Personality Test

Hi Everyone!

As part of my homework, I was required to take a Myers-Briggs Personality Test. I have pasted the results below. It was interesting seeing how accurate it seemed to me. I'm hoping to get your opinion to see if you agree/disagree with it and overall comments you may have.

Have a great day!

Personality Questionnaire Results

Congratulations, you're an ISTP !
That's an Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving type.
Percentages of Results: E/I S/N T/F J/P
31/69 60/40 69/31 47/53

Portrait of an ISTP - Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving(Introverted Thinking with Extraverted Sensing)

The Mechanic

As an ISTP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion.

ISTPs have a compelling drive to understand the way things work. They're good at logical analysis, and like to use it on practical concerns. They typically have strong powers of reasoning, although they're not interested in theories or concepts unless they can see a practical application. They like to take things apart and see the way they work.

ISTPs have an adventuresome spirit. They are attracted to motorcycles, airplanes, sky diving, surfing, etc. They thrive on action, and are usually fearless. ISTPs are fiercely independent, needing to have the space to make their own decisions about their next step. They do not believe in or follow rules and regulations, as this would prohibit their ability to "do their own thing". Their sense of adventure and desire for constant action makes ISTPs prone to becoming bored rather quickly.

ISTPs are loyal to their causes and beliefs, and are firm believers that people should be treated with equity and fairness. Although they do not respect the rules of the "System", they follow their own rules and guidelines for behavior faithfully. They will not take part in something which violates their personal laws. ISTPs are extremely loyal and faithful to their "brothers".
ISTPs like and need to spend time alone, because this is when they can sort things out in their minds most clearly. They absorb large quantities of impersonal facts from the external world, and sort through those facts, making judgments, when they are alone.

ISTPs are action-oriented people. They like to be up and about, doing things. They are not people to sit behind a desk all day and do long-range planning. Adaptable and spontaneous, they respond to what is immediately before them. They usually have strong technical skills, and can be effective technical leaders. They focus on details and practical things. They have an excellent sense of expediency and grasp of the details which enables them to make quick, effective decisions.

ISTPs avoid making judgments based on personal values - they feel that judgments and decisions should be made impartially, based on the fact. They are not naturally tuned in to how they are affecting others. They do not pay attention to their own feelings, and even distrust them and try to ignore them, because they have difficulty distinguishing between emotional reactions and value judgments. This may be a problem area for many ISTPs.

An ISTP who is over-stressed may exhibit rash emotional outbursts of anger, or on the other extreme may be overwhelmed by emotions and feelings which they feel compelled to share with people (often inappropriately). An ISTP who is down on themself will foray into the world of value judgments - a place which is not natural for the ISTP - and judge themself by their inability to perform some task. They will then approach the task in a grim emotional state, expecting the worst.

ISTPs are excellent in a crisis situations. They're usually good athletes, and have very good hand-eye coordination. They are good at following through with a project, and tying up loose ends. They usually don't have much trouble with school, because they are introverts who can think logically. They are usually patient individuals, although they may be prone to occasional emotional outbursts due to their inattention to their own feelings.

ISTPs have a lot of natural ability which makes them good at many different kinds of things. However, they are happiest when they are centered in action-oriented tasks which require detailed logical analysis and technical skill. They take pride in their ability to take the next correct step.

ISTPs are optimistic, full of good cheer, loyal to their equals, uncomplicated in their desires, generous, trusting and receptive people who want no part in confining commitments.
Jungian functional preference ordering:

Dominant: Introverted ThinkingAuxiliary: Extraverted SensingTertiary: Introverted
IntuitionInferior: Extraverted Feeling

Careers for ISTP Personality Types

Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding.

ISTPs generally have the following traits:

Interested in how and why things work
Do not function well in regimented, structured environments; they will either feel stifled or become intensely bored
Constantly gather facts about their environment and store them away
Have an excellent ability to apply logic and reason to their immense store of facts to solve problems or discover how things work
Learn best "hands-on"
Usually able to master theory and abstract thinking, but don't particularly like dealing with it unless they see a practical application
Action-oriented "doers"
Focused on living in the present, rather than the future
Love variety and new experiences
Highly practical and realistic
Excellent "trouble-shooters", able to quickly find solutions to a wide variety of practical problems
Results-oriented; they like to see immediate results for their efforts
Usually laid-back and easy-going with people
Risk-takers who thrive on action
Independent and determined - usually dislike committing themselves
Usually quite self-confident

The ISTP is fortunate because they have the abilities to be good at many different kinds of tasks. Their introverted and thinking preferences give them the ability to concentrate and work through problems which leaves many doors open to them. However, to be happiest, the ISTP needs to lead a lifestyle which offers a great deal of autonomy and does not include much external enforcement of structure. ISTPs will do best working for themselves, or working in very flexible environments. Their natural interests lie towards applying their excellent reasoning skills against known facts and data to discover underlying structure, or solutions to practical questions.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ISTP:

Police and Detective Work
Forensic Pathologists
Computer Programmers, System Analysts and Computer Specialists
Engineers
Carpenters
Mechanics
Pilots, Drivers, Motorcyclists
Athletes
Entrepreneurs

ISTP Relationships

ISTPs are generally extremely capable individuals who are good at most things which interest them. They are usually bright, interesting, and exciting individuals with a lot to offer. They live almost entirely in the present moment, and usually do not make commitments beyond the immediate foreseeable future. An ISTP probably coined the phrase "nothing is unconditional". They strongly prefer to take things one day at a time, rather than make long-term commitments. If a relationship interests them and satisfies their needs, the ISTP will do their part on a daily basis to keep the relationship strong and healthy. If they lose interest in a relationship, their natural tendency will be to move on.

ISTP Strengths

Good listeners
Usually self-confident
Generally optimistic and fun to be with
Practical and realistic, they handle daily concerns
Are not threatened by conflict or criticism
Able to leave a relationship with relative ease once it is over
Able to administer punishment, although they're not interested in doing so
Likely to respect other's needs for space and privacy

ISTP Weaknesses

Living entirely in the present, they have difficulty with long-term commitments
Not naturally good at expressing feelings and emotions
Not tuned in to what others are feeling, they may be insensitive at times
Tendency to be overly private and hold back part of themselves
Need a lot of personal space, which they don't like to have invaded
They thrive on action and excitement, and may stir things up to create it

ISTPs as Lovers

ISTPs can be very intense and exciting individuals. Their strong Thinking preference makes them seem rather aloof and "hard to get". Their Sensing and Perceiving preferences make them sensual, earthy individuals. These attributes frequently make them attractive to the opposite sex. ISTPs live entirely in the current moment, which makes them especially interested in new sensations and experiences. They strongly dislike routine and strict schedules, and resist being controlled by others. They are fiercely independent and need their own space within a relationship. When involved in relationships which provide for their basic needs and which present them with new experiences, the ISTP will be happy to do what's necessary to keep the relationship alive and well. If a relationship becomes boring or oppressive to the ISTP, they will try to fix it, or move on. ISTPs take their commitments on a day-by-day basis. Even if they say "I do", it usually means "I do for now". They do not like to make lifelong commitments, although they may very well be involved in lifelong relationships which they have taken one day at a time.

Sexually, the ISTP approaches intimacy as a physical act rather than an expression of love and affection. They are earthy and sensual beings who enthusiastically experience sex with all five senses. They bring spontaneity, creativity, and enthusiasm into the bedroom, and enjoy new experiences. Since aesthetic beauty has such strong appeal to them, they appreciate the "setting", i.e. bedding, lingerie, cologne, etc.

ISTPs love to fix things, and may create problems in their personal relationships, just so that they can have the fun of fixing them.

They have a tendency to hold back their own views on things. They like to listen to other people's views, but are generally non-commital about expressing their own opinions. ISTPs have a habit of evading answering questions by asking more questions. This can be frustrating at times to their mates, if they are after a direct answer. The ISTP's decision making process is entirely internal, so they don't feel much need to share their opinions with others. When they are interacting with others, they are in "information gathering" mode, so they tend to ask questions rather than share views. The ISTP just doesn't feel the need to expose themselves fully to others. When it comes to intimate relationships, the ISTP has the further motivation of protecting themselves. Most ISTPs are afraid of having to deal with their deeper feelings. Since their Thinking preference dominates their personality, their Feeling side is their least developed (inferior) function. Consequently, ISTPs are usually quite vulnerable and perhaps weak when dealing with their feelings. Their habit of keeping part of themselves hidden may also serve the purpose of keeping a protective wall around their hearts.

Although the ISTP does not usually have a well-developed Feeling side, they frequently do have intense feelings for people. They can feel overpowering love for their mates, although they are likely not to express their emotions, or to express them inadequately or inappropriately if they do venture towards expression. However, unlike many of the other personality types, ISTPs feel strong affections one day at a time. One day, they may feel completely, intensely in love with their mate, and the next day they may be totally disinterested, or perhaps even ready to move on. This "live for the moment" type of approach is different from how most other types experience their feelings, and is difficult for many to understand. Consequently, the ISTP may be called "fickle" or "cold". In fact, they are not really fickle, and certainly not cold. They simply experience their lives on a moment by moment basis, and go along with it's natural flow. However, since most people need more commitment than can be offered when taking things day-by-day, the ISTP who wants to remain in a relationship will have to resolve themself towards being involved in a more traditional commitment. For most ISTPs, making a commitment to an intimate relationship will require an effort to stretch themselves outside of their comfort zones. However, those who do so will realize that they can enjoy the benefits of a strong, committed relationship and still live their lives in the present tense.

Although two well-developed individuals of any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the ISTP's natural partner is the ESTJ, or the ENTJ. ISTP's dominant function of Introverted Thinking is best matched with a partner whose personality is dominated by Extraverted Thinking. The ISTP/ESTJ combination is ideal, because both types share the Sensing preference for perceiving the world, but ISTP/ENTJ is also a good combination

ISTPs as Parents

ISTPs are flexible, laid-back, uncontrolling parents who like to take things as they come. Their dislike of being controlled or controlling others extends to their children as well, and they're consequently likely to give their kids a lot of breathing room and space for individual growth. However, when discipline is required, the ISTP will be able to administer it without too much difficulty. They may have difficulty mustering up the enthusiasm to discipline their kids, but once they get going they'll be effective.

ISTP parents are likely to maintain a distance between themselves and their children. They do not feel a tremendous need to pass on their values to their children, or to influence their decisions in life. They're likely to rely on their mates for creating a structured environment for their children to live within. ISTPs do not like to be directed or controlled, and are not likely to direct and control others - including their children. They're likely to be relatively uninvolved with the daily happenings of family life, without making a conscious effort to keep interested.
ISTPs will enjoy spending one-on-one time with their children pursuing outdoorsy activities, such as fishing, boating, hunting, etc. It is during these private moments that the ISTP will take the opportunity to get to know their children's perspectives, and to pass on the ISTP's interests and perspectives.

