All Work and No Play...

...Is pretty much how I live my life. LOL. I spent my Friday evening working. Seriously, I left the office at 7:40pm. And it was all by choice. Being a short week, I was behind on some stuff so I stayed in order to get caught up. The bright side was that I got a lot of work done and will now probably enjoy my weekend more and won't be sitting around worrying about what I didn't get done.

I also cleaned out the office fridge with the help of one of my co-workers. My god it was awful. There were some pretty nasty science projects going on in there. Some stuff wasn't even identifiable.
Brutal.

I stopped and got sushi after work. It was sooo good and was a nice treat after a long day.

Looks like it's going to be a rainy weekend so I think I'm going to attempt over haul my apartment and get my fall clothes out. I'm also going to get the slow cooker out and make some soup so that I can re-stock my freezer. Might mean a trip to the market to get some fresh veggies to go into the soup. A trip to the market is worth braving the rain.

My long day is catching up with me so I think it's time for bed.

Good Night!

Sarah

Lentil Pasta Soup - One of my favourites!

Sleepy

For being a short week, it feels rather long. Perhaps that's due to how busy I've been at the office. It's bizarre. I run around all day but I don't actually feel like I've accomplished anything. Maybe I'll go in early tomorrow and try to get some filing done before the rest of the staff appear.

Today we had yet another farewell party. It's what happens when a large majority of your staff are on 90 day contracts. Anyhow, today's departure was my friend Stephanee. On one hand, I really have no reason to feel sad about it as I see her on a weekly basis. But on the other hand, I have gotten quite used to seeing her at work everyday. And for hitting her up for gum. And for having my back when dealing with difficult people.

On the bright side, when I bitch to her on the weekends about work/co-workers/general office insanity, she'll know exactly what I'm talking about :)

I'm rather sleepy this evening and my tummy is a little angry (too much hot sauce on my dinner I do believe), so this is going to be a short blog tonight. Besides, I'm still a little drained after last night's blog.

Oh! That reminds me, my mom called me this evening. My parents are having their house re-wired (they still have some old knob and tube wiring in it) and apparently, the people doing the work have been re-arranging the rooms and making quite the mess. They kind of have to and my parents knew this was coming. Anyhow, the computer isn't hooked up again yet so my mom has been calling instead of emailing. She called me tonight and said that the electrician had told her that he closed the doors to two of the bedrooms and that the master bedroom was accessible and open (my parent's room). He also said that he didn't recommend looking into the two other rooms. So what did mom do? She looked in the other two rooms. LOL. Apparently she can only get the door to my old room half way open because there's a dresser in the way. Mom said that both rooms were a total disaster. My response: I wanna see! Take pictures!!! Yes, I'm uber supportive, aren't I? They've got a new light fixture in the bathroom because the workers can't get at the wiring for the old lights without removing an entire wall. And the wiring in the old ceiling light in their dining room was so old and dried out, that it was flaking off! Crazy. I can't wait to go home at Christmas and see all the changes.

I'm going to log off now and head to bed early. I'm very happy that tomorrow is Friday. I'm thinking sushi for dinner :)

Good Night!

Sarah

Couldn't think of a good photo for this blog, so here's a picutre of Lake Louise instead.
(taken in 2007)

50!!

Believe it or not, but tonight's post is my 50th post. Honest to God, I never thought I'd really stick with it this long.

I've tried writing journals/diaries before but I've never really stuck with it for more than a few weeks. I'd get tired and forget to write or I'd lose the book under the couch for a few months. Or I wouldn't be able to find a pen. You know, crap like that. So I'm slightly baffled as to why I've been able to keep it up so long and so well thus far.

Maybe the timing was right this time?

When it comes to anything major in our lives, people always say that the time has to be right. Or it has to come at the right time. Like quitting smoking or losing weight. If you haven't timed it right, or you aren't 100% committed, it's just not going to work, no matter how hard you try. But then that one time comes along. That one right time. I don't know if the stars align a certain way, or if the moon is in the right house or it just happens to be the 1000th Thursday in the decade but something happens. It all just clicks. The obstacles that were there all fall away. Your resolve is renewed. Self doubt is locked away and courage has come out to play. I can't explain it, but it happens. Perhaps this is one of those things?

Speaking of timing....I've spent a good deal of the week thinking back to my first week and year at University. It's hard to believe that it was 15 years ago. In many ways, it feels like it was only a few years ago. Some days I wish it was :) Going to University was a very bitter sweet moment for me. Not too many people know this, but just when I was getting my acceptance letters for University and was graduating high school and becoming legal drinking age...my mom was diagnose with breast cancer. Finding that out was the scariest day of my life. I've moved away from home, moved across the country and back and still nothing has been more frightening than the possibility of losing my mom. Unfortunately, I have a few friends who know just how real that fear is as they've lost a parent.

