What was once lost…

Has now been found! CT found my long-lost boots that I have been missing since the move! Yay! I was so happy to see them! Turns out they were where I thought they were; I guess I just didn’t dig in the pile deep enough the 4 times I looked in that closet ;)

So of course I had to wear my boots on Friday night my company Christmas party. It was a good time! Dinner was excellent and all the wine I could drink. I have never eaten dinner at 10:30pm though… it was midnight before we even left the restaurant. We then went to a martini lounge next door and I had a few more free drinks. I definitely got a little drunk, but I didn’t make a fool of myself, so it’s all good. I got to bed around 3am and then had to be up at 9am to go to the spa with mom. It was very nice… I almost fell asleep during my pedicure though! After that, mom and I went out for sushi and then went to shoppers. Mom got a flyer in the mail saying that she would get $200 of free stuff for using 75,000 points. She was short 10,000, so she offered me half of her total free stuff for giving her 10,000 points. So, of course I did that and then we each got $100 of free stuff! It was awesome! Then we went to her place and started the scrapbook for Oma for Christmas. We only got 2 pages done since it was 4:30 before we got there, but we’re going to work on it again on Saturday, so we will hopefully get 8 or 10 pages done that day. We want to do approximately 20 or so for the scrapbook. It’s a lot of fun! I would like to do a couple of scrapbooks for myself sometime when I have some free time, which is definitely not now!

The get-together between my parents and CT’s parents yesterday went amazingly well! They got along sooo well. My mom had met CT’s parents before, but not my dad. My dad and CT’s dad are like twins, in looks and personality, so they hit it off right away. Very cool.

And I have some news! I did some research on treadmills on Thursday and Friday last week, and I found an awesome one on sale for half price! Regularly $1800 on for $900. Here are some details on it. So, I called the store to see how long the sale was on for, and it was only on sale until Friday night. So, I went in after work, and it was exactly what I wanted, so I got it. I would never be able to find one with all those features for that price. It had everything I was looking for. I wanted: at least 2.0 horsepower continuous-duty motor, power incline, low impact deck, good warranty, steel frame, good sized belt. And this one has all of that and more! It even has a built-in TV! That wasn’t the selling feature for me, but it is a cool bonus! It was still way cheaper than anything else comparable in terms of the features, even if you don’t consider the tv. So, CT and I put it together on Saturday night. I was away most of yesterday, so I haven’t had really used it yet (just tested it to make sure it worked), but I am going to use it tonight! My goal is to use it for an hour approximately 4 or 5 times per week. I put it on my credit card, which means I don’t have to pay it off until mid January, so I think I should have the money by then. I’m getting a Christmas bonus this week from work, so that should pay for a good chunk. And I think I will ask for money from my family for Christmas, so between all that, it should be at least half paid for.

So tomorrow evening, I have the meeting with the photographer. I hope this one pans out since there aren’t too many available photographers on my date! I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

A nudge from nej

I know I haven’t been posting too much, it’s December, what can I say. Things are so crazy busy!

I have my work Christmas party tonight, so I am really looking forward to that. I have saved some flex points for the occasion since I probably won’t be able to say no to dessert tonight!

This week has gone by really quickly at work, which is a good thing! Only 2 more weeks of work before Christmas. I still don’t know how much time I’m getting off at Christmas, but I really should get on that since it’s coming soon. I have 3 vacation days left, so I want to use those for Dec 27, 28, and 29, so that my last day of work would be Dec 22 and then I wouldn’t come back until Jan 2! That would be awesome!

I have been thinking about getting a treadmill. That would be awesome to have one at home because then I could use it almost every day. There are some on sale at Sears right now, but a good one that I can use for running would probably be approximately $1,000. I'll have to give it some thought. I wouldn’t be able to get one until January anyways since I am broke this month. That may be what I need to get my weight loss kick-started though. If I could walk/run for an hour a day, what a difference that should make. And I could do it while I watch tv! I know they have treadmills at the gym, but getting to the gym seems to be rather difficult for me. Unless I am meeting my mom there; then I actually go. Carlos did mention to me that his parents have a treadmill they rarely/never use, so maybe they’d be willing to sell it to us.

