Wired. On bad coffee.

If it's been one thing I've been drinking a lot of it's been coffee. For undisclosed reasons, I've been drinking a certain brand like it's water but always falling sleepy afterwards. Tonight I did not have coffee from my usual folks, but a rather bad tasting mug and I'm 200% wide awake!

It's probably a good thing too because I have a lot of work to do. It's nearly midnight and have yet to start, but hey, the night is young right?? With another snow storm on the way, I'm sure I have plenty of time to hibernate this weekend.

On a side note, my horoscopes have been pretty damn awesome lately. Good things are on the go and I couldn't be happier. At least my faith in the opposite sex is mildly restored.

You may fall victim to a sweet infatuation today, but you might not tell anyone about it. Although you can be quite entranced, it feels safer to keep it to yourself for now, especially if you're not prepared to deal with the consequences. It really doesn't matter. Your feelings belong to you alone, so don't be afraid to wear a secret smile if it expresses what's in your heart.

Tee hee hee.

Seattle Bound! Again!

I'm heading back to Seattle for a bit, and as is typical, I'm rushing to get everything I've ever wanted to get done on my to-do list in less than a week. From cell phone trouble to clothing chaos, this week is probably a week I wouldn't want to re-live on the shopping front.

Telus: never going back after my contract is over. Unless they give me a sweet sweet deal. I've been looking to upgrade my plan to a smartphone. I'm not at the end of my contract, but I was told that it was possible to get a new phone, a better plan. I spent all day yesterday on the phone, and then in the store only to learn that no matter what I would need to buy a new phone because I was an existing client. Unable to get any of the promos except for the stuff I was able to haggle with the Telus rep. In the end I walked out because I couldn't understand that I, a long time customer and a person who regularly spends three times my rate plan each month, got the shit end of the stick for phone plans. Time will tell. I'm going to get a better one as my contract comes to an end.

Black Cardigans: Doesn't anyone wear these? Does anyone sell one that isn't in some synthetic material? And has a good cut? I've been to every store imaginable and all I've been able to find are cardigans that are rough enough to rub off my skin when I wear it. Closest was the Gap, but the darkest colour was navy blue.

Photo Corners: apparently no one uses these either. I had to go to a craft store in far off land (okay, south mississauga) to buy these. So I could make my hand bound and hand made paper journal look pretty with my random pictures of Seattle. I know that it'll have been worth the trip once I start filling it up.

and lastly,

fitted black booties (flats): is there anything under $300 in the style that I want? I've gone to every store psosible, searched high and low on the world wide web and nothing that I would deem "affordable". I'm considering the custom made option. Not sure yet.

I can picture what the rest of the week will look like too. Tommorrow night will be me racing to do laundry. Then I will find out that I've shrunk half my stuff. Saturday morning will be rushing to buy new stuff. Then speed packing. And then rushing off to the airport. There's a pattern to all of this, and the lesson that should be learned is that I need to do this ahead of time! Okay, not this trip necessarily... maybe next time? :S

Power Up!

January 20, 2008

There were two things I wished for when I woke up this morning: 1) I be able to get an entire row to myself for my flight to Seattle, and 2) that I have a power outlet so I can work like mad on my 5 hour flight across the continent. I think really I would have been glad with either, but today I really felt like someone was watching out for me when both wishes came true. I sit here in seat 28F with the biggest smile on my face because I have my own entertainment console, my own row, and my very own power outlet. Now I don’t have to choose between work and writing, and on this very long flight I’ll get to do both.

I’ve never been to Seattle before and I’m absolutely ecstatic to have this break from the usual routine and do something a little different for the next few weeks. I don’t expect to do much besides work insane hours, but I’m going to make a point of going and seeing the city (maybe attempting to see natural daylight will be my first goal), and spending time with friends.

Yesterday as I was judging UTEK, I got a call from my friend telling me that he ran into one of our Seattle based friends on the frigid streets of Toronto. He mentioned that I was going, which was funny because I was going to message him that same night. And today he found me in the boarding area as we were waiting for our flight. It should be good, he shares the same interest in Indie music so I’m hoping to go and see a lot of show over the next month, not to mention a visit to Mt Rainier National Park, and hopefully a sojourn to Vancouver to visit my cousin.

