I have a new arrival!

I bought a bike today. When I did my first triathlon 10 days ago, I had such a good time that I realized I wanted to keep doing them. So, considering that I did not want to be passed like crazy on the bike like I was on my last tri (I was on a mountain bike), I started doing some research into getting a road bike or a triathlon bike. So, with the help of lj, I did some internet research, found some ads for some used bikes, and went into a couple of the local bike shops here in town to see what they had. I had a certain price range in mind and all the new road bikes in that price range were entry-level bikes. So, I went home, did some research on the models in my price range, and went back in a few days later for some test rides. I was not all that impressed. They all just felt kinda cheap...hard to explain...the shifting just seemed all rickety and they were not very comfortable at all.

So, I was a little discouraged, but I wasn't going to give up my search for the perfect bike just yet. I still had a lead on a good used one in town to check out. So, I went to check it out on Sunday (but I couldn't ride it cuz the guy didn't have pedals on it). But, I asked him lots of questions about it, it was in really good condition, really good components, so it looked perfect. But, I didn't want to buy something without riding it, so the guy took into a bike shop where his friend works, so they could put some pedals on it. Last night, I took it for a ride, and right away, I knew it was the one. It was so comfortable and the shifting was worlds better than the new road bikes I tried. This one is also a triathlon bike, and a really good one at that. Here is a link to a review of it, and it has a picture too (mine looks identical to this, the only difference is on the tires, mine is red instead of yellow): http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/reviews/cervelo02.shtml

So, as soon as I got home from riding it last night, I called the guy up and told him I want it. I dropped the cheque off tonight and now it is officially mine! Yay! It is still at the store right now because I need to go in and pick out some pedals and I also want it to get a tune-up. I am SOOO excited!

In other news, which is equally exciting, I have date #2 with BD tomorrow night. Dinner and bowling it sounds like. Woohoo!

And then in other news, still equally exciting, I have a weekend with lj and the exaggerator planned at my cottage this weekend and it looks like it will be gorgeous weather. I can't wait to see them again! Yay!

The date went well...

I had a date with the new guy (initals BD) last night. It went really well. I was SOOOOOO nervous beforehand, I have never been that nervous before a first date in my whole life. I don't know why I was so nervous, I guess I just really wanted it to go well.

So, I was a complete nervous wreck getting ready for the date. But, I managed to pull myself together and head over to the movie theatre. Then, as soon as we met, most of my nervousness went away. He is really easy to talk to....and super-cute! Definately a hottie. He seemed to be nervous too, it was quite endearing seeing that he was nervous, showed he really cared about how it was going.

So, we saw "Wedding Crashers". What a funny movie! Definately made me laugh a lot. After the movie, we went to a restaurant patio to get some food. That was really nice. We must have been there for close to 2 hours, but the time just flew by! It was really great to do the movie thing first to break the ice a little, and then we talked for a couple hours after to get to know each other. He is SUCH a nice guy. And he makes me laugh as well. We have a lot in common, which was nice. Lots of things to talk about; there was only a few short awkward silences, and I think that's normal for a first date. And he wouldn't let me pay for anything. What a sweetie. I will have to twist his arm into letting me pay next time though.

I really like this guy. Of course, I was wondering afterward what he thought of me. When I woke up this morning, he had already sent me an email (he sent it when he got home last night) to let me know he had a really good time and that he would like to see me again. Yay! That was so sweet. So, I guess he is interested in me! YAY! Finally somebody that I am interested in is interested in me back! I think I am smitten.

A very hard and tearful day.

This morning, I had to take my cat (Caprice) to the Humane Society to be put down. She was 17 years old and was just getting so sick, that she was getting to the point where she was obviously in pain. It was such a difficult thing to do. But, I figure we did the right thing; it would have been selfish of us to keep her around when she is obviously in pain. She had really deteriorated a lot in the last few weeks. I just feel so much loss. We had her longer that we've had my brother! Since we got her when I was 7 years old, I don't really remember a time without her.

Caprice was a funny cat. She was never very cuddly, but when my mom was pregnant with my brother Tom, she would curl up with my mom. And when he was born, Caprice would always want to be around him. She slept on Tom's bed every day since he was born. So, of all of us, I would say that Tom is probably hit the hardest with this all. I was glad that he came with me this morning to take her in, I didn't want to go alone. Man, I've only been to the Humane Society twice now, both times to put a pet down, and I have been a crying mess both times. I guess they are used to it there, I bet people cry all the time when they bring their pets in to be put down. So, I cried the whole way there and the whole way home. Then, I managed to pull myself together and go into work. I got teary a few times at work, but was able to hide it well. I didn't want to start bawling at work.

I am just so sad. Caprice was a part of our family for 17 years and I hate to be without her. I miss her so much.

Let's try this fish on for size...

Well, I have another first date coming up this weekend. This one is a little different because it is with a guy I have never met. Although, we have been emailing back and forth for about 5 months now. Yes, I met him online, which I still feel a little strange about, just the whole concept of it, but I am going to have to get over that because it really is a good way of meeting new people. Totally non-threatening and you can really get to know someone before you decide if you want to meet. I guess I'm just old fashioned and still wish I would meet my future spouse by some chance encounter, but that really isn't all that realistic. So, I was just browsing around on a christian singles website back in february and I came across his ad and he was just too good to pass up. He's one of those "good on paper" guys. He has everything I'm looking for: He's a Christian, he likes hockey (even if he is a Red Wings fan, I could learn to live with that, at least it's not the habs, that would be a deal-breaker), he's tall, cute, likes working out, likes running, he seems like one of those really nice, sweet guys, and he lives about a half hour away, so that's a good bonus too. He's one of those guys that you wonder why on earth they are still single, but then again, why on earth am I still single?!? I am a good catch, I just haven't met the right guy yet. So, you never know.

So, once again, I am nervous. I am trying not to think about it too much. Since he is coming to my neck of the woods, I have to decide what to do. I made a few suggestions, like mini-golf, bowling, movie with a snack/beverage afterwards on a patio, and he was cool with all those "or a combination thereof" (maybe that means he's excited about seeing me and doesn't want the night to end too quickly). But, on the other hand, I don't want to do the whole marathon date thing, I want him to leave wanting more. So, given the impending heat, I'm thinking that either a movie with an outing afterwards or bowling sounds good. Bowling is so short though, I'd have to have another activity afterwards. Man, so much to think about!

I am getting so sick of dating. I want to be in a relationship already! But I'm not willing to settle for someone who I know is not right for me. I hate all the unknowns and insecurity of the dating world. But, it is exciting at the same time. You never know, the next first date may be the beginning of something special. Or not, only time will tell.

I've got the fever!

Tri sport fever, that is! I am hooked. I want to do more triathlons. There is one that is pretty close to Peterborough, it's in Cobourg on August 14th. It is a little longer than the one I did yesterday, but I think that with some training, I should be able to do it. The only issue is the fact that I don't want to use a mountain bike for the tri. I asked lj for some advice and she did some internet research for me and found some used tri bikes to inquire about. Hopefully I will be able to find something good for not too much money.

I can see why people really love triathlons! It is addicting!

I did it!

I sucessfully completed the Peterborough Sprint Triathlon this morning. It went well. Since it was my first one, I didn't set a time goal, I just wanted to try my best and finish the race. And I did that, so yay! The race consisted of a 750m swim, 20 km bike, and 5 km run. The swim started off well, it is a little scary when you are swimming with hundreds of people around you and people are kicking you, swimming right next to you, it was hard. I swallowed a little water at one point, had a minor panic attack, but I was able to calm down and catch my breath and keep going. So that was good. Then, after the swim, was the bike. Man, was it hard. The first half went really well, but when the second half just seemed to be so much longer than the first. And the fact that I was riding a mountain bike made it so much harder. People were passing me like crazy. But, I was expecting that, so it wasn't a big surprise. I just didn't think the type of bike would make a HUGE difference, but it did. I was working really hard on the bike, and people were just whizzing past me. That's alright though, I was just so happy to get to the end of the bike portion because my quads were killing me by that point. Then, it was on to the run. I was pooped right from the get-go on the run. But, lj was finished the race by this point (she did amazing, you should be so proud of yourself lj!), so she ran with me for my run portion. That was really sweet and encouraging, so that helped me get to the finish line. When I was running into the finish, the announcer called my name, and I saw my family and friends cheering for me, it was an awesome feeling. Worth all the hard work and sweat right there. I am SO happy to finish, I feel it is quite an accomplishment for me. Yay!

Why not me?

I just received the news that Michael Kuss got married (to someone other than me). The nerve! How could he think he could marry anyone but me; I have had a crush on him for years! For those of you who don't know, he is the Global TV meteorologist. We even had a brief, but very intense, email relationship. It all started when Pardora got me an autographed picture of him for my birthday. So, of course, I had to email him and thank him. I asked him some of the most intellegent questions I could think of (so he would know I wasn't just like every other airhead fan who just wants to get in his pants). But, I made sure I wasn't too boring either. And he emailed me back, thanking me for my support, but that's where it ended. I didn't email him after that. But, I did have a short relationship with a celebrity! If only I had met him in person...then he would marry me and not some idiot stick figure with no soul (Sex and the City reference there). I'm just kidding, I'm not bitter. I do wish him all the best.

Tomorrow I am heading out of town for a borehole drilling project for one of my landfills. I'll be back either Thursday night or Friday. I hope all goes well with the trip. I'm nervous about making a mistake, but I guess I will just have to be careful and trust myself.

To end on a happy note, I finally received the letter from the PEO that I passed the Professional Practice Exam that I wrote in April. Yay! I am so glad to have that off my chest. Now all that is standing in between me and P.Eng. is about 2.5 years experience. Everything else is all taken care of.

Great book!

