I felt lucky this morning. My timing was good. By the time I walked to the train station, there was some worker making an announcement about there being a bit of a backlog. The trains were stopped for about 20 minutes earlier in the morning due to a medical emergency at another station.

Before I found out how long the trains were stopped, my first thoughts were "oh no...how long will I have to wait" and "is there another way for me to get to work?" When I got to the station, the trains were just starting up again. Yes, there was a bit of a crowd. We were told to not go up to the platform in order to let the first wave of people go first. Some people thought they were so smart so sneak by and use the elevator. I knew taking the elevator was do-able, but I didn't see the point. The wait wasn't going to be very long.

When I found out the trains were stopped for only 20 minutes and it was for a medical emergency, I felt relief. I also hoped whoever needed the medical attention got it.

I didn't get a seat on the train but no biggie... I was still able to read my book!

I dunno...even with the train delay and the packed people, I probably only had to wait 15 minutes to get on the train, and I got to work about 10 minutes later than I had originally anticipated.

A coworker of mine who lives close to me who also takes the train didn't come into the office today. I guess he had gone to the train station and went back home. He sent out an email saying that there was a delay with the train and that he hoped it wouldn't happen again. I'm guessing he didn't stick around to get the full story. But when I read his email, I thought...the delay shouldn't have been that long and that the delay was caused by a medical emergency. I don't think anyone wished for that to happen. So sorry his day-to-day life was complicated in such a big way because of someone else.

This coworker eats a big bowl of rice with some other dinner leftovers when he's in the office. He brings his own chopsticks too. I don't say anything about his diet (if I felt like it was my business, I'd tell him to cut down on his rice), but he thinks it's okay to make comments about the food I bring -- the amount in particular.

Yeah, I bring a bag of food to work with me every day, and the bag is bigger than my purse. It holds enough food for 2 meals. I eat small meals multiple times throughout the day. I guess most people bring a lunch to work and eat once throughout the work day. But I'm not like that.

I'll have no contact with the outside world for several days. I'm a little scared of what's to come.

I am scared of having to open up and share myself with a group of people. I don't know why I'm scared. I know that being around open people has benefited me, and I know nobody will judge me.

I worry about what food there is going to be. It's going to be "ranch food". What the heck is ranch food? I hope it's good and healthy. I don't want anything with creamy sauces, that's deep-fried or starchy. I want lots of vegetables and lean meat. 

And I can't believe how much stuff I have to bring...a big suitcase (because the smaller one wasn't big enough); a garbage to hold a cushion, my sleeping bag, a yoga mat, and probably my pillow; a big backpack to hold 16 bottles of water and other food; a smaller backpack to hold my stationery; and a cooler to hold my supplements.

*sigh*

I am also giving someone else a ride. She hasn't exactly contacted me to sort out the details. It would be great if I didn't need to pick her up. I was also looking forward to driving there by myself so I could enjoy the drive and not have to worry about conversation and keeping someone else's life safe!

That was how my cousin described me. I was happy to hear it!

She is embarking on a new journey soon and there is fear. It's kind of crazy how she's changed in the last couple of years. She went from a bratty, selfish person to someone who's more earthy. I guess you could say she's grown more beautiful on the inside. My head says she's a little crazy for forging ahead in life without a map. But on the other hand, I feel she will do just fine, and I admire her for going after her dreams and trying to find herself.

I think a lot of people go through life thinking "I wish I had..." and for her to knock off at least one of those potential regrets is awesome. I am going to miss her! We were living a lot closer together in the last 8 months, but I have a feeling she won't really be coming back even if she is going to pass through.

Oooh, this past weekend I baked an apple skillet cake. It was SO easy to make and it was SO delicious. I think I ate 2/3 of it. I would definitely bake it again. 

Our receptionist had her last day on Friday. I thought she was great. My favourite coworker chatted to me about her departure and how she had no idea. I told her what I knew also mentioning that she would be looking for a new job once she was able to (She and her husband moved back east.). My coworker (who needs a nickname...The Mommy?) made some sort of comment about "who knows how long it will take for her find a job in this economy even if someone is good." I responded with "I'm sure it won't take her long to find something,"  and then my coworker said, "who knows if she will like the job." Blah blah blah... My coworker put way too much energy into thinking about our old receptionist's DIRE chances of finding a job and one that she liked. Holy.

And then she told me about a chat she had with one of our team members. Apparently he is not that fond of some of our boss' methodologies. Basically, our boss asks us to change the things we've already done a lot, and there could be more consistency. Anyway, our boss has been extremely busy with other projects, so I said that since he was busy, it was our perfect opportunity to do what we wanted with our products. When the team does something that works, I've found that our boss usually just goes with it even if he makes a few comments and wants us to get feedback from other people. Anyway, this coworker didn't see our boss' absence as an opportunity. "He'll just make us change everything back."

I don't know why my coworker's negativity bothers me so much. I am wasting too much energy on her.

Edit: Apple skillet cake Recipe link: http://www.kingarthurflour.co...

My trainer said to me, "you have great legs. I'm sure people tell you all the time."

I was mulling over that...There are a couple of people who tell me regularly, but no...people don't tell me all the time! I've received some compliments in the past, but the put downs I remember just as well.

One guy said to me, "your legs are NOT feminine at all," and my Chinese culture favours slender stick legs.

I'd like to have smaller legs but keep all the muscle definition. BWAHAHA

A few weeks ago, I slept funny, and I had neck pain. The pain went down around my shoulder blade, and now it's still bothering me. In fact, it's even more irritated. I wonder what kind of professional I should be seeking for this. And should I work my shoulders tomorrow when I do my workout?!?!?

A friend often sends me text messages with complaints or observations about people. The latest one was about someone with horrible BO. I know I have alluded to him that doesn't always small fresh but I'm not sure he wanted to admit it. Anyway, who is he to judge someone's odour when he can stink too?

