Packing and Packing...

Oh goodness! It has been almost a week since my last post! Things have been pretty busy around here. Between packing, work, Justin's birthday, and work again, I have barely had a minute to breathe! Tonight Justin and I hung out with one of my friends from work, a really nice guy. It was nice to take a break from everything, but now it is back to the grind. Tomorrow we are going to go visit with Aunty Mary, and then go for dinner with Justin's aunt for his birthday. Over the next few days especially we will be busy. We are planning to be out by this weekend, so that we will have all next week to clean. Then it's off to the 'rents!!

More Packin

Well, I got more packing done tonight! It is hard to believe that we will be leaving here in only 5 weeks! It's hard to think about leaving after having such a good day at work. This is the first job that I have had where I am completely happy everytime I work. Hopefully I can find that in BC!! But it is late and I am tired from packing. Off to bed I go, hopefully I can get a little bit more done tomorrow after work and before we partake in the St Patrick's Day festivities!

New Recipes...

Tried out another couple of recipes tonight. Tortellini with creamy tomato sauce, ceasar salad, and garlic bread for supper. For dessert I made chocolate chip banana bread with applesauce. Turned out okay, kinda of raw in the middle, but I know Justin will eat it! Other than that, nothing else new.

Yay For Weekends

Tonight was a good night. Worked for a couple hours, came home, and hung out with some friends. Yesterday, Justin and I went and visited Aunty Mary in the hospital and told her that we are moving to BC. That was hard!! But now everyone knows, so that is a big relief. After a nice relaxing night, church tomorrow morning and then the March birthdays!

On The Move

It has been hard to keep up with writing daily in my blog, especially when I have been busy being sick. I have been sorting through things and packing getting ready for the end of this month. Our plan is to hopefully be moved out a few days before the end of the month but to start taking a couple loads every few days starting next week.

On that note, I have pulled chicken cooking in the crock pot, gotta taste test!

Brownies And Ice Cream!

Last night, I started to pack a couple boxes of stuff. It is really starting to hit home that we are actually going to be gone in less than 2 months. Tomorrow our apartment is being shown, and while that is going on, we are going to check out the Titanic exhibition. It should be pretty cool!

For now, we are enjoying some fresh brownies and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Goodbye Weekend, Hello Monday

I love spending the day inside, relaxing on the couch and doing nothing all day. Especially when I am sick. Nothing like getting cozy under a blanket and watching movies all day. Before I head off to bed, I think I am going to enjoy a hot cup of tea.

Saturday Night In

I am tired of being so run down the last few days. All yesterday I just laid around at home being sick. I guess tomorrow I am going to start drinkin more water, taking my multi-vitamins, and possibly walking more. I don't walk as much now that we have the van, but as gas prices are getting higher, it would be nice to kill 2 birds with one stone. Anywho, it is gonna be an early night in. Maybe some hot tea would be good.

Flashback!

Not a very interesting day today. Worked at the cafe today, and found out that one of the girls I work with is the sister of one of the guys I went to college with. Will wonders never cease?? I also saw Justin Pariseau, who I went to college with and high school! It is always neat to run into people, but really? It seems like Ellice Cafe is a pretty important place. I am definitely going to miss it when I go. The regulars are amazing and all of the staff are great! Hopefully I can find a place as amazing as Ellice when we go to BC.

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

On the menu tonight, chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Except I looked in the fridge and forgot that we didn't have any eggs. So I checked on the internet, and apparently applesauce can replace eggs. I tried it and they taste fantastic!!

Anywho, I love dealing with incompetent boobs. Imperial Parking has been giving us the run around for the last few months since we have had parking. I hate dealing with people over the phone, and especially people who don't know what they are doing. Oh well, I guess it is a good test of my patience.

Gonna Miss It!

With our moving date getting closer and closer, I am definitely starting to look back on the past year and am getting reminiscent. I love our apartment and we have been so lucky to get such a great place. We have had mom and dad, mom and dad Schatz, Aunty Laur, Tim, and Aunty Allyson over for dinner or coffee and felt proud to show them our home. This has been a new step for Justin and I, to share a home together. We are proud to have people over and to show of our place. It has been a home, not just a house. The view is amazing, and I am definitely going to miss it.

Tasty Creations Anyone?

Today has been a tough day for me. Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat and it got worse until I had no more voice. All day today I had no voice, but I have been drinking tea and water and it has slowly come back. Its not back completely, but its getting there. Justin has been loving it, bugging me that he can't hear me or telling me to speak louder. What a goof.

After working at the cafe and seeing all of the amazing deserts that they sell, it has inspired me to start baking and cooking more and trying new recipes. For instance, last night I made stuffed mushrooms and a few days ago I made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling and marshmallow frosting. They were amazing!! Justin and Jay love my new hobby as well. Tonight I am going to try and make some brownies with peanut butter something or other!

