Hello Everyone,
I'm testing out my new shoes today. They arrived last night so today'll be my first day using them for my walk to/from work. They're Skechers shape-ups. Those are the ones that "rock" and simulate "walking in soft sand". First impressions: they're pretty. They're black with white accents and have little rhinestones running along the shoe lace holes. Comfort: so-so. I find the ball and toes of my feet were a bit uncomfortable. Walking: much slower pace. I have the lights timed downtown so I know exactly how quickly I have to walk to make them. Didn't even come close today. But I did feel like I worked hard than my normal walk.
We'll see. I needed new running shoes as the soles had holes scooped out from the spikes on my bicycle pedals.
Have a great day!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sad Tummy
Hello Everyone,
So, I don't think I can drink milk anymore. My supplements need to be taken with a meal and since I don't like breakfast before leaving for work (I have oatmeal around 9am usually), I needed to figure something out. Last week I drank Ensure for breakfast and it worked quite well. Problem - it's expensive. So, brilliant me thought, "Why can't I just drink a cup of milk? It's got lots of vitamins, nutrients and it has vitamin D in it"
So, I started on Monday.
And I have felt terrible all week. My bloating came back and it's worse than before. My tummy is very sad today. I just did an exercise to help. And I'm eating ginger snaps (made with real ginger, gluten free)to help me feel better.
But since yougurt has less lactose, I should be ok eating that. I've eaten it for several years without reacting. But the milk drinking was a notable reaction.
1 1/2 weeks to go and then I'm back to yummy flour products.
Got my marks back - 100% on the course
Super happy although I don't honestly think I deserved it. I think there were a lot of improvements I could have done on my assignments. I think though that they have a criteria and as long as you cover everything in that criteria, you get 100%, even if the overall quality isn't great. But I'm certainly not going to argue with them.
I started my exercising on Wednesday. Goal this week is 10 minutes on trainer each day. Next week is 15 minutes each day. And it'll increase in 5 minute intervals each week until it's 30 minutes every day. Since it's cardio, I don't need a rest day. My plan is to do my riding in the morning, before work. I find I'm too tired by the end of the work day.
First class of payroll course was a joke. A bit pissed off at that. We introduced ourselves, went over the course outline, picked up our text books and were done. Nothing taught.
Have a great day!
So, I don't think I can drink milk anymore. My supplements need to be taken with a meal and since I don't like breakfast before leaving for work (I have oatmeal around 9am usually), I needed to figure something out. Last week I drank Ensure for breakfast and it worked quite well. Problem - it's expensive. So, brilliant me thought, "Why can't I just drink a cup of milk? It's got lots of vitamins, nutrients and it has vitamin D in it"
So, I started on Monday.
And I have felt terrible all week. My bloating came back and it's worse than before. My tummy is very sad today. I just did an exercise to help. And I'm eating ginger snaps (made with real ginger, gluten free)to help me feel better.
But since yougurt has less lactose, I should be ok eating that. I've eaten it for several years without reacting. But the milk drinking was a notable reaction.
1 1/2 weeks to go and then I'm back to yummy flour products.
Got my marks back - 100% on the course
Super happy although I don't honestly think I deserved it. I think there were a lot of improvements I could have done on my assignments. I think though that they have a criteria and as long as you cover everything in that criteria, you get 100%, even if the overall quality isn't great. But I'm certainly not going to argue with them.
I started my exercising on Wednesday. Goal this week is 10 minutes on trainer each day. Next week is 15 minutes each day. And it'll increase in 5 minute intervals each week until it's 30 minutes every day. Since it's cardio, I don't need a rest day. My plan is to do my riding in the morning, before work. I find I'm too tired by the end of the work day.
First class of payroll course was a joke. A bit pissed off at that. We introduced ourselves, went over the course outline, picked up our text books and were done. Nothing taught.
Have a great day!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Done
Hello Everyone,
All done. My final assignments submitted half an hour ago. Very relieved and content.
Jerry was super wonderful today. He washed dishes. He made dinner. He washed the dinner dishes. He cooked pasta & chicken for my lunches this week. He told me he understood how I needed to focus and that he wanted to do this for me.
So, I'll spoil him next weekend.
Tomorrow night I start my payroll course. I also get my course material. I should know by the end of the night if I can also do another computer course while doing the payroll course. These computer courses have 6 months to complete and if I hadn't procrastinated, it would have been done in 3. So, if I start a new computer course, my goal can be to be done before the wedding.
My education progress - 10 courses required for the University Certificate in Management Applications. 2 courses done. 5 courses required for Certified Payroll Manager program. Start my first course tomorrow night. 2 courses will overlap with the university certificate. Ambitious goal is to have both completed by end of 2012. I figure if I write this goal down and show how to achieve it, I may be able to keep on track.
Anyways, bedtime for me!
Have a great day!
All done. My final assignments submitted half an hour ago. Very relieved and content.
Jerry was super wonderful today. He washed dishes. He made dinner. He washed the dinner dishes. He cooked pasta & chicken for my lunches this week. He told me he understood how I needed to focus and that he wanted to do this for me.
So, I'll spoil him next weekend.
Tomorrow night I start my payroll course. I also get my course material. I should know by the end of the night if I can also do another computer course while doing the payroll course. These computer courses have 6 months to complete and if I hadn't procrastinated, it would have been done in 3. So, if I start a new computer course, my goal can be to be done before the wedding.
My education progress - 10 courses required for the University Certificate in Management Applications. 2 courses done. 5 courses required for Certified Payroll Manager program. Start my first course tomorrow night. 2 courses will overlap with the university certificate. Ambitious goal is to have both completed by end of 2012. I figure if I write this goal down and show how to achieve it, I may be able to keep on track.
Anyways, bedtime for me!
