April 2010

A Week in Pictures : FAIL!

25 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 8

So I was going to document a week of my life in pictures. I saw this idea somewhere recently. Here is my pathetic attempt to do so : 

Where are my green Smarties? (Which are clearly depicted on the box)

Lunch at Pink Sushi with Guylaine and Sophie

Submitting a news release to the media and uploading it on the website. (And an empty bowl of home made soup)

Guess it wasn't good enough? This was near the entrance at work.

This entrance. See ? Library in same building!! 

Building of the new court house behind the parking lot at work.

Taken during the (glass) elevator ride up to my floor.

What? How do you cut massive amounts of onions? 

Plus it's a good look to go with the Jazz music.

I was doing all this for a work potluck. Terrible 'surprise' picture hehe. Can you see the glowing pregnant lady in the back? Krista, this was sort of a "Have a good maternity leave, see you in 18 MONTHS!" (I can't believe it, 18 months! wow.)

Friday afternoon, wearing jeans and my comfy $5.00 Wal-Mart shoes.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm going to try this again sometime, and try to do better at remembering to take pictures of routine things that I wouldn't normally think to take pictures of! 

Isn't it funny how that works?

18 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 1

As I was updating the links on top of this page, I wasn't expecting to have anything to bold in my list of 101 Things in 1001 Days. I was surprised once again, as every other time that I've updated this link. I was not expecting to have accomplished anything off the list, because I keep forgetting about the list. As with every other update, I am surprised that I can bold some things off the list, even though I wasn't consciously trying to cross things off the list. I just bolded:

31. Get to work on time every day for 30 days
*** I finally did this!! Wow, this getting to work on time everyday is exhausting!! ;) I think that I'm adjusting well though. And I'm armed with caffeine.

66. Pay my library fine and use library
*** I did this! Having a nice library right in the building where I work is the bees knees!! I am saving SO much money, not buying all my books brand new at Chapters and Amazon! I paid my ancient outstanding $13.80 fine, and I'm taking full advantage of the library.

76. Write a letter to an author or other artist whose work has moved/inspired me
*** I recently wrote a blog entry about an author who inspires me, and I know that she reads my blog. That counts, in my book! (And it's more meaningful, I think.)

96. Buy nice plates and glasses, to fully appreciate smaller meals
*** Well, relatively nice. They are not what I would have bought if money wasn't a limitation, but it doesn't matter anyway; we are both so clumsy that we break stuff all the time.

Winter 2009/2010!

18 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 0

Snow has melted, temperatures are slowly rising, and trees are burgeoning. Winter 2010 has finally been given the boot! Do you ever read the stuff at the top of this page? This is my list of ideas/goals to enjoy whichever season we're in. This is the archive for Winter 2009/2010.

The Wonderful Winter of 2010! 

You know me, I love making lists! I thought that I would think of fun things to do in the winter, post it here, and cross them out and blog about them as I go. The goal is not to cross off every single item on the list, but rather to really live this winter, rather than spend my monday-fridays waiting for the weekend, and then being too tired to do anything over the weekend. Here's to living life everyday, instead of existing. Here's to the wonderful winter of 2010! 

PS - I've decided to write a much less ambitious, more realistic list for this season. No matter how fun doing... well, fun activities is, I have to be a responsible adult. I'll always be held back by time and money, but that's okay. As long as I remember to live rather than just exist. Winter is especially hard for me. I'm making a very conscious effort to NOT get dragged down this winter! 

**** The things that have been done are BOLD! 

* Scrapbook. (I haven't scrapbooked in like 2 years!) 
*** (I did my jewelry frames with scrapbooking materials, I say it counts, do you?)

* Try 3 new recipes
*** (Although I can't remember 3 specific ones, I'm sure we did this.)

* Play cards and drink hot cocoa
*** (I don't think that we played cards, but I drank hot cocoa once at the office.)

* Have a girls night in
***(Nope, didn't do this)

* Escape winter, in Mexico!
*** (Definitely did this!)

* Play checkers
*** (Nope, didn't do this.)

I'll try to think of more.. but I really really am not an outdoorsy girl in winter!

