I went out with a good friend recently and we had a long conversation about relationships. We always talk about relationships but this time was different. She told me a lot more than she usually does and I appreciated the open and honest nature of our discussion. One of the things she told me was that she knows a lot of eligible, single guys with many great qualities... but that many of these guys didn't want to enter into a relationship because they were afraid of losing their freedom.
I found this incredible at first - do people really see marriage and commitment as the "old ball and chain", as the great limitation upon personal freedom? I guess so!
She talked about how her pastor had listed the top five benefits to being single, and the top five benefits to being in a relationship. All of the benefits to being single amounted to freedom. All of the benefits to being in a relationship amounted to a lack of loneliness. And that is where I realized that freedom and loneliness are not so far apart. Interesting. I've never thought of that. I've never felt like getting married meant a loss of freedom. Kind of the opposite actually, since I didn't have a ton of freedom while living at home anyway.
Anyway. I'm just rambling today. So here's another unrelated question for you. I'm not sure where I came up with this one, but work with me here.
Let's say you are in a relationship with A. Maybe one that is serious, maybe not that serious, it doesn't really matter. Not married, though, since that throws too much of a wrench in this problem. Let's say that sometime before you had this current relationship with A (it could be months, years even), you had feelings for B, but something just didn't work out. Let's say they were strong feelings, and you were disappointed when the potential fizzled. Let's say that B now has feelings for you and if you gave it a shot, the relationship with B could work out. It could be worse than, the same as, or better than your relationship with A... in other words you don't really know whether it will work out with B. But it could. Let's say you haven't thought about your feelings for B in a long time, but they might still be there.
Question: 1) would you want to know about B's feelings? 2) if you did know, would it affect your relationship with A?
Showing posts with label nothings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nothings. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
It could be the one...
This time, I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life, the one we all dream of
But dreams just aren’t enough
So I’ll be waiting for the real thing, I’ll know it by the feeling
The moment when we’re meeting, will play out like a scene
Straight off the silver screen
So I’ll be holding my own breath, right up ’til the end
Until that moment when, I find the one that I’ll spend forever with
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There’s gotta be somebody for me like that
Cause nobody wants to do it all on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There’s somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There’s gotta be somebody for me out there --Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody"
I hear this song on the radio all the time these days. I had to look up the lyrics since I am terrible at remembering lyrics. It's a very catchy song, one of those songs that you can sing along to without even really knowing it.
Lately I've been thinking about love and life and how to get all of my single friends matched up. Just kidding. Really just kidding. I only think about matching SOME of my single friends up. Um, anyway, where were we. I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I hadn't met the hubby. Would I be out there, trying to meet people? Where would I even go to meet people? If I met someone with "potential", would I make the first move?
I have often been the nosy spectator on the sidelines of my friends' almost-relationships and have thought, "Hmm, if only s/he made some sort of first move, I bet it would all work out." And then it baffles me as to why someone doesn't make any move at all. And then I say to the hubby, "Don't you think [whoever] and [whoever else] would make a great couple?" And then he shrugs. Or says "Absolutely not." Or "I already thought of that months ago." But then nothing happens.
So I am putting this out there: GRAB THE BRASS RING, PEOPLE. Take a chance, make the first move, and see whether the person you are interested in is also interested in you. (Caveat: if you or your friends are fairly certain that the other person is NOT interested - don't jump the gun.) Be a risk taker! There's gotta be somebody out there for you. Even Nickelback says so!
Topic for discussion: why DON'T people make the first move more often?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Strategery
Now that the election is over, I can tell you who I voted for. In our riding, the incumbent is a Liberal and it was expected to be a hot contest between the incumbent and the Conservative candidate. Well, at least everyone thought it would be a hot contest. I've never met either candidate, although I noticed one's campaign strategy was to stand on busy streets in a suit, waving to commuters, and the other recruited several Chinese people to help phone other Chinese people to sway their vote.
In the week before the election, both the NDP and the Green Party candidate were hinting strongly (or saying outright?) that strategic voting would be, at the least, not a bad thing. You know how it goes - vote Liberal even if you normally vote NDP or Green so that we'll have a chance of defeating the Conservatives. Actually, I considered the opposite - voting Conservative to keep out the incumbent, who I don't particularly like, and who I thought would win. Strategic voting is somewhat controversial. To me, it doesn't represent true democracy, because you'd be voting for someone you didn't really want in office, just to prevent someone you REALLY REALLY didn't want from coming to power. It requires holding your nose when voting, and is that the picture we want to paint during an election in a first world country?
So up until I got to the voting booth (if you could call the cardboard science fair display a "booth"), I wasn't fully decided on how to vote. I eventually went with my gut and voted NDP. I know next to nothing about the NDP candidate, but I like what the NDP stands for, generally. I then fretted over whether I should have voted strategically. Fortunately in the end, it didn't really matter because the Conservative won by a comfortable margin.
Of course, what this reinforces is that proportional representation through a single transferable vote system would resolve the problems seen in a multi-party system like our own. I looked for a site that explained the STV system the best and here is what I found. It has pictures! Though I think their picture of chocolate could have been a little better. Anyway. No doubt at some point, some person much smarter than me will be able to analyze what just happened in our election and tell us roughly who might be sitting in Parliament if we had an STV system. That'll be interesting.
In the week before the election, both the NDP and the Green Party candidate were hinting strongly (or saying outright?) that strategic voting would be, at the least, not a bad thing. You know how it goes - vote Liberal even if you normally vote NDP or Green so that we'll have a chance of defeating the Conservatives. Actually, I considered the opposite - voting Conservative to keep out the incumbent, who I don't particularly like, and who I thought would win. Strategic voting is somewhat controversial. To me, it doesn't represent true democracy, because you'd be voting for someone you didn't really want in office, just to prevent someone you REALLY REALLY didn't want from coming to power. It requires holding your nose when voting, and is that the picture we want to paint during an election in a first world country?
