This makes me mad!

From my city's website regarding snow removal:

City crews maintain 310 kms of designated routes—all major thoroughfares and all bus routes—with up to 12 trucks, salting, sanding and plowing during snow storms, as well as clearing sidewalks in front of civic facilities and bus stops. ...

The City’s response actually starts before the snow begins to fall. Staff receive daily weather reports for the next 48 hour period. If snow is forecast, crews start working up to 12 hours ahead laying down salt on the roads to prevent ice build up. As salt becomes ineffective on its own with temperatures below –6 C, sand is added to the mix during colder periods.

(City's) side streets are not part of the 310 km of designated snowclearing and salting routes; to include them would require far greater resources than the City currently has, and (City's) typography, weather patterns and street design make that a less effective use of those resources. Typically, snow storms such as today’s occur about 12 times per season.

You have got to be kidding me. First of all, if you had driven around the major roads you would realize that they have BARELY been plowed. Four-lane roads have become two-and-a-half lane roads. The major roads we live near have definitely not been plowed. And also, 310 km? I am doubtful. And re: side streets - this is a city that was developed such that almost everyone lives on a side street. The subdivisions have winding, curving roads that isolate each subdivision from the main road. This isn't a city where a grid was laid down to determine the streets. Instead it appears one grid was laid down for the big roads, then they allowed a child to draw curlicues inside the grid to determine where the small roads would go. In other words, unless you live on a major road, you can't even get to and from your house in a big snowfall, because the city doesn't have enough resources, and doesn't consider the side roads important.

The last sentence kills me. Snowstorms like this 12 times a season and they are STILL unprepared. No fricking way. This city spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on useless stuff (millions on the Oval!) like beautifying the medians with flowers. And they must have to pay their city staff overtime to do it, since those folks work at night to plant. Roads are paved and repaved every few years regardless of whether we need it. City Hall is always nicely maintained. At Christmas, thousands of lights are strung up. I frankly think that these efforts are lovely and all, but spending a little more on snowplowing WOULD BE FAR MORE APPRECIATED. They could get a few Bobcats and drive them around some side roads - even if some of the larger side roads were plowed, that would give us all a headstart.

But no. Enjoy your flowers, people, that is, if the snow ever melts in time to plant new ones. Because of course! The City can only plant annuals, not perennials.

GRRRR.

If you're going to insult me

At least have the guts not to do it anonymously. I'm sorry I rejected your comments on my last post, "Anonymous", but this is my blog and I can write whatever I want AND reject whatever commentary I want. You're welcome to repost your comment (but not twice in a row, just hit the button once, genius) with your real name attached. Otherwise, feel free to move on. If you have something to say to me in person, I invite you to do so. I get that you think I'm not a very good Christian. Since there's no name attached to the comments, I can only assume that you are an internet troll.... using Shaw and living in Richmond.

Conflict amplification

What do you do when you don't like someone's personality?

There is someone I'm thinking of who I can't stand right now. I will call this person X. I can't stand X. X talks too much. X thinks certain jokes are funny when they should barely be called jokes in the first place. X interferes with normal goings on and doesn't understand that change for the sake of change is unnecessary and time-consuming.

There is another person I can't stand. I will call this person Z. Z is annoying. Z thinks Z knows more than anyone else in the world, but in truth, Z knows very little. Z is just difficult to get along with.

Z and X get along okay, but each thinks the other isn't as clever as they make themselves out to be.

As for me - I wish I could resolve things, but I feel like I'm stuck in the middle between Z, X, and the other more reasonable people in my life. The conflicts are getting worse, not better. The problem is, you can't change a person's personality. They are stuck with whatever personality they have chosen to adopt and you either have to like it or lump it. Very depressing.

I'll try to post something more exciting next time I post... :)

A little weird

The hubby's away this weekend celebrating T's last single outing ever.... or something like that. Anyway, today I decided to do some shopping. We recently bought a dining room set, my first real foray into the world of grownup furniture. It's so nice that I almost don't want people to eat on it... and I certainly wouldn't want them to spill something. I was about to go to Ikea, only my second favourite store ever, but then I remembered that it's Saturday, and hello, only crazy people, or people who love crowds and long lineups go to Ikea on Saturdays. (Did you know that Ikea reserves two spots for hybrid vehicles? They are even closer than the "family" parking spots. Take that, parents with three small children! Too bad there are no hybrid minivans! Bahaha!) So instead, I went to Jysk.

