Thursday, February 28, 2008

Thankful Thursday

Well, it's already Thursday again! Time sure flies when you're having fun . . . or just busy LOL

This week the thing I'm most thankful for is that the audit that I've been working on for forever is finally done! This is my first large audit of plant operations, and it was a long haul. It was a good learning experience, and I enjoyed working with this team, but it's a relief that it's over.

I'm also thankful for the time I get to spend with my nieces. Yes, sometimes they drive me nuts (especially the 3 year old, who is . . . ummmm . . . active, to put it mildly), but I love them immensely. They have such beautiful, unique personalities, and I see so much of US in them.

I am so lucky and thankful for my wonderful job and my wonderful family. Enjoy your Thursday, and think about what you're thankful for.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Amazing show

This weekend my mom and I had one of our girls' weekends. We try to do this once or twice a year, at a minimum. We buy tickets to a musical, concert or some other performance, and make a weekend out of it, full of shopping, pampering and fun. We stay in a good hotel (not 5 star, but very nice) and we try to eat out at different restaurants.

This past weekend we saw Riverdance - the celtic dance troupe. Oh my goodness, they were incredible! The performance is full of dancing, singing, exquisite music and emotions. Guests included the Moscow ballet (6 dancers) and a tap dancer from New York City. This is meant to be their retirement tour, so if you get the chance to see them, do it!

We also did some shopping, and I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade my camera. I bought a Canon EOS Rebel XTi. What a great camera! I can't wait to learn how to use the manual settings, so that I can do the camera some justice. Stay tuned for photo updates!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

8 Thankful Things

I stole this idea from somebody else's blog (I do that a lot, it seems!), but I really liked the sentiment. And it goes with "Thankful Thursday" which I borrowed from another blogging friend.

Eight Thankful Things
  • My dogs, who keep me sane and balanced
  • My job, which I am constantly learning at, and I enjoy a lot
  • My wonderful friends - there are several in particular that come to mind, that I lean on on a regular basis, and that mean the world to me
  • My family - especially my parents, who I'm very close to and lucky to have a good relationship with
  • My computer, which keeps me connected to the world, and to my many friends that live far, far away
  • The fact that I make good enough money to be able to buy what I need, and often what I want, without worrying about how to make ends meet
  • The Northern Lights, which are so spectacular and beautiful to look at, especially on a crisp, clear, cool winter night
  • My ability as a writer - it might not seem like much to those that read my blog (and can't imagine being forced to read my writing on a daily basis), but I'm grateful for this God-given skill

Thanks for the idea, my blogger friend . . . I enjoyed thinking about the things I am most thankful for today!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Busy Weekend

Well, I'm happy to report to my faithful readers that I am over being bitter about Valentine's Day. For at least another year, anyhow. Who knows what next year will bring?

So far my weekend has been pretty busy. Saturday was "kitchen cleaning" day, so we took everything out of the kitchen and cleaned it from top to bottom. It was pretty hard work - it's almost scary how dirty and grimy a kitchen can get when it's used for cooking. When I have a kitchen in my own home, it never gets that kind of wear and tear. In the afternoon I had to get up on the roof to shovel some of the snow off, as it was leaking into the bathroom again. Not being a fan of heights, it was a bit of a challenge coming down from the roof . . . but I talked myself down.

Today was busy too. I have decided to dedicate some of my time to volunteering for the SPCA this year. I decided that I would help out with sorting bottles at the bottle depot, as that can be a big fundraiser. In Alberta we pay a deposit on soda and alcohol bottles, as well as tetra packs. So people bring bags and bags of bottles to a fenced-in area of the shelter, and volunteers do the icky task of sorting and counting the bottles. We did three truckloads today, and it took 6 people about 3 hours. We did well for the SPCA . . . this was my second stint, so I've put in about 6 hours total. It's a good feeling to be helping out, though.

Tomorrow I'm doing some grooming, and I have some articles to get written as well. Thank goodness it's Family Day, and a statutory holiday. I need the extra day to get everything done!

Hope you're enjoying your long weekend, and making the best of the improved Alberta weather.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Black Thursday

Yes, I realize that everybody else in North America is celebrating today as Valentine's Day, which is arguably the most romantic holiday on the planet. Not for singles. For singles it is a terrible holiday. Who wants to send themselves flowers and chocolates, and sign the card "Your Secret Admirer"? It's just embarassing! I hate those lovey-dovey cards. I hate the hearts all over, and pink and red stuffed toys. All of it is jeering and mean to singles.

So happy Black Thursday. All you singles out there have a nice glass of wine, get into your jammies and enjoy some "good" reality TV. That's my plan!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Thankful Thursday

Okay, so I stole this idea from a friend's blog . . . the idea for Thankful Thursday. This blog post will have some of the things that I'm thankful for.
  • The fact that I have a wonderful job that is challenging and rewarding, and that I continually learn from
  • I have two dogs that I love greatly, and that enhance my life to no end
  • I have fabulous friends that support me when I need it, and that let me do foolish and crazy things when I need to
  • That I have a good enough lifestyle that I can afford to get the things I want without worrying where the money for my next meal will come from
  • That I am able to write regularly for 2 magazines, and that people actually read my articles!

I'm really a very lucky person, and I could write about this all night long. Like the friend that I took the idea from, I don't want to do the sappy, obvious thing by writing about being thankful for my health and my family, although I think I've been sappy enough.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Congrats!

What an exciting day today! My best friend is a new Aunty again! Her brother and sister-in-law had their second child today. There's something amazing and exciting about a brand new life. I don't know the details, other than the fact that she's a girl, but I can't wait to "meet" her :) Welcome to the world, little angel! Have fun wrapping mommy, daddy and sissy around your little, wee fingers!

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Breathing . . . underappreciated!

So, as part of my Christmas gift from a good friend, I got a wicked cold. Sore throat, temperature, the whole nine yards. I had that for almost a month. Around the end of January, I finally started getting rid of the cough and feeling better. Imagine my delight when on Tuesday night, I had a sore throat and trouble breathing (stuffed up nose). What the heck? Shouldn't everybody just get ONE cold per season? It's totally unfair that I have another one, on the tail of the first one. YUCK! It's Saturday night now, and I still can't breathe well. My teeth are covered in "fur" and I have the ever-lovely cotton mouth. It's such an attractive feeling. I went for lunch with a good friend, and I was almost embarassed to eat, because it's tough to eat when you can't breathe. Fortunately she didn't make me sit at another table. Good friends are worth their weight in gold!

If you don't have a cold, I'm green with envy. Enjoy your health, and enjoy the luxury of breathing!