The Departed

WOW! You MUST see this movie! That's all I'm gonna say; see it or don't, it's up to you; like it or hate it, that's your opnion, but I recommend this movie to everyone.

I had a friend over for dinner last night (have I ever told you that I like to have people over for dinner?) and made steak (with homemade bbq sauce), asparagus and stuffed potatoes (cheese, bacon, green onion and seasoning). We drank lots of coffee, enjoyed our meal and then went to see The Departed. We left the theatre in awe of the actors who portrayed the characters so brilliantly - what a performance. We caught a trailer for a new movie coming out called 300 - I've reserved my "front seat" spot for that movie with my friend right away. We came back to my place for a drink and looked up 300 on the internet - WOW, I can hardly wait until March 9, 2007 when it comes out.

What an evening, thanks friend.

Nite out with Friends

Back on March 29 I wrote: "So I spent the evening tonight with some friends I haven't seen in a long time, and let me tell you that after all the fun we had, I don't want to wait another 6 months to do it again." Guess what? We waited SEVEN months!!! How bad is that? Don't get me wrong, most of us see each other frequently in between "nites out", but as a group, we are truly pathetic. We started to organize a bbq at Carla's way back in June, then it became August, then we tried for September, September became October and someone had to cancel out for a wedding (which turned out to be their own - Joylynn....), then October turned to November and here we are. We almost had to cancel due to freezing rain, but we braved the elements and said "fuck it, we must go NOW". We went to dinner at Moxies Kingsway, the food wasn't that great, but our server was highly appropriate for the mood we were all in. We ended up naming him "Paco the Cabana boy", turned him bright red a few times and even had him speechless once or twice. Unfortunately for us (and maybe fortunately for him) his last night at the restaurant was that week, he said he was going to knock door to door to raise money and awareness for World Vision or something like that (ask Lynn, she can tell you all about it, she's very passionate about such things). I haven't laughed that hard since the last time we all went out. Isn't it nice that friends can do that to/for one another? That's why it's important to stay in touch and go out frequently. Girls, I say we plan for every second month - a standing date, and we take turns picking the restaurant. What do you say????

39 and holding (or so they say)

This was kind of what my dessert looked like at the restaurant tonight - thanks Glenn! Today was my 39th birthday, and it was a really nice day. I went to my new job, which I still enjoy immensely, had Tim Horton's for breakfast, lunch in the sun with my friend Sheri (even though she didn't know it was my birthday - bag!) and dinner at the Moose Factory with Karen and her new husband Eric, my friend Amanda and Glenn. It was really nice. We had a wonderful dinner, a few drinks, a relaxing coffee (ok, well, maybe 5 or 6 coffee), and then some yummy ice cream dessert that had sparklers on it (thanks Glenn, you know you will pay for that, don't you?!) At least they didn't jump on the chairs, clap out some horrendous rhyme and sing an off-key version of happy birthday! Thanks everyone for making my day special.

Loooong Time

It's been a very long time since I last posted...partly 'cuz I've been to bloody busy, and partly 'cuz I've been too freakin' lazy. So here I am. No promises on how often I'm going to post, no promises on quality or content, no promises on anything. Sorry. I've come to learn that promises mean nothing, deals mean nothing, and time spent is time wasted...for some people at least. Here's where I'm going with this - I changed jobs this week. Yup, I left KN. I started at CH on Tuesday. MAN! What a difference!!! I went from 2 weeks vacation to 4 weeks (plus 5 personal days), 4 sick days to 18 sick days, 50% co-pay on ABHC to 75%, and last but not least $8000 more a year to start! SEE! BIG difference! And that's just the start. The benefits package is much better (and cheaper), there's a pension, there's merit increases on top of cost of living, and just the whole environment is just generally better. When I put in my notice a few people said they weren't surprised, a few people were shocked, but for the most part, no one cared. I went out on such a low note, my boss didn't even offer to spring for my going away lunch, which I pretty much had to plan myself. What a shame. I feel like the last 4 years of my life there were unappreciated, unrecognized and completely wasted. I had to go out of my way to contact HO to let them know what my duties were for fear that no one would know what I did there, 'cuz as far as I could tell, no one here at branch level gave a ratz arse that there was no one being trained to fill the role. The people at HO were very appreciative of my efforts, and sadly disappointed that it had to come to that. What a sad place to work. WhooooHoooo....FREEDOM!!!! There are now FOUR people who used to work at KN that now work at CH...all within the last year - how telling is that? See ya soon...