I first heard of Jysk when I was in the Hat, but I never actually went inside. It's somewhat Ikea-like in that they sell furniture and household items for good prices. I wandered around aimlessly for several minutes and finally chose a tablecloth and placemats. I made my way over to the checkout line and was privy to the following conversation:

Cashier (to family in front of me): Oh, just to let you know, you can't return this duvet once it's opened so if you need to return it, don't open it. And this pillow - if you need to return it, um, it's best to return it within 2-3 days.

Wife: What do you mean you can't open the duvet?

Cashier: Well, we can't accept a return if the duvet is opened.

Wife: But the package just has a zipper, how can you tell if it's been opened by someone else?

Cashier: Oh, well, we just look at the packaging and how it's folded... umm... yes.

Wife (after paying): So should we just check it right now by opening it?

Cashier: Um, well, we can't accept a return if it's been opened... I mean if it has a tear then maybe a return will be okay, maybe, after you open it, maybe...

Wife: But you can't tell if it's been opened... maybe someone else, not me, opened it first, then I can't return it.

Cashier: Well, okay, if you have to return it, make sure you fold it back neatly.

Kid: OHHHH... NEATLY... THEN WE CAN RETURN IT....

Cashier: But return it as soon as possible...

Wife: Can I exchange it right now for one from the inside?

Cashier: .....

Wife: I'll just exchange it, thanks.

I think their return policy needs a little work - maybe their customer service needs some work too.

On a customer service note, I feel like our move has been one giant complaint. Here are the things that weren't quite right:

• seller failed to disclose/inspector failed to find out that the master ensuite shower leaked... all the way into the drywall below
• seller put a "quick fix" on several things, including hooking up the toilet flusher in the tank to a yogurt container filled with rocks
• Telus overcharged us on two consecutive bills; the customer service rep forced me to say I would cancel before he could help me
• Terasen charged us a random fee because we moved, despite the account number not changing and Terasen having to do no work other than to change our billing address
• Alarm company overcharging us and alarm being overly sensitive to the panic button being pressed
• Appliance company overcharging us
• Bank not taking out the right amount on our mortgage
• Roofing company being slack on everything except demanding payment
• Furniture place saying they would deliver between 1 and 5pm, arriving at 5:45pm instead

Sigh. Although you might not believe it, I really dislike having to get on the phone to complain about some billing or other issue. It's just so exhausting... why can't things just be right the first time? Anyway. None of these things are serious, and we are still thrilled with the move - and believe me, I know these complaints are trivial. I just like to remember them.

Not good

• Nine city workers "working" on one small stretch of road. Three are holding signs or directing traffic to follow the traffic lights. One is smoking on the side of the road. Two are drinking coffee. Two are standing around pretending to be busy. Only one is doing any actual work. Creating jobs for Canadians!
• Guy who almost hits me with his pickup truck because he runs a stop sign - then gives ME the finger. I love this city.
• Pedestrians who think that because power is out and traffic signals are down, they can cross without even looking.
• People I used to respect and admire acting way younger than they should, and acting icky to boot. Yuck.
• Bubble tea that costs more than $2.99.
• Our home alarm company.
  
• Having to tell Telus that I'd cancel if they didn't waive a charge that was ridiculous to begin with... and having that threat of cancellation be the only way the charge could be waived. What a waste of time.
• My mood. Stressful times make for stressful... times. I can't even think of the words I need.

Unsolicited advice

The other day, hubs took the dog out for a walk and was gone much longer than I had anticipated. As it turns out, he was in the little park near our house when one of the neighbours came out to talk to him about our dog. Background: we have a small park near our house with no school or playground attached, just a green space with a little path around it, and houses that back onto the park. Most evenings, we take the dog for a walk and when there are no dogs in the park and no people in the park, we will take her off leash and throw the ball around for about 5-10 minutes (she tires fast!) On one occasion, we met a nice fellow with his golden retriever and he asked if our dog might like to play. Which, if you've met our dog, is a silly question, of course she wants to play. So the dogs ran around off leash together for about 15-20 minutes and they had a great time. When a little dog came into the park with her owners, we put the dogs back on leash but those owners said it wasn't necessary. And true to retriever form, the two big dogs ignored the little one.

