Happy New Year!

2010 has been a pretty intense year, good for the bloggin'. Here's hoping 2011 brings equally, if not more bloggin' but on more positive terms.

In 2010 we got married, I got a new job that I love, I lived and I learned. Without a doubt, 2010 had it's ups but it also had it's downs over the last few months. I lost my mother in early October and my grand-father two days before Christmas so I'm anxious for the year to end.

As I've said before, I don't believe you can go wake up one morning and everything changes just because you get to use your new calendar. But I do believe that it means spring and summer are coming back and it also means time is moving on.

To me, this year, the New Year is a reminder that time always moves on, no matter how much we wish it didn't. I wished I could stop time when my Mom was sick to keep her with me a bit longer but time passed and what was meant to happen, happened. Life goes on and we have to make that extra effort to keep moving with it.

Thanks for being there for me, dearest reader(s) in 2010 and hopefully I'll have tons to blog about again in 2011 so you'll stick around. All the best to you and yours for the New Year! :)

Hurray for Christmas presies!

 

Here is a quick photo of the lovely, lovely Christmas presents that my lovely, lovely husband got for me! :) Did I mention I love him? Well, I do. 

I'm about half way through Kat Von D's book and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It's pretty inspiring and it's nice to see the other side of the LA Ink as viewed by Kat. There are also quite a few references of artists that I'm look forward to research and get to know and discover. Definitely inspiring... though I've found two typos so far.

I haven't started reading the LOST encyclopedia but I'm looking forward to that. It's HUGE and I'm sure filled with tons of goodies.

We went out to the park the other day (before I was glued to bed with super-bug illness) and I got to test drive my new Canon Rebel camera and enjoy watching Js and Nova play fetch on the frozen river. Oh my! I'll be sure to post some shots soon. Stay tuned...

Did I mention I broke a tooth?

Earlier this week, Js and I went out for some Vietnamese deliciousness as part of our mental prep for our month-of-no-eating-out starting January 4th. Wish us luck!

So, about my tooth. I was munching away quietly on some rice vermicelli, of all things, when I felt a little *tik* in my mouth. The filling I got when I was like 10 years old that I thought was starting to feel gritty was apparently a cavity. It somehow took hold of about a forth of my tooth and well... now I'm left with only 3/4.

It didn't really hurt but it sure felt weird. I can brush my teeth normally but I'm being careful and I rinse as often as I can. I have to call the dentist tomorrow and see. I wanted to call them earlier but with my recent super-bug flu, I figured it was kind of bad timing. I would have found plenty of creative uses for their little doo-dad that sucks up spit. Ew.

I hate going to the dentist... which is (I know... I know...) the reason for my current state. There really is no reason for me to skip the regular visits since we get some great benefits but... owwwie!

So sickly.

Last week, while I was in Ontario, Js claimed he got food poisoning from some bad pesto. He was intensely sick for two days and was still a bit shaky when I got home like five days later.

Let me tell you, it was not bad pesto.
It was the flu because now I'm the one who's violently ill with a bad case of the flu.

Now, these wise words from my loving husband echo in my head :"Well, if you have what I had last week... let me tell you one thing : It's gunna suck."

You know you're old when...

This morning, I wanted to look up some info about my little cousin's career as a hockey player. He got recruited for a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team and it's a pretty big deal - apparently. Anyways... I figured I'd get caught up on the hype and see what it was all about. Harmless enough, right?!

Putting my best Google-searching skills forward, I started searching the intertubes for some content.

It all came to an abrupt halt when I found his online dating profile.

I'm old.

Merry Christmas!

It was hard enough getting Nova to stay still for a couple seconds, I didn't get a chance to include Jacko in the picture - he sends his love.

Finally, you can rest.

After a 5 year battle against cancer and a 5 month long hospital stay... my Grand-Pa can finally rest in peace. No more pain and suffering - he vowed he'd be out of the hospital for Christmas and he got his wish.

I had to fly back to Saskatchewan on the afternoon after he passed away and it was hard to leave my family behind when they are in so much pain. I made it through and now I'm supporting them as best I can from a distance.

Small break

I'm taking a wee break from the challenge while I'm in Ontario "celebrating" the Holidays with (what's left of) my family.

Not bitter at all.

Anywhos... I'll get right back at 'er soon enough. :)

Day 06 - A picture of your morning.

This is a morning-after-picture of me, post 25th-birthday-celebration in a hotel room in Regina. It was a fun night but the morning was not nearly as pleasant. :)

Day 05 - A picture of your night.

My Bachelorette Party was absolutely perfect - a night for me to celebrate with my ladies! :)

Day 04 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

I thought long and hard (!!) about this one all day and I seriously can't think of anyone I'd want to trade places with for a day.

Sure, my life isn't perfect but it's what I made of it and I love it with all it's ups and downs. Parts of it sucks (a lot - especially lately) but parts of it are still beautiful and I've learned to enjoy even the simplest things that make me so happy.

I know this is only a writing exercise and I tried to get a different perspective but I couldn't think of anyone. I mean sure, I wonder sometimes what it would be like to be rich and famous or what it would be like to be Mother Theresa or something... but life's a matter of perspective and I'd rather see the people I admire from the outside and be inspired by them. Imagine if you "became" Mother Theresa (in her "alive" days, of course) and discovered her deepest thoughts were all selfish and evil and you'd have to smell her old lady farts all day. I don't know how I feel about that.

My answer sucks but that's what I've gained from it.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

LOST is definitely my favorite TV show in all my history of TV watching. I loved the mystery and the thrills and the way the show left so much for the viewer to dissect and adapt to their very own perception of the show.

Click here if you'd like to read up on all my ramblings about the wonderful universe that is LOST.

