She got the way to move me, Cherry....

When I found out that this week's Idol mentor was going to be Neil Diamond, I was totally stoked. Was I as stoked after last night's show?....meh - notsomuch. Maybe it's just due to who is left standing. America just got it wrong when they decided to boot out Michael and Carly. And WTF was up with Paula critiquing Jason's 2nd song before he sang a 2nd song? Paula - lay off the heavy meds before airtime, please!

As you've been accustomed to reading my thoughts post-performance, however, here they are:

• Jason - I enjoyed his first song, but loathed the 2nd one. Jeopardy, my friend - you're in jeopardy.


• DavidA - Although "Sweet Caroline" is my favourite ND song, that did little to woo me. Where are his Mickey Mouse ears? Every.single.performance that he does sounds the same as the last one - straight out of the Disney network's MM Club.


• Brooke - WTF was she thinking with doing "I'm a Believer"? She did redeem herself with the 2nd song...but at this stage of the game, there should be no 'redeeming'.


• DavidC - The first song was strong, but it didn't 'wow' me....the 2nd, "All I Really Need is You", however...goosebumps atop of my goosebumps! I LOVED it. I think that could be a hit song right now.


• Syesha - I don't care if she can sing. I don't like her. She belongs on Broadway.
  

Bottom 2: Jason & Brooke. Going home: Jason.

Actual conversation after DavidC's 2nd perfomance:

A: "OMG goosebumps ontop of my goosebumps..."
L: "I want to lick him"

Java, please, and make mine an XXL...

I've been fighting horrific sleepies today and yesterday....akin to the adorable baby bear from Thailand in this video courtesy of CNN. Huge cute factor. This is day 2 of 3 days where we're working mandatory OT hours on top of our regular shift. It's not that much longer than a normal shift, but my body knows it's supposed to be clocking out at the regular scheduled time, and it just doesn't 'get' why I'm forcing it to keep working. I just might fall asleep in my supper bowl, too. Click on the video link....you know you waaaaaaaant to :).

You're the Yin to my Yang

Holy it's Tuesday already. Yesterday went by in a blur - never had an opportunity to post anything. My sincerest apologies :P. So Chris landed home on Sunday with no fish. His record on par with last season. I was pleasantly surprised that he didn't come in with a curled up nose asking what the 'stink' was. Maybe the scented candles did the trick with the smoke smell? However, we were found out, of course anyway...with his question pertaining to the still-disconnected smoke detectors. Whooops...missed that. Our conversation went something like this:
C: "What happened that you had to disconnect those?"
A: "Um, a slight problem with a frozen pizza"
C: "Problem? What happened?"
A: "Read the blog"
C: "Why can't you just tell me what happened so we can actually 'talk' instead of me reading your blog?"
A: "It's much more entertaining to read about it"
{Chris gives in and reads blog since laptop was in lap anyway}
C: "You can't even cook a frozen pizza?"

Yeah folks - I can't even cook a frozen pizza. Stellar :). Only one more example of how he's the yin to my yang or some such thing.

Happy Blogiversary!

Happy 1st Birthday, "My Happy Place". Yep...today marks the 1 year anniversary of my blog!! For those naysayers who figured it was a fleeting thing (like my previous feeble attempts), I say "ha! I did it!". For those people that have stuck around and read this boring drivel for the past 365 days, I thank you :). I hope I can continue to hold your interest with my 'witty' prose. Don't be so shy - comment!

To mark this momentous occasion, a story:

Lana met up with me at the house last night after I got off work. Chris was gone for the night - staying at Marco's, as he, Steve and Marco were planning a fishing trip early this morning. Lana had packed an over-night bag, and some wine, and we were having a 'girls night in'. I had picked up a few munchies, and she had brought some too, including a frozen pizza.

After about 15 minutes or so, I decided to check on the pizza, because I smelled burning. I wasn't overly concerned about the burning because we'd decided to cook the pizza right on the rack, so there was some dripping, which was burning off as it hit the element. Because it looked almost-done, I thought it was a good idea to take it off the rack and put it on a pizza pan, and then put the broiler on to heat up the top. I attempted to use a regular spatula to coax the pizza onto the pan. However, the pizza then broke in half. No problem, I figured - there were two of us, now I didn't have to cut it. Things got a little dicey, then, though, because the middle section started to ooze, and cheese and stuff started dripping rather ferociously. Lana came to my aid, advising we needed to pull the rack out more to make it easier. One half of the broken pizza was on the pan. The other half was pushed back toward the back of the oven.

