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

Keep Your Germy Hands To Yourself!!

It seems like in the last 3-4 weeks everyone around me has been sick. Between Christmas and New Years its been ridiculously busy and no one has had time to get sick, but after the holiday, everyone wants to relax and then thats when it sneaks up on you. The sniffles, the chills, the sore throats. Its like it never ends. I just started to think that I was in the clear, and tonight I get the sore throat. AHH!! Between work and home it's an endless cycle of germs! I decided that tonight I was going to nip this in the bud before I got REALLY sick. I stopped at Shopper's and was going to pick up some soup, some tasty beverage, and something with lots of Vitamin C. Well, with the competition between me and Justin, counting calories is a pain in the butt when you are sick. I was able to find vegetable soup, some Aquafina Vitamin water, and some gummi-bears (they have real fruit juice...ergo, Vitamin C!!). And I must say, if you feel like you are getting a cold, go for the Aquafina Vitamin water. It's tasty and loaded with 250% of your daily recommended vitamin C intake. Gummi-bears are good too!

Not the most interesting post, I know, but sadly, that was the most interesting part of my day. Oh, and I kicked Justin's butt the first 2 days of the competition, and I lost 5 pounds...WOO HOO! Now I'm off to enjoy my soup and hot tea!

Technically Its January 8th...

Another late night post!! Its hard to believe that I have completed a full week! Me and Justin went out to Matlock tonight to visit a friends of Justins that he hasn't seen in a while. It was nice to go for a drive and get out of the city for a bit. At around 12 am I realized that I had to get home right away! I didn't write my post for the day!

Being out in Matlock brought back memories of life in a small town. After living in such a big city for years, it's nice to go out to the country and drive down the back roads and have some peace and quiet, away from the sights and sounds of the city. No sirens, screaching cars, or bright flashing neon lights. Being able to see all of the stars in the sky is nice once in a while too. Being young and living outside the city is nice because you grow up exploring the outdoors. Growing up, the quarry was my playground. Biking on the monkey trails, finding new areas to explore, and wandering far away from home was where I grew up. I want my children to be able to appreciate the outdoors and to take risks and explore the unknown. It was extremely dangerous and most times I went where I was told not to go, but I loved it.

At some point in life I would love to live in a small town again. Justin is a city boy though. I think it's going to be tough to convince him that small town life is fun. Maybe if I told him that farmers love metal music....

I've got another item to add to the "Bucket List"...snowboarding. We are hoping to plan a snowboarding trip in the next few weeks. Possibly Assesipi or Holiday Mountain...or maybe Pike's Peak in Stony Mtn. Should be interesting!

Be Thankful For What You Have

Today was a good day. I had an interview with a lady looking for a support worker, which is pretty much what I do already. Her husband is going for knee surgery, and will not be able to help at home. I thoroughly enjoyed my interview today, meeting her and her family was inspiring. I have really come to appreciate my life and the fact that I am able to take care of myself and not needing to depend on someone for my basic needs. In a society where everyone is taught to be selfish, think about their needs and not the needs of others, its humbling to realize that someone else needs your help. Someone depends on you, and you can make a huge impact in not only their life, but their entire family's as well. I couldn't imagine having children and not being able to run after them as they take their first steps, or to teach them to play soccer.

I love my job not only because it is fun (for the most part), but the respect and recognition that you get from others is pretty satisfying! When I tell people what I do, most tend to say its an important job, and that they would not be able to handle it. Most people can't handle it, but it is so rewarding and such a demanding job, that I am proud to say that is what I do.

So my interview went well, and I hope to hear back in the next few days. I have sent out quite a few resumes to different support work employers, and hopeully I will hear back from someone as I would love to stay in this field for a while.

Helping others is a selfless deed, but the reward is that feeling of accomplishment and pride.

A Little Friendly Competition?

With New Years just passed, Justin and I have made our resolutions. One of them, as for most people, is to be more healthy. This includes eating right and going to gym. With Justin, he enjoys going to the gym and working out on a regular basis. On the other hand, his eating habits is his biggest issue. While he has gotten better in the past few years, his mayo habit is still pretty bad. My biggest issue is going to the gym. I go for the first few weeks and all is good, but after a while I slowly stop going and fall back into bad habits. I have the knowledge when it comes to a healthy diet, but especially with Christmas it has been a tough few weeks (but seriously, who doesn't have a hard time at Christmas??) SO, I proposed a little competition between me and Justin. If I pushed myself hard at the gym for the next week, he would pay closer attention to his diet, logging every piece of food he ate, and beverage he drank. We would see who would be able to succeed at overcoming their obstacles.

Hopefully this little competion will kickstart us into changing our negative habits, and give us a new perspective on doing things differently.