Other than that, not too much else new here. Oh, except I got another email from my ex. Strange. 5 years after we break up he all of a sudden wants to be friends with me or something. I’m not sure if his marriage is on the rocks and he’s missing me, or he’s just remembering old times, or what. It is a little strange though. I am not bitter anymore; I am WAY better off now. I just found the timing funny with everything that has been happening in my life (upcoming marriage, great job, new house), NOW he emails me.

Weekend was great!

I enjoyed my long weekend even though it was jam-packed. On Friday, I went to the gym with my mom and then she came over to watch Grey’s Anatomy (which I tape and watch on Fridays). Saturday, was CT’s company Christmas party. It was good, although very disorganized. The invitation said that there was a cocktail hour from 4:30 until 5:30, and then dinner would be served between 5:30 and 6. So, we arrived at 5:15 thinking that would get us there fashionably late, but we were the 2nd couple there! I guess they had changed the start time and not told anyone in CT’s group at work. People didn’t arrive until 6:30 or so, and the dinner didn’t start until 7:30. And they had to have the place cleared out by 9 (it was at a nightclub), so the dinner was very rushed by the time it finally started. But, despite all that, we still managed to have a good time. We stayed until around midnight or so and then walked home.

On Sunday, we went to CT’s parents house for lunch. CT’s mom bought me an 11-piece cookware set for my birthday. It’s really nice! Can’t wait to use it ;) Then, late afternoon, we went to my parent’s house because I had to give my mom high-lights and then was my birthday dinner with my family. I had requested spaghetti with homemade noodles (my mom has a pasta maker), and I guess the motor on it went because what was supposed to be an easy meal ended up being 2 hours of my mom standing over the pasta maker getting very frustrated trying to figure out why it wasn’t working. My dad ended up getting really mad (because we were all starving at this point) and he threw the pasta maker in the garbage and we had the pasta out of the bag after all. Had I known it was going to be such a hassle, I never would have asked for that; usually it is quite easy :S From my family, I got a trip to the spa with my mom (we are going on Saturday). From Oma, I got a bag of radishes. No joke. Actually, she had given me some money last week towards the deposit for my reception venue and told me that was my birthday present. It was just funny since the people at the table didn’t know that, so when she only gave me a bag of radishes, it was strange.

Yesterday, CT and I had the day off and headed to Toronto for some shopping and then went to see The Who. We shopped for hours and intended to do our Christmas shopping, and both ended up just buying things for ourselves. After a whole day of shopping, all I bought was an $18 pair of jeans. I was proud of myself. I almost bought a new pair of boots at Transit, but they were a little small on me and they didn’t have the next size up. I will try the Transit in town here because I really liked them! So, I didn’t get my Christmas shopping done, but I do have it planned in my mind now what I’m going to get everyone. So that’s half the battle.

The concert last night was really good. Amazing, in fact. Every song they did was awesome, but I especially liked Baba O’Reiley and Don’t Get Fooled Again. Man, even though Roger and Pete are old, they can still rock the house! They played for over 2 hours and it was great.

This week will be filled with work, some trips to the gym, and my company Christmas party on Friday. Next weekend is already full since I’m going to the spa with my mom on Saturday morning, then we are spending the afternoon scrapbooking (we are making another scrapbook for Oma for Christmas), and then on Sunday, is the big meeting between my parents and CT’s parents. My mom has met his parents already, but my dad has not. I’m sure they’ll all get along fine. I am looking forward to it actually.

To answer nej's question...

So nej asked what I got for my birthday… So, here it goes:

- from lj: really neat cookbook! It will definitely come in handy and I’m sure CT will appreciate it too.
- from nej: calendar, shotglass, and necklace direct from Paris! Yay!
- from CT: really nice pair of earrings (princess cut to match my ring)
- from Oma: money towards wedding expenses
- from aunt, uncle, and cousins: candle that has a leopard on it, perfect for my jungle-themed bedroom
- from my family: I am having my birthday dinner there on Sunday, so I don’t know yet. I am pretty sure their present to me is to pay for mom and me to go to the spa again (we are going on Dec 9th)

So I totally cleaned up!

Oh, and since tomorrow is December 1st, I am going to put up the little Christmas tree I have in my office and cover it with Toronto Maple Leafs ornaments!

