One day in the life of...... ME!

Movie Weekend

2008-03-24T10:34:00.008-04:00

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to see 2 movies that were complete opposites of each other. The first is In Bruges where two hitmen are told to take a break in the small town in Belgium and are to wait for further instructions. One enjoys the small town charm and history while the other dislikes it completely and prefers the city life much better. It has a dark humour about it, but it was also very bloody.

The other movie I went to see is The Other Boleyn Girl where we encounter the life of the Boleyn sisters, Anne & Mary and their lives in the England court with King Henry VIII as they both compete against each other to obtain the king's affection.

To Kill A Mockingbird

2008-03-15T22:54:00.004-04:00

I recently took a little break from the book The Sea, The Sea to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is one of those great American Classics, and I absolutely loved it!

I am interested to see the 1962 film and see how well Gregory Peck plays Atticus Finch. He was my favourite character in the novel, because he showed so much class and dignity and was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in.

The story takes place as Scout Finch, Atticus' daughter, narrates her views about growing up in a small town with African-Americans being treated unfairly. Her father, a lawyer, has been ordered to defend an African-American man for a serious charge where, if found guilty, the mandatory punishment is death. Scout ends up learning what is right and what is wrong with the help of her father and her older brother. She learns to face her fears and to be kind to everyone, despite what the people in the town tell her.

I am currently reading books from the "Rory Gilmore Book Club" where Rory Gilmore was a character on The Gilmore Girls that I admire and am fascinated with the books on that list.

But, I am always open to any other books that I may come across (or that have been given to me as gifts). I am now back to reading The Sea, The Sea and will keep you updated on my status.

Snow!

2008-03-06T22:09:00.003-05:00

I love snow! I love watching it fall from the sky! I find it very magical and enchanting to see snowflakes outside. I'm not a skiier, or a snowboarder, I just like snow. I like it much better than rain, which I'm sure we'll be getting lots of this spring. There's no snow puddles, and snow doesn't make you drenched when you're outside for 2 minutes.

Lately we have been getting a lot of snow and it seems that everyone is frustrated and sick of it. I don't think we'll beat the record snowfall in one season (which currently stands at about 444cm from 1971) but we are pretty close. After last night's snowfall, we are now at about 358cm, which is now 2nd place.

It's been forecasted that we are to be hit with another big storm all the way from Texas and some meteorologists are predicting that we could get 50cm of more snow in a 36-48hr time period.

It must be pretty chaotic being someone that works in the snow plowing business, or who works for a major city as they have no time to rest before the next snowfall comes in, yet again.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

2008-02-14T15:51:00.002-05:00

I have just finished reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey and found it very entertaining. I loved how one character could change the views of so many people inside an asylum and forced them to become independent again.

Next book: The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

Winter Weather

2008-01-31T12:34:00.000-05:00

This is a map, as per the Environment Canada website, indicating weather warnings in different parts of the country today.

The red part means there is a warning, and the beige part means there is no warning in effect.

The weather has been so crazy lately with super-low temperatures in the Prairies, to ice storms in the Atlantic.

Luckily, we've had mild-like weather here in Ontario, and I've appreciated it. I'm now bracing for the 20cm of snow we're about to get tomorrow! I'm so excited about it!

Happy 50th Birthday LEGO!!

2008-01-28T15:56:00.001-05:00

Australia

2008-01-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

I had just heard on the news this past week, that Australia's foreign affairs had issued a warning to travellers coming to Canada. They were warned by posting a 'proceed with caution' list:

- risk of a terrorist attack

- pick pocketing

- earthquakes

- avalanches

- spontaneous forest fires

- extremely cold weather (wind chills)

- heavy snowfalls/ice on the roads

- wildlife watching

- demonstrations/protests

Every country is unique. You can't dwell on the negativities when contemplating visiting another country. There is always a risk in safety, no matter where you travel. It just seems a little over the top as to how many warnings have been said about a country like Canada.

The Bell Jar

2008-01-22T12:32:00.000-05:00

I have just finished reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (her only novel written). The story is about a girl named Esther who is put through many different emotions, and is eventually sent to an asylum to help her to get some sleep and to stop her from wanting to commit suicide. She describes her insomniac depression as the feeling of being trapped under a bell jar, struggling to breathe. I love how the story ends in a quizzical way, leaving the reader to determine what should become of Esther. The book ends with Esther walking into an interview room where it will be determined whether or not she needs to be in the asylum anymore.

I recently learned that the book is semi-autobiographical and has many similarities to the author's real life, excluding the names of people and places.

Next book: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

The Secret Life of Bees

2008-01-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

I have just finished reading a book I got for Christmas. The Secret Life of Bees is a story about a girl who is faced with hard times and has to make some tough decisions while learning about her past, and enjoying being a beekeeper at the same time. The book takes place during the time of the Civil Rights Act in South Carolina and forces the reader to deal with the controversy that people were facing at the time.

I love this book and I loved the main character, Lily, as she was led down certain paths, meeting really nice people that helped discover who she was.

Next book: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

Christmas

2007-12-18T16:57:00.000-05:00

I have been finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. I don't know why. It's not like the weather last year where it was sunny and green everywhere.

We most definitely will be having a WHITE Christmas this year!

I'm not the type of person that buys presents in October, nor do I buy them Christmas Eve, but this year I just can't get myself in the mood to go out and shop. I keep thinking there's lots of time, when in fact - a week today is Christmas Day!! Plus, I'll have to wrap everything in time also.

It just doesn't feel like it's the right time to be doing all this. Maybe I'm just focusing on all the snow and everything that has been going on the last few weeks. I think I'm just distracted from what I need to get done.

Hopefully (and I know that Steph is thinking this too) I'll head out the next few days and finish everything off in one big swoop so that I'm not stuck in a store with lots of people and line-ups and full parking lots with aggressive drivers. And then I'll lock myself away for a few hours to make those presents pretty and inconclusive to the recipient.

I will be spending lots of time with family and hope you will too. Happy Holidays!

Journal

2007-12-06T22:36:00.001-05:00

I've been debating the fact about whether or not to keep a journal. I'm not sure what it is I would write in it, but I suppose it would contain how I'm feeling at the time. I'm unsure of whether or not this would be helpful as I'm dealing with several mixed emotions. I'm afraid that when I write something down and I look back on it - will it make me more sad? more mad? more confused?

Do you think it would be a good idea??

Frisbee is done!

2007-10-30T17:16:00.001-04:00

Well the season is over for the "grape" team and we had a fantastic season. It took us a few games to get used to how each other played and to learn the rules (in my case). It was so much fun!!

Last night was the coldest we've had to play in, and the latest at night. We were actually really lucky with the weather this fall and didn't have to cancel any of our games. And we only had to play in the rain twice.

In the picture, you can see me straining to reach for the frisbee. In this photo, I wasn't successful in the catch.

Pushing Daisies

2007-10-11T19:22:00.000-04:00

I've started watching a new show which is very different, but very interesting. It's called Pushing Daisies.

It's about Grown up Ned who puts his talent to good use by touching dead fruit and making it ripe with everlasting flavor. He opens a pie shop. But his gift leaves him wary of becoming close to anyone, as beautiful waitress Olive Snook finds out.

His life as a pie maker gets more complicated when private investigator Emerson Cod finds out about Ned's secret. Emerson convinces the cash-strapped Ned to help him solve murder cases (and collect the hefty reward fees) by raising the dead and getting them to name their killers.

Then Ned is handed the case that changes his life forever. His childhood sweetheart, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, is murdered on a cruise ship under strange circumstances. Her death brings him back to his hometown of Coeur d' Coeurs to bring Chuck back to life, albeit briefly, and solve the crime. But once reunited with Chuck, Ned can't bring himself to send her back.

He helps her escape after her grieving aunts, former synchronized swimmers Darling Mermaid Darlings, think they've buried her forever.

Chuck becomes the third partner in Ned and Emerson's PI enterprise, but she encourages them to use their skills for good, not just for profit. Ned is overjoyed to be reunited with Chuck, the only girl he's ever loved. Life would be perfect, except for one cruel twist -- if he ever touches her again, she'll go back to being dead, this time for good.

It's very witty and different than any other show I've watched.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

2007-10-02T19:08:00.001-04:00

I have just finished reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

It is such a trivial book about a new father making a difficult choice for the better of his family. He kept a secret from his wife, and hadn't told her when he died.

He lived vicariously through photography thinking it would fill the void and make him feel less guilty. He attempts to live his life helping others and fails to help his own family from destruction all because of his quick decision making one snowy night.

Next book will be determined when I can get my library card to work!!

Sports

2007-09-27T11:33:00.000-04:00

Will & I signed up to do sports games once a week, until December. Every week it's a rotation of 5 different sports. The different ones are dodgeball, volleyball, basketball, floor hockey and indoor soccer. Last night we played volleyball and it was so much fun! It was even more fun when we won, but this is a non-competitive league. I must say we did much better than last week when we played dodgeball, but it's a different sport, and some people are better are one over the other. Next week, I believe, is floor hockey, which is pretty intense with all the flying, whacking sticks going around, so hopefully I don't get too beat up.

Hiccups

2007-09-26T15:12:00.000-04:00

I find myself encountering several situations where I am caught in a hiccup and it ceases to stop. I try multiple methods, but I always manage to hiccup between each one causing me to start all over again. After several minutes, it manages to hurt my stomach with all the jumping of air. I've learned some techniques given to me by the people around me at the time:

1. Drink while plugging your nose.

2. Hold your breath.

3. Count backwards from 100.

4. Swallow a tsp. of sugar.

5. Eat an ice cube.

6. Have your right hand push on your left arm.

I know there are so many more remedies that I could try, but I guess willing them away doesn't help too much, nor does getting angry at them help. My new desire is to learn how to prevent from getting them.

Ottawa International Animation Festival

2007-09-24T14:56:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of being invited by my sister and her husband to see some screenings from the Ottawa International Animation Festival for the short film competition.

Their motivation for going was a film called Madame Tutli-Putli that was mentioned in my aunt's blog about a friend of hers being involved in the process of the film.

We also got to see several other films and they were quite amusing. One of my favourites is Lapsus (seen above) about a nun discovering the danger of the dark side. It was created by Juan Pablo Zaramella from Argentina.

It was very interesting to see all these artistic talents of animation in several different genres.

Caption from: Lapsus [2007] Juan Pablo Zaramella JPZtudio Argentina 3:30 Canadian Premiere

Richmond Fair

2007-09-14T14:40:00.000-04:00

Last night we headed to the Richmond Fair that is pretty much in my sister's backyard. I went with my sisters, brother-in-law and Wills. By the time we all got off work and drove over it was around 6:30pm. We decided to get some dinner at the chip wagon down the street and head into the fair afterwards.

We arrived just in time to see Celebrity Pig Racing (which also included ducks, a goose and goats). I think our team got gypped by managing to get the larger, slower animals of the groups racing.

While some people shopped, some went on rides where I squished my sister to the edge of the seat and I felt really bad about it. She was laughing the whole time while I was screaming my head off, so we balanced each other out.

We played a few games, and some prizes were won and then went on the ferris wheel where it was moving faster than I had wanted it to. I was really brave and went on this tall ride that just goes in circles like a clock, and even managed to convince Wills to come too!! He didn't open his eyes during the whole ride, and I was mostly alright with it.

We rewarded ourselves with some good ol' fashioned BeaverTails and decided to call it a night.

The Lovely Bones

2007-09-14T14:33:00.000-04:00

I recently finished reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It is such a tragic story of a girl who is already in heaven as she follows her killer's next moves. She watches her family grow up and they learn to live without her. It is a story of breaking a family apart and bringing it back together with the common bond of the girl that died.