Also, if you think I'm one of those crazy people who went all out and made t-shirts and a huge deal about the series finally... you are so, so right.

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

Maggie and I have been bestest friends since we were about 6 or 7 years old. She came up to me and asked if I wanted to be her friend and I said yes. I guess, on some level, I appreciated her upfront-ness and knew she'd be someone I could count on for her honesty and genuineness for the rest of my life.

You know how everyone says you shouldn't move in with your best friend because that always ruins friendship? That rule (or any other rule, for that matter) does not apply to us. We lived together for three years when we moved to Ottawa to go to college or university.

Then she moved in with her boyfriend, now husband, and we kept in touch with nearly-weekly coffee dates or crap-food-eating fests at a nearby Denny's.

Maggie also encouraged me to "go for it" and give in to my feelings for Js. When Js and I were finally good and ready to admit we dating she was thrilled. As the universe wanted it, we'd have something else to bring us even closer together. Both our husbands-to-be were in the Air Force.

Now only once province away, we make a point of visiting each other every chance we get and spend countless hours emailing back and forth in the mean time.

The above picture was taken at Maggie's wedding - it was a gorgeous day!

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

1. I live in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
2. I am being shot at with a Nerf gun.
3. I'm married to the man of my dreams, Js.
4. Said man of my dreams is currently shooting at my cat with a Nerf gun.
5. I have a cat names Jack and a dog named Nova.
6. I get really annoyed by Nerf guns.
7. I have been blogging for a little over two years.
8. I'm a military spouse.
9. My first language is French.
10. I'm short.
11. I really enjoy Indian food.
12. I love to bake and cook.
13. I love my job.
14. I am, yet again, being shot at with a Nerf gun.
15. I can be surprisingly patient, at times.

A challenge to get out of this rut.

I've been having a hard time putting words to computer screen lately which is really odd for me. To help me get out of this rut and hopefully get back into the blogging swing of things, I've decided to complete a small challenge.

Pretty much a million Facebook friends of mine have been posting about this (mind you, most my Facebook friends are geeks so this may be totally lame) challenge and I woke up this morning with the silly idea to do it and post it on my blog. Hopefully, it'll also keep me motivated to post during the Holiday season.

So here's what it's all about :

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 05 - A picture of your night.
Day 06 - A picture of your morning
Day 07 - A picture of you over ten years ago.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of you in your room.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture you're tagged in on facebook, but not actually in
Day 18 - A picture of you had no idea was being taken.
Day 19 - A picture of you drunk.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of the last vacation you were on.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of you on your birthday.
Day 29 - A picture at a time where everything was changing.

Firstly, I don't really know why it's called the 30 day challenge but it only has 29 days to it. If you have a revised list, please feel free to let me know.

Secondly, I'm not sure I'll post an actual picture for all of them but I'll try - this is after all, a blogging exercise for me so I'm going to focus on writing a little sumthin' sumthin'.

There goes nothing...

Holiday Preps

The Holiday preparations have officially started at the "L." household! :) Last year, we waited until the last possible moment and then got hit with a monster snow storm so the lights never went up outside. This year, my nagging worked and we produced a very disorganized and amateurish display of colorful lights tangled in the branches of our dying tree. Oh, the joys of the season.

Nova was there to ensure the quality of our work.

 

And behold, the glamorous results :

Freezing Fog

The view from our backyard last week.

Quiet

I know I've been slacking in the blog department recently. I'd like to say "I've had so much going on!" but that's not even an excuse. There really isn't that much happening... well... that much worth writing about. Life is just trucking along - business as usual.

But what have I been doing with all my free time? I haven't had that much, seriously. I've been keeping up with other online and offline projects. New job requires me to sit in front of a computer for most of the day so when I get home, I just want to sit there and turn off my brain.

I've been learning a lot about my surroundings, about myself and about my family within the past months since Mom passed away. I'm still taking it all in and most times, not really in the mood to share. I've been a bit more introvert than usual and I think it's a good thing.

I find lately I've been longing for silence. I find myself needing "quiet time" during the day - either when I get home from work or at night after dinner. I want to turn off the TV, unplug everything and just sit there with a cup of tea or a book. I've never had this longing before and it's really strange. I've just been rushed through so many emotions, I want a couple minutes to allow my mind to sit still.

I am not so much looking forward to the holidays this year. I'm going to be visiting my Dad and family mid-December and returning to Saskatchewan just in time to spend Christmas day with Js, Jack and Nova - a Christmas we didn't get to celebrate together last year. I know we made the right decision with regards to my trip home but I'm still struggling with knowing that my Dad will wake up by himself Christmas day.

Dog vs Mat

I was quietly preparing dinner (zapping some left over lasagna I slaved over the day before) and I heard a weird noise coming from the side door. Kinda like a "hacking" noise but I knew Jacko was upstairs. "Shite! The dog's about to puke and she's asking for the door!" *runs paper towel in hand*

I slammed on the breaks before I got too close when I saw what was really going on. We'd given Nova the end of a raw-hide in the morning so we could play video games - yes, we're horrible pet owners. My precious, brilliant dog had decided she wanted to bury it somewhere in the house. After searching high and low, she decided behind the side door was the best option. She could then cover it with the mat.

The noise I heard was her trying to push the little mat around with her nose... front paws solidly planted on it. So there she was, pushing with all her might and holding it down in place blinded by her determination. I stood there, laughing and waiting to see what she would do next. In my defense, I didn't know how bad it was at this point - it was just horribly cute. After a while she figured it out (!!) and started scratching and nudging the mat in place. Eventually she had done it, the little raw-hide was (almost) entirely hidden under a giant pile of mat.

