Independence part two

Ok, so I read the instructions but somehow my poor chair ended up looking like this. I am sitting here laughing... that was too funny I had to include it here! I thought... Hey maybe I need left handed instructions and just cracked right up! It's great when I can laugh at myself~ it did come to mind that maybe I should ship it out to California to LL, the offer was there and what a great excuse to go and see California, I'd have to pick up my chair!

Needless to say, I took the back off, turned the arms around and now am sitting in my extremely comfortable chair. Can you imagine sitting in it like this? LOL Now maybe a new desk to go with the chair now that I'm a pro at putting things together! :-)

Independence

Ok, so here it is, this is what I wanted for my birthday from my children, and me being the spoilt Mom that I am, I got what I wanted... the cash to pay for my beautiful new office chair. Today I went and picked up my chair, I had already known what I wanted and had to sit in another 20 or so chairs just to ensure that this was the one, the one that would hold me up for the major essays which will come once again in the fall.

I had the nice young man at the store load my purchase into my car, I came home and attempted to take it out of the car and no such luck, it was too heavy. Strike one in being independent. I went over to the neighbors who were doing yard work and asked if he could please come and assist me and he did thankfully. Thank you Brian.

Now I got this huge box in my living room and it's bothering me that it's still in the box, I did manage to take the new chair out of the box and now I'd best read the instructions, even though I am not the read the instructions first kind of person. I am hoping to be able to assemble this by myself, this is part of my new independence, putting my own purchases together (when there is not a man around to do it for me). Wish me luck, I'm sure that it can't be all that hard, can it?

My Birthday Dinner

Tonight I went with Shayne, Sandy, and Michelle to River Cree Casino for my birthday dinner, I have been wanting to go out there for quite some time. We began our evening in Taps 25, we tried their prime rib, unfortunately Sandy and me had to send ours back, they were both supremely overdone. When we did get the second order, they were much better! This was the first incident.

The next thing to happen, our waitress reached over and knocked my beverage all over Sandy, it landed all over her lap unfortunately. The waitress didn't seem to really be sincere in her phony "sorry."

We had our meal and waited for the cheque to arrive, not a dime was taken off. I asked to speak with the manager and he came back and apologized for the prime rib dinners and told us that Sandy's and mine were free. I happened to mention that this was not the real issue with me, it was that the waitress spilt a full drink on my daughter-in-law. The manager, appearing quite surprised, apologized and told us that all four of our dinners were on the house. This was very kind of him, now I will most likely go back there one day.

We all tried our luck at the slots, Michelle, who detests gambling ended up playing for about 3 hours and lost $9.00. I didn't get rich yet I didn't break my bank account neither, it was a nice night out all in all... once me and my daughter found the place! That is another story! But we did make it, only a half hour late, not too bad! :-)

Thank you very much Shayne, Sandy, and Michelle for the wonderful birthday, I really enjoyed tonight even with the few oopses at dinner! I am extremely blessed to have such fantastic children!

Hope

In my travels today, a field trip away from the office I like to call our excursions, I was led to see this beautiful painting. I work with the man who helped put this mural together, this is his daughter two years ago.

I love what this mural represents, there is the Italian people represented with the Italian flag, rightfully so as it is in Little Italy. The Aboriginal people are represented with the mask and a few other objects, I see a piece where Eskimo people are represented. Then there is the city, the world and the little one to me represents a child of the world, there is hope when it all comes together. This is what I see when I view this mural, mind you I could be wrong in what all of this symbolizes, I have been known to be wrong at least once before.... before I became perfect! :-)

Cheryl the Gymnast

After driving my niece back and forth to gymnastics for this past month I finally had some time to go in and watch her. I got there about a half hour before the two hour session was over and they were winding down so I didn't get to see that much. It's so good to have her doing something outside of the house, I was reading that children who are active in sports are 80% less likely to pick up nasty habits such as smoking, I sure hope that this is the case with her.

I will get back there to watch her for the better part of her class one of these days I'm sure. In the meantime at least she's really enjoying herself.

Birthday Surprise!

Today after a very long day I finally arrived home around 8:30pm. I always check my mail on my way in the door and generally find either bills or junk mail, not today! I received not one but two birthday cards! The first one I opened was the one from Cold Lake. Christine, my niece, makes the most beautiful cards and this one takes the cake, it reads "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their true echos are truly endless." This is so very true. I LOVE it Chris, thank you to you and your family for the wonderful card. The other card I received today came all the way from Edinburgh, I have a friend there and he sent me a lovely card! Thank you Derek, I love your card as well.

