the elbow...

Friday Favourites ver. 9

2012-02-03T08:28:00.001-05:00

In which I post fun and favourite things from my week, every Friday!

Hello friends! Have you had a shit-storm week like me? and I don't just mean that it's been snowing/raining/snowing/raining for 6 days... ah screw it, I'm DONE talking about the weather!

I'm headed to Kingston today after work for the annual CIRQUE Conference held at Queen's University. If you look at the schedule, you will see a familiar name in the 1:00pm time slot.

Excuse me while I barf.

I feel like I've been telling people for years that I love public speaking when in reality I love being finished public speaking. That feeling you get once you've just delivered a well executed and inspirational message is awesome. The 8 weeks prior when you are flipping out and power point keeps crashing are not so energizing.

BUT! I soldier on! Wish me luck!

On to the weekly favs!

1. Umm... how did I get away with not showing you this, yet? Sound, please. I love you, too ;)

2. I have the best gfs in the world. This weekend I was presented with the most amazing collage to hang in my office. This contributes to #52 on my Life List - Fill my house with art made by my friends. These girls have an awesome eclectic taste and have endeavored to fill their own apartment with collages and clocks. I love it.

Nail polish, dogs, friends, climbing cats, children - it's practically a vision board for my life

3. I puppy-sat for Coworker PK yesterday. It was crazy, frustrating, silly, wet, and fun! I even took her on a trip to the grocery store. It was kind of neat to experience what it's like to train a service dog. I help PK out when I'm around but I was solo this time and she is a hand-full but has made a ton of progress. That and she loves Boomer, obvi.

4. We started Season 4 of Dexter on Wednesday and I DON'T THINK I CAN HANDLE IT. THE STRESS. JESUS. Hold me....

5. I'm participating in a photo-a-day challenge, posted details here. It's fun! You should try it.

6. Super Bowl Party, Sunday, Be HERE. It's going to be awesome. LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!
(I'm making chili, Mexican layer dip, and cupcakes)

February Photo a Day Challenge - Day 2

2012-02-02T16:11:00.003-05:00

Day #2 prompt is... words! Here's what I came up with:

ALL of the words! My bookcase! I have a whole board on Pinterest devoted to bookcases (Not a great pic, sorry)

February Photo a Day Challenge - Day 1

2012-02-01T12:30:00.006-05:00

I suppose this would lead me to posting everyday... we'll see! Also posting to twitter.

Here's the list I'm working from courtesy of Fat mum slim

Here's my picture from today: "your view today"

Same as everyday, was completely white yesterday...

Follow along on twitter under #febphotoaday

Friday Favourites ver. 8

2012-01-27T12:00:00.005-05:00

In which I post fun and favourite things from my week, every Friday!

What a busy week!! Many pictures today!

1. I did MUCH cooking this week. Including this chili, these cupcakes, this pasta, this corn bread, ice cream (recipe for manual), and vegetable soup and I'm making this p asta tonight.

The icing... ooo the icing...

I'm not going to tell you I chopped up Toblerone for the ice cream...

Ice Cream maker success!

2. WE BOOKED OUR FLIGHTS TO NYC. This trip is going to be SO FUN and includes visiting SO MANY fun people. 5 weeks, see you then :)

3. In my PT session on Tuesday, I told my trainer about a ce rtain Life L ist item involving a certain left-side plank. I've already made progress, I can hold myself up on my left side for 35 seconds but still can't get my right leg up. Look out world, I'm going to plank the shit out of you.

4. RB and I helped my brother move last weekend. In going through some boxes, we came across a picture frame which showed the following:

Now why couldn't my hair stay that blond??

5. We went to Toronto a few weekends ago for my brother's girlfriend's birthday. She had a photobooth set up with a few props. The pictures are a riot but this one is certainly my favourite.

So much going on...

6. Last year we hosted a Super Bowl party of epic proportions. We had much food, much fun, and speakers in the bathroom so no one missed anything. We're planning round 2 for next weekend and I'm already looking up recipes to try out.

Do you have a suggestion for a Super Bowl snack?
What are the haps with your weekend?

One thing

2012-01-26T19:42:00.001-05:00

It's a sharing kind of day in the blogosphere.

I'm not a religious person. I didn't grow up in a religious household, I don't practise any form of religion.

When I was a kid, the only summer camp around was a Christian camp. I went for 12 summers. It was pretty standard, canoeing, swimming, crafts, etc but every evening we'd have a chapel session. I didn't mind it because there was always lots of singing and dancing. I was mostly unfazed by the bible reading etc. Overall, it was a great place to stay in the summer.

Each summer, there was a different 'guest' at camp that would bring a different lesson and lead the chapel sessions in the evenings. Kind of like a keynote for the week.

One particular summer, I think I was 15, a man (let's call him Ted) was the keynote. Ted brought with him many lessons and to his credit, he was a bit different and thus more interesting than previous keynotes. However, Ted was an asshole.

Each day, the campers were given a verse to memorize. Pretty standard church camp practise. Ted chose these verses and would explain why he chose them. One day, Ted chose a verse that was something to the effect of bad things happening because God is punishing us, similar to the thoughts of natural disasters happening as a result of pissing off God or for punishment. I can't remember it specifically but it was one of those 'can be interpreted 10 different ways but really shouldn't be' type of verses. Ted and I were chatting about this and he told me that I was a result of God's punishment. I was created as a message to others of the wrath of God.

I told you Ted was an asshole.

This confused me. It didn't so much upset me because I don't really believe in God and therefore don't take scripture seriously. It still threw me off, though because it was in bad taste, rude, and came from a person who I was supposed to respect. I soon learned that a few of the camp counselors weren't especially fond of Ted when my own counselor approached me after seeing Ted and I chatting. She asked me what we talked about and was shocked when she heard what he had said to me.

It was a moment of reality, when I realized that my counselor was talking to me as a friend and not as a superior, trained to always have a positive attitude and always be friendly. She was pissed and she told me that it was ok if I was, too.

I didn't realize it at the time, but that conversation with my counselor is part of the foundation of my being able to effortlessly brush off assholes like Ted. The keynote for the week was kind of a mini-celebrity at camp and everyone respected him. My counselor taught me I shouldn't let anyone treat me like shit, no matter how respected.

I don't care about how religious/atheist/whatever you are, NO ONE can tell you that you are not important. No one has that right. As someone going through life with a giant target and perceived disadvantage, these are the things that get me up in the morning.

Last night I was home alone preparing dinner with my radio turned up. This song came on and I let me hair fly and my hands wave. Sorry, my hand wave.

Friday Favourites ver. 7

2012-01-20T00:12:00.000-05:00

In which I post fun and favourite things from my week, every Friday!

1. I started reading The Return of the King this week. This puts me at 2/3 of the way through reading the series, and 2/3 of the way to accomplishing an item on my Life List! Fellowship was great, Two Towers dragged in the middle but ended with a BANG, hoping ROTK goes well...

2. I'm trying a new approach to finding inspiration for cooking dinner. When shopping for groceries, if there's a cut of meat on sale, I buy it. Then I come home and search for recipes. Lucky me, this week prime rib roasts were on sale. Also challenges my cooking skills.

3. I had my first Personal Training session on Monday. My ass still hurts. (hah, now THAT doesn't sound awkward...) I go back for #2 tomorrow. There are a lot of opinions on personal training. Yes, it's expensive and yes I could do it on my own. No, I wouldn't ever push myself that hard. So while it's pricey, it works.

4. This website - Corporate Twits. Twitter is a great way to get answers in the customer service department. These answers can be comical. Thank goodness someone is collecting them in a convenient website!

5. This clip from Super Troopers.

"Hey Farva, what's the name of that restaurant you like? With all the goofy shit on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?"

"You mean Shenanigan's?"

I think I mentioned before that I can recite just about every line from '10 Things I Hate About You' and 'Mean Girls'... add 'Super Troopers' to that list. I think I can blame that movie for my failing first year.

Jesus I have shitty (awesome?) taste in movies...

6. For those that have mentioned it - I am on Pinterest. I just... don't... really... use... it? Please use the words 'WTF' and 'Pinterest' in the title of your hate mail so I can filter it. I'll try, when I have 8 hours to kill. Find me under my full name.

Here's a fun site that is encouraging me to pin more - Pinterest, you are drunk. Kind of like Regretsy but with less vaginas (so far).

This weekend I'm cooking some prime rib, sewing some baby clothes, playing some frisbee. Also, turning 50.

What's up with you this weekend?

Meal Planning

2012-01-19T15:44:00.005-05:00

I've always had a knack for cooking and feeding people. Since moving in with RB, it's as if my knack* has exploded into an obsession.

Of all things to be obsessed over - I'm obsessed with meal planning. You can unfriend/unfollow at will, I understand.

From discussions with others I've learned that many don't plan meals and most eat out or get take-out much more often than we do. Here's the thing - meal planning is easy and it doesn't take very long at all. It's also a good way to save money, watch what you eat, and reduce the amount of waste you produce in your kitchen from throwing out rotten food.

Here are some of the things that work for RB and I:

1. Google doc with favourite meals: we have a shared Google spreadsheet that lists all of our favourite meals. These are the ones that will always be in my arsenal and I can make again and again. Along with the meal there's a link to the website where I got the recipe or the cookbook it's from (and page number) and then there's a third column that shows the 'last eaten on' date. This is to avoid eating the same things too many times in a row.

This spreadsheet works for me because I have many recipes that I like to go back to but tend to forget about them (there are currently 14 meals listed). I add recipes to the spreadsheet when I remember old favourites or when I discover new ones. The upkeep is very minimal and because it's a Google doc, it's available everywhere.

Benefit: go-to list of meals when you lack inspiration, classics that you've made before and likely take less time as a result.

2. Google calendar showing what's for dinner: If there's one thing I'm more obsessed with than meal planning, it's Google Calendar. I have 10 active calendars. One of which is titled 'What's for Dinner?". On Sunday, or Monday, I take a look at my week and see what I want to make. Since I'm already looking at all the other events during the week I have a good picture of what meals work where. For example, when I should schedule leftovers, when take-out would be best, and when I have extra time.

Benefit: planning your week = saving money = reducing waste = eating better

3. Grocery list in my phone: This one is most important. In my notepad on my phone, I have a note titled 'Groceries'. It is always there and will never be deleted. It's pretty simple, I make my grocery list here. Since I always have my phone, I can add ketchup to the list if I think of it while I'm at the dentist. Nothing gets forgotten. I also try to minimize trips to the grocery store and prevent buying things I already have. I use two tricks with this list.

If I think of something that I'm not sure if I have it or not, I put a question mark beside it so that I know before I leave for the store I should check the kitchen first. I make this list on Sunday or Monday when I'm planning my calendar.
I always put quantities next to ingredients. If I need half a cup of cashews, it's cheaper to get it from the bulk section than buying the 4 cup tub. This way I don't end up with lots of extra ingredients I might not use very often. (Sorry cashews, you're just not on my active snack choices list.)

To keep my inspiration going I also do the following:

1. When I get a new cookbook, I grab a stack of post-its and flag every recipe that I might be interested in trying. That way, when I'm out of ideas, I can grab a book from the shelf and it's already been screened.

2. I bookmark online recipes all the time. My bookmarks list is massive. This is another method of screening recipes in times of low-inspiration. As an aside, I currently don't have a method for managing my online recipe bookmarks, please enlighten me!

So, that's all there is to it. All of these things are now habits for me so they take even less time. I don't tend to plan meals for Friday and Saturday as we likely have plans to go out or there are ample leftovers available. 5-days of planning is enough for me.

Do you plan your meals, what works for you?

*Every time I use the word 'knack' I thick of this Dilbert sketch.

Friday Favourites ver. 6

2012-01-13T07:40:00.000-05:00

In which I post fun and favourite things from my week, every Friday!

1. I started writing in a journal on January 1st and I have written every day. It's a great outlet and I'd like to think I'm sleeping better as a result.

2. TEDxWaterloo applications opened last week!!!! You should totally apply!!!! It's going to be a ridiculously awesome day. I'm the Catering Lead for the day and it's shaping up to include some very awesome food. Just do it.

3. For my birthday I got a card from RB that said 'we're going to New York City!'. Which is... pretty incredible. We're planning the trip for March. Yes, I know the weather is going to suck but it can't be any worse than the weather here so I'm just not even considering it. When I was in Palm Springs in November the weather was brutal but I still had a great experience. Let's hope the same for NYC.

4. I love pulled pork. Seriously. If you eat pork, you should be making it once a week. I got a 4 lb roast for $4 this week and it's going to feed us 4 meals. I m ake this recipe. When it comes to forcing my beliefs on people, let this be the one you actually consider.

5. I got asked to speak at a conference in the first week of February. When I said yes back in November I didn't have many details. It has since surfaced that I need to speak for 50 minutes. Fifty minutes. As Crosie would say 'that is ALL of the minutes'. All of them. I realize this is neither 'fun' for me nor a 'favourite'. Perhaps you'll find pleasure in my misery? Let's go with that.

6. This picture...

Way to go, Neville.

7. Last weekend RB and I had tickets to the Leafs vs. Wings game. It was close to perfection.
- I got to wear my Yzerman jersey
- We had GOLD CENTRE ICE seats (HUGE Thank you to RB's fam)
- A guy in the row above us chucked a squid on the ice
- That's all that needs to be said.

Warm up from our gold's

We are ancient rivals but we make it work.

2011 Book Review

2012-01-03T12:19:00.003-05:00

I don't think I need to tell you how much I love reading. I also love sharing the books I read and then gushing over them. Let the gushing begin.

Books I read in 2011 (at least those that I can remember, in no particular order)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins (I got the HG series for Christmas and read all three in 7 days. Loved them)
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (it was meh)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (slightly better than meh)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (this was a re-read and I don't think I need to tell you how unbelievable it is... because I already did)
Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz (non-fiction, slow but very interesting)
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron (cute and light but sad)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (LOVED. IT. Like big time love)
In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier (interesting story, relevant to my Manitoba heritage)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Good story, loved the different voices in the story)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (cute story)
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (So Awesome, SO awesome)
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien (no words)
The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien (not as awesome but still awesome)
I Was Told There'd be Cake by Sloane Crosley (chick-lit, cute essays, easy light read)

I recommend: 1,2 & 3 because they are fun. 6 because it's my #1 of all time. 9 because it's brilliant and I want to name my future dog/cat/child Jem or Scout. 13 because it's perfect.

Overall impression: There's a reason some books remain popular for 50+ years. It's because they are awesome. I want to read more of them. I got 'Slaughterhouse Five' for Christmas, looking forward to that one. Kid's books are still king. I will read Young Adult fiction for as long as people are writing it.

For next year: More classic-types. Write down the month and year I start reading a book in the jacket. Generally keep better track of what I've read.

Thanks, Jen for the inspiration to share what I've been reading, to keep better track of it, and to realize I could be reading WAY more (44 books?? DAMN!).

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T15:31:00.004-05:00

Hello friends!! Happy 2012!!

How are you? How was your holiday?

I had a superb vacation. I was off work for 2 weeks and I spent it visiting much family and many friends. It was excellent. I spent most of my time with RB's family and I felt so welcome in their home. I've always felt that the Christmas morning rituals are quite intimate for a family and welcoming someone new can be difficult. RB's mom did an excellent job of making me feel like I was part of the family. I can't say enough about how awesome our time was at his family's home. Thanks, guys!

I celebrated my birthday in a new fashion - with my friends! We were at a restaurant in downtown Toronto and it was great to have everyone together, to see old friends, and to see my brother and his GF a second time.

This weekend I was feeling very energetic about the year new. I decided to write down a few resolutions and generally just start writing down all the crap that flies around my head. I think it's serendipitous that I found the notebook I got from Camp Mighty on January 1st, right when I was looking to starting writing shit down. I've flip-flopped on my opinions of New Years resolutions. I don't like the idea of setting goals that can be very particularly measured (ie: lose 15 pounds) but I do like the idea of simply writing down a list of items I want to work on so I can always reference it and keep myself on track.

So, without further ado, here's what I wrote last night:

Reduce household garbage. This is ongoing. As two adults with no kids, I think we can be doing a better job of reducing what goes to the curb.
Be more kind in all cases. I generally want to reduce the negative thoughts and negative things I say. I think if I start by saying this to myself before I enter new situations I'll be on the right track. I hope I will also make better impressions as a result.
Reply to emails. I don't think I need to explain this.
Wear more dresses and skirts. Because, uh duh, they are fun.
Be thankful. I live an extraordinarily blessed life and I think it deserves more appreciation. I'd like to start by saying what I'm thankful for on a more regular basis than one night at Thanksgiving.

None of these are especially difficult and there isn't really a measure of failure for any of them. Really, I could have listed them at any time during the year but January is a good time to make lists.

Are you resolving anything this year? How do you feel starting a new year?

Friday Favourites ver. 5

2011-12-16T09:23:00.004-05:00

In which I post fun and favourite things from my week, every Friday!

1. TODAY! Is my last day of work before I'm on holidays for TWO. WEEKS. So many things are going on over the next two weeks I'm sure it'll fly by

2. I made more Christmas cooking this week including these Monster Cookies from The Pioneer Woman (with xmas coloured smarties, duh) and these Peanut Butter Etc Blossoms from Bakerella. Both are super easy and make lots of cookies.

Peanut Butter Blossoms. I found a variety of kisses (cookies & cream, almond, etc) and even tried different chocolate cups (caramel, peanut butter, etc).

3. This soup. It is O.M.GOD. Amazing. Seriously. Even if you just make the soup, but the cheese topping is worth it. It's super simple, you could use an immersion blender if you don't have a food-pro. Trust me. Make this. If you're not following Smitten Kitchen you're missing out.

Straight out of the oven. I used marble rye on top. I could eat this everyday.

4. Tomorrow night, PK & I are hosting a board games night at my place. There will be puppies and games. And puppy games. and Guesstures.

Not quite small enough to fit on the stairs but nice try, bud.

5. We're going to see Stuart McLean on Tuesday for his annual Christmas concert. I grew up listening to the Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio. It's a classically Canadian outing and I hope to continue to go as long as the show comes to Kitchener. Technically this item is for next week but I'm so pumped for it, I think I will listen to podcasts all weekend.

Murphy's Law Strikes Again

2011-12-12T18:12:00.003-05:00

Whenever something inconvenient arises in my life I tend to reference Murphy's Law in some capacity. Usually a combination of "if things can go wrong, they will go wrong" and "If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong" with the corollary "at the most inopportune time".

Here's the thing though, it's never an 'opportune' time for your car to break down. It's never an 'opportune' time to lock yourself out of the house. And today, it was not an opportune time for the dog to get sick in about 6 different ways.

I could say that it was most inconvenient because:
1. It's Monday
2. It's the week before I leave on holidays and I have lots of work to get done,
3. It's the week before the holidays and dropping my Visa card at the vet is not on my wish list.

But really, had it been 6 months ago I would have said it was inconvenient for 3 other reasons. Some things just aren't ever convenient. Sick dog is one of them.

I'll spare you the bad details. The jist of it is that he needed to go to the vet. X-rays were taken, meds were prescribed, home we went. I put all THREE soiled dog beds in the wash and hoped for a better afternoon.

Not so much.

So now here I am at 6:20pm pretty much just starting my workday. Awesome.

I can't WAIT to have kids. I bet I'll become a regular contributor to Murphy's Law.

Friday Favourites ver. 4

2011-12-09T07:40:00.003-05:00

In which I post fun and favourite things from my week, every Friday!

1. I added a 'pages' toolbar. It's just above this post, below my header. It's not very exciting at the moment but it's a good way to add more permanent information like my Life List and where else you can find me on the internet. I'd like to start a 'books' page that lists what I'm reading as that seems to be one of my favourite things to tell you wonderful people

2. I'm almost done reading 'Two Towers' and my mind continues to be blown. Should I be ambitious and commit to finishing 'Return of the King' by the new year...? We'll see...

3. I made this Sausage and Lentil Soup last night and it was so very tasty and came together in one pot. Always a good feature. I made it with a combo of ground turkey and chicken.

4. I also made these Christmas Cherry Cookies last night. I was feeling like I hadn't done much Christmas baking (and mostly Christmas crafting) so it was time to whip up a Christmas classic.

5. I had another puppy date this week. I'm pretty sure this is going to be a weekly thing as I was informed that the puppy slept for 8 hours afterward. PK was quite pleased with that. Boomer is getting used to being pushed around.

6. The snow, it's coming. 'bout time!

Gift Guide for your GF

2011-12-05T12:14:00.000-05:00

I am a girlfriend. Apparently I'm hard to shop for. I'm going to make this easy, here are a handful of ideas to get for your girlfriend:

1.Circle Scarf from American Apparel. It's super cozy, available in 80+ colours. At $34, get her 2 in her fav colours.

2. 'Hank' earrings from Jill Schwartzentruber. I have purchased earrings from Jill's booth at the One of a Kind Craft Show for the past two years. They are durable, feminine and very reasonably priced for hand-made jewelry. Also available in many colours. Looks like free shipping, too!

