How weird is this? I have phone and internet service through the same company (the same company that sent me my cell bill 183 times, I might add!). My phone has been disconnected, but the internet still works.

Probably won't have my computer hooked up at the new place until late Saturday/Sunday so you will have to learn to live without my fascinating updates again :)

Carpets cleaned, windows steamed

I should not still be awake, but I really wanted to finish packing the kitchen before bed. It's not done. I clearly have accumulated more stuff in the six months I have been living here. And really, how important is packing when I can just carry individual items over? Except I don't want to make sixty seven trips a day for the next 5 days.

I cleaned the carpets at the new place tonight and want to do the old place in the morning. Like everything, it took longer than I thought it would. But it looks nice. Ok, no more functioning thought process. Bed.

I think I taco'd my spine

I just checked my email and Telus had sent me my e-bill for my cell phone 61 times. And counting. I just got 3 more. I tried calling them, but of course they are closed. And it's one of those no return email addys. Just checked their website and it seems fried. I keep getting "missing content".

Do you know they don't make entertainment cabinets any more? At least that's what it seems like. Why would you need a cabinet when you can either mount your plasma tv on the wall or put it on top of a small sofa table? But I have a CRT and it needs room!! I did find one at Canadian Tire, oddly enough, that I will probably get.

As for the apartment - door jams and getting ready to clean the carpets. My new bed is in pieces. Half in the bathroom, half in the kitchen. I just have to drag the big box of leftover bits (old light fixtures, shelves etc that my dad is planning to reuse/recycle) into the bathroom and I can start. Must remember to actually rent the rug doctor after work.

And yes, my back hurts. I think it may be permanently bent after all that baseboard work.

Day Something

First, I had a major episode of dorm deja vu tonight. I was cutting across the parking lot between my two apartments while wearing plaid flannel pj pants, a man's workshirt and a parka, and eating a piece of cheese. This caused a serious flashback - not sure if it was the pants or the cheese...

Next - My back HURTS. I finished the baseboards tonight but apparently 4 plus hours of crawling around the floor taping, painting, untaping is not my back's idea of a good way to spend an evening. Got to listen to the hockey game while I worked - good game. Go Cowan. The baseboards look good, although there are a few touchup areas to do. I'm glad I decided to do them as the contrast between the pure white boards and the unpainted almond door jams is amazing. I also bought a light fixture for the kitchen on my lunch break today. It's an oval fluorescent light with brushed nickel trim, about 3 feet long.

Ok, I need bed. Should have gone 30 minutes ago.

Day 4 - Slow Progress

I had to work today so I only had this evening to work at the new place. In my head, the plan was to spend Monday and Tuesday doing the baseboards and door jams so I could clean the carpets on Thursday. I hoped to have half of the baseboards done tonight. Not a chance. Maybe an eighth. Of course I did do other things on the list. I fixed the grout in the tub. I touched up the ceiling where, in my aunt's words, the passing trucks caused the ceiling to jump down on her brush. That wasn't the only spot of course. Then I finally started the trim. I started in the second bathroom as I need the floor in there to store my new bed while I clean the carpets. And that's all. Got lots taped for tomorrow though, so hopefully it goes much better!! Maybe I'll skip the door jams for now and just do them when I do the doors.

I need to shower! I have white trim paint in my hair.

Day 3 - The Work Continues

Note to self: Wear pants tomorrow. The last thing I did tonight was wash the baseboards so I can paint them tomorrow. Crawling around on the carpet has given me rug burn on both my knees.

Lots done today! Second coats on all the walls, ceilings done. All the light fixtures up except the kitchen one as I want to look for a new one. Once the old one was down, I really really didn't want it to go back up. The place looks good and the colours have really grown on me. The light green wasn't quite what I was aiming for but it works. It's very bright and sunny, but in a green way. Man, my feet hurt.

I have to go back to work tomorrow which means I can only work on the place at night. There's lots on the list to be done, but really the only things I really HAVE to do before the weekend is paint the baseboards and clean the carpets. The window trim can wait, shelving can wait, the cat door can wait. I want to stop at JYSK or something tomorrow on the way home to buy towel bars and other items, but again not a priority. Except a plastic scraper. I need one of those.