Pulling the rack out was an ingenious idea (that Lana is so smart...did I mention she's the baker of the two of us? Did I mention that I'm the cleaner and Chris is the cooker between the two of us?). So, no problem, the now dissected pizza is now on the pizza pan, and Lana is now ready to push the rack back into position. I guess though, it had been pulled out just a teeeeny weeeeny bit too far - leading the rack off the 'track', and the motion of attempting to push it back into place was just what it needed to fall downward, dumping both pieces of pizza onto the red-hot element. Immediately, the flames and black smoke began. I squealed and opened a window...immediately rushing for my camera, because this would make a great "blog post", leaving poor Lana to try to grab the pieces of the defunct pizza before the entire oven went up in flames. The piercing scream of the smoke alarms were doing their best to wake the entire 'hood. Go figure, my battery was dead in the camera.

Luckily just taking the pizza off the element was enough to squelch the flames - but the smoke was pretty bad. So, we'd ruined our supper, the house was a stinky smoky mess, and COLD, because all the windows were open. We decided the only thing to do was make an emergency pit stop at Jack's Pizza, followed by the liquor store. The smell of about a dozen scented candles and a tall glass of Mudslide seemed to make it all better :)

TGIF!

Attempt #2 at a post for today. My first one even had a picture...but I kinda got carried away when I was backspacing my original text, and *poof* I backspaced the picture right off the window...and that "autosaving draft" option ate up the change faster than I could blink. So here we are, picture-less. I will likely come back and add the pic if you're that interested in seeing it. [Update: here it is] Actually, it's rather entertaining - the picture was what we woke up to this morning...a picture of our patio chairs on the deck...with about 5cms of snow on them. On April 25. After we had a balmy high of 17 degrees at one point last week. It's gone now, but still.

Gas prices went up again last night. An increase of 6.7 cents/litre. An increase of 12 cents in a week. The next adjustment is due for May 1. Today on my lunch break I heard a news report on the radio advising "relief is not in sight yet"...with an estimate of prices expected to reach levels of $2.20/litre in 2012?? Why don't they all just ask us to bend over? It's just disgusting. Political leaders encourage the public to use public transit systems and to buy more fuel-efficient cars. It just makes me cranky. Chris' scooter is looking more and more attractive daily!

TGIF -- I've been exhausted all day...woke up feeling as though I hadn't slept ...but I did...looking VERY forward to a girls night with Lana tonight. We're going to munch on some nacho chips, gab like the best of 'em, and it's very possible that a little bit of wine will be consumed :). Pack your over-nighty bag, girl....my couch is really comfy!

Tomorrow, I have the daunting task of actually finishing and filing my taxes *sob*, scrubbing the bathroom, many loads of laundry, and dusting if I have any energy left. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, folks!

Things that make you go hmmm....

Last week, I filled up my gas tank from what I would consider empty - having the V-Dub scream at me as the light went on (something I feel is unnecessary, not to mention it scares the freakin' bejebus out of me when it happens). The cost? $60.00.

What, in the name of God, are our high gas prices paying for? This is a thought:

Sure, the Burj Dubai tower looks amazingly tall, but it's final height— currently projected to be 2,300 feet— is less than half that of a new building planned for Saudi Arabia. It's going to be 5,250 feet high. Yup, that's just 30 feet short of a mile tall: taller than anything under construction anywhere, and making it easily the world's tallest building. Think they should stick a TV antenna on the top and go for that extra 30 feet? I sure do.

It's going to be built in a new city near Jeddah on the Red Sea and is funded by billionaire Prince al-Walid bin Talal. He bought London's Savoy hotel for a cool $2.5 billion in 2005. So you can suspect that there'll be a hotel in the building somewhere. By my calculations, the tower will have somewhere between 320 and 350 floors, so perhaps that should be "several hotels".

Not much is known about the details yet, other than the fact that it'll have two supporting flying-buttress towers to help keep it up (both more than 800 feet high). It will also have advanced damping systems to stop the swaying at high floors from making people sick, and it's going to need amazing engineering to cope with freezing wind at the top and desert heat at the bottom.