Thanks for all your encouraging words in response to my last post. I am a believer that everything happens for a reason, and even though it didn't work out between J and me, I am still thankful for the time we spent together and I feel I am a stronger person because of what I went through with him.

I just spent the long weekend at the cottage and it was very relaxing. The weather was awesome, I got in lots of R&R, and even a little practicing of open water swimming for my tri that is in a week! Scary!

I read this book called "The Wealthy Barber" by David Chilton. What a great book! If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend it. It expains a very easy and affordable way that we can all be living a life of luxury and wealth in our retirement years if we just do a little financial planning while we're young (that's the key, start when you're young). That's the beauty of compound interest and dollar cost averaging. I think I will definately have to do that. I would highly recommend this book. It has a lot of great tips for all kinds of financial topics such as how to ensure you are wealthy in retirement (not just getting by, but stinkin rich), life insurance, RRSPs, wills, buying real estate, saving and credit management, investments, income tax, etc. This book is also written in a easy to understand and sometimes comical way. It's great!

Well, back to the grind tomorrow. Why is it that long weekends just seem to slip by us so darn quickly?!?!

Three years and all the wiser?? Or none the wiser?

It was three years ago today that I was supposed to get married. June 29th is a bit of a bitter sweet day I guess. On one hand, it's the day that was supposed to be the happiest day of my life and I was looking forward to it so much. On the other hand, I'm glad I didn't marry J because I don't think I would have ever been able to trust him after what he did. So alas, I am left alone with my wedding dress. Sigh, maybe someday I will actually get to wear it!

Another Amazing Kalan Show!

The Peterborough Festival of Lights kicked off yesterday with Kalan Porter. It was amazing! My mom managed to score VIP passes so that was sweet! We got to sit really close and we didn't have to be at the park at 3:30am like some people did. That's nuts. There was a whole group of people who showed up at 3:30am to line up (the concert was at 8:00pm). The funny part was, we showed up 12 hours after them (we were at the park at 3:30pm), and we were in the same row as them! Haha.

Kalan put on a great show, as usual. The Festival of Lights has been running for 19 years, and that was the biggest crowd last night than for any previous show. Gordon Lightfoot had the previous record with 10,000. I'm sure tomorrow's paper will say how many were there last night, but it was more than that!

I had an amazing time, he is such a talented guy. He's come so far from when he was on Canadian Idol. He is unique because not only is he an amazing singer, he also is a very talented musician. He plays the violin and it's so awesome because you don't normally hear violin or fiddle music incorporated with pop/rock type of music. Definately unique. He is definately going places. I hope I get the opportunity to see him again soon! Although, I'm sure I won't get to see him again for free. That was a special treat. And VIP passes, what luck! He certainly set the bar high for future performers at the Festi, that's for sure. I think he will hold the record for the most people for awhile.

I am a DragonBoating Champion!

Yesterday, I was in the Dragon Boat Races here in town. For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a festival that was started by breast cancer survivors. Now, it is open to anyone, and all the proceeds go to breast cancer research. It is a huge fesitval all over the world, but the Peterborough one is the largest closed (meaning all local people) races. There were 104 teams in it this year! This was my second year competing and we certainly improved over last year!

This year, we had 2 races. Our first one didn't go so well because there was only a few seconds between the time you get to the start line and when the start gun goes, so we weren't really ready. So, by the time we got going, the other teams were already a boat length ahead. But, we maganed to catch up to one team and take third place in that race with a time of 2:12. Then, in our second race, we did much better, had a better start, so we managed to get a time of 2:01 and take first place in our group, so we got first place ribbons! I was so proud of us, we really worked together well. We were all paddling in sync and it was amazing. That was my second year in the races, and we really imrproved over last year. I can't wait to see how we'll do next year!

Fishing in the desert...

I have been thinking a lot lately about the whole thing going on between me and NM. I think that in the long run, we would be better as friends. We are a lot alike in some ways, which is cool. But, there are a lot of times when he makes me want to pull my hair out. So, I thought, if he makes me so frustrated already, and we're not even a couple, there really is no chance of us making it. We just lacked an emotional connection, I think. I don't know if he is just super-shy or something, but he just seems so aloof about everything that it was driving me nuts. And I think I'm a fairly easy-going person. But, when you've been seeing someone for 2 months, you would expect a little "I miss you" or an "You look really good today" or something. But I get nothing, absolutely nothing. That and the fact that there have been a few red flags that have popped up recently. Like the fact that he doesn't dance, and will never try. That really sucks because one of my favorite things is dancing, and I just can't bare the thought of being with someone who is not even willing to try. He is also against drinking, so I think that would cause a problem down the road too. Because, as I'm sure you all know, I like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage (or 13) every now and then, and I think that if we were a couple, he may grow to resent that. And, I think we also have different views on what is important in a relationship. I believe that a good relationship is based on honesty, trust, and good communication is key. He is under the impression that you should never talk about things because that just complicates things. That makes no sense to me. So, I have given it some thought over the last few days, and prayed about it, and came to the conclusion that we should be friends. I still have every intention of spending time with him in the future, I do have a really good time when I'm with him, I just think we're missing that "spark".

Funny thing happened to me the other day. It was Monday night when I came to the "just be friends" conclusion. Then I was thinking, geez, I've been single for awhile now, and there seem to be no other potential boyfriends on the horizon, am I blowing my only shot at a relationship? Are there ever going to be other men? (I know it's rediculous, but this is just what was going through my head). So, I prayed about it and just asked God to reveal his will for this situation and to show me what I should do. Then I went to sleep. Then, on Tuesday morning, as soon as I got to work, like within minutes, one of my co-workers comes up to me to tell me that her roommate (whom I have met on two occasions at parties at their house) was asking her questions about me the night before. So, apparently, he is interested in me (otherwise why would be be asking?). Now, he is probably not someone I would consider dating (too much of a player, I think), but, how timely it was that not even 12 hours after I had been thinking that perhaps no men are interested in me, this guys shows interest. And, I haven't seen him since February! He just happened to pick the day I needed to hear it most to show his interest! I think that was definately a "God thing". Also, there is this guy who used to be interested in me (some of you may remember him as "Jeremy, but not the good looking one" [I have 2 friends named Jeremy]). Anyways, he used to be interested in me. I haven't seen him in over a year, and then on Tuesday he stopped by. Again, someone I would not consider dating, but just the ego-boost I needed at precisely the right time. Also, on the same day (what a Tuesday it was), mymom ran into one of my highschool crushes at a business breakfast and he told her that he saw me at my brother's concert on the weekend (I did not see him). I have no idea why he didn't come over to say hello, I haven't seen him in years, but it just reminded me of all the guys I have had in the past that have been interested in me. So, all this happened the day after I prayed about the situation with NM. God is so awesome!

Interesting, eh? So, about the title of my blog entry. It's something that my mom said. I guess I was complaining about the lack of eligible bachelors I am meeting and she said "well, you can't go fishing in the desert and complain you're not catching anything." It's true! Things were so much easier in the waterloo days, meeting guys all the time, surrounded by singles. Now, it seems like I'm not meeting anyone. But, I'm not really going to places where the single guys hang out. So, the age-old question...where does one go to meet eligible men? If I only knew the answer to that one... Who knows, I guess I just keep hoping that I will meet my dream man by some chance encounter (hey, it works sometimes! That's how my parents met and that's how I met my ex-fiance). So, I guess I just keep hoping that it will happen again. But, I guess I should give myself a kick in the pants and get out there where the men are.... If I only knew where "there" was. But, I'm gonna have to start looking.

Wow, that sparked quite the interest!

I wasn't expecting to get so many comments! That's great! I see a lot of people are also searching for answers, which is awesome! You all brought up some really good points.

Re-reading through my previous entry and comments, I want to clarify something. I was not intending at all to try to scare you into considering Christianity; I was merely trying to get you thinking about the issues, that's all. I don't wanna do the whole "You better become a believer or else!" thing because I don't belive that is the way to salvation at all. That's merely a scare tactic, like the exaggerator put it, and I think it's really sad that a lot of people do that because I'm sure it turns a lot of people off. And that's not the way to become a believer anyways; because you were scared into it, that just doesn't cut it.

And I realize that creation science may not be able to be proven 100%. Nothing in this world is 100%, that's where faith comes in. But there certainly is a lot of undeniable evidence to support creation as well as many other events in the Bible.

Okay, enough on that. Everyone has their own opinion and I respect that. What a fascinating topic though, I think I could spend my whole life studying it! Interesting stuff!

Back to regular blog topics...I am still seeing the boy, I think I will now refer to him by his initials (NM), cuz it's shorter. Things are going well; I think I have lost count on how many times we have seen each other now, gotta be getting close to 10. We are just taking things slow and really getting to know each other. I'm a little confused at times because there are days when I think we would be better off to stay as friends and then there are days when I miss him a lot and think that maybe we could work well in a relationship. So, I guess for the time being, I will continue to enjoy hanging out with him and see what happens.

In other news....I went to see the lawyer last week to get things rolling for my new house! It's getting really exciting now! Everyday, it gets closer! Yay!

Here is my take on the issue...

As promised, I will give some of my thoughts on the whole evolution vs creation issue.

When looking at things from a purly scientific perspective, you have to think about the nature of science. Science isn't biased, it is purely the collection of data (evidence) and the formulation of a conclusion. So, scientists should not start with a conclusion and look for certain evidence and dismiss all evidence that doesn't support thier particular conclusion, that's backwards, and not the way science works. So, creation and evolution scientists are no different. They are looking for the truth and should consider all evidence before formulating a conclusion.

So, then you have to look at all the evidence gathered. There is very little evidence ever found that supports the evolution theory. That theory has more holes than swiss cheese. I mean, okay, say we came from apes, we still have apes on earth today, as well as humans, so where are all the in-between species that are in the process of evolving? We see none of those walking among us today! The missing link is still just that: missing. And there are many other holes in this theory as well. So, because evolution theory has very little evidence supporting it, the only choice the evolutionists have is to try to disprove creation. And, there are a lot of people that have set out to disprove creation, and have become Christians because of all the evidence they found that supports creation.