I hope I sleep all night tonight! Fuzzy keeps waking me up. He knows something is going on.

Day 2

Well, I think I'm only wearing 2 colours of paint and since I used 3 colours, we'll consider this a reno miracle. We started pretty early this morning, a little after 8 am. Both my dad and sister came out then, my aunt at 9 and my mum at 10. My dad spent the entire day removing lighting fixtures and painting the popcorn ceilings. We patched, sanded, and painted the first coat on almost all the wall. There are only 3 very basic walls left in the dining room, but that's where we stashed the kitchen appliances. When my aunt opened that first can of Yucca White, I was very very unsure. It's been growing on me all day and I really liked the contrast once the Woodland Mystery went up. Spent the day trying to figure out what colour Yucca White is though! Iced Mint? Lemon-Lime Sorbet? The Woodland is more of a sage/olive colour. If your monitor and my monitor are the same, on this site, check out Honeydew (close to the Yucca), Sea Green Dark (close to Woodland), and Cornflower (close to my bedroom colour). It's not quite, but in the ballpark. You get the idea. Too bad you can't just see my hands. The Yucca White went up in the bathrooms, kitchen, front hallway, and closets. The Woodland is in the second bedroom. It was the dining room and living room that confused me. Some are light, some are dark. Trying for that accent wall thing, I guess. Had to make one trip to Rona today for more paint. We were seriously short on the light colour. I need to go in the morning again as we are now out of blue and could use some tape. I really underestimated paint, but then we didn't choose to prime. tomorrow, second coat! And then all the hardware has to go back on....

Day 1 - The New Place

Day 1 - pretty good I think. My aunt is a workhorse! I got the keys around 1030am and did a walk through with my realtor. My aunt showed up just as I was wheeling my dolly over. We removed all the wallpaper (the master bedroom just pulled off, but the kitchen roosters were torture. If we peeled off more than a quarter inch at a time, we were thrilled. While I removed all the hardware and drapery stuff, my aunt washed most of the walls (wallpaper glue everywhere!) and removed closet doors. So far I've patched the master bedroom and I'll probably go back tonight and patch a bit more. Right now I'm taking a supper break and then heading to Home Depot to buy lights!

Today's the Day!

I woke up early, but forget going back to sleep. It feels like Christmas! There's even snow! I get my keys in only a few hours. Yay!!!

I know there are other things to blog about - the Ryan Smyth trade, the Oscars, the weather, my search for a couch (my taste is so not 2007 apparently), but that implies I can think about other things. I might blog later about the joys of wallpaper removal though. *g*

Snap. Crackle.

I was going crazy a few minutes ago, which is why I'm taking a net break. I'm using all the same boxes as when I moved out here so I'm trying to use the box that is already labelled correctly. A box that says DVDs gets DVDs etc. So I know darn well there's a big box labelled China/Linens for my big plates, but I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE! I look, I look, I look. I even went down to my storage locker thinking maybe that's where I saw it. Not there, although I brought up some more boxes while I was at it. I went through all the boxes again. Nope. I finally saw it as I went into the kitchen for something. I'm using it to store all my painting supplies. Bah, it's been right next to the stinking china cabinet the whole time!

One week to go.

That's it! Just one week to go and it will be mine. One week. eep!!!

In other news.... nope, don't got any. It's all about the move. Haven't packed much, should really work on that. Trying to keep the place clean for prospective buyers and pack at the same time is a bit of a challenge, but really I'm just using that as an excuse. I just am too lazy to pack! I have organized the first load of stuff though - everything I need to remove wallpaper and paint. I've got some people organized to help that first weekend, so it should go okay.

Ok, need to go clean something. Or pack something. I'll try to blog if my brain ever comes up with something to say other than EEP!

Happy Move-iversary!

