2012: My Bloggerific Year

The year is finally coming to a close, with 2013 mere hours from this moment. Although we realize there is no actual physical change from one year to the next, it's always a good time to make changes and start new projects. I had two goals in mind on January 1st, 2012 and, even though I tried really hard at the second one, I just couldn't stick to memorizing more than 74 digits of pi. 100 would have been great, but at least I came within a quarter of that. 75% is still a good grade!

I did make it a full year blogging my way through my daily life. To sum up the last 366 days (it was a leap year if you didn't realize!), here are some statistics from my previous posts:

13 - the number of posts in which Wikipedia is mentioned
14 - the number of posts in which Google is mentioned
34, 14, 8, 34, 5 - consecutively, the number of posts in which the words stress, frustrated, anxious, tired, and angry are used
56 - the number of posts in which the word mom is used
30 - the approximate number of movies I watched, or at least blogged about watching
4 - the most days I went without blogging, resulting in quite the catch-up when I got back to it!
1 - the number of blogs I inadvertently forgot to write. Actually, I just discovered this so quickly put something in for October 8th to fill in that gap... oops!

Those are the facts, but I'm sure you're curious if I learned anything. I definitely learned that I am able to stick to something, through thick and thin, if I'm dedicated enough to it. This not only goes for this blog but also for my experiences in my career. I feel that I've accomplished some goals, weathered some really stressful times, but came out with a positive outlook on what's to come. I don't know what the future holds but I'll keep on keeping on, just like I have been for the last year. I may even blog about it!

As far as my future in blogging goes, I do plan to continue occasionally. I will be creating a new one for that as "A Pi a Day" was made especially for this year. I realize that certain people have enjoyed reading about what I'm up to and appreciate that I've been open with my thoughts and feelings. I have also come to enjoy (more times than not) writing about my life, whether it's happy or sad, good or bad. It has been a great outlet for me, not only creatively but also on a psychological level.

I have high expectations for 2013 and lots of plans. I'm looking on the bright side and putting my faith and hope in tomorrow. Thank you, loyal readers, for keeping up with my blog! I will be sure to post a link to my new one once it's created. I wish you and yours the best in the new year!

Home for My 2nd Last Blog!

Ahhhhh home sweet home. Although I enjoyed my short trip to the bustling city of Winnipeg, I'm more than happy to be home today after a long drive. Luckily the weather held out for most of, except for about an hour today in Eastern Saskatchewan.

I guess this is my second last blog. The 365th this year. That's just crazy to think about, as I can still remember how hard it was in January and February to motivate myself to continue to blog. If you follow me, you will remember that I even took my netbook along to Mexico and, even though I was not entirely well while there, I still wrote about our adventures. Even after being really busy and having to write three or four blogs in a day, I've ensured that there's one for each day of 2012, and I feel very satisfied that I've been able to do that.

During my short visit with the Cowiesons, I took some pictures to share with my friends and family. The best spot to view them is on Facebook so here is the link: A Visit With Wee Woeden

(Mom, he really liked his new book but even more so, the piggy bank! So much he tried to eat it :) I'd say that's a good sign.)

So, one half day of work ahead and hopefully by then I'll have gathered my final thoughts of the year and type them out. Yes, I'll continue to blog but every day, I think not.

Un-birthday Party Surprise

I awoke this morning to, no, not the sound of a dog barking, or a cat meowing or attempting to get in a cuddle. No folks, I awoke to silence in my big, plush king sized bed at the Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites. Surprise! I decided to drive to Winnipeg by myself for a visit with my extended family and to attend Woeden's first birthday party. Unfortunately, I found out this morning that the little guy had come down with a cold and the party was postponed. I really wasn't sure what to do; I just knew that I didn't to make the long trip out here and not get to visit with my family.

Luckily, my cousin was happy to know that I was in this city and invited me over for a visit anyway. So after a little shopping and a lunch visit with my sister, we both headed over to the birthday boy's home for a little unbirthday party. Even though he was sick, I was happy to be able to visit with them and give him his birthday gifts.

For dinner I was even able to spend the time with the rest of that family over and nice meal and yet another visit. After all was said and done, at least I can say I got to see all my family here in Winnipeg that I really had wanted to see, and caught up with each of them.

Now it's my final night here and I'm hoping for a sound, solid sleep. I'm looking forward to going home to my animals. All four of them... Haha

The End is Near

As the end of the year nears, I look back on all that's happened. I've written about most of it, whether it's boring or not, in hopes that I could attain the goal I set on January first. I'll write more about my experiences next week but I'm starting to gather my thoughts already.

Today I almost had a bad customer service experience, yet again. I didn't let the individual get away with it either. It's just not okay for service to be taken lightly. I expect to be treated fairly and with respect. When I'm not it's extremely frustrating. All that I ask is that regardless of how much I spend at a particular establishment, I'm provided with what I want and or need.

On a better note, I received some excellent service outside of that one experience. Like I said yesterday, its those moments of greatness that leave me with a good feeling at the end of the day. I can go to bed happy! Yay!

Customer Service Positivity

There's something to be said for great customer service. I've probably written about this before, but it then must be a long time ago that I received any. I tend to brush off the bad experiences and move on with my life, because I hate to dwell on a negative moment in life. I'd much rather have a smile on my face after getting good service and share it with my friends and family.

We've all given bad service sometime in our lives. If you don't think you have, I would have to ask you to look deeply into your past and imagine that it could be possible. Even perma-happy people have downer days and forget themselves sometimes.

I really admire someone that can work off-hours (after what I would call "normal working hours") and still exude positivity through a telephone conversation. Taking phone calls from customers is a really tough job (I know!) so I really, REALLY appreciate those people that give me the service I need and want and leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling afterwards.

There are times when I'm not so nice to people on the phone because I have a problem and no patience to deal with it. I've had people that didn't know how to work with me, and others that remained upbeat and turned it around. Those people deserve more money and respect. So, thank you customer service agents across the world, taking phone calls from people like me!

Boxing Day

You know what's really great? The fact that my cute, super awesome new Google Nexus 7 tablet is voice enabled and allows me to blog simply by speaking. Sure, it makes the occasional mistake, however I still think it's really cool.

Boxing Day was fun. I slept in, ate, laid on the couch, had a nap, ate some more, and watched a movie. It really doesn't get much better than that does it? In the past, Paul and I have braved the retail outlets in search of Boxing Day deals. Since the temperature dropped so low these last few days, and I'm still getting over a cold, we decided just to hang out at home and save our money.

I'm so happy I have a few more days off and another weekend ahead before I have to go back to work. I really needed this time off, and clearly my body agreed. I especially like not having to get up really early or go to bed early so that I can get up early. Paul is going into work tomorrow and Friday but because he works for himself and doesn't get any paid vacation days, it's okay with me. I'm pretty sure Casey and the cats have also enjoyed us staying at home with them.

Tomorrow will be a clean-up-the-house day and I'll buy some groceries to restock the fridge. I can't imagine I'll sleep in quite as late, but you never know. Christmas may be over but at least we can say that we really enjoyed ourselves and were able to relax and rejuvenate.

Happy Christmas Day

I hope you and yours are enjoying Christmas together. The Nairns are! This morning we opened gifts -- even the animals got some -- and since then we've just been eating and watching movies. I'm still nursing a cold (the sore throat ended on the way home from Brandon, but the sniffles started) but it's not terrible and I don't feel too gross. I'm just happy to be off work and able to relax fully and enjoy every moment of it.

I got my Google Nexus 7 tablet, as requested (sometimes we do that!), and I blessed Paul with some much-needed items and a Dewalt Jobsite Radio, as he requested. My favourite gift to him was this:

Hiding his face. 

And here's me with my new tablet.

I am happy, although by this time Paul had been trying for a good photo for over a minute.