And there is evidence upon evidence that supports creation. If you look at the way the human body works, for example, it rediculous to think that it came from anything other than intelligent design. Of course we were created, there's no way we could have just been formed like this with no help! All our systems and body parts work together in order for us to live and it's really quite amazing. There's no way we could have been like this on our own, we had to have been created.

There is also a lot of evidence that supports Biblical events. There is evidence that supports the flood that happened in the Bible (think Grand Canyon), evidence that supports the fact that the earth is young (in the order of thousands of years, not billions, modern dating methods are completely inaccurate and based on assumptions that lead to a large margin of error), and evidence for many other Biblical events. I have many scientific journals with informative articles, as well as many books, on these subjects. It's quite fascinating.

Many people think that Christians just believe the Bible blindly without any proof that the things in there are true. Some people are like this yes, but many, likely those with scientific minds, need proof. There is lots of proof that the Bible is true. From a purely scientific perspecitve, it is quite easy to see that the Bible is true.

Having said that, there is another side to the story, and that is faith. I guess you could argue that nothing is for sure, that there is always a shred of doubt no matter how clear-cut a case looks. Maybe that is there to test us on our beliefs, I don't know. And I'm sure all scientists can be very convincing in the way they present their evidence. That is why you need to examine the evidence on your own and draw your own conclusions. Don't take my word for it, look into the evidence yourself and form your own opinion of how we came to be. Christians are not afraid of science, we encourage scientific research.

Now, since I am on this topic, I just have to get you thinking a little bit. So, without running the risk of offending anyone, just think about this: Are you 100% sure about what will happen to you (i.e. your soul) when you die? Just something to get you thinking. Because I think a lot of people aren't sure on the answer to that one. And, if you die still being unsure of this answer, it will be too late then. Better to think about it while you are still alive! Okay, that's all I will say about that, don't want to offend anyone, just think about it, okay?

Tagged by Kbum

List five songs that you are currently digging ... it doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words or even if they're any good but they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions, the artist and the song in your blog along with your five songs. Then tag five other people to see what they're listening to.

When the Levee Dreaks - Led Zeppelin
Pieces - Sum 41
Simple Man - Shine Down
Feelin This - Blink 182
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran

...The instructions didn't say they had to be from this decade! I don't have anyone else to tag, so that's the end of the line for me!

Now I'm an honourary newfie!

The trip was awesome! Newfoundland was even more beautiful than I imagined. The views were absolutely breath-taking, the nicest scenery I have ever seen in my life. I couldn't believe it. Everything is so rugged there, huge cliffs and rocks everywhere. Just my kind of place being a geo.

We arrived last Thursday and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. So, we decided to make use of the sun and went to Cape Spear (the eastern-most point of North America). That was really spectacular. All the waves crashing ashore, it was amazing. Then we went to Signal Hill (the spot where Marconi received the first trans-atlantic wireless signal in 1901). So, we hiked all the way down the cliff (there was a trail and even stairs in some parts). That was another beautiful hike). We did some walking around St. John's, what a neat city, I can't imagine driving in the winter though, all the hills are super-steep and sometimes they get hugs blizzards, one year they got 6 m!

The next day, we drove down to Cape St. Mary's, which has "Bird Rock". It's a large sea stack where thousands of gannets and other seabirds come to nest. There's this one rock, about 100 m above sea level and every sqauare inch has a bird on it, that was really neat. Of course it was raining, but it was still amazing. Then we drove up the coast to Terra Nova National Park.

The next day (when we were supposed to go hiking in Terra Nova), it was absolutely pouring, so we just went to the Marine Interpretation Centre which was pretty cool. They had a touch pool where you could pick up all these sea creatures. I even picked up a crab when the girl that works there was too scared to! She was a wuss, I think. Then we drove back to St. John's. On the way back, we took a slight detour to go to a place called Dildo (we just had to with a name like that). I even took my picture with the sign that says "Dildo". Who names a town that? When we got back to St. John's, I had my first lobster dinner too - it was sooooo yummy!

Sunday we just walked around downtown St. John's and bought some souveniers. Lots of cool little stores and the prices weren't bad either! I bought myself a few little things, I just had to.

Monday, Dad and I went to the "FLuvarium", which was essentially a place where you could look at river life from the side of a river. It was like the underwater viewing areas at the zoo, only for a river. Then, we went on a puffin and whale-watching tour, but it was a little too early in the year to see whales, but we saw lots of cool birds. The puffins are adorable. And so small! I didn't know they were that small, only about 8 inches. And their wings seem too small for their bodies or something because sometimes when they tried to get out of the water to fly, they would make it for a bit, then a wave would come along, and they would hit the wave instead of taking flight. It was funny. In the evening we took a boat tour out of the St. John's harbour to Cape Spear and back. It was beautiful, right as the sun was setting. When we got back to St. John's, we went to get officially "Screeched In". You have to drink a shot of screech, and kiss a puffin's butt, and there is a whole ceremony and then you are an honourary newfoundlander, with a certficate to prove it and everything! That was fun! And the screech wasn't bad, I even bought a bottle to bring home.

Tuesday, we went to the "Geo Centre" and of course, I was in heaven. Lots of rocks to look at, sweetness! I even bought myself a cool Amethyst Crystal sample and a cool looking geode. And they weren't even expensive, so I just HAD to get them! There was also an amazing Titanic Exhibit, I learned so much cool stuff there that I never knew about the Titanic. It was basically just one error after another. For example, they spent thousands upon thousands on all the fine china and staterooms for the first class passengers, but they did not get a spyglass for the men in the crows nest! If they had those they probably would have seen the iceberg sooner! And, there was a ship (the Californian) within view of the Titanic when it hit the iceberg, but the Titanic set off the celebration rockets instead of the distress rockets. Crazy! And there were a whole bunch more errors like that which could have saved them, but I am getting tired of typing... It was facinating and I feel much more knowledgeable about the subject now. After the Geo Centre, we hiked the whole loop at Signal Hill, which took about 2 hours.

Wednesday, we did some more shopping and then headed home.

It was a great trip. It was cold though! I was so glad that I brought my winter coat, I wore it lots!

I was reading some of the blogs I missed out on while I was away and I noticed there was a lot of talk on the evolution vs creation (and creation science) subject. This is a topic that I am facinated with as well, so I will post my take on this whole situation soon.

Almost time

Leaving for Newfoundland on Thursday morning. Only 1 day of work left before the trip! And, my boss won't be in the office tomorrow, so he won't be able to leave me a hige pile of work to do before I leave; I will have a hard enough time getting all my work done.

I am seeing Star Wars tomorrow with the guy. I wasn't going to bring up seeing each other again since I was getting the feeling like it was always my idea to get together, but he brought it up, so that's cool. Guess that means I'll have to tape the season finale of Lost and watch it when I get home. Then I have to get up at 5am to leave for the airport, so I'm guessing I will be tired, but oh well, hopefully the date will be worth being tired the next day for ;)

I had a good weekend, even though the weather wasn't the greatest. I still had a very relaxing time at the cottage. My brother brought his new girlfriend for the day on Monday, so we all got a chance to meet her. She seems quite nice, so that's cool. It's good to see my brother happy because his last relationship was the whole on agian off again roller coaster ride for years.

That's about all I have for now. Loved the finale of 24 last night, I just hate having to wait until January for the new season! But, I must say, it was nice for them to just show the entire season without any repeats, so I guess that's the trade-off.

I'll have to post all about my trip when I get back!

Let the weekend begin!

Yay! It's the first long weekend of the summer. And what a way to kick it off! I just spent the afternoon sitting on a patio suckin back a few cold ones. It was really nice. My group at work went out for a celebratory luncheon for the afternoon to celebrate our efforts over the last few months. It was so nice to sit in the sun and drink a few beers. Afterwards, I showed one of my co-workers and one of my other friends my new house. I think they were impressed. I mean, the house needs a lot of work, but it's all cosmetic stuff. The house is very structurally sound, so the rest is just details. I am getting super-excited. I have an appointment with the lawyer in June to get the legal stuff set up for the house.

Tomorrow morning, I am heading out to the cottage for a few days. I really hope the weather is okay, it looks like it may be okay. I will relax regardless of the weather, but summy weather does make it better ;)

1 year anniversary!

Of my job, that is. I have been working at my current place of employment for exactly 1 year today. Hard to believe it's been that long! It doesn't seem that long ago that I was in school.

The guy got back yesterday from his Dominican trip. I invited him over last night to show me his pictures from his trip. That brought back memories of lj, the exaggerator, and me in the DR. That was so much fun! With Tony Thrust, Jeffrey almost free, the disco, pyjama fanas, the gorgeous beach, and the awesome food! I could go on an on about how much I loved that trip. We should do that again sometime, girls. It was awesome!

Speaking of trips, I am leaving for St. John's on the 26th, getting excited about that!

Woohoo!

I was approved for my mortgage! Yay! And without a co-signer!

And I got an awesome interest rate. I did my research and found the ING direct rates (which were the cheapest I found), which were at 4.8%. I was all prepared and when I went to meet with the mortgage specialist at my bank, I was going to ask them if they would beat that rate. But, she said "I don't like to play games, so I just give my clients the very best rate I can, which is 4.79%". I didn't even need to negotiate! And it's even better that ING direct! Yay! I am so happy that I was approved. So, the next step is to go to the lawyer and have an offer to purchase drawn up and then he does all his lawyery stuff like a title search, land transfer, etc., etc., etc. So, I think I will meet with the lawyer sometime in the next few weeks to get it all straightened out. I'm getting more excited since it's getting all finalized and stuff. Not just talk anymore. I can't wait!

