Kimbo the Bimbo

2007-02-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
Things have been so hectic, that it’s been difficult to keep this thing up to date. So, here’s what’s new.

House: painted the basement, blood red and sandy brown. Sounds tacky, looks great. Dave did the ceiling in the office, and now the last thing left is the ceiling in the main room.

Dog: Brody’s doing great, recovering from Pink Eye (yuck). Obedience classes are going well, but we hardly have time to do his homework.

Love life: Engaged. You all know that already.

Social life: so-so…wish I had more time to see everyone but also wish I had more time to myself.

Health: good. Nothing new here.

Money: boooo

Job: Yay, starting my new job on February 19th. Am really excited.

Vacation: non-existant. Will have 2 days off between jobs. Depends how fed-up I get with this one ;) No vacation for one year!

Wedding: Thinking March 1st 2008, but depends on whether or not I can negotiate vacation in yr. 1 of Job.
Plans for February: go skiing once or twice, engagement dinner with families, new job, go to the gym 3 times a week, and try to RELAX!

2007-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

I won’t bore you with all the details, as I am sure that you are all pretty much up to date.

Latest news:

1. I turned 25. Eek.
2. I got engaged. Yay.
3. Brody started Obedience School. Yay.
4. I may be getting a new job. Yay. Meeting the CEO of the company tomorrow after work. Eek.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on at the same time. Right now I feel a little stressed, but I guess that’s normal considering the importance of my interview tomorrow. This job means Mo’ money, great benefits, and a more enriching job in my field. Wish me luck!

going to cuba...with doctor`s prescription

2007-01-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

I went to see my doctor last week to try to find a solution for my chronic fatigue. It’s pretty funny because these were her grand solutions after my check-up:

1. Go down south for a week
2. Do some exercise
3. Take 2 Flintstone vitamins with iron a day

Well, the first “solution” is just ridiculous. As if I can just take off for a week because my doctor says so! Also, I can’t exactly afford to leave right now, with Brody`s surgery, Christmas, and a trip to Newfoundland coming up at Easter. I would love to try to claim this expense with my insurance…”uh…it was prescribed by my doctor…”! As if!

Her second solution makes sense. But how am I supposed to pick up and go to the gym when I have NO energy. I barely even make it home from work every day! The third solution rocks, because Flintstone vitamins taste so good! She had originally told me to take Centrum, but I can’t swallow pills and refuse to crush them up (they taste like death). So, since I am so small she said that I could get away with Kids vitamins.

Anyways, what ever happened to prescribing meds? Isn’t there anything out there on the market that can give me a boost (like a milder form of Speed)? Ha! Now I sound like a drug addict…but seriously…

Santa's Coming!

2006-12-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

Well, today was my first official day of Christmas vacation. I decided earlier this week to just take the whole day off, to give me a head start. So, I took advantage and slept in until 11:00. Brody wasn't thrilled, and detroyed his bed as a result. Then I went to pick up Steph and we had breakfast at 1:00 at Chez Cora's. Then it took us like 1 hour to get to Fairview, but it wasn't so bad because we made fun of the dude with the wedding ring, and sang along to Wham (last Christmas I gave you my heart, and the very next day you gave it away. Next year...). I almost got smashed into by a few cars, but we finally made it in one piece. Steph and I each bought a party dress and I finally finished my Xmas shopping. It was a pretty productive day!

The next few days will be pretty busy, so I'll take this chance now to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and all the best for 07.

Oh yeah, and check out this link, it's hilarious
http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=2d24c97143939d5841dd059G06122106

it's begining to look a lot like Christmas

2006-12-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Ick, I hate eggnog. Can I say cappuccino?

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Duh, of course Santa wraps the gifts!

3. Coloured lights on the tree/house or white?
I have coloured LED lights in my tree and outside. Usually I prefer white, but these lights just suit my house & tree perfectly.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Don’t need mistletoe as an excuse to kiss! Plus, I would probably end up under it with Brody…mmm…a nice slurpy kiss.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Last weekend of November/First weekend of December.

6. What is your favourite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Tourtière & Ragoût de boulettes.

7. Favourite holiday memory as a child:
Waking up early with anticipation, having to wait until 8:00 with the stocking (which was actually a HUGE bag filled with loads of presents) on my bed. Going to get my brother and then my parents, and then having to wait until my mom made her damn coffee and pourred champagne and orange juice before opening gifts, one at a time. Xmas mornings were the best.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I figured it out when I found all kinds of gifts hidden in the laundry room. I actually didn’t peek at the gifts. I just walked out as if I had seen nothing.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yeah, with my mom’s side of the family. I usually get 3, one from Pepère, and one from each uncle.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
The most important ingredients are Christmas music and a glass of wine. I put the lights, ribbon, the nicest ornaments, the balls, then the ugly hand-me-down ornaments, then the star.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
LOVE it, when I can ski, skate, shovel or go sledding. HATE it when I have to drive or dry the dog off after a walk.

12. Can you ice skate?
Of course! Grew up on the rink playing Ringuette and Hockey.

13. Do you remember your favourite gift?
My first ever cd boom box. And Dance Mix 1994 with MC Mario…oooh Yeah!

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Being with my family. And the sweet week off to recuperate from the year.

15. What is your favourite holiday dessert?
Mom’s baked goods…chocolate balls, turtles, SKOR cookies, macaroons etc.

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition?
Réveillon, baby! Good food, booze, dancing, gifts. The one tradition I could not do without!

17. What tops your tree?
A pretty silver star.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving. I start my shopping early and put a lot of time & effort into wrapping each present.

19. What is your favourite Christmas song?
"All I Want for Christmas is You" and “Where are you Christmas” from the grinch. Oh, and most songs on the Diana Krall Xmas album. Oh yeah, and the song with the Chipmunks. Oh…and how could I forget the best of all cheesy Xmas songs… “I’ll be home with bells on” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

20. Candy canes! Yuck or yummy?
Yum Yum…but they can’t come from the Dollarama. The more expensive one’s are much better.

21. Favourite Christmas movie?
Love Actually is #1 on my list, Elf is #2 and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is #3.

22. What would you ask Santa for this year (and it has to be a material thing... none of this "world peace" or "happy family" stuff!)
A wool coat, jeans, a sweater from Jacob, thermal underwear for skiing, Bon Cop/Bad Cop, fleecy housecoat (which I got from my friend Kelly), Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, a laptop (this was a joke request, too expensive) and perhaps a little something shiny from the one I love…

Don't call me crazy

2006-11-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

So…I put up my Christmas tree on Sunday. I didn’t want to…well, I wanted to, but I didn't want everyone to think I was crazy. So, I decided I would wait a week. Then, to my surprise when I woke up on Sunday, my Christmas tree was standing there in my living room (it was naked, of course) so I had no choice but to dress it up (I had to give it some dignity!).
Here is my "little" Brody getting some rest in from of my tree…I think he likes it! This picture doesn`t give my tree’s beauty any justice though, because you can`t see all my favorite ornaments at the top!

2006-11-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Brody's coming home today!!!

2006-11-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

10 :00 am : Brody Relapse

Well, I didn't exactly get to bring Brody home last night. I got home from work at 4, ready to nap for 1 hour and then go get the Brodster. But there was a message on the answering machine from my (panicked) vet telling me that she's worried & to call her back. I drove over to the clinic as fast as I could, and the vet told me that Brody had vomited in the morning and that apparently this was not normal. I am soooo switching vet's when this nightmare is over...I'll explain later.

So, I had to grab Brody, along with his cone, file and x-rays and take him to the emergency hospital (open 24hrs) in Lachine. I saw a vet (a very nice and empathetic woman), had an ultrasound done, and waited for Dave (he left work early). About an hour later, we saw the vet again, and she told us that there was some inflammation and irritation, which is normal considering he had his stomach, colon and intestine cut into during his surgery. His stomach is weak, which is why he is not retaining any water. She told me that he will most likely be fine, that he just needs a little R & R. They were going to give him some meds to build up his stomach and will give him some water later this afternoon. This place is open 24 hours and he will be checked on very frequently.

So, we went home a little shaken up, but feeling a bit better. I made dinner and we finally sat down when I got another call from our vet..."Uh...you forgot to take Brody's pills"...WHAT??? SHE forgot to even mention that in the $1000 I had paid, there were pills involved! So, we had to go get the pills in Ile Perrot, and drive back to Lachine to bring him his pills (which he can't even take for the moment, as he can't hold anything down). We lucked out and got there 15 minutes before the end of visiting hours, so we asked to see Brody. They put us in a room with him for over half an hour! He was really playful and happy and kept giving us kisses. It was really hard, because I just want to bring him back home!

