I thought this would be a neat post to do, and thought long and hard about what I wanted to wish for. So here goes:
- 2 Front Teeth. For Anthony, who lost his other front tooth last week and refuses to sing that silly song. LOL.
- Tolerance, for those that have none.
- Patience, also for those who have none.
- A new home for all of us, with a yard. I love the smell of fresh cut grass, and promise to faithfully mow the lawn whenever it needs it. I also seem to remember something in one of Carrie's blogs about the proper way to mow the lawn, according to her Dad, and may have to look that up. LOL.
- Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Nuff said.
- A winning lottery ticket.
- Enough money to support my quest of finding said winning lottery ticket.
- Enough money to afford a new home in which to purchase said winning lottery ticket.
- A day of fun and frivolity with the kids, where everyone has fun and wants to do it all over again. I have a plan in mind for this .. Ill let you know how it goes.
- A month of Sundays, all of them non-working. Sigh.
I can't think of anymore ... but you get the idea. Happy Christmas !!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
We Qualify !!
For our First Mortgage !! OMG!
When Andy phoned me at work to tell me, I just about fell over. Really. I thought we would, but actually knowing was such a HUGE relief. We're thinking that we still want to get rid of a few bills (car loans) before then, and that will put us in a better position down the road, but the stability of our jobs, and the fact we've never missed a payment on anything was the clincher.
So now we have the fun of searching for a house. I told Andy to make a list of 'needs' and 'wants'. We 'need' at least 3 bedrooms. We 'want' a decent sized yard to have a garden in. You get the idea.
I can't wait to choose paint and put it on the wall. I can't wait to choose flooring and install it myself. I can't wait to have a garden, and plant flowers in a flowerbed, instead of just a window box. I can't wait to invite everyone over and have a barbeque and roast marhsmallows over the fire pit. I can't wait to plant Anthony's grade one spruce tree into our yard so we can watch it grow along with him.
I just can't wait ....
When Andy phoned me at work to tell me, I just about fell over. Really. I thought we would, but actually knowing was such a HUGE relief. We're thinking that we still want to get rid of a few bills (car loans) before then, and that will put us in a better position down the road, but the stability of our jobs, and the fact we've never missed a payment on anything was the clincher.
So now we have the fun of searching for a house. I told Andy to make a list of 'needs' and 'wants'. We 'need' at least 3 bedrooms. We 'want' a decent sized yard to have a garden in. You get the idea.
I can't wait to choose paint and put it on the wall. I can't wait to choose flooring and install it myself. I can't wait to have a garden, and plant flowers in a flowerbed, instead of just a window box. I can't wait to invite everyone over and have a barbeque and roast marhsmallows over the fire pit. I can't wait to plant Anthony's grade one spruce tree into our yard so we can watch it grow along with him.
I just can't wait ....
Monday, December 04, 2006
Did you know .... ?
- ... The offer to buy our apartment had to be in on November 30? They gave us 3 DAYS to see if we could come up with the $$$ before they started showing our suite ! The first people to look at it so far, left their GARBAGE COFFEE CUPS on my kitchen table ! The second people to look at it came in when we were setting up our Christmas tree over the weekend. They came in and left just as quick. "Wow, the carpet is really old ....." I can't wait to be out of here.
- ... There is a Federal Government program for first time home buyers? It will let you double your down payment, and in some cases WRITE IT OFF AS TAX DEDUCTIBLE ! We have an app't to talk to the Realtor who's site we found it on. We have enough for our downpayment, we figured it out over the weekend. Between RRSP money and a gift from a friend, we are ready to go ! Yay!
- ... It is impossible to lick your elbow ?
- ... Elephants are the only mammal to have 4 knees ?
- ... Stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS ? Hmmmmm desserts .... be right back !!
- ... There is a Federal Government program for first time home buyers? It will let you double your down payment, and in some cases WRITE IT OFF AS TAX DEDUCTIBLE ! We have an app't to talk to the Realtor who's site we found it on. We have enough for our downpayment, we figured it out over the weekend. Between RRSP money and a gift from a friend, we are ready to go ! Yay!
- ... It is impossible to lick your elbow ?
- ... Elephants are the only mammal to have 4 knees ?
- ... Stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS ? Hmmmmm desserts .... be right back !!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Be It Ever So Humble ....
Main Entry: con·do·min·i·um
Pronunciation: "kän-d&-'mi-nE-&m
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -iums also con·do·min·ia /-nE-&/
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin com- + dominium domain
3 a : individual ownership of a unit in a multiunit structure (as an apartment building) or on land owned in common (as a town house complex); also : a unit so owned b : a building containing condominiums
Main Entry: mort·gage
Pronunciation: 'mor-gij
Function: noun
1 : a conveyance of or lien against property (as for securing a loan) that becomes void upon payment or performance according to stipulated terms. Also known as the money that one pays out to live in the aforementioned definition of condo.
That's right. Our apartment building was sold last month. The new owner seemed like a nice enough guy. Until last night when our building manager John came upstairs to tell us that our new owner is "selling" his apartments for investor properties. In other words, the building is going condo. Merry Christmas boys and girls.
We have first option of buying our apartment, at a "fair market value", and as much as we were looking to get into a mortgage in the first place, this wasn't where we wanted to do it. Of course, we don't want to have to move in the middle of winter either. Nothing will happen without 3 months notice anyway, the rent won't change, and they can't make us move before then. If we don't buy, then we could get some new owner who wants our suite, or won't fix anything, or half a dozen other possibilities we can think of. (And have ... mostly in the wee hours of the morning.)
So back to the fair market value thing. We have a 3 bedroom apartment, on an upper floor, with a balcony. It's a big space, I would estimate it at 1200 sq.ft. I'm betting on $200,000. The apartment we used to live in downstairs is a 2 bdrm that is now on the block for $147,000. I think I will revise my estimate to $225,000. There's some repairs that need to be done, maybe that will reduce the value a little. I don't know.
Andy was so upset last night, he didn't even eat his dinner. He tends to look at the absolute worst side of things first, a "the-glass-is-EMPTY" kind of guy, and nothing I could say or do last night would persuade him otherwise. He has reason to worry, we are paying off 2 vehicles right now. Plus other assorted expenses. Will we qualify for a mortgage? Do we have enough saved for a down payment? Apartments are scarce right now, with the vacancy rate the lowest its been in 20 years.
Then there will be condo fees too. Sigh.
Pronunciation: "kän-d&-'mi-nE-&m
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -iums also con·do·min·ia /-nE-&/
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin com- + dominium domain
3 a : individual ownership of a unit in a multiunit structure (as an apartment building) or on land owned in common (as a town house complex); also : a unit so owned b : a building containing condominiums
Main Entry: mort·gage
Pronunciation: 'mor-gij
Function: noun
1 : a conveyance of or lien against property (as for securing a loan) that becomes void upon payment or performance according to stipulated terms. Also known as the money that one pays out to live in the aforementioned definition of condo.
That's right. Our apartment building was sold last month. The new owner seemed like a nice enough guy. Until last night when our building manager John came upstairs to tell us that our new owner is "selling" his apartments for investor properties. In other words, the building is going condo. Merry Christmas boys and girls.
We have first option of buying our apartment, at a "fair market value", and as much as we were looking to get into a mortgage in the first place, this wasn't where we wanted to do it. Of course, we don't want to have to move in the middle of winter either. Nothing will happen without 3 months notice anyway, the rent won't change, and they can't make us move before then. If we don't buy, then we could get some new owner who wants our suite, or won't fix anything, or half a dozen other possibilities we can think of. (And have ... mostly in the wee hours of the morning.)
So back to the fair market value thing. We have a 3 bedroom apartment, on an upper floor, with a balcony. It's a big space, I would estimate it at 1200 sq.ft. I'm betting on $200,000. The apartment we used to live in downstairs is a 2 bdrm that is now on the block for $147,000. I think I will revise my estimate to $225,000. There's some repairs that need to be done, maybe that will reduce the value a little. I don't know.
Andy was so upset last night, he didn't even eat his dinner. He tends to look at the absolute worst side of things first, a "the-glass-is-EMPTY" kind of guy, and nothing I could say or do last night would persuade him otherwise. He has reason to worry, we are paying off 2 vehicles right now. Plus other assorted expenses. Will we qualify for a mortgage? Do we have enough saved for a down payment? Apartments are scarce right now, with the vacancy rate the lowest its been in 20 years.
Then there will be condo fees too. Sigh.
Friday, November 10, 2006
My Five Bucks
This is the funniest post I will ever write ... Trust me !!
Ok, so the story goes like this: Gary in hardware (yes Carrie, Grumpy-Old-Gary ...), comes to me in the lunchroom one day, and asked me to sign a T&A for him. (A T&A is Home Depot speak for Time and Attendance .. if you forget to punch in or out, or have training you need to fill one in to get paid, and it needs to be signed by a manager.)
I told him I had no problem signing it .... for Five Bucks. He laughed and said put it on my tab, I'll pay you later. I'm not worried I know where he works. (He knew I was kidding ... or so I thought).
So yesterday he comes to work, with this Cat-ate-the-Canary look on his face, and he was carrying a box. He hands me a little card, and says read this before you look in the box. The card looked like this:
And inside reads:
Tracy,
A while ago I asked you to sign a T&A for me. You stuck out your hand and said "five bucks!". Well here they are! Of course they are the short Italian ones. Watch out for "Ruldolpho" (the one with the red nose). He tends to get into the "Christmas Cheer" (Chianti) a bit to much for his own good!
Gary S.
And this was what was in the box:
My Five "Bucks" !! He made my day -- I laughed so hard, and I showed them to everyone! Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. He made them all himself, and totally surprised me -- I can't wait to fill them up with Christmas Candy and leave them all over the house.
Ok, so the story goes like this: Gary in hardware (yes Carrie, Grumpy-Old-Gary ...), comes to me in the lunchroom one day, and asked me to sign a T&A for him. (A T&A is Home Depot speak for Time and Attendance .. if you forget to punch in or out, or have training you need to fill one in to get paid, and it needs to be signed by a manager.)
I told him I had no problem signing it .... for Five Bucks. He laughed and said put it on my tab, I'll pay you later. I'm not worried I know where he works. (He knew I was kidding ... or so I thought).
So yesterday he comes to work, with this Cat-ate-the-Canary look on his face, and he was carrying a box. He hands me a little card, and says read this before you look in the box. The card looked like this:
And inside reads:
Tracy,
A while ago I asked you to sign a T&A for me. You stuck out your hand and said "five bucks!". Well here they are! Of course they are the short Italian ones. Watch out for "Ruldolpho" (the one with the red nose). He tends to get into the "Christmas Cheer" (Chianti) a bit to much for his own good!
