Birthday present drawings

Hello Everyone,

I got frames for Jerry's presents and wanted to share them with you.

The first two where drawn by someone named Silvin. S/he drew the first one but didn't like it so drew the purple one. There is a little guinea pig in the basket.

I took 2 photos of the other drawing from different angles since it is a very light pencil drawing. I think it's very pretty and it is a nude of a woman on a bike. Jerry said it reminded him of me as he likes to think of me as pear shaped (which he says is appealing to him - extra bonus points for liking my curves). I can't make out the signature well enough to say who drew it.

Photos of apartment

Hello Everyone

So, here are some photos of the apartment. It's not complete since I didn't include the kitchen yet. When you walk in the front door, you go directly into the kitchen. The storage room is on the same side as the main door. You then enter the living room.

This is the view from the kitchen. You can see my kitchen table in the bottom right corner. Gilbert is in the corner and you can see Mike in the window sill.

This shows the rest of my livingroom. My computer/office area is in the corner, behind the futon.

And here is the other wall of the livingroom. This wall has the kitchen cupboards on the other side. The door leads to my bedroom.

And here is my bedroom. I have no closet.

You reach the bathroom by going through my bedroom. Not too pleased with that set up but there was no other logical way to get to it. The closed door lead to the bathroom.

I have no bathtub - just a shower. But Jerry has a tub and he was nice enough to draw a bath for me Sunday night when I needed to relax my muscles. I soaked while he made dinner. I'm spoiled terribly.

So, it's smaller than my previous 2 apartments but the storage room is great, the floors are easy to clean and it's a great location. It works well for 1 person. This weekend, I'll try to take pictures of the kitchen and the backyard.

A busy weekend

Hello Everyone!

So, super busy weekend. Jerry's parents came up on Saturday to celebrate my birthday. I did a mad rush cleaning of my apartment since they've never seen it before. They said it was very cute and were charmed by the furry family. Jerry and I did an Ikea run in the morning and I picked up an outdoor dining set and a bed.

Wasn't expecting to get a bed but they had Malm beds in the As-Is section for $30. They're regular $189. The only problem is that the headboard is "oak" while the side and end are black. But, there are black tones in the "oak" anyways so I couldn't care when it came to the price. My bed was just on the metal frame and no head/foot board. It rattled and moved around and since I toss a little when trying to get to sleep, the noise kept me up. It was ok on carpet at my second place but my first and current places had the locking wheels still moving around. I've now got a little more storage height under the bed and everything is much sturdier.

So the main purpose for the Ikea run was for the outdoor set. I'll take a picture tonight. There's a perfect spot in front of the garden that's sheltered from the wind and gets shade from mid-afternoon onward. It's a wooden set for 4 with 2 chairs and a bench seat. Very comfortable and half the price of the ones I saw at Home Depot. The table can be easily broken down for winter (although with oiling it, it can stay out year round) and if I have a dinner party, I can now have food on the table, rather than just the dishes.The chairs are a bit harder to break down since there are a couple screws in them but I have enough room to store them.

Had a nice visit with Jerry's parents. They watched me build the set and then we all relaxed in the shade. Went to The Keg for my birthday dinner and I thought the portions were huge. I ordered a classic T-bone and the salad was a full Caesar salad as well as a full plate for main course. And then they brought out a slice of ice-cream cake for me. Overall quite yummy but way too much food.

Sunday was the Lilac Festival. I ended up working at a sausage stand with Jerry. His friend owns the business and he needed a few extra helpers. I was cashier. It was long, hot and tiring. I did get to see a bit of the festival but I was too tired to really enjoy it. Got some cotton candy though.

My road rash is healing quickly. Some bruising showed up yesterday but the skin is recovering nicely. I still look a bit worse for wear and I have to watch my knee since that's the one I usually kneal on but I'm back to riding Polly again.

Since I cleaned my apartment for the weekend, I'll have photos to share. I'll post them tonight since Mom reminded me last week that she hasn't seen the place since I moved in.

Have a great day!

Road Rash :-(

Hello Everyone,

So, the road won last night. I was coming up to a T-Intersection with a stop sign and started to position myself for my right turn. The City still hasn't cleaned the gravel off the roads from winter and it extended out into the road (rather than just along the side). I mistook it for old pavement as there was some earlier that looked like that and there were shadows from some trees on the road.

I turned slightly and down I went. Road rash on my knee extending a bit along the side of my calfe, on my right thigh, on top of my right shoulder; thumb is sore from where it jammed on my handlebars; broke a nail; got a couple little holes in the new cycling capris Jerry gave me. Polly will need new bar tape, had to tighten the bolt holding the front brake in place and I lost my water bottle.

Per Jerry's advice (after he tightened my brakes for me), I went home, took a shower and slathered myself in healing lotion. I'm riding Charlotte today since I had troubles applying my brake on Polly because of my sore thumb.

I'll heal quick but I'm sore today. For those of you unfamilar with the term, think back to when you were a kid and fell on gravel. You get a bunch of little (or big) surface scratches and a large surface burn (like rug burn). It hurts a lot since the injury is on the surface of your skin.

I haven't had a serious fall in Calgary yet (all my winter ones were more bruises or sliding on my side so I was pretty protected by my winter clothes). Last time I did anything like this was in grade 7 when I messed up my hand and it needed a couple months to heal (first and only time I went to Emergency for an injury). It was a controlled intersection and the cars behind me (and they were nicely back so no concern with them) stopped to make sure I was ok.

So here's my advice for the day:
1. Always wear gloves when cycling
2. Avoid loose gravel along the side of the road. It's dangerous and I avoid it like the plague. Its location on the road last night surprised me since it extended out through the lane.
3. Carry a first aid kit
4. When driving, don't crowd cyclist so they feel they should be riding in the gravel crap along the edge of the road. I see that quite often. And I force cars to give me the space I need to be safe.
5. (Completely unrelated) Don't honk your horn when passing a cyclist when you want to feel superior in your car. 2 a**holes did that last night to me. In the first instance, I was going downhill (speed around 30-35 since I have to watch my pedal speed on Polly) on a 2 lane road. I was riding in the middle of the lane (which is correct) because you need that extra space when you're travelling at high speeds in case you get into trouble. Van laid on horn as I was starting around the curve of the hill (about partway down) and passed me with about a foot of space. There was nobody in the other lane. Very dangerous driver. Second instance was at intersection turning left. I had oncoming traffic and as it was clearing, I got set to turn. Truck coming up from behind me layed on horn as he sped by on my right side. I was positioned in the intersection correctly, using my position to indicate I was turning left. I had put out my arm to signal my turn earlier. My hands were back on the handlebars as I was starting up again and needed to be able to manoeuver (accelerate and do my turn). FYI - a cyclist turning left in this circumstance turns at the same speed as a car. Another stupid driver. I don't think motorists realize just how dangerous their actions can be. A sudden horn being blasted in your ear is startling, which causes you to jump, which can lead to losing control. It also serves no purpose (since horns are suppose to be used to alert people to danger) since people become immune to them and they become ineffective when it's an actual warning. And in both instances, the vehicles illegally passed me.

Ok - that's my rant for the day. It's one that sets me off quite often since it seems to be popular.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! It's going to be warm and sunny here!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hello Everyone!

So, I had a great weekend. On Friday, I got chocolate cake with pink icing at work.

Made Indian Friday night for Jerry. Cheated completely and everything came in a box. The most I did was add some butter to the butter chicken since the sauce was too thick and cut some cucumber. Got dressed up in my reversable multi-use skirt (worn as a dress) to get in the mood.

