I woke up feeling pretty alright this morning. I showered and ate breakfast and got ready to head to the bus. Then I suddenly just felt sick. Now, don't get any ideas; I know for a fact it's not the P word!
After a few moments sitting down and contemplating if the feeling would pass, I decided to just call it a day and not go in to work. I'm rarely sick since changing my eating habits and losing weight, so the fact that my body was telling me something I haven't heard in a while, I chose to listen. Thankfully, my desk had been completely cleaned off on Friday before leaving, and I'm able to change my voicemail and e-mail out-of-office from home.
So, the pup and I had a restful day. I just stuck to the couch for the entire morning, drinking water and tea, and felt much better by noon. The only thing I really noticed was how tired I was. Between working so hard eight hours a day and being busy with visitors and TOPS, my body just needed a rest. I'm not surprised, so at least it was just an upset stomach.
Other than still being tired, I feel like myself again after this day off. Casey and I even spent some time outside in the sunny weather. We also took a short walk up to the mailbox to deposit a few items, then came straight back. It was nice to get some fresh air and relax today.
I'll be back at the desk tomorrow, with hopefully not too many e-mails or voicemails. Sometimes you just gotta take a sick day, and I'm very glad I did.
Monday pi: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Awards Agitation
There sure is a lot more to this Weight Recorder job than I thought! No, wait, this was the one job that I said "I've never do", so I must have known there was lots involved.
It's been a full month since I took over the position. The last Sunday of March, I spent two hours with the outgoing WR, "S", to get the hang of what needs to be done. We basically went over the month-end stuff and got ready for awards night (the first Wednesday of each month). This time I spent not two, but over three hours prepping, and I'm not sure why it took that long.
First off, I had to go to the craft store to buy more charms. (No, the cost doesn't come out of my own pocket, but I'll get reimbursed once I submit the receipt to the Treasurer.) I really don't like going into that store, so it was a little overwhelming right off the hop. I knew the stuff for jewelry making was in a certain section, so the charms probably weren't far off. I found a few things that would work, but still hadn't found the main stuff. It turns out I really didn't know what I was looking for, in that I didn't know the correct name, so once I found the "button charms", all was well. There were lots to choose from so I stocked right up.
I didn't get started on the actual computer-based prep work until 3 pm. I thought I'd be done by 5, but as 6 came and went, I was simply frustrated and tired and totally over it. The job did get done -- it had to -- but I hope it doesn't take that long next month. Sure, it was the first time on my own, but I found I was continually going back to the individual weight charts a lot. I don't remember doing that the month before with "S".
The problem really is that I just need to get a better grasp of what needs to be done, and get my own system down. I'm hoping that after a few months I'll be down to two hours (or less!). At least I feel ready for awards night and don't have to try and cram it in during the week.
It's been a full month since I took over the position. The last Sunday of March, I spent two hours with the outgoing WR, "S", to get the hang of what needs to be done. We basically went over the month-end stuff and got ready for awards night (the first Wednesday of each month). This time I spent not two, but over three hours prepping, and I'm not sure why it took that long.
First off, I had to go to the craft store to buy more charms. (No, the cost doesn't come out of my own pocket, but I'll get reimbursed once I submit the receipt to the Treasurer.) I really don't like going into that store, so it was a little overwhelming right off the hop. I knew the stuff for jewelry making was in a certain section, so the charms probably weren't far off. I found a few things that would work, but still hadn't found the main stuff. It turns out I really didn't know what I was looking for, in that I didn't know the correct name, so once I found the "button charms", all was well. There were lots to choose from so I stocked right up.
I didn't get started on the actual computer-based prep work until 3 pm. I thought I'd be done by 5, but as 6 came and went, I was simply frustrated and tired and totally over it. The job did get done -- it had to -- but I hope it doesn't take that long next month. Sure, it was the first time on my own, but I found I was continually going back to the individual weight charts a lot. I don't remember doing that the month before with "S".
The problem really is that I just need to get a better grasp of what needs to be done, and get my own system down. I'm hoping that after a few months I'll be down to two hours (or less!). At least I feel ready for awards night and don't have to try and cram it in during the week.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
To Play or To Nap...
That is the question. I'm simply going to say, when you're tired and go see a play that isn't extremely riveting, it can be difficult to stay awake.
Although "Mrs. Dexter and Her Daily" was a completely terrible play, it also isn't one of the better ones The Globe Theatre has featured. It's probably a good thing they're only here for a few weeks in total. Not to say the acting was awful, or the writing, but they both could have been better as a whole.
Not an entire waste of a few hours, especially as the company we were with was quite lovely, but I won't be recommending it. I think today was the final showing anyway.
The lunch we had at Beer Brothers WAS really good, however. I would definitely recommend the Chicken Corn Chowder!
Although "Mrs. Dexter and Her Daily" was a completely terrible play, it also isn't one of the better ones The Globe Theatre has featured. It's probably a good thing they're only here for a few weeks in total. Not to say the acting was awful, or the writing, but they both could have been better as a whole.
Not an entire waste of a few hours, especially as the company we were with was quite lovely, but I won't be recommending it. I think today was the final showing anyway.
The lunch we had at Beer Brothers WAS really good, however. I would definitely recommend the Chicken Corn Chowder!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday Cleaning
I was very happy that it was Friday, that's for sure, but cleaning the house for three hours wasn't exactly fun. It really was all my fault for not doing it earlier in the week, but my excuse was quite simple: if I'd cleaned it before Friday, it would just get dirty again before my sister's arrival. So I waited.
She wasn't planning on arriving until at least 11 pm, so I had plenty of time. Actually, I made up a big pot of stew AND cleaned for about three hours. Yuck, eh? It was well worth it.
The stew was okay, but Paul complained it was too runny. True. I should have added more cornstarch, but with all the cleaning, I kinda got distracted. It still tasted good.
Anyway, the sister unit ended up arriving just after 10 pm which was just enough time to relax a little and catch up on our Friday television show.
She wasn't planning on arriving until at least 11 pm, so I had plenty of time. Actually, I made up a big pot of stew AND cleaned for about three hours. Yuck, eh? It was well worth it.
The stew was okay, but Paul complained it was too runny. True. I should have added more cornstarch, but with all the cleaning, I kinda got distracted. It still tasted good.
Anyway, the sister unit ended up arriving just after 10 pm which was just enough time to relax a little and catch up on our Friday television show.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
My Nerdy Friends
I find it interesting that, even after "growing up", I still socialize with the same type of people that I did when I was much younger. As a child, my best friends were the quiet ones. We hung out after school and played board games. We were shy, reserved, and didn't need much excitement in our lives.
As a teenager, I branched out somewhat and became friends with somewhat more popular types. I still wasn't in the "cool group", but I was able to converse with many of them. I still found myself fairly shy and intimated by those with higher statuses in the food chain. The friends that were more outgoing helped bring me out of my shell though. Regardless, at heart I was still a video-game-loving band geek that preferred quiet, solitary nights at home.
Once I graduated I found myself with without the same pressure to be popular as I did in high school. It was somewhat liberating, to be "rid" of all those people that I cared so little for and just made me feel awkward. Finally I could really find myself and my place in the world. If I wanted to hang out with my gamer friends, so be it. I didn't care anymore, and I actually enjoyed their company more than I realized I would.
To this day, even after moving to a new city, I struggle to fit in with certain groups. I consider myself a recluse in the workplace. I'm not invited out to lunch with the regular crowd (I say it's because they think I won't want to because they're so used to my dieting habits) and don't hang out with any of them outside of working hours. The ones I get along best with are artsy types. They're more interested in getting to know me, rather than tell me about the new shoes they bought or what they liked about last night's episode of "Vampire Diaries" (gag).
I have a few people I consider "good" friends, but no one that I feel really close to. I have someone in mind that I'm hoping will become my new BFF (is that really lame?), but we'll see. Luckily I'm too busy most of the time to worry about not having a close friend around to chat with, but I suppose there are some out there that would be willing to lend an ear if I'd really like. And my mama is always a good sounding board (always has been, and hopefully always will be!), so that's a relief.
Recently I caught up with two "old friends". One just happens to be moving back to Brandon after being in another country for the last five years. We definitely are close friends, so I look forward to rekindling that relationship in the near future. Another doesn't live too awfully far away, but we can Skype! Yay for my computer-geek buddy who has known me for pretty much the longest of any of my friends. She's pretty loyal, and I value her friendship. I expect we'll be Skyping again :)
So after all these years, at heart I'm still that quiet girl with the shy friends. We're just more outgoing than we used to be. And we're still nerds :p
As a teenager, I branched out somewhat and became friends with somewhat more popular types. I still wasn't in the "cool group", but I was able to converse with many of them. I still found myself fairly shy and intimated by those with higher statuses in the food chain. The friends that were more outgoing helped bring me out of my shell though. Regardless, at heart I was still a video-game-loving band geek that preferred quiet, solitary nights at home.
Once I graduated I found myself with without the same pressure to be popular as I did in high school. It was somewhat liberating, to be "rid" of all those people that I cared so little for and just made me feel awkward. Finally I could really find myself and my place in the world. If I wanted to hang out with my gamer friends, so be it. I didn't care anymore, and I actually enjoyed their company more than I realized I would.
To this day, even after moving to a new city, I struggle to fit in with certain groups. I consider myself a recluse in the workplace. I'm not invited out to lunch with the regular crowd (I say it's because they think I won't want to because they're so used to my dieting habits) and don't hang out with any of them outside of working hours. The ones I get along best with are artsy types. They're more interested in getting to know me, rather than tell me about the new shoes they bought or what they liked about last night's episode of "Vampire Diaries" (gag).
I have a few people I consider "good" friends, but no one that I feel really close to. I have someone in mind that I'm hoping will become my new BFF (is that really lame?), but we'll see. Luckily I'm too busy most of the time to worry about not having a close friend around to chat with, but I suppose there are some out there that would be willing to lend an ear if I'd really like. And my mama is always a good sounding board (always has been, and hopefully always will be!), so that's a relief.