Gary S.
And this was what was in the box:
My Five "Bucks" !! He made my day -- I laughed so hard, and I showed them to everyone! Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. He made them all himself, and totally surprised me -- I can't wait to fill them up with Christmas Candy and leave them all over the house.
Update on Mom
Being busy at work is fun and not so fun.
It tends to take away from blog-updating time. It also makes it hard to visit Mom in the hospital.
My sister Erin and I took Mom in (finally!) for her cancer surgery on the 26th. We got her all checked in and settled, and then we helped to get her prepped for surgery. The Nurse was so great, we even had some laughs before they took Mom in. The nurse had to find the pulse in Mom's foot and mark it so they could monitor it throughout the surgery, and she wasn't having any luck finding it with her stethoscope, so she went and got one of those portable machines that you listen to baby's heartbeats with. I whispered to Erin it would be funny if a little voice came over the speaker saying something like "no habla espanol...", and I was laughing so hard after I said it I had to leave the room. Erin was so disgusted with me. She doesn't like hospitals much, she spent so much time in them when she was a kid.
They took Mom in about 9am, and said they would call us when she was out of Surgery. So we went for breakfast .... downtown. We left the car at the U of A and took the LRT to Edmonton Center. I can't remember the last time I was downtown! When we got back to the hospital, we checked in with Admitting to see if Mom had a room yet, and she did so we went up to the ward. She hadn't come up from Surgery yet, so we waited in the visiting area just outside. And waited. And waited.
She didn't come upstairs until almost 3:30, because she kept falling asleep in the recovery room and making the monitors go all funny. She had a spinal aenesthesia, so she was awake throughout the procedure. At least she wasn't sick afterwards, which usually happens if they put her right under. (If I was her, I would have said "ouch" sometime during the operation to see if they were listening.) Tee hee hee.
She had a basal cell carcinoma removed from her lower right leg, and a skin graft from higher on the same leg to cover the area where the cancer was. It looks really cool! (I know -- how could I say that?) I remember before the surgery her legs were always so swollen, afterwards her blood pressure has levelled out and her legs look back to normal! She even has ankles!
She came home on Tuesday after 10 days, and she has a walker to help her build up her strength, and home care comes everyday to changes her dressings. I'm so glad this is all over with !! The cancer was really starting to pollute her system, it hadn't spread, but Mom says she feels better now overall. And I know she'll be around a lot longer now ... :-) !
The busy at work part ?? Oh my god! It's been a zoo! Our free underpad carpet promo was over on Oct 22, and it helped us have our biggest week EVER! We had a day where Flooring did just over $40k, and it helped us finish the week at $140k ! (So I am now on the plus side for sales YTD, erasing the negative Numbers we were in. Yay!). Installs for the week finished just shy of $80k. YTD we are over $100k. I think we may make $2 million this year in labor sales. Can you believe it ?!
It tends to take away from blog-updating time. It also makes it hard to visit Mom in the hospital.
My sister Erin and I took Mom in (finally!) for her cancer surgery on the 26th. We got her all checked in and settled, and then we helped to get her prepped for surgery. The Nurse was so great, we even had some laughs before they took Mom in. The nurse had to find the pulse in Mom's foot and mark it so they could monitor it throughout the surgery, and she wasn't having any luck finding it with her stethoscope, so she went and got one of those portable machines that you listen to baby's heartbeats with. I whispered to Erin it would be funny if a little voice came over the speaker saying something like "no habla espanol...", and I was laughing so hard after I said it I had to leave the room. Erin was so disgusted with me. She doesn't like hospitals much, she spent so much time in them when she was a kid.
They took Mom in about 9am, and said they would call us when she was out of Surgery. So we went for breakfast .... downtown. We left the car at the U of A and took the LRT to Edmonton Center. I can't remember the last time I was downtown! When we got back to the hospital, we checked in with Admitting to see if Mom had a room yet, and she did so we went up to the ward. She hadn't come up from Surgery yet, so we waited in the visiting area just outside. And waited. And waited.
She didn't come upstairs until almost 3:30, because she kept falling asleep in the recovery room and making the monitors go all funny. She had a spinal aenesthesia, so she was awake throughout the procedure. At least she wasn't sick afterwards, which usually happens if they put her right under. (If I was her, I would have said "ouch" sometime during the operation to see if they were listening.) Tee hee hee.
She had a basal cell carcinoma removed from her lower right leg, and a skin graft from higher on the same leg to cover the area where the cancer was. It looks really cool! (I know -- how could I say that?) I remember before the surgery her legs were always so swollen, afterwards her blood pressure has levelled out and her legs look back to normal! She even has ankles!
She came home on Tuesday after 10 days, and she has a walker to help her build up her strength, and home care comes everyday to changes her dressings. I'm so glad this is all over with !! The cancer was really starting to pollute her system, it hadn't spread, but Mom says she feels better now overall. And I know she'll be around a lot longer now ... :-) !
The busy at work part ?? Oh my god! It's been a zoo! Our free underpad carpet promo was over on Oct 22, and it helped us have our biggest week EVER! We had a day where Flooring did just over $40k, and it helped us finish the week at $140k ! (So I am now on the plus side for sales YTD, erasing the negative Numbers we were in. Yay!). Installs for the week finished just shy of $80k. YTD we are over $100k. I think we may make $2 million this year in labor sales. Can you believe it ?!
This was Halloween at our house ...
Anthony was "Mr. Incredible".
Lisa was the Monster from "Scream".
Artemis was his usual self.
And I was the pumpkin ... LOL!
The kids had a blast even though it was so cold. We ran into some of their friends and they stayed out for almost 3 hours. A stop at Tim Horton's on the way home for Hot Chocolate and that was it. Hopefully it won't be as cold next year ... !
Lisa was the Monster from "Scream".
Artemis was his usual self.
And I was the pumpkin ... LOL!
The kids had a blast even though it was so cold. We ran into some of their friends and they stayed out for almost 3 hours. A stop at Tim Horton's on the way home for Hot Chocolate and that was it. Hopefully it won't be as cold next year ... !
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I Came ThisClose To Winning the Lottery ....
... on my birthday. The numbers for the Super 7 were:
10 16 23 24 27 33 46 Bonus 25
My ticket looked like this:
After I circled the fourth number, I had to put the ticket down. When I looked again, I saw I only had the four numbers, but was close on the other ones. What a birthday present that would have been !!!
10 16 23 24 27 33 46 Bonus 25
My ticket looked like this:
After I circled the fourth number, I had to put the ticket down. When I looked again, I saw I only had the four numbers, but was close on the other ones. What a birthday present that would have been !!!
Friday, October 06, 2006
It's My Birthday today ...
I'm 39 for the FIRST time.
The funny thing is, I don't feel old. I don't know how to explain it. When you think of someone saying they're 39, it makes you go "wow, they're old!". I fully agree with people when they say age is just a number. It really is. I may be 39 in actuality, but some days I'm 12 playing pranks on people, and on the days where something happens, someone you love leaves you, then I'm in my 60's and just want to sleep. Know what I mean ?
When I put on a pink shirt, and some makeup to go out with friends, I'm 16 and full of mischief, you never know what will happen when you hang out with your friends. When I go out for a walk to crunch the leaves under my shoes (because fall is the best time of the year!), I'm reflective and remember how many times I've done it before, so I'm older.
I love where I am in my life, and I love how I got here. I would do everything the same, because I have awesome friends, and a family I love. Everything happens to shape the person you are or will become. My favorite quote is this: Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. (Anais Nin) It kind of sums it all up doesn't it?
I've decided I'm going to have my pumpkin pie early, instead of birthday cake. (Who am I kidding ?!?! .... I know I'm going to have my cake too !!) I can't wait for what this year will bring. As I move from my 30's into my 40's, my inner self might make it to 20. :-)
The funny thing is, I don't feel old. I don't know how to explain it. When you think of someone saying they're 39, it makes you go "wow, they're old!". I fully agree with people when they say age is just a number. It really is. I may be 39 in actuality, but some days I'm 12 playing pranks on people, and on the days where something happens, someone you love leaves you, then I'm in my 60's and just want to sleep. Know what I mean ?
When I put on a pink shirt, and some makeup to go out with friends, I'm 16 and full of mischief, you never know what will happen when you hang out with your friends. When I go out for a walk to crunch the leaves under my shoes (because fall is the best time of the year!), I'm reflective and remember how many times I've done it before, so I'm older.
I love where I am in my life, and I love how I got here. I would do everything the same, because I have awesome friends, and a family I love. Everything happens to shape the person you are or will become. My favorite quote is this: Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. (Anais Nin) It kind of sums it all up doesn't it?
I've decided I'm going to have my pumpkin pie early, instead of birthday cake. (Who am I kidding ?!?! .... I know I'm going to have my cake too !!) I can't wait for what this year will bring. As I move from my 30's into my 40's, my inner self might make it to 20. :-)
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Happy Anniversary to Us
It's our Anniversary today - We have been married for 17 years. Wow!
September 9, 1989. It was an overcast Saturday. Clouds were threatening to rain (and they did - but later, that's part of the story). I was still living with my Mom and sister just off 127th street, but I had moved most of my things into our new place on 124th street. I got up around 8 to do the last minutes things, get my hair done, get Andy to go get the flowers etc. My sister brought me coffee, and a card that said "On Your Wedding Day", that made me cry and still does everytime I read it.
Our wedding was at 2pm, and it was very small and intimate. Family and close friends, some from my work, some from Andy's and neighbors that had watched us grow up. Did I tell you I've known him since I was 7? LOL. Back to the story. There was about 30 people in all. My sisters friends drove me to the Church (in between bouts of rain) and we were there with time to spare.
The Priest we had had all of our meetings with was a nice Irish man, Father Cunningham. He phoned me the morning of the wedding to let me know that he had been called out of town on a family emergency, and another priest was going to marry us, Father Cordeaux. He was more upset than I was, but I told him I understood and all was well.
My sister was my bridesmaid, my best friend was my Maid of Honor, and Andy's Brother and Best Friend stood up for him. I didn't have anyone walk me down the aisle, and I remember wishing how much my Dad was still alive so he could have had the honor. I think he was there with me in spirit though.
After we said our vows, and our prayers, (there was no mass since I'm not catholic), we lit our candle together, and signed the register before he pronounced us Man and Wife. No sooner were the words out of his mouth, than it started to HAIL. It echoed on all of the stained glass panels in the roof, and EVERYONE looked up at the ceiling. My sister turns to me and says "It's the wrath of God!" It was hilarious! Our photographer, just at that moment, snapped a pic of our wedding party at the front of the church trying not to laugh.