ISTPs as Friends

ISTPs have an enthusiastic, childlike approach to life that is attractive to others. As Introverted Thinkers, they also have some real substance to them which prevents them from being entirely frivolous and hedonic in their pursuits. They are laid-back and flexible, and generally accepting of a wide range of behavior. These attributes make them valued friends and confidantes. ISTPs usually have a selection of friends who share their love of particular hobbies and pasttimes. They might have a friend who they ski with, and another who they shoot pool with, etc. They generally have no interest or patience with individuals who do not share their interests, and will spend little or no time with them. They have a difficult time understanding people with extremely strong iNtuitive preferences, and are not likely to spend time with these individuals unless they share a common interest or hobby. They enjoy spending time with Extraverts, whose enthusiastic, talkative natures are attractive to the more reserved ISTP, but they will eventually tire of their "bubbliness". The ISTP is able to get along well with people of any personality type, but is likely to value and bond only those with whom they have common interests

A Cool Friday

Hi Everyone!

It's gray and cool today, a bit damp. Finished my homework Tuesday night (well, Wednesday morning). I'm going to stay more focused and have it completed this time on the weekend. My first class was relieving. The teacher was very nice (his wife baked us treats) and it was a relaxed atmosphere. I felt better that I wasn't the only one who struggled with the homework. I didn't get home until almost 11:30 (bus connections) and ended up napping after work on Thursday rather than go to choir practise.

Will be doing a lot of things around the apartment this weekend and running errands.

Have a great day!

Tuesday already!

Hi Everyone!

The past week has flown by! I still have a bit of homework left for tonight but I already have things laid out in my head.

I've been working on a newsletter for The Townships Project. I have another meeting on Friday night with Bill to work on it. If it wasn't for the fact he's over eighty, I'd have a social life! He is a rather sweet old man who always picks me up, even if I'm able to walk the 5 blocks to the coffee shop.

The weather's been nice. Warm and dry.

Have a great day!

It's Wednesday!

Hi Everyone!

The snow that came on Monday has melted and the air's warmer. Went to work on Monday but was sent home as I could only single-task (with a lot of concentration). Slowly getting better.

I'm looking forward to going home tonight and having a nice nap.

Have a great day!

Sick again

Hi Everyone!

I've got a cold but I think I'm through the worst. I think with the move and everything going on this fall, my immune system was lower than usual and that's made me more suseptible to everything going around. Was off work on Friday. Had some energy for laundry on Saturday but had to rest afterward. Went to church for the first time in almost a month (sickness, vacation) and although I was tired after, I'm glad I went. I missed the fellowship and music. I'm hoping I'll be back to choir on Thursday.

Have a busy week - a Townships meeting tomorrow, off to the bookstore for a study bible on Tuesday, choir on Thursday, and possibly a breakfast/fundraiser on Saturday (it's for Results Canada and the speaker will be talking about micro-financing). I also need to do homework. I received my assignments and textbooks on Wednesday. I was told to expect about 10 hours of studying/homework a week.

My first class is called Personal Life Strategies. Course description - "The setting of goals, as well as priorities among those goals, with an emphasis upon how those goals and priorities relate to the realities and aspirations of life. The attitude of the individual including ohter aspects of psychological makeup and how it impacts upon the ability and willingness to set goals and priorities. An emphasis upon how goals, priorities and attitudes can lead to effective Christian personal management." I think this will be a very challenging course as I've never sat down and thought about my goals and my future before (and written my thoughts down). I've always floated around from place to place (and job to job) relying mostly on feelings. I'm curious to see I what I will get out of the course.

I've also registered for my psychology course. It's though Athabasca University and it's a traditional correspondence course. I find when it comes to learning, it's easier to learn from a textbook and paper in front of me than a computer screen. It starts in December. Since I have a few weeks off at Christmas, I think it'll give me a good chance to focus.

I've got my new computer and have internet all set up at home. It's nice to have it back. Although I generally hate working on computers, I've come to realize just how important they've become in my life. Still haven't decided if this is a good thing or not, or if it's just something I have to deal with.

I've put the psycho fish in with the rest of my fish. So far, everyone's getting along. I think Rainbow was so use to being alone that he couldn't adjust to an aggressive school of fish. My fancy tails are pretty active and since one psycho fish jumped down the drain a few weeks ago, I think the dynamic of their school has changed. The other two don't seem to gang up on anyone. My upside-down cat fish is very interesting and the others seem to ignore it. It's quite interesting to watch the fish tank with all the movement.

Trimmed everyone's nails (except mine) last night. I hit a quick (vein) in Gilbert but he's o'kay. It's very difficult to trim his nails as they are dark (can't see the vein) and he doesn't like being held in one place. I've had a couple nice cuddles with Whiskers this weekend. Mike's been a bit of a suck but I think it's because I've been napping so much over the past several days.

The weather's rather cool and misty tonight. There's a chance of snow.

Have decorated the door with Hallowe'en peel on/off stickers and have my pumpkin lights draped on the upper railing. Can't plug them in until Hallowe'en as there's no convenient outdoor outlet but they're still festive. Got a bunch of candy. I'm unsure how many kids to expect (a lot of children will go to parties or community events instead of trick or treating - for safety reasons) but the more I buy, the more there will be left over!

Recycling starts tomorrow and I'm starting a subscribtion with the Sun. It's nice that I'm starting to get everything established here - makes things more homey.

Have a great day!

A Quick Hello!

Hi Everyone!

Had a nice Thanksgiving. Had Greek instead of bbq but it was really good.

Registered for class last night and got my textbooks. Will update you in a couple days about this.

Have a great day!

Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone!

My tummy's feeling so much better - hoorray for yucky yougurt! I have now caught a cold and stayed home yesterday. Still feel crappy but the long weekend should allow me to recover.

Had a wonderful time in Edmonton. The trees were changing colour and there were lots of pretty oranges and gold leaves. There isn't the reds here (no maple trees) but there was a lot of contrast. I had a great visit with Corey. We went to the conservatory (4 climates for plants), strolled down Whyte Ave (people watching, trendy stores) and went to West Edmonton Mall. We were there first thing Sunday morning so we went on the amusement park rides and there was no line-up! We also went to the aquarium and saw the sea lion show. There is so much to see there that I don't know how people shop. It sensory over-load. The bus ride was very nice - I took the Red Arrow rather than Greyhound. Very plush seats and lots of legroom. It was also a lot more convenient as there weren't a lot of stops.

I'll be taking it easy this weekend. I think I'll do Korean bbq (I found a restaurant nearby). I'm hoping to stay in my pjs for as long as possible. Lisa headed home Tuesday night for the holiday so it'll be just me and the furry family.

I got some new fish! There are 3 fancy tail (small fat goldfish with large tails) and an upside down catfish (to clean the tank). I haven't put the psycho fish in with them as I'm afraid they'll kill my new fish. They are very pretty and so far everything is going well.

Anyways, my laptop is somewhere in transit. It's being couriered up and should arrive today. What a fiasco.

Bought some moon cakes. It's the Chinese Harvest festival on Saturday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm back!

Hi Everyone!

Still don't have internet at home yet - my computer disc drive has died and since it's over 5 years old, it's a better value to just buy a new computer. Definitely not in my budget, but Dell has a payment plan. It's been a pain getting my order all straightened out (some of my records still have the old address on them) but everything should be straightened out today.

Heading to Edmonton on Friday to visit with Corey (friend from Base Borden). I'm quite excited.

My stomach's been upset for the past couple weeks - not sick but constantly queasy. I mentioned it to my co-worker and she suggested it came from my cleansing. I was trying a new eating regime (shakes and weekly cleansing). I stopped a couple weeks ago (very expensive products) and have had this feeling ever since. It has been slowly increasing over time. There's a chance that when I cleansed, I also got rid of all the good bacteria so I'm not digesting food properly. It's weird - I can eat whatever I want but the feeling doesn't go away. I'm going to eat some yucky yougurt for the next week to see if if this is the cause. If it ends up being a stomach bug, I'll feel a whole lot worse but at least I can narrow things down...

Shannon left on Monday morning heading back to Ontario. We had a great visit.

Got my acceptance letter yesterday so I've e-mailed it to the bank today. This is so I can re-open my student line of credit. Registration is on October 11 and my first class is October 25. I'm really excited!

Have a great day!

I'm moved!

Hi Everyone!

I'm tired, sore and have a splitting headache. I hate moving! Anyways, my stuff is all over at the new place and there are boxes and stuff everywhere. It's driving me crazy. The furry family is slowly adjusting. Mike's hiding in corners and when he isn't, he's on me. Whiskers has explored the place but I think she's happy that the bed is set up (a favourite spot of hers). Gilbert is squeaky as always.

Lisa (new roommate) is moving in on Friday.

The movers broke a window bringing the piano in so I've looked on-line to see how to replace it myself. It doesn't look difficult - any advice you have would be appreciated.

Cold and rainy - chance of snow.

It 's busy at work so I'll update next week. Phone will now be hooked up on Sunday (after I called to cancel) but internet will be another week or so. Phone number hasn't changed. I'll e-mail everyone my new contact info soon.

Had a wonderful time with Shannon. Will update you on our adventures soon.

Have a great day!

Moving!

Hi Everyone!

I'm tired and sore but most of my stuff is over at the new place. After work on Friday, I borrowed a truck from work and my boss came over with his truck and we each took over a load. To be honest, I didn't expect him to help (I basically asked the techs if anyone had an hour or so after work) but it was really nice to get most of my furniture over there. On Saturday, I had Chris (co-worker), Brian (choir member) and Lorraine (new friend I met when I was visiting Central United last Sunday) to help move boxes. It went really fast! We loaded mine and Chris' truck (and not really tightly packed) and had everything done in about an hour! I gave everyone who helped a tray of brownies.

I spend a bit of Friday night positioning furniture and Saturday & Sunday afternoon starting to unpack. I've still got a lot to do but I can now see this apartment turning into mine. I'm a visual person - I have to have the furniture in the room to understand what it will look like. I'll be back over tomorrow bring the last of my things that the mover won't need to move. I found one that will move my stuff on Sept 13 - the same day that Shannon leaves and yet I still have the day off. The timing works out great and he's quite affordable. Mind you, I have the piano, the futon, my double bed, a dresser, Mike's cat tree and max 10 boxes. If Wednesday goes as smoothly as the weekend, it'll be under an hour (which, incidently, they get paid by the hour!)

Shannon flies out on Friday so I'm excited to play tourist. We're vising Drumheller on Sunday.

