House photos

Hello Everyone,

So, here's my new place. Still very disorganized but it's coming along.

Front of house.

Backyard photos.

So, here's the lay-out. go through front door. On your left is an archway to the livingroom. Straight ahead is the kitchen. The hallway then also branches right to 2 rooms and the bathroom.

One in the livingroom, there's another arch that leads to the diningroom. The diningroom is linked to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, you can go downstairs to 2 more rooms, the laundry room, a second bathroom and the storage room.

kitchen

livingroom

View of the livingroom from the dining room

The diningroom (viewed from the livingroom)

Have a great day!

$40

for a china cabinet

Hello Everyone!

So, I found a china cabinet on Kijiji and it's now in our dining room. Definite 80s look but it's huge and will provide the storage we need. Both Jerry and I have china and were looking to get a cabinet sometime in the future. When I do get a proper one, it will be a nice antique one, which is not in my budget over the next few years (maybe matching the other furniture in the dining room too). So in the meanwhile, we have a 6 1/2' high cabinet, 4' wide, 1 1/2' deep cabinet. The base comes just below my waist and the whole upper part is a glassed in area. 3 glass shelves and a light. The base has 1 shelf in it. It's pretend wood and there's a gold strip around the curved front edge (yep - 80s) but I'm quite happy with my find.

I've used Kijiji a few times - apartment hunting, sold my piano, gave away some stuff and now bought something. Search engine could be improved but you can find some great deals.

Have a great day!

Things coming along

Hello Everyone,

The livingroom and dining room are starting to come along. It's hard since Jerry doesn't have all of his things here and I'm trying to create a balance of not too much "Karen" stuff in these common areas. They have their own "cave" downstairs (which I call a "den" since it sounds cozier) for playing video games, beer fridge, guy stuff so they're quite happy.

The kitchen is crazy disorganized and will be until this weekend. I think that's when they'll finish up their main move. Jerry's in charge of the kitchen and the problem we have is duplicity in both kitchen items and in food. But Jerry also mention "yard sale next year" so I have no trouble putting some stuff in storage downstairs until spring. And we have lots of plates and utensils. Great for entertaining but we want to keep it limited upstairs since it forces dish washing.

I think tonight will be continuing in the main rooms and then also start on the spare room. Basically, everything's been dumped in there and there needs to be some space for things being moved this weekend. The other big thing will be starting to clear some space and assembling shelving downstairs.

Still walking to work - find it very relaxing. I grab my coffee in the morning and have a leisurely walk down the hill. No stress. No having to be super alert for dumb drivers. Walking home is a bit different. In my ideal world, I'd walk to work and ride home. But since that's not possible, I'll likely end up biking a couple days a week to keep my urban skills up and walking the rest of the time. Until there's snow on the road - and then I'll just walk. Centre Street hill/bridge is not the most pleasant in bad weather.

Hoping to get more sleep in the evening but I find I get caught up in something and the next thing I know it's 11pm. I did take a short nap with Whiskers last night though that was rather nice. The furry family seems to be adjusting well. And Jerry only starts getting stuffed up when I'm moving boxes around (dust) rather than when he's petting Mike. I think the shampoo may be helping.

Went grocery shopping Monday night for produce and got a pumpkin. It was a heavy sucker and I had to stop several times on the way home to rest my arms. The grocery store isn't far though and I think he'll be a great jack o'lantern. Will carve it next week. Also need to get candy or treats for the kids. In past years I gave out Mr. Freezies but I don't know if I can still get them in the store. Any suggestions other than the expensive mini chocolate bars? I can always fall back on candy and lollipops if need be. There's a courier race (an "alleycat", which is a race throughout downtown with a waypoint list - similar to what couriers do when they pick up and drop off items) on Hallowe'en so I have to give out candy by myself but will meet up with Jerry later at the party.

Overall quite happy with the new house. The bathtub is high to climb in and it's small but it's still a bathtub. Still trying to figure out how to program the thermostat. The double sink is small but I could fit my dish rack inside last night. Ceilings are quite high so looking for ways to create vertical interest.

Have a great day!

So tired...

Hello Everyone,

So, my household got moved on the weekend. Rented a Kia Rio (not bad - didn't make much of an impression one way or the other), which was a hatchback so I got 9 packed-to-the-brim carloads of stuff done. Had 2 truckloads for my heavy, bulky items. I still have 1 truckload to do but it's for outdoor stuff and it wasn't high on the moving priority for the weekend. I would say Jerry & Keith's (roommate) household is half done. I think Keith is fully moved in but Jerry was doing a lot of work stuff this weekend and was too stressed to do much moving. It'll slowly get done over the week and next weekend.

Was test-driving cars on Saturday. Well, Jerry was driving and I was a passenger. It was for his work since they need a new car and Jerry got nominated to do research. The focus was hybrids/great fuel economy. Honda hybrid crappy. There seemed to be an audible clunk when shifting up in gears and not a lot of oomph to it. Prius was a lot of fun. Handled well, has a spot to set your purse, great interior. Ford hybrid drove like a regular car but I hated the looks of it (both interior and exterior), was more expensive and it reminded me of an old person's car. We also tried the VW golf (diesel). Not sure about the look but wow did it ever handle well. Jerry still wants to try a Smart and then he can report back his findings.