Today is the six month anniversary of The Great Move. I really have a hard time believing it. On one hand, I feel like I've been here always and the whole Edmonton thing was a dream. I had my performance review today, the one that marks the end of my probation. It went very well. This whole thing is still moving so fast though. Buying my own place. Possession of the new apartment is in only two weeks. I can't remember if I've already said this but I can't help thinking about the speed in which I make major life decisions. Have I always been like this? Just... jumping.. and hoping it all works out? That's what this past year feels like. How did go? My letters to the labs in Vancouver, asking for tours, are dated June 23. I had job offers by July 7. By July 12, I had given notice at my old job, sold my apartment (in about 6 hours), and started looking for a place to live in BC. I had always planned to buy a place out here - in the New Year, I said. When I spoke to my realtor, I very very clearly said I was in no hurry, that I wanted to want until I found the right place. My soon to be new place was the second apartment I viewed (although I did go on to view all the other ones she had set up for that day). Seriously. It's just crazy. And just in case you are wondering - my new paint colours will be from Rona A29 - Yucca White (90YY 83/107, light yellow/green creme?) and Woodland Mystery (90YY 52/138, sagey green?). My bedroom will be the same blue as when I repainted in May (E47 - Aristocratic). Can't find online paint chips.

It's Mine

It's mine. All mine. Well, the bank's really, but they let me call it mine. I'm not freaked out, but I'm definitely on the squirrel-ly side. I think I'm going with green this time, instead of yellow. Same blue for my bedroom. Possession is the beginning of March so I have a LOT to do. Packing. Again. And at the same time, I'll need to keep my current place clean and tidy as my landlord will be showing it. There's other stuff to say but it escapes me now. Bedtime maybe.

Things are moving so fast!

I think I mentioned before that my plan was to look for a new place to live, one that I'd own, in the New Year. Well, in mid-January, I started that particular ball rolling and spent today with my realtor looking at various apartments. I found one that I really really like and we are the process of putting an offer in. The current owner is an older lady and doesn't want any offers presented until the morning. So now I have to wait!! I'm excited about this place. It's in the right area, upper corner unit, great layout, and in great shape. This is just bizarre though. It's weird how fast things move.

My mind is a bit blank for the rest of the previous week. Let's see - hung out with Rod and Fancy Friday night for a little boardgaming and a little drive. Saturday, my sister and I had lunch with my grandma and then I watched the Canucks lose to the Flames at Shivauna's house.
In an effort to boot kick my own ass into exercising more, I've decided to get competitive! I've scheduled a 5K run with Rod for the end of the month, with the goal of not dying when running with a guy who 13 inches taller than me. I'm now writing down all my exercise sessions and showing my trainer when I see him every second week. I've made a schedule for myself! No hoping it's going to work - - It's going to work.

Ok, really, all I can think about it the apartment.

Happy Birthday Robbie Burns

I had my cousins over for a Robbie Burns' (Scottish poet, in case you don't know) dinner last night. I went full out, like I usually do! I even made a kilt this week :). I used the internet and my grandma for recipes and served Cock-a-leekie soup (kinda bland, but i liked it), Bannocks (dry!!), Collops of Beef (marinated steak basically, liked it), Clapshot (mashed turnip and potato, quite excellent), Haggis (seriously yucky to look at it and I didn't like it at all), Black Pudding (soooo digusting), peas and carrots, and Floating Island (red currant jelly meringue on sherry laced whipped cream - yummy). We read the Selkirk Grace and Address to the Haggis. I did an immortal memory (basically, a history of Burns and why we bother celebrating his birthday). And we also read random poems and songs - including Auld Lang Syne which in probably the most well known. My favourite poem is On My Own Friend And My Father's Friend, Wm. Muir in Tarbolton Mill. It's an epitaph/elegy and it reminds me of my scottish grandfather who died when I was 15.

As for the kilt, my grandma gave me some plaid fabric so I could make a scarf or something, but she bought quite a bit. I decided to attempt a kilt and googled "how to make a kilt". Using this website, I got this result:

The pin you can't see in this pic (near my left hand) is a silver scotty dog that I gave to my grandfather for Christmas one year and that my grandma gave back to me after he died.