The church we got married in is attached to a Senior's home with beautiful indoor gardens, and that's where we took our pictures. Then we went to the Edmonton Inn where we had a quick brunch, just the wedding party, before heading home to take some more pictures and have our reception. We had family, neighbors and close friends all come over for a buffet dinner that my Mom and Andy's Mom put together. We didn't want to rent a hall and then have to worry about cleaning up after, this was more fun.
So where are we now ? 17 years later, we have 2 great kids, careers we can live with and we're looking at finally getting into a house. We have some great old friends we've stayed close to, and have met some great new friends along the way. Would I change anything or do anything different? Nope. I married the man who knows me best (and likes me anyway!), and I'm looking forward to the NEXT 17 years.
Did I tell you I've known him since I was 7 ? That's another story ....
September 9, 1989. It was an overcast Saturday. Clouds were threatening to rain (and they did - but later, that's part of the story). I was still living with my Mom and sister just off 127th street, but I had moved most of my things into our new place on 124th street. I got up around 8 to do the last minutes things, get my hair done, get Andy to go get the flowers etc. My sister brought me coffee, and a card that said "On Your Wedding Day", that made me cry and still does everytime I read it.
Our wedding was at 2pm, and it was very small and intimate. Family and close friends, some from my work, some from Andy's and neighbors that had watched us grow up. Did I tell you I've known him since I was 7? LOL. Back to the story. There was about 30 people in all. My sisters friends drove me to the Church (in between bouts of rain) and we were there with time to spare.
The Priest we had had all of our meetings with was a nice Irish man, Father Cunningham. He phoned me the morning of the wedding to let me know that he had been called out of town on a family emergency, and another priest was going to marry us, Father Cordeaux. He was more upset than I was, but I told him I understood and all was well.
My sister was my bridesmaid, my best friend was my Maid of Honor, and Andy's Brother and Best Friend stood up for him. I didn't have anyone walk me down the aisle, and I remember wishing how much my Dad was still alive so he could have had the honor. I think he was there with me in spirit though.
After we said our vows, and our prayers, (there was no mass since I'm not catholic), we lit our candle together, and signed the register before he pronounced us Man and Wife. No sooner were the words out of his mouth, than it started to HAIL. It echoed on all of the stained glass panels in the roof, and EVERYONE looked up at the ceiling. My sister turns to me and says "It's the wrath of God!" It was hilarious! Our photographer, just at that moment, snapped a pic of our wedding party at the front of the church trying not to laugh.
The church we got married in is attached to a Senior's home with beautiful indoor gardens, and that's where we took our pictures. Then we went to the Edmonton Inn where we had a quick brunch, just the wedding party, before heading home to take some more pictures and have our reception. We had family, neighbors and close friends all come over for a buffet dinner that my Mom and Andy's Mom put together. We didn't want to rent a hall and then have to worry about cleaning up after, this was more fun.
So where are we now ? 17 years later, we have 2 great kids, careers we can live with and we're looking at finally getting into a house. We have some great old friends we've stayed close to, and have met some great new friends along the way. Would I change anything or do anything different? Nope. I married the man who knows me best (and likes me anyway!), and I'm looking forward to the NEXT 17 years.
Did I tell you I've known him since I was 7 ? That's another story ....
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Note to self ....
Figure out the RIGHT way to post links to what you want people to read. Grrrrrrrrrr.
Stupid computer.
Stupid computer.
Today
... was an interesting day. Just in general. I caught up with an old friend, reached out to a new friend via a current friend, and found out I'll have to say goodbye to someone who's become a friend over the last year.
Intrigued? Read on ....
As I was cleaning out my hotmail that I had been neglecting for a few days (me? neglect mail?), I came across one fromClassmates that said I had new mail. I opened it up and there was a message from someone I went to elementary school with! We had got together a couple of years ago, and had lost touch since then, but have been emailing furiously back and forth to make up for lost time. Her family took my sister and I in when my Mom had to have surgery away back when. We had no one else to stay with, and since we all went to school together, it made sense. She lives in Calgary and works for one of the Oil companies down there, I'm not sure which one. Hopefully we can arrange to get together soon .. I have some holidays coming up and since the kids will be in school and Andy at work - it's the perfect time to go.
My new friend is someone I've met before, at Carrie's wedding. Her name is Amy. Carrie sent out a questionaire a few days ago via email, and when I filled out mine I emailed it to whom she sent hers. I got a reply from Amy asking "is this the Tracy from Depot? If not, who the heck are you ??" So I emailed back to say yes it was me, and she could email me back anytime. I was going to send her somePtarmigan recipes, but she said she had been sent a couple already. Apparently they like to fly into the side of your vehicle and lay on the road dead. One of the responses to Amy's questionaire asked if anyone had any good recipes for that and for Caribou so hopefully she finds one she can use. She's "Up North" in the "Frozen Tundra" so we'll have to email her lots of stuff to keep her occupied.
The friend I have to say goodbye to? Rob - our HR Manager at work. Over the last year he has been a listening post, advice dispenser, "is this really what you want to do" guy, lot attendant, how-come-no-one-saved-any-cake-for-me? guy, all over the district guy, and someone who I felt totally comfortable with just walking into his office unannounced and flopping in a chair. He's been promoted to District HRM for all of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan ! He's originally from the center of the universe also known as the Greater Toronto Area, and will be working out of the Store Support Center there. WAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
I mean that in a good way though. Change is inevitable. The more you resist, the worse it gets. So that was my day at work. I wonder what will happen tomorrow ....
Intrigued? Read on ....
As I was cleaning out my hotmail that I had been neglecting for a few days (me? neglect mail?), I came across one from
My new friend is someone I've met before, at Carrie's wedding. Her name is Amy. Carrie sent out a questionaire a few days ago via email, and when I filled out mine I emailed it to whom she sent hers. I got a reply from Amy asking "is this the Tracy from Depot? If not, who the heck are you ??" So I emailed back to say yes it was me, and she could email me back anytime. I was going to send her some
The friend I have to say goodbye to? Rob - our HR Manager at work. Over the last year he has been a listening post, advice dispenser, "is this really what you want to do" guy, lot attendant, how-come-no-one-saved-any-cake-for-me? guy, all over the district guy, and someone who I felt totally comfortable with just walking into his office unannounced and flopping in a chair. He's been promoted to District HRM for all of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan ! He's originally from the center of the universe also known as the Greater Toronto Area, and will be working out of the Store Support Center there. WAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
I mean that in a good way though. Change is inevitable. The more you resist, the worse it gets. So that was my day at work. I wonder what will happen tomorrow ....
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Back to the Flooring Dept ...
Well, I am back in Flooring, as of this Monday. I'm exhausted !!
I'm not used to doing manual labor anymore ... (that's what i've been calling it all week.) I told one of the girls in the office I was going to have to charge all my shower gel/soap back to HD, since I shower before AND after work for the last few days. But I have to say the department hasn't been this clean for a long time !
My first order of business is to get the showroom cleaned up - so it actuall RESEMBLES a showroom. I washed all the blind pods down, and did all of the displays up to the front of the store where my wallpaper tables are. (That's tomorrow's project!) I have calls into Product Reps to double check samples/displays, etc., and make sure those are all up to date. I have someone repricing all of my carpet samples (something we had asked to be done in February), and I even managed to clean up some of the displays in the aisles.
I've been able to assign some stuff out as well, and am compiling a list of who-does-what so I can remake aisle assignments and stuff. I have some people that are transferring over from other departments and some that have tranferred to other departments. It's been an interesting few days.
We'll see what tomorrow brings, but for now .... i'm falling asleep at my keyboard ... zzzzzzzzzz ...
I'm not used to doing manual labor anymore ... (that's what i've been calling it all week.) I told one of the girls in the office I was going to have to charge all my shower gel/soap back to HD, since I shower before AND after work for the last few days. But I have to say the department hasn't been this clean for a long time !
My first order of business is to get the showroom cleaned up - so it actuall RESEMBLES a showroom. I washed all the blind pods down, and did all of the displays up to the front of the store where my wallpaper tables are. (That's tomorrow's project!) I have calls into Product Reps to double check samples/displays, etc., and make sure those are all up to date. I have someone repricing all of my carpet samples (something we had asked to be done in February), and I even managed to clean up some of the displays in the aisles.
I've been able to assign some stuff out as well, and am compiling a list of who-does-what so I can remake aisle assignments and stuff. I have some people that are transferring over from other departments and some that have tranferred to other departments. It's been an interesting few days.
We'll see what tomorrow brings, but for now .... i'm falling asleep at my keyboard ... zzzzzzzzzz ...
Friday, August 25, 2006
Today was First Aid Recertification Day ...
Now I can say I am certified for another 3 years. Or certifiable. Take your pick.
It was done through work, and I got to go with Jerret and Keith, 2 of the biggest jokers ever. I am pretty good at starting stuff myself, but these guys laugh at it, and run with it. And I do mean run.
We started off reviewing what to do if someone is choking. As soon as she said the word "choking", I started to giggle. Keith looks at me and gives me the glare of death and whispers "it's not funny ...". I started laughing harder because he was wearing his Maple Leafs Jersey ... and I whispered back to him "in that shirt you should know ALL about choking!" Hahahahahaha .... It makes me laugh just typing that.
He started to laugh too, told me it was a low blow and he would get me back. And he did. It's hard to give rescue breaths to a plastic dummy when someone's whispering "oh yeah baby, come on, blow harder .... " Needless to say it was an interesting day.
When we went for lunch, Jerrest was driving, and he noticed a lady in a car that looked like one of our vendors at work. This lady wears a fanny pack, and has virtually everything you could think of in it. So then we were suggesting things she might be carrying with her (ala Batman). Grappling hooks, shark repellent, tampons, bandaids, bubble gum-shoelaces-tin foil (with with to MacGyver something to perfectly secure a display to the racking), gatorade, nailclippers, boxcutter, paperweight, glue, etc. Bet if you asked her for a pen she wouldn't have one ....
It was done through work, and I got to go with Jerret and Keith, 2 of the biggest jokers ever. I am pretty good at starting stuff myself, but these guys laugh at it, and run with it. And I do mean run.
We started off reviewing what to do if someone is choking. As soon as she said the word "choking", I started to giggle. Keith looks at me and gives me the glare of death and whispers "it's not funny ...". I started laughing harder because he was wearing his Maple Leafs Jersey ... and I whispered back to him "in that shirt you should know ALL about choking!" Hahahahahaha .... It makes me laugh just typing that.
