First world dilemma

So as you may recall I had a plan. The plan was that I was going to grow my hair out... Because you know, it's been a long time since I've had anything outside of the super-short pixie cut to hockey hair range... and long hair just looks sooooo gorgeous when you curl it, and omg *giggles* look at all the cute things you can do with it!?!

*Ahem* sorry, my inner valley girl snuck out for a second.

Anyways it was going pretty well, well it was going relatively well... alright so it wasn't in a pony tail (the only condition the Approval Committee had when I said I was growing it out) but it *was* twisted and flipped up in a hair clip most of the time. Yes, that is a HUGE step up from pony tail for me.

Right, so I had realized that this long hair things wasn't nearly as cool as I had hoped... but I knew I had to give it a fair chance. So a couple weeks ago I got it coloured and had a style cut into it.

 
Super cute right?? Then I got suckered into had my rubber arm twisted  into playing ball in that tournament in Kamloops... Well it was frizzy and all over the place and then all up in my face when I was driving with the windows down and that was it, I'd had enough... I was done with the long hair.

Chop it all off!

Since then, pretty much everyone I know, has said in the most diplomatic way possible... "You look waayyy better with short hair" So not that I care what anyone else thinks... but I love it! Sooo it's back, and by popular consensus it will most likely stay back...remind me of this 5 weeks from now when it has turned into unruly hockey hair and needs to be trimmed *again*

Creature of habit

This is what happens when my parking auto pilot gets interrupted by someone in my spot *before* I've had my first cup of coffee!!!

Apparently they forgot to tell the new hires that's *my* parking spot ;)

Sound the trumpets, cue the fanfare!

Zoom in a bit, um a bit more...

This was the excitement of the day yesterday... as I caught a motion out of the corner of my eye I heard Connie running at mach 1.5 down the hallway, and saw this little scraggle-muffin trucking through the back yard.

First tourney, and games 2-9 of my season...

I. Hurt. *everywhere*. Even my hurty bits have bits that hurt.

I'm pretty sure my core body temperature has dropped while just sitting at work, as all available resources have been shunted to repairing the damage incurred this weekend.

All said and done though, it was a darn good fundraiser ball weekend... barring the fact that at night it's still fricken' freezing Mr. Bigglesworth!!!!

My apologies... the camera was having as much trouble focusing in the dark as Randy was!

We (and by we I mean my team) executed a text book brilliant triple play as though we had practiced it a thousand times. It was so beautiful I almost cried a little bit. Just to put it in perspective though, Terry, a guy on our team that is older than dirt who's been playing ball for like 37 years said that was the third time he'd seen one...*ever* and he spends a lot of time on the ball field.

The second highlight (some would argue first) was that I took out a guy at second base... What?!? Don't look at me like that, *he* was in my way!!! 

It isn't nearly as bad as it looks...

So there I was standing on second looking down at him as he rolled around writhing in agony, his face all contorted...  Until I said "Duuuuude, are you okay?" I even had a genuine look of concern on my face as I offered him a hand up. Although I'm not going to lie I was giggling a little on the inside. 

You would not believe how quickly he wiped all of that unmanly emotion off of his face and picked himself up and dusted himself off when he realized he'd been run over by a girl ;) You could almost hear the tattered remains of his ego flapping in the breeze, as he attempted to wrap the remains of it around himself.

Seeeeee not so bad, barely worth mentioning here.

By the time we made it to the final game however, our team was played out. It was wet, and cold and raining... most of us were just starting our season and we were ready to go home. We dropped the ball in the last game. Literally, among other things, but at least the loss was a total team effort, just like everything else we did this weekend... but one of my favorite things about it, was when we were all texting our friends and family the bad news and Jesse piped up with "We may have lost the last game, but we came in second in the A division... out of 22 teams. And we were undefeated until the final, that's not too bad guys!"


When you put it like that, it really isn't :) Thanks Goonies for another crazy fun-filled weekend!

Sitting up at the lookout

Sometimes I forget that I live in such a beautiful place... and then I stop and sit down for a moment and watch the world turn with a friend.

Thanks My Kim :)

I love spring in the Okanagan

We were out walking last night instead of training... and we found this tree filled with clusters of beautiful :)

Priorities

Couldn't waste a perfectly good day for fishing on a new haircut ;)

Alllllmost there!

I think I'm on the cusp of awesome... the brink of brilliance... so close and yet so far away!

Teasingly tantalizing... like Scritch (the Squirrel in Ice Age), so close to the acorn he can almost *taste* it... and yet just out of reach.

That, is how programming is going today. I think I almost understand the black magic

*maniacal laugh*

Genius... or what?

Mothers Day, that time of the year when it can take some fairly creative family conspiracy to pull it all together. Subtle and not so subtle hints dropped and eventually received, sometimes approaching Roman court intrigue and manipulation in their delicacy and intricacy... I would love to tell you the intimate details, but my family reads this blog from time to time and I don't want to give away ALL my secrets...

...but at least our family has never done this. "This" I overheard in the change room at the pool this morning and it made me giggle in that "I can't help but overhear your conversation and laugh with you at your expense" kind of way.

Apparently it was this woman's birthday, and her son was born on the same day, who of course naturally thinks that day is all about him now. In any case she'd gone on to the Lululemon website and ordered herself a bunch of new clothes a couple days ago using the business/"aka secret emergency retail therapy" credit card...