She looks over at me with so much pride and happiness like she was saying : Look Ma, no one will ever find it now! Tell me I'm a good girl! I look a bit closer and notice something is a bit off on her face and the mat and floor are covered in streaks of... what is this? Blood?! Nova rug-burned her nose. Like, bleeding and all. She worked so hard she never felt a thing but now she has a little bald spot on the top of her nose, it's kinda scabbing and a bit gross but healing.

Nova : 0
Mat : 1

--blank stare--

I must have started to write 8 different blog posts over the last two weeks. It's been especially difficult to but words to paper (computer screen?) because it's hard to figure out where to start. So many emotions that I can't even begin to explain and so many thoughts, I don't know where to start.

I'm settling in back at home and getting used to the new life. Coming back to a new job also means a totally new lifestyle for us but it'll all work out in the end. I've been keeping busy with friends, work and some stuff I've been meaning to do around the house. Let's hope that lasts me long enough so I can get back to semi-normal life.

Yesterday I had a moment. I talked to my Dad on the phone and it was just a reminder of how far away he is. It's easy to pretend that he just lives down the street, that my Mom is just at work. When reminders come along, that's when it gets rough. I can't just call her at work or leave her a Facebook message asking her to call me later. She won't. She's gone and I don't want to be reminded.

Mom

We said farewell to my Mom last Tuesday night. She gave in to a massive infection after two days of struggles. Her cancer was so advanced that her body couldn't climb back up - even if it had, she would have had maybe one or two weeks until the cancer took over and her body start to shut down. She went peacefully surrounded by loved ones.

Thanks for being here, reading and lending me a shoulder to get through this.

Home is where your cat is.

I never thought I could miss a little fuzzy thing like my Jacko so damn much. Yes, I do miss Js and Nova and everyone else but missing Jack's been pretty difficult in this whole situation.

I miss Js with all my heart but I can call him, I know he's there for me and thinking about me while I'm away. I know he wishes he could be here with me during this difficult time to support me and my family and that is incredibly comforting.

Since I adopted Jack 5 years ago (already!), he's always been there. I've always been able to find comfort in snuggling my nose in his neck and falling asleep to his soft purr. When old boyfriends dumped me, when Js left, when Js came back, when Js left again and came back again and left again, when I decided I was moving wherever Js got posted, when I found out it was Saskatchewan, when I miss my family, when I opened up old wounds to learn to live again - Jack was always there. He's my constant and when I look at him, I know I'm where I should be. It's silly really, to attach such a huge emotional hook to a small kitty cat who can't even talk let alone understand everything that I rely on him for. Maybe it's just that. He's there no matter how much I depend on him, he can't talk back and he lets me make my own decisions and just snuggles.

The challenges that I've faced this week definitely call for a very long snuggles session between Jacko and me to restore my strength and courage. He's 3000kms away and it sucks.

Hard

A lot of things in life are hard. Like rocks or the table's leg against my pinky toe.

I consider myself a pretty strong person. I have my moments of weakness but overall I keep a strong face and cry in the shower like everyone else.

This past week's been quite testing. With my Mom at the hospital, I've had to face some very unexpected situations and put on my game face for the rest of the world. Yes, I know I'm allowed to be sad and upset and fed up. Yes, yes I know.

Today, I added a couple notches to my strength belt. My Mom being drugged up and unable to string two or three words together, my Dad and I had to answer the Doctor's questions when it came to her wishes as far as efforts to keep her alive should anything happen while in ICU. To look a total stranger straight in the face and share something so intimate, so devastating.

It's scratching away at the very last and very thin layer of denial that I have left. Exposing the wound in all it's magnitude and pouring in the salt.

and it's only the beginning.

Up in the air

Everything is.

Yesterday, Js came to see me at work. We stepped out of the store and he told me he just got a call from my Dad. Automatically, I thought something had happened to my grand-pa... little did I know.

My Mom was at the hospital - they found two lumps and they are waiting on more test results.

It took me a while to let it sink in - I don't think it has fully yet - and I called my aunt right away. I knew she would have more information than what Js got from my Dad. Talking to planes and speaking to a sobbing father-in-law on the phone is apparently not as easy as it sounds. I finally got a hold of her at work and it did not sound good. She gave me a bit more info and I told the girls at work I was going home.

Js force fed me a sandwich and then we booked a flight for me to come to Ontario today. So here I am. Using my Mom's computer (which doesn't have spell check so forgive my spelling and grammar) listening to my Dad snore and just waiting for the time difference to give up and let me sleep. It's only 9pm for me... I've had quite a long day and tomorrow looks promising.

It's like everything's been thrown up in the air and we're just sitting here, waiting for it all to fall back down. Either it falls back down into place and the world goes on or it doesn't and well... we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

For now, sleep.

Go Meesh Go!

Sending positive vibes and thoughts to fellow blogger and friend Meesh who's expecting a wee one any day now. I've had a blast following her belly story over at Life On The Farm - In The City with her weekly updates, her nesting urges and her gorgeous belly shots.

Now hurry on up so I can see pictures of Mini-Meesh!

Top 4 reasons why I didn't like The Back Up Plan

I'm not quite sure why I had medium expectations for this movie. I knew it wasn't going to be the best movie ever but for some very strange reason, I thought I'd like it more than I did. I think I was intrigued and charmed by the concept. Turns out, the plot is exactly what turned me off cold.

1. Predictably predictable
   This movie was so predictable it's unreal. No surprises, no twists, no nothing. It's like, when something is about to happen and you go "Oh, they're gonna do it!" ... *drum fingers* "Do it already so we can move the eff on so she can dump you so you can try to get her back ad nauseum.
    
