home...

I'm coming home to you Canada. Sorry I will miss your birthday today but I will make sure you know how much you are loved! See you Friday...

say what?

I'm not clumsy... right? Right! I've never mentioned falling over on my bike, dropping a screwdriver on my head, multiple wipe outs on my first mountain bike ride, tripping over carpet. Never. I'm graceful.

So today it was a TOTAL shock when I went on my first trail run ever and ended up FLYING when my left toe caught the tip of a very large, very obvious rock. I was just about to say to my friends "Wow, this view is gorgeous but I'm afraid if I don't look right in front of me I'll biff it." Well, before those words could come out of my mouth, I flew through the air in such a way that would make Superman jealous.

The double tragedy? I ripped my very nice, pricey compression tights. However, I am thinking the long sleeved and capri pants saved me from major skin damage.

Tonight I'm nursing my tender knee and tender ego.

help!

So this year I decided to plant a vegetable garden. We'll see how it turns out. My friend and I planted everything and were feeling quite proud... and then her husband told us we did it all wrong! Ha. If half of the stuff comes up I will count that as a success.

I've never been one for gardens but liked the idea of fresh produce. Well now that I've done that, I'm starting to look at my garden beds at home and thinking a change is in order. I've never been a green thumb or even interested in it. My mom has always had beautiful gardens. I always wondered why she would go to so much trouble even though they were nice to look at. Maybe I'm getting older because today when I looked at the garden beds (that came with my house) I was appalled at how ugly they were.

Dear readers, if there are any of you left, please give me advice. What should I do with them? The shrubs came already planted. I don't know if I want to rip them up but what flowers should I plant or what would spruce the beds up a bit??

funny

This site is funny (thanks Belmomma for this)

This video is freaking funny (and I think this could also apply to Republicans... had to get that in!!!)



And this dude, well he's freaking funny times two (thanks Pops for this link).

I'm doing a lot of laughing lately, but not a lot of blogging. Hope you're all laughing too!!!

lines

Things overheard in Target:

Older middle age man to his wife "Those are WAY cute... way cute!" (This was in reference to pillows. He said it about three times and I snickered each time. There is just something sort of wrong with a man saying "way cute.")

"Do you have chopsticks for kids?" Guess this family finds it important to train their kids up right in the way of Asian utensils. I wanted to tell them to just stick an elastic at the end of regular chopsticks but I didn't. And strangely enough, Target didn't even SELL chopsticks. Then again, Utah isn't the mecca of Asian cuisine.

I got nothing else. My creative juices haven't been flowing so it's quiet on the blogging front.

goodbye lively house

I've had my little brother and his family in town for a week. The little kids have been so cute and so sweet. Little Jack is always full of smiles and snuggles. Emma is a chatterbox, which I appreciate, and likes to play pretend "Pegasus", "dog" or "unicorn." I think that kid needs a pet.

Tomorrow they're headed back home and I have a suspicion the house will sound eerily quiet when I get home from work. This week it was a lively home, the way a place should be. I'm far too quiet! I think I need to get some loud toys or musical instruments and keep the sound going! But then again, perhaps I should enjoy the peace and quiet because maybe one day my future will hold busy bees who make lots of noise, and then I'll be dreaming for silence.

Happy travels! Love you guys.

my vent

Since the new health care reform bill passed I have been inundated with the heavily biased rhetoric from the far right. A teacher came to school with a black band around his arm because one of his civil liberties died the day the bill was passed. I'm seriously considering a Facebook hiatus because of status updates and comments. I cannot believe how ridiculous some of the comments are. (Note that the typos are from the original authors, not me).

Things like:

"So they just passed a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he didn't understand it, passed by a Congress that exempts themselves from it, signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese."

"It's supposed to be like Canada. I'm told people that can't get medical attention there are coming here because the waiting lists are years out for the treatment they need. I don't want the government to control weather I need health care or who I'm covered by, and I don't definitely want to pay for other's health care. No thanks!"

"But now the govt. will control and regulate hospitals (we know how much we all love HMOs!), doctors, pharmacies, everything! It's going to be great! It will be like going to the DMV or the post office! That's the level of efficiency we will have. We have the best care in the world right now, second to none. Say goodbye! PLUS-we all know the biggest 'fear mongerers' are congress and the Speaker of the House and our President trying to scare the hell out of people about all these people that have died because they had no insurance. All you have to do is check out these stories and they are bold-faced lying."