Next book: The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Frisbee Update

2007-09-11T18:41:00.000-04:00

So, the first day of frisbee did not go as well as I had planned. I hadn't a clue what I was doing, and I was afraid they were going to kick me off the team. I always felt like I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I even managed to strain my knee. Our team lost 15-4.

Luckily, they kept me on their team and I went back for game #2 last night. The field wasn't as nice and we were short a few girls, which meant only one of us was off at a time. I found this team liked to run more (longer passes) which tired us out. We had a great first half but then I don't know what happened afterwards, but we just couldn't pull it out. We ended up losing 15-6.

I'm still a little sore today, but that's probably from the lack of exercise that I've been procrastinating. I'm still glad that I joined the team, and hopefully over the next few weeks I'll learn to maneuver and throw so fast and get us lots of points!!!

Frisbee

2007-09-08T09:03:00.000-04:00

Today's the day I start a new adventure...

I'm not sure if it's the thing for me, but I am giving it a try. I have joined an ultimate frisbee team with my sister for the fall (Sept/Oct) outdoors and we are playing twice a week!!! I haven't been in any sports, I think, since high school, so it should be pretty trivial and sore the first few games! Luckily, I'll have my trusty water bottle and my inhaler, just in case. The temperature is only going up to 23 degrees today so it should be perfect weather for a game like this.

It's fun to be able to meet new people at events like these and hopefully they won't mind that I'm not too good of a player. I became a spectator for Will's sports this past summer, and I met some really nice people that I hope we can stay in contact with.

Will & I have both signed up for an "All Sorts of Sports" team for the fall as well, taking my athleticism to 3 days a week!! Crazy!! The sports included, I think, are volleyball, basketball, floor hockey, indoor soccer and dodgeball. This is an indoor event but it lasts until December.

I'll keep you updated whether or not I survived the first game today in good spirits. I'm excited about it, so I'm sure I will survive!

Renoir

2007-09-04T22:25:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, being the Labour Day holiday, or the final holiday weekend for the summer - we decided to head off downtown for the day. I had really wanted to see the Renoir exhibition at the National Art Gallery and it was finishing up the following weekend. We figured that Labour Day would be perfect.

Little did I know, that everyone else thought it was a good idea too. The exhibition was focused on Renoir's landscape paintings and how he was one of the most preferred Impressionist artists. I am always in awe as to the length of time one painting gets completed and the precision inside the artwork.

The Nanny Diaries

2007-09-03T17:11:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I had the privilege of heading to the movies with my sister to see the Nanny Diaries - which was pretty fitting. as she is currently a nanny! It takes place in NYC and the whole story is about newly college graduate Annie (the nanny) working for an Upper East Side family. She ends up using this part of her life as a case study (which is shown in her narration) and inputs it into an application to graduate school in anthropology.

It's a really good movie and is very comical, yet heart-warming.

Tri-Athletes

2007-09-01T16:21:00.000-04:00

I woke up very early this morning to accompany my sister to a 5km race. This was a race that I had brought to her attention several months ago, but I forgot to sign up. The whole event was based around triathlons and duathlons and she was participating in the 5km fun run. I am amazed by anyone who can put enough self-control and athleticism to endure these types of competitions. I was just standing in awe while watching the participants begin their race in the water, and then watch them come in to grab their bicycles, and even just to watch people cross the finish line - to know that they've completed something pretty challenging to themselves. My sister did very well in her race. There were only a few people ahead of her. It was such a nice day for an event of this sort.

Vanishing Acts

2007-09-01T16:17:00.001-04:00

I have just finished reading Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. It is a traumatic story of a girl who finds out she was kidnapped by her father 28 years before. She tries to put together her past and any memories that she had forgotten of her mother and her past life. I love how the author puts the chapters in the perspective of each of the characters as it helps to understand how everyone is feeling and dealing with each situation.

Next book: The Lovely Bones

NYC - Part IV

2007-08-31T19:22:00.000-04:00

So, we decided to take a break from the big city and head to the smaller towns in NJ. We first stopped and breakfast at the good ol' IHOP where I had some very delicious Chocolate Chip pancakes!!

We first arrived in Princeton after a very scenic drive through the state. Princeton is a very small town and very historic. We popped in and out of the shops and even visited the campus. I love seeing old architecture and the campus was filled with it. We even saw a wedding party getting their pictures taken there. We even stopped for some yummy ice cream where the people who worked there were very excited to take some quarters off our hands.

After Princeton, we headed to Lambertville, NJ where it borders with Pennsylvania. There were some cute little shops there, including a very tempting chocolate shop - in which I was very well behaved and bought none of! I did manage to buy this cute little ornament (atleast that's what I'm making it out to be) of a cat made from jingle bells.

We walked all through Lambertville and crossed the Delaware River over to New Hope, PA where it was just as quaint. We stopped in at a restaurant that backs onto a pond that served Thai-Mexican and American food. It was a nice way to cool down while sipping drinks.

We drove home very tired and came home to some strawberry daquiris and a belated birthday cake pour moi. It was delicious!!

Photos: a building on the Princeton University campus; Steph along the bridge from NJ to PA with Delaware River behind.

NYC - Part III

2007-08-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

We headed into the city again for the second day, but this time we had a tour guide with us - my aunt!! We headed straight down to SoHo and checked out this market that is open every weekend on the streets. There was food and clothes and jewelry everywhere!! We got to check out one of my aunt's favourite store Anthropologie. It is such a cool store!!

We headed into Little Italy and grabbed some lunch and made our way into Chinatown. There was lots of fish everywhere so we didn't stay too long. There was also a bucket of frogs. Everything was still alive to prove the freshness of the food. After asking several people for directions, we managed to find our way en route to the Brooklyn Bridge. This seemed like the hottest point in the day and there was no shade to protect us. We walked up the bridge until the first pedestal and soaked in the view.

We walked back and along the pier and made our way to the famous Staten Island Ferry. After waiting through cancellations and delays, we finally made it on the ferry as the sun was starting to set. It was a gorgeous site!! We took the subway towards downtown and walked along in search of food. We got off the subway at Grand Central Station and it is so big and so busy!! I attempted to take pictures but the lighting was really dim.

My aunt really wanted to show us Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, but by the time we reached it - it was really dark. It was a beautiful fountain and seemed like a very romantic spot. We ended up seeing these people setting it up with little tealights to help out their friend who was proposing to his girlfriend that night!! We decided to head back to Penn Station to head back to NJ and grabbed some dinner through the several fast food restaurants that were offered.

Photos: a shop in Chinatown; Brooklyn Bridge; Statue of Liberty view from Staten Island Ferry

New Computer

2007-08-27T15:54:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to announce that I have finally made the next big step and bought a new computer. I've had my laptop since before I went to university and I think it's time has come to go to computer heaven. We made the big purchase Saturday and are absolutely thrilled with it!! We're still working on setting up our own preferences and figuring out this whole 'Windows Vista' stuff. Hopefully I won't have to buy a new computer for a very, very long time!!!

Now I have no excuses not to blog quicker as I have a super-quick non-frustrating brand new computer!!

NYC - Part II

2007-08-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

We head off on the train from NJ into the city and immediately realized how hot it was in the city!! We headed to Macy's for some shopping and was overwhelmed by all the floors. I fell in love with the old-fashioned escalators (it doesn't take much to amuse me) - they were very unique and authentic.

We then headed off to Bryant Park and grabbed some lunch. It was very relaxing in the park and it would be a great place to go if I worked nearby. After perusing the map for several minutes, we realized that the place we were looking for was right next door: The New York Public Library. It is such a beautiful building both outside and inside.

We then walked up 5th Avenue towards Central Park and checked out Rockefeller Centre and Plaza but we didn't go up for a sky view. We tried to get a tour of the NBC studios, but it turned out that we were too late in the day and the last tour they were showing would only be of one studio. We continued on 5th Avenue but it had started to downpour, so we headed into F.A.O. Schwarz to check out the giant piano and other fun toys. It was really cool to see the giant Harry Potter characters made of Lego and the Star Wars Lego all life-sized.

We reached Central Park just as the zoo was closing down, so we just walked and cooled down with all the trees surrounding us. We walked back down 6th Avenue towards Times Square popping in and out of stores at the same time. We reached Times Square before it was dark so we were able to get photos of both daytime and nighttime scenes.

We had dinner inside this restaurant that gave the biggest portions I have ever seen. When the waiter took my food away, I swear it didn't even look like I touched the thing. We did check out the M&M store (who knew the whole store would be devoted to a tiny little chocolate?) and right across the street - we checked out the Hershey store. We did very well by not becoming chocolate-crazy.

We were very tired afterwards, so we decided to head back towards Penn Station to catch the train back to NJ. It was a very relaxing ride back, we enjoyed the sitting and air conditioning the train provided.

Photos: Central Park, inside the M&M store, inside F.A.O. Schwarz store - life-sized Harry Potter characters made of Lego, Times Square at night.

NYC - Part I

2007-08-16T19:35:00.000-04:00

The adventure begins early in the morning when my 2 sisters & I head off on our very long drive to New Jersey - where we were spending our nights. Everything goes smoothly at the border and that's when it feels like the trip officially begins.

I attempt to take some pictures of the scenery from inside the car - but I kept getting the reflection off the window. It was really pretty and there were trees everywhere!! I started to call them fields of broccoli's.

It was a super hot day and it seemed like no matter where I was sitting in the car, the sun was always on me. We took a break in Syracuse, NY and stopped at the Carousel Centre where there is a working carousel inside the mall. We took several other stops to get gas, and to get ice cream to cool ourselves down.

We reached our destination in the early evening and brought all our stuff inside. We attempted to plan our days in the city but were unsuccessful. We figured we would play it by ear.

We headed off to the Sandy Hook Beach in NJ and was able to make it there before sunset. The water was actually pretty warm after standing in the waves (which some were very big and attacking) for a long time to pose for my photography Aunt. Everytime we thought we were done - she would yell out "Just one more..." and then she would need us for some individual poses.

Afterwards we walked along the shore and could see the skyline of Manhattan pretty vaguely. While walking the sun was setting and it was just a beautiful way to end a very long day. Very relaxing....

Photos: sign on the interstate; Steph in the Atlantic Ocean; sisters & aunt walking on the beach

My Sister's Keeper

2007-08-15T14:34:00.000-04:00

I have recently finished reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It is such a sad and trivial story about a family and its attempts to stay together while their little girl suffers through leukemia. I love how the author put herself in all the main character's shoes so that you could see where everyone was coming from. I ended up sympathizing with every side of the story, no matter how contradicting the characters were.

I apologize for not putting up any NYC stories/pictures as I am being frustrated with my computer, yet again. It is acting a little slow and takes forever to boot up. When I have some patience, and some determination - I will look into that. Or maybe, I'll just have to buy a new computer.

I am finding that as the summer is drawing to an end and the days are cooling off and as the sun isn't out for so long anymore - I am getting a little more sleepy-eyed and drowsy. It could be the change in weather. It could be my mind telling me it's not yet time to get up as it is not as bright as it was before. We are arriving into my favourite season - FALL! Where all the pretty colours come out to play and the beautiful smell of cool air is out.

The Big Apple

2007-08-06T23:27:00.000-04:00

I recently spent the long weekend in NYC aka The Big Apple and absolutely loved it!! There are so many stories and pictures, I don't even know where to begin (I suppose the beginning is a good place). A huge thank you goes out to my aunt Susanna and her hubby for letting us crash in their living room!! Oh, and to their cat George too for letting us take up his space (although he wasn't so happy to share - I noticed that early on). Also thanks to Susanna for showing us around the town and giving us such wonderful experiences in Manhattan - but also to the little towns we went to visit, like Princeton and New Hope, PA. Such a wonderful host and tour guide!!

