Kross-Eyed Kitty

My home assignment. University. Week one.

2010-09-22T21:23:00.000-04:00

Hi! My name is Ramona. I graduated from GBC in 1989 and have been working at Sunnybrook for the better part of those years. I have pretty much moved around all of the trauma areas in Sunnybrook and am currently the Clinical Educator for PeriAnesthesia.
I thought about starting my degree in 1990, 1995, 2000, and now that I am mid-career, in an educator position, I've realized that I've got to keep up with the young ones. Where did 20 years go?!
Like S., I also do not think that I need a BScN to be a great nurse. A nursing teacher once told my clinical group: "The best advice I can give you, is to BE the nurse you would want taking care of you." I have been that nurse, because it meant something to me to prove my knowledge and ability at making someone as comfortable as they could possible be. I have always focused on the practical and emotional part of nursing, because that it the kind of person that I am.
Last week, I was reminded of what my nursing school teacher once told me.
And I realized that I would want the nurse taking care of me to be the one who made the effort to learn more.

An Update

2010-04-23T23:25:00.002-04:00

I feel like blogging tonight, and gosh it's been a long time. Life is pretty good and I can't complain...and no one wants to hear the complaints anyway, right? Right.
Since the new year, I suppose that there are things that have changed, some for the good, some for the bad...but all in all, things are about a 7/10.
Greg is still not working which kind of sucks, but i some ways, (dare I say it) is kind of nice. The dogs are taken care of, the house is tidy, the groceries are done, and usually, when I ask for things to be done, they are. There really is a not a lot that I need to do when I get home, dinner is ready, there is a glass of wine poured and things are pretty peaceful. I realize that this is not an ideal situation, and GOD I hope that he finds a job soon...but I have to find a silver lining somewhere, right? Right?! Someone please agree with me.
In February I went to Costa Rica with my mom and my friend Ali. We actually had a really good time. Not crazy wild, but fun nonetheless. My mom and I got along very well except for one night when she was being 'honest' and told me that she would never consider Greg a part of her family. Whatever.
Ali is probably the most confident woman I know and just struts her stuff. She convinced all 190 lbs of me to wear a bikini! Yikes!!! But you know what? I had a great time, and, although I spent a lot of the holiday with my shoulders under the water, I figured out that it really doesn't matter. There are lots of people with different figures, people still talked to me, and I had a great time!
Saying that...I joined Weight Watchers again for the 18th time the week after I got back! I've lost a bit of weight, and am moving a bit more, but I will allow myself to do this slowly on my own terms.
My little sister-in-law Adriana moved in with us about a month ago.Things have gone from bad to worse with 2-4 and a decision was made between Greg, older SIL, me, Adriana and her psychiatrist that it would be in her best interest to move in with us. To be honest, she has been an absolute doll. She finished school, and got herself a job a 5 minute walk away as a dental assistant.   Seriously, she is (so far) a really nice, 20 year old girl who appreciates the break she has been given. 2-4 is not speaking to any of us, I haven't spoken to her since boxing day (not because I'm mad or anything...I just don't want to listen to her shit on everyone.) Anyway, I am really liking having my 20 year old SIL living here. She is really quiet so I was able to watch 3 episodes of CSI tonight and...ummm...I kind of forgot that she was here!  She lets us know when she won't be home, and to be honest, the only thing I care about is that she is safe, and learning to be responsible for her actions.
I know her mom is hurt that she is living here, but I can't help feeling she was holding Adriana back in order to keep her 'disabled'. I know it sounds sick, but that's the way it is.
Mr. Mao is still a darling and roams the neighbourhood, sucking up to all the students on their way to school, and to all the elderly folks keeping busy picking dandelions. The Dutchess is also still prowling for food, sleeping, peeing, and prowling for more food. a few months ago Greg and I talked about putting her to sleep but neither of us had the heart. She's still OK, and since we've invested in pee-pads, she's happy, and so are we.
Buddy and Laila are the best of friends and I can't remember what it was like to be in this house without them. They are such good natured dogs, and I can only imagine how much people love their kids, because my heart aches when I am with them.   They make me so happy!
I am a bit on the outs with my neighbour Audrey, but I admit, that is partly my doing. It drives me crazy when people are always telling me over and over and over and over and over and over and over again what I should do. And when I don't want to live by her schedule apparently that is looked down upon. Oh. Well.
Work is going well. Work is actually about an 8.5/10. I've been pushing it, and going to work at 9am. I leave around 5:30/6.   But apparently coming in at 9 means that I don't take my job seriously. Actually, it means that I am going to work well rested and capable of doing my work while I am there. I have been asked by the Director of Nursing Practice to co-chair the monthly meeting of the educators at the hospital, which is kind of funny because I am fairly certain that I am the least educated of the bunch! I do plan to take a masters level course in September. (not that I really want to)
OK, that's it for my update.
Ciao for now.

Done for now...

2009-12-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

...but I know where to find the ones I've connected with. You know who you are.

I may be back some time in the future, but for now I don't feel connected to my blog anymore.

~Kross-Eyed Kitty~

2009-06-28T13:16:00.002-04:00

Michael Jackson beat to his own drum, but no matter what, his songs were truly danceable and everybody had a good time. Thanks for the music.
Check THIS out to see just how much people all over the world enjoyed dancing to him. It's kind of funny (ok, a lot!) but I think it makes my point.
RIP MJ.

Portugal

2009-06-19T07:43:00.000-04:00

Yikes.
It's been too long.
Click on the pic for some photos taken in Portugal. These ones were taken in Lisbon and environs. The lighthouse, cliff and sunset photos were taken at the most western tip of Europe. The custard tarts are my new favourite dessert (breakfast, lunch and dinner...anytime is a good time!) We also visited Sintra, an old walled town. Belem tower and Lisbon city gateway as well as some artsy ones of fuchia flowers and murano glass chandalier in a palace we went to.

Short entry...but I need to get back into blogging. Will try to do a big, juicy entry on the weekend.

Happy Eastern!

2009-04-12T14:11:00.003-04:00

My Dad could never get it right...he always thought it was Happy Eastern (not Easter!) It's an on-going little joke now, but a nice way to remember him.

It's been a nice weekend. Saturday I cleaned up the backyard and got the vegetable garden area tidied up. It was a lot of work, but very satisfying. I am planning to plan what we are going to plant while we are away. This time next week, we will be in Lisbon! I am so excited, and can't wait to see new places. We are renting a car and driving up the coast from Lisbon to Porto. No plans in Portugal other than getting in the car and driving! We will go wherever the wind blows us. Our first 4 nights in Lisbon are busy with the conference I'm attending, but they have tours and dinner plans arranged for us every night, and Greg is included in those plans. I'm really looking forward to it. Last year, they held the conference at Hilton Head which was also really amazing.

We are ending our two week vacation with 3 nights in Paris and 1 night in Vienna. Those hotel rooms are booked already, and there are great reviews written up about them. I'm hoping that they will be as good as people say because the rooms were only $100 CDN a night, which is pretty cheap by European standards, I believe. The hotel we are staying in in Paris is in Montmarte and 100 metres from the Moulin Rouge. Expect to see a few pics of the windmill! I think we are going to splurge and go to the show while we are there. Why not?!

Today Greg and I took the dogs to the beach today for a long walk. OMG did they love it! They both went swimming Lake Ontario, in fact little Laila took her first little dog paddle all by herself! Needless to say, both dogs were soaked and smelled quite fragrant. They seemed to like the way they smelled, but I think both knew that they were in for a bath as they tried to hide under the coffee table the second we got home. Two dogs in the shower and a lot of shaking led to a very wet bathroom, but at least everyone smells better now. I found a pink rock that I will add to my garden edge, but it did look prettier when it was wet. Never mind, I will call it my Easter Rock.

We are heading over to Greg's Dad's place for Easter dinner. I'd much rather hang out at home, but that's not going to happen. We can't bring the dogs with us, because Greg's step-Nona has an artificial leg and is afraid the the dogs will knock it off! That would stir up some excitement, wouldn't it?! Amazing Audrey will dog-sit for us this afternoon, and may even stay at our place to make cards. I have turned our dining room table into a card making studio and we've been having fun just gabbing and making cards. I'll try to post some this week, because they really are quite pretty.

My brother is one person who actually buys items from infomercials. I don't know why he does this, but he has bought a Doctor Ho (electrical massage!) and breathalyzers, and a bunch of other stuff. His latest purchase was for my Mom's birthday: Smooth Away: Removes Hair Instantly and Pain Free! Discovered in Europe! (but made in China) Gently Exfoliate While Removing Hair! No Pain. No Chemical. No Razor Burn. "But wait!!!! Buy one now, and for absolutely free, you will get a second package. Ab-so-lu-tly Free!" So he bought it, and 8 packages arrived.

He gave me one, and, I have to tell you....it's phenomenal! No word of a lie. I have not shaved my legs all winter, and within a matter of minutes my legs are as smooth as anything! I went a little crazy and also attacked my upper lip, and my beard and also my peach-fuzzy cheeks. Hair....GONE! Who knows what will happen once the hair starts growing back, but for now, I am giving it a 10/10.

That's it. I wish you all a wonderful Easter Sunday. I hope you got out and enjoyed the day following old traditions, or inventing new ones.

Pupsie Doosie and Pupsie Doosie Twosie

2009-04-08T10:45:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted any pictures of my babies. Remember how little Laila was when we first got her? She was all of 8lbs and smaller than the cats. She used to love to sleep in the cat baskets in the window and although she is now the same size as Buddy, she somehow still manages to sqeeze herself in! She is a funny little thing and has quirky ears...I guess it's her party-trick. One day her left ear will be pointing straight up, the next her right ear, and then she'll be in the mood where they are both up. Lately she prefers just to have her right ear at attention. We are lucky in that all of our pets get along so well. Buddy and Laila are best of friends and they are always side by side. Wherever Buddy goes, Laila is not too far behind. In fact, usually she is hanging on to his collar so we won't run too far ahead.

They have a ton of nicknames, but they often get Pupsie Doosie and Pupsie Doosie Twosie. No idea how I thought this up. It just happened.

For a bigger pic, click!

2009-04-06T21:28:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day and my first outside cleaning up my front garden. I just love getting my hands all dirty. I worked up a sweat, and lobster-boy Greg got a slight burn on his face.
In the middle of the night I woke up because Mr. Mao wasn't in his usual spot under my right armpit. I'm so used to this sleep position and have never squished the little guy yet. Anyway, I woke up and thought it was strange that he wasn't there so I went looking for him. Poor little guy was outside on the kitchen window ledge and looking just a little cold. The weather had changed from a balmy spring day, to a freezing rain mess! I opened the kitchen door to let him in, but he didn't want to get any wetter than he already was. Rather than go out into the sleet myself, I spent 5 minutes figuring out how to get the screen out of the kitchen window. Mr. Mao was saved!
I brought him back to bed, and he snuggled under my arm, purring so loud it took me a while to get back to sleep.
This morning, the winter wonderland had returned.
That was the shortest summer EVER!

2009-04-03T13:33:00.002-04:00

It's a grey, rainy day today and I'd like nothing better than to be at home in my jammies snuggling with a couple of furry creatures. Instead, I am at work, but with the door closed and have just finished a chicken club wrap and a gigantic serving of fries and am now looking at my blouse and admiring the stretch-satin across my belly---pulled to it's maximus maxim. Add to that a hot flash that is causing sweat to pool above and below my lips and at the nape of my neck, and you've got one hot lady. Not. Oh well....one of these years I will pull myself together. Maybe.
What's new here? Not much. Just the benign day to day stuff. One of our neighbours, who we called Chatty Cathy behind her back, has moved. And, I'm glad. Sometimes I think I'm not really as nice as I think I am, or other people might think I am. Chatty is the kind of woman who talks non-stop, and it's all about her and her job. What's gone on in her day, what one student said to the other student, how one of her boy needs to wear deodorant, blah blah blah. If ever I dared to mention something about my job, she'd immediately interrupt me and say "Oh ya, it's just like today when one of my kids...." About a year ago I stopped going for the evening dog walk with the ladies because I couldn't stand to listen to her. She has a Sheppard that would run up to people barking and snarling and then instead of disciplining her dog, she'd tell the person it was their fault because of their body language. Like...I think I'd be afraid if a big German Sheppard came running at me and my body language wouldn't exactly be warm and welcoming. One time we were in the middle of dinner, with guests over, so walking the dogs at the usual time was not on our agenda. She marched through the house with her dog and kid and hung out in the backyard while we ate. It was the middle of winter and pitch black outside. 10 minutes later she let herself back in, sat down on the couch and waited for us to finish eating, the whole while monopolizing the conversation. What kind of person does this?
Every evening I'd be thinking in my head : "shut up...just shut the F up!" I secretly wished that she would move....And my wish came true! The only thing, is now we have no more stories to tell about them, and there were sooooo many of them. It isn't just her who is annoying, but she is married to the ultimate Dufus who I'm sure can't even tie his own shoes. I'm pretty sure I noticed Velcro straps on his sneakers.

One of our other neighbours, J is an ex-Biker dude. They had a dog named Farley, a beautiful golden retriever and J would walk the dog up and down the street about 10 times a day. The whole neighbourhood knew him, and talked about him. See, J is a big guy and never, ever, and I mean NEVER! picked up after Farley. When the snow started melting a month ago, it was really noticeable, and you know...big dogs have big poos. I was ticked off too, but at the same time I knew that some of the littler poos might have belonged to my dogs because, lets face it, when you have 4 feet of snow you can't always find what the pups left behind. I took it upon myself to clean up all the street poo that I could see, and it filled an entire grocery bag. Just as I was finishing up, J's son-in-law came out of the house with Farley. Great timing! Very nicely I walked over to him and explained the situation, including that the neighbours were upset. I was told put the bag by J's door and that they would have a talk with him. Later that day, J's daughter came knocking at my door, very apologetic and embarrassed. I assured her that no one had a problem with J or Farley, but that it wasn't right that he wasn't cleaning up the mess. She then went on to tell me that she knew that it had been a problem and had spoken to him before, but that they were having so many issues with J's own cleanliness and behaviour in the house that she can't handle it anymore. She then told me that J had signed the house over to them with the agreement that he would live in the basement, rent-free. He has no other place to go. The things people I don't even know tell me!
Fast forward a few weeks and J is seen walking up and down the street 10 times a day, but with no Farley. He's also lost about 30 pounds. Turns out that his daughter decided the best thing to do would be do give Farley up for adoption, so she took him to a shelter. Luckily, the dog is fairly young and was adopted quickly. Initially I felt really, really guilty about this and thought it was my fault. I should have just kept my mouth shut and J would still have his dog. When I asked J what happened, he only said that his daughter thought it was the best thing to do.
Greg spoke to the daughter a few days ago. Turns out that there were a few reasons why they had to get rid of the dog. J wasn't taking proper care of him, but also Farley had bitten their young son a few times and they didn't trust the dog anymore.

My neighbour to the right of my house recently brought her 93 year old husband home from the hospital. He is a man who believes in naturopathy and up until this year, has never taken prescribed medication in his life. Now he is taking medication for atrial fibrillation and is convinced it will be the death of him! The other night, V knocked at our door and asked if I could come over to witness the signing of some legal documents. Turns out, that he never had a Power of Attorney nor a Will! Now that's positive thinking!
Poor V has had a hard time of it lately. She is a collector of anything and everything. She finds a use for it all. She collects clothing and arranges for it to be sent to Third World countries. She collects household wares, books, children's toys and saves it all for the Church Bazaar. Every time I had something to go to the Goodwill, all I had to do was bring it over to her carport. Needless to say, her house was chock a block full! Over the past few weeks, her children have been over and emptying out her house of all of this stuff they consider garbage. I have to admit, it was pretty hard talking to V (who is 81) while she had tears running down her face, thinking of all this good stuff going to waste. The truth was, her house was so full, that when the ambulance team came to get her husband to go to the hospital, they had to be careful to stay on the path between the living room and bedroom. It was pretty bad. I had only ever been over there once before, but it did look like hoarders lived there.
I hadn't intended for this to be all about my neighbours, and truthfully, maybe I'm even being a bit like Chatty....just going on and on.
But it has been nice hiding out in my office. I might even sneak out early today!

One month later...

2009-03-25T20:10:00.002-04:00

I feel like I'm almost always apologizing for this blog every time that I make an entry.
No more apologies...it's my blog, if you happen to read it...that's great! Sigh.
Things aren't good with Greg's job, and without getting into things too much, let's just say things are pins and needles. I don't like being Negative Nellie or turning a headache into a tumour, but it's a little too close for comfort. I know it sounds very Sopranos, but Greg knows too much and they are trying to force him out. It's not a huge deal in terms of political politics, but internally, it's pretty huge. Enough said.
Work for me is good. I'm thinking that I'm not going to complain about anything because I have a job, and for the time being, a safe job. I've been thinking about joining an agency just in case, but I'm jumping the gun. The funny thing is, I think I'm more upset about this than Greg is. I am most definitely NOT an A-type personality but I can't help worrying. I know so many people who have lost their jobs.

It's kind of a strange time, because we have planned a trip. It coincides with a work conference in Lisbon and as much as I'm stressed out about things, I can't wait to get away. I want to run away, but I know that's not going to happen. We have 4 nights accommodation in Lisbon, a car in Portugal, 3 nights in Montmarte, Paris, and 1 night in Vienna. We plan to wing the accommodations in Portugal after Lisbon. There. I've planned our trip!

All in all...if I had to rate how things are going...its...6/10

2009-02-26T19:44:00.003-05:00

I spent the day today at a workshop that discussed data tools and analysis. Far out of the realm of bedside nursing, but all in all, I learned a lot that can be applied to the job I'm doing now. One of the good things about this position, is that I am actually encouraged to go to Organizational Development workshops, and now I actually have the time to go. Frontline nursing only has the oppportunity to go to these kinds of workshops on their days off...and who in their right mind would want to head to the hospital on a day off?! I've made a point of going to as many workshops as possible, conflict management and resolution, effect change management, giving and receiving feedback, teaching the adult learner...lots. I may only have another 6 months left of this job, so I think I'm going to make the most of it. As much as I have days that I'm frustrated, and think about going back to the bedside, I also know that I've learned so much and am only now starting to understand how to put it all together. I think for a newbie Educator, I've done a fairly decent job, and definitely nothing to be ashamed of. I cover 6 areas which is a very large group of nurses, and my position extends far beyond educating.

Anyway, enough about work. I think I'm feeling good about it today because the workshop was really helpful.

Have I mentioned before that I am not a morning person? Most days, I can be up and out of the house in half an hour, 45 minutes if I have to have a shower. This morning was one of those half hour mornings (well, more like 25 minutes, and every minute DOES count!) I was racing around and threw on a sweater that was not too wrinkled that had been lying on a bedroom chair.

I got to the workshop on time, but when I finally caught my breath, I looked down and realized that I had enough hair on my sweater to knit another pet! OMG! 2 dogs and 4 cats shedding their winter fur, and it was all on my sweater! Thankfully, it was cream coloured, so it wasn't quite as noticeable, but even I thought it was gross. I started picking the fur out, but then I thought if I just left it alone, maybe people would think it was part of the fabric...

Yeesh.

After work today, Aud and I went to Goodwill. They were having a 50% off sale, and the place was packed! I scored 4 cobalt blue wine glasses for 75 cents each, 2 yello pyrex serving dishes, and a book by Emily Giffin called Baby Proof that I had been looking for. Small things, but I felt good buying something that didn't cost a lot of money. Actually, I didn't even pay for it, Aud did as we carpool with my car and I refuse to take gas money from her. I am very glad that I've found a friend who loves Goodwill as much as I do! We have spent quite a few Saturdays going from one to another.

2009-02-18T22:55:00.003-05:00

This week, my mom and bro are off to Costa Rica for 2 weeks.
Seems like my mom has found a new travel partner?! Uh...ya.
I could have gone, but it seems like I have a job.
Am I bitter? No...not really.
Everything comes with a price...right?
Anyway, Greg and I do have a vacation planned. It corresponds with a work conference and Greg is tagging along this year! We are going to Portugal! We leave the middle of April and are gone for two weeks. We figure we'll spend 5 days in Lisbon (3 days of which I'm at a conference) and then head north up the coast to Porto and then spend af ew days in Spain. Afterwhich (is that a word?!) we go to Paris for 3 days and Vienna for 1 day. It'll be a busy vacation, but I'm looking forward to being away.

I've been hanging out on Facebook a bit more lately and have gotten in touch with some people I've known in a past life, it's been fun actually. People I've known from public school, high school and from when I lived overseas. I think this is such a good thing, mostly because in my younger years I was so shy and self-conscious it's been a real eye-opener to realize that maybe I wasn't so different after all. Have you 3 readers been on Facebook yet? (Pez, I know that you are there!) It's a nice distraction, and I totally recommend it, even though I'm not on it everyday.