3. Cosmetic bags by Stephanie Johnson. These travel pouches range in sizes good for a night away or a week away. Available in cute colours (I'm liking the Lima Purple). Pick up a few based on your GF's travel habits. I have a whole collection of these pouches, I use them for electronics, as a pencil case and for make-up. You can never have too many.
4. BAGGU reusable shopping bags. A few weeks ago I ordered 10 of these so I could give one to every person on my list. They come in fun patterns and fold up super small into your purse so you always have one on hand.

5. lululemon Cuddle-up Sweater/Jacket. My brother's gf got me this last year for xmas and I'm certain I wear it at least twice a week. It's so cozy and great for lounging around the house, running errands, or changing into at the office xmas party (I didn't do that...). lululemon also offers *free* shipping. Which is awesome and dangerous.

Good luck to you in your shopping trips! All items above are available for online order which means you don't even have to leave the house :)

Friday Favourites ver. 3

2011-12-02T07:40:00.001-05:00

In which I post fun and favourite things from my week, every Friday!

I have been obsessed with Christmas crafts lately.

I finished making my stockings, tutorial here, except for my own. Putting effort into something for myself is not a priority. I'll probably make it on December 23rd. Meh.

Onto some favourite things!

1. I'm almost finished all my Christmas cards! Last year I made all my cards and decided to go the same route this year. I get all my stuff through a friend who is a Stampin' Up demonstrator. Their products are awesome and everything matches which fulfills my OCD tendancies.

2. THIS CHRISTMAS WREATH!! I've been contemplated making a wreath like this but all the tutorials involve a lot of glue. This tutorial is brilliant and I will likely make it on Sunday. Pics to follow.

3. These paper crafts. Pretty sure I'll also make these on Sunday. Easy and totally cute.

4. My work Christmas Party is tomorrow and we are going to Langdon Hall. It is the most exquisite restaurant in the area. It was also named the best hotel in Canada and was ranked 77 on top 100 restaurants in the world in 2010. I think we'll have fun, it's always an awesome night.

5. And finally, the picture below. This pretty much embodies me and my two closest girlfriends. I'm pretty sure I'm going to frame the originals.

Do you have any Christmas or holiday crafts on the go?

Finish Line

2011-11-30T07:40:00.001-05:00

Hopefully this means the rain is done...

Ohmygod you guys.... this is my final NaBloPoMo post!

It's been an awesome experience. I tweeted the other day that while it's not necessarily easy to post every day, it is always rewarding and I'm always glad that I did it.

WELCOME to my new readers!! Thanks for dropping by and I hope you stick around!

THANK YOU to everyone who read and commented. Seeing responses to nearly every post I've written this month has made writing everyday exceptionally easy. You guys rule.

What's next?? I'm sorry to say that I won't be treating December as NaBloPoMo but I promise that I will do it again at some point next year. It was definitely worth it and I would recommend it as a way to improve your writing and to develop the habit of blogging more often.

Unfortunately, since I've been spending so much time on The Elbow this month, my food blog has been put on the back burner. I'm considering doing NaBlo on My Messy Kitchen but I think I'll need some preparation. It's a heck of a lot more work to put together a recipe post compared to a 'random funny thing that happened today' post. It's also run through Wordpress, which although great, is more tedious to post with compared to good ol' Blogger. I'll let you know how that endeavour goes...

Goodbye for now and thank you for stopping by!

Puppy Love

2011-11-29T07:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a pretty awesome day for coworker PK.

Yesterday, PK picked up his National Service Dog puppy.

NSD breeds and trains dogs to be placed with autistic children. The first phase of the training is where PK comes in. He has the puppy for the first 18 months of her life while she gets accustomed to everyday life.

Another great thing about yesterday is that PK came over with the puppy.

I cannot even explain how heart-meltingly (it's a word) cute this puppy is. Her name is Ilse, pronounced Ill-see. NSD names each litter with a letter so she was from the I litter.

Boomer was his gentlemanly self and sniffed lots and mostly acted confused by the smallness and goofiness of the puppy.

I can't wait for my first dog-sitting opportunity!

You can follow PK's adventure with Ilse on his blog here.

Teenage Dre-mail

2011-11-28T07:40:00.000-05:00

I used to live in an apartment uptown. There were four apartments in the house and I was on the second floor. Two guys that I'd known for years lived on the main floor. It was a good deal. There was also a giant porch fit for playing flip-cup. Win-win.

There are so many things happening in this photo. From the album "2009.08.07 Flip Cup party" (I think that explains it).

As we were cheap students we shared a wireless network, which had it's home in my apartment.

One day, new tenants moved into the basement. Upon moving in, I suppose one of them noticed that there was a wireless network in the house and wanted to jump on that train. She noticed that one of the guys was sitting on the porch and approached him to discuss the sharing opportunity. I imagine the conversation went something like this:

Girl: Hey, I just moved in downstairs and noticed there's a wireless network in the house. I was wondering if I could get in on that?

Guy: Hello new girl, you are correct! However, Erica is the keeper of the internet so you'll have to talk to her.

Girl: What great news! Could you please pass along my email address to her? I will write it down.

Guy: Sure thing.

{takes slip of paper, girl leaves}

Guy looks down at the paper and sees possibly the greatest email address of ALL. TIME.

X
BLACK
X
TEARS
X
KILL
X
YOUR
X
SOUL
X

@randommailserver.com

Yep. Awesome.

I was reminded of this story because I just got a chat request from someone who's email involves the unnecessary placement of the letter X, the word 'cutie', and from an email server that no one I know uses. Sorry, XXcutieXXX, no chats for you.

Did you have a regrettable teenage email address?

Hugo

2011-11-27T18:21:00.003-05:00

Please don't send hate mail.

Last night, we went to see 'Hugo' at the theatre.

I didn't like it.

In fact, I fell asleep more than once.

Ok, so I was hopped up on cold medicine and I'd been shopping and on the train for 8 hours. I was more tired than normal.

But still.

BO. RING.

The plot was thin and they tried to thicken it up, unsuccessfully. I was expecting magic, there wasn't any. I was expecting more train crashing (as shown in the preview), it was minimal. I guess I shouldn't go in with expectations but isn't that what trailers are for?

The cinematography was AMAZING. The movie is beautiful. Paris looks beautiful from the top of the station tower with snow falling delicately. That component was superb. We saw it in 3D and it was very well done.

Otherwise, ppbbbtttttt.

Of our party of 4, one person did like so if you think it's your kind of thing then by all means, give it a shot. Let me know what you think.

Best thing I ever ate

2011-11-26T22:58:00.002-05:00

Whew! I almost missed my deadline! What a shame that would be to fail with 5 days left!

Thank goodness I had the mind to write something while on the train.

Have you seen the show on Food Network 'The best thing I ever ate'?. Its all about celebrity chefs talking about the best thing they ever ate from a specific category. For example 'cake' or 'salty'. I'm sitting on the train back to Pickering & here are a few things I can think of:

1. Beef: the steak @ Salvatore's Grand Hotel in Buffalo. It was like butter.

2. Dessert: vanilla bean creme brulee @ TBK in Waterloo. I pretty much always love creme brulee, this one is divine, though I'm always looking to trump it.

3. Pasta: the spaghetti bolognese from Giorgio's in Banff. I could swim in it & eat it everyday from the rest of my life. (Italian is my fav food FYI so pasta deserves it's own category)

4. Ethnic: whatever indian dish I ate @ that place in Mississauga w/ GF. It was perfectly prepared & tasted even better the next day. I also love Indian food and this place wasn't fancy, it was traditionally prepared, simple, and perfect.

What are some of the best things you've ever eaten?

Friday Favourites ver. 2

2011-11-25T07:40:00.000-05:00

1. New blog that I'm following, Mr Kate, she has some awesome design DIY's and she's super fashionable.

2. My slow cooker. I made this pulled pork on Wednesday and the whole house smelled ah-maze-ing all day. Best meal for little effort/max pay off. Do it. Also, pork shoulder is very cheap. $8 for the roast which fed us dinner and lunch, plus a bit extra.

3. Puppies. On Monday coworker PK picks up his National Service Dog puppy that he will be fostering for 18 months. Pretty much I'm moving in with him. I will post pics next week.

4. I'm heading to the One of a Kind show in Toronto tomorrow. It's pretty much everything beautiful in one hall. You should come, too. Finish up your Christmas shopping, or just buy me something :)

Have a great weekend, y'all!
I'm hoping to finish up my Christmas shopping.... jealous?? Thought so.

Home

2011-11-24T07:40:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's fun to go back through old picture folders. 2 pics I found that I love.

Home

Also at home, fending off my mom's dog as I pick wild blueberries

As NaBloPoMo comes to an end I'm REALLY running out of ideas. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on it (like today) but sometimes it's hard to even have anything to post. Please share your ideas if you have them!

Christmas Movies

2011-11-23T07:40:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning, coworker PK and I had the following conversation:

PK: would you call "home alone" a christmas movie?

Me: YES

PK: really!?

Me: and a GREAT xmas movie at that

PK: i disagree

Me: It's xmas holidays!

Me: His family leaves him at home

Me: ALONE

PK: The plot is not dependent on it being christmas though

Me: neither is love actually

Me: I will do a twitter poll

The twitter poll followed:

Which resulted in such answers as:

To which I reply to with "obviously". obviously.

And finally:
Moral of the story: know your Christmas movies.

And so, as December is a mere 7 days away, and Christmas is only 32 days away... what are your favourite Christmas movies?

Let's make a list

2011-11-22T07:40:00.000-05:00

I'm realizing that the easiest way to get over bloggers-block is to either post pictures or make a list. I've posted many pictures lately so let's go with a list today.

I read this on Sweetapolita's blog this AM and I think I will do the same.

As I'm turning 26 in just over a month let's go with...

26 Random Things About Me

I slept with a stuffed dog well into my 20s. He was my first stuffed animal (from my granny) and I still have him (though now he's on a shelf). He is in surprisingly good shape.
I am obsessed with my fingernails. I keep them as long as possible and try to keep them painted as much as possible.
I had really long hair until first-year. When I was a kid I couldn't understand why my mom kept insisting that I cut it. Years later I realized it was because she was the one responsible for washing, brushing, and braiding it. Thanks, mom for letting me keep it all those years.
I have always drank black coffee. I've tried coffee with cream/sugar in it but it just tastes like a chocolate bar so I stick to black.
I was in French Immersion until the end of Grade 8 (at which point it was no longer offered). I also did a 3 month stay in a small Quebec town. My french was great, it has since deteriorated.
I can fit my fist in my mouth.
My favourite movie shifts between Rain Main and Good Will Hunting.
Don't sit next to me while watching Mean Girls or 10 Things I Hate About You. I know ALL the lines and I will recite them.
I think Daniel Craig is the hottest Bond so far. Choosing a blond was perfect.
I have never eaten a fast food burger (or chicken burger, fish burger, BIG MAC etc) with the exception of 2 Harvey's veggie burgers in 2nd year.
If I could only eat one food item for the rest of my life it would be hard to choose between french fries and strawberries. Who am I kidding - french fries.
I recently took up crafting again (after a university hiatus) and now I try to make EVERYTHING.
I am obsessed with CBC Radio 1. Especially on Saturday and Sunday.
While I excel at cooking, baking, sewing, crafting, cleaning, and many other household tasks, I fail at gardening.
I have a dog at the moment and I hope to overlap every dog I have so that I am never dogless.
I know several different line dances and I want to teach you
I grew up in the middle of nowhere, more nowhere than you've ever seen. I had a tree-house and a giant yard where dogs roamed free. It was pretty epic.
I don't have any tattoos and I don't want any
I do, however, have 5 piercings in my ears. All of which I got within 6 months when I was in grade 11, all of which got seriously infected. They are better, now.
I hated breakfast pretty much until I graduated university. Now, it is THE BEST and I will preach that you should eat breakfast everyday. And brunch on the weekends.
I've contemplated being vegetarian several times. Strangely, I think I could easily give up chicken but the problem lies with steak and bacon.
I am very competitive when it comes to board games
I played volleyball and basketball as a kid but then decided managing the team was more up my alley, I also figure skated. I now play ultimate frisbee and hockey.
My favourite number is 19, fav hockey players are Yzerman & Toews (both wear 19), fav colour is green, fav season is fall, fav meal is lasagna.
I have very neat handwriting.
After having an older brother and spending 6 years in Engineering, I am awkward around girls and have trouble making friends with them, I'm learning :)

Wedding Showers

2011-11-21T07:40:00.000-05:00

I've heard quite a few different opinions of wedding showers.

1. Cash grab
2. They are old fashioned
3. What's the point?

I've kind of felt each of these at one point. Being invited to a wedding shower and a wedding can be really expensive and a big time commitment. Being invited to a shower and not a wedding can make you feel left out.

This weekend I attended a wedding shower for a wedding that I am not invited to. I am totally ok with this. I realized that I was getting the long end of the stick. To attend a wedding is a big commitment, it's usually a whole day, you have to dress up, get a gift, meet and chat with people you don't know and find accommodations for the dog (if you're me, and you have a dog that looks like this. Yes, this is just an excuse to post a pic).

Don't get me wrong - weddings can be a ton of fun but it's rare to attend a wedding where there is a large group of people that you know. And they aren't always fun people.

Attending the wedding shower was like going through the drive-thru, which has a limited menu, but has special drive-thru only items. You follow?

The wedding shower is a much smaller time commitment, you actually get to chat with the bride, and RB doesn't have to go to another wedding where he doesn't know anyone. The bride informed me that the wedding was being kept very small. I was sad that I wouldn't get to share a part of her wedding with her. When my invitation for the shower came it was perfect and I'm glad I got to celebrate with her in a more convenient way.

Stocking Tutorial

2011-11-20T09:11:00.019-05:00

I have made about 10 of these in the past 4 weeks. They are super simple and easy to customize.

*All seam allowances are 5/8"

The first one probably took me 90 minutes but since then I've been able to churn them out in about 45 minutes.

You will need.

1/2 metre fabric for outside of stocking
1/2 metre fabric for stocking lining & hook
1/4 metre fabric for stocking cuff
Coordinated thread
Sewing machine
Measuring tape/ruler
newspaper or waxed paper
Iron

1. Choose your fabric. I have the red trees for the outside of my stocking, the plain green for the lining and the hook, and the white holly for the cuff.

2. Trace and cut out your pieces. You need two boots for the lining, two boots for the outside of the stocking, one rectangular piece for the cuff, and one long strip for the hook. Cut small notches in the locations noted, these will help for lining everything up later.

Tip: I drew and measured my pieces on newspaper first, and then traced with a fine tip pen onto the fabric. This is a good idea as you can get everything square and the right boot shape you want, it's also easy to fix if you screw up. And it ensures that your boot and lining are the same size and any future stockings you make are the same size. You can iron the newspaper flat.

Dimensions & notches:

All my pieces cut up:

Now, we sew!

4. For the hook, fold the fabric in half the long way and sew up that side. You should now have a tube. Using a safety pin, flip the tube right-side-out. Use your iron the flatten the hook.

This is before I turned it right-side out & ironed it:

5. Fold the cuff in half the short way, so the two 9.5" sides are matched up with the good side of the fabric on the inside. Sew up this side.

6. Now, cuff the cuff. This is confusing to explain so I tried to draw it. Fold the wrong sides together by folding the cuff in half lengthwise. You've basically folded your original piece of cuff fabric into quarters but there's a seam tucked in. If you put the cuff around your wrist, the good side should be showing out and should also be touching your hand, with two raw edges on one side and a fold on the other. Like this:

And the cuff should now look like this:

7. Now onto the boot. With the good side facing in, sew the 2 lining pieces together (not across the top) and sew the 2 outside pieces up. You should end up with two boots with the bad side of the fabric facing out.

8. Cut notches on the curves of each boot and trim the the fabric on the toe tip and heel. This will make the lining and outside fit together better.

Like this:

9. Now, flip only your lining right-side out. With your outside boot as-is (wrong side out), push this INTO the now-flipped lining. Match up all the notches and pin perpendicular to the opening. This will result in the good side of the lining showing on the outside, and the good side of the boot showing on the inside. Like this:

10. Now, we're going to sew along the opening of the stocking. This is also where when we sew the hook on. Fold the hook in half so the raw edges are together (forming a hook). Pin this raw edge to the stocking raw edge along the back seam (where your ankle or calf would be if you were wearing it). The hook will be facing down. Sew along the top edge of the stocking, stitching the lining, outside, and hook together. Voila:

11. Now we sew on the cuff. Pull the folded cuff over the outside of the stocking. Now all the raw edges should be lined up and your layers should be cuff, lining, outside. Line up the cuff notches with the boot notches. Stitch around the edge, like you did in step 10. Now all our pieces are stitched together.

Flip the whole thing right-side out and fold the cuff down. You're done!

Some additional details I added:

I added a monogram to each stocking I made. I cut the person's initial out of felt and hand stitched it to the cuff, under the hook.
You can buy decorative edging at the fabric store, I added this cherry-looking edge to the cuff (available in white & red that I've found)
I tied a big bow out of sparkly ribbon and sewed that behind the hook.
I've been used white flannelette for the lining on a few, it's super soft and gives it a wintery feel.

Happiest Day

2011-11-19T16:54:00.003-05:00

I'm in major need of a prompt today. Yesterday's unused prompt is "What has been the happiest moment of your life thus far?"

When in doubt, make a list:

Sunday before Labour Day Monday, this year (September 2011). RB and I went to wing fest, went shopping and then went to the hotel for dinner. It was perfect weather, we started at wing-fest early so there weren't any lines. It was a great day. I was happiest because I was with RB, we were eating amazing chicken wings, people were friendly, and there was nothing to worry about.

My graduation day in 2009. I gave the valedictory address in front of my family and friends and the had a killer family BBQ in my brother's backyard. Afterward we played flip-cup on the deck and then headed uptown. It was perfection. I felt like I was on cloud 9 all day long. I was happiest because I was very proud and relieved to be finally finished my degree, my parents were in town, my whole family was around and that night at the bar involved lots of pirate speak and a hilarious pick-up attempt. Have I told you that story? I will look into it. Otherwise, it's coming up next week.

I've been doing a ton of crafting lately and I'm hoping to get some tutorials up. I have about 10 sewing projects on the go that I'm hoping to get done this weekend, we'll see!

Friday Favourites

2011-11-18T07:40:00.004-05:00

I'm starting a new weekly feature called 'Friday Favourites'. Basically it will be a random list of things that make me happy and things I've bookmarked/pinned this week. Also encouragement to keep posting once NaBlo finishes

1. This post by Maggie which includes several awesome things that people have said about Camp Mighty (including me!)

2. This recipe which I made this week and sent to work with RB. As I don't work in an office, all my baking goes to his work. They seem to like that.

3. This video which shows you 25 ways to wear a scarf. It's cute & very useful.

4. The fact that it started snowing today. While I'm not liking the cold temperatures, I am loving sitting inside watching it blow a muck outside. Also glad that outdoor Frisbee is over.

5. Smitten Kitchen has submitted her manuscript (yay!) and posted this delightful sounding pumpkin pudding recipe. I think I will try it for my next dinner-club meal

Camp Mighty: The rest of the details

2011-11-17T07:40:00.001-05:00

Today is another post for me instead of you. I'm going to continue my recap of Camp Mighty. Back to our regularly scheduled, unemotional, much shorter and reasonable posting tomorrow.

We left off at Saturday morning.

Again, up too early as I have no idea of what time zone I'm in. I decide to seek out coffee. To the diner!

BTW - there's a diner on site, it is totes adorbs.

I walk into the diner, book in hand, prepared to sit alone, read and drink coffee.

As I'm walking past a table, a friend from my group calls "Erica! over here!" so I turn around and she's at a booth with Eden and Alice. "Come join us!". Well, ok.

These two women made such an awesome impression (I've been reading their work for years). They were exactly how you'd want them to be. Smart, funny, and genuine. It was one of the smallest but best moments of the weekend. We chatted about NaBloPoMo, which Eden created. She also mentioned that she doesn't think she'll ever be able to quit participating each November. I'll let you know how I feel come the end of this month... We also chatted about pets. Which is probably my most favourite thing ever.

After breakfast was more speakers.

Speaker 4: Lisa Congdon. Lisa told us about restarting everything in her mid 30s and becoming an artist. About persevering and not giving up. She is mega talented and I'm purchasing one of her prints. One of the items on my life list is to fill my house with art made by my friends... does spending an hour with someone in a hot tub make them your friend? I think so.

Speaker 5: Kenna. Talk about HEART. BREAKER. This guy, he knows what women want. First, he startted by telling us it was his mom's bday and that he was going to call her so we could all sing for her. The phone call when something like this:

Kenna: Hi mom, Happy Birthday!
Mom: Oh thank you! Did you take you vitamins?
Kenna: Yes, I did mom
Mom: Did you go to church this week?
Kenna: Yes, I did mom
Mom: did you find a nice girl to marry?
Kenna:....no.... not yet, mom

Then we sang. Then he talked about Summit on the Summit, a trek in support of and to raise awareness of cleaner water around the world. He told us that you don't have to be Bono to attempt something so huge. Then he convinced Maggie to join....