Not much else is going on except that I’ve been working like crazy. Apparently not hard enough though (okay I slacked off nearing the end of the week because I was burning out). I’ve grown more accustomed to my contacts and I think I almost like them more than wearing glasses. Whenever I change out of my contacts and put my thick black frames back on I’m not sure if I really like them. I guess it’s the “getting use to them again” each time I switch back. The adjustment isn’t so bad—not compared to everyone else getting used to me without glasses on.

Thursday was the MIE Etiquette dinner and when I got there, I saw my friend who I obviously greeted and asked how she was doing. She gave me a dirty look and was really confused. To put it simply, it was the “who the hell is she?” look. I wasn’t sure if she was angry at me or not, but then I figured she didn’t recognize me. Another friend panicked asking me if I had lost my glasses and if I required any help getting around. I told her that I was wearing contacts and her reaction was, “you were able to put them in?” Eventually my friend Tom recognized me, and gave me a great big hug. Maybe I should have made the switch to contacts earlier? There’s only one person I can think of who saw me on several occasions without my glasses so I guess it’ll take a while for others to get used to it too. With the suggestion of modeling from a few maybe I’ll give it a try sometime in 2008! Ha ha ha, okay maybe not with the expectation of actually becoming one, but to get someone to actually do his voice acting!

Work Out Fine

It is a quiet Sunday, and after a few hours of fighting with my crappy crappy work laptop, trying to free up more space so I can do my work, I wait as two years worth of work writes to DVD so I can finally run Access. May 16 will be a sweet sweet day, when my warranty expires and I can finally order a new laptop! I can envision my new desk at our new office, with my brand spanking new laptop. Small and sleek, it will rest on my desk in its docking station, with a matching wide screen LCD monitor perfect for CAD, I think I'll keep my Mac keyboard because I love it so much, and perhaps an external drive because our IT is so retarded and the company won't give us more memory on the shared drives.

And while I wait the hour and a half for the DVD to finish, I have found this to be the perfect opportunity to reflect on the my start to the New Year.

On the eating front, forced detox turned out to be a Godsend. I pretty much cut out all of the junk I was eating and went back to simple healthy foods and better meal proportions. I gave up the idea of incredibly intense work outs and instead opted for the attitude, "I will do something active for at least a half hour every night, no restrictions". I've been able to do some more work outs on the elliptical, some yoga and those terrific ab crunches on my exercise ball. Absolutely perfect in front of the TV. To top off the list was going rock climbing last week. I finally found some people who wanted to do a lesson and so we went. Not sure how I feel about it... I'm deathly afraid of heights-- not like in a plane, but instances such as being 8 flights up on a steel grated staircase, or where I'm just hanging by a harness and rope high up off the floor.

Given how scared I am of heights, I think I did alright! My beginners wall, wasn't quite a beginners wall. I climbed all the way to the top, but I should note I felt like I was going to die. Afterwards, my partner and I went and tried a 5-6 wall (didn't make it quite to the top because I scared myself), and then a 5-7 (didn't quite finish either because I couldn't reach a freaking hold). After a bit more, it was time to wrap up when I bumped into the craziest rockclimber of all-- Andryi. I met this gentleman at a friend's party. To put it simply, Joe Rockheads is simply practice for him. When he and his wife plan a vacation, they need to find a beach for her, and something to climb for him. And he wanted me to show him how I climbed a wall. After pleading that I had to go and that not enough sleep and no dinner was preventing me from climbing more that night. No excuses apparently! I found myself at a 5-8 wall, with the goal of reaching this one hold I could not get. And so after a few really frustrating attempts, I cheated a little and pulled myself up using a carabiner hook I made it to the impossible hold. I screamed TAKE! to have him let me down and basically he said no and forced me to go to the next one. And the next one. And then the next. I couldn't feel my arms anymore, woozy and shaky, I really was ready to go down. And still he wouldn't let me down. Eventually I made it to the second last one, looked down and saw my colleagues round the wall. I didn't realize how high I was and felt like I was going to throw up. If I recall correctly I screamed take a few more times, only to look down and see a few people around Andryi. I think by that point it was a mix of embarassment (who is this chick screaming at the top of the wall?), and fear for how high I was, and the look of Andryi's face if I came down without finishing the wall. The latter wouldn't happen anyway because he wouldn't let me down. I made it to last hold and breathed a sigh of relief because I was finally done. When I screamed take, I heard a, "you're not finished until you touch the chain!". Fuck! If getting to the last hold wasn't enough I still had to touch this chain that was two feet away? So I grabbed the chain and shook it furiously because I really was ready to come down. I was really happy Andryi helped me get up that wall. Without his advice, guidance and insistence I wouldn't have finished it. I think I'm going to go again, hopefully soon, so I can keep on practicing and truly conquer my fear of heights.