So up until I got to the voting booth (if you could call the cardboard science fair display a "booth"), I wasn't fully decided on how to vote. I eventually went with my gut and voted NDP. I know next to nothing about the NDP candidate, but I like what the NDP stands for, generally. I then fretted over whether I should have voted strategically. Fortunately in the end, it didn't really matter because the Conservative won by a comfortable margin.
Of course, what this reinforces is that proportional representation through a single transferable vote system would resolve the problems seen in a multi-party system like our own. I looked for a site that explained the STV system the best and here is what I found. It has pictures! Though I think their picture of chocolate could have been a little better. Anyway. No doubt at some point, some person much smarter than me will be able to analyze what just happened in our election and tell us roughly who might be sitting in Parliament if we had an STV system. That'll be interesting.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Politicky
We are often asked who we're going to vote for ... in the past week the hubby even received emails urging him to vote for one candidate (Conservative, of course.... the reasoning was that we need a strong Christian voice in Parliament.) Sometimes I wish the politics in Canada were more... polarized. I read an article that described Canada's politicians as "beige" and frankly I think that really fits. I feel like I know way more about the US election than I do about the Canadian one. (That's probably my fault, but I'll just blame the media. Just like Palin!)
I will tell you that I usually don't vote based on religious beliefs, either mine or the candidate's. I tend to think it isn't really relevant what a person believes if they are in political office. Separation of church and state, I guess.
This post has no real point ... but tell me ... how do you vote?
I will tell you that I usually don't vote based on religious beliefs, either mine or the candidate's. I tend to think it isn't really relevant what a person believes if they are in political office. Separation of church and state, I guess.
This post has no real point ... but tell me ... how do you vote?
Friday, October 03, 2008
Debris
Yesterday morning as I drove to work, I passed by a pile of shoes near the centre median of the highway. The shoes were strewn over a distance of probably 20-30 feet or so. As far as I could tell, they were mostly women's shoes, and included several pairs of Crocs (pink) and canvas Keds-like shoes (green and white). Have I ever mentioned my dislike for Crocs? I think it is because they make feet look super wide and I have a thing about how feet should never look wide. Also, they remind me of a hospital nurse's very sturdy/ugly work shoes... but with holes!
This morning, many of the Keds-like shoes were still there... but all of the Crocs were gone.
Could it be that someone crossed a busy highway just to snag those pink Crocs!?
This morning, many of the Keds-like shoes were still there... but all of the Crocs were gone.
Could it be that someone crossed a busy highway just to snag those pink Crocs!?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Welcome, guests!
The hubby and I are finally ready to welcome out-of-town guests to our home, as we recently purchased a guest bed for a steal of a deal. Not an actual steal, but pretty darn close. Even cheaper than our own bed (Westin Heavenly Bed! - but without all the plushy goodness of duvets and pillows and shams and such), which I already thought was a fantastic deal. I love our bed, it's super comfy and it's tall enough that the dog can't jump on us in the morning (she's never tried - but she has tried to jump on my in-laws' bed at their house!) I also love our bedroom set because it was my first real grownup furniture.
But the problem is the height. I like it, but other people look at it and think "Wow! That's way too high!"
Well, future guests will be thrilled to know that our guest bed is EVEN HIGHER. Of course part of that is because we bought a bedframe that sits the bed about 10 inches off the ground. Even so, the mattress itself is at least 16 inches tall and the boxspring is pretty regular sized although we ordered a low profile boxspring. Can't complain though when we got a great deal. But it makes me laugh to imagine guests having to literally climb into their bed. Perhaps they could take a running leap.
I tried to convince the hubby that maybe we just don't need the boxspring, but he seems to believe that guests will really like having to jump into bed. Oh well. I'm sure it'll be a comfortable sleep, that is, when they aren't worried about toppling off.
I can't wait to have guests! Ahaha!
But the problem is the height. I like it, but other people look at it and think "Wow! That's way too high!"
Well, future guests will be thrilled to know that our guest bed is EVEN HIGHER. Of course part of that is because we bought a bedframe that sits the bed about 10 inches off the ground. Even so, the mattress itself is at least 16 inches tall and the boxspring is pretty regular sized although we ordered a low profile boxspring. Can't complain though when we got a great deal. But it makes me laugh to imagine guests having to literally climb into their bed. Perhaps they could take a running leap.
I tried to convince the hubby that maybe we just don't need the boxspring, but he seems to believe that guests will really like having to jump into bed. Oh well. I'm sure it'll be a comfortable sleep, that is, when they aren't worried about toppling off.
I can't wait to have guests! Ahaha!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Once in a while when I'm bored
Maybe I'm the only one who does this, but once in a while I randomly Google people from my past. I'm not that old, so "past" often refers to elementary school friends, since I didn't go to the same high school as any of them. (And yes, I have Googled myself with both last names... with nothing shocking as a result. Phew!) On other occasions I've Googled people I vaguely knew in high school.
It's a bit voyeuristic to do this, I know... but I've often wondered what happened to so-and-so and what they are up to these days. Here's what I've discovered:
I looked up a girl who was a really good friend of mine all through elementary school. As it turns out, she owns her own talent agency now and she manages some famous folk. At least, I think they are famous, I only known a few of them. I always thought she would be a model, actually... she's beautiful. As it turns out, her sister is a model (and a PhD candidate!)
Another girl is actually famous - she's a comedian. Websites describe her as a 28-year-old Jewish lesbian living in the US.. and she was featured in TIME (magazine or .com, I'm not sure.) At the end of one of her shows, she strips naked. This sounds really odd, I'm sure, since I am only pulling out bits and pieces of information from the great internets... but anyway. I'm not surprised that she is a comedian since I always thought she was hilarious. Oh, and she won a comedy festival award - how awesome. Unfortunately my only other memory of her is going to her Bat Mitzvah. There was a lot of Hebrew. I understood nothing.
One guy from elementary school is now the executive chef of a local Asian fusion restaurant. At least I think it's him, it's been a long time since I was in grade 7. I have to say, that's a pretty cool job to have. I've never been to this restaurant, so I could be wrong that it's Asian fusion. It's definitely some sort of Asian food. I don't remember much about this guy at all, except that he had fairly dark skin for a Chinese guy. What a weird feature to remember.