We've been enjoying ourselves thoroughly and look forward to a fun dinner tonight, complete with ribs and fries (for Paul) and pizza and salad for moi. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

It's Christmas Eve and on of my favourite little holiday tunes comes to mind. Please take a listen to the lovely Judy Garland, and sing along if you so wish! (The quality is a little scratchy. It's old!)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

Let your heart be light

Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

Make the yuletide gay

Next year all our troubles will be miles away.

Once again as in olden days,

Happy golden days of yore.

Faithful friends who were dear to us

Will be near to us once more.

Someday soon we will all be together,

If the Fates allow

Until then we'll have to mottle through somehow

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now. 

Special Sunday

This is how we spent the majority or our Sunday. Well, not sitting around staring at a camera, but enjoying each others' company.

In typical Christmas fashion, I ate way too much and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was really happy that Grampa and Amma could come to Brandon for the visit. It's rare that we get to see them at this time of year, so it was really special.

Back home to our own beds tonight. I expect many furry cuddles!

Family Saturday

*sigh* it feels good to be on "holidays" for a little bit. Even though I was infected by someone's cold virus which resulted in a nasty five-day sore throat, it's still nice to have the time off. It's even nicer to spend a few days with my weird family.

Skating was cold but fun and the food was tasty and never-ending. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. I just wish Paul would get off the computer and pretend like he's interested! I hope our furries are warm and happy where they are today and don't miss us too much. I'm looking forward to the days ahead and to spending them with the ones I love.

Fridaytime

Okay, that's it: I'm done work until the 31st! Everything got done quickly and effectively today, definitely thanks to my extra hours last night. I'm pretty exhausted, and nursing a nasty sore throat (I hate post-nasal drip), but the sun is shining and my hard work paid off.

I pray for safe travels for us, for others, and to everyone else as they spend Christmas with their loved ones! I do plan to blog this weekend and look forward to the days ahead.

Holidays begin.... NOW!

Payroll Progress

Well we're getting right down to the nitty gritty today. Only a day to go and it's been really busy and hard-working. A few extra hours pulled in at home will help get things done. You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes! If it means I get to leave work early on Friday, so be it.

The amount of money getting paid out to the people being "let go" is quite astonishing, if I must say. It sure pays off to be a long-term employee in an executive position. Maybe someday I'll be able to count myself one of that club.

Until that magical day, it's up to me and the team to keep on working our little tushies off to get people paid accurately and on time! Go Payroll!

A Christmas Plate

I'm just going to say it, I dislike attending the annual TOPS meeting in which the program is the "Christmas Plate". The point is, we go through a pretend Christmas dinner and write down what we'd eat. At the end, they provide the caloric content of each and we find out just how much we ate. I dislike it because it does nothing for me. I'm going to eat what I'm going to eat, no matter how many calories are in it.

As per usual, I ate more than two days' worth of food in one meal. Great! I'm sure that if it was real, I would have enjoyed it thoroughly. In fact, I've had three large Christmas meals already this season and they were all pretty great. And I'm sure, pretty calorific.

I hope that others get something out of it; I simply don't. I'm going to enjoy my Christmas, including all the trimmings!

A Tuesday

Eek, busy week ahead! Today wasn't so much but I'm expecting it to get that way very soon. Lots to do in a short amount of time. Isn't it funny how everything takes so long to happen and then BAM, it all goes down in a week's time.

Christmas with the family in only a few more sleeps!

Day One Unease

"Legal Day One" has come to a close. There's still lots of work to be done this week before we can go home to our families and enjoy Christmas, but at least we know the fate of the company.

My current state is one of confusion, frustration, and powerlessness mixed with strong feelings of the unknown. I don't know what my job will look like in a month, and it bothers me. No, I don't think I'll be out of a job, I'm just bothered that I don't know more about it. Sure, I like to be "in the know" as often as possible and find it difficult being out of the loop. I would be more okay with it all if I understood why I'm not having more of a part in the changes than I feel I should. It goes back to my blog on Saturday regarding a fear of being pigeon-holed into an area I'm not in love with. Today it just compounded even further.

I'm going to try and just live day to day for now, as I've done up until today. No one knows what the future has in store for us, so it's best to make every moment count. I just hope tomorrow is a very productive day and a step in the right direction.

Dana Nairn: Baker

Hell has frozen over: I'm baking!

This is a rare site, so take it in while you can. I have never enjoyed baking as much as I do cooking up a nice meal, as it's all so exact with the measuring and whatnot. But I decided that I wanted to share a recipe I found in a Chatelaine magazine so I donned my fun, pink apron and got to work.

It turns out that I'm not the greatest baker out there, but I'm not terrible. The item I made tasted decent and I learned that measuring actually does matter. Since I tested out the recipe myself, I can guarantee my family won't be poisoned. In fact, I hope they quite like what I made!

Let's just say it's the thought that counts, and leave it at that. Since the recipe didn't quite generate the quantity I assumed before starting, I'll probably even find time one evening this week to make something else to go with it. Just look at me, a professional baker in the making..... yeah right!

Integration Overtime

Working on a Saturday sure isn't what I envisioned for myself. But if you've kept in the loop at all about the company takeover that's going down officially on the 17th, it was necessary. I ate too much crap, and was exhausted by 3 pm from lack of sleep and my brain working too hard, but I was able to go home before dinner and got a lot accomplished.

Since October I've been involved with the redesign of a new time management system within our current computer software program. We've had it for a few years already but it's been "broken", to put it plainly. The last integration was complete junk and it's taken this long to get it re-done. I'm happy to help out with the testing, if it means having a good-working system. I also don't mind that it's helping me build my career and adding to my resume. What I'm worried about, however, is getting pigeon-holed into an area I don't love as much as another. I made it pretty clear to my manager that, although I don't mind helping out, I actually prefer doing more payroll-related items.

I'm just happy that we'll have a great new system to use and that the learning has really only just begun. I definitely do enjoy know what I'm doing so I can share my infinite knowledge with my co-workers and clients.

Christmas Party #1

Christmas Party #1, also known as "put some perogies straight on my butt" night, is over. It was for my company, and we had over 400 people attend. As with last year, I was on the committee that organized it and, all-in-all, it went pretty well.

Since Glencore will have officially taken over as of Monday, it was somewhat bittersweet. The COO (I think) addressed the crowd with a company message, on behalf of the entire executive. I have a feeling he will be one of the ones that isn't kept on once the new company comes on board, but that's most to be expected with a change of control. As far as who's leaving though, we actually do not have the names as of yet. Presumably Monday everything will come out and we'll get on the ball to complete the transaction, as par as payroll is concerned.

So back to the party, I have to say that those perogies were really much too tasty. So tasty that I'm still thinking about them. My only qualm for the entire evening is that the DJ played too many country songs. I understand they have to cater to a wide variety of people, but I just can't dance to it!

I may be on the committee for the Christmas Party again next year, but we'll see what the next half-year holds. You never know what will happen!

Confusing Vehicle Speed Discovery

This is going to sound really stupid but just the other day, I realized something quite earth-shattering.  I discovered that driving at slower speeds can often get you to your destination just as quick if not faster than if you drove at a higher speed. Just writing this I sound like such a dolt, but I don't care. It was an interesting find and I'm okay writing about it.

I discovered this fact when driving to the north-end Superstore from downtown. There's a major road to take there that's, for the most part, four lanes wide. It had just snowed the day before, and was still snowing a bit. The conditions weren't perfect so everyone was going a lot slower. I found the drive to the store quite pleasant and stress-free, even considering the distance I had to go and the lights that could possibly turn red on the way. I had actually been on the same road the day before and experienced something quite different; it look much longer!

Regina does NOT have their lights timed properly in most areas of the city, so I'm constantly frustrated about this. I do think, however, if you drive at a speed that's less than the limit of 50 km/hour, you can still end up getting to your destination quite quickly. In my head this is so confusing, as it thinks I should be able to drive 50 or 55 and get there faster. I simply haven't experienced this lately on many different roads.

