Just Call Me Canadian

SO. Today is July 1st which for Canadians is a big deal. Why may you ask? Because its the birthday of Canada, and we Canadians take that pretty seriously....shocking huh?

It's funny, because over the last couple weeks I've really been getting my Canadian on. I work for the military where we are all about being patriotic, and I've been emersing myself in Canadian culture (whether I planed it that way or not), and from all of this I have determined that there are four things that every Canadian does, whether they like it not, regardless of if we realize we do it or not.

1. We drink beer

Canadian beer is pretty awesome. Natural spring water right out of the Rockies, and lots of local Canadian breweries give us lots of options so there is always something for everyone. Its just something we do. Every Canadian at some point says flat out "I could go for a beer". Its what we do and damn it we do it well

2. We are EXTREMELY polite.

I was at COSTCO a week or so ago getting cheap gas and I decided to celebrate my cheap gas victory with a cheap hotdog. As I was at the concession putting mustard and relish (no ketchup) on my hotdog I put my dog down and sort shifted down the cart to get some napkins and noticed in doing so that my hotdog was sort of in the way of this other guy who was also dressing up his hotdog. SO I apologized saying "Oh I'm sorry!" and shifted my dog out of his way. To which this jerk off replied "YOU CANADIANS ARE SO FREAKING POLITE I DON'T GET IT. IT'S FINE! YOU'RE NOT IN THE WAY". I looked at the guy totally gob smacked and said "I'm sorry?".... He then looked at his buddy and continued to rant about how Canadians are so "fake" and "phony" because we apologize for everything. To which I responded "You're in Canada bitch, its just how we roll".

3. Watch Hockey

Yup every single one of us watches hockey. We definately don't all watch it religiously but if there is a big game on (Esp something like say Canada vs. USA) we are ALL ON THAT. OR during the Olypmics we all step up and we stand behind our team. More so than any other sport we all at some point watch Hockey, regardless if we like it or not. I know I sure don't really care for it much but when it really comes down to it we are behind our teams.

4.  Rip on Nickelback...but secretly love them

Yup its true. We all rip on them. We all make fun of Chad Kroger and his band of cheesie rockstars, but yet somehow their Canadian tour is selling out at every stop. Coincidence? I think not.

SO Today I invite you to emerse yourself in Canadian Culture. Drink a beer, listen to some Nickelback without shame (because its only cool on Canada Day) and be polite (it scares away the tourists apparently).

Here we go...again...

I'm going back to work tomorrow. Bleh. Real world sucks.

About a week and a bit ago I got a call from my old job asking what I was up to for the summer. I responded with "a whole lotta job hunting and trying to grow the eff up". They said "we might have a job for you but you can't talk about it and we can't give you a solid start date, you just have to wait it out but it would be worth it I promise you, right now we need an answer in or out?".

Well, while the whole "no solid start date" was a huge inconvenience to be sure, I really couldn't complain about not actually having to hunt for a job in what has been the absolute worst job market ever. I replied with a very quick and to the point "Eff yes I'm in".

So there was a week and a bit of "well am I working or not?" BS, all is now pretty much said and done and I go back to my old job tomorrow. Length of contract to be determined, but even if its only a couple months at least its money in the bank, and well its two month of job hunting while working. Which to me is brilliant, even if some of my coworkers tend to be a bit....erm.. you know what lets not even go there.

So tomorrow I start work. And it leaves me with two problems. What the hell should I wear? And what the hell will I take for lunch.

The dreaded work lunch. I hate packing a lunch. Mostly because I hate taking sandwiches to work. I really don't tend to eat cold food all that often. I prefer a warm lunch, or a lunch I don't have to make. I am the WORST offender of the whole "eff it I'll go out for lunch". Which really is the BIGGEST waste of money. I should really get off my ass and make my own lunch the night before. But previously I really never have. I go out or I take in one of those boxed microwave pastas which taste like cardboard and are really bad for you.

SO. Given that this summer for me will be ALL about the saving, I am making a pledge to NOT EAT OUT FOR LUNCH. I am going to attempt to make all my lunches. Or at least some part of them anyways. I can't say the whole boxed pastas won't happen, because they usually go on sale at the grocery store for a buck and you can't lose with that! But I am putting a stop to going out for lunch. Its expensive, and it takes up lots of uncesssary gas. There isn't anything within walking distance to go to. So not only does it take a toll on my wallet but also my gas tank and gas is way too damn expensive as it is.

SO that leads me to the problem of just what the hell do I take to work for lunch tomorrow? Bleh. I apparently need to go to the grocery store already. Eff.

ITS IN

Note down this time. 12:29 Pacific, I the EX Student, submitted her damn exam for a volunteer position with her skating association. It's been in the works for MONTHS. Its been one bloody road block after another, and I've had incredibly little support and extreme fustration. I've been in school while doing it, I've been pressured by my supervisor to get it done and get it in. AND NOW IT IS SO SUCK IT.

.....now I get to sick back and panic till its marked and I inevitably fail regardless.

lifes a bitch ain't it?

Screw you facebook

So. It's started again. All my friends are getting engaged and I'm still hopelessly single. So my whole freaking facebook page is a glow with "omg!!!!"'s and "That ring is amazing!!!"'s. And honestly while I'm happy my friends (who I have barely spoken to in years might I add) seem to be happy. I could give a shit less.

Now. I'm not really in the mood to give a shit that these girls are getting married. I'm not in the mood to whine about how I'm so damn single and looking for a partner in all the wrong places. I'm also in the mood to not have it rubbed in my face how these people are getting hitched and I'm not. How they are so much further along in their lives than I am. How they are more sucessful, and better at life than I am. Screw them, I don't care, but just like being gay or a christian. Do what you want, but don't you dare rub it in my face. These are all just reasons I doubt very much I'm going to my 10 year high school reunion.

I volun-told you so!

So. I'm a bad blogger. I know this. You know this. The fact I haven't posted in a couple weeks at least is proof of this. So let's just ignore the fact that I haven't been around in awhile and move ok. Cool? Cool.

The last few weeks have been kind of bonkers. The guy I was seeing decided to screw me over and dump me on my birthday. Asshole right? Ya total selfish asshole. Here's the killer though (that crafty bastard), he basically said its because I deserved someone who could comitt and it wasn't him, and that he needed to figure himself out because it was all his fault. And it was! He was the one that couldn't seem to be in the relationship even though it was his effing idea in the first place! And how do you argue with that logic? I mean part of me just believes he was being crafty and getting away with saying that crap to not feel bad, but even so! I can't really argue with much! I can't really be too bitter because while he wasted my time and energy, he effing admitted it! Can't be too bitter about someone who owns their mistakes!

SO ya that happened, and of course I was upset, but to be honest it was kind of awesome I got dumped on my b-day. I AM NOT CONDOINGING DUMPING SOMEONE ON THEIR BIRTHDAY, but for me it turned out that all that day people were around. All that week really. And there was drinking and eating and such to be done so I didn't have a whole lot of time to really think about the guy anyways. I did think about it (of course I'm female and human after all) but with people around constantly it really helped. We don't live in the same place and don't really have too many friends in common so that helped too. Did manage to go out the weekend of my birthday and get quite gooned and drunk text him on T's phone and got my friend SCB (nickname from working together with her....don't ask) to text him and call him an ass.

