10 frickin' am. I am never up at 8:30am. Nothing like getting woken up by your FIL.
So today is looking at flooring for our kitchen and bathroom and 2 contractors will be over before 1pm. And it will be raining all day to boot.

*Calm blue ocean.... Calm blue ocean as I rub my temples. It will be over soon I tell myself.*

I am leaving just after 4pm to meet the FSIL for dinner then it is off to the show. Hopefully I can steal a few hours for myself to get ready.

Fat chance.

The Man is a Coward

2005-04-22T23:31:00.000-04:00

*Had to edit to say that I just noticed that I have had 35 visitors! And I started started this blog yesterday. How frickin' cool is that?!? Thanks everyone!*

So it's after 11:30 and I am just finishing work. A few odds and ends to finish up, play around on the computer for awhile, then I guess I should be heading home.

So the man calls me at work around 9pm to say all is well and he was going to bed. Now I know he had a tough day at work (seriously though. He is a garbage man and did over 18 tonnes today. Lifting garbage. Other people's stinky disgusting trash. No thank you. I am glad I work with people's blood and other bodily fluids) and didn't get his nappy-poo in but I think he is also avoiding FIL. They get along just fine... when they aren't talking on the phone and aren't in the same room. Yes, definitely avoidance. But I guess I shouldn't talk either... I am playing around at work when I could be home. But I am sure FIL will be asleep on the couch when I get home so it is:

either watch TV down in the cold basement
play on the computer
go to bed

I choose play on the computer if FIL is asleep. But if her is awake that throws everything out the window.

So our visit today was pleasent. We even met for a coffee and a bagel at Tim's. Who knows what happened after I went to work though.

On Pins and Needles

2005-04-22T13:21:00.000-04:00

So it is 1:24pm and I am waiting for FIL. I know he will be here soon but when? When exactly? I hate waiting alone. The man is at work and won't be home for awhile so it is just me. Oh and the dog too but she isn't much help. She sleeps like it is going out of style.
This is how she can usually be found:

See what I mean?

Please God make this an uneventful vist.
Yeah right.

The Inlaw is Coming!

2005-04-22T00:31:00.000-04:00

Get Ready for the Inspection!

Techincally it's a new day so I can start a new post.

It's just after midnight and the man and I have just gotten finished getting the house ready for inspection. You see, the father in law is arriving for a visit today. And when was it decided and by whom? While I was at work and by my future FIL. You don't argue or suggest to the FIL. What he says goes and he is always right. Now, don't get me wrong. I like FIL. I know how FIL is. I don't mess with controlled order. Trust me, it's easier this way.

Now the man and I had been living together almost two years in not the best neighbourhood and in not the greatest apartment building when FIL says to us that he wants to buy a house here (they live 3 hours north) and have us live in it. He gets the mortgage, we get the house in our name but we pay for everything. Now here is when I should have been more concerned and cautious and downright smart and suggested to the man that maybe we should wait awhile (the man was still on contract... not really financially smart you know) but the FIL insisted and the man said ok and I said let's break down payments for everything. Just being careful. So it looks fine, we find a house and all is good. Except after the white trash moves out we really see how much work needs to be done. Nothing major, all superficial things like paint, fixing holes, replacing the floor, fixing doors, adding trim, replacing almost everything! Did I mention the house was only four years old? Yeah, like I said, white trash.

So FIL got the mortgage with extra funds for repairs to the house. Extra money that we can use to fix all the crap that needs fixing. So far a handyman has come by to do odd jobs like replace screens, add new light fixtures and replace windows. Did I mention there were bullet holes in the upstairs master bedroom? We are saying they are BB guns holes. Yeah, like I said, white trash.

So why is FIL down this weekend? He has four, count them, four contractors coming by with estimates. We want our shed fixed, new flooring (did I mention the vinyl flooring had large holes in it? Like I said...) a deck off the kitchen because right now it drops off at about three feet and some other jobs. Didn't ask what else. Right now it seems that the best spot for me to be in is not around. FIL will be here sometime mid afternoon (hopefully I will be at work) and I won't be home until after midnight. Whether or not he is still up when I get home is a toss up. And yes he is staying in our guest room. Saturday I plan on being out A LOT. Shopping for my girls day over on Sunday then getting ready to go out for dinner with my future sister in law, then off to the concert.

We are going to go see Sting Saturday night baby! Floor seats!

Another story that will have to be talked out is how I got my job as it involves my FSIL. But that's another day.

So FIL is here until Sunday morning. I don't plan on being up early as I think it will be a late night on Saturday. FIL is an early riser so I better make sure I show him where the coffee and bread is. I don't want to wake up and see his face just inches from mine, asking "Where is the coffee Jenny?" God, I hate that name. But he is the only one that calls me that. Told him I hate it, guess where that got me. Uh huh, no where.