Saturday and Sunday was my cycling instructor's course. In all honesty, wasn't really in the mood for it but it was the only time offered this year. Will find out sometime in the next couple weeks if I passed the written exam. If I did (and not sure since I wasn't sure how much detail to put into answers), I still need to do a teaching aspect and then I get my full certification. Rode day 1 on Polly and day 2 on Charlotte. I took off her basket since it's easier manoeuvering and we were practising emergency stops on day 2. Different feel and I wanted to check my skills on both bikes.

Jerry was wonderful all weekend. He helped water the garden Friday night. He made me coffee Saturday morning. I also got my presents then. Last weekend, he got me a coffee cup holder for Polly and a nice pair of cycling capris I could wear at work. Saturday morning he gave me Ratatouille (since we'll have the garden ingredients to make it) and some beautiful drawing he had done at the Comic Book convention. All 3 are of a girl on a bike and I'm going to get them framed. All very sweet and thoughtful presents.

After my course, I took off Charlotte's basket and got dressed up. I was going to ride Polly but then I couldn't wear my pretty wedges. I put my purse on my shoulder and then put on my sweater. That way it didn't get in the way while biking. Went for ice-cream and then dinner. I originally had the urge for pizza but then we remembered there was Yorkshire pudding at one of the restaurants need the ice-cream place. It was very yummy. I was quite tired so Jerry took care of feeding the furry family while I looked over my cycling notes. This is the first time he's ever done that and it was very sweet. He checked everyone and asked about quantities and played with them all. I'm switching Gilbert and Whiskers over to a fresh food diet. Gilbert loves it and Whiskers is rebelling. So, Jerry's often good at certain domestic things (like cooking) but this was the first time he helped me out like this. It was really great since it was something I didn't ask his help on but he offered since he knew how tired I was. I'm a very lucky girl.

So, in case anyone is curious. I'm now 31. Quite happy to be in my thirties - feel more confident as a person and as a woman and I have many blessings. Have a great day!

Gardening Weekend

Hello Everyone,

It was a long weekend (in more ways than one) since Jerry and I did some major work on our garden. There's a garden in the backyard and we're trying the square foot technique this year. Jerry is gun hoe about the idea of raised beds since it's something he read will really help deal with our stupid weather.

So, we created a bed along the garage for our climbing plants (cucumber, beans, zucchini, squash, melon, peas) and a raised bed that has a shower door as a window. Outside these beds (and not planted yet), we'll have a raspberry bush, corn, onions, garlic, shallots and potatoes. We'll plant the raspberry likely next weekend and the rest the following weekend to avoid any frost damage. The climbing plants, corn and tomatoes were started inside but late so they're not all that big yet.

We're going to try growing the tomatoes in flower bags so we can hang them from the trees. It'll save space and we might get a better yield (it's an experiment). I'd like to do one plant in the bags and one in the garden space to compare. We have 7 varieties to experiment with.


Here is Jerry bringing stuff from the garden centre.










I didn't need to carry as much back. I have plants for my planters in the basket. These are the first pictures of Charlotte after the conversion. Her new name is Stella Charlotte (which will be explained below).










This is the cargo bike and Charlotte after a trip to Home Depot. Potting soil was on for $1.79 so we each got our max. 10 bags.








And this is why Charlotte has a new name. It was given to her by Jerry's roommate since I wanted a basket that could carry a couple 24s. That way, I knew she could handle my groceries. After all the weight Jerry pedalled to my place, we both needed refreshments.









Here we are starting out in the garden. The wood box is the frame for the raised bed. There are 3 frames that are 2x4s and as the plants grow, we'll put a couple more frames on. And once the plants get that high, we can remove the window.






Jerry double digging the window box/raised bed section. There's a raised bed along the garage and the poles will help support the bamboo lattice.

All done Sunday night. Both of us very tired but it was a good weekend.

New Star Trek movie is good

Hello Everyone,

We saw the new Star Trek movie last night (Jerry's a trekkie) and it was quite good. I watched my first original series tv episode Saturday night and have only watched a couple of the original movies. I was still able to follow it with no problem. You don't have to have any background but there are some inside jokes. Very fast paced, lots of action/special effects. Acting & dialogue was typical Star Trek but that's the fun of it.

So, I recommend going to see it.

It's Friday!

Hello everyone,

It's been a long week and I'm glad it's almost over. Busy at work. I come in tomorrow to start new training as I'm taking over a salaried (small) payroll and learning about share purchases. It should be good and the extra OT money will be nice.

Cooking spicy salmon for Jerry tonight. This is the 2nd last weekend of snowboarding for the season so I lose him for the weekend.

Just got my brows done. It's so much easier having someone else reshape them rather than plucking them myself. True, I do maintenance on them but I think it's still well worth the money. I find it gives your face a more refined look and more interest.

My hair is driving me crazy. Jerry wanted me to grow it out and since it's just dead skin cells, I said I was willing to grow it to shoulder length. Boys are silly - it apparently is so when you have a pony tail, you can slide out the elastic and have your hair cascade down. And he knows he's paying for my haircut when I do get it chopped off. I prefer short hair - I think it looks better on me. So, I've got another 2 inches to go which means I have to be patient until fall. I've gotten bored with an all-over colour (semi-permanent so it fades in a month) so I think for a birthday treat, I'll get some type of highlights. On the plus, it's long enough to pull the top section into an elastic and if I use enough product, I can do a full pony tail. This will be good for summer outdoorsy activities. And yes, I can decide at any time to just chop it off but since I don't expect to have long hair again, I thought I'd indulge Jerry.

Have a great day!

A Relaxing Weekend

Hello Everyone,

Took it easy on the weekend. Went on my first pub crawl (I was the most sober there as I wasn't in the mood to drink) and had fun. Jerry was happy as there was lots of dancing. We don't often go out dancing (I find most bars are too loud and crowded) so it was nice change. He's a unique dancer since he's so enthusiastic and I envy his self-assurance.

Relaxed on Sunday. Slept in, did some cross stitch. Nothing too much going on.

Have a great day!

PS - Jerry shaved off all his facial hair this morning. He had shaved his beard last weekend for a moustache party and now it's gone too. He's got a baby face now.

Tired

Good morning,

I'm feeling a bit drained. It's been a bit odd at work as I've had to run a couple special payrolls and do some work with procedure changes. It's like pulling teeth - I'm not making up the rules (gov regs) and people think we can ignore them since that's what was done in the past. However, I have support from my direct supervisors so I'm dragging people through it, kicking and screaming.

The weather's finally changing and we're suppose to get double digit temperatures by the end of the week. Started my next set of seedlings. Rather late I know but they won't be going into the garden/flowerbeds until the end of May/beginning of June. This is my first year starting flowers from seed and I'm interested in seeing how they turn out.

Sent off my paperwork to enroll in my last payroll course. Starts June 10 by correspondence. I can take my books with me while fishing.

Have a great day!

Eat chocolate!

Hello Everyone,

I should be more specific by saying, "eat Cadbury chocolate". Here are the details on a new Cadbury promotion/fundraiser. There's a link on my blog.

To participate in The Bicycle Factory* Program and help build 5000 bikes for Africa (the “Program”), you must first register by completing the online registration form at www.bicyclefactory.ca.

All fields on the registration form must be completed unless indicated as optional. After registering, you can participate in the Program by submitting a valid UPC code from the wrapper of any participating Cadbury product (including Canadian labeled Dentyne*, Stride*, Cadbury*, Maynards*, Trident*, Bubblicious*, Certs* Chiclets*, Clorets*, Jersey Milk* and Halls*, but excluding some seasonal products) with a net weight of 18g or more (“Participating Product”) and submit as instructed. Limit of five (5) unique UPC entries, per person/day during the Program Period. A full list of Participating Products is available at www.bicyclefactory.ca.

