Hello Everyone,
The weather changed overnight, which meant almost a 15C temperature change between yesterday and today. I'm happy though, as that frigid weather was very draining.
No Banff this weekend after all. Jerry's folks don't have their winter tires on yet and his Mom fell yesterday on the ice outside their house and broke her arm. They're staying with Jerry's brother and sister (yes - this is correct. They're Jerry's half siblings so neither are blood related to each other) recovering.
So, the weekend will be busy with Christmas preparations. Final big tidy before we decorate and this'll be the last weekend I have Jerry as the mountains are calling.
Have a great day!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Brrrrrr
Hello Everyone,
So an Arctic front moved in last Monday night and it's been -20 ever since. It should break on Thursday night but it's made for some challenging times. Jerry got his winter bike built up on Wednesday. I wore snowpants today (last week it was other layers)and we need to get the plastic up on the windows. Our home is very leaky. Even the walls radiate cold. As a plus though, Jerry was out snowboarding on Saturday and he enjoyed himself.
Things are quiet with me. Big school assignment due next week. Course done in a month and I will be very glad for it. Most of my Christmas shopping done and I'll start planning my Christmas baking.
This weekend I'm taking my future mil to Banff with my friend Lara. Jerry'll spend the weekend with his Dad. We're heading up after lunch on Saturday and back around the same time on Sunday. Jerry's in charge of American Thanksgiving to be served Sunday night. The Christmas lights get to be turned on on Sunday. Yippee!!!
Have a great day!
So an Arctic front moved in last Monday night and it's been -20 ever since. It should break on Thursday night but it's made for some challenging times. Jerry got his winter bike built up on Wednesday. I wore snowpants today (last week it was other layers)and we need to get the plastic up on the windows. Our home is very leaky. Even the walls radiate cold. As a plus though, Jerry was out snowboarding on Saturday and he enjoyed himself.
Things are quiet with me. Big school assignment due next week. Course done in a month and I will be very glad for it. Most of my Christmas shopping done and I'll start planning my Christmas baking.
This weekend I'm taking my future mil to Banff with my friend Lara. Jerry'll spend the weekend with his Dad. We're heading up after lunch on Saturday and back around the same time on Sunday. Jerry's in charge of American Thanksgiving to be served Sunday night. The Christmas lights get to be turned on on Sunday. Yippee!!!
Have a great day!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Willie
Hello Everyone,
We have a new addition to the household - Willie. Willie is our xbox Kinect. Jerry adopted him on Saturday.
I've actually had a lot of fun with Willie. I'm not a video game person so I think xbox designed Kinect for someone like me. In my non-technical jargon, it's like a video camera that scans you, figures out how far away you are and then puts your image on the tv screen. Last night I was doing the work-out game. The scan was rather unflattering but realistic to what my body shape actually is. When you wave to Willie, your image waves too. I had a lot of fun with the work outs and the games they had. I was playing the adventure game on Saturday where if you flap your arms, you can fly and pop bubbles.
Jerry told me he bought the Kinect for me. His "reasoning" - so I could work out without going to the gym. lol - he's been eyeing up both this and the wii for a year or so. And with the xbox, he can still play his shoot the aliens and decapitate the orcs with a sword games.
Have a great day!
We have a new addition to the household - Willie. Willie is our xbox Kinect. Jerry adopted him on Saturday.
I've actually had a lot of fun with Willie. I'm not a video game person so I think xbox designed Kinect for someone like me. In my non-technical jargon, it's like a video camera that scans you, figures out how far away you are and then puts your image on the tv screen. Last night I was doing the work-out game. The scan was rather unflattering but realistic to what my body shape actually is. When you wave to Willie, your image waves too. I had a lot of fun with the work outs and the games they had. I was playing the adventure game on Saturday where if you flap your arms, you can fly and pop bubbles.
Jerry told me he bought the Kinect for me. His "reasoning" - so I could work out without going to the gym. lol - he's been eyeing up both this and the wii for a year or so. And with the xbox, he can still play his shoot the aliens and decapitate the orcs with a sword games.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
brunette
Hello Everyone,
I'm back to a brunette. I had some red in my hair for the summer but it's grown out and I re-dyed it last night. The red dye was a semi-permanent (1 month)but the colour stuck around like a permanent so I had to go permanent this time. The brown's a bit darker than my natural colour but it's rather pretty.