Tea And Honey...mmmm!

Woke up this morning with a sore throat. I am now spending the night keeping warm and drinking lots of tea and eating freezies and more mini mandarins. Hopefully whatever this is will go away by tomorrow. Gonna be a short entry as I am tired and have done nothing today but relax. You gotta love Sundays!

Dream Job

I work with a lot of interesting people. Today I talked for a couple hours with Logan, one of the guys I work with at the cafe. He works with VIA Rail during the summers and gets laid off in the off-season and works at the cafe. His job is pretty much everything on board, from porter to bartender to housekeeping, he does it all. He was explaining how his trips vary from Winnipeg to Vancouver or Toronot or even to Churchill. From here to Vancouver is usually a 4-6 day trip. Toronto and Churchill are about 4 days. His Vancouver runs he works about 72 hours total, for one trip. That would be an amazing experience. Unfortunately you have to know French. Guess I am out!

Cleanin Out The Closets

Today is the official start to our move to BC! We have officially started sorting through our clothes to figure out what we want to keep, take with us, or pack away. It is always nice to go through closets and dressers and get rid of old clothes to make room for new ones! Or in our case, lighten the load for travelling. Not only have we started to go through clothes, but boxes of stuff that we don't need. It is amazing how much stuff we can accumulate in a year.

On a side note, I found some AMAZING mini honey mandarins at the store for $.49. They are tasty and VERY cute.

Movie-thon!

I have started looking back over my posts since I started writing and it is neat to see how far I have come in my blogging. There have been days that have been hard to write, or days that I have missed, but I am glad that I have stuck with it.

Justin and I had breakfast with Ashley today. It was fun hanging out and catchin up with someone I haven't seen in years. Went and worked at Redeemed, then came home, went to the gym, and now we are relaxing and watching movies. There is nothing more relaxing than hanging out in comfy pyjamas, laid out on the couch, watchin a movie, topped off with a late night 7/11 run!

Long Time No See!

In case you didn't know, I love my job! After a tough weekend, it was encouraging to go back to Ellice Cafe today and see the regulars and my awesome co-workers. While working tonight, I ran into a friend from college that I haven't seen in years. Apparently she has been working at the theatre next door for the last few months! We got to talking tonight and we have plans to go for breakfast in the morning. It has been so weird meeting up with people after a long time! Especially meeting up with them in such a random way! I had no idea that she was in the city, let alone working beside me with the same "company". She also apparently worked in the cafe last year for a few months! She was an influential person in my life when I was in college and I am really excited to have reconnected with her!

After a tough weekend dealing with lots of personal issues, I have renewed strength in myself.

Pretty boring day today...nothing new to post. Tomorrow is a new day.

Friday & Saturday

We spent yesterday night at Justin's parents house, as Justin's dad is in the hospital and he didn't want his mom to be alone. Doug is starting to look better and hopefully he will be able to start eating soon. Other than that, not to much going on here. Weather is still windy and cold and snowy, work is good, and I am still lookin forward to moving in a few weeks!

WHAT THE HECK!

Okay, so you gotta expect weather like this in Winnipeg. I am in total denial. I finally broke down tonight and wore my winter jacket. WHY MUST YOU TEASE US LIKE THIS!! From +4 to -16 and windy with snow in the span of 2 days...it's not fair! Oh well, I guess it is only a couple of weeks until Spring is here to stay. For now, I am enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate watching the wind blow the snow in circles, and thank goodness for indoor parking!! That was the best Christmas gift ever!

So That Is What 6 AM Looks Like!

There are some days when I really like getting up early. Today we had to get up at 6:30 am to go to the hospital for Justin's ECG for his yearly check up. I've never seen one done and it was kind of cool to see his heart and hear it on the monitor. Justin gets bothered by hearing and seeing his heart when he goes for his checkups, but I think it is pretty cool. I can understand how people get really bothered going into hospitals, but I have always been okay with them. I don't mind being around sick people, or caring for sick people. I guess that's why I want to get into health care or paramedics. I love the idea of having a career that makes a difference in people's lives. Paramedics would be thrilling, dealing with life threatening or tense situations is exciting to me! I can't really afford to go to school for it, but hopefully I can find some experience through work or continuing education places. I guess first aid would be a good first step!

Oh The Weather Outside Is...Delightful?

The last few days have been above average for weather, which has been so nice. Having the balcony door open during the day with the breeze blowing through has been nice. Everything melting and the warm sun is a nice surprise. For the last few days I have been walking outside more, tryng to get out as much as possible. Even now, we have the balcony door open a little letting fresh air in. Not only is the weather nice, but the sun is setting later and later. It always sucks when winter hits and it gets colder and darker, but when spring rolls around, its refreshing to have warm, melting days.