Next up was the most intense, amazing, most emotional part of the weekend.

We had our team lunches. We were to go in a circle and every person was to choose 5 items from their list which they wanted to complete in the next year, one of which the group could help with.

There were tears, hugs, laughing, and so much positive energy. Every time someone asked for help, someone else would say "I can do (x) for you". It was awesome. We started the week strangers and now we are offering our homes, our networks, and our cantaloupes.

It cannot accurately be expressed on this blog how moving this session was. I have never felt so needed/wanted/and perfectly at home in such a large group (~25 ppl). I felt like I belonged.

That session made the whole weekend worth it.

Once that finish, we all needed to deflate a little. Thank goodness it was time for more casual 'skill acquisition' session. I chose to instead get in the hot tub. This was a good decision as it ended up being right next to the session for making champagne punch. At one point someone came out and said "We have 40 bottles of champagne that need to be consumed". Oh dear. WHAT are we going to do. #firstworldproblem

Eventually it was time to get ready for our final dinner. We dragged ourselves away from the hot tub and went to pretty ourselves up.

Side bar: Did I mention it rained all day on Saturday? It was kind of a bummer but it made me feel better about the lack of fun clothes that I brought.

Each group was sent to a separate restaurant for dinner. Our group got on the bus and headed to Lulu California Bistro. It was super swanky and we were treated like kings & queens by the staff.

It was nice 'group time' and I got to chat with a few people I hadn't yet. Specifically, Cecily. She is so nice, awesomely funny, and makes you feel so comfortable when talking to her. She is one stand-up woman, I approve.

After dinner everyone headed back to the hotel for more hang-out time and too many farewells.

I went to bed at a reasonable hour as I had a long day of travel ahead.

The next morning, I went to meet my travel buddy (traveling to Denver where I was connecting) and found her chatting in the diner. This was another awesome and too-short moment of the weekend. It was very relaxed and I once again felt at home with people I'd just met.

Unfortunately we had a plane to catch so we said our goodbyes and were on our way.

That ends my trip to Palm Springs for Camp Mighty.

It was unforgettable and I doubt this is the last you'll hear of it.

I made life-long friends. Friends that made me finally feel like I wasn't alone in my seemingly strange ambitions.

Good luck to every single one of you with your life lists. I can't wait to hear about them.

Camp Mighty: ALL the details

2011-11-16T10:19:00.008-05:00

Hokay. Here comes my entire Camp Mighty recap.

Warnings:
1. It's going to be VERY long
2. I'm going to use the words AWESOME and AMAZING excessively.
3. You're going to be jealous.

Proceed with caution.

Also, I'm trying to include a lot of detail while it's still fresh so I don't forget anything.

I attended Camp Mighty from Nov 10-14 in Palm Springs. A conference focused on setting goals, creating a life list, and making awesome new friends. I've talked about my life list here and here. I hope you understand the purpose of the list, it is crucial to what we did on this weekend.

Thursday, November 10th, at 4:50am I was on my way to Pearson. That is an UNGODLY hour and even more so given that I was heading for the west coast.

I had a pretty uneventful flight to Denver and then through to Palm Springs. I hopped in a cab and headed to the mega hipster chic Ace Hotel.

I arrived, got myself set up in my room (about 2pm) and then said to myself 'now what?'

Back story: All the attendees were set up in facebook groups about a month beforehand and so we had all chatted online before arrival. We were also told that our group (Group 4!) was the most active group and we were known as 'The Cool Group'. Yep, awesome.

So I'm sitting in my room thinking 'oh shit, now I have to go find these people'. I logged on to facebook and saw a note saying 'we're in the diner, come join if you've arrived!' and a 2nd person had posted that they were on their way. Ok, I can do this. So I sucked it up and headed to the diner.

I walked in and was immediately greeted by 3 awesome people. We chatted etc and then decided to move out to the patio. Our patio party grew and grew as people realized we were all there for the same event. I was a bit in awe of how many beautiful people there were and to see some famous bloggers in the flesh.

Eventually it was time to get ready for the Welcome Party.

This is the point when I realized I had packed ALL THE WRONG THINGS. Everyone was so stylish. Note for future self: pack more accessories & fancy shoes.

I head over to the Welcome Party, hosted in a banquet-hall type building that is on the Ace site. This party was sponsored by Ecco Domani which meant the wine was flowing. The glasses we had each had a little black box on them and we were to write 'How we give' in the box. I was completely, deliriously exhausted and a bit hesitant to have any wine for fear that I'd fall over or get a massive headache. (At this point I'd been awake for 21 hours, ugh). Eventually I sucked it up and grabbed a small glass. It was cute to see what everyone wrote on their glasses. I was struggling to think of what to write when one of the girls (met earlier that day) suggested "by getting people where they need to do". It was cute, I had just told her I work in transportation and she came up with that. These people are making a great impression.

While we're enjoying the wine, Maggie & Laura welcomed us and introduce the band, The Tontons. Hello. AMAZING. This band was beyond awesome live. We each got a copy of their CD in our gift bags. I will lend it to you, you need to hear it.

So we danced & drank the evening away but as I was so retardedly tired, I tapped out early.

Because of the 3 hour time change, I was up at 4am. Not awesome. Eventually I got up and got ready. I've learned that, when traveling alone, a book is your best friend. As long as I have a book I'm fine to be anywhere by myself. So, as I was awake 2 hours before breakfast I went to sit by the pool and read.

Side bar: One of the items on my Life List is to read the LOTR series. I finished book 1 on the plane to Palm Springs and was thankfully smart enough to bring the 2nd book.

Breakfast comes and goes. Apparently the people I met the day before are my BFFs as we all sit together and save seats etc. I am very much ok with this. They are all beautiful and awesome.

For our first session we are all together in a tent by the pool. Maggie welcomes us again and speakers begin.

Speaker 1: Brian Piotrowicz, producer of this little talk show called The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Brian was such a peach. He talked about intention and setting intention in everything that you do. It was an excellent start to the weekend as we found ourselves reflecting back to what he said for the rest of our time. He told us that when pitching a show for Oprah stating your intention is required. If the intention doesn't line up with the show's direction, it doesn't move forward. Having an intent to be sensationalistic, rude, malicious, or just plain mean doesn't fly.

Try this: Next time you embark on a project, set an intention. It's a good way to reflect back throughout the project to see if you're on the right track. Kind of like a mission statement or mantra.

Speaker 2: Evany Thomas (I believe she is a content manager at facebook...? sorry I can't remember exactly). She was HILL. AIR. EE. US. Hilarious. Her presentation was on "doing things you don't really want to do". She told us about how it's ok to say NO to things as it leaves room for you to say YES to other things. She also taught us our safe word for the weekend - Cantaloupe. You should look up her writing, you won't regret it.

Speaker 3: Buster Benson talked about habits and how we form them and how technology can help us. He's got a few awesome projects on the go including health month and 750 words. He also has an adorable son who wore a cape.

After the speakers came lunch. Did I mention the Ace has great food? Fact.

We had lunch at a long table under an awning by the pool, NBD. As the schedule after lunch was pretty chill, the group I was with sat and chatted for a bit. At this point we had a few of the aforementioned bloggers join us. It was very bizarre. They were all VERY nice. Specifically, Miss Maggie, is the type of person who makes you feel like you're her BFF within 5 minutes of talking to her. Such a treat. Then she told me I couldn't participate in the hand painting. That bitch. (jokes). It was these little group chats that made the weekend. One girl was telling us about working with Kevin Bacon - who I'm not only 2 degrees separated from. NBD.

After lunch we had the skills sessions. These were mini workshops where you could learn how to do one crazy thing or another. It was very relaxed and people took this opportunity to hit the pool or lounge in the giant hot tub. Oh, that hot tub...

There was also the aforementioned hand painting happening. McDonald's had set up a hand painting station and we were all to paint our hands with "What giving means to you". They had all sorts of crazy things like paint, markers, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc. We were all to tweet a picture of our hands with the #giveahand tag. If we got 100 tweets, McDonald's would donate $5000 to the Ronald McDonald House in Palm Springs. Um, yes please! They also chose a winner of the hand painting and had $5000 donated to their local RMHC. They also gave us awesome gift bags. Yay McDonald's!

The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging by the pool, chatting and relaxing.

Then it was time to COSTUME UP!

The Friday event party was Space Themed. I dressed as Comet. The cleaning product. With a name tag that said "Property of: Halley". Get it??

Halley's Comet.

I though it was pretty funny.

The degree of awesomness that people put into their costumes was so great. Everyone brought a costume and people were so creative. There were many NASA space suits, a black hole, a space cowboy, space themed clothing, a meteor, aliens, etc. The effort put into the outfits is the most I've seen in a long time. Well played, ladies & gents.

So the Space Party included tang drink (with vodka) and a beer keg (which I seemed to be the only one using? ok by me), dancing under a giant Saturn, and much photography. Once the dancing died down we headed back to the lounge area where I ended up with a plush bull hat on my head. It was great. Then we went to the hot tub!

Then after much more tang & beer, I went to bed and slept LIKE. A. BOSS.

And so ends the first day. This post is ridiculously long so I'm going to finish it tomorrow. And maybe the next day, too.

Camp Mighty: Pictures

2011-11-15T10:13:00.005-05:00

I don't think I'm going to have a straight up 'Camp Mighty Recap' post. Instead, I think it's going to take a few to get the message across.

I've told a few people about it and how amazing it was. That the people were some of the coolest, nicest, most genuine people I've ever met. The response I'm getting is "Oh, that's cool". Which is kind of like saying "Oh that's cool" when you see the Northern Lights* for the first time. It just doesn't do it justice.

Here are a few pics that I took this weekend:

Me & the lovely Jen, rocking our hand painting. McDonald's was at the conference in support of Ronald McDonald House and they made some huge donations and the gift bags we got were very awesome. Also, all their people were super friendly.

Team 4 ladies rocking out their awesome space costumes!

The view at the Ace Hotel. There are palm trees, there are mountains. It was perfect.

I'm thinking about starting a weekly feature to encourage myself to post more once NaBlo finishes. I'm thinking 'Friday Favourite' or something to that effect... stay tuned to see if I follow through.

*Interesting thing: many people had "see the Northern Lights" on their Life Lists. I saw them many times when I was a kid and I guess it was just normal because of where I lived. Thank goodness I still remember it because looking back I didn't appreciate it as I should have. I guess that's just being a kid.

What I find interesting on the internet

2011-11-14T09:28:00.005-05:00

***Update: links added!

**I wrote & then published this post with all the links and then something effed up and it's gone. I want to get this up today so I'm going to post it sans-links and I'll add them in ASAP. Sorry & thanks for patience & poo on blogger.**

Do you use an RSS reader? It's pretty much my life.

Here's whats clogging my reader these days:

Food blogs:

Design Blogs:

A Beautiful Mess
Apartment Therapy
Design Sponge
Making it Lovely (who I met this weekend and she was, well, lovely!)
Style me Grasie

Lifestyle:

Blog Con Queso (met her this weekend, what a peach)
Dooce (who I also met this weekend, only spoke to her for 5 seconds but very friendly and still managed to look stylish despite a giant walking cast)
Mighty Girl (met her this weekend and omg the nicest, friendliest, great person. I told her that she makes you feel like your her BFF within 2 minutes of talking. She also dissed me, which I"ll never forgive her for!!! Obviously joking and a hilarious story... for later)
Mindy Kaling

Funny/Comics:

My awesome friends, new & old:

Charlsie (A Needle, Some Thread, and a Bit of Glue)
Daffodil Campbell (Adventures in Paradise)
A.Y. Daring
Carmen (Expensive Taste & an Empty Wallet)
Jen Epting
Matt (Matt's Blog is Stupid)
Mike (Michael Seliske Photography Blog)
Amy (The Curly Blue Blog)
Hilary (RQ Magazine)
Amber (The Amber Show)

What are you reading these days?

home time

2011-11-13T16:30:00.002-05:00

hoy boy

En route home from Palm Springs. It was an absolute blast but it's not time to write about it yet. Soon but not yet.

One of my favourite moments was when we were in our little sharing group I mentioned that I wanted to see every NHL team play & someone piped up 'we can get free tickets & you will stay with us'. These are my people. I had a moment later on where myself & a few other campers were saying to each other that we were serious about whatever thing we suggested doing together (eg. hockey game) but we were each trying to convince the other that we were serious. It caught me off guard because I am usually the one to suggest something a bit different but mean it. So often friends will suggest a commitment but there is no follow through. I try so hard to follow through & and I feel like I found my people this weekend.

I will send those xmas cards & I will come see that hockey game.

Looking forward to getting home tonight & getting back to my TB & RB.

sorry for poor editting, my sleep tank is at - 48 hours.

5 for next year

2011-11-12T13:32:00.002-05:00

Saturday, I'm still in Palm Springs. This Camp Mighty thing is going so well & I know I've made the life long friends I dreamed about in yesterdays post.

On the schedule today we are each setting 5 goals that we want to accomplish in the next year. After much deliberation I think my 5 goals are:

1. successfully participate in NaBloPoMo (will hopefully finish end of this month)

2. read the LOTR series (I started the 2nd one this week!!!)

3. left side plank, right arm & leg up (I can do the other side but not the left, I'm getting there!)

4. take an improv class (there is a class in town & PK said he'd go with me!)

5. host a 100 mile feast (next summer, lets do it, you're invited)

11/11/11

2011-11-11T10:05:00.002-05:00

excuse the poor grammar & punctuation, while i love my playbook its not the ideal for writing long text.

its 11/11/11. that means its time to make a wish or three.

1. i wish that my christmas holidays go smoothly. its my first christmas away from my family and my first christmas in ontario. i wish for it to be fun & awesome & merry & bright

2. i wish that the awesome friends im making at camp mighty become life long friends because they are seriously awesome

3. i wish for it to be warmer in palm springs today

flight was good but was seriously tired after such an early day & so much travel

Flight

2011-11-10T08:11:00.001-05:00

Hoy,

I'm on a plane somewhere between Toronto and Denver.

RB is looking out for the home-front and taking care of my baby. By baby I mean dog. By dog I mean my baby. You understand.

And for good measure, here's one more.

I'd say I'm a pretty decent flyer. I never used to be. In my post yesterday you may have noticed that I said I puked in my mom's lap one trip. By one trip I mean probably every trip until I was 15. I did not fly well. Eventually my mom started shipping me off on my own to visit family. I'm not sure if it was so that I could have the experience or so that she didn't have to risk getting puked on. Either way, I got over it.

This flight is a bit different for me. I have a connection in Denver. I haven't had a connecting flight in ages and I've never been to Denver. I'm also traveling with only a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. I used to think that travel-sized items were a waste of money but now... NOW, I am the queen. The Body Shop has an awesomely convenient product - they make ALL of their skin-care lines in travel sizes. And they sell them in a little pouch. It's perfect.

I'm hoping this trip doesn't mess up my NaBloPoMo progress, I guess you & I will see!

Life List: Details on #1

2011-11-09T07:40:00.008-05:00

Now that I've completed my list, it's time to started crossing things offs.

A few notes on progress:

#1 Visit all Canadian Provinces.

This item is 90% complete (literally, I've been to 9/10 provinces). Here are the facts:

Manitoba: Born and raised, baby. Spent 17.66 years here. Parents still here.

Me in my mom's garden in The Pas

Saskatchewan: Grew up 30km away from the border, attended conferences & wedding in Saskatoon, Regina, and went shopping in Prince Albert (REAL PLACE!) as a kid.

En Route from Manitoba to Saskatchewan... gravel roads to keep it classy.

Alberta: Went on family vacation here as a kid, band trip as a junior high student, spent past 7 Christmases in Banff, and spent 4 months living in Calgary on a co-op term in 2007.

Family Xmas trip - Sunshine Ski Resort, AKA Heaven

British Columbia: Took a while but... went on a ski trip to Whistler with a friend in 2007, visiting Vancouver while we were there. Weekend trip to Kelowna (HELLO BEAUTIFUL!) when I was on co-op in Calgary (2007). Thanksgiving weekend in Vancouver with a friend in 2008.

Kelowna, wine country and one of the most beautiful places I've ever been

Ontario: I probably came here for the first time when I was 2? Ask my mom, I probably threw up in her lap on the plane. My whole extended family lives here, pretty much spent every summer here as a teenager. Oh right, and I live here now. Woo.

Wine tour in Niagara - beautiful

Quebec: First time was probably in 1998 when I did an 'exchange' trip and went to school in a tiny little town (NO English!!) in the Gaspé in Grade 8. I have since returned to Montreal on several occasions.

I have no pictures of Quebec :( but it assure you it's beautiful!

Nova Scotia: First time was on a road trip in April 2008. Then again later that year for a conference in Halifax. Would love to go back, it was amazing.

Our drive on the Cabot Trail - UNBELIEVABLE. Beyond words.

P.E.I.: stopped in on previously mentioned road trip.

PEI beaches are beautiful

New Brunswick:... same road trip.

The weather was brutal when we were there so the only pics I have are of the grey sky * bugs on my windshield. I'll spare you.

Which leaves.... Newfoundland & Labrador! I will be in you... someday...

Note: picking out these pics makes me 1. Realize once again how GORGEOUS this country is and 2. How lucky I am to have seen most of it. Yay Canada!

Completed List

2011-11-08T07:33:00.002-05:00

Today is easy - I finished my list last night.

Here she is in her entirety.

Thanks to RB & PK for helping me out xo

1. Spend time in all 10 Canadian provinces (layover in an airport doesn't count) (so far I'm at 9 haha does that make this goal too easy? nah)

2. Make macaroons with perfect feet

3. See every NHL team play (I'm at Detroit, Toronto, Carolina, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh)

4. Get 1000 hits on my blog IN. ONE. DAY.

5. Ottawa for Canada Day

6. achieve 'curb appeal'

7. Successfully plant, grow, and eat something (the miracle mint in my backyard doesn't count)

8. Be a vegan for 30 days

9. 'lay out' and catch a Frisbee point

10. Score a second goal in hockey

11. Get a penalty in hockey

12. visit Thailand

13. Host a 100 mile feast

14. Re-read all of my favourite fantasy series (Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Material, The Hunger Games)

15. Do a 30-day challenge every month for a year

16. Successfully complete NaBloPoMo (I signed up to do it in November of this year!! ee!)

17. Go on that 3-week Southeast Asia trip I keep talking about with RB

18. Take a food tour in Europe

19. Attend TED (speak @ TED??)

20. Read LOTR trilogy (The Hobbit was KILLLLLEERRRR... and as of this month I started book 1))

21. Hike the Inca Trail in Peru

22. Host xmas dinner for my whole family

23. Do a downward dog and have my heels touch the floor

24. Make pierogies

25. Write a cookbook

26. Own a cottage

27. Rent a cottage in PEI, drive there with dog & stay for a week, no technology, only cookbooks

28. Send xmas cards to my family every year for as long as I am capable (going on 2 years now)

29. Go to San Francisco

30. Give only homemade gifts for Xmas one year

31. Be half-decent with a camera

32. left-side plank, arm & leg up!

33. PIE CRUST, make it, and make it GOOD

34. Mentor a high-school girl who is interested in engineering

35. skinny dip

36. have a conversation in sign language

37. attend Munich Oktoberfest

38. build something with my dad

39. Read all previously awarded Man Booker prize winners and continue to read each yearly winner

40. learn how to change a tire on my car (have my dad teach me?)

41. convert someone from a roundabout-hater to a roundabout-LOVER!

42. make my grandma's pickles (have mom teach me?)

43. train my dog to be well behaved off-leash (maybe not this dog... next one!)