On high school folk... I always remembered this one guy's name since it was unique. (As an aside, it is almost impossible to accurately Google Chinese people as our names are so darn common.) He was in grade 11 or 12 when I was in grade 8. Probably grade 12. Anyway as it turns out he works for the Canucks now in some sort of security or administrative role. Very cool. I wonder if he'll get me free tickets if I mention that I went to the same high school as him.
So... now I feel like a total stalker...
It's a bit voyeuristic to do this, I know... but I've often wondered what happened to so-and-so and what they are up to these days. Here's what I've discovered:
I looked up a girl who was a really good friend of mine all through elementary school. As it turns out, she owns her own talent agency now and she manages some famous folk. At least, I think they are famous, I only known a few of them. I always thought she would be a model, actually... she's beautiful. As it turns out, her sister is a model (and a PhD candidate!)
Another girl is actually famous - she's a comedian. Websites describe her as a 28-year-old Jewish lesbian living in the US.. and she was featured in TIME (magazine or .com, I'm not sure.) At the end of one of her shows, she strips naked. This sounds really odd, I'm sure, since I am only pulling out bits and pieces of information from the great internets... but anyway. I'm not surprised that she is a comedian since I always thought she was hilarious. Oh, and she won a comedy festival award - how awesome. Unfortunately my only other memory of her is going to her Bat Mitzvah. There was a lot of Hebrew. I understood nothing.
One guy from elementary school is now the executive chef of a local Asian fusion restaurant. At least I think it's him, it's been a long time since I was in grade 7. I have to say, that's a pretty cool job to have. I've never been to this restaurant, so I could be wrong that it's Asian fusion. It's definitely some sort of Asian food. I don't remember much about this guy at all, except that he had fairly dark skin for a Chinese guy. What a weird feature to remember.
On high school folk... I always remembered this one guy's name since it was unique. (As an aside, it is almost impossible to accurately Google Chinese people as our names are so darn common.) He was in grade 11 or 12 when I was in grade 8. Probably grade 12. Anyway as it turns out he works for the Canucks now in some sort of security or administrative role. Very cool. I wonder if he'll get me free tickets if I mention that I went to the same high school as him.
So... now I feel like a total stalker...
Friday, July 04, 2008
What's in a name?
I happened to be reading a blog today where the discussion was on baby names. I always find these discussions entertaining. You wouldn't believe some of the names people think are neat. I get that parents want unique names for their children, but sometimes, maybe it just doesn't pay to be too unique. There's always someone who has to suggest a weird spelling, like "Allysyn" or "Johnothin". And then there are the names that would inspire a world of upsetting comments for the child.
Behold! A list of names I will never name my child, but which were suggested by many on the site/forum I was reading. Note - some of these are actual names of actual children!
Tuesday - would you not be tempted to shout, "IT'S TUESDAY" every time it was actually Tuesday? Wouldn't you be tired of questions like, "Why not Wednesday?" And must the child have to answer multiple times, "Were you born on a Tuesday?"
Puck - yes, Midsummer Night's Dream was a lovely play, but I can't see the wisdom in naming your child something so similar to a swear word.
Bastian - yet another similarity to an unfortunate word.
Fountain - um, no. What if the child happened to spit while talking? S/he would never live it down!
Pepper - first, everyone would snicker if the kid was asked if she wanted pepper on her food. Second, no. Just no.
Jem, as a middle name for a boy - are the Holograms coming???
Lulu - while the child is small and cute, this is a nice name. But imagine introducing yourself as an adult: "Hello, my name is Lulu" - it's just so hard to be taken seriously when you have a babyish name.
Casper - the Friendly Ghost? No, no, and no.
Oval - well, I suppose it's one step above Triangle or Circle...
Prosper and Zebben, or Abram and Skandar for twin boys - again, perfectly nice to have unique names, but Zebben?? Skandar? I just don't know.
Emberly - is it Emily or Kimberly? Why, it's both! Maybe Kimily would be next?
Babylon - I'm not a fan of place names as people names, but if you're going to use a geographical location, surely you could find a nation that opposed God a little less.
Faxon - sounds a little like an invisible gas that could kill you. Also, too close to a swear word.
Kason, Kedric, or Ethaniel - ah, the twisted spelling names! Not quite Jason, not quite Cedric, not quite Ethan or Nathaniel. Kason and Kedric are just bad names. Ethaniel is... weird.
Lzay, because it's similar to Lazy and Lizzie - why would you want your name to be similar to Lazy?
Modest or Patience - I suppose it's better than Lazy, but it would be rough to have to live up to your name all the time.
Granite, Onyx, or Lava for a "dark" name - all of those are horrible names. How sad. I would consider Lava for a dog, but not a human.
Sullen - might as well go with Bitter, Unhappy, or Miserable.
Karma Amelia - just try and stop yourself from singing the song.
Durian - boy oh boy. Not just a fruit, but a disgusting, smelly fruit. (Sorry, Em.)
I love my name - don't you love yours now too?
Behold! A list of names I will never name my child, but which were suggested by many on the site/forum I was reading. Note - some of these are actual names of actual children!
Tuesday - would you not be tempted to shout, "IT'S TUESDAY" every time it was actually Tuesday? Wouldn't you be tired of questions like, "Why not Wednesday?" And must the child have to answer multiple times, "Were you born on a Tuesday?"
Puck - yes, Midsummer Night's Dream was a lovely play, but I can't see the wisdom in naming your child something so similar to a swear word.
Bastian - yet another similarity to an unfortunate word.
Fountain - um, no. What if the child happened to spit while talking? S/he would never live it down!
Pepper - first, everyone would snicker if the kid was asked if she wanted pepper on her food. Second, no. Just no.
Jem, as a middle name for a boy - are the Holograms coming???
Lulu - while the child is small and cute, this is a nice name. But imagine introducing yourself as an adult: "Hello, my name is Lulu" - it's just so hard to be taken seriously when you have a babyish name.