Anyhow, I've been wanting to enter something on this Blogthing of mine, so this is it.
Work is good.
The puppies are the light in my life (other than Greg and the kitties of course!)
I do have things to rant about, but I'm thinking I should save that for when I'm in a ranting mood.
Till then!

2009-01-21T21:35:00.002-05:00

I am so happy that Barack Obama is the new President. I kind of feel like Canada has a new President! Our countries are so close...and yet so different. Is it safe to say that Obama reminds me of a Canadian? Hope I didn't offend anybody out there..but he just seems so....nice.

Things have been good around here. I am car-pooling with awesome Audrey...it was her idea to get me to work on time. That part is working, but poor Aud has to wait for me to pick her up and I am having a bit of trouble getting out of work on time. Thankfully, she is the patient sort who doesn't mind waiting a few extra minutes.

I have been very productive at work these past few days, and have been the chair of a few committees which is something new for me. I've decided to recruit various nurses in my areas into these committees to make them accountable for some of the changes and challenges that are going on. I figure that if they are in on the team decisions, that it might cut down on the complaints. It's a new way of doing things, but I'm hoping it will attract people's attention. I am going to ask different nurses for each new initiative. So far, so good.

My mom and brother went to Mexico last week. I was going to blog about it, but at the time I was so pissed that I'm not sure that it would have made sense. My brother basically came by on the Sunday night with his two cats, and said he and mom were going to Mexico the next day. I basically lost my nut, had a few too many glasses of wine (and SHRIEK!!!!) even smoked a couple of cigarettes with Aud. Anyway, I got over that. My mom offered to take me on a vacation next month, but I told her that I wouldn't feel comfortable going without Greg, because he needs a vacation too.
Two-Four spent the weekend with us last weekend. She's nuts.
Little SIL was accepted into a private college for Dental Hygiene Assistant. Little SIL is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but honestly, she's never been given a chance because 2-4 has always told her that she's disabled and "can't do that." The whole Freakin' weekend 2-4 talked about how she was worried that Little SIL wouldn't be able to do the course until finally we couldn't take it anymore. Everybody was yelling...I went to bed.
Some things, I really don't want to get involved with.

My mom called me at work today which is strange because she never calls me, and especially not at work. Turns out that her 88 year old friend was in the ICU at my hospital and she was wondering if I could find out what was going on. I have connections, so of course I was able to talk to his nurse. Poor man had already passed on by the time I arrived, but I was able to go and say goodbye to him on behalf of my mom. Now my mom is all depressed thinking that he was only 17 years older and her time is coming to an end. All I could think of to say was " you've got good genes...your mother lived to see 94. Don't worry...you'll be around to torture me for a long time!" Thankfully, I made her laugh.

2009-01-13T13:26:00.007-05:00

Shhhh....I'm at work...and I'm blogging!

I've closed my door, turned on the radio, just finished my Swiss Chalet lunch and decided that I was in the mood to blog.

Some NY Resolutions I'm still managing. My upstairs is not too bad, I can clean up within half an hour.

Audrey and Darrell have been over a few nights for dinner as they are in the process of doing some DIY Reno's to their kitchen. They have the exact same house as ours, but the layout is opposite. Strangely, I can never figure out exactly where I'd be in my house when I'm in hers because of all the Reno's done to both homes over the last 60 years. Anyway.

Audrey has this great idea of how to get me to work on time in the morning. Anyone who knows me, know that I am not a morning person. I snooze for at least a half an hour and then Greg has to sic the dogs on me. I am given a bath of kisses every morning by 2 dogs and a cat. Dutchess is a licker in the morning when she is hungry. So today we tried Audrey's great idea: I drive her to work in the morning. Her place of employment is on my way (pretty much) but despite leaving 15 minutes earlier than I normally would have, I STILL arrived late! The roads were bad this morning so I'm sure that had something to do with it, but we might have to leave a bit earlier. It's a little strange carpooling, especially in the morning. I like listening to the radio: the news, the song of the day, and the ticket-blitz contest. Audrey likes to talk. I missed it all! And since I was trying to listen to the radio, I'm not 100% of all of her conversation, either! I am going to either have to turn u0p the radio, or ask her not to talk. Either way...I'm wondering how long the car-pooling is going to last. Audrey is an early bird, up at 5:15, out with her dogs, and then leaves for work at 7am to hang out at Wallymart for an hour and then arrives at work at 8:20. There is no way in hell that I'll be doing any of that nonsense! She is desperately trying to get me into the habit of walking the dogs really early in the morning, she even got me a snood for Christmas so I would be nice and warm.

Here is my dog-walking get-up (please keep in mind that it is minus 20 degrees Celsius, which has got to be close to zero Fahrenheit)

I wore this to work today, minus the snood. I'm secretly hoping that someone will contact What Not To Wear and nominate me. Nonetheless, I was warm on my way to work, and walking the puppies.

People who know me from a former life, would never recognize me.

2009-01-07T21:07:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

So far, so good.

I believe that I have kept 2 resolutions.

I am not only starting to clean my house room by room...but I am keeping the rooms clean!

We are really tight on $ right now, so we have been making do with whatever is in our cupboards, fridge and freezer. I've even found sample pet food and have discovered that The Duchess likes puppy food. Who knew?? At 16, she can eat what she wants!

I've been journaling my WW, even though I'm not attending meetings. I figure I can save myself $600...god knows I could probably teach the classes, I've attended so many.

I have kept my wine consumption under control this week, and have probably saved myself three bottles of wine so far. Not saying that I've quit...just saying I'm keeping tabs.

I've decided that I want to start work at 9:00am, and so that is my aim. I leave at 6pm no matter what time I go in and get paid for 7.5 hours. I figure that while I'm at work, I'm going to work hard, but since I'm not getting paid any extra time, I am more than happy getting to work at a time that works for me. I will make exceptions for meetings or whatever, but I am not going to be made to feel bad for coming in to work last every morning. (This was something that was making me feel bad...) As far as I'm concerned, my job requires flex hours to be available for evening shift workers, as needed.

Enough about work.

The holidays were good. My cousin Roland is my only 1st cousin. He, and his 16 year old daughter, Johanna, came to visit for two weeks. They stayed with my mom but I spent a lot of time with them. I have to admit, I really, really liked Johanna. I think that she is similar to the kind of girl I wish I had been at 16. She's very confident with who she is. She likes being different from everybody else, without being totally weird. She's not afraid to speak up, and yet she knows how not to be rude about it. She is who she is, and she seems like such a non-neurotic teenager. Which is pretty amazing considering that her step-mother is also her aunt and has been since she was a fetus at 5 months (I'll let you figure that one out!)

Anyway, it was fun hanging out with a cool 16 yr old girl who likes shopping in thrift stores. See where I'm going here? The girl came all the way to Canada to go shopping in THRIFT stores! We had THE BEST shopping day ever, and I discovered great new places to shop!

I'm ending here, and fully intend to continue where I left off, tomorrow.

Thank you

2008-12-30T18:31:00.003-05:00

I spent some time today with a woman from Sri Lanka. As we parted ways I wished her a Happy New Year. She wished me the same then remembered that in her culture before the New Year, you actually thank people for the past year, and only after New Years' do you wish them a Happy New Year.
Lately I've been thinking that I'm going to be really glad to put 2008 behind me. It hasn't been a particularly bad year, no one really close to me has become gravely ill, or died, and I am definitely thankful for that. Yes, the market has taken a plunge, but I still have my job, and a good paying one at that. I have a great husband whom I love dearly, and my relationship with my mom has improved markedly. Greg and I did not get to travel together this year, but I did have a great business trip to Hilton Head/Fort Worth and San Antonio last May. We still have the trailer that sometimes feels like a stone around my neck, but at least this year I've got hot water and a real porcelain flush toilet to drown in! I've got a few close friends and good neighbours I know I can count on. I've got a new puppy (and Dutchie, Mr. Mao and Buddy, of course!) I have a roof over my head and enough food in my cupboards that I could survive for a month if we were snowed in.
So why am I so looking forward to 2009? I think because I am very, very close to hitting an emotional rock-bottom. I can't keep my house clean, I can't be bothered to cook dinner, my bills aren't paid on time, we live pay cheque to pay cheque, I can't be bothered to blog (which used to be a huge source of entertainment and also an outlet for me.) I make do with the clothes I have because I can't stand going to stores because (gasp!) I might have to try something on and I feel overwhelmed when I do go into a store. I don't answer the phone, rarely return phone calls and turn the upstairs lights out so I don't have to go dog-walking with the neighbourhood clan.
I know I have a problem. I used to think it was depression, and I know that is part of it but for all the years I made fun of Two-four and her diagnosing everyone with anxiety...it's either rubbed off on me, or I've been denying it. I cover a lot of this anxiety up by drinking way to much. I've always enjoyed drinking, but dare I say it? It's gotten out of hand and I know I need to do something about it. It's starting to affect me really negatively and this has got to change. I'm not a stupid person, or a bad person, but I think that this is the one thing that I've really got to get a handle on in 2009. I think I started drinking more when I found out that I couldn't have children so I just threw caution to the wind, figuring that it didn't really matter how much I drank. I didn't need to be responsible to anyone except myself and Greg and my pets. I've always done well at work, so I know I can function. There's that word: Function. I am a functioning Wino. I have a functioning Wino husband too, so I always have someone to play with.
I've been thinking about how to get a grip on all the things that used to matter to me, and that I've let slip. I know I need to start with myself. For years I've been complaining about my weight. I can pay all the money I want to go to WW, but it's useless if I use up all my points in wine. I complain about my dirty house, but if I got off my ass (and Greg got off his!) we'd have a clean house. I want to go out and be social, but I'm always thinking about how I'm going to get home, because in order to be social a few drinks goes a long way. And one thing I don't do is drink and drive. So, I'd rather be safe, and stay home.
People think that by being a nurse you know how to take care of yourself. I beg to differ. I think part of my problem is genetic, partly a lack of self-confidence/esteem, but trust me, a lot of nurses chose to be nurses because they learned how to deal with problems at home when they were growing up. They were the problem-solvers, the pleasers, the high-achievers. At some point, it all becomes too much. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty (most, in fact) who remain strong, level-headed and able to deal with issues head on, but I also know enough who use alcohol, drugs or food as a coping mechanism.
Anyway, maybe this is a problem no matter what you choose as a career all I'm saying is that I think I should know better, being a nurse. At some point I chose not to be as strong, to care less about my own surroundings and to let things not bother me by choosing wine over dealing with daily living.
At this point, I am not willing to go elsewhere to seek help. My doctor is aware, and has been aware for a while, but I'm not ready to admit it anywhere else but here that I need to help myself.
And that is my New Year's resolution. What a start. I've got a lot of work ahead of me.
For what little blogging I've done: Thank you for stopping by and being part of my year. Even if I don't leave comments on your blogs, I do catch up with you throughout your year. Thank you for making me laugh, for sharing your day to day life, for letting me glimpse through the lens of your camera, but mostly for making be feel like I have a connection.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T09:26:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas to All,

and to All a Happy, Healthy and Safe 2009!

A few repeats worth repeating!

2008-12-19T09:16:00.002-05:00

What?! Two posts in one week?! You must think I'm crazy.
This week, I have been at work a total of 1.5 days. I went in yesterday for a few hours but ducked out as I need to go to the dentist and have a crown repaired. I have this weird genetic deformity where I still have two baby teeth in my mouth and of course, they are not doing so well (maybe because the tooth fairy negelcted to take them 35 years ago?!) Anyway, this is the third time in three years I've had to have this crown repaired. My dentist, who I really like, has told me I should really start thinking about inplants (not the boob-kind.) At $3500 a tooth, I'm a bit hesitant, and yet I don't want to be walking around toothless either. That's not a hawt look.
Last night I had invited Awesome Audrey over for dinner and I had every intention of having dinner ready for her by 6:30 pm SHARP as she is very particular about when she eats dinner. Well, my little SIL was over last night to see Laila and she volunteered to make dinner. No worries...except she had never made dinner before. Awesome A had almonds for dinner because 9pm was too late for her to eat. Uh-oh. She and her hubby think that Greg and I are way to relaxed about our timeliness around the dinner hour. They eat between 6 and 6:30 everyday, without fail. Greg and I usually ask each other if we're hungry, then decide what we are going to eat, and then usually eat around 8pm. This is normal for us, and quite frankly how we were raised. Both of our fathers came home late from work, and the family waited for them. We always ate late in my family and it never seemed strange. I realize though, that if we had kids, we definitely would have be more regimented.
Awesome A sets the dinner table before she leaves for work in the morning, I feed my cats on the dining room table so the dogs don't get into their food. We usually eat downstairs in front of the tv and a fancy night for us is eating in the living room at the coffee table. Hmm...I guess we are a little too relaxed.
Big snowstorm coming today, and I rather intelligently decided yesterdayto take a vacation day so I wouldn't have to deal with the weather that is supposed to hit full-force this afternoon during rush hour. I do have a few last minute Christmas things to do, so I'm heading out to Wally-Mart before the roads get too sloppy.
In fact, I'm not even going to worry about my bedhead. I'll plop a hat on, some yoga pants, a big coat and worry about a shower later. Or tomorrow. Whatever.

The newest member of our clan

2008-12-17T16:04:00.002-05:00

Meet Laila, our newest 'baby!'

Greg was hinting about wanting another dog a few months ago and a couple of weeks ago he adopted little Laila Loo-hoo from the same Rescue Shelter from where we adopted Buddy. She was 8 weeks old when we got her, and she is now 11 weeks old. At first Buddy was a bit jealous but I think he now loves having her around. She is a tough little thing and plays with Buddy as though she were already a big girl. She won't back down for anything! She is a lot younger than Buddy was when we adopted him and I have to say the potty training is a royal pain in the ass! I know that she will eventually catch on, but I can be outside with the pups for half an hour and only once she is inside and warm does she squat to do her business. Talk about frustrating! Oh well. I've rolled up all of my area rugs and it doesn't seem like as much of a problem wiping up the hardwood. And, it does seem to happen less and less. She is a wonderful addition and the cats really seem to like her. Who'd have thought Mr. Mao would end up liking dogs!

Last weekend I took Buddy and Laila to see Santa Claus! Santa was a woman which I thought was a bit odd,but the dogs didn't seem to mind and posed beautifully, don't you think?!

I am nowhere near ready for Christmas, although the tree is up and looks very pretty. I have a few gifts together, thanks to my neighbour who has been my personal shopper this year. No kidding! She apparently LOVES to do other people's shopping! Honestly, she has really been a lifesaver. I have been feeling so blah these past few months and she caught me on a particularly bad day when I was in tears and stressed out. Next thing I know, she's got lists made up for me, a list for Greg, plans for when we are going to make our dog cookies, she had pictures developed for my Christmas Cards, and a bunch of other things. She is AMAZING! I honestly could never have asked for a better neighbour.

I know...you all want an Amazing Audrey now, don't you?

2008-10-30T19:55:00.002-04:00

On our front lawn we have a humongous pine tree (of some sort.) It is so big that when I've gone to Google Earth, you can see the tree on our property. When I first saw the tree I imagined how great it would look decorated with Christmas lights, but really it's so big, I wouldn't know how to go about finding some one to put the lights up for me. I think I'd need a crane, or a fire truck just to get up near the top. So, no lights as of yet, but we've always had about 50 sparrows that love to adorn the branches. And, of course, Mr. Mao loves to watch them from his perch in the picture window.The hospital where I work also has a Veteran's wing and sometimes I wander over there on my lunch break. They have a cute little artisan shop there where you can buy various crafts that the Veteran's have made. Note: Canadian Veteran's at this place tend to be in their 80's-90's. Anyway, one day I saw this Bird Feeder and immediately thought of my sparrows.

They love it! And I've noticed how chubby my birdies are getting. And it gives Mr. Mao hours and hours of entertainment.

2008-10-22T20:21:00.002-04:00

Brrr...it's still cold so I've decided to run the bathtub. The thing is, it takes 10 minutes to fill the tub downstairs so I thought I'd write a post while I'm waiting. (Hopefully I won't forget about the tub! That would not be good.)
I'm starting to think about Christmas and what I'm going to get people. I usually donate money to World Vision in a my mom & brother's name, and also for Greg's dad & MIL2. Two-four could most likely use the donation herself, so I'll have to think of something for her, besides a monetary gift. This year, I'm thinking of those digital photographs. You know the ones I mean? You download your pictures onto it and it flips through the pictures like an album? So, I'm wondering if I could pre-load it? Scan pictures and send it to this frame? Does anyone know if this can be done (OK....all 5 of you who read this blog intermittantly....one of you must know!!!)
I like the idea, but have no idea if it will actually work the way I'm thinking of.
Some years, I am really on top of things and I start my shopping at the end of summer when things are on sale, or sometimes, even the winter before! Is this crazy or what?! I have boxes in the cellar under my stairs and god only knows what is in them! I'm not so much of a packrat, but I do like buying nice things when I see them for a nice price. For instance, the last time I was in Seattle, Pez and I went to a glassybaby factory and there were some babies for sale for $5 each! How could I resist? I ended up packing about ten of them in my suitcase and freaked Pez out. She worries about things like that...
Speaking of which, I guess I will have to be more careful in the future about how heavy my bags are. I understand you now have to pay some exorbitant price for extra weight. Hmpft! Glad I already brought back my Oma's silver ware from Germany.
Speaking of which, I should find and clean, and maybe even use this Christmas.
Gotta check the tub.
Smell ya later.

2008-10-21T17:13:00.003-04:00

It's October 21st, and it is SNOWING in Toronto! I simply can not believe this, it's just too soon! It's not sticking to the ground or anything, but it is definitely flurrying. And, with the wind chill it is minus 1 Celcius. Where did summer go? I just washed a pair of shorts today (never mind that I still have 57 loads of laundry to do...) Ugh, winter is most surely not my favourite season.
My last post included a lot of griping and moaning about work. To be honest, it's not so much the job that bugs me, because I like the job, but it's the staff and all their whining and whinging that I can't bear. Sometimes I just want to scream at them to grow up and deal with it! Bunch of babies. So, I will stay with this position as it really is a good one and their is a lot of personal growth potential for me. I do miss bedside nursing, but I also realize that I'm not getting any younger, and with 20 years of working still ahead of me, I do need to consider the future and what I'm physically able to do.
Anyhow...I'm going to keep this short and sweet.
TTFN

2008-09-24T20:07:00.002-04:00

OK. So the truth is, I've been ignoring this blog. On purpose.
It has become a bit of a stressor in that I'm not as light-hearted as I would like to be. Or think I am.
When I first started this blog, I was very optimistic, I would always like to think about the "Best Thing That Happened To Me Today." If I heard a favourite song in the morning on my way to work, I would take it as "A Sign."
I think my 'new-not-so-new' job has dragged me down.
I love having my own office. I love planning my own day. I love thinking about how I am going to go about presenting something new. But I don't like my former colleagues. They suck. Some days, I love closing my door and planning trips with my unused airmiles, or checking out Kijiji, Craig's list or google maps. Some days, I fantasize about running away where no one knows me, and just aimlessly wandering wherever the wind blows. Some days, I just want to run away from my life.
Not that I have a bad life, mind you. I have a husband whom I am madly in love with, and I know it is reciprocated. I have my cats and dog. I would miss all that if I ran away. But the nurses I worked with...are getting to me. To the point where I want to leave my job.
I have enough air miles to go to Australia, or anywhere else that a plane would take me.
But it's just a dream. A plan B. Maybe even a plan F. But sometimes, I just want to escape and go where no one knows me, no one wants anything of me, I don't have to be responsible. It's a nice thought.
In the meantime, I enjoy a glass of wine, or maybe (usually) a bit more. Is it bad that wine is an escape for me? Sometimes I feel very guilty about this.
Last week, one of the new nurses I helped hire, quit. She quit because she was challenged on her ability to 'nurse.' This is a woman who is very highly intelligent...takes Math courses at a University level for 'fun.' As it turns out, she was a less than adequate Recovery Room nurse, and quite frankly, was dangerous. It made me feel like I had failed as an Educator.
I've been feeling rotten about this. As an Educator, what exactly was my role? Was I to teach her basic nursing skills? No. Was she to recognize when there was an issue that needed to be dealt with her patient immediately? Yes. Did she? No. Only when prompted.
I have been beating myself up about this because the day that I spent a few hours with her to determine whether she was capable or not, she was dismal . I was pissed off, and she knew it. I expected more from her as a former ICU nurse and she failed. But maybe there is a part of me that expected more of me and I failed. I recognize that...she didn't recognize that about herself.
I have to write this down, whether anybody reads this or not. I know I have to make a decision about where I want this job to take me. I miss the hands on patient care. Honestly, that is and has always been, my strong point as nurse. I am very shy by nature, but I recognize that people as patients, are in a vulnerable position and probably a lot more uncomfortable than I am.
I think I am at a crossroad in my life. To keep this job, I need to start working on my Masters. I am truly interested about a 3/10. I think it's not worth the extra $1 buck an hour. But, I know...it's not even about the money. I don't think that it would make me care any more about the job that I am doing. I am doing the best that I know how, and without being a big-head, I think that I've been doing a good job.

ugh. Anyway....