Good weekend all around.

Except my bum feels differently. I went for a 28 km bike ride today and I borrowed my brother's bike, which doesn't have shocks below the seat like my mom's does. My bum is killing me now. I may have to get my own bike because my mom and I want to go for a bike ride together every weekend, and there's no way I can handle any more on my bro's bike! It even has a special ladies seat on it, but every little bump you can feel. I switched bikes with mom for a bit so I could feel the difference, and I don't think I should have doen that because her's was so much better. Didn't know what I was missing until then.

Last night, I had date #2 with the new guy. I took lj up on her bowling suggestion and it was a blast! I hadn't bowled in years, what a good time. I was glad that we did something a little more interactive for our second date because we had a lot of time to talk. I took him to my new house after the bowling as well to show him around. The funny thing was, since the house is going to be empty for the summer, my mom had the electricity turned off, which I didn't realize until we got there! And of course it was dark outside. But, strangely enough, one light worked, so I was still able to show him around...in the dark for the most part. It was funny.

I had a really good time on our second date. It was even better than the first in my opinion, and the first one went really well. I really enjoy spending time with him, he's really funny and makes me laugh, which is cool. And he's also quite cute, which is never a bad thing either. Hard to say whether this will go anywhere or not, way too early to tell. He left today for a vacation in the Dominican, and I miss him. What's wrong with me?!? I miss a guy that I have only been on two dates with?!? Hmmm, I wonder if he misses me at all. This is one of those times I wish I could read minds... I really wish I knew what he thought of me. It's this whole gray area when you're first dating someone and you really wish you knew what they were thinking. Meh, oh well, I guess I'll find out when he gets back. Either he will want to hang out again, or not. I just hate all this not knowing business. But, I guess I should tell myself, if it doesn't work out with him, plenty more fish in the sea. I've been telling myself that for 10 years now though, but I guess it's true. There will always be other guys, I shouldn't stress over it.

I am now a proud Zeke-owner!

Zeke is my 2001 Toyota Rav4 and as of today, he's all mine. His lease was up today so I went in and wrote the largest cheque of my life. Mind you, I used my line of credit to cover the cheque, so I'm not free and clear yet. But, I am Zeke's owner. Now, if I could only get him paid off before I move into my house...

So the date went pretty well, i think.

So last night I met up with "the guy". It went pretty well in my opinon. I wish I knew what he thought! It was the first time we met and it felt like we'd known each other for awhile. It felt very comfortable and he was super easy to talk to. And there were no awkward silences, so that was good.

He's heading to the Dominican Republic for a week of fun in the sun, so I likely won't see him again until he gets back.

I went to my house today! I didn't have enough time to take pics, but it will be empty for the summer so I will have lots of time to go back. And, if any of you come to visit in the summer, I will have to take you down there and show you around. The house is getting a little run-down, but, with some new paint and re-finishing of the hardwood floors and some yard work, I think it will be lovely. I'm excited! I can't wait until all the papers are in order and such. Then it will be a done deal!

Well, today's the big day!

Date day, that is. Tonight, I am going to meet up with the guy I have been talking about recently. I'm a little nervous, but I think it will be fun. Not entirely sure what we're doing yet, we're gonna talk on the phone to figure it out this afternoon. He has told me he is a little shy until he feels confortable, so we will most likely do something totally non-threatening like go see a movie and maybe go for coffee afterwards. If that goes well, then maybe date #2 can be something a little more interactive.

So, of course I had to go shopping yesterday for some stuff to wear. I got a bonus this week, and I think I pretty much spent as much as my bonus, so that worked out well. I got new shoes, a new coat (it was only $25 at Reitmans), and I also got a new purse. I am heading up to the mall again today to see if I can find some dark jeans. I really want a pair of dark jeans.

So that's all I have for now. I am heading to the gym for BodyFlow (so I will be all relaxed for the big date) and then I'm going to bottle wine (so I will have something to drink right before the date). Just kidding. I am going to bottle wine, but I'm not going to get hammered before my date, not a good idea.

I will be sure to post tomorrow to let y'all know how it went.

Oh ya! Tomorrow afternoon I am going to my house to look around and take pics and stuff! I am also really excited about that! My friend Leigh is going to come with me because he just bought his first house last year so I am going to pick his brain about first home buying stuff. And he says he really likes home renovations, so I'm sure he'll give me some feedback on ideas for my new house.

Should be a good weekend!

Well I'm glad that's overwith...

I am FINALLY done with the Professional Practice Exam. I studied a total of 56 hours for a 3 hour exam...doesn't seem worth it, does it? But, I'm glad I studied so much, because it went pretty well. I would be incredibly shocked if I didn't pass it, I think I knew most things. And where I didn't know, in keeping with my university career, I made stuff up! It was a fairly easy exam. No big tricks or anything like that. I'm SO relieved to have it overwith, now I can have my life back! Hello life, glad you're back, things weren't the same without you!

Thank you for all your great suggestions for first date activities! You girls came up with some great ideas! Thanks a bunch! I haven't talked to him in a few days since I was studying like mad, so there's nothing new on that front right now, but I will keep you updated on developments.

Hey Ladies!

I need your advice! There is a new guy in my life. We started corresponding because our mothers are friends and I guess they thought we have a lot in common. A little embarrassing, but hey, whatever works. Anyways, over the last week, I have been getting to know him on MSN, and I think we are at the point now where we would like to meet up. This is where I need your advice. What are some good things to do on a first date? I think we are both a little shy until we feel comfortable, so ideally I would like to do something more involved than just going for coffee or something. I think actually doing something would be better because then at least we will have that to talk about. Any ideas? I'm sure he may have an idea as well, but I would like to be able to contribute a suggestion or two.

Well, tomorrow is the big day. Exam day. I took the day off work today to study, so I guess I should get to it!

Boourns, gay boys went bye-bye...

and such ended my Amazing Race pool winning streak. I had Lynn and Alex and they were eliminated. Through no fault of their own either! The stupid cab driver took them to the wrong spot after saying that he knew where to go! No fair! But, I guess I shouldn't make excuses, they lost, and I'm mad. I was hoping I could extend my Amazing Race pool winning streak to 3, but no dice.

I was so proud of Joice for shaving her head...that must have been hard. I can say I would do that for a 1 in 4 chance and a million bucks, but I think when you are actually faced with the decision, it's a whole different ball game. And she looked to beautiful with a shaved head! I think it she is one of those women who can really pull it off (or shave it off, less painful) ;)

Not too much new here. I am gearing up for the big day: D-day as I like to call it. Ah yes, the big exam day. I will be so glad when Saturday at 5:00pm rolls around! I will have so much less stress in my life! I say that, but in reality I am buying my car in 2 weeks (end of lease), I am buying a house this summer, and I am a new project manager at work. So it doesn't sound like my life will be less stressful! But, at least I should have more free time. I really miss my friends, it has been too long since we've gotten together! Must get together soon!

I hate being cooped up inside when the weather is so nice!

I have been studying all day and I think I will soon go crazy. I will be SOOOO relieved when this exam is overwith...only a week to go! Then my stress level will be significantly reduced and I can concentrate on more important things....like finalizing the house stuff and spending time with my friends whom I have neglected in the last few weeks because I have spent almost all my weekend time studying.

I am starting to learn the ropes of the project management stuff. I now know how to open a new project, set up inviocing templates, and I have reviewed the proposals so that I know what we said we would do. I think things will get complicated because there is so much I have to keep track of all at once! I have to keep track of all the aspects of all these projects...yikes! I think that I need to spend some time getting acquainted with the sites. We are doing spring surveying at some of the sites in a couple weeks, so I think I will go and be the "Rod man" so that I can at least see some of the sites since there are still a few of them that I haven't been to. That's the plan anyways.

I am considering doing a triathlon this summer. I have always wanted to do one. There is one in Peterborough on July 10. It is a 750m swim, 20 km bike, and then a 5 km run. I think that's do-able! I think the swim should be no problem, the bike should be okay, it's the run that will be hard. I can run 5 km, but I have only ever done that by itself, not after a long swim and bike! At least the good news is that if I am pooped by the time I get to the run, I can walk for a bit to catch my breath. Since this will be my first time, my goal is just to finish, I don't care about my place or time. Then, if I do another one later on, I can try to improve my time. I really need to get back into shape, and I think this just might be the kick in the butt I need. Plus, when my exam is done, I will have way more time for exercising.

Me? A Project Manager?!?

Yes, that's right, I am now the project manager for 14 waste disposal sites in Eastern Ontario. I had a big meeting yesterday with my supervisor and two other colleagues, and my boss thinks I'm ready to be a project manager, so woohoo! What a HUGE leap in my responsibility level at work! I will be in charge of managing 14 waste disposal sites, so I will look after the budgeting, invoicing, making sure all ministry deadlines are met, making sure all monitoring and compliance work is done, attending meetings with the client, etc. I can't believe it! I didn't think that after only a year of working there I would be a project manager! It will be quite challenging, especially in the beginning while I am learning the ropes. I hope I do a good job! If I succeed and show that I am good at this, I will get a pretty substantial raise too! It's weird though that here I am, just 24 years old, and I will be assigning tasks to people who are way older than me and have been with the company for way longer. Seems a little strange, but I'll take it!

Not much has happened on the house front lately. I write my Professional Practice Exam in two weeks, so after that is overwith, I will get the mortgage stuff set up. Man, I can't wait until it is finalized! I went to Ikea last weekend to look around, and I was quite impressed with a lot of the stuff! I found a really nice couch for $499 and a sweet dining room table that has 2 extra leaves to put in (so it can go from seating 4 to seating 8) for only $239! I was sooo impressed! I think I will be getting a lot of my furniture there. They have such good prices! I'm just not a big fan of their beds. I think I will get my bed at like the Brick or Leons because then I will have like a year or something to pay it off. Sounds good to me! I'm just trying as hard as I can to keep my mind off the house stuff until my exam is overwith, but it's so hard! Speaking of which, I should get studying... Just when you thought school was over for good, you find yourself spending most of your free time studying...Funny how that works...