I've put a add on a couple roommate websites. I did it last night and already I've had a couple people interested. I hope to meet with a few this week to show the place and have them move in after I move in (on the 13th). I like these websites - they have it set up so you write your profile and all contact between you and the potential roommate is done through the website. This helps to protect your privacy if they turn into wackos.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

PS-it's been hot and sunny all weekend - a nice change from the cold and rainy days we had

Feeling ill

Hi Everyone!

Feeling ill today (and for the past few days). Slept in and didn't get to work until about 9:30. Went home early yesterday and didn't work on Tuesday. My stomache's been doing flip-flops and I'm exhausted and fuzzy-headed.

I'm going to take the apartment. It's small - the living room at my current place is larger but it'll work well for me. It has a nice big bathroom. The downfall is that there's only one telephone jack. Does anyone know how much work it is to install a second/third jack? Met a potential roommate on Tuesday (we were introduced at church on Sunday by a mutual friend) although I don't think she'll take it because of the size. If not, I don't anticipate any problems finding a roommate - the news indicated that students are having problems finding rooms.

I'm borrowing a truck from work and moving most of my stuff over the Labour Day weekend. I'll leave the heavy stuff for the movers (who I hope to hire for the third weekend of September). This way I can get a lot of things set up so I can decide where to finalize the position of things. Shannon's coming out for the second weekend so there'll still be a place for her to sleep!

I'll sleep some more tonight and rest for the weekend. There's a couple festivals going on that I want to go to. Sylvia's away all next week so it'll be busy at work.

Hope you're feeling better than me! Have a great day!

I'm going to see the apartment tonight!

Hi Everyone!

My friend Wendy phoned this afternoon and we're going to see the apartment tonight. I'm very excited. It's a basement suite but it has oversized windows, new appliances and new paint.

Sylvia wasn't in today so things were a bit busy but I have everything all caught up.

Have a great day!

An exciting weekend

Hi Everyone!

I have lots to write about. I'll start on Friday when it rained.

By the time I got to work, the bottoms of my jeans were wet (despite my umbrella). I got in the office and Lori sent me right back home. It was such a crappy day and there wasn't going to be anything going on that we closed the office for the day. By the time I got back, my jeans were wet half-way up my calf. Rented Syriana and Just Like Heaven. Didn't like Syriana. I was really looking forward to this movie but there was 5 different story lines, all connected, but it was too confusing trying to figure out who was allied with who and who was double-crossing who. Just Like Heaven was a surprise - a fluffy, popcorn movie that I rather enjoyed. Warning: it's a chick flick.

On Saturday, I went to Smiling Buddha and got a tattoo! I've been wanting to get a scallop shell ever since my pilgrimage in Spain but the timing hasn't been right. I now have a pretty little shell, about an inch in diametre on the top of my foot. Smiling Buddha is one of Canada's best tattoo shops and they're as old as I am. On Saturday mornings, they accept walk-ins. The only problem is, they're so famous that when I arrived at 7:30 (they open at 12), there was already a line-up. I was able to get a spot and I love my new tattoo. It hurt but not as much as I expected. The artist I had was very nice and reassuring (and was probably about Mom's age). I need to put healing lotion on it twice a day but I've been able to wear sandals to work without pain.

Sunday was Marda Gras (the community festival in Marda Loop). It was a lovely day and I had my portrait done.

On Monday, I had my friend Julia (from Bethel class) over for evening tea. It was very nice to have company and we drank Dry Desert Lime. It's chocked full of vitamin C.

On a sad note: my new fish and Rainbow passed away. I now suspect that the psycho fish had an illness that they're immune to but made everyone else sick. I think I'll wait for a while before I get more fish again.

Have a great day!

Stupid Spaghetti!

Hi Everyone!

Burnt my finger last night from the steam while making spaghetti. Still hurts a bit and the spaghetti ended up sticking to the bottom of the pot. My swearing at the meal didn't help.

Had a relaxing weekend. It's Heritage Day in Alberta but it's not a statatory holiday. We had it off and I spent my Monday at the theatre watching Pirates of the Caribbean... I thought the movie was o'kay but I had problems following who was where and scheming with what people.

Rented Tristan & Isolde and Cassanova. I really liked Tristan & Isolde. It was well shot, an interesting story and great costumes. Cassanova was quite funny - I was expecting a romantic comedy but it was more straight comedy.

Trimmed everyone's nails and gave Gilbert a bath. I hit two of Whiskers' quicks but she didn't make any noise - just got blood everywhere (thank goodness for corn starch). I'll be spending my weekends at the various festivals in August. This Sunday is Marda Gras (in Marda Loop - near my place).

Have a great day!

A Happy Tuesday

Hello Everyone!

It was a lovely walk to work and the sun is shining. It's a bit cool but should warm up by the afternoon.

Had a lovely weekend. My experience at the spa was great. The mini facial lasted for over half an hour and was very, very relaxing. I then had my eyebrows waxed and it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. She applied the wax in very small amounts in areas where the hair needed to be removed. She made it look very natural and told me she didn't want to take too much off - it would be too shocking for me. I'm very pleased with the results. It makes my eyes look bigger.

I spent the weekend tidying the apartment. I didn't put any pressure on myself to get everything done so although I have a few things to do tonight, it was overall more relaxing.

My glads are about to bloom! The ones in the west flowerbed have buds that are just starting to open. I think I planted the east flowerbed ones too deep as they don't have their buds yet. They should be very pretty.

Got Mike a new feather toy and some tasty twigs for the naughty ones on Sunday. Whiskers was being very helpful last night. I was sweeping the floor and she hopped beside me (in the dirt). She followed me all over - what a sweetie!

Watched Canadian Idol last night and was quite impressed with Cindi Lauper's advice. Liked some of the performances (very different than a lot in the past). Some pretty wild outfits (and eye makeup).

Have a great day!

Friday!

Hello Everyone!

It's Friday afternoon and I have 1 hour, 11 minutes left to work. It rained early in the morning (right around when the techs were coming to work) so despite it not raining for the rest of the day, they didn't work. It's been a slow day but I won't complain.

Sent off my notice to the landlord this morning. I have to give them 2 months' notice.

Spent last night cuddling with Mike. There wasn't much on tv so I watched part of Some Like It Hot. It still makes me laugh.

I'm going to a spa tomorrow to get my eyebrows waxed (apparently this is done instead of having them plucked). I've been thinking about it for a while (getting them shaped). I let you know how everything goes and how painful it is. I read that you should get it done professionally and then once the hair grows back in, it's easier to see them to pluck. I'm also getting a mini-facial (ahhhhhh).

I'm also winning a couple auction items on ebay. The auction ends tonight around 7pm my time so I'll be on my computer watching the stupid last-minute buyers.

Will spend most of the weekend cleaning the apartment and running errands. Although the washing machine is hooked up again downstairs, I think I'll take my laundry to the laundry mat again. It was nice to be able to do more than one load at a time. The dryers also worked better.

Have a great day!

1 hour, 3 minutes...

The Waiting Game

Hello Everyone!

I mailed off my application for Alberta Bible College today (as well as asked for my transcript to be sent to them). At this point, all I can do is wait...

A bit of a slow day but it's nice to have a few moments to relax. I need to write my letter to the landlord about moving out tonight (have to give 2 months' notice). Other than that, just tidying the apartment and playing with my furry family tonight. Thinking about renting a movie.

It's starting to cool off over night. I've been leaving the bedroom window open at night and I find by morning that I'm curled up in my douvet. Still quite warm in the afternoons. It was bad last weekend when we got up into the 30s but now it mid-high twenties. There's been thunderstorms rolling through so it's been a bit windy. Had a bit of rain on Tuesday but I think I'll need to water the flowers tonight.

Have a great day!

Hump Day!

Hi Everyone!

Ah, Wednesdays - half-way through the work week. It's a warm sunny afternoon and the clouds are like little cotton balls in the sky.

I forgot to mention in my previous postings that I've cut off my hair again. The top is about 1" long and the back/sides are a bit less. It's quite fun. I can lay it flat, spike it, or even style it into a crest.

Anyways, it's too nice outside to type - I just want to stare through the blind slits and as I watch the minute hand get closer to home time.

Have a great day!

TGIF

Hi Everyone!

I'm sweltering away to the music choices of Alice Cooper. He has a very interesting radio show on at night. He plays good music and it seems like he's just relaxing on a couch talking about his friends/adventures.

It got up to 30 today and it won't be going away for the next few days. It's hard to say if I'll need to move into the livingroom again (cooler) or not. It's the Salsa Festival on Sunday (the food & and the dance) in Kensington although I'm not sure if I'll attend - it'll depend on the heat.

Whiskers has learned a new trick. If she hops up on the futon, she gets a Tasty Twig. I've actually been able to pet her for a couple minutes rather than her 10 second-hop-away pets. I'll need to pick up more treats tomorrow. Gilbert gets upset though - he loves the treats too so whenever he hears the bag rattle, he thinks he'll get a treat. Don't worry - both get treats.

Have lots to do this weekend. I'm finally going to finish painting the trim in the hallway, clean the apartment, laundry, cook, grocery shop, garden, and clean out the fish tank. It's hard to say if I'm actually going to do all this - I always have such high hopes on Friday night.

Have a great weekend!

Hi Everyone!

Hello Everyone!

I hadn't realized it's been almost a month since I've written. A lot of things have been going on so this'll be a long posting. Once I've got you caught up, I'll be more regular in my posting (and avoid sitting at my computer so long remmembering everything that's happened).

Stampede

Stampede wrapped up on Sunday. Each night they set off fireworks to end the show but I noticed this year it seemed later - I'd be in bed and the noise would wake me up! I went out on Friday to watch them and I'll admit they're pretty impressive. Went down to the grounds on the first Saturday. I was planning to watch the cow herding competition but when I entered the grounds, I had a strange urge to go on the midway. I haven't been on a midway in years and I've got to admit, it was a lot of fun. I only went on 4 rides - they're quite expensive (about $5/ride) After that, I spent 3 hourse in the Stampede Market watching infomercials demos and learning about all sorts of interesting products. It's a weakness of mine - I especially love the food prep demos because although I know I won't eat the vegetables, it seems like such a wonderful idea. I ended up getting a popcorn maker pot. Basically, you heat the oil in the pot and then add the corn. There's a crank that turns a metal blade (which moves the kernals so they don't burn). It's quicker and yummier than microwave popcorn.

I've found that I have a different Stampede experience each year. My first year was rodeo - I went 3 times and learned all about it. My second year was competition - working horse, cow herding, stock dogs. My third year was amusement - a lot of fluff but a much needed day of relaxation and fun.