On a much, much...MUCH lighter note...
I am starting to think that my mom is turning normal. Did your read that correctly...NORMAL!
We talked on the phone for 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 47 seconds tonight. A record!
Our normal conversations last 1 minute and PERHAPS 36 seconds!
She also stopped by unexpectely before I got home and had a glass of wine with Greg. And they both had a good time!
I swear she is medicated.

2008-09-11T23:43:00.001-04:00

I won't forget.

2008-09-10T10:10:00.003-04:00

Part of the reason I haven't blogged is that I feel like I don't have anything to say anymore. Life just goes on and there is nothing all that exciting going on. The weather is starting to get cooler and somehow I don't think we made the most of the summer.
We've only been to the trailer a handful of times, mostly because Greg has been avoiding his mom and all her issues with little SIL. Saying that, they are coming to Toronto today and staying with us for a few days. She doesn't feel comfortable staying at my other SIL's place because her husband doesn't make her feel welcome. Anyway, family drama never seems to end.
One good thing about the trailer is that we have HOT water, a FLUSH toilet and ELECTRICITY throughout! Turns out that the electrical line had been unplugged, likely by a wild animal, years ago. HMPF! Next time we go up, I might even have an oven that works!
I have been getting along really well with my mom, we've actually had REAL conversations lately, not just two minute check-ins. I think that we are both happy about this.
Health wise, I've been back to WW for the 18th time, but have only lost 5 lbs in three months. Red wine and dieting don't go well together.
I found out recently that I will be able to keep my temporary educator position for another year, which I am very pleased about. The job has it's own stresses, but overall, I like it a lot.
I'm heading in to work a little later today and doing an evening shift as one of our new hires is not working out well and I need to go in and see what the safety concerns are. This is the part of the job that I don't like. I've tried to help this nurse out before by giving her an extended orientation, but she doesn't seem to 'get it.' You know how some people are book-smart, but then don't know how to apply their knowledge to real-life? I think that is what she is like.
Anyway. As I'm getting ready this morning, the doorbell rings and I'm thinking that it is UPS delivering my replacement Blackberry (that I must have run over with my car.) At the door was a little old couple wearing hats and all dressed up. I immediately recognised them as Jehovah's Witnesses. I normally don't answer the door when they come, but again I was thinking it was UPS. Buddy usually barks when there is someone at the door, but he is pretty obedient when told to stop barking, and we don't encourage him to bark unnecessarily. Today however, a little evil streak popped up in my brain, and I let him keep barking. I opened the screen door a fraction of an inch, apologized to Church Lady that my dog wasn't friendly towards strangers and let her slide the Watch Tower towards me. They ran down the driveway, and I must admit, I had a little laugh to myself. Buddy was still barking at them through the window. I know that was mean, but door to door religion pushers bug me.
OK...off to work I go!

2008-08-06T09:33:00.006-04:00

Seeing as we have no kids, my life revolves around all of my pets and their friends. A quick little post so you can see how the kitties have evolved. You know how people like to categorize themselves into 'dog people' or 'cat people'? Well, the kitties are now 'dog cats' and the dogs are now 'cat dogs.' There are lots of dogs in Mr. Mao and Dutchie's lives! A far cry from the condo days.

Here are my three:This is Buddy and Trinity. We were dog-sitting for a few days. The first time in 15 years that my neighbour, Audrey, has left her dogs with someone else! I think Trinity quite enjoyed herself. Madame Dutchess making herself quite comfy on the couch at the trailer. Speaking of the trailer: What a difference. Thanks to Audrey and Darrell who spent the long weekend with us, we now have a REAL flushing toilet, hot water, our awning is secure, the fence and table has been painted, the landscaping has been done, the antennae has been taken down, and the trailer is sparkling on the outside. We called it the Weekend Trailer Makeover! Unbelievable. I now don't feel so much like a redneck. (Even though our salad bowls all say Cool Whip on the outside!) (JK) This is Buddy's favourite boyfriend, Dino. Buddy is the one smiling. Dino is part Border Collie, part Great Dane. He is a cutie-patootie, and the two of them play for hours on end. We are all heading up to to Bobcageon today for the next half of our vacation week. Dino's Grandparents have a cottage on the lake, and Dino's Papa will meet us at the end of the week. This is Mary-Anne, Trinity's sister. She loves to sleep and eat. Her unfortunate nickname is Pot Roast, let's just say she has an under active thyroid! She is a very sweet natured girl who was rescued from a horrible outdoor life at the age of two. Now she is a Diva who loves her treats.
A quick post, but I know it's been a while and I won't get a chance for another week or so to add anything. Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

My Once Monthly Post?

2008-07-09T21:28:00.002-04:00

The Bright Side of the Sun
1. I've been getting along MUCH better with my mom these days. I can see that she is trying, which encourages me to try too.
2. Greg and I survived our 3rd squabble since we've met. All is Status Quo.
3. I joined WW again for the bajillionth time. Lost 2.4 pounds in my first week.
4. My neighbours, I'll call them The Howells (they have a dog named Maryann) joined us at the trailer a few weekends ago. Mr. Howell is very handy, and they used to have a trailer years ago. They really liked the park, and asked if they could join us for week-long vacation next month. In return, Mr. Howell will be the lead hand in the reconstruction of The Trailer. Secretly, I'm thrilled, but I am also going to plant the seed of next year, sharing the Joy (and Responsibility!) of The Trailer with them. They might just jump at the opportunity, as they also don't want to be full-time summer Trailer Park Trash.
5. Mr. Mao did very well with his dental surgery, and frequently joins Buddy and I for our morning walks. He's such a sweetheart.
6. I've got a new hairstyle. Picture Victoria Beckham with a big round face. Her hair is chocolate brown with platinum blonde peek-a-boo highlights.
7. My perennial garden is looking lovely in the back and front yards. I'm quite chuffed with myself!
8. There is talk of a new book club in my 'hood. Which is good as I've not been reading nearly as much as I would like.
9. I've had more than a few nice compliments about the good work that I am doing! (And, from the Higher-Ups, too!)
10. I helped an injured cyclist today. I was taking The Budster out for a walk down by the Lake this evening when a woman waved me down asking if I had a cell phone. I realized that there was a man lying on the driveway behind her as she yelled at me to call 911. I pushed a couple of buttons (and of course somehow got in to text messaging, which, for the life of me, can never figure out how to do at any other given time.) I ended up throwing my phone at her and told her to call, that I was a nurse and would be of better use dealing with the guy. He was unconscious with a big gash on his forehead and a pool of blood under his head. I did my Nursie-thing, and he gradually started obeying a few commands. I protected his neck, and thankfully the ambulance and firetruck showed up quickly. A bit of excitement, but it made me feel pretty good that I could help.

The Dark Side of the Moon
1. I still need my meds. I tried to wean down on them a week ago, and had terrible anxiety.
2. My BIL is driving me nuts. I appreciate that he takes Buds for a walk while we're at work, but he hangs around and eats/drinks us out of house and home. I don't figure him into the equation when I go grocery shopping. Nor, do I think I need to. Greg is planning on changing the locks as there I think there is a lack of trust going on. I'm almost embarrassed to say that he showed up here with a "Chick he's been dating." Turns out she was a hooker, and a skaggy one at that. Thankfully, I didn't see her, but Greg says that she weighted 80lbs soaking wet, had hideous tattoos all down her arms and legs, and had a foul, disgusting mouth on her.
3. BIL is living in the basement apartment of a friend of ours, and is 5 minutes away. The friend has had enough of him and is going to have him move out. I'm stressed thinking that BIL is going to assume he can move in with us. It's not going to happen. I'd sooner set my hair on fire, and put it out with a hammer.
4. It's now been 7 months since I've had a period. 5 more months to go before I can say that I am in Menopause. At 43. Nice.
5. I am a terrible housekeeper. I need a maid. It makes me feel like there's something wrong with me because I don't like cleaning. I will, but I don't like it. Some days, I'd rather stick slivers up my fingernails than clean a toilet. Is that wrong? It pisses me off when people brag about washing their refrigerator shelves every day, or ironing their t-shirts and underwear, or shining their mirrors until there is no smudge at all. What is WRONG with these people???
6. I am just waiting for the day when a hired student comes to my door demanding to see the licences for my pets. Apparently they are scouring the neighbourhoods looking for nose prints on the windows. Note: I have nose prints on the windows: Buddy's, Mao's, and probably mine. We're in trouble.
7. I have a laptop computer, but I don't have Internet connection at home because the Router that I got for free when I bargained with the nice Middle Eastern guy at Future Shop over a year ago, is not compatible with the shitty Internet provider we now have in order to save a few bucks. Likewise, there are times when our home phone line won't work because it is also with the same shitty provider.
8. I still don't really know how to use my Blackberry. My last bill was $289. Apparently, it is expensive to call long-distance from the US. I don't feel like paying it. And I doubt I'll remember how to Text Message, even though I did use the feature today.
9. I can't find the battery and charger for my digital camera so I haven't been able to take any pictures. I have the camera. And I did find the case. But, no battery. Therefore, useless camera.
10. I've been a Blogsloth. It should be a real word, but it's not.

OK, so I might have elaborated a little bit on this post. I would never set my hair on fire nor put it out with a hammer. Nor would I put slivers up my fingernails, unless it was an accident.
All in all, things are pretty good and I guess I just need some time to myself to actually sit down and blog.

2008-06-17T11:19:00.005-04:00

It seems as though I have lost interest in blogging on Kross-Eyed Kitty. Truth is, I feel guilty about not blogging so I don't even go near the computer anymore when I get home from work. For a while I was busy playing Scrabulous on Facebook, but even that has now lost its luster.
It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, but rather, that in my personal life I've been feeling very overwhelmed. To compensate, I don't blog, answer phone calls or even connect with my friends as much as I'd like to. It's not that I'm in a particularly bad frame of mind or anything, but sometimes I just want to run away from everyone and everything and not be responsible for anything.
Work is going really well, and I have nothing to complain about. It's still just a temporary position, but I am hoping it will turn into a permanent one. I should find out for sure by the end of the summer whether the previous educator wants her job back, but I'm 99% certain that she wants to move in a different direction with her career.
Two-four and young SIL are both crackpots, but Two-four has gotten out of hand. She is such an emotional drain on Greg and I that it affects our home life. Not that we are arguing or anything like that, but she is constantly calling with the latest drama, or coming to spend the weekend with us because they have Shrink appointments. Young SIL has been lying, depressed, catatonic, not eating, then turns around and hangs out with guys that she knows are no good for her. I actually went with young SIL to her psychiatrist appointment, hoping that Two-four would stay out in the waiting room. Well, that didn't happen, and all that did, was that Two-four did all the talking for the half hour appointment and young SIL ended up on antipsyhcotics. Dr. Shrink did ask me what my take was on all of this and I said that while Young SIL's behaviour was affecting the family, that Two-four's behaviour was the main problem. He nodded in agreement, but Two-four only interpreted that to be that the problem was because of her daughter and threw that in her face hours later.
Anyway, its come down to Greg and I deciding to get rid of the trailer. Remember that her site is just two away from ours. We've only gone up twice so far in the past two months because Greg doesn't want to have to listen to his mother go on and on and on about about the same stuff over and over and over again. I swear, sometimes she starts talking and I don't even listen to what she is talking about. I've even walked away from her and she's kept on talking. Getting rid of the trailer is one way of not spending quite as much time with her, but truthfully, I also feel overwhelmed with the responsibility of taking care of two properties. Our backyard is so pretty and on weekends I really just want to stay home and enjoy my garden. At the trailer, I spend most of my time doing chores.
Oh my! This has turned out to be a post with a lot of complaining!
There have also been some good things that have happened in the past 6 weeks. Texas was wonderful, and the conference was really good. I happened to run into a nurse I had worked with in Saudi, and that was really fun. We hadn't seen each other in 10 years. She looked fabulous, while I have gained 40 pounds since the last time she saw me! Yes, my weight is still an issue, and I've been contemplating going back to Weight Watchers for the 27th time. All the wine I've been drinking as a (very bad) coping mechanism has caught up with me and is sitting very uncomfortably around my mid-section. My birthday was last week and we had a little barbecue out back. My ever-so-tactful mom was there and asked me if I was pregnant. Then, Two-four and a couple of neighbours also agreed. I said that even though I hadn't had a period in 6 months, I was 100% sure that I was just fat. But, I have always said that the minute someone mistook my belly fat for a baby was probably time I start doing something about it. (Hmpf...and here I sit with my office door closed, eating chocolate.)
Buddy and the kitties are all fine. Mr. Mao is having dental surgery on Wednesday and Dutchie spends her days soaking up the sun.
Oh, one more thing...while I haven't been blogging on KEK, I have started up another blog for work.

San Antonio, Texas

All My Exes are From Texas...

2008-05-04T11:21:00.002-04:00

...well not really, but the last time I was in Texas was with the Leba-loser Ex. We spent time with his cousin and wife, and they had a 6 yr old daughter named Bijan. At that time, Leba-loser and I had already been together 6 yrs, but Bijan asked where Sheri was, and why hadn't she come? Hmmm...Sherri was his Ex-gf, or so I thought. While Bijan asked this innocent question, her mother jumped in to HUSH her! Frickin Leba-loser had been to Texas the year before, and surely Bijan had met Sheri then. I call him the Leba-loser, but clearly, it was I who was the loser and chose to continue the relationship with him. Which makes me the bigger loser. Anyway, it's water under the bridge now, but a time in my life that I'm not really proud of myself for the shit I put up with. I have had a hard time forgiving myself for the way I was, but I think I am over that now.
Last Thursday we flew home from Hilton Head and arrived home at 8:30 pm. At the hospital the next morning for the education day I helped to set up. It was an AMAZING day, if I do say so myself. It was not like the regular education days that we have, but rather a positive, motivational kind of day. It started off with a Clip from the CBC about A Complaint Free World which everyone seemed to really like. We had seminars from one of the General Surgeons who has done volunteer work for the last ten years in Niger. He was truly inspirational, and always a good reminder of how good we really have it here in the Developed World. We also had hired a motivational speaker who was hilarious and talked about dealing with change. The area that I am currently educator for has become extremely negative, mostly because there is one person who is the bad apple and her rotten personality has bruised everybody else's. Anyway, this is not unusual in nursing, there are strong personalities in every group, but I'd really like to see the positive personalities carry the strength of the group. The feedback that we got from the education day was overall very positive, and I think it gave the staff another focus. We'll see how it works out.
Saturday morning, C and I were at the airport again at 5:30 am en route to Dallas, Texas! It's been a whirlwind of travel lately. We are staying in Grapevine, and we ended up at the 1.5 million square foot mall yesterday. Well, with the crazy travel and early mornings, we traipsed around the mall, with little interest in shopping. We took the trolley back to the hotel, and were in bed, asleep by 7pm. And woke up this morning at 7:30!
It's now almost noon, but it's been nice to just have an easy morning, watch the food channel, and blog.
We are heading to Historic Grapevine today, and I'm hoping that we'll be able to find some of the Vineyards out this way. C doesn't drink red wine so my job is to try to convert her. (Her request!) I told her she would be perfect if she drank red wine!)
The ASPAN (American Society for PeriAnesthesia Nurses) conference starts tomorrow, I think it is going to be an amazing few days.

Day Three-Shopping Spree!

2008-04-29T06:31:00.002-04:00

We had a great day yesterday, despite the clouds and rain. We didn't realize it ahead of time, but Monday was also a 'free' day, other than the welcome dinner, but more of that later.
What to do at Hilton Head when the weather is dreary? Well, we could have rented bicycles and rode up and down the beach, but we didn't. We went shopping!
I really don't like clothes shopping. In fact, I hate it. Which is probably why I have a pathetic wardrobe. But not anymore! We found an awesome TJ Maxx, and an even awesomer Outlet Mall. I have to say, I turned into a Shopping Diva yesterday. Total haul: 8 pairs of shoes, 2 dresses, 2 skirt/top sets, 4 camis, 1 t-shirt, 1 white sweater and 2 pairs of capris! I think I am set for my summer wardrobe. (Do Ya think?!) Oh, and a Kitchen Aid rolling pin that was 75% off, and Villeroy and Boch mugs that were also 75% off. Those shoes that I bought? Naturalizer, 80% off! I couldn't believe it! How could I leave a deal like that behind?
With all of our shopping excitement, we lost track of time and arrived nearly 2 hours late for the welcome dinner. There were no seats left, except for these two seats at a round table, so we invited ourselves. Turns out that we invited ourselves to sit at the head table with the owner, CEO, and President of the company! Oh my. We turn up late, bedraggled (we got caught in the rain) and wearing our shopping clothes and end up sitting with these folks. We had no idea initially, so once again, ignorance is bliss. They were extremely nice, and the owner of the company seemed so pleased to meet us, he kept thumping me on the arm, and slapping me on the back. (on second thought, maybe he wasn't pleased, as it was quite possible he was trying to knock my arm out of it's socket!) Dinner was delicious. I had crab legs for the first time ever, which required a lot of work, but was very tasty. There was also suckling pig, which I tried, but couldn't get the thought of the little piggie being torn away from it's mama to have it's head served on a platter. I don't think I'll have that again.
Today the conference starts and I see tables being set up outside for breakfast.
Gotta go!

Savannah

2008-04-28T00:41:00.002-04:00

Eye candy. No matter where you look, there's is something truly lovely to look at. The Southern Oak Trees with their thick thick trunks, their wide open arms and weeping spanish moss hanging from each limb. It was just as I had imagined.
There is something so special when you see a place and have built it up so much in your mind, and it is exactly how you had envisioned it to be...only better.
Today I went back in time, to a city that has always fascsinated me. Gone With The Wind. The history of the Civil War. The Colonial Homes. The Streets. The river. The just Everything about it.
C and I started off on the trolley ride and had a very good guided tour of the Historical Area. We jumped off at the River Walk and hung out there long enough to get hooked on buying artwork. Spent the rest of the day wandering about on foot going from one art gallery to the next. To tell the truth, it was a wonderful way to see Savannah---through the eyes of Its' Artists.
The one downfall of the day was that the battery to my digital camera died and I didn't bring the charger. I ended up buying a disposable camera so it'll be quite interesting to see how the pictures turn out. Today I realized just how much I rely on my digital---it was a huge disappointment. I did try to take a couple of artistic angle photos, but what will actually turn out remains a mystery.
Other highlights of the day:
Paula Deen's restaurant and store While we didn't get there in time for reservations, we did go in to her souvenir shop. I bought a signed cookbook, and walked into the restaurant for a sniff. It smelled good, but to be honest, the buffet looked 'just OK.' The fried chicken looked better than KFC, but the Collards looked like something Mr. Mao barfed up after eating a plastic bag. Apparently, you can order off the menu, which I think would be much better plan.
Well, it';s now past 1am, and tomorrow afternoon the conference starts.
My sliding door is open, I can hear the Hilton Head waves crashing upon the shore.
Good Night.

Hilton Head

2008-04-27T08:25:00.001-04:00

Blogging today from beautiful Hilton Head, South Carolina!
I wish I had the ability to download some of the pictures I've taken, but suffice to say, it's very, very, VERY pretty here!
Our flight was at 6:30 yesterday morning, and as you know, I'm not that technically savvy. I set my blackberry alarm for 3:50 am and went to bed. As luck would have it, my alarm did not go off, but I woke up at 4:25. WTF! It turns out that I was technically savvy enough to figure out a long time ago how to make the alarm not go off on weekends. As my flight was on Saturday morning, you guessed it...it let me sleep in. Nonetheless, I was out the door in 20 minutes and made it to the airport on time (but just!)
The flight was uneventful, but very interesting flying over HH as the tide was out.
We checked in, only to find out that C and I had seperate rooms, overlooking the ocean. Wow, talk about luxury! We are here for a conference, but it doesn't start until Monday afternoon so we have quite a bit of free time until then. Saturday after check in, we waited for our luggage to arrive. We waited, and waited and waited. Finally the bellhop came and asked for our car keys. (oh ya! I rented a car through hotwire.com. An economy car, with unllimited milage was $19 dollars a day. When we got to Budget, they had no economy cars left, so we got upgraded to an Impala, which is much nicer than my economy car at home!)
Anyway, back to the bellhop...we gave him the keys and then realized that we had already unloaded our suitcases when we first pulled up. Then we started thinking OMG! Maybe it's a scam!. We rented a cheap car, and now the same company is going to steal it bacdk from us to make money!
Hmpff. And there I was thinking what a fine way to start this leg of our trip, having to deal with the police over a stolen rental car.
Anyway, when all that was cleared up (our luggage was in the room with the people we had come down with) we put on our swimmies, grabbed a margharita and headed for the beach.
We dutifully turned every half an hour, and are a nice pink colour. Hey. After the winter we had, I am willing to risk some deadly sun rays for a few days!
Later we went for a long walk and guess what?! There are tons of star fish and sand dollars that wash up on the shore when the tide goes out! I was so excited when I found my first one, I was jumping up and down like a five year old. Only, a few seconds later I ealized that there were many, many more.
Had a wonderful dinner at a place caleed Alexander's, was back at the hotel by 9pm, and in bed by 9:30. A long, but fantastic day.
today, we are spending the day in Savannah. A city I have wanted to go to since reading 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Middle Aged Woman

2008-04-22T07:04:00.001-04:00

This pretty much sums it up for me these days!