Casper - the Friendly Ghost? No, no, and no.
Oval - well, I suppose it's one step above Triangle or Circle...
Prosper and Zebben, or Abram and Skandar for twin boys - again, perfectly nice to have unique names, but Zebben?? Skandar? I just don't know.
Emberly - is it Emily or Kimberly? Why, it's both! Maybe Kimily would be next?
Babylon - I'm not a fan of place names as people names, but if you're going to use a geographical location, surely you could find a nation that opposed God a little less.
Faxon - sounds a little like an invisible gas that could kill you. Also, too close to a swear word.
Kason, Kedric, or Ethaniel - ah, the twisted spelling names! Not quite Jason, not quite Cedric, not quite Ethan or Nathaniel. Kason and Kedric are just bad names. Ethaniel is... weird.
Lzay, because it's similar to Lazy and Lizzie - why would you want your name to be similar to Lazy?
Modest or Patience - I suppose it's better than Lazy, but it would be rough to have to live up to your name all the time.
Granite, Onyx, or Lava for a "dark" name - all of those are horrible names. How sad. I would consider Lava for a dog, but not a human.
Sullen - might as well go with Bitter, Unhappy, or Miserable.
Karma Amelia - just try and stop yourself from singing the song.
Durian - boy oh boy. Not just a fruit, but a disgusting, smelly fruit. (Sorry, Em.)
I love my name - don't you love yours now too?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Aging gracefully
Five days ago, it was my birthday. We didn't do anything terribly special for my birthday, but I did get a dozen roses from the dog. I guess she didn't read my previous posts. Oh well! Pretty clever of her to order me flowers - I didn't even know she had a credit card.
Actually, the dog is having her spay operation today, poor thing. I suppose we are all aging in our own ways. Pray for her speedy recovery!
I have mixed feelings about getting older. On one hand, I am glad to be where I am right now. I like my job, I have a good relationship with my mom and with my in-laws, we're moving, and I have the best dog in the world (even though she's still a bit of a crazy puppy.) On the other hand, I don't really like to think about getting older. I can't really imagine myself as a real grownup, having responsibility for kids, having to do parent-type things, gearing up my career, oh my. [Note: not pregnant! Don't get any funny ideas.]
Well. I can't change the fact that I'm getting older. To compensate, I shall begin acting like a 5 year old. Just kidding about "begin". :)
Actually, the dog is having her spay operation today, poor thing. I suppose we are all aging in our own ways. Pray for her speedy recovery!
I have mixed feelings about getting older. On one hand, I am glad to be where I am right now. I like my job, I have a good relationship with my mom and with my in-laws, we're moving, and I have the best dog in the world (even though she's still a bit of a crazy puppy.) On the other hand, I don't really like to think about getting older. I can't really imagine myself as a real grownup, having responsibility for kids, having to do parent-type things, gearing up my career, oh my. [Note: not pregnant! Don't get any funny ideas.]
Well. I can't change the fact that I'm getting older. To compensate, I shall begin acting like a 5 year old. Just kidding about "begin". :)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spend less, or support local business?
I think it's clear to the what, five readers of my blog that I am more of a thrifty sort than a spender. But I am definitely willing to spend when it comes to the dog. Boy, if you want to save every penny, don't get a dog. Between vet visits, toys, and food, your wallet will be noticeably thinner. Especially if you are a total yuppie like me, and you want to feed your dog something better than Purina. (Kodi's food is endorsed by the dad on Eight is Enough! - actually, I think it's his company...) I'm not surprised by the costs, since we worked out the budget well in advance before getting the dog. But that doesn't mean I am not looking for a bargain where one can be had.
So, there are some great local stores in our city where you can buy whatever your dog's heart fancies. Some are tiny stores with fancy stuff, some are a little bigger with less fancy stuff, but in any event, many are local to the Lower Mainland. We have taken the dog to several dog stuff stores and she has always been spoiled by the staff at these stores. The cheap side of me objects to these stores, however, because the same stuff can be had for much, much less online.
For example, I wanted to buy this toy:
It is a tough rubber bone, into the ends of which treats can be inserted. In the pet store near our house, this item costs $15.99. I found it online for $6.69! How could I resist?? I bought a ton of toys for the dog (thanks to my mom for bringing them back from the US) and they were all substantially less expensive than any store here in Canada, even the online Canadian stores.
Here's another example:
This is a truly educational toy... heh. You stuff the bees into the hive and the dog works to get them out. At first, hubs couldn't understand why the dog would want to get it out but when he gave it to the dog, it was clear how much she really wanted to get the bees outta that hive. They squeak and are perfectly mouth-sized, you see. I saw this type of toy for $21.99 at a local store and I got it for $7.69 online.
I justified my large purchase by saying that the dog tears up her toys (or eventually she will, at least) so the cheaper, the better. But am I responsible for putting locally-owned businesses out of business? Worse... am I guilty of... not caring?
So, there are some great local stores in our city where you can buy whatever your dog's heart fancies. Some are tiny stores with fancy stuff, some are a little bigger with less fancy stuff, but in any event, many are local to the Lower Mainland. We have taken the dog to several dog stuff stores and she has always been spoiled by the staff at these stores. The cheap side of me objects to these stores, however, because the same stuff can be had for much, much less online.
For example, I wanted to buy this toy:
It is a tough rubber bone, into the ends of which treats can be inserted. In the pet store near our house, this item costs $15.99. I found it online for $6.69! How could I resist?? I bought a ton of toys for the dog (thanks to my mom for bringing them back from the US) and they were all substantially less expensive than any store here in Canada, even the online Canadian stores.
Here's another example:
This is a truly educational toy... heh. You stuff the bees into the hive and the dog works to get them out. At first, hubs couldn't understand why the dog would want to get it out but when he gave it to the dog, it was clear how much she really wanted to get the bees outta that hive. They squeak and are perfectly mouth-sized, you see. I saw this type of toy for $21.99 at a local store and I got it for $7.69 online.I justified my large purchase by saying that the dog tears up her toys (or eventually she will, at least) so the cheaper, the better. But am I responsible for putting locally-owned businesses out of business? Worse... am I guilty of... not caring?
