Moving On

I have decided to switch blog servers. I have been thinking about it for a little while now, but finally made the move today. You can continue to follow my banterings here.

Quarantine

I woke up Monday morning with a nasty sore throat. I decided the best course of action was to stay home, get better and not pass it on. And it's a damn good thing I did. Later that morning I started feeling feverish and every muscle and joint in my body ached. A cough, sore throat, fever, body aches - all symptoms of H1N1.

I felt ever worse Tuesday, but by the evening I was starting to feel a lot better; and starting to get antsy from being stuck at home. Not knowing what I had I thought staying home Wednesday would be smart. And in order to go back to work I needed an all-clear from my doctor. I went to see him Thursday, positive I would be able to return to work Friday, and break my house arrest. No dice.

My doctor cannot confirm if I had H1N1 because I didn't have severe enough symptoms to be tested. But I had all the classic swine flu symptoms: I'm the right age, right sex, and it is the prevalent strain of flu floating around right now. So I needed to be treated like I had H1N1. Which meant another day at home, going totally batty since I have not ventured out, seen anyone, exercised, or been to work for an entire week. And for an ENFJ/Gemini that's hell on earth.

Endings and Beginnings

Yesterday was my final workout at Marpole Curves. It was bittersweet and surreal. As I worked out and chatted with people it didn't seem like that was it. All the Halloween decorations and usual decor were still on the walls. I noticed a few boxes had been packed, but to look at the place, you wouldn't know it was shutting down. The only thing gone was the water cooler. Not sure if the owners returned it to the water company or had moved it over to Kerrisdale.

Tomorrow will be strange. I've already packed my gym bag and will have to remember to take it to work with me. I will have to remember to detour to the Kerrisdale club on my way home from work. Strange days lie ahead; of course what seems strange now will eventually become the norm, and my days at Marpole Curves will be a distant memory, lost in the cobwebs of my brain.

Fortunately, a lot of the trainers from Marpole Curves, including the manager, will be working at Kerrisdale. The trainer who used to work Monday nights at Marpole will now be working Monday nights at Kerrisdale. That means there will be a familiar face tomorrow to show me the ropes of the new club. And that is very comforting.

Time to say goodbye. Time to say hello.

The Bad and the Ugly

Lately my life has been filled with bad news. And worse news.

I wrote last month that DPhiE was not invited back to UBC. While disappointing, things appear to be status quo. Following that news, I learned earlier this month that Marpole Curves is closing down and is rejoining the Kerrisdale location.

Now this is not an end-of-the-world, earth-shattering thing, but it is disappointing. I have been working out at the Marpole location for nearly five years. It has really become a part of my life. I enjoy the other members and have gotten to know some of them really well. For the most part, I enjoy the walks to and from and the gym, especially my Saturday morning forays to Marpole. But things happen in life and you just have to go with the flow.

And while this is sad news, I am trying to look at the opportunities and advantages of working out at Kerrisdale. I literally have to pass it on my way home from work, which means I start my workout earlier and will have more time at home in the evenings. It’s a new environment; as much as I love Marpole, the change will be welcome. Kerrisdale has more machines and the Curves Smart program which I have wanted to try out. I will have the opportunity to meet new people, but there will be some familiar faces from Marpole: both staff and members.

But DPhiE not returning to UBC and the closing of Marpole Curves is nothing compared to what Colin and I are dealing with right now. And what we are dealing is going to stay underwraps - at least in the blog.

Nobody's sick or dying. Relationships aren't ending. I have no problem sharing with you what we are dealing with right now. But the blog just isn't the best place. At least for now. All I can say is it's stressful, scary, and a royal pain in the ass.

I need something good to happen, because lately it’s been bad news all around. If that good news is what we are currently dealing with is total bullshit, I’ll take that. Gladly.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

No, it's not Christmas. And, as Staples would have you believe, it's not back-to-school either. It's the start of the hockey season!

Despite a loss to Anaheim last night (in OT mind you) the Canucks are on fire this pre-season. And I was fortunate enough to see some live pre-season action, as boring as it was.

Last Saturday, around 7:00 p.m. Colin and I were at the future shop in Lansdowne, looking for a new t.v. series to pick up. I received a call on my cell from my brother's girlfriend - we have connections to Canucks tickets once again. She had some extra tickets (free!).

It was too perfect. Other than late-night sushi, we had no real plans, and I had been gunning to try out the Canada Line. What luck that there should be a stop at Lansdowne, and since we were planning to return to Richmond for sushi, it made sense to hop on there.

We arrived at GM place halfway though the second period. But we didn't miss too much, since all the action happened in the last seven minutes of the game. It was fun, just chatting away, hanging out in the rafters (very back row!). I was half watching the game, and half imaging what it's going to be like in GM Place for Olympic Gold medal hockey! And we won't be in the rafters either. We don't have our exact seats yet, but they're lower bowl, between the bluelines...