Have a great day!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Dreary Weather
Hello Everyone,
Stupid volcano - messed up our weather this year and we have to pull the garden. It's been a week of weather not reaching the double digits and snow called for tomorrow. We pull all the tomatoes (40 plants), transplant the peppers and bring inside the containered tomatoes. Quite disappointing but we've had good potatoes and beets. We'll keep the carrots in for a while, since a bit of cold won't hurt them.
Finished Assignment 2 of my computer class. I have 1 more assignment to complete (25% done already) and 1 that's done and ready to hand in. Luckily, at this point, even if my answers are incorrect, I still pass the course. I plan to have this incomplete assignment submitted Sunday night (along with the other already completed one), which will finish the course. Then I start a payroll course on Monday. It's in class, so I'll confirm my bike route on the weekend.
Went to the bridal show on Sunday. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. But very eye-opening as to why some people have crazy wedding costs. Picked up a bird cage veil for a great price.
Tested Sasha out that day. She's fast. And a lot of fun. I'll be riding her to class so I wanted to do a few test rides to get the gearing figured out. I need to change her saddle to Polly's and throw on lights, reflector and bell.
We're getting a maid service. Our house is driving all of us crazy. And I think it'll ease up on tension. I've gotten several quotes and we have one company coming over tonight for an in-person evaluation. I will be quite relieved once this service starts.
Built a side board last night. I'll seal it tonight and be able to start using it tomorrow night. It'll go in our livingroom, in place of the open grey shelving unit. I think it'll make things tidier since boxes can go behind cupboard doors and I'm putting a shelf above it to make it look a bit like a hutch. It was from JYSK so the price was right.
Oh, and we picked up a dining room table & 4 chairs at a garage sale on Saturday. Everything matched! It definitely made a big difference since I was using the old one from the lunchroom at work that was falling apart.
Have a great day!
Stupid volcano - messed up our weather this year and we have to pull the garden. It's been a week of weather not reaching the double digits and snow called for tomorrow. We pull all the tomatoes (40 plants), transplant the peppers and bring inside the containered tomatoes. Quite disappointing but we've had good potatoes and beets. We'll keep the carrots in for a while, since a bit of cold won't hurt them.
Finished Assignment 2 of my computer class. I have 1 more assignment to complete (25% done already) and 1 that's done and ready to hand in. Luckily, at this point, even if my answers are incorrect, I still pass the course. I plan to have this incomplete assignment submitted Sunday night (along with the other already completed one), which will finish the course. Then I start a payroll course on Monday. It's in class, so I'll confirm my bike route on the weekend.
Went to the bridal show on Sunday. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. But very eye-opening as to why some people have crazy wedding costs. Picked up a bird cage veil for a great price.
Tested Sasha out that day. She's fast. And a lot of fun. I'll be riding her to class so I wanted to do a few test rides to get the gearing figured out. I need to change her saddle to Polly's and throw on lights, reflector and bell.
We're getting a maid service. Our house is driving all of us crazy. And I think it'll ease up on tension. I've gotten several quotes and we have one company coming over tonight for an in-person evaluation. I will be quite relieved once this service starts.
Built a side board last night. I'll seal it tonight and be able to start using it tomorrow night. It'll go in our livingroom, in place of the open grey shelving unit. I think it'll make things tidier since boxes can go behind cupboard doors and I'm putting a shelf above it to make it look a bit like a hutch. It was from JYSK so the price was right.
Oh, and we picked up a dining room table & 4 chairs at a garage sale on Saturday. Everything matched! It definitely made a big difference since I was using the old one from the lunchroom at work that was falling apart.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
test results
Hello Everyone,
I went back to the naturopath yesterday and got my results. The good news is that all my organs are working properly. The red flags that went up were deficient vitamin B12 & D. My iron was a bit low but still in the acceptable range (since I'm not trying to get pregnant). And my glucose tolerance showed something I already knew. Everyone once in a while, I'll get a hot flash that hits me, I get dizzy and I need to eat something asap - as in really asap. It's why I have juice or snacks with me when I go anywhere that won't have immediate food access. It's happened enough times for me to know the signs and it's caused by low blood sugar. So, the dr confirmed that I should carry something with me.
So, I continue with no wheat for 4 more weeks and then most likely back to normal. If my energy level doesn't continue to increase and the weight start coming off, then I may need to stay off wheat for longer and have more testing done.
I don't know a lot about vitamin B12 except it's not common to have a deficiency. I now have to take 1 ml in a dropper under my tongue each day. Is there a trick to this? I tried it this morning, could only fill the dropper half way (so, had to do 2 doses), the liquid bounced against the bottom of my mouth and then over my tongue into the cavity of my mouth (instead of sitting under there nicely for absorption).
And vitamin D I'm not too surprised about. Although I rarely wear sunscreen (and don't harp on me for this - my sun exposure is limited and I do it intentionally to get vitamin D), Calgary is quite a bit north from Chesley. And I eat yougurt rather than drink a glass of milk or fortified orange juice. So, it's 4 drops of vitamin D under my tongue - which was much easer than the above.
So, I get to stop taking the super crazy probiotic stuff and use 1 bottle now of a lesser strength. Continue with omega 3 pills. And 1 pill with each meal to help break down the food components. And these vitamin supplements. Overall things will be easier because the instructions don't have a waiting period for prescriptions.
And, as my energy increase, to start exercising again. Dr would like me to eventually sweat 3 times a week by the time I go back to her in 4 weeks. This is ok with me since I knew exercise would be a component.
So, the above all seems a bit complicated to me but I want to give it a full try. She wants me to keep taking a probiotic for as long as I'm on birth control (because it apparently can cause issues) but to stay on the pill for the time being. I'm not getting bloated after meals now. And my energy level has noticeably increased. I think the pill that breaks down food will be stopped at some point and I'm not sure about the omega 3s. The dosage of everything is higher than on all the bottles so I'm hoping that will decrease too.