Shiny Happy People

17 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 8

Riding The Happy High

17 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 4

I think I'm ready to start losing all that weight that I have gained back, and keep the momentum going after that. Today, I finally cleaned my basement gym and made sure that the stereo, dvd player, and tv are all plugged and all work. I just need to go buy an extension cord tomorrow, because for some reason the one I was using to plug in the two treadmills has disappeared. I have a ridiculous collection of workout dvds, and I kind of forgot that I had such great ones. I think that Steph is finally onboard too. Maybe not the working out regularly yet, but at least the really stopping to indulge in bad habits so often.

I have decided to not put so much pressure on myself this time. I owe nothing to no one (besides the bank and a few credit card companies), and I'm doing this for me. I am a perfectly okay human being, and have always been. I just couldn't see it. So any improvement done and every goal achieved is growth and enrichment. But I need to remember that trying my best at something and failing doesn't diminish who I am as a person and what I deserve in life. I also need to remember that no one is perfect, and if I try to be, I will most likely slip and fall. No one is perfect.

Does anyone else have a fear of impending doom?  (besides you, Sophie. We are so alike in so many ways, and yet such opposites in many other ways. I think that we really complement each other so well. Woah, Sappy Saturday.) I have this thing where I feel like my life is literally a series of ups and downs; we always strive for balance, like everyone else, but sometimes life throws us some really big downs, and some really happy highs. We're starting to ride the happy high wave. Stay tuned for a secret blog entry; not because the sources of happiness are really secret, just because there is one MAJOR piece of good news that is unofficial, so I don't want to announce it 'publicly', and/or jinx it.

10 Random Guilty Pleasures

10 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 5

Everyone else is doing a "Top 10 Guilty Pleasures". I have commitment issues. I don't want to pick a TOP 10... so here are 10 Random Guilty Pleasures.

  1. Travel - I've never traveled without worrying/feeling guilty about fnances. But if I had waited to be where I want to be financially to travel, I would have never traveled. Even the student exchange trip to France when I was a teen, nearly didn't happen. Traveling to Africa when I was graduating college was hard financially. Every other trip after has been hard to swing, financially. But traveling makes me thrive. You probably don't get it, if you're not a traveler at heart.
     
  2. M.A.C. Eyeshadow - 17.50$ for 1.5g of eye shadow; worth every penny. I love the variety of coulours and I love the intensity. I don't need to apply 42 coats to get the desired effect, and it doesn't crease at the end of a long work day.
     
  3. Clothes/Shoes/Accessories - I love everything about them - Picking, purchasing, grouping them into outfits, and I even love giving them to charity. To me it's wearable art. I love trying to gauge someone's personality and sense of style from what they're wearing. I love complimenting other people on what they are wearing.
     
  4. Reality TV - I gobble it all up. Big Brother, Biggest Loser, all the varieties of The Real Housewives, The Hills, The City, etc. I know that most of it is scripted, it still fascinates me. I'm watching The Real Housewives of OC as I write this.
     
  5. Flirting - I enjoy harmless flirting. I just do! I'm a flirty person.
     
  6. Reading in The Bathroom - I stay in there longer than the average bathroom reader. The bathroom has always been my sanctuary. It started when I was a child, I would 'escape' in the bathroom. I've always felt safe, and like... like I could take a break from all of my responsibilities, in the bathroom. I know I'm being vague. I love my bathroom.
     
  7. Better Than Average Food - Why chose mediocrity? I will never again chose an iceberg lettuce salad with bottle dressing, when I can have a baby greens salad with goat cheese and a home made vinaigrette. I will never chose a white bread, deli ham sandwich when I can chose a chicken breast, spinach and hummus wrap in a whole wheat tortilla.
     
  8. Highlights - I love being a blonde. I must say that I loved loved loved having true black hair. I had black hair for years, during university and college. I started highlighting my hair to give it dimension, when it started thinning out. A lot of people don't even notice how thin my hair is, when it's blonder. I can't explain it, but I have more confidence as a blonde.
     