Recently I caught up with two "old friends". One just happens to be moving back to Brandon after being in another country for the last five years. We definitely are close friends, so I look forward to rekindling that relationship in the near future. Another doesn't live too awfully far away, but we can Skype! Yay for my computer-geek buddy who has known me for pretty much the longest of any of my friends. She's pretty loyal, and I value her friendship. I expect we'll be Skyping again :)
So after all these years, at heart I'm still that quiet girl with the shy friends. We're just more outgoing than we used to be. And we're still nerds :p
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Music for the Soul
Thanks to my sister, I'm now hooked on a new music group, Foster the People. When we were in Winnipeg on Good Friday, she plugged her ear bud into my head saying, "here, listen to this and tell me what you think". Well, it was funny because the song started out with an awesome beat and I was bopping along. Then they started singing and I go along with, "... I'm awesome, I'm awesome...". She laughs at me saying, "I knew you'd think that's what the words are!" The actual words are, "Yet again I'm hustling". Duh :p Well, I like the song anyway. Here, take a listen yourself:
I decided to download their entire album last weekend and am pleasantly surprised. The music is fresh and always has a great beat. They also use a lot of electronically-generated sounds, so it's fun to listen to. I can also understand the words! HAHA
Overall, I have a pretty varied taste in music. My all-time favourite group is Our Lady Peace (if you didn't already know that...) but I've been known to listen to all types of stuff. For example, I like:
-The Dixie Chicks (now defunct)
-Spice Girls (same)
-Carrie Underwood
-Avril Lavigne
-pretty much any 70's rock band, you know, the kind that you only feel right listening to when you sing falsetto "yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh" at the end of any good bit in the song
-Backstreet Boys
-David Archuleta (from American Idol fame)
-The Moody Blues
-Queen
-Eminem (yes, really)
etc etc etc
The point is, I really don't discriminate in my music tastes because there's a lot of good stuff out there. I've played in a jazz band, and learned classical piano. I enjoy singing in church and in choirs. I simply enjoy anything that suits my mood and makes me feel good. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow put it so well:
And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.
I decided to download their entire album last weekend and am pleasantly surprised. The music is fresh and always has a great beat. They also use a lot of electronically-generated sounds, so it's fun to listen to. I can also understand the words! HAHA
Overall, I have a pretty varied taste in music. My all-time favourite group is Our Lady Peace (if you didn't already know that...) but I've been known to listen to all types of stuff. For example, I like:
-The Dixie Chicks (now defunct)
-Spice Girls (same)
-Carrie Underwood
-Avril Lavigne
-pretty much any 70's rock band, you know, the kind that you only feel right listening to when you sing falsetto "yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh" at the end of any good bit in the song
-Backstreet Boys
-David Archuleta (from American Idol fame)
-The Moody Blues
-Queen
-Eminem (yes, really)
etc etc etc
The point is, I really don't discriminate in my music tastes because there's a lot of good stuff out there. I've played in a jazz band, and learned classical piano. I enjoy singing in church and in choirs. I simply enjoy anything that suits my mood and makes me feel good. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow put it so well:
And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Horrible Hormones
I hate hormones. Well, I'm blaming my mood on them anyway. Most days are okay, but some days -- and it really doesn't seem to matter what time of the month they occur -- I just can't get out of a bad mood.
Today, I thought something may be up with my body when I noticed I was being short with someone. I totally turned it around after, but I just wasn't in the mood to be patient and explain things like I normally would. It was like I just didn't care, even though I know deep down that I do. Once I realized it, I did change my mood and was much less impatient for the rest of the day.
There was a situation, however, where I felt that my feelings were hurt. It was all so stupid. Someone mentioned that I had been called "Dah-nah", rather than "Day-nah", and they kinda kept going on about it a few times after. Even a few coworkers were teasing me about it. It really was dumb for me to feel hurt, so I'm blaming hormones for making me feel so sensitive. It's just not my name, so I was defensive about it.
Then at home tonight I just feel like everything is out of sorts. With Paul being home off work this week for his back, and not being able to do simple chores that involve bending or twisting, I'm feeling quite resentful. I didn't feel like this yesterday, and deep down I feel differently, I just feel like I'm all alone taking care of absolutely everything in the house. I'm even doing chores that were his jobs, like taking out the garbage and scooping cat poop, because he can't physically do them. I know that truly it's no big deal, but today I just feel all depressed over it.
I'm sure that tomorrow will be different -- I hope -- but for now, I'm wallowing in self-pity. I wouldn't mind a happy pill right now to cheer me up. Actually, it's just one of those days where I'd prefer to just go to bed and read a book. Now, not later, even if it's only 6:30.
Stupid hormones. I'm not even in the mood for a piece of pi.
Today, I thought something may be up with my body when I noticed I was being short with someone. I totally turned it around after, but I just wasn't in the mood to be patient and explain things like I normally would. It was like I just didn't care, even though I know deep down that I do. Once I realized it, I did change my mood and was much less impatient for the rest of the day.
There was a situation, however, where I felt that my feelings were hurt. It was all so stupid. Someone mentioned that I had been called "Dah-nah", rather than "Day-nah", and they kinda kept going on about it a few times after. Even a few coworkers were teasing me about it. It really was dumb for me to feel hurt, so I'm blaming hormones for making me feel so sensitive. It's just not my name, so I was defensive about it.
Then at home tonight I just feel like everything is out of sorts. With Paul being home off work this week for his back, and not being able to do simple chores that involve bending or twisting, I'm feeling quite resentful. I didn't feel like this yesterday, and deep down I feel differently, I just feel like I'm all alone taking care of absolutely everything in the house. I'm even doing chores that were his jobs, like taking out the garbage and scooping cat poop, because he can't physically do them. I know that truly it's no big deal, but today I just feel all depressed over it.
I'm sure that tomorrow will be different -- I hope -- but for now, I'm wallowing in self-pity. I wouldn't mind a happy pill right now to cheer me up. Actually, it's just one of those days where I'd prefer to just go to bed and read a book. Now, not later, even if it's only 6:30.
Stupid hormones. I'm not even in the mood for a piece of pi.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Walking Fit
Casey and I just got back from a walk. It's hard for me to get the motivation to do it, so when I do get an inkling, I jump on it. I also have to do it at a particular time of day, as long as the weather is just right. Lucky for her (and my legs), the weather is lovely.
Our occasional walks aren't long, maybe fifteen minutes, but they are worthwhile. I know how important physical activity is for a long, healthy life, but it's just something I haven't been able to enjoy. I find that my feet are uncomfortable (I know, get better shoes), my back is tight (I know, keep walking and it'll get better), and my legs ache (I know, it takes time to get them used to it).
Last year I even joined the GCC (Global Corporate Challenge) in an attempt to get walking more, but it totally didn't help. I actually resented the fact that I had to count my steps each day and get online to input them. It was literally so annoying that I started not wearing the step counter and entered guesses each day. Yeah, so much for that!
Other than making my heart even healthier, my main goal this year is to get rid of some stubborn leg fat. Sure, I've lost over 40 pounds, but I haven't toned up at all. My body has been ridden of that amount of excess, but there's still a good amount of fat left over. Trust me. I still have blubber-knees and legs and I'm very self-conscious about it. I want to be able to wear shorts and skirts without tights and not feel the chub. Having said that, just dieting (aka eating right) isn't working any more. My body is pretty happy where it is and I know it because I'm basically right where I was in August of last year. Sure, that's great if I was totally happy with it, but I'm not.
So, I guess walking it is. I don't plan to even do 20 minutes per day, but anything more than nothing will be good for me. Casey also loves it and needs to learn to walk better on a leash (i.e. slowing down!), so we'll be practicing some more. In time, I'm also hoping my back loosens up and my legs don't hurt as much. Maybe I'll even be able to afford a really good pair of walking shoes. Here's hoping for another ten pounds lost by the end of the summer...
Monday's pi: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230
Our occasional walks aren't long, maybe fifteen minutes, but they are worthwhile. I know how important physical activity is for a long, healthy life, but it's just something I haven't been able to enjoy. I find that my feet are uncomfortable (I know, get better shoes), my back is tight (I know, keep walking and it'll get better), and my legs ache (I know, it takes time to get them used to it).
Last year I even joined the GCC (Global Corporate Challenge) in an attempt to get walking more, but it totally didn't help. I actually resented the fact that I had to count my steps each day and get online to input them. It was literally so annoying that I started not wearing the step counter and entered guesses each day. Yeah, so much for that!Other than making my heart even healthier, my main goal this year is to get rid of some stubborn leg fat. Sure, I've lost over 40 pounds, but I haven't toned up at all. My body has been ridden of that amount of excess, but there's still a good amount of fat left over. Trust me. I still have blubber-knees and legs and I'm very self-conscious about it. I want to be able to wear shorts and skirts without tights and not feel the chub. Having said that, just dieting (aka eating right) isn't working any more. My body is pretty happy where it is and I know it because I'm basically right where I was in August of last year. Sure, that's great if I was totally happy with it, but I'm not.
So, I guess walking it is. I don't plan to even do 20 minutes per day, but anything more than nothing will be good for me. Casey also loves it and needs to learn to walk better on a leash (i.e. slowing down!), so we'll be practicing some more. In time, I'm also hoping my back loosens up and my legs don't hurt as much. Maybe I'll even be able to afford a really good pair of walking shoes. Here's hoping for another ten pounds lost by the end of the summer...
Monday's pi: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Worship Woes
I've really been enjoying singing in church with the worship teams. It's nice because I'm not part of a choir, and our church doesn't have one, so it allows me to be involved in something I like in some way. I do have an issue, however.
Obviously I won't name names, but there's a particular couple that (although very nice and kind and fun and friendly and all the things good people should be) tends to get off topic a lot. I'm not the leader, nor do I plan to be, but I'm there for a reason so it can be frustrating to be so distracted.