Oh, and on my next 4 weeks of no wheat, if I do slip up, she told me to slip up good and make it worth my while - like a big loaf of Italian bread :-)lol
Have a great day!
I went back to the naturopath yesterday and got my results. The good news is that all my organs are working properly. The red flags that went up were deficient vitamin B12 & D. My iron was a bit low but still in the acceptable range (since I'm not trying to get pregnant). And my glucose tolerance showed something I already knew. Everyone once in a while, I'll get a hot flash that hits me, I get dizzy and I need to eat something asap - as in really asap. It's why I have juice or snacks with me when I go anywhere that won't have immediate food access. It's happened enough times for me to know the signs and it's caused by low blood sugar. So, the dr confirmed that I should carry something with me.
So, I continue with no wheat for 4 more weeks and then most likely back to normal. If my energy level doesn't continue to increase and the weight start coming off, then I may need to stay off wheat for longer and have more testing done.
I don't know a lot about vitamin B12 except it's not common to have a deficiency. I now have to take 1 ml in a dropper under my tongue each day. Is there a trick to this? I tried it this morning, could only fill the dropper half way (so, had to do 2 doses), the liquid bounced against the bottom of my mouth and then over my tongue into the cavity of my mouth (instead of sitting under there nicely for absorption).
And vitamin D I'm not too surprised about. Although I rarely wear sunscreen (and don't harp on me for this - my sun exposure is limited and I do it intentionally to get vitamin D), Calgary is quite a bit north from Chesley. And I eat yougurt rather than drink a glass of milk or fortified orange juice. So, it's 4 drops of vitamin D under my tongue - which was much easer than the above.
So, I get to stop taking the super crazy probiotic stuff and use 1 bottle now of a lesser strength. Continue with omega 3 pills. And 1 pill with each meal to help break down the food components. And these vitamin supplements. Overall things will be easier because the instructions don't have a waiting period for prescriptions.
And, as my energy increase, to start exercising again. Dr would like me to eventually sweat 3 times a week by the time I go back to her in 4 weeks. This is ok with me since I knew exercise would be a component.
So, the above all seems a bit complicated to me but I want to give it a full try. She wants me to keep taking a probiotic for as long as I'm on birth control (because it apparently can cause issues) but to stay on the pill for the time being. I'm not getting bloated after meals now. And my energy level has noticeably increased. I think the pill that breaks down food will be stopped at some point and I'm not sure about the omega 3s. The dosage of everything is higher than on all the bottles so I'm hoping that will decrease too.
Oh, and on my next 4 weeks of no wheat, if I do slip up, she told me to slip up good and make it worth my while - like a big loaf of Italian bread :-)lol
Have a great day!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Lovely vacation
Hello Everyone,
Back to work and the vacation was wonderful. I'll post pictures in a day or two. Left Saturday with a friend of mine and her son. She was visiting her brother while we camped so we didn't have to pay for a hotel room that night.
Got camp set up on Sunday. Had a herd of elk go through the campsite and they were quite mellow.
Climbed Roche Miette and summitted. It was a moderate scramble and took 7 hours round trip. This is my first scramble summit. Went to the hotsprings afterwards.
Tuesday was a mellow day in town.
Wednesday afternoon we spent in a two person sea kayak on Maligne Lake. It was relaxing although I got a bit bored.
Thursday we drove home.
Bought Sasha Dolce while up there. Bike prices were better than Calgary and they were having a season end sale. She's a Specialized road bike - entry level but quite cute. So, I now have my full set of bikes - utility single gear, fixie, English lady's bike and road. It'll be much better riding her on the trainer because of her gears. I think we're doing some long rides next summer and she'll be quite perfect for that.
Spent the weekend with Mike & Whiskers as the guys went down to the Huckleberry Festival. Brought back berries so we'll make jam.
Going camping this weekend at Jerry's parent's campsite.
Will be focusing on school for the next 3 weeks. I start a payroll course Sept 20th in class so I want to make sure everything is wrapped up. I took all my payroll courses online thus far so I'm curious about the in-class course. It'll be the first course in my next payroll certification. Although I don't plan to stay in payroll, I'll take the free education. Stick it out at Akita for another couple years to get my next payroll certification and my university certificate. They've treated me well and although I don't hate my job, I don't have a passion for it.
Starting to feel better. Energy level up and able to focus better. Had a hard time on vacation since I was extremely limited what I could eat at a restaurant. Try it out sometime - battered meat, soy sauce, bread etc. Picked up some gluten-free pizza dough and Indian food at the grocery store. And my favourite Thai peanut noodles are gluten-free so I have "fast food" if I'm super hungry. Weight has levelled off - no huge fluxuations or bloating so it looks like working out for me. Oh well, I knew it would be part of solution.
Have a great day!
Back to work and the vacation was wonderful. I'll post pictures in a day or two. Left Saturday with a friend of mine and her son. She was visiting her brother while we camped so we didn't have to pay for a hotel room that night.
Got camp set up on Sunday. Had a herd of elk go through the campsite and they were quite mellow.
Climbed Roche Miette and summitted. It was a moderate scramble and took 7 hours round trip. This is my first scramble summit. Went to the hotsprings afterwards.
Tuesday was a mellow day in town.
Wednesday afternoon we spent in a two person sea kayak on Maligne Lake. It was relaxing although I got a bit bored.
Thursday we drove home.
Bought Sasha Dolce while up there. Bike prices were better than Calgary and they were having a season end sale. She's a Specialized road bike - entry level but quite cute. So, I now have my full set of bikes - utility single gear, fixie, English lady's bike and road. It'll be much better riding her on the trainer because of her gears. I think we're doing some long rides next summer and she'll be quite perfect for that.
Spent the weekend with Mike & Whiskers as the guys went down to the Huckleberry Festival. Brought back berries so we'll make jam.