Other milestones... I finally got contacts! Yes, I practiced touching my eye, and then eventually practiced putting them in. I don't really like the way I look without my glasses, but I want to try something different. I also got a haircut and with open arms I welcomed back my bangs, and shaggy-ish hair. I think I'm happier about the way I look (more so to do with the hair than with the contacts). Not a bad way of starting off the New Year either, eh? Maybe someone will notice... I'm thinking someone normal with non-asshole tendencies? Wishful thinking I know [queue rolling of eyes and sigh of defeat]. One step at a time, one step at a time!

Foodtastic? Okay, maybe not...

It's is the day after new year's and I've almost recovered from what I thought was potentially one of the worst days of my life! It's true that the only thing that has mattered for the past few weeks has been eating. This gorging of food and pure gluttony during the holiday season culminated to a peak on New Year's Eve as everyone finished saying goodbye to 2007 and hello to 2008. I, Miss Pow, passed out on my sister's bed sometime after 12:30 from weeks of eating too much. Not your usual, I've eaten myself silly and now I'll pass out because I'm so full, but rather a, I'm passing out because I feel so freaking sick from eating so much these past few weeks I think I'm going to die.

New Year's Eve was quite enjoyable I should say. Sunday night we had a great big family get together which was super fantastic, and on Monday night I went over to my friend Rutzie's place for her New Year's Eve bash. I hadn't seen her for a while so it was great to catch up with both her and her friends. Notable mention goes to the a pleasant surprise at the party-- an acquaintance I know through a friend, and someone who I generally seem to talk to at parties hosted by this friend, was actually at Rutzie's party!! Turns out that my world just got a little smaller and that he was friends with the hostess. It was a huge bonus because I didn't feel like going to the party I would have expected him at, and I had the good fortune of hanging out with him.

I made it back home to do the countdown with my family which I was also pretty happy about. Being in the general area I thought it was the right thing to spend the last hour of 2007 with my family. It made me happy and I think it also made my mom happy. Needless to say, it was a good way to start off 2008. And then with a prompt passing out of eating too much food for weeks.

Anyway, to finish off, I spent the first day of the new year sick, and unable to eat. I think it's mother's nature way of forcing detox on me, and so I didn't eat and anything I did eat sat in this really uneasy spot of almost in my stomach and not quite out my mouth. Ewwww gross! Today I am better and hope to make a speedy recovery.

Cheers to 2008 and may this be a fantastic year!! I know I can feel it already!

I'm doing foodtastic, thank you.

It's the middle of the holiday week, and only a few days left until the New Year. Frankly, I don't know how much more eating I can take. Turkey, roast beef, stews, soups and desserts-- the sooner the year ends the better. As the waistband gets a little tighter, and the paunch gets a little bigger, I'm trying to figure out how I can keep a regular work out schedule. I started working out four days ago, and I did mighty well. Christmas and the purging of junk got in the way, and I don't think I will find much time between now and Wednesday to work out. I think it scares me that I could become fat, but to be honest, this developing Rubenesque figure does make me feel a little more womanly.

I'll just make a mental note to block out my trip to Loblaws though. As I was buying groceries this past weekend, this woman stopped me to ask me a few questions for a Goodlife Gym survey. Why me? Was it because I was rummaging through the chocolate bin for dark chocolate almond bark? Did it look like I needed to go to the gym? She only asked about half a dozen questions, but with each question my answer became more of a stare off into space as I thought to myself, why I wasn't working out more.