And in the news - I've been reading about the Tory attack ads on Stephane Dion. I despise attack ads. I think they are the lowest form of politics. I don't care what you think of the other side, I only want to know what you will do for me. Or at the very least, what you would like to promise me for the now that you probably won't be able to fulfill later. Lie to me about yourself, don't diss your opponent! Ahhhh, the faith I have in politicans.

unrelated thought bubbles

Great news! Booked a flight to Edmonton for Easter weekend. Hopefully, people will be around.

I am seriously addicted to West Wing. I'm downloading the next season as I watch the one before. I can't stop. I'm near the end of season four and can't get over how so many of the issues are still current. And the now obvious foreshadowing (I don't know if that's the right word though. Sure, it would be foreshadowing in a book where the author knows the end, but in a tv series, do they have any idea how it will end?). But anyway - there are at least two references to making Leo vice-president during Barlett's reign, so now it makes complete sense that Leo's on the ticket later. Mostly I just want to skip to season 7 and watch Donna and Josh get together.

I'm having a Robbie Burns supper next weekend for my cousins and me. I drove out to Langley to pick up the haggis and black pudding I ordered on Saturday morning. I hate Langley! The drive out was very pretty as I took highway 10 and got to see the sun trying to break through all the morning fog. But once I got to Langley, I got very confused in the miles and miles of big box stores. Why can't we just have a really big mall with a directory?! I finally found the little shop I needed and picked up my order. It smells. And it's frozen! Dear god... I have to cook this.

So I'm reading Eat, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Turns out I'm a fan of a thing called the Oxford comma. When I edit things, I tend to add commas. When my dad edits the same paper (this happened a lot, my sister always wanted two opinions and then went her own way), he takes them out. Turns out both methods are legit. An example: my way - 'The American flag is red, white, and blue.' My dad's way - 'The American flag is red, white and blue.' The extra comma is called an Oxford comma. Haven't you always wanted to know that?

My car is going in this week for its first scheduled tuneup since I bought it. Since I didn't want to go through the angst of finding a trustworthy mechanic near where I live, I'm using my dad's mechanic. This means I had to leave my car up there and borrowed my dad's old car. It's old. It's huge. I want my car back! And it's weird driving it. My dad bought it when I was in high school. I was never ever allowed to touch it. It was the "good" car. Now it's nearly 15 years old and in rough shape. Please don't let it snow until I get my car back.

I seem to have lost interest in Canadian politics. Even the liberal leadership conference didn't really spark anything. But wow, I'm interested in the Democratic presidential nomination. And it's like a year away! Very, very, very interesting, so many possibilities. Of course, I can't vote there, so it doesn't matter. And the only news story here starting tomorrow morning will be the Pickton trial. I may have to start listening to music again, instead of the all news station. Music... I wonder what they are playing this year.

Interview Questions

What a crazy week. The weather is just insane. I heard rumours that Vancouver was warm and rainy in the winter, but they lied. Wednesday was the day of the big snow storm. I worked an afternoon shift, so when I went to work the roads weren't too bad and the traffic was just slightly higher than normal. The snow got heavier and heavier throughout the afternoon and evening and the city went nuts. At supper, four hours after I started work, I went out to move my car from the outside parking lot to the underground parking lot. There was about a foot and half of snow covering my car. People stayed quite late at work, trying to avoid the incredible tangle of traffic. I know of one guy who took over 3 hours to drive what usually took 30 minutes. When I finally got off work, it only took me an extra 10 minutes, but it helped that there were almost no other cars at that time of night. More snow in the forecast for this week!

Onto a meme - In case you haven't seen the interview meme before, someone asks you 5 questions and you answer them. Very simple. If anyone wants to ask me more questions, I'd love it. And if you want me to ask you 5 questions, let me know.

Questions I've been asked:

1) What are some of your favorite healthy snacks?