Going camping this weekend at Jerry's parent's campsite.
Will be focusing on school for the next 3 weeks. I start a payroll course Sept 20th in class so I want to make sure everything is wrapped up. I took all my payroll courses online thus far so I'm curious about the in-class course. It'll be the first course in my next payroll certification. Although I don't plan to stay in payroll, I'll take the free education. Stick it out at Akita for another couple years to get my next payroll certification and my university certificate. They've treated me well and although I don't hate my job, I don't have a passion for it.
Starting to feel better. Energy level up and able to focus better. Had a hard time on vacation since I was extremely limited what I could eat at a restaurant. Try it out sometime - battered meat, soy sauce, bread etc. Picked up some gluten-free pizza dough and Indian food at the grocery store. And my favourite Thai peanut noodles are gluten-free so I have "fast food" if I'm super hungry. Weight has levelled off - no huge fluxuations or bloating so it looks like working out for me. Oh well, I knew it would be part of solution.
Have a great day!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
puffiness
Hello Everyone,
I'm unhappily "puffy" for the past several months so I'm going for medical tests today. I think it's connected to my pill. I was on Alesse for a couple years when my pharmasist asked if I wanted to try the generic version, Aviane. So, I started taking it in November. Over the winter my weight increased a bit, which is normal for me. But, in the spring, it got a lot higher and I lost my waist. Turning into an apple and feeling bloated. As well, the ring on my finger I've worn for 12 years no longer fit. And my clothes are 2+ sizes too small.
So, I had a couple dr appointments yesterday. One for my female check-up, one to discuss my weight gain and fluxuations. For example, while I took Aviane, I would lose 10 lbs on my "week off". And when I started the cycle again, the 10 lbs would be back that evening. So, I stopped the Aviane and went back to Alesse at the beginning of this month. And instead of 10 lbs, it was 3 lbs. As well, my weight changes by 3 lbs throughout the day. And I jiggle.
So, the second dr ordered some tests and said if they were negative, he was going to treat me for depression.
What! I was not impressed.
So, I went back to the office, popped online and found a naturopath dr a few blocks away. Got in to see her in the afternoon.
Had an hour long consultation, did a crazy medical history and interview with me. And she also thought other dr was crazy. So, she ordered the same tests plus a few and is approaching my puffiness (which I suspect is water)as a digestive issue with possible side affects from my pill (and the other brand).
So, no wheat for 3 weeks.
Super probiotic pills in the morning.
Fish oil in the morning.
And another supplement to take with meals to help break down the foods into simple components.
I was a lot more impressed with her approach. And I follow up with her in 3 weeks.
Thank goodness my benefits cover at least some of the costs. But if it means potentially not being drugged on prosak for a year, I'm willing to give it a try.
And at my first appointment, I told that dr about my weight gain experience. She had heard of other people who experienced that and gave me a drug card to make sure the pharmasist only gave me the name brand. My benefits covered it anyways but a lot of plans only cover generic brands. The second dr dismissed it completely.
Jerry's been super supportive over this whole time. I've known something was wrong since weight isn't something I focus a lot on. It was more because it was around my core, lack of energy and feeling bloated. And he's going to help me with meals for the next 3 weeks (with a slow introduction back at some point in time). The Safeway near our house is really good - wheat-free pasta, cookies, bread, crackers etc. Oh, and no red licorice (the second ingredient is wheat).
So, I'll let you know how things go.
Oh, and for my last meal, I only had a bit of wheat last night. Chocolate birthday cake from a friend's party and some batter on the chicken nuggets. We had golden beets from the garden that were super yummy.
Have a great day!
I'm unhappily "puffy" for the past several months so I'm going for medical tests today. I think it's connected to my pill. I was on Alesse for a couple years when my pharmasist asked if I wanted to try the generic version, Aviane. So, I started taking it in November. Over the winter my weight increased a bit, which is normal for me. But, in the spring, it got a lot higher and I lost my waist. Turning into an apple and feeling bloated. As well, the ring on my finger I've worn for 12 years no longer fit. And my clothes are 2+ sizes too small.
So, I had a couple dr appointments yesterday. One for my female check-up, one to discuss my weight gain and fluxuations. For example, while I took Aviane, I would lose 10 lbs on my "week off". And when I started the cycle again, the 10 lbs would be back that evening. So, I stopped the Aviane and went back to Alesse at the beginning of this month. And instead of 10 lbs, it was 3 lbs. As well, my weight changes by 3 lbs throughout the day. And I jiggle.
So, the second dr ordered some tests and said if they were negative, he was going to treat me for depression.
What! I was not impressed.
So, I went back to the office, popped online and found a naturopath dr a few blocks away. Got in to see her in the afternoon.
Had an hour long consultation, did a crazy medical history and interview with me. And she also thought other dr was crazy. So, she ordered the same tests plus a few and is approaching my puffiness (which I suspect is water)as a digestive issue with possible side affects from my pill (and the other brand).
So, no wheat for 3 weeks.
Super probiotic pills in the morning.
Fish oil in the morning.
And another supplement to take with meals to help break down the foods into simple components.
I was a lot more impressed with her approach. And I follow up with her in 3 weeks.
Thank goodness my benefits cover at least some of the costs. But if it means potentially not being drugged on prosak for a year, I'm willing to give it a try.
And at my first appointment, I told that dr about my weight gain experience. She had heard of other people who experienced that and gave me a drug card to make sure the pharmasist only gave me the name brand. My benefits covered it anyways but a lot of plans only cover generic brands. The second dr dismissed it completely.
Jerry's been super supportive over this whole time. I've known something was wrong since weight isn't something I focus a lot on. It was more because it was around my core, lack of energy and feeling bloated. And he's going to help me with meals for the next 3 weeks (with a slow introduction back at some point in time). The Safeway near our house is really good - wheat-free pasta, cookies, bread, crackers etc. Oh, and no red licorice (the second ingredient is wheat).