Weekend Pet Blogging

2008-04-11T23:14:00.001-04:00

It has been a long time since I have participated in Weekend Cat Blogging. This weekend I thought I would submit a pic of all three of my little ones. Mao would still prefer if Buddy weren't around, but the Dutchess really couldn't give a crap, for some reason she can't be bothered with him, and he respects that. Buddy would desperately love to play with Mr. Mao, but that's just not going to happen.
Every once in a while I can snap a picture of the three of them together, but they truly are few and far between. Since we've had Buddy I've gotten to know the neighbours quite well. Every night at 8:30 there are a bunch of us who go for our nightly dog walk. Buddy is the only boy dog and is a total chick magnet. There are two German Sheppard's (Heidi and Bella), and a Sheppard-mix named Mary-Ann. They all LOVE Buddy! He loves to play chase, and because he is so fast, the girls are always chasing him. It's quite amusing, I really should video it. I know you'd all be captivated! ;)

The other evening we were sitting in the living room, when Greg jumped up and pointed out the window. There was a funny looking animal crossing the road and heading for the side of our house. It was a possum!

OK, as far as I know they are not common in Ontario, but I have one hiding under my backyard deck. Now, I have a soft spot for critters so I have no intention of doing anything about the little guy. In fact, I feel kind of special. I do believe that it is the first wild possum I've ever seen. (Do I sound like a city-slicker, or what?) Anyway, he can stay as long as he wants as long as he leaves my little ones alone.

I went to a candle party tonight. I didn't really want to go, but one of the Belly Dancers was having it, so I felt a little obligated. I spent $115. Money that I certainly don't have, but it felt good buying it. I think because I've been feeling like I've been scrimping for the last while, and I know that's coming to an end I feel like I can be a little frivolous. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in today as well. I stopped at Walmart on the way home because I heard that they had cute rain boots on sale for ten bucks. Well, they didn't have any left, but I ended up spending over $100. And it felt good! A lot of it was groceries, but I did throw in a top (that I didn't try on) and some bubble bath. Dog and cat treats and stuff to make a 7 layer dip that for the life of me I can't remember how to make so I bought a lot of extras. I'm going to a work gathering tomorrow night, with a group of nurses that I don't really know very well, but as their educator, I've had really positive feedback from them. I offered to bring the 7 layer dip, but I'm thinking that it can't be that hard. Worst case scenario, I'll show up with Doritos, salsa and guac.

In other news: it's Rummage Season! Tomorrow I am heading to two church bazaars, and am quite looking forward to it. There is nothing I need, but I just love other people's junk, and I'm sure I'll find something that I can use. One of the dog-walking ladies (we also all take belly-dancing classes together---so maybe I should call her one of the other Belly Dancers?!) gave me her teak bookshelf. With a little TLC, it's going to be beautiful. She replaced the shelf with those IKEA Billy bookshelves, which I totally can't believe. Oh well, my gain.

Have I talked about Belly Dancing at all? It is SO much fun. I feel like an elephant swinging my big old hips around, but it is a good way to get some exercise while having fun so you don't feel like you are exercising. This is my most favourite way to exercise. It's akin to eating something that tastes really good and is good for you. Anyway, Belly Dancing is actually very cool, and because the movements are very small, precise and isolated, I have had days where I've felt like I have done hundreds of sit-ups except I haven't, and it was fun! I would totally recommend it. Also, the music is great.

I realize that this is a bit of mish-mash but I've just been rambling off the top of my head and this is what has come out. I've had issues with my mom lately, but I think that I'm actually handling that better, which in some ways, makes it less of an issue. To make a long story short, she basically told me that she was not happy for me, she had hoped that I would do better by marrying someone who could support me. In response I said that I did have a husband who supported me. He respects me, he is my best friend, we like each other, we look out for each other...what is so wrong with that? She, of course, was focusing on the financial aspect. I should have asked her if she thought Greg would be a better person if he won the lottery? WhatEv. My mom and I then proceeded to drink a bottle of wine. Then, her friend, Ethyl called. (Pez! I forgot to tell you this! It's kind of funny!) Ethyl called, and my mom didn't want to answer the phone. I wasn't feeling any pain by this point, so I answered and talked to her. She was very nice. We didn't talk long, but she mentioned her son, Alex. I had the BIGGEST crush on Alex when I was in high school, that in truth, was mortifyingly pathetic. Alex is married to a very nice woman with a couple of kids, but I couldn't help myself but laugh and tell her what a big crush I had on him! It actually was a nice moment, because she said that Alex was a really nice man and she was very proud of him. I told her "just for fun, to tell him I say hello!" I'm sure he's going to roll his eyes. LOL!

All right, bedtime.

'night

2008-04-02T07:49:00.002-04:00

Spring is in the air!
It's still cold outside but with the rain we've had the past two days the snow is slowly melting. On my walk with Buddy this morning, I noticed that the tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are starting to show their buds.
Ahhhhh. I can't wait to get my hands dirty in the garden!

2008-04-01T19:40:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I eluded about our financial difficulties. Nothing too major, but I realized that we needed a tune-up when last week I went to the 'We Serve' gas station, Filled 'Er Up, and then tried to use my debit card to pay, but it was declined. Then I tried to use my credit card and IT was declined! Sucks to be me. Anyway, I left my name, licence plate and phone number with the garage and luckily I had a cheque in my wallet that was desperately asking to be cashed. I returned and tried to give the nice man a $5 tip for trusting me and you know what he said? "I think you need it more than me." And he turned down the tip!
Today, I went to the same gas station and was next in line to be served when I realized that I didn't have my wallet with me! Could you imagine not being able to pay two weeks in a row???
I was embarrassed last week...this week I would have been mortified.
Thankfully, I was able to drive away before the attendant got to me.

2008-03-31T16:00:00.002-04:00

It's the last half an hour of my day at work...and I'm blogging! Yesterday we were up at Two-Four's place in Fergus. She was so happy to have her family around her and it was a fun day. I'm starting to get a little antsy about opening the trailer. The season starts May 1st, but alas, I'm away on business. It sounds so funny to say that: I'm Away On Business. It makes me sound so grown up! Isn't it funny the things that make you feel like a grown up? I don't really know when it happens, or when it happened, or if it is still happening, or if it never stops happening. Do you know what I mean? I used to feel like a grown up when I graduated university, but then I went on to college and didn't feel grown up anymore. Then, when I started working as a nurse, I felt pretty grown up, but I was still living at home. Then, I moved into a condo and felt pretty grown up, but I didn't have a boyfriend (late bloomer) so I wasn't sure. Then I moved to the Middle East, away from all that was comfortable to me, had my own apartment, met a boyfriend, travelled the world, but was having so much fun that I still didn't really feel grown up. In later years I have bought and sold a few condos, and yes, I guess I felt grown up. I felt even more grown up when Greg and I got married. Felt less grown up when we learned we couldn't have kids, and have felt even less grown up of late when we've had some financial difficulties (which hopefully will be sorted out in the next two weeks) . Whereupon I can hopefully start feeling like a grown up again.
And enjoy being a Grown Up who is Going Away on Business.

Earth Hour

2008-03-30T10:13:00.002-04:00

Greg and I and our neighbours participated in Earth Hour last night. We were invited for dinner, and although it was my idea, everyone was into it. Before we left, I turned our thermostat down two degrees. As a hostess gift, I re-gifted a candle (!) wrapped it in the cover of yesterdays newspaper that had the heading "Let There be Dark", and then dropped it in the sleeve of the newspapers' home delivery bag. (OK, the bag is plastic, but it did get reused, and then my neighbour can reuse it again as a doggie poop bag!) At 8pm, we settled down to a candlelight dinner, turned off the hockey game, turned off the radio and enjoyed good old fashioned conversation. We enjoyed it so much, that we sat in candle light all evening.

It was really good time, I almost wish we could have earth hour every month.

Did you participate?

Still alive...barely

2008-03-25T12:08:00.001-04:00

It almost seems as if this winter is NEVER going to end. Here it is, March 27th, and we're anticipating yet another snowstorm! Speaking of March 27th, it has been over a month since I've blogged. I can come up with dozens of excuses, but the truth is, I'm too lazy to actually sit down and write something. At the moment I am committing a sin and blogging at work. And even though my door is closed, I'm nervous that someone is going to come barging in and see me not really working at all!
So I was talking about the weather, and we have certainly had our share of snowfall this year, as of yesterday 189 cm. Which equals 6 feet and 2 inches .
Most of it piled at the bottom of our driveway.
While it's true that this is the first winter we've had snow on the ground all winter, I have NEVER looked more forward spring. I don't know if I wrote about how I got my brilliant pink coat, but I bought it at a flea market for $25 thinking it would be a good dog-walking coat, as it is down-filled, long, has a hood, and is wind-resistant. Initially, I was embarrassed to wear it to work as it is rather, um, bright, but as the cold winter months dragged on and on and on, I decided warmth was more important than fashion. And to make the outfit even more Vogue, I purchased a pair of olive green, rubber- on- the- outside, felt- on- the- inside, Duck Hunting boots! Because warm, dry feet are more sensible than 'pretty boots.'
Oh how I have changed since the Days of My Youth when I was all about Bling, high heels and expensive hosiery!

So, how about I give a brief synopsis of what has been going on this past month or so. Believe it or not, Kross-Eyed Kitty has partaken in belly-dancing classes on Wednesday nights! And, my belly certainly is dancing, although in a different tempo to my hips! I've been going with a few of the ladies in my neighbourhood and it's actually been a lot of fun. And a lot of more exercise than I thought it would be! I have a cute little jingly-coin sarong that makes the dancing even more fun. I would highly recommend taking some classes if you can find any in your area.

Little Buddykins is a real sweetheart and sometimes it's hard to remember what life was like with him in our family. Mr. Mao likes to tease him, but then can't take it when Buddy teases him. He has never hurt the cats, but definitely wants to play with them, and they don't understand. Every night, the neighbourhood ladies take our dogs for an off-leash walk. There used to be just three dogs, but in the past month, it's increased to five. Every night at 8:30 the pack gets going. I should take a video and post it because it's an absolute hoot watching them play. Buddy is the only male dog, so he gets to be the Chick Magnet. He's also pretty much the leader of the pack, although he is the smallest. He loves to play chase with him in the lead and the Sheppards and Rottweiler trying to keep up with him! The only downside to these runs, is that with all the wrestling that goes on, my dog smells like spit. Ew.

It's been along time since I've participated in weekend cat blogging so here is a pic of The Dutchess with Buddy. His bed is not usually on the window bench, that's still the kitties domain.

Work is still going very well, and I'm still enjoying it. At the end of April, I am fortunate enough to be going on two business trips! I've never had this kind of an opportunity before, and am pretty excited! The first trip takes me to Hilton Head South Carolina for a 3 day conference, but we are staying an additional 2 days. I'm home for a day to host an Education day for the OR and Recovery Room nurses, and then the next day I leave for another 8 days to go to Grapevine, Texas. Not too shabby!

I'm stating to feel guilty now with my door closed. I should probably get back to work. We are supposed to be having some snow flurries this afternoon, but I don't think that this Robin knows! He thinks Spring is in the air. I wish!

Winterlude in Ottawa

2008-02-18T17:51:00.006-05:00

I seem to spending a lot of time on the computer lately at work. When I get home, I'm not so much in the mood. Plus, our computer room is upstairs and the tv is downstairs. Back in the condo days I could watch tv (ok, Greg could watch hockey) and I could blog, but we'd be in the same room and that was nice. When I get home from work, I like being in the same room as Greg. Call me weird, but I like my husband, and I like being around him.

Anyway, with my new job, they are going to be providing me with a laptop computer! My plan is to start blogging more. I love this job, and all the benefits that go along with it. I do put in a lot of overtime, and I truly do believe that I am doing a good job. Even if I don't quite get what people are talking about at meetings. The other day I was in a meeting and they were talking about doing a 'straw draft' of a redevelopment project that we are working on. OK, call me naive, but I thought they were talking about getting straw and figuring out what was going where. I put up my hand and said that in the ER department they got styrofoam and planned the environment. Blank Stares All Around The Table.

Ahem. So, years of working bedside, and now I'm thrown into the business side of things, as well as the educational. Clearly, I have a lot to learn. I've learned that "Straw Drafts" "Straw Dogs" and "Straw Votes" are really not made of straw. Just a start of the new lingo.
The educational side is absolutely fabulous and I enjoy it so much. I've had good feedback from the nurses and I feel great about it.
So enough about work.

This past weekend I went to Ottawa (Canada's Capital) to visit my friend. We left Saturday morning, drove 4 hours, and then took the dogs out for a beautiful walk at the Arboretum, an experimental farm that was started in 1889. Sunday morning we headed to the Rideau Canal and walked around for a while watching the skaters. Parliament Hill is in the background of the first picture.

And we got to eat Beaver Tails! They are a deep fried pastry that is shaped like a Beaver Tail and you can put a variety of toppings on. This one was sugar and cinnamon. Delicious!We also spent some time at the Winterlude Ice Sculpture Garden. The work in these sculptures is absolutely incredible.Handmade wooden dolls

Maple Syrup Snow Candy

A Polar Bear up close and personal!

An Inukshuk

The Peace Tower

I hope that this Canadiana post kinda sorta made up for my lack of blogging lately.

2008-02-05T19:28:00.000-05:00

Wow. February already. I had all good intentions of having sent out postcards already to the few Old Faithfuls out there by now. Tonight after work I thought I'd stop by the local drugstore and by some pretty pics of Toronto. No luck, however I did spend $65 on beauty creams. My SIL has had botox injected into her forehead and collagen in her lips so I figured that I didn't need anything that drastic, but I could spluge and buy myself some special lotions and potions. I ended up with Biotherm Anti-aging something or other. I'll let you know if I found the Fountain of Yutes. (I've always liked that part in My Cousin Vinnie...)
Vinny Gambini: It is possible that the two yutes...
Judge Chamberlain Haller: ...Ah, the two what? Uh... uh, what was that word?
Vinny Gambini: Uh... what word?
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Two what?
Vinny Gambini: What?
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Uh... did you say 'yutes'?
Vinny Gambini: Yeah, two yutes.
Judge Chamberlain Haller: What is a yute? [beat]
Vinny Gambini: Oh, excuse me, your honor... [exaggerated]
Vinny Gambini: Two YOUTHS.

oh. off on a tangent.
Where was I? Oh yes, beauty creams. I had bought something a while ago that everyone was raving about but have to say, I was disappointed. Once I had the restore and renew on, then day cream, then my makeup (of which I don't wear foundation) I felt like I was wearing a mask. It didn't feel right. I was worried that if I scratched my face for any reason that a bunch of crud would end up under my fingernails. (Hey! Do you like that description?!)

Anyway. If anyone is interested, I'll let you know about how the Biotherm works out.

In other makeup news: I have switched from my old Tried & True Super Thick Lash Cover Girl mascara to a new Cover Girl mascara that I would totally recommend called Lash Blast. I prefer the blue shade, but whatever floats your boat. Navy blue makes the whites of your eyes look whiter, (or so 17 Magazine told me 30 years ago.)

Would you like me to go on about Beauty products that I'm liking these days? I also prefer Dove's Pro-Age cleansing foam. It feels good and takes off all my make-up. BTW: the thing I love the most about the CG mascaras I choose is that they come off with soap and water. No scrubbing or oily-stingy-liquidy -stuff that- gets-in-your-eyes needed.

Alright, I have no idea what really got me started talking about makeup and creams and stuff.

It was postcards. Apparently, there are no tourists who visit the suburb that I live in (even tho Pez's Father was the major of this city once upon a time) and I visited 3 stores tonight before I gave up. The second store I went into was a convenience store and when I asked if they sold postcards they didn't have a clue what I was asking about. The boys sent me next door to the Dollar Store.

Where, I got lost for 45 minutes and ended up spending way more money than I had intended, and still didn't find any postcards of good ole T.O.

So, to BobKat, Pez, Moon, Interrupted Wanderlust, and Begered I am going to go through my vast postcard collection and send out postcards of various places I have been. And since I still have Christmas stamps...uh...that's what your getting!

a midweek contest

2008-01-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

On my new Crackberry, I have a choice of:

Email (ing) So and So
SMS (ing) So and So, or
MMS(ing) So and So

My question is:

What is SMS?

and, What is MMS? (Ok, I know...that's two questions)

Since I got my Blackberry, I've seen this SMS/MMS everywhere, and of course I don't have a clue.

First to explain this to me wins....

A handwritten postcard from Toronto with the prettiest stamp I can find!

The most creative to explain this wins...

A handwritten postcard from Toronto with the prettiest stamp I can find!

The most technically confusing explanation wins...

A handwritten postcard from Toronto with the prettiest stamp I can find!

The funniest explanation wins...

A handwritten postcard from Toronto with the prettiest stamp I can find!

Get the gist? Basically, no matter how you explain this, if you leave a comment, I'll send you a postcard (if you want one!)

Contest closes this Thursday. (maybe I'll come up with a better blogpost by Friday?!)

2008-01-20T15:22:00.000-05:00

You know how chocolate, raisins, grapes, garlic and onions are toxic to dogs? Well, I found out the hard way that so are macadamia nuts.
Yesterday morning Buddy did not want to get out of bed, not even for a pee. We litarally had to lift him out of bed and plunk him down in the backyard. He peed, and then within seconds he was back into bed. We knew he was having an off day, but didn't know what the problem was. A little while later, Buddy made his way into the living room to hang out with us, and that's when I noticed that he was limping and his hindquarters were shaking. I thought maybe we had run him too hard the day before, that maybe he had pulled a muscle.
I took him for a little walk to the park, and when he pooped I noticed the nuts. When we returned home, I mentioned the nut-poop to Greg and then, thinking I was being funny, I said "imagine if we poisoned our puppy?"
Lo and behold, thanks to WWW this is what I came up with:

The danger of macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts are another concern. A recent paper written by Dr. Ross McKenzie, a Veterinary Pathologist with the Department of Primary Industries, points to the danger of raw and roasted macadamia nuts for pets. The toxic compound is unknown but the affect of macadamia nuts is to cause locomotory difficulties. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated. Dogs have been affected by eating as few as six macadamia kernels (nuts without the shell) while others had eaten approximately forty kernels. Some dogs had also been given macadamia butter.Luckily, the muscle weakness, while painful, seems to be of short duration and all dogs recovered from the toxicity. All dogs were taken to their veterinary surgeon.
Pets owners should not assume that human food is always safe for pets. When it comes to chocolate, onions, garlic and macadamia nuts, such foods should be given in only small quantities, or not at all. Be sure that your pets can’t get into your stash of chocolates, that food scraps are disposed of carefully to prevent onion and garlic toxicity and that your dog is prevented from picking up macadamia nuts if you have a tree in your garden.

WE POISONED OUR PUPPY.
We immediately drove to the Vet, and he reassured us that Buddy would be fine once the nuts went through his system. I felt like the biggest loser dog parent ever. I would have never forgiven myself if he'd have died because I gave him people food. I never even have stupid macadamia nuts in the house, but we happened to receive a bag for Christmas and it seemed like a good idea to eat them the other night. We would have been better off eating a pound of lard, at least Buddy wouldn't have been poisoned.

The good news is, is that Buddy is back to normal and racing like the wind again. We've all learned our lesson: no more people treats for Buddy.

2008-01-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

My new blackberry has an alarm feature with a snooze setting on it. Finally I am able to press snooze every 10 minutes for as many times as I like :) which is already starting to drive Greg nuts. I am not a morning person and never have been. For Greg, the alarm goes off and he jumps out of bed---I seriously don't know how people do that! I am quite capable of being ready and out the door in 20 minutes (with a packed lunch) as I tend to get organized the night before. I shower and wash my hair before I go to bed, and cross my fingers that I don't have a 'sleep-part' on the crown of my head in the morning.
This morning my alarm went off at 6am, I pressed snooze until 6:50, had a shower, jumped back into bed (after I pushed Buddy out of the way) to warm up, got out of bed again at 7:05, drank coffee and have been playing on the computer for over an hour which now already makes me 10 minutes late for work. Well, not exactly LATE as I don't have to keep regular hours because I don't have to relieve anyone at the end of their shift. So, this morning I have been dilly-dallying and although my alarm first went off at 6am, it is now 8am and I still have to dry my hair, get dressed, and slap on my make-up before I leave to battle with rush hour traffic.
Geez...I should have set my alarm for 7am and gotten an extra hour of sleep.
Do you guys snooze, or do you get up with the first alarm?