But ya! I had a birthday! And I turned another year older and had a huge whack of my really good friends out for drinks and was super surprised when so many showed up to go out, or at least sent warm wishes. This time of year is hard because most of my friends are either in exams or its fiscal year end for their jobs. I was also super surprised when some people didn't even make an effort to show up when I bend over backwards to do stuff for them. Which leads me to my new thing. Screw new years resolutions, I've decided to make a bunch of "Birth Year Resolutions"....but I shall leave those for another day.

So ya, got older, very exciting. Just got home from yet another skating competition. This was the last one of my season, and I'm still trying to get my freaking exam done to be promoted with my volunteering (I know! Sounds crazy to have to be a promoted volunteer right??) so ya it was a crazy skating competition (not that there is really any other kind of skating competition) but this particular one was really nutters.

If there is anything I've learned about skating and life in general is that there will always be people you aren't really on the same page as. At this particular skating competition there was one woman that I was particularly scared to work with, as she doesn't have much experience and has expressed desire to become more experienced at working with the marking system, but due to work constraints, isn't usually available for the entire competition, so until this weekend she had never seen set up/take down of a skating competition. Which also means that she's never really seen it get busy because she's never been asked to do the longer tasks at a skating competition because shes never really been around to. Well that all changed this weekend. She was expected to do everything, and as a result we found out how incompetent she is, and to boot how inconsiderate she is. While we all busted our asses, she was out having "breaks" or even better she'd just take off and not tell anyone where she was. Which is annoying because we were already short staffed, but to have a person that didn't know what they were doing, with no ambition to try harder, no desire to be part of the time and absolutely no consideration for others made it even more stressful/busy. People like that really chap my ass.

Anyways. I stayed busy for 4 days straight, and the hotel we stayed at was truly lovely. I'm big on keeping my identity to myself because of all the organizations I'm part of, or else I would totally promote the hell out of the place we stayed. It was just beautiful, and we were all in suites, so even though I had a "roommate" all we shared was the common TV room. I had my own room with bathroom, kitchenette and TV so I had the opportunity to shut my door for down time, which to me, after days as crazy as these was really important. I like to be social with everyone but after having days where I had to schedule my eating/drinking around skating events and the other people on my team so we all got to eat/pee, I don't have the energy to socialize.

All in all, I have had a pretty crazy couple of weeks (almost a month I guess). Emotional turmoil, turning another year older with absolutely not idea what to do in the future, no work plans, and school exams with skating exams and competitions and all this crazy shit going on, I'd say that some down time might be good.

Just task will be to get ready for my last final, and find a freaking job. Oi. And I thought running around a skating competition was difficult.

Reality Check and Ranting

So as I mentioned The Boy made a surprise visit to the island to take care of some family stuff and as an added bonus we were able to see each other. I gather he actually knew he was coming over long before he mentioned to me he was on the ferry, so I'm a tad annoyed he couldn't have given me more of a heads up.

So I saw him briefly last night and then this morning I had the joy of waking him up (I took coffee and muffins....my momma don't raise no fool) and he was a bit on the snippy side this morning after not having a great sleep, but I was determined to power through. I hadn't slept much either. And so after half an hour of attempting to get him out of bed I was mean and made him get up and shower. Mostly because he had asked the day before if we could connect with T and her daughter because he missed them too.

So we spent the whole day hanging out with them which was nice, but here's where my reality check came in. I'm painfully aware that The Boy and I are extremely undefined and that we lack the social norms of a couple. I have no idea what we're doing and the fact that we are never in the same place seems to make it all the more complicated.

There is so much I am constantly second guessing. He doesn't text me much and then things like calling are a bit sketchy. I have no idea what he wants, and the scary thing is I really have no idea what I want. I thought when we started to "associate" that I wanted a relationship, but now I'm thinking its not a good time. I'm still here and hes over there. I found myself thinking today "What's the point of all this again?".

He is a nice guy, but he is just that a guy. He does a lot of the things guys do that women wish they didn't. And while it may drive me crazy, I'm sure I do a lot of the things that women do that men wish they didn't. But at the same time, what's the point in being with someone when there isn't that mental connection? Sure erm physically things are great, and we were great friends to start so for the most part personality wise there aren't too many surprises, but now we have crossed over to this new place. And I'm panicked I've ruined it all by allowing this to happen. Which was really destined to happen because we found ourselves testing the boundaries of our friendship many times over over the past couple years.

I know I'm being a silly girl about this too, and I think that's another thing that just driving me nuts. I'm being a total girl about this. What's he doing? Why hasn't he called? What does he want? Where do we stand? ALL TOTAL GIRL QUESTIONS. All total girl OBSESSIONS.

Maybe I should be more receptive to just going with the flow?

The last couple times something with our arrangement really drove me up a tree, I just waited it out and eventually things got better. So maybe this is just another time where I need to blurt it all out in a rant to random strangers and keep it from The Boy (till I've calmed down and gotten some sleep) to broach the subject another time because if I do it now we will end up fighting and I could miss out on something great.

So ya here I rant. I'm a silly girl whose in a relationship they don't know how to deal with. Again. Awesome. I need to get back to worrying about myself because while he's gone I still have a life here. And I think its to the point where I need to focus on my life sperate from him until such time that we are together again. Or I can just spew out all this "feminist crap" and still obsess about everything.

Oi.

Hmmm quel surprise?

SO. As I have mentioned before I'm seeing this boy. And it's been going ok. We don't live in the same place and that's been a bit problematic ALSO he is probably the most social person I've ever known so he's never really free to "up and come over" between his work, school and social schedule (mostly its his school and work schedule but then he has other things like hockey and crap in the way).

So it's hard because I end up missing him a lot. I miss him and it sucks, but also I miss him because we never get to talk because our schedules are SOOO different.

Before we started seeing each other he had a knack of just showing up. Which was fine. I've known him a long time so we would just hang out and grab coffee. But now that we're seeing each other this is starting to become a bit of a problem.

Don't get me wrong. Him randomly visting is a great surprise. Him not giving me the heads up might just be the death of me. Ladies side with me on this one. If we don't have to shave/wax/put makeup on/wear cute underwear all the time, we generally don't. Well maybe the underwear thing and the makeup thing, but unless I'm wearing shorts or expect to have someone see my legs (and etc) I don't shave/wax. Cannot be bothered. Its winter, its cold and well I'm lazy. SO when The Boy calls, and he's two hours away and expecting to see me, I get sent into PANIC mode.

My face is a mess (thank you hormones) and my hair was a mess and most annoyingly I really needed to shave my legs. So off I went. Like a mad lady to take necessary precautions to not look like a cavewomen.

