Festival Disappointments

I've been really upbeat this week but have to comment today on something that really irks me. Paul and I signed up to volunteer at Mosaic (a folk festival type of thing in Regina) which occurs this weekend. We did so two months ago. Apparently, the volunteer coordination job was handed over to someone else midway through planning, and some things were misplaced.

As of current, we have not been phoned to volunteer. I confirmed at our Son's of Scotland meeting last Friday that we were still interested and were told that if we filled out forms, we'd be contacted. So much for that. I'm really over it all, and don't care. I'm going to take it as an opportunity to clean my house this weekend instead, and start getting things in order for Paul's mom's visit in three weeks.

I even made a fudge because we were asked to and to bring it along when we volunteered. We were looking forward to taking part in the festivities. So much for that. I know, total downer, but it's really, really disappointing that they aren't more organized.

I'll probably offer to assist with volunteer coordination next year, because I do care and know that I'm good at stuff like that. The last thing I want is for them to be strapped for help, but I also believe that you get what's coming to you if you're not prepared.

Anyway, our lawn looks like the Amazon again and my house is filthy, so I'll get it cleaned up and Paul can get started on some more small projects. I just came up with a new one for him last night :)

Good News or Bad News?

So what do you want to hear: the good news or the bad news? I can't hear you, speak up. Huh? *ROFL* okay okay you're getting both!

The good news is, I didn't gain any weight this week. The bad news is, I didn't lose any weight this week. I guess more good news then is that I stayed the same, which in TOPS, is as good as a loss. More bad news is that I've been fighting off a cold since Monday.

My throat is sore and all red, and lucky me, I've got some post-nasal drip. Yum yum. I make it okay during the day with lots of tea and zinc lozenges, but at night when I wake up it's sooooo raw. Then in the morning it's not only raw but it's filled with phlegm. Double yum.

So, say a prayer, would you? I'd appreciate it :) At least I didn't gain weight!

My 150th Day

Wow, a momentous day has arrived: it's day # 150 and my blog has had 2000 pageviews!

Let's take this moment to reflect on all the interesting, gross, funny, informative posts I've written... *sigh* and I'm not even halfway through the year yet!

Thank you for being such faithful blog-readers :) I'm going to celebrate with two apricots, a couple grapes, and maybe (if I'm feeling really special) a few salt & vinegar rice crisps and a square of spicy dark chocolate.

Buster wants to say hi as well. He's always trying to type "meow* but usually ends up hitting other keys instead, or sits on my hands. At least he's thinking of you!

I'm still struggling with adding more pieces of pi, but I do remember the ones I learned so far: 3.14159265258979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628

Gaseous Manipulation

You know what really sucks? Having gas while getting a massage. Close that mouth and don't look so shocked that I brought this up! If you've had more than a few massages in your life, this has probably happened to you, so don't try and lie about it. It's so hard to relax properly when you've got a little something wanting to squeak out. Good thing my sphincter's still young! *LOL*

SMILE!

New Week and New Take on Life

I'd like this next week, starting right now, to be more lighthearted. No b****ing and complaining about my oh-so-stressful, tiresome life. Blah blah blah. I want to get over it, so the best way to do that is to move on and only think happy thoughts.

With that said, my lovely spouse shared a cute video with me, so I'm sharing it with you. Enjoy... and be inspired!

Gymnasts' Heights... or lack of it!

The average height of a female gymnast is around 4 feet 11 inches. Male gymnasts average around 5 feet five. The average heights of women and men in the Canada are 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 9 inches.

While at the gymnastics championships on Thursday and today, it became very apparent how much shorter they are than myself, or Paul especially. Certain articles I found on the web refer to the rigors that their bodies go through pre-puberty. They suggest that growth may be stunted due do it. A competitive gymnast will spend a minimum of three hours, five days per week training. I'm not surprised then, that their bodies may be different than the average human because of it. Just think of all the strain they put on their bones and muscles.