For example, we'll be talking about a song we're singing that day and suddenly it spurs a thought about something totally different and they go off on a tangent. Okay, funny story, but let's bring it back and focus to get through our practice. We don't even really practice fully due to the "other things" taking up so much time. I feel somewhat unprepared at times once it's time to sing for real.
They also have two darling little girls, one still a baby, that basically hang out while we practice. If one of them cries, that has to be dealt with. If the other is doing something they shouldn't be, that has to be dealt with. Again, very nice, talented, all-around good people, with very nice children, but very easily distracted.
I don't even think it's a control issue for me. I really do believe that we're there for a big reason -- to lead the congregation in worship -- and it's not being treated with enough respect. It's now come to the point that I would really prefer to be scheduled with another team. How do I go about that though? I think probably the best option is to just contact the pastor in charge of that area and voice my concerns in a professional manner. I know that how they act is very innocent and not intended to be a bother or stress anyone out, but I'm having a hard time just letting it go.
Until then, the schedule is already up for May and June so I will continue to be a part of the team and enjoy singing. Maybe I should start praying that they would come to realize how their disruptions are affecting me (and hopefully others).
Obviously I won't name names, but there's a particular couple that (although very nice and kind and fun and friendly and all the things good people should be) tends to get off topic a lot. I'm not the leader, nor do I plan to be, but I'm there for a reason so it can be frustrating to be so distracted.
For example, we'll be talking about a song we're singing that day and suddenly it spurs a thought about something totally different and they go off on a tangent. Okay, funny story, but let's bring it back and focus to get through our practice. We don't even really practice fully due to the "other things" taking up so much time. I feel somewhat unprepared at times once it's time to sing for real.
They also have two darling little girls, one still a baby, that basically hang out while we practice. If one of them cries, that has to be dealt with. If the other is doing something they shouldn't be, that has to be dealt with. Again, very nice, talented, all-around good people, with very nice children, but very easily distracted.
I don't even think it's a control issue for me. I really do believe that we're there for a big reason -- to lead the congregation in worship -- and it's not being treated with enough respect. It's now come to the point that I would really prefer to be scheduled with another team. How do I go about that though? I think probably the best option is to just contact the pastor in charge of that area and voice my concerns in a professional manner. I know that how they act is very innocent and not intended to be a bother or stress anyone out, but I'm having a hard time just letting it go.
Until then, the schedule is already up for May and June so I will continue to be a part of the team and enjoy singing. Maybe I should start praying that they would come to realize how their disruptions are affecting me (and hopefully others).
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Super Saturday
Wow, it sure feels good to have my office (nearly) all organized. Paul even installed a shelf above my desk; something so easy but I've been waiting for it for a long time. Guess I just had to go buy the darned thing and give him something to do! I love the feeling of accomplishment so today was well worth it.
I spent some time in my office doing some arranging, but the majority of my afternoon was spent in the garage going through boxes. I probably ended up with ten to fifteen empty boxes after all was said and done. And that's not the end of it, I just ran out of time in the day. That and my back was so sore that I couldn't physically handle any more. I even have two boxes of clothes and shoes to give to Dressed for Success, and two big bags of clothes and three boxes of stuff to give away to Value Village. I also brought in one box of items into the house that I knew would have a place to call home.
It's amazing how some smart decision-making and various-sized plastic storage bins can make my life so pleasing. There's still some work to do, but I've gotten an excellent start. The rest probably will take very little time to go through, and some things just need to find a home in garage rather than in my office. I only have one large bin left to store things in, so will just grab a few more if need be. They're so handy.
It was a tiring afternoon, but a really good day overall. I even got to relax after dinner with a movie with Casey and Paul. Now my legs are aching, and my eyes are heavy with sleep, so my bed is a-callin'!
I spent some time in my office doing some arranging, but the majority of my afternoon was spent in the garage going through boxes. I probably ended up with ten to fifteen empty boxes after all was said and done. And that's not the end of it, I just ran out of time in the day. That and my back was so sore that I couldn't physically handle any more. I even have two boxes of clothes and shoes to give to Dressed for Success, and two big bags of clothes and three boxes of stuff to give away to Value Village. I also brought in one box of items into the house that I knew would have a place to call home.
It's amazing how some smart decision-making and various-sized plastic storage bins can make my life so pleasing. There's still some work to do, but I've gotten an excellent start. The rest probably will take very little time to go through, and some things just need to find a home in garage rather than in my office. I only have one large bin left to store things in, so will just grab a few more if need be. They're so handy.
It was a tiring afternoon, but a really good day overall. I even got to relax after dinner with a movie with Casey and Paul. Now my legs are aching, and my eyes are heavy with sleep, so my bed is a-callin'!
 |
| Note new shelf above desk, and plastic filing cabinet on the floor (found on UsedRegina for $10!). The built-in shelves are also organized now and I have room for my computer monitor on the desk. |
 |
| Bookcase is actually pretty sparse as I've gotten rid of most things. Blue bin on floor is designated for Halloween costumes, and boxes on top are destined for the garage. |
 |
| Note all the broken down cardboard boxes. The three blue stacked bins are now full of items. The orange one is empty for now. |
 |
It's hard to see with the car, but there are two clear plastic
bins full of books there, and another three blue ones. Finally
they are safe from potential water damage!
|
Friday, April 20, 2012
Spring Organizing
So much for being excited to get a new sun tunnel in my kitchen this weekend. With Paul out of commission for at least a few more days, there's no way I'll be getting one for a few weeks now. Due to the sun tunnel being put on hold, so is the stairwell/back entrance painting. I only want to be in a construction zone for one day, so I'll leave it for then. I also want Paul's help with painting up high and can't expect him to be able to bend properly in the state he's in.
Speaking of Paul, he saw my chiropractor this morning and is resting. He's in no better shape than 24 hours ago, but he's also no worse. He just needs to take it easy and give his muscles time to heal. I need him to go back to work, so no way is he allowed to strain anything.
With no painting or sun tunnel installation, it just means I get to focus my time on organizing my office and the garage. This is still extremely exciting to me, being an A-type personality and all. I hate living amongst clutter and disorganization, so it's going to be lots of fun getting stuff put away. The hardest part will be to decide what sizes of plastic storage boxes I need. Seriously! I always tend to either under or overcompensate for what I'll need to put in them, and end up unsatisfied with my purchases. I'll need to carefully decide what's getting tossed and what's needing boxed, then go out and buy them.
Do you like to organize your life? I find it quite therapeutic. To be able to walk into a room and know exactly where things are is such a good feeling. It's stressful living in a mess. So chaotic and confusing. Well, for me anyway. I work with a girl that "knows where everything is" on her desk. I can't even see her desk for the mess on top of it! HAHA I love those people, but they make me stressed out. I prefer not to look at their desks.
This is what I expect to accomplish this weekend:
-buy a shelf to install above my desk to house my various office supplies
-organize my TOPS stuff, like cards I've received that need to be put into mini albums, and all my awards that need plastic organizers. I have one shelf that's dedicated to TOPS but it's a presently royal mess.
-toss out/recycle all my leftover Sunset Gourmet items, like order forms, catalogues and recipe cards. I also have a few food items left, like sauces and dips, that I will sell to you if interested :)
-pick up a filing cabinet I have on hold from someone selling it on Used Regina. Only $10! Now I'll be able to truly file my paperwork away.
-bag up more "fat" clothes to give away to Dressed for Success or the big yellow bin
-put away winter clothes and store in basement
-reorganize my garage and decide what I don't need. Either I'll donate them to Value Village or put some online to sell. Either way, I'm tired of looking at boxes in my garage and forgetting what's in them. If I haven't unpacked them yet, I must not need them. Or not have room in my house. Or something.
Either way, this weekend is shaping up to be fun. The weather totally sucks today but maybe tomorrow I'll get some sunshine. As long as Paul dogsits, I'll be productive in my spring organizing!
Pi for Friday: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592
Speaking of Paul, he saw my chiropractor this morning and is resting. He's in no better shape than 24 hours ago, but he's also no worse. He just needs to take it easy and give his muscles time to heal. I need him to go back to work, so no way is he allowed to strain anything.
With no painting or sun tunnel installation, it just means I get to focus my time on organizing my office and the garage. This is still extremely exciting to me, being an A-type personality and all. I hate living amongst clutter and disorganization, so it's going to be lots of fun getting stuff put away. The hardest part will be to decide what sizes of plastic storage boxes I need. Seriously! I always tend to either under or overcompensate for what I'll need to put in them, and end up unsatisfied with my purchases. I'll need to carefully decide what's getting tossed and what's needing boxed, then go out and buy them.
Do you like to organize your life? I find it quite therapeutic. To be able to walk into a room and know exactly where things are is such a good feeling. It's stressful living in a mess. So chaotic and confusing. Well, for me anyway. I work with a girl that "knows where everything is" on her desk. I can't even see her desk for the mess on top of it! HAHA I love those people, but they make me stressed out. I prefer not to look at their desks.
This is what I expect to accomplish this weekend:
-buy a shelf to install above my desk to house my various office supplies
-organize my TOPS stuff, like cards I've received that need to be put into mini albums, and all my awards that need plastic organizers. I have one shelf that's dedicated to TOPS but it's a presently royal mess.
-toss out/recycle all my leftover Sunset Gourmet items, like order forms, catalogues and recipe cards. I also have a few food items left, like sauces and dips, that I will sell to you if interested :)
-pick up a filing cabinet I have on hold from someone selling it on Used Regina. Only $10! Now I'll be able to truly file my paperwork away.
-bag up more "fat" clothes to give away to Dressed for Success or the big yellow bin
-put away winter clothes and store in basement
-reorganize my garage and decide what I don't need. Either I'll donate them to Value Village or put some online to sell. Either way, I'm tired of looking at boxes in my garage and forgetting what's in them. If I haven't unpacked them yet, I must not need them. Or not have room in my house. Or something.
Either way, this weekend is shaping up to be fun. The weather totally sucks today but maybe tomorrow I'll get some sunshine. As long as Paul dogsits, I'll be productive in my spring organizing!