I am about ready to crash and get ready for another week of work but there will hopefully be pictures and stories up here very shortly!!!

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

2007-08-01T13:12:00.001-04:00

I have just finished reading this story in the series of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency which I had received as a gift from my aunt back in Christmas (as I am still going through all those books). I should read all the other ones in the series as I found the characters quite enchanting and charismatic with the way they viewed and dealt with things happening in their lives. I fell in love with Mma Rowatse and felt everything that she felt and understood her logic in everything she did or said. It gives you a good input into the lives of people in Botswana and how people shouldn't spend $ on shoes and new cars, and how simple it makes someone happy (like a Pumpkin, for instance, mysteriously appearing in your front yard). I loved how she would solve all these mysteries and how she interpreted her problems.

Next book: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

The Kite Runner

2007-07-29T15:17:00.000-04:00

I have just finished reading a beautiful story called The Kite Runner. It tells the tale of a young boy growing up in Afghanistan prior to what is going on now. He deals with a tragic event that haunts him for several years. I highly recommend this book as it gives great insight as to what the people of Afghanistan are going through currently and it's a tragic story of family and loyalty.

Hairspray

2007-07-23T12:09:00.000-04:00

I finally got to see Hairspray (it just came out on Friday) and it was fantastic! I had seen the broadway musical live this past March and I was expecting it to be different. They didn't use all the songs (and Will was disappointed for his song not showing up) and there were some scenes that didn't happen in the musical. I wished that certain characters had a few more scenes, but you have to condense it for the interest of the movie-goer.

I haven't yet seen the 1988 original film which the broadway musical was based on, so I can't compare the two movies to each other.

I thought it was very colourful and there were lots of stars in it. There were even a few small parts to people who were in the original film: Ricki Lake & Jerry Stiller.

It was a very light-hearted movie with a strong message and I was trying very hard not to sing along. I'm sure the people beside me wouldn't have appreciated that.

Jane Eyre

2007-07-17T20:21:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Jane Eyre. It wasn't as predictable as the other classics I've read. I was very surprised throughout the book, but I was very happy with how it ended. It is the sad tale of plain Jane Eyre and her rough upbringing and how she deals with falling in love when it is the worst situation possible at that time. I love how the story is told from her point of view, and I love how she is always concerned about what the reader needs to know. I absolutely LOVED it!

Next book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Monopoly

2007-07-15T13:05:00.000-04:00

I was recently playing Monopoly and discovered that I'm not very good at it. My trading offer ended very badly for me - and caused the other player to win!! I only owned 3 properties in the end with 2 being Boardwalk & Park Place plus a railroad. You'd think I'd be able to get some $$ from those, wouldn't you?

I searched online, and I think I know the reason that I lost. It was because of my token: the battleship. There is a token personality quiz to determine what type of player you are and searching under the battleship I learned that I was an aggresive player. I was determined to get Boardwalk & Park Place not thinking about the rest of the board in play. Maybe aggression wasn't the way to go.

The winner was the shoe. It's personality is that the scruffiness of the shoe masks a player whose property dealing is methodical and focused. It definitely was!! It took us so much time to make any little trade that we ended up putting in more than what it was worth in the long haul.

The runner-up was the cannon. That personality is to place as much emphasis on defensive strategy as they do in attacks. I would land on the cannon's property and lose most of my money to roll (after doubles, of course) and land on the shoe's property to go bankrupt. Yippee!!

Third place was the money bag, which isn't in the old-fashioned Monopoly games but in the newer edition ones. I think that choice may just have been doomed from the start. I almost knocked him out, but my properties were mortgaged at the time, which meant that I got to be bankrupt first.

Next time, I don't think we'll be playing Monopoly until I learn a better strategy - or atleast have ladyluck on my side.

Hockey Day in Canada

2007-07-12T13:06:00.000-04:00

The schedule for the 2007-2008 hockey season has been posted - and this year none of the Canadian teams from the West will play the Canadian teams from the East.

That means - there is no "Hockey Day in Canada" which was when all Canadian teams would play each other on that day only! It's kind of an exciting day to know that they would all be playing the same day, and against each other.

But, ever since the NHL lock-out there has been devised a new rule that causes two divisions to not play each other the whole season. All the Eastern Canadian teams are in the same division and all the Western Canadian teams are in the same division - and this is the year they do not meet up in regular season games.

The only way they would play against each other is if one from each group made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Rainy day

2007-07-11T19:28:00.000-04:00

Today started out very hot and humid and then sometime in the early afternoon it got very dark. It looked like it was 1o:oo pm - then the storm came. I love thunderstorms no matter where I am, as long as I'm inside. The downpour was so strong!! Then - as quickly as it arrived - the rain was gone, the dark was gone, and it was just as it was earlier in the day. Hot & sticky!! Atleast we got some rain.

Dog Sitting

2007-07-08T20:50:00.000-04:00

I would say that I was blessed this past weekend to be asked to dog/cat/house sit for my sister and her husband.

Their house is out in the country and with no one living on either side of them. It is such a quiet area - even when there was a horse show going on behind them.

Chelsea is the cutest dog and still has the spirit of a puppy. And sometimes Tucker can be a nuisance with her constant "meowing" but as soon as she sits in your lap - she's as happy as can be.

There was a slight setback with having a perfect weekend - and that was their fridge not working properly for me. It limited myself on what I could eat.

It was like a mini-vacation for myself, and it gave me lots of "me time".

Overall, I would just like to say to them - If you need someone to watch the house/dog/cat again - I would seriously love to do it again!!

Fifa U-20

2007-07-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

Friday night, Will & I had tickets to see the Fifa U-20 round robin competitions. Our match games were Argentina vs. People's Republic of Korea and then the next game was Brazil vs. United States of America.

The first game started early and there was a constant flow of people coming in. It was a fantastic game and Argentina ended up winning it 1-0 causing them to be the top of their group. It was very well deserved - they played really tough and defensively as Korea was putting out their best efforts.

We had some time in between games but we weren't allowed to leave the stadium. Luckily the warm-ups for the following game began immediately - so we watched that.

The second game did not show the same type of talent as the first game - but it was good none the less as atleast 50% of the fans were going for Brazil. There were people with drums and cowbells and it just went non-stop.

US ended up winning 2-1 to put Brazil in third place of their group. It was pretty intense and nerve-wracking. We were really rooting for the South American teams.

In between the games there was a group of Brazil fans that were singing/dancing/drumming outside that we could see from our seats - such passion!!

It took us awhile to get out of the stadium, then to get to our car, then to get out of the area, then to get home.

Dog Day Afternoon

2007-07-05T17:13:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here dog/cat/house sitting for my sister and her husband - as they are off to a weekend getaway. I wished that I was going away for the weekend.

As I reflect over my "duties" I realize that in every house that my sister has lived in - I have stayed overnight with the dog atleast once. I guess I'm just a reliable sitter. I'm THAT good!!

It's so quiet out here. Even the bus ride home was so much more peaceful than my regular route. This weekend is going to be like a mini-vacation for me. It'll be very relaxing and easy-going.

Tomorrow after work we are heading downtown to the final round robin of the FIFA U-20 games going on here in Ottawa (and all over the country). It is quite the phenomenon. We are seeing a double-header: Argentina vs. Korea & Brazil vs. USA. We are cheering for the South American teams because we know how intense and talented they all are. I will have pictures and details tomorrow night!

Stay tuned...

Canada Day

2007-07-03T18:03:00.000-04:00

I woke up super early Sunday morning to support Steph with her 10km race downtown. The race began and ended at Jacques Cartier Park. So, I waited for her there as she sped her way past the tourist sites of Ottawa. She ended up beating her time from the race back in May. Yay for her. Unfortunately for me - it was the coldest day ever, and I was completely frozen sitting on the sidelines waiting for anyone to finish.

After a quick nap at home, we decided to check out the local festivities going on around us. One park didn't have too much going on - and another one had a few bit more things, but by the time we got there, it was time to finish up.

We waited for Will to finish work and decided to head down to Kanata for supper to watch the FIFA U-20 Canada vs. Chile game. Unfortunately Canada lost, but it was lots of fun to watch. The game and our supper finished just as the fireworks were about to start. I was so glad that we went out to see them - it was a great spectacle.

Afterwards, we headed towards the mini amusement park going on that had been going on all day. Steph & I went on a very spinny ride that I wouldn't stop screaming and she wouldn't stop laughing. My hands were so sore from hanging on to the metal bars so tightly.

We drove home and saw a beautiful moon glowing and attempted several times to get a picture of it, but ended up just getting blurs.

It was a great Canada Day - and hopefully next year we'll be able to experience it downtown at Parliament Hill, as we both have never done that - and it would be quite event!!

Family

2007-06-28T13:23:00.000-04:00

I have been blessed the last few days to be able to spend time with my family as we formed a circle of support for my Grandma. Tuesday morning she had a procedure done, and everything went perfect! She even has a picture that she is showing off as to how well everything went. It was so great to have family all together to just spend time, reminisce and laugh.

One of my aunts flew in from New Jersey to be here, and another arrived from Toronto. The amount of support my Grandma has, is amazing - and it's not just from her family. Her neighbours and all the people in her community care so much for her, it's comforting to know that she will always have someone there for her.

I am so thankful for my family and the time we spend together. This is definitely something I could not live without!

Cats of Prey....again...

2007-06-23T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess I could say that I am proud of my cat (same one) for knowing his inner instincts so well.

He is becoming quite the predator - who would've known?

Pumpkin caught a bird again, and as much as he is being "just a cat" - I would prefer not to see it.

I think I am most shocked that he can catch all these things, because he is a not always there, mentally. He runs around aimlessly in every which direction - atleast when I see him he does.

Now, I'm worried to send him outside again in fear that he'll bring more things home.

Harry!!

2007-06-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the privilege of spending the evening with the one and only Harry Connick, Jr.

Wow, time flew by so fast with his show and the big band.

It was so nice to enjoy live music again. Harry even ended up stopping his show in search for working nail clippers from the audience. He also had a vintage upright piano and an organ to play with when he wasn't on his beautiful Steinway.

His songs were focussed on the New Orleans theme that he either learned growing up or people from New Orleans wrote the song. The stage was set as a cafe in the French Quarter with the ceiling fans and street lanterns.

I loved the show entirely and wished it would have kept going. Some of his songs included Hello, Dolly; Won't you Come Home Bill Bailey, and Jambalaya.

His message was strong with one of his songs - All These People - that he wrote especially for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He had suggested that we visit New Orleans to bring the tourism back up, as that is the biggest concern still today.

It was such a great show!! I can't hardly wait until he comes back!!

Pictures from top to bottom: The concert stage with the Big Band; Harry & his daughter repainting houses after Hurricane Katrina; Harry playing at Jazz Fest.

Lord of the Flies

2007-06-17T16:41:00.000-04:00

I have just finished reading a classic novel that I hadn't seen since grade 10.

I read the Lord of the Flies by William Golding and it's all about the creation and destruction of a group of boys attempting to survive on an island after a plane crash. They deal with the struggle to be rescued, to eat, to survive from "the beast" and themselves.

I had forgotten how the plot went from before, so I was shocked with some of the things that happened in the story. It got me thinking as to how I would be if I were stranded on an island for a certain amount of time dealing with the chaos and disorder of those around me.

I just hope that never happens to me.

Cats of Prey

2007-06-15T12:53:00.000-04:00

The other night, Pumpkin - my fluffy white cat, decided to catch a bird.

We had no idea what was going on until we looked at the screen door and saw this beard - screaming its head off and flapping its wings like crazy inside my cat's mouth.

Stephanie pried Pumpkin's mouth open to release the bird and put the cat inside. We saw that the bird was clearly injured and we set off to find a box to catch the bird.

