For your viewing pleasure:
Not to be outdone by Gimli - pre and post brushing.
I think we both look lovely in the after pictures, what do you think?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Before and After
The other day I was getting ready to go out to Mike's company's Christmas/New Years celebration when the idea struck to take a before and after picture of myself - no make up vs with make up.
For your viewing pleasure:
Not to be outdone by Gimli - pre and post brushing.
I think we both look lovely in the after pictures, what do you think?
For your viewing pleasure:
Not to be outdone by Gimli - pre and post brushing.
I think we both look lovely in the after pictures, what do you think?
Monday, January 24, 2011
-3
After our weigh in yesterday morning, somehow I've managed to lose roughly 2-3 lbs. Mike is about the same.
Its good for him because he's starting to see some real results, which means that I'll be buying him a belt for his birthday in March, as he shrinks toward his initial weight loss goal.
Its good for me because my muffin top has shrunk ever so slightly. I have set a goal for myself of the end of March to be a bit more toned than I am now so if I need to pick up a new bikini at the start of the season I can. I'm being a bit vague about all this for my sake because at ~120 lbs, I don't want to be losing weight like a crazy person, yet I have some areas that need to be 'tightened' up a bit.
So long as I can still eat my chocolatecookies, cake, nachos, wings, french fries, I'll be fine!
Its good for him because he's starting to see some real results, which means that I'll be buying him a belt for his birthday in March, as he shrinks toward his initial weight loss goal.
Its good for me because my muffin top has shrunk ever so slightly. I have set a goal for myself of the end of March to be a bit more toned than I am now so if I need to pick up a new bikini at the start of the season I can. I'm being a bit vague about all this for my sake because at ~120 lbs, I don't want to be losing weight like a crazy person, yet I have some areas that need to be 'tightened' up a bit.
So long as I can still eat my chocolate
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Things for 2011 - January update
An update on my 2011 list. We're off to a slow start, but I've never done this before, so I think its a good learning curve.
2. Pay attention to my blog and post more - already started
3. Join BlogHer
4. Attend BlogHer 2011, wherever it is
5. Do what I need to do to get off one of my medications
6. Go to the Zoo
7. Make a better attempt at brushing Gimli more than once a week
8. To achieve this, setup a grooming table in the laundry room
9. Start expanding the list of meals that I can cook from memory
10. Start branching out and cooking different things, planning is key and laziness is no excuse
11. Eat more fruits and veggies
12. Cut my hair, and not just a trim either, goodbye long locks.
13. Get a 2nd corgi
14. Learn to walk two of them properly
15. Improve Gimli’s recall
16. Make a Pooh Bear gingerbread house
17. See The Lion King stage show - bought tickets for June!
18. Continue with the No Complaint experiment - ongoing
19. Take more visits to The Arboretum and see our coyote friend again
20. Get off my butt and be more active - started with Wii Fit
21. Play with Gimli in the snow
22. Try to make a snow ‘animal’
23. Get more sleep
24. Read Brene Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection and apply it to myself
25. Woofstock?
26. Parasailing @Castaway Cay - not happening as its cost prohibitive
27. Discover local restaurants in my city
28. See the Tim Burton exhibit - going in February
29. Go to the Animal mass with Jeannie
30. Make it to Trinidad to introduce Mike to the rest of my crazy family, hopefully I'll still be married by the time we return.
31. Go to the Winter Walk with your dog - Starting on January 29th
32. Start a new job - going to Feb. 1st
33. Eat at a Summerlicious restaurant
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Carpe Diem
I first learned about this term in high school, Junior year British Literature. Incidentally, this was one of my favorite English courses ever!
However, despite learning about it, its not something I practiced. Well, except when I needed to do something around the house and it built and built up until I couldn't take it anymore and the day was just as good as any. Although now that I think about it, that's not really Carpe Diem is it?
This past year, (2010), as I've previously mentioned, was one of the best years of my life in a very long time. It was the year I turned 30 and something switched in my head. Although I still feel the same as when I was 29, last year there was this feeling in me that wanted to take stock of the past decade. I think that's part of why I started the No Complaint Experiment and while that continues on, at the latter part of 2010 the Carpe Diem thoughts came back.
I look back and recognize our entire Rammstein experience was based on Carpe Diem. Yes, we were against odds on both fronts, but at least we took the opportunity to try for the tickets.
Around Christmastime, an email update on a new team went out at work and before I knew what I was doing, I went after it. Not fully understanding it all, but I asked for more information. I pored over the information over my Christmas holidays and when I returned to work, I started the process. It all passed in a blur, but on February 1, I start my new position at work!
Its all very exciting and some days I forget all about it until I'm reminded of it again. All because I chose to see what else was out there, because I grabbed the opportunity to look for more information.
