Wednesday, March 28, 2007

More on the new house...

So a few Sundays ago, we went over to our new house. The owners are in the process of moving all their stuff to their new home, which is a condo in the city. They called to see if we were interested in buying their lawnmower and other outdoor things. After we decided that the deal on the lawnmower was too good to pass up, they invited us in to look at their freezer. They have a very large freezer, and I have a rather smallish one, so we are going to possibly trade. While we were in the basement, sizing up said freezer, the Lady of the House was telling us about all the fruit trees and such in the yard, and did we like raspberries?, because she just happened to have an extra container in the freezer. She also gave us a jar of the cherry jam that she made last year, too.

After that, they invited us upstairs for coffee. Now, before we went over there, we went out for brunch, and Olivia basically ate her weight in breakfast sausages. And then she got really excited about the new house, and ran around.

Are you sensing where this story may be headed?

So, we're sitting there, drinking our coffee, making pleasant small talk, and Olivia says, "Mommy...I'm not feeling well."

Yup.

Fortunately, we learned how easy it is to clean up the floor in the kitchen.

Olivia felt really bad, and kept saying, "I'm sorry..I'm sorry...", but everyone reassured her that it was okay, that these things happen. So, she brightened up, smiled at me, and whispered, "Mom...I looked like an orange juice fountain."

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Things just keep getting better...

So which picture has the happiest face in it?

This one...


Or this one?


Yup...we bought a house. It's a four bedroom, two bath house on a huge lot....it measures 75 feet by 135 feet. In the back yard, it has two apple trees, a cherry tree, and raspberry bushes. We take possession on the fifteenth of April, and I really don't know who is the most excited. There are a ton of kids in the neighbourhood, which will be really good for Olivia. The funny thing is, there are five people I work with who live on the same street.

We're thinking of petitioning city council to rename it.

Of course, I pretty much unpacked everything here. I was down to about six boxes. But, really, for the amount that I pay in rent and laundry, in relation to what I make, it just makes sense to buy something. Plus, where we live, houses like the one we got, on that particular street, don't come on the market very often. Plus, as an extra bonus, it was hugely underpriced. Gotta love that.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

And it's only Tuesday...

So, after much oohing and aahing over The Ring, and numerous telling of The Story of how I got said Ring, I finally got see how much I could actually remember from my marketing classes. I'm working in the marketing department all this week, and I'm already worn out. In the morning, I designed the ad that is going into the high school yearbook this year. After lunch, I stared at Excel spreadsheets, compiling this year's marketing budget until I thought I'd go blind. So, tonight, I am dead tired, and I still have three more days left this week. And, I do a full week next week.

My parents have had quite a few surprises lately. Thursday night, my brother and his girlfriend called to say that they are expecting their first baby in September. We're all really excited. My mom, however, is going through that whole, "My baby is having a baby" thing, since my brother is the youngest. However, he will be thirty three this year, so I think he's ready.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

My treasure hunt...

So, Friday evening Donnie said that he had a surprise planned for Saturday. Olivia and I were to be ready at 10:30 exactly, and to wear stuff that is appropriate for walking in the snow. I thought it was a trip out to his cabin at the lake, so at 10:30, we were ready with boots and snow gear, snacks and drinks packed. At 10:30, he knocked on the door, and when I opened it, I was surprised to see him standing there, grinning widely. He was holding a small florist's bundle. Inside were two red roses: one for me, and one for Olivia. Then, he handed me two cards, and told me which one to open first. He kissed me, and said, "Ok...I'm off...the cards will explain what is going on. See you later."

I was slightly confused, and at this point, I was thinking that this was a strange way to head off to the lake.

Ok...I'm not exactly sharp in the morning.

The first card read:
Good morning, my love! Your goal for today's adventure is simple; find me! Ten minutes from now, you may open the envelope labelled One. Inside that envelope is a clue that will lead you to the first stop in your search for my location. The clues, along with your memory, should lead you to that final place, and though you may encounter several people along your journey, they may not assist you other than to provide you with the next clue envelope. Good Luck! Hopefully, I will see you later.

You don't know how much I cursed that whole 'wait ten minutes' crap. After pacing for nine minutes and fifty-five seconds, I ripped open envelope One. Inside, it told me to go with Olivia to my parents' house to get my second envelope. I got to my mom and dad's place, and saw the envelope tacked to the upstairs door. My mom was there in the kitchen and said, "Well, open up your envelope, and leave Olivia here." So, card Two read:
The next stages of this adventure are for you alone. Your young companion will remain here as you journey on. Travel now to the place where we often happened upon each other accidentally when you moved back to town. This key, and the number XXX are all you need when you arrive there.
So, of course, it was off to the post office for me. There, I found my next card.
Go now to the place where we rent movies to entertain us on cold winter nights. At the counter, ask the clerk for a copy of the movie we saw on our first real date, some three months ago.
So, I went to the local video store, got my copy of Casino Royale, and found my next clue:
Think back to the day we first met, more than twenty years ago. Go to that spot now. Find my car, and park behind it. Follow the trail through the snow to get your next clue.

We met at the swimming pool at the Regional Park, so I drove there, and found his car parked on the street. When I got out of my car, I saw a trail of footprints through the snow, marked with rose petals. I walked for a ways, and came across a small table, with a long-stemmed red rose and another envelope on it. Inside, the card read:
Your journey is nearly complete, here is where I first saw you, and first fell in love with you. I knew on that day that you were the perfect woman for me, and you are even more perfect now. I am so happy that after all of these years I have found you again.

