Hello Everyone,
So, I was cosmetics shopping with a friend and found the most wonderful shade of lipstick. It's L'Oreal Colour Riche 301 - Real Red.
You know how sometimes red lipstick can be a bit too orange? Or they're a tacky fushia red? Well, this is a rich red, leaning toward a cherry tone.
And I picked it up at Murale, which is a branch of Shopper's Drug Mart for only $12.49.
So I had to share.
Because I think it would look pretty on everyone.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
A Good Tuesday
Hello Everyone,
The payroll is looking good so it's not been the stressful week that I imagined. Took it easy on the weekend. Watched Knight and Day - the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz "spy thriller". It was hilarious! So, I now understand why it was trashed so badly. If you were expecting an actual spy thriller, it was terrible. If you saw how much they were making fun of spy thriller movies, it was very well done.
Got my Christmas (now "winter" since they'll be too late for Christmas) letters printed off so they'll be dropped off at the post office tomorrow. They should arrive sometime in January.
I have my Christmas baking left to do. I'm not doing much this year so a good chunk will be done tonight and the rest over the next few days. Everything else is done and this'll be the first Christmas in years that I'm not stressed about presents/travel/work/lack of sleep.
Have a great day!
The payroll is looking good so it's not been the stressful week that I imagined. Took it easy on the weekend. Watched Knight and Day - the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz "spy thriller". It was hilarious! So, I now understand why it was trashed so badly. If you were expecting an actual spy thriller, it was terrible. If you saw how much they were making fun of spy thriller movies, it was very well done.
Got my Christmas (now "winter" since they'll be too late for Christmas) letters printed off so they'll be dropped off at the post office tomorrow. They should arrive sometime in January.
I have my Christmas baking left to do. I'm not doing much this year so a good chunk will be done tonight and the rest over the next few days. Everything else is done and this'll be the first Christmas in years that I'm not stressed about presents/travel/work/lack of sleep.
Have a great day!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
sigh of contentment
Hello Everyone,
So I just sent off the last bit of information to the resort for the wedding. Bouquet, cake, breakfast etc confirmed. And made the final resort payment yesterday. I giggled when I got off the phone and a big weight lifted from my shoulders. Now, anything extra is just that - extras we want but are not mandatory.
And so I updated my to-do spreadsheet and it's looking very reasonable. No craziness of busy wedding stuff like I see on tv. The spreadsheet has 3 columns - Karen, Jerry and Both. Jerry only has a few things on his - mostly paperwork. I have the most but it's all very manageable and things I enjoy doing.
And for anyone curious, the final decision on my future name. And this was the closest we came to an argument. Professional and in the eyes of the government, I will remain "Halliday". Socially I will be "Hoult". I will change my driver's license to "Halliday Hoult". In Canada, taking a married name is not a legal name change so if I change my mind in the future, I don't have to do any major paperwork. I'll use my Halliday name at one bank and Hoult at the other. That way, if someone writes me a cheque, I can still cash it :-) Jerry was hoping I would take his name but when I explain all the issues (SIN, pension, work logins/e-mail, certificates etc), he understood where I was coming from. I don't think he really understood my initial hang-up of me suddenly losing my identity. So, a different approach was needed. We're both content with the solution.
Oh, and I tried on my dress and it fits just like I wanted now. It's back in the box, hiding in the closet. Jerry's been worried that he'll accidently see it but I've been reassuring him that it's super obvious. After all, it a huge box - about 2'x3' and says "David's Bridal" in big writing across the front. And it's behind my storage unit on my side of the closet. Once I have it packed, I'll bring out the box so we can laugh.
Jerry's off to the mountains this weekend. I'm not sure if it's just for 1 day or all weekend. It'll give me a chance to get things done around the house before Christmas. And have a proper de-stress weekend. I'm very much looking forward to a long soak in a bubble bath.
We had a lovely few days of warm weather (averaging around 0ish) but the cooler weather is back to the minus teens.
