Emptiness

I have had this feeling of emptiness the last few weeks and it took me until today to figure out what I missing: SCHOOL

This is the first year that I haven't been going to school, since I was 3 years old. It's a little odd. Sure, I'm still working Monday to Friday and with weekends off, but my brain feels like it needs something to do. When I get home from work, there are no essays or readings for me to do. I guess that is what is bothering my brain. It's used to constantly being on the go remembering things to do, things I read, things I heard in class, things I learned and apply, but now, it's work.

There are no major deadlines at work. Just do your work, when it's time to go, just drop everything and go home. There is no overtime-late night working, no schedules to get things handed in before 4pm on Thursday, or teachers lecturing past the designated time.

As much as I've wanted to be done school, part of me wishes I was still there so that I could feel like I was more productive. Now, I have to search for my own projects to do at home to keep my brain occupied, and I've realized it's hard, because I've never had time for this when I was in school for the past 20 years!!

Any ideas?

Surprises!

Life is always full of surprises, so then why do people dislike them so much?

It's not like we can script our life to perfection for our approval. We just live life the way it comes at us.

Rain is a surprise, as well as sports events, delays in traffic, weather storms, and engagements.

We don't know 100% of what lies in front of us each day, which is why it makes things more exciting.

I am someone who likes surprises to a certain extent. For example, finding out I have a job, or getting an extension, or getting engaged (which I am not yet, so don't freak out that I haven't told you).

But there are always surprises that scare me which may not always be a bad thing that happens to me, but I get scared anyway. For example, starting out at a new job, hearing about homicides in the city (on busses), pregnant cat, getting a bad grade, a shoe flying off my foot in the middle of the street.

It's because of the bad-scary surprises that make me more cautious in the world and wary of the people in it. The happy-scary surprises make me reflect on life to the fullest and make me wonder what the future does hold for me, even though what I imagine it will be like is completely the opposite of what it is!!

Which makes for an exciting life... to see how different my expectation is from reality

I Got Extended

Just to let you know that I got my contract extended at work so NOW I'll be there until March!!! Yay!! I have a job during Christmas time!! That's quite a relief, as my contract was ending mid-October, I was getting a little worried about what was going to happen after that time, but now I guess my worries have been put on "snooze button" until March.

Mittens

I have found myself lately desiring my mittens as the days get colder.

My mittens are double-insulated and colourful and super soft.

Will has been making fun of me for wanting them and rushes me out of the house in the mornings before I can get access to them.

I don't find it so cold in the mornings, but rather on the way home I find myself shivering at the bus stop, stepping from foot-to-foot to try to stay warm. The mornings, the temperature isn't that low, but I still manage to see my breath in front of me. At work, I find my fingers constantly cold, trying to warm up, debating whether or not to leave to get a hot chocolate (out in the cold). When it would be a good time to leave, the sun comes shining so bright into my office, I end up working with my sunglasses on (and getting made fun of) so that I can bask in every ounce of sun possible while it's in my window (usually only 1 hour maximum).

Mind you, I don't hate the cold, I just like to be prepared for it. Fall is my favourite season with its colours and its smells. Having mittens would make it perfect.

I love my mittens

Canada's Best Invention

Instant Replay invention by CBC's Hockey Night in Canada 1955

Alright, get your mouse ready to VOTE for Canada's best invention. Here is part of the nomination list:

• Basketball
• Blackberry
• Bloody Caesar
• Caulking gun
• CPR mannequin
• Electric wheelchair
• Five-pin bowling
• Fog horn
• Goalie mask
• Green garbage bag
• Instant mashed potatoes
• Instant replay
• Insulin
• Lacrosse
• Light bulb
• Paint roller
• Plexiglas
• Poutine
• Retractable beer carton handle
• Robertson screw
• Separable baggage check
• Skidoo
• Snowblower
• Standard time
• Telephone
• Walkie-talkie
• Wonderbra
• Zipper

See the rest of the options and vote here, and let me know your choice on my blog as well!!!

The Fair

I know Steph posted her version of the fair, but here is mine...

Will & I headed to the fair after work Saturday night. There weren't a lot of people there which it made it more relaxing than claustrophobic. Will hadn't been to a fair for a few years now (since High School) and was excited to see everything. Just like a kid at Christmas!

We first got a beavertail, even though it's more famous for eating while skating on the canal than at a fair in the summer. My favourite (some say it's boring) is cinnamon & sugar and I got sugar everywhere!

We went and played some games, and for those that don't know, I'm really competitive when it comes to games at a fair. We played whack-a-mole, the water gun game, skee ball, whack-a-mole again (Will wanted a re-match) and this shooting foam ball game. Will did win me a prize, and was very excited about that.