  9. Pre-washed/Pre-cut/Prepared Food - I love convenience. I don't want to waste a chunk of precious free time, preparing food in the kitchen. I love having the option to buy trippled washed, pre-cut mixed baby greens, grape tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, fresh broccoli florets, fresh omelette/spaghetti/stir fry veggie mixes.
     
  10. Gossip - I can't get enough of it. Perez Hilton, Coco Hilton, Entertainment Tonight, I love it all.I love knowing things about other people. I'm an incredibly curious person.

Like a Beautiful Gift!

06 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 6

Happy belated Easter/Long Weekend, whatever you were celebrating this past weekend! I so so needed this 4 day weekend. We were so blessed with beautiful weather; I can't remember a nicer Easter weekend. Sunny and 21C (Around 70F), on April 3rd, What?! It was aaahh-mazing! 

Friday : Slept in till 11am. Aaaah. Much better. It was Steph's birthday! He went to see "Clash of the Titans" while I slept in and enjoyed having the house to myself (That movie holds zero appeal to me). He got himself Final Fantasy XIII, a Toffee Cheesecake, worked for one hour and then played all day. That's exactly what he wanted to do for his birthday, so that's what he did! hehe. I also spent the day relaxing - clearing stuff off the PVR, finished reading "A Million Little Lies Pieces" (I did like the book.).

Saturday : Could NOT believe the gorgeous weather! Wow! I think that I had forgotten how much I actually enjoy warm sunny weather! We went for a drive; Windows down, people baring their limbs, Shiny Happy people everywhere - and their Shiny happy dogs, ridiculous weather-induced traffic... seeing all that it was so soothing for the soul. Then I went to visit an old acquaintance and bought that darn pastel pink shirt from her. We came back home, grabbed the dogs and went for a nice long walk in Rotary Park. We finished the day with a delicious BBQ. Steph has been watching "BBQ PitMasters" and is getting inspired; I am reaping the benefits.

Sunday : Brought out the outdoor furniture!! Woohoo! I'm being optimistic. If it snows again, oh well, I'm sure it won't stick for long anyway. My yard feels more 'alive' with the firepit benches, bistro set, bird feeder, bird bath, patio furniture etc. I lounged on the deck, reading Jodi Picoult, but couldn't really focus on the book, as I kept looking up to watch birds chirping, neighbors working in their yards, and visualizing how the flowers, shrubs and trees will look in a couple of months! 

Monday : Steph had to work. I opened all the windows and did some cleaning. Cleaned the entrance and vacuumed the stairs. I'm sore today but they were overdue. After dinner I went to choir rehearsal, which was great as always. You should see our choir director; she is as cute as a button, and she is so delightful. We're very lucky to have her. Came home to Steph having spent the evening fixing (formatting) my laptop. We went to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour, just one hour later than our norm, but I.... expressed my gratefulness to him... and next thing we knew it was 2am. Woops.

Because life is also in the imperfections, only two little things : 

1. We realized that especially since we're both trying to prove ourselves at our respective new jobs, we just cannot go to bed at 2am. I was crazy tired today. Thankfully, it was a slower day today. One of my (most time demanding) colleagues is in Brazil, where apparently heavy rains have claimed 89 lives, in Rio. I'm sending him safe vibes.

2. While that gorgeous walk in Rotary Park was good for the soul, it wasn't so good for my stupid heel. It had barely been hurting for the past few months. I wasn't even thinking about it. Last night, all of a sudden, there it was - That familiar sharp pain that wouldn't let go of my achilles heel. I cried. Not because of the amount of pain, but because I thought that I was over that hurdle. I stretched that effer like a mofo all night, put some cold on it, and today it's not as bad. Fingers crossed! I really really don't want to have to go through that chronic pain right now, emotionally.

To finish on a positive note : 

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about my options. I am still too scattered and not confident enough to write in length about it, but here are the options that run through my head the most : 

1. Being extended or offered a permanent position at work AND going back to school either full time or part time, whatever time and work schedule would allow. (Preferred option.)

2. My contract finishing in May - Me going to school full time in September, on some sort of unemployment insurance program, if I qualify.