Pi for Friday: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Big Baby's Bad Back
Are men the weaker sex? I'm thinking maybe. Us women always say we've got it way harder, especially (although I cannot speak from experience) for the childbirth part.
Paul woke up this morning with a stiff back. He took a couple ibuprofen and went off to work. I got a text message from him mid-morning that stated, in a nutshell, that he wa's in pain from his back. I wasn't sure what he did but he said he'd just work out the day. Okay, I thought, it can't be that bad if he can still work.
Well when he arrived to pick me up from work, I could tell he was quite stiff. He couldn't really turn or bend. He said he slipped on the stairs at work. So, he woke up with stiffness (without knowing the cause) and then aggravated it by being silly and slipping. Hmm.
As the boss of the house (or so I say), I know how things work and have connections with certain practitioners in the city due to my own issues. I suggested he see my chiropractor as soon as possible. Hey, why not first thing in the morning? Okay, he says back. Ha. Lucky for him, it's easy to get in to see Dr. K in the morning, so he's going first thing. I'll probably go with, as if I don't see them enough as it is! I just hope he can fix Paul up, or at least get it started. We can't afford to have him of work as he doesn't get sick days.
So we get home and he's acting all "woe is me", but is still bending down to get stuff, wincing as he goes. When Paul's not 100%, I find him to be somewhat of a whiner. Now, he doesn't regularly read my blog, but if he does, just in case, I don't mean to be rude. He knows that I hate a whiner but I will gladly take over all tasks that he cannot physically complete while he's recuperating. Instead, he tends to try to keep doing them. He even gave me a funny look when I suggested he ice his back, then put heat on it. A sort of "I don't need those" look. Well I said you do, and you'll do it!
So that's where I'm headed now: to give the big baby his ice pack and make sure he's settled in his big boy chair. And to remind him about his doggie duties, which he so easily completed outside after dinner... we'll see how tomorrow goes.
Paul woke up this morning with a stiff back. He took a couple ibuprofen and went off to work. I got a text message from him mid-morning that stated, in a nutshell, that he wa's in pain from his back. I wasn't sure what he did but he said he'd just work out the day. Okay, I thought, it can't be that bad if he can still work.
Well when he arrived to pick me up from work, I could tell he was quite stiff. He couldn't really turn or bend. He said he slipped on the stairs at work. So, he woke up with stiffness (without knowing the cause) and then aggravated it by being silly and slipping. Hmm.
As the boss of the house (or so I say), I know how things work and have connections with certain practitioners in the city due to my own issues. I suggested he see my chiropractor as soon as possible. Hey, why not first thing in the morning? Okay, he says back. Ha. Lucky for him, it's easy to get in to see Dr. K in the morning, so he's going first thing. I'll probably go with, as if I don't see them enough as it is! I just hope he can fix Paul up, or at least get it started. We can't afford to have him of work as he doesn't get sick days.
So we get home and he's acting all "woe is me", but is still bending down to get stuff, wincing as he goes. When Paul's not 100%, I find him to be somewhat of a whiner. Now, he doesn't regularly read my blog, but if he does, just in case, I don't mean to be rude. He knows that I hate a whiner but I will gladly take over all tasks that he cannot physically complete while he's recuperating. Instead, he tends to try to keep doing them. He even gave me a funny look when I suggested he ice his back, then put heat on it. A sort of "I don't need those" look. Well I said you do, and you'll do it!
So that's where I'm headed now: to give the big baby his ice pack and make sure he's settled in his big boy chair. And to remind him about his doggie duties, which he so easily completed outside after dinner... we'll see how tomorrow goes.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Oopsie!
Wanna hear a funny story? Okay, keep reading. This is a good one.
On Wednesday mornings (now every second one, anyway) I have an appointment in the south end with my Chiropractor. Due to this, I have to get up early to drive Paul to work so I can get myself down there. So, I make sure to set my alarm the night before. Unlike any other of these nights, I reached behind my head, cranking myself around in bed, to change the alarm. I fiddled with the buttons a bit, changed it to the wrong wake time, then fixed it, checked it, made sure it was set to "radio mode" and left it alone for the night.
So the alarm goes off at the time I set it; 5:35 am. As I always do, I hit the snooze button, sleep for nine minutes, hit the snooze button again, sleep for another nine minutes, then turn off the last alarm. I specifically set it early so I can snooze because I'm not one to just jump out of bed on the first waking.
By this time it's 5:53, just like usual (and it's actually set about five minutes fast). I get up, grab my robe, make sure the cats are out of the bedroom, close the door, and go about my shower and morning routine in the bathroom across the hall.
At quarter-after, I peek out the door and notice Paul hasn't gotten up yet. So, like any good wife, I say "wakey wakey" into the dark room and ensure I hear him roused from his sleep. Then I go back into the bathroom to continue putting on my face.
Not a minute later Paul comes to the bathroom door, groggy at best, and states, "hun, it's only 5:15". What the...?!?! I look at my analog bathroom clock (my alarm is digital), literally squinting as if it will look any different from four feet away, and see that he's correct. The big hand is on quarter after, but he little hand is between the five and six. Crap. Somewhat frustrated but at a loss, I just tell him to go back to bed, grab my book in case I need it, and tell him there's no way I'm going back to bed because I've already had my shower (the equivalent of a morning coffee for me).
Well, there's really not much I can do now. I just slow my pace down a bit and take my time. I even decided to take Casey out for a walk, because I just didn't have anything else to do. I contemplated sitting down and reading my book or watching a show I'd PVRd, going for the walk was a good choice for both me and the lil mutt.
I got pretty tired by bed time, but sleep better. All in all, not a bad day except for my "oopsie". I'll not do that again, that's for sure!
On Wednesday mornings (now every second one, anyway) I have an appointment in the south end with my Chiropractor. Due to this, I have to get up early to drive Paul to work so I can get myself down there. So, I make sure to set my alarm the night before. Unlike any other of these nights, I reached behind my head, cranking myself around in bed, to change the alarm. I fiddled with the buttons a bit, changed it to the wrong wake time, then fixed it, checked it, made sure it was set to "radio mode" and left it alone for the night.
So the alarm goes off at the time I set it; 5:35 am. As I always do, I hit the snooze button, sleep for nine minutes, hit the snooze button again, sleep for another nine minutes, then turn off the last alarm. I specifically set it early so I can snooze because I'm not one to just jump out of bed on the first waking.
By this time it's 5:53, just like usual (and it's actually set about five minutes fast). I get up, grab my robe, make sure the cats are out of the bedroom, close the door, and go about my shower and morning routine in the bathroom across the hall.
At quarter-after, I peek out the door and notice Paul hasn't gotten up yet. So, like any good wife, I say "wakey wakey" into the dark room and ensure I hear him roused from his sleep. Then I go back into the bathroom to continue putting on my face.
Not a minute later Paul comes to the bathroom door, groggy at best, and states, "hun, it's only 5:15". What the...?!?! I look at my analog bathroom clock (my alarm is digital), literally squinting as if it will look any different from four feet away, and see that he's correct. The big hand is on quarter after, but he little hand is between the five and six. Crap. Somewhat frustrated but at a loss, I just tell him to go back to bed, grab my book in case I need it, and tell him there's no way I'm going back to bed because I've already had my shower (the equivalent of a morning coffee for me).
Well, there's really not much I can do now. I just slow my pace down a bit and take my time. I even decided to take Casey out for a walk, because I just didn't have anything else to do. I contemplated sitting down and reading my book or watching a show I'd PVRd, going for the walk was a good choice for both me and the lil mutt.
I got pretty tired by bed time, but sleep better. All in all, not a bad day except for my "oopsie". I'll not do that again, that's for sure!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Mistakes = Lessons Learned
I have a very difficult time being told something's "not right" after spending a substantial amount of time working on it. Obviously I thought it was fine, otherwise I wouldn't have handed it off. Even more frustrating is being sooo "over it" with a particular issue that's going on then being told, "oh sorry, you didn't quite do this right and how you need to blah blah blah garbaldy gook...".
I literally got so overwhelmed with this stupid issue at work today that I felt tears welling up. I AM strong, and know what I'm doing, but this specific thing was completely out of my hands and I had a really hard time dealing with it. All I could imagine was making it disappear in a whiff of smoke, never to be seen or heard from again.
I've even become so paranoid at times that I'm making copies of copies, because you never know if in a month or six, someone will come back and ask about "that time when we did the blah blah blah garbaldy gook...". I sigh just thinking about it.
Don't get me wrong, I like my job very much, it's just that simple mistakes or something that's overlooked can create a chain reaction of highly undesirable events. Basically for the past four days I've been working on fixing something that went wrong. It sure is easy to do that kind of thing, and then it's really hard to put it all back together.
I guess the lessons we learn when these things happen are extremely valuable. There's no way we'll do what we did last week again, that's for sure. It would just be nice to get on with my actual job and complete the tasks that I've left hanging.
Pi today = 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459
I literally got so overwhelmed with this stupid issue at work today that I felt tears welling up. I AM strong, and know what I'm doing, but this specific thing was completely out of my hands and I had a really hard time dealing with it. All I could imagine was making it disappear in a whiff of smoke, never to be seen or heard from again.
I've even become so paranoid at times that I'm making copies of copies, because you never know if in a month or six, someone will come back and ask about "that time when we did the blah blah blah garbaldy gook...". I sigh just thinking about it.
Don't get me wrong, I like my job very much, it's just that simple mistakes or something that's overlooked can create a chain reaction of highly undesirable events. Basically for the past four days I've been working on fixing something that went wrong. It sure is easy to do that kind of thing, and then it's really hard to put it all back together.
I guess the lessons we learn when these things happen are extremely valuable. There's no way we'll do what we did last week again, that's for sure. It would just be nice to get on with my actual job and complete the tasks that I've left hanging.
Pi today = 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459
Monday, April 16, 2012
Roots!
My parents will be (most) happy to know that we finally had our plumbing issue fixed. I previously had an appointment for Roto-Rooter to come out, but then cancelled it because there was no existing issue the day of. It's been at least three months since we had any backup or flushing problems, so the day finally came.