2. He's not the dad. Get over it.
   So one of the big moments of the movie is when she gets mad at him for saying the babies aren't his. They are not. You got inseminated, you ninny. You can't be mad at him because he said something that's the absolute truth. There's a whole 3 hours (okay, probably more so like 15 minutes but it feels like 3 hours) of her being all depressed about it and all I wanted to do is shake the TV and scream.
   
   
3. Jennifer Lopez.
   
   
4. It makes me want to burn my bra.
   Oh look, finally a movie about a woman taking matters into her own hands and making it on her own! Wrong - she needs a man.
   Oh look, finally a movie about a single moms are not hippies but a reality? Wrong - they chant and hold hands.
   Oh look, finally a movie about a driven woman who sticks to her guns even when Mister Perfect comes along! Wrong - he's clearly more successful than her.

Ugh. Why does Hollywood still try to make movies starring Jennifer Lopez - do they not like money?

Changes - again.

I've finally decided to wear by big girl pants and make a move that is entirely for me and me alone. Part of me feels selfish but the other part feels pretty good about my decision.

I quit my job for something entirely different. It's almost the same salary but it's a bit less... just enough less that we'll have to tighten the purse strings a bit until Js' next promotion. It wasn't an easy choice, especially financially but considering the perks, it'll be worth it. I'll get time off during the Holidays if we decide to visit family back home. I'll also be working a lot less so I'll have more time to spend at home working on other projects like my baking and that kind of thing. I'll be able to take on orders without feeling pressured because I work so much. It's a part time job but considering the difference in hours worked, I'm getting much much more per hour so it's a win. I'll also be able to walk to work again - I think that's the one thing I missed from my old/evil job. I'm looking forward to doing something completely new, exciting and a bit more creative. There's also many more opportunities for growth so it's more to look for in the long run.

I guess I feel selfish because I'm not used to putting my needs and wants entirely first. I want to work less - I want a more stimulating job. We'll have less disposable income. Looks like I win more than "we" do but Js supports my decision and he's actually quite thrilled about it to so I guess I shouldn't feel so bad about it.

The military lifestyle pretty much wires you to think beyond your own wants and needs. It's hard to de-program yourself to think about your future retirement options, transfer possibilities, flexibility of hours and so on. This is the one thing where I say a great big "EFF YOU!" to what the world wants me to say and do and I do whatever I want.

Sickly McComplainerson

Woah. A whole week without a post. Where are my manners?

Well, there's been lots going on 'round here. I'm finally getting over this cold and gaining some of my normal energy back which has been quite productive. Js got my cold so he spent the weekend heavily medicated pouting like a big baby.

"I'md sick."

He spent two days like this. Two days of laying on the couch, sighing loudly and snotting on everything.

Me : How are you feeling Honey?
Him : I'md sick.
Me : Awh. Want some soup?
Him : I'md sick.
Me : Are you cold? Want another blanky?
Him : I'md sick.
Me : ... oh... you're sick! You should have said something...

Why is it that men always think they get it worse than we do? Seriously! All week, I was feeling queezy and sneezy and lazy... but it couldn't possibly me that bad. Then he gets it and it's like his world is ending. Oh, the agony!

Under the weather...

These last couple days have sucked, to say the least. I've been feeling sickly - aches, shivers, sniffles and sore throat. Yep, sounds like first signs of a flu. FML. I've been packing some extra vitamin C and echinacea in hopes that my immune system would kick it up a notch. Sadly, it ain't so.

Also, my Grand-Pa's been having a hard time with his fight against cancer and he's been at the hospital in Ottawa for about a week now. My home town, where I grew up and where most of my family lives, is about 100kms east of Ottawa and when the local hospital can't handle your needs anymore, they ship you off to a bigger center like Ottawa. It's always a huge deal because it means that family members have to drive an hour to and from to visit and support their loved ones. In my grand-parents' case, it's an immense deal - it was a huge deal for them to go to the store so this is totally outside of their comfort zones.

My grand-ma got a call this morning that they had to operate on him right away so she and my aunt had to drive to Ottawa for her to sign the papers allowing them to do it. During the surgery, he stopped breathing on his own so now he's hooked up to machines.

That's all the info that I've got so far. I don't know why I'm blurting all this on here and probably don't make any sense. Just trying to cope with the fact that I'm 3000kms away. :(

That's all I've got.

Oh, and Nova lost her lunch about 15 minutes after I got home. Lovely.

This soap is mocking us!

I'm all for being germ-conscious and healthy and all that jazz but there's something about making people panic for no reason that just irks me. My latest irritation is this :

The Lysol No-Touch Hand Soap Dispenser. What the crap is up with that shite? Let's review together the steps to effective hand washing practices :

 

1. Turn on faucet.
2. Press on germ-filled soap pump to dispense soap in hands.
3. Lather anti-bacterial soap on hands.
4. Rinse.
5. Turn off faucet.
6. Dry hands however suits your mood.

What's that step right after touching the filthy pump? Wash hands. What gets rid of germs? Washing hands. Why the hell should I worry that the soap pump is covered in bacteria if I'm going to wash my hands right after I touch it. Seriously?

Whiskey-Ville - Population : Unknown.

Everyone has a wild side they save for the bedroom... and the internet?

I came across a very interesting (and new) blog while browsing a 20sb today : Tales from Whiskey-Ville

Source : Tales from Whiskey-Ville

"Intended as a place for women (and men) to come and talk about sex, sexual encounters, and dating in the modern age. Your parents wouldn't approve. But that's why it's anonymous. Who are we? We're your neighbors, your sisters, your aunts, your coworkers, and those girls you pass each day on the street. Just a couple of ladies...talking about sex."

Right away I was intrigued. Basically it's a collaborative effort to openly and shamelessly talk about what's normally censored in a "OMG! What if my Mom found and read my blog?" way.