I should get some more news this morning. I'll keep you posted.

p.s. I am changing vets because ours is overly nervous, seems to have no self-confidence, and has no tact!!!

News at 1:00pm

The vet called in the am to say that Brody is doing well. He has not vomited since being at the hospital (good sign) and that his is adapting well to the antacids. His heart & lungs are fine.

Got another call from the ultrasound specialist who told me that today`s ultrasound is much better than yesterday`s. There`s some inflammation (duh- because of the operation) in the stomach & colon, and some inflammation in the intestine that looks like he might have a small gastro. He needs to recuperate slowly. They will try to give him a bit of water this afternoon to see how he handles it. If all goes well, they will test out food, and if digested properly, he might get to come home tomorrow night.

I`ll keep you posted.

Brody update

2006-11-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

Brody`s surgery went successfully…however they did not find any foreign objects in his stomach. The surgeon found that his small intestine was twisted and was suffocating itself. She told me that it had actually turned a little blue. He would have died had he not been operated right away. He is recovering well, but I still have not seen him. This morning they will give him a bit of food and water and see how it goes. If all goes well, I should be able to go pick him up this afternoon. I miss my goofy dog so much! Poor guy is gonna have to wear a cone for a few days!

Keep your fingers crossed for Brody

2006-11-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I got home after a long day of work and a trip to the grocery store. I was looking forward to making a nice dinner and relaxing. But when I got home, I had no idea what was in store for me. Brody had been sick and the house reeked. I won’t go into all the gory details (trust me, you don’t want to know)…I dragged Brody upstairs into the bath and started to wash him. Then he was sick 3 times. And what should have come out his bum, came out, well, somewhere else instead. So, in a panic, I threw a blanket on the backseat of my car, dragged Brody in, and drove like a mad woman all the way to the vets (thank god it’s only 4 mins). 2 long hours later, after X-rays and 2 big messes in the vets office, I was told that Brody has something stuck in his stomach and that he must have a major surgery asap. He spent last night in the animal hospital on IV (which he apparently ripped out – could have been dangerous because he was dehydrated). He is in the operating room right now and I am waiting for news. The cost isn’t even what is upsetting me right now ($1000 as long as there are no complications), I’m just really scared and worried. So, keep your fingers crossed for him. I’ll post some news as soon as I have some.

Fun at the Rocky!

2006-11-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Brody at 7 months

2006-10-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

New car, baby

2006-10-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I finally got a car! I picked it up from the Mazda dealership in Hawkesbury last night, and had my first drive in to work this morning. I feel so free! Finally, I don't have to take lifts from anyone, and don't have to be forced to listen to heavy metal in the am! Yesssss!!!!

p.s. yes, that's my shadow in the picture. I'm so cool!

How many squirrels must die for you to look fly?

2006-10-24T13:10:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,
Please take 2 mins out of your day to check out this great short movie made by Dove (Evolution). It's a part of their campaign to raise young girls' self esteem.

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca

Courges, courgettes et melons

2006-10-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well I finally got off my lazy butt and made my way to the Pincourt library last night. The sad thing is that it is literally a 5 minute walk from my house, and I haven`t made it there sooner. Anyway, there aren`t that many books (1 long row, both sides)...but I have no idea where to start. I was wondering if you guys could mention a few books that you recommend, so that I can know what to look for. Since I was so lost, I got one of the "Shopaholic" sequels (read the first one a month ago) and a random Tom Clancy book for Dave. Oh yeah, and the biggest score was a cookbook called "Courges, courgettes et melons" so that I can make yummy squash soups & sides with all of my Quinn farm treasures!

2006-10-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so braces are off and my teeth look great. My first meal sans braces was heaven…no worries about what little food particles somehow slipped their way into my braces. I had a permanent retainer placed on the back of my bottom teeth and have to go back Thursday to get the retainer for the top teeth.

In other news, I purchased my first ever Canada Savings Bonds today. $40 will be taken off each pay and will accumulate. In 1 year I will have a minimum of $1040, which isn’t much, but it’s a good start, especially if Dave does the same (then were talking double), and I can always increase the amount I want to put it. I don’t know what I want to do with the money yet, but I am sure it will come in handy if I ever want to get married, or if Dave and I want to open our clinic.
Oh yeah, and I decided to treat myself for getting my braces off, so I bought the new Killers cd that came out today. $9.99 at Best Buy. Sweet!

2006-10-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

It’s my big day! I am leaving work in 15 minutes to go get my braces taken off! Finally after three years I can stop feeling paranoid that I’ve got food stuck in my braces!
I’ll let you know how it goes.

Gross news...what is this world coming to?

2006-09-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Stars At Random: This Week's Weird Celebrity News.
by Ryan Porter
"Dustin Diamond" and "sex scandal" are two phrases that should never be uttered in the same breath, but it is my sad duty to announce that today they are as together as Zach Morris and Kelly Kapowski. The actor who played high-voiced nerdling Screech on Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class is allegedly featured on a sex tape that has found its way into the grubby hands of David Hans Schmidt. The agent's celebrity sex tape roster has included Colin Farrell and O.J. Simpson, the latter advertised with the line, "The Juice Has Gone Bad."
The film features two unidentified ladies and stuff so smutty, you don't even want to know. Diamond has said he hasn't seen the tape but acknowledges the possibility he's in it. "I've had a lot of fun with video in the past," he said, causing international vomiting. The film is considered Diamond's most prestigious work to date.

2006-09-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

A couple decide that it's time for their kid to over her shyness and agree to take her to a nudist colony. Once they arrive, the girl asked her mother: "Mom, what does it mean when a woman has large breasts?" Her mother told her that it meant that the woman was stupid. The girl then asked her father: "Dad, what does it mean when a man has a large penis?" Her father told her that it meant that the man was stupid. Later that day, the girl approached her mother and announced: "Mommy, daddy is talking to a stupid woman and he is getting stupider by the minute!"

2006-09-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,
I heard a good one this morning:
A boy asks his dad "Dad, if girls with big boobs work at Hooters, then where do girls with one leg work?"
His dad answers: "they work at IHOP"
ha ha ha
Have a great afternoon

Is anybody out there?

2006-09-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

2006-09-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Here`s what`s new with me (there really isn`t that much, so this will be a short one).

I had the interview for my job yesterday. Apparently I did an impeccable interview, and I got yet another 6 month contract. This one is different from the others though, because they can keep extending me up till 3 years, with no problems, and then they have to make me permanent.

Officially have a cleaning lady now. Every 2nd Wednesday morning. Sweet!

Went to see an allergist today. Turns out that I am not allergic to dogs, which I thought I was practically my whole life!

Oh yeah, and did I mention that crock pots rule? Friday I made a massive stew in 15 minutes, and today I am cooking chicken and red peppers in a cream sauce. Took 10 minutes to prepare and is cooking as we speak! How exciting! Dinner will be ready by the time I get home.

Getting my braces taken off on October 3rd! Yessss…
Hmmm…I guess that is it for now.

Ridin' Diiirrrrty

2006-09-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Vacation time has come already! See you in a week, bitches!

p.s. Good news about my job: interview is on the 19th, but I am the only candidate, since everyone else failed the tests!

I`m bringing sexy back...where did Sexy go?

2006-09-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

Back to work already! This week won’t be too bad though, because it’s a 4-day week and Dave and I leave for vacation on Saturday (1 week). Then we will come home a day earlier than planned because we will be in a golf tournament with Mike and Nancy.

Just got back from the states…what a weekend it was! Here are some of the highlights of my weekend in Lake George:

Saturday:
§ Arriving at the “Adirondack Sunrise Motel” and being greeted by Jan (is that even her name?). Stephonie! You have to heat your cabin.
§ Discovering that our cabins were smaller than my master bedroom!
§ Going grocery shopping at Walmart and discovering the steaks cleverly placed next to the women’s clothing.
§ The endless hunt for coals and lighting fuel.
§ Having a bbq dinner at the cabins and playing on the swings.
§ Going to the Drive-in, to be told that we had missed our movie. Our only option was to see “Accepted”, a movie about “people who invent their own Callage”. No thanks!
§ Mini-putting at the Pirates Cove with our eye patches and flags.
§ Spotting the nasty toy kittens that breathe in the Nostalgia shop.