There are boxes everywhere and I'll likely take pictures starting on the weekend. I at least know where my camera is. Mike seems to like the place, Whiskers' pen isn't set up yet but she's been patient in her cage. I'll get it set up tonight when I start putting together the living room and dining room. The kitchen is completely Jerry's department to organize as he likes. Phone is now working (according to the message Telus left this morning) but internet can't be repaired until next week. They're giving us a free month of service for the inconvenience. It's more than a bit inconvenient though. Jerry does a lot of work in the evening that requires internet access so he has to use the more expensive Bell stick (which according to him is a good portable option).

My official move-out date for the basement suite is the 29th. I'll maybe see if I can move it to the 28th. Not a lot of stuff I need to do but there is some yard stuff that will take some time.

Very tired. Not a lot of sleep this weekend (aroudn 5 hr each night) and I'm sore from lifting. I did something to the muscle on my left shin (like a shin splint) that has bothered me since Saturday. Walked to work this morning - 40 minutes. Good bike route even though traffic will be a bit heavy. The main road has a dedicated lane to buses, bikes and HOVs (which in calgary "high occupance vehicle" means 2 or more in a vehicle - absolutely riddiculous) during rush hour so I'll bike when it's nice and walk when it's crappy. There's a hill so I'd rather not deal with it when there's snow/ice. I sound old - creaking everywhere and moving stiffly.

Anyways, I'll let you know how everything progresses. Have a great day!

Hooray!

Hello Everyone,

Got to do my happy house dance last night. Signed the lease, got the keys. Setting up utilities today and starting to switch my address on everything.

I'll send out an e-mail with the new address. If you don't get one in the next couple days, send me a message here and I'll let you know.

Giddy and giggly all evening.

Busy weekend moving boxes.

Have a great day!

A House!

Hello Everyone,

So, this week I dropped off a holding deposit on a house before we get possession and sign the lease on the 15th. It's a great house with everything we were looking for.

Big 4 bedroom house (2 on main floor, 2 in basement)
hardwood/lino throughout
nice kitchen layout with good counter space and a double sink
2 bathrooms (with one bath - little but it's still a bathtub)
laundry room with washer, dryer, wash tub
huge storage area downstairs to store things and to store bikes in winter
oversized single garage to store bikes, bike shop
big yard with areas for garden, firepit
great neighbourhood - safe, close to groceries, close to downtown
big windows. Peep hole in front door
corner lot so lots of street lighting
lots of storage, closets
front door closet
fireplace (but no gas). Maybe can modify it to a candle fireplace or an electric one
dining room
no problem for the furry family
rent in our price range (although in the higher end of it - but more than reasonable)

So I'm quite happy. And Jerry's household started packing this week. I'm not getting involved with that except to move boxes. But something could still fall through between now and next week so I won't do my happy dance until the paperwork is done.

Which means we'll be moved in before Hallowe'en. Picked up my costume this week - Rennaissance lady. I'll take photos. And no U-haul needed now.

Off to Lethbridge for Thanksgiving. Have a happy holiday!

Photos from Ontario Trip - finally!

Hello Everyone,

So, I'll just post a handful without commentary. There will be more on my Facebook but if you have questions, just let me know!

A possibility

Hello Everyone,

So, we have viewed 4 houses so far.
1 - amazing perennial garden in back. House too small and poorly laid out
2 - great house, lots of people interested. I think landlord was looking for a family rather than a group of adults
3 - great for gardening. House small but do-able. Neighbourhood not so great - I'd be wanting a waist-high dog if we moved there
4 - great house, everything on our list. We meet with them again tonight to exchange more information.

So, hopefully everything goes well. It's empty so we could get it Oct 15 and do a slow move-in. Also would mean no u-haul rental. Cross your fingers for us please!

Otherwise, a longish weekend. It snowed off and on and was rather grey. Jerry's coming down with something so he was feeling under the weather. Did garden stuff. Lost the tomato plants (even though they were covered) but I picked the tomatoes so hopefully they'll still ripen. Pulled out the plants, transplanted some plants into pots for the move. Raked up leaves & apples. So, at this point, we just have the swiss chard in the garden. It can handle cooler temperatures so I hope it survives until the weekend. That way we can harvest it for thanksgiving with Jerry's family. We also need to pot the rhubarb and raspberries but I'll need Jerry's help for that. And after that, we just have one raised bed to remove and the garden is done for good. Overall, I was pleased with the results.

Continuing packing. Have all my boxes filled again (grabbed a few from work) so I'm at a standstill. At this point, I'm about 3/4 done. So if we get the place, I'll have my stuff moved first and unpacked so the guys can use my boxes. Depending on how everything goes, I may rent a car for the weekend of the 24th-25th to finish my move since that'll involve my house plants and the furry family.