He started to laugh too, told me it was a low blow and he would get me back. And he did. It's hard to give rescue breaths to a plastic dummy when someone's whispering "oh yeah baby, come on, blow harder .... " Needless to say it was an interesting day.
When we went for lunch, Jerrest was driving, and he noticed a lady in a car that looked like one of our vendors at work. This lady wears a fanny pack, and has virtually everything you could think of in it. So then we were suggesting things she might be carrying with her (ala Batman). Grappling hooks, shark repellent, tampons, bandaids, bubble gum-shoelaces-tin foil (with with to MacGyver something to perfectly secure a display to the racking), gatorade, nailclippers, boxcutter, paperweight, glue, etc. Bet if you asked her for a pen she wouldn't have one ....
Thursday, August 24, 2006
I am in Love !!! (Edited ... Pic Added)
Head-over-heels, turn-me-around, knock-me-down, don't-know-which-way-is-up-- L O V E !!!
The object of my affection : Lily.
I got to meet her today, in the flesh, and she is just the sweetest little girl ever. I went over to Carrie's to drop off her R.O.E. while I was on lunch, and she introduced me around her house. First to Miss Persnickity Princess Cat Mookie (who looked at me like I crawled out from under a rock, and then strolled away), then to Leo-cat (who was sleeping and licked my fingers when I touched his nose ..), and then I waved at Bryan and zeroed in on the newest addition.
She was having a snooze on his legs, and she was as relaxed as can be. Bryan called her "Noodle" and honestly, she was like a cooked noodle! She relaxed in my arms, and she just lay there snoozing. I don't want to say she was limp, but she was VERY relaxed. I could just look at her all day. She has the most perfect rosebud lips, and her skin is almost transluscent. She has the cutest toes too !
I filled up on Baby-smell while chatting with Carrie and Bryan, and it made the rest of my day that much better !
You know that old saying about stopping to smell the flowers ? Pick the Lily .. she smells the BEST !!
Carrie sent me this pic that Bryan took the other day ... Seeing it, I can still smell her sweet baby-smell .... ahhhhhhhhhhh !!
The object of my affection : Lily.
I got to meet her today, in the flesh, and she is just the sweetest little girl ever. I went over to Carrie's to drop off her R.O.E. while I was on lunch, and she introduced me around her house. First to Miss Persnickity Princess Cat Mookie (who looked at me like I crawled out from under a rock, and then strolled away), then to Leo-cat (who was sleeping and licked my fingers when I touched his nose ..), and then I waved at Bryan and zeroed in on the newest addition.
She was having a snooze on his legs, and she was as relaxed as can be. Bryan called her "Noodle" and honestly, she was like a cooked noodle! She relaxed in my arms, and she just lay there snoozing. I don't want to say she was limp, but she was VERY relaxed. I could just look at her all day. She has the most perfect rosebud lips, and her skin is almost transluscent. She has the cutest toes too !
I filled up on Baby-smell while chatting with Carrie and Bryan, and it made the rest of my day that much better !
You know that old saying about stopping to smell the flowers ? Pick the Lily .. she smells the BEST !!
Carrie sent me this pic that Bryan took the other day ... Seeing it, I can still smell her sweet baby-smell .... ahhhhhhhhhhh !!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
We have some Pictures !!
I peeked at Carrie and Bryan's blog this morning and they've put up some pics of their new Baby girl !!
World, Meet Lily. Lily, meet World !!
World, Meet Lily. Lily, meet World !!
Friday, August 18, 2006
It's a Girl !!!
We can finally call Carrie and Bryan "Mom and Dad" !!
Carrie gave birth to Lily Ruth Carbol Ritcey on August 17, at 11:47pm. Lily weighed in at 8lbs 12 1/2 oz, and was 20 3/4" long. Bryan just called from the hospital, he was on his way to get something to eat.
I was the last one to hear -- my kids turned the phone down !!
He also said Carrie was tired and sore, but so very happy. She was in labor at 10 yesterday morning, and her contractions were 10 minutes apart when they went into the hospital, so it was a long tough day for her. I want to rush over to the hospital to see them, but I think i'll wait. It can be overwhelming to have everyone crowding into your room when all you want is a shower and some sleep.
Carrie gave birth to Lily Ruth Carbol Ritcey on August 17, at 11:47pm. Lily weighed in at 8lbs 12 1/2 oz, and was 20 3/4" long. Bryan just called from the hospital, he was on his way to get something to eat.
I was the last one to hear -- my kids turned the phone down !!
He also said Carrie was tired and sore, but so very happy. She was in labor at 10 yesterday morning, and her contractions were 10 minutes apart when they went into the hospital, so it was a long tough day for her. I want to rush over to the hospital to see them, but I think i'll wait. It can be overwhelming to have everyone crowding into your room when all you want is a shower and some sleep.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
This is so Cool !!
I was visiting Keltie's blog, and saw this neat thing to try to spot your perfect career. So I tried it. This is what I got:
Look - Nothing about Installs on there at all !! Amazing !! I can see being an architect, and the medical things appeal to me too. I've had some of these results before, don't ask me why I haven't pursued anything in those fields .... but after the day I had today - maybe I will. Thanks Keltie, this was Cool !!!
| Your Career Type: Investigative |
 You are precise, scientific, and intellectual. Your talents lie in understanding and solving math and science problems. You would make an excellent: Architect - Biologist - Chemist Dentist - Electrical Technician - Mathematician Medical Technician - Meteorologist - Pharmacist Physician - Surveyor - Veterinarian The worst career options for your are enterprising careers, like lawyer or real estate agent. |
Look - Nothing about Installs on there at all !! Amazing !! I can see being an architect, and the medical things appeal to me too. I've had some of these results before, don't ask me why I haven't pursued anything in those fields .... but after the day I had today - maybe I will. Thanks Keltie, this was Cool !!!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Friends ....
It's wonderful to have a friend .... it's even better to BE a friend. (My "pearls" of wisdom for today .... )
You know, that was a DEEP thought .... especially for me !!
"Hello Blog"
Ok, Ok. I admit it. I am the WORST blogger ever. Period.
I think I said I would update this more often. That was how many weeks ago ? I have no excuses. I am worthless. I am pond scum. I am neglecting of you, oh blog. Alright, enough. On with the update.
So where was I ? Oh yeah. Neglecting my blog ... I mean busy at work. Yeah that's it. Work continues to be just that - work. Only a few more days until I head back into the far reaches of space aka the Flooring Dept. I'm excited to go, but there's soooo much stuff to do in the office before I leave. I'm still trying to train Cheryl who's taking over, and with her days off and mine this week, I've been able to work with her for exactly 3 hours and roughly 22 minutes. Give or Take.
Of course, we still have to make sales plan, and action taken, and quotes followed up, etc. Sigh. It's a work in progress .... There's that word again. Work. Ugh. Want to have some fun on your computer ? Make a new folder on your desktop. Label it Work. Or something else equally distasteful. Like dirty dishes or something. Then delete it and send it to your recycle bin. Then delete the contents of your recycle bin. It will prompt "Do you really want to delete "work"?" Yes. YES! A thousand Times YES! It's a small thing, but it makes me feel sooooooooo much better. Sometimes I call it housework, sometimes I call it "Customers that don't listen to what I'm Saying".
On a brighter Note I was at a wedding on the weekend. One of the girls at work, Trellia, got married to her sweetie, Rob. It was a beautiful wedding. The ceremony was outside at the Devonian Botanic Gardens, and then the reception was at the Edmonton Garrison in the Officers Mess.
Her dress was gorgeous, and the train was detachable.
It had a full skirt that she could twirl when she was dancing, and a halter top bodice, perfect for a summer outdoor wedding.
I took the whole gang, and we all enjoyed it so much. Anthony got to dance with the bride, and when we got home he asked me if any more weddings were coming up that we could go to. When I asked why, he said he liked the dancing part ! It was a nice day.
Which brings me to today. Ugh. I worked early, which is the GOOD part, but I have one person away on holidays, and the other just couldn't make it in today. Her son was sick. It's hard to do everything by yourself. Mike, my store manager, came into the office and said jokingly "Where's your staff?". I told him seriously "You're looking at it." Meaning me. LOL. He shook his head and went out .. I didn't see him after that. It was kind of funny. Oh well. Another day, another 25 cents. I think there's days off ahead .... Soon .....
I think I said I would update this more often. That was how many weeks ago ? I have no excuses. I am worthless. I am pond scum. I am neglecting of you, oh blog. Alright, enough. On with the update.
So where was I ? Oh yeah. Neglecting my blog ... I mean busy at work. Yeah that's it. Work continues to be just that - work. Only a few more days until I head back into the far reaches of space aka the Flooring Dept. I'm excited to go, but there's soooo much stuff to do in the office before I leave. I'm still trying to train Cheryl who's taking over, and with her days off and mine this week, I've been able to work with her for exactly 3 hours and roughly 22 minutes. Give or Take.
Of course, we still have to make sales plan, and action taken, and quotes followed up, etc. Sigh. It's a work in progress .... There's that word again. Work. Ugh. Want to have some fun on your computer ? Make a new folder on your desktop. Label it Work. Or something else equally distasteful. Like dirty dishes or something. Then delete it and send it to your recycle bin. Then delete the contents of your recycle bin. It will prompt "Do you really want to delete "work"?" Yes. YES! A thousand Times YES! It's a small thing, but it makes me feel sooooooooo much better. Sometimes I call it housework, sometimes I call it "Customers that don't listen to what I'm Saying".
On a brighter Note I was at a wedding on the weekend. One of the girls at work, Trellia, got married to her sweetie, Rob. It was a beautiful wedding. The ceremony was outside at the Devonian Botanic Gardens, and then the reception was at the Edmonton Garrison in the Officers Mess.
Her dress was gorgeous, and the train was detachable.
It had a full skirt that she could twirl when she was dancing, and a halter top bodice, perfect for a summer outdoor wedding.
I took the whole gang, and we all enjoyed it so much. Anthony got to dance with the bride, and when we got home he asked me if any more weddings were coming up that we could go to. When I asked why, he said he liked the dancing part ! It was a nice day.
Which brings me to today. Ugh. I worked early, which is the GOOD part, but I have one person away on holidays, and the other just couldn't make it in today. Her son was sick. It's hard to do everything by yourself. Mike, my store manager, came into the office and said jokingly "Where's your staff?". I told him seriously "You're looking at it." Meaning me. LOL. He shook his head and went out .. I didn't see him after that. It was kind of funny. Oh well. Another day, another 25 cents. I think there's days off ahead .... Soon .....