Anyway, said neighbour came out of her yard specifically to talk to the hubby. She told hubs that the dog shouldn't ever be off leash and that she had 35 years of experience training dogs, and that even her own dog (a Rottweiler) wasn't good enough to be off leash. She said a bunch of stuff and he relayed it to me. First of all, let me just say that yes, our 8 month old dog is not perfect off-leash. She is good almost all of the time, but there are times when she won't respond to "come!".... and there are also times when she is super friendly with people who give her attention. However, I took this lady's advice to be bordering on offensive. She talked about how we would have a lawsuit on our hands if our dog charged at a kid on a bike, and how she had years and years of experience, and she could tell that our dog wasn't ready to be off leash, after all, even her Rottie can't be off leash. (Her Rottie often barks at our dog from his backyard; our dog just ignores him. He instigates!)

I think I've talked about unsolicited advice before, so this is probably old. But what am I supposed to do with this advice from a person who supposedly has experience training dogs, but cannot train her own dog to be off leash? I'm sure I'm overreacting, but it would be like me stopping a mother at the grocery store and telling her how her kids should behave, and that she shouldn't let her kids run up and down the aisles. Even if I had children, and well-behaved children to boot, I don't think it would be my place to say anything to another mom. So why does this neighbour feel the need to step in and talk to us about our dog? I just don't know.

If I'm doling out unsolicited advice, just let me know and I'll stop... cuz wow.... how irritating!

Crash Test Dumbass

Ever seen "Crash Test Mommy" before? It's on the Slice channel. Here's the show in a few words: burnt out, busy mommy hands over household to judgmental spouse/relative who thinks s/he can run said household far better. Burnt out mommy goes to spa for weekend. Usually, Judgey fails miserably and learns to appreciate mommy much more.

I'm currently watching an episode where the mom has two kids plus takes care of four more in a home-based daycare. Dad works at an auto body shop and thinks that his wife needs to be more organized, so that she can have dinner ready for him at 5:30. He said that his mom would always have dinner ready by that time, and would make lunches for him and would keep the house sparkling - so what was wrong with his wife?

It always strikes me as odd that folks like this still exist. First of all, comparing your wife to your mom is never a good idea. It only makes your wife feel bad and brings up Oedipal issues. Second, telling her to get organized in order to make YOU dinner is rude. This is not a woman whose sole job is (underpaid, underappreciated) homemaker. She runs a daycare! Third, it's never a good idea to be judgmental about the way your wife cleans if you do nothing to help.

[Ok: he didn't give the kids the right breakfast, and skipped storytime altogether. He then said "I am not convinced that my wife's job is stressful." He's keeping the house clean by shuffling the kids outdoors or upstairs. Hmm - how about, oh, I don't know, taking care of them! Ridiculous!]

When did this couple's relationship get to the point where he belittled everything she did, AND SHE TOLERATED IT! I am so offended on her behalf. His kid asked to play with him, but he said no, I have to clean. I dunno. This is just uncool. We are not in some sort of Beaver Cleaver era where the mom wears an apron on top of her pleated knee-length dress. This is the year 2008, let's have a little respect for each other.

End rant!

Unsolicited

Outside pet store. Dog is trying to leap off a curb toward our car. We stop her and ask her to sit. She is tired and hasn't even had lunch yet, so is reluctant to sit. We say SIT and she finally sits.

Random lady walks by and says "Don't forget to praise them when they do what you say or else they won't do it next time."

Oh okay thanks lady. Because I've done ZERO research on dogs and dog training. And also, because we asked for your assistance. Move on with your day.

Ridiculous behaviour

Yesterday I spent an unreasonable amount of time on the phone with my former cell phone company, whose name rhymes with Hell. This cell phone saga is just out of control. Although I had cancelled my services with them at the end of September by switching to another company, they decided to bill me all the way until Nov. 21 anyway. Prior to switching, I had phoned to ask if there were any cancellation charges, fees, or penalties I should be aware of, and had been told that no, all you do is get the other company to port your number over and then byebye! After I made the switch, I phoned again to ask if there would be any further charges or problems, and they said no, and byebye.

