I'd like some cheese to go with this whine, please.

I'm not quite sure what to talk about. Didn't really post anything of substance last week because, uh, well, lets just call it "family drama" and leave it at that, because at this point all I really want to do is cover my ears and pull a "LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU".
Geesh. Mothers.

This weekend I've been wondering when exactly I lost the will to drink. Before I would use any excuse to get drunk (what? it's wednesday? time to get a couple of cheap 40's!), now I'm either never in the mood or deem it too much effort. And, in the rare instances I do drink, 9 out 10 times I just get a thumping headache on the road to drunk and its just not worth it. Huh.

Also having trouble breathing and I have a wicked cough that takes my breath away, all the time. Keith keeps telling me "I should go to the doctors" but I know what they'll say, so why bother? Smokers get no credit at the doctors. Hell, we get no credit anywhere. C'est la vie, ma cherie.

Oooooh, PROJECT RUNWAY 5 starts tonight!! I know it's probably over by now in the States, so if any of you have already seen it, LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU.

Molly's been very sucky all day, but she's sucking up to ..... Keith? What? Not that I'm jealous or anything. Nope. Not at ALL. Really.

Well, that effectively killed fifteen minutes of boredom. Back to playing the Sims, I guess. Yawn.

who needs McDonalds...

when you have a boyfriend like mine?

My (other) baby

fridayfive #10

It's time for the fridayfive!

What was the last song that stuck in your brain and wouldn’t go away?
"L.O.V.E" by Michael Buble.
"E is even more than anyone that you adore
Love is all that I can give to you, love is more than just a game for two,
Two in love can make it, take my heart but please don't break it,
Love was made for me and you"

What’s something that sticks around long after you wish it would leave?
The bad taste in your mouth in the morning. YUCK.

To what use did you put your last sticky note?
I either wrote a "honey-do" note for Keith or jotted down something brief like an appointment time. Can't remember because I don't use sticky notes much!

When did you last have Pixy Stix?
Way too long ago. MMM, pure sugar in a colourful tube!

What is something you are a stickler for?
Being physically affectionate. Lots of hugs, kisses and cuggles every day.

My baby

Living Room: After (A Series)

So I just remembered I never showed you what I did with the living room, and its the room in the apartment that changed the most, soooo....

Remember what it looked like before? *shudder* Let's not revisit those dark times, shall we? Instead, let's look at pretty pictures of the way it is now! YES! LET'S!

So...we separated the couch and moved them way up the wall(s). It opens up the room SO much more, don't you think? See that yellow and red blankie at the end of the couch? That's Molly's spot. She prefers laying on blankets to the floor most of the time. In fact, she's laying on it right now, playing DEAD PUPPAY!

Also: see those shelves on the wall? I want to take them down and I was originally going to paint them white, but now I think a deep rich red would compliment the couch and make it "pop" that much more. I'm not allowed to even think of painting the walls (booooo) so this is my consolation prize.

This is our little "office area". This is the only place in the entire apartment I'm allowed to smoke and I keep my no-baby medicine here too because if I didn't, I would NEVER remember to take it. This is where Keith and I spend most of our time at home; because the couch curls outwards, away from the wall, it kind of "sections off" the area. My desk is on the left, Keith is on the right. I love how on the top of my desk is a picture of us and a picture of my family and little knickknacks (the only knickknacks I own, actually), and the top of Keiths desk?

Hockey stuff. Of course.

This is the opposite wall. Both those chairs reclines, and we never sit on them, hence why they're covered in stuff. Next to that is my bookcase, and next to that (which you can't really see) is stuff that really should be in storage but we just don't have the room.

And this is the only thing that didn't change, really. Just the stuff on/in the cabinet did; can you believe its ALL KEITHS?? The guy has more knickknacks than I do! Unbelievable!! It's so big you can't really put it anywhere else; if you put it against the windows then it's pointless to have windows, and if you put it on either side wall then you're sitting waaay too close to it. Here you can see the storage stuff I was talking about. And Molly. Because she's adorable. YES SHE IS!

This is on the end of the long couch closest to the foyer; it's Mollys "bed blankie" and garbage pail full of her toys and stuffies. She also has a penchant for slippers so there's been a few unwilling donations on Keith's part added to the mix.

So that's it. That's my entire apartment, room by room. HA. Took me long enough.

With this project done and also the Olympics, what EVER shall I blog about now? Hmmm.

Can't think of a title....

Keith has to test his blood glocouse levels for 3 weeks to see if he has diabetes and his first reading was high - 7.6. Uh oh? Both his parents have it so the doctor was just concerned when she saw some abnormal readings over the last few appointments. I hope he doesn't have diabetes, I can't stand to see him prick himself every few hours. UGH!! Sorry, but seeing someone use a needle on themselves isn't my idea of a turn-on.

Of course I jumped in on the action and surprisingly my level came in at 5.2 (normal is anywhere between 5 and 7). So it looks like my mother was wrong with all that "stop eating so much sugar you'll get diabetes for sure later" doomsday talk, at least so far. Knock on wood.

Keith's making "fake spaghetti" which is just substituting a different pasta type than using actual spaghetti. We both much prefer the shorter stuff like rostini and penne. Less messy!

And now for a new feature: My "Non-Recipe" for the Week.
Tonight I made "Ghetto Garlic Cheesy Bread" to go with the "Fake Spaghetti"
Basically, you take a cookie sheet, pre-heat oven to 350, spread slices of bread (as many as wanted/needed) with butter, sprinkle with garlic salt, cover with slices of cheddar and pop in the oven until cheese is melted. VOILA! And there's my "Non-Recipe" for the Week.

Keith surprised me with Season 1 of Friends today when he came home from work. Yay! Such a sweetie he is. So now we have Seasons 1, 2, 3, 7 and 10. Oddly enough I kind of want Season 8 and 9 before the earlier seasons. I wonder why?

Mmmm, kay, that's enough rambling about nothing. For now, at least. :P

Early Christmas Present, maybe?

I want this so bad I'm wimpering. I want to hang it up in our living room and then stare at it for days.

Anybody want to get me an early Christmas present?


PLEAAAAAAAASE?


(Full Etsy shop can be found here. He's got some really great stuff!)

Can'tsleepcan'tsleepcan'tsleep

can'tsleepcan'tsleepcan'tsleep, ARGH!!

Today we took Molly to the grassy field next to our building and for the first time in about 3-4 months, let her run off-leash. She loved it! We took the ballthrower with us and she went bounding after it for a good 20 minutes. I used to let her roam free all the time when we went outside, until she started not coming when I called (and running away from me when I tried to catch her) - and that, understandably, really freaked me out - so we've been erring on the side of extreme caution since then. Last week though I started mentioning to Keith that I thought she was ready, because she's definitely "quieter" (not so much being a "psycho-puppy" anymore) as well as she just listens a LOT better to both Keith and I. And I love seeing her run freely; I felt badly that I couldn't let her off-leash these past few months. So I'm really happy she was such a good girl today outside!! I can't wait to have more playtimes like that. The eventual goal, once she has her first year shots, is to take her out to the dogpark at Conroy and just let her play. Keith mentioned to me that he wants to eventually be able to go jogging with her as well.