Now this isn't to say that there aren't any tall gymnasts out there. Svetlana Khorkina (you may have heard of her if you're into watching Olympic gymnastics) is 5 feet 5 inches. She is the tallest female Olympic gymnast to date, and she's still five inches shorter than me! I remember watching her on television in 1996 and thinking how tall she was, but average-sized people weren't standing next to her or her teammates!

I think it would be fun to put a spawn of Nairn into gymnastics, but they'd be completely screwed due to both Paul and I being tall. Guess there's always soccer and baseball!

Happy Pi Friday! Or is it Cake?

I just wish it was vanilla or lemon-flavoured!

Gymnastics & Volunteering

A number of months ago I signed up to volunteer at the 2012 Viterra Canadian Gymnastics Championships after getting a broadcast email at work regarding it. Then all of a sudden -- or so it seemed -- I was contacted regarding my volunteer application to see if I was still available. Actually, I was contacted by three different people, which is funny.

I went with the first request for help, which was for videotaping. Now I know what you're thinking, but it's not that kind of videotaping. Other than for the floor routine, all cameras are simply small, non-professional ones that are set up on tripods and don't need to be moved. All the operator has to do is turn the recording on and off for each competitor's routine. Very, very simple.

I only had one shift of that due to being busy other days in the week. It was for the men's floor routines, which was fun because I actually had to move it side to side to follow them as they tumbled across. The worst part was having to get people to move out of the way of the camera because I was in a busy area.

On Saturday morning Paul will be doing much of the same (for me, actually, as I'd double-booked myself accidentally and asked him to take over), and then that afternoon we both have security shifts for a few hours.

There were a few reasons I signed up to volunteer:

1. it's good to support your community, no matter the size or what you choose to do
2. I can add the experience to my resume
3. Viterra is the main sponsor so as an employee, I felt like I had a responsibility to be there
4. I truly enjoy watching gymnastics, and always have

So far it's been a good experience and I know that they appreciate the help myself and others are giving to this major event. With the Olympics occurring this summer in London, there's even a possibility I'll see one of the competitors on the Canadian team if they make it.

This Little Stool

For no particular reason, I was reminded of a little, red stool that I used to have. Painted on it in white paint, it said: "This little stool is mine. I use it all the time. To reach the things I couldn't, and lots of things I shouldn't."

I found a picture of one online (because Google has everything!)

I suppose I wish there was a little stool like this in my life right now. Something to lift me up to get those just-out-of-reach items. Maybe it's a metaphor for life, in a way.

That's all.

Missing: Control Over the Situation!

Just once I would appreciate if my husband's employer would get things right. It sucks that I work in HR and can't do anything about his stuff for him!

Paul started at his current job on our anniversary -- Aug 16 -- last summer. He was told benefit coverage would begin in six months. A long time to wait, but I've got him covered pretty good with mine. Along comes January and I start reminding him to ask about his benefit forms, because I know he has to fill them out. He has a hard time getting people to help him out, and when they say they will, they don't follow through.

February 16 rolls around and he still hasn't seen any paperwork. By this time I'm extremely frustrated. I know that Manulife is the provider, the same as mine, but I don't know what he's covered for or even what it will be costing us.

Finally, about a month ago, he got the paperwork from someone that knew what they were doing. It wasn't exactly the stuff I expected him to bring home, but at least it included a benefit booklet for what they're covered for. I still didn't understand if he'd be seeing premium deductions on his pay, however.

Paul was able to get the answers we needed, and we opted into the plan because it would cost us very minimally. Then all we needed was the benefit cards, or at least the certificate number so I could get us set up online. Again, waiting.

Finally today he brought them home. There's a problem, however: the cards state his coverage is effective May 1. That simply can't be right. We were told it was six months, so they'd better fix it. Simple as that!

Paul hates when I nag him about these things, so I'll kindly mention it to him in the morning before work and hope that he can find out the details. If anything, it just means I don't get to claim back for some expenses I've paid out on my own plan.

