Journey & Adventure

Have you ever wondered if a movie was made about your life, what would the theme song be? Mine, would be “Raise a Little Hell” by Trooper (btw - a good ole Canadian band). For my 13 th birthday, I had a roller skating party at the local roller rink and my parents requested this song for me.    The lyrics were fitting for me then and who knew that they would stand the test of time.     What’s your theme? Take a listen…enjoy, and rock on!  

Once again, I’ve been missing from the blogosphere.   I don’t know where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing or what I’ve accomplished.   The past couple of weeks have been a blur.   The holidays tend to rot your brain, make you stupid and fatten your ass - at least these things happen in my household.    I love the holidays, but I’m happy to see them move on.   I’m excited to get back to some sort normalcy in my life, minus the work thing of course.   Speaking of work, I’m still blocked from all internet sites that are meant to keep me entertained.   No justice in that… I watched Despicable Me over the holidays.   This is the animated one with Steve Carell.   It is the best animated movie I’ve seen since Finding Nemo.   It was so good – leaves you all warm and fuzzy. My mother-in-law had a fit that I took my Christmas Tree and decorations down yesterday.   She believes that because I’ve done it before the New Year, bad luck and bad karma will strike me down.  

This was my favorite poem as a child.   My mother used to read it to me on Christmas Eve.   I used to have it memorized.   Then when The Boy was younger, I would read it to him.   He used to have it memorized too. Twas the Night Before Christmas Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes sh

So, I’ve been at the new place of employment a month now.   I thought it would be fair to get to know my co-workers a little better before I started passing judgment on them and making fun of their behavior.   Well, like I said – it’s been a month….and I don’t really have much to report.   There is a huge age difference and for once in a long time, I’m one the youngest people in the group.   This normally isn’t weird for me, but in this case it is.   I don’t know what it is, but I’m attributing it to the fact that I have nothing in common with these people, no common interests in the same hobbies, sports, music, lifestyle or decade, etc. Yesterday was our Christmas lunch and it was a perfect time get to know these people outside of the office.   A little wine and great food should have led to stimulating conversation.   Ummm, not so much.    The awkward silences were deafening and I swear I could hear the ice cubes in the water glasses melting.

We picked up The Boy from school on Friday and within 20 minutes of being home; he asked to borrow the truck so he could go out.    During the entire ride home, he complained about the food in residence and that all he could wait for was a home cooked meal. On Saturday, he waited long enough for the home cooked meal, but by the time the dishes were in the dishwasher, he was making plans to go out again. On Sunday, he blessed us with his presence for approximately 6 hours and then you guessed it – gone again, but this time he didn’t bother hanging around for the home cooked meal.  I guess the novelty had worn off.   This morning I awoke to find three additional winter coats and pairs of boots in the front closet.  I’m guessing we were the only house left with enough food to feed them all.   College boys are just like pigeons...or vultures – they go wherever the food is plentiful. Ahhh, it’s great to be loved.

The Ugly I realize that it’s the thought that counts and I appreciate everything I’ve been given - if not solely for their entertainment value, but let me say that there have been a whole lotta uglies under my Christmas tree.   There have been multiple culprits, but the major offender – my mother. I don’t know how to explain it, but my mother seemed to believe I was stuck in the 80’s – as a teenage girl.     When I was 13, I loved unicorns and then when I was 16, my interest turned to whales.   Until I was 39, I received at least one whale or unicorn item from my mother.   I don’t know where she found them, but every year, they were guaranteed to turn up. She then went through a stage, when everything had some type of fiber optics attached to it. Then, there was the clothing stage.   What 25 year old women wouldn’t want a sweatshirt with birdhouses or fuzzy cats on them? There was one year when something miraculous happened, expecting the usual and preparing myself f