Offer valid from April 13 to July 30, 2009 or while supplies last (the “Program Period”).

For every one hundred (100) UPC’s entered, Cadbury will donate one (1) bicycle for delivery to Africa up to a maximum of five thousand (5,000).

Further details regarding The Bicycle Factory* Program and this donation are available on this website. Must be thirteen (13) years of age or older and a resident of Canada to participate in the Program.

Not that I need an excuse...

Stupid economy

So, to save money, I cut my bangs myself and did my eyebrows. Will still need to go in to the salon in a couple weeks for a proper brow shaping but they'll be fine for now.

It's been a long time since I've cut my own hair. Still managing to grow the rest out (silly Jerry request) but I needed change and didn't want to colour. Went online for some tips. Turned out ok. I already had bangs so it was a matter of trimming a couple inches off.

And Jerry knows he only gets shoulder length. And once it gets there, I will chop it off on a whim. But, he wanted to see what I look like in long hair and it's now at a length that I can at least pull most of it back. A bit easier to manage.

Oh, and I got the inspiration from the photo on Yahoo! based on the story of the woman who punked her high school reunion with a replacement stripper (yep, they didn't use the term "exotic dancer"). I liked her bangs.

Back to winter

Hello Everyone,

This is how stupid Calgary weather is. Tuesday afternoon it was 20C. Wednesday afternoon was snow. It's now -7, crappy and the roads are covered in bumpy ice. It was a nasty ride in since I hadn't realized the roads were going to be like that and I had my regular tires on. Took the back way to work to avoid traffic.

It's been busy. On Friday, Jerry & I passed our belay climbing test. So we also climbed on Monday night. He really enjoys it and it's growing on me. Feels unnatural to be able to go sideways and stretch out when climbing. I'm not roped in the outdoors so my options are very limited. At the gym, I'm harnessed in a controlled environment. Makes for some interesting challenges.

On the weekend, I rebuilt Charlotte. We went to Bow Cycle and picked up mustache handlebars and a huge wire basket. It's large enough to fit 2 full bags of groceries and my purse. And the equivalence of my weight. There's extra supports that go down to the wheel. She looks very old school and I rather like her. A lot more practical. I also brought Calli in to work as a co-worker was interested in her. Things went well so she'll go to a new home next month. The $ will cover Charlotte's upgrades. Should have pictures on the weekend. I'll eventually get a basket liner for her and make it girly.

I have ranger (Calgary pathway patrol) school (learn about by-laws and pathways) on Saturday and a ranger patrol on Sunday. Jerry will likely be snowboarding since there's powder and not a lot of weekends left.

He got doored again yesterday but seems ok. Wheel was damaged but he was able to fix it. Sore, possible sprain or bone bruise on hand. He didn't mention anything else although when I came over for coffee this morning, he was still sleeping. He was positioned correctly on the road, the driver apologized and they worked things out. Police refused to show up. I think that's the scariest part. They didn't show up last time either - when his ribs were injured enough that he was several months before being back to full health and had several hundred dollars of damage to his bike. The disturbing thing is that several laws were broken, injuries occurred and the police didn't care. A) illegal to open a door when unsafe B) vehicle accident causing injury. Jerry couldn't even recover his costs as there was no police report for insurance or a law suit (the guy also tried to leave the scene). I worry but it's his choice and all I can do is support him. He's figuring on a few more years on the road and then switching to something else. I don't worry quite so much about it happening to me. It could happen but I'm usually at a slower speed, not under a time limit and I'm constantly looking for drivers in parked cars. I haven't had any close calls recently and it hasn't been much of a problem since I learned proper lane positioning.

So, taking it easy for the rest of the week. I'm going to pick up the Friday night dinner special from the grocery store tomorrow so I won't have to cook. I was going to make the equivalence but I think it might be something they can do cheaper. That, and I don't know how to make meat lasagna. So, I'm looking for recipes!

Have a great day!

School thoughts

Hello Everyone,

...so, after I finish my final payroll course (hopefully June 10 to Sept 9), I might continue with courses.

I took a look at the next certification and realized most of the courses can be taken through Athabasca University. While on their website, I discovered if I took an additional 6 courses, I would receive a University Certificate in Administration. It doesn't give me letters behind my name (like a BA but I get them for my payroll certification) but it is something else to add to my resume. And some of the courses sound interesting. A lot more interesting than the regular payroll ones. And since they're more interesting, I won't be as stressed since I'll be interested in the material and will want to learn.

Timeline: 4 months per course (AU gives 6 months but that's if you're not motivated and in all honesty, it's too long - gives you too much time to procrastinate). So 3 years to complete the certification and aditional 6 months on top of that for the 2nd payroll accreditation. And, since it's through Athabasca, if I'm not still with Akita (they currently pay for any schooling I do), I can continue it either on my own or through the next company. All part-time study.

I know I was going to take some time off after my next course but this sounds like a great opportunity. All by correspondence so I'm looking at 1-2 week nights a week (max) workload. And the reading I can do while fishing or at Jerry's place. Since I don't think I will end up staying in payroll, I wanted to keep my options open and this certificate offers introductions to several administrative fields (finance, law, marketing, hr).

Just what I'm thinking at the moment. Don't need to make any major decisions for a few months yet.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas?

I passed my exam!

Hello Everyone,

I checked my marks this morning and I got 60% on my re-write final exam. This gives me a pass and a high enough mark to put it toward my CPA certification. It'll take about 6 weeks to get my official transcript then I need another few weeks for paperwork with the CPA. So, my final payroll course (for now) will likely be starting in June.

I'm very relieved. I didn't have the money to retake the course (I'd need to reimburse the company and then apply for the course again). And I tried really hard with the material. It just didn't stick in my brain and I really struggled with it. Jerry is wonderful - the entire time he kept saying, "Don't worry - you can do it. I know you can." So he was my cheerleader the whole time and made sure I kept focus while studying. And, he's looking for the pkg deal at the Fairmont Banff Springs to take me to Banff. I'm very excited.

Easter was good. We (Jerry, Keith - his roommate, Ian - their friend and I) left Thursday night and drove to Castle. Jerry & I left Friday morning and attended a non-denomination service in the morning. Drove up to Lethbridge for turkey dinner. Stopped at the coulee for a hike and I got to go under the railway bridge. It's the longest and highest railway bridge in the world and if you see any tourist brochures from Lethbridge, the bridge is usually a dominate feature. When you drive into the city from the west, you pass it heading in. On Saturday, we lazed around at Jerry's parent's place and I got a bit sunburnt. The weather was lovely and I ended up in shorts. We left Saturday night back to Castle. Snowboarded on Sunday. It was warm and slushy. We waited for the sun to melt the bit of ice on top of the snow until it was mainly soft and wet. Very fast and I had a good fall but since the snow was so soft, there was a lot of give and I'm only a little sore. I was working on speed but pretty well we took it easy. Drove back last night and didn't get into the city until after 11. Extremely tired and the pets were happy to see me.

Allergies acted up as soon as back in the city. Jerry thinks it's probably the snow mould (since it's not my usual time of year for allergies) as it's a very common allergy. Head is all fuzzy and nose running. Eyes a bit itchy and I'm taking allergy medication.

We going climbing tonight. Work out my sore muscles and take the belay test. Oh, and I forgot if I told you already but I also passed my Can-Bike II certification.

Have a great day!

Maybe my parenting skills are not so bad after all...

So, this morning, I looked at my fish bowl and found my snail! S/he had climbed so far into the shell during the transfer I couldn't see it. So, didn't kill the snail. The little fish floating upside down recovered and is doing fine. The other strong fish died.