Then while opening her presents stopped. *realized* and went waitaminute... This is all the stuff I just ordered!?!?!?! You guys just wrapped everything I just bought myself?!?

Like are you kidding me?!?

So while we may conspire to remind each other to phone and wish you a happy mothers day, and coordinate flowers and dinner cooperatively in the background... we haven't done "this"... although I must say it *is* fairly ingenious, and you would get exactly what you wanted ;)

Happy Mother's Day Mom, I appreciate you :)

Awoooga Awoooga!

I don't know what happened yesterday but it was like everybody decided to start working at... oh say around 2 o'clock.  It was like a delayed reaction to the full moon or something... I literally had 4 people with 6 different problems talking to me at the same time via messenger, phone and our new trouble ticket system AT THE SAME TIME.

I think I was dirty dancing with the boundary of my multi-tasking a.d.d.d.d. limit, it was a little scary... and a little exciting all at the same time... and by exciting I mean juggling an entire carton of eggs in the middle of a mine field.

A lovely dinner, followed by some after dinner entertainment and taekwondo and I'm relaxing on the couch with a purple freezie... it tastes like grape, but I wouldn't call it grape... I mean how much grape can it actually have in it if it tastes the way a scented marker smells *and* turns your tongue purple? It can't possibly be good for you :p

I think though, my favorite part of the day was the apres dinner entertainment consisting of an introduction to "The Pig Family" *ahem*

M: "I'm the Daddy pig George" *SnorT*

A: "No no I'M the Daddy pig!"

M: ... "and I'm the baby pig" *snort*  *heh*

M: ..."and now I'm Mama George" *sng-iggle* *cough* *wheeze* "Oops I said Mama George!"

Mom: "Okay honey let's let A who doesn't have asthma do the introductions" *rubs back*

A: "This is the Daddy pig" *SnnNOOOoORT!!*"

*giggles*

A: "This is the Mama pig *SNORT!!*"

*GIGGLES!*

... by this point it had devolved into everyone was giggling those deep infectious belly giggles ... which is about one of the

Knowing what I do now... *grins*

Granny: "There are things I never told my parents..."

Me: "Really?!?"

Granny: "Oh sure, and I know there are things my children have never told me, and you know what... there are things as a parent that I just never need to know..."

Me: "Thank you Granny, that's really good to know" *impish smile*

Oh the things you can do...

When you don't live at home... wait, you always live at home... but the things you can do when you are left to your own devices unsupervised.

Like soldering in the kitchen! :)

Note to self: Unplug the smoke detector *before* starting next time...

Pardon me...

... while I eat my baby moose mousse for dessert ;)

Obviously a professional would have left something for perspective in this picture... but I didn't realize until I started eating it that it was served with a baby spoon too!

It's about the size of a shot glass mug... it's just widdle, and soooo tute and it was the perfect amount!

Thank you Duffy's in Kamloops for curing my chocolate craving without overdoing it in such a way as to eliminate the necessity of applying it directly to my hips with a spatula.

Spring training

Today is the first day of training... I'm doing my first triathlon at the end of June with Michelle. It's a sprint triathlon which is supposed to mean it's a nice easy distance you can do while holding your breath...

The Kal RATS Sprint Triathlon: (750m swim, 18.5k bike, 5k run)

We did a nice little half hour warm up type run today... and we thought we weren't doing too badly until some dude with his golden retriever ran past us at mach 5 and made it feel like we were moving *backwards*

Thanks dude. Thanks a lot.

Nooooooooo!

Somebody (yes that would be me) thought it would be a good idea (had my arm twisted) to play ball last night!

So I get on base... and took slightly more of a jump on the hit than I should have... because second base caught it, and I had to make an effort to get back to my bag. Which I accomplished with a large jump step/land in a slide position. Unfortunately I landed directly on the pin holding down first... and literally blew a moccasin..

My cleat proceeded to eat up the infield at an alarming hungry-hungry-hippo rate... *nom nom nom* and I had to shake it out every time I left the infield, just so we still had something to play on!

Short of players (hence the arm twisting) an inning later I was finally able to run to my car and fix it!

Man I love duct tape! ;)

It's a good thing too because I immediately got a home run and had to run all the way around the bases... which were further apart than they needed to be! I also got a solid double that *should* have been a home run, except it rolled under the fence... *whispers* don't tell anyone, but I was okay with not running the bases again ;)

*shhhh* I wouldn't normally tell anyone about the ball that I missed... except that I totally made up for it with my double footed jumping backflip roll catch! (which promptly made everyone forget about the one I missed  ;)

It was pretty cool if I do say so myself *buffs fingernails* ;)

My body doth subtly protest the antics of the previous evening... the white noise of stiffness. Not enough to take the good drugs, but just enough to remind me that winter is over... and it's time to go play outside!

Us +5 Fissies +5... I think this calls for a rematch!

I'm so glad that good company is like the heavy-weight champion when it comes to taking on and anihilating the puny and insignificant details of my day... sending them crying to their Mommies with a sternly spanked bottom.

It was absolutely gorgeous out, spring has finally arrived and the cabin fever everyone had been experiencing was now being shared in the confines of an aluminum boat... I suppose it's a successful day though, when everyone caught something... and nobody was helped out of the boat *before* we got to shore ;)

Get in mah bellyyyy!