What else did we do this weekend?
Oh, we bought Sims2 Pets expansion pack. Now all we're missing is the "Seasons" and "Open for Business" expansion packs, as well as the PIN code for "Nightlife". So far I have a black lab called Molly, a bull mastiff called Mady, and a Rottweiler called Honour (all to different families, of course). Yep, it's pretty safe to say I'm a Sims2 addict. (Note to the wise; never let your Sims have 4 kids. Six Sims to control is WAY TOO MANY!!!)

House is a mess, of course. I hurt my knee cleaning the bedroom last night; not too sure what I did to it but it hurts when I bend it. So I've been kind of trying to take it a bit easy today so I'll be able to clean tomorrow.

Also got Seasons 2 and 3 of Friends on DVD this weekend. Now we have Season 2, 3, 7 and 10 - it doesn't matter what order we get them in because I've seen every single episode.
I got a new pair of shoes as well. Well, I loved my old pair so much I actually replaced them with the exact same pair.

That's about it, I guess. Final medal count in Athens was 18 - 3 gold, 9 silver, and 6 bronze ...which is more than our medal count in the last two Olympics (12 in Athens, 14 in Sydney). The highest ever was 22 medals in Atlanta in a non-boycotted Games. Now, if fourth place was a medal finish, Canada would run away with it.

CANNOT WAIT for 2012! I'm getting nostalgic for London already, LOL.

2010 is going to be special since it's being held in Vancouver, Canada! woop woop! Courtesy of a Bell commercial, I now know there are "only" 538 days until then. Yesterday, courtesy of the same commercial, there were 539. YEP, the commercial is counting down the days, which means it'll be playing AT LEAST once a day for the next 500 days. Ingenious marketing department Bell has, don't you think?

And you know how I was bitching about CBC's coverage? They aren't covering the Olympics anymore! TSN and CTV are taking over for a few years. I wonder how good of a job they'll do?

Kay, I'm off to crawl into bed next to my sweetie for (hopefully) some cuggles and sleepytimes.

8 Things About The Olympics

Okay okay okay...I KNOW I've been harping on the Olympics for two weeks now. It's almost over though! Just bear with me :P

First:
Have you seen the girls who present the medals/flowers dresses??! OMGosh, are they ever PRETTY. Especially the ones for the swimming. I want one. Not to wear or anything, just to look at.

Secondly:
Racewalking?
Softball and baseball are being cut but racewalking is okay?

Thirdly:
The judging in the Taekwondo seems to be just a little off. Our commentators seem to see alot more points than the judges do. The COC even launched a protest for one of the athletes because of it (it was denied). However, we have a possible medal prospect in our women's 96kg division. She advanced to the semi-finals today.

Fourth:
Who came up with that stupid rule in freestyle wrestling that the last person to score a point in a bout wins?

Picture this:
2 guys, 2 minutes, best of 3 bouts.
First guy: "OH YES! got a point"
Second guy: "Oh damn, I have 20 seconds left...There we go! POINT!"
*Time runs out*
Second guy wins!

HUH??!
Am I the only one that thinks this in't a) fair or b) makes any sense?

Fifth:
Adam V.K. (our flagbearer, incidentally) choked in the men's 1000m K-1 final, coming 8th. I felt so sorry for him in the interview afterwards though and thought it was pretty tactless of the reporter to persist in the interview when it was obvious that Adam was really feeling the loss. Thankfully, he has another event tomorrow, the K-1 500, and yes, I will stay up until 3:45am to watch him for the second night in a row. Don't tell Keith, but he's (really) cute.

Sixth:
Add another bronze to the mix! Men's 1000 C-1; Thomas Hall. It was a close race for third, but Hall perserved for the final 200m for bronze. He said in an interview afterwards that he "couldn't feel anything, it was pure adrenaline....but I'm feeling it now, I'm dying."
(Have you seen what position they have to be in for the race?! OW OW OW.)

Seventh:
BMXing is confusing. Everything about it is really hard to keep track of. I won't even TRY to explain it, because I don't even really get it.
And its long. Really long, because every heat has 3 runs.
Did I mention its confusing?

Eighth:
Really ticked off at CBC for not announcing at all when synchro swimming (both team and duet) would be on, and even more ticked off that it was in the middle of the night with no repeats. So what if we aren't in medal contention? We have athletes in both events, and synchro swimming is gymnastics in water. Hell, we didn't even really HAVE athletes in most of the gymnastics events, and you still covered that. Gah!
I know I've complained about this before, but geez, a little support for our athletes would be nice. Its not just financial support that they need, you know.
Let's just say I'm disappointed in CBC's coverage, and leave it at that.

WE WON WE WON WE WON!!!!

GOLD in Individual Show Jumping!

MAN, that was intense! It came down to a jump-off between Eric Lamaze on Hickstead for Canada and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson on Ninja for Sweden. Sweden went first, was clean until the very last jump, and then knocked it down, incurring a 4-point penalty.

I was biting my nails all the way through Eric's round. I might have told him through the TV that he could take all the time in the world, just JUMP IT CLEAN.

And guess what??! HE DID.

I may or may not have gotten a little teary-eyed immediately afterwards. I'll probably tear up some more during the medal ceremony, which is coming up in a bit. Ha! It's our first gold medal in this event, EVER, and our first medal overall since 1976.

Eric struggled a bit with cocaine use in his past and was banned from competing in both the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. This is his first Olympics. He jumped three clean rounds to capture the gold.

***

In other news, we placed 4th in Women's Softball (lost against Australia, grr). However, we achieved a Silver in Individual Women's 10m platform diving.

The medal count stands at 15, three more than Athens. 3 Gold, 7 Silver, 5 Bronze. YAY US!

****

In personal news; nearly forgot to mention - it's Keith and I's 11 month anniversary today. The biggest surprise to me is how easy having a relationship with him is. There's alot more I could say but I can't find the proper word(ing)s, so I'll just leave it at that.

Edited to add: Keith just told me it's actually his parents wedding anniversary today. They've been married FORTY THREE years. Holy!!! That kinda makes our 11-months look like, well, nothing (because, in the grand scheme of things, it really is). We were just ordered to appear at 7:30 at their place for dinner. Hee.

All over the place

That is what happens when I attempt to make cookies.

Yeah. I suck! (hahhahhaha, Keith just asked me if he could have a 'piece')

**********

Olympic note: (what would these two weeks be without some mention in every post? Pul-eaze): Right now the beach volleyball match between the US and China is on. I think it's for the gold medal, but guess what?! I. DON'T. CARE. And why don't I care?

Because women's 10m platform diving is on, and we actually have a CANADIAN in it. I don't care if its just the semi-finals, I WANT TO SEE CANADIAN ATHLETES. I'm just a little fuming right now. GRR!

Did you guys hear about the South African woman in the 10k swim? All I can say is WOW. Can't wait to see how she does in 2012!

Oh, damn....our main anchor that does the "Olympic Prime" (6pm-midnight for us/6am-noon Beijing time) shift just announced his mom just died from complications of bone cancer, so he's heading home today. :( Thoughts are with him!

**********

Anyway, I think Kamie did this meme awhile back, and I actually started looking for it in her archives (so I could link it) before I smacked myself in the head. I'm just going to say I found this one by clicking around on different blogs and leave it at that. Apparently it's called "It's Real Life" and the object is to take pictures of different random things around your place, but the cachet is you CANNOT primp things up or make the area seem better than it is. So here it is:

Your fridge:

Um. Yeah. See those pieces of paper tacked up? Daily and weekly "chore lists". Which I did one day to avoid doing chores, and haven't really looked at since. Ha.