Sunday:
§ Eating our nasty American microwave breakfasts (yuck, I can still taste the sausages!!).
§ Trying to get clean in the world’s smallest bathroom
§ Touring Lake George and “Lake Trout”. Checking out the Saint Sacrament (tabarnac).
§ Toot toot! The wonderful music coming from the Minne-Ha-Ha.
§ Eating lunch at the MonteCarlo, a restaurant that reeks like old people.
§ Going back to the cabin to nap & relax.
§ Going to the Drive-in to watch Talledega Nights. Suishing in the back with Steph to try to see the screen while sipping our Icees and eating yummy popcorn.
§ Getting drunk in the cabin while playing asshole, having a pillowfight with Steph.
§ Steph refusing to say the “V” word.

Monday:
§ Getting ready to leave. Dave hitting his head on his way into the world’s smallest bathroom.
§ Heading home, dancing along to “So So Sexy! So So Sexy!” in the backseat.
§ Eating and people watching at Friendly`s in Plattsburg.
§ 5 minute wait at the border (while those entering the states had at least a 4 hour wait).
§ Picking up Brody and going home.I promise, I`ll post some of the hilarious pictures this week.

2006-08-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I am all done University, but I am not sure it has totally hit me yet. I’m still super tired and I am recovering really slowly. Thank god it’s Friday!

Still need to get rid of all my school stuff, been lazy all week.

Man, my life is boring! I have nothing to write!

Saw Bon Cop, Bad Cop last weekend. What a great movie! It was really hilarious…I want to see it again J
Lol I am going to end this before it becomes the worst post in the history of blogging!!

2006-08-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my last University exam EVER is tomorrow afternoon. Am I ready? Not really! But the upside is that I have to write two essays, one on Euthanasia, and one on the privatization of our healthcare system. So, as long as I can retain some arguments against and for each topic, I should be ok.

I can’t wait to finish school! First thing on my list of things to do is to go to the movies. I haven’t been since Xmas! I want to go see Bon Cop/Bad Cop. Then, Sunday, I will sleep in and clean my office. Get rid of all school stuff. I have it all saved on my computer anyway! Monday, Steph and I will plan Lake George, Tuesday is Dave’s birthday, and well, the rest of the week I guess I’ll relax. It’ll be so nice not to worry about projects, deadlines and my stage.
Oh yeah, and I have to plan the surprise *P*!!! The plan is that my family is having a BBQ in Hawkesbury (to celebrate my mom’s, brother’s, uncle’s and Dave’s b-day). At the last minute, my grandfather will call to tell us he decided to have the bbq at the beach. I hope the plan will work!

2006-08-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, no solution yet for Dave’s party, but I have people working things out “on the inside” (i.e. at the clinic). I should get some news on the plan tomorrow, so until then, I have to play along with this bbq thing. I have a feeling the whole “surprise” thing will fall through the day of the party.

I am still up for suggestions if you have any!!! (Please help!)
Anyways, on another note, I just got the final date for my braces :) They are coming off on October 3rd!!! I can’t wait!

Brody the Camper

2006-08-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

2006-08-15T04:54:00.000-07:00

Man, I am planning a surprise party for Dave (I can talk about this on my blog because I don’t even think he knows I even have one), and there is one hiccup after another! Now things seem to have fallen into place. I have 26 people coming that have RSVP’d so far…just one problem. Some jerk at his clinic decided to plan a “staff only” bbq the day of his surprise party! WTF! Like, half the staff knows about this his party, and didn't say anything to this person. I don’t know what to do! One of his co-workers is supposed to be the one to “invite us out”, but now she is wondering how she will get him to want to miss the “staff only” bbq. Crap, crap, crap! Dave is like the life of the party at the clinic, and won`t want to miss it.

Any suggestions?

No Moleste

2006-08-10T04:37:00.000-07:00

I forgot to write about what happened to me at my stage last Thursday! I was saying goodbye to an 80-something man named Charlie, so I went to give him a hug (the group is very affectionate), and as I leaned in, he grabbed my boob! It was a full honk! I was so shocked, I didn' t know what to do. How awkward! I am staying FAR away from Charlie tonight. The worst thing is that I can't really tell him that it's inapropriate, because by the time I would say anything, he probably would have forgotten what he did (crazy memory problems!).

On another note, tonight's our last session, then I have one more paper to write an an exam on the 19th. I can smell graduation :)

2006-08-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yesssss...it`s finally the weekend! Well, almost. I have to work 2 hrs later today, but then I am free! Gonna keep quiet tonight, then have the bbq for the boy`s tommorrow, then Fouf`s for Mel`s b-day...yahoo! Sunday, who knows, maybe we`ll go to the beach with Brody.

Nothing much is new. Had a leak in the house with all of the crazy rain. The construction company actually came really quickly and fixed that for us this morning.

Soccer sucks, my team sucks, and I hate the other teams even more. The worst part is that we`re actually not that bad, but out goalie can`t bend down to catch the ball :(

Oh, and poor Brody got neutered yesterday. He spent the day at the doggie hospital. The good news is that he wont have to wear a cone because he doesn`t actually have stiches. They put some kind of glue instead. Anyways, they told us that Brody might not be himself for max 10 days, but that`s not the case. I think that he was happy to be home, and is his usual self. He`s just a tad bruised up!

Hmm, what else...well, my stage is almost over. Next Thursday is our last session and we are throwing them a Hawaiian Luau. We`re gonna have chocolate fiondue, and Missy`s friend will come do a belly dance with hula hoops. Crazy! I`m kinda sad that it;s all coming to an end!

Oh yeah, and 15 more days until my last University exam EVER! I am almsot there, just 2 more papers and then prep for the exam.

Yahoo!

2006-07-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Well, today my job was posted up for an internal and external competition. Let me explain…they want to give me a 6 month term, rather than keep giving me 1 week extensions. So, in order to do so, they have to open up a contest. The job opened up today and will be open for 6 days, This means that I have to apply for a job that I’ve been doing for the last year and a half. I will also have to do an interview with my boss and supervisor. Great. I;m gonna feel stupid answering questions like “how are you qualified for this job?”. The worst part of all this is that there is a chance that I won’t even get it, even though they opened it for me. So, I’m doing my best to stay relaxed, but my tummy is doing flip flops.

2006-07-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that it’s already July 18th! The summer is already half over and I haven’t done much! My goal from now on is to do at least one fun, summery thing per weekend. This weekend I am gonna try to go to the waterslides, then the weekend after, I am going camping with a couple of friends at Voyageur. I also have another camping trip coming up in August, just a little further than Ottawa. Also, there’s this canoe rental place right near my house, so the next sunny day that we have no plans, we will grab the dog, pack a cooler, and rent a canoe.

Speaking of the dog, I took Brody to the vet’s yesterday so that he could get some more shots. The vet told me that we should get him neutered sooner than later, so I made his appointment for August 3rd. Poor little guy doesn’t know what’s coming. I hope he won’t be mad at us! He has to stay at the vet’s for the entire day so that he can recover.
So, this week is a busy one, but it will be the last week where I have class on Wednesday nights. From now till August, my schedule is pretty much the same: Soccer on Mondays, stage on Thursday’s, work everyday, and find some time to do my schoolwork (which I have been totally neglecting).

Here are some photos from the resort in Cuba

2006-07-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

It finally feels like summer!

2006-07-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

What a nice weekend! We actually had hot & sunny weather! Dave and I went to Hawkesbury for the weekend since my whole family was there to celebrate my grandfather’s birthday. Dave and I brought Brody, his crate and our tent and we camped out. I had forgotten how nice it is to sleep in our tent with the fresh air! Then, yesterday afternoon Mike, Danny and Nancy came over to watch the world cup & then we had some burgers. Nancy brought over this great Tangerine white wine, and I ended up feeling a little tipsy. Then we went to the boys’ soccer practice and two other girls from my soccer team showed up, so we played a scrimmage against another team. It was a great workout! I took a huge fall, and now my right thigh is all bruised and swollen.
Now that it really feels like summer, I will start planning all sorts of fun outdoorsy things. I’m almost done my backyard, have to stain the deck, and am planning a small camping trip at Voyageur in a couple of weeks. I only wish that weekends were longer, because I feel like there is so much that I want to do, and so little time!