The bird decided it was going to try to run away - but he couldn't fly, so he was hopping around the parking lot.

Stephanie caught the bird using oven mits and we put it in the box, and it calmed itself down. I think it was very happy not to be my cat's supper.

We drove to the wild bird sanctuary where they help abandoned baby birds, and injured birds. On our drive, we had to stop in the middle of the road because there was a flock of geese crossing the street with their goslings.

We arrived at the trail, and the bird sanctuary was closed. We headed for the drop-off where we could leave him overnight and came across a raccoon. We placed the bird in the box (it was a man-made box with a door and latch and holes, of course) and went home.

We came home to feathers all over our porch and cats desperate to go outside again.

We called the next day to see how the bird was doing - and they said he was great, just had a slight puncture in his stomach, but everything would be fine.

Montreal - Part V

2007-06-14T22:18:00.000-04:00

DAY FIVE - FINAL DAY

Weather - a gorgeous cloudless day already at a heaping 25 degrees with humidity added on top of that.

We decided to skip breakfast and check-out of our room seen as how we had to be out by 11am anyhow. We headed for some breakfast at this Italian restaurant called Pacini - and with every meal there was all this Italian meat and tomato sauce.

We headed to the Biodome as we had yet to use our ticket that we bought as a package with the Insectarium and Botanical Gardens. We were lucky enough to be able to check our baggage.

We were in the hottest area first - after being hot from dragging a suitcase across the city and metro stations. We saw tropical birds, alligators, turtles, and bats.

Throughout the Biodome we saw fish, little ducks swimming to the bottom to get food, beavers asleep in their nest, a hedgehog asleep in a tree, crabs, starfish, and of course - penguins - my favourite!!

The penguins were so cute climbing the snow, or just standing on a rock not even moving. There was a herd (proper term?) of penguins slowly making their way to jump into the water - and I was waiting forever to get a picture of them jumping in, but the leader decided to change his mind and walk away.

We ended our sight seeing at the Biodome (and around the Olympic Tower) and decided to wait it out at a cafe until it was time to catch the train. We were totally exhausted anyhow, and our feet were so sore. It didn't help that it was the most humid day of all that we were in Montreal and I had to wear my boots because they wouldn't fit in the suitcase (too much shopping)

We got on our train and was all excited to see the sights again from that view, actually knowing what everything was this time. We went through a thunderstorm and it was really cool. The train got really dark and we could see lighting flashes every once and again. Clearly it was a long, busy vacation for us, as Will fell asleep on the train - without me even knowing - I was having a conversation, apparently with myself.

Overall, an amazing vacation - we took so many photos, can't share them all, and will definitely go back again some day (maybe not on the weekend of the Grand Prix). We also want to take on Quebec City, as everyone we've talked to has said it is a must, especially after a trip to Montreal.

Pictures from top to bottom: Will excited to see a turtle in the Biodome; 2 puffins in love or asleep; me in front of the Olympic Tower; Will asleep on the train

Montreal - Part IV

2007-06-14T21:03:00.000-04:00

DAY FOUR

Weather: Started sunny and about 20 degrees and as usual became overcast as soon as we left from breakfast.

For breakfast we had an apple-filled pastry with sliced apples in applesauce. We also had some fresh fruit with yogurt.

We had decided that we would spend the whole day in Old Montreal as there were so many things that we would see and do.

Because I wasn't a big fan of the Bed & Breakfast breakfast, we searched for a restaurant near Old Montreal that was still serving breakfasts - and I got to eat my pancakes!!

We headed down rue Notre Dame as we knew for sure that the Notre Dame Cathedral was there. We headed inside the cathedral and found it absolutely gorgeous.

It turned out that there was a Chapelle de Notre Dame inside the Notre Dame Cathedral - which is where separate services would be held. Will was in complete awe of the detail and all the artwork that was in there.

We walked through the streets of Old Montreal on the cobblestone and saw so many historic buildings. While we were walking, after the Notre Dame Cathedral, Will discovered a very special store.

The store was called "Noel Eternel". He was in heaven. There was Christmas Carols playing in the background and Christmas ornaments everywhere - including giant Santas. We ended up buying a Christmas ornament (to add to our very miniscule collection) - as I don't think Will would have been able to leave the store empty handed.

We finally made our way to the Old Port and walked in and out of the pathways. We made our way to the clock tower and decided to see inside. We knew we were in trouble when the stairs were numbered - backwards. There was 289 steps. I was OK for most of them, until the stairs got narrower and in a spiral form. I looked up and decided that I could go no further. I still made it higher than Will!!

We grabbed some lunch in the pavillion (just like a food court in a mall) - and realized they were all closing up at 4:00pm - not sure why?

We saw these people riding these motorized scooters - and had really wanted to try them. Even our Bed & Breakfast owner told us about these. We found out where the rental location was - and decided to sign up for a 30 minute session (which includes training - which is mandatory). These are all battery-operated machines that you stand on and you just have to move back and forth with your body.

It was super cool - the time went by really fast, but they said the next time we come to rent - we get a faster speed because we'll be officially trained and in their system. I still can't believe that we did that. I really liked riding it on the cobblestone and grass (very amusing, and bumpy), but didn't really like riding on bridges (a little scary coming downhill - especially when they keep warning you that the machine costs $6000 - and will keep going even if you're not on it). Will preferred to stay on the paved road.

Will was getting cold and decided that he wanted to get changed before we headed out for our last dinner in Montreal. We knew that we were coming back to Old Montreal to see everything lit up with the old-fashioned lanterns and just the atmosphere we knew would be nice to be around.

We picked a French restaurant Le Sauvignon (I think that's the name) on rue St. Paul and it was a very rustic French-Canadian restaurant. We each ordered a roast which were served with vegetables and we had some wine.

I finally had some room for dessert - I think I forced myself to, as this was the last opportunity. I had a delicious chocolate mousse cake.

We walked along the streets after dinner and saw everything lit up. Will's favourite night-time sight was this fountain between a City of Montreal building and the Hotel de Montreal. It had these lights coming out of it that just made it glow.

On the way to the metro we found Square Victoria (yet another tourist site) and went inside. It looked like it was originally an outdoor park with surrounding buildings - but now there is a roof that connects the building. It was also lit up, and Will loved it. We seem to find the more interesting things by chance.

We ended up crashing around midnight/1 am and prepared for our final day in Montreal.

Pictures from top to bottom: me in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral before entering; Will inside the Christmas store; Will on his scooter (I was better at hit than he was); I love this picture as Will had no idea I was making that face - near the Clock Tower at the Port of Old Montreal; Inside the Square Victoria - it was pretty much a field of water.

Montreal - Part III

2007-06-11T19:14:00.000-04:00

DAY THREE

Weather: about 7 degrees and it started out sunny, but when we ventured out - there was no sun to be found.

For breakfast we had a chocolate-banana loaf with cream and raisins, and then a fried egg sandwich with fresh fruit.

We fully planned out our day this time. I researched times and distances of all the places we were planning on visiting today.

Because our Bed & Breakfast wasn't very far away, we decided to walk to the Botanical Gardens and Insectarium in the morning. We purchased a package that let us visit the gardens, the insectarium, and the Biodome.

Because it was still cold, we started out in the greenhouses and then worked our way outdoors in hopes of it becoming warmer. We saw orchids, begonias, cactus, ferns, and South American flowers. Some of the rooms were really warm, and we didn't want to leave them.

There was so much to see outside, we limited the gardens that we wanted to see for this visit. We chose the rose garden, the Chinese garden and the Japanese garden.

In the rose garden we saw very few roses in bloom because of the cold. We did end up seeing a duck asleep near a fountain in the garden. We found the Insectarium - and Will was still cold, so we headed in.

We got to weigh ourselves in ants. Will weighed 3, 500, 000 ants, and I weighed 3, 250, 000 ants.

Next we headed to the Japanese Pavilion and saw some bonsais that we learned later were over 370 years old. Will fell in love with the waterfalls.

We managed to find our way into the Chinese Garden and learned that they don't use grass in their gardens. It was so very beautiful - even without the grass. Will was also so amazed by the water around everywhere.

We decided to pass on the Biodome today, and would head out there first thing Friday morning.

We even planned out where we were going to have lunch to incorporate into our busy schedule. Will loves St. Hubert, so we headed there for lunch downtown.

We walked back to the Architecture Musee (and yes, it was open) and went in to discover that there wasn't much going on as they were preparing for a celebatory ball the following evening.

We saw an exhibit by Gilles Clement and I fell in love with his art called Le Lustre, which is glass drops filled with ordinary things found on the street. It looks so pretty, and unique.

They also had a fully restored Victorian House as part of the museum, but there were too many things going on for the ball preparation, that we didn't fully admire it, as we could have.

We went to the front of the museum and all you could see was the Victorian House - it looked gorgeous!

We walked to the Queen Mary of the World Cathedral on the way to St. Patrick's Basilica. We passed this huge, gorgeous building, and later learned it was the Sun Life Building (insurance company) created in the early 1900s.

We walked to the Christ Church Cathedral and waited until admission was free for the Contemporary Art Musee at 6pm. I was fascinated by the neon exhibition of Bruce Nauman. You could tell that he had a large sense of humour. We also ran into some rooms where all you had were televisions on opposite ends of the room saying different phrases like "eat me, hurt me, anthropology" or "eat me, hurt me, sociology"

We decided to head to rue Crescent for dinner, not knowing where exactly we were planning on eating. We had heard that Crescent is known for its liveliness and is considered to be the street that never sleeps.

We found our way into a Mexican Restaurant and sat on the patio, while we had a clear shot of the potential Stanley Cup Final game across the street. We each had some enchiladas with rice, and it was delish!

We stopped in at Ben & Jerry's for some ice cream and made it home in time to see the Anaheim Mighty Ducks win the Stanley Cup. Will was a little sad, but he got over it pretty quickly - we were in Montreal!!

Pictures from top to bottom: Me smelling some beautiful Princess Diana orchids; Will pretending to be a butterfly; In the Chinese garden, I'm in front of the Tower of the Condensing Clouds; Le Lustre exhibit by Gilles Clement; the front of the Architecture Musee; the children's room inside St. Patrick's Basilica; Me pretending to be part of the fountain outside the Contemporary Art Musee

Montreal - Part II

2007-06-11T18:37:00.000-04:00

DAY TWO

Weather - about 21 degrees and off-and-on rain

For breakfast we had a fresh croissant with jam, and an apple and cheese crepe with fresh fruit. It was really delicious.

We had planned our day a little better this time and went directly en route to find this department store called "Simons" that is well-known. Apparently I was given a wrong address in my tourism book, and we yet again failed to find our destination.

We did end up climbing a hill partially on its way to Mont Royal but detoured around the McGill campus. We fell in love with the campus and wondered why we never considered this as a potential school when we were finishing high school.

All the buildings were historical and the gardens were so fresh and green.

We next headed down avenue Sherbrooke and found the Musee des Beaux Arts. The gallery was a free entrance - but we were particularly fascinated with the exhibition going on - "Once upon a Time: Disney"

We learned that Walt Disney was influenced heavily through fairy tales and paintings and we even got to see the special Oscar he got for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (there was one big Oscar, and then 7 little Oscars). At the end of the exhibition - we bought two children's books that we will be saving. One was a fairy tale book incorporating the charcters of Walt Disney, and the other was just random stories.

When we got out of the museum it had started to rain, so we quickly found the first restaurant in site and decided to grab some lunch. We ate at Dundee's Bar and Grill and ate some french onion soup, chicken wings and bruschetta.