A closet:

This is the front hall closet. I am refusing to even really look at it until fall, and then I'll go through a major sorting of it.

Kitchen sink:

Keith just finished doing the dishes...don't know why he left the water in it?

Toilet:

Um, it's a toliet?

Favourite shoes:

A nice pair of Wal-Mart ballet-style flats that I absolutely adore (I put them on the back of the couch to get a better picture), but they're falling apart. Hopefully I can find the exact same pair on Friday. (and YES, thats a carton of my cigarettes. Woops).

Favourite room in your house:

Okay, so it's not really a "room" in terms of walls, but it's our desk area against the far wall of the living room. I'm on the left, Keith on the right. Sorry it's so dark.

What your kids are doing right now:

Since I don't actually have human children, here are my fur-babies: Kitty-in-a-box and DEAD PUPPAY! (and no, that's not toliet/tissue paper, that's a pair of Keith's socks.)

Laundry:

Oh. My. Uh, that's all clean laundry. Really, it is. It was done LAST Monday and we haven't gotten around to putting it away yet. That's embarrassing.

Self portrait:

My inner-gangsta shines through. Yo, homie.

Oh the streets are paved with silver...

Five more silvers and another bronze for us Canadians! In a DAY!
Silvers were earned in men's triathalon, mixed team equestrian, men's 3m springboard diving and men's and women's trampoline, with the bronze being in women's 100m hurdles.

One other thing about the Olympics: Is anyone else getting tired of hearing the Chinese anthem? No? Just me then....

I'm trying to resist re-doing my layout in one of those "Cutest blogs ever" layouts, because I want to be an individual, dangnabbit!, but it's SO HARD WHEN THEY'RE SO PRETTY. So far I'm resisting, but I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

I feel like doing a meme, except I can't find any. I know I do way too many of them as it is, but bear with me here. Can you help me out? Recommend a meme in the comments and I'll do one (or all!) in a future post. Just one request: I'm really sick of doing straight question memes. So, anything other than that.

Oh yeah, interview went fine. It was just basically a meet-and-greet with a few questions; hopefully they call me for a 2nd interview soon. Keep those fingers crossed! :)

Spoke too soon, thankfully.

So it looks like I spoke about 12 hours too soon for lamenting we wouldn't get any medals. We earned SEVEN!!!!!! over the course of the weekend. I watched four of them gain a gold, silver and two bronze yesterday, and then woke up to discover we had gained three more! (how awesome is that?) We're now ranked 19th overall in the medal standings.

We acheived our first gold with women's freestyle wrestling in the 48kg class; I'll admit to getting choked-up (really choked up, actually) watching the medal ceremony during the playing of our national anthem. Then we also got a bronze in women's wrestling, 55kg class. Last night, 19 year old Ryan Cochrane achieved bronze in the men's 1500 freestyle, Canada's only medal in swimming. Also last night/yesterday, our men's pair (without coxswain) in rowing achieved a silver.

And then, while I was sleeping, our men's eight (with coxswain) in rowing apparently DOMINATED the entire race and achieved our second gold overall!! We also achieved two more bronze, both in rowing - one in the women's lightweight double sculls and one in men's lightweight sculls. I say we're pretty damn good at rowing, don't you??

Michael Phelps got his 8th gold, 7th world record, and Speedo now has to cough up that million dollars. Also, I've heard he gets 50 grand per gold from the American Olypmic Committee. HOLY COW!!! I can't wait to see what he can do in different events in 2012 at London! (His coach basically said in a CBC interview that he was going to try some different events next time).
****
In personal news, I have a job interview at a restaurant for kitchen work today. Thank GOD, I was beginning to think I was never going to get one. I'm trying not to get nervous about it; I have another 3 and a half hours to go so we'll see how succesful I am at that! I'm also trying to mentally comply a list of strengths/weaknesses that are appropriate to say in a job interview, because I always totally blank when they ask me that question.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, kay?

Eight things

From Heather, who wants me to do this, and Kamie, who did it in the first place.

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch: Friends, Flashpoint, House MD, Criminal Minds, ER, Grey's, Heroes.

8 Restaurants I Love: The Keg, Red Lobster, Tucker's Marketplace, any Chinese place, Wendy's (does that count?), any Vietnamese place that serves Pho, 2-for-1 pizza, Marroush's.

8 Things that Happened Today:
Got shot in the arm, filled out a withdrawal form, got 4 months of no-baby medicine, watched Olympics, drank five alcoholic beverages, yelled at teh cat & dog to stop fighting/playing, cleaned up dog puke, played the Sims.

8 Things I am Looking Forward to:
Getting a job, seeing Michael Phelps go for 7, cuddling with Keith, watching Flashpoint, not spending Christmas alone for the first time in 5 years, maybe my dad visiting this fall, getting to 1-year with Keith, getting engaged (or promised).

8 Things I Love about Summer:
No snow, afternoon showers, long days, air-conditioning, outdoor swimming, summer Olympics, thunder&lightening storms, Farmers Markets.

8 Olympic Events I Want to See/or Have Seen:
Gymnastics, swimming, dressage, synchronized diving, shotput, weightlifting, soccer, field hockey.

8 Things on My Wish List:
Tattoo, see Keith complete another course, finish my own program, tomatoes, lose weight, get a job, behaviour training for Molly.

8 People I Want to do this Survey:
Whoever wants to. Heather pretty much named them all, so. OH. I add Jess. And Michelle.

fridayfive #9

For some reason, I keep thinking it's Thursday, so I nearly forgot to do the fridayfive. Nearly.

What did you last replace batteries for?
Myself? Personally?
*blush*
mytoy.
What have you thrown away that you probably could have had repaired?
My old computer. I just didn't have the money to replace everything that needed to be, and I got a (free) brand new laptop like a month or so later.
Among items in your line of sight right now, what should probably be put in the trash?
Diet Dr. Pepper can on Keith's desk; Diet Pepsi also on Keiths desk *looks around*....that's about it. I COULD empty the one cigarette butt in my ashtray, but that's silly.
When did you last use disposable cutlery while dining in your house?
The last time we ordered Swiss Chalet. Somehow we use the disponsable cutlery they provide instead of getting our own. Weird.
Whose actions cause you to waste time you otherwise wouldn’t waste?
Bureaucracy. :P HA.

Flow

I had something to say. I think. Let's see what flows out of me.

Got my second shot in the arm of Gardasil today. One shot left, four months down the road. Thank god, they STING.

In case you're wondering, Gardasil is a newly developed vaccine that guards against 4 different strains of HPV, two of which cause 70% of cervical cancers, and the other two cause nearly 90% of genital warts cases. It's given in the form of three shots; second one given two months from the first and the third four months from the second.

There's been a HUGE push from the provincial government to get young girls vaccinated - I think it's now mandatory for all Grade 8 girls to receive it; I'm not sure if it's actually covered (cost-wise) by the provincial government though?

The vaccine is only good for girls between the ages of 9 to 26 and the cost is ridiculous - 360$ for all three shots. HOWEVER, because my mom has an awesome health plan, it's 100% free. I won't lie; that was a major factor in me deciding to get the shot. Others were that it's a worthy vaccine to get (I like those odds of preventing cancer, don't you?) and I'm in the right age bracket. Add free to the mix and why not? I think I would have been foolish to pass up this opportunity to get it.