It's not always easy remembering to not judge.

Soon I will have my trainer design me a meal plan. I'm really curious as to what it's going to look like. He talks about things missing from my diet. And I don't think he likes animal fat. I'm trying to follow the primal lifestyle and balance my workouts! This will most definitely be interesting. He says he's excited to do meal planning with me. I wonder if he suggests it to all his clients. He thinks with his meal planning, I could realise my full potential, physically. I don't doubt it actually. He says I have great legs and a good physique (what is that, anyway!? I don't get it), but it's all covered up currently. I'd love to have the body I envision in my mind. 

And it looks like the tech writing market is picking up. I've seen 4 ads from the Society of  Technical Communication in the last week. Usually it's one ad every few months, maybe? And a recruiter contacted me on LinkedIn. Sometimes I think I need to gain some skills that are more up-to-date. The thing is that the kind of courses I'd want are not offered. It's like I need to learn on my own. I don't have that drive.

I ought to update my resume. It's going to require a new layout since I'll need to go onto the next page.

I hardly eat fruit anymore, but I can't stop buying apples!!

At the apple festival last month, I bought 16 bags of apples; each were 3 - 4 pounds each.

Yesterday I bought 14 pounds of apples! I couldn't resist the price!! And what I could do with the apples!

I thought I had gotten better with the stocking up issue. Stocking up was something I picked up from my dad when I was living at home. He would buy tonnes of an item if they were on sale. I used to do that too until I moved to a condo. Now there isn't much room for stocking up.

I recently decided that I no longer want to live in a condo. I want to live in a house! I don't know if I'd enjoy living in a townhouse, but I'd like something more homey and less woman-on-her-own. I love my condo; it's a great space. What I do not love is my neighbours above me playing music at all hours of the night, any day of the week. I can take it if it's once in a while and someone is having a party, but a few nights a week?? I don't hear a peep from them during the day but once I'm in bed...let the good times roll (for them). 

And people in our garage usually do not wait for the door to close before the drive off. There have been times where I drove home and the garage door is wide open! And then if you do wait for the door to close before driving off, some impatient driver honks or passes you! I want to live somewhere where my quality of life isn't decreased by some dumbasses.

Oh! Back to stocking up! I picked up 24 tins of salmon today. It's good quality stuff! But man, was it heavy carrying it in my backpack.

It was the Vancouver Asian Film Festival again this past weekend. It was great to be around that energy. It's not a huge festival but I love seeing passionate filmmakers and films. I think next year, I'll do other stuff than just volunteer during the festival. For the last few years, they keep asking me why I don't become an exec. I just wasn't ready to put in the time. But when I see how some of the festival is run, I think I can offer some valuable input. After all, I've been volunteering for the festival since 2003 (except last year).

I only saw a few films this year since I wanted some time for myself. I saw What It Takes, which was a documentary about an inspiring principal of a high school in the Bronx. I also watched Dim Sum Funeral, which I was highly anticipating. The acting was fantastic and all that but the ending really disappointed me. And last night ended with The Call Centre -- totally hilarious mockumentary about people working in a Mumbai call centre -- and The People I've Slept With. That film was really good -- loved the storyline, loved the characters, loved the acting. The movie is about a promiscuous woman who gets pregnant, but she's not sure who the father is. She has a quest to find the father. The best part was that she kept photos of all her lovers and on the back, she would write their names, a nickname, and the length and girth of their penis.

All I could think was...how brilliant! I should have done that. When I was dating a lot, I always blogged about my dates, and every guy got a nickname. BWAHAHAHA Only I never took photos of guys I was dating. I never wanted to remember them. 

Speaking of remembering, bawdy was in my thoughts on the weekend. I'm not ready to post any more about him, but perhaps I will write a post some day about my thoughts on friends made over the Internet.

Every time my trainer gives me a piece of advice, I give thanks for the freebie!! He will not divulge much more without me paying him more! I guess that is good that he sets boundaries.

Anyway, I haven't been feeling hungry lately, which is alright, but I'm expending much more energy these days and my workouts are intense. I asked my trainer if I was eating enough or if it was okay to not eat if I wasn't feeling hungry. He jokingly said, "I know this great guy who could answer that question for you and he could set you up with something!" I laughed. He's been on me about getting him to set up a meal plan for me when I'm ready.

I guess I am ready now, but ...I am full of excuses as to what I don't want it done. I fear change!

We worked on my legs today. I used muscles I didn't even know I had!

I also pre-ordered a Wii game for myself, and now I feel guilty for spending money on myself that I ought to be saving. And then I found other games that I'm really interested in...like Band Hero. I've had some interest in DJ Hero for a while, but what is the difference between that and DJ Hero: Renegade Edition? I wish I knew of the best website that would give me this kind of info! And reviews!!

I am loving the new Weezer album. They were my favourite band of all time at one point, and then a couple of their albums disappointed me. The last two have been great...They have grown.

I first heard Weezer when I saw their Buddy Holly video. I loved the video so much that I just bought the CD. It was the last one on the shelf, and it was the best $10 I ever spent. I turned out to loooove the CD, and I listened to it every day for I don't know how long. I joined the fan club too.

Of all the times Weezer has been in town, I've only not chosen to buy tickets for their shows twice (when they opened for No Doubt -- at the time I didn't care for No Doubt -- and last fall (?)) -- another time the show was sold out and I couldn't get tickets. I think I have seen them 3 or 4 times?? One time they canceled a show because three of their close friends died in a car accident. Two of them ran their fan club.

Anyway, I'm totally thrilled about their new album. Last weekend, I copied over all my Weezer to my iPod and listened to every single song. Some of them I didn't know very well since I only listened to the albums I didn't like a couple of times. But I am ready to get re-acquainted with Weezer!! I must get all the Rock Band games with their songs on it too!!