The Holidays

2007-12-31T10:29:00.000-05:00

The circus left town a few days ago, and I can finally breathe. Actually, it was a fantastic Christmas this year and everything went very smoothly. I was spoiled rotten by everyone, it was like being a kid again. I got a red Blackberry Pearl and I'm really loving it! Imagine...first with a memory stick, and now with a Crackberry! I'm becoming quite the electronics junkie, if I do say so myself.

Christmas eve was spent with my mom, brother, BIL, Greg and I and at the last minute I invited Sal, her hubby and baby Liam. It was really nice having a baby around at Christmas time and he was a doll. Thankfully, Buddy is really good around little kids.

I'm starting to think that my mom is on medication as she has also been on her best behaviour. She genuinely seemed to have a great time, and there were no arguments whatsoever. A first on Christmas eve, although it helps that my brother has been sober for over a year now. (I'll have to take a few lessons from him in the new year.) A big thanks goes out to Pez who sent me a lovely purple lunch bag so I won't have to use liquor bags anymore :)

Christmas Eve dinner was very good. I had won a free turkey at Zellers because I had spent over $300 (one stop shopping AND a free bird!) There was a drumstick left and that was basically it. Perfect. No leftovers!

Christmas Day we went to Greg's dads' place for dinner and more gifts were opened. I got The Joy of Cooking (2006) to replace my 1953 version that I picked up at a rummage sale. The 2006 version has omitted the picture of how to skin a squirrel, if anyone was wondering. The cookbook is very impressive with 4500 recipes for the Way We Cook Now. I am absolutely going to try some out, especially since another New Year's resolution is to start cooking again. (And stop eating pizza...a guilty pleasure of mine.) Dinner was fabulous and quiet which is unusual because the last time we were invited for dinner there were 25 people at the table. It's not unusual for the whole neighbourhood to be at the in-laws house every night. I don't know how they put up with it. I'd move. Anyway, dinner was quiet, but shortly after we finished eating, 18 people showed up for dessert. We had brought Buddy with us, and although MIL2's mother initially was pissed off, at the end of the night she told me we could bring him back any time. I think she was worried that Buddy might jump up on her and pull off her artificial leg (!)

Boxing Day we had our annual Open House which started back in the days of the Condo. 30 people came and stayed for hours! Kids came and were banging away on Greg's drums. My brother showed up with a lovely woman who turned out to be a dental hygienist from the dentist we go to. My mom (of course) hung around so she could check her out. Two-Four was on her best behaviour and did not offer to 'Do' any of Greg's cute friends. (The first year we had the Open House she got S#!&Faced and every guy that walked through the door she'd jump on his lap at the first opportunity and proclaim 'you're cute! I'd Do ya!' She's had to live that one down, but it was kind of funny!) 10 people crashed at our place that night, and the bar was pretty much emptied, but everyone had fun.

I'd like to say that Boxing Day was the end of our festivities, but we had an other gathering to go to on the 27th at Greg's sisters' place so we could spend some time with the grandparents. I had packed up Greg's brothers gifts before we left so we could drop him off at his apartment on our way home at the end of the night. He'd already spent 3 nights at our place, received gifts from me, and food and booze but in the end I was 'Greg's Bitch-wife who was making him go home." Gee...thanks.

The next morning, Greg woke me up, told me to get dressed that we were going to drive Two-Four, SIL and her Useless Tool of a BF home. We took the opportunity to head by the trailer, and although there is at least a foot of snow on the roof, it does not appear to be leaking.

We have spent the last two days not answering the phone, or door and we didn't go to our neighbour's open house, even though they came to ours. Just couldn't do it. Last night we watched The Sound of Music which is only about the 25th time I've watched it. Love that movie!

That's Christmas in a nutshell.

And today is last day of the year.

All in all it's been a great year. We got a new puppy and he's a darling. Greg and I both got new jobs and we're loving them. We've spent a full year in the house and are very happy here. The kitties are also happy here, although they would probably be happier without Buddy trying to play with them. I managed to lose 15 pounds this year. Not as much as I had wanted to, but better than nothing. Next year, I'll lose another 15. How's that for a doable Resolution?

Most importantly, Greg and I are still going strong and this makes me the most happiest.

Wishing you all a Wonderful, Happy and Healthy 2008!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T08:59:00.000-05:00

Wishing all my blogfriends out there a very Festive Holiday Season. Eid Mubarek, Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas!

2007-12-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

We are in the midst of a huge snowstorm! We have already been outside twice to shovel snow, and no sooner are we done than we need to shovel again! It's quite fun right now, as I can't recall a time when it's snowed like this since I was a kid. Buddy is bouncing around like a jack rabbit in the snow and if I can figure it out, I'll post a video which is quite cute. Buddy is loving his new snowsuit which Santa brought a little early because of the storm!

2007-12-11T17:47:00.001-05:00

I am really enjoying my new job, and in the past month have learned so much and seen the old stuff with new eyes. I've learned about other areas in the hospital that I had no idea how they functioned and met so many people, all of whom have been very supportive.

I've surprisingly had a few issues with some of my old colleagues in terms of them (one in particular) challenging me and trying to tell me that 'that's not how we do it', or 'we aren't certified to take care of those kinds of patients here.' Last week she challenged me over a particular type of Intercranial monitoring device that she said she was told in her orientation, that "we don't do in the Recovery Room." Well, I was pretty certain that we did, and could not think of a reason why we wouldn't take a pt with this kind of device, but truthfully, I didn't know the policy either. So, I looked up the policy and photocopied it, and also found the information in a learning package that was in our orientation binder which I again photocopied and brought the information to her. She said that she hadn't been taught how to monitor these types of patients because she hadn't been allowed to take the second part of the critical care course, and didn't feel confident in the skill. Well, my response was that I felt perfectly comfortable in holding an inservice for those interested in Intercranial Pressure monitoring, as I had been the one running the class during the Critical Care Course. Surely she would be interested to take advantage of a free learning opportunity! She then dismissed me and said she really wasn't interested in learning another skill that it was more advantageous to put the OR on hold so the Recovery Room wouldn't have to deal with head injured patients. So, really her issues were that a) she wasn't up to par with her skills, b) had no interest in learning c) is disruptive with the flow of the patients d) is giving false information to new employees and e) is lazy and thinks she is a princess. OK, 'e' is my opinion but she pissed me off! Anyway, the good thing is, is that the rest of the staff is very supportive and keen to learn new things, or brush up on skills they already know. So that's work. And other than a few little run-ins, things are very good. I've been going to workshops on conflict management, and teaching adult learners so I'm sure that these will all be very helpful.

Today was a great research day, and the only major problem was the undergarments I was wearing. See, I had it in my head that with the shade of pants I was wearing that you could see the cellulite on my ass. So, I decided to wear a body-shaper under my pants. The one I chose really was not sexy at all, it was a heavy duty bandage that looked like this:

It seemed to be okay when I was getting ready for work, I looked nice and slim (for me) no lumps and bumps. I realized when I got into the car that I had made an error in judgement as my thighs were kind of strangulating, and I was having a little trouble breathing. I rolled the top of the garment down to my waist but then I was cut in the middle and still couldn't breathe very well. And, it felt more like an elastic band and my roll just popped up higher.

When I got to work, I pulled the top part up again, but put little slits in the leg parts thinking it might be more comfortable around my thighs. It seemed to work and I kind of got used to being all sucked in around the middle.

By lunch time I was starving and got some Thai food to eat at my desk. I rolled the torso band down again as I was having a hard time eating being all sucked in, but that was worse so I cut a little slice in that band. But then everything popped out in front and I was stuck with a 3 inch stiff piece of fabric that circumferenced my waist and was quite noticeable under my sweater. So, I cut the whole band off. Then I made deeper slits in the leg parts. Then I got called out so I had to walk through the hospital halls. Let me tell you. Body shaping under garments are put together by highly qualified engineers and when you mess with their plans, you really get into trouble. The waist band had nowhere to go so had turned itself into a bikini-sized elastic which pushed ALL of my rolls upwards so that when I walked I was just one big jiggle from the front and in the thighs, yet I still had a smooth bottom!

At that point I would easily have sacrificed the smooth bottom to get rid of the front jiggle that I could not even hide with my file folder. And of course I ran into every single hospital employee that I could possibly know.

I finally made it back to my office, pulled down the blind, took off my undergarment (what was left of it) and breathed comfortably for the first time all day.

I think I will forever nix the Body-shapers, which really is just a politically correct term for an old fashioned GIRDLE!!!

2007-12-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was quite busy as Two-Four and my SIL stayed with us. SIL had her molars out and did quite well despite her mother's insistence that she was absolutely petrified and her panic/anxiety was out of control.
The Two-Four complained about how exhausted she was putting ice compresses on and off every 15 minutes. After about the fourth time of her complaining about it I responded 'welcome to nursing.' I didn't say it meanly, but she did stop complaining. Then, SIL wanted her BF to come to Toronto for the weekend, which wasn't a problem with me, but ended up being such a drama I wished I had just said that I didn't think it would be a good idea. Anyway, the BF came and watched football all weekend. He was well behaved, but Two-Four had stuff to talk about him behind his back at every opportunity. 5 nights was enough. I even took Kross-eyed Kitty off of my Favourites list in case someone accessed it. I didn't have a whole lot of computer time, and certainly no time without someone looking over my shoulder.

Geez, it sounds like I'm complaining! I am, but in truth, it wasn't such a bad week. SIL cleaned my house as a thank-you for letting her BF come, and Two-Four did a fantastic job of reupholstering my dining room chairs. I just have to finish sanding them and then they will be ready for another 40 years of wear and tear! I should have sanded them outside during the summer because I now have a fine layer of dust covering everything. I am having a dinner party next Saturday night, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get rid of the dust by then.

We had our first snow storm this past weekend, and Buddykins LOVED playing in the snow! He loves chasing snowballs, and digging his nose (see how long it is?!) in the snow drifts. He also really loves wearing his new hockey jacket! I can't believe that I am dressing up my dog, but to be honest, he is not a big dog, and has short fur so I think he appreciates the warmth. At first, Greg was adamant that his dog was not going to wear clothes, but when he saw his favourite hockey team jacket, he relented. Here's a pic of the first snowfall of the season. See the four foot snowdrift that was up against our front door?Speaking of hockey, I went to a game last week, which was a lot of fun. The Leafs almost won, but lost in the shoot-out. It was a really good game, and my brother got us amazing seats. This is my and my bro:

The new job is fantastic, I am absolutely loving it and so far feel like I am doing a good job. The staff seem to be very supportive of me for which I am truly grateful. I did my first inservice last Friday which was rather impromptu as the booked speaker did not show up. Thankfully, my first power point presentation worked out very well, and I really impressed myself!

I realized with Napoblomo that I really don't have the inclination to blog every day, it is a lot harder that I thought it would be. So, kudos to all you regular bloggers out there!

NaBloPoMo...

2007-11-26T18:39:00.000-05:00

No Mo!
There are not enough hours in the day right now with this new job for me to be blogging everyday.
I will try to update more regularly, but everyday is just too much right now.

Napoblomo#22

2007-11-22T12:06:00.000-05:00

Well, #22 is where I should be at, but I've missed some days so I'm Nablopomo Tardy, or negligent. At any rate, this is probably my 17th entry this month which is better than I usually write so I'm not going to be too hard on myself.
I am finding that I am having to train myself to become a morning person and I am really tired by 9pm and can only think of falling in to bed. Since I've started this new position I've stayed at least an hour late everyday working on different projects that I've started so I get home after a 10 hopur day. I put my first Power Point presentation together yesterday and today's inservice went very well, and my orientees seemed impressed. Admittedly, I impressed myself, too. Imagine!Me doing Power Point Presentations!
In the past few weeks, I've also started going to meetings, which is something very new for me. Half of my days have been spent going from one meeting to another, most involving stuff that I have no idea about. The hospital I am at is expanding the Breast Surgery Department, and Yours Truly gets to be involved with that, which is very interesting and exciting. I'm learning all kinds of things about how hospitals run, and how various departmental areas operate.
So, the new job is going very well.
Today was the first ice/snow storm of the year and the drive in was a little rough. I'm hoping to take back some of the overtime I've accrued, and head home before the rush hour starts.
And, Greg went for a job interview today so maybe he'll have a new job soon, too.

Wake up Cat

2007-11-20T07:03:00.001-05:00

This is SOOOO Dutchess in the morning! Hilarious!!!

NaBloPoMo Day #16&17!

2007-11-18T21:29:00.001-05:00

I'm struggling to stay awake right now at 9:30 pm, but as I've not Nablopomo'd in a few days I need to do some catching up.

I got my hair cut the other day and it is kind of along the lines of Posh Beckham's, short in the back, longer in the front. I like it. Today as I was styling my hair I thought it would be a good idea if I could find the nozzle attachment to my hairdryer that I had misplaced about 3 months ago. It wasn't in the usual drawers, but then I had this brainstorm that maybe it had fallen down behind the bathroom drawers. Sure enough when I pulled the bottom out I found the attachment. But I also found a months supply of Efferdent! I've got all my teeth, and as far as I know, Greg has all his so they must have been left over from the previous owners. I was going to pitch them in the garbage but then something twigged that Efferdent can be used in a variety of other ways!

*Clean a toilet bowl. Drop several Efferdent tablets into the toilet bowl, scrub, and flush.
*Polish diamonds. Drop one Efferdent tablet in a glass of water and immerse diamonds for two minutes.
*Clean a Thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in three Efferdent tablets, and let it soak for an hour or longer if necessary.
*Unclog a sink. Drop several Efferdent tablets into the sink and let it sit overnight.
*Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in one Efferdent tablet.
*Clean hubcaps. Drop one Efferdent tablet into a glass of water, use a cloth to apply the fizzing solution to the hubcabs, and wash clean with water.

Who knew?! I did clean my rings today with Efferdent, and I have to tell you, it did a fantastic job!

It also turns the toilet water a nice shade of blue and smells pepperminty!
I got the info about Efferdent and other uses for regular household products Here.

In other news, the weather was cold but with beautiful sunshine today.

Buddy had fun chewing a bone in the leaves

And Mao fell asleep in the kitchen window with the sun shining on his back. How he sleeps standing up, I'll never know!

NaBloPoMo#16

2007-11-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this with you today, I think it's pretty special. Please take the time to look at it, it's worth it.
http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/

NaBloPoMo Day #15

2007-11-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about the other days' post where I indicated the booze/lunch bag and I had a revelation that perhaps the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
When I was in high school, my mom would make me lunches and pack them in booze bags.
Every other kid seemed to have the nice, friendly-weight Kraft lunch bag, and I had the Super Duper Will-hold-a-bottle-weight paper bag courtesy of the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario.) As a teenager I was mortified and more than likely I would have thrown out my lunch in favour of the french-fries and gravy crap they would sell in the cafeteria. I think it was a combination of the booze bag presentation and the German salami (single layer) on farmer's rye bread that I dreaded anyone seeing. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I was pulling out a Wonder Bread Samich from the booze-bag, I don't know. But I feel terrible about all the lunches I threw away just because I was embarrassed.
And here I am...25 years later...eating my salad out of Tupperware. Hell...Not even Tupperware, it might be a dollar store ripoff.
And I'm still bringing my lunch in a booze bag.

Do old habits really die hard?

Napoblomo#14

2007-11-15T12:14:00.000-05:00

I'm cheating with Napoblomo, as I forgot all about it yesterday. I will make up for it and post 2 today to make up for it.
I'm at work right now, in my office, on my lunch break and decided to visit Kross-eyed Kitty (with the door shut.) I never visit my blog, or other friend's blog when I am at work because I'd hate to accidently forget to erase the history. So here I am in my office, feeling a little guilty about blogging, but then I remind myself that I am allowed a lunch break, and I DID just finish eating my lunch in my office. So, I will not feel guilty although I suppose I can consider it a new guilty pleasure!
It's probably a good thing that Facebook access has been banned at the hospital, because that truly has become somewhat of an addiction. I have about 6 scrablulous games on the go. The only person I consistently lose games to is Pez. She is scrabulously smart!
Do you blog at work? Do you Facebook?

NaBloPoMo Day #13

2007-11-13T20:05:00.000-05:00

Having worked in a clinical environment since 1989 when I graduated nursing school, having my own office is a complete and utter novelty. I feel like I just built onto my house and have an extra room. Is this what the corporate world is all about? It might not look like much, but BOY! is it ever a huge change for me.

I am loving my new job. All I need is a picture of the kitties. And Buddy. And...oh ya! Greg!

NaBloPoMo Day #12

2007-11-12T21:22:00.000-05:00

I got the key to my *new* office today. I have never, ever in my whole entire life ever had my very own office! I once had a cubby when I worked at an insurance company, but never an office, and with a window. Of course my window looks out on to a brick wall, and a construction site, but it is definitely a window and I was able to discern that it was raining outside. There were a lot of files left for me that I will need in this new role so I basically spent the day sorting through those and keeping busy.

I was given a memory stick, which was very nice and all, but I have not idea how to use it, and just a general idea of what it is for. I am technologically a little on the dumb side. Well, only dumb in that with all these new gadgets and things, its hard to keep up. I was given an iPod shuffle for my birthday back in June, and still have not gotten around to learning how to use it. Oh, the phone in my new office? Had no idea how to programme a new message with my name on it. Oh, one more thing? I have a pager that I've been carrying around and basically only know how to turn off the beep. The time is 14 hours off of real-time and the date is still 2006. Maybe my predecessor also did not know how to use this? Or maybe she didn't care as long as she got the page.

Anyway, lots to learn and in the meantime I'm trying to look smart. Like an Educator.

Flintstones - Happy Anniversary

2007-11-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

It's been two years since Greg and I were married , and it's been all good. Although I never really had much thought about 'finding my soul mate' I think that inadvertently, I did. I just looked up some descriptions of Soul Mates and here is what I've discovered from about.com.
1) Some believe that a soul mate is someone with whom a person has shared other life times through reincarnation. The soul mate could be a friend, business partner, parent, child, sibling, spouse or other family member. These soul mates can be of the same or opposite sex.

Although the thought of reincarnation is interesting, and perhaps makes death of a loved one easier to accept, I'm not sure that I believe in the thought of sharing other lifetimes. Does believing in reincarnation mean that there are a finite number of souls available to be used? What happens as the world population expands? Are some people 'soulless?'

2) Others believe that a soul mate is a person's"other half". I don't believe that any person completes another.

3)Predestination: the thought that people are drawn together as soul mates by destiny or fate and that being with our soul mate is something we have no control over. Hmmm...so if you meet a manipulative control freak and can't end the relationship, does that make him your soul mate?

4) Making Life Come to Life: Richard Bach describes soul mates as "A soul mate is someone who has the locks to fit our keys, and the keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we; we can be loved for who we are and for who we're pretending to be. Each of us unveils the best part of one another. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person were safe in our paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life. "

yadda, yadda, yadda...this just sounds too foofy.
5)Profound Connection:Thomas Moore, in his book Soul Mates: Honoring the Mysteries of Love and Relationship, page xvii, describes a soul mate as "someone to whom we feel profoundly connected, as though the communication and communing that take place between us were not the product of intentional efforts, but rather a divine grace. This kind of relationship is so important to the soul that many have said there is nothing more precious in life." again. Foofy. Nothing more precious in life...
6)Feeling at Ease With one Another: We don't believe a soul mate is the ideal or one and only person in someones life. Our definition of soul mates is people who together want to work on making their marriage a great one. Their relationship feels like a natural fit, and although they need to work on their marriage, it is not hard to do. When soul mates first meet, there is an immediate sense of being at ease and connected. This one, I DO get. When Greg and I met, I can honestly say that I JUST KNEW. I just knew that he was different, that we 'got' one another.
7)General Belief: Most believe that soul mates can accept and love every part of the other's personality and that life with a soul mate is easy and natural. Kind of the same as Number 6. So, if this is the case, that I'd have to say that I was fortunate to find, and marry my Soul Mate.

Happy 2nd Anniversary to us! I've been singing this ridiculous song all day:

Flintstones - Happy Anniversary

2007-11-11T12:02:00.001-05:00

2007-11-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first time that I ever had the opportunity to interview someone. This was the second interview for this nurse and he was very nervous. I felt a little like Paula Abdul because I commented on his attire. He looked great! He was wearing a suit and tie and it was nice to see that he was taking the interview seriously. I wasn't in on his first interview but had been told that he did a terrible job, had answered questions incorrectly. His response when asked "what do you think that your co-workers would say about you" was "That I'm stupid." When asked to elaborate, it was because he worked too hard and didn't take his breaks.
Anyway, maybe because I'm like a deer in headlights when it comes to me being interviewed, but I wanted him to get the job. So, I found myself helping him out a little bit. Not telling him the answers, but kind of steering him in the right direction. Remember, I had the interview tool in front of me so I knew how he should be answering the questions.
Anyway, the long and short of it is, that my manager decided to reconsider him for the job that he had initially applied for. There is another male nurse who has been hired so the two of them will really stir the pot in this estrogen-fueled unit. I think it's going to work well, and I'm happy that he's being reconsidered.
It was really interesting being on the other side of the interview table. I never was interviewed for this job as I was the only one who applied. And, I know my manager is happy with this situation. She and I are similar in personality and in positive thoughts of improving the work environment. I'm looking forward to this new career chapter. I really hope it works out.