As I mentioned, there are very few bad memories of Christmases past.    I’ve been fortunate; however there are still a few memories that have been less than stellar.   The Bad The first few years after my mom and dad divorced were tough.  One year I would be with my mom in Ontario and then the next year, I would be stuck on a plane as an unaccompanied minor and shuffled off to New Brunswick to spend with my dad.  It wasn’t awful - it just wasn’t what it used to be.  It was different, but with everything you learn to adapt. Then there are the things that when you’re a kid, seem like a huge miscarriage of justice and that you’ve be wronged by the world.   When I was 9, I got a set of walkie-talkies, which would have been a fantastic gift IF I wasn’t an only child who lived in the country, with no friends for miles.  When I was 12, I was dying for a 10 speed bike - a guy’s, blue, 10 speed bike.  What I got was a girl’s, pink, 10 speed bike with a basket.  I was mortif

As the spirit of the season is upon us - the season of giving, family, alcohol, friends and those warm and fuzzy feelings, I’ve started to reflect upon Christmases past – the good, the bad, and the ugly. The Good I’m very fortunate to say that all of my Christmases have been good ones.   I can’t recall a holiday celebration that I’ve felt I was short changed in any way. Don’t get me wrong – they certainly wouldn’t qualify as being up to the old-time standards of Norman Rockwell or “It’s a good thing” perfection of Martha Stewart, but each one has created a unique memory of its own. J and I were engaged on Christmas in 1987.   It wasn’t as romantic as it could have been, but that wasn’t his fault.   He tried to get me alone for hours, but my extended family of younger cousins weren’t getting the hint and tailed us all day until he finally gave up and got down on one knee in front of a crowd of 15 plus family members.    That man

  Holy hell, it’s been forever since I’ve had any random thoughts.   Okay, okay – all my thoughts are technically random, it’s just been forever since I’ve wrote them down. I’ve failed at Christmas shopping this year.   Everyone has something under the tree, but in my opinion the purchases aren’t as good as they’ve been in the past.   I certainly won’t win any “You’ve Wowed Me Awards” and honestly, I don’t really care.   To those on my Christmas list - take that! I’m now into my 4 th week of work at the “new place” and I’m still not sure what to think.    Things are far more disorganized than I could have possibly imagined and while it’s my job to get things in order, I’m finding that it’s overwhelming me (which is unusual).   I like organization and process, but I can’t seem to find any of that here and I’m starting from scratch on a lot of things.   In my heart, I know I’ve made the right decision, but it’s going to take me so

The weekend has been a blur and I know I'm not alone when I say, the holiday season is sucking the life out of me and of course my wallet.  Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays - I just don't like the panic and anxiety it causes in everyone around me, because sooner or later, a little is bound to rub off. It was J's birthday this weekend, so yesterday we set off to celebrate by going to a movie and then dinner and then because I had too much wine with dinner, I decided to get in some last minute Christmas shopping.  Yes, I went to the mall!  It's be years since I've been to the mall this close to Christmas and now I know why - the people. I don't know how to explain it, but last night I found the mall to be the most depressing place on earth - the looks of panic on people's faces, the picked over shelves, the screaming children (and parents), the rudeness of people trying to find parking spots, everything about it was horrible.  I went wi

I'm undecided - I can't decide if I'm grossed out by this or fascinated.  I think it might be the latter.

It’s Day 2 of Snowmageddon.    No, I’m not being dramatic – it’s a FACT.   Mother Nature is blessing us with a Winter Wonderland, but I’m still left wondering what’s so fantastic about snow, cold weather, whiteouts and ridiculous drivers. By the end of day yesterday, we had received a whopping 80 cm or approximately 31 inches of snow.   Today, we are expecting another 50 cm or an additional 19 inches of snow.   The end of the world is coming. Yesterday, I donned my toque (remember last year's lesson on Canadian clothing), mittens and boots and ventured forth to work.   Only to be told, we were closing early. Today, I ventured forth again.   Upon arriving to work, I find there were less people there today than there were yesterday and most of the ones that didn’t show up actually live within the city.   Once again, we were told we were closing early.   My boss was surprised to see that I made it.   I blunt