Made some apple liqueur last night. 1 batch with Macs, 1/2 batch with a Mac/Gala mix, 1/2 batch Gala. We're testing to see the impact of the sweetness of the apple. Last year we did it with crabapples but we got busy when the apples fell and they rotted on us. We'll know in a little over a month if it turned out.
I have tomorrow off work so I'll watch the Remembrance Day observances on tv. Jerry'll be on stand-by as some of the offices downtown will stay open and they move the day off to Friday. I get very upset when they do this (some did it last year too) because they treat it like a long weekend rather than a day to remember the sacrifices our armed forces have made over the years.
Have a great day!
I'm back to a brunette. I had some red in my hair for the summer but it's grown out and I re-dyed it last night. The red dye was a semi-permanent (1 month)but the colour stuck around like a permanent so I had to go permanent this time. The brown's a bit darker than my natural colour but it's rather pretty.
Made some apple liqueur last night. 1 batch with Macs, 1/2 batch with a Mac/Gala mix, 1/2 batch Gala. We're testing to see the impact of the sweetness of the apple. Last year we did it with crabapples but we got busy when the apples fell and they rotted on us. We'll know in a little over a month if it turned out.
I have tomorrow off work so I'll watch the Remembrance Day observances on tv. Jerry'll be on stand-by as some of the offices downtown will stay open and they move the day off to Friday. I get very upset when they do this (some did it last year too) because they treat it like a long weekend rather than a day to remember the sacrifices our armed forces have made over the years.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Mike Halliday - Hunter Kitty
Hello Everyone,
It was quite the excitement in our household last night after class. I was tidying up when I heard a yowl from Mike. It was the yowl he does when he needs to you come right away.
And there, right in the front hallway was Mike and his prize.
A cute baby mouse.
Quite dead.
And he was very proud of his new toy.
So I petted him and told him what a wonderful hunter kitty he was and then grabbed the phone to call Jerry to find out what I should do.
Jerry told me to leave the mouse and he'd take care of it when he got home. My brave fiance - taking care of icky stuff.
Mike carried that poor mouse all over the upstairs - dropping it in the hallway, livingroom, dining room, back to the hallway. After about 15 minutes, he got tired of playing with it and went back downstairs. When I went to bed, it was on the diningroom floor and Mike was eating his dinner.
When Jerry got home about 5 minutes later, the mouse was no longer where I saw it at bedtime. We did a bit of a search and found it in another place in the diningroom - missing its head. Jerry warned me so I didn't see the poor little mouse. And Mike looking very proud.
Jerry got rid of the mouse.
So, we have no idea where the mouse came from. Mike could have caught it outside earlier that evening and snuck it in. It may have come from downstairs. Mike has been spending an unusual amount of time down there so maybe he found something. But there are no signs of mice - no droppings, grease marks, holes etc.
I'm just shocked that Mike finally knew what to do with a mouse.
So he's our brave Hunter Kitty.
Have a great day!
It was quite the excitement in our household last night after class. I was tidying up when I heard a yowl from Mike. It was the yowl he does when he needs to you come right away.
And there, right in the front hallway was Mike and his prize.
A cute baby mouse.
Quite dead.
And he was very proud of his new toy.
So I petted him and told him what a wonderful hunter kitty he was and then grabbed the phone to call Jerry to find out what I should do.
Jerry told me to leave the mouse and he'd take care of it when he got home. My brave fiance - taking care of icky stuff.
Mike carried that poor mouse all over the upstairs - dropping it in the hallway, livingroom, dining room, back to the hallway. After about 15 minutes, he got tired of playing with it and went back downstairs. When I went to bed, it was on the diningroom floor and Mike was eating his dinner.
When Jerry got home about 5 minutes later, the mouse was no longer where I saw it at bedtime. We did a bit of a search and found it in another place in the diningroom - missing its head. Jerry warned me so I didn't see the poor little mouse. And Mike looking very proud.