There is a specific bath product I use and it's getting more difficult to find. I like the firm "sloofahs" when I use my bath gel. I don't like the loose poofy ones. Anyway, at this point, only ~H2O+ has such products. Well, drugstores probably have them too...I haven't looked very hard since I like sticking with the same product if I like it.

Anyway, every year, near Christmas time, they have sales...be it 25% or save more when you spend more. I got the long-awaited email for 25% off...Turns out they only have one store left in BC. Not a huge deal...not the most convenient but still do-able. I decided to look at the online coupon again. Turns out they have the store locations listed BUT the one in Vancouver is closed right now for renovations. They're not due to re-open until end of November!! GRRRRR !!!!

But...now I don't have to make the trek there, and I've saved myself some money. Woo!

On the train this morning, I saw someone holding on to the handrail with newspaper wrapped around it. On the bus, I used to see a guy who would put newspaper down before sitting on the seat (I think he was toilet-trained...). I started wondering...which is better? To get newspaper ink on your hands or the remnants of what people leave behind when they use their bare hands on the poles and rails?

I didn't think too much about the justice of the peace who wouldn't marry interracial couples. I did think "oh how American." He didn't want to marry interracial couples because he felt their children would suffer. Interesting. And presumptuous. I'm glad he resigned. People like him keep the world judgmental and segregated.

Interracial couples are just so common to me, but hey, that's because of where I live. I always thought it was really cool that my aunt married not one but two white men. I don't remember what my grandparents thought of her husbands. My mom did encourage me a couple of times to date Chinese men and so did my aunt. But that is as far as it got. For other families, it could have been a bigger deal.

I read a story today about this Chinese girl who used to pretend to play hide and seek at her (predominantly white) school so people wouldn't notice she didn't have any friends. It brought me back to my childhood. I never did that. I didn't have to. Skin colour was just not an issue.  I never felt like I was different from all the other kids. I think at the time, maybe 25% of my class was Asian. It just wasn't a big deal. How lucky I was to grow up in that kind of environment. Kids in my class got teased more for being fat. And well, for me, it was my last name.

*yawn* I had a pretty good workout today with my trainer. I wonder what a full hour with him would be like. He noticed I was looking lean today; such a difference when I'm not retaining water!! He keeps wanting me to do more cardio. EW. But I will do as much as I can. Next month, I can definitely do more workouts!! YEAH!!

I've booked myself for a consultation with a laser eye surgery clinic. The fear of what may come from the consult brings a bit of excitement also. Surgery isn't something anyone really wants to go through, right??

I would love to have perfect or near perfect vision.

I hear these surgeries are quick, but the details sound gross with flaps of the eyeball being cut and put aside.

I don't even know if I am eligible for the surgery, but I would really like to find out.

My vision is somewhere around -10.25 in each eye. Believe it or not, my vision got better one year and has been pretty stable! I've been wearing glasses since I was in the 2nd grade and contacts since 8th. When I was younger, my eyes had a change of about -1.00 every year.

Not my favourites...I don't plan on buying these ones again! NOw, what can I use them for?

It was a long weekend for me. I was coaching the 2nd weekend of a course. It was draining, but I enjoyed it. I do feel blah now though. Prior to the weekend I was feeling super happy! I think it had to do with seeing my trainer -- knowing that he is ultra observant and me getting my monye's worth is awesome. My bodyfat has also dropped 3.1% since my last assessment. I'm now at 25%. I thought I was going to be around that point when I first started but I guess not.

This week I vow to not eat any unnatural sweets until the weekend. And then I will reward myself with some of my own home baking. I'm volunteering for the Vancouver Asian Film Fesitval again this year. I think I am almost done volunteering for them for a while. Once I get the T-shirt, that will be it, right?? BWAHAHAHA

This weekend, I learned about shadows...and our shadow side. This is the side you want to hide from people. I've been thinking a lot about my shadows. I'm supposed to embrace them, but I'm not quite sure how. But once I do, life will be easier. Things about other people will not bother me because I won't have any issues with it.

For example, one of the things that I like most about myself is that I am true to my word. I get really angry when other people don't keep their word. I just need to face my issues about being unreliable (what is the word for people who keep their word? There must be an adjective...).

I can't view my old posts or my blog. I wonder if this will get posted.

In the past, I've always backed up all my blog posts by copying and pasting them to a Word document. I haven't done that at all this year. I keep meaning to. I must not wait any longer! As soon as my blog is accessible, I'm copying all those suckers!

Anyway, I had my body comp assessment today. My bodyfat percentage has dropped 3.1% since my last assessment! I was thrilled! I thought I went down like 1 - 2%. I also thought it might be higher today since I'm all bloated. Unfortunately, when I get assessed again next month, I will be in the exact same situation.

What situation is that? My goodness, I am loving my trainer. That's not the situation. But today he asked me where I was in my cycle. He had a feeling. I asked him how he knew, and he replied with, "it's my job." Anyway, later on, he told me he could tell I was retaining water. How observant is he?!!? 

I wish I wasn't retaining water right now...Since my last assessment, I'd gained 3 pounds. But since last week, I'd gained about 6 pounds, 4 from yesterday. How crazy is water retention!! I think I'd be consuming a little too much salt in the last few days though...all accidentally!!

I'm wearing some high quality jeans. I've had them for several years and they haven't stretched out. They've been fabulous! I do know that I have to be a certain size for them to feel comfortable. It's a joy when I can pull them on and do them up and not bulge over!

Anyway, I don't know how I discovered this, but I *just* discovered it ...by looking down at my crotch I guess. But my jeans are extremely worn out on my right inner thigh. Skin is only being covered by some dense threads!! My left inner thigh is experiencing something similar but not to the same degree. It's only starting to fray on the left.