But I don't have to wait until February for more hockey at GM Place. I got the other money hockey ticket too... Canucks versus Leafs!

Even if the Canucks bite the big one, this personally will be an awesome hockey season for me.

Oh yeah, I just handed in the work hockey pool picks today...

Shut In, Shut Out

I've been meaning to write this entry for a week or so. But the fact that I haven't written a single entry for the entire month of September mirrors how my September has been: a roller coaster of business and emotion.

I say this every month, but really, where has September gone? Maybe it's the extended summer weather that's making it hard to believe that the calendars turn over to October next week!

But let me tell you about my September - it's been an interesting one.

From the outset of the month, it was destined to be busy (both work and personal) and emotionally trying.

A good friend of mine got married over the Labour Day weekend. It was a time of great excitement and stress. Last week, we had two major events at work. It is only September, but I have already skipped many lunch hours and have stayed late, including working until 11:00 p.m. last Thursday and 7:30 p.m. last Friday.

The week before the wedding and the weeks before that I had been pouring my time, energy, and heart into preparing a presentation (along with other sisters) to re-charter Delta Phi Epsilon at UBC.

They chose another sorority...

My initial reaction was utter disappointment. But this whole time I have not felt sad or shed a tear. I have mostly felt anger. Anger that the young women making the decision didn't understand the countless hours over the past five years our alumnae have put into our return. Our unwavering support to the UBC Greek system in both a volunteer and financial capacity meant absolutely nothing at the end of the day.

Had this decision been made months ago, however, I would have cried. Like a baby. Which was my reaction when the chapter closed down five years ago. I cried at the news. Cried every time I thought about that hole left at UBC. So why didn't I cry this time?

During my month off this summer, I had a lot of time to spend with... me. Something I'm not usually interested in. I thought a lot about myself, my life, my relationships with others, how I react to and deal with things.

I suppose my "epiphany" came while vacationing in Osoyoos. During that time I read the latest book club pick: Eat, Pray, Love. Now you know I don't believe in God or religion, but there was something to the whole theme of the journey of self discovery. And so I started to change things about myself and the way I look at life. I was sick and tired of being so critical about everything and everyone. So I changed that. And it has made a difference. It's been difficult being so positive, especially when times seem not so positive. But it has certainly helped me get through the last couple of weeks.

Anger aside, I thought back to when the chapter closed and where I was in my life. I was newly engaged and recently graduated from BCIT. I was not married. Our alumnae chapter was in it's infancy. I had not been through my dark period (aka my Planet Bingo employment). I had not yet joined curves. I had not yet started Polynesian dancing...

The chapter closing was a very hard pill to swallow, but it also lead to new opportunities and adventures. Things I may not have had the time or need to do if I was still a chapter advisor.

The chapter not returning means things are status quo, but it also leaves an opening for other opportunities. Other opportunities for me, my sisters, and our alumnae chapter.

With the news of the chapter not returning and the craziness of work, and an annoying cold that won't go away, I became a hermit. Over the last two weeks I have avoided friends, not felt much like socializing. Living the life the opposite of me.

I felt so tired when I got up last Saturday, but went to Curves nonetheless. About halfway through my workout the burdens of September went away. I felt light, happy, excited, energized. I have never experienced a 'turnaround' like that before. Dare we say, it was almost spiritual...

The Underlying Theme

Whether you've been following my blogging for the past few months, or the past few years, you will have probably noticed something - I am one busy bee. But that's how I roll.

When work gets busy, that isn't really by choice. I did, however, choose the career I'm in, knowing it would keep me on my toes. My life outside of work and all that I do, that is 100% my choice! But it often seems that everything happens at once. Like August! I don't where the month has gone and I don't know how I ended up with so much on my plate. Between weddings, sorority life, and dancing August has gone whizzing by and this past week and next week have been and will be beyond insanity.

But, like I said, I choose it. I choose to dance, to volunteer, to be a bridesmaid, to be a friend, to be a wife. My busy, crazy schedule has always been part of who I am. It's one of the ingredients that makes me, me.

As I get older I find that I have slightly less energy and therefore find it slightly more difficult to juggle everything, but I am not about to give up one of the many things I love about myself to age. I've been told time and time again that as you get older it is very important to keep physically and mentally active.

I guess that's why nap time was invented!

Ask for a Millimetre, Take a Mile

I am back and forth about this entry, since it is about work. I usually try to refrain from blogging about work (especially anything negative), but this week has tried my patience.

I am following a new mantra in life: to be less critical/judgemental and to be more positive. I have tried and tried to look at the positive side of what has been expected of me at work this week, but it is very hard when you feel like you are being taken advantage of (even on a very, very small scale).