With the warmer weather, I think the winter activities are over, but I am okay with that. Now is the time for walks down Corydon and Osbourne or Assiniboine Park. I am looking forward to the BC weather, no wind chills, no blizzards (hopefully), and hopefully no snow when we get there!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrated it today! And for those who don't, happy Louis Riel Day next Monday! Justin and I couldn't really afford much today, but we did end up watching The 3rd Chronicles of Narnia movie in 3D and the new Harry Potter movie, all for under $20 at the cheap seats. I know movies are kind of "unoriginal" for Valentine's Day, but we had a good night. We also had supper with mom, dad, Gram, Aunty Laur and Tim, and Aunty Alyson at Sing Fei, which used to be Miller's. That brought back a lot of memories!

Now to munch out on some tasty chocolate!

Another Relaxing Sunday!

Today was a fantastic day! We went to church, had coffee with Aunty Laur, Tim, and Aunty Allyson, and now we are enjoying a relaxing evening watching movies. It is always nice to be busy doing things all the time, but after a while it is nice to sit around and watch movies and spend time together.

With tomorrow being Valentine's Day, Justin and I are trying to think of what to do with each other for the day. Personally I believe that Valentine's Day has become very commercialized. It is the thought behind the day that matters. We aren't able to afford a fancy dinner out, with flowers, cards, chocolates, or expensive gifts, but we recognize the true importance and meaning of Valenitne's Day. Let those around you that you love know how much they mean to you.

On a side note, is Survivor still running?? Haven't they run out of ideas yet?? No one I know actually watches it anymore and hasn't watched it after the first 2 seasons. You can't get blood from a stone, so let it go guys. Just thought I would throw that in there as I saw another commercial for yet ANTOHER season.

Back At Redeemed

Well, today was my first day back at Redeemed! I missed it there! I missed Salon B, tagging, cleaning, and organizing. Aunty Allyson is the best at sales, but I always had a hard time with it. On the other hand though, I always followed behind aunty and (tried to) organize her. I loved spending hours tidying the staff area, tagging new inventory, doing paperwork, or sizing clothes after they were put back on the racks. I did all the jobs that aunty hated to do...and I'm okay with that!

After working at Redeemed, I did another 5 hour shift at Ellice Cafe. I sure love working there and I am going to miss it when I leave. Hopefully I will be able to find another job like Ellice wherever we end up.

It is hard to believe that this month is over half over! We have a month and a half left until our lease is up, then we are on our way to the west coast. We have been so lucky getting this apartment, this is our first place together as a couple and it has felt like a home for us. We will definitely miss this place when we go.

Thursday, February 10th

Once again, I had to post todays blog a day late due to our lovely and reliable internet being down. I think Sunday will be my day of electronic fasting. No computer, ipod, or tv.

Its nice to have some solid plans made for the next few months. The social scene in Winnipeg is starting to become repetative. Same bars, same music, same people. Everything is the same. It will be nice to have new surroundings, new atmosphere, and new places to see. We have been telling lots of our friends that we are moving, and most of them ask why. Our answer is simple, we want something different. Winnipeg is a nice place to live, and yes we have all of our friends and family here, but we want to be able to say we have done something adventurous like move far away to a city we really don't know. There is so much more to experience in the world, and it is hard to do that in a city that seems to be stuck in its own ways.

Company's Coming!

I have come to appreciate cooking home made meals. Today we had Justin's friend Nicole and her 5 month old son Blaine over for dinner. It was nice to have a friend over for dinner and not just be a preliminary to a night of partying. We actually had a nice sit down dinner with her and sat and talked. Blaine is such a cutie too. It was nice to have someone else over for dinner and have them comment on how good the food was.

Not only was it a nice dinner, but I was able to see Nicole and how much she has changed over the last few years. Usually when someone has kids, it changes them for the better and it is definitely the case with Nicole.

On a different note, I have tendonitis. It hurts, a lot. It kind of sucks to as I am a waitress so I need to be lifting things. Currently I have my armed wrapped in a tensor bandage and am ice-ing it on and off. Fingers crossed it will get better quick!

Angelina Wrona

While shopping at Cosco tonight, Justin and I were headed to the checkout when he suddenly stopped and something caught his eye. Instantly I thought it was a Cosco sized package of Ranch or mustard, and I wasn't too keen on checking it out. I am glad I did though. From a couple aisles away, Justin noticed an odd looking framed picture that was sitting on a display. As we walked towards it I was shocked and amazed at what I saw. I was drawn to it and I couldn't take my eyes away. It was a painting done by Canadian artist Angelina Wrona.