So while I think its awesome I get to see him for the first time in a month....I really wish I had had more time to feel like a female....cause does he really need to see me at my worst from the get go? I would prefer not.

Feelin Foolish....time to get my head out of my ASS!

OK so I know I haven't been the greatest poster child of commitment this year. I'm about to turn 26 and I'm pretty sure I have no idea where my life is going, and well, I'm not feeling overly excited about school. I feel like I'm missing motivation to be there. There are people that would kill to go to school, and yet I'm just exsisting there. I'm floating.

That being said, I have never been one to take anything sitting down, or slack off, until this year. And tonight I hit an absolute low point. I knew an assignment was due tonight. I had it done and ready to roll. Come time to hand it in an apparently I had ignored the parts actually due. I missed a big chunk of the assignment being due and I have NEVER had this happen before.

I have never not handed something in on time. I have never missed an exam, or had to write it at a later date. I have never called in sick to an exam. I DON'T DO THIS. I'm not late! I'm not someone who does these kinds of things and yet tonight I somehow handed in half an assignment because I wasn't paying enough attention to class and the syllabus to actually realize everything was due.

I felt so stupid! So irresponsible! How could this have happened? This isn't me?

Have I been too distracted and lazy lately? To really be paying attention to things like this? And if that is the case how pathetic is this? And shameful? I'm spending all this time in school hoping to get some sort of clue as to what to do with my life, and I'm pissing it away by not being dedicated?

So I'm very mad at myself. This assignment was worth 15% of my grade and in class the prof said it was either you get 15% or nothing, and seeing as I only did half I have no idea how this marking is going to go. I have emailed (had to rush after class) and asked about handing it in tomorrow and just taking a deduction in marks to hopefully be able to get my mark up...but this could potentially end up being a big hit in my mark.

While I'm really mostly pissed at myself for letting this semester get away from me...this might be the very mark-expensive kick in the ass I needed to get my shit together.

So happy hump day all! I'm officially over my semester "hump" and its time to get my shit together.

Hot Yoga a Go-Go

So, I recently decided that I wanted to maybe try another free skate test for figure skating, and I've been trying to attend regular skating sessions to see where I'm at and what I need to do to get back into shape. And well it hasn't been going great. My back injury is flaring up a little bit, I get bored easily of free skate and switch back to ice dance without really thinking about it, and while its still in my mind, I think the best thing I can do right now is just try to get back into shape.

I used to be active all the time. Skating lots, and going running and doing things like spin classes, but after my back going to hell, and my trip to England, and then death in the family, everything just got in the way. I know there is part of me that just keeps saying "That was all just an excuse you could have done other things to stay fit" but really? My heart wasn't in it and I needed the mental break of doing nothing if anything.

So lately, with skating in mind, I'm desperately trying to do anything and everything that can get me back into shape or at the very least keep me entertained. I'm trying to get back to the rock climbing gym (sans Asscountant it's actually a lot of fun) and I eventually want to get the guts together to go back to spin class. Today I tried Hot Yoga for the first time. Now I had done one yoga class previously through a rec centre and it was a bit of a wash. I didn't take it seriously and the class was for people who want "easy no fuss yoga".

I was having coffee with a friend a few weeks ago and he recommended I try hot yoga. I laughed at him and said forget it and we parted ways. He knows me, he got it. So flash forward to last week and my new "gotta get my ass in gear" kick, and I txt my friend and say, "I cave lets go"

So we made plans to go this morning, he recommended I come properly hydrated.

Well, I am back to report on my experiences. The hot yoga room was not as hot as expected, but don't get me wrong it was hot. Yoga, when not watered down for chicks who want to year Lulu Lemon pants to say they do yoga, is bloody hard! I for years have been told I'm a figure skater and we're just better at certain things, or we have highly movable joints etc, or all that other crap, BUT it didn't do much to prepare this particular out of shape figure skater for the fact that I was heaving and puffing through the class because apparently I have never learned to breath properly.

So yes, the class was hard, and I'm pretty sure I sweated every beverage I have ever consumed in my life out through my pores, and the drive home in soggy knickers was not something I ever care to repeat (ie take spare knickers to class to change into), it was definitely a challenge. And that was definitely what I needed. The visual may be a little harder to get over (lots of fat men trying to get in shape and you can smell them from the back of the room), but I've been feeling super laid back and energized all day. Getting stuff done around the house, gave me some motivation to do some school work, I don't even have the mindstate to argue with The Boy, after I picked a fight with him last night because it turns out everyone has been right about him being an ass (long story not getting into it...to yoga'ed out).

Now while my back injury is still flared from this mornings yoga session, I'm hoping more exercise and such will help calm it down, so it might be a couple weeks before I go back to yoga, but I think I'll be back again. And this time hopefully better hydrated.

Gold Star Moment

Have you ever had a moment, that although you are a supposed grown up, you feel like "damn, I really deserve a gold star for that". I had a moment last night.

Last night I went to my niece (who I've nicknamed Squirt) 's preschool silent auction dinner and dance, because T needed a date and I wasn't up to much so off we went. I drove, and T drank. A lot. And to make things short, she started to drunk text. And when I had the opportunity to lay into the Asscountant for being a total dipshit, I didn't. I kindly told him T was drunk and that if he wanted to contact her tomorrow would be best. I could have said anything to him scot free. I could have called him an ass, or said that he should be ashamed of himself for being so horrible to my niece (his niece technically too not that you'd ever know it because he's never around and never makes time) but I didn't. I had a moment where I thought "What's the point? What will it accomplish?"

I felt very grown up. And I felt like I definitely deserved a freaking gold star.

The Jack-Off Factor

So one of the things I haven't really fessed up to lately is that I've sort of been seeing someone. Now the relationship is starting off rocky and I've known him awhile so I sort of know its going to crash and burn before it really even starts, but part of me thinks that it's all good and it will all work out if I just stick with it. Regardless. Its new and its very very vague and well the guys a bit of an idiot, but he openly acknowledges that he is bad in relationships so I guess I can't be too hard on him. I'm not really going to get into it right now. But you need the background so that the rest of this post makes sense.

What I'm about to disclose was not my idea, but was T's idea that I should post because she found it rather amusing. So of course here goes.

Last weekend I spent the entire weekend at this guys house because we don't live in the same city (ya yet another issue we are already having problems with...). Sunday morning, after having been up pretty late Saturday night I had no desire to get out of bed before noon, but the guy I was staying with wanted to get up and get some groceries before the hockey game started. I was sitting in bed thinking "I could really go for a coffee and bagel" but thinking that it wasn't going to happen unless I either went to Tim's myself or brewed my own coffee, I rolled over and went back to bed. Boy had already left, and left his phone on the bedside table so I didn't have high expectations.

I hear the lock click, and the Boy returns and I think, "screw it I'm still not getting out of bed", when The Boy announces, "I'm a JACK-OFF". I'm still in bed. I'm not really too sure what he's talking about so I roll over and crawl out of bed and start to trek down the hall.

"I'm a jack-off!" he continues. I'm not really awake so I don't say much, but I'm sure my facial expressions said it all.