My head is hurting just thinking about this, but I'm still serious. I'm sure other people can attest to my discovery and I'd love to hear their theories. Now, this isn't to say that I'll slow down to 40 everyday, but I will slow down on certain roadways that I know are bad for the lights and traffic. And I'll try and figure out how this even makes sense...

12/12/12

Today is 12/12/12! Can you believe it? If you're at least thirteen years old, you've now lived through a full set of "triple dates"; from 01/01/01 until now. For many of us, this will never happen again in our lifetime as the next time one occurs is in 88 years.

I was interested to know what happened on the last 12/12/12 (in 1912), but was then disappointed to find out that NOTHING of interest occurred. Henry Armstrong, future boxer, was born, and Lutipold, the Prince Regent of Bavaria, died. Not only do I know know who either of those gentleman are or were, but I don't really care! I know, 12/12/1912 was just like any other day in history, but that's what's wrong with it. I say that if it's a special date, something MUST happen, like it's fate.

I hope that something cool happened today so that in 100 years someone will be able to write a blog about it. Maybe they'll even Google "blogs from 12/12/2012" and mine will appear. Now THAT would be a historically-interesting event!





P.S. Happy Anniversary to my Grandparents!

A Wintery Interlude

It's been a while since I wrote a poem, so here we go...

Oh winter storm

How hard you blow

From East to West

From high to low

Your wrath is harsh

And biting cold

You make me bundle

And feel real old

My fingers ache

My toes need heat

I wish my car

Had a heated seat

The snow falls fast

It swirls all ''round

When the wind rushes past

It makes that sound

I'll drink something hot

And keep busy inside

For I won't let this storm

Ruin my yuletide.

Stay warm and safe, everyone!

Secret Keeper

Do you like secrets? Yes? So do I. I have a secret. Do you want me to tell you what it is? Guess what? No way, Jose! It's not really anything very interesting, and is not about me or Paul (directly, anyway), so don't get all excited.

I think the best part of secrets is trying really hard not to tell them. I'll be honest, I have been known to spill the beans once or twice in my life, but a good secret that someone will benefit from later is totally worth keeping.

You might as well not bother yourself trying to guess because I'm not a good liar and really don't want to have to do that to you. It's best you just come up with your own secret and taunt another person with it. That way you'll have some fun as well. See? It's fun having secrets!

I do have one secret that I'll spill: I spend at least an hour in the bathroom every morning, getting ready for the day. Paul thinks it's my favourite room. I tend not to disagree with him...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It sure is nice to come home to my loved ones. Sure, there was laundry and groceries to do, and a Christmas tree to put up, but the feeling once it's all done is quite satisfying. As I write this, my favourite Jack Russell Terrier is snoozing nearby, and I can glimpse a corner of our little tree in the living room, all aglow with multi-coloured lights. The smell of a Creme Brulée-scented 3-wick candle is also filling the entire house with a delicious aroma. It feels very cozy and festive right now.

There are only a few weeks to go before we celebrate Christ's birth. I'm looking forward to eating, and sleeping in, and giving gifts, and visiting with my family, and of course, thanking Jesus for coming into this world. Just a little more snow on the ground and it will be perfect.

Un Belle Visite au Brandon

Saturday was a Brandon kind of day! The weather presented a perfect winter day, complete with barely a breeze and crisp, cold air. The roads were dry and mostly bare, and I made excellent time, arriving within a few minutes of my expected arrival.

I enjoyed a nice visit with my parents, some yummy food (I need to make that soup now myself...), and even got to hang out with my furry siblings for a bit. They obviously missed me because they gratefully accepted my raw food donation and belly rubs.

The day was only sweetened by an excellent showing of Calvary Temple's Singing Christmas Tree and a delightful visit over appetizers with some old friends. I was very tired after the fun-filled day, but enjoyed all of it.

I'm looking forward to another visit to B-town in a few weeks and hope that the roads and weather are just as stupendous.

Approved

At 4:00 am central standard time, MOFCOM approved the purchase of Viterra by Glencore. Until 2:30 pm, however, I was unsure what that would all look like for the next two weeks of my up-in-the-air life.

Really the most positive thing for me this month is, it looks very likely that I'll get to go home for Christmas. If the approval had occurred even more business day later, however, that might not have been the case. Thank you God!

Until the next two weeks is over, however, there's plenty to do. I'll probably be working overtime, and already know I'll have to go in next weekend. But, that's okay because I'm actually available and in town.

All-in-all, I guess I'm glad it's coming to a close, rather than a denial. I still believe that the change will be good for me personally, and would like that I see it sooner rather than later. I'm still motivated and dedicated to my job and hope that's recognized.

If I'm not too tired to blog each day coming up, I'll share what interesting news I can!

More Sore :(

If it's not my back or my right wrist or my sinus issues, it's something else. This time it's my left shoulder and I truly don't know what I did to it.

Seriously though, I woke up a few days ago with a sore shoulder, completely unsure of how it happened. It hurts to raise it straight up (like a shoulder shrug) and pulling my arm forward seems to compound the issue (like when I'm typing...). My neck is also more stiff so it's creating more tension across to my right arm now. So very frustrating.

I'm going to put some ice on it tonight after my shower and see how it feels in the morning. Hopefully I don't have to go see my Chiropractor friend or Doctor, because I simply don't have time for that right now! The key is resting it, and prayer, I'm sure, so that I will do.

My Current Weight Loss Plan

I was the biggest KOPS loser tonight! Right on! Actually, I did much better than expected with a 2 1/2 lb loss this week. I figure it's because I told the naughty little devil that normally hangs out on my shoulder to take a hike and find a new job tormenting a willpower-less fool.

In four months, almost to the day, it will be my 30th birthday. For myself, I'd like to lose ten pounds by then. It's absolutely attainable, and something I've wanted to do since the beginning of my "journey". I just haven't had quite enough motivation or been choosing the right foods to lower my weight further. The major change I've made recently is eating most of my food before suppertime. It completely makes sense to eat a large breakfast and lunch and then eat less at dinner, but I've been doing it the "wrong way" for so many years that it was hard to grasp a change.

This is my typical daily food intake, from Monday to Friday:

• Breakfast: fried egg whites (approx 1/4 - 1/3 cup, and I only use cooking spray to grease the pan), either a piece of my new favourite toast or two pieces of Weight Watchers Multigrain with 60% Less Becel, a cup of skim milk, an applesauce cup, and a serving of Greek yogourt.

• Morning snack: small banana or half of a large one

• Lunch: homemade vegetarian chili and broccoli coleslaw (the dressing is oil & vinegar-based) or a hearty soup (with beans or lentils) and some marinated vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cherry tomatoes). Or I mix and match.

• Afternoon snack: the other half of my banana or a different piece of fruit like a pear or mandarin orange or some raspberries

• Dinner: a Smart Ones meal (I like the quesadillas  with a salad, or a small piece of sauteed salmon with a salad or vegetables, or a piece of toast and eggs, or a hearty bowl of soup and vegetables. 

Then I don't eat anything else before bed. I also drink lots of water (at least 8-10 glasses per day) which includes tea in the morning and often tea in the evening. I also started taking the stairs up and down at work and think it's helping out a lot.

So, that's what I do and it seems to be working for me. I try to eat heartily and healthfully and indulge when I absolutely need to. The best thing for me to stay motivated is to stay away from temptations that just make me want more, like donuts or pizza or other white flour-based foods. I'm still fully enjoying what I eat, I just make it so I don't want more by eating the right things. I also have to change things up often because I do get bored. The biggest misconception for others about me is that they think I'm not eating enough. If they knew that I eat five times a day they'd not think that, but it's hard when all they see is me eating basically the same lunch every day.

I say if it works, and it ain't broken, don't fix it. I definitely needed a change from my old routine, but I'm very happy with the results so far and look forward to continued losses. 2 1/2 lbs per month is all it will take to reach my 10 pound goal. I know I can do it.