Jerry got rid of the mouse.
So, we have no idea where the mouse came from. Mike could have caught it outside earlier that evening and snuck it in. It may have come from downstairs. Mike has been spending an unusual amount of time down there so maybe he found something. But there are no signs of mice - no droppings, grease marks, holes etc.
I'm just shocked that Mike finally knew what to do with a mouse.
So he's our brave Hunter Kitty.
Have a great day!
Friday, November 05, 2010
107 days
Hello Everyone,
The Bay really knows how to freak engaged couples. When you go to the website, there's a countdown to the wedding. I'll admit the first time I saw it, I pannicked a bit. Now I giggle. So, any time I print it off, I black out the countdown for Jerry. lol
I haven't done a wedding update in a while so here goes...
Dress - fits lovely
Veil - check
Shoes - check (and comfy)
Jewelry - check
Jerry's clothes - no idea. I told him he's on his own and I don't want to know what he's wearing until I see him with the JP. Athough I had a couple requests: no shorts (but capris were fine), no crazy ruffle shirt with tuxedo, and I would still marry him in a speedo (but would have a hard time keeping a straight face saying my vows).
Rings - check. I was initially going to use my green engagement ring as a proxy ring until we chose something together. But I love my karma ring. Once I'm married, I'll tuck it away and wear my wedding ring. I was going to get a ring & band but didn't quite like the look of it. I love my ring and Jerry's band has the same finish as mine.
Hair - growing. It's coming into the bob I wanted and I'll get about another inch. Pretty sure on the style and will do a dry run with my hairdresser to get photos. Will have my hair done at the salon down there
Make-up - will do myself. I like a natural look and I find make-up stylists use too much mascara. When you're getting married at 1pm, you don't want crazy caked make-up. And I'll do my own nails.
Bouquet - check
Cake - flavours narrowed down but no decision yet
Boutineer - Jerry hasn't picked one yet
Paperwork - Got my passport (looks like I'm going to murder someone) but Jerry still needs to get his. All paperwork set up in Mexico. My vaccines are up to date and Jerry's looking into his.
Vacation - hotels/resorts booked
Language - lol We picked up Rosetta Stone and are slowly coming along. Most of the people we'll be dealing with speak English and the JP will be bilingual.
Vows - have asked for a copy from the wedding planner to look over
Budget - On track
Name - Had a few arguments on this one but we compromised. I'll keep Halliday professionally. And in public I'll be Karen Halliday Hoult. No hyphen. But I'll change my driver's license. Jerry wanted me to completely change my name but I explained some of the complications (SIN, pension & government issues, business accounts/passwords etc) on top of my own preference. Rather than give up my indentity as a Halliday, I wanted to embrace both families.
So, when we get back, Jerry's family wants to host a reception for us. They also want to have a bridal shower for me. Their initial plans were to have the shower on Boxing Day and the reception on Easter weekend. And yes, you can laugh. There was reasoning behind this. We wouldn't have the extra cost of renting a car and most family members are in the Lethbridge area anyways.
We got the shower changed to the end of January and the reception to the end of March. I was hoping for an informal afternoon get-together (like a tea social) but no luck - they were super excited for a full blown reception. It's been almost 20 years since the last wedding in their family and Jerry's the youngest. So, it can be a bit to reign in their enthusiasm (although it's very sweet). As it stands, Jerry's mom asked us for wording of the reception invitations and we found something we like that calls it a party rather than reception. Less formal and more fun sounding. A couple hours socializing, dinner and then dancing.
We'll do a wish tree rather than a guest book. It's a dutch tradition and basically you create a "tree" and people hang notes on it with wishes for the couple. We have some great branches from my lilac butchering this year and some stones from Ontario to put in a vase for a base. I've seen some online and it looks rather pretty.
Fruit cake tasting (hopefully) this weekend. 3 cakes to try and we'll decide on which will work best for the favours. We'll have a real cake at the party for dessert. Dinner we're looking at beef on a bun (to avoid cold lumpy potatoes, overcooked dry meat and tasteless soggy vegetables).