What I am going to complain about here may seem petty and small. And in the grand scheme of things, it really probably is. But it's the principle.

My director was approached in the spring and was asked if I could cover one or two days at most in front reception in August. Not the whole day, just an hour. I'm not supposed to being covering reception at all; but, for whatever reason, all the people who do normally cover reception all had been granted vacation at the same time. My director said that this one time would be fine. But I'm sure they'll ask again.

The reason I am not happy with this is twofold. They see this 'favour' as only 3 hours of my time. But it is three hours of my week where I cannot get my own work done. I can't access the programs I need, and the things I can bring down with me to work on, well I don't get very far because I am constantly interrupted.

I was told it would be two days maximum. But someone was granted an extra vacation day during the week that everyone else was away. And no one asked me or my director if I could do a third day. They just assumed and scheduled me in.

The other issue came up yesterday, during a week when I am already giving up my own work time to cover others. Again, I question the vacation scheduling. There is a big project that needs to be done this week. The person in charge of this was allowed to take their vacation at this time. Initially, I was simply asked to put an order through for printing. Of course, it wasn't that simple and it began to snowball. What should have taken 10 minutes of my time has taken hours and hours out of my last two days.

I don't want to seem selfish. I don't mind helping others. But I have work and deadlines too. Something that was never once taken into consideration this week.

Thunder Bolt and Lightning

Last night was probably the craziest weather Vancouver has ever seen! And you see some crazy weather living in this city. But I certainly don't recall ever seeing anything like this here before.

The weather forecast had been calling for thundershowers over the North Shore mountains, but that usually means this: maybe a storm that lasts all of thirty minutes, if that, with a few lightning strikes lighting up the sky, and a few claps of thunder.

For anyone who isn't from Vancouver and has experienced a Vancouver thunder storm, well it's down right piddly. But not this one! Fours hours! Fours hours of thunder, lightning, hot, humid, wet weather. Black sky. Orange sky. Lightning forking down and hitting buildings. Lightning streaking across the sky like a crack on a windshield getting bigger and bigger. And I was outside for the whole thing!

I got drenched. The electricity from the storm actually had a few strands of my hair standing on end. It was crazy. It was fun. None of us Vancouverites had never seen anything like it here before.

And I wasn't at the fireworks. I was at a block party in Tsawassen, mere feet from the boat launch at Centennial Beach. So I stood at the boat launch watching lightning rip across Boundary Bay.

After we left the party in Tsawassen, we headed into Richmond to visit Colin's parents, and continue watching the storm. And pestilence was upon us!

We were driving fairly slowly down Gilbert, watching the storm, when Colin noticed something hopping across the street. It was a frog. We stopped and I noticed that there were frogs (and frog parts) scattered all over the road. I guess the storm and humidity drove them out of the ditches. It was biblical!

The amazing show continued as we sat on the patio at Colin's parents'. You could hear people oohing and aahing all along the dyke.

It was so hot, and muggy, and wet I felt like I was in Hawaii out on the lanai.

My only regret. I didn't have my camera.

From the Banter Backpages

I'm not really in the mind frame to write today. Unless you want to hear about my bridesmaid dress fitting and grocery shopping at the Superstore. Didn't think so.

Every now and then I go through past blog entries. I find it interesting to go back in time and see what I was up to and what was going on around me. Here's a treat - I wrote this entry exactly 4 years ago today. Check out this entry, July 15, 2005.

Facing the Fear

I have a few fears in life: death, spiders, clowns, and vacation!!!???

Now, most people who have to take off a month just because they have to, would be pretty darn happy with that. But I was actually scared. Yes. You read that correctly. I was scared of a month off. Scared because I had no plans. Scared because Colin would be spending most of July working on the Island. In front of me loomed thirty days of nothingness.

I had two choices: spend a month bored and depressed; or fill my calendar. If I have nothing to do, I get bored. And curing my boredom isn't as simple as reading a book, watching TV, or anything else. If I get bored, my mind shuts down. And when that happens I become frustrated and depressed. So you may be able to appreciate what I go through and why a month off with nothing planned can be a scary thing for me. I need to keep myself busy and entertained.

So far so good...

I am about ten days in and haven't really stopped. I left work July 3 and headed straight to Sakinaw Lake for the weekend. And because everyone keeps asking: it's just north of Pender Harbour. The ferry coming back from Langdale was so Mickey Mouse I literally had an hour to come in the door and get ready for book club. Since there was no electricity and only an outhouse (with a view) to do your business, I didn't shower all weekend. It was super hot, and while a swim in the lake cooled me off, it didn't clean me very well.