I also experienced my first Stampede Breakfast. Basically, throughout Stampede, businesses, community group and neighbourhoods put on free breakfasts (pancakes, sausage) for everyone willing to stand in line. I went to the one in Marda Loop and although I felt ill after eating 1/2 a pancake (such a lovely food but my stomache hates them), it was wonderful to sit with other people on straw bales and enjoy a free breakfast. The church also hosted one so I had a day of firsts - first time cooking breakfast sausage, first time preparing a pineapple, first time buying cantelope. It went really well and I think I may buy cantelope again.

Why have I been so busy?

This story goes back several months so some of you may know it. Back in January, Phil pulled me into his office to talk about my future. Basically, he wanted me to consider taking over the sales supervisor position in a couple of year. I told him I would need to think about it. This got me thinking seriously about where I see my life going. I didn't see it going in Phil's direction. (I turned him down last month) I considered all my previous jobs and what I enjoyed about them. The common link was speaking/relating with people, sharing my knowledge, and helping others. I found that I was being drawn toward ministry. I didn't want to make any rash decisions so I spent the spring thinking about this and getting more information. Although I don't feel prepared to go through the disernment process (a year long assessment with the congregation to see if I am suited and, if so, in what type of position). I decided that I should get more schooling. I have decided to attend Alberta Bible College (ABC - I'm not kidding!) in January. They offer a special two year program in Counselling & Ministry. It is an accelerated program designed for adults and offers class once a week and runs throughout the year. It is a BA program and this is achieved by using prior education to meet BA standards. I gave them a copy of my transcript to get an initial idea if I needed more courses and, from their initial assessment, I should only need to take one extra course (in psychology, which can be done through Athabasca Uni). Also, because of its courseload, I would be considered a full time student (which means my tax return should pay for most of the tuition for my 3rd semester. Semesters are 6 months long). I don't want to take on any more debt so I will use a portion of my RRSPs. A government incentive states that you can use your RRSP to pay for education, without penalty, so long as you replace the money within 10 year. I'm setting up an appointment with my financial advisor to figure all this out. I'm really excited and a bit nervous about everything. Rev. Clint is very supportive and he told me he'd be happy to help with any topics that come up in class. I'll give you more details as I know them - if you're interested, their website is www.abc-ca.org

Apartment

As much as I love my apartment, I'm giving it up. Between the leaking, flooding, and construction going on in the neighbourhood (we're likely next to be torn down for infills), it's just not worth having the worry that I'll be evicted with 2 month's notice because it's being bulldozed. I mentioned this to my friend Wendy (from chuch - she's been very supportive of me since I moved out here) and a few weeks ago, she told me about an apartment her friend has. It's a two bedroom basement suite that's right by Walmart/Safeway (I often go to shop in this neighbourhood). It will mean getting a roommate but I'll save over $100/month and pets are ok. The vacancy rate in Calgary is about 1.5% and the prices are getting steep so I was really amazed to hear about this opportunity. Wendy spoke to me on Sunday and told me her friend will hold the apartment for me (my lease runs out at the end of September but I'm willing to take the new apartment early and pay the extra rent - it's worth it in the long run and perhaps I can persuade the management company to refund part of the rent if someone else moves in). They're going to clean it over the next couple weeks and then I'll get a chance to see it. I trust Wendy's judgement - she wouldn't recommend a crappy place. Transit connections are amazing. The upstairs apartment belongs to her friend's mother (an older Greek lady) and they were wanting to find a reliable tenant. I also don't have any problems help out, such as snow shoveling, gardening etc. This savings in rent will really help cover costs for school. I've been praying hard to figure out my finances so maybe this was an answer.

I'm going to miss this place - I put a lot of time and effort (and money) making it look like a home. My flowerbeds are looking beautiful.

Work

With the changes that are going to be happening in the next few months, I don't know if I want to stay for another season. This is my 3rd season working there. In the Spring, it's such a stressful time (and long hours) that I think this will make things difficult with my schooling. As well, there are job openings that I'm qualified for that pay about the same without the extra hours. I won't make my decision until sometime in November. If I do decide to leave, I'll give my two weeks notice at the beginning of December, fly back to Ontario for holidays and start a new job in the new year. I'm not concerned about finding a new job - the job market is booming. I've been having the feeling of change over these past months and I think change would be good. I'll be thinking quite hard about this and will let you know my situation when winter comes.

Other

I'm very excited about Shannon's upcoming visit in September. I booked off time at work so we can do all sorts of things. I love playing tourist!

I also got an e-mail from Corey (my friend I met a Bordon) and she's coming home soon (she's over in Afghanistan). I'm going up for a visit at the end of September.

Lori, Sylvia and I are also going up to Edmonton for the weekend in August. We've booked a suite (the theme is Western) at the Fantasyland Hotel (in West Edmonton Mall), and Sue (who works at the Edmonton office) will join us for a girls' weekend of fun.

Whiskers has been acting nice! I bought some Tasty Twigs (a favourite of Gilberft) and she's willing to hop over to eat them. I've also been able to pet her! Mike's been very demanding. We have a new toy - the laser pointer. He loves it! Gilbert has been loving the watermelon I've been buying lately but he's not a cantelope fan. I need to clean the fish tank more often (Buddy the snail is getting big but he can't keep up with it all).

Anyways, it's bedtime for me!

Karen

It's Thursday!

Hi Everyone!

One more day until the weekend! We've been having a system head through the area and my head's aching a bit. Sylvia left at lunch because of her migraine.

Finally, a sunny (but cloud filled) day. Mike will be happy. I'm going to weed the flowerbed when I get home so he'll have a chance to play outside.

Treating myself to apple butter marinated pork roast tonight. It was on sale at M&Ms and the sample was yummy. Haven't decided on a side dish yet. I think I'll also make some pudding - the milk expires in 2 day!

Calming down at work. I have one lackey left but he finishes at the end of next week. I'm not looking forward to answering phones again but at least it pays the bills :-) We have a lot of the work caught up so it won't be as stressfull.

Have a great day!

Still leaking

Hi Everyone!

It's still raining off and on for the past week or so. June is the rainy season here. I heard from my landlord on Friday afternoon. She said that since the roof is flat and there's so much water up there, this is likely the cause of the leak. They have to wait for everything to dry out to see about repairs. She did finally admit (after 2 years) that there is a "serious issue" with the basement.

My garage sale went really well. There was a sunny break for the morning and part of the afternoon and lots of people came by. I had lots of complements on my pricing scheme. Rather than price everything, I designated a coloured star for each price. The Dollar Store stickers worked really well. Mike spent a lot of the day outside and acted like a little cutie. It started to rain again just as I was about to finish.

The Sunday School picnic was on Sunday so I got to eat burnt hamburgers and poplar fluff. Also watched The Chronicles of Narnia. I read the books when I was really young so about all that I could remember was the names of the characters. I thought it was a really great movie. I think I'm going to have to borrow the series from the library to reread.

Whiskers has been acting like a little cutie (makes me feel suspicious). I've been reorganizing the apartment and moving things around and she's been hopping behind me. Whenever I turn around to pet her, she hops away but when I ignore her, she follows me around.

Have been thinking about taking some night courses at one of the bible colleges in the city. I'm going to an information session at one of them later next week to see what kind of courses they offer. They have a two year program that is geared toward adults (25+) that runs once a week. The more I think about the type of work I enjoy doing, I keep coming back to my love to share knowledge and have discussions, and helping others. Perhaps these courses may lead me in a new direction...

Anyways, have a great day! The sun is shining briefly so I may have a dry walk home.

Flooding

Hi Everyone!

In a grumpy mood today - haven't slept well for the past couple days. Two nights ago (to be precise, morning), I woke up to thunder again and then the sound of "drip". My bedroom has a leak. It was about 1:30am so I stumbled around to find something to catch the water. Not too successful but was so tired I just moved into the livingroom and slept on the futon.

Called into work yesterday and explained the situation. Went back to sleep. Left a message for my landlord (and again this morning) but haven't heard anything back from her yet.

In the afternoon, I took a closer look at the leak. It's located above my window (not the seal - about a couple inches above). I removed the blinds and saw water leaking from the holes where the screws held up the brackets. Because it is located right where my sliding windows meet, you can't fit a bucket there. I now have an egg carton rigged out on an angle with a weight on the inner window ledge. It catches the water but I don't know how long it'll last. I'm at work today but I'm still tired and *&^% off about the leaking.

On a happy note, there was lots of noise down in the basement from about mid-morning until 10pm last night. I went down to look after choir and I saw the mud gone from the floor. Maybe they're actually doing something about it.

Put up my signs for the yard sale. Used clear plastic bags to cover the paper. Stopped by the vet to get Mike more food and I also got him a laser pointer. He loves it!

Have a better day than me!

Big thunderstorm last night

Hi Everyone!

Quite tired today - a huge thunderstorm woke me up around 1 am. I think my mind is finally allowing my body to rest - all I want to do is sleep!

Have nothing going on tonight so I'm going to take it easy and bake some cookies. I went to the dollar store last night and bought some coloured star stickers. I'm going to use them for price tags (for the yard sale). For example, blue will mean $0.25 (couldn't find the "cent" key), silver will mean $1.00. I think I'll put stickers on items (which are already sorted) and reprint the flyers. It'll be nice to have a night to relax and do some little things around the apartment.

Not sure of my plans to fill my evenings during the summer. I think I'll do a bunch of reading.

Have a great day!

The first time my computer's been on in a month

Hi Everyone!

I know I haven't been writing lately but when you're staring at a monitor for 10 hours, the last thing you want to do when you finally get home is stare at another one.

It's been an overcast/rainy week and I'm watching 8 Mile and eating watermelon. I finally got around to painting my closets today so I just have a bit of trim left to do and then I'm done my major make-over. I was planning to hold a yard sale yesterday but the weather just didn't co-operate. I've now got boxes covering my livingroom floor filled with stuff. It's driving me (and the furry family) crazy. At least everything is sorted by price so all I have to do is put stickers on everything.

Have another new addition to the household. Buddy (the black snail) joined the fish tank (or should it be called a "creature tank") last weekend. He's doing a great job of eating the algae so I don't have to clean it. The psycho fish haven't bothered him either. I had bought a couple algae eaters a few weeks ago but they were dead within hours.

Saw a rainbow earlier this evening.

Things still busy at work. All of my lackeys have left me (medical issues, family issues & custody issues) so it's back to answering the phones for me. We've got a couple days left of weed control to do (that we couldn't at all last week-rain/wind) so things should start to calm down soon. I think it'll still be a couple more weeks of 10 hour days but things should be good after that.

Basement flooded (yet again). The stairwell is quite humid and stuffy so I'm keeping my window open and wearing a sweater to keep the apartment liveable.