Welcome to the World of Blog!

2005-04-21T12:05:00.000-04:00

Wha? What time is it? It's noon?

So here I am, just woke up this morning (OK early afternoon. Hey I work evenings! Give me a break!) and stubbled upon the world of blog. Pretty cool so far. Let's see how it works out.

So on tap for today is work (only 4 hours), pick up dinner and do nothing this evening except watch Survivor (yeah I know, don't say it. It's the only reality show I watch) and CSI. Did I mention I am a CSI show junkie? I like all of them but Las Vegas is my favourite. Maybe I should have become a criminalist instead of a MLT (medical laboratory technologist). I already work in a lab so that part would be easy... it is just the decomposing bodies that I would have a hard time with. Ewww.
Anywho...

So like I said I live in a large Canadian city (care to guess which one), work almost full time, recently bought a house with my boyfriend of over 2 years and where our dog like to thinks she runs the show.
Our dog Milly aka Mimo, Millster, dumbass and the D.O.G. is a 6 year old retired racing greyhound who certainly has enjoyed her retirement. Think of a cat, only bigger. She sleeps more than Morris the cat I bet! Oh well, keeps her from getting underfoot I guess. Anyway, more about her later. I am sure she will want her own special spot here on my blog.

About Moi
So as I said before, I am in my early 30's, never married and no kids. The marriage thing just never seemed to work out. Came close a couple of times but there was always some reason or another. But never to do with me. As for the no kids well I guess I am a little old fashioned in that regard as I believe that kids come after marriage. Not that I have anything against people who do it differently.

Childhood
I grew up in a small Canadian town about 1 hours drive east of where I am now. The population is only about 9,000 and we have only 1 high school. But it is very touristy and the downtown and surrounding area is just beautiful. It has even been called one of the prettiest towns in Canada. I grew up with both my parents and a younger sister who is just over 3 years younger than me. Growning up was easy in a small town. We had to make our own fun and we would play outside constantly. We were friends with all the kids in the neighbourhood and we could always find something to do. It was the teenage years that were hard.

Teenager's Wrath
As soon as I was 16 I got my beginner's licence and was always bugging my dad to take me out driving. Guess mom wanted nothing to do with it. There were many backroads around our area and we practiced there first. Everything seemed to be going well until we went out on a highway where my first turn onto it saw us head right for oncoming traffic. Good thing dad had some quick reflexses! But I passed driver's test with flying colours and proceeded for the next few years, bug my parents any chance I got to take the car out.
Of course boys were always in the picture. It was the second one that mom and dad hated. He was 3 years older than I was an quite the bad ass. Maybe that was why I was with him. But being a rebelious teenager and the time, who knows. That lasted over 4 years until my first year of college. Four months into it I had had enough of a dead relationship and decided to end it. It was bad timing though. I ended up calling my roomates to come and get me. Sweeties that they were they drove 2 hours in the middle of the night to come get me. More about this story later.
I never really liked high school that much. Oh I had lots of friends, friends that I would hang out with mainly at school and sometimes on the weekend but I just wanted to get the hell out of there and start my life. Get out of the small town and experience what life has to offer. So I did.

The College Years
My years at college were all that I hoped they would be. I chose a college 5 hours away from my home town as I wanted to have some distance between school and home. I felt that being further away from home would make me more independant and self reliant. And it did. It was also nice being farther away as I always had an excuse why I couldn't always make it home... too much homework and the drive was just too long.
I was lucky and got into residence and was even more lucky to live with 5 girls who I truly liked. I kept hearing horror stories of people who hated their roomates. But it wasn't always easy living with 5 girls in a 2 storey townhouse. But res was cool. Everyone knew everyone and visiting meant a quick knock on the door and let yourself in. And the parties! Whoowee! Let's just say the final party and the end of second year went down in the books where the fire department was almost called. Hey, don't look at me, I didn't start the couch on fire.
But even with the parties and bars, I managed to get good grades. It was a tough program... 2 years of school with over 30 hours of lecture a week and over 20 hours of lab time a week. Third year was internship and I was so lucky to get a placement in the city where my school was. What was even better was that the little one bedroom apartment I had was right beside two of my roomates from res. Res. was only available to students for two years so I had to hunt for an apartment before my intership started. Living on my own a great... total freedom!
After ten months of intership came 3 days of tests to get my Canadian certification. No pressure or anything... it wasn't like my last three years depended on the outcome of three days worth of tests... that weren't free either. But of course I passed and fully had confidence that offers for a job would come flooding in. Boy was I dreaming. It took me eight years but it was worth the wait. More on that later.