I think on the table we'll have trivia cards with photos of us. I won't know many people and Jerry hasn't seen some of them in several years. That way people can get to know us in a fun way. For example, if you look at our initials, Jerry's are JLH and mine are KLH. I find it funny I won't need to change my monogram. As well, there may be some clay flowerpots with flower seed packets in them. Nothing decided yet. I don't like a cluttered table personally. And I think we're looking at 60-80 people.
We're still planning to have a Mexican fiesta at our place when we get back but I think it'll be pretty laid back. Just friends of ours that we can show photos and socialize. We've got a small home and the weather will be unpredictable. And in all honesty, I wouldn't want a big crowd. Maybe a come-and-go afternoon with snacks and drinks.
So I think that's it for now. Our registry is done except for an item they're having problems adding. We found a beautiful leather sofa and we don't expect someone to buy it for us. If you put it on your registery and buy it within 1 year of your wedding date, you automatically get 10% off. And if you get a Bay card at the same time, another 10% off. And for newlyweds they offer a couple payment options over a two year span. Which when you encompass the discounts, is the reason why we're adding it to the registry.
I don't need to make any more major decisions until the beginning of January, which is when we confirm the flowers, cake, extras with the resort. So, it's a matter of relaxing and making payments.
Have a great day!
The Bay really knows how to freak engaged couples. When you go to the website, there's a countdown to the wedding. I'll admit the first time I saw it, I pannicked a bit. Now I giggle. So, any time I print it off, I black out the countdown for Jerry. lol
I haven't done a wedding update in a while so here goes...
Dress - fits lovely
Veil - check
Shoes - check (and comfy)
Jewelry - check
Jerry's clothes - no idea. I told him he's on his own and I don't want to know what he's wearing until I see him with the JP. Athough I had a couple requests: no shorts (but capris were fine), no crazy ruffle shirt with tuxedo, and I would still marry him in a speedo (but would have a hard time keeping a straight face saying my vows).
Rings - check. I was initially going to use my green engagement ring as a proxy ring until we chose something together. But I love my karma ring. Once I'm married, I'll tuck it away and wear my wedding ring. I was going to get a ring & band but didn't quite like the look of it. I love my ring and Jerry's band has the same finish as mine.
Hair - growing. It's coming into the bob I wanted and I'll get about another inch. Pretty sure on the style and will do a dry run with my hairdresser to get photos. Will have my hair done at the salon down there
Make-up - will do myself. I like a natural look and I find make-up stylists use too much mascara. When you're getting married at 1pm, you don't want crazy caked make-up. And I'll do my own nails.
Bouquet - check
Cake - flavours narrowed down but no decision yet
Boutineer - Jerry hasn't picked one yet
Paperwork - Got my passport (looks like I'm going to murder someone) but Jerry still needs to get his. All paperwork set up in Mexico. My vaccines are up to date and Jerry's looking into his.
Vacation - hotels/resorts booked
Language - lol We picked up Rosetta Stone and are slowly coming along. Most of the people we'll be dealing with speak English and the JP will be bilingual.
Vows - have asked for a copy from the wedding planner to look over
Budget - On track
Name - Had a few arguments on this one but we compromised. I'll keep Halliday professionally. And in public I'll be Karen Halliday Hoult. No hyphen. But I'll change my driver's license. Jerry wanted me to completely change my name but I explained some of the complications (SIN, pension & government issues, business accounts/passwords etc) on top of my own preference. Rather than give up my indentity as a Halliday, I wanted to embrace both families.
So, when we get back, Jerry's family wants to host a reception for us. They also want to have a bridal shower for me. Their initial plans were to have the shower on Boxing Day and the reception on Easter weekend. And yes, you can laugh. There was reasoning behind this. We wouldn't have the extra cost of renting a car and most family members are in the Lethbridge area anyways.
We got the shower changed to the end of January and the reception to the end of March. I was hoping for an informal afternoon get-together (like a tea social) but no luck - they were super excited for a full blown reception. It's been almost 20 years since the last wedding in their family and Jerry's the youngest. So, it can be a bit to reign in their enthusiasm (although it's very sweet). As it stands, Jerry's mom asked us for wording of the reception invitations and we found something we like that calls it a party rather than reception. Less formal and more fun sounding. A couple hours socializing, dinner and then dancing.