I overdosed on Gravol…

2006-07-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

Seriously. I’ve been feeling slightly nauseous for the last week, so finally on Wednesday night, I`d had enough. I decided to take 2 Gravols before dinner, have my dinner and then go read my book in the basement while Dave played x-box. All of a sudden I felt extremely spaced out, and I got up to put my glasses on the tv unit so that I could sleep. I almost fell over. I was feeling overcome by these black spots, when I realized that I felt like I was going to pass out. I lied down on the couch and felt like the whole room was spinning. A few moments later, Dave helped me make my way to bed. I finally fell asleep (it was hard to sleep because I felt so dizzy), but then my dad called at 11:30 to talk to Dave. I had to make my way to the basement with the phone, and I almost fell down the stairs. Finally went back to bed, and slept through the night. The next day, I still felt dizzy, and when I got to work, I almost passed out. I went to the infirmary to sleep it off, and blacked out for like 2 hours. A couple of people knocked on the door and a few people called to check up on me, AND I had set myself an alarm…Nothing woke me up! Felt crappy & groggy for the rest of the day, and rested when I got home. I think I finally got it out of my system. I was curious about the side effects of Gravol, and learned some interesting facts:

Some people abuse these drugs because large doses can produce a "high" and hallucinations. They are inexpensive and easy to obtain

At recommended doses, Gravol can cause drowsiness, dizziness and blurred vision. It can impair your concentration and motor coordination. For these reasons, you should use Gravol with caution if driving or doing other things that require you to be fully alert.

Abusers often take 5 to 25 tablets. At the lower doses, you can experience feelings of well-being and euphoria. At the higher doses you can hallucinate.

Wow, had I only known this on Wednesday, I would have though twice about taking those pills! I re-read the package last night and it said to take 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours, not exceeding 3 tablets per day. Oops…I had just read the first part, and decided to take 2. I guess the lesson of the day is to carefully read the labels, and check the internet for info!!!

2006-06-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m back and things are as hectic as ever. Always rushing from work to school to soccer and to my stage. Thank god for another long weekend! Dave and I decided to stay home this weekend. We will finish the backyard, stain the deck and go golfing. We’ll also have a BBQ Friday with some friends. Oh yeah, and our new neighbors are also moving in! Finally no more model home.

So, we finally have our Brody back, but it seems like he had a better vacation than we did! He got to play with his buddy Tia Maria the chocolate lab all week and he even went swimming! I have pictures of him lounging by the pool.

Well, Cuba’s already come and gone, but here are some memories that will last me a lifetime:

§ Pancake Magee
§ To the disco!
§ Dirty Waterfall
§ Skunky Magee
§ Floating to the pool bar
§ Urine and her crazy dance moves
§ Watch out for the crabs!
§ Last minute bachelorette party
§ Creepy man rubbing his nipples
§ Ma-ma-ma-mosa’s

Something nice to dream about:

2006-06-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

Holguin is located in southeast Cuba, and is bordered by the North Atlantic Ocean.
The city boasts beautiful parks, theatres and museums, and is also home to some of Cuba's finest white-sand beaches, including Guardalavaca, Playa Esmeralda and Playa Pesquero.
Holguin's captivating landscape is also part of Bariay National Park, which is ideal for ecotourists. For scuba divers and snorkellers, there's a 900-metre coral reef to explore.
There's certainly no shortage of heat in Holguin, as average daytime highs from May to September range from 30 to 32 degrees Celsius.

Stressée au max!!!

2006-06-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

So were going to Holguin Cuba in a couple of days, and I can honestly say that I will have earned my trip. Things have been so busy and so rushed, that my head is spinning. Yesterday, for example, I had work all day. Then, had to go pick up my dad`s car, drive home, feed Brody & bring him to Dave`s grandpa`s, grab some dinner, got to class for 6, and then soccer for 9. Well, that`s not exactly how things played out. I got ti Ile Perrot, went to the bank, and as I drove up my driveway, I realized that I had forgotten my house keys in the am! So, I had to drive back to my parent`s house, get their spare key, and got stuck in traffic on the way back home. Finally got home and had maybe 2 mins to make Brody eat and the go to the bathroom, but the puppy doesn`t want to be rushed! Finally made it out of the house at 5:15 and got stuck in traffic on the 40. Dropped Brody off and then got stuck in traffic on the 20! Was late for class, had to change into soccer clothes at the break, and rush to soccer. Finally got to relax a little after the game, and got some ice cream with Steph at Wild Willy`s. Just as I`m sitting back, I get a call from Dave because he wsa waiting for me at my parents` house to drive me home (I had to give my dad back his car). So, had to rush back there. Finally got home at 12:00. Whew! What a day! Today`s a little rushed too, I have my internship tonight. Tommorrow will be busy, but filled with fun stuff after work like getting my hair cut, picking up my new glasses, getting something for Steph`s b-day, packing, etc…

sigh of relief...What a week!!!

2006-06-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, this has been quite a busy week, and I couldn't be happier that its over :)
Been very busy at work, had my start-up package due for my fieldwork, and began my program at the senior's residence. Plus, Brody is becoming more active and he can be quite a handful!

I won't bore you with all the details, so I'll just tell you all about the first session of my program.
Well, no one of the 13 people showed up at first! Tons of the residents were sitting in the lounge area, so we went out and distributed some of our snacks and to try to see if any of our participants were sitting out there. Finally, a really sweet lady from Scotland wheeled in and sat with me, so she started talking to me about how lonely she is. It was really sad, plus she kept saying "all I want to do is get out my wheelchair for 2 minutes, but there is no one to help me". I felt awful. Then she started talking about Scotland and I mentionned my buddy who just got back from there, and she got really excited. Just then, another lady in a wheelchair came in with her husband. Turns out the lady had had a stroke and had difficulty speaking. She could understand perfectly though. Her husband was super nice. Then, we got another 2 people to come in. One man from Italy and another lady who just sat with us and observed. We served coffee and snacks and sat around talking for almost an hour and a half. It was very interesting and insightful and made my friend Misy and I realize that our program won't run as smoothly as we expected. I think that it will be very unpredictable and that most of the participants will probably rather talk than play games. So, were in the middle of developing games that involve more discussion and interaction. And they have to be simple. Next week we'll do our session 1. The 5 people that stayed with us promised that they'll be back next Thursday, and are looking forward to it. It was really nice last night...it felt really rewarding. The Scottish lady left with a big smile on her face because she had fun, and got to give advice to the other lady in the wheelchair about how to cope after having a stroke.

So, this weekend Dennis is coming to stay at my house. Hopefully we'll take it easy. I also have to get stuff ready for Cuba...have lots to get sorted out before I leave.

The Rowdies are back :)

2006-05-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it`s finally Friday! I really didn`t think I`d make it...it`s been a really rough week! First of all, my life has changed quite a bit because I have a puppy to take care of. He didn`t let Dave and I sleep for 4 straight nights because he would cry and bark all night. We finally put a big Eeyore stuffed animal in his crate, a hot water bottle, a clock and some soft zen music. Since then he`s been sleeping through the night. He is a very good puppy...quiet(during the day), not too destructive (all he ate so far was one of my new sandals), affectionnate and potty trained. We`re having lots of fun with him, but Dave and I both don`t have any energy left at the end of the day. Other than that, things at work have been a pain. There is a lot of internal conflict going on and everyone`s in a bad mood...very hard to deal with. I`m also a bit behind in my studies, so I gotta force myself this weekend to get started. On a more positive note, I found my placement for my Fieldwork, and we start on June 8th. We`re doing a games & activity night on Thursdays with Seniors at Château Dollard. Gonna be fun :)

Also, the Rowdies begin their season tonight...yahoo!

When will the sun come out???

2006-05-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it`s been a long time since my last post. Not gonna bore you with all the details, but I`ll fill you in briefly. Been extremely busy at work. Finally had to have it out with someone yesterday because they are way too demanding, given the fact that I`m supposed to only give her a day of my time (and the last 3-4 weeks I`ve been giving her almost 4). She`s like "I`m not trying to pressure you...but I need this, this and this for 10am tommorrow" (when it is 3:00 and I leave at 3:30). Anyways, it`s not the end of the world, but is stressful nonetheless. I`m also in the process of applying for a junior human ressources job at the Défense nationale. It pays a lot of dough and the job is a great starting level job. I am submitting my letter and cv this am. Things with my internship are a little tough, my co-leader and I kind of have conflicting schedules right now and are having a bit of trouble finding placement. Today will be the big blitz, we will be calling many, many places. Tonight is also the last quiet night that I wil have in my house for a while. We are getting Brody tommorrow!! I`m very excited, but also nervous. He will definetely keep me very busy this summer! We are leaving at 7am tommorrow so that we can pick him up at 9 and go home. I can`t wait to hold him :)

As for this weekend, won`t be going out much! Will stay home with my pup.