Clarice










Angelina, who lives in Merrickville, Ontario, is an amazing artist whos work resembles a Tim Burton film. The creepy, slightly evil undertone of her artwork is juxtaposed with the innocent eyes of each subject. In all of Angelina's artwork, I have a hard time looking away from the intense stare of each picture. You can clearly see all of the emotion put into each painting.

I love artwork like this that really grabs your attention and speaks to your emotions without actually having to say anything.


Checkout all of Angelina Wrona's work at her website: http://www.angelinawrona.ca/

I Love Technology...

So far I have only missed one or two blogs since I have began, including last night. The reason for my lack of blog has been that our ever so lovely Shaw internet service decided not to work. No reason why, it just didn't want to work. I called Shaw support and they decided that it wasn't working, but they couldn't figure out why. So they were going to send out a tech to take a look at everything only to tell us it isn't working. Obviously. Then we wake up this morning and find out it is working. Great. The sad part was last night I was thinking of a recipe and turned to look it up on the computer...lo and behold, NOTHING! Or I was going to check my email to see if we got a response back for Shambhala...nada. It is hard to believe how much we depend on technology. When we lose it, we feel lost, incomplete maybe. It is scary how dependant we become on something to get us through the day. I have had a cell phone, I did enjoy using it, but after a while (when I couldn't afford it) I got used to living without one, as I did for years earlier. I don't have my eyes constantly glued to my cell like most people nowadays. I have to many other things in my life that have my attention. Not to mention it is expensive. I know some people who owe hundreds of dollars on their cell phone bills. Phone calls, texting, facebook, twitter, or music all cost so much, and prices are constantly on the rise. My goal for this week is for one entire day, to not use the computer at all. I grew up constantly around technology and I want to see how much it will affect me to stay away for one whole day. Hopefully I won't go nuts!

Rain In February??

The weather has been so nice out the last few days it makes you wonder. As Winnipegers, we are used to having some weird weather changes. My favorite part of the year is spring when there is still snow on the ground and it gets warmer out and the snow starts to melt and you only need a light jacket or sweater. The smell of the air, the warm sun and cool breeze, and seeing green grass is so refreshing after 5 months of snow. Spring marks the beginning of a new year.

We were discussing our plans for the next few months with Justin's parents, and every time we talk about it, I get more and more excited. Change is always good, and to make a big change like this will be exciting. If Justin doesn't land a radio gig in the next 2 months, then we are heading out west to BC. Not too sure where exactly, but we are looking into different places. It is nice to have a plan in place and not just fly the seat of our pants.

Ooops!

What a night!!! So I had a genius idea last night to go for a drive, just because. Me and Justin jumped in the van and headed west to Brandon. About half way there, it started to rain, just like dad had told me before we left. I didn't think about it at all until we got out in Brandon and stepped out onto the road and onto a skating rink. We drove around Brandon for a while and stopped at Subway, then we got gas before we were headed home. While in the gas station, the attendant wished us good luck getting back into the city as the highways were closed. Well, we tried anyways, got as far as Sidney, where the police had the roads closed off after 3 semi's slid into the ditch. What a ridiculous night! We slept in the van for a while then headed to Portage La Prairie where we slept a couple hours and then headed home at 9 this morning. I guess it is a good thing to check the weather forecast once in a while.

Thanks!

I guess today is about making things better. I love my job, I love my life, and I have decided that I am going to take full control of things in my life. Of all the drama I have dealt with in the last little while, I am taking control and changed things for myself and those I care about. I know that the mistakes I have made and the lessons I have learned from them make me who I am, and I try to pass them on to others. I love my friends and family, and I would do anything for them.

Of all the lessons my parents taught me, do unto others as you would do unto them rings true. Thank you to mom and dad for teaching me forgiveness, patience, and most of all, love and understanding.

One Month Down, 11 To Go

Beginning of a new month. The year is already 1/12 over. Time seems to be flying by faster and faster. My goals for this year keep piling up and time speeds by faster. I have accomplished a few of my goals since January 1st. I have lost 10 pounds, been toboganning on garbage hill, and gotten a new job that I absolutely love. The start of this year has been a little difficult, but I have a positive attitude and I know that I am going to make some big changes in my life.

Me and Justin have decided that Justin is going to try and get his demo out in the next few weeks to as many places as he can. Hopefully he will be able to get a radio job somewhere. If not, we have decided to head to the west coast. As much as we love living here close to family and friends, we are somewhat complacent where we are now and want to see someplace new. We may not be able to take a vacation somewhere, but at least we can see someplace new and beautiful and work there for a while. I miss the mountains and the ocean, and Justin has barely seen either. Maybe a change of senery will be good!

Keep Your Eyes On The Road...I'll Tell You When There Is Something To Look At!!