We'll do a wish tree rather than a guest book. It's a dutch tradition and basically you create a "tree" and people hang notes on it with wishes for the couple. We have some great branches from my lilac butchering this year and some stones from Ontario to put in a vase for a base. I've seen some online and it looks rather pretty.
Fruit cake tasting (hopefully) this weekend. 3 cakes to try and we'll decide on which will work best for the favours. We'll have a real cake at the party for dessert. Dinner we're looking at beef on a bun (to avoid cold lumpy potatoes, overcooked dry meat and tasteless soggy vegetables).
I think on the table we'll have trivia cards with photos of us. I won't know many people and Jerry hasn't seen some of them in several years. That way people can get to know us in a fun way. For example, if you look at our initials, Jerry's are JLH and mine are KLH. I find it funny I won't need to change my monogram. As well, there may be some clay flowerpots with flower seed packets in them. Nothing decided yet. I don't like a cluttered table personally. And I think we're looking at 60-80 people.
We're still planning to have a Mexican fiesta at our place when we get back but I think it'll be pretty laid back. Just friends of ours that we can show photos and socialize. We've got a small home and the weather will be unpredictable. And in all honesty, I wouldn't want a big crowd. Maybe a come-and-go afternoon with snacks and drinks.
So I think that's it for now. Our registry is done except for an item they're having problems adding. We found a beautiful leather sofa and we don't expect someone to buy it for us. If you put it on your registery and buy it within 1 year of your wedding date, you automatically get 10% off. And if you get a Bay card at the same time, another 10% off. And for newlyweds they offer a couple payment options over a two year span. Which when you encompass the discounts, is the reason why we're adding it to the registry.
I don't need to make any more major decisions until the beginning of January, which is when we confirm the flowers, cake, extras with the resort. So, it's a matter of relaxing and making payments.
Have a great day!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Circus
Hello Everyone,
Jerry & I went to Cirque du Soleil on Friday night (date night!) to see Kooza. First time seeing them live. It was amazing! They had it in a big tent (just like circuses - circi ?) should be. We got 40% off tickets since they're closing in a couple days and I was a bit worried about our seats. Second last row, along the side. But, with the small venue we could see everything, really well. Very exciting, great costumes & music and overall a fabulous time. If you have an opportunity to see them in their travelling show, go for it. It's worth the money.
A cool weekend. Chance of snow. Spent the afternoon yesterday with a friend hanging out on 17th Ave. Interesting shops and a relaxing day. Today I finish my school presentation and report - Legistlative changes to ROEs. It may sound like dry material but within my company, I was the major implementor when major changes were brought in last year.
And we're having turkey for dinner tonight. I really like the Butterball stuffed turkey breasts. Nice portion size - enough for us and a meal of leftovers and very delicious.
Have a great day!
Jerry & I went to Cirque du Soleil on Friday night (date night!) to see Kooza. First time seeing them live. It was amazing! They had it in a big tent (just like circuses - circi ?) should be. We got 40% off tickets since they're closing in a couple days and I was a bit worried about our seats. Second last row, along the side. But, with the small venue we could see everything, really well. Very exciting, great costumes & music and overall a fabulous time. If you have an opportunity to see them in their travelling show, go for it. It's worth the money.
A cool weekend. Chance of snow. Spent the afternoon yesterday with a friend hanging out on 17th Ave. Interesting shops and a relaxing day. Today I finish my school presentation and report - Legistlative changes to ROEs. It may sound like dry material but within my company, I was the major implementor when major changes were brought in last year.
And we're having turkey for dinner tonight. I really like the Butterball stuffed turkey breasts. Nice portion size - enough for us and a meal of leftovers and very delicious.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Satisfying
Hello everyone,
My afternoon. Most of the time phone calls I get from employees are "How much was my pay cheque?" (check your bank account - I wish I was allowed to say that), "My pay cheque is wrong." (supervisor entered wrong hours/rate of pay) etc. And it can get frustrating.
And then there are afternoons like this.