2006-05-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Exams are done! I am a free woman! Well, at least for 1 week, then my summer classes begin. They barely gave me any time to breathe between semesters!
This summer I'm taking my fieldwork (gonna teach internet classes to seniors) and Biomedical Ethics (online). Then, I am done, done DONE!

Other than that, not much else is new. Went to see the Habs yesterday. Despite the loss, it was a very exciting and LOUD game. Lots of fun. I guess I have to start watching the Ottawa games now, so GO SENS!!

Gonna veg out tonight after work (haven't veged at home in 2 weeks) :) and start my gardening this weekend. Should start planting!

Have a great afternoon :)

2006-04-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

I went to see the 10 puppies last Sunday and got to pick mine. We put a drop of green food dye on his head so that we can tell it`s him when we go back on May 20th to pick him up. He`s really adorable, and we picked him because he was the most affectionnate. First he walked over to Dave and started playing with him, then Dave put him down to see what he would do. "Brody" came straight to me and sat in my lap. When I put him back down a few minutes later, he went back to Dave! So, that`s how we finally chose a pup. We bought our crate 2 days ago and yesterday I went to buy a small collar and leash so that we can take him home.

Go Habs Go!

2006-04-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was such an exciting game!!! It's just too bad that all this playoff craziness is happening right when I am supposed to be studying for exams!!!

Last night Dave surprised me with 2 tickets to game 6. We have pretty good seats in the white section for next Tuesday, May 2nd, the day after my last exam! Yahoo, so I will really be able to enjoy the game. The only catch is that the way the Habs have been playing, who knows if there even will be a game 6!!

2006-04-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

I want the one that bites! Lol, ouch!!!

Puppies!!!!

2006-04-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

How do you chose just one of these tiny little furballs?

Lol, I had a dream the other night that I couldn't decide, so Dave let me take all 10. Then when we got back home, we lost one :(

Green Thumb

2006-04-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Who knew gardening is therapeutic? I decided yesterday to suck it up and go do some work outside in the back and I ended up spending almost 3 hours out there! I don't know what it is, but it totally distracted me because I was so focused, and when I was done, I was so proud of myself because the backyard is already starting to look awesome. I think I'm gonna try to do 30-60 mins per day after work whenever it's nice out. It feels great to stretch out after a long day at the office, and it gave me a huge energy boost yesterday.
I'll post some pictures next week!!

p.s. I'm going to go see the puppies on Sunday and Dave and I get to pick ours!!!

2006-04-19T04:27:00.000-07:00

Still alive, submitted my last project yesterday and wrote 1 of 3 final exams. Need to get caught up on my sleep this week. Talk to you soon.

Not doing so well

2006-04-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Well, if you haven't heard from me in a while or have found that I have been acting strangely, I guess you could blame it all on stress. Since I've been living this student/full-time worker double-life, I have been tired. It's only gotten worse since moving into my house because there is always so much that I have to do. I know you might be thinking that I have so much and that I shouldn't be complaining, but I am feeling overwhelmed right now, especially with other personal things going on in my life right now.

Last Monday, I thought I had an ear infection. I kept getting sharp pains in my right ear and was having trouble concentrating on my work. I ended up spending 4 hours at statcare until I finally saw a doctor. He told me that I have TMJ (don't ask me what it is...temporal...something...joint...). Anyways, I was disapointed that he didn't give me any meds for the pain, but went home and finished my chemistry paper. I went to sleep around 1 and woke up suddenly at 2, and didn't sleep until the next afternoon. I was in so much pain that I was shaking and almost passed out. I think I woke poor Dave up about 5-6 times, until I finally got out of bed and into the shower at 8:30. I had the hardest time washing my hair, my head was even sensitive to the water pouring down. It only got worse, and I had to go see my orthodontist (dr's recommendation) and then an Osteopath. So, I learned all about TMJ...in a nutshell it is violent and extremely painful muscle spasms on the area connecting the jaw and the skull (temple area). TMJ is usually caused by stress and teeth clenching (which I have been doing a whole lot of latelty). So, I started to feel relief last night and decided to work today. I can say I feel about 95% better, but I am very lucky because this could have lasted much longer. I don't think I have ever been in so much pain over such a long amount of time. All you can really do is lie down and put heat until it goes away. You can't even sleep it off.

Anyways, I guess I can use this as a learning experience about how much dammage stress can do to your body. It was a pretty frightening experience, so I am tring to stay relaxed. So, please bear with me the next few weeks, I don't think I'll be going out much. Dave and I promised each other that Saturday would be an "at-home" day, no going out whatsoever, and we will try to stay home as much as possible on Friday and Sunday, but it's Easter and Mike's b-day so we'll see what happens.

Happy Easter! Hope u get lots of chocolate

Road Trip!

2006-04-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

It`s finally Friday 8:45am and I am looking forward to my little road trip this weekend. A bunch of us are going to Toronto (rather, Scarborough and Oakville) for a wedding shower and a little getaway. J`aimerais changer le mal de place, comme ils disent en français!

We have 2 hotel rooms for tonight, have the shower tommorrow and are looking for 2 rooms for tommorrow night (waiting for my dad to get us a deal at the Holiday Inn if there`s any availability) and will be going to meet the travel agent to hopefully book our trip to Cuba if he gives us a decent price on Sunday. All in all, the weekend shouldn`t be too busy, so we will hopefully get the opportunity to relax just a little.

I just hope that I can hit the hot tub or pool for at least 30 mins at some point!

Have a good weekend :)

2006-03-30T12:40:00.000-08:00

Going to the Habs game tonight! My mom gave me her ticket because she`s not feeling well...I hope she feels better, but now I get to go to the game! I`m so evil ;)

Go habs Go!!!

Spring Cleaning

2006-03-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm at school...how wierd. Dave & his bros are playing soccer at the Loyola gym, so I decided to tag along so that I can get some work done at the library (otherwise i would probably be lazy and fall asleep at home!). Last night we went to le Syndrome...lol...there are some crazy people there. There were these nasty fat girls in naughty nurse fake leather outfits...pretty gross. They were dancing on the stage and everything was bulging out. But we had a lot of fun. Danced like maniacs until almost 3am, and then went out for a few steamies at LaBelle. Today Dave and I got woken up by his nonna at about 10, so we decided to do some spring cleaning (God we're old!). Got rid of 2 full garbage bags of old clothes and vacuumed & cleaned the inside of the sexy Sentra. Productive day!
Ok, well I gotta go, I have to finish writing my weekly religion reflection paper for my crappy elective class. Have a good rest of the weekend,

Peace out dudes

Here they are...well only 8 out of 10!

2006-03-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

Check out the one on the left wedged between his or her mom's legs!

My puppy is born!!!

2006-03-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

My new puppy was bron this morning! I'm not sure at what time, because there are 10 babies!!! They started popping out at 6:30 this morning, and a 10th one just came out at 1:00pm. They are so tiny and cute. I will try to post a picture soon! We get to go see them and pick ours on April 23rd. Nancy, you're an auntie!

2006-03-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

Registering for classes sucks! I have been trying to register for my 2 last classes since about 6:45 this morning! I haven't even gotten through once. This is completely ridiculous! I have to do my fieldwork practice, and it is only offered on one day this summer, so hopefully it won't fill up too fast! I keep getting random error messages, and at this point, I am expecting to get one soon that will say "you will never graduate"...arg!

2006-03-17T04:44:00.000-08:00

I can`t get over how quickly time passes by...already another Friday! Well, lots happened this week, but the best thing that happened is that my friend Caroline gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Nicholas. Although he is big for a newborn (almost 9 pounds), he is so tiny! I was so scared to hold him, but it wasn`t so bad! He kinda moulded to my arm.

Other than that, my puppy should be born today or tommorrow. It was supposed to be yesterday, but it didn`t happen. Apparently the mom is hiding out because she is in nesting mode.

So, another weekend coming up, and it should be a quiet one! No skiing because my wallet needs a break. And hopefully not too much drinking...it is St-Patrick`s day after all! Maybe I`ll try to make green beer at home.

...and I do my little turn on the catwalk

2006-03-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight my brother is in a fashion show called "Phassion" held by McGill to support reserach for a cure for aids. I`m pretty excited because it`s supposed to be really professional and entertaining. My brother told me that he`ll be wearing clothes by Triple Five Soul, Dubuc (a famous Montreal designer) and another co. So, I`m equiped with my camera, and hopefully I`ll get good seats.

Tommorrow I am going skiing at Tremblant, and Sunday will take it easy. Have a great weekend guys!