ACTUALLY, little story that just highlights this amazing plan: When I got the prescription filled for the shots, they gave me 2 of the 3 shots, with the instructions to keep the 2nd shot in the fridge until it was time to stick it in my arm. I put it in Keith's fridge, clearly marked with my name, and then Keith and I went to Stratford for the weekend. Came back, the shot was gone...Keith's roommate denies throwing it out, but COME ON, pharmacy bags don't just grow legs and walk away, you DINGBAT. Anyway, I was all worried that I'd have to pay for it, but I called and checked and even though I now needed the second shot to be dispensed twice, IT WAS STILL FREE. (It's little things like that that make me so grateful and proud to be Canadian - I shudder to think of the situation would have been if I was, say, from the US.) Boom-shaka-laka. That was a lucky one!
****
Olympics are messing with my sleep schedule something awful. I stay up late to watch them and then sleep half the day away. Did anyone catch yesterdays gymnastics? SO happy she got the gold, I thought she really deserved it (those legs! OMG!), and especially after her fall on vault the day before that made her team slip into second. I imagine it was a nice validation after a VERY crappy day for her. Aside: Don't those Chinese girls look young?? Like, SUPER young? Keith actually wondered if we were exploiting children by watching them.

Michael Phelps got another gold and another world record. He looks so tired. Tired and not really enjoying himself anymore - it looks like he's just pushing himself through until the finish. I also heard he's consuming 12,000 calories a day - his breakfast has to be broken up into two parts and 1,000 of that is just energy drinks. CRAZY. But, oh god, his body. *drools a bit* Ahem. Sorry. Carrying on.....(why is it I find that attractive but I would never actually consider dating a muscley guy? I like my guys to have padding, thank you very much)

I kinda think this might be the first Olympics we get zilch medals. Oh well. Hopefully I'll be eating my words by the end of next week....the track athletes look promising, and so does our women's softball. Actually, they look DAMN good. I really think we have a decent shot at a medal there.

Kay, I think that's it. Gotta check on my fries lunch, and then start cleaning. Must resist napping....

What does this look like?

What does that look like?

US bombing Iraq yet again?

The fragile peace-treaty totally disintegrating in Jordan?

Would you believe me if I said it was a propane explosion in northeast Toronto?

Thankfully (?) only (?) two lives were lost; one of them a firefighter from a heart attack. The police evacuated 12,500 people within a 3.2 km area and shut down a section of the highway and subway system for hours.

As well, 100 homes can't be re-entered because of air-borne asbestos residue and 6 are structurally unsound and have to be assessed by engineers.

Yesterday, a press conference turned into a shouting match between local city councillors and residents of the area. The politician accused one man "of using the death of a firefighter for partisan purposes and told him to "shut up."" (http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iZhkRMcO1JfY-V8-OQmwEtWsqrsQ)

Three class-action lawsuits, one seeking 300 million in damages, have been filed against the propane company and the City of Toronto.

Toronto is about 5 hours northeast of Ottawa. It is the largest city in Canada at 2.5 million residents and is the seat of Ontario's provincal government.

Olympica!

- Olympics have been on non-stop in our house since Friday. And while I appreciate coverage of truly random countries in "mainstream" sports (Cuba vs. Netherlands in beach volleyball, anyone?) - really, I do - where's the bulk of the Canadian stuff? Every few hours CBC does an update of where each Canadian athlete placed in their respective events; and, yes, granted, we're placing mostly just outside the top 10, BUT I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE MY COUNTRY'S ATHLETES COMPETE. Geesh.

- If I hear that Royal Bank of Canada "Sarah" commercial ONE.MORE.TIME....

- Actually, make that all commercials. Especially that really cheesy Wonderbread one that pimps out little kids like there's no tomorrow and the Air Canada "Getting Athletes to the Games" ones.

- I am in love with Mark Tewksbury. Who is doing commentary? offering insight? in a professional manner for CBC in relation to the swimming events. Oh. My.

- Speaking of commentators, whoever the female was who did the commentary for the men's pre-lim in Gymnastics, SHUT.UP. I'd like to watch the gymnasts do their thing, not listen to you natter away about completely unnecessary things just because you like to hear yourself talk. Silence is golden, my dear. Especially when it comes to a show of athleticism and artistry that is gymnastics.

- We get it. It's hot and humid in Beijing. Of course it is, IT'S AUGUST. Now shut up about it.

- Little tip: When referring to the last Olympics, it should be simply "Last Olympics" OR "4 years ago in Athens" NOT "Last Olympics 4 years ago". I think the reason for this is glaringly obvious, don't you?

-Also, broadcasters; take note: When you refer to a players performance in Beach Volleyball as "She didn't play so good" it comes off as if you are an idiot. Because you are. Learn how to speak English properly, before you open your mouth again, please. Speaking English properly is your JOB.

- Michael Phelps (from the US, unfortunately) has 2 golds under his belt and is going for 6 more. Apparently he gets a million dollars from Speedo if he gets 7 gold. Will he? I'm rooting for him; a million dollars is a lot of zero's. He got his 3rd tonight. Five more to go!

- I'm heartbroken that our men's gymnastic team missed out on qualifying for the finals by something ridiculous like 4/10ths of a point. Especially when you consider what Kyle Shewfelt went through this last year (fractured both kneecaps in practice from landing wrong) to even BE there.

- By the way, what are your favourite events to watch? Mine are all Aquatic sports (swimming, diving, synchronized diving, synchronized swimming), Equestrian, Gymnastics, Modern Pentathlon and Rowing.

-Hows the time zone difference treating you? We're 12 hours behind; we get coverage from 6pm-2am and then 6am-noon, it seems like.

ABC (from heather)

LETTER A
AGE? 21

LETTER B
WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Edmonton, Alberta
WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? Keith, Peggy.
WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? February.

LETTER C
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY? I love gummy candy.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Don't have a favourite really, I like them all :P

LETTER D
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BREED OF DOG? English Springer Spaniel, Bernese Mountain Dog
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DESSERT? Apple crumble, or Cinnamon caramel coffee cake.

LETTER E
WHAT IS YOUR ETHNICITY? Canadian Caucasian?

LETTER F
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAM? Hate American football. UGH.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? I have a couple. Orange, red, yellow gerber daises, roses, tiger lillies, stargazer lilies....there's more. I love flowers!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FRUIT? Green grapes.

LETTER G
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GAMES? Anything to do with trivia, or Monopoly.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF GUM? Bubblegum, or any flavours of Trident Splash.

LETTER H
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOCKEY TEAM? Belleville Bulls. (ha!)
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? Reading.

LETTER I
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Neopolitan (classic for the undecided)

LETTER J
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE JELLY BEAN FLAVOR? Anything but the gross ones from Jelly Belly.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE JUNK FOOD PLACE? Don't have one?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE JUICE? I don't discriminate, but that Green Tea mix from Nestea is AWFUL.

LETTER K
HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE/WANT? Three.

LETTER L
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Nation's Capital.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LETTER OF THE ALPHABET? Uh...

LETTER M
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MONTH? February I think....
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Pride & Prejudice
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSCIAL GROUP/ARTIST? I don't have one but Michael Buble is one of the favourites.

LETTER N
FAVORITE NUMBER? 13 and 42.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Big Pimpin', yo.

LETTER O
ARE YOU AN ONLY CHILD? Nope. Technically - 3 brothers, 2 sisters. Untechnically - 1 sis, 1 brother.