I'm pretty sure my first reaction to the news was a selfish one, with me thinking that my chances of getting it had just increased. But that was the scared little girl in my talking. Soon the braver young woman came out and I told my parents that I didn't want to go away to University. I wanted to stay home and look after my mom. Guess who won that battle? My mom wouldn't let me stay home. So off I went. I can remember calling home a few times and my mom was too tired or wasn't feeling well enough to come to the phone. It broke my heart.  Part of me still feels guilty for not just ignoring my parents and leaving school to go home and look after my mom. I'm sure they would have killed me if I had.

My mom is an amazing woman and she pulled through. I went with her to her 2nd last treatment when I was home for reading week during my first year. I'll never forget it. I think that's the day she really became my hero. She beat the cancer :)

So when I look back and remember how scary things were 15 years ago, I also celebrate the fact that my mom has been cancer free for 15 years. I can't begin to express how thankful and grateful I am for that. What I once thought was really bad timing to be leaving home and starting school might actually have not been so bad. Perhaps it was supposed to happen then, in order for me to fully appreciate the loved ones in my life and to grow stronger as a person.

Funny how 15 years can change your perspective on things? And this turned out to be a way more emotional blog than I planned on it being. Wow.

Good Night!

Sarah

Strike 2!

I had my re-scheduled doctor's appointment this morning. It was my 2nd attempt at a physical. Here's what happened:

I get to the doctor's this morning and check in with the front desk, where the receptionist promptly tells me: "He's not in this week." WTF??? I asked why no one called me and she gave some BS answer about the doctor not giving them any warning and only told them in the afternoon of his last day that he was taking a week off. Whatever. My guess is that she forgot that the doctor was taking a week off and accidentally booked me in. Moving on.

So the receptionist says that she can get me in to see the other doctor. I ask how long that will take and she tells me that it will be 15-20 minutes and that she'd put me ahead of those waiting since I had an appointment (my doctor's office is also a Walk-In clinic). Ok fine. I get shown to a room right away and I had to wait 20 minutes to see the other doctor. I did manage to finish reading my book during this time, so it wasn't a lost cause. 

The other Dr. (I have no clue at all as to what her name is!) came in and went over my blood test results with me. Good news; I'm perfectly healthy! Well, except for the being extremely overweight part, but on paper, I'm perfectly healthy. Everything is good. My iron was good, my kidneys are working well, my cholesterol number is normal, my sugar is good. No signs of diabetes.  The Doctor then asked how my blood pressure is. I told her that I had no idea so, she took my blood pressure too and said that it was good. That was kind of impressive. I figured that with how annoyed I was, it would have been through the roof. Guess reading my book calmed me down.

 Before she left, the nice doctor lady told me to book another appointment with my doctor for my physical and pap. I almost laughed in her face. That's so not going to happen. I've lost 2 mornings so far. I'm not taking any more time off work. This is by far, the most dysfunctional doctor's office I've ever been to. It took me 3 years to get a doctor and it doesn't seem to matter. I think I have to renew my efforts and see if I can find a better doctor, one who actually gives a shit and cares about how their office is run. I wonder if there's someone I can complain to about this?

My next trick will be finding an eye doctor (not so bad) and a dentist (scared to death of them!). This should be a blast :) Stay tuned for those adventures.... LOL.

Good Night!

Sarah

The relaxing view from the dock at Steph's cottage

Writer's Block?

Good evening... and I have no idea what to write beyond that. Today was a very dull and mundane day, especially when compared to the two previous days. I did get to sleep in though, so that was nice.

But I really don't have much on my mind to write about tonight. It's back to work for me tomorrow, and my boss is back from holidays so it might be a busy day. I also have a re-scheduled doctor's appointment (for my physical) tomorrow morning, providing the receptionist didn't forget to book it. Hopefully my blood test results are back so that I don't have to go back for a third time.

I did discover two new bands today. I follow a bunch of them on Twitter and I finally found the time to check some of them out. The two that I came across today are "Hard Honey" from Calgary, AB Canada and "Throw The Fight" from Minneapolis, MN USA. You can find them both on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and iTunes. I've been in search of some new music as of late and am rather happy to have some. I just wish Hard Honey had more tracks available online to listen to .

That's it for me tonight. A very short and sweet blog. Nothing thrilling. Maybe I'll have more to say tomorrow night.

Good Night!

Sarah

Since I was talkinga about bands tonight, here's a photo of one of my favourite bands, My Darkest Days, taken at Bluesfest this summer

Young At Heart

Today was an interesting day. It involved someone very old and someone very young.

I went out grocery shopping this afternoon. While waiting for the bus home, an elderly woman at the bus stop started talking to me. Turns out that she's 90 years old. Makes me wonder at one point do people start bragging about their age? Anyhow, she was a very nice and very talkative woman who was clearly enjoying the great weather today. She made me smile and I think she was happy to have someone to talk with.