Either way, the point is, I really, really hate that I can't just administer his stuff for him. It's not just this benefit issue, but other things like his payroll, that I know so much about because I do it all day every day. To be at a complete loss of control over his work situations is really hard for me. I figure the best solution is to start up our own business -- Nairn Family... something -- and then I'd definitely know what was going on!

Pi Motivation

I need some pi motivation. I've pretty much stale-dated the ones I learned, and am having trouble getting back into it. It's not that I don't want to learn more digits -- and I do know that I can -- I've just been preoccupied with life this last month.

I went through the ones I "know" and realize that the last 6-9 are a little sketchy. So, that's it, I'm getting back into it, even if it means I only add a few this week. There may only be 10 days left in this month, but they're going to be busy.

For now, let's just recap where I'm at: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097454459230781640628

That's 74 digits. Not bad, but considering this is day # 143, I could have doubled it by now if I was really focused.

Let's see where the next few months takes me. July 1 is halfway through the year, so I'll have to set a mini goal for that day.

Thanks for continuing to read my blog!

The Love and Hate of Home Ownership

I love: building equity. Getting to choose my own paint colours. Making changes and doing renovations to the interior and/or exterior without getting permission. Paying a mortgage rather than paying rent. Having lots of space, including a huge backyard for my dog to run around in. Not having someone live directly above, below, or next to you, in other words, not sharing a wall with anyone.

I hate: having all the yard work to do, including tree-trimming, lawn mowing (lots of it), leaf-raking, snow-shoveling, etc. Much bigger utility bills than when renting. Having to come up with the money for renovations, instead of making the landlord to them. Cleaning twice as many bathrooms and double the square footage in flooring.

But you know what, I would never willingly choose to rent again. All-in-all, owning our own home is extremely rewarding and we look forward to the next one (whenever that may be).

Jockey P2P

I went to a Jockey Person to Person party on Saturday. I'd never been to one and thought it was for underwear only. Actually, P2P doesn't involve ANY underwear, just comfortable, easy-to-wear women's clothing for any occasion.

I'd planned to not buy anything, but after checking out their catalogue online, I found a few work-related items I was interested in. The stuff isn't exactly cheap, but I was hoping that after the in-house presentation, I'd find the quality was worth the price.

The "comfort specialist" was well informed about Jockey clothing and has been in sales for many years. She even wore some items that she'd owned for a few years so we could see how the fabric lasts through wear and washing. I was pretty impressed, so found a few things I really liked and could easily fit into my own wardrobe, and placed the order.

I also picked a date to host my own party. There were actually a few more items I liked, but if I get some others to buy product, they'll cost me less! The plan is to have the party on June 23rd. My mother-in-law will be here too, so it should be a nice evening. I'll kick the spouse and dog downstairs -- or out of the house -- and the girls will enjoy some wine, cheese, and fun clothing.

If you'd like to come, please check out my Facebook event page for details! http://www.facebook.com/events/192647014192189/

Quiet, Non-Lonely Day

Friday saw a quiet day in the office. My co-worker even decided to take the afternoon off (I said "go ahead") as there simply wasn't enough to do. The phones weren't ringing, and the emails weren't coming in, so I would have done the same thing. I'm saving my days off for the future, so had no problem sticking around. It just meant I could get a few things done in peace.

I hate to say it but, I'm quite the loner. I prefer to work alone, and am much more productive if left to my own devices. Someone in the office asked me if I was lonely now that the co-worker that sat next to me moved on to other opportunities. I had to be honest and say "no", as I'd be lying if I said anything else. Not only am I not lonely, but I'm quite happy taking on the extra work that was created by her departure. I'm simply not as busy as I was a month ago, so can easily take it on.

Being a loner is a constant struggle for me, however, as it also means I have difficulty making friends. It's not that I don't want to, I'm just not sure how to. It doesn't help that I spent three years working in a two-person office, and the only other interactions were with other employees that didn't work right next to me, and those opportunities weren't often. I just hope I don't come off as cold and anti-social, because that's truly not how I want to be portrayed.