We headed out again and it wasn't raining so much. We were headed in the direction of the Architecture Musee, and discovered in passing that it wasn't open on Tuesdays. My luck with travelling was running short on me.

After walking down rue Ste-Catherine, we finally discovered Simons and decided to do some shopping. This is a big store, and it's 85% clothes. There were people everywhere and it made it hard to move around.

After Simons we headed to the Underground City and was amazed at how big it was. The higher we went, the more expensive stores there were (DKNY, Dior, etc) plus there was a gorgeous chandelier and I think they were also preparing for a runway show along the stairs.

We headed out back to rue Ste-Catherine in search for dinner. We were trying to maintain the idea of having a different type of food each night for dinner. Monday night was Italian, and Tuesday night turned out to be Thai.

We found this great Thai take-out restaurant and ordered too much food (as always). It was really good, though.

By the time we got home, we were completely exhausted and decided to borrow the cribbage board from the Bed & Breakfast to play while relaxing in bed. I won.

Pictures from top to bottom: Rutherford building near main McGill campus, Will in front of an engineering building on McGill campus; Will with a painting called "Ken Dryden" in the Musee des Beaux Arts; the chandelier inside the Underground City Shopping area

Montreal - Part I

2007-06-10T11:27:00.001-04:00

DAY ONE

Weather: Ottawa - raining, about 15 degrees

Montreal - raining, about 23 degrees

We caught our train at 9am and while waiting there was a group of teenagers waiting to go on their band trip for Toronto, which their train left a few minutes before ours.

There was only a few stops between Ottawa and Montreal, and it was such a beautiful ride. Totally stress-free.

We arrived in Montreal around 11:30am and was slowly learning our way around the city. We arrived at a metro station and bought ourselves a weekly pass (totally worth it!) and lugged our suitcase through the station.

I knew what stop to get off at, and had my trusty map ready - I just had forgotten to write down the address of the Bed & Breakfast down before going. I knew the name of it "Le Gite Dezery", and the street it was on - but it turns out my sense of direction is not so good. We headed down the wrong way of the street, and finally asked someone who told us the place was at the top of the hill - not the bottom! The B & B was a little northeast of downtown Montreal - but with metros everywhere - that wasn't a problem

We finally found it - and it was good that I told the owner to check us in at 1pm beforehand, because that gave us time to get lost - which we did!

We got into this really gorgeous room with a couch and flatscreen. It was a very modern room. We headed out to explore the rest of the day out in Montreal - to pretty much learn that most museums or anything we wanted to see - wasn't open on Mondays!

We checked out the underground shopping areas and cruised the streets when it wasn't raining. We decided to head back to our room to actually plan our trip out and see what we could do on Monday. We ended up catching a quick nap (getting lost can be pretty exhausting) and then headed out downtown for dinner! Our plan was to just search for anything that looked good.

We found Guido & Angelina's on rue University, and ended up sitting down just as the hockey game was starting. It was more of a casual Italian restaurant. Will ended up eating a tortellini dish with prosciutto meat. I ended up eating this whole wheat linguine with vegetables (kind of like a pasta primavera) and we each had some wine.

We had no room for dessert - as we had a pretty late lunch (around 2pm) - which seemed to be the case for the rest of the week.

We headed back home as we had to prepare ourselves for the long day we had planned for Tuesday when more things would be open.

Pictures from top to bottom: Will in the front of our Bed & Breakfast Le Gite Dezery; Our bedroom in the Bed & Breakfast Le Gite Dezery; Will on the train to Montreal, before the train got full at the Ottawa Station.

Talk about irony....

2007-05-31T08:12:00.000-04:00

Oh man, the Stanley Cup Finals happening to your home team is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I had attempted to get any tickets to a game, but it was sold out within 4 minutes!

So, although we were unsuccessful in purchasing tickets, Will was determined to still be with tons of people for the games. This past Monday, he had to work at night, so he was unable to go anywhere.

But, last night, he and some friends headed to Scotiabank Place to watch the game and he was found to be one of the "rowdiest fans". As an award, he would automatically receive tickets to a Stanley Cup Final game, but first he had to compete with 2 other "rowdy" fans for a plasma TV.

He didn't end up winning the TV, but he got the tickets, and as soon as he opened them......he realized that they were for the ONE game where we wouldn't be in town. We are heading to Montréal Monday morning, and the tickets were for Home Game 2 (Monday night at 8pm). He tried to ask to see if there were any tickets for Home Game 1 (Saturday night at 8pm), but they said there was none left.

How often can you say that you got Stanley Cup Final tickets for free? And then, not be able to go. Talk about irony....

5km

2007-05-28T18:25:00.000-04:00

So, I made it. I actually crossed the finish line alive, and breathing.

I recently ran in the MDS Nordion Ottawa Race Weekend - but I'm not as big a trooper as others, and only ran a mere 5km with Scott.

We didn't even get to start the race until 5 minutes after it started as there were thousands of people inching their way closer to the starting line.

When we did finally get started, we had to avoid all the walkers and people with strollers that were at the beginning of the line.

I think we ended up running more than 5km if you include the distance going side to side weaving in and out between people and the bit at the start.

Overall, it was a pretty warm day. The race started at 5pm, which is when it is supposed to be cooling down, but once you got the sun reflecting off the Rideau Canal - you could feel it just getting more and more hot throughout the run.

I'm quite happy with my time. I wish I could've been quicker, but with little training, and slight asthma, that will take more time. I am anticipating to possibly walk the half-marathon next year, but who knows. Maybe it is the spirit of the weekend's run that is getting me to say this. That would be quite an accomplishment, should I complete that!

I ended up with a finishing time of 35:38.7 attempting to sprint ahead of Scott with 200m left. Unfortunately I saw him pass me right at the end so that he could have a finishing time of 35:38.4. I couldn't believe he beat me!! I really thought I had him beat! Well, there's always next year!

Tulip Festival

2007-05-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

This past holiday Monday - Will & I had the privilege of having a day off together, and it was a beautiful day at that! It was the final day of the Tulip Festival, so we headed to downtown to see what was left of the gorgeous flowers!

We had headed down and to our surprise arrived to Parliament Hill just as they were doing some procession with cannons. We had just noticed several people gathered over in one area and went to see what it was, and finally after poking my head out, it was cannons - and they were very loud!! I eventually had to walk away in midst of the shots, as each one was giving me a slight jump in the heart.

We walked along behind the Parliament buildings checking out the view and just basking in the beautiful day. We headed down towards the locks where there was a boat in midst of getting through. It takes a long time to get through these, I don't know if I would have the patience for owning a boat in Ottawa.

We finally made our way to Major Hill Park where all the festival activities were taking place. We got to see wonderful large painted tulips that were so artistically decorated and we saw so many real tulips. There was also many international stations which offered so much information and food from their culture.

After checking all this out, we headed to the market and did a little bit of shopping. There is this really fascinating store on Sussex that I am absolutely in love with. And surprisingly enough, I ended up buying an umbrella from there (I was really wanting one of those umbrella's with a cane-like handle) as I was starting to need one.

We headed back towards Parliament for one last look at everything (and I was attempting to show Will that there are cats that live there) and we were totally exhausted by the time we got home, but it was such a great day!!

Self-Control

2007-05-23T15:37:00.000-04:00

I have been faced with many encounters lately where I am required to use my self-control. I never actually thought I had any, so it amazes me to see how well I am using it.

For starters, I have been hesitant to start up with biting my nails again, and I know I still have one to go, but because the others have grown to an appropriate length - the habit disinterests me. It took me awhile to get to this stage - as growing up that's all I could ever remember doing.

Also, I have looked into eating healthier, and I completely cut out any sweets with the first two weeks cutting out starch (including pasta/rice/bread). This has been extremely difficult for me, but I have prevailed - and have not cheated. I can't completely say that the thought of eating anything sweet disinterests me - as that would be a lie, but I have made the proper choices with eating, as there is so much temptation around me at work, and at home (and especially when you can smell a pizza in the bus terminal). I have never given up sweets completely before, but I have found to be a lot less hungry throughout the day - so I would say that cutting that out really helps with my energy and my focus.

Warmer Weather

2007-05-15T20:20:00.000-04:00

With the warmer weather arriving, and everything growing again - we are being blessed with the wonderful world of construction.

I am working on a street where a new building is being built from the beginning stages, and we're at the stage where the construction crews need to use dynamite to create new holes to enforce the building.

So, every few hours we hear the sound of a loud whistle (kind of reminds me of The Flinstones) blown several times to warn of the blast, then a loud "boom", which shakes the office building like really loud thunder, and then another whistle.

It was fine the first day, but after a week of it, it's starting to give me a headache daily.

There's also road construction everywhere and the sound of dump trucks rolling down the street.

I just want to sit and enjoy the warmer weather and all it brings with the new life of spring. Being able to sit outside and read a book, and go for a run, and enjoying the scenery!

But, I guess that I will have to live with both sceneries/sounds as I don't think anything will really change in the future.

Hockey Pools

2007-05-10T15:40:00.000-04:00

Well I must admit it..... I suck at hockey pools!!! All my players keep getting knocked out of the playoffs...

In CBC Hockey Playoff Pool you begin by picking 10 players before the playoffs begin.
For the next round (Conference Semifinals), you're allowed to only switch 6 players
For the next round (Conference Finals), you're allowed to only switch 4 players
For the final round (Stanley Cup Finals), you're allowed to only switch 2 players

My problems began early. I had originally picked players from different teams so that I would have atleast some people left playing in the next round.

After the first round - I had 7 of the 10 players finished in the playoffs.
After the second round (after already having a player who I had to keep from the round before) - I had yet another 7 of the 10 players finished in the playoffs.

So now, I can only make 4 changes to my roster - when there's 7 of them not even playing anymore!!

I have determined that this is not a good playoff pool for me!! I wonder if I'll have any left the next round - maybe I'll just make sure I have one from each of the 4 teams left, and then I'll be sure to have players playing in the Finals!

Spring Weekend

2007-05-08T17:46:00.000-04:00

This weekend was soo beautiful....

Saturday was warm but the wind had this chill about it. After doing some well-needed spring cleaning in the house and the car, we headed out downtown as Steph had an ultimate frisbee practice. We went walking about the market and Sparks Street Mall attempting to warm ourselves up. With a quick detour at Costco to get bagels, we headed home to rush ourselves some dinner as Steph & I headed off to a movie while Will stayed home to watch the hockey game. Will had seen Spiderman 3 earlier that day and said he absolutely loved it! Steph & I saw Disturbia. It was an OK movie, but it seemed to be very predictable. It's not one that I would buy.

Sunday we headed out for a run (more like a walk with gasping breaths for me) with the Running Room. Then Will & I headed to Bayshore to return some things and then we headed home, only to head out again to play frisbee. My arm is still hurting from throwing the frisbee too hard! I also have a couple of bruises on fingers while attempting to catch the frisbee. Then we came home, and had a BBQ (which is our new favourite thing) and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Overall a really good weekend, and I hope for many more (a little warmer) to come this summer. I cannot wait to head back downtown to check out the Tulip Festival.

Happy Sunny Day

2007-05-02T12:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunny Day to everyone!

Well, atleast if you live near me, it is a happy sunny day!

I'm so excited that temperatures have been warming up so that I can enjoy my B-B-Q and do more things outside, rather than staying in.

It is hard to tear myself away from the TV some nights, as I am addicted to some shows which are now almost finished, so I have to see what happens in the end.

I have been trying to run more - not just with the Running Room, but on my own (such self-control I have) and this way I can discover my neighbourhood, because a lot of the streets there are very confusing, and don't all lead to where I want them to.

Enjoy the day, be outside...

Happy sunny day!!

FIXED!