I feel 2011 will be the year of seizing the day, of trying new things and not wondering what if.
However, despite learning about it, its not something I practiced. Well, except when I needed to do something around the house and it built and built up until I couldn't take it anymore and the day was just as good as any. Although now that I think about it, that's not really Carpe Diem is it?
This past year, (2010), as I've previously mentioned, was one of the best years of my life in a very long time. It was the year I turned 30 and something switched in my head. Although I still feel the same as when I was 29, last year there was this feeling in me that wanted to take stock of the past decade. I think that's part of why I started the No Complaint Experiment and while that continues on, at the latter part of 2010 the Carpe Diem thoughts came back.
I look back and recognize our entire Rammstein experience was based on Carpe Diem. Yes, we were against odds on both fronts, but at least we took the opportunity to try for the tickets.
Around Christmastime, an email update on a new team went out at work and before I knew what I was doing, I went after it. Not fully understanding it all, but I asked for more information. I pored over the information over my Christmas holidays and when I returned to work, I started the process. It all passed in a blur, but on February 1, I start my new position at work!
Its all very exciting and some days I forget all about it until I'm reminded of it again. All because I chose to see what else was out there, because I grabbed the opportunity to look for more information.
I feel 2011 will be the year of seizing the day, of trying new things and not wondering what if.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Downward facing dog pose
This evening while doing my Wii Fit exercises, I happened to try the Downward Facing Dog pose for the first time.
There I was with my head down towards the balance board, my butt up in the air when who comes by to investigate but Gimli.
He meanders his way underneath my body, looks up at me and does his own version of the Downward Facing Dog pose, his little white feet sticking out, his brown eyes looking up at me as if to say,
"I can do it better than you can!"
These corgis I tell ya...
There I was with my head down towards the balance board, my butt up in the air when who comes by to investigate but Gimli.
He meanders his way underneath my body, looks up at me and does his own version of the Downward Facing Dog pose, his little white feet sticking out, his brown eyes looking up at me as if to say,
"I can do it better than you can!"
These corgis I tell ya...
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Gimli and his sheep
As seen in the last Wordless Wednesday, Gimli received a number of Christmas presents in 2010. One of them was a stuffed animal sheep. I'm not entirely sure Gimli knows what to make of it, but he does enjoy running around with him throughout the house, upstairs and downstairs and into his lady's chamber.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
56 calories
Surprise surprise, I was up at 5.30 am again this morning. Except this time, it was because I couldn't breathe. Yes friends, I'm sick with a cold again. Let's not get into how I picked up this bug shall we, there was already an argument that took place.
I've been sick since Sunday and its pretty much in its later stages where the mucus reaches your throat and you end up with a sexy hag voice.
Instead of getting onto the computer and wasting time, I opted to try my hand at Wii Fit Plus. We received this for Christmas in an attempt to help us be more active. In the winter months especially, its tough for Mike to be active because a wheelchair and snow don't mix too well. For me, I can get away with daily walks with Gimli and romps in the snow, but its not enough.
We started using the game this week and I have to say its a nice way to go from very little activity to light-medium activity. This game is not for hardcore gym attendees, but there are some Yoga and strength training exercises that really make you feel the burn, especially when you have little core strength to begin with.
Today I managed to burn 56 calories. It was my second attempt at Wii Fit and I felt a bit better as I'm starting to get accustomed to it and the mistaken belief that I was fit was quickly draining away.
Today there's all this talk about losing weight especially in light of the levels of obesity in North America, but I feel not enough is done to help people understand that you can have a healthy weight/BMI, which I do, but am I in shape? Nope! Do I pass all the lab tests like cholesterol and glucose, am I a model patient on paper? Yup! But can I run up a few flights of stairs? With difficulty.
I've been sick since Sunday and its pretty much in its later stages where the mucus reaches your throat and you end up with a sexy hag voice.
Instead of getting onto the computer and wasting time, I opted to try my hand at Wii Fit Plus. We received this for Christmas in an attempt to help us be more active. In the winter months especially, its tough for Mike to be active because a wheelchair and snow don't mix too well. For me, I can get away with daily walks with Gimli and romps in the snow, but its not enough.
We started using the game this week and I have to say its a nice way to go from very little activity to light-medium activity. This game is not for hardcore gym attendees, but there are some Yoga and strength training exercises that really make you feel the burn, especially when you have little core strength to begin with.
Today I managed to burn 56 calories. It was my second attempt at Wii Fit and I felt a bit better as I'm starting to get accustomed to it and the mistaken belief that I was fit was quickly draining away.
Today there's all this talk about losing weight especially in light of the levels of obesity in North America, but I feel not enough is done to help people understand that you can have a healthy weight/BMI, which I do, but am I in shape? Nope! Do I pass all the lab tests like cholesterol and glucose, am I a model patient on paper? Yup! But can I run up a few flights of stairs? With difficulty.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
I don't know how to read...