It's so tall that much of the ferrying of material and construction workers will have to be by helicopter. And that's just cool.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/373930/5250+foot-tower-will-make-burj-dubai-look-like-pencil

They Say the Neon Lights are Bright on Broadway...

Ok - for all who know me know that theatre is not my bag. Sorry Lana - that's one area where we just don't jive :). So AI last night for me was very 'meh'. In all honesty, they all did well, for what was asked of them. I can't believe I'm about to type this, but even Syesha did well. Paula was suprisingly coherent as well.

I know you're all just chomping at the bit to see my picks, so without futher ado.........here you go:

• Syesha: She has proven her place is on Broadway - now it's time for her to run straight there...leaving AI behind. Maybe she can even land a role what will allow her to do that freakish baby cry ...*shudder*.


• Jason: Very weak performance for what was expected of it. Obviously, Jason is the polar opposite of Syesha...proving himself to be totally far away from Broadway. His pot-induced exclamation, "I didn't know it was sung by a cat", made me hurl a little bit. His days are numbered.
• Brooke: Is it just me, or does it appear as though the men in coats are just waiting at bay for this one to get off stage? Despite singing ok, I think she sealed her ticket home with the 'restart' after having forgotten her lyric.
• DavidA: Meh. Meh. Meh. He's got the Sanjaya-vote so will be there for a few weeks still.
• Carly: I found her a bit screechy in parts, but for all, did well.
• DavidC: Did I mention that this man is going to be the next AI? Well done, sir.

Bottom: Without a doubt Jason and Brooke. Going home: Brooke.

As for BB - Ryan once more proved himself the big ol' buffoon that he is. By not replacing Sharon with Adam on the block, he just cost himself the game. The way he went on and on and ON about having all the "power" was laughable.

Shifts Happen

So I'm working another week of nights this week. Can't really complain - we all have our turn. It just seems it comes around so quickly. Not to mention some 'required' overtime that we have to do next week after working a week of nights. But I'm not complaining. I am, however, using this week's schedule as my excuse for not starting my 'exercise routine'. After much thought and deliberation, I've decided that, at least while the weather is good, I will try to go for walks around the hilly 'hood. I might even take Chris' bike out for a spin around the 'hood too. What is that saying when you fear you forget how to do something "...it's like riding a bike..."? I might just be putting that saying to the test, folks. I'll let you know. I joked with Chris that he and I could ride together...me on his bike, and he on his scooter. Tee hee. In all seriousness, to fork out more money for a gym membership after having just completed my taxes....blarg... can't do it. Not at this moment, at least. Does it count that I walked to the grocery store on my lunch break today and yesterday and the better part of last week? We'll not mention how close the store is. We'll also not mention that I ate the better part of a bag of ketchup chips last night after work.

*ahem*

As you were.

Manic Monday

Is it a bad thing when you catch yourself thinking, "man, I wish it was Friday", after you've just started work on Monday?

The weekend was pretty low-key. Friday night I joined a few of the crafty girls at Angela's and we enjoyed some munchies, laughs, and crafted a little. I managed to get a few cards done, and the 'face' of several cards to be done (thanks Angela for allowing me to take advantage of your awesome stamp collection!). Saturday I succeeded in passing a 'do nothing' day. Chris is still sick, so the two of us vegged on the couch, watching tv in-between naps (I'm starting to wonder if me adding a new theme pack on our TV programming was such a good idea!!). Chris' best friend Cody is visiting from Calgary, so he pulled himself off of the couch and went to supper with him; I stayed where I was :).

Sunday, we joined Cody at Maggies for a late breakfast - a 'tradition' that we used to do very regularly when Cody & his wife lived here. Oh how we miss them :(. After breakfast we all came back to the house. The boys 'geeked' on the couches with their laptops, and I attempted my tax return via some online software. I wish I was wrong, but they do make the software pretty much dummy-proof...and if I did do it right, I'm stuck paying in another year ...add to that what I owe from last year, and that makes a very cranky Amber. I so wish I wasn't such a financial buffoon...but here we are. Next year I do hope to manuever things a bit differently - *sigh*. Offer to the general public - accepting any and all financial advice...kthanks.