Bethel class has ended. We had a wrap-up barbeque on Wednesday. I'm going to miss the classes - I learned a lot and I enjoyed meeting everyone. There's also only two choir practises left so my schedule will open up dramatically for the summer. It'll be nice to have some evenings for myself but I sometimes get lost without a steady schedule.

Have a great day!

Hebbo ebryun!

Hi Everyone!

I have problems typing how I sound. I think I've developed a pollen (of some type) allergy. I woke up Monday morning with fuzzy head, a runny nose, and sneezing. I felt fine on Sunday and I don't have my regular symptoms for a head cold. I took some Benedryl until last night which was when I visited the pharmacy. They were very nice and explained about allergies, symptoms and recommendations. I took a little 24h pill last night but I was warned that if my allergies are in full swing, it may take a day or two for it to take its full effect. I've never had an environmental allergy before so I've either developed one, or this is the first time I've been exposed to the particular pollen. I don't care one way or the other - I just want the medication to kick in!

Otherwise, work is still very busy. I'm not as stress as I've been for the past couple weeks (am taking a couple minutes to type this at work). Still long days but most people have their fertilizer and we've started weed control this week.

Had a great weekend.

On Saturday, I took a personal safety course. It was the same as the one I took a couple months ago but this time I got to work with a padded attacker. The senario was me walking home and a stranger rushed out of a bush and tackled me. I did everything without my glasses (so I know that if I loose them I can still get away), and I successfully got away (with several kicks in the head/neck/shoulder to the poor padded guy). It was very empowering.

That night I went to the orchestra. It was their final Light Classics performance for the year. I was very happy that I had a chance to wear my lovely black skirt that I bought in the winter. I was in an outlet store and there was one skirt in the entire store that looked great and was extremely cheap. I tried it on but it was a bit tight. I decided to get it anyways and hoped I could loose a bit of weight around my waist (it's always larger in the winter anyways). I tried it on Friday night and it fit! It fits snug down to the knees and then flares out into ruffles (like a flower turned upside down). There are panals that alternate between polyester and a satin-like material. I was very happy to play dress up. The first half of the performance was wonderful. There was a piano concerto and the pianist was amazing. The second half dragged on a bit but for $12, I think I got my money's worth.

I slept in on Sunday and missed church. Phoned Mom to wish her a happy Mother's day. Planted my seeds in the flowerbeds. If they show up, great! If not, oh well.

Have a great day!

Welcome Maddy!

Hello Everyone!

Madeleine Elizabeth (spelling unknown) decided to explore the world at 1:11 pm (local time) today. She (and Mom) are doing well. She weighed 7lb 2oz and has lots of dark hair. I was told she has fine features and lokes adorable (from an unbias opinion of Gramma!)

Stacey ended up having a c-section because Maddy was facing up and both are expected to stay in the hospital until Sunday (as a precaution).

As I'm still bouncing up and down, I'm also scratching. I took an allergic reaction to the amoxicillian today. When I woke up, the skin above my left eye was poofy to the point it was drooping over my eyelid. I was also super-itchy (and still am). When I got to work, Lori went and got me a Benedril. My eye went relatively back to normal in a couple hours but both rims around my eyes are very red and I'm still itchy. No rash/redness though. After speaking with a nurse on the phone, I called my dentist. He's going to fit me in tomorrow for my root canal. This way, the infection won't come back.

Fired flaky guy today. He took it well and I was a lot less stressed today. Actually had all my work done by 4:30! Bethel class was short (hockey game) and the game just finished. There's some very disappointed people in the city tonight. I caught part of the last period and I don't think they played well.

Have a wonderful, amazing, happy day!

Sleep!

Hi Everyone!

It's Saturday evening and I've spent the day taking some time for myself. I was going to start working in the sales room last night but I didn't finish my regular work until 6 and I wasn't up to starting something new. I had a meeting with my dentist today so I'm going to work out my budget again and see if there's a way to get out of this second job. It'll mean being very careful when grocery shopping (my favourite splurge) but I think my sanity will require this. I should know some time next week.

Anyways, it was a lovely day today. My tulips are blooming (a happy red) and I'm getting excited about putting in my new flowerbed. I don't even need to buy a lot of flowers because the other flowerbed needs some space. I'm going to get a dusty miller (to balance my silver mount in the other flowerbed). I'm also going to get some glads. I'm also thinking about transplanting a few day lilies to the other side so both flowerbeds will have some symetry. I'm also going to transplant my Easter lily (it never did well inside) and my heather plants outside as well.

Walked to the dentist. I wanted to discuss with him my options (if there was a cheaper procedure than a root canal). I was speaking with Mom Thursday night (I skipped choir for some needed r&r) and she suggested having the tooth pulled. Dr Yu is a wonderful dentist. He explained to me all my options. If I pulled it, I would also need my top tooth pulled (or there'd be complications) and my chewing efficiency would drop to about 65%. If it was pulled and I got a replacement, the price would be over $4500 (because I couldn't get a bridge). I was worried about the success rate of a root canal. It has a 95% success rate. Since I can't afford a crown right away, I asked him about what would happen. He said it depended on the individual. He's had patients who had a filling put in and it's lasted for over 6 years, he's had a patient where it only lasted 6 months. We discussed pricing. A tooth usually has 3 or 4 canals. A few people will have more. He won't know how many I have until he starts the procedure. If there's 3, it'll cost about $850. If there's 4 it'll be another $100. He doesn't charge anything more if there's more (although some dentists will). He also said he wouldn't charge me for the filling! (about $150). I felt much better after speaking with him. I was given a panflet about what the procedure involves and I feel confident with his skills (he did an amazing job on my fillings). I also like that I called the office on Friday and they were willing to fit me in the next day. I'm going to go ahead with the procedure and work out the payments with Care Credit (a credit card used for medical procedures that offers various payment options)

The hockey game has just started. I've got some stuff to do around the apartment so I'll keep it on for background noise. I loose interest if I'm sitting and watching the game but if it's on while I'm doing something, I usually will pay more attention.

My new lackeys start on Monday. They've had their training this week. On Monday morning, they'll listen to me and how I speak with customers (as well as discuss each call and why I answered it the way I did). Depending on how things go, they may get on the phones for a little bit tomorrow. We'll slowly build it up over the week until I'm comfortable with their abilities and they feel confident with their new jobs. It'll be a lot of shadowing and stress but once we get over this hurtle, I'll be able to get my life back together.

My furry family is doing well. They've calmed down since I got the apartment (reasonably) back to normal. I also have 3 new additions to my household. Last weekend I was at the pet store and saw a fish tank with a beta and several other fish in it. Betas generally like to be by themselves so most of the time you see them alone in a small bowl. Rainbow now hasaa big bowl (it was a goldfish kit) and 3 little fish to keep him company. I did have him in a bowl with a peace lily but he's a lot more active how. These little fish (I haven't named them) are very fast. They're about an inch long and are silver with black - - - - stripes running down their body. When I feed them, they go crazy! I feed them goldfish flakes that have been crumbled up but they also eat Rainbow's food.

Have a great day!

OK-I know it's Tuesday

Hi Everyone!

I have only a couple minutes before bedtime. It's been crazy at work and I've been coming home, having a 2-3 hour nap, making supper and going to bed. Today the nap was about 2 hours although I haven't had supper. I not very hungry though so I may just wait for a big breafast tomorrow. I know how terrible it is to skip meals but I think at this point, my body needs sleep.

What's going on?

Went to the dentist on Saturday. My back tooth has been bothering me since the put in the filling in January. Guess what? It turns out I'll need a route canal. Although I'll eventually need a crown, the dentist told me I can get the root canal done now and hold off on the crown for a little while. This very expensive procedure means I need to find some extra work. Luckily, there's still a few seats in our sales room so although I hate sales (and outbound sales at that), I need the money. There won't be a conflict with my current job because if I do need to stay late to clear up any messes, I can just switch over to the sales room when I've finished. I'll likely start on Friday. This is also just temporary (beginning of June) so I don't have to worry about a long term commitment. As well, since I'm already at the office, I don't need to worry about transportation time or days that I'm just too tired from my day job. Here' what my new week will look like (at least until June)

Monday - 8-4 (or 5 or 6 - it varies depending on the work load) cs supervisor, 4-9 sales
Tuesday - same
Wednesday - 8-4 cs, Bethel class
Thursday - 8-4 cs, choir practise
Friday 8-4 sc, 4-9 sales
Saturday 9-1 sales

I get my route canal done on May 9 (the first available appointment after 6pm) and I'm currently on amoxicillin. I was also given a prescription for Tylonel 3 but I'm sticking with my ibuprofen. My body dislikes codine - no allergy but I feel queasy and light-headed.

Have the living room mostly back together. The paint looks great (the room looks "put together"). I'll tell you more about those adventures later.

Heading to work early tomorrow (7am). I've had 2 cs reps quit (actually, they just didn't show up and I haven't heard from them). The other one has been having medical issues but things should be back to normal now. I'm training someone tomorrow and we'll need one more to ease the stress. Sylvia and myself have been answering the phones most of the time for the past week. This means that the work we should be doing get held off until after hours (hence the ealy/late hourse). We've just started fertilizing and the phones are starting to get hectic. Why do people not notify their employer if they're sick and won't be in to work or if they've found another job? What happened to common courtesy and professionalism? This is driving me crazy!

Anyways, I have to go to bed. I'll write again tomorrow after class to let you know about the great things going on (flowers, decorating, my furry family).

Good night!

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry it's been so long - I'll write a proper entry next Monday. Work's been super crazy and I only have a minute or two to write this note. My apartment's upside down as I've finished painting the kitchen and I'm in the midst of the livingroom. I have to crawl over the futon to get to my computer and Whiskers ate through the telephone cord again. Things'll be reasonablly back to normal next week so I'll update you properly about the crazy issues of work/painting.

Have a great day!

A busy morning

Hi Everyone!

Got the ceiling painted (2 coats) yesterday. You wouldn't believe the fiasco that went on. On Friday night, I pulled the horrid linoleum off the wall (it was used behind the kitchen counter). It was covering up some gritty yellow rubber-like substance (I think it was glue at one point) as well as some uneven glue/sealant that was maybe used for tile? Anyways, I sprayed some paint stripper on it to soften the compound and had to scrape for several hours to get the surface even. I have since put two layers of plaster on it and tonight will do a bit more sanding and put on a final plaster layer. The stupid people also used 2" long screws to fasten the curtain rod hooks up (the ones that are sold with 1/2" nails to hand them). They then painted over the top so I had to pry them out and replaster some big holes. I was not impressed.

Anyways, Sunday afternoon rolled around and I pulled out my painting supplies. Guess what I didn't have - a replacement roller! I ended up applying both coats with one of those tiny 6" long rollers. I was quite angry with myself because I was at Walmart on Saturday picking up supplies (and buying Girl Guide cookies!). Tonight I'll be plastering, sanding and cleaning I'll put on my first wall coat on Tuesday.