I'm gonna getcha little fissy! I'm gonna eatcha little fissy! *grins* I think this is the beginnings of a be-a-utiful supper :)

While we in for a pee break I totally scooped the comfy captains chair, and by default was captaining for the remainder of the evening. Which I thought was pretty cool :) ... and pretty easy meandering around in the middle of the lake... this really being my first time driving this boat and all, you see usually I fish, help eat the chippys, and maybe have a beer or two...

We had just kicked 'er up a notch to compensate for the wind picking up to head home after Michelle finally broke her two year dry spell... and then we couldn't keep them off her line! I think the funniest one, was mid-story she's leaning back and holding her rod up and Ed says "Hey Shell, I uh think you got one" and she says "I know! But I had to finish my story!!"

Awww look he's just a widdle hotdog fissy!

Those *were* the funny moments of the day... until we actually got back to the boat launch. Because it was much the same as with flying, it isn't the flying that's the hard part... it's landing. So I'm cruising in, and of course as with any good sport there are spectators spectating from the comfort of their van... and the peanut gallery up front.

We're almost in and up front hollers "log!" So there I am executing evasive maneuvers off into the rushes, with the motor balancing unhinged and ready to kick up... you see the thing is, it's too shallow to just cruise right in... and it would be faaaar to easy to paddle the last little bit. I would also like to point out that as soon as you change the axis of the propeller EVERYTHING changes, left and right are no longer what they used to be!

Suddenly it's as if we've been transported into an electrical gyroscope with a bug in its internal gravity sensor... suddenly we're in reverse at full throttle... The peanut gallery has collapsed in on itself in a helpless pile of giggles, Eddie's screaming "AHHHHHHHHH" and laughing almost as hard as the peanut gallery.

I calmly assessed the situation, kept twisting and pushing things until I could finally give the order to the mutinous engine to abort, and head for deeper waters... to... regroup, and try again.

The second attempt was far less entertaining, until Michelle's feet hit the water and she had to pee again *grins*

... thanks GORD!

... but at least my team *made* it to the playoffs :p

Yes, I am aware... I am very, very spoiled!

It's that time of year again... when everything has thawed out and it's time to go play outside!

 We went for a hike this weekend out at Kalmalka Lake, which as I understand translates to "Lake of many colours"... I can see why. These photos of course don't even do it justice, it was gorgeous!

Treasure and Robyn

 If you look carefully, you can *almost* see a rainbow in the gradient...

It affects us all

"We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection."

~Dalai Lama

I'm still not most people

Most people have trouble figuring out what they are going to write.

I am not most people.

In fact I have the opposite problem, I have too much to write about. So much that I worry about leaving out some juicy detail, as if you would even know... ;)

*sigh*

As my week progresses ever forward at the rate of a rapidly dwindling roll of toilet paper I get more and more anxious that I haven't captured these intimate details of my life.

What if I forget them?!?

Then I take a deep breath, and calm down. There are moments that are with you for the rest of your life, and you don't always get to pick which ones... but that is why Granny always asks if I had a good time... and responds with "Well that's all that matters" when I answer to the affirmative.

Enjoy yourself now, she says... and I have been... sometimes I just wish I could find more time to write about it!

You'd almost never know...

That we had FROST this weekend!!!

Finally! Just goes to show that there's still hope for spring to grace us with her presence ;)

McDickwad's

Pardon the early morning rant, but I was driving last night and too tired to do this when I got home... Rant part one.

I am aware that Timmy's does not have the best gourmet coffee by *any* stretch of the imagination... I appreciate that it is average Jo ;) and that I can get a double double made exactly the same anywhere in Canada for a decent price.

So don't complain to me about how it tastes. Buy something different.

It. Is. Your. Choice!

Rant part two.

Following the reason for rant part one, we drive through McD's for their "gourmet americano" oooOooohhh *rolls eyes* ordered two double doubles, got to the window and the kid handed us cream and sugar packets.

This. Is. A. Drive through. Seriously? If I wanted a build my own coffee adventure I would have come in! The last thing I want to do in my car is take the lid off of the 500° coffee and add stuff to it!!

This is why I drink Tim Hortons. And they're nice at the window!

Sent... While running around ;)

Dr. Seuss tree!

Investing in the ta-tas

I am still recovering from bra shopping.I've never been in and out of a bra that many times in a single day, let alone multiple different ones. Ever. I mean I must have tried on more bras than the entire cast of a Burlesque show!

My Friend: Did you find what you were looking for?

me:  Yep. I have a new bra.

My Friend:  just one?

me:  it's an investment.

I mean really, I thought $40 was a lot to pay for a bra... but HOLY CRAP good bras are expensive!!!  

Okay, but really, looking great because you're feeling great *and* being comfortable? Well, that's priceless ;)

It was also pointed out however, that while they may cost a lot, they have a big job to do! Turns out what I thought was a double D (like my coffee)... isn't, it's in fact an e... an E for fricken enormous? Who came up with this scale?!?

One of the guys I worked with at the University once, was dared to go ask a dancer if her boobs were real. Being on the opposite end of the spectrum from most male Computer Scientists, he did. I have never forgotten her response.