The Reason for the Season

Today was not the greatest. It's hard to remain positive about much when the idea that my Christmas off could be completely abolished due to this stupid Glencore deal. I'm having a hard time coming to terms with it. It's not just that I might not get to spend time with my loved ones; I haven't had any more than a few days off at a time since February, and I'm completely exhausted and fed up over it.

You could say I made the choice to not take any time off in the summer. My answer to that is, I did NOT choose that, I didn't have the option. My co-worker's brother passed away right after the August long weekend. I had not planned time off because she already had for the end of August. Due to the events that occurred, I had no choice but to work. And work I did. That was the only month I've ever had more than a few hours of overtime compared to the entire two years prior.

I specifically planned to take the week of Christmas off. That was always my plan. With the 24th and 26th landing on a Tuesday/Wednesday, I could take off three days and still end up with a full week and two weekends at home. A great idea in principle, but not so great when MOFCOM takes their sweet time deciding the outcome of this whole schmozzle.

At this point, I'm praying it doesn't go through or is pushed back again. Sure, it's entirely selfish, but not only do I want to be able to see my family at Christmas, I absolutely need the time off.

If you are one of the family members I'm planning on seeing the weekend before Christmas, please pray that everything works out in my favour, and that you can come to terms with the Nairns not being there, if that's the end result. I need to get to a place where I'm okay with it also, so I understand the frustration and sadness over it. Just remember that Jesus is the reason for the season and no matter where we are, we'll be celebrating it the same way.

Amen.

Need. Sleep. Now.

Today I totally felt like the walking dead. I am soooo tired! The alarm went off at 6 am, and I never really woke up all day. There were moments where I thought I was okay, then my eyes got heavy and I found myself completely out of it again.

Because of that, I'm keeping this ultra-short. I had a nice quiet day yesterday, but I guess one very late night on the weekend caught up to me today. Caffeine didn't even help! So, enough said, I'm going to bed.

Oh by the way, did you realize it's only 21 days until Christmas?! Yikes!

Odd -- and Frustrating -- Winter Weather

This stupid weather is really getting on my nerves. One day it's -25, then a few days later it's raining. Literally! Right now it's +2 and raining. I checked the forecast for the week and seriously wonder what God is thinking... Tuesday high of -13, Wednesday high of 0, Thursday high of -13. If that actually happens.... I don't know. I'm just shaking my head.

The worst part, obviously, is the rain. I can get over tons of snow falling, but if it just rains on top of the snow then freezes, it sure makes things much more treacherous for getting around the city. And slow. The city's lights aren't timed properly as it is, so add in icy streets and you have a very long drive home.

At least the city has been pretty good about plowing the streets. They do need to get more sand out on the ice, but they're doing alright overall. If the weather would just stay cold so rain didn't happen, it would all be so much better. And less dangerous.

J's 30th Birthday Fun

It's hard to believe I'm almost 30 years old. At least I'm not the first of my friends to celebrate that milestone. Friend and co-worker J's 30th birthday is on the 9th, so we planned ahead to have a fun night out with the girls.

Supper was tasty, the hot tub was warm and relaxing, and the party was hopping. We definitely had a great night and were happy to get out and shake "what our mothers gave us". I don't know about the others, but I sure ended the night off feeling much younger than I am! Not like some old lady, which is how I feel more often than not after a hard week of work!

I'll need to plan something similar for my upcoming birthday, since we all had so much fun. Only four months to go! Eeps! Forget that, I'll be 29 forever :p

Trying Flyball

Casey and I will be trying out something new for fun. Since she loves running and playing with balls, flyball seemed like a likely option. We were against it for a long time due to the potential risk of injury to her legs from jumping hard on the flyball box, and the long term damage it could cause. I've changed my mind, however, after finding out more information about it.

If you haven't heard of flyball before it's a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball. Flyball is run in teams of four dogs, as a relay. The course consists of four hurdles placed 10 feet apart from each other, with the starting line six feet from the first hurdle, and the flyball box 15 feet after the last one, making for a 51-foot length. The hurdle height is determined by the shoulder height of the smallest dog in the team. Each dog must return its ball all the way across the start line before the next dog crosses. Ideal running is nose-to-nose at the start line. The first team to have all four dogs cross the finish line error free wins the heat. Penalties are applied to teams if the ball is dropped or if the next relay dog is released early. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyball) 

Check out this video to understand what all that looks like:

There are many basic things Casey needs to learn before she can just start running a race, but I'm patient and willing to work with her to try something I think she'll not only enjoy but be good at. We have a smart little cookie here, so why not keep on training her and immersing her in dog sports? 

Deal Update

The head honchos were in the office today for a "meet and greet". It was more like an update of what's going on with the merger/acquisition. Nothing new was really shared, and I wasn't entirely surprised.

There are people out there that think the deal won't go through at all. Then there's the option that the timeline to decide gets extended. The final option, which still many want to happen, is that the deal simply gets accepted. To explain to anyone out of the loop, MOFCOM (Google it) has to agree to the acquisition of Viterra by Glencore as we have a share of the market in China. That's the very short story. I'm sure there's lots more info on the world wide web if you wish to find out.

Regardless of what happens, I very much want some resolution to occur. Today makes one full year that I've been in a temporary role, and I just want it to be permanently recognized. I still have some faith, but my patience wanes as time wears on.

I'm going to keep working hard and, if they say "yes", I'm on-board to get everything done that's necessary. I'm a team player and willing to make things happen when it's time for it. I just hope it's soon.

My Doctor Dumped Me

My fourth South African doctor in a row is leaving me. Okay, third doctor. The first one left me for a job that worked better for her family. I left the second one because we moved to Regina. The third one mysteriously disappeared. (I'm not too unhappy about that one, in particular, but she did leave so she makes the list). The fourth one just let me know that she was offered a pretty spectacular amount of money for a job in La Ronge. If you haven't heard of it, Google it. It's up north. The only way doctors accept positions there is for the money and work-life balance. Guess what? She's getting a sweet 2.5 million big ones (or that's what I thought she said, anyway) and two weeks off for every two she works. Huh. How about that. Nice for her, not so nice for me.

Seriously though, this means I have to try and get another lady doctor to accept me at the same clinic. I have my issues, so I just hope she does. She's the only other one at the office I go to. Otherwise, I'll need to start looking elsewhere. It totally bites. At least Doctor Big-Money gave me six months of prescriptions to keep me going while I find some other soul to take me on. Thanks.

A Missing Mystery

Look at this picture. Notice anything?

If you said, "it's missing a stone!", you'd be correct. This has never happened to me before. I just picked it up from the goldsmith after work, and didn't notice anything odd at the time. I'm pretty sure it didn't happen there, but between there and home and cooking dinner, etc.

I'll need to take it back now, for the third time, to see about getting a new stone. Even a cubic zirconia is fine with me, I just don't want to see it with an empty hole. I can't imagine what it will cost, but I hope it's cheap.

Somehow I'm not surprised that it happened at all. It's just odd that it happened now, rather than any other time.

Positive Performance

After a year without one, I finally received a performance review. Finally is an understatement, actually! At my last job, I had one twice a year... for three years! In the 2 + years I've been in my current employment, I've had... um... three? Yeah, that sounds about right. Not cool.

I get it, we're busy and doing them takes a lot of time for my manager. Not only that but she's in the position somewhat unwillingly due to the need for her to be there. I love working with her though, so am very patient when it comes to my review.

After all was said and done, I did pretty good! I scored myself too high for the most part (I was having one of those days, okay?!) but she also agreed with my score a few times. Apparently a 3 out of 5 is considered quite excellent anyway, so there's no need for me to be disappointed. If I had anything less though, that would be a problem!

I'm still hoping that things work out positively for me in the near future, but we're still playing the waiting game. Until China decides where our fate lies, I'm at the mercy of the people. Darn those people. All they care about is getting paid! Oh wait, I guess I'm one of them. HA!

3.14 = Pie

A friend of a friend shared this picture on my Facebook wall a few weeks ago and I forgot that I was going to share it with you. I literally had the same look on my face after reading it.