Veggies, I love veggies. I try to cut everything up when I get home from the grocery store so that it's ready to snack on when I get the munchies. A couple of things I like if I want to make them slightly fancier than plain veggies - steamed broccoli with ginger spice and garlic salt, fake nachos (a plate full of red/green pepper strips and tomatoes with shredded cheese), using lowfat/low cal salad dressing as a dip, dill pickles (nice crunch, lots of taste). I also use veggies to increase the volume of all my meals - having salads with everything, using bean sprouts or coleslaw (the bag stuff, not the mayo stuff) as a base for stirfrys instead of rice or pasta, etc. Fruit is also a a great snack, especially melon or berries. Fruit is a great alternative for dessert, it's nice and sweet. And even if you want something sugary with it, you can add a bit of chocolate topping or sugar (fake chemical stuff if you like, I use a packet of splenda sometimes). Suddenly I have a craving for a pita pizza - pita pocket used as a pizza crust with either tomato sauce or hummus and veggies.


2) How has the hockey been this year?

It's been fun. The Northwest division is super tight and teams keep trading first spot. Last time I looked, only 5 points separated first from fifth. It's more tragic when you look at the Conference as a whole, because then you discover the whole Northwest division kind of sucks. But it's been fun cheering for two teams (the Canucks and the Oilers) who are in the same division and frequently play each other. I've been to more games this year (4 so far) then I have in the last 10 years. I have a friend who throws hockey parties, so it's even been part of my social life. Good season! As for predictions - playoffs usually surprise me, but it really really looks like Buffalo and Anaheim have a lock on the final round.


3) You have 48 hours with unlimited funds and total free time. What do you do? (You can't just withdraw the money and move it to your savings account, it has to be spent within the 48 hours)

Wow. How wrong is it that my first thought was I'd stay in my pjs and never leave my house. Reading, sewing, soaking in the bath tub. I'm currently on a weird schedule that doesn't involve more than 1 day off at a time (this weekend, two days!). But the unlimited funds things, hmmm.... I want a spa day! The full package deal, massage, facial, haircut, mani/pedicure etc etc. Shopping spree. And a fabric shopping spree. Followed by another massage I think. I want to be pampered, can you tell?


4) Would you ever consider becoming a foster parent?

Actually, yes I would. My grandmother was a foster parent to babies back in the 50s and 60s and three of my aunts and uncles are adopted. One of my cousins is technically a foster kid, but he's been part of our family for at least 6 years now. Hopefully one day I'll be stable enough with decent enough hours to be able to offer a good home to someone who needs it. I actually plan to look into becoming a Big Sister this year, but I have to figure out the time commitment. I'd love to get involved in something like Girl Guides, but I can't commit to evening week hours.


5) How are you liking your new job? Are you no longer on night shift?

I really really like my new job. It's got lots of variety - running instruments, looking at slides, miscellaneous testing. I no longer work traditional nights like I used to, but I now work mostly evenings. I don't really care during the week, but it sucks on Fridays!

owie

Oh, I am in so much pain. I was super motivated on Friday and went for a major workout. Several hours, doing both strength training and a run. Apparently I either did too much weight or too many reps. I swear I stretched. A lot! But egad the pain.... I knew Friday night it was going to be bad. Saturday morning was horrifying, especially since I had to go to work. Sitting for 8 hours didn't help. It still aches this morning. Saturday morning it was my qlutes, but by late last night it had migrated down to my calves. That's what still hurts the most. And tomorrow, I'm supposed to go back to the gym!

Friday night, Rod and I went to the Canucks vs Oilers game. Pretty good game, even though the Oil lost in OT. 3-2. Saturday, I worked my first weekend shift. It was a good day, even though it was a Saturday! Shouldn't have to work another one for 3-4 months so that's pretty good. After work, I went to a movie with my sister - The Pursuit of Happyness. Not bad, not great. Today was sheer laziness. A little sewing, a little cleaning, a lot of reading and sleeping. Only one day off in a row is weird, I don't feel like getting stuff done. Especially since it would have required moving my aching muscles. Bah, work tomorrow again.

Welcome 2007

Happy New Year all!!