2006-03-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

This is the mommy of my new puppy! She is going to give birth within the next week and then we get to go choose our dog!

2006-03-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

I made an unfortunate discovery last night. I decided to take my mom out for dinner at a Chinese buffet and realized that I had some sort of an allergic reaction. I was told that msg can cause serious headaches for people who are allergic to it. So, last night at about 9:00pm, I got this sudden really painful headache on the right side of my head. I tried everything...going to sleep early, advil, cold compress, hot bath, and nothing worked. I think I got a total of 2 hours of sleep last night :(
This has happened to me the last 3 times I ate at a chinese restaurant. So, I'm guessing it has something to do with the msg. Crap! I love asian food!!! This is really sucky. Now I have to find some restaurants that don't use any msg. Any suggestions?

2006-03-06T05:57:00.000-08:00

I got more news on my potential new puppy this morning...he/she is expected to be born between March 16th and 18th, and I am the 3rd pesron on the list to get one. So, if the mommy has lots of puppies, I will have one for sure.

TGIF!!!

2006-03-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

Yahoo, we made it to the end of another week! I was supposed to have an “I finally got my license” party, but it won’t work out because my weekend is already packed up. Tonight I’m going to McKibbons, I am going skiing either tomorrow or Sunday, and dinner tomorrow night at Dave’s dad’s house. We are also going shopping for luggage on whichever day we’re not skiing because it’s on sale everywhere.

BTW, Nancy, I finally watched Saw last night. It was really good, but I was creeped out!!! Nice twist at the end too. After watching that movie, the Ring and other scary movies, I am officially afraid of my bedroom closet. I told Dave that if he ever hides in there I will seriously injure him! Or I’ll just yell out “Hellllllo???” as I usually do when I am scared.

2006-03-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

Dave and I might be getting a baby golden retriever in 1 month and a half! A friend of ours’ mother breed’s them and gives them away, so all we’d have to pay for are its vaccinations. We should be finding out in the next few weeks if we can have one, depending on how many babies are born. Last night we picked our “baby” names...Brody if it is a boy and Sally if it is a girl. Aww, I’m feeling all mushy inside thinking about my new puppy!

2006-03-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

I got my license! Yahoo!!!

Yesterday Dave lent me his car for the day and I got to drive all over the place! Who knew traffic could be so much fun!

PLEASE WISH ME GOOD LUCK!

2006-02-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

Omg, I am so nervous. My driving exam is tommorrow at 9:20 am!!! It's less than 24 hours away! It should go well, and I have been driving every day for the last 2 months, but I am still a little nervous. My brother is gonna take me around the saaq so I can see all of the "hazards" for my test, and Dave will come pick me up when he's done work so that I can drive around the saaq for about an hour (poor Dave...so boring for him!).

Anyways, I promised myself that if I pass I will throw myself a party...so, I will keep you posted to let you know if that party will be happening this week!

p.s. I parallel parked in the super tight soccerplexe parking lot in one shot in a standard car last night...yay me!

2006-02-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a little something stupid to make you laugh on this yucky February day:
http://rrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnhhhh.blogspot.com/

Get out of my dreams, get into my car

2006-02-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

Hmm, not much is going on with me right now. I guess the biggest stress is practicing for my license test, which is coming up in about 12 days. I’m not that nervous yet, but I do want to get it over with. I’m pretty confident that I will pass because I have been driving every day since the last month and a half. I’m also getting really excited thinking about the car that I will get in the spring! Anyways, I still have one more two hour lesson with Jean Guy, which I don’t think I’ll need but will take because he will be bringing me to the area where I am doing my test. I was supposed to have it yesterday but I couldn’t go because I had to work overtime. So, I called him to cancel & to apologize and he hung up on me! So I called him back to schedule my last appointment and he told me he’d have to check his schedule and hung up on me again! What a weirdo! Later last night I left him a message saying that I really need to book my last lesson, and he still hasn’t called me back. Watch this, he will avoid me until after my test because he’s mad that I missed my lesson!

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-15T05:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it was valentine’s day yesterday, but Dave and I are only celebrating on Friday. I guess you might ask yourself “what’s the point?”, but if you hear my story you might understand. You see I kind of ruined Dave’s plans. I thought that we were gonna be low-key this year, so I made plans for us to go to my parents’ house for lamb (mmm). Dave agreed and said nothing of it. But apparently this was the second day straight that I ruined his plans. He also wanted to do his surprise Monday, but he apparently needs the house to himself in the am, and I took a day off on Monday to get some homework done. So, he couldn’t get anything done. And today he has guitar lessons in the am so he can’t prepare, and Thursday we have a meeting in the pm so we can’t have dinner. So, Friday it is.

We did have a nice dinner last night though. Lots of lamb and wine, porto & Kahlua. But, I was not able to drink since I was the designated driver and don’t have my license yet. My parents gave us gift certificates for Cora’s, so now we can go out for breakfast this weekend too! So, that’s about it! I hope that you guys had a great valentine’s day!

2006-02-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I was supposed to ski on Sat and Sun since Dave had conferences for his work up north. I was so disapointed when I woke up on Friday and saw that it was raining! So, I did not ski this weekend. I was convinced that the weekend would suck since I had nothing to do while Dave was gone, but I actually had a great time. On Friday night, we went to one's of Dave's co-worker's cottage to have some drinks and hang out. Saturday am, Dave and two of his co-workers left for the conferences while I got to sleep in at the Cottage. I woke up and studied a bit and then had breakfast with two of the boyfriends. We actually had a very fun day because we went shopping at the outlets at St-Sauveur. I picked up a really cute skirt from Guess and a cute pair of heels. We went to check in at the hotel, and I met up with Dave. We tried to go to the hot tub, but it was overflowing with kids, so we swam a few laps and then got ready for the party. At night we had an open-bar dinner & party, which was tons of fun. We stayed up really late, and woke up super early on Sunday because we were supposed to go skiing. We had a big buffet breakfast and decided that since some of the ski hills were actually closed due to all the rain, we would abort our plan to ski. We ended up spending the afternoon & evening at his friend's boyfriend's dad's place in Ste-Anne des Lacs. We were told that it was "nice" but didn't realize that it was NICE! It was a 4 million dollar mansion tucked away in the mountains! I can't get over how crazy the house was! It had a massive kitchen, and another one right behind it called a "butler's pantry" (which was bigger than my kitchen)! Anyways, we played pool, soaked in the outdoor hot tub, and his dad even cooked us an amazing meal. Turned out to be an amazingly relaxing weekend!

Lesson 2 with Jean Guy

2006-02-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

So last night I had another 2 hour driving lesson with my buddy Jean-Guy. It actually went super well. We drove up and down busy boulevards and I did nothing but change lanes. It`s actually much easier than I thought. We practiced parking for about 5 minutes, but I can actually do it very well. So, at the end of my lesson, I asked him if he thought I needed extra lessons (which he suggested last time). Stupid question considering he wants to make money, so of course he`ll try to encourage me to come back. But he said no! He said that I am more than ready to pass my test and that we`ll do my last lesson a few days before that day. So, unless I do anything drastically stupid, I should be getting my licence soon. It`s funny, but it`s all I can think of these days! Getting a car and being able to listen to what I want on the radio (I am so gonna blast 80`s Madonna on my first morning to work!).

Anyways, have a great weekend!

2006-02-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog day! I'm at work (so no radio) so if anyone hears the verdict about the end of winter, please let me know!

2006-02-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention my new exciting task at work! I was asked to redesign 2 office wings! I was able to chose colors for the walls and choose a carpet for each wing. It's not much, but it still is exciting, especially when I can see the progress! This is what one of the wings looks like so far:

2006-01-30T10:43:00.000-08:00

So what’s been up…well I guess I’ll start last Thursday (26th). Well, I had tickets to the Habs game in Ottawa. Dave picked me up at work at about 3:15 and we left on our little road trip. We were making great time until we hit downtown Ottawa: we got stuck in an hour and a half of traffic! Apparently on game nights the traffic is unbearable. I had to pee the whole way and almost had to go in an empty coke can. As if that was enough, we were supposed to go meet our friends to eat and catch a shuttle bus before the game. We barely made it on the bus! Anyways, it was fun going to the game in Ottawa all decked out in Habs stuff. And we had lots of fun despite the Habs’s pathetic game. They lost 3-0, but that’s not the bad part. They didn’t even put any effort in. The shots on net were 44-12. We weren’t even hoping for a goal, all we wanted was a shot on net or even a chance! The game was very lame, and I even got lost between the second and third periods. I went out to buy some beer and nachos and couldn’t find my way back to my seat! Thank god for this cute old man that worked there, if it weren’t for him I might have missed the entire third period! We slept in Ottawa that night and left the next morning to go to work.