Good news - Mike's showers seem to be helping. Jerry didn't react last visit and Mike even came up to him on the futon for petting. Mike's also enjoying this moving/packing. He's usually banned from the bedroom but with all the showings at my place, it didn't make sense to keep everything closed up. As well, the people upstairs have been blasting the heat so by keeping the door open, I don't need to run the more expensive electric heater in my bedroom.

A bit worried about Whiskers. Really noticing the grey show up in her fur. She's been fully shut in her cage (rather than her outer pen) for showings and she seems to be spending more time in there even with the door opened. Have been doing extra cuddle times with her in the evening. She's still eating though so I'm chalking it up to old age. She's nine which is extremely old for a bunny - especially a dwarf variety. Gilbert seems to be doing fine. He still has the growth on his foot but after a year, it still doesn't seem to be bothering him too much and he's a squeaky and cute as ever.

Have a great day!

House Hunting

Hello Everyone,

Ah, the search for a new place. We have a couple leads so far and I'm waiting for a call back to set up an appointment to see a house.

Our criteria:

- a house (rather than a suite, duplex etc. - I'm fine with a duplex but Jerry would prefer a house)
- under $1400/month (with the other 2 being more comfortable with under $1200/month but it would mean compromises in size, amenities)
- allows pets (non-negotiable, the furry family comes with me)
- garden
- garage (negotiable but would be nice)
- 2-4 bedrooms (depending on square footage. They'll be 3 of us in the house)
- basement for storage
- bikeable to downtown (and not too far away since winter can be tiring)
- nice, safe neighbourhood, with character
- reasonably close to grocery store or store on the way home from work
- available November 1 (can't afford rent at 2 places for October)

So, we've got our work cut out for us. Doing the search online as well as word of mouth from friends. There are a few in a neighbourhood that I like who are writing down phone numbers for us.

There has been one showing at my place already and another one set up for tomorrow. Have most of my boxes filled and I'm collecting more at work. I think that was what caused so much headaches last move. That and too small of a vehicle with Jerry's parents coming into town the same day I was moving. I have the truck booked - had to make 2 bookings since it was over a weekend at the end of the month. It's one of the huge 26' ones but it'll mean both households can be loaded and awkward items like cargo bikes can also be loaded with plenty of room.

But I'm feeling calm and I like the non-rush of packing.

harvest

Hello Everyone,

So, weather's been funky warm this week. We beat the year high temperature. The backyard was covered in apples and leaves so I spent last night (before Grey's Anatomy - yes Amy, I'm a fan too) doing yard work. Had the urge to dig out the potatoes. Filled a basin - I'll include photos later. Also dug up the onions & shallots that didn't do anything, removed wood from 3 beds and replanted my marigolds. Moved the dill to a pot.

We still have the raised bed, the tomato bed and the yellow beans and peas (both very tiny plants that refused to die). I'll harvest the carrots this weekend and maybe some beets. We did 2 plantings of beets so the extra room will be good for the new plants. I'm leaving the beans for Jerry to take care of. They're all of the variety that you dry so it won't harm them to stay on the plant.

The cucumber plant now has 2 - 1 is about an inch long and the other is about 2 inches. Silly cucumbers. The temperature is going to drop this weekend so I'll need to remember to cover them at night. We may get cucumbers yet - after 4 tries.

I'm giving my notice today so I'm spending the weekend tidying the house for potential viewings in October. Plan to move at end of October since the 31st is a Saturday and the 1st is a Sunday. That way, none of us needs to take time off work and we'll have time to get the apartments cleaned. Nothing yet but since I've been looking, there seems to be a handful each month that suit our needs. The ideal would be a house with a garage but since $ is an issue, I suggested we may need to compromise and find a duplex.

And I still love my haircut. I fell asleep on the couch last night and all I needed to do was a quick brush and it fell back into place.

Have a great day!

new hair cut

Hello Everyone,

So, with today being the first day of fall, I got my hair cut.

It works well with my bike helmet, I can tuck it behind my ears and it will be very easy to style in the morning. I'm happy!

crabapples

Hello Everyone,

So, there are 2 crabapple trees in my yard and they were loaded with fruit. Jerry & I spent 2 hours on Saturday picking apples and we ended up with approximately 60 lbs of fruit. So, Saturday night and all Sunday was making jellies, preserves and juice.

All I know is that it's less apples for me to pick up when raking leaves.

And a couple of Jerry's friends may be over for apples.

Have a great day!

Photos from camping

Castle Falls provincial campground. We were here on the last weekend of August for the Huckleberry Festival at Castle Mountain.

It wasn't a big waterfall but it was very pretty

Didn't catch anything. Jerry is (attempting) fly fishing and I have a spinner rod. Finally getting the hang of casting.

New Polly Photos

And here is Polly with the new bar tape.

Whisker's Enclosure

Hello Everyone!


So, here is her new set-up










Lots of room. She has 16 square feet.

She was acting like a rabbit today. When I fed her, she hopped into her cage and started eating hay. She's never done that before. And when I opened her treat container, she hopped over to say "Hello!"











Yes, she's more than capable of hopping over but she only did it once (on the first night) and hasn't done it since. Mike has not attempted to jump in either. I think she enjoys having her own territory

I passed my final exam!