As usual, I made some New Year's resolutions last night. 25 mins into my first morning of the New Year and I'm still holding strong! *L*

First the review of last year's resolutions -
1) Reach and maintain Target Weight. Unfortunately no. But I do weigh less than last year and I did pretty well at going to the gym. It's part of my lifestyle now, and that's the real accomplishment.

2) Blog weekly! Well, definitely not weekly, but not too bad until the last few weeks.

3) Become a better listener. This has been a resolution of mine since I was probably old enough to understand what it meant. I really really want to do this, but I have no idea how!

4) Be debt-free for at least 4 seconds. I actually succeeded in this and it is still currently true!!

And now for 2007 -

Most importantly - 1) Reach and maintain Target Weight. I'm doing it this year. I'm setting up a bribe system even! For every pound I lose, I get to buy a book :) And when I get to my goal - a tailored leather jacket, leather boots and a tattoo will be MINE!!!! I'll be setting up a gym schedule later today and I've joined a Saturday fitness class that starts on the 13th.

Really, that's my only one. There are things I want to do this year, but it's more of a to-do list, rather than a resolution. Blog weekly, finish my 2006 scrapbook, start a 2007 one, sew more, get caught up on my millions of project ideas, quilt more, go talk to the bank about getting a mortgage (and see if what I can afford and qualify for actually get me the kind of place I want), throw monthly dinner parties since I love to host things, maintain the socialness, be open to new people (finding a new relationship would be nice, but I'm not yet in a speed dating frame of mind), make a point of seeing my grandmothers.... You get the picture.

Best wishes to you and yours for 2007! *hugs*

Hello Again

I was planning to title this post The Dead Rise Again, but after just reading that Saddam Hussein was executed, I felt a need to pick a different title. I had a very odd sensation when I read that news article that I can't quite describe - but I do certainly wonder how it will affect the war.

As for why I haven't posted in a month - man, it's not been that fun. First, it started off with a nasty nasty cold. Then the death of a long time family friend of ovarian cancer (which let me tell you is NOT a good way to go. Less then 2 months from diagnosis to death.) Add in massive snow and wind storms, with power outages. My bedroom gets cold with no heat! Then there was the usual pre-Christmas rush, with pre-Christmas secrets and sewing projects. I made several sets of napkins and placemats, a nightie and a pair of boxers. The boxers were for me though. I didn't even bother putting up my tree this year, although I did put out my other Christmas decorations. My cold returned even worse than the first time around, probably due to lack of sleep, and I missed a day at work.

As Christmas approached, I was feeling better and my spirits were lifting - I was in the Christmas zone. I was really excited about most of the presents I had bought or made (especially the pantsuit I bought my mom). The week before Christmas, I went to my dad's side's family Christmas that I hadn't been to in 3 years. Much fun - although my 90 year great auntie didn't believe me when I said who I was. Not sure who she thought I was, but apparently I am not me. Christmas Eve at my mom's mom's house was really nice, although one of my uncles' family did not come because they were sick. My three year old cousin had "recovered" so his mom and he came. Christmas Day was great! Presents were lovely (books! happy books! A new hiking pack and sewing stuff!). The suit I bought my mom fit! My dad laughed at the note I included with the tool I had got him (he'll need it to fix something at my house). Our usual Christmas Day open house was nice and there were 10 people over for turkey dinner. Unfortunately, about 9pm that night, the PLAGUE that my little cousin had supposedly recovered from hit me. And my sister. And I later heard that it also got my parents, 3 uncles, 1 aunt, 2 cousins and my grandmother.... And by plague I mean a norwalk like virus. Ever had it? Then you know... If not, I don't wish this on anyone, not even my worst enemy. The only positive thing I can say - I didn't gain any weight over the holidays. The weird thing - that damn cold is back! It's a super-cold.

I have minor plans for the New Years, all depending on how I feel. I still get tired very very easily. I'm thinking dinner at my parents for their annual New Year's Eve dinner (cornish game hens, so yummy) and possibly followed by a house party if I'm still awake.

Best wishes to all of you for the New Year!