LETTER P
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOUSE PET? I can't choose between Elvis and Molly! Geesh!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? Hawaiian. (Ham, bacon, pineapple)

LETTER Q
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? "Time you enjoy wasting isn't wasted time" - Betrand Russell and also "An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind" - Ghandi.

LETTER R
WHAT DO YOU READ? Everything. Historical fiction is #1, but I'll read the toothpaste tube.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT? I don't think I have a favourite.

LETTER S
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SNACK? Popcorn. and *shame* Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO SIP ON? Vodka and coke?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP? Chapters!!!!!! (a book store). Or Venus Envy (an 'adult' shop).

LETTER T
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW? In no paticular order: Friends, Mad About You, Golden Girls, Roseanne, ER, Grey's Anatomy, SYTYCD, Last Comic Standing, Flashpoint, Heroes, CSI: NY, Rich Bride/Poor Bride, Colbert Report, Daily Show w/ Jon Stewart, Eli Stone, Boston Legal, Porn, House MD, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, Desperate Housewives, The Amazing Race, America's Next Top Model (also CNTM) and Project Runway/Project Runway Canada. Yeah, me and the boob tube are lovers. DVR is my biatch.
WHO IS/WAS YOUR FAVORITE TEACHER? Didn't/don't have one.

LETTER U
WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR DO YOU HAVE? I have all kinds except thongs & g-strings. Torture devices, those are.
WHAT BRAND OF UNDERWEAR DO YOU WEAR? Either Hanes or whatever the La Senza brand is. I dunno. "My name is Fruit of the Loom. That's what my underwear says!"

LETTER V
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VEHICLE? I don't really have one? (anyone else feel like I'm sounding like a broken record?) but I always liked a silver Honda Civic.
WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE VEGGIE? Mushrooms, OH GROSS.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VEGGIE? Carrots/Corn/Peas/Potatoes.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION? I really want to go back to London. SO BAD. Also, I've made Keith promise that the second we get our full licenses we're going on a trip to Vancouver Island, BC (where we both lived at one point in our lives) and rent a car and just go up and down the island. OH YEAH baby.

LETTER W
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Saturday.
WHAT IS YOUR WEATHER? It is currently 23c and partly cloudy.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS? I can't choose! NOOOOO.

LETTER X
WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS HAVE AN X?
Stupid ones.

LETTER Y
WHAT YEAR DO YOU TURN 21? Haha. 2008 baby!
WHAT YEAR DID YOU GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL? I didn't. If I had completed regular schooling that would have been 2005; I passed my GED + credit in....2006.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR? I love autumn and spring.

LETTER Z
WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? Aquarius. I like to think I'm a pretty typical one.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ZOO ANIMAL? Tiger, giraffe, elephant, aquatic mammals, etc. Mmmm...can't really choose! I like 'em all, pretty much.

One of those posts....

Seeing my puppy play with her toys on her back makes me smile. I'm so glad I have the chance to have her in my life and know her.

I don't have/grow hair on my legs from my knees to hips/waist. I don't know why, or even if thats a unique "talent", but it sure helps with the hair-removal process!

I get all squirmy and uncomfortable when a TV show or movie shows underwater scenes (especially if it "shows" being submerged). Even if its not scary or anything, I still don't like it.

I have to shower in a certain order, which is hair/face scrub/body wash. And afterwards I have to do things in a certain way too, which is q-tip my ears, brush my teeth and wipe down my glasses. If I don't do it I feel just a bit "off".

Speaking of brushing my teeth, afterwards I HAVE to smoke a cigarette. Why? No idea. You would think I like my mouth being fresh and clean. Apparently not.

I love garlic. Way too much. If I can get away with putting it whatever I'm cooking/eating, I will. Copious amounts of it.

I have a secret love of classic Disney movies and Disney soundtracks. I really want to start amassing a collection of Disney DVD's. For my unborn. Right. [ shift eyes here ] (I may have mentioned this before)

I don't understand how exactly Febreze got into everything cleaning product related (laundry detergent with Febreze? What?) but I do love their "odour eliminating" scented candles.

I am secretly in love with all the ladies from Golden Girls. I love Ma and everytime I see Betty White I just want to hug her silly. And Bea Arthur reminds me of my Grandmother. Apparently they're on TV somewhere, but I can't find it. This makes me sad.

Holy shiate, its 4pm already? ...I've officially done nothing all day and the house is still a complete mess. Oh well.

Schooling

I think often of what a mess I made of my first attempt at post-secondary schooling. I've moved past the guilt, shame and overall disappointment (for the most part, anyway), and now I sit here wondering if I've closed more doors than I realize.

I want to go back and finish my program. I have 13 credits left to get, and I can re-apply for more OSAP after a year. But will they let me back in full-time? Or am I forced to go back part-time and pay for it out of my own pocket, credit by credit? That would take forever!

After that, who knows? I've always wanted to study History, maybe obtain an undergrad degree in it. The program at Carleton seems solid enough. The original plan was to use my LawClerk diploma to bring home a paycheque while pursuing undergrad studies and then onto Law School, ultimately becoming a lawyer. While I don't think I'll make it quite that far anymore, I would still like to keep furthering my education to the utmost.

One of the constant things I wonder is how do people do it? How do they pay for a wedding, start their families, buy a house, and are still in school? How do they afford to do that? Is the secret to get that all-important first degree/diploma? And then I worry that I will never get that piece of paper, and I'm doomed to working menial jobs and thinking 12$ an hour is decent pay. I worry about that alot, actually.

With everything I've been through I often feel older than my chronological age, and its as if I have this big thing looming over me, urging me to get a move on, to get an education and start climbing at a career while I'm still young (some would call that my mother, haha). But then I snap back and realize I'M ONLY TWENTY ONE. Barely out of teen-hood, just a baby still.

I guess what's scaring me now is not the fact that I failed. I can handle that. It's the fact that I can't see a way to make this better, to re-group and re-try, to move forward. I just don't know how to do it. I don't know how to even start.

End of Month Report

It's been a little over a full month since we've begun living in sin living together, and for the most part it's been great.

It's the first time I've lived with someone romantically; where it was "you and I and our stuff" rather than "you and I and each others stuff". We eat balanced dinners (that he cooks!) together every night; mostoften at a proper table rather than grab your own and eat wherever. We've combined our finances into one account; each and every decision is made together regarding what money goes where. There's no modesty involved; if we want to houseclean naked, all the more power to you. We discipline and care for Molly together (I admit to being "softer" than Keith. He calls it "Mommy sucky").

He's the easiest roommate I've ever had. Most nights we chill out side-by-side, each engrossed in our own screen; for shows like So You Think and Flashpoint we snuggle together on the couch, watch and discuss at length. There are frequent "air kisses" and random "I love you's" tossed out throughout the evening (and then there are the real kisses ;)) And each night we head off to bed together and snuggle for a bit before drifting off.

It hasn't all been on cloud nine though. We disagree most often about the dog, although it is getting better. I remember a couple of days being absolutely fustrated at him; a big long talk sorted it all out. He does things like never putting things back in their place (for example, if he's in the bathroom and takes his wallet out, I'll find it on the side of the tub), or leaves every single cupboard door open. I do things that annoy him too; he can't stand the sight or sound of me brushing my teeth, and when I eat directly from the can of Alphagettis he grinds his teeth in fustration (my stance on it is - why dirty a plate unnecessarily?).