A simple bathroom scale.
My weight has been fluctuating a bit over the past 10 years, going from roughly 110-130 lbs. At 110, I looked too skinny and unhealthy. At 130, I had a muffin top and did not like the way I looked in my clothes.
Right now, I have a slight muffin top that jiggles a bit. I don't like it. I haven't liked it for quite some time. Last year I wore a bikini for the first time since I was 6. I looked fine, just a little too much padding here and there so I resolved to do something about it.
I told myself I would weigh myself and based on that figure, I'd adjust accordingly and try to maintain that figure.
I stepped on the scale and it read 130 lbs. Ok, I have a bit more work to do, no problem, I can do it! Months passed to this past weekend.
As part of our things to do in 2011, Mike and I are going to be more active and work on toning etc.
When I stepped on the scale, it went like this:
"Mike, can you tell me the number on that scale?"
"125."
"It is not!"
"It is, look for yourself."
I made Mike mark the spot on the scale and I got down and took a good look. 125. Blast, I thought I was 5 lbs heavier for a good portion of last year!
Oh well, maybe I'll pick up a digital scale...
My weight has been fluctuating a bit over the past 10 years, going from roughly 110-130 lbs. At 110, I looked too skinny and unhealthy. At 130, I had a muffin top and did not like the way I looked in my clothes.
Right now, I have a slight muffin top that jiggles a bit. I don't like it. I haven't liked it for quite some time. Last year I wore a bikini for the first time since I was 6. I looked fine, just a little too much padding here and there so I resolved to do something about it.
I told myself I would weigh myself and based on that figure, I'd adjust accordingly and try to maintain that figure.
I stepped on the scale and it read 130 lbs. Ok, I have a bit more work to do, no problem, I can do it! Months passed to this past weekend.
As part of our things to do in 2011, Mike and I are going to be more active and work on toning etc.
When I stepped on the scale, it went like this:
"Mike, can you tell me the number on that scale?"
"125."
"It is not!"
"It is, look for yourself."
I made Mike mark the spot on the scale and I got down and took a good look. 125. Blast, I thought I was 5 lbs heavier for a good portion of last year!
Oh well, maybe I'll pick up a digital scale...
Saturday, January 8, 2011
its 5.30 am
Its roughly 5.30 am and I'm lying in bed staring into the darkness. I haven't slept much over the course of the night. Lucky for him, Mike is sound asleep.
Its 6.20 now and I'm sitting here writing.
I get like this from time to time, something will always keep me up or wake me up at an ungodly hour.
This was a strange week. It started off with my dream of having a baby, a girl again, who then grew at an advanced rate so that in a few days she was now a few months old. As usual, I woke up, rolled my eyes, shook my head and decided I had been watching too many strange things on Youtube so I put it out of my mind.
Then the later events of the week hint that change is in the wind. I can't say too much about it just yet, but I really hope this week coming goes well.
Here are some bonus pictures of Gimli who, unlike me, finds it easy to fall asleep when completing a sudoku puzzle.
Its 6.20 now and I'm sitting here writing.
I get like this from time to time, something will always keep me up or wake me up at an ungodly hour.
This was a strange week. It started off with my dream of having a baby, a girl again, who then grew at an advanced rate so that in a few days she was now a few months old. As usual, I woke up, rolled my eyes, shook my head and decided I had been watching too many strange things on Youtube so I put it out of my mind.
Then the later events of the week hint that change is in the wind. I can't say too much about it just yet, but I really hope this week coming goes well.
Here are some bonus pictures of Gimli who, unlike me, finds it easy to fall asleep when completing a sudoku puzzle.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Real Christmas tree?
We have an artificial Christmas tree. Right now its sitting in the corner of our living room naked except for a couple strings of lights, the other decorations already relegated to the basement.
I wondered about getting a real tree this year because growing up we only ever had a real tree once. I vaguely remember it, except that it shed pine needles all over the floor and made the house smell like Pine Sol. At that time, I expected the Pine Sol lady to come around the corner and talk about the power of the real tree.
Today on the walk, many of our neighbors had put their real Christmas trees to the curb. Gimli proceeded to sniff and bury his head into its branches and then mark every one of them. Maybe he smells the animals that used to live in them and wants to find them, who knows.
Yeah, no real Christmas tree for us...
I wondered about getting a real tree this year because growing up we only ever had a real tree once. I vaguely remember it, except that it shed pine needles all over the floor and made the house smell like Pine Sol. At that time, I expected the Pine Sol lady to come around the corner and talk about the power of the real tree.