Alright, time for a rant. Why are there so many bad drivers in Winnipeg?? Seriously, in order to get your license you need to pass a test. It is a pretty hard test. The instructors are strict. There are police everywhere enforcing the rules. So why do people suddenly forget how to drive?? Simple things like illegal left turns, changing lanes without signaling, or taking up 2 lanes can cause catastrophic accidents. I completely agree with the newly enforced law regarding driving and cell phone usage. To many times I have been cut off, or nearly side swiped and pulled ahead to see a woman tapping on her cell phone. GET OFF THE PHONE AND DRIVE PROPERLY!!! You cut me off and then have the nerve to give me the finger when I yell at you! If we have such serious laws and regulations regarding possession of a firearm, then why do so many irresponsible people get to drive huge metal weapons that weigh a ton and can kill just as easy as a gun? A bullet is a couple of inches big, but a car is so much bigger and is easier to obtain and use. Hopefully the laws will change and people will pay more attention to how they drive, maybe even save a life or two?

Rock On!

Tonight we got to witness an amazing metal show at the spectacular Garrick Theatre. For the last few weeks it has been nothing but electronic music events or shows. Don't get me wrong, I love my electronic music, but after a little while it is nice to change it up. The Garrick is an amazing venue for any live music, and the bands that we saw tonight were pretty good. Lots of headbanging and loud tunes. The first band we saw was a band from Londond, Ontario who we first saw perform at The Zoo. Now they are opening for some big acts and signed to a major label. Just goes to show what you can do in a couple of months!

Sham And Folk Fest!

Hopefully in the next few days we will hear back from Shambhala about volunteering. I was telling someone today about our experiences with Sham and Folk Fest. Sham was by far the best music festival I have attended so far. Folk Fest was an experience that I will remember. It was a weekend long party. Unfortunately I was not able to hear any of the musical acts and it was too much of a party to realy enjoy all the different things that Folk Fest offered. There was too many people crammed in our camping area and too much loud partying at all hours. If we were to go again, I would want to camp in the quiet campground and visit friends in the festival campground. The festival campground was fun, but really overwhelming.

Hopefully we will be adding a few more music festival in the next couple years.

January 28th, 2011

Even though I lost my job a week ago today, it has been a nice relief to find another job right away that I am pretty happy with. I may not have the most hours and it might not pay a lot, but at least it is a job that I am happy with and I can make some money. I have been busy this last week in ways I have missed. Serving people, especially in a low income community, is a real wake up call. I have come to know some of the regulars in the community and they are some of the friendliest customers we have. After only 4 days, there are regulars who know my name, ask how I am doing, and welcome me to my job. It may be a waitress positions but it is honestly the most rewarding waitress position that I have held so far. It is meant to be a restaurant that caters to mostly the surrounding community, but welcomes all walks of life, no matter what the lifestyle or their beliefs are, they are accepted here. Harry Lehotsky did an incredible thing in this cafe, and all of the staff are lucky to be a part of it.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Tonight we had mom and dad over for dinner. What an awesome night! Justin did an amazing job cleaning the entire apartment, and I slaved over the slow-cooker and made a delicious lasagna, ceasar salad, and garlic bread. Mom and dad brought desert! It was nice to have mom and dad over to see our place. I have come to appreciate our parents and all of the things they have done for us. It took us a while to make a nice home cooked meal for them tonight and they did it for us everynight. I just wanted to say thank you to mom and dad and to mom and dad Schatz for everything they have done and still do for us.

February 26, 2011

Another great day at Ellice Cafe! Today I met some more of the regulars there and a couple other staff. Everyone there is great! I also enjoyed a delicious yamburger! The only downfall has been my sore feet and legs. It's hard to go from some standing during the day to running around for a couple hours straight. By the end of this week, hopefully I will have some comfy shoes for work. Its been a long day and tomorrow will be even longer, so thats all for now!

My Man, The Cleaning Machine!

As much of a slob as I was when I was younger, I have come to appreciate a clean house. Especially after living with 3 dudes and a dog for over a year! Tonight I came home to Justin on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor by the toilet...I think I'm in love! In all honesty though, mom and dad have taught me to be neat and tidy, and although I hated cleaning when I was a teenager, I love coming home to a clean house. Justin spent a couple of hours cleaning the apartment today and it looks great!

Today was my first day at Ellice Cafe, and I tell you I love it there! I love the feel of working at a small restaurant that is there to serve the community! It is a non-profit restaurant that supports the community around the Ellice and Sherbrook area. It has great food, wonderful staff, and a theatre attached to the restaurant. I love meeting the local regulars that know all of the staff by name. I had one regular today that introduced himself and wished me lots of luck with my new job! I feel so good about what I am doing now, and working there has helped me get over the stress of the last few weeks. Not only did I enjoy my first day a work, I have been looking into getting my Metis card and getting some first aid or cpr training. Hopefully I can get some training covered my the Manitoba Metis Federation! Things are definitely looking up!