Monday, January 14, 2008
Random tidbits of advice
- If you are headed out of town and need a cheap hotel (in price, but not in quality) - use Priceline to name your own price. I got a hotel in Orlando for $55 when similar hotels would have been over $150.
- Static cling got you all fired up? Rub a Bounce sheet on your clothing!
- If you are unhappy with your Starbucks drink, write to them. You'll always get a response and some sort of free drink as compensation. (Note: I don't just write for the heck of it. I'm not that cheap.)
- Craigslist is your friend. From video games to furniture to jobs - what CAN'T you find on Craigslist? (It's rhetorical. I know you want to answer. I am looking at you, big brother.)
Friday, January 04, 2008
2007 Meme
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I took a flight from the International terminal for the first time ever. It's much nicer than the domestic side.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I had to review my January 2007 blogs to see what I had said, and apparently I had resolved to save all of my loonies and toonies. I can't say I saved ALL of my loonies and toonies, but we do have a substantial collection going. Maybe I'll make it back to Disney World after all.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Um... well... the hubby's family dog died and it was so, so sad :(
Chile, Mexico, and the US of A.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
I don't think I lacked anything in 2007! But if I could choose to have something, it would be a TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Ummm.... I'm going to go with "none"...
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
WINNING. Ask me more later.
9. What was your biggest failure?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I did lose my voice recently...
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I would say my computer, although I did not actually receive it in 2007.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
This is a weird question.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I wasn't depressed, but I was definitely appalled back in December...
14. Where did most of your money go?
Well, we did buy a new car this year, so that is sucking up some cash. But luckily it's a hybrid! Otherwise ... well... we got a Wii and I got a new computer too!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I am never *that* excited. But I was pretty thrilled to get the new car!
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I don't really have a 2007 song, but I really like this song I hear all the time - it's called East to West by Casting Crowns. Here's the chorus:
Jesus, can You show me just how far the East is from the West?Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
Cause You know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? happier, I would say, because life just keeps getting more joyful! b) thinner or fatter? Possibly the same, or a little fatter. Dang it. c) richer or poorer? richer - but not by much.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I am not really one for regrets. I wish I had kept in better contact with out-of-town friends though.
Played a few less video games! My poor eyes :)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Slept in ... and then had dinner at my mom's house with the in-laws. It was nice.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I did not fall OUT of love, does that count?
22. What was your favorite TV program?
I would have to say 24, although Heroes was a close second.
Contrary to what you might believe, I don't really hate people. I just harbour extreme dislike sometimes!
24. What was the best book you read?
The best book... hmm... well, the last Harry Potter book came out and it was pretty darn fantastic. Other than that, I don't really remember the books I read this year. Perhaps they were just not that good!
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Really, I hardly ever listen to music, I don't have many CD's and I just listen in my car. But maybe the greatest discoveries were Paul Brandt and Aaron Lines - after meeting them in Chile, we started to listen to their music and they are both awesome. Country music!!
26. What did you want and get?
I wanted a new computer, I got a new computer. I wanted a Wii, I got a Wii (after an overnight campout at Zellers! What was I thinking!) I wanted black flats, I bought black flats (3 pairs! Overkill maybe.)
27. What did you want and not get?
I cannot even think of what I wanted and didn't get... maybe I have low expectations. Or else a lot of stuff. Oh! I know - I wanted a clean house! And I did not get one! Haha!
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I can't even remember the last time we went to a theatre to watch a movie... so let's see, DVD-wise, I think my favourite film was Jesus Camp. I just found it so incredibly fascinating, like a train wreck, couldn't turn my eyes away. Very eye-opening.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Embarrassingly, I couldn't actually remember without looking back at my blog. But anyway! We went to a playoff game the night before my birthday and seven periods later, the Canucks won and it was my birthday :) We didn't get to the Keg for my post-game, birthday dinner since it was past 1 AM and whaddaya know, the Keg isn't open that late. Oh well.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I really don't know how to answer this... I can't say that I lacked anything.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Cheap = good.
But I'm trying to change that to Work appropriate = good.
32. What kept you sane?
My job ... sort of.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I do not fancy celebrities.
Difficult question. I'll have to think about this.
35. Who did you miss?
My brother who moved to the States!
36. Who was the best new person you met?
I can't think of this right now but I could tell you stories about the worst person I met...
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
More of a continual lesson - I have learned that when I put God first, he and I seem to walk closer, and God's provisions for me seem so much richer.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
His grace still amazes me.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Step off, please
This morning I was reading a blog where the writer was talking about his sadness over his wife's recent miscarriage, and I read through some of the comments. One started with something like "Honey, don't feel bad that you are sad about this..."
I *hate* when strangers start their sentences with "Honey" or "Sweetie". It's irritating and patronizing. As well, it most often accompanies some sort of self-righteous statement. Eg, "Honey, you don't know grief until you lose a parent like I have." Unless you are an 86-year-old woman, or my husband, kindly refrain from referring to me as honey or sweetie or sweetheart. Someone once called me sweetheart on some sort of forum and then implied that I had no idea what I was talking about. This is of course untrue as I always know what I am talking about. Nonetheless, I was irritated.
Maybe I'm just a little tired because I arrived at work when it was still dark. I am not a fan of mornings.
Ok, next topic. PJ asked for a post about the Canucks. Well, I'll be the first to admit that they've stunk it up on more than one occasion this year. I went back to my old posts and saw that my Canucks rant last year was on November 15, 2006, so apparently we are a little ahead of schedule. If there's one thing to say about the Canucks, it's that they never fail to disappoint me at least once every season. Consistency is key.
Oh well! Last time I ranted about them, they actually won a few games. I still have faith. :D Frankly I think they need to put Trevor in instead of benching him in favour of the lackeys. Come ON!