I never thought I'd say it, but I love me a good snow storm.  Let me add a caveat - I love a good snow day when I can actually stay at home. I headed out to work this morning in a snow storm - the first big one for my area of Southwestern Ontario.  I'm pretty fearless when it comes to driving in the snow, so it has to be pretty awful for me to contemplate not going to work (unless of course, I just need a day to myself).  However since I just started the new job, calling in due to the weather was not an option. Keep in mind that I commute from the "country" to the "city", which typically takes approximately 45 minutes.  Today it took me an hour and a half and when I arrived, the parking lot wasn't plowed, nor were the sidewalks cleaned.  I trudged through snow drifts that were past my knees to get into the building (which wasn't that big of a deal considering I'm only 5'2").  Don't judge - it still took some effort. Anyh

Here are some photos from my first craft show.  I re-purposed the doors, which I found at a yard sale for $5 by cutting them in half and painting them.  I made the table clothes myself and those of you that have been around for a while know how much of a challenge that would have been for me.  To sum it up, sewing sucks. Over all I was happy with the booth turnout.  I received some comments on how good it looked from other vendors and even a few from other jewelry makers.  

Get your minds out of the gutter - I mean Internet Nazis.  But, just in case your wondering, those are real too. Fact. Internet Nazis are real.  They aren’t mythical creatures or the stuff urban legends are based upon to keep employees engaged in real work and motivated by fear to stay the hell off of Facebook. My new place of employment has blocked all websites of interest to me – including Blogger, my blog, Gmail, Google Reader, Facebook, Amazon and Best Buy.  Do they not understand that I can’t possibly function under these circumstances? I do 80% of all my Christmas shopping online.  How the hell am I expected to do my Christmas shopping now?  Am I now expected to go to the dreaded mall? WTH?  I don’t even know where to start.  The mall means parking lots, crowded spaces, testy people and germs – lots and lots of germs.  Oh, the inhumanity of it all….Grrr… So please understand my absence from your blogs during the day.  Rest assured, I still care -

As I mentioned yesterday, my first craft show when pretty well.  Thanks for all of your comments – at least I know my bloggy friends are supportive of me.  Do you smell some bitterness in the air? Well, I wasn’t going to blog/whine about it BUT I’m pissed and need to vent somewhere.  So here goes – not a single member of my family or a single one of my physical “friends” bothered to show up at the show to lend their support or to just say "hi".    I recognize that this is a busy time of year, but regardless – I would have made time for them and HAVE made time for them on NUMEROUS occasions – no excuses.  I’ve lent support in everything from attending stupid candle parties, cooking for retirement parties, hosting surprise parties, to being there through a failing marriage, to flying from Arizona back to Canada on a weekend to be at a friend’s wedding, to flying to the Caribbean to surprise another friend on her 40 th birthday.   I’ve done a

Well, I've successfully managed to survive my first craft show.  I might be a little less sane then I was on Friday, but I'm alive.  J deserves an award for his patience and support throughout this whole thing.  He sat with me for two whole days and didn't complain once.  I'm sure he's saving his IOU for moment probably in the not too distant future... The show ran both Saturday and Sunday and it was quite large.  Although there were a lot of shoppers, the buyers were hit and miss.  As with anything, a person's taste are their own and what appeals to one does not appeal to all.  I get that. All in all, I'm happy with how it all turned out.  I made enough money to cover my show expenses, with a little left over.  The best part was the exposure and the positive feedback I received - both on my booth and my jewelry.  At the moment, life is good.  Now I can concentrate of getting some Christmas shopping done.  

Sorry folks,  I've been so consumed with the new job and my upcoming craft show and of course, I have the excuse of being Canadian and it's therefore not a holiday for me, that I almost forgot what day it is.  I know, what the hell, was I thinking. So, without further adieu... BTW, I picked that up from my time spent with a Shakespearean festival here in Canada (located in the town  made famous by that stupid dumb ass Bieber kid).  Anyhoodle.... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I'm sure you all have something to be thankful for and if you don't, be thankful that your not Justin Bieber....or Charlie Sheen.