Winter just had to hold on...

Man, I guess spring isn't here yet! I was driving home from lj's place last night and it was fine until I got to the 115, then it was like hitting a wall: snow everywhere! Cars were all over the road, in the ditches, there was one point when traffic was completely stopped because a stretch limo had spun out and was blocking both lanes. That stopped traffic completely for about a half hour. I did not move an inch in that time. What I found amusing was there was a large 18 wheeler truck and pulled up on the sholder next to me and pulled out his guitar and started playing to pass the time! I had to laugh at that. It took me almost 2 hours to get up the 115 (when normally it would about about 30 - 40 minutes). It was nuts. I was so glad to get home safe and sound. I guess spring isn't here after all. Boo to that.

I really need to get my act together with studying for the PPE. I have only spent 24 hours studying so far, they say you need at least 40, and the exam is in less than 3 weeks. I am finding it hard to get motivated. Hopefully I will get my butt into gear and push through some more studying over the next few weekends so that I can pass. I can't wait until April 23rd at 5:00pm (that's when the exam is over)!

Yes, another amazing race pool!

I am in yet another Amazing Race pool at work. The way we worked this one was we drew numbers from a hat and then got to pick a team in the order of numbers so each team was only picked once. I drew a 4, so 3 teams were already gone when it was my turn to pick. But, I still got my second favorite team, so it's all good. I have Lynn and Alex (the gay guys). I think they will do pretty well since they seem to be one of the stronger teams. If I win this pool, it will be the third Amazing Race pool in a row that i have won!

I am also in a Survivor Pool as well. We got to draw two names (I drew Ian and Wanda) and then we got to make 3 picks as well (I picked Katie, Bobby-Jon, and Gregg). We made these draws before the first episode and the picks before the second episode. I have yet to wina survivor pool, so maybe I'm due this time! Unlike with the Amazing Race pool, the survivor pool has more than one person on each survivor contestant. So, even if one of my contestants win, doesn't mean I am guaranteed the money. I would have to fight for it "Survivor style" (whatever that means, eating worms, maybe? or trivia? who knows) with the other people in my office that have the same pick. I find it makes the shows a lot more fun to watch when you have certain people you are cheering for.

Thanks for all your comments on my soon-to-be-mine house! I am soooo excited! It makes it really concentrate on studying (I am writing the PPE on April 23rd). After I write the exam, I will have more time to devote to researching mortgages, gathering decorating ideas, etc. I am trying to remain focused on studying, but it is so hard! I wish I could just put the house stuff out of my mind for the next month, but that's impossible! I have already spent about 22 hours studying, so I am well on my way. I think it will be fine; I will just be so relieved when April 23rd is over!!! Then I can really concentrate on my house! It will also be really exciting when I can go into the house to look around. I'm planning on doing that in the last week of April.

Wow, I must be growing up!

I have some incredibly exciting news! Now, before you all get carried away, it has nothing to do with a new man in my life (I am still single)...it is way better than a new man! I am going to buy my first house!! So, for those of you who are not interested in reading all about my house, you might as well stop reading now because that's all this post is going to be about.

I have been thinking about getting my own place for a few months now. I went into the bank to meet with a mortgage specialist just to get a ballpark idea of how much I could afford to spend on a house. I was a little disappointed with the amount, but I guess I have to realize that I only have one income, so I can't expect to get a killer house. So, over the last few months, every saturday when the paper comes, I would take out the real estate section and read it. And I was getting a little more discouraged because it seemed like all the houses that were within my price range were either tiny little bungalos or townhomes. I really wanted something a little bigger so that I could build an apartment in a portion of it so I could rent out the apartment to make money to help pay the mortgage. And I really wasn't finding that anywhere.

Then, on Sunday, my mom said "Why don't you buy our rental property?". What an amazing idea! I would love to live there, I just never thought my parents would want to sell it!

My parents own a house just around the corner from where we are now and have rented it out for about 14 years now. My family lived in the rental house from about 1982 until 1991, so I spent a lot of my childhood there. The truth is that my parents could really use the chunk of change from the sale of the house to get out of debt. Selling the house and getting out of debt would be a real answer to prayer for them. Owning my own house is a dream come true for me. I will get to buy this gorgeous house with 4 bedrooms, it's two floors (plus basement and attic), has a huge backyard, detached garage, and it backs right onto the Rotary-Greenway trail, which is where I do a lot of running and walking Koby. And, the house has a walk-out basement, so the plan is to convert the basement into an apartment to rent out! My dad is a master carpenter, so he's going to do all the renovations for me! Yay! The house is getting a little run-down since it has been a student rental for so long, but I know how nice it can get, because it was beautiful when I lived there, it just needs a little work here and there.

Oh wait, it gets better, my parents have offered to let my buy it for $25,000 less than the appraised price!!!! Otherwise, I would never be able to afford such a large house, but they offered it to me for a good deal! My Oma gave my mom a lot of money towards her first home, so I guess my parents want to do the same with me! I'm so excited I can barely sleep at night! My mind is running wild with all the possibilities!

Okay, there is one down side. There are new tenants moving in as of May 1st (they just signed the lease a couple weeks ago). So, I can't move into the house until May 1, 2006 even though the closing date of the sale will be August 1, 2005. So, I will own the house for 9 months before I can move in. Bummer, eh? But, that just means I will get the $1200 a month from the rental income to pay the mortgage and I can save the rest for the renovations and furniture and such. Legally, I can kick the tenants out since the house will be mine and I will need it for personal use, but they are friends of my brother's and I don't want to leave them without a place to live. And an extra $1200 a month will go a long way. That should cover the mortgage payments, property taxes, home insurance, other house expenses, etc. with a few hundred left to save. I think having some time before I move in may be a good thing because then I can really plan what I want to do in terms of painting, decorating, furniture, fixing things up, etc. It will just be soooo hard to wait! I've drove by the place tonight to look at it (even though of course I know that house inside and out because I lived there for 9 years). And something inside me said "that's gonna be your new home".

Another plus side is, if (or shall I way WHEN) I get married and have a family, this house has plenty of room. 4 bedrooms on the upper floor and 1 in the basement (but that will be part of the apartment). One of the bedrooms upstairs is quite small, but the other three are a good size. I will be going down there sometime in the next few weeks (once the current tenants move out and before the new ones move in) to take some measurements, notes, and pictures.

So, in the next few weeks my job is to do some shopping around for mortgages. I want to get the best rate possible because even a percent difference in the interest rate will save you thousands. It's all about negotiations!

I really hope I will be approved for the mortgage. The only problem I see is coming up with a down payment since all my money in the last year has gone to student loans (all paid off as of yesterday - yay!) and my car (I am buying out the lease May 1st). I may have to ask Oma if she can loan me a few grand for now. Mortgages really are a lot easier now than they used to be. You used to need to have 25% down, but now you can get a mortgage for as little as 5% down.

Anyways, that's my exciting news, be prepared that a large portion of my blogs for the next little while will be about the house and keeping people updated on the status. And if we get together, be prepared for house talk. But, I will try to keep it at a minimum. That will be hard because I am so excited I'm almost bursting at the seams! I will try not to bore you though. I will feel much better when August 1st rolls around, because then at least it will be mine! (even if I have to wait 9 months to move in). I will be a homeowner before the age of 25, which was a goal of mine. All I can say is....thank you Jesus!

Woohoo! Going to see U2!

I was able to get tickets for the U2 concert at the ACC on monday, september 12th...yay! What made me kinda annoyed tho is that they originally only had 2 shows planned: on a Monday and Wednesday. I figured the Monday would be better and then I'd just take a long weekend. But, after I bought my tickets and those two shows sold out in about 2-3 minutes, they opened up another two shows: on a friday and saturday! I would have much rather gone on a saturday than a monday! Oh well. I am just happy to be going at all because all 4 shows are sold out now. Not a single ticket left. They have quite a following I guess. I got general admission floor tickets, so I hope to be able to get pretty close! Should be a load of fun! Yay! I'm excited, now I just have to wait 6 months.

Thanks JetsGo....thanks for nothing!

I was one of the thousands who have paid for JetsGo tickets and will not be receiving the services paid for. I was planning to go to Newfoundland in May, bought my tickets during a seat sale in January, and now am left with no tickets, yet I paid for them. I MAY be able to get a refund from the credit card company that I purchased the tickets with, but when I phoned them last night, they said they cannot assist me until the date and time of my flight has passed. Herin lies the dilema. The next cheapest flight I found was with tango. The only way I could afford to still go on vacation as planned is if I get a refund for the JetsGo tickets I have already purchased, but I won't know that until May. See the problem? I don't know what to do...I guess I will just wait a little and see if any more details on refunds are made available once the dust settles. I just hate having everything up in the air (or NOT up in the air, bad joke). Grrrr.....

Okay wait, I've changed my mind...

I am no longer a closet Kalanadian (see previous post)...I am an "I don't care who knows it, Kalan rocks" Kalanadian! The concert on friday blew me away. I mean, Kalan was good on Canadian Idol, he definately has a good voice, but I thought he was lacking a little in the stage presence and personality. Well, he must have gotten some major coaching or something, because he had amazing stage presence at the concert. I also had no idea of his musical telent because on Canadian Idol they just sing. He is sooo talented! He is an extremely gifted musician, he incorporated his violin music into most of his songs, which were rock, so it was a very unique mix. He played a few cover songs and they were better than the originals! He played alot of his own stuff too. So, if any of you have the opportunity to see him, you definately should - you will be surprised! You should come to Peterborough for the free concert here at the festi (see previous post)! I've been to quite a few concerts, and he was by far the most talented musician I have seen and he's quite a good singer too. I'm sure he'll be the next Mick Jagger, just give him time. Okay, at the risk of sounding like a star-crazed obsessive lunatic, I guess I should stop gushing. You just HAVE to see him, end of story.