The last step you have to take to find me today is...turn around!

At that point, I turned around, to find Donnie. He said, "Well, there's only one more thing you have to do. I have a little question for you to answer:

Will you marry me?"

Then he got down on one knee, in the snow, and opened up a ring box, which held the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen.

Of course, I said yes.

He has said before that he will never be super-rich, but he will always keep things interesting.

And our life together will always be an adventure.

Friday, March 16, 2007

So....about those pants I was talking about...

Yeah...they didn't get done. Or started. I have the wearable muslin fabric all ready to go, grained up and all, I just have to sit down and do it. I should put quotation marks around wearable...Olivia and I were at Walmart, in the next town over, and I was looking for a cheap stretch fabric. Found some. The colour is gorgeous...a rich dark brown. Too bad it's a polyester/lycra blend. It has a decidedly plastic hand to it.

For the next week at work, I am going to be assisting the Marketing Director. The big annual meeting is coming up at the end of the month, and she needs help doing stuff with that. My supervisor, Rachael was a little sketchy on the details. Well, it seems that to have the meetings at all five branches, several hundred annual reports are needed. So, guess what I got to do. All day. And, apparently, every day for the next week....sort, collate, and staple. It was mindnumbingly fun.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Good thing I am sometimes prone to non-procrastination...

Sometimes, when I know that I have a few days off in a row, I decide to divide up my days, and not do everything all in one day. Yesterday, I decided to do all four loads of laundry, clean the bathroom, and trace off the pattern for the pants that I want to make. I decided against the pattern I initially thought about, even though it is an exact replica of one of my most favourite pairs ever. The fabric I'm using is a plaid, and with the pockets, and the back yoke, I decided that matching all that would be an exercise in ultimate frustration. So, instead, I found these. Except, I borrowed the pant leg draft from another pair, because I didn't want them to be cropped.

So, last night, as we were finishing dinner, I got a call from my supervisor, and I have to work a few hours today. Which is probably a good thing, because I have some things to get when I'm out.

On a totally unrelated note, I found this on Karen's blog, and I thought it was pretty cool.

Look at the list of books below:
* Bold the ones you’ve read,
* Italicize the ones you want to read
* Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Not bad...but I definitely need to read more. And I know where I can find a really good copy of The English Patient.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

My Little Mini-Vacation

I don't work again until Wednesday, so this is just like having a little vacation. The last time I had four days off in a row, a did relatively nothing. I had a little bit of a cold, so I didn't accomplish much. I need some new clothes for work, and I only have a six foot cabinet that is bulging with fabric, so I need to get to work. I've noticed something shopping here: fabric is bloody expensive. I'm used to my cheapo Joann's prices, and when things are about double the price, it makes for some sticker shock. Fortunately, if I only used what I have on hand, I'll be set for a while. A very long while. But, I had to pick up some cheap stuff to do a muslin, since I'm using a new pattern, and I'd hate to ruin some of my good fabric by doing the wrong size.

I've even worked a few rows on my Cable/Bobble/Twist Sweater. I may even be able to wear it this year. Good thing I don't go for fads...by the time I finish something, it's usually a good while later. Which is why I never, ever, got into the whole poncho thing. Plus, I had one when I was four. It wasn't a good look then, and I didn't think adding thirty years would improve on that.

I also got some new fabric to make Olivia some things. The girl cannot get enough purple at this moment. I bought her a pair of windpants to wear over top of her regular pants, and she has not taken them off. It's starting to melt here, and the streets are really slushy, so they should keep her somewhat dry. Plus, they're purple! Which makes them great, in her books.

I had my probationary review at work, and it went really well. I am now an official employee. I met with my supervisor, and we talked for an hour, and she had some really nice things to say about my performance. Which is good, because now I'm down to one job. I kind of like knowing that every Saturday is free now. Olivia really likes that too.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Ok...so it's been a while...


I've neglected posting anything for a while...things have pretty much been uneventful around here. I finished my socks, and still have to take a picture. I wear them to work, and with the vibrant mix of colours, they endlessly amuse me. They're nice to wear, especially on a dull, dreary winter day.

Speaking of nice, I had an especially nice weekend. Donnie took me to the Regina Blues Festival Saturday night. We got into the city early, so we hit the bookstore. We visited my brother and his girlfriend for a while, and got to see their house. They bought a house last summer, and it is absolutely beautiful, with its original hardwood floors, and arched doorways. Plus, it's about two blocks away from the river, so you can't beat that.


We went out for dinner at Golf'swith his sister and brother-in-law. It was the first time I've met any of Donnie's family, and it was a little nerve-wracking at first, but Noel and Braden are so welcoming and fun, that all my nervousness quickly disappeared. After dinner was finished, we then went to the concert. It was absolutely amazing. I haven't really listened to much blues music, besides what would be on NPR every Saturday and Sunday nights, but I have to say that I really enjoyed all the performers. It was really nice just to have an evening out.

It was also quite a surprise that Donnnie reserved us a suite on the fifteenth floor of the Ramada. It was bigger than my apartment. On Sunday morning, we were meeting Noel, Braden, and one of their sons for brunch. When the alarm went off, Donnie said, "There are two alarms; I've set the second one for thirty minutes from now. You sleep. I've made coffee, so it'll be there when you're ready to get up."

He had to laugh, because apparently, my muffled answer (it's hard to be understandable with your face mashed into your pillow) was, "I am so keeping you around."

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