This entire year, I'd never seen it like that and now my mind is also blown. How about them apples? Apple pie, of course.

Queuing Up for Christmas

As we stood in line at Mark's Work Wearhouse during a five-hour sale, I was reminded why I completely dislike shopping in stores this time of year. My best best why the internet was created: to be able to purchase everything you could possibly imagine online, at home in your pajamas, without standing in line at the mall.

We specifically waited for this sale because we got the flyer in the mail and Paul immediately mentioned he needed a pair of steel-toed winter boots. I didn't say no, because he's working hard and really does have a need for them. I also didn't really prepare myself for the shopping experience. The line literally ran from the front till, down one aisle, down the back aisle, then back up the other aisle, ending at the till on the opposite side. A perfect square of holiday shoppers, waiting anxiously to cash in on their big 20% discount.

Paul was good about holding a place for us in the queue while I walked around looking at things. For my "cut", I ended up with an ivory turtleneck that was already on sale, a new pair of leather slippers (I picked dark red, with rubber soles. They are really nice!), and a pair of "tall size" long underwear for the old man. Then we stood in line, chatting with the other shoppers about football and hockey and Scotland. The store even provided cookies and passed around a tray a few times.

In the end, the cashiers were working very quickly to get everyone through, and it didn't really last that long, but I still prefer, hands-down, shopping online. In fact, each of Paul's gifts were purchased on the web, except for one that I need to get at Home Depot to save on shipping. It's nice to just get a package in the mail and have that feeling of, "wow, that was easy". Stress at this time of year is not at all what I look forward to, that's for sure!

Happy shopping to all the rest of you who will brave the retail outlets in the next month!

Coffee Time

For someone that absolutely does not consider herself a coffee liker let alone drinker, the tasting I attended at work today was quite alright! I was there by default (the other organizers weren't interested so someone had to be there), but I'm actually glad I was in the end.

For those that are coffee fans, and drink large cups of the beverage whitened with cream and sweetened by sugar every day, you are quite mistaken in how to drink the world's second most traded commodity. I urge you to visit a "real" coffee shop, like Forbidden Flavours in Brandon or Atlantis Coffee in Regina, and ask the barista for their best cup of joe. And don't add any cream or sugar!

Not only did I not dislike the coffee I sampled today, but I learned a lot about it. For fun, Google "facts about coffee" to learn some interesting things yourself. Did you know that it takes about 45 minutes for caffeine to hit your bloodstream and for you to feel the affects of the coffee?

I'm not necessarily going to become a coffee drinker (I prefer tea by far), but I definitely have a greater appreciation for it now. I'm happy I "had to" attend the tasting today and learn something new about a drink I was previously very ignorant of.

Freaky Furnace

Our furnace is acting funny all of a sudden. I don't like it one bit. Can someone please come over and fix it and make me feel better?

Seriously though, I have it set to be 21.5C at 4:45 pm until 10:00 pm. It said it was only 21C but wasn't turning on. So I pressed the button up for manual override to 22C just for a little while. Well, it was at 23.5C and wasn't turning off! I had to turn the actual system to "OFF" and wait for it to shut down. Then I put it back on the auto. It turned back on again when the heat was at 21C, to warm it up to 21.5. It turned off shortly after it had warmed up, but now it's turned back on again even though the thermostat says it's 21.5C in here. I don't like it :(

Last year we had an issue with the furnace too. It wouldn't even turn on though. Something was wrong with the sensor or the switch or who-knows-what on the actual furnace itself. I just don't have the time or patience to deal with this right now.

If it continues acting up, I'll need to call the heating guy tomorrow to see if they can come out. Then I'll need to miss work and drive home on the nasty streets to take care of it. At least it's Friday and hopefully will be quiet in the office. OR, hopefully it's just me and not the furnace and I don't have to be stressed out over anything at all. I hope. Amen.

P.S. It just turned off again. Fingers and toes crossed that I'm just cuckoo and it keeps working fine.

A Night Off

Sometimes you  just need to take the night off. Tonight was that kind of night. It helped that the weather was yucky and I really didn't want to go out in it. I could have, but I didn't feel like it. And it wasn't even because I figured I'd gained a little weight during the last week (I was skipping weigh in and the meeting).

It's always fun to just catch up on recorded TV shows, eat some comfort food, and relax. I haven't had a Wednesday night off since March, because in April I took the Weight Recorder position. The only times I had to get a backup to cover my job was for dinner out with my MIL, or buying our new vehicles. I don't consider either of those nights as being "off". Not like last night!

Speaking of the yucky weather. I really hate when it downpours for hours on end then snows like crazy on top of it. Imagine a thick layer of ice covered in fluff. At least it was pretty slushy... for now... until it drops to well below zero then freezes solid. Soooo looking forward to tomorrow :)... :(

So it might be icky outside but it's plenty warm and cozy inside and I quite enjoyed myself!

The CPA Made My Day

The Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) made my day today. Twice. Let me share the awesomeness with you.

Time #1:

Four to six weeks ago a new document came out from the CPA detailing the guidelines for salary overpayments. Upon taking a read, I came to realize how poor of a job the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that were involved with putting them together did in editing their grammar and spelling. If you follow my blog closely, you would have read the one I did on editing documents. It's fair enough to say that doing so is one of my passions. That said, when I discovered that a professional organization let such a document get out to the public, I was quite disgusted. So, since receiving it, in my spare time I've been going through with my red pen and making my own "reviewer notes". It's approximately 40 pages long. I finishes yesterday and scanned the document back to the developer at the CPA in Toronto. This is the basic sum of our back-and-forth email conversation in the last 24 hours:

CPA: Thanks for your comments! Do you want to review more of the guidelines on the website?
Me: You're welcome, and sure!
CPA: Great, we'll email you the Word documents so you can track your changes right on the file.
Me: That would be great, thanks!
CPA: I reviewed all your comments and, other than a few items, am sending it to the communications department to make the suggested changes.
Me: Oh wow!
CPA: Do you want to take part in a review of all the guidelines next year? It will be for 1-2 days in Toronto and your airfare and accommodations will be paid for.
Me: Ummmmmm....YES! Oh wait, except I have a few holidays booked. I hope it's not during that time.
CPA: When do you have leave booked?
Me: July 18-20 and August 10-24.
CPA: No problem, I'll book around that.

What the....?!?!?! AWESOME! Just you wait, CPA, you're gonna pay me money to do this for you yet! (Did I mention all my time is volunteered?)

Time #2:

I joined the Volunteer Committee of the CPA's Regina branch a short time ago and tonight was the appreciation/Christmas dinner. The restaurant was considerably high-end, and I even ordered a non-free beverage with my meal. The CPA paid the bill for me and the nine other attendees. Sweet!

Not a bad day overall, eh?

Piano Finger Ring Sizing

I may have been "re-ringed" last Tuesday, but today my engagement ring was sliding all around my little finger so bad that I took it back to get downsized even more. Believe it or not, it will be a size 4 once my little Asian jeweler friend is done with it. I might as well have baby fingers.

I like to say that I have "piano fingers". I did play piano for a number of years, as well as other musical instruments, so their slenderness could possibly be from that. UrbanDictionary.com says:

Piano Fingers are fingers that are long and thin. Piano fingers are great because you're able to reach piano keys much more easily. It's also a compliment.

Alright then. All I know is that when someone with average-sized fingers attempts to put my wedding band on their finger, it usually only makes it on their pinky. Well, except for those freakish, skinny girls. And my sister. Maybe it's just hereditary. Don't google "skinny fingers hereditary" though. We do not have Marfan Syndrome!

Having skinny fingers can be quite a positive trait. They're great for getting paper unstuck from the photocopier or printer. They're also good for typing quickly and playing musical instruments (see above). I bet they're also good for hailing taxicabs.

So I do have to fork over another $20 to get my ring re-sized, but at least this time I'm 99% confident it will fit properly. And if it's too small in the summer when my fingers swell due to the heat, I'll just take it off. So there.