She placed his hand on her boob and said "Yeah they're real, real expensive" ;)

Minus minus... does not make a plus

Apologies for the extended hiatus.

Lately I have felt like poo-schmoo scraped off the bottom of your shoe... its been like trying to get up from a bottomless abyss *every* morning. An abyss filled with sunshine and flannel monsters...  Oh sure, it hasn't been the end of the world or anything... I'm not at the "I'm going live in a shack with a million cats at the top of precipice and die alone" stage... but still.

It hasn't even been for lack of inspiration, I have more than a few things I need to write about... pictures to share, I've just had negative motivation. 

Yesterday I sacrificed one of Mom's chocolate bars to the insatiable pms monster. They're actually quite delicious! Sorry Mom, it was an emergency... I knew you would understand ;)

And really, it was your chocolate bar... or someone's head on a stake.

Purple... like a purple nurple!

I got my purple belt! *glowing*

This was the first belt test with a board break... sliding side kick. I wasn't really that nervous about it because I've been hauling firewood and breaking kindling since I was old enough to walk... and they are beautiful boards with a really nice grain... 1/2 inch ;)

I totally rocked my poomsae and my kicking, and my self defense other than the moment of startlement when I discovered that the girl attacking me had *much* shorter arms than the guy I usually train with ;)

The board break was sooooo cool!!! But I might as well have had my eyes closed, I just about kicked Trevor in the hand *blushes* but the second try was all business. Like the first oops had never happened ;)

Silver lining to the stupid time change...

 Is forgetting to reset your watch and then realizing you're an hour closer to home time on a Monday than you thought you were!!!!

Sent... While running around ;)

The basics of Ultimate... when you get right down to it

I kid you not, this is a conversation we had this morning on the way to work talking about endurance vs. sprint muscle types...

m&m: "That's why in Ultimate I was a handler..."

me: "What does the handler do?"

m&m: "Throws the Frisbee."

me: "So what does everyone else do?"

m&m: "Catch."

I spit on you... *haauughch-tuu!*

Tuesday, the Universe took great pleasure in reminding me that I'm not one of the big kids on the playground ... and that it's most definitely *not* my turn on the monkey bars by pushing me off, spitting in my face, and making me bleed my own blood.


It hurt. A lot. I might've even said a bad word... but then I stopped, collected myself, and promptly got angry that I was bleeding through my new Christmas sock. That was followed shortly by my calm zen jumping out of the car without warning and doing the chinese fire drill... One of those moments, when time slows down and and the entire universe comes crashing in on top of your head... when an entire days worth of asstasticness snowballed into a colossal hairball and barfed itself up onto the carpet.

Okay, so you're thinking "Ow!" but it's just a stupid stubbed toe right?

No, it was the beginning of THE END OF THE WORLD, and NOBODY LOVED ME... and I was going to GROW OLD AND DIE ALONE. With *hundreds* of cats.  I know that I don't have much in life to complain about. So the fact that I wanted to curl up in a ball on the carpet and dissolve into tears over a stupid stubbed toe, just made me feel guilty that I was being so pathetic about the whole thing... which needless to say, didn't really make me feel any better either.

So I did the only thing I could think of, and called my Dad... and had a little cry. "Aiiii stuBBDed myyyyyyyy toooooOOoooe *snurfleuppagus*" After he figured out that I was more upset than injured he did the best job of being my Dad and making me laugh through my tears like he's always been able to.


Thanks Dad, thanks for being there to talk through my sniffles and hiccups, about all the silly little things in the world, and laugh with me over bleeding on the carpet for the first time in almost 30 years. We certainly were well trained growing up ;)

Your local friendly shop of little horrors

First she pressure washed my gums, right off my teeth.

Then came the miniature meat hooks, which she scraped between my teeth... mostly... except for that little bit right *there* yeah the reason it doesn't sound like that scratchy scrapey almost chalkboard sound is because that's what is left of my gum, note the tearing flesh sound... and the, yep there you go, see that part that was still attached, it bleeds... when you hit red you've gone too far. Just so y'know.

Alright alright stop *sobs* I'll tell you anything you want to know!!!

We've interrupted this interrogation... to bring you the handsome dentist!

The skies opened up and the angels sang, and one of them spoke to me! He gently poked and prodded and then in a sparkle of pixie dust was gone *dreamy sigh*... what bleeding gums?

"So I'm just going to check your measurements..."

I can tell you that! I'm ~5'8 and about a 36D, now just put the fish hook down cause I'm not gonna be your 170lb sucker!

Yeah the translation for "check your measurements" is I'm just going to jam this thing into the last thread of what's left of your gums, and see if I can make you sneeze by tickling your brain.

Now to finish up we're just going to do a light sanding... but would you like the buff and polish as well? Well, actually we have this new polish in. We paint it on, you wait 15 minutes and then just brush it off! It's so convenient.

So simple!

28 hours later after miraculously not drowning in my own saliva, I was finally able to scrub off the wax varathane. *not impressed* I will gladly take the two minutes of suffocating foam trays any day over that ick.

Come back here and take what's coming to ya! I'll bite your legs off!

After watching the bassett hound slide around the floor on her magic carpet ears, I think I know where the inspiration for the Black Knight in Monty Python came from...

Nom nom nom

I'll give you three guesses as to what I'm doing... and the first two don't count!