I can't remember what I did last Monday. I know I went to Curves. I think I spent the day at home, but had enough errands to do to keep me busy. I spent all day Tuesday at Metrotown - a truly exhausting day, and I didn't buy anything. But I had fun catching up with a friend I don't get to spend much time with. That evening I had to pack for my mini road-trip to Forks, Washington. This topic probably deserves it's own blog entry, which I may write at some point. I had a fun getaway with Lisa and Sascha. And I got to see a part of Washington I have never seen before: the Olympic Peninsula. A truly beautiful place - it definitely rivals BC - of course, it is the same landscape.

We returned Thursday evening. Friday was another day of exercise, chores, and fun. And yesterday I did nothing. It was okay during the day, but by the time evening rolled around I was heading into that funk - boredsville. Unfortunately Colin is away this week, so he wasn't around last night to help me out. I somehow survived it, knowing I would be busy the rest of the week.

I started my day at the gym and then ran a bunch of errands I had been putting off for months. I spent the afternoon with Thalia and Oliver. Tomorrow is another busy day - I have a bridesmaid dress fitting in the morning, and then I need to go grocery shopping. I'm running out of food, and I need to buy things for our weekend away. Thursday I am having breakfast with Thalia and Lisa (and Oliver and Sascha), and then I need to pack. Colin and I are heading to Osoyoos on Friday.

Okay. I'm going to stop now. My writing is deteriorating.

Oh yeah. We have booked our flight to New Zealand - and that definitely deserves its own blog entry!

Happy Birthday

142 years ago a group of men got together in a room on PEI, chatted a bit, and a new country was born. Okay, it was a bit more involved than that, but you get the drift. But because of that day, I can sit here now, musing on my computer, in a beautiful land, home to varied and interesting people, with the ability to think and do as I please (within moral & ethical realms of course).

It is very easy to take things for granted and forget how lucky we are to either have been born in or have come to Canada at some point in our lives. It's a country that upholds the values of peace, order, and good government (that last one may be slightly debatable right now...), and the enjoyments of hockey, beer, and doughnuts. Big mountains. Big skies. Big arctic deserts. Life on the land. Life on the sea. English. French. And everything in between. Intelligence. Compassion. Politeness. A drole sense of humour. Take it or leave it, I am happy to call this country my home.

And it's always nice to have a day off...

Counting the Weeks

Things may have settled down at work, but now my social life is out of control, and that isn’t necessarily a good thing. It has been almost two weeks since I have had a night at home. With my birthday and year-end events at the school, it has been one thing after the other.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a social butterfly. I could think of nothing worse than staying in and being anti-social, but lately I’ve had those events you have to go to. Work functions and such, where, if you don’t show up, it doesn’t look good. All I wanted to do last night was go home and chill out, but no such luck. I had yet another work related event I had to show my face at. I was hoping to stay no later than 8:00 p.m., but didn’t manage to escape until after 8:30. I don’t necessarily dislike these events, it’s just that June is such a busy time of year, and sometimes you just need a break, but you have to pick and choose your time to say no. And now isn’t the time.

But in mere weeks there will be no more school, no more work functions, no more work (for a month). Then I will be faced with a new dilemma: boredom.

The Catch-Up

It has been a ridiculously long time since I have written an entry that has anything to do with me; which, in itself, outlines how very busy I have been. Work got hellish in mid-April and didn’t let up until just last week. A number of circumstances led me into one the most stressful periods I have ever been through. None of these circumstances were mine, but I had to deal with them, nonetheless. I knew come June it would be over, and I kept telling myself that all I had to do was get to the end of May and I could breathe. And that was true. I somehow survived it all. The only casualties, apart from my sanity: an extremely disorderly home, which is now in much better shape.

Work is still busy. There are all the post golf event things to go through and deal with, but it is stress free and no deadlines looming. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I have the vacation deadline. I have five weeks to get the 2008/09 year tidied up and start prepping for 2009/10. As of 4:00 pm on July 3 I am officially on vacation, and won’t be returning to work until Tuesday, August 4.

The last 6 weeks haven’t been all work though. I have seen some good movies, including Star Trek. I have tried to keep up with Curves and dancing, as best as my schedule has allowed me. I have thrown a baby shower, and am now getting ready to plan a second baby shower, and a wedding shower, and a staggette.

Between my birthday this past Monday and other events this week, I will be busy every evening this week. The sorority also recently re-structured our volunteer system so I have a brand new position (but still of the alumnae persuasion) and with that comes new responsibilities and deadlines – the first of which is right around the corner. But it is fun. And I am really excited about what I am working on.

Of course, in the midst of all this, the Canucks were ejected out of the playoffs (the one entry I did write during this time). But I have found great success, yet again, in my [playoff] hockey pool. I have already won, and the final is still going on. It doesn’t matter who wins the cup from that stand point, but I placed my bets (& hopes) on Pittsburgh.

Here’s to the survival of crazy times.