Looking forward to this weekend (it seems I live for the weekends lately). On Saturday, we are going to visit CT’s parents and then in the evening, it’s CT’s company Christmas party. On Sunday, I am doing some high-lights in my mom’s hair and then it’s my birthday dinner with my family. Then on Monday (I have the day off work), CT and I are going to Toronto for the day to *hopefully* start and finish our Christmas shopping and then we are going to The Who concert at the ACC Monday evening. Should be a fun-filled weekend!

Oh, we also booked a dj, so now we have: the ceremony site, officiant, reception site, photographer (still to be finalized, meeting with him on Dec 12th), and dj. I think that’s pretty good.. those are the main things. I think the rest can wait until the new year. Then we can worry about cake, flowers, music, transportation, etc, etc, etc.

I am now a member of the club!

The 26-er club that is. It doesn’t really feel much different than being 25, only that I am now officially closer to 30 than 20 ;)

I have my birthday celebrations really spread out this year. I had the night out dancing with lj, her man, nej, and CT on Saturday in celebration of both lj and me getting older. Today, I am going out for lunch with a friend. Then tonight, CT is leaving work early to come home and make me dinner. And rumour has it he also has a gift for me. I told him he didn’t need to get me anything since the best gift is already on my finger ;) But, he hinted at the fact he got me something anyways. Can’t wait to find out what it is! On Sunday, I am having my birthday dinner with my family. That’s the earliest we could have it since my dad and brothers work out of town and are only home on weekends and Saturday is CT’s company Christmas party. So, with all that, I have a week of birthday celebrations for me!!! YAY!!!

I have been an organizing machine!

I have been having a pretty good week. I have been in a “cleaning up” mood, which doesn’t happen very often, so when it does, I take advantage of it! Ever since I moved in (in MAY), I have been meaning to make some sort of filing system for bills and receipts. Well, 6 months later, still no system, so I was drowning in paper and always losing things. So, on Monday and Tuesday evenings, I created a system and filed 6 months worth of bills and receipts. I also updated my financial software, which I was 2 months behind on. So, I’m all caught up now! It felt so good to finally get that done!

Tonight I’m going to tidy up a bit around the house since I’m having nej and lj this weekend. Yay! And when my house is all nice and clean, I will take some pics and post them on here, as you requested Mrs. JB.

As for the wedding plans, I have a lead on a photographer who is available on my date and who is within my price range. He is from out of town, but does work all over southern Ontario. So, I meet with him on December 12th. If I like him and his previous work is as good as his website makes it look, I will book him. I will be so relieved to have that done since most photographers I have contacted are not available. So, fingers crossed.

And CT is looking into DJs, so hopefully before too long, we will have a DJ booked as well. And then I think that’s all the major stuff. The rest is just details ;)

Another Monday

My weekend was pretty good. On Friday, I totally vegged and watched tv and went to bed early. It was nice to be able to do that. On Saturday, I went to bottle wine and did some other errands and then just hung out for the evening. On Sunday, CT and I went to church and then my mom and I went to the bridal show in town.

The bridal show was poorly-organized in my opinion. It was from 12-4, but we got there at approximately 1:30pm. There were several exhibitors set-up in a large L-shaped room with a fashion show set-up in the middle. So, when we got there, there were already people sitting down for the fashion show, so we figured it started soon. So, we looked at the exhibitors on the one side of the “L” and then sat down for the fashion show, which we figured started at 2pm (we were never told what time it started when we entered). So, we waited, and waited. Finally, the fashion show started at about 2:45pm. Before it started, they announced that the exhibitors would be available after the fashion show as well. The fashion show was almost an hour and then there were draw prizes afterwards. For the draw prizes, what I didn’t understand was why they put someone’s name back in the box once they had won a prize. So 2 girls won 2 prizes, which I didn’t think was fair. Needless to say, I didn’t win a thing. Oh well. By the time that was over, it was 4:00, so we hurried to the other side of the room that we hadn’t been to, and the exhibitors were already all packed up! I was quite disappointed. But apparently there is another show in February, so I will know then to go right when it starts and visit all the booths before the fashion show. I guess I sound like a complainer. I still had a good time and got some neat ideas for a bunch of details, including invitations. We want to make our own and one of the craft places in town has a make your own wedding invitations workshop once a month, so mom and I are going to go in January or February.