The issue has been with our basement bathroom, very unsurprisingly. We do live in an area with lots of big, mature trees! They found root blockages at 12 feet, 20 feet, and 30 feet in. Nice. Hey, at least there were roots, rather than not and then who knows what the issue would be!
The shower has also had issues in that you have to plunge it before the water will go down the drain rather than up. I don't know yet if that's been fixed because Paul hasn't checked and (as he would say) can't be arsed to. I guess we'll see about that one.
I didn't want to pay the bill for the service, but it IS a good thing in the end! I always knew that, but the problem would always fix itself in a day. Oh well, we're all good now.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Graduation Day
Well, you're looking at a newly-graduated KOPS member for 2012! If you haven't been reading my blog, or don't already know, I actually reached my goal weight July 27, 2011. I decided to wait until PRD to graduate, however, as it's more of a big deal and I could be patient. Until then, I would still be recognized as a KOPS in my own chapter, just without the official grad ceremony.
So, today it was! The dress code is all white or ivory so I found a new white knee-length pencil skirt that is good for work or wherever, and some new patent shoes that can also be worn again. I bought a new blouse but decided I didn't like that it covered my figure a bit, so I wore something already in my closet.
They had the six graduates parade through the audience and then sit on the stage. We were recognized for our achievement and had our mortarboard tassels turned to the left, signifying an official graduate. TOPS really makes you feel special. It was over really quick, but I got a lot of positive feedback after. Even people that didn't know me gave their congratulations, and I must have hugged at least 20 people. Me, the non-hugger! How can I say no to my TOPS family?!
Speaking of my "family", really and truly they are the reason why I continue to attend meetings. Unlike most people, I actually think I could keep my weight off without the meeting, but because of them and the friendships I've developed, there's no way I would miss it. I also know they would be very sad if I wasn't there anymore. I greatly appreciate all the support they continually give and thank them for all the praise and encouragement. My Wednesday nights aren't just for TOPS, they're for being able to socialize with my friends and give them back the support they so freely offer me.
As we say every week, "I will remember that I am to be an example of what TOPS can do as I Keep Off Pounds Sensibly".
So, today it was! The dress code is all white or ivory so I found a new white knee-length pencil skirt that is good for work or wherever, and some new patent shoes that can also be worn again. I bought a new blouse but decided I didn't like that it covered my figure a bit, so I wore something already in my closet.
They had the six graduates parade through the audience and then sit on the stage. We were recognized for our achievement and had our mortarboard tassels turned to the left, signifying an official graduate. TOPS really makes you feel special. It was over really quick, but I got a lot of positive feedback after. Even people that didn't know me gave their congratulations, and I must have hugged at least 20 people. Me, the non-hugger! How can I say no to my TOPS family?!
Speaking of my "family", really and truly they are the reason why I continue to attend meetings. Unlike most people, I actually think I could keep my weight off without the meeting, but because of them and the friendships I've developed, there's no way I would miss it. I also know they would be very sad if I wasn't there anymore. I greatly appreciate all the support they continually give and thank them for all the praise and encouragement. My Wednesday nights aren't just for TOPS, they're for being able to socialize with my friends and give them back the support they so freely offer me.
As we say every week, "I will remember that I am to be an example of what TOPS can do as I Keep Off Pounds Sensibly".
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Star-Struck Teenager
Wow, it's tough when I don't get a chance to write something here and miss a day. I do know that I wrote a post on Friday the 13th! So, what's happened since...
Saturday was a good day at Provincial Recognition Days (PRD). Other than a few technical glitches right at the beginning of the day, everything went really well. I liked it much better than last year's. I was recognized for being a member of the Regina Gold Key KOPS society in the morning, and participated in the Before and After Parade in the afternoon. "P.C." was kind enough to let a few of us walk over to her office at lunchtime to eat the food we brought, and to get in some chit chat with each other. It's nice to have those times to simply get to know our other TOPS members a little better.
I left after the 2nd session of the day because of my upcoming evening with my friend "P" and (the best band ever) Our Lady Peace. We ate a nice supper at the Cathedral Freehouse and then stood in line to get in the concert venue for about half an hour. At least my other friends had showed up and we have stuff to gab about.
Now, the story is a long one regarding my evening, but the short of it is:
-we stood around waiting for the opening act to start for about an hour
-"The Pack" was two females (one on drums the other on guitar, both on vocals) and they weren't half-bad except they were VERY loud
-we were able to do some maneuvering to get super duper close to the stage
-OLP was AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME as always and I went home a very happy girl
My the end of the night my feet were sore, my back ached so bad I felt like falling down at any moment, and I had sweat a good deal (enough for a shower upon arriving at home). The best parts of the night were:
-being so close to the stage that Steve (lead guitar) and Raine (lead singer) were mere feet from where I stood
-snagging a guitar pick from Steve (my heart races just thinking back to the moment)
-not caring who you were snuggled up against because they weren't important, the band was and I was fixated on them and being totally "in" the moment
-getting to sing along to more than half of the songs because they played lots of classics
-unbelievably, the pounding of the music in my ears which was enough that I went to bed with ringing in them
Honestly, it's still a blur and I'm completely starstruck, like some teenager. Guess you can call me a mega-fan! Apparently this tour isn't even a full-fledged one so they'll be doing another one in the future. Count me in, front row centre!
Saturday was a good day at Provincial Recognition Days (PRD). Other than a few technical glitches right at the beginning of the day, everything went really well. I liked it much better than last year's. I was recognized for being a member of the Regina Gold Key KOPS society in the morning, and participated in the Before and After Parade in the afternoon. "P.C." was kind enough to let a few of us walk over to her office at lunchtime to eat the food we brought, and to get in some chit chat with each other. It's nice to have those times to simply get to know our other TOPS members a little better.
I left after the 2nd session of the day because of my upcoming evening with my friend "P" and (the best band ever) Our Lady Peace. We ate a nice supper at the Cathedral Freehouse and then stood in line to get in the concert venue for about half an hour. At least my other friends had showed up and we have stuff to gab about.
Now, the story is a long one regarding my evening, but the short of it is:
-we stood around waiting for the opening act to start for about an hour
-"The Pack" was two females (one on drums the other on guitar, both on vocals) and they weren't half-bad except they were VERY loud
-we were able to do some maneuvering to get super duper close to the stage
-OLP was AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME as always and I went home a very happy girl
My the end of the night my feet were sore, my back ached so bad I felt like falling down at any moment, and I had sweat a good deal (enough for a shower upon arriving at home). The best parts of the night were:
-being so close to the stage that Steve (lead guitar) and Raine (lead singer) were mere feet from where I stood
-snagging a guitar pick from Steve (my heart races just thinking back to the moment)
-not caring who you were snuggled up against because they weren't important, the band was and I was fixated on them and being totally "in" the moment
-getting to sing along to more than half of the songs because they played lots of classics
-unbelievably, the pounding of the music in my ears which was enough that I went to bed with ringing in them
Honestly, it's still a blur and I'm completely starstruck, like some teenager. Guess you can call me a mega-fan! Apparently this tour isn't even a full-fledged one so they'll be doing another one in the future. Count me in, front row centre!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Blink and You'll Miss It
Do you ever have one of those days that was like a blur? Suddenly it's 7:30 pm and you realize that the entire day has gone and you didn't even notice.
Today was like that for me. In fact, the whole week has been much that way. It's like I sat down in my chair at work on Monday morning, blinked, and then it's Friday night and I'm at home blogging. Sheesh. That last long weekend simply flew by too fast, and I didn't get enough downtime. Now I have another busy weekend ahead, and still too much to do. Alas, I better try to enjoy it.
Tomorrow is the first of our two-day Provincial Recognition Days (PRD) where TOPS members across the province are recognized for their successes in the past year. A new king and queen will be crowned, and many will graduate (including me). I've even lost enough weight to take part in the "Before and After Parade"! Last year I hadn't lost 40 yet, so now I get to :) Luckily I kept a pair of pants and a t-shirt that I used to wear at my highest weight.
I also have some fun planned with my friend "P" for tomorrow evening; my fave band Our Lady Peace is in town! We're planning on dinner first then some ear-pleasing sweet, rock music. I'm totally stoked. I'll probably even buy one of their t-shirts if they're selling any, now that I can fit into the girly ones. Oh and I have to buy their new album (note to self to not forget about that!).
So, busy weekend ahead, and an early morning. I have to be at the Delta Hotel for 8:00 am to work as Hostess for an hour before the first session begins.
*yawn* I slept on my new pillow last night and I'm not sure I like it yet, so I'm giving it at least a week. I tried the latex foam side, so tonight I'll try the memory foam side. We'll see how it goes!
Today was like that for me. In fact, the whole week has been much that way. It's like I sat down in my chair at work on Monday morning, blinked, and then it's Friday night and I'm at home blogging. Sheesh. That last long weekend simply flew by too fast, and I didn't get enough downtime. Now I have another busy weekend ahead, and still too much to do. Alas, I better try to enjoy it.
Tomorrow is the first of our two-day Provincial Recognition Days (PRD) where TOPS members across the province are recognized for their successes in the past year. A new king and queen will be crowned, and many will graduate (including me). I've even lost enough weight to take part in the "Before and After Parade"! Last year I hadn't lost 40 yet, so now I get to :) Luckily I kept a pair of pants and a t-shirt that I used to wear at my highest weight.
I also have some fun planned with my friend "P" for tomorrow evening; my fave band Our Lady Peace is in town! We're planning on dinner first then some ear-pleasing sweet, rock music. I'm totally stoked. I'll probably even buy one of their t-shirts if they're selling any, now that I can fit into the girly ones. Oh and I have to buy their new album (note to self to not forget about that!).
So, busy weekend ahead, and an early morning. I have to be at the Delta Hotel for 8:00 am to work as Hostess for an hour before the first session begins.
*yawn* I slept on my new pillow last night and I'm not sure I like it yet, so I'm giving it at least a week. I tried the latex foam side, so tonight I'll try the memory foam side. We'll see how it goes!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Perfect Pillow?