In the Words of Porky Pig...

...yabidy yabidy yab, that's all folk! The Canucks are done. Gone in round two. How long are we going to sing this song? How many more years do we have to sit and watch, getting our hopes up, to see the Canucks blow it in Round 2? In their last 38 years of existence they have only made it past the second round twice: 1982 and 1994: they found themselves in the cup final on both those occasions.

The worst part is, we actually had a contending team this year. This was it. And they blew it, like every other Canuck team in the history of the franchise (except 1982 and 1994). This city has not seen a Stanley Cup since 1915, yet places like Tampa Bay have raised hockey's holy grail where the people ask isn't a Lecavlier a type of car?

At what point does the bandwagon breakdown beyond repair?

Of course, come October, this will all be a distant memory, and we will be clawing our way into GM Place and sports bars across the city for another year of just maybe to end in well, maybe not... maybe next year...

I Love Irony

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - A heavy foot on the gas pedal has cost B.C.'s Solicitor General his driver's license. John van Dongen has stepped away from his responsibilities for ICBC and the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, after being advised his license has been suspended due to a large number of speeding tickets... Read the rest here.

Picky, Picky, Picky

The regular hockey season is behind us and so is my work's regular season hockey pool. I unfortunately was unable to defend my title. I was first at the mid-season point, but ended up in third overall; meaning I walked away with $50 instead of $200. But I shouldn't be too disappointed - my co-workers are definitely impressed with my top 3 finish two years in a row.

At the mid-way point we were allowed to change up our players. So I switched Avery for Burrows - good move; and Eric Staal for Getzlaf - good move at the time, but didn't pan out so well overall. Also, a late season injury to Kaberle didn't help much either.

But now we are into the post-season, and a whole new pool has begun and I have never been in a playoff pool before. On Tuesday night Colin and I went out for late-night all you can eat sushi and a little post-season strategizing.

First, you have to pick one winner from each playoff group. Some we were a no-brainer: Boston over Montreal. Some were really, really tough decisions: Carolina over New Jersey. And some where based on a very strong feeling: Anaheim over San Jose. The rest of my picks are: Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Washington.

After choosing your winners, you assign a number to each bracket based on your confidence in their winning. You can only use each number once. So I assigned a really high number to Boston, a really low number to Carolina, and I won't bore you with the rest.

Wish me luck.

And Go Canucks Go!

House Hunting Headaches

Colin and I went to see some open houses last weekend. Now before you get all excited, we aren't quite ready to buy yet. Probably later this year, or early next year, but we want to see what's out there.

I can tell you that by the end of the day I was feeling discouraged and stressed. The first couple of homes we went into I felt awkward, but that feeling disappeared as the day progressed and we attended more open houses. The other thing that put me off were the Real Estate agents. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a low tolerance level for sales people. If you want to tell the me the roof is new, or the hot water heater is new, that's fine, but don't tell me the bathroom or kitchen was just redone. I'm not blind. And I didn't see anything that really stood out, that said this is 'our' home.

Once I spent some time thinking about what we saw, however, I started to feel a bit better. We now know it is not worth seeing homes below a certain square footage, or that we don't need something newly renovated, but we are also not prepared to put money into fixing up a dump either. So those were some good lessons learned. Hopefully next time won't be so overwhelming.

There's Always a Story

I came home from work yesterday hoping to find the kitchen faucet fixed. When I first glanced into the kitchen it looked like nothing had been done at all. No dishes had been moved; the blue bucket was sitting where I left it; and the tap hadn't been changed.

I assumed someone had been in the apartment though, because Welly was curled up on the chair and didn't get up to greet me. He can be a lazy bugger at the best of times, but he usually says hello when I come home.

I then went into the bathroom to find a roll of paper towels that didn't belong to us, and everything removed from the sink. Are you kidding me!? Did those hose heads get it wrong!? And even if they did think it was the bathroom sink, wouldn't they have realised there was nothing wrong with it?

So I called Colin and told him they 'fixed' the wrong damn faucet. But I decided to go into the kitchen for a closer inspection. I then noticed the small, white bucket that had been catching the drips, was now inside the big, blue bucket. And the dishcloth wrapped around the faucet had been removed. They didn't change the faucet, but they did fix it... and I still have a pile of dishes to do.

Later that evening, I blacked out...

I came home from dance class, and bent down to take off my shoes and put down my bags. Next thing I know, I was standing up, all dizzy, and fell forward and hit my head on a cabinet in the front hall. I don't remember standing up.

Colin thinks I probably stood up to fast, and that's why I felt dizzy and lost my balance. And the memory loss? Hitting your head can cause temporary amnesia. The cure: lie down on the couch, watch one crazy ass hockey game, and get the husband to wait on you hand and foot.