Today on the walk, many of our neighbors had put their real Christmas trees to the curb. Gimli proceeded to sniff and bury his head into its branches and then mark every one of them. Maybe he smells the animals that used to live in them and wants to find them, who knows.
Yeah, no real Christmas tree for us...
Monday, January 3, 2011
What was 2010?
2010 was one of the best years we've had in a very long time. 2006 was the year we were married, bought our first house and the year I started my current job. 2008 was the year we brought home Gimli, went to California & Las Vegas with friends and went to Walt Disney World with a different set of friends. 2007 was nothing to write home about.
2009 was dreadful. Aside from the good things - attended 2 weddings, bought and moved into our current house, saw Metallica there were these...
Underwent the stress of selling and moving to the in-laws, living with the in-laws for 3 lovely months, a full year of Mike's unemployment, shouldering the finances and the stress of being the sole bread winner, work suffering as a result of all these factors, plus the beginning of my migraines, which would occur sometimes 2 or 3 times a week, attending 2 funerals.
When 2010 rolled around, I was glad. Glad to close the book on that year and move onto a new year of hopeful possibilities.
What 2009 lacked, 2010 made up for it in spades.
As 2011 begins, I have a list of things that I'd like to accomplish in 2011. Who knows if I'll get to them all, but at least its a start.
Lastly, a few pictures of what was 2010.
2009 was dreadful. Aside from the good things - attended 2 weddings, bought and moved into our current house, saw Metallica there were these...
Underwent the stress of selling and moving to the in-laws, living with the in-laws for 3 lovely months, a full year of Mike's unemployment, shouldering the finances and the stress of being the sole bread winner, work suffering as a result of all these factors, plus the beginning of my migraines, which would occur sometimes 2 or 3 times a week, attending 2 funerals.
When 2010 rolled around, I was glad. Glad to close the book on that year and move onto a new year of hopeful possibilities.
What 2009 lacked, 2010 made up for it in spades.
- Mike started a job in January, (Thank God!)
- Finances slowly starting to come around again
- Went on vacation on a Disney cruise where a stingray tried to eat my finger!!!
- Erected our gazebo in the back yard
- Erected the fence so Gimli could play outside
- Saw Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper!!
- Saw Young Frankenstein - the play
- Took Gimli to the Arboretum where we saw a coyote
- Got to play my inner model by posing for an awesome photographer, Danny Yam!
- Went to Chicago to see The Jim Henson Exhibit
- Started this Blog - something I've been wanting to do for a long time
- Went to the Pirate Festival with Zombieman where we won a raffle to stay at a haunted hotel - heading there in the Spring
- Went to Oktoberfest
- Saw Rammstein!!!
- Turned 30
- Made Christmas dinner with all the fixins twice!
As 2011 begins, I have a list of things that I'd like to accomplish in 2011. Who knows if I'll get to them all, but at least its a start.
Lastly, a few pictures of what was 2010.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
12 years in the making
December was quite busy for us and I'm just now catching up on all the things I should have been writing about for the past month. Remember the list from this post, My head is full and no one likes my cookies, well, I'm going to talk about one of the items on that list.
12 years ago I was a young, naive teenager fresh out of high school with grand ambitions swirling in my head. I was going to do this and I was going to do that and nothing would stop me.
(It seems quite sad to think I would fall so far in a couple years and yet I would manage to grab onto a quivering ledge and start on another path. That's me, always clawing, in my stubborn way, back...)
At this time in my life, musically at least, I was a wanderer. I didn't have any favorite bands or musicians. My radio was stuck on a station that I didn't much care for. This all changed when I happened to see some music videos on MTV, (yes, when it actually used to play music videos as opposed to the drivel it broadcasts today), that quite literally opened my eyes.
The two videos that stuck out are The Unforgiven II by Metallica and Du Hast by Rammstein. I scouted around for radio stations that played these songs and I've been a fan since then, adding on more bands as time wore on.
Later on, I met Mike and we often spoke and still do about going to Germany to see Rammstein because it had been so long since they had played in North America. Plus, with my love of the German spoken voice AND Christoph 'Doom' Schneider (drummer for Rammstein), it seemed the only way we'd be able to see Rammstein was to travel to Germany...
Until...
May 2010
We discovered Rammstein was playing at an outdoor festival in Montreal, in July, during the summer of eternal heat waves. Given this along with Mike being in a wheelchair we decided against purchasing tickets.
Late September 2010
We find out Rammstein is going to play just ONE show in New York on December 11th. This was billed as their only North American show. Knowing we would be up against scores of people all trying for a finite amount of tickets, we tried any way. Alas, this was not to be. As Mike was on the phone with the rep at Madison Square Gardens, the handicapped seats were sold. We were saddened, yes, but in the pit of our stomachs we knew there was little chance we would be able to score tickets.