I hope nobody notices, and I hope these holes don't get any bigger today!!!

I know I've prided myself in being a power Google user, but I haven't been able to find a specific recipe I had bookmarked and then deleted.

I know some websites are not optimised for search engines, but still...*sniff*

I baked some cranberry pumpkin muffins a couple of weeks ago and thought the recipe wasn't worth saving. But I keep thinking about those muffins now and wish I had kept the printout! I also deleted the bookmark. Maybe there is a better pumpkin muffin recipe out there where I can just add in some fresh cranberries.

I would really like to see that recipe again!

Lululemon has come out with a new sports bra called the Ta Ta Tamer, and it appears the only colour it comes in right now is WHITE!

This bra is made for bustier ladies.

I guess it is meant to be worn under the clothes and not by itself.

A coworker of mine introduced me to someone that was going to be working in our office for 3 months...only she kept using the wrong name. I thought about correcting her, but I didn't want to embarrass her.

I didn't seem so bothered that she got my name wrong because she knows who I am when we see each other.

I've been trying to find a good mineral makeup line, but I like to try before I buy. Unfortunately, the brands in the stores don't interest me, and ultimately I would like someone to teach me how to use it. Over the summer, Affera Cosmetics had a booth at one of the farmer's markets so I tried out her stuff. Since the lighting was horrible, I ended up getting the wrong shades for my face. She kindly exchanged what I had purchased, but the new colour still isn't really a good match for me.

Her prices are not cheap. And I don't think the value I got for foundation was very good. The darker colour I had purchased was good...my face wasn't shiny at the end of the day. But the colour I'm using now...it's not yellow enough, and there are large pieces of powder in the container, and it doesn't provide enough coverage Anyway, for my next credit card cycle, I'll buy some samples from another website that has gotten good reviews.

I also watched UFC for the first time on the weekend! It was a little gruesome but riveting at the same time. I would like to watch some more!!!!!!

Voldemort's tardiness really sucks. I wish he would do something about it. He was 45 minutes late for reservations he made for a group on Saturday night. He's always late!!

And the fall Vancouver rains have begun. The boots I bought last year...ones that I bought from a store that sells raingear...now leak. My feet do not stay dry in these shoes!!!

My trainer complimented my legs today. *teehee* But they could be even better ONCE I CHANGE MY DIET.

I am fully aware of my progress being an impeded by the fact that I am still eating certain kinds of carbs...(hello, my lovely baking). Basically I need to cut those out. I'm not ready yet. However, after my next body comp assessment, I probably will...just for the home stretch. I really am dying to do more baking with my pumpkin and apples. I have found one awesome blog does uses sugar free (and gluten free?)  baking. Unfortunately, she's sort of on hiatus right now.

I also need to do intense workouts on my own; only it's hard to push myself when I am by myself.

And running...time to get back into that too. I won't let my shin splints get the best of me!

Tonight I am going to bake peanut butter cookies for Voldemort's birthday. I hope he still likes peanut butter. I also really need to get some more eye drops. My eyes have been extra dry the last couple of days. I don't think I am dehydrated though.

I do not want to be addicted to sugar again.

Thankfully, the sweets I am currently eating do not bring me pleasure, and I am finding them way too sweet!

I have been trying to read up on sugar substitutes like xylitol, erythritol and stevia. But I hear that that stuff can also be toxic. Sounds like we just need to avoid sweets for the most part.

I'm also trying to find a good oil for my stir fries. I've used canola for a long time, but now people are saying grapeseed oil is great! On the other hand, grapeseed oil is high in Omega 6s and we are consuming too much of those. Why couldn't someone come out with a grapeseed blend with canola or olive oil??

I plan on roasting pumpkins again this weekend! Can't wait!!

Ever since I moved out of my last place, I've been in my strata's bad books.

They tried to fine me for not providing enough notice when my tenant moved in. They sent me a letter but they made typos and didn't specify enough detail for them to "catch" me. I sent my response with proof that I had provided sufficient move-out notice. (They said move-in and move-out in the letter, so I picked move-out one.) I asked for a written response which I never received.

Instead, I received another a letter yesterday saying that my tenant didn't provide a specific form within two weeks of moving in. I asked the property manager I hired for some more information about the incident. He showed me that they had submitted the form. Maybe my old strata will find try to find something else to ding me with. I have to hand it to them for being efficient in making sure things are run they want them run. (Great revenue generators them little things.)

Anyway, I had a payment deducted from my account for some fee which wasn't even for my property. I am waiting to get some clarification on that. I think it's also almost time for me to dispute a charge that billed to me a month or two ago at my old place. They were checking fire alarms and they weren't able to test my suite because I had already moved out. On the bill it says they did not test my unit, yet they want me to pay. 

Hmm.

And where is bawdy??

I've been really congested for months, and I'm not sure what the reason is. I can't taste much.

I would really like to enjoy tasting the things I make! Tonight I plan on baking cranberry pumpkin muffins.

I really need to do something about my oven. Does anyone know the trick to moving an oven? My oven is slanted, and I would really like to have it on an even flooring, so my food cooks evenly. That would be the ultimate treat for me.

I baked my first pie on the weekend!! I was really nervous about the pie crust but it turned out okay!!!! Okay for a first timer anyway :) And I made pumpkin pie. I really enjoyed it. Now I just need help with consuming it!!

Mr. Nick and I spent a very rainy Saturday morning and afternoon at an Apple Festival. I had told myself I wouldn't go overboard this year. We (er, I) seem to buy more and more apples every year. This year I bought 16 bags. Each bag has AT LEAST 3 pounds of apples each. I have about 120 apples drying in my living room. We needed to dry them out so they don't rot when I put them back in their bags. I am really looking forward to cooking with them. I used to eat an apple a day but I don't eat as much fruit as I used to. I almost only eat fruit after a workout.