Phone call 1 was from an employee that wanted to go over a few things. Then he wanted to talk. We recently had an employee die in a car accident and he wanted to know if there were children. If so, he wanted to start up a fund for them. Couldn't release this info (privacy act) but I recommended he ask around unofficially. This was coming from a guy who's had a pretty rough go at life. Long time employee, in jail for a few year. Within a couple days of returning to work for us, he was on the phone with me letting me know he pays family maintenance. One of the few responsible guys who use the system to make sure his kids are taken care of properly. The call restored my faith in the goodness of our often rough & gruff employees.
Phone call 2 flabergasted me. Someone actually wanted a step-by-step breakdown of his pay and how pay cheques were calculated. What were statutory deductions (complete with each of their purpose and the %), regular & OT calculations, group insurance (health benefits) etc. And then he wanted to know about my education. So, told him about my certifications and my current progress. So then he wanted to know about my experience with Athabasca because he was considering them. Just a super friendly, curious employee who is using his time at the rig to make some money and get out quickly. It's extremely rare for anyone to ask me to go into their pay cheque in this much detail. I think it's only happened one other time in my entire payroll career. I was giddy by the time I got off the phone because I love sharing knowledge with other.
I've still got a smile on my face.
And I wanted to share.
Have a fabulous day!
My afternoon. Most of the time phone calls I get from employees are "How much was my pay cheque?" (check your bank account - I wish I was allowed to say that), "My pay cheque is wrong." (supervisor entered wrong hours/rate of pay) etc. And it can get frustrating.
And then there are afternoons like this.
Phone call 1 was from an employee that wanted to go over a few things. Then he wanted to talk. We recently had an employee die in a car accident and he wanted to know if there were children. If so, he wanted to start up a fund for them. Couldn't release this info (privacy act) but I recommended he ask around unofficially. This was coming from a guy who's had a pretty rough go at life. Long time employee, in jail for a few year. Within a couple days of returning to work for us, he was on the phone with me letting me know he pays family maintenance. One of the few responsible guys who use the system to make sure his kids are taken care of properly. The call restored my faith in the goodness of our often rough & gruff employees.
Phone call 2 flabergasted me. Someone actually wanted a step-by-step breakdown of his pay and how pay cheques were calculated. What were statutory deductions (complete with each of their purpose and the %), regular & OT calculations, group insurance (health benefits) etc. And then he wanted to know about my education. So, told him about my certifications and my current progress. So then he wanted to know about my experience with Athabasca because he was considering them. Just a super friendly, curious employee who is using his time at the rig to make some money and get out quickly. It's extremely rare for anyone to ask me to go into their pay cheque in this much detail. I think it's only happened one other time in my entire payroll career. I was giddy by the time I got off the phone because I love sharing knowledge with other.
I've still got a smile on my face.
And I wanted to share.
Have a fabulous day!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
New Mayor!
Hello Everyone,
I'm very excited - we got a new mayor and there was a large voter turn-out. I think we were all just fed up with how city hall was running. Out of the top 3 candidates (in a dead heat the last week of the campaign), 2 were complete outsiders. And the person I was supporting won. I liked Nenshi's campaign. Really used social media, well thought out platform and ideas, positive messages.
Things are ok right now. Busy and tired but that's how it goes. I have a major project and presentation due on Monday for school that I need to focus on. Money is tight so I'm looking at creative ways to stretch my budget. Luckily I don't any anticipated large purchase over the next few months and most of my Christmas shopping is done.
As for my diet, I can only afford one more visit to the naturopath. My benefits cover most of the consulting fee but none of the supplements. And that powdered drink crap works out to $40/week. Since I don't need it and it just means I would lose the weight slower, I'm cutting it out. I'm also a bit suspicious of the supplement doses she's recommended. It's anywhere from twice to four times the amount on the label. And for the vitamin B12, when she didn't have any of the liquid drops and switched to the under the tongue pill, the dosage quadupled without any comments from her. I'm going to switch to the label recommendations and at my appointment next week, ask her about vitamin d supplement requirements for winter. I haven't noticed any change or weight loss over the past 1 1/2 weeks whereas she mentioned 1-2 lbs a week. And those protein portions are huge! It's hard to eat all that food on the list - I'm just too full. So, I'm still going to stick with the very reduced grains, lots of veggies and healthy food. But I have my doubts. At least my energy level has remained and I'm feeling good about myself.
