I haven't blogged in a long time, but it's a new year, so what the heck. It's a good time to start something new and also totally not surprising if I don't follow through on it. Win win.
I'm going to do the Apartment Therapy January Cure. I bought the 8 week cure book a couple years ago and stuck with it for about 2 weeks. My home definitely benefited from those two weeks and I wish I'd completed it. Hopefully by following along online I will have more success.
The first task is making a project list. I'll make it tonight and post it tomorrow.
Here's more info on the The January Cure and how to sign up.
2.1.13
9.8.10
My staycation was awesome and I am going to make some personal changes.
I'm going to try really hard to be more optimistic and to take life one day at a time.
Good things about today:
I only have to work until 4:30!!!
I made iced tea last night and today I have a big tasty bottle of it to drink at work!
I'm going to go to the ledge tonight with B. I plan to eat fruits and hoop.
Blake and I started watching Mad Men and we have so many episodes to watch to catch up to the current season. I am going to watch one with him tonight.
Good things about today:
I only have to work until 4:30!!!
I made iced tea last night and today I have a big tasty bottle of it to drink at work!
I'm going to go to the ledge tonight with B. I plan to eat fruits and hoop.
Blake and I started watching Mad Men and we have so many episodes to watch to catch up to the current season. I am going to watch one with him tonight.
26.7.10
The Chicago Film Critics Association 100 scariest movies
I've got to get watching! 32/100
1. “Psycho”
2. “The Exorcist”
3. “Halloween”
4. “Alien”
5. “Night of the Living Dead (1968)”
6. “Jaws”
7. “The Shining”
8. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)”
9. “Dawn of the Dead (1978)”
10. “Rosemary’s Baby”
11. “The Silence of the Lambs”
12. “The Blair Witch Project”
13. “Nosferatu”
14. “Frankenstein (1931)”
15. “Nightmare on Elm Street”
16. “Carrie (1976)”
17. “The Thing (1982)”
18. “Bride of Frankenstein”
19. “The Haunting (1963)”
20. “Poltergeist”
21. “Suspiria”
22. “Wait Until Dark”
23. “The Birds”
24. “Don’t Look Now”
25. “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn”
26. “The Innocents”
27. “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer”
28. “Freaks”
29. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)”
30. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, (1921)”
31. “The Omen (1976)”
32. “The Fly (1986)”
33. “Seven”
34. “The Re-Animator”
35. “The Sixth Sense”
36. “The Ring (2002)”
37. “The Evil Dead”
38. “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1932)”
39. “The Hitcher”
40. “Near Dark”
41. “Dracula (1931)”
42. “Vampyr (1932)”
43. “Onibaba”
44. “Scream”
45. “Aliens”
46. “Creature from the Black Lagoon”
47. “Session 9”
48. “Nosferatu the Vampyre”
49. “Black Christmas”
50. “When a Stranger Calls”
51. “Repulsion”
52. “Misery”
53. “Horror of Dracula”
54. “The Others”
55. “Jurassic Park”
56. “The Seventh Victim”
57. “Peeping Tom”
58. “28 Days Later”
59. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)”
60. “The Hidden”
61. “May”
62. “Shaun of the Dead”
63. “Last House on the Left”
64. “10 Rillington Place”
65. “Salo”
66. “Cat People (1942)”
67. “Frailty”
68. “The Howling”
69. “Trilogy of Terror”
70. “Blue Velvet”
71. “I Walked with a Zombie”
72. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”
73. “Martin”
74. “Deliverance”
75. “Carnival of Souls”
76. “The Vanishing (1988)”
77. “Masque of the Red Death”
78. “The Night of the Hunter”
79. “Salem’s Lot”
80. “Fright Night”
81. “Black Sunday (1960)”
82. “Scream 2”
83. “Dressed To Kill”
84. “The Stepfather”
85. “Friday the 13th”
86. “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”
87. “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death”
88. “The Brood”
89. “Dead-Alive”
90. “Open Water”
91. “The Mummy (1932)”
92. “Requiem for a Dream”
93. “Signs”
94. “The Wolf Man”
95. “Phantasm”
96. “The Night Stalker”
97. “Brides of Dracula”
98. “M”