44. take an improv class

45. Go back to Rome with RB and do all the fun things we did separately together

46. Do yoga every weekday morning for a month

47. Become a certified instructor of something (yoga, skating, dog training?)

48. Develop a more consistent health routine (exercise, vitamins, balanced diet, etc)

49. Deliver a motivational speech to a large crowd

50. Have a baby

51. Foster a service dog

52. Fill my house with art made by my friends (in process...)

53. Build my dream home with higher counters, party shower, and fire pit

54. Buy a bicycle and USE IT

55. Graduate to the 15 lbs weights, say goodbye to the 7.5 lb weights for good

56. Give Steve Yzerman a hug and promptly remove him from my freebie list

57. Cut my hair really short again

58. Watch The Notebook (No, I haven't EVER seen it)

59. See Bon Jovi in concert

60. See Michael Buble in concert

61. Take RB to see the Bengals play

62. Re-do my website

63. Put up a Christmas tree, train the dog not to eat presents.

64. Help raise 1 million dollars for charity

65. Build a piece of furniture

66. Participate in the WarAmps mentor program (signed up, waiting for call!)

67. Make a Kub set, teach my friends

68. Try anti-gravity yoga (the one with hammocks)

69. Take a self-defense class (Krav Maga??)

70. Have a jewellery collection to be proud of

71. Be a mom

72. Learn how to properly throw a baseball

73. Win the hockey playoff pool

74. "Make my boyfriend marry me" (his words while we were brainstorming)

75. Finish read 'The Joy of Cooking'

76. Live closer to my parents

77. Learn to drive stick

78. Teach someone to sew

79. Take up painting again

80. Own a house outright

81. Be an expert at something

82. Go on a spontaneous, last-minute vacation

83. Successfully play matchmaker

84. Swim a lap (cannot currently do more than tread water)

85. Be a 'first pick' on a sports team

86. Ride a mechanical bull like a boss

87. Teach an entire bar to line dance

88. Give out homemade treats for Halloween (to those that will accept them and not search for razors)

89. Start a book club

90. Participate in a cooking challenge/competition

91. Complete a 1-year photo challenge (photo every day)

92. Develop a reputation as an awesome gift giver

93. Donate back to my EngSoc

94. Write a memoir

95. Learn a really awesome song on piano & perform it

96. Go on a crazy girls-only weekend with Cro & Griz (others welcome)

97. Have a good relationship with mother-in-law

98. Learn to let go

99. Be proud of who I am and tell my story to other families

100. SEND MY MOTHER EFFING LIST TO LAURA MAYES IN ANTICIPATION FOR CAMP MIGHTY!!!!!

Work/Life Balance

2011-11-07T07:34:00.004-05:00

Today's prompt is "Making family time is important to me. How do you balance your children, relationship, and work life"

RB & I don't have kids, we both have jobs, and we both have many interests outside of our relationship and our jobs.

As we're both young and want to move forward in our careers, work tends to take priority. Thankfully, our jobs aren't so demanding that we have to work late everyday and every weekend. When those times do come we are pretty understanding and let it slide. As long as it doesn't become too frequent...

This gives us free time. It's an amazing life being in a double-income-no-kids house. We have a lot of flexibility.

Most of the time, I make dinner and it's almost ready when RB gets home. He gets home a bit late but it doesn't bother me as I'm usually at the gym or cooking during this time. He helps me finish up and we sit together at the table. I'll confess that we usually have the TV on but it's largely repeats and we take this time to talk about our day, etc.

After dinner it's usually veg-out time. We have a few shows that we download and watch together. If we don't do this, RB will watch hockey and I'll do a craft at the kitchen table. I like this time because we're not doing something together but we are keeping each other company at the same time. This is a typical weeknight, we're together just about the whole time but it's pretty relaxed and we can wind down after a days work.

About once a week (usually weekend) we'll plan a date or an activity together. Whether it's dinner, going to a movie, or trying something new. I don't tend to cook for our dates because if I'm cooking it's more about the kitchen than about us being together. We usually leave the house. We don't tend to schedule it as a weekly occurrence but we certainly notice when it's been more than a week. We'll get a bit crabby with each other and one of us will say that we need a date. It's worked every time so far.

There are certainly things that we do apart but as we're always coming home to each other afterward there's always a chance to reconnect. That and he can do his Fantasy Football thing when I'm off doing something way more interesting.

There isn't really a balance that we set but we each get a feeling when we haven't spent time together in a while. We agree to plan something ASAP and that tides us over until we go on the date. Writing this made me feel like I'm pretty lucky and I've got it really good.

Bad Habits

2011-11-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

A few bad habits I have:

1. leaving my dirty dishes all over the house.

2. finally bringing my dirty dishes to the kitchen and then leaving them on the counter instead of putting them in the sink to soak. (RB LOVES when I do that)

3. Cracking my neck

While none of these are especially awful, I think I'd like #3 to disappear from my life.

I'm not sure when it started but I have a weird ability to crack my neck about every 10 minutes. It's a big crack and it makes my brain jiggle. All good things I'd say.

There's an old wives tail about cracking your knuckles leading to arthritis. Can you get arthritis in your neck? Oy, that does not sound fun. I think I'll add "quit cracking neck" to my life list.

While #3 may prove beneficial to my health, methinks #1 and #2 might be beneficial to my relationship. Going back to deal breakers, are there bad habits that are deal breakers for you?

I'm not about to tell RB that the fact that his dishes never make it into the dishwasher drives me nuts. Let's maintain the bad habit balance. That's what relationships are about, right? Hiding how you really feel.

Horror Movies

2011-11-05T06:47:00.004-05:00

There's no prompt for today! What's with the no-weekend prompt :(

Well, let's talk about what's been on my mind lately. Horror movies. Specifically, Paranormal Activity.

Let's back up.

I hate horror movies. I can count on my fingers how many I have seen in my life.

(INSIDER TIP - THAT'S LESS THAN FIVE!! Ooooo shocker.....)

1. The Shining
2. Some weird Chucky movie (Bride of Chucky?)
3. Silence of the Lambs
4. Something stupid on superstation
5.... that's all I can remember.

The point is: I HATE them.

When I saw The Shining it was under the WORST circumstances. I was in middle school (maybe 12?) and I was at my friends cottage (middle of nowhere) and it was late. Her mom was out. We (me, my friend, her sister) decided to watch The Shining in the all-window sun-room. WTF

IDIOTS.

Needless to say, I swiped open the shower curtain every time I walked into a bathroom for years after that. Also, I'll never do a garden maze. I'm mostly over it.

Silence of the Lambs was surprisingly good. It's one of those horror/drama/not really horror movies. And it won awards so it's all good. No issues.

I really haven't pursued any other horror movies. I don't like them, they can stay over there with the butterflies.

Then, Paranormal Activity came out. First, the first movie... then the sequel... and now #3 is out.

I have not seen these movies. I have seen the previews. I hate television.

On Monday night, coincidentally also Halloween, RB had hockey at 11:15pm. This meant that he was leaving the house at 10:45pm and back around 12:40am. What a dick head.

I'm not going to tell you that I lay awake with my light on until 12:39am until I heard him unlock the door at which point I turned my light off and pretended to sleep. I'm not going to tell you that because then you'd now I'm a giant piece of chicken shit.

So let's just leave it at: I hate horror movies and I REALLY hate horror movie previews,

Lord of the Rings

2011-11-04T07:17:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I started reading The Lord of the Rings.

The fact that I waited so long is beyond me. For a long time the series was really intimidating. It's really long, and it has such a massive following. What if I don't like it? Will I be tarred and feathered? What if I don't understand any of it? Will I have to fake it?

"Ya.... that hobbit, he was so brave... with his friends..."

But you guys, my worries have been put to rest. When I started reading the first book I was instantly blown away. Not to mention that I read The Hobbit this summer and it was perfect.

You know when you're reading a really good book and you're kind of sad when you finish it because you wish there was more? I felt that way after I finished The Hobbit. The great part is that the LOTR series is just waiting for you to have a giant book-gasm. It's like discovering a loonie in your couch cushion and then reaching further and pulling out a hundred dollar bill. Like "SWEET!".... and "HOLY WTF AMAZEBALLS!".

Ya, awesome.

Anyway, another thing I've discovered is that I'm actually reading the book along the same timeline as it's written. In that the book starts in September and moves through October etc. Yes, that also means I'm reading it really slowly but it's not a race. In fact, I know that some of you haven't even read it ;)

*Interesting tid-bit: my mom actually bought me the LOTR series when I was in grade 10, for Christmas. I was in boarding school at the time and she asked if I would read the books right away. When I said no she asked if she could keep them at home to read and then send them to me when she was done. Sure thing, no big deal, we share books all the time.

Fast forward 10 YEARS LATER. I only got the books back THIS summer when I traded my mom for my Hunger Games series. Yes, I traded my own books for.... my own books. I guess that's family.

Sewing

2011-11-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

I bought myself a sewing machine back in January and it didn't see much action for about 6 months. At which point, RB informed me that his "World's Laziest Ninja" t-shirt needed to be mended. And so my love affair with sewing was rekindled.

When I was in grade 9 I made and sold cotton purses to my friends for about $10. I had a page of fabric swatches that people could choose from and extra details like buttons and buckles that could be added. I was a regular business woman! Minus the part where I kept track of my spending. I'm pretty sure my mom was funding the whole process as I spent my earnings on books and lunch.

When I went away to boarding school I took my mom's machine with me. It sat in my dorm room and I made everything I could get my hands on. It also served the rest of the house. Unfortunately for me, my mom was too attached to the machine and wouldn't let me take it to university. Good thing given that I had to move 14 times (that took a LOT of effort to remember and count) and probably would have cursed that giant heavy box each time.

Fast forward to January 2011. I'm an adult! I have a job! Turns out sewing machines aren't too expensive. I picked up a basic Kenmore model for $100. Got it at Sears and they were VERY helpful and friendly - I recommend.

And so here I am, getting ready for Christmas 2011 and sewing every single craft I can get my hands on.

This past weekend it was my costume for Camp Mighty (it's a surprise, pictures to follow). This week I'm making stockings. Many, many stockings. I picked up a really easy pattern that I've sort of been following. There have been many adjustments with each iteration. Shall I do a how-to post on these stockings? I think so. Stay tuned!

Last Supper

2011-11-02T07:07:00.004-05:00

Hello again!

Today, I DO like the prompt: If you knew your next meal would be your last, what would you eat?

I've read several articles online about inmates on death-row and their last meals. There's are artists even who have re-created the meals to be photographed and eaten. (Google 'last meal' and you'll see a ton of stuff on this) There seem to be several rules around the meal like the ingredients have to be readily available and it can't cost a fortune. You know, regular stuff. Though, now that I've written about death-row I'd like to hope that my last meal would not be because I'm in jail! Maybe the world is ending? Maybe I'm going on a hunger strike? Maybe humans no longer need to eat?

If there were no rules and I could have whatever I wanted, it would probably be:
1. Not something I cook (who wants to cook when the world is going to end?)
2. Probably something my Mom cooks (mom knows best)
3. It would have to be late summer so my mom's garden is ready.

That all sums up to: pretty much anything my mom cooks from August to late September. When I was growing up, our dinner plates would be 90% filled with items that my mom grew in the garden. Same could be said for just about every family in the neighbourhood.

Oh! And it would be largely cooked on the BBQ.

How depressing, though. To enjoy such a meal and then have it all end! Let's change the question to: if you could eat one meal everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Same answer.

Thankfully, every year my mom grows a massive amount of carrots and likes to send them here or bring them with her when she visits so I still get a taste.

Update:
I wrote this post this morning and didn't publish it. Now my answer has changed! It's my blog and I'll do what I want!! I had the thought that if it was my last meal I would no longer care about calories etc and probably eat a whole loaf of cheese bread. With real butter. And Helleva-good dip.

NaBloPoMo & Deal Breakers

2011-11-01T07:50:00.003-05:00

Look out, world! Today is the first day of NaBloPoMo!

Yes, that means I'll be blogging EVERY DAY for a whole MONTH. Yipes.

I just wrote and deleted a good chunk of today's post for the prompt "What is your favourite part of writing?" Today my favourite part is that I can delete and start over. Just like this.

Instead I'm going to write about DEAL BREAKERS.

In my super fancy google search I found this definition: A factor or issue that, if unresolved during negotiations, would cause one party to withdraw from a deal.

The 'deal' being a relationship. I don't make business deals. I sit at home in my pajamas.

What are my deal breakers?

For a long time I've been saying it's 2 things.

1. Smokers
2. People who don't recycle

Thank goodness for RB he was easily influenced on the second item. That's acceptable.

This summer I added a 3rd item.

3. People who don't wear sun screen.

I am A HUGE believer in wearing sun screen. I essentially see it as a life line to my future. There are so many benefits to wearing sun screen and it's so simple to do. I don't need to convert you guys, you know that it's the smart thing to do. No need for preaching.

I recently added "Convert a roundabout hater into a roundabout lover" to my life list and now I think I'll add "Convert sun screen dummy into sun screen cheerleader".

What are your deal breakers?

Charity: Water Fundraising

2011-10-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

As you guys know, this November I will be heading down to Palm Springs to attend Camp Mighty, a blogger-centric camp with a focus on planning our life goals and raising some money for a good cause.

This is the part where I ask you for money!!

Each camper is in a group of 25 and we've been asked to raise $5000 as a team. I know I've got the best family & friends in the world so I know we can be a big support for my team!

The charity that's been chosen is "Charity: Water". While us Canadians/North Americans take for granted our seemingly unlimited supply of clean, drinking water, nearly 1 billion people worldwide don't have this privilege. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. The great thing about this charity is that 100% of donations go directly to the project. Have a look here for more information.

Donating is easy and I appreciate every penny you can spare, there is no minimum donation limit. Head over here to donate to my team's campaign: Camp Mighty Team Four. Please put my name in the comment field.

As a bonus, if you donate $25 or more I will happily bake you a loaf of banana bread... or something that travels well if you're far away ;)

Thanks guys, I appreciate the support!!

Fall & FEAR

2011-10-04T09:51:00.004-05:00

Fall has arrived in KW. There's no question and there's no more hanging on to the last drops of summer. Let go and embrace FALL.

I like fall for a few reasons.
I like fall because it means a wardrobe change and I'm sick of wearing the same pair of shorts everyday. You know the ones - the only pair that that fit just right, look just right, and match everything? The ones that you went back to the store to buy another pair only to see that all the fall clothing that you were supposedly waiting for are in the place where you first found those coveted shorts.

Just me? It's ok, I'm used to being alone in my senility.

Fall is good for that. The wardrobe, and the senility.

You know what else fall is good for?

NO. MORE. BUTTERFLIES.

I. HATE. BUTTERFLIES.*

I'm sure there's a phrase somewhere that says something like "every time you curse a butterfly, God allows 800 more butterflies to hatch from their creepy cocoons" God loves me like that. More like love/hates me like that.

Butterflies. They make me cringe. Their little creepy legs and creepy paper-like, unnatural wings. Sure, they are really pretty. They would be even prettier if they were pretty over there... away from me. Bleh. I am cringing while writing this.

Don't even get me started on moths.

*To reference the title of this post, along with hating butterflies, I am also afraid of them. Writing that I hate them in all caps just makes me feel tough, you know in case I ever have to battle a butterfly army *shudders*

The List

2011-09-28T07:59:00.009-05:00

I registered for Camp Mighty back in June. I'm still nervous to go but I've already chatted with a few other attendees and it is getting VERY EXCITING. The weather in Waterloo is also cold, rainy, and smells of wet dog. The wet dog downstairs isn't helping the cause.

What's that - 39 days until Palm Springs? Woo!

A component of the conference is discussing your Life List. While I've definitely considered different things I'd like to do in my life I haven't compiled them into one place.

Note that this list is not to be confused with a 'Life Goal' list... which is an entirely different story. This is more of a bucket list.

Here are a few items I have been considering:
1. Spend time in all 10 Canadian provinces (layover in an airport doesn't count) (so far I'm at 9 haha does that make this goal too easy? nah)
2. Make macaroons with perfect feet
3. See every NHL team play (I'm at Detroit, Toronto, Carolina, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh)
4. Get 1000 hits on my blog IN. ONE. DAY. Haha I better start brain storming for intriguing topics... or keywords...BOOBS.
5. Ottawa for Canada Day
6. achieve 'curb appeal'
7. Successfully plant, grow, and eat something (the miracle mint in my backyard doesn't count)
8. Be a vegan for 30 days
9. 'lay out' and catch a frisbee point
10. Score a second goal in hockey
11. Get a penalty in hockey
12. visit Thailand
13. Host a 100 mile feast
14. Re-read all of my favourite fantasy series (Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Material, The Hunger Games)
15. Do a 30-day challenge every month for a year
16. Successfully complete NaBloPoMo (I signed up to do it in November of this year!! ee!)
17. Go on that 3-week Southeast Asia trip I keep talking about with RB
18. Take a food tour in Europe
19. Attend TED (speak @ TED??)
20. Read LOTR trilogy (The Hobbit was KILLLLLEERRRR... and as of this week I started book 1))
21. Hike the Inca Trail in Peru
22. Host xmas dinner for my whole family
23. Do a downward dog and have my heels touch the floor
24. Make pierogies
25. Write a cookbook
26. Own a cottage
27. Rent a cottage in PEI, drive there with dog & stay for a week, no technology, only cookbooks
28. Send xmas cards to my family every year for as long as I am capable (going on 2 years now)
29. Go to San Francisco
30. Give only homemade gifts for Xmas one year
31. Be half-decent with a camera
32. left-side plank, arm & leg up!
33. PIE CRUST, make it, and make it GOOD
34. Mentor a high-school girl who is interested in engineering

That's all I've got for now, I'll add more items in new posts as NOVEMBER 10th gets closer. I'm trying to get to 100, erp!

Update Oct 19.11

35. skinny dip
36. have a conversation in sign language
37. attend Munich Oktoberfest
38. build something with my dad
39. Read all previously awarded Man Booker prize winners and continue to read each yearly winner

Update Oct 20.11

40. learn how to change a tire on my car (have my dad teach me?)
41. convert someone from a roundabout-hater to a roundabout-LOVER!
42. make my grandma's pickles (have mom teach me?)
43. train my dog to be well behaved off-leash (maybe not this dog... next one!)

Old School

2011-09-22T17:16:00.004-05:00

There's a bookcase in my office that has held the same books for 2 years now. I haven't really spent the time to think if I could get rid of any etc. Good thing because I noticed a small green book up there... my high school journal! Pretty much the 3 years I spent in boarding school... ya, this shit is real.

I've seen a few blogs that have had the guts to post old journal entries in their entirety, word-for-word. They are braver than I!

Damn, I was a smart mouth! What language! I can't stop cringing.... here are a few snippets but no full entries... yet...

Dec 14, 2002 6:56pm
"On January 30th, I'm going to see my most favourite band in the whole world, Our Lady Peace!!"

{Oh how much I had to learn...}

Dec 14, 2002 11:40pm
"I'm not very good at physics and I have an exam on Monday that is gonna make me shit my pants"

{Good thing I decided to study engineering...}

Dec 21, 2002 10:52am
"apparently my mom has gone on a cleaning spree and I'm supposed to be a part of it. I disagree. Sure lots of it is my stuff but it is Christmas VACATION! I asked her if she understood that concept and she said that she'd never had a vacation so no"

{holy ANGST, I called my mom and read that to her and we laughed. I guess that's part of parenting - allowing the success of your adult child to overshadow the angst you had to put up with when they were teenagers/shit-heads... or something...}

Have you ever re-read your old journals? I think it might take me a few years before I post full entries. I think it'll take me at least another 10 years before I get over how strange/odd/angry/weird I was/...still am?

DENTAL CHAOS! Ok, not really.

2011-09-13T11:21:00.003-05:00

I had a dentist appointment this morning. I needed 3 fillings and I was getting them all in one go. "It'll be a quick visit, for sure" they told me. "In and out, not a problem!". I swear everyone who works in a dentists office is on some kind of upper . They are so darn cheerful! Rightfully so, I suppose. It's not like anyone LIKES going to the dentist (except my girl CR, holla!). So I guess it's good that they are so cheerful? Good work, dental team!

Anyway, I had a cleaning 2 weeks ago. The thing about a cleaning is that there isn't a lot of pressure to be perfectly still or to ruin anything. It's easy enough to have the hygienist take breaks frequently so you can do things like breath, swallow, cough, etc. You know, normal things. Teeth cleaning, no big deal, NBD.

The bad part about the cleaning, however, is when the dentist comes in and takes a look. Now, this is their job and this is really why you go. The dentist can say 1 of 2 things.

1. You're fine, see you in 6 months!
2. Something is wrong and we're going to have to put you in incredible discomfort to remediate it.

Pretty much #2 is the blanket statement for all dental work. None of it is enjoyable.

2 weeks ago, my dentist told me I needed 3 fillings. 2 on my top wisdom teeth and 1 right beside one of those teeth. Or, in plain English "we need to do work on 50% of the most awkward, hard to reach teeth in your mouth".

AWESOME

So I go in today, sit down on that big ol' chair, and immediately start sweating and jittering. This is where the sit-still-don't-move-don't-shut-your-mouth-DO-NOTHING-UNTIL-I-SAY-SO comes in. So dentist says this and what is the only thing you can think of?

Why is my saliva suddenly so think and slipping in my throat? Oh my god I am going to choke on it? Is this what it feels like to choke on your own spit? Ow, my lips are cracking, they have never cracked so much in my life! I wish I could lick my lips! I wish I could have a drink of water! WHY DOES NOBODY SEE THE PAIN I'M IN!!!!???

Pretty much impossible to clear your head.

It's like going to the lady-doctor and they start chatting with you. You can't just chat away that discomfort.

Over-share? Sorry boys

Anyway, I had my 3 fillings finished. It really wasn't so bad. I'm just a giant baby and I haven't had much dental work done so it all seems stressful to me.

I walked out much poorer and my whole left-side-face is numb.

My eye is leaking, my nose feels like it's running, and I think I might be drooling. In other words I look about normal.

Emergency Room

2011-09-01T08:37:00.003-05:00

I have never broken a bone and have never really done anything that has warranted a trip to the emergency room (that I can remember....)

I have, however, taken two of my friends to the ER on separate occaisions. One is a hilarious but painful story and the other is pretty standard.