Hello Everyone!

Happy dance!
Passed my final exam so I get my professional designation "Payroll Compliance Practitioner"
No more school that involves math in a while

Did up my study notes on the weekend. Basically retyped the review sections in my text books. I don't do well memorizing things and the only way I remember is to physically recopy info over and over again.
But it worked - 85% (needed 60% to pass)

So great mark and I'm very happy, relieved and tired.

Jerry got back from Toronto fine. We spent yesterday watching original Star Trek episodes and eating chocolate chip muffins. They had a viewer's choice top 10 countdown and then showed the Canadian premier of the original pilot. It was terrible!

My apartment can start going back to a regular dwelling rather than a student's place.

Whiskers has a new enclosure. I think Mike was bullying her too much. With the hardwood floor, she doesn't have as much grip to hop away and there were few hiding spots. So I bought some wire shelving (4' in length) and zip tied them together. She hopped over it once the first night. I put her back in and she hasn't come out since. And Mike hasn't tried to get in. I think both realize it is her territory. She seems a lot more relaxed. Lays down in the front corner so I can reach over and pet her. That way, I don't need to pick her up (which she dislikes). And she has toys in the pen. I've also been putting Gilbert in there for 5 minute intervals. I think it does them both some good.

Got Polly's new bar tape on. Will take pictures to show you. The colours tie everything in and she looks great.

Hope you have a fabulously wonderful day!

Messenger killed in Toronto

Hello Everyone,

So, with Jerry being in Toronto this week, he's gotten all caught up with the issue. For those of you not reading the papers, there was an altercation between a bike messenger (courier) and a well-known business man/ex politician Monday night. The altercation escaladed and the bike messenger ended up dead after being dragged a couple blocks. Jerry's too close to the situation so I've been on the other end with logic and calm. Not an easy thing to do as both of us are passionate about cycling advocacy.

Whatever the final outcome is (let the court decide), in my opinion, fault lies with both parties. It should never have escaladed past the first incident. I still haven't read what that initial incident was but it likely involved vehicular contact between the two (and I'm not speculating to say who was at fault). In a perfect world, if it was two cars, drivers would have gotten out, exchanged information and depending on the situation, notified the police. Unfortunately, most bike couriers who were injured or had their bike damaged have not had a similar experience.

When Jerry got doored last year (driver opening door without looking and knocked him down), the guy tried to pull him off the road (was on conscious momentarily and yes, was wearing a helmet) and then tried to leave. Witnesses stopped him from leaving. Police refused to respond because the damage to Jerry's bike was less than $1000. He tried to file a police report but they refused. He can't sue the driver. Jerry was several months before back to full strength (bruised ribs), bike was in shop for few days, had day off work and had to take it easy for about a week while other injuries healed.

With messengers not receiving justice when accidents happen, I can understand why things did escalate. I often hear about the aftermath - motorist and courier get into shouting match. Driver tries to take off - courier breaks window, mirror, scrapes side of car etc. Or, shouting match, driver gets out of car (which is automatically assault) and things get physical.

It's extremely frustrating that the police don't respond to these situations. For some people, if their bike is damaged, they can't work. I'm lucky to have a back-up but I have few choices of getting around. My place isn't well positioned for transit and it's over an hour walk to work. As well, although I have medical insurance through work, it doesn't cover everything. Without a police report, you can't sue for additional compensation and the driver's insurance does not go up (so no penalty for them).

Vigilante justice doesn't work either.

When the situation reached the point where the driver took off, the cyclist should have backed away from the situation, got the license plate and called 911. It would have meant still being alive.

For whatever reason, the cyclist ended up on foot and was dragged for two block. According to one witnesss, there were sparks coming from his shoes (cycling cleats). How do you go that far unless someone is hanging on to you?

And now in the media, there's a big hype that stirs up emotions and doesn't solve anything. The courier's being dragged through the press as a scumbag and the ex-politician as a clean family man. Their backgrounds have no bearing on what happened - why are they reporting so much on it?

There's tension between cyclists and motorist all the time and it looks like this incident has brought things to a head. Better education on both sides and adequate infrastructure is needed. Cycling is a viable (and often faster) means of transportation in a downtown or high density area. It's also very safe when you look at the statistics. Average rush hour speed in NA is 17km/hr. My average riding speed is 25 and I can bring it up to 33 when it's safe. Sidewalk riding is extremely dangerous because of the speed differential between cyclists and pedestrians, blind alleys, sidewalk conditions etc. Road riding is much safer.

We need to find a way to share the road.

...and that's why I love him

Jerry sent me an e-mail back. He understood, told me he didn't want Mike to leave and had a couple more suggestions to try. So, I'm happy again since I get to keep both males.

And yes, Jerry likes cats - it's just the allergy thing.

I'm too soft

Hello Everyone,

So, I couldn't do it. The ad lasted 12 hours before I pulled it. And I e-mailed Jerry about the struggle I had. And I'll try a couple more things.