Pool Tournament

Today marks the beginning of the end - the end of this year's pool season that is. We played for 27 weeks to find out who's who in the division, now we get to play for 5 days to find out who's who in the city. Our team didn't win a trip from the division (we miss Adam!), but we have a chance to do some damage this week and hopefully win a wild card (wish us luck!). We didn't play that shit hot during the season, but when it comes to tournament play I think we become a different group of people and we seem to find that 'next gear' and kick it pretty hard - look out, 'cuz here comes the Dirty Magic!

Water Facts

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. The thirst mechanism in 37% of adults is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters.
5. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Water

Make sure you drink at least 8 - 8 oz. glasses of water per day. The rule of thumb is, for every 50 pounds of body weight you carry, drink one litre of bottled (spring or filtered) water per day.

Water helps in:
· Lubricating and cushioning your joints
· Removing toxins from your body as you heal
· Aiding in your circulation
· Helping control your body's temperature
· Keeping your skin healthy

Our bodies are mostly water, and so this ongoing intake of water is essential to our every function. Drink the appropriate amounts, and everything will function at optimal levels. Don't drink enough water, and over the short term you will experience routine fatigue, dry skin, headaches and constipation; over the longer term, every body function will degrade more quickly.

Drink water at room temperature, if possible, as ice-cold water can harm the delicate lining of your stomach.

Evening with Friends

So I spent the evening tonight with some friends I haven't seen in a long time, and let me tell you that after all the fun we had, I don't want to wait another 6 months to do it again. We went to Lynn's house for a fondue - Sheri, Joylynn, Carla and myself - now, for those of you who have never been to a fondue, it's quite a social activity. We sat around and chopped veggies & fruit, sliced beef & chicken, cut cake & donuts, and drank a lot of wine. We had a traditional oil fondue, a cheese fondue AND a chocolate fondue. What a feast! We kept saying to each other "look at all this food", but by the time the night was over most of the food was gone...and so was the wine! A fondue is a great opportunity to get together and chat about this or that, gossip about various things, and just basically relax and enjoy each other's company. We laughed over the silliest things (Lynn, I promise I won't put your "almost got laid" story on here), and just basically had a really good time. Lynn, thank you for the evening, I enjoyed it thoroughly, but next time you should come to mine & Carla's side of town...but you may have to pick Sheri up on the way...haha! Carla, you might be on the hook to "hostess" the event if I can't send the dogs on a sleepover...unless I can convince Joy that they're really two tiny little lap dogs ... LOL!

Time

...funny how there never seems to be enough of it anymore. I always end up with too many things to do and not enough time to get them all done before I hit the pillow in a completely exhausted state, only to get not-enough-sleep, wake up and start the same riga-marole all over again the next day. Between job #1, job #2, home based business, cooking & cleaning, housework, laundry, pets and "me time" (what little of it there is) 24 hours just isn't enough(Clooner, I don't know how Jack Bauer does it)!!! I can remember when I was a kid, it seemed like FOREVER before next week would roll around for the next peewee softball game, but now...it's like 'where the hell did the whole season go, didn't we only start last week'??? I need about 20 or so more hours in a week - can anyone arrange that for me? I want to fit in so many more things, but there's nothing I can drop to make room...and for someone who is as highly organized as me, it is very frustrating that I can't make it all work!

Pool "Players"

Why is it when you call a "Hail Mary" shot and atually almost make it, people (usually people who THINK they can play) say shit like "holy, I can't believe that almost went", or "wow, that would have been lucky"??? How long have you been playing pal? I saw the shot, I called the shot, and I almost made the damn shot - you should be in awe you nit-wit! Yeah it would have been nice to make the shot (I'm talking taking the cue ball off two rails, kicking the 8 and caroming it off another ball across the table into the side pocket - I came a little less than 3" short of the side pocket), but the fact that I saw it and called it should be enough to make your head spin when you can't even pot more than 3 balls in a row on any given day! If you can't recognize a how difficult that shot is to even attempt you should go back to Fun League and leave the big games to the real players!