I hope there are more quiet days in the office to come, which may give me some chances to be more social and make some friends.

A/C: Overrated?

Having central air installed in our current home hasn't been in the budget yet. From the last estimates we received, it will cost at least $2200 to get the electrical box and wiring upgraded just to allow CA to be hooked up. Then there's the cost of that system, probably a few thousand more. Like I said, it's simply not in the budget.

This summer will mark our third spent in Regina without air conditioning. The first was only a half-summer but it was brutal, so I'm counting it as one! We have found that, with proper usage of ceiling and stand-up fans, coupled by open windows when the air outside is just-right, and the daytime addition of a portable air conditioner (vented outside), we make it by just fine.

The hardest part for me is getting my body temperature regulated. It takes at least a week to get used to the higher temperature at night, after being used to the cold nights in the winter. I don't even change out our down duvet; once we're used to the heat, the fans keep us cool enough to continue using it year-round.

It's important to keep air circulating constantly, the windows closed during the day, and blinds drawn to block the rays. So far we've managed alright. Out of ten summers that I've had after moving out after high school, only four of those have been sustained with central air. I do enjoy the cool air, but I hate being cold. I really never thought I'd say this but, the heat isn't so bad...

It's no wonder I enjoy going away on warm vacations now. At least it means I don't suffer through summer anymore! If you ever come visit us during the heat of July or August, just be prepared for a good breeze in your hair :)

My Wanted Ad

Wanted: holiday away from life for a couple of months
Asking price: ummmmm... can I cook you a nice meal, complete with dessert, AND clean up after?

Seriously, I need a vacation. I really do feel ripped off from my last one (that I, by the way, was oh-so-excited about) after getting sick while on it. Work sucks. Life is biting the big one. I'd really love to just get away from it all for a while. Maybe hole up in some cabin in the woods in the middle of eastern Europe.

Or, I wish I was a wild rabbit just like the ones I saw on the way home. They just run around the city, feasting on whatever they can get their hands on, and don't have anyone to report to. They have no "job" per say, and don't care about money, or weight loss, or commitments. That sounds like the life.

Yeah, this is a downer blog, sorry about that. I should have given you a heads-up at the beginning. Meh. The good news is, a long weekend is coming up and I plan to do nothing at all. The weather is supposed to be nice on Sunday and Monday so maybe I can even work on my prairie tan.

Transit Lessons Learned

I had quite the afternoon. My dental appointment -- for a teeth cleaning -- was scheduled for 3:15 pm. I took a bus from right outside work, straight to where I needed to go. It only took about 10 minutes to get to the closest stop to the dentist, followed by a 1-2 minute walk. Very nice! I even made it there a few minutes early.

I was finished up by 4:00 pm, and only had to make a quick stop at the pet store next door before heading back to the same bus stop. I'd so done some research, and it looked like I could take the same bus, or another one that came by within a few minutes, and get back downtown.

At approximately 4:08 the bus arrived and I hopped on thinking I'd be downtown within the next twenty minutes or so, and be able to catch the #1 back home at 4:40. I'd even be home by 5:00! My bus ride was not so simple, however, but I didn't realize it right away.

I got tipped off when we kept going west. I thought it would east a bit then north, back towards downtown, but it didn't. It just kept going west. We even stopped at the Southland mall for over five minutes, and proceeded to head even more west out to Harbour Landing, where we again stopped, this time at the Walmart.

I was pretty ticked about it, but also didn't check with the driver when I got on to ensure it was the best bus for me. I figured out, after getting back to the Golden Mile mall (two blocks from where my journey started), that I should have just walked over there in the first place to catch any bus going downtown. My bad.

I didn't get off the bus by my house until 5:48... one hour and 40 minutes after getting on. I even waited downtown for over 25 minutes for my bus after getting off the one from hell.