Garbage Hill!

Hopefully today is the beginning of a better year. I dropped off my resume this morning to Ellice Cafe (where I have been trying to get in for the last few years) and the manager called me tonight with this weeks schedule! I start training tomorrow! Not only that, I had an awesome workout where I used my new hula hoop ($1 at Walmart!), and then me, Justin, and JP went toboganning at garbage hill. Now we are enjoying some hot chocolate and bagels from Tim Hortons...and I am going to have a nice hot shower and head to bed...definitely a good but tiring day. Next thing on the agenda...snowboarding at Stony Mountain! A short post today...heading to bed soon to rest up for work tomorrow!

Easy Like A Sunday Morning

It has been strange being at home for the last few days. Kind of surreal. I haven't really had a weekend off in about 6 months. Sundays were always family day. Church in the morning and hanging out with family in the afternoon or evening. I have missed it. I loved my job and I am kind of sad to be done, but on the other hand I am glad to try out new things, find a new job maybe something I haven't done in a while. Change can be good. I'm hoping I will be able to spend more time with family.

Today we got to spend some time with Justin's mom and dad as they just came home from Cancun. We went over for my birthday dinner (Chinese food!) and looked at pictures from their trip. Their pictures were amazing and it looks like they had an awesome time. The water was an unreal color of blue and the beach was beautiful white sand...and we got to shovel their driveway when they were gone! But seriously, it is nice to see parents going out and travelling the world after their kids are grown up and moved out of the house. They deserve it after all the trouble we put them through!

Thank You...

After all of the stress and issues I have had to deal with lately, I spent today doing absolutely nothing. Relaxing, watching Dane Cook, playing Monopoly, and hanging out with friends. There is actually nothing that I want to discuss or feel the need to talk about, other than I appreciate my friends and more importantly I appreciate my family. Everyone has been so supportive over the last few days, and I know that I am the kind of person who freaks out over the little things. I just wanted to say thank you again for your support and your prayers, it means a lot to me.

Watch Your Step...

That is it! I quit January 2011! This month has been nothing but trouble and drama!! I want to sleep through the next 10 days. I guess Karma is paying me back for all of the things that I have done wrong in the past. It would be nice if Karma spread it out a bit...maybe not rain crap down on me within the first month of the year. I have been doing good so far with my New Year's Resolutions (I'VE LOST 10 POUNDS!!) and I don't really want any setbacks. Maybe this will give me the kick in the butt that I need to make more changes. It is always scary when you need to make big changes in your life. Whether it is a new job, new friends, or new goals, new is always scary. It can be good, or bad, but either way you can learn from it. I have decided to sit back, not react to things right away, and really think about what I want to do. Every decision you make has a consequence. It is your choice what you want that outcome to be.

Say NO To Preservatives!

Since me and Justin have been watching what we eat and are trying to be healthier, I have been looking closer at food labels. There are so many things to watch when you are trying to eat healthy, such as calories, fat, sodium, or carbs. It would be nice to be able to afford fresh or organic produce that isn't loaded with chemicals or preservatives, but we can't. I have started to learn to find products with low sodium or no chemicals, but learning to cook with fresh produce is the best. Today I made myself a ridiculously delicious Italian Sausage pasta dish with fresh onion, mushrooms, and red and green peppers. I tried to find a recipe for homemade pasta sauce, but I couldn't find an easy one. Instead I found an organic canned sauce, sauteed some veggies and an italian sausage and tossed it with fusili pasta. Pretty healthy and really yummy! Tonight I am going to try and make some healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made with applesauce!

It's hard to not buy canned food nowadays as it is so inexpensive and can be stored for quite a while. With high sodium content, sometimes the pros outweigh the cons of canned food. My goal for the next few days is to make more homemade foods. Maybe some soup or chili....maybe I will even try making some bread!

I'm Pretty Sure He's A Transformer...

Another great day today followed up by another great movie! Justin and I visited with Aunty Mary today who seems to be doing good. Well, she dropped a couple F-bombs so she seems to be back to normal! Justin also picked up his new leg (it never really gets old saying that!). After visiting with mom and dad at Costco (apparently that is where the cool people hang out) Justin and I decided to check out another movie tonight. The only movie playing that looked any good was "The Fighter". Based on a true story about Micky Ward and his boxing career, The Fighter is an amazing movie. Between the Boston accents and the gripping storyline, I definitely recommend this movie to everyone!