I've had some neck and shoulder issues for some time now. Working at a desk all day (frantically, on many occasions) doesn't help, nor does picking up a 20 lb dog with one arm. Okay, picking up the dog with only one arm only happened a couple times as I experienced excruciating pain the day after from a muscle spasm. The work, however, doesn't end.
My desk and chair were assessed for ergonomics, and they're fine. I try and move around lots and get up from my desk too. I've even been seeing a chiropractor/acupuncturist/laser therapist (all the same guy) for about six months. The neck isn't any better and the shoulder issues aren't too bad anymore. I now have wrist issues (on the top, not the bottom where carpal tunnel occurs).
I bought a feather pillow after having a few wonderful nights' sleep on one in a hotel. It didn't exactly work out the same at home after a few nights. It's a really good pillow, but doesn't support my neck like I need it to.
My mom has a latex pillow and my dad sleeps on a memory foam pillow, so to get the best of both worlds, I bought a combo. It's half-and-half latex and memory foam and tonight will be the first trying it out. I'm pretty excited about it but also anxious that it won't work any better for me. I kept all the packaging just in case I have to take it back. Thank goodness it's from Sears and they have a good exchange policy. But it's gonna work, right!?
I really do hope it helps, both for my neck and just to get a good night's sleep. We also bought an ObusForme contoured foam mattress pad. Our bed is about eight years old now and although it's not sagging, the pillowtop has some contouring and the extra cushion from the foam will be nice. So, I'll let you know how it goes!
Sweet dreams...
My desk and chair were assessed for ergonomics, and they're fine. I try and move around lots and get up from my desk too. I've even been seeing a chiropractor/acupuncturist/laser therapist (all the same guy) for about six months. The neck isn't any better and the shoulder issues aren't too bad anymore. I now have wrist issues (on the top, not the bottom where carpal tunnel occurs).
My mom has a latex pillow and my dad sleeps on a memory foam pillow, so to get the best of both worlds, I bought a combo. It's half-and-half latex and memory foam and tonight will be the first trying it out. I'm pretty excited about it but also anxious that it won't work any better for me. I kept all the packaging just in case I have to take it back. Thank goodness it's from Sears and they have a good exchange policy. But it's gonna work, right!?
I really do hope it helps, both for my neck and just to get a good night's sleep. We also bought an ObusForme contoured foam mattress pad. Our bed is about eight years old now and although it's not sagging, the pillowtop has some contouring and the extra cushion from the foam will be nice. So, I'll let you know how it goes!
Sweet dreams...
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Change and Patience = Happiness
It's funny how people get so used to "the way things were" and have a hard time changing. As the new weight recorder for our TOPS chapter, I had to alter the weigh-in start time to 5:15. The previous WR was there every between 4:15 and 4:30. Well, her schedule is different than mine, so I said I'd do the job (since no one else was interested) but that the time must change.
Last week was my first time and I was there by 5:00. That's only because I left work a little early to make sure I knew how much time it would take to pickup my husband, go home, then go to the meeting place. This week, however, I had to take the bus to work in the morning. That's fine, I just prepared for my day ahead by packing up my weigh-in binder and TOPS stuff, and buying a sandwich for dinner from work. I also had a few extra healthy things to eat, since I'm simply not able to not eat until the meeting is over at 8:00.
So, the bus stops right next to the church (thankfully) and the time was exactly 5:07 pm. There must have been at least six vehicles already parked and awaiting my arrival. I didn't run over to the door, or rush to get it open. No way. Weigh-in starts at 5:15. Simple as that. I went in and started to move things out of the office into our space for the meeting. The ones that were there waiting for me helped, except for one (which I found rude, to be completely honest and it bugged me as I watched them stand there waiting for me, all while I'm lugging stuff out of the room. Grrrr).
Anyway, by the time I and my assistant were settled, it was probably about 5:15. Right on time. I just find it funny that so many people were anxiously awaiting my arrival. I hope it's because they all go out to dinner after weighing in and need to make sure there's enough time for that. I do have to say that no one has verbally expressed their dissatisfaction with the time change, so I hope that most are coping okay with it. Sure, change can be difficult for many people, but if you want me to do the job (and I have to be committed) then I appreciate your patience while I get organized each week.
There are a lot of things to learn and get used to, but I'm enjoying the interactions with my fellow members. So far, so good.
Pi for the day: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749
Last week was my first time and I was there by 5:00. That's only because I left work a little early to make sure I knew how much time it would take to pickup my husband, go home, then go to the meeting place. This week, however, I had to take the bus to work in the morning. That's fine, I just prepared for my day ahead by packing up my weigh-in binder and TOPS stuff, and buying a sandwich for dinner from work. I also had a few extra healthy things to eat, since I'm simply not able to not eat until the meeting is over at 8:00.
So, the bus stops right next to the church (thankfully) and the time was exactly 5:07 pm. There must have been at least six vehicles already parked and awaiting my arrival. I didn't run over to the door, or rush to get it open. No way. Weigh-in starts at 5:15. Simple as that. I went in and started to move things out of the office into our space for the meeting. The ones that were there waiting for me helped, except for one (which I found rude, to be completely honest and it bugged me as I watched them stand there waiting for me, all while I'm lugging stuff out of the room. Grrrr).
Anyway, by the time I and my assistant were settled, it was probably about 5:15. Right on time. I just find it funny that so many people were anxiously awaiting my arrival. I hope it's because they all go out to dinner after weighing in and need to make sure there's enough time for that. I do have to say that no one has verbally expressed their dissatisfaction with the time change, so I hope that most are coping okay with it. Sure, change can be difficult for many people, but if you want me to do the job (and I have to be committed) then I appreciate your patience while I get organized each week.
There are a lot of things to learn and get used to, but I'm enjoying the interactions with my fellow members. So far, so good.
Pi for the day: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Much Ado About Pizza
Hmmm what to write about today. Nothing really interesting happened. Hmm. I had a nice morning walk to the bus today. Instead of just going around the corner, I walked about 1 km instead. The good thing about my bus route is I can walk ahead of it and keep going until the bus is coming behind me. There are stops every block as well. I actually could have gone further but the clock said it was supposed to be there, and I was worried I'd actually have to run to catch it. Oh well, it showed up.
Hmmmm, what else. I don't even have an opinion to share about anything! How unreal! I did get a cute video sent to me of Baby Woeden in his new Bumbo chair. He's a wittle bit wobbly, but looks pretty happy sitting in it. Yes, I just said wittle instead of little. Just say it out loud in your best baby voice. :)
Soooo yeah... umm.... I guess I'm just boring. Today was a busy day at work and my wrist is sore now. I did get a parcel in the mail which was a pair of pants from Ricki's that I'd had to order a size smaller in. Hopefully they fit. I also got a pair of earrings on sale.
I need to go try on my PRD graduation outfit. Gotta make sure it looks good. Everything fits, I just haven't had the pieces all on at the same time yet. The OLP concert is also on Saturday night, so I'm looking forward to that and enjoying it with my friend "P". Girl's night out! Aw, we'll be good :) I have to get up early the next morning for my graduation!
So I tell people that I'm a pizzaholic and that I literally have tried to get sick of it by eating a lot of it frequently. It hasn't worked, much to my chagrin, because I really don't need to eat all that bread and salt and fat. My mouth just loves it too much to say no. I think I am sick of something else, however: my veggie pasta salad. I made it for our TOPS Installation night, and there was too much so I had tons of leftovers. Then I made it for Easter in Baldur this past Saturday. Again, there was leftovers. Basically, I've been eating veggie pasta salad leftovers for nearly two weeks. Ugh. I'm over it. Back to pizza it is :p
Pi for the day (yum, pi): 3.141592653589793238482643383279502884197169399375105820974 (that's 57 digits, by the way)
Hmmmm, what else. I don't even have an opinion to share about anything! How unreal! I did get a cute video sent to me of Baby Woeden in his new Bumbo chair. He's a wittle bit wobbly, but looks pretty happy sitting in it. Yes, I just said wittle instead of little. Just say it out loud in your best baby voice. :)
Soooo yeah... umm.... I guess I'm just boring. Today was a busy day at work and my wrist is sore now. I did get a parcel in the mail which was a pair of pants from Ricki's that I'd had to order a size smaller in. Hopefully they fit. I also got a pair of earrings on sale.
I need to go try on my PRD graduation outfit. Gotta make sure it looks good. Everything fits, I just haven't had the pieces all on at the same time yet. The OLP concert is also on Saturday night, so I'm looking forward to that and enjoying it with my friend "P". Girl's night out! Aw, we'll be good :) I have to get up early the next morning for my graduation!
So I tell people that I'm a pizzaholic and that I literally have tried to get sick of it by eating a lot of it frequently. It hasn't worked, much to my chagrin, because I really don't need to eat all that bread and salt and fat. My mouth just loves it too much to say no. I think I am sick of something else, however: my veggie pasta salad. I made it for our TOPS Installation night, and there was too much so I had tons of leftovers. Then I made it for Easter in Baldur this past Saturday. Again, there was leftovers. Basically, I've been eating veggie pasta salad leftovers for nearly two weeks. Ugh. I'm over it. Back to pizza it is :p
Pi for the day (yum, pi): 3.141592653589793238482643383279502884197169399375105820974 (that's 57 digits, by the way)
Monday, April 9, 2012
Focusing on Family
With sadness, I have to report that the family member I mentioned in a previous blog, has passed away. The pancreatic cancer simply overtook him. It was so quick; we only heard in the middle of February that he even had it and that it was terminal. They had given him up to a year. Not two months later, that was it. The good news is, his family was with him.
It happened yesterday, April 8th, my birthday. It was also his wedding anniversary and Easter. Quite a day, eh? I don't have many memories of him as an uncle, I just recall him very kind, generous, and fun. He seemed to always be smiling at something. I wish we'd spent more time with his family, getting to know them better, but one has so many extended family members it can be hard to do that.