We also got to see the horses, and they were giants!! I didn't think that they were normally that big.

Will decided with all our spending on games and food and "fair paraphernalia" that we shouldn't buy tickets to go on the rides. That was A-OK for me because I'm not a big fan of rides. But it was cute to see all the kids on the little train and the screaming people on other rides.

We also checked out the prized vegetables and flowers and there was a prize for the longest gourd - I believe it was over 7' tall!! That just doesn't look right. Same with zucchini's as long as my whole arm. But they also had prizes for best cakes (wedding, cartoon & gingerbread house) and that was really cute!!

It was so exciting to head out to the fair, even though we didn't go on any rides, it was still fun regardless!!

Great-Grandad

I was on the bus today on the way home and this elderly man was trying to get off the jam-packed bus. I attempted to move my bag out of the way without hitting people's heads and all he said was "That's ok, I'll manage" as he slowly found his way out the door.

Immediately, after noticing his sincere face when talking, it made me think of my great-grandad and his care-free spirit. He seemed to have the same spirit as this gentleman and it made me miss him so.

Great-grandad lived his life fully. No one could doubt that. I remember how I was his 75th birthday present (we shared the same birthday) and how at every reunion he always managed to bring along his harmonica and start playing for everyone. It was always such a treat to see great-grandad. He would still be chasing all the girls in his neighbourhood, walking (some even said skipping) to the store down the street every day.

He did pass away a few years ago, but I believe that his spirit is in all of us and just that one-second encounter with this elderly man on the bus made the spirit come alive again with cherished memories and happy times. That man will never know what he did for me today, but I thank him anyway for making this a truly happy day!!

Tuesday is Treat Day

Tuesday is Treat Day....according to this e-card I got from Stephanie.

Hoops & Yoyo are my favourite e-card characters to send to anyone for their birthday/anniversary/just to say hi/to say thank you/or in this case - "Tuesday is Treat Day"

It made me even more happy to be at work. However, I did not bring any treats today, as I was informed after I arrived to work.

I love my job, and it pains me to think that I've only got 5 weeks left in my contract (I'm actually kinda hoping for an extension - they mentioned they might give me one)!!

I've started doing something completely different today, and it's so much fun to be responsible for my very own clients and files!!

Chivalry

Is chivalry dead?

I wonder this as I stand on the bus all the way home (approx. 40min) and wonder would anyone ever give their seat up for somebody else? I don't mind standing up, but it's the older people I often wonder how they manage, when I see them standing up, and see all the younger, healthier people sitting down. Mind you, I do not know everyone's history, so the younger people sitting down, could have some problems with motion sickness, or bad knees or something, but I fail to see anyone give up their seat on the bus anymore.

Does anyone hold the door open for people anymore? I'm not just implying this for men. For all people. Holding doors open, holding elevators for people who are close by. It seems like common courteousy, but I seem to see it lacking with time.

So, I ask again, is chivalry dead?

Long day...

So, yesterday was my first day back at work from the long weekend, and it was my first day taking new bus routes and being aware of how quickly they arrive and drive.

I got to the Fallowfield station pretty quickly from downtown and waited 20 minutes for a residential bus to show up.

I knew that there were only 2 choices of busses that drove near my new house. So, I waited until I recognized one of the numbers I was waiting for.

I assumed that it would head down Woodroffe around the area that I saw on the map. Instead it headed the opposite way to Greenbank/Cedarview where it went around all these little side streets and 4-way stop signs with traffic and I just had this big headache, that as soon as I saw that we had reconnected back to Woodroffe and I was close enough to Strandherd, I just got off the bus. My neck hurt from peering out the window as far as I could (without being too obvious that I was lost) and I was feeling tired after a long day back at work.

I got off and started walking. If only I was smart enough to follow Woodroffe all the way down to Strandherd (where I actually knew how to get to my house from there), but I decided to cut through the houses and neighbourhood, hoping that I would somehow see a glimpse of the structure of houses that I live in. I did eventually see a building that looked similar to mine, to realize that it was actually mine, and I was home free.

It turned out that the whole escapade from when I left work to when I arrived home was an hour and a half long bus ride (and 10 minute walk). Will ended up going out and looking for me (as I didn't have the cell phone with me, incase I did get lost and stuck), not like he would know where to find me either.

So, today I am more prepared... I have bus route (560-1000) numbers to call and I've triple-checked where the bus routes go, so that when I get off the jam-packed 95 to Barrhaven, I only have a 5 minute bus ride down the street, rather than an hour of bumpiness!! It should all go MUCH BETTER today!!