Story #1
It's first year. I live in residence. My residence friend and I decide to go to a party in the apatrment complex across the street. It's a 'theme party' of sorts. The theme being the guys who are hosting have purchased a large inflatable pool and have filled it with a variety of slippery substances. This is a KY Wrestling Party.

I was actually on a date that night so I decided to keep it classy and NOT jump in. My friend however had a different idea. In she went, wrestled it out with another girl to the cat calls of the crowd. Yadda yadda yadda, it was a pretty good party. The end of the night came and my friend and I (not remotely sober) headed back to rez. End of Story.

Oh wait, there's that 'emergency room' part I forgot about!

So it's a couple hours after we got home and I'm completely asleep. BANG BANG BANG. Someone is hammering on my door. I try to ignore it (sorry, friend!) but eventually go answer and see my friend standing outside my door in tears telling me that she has had a killer ear ache for the past few hours. This is one tough cookie of a friend so to have her in tears and telling me she's in a lot of pain I'm going to take her seriously.

Thankfully I was sober and we hop into the car and head to the ER.

Upon arrival we have to explain to the triage nurse the situation.

And then we explain to another nurse the situation.

And then we explain to the Doctor the situation.

"She has a really intense ear ache... maybe there's dirt in it... maybe there's a combination of.... dishsoapvaselinewaterKYjellylubeotherslipperysubstance in there..."

Eventually my friend get's prescribed some pain killers and is given a tetanus shot. Home we go.

Story #2 is way less dramatic.

My friend hurt her ankle at a frisbee game and I drove her to the ER. Pretty standard and pretty awesome bruises. I obviously took pictures.

2011-08-10T07:34:00.002-05:00

The girl across the street provides me with more entertainment than she'll ever know.

Last week, walking Boomer in the evening with BF and of course she comes out to pet the dog.

Chit chat chit chat etc. We say bye and start to walk away...

...but not before she can ask "is that your dad?"

And now a picture my ACTUAL dad sent me. He thought he was pretty funny.

Right-handed Kid Gloves

2011-06-24T09:57:00.003-05:00

On a regular basis, Boomer and I pass a group of young kids playing across the street. These kids run up to Boomer and pet him and talk gibberish to me. A few months back, I guess I was wearing a t-shirt for the first time and the little boy was shocked by my arm and ran away. After that he never came up to pet Boomer.

UNTIL YESTERDAY.

Boomer and I walk up, kids run to pet, etc etc. The following conversation unfolds

Little girl: What happened to your hand?

Me: I was born like that, just like you were born with brown hair

Little girl: I think the doctor made a mistake

Little boy (who hasn't spoken to me in months): Why didn't the doctor cut off your leg too?

...

I don't exactly recall my response but it was something like "the doctor didn't cut off my arm, I was born that way" or something equally polite because that's exactly how I wanted to respond.

...

Eventually I walked away with Boomer but not before the little girl could yell "I hope your arm gets better!"

Me too kid, me too.

Infestation

2011-06-22T15:21:00.004-05:00

My dog has fleas. It's my fault.

For the first 2 years I had Boomer, I lived in an apartment. All of Boomer's outside time was spent on a leash or brief stints in my brother's backyard. This all adds up to a highly unlikely chance of catching fleas.

When we moved into the new house in the fall we had a fence put up so Boomer could run free at every waking opportunity. Squirrels and rabbits carry fleas, both of these things exist in my backyard. Yard + rodents + no flea protection = Unhappy & itchy Boomer.

So now what? My dog has fleas, caused by animals that uncontrollably enter my backyard.

I read several articles about how severe a flea problem can be. They carry disease and can be very annoying to your pet and they can also bite you. No good. Now that Boomer has them, they are likely everywhere in my house. However, they are surviving because they are feasting on my dog.

Enter solution! I called the vet, they said that while pet store products will work they are not a complete solution. The vet recommended a product called 'advantage 55' which is a topical treatment that you administer once a month for 6 months. It will cure the fleas he has and prevent further feasting. Win, Win. I picked it up, he's treated, we're set. Now to wash everything in the house to settle my anxiety.

Next year I will know better. There's an all-in-one booster available that combines other meds that he's taking to prevent a variety of pests. We'll get started on that right away in the early summer and hopefully I'll never see another flea again!

Some news

2011-06-16T07:58:00.005-05:00

3 Great things happened yesterday evening

1. Ignite Waterloo 6 was held at Whistle Bear Golf Course
I can't say enough about this event. If you haven't been, you should try it. You won't be disappointed. More info here, my previous recaps here, and here

Jackie's comments here
Darin's comments here
My co-host David's comments here
(more to come)

2. The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup!
Which is... AWESOME!! Haha, don't hate me!

3. Regional Council voted 10-1 in support of the Light Rail Transit plan.
I am so happy that we will be getting trains but also that a decision has finally be made. More info here. Hilary's comments here.

What have I done...

2011-06-15T22:57:00.002-05:00

I just registered for this because it looks AMAZING!!!

(a conference/camp in Palm Springs)

The whole thing just looks outrageous and something that I would thoroughly enjoy.

But now that I'm looking at others who are also going I am outrageously intimidated.

Guess I better start being awesome-er so I don't look like a fool :s

Anyway want to teach me some cool party tricks?

New Toy

2011-06-14T13:37:00.004-05:00

Oh hi, remember me?

To my credit I did write a post a few weeks ago and then blogger crashed and lost it. I like re-writing blog posts like I like stabbing my eyes with spoons. Sorry :(

I GOT A NEW TOY!

It's rectangular, fits in my purse, and comes in high def.

Hm, I realize the answer could be a DVD. It's not. It's a playbook!

Note that I suffered some anxiety over writing this post. I'm a non-tech in a high-tech community. My comments seen very pedestrian and in this community you get laughed at for making such a faux-pas. In my favour, these devices are designed for 'pedestrians' to use so my comments are seemingly more valuable than those who got a device for free. Put that on your cake and eat it!! Or something...

It's so cute and small and I can take it everywhere! It has an e-reader app (Kobo) which is very exciting. I read a lot and have considered an e-reader but didn't want to make the investment for something that I would only use while traveling (which isn't as often as I'd like). So I like the idea that the e-reader part is just one piece of an otherwise cool device.

Another thing I like is the 'blackberry bridge' capabilities which essentially connects everything from my blackberry to my playbook. Email, task lists, apps, etc. It can also be used anywhere for web browsing provided my phone has service. Good thing my parents live in the land of dial-up... (yes, that still exists).

Anyway, it's pretty fun so far. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes when connected to the TV via the HDMI output and also traveling with it this weekend. How many eps of Weeds can I fit on it...

Some other interesting things:
- I got central air and it is THE BEST. No more face melting when drying hair, no more everything melting when trying to sleep!
- I have a new roof! That's really boring.
- I'm going to Winnipeg this weekend for a friends wedding and I'll get to see my mom
- I'm considering going vegetarian for a month, change up my cooking habits, probably lose my BF in the process :p
- THIS is fun stuff

Remember...

2011-04-12T15:03:00.002-05:00

...that time I said I was going to blog and then I didn't post anything for more than three weeks?

I'm writing an exam on Saturday - an exam that apparently isn't well referenced on the interwebs so I can't link to anything useful that describes it. It's the professional practise exam and I have to write it (and pass it!) as a component of getting my engineering license, AKA my Professional Engineering Designation - P.Eng. Then I will be known as ERICAPENG. At least that's what I'll ask you to call me.

Anyway, I've been preoccupied with studying etc. I'm hoping to resume with regular posting next week.

I hope you're enjoying the great weather!!

Summer Vacation

2011-03-21T10:17:00.004-05:00

First, yay spring!! I saw a bright red robin outside my window this morning and it looked so beautiful against the dull brown post-winter, pre-spring dullness. Awesome.

Second. this is my 300th post.

Third, with summer drawing nearer I've been thinking about all sorts of vacation plans. Here are a few ideas that I have:

1. Hardly a vacation plan but still a fun trip - going to Winnipeg for a friends wedding in June. This will be fun as my mom will probably come down and I'll get to visit with Carmen & Marcia, always good.

2. Vegas for a friends birthday. This is up in the air due to the timing... if it's decided that they want to go in July then I'm all for it but if it's any earlier I'm out. New roof, air conditioner & landscaping means that May-June are going to be mega broke months.

3. London to visit a friend. A close friend is working in London until October and it would be very awesome to go see him for a long weekend, maybe July 1st or Civic Holiday. That would require some budgeting but I think it would be worth it. (This idea is in 1st place)

4. New York City. I've never been. I want to go. Long weekend or make-shift long weekend.

5. Buffalo for Labour Day weekend. We did this last year and it was hella fun. The annual Buffalo Wing Fest happens every Labour Day weekend and pretty much you go and eat chicken wings all day. Amazing. I wrote a recap here with some link love & the awesome hotel we went to and budget details. Seriously though, you should come with us. It's a relatively cheap trip and tons of fun.

In all cases the variables include the number of vacation days I'll need to take and the cost of the trip. The reno projects we have planned for this spring are going to be a big hit to the ol' cash flow but hopefully we'll recover quickly.

Do you have summer plans already??

Re-branding

2011-03-10T09:30:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure if I've blogged about this before (I should really use tags...) but I'm pretty sick of "Elbow in nose" as my blog title.

I started this blog in April 2004 - almost 7 years ago! I was finishing my first co-op term and I was BORED. The joke at work was while everyone else was sitting around sticking their fingers in their noses (read: doing nothing) I took it to a new level and got my elbow up there. As in, I was REALLY doing nothing and starting the blog was the cure. The catch is that while I can't actually get my elbow up there I can come a lot closer than you can. Seriously, I can lick my elbow. Ok, so I have an advantage. Ya, I called it an advantage. Jokes on you guys! Putting your socks on with two hands... wasting all that time everyday! Two socks - two hands. Try it. Where was I?

Anyway, I think it's time for a re-brand. While I'm not ready to to migrate everything to a new address I think I'll start by changing my header. Maybe I'll even keep changing it! Ideally I'd love to have 'theelbow.com' or 'littlestelbow.com' or something like that. We'll see what I come up with in the meantime.

TEDxWaterloo 2011

2011-03-04T10:05:00.011-05:00

WHERE. TO. START.

What a massive brain-gasm.

Yesterday, I had the most extreme pleasure of attending TEDXWaterloo. The BIGGEST TEDx event EVER. How cool is that? There were something like 1000 people in the building.

I could right 1000s of words on this event but in the interest in keeping your attention I'm just going to give you some highlights. If you want a serious review, I have 16 pages of notes I can send you. Seriously.

Highlight 1: The Venue. Hosted at Centre in the Square, it was beautiful, comfortable, and has the most brilliant acoustics. An awesome space for the show and an awesome space for mingling and partying.

Highlight 2: The people. I swear every person that I love from KW was there, and more.

Highlight 3 & 4: The breaks, and the FOOD on the breaks. The breaks were long and gave ample time to talk to everyone. THE FOOD. My god, the food. Firstly there was so much so I never felt bad for taking a good helping. The quality of food was like nothing I've seen at any conference. Gelato, popcorn machine, homemade chocolates, schnitzel sandwiches, nacho station with fresh toppings. So much good quality, fresh, amazing food. Massive kudos to all involved in the catering!!!

Highlight 5: Michael Nielson - delivered speech on 'Open Science' and the idea of sharing data and collecting intelligence. The line that stuck with me was "publicly funded science should be available to all". I made me consider how bitchy we can get when we start discussing intellectual property and what we could accomplish if we all collaborated openly.

Highlight 6: JF Carrey - delivered speech on being the youngest Canadian to climb Everest at age 24. Hello hotty! Bet seriously, he was so relaxed and spoke very well. He was very easy to listen to. He told a pretty incredible story of how he prepared for the climb and then the climb itself. He showed one of the most terrifying pictures ever of his boot on a ladder across a massively deep chasm. His resonating lines were "Enjoy the journey", "Passion is contagious" and "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time".

Highlight 7: Vicki Keith - delivered speech on marathon swimming and her greatest accomplishments. She said her favourite thing to do is coach and helped coach a young girl who had lost a portion of all of her limbs to swim 20km across Lake Erie (err... I think). She also talked about swimming across Lake Ontario and what a brutal experience it was. At one point she swam in the same spot for 4 hours as the water was so rough so she made no forward progress. The resonating line from her was to aim HUGE and celebrate the steps you make towards that massive goal. Like really - who thinks swimming 80km non-stop is attainable?? This girl.

Highlight 8: Edwin Outwater & Rebel Music - this guy is seriously cool and we are seriously lucky to have him as a member of our community. He had a string quartet on stage with him and demonstrated how classical music is the ultimate rebel music today as it's the opposite of what's popular. It tends to be quiet, more serious, slower, etc. His closing statement was "What is the next soundtrack of the rebellion and will we be a part of it?"

For a full list of the speakers you can go here.

For Darin's comments & pics you can go here.

Comments from the WR Record are here.

Comments from IQC (a sponsor!!) are here.

Notes from organizer & sponsor Cutegecko are here.

Awesome notes & photos from Trevor Haldenby are here.

Photos from Christine Reid are here.

Thoughts from my friend Patrick are here.

Recap from Stephanie Rozek is here.

Ok I think I've said too much now... the show was awesome, the food was awesome, the after-party was awesome. I can honestly say this was one of the most inspirational and exciting events I've ever been to. Way to go TEDxWaterloo team! Massive success.

When you know...

2011-03-02T16:13:00.003-05:00

I had a conversation this AM with a friend, we'll call him Good Friend or GF for short. It went a little something like this:

--

GF: omg reading the geekiest blog post evar

me: by ME??? (referring to this one)

GF: ya

me: lol I freaking LLLOOOOVVEEEE Ender's Game. MAN I have been getting excited about books lately like I get excited about roundabouts

GF: if there were a book about roundabouts, you'd probably orgasm

me: bahahahahaha I am a MEGA DORK I have 2

GF: really? it's worse that I thought

me: bahaha I am such a massive dork wow

GF: truly

--

If I were ever in an interview and was asked "At what moment in your life did you realize that you were a massive dork?" I would be able to answer 10:31AM March 2, 2011.

Ender's Game

2011-03-01T15:20:00.005-05:00

While I was in sunny Jamaica I managed to read 3.5 books. Yes I'm a dork, yes I'm ok with that.

The first book I read was Ender's Game. I read this book for the first time back in 2003 but having just finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy last month (which has a similar story) I thought it was time to give Ender a re-read.

You cannot help but be completely in love with Ender. You'll want to pick him up and hug him and tell him he's so great and it'll all be ok. What a little trooper!

The book is based, much like The Hunger Games, in a bit of a post-apocalyptic North America. Though more like the world was attacked 70 years ago, things changed, and now the world might be attacked again soon. Enter child soldier training. The government tests all children and those deemed gifted are sent off to battle school. Battle school is in space and houses training for all gifted children from ages ~7-16. Mostly boys, mostly brilliant. Ender's parents have two children older than Ender who were deemed quite gifted but not quite right and so they are given permission to have a third child in hopes that it will fit the mold. The concept of being a 'Third' is quite a privilege and also a large target to have on your back.

Anyway, Ender is a Third, he is outrageously smart and is chosen to head off to battle school. The book chronicles his time there and how he attempts to outsmart every large and small challenge put in front of him.

The book is quite sci-fi focused but it has some reality in it given that it's based in our existing world and even though he is in space for a large part of the book he's in the school and not floating around in a space suit. Really, the battle school could just be down the street. Towards the end of the book it gets a little more space-like with travel to other planets etc. However, even with all of this going on the book really centres around Ender, how he's feeling and how his brain works. It's very emotional and I found the most intriguing part of the book was the relationships that Ender built and maintained. Relationships with his family, classmates, teachers, and government officials.

If you're not into sci-fi I think you should still give this book a try as it's very well written and a great story. If you are into sci-fi you will love this.

Jamaica

2011-02-28T11:05:00.004-05:00

On Saturday I returned from vacation. I immediately remembered why I left! This place is so mucky and sloppy. I dislike Spring weather!

Back on track...

I was in Jamaica for the week and it was beautiful! We stayed at the Rui Ocho Rios, located 1.5 hours from the Montego Bay airport. The resort was beautiful and the staff were great. Everytime I used one of the public washrooms there was a cleaning lady nearby and the staff were very quick to pick-up drinks and dishes around the pool. Overall the service & cleanliness were top notch. We had a room in the deluxe building with (no joke) the BEST view. I took this picture standing on our balcony.

The entertainment staff were also great and very energetic. The evening stage shows were very elaborate and impressive. There was a Lion King-esque show on the last night which had great dancing and was really amazing for a resort show. There was also a steel drum band on one of the nights which was CRAZY - they played Coldplay and a few other Top 40 hits. It was very cool.

The food at the resort was good. There was a feature every night at the buffet and those tended to be very tasty. We went to 3 of the feature restaurants and they weren't as impressive. The food was good and the options were creative but there weren'tt many options that I enjoyed. I preferred the buffet.

The vacation was great overall, we slept a lot, I read almost 4 books and we even managed to do some early morning yoga on the beach. I would definitely recommend this resort. The downside is the AWFUL experience at the Montego Bay airport.

No I return to daily life with slush covered sidewalks and drinks that I have to pay for....

The Hunger Games

2011-02-10T10:01:00.004-05:00

I'm a big reader. I love to read. I still get teased for reading.

Would you believe I once had a boyfriend get pissed off at me because I was reading too much and not paying enough attention to him? Ya, that one totally worked out...

The sign of a good book (for me) is being able to re-read it year after year. I was asking a friend of mine what books she had re-read and she kind of looked at me funny. Kind of like "why would I do that?". Gee... I guess I'm in a minority here. Didn't everyone re-read all previous Harry Potter books before the next one was released.... no?... Bueller? I'm going to go hide now.

For Christmas, I got 'The Hunger Games' trilogy. I swear I'm going to re-read these books every year for the rest of my life. THEY. BLEW. MY. MIND.

Three books: 'The Hunger Games', 'Catching Fire', and 'Mockingjay'. I read all three books in one week. I haven't read a book (series) this enveloping since I hid "The Prisoner of Azkaban" in my desk on my first co-op term**.

A bit of a synopsis...
The books are set in post-apocalyptic North America, there are 12 districts, and 1 capital city. There was once a 13th district but they tried to rebel against the capital and got destroyed. As a reminder of the power the capital holds, they put on whats known as 'The Hunger Games' every year. Each district, except the capital, draws the names and 2 children (I think aged 12-18). They choose one boy and one girl. Every child in the district has their name put in a hat, even the children from wealthy families. One of the catches is that if you are poor, you can get food vouchers in exchange for putting your child's name in the hat multiple times. The Hunger Games are a fight to the death. All the children (24, 2 from 12 districts) are placed in an arena and are left to kill each other, last child standing wins. SUCKS, EH??

These books are about a girl in district 12 who goes through this big mess. It is terrifying, romantic, dramatic, and AWESOME. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter, Ender's Game, and His Dark Materials.

*I realize I've exposed myself as a SUPREME dork but... I'm totally ok with that.
*I'm not as Harry Potter crazy as I sound, I just really enjoyed the books. I've only seen half of one of the movies. Let's not even get started on my thoughts of books-turned-movies.

Ignite Waterloo 5

2011-02-10T09:37:00.003-05:00

YESSS!!!! Ignite Waterloo 5 was this past Tuesday and it was a riot!

For the second time I had the pleasure of being on the planning committee and mc-ing the evening. We had a few concerns going into the evening but everything went relatively smoothly once we get moving. The screens in the new space were amazing - they wrap around the front of the room so your presentation is shown in 4 different places. Plenty of room for a distracting twitter wall. Last time I was MC my co-host was a friend of mine so it was pretty easy to fall into a routine. This time around I met my co-host........ 1 hour before the event. It all worked out though and it sounds like we did alright.

A few other summaries can be found here:
David from the planning team tells us about being on the other end of the show
Darin shares a really cool photo essay of the evening
Kwartzlab posted a few pictures of the evening

Some of my favourite moments include:
Simone and his Sean Connery accent
Kyle Mackie and his large melon
Karen and the looming retirement of the baby boomers

More information on the event can be found here and you can apply to speak here.

Great job to everyone involved!! Looking forward to the next one!

Superbowl Party

2011-02-07T18:44:00.003-05:00

We hosted a superbowl party here this weekend. It was a great way to get people over and show them the not-so-new house, especially since we've painted and added some nicer furniture.

Highlights of the party included:

TWO tvs! We brought down our second TV so that you could see the game from all points in the livingroom.

Speakers in the bathroom. It would a real shame to miss any part of the game because nature called at an inopportune time.

FOOD: I made the following:
Cream-cheese Pinwheels
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos
Chili
Jerk Chicken Skewers
There was also:
a 2nd chili (!!)
Fruit salad
Veggies & dip
Chips & salsa & guac & sour cream
More Chips
Bruschetta

We had a betting board posted on the wall. We listed a bunch of stats and then people would choose over or under and the person with the most correct guesses wins. Would you believe that the one person the LEAST interested in the game had the most correct guesses? He even left early.