I did get a bill in which I paid up till Oct 21 (since the billing is always a month in advance), and as it isn't a huge amount, I figured it wasn't worth my time to complain.

But then I got another bill for the following month!

So I phoned and spoke to a rep who really had no idea what I was even saying. She told me that there is a 30 day notice which I must give when I am cancelling. I pointed out that two separate reps hadn't told me about this when I called, and she said, "Sorry, but they were wrong." So I asked to speak to a supervisor, and she took this to mean that she should be the go-between between the supervisor and me. Finally, she told me that the supervisor said because I wasn't on a contract, I didn't have to give the 30 day notice, so good news, I only had to pay up to the end of October. I pointed out that no, that would mean I wouldn't have to pay past September, so in fact, "Hell" owed me money, not the other way around.

She didn't get it.

She finally sent me over to the supervisor, who then backtracked and said in fact, I do have to give 30 days notice. She said I should have referred to my terms of service agreement (given to me in 2003) and when I explained that I don't have this mysterious agreement, which is why I called way back in September, she agreed that the reps back then should have told me about it. I called her on this, saying that if they were both wrong, why should I pay the price for their mistake. She said "Oh, well all of our reps are different and will say different things." (That's reassuring.) She then got kind of nasty and I actually had to say all of the following:

- Stop. Just stop talking.
- Please stop talking.
- Will you let me finish?
- Please stop talking AND LET ME FINISH.
- Excuse me, I was not finished talking.
- So you told the other rep that I didn't have to give 30 days notice, yet you are telling me I do have to.
- STOP TALKING. LET ME FINISH. I AM TALKING. NOT YOU.

She tried to tell me she was being generous in waiving the early contract cancellation fee. Of course, THERE IS NO SUCH FEE since I was not even on a contract. I pointed this out and she said, "Yes, so the fee has been waived." NO. That is incorrect usage of "waived".

She then tried to tell me she was being generous in waiving the Oct 22-Nov 21 bill ... and I said again, there is no 30 day notice, so that bill is really wrong to begin with.

At the end of the day, I possibly called her a dumbass (not the way to approach conflict, I know... but in the interest of full blog disclosure...) Oh, and I'm getting about $5 back from them.

It's the principle.

But I will admit that sometimes, strict adherence to "principle" just isn't worth the time and effort.

Dark clouds

I've been in a bit of a funk lately because of all of the stuff that keeps happening. We had to have the hubby's family dog put down and that has really been upsetting, not least because of the impact on the hubby and his family, and the very sad feeling I get when we go over there and May-May isn't there to greet us. She was a great dog. I guess we just have to remember the good times - like when she stayed with us and curled up at my feet to sleep (after frantically searching the house for the hubby, who was out) ... anyway. I miss her.

Work has been a bundle of irritations and office politics. It's hard to focus sometimes and I find that my temper is always right under the surface, waiting to explode. I'm not a terribly gentle person sometimes and I wish I was nicer. I don't know if that can change or if I just need to adjust my attitude somewhat. I think (and hope) that underneath my irritability lies a compassionate person. Of course, I may just be fooling myself.

My cell phone died a painful death two Saturdays ago. It was kind enough to display a little tombstone with "RIP - Re-Initiate Phone" written next to a tiny cell phone. I can't tell you how thrilled I was that the software programmers for my phone were so creative.

Anyway, the hubby ordered me a new cell phone with new, fabulous cell phone plan he negotiated last week. The cell phone folks promised 3-5 business days for said phone to arrive, and yesterday (6th business day) we were informed that it had not been sent out yet. I am not glued to a cell phone like some folks are, but I do like to have one handy in case of emergencies, and to be able to call when I am late, traffic is crappy, or I have made an unexpected detour. As well, I like to be able to call people when I feel like it. So as you can imagine, I am a little ticked that my new phone has not yet arrived and probably will not for several more days. Adding insult to injury, I am still being charged for a cell phone plan I cannot use, since my phone informed me of its death. I could have walked into a store and purchased a phone by now, but did not because of aforementioned new, fabulous cell phone plan. Given that it hasn't even been activated yet, I am in cell phone limbo and it is an unhappy place.