Either way, I am realizing that I really do love working in an office environment. Getting my Bachelor's in Business Administration would open up so many more doors for me. Because while I do love working in large organizations/offices, I can't see myself staying at the low assistant level forever and ever. I would like to be able to move up, when I'm ready to.

Time For Another Peep Show!

06 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 0

It's this time of year again!! Here's your annual Peep Show ;) 

(If you're new around here, don't worry, this Peep Show is totally Safe For Work.)

Mild Confessions

06 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 7

*** I confess : For months now the baby fever was all but gone. As recently as 2 weeks ago, I 100% thought that I was 'over the hump', and that the baby fever had completely passed. That I would even prefer to live child-free (although not by choice) forever. The baby fever is coming back. ARGH!

*** I confess : I judge people by the scent they leave behind in elevators. My last elevator ride - A grown business woman who left behind a very fruity bubble gum scent. (The judgement : She might be more fun than she looks.)

*** I confess : I finally found a darn pastel blouse to wear for the chorale concerts. We have our first performance of the year on Sunday. One song only, the first song of our Spring Concert repertoire, and also my fav : Summertime. We're also singing one song together with the 10 other chorales that will be there. Anyway, I don't know why but wearing a pastel colour makes me feel like crap. Somehow, it makes me feel vulnerable. I know, it makes no sense. I'm not naked, I'm just wearing a pastel blouse. When I tried on the blouse my face got blotchy and it reminded me of the Sex and the City episode when Carrie breaks out in hives when trying on wedding dresses.

I Know Three Wendys.

02 April 2010 By crazymrsnancy 0

I know three Wendys. For the past three years, I've met a Wendy every year. Before 2007, I really didn't know any Wendys. Well, Wendy #1 had just been an acquaintance until then.

Wendy # 1 (December 2007) - She is a redhead with freckled cheeks. She's bad for me, she's everywhere. She's easy. Her Big Bacon Classic is pretty tasty. I never really knew Wendy #1, until I was having a girls afternoon with Jill, shopping and getting ready for our husbands' staff Holiday party. She suggested Wendy's for lunch, and I said sure, even though I was a true McDonald's fan and never went anywhere else for fast food. I don't know if it was the whole memory of that really fun day, the chemical additives in the meat, or just the new taste, but I got hooked on Wendy's and for months I had Wendy's way too often. I'm over it now and I only see that Wendy once in a great while. It's been months.

Wendy #2 (May 2008) - She is a brunette with a genuine smile. She's a single mother; she's a great mother. We share a passion: Photography. She's a Smartest Loser. We did burpees in the rain together, we climbed small gravel mountains together and we pulling a freaking 18 wheeler truck together (along with 28 other losers).Last year, she suddenly suffered a stroke. It happened a few weeks before she was due to leave on the Florida trip that her and her kids had been planning for FIVE years. She willed her body to get better in time to go to Florida with her kids; She went from being blind and not being able to walk to feeling 90% normal, in time to go. The Smartest Losers came together, we put money in an enveloppe and signed a card. We delivered the card and we all cried. Recently, she showed me the Florida photo/scrapbook/memory book she had made/printed. The books starts with Acknowledgements, and our names are in there! It really warmed my heart.

Oh wait a minute. I didn't meet a new Wendy in 2009! 

Wendy #3 (March 2010) - She is a curly blonde with rosy cheeks. She is an artist, she is a freelancer and she is a writer. I met her at my new job. I was immediately drawn to her, and we clicked pretty early on. Well, I clicked anyway. She might have just been nice to me like she's nice to everybody. I felt so comfortable with her, that somehow I've shared some pretty ridiculous things with her. She probably thinks I'm so weird! She visited Sable Island, and wrote a children's book about it. A couple of weeks ago, she announced that the book is going to be published! Her sister got her a big chocolate gift basket, and Wendy shared with all of us. She has been called to work at our job for 90 days a year, for the past three years. When she isn't working there, she's freelancing. I really admire her. In the short time that we have worked together, she has really inspired me to keep working towards what I'd really like to do profesionally. Her last day was Wednesday. I hope that somehow we'll cross paths often.