So, I'm content. Life is good. Have a great day!
So I just sent off the last bit of information to the resort for the wedding. Bouquet, cake, breakfast etc confirmed. And made the final resort payment yesterday. I giggled when I got off the phone and a big weight lifted from my shoulders. Now, anything extra is just that - extras we want but are not mandatory.
And so I updated my to-do spreadsheet and it's looking very reasonable. No craziness of busy wedding stuff like I see on tv. The spreadsheet has 3 columns - Karen, Jerry and Both. Jerry only has a few things on his - mostly paperwork. I have the most but it's all very manageable and things I enjoy doing.
And for anyone curious, the final decision on my future name. And this was the closest we came to an argument. Professional and in the eyes of the government, I will remain "Halliday". Socially I will be "Hoult". I will change my driver's license to "Halliday Hoult". In Canada, taking a married name is not a legal name change so if I change my mind in the future, I don't have to do any major paperwork. I'll use my Halliday name at one bank and Hoult at the other. That way, if someone writes me a cheque, I can still cash it :-) Jerry was hoping I would take his name but when I explain all the issues (SIN, pension, work logins/e-mail, certificates etc), he understood where I was coming from. I don't think he really understood my initial hang-up of me suddenly losing my identity. So, a different approach was needed. We're both content with the solution.
Oh, and I tried on my dress and it fits just like I wanted now. It's back in the box, hiding in the closet. Jerry's been worried that he'll accidently see it but I've been reassuring him that it's super obvious. After all, it a huge box - about 2'x3' and says "David's Bridal" in big writing across the front. And it's behind my storage unit on my side of the closet. Once I have it packed, I'll bring out the box so we can laugh.
Jerry's off to the mountains this weekend. I'm not sure if it's just for 1 day or all weekend. It'll give me a chance to get things done around the house before Christmas. And have a proper de-stress weekend. I'm very much looking forward to a long soak in a bubble bath.
We had a lovely few days of warm weather (averaging around 0ish) but the cooler weather is back to the minus teens.
So, I'm content. Life is good. Have a great day!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Satisfied with Exam
Hello Everyone,
I did my exam last night and feel confident enough to say I passed. It takes about 6 weeks to get the results. But we knew the marking scheme of each question and I had more than enough solid answers to pass. I'm guessing my mark around 72-75 but if they want to be tough, it could go as low as 67. And since 60 is a pass, that's good enough for me. I'm not one of those people who tries to get the highest mark - I'm not that good at exams and I don't think the stress level is worth it for this type of course (balanced against work).
So now I get to focus on my computer course (Microsoft Office applications) and Spanish (Rosetta Stone). I hope to have the computer course done by the time we leave for Mexico (68 days!)and I'll have a better idea if this is realistic by the end of the month.
And I just found out my final payroll course I need will be offered on line next fall. Which means no more dealing with transit to get to Mount Royal University! That should get me my Certified Payroll Manager designation mid 2012. And yes, I use this blog to help keep me on track with my schooling.
Oh, and we've changed the first part of our Mexican adventure. We were originally heading to Tulum when we arrived to stay at the nature park there. I worked out the logistics and it would be a bit messy. We're now going to Merida, the capital of the area. Jerry had mentioned a couple times about the place, I checked it out, and both of us think it would be a better introduction to the Yucatan. I'm hoping to take a cooking class while we're there. And our hostel is right on a plaza in the old quarter. And very good bus connections between there and Cancun.
That's about it for now. Christmas will be my next focus and I'm still aiming to get our Christmas letters out before the day. Now, that's not saying they'll be at your homes by then...
Have a great day!
I did my exam last night and feel confident enough to say I passed. It takes about 6 weeks to get the results. But we knew the marking scheme of each question and I had more than enough solid answers to pass. I'm guessing my mark around 72-75 but if they want to be tough, it could go as low as 67. And since 60 is a pass, that's good enough for me. I'm not one of those people who tries to get the highest mark - I'm not that good at exams and I don't think the stress level is worth it for this type of course (balanced against work).
