March, April, and May 2008

May 22

Something Interesting Coming Soon

At least I hope so! I'm off to Cuba in 2 days, so I should finally have some pictures and stories to talk about. My life consists of work at the moment, and that's about all. The only other thing I have to do at the moment is train for the Rona MS Bike Tour coming up in 2 weeks. That's about all I can do at the moment, so if you were ever bored by any of my other stories, certainly a story about how I work all the time won't be anything better. I'm really looking forward to the trip, though, because I really need a break. I have so much on my plate that I don't even have time to feel excited about going yet, and I will likely end up doing some work on the plane because there are some projects I need to work on. I don't want to turn into one of those people that works on vacation, though, so I plan not to as much as possible. Anyways, I hope you can last until my next blog entry. I have a feeling it won't be too difficult

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May 12

Talking about Lifestyle : Special Guides : Book Guide : Book Guide

Some interesting info about Canada here. The whole book would be worth a read.

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Lifestyle : Special Guides : Book Guide : Book Guide

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May 08

Fashion Police

Those of you who know me well know I wish I could head up the fashion police. Well, I have a really good question about fashion now. I've noticed recently that kids whose pants are falling off their butts are now tucked into their socks. As long as I've been alive, tucking your socks into your pants has never been cool. I can't understand for the life of me why people think this is a good fashion statement.

The other thing I've noticed recently is how people are dressing as though it's 30 above outside--girls mostly. Small tank tops, shorts like hot pants, and flip flops are common apparel for teen girls, at least, despite the fact that it's only about 10 degrees outside. I know the sun is shining, but really, people!

You may be wondering, for the few of you that read my blog, what I've been up to lately. I'm mostly just been busy with work still and also still unpacking stuff. I'm also trying to get serious about training for the MS Bike Tour, which is coming up in a month from now. But I lose a week from going to Cuba, so I'm hoping to do what I can while I'm there. I'm just a little scared to bike for about 130km, where normally, I might bike 30km maximum at one time. Yikes!

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April 23

Talking about Unclassics - Movie News Sympatico / MSN

I haven't seen the rest of the movies, so I don't know if they're bad or good, but finally, someone that agrees with me about Gone With the Wind. I wasn't all that impressed by it. The story was ok, but I didn't think any part of it was stellar enough to warrant being watched over and over.

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Unclassics - Movie News Sympatico / MSN

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April 19

Of Moving and Biofuels

So here's an entry, finally :o) I did move on March 1 in an apartment building that's really close to the house where I grew up; I'm literally 3 blocks away, and it's nice. I enjoy being on my own again, and I like being in the old 'hood. It's nice having my own space and having the space to have all my things in one location, not living out of boxes anymore. Especially being able to have all my books out and at my dispense is super exciting! And I still have shelf space left! :o) So that's my moving news. Nothing overly exciting, although I have to say the day I moved in was funny because I forgot to buy toilet paper. Thankfully, I didn't need any at the time I noticed I didn't have any, so my mom brought a roll over from home later that night along with some milk and cereal for me so that at least I would have some breakfast as I hadn't had a chance to get any groceries at that point. But that night, I got to thinking, how will I eat the cereal? I haven't any silverware or a bowl! Well, I did know that I had mugs, so I thought I'd at least be able to drink the cereal out of a mug if need be. But I wasn't very tired, so I started unpacking my kitchen at about 11pm, and as I started sifting through the stuff, I noticed a mystery box. I had asked my mom if she knew what the contents of it were when I was taking it out of the house, and she didn't, so I was really curious. Well, when I opened it up, I realised very quickly that it was some dishes that I inherited from my grandma that included, among other things, bowls! So there was step one. And as I continued to unpack, I found a silver teaspoon that had somehow got separated from my others. It was pretty exciting, actually! So that's my moving story.