October 2010
We learn they are planning a 2ND North American show in Montreal on December 9th. I thought this was a ruse and it took a few days for me to fully accept we'd have a second chance, even after I confirmed the show at the venue's website. At this time, the tickets were not going to be on sale for a couple weeks, so we had our game plan ready. Ticket day was a Saturday at 12pm. Mike was going to try again for 3 tickets - one for me, one for him and one for our friend, Zombieman.
Saturday came and I had forgotten the day was ticket sale day until Mike reminded me. I was off to the mall looking for purses. There I stood in the store, looking at purses when the phone rings. I had no concept of the time, although it must have been around 12.15 pm. Its Mike. The first thing I hear is his laughter. (Note, at this time, Rammstein is far from my mind). I can't remember what he says next, but the realization sinks in and my stomach turns over and a large smile creeps over my face. I can't remember purchasing the purses, nor the drive home, I was that shocked surprised ecstatic that it was true.
The tickets arrived some time in November and they were stuck up on the fridge. It was then that I started having mini paranoia attacks that we would forget the tickets on the fridge on concert day.
December 9th, 2010
We decided to take the train to Montreal on the Thursday, see the concert and return on the Friday. Wednesday night, it took a while for me to fall asleep as I fully prepared myself that this was a huge fabricated dream and that I'd wake up on Thursday expecting to go on the train but instead someone would tell me it was all a lie. Fully expecting to go to the side of the fridge and see no tickets there.
Instead, it was real. I grabbed the tickets, placed into my purse and off we went to the train station. I even made Mike and Zombieman 'sign off' that the tickets were placed into my purse and the purse was then put around my neck, I was that paranoid.
The train trip up was uneventful. I read, I napped, I colored, I looked out the window. I tried to force myself to believe this was actually happening.
I did have something stuck in my head though. The entire train ride up, this song was in my head, Du riechst so gut. I don't know why, it just was. I hadn't even listened to it recently, in fact I hadn't really listened to Rammstein prior to the concert.
We arrived to a snowy Montreal with slushy streets that was a nightmare to traverse with Mike in his new wheelchair. We ate poutine, well not me, but Mike and Zombieman did. We struggled to return to the hotel, where I double checked the tickets had made the trip with us.
We readied ourselves and headed to the Bell Center. Being in a strange city, we took the 'wrong' way into the arena for a wheelchair. Had we known, we could have just walked above ground for a block and it would have taken us straight in without needing to navigate stairs, but it wouldn't be us if it was that easy. Waiting in line was agony.
Finally, we made it up the escalator and handed over the tickets I had so lovingly carried and into our seats. We were in the accessible section somewhat opposite to the stage.
The opening act was Combichrist. I really cannot tell you about this part of the concert. Its a blur and this is no slight on Combichrist whatsoever, but my impatience was starting to rear its ugly head. We then had to wait for about 1/2 hour for the setup before Rammstein took the stage. This was maddening. I don't know why, but each minute felt like forever.
Then, finally, after 12 years this happened...
I was rapt. Time itself stopped. Songs ran into songs. Two encores and they played this...
Words cannot describe how I felt, this concert for which I had waited for so long. When they said goodbye, I was truly saddened. It seemed like they had just taken the stage and now they were leaving. I wanted them to continue, I wanted to hear more.
I guess I will have to head to Germany for more.
12 years ago I was a young, naive teenager fresh out of high school with grand ambitions swirling in my head. I was going to do this and I was going to do that and nothing would stop me.
(It seems quite sad to think I would fall so far in a couple years and yet I would manage to grab onto a quivering ledge and start on another path. That's me, always clawing, in my stubborn way, back...)
At this time in my life, musically at least, I was a wanderer. I didn't have any favorite bands or musicians. My radio was stuck on a station that I didn't much care for. This all changed when I happened to see some music videos on MTV, (yes, when it actually used to play music videos as opposed to the drivel it broadcasts today), that quite literally opened my eyes.
The two videos that stuck out are The Unforgiven II by Metallica and Du Hast by Rammstein. I scouted around for radio stations that played these songs and I've been a fan since then, adding on more bands as time wore on.
Later on, I met Mike and we often spoke and still do about going to Germany to see Rammstein because it had been so long since they had played in North America. Plus, with my love of the German spoken voice AND Christoph 'Doom' Schneider (drummer for Rammstein), it seemed the only way we'd be able to see Rammstein was to travel to Germany...
Until...
May 2010
We discovered Rammstein was playing at an outdoor festival in Montreal, in July, during the summer of eternal heat waves. Given this along with Mike being in a wheelchair we decided against purchasing tickets.