Like sunshine burning off that low morning fog

I had the following exchange the other night with a friend of mine, and belatedly realized you really don't need any other reason to do something!

me:  *s* for reals you wanna come visit me?

my friend:  YES!!!! you make me happy!  

me:  *grins*

Its the little things that matter

"I know it doesn't sound like much, but my kids are wearing matching socks again" :)
~T

How to say "I wove you" in puppy dog

It's Valentines day, and I find myself literally surrounded by loving puppy dogs. If they could talk, I'm sure they would have plenty to say.  I'm sure it would be along the lines of "Oh how I love youuuooouuuoouuuuu" ...let me show you all the ways...


That extra secret ingredient that makes everything taste so much better? It isn't love... it's dog hair. And while it may be a condiment in this house, it also works nights as a fashion designer that can help you accessorize *every* outfit you own.  And for that little something extra special, you should try the faux fur look, there's nothing quite like a basset hound wrapped around you!

I will pour myself horizontally into your lap or nudge my head under your arm when I think you aren't paying attention.

I will patiently sit and watch you, even when I don't know what you're doing just because I want to be with you. The fact that you're in the kitchen preparing something that *might* be food, has nothing to do with it.

I will help you clean up around the house, you know food on the floor... pizza on the table... roast beef on that pan that was *totally* going to fall onto the floor... I'm just sayin'

I will let you blame stinky farts on me, and put on my best "What?!?" face when everyone looks at me instead of you.

I will leave you little reminders of how much I love you, kind of like sticky notes... except well I can't write, so I hope you know what I mean when you find one of my dog hairs.

I will not get jealous of that black boxy thing that takes up your entire lap, I still fit.

When you've done something stupid... I will be morally supportive, and I will console you by licking whatever bare skin I can reach, even if it's your butt crack. I love you that much.

And just in case you still don't know how much I love you, I'll give you "The ear kiss"... after a big ole drink of water.

Catch-22

So apparently this morning I didn't actually put the fresh coffee grounds into the coffee maker... In my defense I was pouring into a black travel mug, I thought the last little bit looked funny, but couldn't put my finger on it until I poured the sugar in and could still see it sinking all the way to the bottom.

Note to self: it works wayyyy more better when you put the freshly ground coffee *in* to the coffee maker.

Thank goodness for tea bags...

So simple... so why does it take so long?

One of the things we don't usually learn, is how to accept a hand from someone... even when we need it. We get most of the way there, then pull back with a "No really, I'm okay... but thanks" and a smile.

Even when we're not.

Oftentimes only our best friends hear the intimate details of how things are really going, and sometimes only because they ask twice. You know, that deceivingly simple question, asked with a subtle change in tone and that look that says "I know you better than that, so don't bullshit me... but I'm letting you start".

Well sometimes I don't know someone well enough to ask that second time, but I wish I could make things a little bit easier for them... Sometimes I just want to give them a reason to smile... and every once in awhile it's for purely selfish reasons like not wanting to eat lunch by myself.

No matter the case, I've been trying to find ways of giving or helping people out in such a way that they don't feel like they owe me something.

Why am I telling you all this? Well because the other day I experienced the coolest thing! With a gracious smile the simple phrase "I will accept your charity and I thank you for it"... You grasped a hand held out in friendship, and shared a piece of your character with me that I shall never forget.

I may never tell you, that you've taught me something I may never be able to repay you for. I came here with knowledge but I will leave with understanding.

Thank you so much

*loves*

Usually I ignore Valentines day, but having my friend's daughter wish me happy Valentines day in her early morning Cindy-Lou voice just melted my little heart...

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

*loves* and *hugs* ... oh and *big sloppy wet puppy dog kisses*

The curse of the ages

Mom,

You don't have to wish that "One day I'll have kids like me"... I already do, think I left my own bowl at work the other day and it's driving me crazy!

Sent... While running around ;)

Rawr!

 

Absolute fricken genius!

I love the article, but this site also has some brilliant baby sleep positions that anyone who has tried to sleep in the same bed as a baby... can relate to.

If you can't be good, be great!

It's always awesome when I learn that something I've done my entire life... often times things that made me that weird outlier dot on some graph, are scientifically 'discovered' to be a great thing to do!

Everything he mentioned is why I don't like watching the news, I never have... I'd much rather hear about all the things that make us, as a community of human beings incredible.  There are so many inspiring people around us every day, and by surrounding yourself with those people you can create your own average to raise yourself up to.

 "When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves." -William Arthur Ward

I, am an anomaly unlike anyone you've ever met before... that's just part of what makes me amazing ;)

LA the city of lights - The Beginning

I hardly know where to begin the tale of my pilgrimmage to Xenacon 2012. I think partly because doing so means I'm writing the conclusion... and the conclusion means you've come to the end.

I don't want it to be over. But here they are, my collection of thoughts

Flying into LA at night was amazing, the city spilled out over the hills in all directions flowing densely through the valleys. In some places the lights were crystal clear, and in others they were twinkling as if you were looking at them through salt water mixed with fresh. The smog was so dense, it turned the plane window into a portal to another time and place.  

 

The highways, byways and freeways pulsed to the distinct rhythm of the city, two continuously flowing streams of red and white blood cells.