I do remember his wife stepping wrong out of their camper at our family reunion in 1992. She broke her leg. Ouch! I also remember thinking their kids were a little weird, which is even more weird now to think of. I think they were just quiet. Now they've all got families of their own (a total of five grand kids between them all) and will continue his legacy. The good news is, he has two sons, so the name will go on!
Getting older does make you look around and focus on what's important. I held my cousin's baby this weekend and, although it didn't make me want one of my own right away, I do see the importance of growing your family. As we moved my grandparents into their new condo-type home on Saturday and experienced the appreciation they have for their beloved family, it does put things into perspective. Family is what made us and what keeps us going.
Pi for Monday: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097
It happened yesterday, April 8th, my birthday. It was also his wedding anniversary and Easter. Quite a day, eh? I don't have many memories of him as an uncle, I just recall him very kind, generous, and fun. He seemed to always be smiling at something. I wish we'd spent more time with his family, getting to know them better, but one has so many extended family members it can be hard to do that.
I do remember his wife stepping wrong out of their camper at our family reunion in 1992. She broke her leg. Ouch! I also remember thinking their kids were a little weird, which is even more weird now to think of. I think they were just quiet. Now they've all got families of their own (a total of five grand kids between them all) and will continue his legacy. The good news is, he has two sons, so the name will go on!
Getting older does make you look around and focus on what's important. I held my cousin's baby this weekend and, although it didn't make me want one of my own right away, I do see the importance of growing your family. As we moved my grandparents into their new condo-type home on Saturday and experienced the appreciation they have for their beloved family, it does put things into perspective. Family is what made us and what keeps us going.
Pi for Monday: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097
Sunday, April 8, 2012
29 Forever
Can you believe that I was born 29 years ago? Weighing in at only 5 lb 15 oz, I was a tad small, but hearty nonetheless. Momma showed me milk, and I said "mmm, yes please!"
Looking back on the years, I've been through many changes. I've moved approximately 18 times, had at least ten different hair colours, and had eight cats, three birds, numerous fish, and one dog. I've traveled to the west coast a few times, as far east in Canada as Quebec City, south to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and to Scotland. I've owned three cars and one SUV and worked for twelve different businesses. I've written 99 bog entries and posted 77 Facebook photo albums.
There have been highs and lows, nears and fars, but all in all, it's been a good time. Thanks M&D for creating me and raising me to be who I am today!
Happy 29th Birthday to meeeeeeeeeee! This is officially my last birthday. From here on out I'm "29 Forever" :)
Looking back on the years, I've been through many changes. I've moved approximately 18 times, had at least ten different hair colours, and had eight cats, three birds, numerous fish, and one dog. I've traveled to the west coast a few times, as far east in Canada as Quebec City, south to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and to Scotland. I've owned three cars and one SUV and worked for twelve different businesses. I've written 99 bog entries and posted 77 Facebook photo albums.
There have been highs and lows, nears and fars, but all in all, it's been a good time. Thanks M&D for creating me and raising me to be who I am today!
Happy 29th Birthday to meeeeeeeeeee! This is officially my last birthday. From here on out I'm "29 Forever" :)
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Le Drame de Nos Vies
Drama. I really dislike it. I'm the one that, when things start getting dramatic, I distance myself from it or the people involved. Why can't everything just be simple and drama-free?
At times I can be unyielding in my personal opinion on certain things, however, when faced with a challenge, can be very open to other ideas. I struggle with indecision though, so have a very difficult time with situations in which there isn't a set idea or plan.
In the end, all I really want is to be happy, and for others to be as well. The option that suits all parties the best should be the one chosen. It may not be possible to please all involved all the time, but it IS possible to accomplish goals and to satisfy specific needs.
For now, I'm de-dramafying my life. What's meant to be will happen in it's own time and without stress OR drama.
At times I can be unyielding in my personal opinion on certain things, however, when faced with a challenge, can be very open to other ideas. I struggle with indecision though, so have a very difficult time with situations in which there isn't a set idea or plan.
In the end, all I really want is to be happy, and for others to be as well. The option that suits all parties the best should be the one chosen. It may not be possible to please all involved all the time, but it IS possible to accomplish goals and to satisfy specific needs.
For now, I'm de-dramafying my life. What's meant to be will happen in it's own time and without stress OR drama.
Friday, April 6, 2012
A Blog, a Baby, and a Birfday
I tried to post this last night via email, but it didn't work like my Blogger site said it was supposed to...
We drove to Winnipeg today (Friday), with brief stops in Virden (to drop off Casey at the kennel and to grab some lunch) and Brandon (to pick up some stuff for lil sis from mom and dad).
Our first order of business was to meet Woeden, the newest addition to our extended family. Other than his colic issues, he is a lovely baby. I even held him a few times and didn't hate it. So there *tongue sticking out at you*
Then we popped over five blocks to see sista's new place and to drop off the stuff we brought from Brandon. She has some work to do in unpacking and organizing, but it's a big place and will be nice for her.
Our last stop for the day was at the aunt & uncle's, for dinner and visiting. The only family we didn't get to see was Woeden's auntie and uncle, but I hear one of them is coming out tomorrow for the grandparent's move.
Now I'm tired and going to see how it goes sleeping in a cozy double bed with a human heater. Tomorrow we get to do some physical labour. At least I get birfday cake :)
We drove to Winnipeg today (Friday), with brief stops in Virden (to drop off Casey at the kennel and to grab some lunch) and Brandon (to pick up some stuff for lil sis from mom and dad).
Our first order of business was to meet Woeden, the newest addition to our extended family. Other than his colic issues, he is a lovely baby. I even held him a few times and didn't hate it. So there *tongue sticking out at you*
Then we popped over five blocks to see sista's new place and to drop off the stuff we brought from Brandon. She has some work to do in unpacking and organizing, but it's a big place and will be nice for her.
Our last stop for the day was at the aunt & uncle's, for dinner and visiting. The only family we didn't get to see was Woeden's auntie and uncle, but I hear one of them is coming out tomorrow for the grandparent's move.
Now I'm tired and going to see how it goes sleeping in a cozy double bed with a human heater. Tomorrow we get to do some physical labour. At least I get birfday cake :)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Iron, or Lack Thereof
Ugh, I hate going to the doctor. Especially to get poked and prodded. At least I had the foresight to limit my suffering my requesting a lab requisition at my last appointment. That action ensured I could get the tests done prior to my appointment today.
So, right, I had to go see the doc today. I've actually been to see a doctor every few months since I started taking high blood pressure meds. It's just because they want to keep checking it to make sure the dosage of medication I take is just right.
After losing 40+ pounds, I am taking less than before, but it's extremely possible I just have chronic HBP and will have to remain on the meds for the rest of my life. Other than the fact that they make me both thirsty and need to go to the bathroom, I don't really have an issue with it. If they keep my BP at a safe level, I'd rather take them than risk having something go wrong.
I've also been curious if I have low iron. I'm often tired, even though I eat well and get enough sleep, and have cold hands and get dizzy easily. Those are just a few symptoms of anemia, so I specifically requested the doctor note on my lab req to have them test my iron levels. Not surprisingly, it came back saying it's low. Oh well, just need to try and eat more iron-rich foods and start taking a supplement.The doctor even gave me three weeks worth to try out. I'm hoping to see a change after a month or so.
It's funny how our bodies work, reacting when we're not taking good enough care of them. I try, but if I don't eat a lot of meat, and haven't figured out how to properly integrate other iron-rich foods into my weekly food plan, supplements are going to be required. I gotta do what I gotta do!
Nothing else is wrong with me at least (well, nothing major!), so that's good news. I do wish I didn't have chronic sinusitis and a weak back, but there are also things out there to fix them :)
One more piece for the week... 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209
So, right, I had to go see the doc today. I've actually been to see a doctor every few months since I started taking high blood pressure meds. It's just because they want to keep checking it to make sure the dosage of medication I take is just right.
After losing 40+ pounds, I am taking less than before, but it's extremely possible I just have chronic HBP and will have to remain on the meds for the rest of my life. Other than the fact that they make me both thirsty and need to go to the bathroom, I don't really have an issue with it. If they keep my BP at a safe level, I'd rather take them than risk having something go wrong.
I've also been curious if I have low iron. I'm often tired, even though I eat well and get enough sleep, and have cold hands and get dizzy easily. Those are just a few symptoms of anemia, so I specifically requested the doctor note on my lab req to have them test my iron levels. Not surprisingly, it came back saying it's low. Oh well, just need to try and eat more iron-rich foods and start taking a supplement.The doctor even gave me three weeks worth to try out. I'm hoping to see a change after a month or so.
It's funny how our bodies work, reacting when we're not taking good enough care of them. I try, but if I don't eat a lot of meat, and haven't figured out how to properly integrate other iron-rich foods into my weekly food plan, supplements are going to be required. I gotta do what I gotta do!
Nothing else is wrong with me at least (well, nothing major!), so that's good news. I do wish I didn't have chronic sinusitis and a weak back, but there are also things out there to fix them :)
One more piece for the week... 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A Big Night at TOPS
Wednesday night: my first night on the "job" as TOPS SK 2765's newest Weight Recorder. It was a little hectic at first, trying to understand how things work, but I soon got the hang of it. I especially enjoyed greeting my fellow members as they came in to be weighed. Some needed encouragement, others just a pat on the back for a job well done. All in all, it was fun and I look forward to continuing in the post.
It was also our monthly awards night so thank goodness our leader knew what to do. I just read everything out and she got the charms ready. The organizer was labelled with what the charms were for, but it helped having her there. Next month I'll do it on my own.
Then once all that was done, Queen Dana (that's me, in case you weren't sure...) was up to read her TOPS Story. I wasn't sure I could pull it off after being so busy with work and not really getting enough rest to catch up. That and with my first night weight recording, I was a tad overwhelmed. However, it did seem like a good time to share my story considering my recent coronation and all.