I got the major report that I have been working on out today. It felt so good! 1 down, 17 more to go before March 31st...yikes! Good thing I started almost all of them back in the fall. Otherwise I would be freaking right about now!

Studying for the engineering licencing exam is going well. There's sooooo much to study! It's nuts! I'm glad I started 8 weeks before the exam. Definately not the type of exam you can cram for. So, until April 23rd, I am pretty much going to be anti-social, which really sucks ;( But, after that, I will have my weekends free and clear - that's excellent news!

Okay, so I'm a closet Kalanadian...

For those of you who are now very confused, I am a fan of Kalan Porter (winner of Canadian Idol). I am going to see him in concert tomorrow. I will have to let you know how it is; I'm sure I'll be surrounded by screaming 14 year old girls. Sigh, I think I may be getting to old for this.

But, I'm not too old yet! I just found out that Kalan is performing at the Festival of Lights (aka "the Festi") this summer. For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a free festival that runs on wednesdays and saturdays throughout the summer in Peterborough. It is outside, completely free, just bring your own lawn chair, and it's followed by an illuminated boat show and fireworks. It's actually quite cool; people flock from far and wide to Peterborough for it. They've had some big names, I saw Great Big Sea awhile ago. This year, the only bands of interest to me are: Kalan Porter, Thousand Foot Krutch (who I have loved for at least 6 or 7 years, I have all their albums and they are from around Peterborough but live in California now), Tom Cochraine, and Beatle-mania. If any of you want to come up for one of the events, you totally should! http://www.festivaloflights.ca/

I'm going to the spa...

...and it is well-deserved! Tomorrow, one of my friends from work and I are going to the spa. Last summer, when we worked evenings and a weekend for some public consultation events for work, my boss gave us gift certificates for the spa...so, we are finally using them. I'm getting a manicure, pedicure, and a facial. And it could not come at a better time after the week I've had. I had to work late the last three nights in a row! I've been writing this report for a new client and it's the first huge hydrogeological report I've written. It is quite a complicated site too in terms of hydrogeology. So, I was a little nervous when the project manager reviewed it...but, I guess I didn't need to be because he said it was excellent! Yay me! I nailed that one! It was nice to get a little positive reinforcement. Makes me happy.

So, after the spa tomorrow, I will be totally relaxed...so, what better to do than go to another party! One of the girls at work is turning 40, so her husband is throwing a surprise party for her tomorrow night. A bunch of us are going...should be fun. After that, three of us "young" girls are heading downtown for a night at the bars. I don't think I'll drink as much as I did last weekend, that was just crazy! I would like to be able to remember what happens, but we'll see, you never know...

And what a party it was!

Wow, was I ever hammered! I had a great time though. I ended up drinking an entire bottle of wine and a few rum and cokes...and then me and another girl from work (the two single gals) decided to head downtown for some dancing. It was fun. Lots of drunken dancing and guys attempting to pick us up...but, in the end, we ended up leaving alone. Good thing too, I don't want to do anything I would regret. Even when I am completely hammered, I still know when to draw the line. I will not go home with someone that I just met in a bar. Just not my style. Never has been. But, it was a nice ego-booster to have guys interested.

So, needless to say, it was a bit of a rough morning this morning. I got home at about 2:30am, but I was so wired from all the drinks, I couldn't sleep until about 5am. I slept on an off until about 9am, and then got a solid three hours in until noon. When I attempted to get up at 9, I still felt drunk, the room was spinning, so I decided a little more rest was in order. When I woke up again at noon, I was feeling much better.

But, I didn't get as much studying done as I would have liked for the PPE, but oh well. I still have like 9 weeks until the exam, lots of time.

Party time!

Tonight, I am going to my coworkers house for a little get together. Another girl from work is my date. She lives a couple of blocks from me, so we are going to share a cab. Should be good times! Apparently, the host's boyfriend invited all his friends, which means there will be no shortage of men. I just hope I don't drink too much and make a total fool of myself. But, if I do, it wouldn't be the first time (or the last I'm sure). I'm not sure if we're staying at this girl's house or if we're going out, hence, I don't know what to wear...

DNA talk

I just got back from the first class in a course I am taking at Trent University. It is called "DNA and Forensic Science: CSI for the Novice". I really enjoyed the firts class! We are even going to get to do DNA profiling on ourselves! Sweet! I get to find out all about my own DNA. I think I am really going to enjoy this course.

I found out today that one of my best friends from my childhood just got engaged. She has been with her boyfriend for almost 5 years now. He is a super nice guy and I am really happy for them. The two of them left over a year ago for an adventure around the world. I guess they go place to place and find jobs and then move to another country when they get bored. They started in Australia, and travelled to New Zealand, Singapore, Itlay, Switzerland, and now they're in Ireland. I have no idea when they're coming back (I don't think they know either). They are thinking June 2007 for the wedding, so even if they stay away on their adventure for another year there will still be plenty of time to plan the wedding. They just travel from place to place, working and having a great time, staying as long as they want in each place...I'm so jealous! Sigh, maybe someday...

Amazing Race was...Amazing!

I loved last night's amazing race finale...probably because the outcome meant that I won my pool at work - yay me! I really liked Freddy and Kendra. Although Kendra did say some stupid things, I'm sure everyone did at some point and they chose to show her stupid comments on air. You never know what happens the 99 % of the time that we don't see. I think that overall they worked really well as a team and I'm really happy for them. I also really liked Kris and John, but they won so many trips for coming in first in many of the episodes, they already came away with a lot of winnings. I really disliked Hayden, I thought she really didn't treat Aaron very well, but I guess in that amount of stress, anyone can lash out. I really liked Rebecca, but Adam was such a cry-baby mama's boy. He doesn't even cut his own toenails for crying out loud, his mom cuts them. Ridiculous! I can understand why Rebecca wasn't happy with him...he has a lot of growing up to do.

Changing the subject completely, one of these days I am going to have to start studying for my Professional Practice Exam (PPE). I am writing it on April 23rd. That may seem like a long way away, but considering that March is going to be a crazy month at work with lots of overtime (we have 45 reports due to the MOE March 31st), I figure I better start early since I may not get that much studying done in March. My boss just wrote the PPE, so he let me borrow all his textbooks, old exams, studynotes, etc. Score! My company is also paying for the exam fee, so it won't cost me anything. Sweet! I just better pass!

I'm excited about this weekend! I'm going to the exaggerator's with lj to celebrate the exaggerator's birthday. I'm sure it will be good times; it always is with those awesome chicks!

It was the ride of my life...

The Russians (both of them this time) came over last night. They came for dinner and to fix our internet (it had been down for a day). They had to go back to their place to pick up an extrfa modem and they invited me along for the ride. Russian #1 has 2 BMW's. The one I rode in was a 545i and it was the sweetest car I have ever been in. Man, that guy drives fast! We were probably going at least a 100 km/h through town (speed limit of 50). It was insane! What a rush! I haven't felt the old adenaline pumping like that in a long time! I guess I should have expected a fast ride because previous to this he showed me a video of him driving down the 115 and the spedometer was in the shot so you could tell how fast he was driving. The spedometer only went to 240km/h and the needle was way past that, so he was probably doing 260 km/h. That is absolutely insane. It's even more insane to take a video while you're driving that fast. What a crazy guy. He says if you're gonna speed, make sure to go REALLY fast because then the cops can't catch you and they can't see your licence plate. I think one of these days they're going to nail him and take away his licence or he may end of hurting himself and other people.

Good news is I'm back safe and sound (Thank you Jesus!). I think that next time the Russian invites me for a ride, I will have to insist on driving ;)

Other than my highspeed car joy ride, nothing too much new here.

Wow, Tae Kwon Do is hard!

I just got back from my first Tae Kwon Do class. It was a lot more difficult than I expected! I think I need to practice quite a bit before my next class. I especially need to work on kicking with my left leg, not so good at hitting the target with my left leg. I hope I will improve. I am hoping to be able to get my yellow belt at some point. That would be a nice accomplishment.

Dinner with the Russians turned out to be dinner with the Russian. Only one of the two guys could come. He was a very interesting guy with a good sense of humour as well. And his accent was awesome! It was so nice just to listen to him. I was surprised at how good his english was as well. I think my brother wants to be his new best friend because he has two BMW's. Why is it that foreign students always drive the nicest cars? How can they afford it? Especially since they have to pay triple the tuition? I guess most of them come from well-off familites. The Russian's dad works for the Russian government in the space organization. I'm sure he is quite wealthy. Anyways, dinner with the Russian was fun, I think we're going to try to have him over again sometime when his friend can come too. He was very appreciative of a home-cooked meal because he never cooks for himself. He says he's too busy saving the world to cook. He started a global organization to save the world from global catastrope through science. He's quite passionate about it actually. Interesting...

Tae Kwon Do and dinner with Russians.

As my title would suggest, I have decided that I will take that Tae Kwon Do class I was talking about a little while ago. I have registered for it and the first class is on Monday. I am taking it with two girls at work. I think it will be a good opportunity for me to do something I've always wanted to do (martial arts) and I will be able to make some friends as well. And it never hurts to know a little self defense, especially in this violent world.

Also, my family is having dinner with two Russian gentlemen tomorrow night. However, I have never met or spoken to either one of them. They are two of my mom's former students (she teaches at Trent University). I guess they really enjoyed her course and have been keeping in touch with her since it ended. So, she invited them over for dinner tomorrow. Apparently one of them is really into global issues like global warming, etc. and has started a student organization about it. It should be an interesting evening anyway. And, I think listening to guys with accents is always good. Especially if they are cute! I am looking forward to it! Break out the vodka!!! Oh, well, better not get too carried away because after all, my parents will be there too. And this other girl who is going on a mission trip to Russia in a few weeks. She wanted to learn a little about Russia from people who are from there. I hope it goes well! I am really looking forward to meeting them.