Now it's a matter of "Am I such a bad parent that I couldn't tell my snail is alive" or "It's a good thing I'm lazy and didn't remove the snail from the bowl or I would have killed it."

Bad Fish Mom

Hello Everyone,

I told Jerry last night to remind me the next time we're in the pet store that I should buy any more fish. I'm a bad fish mom.

So, over the past weeks, I've basically had 1 fish/week die. I think it had to do with the move. Henry has been vertical in his bowl for 1 1/2 weeks and he passed away Monday night. When I moved my remaining 2 fish and snail to a smaller bowl, I discovered the snail was no longer in its shell. How does a snail disappear? In a tank with no filter? Somehow in a 1 week span (last time I remember seeing it), the snail died and its body disinegrated. As well, I don't think one of the two fish survived the move to the other bowl. He was at the bottom upside down (but breathing) for a while last night and then I saw him start to float to the top as I was leaving.

So, down to 1 hardy fish. And I have to write "deceased" across Henry's credit card applications.

Have a great day!

Finally Spring!

Hello Everyone!

So, Spring came to Calgary this weekend. We're suppose to have a week of double digits and I'm happy. Today was the first day I pulled out a Spring outfit to work and it feels great to wear it.

A bit of a funny weekend. Went indoor climbing with Jerry on Friday. I had got him a gift certificate for the both of us for Christmas (so he'd have a partner - lol) with a month of unlimited facility useage. It was fun and I now know how to belay. I found it a bit difficult when I reached the top and I had to look down and wait while he finished securing me before I could let go. I didn't have a fear of heights as a kid - it's something that's come up in the past few years. I guess it's me realizing my own mortality. So, we're going to do a bunch of climbing and although Jerry wants to do some outdoor stuff this year, I'm a bit hesitant. Maybe next year. And we've already got a busy enough summer without throwing in additional climbing courses.

Saw Watchmen on Saturday. It was all right but I couldn't get into it. Didn't care about the characters and hadn't read the comic books. But Jerry's good about seeing my choices so it wasn't much of a sacrifice - and I got free popcorn and twizzlers. Then met up with his sister & husband and went to Jack Astor's for dinner. I have never been there and the food was really good. They have yummy bread the comes out in a frying pan soaked in garlic butter and covered in melted cheese. So unhealthy and very delicious.

Slept most of Sunday. I was battling a bit of a cold but it also may have been the prelude to the Chinook that came through this morning. Got my bathroom done - first room completely organized to my liking. Planted tomatos, melon, watermelon and corn in jiffy soil. Picked up a tray at Home Depot since we were a bit behind getting the seedlings going. Spoke to the girls upstairs and they were fine with sharing the garden. We may even get more since they weren't sure how much planting they'd be doing. William, the rosebush is getting new growth on him so he survived the transplant in the cold weather. Now, he just needs to survive Mike, who really likes chewing on him. I also need to somehow protect the strawberry plants that are also apparently quite tasty. We will have a fully garden, doing the bio-intensive/square foot gardening this year and will hopefully do more preserving (Jerry) and freezing (me).

I kept my studded tire on the rear but I'll take it off tonight. We were a bit unsure of the side streets but they were clear this morning. It'll be nice to get full speed again. A bit of tlc on Charlotte and more climbing tonight. I have my Can-Bike exam on Wednesday over lunch (class was cancelled but I had already done the road section last summer). That way I can start my volunteering with the City right away. Basically, I ride on the pathways, let people know the by-laws and answer questions.

Haven't heard yet about my rewrite final. Hopefully have news later this week. If not, it'll be next week. Heading to Lethbridge for the weekend. Dropping off Jerry's roommate at Castle Mountain so we can borrow his truck for the weekend. Turkey with Jerry's family on Friday (and Jerry's going to a service somewhere with me in the morning), not sure if snowboarding at Castle on Sat & Sun or just Sunday. It'll depend on Jerry's family. It'll be my last time out this year. Snow getting soft so although Jerry's got another month to go, I'm ready for spring.

Have a great day!

Daffodils

Hello Everyone,

Jerry brought me daffodils today. It's Daffodils Days in Calgary, to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

So, this is the second time he bought me flowers without me asking. The first was the corsage for prom.

I love daffodils. It's a bit of a grey day and the bright yellow cheers up my office.

So, go out and buy your friends and family daffodils.

I owe, I owe, It's off to work I go...

Hello Everyone,

So, I did my taxes on the weekend and I owe the government $87.

So, it's not much but it's the first time I'm not getting money back. I didn't take as many school courses as expected so my TD1 amounts were off. This year, I didn't write any school deductions on it so it should be balanced out. As well, I didn't qualify for the GST credit. It was a nice break every 3 months to check your account and see a little bit extra.

I knew I was going to be close - either a really small return or owing a small amount. It caused a bit of panic though when I first entered my income and it told me I owed over $2000. Thank goodness for all those deductions.

So, a good weekend. Spent it at home relaxing. Jerry came over on Saturday and we watched movies. Spent Sunday cross-stitching. My neck's a bit sore but it was relaxing. Jerry's best friend's wife is expecting very shortly and I'm working on a baby afghan. It's got teddy bears and balloons stitched on it. I got considerably delayed starting it so it'll be a rush over the next 2 weeks.

Have a great day!

Cautiously optimistic

Hello Everyone,

I wrote my rewrite final last night and it went ok. I think I may have passed although it wouldn't be a high mark. I'll know in a couple weeks. So, if I pass, I send my transcript to CPA, can take my final course for certification and Jerry takes me to Banff Springs hotel for the weekend. If I fail, I redo the course (with full fees), wait until the fall to do my final course, and I take Jerry to Banff Springs hotel. They're having a really good deal on rooms for people who are Sunshine season pass holders. I've always wanted to stay at a Fairmont hotel - they're so pretty and there's all that history.

Getting settled in to the new place. It's a bit cool - my bedroom (and the bathroom you access through it) does not have a heat vent so I'm trying to figure out what's the best way to keep it warm. Mostly unpacked but my shelves themselves are not organized so that's what I'm doing over the next week. I've been enjoying laundry since it's so convenient now. Still have some catch-up loads but should finish during this organizing time. Then I'll take pictures.

Furry family is adjusting. I have rugs everywhere so Whiskers is finding it easier to hop around. I've decided to sell my cruiser bike (Calli) and rebuild Charlotte (single gear) into a cruiser style. I was going to buy a Kona Africa because I like the style and for every 2 they sell, they donate 1 to Africa. I still might - depending if I get a large enough tax return. It apparently uses only one tool for all its repairs. That would mean turning Charlotte into a parts bike. I'll see how things go.

Have a great day!

Karen the negotiator

Hello Everyone,

So, I went to cancel my Telus (phone and internet) and they dropped the price down. Now, it'll be the same price if I cancelled and went with Rogers & Vontage. Plus, it's one bill and they're automatically switching it over on Sunday. I'll save about $30/month.

Got a new cell phone. I went into the Rogers store and they told me I was eligible for an upgrade. This means still paying for a new phone but not as much. I was on a 3 yr plan with my pink one so I've got 2 yrs left on my new one. It's a Nokia and it's charcoal with 2 red stripes. Not a flip phone like the last but it'll work.

So, I'm back to my technology dependency...

Moving update

Hello Everyone,

So, the last of my heavy/bulky stuff was moved tonight so everything else now is small and can fit in the rental car. Had a slight change of plans.

Pets moving Friday night as I'm having the carpets professionally cleaned on Saturday afternoon. Inspection Saturday night. It was required by my landlord rather than me just doing it myself. And I'm ok with that. By the time you pay the rental, buy the solution, do the work, etc, it's just as easy to have someone else do it.