Days like today it is extremely exciting opening up my mailbox and finding mail, mail that truly means something. Thanks again Chris and also a huge thank you to all of those who sent me birthday wishes by calling me, on facebook or via email. I spent at least two hours responding to all of you. I enjoyed every minute of this! I felt that it's the least I can do when you have all taken time out of your day to think of me. I am so full of gratitude, for all of you and for my life... I am blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

My Life Motto

I received these words from my niece for my birthday, an extremely thoughtful gift I must say! These three simple words mean so much to me, they really simplify life in many ways. When I contemplate life and all that my life entails I can really screw myself right up by becoming to critical of myself or by striving for perfection, then in some way or another these three simple words come to mind, isn't life for loving, for living and for laughing? This is how I choose to live my life today and damn, I sure enjoy my life!

Il Divo, Amazing!

Tonight I went with my sister Cathy to see Il Divo preform, we had fantastic seats and great people surrounding us. The performance was absolutely breath-taking, soul captivating and yes a few tears were shed. I have come to a new realization tonight, it is through listening to music with one's spirit and soul is what allows the heart to dance. So dance on, cry if you'd like and love with all of your might. Tonight I am grateful for all that I am blessed with and thankful for such a wonderful life.

And yes, I am in love once again, sorry Souray, it's Carlos now! Well let me rethink this, Sheldon Souray is a hockey player so he's only busy in the fall and winter, sometimes it might be into the spring as well, whereas Carlos is an entertainer who tours the world, hmmm maybe I could fit them both in if the schedules do not conflict with one anothers and they both have free time at the same time! I could "pencil" them in between classes, work, and essays, ya I think that I could do this! Wish me luck, I'm on a mission!

Awesome Friends, Wicked Food!

I am so blessed and surrounded by wonderful people in my life! Today my boss and her husband hosted a fantastic BBQ, I got to chat with friends I haven't been able to in quite some time due to the fact that I have been too busy focusing on my studies. I found this get together was a super, wonderful way to spend my afternoon!

What a beautiful day! This is a day that the Lord has made, I am glad and rejoiced in it!

Thanks Jill and Whitey, you're both the best!

A Nice Surprise

Today at work I went out back and noticed that someone had added a flag to my car, I thought this was a rather nice gesture and began to wonder who would have done this. It was later in the afternoon when my boss came in and then it dawned on me, she did it! I guess my car needed some decorating!

I like this flag and it's going to stay right where it is, after all I am extremely proud to be Canadian!

Translation Required

Well now I really would like to know what this says, anyone able to translate it for me? I went to dim sum today with a fellow employee, he had never experienced dim sum so off we went. I had to use the rest room and this was a sign posted there, my curiosity is peaked!

Ya, I know, me and my washroom photos, guys look at it this way, now you know what is in the ladies restroom thanks to me! Do you guys get the signs, posters, photos, etc., as well?

My Corner

Thursday May 21, 2009

This is my corner of the office at work, I don't need a desk because I'm not in the office all the time. Whenever we get a chance to get out of here, we're gone!

I work with fantastic people, there's only four employees at this office and one is out on the road most of the time. It's like a small family here and they have welcomed me into their circle. I'm sure that once I'm done here at the end of June, as happy as I will be, I will also be sad to have this few months come to a close. Where else could I work and post to my blog site when my internet is not working at home? :-)

The Chamber

Wednesday May 20, 2009

On Wednesday I went to have my lung capacity tested. I had to go into this apparatus and put a clip on my nose then put my entire mouth over this mouthpiece and breathe in different ways. I also went for blood work on Wednesday and when I arrived home there was a message that my doctor wants to meet with me to go over my results, I just don't know which ones, the lungs or the blood work. I can't get in to see my doc. until June 22 so I have to wait a month to see what the heck is going on. I'm sure it can't be life or death or else I would have been told to get down to the hospital, never mind making an appointment!

Girly Girl

Tuesday May 19, 2009

Cheryl, my niece, wanted me to paint her nails, well I'm no pro at doing this so I got out the polish and the strips to ensure that the tips were straight and proceeded to do a french manicure. I must say that by the time I was finished, it didn't turn out half bad!

I think that I will continue to go to the pros to get my nails done the twice a year that they generally get done. Not until after summer and gardening season now though!