*note: coincidentally, I just answered a call at work from some folks at my soon-to-be cell phone provider offering us some glitzy plan. I considered asking the guy to send me my phone already dang you but decided to just forego it and tell him we weren't interested. He can, and I quote, definitely understand where we're coming from. Can he really? I think not.

Also, I am still in summer mode, but the weather is uncooperative. I hate all forms of winter.

I'm going to go and eat a bowl of noodles. Surely some comfort food will improve my mood.

Me, myself, and I

Ever since getting back from Easter weekend, work has been quite sucky. There is much to be said about work, but a blog is probably not the best place. It doesn't bode well for me that I've had such a terrible temper lately, little things just get to me and I feel like exploding. I haven't yet, although I have expressed a ton of frustration. I'd appreciate some prayer.

I feel like I don't have much to say right now, and I think it's because work seems to suck the life out of me. One day I thought reading might cheer me up, so I borrowed a couple of books from the library. The first book, "Happiness Sold Separately" just depressed me further. It's about a couple who have infertility problems and turn away from each other - the husband has an affair, the wife withdraws into herself. There's much more to the book, but I dunno, it didn't stick with me as a great book and instead, made me feel sad. I have a second book to read, so I suppose I'll post when I've finished that.

Hmm.

Booooo...

Well the whirlwind trip to SF is over and my brother seems to be settling in well. Lots of creature comforts at his place... too bad he can't cook at his computer desk, then he'd be set, wouldn't even have to move! Heh.

There were many lineups this weekend and my patience was sorely tested in each one. My mom and I waited at the post office for at least a half hour when it should have taken about 2 minutes. I mean, I know the USPS isn't known for fabulous customer service, but really, let's move things along. There was an angry jerk at the front of the line and another lady who apparently needed to make use of every single service that USPS offers. Very nice.

Today at the airport we had to use this "easy check in" process that United offers forces you to use. Basically you check yourself in and then the counter agent is supposed to give you the luggage tags. We had some trouble using the "easy" process, so we had to ask for help. The agent was of little to no use. I could have sat behind the counter and offered the same level of "assistance". (I'm reminded of the Friends episode where Joey couldn't use air quotes correctly.) (Yes I DID just watch that episode, thanks for asking!) Eventually she stopped yakking on the phone long enough to get up and give us our luggage tags. Hmm. Now that I think about it I don't think she got up. I think I have seen a snail move faster than her. It's kind of upsetting that United actually pays people to sit on their butts all day doing nothing. Oh, and the flight attendant snapped at someone who had to go to the bathroom on the plane. Should he just have peed on the floor then? Please.

In the "security" lineup (quotes again!) we got told off by one employee for not pushing our items through the conveyor before stepping through the metal detector.... meanwhile the other employee kept motioning us to come through the metal detector before we had pushed our stuff through. Grr. I would like to see some stats as to whether all these new security measures have really prevented terrorist activity. It's irritating that we have to go through a zillion lineups, but I would accept it if it was proven to help. I am not reassured though, knowing that airport security staff don't go through much security themselves.

Twice during the weekend, I said to the hubby, "Is that person a man or a woman?" It's unusual that I say that more than once in a short span of time. The second wo/man was the car rental agent. S/he was supremely unhelpful. Is it just an American thing or what? S/he sent us up two levels, where we were told by the second car rental agent that the first one had no idea what s/he was talking about and was totally wrong to send us back upstairs. Kind of funny, but an inefficient way to run the company, having employees talk about each other behind their backs.

When we got our luggage, we kept wondering what that odd smell was in the air. Had someone baked some sourdough bread? Spilled some soy sauce all over the city? It seemed to follow us too... we couldn't get away! Well, when we got home, we found out, that odd smell WAS us! And it was because some idiot must have brought home soy sauce and it spilled all over their luggage, and it got into ours (but luckily not in our clothing.) Who puts a bottle of soy sauce in their luggage anyway - that stuff is cheap, just buy it at home!!

Yay! I'm done ranting :D

It was a great trip. I just like to harp on the little things.

Sometimes, isn't a little punishment good for the soul?