I love my office – you know it's one of those things with a door and a window.  Apart from the filing cabinets, it’s pretty sparse so far, but over time I’ll try to introduce some of “me” to the mix.  I have an unhealthy collection of fridge magnets which would go nicely on my shiny new 4 drawer filing cabinet or perhaps my bobble head flamingo will go nicely on the corner of my desk.  Only time will tell how much of me I choose to let show…   The people seem genuinely nice.  The majority of them are long, long, long time employees, so it can’t be all that bad of a place to work.  I haven’t found one person that has irritated me today, so that’s a plus.    There is an awesome cafeteria here, equipped with an ice cream vending machine.  Oooyaaaa…  Okay, so there isn’t a beer keg or ping pong table, but I’m sure I’ll manage.   I think the work will keep me busy and entertained - once I figure out what that work might actually be.  I&

Sorry I haven't been around much lately.  No excuses - just life. I start my new job tomorrow, so I doubt I will have any time to blog at work (at least not tomorrow) *wink*. Anyhow since I don't seem to have the time to form a complete train of thought, I'll leave you with this quote I read on a greeting card... "Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you." It's good...I wish I'd though of it...

Hi Folks, J and I have returned from the Dominican Republic and once again, had a fantastic time.  Pictures will come soon... I'm off for another week before the new job begins, but life is really hectic at the moment, as I have just one week left to prepare for my first jewelry/craft show.  I thought I was in pretty good shape before we went on holidays, but it appears that my judgment was clouded - that and I sold six pieces yesterday. So, without further adieu, I must get back to my sweat shop.  My fingers are starting to cramp...

Well, the day has finally arrived - it's my last day of work here and of course when I want to slack and skip out early, it ends up being my busiest day in the last 2 years.  Oh well...such is life. My co-worker, Miss Daisy (not her real name), made me a cake - a naughty cake.  She's a saucy girl and I'm going to miss her.  I'm sure you'll have no problem figuring out what this is.  Oh and as a bonus, you get a photo of me too - so sorry for your luck (no refunds).

I have two tattoos.   One is of a lighthouse and one is of a dolphin – both are on my inner ankles.    I’m certainly not ashamed of them, but felt their locations on the inner ankle provided the best spot for combating future sagginess and of course, discretion.    You might wonder why I’m concerned about discretion if I’m not ashamed of them.    Well, regardless of who I am on in the inside, I work in a semi-professional work environment and instead of being judged by my abilities and talent, I’m judged by my looks, what I wear and how I act.   We all are… Unfortunately, we all have to hide some of who we are in order to get ahead in life, to fit in or be accepted by the general population.   It’s not a fact that I like or accept, but it’s a fact that I deal with.   We all do…  These hidden pieces of ourselves… are called secrets.  Everybody has at least one. Guess what?   I’m getting another tattoo, but don’t tell anyone – especially my new boss. Some things are bett

I’m generally a good person.  I’m kind to my friends, family and most of my co-workers.  I don’t kick puppies or kittens and I give to charity.  So what the hell have I done to deserve Tropical Storm/Depression Tomas?D Did Mother Nature not get my memo that I would be heading to the Caribbean in 5 days?  WTH?  Haiti certainly doesn't need another natural disaster either. I’ve said it before (and will likely say it again) – Mother Nature is a cruel and hurtful bitch…

Guess What?  It's that time again - a time to randomize your thoughts and confirm to the world how crazy you actually are.  Now, you can thank The Un Mom for hosting this loonie extravanganza... I burnt the roof of my mouth and tongue yesterday and it is still numb and fuzzy today.   That’s what I get for letting myself become famished and then scarfing down my lunch fresh out of the microwave. I’ve had a kink in my neck and shoulder for the last month that I cannot get rid of.   I’ve been going to the chiropractor once a week since it started and have spent a small fortune in Icy Hot Neck Patches and Robaxacet but it’s just not going away.   Grrr… Only 4 more days (including today) that I will be working at my current job and 3 out of the 4 days, I’m being treated to lunch by co-workers and my boss.    Now, I just need to find someone to take me to lunch today… J and I leave for Samana, Dominican Republic on Monday.   This will be our 5 th trip