It went pretty well, and I got lots of positive comments afterwards, albeit I lost it a little when my emotions got the best of me. I was really hoping it wouldn't happen, but when I got to the part about deciding to make a life change and never looking back, I just teared right up. Oh well, my TOPS pals are really great so they helped me through it. It was even a full house with two new members and one guest. Quite a lot to handle, but I made it. A little humour added in at the right time made it all work out.
So, it was a busy night, but extremely rewarding. I even signed up to do another program the last Wednesday in May!
Pi for the day: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820
It was also our monthly awards night so thank goodness our leader knew what to do. I just read everything out and she got the charms ready. The organizer was labelled with what the charms were for, but it helped having her there. Next month I'll do it on my own.
Then once all that was done, Queen Dana (that's me, in case you weren't sure...) was up to read her TOPS Story. I wasn't sure I could pull it off after being so busy with work and not really getting enough rest to catch up. That and with my first night weight recording, I was a tad overwhelmed. However, it did seem like a good time to share my story considering my recent coronation and all.
It went pretty well, and I got lots of positive comments afterwards, albeit I lost it a little when my emotions got the best of me. I was really hoping it wouldn't happen, but when I got to the part about deciding to make a life change and never looking back, I just teared right up. Oh well, my TOPS pals are really great so they helped me through it. It was even a full house with two new members and one guest. Quite a lot to handle, but I made it. A little humour added in at the right time made it all work out.
So, it was a busy night, but extremely rewarding. I even signed up to do another program the last Wednesday in May!
Pi for the day: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Baking for Dummies
I'm a self-proclaimed non-baker. This doesn't really work well for a husband that enjoys eating cakes and cookies. It does however work great when paired with my dear mother whom DOES bake. When we get together we can really make a nice meal if I cook and she bakes up dessert. Yum!
The only thing I can bake well is Rhubarb Crisp, but that's seasonal and I can only make it if I have any rhubarb. *sad face* I love that stuff and miss it very much. I suppose it's a good thing I haven't made it because it's not exactly low in calories.
That said, I ate an absolutely delicious -- and diet -- lemon cake last Wednesdsay night at our TOPS post-installation potluck. The recipe was pretty much the simplest one I could imagine, so I had to make it for my work's potluck coming up tomorrow. I can smell it right now, still warm from the oven, awaiting the toppings. This is all that's in it:
-1 box lemon cake mix (the store was actually out so I bought a deluxe white instead)
-1 can diet soda (I used lemonade because of the white cake rather than lemon, but the one I ate last week was made with diet sprite/7up)
The soda substitutes 1:1 for the water, eggs and oil, so just think of all the calories you save! Three eggs is 210 calories and the oil is probably another couple hundred. Yum yum. My thighs are thanking me already!
Then, you just top with lemon pie filling once it's cooled (apparently you can buy a low cal one but I couldn't find it) and fat free Cool Whip. Sound good? Well, it is! I just hope that changing the recipe a bit for what I could find works out alright. Since it's Wednesday, I have to watch what I eat because of my weigh in, so that's a tad disappointing when it's "graze all day" day. Meh, who needs all that crap anyway, right?
So, if you happen to try it out, let me know what you think! When I know how it goes tomorrow, I'll let you all know :)
Lemony pi: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582
The only thing I can bake well is Rhubarb Crisp, but that's seasonal and I can only make it if I have any rhubarb. *sad face* I love that stuff and miss it very much. I suppose it's a good thing I haven't made it because it's not exactly low in calories.
That said, I ate an absolutely delicious -- and diet -- lemon cake last Wednesdsay night at our TOPS post-installation potluck. The recipe was pretty much the simplest one I could imagine, so I had to make it for my work's potluck coming up tomorrow. I can smell it right now, still warm from the oven, awaiting the toppings. This is all that's in it:
-1 box lemon cake mix (the store was actually out so I bought a deluxe white instead)
-1 can diet soda (I used lemonade because of the white cake rather than lemon, but the one I ate last week was made with diet sprite/7up)
The soda substitutes 1:1 for the water, eggs and oil, so just think of all the calories you save! Three eggs is 210 calories and the oil is probably another couple hundred. Yum yum. My thighs are thanking me already!
Then, you just top with lemon pie filling once it's cooled (apparently you can buy a low cal one but I couldn't find it) and fat free Cool Whip. Sound good? Well, it is! I just hope that changing the recipe a bit for what I could find works out alright. Since it's Wednesday, I have to watch what I eat because of my weigh in, so that's a tad disappointing when it's "graze all day" day. Meh, who needs all that crap anyway, right?
So, if you happen to try it out, let me know what you think! When I know how it goes tomorrow, I'll let you all know :)
Lemony pi: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582
Monday, April 2, 2012
My Dream Job
Okay Miss J, you have inspired me to write by blog today about copy editing. Please do NOT be offended! You yourself stated, "no promises on spelling or grammer I'm a history major not an english major." In fact, I copied it directly from your blog, so it must be true!
Since high school, I've known that I not only really enjoy editing others' work, but I can't help but do it. In my career, I have to be careful about when I do it, but I do try and insert my "suggestions" at times when necessary.
This is what Wikipedia says a copy editor does (sorry for the length, it was all very important information):
Copy editing is the work that an editor does to improve the formatting, style, and accuracy of text. Unlike general editing, copy editing might not involve changing the substance of the text. Copy refers to written or typewritten text for typesetting, printing, or publication. Copy editing is done before both typesetting and proofreading, the latter of which is the last step in the editorial cycle.
The "five Cs" summarize the copy editor's job: Make the copy clear, correct, concise, complete, and consistent. Copy editors should make it say what it means, and mean what it says.
Typically, copy editing involves correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar, terminology, jargon, and semantics, and ensuring that the text adheres to the publisher's style or an external style guide.
Often, copy editors are also responsible for adding any "display copy", such as headlines, standardized headers and footers, and photo captions. And, although proofreading is a distinct task from copy editing, frequently it is one of the tasks performed by copy editors. Copy editors may shorten the text, to improve it or to fit length limits. This is particularly so in periodical publishing, where copy must be cut to fit a particular layout, and the text changed to ensure there are no "short lines".
Often, copy editors are also responsible for adding any "display copy", such as headlines, standardized headers and footers, and photo captions. And, although proofreading is a distinct task from copy editing, frequently it is one of the tasks performed by copy editors.
Copy editors are expected to ensure that the text flows, that it is sensible, fair, and accurate, and that any legal problems have been addressed. If a passage is unclear or an assertion seems questionable, the copy editor may ask the writer to clarify it. Sometimes, the copy editor is the only person, other than the writer, to read an entire text before publication and, for this reason, newspaper copy editors are considered the publication's last line of defense.Wooooo, where can I sign up?! This really sounds like my ideal job.
I've been enjoying reading "J's" blog but I can't help but want to correct it all for her. It's all with her best interests in mind, of course! I wish I could turn off my edit button, but I can't. Every day, all day, I see things that just aren't right. A lot of it probably has to do with my A-type Achiever personality, but I'm also a little OCD (self-diagnosed) and simply anal. I cringe when I know that something needs to be fixed and have a hard time ignoring it.
Now, don't get me wrong, my goal isn't to correct everyone else, it's to give me self-satisfaction. My feel-good endorphins kick in when I'm doing something I truly enjoy, and copy editing is one of those things. Just the thought of being able to edit my dear friend's blog makes me feel all giddy.
So, I may not be able to do it as a career, but maybe I can. I guess for now I'll stick to editing as a hobby and grin and bear it when reading other people's "funny" grammar and spelling :)
Pi: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Dana Nairn: Weight Recorder
Wow, is it seriously Sunday night already? Where did my weekend go? Hey, at least this next week is a short one, AND I'm taking off at noon on Thursday for appointments and packing up for our little trip to Manitoba for Easter.
Today I sat down with the TOPS outgoing Weight Recorder to learn how the job works. There are a lot of things that need to be recorded, but I think all in all, I'll figure it out without too much difficulty. The job itself isn't hard, it's being organized and figuring out a plan to keep my at-home work at a minimum that will take a while to get perfected.
This Wednesday is my first official evening on-duty. I have the keys to the building, the code for the alarm, and the all the paperwork required. I already put it all in my own binder (no surprise there), because mine's better and I like red :) Actually, it's the same binder I used in college and it held up great. It'll be our monthly awards night so our Leader will have to help me with the charms. I can read out who's getting the awards because we figured it out this afternoon, I just don't know what they'll get for them!
In addition to my new duties on the executive, I'm presenting my TOPS story. I'd totally forgotten I was on the schedule, but after a few days thought, I agreed I could handle it. Sure, I've been busy and last week had me overwhelmed a bit, but I have plenty to say (how else could I write a blog every day ?!). I've typed most of my story out so I'll just need to go over it tomorrow night and tweak it a bit. I also printed out a few before and after pictures to share. It will be nice to share my story with my "friends" and I hope they will appreciate the things I have to say!
Here's a piece 'o pi for the day: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058
Today I sat down with the TOPS outgoing Weight Recorder to learn how the job works. There are a lot of things that need to be recorded, but I think all in all, I'll figure it out without too much difficulty. The job itself isn't hard, it's being organized and figuring out a plan to keep my at-home work at a minimum that will take a while to get perfected.
This Wednesday is my first official evening on-duty. I have the keys to the building, the code for the alarm, and the all the paperwork required. I already put it all in my own binder (no surprise there), because mine's better and I like red :) Actually, it's the same binder I used in college and it held up great. It'll be our monthly awards night so our Leader will have to help me with the charms. I can read out who's getting the awards because we figured it out this afternoon, I just don't know what they'll get for them!
In addition to my new duties on the executive, I'm presenting my TOPS story. I'd totally forgotten I was on the schedule, but after a few days thought, I agreed I could handle it. Sure, I've been busy and last week had me overwhelmed a bit, but I have plenty to say (how else could I write a blog every day ?!). I've typed most of my story out so I'll just need to go over it tomorrow night and tweak it a bit. I also printed out a few before and after pictures to share. It will be nice to share my story with my "friends" and I hope they will appreciate the things I have to say!
Here's a piece 'o pi for the day: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058
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