TGIF!

For some reason this week seemed to take forever to pass...sleeeeeepy days, and many XL coffees were consumed. Originally today was the day to move ahead on Step 2...however, we're putting a hold on that. The cost of Curves is $42/month...almost double the cost of a full-service gym closer to where I live. So, before dedicating myself for a 12 month commitment, I want to explore some other avenues. Part of me wants to save the money - and as the nicer weather is coming, why not start a walking routine around my block, and enjoy the fresh air at the same time? Sounds great, doesn't it? Trouble is, I'm a lazy sonofabeach.....and commuting to an actual gym facility seems to be the only thing that has (in the past) gotten me up and out of the house to exercise. Guess I'm just weighing the pros & cons still (nevermind the fact that I still partook in a few "Last Suppers" even though we decided not to meet up with Curves - Don't judge me - I'm sensitive :)).

Tonight I'm meeting up with some of the crafty girls to make some cards and share some laughs. Tomorrow I will call around the various gyms. Yeah.

Happy weekend!

Hey girl, whatcha doin' down there........

You've all experienced it - you get a song stuck in your head, and it's on repeat for the whole day. Sometimes you don't know how it got there; sometimes, recalling a moment of the past will lead to your internal jukebox being activated. That is the case with me today. It all stemmed from a rather arrogant SOB who started my day off on the wrong foot. It just so happened that he was a member of the DND. That lead to the conversation between myself and a co-worker about DND employees. I tend to think that the military 'arrogance' is part of it all...whether they learn it or it's a prerequesite. That lead to my co-worker reply, 'geez, stereotype much?'... All I can state is my own opinion on the subject, and base my own experiences on it. All point to the same thing - and even Mom agrees - leaving Dad as an example. Admittedly, Dad did have quite an arrogant streak :) ... and growing up, Mom always blamed it on his Naval background. That lead to thoughts of him and I dancing to Tony Orlando's "Knock Three Times". I would step on his feet and he's sway me around the orange living room carpet. Listen to the song here (check out the retro fashion too...bonus!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUXoFGopZnQ

Betcha can't play that song and not sing along to it in your head. You might even find yourself humming the tune aloud! So far I've played it about 5 times myself. It's a happy song. It conjures up happy memories for me. It helped to turn my day around from a nasty start, to something more positive.

The Top 7 - Where's the Beef?

I was so busy posting about all these life changes I nearly forgot about AI last night! I puked in my mouth a little when I heard they'd be singing Mariah Carey songs. My personal thoughts of Mariah aside, she did well as a mentor for the group. I still loathe her songs. So, here's my thoughts...I'm going to try to make it short & sweet:

DavidA - typical; could imagine it on a Disney soundtrack. Sorry, lil one...I'm just over you.

Carly - I love the Nilsson version, and I like Carly...I wasn't overly impressed when she started hitting the high notes, ergo my aversion to Mariah (did I just type "ergo"??). I didn't love it.

Syesha - oh how lucky for her that she could pick a song and do all those high-pitched runs that I don't like. She may have sung it ok - but I still don't like her. She's on the cusp of her demise....right?? Please!?

Brooke - I think she did well. I think it was Brooke-typical. I think her time is nearing a close though. I'd say it wss a Happy Meal burger performance, and maybe Simon was looking for a Whopper?

Kristy Lee - I didn't get goosebumps. For the love of the baby Jesus, America - her time is up. Send her home!

DavidC - One of my least favourite Mariah songs (keeping in mind I don't like any), but, I loved it. Good job, fella... :) Pointer: stay outside of the box. That's where you're best.

Jason - I really enjoyed his performance. Maybe I should be on a luau somewhere, but just sayin'.

Bottom 3: KristyLee, Syesha & Carly

Saying adieu: Syesha. I hope.

Viewer Discretion Advised

I've been blocked! My friend sends me the following email today: "I can no longer access your blog at work. Apparently the Department of Education feels that you are doing some match making!!!" WTF? Does "My Happy Place" equate to a 'meet market'? Like I've mentioned before, I tend to envision someone cradling herself on the floor, rocking back and forth when I hear the blog name, dunno about the Dept of Ed. My matchmaking skills suck - I've tried to set up two people in my life, and both attempts failed miserably, and I haven't blogged about either. Waaaaiiiiit a minute.....I bet it's got something to do with posting about The Bachelor? Maybe?? Good grief. Sorry DoEd...I'm not gonna stop posting about Sir Matt- cause he's just too cute. I sure wish you'd unblock me. Lana is one of my biggest fans. Please? I don't even use major curse words.