NaBloPoMo Day #9

2007-11-09T21:22:00.000-05:00

TGIF.

Goal this weekend is to Weekend Cat Blog. It's been a while and my Mr. Mao needs some attention.

NaBloPoMo Day #8

2007-11-08T19:25:00.000-05:00

As the week has gone on, I have had less time to do anything, or so it seems. I am finishing up a few shifts that can't be covered in the recovery room, and trying to help others out with my new position at the same time. It's been frustrating and challenging but at the same time I'm enjoying this new role.
My brother came by the house today while we were at work to take Buddy for a walk. He ended up staying 3 hours and raked our property for leaves, mowed the backyard (before it snowed an hour later), did my dishes in the kitchen and took the garbage out for tomorrow. I'm pretty grateful.
He didn't attempt the laundry but I am irritated with my machines. They are about 20 years old and it takes at least an hour and a half to dry a load of laundry. I had no uniform to wear to work today except a yucky pair that were uncomfortable all day. My underpants showed and the same fricken nurses kept pointing it out to me.
On 11/11 I am going to buy a new washer and dryer. Happy 2nd anniversary to me! (I actually mean that in a good way...I'm thinking of buying some pretty machines that I have my eye on!)

NaBloPoMo Day #7

2007-11-07T20:55:00.000-05:00

Does saying that you are too tired to blog count as a NaBloPoMo entry?
I'm LOVING my new job, I've learned so much in three days, but boy am I tired at the end of the day. It doesn't help that with the time change it is already dark at 5:30pm.
I will attempt to write something more substantial tomorrow.

2007-11-06T22:27:00.001-05:00

NaBloPoMo Day #6

2007-11-06T21:38:00.000-05:00

Today was another sucessful day at work. I was up at 6:30 and took Buddy out for a run. Holy Crap! It was minus 5 degrees C out there and winter has not even arrived! I am going to have to buy much warmer clothes if I am going to survive winter dog-walking.
Greg and I are now on the same schedule, which means that our work hours don't overlap at all and Buddy is inside for nearly 10 hours. Today the poor little guy peed on the rug and it was clear that it's too long a day for him to be crossing his hind legs. I've made an agreement with my brother that when he is available, he will come by and spend some time with Buddy and let him out. It will be good bonding time for the two of them because since B's run-in with the car, he has been a little afraid of my brother. He barks and shakes initially, but then after about 10 minutes he is fine. I feel a little bad for my bro because he absolutely adores animals, and it bugs him that this pup has a fear of him.
I'm pretty tired tonight and think I am going to head to bed soon. I went grocery shopping after work today, came home and started a birthday dinner for one of our friends. It turned out really good. Finished dinner, did the dishes had a shower, blogged and am now barely able to keep my eyes open.
Gotta Go...

NaBloPoMo Day #5

2007-11-05T21:18:00.000-05:00

Work was amazing today, I totally love it! I had kept the position assignment quiet from my co-workers because truly I did not know myself whether I had the position or not. My biggest fear was the interview, and I never had one as I was the only person who applied and my manager was happy with that. I can only hope that I will live up to my OWN expectations, never mind everyone else's. I'm staying positive. I can make this job be as good as it can be.
All of my co-workers were thrilled that I got the job. I am the first Recovery Room nurse to get the position of Educator withing the department, and they seem really supportive of that. And I am grateful that I've been so well received.
My shoes were very comfortable. I had to change a few times this morning. The first pair of pants really need to be shortened. The second pair were covered in cat hair, thanks to the Dutchess. The third pair were good. I wore my new tops today and generally felt pretty good. I was a little giddy in the morning because Greg and I were actually up at the same time getting ready for work and it seemed like so much fun. I definitely think that we might need some radio in the morning to even enhance the fun a little more.
It was so much fun, I think I forgot to deodorize my left armpit. By the end of the day, it was smelling decidedly manly. I must have less fun in the morning if I'm going to keep this job.
No one wants to work with a funky-smelling woman.

NaBloPoMo Day #4

2007-11-04T19:38:00.000-05:00

I survived the shopping ordeal...but just barely.
Shoe shopping was the easy part it took less than 20 minutes for me to find some suitable shoes. Can't go wrong with a comfy pair of Hush Puppies, right?
The next store also wasn't too bad, but I was in there for over an hour trying on dozens of items. I'd really like to know why stores have these nice big change rooms, with chairs in them even, but don't splurge on three-way mirrors? It's a pet peeve of mine because I'd kind of like to know how my butt looks, without having to ask a perfect stranger "do these pants make my bum look big?" I think I pulled a muscle trying to twist my face over my shoulder so I could check myself out. Anyway, I walked out with two pairs of dress pants, two tops and two necklaces.
The third store I went in I had to stop dead in my tracks because they were playing Christmas music! I couldn't believe it! Ugh. The store was packed and there were screaming and crying kids running about but still I went in. I picked out two sweaters (one is cashmere) and bought them without trying them on because I wanted to get out of the store as quickly as I could. As expected, the sweaters are too tight and I don't feel good in them. I'll return them tomorrow, hopefully the store will be a little quieter and I can take my time looking around.
So tomorrow is the big day. First day of the new job. Am I prepared? Nope. Mainly because I didn't receive any of the orientation material that I was promised. Guess I'll have to wing it and review the material at the same time as the new nurse. It'll all be ok, and I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
I'll let you know tomorrow how the day went.

NaBloPoMo Day #3

2007-11-03T14:49:00.000-04:00

I graduated Nursing School in 1989, which had as it is to believe, was 18 years ago. And, if you count the 2 and a half years in school, it's been over 20yrs. So, that's pretty much 20 years where my wardrobe has consisted of uniforms and casual clothes. Mind you, I did have a few years in the Middle East where I glammed it up at parties and gala events. The year I started Nursing School they did away with the crazy cap thing. What it's purpose was, I have no idea as it surely must have been knocked off a thousand times a day either by a crazy patient, a curtain around the bedside or for a number of other reasons. The year I started nursing school was also the year that nurses had to stop smoking at the nurses station. So, I never had the pleasure of dressing like Nurse Ratched. Which was a good thing.

During school we had to wear white pantsuits or dresses. I opted for the dresses, with white support hose, bobby socks and white wedgies.
I started my first job at the hospital where I am now the day after I graduated school. I was thrilled that I could now wear coloured pastel dresses, and I upgraded my footwear to Lady Foot Locker sneakers. I was cool. Never mind that when I had to crawl up on a bed to do haul a patient out of bed, or do CPR my dress would hike up, my slip would show, my light support hose would slide down and the crotch would end up somewhere near my knees and all in all it wasn't too comfortable. I'm sure that someone out there enjoyed the show, but it certainly wasn't me!

I ended up, as you know, in Saudi Arabia where the dress code was actually not too bad. It was a white pants with a tunic top that covered your B-hind, and covered your elbows. I scrounged up this pic of me hard at work (and apparently having a really good time? I must have been caught off-guard in this shot, I'm usually wearing the Nurse Ratched frown.) The uniform itself wasn't too bad, but the material was horribly scratchy. I had to turn it in when I left so that some other lucky ass could wear it after me.

For the last 8 years I have lived in green scrubs. It has made life very easy. I get up, throw my greens on, throw my hair back in a pony tail, wash my face, brush my teeth, slap a bit of make-up on and I could be out the door in 15 minutes. Low Maintenance. Notice that I don't even bother with a shower in the AM, I save the water for a luxurious bath after work. Initially, when I was single and on the prowl, I'd have my bath, girlie myself up and look half decent when heading out on dates.
Since meeting Greg, and getting the trailer, my after work clothes have become extremely casual. You could say that I have moved from Low Maintenance to No Maintenance. Yoga pants, or flannel jammies always topped off with one of Greg's XXL sized t-shirts. Tres attractive. Trailer gear, is, well, Trailer gear. Old stained tank tops, shorts, yoga pants or flannels. I've let myself fall apart!!!
My dilemma is this: I start my new OFFICE JOB on Monday and I have absolutely zero, zilch, nada OFFICE CLOTHES! I have jeans but I can't wear those. And, I am shoeless. Even though I had to scrape the frost off of my windshield this morning (with the cup on my thermos, because I didn't have the ice scraper in my car) it is not quite boot weather yet.
My other dilemma is: I HATE clothes shopping. It is depressing and stressful for me. Which is why I rely on my husband's XXL t-shirts and flannel pj bottoms as my wardrobe. I fully admit, that I am cheap when it comes to buying clothes. I don't by second hand clothes or anything, but I have a hard time spending money on expensive clothes. It seriously makes me feel ill. Seriously. There is nothing enjoyable about it for me. Sigh, that's weird isn't it?
I'll also need a good warm dog-walking winter coat to go with my winter boots and ice-scraping thermos cup.
I'll let you know how the shopping goes tomorrow.

NaBloPoMo Day #2

2007-11-02T20:13:00.000-04:00

NaBloPoMo Day #1

2007-11-01T18:31:00.000-04:00

Last night, after Buddy stopped barking at the last Grim Reaper, Princess, Gypsy and Dementor to come trick or treating at the door, I turned on the Dryer, and threw the house into near darkness. The only rooms with electricity were the bathroom, and half of the kitchen. As it was bedtime, I didn't really think about this loss of electricity too much, I figured that we'd deal with it when we woke up. Well, Greg left for work, and there was still no electricity throughout 80% of the house. Which meant that my computer was not working, and I started fretting. Not so much because we had no power, but because I was supposed to NaBloPoMo today! As I'm working nights tonight, I figured that I could maybe sneak in a quick blog post there, but I was kind of hesitant, because it's not really something that I want to share with my coworkers. Not that I write about work a lot, but you never know..maybe I did write something unflattering about someone over the past few years that I was never meant for my colleagues to know. Luckily, Greg was able to fix the problem when he got home from work but our electrical panel will need to be updated asap as it is original to the house. We were supposed to do it when we moved in, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Speaking of which...today marks one year since we got possession of this house! And it also marks 5 years since Greg and my official first date. How time does fly.
An update of the clinical educator position I applied for: I start full-time on Monday! I'm really excited about this, yet also a little nervous because on Monday, I start educating one of the new nurses. I'll have a lot of work to do this weekend to prepare myself for next week, but I think I can do it. I have two more night shifts to work, tonight and tomorrow night so I am hoping that I'll some time to do some prep work at work, if it's quiet enough.
Hopefully all the Hallowe'en goblins, ghouls and witches are at rest and there won't be any gang violence to disrupt the shift.

2007-10-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

This is the first weekend I have had time to relax and do stuff that I want to do in what seems like months. Mr. H is working overtime today, so it's just me, the kitties, and Buddykins. It's a rainy Saturday so that gives me even more incentive to stay indoors and be crafty today. I have a few projects lined up but I think today I want to refinish my dining room chairs. I'll take a before and after photo, and you can let me know what you think. Jeez...now I feel like I HAVE to get this project done since I've promised pictures! I have my camera back, and that makes me happy, I've missed taking pictures of just anything I feel like.
We switched our Internet provider last week, and since then I noticed that I lost my blog title pic. It wasn't mine to begin with, I had downloaded it off of the web, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. So, I'm using picture of Mr. Mao, and of course I had to play with the special effects. But, I like how it turned out and for now, I'll it. It would be cool to have a more professional looking blog page, but honestly, I'm not sure that that would prod me into blogging more. What I am hoping will inspire me is joining NaBloPoMo.
I didn't have time to join last year as we were moving and life was just too busy. So this is the year and I will try to keep up. No more excuses!
Otherwise, life goes on. The Clinical Educator position is apparently mine. I have yet to be interviewed, but I am starting the position on a part-time basis orienting the new nurses hired to start in a few weeks. By the end of November, I should be in the position full-time and I am quite excited about this. There are so many changes going on within the peri-operative department and I will have the opportunity to help plan, educate and implement the changes. I went to a conference last weekend which gave me some really good ideas and contacts.
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I haven't been much into cooking these past few months, but am trying to get interested again. The other day, Greg had the boys over for the hockey game and I thought I'd make a big vat of chili. We still have hundred of tomatoes in the backyard but the problem is, is that they are all green. Years ago I read a book called Fried Green Tomatoes and I'd heard that you could fry green tomatoes, but it never really appealed to me. Now, as I said, I made a vat of chili. And I had all these green tomatoes on hand. I cut up a tomato and tentatively tasted it. I don't know what I was expecting, but was it ever tasty! It had a tart flavour to it, kind of like a lime. So then I got to thinking about this: I threw in about three diced green tomotoes into my chili, and I have to tell you...AMAZING!!! I do believe that I have discovered a brand new chili recipe. The boys loved it, and there was not even a spoonful left. I was a little disappointed that there weren't any leftovers for my lunch the next day, however I was flattered that my new chili recipe was a hit. Try it, you'll like it!

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I'm now going to search for sandpaper, sharp scissors and the staple gun and will attack my 40 yr old dining room chairs. Jeez...my mom bought these chairs when I was a little kid!

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I'll leave you with this: they do look content, Non?

2007-10-15T01:36:00.000-04:00

It is quite possible that tonight will be my last night shift. At least that is what I am hoping. Our Recovery Room is so short-staffed that I've been filling in a lot of the nights to accommodate staffing. So, tonight is my 6th shift in a row, and I'm here all by my lonesome listening to my patient snore. If I have to have an overnighter, I prefer them snoring vs. complaining of pain. At least I know he's comfortable. If any of you are married to 67 yr old men, or have fathers or loved ones this age, please tell them to stay out of trees as 30 feet is a long way to fall. For that matter, advise them to stay off ladders and rooftops, too.
Life is pretty much status quo, and has been for a long time. The medications are working, I'm no longer crying at the drop of a hat, and the social anxiety I was feeling has lessened, although has not totally disappeared. I still prefer to entertain in my own surroundings vs. going out. Greg and I were talking today about how we don't go out anymore. Both of us are so comfortable at home, but I couldn't tell you the last time we went out for dinner, or a movie, or to go listen to live music. Having Buddy around is great because it does get us out of the house for a little while each day, and we have gotten to know the neighbours quite well. Towards the end of this month, are a few milestones for us, that we thought we would make special. Oct 26th marks 5 years since we met, Nov 1st is our first real date and our 1 year anniversary in the house, and Nov 11 is our 2nd wedding anniversary. We talked about how we would make a point of having 3 date nights to celebrate. Don't go holding your breath, but I'll let you know if we actually leave the house.

I've now finished the 5th Harry Potter book, and plan to start #6 this week. I've REALLY enjoyed reading them this summer, and am so glad that I finally gave in to the HP craze, it has totally entertained me to the point where I think of us ordinary folks as 'Muggles.'
Last night I started putting together the Hallowe'en goodie bags for the neighbourhood kids. I might have gone a little crazy, but I got excited because it is our first time that we'll have little witches and dementors come to the door. My BFF, Pez, has a son who is allergic to peanuts, and I understand that there are a lot of kids with this allergy. So, to be respectful of this potentially deadly allergy, I put together a peanut-free bag. Inside each bag is a Hallowe'en pencil and eraser, a glow-in the dark tarantula, finger, or bat, rubber flies, and Tootsie Roll confection. I made up 50 bags and was quite happy with how they turned out. I hope that the kids like them, I think I would if I was a kid. I started reminiscing about Hallowe'en candy when I was a kid. I always hated those stale molasses peanut-buttery toffees that were wrapped in orange, black and white wax paper. I think people saved them from their kids previous loot and re-gifted them the following year. Ugh! They were gross. Any candy you remember hating?

Anyway, I must get back to work. This was a nice little blog interruption tho!

Close to Nature

2007-10-12T10:02:00.000-04:00

Thanksgiving weekend was absolutely glorious. The weather couldn't have been better....40C, perfect for dinner Al fresco. During the day, I needed to run into town to pick up some last minute fixin's. I had borrowed my brother's camera, and got sidetracked by the beauty of the Grand River.
The town of Fergus was originally settled in 1833 by Scottish immigrants. Many of the original stone building and homes still exist. These old homes all have historical placards at the front door, describing the positions, or careers the home owner held in the community. My favourite is 'Elizabeth Smith, Housewife.' I like the fact that she was the homeowner, there aren't very many women listed on these placards. So, here are just a few of the pics I took last weekend. It's made me realize just how much I miss my camera, and how I rely on it to get me in the blogging mood.

I like how I can play around with different settings and edit pictures. How's this for autumn colour?!

And how's this for getting close to nature?! I discovered an exotic pet store and this was the owner's pet boa constrictor, named Kahn. One thing weird about me...I kind of, sort of like snakes. And reptiles in general. Believe it or not, this little guy was really social, and slithered his way right up around my neck...rather like a feather boa...only not as fluffy.

All right, it's 10:30 am, and on that happy note, I must go to bed. Three more night shifts to go...

2007-09-26T20:42:00.000-04:00

I honestly didn't realize how much time had gone by since I last posted. I've been on the graveyard shift for so long, I've started to forget what day of the week it is. So it's September 26th. Wow.

Last time I entered anything was Sept. 13th, my brother's birthday. The past 2 years my mom and I argued bitterly. 2005, it had to do with my wedding and how her friends thought it was a stupid idea that we get married in Vegas. Last year, we argued (I think) about my mom is not doing my brother any favours and that she is preventing him from having a life. I learned that that was none of my business, and not to expect the same inheritance. Whatever.

This year, we decided that we would go to a restaurant (that way, we would hopefully not scream like Banshees at each other.) (Banshee's---Ha!---I've been reading too much HP.) I made a reservation at a restaurant that my mother chose for 6pm. An hour at 5:30, my brother called to say they would be a little late. I changed the reservation. At 6:15 I was standing at the end of the driveway letting Buddy go pee and thinking that my mom and brother would soon arrive. They didn't, but my elderly neighbour came over (unasked) to keep me company, which immediately set Buddy off barking at Old Wife-Beater-Shirt-Iggy. Iggy immediately reminded me that his son also had a Husky, upon which I had to ask if that dog looked anything like my Husky, Buddy. (I honestly did ask, because it is about the 10th time he has told me this, leaving me wondering if he REALLY thinks that Buddy is a Husky, or, is he just so old that A Dog Is A Dog Is A Dog.)

I digress.

My mom and brother never did show up. My mom got mad at my brother because of his OCD need to check and make sure that the cats are inside the house, and then, once he is in the car, he has the need to get out again to check that he really did lock the door, but once again see if the cats are in.) My mom got pissed off, and decided that she didn't want to go out for dinner anymore, she stormed to the door and unlocked it, which relieved my brother because he then knew that the door was really locked and that there was someone home to let the cats in, in case they were still outside. (This is their relationship, which last year I learned was none of my business.)

My brother, Greg and I went out for ribs and my mom got the Doggy Bag, lest she go hungry.

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It's now October 2nd, and I am sucking at blogging. I found an old draft and thought I would include it today. I worked a week of days, and now I'm back on the vampire shift. Work is going well, and if anyone is wondering, I am the only person who applied for the educator position and my manager has already indicated to me that the job will be mine. I still have to go for the interview, but I'm not as freaked out as I was. My job partner is presently on vacation so until she comes back, I am covering our full line of shifts, which takes me to the end of October. Just two more weeks of nights and hopefully that will be the end of it for a while.

There is something that is kind of bugging me at work lately, and it has to do with how my colleagues are reacting towards one of the newly hired nurses. This woman has a deathly fear of elevators and absolutely refuses to step foot in one. Most of the time we are not required to accompany patients back to their rooms, the exception is when patients are going to an ICU bed. Some of the ICU's are located on the 4th and 5th floors, so of course, this nurse is unable to get into the elevator with her patient. Which means, that she asks another nurse to go, while she gives a telephone report. On a rare occasion, when some of my colleagues refuse to go, she has no option but to let her patient ride the elevator with a porter, while she runs up the stairs and meets them at the top. This, is unacceptable. At first, I was also kind of rolling my eyes at this phobia of hers, and in agreement with everyone else that she shouldn't be working with us if she is putting her patients in danger. But then, I started thinking about it differently, playing Devil's Advocate when the conversation came up again. In our Recovery Room, we are extremely short staffed, with no end in site. Three nurses are going on Mat Leave in the next 6 weeks, and no one has been hired to replace them. This nurse with the elevator phobia, is really a good nurse and other than the elevator thing, there is no issue with her nursing ability. So, I started thinking, that as nurses, shouldn't we be a little more understanding? Isn't it better to have a capable nurse do her job for 7.5 hours a day, and if she is unable to go in an elevator, can't one of us ride in the elevator with her patient and meet her at the top? It would take as long as a pee break to do this.