Tonight - patch holes from nails/screws in walls

Thursday - paint touch-ups. Clean bathroom. Vacuum 2 bedrooms. Clean oven. Clean kitchen. Finish last of packing.

Friday - So, after work, Jerry and I get car (he'll be 2nd driver). Move furry family. Move final stuff. Nothing left in apartment. Wash walls. Buy Rogers modem so I have internet.

Saturday - Mike has vet appointment at 10. Will leave Jerry at my apartment as carpet cleaner will call in morning to confirm visit time in afternoon. Drop Mike off at home. Come back and send Jerry for coffee as I vaccuum the livingroom/hallway. He has allergies so once he's got coffee for me, I'll put vaccuum in car and send him home so he won't have to breathe anything in. I need to be here for carpet cleaner. Once that's done, call landlord to confirm inspection. Unpack some stuff.

Sunday - with Jerry being so wonderful with helping me move, we're going to Sunshine. I know I need to be unpacking but he's been great through these past couple weeks. It should be a good weekend and since we'll have a vehicle, it'll be a much needed relax time for both of us. Will be back shortly after supper anyways so can do a bit of unpacking Sunday night.

My new place will be pretty well in boxes until the 25th. That's my rewrite so I'll be studying each night. Will spend about an hour each evening unpacking but the rest will be studying. I have a basic idea of where I want things so I think it will generally go smooth. My mattress is in place - just need the frame itself put together. I can get to the bathroom. Clothes will be only a temporary issue as the laundry is just outside my door.

And I know this stuff is pretty boring but by typing it out, it reassures me that I have a plan. I was rather panicky when I got home tonight and saw stuff all over my livingroom. We did 2 truckloads and I feel back in control again. I get really messed up when my household is out of order. Been sleeping poorly. Headache. Lack of focus.

Pets are surprisingly super mellow. Have no idea why. Whiskers is being very good. Mike calm. They've all seen moves before so they might remember what's happening.

Anyways, I'm really tired.

Good night!

Moving day moved up!

Hi Everyone,

So, my leisurely move over the month has been cut in half. The first person my landlord showed the place to fell in love with it and wanted to move in right away. So, I have my final inspection next weekend. This all happened as of Thursday night. Moved a truck load (no cap on truck so not a lot but it was heavy/awkward stuff). Rented U-haul cargo van today and did 2 big loads. Everything is in a pile at the new place and I'll sort things out once I'm officially there as of Sunday.

I don't have a lot of stuff left. One more truckload - a couple more heavy things that I'll get Jerry and/or Keith(roommate) to help me with. One van load for the furry family. They'll move on Wednesday. And I'm renting a car Friday night for the weekend. That'll give me enough time to move my final stuff, run errands and bring Mike to his annual vet appointment. I'll rent a carpet cleaner Thursday or Friday night and do major cleaning. All repair/touch-ups will be done prior to that. So, it'll be a matter of clean and go.

I forgot how physical moving is. Getting stuff pulled out. Putting it in boxes. Moving boxes around. Bringing boxes up stairs to van. Taking boxes down stair from van. Moving boxes around. I've gotten a couple bruises, 2 broken nails and my hands are extremely rough. I've had to put on my cycling gloves to help. Jerry helped me with the heavy stuff today. It's times like this that I realize just how much stronger his upper body is than mine. I struggled with 1 file box (textbooks, paperwork) and he was able to carry 2 at a time. I knew that men's bodies were build differently then women's (we've got the advantage with legs) but it was really noticeable today. We're going to start wall climbing at the end of the month so hopefully I can develope these muscles more. It'll be a big advantage when cycling. I've noticed they're a bit weaker than during the summer as I'm walking up the hills verses riding them. I can't justify the energy exhurtion and heat to go up them in bad road conditions, stiff lube, drag from the spikes and the layers I'm wearing.

When I was in the new apartment today, my impression was that it had more light than I remembered and the bedroom's a little bit bigger. It's still smaller than my current one but not by a lot. The storage room is also lovely as there's shelving along 2 sides and my freezer managed to fit through the narrow doorway.

The furry family's overally been good with the move. I shut Mike in the back room while moving so he wouldn't try to escape. Whiskers is being very well behaved and rather calm. Both are being a bit clingy but I was expecting that.

Jerry's birthday is on Tuesday so I'm making him chocolate loaf with white chocolate rum custard. His mom brought him a cake today so I thought this would be something different. The chocolate loaf looks like a heavy cake or maybe brownie made in a loaf pan. It's served with the warmed custard and lightly sugared strawberries. The recipe is from one of Nigella's cookbooks and I'm rather excited. It's also much easier to transport than a traditional cake. I'll let you know how it turns out.

We celebrated his birthday with his parents and friends at a Moroccan restaurant. I've never eaten Moroccan and it was very tasty. I told Jerry we need to eat this food more often. It was very flavourful (spice/herb combinations I wouldn't have thought to pair). And we got to eat with our hands. I think I'll need to pick up a cookbook since I'm now in the area of town I can get a lot of uncommon spices since the dishes were very tasty and it would be relatively inexpensive (lentils, couscous, vegetables).

Anyways, I have a cake to make. Tomorrow is birthday cake Sunday (probably one of the last times I'll be at St. Matthews). I'm cheating by using a mix and canned frosting. But, it will be great for the kids because once the 9x13 cake is cool, you cut it into the shape of a horse and use candy to decorate it. Smarties are used to make the eyes and bridle. Licorice (the pull apart kind) is used to make the mane. I got the idea from the Kraft website. They have some great (and super easy) cake ideas there.

Have a great weekend!

Vontage experience?

Hello Everyone,

With my move, I'm getting rid of my phone line. I've been wanting to for a while and this is the perfect opportunity. I haven't decided yet if I'm getting internet and cable through Shaw or portable internet through Rogers. Probably the later and I'll forego tv. After all, I can watch some of my shows online and the rest I can see at Jerry's. I've lived without cable before and I think I'll still get a couple local stations anyways.

Anyways, I'm looking at phone options and thought Vontage might be suitable. I'm looking at the $19.99 500 minutes local/long distance + unlimited inbound calls. So, my regular phone connects through a device hooked up to my computer and voila, a phone line.

So, has anyone used Vontage? If so, what did/do you think of their service? If not, have you used a different company with similar features?

I'm keeping my cell but with my long distance, I think it'll be cheaper to use Vontage rather than long distance cards. Thoughts on long distance cell phone cards?

Wild Roses tv show

Hello Everyone,

For those of you who watch Wild Roses (stupid Alberta soap opera on at 9pm, Tuesday nights) on CBC, there was a scene last night across the block from where I work. The scene is when David McGregor is eating a hot dog, making a suspicious oil deal so he can cover his other oil deal supply. In the background, there's a parking lot and a huge mural on the wall with drilling scenes.

In reference to my building, it's on the sw corner of 6 Ave and 2nd Street. The scene took place on the nw corner. The hot dog stand is actually on the NE corner (so he was an extra). The building with the mural is the Petroleum Club, an exclusive club for people in the oil and drilling industry. We had our Christmas party there this year and I've eaten there a few times for company functions.

Jerry indulged my interest in that stupid show (I like playing "where's that?") last night and him and his friend had fun picking out buildings. I've recognized a number of them so far. The plot line is rather overdramatic and silly but it's amusing.

Oh, and there was a reference about David's hat, when he was first trying to fulfill his oil contract and he had called an acquaintance from years ago. If you wear a white hat, you're an upstanding and honest business person. If you wear a black hat, you've screwed someone over. So, in Calgary, if someone asked you about the colour of your hat or makes reference to it, they're really commenting about your character.

I'm moving!