Outside of that, I've been notcing lately that there's a real controversy brewing about biofuel production. This is something that never even crossed my mind when I first heard about the invention of biofuels. The controversy is that biofuel production will contribute to the food shortage that exists in the world, that we should be using our fields to grow food for starving nations, not to fuel our cars. But I'd like to point out that I haven't seen any convincing evidence that there is a food shortage. It's true that there are famines and many people starving in impoverished nations, but I also know that there have been other studies or statistics in the past showing that there is not necessarily a shortage of food in the world but that it is poor distribution of the food in the world that is the problem. And in fact, this holds true of many of the world's resources. In Canada and the US, for example, we consume much more than we need, and that includes food and other resources. And in many countries where corruption is more prevalent than here, the people in power there aren't necessarily going hungry and frequently prevent food aid from reaching their countries' needy. I wish I had some studies to refer to on this, but I haven't done the research. I only remember learning about these things here and there throughout my life. No matter what, we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater, but for all I know, oil and gas companies have influenced the media to get us not to support biofuels to prevent their own loss of sales. I'm not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, but it's just interesting to consider all the possibilities. Anyways, it's just something that has been irking me lately, hearing about this food shortage. First prove to me that there's a food shortage, and then we'll talk.

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March 29

I'm still alive

It may seem hard to believe, but I am still alive. You'd never know by my activity here on my blog. But I've been really busy, and for the last week, I've had the flu. I hope to put an update here soon enough. Estoy muy cansada. Tired, that is!

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February 2008

February 27

A New Friend, Named Johnny

For those of you that think I have a new boyfriend, by the name in title, I hope you've figured out by now that I do these things just to entice you. When you see a picture of Johnny, you'll realise that I couldn't possibly be desperate enough to become involved with him. I wouldn't even want to live with him! And I know Johnny won't take offense to this, which is why I have every confidence in speaking about him as bluntly as I do. I met him at a candle party, of all places. He belongs to the neighbour of my friend who was having the party, and he became the centre of attention. If you haven't seen my Facebook pictures yet, here is a picture of us. He's a lot of fun, though!

People get the willies just seeing him around my neck, especially on account of the fact that he's a boa constrictor. Not to worry, I made sure he couldn't wrap himself too tightly around my neck. I want to live a little longer!

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February 18

Paco Pena Concert

Wow, was this concert ever amazing--as amazing as it was 2 years ago when I saw him in Edmonton then as well. His guitar playing is superb, the singer is excellent, and the dancers, well, all I can say is, if I met a man who danced like that, I would have a hard time not drooling. The women are definitely great to watch, but a good male flamenco dancer is heartbreaking. Well, maybe that's just my perspective as a female; I guess many men would find the woman more attractive In any case, they were just brilliant. What is so attractive about the men, though, is the strength and masculinity of this dance. OK, the one guy was a little more graceful as a woman would be, but the other man was intense and very, very strong. And by strength, I don't mean that he was physically strong--although he was lean and muscular enough--it was the strength of his presence. I remember when I used to take flamenco, we learned that there is a kind of feeling that a dancer can portray, which doesn't really have a good way of translating it into English, but it's called "duende." It kind of translates as "soul," although it's a little more than that. This guy, I think, really had duende. Whenever I see flamenco, remembering how it was in part borne out of the oppression of the Roma (Gypsy) people in Southern Spain, the dancer who can communicate the strength of the people's willingness and ability to survive through that is most beguiling. This dancer does that for me. The other guy that dances with them is excellent too, but he is more showy, more the entertainer. Anyways, I hope wherever you are that someday you get a chance to see Paco Pena and his group perform. You will not be disappointed!

3:29 PM | Permalink | Entertainment

February 05

Don't buy a Nissan Titan!

I can't say this strongly enough! One of my dearest friends could have been killed when the Nissan Titan he was driving exploded just this past weekend--while parked at a gas station no less! We're all thankful he was not hurt physically, but it was still traumatic. It was a company truck he was driving, and he has asked me to warn people not to buy these. The insurance company is investigating the situation, but apparently this is not the first time this has happened with this particular model. It's surprising because Nissans are normally such good vehicles, but it must just be this model. I tried to look up some info on Google to see if there were any sites that had information about them exploding, but I didn't find anything. Maybe it's still too hush hush at the moment. All I can say, people, is be careful if you're considering this vehicle! My friend would have you not consider the Titan at all; just look for something else!