I printed off a map and highlighted the area I traveled on hell-bus in red, with the blue being what I thought it would be, and the green/blue my route home from downtown. The yellow bit in the middle is the transition point. See what I mean?

The point is, my lesson has been learned. *sigh* I've had quite enough for today. The good news is, my teeth cleaning went really well and I only had to fork over $12.10.

Can a Cat Be Trained?

I was thinking about training my cats to do things on command. Like sit, lay down, hup up, etc. It IS possible! Well, the internet said it is, so it must be.

The article, "Training a Cat like a Dog" by Barbara Florio Graham describes the steps in cat training:

1. Respect
2. Respond
3. Reward
4. Reinforce
5. Teaching No
6. Leash Training
7. Repeat
8. Performing

Ms. Graham also says: Don't be discouraged if your cat doesn't seem to want to do these particular things. What does he or she do naturally? A cat that adores crawling into paper bags may be easily trained to crawl through a cardboard tunnel. One who is always rolling over on the rug can learn to respond to "roll over." Training sessions can provide an opportunity to interact with your cat in a way that's fun for both of you. 

I'm not looking to have Buster and Missy start using the toilet. Not only is that too much work, but Casey would probably start drinking out of it too. I think the first thing I'll train is... leaving me alone at night! HAHA We'll see how that goes...

Cherry Angel Food Birthday Cake

Dad's 60th birthday cake was a success, so here are the details in case you'd like to try it for yourself!

Ingredients:
   1 box angel food cake mix (any brand)
   1 can cherry pie filling (or any other pie filling, light or regular)
   PC 50% Fruit cherry jam
   Cool Whip

Make the cake simply by adding the pie filling to the cake mix. Use a hand mixer to blend it all together just until it's integrated and smooth. Transfer to two round cake pans or one 9 x 13. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes. I checked it after 25 because I wasn't sure how long it would take. I think I took it out after 33.

To finish off my cake, I spread the jar of jam on the bottom layer before putting the 2nd layer on top. Then I just topped it off with some light cool whip. It was delicious! I thought it would be too sweet, but with the cool whip not being sweet and the cake being pretty fluffy, it tasted great. I would like to try it with blueberry or lemon or pumpkin... the options are endless!

To be simple, you could just make the cake in the 9 x 13 pan and cut it in squares. It's so tasty on its own, you really don't need anything else. As it was for dad's birthday, I wanted to make it look more exciting, thus the filling and topping.

If you do make it with other ingredients, let me know how they turn out!

Sunny Days, Chasing the Clouds Away

Okay, 6 people read this, quick: I'm almost at 1800 page views! :)

Since vacationing in warm locations a few times, moving to a less-humid city, and losing some extra weight so I feel comfortable wearing less clothing, I've been enjoying the warm weather a lot more. I still don't like to sweat, so the extreme heat isn't exactly welcomed. I do, however, enjoy 20-25 degree warm days in our backyard.

Paul sure made us a nice deck. The sun comes up on that side of the house in the morning so you can sit outside with cup of coffee and soak in the warm rays. Then in the afternoon it's perfect to get a little colour, or to chill under the patio umbrella. An iced espresso makes it even more lovely.

Because Casey is very much an in-and-out burger, I leave the screen on the sliding door open a little when I'm out there. She's also a little cat herder, for Missy and Buster who continually try to escape. Casey loves laying in the sun, chasing birds, and burying her bones. I'm glad the weather has finally made a turn for the better so we can all enjoy our nice yard.

We moved the lawns as well, and now the grass isn't all mangey (flat in the middle where Casey runs, and long on the outside where she does her business). I even filled up the bird feeders for our feathery friends.

I'm hoping for a nice, moderate summer. Not too hot (we still don't have, and don't plan to get, central air), and not too rainy. Mosquitos, stay away!


I've been a little pi-shy lately because my mind has been full with other stuff, but here's where I'm at now: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628

Our Senior Visitors

Mom & "Pops" are in town for a visit this weekend. It was also my dad's 60th birthday on the 10th. As a surprise, I planned to have a dinner for him with the other family that lives in Regina. He thought it would just be the four of us. Nice surprise, I'd say!