Friends Make The Best Memories

Well, I didn't get up at 9 this morning like I hoped. I was up at 11 am and as long as I am up before the crack of noon (as my dad says) I figure thats not too bad! It was hard to wake up to an alarm clock, and fresh coffee was the only thing that kept me out bed. The first 15 minutes were tough, but I got throught it!

My friend from college, Tracy, was in town today and we met for coffee at Polo Park. It's been over 2 years since I have seen her, and it was nice to connect with someone I haven't seen in a while. We talked about jobs, realtionships, and the good old college days. She even reminded me about the time she was cleaning her car window with a squegee in a snowstorm and she disappeared, slipping on ice and falling on her butt. I still giggle thinking about it! It's nice to know that even though we don't see each other as often as we would like, we can still get together and talk about the good old times. Everyone loses touch with friends throughout the years. I know that I have made many friends that I haven't seen or talked to in a long time. But it is always nice to reconnect with them just to see how much we have all changed.

Friends will always come and go, even best friends. I always appreciate every friendship I have ever had, and I am always able to take something of value from what I have experienced with them. No matter where I am in life, I can always look back on my friendships, and know that I have made a difference in that person's life, and them in mine.

Sarah says Relax...

With Christmas and New Years over and done with, it's time for the January "blahs" to set in. After preparing for Christmas, working Christmas Day, baking, shopping, New Year's Eve parties, and lots of food, the last few weeks have been absolutely exhausting. With today being the first day I have not had ANYTHING planned to do, it has been a nice day of relaxing with Justin. Although Justin did wake up with a cold (sorry babe!) we slept in, lounged around, and did pretty much nothing. It was WONDERFUL! I definitely recommend everyone take at least one day off and do nothing. Its great for the body and the mind. Now that my day of nothing is coming to a close, I have come to realize one of the changes I need to make this year.





My sleeping habits have consisted of no alarm clock and staying up until all hours of the morning and sleeping in until the last moment possible. I have never been an early bird...always a night hawk. I used to enjoy sleeping the day away, but it gets depressing when you wake up and a few hours later the sun is gone. My goal is to get up everyday this week before 9am, so I have more time to get things done during the day. Hopefully waking up early will tire me out and I can get to sleep earlier.

In the words of my very wise grandmother, don't sleep your brains to train oil!!

My Career

The time/date posted on this one says January 3, but its only slightly after midnight...so for me it is still Sunday January 2nd right now. I just got home from work a few minutes ago, so I still have a bit of time to relax. Currently I am working as a Health Care Aide on the weekends from 3 pm to 11 pm. My job, which I love, is exhausting but very rewarding. It's definitely not a job for everyone. It has its share of ups and downs, but I definitely love it. One of the many ups is that feeling of accomplishment when people ask what I do, and I don't have to answer "Customer Service" or "Cashier" (not that there is anything wrong with that). The feeling that you have a career rather than just a job is unexplainable. One of the downs, is that if you have any sort of issue with that person, if you dont see eye to eye with them, it can make things hard for you at work. I have come to realize that I can't fix everything, and if I have an issue at work, then I can only deal with it as best I can, then leave it alone. I tend to take things too personally and get too emotionally involved. It's hard not to get emotionally involved in a job like this where you see that person on a regular basis, in their home, taking care of their most basic needs. I have come to realize that I can't get involved in personal issues with them as it does not concern me, and can only cause more problems.

I love my job and I can't wait to get more involved in that type of work. I would like to become a paramedic at some point. I think the rush of working in such a fast paced job would be exciting. But for now, I enjoy my job more than any other job I have had.

New Year, New Me!

December 18, 2009, I decided after too many nights of ridiculous partying, I was going to stop drinking. I decided that from that night for at least a full year, I was not going to have any alcohol at all. It was a long, trying year, dealing with partying friends, social events, and stressful days, but I did it. I made it over a full year without drinking, and it felt AMAZING! With family and friends support I accomplished something I set out to do. After accomplishing that goal, I realized that I can do whatever I want as long as I put my mind to it. For that reason, I have decided to create my own "Bucket List" or New Years Resolutions of sorts.

My first item on the "Bucket List" is what you are reading now. I have decided to try and write one blog each day. I may not be the most interesting person, but I usually always have something to say. With Ziggy's "The Daily Fish" and Becky's "Stories of the South Pacific" I found inspiration reading about other peoples hobbies or travels. My idea with this blog is to make a list of things I would like to accomplish (big or small) and to write about them. So I have begun my "Bucket List" for 2011 with this first post, and hopefully the first of many to come.

Bucket List

-Write one blog post a day

-Post one picture on blog each day

-Work out 5 days a week

-Train for a marathon

-Try kickboxing

-Join soccer league

-Try burlesque dancing

-Try pole dancing

-Go skydiving

-Go bungee jumping

-Read more than one book a month

-Travel more

The List isn't complete, but hopefully it will grow throughout 2011, and I can look back at what I have accomplished and be proud!