Sunday, July 30, 2006
I'm a Little Behind ....
No, not a small butt ! I am a little behind in my posts. I've had the last 2 weeks off (ahhhhhhhhhh holidays!) and have been doing other things. Before that I was at work, trying to finish things so I could leave ... LOL. So what have we been doing ?? Well ...
1: K-Days Parade. I'm sorry, it'll always be K-Days to me. This Capital Ex name they thought of is horrible! They said they had a 'focus group' that picked this name - well they should have asked regular people. I don't like the name at all. But I digress ... The parade was not bad. We were on 103 avenue between 103 and 104 streets, just by the greyhound depot downtown. We took our chairs and sat on the curb, and had an excellent view of everything going by. My favorites as usual were the Pipe bands, and as the RCMP Pipe band was going by they played Scotland the Brave. Sigh. The Military had some cool stuff too, and there was even a fly by from a Fighter Jet! It was so loud you could hear it before you could see it. Not very many floats or marching bands anymore, but still not bad.
2: Trellia's Bridal Shower. It was a nice afternoon with her family and friends, and the girls from work were there too. It was a well planned event, Trellia's bridesmaid Tanya had games and food and there was even a Pyschic! Leave it to Trellia to come up with something different ! I went by myself, and it was nice to have an afternoon off from the rest of the gang.
3: K-Days Midway. We went on Monday at Noon, and there wasn't a lot of people there at that time. We got the kids the pay one price wristbands so they could ride all the rides they wanted to, and they did pretty good. They went on the Niagra Falls ride, and Lisa got soaked ! I got a little bit red from walking around, and the kids played games and came home with some cool stuffed animals. Anthony won himself a basketball that he's played with non stop since he got it. We only stayed for the afternoon, and then came home but it was a blast.
4: We went to the Mountains. We went to Hinton and met up with Becky from work, since she lives there now (I miss her -- I told her her job was still open if she wanted to come back ..) and we stayed there overnight, but popped into Jasper to go to the Miette Hot Springs. Andy had never been there before, and neither had the kids. We all really enjoyed it.
Here's Lisa and Anthony in the pool .. they had a Hot pool and a cooler pool, I could have stayed there all day ! The day after we were here we went through Jasper to Lake Louise, where Andy had to have his mountain breakfast. Oh, was it good! We kept on to Banff, and made it up to the Banff Springs Hotel. We would have gone in to the lobby to look around but parking was unbelievable!
We also saw some wildlife, some deer and elk, we were hoping to see a bear, but missed out. We did see lots of Bear Warning signs though. Maybe next year.
After all of this we came home and just relaxed before getting back into the grind. It was a nice 2 weeks off ... wish I had another 2 weeks.
1: K-Days Parade. I'm sorry, it'll always be K-Days to me. This Capital Ex name they thought of is horrible! They said they had a 'focus group' that picked this name - well they should have asked regular people. I don't like the name at all. But I digress ... The parade was not bad. We were on 103 avenue between 103 and 104 streets, just by the greyhound depot downtown. We took our chairs and sat on the curb, and had an excellent view of everything going by. My favorites as usual were the Pipe bands, and as the RCMP Pipe band was going by they played Scotland the Brave. Sigh. The Military had some cool stuff too, and there was even a fly by from a Fighter Jet! It was so loud you could hear it before you could see it. Not very many floats or marching bands anymore, but still not bad.
2: Trellia's Bridal Shower. It was a nice afternoon with her family and friends, and the girls from work were there too. It was a well planned event, Trellia's bridesmaid Tanya had games and food and there was even a Pyschic! Leave it to Trellia to come up with something different ! I went by myself, and it was nice to have an afternoon off from the rest of the gang.
3: K-Days Midway. We went on Monday at Noon, and there wasn't a lot of people there at that time. We got the kids the pay one price wristbands so they could ride all the rides they wanted to, and they did pretty good. They went on the Niagra Falls ride, and Lisa got soaked ! I got a little bit red from walking around, and the kids played games and came home with some cool stuffed animals. Anthony won himself a basketball that he's played with non stop since he got it. We only stayed for the afternoon, and then came home but it was a blast.
4: We went to the Mountains. We went to Hinton and met up with Becky from work, since she lives there now (I miss her -- I told her her job was still open if she wanted to come back ..) and we stayed there overnight, but popped into Jasper to go to the Miette Hot Springs. Andy had never been there before, and neither had the kids. We all really enjoyed it.
Here's Lisa and Anthony in the pool .. they had a Hot pool and a cooler pool, I could have stayed there all day ! The day after we were here we went through Jasper to Lake Louise, where Andy had to have his mountain breakfast. Oh, was it good! We kept on to Banff, and made it up to the Banff Springs Hotel. We would have gone in to the lobby to look around but parking was unbelievable!
We also saw some wildlife, some deer and elk, we were hoping to see a bear, but missed out. We did see lots of Bear Warning signs though. Maybe next year.
After all of this we came home and just relaxed before getting back into the grind. It was a nice 2 weeks off ... wish I had another 2 weeks.
Monday, June 26, 2006
"Dude, you got a GINGRICH!"
LOL !!
This was too funny not to share ... Betty got me hooked on this comic strip .. "Pearls Before Swine", the main characters are the Crocodiles who are trying to eat the Zebra .. but the call him "zeeba" .. Check it out at http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/ It's total off-the-wall humor !!
Wow it's Hot ....
We're having a heatwave .... a tropical heat wave ....
I don't like the heat. Not one little bit. It makes my feet swell, and makes me grumpy. At least I'm not at work today, I can imagine what the heat is like in there !! I have the curtains closed, and the air conditioner on to cool it off before Andy gets home. He doesn't like the heat either.
Poor Artemis is warm too. I don't envy him his fur coat today! He's lying on the floor in front of the air conditioner with his feet in the air. I'd take a pic, but my camera is out for repair.
It's supposed to hit 29c today, and 32 tomorrow !! I think I might fire up the barbeque for dinner ... it's too hot to cook !! I wonder if we have any ice left ....
I don't like the heat. Not one little bit. It makes my feet swell, and makes me grumpy. At least I'm not at work today, I can imagine what the heat is like in there !! I have the curtains closed, and the air conditioner on to cool it off before Andy gets home. He doesn't like the heat either.
Poor Artemis is warm too. I don't envy him his fur coat today! He's lying on the floor in front of the air conditioner with his feet in the air. I'd take a pic, but my camera is out for repair.
It's supposed to hit 29c today, and 32 tomorrow !! I think I might fire up the barbeque for dinner ... it's too hot to cook !! I wonder if we have any ice left ....
It's been Awhile ....
Wow !
I hadn't realized It was THAT long since I updated. Carrie's subtle hints at work (hey .... you still blog, right?) have finally hit home. What's been happening since the last update you ask ?? Well .....
1. The Playoffs are OVER !
Did we win ? No ..... wahhhhhhhhhh. The Oilers DID make it to the Stanley Cup Final, and to game #7, but the Hurricanes played just a little bit better than we did and won the cup out from under us. I never thought in a million years, we would get as far as we did, and I'm sooooooooooo impressed with our team. The city had a Thank-You rally planned at City Hall on the 21st that I went to, and it was very well attended. Fans from all over packed the area just in front of City Hall to say thanks. Players in attendance were: Jason Smith, Ethan Moreau, Ryan Smyth, Georges Laraque, Steve Staios and hometown hero Fernando Pisani. Kevin Lowe said they were not a team to celebrate failure, and that's why more players did not attend, but they wanted to basically say thanks to the fans for supporting them throughout the playoffs. They did say we would do this again NEXT year ... WITH the Stanley Cup this time ! I can't wait !
2. Another Cancer Scare at our House.
So this time it was My Mom. She had a lump on her leg, about the size of a fist, that had been getting bigger and redder over time. I had to go to the Doctor and dragged her with me to get it looked at. He sent her immediately to a dermatologist, who did some minor surgery and removed a cyst from under the skin of the lump. She also said it was Cancer, and it was the worst possible kind to have. She wrote a letter back to our family Doctor, who broke the news to me and Erin. They sent the lump out for a biopsy, so we didn't say anything to Mom until we had the results back. And guess what ?? It WAS Cancer, but slow-growing and totally treatable! Mom has an app't with a Plastic Surgeon on July 10th that I will take her to, and then we will find out further treatment options at that time. Yay ! Not nearly as bad as we thought it would be !
3. Work goes on. Ugh.
Why do people think that they are the center of the Universe, and if they don't get their way that we owe them something ?? The install business has had some challenges lately, that I think we have remedied quickly and efficiently. I have one customer right now, that thinks that we haven't done enough, and owe her money because we screwed up. (Our install company did .. but that's another story.) We gave her alternatives to figure out her install, we worked within dates she gave us, she said we charged her too much money, we owe her MORE compensation, and she can'tr believe that everyone is booked and can't do her install sooner. I just don't get it. I should be used to this by now, but people like this really bug me. Especially when I went in on my days off to fix her order !! I know, i'm crazy .... and Carrie is soon to leave me to be a Mom (hi Peanut ... Auntie Tracy loves you already!).. and now I think 2 more of my girls are leaving me to move on to bigger and better things. I can't blame them for leaving, but the powers that be are making it out to be my fault .. and why haven't I hired anyone yet ... and I better be making sales plan again this month ... yada, yada, yada.
So there's my update. I promise to not forget to do this again ..... (shhhh Carrie!)
I hadn't realized It was THAT long since I updated. Carrie's subtle hints at work (hey .... you still blog, right?) have finally hit home. What's been happening since the last update you ask ?? Well .....
1. The Playoffs are OVER !
Did we win ? No ..... wahhhhhhhhhh. The Oilers DID make it to the Stanley Cup Final, and to game #7, but the Hurricanes played just a little bit better than we did and won the cup out from under us. I never thought in a million years, we would get as far as we did, and I'm sooooooooooo impressed with our team. The city had a Thank-You rally planned at City Hall on the 21st that I went to, and it was very well attended. Fans from all over packed the area just in front of City Hall to say thanks. Players in attendance were: Jason Smith, Ethan Moreau, Ryan Smyth, Georges Laraque, Steve Staios and hometown hero Fernando Pisani. Kevin Lowe said they were not a team to celebrate failure, and that's why more players did not attend, but they wanted to basically say thanks to the fans for supporting them throughout the playoffs. They did say we would do this again NEXT year ... WITH the Stanley Cup this time ! I can't wait !