Ah, morning radio. It's like the pesky friend you sometimes like, but more often find just slightly too annoying to pay full attention to. This morning, the topic (extended from Friday) was from a book written by a mother of five, regarding how to discipline your children without punishments. Please bear in mind that I haven't read this book, nor do I plan to, since the non-existent children I have are pretty well-behaved... usually. It won't stop me from commenting, though.

I didn't get to hear the whole segment, traffic being light today so that I arrived at work earlier than expected, but I gather the point she was making was that you don't need to punish your kids in order to resolve a problem. For example, if her teenager broke curfew by coming home at 3 AM, she would not do something like take away the cell phone for a week, or ground the kid. (What she WOULD do - I'm not sure - since she just said some vague nonsense about how there should be a positive solution.) (Here's where reading the book would make this post a bit more on point eh.) Someone asked, aren't there negative consequences in the real world when you do something wrong, and aren't you just teaching your kids that there are no negative consequences... her response was that yes, the real world has negative consequences, but as a parent you have a vested interest in how your kids turn out, and you should be the one to work positively with them.

I suppose her argument has some merit... after all, some forms of punishment are probably a bit harsh. I'm sure every parent out there has flown into a rage at some point in time. But try as I might, I could not envision what positive reaction I might be able to have to my kid doing something wrong. Let's say, for example, that I had a toddler who, despite my warnings not to throw that ball in the house, threw a ball into the TV. Clearly the answer isn't necessarily a spanking, but would it be wrong of me to remove the ball? Or to have the child apologize and sit in a time-out? I just can't think what "positive" thing I could do. Apparently one suggestion this author has is to have a "time-in" - you basically spend that few minutes teaching your child how to calm down, rub his or her back, give a hug, let him/her bang out frustrations on a toy drum, etc.

Frankly, I find this absurd. I can subscribe to the Nanny 911 or Supernanny form of time-out (the kid gets a few minutes to sit alone, and then the parent sits down to explain what said child did wrong), but it seems weird to immediately dole out the backrubs and hugs and positivity.... never mind the mixed message involved in banging on a toy drum to let out anger (if a drum is okay, why wouldn't younger sibling's head also suffice?) I understand how one must work on the root of the problem and teach problem-solving as opposed to fits of anger, but when a fit of anger occurs, is that really the time to dig into what the root of the problem is? Or is that the time to say "Go to your room NOW and don't you dare give me that look if you want to get out of your room before you're 30."

I'm clearly going to be a harsh parent one day. Have some pity for my future kids.

Rolling my eyes

Am I the only one who thinks Valentine's is kind of a trumped up occasion... the hubby bought me some beautiful flowers (not roses) (and not delivered to my workplace) (and not on Valentine's Day itself) but other than that we didn't make much of the day. I hate sappiness and I really hate contrived sappiness. Perhaps I am just becoming a bitter, cynical person in my old age... it just seems like so many people out there, friends of mine included, equate romance with a big celebration of Valentine's Day.... I don't really understand why it is such a big deal.... well anyway. Enough ranting. To each his own, right.

Yesterday on the morning radio show, the hosts were talking about wedding invitations, a subject near and dear to my heart ever since hubby and I painstakingly and, I'll admit, somewhat stupidly created by hand our simple, yet extremely complicated, wedding invites two years ago. The topic of the hour was that someone had received an invitation that, at the bottom, said "No boxed gifts please." Although it'd be nice if this meant "Put all gifts in bags, please", clearly the real meaning is "We want money. Just money. Step away from that toaster, that coffee maker, that knicknack that will have no place to sit, that picture frame, and give us money." [I did say cynical, didn't I.]

I once attended a wedding where the couple put "Monetary gifts preferred" and despite my utter disgust, I gave them a cash gift (not a big one) (I was poor!) Frankly, in our culture, almost everyone gives money anyway so it's perceived strangely when someone dares to write such things on a wedding invite. But maybe the traditional rules of etiquette have fallen by the wayside, and hey, maybe it is time for things to change. I tend to think that while I'll bring a gift to the wedding, I'm not obligated to do so, so unless I ask by inquiring about a registry or what gift is preferred, please don't tell me what to bring. Maybe others out there have different opinions. Emily Post is, I'm sure, turning in her grave at this new wave of wediquette (that is, if she is indeed no longer alive.) I admit, I am amused by the wording of "No boxed gifts"... it certainly makes one stop and think for a moment. ("Does that mean I should take the toaster out of the box?")