I just got back from a screamo/death metal concert!

Yes, that's right, I attended a screamo/death metal concert this evening. The main band playing was Forty Day Frenzy and the first opening band was Moments Fail and the second opening band was The Kidney Stones. It was realllllly good. But, of course I'm biased since I am related to one of the band members and two of the members of the second opening band. My brother, Thomas, is the bass player for Forty Day Frenzy and he also played bass for The Kidney Stones (their main bass player couldn't make it tonight). My other brother, Alex, is the lead singer/guitarist for The Kidney Stones. It was one of those concerts where you can't understand what they're screaming, but it was really well done. I was afraid that they may not get a good turnout (because the weather wasn't the greatest), but there were probably about a hundred people there. Not bad for their debut concert! I bought my ticket at least a month ago. I even bought a poster at he concert and the band members signed it. It may be worth big bucks someday!

Anyways, I had an awesome time. Who knew my brothers were so talented?!?! Why did they get all the music talent genes? Why didn't I get any of those?

Mortgage Talk...

I just got back from the bank. I wanted to meet with the mortgage specialist to see how much of a mortgage I would qualify for. It all started with me thinking about what I am going to do with Zeke (my car) when his lease is up in May. Since I would like to buy a house in about a year or so, I wanted to find out how much of a mortgage I would qualify for with 2 different scenarios: buying Zeke in may or getting a new car. Well, as I imagined, I qualify for a higher morgage if I buy Zeke and have him completely paid for when I buy a house. So, that makes my decision a whole lot easier. I will buy Zeke in May and have him completely paid off (I'm hoping it will only take me a year to pay him off), then I will buy a house. Exciting stuff! Of course it would be a lot easier if I were married and had two incomes to go towards a mortgage, but I think I should be able to get something quite nice on my own.

The plan is to buy a starter home that is either a duplex or can be made into one (because my Dad is a carpenter, he can do that for me). Then, I can rent out half my house, and have the rental income pay the mortgage! That's my plan anyways!

I got a raise, baby!

Woohoo! As of midnight tonight, my raise willbe official (that's when my paycheck is deposited into my account). I'm not sure how much it will be for, but I will find out tomorrow. I have a number in my head that I am hoping for, so I would be totally psyched if my raise pushes me to that level. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Two girls at work that are around my age (one is 22 and the other is 26) have asked me if I would be interested in taking a TaeKwonDo class with them. I am seriously considering it. I think it would be fun. I have always wanted to try a martial art and I think it would be even more fun if I had two people that I know in the class. And it would give me the opportunity to get to know them better. Since I don't really have many friends in town, it's about time I made some!

Today, it was on of my co-worker's birthday. One of the girls at work came in early and covered every square inch of his desk, computer, wall, shelf, etc. with post-it notes! It was funny! Then, he took most of them down and when he was out for lunch, she put them all back again. The only problem is that her birthday is next month, so I can't wait to see what kind of revenge he will get with her office.

Other than that, not too much new here. Just working hard, still loving my job. I can't believe I've been there for 8 months already. It's gone by so fast! I really enjoy it there. But, I could talk about how much I love my job all day. I'm sure that would just bore you though, so I won't.

I'm off to Newfoundland! Woohoo!

My mom is going to a conference for one week at the end of May in St. John's, Newfoundland. My dad and I are going to go with her since we will have a free hotel room (her employer is paying for that). All I have to pay for is my flight, meals, and sightseeing/souveniers. And, JetsGo has a seat sale on, so I was able to get my return trip flight for a total cost of $280. Not too shabby! I'm quite pleased! I thought it might be hard to get the time off, but my boss was in a super great mood today. I was able to get the time off with no problem. Sweet! I am totally excited now! I just booked my plane tickets, so it's official now. I'm off to St. John's at the end of May. I had no idea just how far it actually is; Halifax is only two thirds of the way there! I have been to the east coast before (New Brunswick), but that was 9 years ago. So, it's about time I go again! And, I've never been to Newfoundland.

As soon as we get there, mom has two days free (this is because the cheap flights were only on certain days). So, we are going to head up to Terra Nova National Park for the first 2 days. Then, it's back to St. John's because that's where my mom's conference is. So, for the next three days, mom will be off doing her conference stuff and Dad and I will be in some pub drinking or off on some boat doing some whale watching or whatever. I think I will have to try lobster as well. I've never had it. Anyways, I'm sure I will have a great time. I'm excited :)

In other news, I got my Oakleys back. They have new frames and look very nice. I wish I had sent them in earlier to be fixed. Whole new frames for $29 and I got them back less than a week after I sent them. I am impressed! Finally, a company that is competent! Yay!

Off to visit lj!

woohoo! I'm excited about going to lj's place for a visit. I think that the exaggerator and mm are coming too, so it should be awesome!

Hey, I have some good news. About a year ago, the frames for my Oakley sunglasses broke. After a year of the broken glasses sitting in my desk, I dug them out, dusted them off and phoned Oakley to see if they could repair them. Turns out I can get new frames for only $29! Score! I am going to send them off tomorrow and hopefully soon I will get them back - in one piece instead of two!

Other than that, nothing new to report at this time.

Still just hanging out.

I am on my holidays still. I had to work between Christmas and New Years, so I took a few vacation days now so that I would get a bit of a break. I go back to work on Thursday. I haven't really been doing too much. Just cleaning up, excercising etc.

My mom started The South Beach Diet and I decided to start as well. I figured I needed to try something else because I have been keeping track of my weight watchers points for about 6 months and haven't lost a ounce. So, it was time to try something new. I have only been on the South Beach Diet for 4 days and I have lost 2.5 pounds. Only 12.5 more to go! I am one of the most skeptical people in the world when it comes to diets, so I really did my research before I started this one. It is really healthy and it's working so far. It works in three phases. I am in Phase 1 right now and it is the hardest one, thank goodness it only lasts 2 weeks! You basically cut out all carbs and sugars for the first two weeks and then slowly introduce them back into your diet (but only the good, healthy carbs). The trick with the first phase is it gets rid of your hunger and cravings. It is amazing! I usually have a massive appetite, but I have been eating a lot less by just eating the right things. The whole basis for the SB Diet is to eat foods that have a low Glycemic Index, thereby keeping your blood sugar level low and reducing cravings. Anyways, that's enough about that. I will have to keep you posted on whether it works or not because, who knows, it may not work out. But, so far so good. And the best part is: you don't have to keep track of what you eat! That's one of the things I didn't like about Weight Watchers. Who has time for that? And the SB Diet is completey free, which is another big bonus!

As for my New Year's resolutions, I have been pretty good at keeping my resolutions the last few years, so I hope I will do alright keeping up with mine this year.

1) Lose 15 pounds (hence the South Beach Diet)
2) Keep up with exercising (I have been going to the gym on average 3-4 times a week, so I just need to keep that up).
3) Keep up with my daily devotions. (In 2004, I read the entire Bible, it was hard, but I did it! So, this year, to keep it a bit lighter, I borrowed a daily devotional book from my mom so I could get deeper into the Word and try to learn more. That is one part of my life I have kind of let slide in the last few years. I want to get back into it because at the end of the day, it's all that matters.)

Well, I'm off to get a haircut and high-lites. I hope it looks good! I'm sure it will, I totally trust my hairdresser.

Time for a Future Shop Rant!

Well, those of you who know me well, will know that I have this never-ending hatred for Future Shop. It started when I bought a computer there about 2 years ago and since then, I have received some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Future Shop really opened my eyes at how many incompetent people there are living and working among us. I can't tell you how many times my blood has boiled, I've cried uncontrollably, and wanted to cause serious damage or bodily harm to an employee, all because of Future Shop. I'm not going to get into the details (it would take me all night to type), but needless to say, my hatred for Future Shop is certainly warranted.

So, after 2 full years of screaming, crying, and plotting murdur, I decided that I would cancel my Future Shop credit card. I only got it to purchase my computer 2 years ago and haven't used it since. So, I went into the store today after work. I figured I would need to go to the customer service counter to cancel my account, but I saw the incredibly long line and decided I'd better make sure before I line up. So, I found a sales representative and asked if I could cancel my account at the customer service desk, to which he replied "yes". So, I got in line behind what seemed like an endless line of people. There was an extra long line because everyone was returning Christmas gifts. After what seemed like ages, it was my turn. I walked up there are said "I would like to cancel my Future Shop credit card". To which she replied "You can't do that in-store, you have to call the customer service phone number". I said "You mean I waited in line for nothing?!?!" Idiots! Incomptence I scream! If the sales representative that I asked told me that I couldn't do that over the phone, I never would have wasted all my time in line!

So, I called the phone number and told the customer service representative "I would like to cancel my account". And she asked why. Here was my opportunity! I said "Due to the incredibly poor customer service I have encountered in the last 2 years, I will not be making any more purchases at Future Shop, so there is no reason for me to have a credit card!" All she could say was "I'm sorry to hear that, if you ever want to reinstate your account, just phone us back, there is no need to re-apply". Ya right, as if I'm going to reinstate my account! If she only knew the crap I have put up with! There have been several occasions where I have considered writing a letter to the CEO of the company or picketing on the headquarters' lawn. But, I haven't had time to do that yet. But, I think it will only take one more incident and I will lose it. I seriously want my money back for my computer.

So, moral of the story is: DO NOT EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM FUTURE SHOP (that requires service)!!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope you all have a great Christmas! I'm glad we have a lot of snow, Christmas just isn't the same without it.