I feel particularly bad for her because she is new to the city, new to the hospital and other than her boyfriend, has no friends here. What a warm welcome she has received from us.

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Oct 3rd now.
It is Thanksgiving this weekend, and we are closing the trailer as we always do on this weekend. Two-Four and I have a big dinner planned for Saturday, and Sunday we'll seal the shack up. Greg still hasn't got around to the repairs and I've stopped caring. I'm secretly hoping that a tree will fall on it this winter, or maybe it'll snow so much that the roof will finally cave in. We'll see. I'm sure that next summer I'll still be bitching that the repairs haven't been done.

Buddy has finally gone into the lake to fetch his sticks. He's not actually swimming yet, but he'll go out as far as he can while still having his paws on the lake bed. It's very cute, and he can catch sticks, Frisbees, balls for hours! I guess that's the Border Collie in him.

BTW, the cats still hate him.

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My camera has been in the repair shop for weeks now, and I'm getting really frustrated. I love this time of year, and so many times I've seen things that I've wanted to take pictures of. To be honest, the thing I like the most about blogging is posting pictures, maybe that's why I've been at such a loss lately. It would be nice to have a camera this weekend, maybe I'll borrow my brother's.

Things are quiet on the family front. My mom is in China right now. She has been a travel maniac this year! Believe it or not, we have been getting along all right lately. Buddy seems to bring out the best in her, and he is an excellent buffer when we all get together. She really loves him, and secretly, I think she likes being called Oma. Two-Four is also getting used to being called 'Buddy's Granny.' At first she was pissed at being called Granny, but I think she kind of likes it now, too.

Yesterday, I received a long-awaited-for book from Amazon. One of the blogs I read everyday is Crazy Aunt Purl who I think is extremely funny and always sees the lighter side of situations. Her sense of humour is what dragged her out of the muck when her husband left her. That, and knitting (which I haven't attempted since Brownies 35 yrs ago.) It is a quick, enjoyable read and made for a great afternoon in bed with the kitties and Buddy. I should have been sleeping, but this was more fun. Alright, that's it for now.

2007-09-13T09:11:00.000-04:00

Something kind of funny happened last night at work, well funny to me and I had a huge giggle inside my head.
When I was in highschool I was extremely shy, self-conscious, and awkward with low self-esteem. If a boy ever looked my way (which wasn't often) I'd shrink and turn my back. It's no great wonder I was the invisible wall flower. If I could turn back the clocks I would change that about me when I was younger. Younger, including the years well into my 20's, which is way beyond highschool.
Last night I worked in the ICU and I spotted this absolutely stunning speciman of a young buck resident. Let me tell you this: I am not one of those women who normally checks out every man up and down, in fact, on a whole, I don't find most men all that attractive. (And YES! I do find Greg incredibly handsome, and kind, and a whole bunch of other good things) Last night I found myself OOGLING. This young resident might have been 25, maybe 27 at a push, but OMG he was Hhhhawt! I can not even begin compare him to any actor, or model because honestly, he's way better. Tall, dark hair, hadn't shaved in at least 2 days, turquoise eyes and dark lashes...
So, I'm reading my patient's chart, minding my own business, and this hotty doctor stops by my desk to make sure everything is ok. He introduces himself as Shane and I immediately am transported back into time and turn into my 17 yr old self. I am aloof, can't maintain eye contact, and mumble 'Hi. I'm Ramomum." I look and feel like an ass. He literally backed away! No kidding. He backed away... and now he thinks my name is Ramomum.
He left, and I could have thumped myself in the forehead because I immediately realized how I must have come across. OK, let's get this straight, I am 42, old enough to be his mother for christsake! I am still a dork.
Anyway, a little while later I found myself covering a patient who needed to be intubated and Hotty was in the room too. The patient was on isolation precautions and things were a little tense. I was busy pushing meds, hanging blood, doing my professional nursing things, and being professional. When everything had quieted down Hotty and I and sedated patient where in the room alone. I was sweating and sucking air through my mask, when Hotty turns to me and says: You have the most beautiful eyes!
Bahahaha!!! I didn't know what to say except 'Oh, thanks!' But that immediately broke the ice and I became 42 again, although I didn't tell him that. But I did manage to worm into the conversation that I was married, lived in the suburbs, had a dog and two cats before I made myself shut up.
I am quite sure he is crushed.
Because Ramomum is quite a catch. (Tee-hee!)

2007-09-10T12:21:00.000-04:00

It ended up being a quiet weekend in the end as we had to cancel our plans to go to the out of town wedding. Unfortunately, little Buddykins was hit by a car on Friday (don't worry, he's ok.) My brother had called Friday afternoon and asked if he could take Buddy down to the Bluffs for a walk. The wind was picking up and he wanted to see how rough the lake was. He parked the car, got out, and opened the other door for Buddy. Another dog came running up and within seconds, Buddy got spooked and started running. My brother said he took off like a bullet and even after he jumped into the car, he couldn't keep up with the dog. We live about 1.5 kilometres from the lake and there is a busy intersection with 8 traffic lanes to cross to get there, never mind the steep hill from the top of the bluffs to the lake. Buddy raced up this hill, ran through a subdivision, then crossed that intersection during rush hour traffic without looking or thinking and ran right into a car. He picked himself up off the road and kept running through the school yard and all the way home. He was trembling and obviously scared, but not nearly as scared as my brother, who arrived shortly after the Buddy did.
We went to the vet right away, and luckily there were no broken bones. Some blood work was taken to make sure that there was no internal bleeding, but we were able to bring him home and just had to monitor him overnight. Honestly, it's amazing that other than a bit of road rash on one of his hindquarters, there were no injuries. Also incredibly amazing that a puppy would know how to race home the distance that he did! He is a smart puppy.
So, we didn't end up going to the wedding, and neither one of us was upset about missing it. We were glad to hear that it was a backyard wedding with about 250 guests and it was buffet-style so hopefully we didn't put anyone out.

I came across this quiz today:
Check out your Real Age and predicted Longevity
I wonder if there is one for dogs...

8 hours later...

2007-09-06T22:31:00.000-04:00

...resume is done!

A week later...

2007-09-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

...and not only is my resume still not done, I didn't get around to colouring my hair either! I did clean the house, and I did give myself a pedicure. And I'm still working nights. I swear that I am turning into a vampire!
I have 8 hours before I have to leave for work, and today I WILL FINISH MY RESUME come hell or high water. The position has been posted now, so I really must get a move on.

Procrastion...

2007-08-29T18:34:00.000-04:00

...is my middle name. (Actually, it's Manuela, my mom had a thing for Spanish names.)
I still have not started working on my resume, although I have paid to become a member of the Ontario Perianesthesia Nurses Association and the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses. I can add these memberships to plump up my resume. I've also decided to go to a Perianesthesia Conference in October which actually sounds quite interesting, and a Pain Seminar led by some Anesthetists with whom I work. This, is the most involved I've been with my career in years. Sad, but true. And, definitely time to change that.
But first...I must colour my hair.

Catching Up

2007-08-27T11:34:00.000-04:00

So, it's been over a month since my last real post. I think about my blog every day, but I don't make time for it. I have a day to myself today and other than cleaning up my pigsty of a house, my projects include updating this blog, and working on my resume.

Let me think about what has gone on this past month. Work has been good. An unexpected situation has arisen which could be a very positive thing for me. There is an opportunity for a one year position as Clinical Educator within the Recovery Room, that also extends to the Pre-assessment Clinic, the Same Day Surgical Centre, the IV Team, the Phlebotomy Team, the Transfusion Centre, and the Autologous Blood Centre. My manager and present Clinical Educator have approached me to apply, and are willing to help me prepare for the interview, including updating my resume. The disaster interviews I've had in the last few years have made me realize that Interviews are much more in depth and designed in such a way that I need to really learn how to apply my answers in a specific way to sell myself in a positive manner. Gone are the days when as a nurse, they were just looking for a warm body who wasn't a complete idiot. In speaking with people, I can now see why I didn't get particular jobs that I applied for because I answered questions with a negative outcome. For example, in the last interview I went to the interviewers asked me about my Anthropology degree. I kind of flippantly answered that as a young adult I didn't know what I wanted to do so that's how I ended up with that degree. I went back to nursing school to get a real job. Which, is always how I had thought about it, but it does sound negative, doesn't it?

In speaking with the Clinical Educator last week, the light bulb suddenly went on to the point where I CAN make that degree count for something! In fact, I am inspired to try to get into an on-line Masters Programme. That will be an autumn project. I am also inspired to start getting more involved at work in committees to start networking. In muddling through my personal issues this summer, I've realized that all of these 'problems' have been building for the past few years. I've chosen to just show up for work without being truly involved. Working in the Recovery Room has made that very easy because honestly, I don't find it very challenging. And, if I am truly honest, it has also allowed me to increase my wine consumption to the point where I admit it's become problematic. I'm not proud of that, but there it is, out in the open. I did talk to my doctor about it and realize that it has been a way of self-medicating to cope. I'm going to work on changing this, which will be a challenge of it's own.

I really want this job, so I am trying to stay focused, think positive, and be prepared for the interview. I will gladly take any advice for successful interviewing tips.

Things with my mom and I are okay lately. We have both been behaving ourselves.

I have had some really nice visit with out of town friends this past month. Pez was in Toronto visiting with her family, and we were able to see each other a few times which was great.This past weekend, my friend KD who lives in Ottawa, came for an impromptu visit which was also wonderful. She brought her cute little poodle Roxie, who is Buddy's new girlfriend. The dogs got along really well.

Speaking of Buddy, he is pure joy. He is smart and knows quite a few commands. He is terrible on the leash and is afraid of the lake but he is great with other dogs and children. I think he has a great disposition and he fits in well with our little family. Well, the cats would prefer if he wasn't around, but I'm hoping that as time goes on, they will resent him less.

We have had a few surprise birthday parties this past month. Two-Four turned 60, and had the time of her life at her party. Louise turned 40, and was very surprised at the party we had for her yesterday (especially since her birthday was 2 weeks ago!) My brother, who has been sober since last November, is turning 39 in a few weeks, and Greg and I thought we would throw a little party for him at the trailer. He has impressed a lot of people this year with his kindness and consideration and I think he'd be quite pleased if friends and family celebrated with a nice dinner in his honour. I might even invite my mom up.

Let's see...what else have I been up to? Greg's vegetable garden is growing like crazy. We have loads of vine-ripe tomatoes, hot peppers, and onions. This year was experimental, and we have a few different ideas for next year. I've been working on a perennial garden, which I'm hoping will fill in nicely next year. We have had a really hot, dry summer here so watering has been quite a chore, but all-in-all we are happy with the results. I have not done much with the trailer this summer, I still have dreams of getting it repaired this year and there are a few men who have volunteered to do the job. No plans to get rid of it any time soon. We have not spent as much time up there this summer, but when we do go, it is still very enjoyable. Mao loves it, and he has made numerous friends throughout the park.

I spent 10 days at the trailer earlier this month and had a very nice, relaxing time. I read the first three Harry Potter books, and I have to say that I am hooked! Always late to get on the band wagon, but better late, than never. They are truly creative, engaging books and I'm even glad that I haven't had to wait years in between to read the on-going adventures.

I'm sure that there are many other things that have happend this past month, but these are the highlights. Captivating, huh?!

2007-08-24T12:16:00.000-04:00

It's been a while...I promise I'll make time to catch up later this weekend.

2007-07-25T11:12:00.000-04:00

The last couple of times I've had planned visits with my mom they have actually been quite nice. (I hope I haven't jinxed myself now.)

I never wrote about a HUGE fight we had back in March where my mom called me a F@*&ing A$$hole and stormed out of the house after Greg called her on it. The whole fight was about me standing up for myself and my mom's opinion that you never talk back to your elders, you give them respect no matter what. When I disagreed with her she called me names to gain my respect.
The timing was particularly bad because she was going on a 5 week cruise as a birthday gift to herself for her 70th. I was pissed off, and did not acknowledge her birthday. No card, no gift, no party. And, I know that I hurt her but at the time, but I was hurt too. We have never again talked about this fight that we had, but it's been a slow recovery. There is also no point in trying to talk about it, because we'd end up just rehashing it all over again.
So, in the past few months I don't call as much as I used to which was every day, but I do call about every third day and we have our 2 minute phone call. She never calls me, I'm not even sure she knows my number by heart. I'd go by maybe once every two weeks for an hour visit, that's all I could trust we could handle before one of us would get upset.
I have a feeling that my relationship with my mom is one of the reasons my emotional status took a nose-dive. I've always had a sense that my mom can't be happy for me. She's extremely critical of my life and I think that there is also a good amount of jealousy thrown in. In all honesty, I don't think that she was truly happy for me when Greg came into my life, and when we decided to get married. She looks positively grim in our wedding photos. He has always been warm towards her, makes her feel special, makes her laugh. He is my brother's best friend. Never mind, that I think he is a really great husband. On more than one occasion when we've been talking on the phone, (when she even bothers to ask,) she'll say 'and how is your husband?' I'll say 'do you mean Greg?' She'll say 'all these names are so confusing for me' Uh, ya. There are 4 people in our family, including Greg. That's it, no extended family on our side.
Anyway, I got off on a tangent that I didn't really mean to. But that's some of the background story about what my mom is like.

After our big fight, I managed to keep my distance for the longest time. She was away for 5 weeks, then Greg and I went to Europe. Like I said, I managed a few short visits, without Greg at, her house.
Since Buddy's arrival, he has taken on the role of icebreaker. One of the nicest qualities about my mom is her love for animals, a good trait that her children inherited. I'm not sure if it's pet therapy, but now when I go to visit my mom there is a distraction and the conversation is not as stilted. The visits have gotten longer and she seems genuinely happier, which of course, I find more tolerable.
I know that I will never have a fabulous mother-daughter relationship with her, but at the same time it is important that I have some sort of relationship with her, and that is not stressful. Peaceful would be good. Greg (my very own Dr. Phil) says that she can't change who she is, so I should just accept her as she is, and it'll bother me less. Is this the same thing as "You can't teach an old dog new tricks?" You love the dog, hate the behaviour, but they have that behaviour so ingrained you just give up, but keep loving the dog. (Ooops...did I just compare my mom to a dog?! I didn't mean for it to sound like that.)
Anyway, things are slowly improving, we are both making an effort at getting along.
And Buddy is a young dog learning new tricks. Apparently, he as already won his Oma over, so he's ahead of me.

2007-07-17T18:32:00.000-04:00

Just couldn't resist!

Showers and Babies

2007-07-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

In keeping with my theme of being the world's worst blogger, I will try to catch up on what seems to be my once weekly entry. A rather uneventful week, but all in all, not a bad one. My BIL seems to like coming to stay with us during the week which I'm not seeming to mind all that much as it does help out with Buddy. There are distinct advantages to having an unemployed brother and BIL and Buddy absolutely loves both of them.
We have had the driest summer on record in 9 years but we did have a crazy lightening storm last week which the flowers and vegetable garden desperately needed. Greg was quite proud of his artistic photo he took trying to capture the crazy sky.

One of my friends is expecting her first baby in September and I put this basket together for the baby shower. I got the idea from Pez who is always coming up with creative and crafty ideas. This is the third time I've made one of these baskets and I like this one the best. The idea is to make it look like like a baby sleeping in a laundry basket (it's filled with diapers, shampoo, wipes etc.) Unfortunately, my friend didn't 'get' it until after I told her what it was meant to be, but I had fun putting it together all the same.

A highlight of the weekend was spending some time with my god son Liam, who is cute as a button. He is just sprouting some new teeth.

He seemed to really like Buddikins, although it might not be so obvious in this picture!

In case some of you are wondering what has become of Mr. Mao, he has gone into hiding. I bought this cat cave for him way back in March when I was in Seattle and when I brought it home, he was terrified of it! At the time I was quite disappointed that he didn't love it so it ended up in a corner. Mao rediscovered this little hideaway a few days ago and now seems quite content hiding from Buddy. I should mention though, that it was Buddy who found Mao first in the cave...Greg and I had been wondering all day where he had disappeared to!

Last, but not least, I want to share a Google 3D tour of Berlin which I think is totally cool. It is the next best thing to actually going there. Check it out!

2007-07-10T10:51:00.000-04:00

Had a really nice weekend at the trailer and I was pleasantly surprised at how well Lou and her family behaved, even though they kind of invited themselves to stay with us. Last year, remember how upset I was?
Well, this year it was a completely different story. Perhaps because I haven't really felt like doing much in terms of cleaning, cooking, entertaining (so I didn't!) everyone pitched in. Lou cleaned up the trailer thoroughly at the start of the weekend which was desperately needed. She moved furniture, swept and washed the floors, tidied up the counters, put stuff away. I couldn't believe it! At dinner time, Greg was in charge of the barbecue, Two-Four made a potato salad, and Nan showed up with a salad and coleslaw. After dinner, Lou did the dishes, while I worked on the puzzle! LOL! I guess if one plunks one's ass down and decides not to be a control freak, everything gets done (eventually.)
Lou's 7 yr old daughter was a doll and Buddy fell in love with her. She walked around the park so many times with Buddy, and various adults who all wanted to walk him, that her little feet hurt at the end of the day. Needless to say, both she and Buddy were exhausted and slept very well that night.
Sunday morning we awoke to serious thunderstorms which were desperately needed. I love the sound of the rain on the trailer roof, and we ended up staying longer than we usually do because it was so cozy.
All in all, a very nice weekend.

May 28th, 1948

2007-07-04T14:45:00.000-04:00

The three people who read this blog know how much I like to check out thrift shops, garage and church rummage sales, and the occasional garbage-picking. Due to an elderly population in our neighbourhood, it seems that every month there is another house up for sale. Many of these homeowners have lived in their houses for over 50 years, so you can imagine the goodies I find at garage sales. (One person's junk is another's treasure!) A few weekends ago I happened upon one of these sales and I bought a few things, among them some hand-painted glass globes that were wrapped in newspaper dated May 28th, 1948. I couldn't resist reading through these few pages and some of the ads made me giggle, so I thought I would share. Click on the pics to read the fine print.

Imagine being a young lady in 1948, getting ready for your first date. Etiquet Deodorant Cream requires that one merely dabs one's armpits with the first two fingers. It is "fluffy-light and soothing, goes on easily and disappears in a jiffy! It actually ends under-arm perspiration odour-safely-surely! "
And to get more fun out of your work and play, a lady must always keep herself "clean inside, because real inner cleanliness can put a new spring in your step, a brighter twinkle in your eye." Andrews Liver Salt cleans your mouth and tongue (no halitosis!), it sweetens sour stomach and corrects excess acidity (no burping on that date!), works on the liver to check biliousness (no farting!!!) and gently cleans the bowels (no need to go #2 while you are on that date!)

Your extraordinary personal hygiene has Chuck enraptured and before you know it, You are a June Bride! And the best wedding gift a gal could want, would of course be A NEW RANGE! After all, from the day you are married, it is You who gets to do all the cooking. And don't forget to send your best guy off to work with a thermos full of piping hot Tender Leaf Tea. It'll come in handy during his tea break with all the other working boys. Do remind new hubby to roll up the cuffs of his overalls so he can show off his ankles.

To keep Chuck interested and bragging about you to the other fellers, you must "Youthify" yourself with the "Amazing new Secret of Eternal Youth." It guarantees to normalize your figure problems and you will have a satisfactory silhouette in revealing play clothes and bathing suits. No need to disrobe, and leaves you with no bruising. Hmmm...I wonder what the Big Secret is? It had better not be exercise!!!

After all of Chuck's long hard tea-drinking days at work, he has managed to save a little money for that promised Honeymoon. First, he must trade in all of his United States money he earned under the table at the nearest bank. It is illegal to retain more than $10 United States money, as it must be spent in Canada in order to make the funds available for the payment of goods and services.
-
Never mind, because for your Honeymoon, you are headed to London, England for the 1948 Olympics! Flights are very flexible (leaving every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and very affordable at $604 Canadian money (probably the equivalent of about $6000 pp in 2007!)

Hope you enjoyed this little blast from the past.
Oh...my other 'Find' from the garage sale was this little beauty which cost me $2 Canadian money!

2007-06-29T13:14:00.001-04:00

I met a moron yesterday.
I was meeting my friend and her family at her son's soccer game so I brought Buddy along. He was a bit nervous at first because it was a new situation and there were a lot of people, but he settled down after a few minutes. No sooner had I gotten him settled down, when this woman turns to me and tells me she doesn't like dogs, that she felt they belonged in the country were they could run free. I was a bit taken aback, but I offered to leave. I think she realized her tactlessness so then started saying that she didn't really mind dogs that much, that she had had a guard dog when she was a child that ripped an ankle off an intruder. Okay...
Then she says that what she REALLY hates is cats! She HATES them so much! They are sneaky and dirty and arrogant and she couldn't understand why anyone would want them in the house. And that's why she doesn't want dogs either. You always have to clean up after them, and do stuff for them, they are so NEEDY! I thought I'd shut her up by saying "Ya, that's why I don't like kids." (I DO like kids, I was just trying to shut her up!)
But that didn't work either. Then I had to listen to her go on and on and on about how great her 12 year old son was. He cleans the house, makes her breakfast, does her laundry, shovels the neighbours snow, takes out everybody's garbage blah-dee-blah-dee-blah. It was on the tip of my tongue to say that it sounded like she had her own little slave, but as she was Afro-Canadian I thought that would be in really poor taste.
Thankfully my friend suggested we go for a walk and when we returned, she was gone.
What a moron.