Snow

25 centimetres...that's what the weatherman is calling for! I think the last time I checked there was about 3 feet out there, and that's after shovelling for 1/2 hour - thank frank my sidewalk is only about 8 feet long! I had to work this morning at 7am, so about 6:15 I called a taxi, thinking they'd need some extra time, what with the roads and all...at 10 after 7 I still hadn't got past the damn busy signal for about 8 different taxi companies so I figured I'd better start hoofin' it. I pulled out my big-ass snowmobile boots and my warmest mittens and bundled up as best I could, cranked my ipod and headed out into the blizzard. Remember, at 7am there isn't a whole lot of traffic, so "trodding" takes on a whole new meaning at this point. It took about 1/2 hour, and by the time I got there my legs were like jelly! I walk my dogs every morning, so it's not like walking is a new thing, but in this much snow it becomes quite a challenge. Glenn was the absolute best today - after standing for 8 hours at work, when the taxi company told me it was going to be up to a 2 hour wait he gave me a ride home - thanks Glenn! It snowed all day while I was at work, so any shovelling I had previously done was completely for naught, but at some point during the day my neighbour borrowed my shovel to do her walks and kindly did mine as well - thanks Theresa! Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket today...

Creating Links

HOLY COW! Who'da thought it'd be so damn hard to create a link to something? Thanks to Bree I FINALLY got her blog and her pics linked to my blog, but what an ordeal! Then I decided to try and create my own pic site and then link it as well...well, let me tell you, it was sure easier the second time around. I don't know much about flickr, but I managed to get some photos uploaded to it and then linked that site to my blog. All I have are some pics from Vegas last year...nothing like Bree's eleventy thousand pics she has, but as soon as I get my camera back from my sis I'll be able to shoot some shots of the beasts that live under the stairs and get them on too. Slowly but surely I am getting into this whole 'online' thing...wish me luck.

Memory Lapse

Weatherman! That was the name of the other movie we watched the other night! As Mel pointed out...it wasn't that memorable of a movie, so no wonder I didn't remember the name. Mel is kinda nice that way - she won't come out and actually SAY that I'm a retard 'cuz I can't remember a movie I just watched, she'll say something nice 'cuz she's a nice girl...

Pool

LOVE pool...LOVE to win...but I GOTTA have fun doing it. If you can't have fun (win or lose), DON'T PLAY! I hate poor sports and sore losers. I'm as competitive as the next person, but I don't go throwing my cues around when I miss a shot or lose a game. Buddy!...it's only a game, it's not life or death - chill out, you're not going to win them all...GUARANTEED.

Dinner Guests

Had my brother and his girlfriend (my friend & hairdresser) Mel over for dinner and movies on Saturday. We had lemon/garlic stuffed chicken, steamed butter/pepper asparagus, garlic/dill baked beets and Tuscan roasted potatoes...and smarties for dessert. YUMMY! We watched North Country and something else (I'm losing my mind - I can't for the life of me remember what else we watched...don't ya HATE that!?). Mel, help me out here...what was the other movie??? North Country was good - not quite what I expected, but then again, I'm not sure what I was expecting...maybe something along the lines of Silkwood?

Harry Potter

I watched the Goblet of Fire today, and I must say, the ending is a little too anti-climactic for all the huffin' and puffin' that came before, and now we have to wait how long for the next one, that MAY tie up all the loose ends? I don't know, maybe I expected too much from this one.

Pets

Pets are a wonderful thing - take mine for instance, (for those of you who have met them, you will understand exactly what I am talking about) they have developed amazing personalities in the few years they've been with me. I got my cat Indy in 1999; just a regular grey tabby cat, but what a character. She'll be lying in front of the heat register having a nap and then all of a sudden flip over 3 feet in the air and land staring at you with the most bizzare look on her little face, and you just know that if she could speak she'd say something like "what'd ya do THAT for?!" My border collie Willow came along in 2001 - she's so smart and SO full of energy, but such a 'mama's girl'...she follows me around from room to room afraid I'll disappear if she's not watching constantly. Six months later came my sandy colored shepherd Jazz - gorgeous dog, but not too equipped in the brains department. Put the three together and you have quite a handfull, but I wouldn't trade them for all the Tim's in Canada! They're growing up fast, but at least unlike children, they won't feel the need to move out and be on their own any time soon.