I have to admit I read a couple posts and I am not disappointed. It's funny, modern and it's got some truth and honesty to it that you'll only ever find on anonymous websites. The blog is still fairly new but I think it's definitely worth a read.

Go on, give it a try... but please, close the door.

Let's have pets, we said...

... they'll enrich our lives, we said.

Overload of Fall

Today, I enjoyed a nice and relaxing day off. I went to the MFRC this morning to hang out and had some pretty interesting conversation with some old friends and some new acquaintances. The weather was much nicer today than it's been over the last couple of days. It got colder and rainy only late in the afternoon.

I was supposed to go grocery shopping but I totally lazed on the couch and played scrabble with my neighbor all afternoon. We had a late dinner and when our company left I decided to finally make the trek out to town and get at least some fruit and veggies. Really, deep down in my heart,  I knew it was simply an excuse to go get a Starbucks coffee.

I moseyed on over in my sweats and a big woolen sweater and as I got closer to the Starbucks counter and started wondering what I wanted to order... I saw it there, on the menu board :  Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Now, I don't know if it's available year round because I think ordering a Pumpkin Spice Latte in July would be very very very wrong. Then, I realized it was September, it was cold and dark out and I just had to have one. Man, was it ever delicious!

I know people in Ontario are still roasting in summer heat but it's really starting to look like fall out here and I'm totally okay with that.

The heat is (back) on!

So, we're totally brilliant. Before we left for Ontario and sent all the deposits off for the wedding stuff, we figured we'd put a couple extra bucks towards our utility bills so that we wouldn't be stuck out of money when we came back and it would save us some stress. Wrong.

It appears that we (I) paid one bill twice instead of putting an even amount on both our  power and gas bills. So we got back from the wedding and didn't really feel like going through the gigantic pile of mail that awaited. Plus, we have an equalized payment plan thing (or whatever it's called) so we know how much our bills will be and when they are due. No worries - la-dee-effing-dah.

Friday morning comes around - no hot water in the morning. My neighbor who's husband is away right now asked me to go over before going to work to watch her little baby while she showers. I figure I'll just go a bit early, shower there and ask Js to call CFHA this afternoon. It bugged me all day... what the shit could have possibly broken our hot water heater? It's really odd... Unless...? As soon as I get home, I rummage through the pile of mail and find three letters from the gas company notifying us that our account was past due. Damn it - damn it to hell!

Upon further online research, I find confirmation that :
A) I paid the wrong account.
B) They don't do reconnections over the weekend.
C) It's going to be minus one million degrees on Saturday night and Js is gone camping until Sunday.

Fail.

We got things figured out this morning and they were able to reconnect us on the same day. We're still out a couple hundred bucks but at least we won't have to worry about our electricity bill until next month. I think it's totally assbackwards NOT to call people or email or something. Please note I am aware that it's also assbackwards to pay the wrong bill. No need to rub it in.

We showered at our neighbor's house and wore hoodies feeling like total white trash all weekend. Ugh. Is that what they call married bliss?

PS: Also note that it's  August 31st and yes, our heat is on.

More pretty wedding-ness!

Last week, I posted some photos of our wedding from our friend Nick's Facebook album. It's been insane the amount of pictures that flowed through the interwebs since the wedding. I figured I'd share a bit more with everyone on here to keep you on the edge of your seat until we get our professional shots and can share them with the world. 

Worry not, if you hear a faint *squee* in the distance sometime next week, it's because we got the pictures. :)

As promised :

I highly enjoy this one simply for the look on Js' face. Relief? Whistling?

With my Mom and my Papa.

I really really like this picture Maggie's hubster got.

The last people standing - consists of pretty much my pretty peeps and my parents. :)

G'bye!

Most of those are from the Maggie Cam except the first one, I believe, which is from Js' cousin.

Food : "Pizza en Gumbies"

When we were little, Maggie's mom would make us "pizza en gumbies" and it was the most delicious thing. It's become a childhood staple and we still call it that every time we make it. I hadn't bought any in the longest time before moving to Saskatchewan because well, our oven was probably assembled by Mr Kenmore himself.

With the move out here, away from friends and family, nothing cures a homesick moi like a little taste from home. We started buying the kit to make "pizza en gumbies" as a once in a while thing but now, we always need a back stock of at least one box or Js fears for the future of humanity.

It should be noted that I've never actually made "pizza en gumbies" in it's traditional form for Js. We've always tried to make it a bit healthier by adding veggies and some lean pepperoni or something.

"Pizza en gumbies" is actually made with using only the ingredients provided in the kit. It has to be square and cut up in long rectangular shapes.
Like Gumby :

It sounds a bit lame but it's actually one of the best (and cheapest) comfort foods I can think of. I'll have to make some actual "Gumby Pizza" for Js and kick the whole "healthy" stuff eventually. I promise to blog about it when I do but until then, here's our latest chef d'oeuvre of home made pizza. Cheese stuffed crust with olives, onion, tomatoes, peppers, pepperoni and mozzarella.

*noms*

Crazy times!

These days have been crrrraaay-zay! Between getting back into the swing of things at work and Js organizing a camping trip for the unit - we've been running around like a bunch of headless chickens.

I just ordered about 100$ of labels and stuff online and I'm researching some hallowe'en recipes. Not sure if I should make the same delicious cake as last year or try my hand at something different.

I've been taking out my wedding-OCD on other random things around the house and it's going quite well.

Us : 1 - Wine Cabinet : 0

Over the last week and a bit, people keep asking me "How's married life treatin' ya?" or something to that effect and to be quite honest, I don't really know what to answer. Sure, there's some added romance in the air and all but aside from that, it's pretty much business as usual. We've been living together for so long, we have joint back accounts and all that grown up stuff. Doesn't leave much for some special treatin' from good old married life.