Since my futon needs replacing anyways, a (used) leather couch may be easier to clean. And I could retry the allergy lotion. It was me that had a skin reaction to it (didn't bother Mike). I had put it on with my hands so if I try using gloves it might work. And a weekly shower. I'll try it out this week. Mike hates water but maybe he'll get use to it.

As well, something needs to be done with Whiskers. She had several accidents on the futon this weekend and Mike is starting to get more bossy with her. It's been getting worse over the summer. I think she needs a fence to reduce her play area and give her her own space. I could still pick her up for cuddle time and play time. By doing this, I could get rid of the rugs. I have them because she has trouble hopping on hardwood floor.

And I'll look at HEPA dust busters to augment the cleaning regime.

I don't know about allergy shots for Jerry. Not sure if he did them as a kid. It seemed very complicated and I don't know about side effects. Do you think I should bring it up?

September

Hello Everyone,

Wow, has time ever flown this summer. So much I wanted to get done and so many other things got in the way (but in a good way).

Computer is still acting up so I don't have vacation photos yet. I'm not sure if it's a virus or something else - it's not recognizing drivers, won't do the MS updates etc. And since I was thinking about it anyways, I've ordered a new netbook to replace her. She'll arrive today. Also got a new printer since my current one is over 8 years old and can't print photos.

I have my final exam next Tuesday and I'm a bit nervous. Need to get 60% to pass and get my certification. I squeaked through last time. Jerry's in Toronto this week so I've got the evenings to study and most of the weekend. He comes back on Sunday. He's very good about studying. I spent the weekend at his place with my books and he was completely nice about me ignoring him and his burrito adventures/rhubarb canning. I tend to focus better when not distracted by the furry family.

Speaking (or writing - lol), I have some happy/sad news. Jerry and I have decided to move in together in November. Jerry's also very allergic to cats. I've tried various things but short of Jerry taking antihistimines when he walks in the door, nothing has helped. Oil supplements, allergy baths, hardwood floors. So, Jerry's cheeks turn pink and his breathing changes when he comes to visit. Mike's unhappy because he can't curl up with us for a cuddle. I'm unhappy because both of them are. I've decided to see if I can find Mike a new home. Jerry and I have discussed it a couple times and he's told me he doesn't want me to get rid of Mike because of him. However, I don't see any other options to ensure both have a good quality of life. Do you have any other suggestions of things I could try?

So, I'm a bit down today (made the decision last night) and haven't told Jerry yet. I'll wait until I find a great home or until another option comes up. Mike's a senior but being indoors - he could easily live another 10 or so years. He doesn't have problems allergy-wise with Whiskers so he knows I come into any household with some fur with me.

Hope your day is better than mine!

High School Math

For those who wonder why we studied ratios in school...

I had to do it today for work. I knew how much money someone made on a weekly basis but the vp was totaled biweekly. I had to find the ratio numbers and figure out how much vp was earned each week.

eg
week 1 earned 1643
week 2 earned 2201
vp over 2 weeks 79.36

1643:3844 = x:79.36
x=33.92 (vp earned in week 1)
y=45.44 (vp earned in week 2)

...and I would like to thank Mr. Brown for trying his best to teach us math (and for playing guitar when we needed it)

This was a common question I had for him, "Why do we need to learn this? What will we use it for in the future?"

So, ratios is something I use quite often. And I used triganomitry (sin, co-sin, tangent) when doing manual calculations for marine navigation. And I've used algebra when building stuff. For anyone still in school, pay attention to your math teacher - it will help you in the long run.

Last post until after vacation

Hello Everyone,

Last day of work before vacation. I have 1 more payroll to process, a bit of filing and then I'm done!

Busy weekend. Got my bottom bracket changed before polo. Polo was fun but tiring. Since my brake is on the right side, I had to place left-handed (and I'm not omni-dexterious). Easy to oversteer and fall over. A bit sore - my hands, chest.

Saturday, we had Jerry's friend's car for the weekend so he picked up donuts after dropping them off at the airport. Ate donuts and lounged in the hammock during the morning. Went to the farmer's market in the afternoon.

Sunday I went in to work for a couple hours. Had date night in the evening. Went to Chuck-E Cheese and learned how to play skeetball followed by movie. G-Force was fun and the 3-D was odd. A bit dizzying at first.

So, a lovely weekend. Got everything ready to go. Just need to clean the apartment.

Have a great day!

Poor Polly

Hello Everyone!

Polly got her first flat tire last night. It was a slow leak so I didn't notice anything was wrong until I was a block away from home. Piece of glass. Removed the glass (damage small enough I don't need to replace it altogether), patched the tube (first time I've done it for real). When I did the repairs, I was in the comfort of my livingroom but it was also after midnight and I fell asleep on the futon.

Furry family angry at me since I fell asleep before feeding them and then I slept in so didn't have time for cuddles.

I was going to replace her bottom bracket last night but Jerry forgot the part at work. So, I'm going there once I'm done today, do a quick replacement and then head to polo. So, for non-bike people, the pedals are connected to the cranks which are connected to the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket is the part that goes through your frame so it looks like a cylinder with 2 square rods sticking out at the end (which is what the cranks attach to). It should be a quick job as the steps are still fresh in my mind. I had to remove the cranks Wednesday night to measure the size of the replacement.