By the time I got home, CT had put the wine rack together that we bought at Ikea last weekend, so now I have all the room I will ever need for wine. Yay! He also had bought me flowers while I was at the bridal show with my mom, what a sweetie. So the weekend went by quickly, but I enjoyed it. Now my project for this week is to get the house cleaned up for my guests on the weekend! Nej and lj are coming to visit and I can’t wait!

Wedding talk!

I have a few more things to cross off my wedding to-do list: I have booked the ceremony site and officiant. I wanted to get married in my home church since I have been going there off and on almost my entire life and both my grandmother and mother were married in that church. I was a little nervous asking the pastor to officiate since he’s relatively new there and I wasn’t sure if he would have all sorts of conditions (i.e. pre-marriage counseling, requiring CT and I not live together for awhile first, etc.). But, he didn’t say anything like that. I’m not sure he knows CT and I are living together, and if he asks I will be honest, but he hasn’t asked.

So, next on the list is finding a photographer. Many of them are already booked for my date, which surprised me; it’s almost 10 months away! But, there are a few that are available, so I will have to arrange to meet with them to discuss pricing and to see their previous work. Some photographers are upwards of $3,000 for the day! That’s nuts! I guess I didn’t realize how expensive professional photographers are. I guess they put in a lot of time after the wedding day editing the photos and such. Still, I am hoping to find a good one for about half that price.

There is a “bridal spectacular” here in town on Sunday, so I will have to check that out. Maybe I will get some leads on a good and not outrageously expensive photographer there.

Since CT and I are paying for most of the wedding ourselves, I have to try to get creative on ways to save money. We’ll be making our own invitations, favors, and centerpieces, so that should help. And I already have my dress from when I was engaged before, so that’s a big expense that is already long paid for. My parents are going to help out with paying for the wedding as much as they can, but realistically, I will be paying for at least half of it. And CT will pay for the honeymoon. It’s going to be an expensive endeavour, but I figure since we already have a house, that makes a big difference because it’s not like we are trying to save for a down payment and pay for a wedding at the same time. On that note however, there is going to be an opportunity for me to buy some shares in my company by the end of the year, so I guess I need to somehow scrape some money together for that. I don’t want to let that opportunity pass me by.

Tonight I am having dinner with my ex’s parents. I still see them every few months (usually co-incides with when his mom needs her hair coloured). Here’s my situation. I have been friends with my ex’s parents for years. My ex and I broke up 5 years ago and since then, I never see him anymore (he lives in Utah), but I see his parents every few months. They are also good friends with my parents. Should I invite them to the wedding? I want to, seeing as they are family friends, but is that weird? I wouldn’t introduce them to people as “my ex-fiance’s parents” but as friends of the family. People’s opinions on this would be appreciated because I am on the fence. I would like to invite them, and I’m sure they would be hurt if I didn’t, since it’s not their fault their son is a jerkface.

Date set!

First things first, CT and I have set a date for our wedding: September 8, 2007. Yay!

I went to look at that reception location on Friday, and it is absolutely perfect. Think Canadian Shield rocks and water setting (I included a link to their website in my previous post). The lodge is gorgeous. The style is elegant and it’s not “country” at all, which is perfect. It totally suits my style. The space for the reception is already gorgeous, so I wouldn’t need to decorate all that much. I love it.

Here are some details. I would have the entire lodge for my reception, so no strangers would be allowed to be in the restaurant. There is also a covered porch on 3 sides that we would have as well. And the grounds are gorgeous, perfect for pictures. And there are 9 hotel rooms in the lodge and 8 motel units so if out of town guests did want to stay over the night of the reception, they could. CT and I would get the honeymoon suite (it’s included in the package) for our wedding night.

There is a full-time wedding planner on staff there, so she will help me with all the details. The chef works within your budget to create a meal for the dinner and apparently he is very good (I have heard from other sources). As soon as I saw the facility, I knew it was perfect for my wedding. I was so glad it was available!

On Saturday, CT and I got our engagement photos taken. We will get them back in a couple of weeks. And yes, Mrs. JB, of course you will get one! On Saturday evening, we went to CT’s parent’s house for dinner, which was nice. They live about 45 minutes away, so we only see them a couple of times a month.

Yesterday, we went to church and then headed to Ikea. I wanted to get a wine rack since I will need some space to store wine (we are going to bottle a batch on the weekend). Also, we are considering making some wine for the wedding (even with the corking fee, we would save approximately $5 per bottle), so I wanted some space to store that as well.