"We've slept together and I don't have any idea how you take your coffee!"

I'm sure my jaw dropped, and I had to stiffle a giggle, but I still haven't said much. He seems pretty irritated by this whole thing, and I'm finding it extremely entertaining.

He regales me of his tale to get coffee:

"So I went and got to groceries I needed and then I figured I would come back with coffee. I go into Starbucks and I wait in line, I get up to the till and it dawned on me I have no idea how you take your coffee!! Then I figured I knew you liked bagels so I might as well to go Timmy's. I get to Timmys and realize that not only do I not know what you take in your coffee, I also have no idea what kind of bagel you like or if you like it buttered or with cream cheese!"

By now he's ranting but he continues.

"So I'm a total asshole, because now I'm in a second line up with no idea what to get you and the saddest thing is that we went to tims just yesterday and you had a bagel and I apparently am such an asshole I didn't even pay attention to what you ate then!"

Now the rest of the conversation basically went along with him saying that he had to get a variety of bagels with a variety of toppings (which was good because I don't like the smell of cream cheese esp not on my bagel) and ice caps because he didn't want to get me a coffee I wouldn't drink (so kudos there) and it got to the point where there really wasn't much I could say or do because he was a bit irritated and he wanted to watch the game etc but still. VERY entertaining.

So ya I have known this guy a long time so I would hope that he would know how I take my coffee (he certainly does now anyways) but I appreciate that he totally admits when he's clueless. He tells it like he is, so I guess there is that.

Every guy has a jack-off factor. The Boy's just happens to be that he doesn't know my coffee preference. It's a start I suppose!

We all come crawling back

Ya I'm a terrible blogger. I only blog when it's convenient. I'm the equivalent of a three year old that only wants to play with his hampster when the cage is clean and the stars and moon are aligned in just such a way. Only I want to blog only when it suits me and not when I really should to get stuff off my chest and when I need to be cathartic....or make fun of people to random strangers instead of to the peoples faces.

So ya. It's been awhile since I've been here to stretch out my fingers and type something. Well actually it's not true. I've started a whack of posts but I never feel like anything is post worthy. I want to make statements and say things but I get halfway through a post and think "ugh why would I post this?" or "I have totally lost the point along the way" etc.

So ya, I know lots has happened since my last post, and well to be honest, I'm not interested in rehashing a lot of it. So I shall carry on from this point on. Not much has really changed, I'm still in school even though I'm not 100% sure why, and I'm still sucking the big one at finding a job! SO Good recap right?

Love. It really is all around.

In case you didn't already know, because of the millions of commericals, the facebook postings or multiple twitter tweet, or you know by looking at a calendar, its Valentine's Day. Or as one friend of mine put it "Singles Awareness Day".

Now, I'm single, so I know I'm supposed to be sad and lonely and depressed that no one is around to buy me roses, and that no one is showering me with love and affection, but here's the scoop. I'm not.

I have been planning for his Valentine's day for awhile now to be quite honest. I decided very early that even though I am super single, with no real prospects, that I wasn't going to let me get me down this February 14th. I decided that this would be the year I went all out because, just because I don't have a man and its been the year from absolute hell, that I wasn't going to go down with out a fight.

So, I got into it. Painted my finger nails pink with hearts, and my toes sparkly pink. I made sugar cookies and iced them with pink frosting and heart sprinkles (see above..they turned out super tasty might I add). I made goodie bag Valentine's Day treats with cards for all my friends, I even took the time to express post cookies to Fido before he left for Mexico. I wore pink today, and red shoes (really because I was looking for an excuse to finally wear them out) and wore pink make-up. The whole bit. Got together with T and a couple of her school friends and saw a sappy chick flick  movie, (The Vow....recommendation if you go to see the movie take tissue, and don't take your lover because I imagine it will make even prince charming look like a shmuck compared to Leo in the movie) and now I'm home after a long day of Valentine's enjoyment, and I'm spent. Feeling content and relaxed, the exact thing I think this day is supposed to encourage.

This whole experience made me realize a few things that I already knew, just had lost sight of. Love really is all around. I have great family and friends and don't need a man to fulfill my life. If I want roses? I can get them myself thank you very much. Would it be nice to have someone around to get them for me? Absolutely! Do I need it? Nope. I've got love on my side, because I love myself. So Cupid can suck it :P

Timing is everything.

So! I have been struggling this week. I know I've been super unmotivated this semester, but this week tool the cake. I have been sick, and I've been tired, and I've been trying to get everything together but its been really hard. That being said, after having a disasterous midterm last night, and being so freaking sick I decided enough was a enough and that desperate times called for desperate measures.When I was in Ireland last year I got a pretty nasty sinus infection. It was BAD. Sick, sniffly, sneezy and stuck on a bus with a bitch of a tour guide who failed to mention to me that there wouldn't ever be a good time for me to get some meds. However, being on vacation and being me, I was determined to make things work out. So I followed the whole idea of "When in Rome", except this time "When in Ireland". When in Ireland, you drink Guiness. Turns out the next day I was feeling MUCH better. Significantly better. I had heard that Guiness beer was said to have medicinal properties because of all the nutrients in it, and that night made me a believer.

So last night I drank Guiness, and this morning woke up feeling better than I had all week. Unfortuantely I took that as an excuse to lounge in bed all morning watching Project Runway Allstars. Unfortunately it was the exact time when the UPS man decided to come and I had to haul ass upstairs in my jammies, at 1:00 in the afternoon, looking like a total mess (my face is all chapped from four days of nose blowing), the curtains still drawn in my house.

And the UPS man had the AUDACITY to ask, "Did I wake you up?".

Well then. Timing is everything isn't it?

Sick-Ohhhh

I have been a bad blogger. I haven't really kept in touch with my blog, but in my humble defense, I've been busy, and with a skating exam due and midterms coming up, and nominations that need to be in soon. and now to top it all off I am sick. I have a cold. And its making me miserable.

I despise being sick. I feel all clogged up and soggy, and all I want is to get dried out. And none of the meds I bought seem to help me sleep so this bug is just annoying the bejesus out of me!!!!

I don't like being sick! I want to be healthy!! It's been two weeks of off and on sickness and now a  cold??!?!?!? BOB SAGET.

So I'm off to go ingest at least quadruple the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, and a whack of fluids. When I return I will have many more amusing things to say other than "I'm the werido that's been watching my snot for colour change because I'm fearful of a sinus infection".

Now aren't you glad I'm stopping here?

Another Thursday Night...another upset.

Today my poor dog Roo had to go in for the all mighty snip. So this afternoon, instead of running around I stayed home and sat with him, and in doing so I managed to catch the early showing of this weeks Vampire Diaries.

Another Thursday, another day of being disappointed in the Vampire Diaries. Anyone starting to feel like its the Klaus and the Originals Diaries? It's been episode after episode of everyone trying to deal with their fallout and I think enough is enough. I know they have splashed in touches of "Damon and Elena" and "Caroline and Klaus" but for the love of god, this entire episode about the Originals and the Coffins, total snooze fest. Yet another filler episode that I fear they needed just to set up next week. Bleh.