I hope the numbers that are inching back up on the scale is due to the muscle I've been getting back. I don't like that the bodyfat percentage is going back up either. Maybe it would help if I stopped eating sweets...Duh. BWAHAHAA I wonder how accurate my bodyfat scale is. It probably isn't but I just needed something to gauge my progress at home.

Oh! And my work contract has been extended until the end of March 2010!! What a relief that I don't have to be job hunting at this time of year!!! I'll keep hoping that they will continue to extend my contract!!

I had a great workout this morning. I didn't get dizzy! My trainer told me that I was the strongest female that he was currently training. He said that I give up too quickly when it comes to completing a set. Anyway, he wants me to be his strongest and leanest. At some point I'm going to have him design a meal plan for me. I wonder how easy it will be to follow. Anyway, my body is tired.

I've been having a lot internal discussion with myself in regards to me working on my personal development and leadership and how I see my relationship with Mr. Nick. I do worry about how things will play out since we are not on the same path in that regard. It is okay that he is not interested in personal development. He doesn't do anything to hold me back -- not that he goes out of his way to support me. That is okay, too. I know like-minded individuals who can support me that way.

What has been bothering me lately is that I perceive him to treat me like an enemy as opposed to an ally. Maybe I need to stop telling him my opinions. I'm not out to get him, and I do want to see him achieve his dreams. I feel like he already thinks that I am not going to be supportive of whatever he does before I even say anything. I don't know if it's possible to be in a relationship with someone when there's that kind of disconnect. It saddens me to observe this.

Last night I took him to a presentation about the courses I took. I've expressed to him several times how this one course in particular would really benefit him and us. For me, I gained a lot of insight into how I approach life, and it made me realise that now is the time for me to do the things I've always wanted to do. Because if I died tomorrow, I would feel like my life was not complete yet. I would want more time.

Anyway, one exercise during the presentation we did was to write down things that we've wanted to do in life. Mr. Nick did not want to share those things with me. Of all the people in the world to share your dreams with, wouldn't one of the top people be your partner? And as for his reluctance to take the course, he said he was afraid that I wouldn't like to see him gain something from it in the case that our relationship didn't benefit from it. Who thinks that about their girlfriend?

I'm not sure if I want to get it off my chest directly with him now or if I should just change my actions (and reactions) over time.

I'm meeting my old coach for coffee at a Tim Hortons tonight before I go to group hypnosis.

There is nothing that I can consume at Tim Hortons. If it was a fancier coffee place, I'd have more choices.

I do not drink coffee because I am highly sensitive to caffeine.

Same reason I do not drink tea.

I could get a hot chocolate but it's just sugar water. No thanks.

Maybe I will just have a juice but even that is sugary.

I will not be eating doughnuts either.

Maybe I should get a decaf latte! I think that might be my only choice?! Ooh or a decaf mocha?!

Today they're going to announce all the road closures and parking restrictions through the city of Vancouver when the Olympics are happening. I can't wait experience them! I'm not sure how different it's going to feel in the city.

My office is planning on shutting down for those two weeks. Everyone has been encouraged to use their vacation days during that time. I won't mind since I have some event tickets! Hopefully I will still be working in this office at that time.

I hope I have nothing to worry about since my boss hadn't brought up anything about a contract extension in a while. I sent him an email about it, and he said he'd talk to his boss and get back to me by the end of next week. That is a little long, in my opinion, but what can I do other than hope for the best??

Ugh, my coworker just complained to me about our company "forcing" us to use our vacation days for the Olympics. She stated that she will probably not take time off and just work from home. If the policy isn't going to affect her, why does she need to complain? And if she doesn't like the policy, I'm sure HR would love to hear her feedback.

I was looking at my hydro bill today and it told me my account was past due. I always make my payments on time, and when I looked at my bank records, I could see that I made a payment.

Then I realised I was paying into my old hydro account. Idiot!!

I don't know if now my tenants get that account number, or if they get a new one.

I guess I will call the hydro company tomorrow and see if they can do anything about those payments that I had been making incorrectly.

Who knows who I had been paying for, but there was a credit that was going into my current account because of that other one!

GAH!

On a good note, my Rock Band guitar now works properly since we calibrated it manually according to the manual's recommendations. Using the auto calibration with an HD TV did not work so well. 

I"m also on a pumpkin craze. I am in the midst of putting together a pumpkin chocolate layer cake, and yesterday, I roasted two little pumpkins for puree. I have like 4 pumpkins left. If I would have been able to, I would have bought more more sugar pumpkins at the Farmer's Market.

Heck, I'd been paying $1.29/pound for a pumpkin at the store. But at the Farmer's Market, they were $1/pound. And then then there was one booth that was selling them for a dollar EACH!! I grabbed the biggest one I felt I could carry home. Man, I wish I was able to buy more. I might have to start putting them on my balcony.

And my smoke detector is getting worse in terms of sensitivity. I pan fry up some burgers -- it goes off. I stir fry some vegetables -- it goes off. I cook bacon in the oven and open the door -- it goes off. Any time it gets a little warm in the kitchen, it goes off. I heard that vacuuming would help, so I tried it. No avail. What can I do about my sensitive smoke detector??!

I am still amazed at the changes my body is experiencing as a result of my detox. I wonder how they work. I'm seriously not eating all that differently. I was eating this way last year when I was training with the crazy woman (crazy in a good way), but my weight was not dropping like this! As part of the detox, the only supplements I'm taking are fibre, milk thistle, and laxatives. My stomach is flat again! I fear the numbers on the scale will go up again when I start eating other foods. But since I am working out harder, my metabolism will go up.