Bike polo tonight! Girls only intro night. Should be fun. They play on an outdoor hockey rink, 3 players on a team and no goalie. You have a mallet and you can't put your foot down on the ground. If you do, you're out of the play and have to go back to the centre line. Fast, exciting and you develop some amazing bike handling skills. At one point in time, it was even an Olympic sport!

Saturday morning is lounging in the hammock, eating breakfast outside, working in the garden. I'll do major cleaning/organizing on Sunday.

Oh, and Jerry finally came to the realization of how big my family is last night. I've warned him several times (his is really small - maybe 20 people on both sides in total - mine is around 70) but it was really funny to watch his face when it finally clicked. So, he might be a bit overwhelmed - but he still wants to meet you.

Have a great day!

hump day

Hello Everyone,

What an unfocused week I've had so far. But things are still looking good workwise so when I go on holidays, it will be a proper holidays.

We have a few tomato flowers! Very exciting - I saw them for the first time this morning. One of Jerry's friends is looking after my place while we're gone and although there isn't a lot of produce, he'll be able to have fresh lettuce, spinach, swiss chard and herbs.

Some busy evenings ahead of me. Tonight I have Ranger patrol (ride on the City's pathways), tomorrow is plasma, Friday is polo (first time - they're putting on a girls intro night), Saturday is date night and Monday night is a salon appointment. I'm taking Jerry to see G-Force (in 3-D). lol - it should be amusing. And it's an action movie with lasers and explosions!

Have a great day!

Mondays grrrr

Hello Everyone,

"I don't like Mondays..." - yep, I can relate to that song.

Tired this morning. Had a busy, sun filled weekend.

Friday night - school work
Saturday - rafting (floating) down the Bow River (relaxing), school work
Sunday - school work, mid-term exam, Sun & Salsa Festival

My mid-term went really well. I did it open book but even the questions were easier than I was expecting. Luckily, the stuff that was covered is stuff I actually do as part of my payroll process so it made a lot more sense to me. In the last course, the computer does all the calculations so I don't see where it gets that data from.

Tonight is a political event with Jerry. We get to meet Tony Clement (Minister of Industry) at some function. Was told about it last night so I don't know any details. I've never met him before so it should be interesting. Jerry wants to know about bikes and carbon credits.

Have my packing list pretty well done so I'll start putting my stuff together this week. Need to do a thorough cleaning/organizing of the apartment. Also need to get the pet stuff together (instructions, food labels etc).

Have a great day!

Women's Ski Jumping

Hello Everyone,

It's been a while since I've gotten p*ssed of at something but this fight has been going on for a while and it's difficult to watch the struggles these girls are going through. I don't know the first thing about ski jumping and I think these athletes are rather crazy to hurl themselves down a hill off a ramp.

Nevertheless, I think they should be included, based on principle.

This is from the website, "Let Women Ski Jump in 2010!" www.wsj2010.com

WHEREAS ski jumping is the only activity in the Olympic Winter Games that does not allow women to compete, and

WHEREAS women from all over the world currently compete in an international women's tour (FIS Continental Cup) comprised of competitions in Asia, Europe, and North America on regulation Olympic ski jumps, and

WHEREAS the International Federation for ski jumping, the FIS, overwhelmingly voted to add women's ski jumping to the FIS World Championships and request the International Olympic Committee include a women's ski jumping event in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and

WHEREAS events for women have been added to the Olympic program in recent years which have had less participating athletes, nations, and universality in competitions than women's ski jumping, and

WHEREAS women's ski jumping is unique from all other candidate new entrant events as it is only requesting a women's event be added to the already existing Olympic event of ski jumping, and

WHEREAS the Olympic Charter specifically states as a mission and role of the IOC "to encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women", and

WHEREAS the Olympic Charter also specifically states "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement" as a fundamental principle of Olympism

THEREFORE the citizens of the world ask the International Olympic Committee to uphold the true spirit and intent of the Olympic Games and work with Canada to add a women's ski jumping event to the 2010 Olympic Games.

There is an on-line petition you can choose to sign if you wish. There is also a fact sheet.

Other notes on the website include: "On January 5, 2008, at the Whistler Olympic ski jumps, a woman set the overall normal hill record." and "In Canada it is against Federal and Provincial Law for the Government to use public funds for venues that exclude women."

Here is the fact sheet:

Should women be allwoed to ski jump in the 2010 Olympics?
You Decide

Myth: There are not enough women ski jumping for it to be included in the Olympic Winter Games.

Fact: Over 130 women from 16 nations are registered as international competitors with the International Ski Federation (FIS). Hundreds more compete in their own countries at the national and club levels.
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/skijumping/competitorbiographies.html

Myth: Women are not good enough to compete at the World Cup level.

Fact: The FIS Continental Cup format is used for the elite level of women's international competition. In 2004 organizers from ski jumping nations chose to forgo asking the FIS for a Women's World Cup tour in order to reduce production costs and facilitate growth in the sport.