One the smallest yet most brilliant ideas (that I can't take credit for) was jacking up the light that hangs over the dinner table (which was moved to the side). I'm sure we saved everyone from smashing their head, small but awesome idea. If this is an option for you, I recommend it.

It was a great party and I'm so glad everyone could make it! I really enjoyed planning it and I think I'll try to make it a tradition... the only downside is that our house isn't very big so we were pretty much at capacity with 14 people. Too bad the game isn't in the summer or we could make it an outside party.... game projected on the side of the house? Maybe for hockey playoffs...

The Gym

2011-01-26T09:22:00.003-05:00

I purchased a gym membership almost a year ago. I love my gym, it's clean, friendly, mostly gym-rat free, and very welcoming. I have enjoyed my membership but it wasn't until this past month that I really started getting my monies worth.

As I mentioned in my previous post I've been really good about getting to the gym this month. I'm trying not to think of it as a New Year's Resolution because I don't like to think that I need a new year to reconsider my health. Instead I'm seeing it as a 'NO MORE EXCUSES' endeavor. Last fall I was buying a house and then moving into a new house, then I was working in Barrie for a month and then it was the holidays. Now, in January, there are no more excuses. I'm so happy that I've been sticking with it. Finally.

My approach these days is to just do classes. I have no problem doing my own workout but I don't work nearly hard enough to get any results. The classes on the other hand are challenging and you have to sign up for them. A bit of accountability in that. I've also met so many nice people. I'm a social exerciser so I really enjoy having other people around to encourage each other. This here, this is working.

Based on a recommendation from one of the class teachers I signed up for an intro personal training session, specifically to work on posture. My posture is that of a hunchbacked ogre. Like Shrek and Qusimodo had little hunchbacked ogre babies. Translation: shitty. I spent everyday at a desk and every minute throwing my left side forward. This has resulted in a shoulder-approaching-ear problem, a one-leg-shorter-than-the-other problem, and a general-pain-in-the-ass problem. This here, this AIN'T working.

The session went well and I was happy with the exercises that he suggested. He then asked if I was interested in booking more sessions. Up until now I saw personal training as something for people who needed added encouragement to work-out or didn't know the basics of working out. While that's true, a personal trainer is also another set of eyes and another brain helping you reach your goals. This means more ideas, corrections, and even more encouragement. So I asked my trainer if he was up for a challenge. I have no problem making it to the gym etc. What I have a problem with is my literally non-existent left bicep and tricep. Actually. I can fit my fingers around my arm as if it were my wrist. Please don't try to beat me up, you will win. I'm sure you can imagine the problems I have with trying to work-out these muscles and I'm all out of troubleshooting ideas. My trainer accepted the challenge and I hope to hear back from him in a few days.

We'll see how this goes!

Screw this...

2011-01-25T11:44:00.002-05:00

... I'm no longer going to search for that perfect topic and make sure it's perfectly executed. That's being an author, not a blogger. I'm going to make a genuine effort to post more. Quality not guaranteed.

A few things on my mind these days:

1. I finally saw 'The Social Network'. I. Loved. It. I'll be honest, I have a bit of a crush on facebook, I've had an account pretty much since it became available to Canadian university students. I've been through all the updates and the backlash and then the forgetting of the updates and the start of the newsfeed and... etc etc. I loved this movie because I felt like it could have happened in my life. I was studying at a supreme geek university in a supreme geek program. Those guys could have easily been my friends. I've heard those conversations and I've seen guys ditch girls so they can get home before their idea is lost. In addition, the music is amazing (Trent Reznor FTW) and the acting is awesome (if Jesse Eisenberg would cut his hair I might even extend my crush to him).

2. Home improvements have finally started. Oh right, I never got around to telling you I bought a house... 3 months ago... blogger fail. I painted a few rooms, hung some curtains, started collecting things to hang on the walls, it's coming together pretty nicely. I'm trying hard not to spend too much money because we need a new roof come spring. Stupid uninspiring, boring but necessary projects.

3. I don't want to jinx it but I've been to the gym at least 4 times per week since the first week of January. I'm finally taking this shit seriously. No more excuses. I'm also going to Jamaica in February so that's a bit of inspiration. I've also booked an appointment with an RMT and have a session with a personal trainer to work out some posture issues. Turns out I'm crooked and it's painful. It's unlikely that I'll sign up for a package with a PT, they are hella $$. Have you ever used one? Was it worth it?

4. My dog is still cool and awesome. He also has a fully fenced backyard. Based on what I spent on the fence my dog is also crazy spoiled in addition to being awesome.

Until next time.

Movement

2010-09-27T15:42:00.004-05:00

On Thursday I am moving. I am leaving Uptown Waterloo and the student ghetto for the suburbs. I am seriously going to miss this apartment.

I moved into this house on September 1st, 2008. I was starting my last co-op term and I had a roommate. I set up my home office in the living-room and spent every day in front of the window. That fall term was probably the most fun I'd ever had on co-op. My two closest friends were in town and we spent as much time together as we could. I hosted pub-crawls, potlucks, and many out-of-towners. That Christmas, my friend gave me a bottle of vodka encased in a plastic disco case. The bottle was promptly hung in my living-room doorway for all to bump their heads on. It is still there today and it will most definitely be on display in the new house. That term was full of hangovers, wonderful friends, and amazing memories.

January 2009 I started my final term in school. This term was uneventful. I spent a lot of time at school finishing up projects. I had a job set-up for post-graduation. I didn't have to move. Smooth sailing.

April 2009 I finished my undergrad and my roommate moved out. I agreed to keep the two bedroom apatrment as I'd once again be working at home and it would be nice to have an office. I set up my desk in the little bedroom and proceeded to fill the livingroom with nicer furniture and even hung pictures on the wall for the first time. I graduated, I gave the valedictory address, I found Boomer. This summer was pure bliss. I was single and happy, making an adult living and enjoying my new furry companion. My apartment became my life. I spent everyday here and hosted so many friends for pre-uptown parties given the 2 minute commute. Boomer and I became familiar with the park right across the street. This summer was eye-opening and for the first time I was doing it all myself.

Fall came and eventually winter. December 16th I invited a friend over and then we were going to head uptown. We ended up at a bar and more friends showed up. That night I met the guy I'm now moving in with. We had our first date in my kitchen. I made butter chicken. We sat in my Costco folding chairs and Boomer laid under my kitchen table, a table I had previously bought for $10 from a friend leaving town. We sat on my couch and watched Mean Girls on my 22" rear-projection TV, one which I'd bought in January 2004 on my first co-op term.

2010 has been quite a year. I spent new-years with the new guy, bought a real TV and eventually decided to buy a house.

This apartment has been the centroid of the past two years of my life. Not just any two years but two years in which I went from a hungover undergrad to an adult to a dog owner to a home owner.

I'm going to miss the solid wood doors with the glass door knobs. I'm going to miss the seven closets that allowed me to store any mess I didn't have time to clean up. I'm going to miss the blue bathtub and sink and the 6' mirror in the bathroom. I'm going to miss the large second floor windows that allow me to keep the lights off until the sun starts to go down. I'm going to miss the ancient hardwood floors, now full of scratches from moving furniture and a hyperactive dog. I'm going to miss the little blue kitchen where I cooked a first date meal and so many more after that, where I mixed every drink imaginable, where I failed and succeeded at so many new recipes. That kitchen and it's 2.5' of counter space is the inspiration for My Messy Kitchen. I'm going to miss the 1 minute walk to Uptown and the park. I'm really going to miss this place.

So why the hell am I leaving?
- drunk people on the street yelling
- broken bottles cutting up my dogs feet
- no parking
- landlords
- noisy apartments all around me
- no yard for Booms to play in
- paying RENT

So long peeps, see y'all in the 'burbs!

Steel Rail Sessions

2010-09-25T13:15:00.004-05:00

My goodness. What an incredibly creative, interesting, and beautiful evening I had last night.

Last night was the 'Steel Rail Sessions' hosted and created by Hilary from RQ. The completely unique event included an interactive train ride from Waterloo to St. Jacobs, a concert/hang out in St Jacobs, train ride back to Waterloo and then like any good party, an after party.

The train was set up with different artistic exhibits in each car. From Jen Gough's MESA car to the live nude model sketching car hosted by KWAG to the wall of community ideas on post-it notes. We were surrounded by art the whole time. The stop in St Jacobs included the work of Aaron Bartley (WANT. EVERYTHING.) and a concert by Vacuity. Oh did I mention we were in the train workshop where they are restoring two locomotives? Ya, COOL. The train ride back was another opportunity to check out the rest of the train and of course have a sing-a-long.

Did I mention there was food and booze on the train? Courtesy of Nick & Nat's Uptown 21

We arrived back in Waterloo and the train station was buzzing with... ZOMBIES. Thankfully no brains were eaten and they turned to cutting a rug in the gallery instead.

The after party was hosted at the Clay & Glass Gallery. What a beautiful space! More drinks, more food, more chatting and more daydreaming of new art I want in my house.

At the gallery I overheard someone comment that this event could only be so fun and successful in a town like Kitchener-Waterloo. If it were hosted in Toronto it would have been $100 a ticket (rather than the very reasonable $15), it would have been on a GO train, and we would have gone to Oakville. No thanks. I'll stick to #kwawesome

I am so thrilled to have attended this event with so many interesting people, not to mention 90% of my friends. I think everyone agrees that it was a huge success and a million kudos out to Hilary for all of her efforts.

Check out Amy's blog for more comments & praise!

Labour Day Weekend

2010-09-08T14:15:00.003-05:00

WHAT A WEEKEND!

I hate to bore you guys with uninteresting updates of what my weekends have included ... BUT.... BUT .... THIS weekend deserves a post.

If you were to make a list of activities that you would love to do for an entire day, what would be on it? Perhaps getting a full-day massage? Lying on the beach?.... EATING CHICKEN WINGS?

Well friends, I had the absolute pleasure of accomplishing that last one. Myself and the boy packed up my car and headed to Buffalo for the annual Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival. What a time we had.

Sidebar: I got a flat tire as I pulled out of my driveway before we left. What the heck kind of luck is that? Did I ever tell you my car also broke down the Friday of thanksgiving weekend once also? I'm not going to jinx my bad luck and suggest other holiday travel mishaps that may occur... may my stars realign themselves ASAP!!

Back to Buffalo. We get to the stadium, we park, we go in. We have no idea what to expect. We had after all heard about the event from a friend and decided to attend strictly based on that recommendation. How bad could it be? The way it works is you buy food tickets and then dispense your food tickets at the booths for wings. 90% of the booths just feature trays of chicken wings. You walk up, hand over your tickets, eat your wings. Rob, in all his spicy food glory, had to throw out one of his wings as he had merely tried the sauce on the tip of his fingers and his eyes began to water. We quickly fixed that by buying a beer. Needless to say it was a super fun, albeit dorky event to attend. We got to the festival at 1:30pm and left around 3:00pm and the stadium was filling up so this was a good move on our part.

Not only did my friend recommend the Wing Fest but he also recommended we stay at a particular hotel for the Sunday night special. Conveniently, he and 20 of his friends had decided to do the same!

The hotel is Salvatore's Grand Hotel and it is on the west Side of Buffalo, just past the airport. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere surrounded by big-box shopping. The Sunday night special is $150 and this includes dinner, breakfast, and a *king jacuzzi suite*. We arrived and got to our room to find a bathtub the size of my bedroom and a shower the size of my kitchen. All of the couples from the group had rooms along the same hallway and my friend Dan had a room with a large sitting area. We congregated and enjoy a few cheap drinks. It is USA after all! We all headed down to dinner together to our private dining room. The menu was amazing with choices of lamb, 2 kinds of steak, chicken and pasta. Everything was perfect. Rob would agree that his steak was the best he's ever had and it melted in his mouth. After dinner we all headed back to our rooms for some jacuzzi time and then met up for buffet breakfast in the morning.

Both the festival and the restaurant/hotel experience are worth every penny we spent. The wing fest worked out to about $35 US for parking, entry, wings and beer for 2. The hotel worked out to $180 with dinner gratuity and drinks. The hotel has the Sunday night special all year but if you're interested on going for a long weekend make sure to book ahead of time!

The Project

2010-07-05T13:15:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking about this for quite a while... I may have even blogged about it at one point... I really enjoy writing letters. I will write to anyone, (just about) anywhere, about anything. If you write to me, I will write you back with such speed and vigor that you can't help but think "this girl needs a life". Call me old fashioned, I just love writing to people.

The problem I have run into on many occasion... no one else on this planet seems to share this love. I have yet to find a single person willing to be my penpal*. When I was young I was batting away penpal requisitions like I was the featured lady at the Bunny Ranch. Did I mention that the term 'email' had yet to go mainstream?

Thanks, Internet. You ruined my letter writing dreams.

The idea I have been throwing around is this: if my friends aren't writing me back, why not write to people that are even less likely to write back? What I'm saying is, I want to write to 'famous' people. My problem lies in the 'WHAT' category. WHAT should I write to them about? I'd like to have a single, refined question to pose to these people. This way I can encourage them to write back and perhaps I'll get some interesting answers from some interesting people.

Some ideas that I've considered are:
If your future self could leave a note for your 20 year old self, what would it say?
If you are in love or have been in love, when did you recognize it?
What would your last meal be and please send me the recipe.

Just some ideas, I'd love to hear from you if you can think of something better!

*to those noble individuals that have written to me I appreciate it IMMENSELY and I understand that letter-writing isn't for everyone and so it's alright and I'm happy to communicate via email and facebook from now on :)

#4 Exploit the Youth

2010-05-17T09:22:00.005-05:00

"Why be a parent, cousin, aunt, or uncle - if not to exploit children for blog content?"

While there really aren't any kids in my life these days I did have the wonderful opportunity of spending Christmas holidays with my cousin's son (let's call him Monster). I've never really spent time with kids or had any desire to hold babies and I'll be honest... I find them kind of boring. As such, I was a little nervous as to how Monster would take to me. Well, turns out you give a kid 5 minutes of attention and you are his new best friend.

Before leaving for holidays, my cousin and her family had been practising names with Monster. They had a little book with people skiing in it and had helped Monster name each person after a member of our family. It was great to see him, having never met him, and have him scream out ER-RICK-UH!!! Though it tended to be in a low growling voice I still took it as a good sign. Even better was the fact that my cousin's family had told Monster than my dad should not be known as Uncle Duncan but rather as UNCLE DUNCLE, which he insisted on repeating 10 times, every time.

Monster was at the famous stage where he repeated everything we said and so the 'swear jar' rules were instituted. Thankfully Monster had exhausting days on the ski hill, fell asleep early, and we could rebel with our curse words and rousing games of 'Things'*.

I'm sure my cousin appreciated the fact that we were 10 adults and one kid for the two-weeks we were away. That little guy was never without a companion, especially if it involved jumping on Uncle Eric's bed.

*If you don't have this game, you need to get it. It is without a doubt the most hilarious time you can spend with your family. Be warned however, you may find out certain things about your parents that you never wanted to know....

Next up on "No One Cares What I had for Lunch"... #5: Be a sage - What opinions have people offered that stuck with you?

#3 Give us something

2010-04-19T14:22:00.003-05:00

"Tell your readers about what presents you'll remember forever"

I think I've mentioned it before but the most unique, heart-felt gift I've ever gotten was a baking box from my friend Liz. We were living together and baking together often. Our baking stuff was in a cardboard box which was a pain to drag in and out of the cupboard. For my birthday, Liz got a wooden drawer which had two handles on it, decoupaged the shit out of it with magazine pictures of cakes and other baked goods, a convenient new place for me to keep my baking stuff. The kicker, Liz put a strap on one of the handles so that I could carry it comfortably and level using my little arm. This girl is seriously brilliant and a seriously awesome friend.

Just before I left for Christmas holidays after my first term in school my brother offered to take me for lunch after my last exam. No biggie, pretty standard occurrence. On the way to the restaurant my brother made a wrong turn into the dealership, drove to the back parking lot and said something to the effect of "notice anything strange?". There in the parking lot was my new car sporting beautiful Manitoba license plates.

Stay tuned for installment #4 of "No one cares what I had for lunch": Exploit the youth!

You have been warned...

2010-04-12T09:06:00.003-05:00

... this blog is going to get a bit hockey crazy over the next weeks (months?) as the NHL playoffs start.

As a Detroit Red Wings fan I will be primarily cheering for them... my secondary team is Chicago (long-time rivalry aside, they had a great season last year and are in great shape this year... and I love Johnny Toews). Beyond that I will have to choose as the games unfold.

For the first round I have made a friendly bet for the following:
Washington (4) vs. Montreal (1)
New Jersey (4) vs. Philadelphia (1)
Buffalo (2) vs. Boston (4)
Pittsburgh (4) vs. Ottawa (0)
San Jose (4) vs. Colorado (2)
Chicago (4) vs. Nashville (1)
Vancouver (2) vs. Los Angeles (4)
Phoenix (3) vs. Detroit (4)

Installment #2 of my 'No one Cares what I had for Lunch' endeavour to follow soon...

#2 Fess Up

2010-04-08T07:56:00.005-05:00

"How do you fail? Do you constantly kill plants? Always take the last cookie? That's the stuff friends. To err is human, but to share? Divine."

Oh dear... what do I fail at?

Well the largest failure in my life would be the most legitimate also. I failed school. Back in first year, 17-year-old me had other things on my mind and no room for school. And so, I failed. It sucked. It eventually turned into the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me but the month of August 2004 was a serious shit storm.

Enough heavy depressing failures... I fail at COMPUTERS! I can get by doing day-to-day stuff but ask me about installing programs or changing any settings on... anything and I'm pretty useless. Just ask co-worker Matt, who is the lucky soul who gets to hear all about it. I have recently learned how to google my problems and have become less of a computer failure but I still have a long way to go. The irony is that 90% of my friends are supremely computer savvy... maybe that's why I never learned, I never had to! It's your fault, friends!

And lastly I fail at dishes. I HATE doing dishes and so... I don't. Well, not totally true. I just don't do them very often. I take great measures to rinse things and stack them nicely in the sink (therefore no smell and not so messy) but I take even greater measures to avoid doing them. I am the biggest supporter of the 'I cook, you clean' mantra. On the bright side I am endlessly grateful to anyone who does my dishes for me. My friends Caitie and Liz pretty much just expect that they'll be doing dishes when they visit. It's the exchange for a clean, dry place to sleep :)

Next installment of "No One Cares What I Had for Lunch": #3 Tell your readers about the presents you'll remember forever. Coming soon!

New mission and a few pet peeves

2010-04-07T14:29:00.006-05:00

I've been meaning to get this book for years now... "No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog" by Margaret Mason. I finally sucked it up and it arrived today. After flipping through it and seeing how wonderfully creative it is I've decided to see just how far this book can take me.

So starting with Idea #1... here I go...

#1 Reign Supreme: "All of us should learn to tolerate stupid people... but what if we didn't have to? If you ruled the world, things would be better, at least in a few small ways"

If I ruled the world and standard reality still applied (I'm an engineer after all) I would appease several pet peeves. I would decree that allowing ones garbage bag to overflow so the next person has to deal with the mess be punishable by DEATH... or a smart talking-to anyway. I would decree that any spoken grammar mistake be pointed out and all corrections be appreciated as if they were enhancements to your character, exceptions shall be made for children. I would decree that brushes in nail-polish jars be constructed to reach the BOTTOM of the jar and not 1/3 down.... ladies, you know (men too if you paint your nails). I would decree that trash talk be based on FACT and not EMOTION. No more of this 'Your team sucks because it's not my team' but rather 'Your team sucks because you didn't make the playoffs' and so on.

Going slightly towards unrealistic... all arguments be solved over dinner and drinks (alcoholic or non) and killing someone is not an approved method of negotiation.

That's all I've got for now, feel free to use Ms. Mason's ideas along with me... next idea is all about failure... should be fun, stay tuned!

Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-25T12:25:00.004-05:00

This Saturday marks the 4th annual installment of Earth Hour. You can read the full history here. The first event was held in Sydney in 2007 with 2.2 million people and 2100 business participating. In 2008, the event grew to include 371 cities in 35 countries. 2009 marked more than 4000 participating cities in 88 countries. Will you participate in Earth Hour 2010?

For some local news, the Record posted this article.
The City of Waterloo pledges it's commitment here.
University of Waterloo Residences encourages students to participate here.
Waterloo Town Square is hosting an event, details posted by Renjie
If you're not in Waterloo you can check to see if there's an event near you here.

And... for a completely different view to give you some ammo to form an educated opinion, here is an article that criticizes Earth Hour.

Personally I won't be doing anything special beyond shutting everything off in the house and enjoying a candlelit dinner. While I am uncertain of the physical impact of a whole bunch of us turning off the lights I think the awareness aspect is the real benefit of this event. The more we know the better equipped we are to DO something about it. So grab some candles, a deck of cards, maybe a board game, maybe your guitar and enjoy some time without the steady hum of electricity filling our homes.