Got my flu shot on Friday and I can still feel where they stuck the needle. Had a plasma donation in the same arm on Wednesday and after a fiasco there, it bruised. At least it stopped hurting Sunday night. My donations generally go smooth but a night like that with what seemed like a very inexperience nurse makes me second guess my donation. I'm a universal donor for plasma so I'm valuable but I felt horrid for 1 1/2 days and had a sore arm for 5.
Mike is funny. We had one of Keith's friends stay with us Friday & Saturday and he slept in Mike's room. Jerry was in and out all weekend as it was Con-Version (sci-fi, fantasy, horror convention). Mike would not go in his room, even after the guy left. I changed the bedding on Sunday. He still wouldn't go in. I ended up having Jerry put some of his dirty shirts on the bed and Mike quite happily curled up on them. I suspect it was because Mike's room didn't "smell" like Jerry - it smelled like another male. I managed to grab one of the shirts and throw it in the laundry and he's quite happy curling up on the other. Even though he has the entire bed (and entire house) to lounge.
Have a great day!
I'm very excited - we got a new mayor and there was a large voter turn-out. I think we were all just fed up with how city hall was running. Out of the top 3 candidates (in a dead heat the last week of the campaign), 2 were complete outsiders. And the person I was supporting won. I liked Nenshi's campaign. Really used social media, well thought out platform and ideas, positive messages.
Things are ok right now. Busy and tired but that's how it goes. I have a major project and presentation due on Monday for school that I need to focus on. Money is tight so I'm looking at creative ways to stretch my budget. Luckily I don't any anticipated large purchase over the next few months and most of my Christmas shopping is done.
As for my diet, I can only afford one more visit to the naturopath. My benefits cover most of the consulting fee but none of the supplements. And that powdered drink crap works out to $40/week. Since I don't need it and it just means I would lose the weight slower, I'm cutting it out. I'm also a bit suspicious of the supplement doses she's recommended. It's anywhere from twice to four times the amount on the label. And for the vitamin B12, when she didn't have any of the liquid drops and switched to the under the tongue pill, the dosage quadupled without any comments from her. I'm going to switch to the label recommendations and at my appointment next week, ask her about vitamin d supplement requirements for winter. I haven't noticed any change or weight loss over the past 1 1/2 weeks whereas she mentioned 1-2 lbs a week. And those protein portions are huge! It's hard to eat all that food on the list - I'm just too full. So, I'm still going to stick with the very reduced grains, lots of veggies and healthy food. But I have my doubts. At least my energy level has remained and I'm feeling good about myself.
Got my flu shot on Friday and I can still feel where they stuck the needle. Had a plasma donation in the same arm on Wednesday and after a fiasco there, it bruised. At least it stopped hurting Sunday night. My donations generally go smooth but a night like that with what seemed like a very inexperience nurse makes me second guess my donation. I'm a universal donor for plasma so I'm valuable but I felt horrid for 1 1/2 days and had a sore arm for 5.
Mike is funny. We had one of Keith's friends stay with us Friday & Saturday and he slept in Mike's room. Jerry was in and out all weekend as it was Con-Version (sci-fi, fantasy, horror convention). Mike would not go in his room, even after the guy left. I changed the bedding on Sunday. He still wouldn't go in. I ended up having Jerry put some of his dirty shirts on the bed and Mike quite happily curled up on them. I suspect it was because Mike's room didn't "smell" like Jerry - it smelled like another male. I managed to grab one of the shirts and throw it in the laundry and he's quite happy curling up on the other. Even though he has the entire bed (and entire house) to lounge.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Wednesday
Hello Everyone,
I have a love/hate relationship with Wednesdays. It's hump day so I know my work week only gets shorter come noon. But usually there is so much to do when I get home.