This evening I went over to visit one of my nearest and dearest friends and her family. Her, her husband and I all met 15 years ago. None of us could believe that's been that long. He husband claims that we all look the same. LOL. I'd like to believe that. It's also were I spent some time with the youngest person today. Their son is just shy of being 4 months old. He's adorable and such a happy baby. He only cried once the entire time I was there and I think that's because he had a bad dream or was hungry. Not sure which. And the crying didn't last long at all. If all babies were as calm and as well behaved as he is, I might re-consider my decision not to have one. Watching my friends interact with him made me smile too. They were definitely meant to be parents.

I still find it very surreal that one of my friends has a baby. It's not that I think they're not ready for one, quite the opposite there, but I don't feel like we're old enough to be having them. Hell, the fact that my brother is a father still boggles my mind and it's been 5 months now. But I have to admit, I don't really feel like I'm a grown up. When I was a teenager, I had an idea in my head about how people in the 30s and 40s were: how they lived and behaved. But I certainly have not become the idea that I had. Maybe I'd feel different if I wasn't on my own. Maybe I wouldn't. Maybe this is how I'm supposed to feel, kind of young at heart. I'm responsible in the fact that I have a job and support myself. I pay my rent and bills, do my own laundry and grocery shopping, but I still listen to loud rock music and love going to concerts. I like staying up late watching movies. I like giggling with my girlfriends. I still buy frivolous items from time to time, like purses, shoes and nail polish ( I own A LOT of nail polish ).

Perhaps keeping a sense of our youth in our hearts is a good thing, something that really does keep us feeling (and possibly looking) young. All I know is that I don't feel as old as my birth certificate says I am and that's a good thing.

Good Night!

Sarah

One of my more silly moments :)

Getting Back to Nature

Nature. It's all around us but most people don't seem to take the time to notice it or enjoy it. Living in the city is great. There's lots of things to see and do but city life is usually very busy and we spend most of our time rushing from one place to another. From work to home. We all need to take a break to re-charge our batteries, so to speak. And I got to do that today.

My good friend Stephanee's parents have a cottage just outside of Wakefield, Quebec. After whining to Steph that I hadn't got to go with her to their cottage this year, she broke down and agreed to take me today. It was wonderful. As we headed down the highway, leaving the city behind, I could feel my spirits lifting. With each breath I took, I felt the stress leaving me. We look the scenic route, which takes us through a very beautiful area which skirts the Gatineau River. The views are incredible and I could hear my soul start to sing as I looked out the car windows and took in the beauty that surrounded us.

The town of Wakefield almost looks like something out of a movie. It's really a very beautiful little place. It has a general store, a bakery, a candy shop (which sells amazing jam) and a bunch of other quaint little shops, cafes, art galleries and restaurants. There's even a steam train that goes through town (currently our of service awaiting track repairs). Just being there makes you believe in a more simple way of life. We stopped at their little farmer's market and I bought some local honey.

Steph's cottage is built on the hill overlooking the lake. When you get out of the car, all you can smell is pine trees, earth and happiness. The way the sun filters through the trees and leaves little spots of light on the ground reminds me of a disco ball. There are all kinds of squirrels and birds everywhere and the view from their back deck is enough is stunning. It's the kind of place where you could just sit on the deck and look out at the lake for hours on end, without a care in the world.

When I was little, my parents would take my brother and I camping every summer. We usually went to Sharbot Lake Provincial Park, which is one of my most favourite places in the world. I guess that's where my love and appreciation for the outdoors and nature started. Spending time at lake, away from the hustle and bustle of life, is filled with so many happy and wonderful memories and the come flooding back as soon as I see groves of trees and the sun reflecting back off a lake.

I know that the idea of spending time in the dirty, messy, bug and critter infested outdoors is not everyone's cup of tea. And some people prefer swimming in a crystal blue pool rather than a chilly, pebble bottom, seaweed tickling lake,  but I think everyone really should give it a try. Now that I'm older, I will admit that I prefer to sleep inside a cottage rather than in a tent, but the principal behind it is still the same. The world around us is beautiful. Being a part of nature and enjoying the wilderness around us is in everyone's soul. Sometimes we don't realise that until they get the chance to get out there, explore it and enjoy it.

My day in nature was perfect. I got to feel the sun on my shoulders, the wind in my hair as we toured the lake in a very cool boat and felt the refreshment of the lake as I splashed around and swam around in the lake. My soul is smiling right now. My batteries have been re-charged and my stress has melted away. I think that's better than any spa visit or night out on the town.

Before I end the blog tonight, I'd also like to say a special "Hello" to Stephanee, Natalie and Heather. We all met 15 years ago this weekend (ok, give or take a few days) at Carleton University. I can't believe that it was that long ago!! You ladies have made such a huge impact on my life and your friendship means the world to me. I'm so glad that I met you and I'm blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. I love you!!

Good Night,

Sarah

My feet on the railing of the deck at Steph's cottage (taken last summer)