2. Another Cancer Scare at our House.
So this time it was My Mom. She had a lump on her leg, about the size of a fist, that had been getting bigger and redder over time. I had to go to the Doctor and dragged her with me to get it looked at. He sent her immediately to a dermatologist, who did some minor surgery and removed a cyst from under the skin of the lump. She also said it was Cancer, and it was the worst possible kind to have. She wrote a letter back to our family Doctor, who broke the news to me and Erin. They sent the lump out for a biopsy, so we didn't say anything to Mom until we had the results back. And guess what ?? It WAS Cancer, but slow-growing and totally treatable! Mom has an app't with a Plastic Surgeon on July 10th that I will take her to, and then we will find out further treatment options at that time. Yay ! Not nearly as bad as we thought it would be !
3. Work goes on. Ugh.
Why do people think that they are the center of the Universe, and if they don't get their way that we owe them something ?? The install business has had some challenges lately, that I think we have remedied quickly and efficiently. I have one customer right now, that thinks that we haven't done enough, and owe her money because we screwed up. (Our install company did .. but that's another story.) We gave her alternatives to figure out her install, we worked within dates she gave us, she said we charged her too much money, we owe her MORE compensation, and she can'tr believe that everyone is booked and can't do her install sooner. I just don't get it. I should be used to this by now, but people like this really bug me. Especially when I went in on my days off to fix her order !! I know, i'm crazy .... and Carrie is soon to leave me to be a Mom (hi Peanut ... Auntie Tracy loves you already!).. and now I think 2 more of my girls are leaving me to move on to bigger and better things. I can't blame them for leaving, but the powers that be are making it out to be my fault .. and why haven't I hired anyone yet ... and I better be making sales plan again this month ... yada, yada, yada.
So there's my update. I promise to not forget to do this again ..... (shhhh Carrie!)
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Calvin and Hobbes
Ok. After reading my last post ... I had to find some Calvin and Hobbes to post. So here it goes. This is something my sister and I would have done when we were kids.
Click on the pic to enlarge.
Click on the pic to enlarge.
Thoughts from the Mind of Mom
I love reading Stone Soup. It's a comic strip I can really realte to. (When I'm in a really good mood and feeling goofy - Calvin and Hobbes are the way to go. But I digress .....). So I'm reading the comics this morning, and this strip struck me as a conversation piece.
I was reading something the other day that said we were harming our children by trying to be so clean. By not exposing them to 'minor' bacteria, they weren't able to build up any kind of resistance, so when they did come down with something, it really hit them hard. There was a lady on the news the other day as well, that washes down her whole house - everyday - with bleach. They do not touch a shopping cart or anything until she has wiped it down, they do not open doors unless they wear gloves, etc. I think its a little extreme. Of course, her and her kids have never been sick. Not once. Is she setting herself up for something bad down the road ?? Who knows.
You may wonder where this whole thing came from. I don't know. It's just one of those things that comes to mind from time to time, that you just have to run with.
Hey, on a totally different subject .... There's a Delcor truck out in our parking lot. Delcor is one of our service providers at work. They do painting, and ceramic tile installs for us. I'm tempted to go downstairs and introduce myself, and watch them work. LOL. Man I am soooooooo going to have to be re-trained when I go back. All this relaxation is hard to take. And if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you .....
Game 4 of the Oilers-Detroit series goes tonight! I'll have to flip between that and Survivor. I wouldn't say I'm a reality junkie, but I like Survivor, the Amazing Race and the Apprentice to name a few.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
The Playoffs are HERE !
Wow ! What an amazing hockey game last night. Yes I had to stay up until 12:15 am to watch it but it was sooooooooo Worth it! The Oilers beat the Red Wings by a score of 4-3 in Double OT. I thought the Oilers had it in the bag in the third period, but the Red Wings managed to tie the score just near the end of regulation time.
It was end to end hockey all night, and I have to say, I couldn't turn it off. Andy and the kids went to bed just after 10, but I had to watch until the end. It was almost over when Williams put the puck in the net, thank god it was disallowed because the net came off its moorings at the same time. It would be hard to go back to Detroit 2-2 or even worse down 3-1.
The Oilers play again tomorrow night, puck drops at 7:30, so you know where to find me. Glued to my TV. Literally. I picked the Oilers to win in the first round for the Hockey Pool I'm in. I have 4 entries in though, and most of my other picks are doing pretty good too. I'll update that score after the first round. Go Oilers !!
I am my Mother's Daughter ...
My mom is the pack rat QUEEN. I have discovered, to my eternal shame, that I share this quality with her. Shoot me. Shoot me now.
Man do I have a lot of crap around the house! I have cleared out quite a bit this week, and have more to go. A few bags of clothes and trips to goodwill later, I have discovered that I have a closet! Wow! And now that I have organized it somewhat, I actually have room to store stuff ! I mean store more stuff. Because as a pack-rat (or daughter thereof ...) that's what I do. I store stuff. I'll never wear it again, and I will probably never use it EVER, but I'm going to store it because, and I quote, "You never know when It will come in handy." End Quote.
So, on a lighter note, the lady down the hall is away this week and I'm cat-sitting for her. This is a picture of her cat, Molly.
Isn't she beautiful ?? She purrs when you feed her, and she came over today for a play-date with Artemis. They sat 5 feet apart and looked at each other for an hour, before I took her home. It was a typical first date.
It's funny, but when you look at this picture she has that "don't mess with me" look on her face. She's really a good cat. I pop over in the evening and make sure she's got something in her dish before bed, and I take out her brush and give her a quick once-over. She loves it as much as I do. Artemis doesn't like to be brushed at all. Must be a guy thing.
Man do I have a lot of crap around the house! I have cleared out quite a bit this week, and have more to go. A few bags of clothes and trips to goodwill later, I have discovered that I have a closet! Wow! And now that I have organized it somewhat, I actually have room to store stuff ! I mean store more stuff. Because as a pack-rat (or daughter thereof ...) that's what I do. I store stuff. I'll never wear it again, and I will probably never use it EVER, but I'm going to store it because, and I quote, "You never know when It will come in handy." End Quote.
So, on a lighter note, the lady down the hall is away this week and I'm cat-sitting for her. This is a picture of her cat, Molly.
Isn't she beautiful ?? She purrs when you feed her, and she came over today for a play-date with Artemis. They sat 5 feet apart and looked at each other for an hour, before I took her home. It was a typical first date. It's funny, but when you look at this picture she has that "don't mess with me" look on her face. She's really a good cat. I pop over in the evening and make sure she's got something in her dish before bed, and I take out her brush and give her a quick once-over. She loves it as much as I do. Artemis doesn't like to be brushed at all. Must be a guy thing.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Holidays !!
Wow ! It's finally here ! My week off.
I had originally requested this week for Spring Break, to be home with the kids. But there was a few things going on at work, like Jen being away for Kitchen College, and Coralee being off for surgery, and Trellia just being gone !
We had a big promo the week before, and Carrie was swamped with orders, so I went to Rob (our HR guy) and reworked my holidays. We also had Inventory that week so it wasn't really the best time to go.
Everything worked out great though. Coralee is back and ok, Jen decided to quit and do something else, and Trellia's still gone (pout), but we made some sales, and Inventory went great.
So now I have a week off, and what am I doing on my first day off ? Going to the store to do a site check. LOL. I know, I know "What the heck are you thinking ?!?!" I couldn't set this up for any other time, so here I go. My Assistant Manager Brad is back from Thailand on Monday, so I'll have to leave him a note to fill him in on what happened while he was gone.
My grand plans for the week ?? Sleep .. eat .. sleep .. I'm joking! I'm going to get some cleaning done around the house, maybe paint some walls, and while everyone else is at school and at work, I'm going to get rid of some stuff to go to Goodwill. Shhhhhh don't tell on me! We've been saving to get a house, and i'll be darned if I'm going to pack up all of this crap to move! Oops, I mean stuff.
I had originally requested this week for Spring Break, to be home with the kids. But there was a few things going on at work, like Jen being away for Kitchen College, and Coralee being off for surgery, and Trellia just being gone !
We had a big promo the week before, and Carrie was swamped with orders, so I went to Rob (our HR guy) and reworked my holidays. We also had Inventory that week so it wasn't really the best time to go.
Everything worked out great though. Coralee is back and ok, Jen decided to quit and do something else, and Trellia's still gone (pout), but we made some sales, and Inventory went great.
So now I have a week off, and what am I doing on my first day off ? Going to the store to do a site check. LOL. I know, I know "What the heck are you thinking ?!?!" I couldn't set this up for any other time, so here I go. My Assistant Manager Brad is back from Thailand on Monday, so I'll have to leave him a note to fill him in on what happened while he was gone.
My grand plans for the week ?? Sleep .. eat .. sleep .. I'm joking! I'm going to get some cleaning done around the house, maybe paint some walls, and while everyone else is at school and at work, I'm going to get rid of some stuff to go to Goodwill. Shhhhhh don't tell on me! We've been saving to get a house, and i'll be darned if I'm going to pack up all of this crap to move! Oops, I mean stuff.
Do be do be do ... or Life Goes on ...
Things have defintely not slowed down since the last post. We're getting back to normal, except now there's a space where Momma was.
Easter weekend was nice. This was our first gathering without Mom, but Tamara her aide worker came over with her two boys, Timmy (he's 3) and Bibo (I don't think i spelled that right - he's 7) and we all had a blast. We discovered that Betty's cable was on the fritz (someone has disconnected them at the box that comes into the building) so the kids played on the Xbox all afternoon.
If you have never seen Xbox games, go to Best Buy and check it out. The graphics are Amazing ! I was very surprised that they can make a game system with graphics that good. One of Mom's last gifts to the kids was a Playstation 2, and the graphics on that one are great too. (Not that we need anymore game systems - Andy collects them and REALLY needs to get rid of some. HINT!)
We had dinner and the kids all got rowdy, then sleepy, then rowdy, then giggly, and pretty much in that order. I think I was the worst one though .. Timmy and I had quite the conversation about the numbers of things that come in three's. And I think I discovered all of his tickly spots (of which there are quite a few!)
More to come ...
Easter weekend was nice. This was our first gathering without Mom, but Tamara her aide worker came over with her two boys, Timmy (he's 3) and Bibo (I don't think i spelled that right - he's 7) and we all had a blast. We discovered that Betty's cable was on the fritz (someone has disconnected them at the box that comes into the building) so the kids played on the Xbox all afternoon.