However, if thats the worst of bad habits I can come up with, I'll take it. Here's to another month of co-existing peacefully in both love and home! (Next month is our 1-year; I think I'll need the entire month to just adjust to the fact that I made it to a year with someone!)

Woops?

Remember this book? The one I said I wouldn't get until August 7th?

Finished it five minutes ago.

(Keith found it for me at Wal-Mart yesterday for nearly half the price. How could I resist?)

I thought it was really good, despite the reviews its apparently getting.

And the kitchen is done. I'm not going to show you pictures because all I did was clean out the cupboards, throw a pine IKEA table in the corner and a few decorations on the walls (big woop). Yesterday we made dinner together - lasanga and caesar salad. So nice to finally be able to eat and cook properly!

Now we're off for our weekly dinner at the In-laws. Apparently we're having ribs and its rumoured Keiths mom even baked a cake. Aww, I think we're missed.

I'm NEVER travelling Greyhound again!

Oh god. What a horrific way to die.

My thoughts and condolences are with the young mans family.

fridayfive #8

Now it's time for the fridayfive!

Of television programs that aired before you were born, what’s your favorite?
God. Um, television before 1987....
What person of historical significance was from your neighborhood or city?
Um. I live in the Nations Capital? Of Canada? The seat of the Federal Government for the whole country?
Not a very fair question but lets just say 24 Sussex Dr. has been the abode of every Prime Minister (except Kim Campbell) since Louis St. Laurent in 1951, and Rideau Hall has been the official residence of the Governor General (Queen's representative; Rideau Hall is also the Queen's official residence in Canada) since 1867.
What’s a story that’s often been told about someone in your family in the years before you came along?
The time my very-proper Grandmother (my dad's mother) was visiting my parents on the farm in St. Paul at the same time my mom's brother was visiting and had gone deer-hunting....I think the story goes that my parents were out and when they walked into the house to the sight of my Uncle and Grandmother gutting out a deer, covered in blood, just going for it.
Which of previous generations’ dumb mistakes (in deed or thought) baffles you the most?
Slavery? Segregation? Thinking the world was flat? That the Earth revolved around the sun? Discrimination against homosexuals? Women not being "persons" under the British North American Act of 1867? People of colour not being allowed to vote until the 1960's in the States? Bushs' decision to invade Iraq on fabricated charges of WMD for oil? All of World War II?
Take your pick. Our world is pretty stupid.
What aspect of life in the good old days would you love to see a return to?
I don't know how to describe it....I guess passion? I'd like to see some sort of passion return to how we view the world, and passion to change it. When you take an idealized view of the 60's-70's, you can see all that passion to change the world, on a mass level. And I think there's really none of that left anymore. We're all just too busy scrambling to get by.

WARNING TO HEATHER: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SYTYCD!!

I'm watching So You Think.... right now.

My favourite girl just got eliminated. First I screamed a long, drawn-out 'noooooooo' and Keith just asked me if I was going to cry.

I might.

Now it's time to find out about the boys...

Eh. Got what I wanted, but I didn't really care about the guys as much as the girls.

Damnit, I'm so disappointed Chelsie didn't make it to the top 4. I love her! All Courtney does is stupid fling-yourself-and-your-hair-around contemporary. Chelsie does ballroom/latin, and DAMN GOOD stuff at that. So disappointed.

*sniff sniff*

Now onto watch the last hour of Last Comic Standing. We're at the Top 8 right now, being narrowed down to the Top 5. I'm pulling for the (only) female and (only) Canadian to make it. Cross your fingers for me!

Pre-Ordered!

So within an hour of finding out that, yes, Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer is being released on FREAKING SATURDAY, I have pre-ordered my copy from Amazon!!! WOOO!!

Stupid thing is that it says it won't ship until August FIFTH, arriving August 7th. Like anyone who pre-orders it three days in advance really wants to wait a WEEK after the release date. Silly Amazon. But I'll wait, because it's cheaper than going to the store, and I don't have to risk the store running out of copies. Not to mention the hordes of people trying to buy the book the old fashioned way. *shudders* No, I'd rather wait, thank you very much.

So now I own every single book by this author, including her adult novel The Host. (Which is definitely worth a read, by the way. Very interesting concept. Just have to get through her ever-growing penchant for long, overly descriptive passages).

And, just for the record, I discovered, read and loved Twilight WAAAAY before it became the swollen-ego(ed?), much-hyped, obsessively loved series it is today. Which is probably the only reason I'm buying this book. I'm not really obsessed about it;I'll admit its a (very?) good piece of YA fiction, but like I said, I only found out about the release date an hour and a half ago. And I distinctly remember being a little dissatisfied with her last novel in the series, Eclipse.

Now I just sit back and wait until it arrives. I would be lying if I wasn't hoping it'll arrive before the 7th, though. Fingers crossed!

ASIDE: It's SYTYCD tonight. We're down to 6 dancers. I hope the Top 4 is Josh/Katee/Chelsie/Twitch. Or Mark. I don't really care who the fourth person is now that Will is gone. But Twitch slightly more than Mark.

I've said 2 things about this episode: a) if Josh's choreography doesn't have lifts in it, I'll eat my hat. And post it on youtube for the world to see. and 2) If they do that "IV Real" hand gesture thing ONE MORE TIME, I'm pulling a Mary Murphy and screaming at random times throughout the night. Yep, I am. I HATE that "IV Real" thing.

After: The Bedroom (A Series)

Once, for a brief instance, a very long time ago, this room was clean. Then, we moved everything of mine over and dumped it here. And we started living in it. Without garbage cans. (ick, I know). Because we didn't have visible laundry baskets, our dirty laundry ended up on the floor. Add to the mix two animals who love to chase each other and in doing so, knock everything in their path over, and it started getting messy. Really messy.


But no more. The laundry (all four baskets of it) is clean and folded and put away. The bedside tables have been cleaned off and garbage cans put underneath. The carpet has been vacuumed. The bed has been properly made. The garbage - every last little scrap of it - has been picked up. We moved the dresser around so the TV didn't hang off the edge any longer (it still doesn't look perfect but thats okay) and properly set-up the mini-entertainment system on the other one. Every box and all the other assorted junk has been stored away in the closet, and all the clothes that need to be hung up have been.


It's refreshing and serene to spend time in, and I can't tell you how much it rocks to not have to run an obstacle course from the door to the bed anymore. Or even begin to describe how much the fact that you can see the floor rocks my non-existant socks.

Anyway, onto the photos: (please excuse the horrible quality! ugh)


The view from the doorway. Can you guess which side is which?


The view from one side of the bed. Nothing really too fancy; forgive the closet, the doors don't close.


Two and a half rooms (half room being the foyer) down! Now, just to put the finishing touches on the kitchen and do the living room....we're getting close guys!

(I just realized I'm wearing shoes. Huh. When did I put these on? Weird.)

Things I Don't Get...