Other than that, life is its usual blur of work and insanity. I'm now on the homeward stretch for moving out of my mom's and finding a place to rent. I was thinking about living in Windsor Park Plaza because the rent includes all utilities, and it's across the street from where I work at the moment, but the prices they quoted on the Internet are old and outdated, as I learned after viewing one of the apartments today, so that's no good. The cost of living there would literally be half of my paycheque! And I haven't even eaten anything yet! That's very annoying! So I'm still on the lookout for something. Hopefully it won't take me long to find a place. There are lots available right now; just want to make sure I can afford it!

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January 2008 posts

January 27 A little kid in winter I love seeing little kids in the winter all bundled up. They just become little munchkins you want to squish! However, I got the privilege today to kind of feel like that myself--sans ski pants, unfortunately, which is why my legs froze while shovelling the snow in the blizzard today. There's even a wind chill warning for the city right now! Anyways, I was completely covered from head to butt with warm, winter clothes: fleece hoodie, double-layer parka with faux-fur-lined hood, scarf to cover the cheeks and nose, ear band for extra protection of the ears and coverage of the forehead, and mitts. I'm sure it was quite the site. In fact, I think I have a picture of how it looks, which hopefully I can embed. I took this photo last year, I think, and the scarf I used today was different, but the effect was essentially the same. Well, my outfit was able to defend me against the blast in the frozen wasteland that is outside my door at the moment, but it was coming inside that more reminded me of being a little kid. Remember when you used to get the zipper stuck on your winter coat, and you needed your mom's help to fix it? That's what happened!!! I don't know how, but my coat was totally undone except for a part right at the top that got stuck. In fact, I'm not even sure how it happened considering the whole bottom of the coat was undone and yet the zipper pull was at the top at the part that was stuck. I tried to look in the mirror to see what was going on but still couldn't fix it. Furthermore, wearing my fleece hoodie prevented me from being able to get the coat off over my head to be able to work on it better! So my mom had to come and help. She was able to get the zipper down far enough so I could pull my fleece hood out, and then we had to pull the coat over my head. But this was no small feat. I had to make sure I could first get it over my nose and then protect my eyelids from the pull of the zipper itself since that's what was chafing my face as we pulled. Then over my ears, squeezing the life out of my head, and finally we were able to get it off. It was fixable within minutes of getting it off, but it was impossible with it on! I wish I'd had a camera for that one. Almost as funny as when I got my head stuck in the vacuum...twice! Yep, there I am. OK, I was wearing a different hat then too, but you get the picture! 4:47 PM | Permalink January 26 Homonymnal Humans I've had some real problems with the credit bureau lately. Whose error this was, I know not, but it's not pretty. I guess it could be worse. I haven't been the victim of identity theft, which is what we thought happened originally. But what did happen is that someone else with the same name as me in the country has a credit card that appeared on my credit report, and that person had accrued over $8000 worth of debt on it. It took about 3 weeks to get that resolved, and now that it is, I find that there's an extra Sears card on my account as well--whose account is unpaid and perhaps in arrears! Whom to contact: Equifax yet again, Sears? It's so frustrating. Thankfully that person is only in arrears for about $250, but it's just the idea that more than one false credit card has been applied to my account. Do these people not check account numbers and match them up with addresses and what not? I mean what is going on? And who is responsible for this? How is it that one organisation can ruin my credit rating through no fault of my own? If it were identity theft, I could perhaps take some part of the blame because maybe my online purchasing habits or whatever could perhaps leave room for doubt that this is someone else's fault, but this is mistaken identity. This is a clerical error made by someone that actually can affect the life circumstances of someone else. Thankfully, the credit card person that got cleared had been regularly paying off the card, or else I could have had a poor credit rating based on someone else's spending habits. But with the Sears card, that has dropped my credit rating because Sears had to inquire to Equifax about it. It's a terrible thing! In the meantime, my quest for purchasing my own place is fading as the costs are just too much for me at the moment. It's unfortunate, but it can't be helped, and it's not that I can't afford to rent. It's just nicer when you can own. Hopefully I'll be able to get some more permanent work, even something steady, full time, that can last for about 6 months at least would be more stable than my current situation. I leave it to God to take care of me and take me where I need to go! 10:32 PM | Permalink January 16 Speaking of being young... I've already mentioned this a couple of times elsewhere, but I must be crazy to sign up for the MS Bike Tour. I go from Leduc to Camrose on day 1 and then back again on day 2. I'm talking the most serious physical challenge I'll ever have put myself up to! OK, for some of you, it's probably a walk in the park on a summer holiday afternoon, but for me, it's a big challenge. I'm a little scared, buy my friend at work who asked me if I would sign up with her said she'd help me train, so let's hope for the best! But I've been reading lately about older people who have taken on serious physical challenges and participate in competitive sports later in life, so if they can do it, why can't I? I guess we'll find out if I can or not. But the good news is that they have trucks to bring you back if you don't make it, so I won't be all alone 12:44 PM | Permalink January 13 I'm not as young as I used to be I couldn't help but laugh last night--well I wanted to laugh anyways, but I didn't have enough energy! It didn't help that I had an all day planning session for one of my jobs, yes a Saturday meeting. One of my friends and I had made plans to go out for supper after my meeting was over. He had recently got engaged and wanted to tell me about how he proposed and what happened. I called him when I was done, and as my meeting was located across the street from where he lives, we decided it was best I just go over to his place to hang out until we decided where to go. I was so exhausted already, and so was my friend. At first we thought we would pick up supper somewhere and then come back and watch a movie, but then we decided that since he already had some leftover pizza at home, and he was in the mood for soup himself, we would just eat at home. The movie we got wasn't great, called I Witness. It was a decent story line, but the movie moved very slowly. Sergio fell asleep, and I also was tempted to sleep many times. I got to thinking after how my friend and I, along with other friends, used to go out Saturday nights and stay out until all hours of the morning, and I'd wake up the next day for church and be fine. It was so funny that he and I were both falling asleep, and the movie only ended at about 10:15pm. Is it tragic? No, it's life. But it's hilarious! It's just been a few years since we were all able to go out late like that; now I feel old! tee hee :o) 3:03 PM | Permalink January 11 Talking about Lifestyle : Special Guides : Book Guide : Book Guide A lovely pre-cursor to next month, which hosts Valentine's Day. I know some of my friends think I'm alone in my beliefs on dating and relationships, but this woman seems to share my same beliefs! Quote Lifestyle : Special Guides : Book Guide : Book Guide 8:03 AM | Permalink