I had my second training session today. I told him I wanted to work out at a higher intensity and I got it -- to the point I felt lightheaded. I just did some quick reading, and it looks like staying hydrated, eating before my workout, and getting enough iron should do the trick.

Anyway, I can't wait to see where my body is at in one month! I wish I had taken some photos last week. I didn't think I would look any different from the detox! Maybe I should start now...

If I was never expected to tip again, I'd be a happy camper!

Anyway, I'm really glad I switched insurance brokers. My last one, although appearing very efficient, did not properly cancel one of my policies. My credit card was charged when I should have been getting a refund! Anyway, my new agent fixed the problem. I'm just waiting for the refund to appear on my credit card bill.

And my waxer talks a lot...about herself and what is going on in her life. Sometimes my visits to her really drain me.

I also found some at home laser hair removal device. I must do some research on it!

Oh and time to call about getting a laser surgery consultation.

Edit: Or not...There are no good days of the week this month or next...not until I am done coaching.

Monday nights I have to get home early for my weekly work meeting and I have group meditation.

Tuesdays I have a few conference calls to attend throughout the whole day.

Wednesday nights, if I can't go to meditation, then I have to go to hypnosis. I also get into work later because I have training sessions in the morning. I've designated that night for myself to relax.

Thursday nights are designated nights for Mr. Nick.

Fridays are days I train as well, so I work late. It's also my night to relax.

Who knows if they're open on the weekends.  I have plenty to do then as well.

I could always book an appointment but this last month I have already had to change 3 appointments of various sorts. It would be just easier to wait.

I went for my annual eye exam yesterday, and reflecting back, the guy I saw last year was absolutely horrible. HORRIBLE! The good optometrists (or rather, the ones I like) always end up leaving the clinic... :-/ I hope the one I had yesterday doesn't.

Anyway, I've been having concerns about my vision for the last couple of years, especially night vision. I always worry that my eyesight is going to get worse. I'm extremely nearsighted -- -11.00 and -11.25 with mild astigmatism. My night vision hasn't been so good and I see double-ish with the lights.

Turns out my vision issues aren't because of my eyes getting worse!! My eyes are just really dry and irritated. I had a feeling part of my issues were due to dryness because this came up a few years ago. I used drops everyday 4 times a day for a few months, and my vision improved greatly. I thought the improvement was permanent...BWAHAHA Guess I am going back to the drops. I am also going to take the extra step of using an extra solution with my contact lenses. The doctor noticed some irritation on my eyelids and attributed it to an allergic reaction to my solution.

So more drops!

I actually contemplated getting laser surgery for my eyes and asked him about it. He said I was in the ballpark for it and all I needed to do was go get a consultation with a laser clinic to see if I have enough tissue for the surgery. Now that I have hope that I am able to get the surgery, I would really like to look more into. IN the past, I just feared that the technology was too new and I wasn't sure what the super long-term effects were going to be. Fingers crossed!

I started training with a new trainer today. I can't wait to start seeing results! I have no problem working out on my own, that's for sure, but I find that when I am seeing a trainer 2 - 3 times a week, I see results much more quickly. I'm also challenged, which I like. I think he and I will be mostly focusing on my upper body and be using the TRX. I guess that is fine. I will do my legs on my own. I vow to do weights 3 or more times a week.

Most curious is that he says I would greatly benefit from running, based on my body type. I do have to admit that I felt pretty good when I trained for my 10K (my one and only). Right now, I get shin splints, and I know it's a result of really tight calves. He suggested I go for massage and to stretch. For how long until I can run again?! Not that I am fond of running or any kind of cardio, but I did start liking it more when I was able to run for more than 5 minutes...BWAHAHA

And a bonus about where I train is that the gym is right by Whole Foods!!! I love going to that place, and when they have something on sale, it's a GOOD sale. The thing is that Whole Foods (and Capers) are not really close to where I live. I choose not to make special trips for Whole Foods, but whenever it's convenient, I make sure to go. So after my workout today, I bought about 6 pounds of food. All this stuff had to go into my backpack. Most of the weight came from the sugar pumpkin and cans of pumpkin puree I bought. I am going back on Friday! The downside is that I can't purchase things that require refrigeration. There are a few other things  on sale I would like to buy!! I had to break it up.

I got Jay Leno tickets today too. I'm not a huge fan, but I brought it up to Mr. Nick that he was coming to town and he wanted to go, so I got us some tickets. I'm so grateful that I am good at looking for things on the Internet. I was able to find the presale password without about being part of the special club! I also got us some tickets to watch the Canucks practice this weekend. I love that the tickets cost $0, but Ticketmaster charged a $4.25 processing fee. 

One thing I have to do soon, which I am slightly dreading because I fear bad news, is to talk to my boss about my contract that is ending at the end of the year. He's said that it's very probable/most likely that my contract will be extended again, but I have yet to sign anything. And he hasn't given me a verbal promise. I know people like me at this company and they want to keep me, but if they use budget as the excuse, what can I do?

I am also having Rock Band problems. I don't know if it's me sucking in a major way or if it's my game! I don't think either option is more favourable. BWAHAHAHA

My feet are freezing! I'm cold!

BUt I don't want to turn on the heat. BWAHAHA I am not ready to see the increase in my power bill yet!

I also need to call the cable company soon to update my services. I wonder how much I will be paying for cable, and I wonder if I could scam them into giving me another 3 months of free service?? Doubt it. Not that I would feel right about doing that either.

I'll stick with my HD channels but no movie channels and no HBO Canada either (for now). Even with the opportunity to have movies at my beck and  call all the time, I'm not really watching them. If anything, I can also just get video on demand or go to the video store! YEAH!

My coworker that usually reminds me that my contract ends at the end of the year didn't do it today! Woo!