99. “God Told Me To”
100. “Eyes without a Face”
1. “Psycho”
2. “The Exorcist”
3. “Halloween”
4. “Alien”
5. “Night of the Living Dead (1968)”
6. “Jaws”
7. “The Shining”
8. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)”
9. “Dawn of the Dead (1978)”
10. “Rosemary’s Baby”
11. “The Silence of the Lambs”
12. “The Blair Witch Project”
13. “Nosferatu”
14. “Frankenstein (1931)”
15. “Nightmare on Elm Street”
16. “Carrie (1976)”
17. “The Thing (1982)”
18. “Bride of Frankenstein”
19. “The Haunting (1963)”
20. “Poltergeist”
21. “Suspiria”
22. “Wait Until Dark”
23. “The Birds”
24. “Don’t Look Now”
25. “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn”
26. “The Innocents”
27. “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer”
28. “Freaks”
29. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)”
30. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, (1921)”
31. “The Omen (1976)”
32. “The Fly (1986)”
33. “Seven”
34. “The Re-Animator”
35. “The Sixth Sense”
36. “The Ring (2002)”
37. “The Evil Dead”
38. “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1932)”
39. “The Hitcher”
40. “Near Dark”
41. “Dracula (1931)”
42. “Vampyr (1932)”
43. “Onibaba”
44. “Scream”
45. “Aliens”
46. “Creature from the Black Lagoon”
47. “Session 9”
48. “Nosferatu the Vampyre”
49. “Black Christmas”
50. “When a Stranger Calls”
51. “Repulsion”
52. “Misery”
53. “Horror of Dracula”
54. “The Others”
55. “Jurassic Park”
56. “The Seventh Victim”
57. “Peeping Tom”
58. “28 Days Later”
59. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)”
60. “The Hidden”
61. “May”
62. “Shaun of the Dead”
63. “Last House on the Left”
64. “10 Rillington Place”
65. “Salo”
66. “Cat People (1942)”
67. “Frailty”
68. “The Howling”
69. “Trilogy of Terror”
70. “Blue Velvet”
71. “I Walked with a Zombie”
72. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”
73. “Martin”
74. “Deliverance”
75. “Carnival of Souls”
76. “The Vanishing (1988)”
77. “Masque of the Red Death”
78. “The Night of the Hunter”
79. “Salem’s Lot”
80. “Fright Night”
81. “Black Sunday (1960)”
82. “Scream 2”
83. “Dressed To Kill”
84. “The Stepfather”
85. “Friday the 13th”
86. “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”
87. “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death”
88. “The Brood”
89. “Dead-Alive”
90. “Open Water”
91. “The Mummy (1932)”
92. “Requiem for a Dream”
93. “Signs”
94. “The Wolf Man”
95. “Phantasm”
96. “The Night Stalker”
97. “Brides of Dracula”
98. “M”
99. “God Told Me To”
100. “Eyes without a Face”
16.7.10
Some things
It was thundering when I woke up this morning. I have been having an increasingly difficult time pulling myself up out of the warmth of sleep. My alarm had been going off every 5 minutes for the past hour and a half. I mistook the thunder for garbage trucks. It is still thundering now at 9:30 and there are bright flashes that light up my middle north side office (I have one that is further north, but it doesn't have a window).
I had a very good review at work this week. My director called me a shining star in the department two different times. I was offered the possibility of a secondment to another area. It would pay more and be interesting experience, but I don't think I will take it. It would involved a partnership with the police which I anticipate would be difficult for me. I'm learning that I need to hold my cards closer to my chest here are work and play them carefully. I still love working here, don't get me wrong, I'm just growing and learning. It was nice to tell my director my professional goals and have her be receptive, supportive and open. I think I'll have a long career here.
The two recent domestic violence homicides are haunting me when I am awake and asleep. I had one of the top three worst nightmares I've ever experienced the night before last. I won't post it since it's so disturbing it makes me feel physically sick. I typed it out yesterday and sent it to a dream analyzer. I hope I hear back. I have a lot to say about the murders, but don't know if this is the appropriate place.