It was a nice dinner at Beer Brothers, and we enjoyed a nice visit with F, A, K and N afterwards. I even made a cake: cherry angel food with cherry jam and cool whip. It turned out really good, in my opinion! There are even leftovers :)

Now the seniors are tired and going to bed, and we'll be up for a bit trying to tire out the mutt. All-in-all, a good day. I even got a massage and haircut out of it. We'll see what else the oldies have in store for us the rest of the weekend!

The Serenity Prayer

Raw Food?

Apparently eating raw is the new "thing" to do in regards to healthful eating. I'm not entirely sold on it though.

Juana Veters, a woman who's had training in raw food preparation and education, visited our TOPS chapter. She explained what the cooking process does to food, why she (and many others) choose to eat raw, and told us of the many health benefits of opting to eat raw.

She even prepared a "green smoothie", consisting of fresh, leafy greens (parsley and spinach), very ripe bananas, and frozen berries. I've never been one to mix my fruits and veggies; I absolutely hate V8 Fusion because I can still taste the carrots! However, even though I was wrinkling up my nose at the sight of the purpley-green drink, I took a sip. It was so blended that I truly tasted mostly the banana and the berries. Only if I used more than one sense could I tell that there was more than that in the drink. Okay, not so bad after all. I don't think I could drink the recommended quart a day of it though!

Raw food eaters, aka vegans, don't eat any animal products. I took a brief look in one of her "cook" books and there were recipes for making cheese out of nuts and seeds (really!), and bread out of the same. No butter. No milk. No eggs. Just a bunch of fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Wow. I do admire people that can give up things like pizza, chicken, pasta (they don't boil their food!), etc, but I really doubt I'd make it more than a week on that diet.

After the presentation I overheard a few members saying that they were going to try eating raw once a week to try it out. Good for them. I could maybe do one smoothie a day, maybe, but even at that I think I'd get bored of it. Food is just to keep us alive, but I need to enjoy the taste of it at least a little. I already pride myself on the amount of fruits and veggies and whole grains that I eat in my current diet plan, so I think I'm doing alright.

If you're interested in reading up on raw eating, check out http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/Raw_Food.htm

So Close, Yet So Far Away

It's no secret that I'd like another dog. Specifically, a tri-coloured, male Jack Russell Terrier. I would name him Cooper. A perfect companion for my Casey. Exciting, and at the same time extremely disappointing, as there's currently one available for me.

His name is Quintero, of Foxwillow. His sire is Casey's daddy, Foxwillow Oakley, and dam is Sand Country Pebbles. He is one special little guy and has basically been offered to me, ready to adopt. The issue isn't that we don't have the time for another dog, it's the money. Simple as that. As per my last blog, money does not grow on trees (though I wish it did), and therefore little Quintero is out of reach for me this time.

Look at how cute he is! Looks just like his daddy.

I opened my mail upon arriving at home and found, delightfully, a cheque for $50 from the local Co-Op for our annual share payout. Yay! The unfortunate part is that, after shaking the cheque, no 6 appeared in front of the 50. Darnit. I'm still short.

I wouldn't be so attached to the cutie if he wasn't EXACTLY what I want in another dog. All I can hope is that, when we can afford another one, a similar pup is available. It has to be through one of my breeder friends, and preferably another Oakley baby. That pretty much guarantees the masky-face, which is a must have for me, and already knowing the ladies that manage the breeding, I have complete faith in the quality.

Until then, I'll shed a little tear for "Cooper" and pray to be able to just let go of him. Maybe next year...

My Dog Has Issues

I'm going to have to do some reading on puppy-possessiveness. Casey sure has some issues with it. She doesn't like other dogs eating food out of her bowl. She doesn't like other dogs getting near her or us if we're holding her. She doesn't like other dogs playing with her toys. On and on and on. If she owns it (or thinks she does), there's no sharing.