Both arms are bruised (tiny bruise on my right but my left is pretty cool looking). They don't hurt anymore unless you poke at them.

Have a great day!

Friday!

Hi Everyone!

I'm very tired and my arm is sore but at least it's Friday.

Went for plasma donation last night. I usually use my left arm but for some reason last night, it wasn't drawing very well. They decided to stop, return my leftover blood (everything except for the plasma - it gets taken out) and I was given the option to try my other arm. I said ok. The problem was, when they started returning my blood in my left arm, instead of going back into the vein, it collected in my arm in a big bump. A lot of rushing and some ice on my arm got rid of the bump. It didn't hurt very much - more like a tingling that you get if the iodine isn't quite dry when the needle goes in. My arm's sore today and my bruise is just starting to appear. It's a bit yellow around the needle hole but I figure the full effect won't show up until tonight or tomorrow.

I switched to my right arm (which only has a small vein so it's very slow) and they were able to get a second draw on me.

When you donate plasma, whole blood is drawn into a machine where it is collected in a bucket and spun around. The centifugal force separates the plasma. The leftover blood is put into a container until it's full. At this point, the machine changes direction. Instead of drawing blood, it pumps the blood back into the vein. This is why you can donate plasma every week but can donate whole blood only every 56 days. In plasma donation, your iron is returned to your body but it isn't in whole blood. It usually takes about 25 minutes for me to donate. Women usually have 2 cycles - draw, return, draw, return. Men usually need 3 cycles.

Last night I finished 2 but I would've needed another draw to fill up the bag. They decided to stop after 2 because they could still use my plasma but they didn't want me hooked up for so long (almost an hour). One of the nurses gave me a ride home (it was the end of her shift).

I slept terribly last night because my arms couldn't get comfortable. Poor Mike! I kept waking up and he kept thinking it was time to play.

Have a great day!

A busy week

Hi Everyone!

Don't have much time to type - we're getting ready to hire/train so it's been pretty hectic.

Next week we'll start the inbound customer service people. I'm being moved to becoming Customer Service Supervisor (for the duration - end of May, beginning of June). I've been updating the training manuals and I'll be doing most of the training on the hands-on computer component.

Have plasma donation tonight and choir practise. Will start prep/painting the kitchen this weekend.

My flowerbed is covered in croci. When I make the flowerbed on the other side, I'll need to remember where they are so I can move some over. My tulips and other bulbs are also about 3" high.

I ordered a new workout video from an infomerical and it arrived last night. I know that I'm a sucker but it's a Windsor Pilates video with a work-out circle that helps with your form. It was also $9.95. I know that pilates is an effective workout so I'll give it a try. I'll do it in the morning so I'll have to adjust my sleep.

Have a great day!

A tired sort of morning

Hi Everyone!

A bit tired today - was up last night starting to pack up the kitchen (to prepare for painting).

Had a nice adventure on Saturday. Walked through the dog park to the Glenmore resevoir, crossed the dam and eventually made my way to the mall. It was a rather long hike (detours that forced me to go quite a bit further south than I wanted to) so I only spend a few hours at the mall. Had fun though and got some great things. Picked up a spring/summer coat (I've never owned one specifically for that season). It's bright robin blue and it's a trench coat style. It has a belt and it comes down to the top of my knees. Ended up walking home as I was just short transit fare and had a headache by the time I got back. It's about 1 1/2 hours to walk from the mall.

Whiskers ate my telephone cord yet again (she ignores the bitter apple spray) so I'm without internet at home until the weekend (I think this time I'll pick up a couple extra cords). I think it's because the cords are thinner and flatter than electrical cords that she sneaks over to them to bite them in half. Stupid rabbit.

Love my new hair cut. It looks great and is super easy to style (brush forward, optional hair wax). I forgot what a difference it makes when you have a short style vs a longer cut. With a short style, there's nothing to hide behind and I find that my shoulders are straighter and my head is up more often. There's no ducking behind bangs (which covered my eyes). I feel a lot more confident but I thinks it's more a pschological thing (of getting a change) more than the actual cut. There was a lot of hair that went and I can feel the difference in the weight.

My croci are about to bloom! The flower buds are just about to open. To me, this is when spring starts.

Have a great day!

TGIF

Hi Everyone!

Getting my hair cut today. I'm rather excited - think Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby and you'll have an idea of my soon-to-be haircut.

Wednesday was Sylvia's birthday so after work we (co-workers) went for Japanese. This was a new restaurant for me and they sat us around a grill and the chef prepared the food in front of us. It was really good (although I didn't find it very filling) and the chef was very entertaining.

I've decided that tomorrow I'm going to the mall. I know this seems like an odd statement but usually if I need to go shopping, I'll go to Signal Hill (area of stores beside each other but you have to go outside to get to the next one) or Westbrooke Mall (very small but it has a Walmart). I'm going to visit Chinook Centre (the largest mall in Calgary). My income tax came in so I'm going to buy a new outfit. No big splurge or anything like that but it's been a year since I've been to Chinook and almost the same amount of time since I've been to a mall to browse. Usually, I have a list of things to get and I'm in and out, without browsing and people watching. I'm going to walk there (1 1/2 hours) so hopefully that will make up for the 3 krispy kremes I've eaten so far today (Lori brought them in for me). I can spend the day enjoying myself (with no time limit) and I think I'll go see a movie as well.

Have a great day!

What's in a Krispy Kreme donut?

Original Glazed Ingredients
enriched flour
dextrose
vegetable oil shortening (partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil)
water
sugar
soy flour
dried egg yolks
yeast
skim milk
calcium sulphate
ammonium sulphate
calcium peroxide
monocalcium and dicalcium phosphate
diammonium phosphate
sodium steroyl-2-lactylate
whey
corn starch
ascorbic acid
sodium bicarbonate
calcium carbonate
salt
mono- and diglycerides
lecithin
calcium propionate
cellulose gum
malted barley flour
natural and articifial flavours
amylase
protease
BHT

Glaze
sugar
water
corn starch
calcium carbonate
calcium sulphate
agar
dextrose
locust bean gum
disodium phosphate
sorbitan
monostearate
mono- and diglycerides
artificial flavour
salt

And yet they're so yummy...

Karen's 2rd year anniversary

Hello Everyone!

Today is my second anniversary of arriving in Calgary. This is the longest I've lived in one place, one apartment, and had the same job since high school.

I'm very glad that I moved here. When I was getting ready to head out here, I was very nervous. I didn't know anyone, I didn't have a job and I only had enough money to survive for about 2 weeks. The plane touched down and I had the feeling that "this is where you're suppose to be". Everything worked out (almost to the point of being freaky). I lucked out with my apartment. Since I didn't know the city, I didn't know just how great the location is. The bed & breakfast that I first stayed at was in a neighbourhood called Mission. The other 6 apartments I looked at were in this area. The apartment that I ended up choosing was further away from Mission and when I first saw it, I didn't want it. Later that night, I compared apartments and it turned out to be the best - big (and no funky smells/mold) bathroom, storage, cheapest, and largest. That black & white squares linoleum on the floor was a big turn-off but rugs have since made them less dizzying. I bought Gilbert even before I moved in so he had to wait an extra day at the pet store before coming home. At this point I still didn't have a job. I had my job interview exactly one week from the time I flew in and got the job the next day. I started a couple days later. I was so glad that everything fell into place - if it hadn't, I don't know what I would've done.

Three years later, I love my neighbourhood, apartment (with new paint!) and I've made a life for myself. Work is steady although I don't think I'll still be here in another three years. They've been very good to me at work and I'm glad that this was where I ended up when I first moved out here. I'm going to start taking university courses through distance education and eventually get my BA in Humanities. I have my furry family that keeps me company and I have a network of people I can socialize with through church. I don't have the close friend to go shopping with and do girly stuff with but I'm also not lonely. There's always something going on in the city and transit can get me to most places.

When I was younger, I also thought I'd stay in a small town and I used to hate visiting "the city". It helps that there are a lot of parks/green spaces to relax in. I think living in Hohhot helped me to adjust from country to city live. It's been a struggle financially (Calgary is expensive) but I'm keeping my head above water. There's a lot of opportunities out here (and if you have any experience in a trade you'll make a fortune) and you can see the boom of the city.

A lot of you are probably wondering if I'll eventually move back to Ontario. You never know what's going to happen in the future but at this point I'd say no. I'm not a westerner (nor will I be) but I feel that I fit here better than I did in Ontario. I'll be back for visits to see everyone and you're welcome to stop in for a visit - my futon folds out! I still have a lot of Canada to see (I've only stopped in airports in Sask, Nfld & Man and yet to see the north) although I've mellowed to the point that I no longer have the urge that I have to see everything right away.

Anyways, these are just my musings for the morning. It's weird (and a bit scary) that so much has changed in my life throughout my 20s (I'll hit 28 in a couple months) and Calgary has given me a change to figure out who I am and what I want in my life.

Have a great day!

Mike's doing great!

Hi Everyone!

Got a call from the vet about an hour ago. Mike's doing great and is recovering well from the anaesthetic. He's a big cat (well normal sized to me) and came out of it quite quickly. His teeth are healthy and they discovered he has a couple extra! I was speaking to the vet (rather than the receptionist) and thought it was very nice of her to speak with me personally. I was told that I could pick him up any time after 3:30. I'm impressed that they give such a long observation period to make sure there's no complications. I'll pick him up after work and shower him with kisses.

My anxiety is gone!

Have a great day and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Mama's already a nervous wreck

Hi Everyone!

Mike goes to the clinic today. I'm already a bit nervous (after all, he doesn't understand why this is happening) and I likely will be until I pick him up tomorrow. Will he think I'm abandoning him? Will he have a lovely sleep-over? Will he be lonely? Will his mouth hurt a lot after the cleaning (very likely)? Will he understand what is happening? Will he be terrified of the cat carrier in the future? Will this just be another day?

I'll sleep terribly tonight without him (as per usual when he's out in the livingroom or I'm on vacation). I might bring Whiskers in so I can sleep!

Finished tidying up the apartment. It's neat, but still looks lived in. Mike's in my bedroom for the inspection (what a day he'll have) and Whiskers is angry that she wasn't let out last night.

Mike's dvd arrived last night. It's a special video made especially for cats. A company in the UK designed it with colour filters and a lens focus to make it suitable for a cat's eyes and they adjusted the sound as well. It's a video of bugs that has a two hour repeat and is continuous play. Mike rather enjoyed it and spent his time swatting at spiders and moths. The bugs looked fuzzy to me (out of focus?) but then again, I don't have cat eyes. If he still likes it after a month, I'll also buy the bird dvd.