Oh, I also completed the survey. Here it is:

1. What is your occupation? Environmental Consulting Project Specialist

2. What color are your socks right now? Light blue

3. What are you listening to right now? Radio

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Homemade bread from my soon-to-be mother-in-law

5. Can you drive a manual transmission? Yes, but haven’t in a very long time. I’m sure I’m a little rusty ;)

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Navy blue

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My mom

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? You betcha!

9. How old are you today? 25

10. Favorite drink? Diet Coke

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Hockey

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, many times

13. Favorite curse word? Dang

14. Pets? Yes, 2 cats

15. Favorite food? Homemade Caesar salad

16. What was the last movie you watched? The Incredibles. Was it ever good!

17. Favorite day of the year? Christmas

18. What do you do to vent anger? Vent/complain to other people

19. What was your favorite toy as a child? Hmmmm. I loved my cabbage patch baby named Audrey.

20. What is your favorite Fall or Spring? Spring.. a sign that summer is on it’s way!

21. Hugs or kisses? Hugs are good!

22. Cherry or Blueberry? I’m gonna have to go ahead and agree with lj and say rasberry!

23. Do you want your friends to email you back? Post on your blogs!

24. Who is most likely to respond? Nej since she hasn’t done this yet

25. Who is least likely to respond? Nej since she’s on another continent

26. Living arrangements? Me, my fiance, and our 2 cats

27. When was the last time you cried? Right after CT proposed

28. What is on the floor of your closet? Hmmm. Shoes, I think.

29. Who is the friend you have had the longest relationship with that you are sending this to? Hmmm, I have been friends with nej the longest of the girls in this blogging group.

30. What did you do last night? Watched The Incredibles with CT.

31. Favorite smells? I love the smell of Lilac

32. What inspires you? My mom. Over the last couple of years, she has been working full-time, teaching in the evenings, and completing her MBA. She is finished her MBA in 13 days, and I am so proud of her!

33. What are you afraid of? Losing those I love. My Dad’s brain tumour is growing back, so we are all scared of what may happen. He is going for radiation treatment early next year, and we are all hoping and praying that the radiation stops the growth of the tumour.

34. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheese!!

35. Country you would most like to visit? If I had to pick just one, I would say Italy. But, I also want to go to Spain and Greece.

36. Favorite dog breed? Golden Retrievers. I also like Border Collies and Malamutes.

37. Number of keys on your key ring? 7

38. How many years at your current job? 2.5. Wow, has it been that long?!?!?

39. Favorite day of the week? Saturday for sure!

40. How many provinces have you lived in? Only 1

41. Favorite holidays? Christmas!

42. Have you ever driven a Motorcycle or machinery? No

43. Favorite quality in yourself? I like the fact that I am organized. That will come in handy with planning my wedding!

Busy weekend ahead!

I’m going tonight to check out a reception location. We have 3 possibilities. I have been to the other two and I am checking out the third tonight. This is where I am going tonight. (As a side note, the movie "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" was filmed at this place.) It sounds like a very nice place and I like the fact that they have an on-site co-ordinator that is present the day of the wedding as well. That takes a lot of the stress out of it, I think. So, I’m going to look at it and if I like it, I will likely take it as it is my first choice of the 3. So, who knows, by tonight I may have a wedding date! It will likely be either September 8, 2007 or September 15, 2007. Once I have a reception location, then I have to book my church for that day for the ceremony and then the rest is just details. Exciting stuff!

Tomorrow, we are having our engagement photos taken, so I am excited about that. We are going to Sears Portrait Studio because I found a coupon online where it’s $8 a sheet. And we can pick a different pose for every sheet if we want. Not too shabby. Then tomorrow evening, we are going to CT’s parents house since we haven’t seen them since before the trip. We called them to tell them the good news, but they haven’t actually seen us since the engagement.

Then on Sunday, I am hoping to take a trip to Ikea if possible since I need to get a wine rack because I am going to bottle some wine soon and I need the space to put the bottles!

So, very busy weekend ahead. I have a feeling that will be my life for the next little while. Wedding planning and Christmas will make for a busy few months!

Gigantic News!!!!!!!!!!!

CT is no longer my boyfriend….. he is now my fiancé!!!!! He proposed last Saturday, November 4th and of course, I said yes!