Myth: Women's ski jumping is not developed enough. There is not enough "universality"

Fact: 16 Nations (AUT, CAN, CZE, FIN, FRA, GER, ITA, JAP, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, SLO, SWE, SUI & USA) have women registered as international competitors with the FIS. This season's Continental Cup tour will include 25 events hosted by 8 coiuntries in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Myth: Only a few women athletes can jump respectably.

Fact: 35 different athletes from 9 nations have placed within the top 10 in FIS Continental Cup competition during the past two seasons. The depth of field parallels the men's tour.

Myth: There must be two World Championship competitions held before an event can be included in the Olympics.

Fact: This crierion has had exceptions made to it in the past. The most notable being the inclusion of the women's marathon even in the th 1984 Los Angeles Olympics after a single World Championship in 1983. The first Women's Ski Jumping World Champtionship will be held in Liberec, Czech Republic in 2009. By 2010 there will have been four World Junior Championships.

Myth: There is not enough room on the 2010 program to incude the women jumpers.

Fact: Currently there are six men's ski jumping medal events (three ski jumping and three Nordic Combined) planned over six days. A single women's event could be schedules on available days.

Myth: The cost of including a women's event on the 2010 program would be prohibitive.

Fact: Women ski jump on the identical jumps that Men use. The venue would not be required to be modified in any way.

Rain

Hello Everyone,

Day 2 of rain. And not just a little bit - rainfall warning rain. I've been wanting to weed the garden this week and I don't think it'll dry out in time before the weekend.

I've been busy at work. Got 2 weeks to go before I'm on holidays. Starting to tie up loose ends and get my filing done.

So, I may be riding on a big adventure next year. There's a 3 day tour that raises money for a kids cancer camp in Alberta and it should be an epic ride. Day 1 is 100 or 165 km, day 2 is 100, 180 or 230 and day 3 is 100 or 160. Starting in Banff, riding up the west side of Alberta and looping around. It would mean 6 months of training and a new bike. She already has a name - Sasha. Problem is that she's would be the equivalence of 2 months rent. But I'll start saving now and hopefully will get a previous years' model in the winter. I told Jerry about the ride and he got super excited. I think it would be a huge challenge but it sounds exciting. I'll let you know more about it when I have details about next years ride - after all, I'll need your money!

This weekend is our 2nd anniversary of dating. I think we're either camping or going up to Edmonton. At any rate, I'll have my books with me since I'm going to be writing my mid-term next Tuesday.

Will chat with you later. Just wanted you to know I didn't run off with a cowboy!
Have a great day!

New toy

Hello everyone,

So, I'm having fun with my new bike computer. First time I've ever used one so in the past, I only had a vague idea how fast I was going.

It's actually a great tool. I patrol on the bike paths that have a speed limit of 20 km/hr in most places. 10 km/hr in high congested place. 20 is a reasonable speed if you're out for a relaxing afternoon. Not reasonable for commuting. And 10 is ridiculous. Joggers will pass you. You're going to slow to keep your manoeuverability. The speed limit in the parkcade at work is 7 km/hr. My walking speed is 6.

But, I've had a couple chances to open her up and I've had some fun. Got her up to 38 on my commute in this morning. My average/comfortable speed is 25. The 38 was on a wide road with a very slight downhill grade. I don't often get the chance to go down on my drops so I'm not sure how fast I can get her. But, it's still fun to do those little sprints.

My top speed was last year during the MS Tour. Amazingly strong wind gusts got me into the 50s on Charlotte. Weirdly enough, it didn't feel like I was going all that fast since I couldn't feel the wind.

So, my message is that yes, bicycles are a viables means of transportation. When you're passing us, give us lots of room since those high speeds mean a lot of hurt if you stop suddenly, cut us off or even the wind shifts. I've almost went down a number of times because of wind gusts from vehicles passing too close, creating the lee and then smacking you once they've cleared you.

As well, think about how long you're sitting in a vehicle vs how you could get there by bike. If you take that time and add it to your workout/gym time, biking starts to sound a lot more appealing. Plus the $ savings. And, if you're worried about your business clothes getting messy, I change at work (there's a shower too but I don't get myself worked into a sweat) and the influx of cruiser style bikes makes it easy to carry a briefcase or purse. And cycling is safe - despite what the helmet people say. Yes, I wear a helmet. Yes, I wear gloves - but it's because they're blue with white bubbles on them.

Have a great day!

Have a great day!

too much deep-fried...and candy

Hello Everyone,

Ah, Stampede...

We went on Sunday and had a lot of fun. Both of us were tired as we had a long day on Saturday. Jerry helped make pancakes for his MP's breakfast and I had to meander all the way down the hill to eat them. I then spent the afternoon studying at the park. That night, we went to a politically orientated party filled with the movers and shakers of the Calgary region. It was actually a pretty good time but it went on rather late.

We got to the grounds by 8:30 so we could get free admission. Otherwise, admission was $14/adult. Didn't stand in the super long line for free pancakes but we did go into the grandstand for free juice and ice-cream. Watched the stock dogs in the Saddledome although the sheep were the clear winners. Went on the swings (the rides were super-expensive so we limited ourselves to one ride) and did lots of people watching.