If you have never seen Xbox games, go to Best Buy and check it out. The graphics are Amazing ! I was very surprised that they can make a game system with graphics that good. One of Mom's last gifts to the kids was a Playstation 2, and the graphics on that one are great too. (Not that we need anymore game systems - Andy collects them and REALLY needs to get rid of some. HINT!)
We had dinner and the kids all got rowdy, then sleepy, then rowdy, then giggly, and pretty much in that order. I think I was the worst one though .. Timmy and I had quite the conversation about the numbers of things that come in three's. And I think I discovered all of his tickly spots (of which there are quite a few!)
More to come ...
Saturday, March 25, 2006
After the Service
What a wonderful afternoon we had. There were so many people that came to celebrate Mom's life with us. Carrie, Becky, Judy and Sherrise from my work came, Shelley and Dorina from Betty's work came, Jeff - Andy's Boss, and some of the neighbors from the building were all there. We have enough food to feed an army! Everyone was so thoughtful and supportive, and even though there wasn't a lot of room to mingle, everyone managed to meet everyone else.
Cousin Wayne was having fun keeping everyone's name straight, the kids were running around eating, and it was exactly what Mom would have wanted. We created a memorial card on the computer like the ones they have at the funeral homes, and had a book we asked everyone to sign with memories of Mom.
Oh and the food ? It was enough for a least a couple of days after ... and it was nice to not worry about what to eat. In a few days we'll start going through closets and such to start clearing things out, and I forsee a few trips to Goodwill. Books and clothes and knicknacks and such.
We're finalizing plans for the niche we're going to put Mom's urn into, and what else we're going to put in there with it, Anthony's going to put in one of his hot wheels, cause Mom always played cars with him. He misses her alot. Just after everyone left for home, we took him over to the Cross Cancer Institute here in the city and he donated all of the money in his piggybank in memory of Mom. It was roughly $60, and it was all his own idea. I am so proud of him !
Cousin Wayne was having fun keeping everyone's name straight, the kids were running around eating, and it was exactly what Mom would have wanted. We created a memorial card on the computer like the ones they have at the funeral homes, and had a book we asked everyone to sign with memories of Mom.
Oh and the food ? It was enough for a least a couple of days after ... and it was nice to not worry about what to eat. In a few days we'll start going through closets and such to start clearing things out, and I forsee a few trips to Goodwill. Books and clothes and knicknacks and such.
We're finalizing plans for the niche we're going to put Mom's urn into, and what else we're going to put in there with it, Anthony's going to put in one of his hot wheels, cause Mom always played cars with him. He misses her alot. Just after everyone left for home, we took him over to the Cross Cancer Institute here in the city and he donated all of the money in his piggybank in memory of Mom. It was roughly $60, and it was all his own idea. I am so proud of him !
Friday, March 24, 2006
Goodbye Mom ....
The End has finally come. Thursday March 23 at 11:00 am, Mom passed away. The day before, we thought that the end was near. We went across the street to St. Andrews and Father Vic came over to give her Last Rites. He didn't even hesitate. My brother in law Mark went over and explained that she had been raised Catholic, and baptized as such, but hadn't been practising for most of her adult life. Father
Vic replied "Once a Catholic, always a Catholic" and went to grab his coat and came right over.
He came into her room, and her breathing was so bad at that point, she looked pretty comforted to see him there though. He administered the rite, and everyone joined in the prayer. It was roughly 25 minutes, and he told all of us we had done everything right for her so far. A few people were surprised to know that we were doing this all for her at home, and that was what Mom wanted. To die at home, in peace, surrounded by her family. With dignity. And that's exactly how she went.
Mom's aide worker Tamara was a godsend. She came everyday after dropping her sons off at day-care, and she took the bus across the city to come to us. She usually arrived around 9am, and stayed until 4 when everyone was getting off work. She would do everything for Mom, and often just sat holding her hand, and singing to her softly to keep her company. After Mom passed, I gave her a hug and she said that her prayer everyday when she woke up was that she would be a blessing to someone that day, She was definitely that and more to all of us.
We all went in to say our goodbyes after Mom was gone, and before the Funeral Home came to take away the body. Even Anthony went in to see her before she was gone. I called everyone to let them know she was gone, and so help me those were the toughest phone calls I have ever made in my life. You never think that you'll know what to say, but you always manage to find the right words somehow.
Everyone at work has been so good to me. Text messages to my phone asking if we need anything, and asking when the service was going to be. We're going to have it at home, and we were able to design and print the Memorial Cards ourselves. The cats keep sniffing around the flowers, and we have to put them in the other room so they don't have a nibble in the middle of the night. We went through our photo albums, and picked out all the best (and candid) photos of Mom we could find, and mounted them all on Poster boards so everyone can share in her life with us.
Uncle Gerry got into town today, with his son in law Wayne, and we've been remembering and looking at pictures. We went for dinner (because no one has felt like cooking anything all week !), and no we didn't have sandwiches ! I'll fill you in on the sandwich joke later ... !
More to come ....
Vic replied "Once a Catholic, always a Catholic" and went to grab his coat and came right over.
He came into her room, and her breathing was so bad at that point, she looked pretty comforted to see him there though. He administered the rite, and everyone joined in the prayer. It was roughly 25 minutes, and he told all of us we had done everything right for her so far. A few people were surprised to know that we were doing this all for her at home, and that was what Mom wanted. To die at home, in peace, surrounded by her family. With dignity. And that's exactly how she went.
Mom's aide worker Tamara was a godsend. She came everyday after dropping her sons off at day-care, and she took the bus across the city to come to us. She usually arrived around 9am, and stayed until 4 when everyone was getting off work. She would do everything for Mom, and often just sat holding her hand, and singing to her softly to keep her company. After Mom passed, I gave her a hug and she said that her prayer everyday when she woke up was that she would be a blessing to someone that day, She was definitely that and more to all of us.
We all went in to say our goodbyes after Mom was gone, and before the Funeral Home came to take away the body. Even Anthony went in to see her before she was gone. I called everyone to let them know she was gone, and so help me those were the toughest phone calls I have ever made in my life. You never think that you'll know what to say, but you always manage to find the right words somehow.
Everyone at work has been so good to me. Text messages to my phone asking if we need anything, and asking when the service was going to be. We're going to have it at home, and we were able to design and print the Memorial Cards ourselves. The cats keep sniffing around the flowers, and we have to put them in the other room so they don't have a nibble in the middle of the night. We went through our photo albums, and picked out all the best (and candid) photos of Mom we could find, and mounted them all on Poster boards so everyone can share in her life with us.
Uncle Gerry got into town today, with his son in law Wayne, and we've been remembering and looking at pictures. We went for dinner (because no one has felt like cooking anything all week !), and no we didn't have sandwiches ! I'll fill you in on the sandwich joke later ... !
More to come ....
Monday, March 06, 2006
It's amazing how life catches you off guard when you're doing other things.
I did have an alternate title for my update but figured this would work better. I kind of like that. So what's new ?? Well for starters, we only have one budgie now. Noel ate something he shouldn't have, namely a little plastic piece off of a little house in his cage, and perished literally before our eyes. So now Kokyto (our little nut) rules the roost. Literally. He has lots of toys in his cage that are rubber (safe and non toxic) that he chews on all day. He has a mirror that he talks to/fights with/snuggles with/beats up, and i've discovered if I move it from behind with my fingers he really does think its another bird! It's kind of funny.
Of course, he's like a kid in the house so he gets treats, and toys and all that fun stuff. Speaking of kids: anyone want a couple ?? Lisa is her teenage self (god help me) and Anthony is the typical younger brother .... "Liiiiii-sssaaaaaaaaa ... I'm in your rooo-ooo-ooo-ooom ...". You get the idea.
Lisa has become the most secretive child in the history of secretive children. I know it's because she's 13, but for some reason, she feels she can't talk to us. When she comes home wearing her friends clothes, carrying her friends binder, with make-up all over her face, we're not supposed to ask because its a secret.
I know I was 13 once (way, WAY back ...) but it's not that tough. She has a better support system than most of her friends, it's a shame she can't open up to us. I'm hoping this passes before I really want to do something drastic .... like being the parent that goes to school with her, and to the mall with her, and hanging out with her friends .. Like the phone commercial where the dad can't let go. LOL. That would drive her INSANE! On the other hand, It might be fun ....
On the flip side of this is Andy's mom. She's been there as long as I can remember. She's dispensed advice, and stood back and watched while we either used it or didn't. She looked after my sister and me for 2 months when my mom had to fly home to Ireland in 1978 for my Grandmother's funeral. She's had 11 kids of her own, so when she offers advice on kids, you know she's found something that works. She's always let us do our own things, go our own way, and has supported us in all of our choices, good or bad. She's also been very health challenged in the last few years, and has finally come to the end of her rope. She has cancer.
The dreaded 'C' word. She also is a diabetic, and has been for most of her adult life. Her kidneys are failing from the diabetes and she undergoes dialysis 3 times a week, 4 hours each time. She's slipping pretty fast. The cancer is in her lungs, and her throat, and its very agressive. It's migrating to her brain. We don't know how much longer she's got. And herein lies our dilemma. Do we do everything we can to prolong her suffering and make us feel better ?? Or we do let her slip away like she wants, to make her feel better ?? The choice is obvious, we let her go. But saying it and doing it, are two entirely different things.
The kids know she's dying and understand. They don't like it, but they understand. The worst is watching Andy and Betty, his sister, and my best friend. They are trying to make all of these decisions, and still get on with their own lives, work and such. They can only do so much. Home care will put her in a hospice, but she can't be participating in any 'active' treatments that will prolong her life. Like dialysis. They want her to stop so they can take her. If she stops, it's over. If she goes, it's over. If she stays home, there's no one to watch her. We're looking at also getting an aide to come in, and basically be available around the clock. More news on that as it happens.
Which brings us to now. I have a day off today, and was just down at Mom's talking to the nurse. She was asking Mom questions, and not getting very much back in the way of answers. She looked at us and said something about Alzheimer's. Which explains how she's talking to people that aren't there. I hope when it finally happens, it's quick. For Mom, for Andy, for Betty and for the kids. I have really good friends at work that are letting me sound off whenever I need to, which has been so awesome.
More to come ....
Of course, he's like a kid in the house so he gets treats, and toys and all that fun stuff. Speaking of kids: anyone want a couple ?? Lisa is her teenage self (god help me) and Anthony is the typical younger brother .... "Liiiiii-sssaaaaaaaaa ... I'm in your rooo-ooo-ooo-ooom ...". You get the idea.
Lisa has become the most secretive child in the history of secretive children. I know it's because she's 13, but for some reason, she feels she can't talk to us. When she comes home wearing her friends clothes, carrying her friends binder, with make-up all over her face, we're not supposed to ask because its a secret.