As a testament to how busy LA is, I finally witnessed Einstein's explanation of perspective in relation to moving bodies. Nearing the airport we passed another plane traveling in the opposite direction, and although we were traveling around 500 mph at the time it felt like we were barely moving, and it looked like the other plane was doing mach 10... it was soooo fast!

Absolutely incredible! I'm totally the kid who left nose and finger prints on the window...

So this is what that feels like...

I held off posting this while I was at the Xena-con, and it's been so crazy this last week I hadn't even looked at it. But reading it again tonight, I still feel the need to post it... so here it is.

Last Friday, at 2:30 we were all summoned to a meeting in the training room.  There was no hint or indication as to why... shortly after everyone was settled the President began.

He told of the journey that had begun long before many of us joined the company. He told of the struggles they faced being a smaller company filling a specialized niche in our industry, and of the plateau we had reached and thus far been unable to ascend above.  He said they had been searching for a partner to back us up and allow us to spread our wings, and that with a little luck we would soar higher than we ever could have climbed.

Of course none of it was quite like that, in fact none of it was even as it first sounded...

It took four intelligent, pointed questions to determine that we are no longer working for a private family owned business... In fact this partner is not just the majority shareholder, they are now the sole shareholder and own the company we work for body, brand and soul.

If he had turned into Willy Wonka and announced that the entire training room was actually a glass elevator, and then hit the subterranean button I don't think I could have felt more like the floor had been pulled out from under me, or like my stomach was any further from my abdomen.

Judging by the rest of the room I wasn't the only one in free fall.

They didn't say that there were no plans or discussions regarding shutting down the company... it was simply presented as a "Here's how it is..." then everyone with the remotest inkling of what was going on left for our biggest most important tradeshow of the year.

In the void left by "Nothing can be confirmed or denied..." rumor and speculation escalated exponentially to fill the need to talk about what had just happened.

The one thing that was consistent across all departments was "Well you know, when a larger company takes over a smaller one like ours is the first one to go..."

The brightest glimmer of reassurance came from the Vernon Star on Monday... Yeah, that's right we had to wait all weekend for a quote from the CFO... in our tiny little local newspaper:

"We remain committed to the facility and the workforce there," he said, adding that no changes are anticipated"

That was all most of us needed to hear and it probably would have made the weekend a little less stressful. Instead many of us got the advice from friends and loved ones to dig out and polish up their resume, and get a head start on the job search.

I think the one thing, that while it doesn't surprise me... definitely disappoints me, is that the last few years many employees sucked it up and toughed it out, but to find that the raises we didn't get went towards solvency so that the company could be sold for more than a little profit sucks donkey. The fact that there is now no longer any thanks owed or any implied debt monetary or otherwise... just shattered my last remaining misplaced belief in loyalty to an employer.



The slate which has been wiped clean with the sale feels like a swift kick in the ass with a frozen boot, and for the time being has left the acrid tang of a bitten tongue in my mouth... the kind you chomp on for a week after every time you have something to eat.

All of this isn't to say they haven't been a fantastic company to work for. But while people may forget what you did, and they will usually misquote what you said. They will always remember how you made them feel.

Only time, will reveal the true intentions of our new employer, and I hope they fall closer to the awesome end on the scale of scuttlebutt and scandelosa.

I know you're not supposed to write about your work on your blog, as it may lead to dire consequences such as being fired. But I find myself in the Vancouver airport, both excited for the upcoming Xena convention and mildly concerned, that maybe the money I've spent could be more useful in the case that I come back to find that my position is... redundant, or that they have an entire team of highly trained professionals to do what I do...

Firing or not, some things just need to written about. 

The things I do, and certainly don't regret

More and more I've been thinking its more important to do something, than it is to find someone to do it with you.  This has been a really tough one for me. I grew up camping and hiking and doing all kinds of things but always with someone.

I'm finding there aren't very many people who do things quite the way we do, and by we I mean our family.  We ski first tracks to last call, as long as it isn't raining in the hill parking lot. We hike and don't really take a break unless there is a "Walter approved" rest area, ie: a spot with a scenic view. But still, we're not crazy obsessive about any one activity.

So the trouble is finding people to *do* stuff with, I had a theory that maybe if I just started doing things I'd meet people who were out there doing them too... but it doesn't seem to be holding up in practice, mostly because I like doing a little bit of everything.

So while I venture forth into unexplored terrain alone, I would like to toast a cheers to the Snow Goddess, skiing last Sunday was absolutely amazing!

The collective excitement on the hill could not be contained, and hoots and hollers could be heard escaping throughout the day.

There was a constant supply of fresh powder falling, with the sun trying desperately to break through creating the most beautiful silver pixie dust sparkle effect. Which under normal circumstances would have been incredibly distracting, except that every other run down I managed to find a little pocket of powder that at times came up to mid-thigh... 

I'm not sure what I did to deserve this, but between the temperature and grinning so much I thought my face was going to freeze like that, and give my Mother one more reason to say I told you so.

Besides the four warmup runs on the backside, I skied my little legs off on Attridge all day. By the last run I had chalked up a respectable 21 runs... plus or minus a couple.