I went camping last weekend. The camp ground was awesome. We camped at Chip lake. It's about 30 minutes from Pembina provincial park. There were wild strawberries, fireflies, sunsets over lakes, campfire food, and a pheasant family who left me some pretty feathers outside of my tent on my birthday. Blake and I floated down the Pembina river on Sunday after we packed up our tent. It was so beautiful and fun. We laughed a whole lot and talked about how awesome everything is. It was a perfect day, Lou Reed would have liked it.
One other thing of note, on Canada day weekend I was at a show at New City and something neat happened. I started talking about how much I'd like to eat some ice cream cake. About 3 minutes later a person came by with plates of ice cream cake and asked who wanted some! Last weekend I mentioned that I wanted to go berry picking this summer. About an hour later while walking through a meadow in our campground we realized we were surrounded by tiny strawberries. There were more berries that we could pick and we filled our hands with them and our skin dyed red from the juice. I wonder what I should wish for this weekend.
Maybe I'll wish for the sun to poke her face out so I can take my sweet little sister swimming like I promised.
I had a very good review at work this week. My director called me a shining star in the department two different times. I was offered the possibility of a secondment to another area. It would pay more and be interesting experience, but I don't think I will take it. It would involved a partnership with the police which I anticipate would be difficult for me. I'm learning that I need to hold my cards closer to my chest here are work and play them carefully. I still love working here, don't get me wrong, I'm just growing and learning. It was nice to tell my director my professional goals and have her be receptive, supportive and open. I think I'll have a long career here.
The two recent domestic violence homicides are haunting me when I am awake and asleep. I had one of the top three worst nightmares I've ever experienced the night before last. I won't post it since it's so disturbing it makes me feel physically sick. I typed it out yesterday and sent it to a dream analyzer. I hope I hear back. I have a lot to say about the murders, but don't know if this is the appropriate place.
I went camping last weekend. The camp ground was awesome. We camped at Chip lake. It's about 30 minutes from Pembina provincial park. There were wild strawberries, fireflies, sunsets over lakes, campfire food, and a pheasant family who left me some pretty feathers outside of my tent on my birthday. Blake and I floated down the Pembina river on Sunday after we packed up our tent. It was so beautiful and fun. We laughed a whole lot and talked about how awesome everything is. It was a perfect day, Lou Reed would have liked it.
One other thing of note, on Canada day weekend I was at a show at New City and something neat happened. I started talking about how much I'd like to eat some ice cream cake. About 3 minutes later a person came by with plates of ice cream cake and asked who wanted some! Last weekend I mentioned that I wanted to go berry picking this summer. About an hour later while walking through a meadow in our campground we realized we were surrounded by tiny strawberries. There were more berries that we could pick and we filled our hands with them and our skin dyed red from the juice. I wonder what I should wish for this weekend.
Maybe I'll wish for the sun to poke her face out so I can take my sweet little sister swimming like I promised.
28.6.10
Happy 143 birthday, buddy!
I love love love love love Canada day.
It's the best holiday. Here are my reasons.
1) It's a holiday with no expectations. No big dinners, no long lists of presents to purchase, no unrealistic expectations, and no commitments. It's just a fun day!
2) It's in the summer, close to the solstice. The day is so long and usually beautiful. I can't remember yucky weather on Canada day. That may be selective memory, but I don't care. In my mind, it is always beautiful July 1.
3) I almost always have fun on July 1 (I can think of one notable exception, but I'm who cares). Last summer I ate lots of cake and watched the fireworks with my dad and sister at the Ledge grounds. 2008 at a show with Blake. 2007 was my favourite Canada day of all time. I spent it on the Edmonton Queen River Boat. MBP played. We watched the fireworks from the river. It was beautiful.
4) THE HIGHLEVEL BRIDGE TURNS INTO A WATERFALL!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
5) Free pancakes and cake everywhere you turn.
6) Canadian flags everywhere. We are nowhere near as flag crazy patriotic as our southern neighbours, so when Canadians bust out their flags, you better believe it's for a good reason.