Santa Parade

The 27th Annual Santa Clause Parade was held in Regina today. The weather was pretty mild; quite the departure from the bitter cold we experienced the last few years! Here is a picture of the TOPS members that participated in our "float" today.

For many of them, it was the first them they'd walked in a parade. I feel like such a veteran! From Canada Post to VMHS to now, I've been in quite a few. It doesn't bother me at all, waving at people I don't know. I'm there to share my message and I hope they get something out of it.

We had a good time, albeit I was even more sore afterwards (the bumps did not help my situation today!). Paul even drove the truck, like a good little elf :)

Two Bumps and Some Bruises

OUCH! I wiped out :( As per my normal routine, I walked outside to go start my car as it was all frosted over and I wanted it warm. Unlike normal, however, I was carrying a huge stack of poster boards to put in the trunk. Clearly walking too fast and dragging my feet, I slipped right off the top step of the deck (there are four). The frost had created a thin layer there as well, so my gripless slippers had no chance. The fall went by pretty quickly so all I really remember is a "bump bump" (two steps?) and leaning back so I didn't fall forward, and all my posters flying into the snow. Not cool.

Needless to say, I felt sore pretty quickly after that. A few ibuprofen were no match for the bumps and bruises I received. As long as I don't lift my right leg up... or lift anything with my left arm... or sit down for too long... sounds like this is going to be fun.

I do know that I'm glad I'm only 29 when it happened because a 79 year old would be in much worse shape than I. My bones are strong and I'm pretty resilient. After a few days I'm hoping my pain will subside and I'll be fine. I'll definitely be WAY more careful from now on though!

Socializing Time

It sure is nice to take a few hours after work to get to know your co-workers/friends a little better over some food and drink. I often don't make the time for socializing after work, but considering it's a Friday and my week has been less-than-stellar, it was much needed.

There is still plenty to do during the weekend ahead, so if I can take a few hours and just do nothing, it's probably a good idea. I need to make more time for socializing in the future also. Maybe that will be my 2013 goal since it won't be blogging!

Parade Prep

To add to my already-stressful life, I found out that the Santa Clause Parade is NOT scheduled for Sunday, November 25th. Rather, it's the 18th. Newsflash: that's in three days. When I was informed that I had the date wrong, I could just feel my blood pressure rise. *Deep breath in... and out... and again...*

Good thing I'm organized so I set up a plan to get together with a few people on Saturday to do some arts and crafts. I need to make up some sandwich boards in the theme of the parade, that advertise TOPS and share our stories. I stopped at a few stores after work today and got the supplies, so now we just need to get the stuff done. Then Sunday morning all Paul and I will need to do is decorate the truck.

Thankfully, the weather is expected to be quite mild. Not so good for keeping a white truck clean for the parade, but fantastic for both parade go-ers and participants. I'm still looking forward to it, albeit will be somewhat stressed over preparations until they're done. Parades are fun and happy, so I'll try and remember that when I'm freaking out!

Feeling Low

I'll be honest, I'm having a hard time keeping it together. All of a sudden, starting this past Monday, I've been feeling pretty blue. I'm getting the same amount of sleep, eating the same food, and basically living on the same schedule. I don't feel like myself however.

I've never felt low for more than a day. I'm praying for strength and happiness, and attempting to lift my own spirits, but it's been really hard. In the morning, I just feel like going back to bed -- for the rest of the day -- and shutting out the day's duties. I realize that's not an option right now though, so I'm trucking along.

I'm lucky to have a few friends/co-workers in my life that are positive and care about my well-being. They try to bring me up but also respect my space. If I don't feel different soon, however, I'll need to seek medical advice.

This is hard for me because I consider myself to be a pretty upbeat person. It just seems so much harder than usual to crack a smile or enjoy a funny story. Sure, there could be a medical explanation for it, but it's not something I'm familiar or even comfortable with.

Rather than mope around not sharing my feelings, however, I wanted to at least write about what's going on in my life, as I've done for the other 317 days of the year. I have faith that things will get better, so I'll keep on keeping on the best that I can. I sure do need a holiday though...

Re-Ringed

After more than a year of my wedding and engagement rings being too big to wear (properly), I can finally say they fit! I dropped them off last week at a goldsmith to get sized and just picked them up after work today. Look:

It's strange to wear them both again. I was able to wear the wedding band, but it was so loose that I feared losing it down the drain when washing my hands. Scary, and definitely not worth wearing it if I could possibly never see it again.

I have to say that I was quite surprised when my fingers shrunk at all. When it comes to ring sizes, mine was a 5 before losing weight. Now it's about 4 1/2 or so. That's pretty small. So small that I often can't buy rings "off the rack" as the smallest they come in is 5. At least my middle and index fingers are larger. Yet again, I don't wear rings other than these so why do I care!?

The best part of my rings fitting: it's nice to be "married" again. haha.

Cold Nights

Have you noticed how, most of the time, the temperature drops after a snowfall? I tried to consult Wikipedia to understand why this happens, but I only found this one line:

The small temperature change from before to after a snowfall is a result of the heat transfer between the snowpack and the air.

Yeah, okay... But seriously, it DOES change. Last night we went out to see the movie "Flight" starring Denzel Washington. It was definitely worth going to see, so please do! It started to get quite cold before we went out, and I knew that it was past time to get my car's block heater cord out so I could plug in. By the time we left the theatre it was -16C. That's without the wind chill, however, so I figure it probably dropped a few more last night and felt closer to -30C. Paul was able to plug my car in for me and I had no issues in the morning.

It's strange, though, as just a couple days ago it was closer to -5C during the day. The forecast for this week is suggesting highs of -2 or -3C. The up and down can really get to you, but as long as you dress appropriately, anything can be handled.

I'm definitely happy to be in the warm house when it's cold and windy outside, but in the afternoon if it's calm and the sun is shining, there's nothing better than a snowy winter day.

Lest We Forget

I don't have any personal ties to the military, but I truly appreciate the men and women that so dutifully serve our country. Until I worked in Shilo for three years, I never really understood the lifestyle. I now have a greater respect for the military, and for the families, and want to stop for a moment to remember them.

I really like the John McCrae poem, "In Flanders Fields", so I'm sharing it here:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

      Between the crosses, row on row,

   That mark our place; and in the sky

   The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

   Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

   If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Lest we forget those today on November 11th...

Saskatoon Coziness

It might have been snowin' and blowin', but we were very motivated to get the heck outta town on Saturday. City roads are always worse than highways, so we braved the winter weather for a night away from home.

Other than getting a little stuck in the parking lot of the kennel Casey stays at, we had an uneventful drive to Saskatoon. A stop in Davidson for a Subway lunch made a nice break, and we made it into the city in good time. We were able to check into our room right away and get to looking around. The hotel was nice (Radisson) and we felt very cozy. We even got a room on the 15th floor with a view of the river. I was very pleased.

I was very smart in getting a hotel right downtown as we were able to park the car in the heated underground lot and just walk where we needed to go. The mall was literally three blocks away.

After spending all my husband's hard-earned money on some beautiful boots and Lululemon gear, we spent a short while in the hotel hot tub. There were plenty of kids around and the the tub wasn't the greatest, but we relaxed in the warmth, inside from the wintery wind.

Dinner consisted of some good 'ol pub food (nachos, chicken fingers and fries) at a warm and cozy Irish bar a few blocks from the hotel. We left full but happy. I would totally go back there again.

I fell asleep early after a busy but fun day. The bed was cozy (see a theme here?) and there were plenty of pillows to go around (Paul always bugs me about my pillows). I'm really glad we were able to get out of town and have some quality time together, that's for sure.

Winter Whiteout Woes

It appears that winter has officially arrived. Or rather, it has reared its ugly head and declared, "enough of that grass crap, Prairies. It's time to cover your world with SNOW!" I've said it before, I quite like winter, especially the snow part. This time, however, I'm quite peeved that it decided to arrive today.