I *hate* when strangers start their sentences with "Honey" or "Sweetie". It's irritating and patronizing. As well, it most often accompanies some sort of self-righteous statement. Eg, "Honey, you don't know grief until you lose a parent like I have." Unless you are an 86-year-old woman, or my husband, kindly refrain from referring to me as honey or sweetie or sweetheart. Someone once called me sweetheart on some sort of forum and then implied that I had no idea what I was talking about. This is of course untrue as I always know what I am talking about. Nonetheless, I was irritated.
Maybe I'm just a little tired because I arrived at work when it was still dark. I am not a fan of mornings.
Ok, next topic. PJ asked for a post about the Canucks. Well, I'll be the first to admit that they've stunk it up on more than one occasion this year. I went back to my old posts and saw that my Canucks rant last year was on November 15, 2006, so apparently we are a little ahead of schedule. If there's one thing to say about the Canucks, it's that they never fail to disappoint me at least once every season. Consistency is key.
Oh well! Last time I ranted about them, they actually won a few games. I still have faith. :D Frankly I think they need to put Trevor in instead of benching him in favour of the lackeys. Come ON!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Song lyrics
I have about five radio stations that I rotate between in the morning. One is news-only, one is traffic-only, and the others have music (and annoying morning show filler.) Driving to work can be mind-numbingly boring if I haven't got something to listen to, and it passes the time when I'm stuck in traffic (which you would think I wouldn't be, since I listen to traffic radio!)
Once in a while I hear a familiar song and realize that I never really listened to the lyrics before.... and hmm... those are the lyrics?? I wonder what they mean!
For example, I love the "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" song by PM Dawn. It feels like the perfect summertime song (except for "Summertime", of course). But here are some lines from the song:
Once in a while I hear a familiar song and realize that I never really listened to the lyrics before.... and hmm... those are the lyrics?? I wonder what they mean!
For example, I love the "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" song by PM Dawn. It feels like the perfect summertime song (except for "Summertime", of course). But here are some lines from the song:
- Subterranean by design, I wonder what I would find if I met you, let my eyes caress you, until I meet the thought of Missess Princess Who?
- Careless whisper from a careless man, a neutron dance for a neutron fan;
- Christina Applegate, you gotta put me on. Guess who's piece of the cake is Jack gone? She broke her wishbone and wished for a sign.I told her whispers in my heart were fine.what did she think she could do?
Um ... neutron dance for a neutron fan? cake is jack gone? missess princess who? Maybe this song is a little like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" or "Puff the Magic Dragon" ... if you get me.
I'm terrible with lyrics in general though. I would totally lose on The Singing Bee.
More to come when I have more thoughts :)
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Bowling Alley Star
In real life, I am a terrible bowler. Terrible. I don't think I've ever bowled 100 .. usually I only bowl around a 60 or so. It's horribly embarrassing.
But in Wii life, I am an excellent bowler! Yesterday AND today I managed to bowl amazingly in the "bowl around these oddly placed barriers" challenge. Ahh, the Wii has revolutionized my bowling ability. I only wish I could showcase these skills for the real world.
By far my favourite part of the Wii is making Miis! Man, talk about good times. I wish everyone's Mii could be as awesome as Junior's, it looks EXACTLY like her. Kind of scary actually.
Not much other news, except that soon I will be slightly less directionally challenged, with the help of my new GPS! I got a great deal from Amazon and the super fast shipping means it's already waiting for me in California. Next weekend we'll be heading down to visit my brother. I was trying to find out whether one can visit the Googleplex for some kind of tour ... but ironically I cannot seem to find such information using Google. What am I doing wrong!?
But in Wii life, I am an excellent bowler! Yesterday AND today I managed to bowl amazingly in the "bowl around these oddly placed barriers" challenge. Ahh, the Wii has revolutionized my bowling ability. I only wish I could showcase these skills for the real world.
By far my favourite part of the Wii is making Miis! Man, talk about good times. I wish everyone's Mii could be as awesome as Junior's, it looks EXACTLY like her. Kind of scary actually.
Not much other news, except that soon I will be slightly less directionally challenged, with the help of my new GPS! I got a great deal from Amazon and the super fast shipping means it's already waiting for me in California. Next weekend we'll be heading down to visit my brother. I was trying to find out whether one can visit the Googleplex for some kind of tour ... but ironically I cannot seem to find such information using Google. What am I doing wrong!?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Another weekend goes by
I'm not sure why I haven't posted much lately... sometimes I have something I want to say, and then it slips out of my head before I get around to posting. Sometimes I just have nothing to say.
How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. We went to a seminar on Saturday about how to help teens who are struggling and hurting ... it was fairly eye-opening. Too bad we had to give up sleeping in to go... I LOVE sleeping in on a Saturday, as it is the only day available to enjoy that luxury. (Don't bother reminding me that if I have kids, I won't ever get to sleep in ... I plan to develop a healthy sleeping-in habit in my kids.) Today, we had church, did some shopping with my mom, and then headed to the Canucks game-watching affair... let's just not discuss it.
I read a blog recently where the person was discussing married life. I think this person has been married for about the same amount of time as hubby and I. She mentioned how people frequently inquire as to how married life is, and she gives a standard response about how it's great on some days, and yet there are some days where you just bury yourself in your room, cry and cry and wonder why you married the person you did. I chuckled when I read this, but then I realized she wasn't joking.
Doesn't it seem a bit dramatic to you.... having days that are so bad, you actually sob about why you married that person? Obviously, married life (and life in general) has its ups and downs, but I can't say I've ever felt quite that sad or upset. Hubs and I are kind of opposite in terms of who we are, what we like, etc, and at the same time we are both rather stubborn, competitive, and unwilling to compromise or lose. You can see how conflicts may arise. Most of the time we resolve our conflicts pretty quickly. I can't imagine how awful it would be to feel so down in the dumps as to have to wonder why I married him.
But perhaps for some people, drama is just a normal thing.
Must go - the laundry is calling and it refuses to just leave a message on the answering machine. Demanding fool.