I still felt a little out of sorts this morning. And then my worst case scenario personality kicked in, and I started thinking about Natasha Richardson; but then I started to think about all the hockey players who have walloped their heads, and felt a bit better. As long as I don't end up like Eric Lindros...

Leaky Faucets

Our kitchen sink is leaking. Again. We just had the tap replaced about a month ago. At least I think it was about a month ago. I seem to be having a problem with time perception lately.

It got to the point where I could no longer do dishes. The towel and bucket under the sink weren't cutting it anymore. It's Colin's job to deal with our landlord and fix-it things. He told her the kitchen tap was leaking, but failed to tell her how urgent a matter it was. She didn't realize this till I was talking with her yesterday - so hopefully some one is in today to fix the leaky tap.

I couldn't handle all the dirty dishes anymore though, so I started doing them again last night. I was down to my last plate, last glass, and last straw. Doing them was worth the risk of flooding the kitchen, which didn't happen, thank God.

It's a great apartment, but after nearly six years, is starting to wear thin. The slide in the real estate market has come at a good time...

Not Leafs Nation

Tuesday night was another one of those moments where Toronto believes it is the centre of the universe. I turned on the TV just before 7:00 p.m. and found the Leafs-Lightning game still in progress, but only a couple of minutes to go. Judging by the score, and the time left on the board, I assumed it would go into overtime; but, I also assumed TSN would switch the feed in the West as soon as the Canucks games got underway. Oh how wrong was I!

I was subjected to not only watching Leafs-Lightning overtime, but then it went to a shootout! The Leafs and the Lightening are two of the worst teams in the East. The Leafs are also the worst Canadian team in the league. Why the hell would I, or any red-blooded Canadian outside of TO want to watch hockey teams with no chance of making the playoffs, versus a gritty showdown in the West, of two of the hottest NHL teams. Dallas was last in the West mere weeks ago, but now they have slid into 8th - that be post-season territory. And the Canucks: a win on Tuesday would tie them for 4th in the West with Chicago, put them only 3 points back of Calgary to nab 1st place in the NW Division, and would break a franchise record for most consecutive wins on home ice...

But the people at TSN kept it on the Toronto game until the shootout was over. I missed almost 7 minutes of the opening period, which included a power play goal by Daniel Sedin - that's like a Sasquatch siting folks, and I missed it. And a good chunk of other Vancouverites missed it too.

During the Leafs-Lightning overtime, TSN kept flashing tune into TSN2 to see the Canucks game. Well, that's all fine and dandy if you have digital or satellite TV. But I don't, and I'm sure many others wanting to watch the Canucks game don't either.

I know TSN isn't regional like the CBC or Sportsnet, but you'd think with all today's tecnology someone could have changed the feed west of the Rockies.

Maybe it was just a bitter Leafs fan working at TSN. Bitter because Mats Sundin is now a Canuck, and lighting it up. And bitter because the last time Vancouver and Toronto met, Vancouver won, in a shootout, courtesy of #13.

This is not Leafs Nation...

...but we are all Canucks.

How NOT to Get Ahead in Sales

Yesterday was my first official day of Spring Break. Although with this weather, it feels more like Winter Break. I decided to use my first day of vacation to run a few errands I have put off for the past couple of weeks. I needed to go to Richmond Centre to pick up some more shampoo, conditioner, and facial soap.

My first stop was the Clinique counter in the Bay to purchase my facial soap, then I ventured into the mall to buy my hair supplies. I decided to try a different store, as I was considering looking at a few different brands - I was open to making a change.

The store I went to had a sale on Redken products. Perfect, since that is the brand of shampoo and conditioner I use.

I started by looking at some of the OPI nail polish, and was immediately pounced on by the sales lady. I told I was just browsing the nail polish, but that didn't stop her from giving her spiel. She went on to tell me about the Redken deal, and I told that's what I am here for, but they didn't have the line I was looking for: Redken's smooth down for dealing with frizzy hair.

At that point, instead of leaving me alone, or offering to show my some other anti-frizz hair products, she started rambling on about all these other things I could buy... so I left the store.

She was so desperate to make a sale, she didn't even pay attention to the product I had come into the store to buy. Had she let me be, or showed me a different line of anti-frizz hair products, I would have bought something. But she didn't know when to quit. This isn't the first time I have walked away from a store because of an over-bearing sales person.

Let this be a lesson to all you desperate salespeople out there, if I say I'm browsing, leave me be. If I mention I am looking for a particular product, don't try and sell me something else.

Quis Custodiet...

I started a new blog back in mid-January,Blackstock Bookworm, to update and comment on the books I am currently reading, and to share my reading list; but I have done nothing with it, other than write an introductory post. I have been reading so much lately, that I perhaps have had less time to write; and the writing I have done lately isn't in blog form. So take a gander over to the Bookworm. I think you will find my first post very interesting...