Hello Everyone,

I've been looking for a new place for a while and tomorrow I'm signing a lease for a one bedroom in the NW. I'm spending a lot of time up there (Jerry will be one neighbourhood away) and it's a great location. 4 blocks to mall and C-Train station. Slightly shorter commute to work (and less steep hill going home). 20 minute walk to Kensington (fun neighbourhood for coffee, window shopping and people watching), 30 minute walk to downtown and Prince's Island. The street is an on-road bike path and it's a nice, safe neighbourhood.

The apartment itself is a little less nice then my current one and more expensive. Why move then?

1. Well, location is a big factor. Jerry and I have been dating for over 1 1/2 yrs and I'm tired of the 40 minute bike ride to see him. It's an ongoing joke that we have a river between us and it doesn't matter who is visiting who - there's still a hill to climb. We'll be able to spend more time together and his place is directly on my way to work so I can stop in for morning coffee.

2. hardwood/linoleum flooring. Much easier to clean for pets. Much easier for my bike.

3. garden. There's a 15'x15' garden in the back I can share with the upstairs tenants. Won't have to go all the way to the university for growing veggies anymore!

4. laundry. No more washing my clothes in the bath tub

5. not having to deal with my landlord. I've had to call every month for the past 6 months to find out when they were coming to pick up the rent. This month was the worst. They went on vacation and I was calling for 2 weeks waiting for someone to come pick it up. They also want the rent in cash so I have to stand in line for 20 minutes each month. There's family politics. Noise carries terribly in this apartment and I can hear the dog's claws as she walks across the floor. And they aren't super noisy upstairs at all. It's just that I'm very quiet so I hear everything.

The apartment itself was not quite what I was looking for but it has potential. The lease is for 6 months, then it'll go to month-to-month. I'm quite happy with this arrangement. There's a huge storage room (almost the size of my current bedroom) off the kitchen. The main entrance leads to the kitchen. Open concept. Living room slightly larger than my current one. Bathroom is accessed through the bedroom. Bedroom a bit smaller and no closet but I have a shelving unit with a clothing rail I can use. There's no tub but Jerry has said that when I desperately need a bath, I can go to his place. It's small too but I can deal with it. Kitchen cupboards a bit small but I don't use all the space in my current ones. New appliances. Windows have window wells so although I get a lot of light, there's still privacy. I was originally looking for a suite in an apartment building so I could have a balcony but there are few places that allow pets.

The upstairs tenants are reponsible for looking after the front and I would be responsible for the back (cutting grass, shovelling snow etc). I'm ok with that since I enjoy these things. As well, with the back yard, I could get a bbq or picnic there or sit under the treee and read a book. There's a convenience store across the street and a yummy donair place in the next block over.

So, I'm paying rent at 2 places for the month of March. That's expensive but the moving stress is completely lifted. I'll move most of my stuff over the next couple weeks (Jerry's roommate has a truck) so I can do a good thorough cleaning of this place. I've been here for a couple years and with pets, it'll take a bit more than the average move-out clean.

This apartment served its purpose. It was originally to cut down on costs by having a roommate. I now don't need one, and I'm not reliant on transit anymore. It's at the top of my budget but I think I will end up cutting down on some of my entertainment costs. As well, there's a great Chinese grocery store about 12 blocks away that has super cheap and very good quality fruit. Grocery store is 4 blocks away.

Once I get settled in, I'll take some pictures.

More photos

The first picture show Mike and Whiskers in their attempt of playing nice. They share the water. Whiskers often rushes over to Mike's food bowl when I fill it (but doesn't eat anything). Shortly afterward they got into their regular argument with Mike swatting Whiskers and Whiskers charging back. Neither won as I stepped in to break it up.

The second picture is me at Sunshine last month. Note the very cute pink helmet. This is by Jerry's Run (named for a local trapper that just had his 92nd birthday and is well known at the resort). The AB/BC border runs through the resort. I now have nice snowboard pants so I can retire the ugly bulky grey ones for the cute green ones I got last weekend. I hope to try them out this weekend since it's suppose to snow all week - powder!

bunny mittens

For all my craft friends...

I love my bunny mittens. Many of you know that when I wear mittens, they often turn into puppets and they have very polite conversations with each other.

So, when I was in Banff and saw actual puppet mittens, I giggled and had to get them. Jerry laughed when I put them on. There were all sorts of animals - mice, snakes, alligators (with white beads for teeth), dogs, etc.

But I like the bunnies.

I just have to watch that the ears don't damper my bicycle bell.

So, they're knitted mittens. The under side of the ears are microfiber. The eyes are buttons. The knitting is very thick and you can't see through it to the liner. Fully lined with polar fleece.

Cute joke

I'D LOVE TO BE EIGHT AGAIN

A man asked his wife what she'd like for her birthday.

"I'd love to be eight again" she replied.

On the morning of her birthday, he arose early and made her a bowl of Coco Pops and jammy toasties! He took her to Alton Towers and put her on every ride in the park: The Death Slide, The Wall of Fear, The Screaming Monster Roller Coaster. Five hours later she staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down.

Right away they went to a McDonalds where her loving husband ordered her a HappyMeal with extra fries and a refreshing chocolate milkshake.

Then it was off to the movies: the latest Kiddies three hour epic cartoon, a hot dog, popcorn, all the Coke she could drink, her favourite lolly and M&Ms! What a fabulous adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed onto the bed exhausted. He leaned over his precious wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, "Well dear, what was it like being eight again?"

Her eyes slowly opened and her expression changed to one of total realisation..."I meant my dress size, you IDIOT!"

The moral of this story: Even when a man is listening, he's still gonna get it wrong.....

I passed the rewrite!

Hello Everyone,

I just found out tonight that I passed my mid-term rewrite. I'm not out of the woods yet but I still have a chance of passing this stupid course. I need to rewrite the final but I have until mid-April to do so. I'll take a look at my schedule to see where it would best fit in.

Had a nice Valentine's weekend. Rented a car (upgraded to a PT Cruiser for no extra charge) and went to Banff. We left on Saturday late so we didn't get to snowboarding but we went to the hill and hung out with friends. Hit the hot springs. Saturday was snowboarding and I did my first run on Goat's Eye. It's a more advanced lift and although it was difficult, I got down relatively well. Had a couple nasty falls because there wasn't much powder so the board slid more and the snow was harder. Had to go for a massage today to help work things out. Spent Monday relaxing - went to hot springs, did a short hike. Jerry bought me chocolates in a pretty velvety heart-shaped box. I eat chocolate all the time but I rarely buy actual chocolates and they're very tasty.

His present had a long story based on me not wanting to study. He gets excited about Italian food so I was going to make him an Italian dessert. Problem - all the internet recipes for Italian love cake used cake mix and I don't like the taste of cake mix cake. Next was a search to see what Italians give as presents for Valentine's Day. It's not a big holiday there as they have a different holiday to celebrate love. But they often give Bacci chocolates, which are hazelnut truffles that have little love notes in the wrapper. So, I found some. Then, with the idea of love notes, I thought about a book of poetry. So my next search came up with a famous Chilean poet. Who was a character in the move Il Postito - a movie I like. Then I found a bottle of Chilean wine with a bicycle on the label to signify how the workers get to the vineyard. And finally, a candle that when melted down turns into massage oil. I'd heard a lot about them and I made sure to get a good quality one.

Anyways, I need to pull out my books again to study.

Have a great day!

Travel Changes

Hello Everyone,

We had to rebook our flights because of work time-off issues. All is sorted out and we're now coming out a month later.