A good day skiing, is when you drag yourself back to the truck completely and thoroughly worn out... and half way home you feel like you're driving with your ski boots on *smiles*

The meaning of a cup of coffee

I was having one of those afternoons just the other day, where I was daydreaming about how wonderful a hot, fresh cup of coffee would be right about then... when I returned to my desk to discover that some wonderful soul had left a cup of my favorite on my desk for me. I like my coffee like I like my cup size... double-d!

It was like the skies opened up and the angels sang *smiles*

But that got me to thinking. What does it mean? and more so what *can* it mean? Well let me count the ways... because while to you it may just look like a cup of something warm, it can be so much more.

A hot beverage from Timmy's can mean

Welcome, I'd like to introduce myself...
Hello, I'm not a coffee snob... and I'd like to be your friend.
I want to get to know you better, mind if we sit down and talk?

I know you don't understand what I said, but I can see how you might have taken it in a way I didn't mean at all, and for that I would like to sincerely apologize.
I'm sorry, please pardon my earlier rudeness.
I'm not sure what you're upset about, but I bring this as a peace offering.

Just thinking of you.
I appreciate you.
I just wanted to give you a reason to smile.

To warm you up.
*hugs*
Just because.

For a job well done.
I don't know how I can help, I wish I could but I can't... so I grabbed you a coffee.
Share a cup with me, and lets catch up I've missed you.

On top of all that, like the whip cream on the mocha... When someone remembers your favorite, well it's just that little extra bit of awesome... That my friend, means you're important. Important enough, that even though it may cause my head to explode and splatter the five phone numbers I know per person everywhere, I went to the effort of tucking in and remembering something you like... because I like you.

Say whaaattt?

Ok buy 4 or more for only 2.89 each... What is the MAX for?

4 or more implies you can buy as many as you want, so it isn't a maximum of four...

Does it mean that if you buy more than four the most you will pay for each one is $2.89? Because you don't need the max to say that, you already said it...

Or does it mean you can only save a maximum of 40 cents?!?

I like to think I'm fairly intelligent most of the time, but this one has me stumped.

Anyone?

What does it all mean Mr. Horton?

I just heard that they are implementing a size name change at Timmy's...

So now when I order a large, I'm going to get an extra large amount... and on those days when I really need it, forget they've changed the damn sizes and order an extra large I'm going to get enough caffeine to wake up a moose and a hibernating grizzly bear. Awesome.

I wonder if it will come with a warning... Caution: may cause heart murmurs, and erratic behavior, do not attempt to sit after consuming contents...

Why the H.E. double hockey sticks are we changing the freaking cup sizes? I mean seriously. WTF over?!?? I don't care if they just added a double extra large that is now 24 oz. and they don't know what to call it. How about 'The two-fer' cause it's two for those with a spare hand of one.

I think what irritates me the most is that I know those are the sizes they use down in the States. I really appreciated that cup sizes here hadn't reached ludicrous... Ooooh that would be a good name for it! Anyways, what I mean, is there is no reason that *anyone* should EVER need to drink an entire liter of pop or anything else for that matter with their meal... well okay anything except di-hydrogen monoxide... But still, while I know we are more similar to the States than we are different in soooo many respects sometimes its the little differences that make me proud to say "I am Canadian", like healthier portion sizes of fast-foods.

Besides, if you really need that much coffee, buy two or take a thermos... at least the thermos will have half a chance of keeping it warm in the weather we've been having lately.

Yes I'm a little irritated... Is it for no good reason? Well mostly. What am I going to do about it? I am going to write a strongly worded letter, because otherwise I would have to apologize profusely if I talked to anyone in customer service.

Whoooooo Hoooooo!!!!

We got fresh snow!! *happy snow dance* :)

Best answer to that question... Evar

I survived snowboarding, but I think the board is one up on me. I feel a bruise coming on my left butt cheek. I totally coulda used one of those pillows the Disney characters always skated with...

This conversation? actually took place when we grabbed a bite to eat up at the hill. I think it nicely sums up how wiped I was... because I thought it was hilarious when it happened.

Heh in fact I still think its pretty funny.

D: Wow it's quarter to ten already!

Me: Omg when did it get that late?!?

D: An hour ago...

*face palm*

Sent... While in transit ;)

The christening of the new board

Tonight is the first night of $10 Fridays... Formerly known as $5 Fridays :(

Still cheaper and healthier than a movie :)

So I thought it would be a good night to break in the new board... or perhaps let it break in me... it remains to be seen who will come out of this on top!

Oh no!

Toothpaste squeezer tube malfunction, now it won't be like the first squeeze every time... now I'm gonna have to do the Vulcan nerve roll squeeze.

Paper clips and heavy duty rubber bands aren't going to fix it this time... where's my duct tape?!?

Pardon my posts until I catch up on sleep

I apologize for my lack of posts of late, you see faithful internet readers I have been slaving away on a secret project at work which if I talk about it, I will have to kill you... and that just sounds like entirely too much work, because, well first off I'd have to track you down for starters... Anyways in my spare time I was working on projects for the family gathering, that were also secret until this last weekend.

In my quiet sleep deprived haze last night I completely forgot to post the picture of the big project I was am really proud of... the fireplace! (so that we would have somewhere to hang the stockings of course)

And these guys... there are a few more in progress *smiles*

Merry Christmas... Oh and Merry Ukranian Christmas

We survived entirely too much good food, and each other!!!