7) Swearing in of new Canadian citizens at the ledge!
8) The strong sense of national pride.
9) This is a day where I remember how special our multiculturalism is. It's neat to see such diversity of our people. All partying down cause we love our sweet nation!! Oh yeah!
10) And my absolute most favourite part of this special day...
FIREWORKS!!!
It's the best holiday. Here are my reasons.
1) It's a holiday with no expectations. No big dinners, no long lists of presents to purchase, no unrealistic expectations, and no commitments. It's just a fun day!
2) It's in the summer, close to the solstice. The day is so long and usually beautiful. I can't remember yucky weather on Canada day. That may be selective memory, but I don't care. In my mind, it is always beautiful July 1.
3) I almost always have fun on July 1 (I can think of one notable exception, but I'm who cares). Last summer I ate lots of cake and watched the fireworks with my dad and sister at the Ledge grounds. 2008 at a show with Blake. 2007 was my favourite Canada day of all time. I spent it on the Edmonton Queen River Boat. MBP played. We watched the fireworks from the river. It was beautiful.
4) THE HIGHLEVEL BRIDGE TURNS INTO A WATERFALL!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
5) Free pancakes and cake everywhere you turn.
6) Canadian flags everywhere. We are nowhere near as flag crazy patriotic as our southern neighbours, so when Canadians bust out their flags, you better believe it's for a good reason.
7) Swearing in of new Canadian citizens at the ledge!
8) The strong sense of national pride.
9) This is a day where I remember how special our multiculturalism is. It's neat to see such diversity of our people. All partying down cause we love our sweet nation!! Oh yeah!
10) And my absolute most favourite part of this special day...
FIREWORKS!!!
6.6.10
TYS TOY
At my apartment building there is a white pick up that parks to the right of the back doors. It has the license plate "TYS TOY". I've always ripped on the plate and the lame truck. Recently I was going to work and noticed that all 4 of Ty's toy had flat tires. Someone had slashed them. I don't know if Ty was on vacation or if he didn't have the money or if he just didn't give a fuck, but his truck sat on it's rims and the bottom of it rusted away for about two weeks. One day a couple of weeks ago I walked by the car and he had replaced all the tires. The following day the tires on the drivers side were slashed again. I laughed. Last Friday I was headed off to work at around 9 and Ty had jacked up the drivers side and removed the two flats. I came home to pick something up at 11:30 and the passengers side tires were slashed. SOME SLASHED THEM IN BROAD DAYLIGHT ON A BUSY STREET IN A BUSY BUILDING!!! Ty left his car jacked up on the left side, but didn't replace any tires. Last weekend someone smashed his window with a brick.
Today Ty has a new car. I wonder how long it will take for this one to get destroyed. I know I shouldn't blame the victim, but I've come to the assumption that Ty is probably an abusive asshole and totally deserves this shit storm of vandalism.
It keeps me pretty darn entertained as well.
Today Ty has a new car. I wonder how long it will take for this one to get destroyed. I know I shouldn't blame the victim, but I've come to the assumption that Ty is probably an abusive asshole and totally deserves this shit storm of vandalism.
It keeps me pretty darn entertained as well.
11.5.10
I had another very good weekend.
On Friday I left work early because I had banked several hours of flex time during the week and I promised myself I'd use my flex time. I went home and had a delicious nap on the couch. I woke up around 5 and Blake drove me to my regular friday dinner with the social workers. Mandie wasn't feeling well, so it was just three of us, but it was a great time. Courtney and myself think similarly and Kristy thinks differently. It makes for interesting and heated discussions at time. Especially since Kritsy and I seem to never see eye to eye on the meaning of a word. Courtney quite often acts as a translator between us, as she can interpret what Kristy is saying. So we ate chinese food. Complained about work. Bragged about work. Talked about modern love and fluidity of gender. Then we played a hilarious game called "type-cast" that I picked up at vv earlier in the day (when I went home early, I stopped there and picked up sunglasses and board games). And each drank several glasses of wine.