Fly into Ottawa late July 28. Fly back late Aug 9. Jerry has never been to Ottawa and he's involved with politics so this was something he requested. Since he is willing to be bombarded with family, I am more than willing to accommodate this. So, we'll spend a day or 2 in Ottawa, take the train over to Toronto, spend a day or 2 there while he does business stuff. Head up to the cottage to see everyone. He hasn't really seen Ontario except for Toronto.

So if you have suggestions for things to do, let me know. I don't know Ottawa at all - went there for grade 8 trip to parliment buildings. So, maybe some relaxing activities to do after we tour the government stuff.

As for Chesley area, I was thinking Ingils Falls/Owen Sound (did lots of hiking there), Sauble beach and Lake Huron, tours around town etc. As part of travelling from the cottage, we'll stop by Blue Mountain. Where do you usually take visitors to the area? It's the whole, I grew up there so I don't have the perspective as to what's interesting.

Have a great day!

An up and down couple weeks

Hello Everyone,

Well, life has been interesting. Starting today...sold my piano. I wasn't playing it and I'm thinking about moving. Too expensive to keep paying for moving costs so I sold it (they're picking it up tomorrow) and will learn how to play the vioin. I have one of gramma's so it'll be a matter of finding a teacher this summer.

Last night found out I failed my final. So, I can rewrite this exam and still pass the course if I pass the midterm rewrite. I got 45%. Haven't got my mark back for my midterm rewrite yet. If I fail the midterm rewrite, I redo the course.

Yesterday morning, found amazing flight to Ontario for Jerry and I this summer. So, we're flying into Ottawa on June 23 and coming back July 5. Jerry hasn't really seen Ontario except for Toronto so we'll do a couple days in Ottawa, a couple in Toronto (business) and then head up to see family.

Thursday night, had my 50th blood donation. It's much easier when you give plasma. Got my picture taken, had a cupcake and then ate pho with Jerry. Then found out I need to do some major maintenance on Polly and may need to replace her frame.

Sunday I cooked "winter dinner". Jerry took my frozen turkey and turned it into a wonderful, moist yummy meal. I actually ate both the gravy and stuffing. For gravy, he took the carrots, onion and celery that the turkey roasted on, drained the juice and put everything in the blender. It tasted like thick vegetable soup. To make the turkey moist, he soaked it in brine for a couple hours.

Saturday, went snowboarding and did my first black diamond run. Spent the afternoon working on speed and confidence. Had a wonderful time.

So, I've had some great ups but frustrations with school. I really didn't want to go back into study mode in February. I'll let you know what happens.

Have a great day!

No, I'm not dead

Hi Everyone,

Sorry about not updating recently - it's been crazy since Christmas. We've just transitioned to a new payroll system so I worked OT for 1 1/2 weeks and last weekend. On top of that, my final exam is next Saturday and my midterm the following Wednesday.

I won't be able to give you a proper update until after my mid term.

Have a great day!

Another brrrr day

Hello Everyone,

My computer is reading -25. The wind chill this morning had it down to -37. I didn't get cold biking in (the wonders of layers) but my glasses did ice up a bit. No brakes but that's one of the many reasons why I love Polly. I was still able to stop using my legs.

Had plasma donation last night and my arms are a bit sore. The left arm vein didn't want to co-opearate so they needed to switch to my right. Then, my right didn't want to clot so I had to be wrapped up extra. It's all good - was able to ride and meet up with Jerry downtown. On plasma nights, I usually stay at his place since it's half the distance (and a much smaller hill). As well, from a practical side, most of the route is downtown or major residential areas so if I have any problems with my blood sugar, I can get juice/liquid very easily. And, since his roommate was doing a beer run, I had him pick us up some pho. It was a really long, cold & busy day for Jerry (hence why I wanted him to have some soup) and I needed anything liquid.

So, the ride in today was half my normal distance and I had a much smaller hill to go down. To slow down/stop on a fixed gear, you need to lock the muscles in your legs so the pedals literally cannot move. In snowy conditions, this is much easier than it sounds. At the bottom of the hill, it gets a bit steeper so my braking turned into little controlled skids and I had no problem keeping in control. The spiked tires have made a huge difference.

I was planning to go to a party tonight but with this weather, I'm going straight home. Jerry's office party is tomorrow night so I'll head up to his place tomorrow afternoon. Sunday will be filled with studying and then I have a week of studying and last minute Christmas stuff.

Have a great day!

Bad Exam News

Hello Everyone,

Yep, I didn't pass :-(

There's still hope though. They offer a rewrite. I have up until the middle of February.

I'm not overly disappointed, based on how I felt writing. I now what I really need to work on and will buckle down with my studies.

My final course is being offered at Mount Royal College so I'll take it there rather than online. It's a bit more inconvient but I think I'll learn more and get better marks than if I'm left on my own. For anyone considering accounting by correspondence, I would recommend against it - I've really struggle with the material.

The Breakfast of Champions

instant oatmeal made with hot coffee

Winter tires

Hello everyone,

If you've looked at the news recently, you'll know the prairies are in the midst of a deep freeze. It drop down to -26 on Friday, -30 and colder on Sat & Sun and then got up to -23 on Monday. When you throw in the wind chill, it was in the -40s.

The office shut down early on Friday and I got home easily before the storm came. Headed up to Jerry's for the weekend and cursed the stupid roads the entire way. The pathway was fine but since the city doesn't clear residential roads (taxpayers weren't willing to pay extra for it), conditions were a mess and a lot of people didn't have their sidewalks shovelled.

But Jerry is super sweet. He gave me part of my Christmas present early - a winter tire. It's a road tire but has spikes. We put it on my front over the weekend and it made a huge difference on Monday. I then stopped at the bike shop on the way home and picked up a second one. He wasn't sure it would fit and since they're expensive, he only picked up 2 - and I insisted he use one too. This will be his first year riding them. My traction and control was great this morning (and I look rather grimy. I couldn't get the black from between my fingers). So, I'll end up with 2 sets of tires - winter spikes and regular road. I got a second cog so that way I don't have to fool around with anything - just remove the wheels and switch.

I'm pretty well ready for Christmas. Got everything shipped off to home and I just need to pick up a couple things for Jerry. Have a bit of Christmas treats still to bake but that won't take long. Whiskers likes to hide under the tree. She shoves the presents around until she has lots of room. Mike tends to ignore her there.

Have a great (and warm) day!

Christmas Party

Hello Everyone,

Here we are all dressed up for my office Christmas party. And I have no idea why it takes Jerry twice as long to get ready as I do. This did not include ironing (which is automatically exempt)

It was a good time although I wished for a bit more food.

Sunshine!

Jerry's so good to me. He was out at Sunshine Ski Resort (in Banff) yesterday when I texted him about my exam. The exam didn't go so well. I had some very expensive mind blanks and I'm not sure if I passed. I was feeling rather down (although Mom cheered me up some).

Later in the afternoon, he asked if I wanted to go up on Sunday.

So, here I am on Libby (check out the pink helmet - $30 on sale at MEC). My next upgrade will be pants. Mine work but they're a bit big and awkward.

I was really surprised at how well I did. I was expecting to fall a lot but it came back right away. Did 7 runs (all green) and I'm exhausted.

Had a few spectacular somersault falls that shoved snow in my

face but those didn't hurt since it was in powder. I did have a couple really hard falls on some less forgiving snow and I'll have bruises on my hip and knees tomorrow. I also smacked the back of my head a couple times (thank goodness for helmets) but I'll be fine.

After I got home, I jumped right into an Epsom salt bath. I'll take some ibuprofen and rub some red flower oil (similar to tiger balm) on my sore muscles tonight.

Sunshine is a really special place for Jerry. He spends most winter weekends there and he has a group of people he often snowboards with.

He was really excited when I was game to play in the snow and although his jacket collar is in the way, he actually has a huge grin on his face.