Tonight, tonight was different. Tonight, we build some Walmart furniture without screaming, throwing screws, breaking things or having to dismantle and start over because if misread instructions. Yes, ladies and gents - we have evolved as a couple! I felt like cheering, holding the teeny wine cabinet unit thing on top of my head like the Stanley cup and running laps around the Base.

It doesn't seem like much but it's EFFING huge for us. Me having control issues, OCDness and some pretty off the wall anxiety fits and him having pretty much the opposite of all of those - you'd think we just complete each other. That's now how it works at all. I want to organize my hair clips in order of size and color and he doesn't get why I need little storage components for each category. When we decided to start assembling, I'm going to be honest, I went looking for the paper bags. Not for my head - to breathe in. By the time I figured we were out (yeah - it's kinda bad) I turned around and there it was, our little wine cabinet thing. Mocking me.

Js' Dad said during his speech at the wedding :

...It's been great seeing them navigate the intricate process of planning a wedding, especially from a distance and to be quite honest, I have no idea how they managed it but they did. That says a lot about a couple and how they can work together through anything. At this point, they are almost ready to attempt putting up wallpaper together. That's when you know you have something solid.

That wine cabinet is our wallpaper.

CBC News - World - 100-km Chinese traffic jam enters Day 9

Yikes! I can hardly believe how these things happen. I complained about the traffic in Ottawa... read the article bellow and you'll think about it twice next time you're stuck in your car.

I wonder why most people haven't already abandoned their vehicle? If I stop and picture this happening in Toronto for a second, the city would be worried about how to move all the abandoned cars out of the way more than anything.

CBC News - World - 100-km Chinese traffic jam enters Day 9

If you were stuck in this traffic jam, who would you want to be traveling (or idling) with? What would you do - leave the car and run for the hills or wait it out?

Lost Season 6 - ALL MINE!

Guess what comes out in stores today... ... SQUEE!

All calls and emails will be returned when I'm done. Kinda like a cheap date.

Nick, if you get random texts during the evening, you'll know why. Kinda like a cheap date.

Va-va-va-vroom! OMG Shewwws!

My friend Lorrie is a finalist in a competition and needs your votes! She designed some fabulous shoes and I know you secretly want them :

Credits to Lorrie - Top 20 finalist in Upper Street design competition

If you believe these shoes are the most fabulous you've ever seen, here are the hot-steps to follow :

1. Go on Facebook.
2. Ignore all other notification - you're on a mission.
3. Look up "Upper Street" shoes or simply click here.
4. Fight the urge to tell me that you didn't have to follow steps 1 and 2 had you skipped ahead to step 3 and made your life much easier. Life's though like that.
5. Click the "LIKE" button on the top of the page because you have to like Upper Street shoes (who doesn't!) in order to help Lorrie out.
6. Check out the album AW10 Design Competition Top 20
7. Find Lorrie's design and click "LIKE!" because you obviously do.

 Voila, there's your good deed for the day!

Bachelorette on the loose!

It's a bit overdue but the photos are just finding their way on Facebook now. My fabulous, fabulous friends organized me the bestest best bachelorette party a girl could ask for the Saturday before the wedding. I wrote a bit about it here but I figured you would all enjoy some more pics and deets!

First things first, there was a surprise-shower part of it which family attended - more like the traditional wedding shower where we did funny games and ate cake. It was great to see family right the next day after my arrival in Ontario. We made some toilet-paper wedding gowns and I completed a "how well do you know your groom-to-be quiz".



When it was all over, I was kidnapped and decorated with balloons and some Bachelorette gear and forced to go downtown Ottawa for dinner and some good times (and by "times", I mean "drinks").





We headed out for dinner when I realized that I forgot my ID at Js' dad's house. LAME! My bridesman, Jf had been invited to join Js' bachelor party too so he knew where the guys were and when. We got a hold of them and asked Js to drop off the keys so I could go get my ID in case my "I got kidnapped this morning and I don't have my ID - plus, I'm old enough to get married you tool!" didn't work.When Js showed up at the restaurant, I truly enjoyed what I saw :

Js had a to-do list on the back of his t-shirt - pretty much all the boxes where checked by the end of the night.

The dinner went on with much fun, drinks and laughter. We made "male organs" out of napkins (just request it in a comment and I can post a tutorial), I got a t-shirt and some colorful gear to get noticed - and get free drinks - at the bar.

Yay!

The bunch at the restaurant - before things got soaked with alcohol.

Cheers to a great party with great people!

I made a wee-wee out of a napkin and my cousin got carried away.

Then, we hit the clubs - yes that's plural. We went a bunch of different places and finally settled on Whiskey bar. It was amazing how much fun we had - drama-free. Everyone got along and everyone was boozed up just enough not to care. It was nice to let loose and go nuts with my friends like when we were young (-er!! younger!!).

Throughout the evening, I kept thinking that it was awesome how Js was out with his buddies at the same time and kept hoping they were having as much fun as we were. I didn't worry for one second that he'd do something stupid or call me from jail asking me to come pick him up at 3am.

My party-party! :)

Love!

A picture of pure class.

That last picture is of one of my bridesmaid and me. If you look really closely, you'll see that she's holding a mickey of Malibu rum and I'm holding a shot glass. If you look at the photo again, you might notice that we are at an unnamed bar. Yes, throughout the night, she would not-so-discretely take out her bottle of rum and pour me a shot. Pure class! :)

Overall, it was an amazing night and official goodbye to Singlesville! :)

PS: All photo credits go to Maggie.

Back in the land of canola and kitty cuddles!

The title pretty much resumes our first day back in the prairies after our e.p.i.c. trip to Ontario to get wedding.