2007-04-28T17:37:00.000-04:00

Woo Hoo! I finally have my computer back after several weeks of it not co-operating with me (thanks Scott). It's so much better having all my pictures, my settings, everything I'm used to ready at my fingertips!

Updates...

** Harry Connick Jr. concert was postponed from April 17th at Scotiabank Place (amidst the NHL Playoffs) to June 19th at the NAC with WAY better seats!!

** Calgary Flames got hit under the bus and out of the playoffs thanks to Detroit Red Wings, but it probably had something to do with the fact that they had the worst record playing on the road. Hopefully, they will have some time to make some changes, and re-group and be all ready to kick some butt in the next season!

** I have been obsessed with this website that sells art and other things. If I ever DO decide to buy something, it'll be a difficult decision as I like so much stuff. My favourite artist that I've come to love from that website is Alicia Bock.

** I have been extended at work for another 90 working days (with strong hopes of permanency) until the beginning of August.

** My new favourite word for this time of year is: Bar-B-Q. I love living in this place where I can barbecue every night! Everything tastes and smells so good!

** Still planning a trip to Montreal and have narrowed down several details. We still have no clue as to what to visit, but I'm sure there are lots of things that we'll find to do along the way.

** Still obsessed with facebook, and how more people I know keep signing up. It's a great way to stay in contact with people from all parts of life!!

Comp down

2007-04-10T14:01:00.000-04:00

The reason I haven't posted in a while is because my computer has decided to go on vacation and not work for me. But, hopefully (with help from Super-Scott) it should be up and running shortly. I didn't really want to buy a new computer, so with fingers crossed, I await the return of my precious computer! :)

ABC Tag

2007-03-29T17:51:00.001-04:00

Tagged by Christina..... I don't usually do these things, but I had a few minutes to spare....

A - Available or Single: doesn't that mean the same thing? I'm taken!!

B - Best Friends: Will, Steph, Jenn

C - Cake or Pie: definitely chocolate cake

D - Drink of Choice: pepsi

E - Essential Item: glasses/contacts... or I will run into something (Oh wait...I already do that with them on!!)

F - Favourite Colour: asparagus

G - Gummi Bears or Worms: worms, except with the bears I like to decapitate them

H - Hometown: Ottawa

I - Indulgence: i hate to say it....shopping

J - January or February: February - it is a shorter month

K - Kids: I would like some (or one) someday in the far future

L - Life is incomplete without: Will, food, friends, family

M - Marriage Date: not married.... yet

N - Number of Siblings: 3 - 2 older sisters, 1 older brother (plus in-laws)

O - Oranges or Apples: apples.. less work involved

P - Phobias/Fears: getting jumped on by a cat at 3am

Q - Favourite Quote: don't think I have one.

R - Reasons to smile: good surprises, family visits, future dreams

S - Season: Fall - such a beautiful smell and colourful and perfect temperature!

T - Tag 3 People: Will, Steph, Laurie

U - Unknown Fact About Me: if I answer this, it will no longer be unknown...

V - Vegetable You Hate: peppers... even finely chopped, I can still taste them, and still find them gross!

W - Worst Habit: nail-biting (which has become somewhat contained now)

X - X-rays You've Had: teeth

Y - Your Favourite Foods: anything with chicken

Z - Zodiac: Leo

Running

2007-03-29T17:30:00.000-04:00

So I have enlisted myself to run in the annual MDS Nordion Ottawa Race Weekend. However, this year I have only signed up to do 5K. I decided to reduce the distance because of the increase in my asthma symptoms. I went running with Stephanie last night with the Running Room clinic, except it is a clinic for 10K racers. The run was for 4K and I hadn't been running at all I think since the last Ottawa Race Weekend in 2006. It was rough (especially with the hills) doing 80% of my run in one night of training. I can definitely feel it today in my legs. Of course, today was the day that most of my files were on the bottom shelf, so it hurt to bend them every time!! Hopefully, I will continue to train well and not stop as many times as I did last night. I am running the race with my brother-in-law (lucky for me) as Stephanie and Will are both running the 10K.

Hairspray

2007-03-21T19:01:00.000-04:00

So we finally went to see Hairspray...... and absolutely LOVED IT!!!

It was so funny and witty and everything I thought it would be!

Now I'm even more excited to see the movie when it comes out this summer, as it will be quite a different interpretation. I'm always skeptical when musicals are put to film as it's harder to be more creative with the scenes, as musical stages have very limited space.

I totally recommend you see it, the next time it comes to town, or even if you head out of town (TO, NY).

A girl from my work had gone to NY for the weekend with her daughter and her friends and they waited in line to get some last-minute tickets to see Hairspray and they absolutely loved it also!!

Emma

2007-03-15T10:51:00.000-04:00

I have finally finished reading Emma by Jane Austen. It was a harder read with the different language use, including different spelling for words. It was such a romance-filled book. There were so many people getting engaged and "attached" it was hard to keep up with. In the end, everyone is happy.

Emma is a girl who has just played "matchmaker" for her governess and her sister is off elsewhere married with two children. Emma is alone with her father searching for either more matchmaking or for love of her own. She means well with all that she does and encounters several surprises.

After defeating the vocabulary barrier and being introduced to several characters at once, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will have to read it again to figure out what I missed while figuring out everything else from the beginning.

I haven't quite decided what my next book is to read. It could either be Pride & Prejudice, or Jane Eyre, or even the classic Lord of the Flies.

Warmer Weather

2007-03-14T09:18:00.000-04:00

So, with all this warm weather and the melting of snow, and the rain today our street is now covered in these huge puddles. I am quite amused to watch cars go through the puddles that splash up to my front window depending on the speed. It's not so exciting when you are walking along the path beside the street as cars go by. Some cars are cautious to the water, but others, either don't see it in time or don't care and I somehow manage to get splashed. It also adds to the mud in our front yard that I sink through with every step. But you can hear the cars going by from inside the house and it looks really cool (like one of those rides at Wonderland) as long as you're indoors!

Is the race over?

2007-03-12T14:39:00.000-04:00

Is the race over? A lot of people were cheering for Rob & Amber to win The Amazing Race: All Stars. Now that they have been eliminated, the buzz going around is that a lot of people will not be watching the show anymore, because of that.

Road Rage

2007-03-08T18:49:00.000-05:00

What is it with people in such a hurry nowadays? Whatever happened to the saying "stop and smell the roses"?

I've been noticing while working downtown that there are a lot of people that are always in a hurry. From my office I can hear cars screeching and it makes me worry after reading several articles in the newspaper of pedestrians getting hit on corners that are only a block away from me.

When I walk on the sidewalks or cross the street at the right time, I watch cars practically whiz past me (almost hitting me) and then roaring off into the sunset.

What's the rush? We should be enjoying a day for everything it has and not trying to rush through.

Montréal

2007-03-05T15:27:00.000-05:00

Will & I are in the very early stages of planning a mini-vacation. We have decided to go to Montreal, and that's as far as the planning has gone. We had wanted to go to Montreal last winter, but things came up that we couldn't control, we had even booked our hotel.

So, fingers crossed, we are hoping to head out there for a week sometime in the spring. If anyone has any ideas as to where to stay, what to see, where to go, feel free to mention them as I, nor Will, have ever been. We are open to any suggestions.....

Nails

2007-03-03T19:16:00.000-05:00

I never would have thought I'd be the one to say that "I broke a nail, I need a nail file to fix it", but here I am.

I still have yet to grow one final nail, but I have successfully forbidden myself to bite the other nine.

Those who know me, know that I am a constant nail-biter, ever since I can remember.

But now, I am completely excited to be able to pick things up with my nails (like coins and small items).

I am surprised that I haven't gone back to my bad habits of biting as I have very little self-control (like when it comes to chocolate).

But now that I see that I can actually grow the nails and maintain them, I am less interested in biting - except for that final nail.

That nail is my "in case of emergency" nail where if I do feel the urge to bite, I do.

I am really trying to stop with that nail, but when it's in this stage of size, it's really hard to move forward, when it's all I have left.

YAY!

Oscars

2007-02-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

Like most people who avidly watch the Oscars, I made my picks of who I thought would win. I managed only to get half right, but it's hard to choose winners for films I haven't even seen.

One of the films that did well the other night was Pan's Labyrinth which is set in post-war Spain about a girl named Ofelia. Powerless and lonely in a place of unfathomable cruelty, Ofelia lives out her own dark fable as she confronts monsters both otherworldly and human.

It seems like such an amazing story, and I would really love to see it.

I was very impressed to see that Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar. It isn't always easy to succeed after being eliminated from American Idol.

The Oscars did a montage at the beginning about all the nominees. They were in front of a white screen doing or saying whatever they felt like - and that's what I like most about people - when they're being real.

There was a musical number (like most years), but this time it was with Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly about how people in comedic movies don't get nominated at the Oscars and about how sad it is. But they quickly get the idea to do both kinds of movies so that they could be Oscar worthy actors.

They also had a group from the Pilobolus Dance Theatre, seen above, that does a collaborative choreographic process and a unique weight-sharing approach to movement. It was really cool.

The show ended up going into the wee hours of the morning, and I had to go to bed because of getting up early for work the next morning. If only they showed these things on Saturday nights, I'd be up all night!!

Oh, my nola

2007-02-21T17:28:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely in love with Harry Connick Jr.'s new CD Oh, my nola.

Nola stands for New Orleans Louisiana.

The CD has the whole New Orleans theme to it with the essence of jazz from Harry.

This is his tribute to his hometown and what it has been through with Hurricane Katrina.

I absolutely love it!! I totally recommend you buy it!!

Some songs on it are Hello, Dolly! Working in the Coal Mine, & Won't you Come Home, Bill Bailey?

As soon as it starts, you just want to begin dancing!! Harry just possesses the talent to make you dance and to put a smile on your face.

Roasted Asparagus

2007-02-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

So, the roasted asparagus didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. I think it would've worked better had the aspargus been thicker stalks, but we learn from our mistakes, don't we?

I can't wait for the weekend to come as my super cool aunt is coming up north from NJ. It has been awhile since we've seen each other so it'll be great to catch up and introduce her to Will. My other super cool aunt and her fiance are coming up from TO to visit as well with my Grams. We're visiting some traditional spots in Ottawa, but overall I'm just excited to see everyone together.

The blister that I received after skating last weekend on the canal has finally gotten better enough to wear proper shoes. I tried wearing shoes Monday (after the fact) and I ended up limping all day because the shoe kept pressing on the blister. It took me about 1/2 hour to scrounge up some guts to take off my first bandaid (which did NOT have any polysporin on it) after soaking my foot, and it still hurt. It actually hurt even more to put my foot back into the warm water after the bandaid was taken off. So, the last couple of days I have been wearing these shoes that have open backs but they felt like flip flops to me and I had to keep clenching my toes so that they wouldn't fly off.

Facebook

2007-01-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

So, I have decided to see what this facebook thing is all about and I have joined up. It's pretty cool, there are groups that you can join and it's cool to see people that I haven't seen in forever!! Especially when they post grade 1 school class pictures for everyone to see. Wow, I feel so old looking at those photos.

I'm cooking dinner tonight - roasted asparagus - I'll let you know how it goes!!

Night at the Movies

2007-01-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

Recently, we went to see a new movie out, called Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller. It's really funny and I enjoyed the story and the creative plot of things coming to life inside the museum at nighttime. My favourite character to come to life was the T-Rex dinosaur, aka Rexy. It's a great family movie with a cute ending.

Also, this weekend we went down to the Rideau Canal to skate for the first time this season. The canal was officially opened Friday morning and it was only a 2km span that was able to be opened. We thought that it would be packed with the shortness of length being open and it being an absolutely gorgeous day today, but it wasn't that bad (aside from the line-up for Beavertails). I'm still trying to get used to skating (yet, again), but I didn't fall today, so that is an improvement from last year!!