After a full year of doctor's appointments and endless waiting, Justin finally has his new leg! 7 years of daily use can wear down plastic and metal pretty fast. It honestly took a little while to get used to someone with a fake leg, but it is just second nature to me now. Except when he steps on my toe, it really hurts. It is really interesting if you sit and think about it. There has been times when I sometimes sit and think about what I would do in that situation or how I would deal with it. That is why I love Justin, his ability to deal with the blows that life hands him...and his personality. He's just as goofy and weird as me.

Shambhala 2011!!

Today is the day I have been waiting for, for a while. Today the applications for Shambhala volunteers has become available! Ever since attending Shambhala in 2009, Justin and I have wanted to go back and volunteer one year. Shambhala is an electronic music festival the happens every year in Salmo, BC. With 6 different themed stages, an outstanding variety of ethinc foods, and hours worth of shopping all on one ranch, Shambhala is a unique experience. A 10,000 person party in the Oakanagan is something you have to see to believe. Attending is one thing, but to give back so others can experience this phenomenal vibe is something completely different. To be part of a group that is responsible for an amazing event like this is worth the work. Hopefully we will hear back in the next few weeks if we are accepted!

As well, today I pushed myself hard at the gym, harder than I have since I started this year! I have upped my biking, running, and jump rope, as well as adding the eliptical! Its amazing how hard you can actually give 'er when you push yourself! I have also been looking to try something new, and I have come across Kwest Kickboxing. Kwest is located at the River Osbourne Community Center, and has a class for beginners that looks pretty good. I can't afford much, but $50 for one hour long class a week doesn't seem to bad!

On a completely different subject, I would also like to mention how proud Justin and I are of Ziggy. Ziggy has received and internship with Shaw, I believe, and seeing him today on Urban Rush, it is hard to believe how grown up he is and how much he has accomplished and he's not even graduated high school!! Keep up the good work Zig! We know you are gonna go far!

Brisket Burger And A Black Swan

Not a good day for my diet ...no sir. After waking up at noon, me and Justin lounged around the house until I took him to his doctor's appointment. Apparently he's got a pre-ulcer. Woo-hoo! He'll be fine as long as he takes his pills (a reminder call to him would be good mom!). After that, we went and shoveled Justin's mom and dad's driveway as they are in Cancun for the week (yeah, Cancun, lucky!). Well, Justin shoveled, I went and got him coffee. We came home and eventually got our picture in front of the tree done (start packing away the decorations tomorrow!). Finally, we decided to go for supper at Montana's (which was surprisingly good, go for the Big & Bold Brisket Burger or the Firecracker Burger, they are definitely diet...NOT!) and finish off the night with Black Swan.

That was an INTENSE movie!! It is definitely not recomended for everyone. It is a dark and disturbing look into the obsesive and destructive psyche of a ballerina. It is a great contrast between the beauty of ballet, and the beast that is a perfectionist. The abrupt ending (don't worry, I won't ruin the ending...but again, I don't recommend the movie as it is disturbing!) falls short of explaining what exactly you just saw. If you have any sort of knowledge of ballet dancers and how obsessive they can be to become perfect, than you will have no problem understanding this dark tale. Again, very intense and interesting, but I do not recommend it as it is VERY graphic.

To top off the night, me and Justin are going to enjoy some chocolate, peanut butter, and chocolate chip milkshakes (I swear these are diet!!). We totally sucked at our diets today, but everyone deserves a cheat day. Oh yeah, and I totally kicked his but at our little contest. Everyday I was under 2000 calories and I went to the gym! Unfortunately we both had a brutal weekend, so tomorrow we are doing it again! 7 days straight of calorie watching and strict gym schedules!

Sunday's Freakin Rock!

Sundays are always nice and relaxing. Not so much relaxing for me as I have to work usually, but it is relaxing to go to church, spend some time focusing on life, family, and God. My spiritual life hasn't been strong lately, and I think that is one of the main reasons I have been stressing out about small issues. It was an interesting message at church today, all about Noah's Ark and how it was completely possible. Pastor Mark is an amazing speaker and I believe he is the one main reason that Justin enjoys going to church. I've been going to Church of the Rock for the past few years, and the only thing I have ever been involved with at church is the drama team. I think me and Justin might try out the young adults group.

It has been a busy past few days dealing with lots of issues surrounding our friends, and it will be nice to spend some time on me. Next week, I am focusing on my running and jump rope. My goal for the week is 20 minutes running and 500 jumps each day!

It's Time For Some "Me" Time!

Well, it was a pretty short day today. Slept in a bit and got ready for work. Had a busy day at work, then came home. I've decided that I am going to church tomorrow morning. I haven't gone to church in a while and I definitely need it right now. There has been lots of heavy things going on in my life for the past few months. I think I need a time out from everything for the next week. A week long break would be nice. Somewhere away from the city maybe. Away from other people's problems. It has been too hard to not get involved with other people's issues.