Have a great day!

My faith in Tim Hortons is shattered!

Wednesday, Mar 15, 2006

Not all rims rrroll up equal

(CBC) - The odds of winning a big prize when you roll up the rim on a cup of Tim Hortons coffee depend on where you live, CBC News Online has learned.

Canada's biggest fast-food chain is currently running its annual spring promotion that offers customers a chance to win prizes ranging from a cup of coffee to a $33,000 sport utility vehicle.

Albertans and Atlantic Canadians have nearly twice the opportunity of driving off in one of the 30 SUVs as residents of Toronto or southwestern Ontario.

If you live in Quebec, where Tim Hortons is battling for market share with rival Dunkin' Donuts, your chances are even better - a one in four million shot at the SUV, versus one in eight million for B.C. and one in 11 million for southern Ontario.

The same is true to a lesser extent for the three other big rewards: 100 plasma televisions, 500 cash prizes of $1,000 and 10,000 barbecues.

A spokesman at the company's Oakville, Ont., headquarters was initially unaware of the prize distribution breakdown and had to check with corporate lawyers before confirming that the odds have been skewed for at least the past couple of years.

"There are only 30 cars," Greg Skinner said. "If it was all equalized, some places like P.E.I. or New Brunswick might not get one at all. This is just about trying to create some excitement."

The overall odds advertised by the company of winning one of the SUVs is one in 8,296,300. While a longshot, the chances are at least better than those of picking up the Lotto 6/49 jackpot, which are roughly one in 14 million.

Ingredients in a Max 5 candy bar

Max 5 - peanut butter candy, pretzels, caramel, peanut butter, peanuts

Ingredients:
partially defatted peanuts Huh?
sugar
wheat flour
hydrogenated modified vegetable oils (palm kernel and soybean oil)
high fructose corn syrup
modified milk ingredients
peanuts I guess not all the peanuts were defatted!
dextrose
peanut oil They added oil after taking the fat out of the peanuts?
hydrogenated vegetable oils (coconut and soybean) Maybe the modifications worked!
salt
corn syrup Just plain corn syrup - no fancy high fructose here
glycerin
soy lecithin
mono and diglycerides
ammonium
bicarbonate
sodium bicarbonate Bicarbonate got a first name
artificial flavour
carrageenan
yeast
disodium phosphate
TBHQ I'd hate to see what the actual name of this stuff is
citric acid

The "candy bar" (no chocolate involved) actually didn't taste terrible. It was odd and strange looking (and expensive if you compare the weight to an Oh Henry!) but did fulfill my snacking urge.

Halfway through the work week

Hi Everyone!

A cold and grey walk to work. It started to mist/snow when I was almost there. It's overcast and rather blah out.

Tidied the apartment last night. Mike tried waking me up this morning (and was awfully cute about it) but it ended up being Whiskers who got me out of bed. They're going to be very upset with me because Whiskers won't be out of her cage tonight or tomorrow and Mike needs to be shut in my room tomorrow for the inspection. He'll only have a few hours of roaming his territory before going to the clinic. It's going to take a lot of bribes to make it up to him on the weekend.

Have a great day!

Mornings suck

Hi Everyone!

I didn't get enough sleep last night so I'm grumpy and tired this morning.

I ended up getting nothing done that I wanted to last night (had a bath and finished my book instead) so it'll be a busy night tonight. The book was really good. It was a biography of Zainab Salbi. She is the co-founder of Women for Women (an organization that helps women from war-torn countries deal with rape, loss, etc.) She is Iraqi and her father was once Saddam Huissain's pilot. It was very interesting to read because it talks a lot about the manipulation and fear of "close friends" to Saddam (she didn't find out about a lot of the atrocities until she went to the United States). I highly recommend the book. It's called "Between Two Worlds" and she co-wrote it.

Hoping to get my hair cut next week - just waiting for the salon to open so I can make my appointment. I think I'll chop it all off to about an inch. It's much easier to care for and I don't have to worry about bed-head.

Poor Mike! He wanted me to wake up and play with him this morning and I think (it's a bit blurry) I shoved him out of bed! In my defence, it was before 6:00am. I tried to make it up to him when I eventually got up but I think I hurt his feelings.

Anyways, not in the mood for typing.

Have a great day!

I ate a fig!

Hi Everyone!

It may not seem exciting to you but last night I tried a fig. Gayle brought some to the church water study last night. It was dried (apparently - it was soft and very sticky) and although I liked it, I could only eat one. It was so sweet! I was told it makes lovely jam.

Had a productive weekend.

After work on Friday, I detoured onto 17 Ave ("The Red Mile" for hockey fans) and bought some bee pollen. It looks like Rainbow's food pellets but they're golden coloured. It is apparently very healthy for you (30% protein), gives you energy, boosts your immune system etc. I don't particularily like the taste of it although I don't like the taste of honey either. I've been tired so often lately and hopefully this will help. I have noticed that after I take it, I'm not super hungry and need sugar right away. I then stopped at the Paws Boutique which is a dress-up store for dogs and cats. I ended up passing on a t-shirt for Mike but I did get him a toy with catnip in it. While there, two dogs were preparing for a fashion show later that night and one of them got its bangs cut.

I stayed in my pjs all Saturday and cross-stitched.

On Sunday, I made a proper supper. I made roast beef (M&Ms is lovely - it's already seasoned for you!), mashed potatoes and corn. I also did laundry, swept the floor, organized the kitchen and tidied the hallway. I also tried to make pralines. I've made them before (in Ontario) but I ended up burning the candy and setting off the fire alarm. I think I either heated the mixture at too high of temperature (too quickly) or my pot wasn't thick enough. I was quite disappointed.

There was a skiff of snow on the sidewalk this morning and it was -14 C when I left the apartment.

I have a busy week ahead of me. Tuesday is the Townships meeting, Wednesday is Bethel class, Thursday is my apartment inspection, I drop off Mike at the vet, and have choir practise, and Friday is when I pick Mike up. He's having his teeth cleaned. I know this sounds pretty stupid but his teeth are in bad shape. It's probably from him eating that horrible, cheap Safeway catfood for so many years. Since house cats don't have a regular diet of meat (ie mice) and bones to scrub their teeth, placque builds up. In Mike's case, the placque has gotten so bad that by next year, his gums would become infected. I'm hoping that by getting this done now, he won't need it again for another few years. Because of the nature of the procedure, the vet needs to knock Mike out. I could drop him off Friday morning but I'd end up being late for work and I would still need to fast him. The clinic is open late on Thursday and they won't charge me for boarding. I'm still a bit nervous about the procedure and I'll likely sleep horribly on Thursday night.

Whiskers learned a new trick this weekend. I let her out on Friday. When I was getting ready for bed, I did a quick search for her. I found her on top of my bed! She learned how to hop up but I don't think she could get down. I set her down and throughout the night, she kept hopping up. I'd wake up and set her back down (in case she needed to go to her cage to go to the bathroom). By Saturday morning, she had figured out how to jump down. It was rather nice to wake up to two furry family members hopping/stepping on me. Saturday night consisted of her jumping up and down off the bed and tearing down the hallway. Mike took a few swats at her (but she can hold her own) this weekend but I think it's good for the both of them. They both get exercise (Whiskers from her hallway racetrack and Mike from jumping out of the way) and they get used to each other.

I also included two articles in my blog. The first one is about the beer flowing from a faucet in Norway and the second is from the editor of the Danish newspaper who published the cartoons. I thought they would be of interest.

Have a great day!

Kitchen tap in Norway spews beer, not water

Monday, Mar 13, 2006

Kitchen tap in Norway spews beer, not water

(CBC) - A bar worker in western Norway managed to turn water into beer for a lucky woman living in an apartment above the pub.

Haldis Gundersen turned on her kitchen tap on the weekend expecting water to gush out so that she could wash some dishes. Instead, she got beer.

A worker in a bar two floors below had accidentally connected a hose from a new barrel of beer to the water pipe leading to Gunderson's apartment in Kristiansund.

"We thought we were in heaven," she told Reuters.

The beer tasted strange and didn't have the fizziness that specialized bar spigots would create, she added. Given the choice, she would have opted for her favourite coffee liqueur.

"If it happens again, I'm going to order Baileys," Gunderson said.
The mood wasn't so happy in the bar where the problem originated. Expecting beer from the usual tap, staff were startled to see water pouring out instead.

Article from the Danish Editor who published the cartoons

Why I Published Those Cartoons

By Flemming Rose, culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.
Sunday, February 19, 2006; B01 Washington Post

Childish. Irresponsible. Hate speech. A provocation just for the sake ofprovocation. A PR stunt. Critics of 12 cartoons of the prophet Muhammad I decided to publish in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten have not minced their words.

They say that freedom of expression does not imply an endorsement of insulting people's religious feelings, and besides, they add,the media censor themselves every day. So, please do not teach us a lesson about limitless freedom of speech.I agree that the freedom to publish things doesn't mean you publish everything. Jyllands-Posten would not publish pornographic images or graphic details of dead bodies; swear words rarely make it into our pages. So we are not fundamentalists in our support for freedom of expression.But the cartoon story is different.

Those examples have to do with exercising restraint because of ethical standards and taste; call it editing. By contrast, I commissioned the cartoons in response to several incidents of self-censorship in Europe caused by widening fears and feelings of intimidation in dealing with issues related to Islam. And I still believe that this is a topic that we Europeans must confront, challenging moderate Muslims to speak out. The idea wasn't to provoke gratuitously -- and we certainly didn't intend to trigger violent demonstrations throughout the Muslim world. Our goal was simply to push back self-imposed limits on expression that seemed to be closing in tighter.

At the end of September, a Danish standup comedian said in an interview with Jyllands-Posten that he had no problem urinating on the Bible in front of a camera, but he dared not do the same thing with the Koran.This was the culmination of a series of disturbing instances of self-censorship. Last September, a Danish children's writer had trouble finding an illustrator for a book about the life of Muhammad. Three people turned down the job for fear of consequences. The person who finally accepted insisted on anonymity, which in my book is a form of self-censorship. European translators of a critical book about Islam also did not want their names to appear on the book cover beside the name of the author, a Somalia-born Dutch politician who has herself been in hiding.Around the same time, the Tate gallery in London withdrew an installation bythe avant-garde artist John Latham depicting the Koran, Bible and Talmud torn to pieces. The museum explained that it did not want to stir things up after the London bombings. (A few months earlier, to avoid offending Muslims, a museum in Goteborg, Sweden, had removed a painting with a sexual motif and a quotation from the Koran.)Finally, at the end of September, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen met with a group of imams, one of whom called on the prime minister to interfere with the press in order to get more positive coverage of Islam.