Dan and his "man-steak"

 Five days, five family members and a two bedroom apartment, and this morning when I saw them all off... we still liked each other! Nobody went home in a body bag, we didn't get any blood on the carpet (one of the cardinal rules growing up) and we didn't make my little brother cry ;)

But for real, I would like to thank each and every single one of my family members for coming and celebrating Christmas at my house this year.  It was a little weird doing Christmas twice, my best friend's family graciously invited me to share it with them. I was so comfortable and well loved that I didn't feel sad that I wasn't with my family, which I kinda thought that I would... I mean, here I am 29 years old and this is the first Christmas *ever* that I haven't gone home.

My second Charlie Brown Christmas tree

 *reminiscing*

The first year I didn't wrestle the rats for the various cardboard boxes and rubbermaids helpfully labeled 1/4 on the lid and 2/4 on the bottom down the steep pirate hold stairs from the loft... The first year I didn't dig through the spaghetti snarl of chipped paint and broken glass, only to risk brave burning the house down by swapping out the burnt bulbs and stuffing tinfoil in the ones that aren't... quite... working.

*blink* See I told you this strand was fine! ;)

The first year I didn't help put the decorations on the tree at home, or arrange the house as close to the same way we always do... or at least as far as anyone can remember...

*/reminiscing*

And yet with the breaking of tradition, comes a reinforcement of strength and new meaning. There was still a tree set up at home, with decorations from each of our awkward phases of childhood lovingly hung in places of honor. Decorations that alone, are obviously juvenile in their uncoordinated craftsmanship, but together make our Christmas tree glow beautifully... with all the love in which they were created.

The Whole Famn Damily

A much more realistic family portrait... Is it blinking yet?!?!

We were able to have the entire family in one place at the same time, even if it was a very small space for five people considering we grew up on five acres... We had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of turkey, orange glazed yams, and scalloped and mashed potatoes... although they were fresh out of cabbage boogers.

The fireplace project, and yes that's 'The Kemper' snowboard as the mantle

The stockings were still hung by the fire with care, and we had hot tea and pancakes 'Christmas morning' complete with bacon, peaches *and* whip cream... Dad handed out the presents, and we didn't spoil each other too much. I like that, there aren't any crazy expectations in our family... Cookies are not only a perfectly acceptable gift, they are also highly anticipated. 

We completed a 1000 piece puzzle, with the traditional single piece missing... Although I think this is the first year, that someone didn't actually have it stashed somewhere so they could claim the dubious title of having placed the last piece... it actually fell under the stove. Mom thinks it fell off one of the tea-towels we used as a placemat to eat over it... I think, well nevermind what I think. I still blame Mom.

We even had a half day *and* a full day of skiing, in which our mutual pig-headed-stubborness found us on the last chair lift, just ahead of ski patrol despite burning thighs and better judgment. I'd like to point out that not only did nobody go home in a body bag, nobody had to take an ambulance down the mountain either. ;)

Oooh and we squeezed in the HAM club Christmas dinner party, *whispers* where we talked about nerdy radio stuff... and stuff...

So there you have it. Yes, I am thoroughly exhausted... but I'm also particularly pleased with myself for hosting the entire event. All of that aside, I am very much looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.
Work is going to suck tomorrow, I know this as I have to present something that isn't nearly as finished as I would like... and get up much earlier than I have been... but that's what coffee is for. *winks*

G'night

Not as hard as we made it look...

In the immortal words of nerds everywhere...

 "Because we can!!!"

Houston, do we have enough connections between us to cause complete and utter chaos yet?!?!

On December 28th, Dad had the handy-talky and the HF Rig which he was using to talk to Gerry, and was pulling up echolink on his computer... meanwhile I was trying to get ahold of him using the Nanaimo IRLP node, while simultaneously listening to him talking to Gerry on my cell phone and Googling echolink to see what the heck he was muttering about.

Three different repeaters later and I heard the Nanaimo voice id confirming the connection! It was soooo cool!!!! *happy dance*

IRLP is the Internet Radio Linking Project, basically Dad and I can both be using our HF handy talkies which aren't long range, and we can talk to each other through two repeaters and the internet! How cool is that?!?!

In theory I know how it works...

Check out the gift I got for Christmas from my buddy Ed and his daughters! I think the best part was them demonstrating how to use it, with Lester watching between covered fingers going "Ed... Ed! Watch out for the TV!!"

Not quite what I had in mind...

Ok first off, let me just say that nobody should start their new years celebrations not fitting into *either* of the dresses they were going to wear!!!

Last night I puked and puked and pooped out twice my body weight... who needs a cleanse when you can do that?!?

So while I could've pooped through the eye of a needle at 30 paces, I was sitting there wishing I could just go curl up in bed and die in peace when I reached over to grab the heavy duty bar glass I'd so thoughtfully filled with water... and managed to break it all over the sink, floor and *into* the tub.

You have got to be freaking kidding me.

It was about that time I acknowledged that while I may be almost 30 years old, sometimes a girl still needs her mother ;)

Even my hair hurts, and I think I pulled an anterior intercostal muscle on my right side.... and my room smells like dead stinky boy. Awesome.

I think I prefer starting the New Year with an overhang... At least it can only get better from there.

Sent... While curled up and dying in bed with my sheep hot water bottle from Granny

It's certainly a contender for what pathetic looks like.