I mean no disrespect to the people that have written these comments but I am SO freaking annoyed and it's my blog so I'll do what I want to! I don't mind debate if it is balanced and rational. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. What drives me crazy is the regurgitation of what the spin doctors on the far right are saying (and yes, I realize the far left has it too). The new bill will not resemble Canadian health care at all. The United States does not have the best health care... far from it. They continually rank as the worst industrialized nation in preventable deaths. The government has NO plans to control and regulate hospitals. READ THE FREAKING BILL.

And here is what rankles me most... (even though I know it shouldn't) but in a highly Christian state I am shocked that many people are more concerned with dollar signs than what is the RIGHT thing to do... which is to provide insurance to those with pre-existing conditions and the lower middle class that can't afford it or have companies that don't provide it. I want to look in to the faces of some of these people and yell "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO!?!?"

I really want to ask some of them "Can you please outline the new health care bill for me?" "And what is it that you are strongly opposed to?" "What civil liberty was taken away?" "How does this compare and contrast to Canada's health care?" "How many American's die per year due to preventable deaths compared to the French?" "If your child was born with dwarfism, how would you currently pay for his/her bills and surgeries?" "How much of your insurance is subsidized by your company? Could you afford that all on your own?"

But I don't. I silently fume because I know that it doesn't matter what I say, they will only hear and believe what they want to. So I rant on my little blog. And I am openly pleased that health care reform is on its way.... because even though I'm far from being like Jesus... I think it's the right thing to do... and I think He's on my side too! Ha ha.

fantasy

I wish every day could be as pretty as this:

As fun as this:

And as happy as this:

proud

Canada I love you! Hockey I love you!

Gold medal in Hockey for Canada... I LOVE IT!

Today I really miss home.

I have fond memories of hockey games with my dad... listening as he taught me about off-sides, icing, penalties, and then plenty of high fives when the Flames scored. We would share nachos and I would scarf down a malt. Mostly I felt pretty special to get "dates" with my dad on a school night. Because of him it's the one sport that I actually understand. And it's the only sport that can get me all tied up in knots.

Gratefully today ended with a smile and not a frown...

awesome

When work is totally not awesome, getting flowers from great friends IS awesome. More awesome is the mistake on the card...

"Your homos

Love Penny and Jennie"

I assumed they meant to write "your homies" but what's totally hilarious is that my friends ONLY asked that the card say "Love" and their names. Not sure how the order clerk heard "your homos" but it made the gift even better.

I love the tulips. They are my favourite flower. And I love my totally awesome friends!

should nots

Unless you're Michael Phelps, you should not wear this


I spent a week in Maui... but currently I only feel like posting things that make me sick to my stomach.

8 weeks...

of Hip Hop class starts tomorrow. Yes, this awkward, uncoordinated, clumsy gal will be seeing if she really can dance! HRH and I signed up for an eight week course in "Introduction to Hip Hop".

So what if it says previous dance experience helpful (hey, I did ballet and tap as a young child)! So what if I ain't got rhythm! So what if HRH isn't going to be there for the first, very uncomfortable first class!

At least the music will be awesome. And at least, in my head, I'll be awesome.

signs

(Parents: Do not let Children Play or climb on top of Dinosaur)

In the space of 2 minutes I saw at least 15 kids on top of the dinosaur. Who knew there were so many illiterate parents in the city I live!

not sweet

A few weeks back I told a good friend that she was "nice but not sweet." At first she was a wee bit offended until I explained that it was not an insult, and in fact I was neither sweet nor nice.

Case in point...

A insignificant friend from junior high posted a status update on Facebook that read

"Who wants to be my 1000th friend?! The prize is you get to be my friend!!!"

And right then I decided it would be highly amusing to delete him as a friend so that he would now have to get TWO more friends to reach the elusive 1000! When you have that many "friends" you won't know who did the deleting. I entertained myself with the thought of him realizing he lost a friend but unsure of who the cruel person was... and the fact that I haven't spoken to him since I was 14 I wasn't too worried about hurt feelings.