World Water Day

2010-03-22T10:45:00.003-05:00

Today is World Water Day and a friend of mine posted this link to a little video that shows the life-cycle of bottled water. It got me thinking a bit, given that there is a very strong push to be more environmentally friendly - why are we still using bottled water? Ok, my thought was a little harsher than that... are we really so stupid to believe that our tap water isn't safe?

I started thinking about what drew me to buy bottled water. I remember in 2nd year when my roommates and I would split cases of water every time we'd go for groceries. The allure for me was that given we remembered to put the water in the fridge, I'd always have cold water. So... I was buying bottled water just to have a glass of cold water? I soon learned the error of my ways and became anti-bottle and bought a Brita Filter jug.

Today, after watching that video link I started to re-consider my choice once again. There is nothing wrong with the water here in Waterloo yet I'm still paying $4 per filter just to get a cold glass of water? Erica, you are stupid. I am disappointed in myself that it took so long to see this.

Now, I think I've come to a pretty good, and final, decision on my drinking water. I want a cold glass of water. I have a 4L juice jug in my cupboard. Bye-bye Brita, I'm now committing to using just that jug and drinking straight tap water which I can easily keep in the fridge for much cheaper than bottles or Brita. Alas, I finally have my coveted chilled glass of water and I'm doing it the right way.

Come to think of it, just about every house I visit has a Brita jug in the fridge. What's the point? So today, on World Water Day I ask you to reconsider your drinking water choices, maybe save some money for yourself and help us all be a little more environmentally friendly.

Interview questions

2010-03-19T19:42:00.004-05:00

I was listening to the radio today and in a Barbara Walters-style interview, the interviewer asked:

What do you know for sure?

What are you most certain of? What can you rely on 100%?

Being all fancy-like, the interviewee responded "I know that life is short" while this is a very reasonable answer I feel like I could be a little more personal.

Here are 2 answers I came up with... which aren't very original but will hopefully get you thinking about your own answers:

- I know I love my mom, dad, and brother and I know they love me.
- I know that I would rather be 10+lbs overweight than stop eating all the foods I love

The next question, which is a bit of a cliche but still fun:

Who are the 5 people that you would have for dinner, alive or dead?

The interviewer had what I think to be a great answer. She said she'd have her grandmother, her own mother, and her children so that they could all be together and to see how they would act around each other.

I think I'd agree with the grandmother thing. All of my grandparents died while I was in my teens. I'd love to hear them talk about their childhoods and coming to Canada.

These questions got me thinking of conversation starers so I looked a few up, here are some of my favourites:

1. What song or songs do you know all the lyrics to?
2. What did your favourite birthday include?
3. What are you afraid of?
4. What is your best, most useless, skill?

(My answers:
1. way too many Disney songs
2. Surprise 16th birthday, 2 months before actual bday
3. Sharks, deep water, scary movies
4. curling my tongue and shaking my eyes)

Blogging & Stress Relief

2010-03-16T22:14:00.004-05:00

The other day at the Ignite speaker series event, a friend of mine spoke about blogging. One point that she made that really hit home was sucking it up and clicking PUBLISH.

I struggle with this. That 'publish post' button is terrifying. Given that I've kept up pretty regularly with blogging that might seem silly but let me tell you, I have libraries of unpublished posts. Some are finished, most aren't. Most are unfinished thoughts that may have trickled off and I realized that I had no point to my post. Some I feel aren't interesting enough and I can tell my mom that stuff on the phone given that she's probably the only person who cares sometimes. Most of those will never be posted but I have still benefitted from writing each one.

Here's the thing - blogging for me is not a job and my blog doesn't really serve a purpose and deliver any valuable information. All of these posts are just a collection of random thoughts with a few well placed, usually unanswerable questions put up to get your brain moving a bit during the day. Ok, maybe that's the service I'm offering.

For me, blogging is an outlet. Well, writing is an outlet. The fact that I know people can read this nonsense is kind of therapeutic.

An example: last summer I was big into dating, as you may have seen from my Summer 2009 posts. Often times I would find myself in a situation of he-said-this-but-I'm-not-sure-what-he-meant-so-now-I'm-thinking-about-it-too-much. My solution: type it up. More often that not, after typing it up and re-reading it with the thought "What will the general public think of this?" usually resulted in a conclusion for me. Usually that conclusion was you're-being-ridiculous, but it got me further than just sitting on the couch. Writing down your thoughts forces you to organize them in a way that letting floating in your brain could never do. Writing and blogging are stress relievers and provide me with quality time with myself. No wonder I've managed to keep up with this thing for nearly 6 years. It's my therapy.

What is your favourite way to spend time with yourself? Do you enjoy reading on the porch, knitting, or gaming? Do you have any time that you devote to yourself? Do you feel that it's necessary to do so? Do you find it a chore or a stress relief? What is your favourite way to relieve stress?

Now I'm going to suck it up and hit PUBLISH.

Wishing you all a wonderful and SAFE St. Patrick's Day!

Doing things a bit differently

2010-03-12T11:58:00.005-05:00

Given that I've lived my entire 24 odd years with one hand, I've certainly developed some stories that are not so common to most. I find myself describing how I do something (eg: tying my shoes) and hearing the response "I never thought of that". I suppose that makes sense though given that all you nice people do things a bit differently than me, I also have a hard time understanding why everyone uses two hands to put on socks. Next time, try it with one. Below I've shared a few stories about my unique experiences growing up and how I learned to do things a little differently. Is there something you do especially different than the rest of us?

1. I needed help washing my hair well into my teens. With one hand and a ton of hair it was difficult to get all the soap out and so my mom would come in and help me rinse it out. I was no wonder that my mom was always pestering me to cut my hair. After all she was doing 100% of the maintenance from washing it to brushing it to braiding it every single morning! I really had no part of it. Thanks mom. In first year I chopped off all my hair for a fundraiser and I have never let it grow back past my chin.

2. I learned to tie my shoes when I was 12. I also figured it out on my own. I remember sitting on the end of my bed with my white Keds tennis shoes making 2 bunny ears and figuring out how long they needed to be to get it to stay in the bow form. To this day I use the 2-bunny-ear method and have no idea how to do it the way the majority of the population does. My dad also uses the bunny ear method (he has both hands).

3. I learned to ride a 2-wheeler bike when I was 12 (it was a big year for me!). I had a 2-wheeler for a long time but it always had training wheels on it. It was never an issue though. I never felt like I was slower or worse off than the rest of the neighbourhood kids (thanks guys). It was just what I did. I remember getting on the neighbours little red, banana seat bike and going 15 feet, it was the best thing ever.

4. I have a very hard time seeing myself on camera. As it is so natural for me to be as I am, I don't really consider myself different. When I see myself on camera my thought is 'is it REALLY that much shorter?' as if I expect myself to look like everyone else.

5. Enough about my slow progress... I can knit! I learned to knit when I was in grade 8. The woman who taught me simply gave me the needles and showed me how to move the tips. I'm not an especially good knitter but lets accept small victories here.

Is there something you never quite mastered as a kid? I seemed to struggle with the monkey bars... har har.

Roundabouts <> Traffic Circles

2010-03-10T13:43:00.004-05:00

This article showed up in The Record today.

That article makes my brain hurt and makes me shake my head. Ok well, the announcement is awesome. Franklin Blvd will function much better with the roundabouts. The first half of the article is great... roundabouts have worked well in the Region, mayor supports, etc. The second half of the article is the brain-hurting-head-shaking part.

Many people in the community don't like the change. "Critics" argue that roundabouts will frustrate drivers. Who are these magic critic people and how to I get a hold of them? Seniors have no interest in learning how to use them. The corridor will be DANGEROUS and CHAOTIC! You know, because the resulting slower speeds, reduced collision opportunities, reduced environmental impact and general pleasing aesthetic WILL BE DANGEROUS AND CHAOTIC!! Run for the hills, people.

For my final point. The article refers to these things as TRAFFIC CIRCLES.

ROUNDABOUTS <> TRAFFIC CIRCLES

ROUNDABOUTS ARE NOT TRAFFIC CIRCLES

TRAFFIC CIRCLES AND ROUNDABOUTS ARE DIFFERENT

Ok, enough yelling. This article is frustrating because it is only hindering the progression of education regarding roundabouts. The construction is approved and ready to go so why not have an article highlighting the features of the corridor to produce more knowledgeable and better prepared drivers? Ugh, I need a drink.

Love, you local roundabout enthusiast
Erica

Workspace Pros & Cons

2010-03-07T18:10:00.003-05:00

I have the fortunate opportunity to have both a job I like AND a job that lets me work from home. There are a surprising amount of perks to this but also a few downsides.

Some perks:

My commute is 15 feet
My dress-code is whatever I choose (for the most part sweats and tshirts... unless I have to leave the house... AHH natural light!!)
The bathroom is RIGHT there
Gee I feel like singing along to this song.... and then I DO
Gee I feel like speaking out loud to better solve this problem... and then I DO
I have a dog and he is great company and I can give him more than enough attention. He also gets me up in the morning and outside (that place where you have to wear pants, what a buzzkill) a few times a day
All the food you could ever want is 15 feet away
I can get groceries at lunch
I can do just about anything at lunch
No one cares whether or not I've showered, not even the dog (after all, I don't judge HIM when he hasn't showered)

Some downsides:

The TV is right there
All the food you could ever wants is 15 feet away
There is no one to watch over your shoulder to make sure you're being productive. There's A LOT of self-motivation that needs to happen

One of the biggest perks for me is that my workspace can be as comfortable as I'd like it to be. While I spend most of my time sitting in my office, I could potentially bring my laptop to the porch, to the couch, or even to a coffee shop. My workspace is very flexible. So, what is your ideal workspace? Does it change? Does it even exist? Are you using it right now? Are there major changes you wish you could make?

When I consider my best workspace it becomes a bit of a Catch 22. Let's say I want to be as comfortable as possible. Ok, so I put our sweats on, I have a nice cup of tea, maybe a blanket over my lap, reclined on the couch with laptop. Well, now I just want to fall asleep. Ok, so now I'm too comfortable. So now I need to reevaluate. Let's scratch the couch and choose the desk. Ok now I'm at my desk but I'm in a chair that I know is bad for my back. Is there a right answer here? I haven't even covered being inspired or productive in my workspace. Does being in a cubicle with a superior walking by every 10 minutes encourage you to work or does it just cause you stress and make you uneasy? Also, what is the end result of your best workspace? Is it a place where you are most productive, inspired, comfortable, and ultimately happy? Well that cant be right as we already saw that being comfortable can turn on us pretty quickly.

What I've learned from being at home: my ultimate workspace is a place where I can achieve high levels of productivity most of the time and I'm mostly comfortable (the space heater under my desk does wonders in the morning). The space just cannot be perfect. The facets of my preferred workspace cannot co-exist at high levels in perfect harmony.

What are some components of your workspace that help you achieve better results? (comfort, productivity, inspiration, motivation) For me, these are not necessarily physical. One thing that helps is when it's a sunny day. I know I'll get to go out with the dog eventually so I don't sit staring longingly out the window but the sun sure puts me in good spirits. Another thing is a clean desk and a clean house. All distractions are covered and I can get some work done. Or write another blog entry.

Another thing to consider, do you have a different ideal workspace for the different task in your life? What if we get TOO productive? Is there such thing as too productive? Will we just exhaust ourselves?

Ok I'll stop, too much thinking for a Sunday event. Hope everyone had a great weekend :)

A story about guilt

2010-03-05T09:59:00.006-05:00

Every single day I feel tempted by a handful of things. From what I eat, what I wear, what I do, what I listen to, and what I watch on TV. A lot of these things tend to induce guilt. That is, if I succumb to the temptation.

We are dealing with a few things here:
1. temptation + poor will power = guilt
2. temptation + good will power = satisfaction

An example: Last weekend a friend bought me a 1kg bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs. These little pieces of candy coated heaven have helped me get through the dreary months of February and March for years now. They are nothing shy of awesome. However, they are so rammed full of sugar that they are actually wolves in sheep's clothing. This bag sits on my desk. I am tempted by it every single day. To use the first equation I have my temptation (mini eggs) and then I have my will power. As you can see I have two options. Poor or Good. If I have poor will power at that point I will eat the eggs and then feel guilty because they are bad for me, my teeth hurt, I'm going to gain 100 lbs over night and die next year. Stupid mini eggs! However if at the time of my temptation I am feeling (will) powerful I will push the mini eggs aside and either find something else to eat (hopefully not candy coated) or simply get back to work. The results of that second option sure sound easy. In fact that second equation could take less than a minute to unfold and I will be filled with satisfaction for the rest of my day all because I said no to that little piece of candy. Well, at least until I notice the bag again and go through this battle all over again.

It sounds so easy when I write it out. Poor choice = guilt and likely a bad mood and a sore tummy for the rest of the day or Good choice and feel great. Well I'm obviously going to take the good choice!! Why wouldn't I??

Oh right, that whole theory of short term gain vs. long term pain. So now it comes down to how good I am at debating my own conscience.

"I'll have some mini eggs but I'll only have 3, anything is fine in moderation... right?"
"Who cares if I have a handful of mini eggs, I'm young, in good shape, nothing can stop me!... but I have been kind of tired lately and I didn't go to the gym this week"

The debate has many ugly sides.

Which bring me to another point. What do you prefer to carry: a clear or guilty conscience? And within that: how good are you at clearing a guilty conscience? Mentally, it doesn't matter how many mini eggs I eat if afterward I say to myself "who cares, it's just a bit of chocolate" That being the easy route of course. A second option being "who cares, I'll go to the gym for an hour today" which is far more genuine as it will legitimately clear your conscience because you have physically worked out at least some of the impact of the chocolate.

Sidebar: my example has the fortunate ability to have a physical cure: the gym. If your debate is over something far less trivial your 'cure' is far more difficult. Though, if it's time or money wasted there are physical cures: make more money, reevaluate schedule etc. If it's moral guilt (hit and run... though I hope not) your debate gets infinitely more difficult.

Yet another question: What is the best way to clear your conscience and find yourself at the end of the better (second) equation? Do you carry guilt around until you eventually forget about it (for small things like mini eggs) or do you have to make a physical change to ensure a completely cleared conscience?

I'm going to tell you a secret, none of these questions have answers. We all work differently. When I indulge in TV, shopping, food, etc I tend to try to balance them with something healthy or positive. Clean part of the house, shovel some snow, go to the gym, walk the dog, etc. Does this mean that if I continuously set myself back to zero that I could potentially live a long and happy life? Not so much, see next paragraph.

How do you handle your guilt and clear your conscience? How do you keep your will power strong? Even better, how do you avoid temptation? Personally, I think this last one is definitely the best one we should all aim for as it nullifies this entire argument and gets me back to work much quicker.

I dare you to guess how many mini eggs I have left.

Happy weekend :)

Ignite Waterloo 2

2010-03-04T13:15:00.004-05:00

Last night I had the most delightful pleasure of presenting at Ignite Waterloo v2.0

When I first decided to do this I was a bit conflicted. The pros and cons were getting pretty confusing. It's only a 5 minute speech... so pick something familiar to most. No notes allowed on stage... pick something familiar to me. Slides are auto-advanced... so pick something with lots of points or something that doesn't rely heavily on slides. Audience is techy super dorks with a good sense of humour... cater to that somehow. In the end I chose to talk about roundabouts.

When it comes to public speaking I'm decently confident in my abilities but can't seem to shake the nerves within 20 minutes of speaking. I should really be over this by now. I'll work on that. Not only that but the group of presenters seems to ooze experience and confidence which they seemed to have snagged out of thin air. Teach me your ways!! Well in the end my speech was very well received and I feel good about it... I think I may have even converted some haters into lovers... or at least reconsider-ers.

Once again I was amazed at the unique and diverse personalities that are in the Waterloo community. There are so many brilliant and hilarious people in this town!

This event truly has something for everyone, with each speech lasting only 5 minutes it's easy to be engaged and difficult to be bored. That and the Children's Museum has awesome food and a great atmosphere. For other wonderful comments and photos on the event please visit:

Hilary Abel @ RQ (wonderful comments and links to most speakers)
Photos by MonsterFarm
Photos & Comments by Michael Seliske
CuteGecko Blog
Photos by Sean M. Puckett
Photos by Ramy Nassar

Incomplete Opinion on Spanking Your Children

2010-02-10T11:09:00.005-05:00

I was not spanked as a kid. My older brother was spanked once, it did nothing and so my parents abandoned the idea. Both of my parents were spanked throughout their childhood.

I respect the idea of trying it to see what the results are and then moving forward based on those results. At the same time though, I can't help but think I would be hitting my kids. Now I don't have children and so I might be completely oblivious and maybe I'll have an itching desire to spank them... though that just seems ridiculous to me.

An old roommate of mine was very firm with the idea of spanking. No questions, he is spanking his kids. His argument was that as a parent you need to state the roles of the household very clearly. Parents are boss, kids follow parents rules. While this does make sense I can't help but compare it to dog training. Dogs are pack animals and it is very important that you state your superiority to the dog. The dog is part of your pack and if the dog doesn't feel this then the dog will likely act out.

However... this is a dog. Not a child.

Sidebar... I am by NO MEANS violent with my dog. I love him to death and yes, he gets a smack on the head once in a while when he jumps on the counter but otherwise my dog leads a pretty cushy life. Also, dogs are tough cookies. Yes, there are other methods of disciplining a dog but I genuinely tried many others (formed my opinion based on research!) and giving him a smack is the only one that works. I feel like I'm digging myself into a hole here... bare with me!

In any case, I feel that there are much less-harmful ways of disciplining a child. Taking away favourite items (TV, video games, etc) or giving a time-out or sending them to their room. I do not think that spanking your child is a mature method of discipline.

I think my opinion (at this point in my life) on this comes from a few things:
1. The way my parents disciplined me (no spanking)
2. The fact that I don't have kids yet and thus cannot form a complete opinion.
3. My complete lack of understanding and hatred towards violence.

I admit my opinion is not completely formed and there are holes to my argument but I'm interested in other peoples thoughts on this. Do you have kids and do you spank them? Were you spanked? What led you to the opinion you have on spanking?

Plan for 2010

2010-01-02T17:28:00.003-05:00

Goals for 2010:

By end of January:

Create a budget for the entire year
Sort my entire apartment and call for a Canadian Diabetes pick-up

Side bar... if you have old clothes you are planning on giving to Value Village, consider instead calling the Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline program. They pick up your old stuff for free and then sell it back to such business as VV and put the profit back to the CDA.

start a work-out regime
begin the pursuit of finding a family doctor in KW

By end of February:

evaluate the idea of buying a house

By end of March:

make firm decision on housing plans for September 2010 (when current lease expires)
check in on budget, reevaluate as necessary

Goals for the year:

post at least 4 new recipes on My Messy Kitchen per month
LOSE THAT STUPID 15 LBS I'VE BEEN TRYING TO LOSE SINCE JUNE 2008!!
In addition to that... do something active EVERY DAY. An extra long walk with Boomer, a morning run with Boomer, Yoga class, swimming, etc)
ATTEMPT to make..... Macaroons. This may seem silly and insignificant.... but they are seriously temperamental to make but seriously delicious and I think it would be a fun thing to try.

This is all I have for now but I will add as necessary. I find that writing it down makes me so much more accountable to the list. What are you big plans for the year?

Family Moments

2009-12-08T22:15:00.003-05:00

For most of my life I have had a 'maternal instinct'. While at this point I have no children, I do tend to be the one with a purse full of granola bars, directions laid out, and tickets pre-ordered. It's what I do. I think I've said it before that I want kids but find it hard to tell people because they assume I mean NOW. Are you kidding me? Why would I ruin what I have going right now with a baby? Not a chance. Kids, family.... SOMEDAY LATER. I feel there is no harm or threat in saying that.

Tonight I saw 'The Blind Side' with Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. I feel it necessary to mention Tim as he is primarily a country music star but nailed one of his first large acting roles. That and, well, he's hot. Moving on... not to give away too much of the plot but at one point the family is preparing a kid to go to university. They are at the campus and showing them around, explaining the cafeteria, how much to study, etc. It was a really sweet moment, sending the kid off to the big world of University, leaving his family. It got me thinking about when I started university. I didn't have the grand drop-off and move-in experience with my family. It's not exactly a life-changing moment, after all, I turned out fine-ish. However, it was a pretty big moment in my life, the type of thing that, while I didn't need the HELP of my family, would have been nice to SHARE with my family.

My family is not from around here and so I was packed up at home and my brother and I drove halfway across the country together. My brother had already started school and so he was returning after a trip home and I was going to start school for the first time. I imagine my parents figured I had my brother, who was attending the same school, to show me the ropes and so I'd be fine. My aunt helped out and we all carted ourselves to my residence to move me in.

At this point, I had been to campus once to see my brother, but that hardly counts as I saw nearly nothing. I had no perception of what a university campus was like and what to look out for. There had been no build up to choosing a residence and emailing my Don or my new roommates. It wasn't so bad to figure out but it's not something that's fun to do alone. I really had NO CLUE what I was getting into.