Friday night had some Smoked Meat Pete’s (mmmm) and went to sleep early because Dave and I were planning to go skiing with my mom on Saturday. The weather was awesome and the conditions were very snowy. And, I finally got to try out my new skis! There was one small problem though: the guy at Oberson didn’t put the bindings on properly and my boots didn’t fit in the ski!!! Plus, we were at the north side of the mountain and the Pro shop was on the south side! Dave managed to fix my bindings temporarily so that I could get to the other side. I had to leave my skis at the Pro shop for a few hours (they lent me some skis)…I wanted to cry! Finally 30$ later I was able to test out my new skis and they were awesome!!! We skied the entire day without even taking a break for lunch. Next week I am going skiing on Saturday at Chantecler and Sunday at Sauveur.

On Sunday I had a Pampered Chef party, and although it was quite awkward because no one was talking, it was cool because we got to pig out and try out all these cool cooking things. I got a crazy garlic press where you don’t have to peel off the skin and a vinaigrette maker. (wow, I’m getting old aren’t I!) So, that’s the down-lo for now. I will try to post some pictures from the hockey game, but for some reason it never works. Nancy, how do you post yours?

Feb 28th is THE day I will change my life forever

2006-01-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

So I’ve decided that I will get my driver’s license on February 28th of this year. I have decided that it is THE day that my friends and family will stop laughing at me. Yesterday marked the first day of my intensive five-week training for obtaining the ultimate independence. I met with my creepy but nice driving instructor who began my lesson with the following quote:

“Today I will teach you something that will change your life forever”

Woah! Neat-O! We drove around for two hours, and he taught me a few tricks to perfecting my turns. He already said that I was a good driver and that I drive very smoothly. I just had to work at raising my self-confidence when it comes to driving. By the end, we both had noticed that I was much calmer and hadn’t really screwed up in two hours. We even attempted parallel parking, which I executed beautifully! Yay me! I also got to drive on the highway to drive myself home. Lol, I think that my instructor is a Dr. Phil worshiper because he had such a philosophical approach to driving. As I was turning into my driveway, he looked at me and told me “It was a pleasure being driven by you” (how cheesy!!!).
Anyways, now I will force myself to drive a few hours this weekend and I will meet with my instructor next week to tackle traffic and lane changes. Yahoo!

2006-01-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Chrissy!!!! Wishing you a very special day!

Is taking online classes considered cheating?

2006-01-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

Just before Xmas I was pretty much told that I will have to stay at school for another semester to re-do some General Education credits. When I started at Concordia, they transferred 12 of the credits that I had done at McGill and called them “General Education Credits”. After having done one Gen Ed class in my first semester at Concordia, I was told that I didn’t have to do any Gen Ed classes at all because of these credits. Now that I am about to graduate, my credits have been magically changed to “General Credits”, meaning that I have to do 3 Gen Ed classes!! Aren’t the advisors at Concordia supposed to be informed?

Oh well, since I only have 5 classes left to complete, I decided to drop my Fieldwork and do it in the summer, and take 4 classes this semester. I’m already taking a year-long course that is scheduled right smack in the middle of the day on Tuesdays, making it impossible to find any Gen Ed classes either before or after that one. Somehow, all of the interesting courses conflict with the only one I am registered for! Anyways, it’s not like I am that interested in any of these classes, most of them seem so boring (history or anthropology? Yuck!). So, I decided to save myself the headache, and take three online Gen Ed classes. This way I don’t have to bother traveling and can do everything at my own pace. It’s not that I’m lazy or anti-social, it’s just that why bother trying to find a Gen Ed class that I actually like if I know I wont find one. Sometimes it’s just easier to take the easy way out!

Well that’s about it for now. I’m sick with a cold and am having my wisdom teeth removed this afternoon, so I am vegging out all weekwnd. If anyone wants to come hang out or watch Sex and the City (I have all the seasons) with me, please call me!!!!!!!!
Ciao

2005-12-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

Omigod! The snow outside is crazy! It took my friend and I 3 hours to get to work today. All of the cars in the parking lot are snowed in and I have no idea how the hell we are going to get home! Stupid me, I shouldn't have hoped for a "white Christmas" this year!

It was hilarious, we were stopped on Cotede Liesse for almost 2 of those hours, and people were so restless that they left their cars in park and went for walks down the highway. People from the Tim Horton's on Cote de Liesse were walking on the highway handing out doughnuts!

Anyways, the snow is supposed to continue until tommorrow night, so looks like I'll be snowed in! Now I can actually force myself to get some rest and relax!

Anyways, have a great weekend!

p.s. If you haven't seen the 40-year-old virgin, I really recommend it...it's hilarious!!!

2005-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I just changed my appointment for my Wisdom teeth, so now I'm gonna have them pulled on January 5th. I figured that I would miss out on too much Xmas stuff if I have them pulled this week, including my office Xmas party (it's at lunch this Thursday at Baton Rouge).

Other than that, not much is new. I had a very busy weekend...First on Friday night we had Dave’s office party. Then on Saturday, we drove to Orleans (Ottawa) to visit my bestest buddy Kelly, who I’ve known since kindergarten. We had a huge Xmas dinner with both our families and then went for a walk around their block. I grew up on that street, and things have really changed since then. At Christmas, their street is well renowned for their crazy Xmas decorations. Every house looks like the cool house on Aurora or like the Grizwold house on National Lampoon’s Xmas Vacation. There is constant traffic on their street (we were walking faster than the cars were moving), because people come from all over to admire the lights. Even worse…there are tour buses that drive by!!! Every year Kelly’s dad is in the newspaper because he has the best decorations. Anyways, it was really cool walking around. There was even one of the neighbors dressed as Santa handing out candy canes to all the people walking and driving by! It’s nice to see that not everyone is a grinch! I will try to post some pictures asap!!!

I was very sad to leave Kelly’s house that night, because I don’t see her very often. We went from there to my friend’s Brian and Dennis’s house in Kanata and spent the night there. In the am we had a huge breakfast and called Dennis in Scotland. It was the first time that I heard his voice in almost 4 months. He doesn’t have a Scottish accent yet. Then we went to Hawkesbury to visit my grandfather, who is always trying to give me boxes of dollarstore cookies and crackers…yuck! He forces me to leave with so much stuff! We continued our weekend by going to the LCBO to stock up on wine, and then to Dave’s grandparents for dinner and then to Dave’s soccer game. It wasn’t too bad though because he was suspended and he sat with me in the bleachers. I’m really glad he didn’t play actually, because there was a massive fight with about 10 guys on both teams. I don’t know why guys do that. They get so worked up. They should just do what the girls do…bitch about everyone on the other team! You don’t see girls getting into these kinds of fights!
Anyways, I didn’t mean to ramble on like that! I didn’t think that I had much to say!

Exams are finally done!

2005-12-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

I had my last exam yesterday afternoon, and now I feel great! Such a weight was lifted off of my shoulders and now I can veg out all I want until January! (except of course that I have to work).
I went shopping downtown as soon as I was done to celebrate. I`m almost done my Xmas shopping now. I just have to buy a small gift for my mom and a small gift for my dad. I already got them tickets to a hockey game, but wnat to give them something else. My dad is impossible to shop for though! If anyone has any suggestions of something in the $30 range, please let me know!

Anyways, I`ve been trying to think if anything exciting has happened to me lately. I`ll try to think of something adventurous, funny or stupid for my next entry...

2005-12-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

Yay, my friends are finally blogging again! I was so excited this morning to read 3 new blog entries!

So, what’s new?
Christmas is coming soon, and all the parties are starting tomorrow night. And by all the Christmas parties, I mean 2 and a girly dinner. This year seems to be slow with all the social gatherings! But there is Xmas eve to be excited about. First we have an afternoon of Xmas drinks that we were pretty much uninvited to, but then we have our “Réveillon” with my family and everyone’s coming to our house this year. Last weekend we baked and cooked most of the food, so it shouldn’t be too bad. The party at our house should be tons of fun!!

So, hopefully I’m going to have a lot of free time over the holidays. I’ve been working full-time and going to school full-time, so now that school is done, I’ll be totally free on evenings. Also, it’s the first Xmas ever that I won’t have to work on boxing day. Actually, I get a nice 10 day paid vacation, yahoo! Oh, and I’m having my wisdom teeth pulled next Thursday, so that means more time to sit around and relax. If anyone’s bored next Friday, I’ll be home alone all day and in need of some company!