Tonight at the park (aka rink next to a school), there was a large collie playing with its owner. I was going to drop Casey over the side because Paul had jumped the wall, but the collie came close to see her. She went completely mad. I believe it's because of me holding her, not because the collie wanted to sniff her. She has no issues usually, letting other dogs sniff and play with her.

Then when Paul was throwing the ball, she growled each time the collie came near her. It really ticked me off because it looks like we have a poorly-behaving dog. We don't, she just has issues.

An article I found actually gives some good tips. We just tried one, where we claim the item as "ours" (or "mine" in the case of Paul holding the ball Casey wanted). It seems to work, so we'll keep it up. She has a number of doggie friends that we plan to spend a lot of time with this summer, so I need her to learn to just let it go.

Sharing is taking what's useful to one

and making it useful by two.

It can be hard

to give up what you have,

but it shows that you care

when you do.

Puppy pi: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640

Money Month

Money really is the root of all evil. We need it to buy our food and pay our bills, but it's so easily squandered. I'm not saying I squander mine, but it is easy to just flush it all down the drain.

I imposed a Nairn Family Budget for May. So far, Paul has forgotten to use his own account twice for what I call "junk" purchases. Not that he has much in there (just enough for his junk), but I want to keep our account cleaned up this month. I've always been terrible at managing our budget, so I thought it was a good idea to just stop spending frivolously and see where we were at by the end of the month.

So far, it's just stressing me out. Actually, I'm okay with it. I figure I'll even lose a couple pounds from not eating out or getting take-out. But I'm still working on my old man. In time I hope he'll get over his issues and get more on board with me. He says he's up for it, but I'm still debating that.

I find that saying no to spending money is the same as saying no to food. If I don't buy it, I'll have more money in my account; if I don't eat it, I'll have less blubber on my thighs. Since I was able to successfully not eat everything in sight for a year to get to my goal weight, I don't see why I can't also stop spending money on stupid stuff and grow our savings. Then we'll maybe get to renovate my kitchen...

I have to try to transfer this thought pattern to my spouse. He's just not involved (even though I've tried to get him to be) in our finances. No wonder money is a main reason couples fight! If he cared a little more and wanted to see where we were at, he'd appreciate how hard it is to earn and easy it is to spend.

Alas, as Joe Moore puts it: A simple fact that is hard to learn is that the time to save money is when you have some.

Mission: Enjoyment

Sometimes there's nothing like watching a good 'ol action movie. You know, the kind that has you riveted, pinned to the edge of your seat. With bated breathe, you become fixated on the scenes, unsure if the hero or heroine will make the impossible leap or successfully evade the bad guys.

Paul and I watched Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol last night. I was never a huge fan of the previous MI movies, however the previews looked pretty good and we both were interested to see how it played out.

Production company "Bad Robot", makers of some of our all-time fave shows (i.e. Fringe and Lost), did not disappoint. On numerous occasions I found that I'd not been breathing properly, and I had to catch my breath. Some scenes made me so anxious that I literally didn't breathe until they were over.

We laughed, cheered, were shocked and amazed, and thoroughly enjoyed this movie. There was even a little romantic side story, and some comedy from the hilarious Simon Pegg, so all-in-all it completely satisfied our movie needs.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it... watch MI:GP!

Old Friend, New Visit

I had dinner with an old friend tonight. Like elementary school old. Our kindergarten class picture is below. We were both chubby little shy girls with the same hair styles. Cute.

I would say we were best friends for the entire seven years I spent going to Forrest, and then we just didn't keep up the relationship once my family moved into the city. It's funny to think of now, considering I didn't really move away anywhere, I just went to a different school. I guess things changed and I simply got some new friends. It's not like we specifically communicated, "hey, let's keep in touch and stuff".

Either way, it was nice to get together for dinner and a catch up. We haven't seen each other in person since my wedding day, nearly nine years ago. That's a long time and a lot has changed. We've both lost some weight (and both look really good!) and are working in our chosen careers. She went from Brandon to Winnipeg to Kingston to Saskatoon, so now we're not so far away.