I slept pretty much the whole flight here. Note : Buy neck cushion for traveling. We got home, unpacked one of the suitcases as soon as Jack would allow it. We expected him to be in a pissy mood but he's been all purrs and cuddles like it's going out of style. Poor thing had never been left on his own this long before. We're picking up Nova from the kennel tomorrow morning.

After making the most delicious club sandwiches ever, I passed out drooling on the couch and slept until 8pm. I'm still kinda fuzzy on what time it is, what I should be doing and whether I should snooze on the couch or just go straight to bed. As much as we tried to rest and relax during our last couple days back home, we didn't. It's like all the stress accumulated over the last two weeks is finally catching up with us.

I promise to post more details of the wedding, photos and everything else that's going on right now soon enough.

It's so good to be home.

Wedding DIY Stuff

Now that the wedding preps and madness are over, I've decided to post some of the DIY stuff we put together to share ideas and stuff. We couldn't do as much as we wanted ourselves because we were planning from a distance but we tried really hard to give our special day a special, personal touch.

Here's what you've got to look forward to :

Invites : We made all our invites ourselves. We often wanted to just put our hand in the paper-slicer thingy-ma-bob just to end it all and have a good excuse to order them but we'd already started and it was too late (not to mention - too messy!). I'll post a short description and how-to plus some do's and don'ts.

Name tags : We half-DIY'd our name tags because my brilliant idea of sticking a teeny piece of paper into our printer was a bad, bad one. I'll show you a good way to get out of having to spend more money when you do something stooopid.

Seating Chart : We're also creating our own seating chart. Nothing too fabulous there but with the core of the project in Ottawa and all the pieces here with us in Moose Jaw, it'll make for an interesting read at least.

Favors : Maggie and I prepared some kick-butt ceremony favors together during Easter weekend.

Bathroom Baskets : Because our reception and ceremony are held at the same venue and we have many guests driving quite the distance to attend, we decided to offer them some freshening-up products.

I'm sure we'll need to improvise a ton of things when we finally get there and realize we forgot something important. Stay tuned for more! :)

Wedded!

Done.

I'm not really sure where to start and I'm still trying to take it all in and get used to being called something else that I have been for the last 26 years. It's still surreal but I wanted to share an update with y'all.

Everything went flawlessly. Everything was absolutely perfect. We weren't late - in fact, we were ahead of schedule for most of it. The weather was perfect, our vendors were fabulous, the food was amazing and the people were enjoying themselves.

There are already some pictures posted on FB but I'm anxious to see what our photographer captured of our day. I saw some teaser photos already (more on this later) and it all looked so magical! :)

Here are a few of my faves from our friend Nick's photos :

My Dad and I, walking down the isle.

Signing my life away.

Joel, myself and Nick - all smiles! :)

That's enough for now... ;)

Wedding Day!

Today, I'm getting married to the most wonderful man I know!

We both never could have imagined what we got ourselves into when we decided to go out for drinks after loosing touch for 4 years.

Now, here we are - getting married! Eeek! Have a special thought for us at 3pm EST and I promise to post pics as soon as I have them! :)


Obviously this entry was written days prior and scheduled to be posted today. I am not blogging on my wedding day... ... ... yet.

Wedding update : Hi, I'm a giant geek.

Seems like all I've been writing lately are wedding updates. I promise to try and spread them all over the next couple weeks so that I don't bore the living crap out of anyone. I've also been working on some scheduled posts for while I'm in Ontario getting ready for the big day so no one misses me too much. :)
Yes, I'm a giant geek like that. I should probably be thinking about what kind of flowers I want but no... no I worry about my blog while I'm gone.

Another and much much cooler reason why I'm a geek is that my blogging friend, Danielle will be attending our wedding. She's driving all the way from New York to meet us (yes, we've never met - added geekyness) and to celebrate our big day with us.

I am SO happy that she's coming to the wedding. There is a whole cocktail of people from different places coming so having her there will just solidify it all in knowing that there is someone there from each aspects/points in our lives.

We still can't believe that 100 people will care enough to attend our wedding - some coming from Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, New York and even some of our Moose Jaw friends will be there. Unreal.

Thegloss.com - Why men irritate me (and Nick)

Nick posted this to my Facebook wall a short bit ago and I thought it was quite ... ... ... interesting.

Source : Thegloss.com

Thegloss.com - Why I'd Be Offended If a Woman Didn't Take My Last Name

Snippet for your thoughts :

"Call me old fashioned. Call me traditional. Call me chauvinistic. Call me whatever you will, but don’t emasculate me. Leave my manliness in tact.

I do understand that for centuries women have struggled in a patriarchal society and that the last name is one of the final fronts. But please understand our plight. This isn’t about establishing a hierarchy in the relationship or taking possession of you. As deeply rooted as it is in our societal traditions, it is even more so in the man’s bible. It is a privilege for a man to take a woman’s hand in marriage, and an even greater honor of offering our family name as a token of our undying devotion. Arguably more so than a ring.

If you’re going to nag us about wearing our band during pick-up games and not leaving it by the bathroom sink after we wash our hands, then please remember to take our surname with you on your girls’ night out."

Source : Thegloss.com

My first instinct was to feel frustrated but the more I think about it, I pity the fool. How sad to feel the need to, like a little puppy, pee in every corner because it's his only way for him to keep what's "his". I hope you enjoy the single life, pal!

Here are more thoughts on last-name-changing practices I've blogged about in the past :

• Offbeat Bride - How are you judged for your last name choice?
• My decision making process - A rose by any other name...
• I also blogged about my decision to get a tattoo to reflect my maiden name and then flashed some newly inked skin.

Thoughts?