Winterlude officially begins next weekend (Feb.2-18, 2007) and there's always so much stuff to do downtown so it should be pretty exciting to go to that.

Oh my GOODness!!

2007-01-24T21:49:00.000-05:00

WOW!! Where have I been that I haven't been updating my blog since before all this snow came? I should be so excited that the snow has finally arrived to STAY!!

Other thoughts since the snow has arrived...

**The canal is almost ready to be opened. It only needs a few more centimetres to be cleared for safe skating. This is what should've happened weeks ago (pre-Christmas), but atleast we're getting some kind of winter. Winterlude is going to be starting the first week of February where all the winter festivities will take place downtown, including snow sculptures, ice sculptures, cooking, beavertails, and of course skating on the Rideau Canal.

**Winter shopping was great the other day because most of the retail stores are selling their winter wear for 50% of the sale price!! It was hard to find the right sizes because of the sales, but regardless, sales+shopping=fun!!

**Hairspray the musical is almost here and I am so anxious to buy my tickets (which don't go on sale until Monday) so that I can get really good seats. I love seeing musicals!!

**Will & I bought a painting the other day. I'm very picky about my art, but I fell in love with this piece. The overall picture is obscure, but very warm and simple. I'm more of a simplistic person.

**I am in love with my mp3 player that Santa gave me that I am constantly changing the songs on it because I'll have them memorized by days end. I am also in love with my housecoat (that has penguins on it). It's so warm, especially when I'm heading downstairs (in the cold basement) before going to bed.

** I am stil reading Emma (as you have seen that the book has not been rated by me yet) and am finding it a harder read. The spelling of the 19th century throws me off and I'm still getting used to phrasings they used like "four-and-twenty" which I still have yet to learn what it means. I did, however learn what "fortnight" means, from a coworker who has an Australian background and says that he still uses it in his daily vocabulary. It means, if you were wondering, two weeks. And here, I always thought it meant a few nights. Who would've thought it would be so distinct of a word.

**I don't know what it is about the winter weather, but I'm always finding myself so tired. It doesn't help when Will works night shifts and I am waiting up for him to make sure he gets home safe (especially with everything that's said on the news, I tend to get worried) and then I'm up before the sun comes up every morning. It doesn't help when the parking lot light is on right outside our bedroom window. But since Christmas (Santa was really good to me), I have been spoiled. I got one of those face masks that you wear when you sleep, and I tell you, I can't tell whether it's day or night with that on and I get a better night's rest with it (not counting my horrible cat that likes to sit so close to my face that his whiskers constantly go up my nose, and when he can't sit still). So I really have to rely on my alarm clock to be set and working to wake me up each morning, or I could wake up at 10am thinking it's 6am and completely miss a day's work!

**I am somewhat proud of myself and my lack of cooking capabilities. If you know me, I'm not one who is a great cook, but Santa again stopped by and gave me not 1, not 2, but 3 (counting the family one) recipe books! So, tonight I attempted to make an alfredo sauce for pasta as we needed to use up our cream. I needed Will to give me step by step instructions in order for me to make it properly. I am someone who likes order (such as exact measurements and time accuracy). When something didn't add up with his instructions - I immediately called him to see what I could do to fix the situation. He told me just to taste it and see what was needed to add to the sauce. I am also someone who has no idea of what to add and what things need when cooking. That's what I have Will for!! My own personal chef! Lucky me! Atleast I am trying!!

huh?!?

2007-01-09T17:22:00.000-05:00

What is this white stuff coming from the sky?

It's so foreign to me....

A Complicated Kindness

2007-01-04T18:39:00.000-05:00

So, Christmas is over, New Year's is over and everything is slowly getting back to normal again.

As with the routine starting up, so is my daily reading on the bus increasing. I have finished yet another book that I borrowed from Steph.

Now I can start reading all my new books that Santa gave me this year.

I just finished reading A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews where Nomi is trying to survive in a Mennonite community.

Her older sister and her mother had already left the town because they didn't fit in and knew that wasn't the life for them.

Nomi is still at home finishing high school trying to figure out why her family left her with her father, an avid follower, as she determines who she is and who she can become - either by staying in the town or by getting away from it all like her mother and her sister.

The next book is Emma

Ouch!

2006-12-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

I find it quite amazing at how much of a mess my house is - - - when I didn't even host the Christmas festivities!!!

We spent the day (about 12 hours) at Jenn & Scott's and when we packed up all our presents in the car to head home and brought them all home (with a dining room chair) and inside, and we took everything out of the bags again to see all that we got again.

SO... now our living room is full of Christmas presents and garbage from opening Christmas presents (plus Boxing Day shopping)

The clean up will be a project this week as we will have nothing else to do but that!!

Santa's almost here!!

2006-12-23T19:41:00.000-05:00

Well, it's almost that day of the year where time flies like you wouldn't believe, and all that time we spent before hand preparing for that day just seems like so much time that could be spent doing other less time-consuming things.

We always head off to the Christmas concerts, shopping, wrapping of presents, visiting of family, decorating houses (indoors & outdoors), wait in line-ups for parking, for paying at the grocery store, or any store in fact.

So, our tree, fully decorated (minus what the cats knocked down), and fully stacked with presents underneath (minus the pathway where the cats must enter the tree), and there was a lot of time spent in thinking about what present to buy, going to the store and buying the present, wrapping the present and delivering the present - but to see a person's reaction to the 'perfect' present bought - is priceless (I feel like a Mastercard commercial)

All that time spent with the process of present-purchasing is over within seconds of the paper ripping, so enjoy every possible moment that you can, so that you don't miss any special moments!!

I know I saw it....

2006-12-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

I know I saw snow today...

They were big flakes too!!

Where did it all go?

It was so pretty this morning!!

Where did all the snow go?

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

2006-12-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

WOW! What a long book title!! The actual book was shorter than the title!

Such an interesting book. You are put in the shoes of a young autistic boy who decides that he wants to write a book. His book is called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

He writes of everything he sees and encounters, and all that he has to face that makes him completely frightened and uncomfortable.

He was inspired to write the book as a part of becoming a detective.

His goal - to figure out who killed Wellington (the neighbour's dog)

It really puts perspective on what a child with autism has to go through in life and how frustrating it can be at times for parents of autistic children.

Next book A Complicated Kindness

Where is the snow??

2006-12-14T20:20:00.000-05:00

I have a question.

We do live in Canada, where we are known to live in igloos with dog sleds and such, but how are we supposed to do this when there is no snow??

Christmas is coming in 10 days, and it's looking like we might just have a green Christmas, which I believe is a first for me here.

I remember when the family headed out to BC for a Christmas one year, and I was actually expecing a green Christmas, but when we woke up Christmas morning, there was snow on the ground (not for long, but there was snow).

I'm finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit when there is no snow or anything winter-like. This is causing me to procrastinate more with Christmas shopping and wrapping of presents.

There has also been statements (with the warm climate and all) that Santa Claus will be homeless by the year 2040.

I haven't really read into the whole climate change epic, so I don't know all the details around it, but I do know one thing:

I WANT SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

Life of Pi

2006-12-12T17:51:00.000-05:00

So, I have finally read Life of Pi and it's quite an amazing story!

Quite an adventure for little Pi and to be able to live and tell about it.

We learn about Pi and his life growing up in India. His parents own a zoo and Pi learns to respect and become a part of different religions.

Pi's father sells the zoo animals individually and plans to move to Canada and they must deliver the animals to where they were sold to.

On a boat in the Pacific Ocean, and explosion happens and the boat starts sinking with all the animals and Pi's family.

Most of the book details the 227 days that Pi is afloat on a life boat with originally a orangutan, hyena, tiger & zebra and after some time with hunger pains arising, the tiger eats the rest of the animals and Pi is faced with many near-death thoughts as it is life with Pi and the tiger in the Pacific Ocean.

Quite an interesting book, it flowed very well, and I was always eager to read.

Next on the list, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

How Time Flies...

2006-12-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

I always know that December is a busy month, but everything creeps up on me.

I'm never ready for sending out Christmas cards, Christmas presents to be mailed, buying presents, thinking of ideas for presents, buying birthday presents for Will, going out to a few functions for Will's birthday, going out to a few functions for Christmas, and the list goes on....

I wish that I could be more prepared for these things, and every year I vow to start things earlier, but I end up postponing it even later the following year.

This is the first year that I've had a full-time job throughout the holidays, and through my contract I am required to work any days before/after stat holidays. So I don't have the time off at Christmas that I'm used to previous years being in school and off until the 1st week of January. It'll be so odd to be heading back to work the day after Boxing Day, especially when there won't hardly be anyone at work as they will all be on holidays without me!! Oh well, I tend to get more work done when there's less people in the office.

1984

2006-11-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

I have just finished reading another book.

The title is 1984 by George Orwell. It's considered to be a classic novel.

It starts out very odd-like but it gives you a sense of how the rest of the book is going to be. I had never read it in school like some people, but I was intrigued to see what made it a classic.

The first sentence is:

"The clock strikes thirteen..."

See, all these people live in a 24-hour world where there is no 8am and 8pm but rather an 8 hour and 20 hour.

They are forced to live with these strict rules and are always told that Big Brother is watching them. There is even mention of the "Thought Police" where even if you think something different of the rules and have your own opinion, you can go to jail and "vanish". Vanishing is where you die, but Big Brother makes it so that you didn't even exist by erasing you from every record the town has.

It would be pretty scary to live in something like that where you're constantly being watched and every opinion you form can get you in trouble. It's as if you're supposed to live being robot-like not having any feelings or thoughts and just to do what you're told.

I don't think I would like to live as they did. Most of my days are spent with my thoughts on many different things.

It was an okay book to read, some parts were not so exciting (like when Winston was reading the rule book word-for-word), but it was an overall good storyline.

My next book is...... Life of Pi

Christmas Ornaments

2006-11-20T21:06:00.000-05:00

So we headed to the Rideau Centre today to attempt some Christmas shopping (with my lack of Christmas Spirit), and finally came up with some ideas for some people, but I still feel like we're at square one with buying presents.

We ended up buying all the parts for Will's parents - so that's 2 people down, so many more to go. We finally picked up some Christmas cards and bought another Christmas tree ornament.

Will & I have decided to start collecting Christmas ornaments. We have only bought 2 (we don't want to go on a spree - as we want this to be throughout the years) so far, but we also want them to be unique.

The two that we have are both the ball-shaped ornament, one is clear with frosted Christmas trees, the other is yellow with black velvet stripes. We don't want anything to be too extravagant or odd looking, but classic and funky looking of different shapes and sizes (just not too big).

We also want a story that goes along with the ornament - one we picked up in Toronto at the AGO gift shop (our first trip together) another at a department store (while shopping for Christmas gifts downtown)

Christmas

2006-11-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

I must say that usually by the time Santa Claus parade comes around, it gets me in the mood for Christmas shopping and such, but this year it wasn't the case.

We headed downtown to see the parade on Laurier and it was quite interesting (and cold). A bunch of dancers, marching bands, radio/tv celebrities, our new mayor, Spartacat, and of course SANTA.

We then headed to the Rideau Centre and it was absolute craziness. I'm talking about people everywhere in stores, out in the hallways walking around and we could barely find a seat in the food court.

I usually don't get in the mood for Christmas until the first snowfall appears (and it has to stay on the ground) - - which seems to be arriving late this year. All we have been getting is rain. Everyone at work thinks I am crazy to say that I would rather snow than rain.

There are some people I know that are pretty much finished their Christmas shopping. I have bought one present for Will's Dad, and the rest I am completely stumped about.

There are still 35 days until Christmas.