But I will say, Grey's Anatomy tonight? Pure BRILLIANCE. Everything turned out just as it should and it made me fall in love with it all over again. Made me want to watch episode one all over again, and remember everything that we loved about Grey's in the first place.

So here is my hope. I hope to get my stuff together this week and finally crack down on my school stuff. I hope that I will find motivation somewhere to get everything I want to get done. This includes a whack of baking because Valentines Day is coming up, and I may be single with no hope, but damn it Valentines day this year will NOT BREAK ME.

That by the way is my next post....stay tuned!

I am the cookie queen...and I shall dance about skantily clad if I want to!

Have you ever sent a text and within a split second of sending it realize "Oh crap I don't think that's where I wanted it to go", but the damage is done and off it has gone so you just sit back and wait to see how that one plays out? Well, I had just that happen to me the other day. Since I got back from my impromptu trip to Vancouver to catch up with Fido, he has been ever so slightly more flirtatious than usual. Now granted, I knew he was trying to impress me with watching all the Canadian Figure Skating Championships and taking a keen interest in my figure skating chaos, as well as the fact he forked over his bed for me (and even washed the sheets might I add) and had a cold coke in the fridge for me when I showed up. But to be honest, he knew I dropped everything to come over when he asked so I just figured he was being nice. (Naive? Maybe but its Fido, we've never had a clear cut friendship. When we do hang out we've always been courteous to each other). Anyways so, I'm house sitting, and I'm in the sticks which should help more clearly explain the following text more clearly.

"The best thing about house sitting in the sticks? Walking around in my the house in my underwear and blasting music till all hours of the night. Dancing to Kelly Clarkson has never been less shameful. Juvenille? Yes. Enjoyable? Absolutely!!!"

I meant for that text to go to T. Thinking that she would know exactly what I meant, having not lived without her daughter or in her parents suite for the better part of 4 years, she too can appreciate the underwear late night music dancing. However, it didn't go to T, it went to Fido. Crap. Now it looks like I'm flirting back. And yes he had many an interesting text in response to that. That I squashed quite quickly (I'm a lady after all).

So yes, I'm feeling a bit of recoil from that mistake. Enter text whing-dinger number two:

"Waiting for the bus and some guy walks up wearing old ripped jeans, a black kappa sports hoodie, a backwards bluejays cap (with sticker still on it), rip off designer sunglasses, backpack and super pointy brown dress shoes...if this is what eligible men dress like today, I weep for my vagina...its going to be an awfully long dryspell".

Yup, sent that to Fido by accident because I am apparently the only person left on the planet that doesn't have a cellphone that tracks conversations, but where you have to send each text to individual people, and at the time I was on the bus and I wasn't texting carefully so now I have sent two very misleading and not so lady like texts to Fido over the last 3 days. Crap.

So I'm feeling like a bit of a tool about that, and thinking I'm sending some pretty mixed signals to Fido which probably isn't great but seeing as he is such a tool himself that he probably doesn't really care, nor will he take anything personally (fingers crossed).

So when I got told today that I am the Cookie Queen, I was definitely ok with taking the title. My sister has a friend who apparently is very baking inefficient. She apparently works with a lot of women who every week all take turns making fresh baked goods and bringing them into work to share. My sisters friend, who is super baking inadequate is too scared of what these women think to make anything herself. She is entirely too self concious, and while she has purchased all the ingredients and has some really great ideas on what to make, she still cannot bring herself to do it. So she asked my sister to take pity on her and bake her something she could pass off as her own. My sister simply replied that while yes she could bake, and she didn't mind doing it for her friend, that she was not the person she should be asking for a baking favour from. She basically said, that I am the Cookie Queen, and to really knock the snooty co-workers birkenstocks off, that basically she should worship at my altar to get me to bake them.

After feeling so inadequate at school and my personal life lately, I defiantly needed that compliment. And ya damn rights I'm going all out on these suckers! I have a reputation to uphold after all :)

Lets make a deal, K?

As anyone who stumbles around my blog knows, I'm pretty involved with my local skating community. I'm that person that goes to skating competitions and does a lot of the "behind the scenes" work so that the skaters come skate and leave with a medal. About a month before any skating competition, skaters submit their entry forms, and me and my team gets together, does all the paperwork and computer stuff and then we show up at the rink on day one of the skating competition and we don't leave till all the skaters have skated. Judges have sort of the same gig, they prepare by studying rules and regulations, come to the rink and judge and don't leave till all the skaters have skated.

We do all the grunt work, and the hosting club gets all the money from the skaters entry fees. So lets make a deal shall we? We will continue to do our hours upon hours of grunt work, organize the judges, get together a schedule for the competition, and show up and be there all weekend in the rink freezing our butts of for no money, YOU will feed us decent well rounded meals, and never dare tell us we "should be lucky you're getting fed at all".

That was the case this weekend. Hours of grunt work, hours at the skating competition, and we never once got a proper meal to eat. Everything was dismal. No meat option, no protein, sparse servings, and food was only left out for short periods of time, in which case it was usually cold and usually "past its peak".

"You should be lucky you're getting fed at all"

My response?

"You should feel lucky we showed up"....

Next time? Not going to happen...

The Filler Post

Ugh I've been so busy for the past week, and I've sat down a couple times to post, but every time I do, the posts get long and winded because so much is going on. I've been to Vancouver for a weekend long bitch session with Fido (him bitching not me...however it was all very informative), I've taken school tests, and I've worked tirelessly on skating competition stuff for the upcoming weekend, and yes I've been trying to pound through school stuff. Add in the fact that it snowed here, oh and in the middle of all this I got sick and you have a recipe for chaos.

So ya its been a bit nutters on my end of the computer screen, which is one of the reasons I started this blog, to show people how crazy my life can get, and to tell you all about the weird situations I somehow end up in, and of course complain about my life to an outlet that others can read and either sympathize, or say "ya ya I've got real problems barbie" to. Either way. I mean I may have been busy last week, but I also don't have a job so....ya I guess could have been a lot busier. Anyways.

So ya this past week has been so crazy that I've been struggling to sit down and post a blog. I would love to get into details about how I converted Fido from "Mr Hockey and Don't You Forget It" to "Mr Figure Skating Starts in 20 minutes so get up!!!"...or about how one should never go bra-less when sledding (damn nephews wouldn't wait for me the change....), I just can't seem to write the posts.

A really good measure of how busy I've been might be the fact that I didn't watch the newest episode of Vampire Diaries until today. Ya I waited  5 days to watch it. Will power? Not really, more like I had it on my computer and could have watched it but watching skating with Fido was more entertaining, sleeping took precedent, or sleeping for 13 hours at a time was more important (holy sh*t balls tylenol sinus nighttime kicked my ass).