She works in the office twice a week, and on one of those days, we usually chit chat, and these chats are freaking long. They're usually about an hour. She tells me A LOT about her kids. Sometimes I think moms should only be friends with other moms because as a person with no kids, I really don't have an interest in what "cute" things your kids do or what's going in their lives. I can almost say that I don't care.

I have nothing against moms. I'll probably be one some day. But once a woman becomes a mother, her whole mindset changes. Her life becomes all about her child. I joke with The Godmother that she and I can't be friends if one of us is a mom and the other one isn't.

Another coworker of mine who is great to chat with talks about his kids a lot too. He keeps talking about how I'll have kids one day. And then this other coworker keeps telling me to hurry up and have some. After all, my biological clock is ticking and at some point, my womb will not be hospitable!

Anyway, I had a GREAT weekend. I took Friday off, which I greatly needed. If it wasn't for the presentation I had to do, I would have taken the day off earlier in the week. I had a chance to relax and do A LOT of tidying up at home. The living room is just about complete. I'm not sure what to do with all my home theatre wires running across the floor. The dining area is almost complete, too. The next big thing will be the 2nd bedroom. That will take some time, but at least I know that it's all do-able if I have a big chunk of time at home!

Oh and with my great weekend of cleaning and purging, I also cleaned my bathroom. For the first time I ever, I grossed myself cleaning my own toilet!!! Thinking about it makes me want to hurl. I am not a fan of low flow toilets!!

I'm supposed to do a joint presentation today.

The other person who is also doing it keeps changing. And I have no idea what they're saying, Nobody sent me any slides or an updated presentation of mine, and nobody even gave me a summary of what they were going to say!

This had better be two separate short presentations going on today because I know my material very well now!! No time for changes!!!!

Okay, I do feel a bit better today. I think my body went into slight shock as I cut out sugar and grains cold turkey! I'm not jonesing so much for sugar right now either. So that is good! My energy levels are quite high (again, probably due to the lack of sugar).

I went to a new personal trainer to get my body composition analysis. He doesn't use the calipers but some other system. According to that one, I'm at 28.1% right now. And I am dehydrated. I've been super thirsty since I started my detox!

I'm just deciding whether to start training next week or not. I think I will keep my appointments. On some cleanses, it would be best to not do anything that requires too much energy, but with the one I'm on -- I'm eating more than ever!

I'm doing a 14 day cleanse right now, and I'm on Day 2. This one is supposed to be easy because I can eat a variety of foods. This cleanse diet reminds me of my diet EXCEPT I am not snacking or eating processed food, or pork, or red meat. I'm so frickin' hungry and cold.

I don't know if I can finish it. I just want to eat and be warm. It's killing me that I am not eating any fat in my diet. I think that's why I am feeling hungry. I'm not consuming enough fat to make me feel full!!!

I'm eating as much as I usually do, but I'm hungry even more often! I thought it was just residual hungry from the weekend but I don't think so anymore.

My boss asked me to do half a presentation for our Blackout Day that is coming up in a few days. He apologised for the short notice.

But I'm thrilled that he asked me! WOO!

I'm really tired from this weekend today, but my energy is unbelievably high! I LOVE it!

I also just started a cleanse so I can't go get a delicious tea latte. Boo. I will not cheat!

This weekend I was in an office for many, many hours. I am pooped but my energy is high!

I'm coaching in a program that I completed several months ago. 

The balancing act of juggling my time with myself, friends, and family is going to be a challenge. Dayplanners and schedulers unite!

I had a very spiritual woman tell me today that she sensed I was very creative and that I was very good with writing and words. I completely forgot about this blog. She asked me if I wrote poetry and stuff like that. She could not believe I was a technical writer with the creative juices  flowing through me!

I was also smudged for the first time ever!

It's 2009.

I just found out that my favourite Sociology professor passed away in 2006. We didn't know each other very well, but his Sociology 100 class was the reason I chose Sociology as my major (after I couldn't get into Commerce). His class were always entertaining and interesting. The first assignment we had to do was to write a 13-page autobiography. Too bad I don't have it anymore.

Each week, we had to read 3 autobiographies, which were anonymous. It was pretty neat to read about my classmates' life experiences.

I read the blurb in the alumni magazine. I think I had thrown my copy out, but I was flipping through Mr. Nick's. The blurb mentioned that they were raising funds for a park bench and a plaque in his hounour. I am sad for the loss. I contacted the professor who is loverlooking the fundraising, and I hope he gets back to me soon! (I had a crush this professor, too...he had the cutest dimples and he was extremely passionate when he was lecturing about Karl Marx.)

Edit: Oh, I just got an auto reply...He's out of the country on sabbatical!!!! Ah, mercury retrograde goodness.

Saw The Informant! last night and did not find it funny or understand the point of it. Throughout the movie, I was expecting some sort of twist. Maybe I'm just not a Soderburgh fan.

I did appreciate the costumes even though they movie took place in the 90s, but I have to admit the costumes also reminded me of present day Americans with the 80s hair.

I also really liked the music in the movie. Kudos to the composer!

Matt Damon was good though; his character's internal dialogue (monologue?)  reminded me my acquaintance Number 99.

The most annoying part of the movie were the two frickin people sitting in the row on front of us texting throughout the whole movie! If they weren't enjoying the film, they could have left instead of having their bright cell phone screen distracting people behind them!

I found a really long scratch on my car. It's on my passenger side door and my rear passenger side door!

I don't know if someone accidentally scraped the side of my car as they walked by or if someone purposely keyed it. I am not happy about it, but at least I'm not mad. I just want to know if the scratches are salvageable. *sigh*

I hope it wasn't because of the lameass that parked next to me in my building's parkade. They parked super crooked, invading my spot, and the SUV was really close to my car. If someone wasn't careful, they would have easily dinged my car with their door or themselves. And I think the person currently parked there doesn't own the spot either.