A Healthy Addiction...

This week was a strange week. It went seemingly slow, but very fast. Slow because I was ready for Friday on Monday; and fast, because I can't believe Friday afternoon is already here.
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I have been on a bit of an exercising frenzy lately. I've been keeping up with Curves three times a week, and dance class once a week; but I, perhaps, went overboard last weekend. I started Saturday with my usual stroll to Marpole, and morning workout. Then Colin and I went for a walk Saturday afternoon. We then went for a swim that evening, and I must have been hopped up on something. I just tore through the pool, completing 30 laps in less than 30 minutes. I thought my arms were going to fall off; and I couldn't have felt better.

I suppose exercising is like many other addictions. I love the way I feel afterwards, and the more you do it, the more you crave that feeling. My favourite post-exercise feeling is after swimming. You're soaking wet and cool from the pool, but you can feel the heat on your body, and the sweat pouring of your forehead - that is such an awesome feeling. At least for me it is.

My weekend exercise marathon was capped off Sunday morning with an hour of hot yoga.

And then it was back to Curves on Monday, a walk on Tuesday, Curves on Wednesday, dance class last night...

I'm taking a break tonight, and heading out for dessert with some of the Croftie crew.... perhaps it's a good thing I have been doing all this exercise.

TGIF

And boy do I ever mean that. I can't remember the last time I had such an insane Friday, and I hope the next one is a long ways down the road.

This whole week has been busy, and today was the icing on the cake, with the cherry on top. For starters it was a short week. Somewhere over my long weekend work just began appearing out of thin air. By the time Tuesday morning rolled around, I was way behind. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

We are getting used to a new system in our office. Our EA went from working five days a week to two, and she is now job sharing with another employee - which has somehow created more work for me. I hope that's just temporary, while we all get used to the change. In that shuffle I finally, officially begun work on Young Alumnae Relations, but that, like some many other things, is on the back burner again.

I have the best blond story to share with you - a personal blond story. Part of the craziness today involved me heading to the Grand & Toy downtown to pick up some clear labels and invitations. A simple task.... I parked in a parking garage only a few blocks from the store. I didn't mind the walk since it was a gorgeous day.

I don't what made me do it, but something compelled me to look for my wallet, even though I didn't need it at that time. As I was digging around in my purse a horrible feeling fell over me - I didn't have my wallet. It was at home, in my gym bag. I checked my change drawer and didn't have enough too pay the parking guy to get out of the parking garage. Luckily Colin was working just a few blocks away. He came over, gave me some change so I could pay the parking garage guy; and his debit card so I could pick up the items for work.

All I could do all day today was keep telling myself it's Friday. And never more than today has the acronym TGIF held so true.

Back on Track

Finally. I think I have beaten this sickness. I went back to work on Monday, but even then I still wasn't a 100 %. Yesterday was the first day I actually felt back to full health, and didn't look like death. I'm glad too. I was getting tired of hearing how pale I was looking.

This evening will be my first time back at Curves in almost two weeks. Getting back to exercising is the final piece in getting over my sickness. At least I think it is. I also plan on preparing a half decent meal tonight too. Although I still haven't decided if it will be fajitas or fish. And if it's fish, will it be salmon or sole? I have forty minutes to figure that one out.

I'm glad I'm looking a little less like death each day, as I have a big event this weekend and I want to look good (and feel good too).

On the Mend

I finally seem to be over my bug. I started feeling a lot better Friday. Yesterday I got outdoors and went for an hour-long walk along the Dyke and through a nature park next to the Dyke. I felt fine during the walk, but felt a bit tired and really hungry afterwards. I found a quick rest and bite to eat really perked me up again.

Last night we went out to dinner for a friend's surprise birthday. Just before we left, we were offered free tickets to the Canucks game. If the Canucks had even been mediocre it would have been a very, very difficult decision on whether or not to bail out on the dinner; but they downright suck right now.

Don't get me wrong, if we didn't have set plans last night we would have taken them in a heartbeat - but to bail on a friend's birthday for sub-par hockey - well, you just don't do that.

I was planning to go to dance class today, since I have missed the last two Thursdays in a row. But I am scared to over do it, as I often do as I am just recovering from a cold or sickness. A low-impact walk is one thing, 90 minutes of hard, aerobic activity is something entirely different. I've decided I will ease back into things: a walk yesterday, and Curves tomorrow. Hopefully. It will all depend how I feel after a full day back at work. I could feel fine and re-energized, or I could be dead.

I use the latter term loosely.

A New Frustration

I made it into work yesterday, but didn't last long. I was 'quarantined' during my weekly staff meeting, meaning I had to sit at the far end of the table. After just a couple of hours I felt worse than ever, and made the decision to go home.