More ranting... many of you know that we won a case recently.... Well, surprise! It's moving on up the levels of court. You know, since I have nothing better to do than to keep working on it. Sob!

Please pray for my big brother as he looks for a place to live for next month. Changes are always hard to deal with. And for us too as we adjust!

Mondays are the pits

Seriously, who likes Mondays? They never turn out as well as say, a Friday. I think I'm still in holiday mode so I'm not used to waking up early on a Monday morning. It isn't fun for someone who isn't a morning person. Morning people are far too chipper.

January is shaping up to be a busy month. It's Dine Out Vancouver time again and the hubs and I are going to at least two restaurants this year. So far on the list are Aqua Riva and The Cannery. We also have a reservation booked for Chambar, which the sister-in-law tells me was awesome last year - but I'm not sure if we're going to keep it or not. On top of that, we are also preparing to leave for Chile on the 27th. I can't believe it's coming so soon. Christmas Shoeboxes, I hope you're ready to be distributed!

In my next post, I'll share about the Canucks game that my godsister and I went to the other day. It was fabulous, and not only because we won..... but also because we got to meet a real celebrity (to us, at least) and only looked slightly foolish in doing so. Okay, we probably looked a bit more than slightly foolish, but we soothe our egos by looking at the picture.... which I have yet to upload. I promise to do it soon.

Life certainly moves quickly when you aren't paying attention. Why just the other day I discovered that apparently I look pregnant! Sadly (not really sadly at all), it isn't true - I'm just pudgy. But having it pointed out to me? CERTAINLY WAS GOOD FOR MY SELF-ESTEEM. I know I shouldn't take it personally, and that people who assume you're pregnant when you're just carrying a little extra weight should be embarrassed, but honestly, you can't help but take it a little personally. My co-workers all assured me, upon hearing this story, that I don't look at all pregnant. But then, one of them really is pregnant, almost full-term, so maybe they were just comparing me to her.

Anyway. Just a minor issue, not really worth complaining about, right!

Midnight at the oasis

Er... I mean... 7PM at the Garage....

Much to my delight, Chatty McChatterson didn't show up for last night's game. I got confused by what hubby said, but apparently she is not a half season ticket holder - she shares a full season ticket package between four friends or some such nonsense. If you haven't heard, Chatty McChatterson is my current nemesis at the Canucks games. Former nemeses (?) include the drunkards in the Molson Canadian zone and the girl who kicked me in the back last year. Some of you may have met Chatty, or, had the misfortune of sitting next to her. She has the ability to talk through an entire game and yes, drown out the crowd with her tinny (no, I don't mean tiny) but piercing voice. Plus, she likes to turn her head so it faces my ear in order to talk. And the stuff she talks about relates in no way to the game. It's all about how she broke up with this guy (a likely story) or how some friend or other has done something stupid (sure, a "friend"). Very irritating.

Last night, Chatty's other friends, Clueless and More Clueless showed up instead. I was thrilled - at first. Sadly, last night, GMC Chevrolet decided to give out these ridiculous "bambam" sticks - you know, those inflatable ones that make an insufferable noise when you hit them together - often seen at basketball games. More Clueless decided that he needed to hit them together at every possible occasion. Now, I'm all about cheering, screaming, clapping, and even hitting the bambam sticks when the Canucks score. But is it necessary to smack the sticks EVERY time the mascot bangs on his drum, even when the mascot is halfway across the arena? Or to continue banging the sticks when even the people in front of you (also in possession of sticks) look at you in disgust? I hate to say it, but Clueless and More Clueless made me long for the days of Chatty McChatterson. I actually said out loud, "Where's Chatty.... I miss her."

It's official - I've lost my mind.

Edit: I forgot to tell you that despite the Chatty gang, it was a great game! Very exciting! And here are the bonus parts to last night:

1. We found free parking very close by. If you're nice to us, we'll tell you where it is.
2. We had enough time to eat before the game and bought sushi at T&T. $12 for a meal for two at T&T sure beats $50 at GM Place.
3. I found a Starbucks card with 88 cents left on it. It's like a Chinese person's dream. Haha!
4. I got a cool new jacket, and the hubby got one too, but his was 40% off. Smashing deal.