Plans in the making...

Ok so more on Step 2: An appointment is set to meet Angela at Curves on Friday after work, at 4:45pm. We're taking advantage of a special offer - two people, one registration fee, so we're able to split the set up cost, which is nice. I've been a member of this gym before... Did I notice a huge change? No. Did I end up 'donating' to the gym for consecutive months at a time as a 'paying member'? You betcha. Did I give it a fair try (ie, going very regularly, changing my eating habits, etc.)? Probably not.

There are pros:
- it's an all-lady gym, so you don't have to look at puffed-up-muscle-heads in their jeans and ripped shirts drinking a coffee as they admire themselves in the mirror (true story)
-it's based on a circuit training workout, which concentrates on different muscles being worked at the same time
-the machines are hydraulic so apparently this alleviates 'muscle soreness'
-the base workout is 2 (or is it 3) times around the circuit, which is timed (you're told when to move on), so it's a 30 min workout.

The cons:
-there are no showers
-it's in the opposite direction of 'home' when the work day finishes
-there's no cardio equipment (least there wasn't my first time being a member)
-going there involves actually exercising (sorry, just had to get that in there somewhere)

Here's hoping a routine is formed rather quickly. And how am I preparing for Friday's registration, you ask? Why, I'm going out to dinner for nachos with the girls tonight...and BP with Mummy tomorrow night. We'll call it the Last Supper...even criminals get a favorite meal before walking down death row. I'm not a criminal, so I'm giving myself 2 Last Suppers. :)

Seasons of change

For those readers who watch The Bachelor, and have not yet seen last night's episode, stop reading now. For those that have seen it, care to join me in a toast to Matt's decision? I was *gleeful* to see that Marshana & Robin were let go. The two of them had more than over-stayed their welcome. I still can't fathom why he chose Marshana over Holly last week, anyway. And the cherry on the sundae? ... Robin's face all contorted as she bid Matt, "bon soir", with the nastiest scowl of all scowl's. ROFL!! Love it. After he dumped Holly, I really don't know who I want to see him with...maybe Noelle, as she seems to be the most down-to-earth of all who's left. I hope it's not Shayne... Time will tell. Next week - the hometown dates!

I spent the night in last night, and I was very domesticated! Chris is very under the weather, so I cooked supper, did two loads of laundry, baked cookies, and was at Chris' every beck and call (don't get used to that, hunny!). I suppose I ought to be honest about the cookies thing too...it was a bag mix...egg and a few tablespoons of butter, mix and drop. A monkey could do it. BUT, I didn't burn them.

So the warmer weather seems to be close at hand...spring has finally sprung. Actually, the expected high on Friday is supposed to be 17 degrees Celcius. I must admit the shedding of the heavy sweaters always is a little daunting to me. I'm totally uncomfortable with the added chub ... and this time of year seems to exacerbate it. So...step 1 - recognize the problem. Step 2....DO something about it. I'm in cahoots with a friend as we speak...considering another gym membership. Chub or no chub, the bottom line is really health. I'm not healthy...I don't feel good...I'm always tired...little to no energy... I gotta get moving... I feel like a ticking timebomb. I loathe my own reflection.

Tuesday's calendar of events: completing Step 1 and working on a date to complete Step 2.

Wish me luck.

The Weekend in Pictures....

So a busy weekend behind me. Friday night after work, my brother Todd & I took in the April Wine concert in Summerside at the Jubilee. It's my third time seeing the band, and, like always, they didn't disappoint. They sang favourites spanning back from the 70's onward, to include a song from their very latest CD. Jerry Mercer also wowed us with his drum solo. I can only sum it up into one word - amazing... And to make it even more amazing ...check out his age...two weeks from turning 69! Myles also explained the work the band has done to support/raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Association...a cause near and dear to his heart, as his 11 year old son was diagnosed 2 years ago with the disease. A very touching moment was having him share a song he'd written for his son, after having just heard about his diagnosis. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed at the venue, so I only have a pre-concert photos to share. The band includes PEI on their tour every year - so next year, head on down and see them. You won't be disappointed (though you may wanna bring ear plugs...they like to rock...and they like to rock loudly!!).