So, I'll let you know how things go.
Oh, and for my last meal, I only had a bit of wheat last night. Chocolate birthday cake from a friend's party and some batter on the chicken nuggets. We had golden beets from the garden that were super yummy.
Have a great day!
Monday, August 16, 2010
china pattern
Hello Everyone,
So, we've picked out a china pattern. It took us about an hour of looking at dishes, pretending to set the table, etc to choose it. It's made by Wedgwood and the pattern is called India.
Jerry's been saying, "We have a china pattern" randomly since Saturday afternoon.
While we were there, we also picked out casual dishes - Lenox Aspen Ridge. I liked it because you can put it in the oven or the freezer and it's a very nice white.
We need to go in and pick our glassware but other than that, we're done.
I just made my last accommodation booking for Mexico. Now, it's just activities and making payments. This one was for staying at Sian Ka An nature preserve (before we go to Cancun). They also offer fishing, birdwatching, kayaking and other nature tours. It looks very relaxing.
And we're staying at a fun, casual hotel while in Isla Mujeres. They threw in a free bike rental for 1 day and they're 4 blocks to the beach. Right on the main pedestrian street so lots of atmosphere and excitement.
The nice thing about having a shorter resort stay (5 nights), we are saving a lot of money by going to lower star accommodations for the other parts of the trip. Both of us are use to hosteling and both places offer great atmosphere and quite reasonable facilities. Nicer than a lot of the motels I've stayed at in Canada. And a more casual feel. I think I'm going to be a bit overwhelmed by the resort since I've never stayed in anything that nice before.
We're off to Jasper on Saturday and will come back on Thursday. Camping, relaxing etc. There's a scramble I want to try and we'll also try kayaking on Maligne Lake. And on Friday we plan to go the gopher musuem (yes, I'm serious - they stuff dead ground squirrels and dress them in costumes) before returning the car.
Have a great day!
So, we've picked out a china pattern. It took us about an hour of looking at dishes, pretending to set the table, etc to choose it. It's made by Wedgwood and the pattern is called India.
Jerry's been saying, "We have a china pattern" randomly since Saturday afternoon.
While we were there, we also picked out casual dishes - Lenox Aspen Ridge. I liked it because you can put it in the oven or the freezer and it's a very nice white.
We need to go in and pick our glassware but other than that, we're done.
I just made my last accommodation booking for Mexico. Now, it's just activities and making payments. This one was for staying at Sian Ka An nature preserve (before we go to Cancun). They also offer fishing, birdwatching, kayaking and other nature tours. It looks very relaxing.
And we're staying at a fun, casual hotel while in Isla Mujeres. They threw in a free bike rental for 1 day and they're 4 blocks to the beach. Right on the main pedestrian street so lots of atmosphere and excitement.
The nice thing about having a shorter resort stay (5 nights), we are saving a lot of money by going to lower star accommodations for the other parts of the trip. Both of us are use to hosteling and both places offer great atmosphere and quite reasonable facilities. Nicer than a lot of the motels I've stayed at in Canada. And a more casual feel. I think I'm going to be a bit overwhelmed by the resort since I've never stayed in anything that nice before.
We're off to Jasper on Saturday and will come back on Thursday. Camping, relaxing etc. There's a scramble I want to try and we'll also try kayaking on Maligne Lake. And on Friday we plan to go the gopher musuem (yes, I'm serious - they stuff dead ground squirrels and dress them in costumes) before returning the car.
Have a great day!
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Friday, August 06, 2010
Hurry up and wait
Hello Everyone,
It's payroll processing day and I'm in "hurry up and wait" mode. You hurry to get all the input in and then you wait for it to load. You hurry to get everything finalized and then you wait for it to calculate the stat deductions. You hurry to get through the steps to make sure the GL accounts balance and you wait for the report to let you know if you screwed up. You wait for all the reports to print off and hurry to make sure everything is correct.
And so I have time to say, "Hello!"
It'll be a quiet weekend. We have a wedding to attend tomorrow but that's it. So, I'm planning on school work and getting rid of some stuff. I had a phone call from a charity looking for clothing and household items and they said they'll be by on Tuesday to pick stuff up. Yay! Getting rid of stuff without having to garage sale. Maybe I'll slowly get rid of stuff throughout the year this way.
I think I'm suffering from some type of allergies. Nose constantly running with fuzzy head. Sore throat from post nasal drip. All yucky but it doesn't seem like a cold. I'm all drugged up and it seems to be helping.
Have a great day!
It's payroll processing day and I'm in "hurry up and wait" mode. You hurry to get all the input in and then you wait for it to load. You hurry to get everything finalized and then you wait for it to calculate the stat deductions. You hurry to get through the steps to make sure the GL accounts balance and you wait for the report to let you know if you screwed up. You wait for all the reports to print off and hurry to make sure everything is correct.
And so I have time to say, "Hello!"
It'll be a quiet weekend. We have a wedding to attend tomorrow but that's it. So, I'm planning on school work and getting rid of some stuff. I had a phone call from a charity looking for clothing and household items and they said they'll be by on Tuesday to pick stuff up. Yay! Getting rid of stuff without having to garage sale. Maybe I'll slowly get rid of stuff throughout the year this way.
I think I'm suffering from some type of allergies. Nose constantly running with fuzzy head. Sore throat from post nasal drip. All yucky but it doesn't seem like a cold. I'm all drugged up and it seems to be helping.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
A Relaxing Weekend
Hello Everyone,
Jerry was off to play with the boys for a bachelor party so I had the house to myself from Saturday afternoon until Monday. Rearranged some furniture in the livingroom and did homey things.