Mamma Mia was awesome! I highly recommend that show! My mom said it was the best show she had ever seen, and she has seen a lot of them (including Phantom of the Opera in London, England). So, you should go if you can! You won't be disappointed!

I had a staff potluck/party yesterday afternoon and afterwards bunch of the "younger crowd" was going out to a local bar. So, I came home, had supper, watched a movie, and then headed downtown for a night on the town with a bunch of my co-workers. It was so much fun! I had an absolute blast. I'm really glad I went because I got to hang out with a bunch of people from work that are in my age range. One of the girls that is technically in my department, but she works in the main office, was totally coming onto my boss. There were 5 of us that ended up at this one guy's house (because we got kicked out of a bar and nowhere else would let us in), and when I left to go home, it was just my boss and this girl left (the host had gone to bed). My boss was staying over since he lives about an hour and a half away. So, I am really curious to find out whether this girl stayed over with my boss or went home. I will have to ask my boss at work on Tuesday. Interesting stuff.

Mamma Mia!

Tomorrow I am going to see Mamma Mia with who else? My mamma. Fitting, I think. I was able to score 40% off tickets, so I thought it would be a nice Christmas present for my mom. She loves Abba and I have heard nothing but the best from people who have seen it. We have awesome seats: first row of the first balcony. Should be awesome!

Well, I just got back from Christmas shopping. It wasn't as crazy busy as I had anticipated. I am all done my shopping now. I have even wrapped all the presents as well. It feels good to be all done....and a week before Christmas. Pat on the back for that one.

Tonight my brothers homeschooling group (yes, my brothers were home schooled, I was not) is putting on a production of Macbeth. They have been studying it since September and it's finally time to see what they have learned. That should be good. I am looking forward to it.

Only 3.5 days of work left before Christmas! My last day before Christmas is Thursday, and we're having a potluck lunch and gift exchange all afternoon. So, I will get paid to eat and drink and get a present. Sweet!

What a weekend!

My weekend was very busy as I'm sure a lot of your's were too. That's just the time of year that it is...busy. I went to see the SpongeBob movie on Saturday. It was pretty good! I was impressed. I wasn't laughing by butt off, but it did make me giggle a bit. And I've been singing one of the songs non-stop since Saturday.

The work Christmas party on Saturday was pretty good. I got a ride by a girl at work and since it was snowing, I waited at the bottom of my driveway so she wouldn't have to try to come up my driveway (an almost impossible task without 4-wheel drive). Anyways, while I was waiting at the street, I was holding my tray of food for the potluck and my bottle of booze and about 3 or 4 people hinked at me on their way by! I'm not sure if it was because they knew me, thought I was stupid for standing by the road because I could have gotten hit by sliding cars, wanted my food and/or booze, or if they thought I was hot. I'll go with the last one :)

At the party, I did drink quite a bit, but all turned out well. First I drank a bottle of wine, but I wasn't feeling a thing. Then somebody broke out the shots and it just went downhill from there. A bunch of people left the party and that's when it started to get really fun. Just the serious party animals left. Lots of funny stories and LOTS of drinking. My boss was completely hammered and totally doing funny things, so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal if I kept drinking since he was more drunk than I was. And I made sure it stayed that way. As long as I was less drunk than him, I figured all would be okay. At about midnight, someone suggested going into town and heading up a local bar (we were about a half hour outside of town). That suited me just fine since my ride home had already left the party and the bar we were going to was just a few blocks from my house. So, I decided to go along too. It was my boss (I'll call him T), his "friend" (they are apparently not dating, but still hang out and whatnot, I'm thinking she's a friend with benefits type of deal), and another guy at work (I'll call him J) and his girlfriend. At first I thought it might be awkward with 2 pairs and me, but it was a lot of fun. As soon as we got there, T asked me what I wanted to drink and I said he didn't have to buy me anything. He insisted so I ordered a drink and between him and J that I work with, they kept the drinks coming! I think I had 5 drinks in about an hour and a half! That's on top of the bottle of wine and shots and 2 other drinks I had at the party earlier. So, I was drunk. But, the good news is I didn't make a fool of myself (not any more than anyone else anyways). I did say some funny and crazy things, but so did everyone else, so it's all good.

J was trying to set me up with every guy in the bar. There was slim pickings! He said that he could be my wingman. I said I didn't need a wingman, I do just fine with the men by myself! We did some dancing and just had an awesome time. T's "friend", who was a DD, offered to drive me home so I wouldn't have to walk. We were behind a cop car and I said "woohoo! Guys in uniform! Got your handcuffs, Mr. Policeman?" T thought that was pretty funny. I have a feeling he doesn't think I'm the "shy girl" anymore. That's okay. So, in conclusion, to "sum up", I did get drunk, but I did not make a fool of myself. I always kept in the back of my mind that I would be seeing these people again and I didn't want work to be awkward. So, at least I kept my judgement.

Yesterday, I went to Costco and I am almost finished my Christmas shopping! Yay! I just have a few more little things to get and I'll be all done.

Time to party!

Yes, that's right, it's time to party. Tomorrow evening, I am going to the Christmas party for my department. It should be a good time; I really love the people I work with, so that makes it way better. I really hope I don't get totally smashed and make a fool of myself in front of my collegues. Been there, done that! I remember 2 years ago, when I had a co-op placement in the fall, we had a Christmas party and I got totally hammered and came onto any guy that showed even the slightest bit of interest (and probably some that didn't show any at all). It was one of those nights where I woke up the next morning still at the party wondering where on earth I was and still feeling drunk. So, I'm sure everyone thought I was a crazy drunken nutcase. But the good news was that my co-op term was over and I never saw most of them ever again. So, it was okay. For tomorrow's party, I better not do that because I know I have to see these people again and this is a job I intend to keep for awhile. So, I have to have a happy medium. I definately want to drink (I am hitching a ride with someone else, so I don't have to drive). I want to have a nice buz going so I can relax and make conversation without feeling all awkward, but I don't want to do or say anything that I will regret on Monday. It's a very fine line. Hmm, "when in doubt, drink more" may not work here. But, at least all the guys there will either be people I work with or spouses of people I work with so at least there won't be anybody there for me to flirt with. Let's hope I don't flirt with anyone there. Hence, the "don't drink too much" will hopefully stay in my mind. But, after a few drinks, that seems to go out the window, so what's the point.

Also tomorrow I am going to see the SpongeBob SquarePants movie with my 6-year old cousin! Yay! I am soooo excited! WOOHOO!

Another Monday

I had an okay weekend. I was feeling better on Saturday, so I decided to brave the crowds and head into the stores to do some shopping. I ended up buying mostly items for myself! But, it was warrented because my Oma said she would buy me winter boots for my birthday (since I don't have any) and so I went in search of boots as well as some gifts for others. I ended up scoring on an awesome deal at The Next Step. It was buy one pair of shoes, get a second for half price. So, I got a pair of shoes for work and a pair on winter boots! I also bought myself a pair of pants at Ricki's since they sent me a $10 gift certificate for my birthday. How nice of them. I did but some presents for other people as well, but I wasn't able to find a few of the things I was looking for. Oh well, there's still some time, no need to go into panic mode yet.

I have a feeling that maybe I pushed it too much with the shopping marathon on Saturday because when I woke up yesterday, my sore throat was back. It was not as intense as before, but I spent the day in bed. I couldn't go to church which really sucks because my friend Leigh was being baptized...in a lake! In december! Is he crazy? Yes! When I was baptized, it was May and I still was baptized in the baptizmal tank like a normal human being.

In other news, I found out that I won't be getting the time between Christmas and New Year's off. Boohoo. I guess since our clients are municipalities and they will be open, we need to have some people in our group at work in case something comes up and our clients need to get ahold of us. Which makes sense. I was just hoping that I could be one of the ones that doesn't have to be at work. But, no dice. I half expected that I would need to work then because pretty much everyone wanted the time off and I am one of the new kids on the block, so I didn't get my vacation preference. But, on a good note, I will be taking January 3rd to 5th off instead. So, I have to work until the 23rd, then I get the 24th to the 27th off, I have to work from the 28th to the 30th, and then I have from the 31st until January 5th off, inclusive. So, it's not so bad. At least those three days I have to work between Christmas and New Year's will be pretty quiet and I *should* be able to get a lot of work done.

Wow, I'm not the only one!

I just read the exaggerator's and lj's blogs, and it seems that I am not the only one who has been sick in the last couple of days. On monday, I woke up with a killer sore throat. I still went to work, but was only about half as productive as I normally am. I called in sick yesterday and today in hopes that I could fight it off quickly. I think I am on the mend and will be able to make it to work tomorrow. At least I better because I feel really badly calling in sick, especially since my boss just gave us a pep-talk on friday about how we need to have a killer december in order to meet our targets for the year. Oh well, I can't help it when I'm sick. And this was my first time missing work for sickness since I started 6.5 months ago.

Nothing too much happening here since I've pretty much spent the last 2 days in bed. At least I am well-rested!

And, now that it is december, it is officially the Christmas season!!! Up until December 1st, I find it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. Probably because my birthday is at the end of november. And a lot of people seem to celebrate Christmas for a few months! I find it hard to keep up the excitment if the celebration is that long. I mean, I have nothing against Christmas. I love the holiday in fact. I love the celebration of the birth of our Saviour. I just think it loses some of the specialness if it is celebrated for more than a month. But, that's just me. I also think a lot of the true meaning of Christmas gets lost in all the hustle and bustle. I bet a lot of people are so caught up in the "commercializing" of the season, and the true meaning of the holiday slips away. Which is really sad to me. So please, if you're reading this, take a moment to remember why we celebrate Christmas and what it truly means. It's not about the presents, Santa, or the family gatherings (although that stuff is a nice bonus!). It's the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus who came to save the world from punishment for sin. So, think about that. Thanks! Just by doing that, you've made Christmas a little better. Okay, enough of my Christian rant ;)