So now I get to focus on my computer course (Microsoft Office applications) and Spanish (Rosetta Stone). I hope to have the computer course done by the time we leave for Mexico (68 days!)and I'll have a better idea if this is realistic by the end of the month.
And I just found out my final payroll course I need will be offered on line next fall. Which means no more dealing with transit to get to Mount Royal University! That should get me my Certified Payroll Manager designation mid 2012. And yes, I use this blog to help keep me on track with my schooling.
Oh, and we've changed the first part of our Mexican adventure. We were originally heading to Tulum when we arrived to stay at the nature park there. I worked out the logistics and it would be a bit messy. We're now going to Merida, the capital of the area. Jerry had mentioned a couple times about the place, I checked it out, and both of us think it would be a better introduction to the Yucatan. I'm hoping to take a cooking class while we're there. And our hostel is right on a plaza in the old quarter. And very good bus connections between there and Cancun.
That's about it for now. Christmas will be my next focus and I'm still aiming to get our Christmas letters out before the day. Now, that's not saying they'll be at your homes by then...
Have a great day!
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Rice Cooker Pot Roast
Hello Everyone,
Yes, you can make pot roast in a rice cooker
...and it tastes pretty good.
I found though after hour 2 you may want to flip your meat. It got a bit caramelly on the bottom but not burnt.
On another note, I finished my cue cards questions to prepare for my exam on Monday. Tonight I'll start on my exam sheet - a one page cram sheet that I'll need to re-produce by memory so I can remember everything. It seems to work for me. Then, once I get my exam, before I open it and panic, I write my cram sheet on the spare paper, take a breath, and then look at what I need to do.
Today is our work lunch Christmas party and Jerry's work Christmas party is on Saturday. We're having some of his co-workers from Edmonton staying with us for the weekend and I warned him I cannot play host. I'll be in our room studying, only coming out for caffeine and cuddles with the furry family.
But soon it will be over and my goal is the required 60%. I'm not one of those people aiming for perfect. I'm looking for a reasonable result, since most of this material should be referenced rather than memorized.
Have a great day!
Yes, you can make pot roast in a rice cooker
...and it tastes pretty good.
I found though after hour 2 you may want to flip your meat. It got a bit caramelly on the bottom but not burnt.
On another note, I finished my cue cards questions to prepare for my exam on Monday. Tonight I'll start on my exam sheet - a one page cram sheet that I'll need to re-produce by memory so I can remember everything. It seems to work for me. Then, once I get my exam, before I open it and panic, I write my cram sheet on the spare paper, take a breath, and then look at what I need to do.
Today is our work lunch Christmas party and Jerry's work Christmas party is on Saturday. We're having some of his co-workers from Edmonton staying with us for the weekend and I warned him I cannot play host. I'll be in our room studying, only coming out for caffeine and cuddles with the furry family.
But soon it will be over and my goal is the required 60%. I'm not one of those people aiming for perfect. I'm looking for a reasonable result, since most of this material should be referenced rather than memorized.
Have a great day!
Thursday, December 02, 2010
A clear winner
Hello Everyone,
So we ate some fruit cake on the weekend and Jerry's favourite was 2. Just like everyone elses. Grandma Armstrong wins! It actually tastes good and was the easiest to make.
I ordered the little boxes for it to go in this week. They're called a double truffle box and I got them online. Most of the boxes I've seen were square, which wouldn't work since the cake is just over 2" tall. These boxes will fit a 1" piece quite nicely.
