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!