I know I was 13 once (way, WAY back ...) but it's not that tough. She has a better support system than most of her friends, it's a shame she can't open up to us. I'm hoping this passes before I really want to do something drastic .... like being the parent that goes to school with her, and to the mall with her, and hanging out with her friends .. Like the phone commercial where the dad can't let go. LOL. That would drive her INSANE! On the other hand, It might be fun ....
On the flip side of this is Andy's mom. She's been there as long as I can remember. She's dispensed advice, and stood back and watched while we either used it or didn't. She looked after my sister and me for 2 months when my mom had to fly home to Ireland in 1978 for my Grandmother's funeral. She's had 11 kids of her own, so when she offers advice on kids, you know she's found something that works. She's always let us do our own things, go our own way, and has supported us in all of our choices, good or bad. She's also been very health challenged in the last few years, and has finally come to the end of her rope. She has cancer.
The dreaded 'C' word. She also is a diabetic, and has been for most of her adult life. Her kidneys are failing from the diabetes and she undergoes dialysis 3 times a week, 4 hours each time. She's slipping pretty fast. The cancer is in her lungs, and her throat, and its very agressive. It's migrating to her brain. We don't know how much longer she's got. And herein lies our dilemma. Do we do everything we can to prolong her suffering and make us feel better ?? Or we do let her slip away like she wants, to make her feel better ?? The choice is obvious, we let her go. But saying it and doing it, are two entirely different things.
The kids know she's dying and understand. They don't like it, but they understand. The worst is watching Andy and Betty, his sister, and my best friend. They are trying to make all of these decisions, and still get on with their own lives, work and such. They can only do so much. Home care will put her in a hospice, but she can't be participating in any 'active' treatments that will prolong her life. Like dialysis. They want her to stop so they can take her. If she stops, it's over. If she goes, it's over. If she stays home, there's no one to watch her. We're looking at also getting an aide to come in, and basically be available around the clock. More news on that as it happens.
Which brings us to now. I have a day off today, and was just down at Mom's talking to the nurse. She was asking Mom questions, and not getting very much back in the way of answers. She looked at us and said something about Alzheimer's. Which explains how she's talking to people that aren't there. I hope when it finally happens, it's quick. For Mom, for Andy, for Betty and for the kids. I have really good friends at work that are letting me sound off whenever I need to, which has been so awesome.
More to come ....
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Funnies to make you laugh !!
1. Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert have written an impressive new book. It's called "Ministers Do More Than Lay People."
2. Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary.
3. The difference between the Pope and your boss...the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
4. My mind works like lightning. One brilliant flash and it is gone.
5. The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.
6. I hate sex in the movies. I tried it once - The seat folded up, the drink spilled and that ice, well, it really chilled the mood.
7. It used to be only death and taxes were inevitable. Now, of course, there's shipping and handling, too.
8. A husband is someone who, after taking the trash out, gives the impression that he just cleaned the whole house.
9. My next house will have no kitchen - just vending machines and a large trash can.
10. A blonde said, "I was worried that my mechanic might try to rip me off. I was relieved when he told me all I needed was turn signal fluid."
11. I'm so depressed. My doctor refused to write me a prescription for Viagra. He said it would be like putting a new flagpole on a condemned building.
12. My neighbor was bit by a stray rabid dog. I went to see how he was and found him writing frantically on a piece of paper. I told him rabies could be treated, and he didn't have to worry about a Will. He said, "Will? What Will? I'm making a list of the people I want to bite."
13 Definition of a teenager? God's punishment for enjoying sex.
14. As we slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.
Enjoy ! (and feel free to share!)
2. Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary.
3. The difference between the Pope and your boss...the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
4. My mind works like lightning. One brilliant flash and it is gone.
5. The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.
6. I hate sex in the movies. I tried it once - The seat folded up, the drink spilled and that ice, well, it really chilled the mood.
7. It used to be only death and taxes were inevitable. Now, of course, there's shipping and handling, too.
8. A husband is someone who, after taking the trash out, gives the impression that he just cleaned the whole house.
9. My next house will have no kitchen - just vending machines and a large trash can.
10. A blonde said, "I was worried that my mechanic might try to rip me off. I was relieved when he told me all I needed was turn signal fluid."
11. I'm so depressed. My doctor refused to write me a prescription for Viagra. He said it would be like putting a new flagpole on a condemned building.
12. My neighbor was bit by a stray rabid dog. I went to see how he was and found him writing frantically on a piece of paper. I told him rabies could be treated, and he didn't have to worry about a Will. He said, "Will? What Will? I'm making a list of the people I want to bite."
13 Definition of a teenager? God's punishment for enjoying sex.
14. As we slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.
Enjoy ! (and feel free to share!)
Saturday, January 21, 2006
The New Additions
We have a couple of additions to our household ... 2 budgies. Andy's sisters birds have laid 3 clutches of eggs in the last 8 months or so (which is very unusual - apparently they are only supposed to have no more than 2 per year), and they've had roughly 8 eggs hatch. Well 2 of those little 'eggies' are now ours !
They are harlequins, which mean they are mostly white, with little touches of blue and some black. They are gorgeous! And since they have been handled since they were hatched, they are as tame as anything.
Kokyto (ko-kee-to) is the one on the left with the little blue dot on his face and the white tail. His name is Spanish for "little nut". His birthday is Dec. 10. Noel is on the right, and since he hatched first (on Dec.8) he got the Christmas name. He likes to sit on his mineral block on the side of the cage and have his tummy scratched. Their favorite treats are apples, bananas, and kiwi.
We were a little worried about Artemis when we brought them home, but he just sniffed and the cage and went for a nap. He visits my sisters birds all the time, so he's used to them, and they don't really seem too concerned with him either. Once he gets a nibble on the nose, I think that will be the end of it. Of course I hope I'm not at work when that happens ... I have visions of the cage being on the floor, and the birds flying around the house.
Ah, well. When we were at the pet store buying our supplies, we were looking at the birds they had, Lisa has her eye on a beautiful yellow Cockatiel. I mainly had my eye on the price tag on the side of the cage. Needless to say, we have no cockatiel at home. They also had fancy canaries, that were more orange than yellow. They were so unusual! Anthony has his eye on the hamsters. Ever since my sister had one, he wants one. She also has a couple of hermit crabs and a fish tank. We could call it all our menagerie. LOL. I don't think Dad is too fond of the idea though .....
Thursday, January 05, 2006
After the Party ....
Lisa's a BIG Harry Potter fan, so that's what we got on her cake. It was good too! White cake with a lemon filling ..... yummy! We always get cakes from Safeway, they are the best.
We also fired up the barbeque for lunch. Our weather has been so mild lately, we were able to keep the balcony door open, and run in and out. We did smokies and hamburgers, a treat from the usual pizza the kids always ask for on their birthdays.
Then we put the candles on for Lisa to blow out. They spelled out "Happy Birthday" and just by coincindence, they totalled 13 letters! She only blew out 5 though, and the girls were teasing her about her 8 boyfriends.
Then she was ripping into presents like there's no tomorrow. She got some more makeup (she's going to have to start her own band to use it all), some movies from Anthony and Emily, and a DVD player from us. Now we'll never see her. LOL. Boxing Day sales are sure a good way to safe on some things.
The kids are still off school until the 9th. Man we NEVER got holidays like they do now. But then they run right until the end of june, which we never did. Give and take I guess.
The next birthday coming up now is Andy's in February. He'll be old. Oops, I mean 43. We got him a Sponge Bob cake when he turned 40, it was hilarious! We'll have to see what we can come up with this year. I should let Anthony pick it out again. 
Here are the girls, from Left to right: Erin, Marisa, Nikki, Lisa and Kayla. They could be the next Original "Motley Crue". LOL.
Everyone left around 3pm, and quiet was restored ... until we turned up the tunes on the computer. :-)
Later !
Monday, January 02, 2006
Happy New Year !!!
Wow ... another year gone .... Poof! Just like that. And what a year it was. We took holidays in the summer and went to Vancouver, then camped with Andy's brother in Hope, BC., Anthony finished first grade and started 2nd in September, Lisa's into Grade 8, and today is 13 years old ! Happy Birthday Babydoll! (I'm not old enough to have a 13 year old!)
I always tell her for her birthday she gets a whole new year to do what ever she wants. I'm trying to get her to write in a journal all of the things that stand out, so she can look back and see exactly what happened in the year. I'm going to start one too I think. I usually keep the first couple of pages of the newspaper for her baby book anyway, she she always has the headlines and knows who the first baby of the year is. I've done this for Anthony too .. it's a nice reminder of how things change.
What else happened this year ? The Eskimos are Grey Cup Champs (!), Hockey is Back in town, and I just bought out the lease on my car. Now its officially mine. Yay! Work is still the same, hopefully 2006 will bring new challenges and responsibilities. My anniversary date is April 25, and this will be year #7. The longest I was ever at a job before this one was 5 years, and that was exactly 4 and 1/2 years too long ... LOL.
Oh well .. Lisa is having a sleepover for her birthday. She invited Erin, Nikki, Kayla and Marisa. They're all still sleeping ... bodies everywhere ... sleeping bags all over the living room floor. It's cute. That and potato chip bags, and empty bottles of pop ... you get the idea. I'll have to wake them soon to get tidied up, but until now they're QUIET and that's the main thing.
Talk to you after the party .... :-)
I always tell her for her birthday she gets a whole new year to do what ever she wants. I'm trying to get her to write in a journal all of the things that stand out, so she can look back and see exactly what happened in the year. I'm going to start one too I think. I usually keep the first couple of pages of the newspaper for her baby book anyway, she she always has the headlines and knows who the first baby of the year is. I've done this for Anthony too .. it's a nice reminder of how things change.
What else happened this year ? The Eskimos are Grey Cup Champs (!), Hockey is Back in town, and I just bought out the lease on my car. Now its officially mine. Yay! Work is still the same, hopefully 2006 will bring new challenges and responsibilities. My anniversary date is April 25, and this will be year #7. The longest I was ever at a job before this one was 5 years, and that was exactly 4 and 1/2 years too long ... LOL.
Oh well .. Lisa is having a sleepover for her birthday. She invited Erin, Nikki, Kayla and Marisa. They're all still sleeping ... bodies everywhere ... sleeping bags all over the living room floor. It's cute. That and potato chip bags, and empty bottles of pop ... you get the idea. I'll have to wake them soon to get tidied up, but until now they're QUIET and that's the main thing.
Talk to you after the party .... :-)
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