Moving Day, Part III

The first of the month arrives and we have already determined that we need to make 2 trips (more than anticipated) with the truck from Kanata to Barrhaven.

I head out to Timmy's for some breakfast for everyone and head back to have Will follow me to the new place in the truck.

We arrive at the rental office just after 9am and see that our new superintendant, was our previous superintendant in our old building, who had just departed in July. Small world, eh?

We get to the house expecting the rental handy-man to be there already finishing some last little bits, to find out we missed him on the 2 minute drive. We call and wait for him to show back up with our keys, realizing that the keys will take so much effort to move in the lock.

We get in and start moving stuff in from the truck already so that we can head back for the second load as quickly as possible. Steph & I started with the car unloading, while Will & Scott did most of the truck load.

Everything is in with the first load and the boys head off back to Kanata for the rest of Stephanie's stuff, and our dining room table & entertainment unit.

Steph and I were expecting the Cable guy to call at any time, while we were attempting to paint our bedrooms, between the next 3 hours, and we get a call from Will saying that the truck was dying (the motor kept cutting off) and they didn't feel comfortable driving it anymore. They needed me to drive to the gas station to give them a cell phone, incase this happened again, as they were trying to make contact with the rental truck place using a payphone and it wasn't working out too well.

By the time I reached them, they had made contact again with the rental truck place and had been told that there would be a replacement truck on the way shortly. I wait with them until the truck shows up, give them a cell phone and they head off to Kanata, yet again.

They come back with the final load as I finish painting the bedroom, and we rush to unload everything so that we can get the truck back in time. We end up being about 10 minutes late, but we explained to the sales person that we were the people with the broken-down truck, and there was no penalty.

Will & I show back up with the rest of Stephanie's bed (the side rails were missing with the last truck load) and 2 cats and start to work on the millions of boxes loaded up in our living room floor. Scott had already managed to put together our entertainment unit up for us (thank goodness for Scott!!!) while we were returning the truck and the dining room table had been put together as well.

Saturday, Stephanie & I started grocery shopping and we washed most of our dishes, so that we wouldn't have to eat take-out food anymore!!!

Sunday, Stephanie & I started painting the living room and finished the grocery shopping. Stephanie put her desk together and everything is starting to come together.

Monday, we all head out to see the progress on Jenn & Scott's new house with Alyson, Ty & Scott's parents. They have their walls painted and the tiling is down.

Stephanie finished the painting in the living room, Will put the first coat on the powder room, and we emptied the rest of the boxes (except for the 2 in my room). We also have put all our boxes/garbage out for garbage day tomorrow (what are the odds that our garbage day is then??)

I can't believe that I have to head back to work tomorrow!! Atleast Will has this week off for vacation and he'll drive me (atleast tomorrow) to the Fallowfield Park N Ride until I get a feel for the new bus schedule out here. I still end up catching the bus at the same time, as long as he drives me. When he has to go back to work, who knows when I'll have to wake up!! I hope it's not too early!!

Anyways, that's it for the moving stories. That was quite enough drama for the weekend, that I wished I hadn't endured through, but we made it!! We wouldn't have been able to do it without the people that helped: Jenn, Scott, Mom - - THANKS!!!

Moving Day, Part II

So, Will picks me up from work Thursday night and we pick up our truck. I pay the extra $$ to make him an extra driver on the truck, because, do you really think that I can drive a 16' truck by myself?? I don't think so!!

We get back to the apartment and see that there is an elevator already for moving so we assume it's ours and take it. Just to make sure, we let the superintendants know that we're using it, and they said it was ok, seen as how we booked our elevator for that designated time anyhow.

We end up emptying the apartment and loading up the elevator in trips and storing everything in the lobby, until we have everything there to load up the truck.

We load up the truck, and this man is upset with us that we were using the elevator, because they have to move out too. That frustrated me a little, because we went through the trouble of following the procedures of booking an elevator time for 2 hours and we didn't go overboard. He kept pushing our stuff out of the way, so he could get through with his Home Depot shopping cart with just his suitcase in it.

So, we finished, realizing we had a lot more stuff than anticipated. We dropped off the keys in the office and headed for my mom's for the night. We got home to see our cats in disarray, not knowing what was going on and as frightened as could be. They wouldn't stop moving, hissing, meowing, and growling.

Will & I head to bed after watching our taped episode of Big Brother, to find out our Chicken George got evicted. :(

It wasn't the best sleep I've had, 1) it wasn't my bed/pillow/blanket, 2) cats kept coming in and out my room meowing and jumping on the bed.

Part III to follow with the actual moving IN day...