On Saturday, Chris and I attended Jared's 30th birthday party at the Mason residence. We had a blast...from hearing about Grant's 'banana' story, to watching Jared trip down memory lane with some old friends. I must thank him, also, for his generosity...sharing the birthday vodka and lime rickey :). It really was just like a green lollipop. Happy birthday, big guy...welcome to the 30's!!!

Sunday, after a glorious sleep-in, Chris and I shared a simple breakfast of peanut-buttered toast, and then headed to Summerside to pick up his latest method of transport.....an 85 Honda Spree... With the cost of gas where it is, people are apt to just about do anything to save a few dollars...hence, here we are. He says he's going to paint it black and name it "The Sloth"...tapping out at 60kms/hr at maximum speeds...possibly 50 or so with someone *ahem* over the weight restriction using it. It was quite portable, really...fitting quite nicely in the back of the Suburu (with room to spare, even!). But, I had to laugh just a touch when I saw him atop the beast.... He looks like a Shriner atop the pocket bikes at the Gold Cup parade! As I took a few photos (yes, if you're wondering, the pics are on our front deck!), I asked him to turn the wheel toward me, but he couldn't, claiming, "I can't...my knee gets in the way"....

The ignition key looks like a luggage key doesn't it? ;)

And how was YOUR weekend!!?

Big TV Night

Ok ok, I know what you're thinking...enough with the TV posts...clearly you don't understand... I'm a simple gal. I work, sleep, scrap the occasional photo, join friends for the occasional nacho, and sometimes even get out with the boy for a date here and there. But when I'm not doing all of that, what else am I to do as I fold laundry than to watch TV? :)

So finally the writer strike is over and we're back to a full Thursday night line-up. ER started the evening - did anyone see? Did anyone get a gander at the Heath Ledger-lookalike Simon with the accent? Not bad...better to look at than Stanley Tucci! Next we have Survivor...and I LOL'd at Eliza trying to use the stick to save herself. HAHAHAHAHAH. She deserved to go home. Every time I saw her on the TV I ate a little more in sympathy for her evident ribs. Maybe I'll lose weight now that she's gone? Bah haha. Because AI and Survivor were playing at the same time, I decided to flip to the final 3 minutes of AI to see who was booted. And. I'm. In. Shock. -- America.W.T.F??? Letting Syesha stay another night while the cute Aussie departs?? It's clearly wrong. It was only til this morning that I discovered that Kristy Lee wasn't even in jeopardy...wow...maybe Idol Gives Back affected the brains of the voters? CSI ended the TV night - another excellent episode. How I love that show.

Finally Friday folks...busy weekend ahead. I am going to a concert tonight, work tomorrow, and going to a 30th birthday party for Jared. Hope you all have a grand weekend!

P.S. Anonymous, thank you *so* much for posting, and following my feeble prose!!

Pretty prose

When I die if you need to weep
Cry for your brother or sister
Walking the street beside you
And when you need me put your arms around anyone
And give them what you need to give me.

I want to leave you something
Something better than words or sounds

Look for me in the people I’ve known or loved
And if you cannot give me away
At least let me live in your eyes and not in your mind.

You can love me most by letting hands touch hands
By letting bodies touch bodies
And by letting go of children that need to be free.

Love doesn’t die, people do
So when all that’s left of me is love
Give me away.

-anonymous

I've borrowed this from a fellow blogger. It's a simple message, but it says so much. I hope you like it.

attention: Peanut Gallery

I've never been one to look for/beg for attention. After having started this blog almost a year ago, I didn't really care if anyone read it. A few of my friends have approached me, saying they do follow it, and quite frankly, it felt good :). I have a rather large list of blogs that I follow regularly, and most of them have many many comments on their posts - regularly. And I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. So I got to thinking...if it were easier to post a comment on this blog, would I see many many comments on mine, too? Since previously, only those readers with a Google/Gmail account had the ability to post a comment, I've gone out on a limb and changed the restrictions on the comment section, allowing *gulp* everyone and anyone to comment now. So, feel free...drop me a note. Show me the love!