We had gone ring shopping together almost 3 months ago, but I had no idea if and when he would actually purchase the ring. Well, I guess he got it the day before we left for our trip, and he was considering taking it on the trip, but he was not sure about taking the ring through security without me finding out. So, he decided to wait and propose after our trip.

Saturday was our 9-month anniversary (and also my parent’s 28-year wedding anniversary, so a special day for all). CT wanted to go to the same place we went on our first date, a local pub. So, we went there, had some food, split a pitcher, and watched the leafs game. CT then wanted to go for a walk (to propose), but I said “it’s too cold to go for a walk, let’s just go home”. So, he had to change his plan. We went home, and I decided to light some candles since it was our anniversary. So, in the candlelight, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was very romantic.

So, he had the ring with him all evening and I found out afterwards that he was paranoid that I was going to see the bulge in his coat pocket or feel it when I leaned against him, but I didn’t see or feel a thing. I had no clue. I knew he was acting kinda fidgety all evening, but I didn’t really think much of it.

So there you have it. The ring is absolutely gorgeous. It's the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen in my life; I look at it at least a hundred times a day! I tried to take a picture of it, but it came out fuzzy. But, I found a pic on the internet that is quite close to what it looks like. Here it is:









So, be prepared for lots of wedding talk over the next several months!

As promised...

This one is of the outside of the airport... Isn't it cute?


Hotel Lobby


This is the building we stayed in. Love the open air concept!


Beach at dusk!


Beautiful water.


Looking down the beach in one direction.


Looking down the beach in the other direction.


Me just relaxin.


CT relaxin after breakfast on the beach.


One of the pools with a swim-up bar.

Back to the grind.

So, I’m back at work right now and I really would rather still be on the beautiful beach! Man, is it every cold today. I guess it’s time to try to find my winter jacket!

The trip was just what I needed. October has been a crazy month at work, so taking a week off to go to relax was perfect timing. We arrived last Saturday and were greeted by the warm Dominican sun. We arrived at the resort around 4:30 pm or so and checked in. Our room was really nice with an even nicer bathroom. We got changed and headed to the beach to check it out. Gorgeous! Just like I remembered it. White sand beaches as far as the eye can see and turquoise water. I will post some pictures when I get a chance.

We spent the week lounging by the pools and at the beach. The food was quite good, I ate way too much though! The resort was a little different than last time. The building where the disco used to be is now a cocktail lounge and there is a brand new disco and huge ampitheatre near the lobby. Other than that, the resort was very similar to last time.

One day was really windy and we were in the ocean. A huge wave came along and took the sunglasses right off of my head! I was upset. We looked for about a half hour and could not find them. Luckily, the sunglasses were a $15 pair I had bought at the Bay right before the trip. So, it wasn’t big loss. I bought a new pair in the gift shop. Actually, CT had to buy a new pair too since his broke. So, I guess I know for next time to bring 2 pairs of sunglasses.

The weather was amazing. It only rained a couple of times and the rain only lasted for 15 or 20 minutes, and then it was bright sunshine again. So, no complaints about the weather; it was fabulous!

Our plane got in around 9:30pm on Saturday, so we were home just after midnight. All in all, we had a fabulous time and I can’t wait to go on vacation again. Although I think it will be awhile since I am now broke ;)

On a completely un-related note, when I checked my email when I got home, I had received an email from my ex-fiance. I haven’t talked to him in at least 3 years. I thought the timing of it was strange since we were just talking about hearing from ex’s on Mrs. JB’s blog. The reason for my ex’s email was to let me know that he had put me down as a reference for some “top secret security clearance with the US government” he applied for. He needed someone to verify some of his info from before me moved to the states, so pre-2002. That would be me since I was in his life from 1997 to 2002. He also asked how life was going and that sort of thing. I was totally caught off guard since I haven’t talked to him in so long. I found it strange.

Okay, enough procrastinating, I should get some work done. Happy Monday everyone!

I'm baaaack!

I'm back from the trip, and it was amazing. An entire week of total and utter relaxation. The weather was gorgeous and warm, around 30 degrees each day (almost 40 with the humidity). But, we just lounged by the pools and gorgeous beach, so we just went in the water when it got really hot.

I had a fabulous time! It was an awesome week!!! I'm a little tired today since it was a long day of travelling yesterday, so I will post more about the trip tomorrow.

Here we go!