Happy Friday!

2005-11-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

It`s finally the weekend! Yahoo!!! Hope everyone has a happy Friday!

Can`t people drive anymore?

2005-11-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

I don`t know what is going on on the Highways lately, but my buddy from work and I almost got into 3 accidents in the last 2 days! And they weren`t even his fault!!! People just don`t look before they make these crazy merges. For example, yesterday am we were coming around the Dorval circle in the middle lane, some jerk in an SUV who was in the left lane cut completely in front of us so fast to get onto the 20(towards downtown)! He didn`t even look! Who does that??? Don`t people realize that a car can kill you? Anyways, they say that bad things happen in three`s, so hopefully that`s it for the close calls for a while!

2005-11-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

I am so bored! I always get the blahs at this time of the year, probably because whenever I am not at work, it is dark and rainy out! Although I had an awesome Halloween weekend, I feel that I am in need of just one more night of complete craziness.

And BTW, is it just me or is there absolutely NOTHING on tv these days? I missed the premiere of House last night, which sucks because I can`t think of another show that I am looking forward to watching this week.

Ok, well my day is over. Gonna veg out tonight

p.s. Steph, u never post anymore!

2005-10-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is going to sound really cheesy, but whenever I visit my dogs at my parent`s house I can`t get enough of them because I miss them so much. I think about those dogs all the time and even have their picture next to my computer at work. (Lol) I just feel this void because at home, Dave and I don`t have a dog yet. I know that we`ll get one soon enough, but I want one now!
I look at the Rosie`s Animal Adoption site every day to see what new dogs they have, and now I fave totally fallen for one. His name is Baxter and he is a 6 yr old Shi-tsu who`s ownner has passed away. He just broke my heart. Check him out:
http://www.rosieanimaladoption.org/new_adoptions.htm
Anyways, I know that I should finish school before I get a pet (so that I`ll be home more), but I am so jealous of all my neighbors that are getting new puppies.

Halloween Party!

2005-10-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
Dave and I are having a Halloween party this Friday night!
Hope u can come! Everyone's invited, as long as you are in costume.
E-mail me for details!

2005-10-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

My buddy Dennis, who is now in Scotland for a year.

2005-10-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

pumpkin patch

2005-10-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Gizmo playing poker

2005-09-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

It seems as though the whole blog thing is dying down. I guess no one really has time now that school has started up again, and everyone`s really busy. I even forgot that I had a blog for a little while!
Anyways, it`s finally Friday, and I am really looking forward to the weekend. I am not up to much, but it`ll be nice to relax. Dave and I are gonna finnish our backyard tommorrow, and work on the basement on Sunday. BTW, we decided to finnish the basement, and so far progress is going really fast. We have the frames up for the 2 walls that we are building, I have a friend/electrician coming to add halogen potlights, another heater, some light switches etc. in a week, and the gyprock being delivered tommorrow. My guess is that the walls will be plastered and that we will be ready to do the floating wood floors within a month at most. We`re also going shopping for some really comfy leather couches. Yahoo. We`ll have to have a party when it`s all done!

2005-09-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, nothing worth writting about.
Oh yeah, just one thing...have you ever tried the mango daiquiri at Annie`s? If you haven`t, you gotta because they are amazing!

2005-09-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

It`s been a while since my last post. So, what`s new? Not a whole lot!
*Went camping last weekend. Forgot pillows and spare blanket. Was really cold all weekend and slept terribly. On a more positive note, ate like a pig and went down Mt. Tremblant on a go-kart!
*Started school on Tuesday. It went well. Books are cheap and workload seems to be pretty slack as long as I keep up to date with my readings.
*Brother came home from Mexico. Celebrated his belated birthday last night. It was a quiet dinner until he openned a bottle of Tequila that he brought home. I hesitated to have some at the beginning, but as everyone started to act a bit rowdier, I decided to have one...it was soooo smooth! Didn`t even need the lemon at the end! He brought me home an awesome Mexican soccer jersey. It`s from Monterrey and it says BIMBO in big right across the front. In Mexico, Bimbo is a company that makes bread and pastries, and they are the sponsors of the Monterrey team.
*Passed all french tests and started my first official day as a government employee on Wednesday. Celebrated by buying myself some really cute ballerina-style shoes and a "paysane" skirt. Yahoo!
*Went out with the couple we met last time in Cuba. Ate at LaPerle and drove in their new Audi...very nice car! Had an amazing time, as always w/ them.

Well, that`s about all that happened this week, other than the fact that I found out that I can`t take any time off to go to Cuba, so that idea is scrapped. Dave and I then said that we would use the vacation money to get a hot tub. So, I e-mailed someone from the city, and they told us that we couldn`t have one b/c our backyard isn`t big enough. The spa must be 1.5 meters from the house and all property lines, and since the tub is 6 feet by 6 feet and our backyard is long and narrow, it won`t fit. We were very disapointed, but then we decided that we will finish our basement instead. So, we will finish the last wall w/ gyprock, build a wall to close off the office, build a wall to extend the closet, put floating wood floors and a suspended ceiling. Our goal is to have our basement cosy by winter!

Ok, so I`m off (back to work). Going to Ottawa this weekend to celebrate my best buddy because he is leaving for one year to go study in Scotland!!! It`ll be a great experience for him, but I am sure that everyone will miss him so much!

Have a great weekend!

2005-09-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, well it`s already Friday. Unbelievable how fast this summer has gone by! It`s already Labor Day weekend, and school starts on Tuesday. I am not sure if I am really looking forward to going back to school. All I know is that it`s my last year and I really want to get it over with. I just finalized my Fall schedule: 30 hours of work on Mondays and Wednesdays through Fridays, and school Monday nights, and Tuesday afternoons and nights. My department just moved to Loyola campus, which kinda sucks b/c I feel like it`s away from civilisation! Maybe it`s better that way so that I can concentrate on schoolwork when I have free time before/after classes.

Anyways, I am going Camping this weekend at Tremblant with Dave, Mom, Dad, Jonathas, Gizmo and Lizzie. Looking forward to sleeping in (if that`s even possible when you`re camping!) and relaxing. Be back on Monday afternoon. Have a great weekend everyone!

p.s. Nancy, this emoticon is for you!

2005-09-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to announce that I got my results from the French tests, and got the highest level on all three!!! What a relief! Finally as of next Wednesday, I will be an official government employee! Yahoo! Time to celebrate and to buy myself the cute shoes I promised myself if I did well on the tests.

2005-08-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

What is it about crappy rainy weather that makes you so sleepy? I had the hardest time getting up this morning! It`s now 5 minutes to 11...almost lunch time and I`ve already had 2 coffees and I still feel like I did at 6:00am!!!

Anyways, I took a much deserved day off yesterday and went golfing with my mom, grandpa and his girlfriend. It was really fun, and I played really well...yahoo! Then I had a playoff soccer game and we won 4-0. Next game is on the 10th, but half of our team will be missing, so we will probably lose.

Ok, well that`s it for today. Gotta get back to work!

2005-08-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom!
Happy Birthday Chris!

1 down, 2 to go

2005-08-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

Tommorrow morning I have to do the final 2 governement French tests...writing and reading. I'm not nervous, just anxious to get them over with. The way the tests are graded is that you can get an E (exemption) a C (highest), B and A (lowest). I managed to get a C level on my oral test (yahoo) and all I need is a B level for the other two. If I succeed, then I officially become a governemnt employee as of next week, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. If I do well, I have decided that I will treat myself to these really cute shoes from Aldo...they are chocolate brown suede flats with cute embroidered flowers on them and a little pouf of bunny fur on the toes...they are hot! So, please send me positive vibes!!!!

2005-08-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Happy 22nd Birthday Brian!

2005-08-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

I guess some of you are wondering why I posted a bunch of random pictures…well it’s because I have nothing to write and think it’s a bit more interesting to post some pictures rather than write about nothing. You may wonder why I chose these one’s…well it’s because I was trying to show some of the more memorable moments of the summer because I thought that at least the people who were there for those moments could enjoy them. So, I am sorry if I offended anyone by posting supposedly “bad” pictures of them, that wasn’t my intention.

2005-08-25T17:47:00.001-07:00

Getting ready to save someone from all the jellyfish in New-Brunswick.

2005-08-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

Saving lives with a beer in one hand.