I don't mind the craziness in malls as long as I know what it is that I am there to get. If I'm just walking around figuring stuff out, then I end up getting more frustrated with myself.

So Christmas shopping, and wrapping, and decorating - - - I won't be doing for awhile, even though the people I live with have been listening to Christmas music since November 1st!! Crazy!!

Toronto

2006-11-16T18:27:00.000-05:00

So, we survived our weekend in Toronto and are completely exhausted.

I cannot wait until the weekend when I will actually have time to sleep in and relax.

Friday
We headed out around 5:30pm after both of us finished work for the day and drove the long haul to Toronto. I drove the first leg, and Will drove the rest, as I hate driving in dowtown Toronto no matter what time it is!! We had just found our exit off the Gardiner Expressway (aka Don Valley Parkway - but past the CN Tower, Air Canada Centre, & Rogers Centre) and traffic practically came to a complete stop. We were all excited to find the exit and then all disappointed to see that it took 15 minutes to get to the exit. We arrived at my aunt's house after we had to walk up to a few houses to see the numbers. It was then we also discovered that her doorbell doesn't work, and I was worried that no one was home. Lucky for me, they were home and all ready for us!! We were a little tired from the drive, so we just chatted for a bit and then headed off to bed (after making somewhat of a plan for the weekend) to be prepared for the busy time ahead of us.

Saturday
We woke up and headed for breakfast at Easy which is right down the street from her house and then got ourselves a TTC daypass so we could venture around town by any form of transportation (even though it seemed like we walked more than anything else). They took us to the AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario - and it was pretty cool!! There weren't a whole lot of exhibitions open, but we saw plaster sculptures and paintings. We also picked up a little clear glass Christmas ornament in the gift shop as we are starting a collection together. After the AGO Will & I headed on the subway (Will was very excited for his first subway ride) and headed towards the Hockey Hall of Fame. When we arrived, there was a huge lineup as it was the hall-of-famers induction weekend and there were autograph signings, but Will really wanted to go, and he absolutely LOVED it!! He was like a kid in a candy store. We never ended up taking a picture with the Stanley Cup as they were cleaning up and we would've had to wait even longer after we had seen everything, so we decided to come back some other time (our next trip to Toronto, perhaps?) and get our chance with it next time. After the HHOF came the ROM - Royal Ontario Museum. We were doing all the indoor stuff as it was raining all day (including as we were travelling between places). At the ROM they had this exhibition of Italian Arts & Design and there was a lot of furniture that looked really funky!! It was so much fun, I wanted to take all the furniture home!! We also visited the Greek and African rooms before the museum closed. We picked up a souvenir at the gift shop as well, Venecian glass necklace. We started walking down Bloor street as it was night time and after realizing we were lost, popped back on a subway back into town and stopped in a cafe to figure out what was going on for dinner plans. We attempted to get into this Italian place, but there was too much of wait, so we headed down the street to a Korean restaurant and it was really good!! I was so exhausted, so we decided to call it a night and headed home (where apparently I was falling asleep on the chair).

Sunday
We headed for breakfast at The Butler's Pantry and had delicious French Toast with fresh fruit. We headed through Yorkville and checked out the chic savvy stores. It was a gorgeous day!! We headed up to the lounge of the Hyatt and got an amazing view of the city (including the CN tower and others). We were sent on our way to visit the Bata Shoe Museum which absolutely amazing and Will actually admitted that he enjoyed it!!! We headed for Queen Street to go shopping at the cute little stores, but didn't even make it past Spadina (which apparently where all the good stores are) and stopped for some lunch in a cafe called Lettieri. We would've done more shopping but on Sundays the stores close early and so we headed towards the CN Tower (as we wanted a night view). We made our way up (after getting security cleared - - the oddest thing ever) We got our picture taken - which we thought was for security purposes, but it ended up being so that you could buy the picture afterwards. We had to stand in this security cubicle where we got sprayed with air (still don't know why) which freaked me out. We went up the elevator and had our ears pop. We went outside at the top (after much coercion for Will to go out) and it was absolutely gorgeous!! All the lights (except for where there was water) would stream so far. We could see everything!! I wasn't so convinced about the glass floors, it looked cool, but I wouldn't walk on it at all. Will completely made fun of me. Apparently there is enough concrete in the CN tower to build a sidewalk from Toronto to Kingston. We went into the cafe and had a drink at the window table. It was really cool!! We headed down the elevator (with more ear-popping) and met my aunt's fiance for dinner at the Italian place we attempted to get into the other night. There was still a lineup, but we only had to wait like 10 minutes. It was a fantastic restaurant with the best, authentic Italian food. We headed home (after another exhausting day) and met up with my aunt (who had to work) and popped open the bubbly, until apparently again I was falling asleep in the chair. I also got to look at some photos of my family (great-grandfather, grandparents, aunts, my dad, etc...) and was so intrigued by the stories that my aunt would tell. I love family stories!!

Monday
We headed for breakfast at Mitzi's and the plan was to head for the rest of Queen St that we missed the other day for more shopping. We were actually taken down to the boardwalk (by the water) and checked out the outside of the Palais Royale which sits right on the water. We decided to walk a bit down the boardwalk and then head to Queen St. We walked and saw this gorgeous outdoor park (which is only open in the summer) with an outdoor pool. It's so classic and gorgeous!! We walked pretty far down and decided to postpone Queen until our next trip as we didn't want to be too worn out for the rest of the week and for the drive home. It was a nice drive home, and only a little bit of rain at the end. Steph even made us dinner (if you say ordering pizza is making dinner) for when we got home and we just collapsed and passed out.

A fantastic weekend and the house looks great!!!!!

Thoughts...

2006-11-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

... I'm heading to Toronto this weekend to visit my aunt's new Victorian house and Will's sister..... We're also heading to a few touristy spots (Hockey Hall of Fame, CN Tower, Eaton Centre, Little Italy, etc...)

... I love my new responsibilities at work, and it's hard to think that I won't be there forever (seen as how the woman I'm replacing who had brain surgery plans to be back just after Christmas)

... I have eaten too much Halloween candy seen as how we only got 4 kids (or 2 doorbells - - however you look at it) and we bought lots of candy - - - giving the ones we didn't like to Jenn & Scott, and then we ended up buying a box of 70 Hershey mixed chocolate bars on sale. All this candy is starting to make me sick!!

... I cannot wait to see all the election campaign signs are gone off all the grass!!! I haven't really been following the campaigns and I'm not exactly sure where I stand anyway... so to me, it doesn't really matter who begins the next mayor

... I can't hardly wait for the snow to come and to stay!!! It's when there's actual snow on the ground that I get into the Christmas spirit (Scott.... I need your Christmas list other than that spice rack!!) and can finally start listening to my Christmas CDs that I only pull out for less than 2 months a year

... My favourite shows this season are (brace yourself)... Gilmore Girls, Survivor, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, The Amazing Race (go Cho brothers!!!), America's Next Top Model (despite everyone hating her, Melrose is going to win), & CSI

... I know that's a lot of TV to watch, but it's pure obssession!!! Atleast The Amazing Race and America's Next Top Model will be over soon so that I can have more time to be productive with something else other than TV/couch

Snow!

2006-11-02T18:08:00.000-05:00

So, I guess today was the first official day of snow as it is actually staying on the ground today!!!

I love snow, I love walking in snow, seeing it fall, everything about snow is cool.

The one thing I don't like when it snows..... is driving!

I was on the way home today on the bus and the next thing I know the bus brakes so hard everyone is falling over each other. I see a car all smashed up next to us with the airbags bursted open. I am not sure who hit who, but that doesn't really matter. The woman who was driving was not severely hurt, just injured from the airbag and the shock. She was taken away from the accident in an ambulance.

I had to wait another 20 minutes for the next bus in the snowy cold, but compared to what the woman went through, I didn't mind. All I wanted to do was to get home. But in order to do that I had to get on 2 more busses and walk along busy streets for 10 minutes.

I don't know what it is with people on the first day of snow. But that is the day where there are the most accidents on the roads because people are just not aware of how to drive when there is moisture on the road.

Moving day.....?

2006-10-18T19:47:00.000-04:00

Moving Day is upon us again!!!

Except this time I'm not the one who is moving, thank goodness!!

Jenn & Scott will be moving in to their newly-built house this weekend and I will be there to help them (as I've moved them out and in their condo previously, and they've helped with our moves too!!)

I can't believe that their house is actually finished!! I have been visiting the house almost every week to see the progress. I've seen it when it was a hole, when the basement cement got poured, when the wall supports went up, the roof, the walls, the cabinets, the bathrooms, the basements, the hardwood floors, the carpet, the light fixtures, the granite counters, etc...

I have also been on a few shopping excursions where they would go from store to store deciding which appliances, or light fixtures, or colour of granite to get. It would take them some time to decide whether or not a light fixture had oil-brushed brass or not.

So, this weekend will be busy as the big move is slowly approaching, and I'm sure they're way more excited than I am as they now have a house to live in and are now homeowners!!!

Saunders Farm

2006-10-16T19:03:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Will, Steph, Jenn & I headed to Saunders farm in the late afternoon.

I haven't been since I was in grade school and I remembered it to be very scary. Luckily, my fears have decreased with age!!!

It was so much fun!!

We headed through the mazes before they got shut down for the night and then headed to play games, went through the haunted house and on the haunted hayride!!

One of the mazes called "the mile maze" took us like 1/2 hour just to get through it all. There were so many wrong turns done by us and backtracking and we had split up temporarily only to reunite after another wrong turn. I swear we probably walked a mile throughout the whole adventure. This is what part of the maze looked like:

There was lost of fun, lots of good food (especially BEAVERTAILS!!!) and I was very excited that it didn't rain at all while we were there, even though it rained on the way - we did get a little worried, but never turned back, thank goodness!!!

If you haven't gone yet, I recommend it -- and if you don't make it before Hallowe'en, they have lots of events going on throughout the year. Just check it out at their website.

It is finished

2006-10-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

I have finally finished reading the super long, 817-paged Anna Karenina!!!!!

I have been reading it since early July and I finished it Friday on the way to work!!!

Mind you, I have only been reading it on the bus, to and from work, which is why it took me so long to read it!!

It was a good book. Lots of drama, trauma, and very descriptive. I had to keep remembering that it took place in 19th century Russia and it took me awhile to get all the names straight as they all end in "sky" and all are princes/princesses and have like 4 different nicknames each.

I do recommend you read it if you have the patience for larger-sized books!!

Thanksgiving

2006-10-10T17:51:00.000-04:00

So, this past weekend was the Thanksgiving celebration, and I really love this time of year.

I love all the colours outside and the mild weather and the peacefullness it seems to bring.

We had our turkey dinner this year, and I must say it was quite successful!! YAY! I love having turkey, I even had it for lunch today!

After Thanksgiving, I always get into the groove of Christmas coming. There are 75 days until Christmas if you're counting (and even if you're not)!!! Christmas is my next favourite holiday after Thanksgiving. My favourites always seem to be when I get to eat turkey and spend time with family & friends. You don't really think about doing that too much, say on Victoria Day or the Civic Holiday.

So, Happy Turkey Day!!!
(and days to come...)

HOCKEY STARTS!!

2006-10-04T11:48:00.000-04:00

Hockey begins today with the 2006 Eastern Conference finalists (Buffalo & Carolina) battling against each other and the Battle of Ontario (Part I) and Dallas vs. Colorado. From here on until April 8 everyday there is hockey games and excitement with hockey pools and competitions to see how well the new players do (Malkin, Staal, Kaigorodov, etc...) and how well the newly-formed teams and coaches can work with each other.

Emptiness

2006-09-27T15:40:00.001-04:00

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!

2006-09-26T15:22:00.000-04:00

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