Trying Flyball

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

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

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

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

Deal Update

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

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

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

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

My Doctor Dumped Me

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

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

A Missing Mystery

Look at this picture. Notice anything?

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

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

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

Positive Performance

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

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

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

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

3.14 = Pie

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

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

Queuing Up for Christmas

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

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

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

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

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

Coffee Time

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

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

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

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

Freaky Furnace

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

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

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

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

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

A Night Off

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

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

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

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

The CPA Made My Day

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

Time #1:

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

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

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

Time #2:

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

Not a bad day overall, eh?

Piano Finger Ring Sizing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Santa Parade

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

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

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

Two Bumps and Some Bruises

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

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

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

Socializing Time

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

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

Parade Prep

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

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

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

Feeling Low

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

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

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

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

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

Re-Ringed

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

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

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

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

Cold Nights

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

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

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

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

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

Lest We Forget

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

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

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

      Between the crosses, row on row,

   That mark our place; and in the sky

   The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

   Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

   If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

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

Saskatoon Coziness

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winter Whiteout Woes

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

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

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

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

Left Out

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOPS Hurrah

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

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

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

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

Being Charitable

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

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

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

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

Performance Perfection... okay, not quite.

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

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

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

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

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

Agility Anxiety

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

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

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

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

TOPS Tallying and Thanks

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

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

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

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

Snow Smiles

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

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

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

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

Thursday?!

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

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

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