Journey & Adventure

I have fired my mechanic – well not actually a specific mechanic, but the entire garage that has been doing work on my vehicles for a few years now. Why would I do such a thing? Well, to put it mildly they are idiots and so is my husband for not listening to me. At the beginning of April, I had my snow tires removed from my car and my “all-seasons” put back on. Don’t get me started on why they are called “all-seasons” when they are obviously not good for the winter months in Canada . Anyhow, shortly after my tires were changed, I started to notice a thumping noise in my front end. I informed my husband about this noise and mentioned the timing of its arrival happens to coincide to my tires being changed and his response was “the noise has nothing to do with your tires, you probably need brakes”. A couple of weeks go by and the thumping is getting slightly louder. My husband’s response is still the same “the noise has nothing to do with your tires, you probab...

My Wish: My wish this week is to win tonight’s Lotto 649 Jackpot – currently estimated to be at 32 million dollars. Although, that’s Canadian dollars, it’s still a lot of money and I would be able to do wonders with that kind of cash (both for myself and others). For starters, here is what I would do if I won: Quit my job. I like my job but wouldn’t be able to take it seriously with that kind of cash in the bank. Pay off my mortgage and my car loan. Give my dad and in-laws some money and help them enjoy retirement. Take ten of my closest friends on an all expense paid scuba vacation. Renovate and landscape my existing home (add a pool and a hot tub too). Buy an ocean-front condo in Bonaire, so I have a place to escape the snow in the winter months. Build an affordable, fully accessible housing complex for seniors and those with disabilities in my home town. Start a scholarship program for disadvantaged teens - for those who can't afford a post-secondary education, but want one....

There are many different things that can make me smile - it all really depends on my mood, surroundings, kind of day I'm having, etc. Having said that, here is a list of things that are guaranteed to make me smile... Orangutans; Gerber Daisies; Beaches; French Fries and Gravy; Bassett Hounds; 4:30 on a Friday afternoon; Sunsets; Cold beer on a hot day; Afternoon Naps; Plane tickets to anywhere. What makes you smile?

As warmer weather fast approaches, I’m faced with the reality that I’ve added some “junk in my trunk” over the winter – yep I’ve got a bigger bootie than I did in September of last year. Sigh… I’ve never really been fussed with a few extra pounds here to there and my motto has been: “life is too short to cheat yourself out of the things you enjoy”. Having said that, I enjoy wearing nice clothes – particularly when those clothes were just purchased at the end of last season and by last account, my hips have expanded yet again which will preclude me the ability to wear those nice clothes. Sigh… So, my New Year’s Resolution (yeah, I realize it’s a little late) is to loose a few pounds before summer. I’ve never been successful at dieting and quite frankly don’t intend to this time around either - I’ll simply practice moderation (medium fries instead of large), make healthier choices (like light beer) and exercise (yes, exercise). Although I do exercise on a regular basis, I...

Although I love to fish on occasion, I thought this articles was fun... What Women Should Have in Their Tackle Box: Fishing Supplies Optional Here are some things every woman should have in her tackle box. With these items, she will be able to take part in a hobby with her husband or boyfriend, while enjoying herself. http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1612303/what_women_should_have_in_their_tackle.html Here's an interesting quote I received in some "spam" e-mail... "Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart."

This pretty much sums up my day and yes, this really is my workplace (and my brainchild)....

As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I commute 180 km/112 miles round-trip per day and this time is usually spent with a minimal amount of any excitement. Well today’s commute started out like any another – coffee in my travel mug, tunes on the radio, sunglasses on and away I go. All was going as it usually does, that is with the exception of the Clydesdale grazing along side the road. Shoot! In my many years of travel, I have rescued numerous horses, cattle and even pigs from what would be their certain collision with the grill of a passing motor vehicle. Each time I see an escapee, my immediate thought is “don’t stop, they’ll be fine, just don’t think about it and don’t look back”, but before I know what’s happening, my moral compass has taken over and I’m stomping on the brakes, careening to the side of the road and assessing the situation. I’ve learned that horses are typically the easiest to manage (typically is the key word), cattle on the other hand are totally unpredictable...

My Wish: Since my original wish from last week has yet to be fulfilled, I wish I was able to work only three days a week and earn the same salary as I do working for five days. Ahhh…a girl can dream can’t she? As today is also Earth Day, the granting of this wish would go a long way to lessening my impact on the environment – considering I commute 180 km/112 miles round-trip per day.