January 03

The New Year

Historically, New Year and birthdays are reflective times for me. Of course, my last birthday was more reflective being that it was a milestone one, but this year, New Year didn't afford me the opportunity to reflect. I was far too busy during the short holiday I had--visiting with friends instead of working, at least, but in any case, I didn't have a lot of time with myself just to sit and think. It's probably just as well. I'm always thinking and analysing, and it's not always productive for me. In fact, sometimes it induces depression, so I'm just as happy...to be happy!

Having a public forum like this with a small but devoted readership is something I have found to be a little challenging. I feel like I need to update often enough so that people still know I'm alive and well, but I don't always have a lot of information to share, either because life itself isn't exciting, or some of things going on are just not good topics to write in a public forum. A person has to still be tactful and protect confidentiality or privacy as the case may be. So if my entries are getting a little sparse these days, don't worry about me. Maybe we'll just better keep in touch by email! :o)

The one thing I can write about at the moment is losing one of my best friends, who is moving out to Victoria. Not that it's so very far away, but just to know that she's not here anymore. I guess some people must have felt the same when I moved to Mexico, but it seemed to me at that time that everyone here was settled and didn't need me anymore, that I could safely leave. I'm one of those people that like to feel needed, like I'm making a difference. My friends here appeared to be living fulfilling lives, having satisfying careers, groups of friends, and/or significant others in their lives. It just seemed like time for me to move on. I know that my friend is feeling kind of similarly, maybe not about the rest of us she is leaving behind, but it's her time to move on this time. Still, we have been friends for about 9 years, and when we hugged goodbye, my life with her in it flashed before my eyes, and I thought about all the good, the bad, and the ugly we've been through together, helping each other, being there for each other. I used to have so many guy friends, but she's one of the first girls I had met that helped me know the value of having girl friends. She leaves tomorrow, but I already miss her.

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