Boys and Their Toys

Monday May 18, 2009
...still no internet at home so I'll just post from work when I can and play catch up!

Herb bought this plane from a friend a while back, now he's taking lessons from the same friend. At least his friend does have his pilots license and they have tons of room out in the country to navigate their way around. I was brave enough to taxi up and down the field for a while with Herb, but I will wait until he is licensed to go up in the air with him!

Damn not again!

I still can't get photos to post, it's starting to really annoy me. After two calls to my service provider I'm now told that by tomorrow night this issue should be rectified, oh well, nothing I can do except keep snapping those photos and play catch up once I can post photos again!

Daisy

Well here's Daisy, she's quite the character! I now see what is meant by "stubborn as a donkey" ! This donkey won't do a thing that it doesn't want to, stubborn as old hell and funny too! She has the temperment of a cat, only thinks of her own best interests, is very nosy and wants to check out everything that's going on... brat even made my drivers mirror all dirty, I'm not sure if she was checking herself out or using my mirror as a scratching post!

Tomorrow's another day

Well after trying repeatedly I can't seem to get my photos to upload, I don't know what the heck is going on ... blogger one, darlin, zero! Not that I'm keeping score or anything!

Deer and More Deer!

I love seeing the wildlife out here at the farm, it's funny how the deer didn't move, they just sat and watched me take their picture from a distance. I wonder if they have extra senses which go off when it's hunting season? You rarely see them then!

A Fine Lady Remembered

On the way out to the farm I drove up highway 33 and placed new flowers on Mom's roadside cross, a symbol to remember our dear Mother who was tragically killed in a head on crash July 31, 2002. Gone but never forgotten.

It's nice to see that the flowers we've placed are still there, the brass plates need to be redone once again as these ones are showing signs of rust, and I think that the cross could use another coat of paint. I will try to get this done sometime over the summer.

Very Interesting!

Tonight I went and got my hair straightened, put on a bit of extra make up and made myself smell pretty all to feel good. I was off to a photo shoot and yes, very nervous about this. As it all turned out I ended up having a lot of fun with this!

I must say that I was surprised at the white background, I guess that they crop whichever photo they choose to go with and photoshop it onto the background.

I feel at this age, it was an honor to be a part of something like this, would I do it again? Hmm guess that I'll cross that bridge when/if I get there!

Crazy Making Traffic

Today, as I was on my way for my massage, traffic was insane! What generally takes me 20 minutes took me one hour and 15 minutes. I don't like to generally talk on my cell phone when I'm drivig, but I did while I was backed up, I chatted for about 15 minutes and moved maybe one kilometer! Little did I know what was ahead was one horrific accident, there was a four car pile up! I just pray that nobody was killed and for the people who do get impatient, slow down already! I know that I'd much prefer to get to my destination late then to not arrive at all!

Alberta Weather

Typical for Alberta, one day it's shorts, the next it's parka's. When in Alberta rule number one is to buy a three-in-one jacket, rule number two is to take this jacket with you wherever you go no matter what the weather is like. I unfortunately today did not obey the rules and froze my butt off. It was decent this morning, by this afternoon as you can see the winds were strong, it turned nasty out there and we even got a bit of snow. ENOUGH already! I want to plant my garden this weekend!

Now why does that song by the Rolling Stones come to mind... You Can't Always Get What You Want!

Momma Bear

I think that this is who this Bernstein Bear is... it's been a few years and a lot of lost brain cells since I first purchased this bear for my daughter who is now almost twenty.

I found this bear out at the farm in a box of Michelle's things that I put away for her for when she was older, well now she's at the phase of her life where it's time to give her back her buddy that used to comfort her as she slept at night!

This Old Truck

There's something about this old truck that I adore, I can see it restored, maybe a nice shiny cherry red, possibly a blue. I'm not sure as of yet what color I'd like to see this truck, but she's a beauty AND it still runs!

They say "If walls could talk" well I wonder if truck seats could talk what sort of tales one would hear!

Life is Good

May 9, 2009

I am one day late in posting my pic of the day, but it was so worth it! Right after a nine hour shift at work I went out to the farm and what a fantastic evening! I made a nice dinner then soaked in the hot tub for about half an hour, what a great way to let go of the week and hustle and bustle of the city!

Although there is dial up Internet, you know the one that takes forever, I didn't even bother turning on my computer, I finally treated myself to a night of peace and quiet and total serenity and knew that I'd be home today with my high speed. Yup I survived one whole day without the Internet, well almost... I checked my email today to see what, if anything, was going on in my inbox!