But I did finally watch it, and my end opinion, is that last weeks episode of Vampire Diaries was much like this very post. A filler. We get caught up on whats going on, we check in on each character, stuff happens but it really means nothing till the next episode (or post) when everything is actually explained. And for that I'm really glad I didn't rush to watch it.  Living my life was waaay more important.

something in the koolaid

Whole lot of talkin goin on.

Fido was in town yesterday, and oddly enough he actually made time to see me, which is actually a pretty rare oddity, given that he usually only comes into town for 5 hours to have dinner with his mom (he's a total momma's boy which I think is one of his very few redeeming qualities) then bolt.

SO we went public skating. Also odd because we continue to have the epic battle of the blades between us. I'm a figure skater and he is a hockey player. In fact, we used to run into each other at the rink all the time, and he would make fun of me for being a figure skater and I would tease him for needing a stick to stay standing. But that was a long time ago, and while we really haven't matured all that much, and still argue about which sport is better, I guess at some point we decided to give up the ghost and say that each sport has its merrits. As a side note we actually spent the majority of our time together talking about how to best teach skating, what the differences between skates are, and then most oddly, we talked about big name competitors in skating, what Virtue and Moir are up to this year, what Patrick Chan is up to, and ya it was rather enjoyable because I have this odd feeling Fido keeps up on it just to impress me, or shock me. Either or really. Wins every time, as I never cease to be amazed.

I digress.

So we went skating. And Fido tried to convince me to show him some 'tricks'. To which I said "No not on a public skating session". Truth? I was too scared to do anything because if I fell or made an ass of myself I probably never would have lived it down. He would never have let it go. The epic battle between hockey player and figure skater would have been over and sealed, and I would be responsible for the shame that would befall my own. Soooooo wasn't happening on my watch. See the problem is that I usually only Ice Dance. I don't do a whole lot of jumps or spins in that. In fact I don't do anything. Edge work and foot step sequences yes. But not jumps or spins, and clearly that is what Fido wanted to see. Haven't done any of that in probably 3 years, and I certainly wasn't about to bust them moves for the first time in 3 years infront of a hockey player. Not. Bloody. Likely.

Fido sort of called me on this. Sort of. I don't really think he knows be basically called me on it but he did. Made me realize that damn it, I haven't freeskated in awhile, and while I do heart the ice dance (my lover), that perhaps, its time to go back to being a bit more well rounded, so that my ass doesn't become so well rounded. I was so subtly reminded that, to be on that ice is what I love, I can prefer a facet of skating, but what I love is to be standing on my 1/4inch blades moving around in unique and interesting ways.

He somehow reminded me that there was this whole other side to the sport that I used to do that I no longer partake in, which is wrong. And so today, for the first time in probably 3 years, I went to a skating session and didn't really do any ice dance at all (I did a couple bits and pieces while skating) but other than that I worked on spins and a few jumps and some fiddling around to get from end to end. But ya, just skated. For me. Remembered what I loved about the sport. The freedom. Please note that it was no easy feat to get to the rink either. I'm too cheap to pay for parking at my university so I took the bus, but wasn't paying attention and missed my stop so I had to walk an extra 15 minutes in the cold. Frack.

Damn it I hate that a hockey player had to put me in my place. I will never ever admit it to his face.

Tonight I'm feeling a bit rough. My back hurts, my abs hurt, my feet have skate related blisters for the first time in probably 10 years, and my ass hurts (even though I didn't fall on it...HA). And I feel that seeing as it is Fido's fault I got back out there, that he should be the one here listening to me bitch, or at least offering a foot massage....

Damn hockey players..

We don't pick our families...but damn it we can pick our lives

I have a nephew who through his whole life has had a learning disability, and has always been a little socially awkward. Always. His family situation hasn't always been stable. Krazy, and his dad (who we refer to in my house as The Knob), were never a great fit, and well their relationship was never one made of strong walls. Needless to say they aren't together anymore but they still co-parent my nephew. Well...The Knob is still involved in his life anyways.

Regardless, my nephew has been busting his ass for the last year of school to get his grades up to get into Royal Military College. Now as horrible as this is going to sound, I've never been a huge supporter of this idea, because honestly I think that my nephew is a bit too socially awkward to be an officer, AS HE STANDS RIGHT NOW. He's young, and he doesn't know who he is yet, and going to RMC I feel would have never given him the chance to find out. Its NOT because I don't think hes smart enough, I don't feel he's mature enough to handle the responsibility that comes along with being an officer RIGHT NOW. However. Its the plan he was going with so I told him to go for it, figuring eventually he'd get his stuff together to be an authority figure if he really had to (trial by fire so to speak). Anyways. Not the point. He wanted it I told him to go for it.

Well. Turns out he didn't get in this year. And that's fine. Honestly. He's smart, gets good grades, for sure will get into University, so what does it matter if he puts off RMC for a year?

Well, apparently since he told his dad, The Knob told him that his life was over. That he would never be smart enough to go to school, and that he shouldn't even bother to graduate because he didn't need to graduate to get into trades school. That all he should ever aspire to is trades school. Well. What a great father you are!

NOW, this is not me poo-pooing the trades schools. I heart the trades schools, I think that if thats what you aspire to, that you should have atter. I wish I was more capable to do things like build things, or design things, or hell even figure out to program my damn VCR. It's not my cup of tea, and for that you should be glad because I would probably blow something up or set something on fire trying to fix something. If that's what you aspire to, I really think you rock (and thank you gratefully for saving my ass). BUT that is not what my nephew aspires to. At all. He has no desire. He wants to get a history degree (not sure what for but I have a useless degree that's taught me all about life so I say do whatever makes you happy and find a use for it later).

Where The Knob got off telling his kid that he wasn't good enough is beyond me. NOW this particular nephew and I don't get on all that well, because we see the world very differently and he has a very cynical view of the world (hence why he believes his dad is right about post secondary etc....) BUT I would never tell him he isn't good enough for something. So what he didn't get into RMC? I mean who hasn't had set backs? But! A parents job should never be to tell their kid they can't do something. And the worst thing is the world is that my sister has been telling him for all these months that he can go everything, and we finally get him believing it, and now his jackass of a father tells him in one weekend he can't and now he's decided that everything is a waste of time. And its heart breaking.

It should to always say YES YOU CAN. So you had a set back? WHO CARES. It just means you now have to take a different path to get what you want in life, and guess what that means? You get to try something new, and take a different approach. Who cares? If there is anything I have learned from being in school for the better part of a decade (and the majority of my life) its that you don't always get things the way you want them, but that having to take the long route brings even better rewards.

SO to any of those parents out there that have a child getting into post secondary. Want more for your children than for yourselves. Never tell them they can't do anything, and always encourage them to follow their dreams. AND NEVER BE A DICK LIKE THE KNOB AND TELL YOUR KID THEIR STUPID. You kids are listening to you, and you will burn in hell for being a jerk. And remember, they pick your resting home, and all I can say is that there is a nice spot in the same home that poor nice lady from Happy Gilmore, just waiting for you Knob.

My sad little addiction

I'm sorry I can't help myself. Stupid Vampire Diaries.