Late September 2010
We find out Rammstein is going to play just ONE show in New York on December 11th. This was billed as their only North American show. Knowing we would be up against scores of people all trying for a finite amount of tickets, we tried any way. Alas, this was not to be. As Mike was on the phone with the rep at Madison Square Gardens, the handicapped seats were sold. We were saddened, yes, but in the pit of our stomachs we knew there was little chance we would be able to score tickets.
October 2010
We learn they are planning a 2ND North American show in Montreal on December 9th. I thought this was a ruse and it took a few days for me to fully accept we'd have a second chance, even after I confirmed the show at the venue's website. At this time, the tickets were not going to be on sale for a couple weeks, so we had our game plan ready. Ticket day was a Saturday at 12pm. Mike was going to try again for 3 tickets - one for me, one for him and one for our friend, Zombieman.
Saturday came and I had forgotten the day was ticket sale day until Mike reminded me. I was off to the mall looking for purses. There I stood in the store, looking at purses when the phone rings. I had no concept of the time, although it must have been around 12.15 pm. Its Mike. The first thing I hear is his laughter. (Note, at this time, Rammstein is far from my mind). I can't remember what he says next, but the realization sinks in and my stomach turns over and a large smile creeps over my face. I can't remember purchasing the purses, nor the drive home, I was that shocked surprised ecstatic that it was true.
The tickets arrived some time in November and they were stuck up on the fridge. It was then that I started having mini paranoia attacks that we would forget the tickets on the fridge on concert day.
December 9th, 2010
We decided to take the train to Montreal on the Thursday, see the concert and return on the Friday. Wednesday night, it took a while for me to fall asleep as I fully prepared myself that this was a huge fabricated dream and that I'd wake up on Thursday expecting to go on the train but instead someone would tell me it was all a lie. Fully expecting to go to the side of the fridge and see no tickets there.
Instead, it was real. I grabbed the tickets, placed into my purse and off we went to the train station. I even made Mike and Zombieman 'sign off' that the tickets were placed into my purse and the purse was then put around my neck, I was that paranoid.
The train trip up was uneventful. I read, I napped, I colored, I looked out the window. I tried to force myself to believe this was actually happening.
I did have something stuck in my head though. The entire train ride up, this song was in my head, Du riechst so gut. I don't know why, it just was. I hadn't even listened to it recently, in fact I hadn't really listened to Rammstein prior to the concert.
We arrived to a snowy Montreal with slushy streets that was a nightmare to traverse with Mike in his new wheelchair. We ate poutine, well not me, but Mike and Zombieman did. We struggled to return to the hotel, where I double checked the tickets had made the trip with us.
We readied ourselves and headed to the Bell Center. Being in a strange city, we took the 'wrong' way into the arena for a wheelchair. Had we known, we could have just walked above ground for a block and it would have taken us straight in without needing to navigate stairs, but it wouldn't be us if it was that easy. Waiting in line was agony.
Finally, we made it up the escalator and handed over the tickets I had so lovingly carried and into our seats. We were in the accessible section somewhat opposite to the stage.
The opening act was Combichrist. I really cannot tell you about this part of the concert. Its a blur and this is no slight on Combichrist whatsoever, but my impatience was starting to rear its ugly head. We then had to wait for about 1/2 hour for the setup before Rammstein took the stage. This was maddening. I don't know why, but each minute felt like forever.
Then, finally, after 12 years this happened...
The song: Rammlied
I was rapt. Time itself stopped. Songs ran into songs. Two encores and they played this...
The song: Du riechst so gut
Words cannot describe how I felt, this concert for which I had waited for so long. When they said goodbye, I was truly saddened. It seemed like they had just taken the stage and now they were leaving. I wanted them to continue, I wanted to hear more.
I guess I will have to head to Germany for more.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas from the corgi
Normally, we have our Christmas picture taken, which we then include in our Christmas cards, but we were quite behind this year. Alas, there is no picture of our threesome this year, maybe we'll get it tomorrow.
Instead, Gimli wishes a Merry Christmas!
Instead, Gimli wishes a Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Things for 2011
So a bunch of people I know are doing a '100 things I want to do in 2011' list and while I agree its a great idea, I am finding it difficult to come up with 100 things.
Therefore, I'm just going to write things down until I can't think of anything else and see where I end up.