On Saturday morning I was quite the grumpy bear and I sulked off to Transcend to read a book and eat waffles. Mandie and Joel came to join me and Farren joined a bit later too. I typically only see Mandie on Fridays with Kristy and Courtney, but she is a lot like me and she is a good shopper with similar shopping tastes, I've wanted to hang out with her more, so this was a nice day. Once the 4 of us finished with our tasty lattes, Joel left and we went shopping.
It was a good time. Mandie and Farren have a lot in common (they are both awesome ladies!) I bought chocolates from the Handmade Mafia show for my mom and two vintage dresses (that the store left the GIANT security tags on, so I can't wear them until I go back. Super annoying).
I got home late afternoon and brought flowers from Zocalo to apologize to B for being such a grumpy bear. He forgave me.
The rest of saturday I did nothing and it was great! ...I probably should have tackled my laundry mountain. Oh wait, I painted two small painting for my mothers and wrote heartfelt messages on the backs of them. I am incredibly lucky to have a loving, supportive and fun mom and mother-in-law.
Sunday was mothers days craziness. I went to transcend for another waffle (developing waffle compulsion forming here) and B tried a latte and liked it! From there we went to my parents. My dad made mothers day brunch. He puts cornflakes on french toast and it is delicious!! In the evening we went to Japanese Village with B's mom. It was also delicious. Mothers day was busy and nice and still I made it home in time to watch Ugly Americans
On Friday I left work early because I had banked several hours of flex time during the week and I promised myself I'd use my flex time. I went home and had a delicious nap on the couch. I woke up around 5 and Blake drove me to my regular friday dinner with the social workers. Mandie wasn't feeling well, so it was just three of us, but it was a great time. Courtney and myself think similarly and Kristy thinks differently. It makes for interesting and heated discussions at time. Especially since Kritsy and I seem to never see eye to eye on the meaning of a word. Courtney quite often acts as a translator between us, as she can interpret what Kristy is saying. So we ate chinese food. Complained about work. Bragged about work. Talked about modern love and fluidity of gender. Then we played a hilarious game called "type-cast" that I picked up at vv earlier in the day (when I went home early, I stopped there and picked up sunglasses and board games). And each drank several glasses of wine.
On Saturday morning I was quite the grumpy bear and I sulked off to Transcend to read a book and eat waffles. Mandie and Joel came to join me and Farren joined a bit later too. I typically only see Mandie on Fridays with Kristy and Courtney, but she is a lot like me and she is a good shopper with similar shopping tastes, I've wanted to hang out with her more, so this was a nice day. Once the 4 of us finished with our tasty lattes, Joel left and we went shopping.
It was a good time. Mandie and Farren have a lot in common (they are both awesome ladies!) I bought chocolates from the Handmade Mafia show for my mom and two vintage dresses (that the store left the GIANT security tags on, so I can't wear them until I go back. Super annoying).
I got home late afternoon and brought flowers from Zocalo to apologize to B for being such a grumpy bear. He forgave me.
The rest of saturday I did nothing and it was great! ...I probably should have tackled my laundry mountain. Oh wait, I painted two small painting for my mothers and wrote heartfelt messages on the backs of them. I am incredibly lucky to have a loving, supportive and fun mom and mother-in-law.
Sunday was mothers days craziness. I went to transcend for another waffle (developing waffle compulsion forming here) and B tried a latte and liked it! From there we went to my parents. My dad made mothers day brunch. He puts cornflakes on french toast and it is delicious!! In the evening we went to Japanese Village with B's mom. It was also delicious. Mothers day was busy and nice and still I made it home in time to watch Ugly Americans
Ugly Americans is my favourite tv show at the moment. I feel a kinship with Mark Lily (the alive human in the picture). He is a social worker for the Department of Integration. Similar to me, he is idealistic, but also tired. His clients are a mix of monsters, ghouls, imaginary creatures and immigrants. His department had major cut backs and he works with an incompetent wizard. The animation is fantastic! It's imaginative and busy (there's always so many things to look at in every scene).
Okay, back to my weekend. It was great!