Well, tomorrow morning, CT and I finally leave for our trip! I think I have everything together, so it should take me less than an hour to pack. I made a list of all the stuff I need to bring, so now I just have to check things off as I put them in the suitcase. Yay!

So, today I have the day off. First, I am going to order some new tires for Zeke since he really needs them! Current tires are pretty near bald. Next, I am going to get a massage. Then, I am meeting my mom and we are going to get another batch of wine started at the wine making store. Then, we are going out for lunch. After that, it's an afternoon at the spa for the two of us. Then, come home, finish packing, watch some tv to make the time pass, go to sleep, and then get up and leave!!

This morning, I woke up at 5:30am and could not get back to sleep because I was so excited about the trip!

So, you won't hear from me again until next weekend. Have a splendid week everyone!

Cheers to clean clothes!

I just received a company credit card today, which is pretty darn sweet! Time to go shopping ;) Just kidding. But it is great that now I won’t ever have to put anything work-related on my personal credit card again. Yay!

I also have some other good news. I am getting a free washer and dryer! One of my former co-workers is re-doing her laundry room and got a new washer and dryer and was going to just throw out her old ones. They still work, but are 12 years old. So she offered them to me. Score! I realize they may only last me a year or two, but maybe by then I will be able to afford new ones of my own. I am really looking forward to being able to do laundry at my house. Sure beats going to the Laundromat! So, I am borrowing my parent’s van on Thursday (since they have a trailer hitch) to go and pick up my washer and dryer on Thursday evening.

Woohoo! Only 5 days now!

Last week, Friday went a heck of a lot better than Thursday, so I was happy about that. It ended up not being as huge a deal as I thought it would be not getting that last well in. I was done by noon on Friday and then had the 3 hour drive back, so I was back at my place at 3pm. Which was really nice. I relaxed for the afternoon and got a chance to un-wind before the trip to visit lj for Oktoberfest on Saturday.

Oktoberfest was fun! Although we all thought about nej and that we wished she were there. But it sounds like she’s having a good time out east!

CT and I got back home yesterday around 4:30pm and it was my bro’s bday, so he came over so I could give him his present. It was funny, when he was leaving, I said “I likely won’t see you before the trip, so the next time you see me I may be all tanned”. He said” What? I didn’t even know you were going on a trip! Man, am I out of the loop!”. I guess he wasn’t paying attention when I was talking about the upcoming trip at Thansgiving ;)

So, only 5 days left now before the trip. And 4 days of work. I am in the office today and tomorrow, and then Wednesday and Thursday, I am in the field. Then Friday, I have the day off and mom and I are going to the spa! I can’t wait! Then, bright and early on Saturday morning (we have to leave the house at 6am), CT and I head to the Punta Cana for a week of fun in the sun! Somehow I don’t think I’ll mind getting up at 5am on Saturday morning since it’s for a vacation; anything else and that would just be nasty ;)

Frustrations galore..

This well installation job I am doing is a lot more difficult than I would have anticipated. Basically, bedrock is a lot more shallow than we would have anticipated, so we have to move around a lot to find good locations. So, it takes a lot longer than I hoped. We did 2 wells today, so we have 3 to do tomorrow. There were supposed to be 6 in total, but I think the last one is a no-go since there doesn't seem to be any area there that would be suitable. Anyways, I am standing behind a drill rig all day in the middle of nowhere, freezing my butt off, and to help myself get through this, I remembered "hey, in 9 days, I will be on a beach!" That helped a lot ;)

Oh, I had some free time yesterday, so I went to a cool Sierra Designs outlet store. I bought myself a touque and scarf, rain pants and jacket (all of which came in handy today), and a gore-tex jacket. All were severely discounted! The gore-tex jacket would probably retail upwards of $400 in a store, and I got it for $129! I was very pleased.

So this weekend is Oktoberfest! Eins, zwei, zoofa! Ein Prozit!

Thanksgiving was good

I had a really good Thanksgiving. Funny thing happened though. I was going to make 2 pumpkin pies, one for my family's dinner and one for CT's family's dinner, and my oven broke! The bottom element went! So, I cooked the first pie with only a top element and the second one I decided to cook at my parent's house.

I'm off to Eganville for a few days for work. I'll be back on Friday evening. I may have internet at my motel, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

A few years off...

You Are 29 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?