1. Read More, nothing special, just reading.
2. Pay attention to my blog and post more
3. Join BlogHer
4. Attend BlogHer 2011, wherever it is
5. Do what I need to do to get off one of my medications
6. Go to the Zoo
7. Make a better attempt at brushing Gimli more than once a week
8. To achieve this, setup a grooming table in the laundry room
9. Start expanding the list of meals that I can cook from memory
10. Start branching out and cooking different things, planning is key and laziness is no excuse
11. Eat more fruits and veggies
12. Cut my hair, and not just a trim either, goodbye long locks.
13. Get a 2nd corgi
14. Learn to walk two of them properly
15. Improve Gimli’s recall
16. Make a Pooh Bear gingerbread house
17. See The Lion King stage show
18. Continue with the No Complaint experiment
19. Take more visits to The Arboretum and see our coyote friend again
20. Get off my butt and be more active
21. Play with Gimli in the snow
22. Try to make a snow ‘animal’
23. Get more sleep
24. Read Brene Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection and apply it to myself
25. Woofstock?
26. Parasailing @Castaway Cay
27. Discover local restaurants in my city
28. See the Tim Burton exhibit
29. Go to the Animal mass with Jeannie
30. Make it to Trinidad to introduce Mike to the rest of my crazy family, hopefully I'll still be married by the time we return.
31. ...
Therefore, I'm just going to write things down until I can't think of anything else and see where I end up.
1. Read More, nothing special, just reading.
2. Pay attention to my blog and post more
3. Join BlogHer
4. Attend BlogHer 2011, wherever it is
5. Do what I need to do to get off one of my medications
6. Go to the Zoo
7. Make a better attempt at brushing Gimli more than once a week
8. To achieve this, setup a grooming table in the laundry room
9. Start expanding the list of meals that I can cook from memory
10. Start branching out and cooking different things, planning is key and laziness is no excuse
11. Eat more fruits and veggies
12. Cut my hair, and not just a trim either, goodbye long locks.
13. Get a 2nd corgi
14. Learn to walk two of them properly
15. Improve Gimli’s recall
16. Make a Pooh Bear gingerbread house
17. See The Lion King stage show
18. Continue with the No Complaint experiment
19. Take more visits to The Arboretum and see our coyote friend again
20. Get off my butt and be more active
21. Play with Gimli in the snow
22. Try to make a snow ‘animal’
23. Get more sleep
24. Read Brene Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection and apply it to myself
25. Woofstock?
26. Parasailing @Castaway Cay
27. Discover local restaurants in my city
28. See the Tim Burton exhibit
29. Go to the Animal mass with Jeannie
30. Make it to Trinidad to introduce Mike to the rest of my crazy family, hopefully I'll still be married by the time we return.
31. ...
Thursday, December 16, 2010
What to do when you can't get through the door?
Pull the fire alarm! Yes, this device that one must only pull in the event there is a real fire.
I went into the office yesterday to catch up with everyone so they wouldn't think I've succumbed to cabin fever. It was nasty cold outside, -18 or something like that with the wind chill. Colder than a witch's tit.
It was the middle of the afternoon, the office is quiet and all of a sudden we hear this noise, which doesn't sound like any fire alarm at all. We're all walking around for about a minute trying to figure out if this is the actual fire alarm, since most of us work from home. Finally it sinks in and we rush back to our desks to grab our coats to head downstairs.
Outside its freezing. We're standing there bracing behind minivans trying to stay out of the biting wind, secretly cursing whoever planned the fire drill and equally hoping the building burned down so we weren't freezing in vain. Finally they gave us the all clear and we trudged back upstairs.
I later found out someone had pulled, yes pulled the fire alarm. Why you ask? Was it a prank? A method to break up the monotony?
Nope, not in the least.
See, in our stairwells at each door there's a security box where you swipe your badge and you gain access. Its quite simple really. Well, this person, swiped her badge and I suppose it didn't take, so instead of swiping again, she pulls the fire alarm... why? Because the lever on the fire alarm would open the door.
I went into the office yesterday to catch up with everyone so they wouldn't think I've succumbed to cabin fever. It was nasty cold outside, -18 or something like that with the wind chill. Colder than a witch's tit.
It was the middle of the afternoon, the office is quiet and all of a sudden we hear this noise, which doesn't sound like any fire alarm at all. We're all walking around for about a minute trying to figure out if this is the actual fire alarm, since most of us work from home. Finally it sinks in and we rush back to our desks to grab our coats to head downstairs.
Outside its freezing. We're standing there bracing behind minivans trying to stay out of the biting wind, secretly cursing whoever planned the fire drill and equally hoping the building burned down so we weren't freezing in vain. Finally they gave us the all clear and we trudged back upstairs.
I later found out someone had pulled, yes pulled the fire alarm. Why you ask? Was it a prank? A method to break up the monotony?
Nope, not in the least.
See, in our stairwells at each door there's a security box where you swipe your badge and you gain access. Its quite simple really. Well, this person, swiped her badge and I suppose it didn't take, so instead of swiping again, she pulls the fire alarm... why? Because the lever on the fire alarm would open the door.
Monday, December 13, 2010
No tv, no phone, no Internet make Candy something something...
As I have mentioned before, I work from home. Every day, Monday - Friday I'm up in the office with two work machines plugged into the VPN via the Internet.
Today, this did not happen...