Is anyone else not still gut wrenched over last nights episode????

Come on how freaking heart-wrenchingly beautiful was Damon last night???? The whole moment at the end was just heart breathtakingly resplendent and sigh inducing.

I know how pathetic it is for me as a 20 something female that is so in love with this show but I cannot seem to get this moment out of my head, in fact its been haunting me all day.

"No its right. Its just not right now"

Oh my god. How on the head was that? Its the story of the entire show. In 8 words total, the entire season can be summed up in that one moment, that one scene, that one perfect set of lines. That definitively crafted, and beautifully articulated two lines blended into one extraordinaire moment of lucid honesty.

"No its right. Its just not right now".

And my heart continues to twist. My 13 year old inner girly girl continues to squeal.

The Naked Shirt.

You all know you have something like this hanging in your closet. I know you do. Its the article of clothing that for whatever reason, when you wear it, you can take on the world. Whether its your power blazer, your favourite red shoes, or your amazing little black dress, you put it on and suddenly you're transformed. You are out for the kill and you are out for a good time. And for me that article is my Naked Shirt.

My Naked Shirt is a beige (slightly more pinky than browny beige) tank top with the back made of lace. Its stretchy and a bit clingy but the kicker here is that it basically blends right into my skin, giving the illusion of nudity, and really you don't feel like you're wearing much either, so ya I call it my Naked Shirt.

Why and how did I come to buying such a shirt? A quiet non partier like me? WELL really the reason is kind of petty, I had to go to a party a few years back and I wasn't all that excited about the other guests that were going to be there. Highschool is an awkward time for everyone and people aren't always the nicest to each other so when I was faced with dealing with someone who hadn't always been the nicest to me, and apparently thought I hadn't been very nice to her and that was the problem, well...I decided that I was going to go to the party looking hot, and oozing confidence even if it killed me. So when out shopping I found a shirt that made me feel just that. And thus, I came into the posession of the Naked Shirt.

Needless to say that night was a total sucess. With the help of my sister BB and the Naked Shirt, I looked and felt amazing, and was able to insure the party hostess (who also happened to be the birthday girl) had an awesome time, and I made sure she had lots of male company all night (I just found out today that my friend Fido used the birthday girl to try and get me to go home with him....siiiigh....night try Fido...but at least he kept her well "hydrated" all night for free). Free drinks all night, and a following of male companions? Yes I was out for trouble that night, and pretty much any other time I've worn the Naked Shirt

Anyways. I digress. So with all this start of a new year and me trying to let go of all old Ghosts, I've been doing a big purge. Threw out papers I would never need, reorganized photo albums and pictures, cleaned out my CD collection of all those junker burnt mixed CDs that are so scratched they don't play, and started to purge my closet. Upon doing so I came across my beloved Naked Shirt, and with hesitation I decided to leave it in my closet. The lace on the back is starting to look a bit worse for wear and it really isn't something I would wear out anymore, but for whatever reason I simply cannot let it go!

In fact while trying to decide if I should just get rid of it, I ended up talking myself into a circle and deciding that it just needed to stay in my closet even if I never wore it again because it was The Naked Shirt! I couldn't possibly thow out something that makes me feel so powerful and ready to take on the world! I couldn't possibly be mature enough or old enough that I couldn't wear something like that anymore! I mean I may be getting old but I sure as shit don't have to act like it or dress like a granny yet.

Even worse was today while out shopping with T, we found a really wicked sale going on. And guess what I bought? The Naked Shirt 2.0. I feel troubles a brewing...and perhaps? Its time to take both shirts out for a spin......

Sorry. Can't do it!

I'm sorry. I simply cannot do it. I cannot get into yet another movie about a horse. I am not a horse person, I never have been, probably never will be. It's just not who I am. Even when I was a little girl I never really had any big girly fantsies about horses. Sure they are cute and pretty bad ass, but I never had that thing where it was like "I WANT A PONY!!".

I mean I even grew up on a farm. If any girl was going to want to have a horse or horse back ride, it was me. I lived right next door to a stable. It had horse back riding lessons. Never once did it really occur to me to say "Hey mom? Can I take lessons?". And I never really cared to watch movies like Black Beauty, or Seabiscit, or National Velvet (To be honest I had to look those up to say what movies I haven't seen...because I haven't seen them).

In fact after looking up "Popular Horse Movies" I noticed that I had seen two that show up on many lists. "The Horse Whisperer" and "Hildago". Horse Whisperer I saw because I read the book, and just loved the book (which to be honest wasn't really about horses more about the pain and suffering one goes through) and Hildago I saw because a friend of mine had an enormous crush on Viggo Mortensen after his role in Lord of the Rings. I'm pretty sure I owed her one so I went with her. Didn't like the movie much in either case. The book is always better and well I'm not a huge Viggo Mortensen fan so it was all the same to me. But I digress. I'm just not a horse person. I'm not afraid of them or anything, I'm just indifferent.

SO that all being said. I simply cannot get myself excited for the new movie War Horse. I get that there is going to be a ton of historical background going on that is extremely significant to everyone on this planet because of the way the wars played out. I get that. But do I think one specific horse really would have changed all that? Sorry. Not buying it. Everyone seems to just be piddling all over themselves about this movie.

Huge press associated with it, buzz over it winning Oscars. Movie proceeds going to Prince Williams charity fund so of course him and his wife were at the premiere which also brought in huge press. Really? I think the media is blowing it way out of proportion. But thats what their job is right? Get people excited to go see the movie and spend the 14 bucks on a movie tix to keep them employed?

Do I really think it matters that Steven Spielberg is involved with it? Nope not at all. That man may have brought to life Saving Private Ryan, Letters from Iwo Jima, Jurrasic Park and the ever ground breaking Schindler's List, but he's also had his name attached to movies that were way less sucessful, and way less intense. After looking the dude up on IMDB I determined that he hasn't ever really had a big "flop" but, I don't know I just can't believe someone so use to being associated with big success would think another pony movie would have a niche. (Fun fact? He was the executive producer on Pinky and the Brain...yes the animated series about the rats that try to take over the world)

Then again maybe its just me? Maybe there is a market out there for this movie and will be extremely successful? But I'm sorry. It's not worth my hard earned $14.

So close....yet sooo happy.

I promised I would be better. I was determined to put it all off, and by this point I had decided I no longer even cared because it was time to get on with more important things. And yet. Here I am. I know I didn't make any sort of resolution to not watch it, or any resolutions to do with TV. But yet again. Here I am. I caved. I watched
Vampire Diaries. And holy mother effer I am SOO happy its pathetic.

I cannot express how insanely happy I am, and it shames me to an insanely sad amount. Sorry for the bubble burst but Vampire Diaries Elena and Damon finally cut through a tiny subset of the insane sexual tension between these two characters that personally has been driving my me crazy since season two.

And then I watched a heart breaking episode of Greys Anatomy. Now I really need to get off my ass and do something scholarly. Which I will do because I'm a 13 year old girl in a 25 year old's body, and my inner 13 year old is squealing with delight that they finally kissed. Shhhhiiiiiiigggghh...