How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. We went to a seminar on Saturday about how to help teens who are struggling and hurting ... it was fairly eye-opening. Too bad we had to give up sleeping in to go... I LOVE sleeping in on a Saturday, as it is the only day available to enjoy that luxury. (Don't bother reminding me that if I have kids, I won't ever get to sleep in ... I plan to develop a healthy sleeping-in habit in my kids.) Today, we had church, did some shopping with my mom, and then headed to the Canucks game-watching affair... let's just not discuss it.
I read a blog recently where the person was discussing married life. I think this person has been married for about the same amount of time as hubby and I. She mentioned how people frequently inquire as to how married life is, and she gives a standard response about how it's great on some days, and yet there are some days where you just bury yourself in your room, cry and cry and wonder why you married the person you did. I chuckled when I read this, but then I realized she wasn't joking.
Doesn't it seem a bit dramatic to you.... having days that are so bad, you actually sob about why you married that person? Obviously, married life (and life in general) has its ups and downs, but I can't say I've ever felt quite that sad or upset. Hubs and I are kind of opposite in terms of who we are, what we like, etc, and at the same time we are both rather stubborn, competitive, and unwilling to compromise or lose. You can see how conflicts may arise. Most of the time we resolve our conflicts pretty quickly. I can't imagine how awful it would be to feel so down in the dumps as to have to wonder why I married him.
But perhaps for some people, drama is just a normal thing.
Must go - the laundry is calling and it refuses to just leave a message on the answering machine. Demanding fool.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Pardon me, this street is blocked, we are moving
I've previously discussed my fondness for open houses... we're not exactly looking to move, but I'm always keeping an eye open for a good bargain. Such a deal does not really seem to exist these days, but it doesn't stop me from checking MLS every once in a while.
Anyway, the house I discussed in that post has now sold.... no one has moved in, but the new owners have been periodically stopping by the house to do some work. The hubs went over two weeks ago to chat and found out that they paid a rather astronomical amount for the house only to decide to tear it down and build a brand new (monster) house. When I heard this, I was shocked - I suppose it's just the reality of housing around here, it makes more sense for people to buy for land value only when the houses are old, even when they are renovated.
Hubby and I came up with an idea though... we thought hey, maybe we should ask them if they want to trade houses. After all, our house is also an older house, and it's only a little bit smaller than theirs, and our lot is almost the same size. The bonus to us would be living in a newly renovated, slightly larger house, meaning it would buy us some time before having to "move up" or rebuild... and if we decided to rebuild later, we'd still have that big lot in a good neighbourhood. I'm not sure what the bonus to them would be, but let's just call it even for them... they'd still have a good lot on which to build their monster house.
We laughed about the idea, but at the same time we thought it was an awesome idea. We would gain an extra family room and I think also an extra bathroom... we wouldn't have to worry about repainting the exterior or fixing the roof as I believe those were both new... we would have laminate flooring and wouldn't have to look at carpet where I spilled an entire pitcher of juice... AND moving costs would be super low. All we would need is a few friends to form an assembly line across the street, and a dolly on which to wheel our furniture out our old driveway and into our NEW driveway. (They even face each other!) Forget putting things in boxes, we'll just carry them across. I can't think of a better way to move.
It wasn't until this weekend that we spotted them again though, and I asked the hubby to go over and canvass the idea with them. He was gone for some time and I started to get myself worked up over our move. Heh. Turns out, the owner would have been interested, but unfortunately they've already disconnected everything in the house and begun their teardown process. He said it was too bad we hadn't asked him a few weeks earlier. He told the hubby that he didn't even care what the house looked like when he bought it, since he was only interested in tearing it down. He also mentioned that if we were thinking of selling or renovating, he had friends who would be willing to buy, and renovating would be useless. Later we saw him in the window staring at our house. I'd like to think he was looking with some regret that he didn't just come up with the trading idea on his own (since he probably would have paid less for our house) ... but probably he was just thinking to himself, what kind of weirdo offers to trade houses!
Alas, there is no need to change your address books for the moment. Nor will you be confused by having to turn left into the driveway rather than right. I can't pretend I'm not a little disappointed though. Cordoning off our street for our one hour move would have been fun.
Anyway, the house I discussed in that post has now sold.... no one has moved in, but the new owners have been periodically stopping by the house to do some work. The hubs went over two weeks ago to chat and found out that they paid a rather astronomical amount for the house only to decide to tear it down and build a brand new (monster) house. When I heard this, I was shocked - I suppose it's just the reality of housing around here, it makes more sense for people to buy for land value only when the houses are old, even when they are renovated.
Hubby and I came up with an idea though... we thought hey, maybe we should ask them if they want to trade houses. After all, our house is also an older house, and it's only a little bit smaller than theirs, and our lot is almost the same size. The bonus to us would be living in a newly renovated, slightly larger house, meaning it would buy us some time before having to "move up" or rebuild... and if we decided to rebuild later, we'd still have that big lot in a good neighbourhood. I'm not sure what the bonus to them would be, but let's just call it even for them... they'd still have a good lot on which to build their monster house.
We laughed about the idea, but at the same time we thought it was an awesome idea. We would gain an extra family room and I think also an extra bathroom... we wouldn't have to worry about repainting the exterior or fixing the roof as I believe those were both new... we would have laminate flooring and wouldn't have to look at carpet where I spilled an entire pitcher of juice... AND moving costs would be super low. All we would need is a few friends to form an assembly line across the street, and a dolly on which to wheel our furniture out our old driveway and into our NEW driveway. (They even face each other!) Forget putting things in boxes, we'll just carry them across. I can't think of a better way to move.
It wasn't until this weekend that we spotted them again though, and I asked the hubby to go over and canvass the idea with them. He was gone for some time and I started to get myself worked up over our move. Heh. Turns out, the owner would have been interested, but unfortunately they've already disconnected everything in the house and begun their teardown process. He said it was too bad we hadn't asked him a few weeks earlier. He told the hubby that he didn't even care what the house looked like when he bought it, since he was only interested in tearing it down. He also mentioned that if we were thinking of selling or renovating, he had friends who would be willing to buy, and renovating would be useless. Later we saw him in the window staring at our house. I'd like to think he was looking with some regret that he didn't just come up with the trading idea on his own (since he probably would have paid less for our house) ... but probably he was just thinking to himself, what kind of weirdo offers to trade houses!