But other than that, things have been okay. Planning a trip, finding a job, and getting over Christmas has been kind of exhausting. But it has been fun. I'm hoping that I will be able to go snowboarding in the next few days too. Maybe I will be an amazing pro when I jump on the board...aww who am I kiddin, I'm gonna be as graceful as an elephant in a china shop!!

2 For 1

Well, today is gonna be a 2 for 1 for today. Yesterday started out pretty good, going to visit with Gram in the afternoon. Once we got home, we had to deal with some stupid drama. Our friends decide they are going to start dating with no consideration for other people. So dealing with that issus and our friends being so stubborn in thinking that they did nothing wrong. Sadly we were blamed for getting involved in this and that they never asked for help, which I know isnt fair. So sadly we are all to stubborn to listen to anyone. Last night we ended up going out and staying up late. I wasn't sure how to deal with this. So that is where I am. Gonna be a short entry today.

Goodbye Christmas, Hello Gym!

Well, today I stepped it up in the gym. I bought myself a jump rope and started using it today. Usually I use the bike and the treadmill, but it started to get boring. The gym in my apartment building isn't very state of the art, so I tried to think of something else I could do for cardio. I tried the jump rope today and it is a really good exercise. It is nice to have a little variety in my workout. Another thing I have done is take the stairs from floor 10 to 16. I did that today after my long workout and it was exhausting. I now appreciate the elevator a lot more.

I guess it is about time to take down the Christmas tree. Me and dad always bugged mom to leave the Christmas tree up for another few days, or at least until Ukrainian Christmas. Mom always would take down the tree right after New Years because Christmas was over and it would just bum her out. Our tree is still up and it is kind of getting sad. The lights are nice in the apartment but the tree is just...sad. Not to mention we need the room, our place is pretty tiny. I guess that's what I will be doing tonight.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Gram and Kristen!!

Justin's New Favorite Show Is The Biggest Loser!!

I have succeeded in getting Justin into "The Biggest Loser". He is not very happy with me. His dad is happy though! We were over at Justin's mom and dad's tonight and were watching it with them. That is one of the most inspiring shows ever. I have been getting ideas as to alternative ways to do some cardio. Today I bought myself a jump rope. And I have decided that when I work out at the gym I am going to take the stairs up when I go home. Well, not all the way up, that is 15 flights of stairs. For the first week I am taking the stairs from floors 10-16, and I will work up from there. I did it for the first time tonight and that is pretty tiring. Hopefully this will help a little with my cardio for the day.

That reminds me, "The Biggest Loser" is on again...gotta watch the weigh in!!

On The Road Again

Over the last few weeks I have started to get the urge to travel. Maybe it's because Christmas is over and there is nothing to look forward to over the next few weeks but cold weather and...well, more cold weather. One of my favorite things to do when I get this urge is to sit down at the computer and "google" different destinations. I love sitting down and budgeting my money to find out where I could afford to go. I've made a list of places I would like to visit and figured out how much it would be to travel to each place. I love researching airfare and accomodation costs and trying to find good deals. It's very therapeutic. Planning and organizing schedules soothes me. I'm kind of strange, I know. That is the great thing about the internet. You can look up all information about traveling somewhere, without even leaving your house.

Me and Justin have decided we are going to look into doing a short road trip in February to Edmonton. There is a music event on February 20th, which is one of the main reasons we want to go, but we also have family there that we would like to see. So over the next few days I am excited to sit down at my computer and relax as I plan our adventure. We may not be able to afford it, but at least I get my "me time" and can relax.

Time Flies When You're Old!

Over the last few years, it seems that time starts to go by faster and faster. It seems like just yesterday that I was graduating high school and starting to work full time. This last year especially has gone by so fast that I have come to appreciate where I was a year ago. After dealing with some heavy drinking and partying, my decision to quit for the next year was a goal I had made to test myself. A year felt like such a long time the day I made that decision. There were days in the first few weeks that I wanted to drink so badly, just have one drink with everyone else, but after the first 2 months I was proud of what I had accomplished and wanted to push myself to go further and finish what I had started. The rest of the year felt like nothing, and soon I was celebrating an entire year of not one drink! I can proudly say (and completely believe) that you can do anything you put your mind to.

I remember at the end of grade 12 someone asking me my 5 year plan. My answer was and always has been that I don't know where I'm going to be a month from now, let alone 5 years. In the 7 years since I have been asked that, I have done many things I would never have thought I would do. I have also not done a lot of things I wanted to do, which is why I created my "Bucket List". I hope to complete one thing from the list each month. It seems like a long time until next January, but when you have a list of goals, time will definitely fly by.

Dream as if you'll live forever; live as if you'll die today.-James Dean