Lookism: OK If It's at the Hands of a Multinational Corporation | Bitch Magazine

Interesting article found on Bitch Mag's website :

Lookism: OK If It's at the Hands of a Multinational Corporation | Bitch Magazine

Snippet for your thoughts :

The fact that both AA and Abercrombie have lookist hiring practices isn't all that surprising. Certainly, on the notoriety level of poorly-made over-priced clothing both companies, though they target different markets, are some of the easiest targets. AA has been in the blogosphere time and again for its creepy sexual predator of a boss (among other things!), and Abercrombie has irked middle-class parents with its soft-core porn advertising for more than a decade.

Source : Bitchmagazine.org

Thoughts?

Good times grooOOoow in Ontario!

Yes, we're in Ontario now. It makes the wedding seem oh-so-friggen close and then we realize that it actually is oh-so-friggen close and the panic sets in.

We both had an AMAZING day yesterday. Our fabulous friends planned our Bachelor and Bachelorette parties perfectly. Everything was epic and turned out great. I will post more pictures as more make their way to Facebook. I was pretty much kidnapped so I didn't have my camera on me. I was able to take a couple with my camera phone but there are bad, bad, fuzzy pictures I drunkenly took of random things. Right on!

I sustained only one minor injury as we stumbled through downtown Ottawa in search of every bar who'd have us. I only noticed this morning when I took a loofa to my elbow that it was scrapped and it stung like the devil's pee.

Js has been sleeping since 4:30pm, it's 6pm now. It's given me the opportunity to show my step-mother-in-law (SMIL) my gown and such and catch up on some blogging/reading. The flight over here was okay a bit long but overall good. I'm still trying to get used to the time change - that should settle over the next day.

I should probably get some rest too... this week is going to be astronomically stressfull. Ugh.

Hemerocalis - Denialily

Oh my, what's this? A pretty flower? A pretty flower that bloomed from a patch of grass?! Well that's impossible, silly silly girl!

I promised I'd post a picture and I'm sure you all feel like cheering right now. Please do, I'll take a little pause.





Thanks to Basinah who identified the type of plant as hemerocalis or daylily, this plant is now called our Denialily plants.

They are actually quite interesting. They open up in the morning and close up at night so every time I step outside the house, I check on them and they're always different.

I win.

Wedding and blogging and hoping and praying...

Today, we're leaving for Ontario. We've been planning for this trip for over a year and it's finally happening. We're traveling back home to celebrate our wedding with our family and friends. It's been a fun ride planning and it's almost - but not just quite - over yet!

I'm writing this post weeks in advance because I know it will be a crazy time for me and if I do post anything at all at this point, it'll be incoherent mumbles of madness. Don't mind if I do!

As you already probably guessed, my blogging will have to take the back seat for a couple weeks so that I can get my weddin' on! Most posts that will be published over the next little while - unless otherwise specified or obviously messy and unreasonable - will have been written in advance and scheduled for posting during this little hiatus.

I didn't want anyone to get bored or miss me too much or anything... Don't cry, I'll be back soon and I'm sure I'll have TONS to blog/rant/vent/bitch/cry/ramble about! :)

Wedding Stuff : SINGLE DIGITS! *meltdown*

I just realized we are officially counting down in single digits as of today.

Now, I need to get back to my procrastinating. We're just leaving tomorrow morning... there's still plenty of time!!

Denial Grass FTW!

I win. I win. I win.

My Denial Grass has grown some little buds of some kind. That's right, it's not grass. It's a plant. FACE!

Not the clearest picture ever.
Not the most useful caption ever either.

As you can see in the small picture (you can click on it to see it bigger) there's a stem with a couple buds of something just waiting for a couple more sunny days to enlighten us with their floral blooms.

I can't friggen wait. I let out a very loud "SNAH!" when I discovered them and Js followed with a whisper "Well, would you look at that..." of disbelief. Yes, would you look at that indeed! And there's not just the one stem mocking him, there's like two or three. Oh the happy dances that ensued.

When our friends came for a visit, it was the very first thing I told them when they stepped outside "Lookit! Lookit! It's not grass! It's not just damn grass!" and I almost forgot to post a blog update but Whitney was nice enough to remind me. ;)

SK Bugs - ew!

We discovered last year that the convenience and privacy of having your home right by a huge empty field comes with a couple not-so-great details. Aside from the massive snow drifts that take over our front yard and drive way, aside from the very strong winds, aside from having random dogs decide to jump the fence and come poop or play in our yard we have also noticed an in-sa-ne amount of weird bugs.

The most disgusting of them all have been the spiders that seem to live in the siding of the house. There's also a smaller very determined one that lives in the car's side view mirror. Everywhere we go, it's there even though we destroy it's web daily.

Last year, we found a huge muttereffer outside our bathroom window. I tried to get a good photo of it but it to send to Nick was too dark outside.  Anyways, when Js squished it (manly man-ness!) it esssploded of orange-yellow ooze all over. We think our yard is a spider breeding party.

That's a picture I took, for Nick again, of this year's mother-load of a spider and luckily, she built her cozy trap of doom right by the patio light. We haven't been able to squish it yet but I suspect her gigantic booty is just as gross and as explosive as the other one.

You're welcome, Nick!

Happy Birthday DP!

Just wanted to wish a great day to a great friend, Danielle!

I can't believe how long we've known each other. I'm excited beyond words to see you in just two weeks!

I wish you all the best and I sincerely hope this next year brings you everything your little heart desires!

Don't settle for anything, be fabulous!

Love,

M

Happy 5th Anniversary!

I know the picture is super old but I love it. :)

Happy anniversary to Nickykins and his Pookie!

Together, you are the cutest thing that ever existed.

Cheers to tequila indeed! ;)

Click here for a more recent and classy-pantsy picture.