These bits of wisdom have been around for sometime, but they are definitely worth sharing. I've learned - that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think. I've learned - that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I've learned - that you can keep going long after you think you can't. I've learned - that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I've learned - that either you control your attitude or it controls you. I 've learned - that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else there to take its place. I've learned - that heroes are the people who do what has to be done, when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I've learned - that learning to forgive takes practice. I've learned - that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to sho...

After 7 long months a wonderful day has arrived. Today’s temperature high should top out at around 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) and while that’s typically not something to get overly excited about – I’m ecstatic! To me, this weather means the beginning of “Patio Season”. You know the season – when everyone’s cares are washed away by pitchers of beer, sunshine and simply hanging out. Yep, today’s that day and now I just have to figure out how to skip out of work early. Is a stomach ache @ precisely 3:00 p.m. too obvious?

I’m having a crisis, my world as I know it is spinning out of control! No, my husband isn’t cheating on me - I've have discovered a gray hair – not one, but a few – actually a whole colony! I have always taken pride in the fact that I have red hair and have never worried about my hair color or my roots showing or friggin gray hair for that matter. It has been my understanding (perhaps falsely) and I’ve been banking on the fact that those with red hair didn’t go gray until later on in life. WTF, I’ve only been 41 for two weeks and now this. What’s next - a bunion or perhaps gout?

I thought I would try something different with introducing “Make a Wish Wednesdays”. Concept: If you could be granted a wish a week, regardless of how self-centered, trivial or absurd it may seem, what would it be? My Wish: I wish I could sell all of my personal belongings and move to a Caribbean Island (Bonaire). Ideally, it would great if I had enough money that I could live comfortably without needing to work; however if I did need to augment by finances, I would prefer to work as a divemaster or a fishing guide. Of course I would need my own boat too. O.K., so maybe that's 3 wishes, but essentially they're all relative.

While checking my bank balance this morning, I noticed a charge on my credit card that I do not recall authorizing for Microsoft Xbox Live. Obviously concerned that my card has been hijacked by marauding teens, I make the call to my bank (less than helpful) as they proceed to insinuate that perhaps my own son took my credit card and authorized the Xbox Live charge. It’s pointless to argue that my son’s Xbox hasn’t worked in over 2 months (and wouldn’t take my credit card without asking), so I concede defeat with the bank and agree to call Microsoft directly. My Microsoft experience only causes me more frustration by the time it’s through (kind of like the Vista O/S experience). After 15 minutes and 9 security questions later, I’ve been able to determine that I did authorize an Xbox Live subscription on my son’s behalf (over 1 year ago); however what Microsoft fails to disclose in their fine print is that once you have authorized your credit card for subscription purchas...

After a long weekend here in Canada (in celebration of Easter), I am finding it particularly difficult to get motivated. Mondays are difficult at the best of times, but now I’m also contending with a chocolate hangover. It’s already 2:00 p.m. and I’m still procrastinating on tasks from this morning, so you can just imagine how much I haven’t accomplished today, nor do I really plan to (honesty is the best policy). Tomorrow is a new day.

Regardless of how you may celebrate today, I wish everyone a wonderful Easter.

It's 7:15 p.m. and it's the first time I've had a chance to sit down since coffee @ 8:30 a.m. When I woke up this morning, the only thing I had planned on doing was taking my 16 year old son to get his haircut; however I've learned that when I'm with him, our actions are totally random and adventure will usually follow. Before I knew it, we had been at the hair salon, the grocery store for a few last minute things before Easter Sunday, then on to Wal-Mart for some more stuff, a quick stop at the gas station, then a couple of more shops, back home to unload, then outside for some winter cleanup (a.k.a raking the pines cones up from my backyard). Once it was determined that cleaning up wasn't a lot of fun, we decided to head to our local community centre for a swim, but not before picking up one of his buddies. After the swim, we made the decision to head to the driving range to let loose on a bucket of balls. Well, it has been awhile since we had been out and...

I have been working on this crocheting project for a couple of weeks now and can hardly wait to see it completed. It’s not the easiest pattern to follow and I would be further along if it weren’t for pulling it apart to start over a couple of times. O.K., perhaps it’s not the pattern – it’s my lack of focus when CSI is on.