Oh, and p.s. ...spammers, this is not a message for you - so leave me alone.

Aaaand...GO!

I'm still here!

Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry I've been neglectful. I just came off a 5 day weekend. It was glorious. I kept busy - suffice it to say that I didn't dedicate any time to blogging. Sorry if'n you were missing me :). So, you ask, what kept me busy the past few days? Let's see if I can recount...

*I did a fair bit of relaxing with the kitties and watching TV as you might assume if you've read any of this blog before (Diary of a Fat Chick).
*My relationship with the boy did a complete 360 - going from not so nice to really good...and I'm hopeful that this was the needed kick in the proverbial pants to keep us on track - for good. How easy it is to take a person for granted after you've been with that person for so long...hope you know how much I do love you - and appreciate you - and thank God every day that you're here... I'm so glad you 'fixed my heart'...literally and figuratively.
*I did laundry - a lot of laundry. Am I done... no. But I got a lot done.
*I actually got around to straightening up the bedroom closet. This was a huge task. The ominous pile of clothes beside my bed are now gone *happy dance*. If I could only bring myself to accept the fact that half of the clothes in there will never make it back on my buttocks, I'd have so much more room in there.
*I cleaned my scrap room. Huge task #2. It was the big 'ta da' of my weekend.
*I cleaned the house (with the exclusion of the dusting. I always seem to peter out before the dusting starts).
*I picked up my final cheque from BR - including one with vacation pay $7.08 :) Laughable.

So AI was rather lackluster last night, wasn't it? I felt the whole evening was pretty much 'meh'. Nothing blew me away ... DavidC actually disappointed me ... but I do have to admit that I loved Jason's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"...loved that rendition of the song since I first heard it on a commercial, and it has been one of my favourite songs of all time, ever since. I think Jason more than did it justice. And you all know how hard I've been on him, too. As for BB I just hope and pray they will finally see behind Natalie's duh-exterior and boot her sorry behind OFF the show. I'll be sad when James departs tonight.

Dear Dad...

It's been 6 years since you've been taken from us. Sometimes it seems like forever ago...sometimes I can't believe that much time has passed between then and now. Not one day goes by that you're not in my thoughts somehow. I always think of you with me - your smile of approval at things you'd agree with - there still even with a frown if you wouldn't so much approve. Sometimes, I close my eyes and wish that my thoughts of you would bring you close enough to touch...but wish as I might, you're always just out of my grasp. What I wouldn't give for just one more chance to dance on your toes...to hear you say, "hi Princess" one more time, to have just one more bear hug.

Thank you for being such an awesome father. Thank you for teaching me wrong from right. Thank you for showing me the most unconditional love. I love you and miss you more than words...

We're Down to 9

Well, well, Kristy Lee managed to save herself for another night - what with it being Dolly Parton night and all. I missed the first half hour of the show last night on account of having to work until 9. From the recap of the evening I knew my favourites and my non-favourites. I tried to stay up late to watch another channel feed but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Here's my opinion:

• Brooke: from what I remember, she was her usual "Brooke"-self, with her guitar. I think it was a solid performance.
• DavidC: LOVED it...that was the only performance I remember from watching the later channel feed before giving up and going to bed. This guy has it in the bag.
• Ramiele: methinks she's put herself in jeopardy...still cute as a button, she just hasn't charmed me.
• Jason: I believe he did a good job, from what I saw from the recap. He should be ok for another week.
• Carly: I walked in the room as she was finishing up - I think she did a great job.
• DavidA: he sang a good song, technically - I wouldn't buy the track though. He's secure for another week.
• Kristy Lee: for one night, she didn't have to 'countrify' a pop song. While Dolly might have liked her, my opinion hasn't changed.
• Syesha: once more, she tried to conquer a song that was bigger than her. She sang ok - technically, but again, I don't like her. I think her time is short-lived, too, as it seems she's been toward the bottom of the votes for a few weeks. America mustn't like a biotch, either.
• Michael: an utter delight...when he sang that line with 'sexy' in it, you can't tell me that women all over weren't mushing a little in their seats. His performance was fantastic...if he continues like he's been the past two weeks, he just may give DavidC a run for his money.