So, over two weeks we witnessed a half-dozen cases of self-censorship,pitting freedom of speech against the fear of confronting issues about Islam. This was a legitimate news story to cover, and Jyllands-Posten decided to do it by adopting the well-known journalistic principle: Show,don't tell.

I wrote to members of the association of Danish cartoonists asking them "to draw Muhammad as you see him." We certainly did not ask them to make fun of the prophet. Twelve out of 25 active members responded.We have a tradition of satire when dealing with the royal family and otherpublic figures, and that was reflected in the cartoons. The cartoonistst reated Islam the same way they treat Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. And by treating Muslims in Denmark as equals they made a point: We are integrating you into the Danish tradition of satire because you are part of our society, not strangers. The cartoons are including,rather than excluding, Muslims.The cartoons do not in any way demonize or stereotype Muslims. In fact, they differ from one another both in the way they depict the prophet and in whom they target.

One cartoon makes fun of Jyllands-Posten, portraying its cultural editors as a bunch of reactionary provocateurs. Another suggests that the children's writer who could not find an illustrator for his book went public just to get cheap publicity. A third puts the head of the anti-immigration Danish People's Party in a lineup, as if she is a suspected criminal.One cartoon -- depicting the prophet with a bomb in his turban -- has drawn the harshest criticism. Angry voices claim the cartoon is saying that the prophet is a terrorist or that every Muslim is a terrorist. I read it differently: Some individuals have taken the religion of Islam hostage by committing terrorist acts in the name of the prophet. They are the ones who have given the religion a bad name. The cartoon also plays into the fairy tale about Aladdin and the orange that fell into his turban and made his fortune. This suggests that the bomb comes from the outside world and is notan inherent characteristic of the prophet.On occasion, Jyllands-Posten has refused to print satirical cartoons ofJesus, but not because it applies a double standard. In fact, the same cartoonist who drew the image of Muhammed with a bomb in his turban drew a cartoon with Jesus on the cross having dollar notes in his eyes and another with the star of David attached to a bomb fuse. There were, however, no embassy burnings or death threats when we published those.Has Jyllands-Posten insulted and disrespected Islam? It certainly didn't intend to.

But what does respect mean? When I visit a mosque, I show my respect by taking off my shoes. I follow the customs, just as I do in a church, synagogue or other holy place. But if a believer demands that I, as a nonbeliever, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect, but for my submission. And that is incompatible with a seculardemocracy.This is exactly why Karl Popper, in his seminal work "The Open Society andIts Enemies," insisted that one should not be tolerant with the intolerant.Nowhere do so many religions coexist peacefully as in a democracy where freedom of expression is a fundamental right. In Saudi Arabia, you can get arrested for wearing a cross or having a Bible in your suitcase, while Muslims in secular Denmark can have their own mosques, cemeteries, schools,TV and radio stations.

I acknowledge that some people have been offended by the publication of the cartoons, and Jyllands-Posten has apologized for that. But we cannot apologize for our right to publish material, even offensive material. You cannot edit a newspaper if you are paralyzed by worries about every possible insult.

I am offended by things in the paper every day: transcripts of speeches by Osama bin Laden, photos from Abu Ghraib, people insisting that Israel should be erased from the face of the Earth, people saying the Holocaust never happened. But that does not mean that I would refrain from printing them as long as they fell within the limits of the law and of the newspaper's ethical code. That other editors would make different choices is the essence of pluralism.As a former correspondent in the Soviet Union, I am sensitive about calls for censorship on the grounds of insult. This is a popular trick of totalitarian movements: Label any critique or call for debate as an insult and punish the offenders. That is what happened to human rights activists and writers such as Andrei Sakharov, Vladimir Bukovsky, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Natan Sharansky, Boris Pasternak. The regime accused them of anti-Soviet propaganda, just as some Muslims are labeling 12 cartoons in aDanish newspaper anti-Islamic.The lesson from the Cold War is: If you give in to totalitarian impulses once, new demands follow. The West prevailed in the Cold War because we stood by our fundamental values and did not appease totalitarian tyrants.

Since the Sept. 30 publication of the cartoons, we have had a constructive debate in Denmark and Europe about freedom of expression, freedom ofreligion and respect for immigrants and people's beliefs. Never before have so many Danish Muslims participated in a public dialogue -- in town hall meetings, letters to editors, opinion columns and debates on radio and TV.We have had no anti-Muslim riots, no Muslims fleeing the country and no Muslims committing violence. The radical imams who misinformed their counterparts in the Middle East about the situation for Muslims in Denmarkhave been marginalized. They no longer speak for the Muslim community in Denmark because moderate Muslims have had the courage to speak out against them.In January, Jyllands-Posten ran three full pages of interviews and photos of moderate Muslims saying no to being represented by the imams. They insist that their faith is compatible with a modern secular democracy. A network of moderate Muslims committed to the constitution has been established, and the anti-immigration People's Party called on its members to differentiate between radical and moderate Muslims, i.e. between Muslims propagating sharia law and Muslims accepting the rule of secular law. The Muslim face of Denmark has changed, and it is becoming clear that this is not a debatebetween "them" and "us," but between those committed to democracy in Denmark and those who are not.This is the sort of debate that Jyllands-Posten had hoped to generate when it chose to test the limits of self-censorship by calling on cartoonists to challenge a Muslim taboo.

Did we achieve our purpose? Yes and no. Some of the spirited defenses of our freedom of expression have been inspiring. But tragic demonstrations throughout the Middle East and Asia were not what we anticipated, much less desired. Moreover, the newspaper has received 104 registered threats, 10 people have been arrested, cartoonists have been forced into hiding because of threats against their lives and Jyllands-Posten's headquarters have been evacuated several times due to bomb threats.

This is hardly a climate for easing self-censorship.Still, I think the cartoons now have a place in two separate narratives, one in Europe and one in the Middle East. In the words of the Somali-born Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the integration of Muslims into European societies has been sped up by 300 years due to the cartoons; perhaps we donot need to fight the battle for the Enlightenment all over again in Europe.The narrative in the Middle East is more complex, but that has very little to do with the cartoons.

flemming.rose@jp.dkFlemming Rose is the culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.© 2006 The Washington Post Company

It's Friday!

Hi Everyone!

A cool walk to work. It snowed a bit last night so I had a chance to wear my new snow boots. I bought them at The Bay on Wednesday and they were marked down and on sale.

Felt crappy after work (bad headache, achy eyes, sore muscles) after a bunch of data inputting. Ended up skipping choir and a meeting last night. Stopped at M&Ms for a roast (on sale) and sampled their chili & garlic bread (and ended up buying them for supper). Their garlic bread is lovely and the chili's pretty good too.

After I got home, I curled up on the futon with Whiskers and napped until 7pm. The tv shows were all messed up and The O.C. was on at 7, C.S.I Miami at 8 followed by American Idol. I ended up going to bed early (despite the nap) and Mike pestered me this morning after my alarm went off. I eventually hid under the blankets and had to rush to get ready. I should know better than to ignore Mike but he sometimes confuses 6:30 am with 4:30 am.

Have yoga tomorrow and I want to see a movie in the afternoon. Beowulf is now in theatres and I have a coupon for free admission. Will take it easy tonight and maybe do some tidying up around the apartment.

A warm walk to work

Hi Everyone!

Didn't hear my alarm go off but still woke up in time to get to work. The sidewalks were icy (snow melting that froze overnight) but they should be clear by this afternoon.

Don't have any plans for tonight. This means I can do a bunch of stuff at home. Laundry, dishes, baking, Bethel homework, cleaning etc.

Last night I filed my taxes. I used the same program as last year (recommended to me by the people who do our payroll at work). I really liked it - I don't know the first thing about taxes and they walk you through the steps in an easy manner. You can work on it for a while and then save it until the next time you want to add something. Everything is done on-line and I sent my file electronically to the government. It's also cheap ($14.95 for me) and since my return was fairly straightforward, it took very little time. Last year was more complicated (moving expenses, multiple jobs etc.) but they have a great faq and help section. If anyone's interested, I used Intuit. They also have programs for more complicated returns as well.

Chinook cloud over the mountains today. Have a little headache but nothing bad. Everyone's getting sick with the flu. Sylvia's at home today, Lori was sick last week as well as a couple techs. Hopefully I can stay healthy - January wiped me out enough without getting sick again in the winter.

Have a great day!

Chinook's coming

Hi Everyone

The temperature's should reach +7 today. Not in the mood for typing.

Whiskers spent the weekend hopping around the apartment. Made pudding last night. Slept most of the afternoon (despite having a lot of things to do). I guess I just needed a lazy weekend.

Have a great day!

One more day until the weekend...

Hi Everyone!

It's pretty sad when it's not even 10:30am and you're already counting down the hours until the weekend.

My Tim Horton's rant: they call it a Canadian institution but I suspect they serve you better coffee while you're in a straight-jacket! I decided to treat myself this morning so I jogged a bit and stopped at the stupid Tim Horton's a block south on McLeod Trail. It's a drive-through shack that only accepts cash. I went inside and was the only person in line. I waited three minutes before someone took my order. When I got to work (was late by a minute or so - what fast service they have!), my coffee was bitter, there was definitly not 2 sugars in it and my honey dipped donut was stale. I was rather bitter (like my coffee!) - $1.90 used to at least get you a fresh donut (and mediocre coffee).

Had a great weekend - I finished the bathroom! It looks great (if I do say so myself). I finished the trim Saturday after yoga and then went to Zellers to pick up accessories. My colours are blue and white. I kept my white curtain but got rid of my over-the-toilet cabinet and the under-the-sink cabinet. Both looked cheap and were poor quality. I now have a big blue plastic tote for storage under the sink that has a white towel on it to hide the lid. On the other side of the exposed pipes, I have a woven basket with a unbleached cotton liner. I got a great towel that ties in the blue to the sage on the walls. It's white with blue and green polka dots. The polka dots fade from dark to light and the light colour is the same as the wall. (I already have blue towels). My new towel pulls everything together. I also got small, narrow shelves to go over the toilet. They change in length from 18" to 10" and they have short pieces of wood at the end so they look like this [ if there were turned on their end. I have them staggered up the wall and look very nice. My shower curtain is a translucent white with white leaves on it - really nice and it was on sale! The bathroom looks so much different than the rest of the apartment. I love it!

It's been a snowy week. Went to the Ash Wednesday service last night. Have a doctor's appointment and choir tonight and tomorrow is the World Day of Prayer of service. I'm making squares and the choir is also singing. I was quite surprised last Thursday when we went over hymns (both for last Sunday and for tomorrow night). There were several that were unfamiliar to the members that I learned at St. John's.

Will be taking it easy this weekend. I think I'll do some tidying around the house and I need to do laundry. Maybe I'll just cuddle with my furry family all weekend...

Have a great day!