Last year on this same weekend, Paul and I traveled to Edmonton for a short weekend away. We had a lot of fun at the mall and got to get some quality time in together. It was short, but sweet. This year we decided to just get away to Saskatoon for an overnight. I planned this a few months ago. The hotel is booked and we've been looking forward to just getting away from the pets and the usual distractions. That was until the snowstorm hit.

We still plan on leaving tomorrow morning, dropping Casey off at the Playground first. I'll pray before bed that it dies down, and get up early to check the road reports. If they say anything other than "Closed", we'll go. Even if it's still windy and lightly snowing, we'll go. The only reason we'll decide to stay here is if it's whiteout conditions. In that case, our backup plan is to still get out of the house and stay overnight at the Delta (thanks to my darling sister and her Family Rate booking capabilities).

Regardless of what God/Mother Nature has bestowed upon us, I'm still looking forward to the weekend ahead. I expect lots of relaxing, shopping, and some delicious food and drink are ahead!

Left Out

Have you ever found yourself to be the lone person in a group that wasn't invited to a major event for someone else in the group? I didn't expect to, but it seems that the time has come. A co-worker is getting married and it appears that, expect for the new girls, I'm the only one that's left out in the cold.

I'm not friends with this person, but have tried to be. I don't know why, but we've never connected. Maybe it's her, maybe it's me. Either way, we say little to each other and don't have to due to our job responsibilities. It doesn't mean that I wouldn't feel singled out if I wasn't invited to her upcoming nuptials.

Said wedding happens to be this Saturday. She's already on leave to prepare, but a few other co-workers keep talking about the weekend right in front of me. Don't they realize I wasn't invited? Are they just so unprofessional that they don't have the respect to talk about it out of my earshot? Honestly, I'm not entirely offended to not be invited; the issue is the other people around me that appear to have a lack of regard for my feelings.

I don't care what the plans for the weekend are. I don't care what you're wearing or what you still need to buy for your outfit. I also don't care to hear about what happens at the wedding when you come to work on Tuesday gabbing about it. I don't want to see pictures or hear how good the food was. I would like you to please take any talk about it away from my area so I don't have to get upset.

There is only one person I feel comfortable expressing my feelings over this situation to, but only because they are one of the "new girls" who also was not invited. She agrees that it's disrespectful and wouldn't blame me for calling in sick on Tuesday. I won't actually do that, but I sure feel like it.

Congrats to the happy couple, but it would have been nice to at least get a "courtesy invite" so I could have the chance to decline... because I would have.

TOPS Hurrah

My "reign" as Weight Recorder of TOPS SK 2765 Regina has come to an end. Officially, and quite satisfyingly. I already feel like myself again, mingling with the members and getting to play a different role. Although I believe I will probably sit on the executive again at some point in the future, I know that it will be in a very different capacity and I'll not feel "weighed down" -- pardon the pun -- by it.

We had a great night also. There were lots of awards to give out to the big losers, and we celebrated some fabulous successes. I even got to take home some fruit for achieving one of the top spots for the month. I was very happy to congratulate my friends for a job well done one and hand them their prizes one last time.

I hope our group continues on positively, regardless of what may come in the future. It's no secret that we've grown to capacity, and that time seems to be of the absolute essence. I'm having fun being there though, so I support my group in all areas.

I'm really looking forward to the next few months, with a Christmas party, a new year, and then the annual instillation. It shall be interesting, that's for sure!

Being Charitable

If you haven't noticed, it's that time of year again when the charities are out looking for donations. Whether it's door-to-door canvassers for the MS or Cancer Society, or United Way through payroll deductions, we can start feeling that pressure to GIVE once again.

At work, it's often like they think we're made of money, just because of who we work for. Not only does "Jeans Day for Charity" cost $5 per Friday (or $20 for five weeks), but there are 50/50 draws all the time, and NFL pools, and sick kids and spouses... and the list goes on! It almost makes me feel angry that they keep asking for my money all the time. I'd like to give, but I can't give to everyone.

My neighbour across the street just happens to canvass for the Canadian Diabetes Association every fall. She came by this evening saying, "it's that time of year again!". No kidding. I obviously welcomed her in and promptly whipped out my checkbook. I'm not usually so eager, but since I can afford it, I'll just donate a little. Honestly, I do have a hard time saying no to someone that I may actually get to know better for being neighbours; if it was a stranger, it would be easier to say, "no thanks". At least it was for the C.D.A. and I have a personal connection with the disease (my uncle was diagnosed once, and right away started working on himself to make it go away).

I think we all have personal connections with certain charities and feel more willing to open our wallets for them. It definitely can get overwhelming though, so you simply have to pick your favourites and just stick to a budget. At least charitable donations are tax deductible...

Performance Perfection... okay, not quite.

You know I hate to toot my own horn (yeah, right) but this is the first year since I started my career in 2007 that I feel entitled to receive a high score on my annual performance review. Not only have I rolled with the punches (regularly), but I've become very adept in my technical abilities with our system and well-versed in most areas of our payroll processing.

The only payroll course I'd taken pre-current job was a basic payroll course in college way, way back in 2005. I only took it because the curriculum required me to, in order to give me my diploma. Otherwise, I would NOT have taken that course. Well, in hindsight, I'm really glad I did. I may not have used a heck of a lot of payroll knowledge in my previous employment, but it was enough to get me into my current job and I'm very happy for that.

Once I got my new job in 2010, I took the opportunity to enroll in payroll courses right away. Not only would they pay for it, but I'd be able to further my career just by taking them. A year later, I had completed the required courses for my Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) certification. I feel pretty spectacular about that, actually, and I'm not ashamed to say so.

Since then, I've grown a lot in my new role. I'm training new employees, taking on new tasks with more responsibility, providing guidance and leadership to my team, and enjoying myself while doing so. I completed my personal review this morning and really had to contemplate the reason for marking myself so high. In the past I've always been cautious about doing so, because I'd rather mark myself low and be surprised by a higher grade from my manager later on. This time, however, I feel differently and hope they do too.

At least I can attempt to sell myself and justify why I feel I'm so awesome. Gotta try it and see!

Agility Anxiety

Casey and I started up another Agility class this afternoon. It's been quite a while since the last time -- about a year -- and I had a bit of anxiety going into it. Casey is a purebred terrier, through and through, and we've had our struggles in the past due to her born nature. I've always remained open to new techniques, however, and hoped that eventually Casey would settle down and focus on the task rather than the distractions around her.

Within moments of the class starting, I knew the trainer meant business. I was worried at first, but quickly understood that if I listened to her pointers and did as I was told, we'd get along just fine. It's like train-the-trainer, and I'm okay with that! Casey had some issues at the beginning due to her excitement level, and the fact that it's been so long since the last time. She did quickly get the hang of it and remembered the commands, such as "tunnel" and "jump".

The issues only began when she got territorial with other dogs. She loves all dogs; they're not the issue. The problem is that she thinks that when she's with me (or any other female authority figure that she perceives to be "hers"), she gets very angry when other dogs show an interest in me or I in them. The trainer noticed this right away and we actually got to work on it. I was completely open to her taking over, especially as she was forthcoming with me in that she told me I may think the treatment was harsh. Honestly, she's the professional so I must have an open mind when it comes to training my terrier. I don't know what to do, she does, so I was more than happy to allow her to take the leash and attempt to get Casey straightened out. She definitely was affected, and we're going to keep working on it. The advice I received will be put into practice so that we can move on and fix this little issue of ours.

We have next week off due to Remembrance Day, but we'll be at it for another five weeks starting the following Sunday. I'm looking forward to Casey getting better at the obstacles and us developing a better relationship. It does get emotional for me a bit when she acts up, but I have to remember that it's for her good that we don't allow her bad behaviour to be accepted. In time I have faith that we'll be a strong team, even competing in fun agility events. And hey, I was sweating by the end of the class so it's a good workout for me too :p

TOPS Tallying and Thanks

Wow, I am really, really, really happy to be done as Weight Recorder. I will say it one more time: it's not that I couldn't do it, I simply don't want to anymore. I had a few errands to run in the morning, and then my entire afternoon was dedicated to tallying up the month's awards and calculating the results of the last contest. I didn't want it to take me all afternoon, but it did.