Tonight I am having dinner with an old co-worker and I can hardly wait since she is one of my favorite people on earth. Although she is 20 years my senior, she is so much fun to be around and makes me laugh hysterically. In fact, she is the only person that can make me laugh until my sides ache. We don’t see each other as often as we would like and there really isn’t an excuse for it. I guess we both become consumed with our lives, but once we reconnect, the fun begins and we wonder why we wait so long to get together. And to top off what I know will be a fun evening, we are going to attend a dress rehearsal for West Side Story at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival (yes, I know WSS was not written by Bill Shakespeare); however other plays are also performed there. Anywho - she works at the Festival and is pulling some strings for us to see it. Yippee!

Sorry in advance for my ranty-ness of late, but here at work, I have a lot to rant about and this blog is a way of venting because honestly - my husband just doesn't listen...now or ever... (yep, more ranting)... From the moment I arrived at work this morning, chaos ensued. It is interesting to me how one person can manage to throw others into complete panic mode for no particular reason. It’s just like Jello – when one portion starts to jiggle, the whole bowl will soon follow and pretty soon there’s a mess to clean up. I promise next week will be better...

You stand in "line-ups" at the movie, not lines. You're not offended by the term "Homo Milk" You understand the phrase, "Could you please pass me a serviette, I just spilled my poutine on the couch". You eat chocolate bars instead of candy bars. You drink pop, not soda. You know what it means to be on pogey. You take out the garbage, not the trash. You know that a mickey and a 2-4 means "Party!" You can drink legally while still a teen. You know that francophones, anglophones and allophones are not electronic devices. You talk about the weather with strangers and friends alike. You don't know or care about the fuss with Cuba, it's just a cheap place to travel to and has good cigars. You're not sure if the leader of our nation has EVER had sex and don't want to know if he has! You get milk in bags as well as cartons and plastic jugs. Pike is a type of fish, not some part of a highway. You drive on a highway, not a freeway. You ...

My husband and I have decided for our 20 th Anniversary, we would take a once in a lifetime trip to Malaysian Borneo in 2010. I can’t believe we will have been married for 20 years AND we still enjoy each other’s company - at least enough to venture half way around the world, trek through jungles, pick off leeches and dive the Celebes Sea together. I have been half-heartedly looking at websites – enough to freak out about the leeches, snakes and frogs, but I haven’t gotten serious enough about the actual planning aspect. With a little more than a year to go, today’s the day I have started to lay out my plan of attack. How am I going to get there? What do I want to see and where do I want to stay? With so many choices, it’s a little overwhelming, but in the end I know it will be worth it. Photo: Courtesy of www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk > .> `•.¸.•´¯`•...¸>

After 5 long months, it was finally time to have my snow tires removed today. Yeah! I can't tell you how GREAT it feels to know that the snow has finally moved on - at least for another 6-7 months. In celebration of Spring, I'm heading to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard. Would that be considered ironic?

I have recently realized that I cannot stand loud noise of any kind or maybe it’s the people and devices that make the noise that I can’t stand. The jury is still out on that one. There are many noises that send me over the edge – the “dead battery” warning on your cell phone – please just turn it off or charge the damn thing; annoying cell phone ringtones – turn it down, we don’t need to hear “Super Freak” over and over again; background music from any Nintendo DS game – Nintendo can afford to splurge a bit on programming a longer tune instead of the same loop; honking car horns; screeching tires; people that suck food from their teeth (don’t even get me started on that one). Well, you get the picture…I'm bothered by noise. Anyhow, today I am particularly irritated by the volume level on the television, which my husband insists on jacking up and leaving there through programs and the subsequent onslaught of commercials. The best part is - he doesn’t seem to think ...

I love my hula hoop! I have recently taken up “hooping” – a form of exercise involving nothing more than a glorified hula hoop and some hip movement. At first I was skeptical. I thought for sure, I would look like a moron and be totally uncoordinated. Well, I do in fact look like a moron and I was slightly uncoordinated at first, but the truth be told - I don’t care because I am having FUN - while exercising! For about thirty minutes, three to four times a week, I hoop away in the comfort of my living room and enjoy every minute of it. This is a big improvement for me since I typically spend more time complaining about my treadmill than actually using it, but now the time spent hooping doesn’t seem so daunting - I guess time actually does fly when you’re having fun. Bonus: I’m actually dropping some weight in the process. Yeah!