Our rings arrived as well. They are very pretty but I won't show them to you until after the wedding. I will say they're both rose gold and mine is a rose cut diamond. Jerry isn't sure about his. I think it's more that he hasn't worn a ring in years and maybe seeing a ring is starting to make the idea of the wedding sink in further. It was a bit funny but I'm trying to be as supportive as I can. It took a while for the idea of me being engaged to sink in and this is the first physical wedding item he's dealt with.
We got registered at The Bay (before Jerry left) but we'll need to go back to finish the appointment. We'll pick out the china pattern together, the glassware and Jerry's in charge of cooking stuff. I rather enjoyed scanning things that would co-ordinate our household. I took a good look around at the house this weekend and realized what was off. None of our furniture in the livingroom matches, none of the colours in the bathroom go together, none of our bedroom linen works together. So, we'll slowly rectify this over the next couple years. Since we've registered at The Bay, they give us a 10% discount card for anything on the registry we want to buy. And the card is good up until a year after the wedding.
I wasn't planning to register anywhere. We don't need anything but a lot of our stuff is second-hand and/or poor quality. But Jerry's family wants to host a shower on Boxing Day. So, I put lots of things under the $25 & $50 range. It's seems very weird - coming up with a list of stuff for people to buy us. Especially when we're not overly materialistic people. We would much prefer "experiences" (for those who want to give us something). Like movie tickets, dinner for two, symphony and/or theatre tickets, swimming with the dolphins in Mexico, dancing lessons etc. Maybe I'm being ungrateful (if so, just send me a virtual smack on the back of the head). Our ideal would be instead of gifts, a get-together to catch up with friends & family would be lovely. I think it's rather sweet Jerry's family is so excited about doing all this wedding stuff - it's just not my style or what I would prefer. But we'll smile, try to enjoy ourselves, knowing this is their way of welcoming me to the family.
Other than that, the garden is doing well and school is dragging along. I need to finish my second assignment this week and get going on my final chapter. I have until the end of September but I'm hoping to register for a payroll course that starts near the end of September and I want to make sure this stupid course is done.
We've got a baby pumpkin, lots of little green tomatoes, yummy peas and carrots. A few baby potatoes. A few blueberries that were quite tasty - if blueberries in the store tasted like that, I would eat blueberries.
Have a great day!
Jerry was off to play with the boys for a bachelor party so I had the house to myself from Saturday afternoon until Monday. Rearranged some furniture in the livingroom and did homey things.
Our rings arrived as well. They are very pretty but I won't show them to you until after the wedding. I will say they're both rose gold and mine is a rose cut diamond. Jerry isn't sure about his. I think it's more that he hasn't worn a ring in years and maybe seeing a ring is starting to make the idea of the wedding sink in further. It was a bit funny but I'm trying to be as supportive as I can. It took a while for the idea of me being engaged to sink in and this is the first physical wedding item he's dealt with.
We got registered at The Bay (before Jerry left) but we'll need to go back to finish the appointment. We'll pick out the china pattern together, the glassware and Jerry's in charge of cooking stuff. I rather enjoyed scanning things that would co-ordinate our household. I took a good look around at the house this weekend and realized what was off. None of our furniture in the livingroom matches, none of the colours in the bathroom go together, none of our bedroom linen works together. So, we'll slowly rectify this over the next couple years. Since we've registered at The Bay, they give us a 10% discount card for anything on the registry we want to buy. And the card is good up until a year after the wedding.
I wasn't planning to register anywhere. We don't need anything but a lot of our stuff is second-hand and/or poor quality. But Jerry's family wants to host a shower on Boxing Day. So, I put lots of things under the $25 & $50 range. It's seems very weird - coming up with a list of stuff for people to buy us. Especially when we're not overly materialistic people. We would much prefer "experiences" (for those who want to give us something). Like movie tickets, dinner for two, symphony and/or theatre tickets, swimming with the dolphins in Mexico, dancing lessons etc. Maybe I'm being ungrateful (if so, just send me a virtual smack on the back of the head). Our ideal would be instead of gifts, a get-together to catch up with friends & family would be lovely. I think it's rather sweet Jerry's family is so excited about doing all this wedding stuff - it's just not my style or what I would prefer. But we'll smile, try to enjoy ourselves, knowing this is their way of welcoming me to the family.
Other than that, the garden is doing well and school is dragging along. I need to finish my second assignment this week and get going on my final chapter. I have until the end of September but I'm hoping to register for a payroll course that starts near the end of September and I want to make sure this stupid course is done.
We've got a baby pumpkin, lots of little green tomatoes, yummy peas and carrots. A few baby potatoes. A few blueberries that were quite tasty - if blueberries in the store tasted like that, I would eat blueberries.
Have a great day!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Stampede!
Hello Everyone,
Ah, Stampede - I love you! 10 days of dressing up like a cowboy and eating way too much fried stuff on a stick. We went down to the grounds last night and had a lot of fun. Went on 2 rides - the swing tower and crazy mouse (small roller coaster with a 4 seat car that pivots. Said "Hello!" to the ducks, goats and sheep. Explored the Marketplace (As Seen On TV Heaven) and ate lots of unhealthy food. This year, it was my staple (deep fried mac & cheese)and I tried deep fried Oreos and deep fried Snickers.
Saw the fireworks and called it a night.
We'll check out the fireworks for the rest of the nights but I don't plan to go back down to the grounds. Even if you plan to be there only an hour or two and it ends up being a whole day and I have a screen door to build. It's a home & garden weekend for us.
Have a great day!
Ah, Stampede - I love you! 10 days of dressing up like a cowboy and eating way too much fried stuff on a stick. We went down to the grounds last night and had a lot of fun. Went on 2 rides - the swing tower and crazy mouse (small roller coaster with a 4 seat car that pivots. Said "Hello!" to the ducks, goats and sheep. Explored the Marketplace (As Seen On TV Heaven) and ate lots of unhealthy food. This year, it was my staple (deep fried mac & cheese)and I tried deep fried Oreos and deep fried Snickers.