I'm not sure that she's actually changed much in her personality in the twenty four years we've "known" each other, whereas I think mine has. I could be wrong, but she seems pretty much the same as I remember her from way back when. Not a bad thing, just something I noticed. I do believe we'll see each other again, whether it be in Regina or Saskatoon. I've found that good friendships are extremely valuable and I cherish them more than I used to, so I appreciate that, while in the city for a conference, she would contact me to catch up on our lives.

I Wish... (Part One)

I had naturally-straight hair. Seriously. Don't tell me, "oh but I wish I had naturally-curly or wavy hair", because you don't. Trust me.

Every evening I have to make a decision how I'll wear my hair the next day. If I haven't washed it in two days, unless I want to just put it up in a ponytail, it pretty much has to be done that night. I don't have time to get up in the morning to do it because of how long it takes (and I already get up early enough as it is).

Either I wash it and then blow-dry and straighten, or I wash it then put some cream in it to make it go wavy so it won't take long to fix up in the morning. Regardless, I have to do something at night before bed or I'll have a bad hair day, guaranteed.

How nice it would be to just wash and go. With straight hair, at least I could decide I wanted it curly and get a perm. With my hair, I must style it to make it straight or curly; it doesn't do either of those things on its own.

So, do you still wish you had my hair? I doubt it.


Hairy pi: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781

TOPS Helping TOPS

My job at TOPS may be a lot of work at certain times in the month, and it sure requires commitment each and every week, but it really is worth all the effort.

To see everyone doing so well each week, I can't help but wonder if my positive attitude and encouragement is helping them. It's probably nothing to do with me, but it feels good to see them achieving their goals regardless. To be a part of that success, and to hope that maybe I had something to do with it, helps me in my own journey.

When I started out with TOPS, I had a particular real-life person in mind to look like once I got to my goal. She just happens to be the one that invited me to join. Tonight we both weighed in at the exact same weight. Wow. For me, wanting to look like for at least the past two years, it sure is rewarding to be able to say that we weigh the same. Okay, she's got WAY more muscle, but for me, it doesn't matter. I've reached a particular goal anyway and I'm extremely proud of my success.

Regardless of the stress I may encounter doing my TOPS job, it all goes away when I get to see the smiling faces when pounds are lost, and when I get to award my friends for their achievements each month. All in all, I hope that I'm helping them, and that they realize they're also helping me.

Performance Puzzlement

Wow, day number 122 of my year-long journey in blog land. Some days it's really hard to think of something to write, or to even find the time to do so. Others, I have enough to say to fill more than one day's worth. Halfway is July 1, so I'm aiming for that. So far so good, and I apologize if I end up writing about something twice because I've forgotten my past topics!

Me today

I've calmed down somewhat since I left work, but today was really frustrating for me. Actually, it's not just today, it's pretty much the last month. I can't (and won't) go into details, but it has to do with the job I'm doing. Most days I really enjoy what I do and feel very productive and like I mean something; others, not so much. Today was one of those.

The main issue that I will mention is that I haven't had a performance review in quite some time. Neither have my colleagues. Many people don't like getting them, but not knowing how you're doing can be more difficult than hearing the criticism. I'd rather be told there are areas I need to work on than to not be told at all and be completely blind to the fact that I have issues to deal with.

I know there have been some things that didn't get done correctly in the last month, but I've worked to fix them. Now I'm at the point where I just need to be recognized for my successes and have goals to work on for the rest of the year. I realize this is something I need to bring up with my boss, but for whatever reason, I find it difficult to do so.

I just want to be happy with what I do, and with the people I work with, and know exactly how I'm doing year-round. Maybe I'm just being paranoid about stuff going on around me (a characteristic of my personality type, unfortunately), but maybe I'm not. For now, I'll just remain positive and continue to strive in my work.


Pi today: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078