Today I remembered that I de-friended him. Much to my pleasure I found out his profile is public! So I was able to snoop on his page. The day I deleted him this was his status update:

"Someone unfriended me! WTF? Now they will miss out on abundant witticisms, glorious commentary and incessant creeping:(" (However, anyone can creep on his page without being his friend, and I have yet to miss his witticisms and glorious commentary).

I laughed and laughed and laughed. See? I'm not sweet or nice but I sure can entertain myself.

that's right, eh?

10 Things I love about being home...

1. Hearing the accents all over again. House, about, flag, bag, tag. Awesome.
2. Hearing "eh" on a regular basis, especially from my eldest sister.
3. My nieces and nephews. So cute, so funny, and sometimes so cuddly.
4. Reconnecting with old friends... especially engaged ones.
5. Snow covered mountains.
6. Eating chocolate upon chocolate.
7. Having mom make breakfast, most dinners and generally spoiling us with food.
8. Roast beef dinner with yorkshire puddings (thanks sis).
9. Going to a hockey game (oh how I miss that sport).
10. It actually feels like Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone.

May your day be Merry and Bright!!!

only me

Thank you all for your well wishes... I am on the mend... so much so that I was able to go ice skating with my girls at work today.

The recreational therapist asked if I would show her how to do a "hockey stop" on skates. Seeing as I was an experienced skater (thanks to my heritage), I happily obliged. Midway through the stop the blade of my skate flew off... which meant I fell down. All I could do was laugh. And although I was shocked, of course something like that happened to me. I'm naturally clumsy so it makes perfect sense to have a skate malfunction. She had to help me off the ice as I'm not quite talented enough to skate on one foot.

Now to find out how much it costs to replace the blade.

baby

I've been bragging most of the Fall that I hardly ever get the flu. They were doing vaccines on Friday and when the nurse asked if I was getting it, I said "No, I don't believe in those things." Well, I still don't believe in them but my bragging days are over.

For the most part I consider myself a grown up. I own my own place, my own car, and have a good job. But when I'm lying on the floor of my bathroom and praying that this will be the last time I will throw up all I can think of is "I want my mommy." Funny how being ill takes you back to your childhood days of Mom taking care of you, rubbing your back, getting you Gingerale. I revert back to being a baby. To make matters worse, I was so sore from my run on Saturday. So walking down my stairs was painful... on top of being weak from losing any kind of fluids or nutrients in my body. That is when a split-level house truly bites you in the a**. Gratefully it was a short-lived flu. I thought I was well enough to return to work today but after 3 hours of being there, I realized I could have used another day of rest. In that short time I had kicked a girl out of my office after only 5 minutes and spent another family session in a total haze. I came home with some paperwork to do and the only thing I managed to get down was take a 3 hour nap. I've eaten some toast and soup and think I'll be able to return to work tomorrow. Hopefully this means that I won't get sick at Christmas.

And I know that I will always call out for Mommy when I'm sick.

things that must go

Well the only thing I have energy to write about is one thing that really must go...

Public groups on Facebook for people getting married

Sure there are lots of clever ways to state they're getting hitched. Recent ones I've seen "So and So and their Carnival of Love", "So and So are getting married!!!!", "Team So and So. We're getting married!!!" And no, I am not a bitter single woman. I just don't understand why people will give out their address in a group that is public content. Anyone can access it.

People... make your group private or better yet, send a personal email or phone call asking for addresses you don't have. I guess I still believe that weddings should be for close family and friends so getting an address shouldn't be too difficult OR too public.

There I said it.

*If you, or someone close to you, has had one of these groups, this is not a personal attack. But really, it must go!

before and after

So I still need to hang pictures and decorate, but here are some photos of the paint job.

Living room (many thanks to my folks for helping me with this huge task)

Before:

After:

Bedroom Before:

After: (Sis, please note the bed is made better... just for you!)

nothing but the truth

There are times when I sit in therapy wondering what important details my clients are omitting from their stories. Details that would likely help them (and help me help them) in making some changes. Changes that would make their life better. I can't force it out of them. I can't always be sure my intuition is right. But I choose to believe I'm brilliant so I must be right!

And there are times outside of my work life when information would enlighten a situation. It seems like this week was full of unknown details that came to light. It isn't anything I want to publicly write about... I guess I too want to omit certain details in this forum. I do know that I'm grateful for a new week and I hope for less surprises. I hope for more loose tongues and upfront, straightforward discussions in all spheres of my life.