Alas, there is no need to change your address books for the moment. Nor will you be confused by having to turn left into the driveway rather than right. I can't pretend I'm not a little disappointed though. Cordoning off our street for our one hour move would have been fun.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Surreal life
This week, I used up approximately 1 minute and 45 seconds of my allotted 15 minutes of fame, and since I previously appeared in a 3 minute (?) video broadcast to whoever wanted to see it, I am concerned about the other 10 minutes and 15 seconds and what will transpire to use up more of the time. Hopefully nothing that involves any blood or gore, I am squeamish by nature. Perhaps I shall pen a movie script or play ... doubtful though, since I've never really been a writer. Speaking of plays, apparently this year's Bard on the Beach includes Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet. I could be convinced to go to the first one, but not to the second... I've always liked Shakespearian comedies better anyway.
My brother is moving to California soon. Sigh.
It snowed on my way to work today. I KNOW! Ridiculous! It is almost March, after all, which means it's almost April, and I'm almost another year older. Recently we celebrated the birthdays of some friends who were born a few months before me, and us high school buds reflected on some good times together.... until we realized that those good times were had more than 10 years ago. There's nothing like facing your age to bring you back to reality. I know I'm not "old" per se but there aren't many years left for me to say I'm in my twenties. By the by, does it bug anyone else when people use "per say" as the phrase? No? Just me, then.
My brother is moving to California soon. Sigh.
It snowed on my way to work today. I KNOW! Ridiculous! It is almost March, after all, which means it's almost April, and I'm almost another year older. Recently we celebrated the birthdays of some friends who were born a few months before me, and us high school buds reflected on some good times together.... until we realized that those good times were had more than 10 years ago. There's nothing like facing your age to bring you back to reality. I know I'm not "old" per se but there aren't many years left for me to say I'm in my twenties. By the by, does it bug anyone else when people use "per say" as the phrase? No? Just me, then.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Heard by the world
The other day, we were watching the Sportsnet broadcast and I believe it was the 1st intermission or somewhere around that time ... the screen went black, the broadcasters' voices seemed to disappear, and instead, the viewers were treated to a conversation of which all I can remember is...
- "Oh really?"
- "This f--ing thing won't work"
- (silence)
and I gasped at the profanity! And then I laughed.
Then yesterday, I was listening to Praise on my way home and it was the Martha Hadley show. She often starts taking a call by saying "Hi there, I'm Martha Hadley" ... but I guess the show cut off weirdly because what happened was...
- "Thanks for listening... Hi there, I'm Martha Hadley"
- "Wanna know a way to get rid of your acne? Well, I'm here to tell you about a new product..."
Obviously just the untimely insertion of an ad, but my gosh did I laugh. I even tried to phone the hubs to tell him this amusing story but he was already on the phone. Something more important than getting rid of a radio broadcaster's zits, I guess.
Note: I don't actually think she has zits. I'm just kidding. Don't sue me!
- "Oh really?"
- "This f--ing thing won't work"
- (silence)
and I gasped at the profanity! And then I laughed.
Then yesterday, I was listening to Praise on my way home and it was the Martha Hadley show. She often starts taking a call by saying "Hi there, I'm Martha Hadley" ... but I guess the show cut off weirdly because what happened was...
- "Thanks for listening... Hi there, I'm Martha Hadley"
- "Wanna know a way to get rid of your acne? Well, I'm here to tell you about a new product..."
Obviously just the untimely insertion of an ad, but my gosh did I laugh. I even tried to phone the hubs to tell him this amusing story but he was already on the phone. Something more important than getting rid of a radio broadcaster's zits, I guess.
Note: I don't actually think she has zits. I'm just kidding. Don't sue me!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
So much to do, so little time
First off, I wanted to announce that we won our trial (which ended in December - we had to wait a month for the verdict - not too long...) and if you want the nitty-gritty details you'll just have to ask me. It was a thrilling victory, in my opinion. Thrilling! It made those long days at the office almost seem worth it!
Anyway. We're off to Chile in less than a week. Crazy. Lots to do in preparation.
We managed to clean the house today. Pretty amazing how a house can turn into one giant mess when there are only two of us living there. Well to be fair, it wasn't really THAT messy - but we just had a bunch of untidy areas that finally got tidied up. Neat freak I am not, but I am at least aware of the need for cleanliness. (Isn't it next to godliness!?) I try not to be a pack rat, although the hubs is a bit of one sometimes. It can be hard to throw things out though.... I still remember when my brother used to collect Saturday morning comics and he REFUSED to throw the piles of old comics out even though he never really read them. Heh. I still haven't really decided what to do with my wedding dress. I considered turning it into pillows or something, but there's really not much use for white throw pillows with our black leather couches. I don't have dreams of saving the dress for my future daughter or anything, but at the same time it's hard to think of giving it away.
Any suggestions?
Anyway. We're off to Chile in less than a week. Crazy. Lots to do in preparation.
We managed to clean the house today. Pretty amazing how a house can turn into one giant mess when there are only two of us living there. Well to be fair, it wasn't really THAT messy - but we just had a bunch of untidy areas that finally got tidied up. Neat freak I am not, but I am at least aware of the need for cleanliness. (Isn't it next to godliness!?) I try not to be a pack rat, although the hubs is a bit of one sometimes. It can be hard to throw things out though.... I still remember when my brother used to collect Saturday morning comics and he REFUSED to throw the piles of old comics out even though he never really read them. Heh. I still haven't really decided what to do with my wedding dress. I considered turning it into pillows or something, but there's really not much use for white throw pillows with our black leather couches. I don't have dreams of saving the dress for my future daughter or anything, but at the same time it's hard to think of giving it away.
Any suggestions?
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