Saw the fireworks and called it a night.
We'll check out the fireworks for the rest of the nights but I don't plan to go back down to the grounds. Even if you plan to be there only an hour or two and it ends up being a whole day and I have a screen door to build. It's a home & garden weekend for us.
Have a great day!
Monday, July 05, 2010
Catch up time
Hello Everyone,
What a crazy few weeks it's been. Close to finishing up training at work so I don't plan to be working late this week. We had a computer upgrade on Friday so I had an extra long weekend. I'm very proud of the fact I slept in until noon on Friday.
We installed ceiling fans in three rooms on the weekend. We can only open about a third of the windows on the main floor since someone sealed and then painted over jams. "Repair" work like this drives me crazy. So we have some fans that have already made a big difference and this week I'm building a screen door with the leftover wood in the garage. Handywoman Karen!
Wedding planning coming along. We have officially made some decisions. We're getting married Sunday, February 20th in Cancun. We're going to have a reception in Lethbridge about a month or so later (afternoon gathering) as well as something in Chesley later in the summer so you'll have lots of opportunities to tease Jerry about married life. I've been in contact with our wedding planner and she's set up a webpage so we can communicate with each other. She seems quite nice.
Garden is growning like crazy. Been eating lots of salad - radish & beet tops, spinach, swiss chard. Potatoes are just getting ready to flower so I may harvest them and do a second planting. We've got a few tomatoes about the size of a loonie now and lots of blossoms.
Jerry built me a new firepit using reclaimed brick. We're still working on the design but it did make great s'mores.
Just got back my first assignment for school and I'm very proud of my mark. Will need to really focus over the next two months and I'll have that course completed. It doesn't help that I don't care a lot about the subject (IT Help Desk Support), the computer knowledge is a bit higher than what I currently had (the course outline I had when I signed up was out of date) and it's summer. I have learned a lot (how to design a web page, some extra Excel formulas etc) but in hindsight, I wish I had known to upgrade my computer skills first. After all, I needed a computer course anyways so I wouldn't have been taking an extra course for nothing.
Stampede starts on Friday. Will go to the grounds on Sunday since if you get there before 9am, it's free admission.
Have a great day!
What a crazy few weeks it's been. Close to finishing up training at work so I don't plan to be working late this week. We had a computer upgrade on Friday so I had an extra long weekend. I'm very proud of the fact I slept in until noon on Friday.
We installed ceiling fans in three rooms on the weekend. We can only open about a third of the windows on the main floor since someone sealed and then painted over jams. "Repair" work like this drives me crazy. So we have some fans that have already made a big difference and this week I'm building a screen door with the leftover wood in the garage. Handywoman Karen!
Wedding planning coming along. We have officially made some decisions. We're getting married Sunday, February 20th in Cancun. We're going to have a reception in Lethbridge about a month or so later (afternoon gathering) as well as something in Chesley later in the summer so you'll have lots of opportunities to tease Jerry about married life. I've been in contact with our wedding planner and she's set up a webpage so we can communicate with each other. She seems quite nice.
Garden is growning like crazy. Been eating lots of salad - radish & beet tops, spinach, swiss chard. Potatoes are just getting ready to flower so I may harvest them and do a second planting. We've got a few tomatoes about the size of a loonie now and lots of blossoms.
Jerry built me a new firepit using reclaimed brick. We're still working on the design but it did make great s'mores.
Just got back my first assignment for school and I'm very proud of my mark. Will need to really focus over the next two months and I'll have that course completed. It doesn't help that I don't care a lot about the subject (IT Help Desk Support), the computer knowledge is a bit higher than what I currently had (the course outline I had when I signed up was out of date) and it's summer. I have learned a lot (how to design a web page, some extra Excel formulas etc) but in hindsight, I wish I had known to upgrade my computer skills first. After all, I needed a computer course anyways so I wouldn't have been taking an extra course for nothing.
Stampede starts on Friday. Will go to the grounds on Sunday since if you get there before 9am, it's free admission.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Susan
Hello Everyone,
I'm still have troubles uploading photos to blogger. I keep getting a bunch of code - any suggestions?
So, I have a link to Susan. Scroll down to my website links and choose "If I won the lottery...". Choose "Our Cycles" then "Classic Bicycles" then "Princess Sovereign".
Susan is my lovely lady from England, in hunter green.
The story behind the effort it took Jerry to get her.
We've sized each other before when I was looking at road frames so he already knew what size I needed.
He called the one bike shop in Calgary who sells Pashleys.
They didn't have any in green and weren't expecting any to be available until next year (most of them are black so green is hard to find).
Jerry explained why it was so important.
BikeBike made a few phone calls
Nobody had any.
BikeBike explained the situation.
A few more phone calls went out.
Someone managed to find the last green Pashley in my size in North America.
And now it's in our livingroom.
She's a dream to ride. So comfortable. Extremely manoeuverable (quick turns, good brakes etc). My arms feel so natural. And a crazy loud bell that sounds like a door chime (2 tones). I'll try to get pictures on my Facebook later this week.
So yes, I'm incredible spoiled and I know how very lucky I am to be with Jerry.
Have a great day!
I'm still have troubles uploading photos to blogger. I keep getting a bunch of code - any suggestions?
So, I have a link to Susan. Scroll down to my website links and choose "If I won the lottery...". Choose "Our Cycles" then "Classic Bicycles" then "Princess Sovereign".
Susan is my lovely lady from England, in hunter green.
The story behind the effort it took Jerry to get her.
We've sized each other before when I was looking at road frames so he already knew what size I needed.
He called the one bike shop in Calgary who sells Pashleys.