I got up this morning to try again, but felt sicker than yesterday. I am really getting frustrated. I want to be back at work. I am sick and tired of being confined to the house. I want to eat properly, and not feel sick every time I eat. I want to get outdoors and get fresh air. I want to get back to Curves and dancing. But what can I do, but ride it out, and hope I recover soon.

Bugged

I am eternally grateful last week is far behind me. It wasn't a good week, it wasn't a bad week, it was a frustrating week. Just little things at work and home compacting to the point where I longed for Friday afternoon, and didn't think I was going to out of the week alive. On top of that I had one of the worst sleeps I can remember, which probably didn't help with dealing with frustration.

The weekend was good, but almost too busy. And now I am home sick. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. yesterday morning with a tummy ache and feeling nauseous. So I stayed home yesterday. I felt a bit better when I woke up this morning, but after getting ready for work I started feeling sick again, and regretted eating breakfast. So I made the decision to stay home again today.

Of all the days this week to be home sick, yesterday and today couldn't be worse. I had a couple of projects that needed to be wrapped up today, so I am very grateful to my co-workers who are tying up some loose ends for me while I'm home trying to get better. On the other hand, I know they're grateful I'm home and not spreading my stomach bug around work.

Crapuary

I don’t like January: it’s cold, wet, grey, dull. It’s really any adjective you can find to describe blah. This is always the time of year when I just look and feel like crap. The last reserves of vitamin D have dried up; the summer tan is a faint memory; and SADS has set in.

At the end of every summer I tell myself I am not returning to the tanning beds the next year; but I always do. Why? It’s hard to imagine feeling crappy and looking pasty white when you are sun-kissed and feeling good as the summer months draw to a close. Then I look in the mirror at this time of year, realise I need some sun, and then further realise that sun and warmth are still months away.

But, I really want to avoid the fake n’ bake this year – perhaps this is another one of those New Year’s resolutions I don’t make – and take advantage of any sunny day thrown my way from here on in. Of course that is a real luxury at this time of year. The forecast for this weekend, however, looks promising. It’s supposed to be sunny and about 9 or 10 degrees (Celsius), which is beautiful weather for January; so I’ve decided any sunny weekend to get outdoors. It could be going for a walk or hike by myself, with Colin, or with friends. This weekend it could even be warm enough for a game of tennis; anything that gets me outdoors into the sun, and soaking up that precious vitamin D.

One More Day

All this snow finally paid off. Thanks to last night's surprise snowfall (we were told to expect rain), the school remained closed today. That meant one more day of vacation. I was woken up at 6:15 a.m. to be told this, but I'm not really complaining. I eventually fell back asleep and rolled out of bed at 9:30 - late for me.

I'm pretty sure it will be back to work tomorrow, as it does look like the rains are coming, and the temperature is going up.

Hello 2009 - Addendum

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but this year I have two:

1) Write a least 45 blog entries in 2009. 2008's total was 44.
2) Finish my puzzle I have been working on since September.

Hello 2009

Here we go - the first blog entry of the new year.

We woke up New 's Year day in Victoria and headed to Shawnigan Lake. We were late leaving because we were told there was a tonne of snow up there, so we had to make a decision. We decided to go. The Malahat wasn't too bad, and even the main roads around Shawnigan were fairly clear.

We had a few stops to make in Victoria before heading up to Shawnigan. Not really knowing Victoria all that well, we put my TomTom (gps) to good use. It was great except for some bizarre reason it wouldn't locate Duke Point. It kept telling us to turn around and head back to Swartz Bay to get home.

Apart from our Island getaway, 2009 has been pretty quiet thus far. I decided to go to Curves Friday morning, and fell twice trying to get there. The funny thing was, I was walking behind an elderly man hoping that he didn't take a spill...

My first fall wasn't too bad. The second one did a bit more damage, which I didn't start feeling the effects of until yesterday. I bruised my ulnar, and pulled a ligament in my shoulder. That was the final straw for me with this weather. It's bad enough I haven't be able to drive - well, you can drive, but parking is more than impossible. And Friday showed me you can't even walk. And yesterday Mother Nature added salt to the wound - it snowed again! I think this was the fifth time in two weeks. I don't know, I'm starting to lose count.

Yesterday we had a few people over. We watched the world juniors: Canada vs. Russia. An amazing game of hockey. I think junior hockey is actually better than NHL hockey. But I don't go to all that many Giants games. I really should though. The tickets are affordable, and there's nothing like watching hockey in the Coliseum. After the hockey game we broke out the board games.

I can't believe I go back to work tomorrow. I feel like I've been on vacation for a long time, but it has flown by so fast. I think a lot of it has to do with being trapped. I haven't been able to just get up and go and do things, thanks to this lovely weather.

I am desperate for Spring, and we're only two weeks into Winter.