Cut that out

There are some words I really must cut out of my vocabulary. Unfortunately it's a challenge to stop saying things, particularly as I have a bit of a temper problem. I rarely swear, but I sometimes use unkind words.

For example I should really try to avoid the word "dumbass", much as it applies to one certain person who I shall not name. What word could I use instead? There just isn't a word with the same force. I suppose one could argue that the appropriate thing to do isn't to find a new word, but to stop applying that sort of derisive comment to someone else. To that, I respond, spend a day in my shoes. No, seriously, I really must change my attitude.

Can't wait till next week. Days off? Hooray!

It ain't over yet

Let's not go into it except to say - two more. Blah.

It's shocking that there are only 10 days until Christmas. Ten! And I haven't purchased a single Christmas present. Not that I was planning to, but it's still worth observing.

Perhaps I've been a little oblivious for the past few years, but what is with the political correctness this year? So far I've heard of incidents such as an airport being asked to add a menorah to the display of Christmas trees... people being offended that a Christmas tree would be present at a courthouse... calling it a "holiday tree" instead of a "Christmas tree" - it just doesn't sit well with me. I would never try to call a menorah a "holiday candelabra" so what is with the name changing? Are there people out there who are actually offended by the word Christmas? Is it necessary to be inclusive all of the time?

I find it unfortunate that not only is the true story of Christmas lost amidst the the craze of shopping and eating ... but now even the term "Christmas" is being watered down to "holidays" ...

It reminds me that we are still, in a way, captive Israel.

In these next 10 days ... let us wait with great anticipation and hope for our Lord.

Infrastructure priorities

Ever since I moved after getting married, I have lamented the city in which I now live, as it's my firm belief that our city is poorly managed. I'm sure there are many politics behind decisions that are made, but often I think to myself, "Wow, I can't believe they said that" or "Why are they spending money on that?" When there was some issue about people being abducted near the casino, the city officials made some statement about how the casino is very valuable to the city, although of course they don't condone any crime. Ummmm... good then! Glad to see that profit doesn't weigh too heavily on their minds.

This week has really reinforced my dislike of city infrastructure. They'll spend what must amount to thousands on flowers for the medians, hanging baskets, Christmas lights, outdoor lighted reindeer... but will they plow the streets? No! I'm not asking for the small streets to be plowed, but when you're slipping and sliding down a major street covered in ice, that's a problem. Salt can only do its work when it isn't freezing out. PLOW THE STREETS. The city isn't even that big - what's the problem?? I drive through many other municipalities on my way to work and their streets are ALL free of snow. Grrr!

Hopefully the rest of y'all are safe and warm. I kinda like cold, sunny weather but I could do without the snow and ice.

NaBloPoMo is almost over - not that I've been able to post every day - but are you all enjoying the increase in posting? I sure hope so!

Winter sucks the big one

I said once that summer is my favourite season... and I think this weekend's weather really emphasizes my love of summer. Our gazebo collapsed under the weight of the snow... It took me twice as long as normal to get to work today (including 15 minutes of de-snowing my car) and that was only because I took the Oak St bridge which had virtually no traffic. Ugh! Snow is just the worst. I can think of virtually no redeeming characteristics of snow. Sure, yesterday I had some fun building a snow chair and a snow horse with some of my favourite kids - but really - isn't a hot summer day so much more fun... ugh. To all those who raved, "Snow is awesome!" - all I can say is Shut up! No it's not!

Moving on. This weekend, the hubby and I tried to buy our (second ever!) Christmas tree - but we couldn't really decide on whether to get the Home Depot $20 tree, or spring for the fancier (and more fragrant) Noble firs at the local tree farm/place/thingy. In the end we decided that we'll probably get a $15 tree at Ikea next weekend. I suppose $80 for a tree is a bit steep considering you toss it out at the end of the season. Although I really dislike winter, I do enjoy Christmas.. it's always a good time. We tidied up the house so that we could decorate for Christmas, but so far the only decoration up is my Purdy's Advent Calendar. Yay!

PS: Hey PJ - thanks for the website on GPS systems. Is this system the one that you were referring to on sale? It does seem like a good price although no text-to-speech - but maybe I could do without that...