They didn't have any in green and weren't expecting any to be available until next year (most of them are black so green is hard to find).
Jerry explained why it was so important.
BikeBike made a few phone calls
Nobody had any.
BikeBike explained the situation.
A few more phone calls went out.
Someone managed to find the last green Pashley in my size in North America.
And now it's in our livingroom.
She's a dream to ride. So comfortable. Extremely manoeuverable (quick turns, good brakes etc). My arms feel so natural. And a crazy loud bell that sounds like a door chime (2 tones). I'll try to get pictures on my Facebook later this week.
So yes, I'm incredible spoiled and I know how very lucky I am to be with Jerry.
Have a great day!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Scroll down to my profile photo
Hello Everyone!
It's been a whirlwind lovely week.
Jerry proposed last Sunday afternoon. We had some friends over for lunch and then Jerry told me he had something to show me in the backyard.
I had thought maybe something new in the garden came up.
When I came out, there was a bicycle.
So I went jumping and bouncing over to it.
And then Jerry came over and handed me a ring and said, "and there's a ring to go with it."
Awwwwww!!!
Yes, so I jumped up and down, did lots of giggling.
Oh, and yes, after he gave me the ring our friends made him get down on one knee in the wet grass to do it properly.
So, the ring is a proxy ring until we find the right one. He had been looking for one "for a while" but didn't find anything that was just right. And then he found it outside his office on Friday. It is a very pretty ring and I love the story behind it.
So, nothing decided yet. Initial plans are a destination wedding in February. And then a reception in Lethbridge and in Chesley. I get really stressed when planning events and organizing things so I like the idea of not having anything to stress over. We can combine the wedding and honeymoon for about the same price as a nice wedding in Calgary. I also think it is very suiting to start our marriage in a new place, unknown to both of us, so we have opportunities to explore and build our life together.
So, that's enough mushy stuff for now. I made Mom wait a week before telling anyone since I wanted that time for everything to sink in. And it was nice to have that time for Jerry and I to talk about what we want.
Have a great day!
It's been a whirlwind lovely week.
Jerry proposed last Sunday afternoon. We had some friends over for lunch and then Jerry told me he had something to show me in the backyard.
I had thought maybe something new in the garden came up.
When I came out, there was a bicycle.
So I went jumping and bouncing over to it.
And then Jerry came over and handed me a ring and said, "and there's a ring to go with it."
Awwwwww!!!
Yes, so I jumped up and down, did lots of giggling.
Oh, and yes, after he gave me the ring our friends made him get down on one knee in the wet grass to do it properly.
So, the ring is a proxy ring until we find the right one. He had been looking for one "for a while" but didn't find anything that was just right. And then he found it outside his office on Friday. It is a very pretty ring and I love the story behind it.
So, nothing decided yet. Initial plans are a destination wedding in February. And then a reception in Lethbridge and in Chesley. I get really stressed when planning events and organizing things so I like the idea of not having anything to stress over. We can combine the wedding and honeymoon for about the same price as a nice wedding in Calgary. I also think it is very suiting to start our marriage in a new place, unknown to both of us, so we have opportunities to explore and build our life together.
So, that's enough mushy stuff for now. I made Mom wait a week before telling anyone since I wanted that time for everything to sink in. And it was nice to have that time for Jerry and I to talk about what we want.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
My birthday
Hello Everyone,
Spent the weekend in Banff. We climbed Mt Rundle on my birthday, although we couldn't summit. Photos still acting up so check out Facebook for my photos.
Garden planted tonight, based on the moon phase. I trust it more than the star phases. But there's a chance of snow tomorrow and/or Friday so they may need to be covered.
Anyways, rather tired.
Have a good night!
Spent the weekend in Banff. We climbed Mt Rundle on my birthday, although we couldn't summit. Photos still acting up so check out Facebook for my photos.
Garden planted tonight, based on the moon phase. I trust it more than the star phases. But there's a chance of snow tomorrow and/or Friday so they may need to be covered.
Anyways, rather tired.
Have a good night!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
This is why I haven't been posting...
Hello Everyone,
So, still having issues with uploading photos. So, they're uploaded on my Facebook page.
So, still having issues with uploading photos. So, they're uploaded on my Facebook page.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Winter's back :-(
Hello Everyone,
After a gorgeous April, we have snow in May. A bit accumulated on the ground overnight. Roads slushy. Crazy wind for the past couple days. Although we desperately needed the moisture, my front step plants are all in our diningroom. For some reason, I'm not able to post my photos - I'll try later today.
We got the frames for our boxes built on the weekend. We have 3 more to do (they'll sit on the current frame to make our deep boxes). They're protected with a mixture of bees wax and baby oil. So far, water is beading on them.
Have a cough that's been hanging around for a week or two. A good chunk of the office has had it.
Our KitchenAid arrived yesterday! It was a Christmas present (and it took us a while to decide what we wanted). Shiny black with I think a 475 watt motor. I just know it looks pretty and it made great pizza dough last night with little mess. Jerry was giddy. I love the Shopping Channel.
Have a great day!
After a gorgeous April, we have snow in May. A bit accumulated on the ground overnight. Roads slushy. Crazy wind for the past couple days. Although we desperately needed the moisture, my front step plants are all in our diningroom. For some reason, I'm not able to post my photos - I'll try later today.
We got the frames for our boxes built on the weekend. We have 3 more to do (they'll sit on the current frame to make our deep boxes). They're protected with a mixture of bees wax and baby oil. So far, water is beading on them.
Have a cough that's been hanging around for a week or two. A good chunk of the office has had it.
Our KitchenAid arrived yesterday! It was a Christmas present (and it took us a while to decide what we wanted). Shiny black with I think a 475 watt motor. I just know it looks pretty and it made great pizza dough last night with little mess. Jerry was giddy. I love the Shopping Channel.
Have a great day!
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