So...
mini donuts: too much oil first thing in the morning. And then they sprinkle icing sugar on them. We ordered a bucket of them (think kid's sized popcorn bucket)

milk/wagon wheel: best deal on the grounds $1

lunch: ate off the grounds so we could have a proper sit down meal

deep fried macaroni & cheese: yum

deep fried jelly beans: not as good as they sound. I was expecting battered jelly beans but
these were just donuts with jelly beans added to the batter. And then sprinkled with icing sugar

candy floss: yum! and they had green! new flavour for me - and very tasty

It was a good time and it was also the first time that Jerry and I were at Stampede together. Last year he got pulled away for a political function the night we were suppose to see the Evening Show. And we didn't start dating until the week after Stampede the previous year. He was very patient with me - went through all the infomercial boothes with me, helped me eat the cotton candy (so I wouldn't get a tummy ache - it just doesn't taste the same the next day) and he didn't laugh at me when I found the swings ride very high and a bit scary. Oh, and it's still one of my favourite rides. We went on the newer one where it's 2 people per swing and it goes higher than the traditional single seat one.

So that's it for Stampede this year for me. Prices were expensive and I'm budgetting for Ontario. Very different feel this year than in the past - people very hesitant about spending money. Not the super packed bars and parties. Even clothing is more subdued. Yep, the recession came to Alberta late but when it did hit, it hit hard.

26 days...

Hello Everyone!

26 days until vacation! Getting excited. It's going to be vacation on the super cheap but it will still be lots of fun.

Busy week but short at work. Had my meeting in Nisku on Monday and I'm getting my procedure for ROEs and terminations. So, have to do up a memo explaining what to do and it becomes effective immediately. I've been working on this for almost a year so I'm quite pleased.

Tuesday was a half day because of a computer system upgrade. Spent the afternoon studying.

Wednesday was a day of sleep. Brought breakfast over to Jerry and then went back home and fell asleep until the afternoon. Tried to do a bit more studying but couldn't get motivated. Went back over to Jerry's so we could watch the fireworks. Because of timing, we only saw about 30 seconds but that's ok since next week will have fireworks every night.

Today is a full day. Have a free reflexology appointment (15 minutes from my massage place) and plasma donation tonight. My only full work day this week.

Tomorrow is Stampede parade. Office closed until the afternoon so we can watch the parade. Yee-Haw!

Saturday is a pancake breakfast for my MP. Jerry's a volunteer. Will go eat free pancakes and then take my text books down to Prince's Island to study under the trees. On Sunday we're going to the grounds since if you get there before 9:00am, you get free admission and you get free breakfast. So, we'll go for breakfast, get a re-entry stamp and return later in the day. It's just too long if you're there right from 9am to 11:30pm (for fireworks). We're old - we need nap time.

Have a great day!

PS - we have little potato plants!

Finally sunny Calgary

Hello Everyone,

For the past few days, it was overcast for at least part of the day. Today was the first all day sunny day in a while. Lots of wind over the past few days so the garden needed a lot of water.

Thank you all for your support this week. Excited for tomorrow night. Will have dinner ready for Jerry when he gets home and we're going fishing on the weekend. A weekend of relaxing and no real plans. That way he can decompress and review work stuff and I get to spend time with him. Oh - nice thing about Calgary - you can fish the river that runs through the city and the fish are edible. Lots of great trout spots on the Bow.

Have a great day!

A bit better today

Hello Everyone,

I'm still down but it's getting better. I find it's the little things I miss. It's odd since we don't spend all our time together although our communication is regular.

Yep, little things

No kiss "good morning" from him when I stop by his house for coffee. He even gets the coffee ready just right for me. Sugar and a bit of water to cool it down. Yesterday, the door was locked so there was no coffee. Today, his ex-roommate put on a pot so I chatted with him. It's a routine we have. Jerry's roommate puts on coffee when he leaves for work. Jerry gets up. Ex-roommate shows up for coffee. I show up for coffee. I chat as they get their paperwork ready for the day.

No response back to my morning e-mail wishing him a good day. I usually send a cute e-mail (like a note in a lunch bag if he had one) but since it's going to his other e-mail account (this is temporary), it gets lost in the jumble.

No e-mail/phone call to see about meeting up at the park for lunch.

No messaging after work to see how our afternoons went. With the time zone difference, it puts us out of sync. And he needs his evenings for networking.

So, I'm a bit lost when I get home. Mike's enjoying the extra attention. I'm not focusing well. I need to get some housework and schoolwork done. Hopefully I can get myself snapped out of this tonight. I've got things going on tomorrow and Thursday which will help with the long evenings.

And I'm busy at work. Working on changes in processes. Created a new time sheet for my salaried payroll. Looking at possibilities of a new time sheet for my hourly payroll. Creating a procedure for terminations. And, I'm heading up to Nisku (where our operations office is - near Edmonton) on Monday for a meeting. It's the first time I've been invited and I will be presenting the termination procedure, discussing the new time sheets as well as general payroll explanations.

Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. Have a great day!