See, there was a slight snowstorm last night, at least I think there was. There wasn't enough snow to qualify for a snowstorm on the ground, but the roads and sidewalks were a bit icy. About two blocks away from our house sits the 'transformer' box that holds our telephone/cable/internet connections as configured by our ISP. Well, sometime last night a car smashed into that box. It totaled the box. To quote Mike, who saw the box this morning, "Smooshed!".
Needless to say, this morning there was no phone, no tv and no Internet.
I came back home from walking Gimli on icy sidewalks and blowing snow to hear Mike say, "We are dead in the water.", then turn around and walk back to the kitchen. I thought of Jaws for a split second before he clarified himself and said the phone, tv and Internet was down.
Crap! I was away on Thursday and Friday, (the topic of which I will post in a few days once I have the videos nicely compressed), and I had a large enough pile of work before I left that I couldn't possibly take another day off, especially when I'm going to be away again next week for Christmas!!, ran through my head
The next few minutes were spent scrambling to figure out how I could get to 'work'. We have one car and Mike's office and my head office are in different directions. The highway was a write off, it took Mike 1 1/2 hours to get to his office, which is closer than mine.
Thankfully, my boss lives in the same city and so I was able to work from his house sitting at his dining room table. Mike picked me up after work and we came home to find our phone, tv and Internet working again.
How much do you want to bet it came up about an hour after I made it to my boss' house?
Today, this did not happen...
See, there was a slight snowstorm last night, at least I think there was. There wasn't enough snow to qualify for a snowstorm on the ground, but the roads and sidewalks were a bit icy. About two blocks away from our house sits the 'transformer' box that holds our telephone/cable/internet connections as configured by our ISP. Well, sometime last night a car smashed into that box. It totaled the box. To quote Mike, who saw the box this morning, "Smooshed!".
Needless to say, this morning there was no phone, no tv and no Internet.
I came back home from walking Gimli on icy sidewalks and blowing snow to hear Mike say, "We are dead in the water.", then turn around and walk back to the kitchen. I thought of Jaws for a split second before he clarified himself and said the phone, tv and Internet was down.
Crap! I was away on Thursday and Friday, (the topic of which I will post in a few days once I have the videos nicely compressed), and I had a large enough pile of work before I left that I couldn't possibly take another day off, especially when I'm going to be away again next week for Christmas!!, ran through my head
The next few minutes were spent scrambling to figure out how I could get to 'work'. We have one car and Mike's office and my head office are in different directions. The highway was a write off, it took Mike 1 1/2 hours to get to his office, which is closer than mine.
Thankfully, my boss lives in the same city and so I was able to work from his house sitting at his dining room table. Mike picked me up after work and we came home to find our phone, tv and Internet working again.
How much do you want to bet it came up about an hour after I made it to my boss' house?
Monday, December 6, 2010
My head is full and no one likes my cookies
I had a nasty horrible headache today, which I can only attribute to the fact that I have so many blog posts swirling in my head that its full. The blog area of my brain has reached capacity and is threatening the other portions of my brain.
So, in no particular order, here's what Ineed intend to write about in the next little while:
1. Christmas decorations
2. My birthday
3. Impending trip to another province, the reason I'm going there I've waited for about 12 years.
4. That other thing that was in my mind, but now I can't remember probably because a new thought came in and that thought was banished away.
Last Friday, I went to a social gathering in the neighborhood. I was very proud of myself, I went there, was nice, polite, dare I say it - warm. I mingled, I laughed and smiled and tried to join conversations. Sometimes I succeeded, other times I stood there listening to women's birth stories.
I made peanut butter cookies with two little chocolate chips stuck in the middle. We each were asked to bring something to eat, so I was glad to bring my cookies... Except it seemed no one ate them. :( By the time I left, the container was practically still full.
Here's a picture, don't they look appetizing?
On second thought, maybe they were scared off because the cookies do rather look like little beady eyed mouthless monsters.... hmmmmm
So, in no particular order, here's what I
1. Christmas decorations
2. My birthday
3. Impending trip to another province, the reason I'm going there I've waited for about 12 years.
4. That other thing that was in my mind, but now I can't remember probably because a new thought came in and that thought was banished away.
Last Friday, I went to a social gathering in the neighborhood. I was very proud of myself, I went there, was nice, polite, dare I say it - warm. I mingled, I laughed and smiled and tried to join conversations. Sometimes I succeeded, other times I stood there listening to women's birth stories.
I made peanut butter cookies with two little chocolate chips stuck in the middle. We each were asked to bring something to eat, so I was glad to bring my cookies... Except it seemed no one ate them. :( By the time I left, the container was practically still full.
Here's a picture, don't they look appetizing?
On second thought, maybe they were scared off because the cookies do rather look like little beady eyed mouthless monsters.... hmmmmm
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