Adventures in Dogwalking

2007-06-22T08:55:00.000-04:00

Greg and I have an agreement that the last one out of the house has to take Buddy for a walk around the block before heading off to work. It's usually me. You'd think that this would be a fairly simple task, but apparently for me, it's not.
Yesterday morning I had this great idea that I would enjoy a cup of coffee while I walked Buddykins. I had Buddy on a short leash, poo-bag and coffee in hand. We set out and shortly thereafter I noticed that Mr. Mao was also coming on the walk with us. I smiled to myself thinking "oh, how cute...Mao wants to come along!" Three houses down Buddy took a big poo. No problem. I put the coffee cup on the sidewalk, held on to Buddy's leash, deftly picked up the big load, and tied my one bag in a knot. Surely he was done.
Nope, next house another poo. Okay...a little trickier as I only had the one bag. Coffee cup on the sidewalk, reopen bag, juggle old poo but do manage to get it all in the bag. Mao watched curiously from a distance, probably wondering why I never clean the litter box every time after he and Dutchie use it.
Back to the poo. I thought he was done, but nooooo...he had to squeeze a little more out. Coffee cup on sidewalk, this time even trickier with the poo so I had to let go of the leash. Which is when Buddy saw Mao and the chase was on! First Mao, then Buddy, then me (with my 2lb bag of poo) racing down the street, and of course witnessed by the mailman.
I managed to get Buddy in the house, then had to go back and retrieve my coffee cup which was still sitting on the sidewalk at this point cold and being stepped over by the kids on their way to school.
On my way home from work last night I bought a Bright Red flexi-leash with a 16 foot lead. Paid $40 for it, but figured it would be worth it. It would give Buddy a little more freedom and maybe I could handle the poo situation better.
We set out this morning but I decided not to bring the coffee.
We made it halfway around the block on his new leash before he got tangled up around a hydro pole. Stupid me let go of the leash and the automatic recoil set in motion. It recoiled all right, and scared the shit out of Buddy! He started running but the handle just kept following him. He was terrified so ran even faster! The handle followed him faster! That dog can run like the wind! So can the flexi-leash handle. I ran too, although not like the wind...
I passed a man I had said hello to three minutes earlier while he admired my new puppy. He now shook his head and tried not to laugh.
Buddy was sitting on the front lawn out of breath. The brand new Bright Red flexi-leash also looked tired. It also looked like I've had it for ten years.

I can only thank god that the mailman didn't witness this.

2007-06-18T14:16:00.000-04:00

Buddy and I discovered a gorgeous place where we could walk and he could be off-leash. It is located on top of the Scarborough Bluffs and overlooks Lake Ontario. There were a few other dog walkers there but really was quite isolated.

The only critter that made me a bit nervous was this fox that we met on our travels! I think if you click on the pic you might be able to see it better.

Pet therapy is a good thing. So is a two and half hour nature walk!

A Little Overdue...

2007-06-18T08:55:00.000-04:00

...for a post!

I think the medication is starting to work. I'm no longer crying for no reason and the tennis ball in my sternum has dislodged itself, for the most part. Buddy has been a great distraction and we've all been going on long walks which is great because it gets us out doing things. He is really good off-leash, he stays close and comes when he is called. I think this is pretty good for a 6 month old puppy that we've only had for three weeks. Mr. Mao is slowly getting used to him, he must have realized that Buddy is here to stay. Dutchie couldn't give a crap, she's happy as long as she gets fed.

We've opted not to crate train him, mainly because we don't have a crate for him, but also because he's pretty good at playing with his toys and hasn't wrecked anything. I did catch him chewing on the fringes of one of my carpets, so I just rolled it up and put it in the closet for now. When we go to work, we leave him in our bedroom with the door closed. My brother (38 and retired for the past 12 years) has a little extra time on his hands so he has become our dog-walker. Which breaks up both of their days. The only glitch I've made with leaving Buddy in the bedroom, is that twice I've also inadvertently left Mr. Mao in the room with him, too! Poor Mao!

Speaking of Mr. Mao, he was almost abducted at the trailer park by a couple of well-meaning cat lovers! For the past 5 summers we've let him wander about, but he always stays close by, and our trailer-neighbours know him well. In fact, they always tell us how much they enjoy his little visits. It's never been problematic, and if it were, I'd make sure he stayed inside. One Sunday night, we decided that we would extend our weekend and leave the next morning instead. We were making dinner and a woman stopped by to tell us that someone had found a Siamese cat, was ours missing? Sure enough, when we called him he didn't come running like he usually does. We were told the cat was at the office but when we got there, they gave us two site numbers and advised us to check there. The first trailer site was literally two sites away, but it was across a little road. The site was empty. So, we made our way to try to find the other site. Jesus! It was all the way down by the lake! No wonder Mao didn't hear me call him. Turns out, that the people at the trailer closest to us 'found' him and decided to show him off to their friends down by the lake. He was wrapped up in a red blanket but you should have seen him jump to me when he saw me! The couple was just getting ready to leave for their home in Cambridge which is 45 minutes West of the park. They had a big German Sheppard in the car, and Mao had already scratched the woman's chest to shreds. Their intentions were good, I guess, and they had already called Greg's cell to let them know they had Mao, but I couldn't help thinking that I wouldn't have reacted the same way had I found a cat. He had a collar and tags on, and honestly, did they think we had gone home and left him behind? Seriously, he was missing for less than an hour. When I found him, the people were concerned because he had this red mark on his forehead. They thought it was blood. They asked me if I knew what it was. Uhhh...yep...it's lipstick, I had kissed him not long ago. MYSTERY SOLVED!

Well, this has turned into a Pet Post, but seriously, that is the most interesting thing going on in my life.
Oh, I did turn 42 ten days ago. Buddy was my gift from Greg. Did I mention that before? It was otherwise a very low-key birthday, which was how I wanted it.

I've lost 18 lbs since January, so I actually weigh less now than I did on our wedding day. My size 16 clothes are all too big for me. Yay!

Here's a pic of Mama, and Mama's Boy:

Buddy's Weekend at the Trailer

2007-06-12T15:13:00.000-04:00

Little Buddy had a funderful time last weekend. He raced around with the Australian Sheppard and Border Collie who live next door and was having a ball!

He socializes very well with other dogs which I'm very happy to see.

Being a pup he tends to take little cat naps throughout the day and he claimed this Hosta as his very own personal "Palm Tree."

At night we were all a little konked out and cozied up in bed. Needless to say there was very little room left over for Greg, but he did manage to squeeze in too.

Not much of a post, but things are slowly getting better.

Our Fur Family

2007-06-03T18:35:00.000-04:00

I've struggled this weekend with feelings of anxiousness and opted not to go to the trailer and hid out at home instead bonding with little Buddy. No doubt, Two-Four is upset with us, but her intrusiveness was part of my issue. We are giving serious thoughts to selling the trailer as I think it's too much work handling both properties. As I've mentioned in the past, weekends at the trailer are really just more work for me. So, the issue at hand is, that we decided to give Greg's sister first dibs on the trailer, in case she was interested. We gave her a ballpark figure, which believe me, was a steal. In a casual conversation she had with her mother asking questions about park fees etc the price of offer came up. Well! Two-four left a nasty message on Greg's machine saying that she thought it was deplorable that we were even going to ask money from Lou, that he should be disgusted trying to make a buck off his own sister! Lou, had no idea of this, and she herself certainly has no thoughts akin to her mother's. But, I just didn't want to deal with it this weekend, not even a smidgen of conversation about it. It just stresses me out. And I don't want to deal with it right now.

My mother has made some secret promise to herself never to step foot in my home again. So, once a week, I will visit with her for an hour at her home, until she smartens up. She likes the dog, but doesn't like his name, was trying to get him to bark (which I'm trying to prevent) and was ready to feed him a leftover pork chop, which again, I'm trying to prevent. Thankfully the puppy was tired and there was my excuse to leave.

So yesterday, instead of going to the trailer, I finished my gardening here at the house all the while with the Ball of Dread growing bigger and bigger in my chest. I must admit, my pets (and of course Greg) are the shining stars in my family life. Buddy is so anxious to play with the cats, but they really don't want much to do with him. Dutchess has lived with dogs before, but she is really not interested in starting up a new friendship. She basically ignores him as much as she can. Mao is particularly nervous, but he will spend time in the same room and I've noticed that he lets Buddy come a little closer each time. The orange chair that Buddy is sleeping on has a special memory attached to it as it was the dog's chair when I was growing up. When I moved out, I needed a computer chair so I took this from my mom's house. Buddy decided yesterday to adopt this chair, so we moved it into the bedroom with us.We were going to have to buy a new bed for Buddy as he picked apart the foam of the first one that Greg bought. We don't have a crate for him yet, but someone from work has one for us if we need it. I'm not quite sure what I think about crating a dog. The first day we had him we left him in the bedroom while we were at work. He was alone for 5 hours and the only damage he did was to eat his bed. No other accidents. We've managed to potty train him this weekend, he sits on command, and shakes paws. He knows NO, and he does not bark at the cats. I think that this is all pretty good for a four month old pup, I'm impressed. He has also gotten us out and on walks. Today we went down to the bluffs and had him off-leash most of the time. He stayed right near us and not once did he run away, or even chase after the geese. We were down at the lake and as it was quite a windy day the waves were quite noisy and he was a little afraid. The world is a whole new big place for him, and he is very tired at the end of the day! He starts puppy-classes on June 18th.

I did capture a cute little shot of Mr. Mao, the Caterpillar Killer. Well, he thought he killed it, but I think the caterpillar outwitted him by playing dead. As soon as Mao was out of the way, caterpillar hurried off. I like how Mao's ears look like big moths in this picture.

That's all for now.

2007-06-01T07:46:00.000-04:00

Thank you Everyone. I did go to the doctor yesterday and things are starting to get sorted out. A lot of this is hormonal peri-menopausal stuff but my coping skills are not the best lately. Ordinary day-to-day things feel like huge obligations and when I don't get around to them, I feel guilty and get this feeling of dread in my chest that makes me feel like it's hard to breathe. I start one thing, then another, then another, and nothing really gets done. Then, to make the dread go away, I have a glass, or two, or five of wine. Which works for a short time, but then the next morning it starts all over again. This is where the lack of coping skills really comes in to play, and why I knew I needed to do something about it. For the time being I'm starting a low-dose medication to get myself back on track.

Now, whether it's a good time for this or not, Kross-Eyed Kitty also has a big announcement! Yesterday we adopted a 4 month old puppy from a Rescue Centre. Introducing Buddy Ha**ett (rhymes with Racket)

We have been talking about getting a dog since we moved into the house and decided to wait until after our trip. Buddy is half border collie and half terrier and is a happy little guy. Mao is curious about him, but does get his hackles up when the pup gets too close. Dutchie couldn't care less as she is more comfortable around dogs.

Be prepared: you'll be seeing plenty of pics of our newest family member!

2007-05-29T23:14:00.000-04:00

Ugh.
I'd like to say that I'm feeling better, but the bad/sad/blues have really got a hold of me.
Lately, a lot of bad memories have come to the forefront again and I think I need to deal with them.
Tomorrow I'm starting by making a doctor's appointment.
I'll be around, but I think I need some time to deal with all the crap I've kept bottled up that is eating away at me.

2007-05-24T07:58:00.000-04:00

In the week or so since I've returned from vacation I'm feeling overwhelmed and everything is feeling like a juggling act. Work seems to get in the way of all the other things that I need to do. I'd love to be able to take a day to clean the house, do the laundry, go grocery shopping, work on the garden at the house and at the trailer, make time for friends and family, blog, get my vacation photos sorted and printed, recover my dining room chairs, etc, etc, etc. I'm feeling like I can only get jobs started and then I am pulled away because there is something else that needs to be done, or the phone is ringing, or someone is popping by. I'm not complaining (or not EXACTLY complaining) but I do feel like there is so much to do and nothing is getting done. Or, when it does get done, in a few days it needs to be done all over again. Maybe I'm just not organized enough, or maybe I just need a few more days in the week to get everything done. Greg is helpful and he worked hard this past week and sanded and stained our deck in the backyard which looks great. The patio lights that I bought in Seattle are also up and they look adorable. My terra cota clay pots have been hung on the fence, but are barren of any flowers.
I think, what it comes down to, is that since I can't quit my job, that this weekend we will have to stay home and do work around the house.
For the life of me, and I've said this before, how on earth do people with kids manage? Especially these days when you're running kids from school to baseball practice to dance recitals to piano lessons? I know, I know...you just do what you have to do.
Anyway. It's 8:18am and I have to leave for work in an hour. I'm going to put in a load of laundry (that I think Dutchie has already peed on because that is her latest trick. She wasn't happy that we went away for two weeks and has now discovered alternative litter boxes. Usually the bathroom rug, but since I took that away it's now the clothes pile in front of the washing machine.) Sigh.
And, did I mention that I did go for that job interview? A one hour interview where at the end, the manager said that she didn't have a job for me, but thought she would interview me as there might be jobs at the end of summer. The interview was much more in-depth than I'm used to, and I left with my self-esteem at an all-time low.
So, this has been my week thus far: over-whelmed and low-esteemed.
Or perhaps it's just post-vacation blues.

I'm back!

2007-05-19T07:48:00.000-04:00

We had an absolutely WONDERFUL vacation and I'm very happy to say that Greg made an excellent travel partner! I have been to Berlin many times but this time I really enjoyed playing tour guide and showing Greg the sites of my birth city. It has changed so much over the years since the wall came down. We went to the Berlin Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie to learn the history of the Wall and the many escape methods used by people over the years to gain entry into the West. Some very innovative ideas including tunnels, hiding in shopping bags, suitcases, amplifiers and even surfboards. There is very little left of the Wall these days, but one of the pictures below is a small slab left as a reminder. No trip to Berlin would be complete for me if I did not visit my most favourite fountain in the whole world, Neptune's Fountain at Alexander Platz. I could spend hours examining this beautiful sculpture, there is so much detail involved.

After a few days in Berlin we took the train to Prague. I would totally recommend taking the train anywhere in Europe as it is extremely comfortable and reliable. We stayed at a couple's home in the outskirts of downtown Prague. I can not even begin to tell you how nice these people where! Charles met us at the train station and had already purchases tram tickets for us. He brought us to his home, 10 minutes later we were back on the tram and he brought us to Old Prague Town to make sure that we knew how to get there and home again. He gave us a fantastic tour of his favourite places in Prague which were a little off the beaten path. He brought us to his family Church which is heavy, heavy Baroque and has not been renovated yet. The gold gilt on the painting frames were blackened with centuries worth of dust and grime but that just made the goosebumps so much bigger. The organ in that Church had been played upon by Mozart and Bach.
Prague was absolutely beautiful, however if I could say one negative thing about it, it would be that there were SO many tourists, that it felt a bit like Disney World. Overall though: a must-see.

Amsterdam? What can I say? It is a beautiful city with it's canals and canal houses. Everywhere you look, is pretty. OK, maybe the red-light district is not so pretty, but it's worth a few minutes visit just to see what the hoopla is all about. We did visit Anne Frank's Haus which was for me, a very moving experience. I'm very glad that I read her diary last month and it was fresh in my mind. ~~~And Amsterdam...very relaxing ;)
We walked and walked and walked hours each day in all of these cities and I think we must have climbed miles of stairs, but none of the stairs were as crazy-steep as the ones in Amsterdam. OMG! It was 73 steps to our tiny, teeny-weeny room and by the time we got to the top we'd be huffing and puffing and fall onto our 3/4 bed! Greg could touch the walls when he spread his wings, that's how small this room was.
On our last day I had planned for us to take the train to go to Keukanhof to see the tulips. Unbeknownst to me, we were too late to see the spectacular bulbs so I was greatly disappointed when after an hour and a half of travel, we walked into the park and there were just a bunch of dead leaves. It was kind of like how The Griswald's must have felt when the rides at Wally World were closed!

This was the perfect vacation, the perfect amount of time and the perfect travel companion. We are already making a list of where to go next May...I do believe that hubby has caught the travel bug!

Whoo-hoo!

2007-05-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

... just when I thought I had signed off for two weeks, I headed over to Kristi's at Interrupted Wanderlust and was very pleasantly surprised to learn that I had been nominated for a Thinking Blogger Award ! To be honest, lately I realize that my blog is merely filled with travel posts and cat posts and that perhaps there is not a lot of thinking going on, but I'm honoured anyway that Kristi thought of me!

In random order, I'd like to honour the following blogs for making me think:
Pez at Pez Blahg is not only my BFF, but I've learned that being a Stay At Home Mom to three boys is the equivalent of THREE FULL-TIME jobs. She is a fantastic mom who is a terrific advocate for peanut-free environments in the classroom. She is smart, funny, crafty...and did I mention she is my BFF?!

Amanda at Putting Out Fires is a fabulous photographer with an incredible eye for detail. She writes so eloquently about her mom's struggles with leukemia and what a brave lady she is. She is also totally, completely, passionately, madly in love with her husband and I totally enjoy reading about their good times. Many of my family and friends are going through rough times in their relationships and it is so refreshing to hear about a good one.

Begered at Beeshive also has a lust for travel and has gorgeous photos of her trips to Iraq and Russia. Her photos of Iraq remind me that despite all of the turmoil that that country has gone through, there is a strength and beauty in family roots that prevails. I'm impressed that she is able to share a side of Iraq that most people don't have the opportunity to see.

Sher at What Did You Eat? introduced me to Weekend Cat Blogging and she has the most hilarious photos of her cats Upsie and Sundance. She is a wildlife rehabilitator and has shared incredible photos of the baby ground squirrels she rescued. An incredible chef, she has inspired more than a few tasty recipes with her mouthwatering photos and diverse menus.

Moon at Moonbeams in Cyberspace is a compassionate woman who cares for disabled adults in her home. She writes from the heart and recently is sharing her experiences of weight-loss. I know how hard that is!

Your turn now to share the love! Here are the Rules!

2007-05-01T08:27:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow we leave for Europe! I just finished working a week of night shifts and while I thought I could get a lot done outside of work, I've of course left it all until the last minute. Yesterday I spent a few hours at the mall buying some generic t-shirts, a teesie-weensie umbrella, a voltage converter and a few gifts. Turns out that my first cousin, and my second cousin are going to make the trek to Berlin to visit us. I have a very, very small family and these are virtually the only relatives I keep in semi-contact with. It'll be interesting to see them as the last time I saw my 1st cousin was 6 years ago, and my 2nd cousin was about 20 years ago.

Spring has finally sprung here in Ontario and we've been spending a lot of time cleaning up the backyard. The forsythia bush is in full-flower and Mr. Mao has discovered a new perch on top of the fence. He was able to get up there, but then needed help getting down. Silly Kitty.

Last night I was packing for our trip and I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen The Dutchess in a while. Usually she is giving us the googlie-eyes begging for food every few hours. We looked in every nook and cranny in the house and finally came to the conclusion that she must be outside, although neither of us could remember letting her out. We ended up walking around the neighbourhood looking for her and just when we were about to give up we found her! She was sitting three doors down at a house that looked very similar to ours. The people there must have taken pity on her as there was kibble and water there for her. She must have been wondering why we (they) wouldn't let her in! Poor girl! I put a thank-you note on their door this morning...there's a new way of meeting the neighbours!

So, I'm off to Europe tomorrow, expect tons of pictures when I get back mid-May.

Travel Tuesdays #14

2007-04-25T15:56:00.000-04:00

...if it's Wednesday, we must be in Venice! Seems like I'm consistently a day late for TT these days. Should I start calling it Wandering Wednesdays instead? Nah...

Venice was one of the many places the Ex-bf and I traveled to. We were there for a week, and honestly 2 days would have been enough to get a good gist of what the Island is all about. It's very pretty and pedestrian-friendly. Every canal or bridge you pass is picture-perfect. The gondolas add to the romance of the city, but be prepared to drop $100 bucks for a short ride, more if you want the Gondolier to sing "That's Amore!" We were lucky in that our trip fell during the yearly Historical Regatta which really was the highlight of the whole week. The Regatta dates back to the second half of the 13th century and many of the locals were wearing historical costumes.

One of my favourite food memories is Insalata Gorgonzola It is quite possible that I had it every day. I think I am now inspired to make this salad on the weekend. Or maybe, it'll have to be tonight as I've just caught myself salivating!