We also ordered a horribly tacky cake knife and serving set. I think there will be a cake cutting at the reception but I couldn't justify spending a lot of money on these items. Most of them were impractible (bows to get stuck in icing, heart shaped servers that won't slide a piece of cake very well). So, on the same website where I got the boxes, I was able to order From Fashioncraft’s exclusive Finishing Touches Collection, the 13” long knife and 10 ½” server both have stainless steel tops (blade and server) and white poly resin handles with dipped beaded design tops, elegant carved seashells and starfish, a faux pearl accent, a sea foam blue wave design at the tip and blue rhinestones sprinkled throughout. Truly one for the ages, each beach themed wedding cake knife and server set comes delightfully packaged in a white with ivory seashell design gift box with a clear acetate window front for beautiful display and storage. I giggled when I saw it and Jerry agreed that everything we saw looked pretty bad and he enjoyed my giggling.
I also went to a seamstress last night concerning my dress. Although my dress fit from the waist down, there had been something bothering me about the top. I had bought my undergarments earlier in the week and was ready to see what was wrong. She pinned a few things and I lost 15 pounds caused by fabric drape. Once she was done, I got back up on the round stand and almost burst into tears because the dress looked so pretty. I pick it up in two weeks. I'm not concerned about having it done so early because a) I needed the reassurance that the dress would look right and b) even though I'm working out to get toned up, the areas that's she's bringing in won't be affected, or at least not enough to make a noticeable difference when it comes to the fit c) if something happens to the dress - slip in crazy road crap filled puddle and soaks the dress - I still have enough time to order a new one.
The design for the wishing tree is coming along so now it's just a matter of pulling the branches out of the pile in the alley and getting the tags ready. I'll probably do that this month so it's one less thing on my to-do list.
Overall, wedding plans are coming along nicely. No major deadlines or stressful things to worry about. More just fun things to deal with.
80 days left according to the registry!
So we ate some fruit cake on the weekend and Jerry's favourite was 2. Just like everyone elses. Grandma Armstrong wins! It actually tastes good and was the easiest to make.
I ordered the little boxes for it to go in this week. They're called a double truffle box and I got them online. Most of the boxes I've seen were square, which wouldn't work since the cake is just over 2" tall. These boxes will fit a 1" piece quite nicely.
We also ordered a horribly tacky cake knife and serving set. I think there will be a cake cutting at the reception but I couldn't justify spending a lot of money on these items. Most of them were impractible (bows to get stuck in icing, heart shaped servers that won't slide a piece of cake very well). So, on the same website where I got the boxes, I was able to order From Fashioncraft’s exclusive Finishing Touches Collection, the 13” long knife and 10 ½” server both have stainless steel tops (blade and server) and white poly resin handles with dipped beaded design tops, elegant carved seashells and starfish, a faux pearl accent, a sea foam blue wave design at the tip and blue rhinestones sprinkled throughout. Truly one for the ages, each beach themed wedding cake knife and server set comes delightfully packaged in a white with ivory seashell design gift box with a clear acetate window front for beautiful display and storage. I giggled when I saw it and Jerry agreed that everything we saw looked pretty bad and he enjoyed my giggling.
I also went to a seamstress last night concerning my dress. Although my dress fit from the waist down, there had been something bothering me about the top. I had bought my undergarments earlier in the week and was ready to see what was wrong. She pinned a few things and I lost 15 pounds caused by fabric drape. Once she was done, I got back up on the round stand and almost burst into tears because the dress looked so pretty. I pick it up in two weeks. I'm not concerned about having it done so early because a) I needed the reassurance that the dress would look right and b) even though I'm working out to get toned up, the areas that's she's bringing in won't be affected, or at least not enough to make a noticeable difference when it comes to the fit c) if something happens to the dress - slip in crazy road crap filled puddle and soaks the dress - I still have enough time to order a new one.
The design for the wishing tree is coming along so now it's just a matter of pulling the branches out of the pile in the alley and getting the tags ready. I'll probably do that this month so it's one less thing on my to-do list.
Overall, wedding plans are coming along nicely. No major deadlines or stressful things to worry about. More just fun things to deal with.
80 days left according to the registry!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
A break in the weather
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!
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!
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!
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