So, I got to see why he gets so antsy when fall comes and he got to show me why he loves that place so much. I'll be able to do quite a bit of snowboarding there this winter - maybe 2-3 times a month as he can get half-price tickets for me. He has a season's pass.

I'll let you know what the final result of my mid-term was. I still have time to do a rewrite before my semester is up without having to get an extension.

Have a great day!

Prom

So, here we are at prom. I've resigned myself to helmet hair (aka very flat). I did fix my bangs a bit later once I found a mirrot.

And Jerry was so sweet! He got me a corsage because he wanted me to have a proper prom. I have them in my freezer now to preserve them. I think he's caught on that I really love flowers.

I ended up wearing the gold dress. It was the perfect dress for this type of thing. Because of the odd hemline and brightness, it's something you can only wear to a few events. And with the eclectic, individualistic crowd, it worked perfectly. And it was easy to bike in.

The prom was at the local bike messenger hang-out bar. There was a very loud band that played some type of heavy/thrash rock music. Whatever it is where you can't understand the lyrics and the "singer" screams into a microphone. It's not my taste but if you listened to the voice as if it were an instrument, it made an interesting blend with the guitars and I did think they were a good band. It was also the world premier of "The Courier Always Bites Twice." Yep, a really bad zombie movie. Jerry and Keith (roommate) were zombies and it was quite funny. Once it goes on YouTube, I'll let you know. Not appropriate for younger audiences.

After prom, we went for Chinese. There's a restaurant near Jerry's place that's open really late. We got there about 1:15 am and we were the last customers to be served. The food was really good - definitely hit the spot.

...and I still want to hold Jerry's hand (but maybe he won't want to hold mine)

Women lead in bacteria, hands down, according to study of 51 college students
Module body

Mon Nov 3, 6:59 PM
By Randolph E. Schmid, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Wash your hands, folks, especially you ladies.
A new study found that women have a greater variety of bacteria on their hands than men do. And everybody has more types of bacteria than the researchers expected to find.

"One thing that really is astonishing is the variability between individuals, and also between hands on the same individual," said University of Colorado biochemistry assistant professor Rob Knight, a co-author of the paper.

"The sheer number of bacteria species detected on the hands of the study participants was a big surprise, and so was the greater diversity of bacteria we found on the hands of women," added lead researcher Noah Fierer, an assistant professor in Colorado's department of ecology and evolutionary biology.

The researchers aren't sure why women harboured a greater variety of bacteria than men, but Fierer suggested it may have to do with the acidity of the skin. Knight said men generally have more acidic skin than women.

Other possibilities are differences in sweat and oil gland production between men and women, the frequency of moisturizer or cosmetics applications, skin thickness or hormone production, he said.

Women also may have more bacteria living under the surface of the skin where they are not accessible to washing, Knight added.

Asked if guys should worry about holding hands with girls, Knight said: "I guess it depends on which girl."

He stressed that "the vast majority of the bacteria we have on our body are either harmless or beneficial ... the pathogens are a small minority."

The researchers took samples from the palms of 51 college students - that's 102 hands - and tested the samples using a new, highly detailed system for detecting bacteria DNA.
They identified 4,742 species of bacteria overall, only five of which were on every hand, they report on Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The average hand harboured 150 species of bacteria.

Not only did individuals have few types of bacteria in common, the left and right hands of the same individual shared only about 17 per cent of the same bacteria types, the researchers found.

The differences between dominant and non-dominant hands were probably due to environmental conditions like oil production, salinity, moisture or variable environmental surfaces touched by either hand of an individual, Fierer said.

Knight said the researchers hope to repeat the experiment in other countries where different hands are assigned specific tasks.

While the researchers stressed the importance of regular hand washing, they also noted that washing did not eliminate bacteria.

"Either the bacterial colonies rapidly re-establish after hand washing, or washing (as practised by the students included in this study) does not remove the majority of bacteria taxa found on the skin surface," the researchers said in their report.

While the tests could determine how many different types of bacteria were present, they could not count the total amount of bacteria on each hand.

The research was funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
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On the Net:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: http://www.pnas.org

Dress choices

Hi! So, I need your help. I took pictures of me in my dress and have a bunch of formalish occasions to attend. Ignore the terrible posing and camera angle - I wanted to show off the dress. Each dress has a matching organza wrap. All of them also have fabric in the back that turns into a belt & bow. The back is also plain - nothing interesting.


It's a red-orange colour. No sequins (I removed them) but some interesting fabric patterns. A very bold dress.


Sequins and fun fabric. I really like this dress.

There's some beadwork along the horizontal lines of the dress but it's hard to see in the photo. The detail on the side is a flower. Not entirely sure if I like it.

Super fun dress. It changes colour in the light but it's mainly gold to magenta.

Here are the events:

Prom (on Friday) - Jerry is wearing grey and steel blue. I could wear the grey to go with his clothes. I could wear the red to stand out from his clothes. Or I could wear the gold because it's fun.

Akita Christmas party - I think I'll wear the green

Jerry's Christmas party - quite a bit more informal than mine. Maybe the red. Can't wear the same dress as at prom.

possible political holiday party - not sure of formality. Could wear a dress but if informal, I have suitable clothes.

New Years - have no idea for plans. Likely can't wear the same outfit as prom or Jerry's Christmas party.

Valentine's Day - Will likely be on a snowboarding weekend. Could pack one of these dresses - surprisingly they pack down very easily. But weather may dictate a warmer outfit.

All dresses are bikeable. That was one of the criteria. All are very comfortable and I have fabulous shoes to go with them all. And, in the summer, I can wear them any time I want to feel pretty.

So, if any one them catches your eye or looks more suitable to an occasion, please let me know. Or, if you think any of them are tacky/hideous, you can also tell me. Trust me, I won't be offended. After all, I could turn it into a costume for Hallowe'en next year. lol - I know I have a weakness for sequins and sparkles.

A cool morning

Hello Everyone,

I’ve finished the cleanse and I’m back to my regular food. Carb portions are a bit smaller but I’m happy again. Although it did help me lose a couple pounds (and most are back – stupid water retention), I don’t think it was worth it. My skin played havoc with me and it’s only now starting to recover. My hair was oily and I had a number of break outs. Jerry was happy with it though so I told him he would need to plead his case to convince me to try it again.

Had gorgeous weather for Hallowe’en. Only had 1 real trick or treater – a cute little princess that might have been 4. The other was my upstairs neighbour’s niece, a pink bunny. I had a great time at a Hallowe’en party and the weather meant I didn’t need to throw on a bunch of extra clothes to keep warm.

My dresses from ebay have arrived. I’ll take some pictures. I think I’ve chosen my prom (hee hee) dress but I’d still like your opinion.

Having a lot of troubles focusing on studying. My midterm is on the 22nd and I’m very behind. I’m going to test a theory tomorrow. I’ve invited Jerry up for dinner and he’s going to watch tv/play on his computer while I’m working. I suspect the reason why I’m not able to study is I get distracted by too many things at home. As well, I need noise to study. With him there, I’m more motivated to study since someone will be keeping an eye to make sure I’m working and the sooner I’m done, the sooner I get to spend time with him. I have no idea if it’ll work, but he was game to help me out.

I have a new chair at work – it’s a swopper stool. It’s designed to help build core strength. It has a spring in it so you can bounce up and down and tilt in different angles. Basically, it’s a stool designed to work like a balance ball. So far, it’s very comfortable, my posture is better and I find my desk height is no longer a problem. I was uncomfortable in my old chair and was getting pain in the area between my shoulder blades. Hopefully this chair will help with comfort as well as improving my muscle tone.

Have a great day!