Back to my maternal instinct. In the movie, it's a really precious moment when the family is so proud and attempting to send their kid off with as much preparation and advice as possible. I would have really enjoyed having my family with me that day, merely as support as I started something very new and foreign. I have no remorse towards my parents as there was really no way they could have been there. I just know that when it comes time for my kids to start off at a big new school, that I will try to make it as easy for them as possible and that it is important to me to see them off on the start of their massive journey into (attempted) adulthood.

What pinnacle moments in your life did you find it was especially nice to have your family there with you? What moments do you wish your family was or wasn't there for?

How do you feel about your embarassing moments?

2009-12-07T22:04:00.003-05:00

A few months ago I decided I was going to cut back on partying a bit. I was thoroughly sick of hangovers (you'd think I'd learn after the first one...) and I was also sick of waking up the next day and remember what stupid things I had said or done. Not that I was off the handle or anything, just a little too relaxed with the brain-to-mouth filter. While I have had many more productive mornings as a result, I'm still finding myself cringing over things I've said or done. I don't think I'm doing anything especially out of the norm, I just feel that once I'm in public in a high-intensity situation (packed bar) I tend to just talk without thinking. It's a terrible habit and I have no idea how to stop it, if it's really that bad, or if I'm completely out in left field.This started on a long train of thought back to first year university and all the stupid things I did as a 17 year old. While part of my brain is saying "ugh I can't believe I did that!" the other part is saying "...how likely is it that anyone else remembers it?"

To compare that last thought I tried to think of stupid things I might have witnessed my friends doing or saying to see what I remembered and how I felt about it. Honestly, I came up pretty empty. I love my friends to death and I'm certain they've done ridiculous things that are embarrassing and cringe-worthy but I honestly don't remember them as such. I had a friend rock star* the hallway outside of my apartment one night and I don't remember it as embarrassing but hilarious and with sympathy.

So, is every silly thing I've done remembered completely differently by my friends than it is by me? Is my unnerving urge to apologize to the world completely unwarranted? How do you handle your embarrassing moments and how do you get them to quit haunting you?

* the verb "to rock star" means to do to a room what a rock star might do after a big show and heavy drinking...usually involves projectiles and bad smells.

Boomer Behaviour

2009-10-27T14:18:00.004-05:00

While I was in Rome, Boomer went to the kennel. I was a little concerned as he would be there for 10 nights and I wasn't sure what he would be like once I got him back home. Much to my own joy, he seemed fine. He still knew his commands and still remembered me and the apartment. When I got home from Rome, the heat hadn't been turned on yet (as described in my previous post) and so Boomer was sleeping in my bed. Needless to say, even though Boomer seemed fine I did not enforce our routine right away. Not such a good idea. If you are a dog owner I'm sure you understand the importance of consistency, 100% of the time. Slacking off after my trip probably wasn't such a good idea.

The week after Boomer started being more aggressive at the dog park. He's always been very playful but now he was barking at other dogs and even got in a bit of a fight with one. Boomer was becoming very obnoxious very quickly. Yesterday, I was leaving for groceries and I tied Boomer up as I always do. Normally he will just sit down and kind of look at me as I leave. This time however he went completely BERZERK. He started barking at me as I was putting my shoes on and didn't stop even by the time I'd gotten to my car. I came home and he was obnoxious all evening. By that point I was sick of it and began plotting how I could sedate him without feeling guilty (NO, I would never do that, I was just VERY frustrated!!). Instead of continuing with my cruel thoughts I remembered I had bought two books on dog behaviour. One was a bit passive and the other was Cesar Milan.

When I first got Cesar's book I found it a bit aggressive and not gentle and caring enough. Then I spent time with Boomer. Boomer is very hyperactive. Sort of like an ADHD kid. Disciplining Boomer with a gentle "No Boomer" wasn't going to work. So I started reading. The conclusions I had made are as follows.

1. Boomer must be calm before ANYTHING happens.

This means Boomer was sit still before being fed, before getting affection, before I open the door, before I put his leash on, before I give him a treat... EVERYTHING. This requires a lot of patience but we are getting there! He is a pro at sitting before we cross the street, I only have to say it once!

2. Erica comes before Boomer... or as Cesar says... Erica is the Pack Leader

This means I go in the house and exit the house before Boomer, Boomer walks at my side. Boomer sniffs when I give his leash slack. Boomer is on my schedule and vice-versa.

3. Be consistent.

This means creating rules (eg: not allowed to sleep in my bed) and sticking with them 100%. This was very tough this morning when Boomer woke up at 6:30 and wanted into my bed and proceeded to whine right next to my face. No cool, Boomer. I did not give in! Eventually he went back to bed. Yay, that's a win for the Pack Leader! Consistency also lies in when we walk and when Boomer gets fed. (I made a schedule!)

4. Remind guests to ignore him.

If Boomer is hyper when guests arrive and then he gets attention immediatly then he perceives this as a reward for his behaviour. Not so! Ignore Boomer at first and then once he is calm, proceed to smother him with hugs.

5. WALK before PARK. PARK does not equal WALK.

This was a big one for me as I was taking Boomer to the park everyday as a means of exercise. This is not true, the dog park is a form of socializing. Boomer would go bonkers as we'd be driving to the park and then he'd get all pent up and go nuts once we got there. It is a common misconception that excitement means happiness when in fact excitement often means frustration. Boomer was entering the park very frustrated and so he was very irritable... hence the fight. As such, Cesar recommends that you walk your dog before you go to the park and then once they have had some exercise, take them to the park. This is going to be a tough one to get over as Boomer is very excitable and nervous. For now, we are avoiding the park as Boomer learns to calm down and gets used to his new lifestyle.

I've heard many people that disagree with Cesar's methods but I feel that they are suitable for Boomer as he is so high-strung and needs a stricter environment if he is going to stay with me.

We'll see how it goes!!

Tips for surviving when your apartment is freezing

2009-10-14T19:44:00.003-05:00

...or How to Survive Sub-zero Temperatures With All the Amenities of a First-World Home

1. Always stay dressed in many layers. Some basics include long johns, flannel pants, sweat pants, wool socks, slippers, undershirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweater, large hoodie, scarf, toque, and blanket. I suppose when I wrote 'suggestions' it may have come across as "some separate ideas you many want to try" when really I meant "this entire list is one suggestion of one set of clothes you could wear... at once" just want to be clear.

2. Never undress. Do not risk skin exposure. You will be cold when you sleep so just crawl into bed dressed as such. Sure, that seems kind of gross going to bed in what you have been wearing all day but desperate times call for desperate measures, sheets can be washed. Really, you're already wrapped in blankets, going to bed just means turning your body from a vertical fetal position at your desk to horizontal on your bed.

3. The shower is both the best and worst part of your day. The time you spend in that seemingly magical spray of pure goodness will be the greatest 10 (...or 25...) minutes of your day. The 5 minutes prior to and afterward are the worst of your day. Getting in and out of a shower requires nudity (I know, you're shocked) and there is no way around. You get in with your clothes on and those clothes are going to turn frigid as soon as you step out. It's not worth it, trust me. Instead, enjoy the pain-turned-pleasure of your fingers thawing out.

4. Spoil the dog and let him sleep on the bed. Did you know that a dog's natural temperature is roughly 15 degrees warmer than a humans? No way is that extra heat going to waste. Trust me, when it's 4c in the house, that dog is not leaving your side. Not to self... get a bigger dog...

5. Go out for meals. Your fingers are too stuff to cook and you can barely get up from your chair. Going out for meals means showering (described above...mmm....), getting a hot meal made by someone else, and being in an establishment that likely has heat as it would be closed otherwise given the temperature outside and it would be considered cruel and unusual punishment to allow humans to suffer as so (HMMM FUNNY THAT).

6. Go to bed early. The more you sleep the less you have to endure in this frozen hell.

Fun things to do when your house is the same temperature as outside which happens to be less than 5c:

1. After your shower allow your wet hair to freeze into icicles so that you can crack them like you did while waiting for the bus growing up

2. Fog up mirrors and draw funny pictures

3. See how many scarves you can fit twisted around your body without getting tangled up

4. Leave the house because it's ludicrous to stay instead. Bring puppy and head to brother's house.

...to be fair the heat came on about an hour ago though it is sure taking it's sweet ass time filling the house. Perhaps it's karma for my posting a slightly bitter blog entry.

Graduate Stigma

2009-09-11T15:57:00.002-05:00

Hello lovelies,

It has been 4 months since I finished school. For the past 6 years, I switched what I was doing every 4 months with co-op. 4 months school, 4 months work. That routine would put me getting ready to start school again on Monday. Nope, not this time. This time I get to keep working. This time I don't get to spend labour day prepping for frosh week. This time I don't get to go to a keg party every night for a whole week.

While I'm thrilled to have a job and to be able to afford a few extra indulgences, it is bittersweet. I spent 6 years in that routine, I spent 6 years enjoying that routine. It's not the easiest thing to part with.

There is a bit of a stigma attached to graduating. It seems that you become a 'sketchy grad' almost immediately and to spend time with anyone in their undergrad is frowned upon. This is so bizarre. Why would I give up my slightly younger friends just because I finished school? I'm still in town, I'm still me. It's as if you are forced to grow up. You are not allowed to enjoy keg parties anymore, you are not allowed to walk around in sweatpants. Sure, I don't really enjoy the crowds at most keg parties and I haven't left the house in sweats in a long time... but when all my undergrad friends are enjoying themselves this week, I feel a bit left out.

Why do I need to quit this activities and un-friend these people? It's not as if I'll never grow up. I'd say I'm a lot more grown up then many other people my age. Why must this stigma exist?

Pissed Off Doggie Business

2009-09-03T08:41:00.002-05:00

Does any one else immediately want to blog when they get pissed off?

Here's the jist of it...

Boomer, my dog, is pretty awesome. He's cute, funny, and his behaviour has improved so much since I got him almost 2 months ago. I'm so proud of my little guy! Boomer walks very well when he has his Halti collar on but walks very poorly without it. I have not tried him on a harness mostly because the Halti is working fine so why spend the extra money. FYI - a 'Halti Collar' is a gentle leader collar, it goes over their snout but it's not tight. If the dog pulls, the collar tightens on their face, which dogs hate and so they relax. They are pretty common in these parts. They also make people around you more comfortable as it can act as a muzzle so the liklihood of being bit is decreased. Boomer's problem is that he really likes other dogs. Boomer LOVES other dogs. I could take Boomer to the dog park and leave him there and he would not even know I was gone. However, when we pass other dogs while Boomer is on his leash & Halti collar, he barks at them. Which brings me to this morning.

I wak outside to talk him for his morning walk. We cross the street and coming in the opposite direction is an older woman (I'd guess 55+) with a walker and a seeing-eye dog, or at least an assistance dog of sorts. Well crap. So I start walking and Boomer starts barking. Thankfully, her dog doesn't flinch. Side-bar: assistance dogs really are amazing. This woman however yells at me. Something to the effect of "You need to control your dog, I shouldn't have to walk down the street in fear that my dog is going to lose control, get a harness for that thing." Umm...what? Ummm... last I checked we can't all have perfectly behaved dogs.

I'm pissed off because this woman used her disability agaisnt me. (I'm not sure what it was, I don't think she was blind as she knew boomer wasn't in a harness.) She yelled at me as if it was my responsibility to make sure her day is without distrubance. What a piss-off. i'm sorry this woman is so miserable and needs to yell at a 20-something and her cute dog just so she feels better about herself. Lady, I'm sorry for YOUR cute dog who is so well behaved because you probably never rub his belly or accidently drop a peice of dinner on the floor.

2009-08-20T21:21:00.003-05:00

Today I found out that my dad reads my blog.

HI DAD!!

Haha, I'm ok with this, there's really nothing to hide and I've pretty much told my mom everything I've put on here anyway.

EIN might be a bit quiet for a little while as I type up recipes for my messy kitchen. I'm having so much fun writing them out and hearing about people reading them!

This weekend I think I'm going to host a tapas party... I'm sure you will hear all about in over on MMK. Enjoy your weekend and try a new recipe!

D7 & Messy Kitchen

2009-08-19T17:53:00.002-05:00

D7 is no longer D7. He finally messaged me today saying he's trying to work things out with his ex. Good for him but crap for me. Oh well, nothing I can do.

In better, bigger, brighter news... my messy kitchen has launched! It is still very basic and generic but it will soon be much better... stay tuned!

SS Update D6&7

2009-08-13T09:27:00.003-05:00

EIN has been a bit more 'datey' rather than 'cooky'. I AM working on making a unique cooking website, I'm even going to have my own domain name! It's coming... very soon...

In other news, I've had a very pissed of week. I've already spoken about a conversation I had on Sunday... which was pretty crappy. Well that date happened. Here are the details... what are we on now, D6? Let's say D6.

D6 shows up, good sign. He's very cute and is wearing a perfect outfit. Do guys where 'outfits'? Whatever, what he is wearing is great. Me, D6, and SuicideBoomer head into the park, chat chat chat, sit down, chat, chat, chat. Eventually it's getting dark and buggy so we head back to my porch, chat, chat, chat. I have to get to another function and we've been chatting for a bit so I walk him to his car. Now, explain to me what I did wrong.... I had a good time with him, I'm attracted to him, I suggest meeting up again. That makes sense to me... but apparently not to D6. So he goes on to say... very un-clearly... that he doesn't think he can get over my little limb issue. COME ON!!! He was very unclear though... but that's what I got. He said he didn't see me fitting into his life and that I would limit him... or something? I'm really not sure. I pretty much say 'you're wrong' in a few more words than that... but whatever, if it's an issue then I'm not going to force anything. To his credit he was as polite as one could be in saying such USELESS CRAP and he apologized many times and admitted that he was acting naiive etc. BUT DUDE, COME ON. YOU ARE MAKING AN ISSUE OUT OF NOTHING.

Ok so whatever, that happened. What pisses me off the most is that all of a sudden IT'S AN ISSUE! It has never been an issue!! I feel stupid writing about it because this is way more time than this issue deserves!!!

ERICA HAS ONE HAND. That is the end of it, there is nothing more to it!! I live my life like any other normal 20 something single. I am independant, I have a car, a dog, a job... I get no special treatment, I do everything a normal person would do. There really is NO DIFFERENT. WHY ARE PEOPLE SO STUPID?? This is the end of this, it's not an issue for me so I never want to talk about it because there is nothing to talk about!!! I called my mom and told her about this and neither of us really knew what to say. I was upset because I think I thought I was supposed to be... but after 2 minutes I just didn't care. I don't even care about the fact that a guy I was on a date with said that... it's just the fact that it's all of a sudden an issue I'm supposed to deal with. It's not even that I SHOULD deal with it but CHOSE not to... NO, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE. Ugh, this is so over.

In other news, here's some info on possible D7. Messaged me on POF on Friday afternoon. Very cute 'I read your profile and it sounded like I was reading my own so I HAD to message you' very cute. I replied Saturday early afternoon. He replies Saturday evening (yay quick replies). I replied Sunday morning, He replies later Sunday morning with a super long reply... more replies later and we chat all evening on msn, great chat. At the end of the chat he says "I've enjoyed chatting, let's chat tomorrow" hey cool awesome. Monday evening we chat again, great chat! At one point I say "How about instead of sitting at our computers all evening we get some ice cream?" He says he has to go to his parents house but he'd be back later and maybe we can chat and maybe we can hang out Tuesday. Sure cool bye. Well, he doesn't make it back before I go to bed... and I haven't heard from him since... I'm a girl and I over-think everything and notice everything (ie: not online)... so ya, I'm a bit peeved. I'm peeved because he said we should chat later AND we should hang out and then... nothing... I realize guys are COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS on all occasions so I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I need to learn patience. Now, like ALWAYS, I've written this out and it feels completely stupid. Good day y'all!

SS Update... new dates!

2009-08-09T12:45:00.002-05:00

Hello lovelies,

I am having a bit of a problem today. This online dating thing is fun and different but it seems to be a real pain in the ass for someone who has something inherently different with their physical appearance. (There is clearly a story here...)

So I messaged this guy, we send a few back and forth and eventually we chat on msn. I mention that I had a really bad date the other day (as you read about below) so I'm a bit more cautious about meeting people. We chat and eventually agree to meet up. He says something like "I hope I do better than the other guy... and I hope you're not a man!" Oh har har jokes. So I say "No no, I assure you I'm not, never have been... but actually there is one thing that might be a bit strange. I have one hand" I then change my display picture to show him. He kind of went weird at this point. I go on to say it's no big deal, I'm comfortable with it, you'll forget about it 5 minutes after meeting me, etc. But... then he says 'Way to leave that to the last minute' And so I am returning to this endless debate. To confess or not to confess.

I have honestly thought through every side of this debate. Why does it matter? I know I don't want to be with someone who is uncomfotrable with it. But people are naturally going to act strange. I even act strange when I meet someone who has weird shit going on. IT IS STRANGE. It is strange because you don't see it everyday and unfortunate stereotypes exist. That is true and I'm ok with that. It's just getting people past that very first impression. So really, this guy wasn't really that out of line. Physical attractiveness plays a large role in first impressions. i'm just hoping he doesn't think too much of it and does show up on Tuesday. I like to think that once a person meets me any stereotypes immediately collapse. It's just a pain in the butt that I have this one extra hurdle. OH WELL, at least I'm not green like Elphaba in 'Wicked', that girl had it bad.

Cupcakes + Bitchin Icing

2009-08-04T19:29:00.005-05:00

I made chocolate cupcakes the other day:

This is the recipe, but I didn't make this icing

This recipe has never failed me. It has directions for making different sized cakes and also cupcakes. I like making the bundt pan one because it's just one pan and looks nice, too. I never really made icing before but I bought a few new tips at bulk-barn the other day and no way was I going to BUY icing. So... get ready.... this is the icing that I made. Adapted from 'Martha Stewart's Cupcakes' cookbook. I couldn't find the recipe online so I'm typing it out... because I love y'all.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing... CHOCOLATE stylez

Not as sweet as standard icing, very buttery and smooth. It's easy to adjust the flavour, instead of chocolate you can add lemon zest or coconut extract.

Ingredients:
5 large egg whites
1 cup + 2 tbsp white sugar
Pinch of salt
1 lb butter, at room temperature
1.5 tsp vanilla
4.5 oz semisweet chocolate OR 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (same thing... I use Bernard Callebaut chocolate chips from Bulk Barn because they are to-die-for... buy them once and you will never go back... so don't buy them because they are $$, ignore everything in these parentheses)

Makes about 5 cups

1. In a double boiler on medium heat, melt chocolate. Allow to cool while you move on with the next steps.

2. If you have a kitchenaid mixer... create a double boiler using a small pot of about 1.5" water and the metal mixer bowl. A small pot is required because you don't want the water in the pot to touch the bottom of the mixing bowl... I tried this today and it worked awesome. If you don't have a KA mixer... you can use a standard double boiler, the KA mixer bowl just means less dishes... moving on. Into the bowl, combine sugar, egg whites and salt. Whisk constantly as the ingredients heat up and the sugar dissolves. You will know when the sugar is dissolved by rubbing a bit of the mix between your fingers. You shouldn't feel any crystals. It doesn't take too long and you don't need much heat. Medium-low works well. Mixture will remain gooey but sugar will dissolve despite the appearance.

3. Take the mixer bowl off of the double boiler and put in onto the mixer with the whisk attachment. Start on low and gradually bring the speed up to medium high. Once you get stiff, glossy peaks (not dry), bring mixer down to medium and let 'er go for another 8-ish minutes. Should look glossy and fluffy. Bowl should also be cooled down (touch the base - should no longer be hot).

4. Bring the mixer down to medium-low. Un-wrap your block of butter and with a knife, gradually add the butter by the tablespoon. I wasn't too picky here - the mixer is going fast enough and the butter is soft enough that it only takes a few spins to incorporate the butter so don't get fussy. My butter was VERY soft, that probably helped. NOTE: THE MIXTURE WILL LOOK CURDLED TOWARDS THE END OF THE ADDITIONS, JUST KEEP WHIPPING AND IT WILL SMOOTH OUT.

5. Turn mixer to low and add vanilla and cooled chocolate. Keep mixer on until bubbles are gone and everything is smooth. You can pipe/spread it immediately or store it as below.

NOW... the best part... this bitch can go in the FREEZER! Haha, use what you need (which will not be the whole recipe) and then freeze the rest for up to a month. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, bring it to room temperature and give it a good whip with a spoon before you try to spread it. This icing is very tasty, not too sweet and very silky smooth.

It should look like this at the end:

This looks like A LOT of work for icing. It is a bit more than your standard sugar+butter+milk type recipe but it's so good and fluffy and very worth it. I put very detailed instructions just in case... I always like a little encouragement in a recipe :)

On a side note... I've really been loving blogging lately but I've noticed that my blog has been largely personal life and cooking. I'm considering starting a unique cooking blog to store all my recipes and write them out according to how I make them. I will keep y'all posted!