Also, last night I did two hours of aquasize at Millwoods Rec. The instructor there is fantastic. He is straight from the 70s, complete with classic rock sing-a-longs. The Big Roast and I pretend we are on a vacation while we are there and it makes for a pretty relaxing night at the pool.
Tonight, birthday Padmanadi for Mary!
lovin' life.
20.4.10
Quolls
Look at this animal I didn't know about before today.
They are carnivorous, marsupials. And I think they're pretty darn cute.
They are carnivorous, marsupials. And I think they're pretty darn cute.
12.4.10
Laziest weekend in weeks
For the first time since I moved out of my parents house, 6 years and 5 rentals later, my apartment feels like a home.
On Thursday my dad and I drove out to Spruce Grove to pick up the amazing couch I found via kijiji. It probably weighed 300 lbs and nearly killed me and my poor dad moving it into the house. My dad has lifted weights for as long as I can remember and his shoulders are as wide as a house. I can't even do a push up. I wasn't much help and my dad commented several times on my lack of upper body strength, which I found hilarious! We eventually got it into the apartment and then I realized that I now had 3 couches in a 1 bedroom apartment. I spent most of Friday stressing out about my abundance of couches. I didn't think anyone would want a ratty, popsicle stained, ikea couch, so I looked into (and by that I mean, blake made phone calls) having it taken away by the junker people. They said it would cost $260 which is more than half of what I paid for my new couch. So I posted a kijiji ad and by the next day I had 5 offers! So I guess some hillbillies came and took it away. Thanks Hillbillies!
I think that it's starting to feel like a home because we are using it as a home. I am entertaining more, putting up art work, and since yesterday we've also been growing a garden.
Blake planted all sorts of veggies out on our balcony and we are also working on an herb garden. I'm pretty excited for fresh tomatoes, mint, potatoes, and strawberrys. I'm most excited to be surrounded by green things. I also picked up a couple of succulents and an air plant. I tied a peice of red string around the air plant and hung it by the window.
Life is pretty much the same as always. I am feeling pretty restless these days. I'd like some sort of drastic change in my life, but I don't know what that change would be and if it would be for the better or just for the different.
Tonight Blake is making me supper and then I'm going to aquasize. Following aquasize I am going to make some poly creatures for my little cactus garden.
This is the couch. The back in on a track so you can adjust the couch in a million different ways. And by a million, I really mean 4.
On Thursday my dad and I drove out to Spruce Grove to pick up the amazing couch I found via kijiji. It probably weighed 300 lbs and nearly killed me and my poor dad moving it into the house. My dad has lifted weights for as long as I can remember and his shoulders are as wide as a house. I can't even do a push up. I wasn't much help and my dad commented several times on my lack of upper body strength, which I found hilarious! We eventually got it into the apartment and then I realized that I now had 3 couches in a 1 bedroom apartment. I spent most of Friday stressing out about my abundance of couches. I didn't think anyone would want a ratty, popsicle stained, ikea couch, so I looked into (and by that I mean, blake made phone calls) having it taken away by the junker people. They said it would cost $260 which is more than half of what I paid for my new couch. So I posted a kijiji ad and by the next day I had 5 offers! So I guess some hillbillies came and took it away. Thanks Hillbillies!
I think that it's starting to feel like a home because we are using it as a home. I am entertaining more, putting up art work, and since yesterday we've also been growing a garden.
Blake planted all sorts of veggies out on our balcony and we are also working on an herb garden. I'm pretty excited for fresh tomatoes, mint, potatoes, and strawberrys. I'm most excited to be surrounded by green things. I also picked up a couple of succulents and an air plant. I tied a peice of red string around the air plant and hung it by the window.
Life is pretty much the same as always. I am feeling pretty restless these days. I'd like some sort of drastic change in my life, but I don't know what that change would be and if it would be for the better or just for the different.
Tonight Blake is making me supper and then I'm going to aquasize. Following aquasize I am going to make some poly creatures for my little cactus garden.
This is the couch. The back in on a track so you can adjust the couch in a million different ways. And by a million, I really mean 4.
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