With over fifty active members, it sure is a big job. I truly appreciate the work that goes into doing it, and value the next person that's taking it over. I hope she enjoys it as much as she said she did in the past!

I love my TOPS peeps, and I'll get to award them one more time on Wednesday with the October results. There's lots of great work being done in the group so I'm happy to be able to share it with them once more. I'm even more happy to be able to get to know them better in the coming weeks and months.

Thank you for appreciating the work I did these last seven months. It's no easy task and I'm glad you realize it. I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Snow Smiles

Yet another busy Friday at work, and yet another Friday that a co-worker is sick. Hmm. Obviously I won't name names, but it definitely bothers me that they continually are "sick". It's not even due to the cold or flu, but rather self-inflicted through choice of foods. I'll leave it at that.

I was busy though, and it's good to be. It's never nice to be bored, especially on a Friday when all you want to do is go home and relax. I even had a massage halfway through the day over my lunch hour, to break up the time and, of course, to incur some painful pleasure! It was misty outside when I went into the therapist, and when I left, the snow was falling quite rapidly. The temperature must have dropped one degree, as it seems that's all it took to change the wet stuff into white stuff.

I was prepared at 4:30 with my pink snowbrush, and although the roads were very icy and it took longer to get home, it was a great feeling to be done the week. I've said it before, I really like winter so, although treacherous roads are not desirable, the fluffy, beautiful snow is. It's almost as if my world became cozier after a soft blanket covered the earth. Sure, shovelling's no fun, and neither is being cold, so I stay warm and burn some calories cleaning my driveway. Enough said!

The weekend may be filled with errands and organizing, but at least the snow cover will make me smile while I keep busy.

Thursday?!

Wow, what a strange, frustrating, emotional, overwhelming day. There will always be the occasional day like this, but it's so exhausting when it happens. At least it ended off with a tasty thin crust pizza and a delightful mom-chat.

The good news is, Paul's cold is slowly getting better. He still wakes me up in the night coughing, which doesn't help an overall bad day, but it too shall pass.

Did you hear what's in the forecast? I hope it's not like this...

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! I'm going to share a few more photos with my blog-reading friends. This one is blurry, but I like it. I look skinny too, so bonus!

Hit Girl

And this is me at a different party the next night with the blue Crayola crayon, making my signature pouty face.

Crayon and Pirate 

And the last one, me "making friends"...

Hard to believe it's the same person in the purple wig, eh? :)

We chose not to hand out candy again this year due to Casey being too rowdy and barking at everyone and everything. Instead we closed the blinds, turned out the lights, blocked the way onto the deck, and went out for a nice dinner. Beer Bros. was quiet and cozy and we enjoyed some delicious fare. It was a good night. Now Halloween 2012 is over and I can start thinking about what I'll dress up as next year!

Survivor Pool

So I'm in a Survivor pool. I paid $20 and picked four people. The winner will not necessarily be the same person that picked the "sole survivor" as one of their four. There's a points system that gives and takes away points for things like competing in challenges, finding an idol, or quitting the game. The winner from last year is responsible for inputting the points each week. Approximately 25 people opted to join this particular pool, so my chances of winning aren't exactly high.

I started out in the first few weeks in third place; not too bad of a start. I'm really not sure how many weeks it's been now, but I've fallen to fifth. Actually, I'm in a five-way tie for fifth. That's worse. Sure, you never know what will happen in the game between now and the end, but I'm a little disappointed in how things are going. At least I only spent $20.

The game's not over yet, but team yellow is gonna have to ramp it up and returning player Johnathan needs to get voted off! Simple as that.

Hotel Harmony

Planning a little weekend away should be really easy. In fact, it would be if I wasn't the one planning it! I know what I want, kinda... sorta... I'm really not sure, actually. See?!

The issue is that I want to get a good hotel rate, but be in a great location. I have all these options for getting a good rate, like the Entertainment Book I purchased last year that offers hotel discounts, or even the Viterra discount. The seemingly simple task of choosing a nice hotel ends up being quite an involved process.

I already booked us a room at a particular hotel, but I don't really like the area and wouldn't mind spending a tad more to get a little more upscale experience. We're only spending one night and two days away as it is, so I want to be comfortable and yet within walking distance of all the cute little stores downtown.

The co-worker I've been carpooling with the last few weeks is from Saskatoon, so on the way home today I asked her for her opinion. I'm definitely going to look into the hotel she mentioned and see what things are close by. I value a good rating from someone that's been there, and I appreciate knowing someone that knows a lot more about the city than I do.

Regardless of where we end up sleeping, I'm looking forward to getting away from Regina for a few days. Especially the cats and dog. Sure, we love them to bits but the peace and quiet is long overdue. They can enjoy their own little weekend retreat at the same time anyway!

Snowy, Lazy Day

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." Don't hate the messenger! I wasn't the one that made it snow! :p

Regina has seen quite the cold, blustery day today. Snow has been lightly falling since this morning, and the wind has a bite behind it. It's the kind of day where you just want to stay on the couch and do nothing. For the most part, I was able to do just that.

Mr. Paul is feeling better than yesterday, getting some energy back and looking forward to going to work tomorrow. We both agree that one day of doing nothing is fine, but two in a row usually turns out long and boring and completely unnecessary. Save for a few moments where I cooked Paul some meals, made a pot of chili, and ran through one load of laundry, I was a completely louse. The dog enjoyed that.

Although snow reminds me of Christmas, it doesn't mean that I am ready for it yet. As it happens every year, we anticipate it coming and then all of a sudden, poof it's over. I'm going to try and slow down time between now and then by appreciating each day, so that when Christmas actually comes, I'm able to be present for each and every moment.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Party #2

Even after a near-meltdown over a costume malfunction pre-party, I was able to have a good time as a pirate last night. The house was completely decked out in Halloween decorations; apparently it takes them about nine days to set it all up each year. The hosts were amazing and lots of fun, interesting people attended. I'm sorry Paul couldn't come, but we'll definitely plan to attend next year.

I didn't get to take any of my own photos, but there were lots done by the party hostess. My co-worker said they usually post them all to a website for people to view. The most memorable parts of the night were:

-the massage chair in the "spider room"

-meeting a petite Asian-Latino dude who married a tall, blonde Polish-Ukrainian girl

-getting hit on by "Old Spice guy"

-the amazing riblets (nom nom nom)

-the zombie baby

I'm already looking forward to next year!

Kick-@$$

It's Saturday, but I'm writing this short blog for yesterday. Last night was Halloween Party #1: the 3rd Annual at the Koldyk's. It was definitely a better time than last year, even though I didn't enjoy my costume as much!

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I wasn't too thrilled about this year's costume choice. I really, really wanted to continue with our tradition of dressing as a couple or pair. Unfortunately for me, however, Paul decided to pick a character that's counterpart was NOT what I had envisioned  dressing up as. That said, I bought the costume anyway. Needless to say, albeit fairly comfortable overall, I really did not enjoy wearing the wig and mask. I was itchy all night. This is who we dressed as:

Kick-Ass and Hit Girl (from the movie "Kick-Ass")

This is how we looked:

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Not too shabby, right? Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz definitely have it going on, but we did alright for ourselves. Yes, I had an itchy head and face, but we got a good reaction from most people at the party.

We have #2 to attend on Saturday night, but Paul's not feeling too well with having a bad cough and some sniffles. I'll leave him at home and go with the girl from work that invited me. It also means I'll get to dress up more sexy, which is what I'd planned the whole time! Sure, I'll reuse a costume from last year, but it will be more comfortable. 

We had fun, met some new people, and enjoyed another Kick-Ass Halloween. :)