I've managed to get some rest during the break, and I do feel motivated to be more active. I've been doing something every day that gets me going, and when I have more time I put myself through a good workout.

It's not much but it's a start!

Holiday Survival Status

It is December 16, and a little over a week until Christmas. For many people this can be a stressful time. Present thinking, Gift giving, eating, and reflecting on the resolutions for 2007 can sometimes push people over the edge. Picture people scavaging like vultures over a pallet of toys no one would really want at any other time of the year. Imagine all the poor men at the mall, bored as they wait on a bench with dozens of bags, straining to see if their significant other is finished at stop # 321491. Envision all those poor souls working themselves to death at the gym as they try and check off the last item on their resolution list. Worse, think of all the people gorging themselves on food and with a shrug say, it's okay, I'll work it off as part of my 2008 resolution.

Ha ha ha, okay maybe it's not THAT bad, but with each passing year it feels like the holiday season is a little less fun, and a little more on the pain. What do you think?

Christmas Gifts

As usual, I've decided to give baked goods and chocolates instead of going out and buying useless stuff. I've just wrapped up 3 days of baking, and my entire body is in pain. Looking back at these three long days, 150+ cookies, and 50+ chocolates later, for those keen on giving homemade gifts as well, I cannot tell you how I managed it except for the following crucial things:

- Christmas with the Rat Pack Album
- Consumption of broken cookies (note that I did not intentionally break cookies to eat), and some delicious vanilla icing glaze on the side
- Consolation that you're going to be making A LOT of people fat, and that your holiday bulge won't be growing alone. Muwah ha ha!

Sugar cookies with a vanilla icing glaze, jam filled cookies, choco toffee snowballs, lime meltaways, and truffles rolled in chopped peanuts or coconut is bound to tempt people to indulging a little!

Holiday Parties

The bane of my existence. Here, I'm not doing too well. As the invites for parties roll in, I shudder at hearing or reading the words, "You and your significant/you and your loved one other is invited to", "Bring your boyfriend, girlfriend, finacee, husband, wife" (no friend?), and those awkward moments where someone will mention those terrible words, look at me, stutter, and try and fix what they said a few times before concluding that we can invite guests. It is nearing the end of 2007 and I am still single. That's not the problem, as I firmly believe a person is better off alone than with an asshole. However, a small part of me still wishes I had someone to take and show off. Then I wouldn't need to hear all about other people's significant others, and could instead brag about how wonderful my so and so is. As I find the list of compatible and available men getting shorter as each day passes, I wonder if maybe, just maybe, through some miracle by God, an intelligent, decent looking well groomed man will suddenly appear on my doorstep, pledging his undying love for me and commitment to making the holiday party season as painless as possible. I know what you're thinking-- that's a little far fetched don't you think? Okay fine. So is there some sort of legal service out there where I can rent a guy for an evening?

2007 Resolutions Progress Report

I'm choosing not to go into this in depth because I'm not sure how well I did. I'm a little chubbier on the tummy so I'll need to work extra hard to burn off this flab. After the holiday season of course.

Still no condo, but this summer marked a turning point. I had enough money for at least 25% of my downpayment, and started to look seriously. Only bitch was the market was, and still is, too competitive. There's a loft I'm looking at and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I didn't continue Yoga, but I still maintained a pretty good exercise routine. Until work got so crazy I was falling asleep as I stepped through my front door. I did try my hand at softball. I'm absolutely terrible, and most likely brought my team down, but I did try. That counts for something right?

Lastly, not too sure how I've done getting over bullshit and garbage, and freaking assholes. Life would be much easier if people could be straight forward with each other. I've made progress though-- I've gone on a handful of dates this year, dated someone briefly, and I think I'm emotionally stronger now than I was in 2006. There's only so much a person can hope, or wait for, or stand be treated like shit.

I think 2008 will be a good year for me, I can feel it in my bones! Only 2 weeks left to this one, and then I'll be cruising along just fine.