Next weekend, it's garden planting long weekend out at the farm!

Ouch!

I can't even begin to imagine how painful it would be to have ridden around in one of these old wheelchairs! I do know that this sure would be great incentive to get up and never mind walk, run out of the place I was in! It does appear that without a pillow one could get splinters where the sun don't shine!

It sure is hard enough to maneuver today's wheelchairs around never mind something like this, but mind you back in the day I am sure plenty of people really appreciated these to get around and we do learn to adjust or work with what we have. I love being adaptable!

Sittin' Pretty

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”

Today while I was at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital there was a gathering of people, well me being the curious type, I had to see what this gathering was all about! The owner of this beautiful bird brings her birds (cockatoos?) into the hospital, I do believe it is a part of pet therapy which I think is awesome! The patients eyes lit up and the smiles this brought to peoples faces was unbelievable. Not only do hugs heal, so do pets!

Naturally I had to get my camera out and snap a few shots of this, another moment in time that really made my day!

The Turtle

The turtle symbolizes various things in different cultures and religions. I like the Japanese belief, the turtle symbolizes a long life. To Indigenous North Americans the spirit of the turtle is one of protection, healing, and inner knowledge. The turtle is known as being corageous because it makes progress only when it sticks it's neck out and moves forward with a patient, steady flow in order to achieve it's desired results.

I started to like turtles in 2006 after I had my near brush with death, I didn't know what they symbolized but for some reason I started to like them. Today while I was at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Centre I spotted this turtle at a table selling crafts, gifts, and trinkets, it called my name so I had to purchase it!

Gratitude

Today when I was leaving work I was on my cell phone, in my car, with my new laptop in the trunk, a few dollars in my purse, food in my belly , thinking of where to go to buy a new electric oven and I couldn't help but notice this lady going through the dumpster. I didn't feel right taking a photo of this transpiring yet on the other hand I felt compelled to, I want a reminder of how much I really have to be grateful for in my life! Tonight I sit here, in my warm home, soup in my crockpot, posting on my PC, drinking a hot cup of tea, and knowing that I have my bed with Egyptian cotton sheets and a goose down duvet to crawl into. Yup, I sure do have an immense sense of gratitude going on right now.

Perogies 101

Ever wonder how perogies are made? For those of you who have never enjoyed homemade perogies they are a Ukrainian dish, potato and cheese filled dumplings which are generally served with bacon, onions, and sour cream.

Step 1. Filling. Boil potatoes until they are tender, drain, add spices and cheese and mash (whip). Set aside.

Step 2. Make the dough and roll it out not too thick nor too thin.

Step 3. Cut the dough into rounds, fill each round and fold over into a half moon shape, ensure the dough is stuck together with no filling inbetween.

Step 4. Add the perogies to boiling water, boil until they float then drain. In a frying pan melt butter, add cooked bacon bits and onion, add the perogies.

Step 5. Serve with sour cream.

As my oldest son once said, the easiest way to make perogies ... call Mom!

Happy Early Birthday!

I'm just happier than a pig in, well you know! I'm in computer heaven here thanks to an early birthday present from Herb! I am busy tonight adding all that I want too on my new Toshiba laptop. I chose the 17" because I find it easier to type on, With me never having owned a laptop before I find that the 17" is the closest to my keyboard here and much easier to hit somewhere in the vicinity of what I am aiming for. With some time my keyboard will be just a smokin' I'm sure!

Well back to uploading, downloading and maybe tomorrow night I'll be posting from my new baby!

Slave Driver

Today was an interesting day, I went to open the cafe at 7am then at 2pm I headed straight out to a catering job. It was unreal, we fed 382 people all within one hour! Now that's some pretty serious running!

The menu was roast beef, chicken alfredo, baked potatoes, spinich salad, ceaser salad, mixed veggies, trays of pickles, olives, carrots and celery, buns and desserts and the trimmings.

After everyone was fed, our team received a standing ovation! This alone made the long day so worth while, well that and working with my boss Jill. She is such a fun lady to work with and a great cook! I had my hands in the sink here and Jill came up behind me, slave driver was going to choke me if I didn't get moving faster! :-)
We get the job done and have tons of fun in doing so.

Spring Is Officially Here!

May 1, 2009

Yesterday was my first official day of spring, this robin stopped by to tell me that nice weather is on it's way. I trust this bird, them robins I tell ya, they're pretty darn smart!