• This morning I spent ten minutes trying to open a crouton bag. TEN MINUTES. I had to resort to slicing it open with a knife. Its a bloody crouton bag, not Fort Knox. Why are they so hard to open?!!
• Another thing that baffles me is this whole pollution thing in Beijing being dangerous to the athletes health. WTF? They're just realizing this NOW? Apparently they're giving the cyclists some kind of air purifying masks automatically, and Australia has gone so far as to say that if their athletes feel it's unsafe to compete, they don't have to. Um, WHAT? You're talking about a city that is so filled with air pollution that they're WORKING ON being able to see the sun more than 241 days a year. How the hell did they get the Olympic bid in the first place? The ICO must have been smoking some real good crack if they believed that Beijing could fix such a serious problem in 7 years. Bah.
• Why anyone would think that wearing anything tight and white is a good thing. Blech! That combination of clothing should not even exist. Not ever. I have nothing against a loose, breezy pair of white linen pants, but when its a pair of tight white short shorts? White is not a very forgiving colour for clothing, people.
• Why everything thats bad for you tastes so damn good and everything thats good for you doesn't.
• How I can possibly sleep so much. Seriously. It's getting ridiculous. Last night I slept from 2:30am to 6:50am, then went back to bed around 8:30 and slept until noon. Then I fell asleep around 6pm and slept until 11!! AND I STILL SLEPT FROM TWO THIRTY AM TO NINE AM TODAY. Of course, I've been having super weird, long, detailed, intricate dreams that border on nightmares, but still. That's just too much sleep. Not even Elvis sleeps that much.
• Why Molly is so terrified of the sound of our flushing toliet. Never fails; everytime we flush, its a big quick scramble to get away. Granted, it IS loud, but you'd think she would have gotten used to it by now. Remind me to videotape it for you guys sometime.
• I also don't get why I still find it hilarious when she does it. It never fails to crack me up. Does this make me pathetic?

Musical, Flowers, Books (and it's not even our anniversary)

Keith and I are thisclose to getting tickets to go to Wicked. YAAAAAAAAYY!!!! I've been wanting to see Wicked for ages, and its finally coming to Ottawa, August 13-31, and WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING!!!!

Now I just have to wait until August without exploding from excitement. Can it be done? Stay tuned to find out.

Keith finally let me get flowers too! Granted, it was when we were grocery shopping together, and I picked them out. But he did pay and they are sooo gorgeous and its the first time there has been any kind of flower giving in our relationship, so I don't really GIVE a rat's ass about the level of romance (read: zilch) in getting them.

He also got me four books of my choosing yesterday. (Yep, I'm spoiled.) I got Jodi Picoult's "The Tenth Circle", two by Philippa Gregory "The Virgin's Lover" and "The Queen's Fool" and "Little Earthquakes" by Jennifer Weiner.

I got The Tenth Circle because I'm on a mission to collect all of Jodi Picoult's books; so far I have four including this one. I got Philippa Gregory because historical fiction is easily my favourite genre as well as she wrote "The Other Boyeln Girl" which was decent enough to turn into a movie. As for Jennifer Weiner, she wrote a book called "Good In Bed" that I own and it had me laughing out loud, so that's another author I wouldn't mind collecting her complete works. (hint, hint :P)

Limited.

I just want to pre-face this by saying, normally, I LOVE apartment living. Especially when your utilities and rent are combined, like we have (which means for this summer we've had TWO air-conditioning units going 24/7, and it doesn't affect the amount we pay monthly. Same if we left the lights on, etc). I like the convenience of not having a lawn to mow/backyard in general to care for, I love the fact that it's secure entry, that we're on the 7th floor with elevators, that there's an on-call 24/7 person to fix your plugged toliet, etc etc.

But whats really getting me down? If we actually owned this place, then WE could renovate as we see fit.

Right now, we have a nice sized 1 bedroom with carpeting in the bedroom/living room. Because landlords aren't legally obligated to fix anything except what is a) broken and/or b) a safety hazard, they don't. Because they don't have to.

Given the fact that Keith's been living here for 10 years means they haven't renovated (at LEAST) in that length of time. This place desperately needs a new kitchen, new carpeting, and a new tub. And I KNOW that the moment we move out, that's just what they'll do, plus a fresh coat of paint on the walls. But because it's not technically "broken", we can't actually a) DO anything to the place, or b) ask that they do so.

Because they're covered under this clause "20. (1) A landlord is responsible for providing and maintaining a residential complex, including the rental units in it, in a good state of repair and fit for habitation and for complying with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards." (Residential Tenancy Act, 2006.)

And really, this apartment does comply with all those standards. It's just (in the kitchen, at least) PLAIN BUTT UGLY. And outdated. No one viewing the apartment these days would take it the way it is, at the price they would be paying for it (which is 60$ more than we currently pay). And the tub has some funky, black, impossible-to-get-rid-of patches/markings. I'm pretty sure all the protective coating is somehow gone or worn off. So they're definitely going to renovate it once we leave. But that just begs the question: If they're just going to do it ANYWAYS once we leave, why not do it now?

It just really irks me, because if this was legally OUR place? and we could financially do so?
KITCHEN GOES BYE-BYE. And that's just for starters.

fridayfive #7

It's time for the fridayfive!

When you go to the beach, lake, or pool, are you more likely to lower yourself gradually into cold water or to take a determined plunge and get it over with?
If it's a pool, I lower myself gradually. Beach/lake/ocean, wade in until about waist-deep and then just dive in. Man, I miss swimming in natural water sources.

How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other tasks or ordeals?
I like having kind of a loose plan in my head when I go to approach a task. Of course, my ADD dictates I'll be sidetracked twenty minutes into it, and have to make a conscious effort to go back to the original task. Unlike?

When someone gives you flowers, are you more likely to let them turn completely brown and gross before throwing them out, or to discard them the moment they take on that sick-flower look?
Completely brown and gross. I hate throwing flowers out; they're so pretty, I love them so, and I get so few.

How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other gifts, purchases, or relationships?
I've been through too much and through too many moves to be a packrat. Yes, I admit to keeping things out of sentimentality (like my baptism candle, or the article that informed me of Tim's death), but the majority of it gets junked. So, unlike, I guess. Flowers are special though, it's a bad comparison!

Think of your favorite movie (or a movie you really like, if you can’t think of a favorite). Some people say that the reasons you love your favorite movie are related to what you value in romantic relationships. How is this true or untrue in your case?
I guess that would be Pride & Prejudice? Not sure how it relates to my love life, except I value family ties, and quick witty dialogue between two people. (give me a break here guys, its 630am).

After: The Bathroom (A Series)

(toliet/cabinet, shower curtain)

(mirror/counterspace, decorations on wall next to door)


Two words: Finally. Done.

I didn't show you any pictures of the bathroom before, because, seriously? Who wants to see a dirty icky bathroom?

Being the smallest room in the house it just needed a basic all over scrub-down clean and a few little changes. I couldn't believe the difference it made, just by cleaning the counters to sparkling white and wiping down the cabinet over the toliet. We replaced the shower curtain (isn't it cute? I couldn't get all of it in the picture) and bathmat, and then it was all about product placement (mostly mine, of course) on the counterspace and cabinet.

One thing left is the never-ending debate of whether we should paint the cabinet. I was thinking either white or black, but if it's white is that too much white? and if it's black, well, I can't think of anything really bad. I think it would provide contrast in an all-white room and give it just that little "pop" that would be cool to see. Maybe it'd be too stark of a contrast? In light of this, I'm doing what I usually do when I can't decide things for myself, which is ask you guys. What's your vote? White, or black? Or just leave it?

I have a dream.

Because writing about my wedding is definitely more fun than unpacking, rearranging and cleaning, here it is.