Dr appointment went good. I'm no longer on no wheat - just super limited wheat. She's now given me weird diet to follow until I'm back down to healthy weight. I've got 25-30 lbs to lose. According to dr, this will have me lose on average 3 lbs of fat (not weight, fat) per week, in a healthy fashion. So, for example, if I lose 3 lbs of fat but gain 2 lbs of muscle, I only have a 1 lbs weight loss on the scale. But she measured how much of my body is water, fat, muscle etc and will monitor me that way rather than a scale. And I have good water in my body - my cells are plump like grapes.
So each day I can have:
2 powdered drinks - icky gritty crap stuff but I can get it down quickly
2 "concentrated protein" - meat (3 oz) and some cheeses
1 legume (1/2 cup)
1 dairy/alternative - milk, yogurt, other cheeses
1 nuts (10-18, depending on the type)
As much salad/leafy veggies as I like
1 sugary vegetable - potato, beets, winter squash (1/2 cup)
1-2 fruits
1 grains (1/2 cup)
4 oils (1 tsp)
I can work with this. 1 icky powder for breakfast, when I take my vitamins, 1 icky powder for afternoon snack. My lunch was "normal" sized today. Apple for a snack and then figure out something for dinner.
Yesterday, I rewarded myself for sticking to the gluten-free for 7 weeks. Had a cup cake and 3 small slices of pizza. So far not feeling terrible today, although I was warned. That pizza was super yummy (and I ate it with a huge salad). On this new diet, I could eat 1 slice but I'd be limited what I could eat for the rest of the day. I like though that I can now go out for dinner, or over to someone's house and not be super vigilant about the ingredients of the meal.
This is the strict lose weight diet and once I get to my desired (and healthy) weight, it changes to maintenance portions. It does help to measure the portions out so if anything, it'll teach me about that.
We're off to Lethbridge for Thanksgiving. Will try to make 1 fruit cake tonight, 1 tomorrow night and then Jerry can make one on Monday. Then, in 3 weeks, we sample to see which will work the best for the favours at the reception Jerry's folks are hosting.
Have a great day!
I have a love/hate relationship with Wednesdays. It's hump day so I know my work week only gets shorter come noon. But usually there is so much to do when I get home.
Dr appointment went good. I'm no longer on no wheat - just super limited wheat. She's now given me weird diet to follow until I'm back down to healthy weight. I've got 25-30 lbs to lose. According to dr, this will have me lose on average 3 lbs of fat (not weight, fat) per week, in a healthy fashion. So, for example, if I lose 3 lbs of fat but gain 2 lbs of muscle, I only have a 1 lbs weight loss on the scale. But she measured how much of my body is water, fat, muscle etc and will monitor me that way rather than a scale. And I have good water in my body - my cells are plump like grapes.
So each day I can have:
2 powdered drinks - icky gritty crap stuff but I can get it down quickly
2 "concentrated protein" - meat (3 oz) and some cheeses
1 legume (1/2 cup)
1 dairy/alternative - milk, yogurt, other cheeses
1 nuts (10-18, depending on the type)
As much salad/leafy veggies as I like
1 sugary vegetable - potato, beets, winter squash (1/2 cup)
1-2 fruits
1 grains (1/2 cup)
4 oils (1 tsp)
I can work with this. 1 icky powder for breakfast, when I take my vitamins, 1 icky powder for afternoon snack. My lunch was "normal" sized today. Apple for a snack and then figure out something for dinner.
Yesterday, I rewarded myself for sticking to the gluten-free for 7 weeks. Had a cup cake and 3 small slices of pizza. So far not feeling terrible today, although I was warned. That pizza was super yummy (and I ate it with a huge salad). On this new diet, I could eat 1 slice but I'd be limited what I could eat for the rest of the day. I like though that I can now go out for dinner, or over to someone's house and not be super vigilant about the ingredients of the meal.
This is the strict lose weight diet and once I get to my desired (and healthy) weight, it changes to maintenance portions. It does help to measure the portions out so if anything, it'll teach me about that.
We're off to Lethbridge for Thanksgiving. Will try to make 1 fruit cake tonight, 1 tomorrow night and then Jerry can make one on Monday. Then, in 3 weeks, we sample to see which will work the best for the favours at the reception Jerry's folks are hosting.
Have a great day!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
new shoes
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!
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!
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
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