Even if I did shoot my new determination to let TV go........

SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Don't Mess With A Volunteer

As anyone who knows me knows plainly, I volunteer. A lot. And this year will be no exception when it comes to skating events. I'm currently trying to get a promotion with the skating organization but its been a little more difficult than previously anticipated mostly because the timing has been all off.

Next year the face of Canadian Sports is going to change. All Federally funded sports are changing over to a Young Athlete Development program.So with all the changes that are going to take place next year, I am desperately trying to get better trained now so that when the changes take effect I am still considered a useful asset to skating, and not someone who yet again gets stuck in the change up. All this means that I spent my entire morning updating all the computers starting crazy data input for all the skaters.

That being said, I usually volunteer at the actual competitions, so when I get there all the input has been done ahead of time. I've never really had to do all the grunt work, I know how to make changes to the paperwork should I need to but the actual manual input of all the skaters and all the events? Haven't actually ever worked on a competition, I've only done practice events at clinics. Well turns out there is a huge difference!

The way that one registures for a skating competition in theory sounds simple enough, you go online, you fill out all the skaters information and then you punch in your credit card information and PRESTO, you're entered. The online registration company then emails the chief of the competition the spreadsheet will all necessary information from the online registration, and from there we get it, check it over, manipulate the snot out of it, and use it to do the entry into the system for the competition scoring system.

Now. I say in theory this is simple because apparently people registuring for the competition are learning how to screw this up 8 ways to Sunday. They put in all the wrong information and then some poor volunteer like me has to go and sort it all out and figure out just why the hell the system is rejecting the informationg.

Now I complain but really I guess its better than when we used to get the HAND WRITTEN forms and had to decipher what the form said before MANUALLY typing it all up and then MANUALLY putting it into the computer. However! Where it gets super fustrating (like it wasn't before) is the fact that we have numberous coaches and parents bitching about the new system. They hate the online reg, and they have having to put a planned program sheet into the computer weeks before the skater is set to compete.

Now. I realize that I am a volunteer which means I signed up to be here. No one is holding a gun to me head telling me I have to do all this work and deal with all these persnickity people. That being said, seeing as no parents want to be responsible for the competition, and don't want to fill out forms neatly or lend a hand doing the data entry, I really think they lose their right to complain about the online registration and planned program sheet (which literally is just one sheet of paper that has an outline of the programs elements which speeds up the event emmensely so that the tech pannel has some notion of whats going to go into the computer...god forbid we as you to help us volunteers out).

I guess really this whole post is me complaining about the complaints we poor volunteers seem to get from day one of setting up a competition. I guess my biggest hope is that a parent or a coach will stumble upon this page and realize, that we are just that. VOLUNTEERS. We donate HOURS of our free time MONTHS before the competition and then we spend an entire weekend getting your kids/students on that ice, through a program and off the ice with results and hopefully a medal, and unlike the parents/coaches, we don't get the thanks from the skater or paid like the coach. So if we're politely asking you to help us have to skip a couple steps and take hours of our set up time away? I would say just do it. Here's why:

We sit for hours and set up the competitions because we want to have your kids/students come to the rink and be successful, WE DO NOT sit for hours and ask the parents/coaches to take half an hour (tops) to carefully fill out the online registration forms and planned program sheets because we are crazy anal retentive bitches. We want your kid to come to the rink, skate, and leave without any issues.

If we really wanted to torture you, we'd go back to the manual matrix system. You know where the average results came out approximately 3-4 hours after the event? Not the half hour your used to? Oh I'm sorry have you never heard of those days? Well they happened, should things continue to get worse and people complain anymore, I'm going to start suggesting we use it again. Because while I remember that we're here for the kids, if you don't realize it, the old system required a hell of a lot less grunt time...which means we still get your kid on the ice, off the ice, and hopefully with a medal...but you have to entertain them for 3-4 hours at the rink waiting to find out where they placed. Tell me...would you really want that to happen?

Don't mess with the Data Specialists.

Ahhhh

Ahhh...behold a new year! Starts off so nicely doesn't it? We all let go of past indescretions in hopes that the new year will bring us new understanding and new surprises. Well I may not be a psychic or even really all that smart, but I can garuntee that any new year will bring many surprises your way.

I love the start of a new year. This year particularly, after having such a topsy turvy last year, I am determined to keep a positive mind and a fresh attitude.

But of course the start of a new year also always leads to new years resolutions. Now I'm not sure why I even make these because they never last.  I seem to get part way through January and it all goes to hell. Well not always. One year I was determined to get into better shape and T and I ran in a 10 km race. I ended up screwing up my back in the process....but I digress.

This year when pondering new resolutions I decided that there is absolutely no point in making resolutions to do things that are just never bloody well going to happen. I'm not going to stop drinking coffee or exercise more. BUT maybe I can do the things that I should be doing anyways. So here they are.

My New Year's Resolutions
1. Drink more water.
I know I drink way too much coffee and pop. I know its bad for me. But its not about to change. I don't smoke or do drugs or drink alcohol all that often, I bloody well will enjoy something bad for me. SO maybe instead of giving up something I love because its bad for me I will try to do something to dilute it. Hence the drinking more water. It also leads to things like better joint mobility (because they are then better lubricated) better skin quality (what girl doesn't want that??) and aids in digestion which can also lead to better metabolism (again what girl doesn't want that???). See good things all around, and I can keep my dirty little habit.

2. Get more sleep at night
Ugh. I have a bad habit of staying up too late watching TV on my computer. With my computer on in my bedroom it becomes way too easy to just watch "one more thing". So my goal is to just turn off my computer more and then I hopefully will got to bed sooner at night. More sleep leads to better memory retention and as a result of sleeping more I will hopefully be a nicer morning person. I'm not stupid enough to deny myself my TV shows but I am going to try and turn off my computer earlier in the day.

3. Cook and bake more
I don't cook a whole lot. And when I do I tend to stick to things that I eat all the time so I don't really care much for food. I think there is a whole other side to food that I don't really know or care about. Some people are always chatting about places they go to eat or food they've made, and I don't really seem to have the desire for food that they do. SO in an attempt to better myself and learn something new, I want to cook and bake more. I've actually already started this resolution. Over the last few days I've made red velvet cupcakes (they were a bit of a disaster....), cinnamon buns (which turned out pretty tasty) and caramel apple upside down cake (it looked AMAZING...I sent it to a potluck that I didn't attend tonight so I didn't get to try any). I really like baking, but cooking doesn't really interest me. So that will be the struggle for me. I'm one of those people that uses food as a means to be able to lead the crazy lifestyle I lead, but no so much as something I really sit down and savor or enjoy. SO I want to try and change that. Besides, learning how to cook without killing someone? Can't be a bad skill to have in my back pocket.

So there you go. There are my resolutions. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top. I guess like my attitidue towards life right now, I just want things to be calm smooth sailing, and I think my resolutions will make that even more possible!

What are your resolutions?