***
I admit to having a document saved on my computer, titled quite innocently, "notes". This is to deflect anyone's curiosity if they ever ARE snooping around on my machine. (I mean, what piques your curiosity more, something titled "WEDDING PLANS, OMG!!!!" or, just "notes"?)Now, this document didn't materialize until after Keith had put the magical word on the proverbial table of our relationship, but my good golly gosh, they sure as heck flowed out of me once he did! And since my wedding is still a good distance of years away, I have no doubt many details will be changed over that time period, but the basic elements will stay the same.

• My dad walking me down the aisle is super super important to me.
• Not seeing Keith that day until I'm walking down said aisle.
• Photography. I want lots and lots of pictures of the entire day, because I am absolutely obsessed with wedding photography. I want the posed photo session, candid photos, getting ready, ceremony, and everything in between. I'm even thinking of hiring two photographers so I don't miss a single detail.
• Location would be here in Ottawa since we've been living here (already) a combined 15 years and it really is home to us, especially to me, in a way that my hometown area never really was. There's little appeal for me to marry back home now that my church has been torn down, other than cost.
• Still undecided whether we want a church wedding with separate reception, or have it completely non religious in the same building, but I'm leaning towards the latter. Mostly because we aren't religious, most Catholic churches require you to do some type of marriage prep, and I can't think of any churches I'd like to be married in here. Of course, if my church back home hadn't been torn down, it would be a no-brainer. (can you tell I'm still a little bitter about the whole thing? No? Must just be me then).
• We both want a fall wedding. It's the most beautiful time of the year and I want to maximize the colours fully in my wedding; faded yellow, fiery orange, burnt red, coppery brown.
• I'd like to do nearly all of the planning myself, but hire a "Day-Of" Coordinator, just because I want myself and my wedding party to be fully present and enjoying the day, and not worrying about any details or last minute emergencies that can/will occur.
• Decor. Super important. I want it kind of simple, yet tasteful. Fairy lights, tea candles, and lots of flowers in fall colours. Boring, but pretty.
• In a perfect, perfect world, I'd have ALL OF IT here. Just look at it. (seriously, go check it out, its GORGEOUS). And the perfect thing about having that venue is there's tons of options as to where exactly you want your reception. Of course, this one comes with a really hefty price tag *sigh*, so unless we win the lottery, or I want to get married in jeans and a tank, we'll probably be married somewhere else. Where that somewhere else is I have no idea right now, but I think that'll be a fun part to the actual wedding planning.
• Small wedding party, 3 people on each side. Tea length coppery reddish/brown dresses for my side, traditional suits for the men.
• For the dress I know what I DON'T want: I don't want white (i want ivory). I don't want sleeveless (i want off the shoulder or capped). And I definitely do not want super poofy with a long train (straight down touching the floor. That's it). I want it to be as easy as possible to move around in and wear for the entire day. After all, it'll probably be the only day I'll wear it. Undecided as of yet if I want a veil, tiara, stuff like that. If I do decide to go that route, it'll be one or the other, not both. Simple hair and makeup; I might even leave my hair down rather than putting it in an up-do.
• Keith wants to wear a white suit. Or a Don Cherry-style suit. I really hope he's kidding.
• A DJ, that, after the compulsory first dance songs, will play anything to get people on the dance floor.
• Being introduced as "Mr & Mrs. W", not "Mr & Mrs K W".
• I'd like to spend the first-night-as-a-married-couple here. Just becaue it's so incredibly over-the-top that I will never, ever get to do it again.
• Canon in D for the processional by string quartet. Oooh, fancy.
• One of my major regrets is that my Grandma didn't live long enough to see me getting married. I will really miss her on that day, and was thinking of incorporating an instrumental of her favourite song (When Irish Eyes Are Smiling) during the ceremony. Maybe during the signing?
• Flowers will be predominately dark red, orange and yellow roses (my bouquet) and red, yellow and orange gerber daisies (bridesmaid's bouquets).
• I want the wedding favours to be something functional, or just plain delicious. Like candy apples or a wine stopper in the shape of a heart, engraved with the date and our initials.
• First dances will be Lay Me Down by Ashley MacIssac for us, Against The Wind by Bob Seger for my dad and I.
• 100 - 125 guests. I'd like it to be smaller but my family is kinda huge. As for the kids/no kids debate, I want my adult guests to enjoy themselves without worrying about their offspring...but I think that's up to the parents to decide if they want to bring them.
• Transportation is something I'm willing to compromise on. I want vintage cars, Keith wants anything but.
• Three tiered cake, with different types of cake in each tier. I don't care if there's not enough cake for everybody, there's a dessert table for that exact reason. NO SMOOSHING. (Keith, you hear me? NO SMOOSHING).
• I'm not huge on the whole garter thing, but catching the bouquet is something I would definitely consider.
• I'd like our guests to blow bubbles over us as we exit the ceremony. (Except, how does that work exactly? If you're going down the aisle while your guests are still seated, who's outside to blow the bubbles?)
• Three or four course meal, nothing too too fancy. Not sure what the other three courses are, but seafood has to be one of them. Dessert bar. Cocktail hour, open bar, 2 bottles of wine per table, circling glasses of champagne.
• Afternoon ceremony, followed by formal pictures and then evening reception.
• No receiving line. I'm dealing with divorced, I-only-talk-to-you-for-the-sake-of-the-children parents here. Let's just keep the awkwardness to a minimum. Plus, Keith's mom can't really stand for too long. Instead, we'll try to circle around to everyone during dinner, since we'll be gone for the cocktail hour (taking photos).
• Centerpieces with a bit of "ooomph" and plenty of awe, but not blocking peoples views of each other.
• I'm totally stealing this idea from Jess, because I think it's absolutely brilliant - a big basket of flip flops and slippers near the dance floor for the women to change into so they can dance all night and go home comfortable.

What do you think? It's a fairly traditional and budget-conscious wedding, but I've always been of the mindset that the wedding is one day while the marriage is a lifetime. I'd like your opinion though; what works, what doesn't?

Too. Many. (or just too anal?)

We have way too many games (see picture at left for proof) for our respective gaming devices. We also have quite a few gaming devices; collectively we own two Playstation 2's (one regular, one slim), a XBox 360, and a PsP. A Wii (and subsquently, a Wii Fit) have been off-handedly discussed, but that's not for awhile yet.

Anyway, here's the anal part, because I am just one big fat butt, apparently - every single one of these games has to be taken out, dusted, and then checked to see if it contains the right game in the right case. And then sorted according to genre (sports games go in one pile, shooting games go into another, etc) as well as if they are PsP, Xbox, etc. Of course there's a few movies mixed in there, both for DVD and PsP, which need to be sorted as well. In the case of sequels and yearly games, they have to be arranged according to year/sequel, because, dude, would you really expect anything else from over-organizational, anal, little ol' me? REALLY?

(Don't even ask what I do for DVD's, okay? It's best we just don't open that can of worms. Trust me on this one.)

Dad, I hope you're reading this, because this is ALL YOUR FAULT. ha.

No Fair!

You know what SUCKS THE BIG KAHOONAS?

Being so incredibly fair you burn....

...on a day that doesn't have an ounce of sunshine. Seriously. It was incredibly overcast and cloudy today (literally couldn't see the sun at all), and I still wound up with a wicked burn. I was outside from 8am to 2pm today for a work function for Keith. My skin is so hot and feels like it's too small, especially on my face.

Tell me, how is that fair??! Bah!

If the cigarettes don't get me first, the skin cancer will. Methinks it's time to invest in some high SPF sunscreen, mebbe?

(please excuse the double chin)