Bottom 3: Ramiele, Syesha and KristyLee. Going home: Ramiele

Belated Weekend Update

More sad news to report - I found out today that a former co-worker of mine passed away Monday as well. He was 29 years old. There aren't a lot of details surrounding his passing as yet, but there is a possibility it was related to his diabetes. I didn't even know he was diabetic. He liked to party (I can still hear him scream out his "oooWW" as he did when he talked about his weekend, or the upcoming weekend). Sad stuff. Rest in peace, Jeff...you lived life as you wanted - you appeared to live with no regrets - so many people will miss you.

*sigh* .... it been a very melancholy week. I can't attend my friend's sister's wake or funeral on account of working nights this week. Friday marks the 6 year anniversary of Dad's death. I'm TRYING to stay positive, but some days it's hard.

Let's recount my weekend...that's more positive stuff to talk about... Friday night I gathered together with my "bench gang" friends...all except Lori in attendance. We got a few munchies and sat around at Lana's where we talked and laughed for hours. It was awesome. I really wish we did that more often. We always end up reminiscing - seems like a part of 'what we do'. This time we even got out some old yearbooks and really reminisced. I laughed so hard I almost peed on more than one occasion. Thank you, thank you, my dear friends....it's always a pleasure. Lori - I hope you're feeling better, and next time, we'll have to be sure we're all there.

Saturday, Angela & I got up bright and early and headed to Summerside to the Paper Attic. Word had been out that a number of new product items were in, so we took advantage, each buying some new grunge board, sewing templates, and a few delicious papers. I also picked up a really cute camera bag from Autumn Leaves that I couldn't pass up. After heading back into town, we then headed to Boston Pizza for some munchie-lunch, and then on back to her place to craft for the afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to craft, but I did have the opportunity to cut & mount all my SU stamps that had been accumulating in my craft room. I also began the daunting task of cleaning/organizing my craft room. It's not quite done, but when it is, I will post pictures.

Sunday I should have finished cleaning my craft room. I probably should have started getting my tax papers together, and I really should have done some laundry, but I did none of those things. The TV was too attractive...starting my day off with some Gilmore Girls, Felicity and Judging Amy...followed by a few movies - The Duplex, and Bewitched. Where would I have fit any cleaning/organizing in there? And we all know the evening on Sunday is also for TV too...with Big Brother :). And speaking of BB - those who tune in regularly, I do hope you didn't miss last night's episode, with the drama between James and Sheila. Sheila is the most two-faced of any BB player I've watched...and I can't understand how she is still in the house. I was thrilled that James pulled off the PoV.

Farewell

Today I learned that a friend/co-worker's sister passed away last night. She was young, otherwise healthy, but had suffered a bad fall a few weeks ago - leaving her to be transferred to a hospital out of province, and on life support. I believe there were a few surgeries done as well, on acount of her brain bleeding - and at the tail end, she ended up breathing on her own, but that was it. She would never be the same ... The doctors advised she'd never get 'better', but they didn't know how long she'd last like she was, in the state she was in. Being so young, there was the possibility that she'd last like that a long time...

She was the mother of three - 2 boys in their twenties, and a fifteen year old girl. I taught her daughter in kindergarten. Such a sweet little thing...she was one of my favourites...and I always looked fondly at her mother...such a nice lady. I was thrilled when I found out my co-worker was her sister. Such a small world! I remember how the sadness was evident in her eyes when Mom & I saw her at Sobeys when she first found out that Dad had passed away. She worked there, and she only knew Mom & Dad from coming into the store regularly...but that was just the kind of person she was.

This past weekend the doctors in Moncton gave clearance to transfer her home to PEI. She died a few days later. I think she just wanted to come home. In one respect I feel that it is a blessing for her to be at peace - to have ended her suffering. She wouldn't have had any quality of life...but on the other hand, I sympathize with the grieving family. It's such a senseless loss...an accident that happened so quickly - taking minutes to change an entire family's life. I cry for my friend. I cry for the family. I cry for that poor daughter who will now have to grow up without a mother.

Never put off what you want to do...live each day as if it was your last...because you just never know what your fate is, and it can all be taken away so quickly. Always let people know you care about them...never let them assume it.