Moving into a brand new building can be a pain. For us, it's been just one (little) thing after another. I have called the customer service rep countless times, and I have to say, he's been pretty good to me.

It surprises me when people say how horrible he is to deal with. Maybe people complained to his boss. I don't know...When I hear the stories about how he doesn't return calls, or answer his phone, etc. I thank my lucky stars that he always picks up or calls me back when I call!

Anyway, I've been waiting for months on my storage locker...I've been waiting on pins and needles. Apparently mine wasn't ready it; it was the last room to be built. Then it was ready, but I had no key to access the room. And then I was told that nobody in my building received keys.

I talked to the rep today, and turns out the wrong locker number and room was written in my documentation!!! I think I will double-check my contract. I those details should be in there?! Anyway, if my new info matches my contract, then I am good to go!

I baked two things on the weekend: pear-ginger muffins and zucchini brownies.

I can't wait to try some brownie! Not that I need the sugar. Or the flour. I feel all bloated and gross again.

The weekend was a good time! I got all caught up on my TV shows. We saw Wayne Brady (he was okay...He's now shifted from improv to more singing and dancing). He is really talented but more improv would have been fun. On our way to the theatre, I let out a really loud and long belch. I wanted the woman in front of us to turn around, and she did! Woo!

I saw my cousin The Princess yesterday, and it was a really nice visit. She's no longer high-maintenance. I'm so impressed with the change!

I've been waiting and waiting for my Rock Band: Beatles to be delivered. I knew it was at the mail depot yesterday and I fully expected the mail carrier (is that the PC term?) to deliver it today.

He did! Only apparently I had an invalid buzzer code, so he left the card notifying me when I could pick it up. Mmhmm. I wonder if he just didn't want to deliver all the pieces.

Anyway, now I have to wait until TOMORROW afternoon before I can pick up my Rock Band!

Balls!

And golfing was pretty funny yesterday. I should have worn sunblock. At least now I don't have to worry about tan lines since I won't be wearing anything sleeveless in public for a while!

I'm participating in the company golf tournament today. I haven't played since last year's tournament and I have no recollection about proper golf techniques.

I got a crash course last night from Mr. Nick and then I watched some videos on the Internet this morning. I still haven't swung any clubs because I don't want to hit anything in my home!

I am nervous! Last year, I had the CFO give me great pointers. This year, (so far) there is no one on my team that I know. I'm choked about that. Nobody on my team works for the company. I guess they teamed all the suppliers  to tee off first. But why was I put with them?!?!? I'd rather play with an exec in the company because execs are the ones that play the most golf!!

Gah!! So nervous!!

I usually have my camera with me at all times, but lately, I have only been taking the necessities with me when I go to the gym. Oh how I wish I had my camera on me this morning!

When I was leaving, I noticed the car next to me had a cover on the handbrake. The handbrake cover was tan, and the tip of the cover was a darker tan. It looked like a penis, and then there was a Snoopy on top of it.

Golf tournament tomorrow. I haven't golfed since last year's company tournament. I don't even remember how to grip the club properly right now. It's going to be a long game. I hope my team can help me out. I wish this company event was only limited to employees. How else will we team build? I have a couple of real estate guys on my team, and a coworker that I don't talk to very much. There's a bit of a language barrier, and when he talks, he reminds me of the adults in the Charlie Brown cartoons.

Oh...I have a container of yogurt that hasn't expired yet, but there is a lot of air in the container. The seal is still on, but it's all puffed up, including the lid. Is this yogurt still okay to eat?!

Why can't I remember that I can no longer talk to He Who Must Not be Named like I used to?

Anything to do with relationships is touchy.

Anything to do with people being happy is probably touchy.

!!

Smack me!

In an email, I had said to him that seeing the bride get married and my happily married friends made me sad. Ignoring everything else I said in the email, he asked me, "Why does seeing married people make you sad?" When I replied with, "maybe envious would be a better term," he shot back with "envious of what though."

The Godmother pointed out that I seemed unhappy all weekend. I guess I was just feeling sorry for myself and wondering why I wasn't in an outwardly happy relationship like all the other couples that were around. And again, I kept going back to something a friend said to me once that I seemed happiest when I was single. I am still wondering about what she said. Maybe I should move on from that.

Anyway, He Who Must Not be Named totally ignored that fact that I was talking about "happily" married people. I'm not sure he was ever happily married. 

Payday today! YEEEEAH!

My paycheque  is already spent though. However, I have been able to save a little bit! YEAH!

I was away for the weekend on beautiful Mayne Island, BC for The Bride's wedding. It was a really nice event. I think it was one of the best wedding's I'd ever been to! I'm exhausted though, and I got whiplash from dancing.

My speech went well.

Anyway, we left Friday night and went to the groom's parents' beautiful cabin for a party. The next day we did a bit of exploration on the island and then it was the wedding. I got a little emotional seeing one of my best friends get ready for her big day. The ceremony was short and sweet too. I'm not sure there was a dry eye. The groom is not the kind of guy to show his emotions, but for their wedding, they each wrote a little something to say to each other, and he started crying as soon as he started to read it!

The reception was fun; it was all fun! I think Mr. Nick had a little too much to drink for my personal taste though. (Him drinking is kind of new to me. Because of his Crohn's, he's held off on drinking for the last year and more. But now that he's been feeling better, he's been enjoying a few beers this summer and let loose at the wedding.)

We spent the day on the island yesterday -- seeing the Japense garden, playing bocce ball, and playing on the playground. Then we went back to the groom's parents' cabin and just laid around like sloths until we had to catch our ferry home. Everyone was exhausted!

I finally got around to preparing my speech for the bride. I practised it for hours, and I pretty much have it down pat. It's about 6 minutes long. I hope it's not too boring for the audience. I tried to make it accessible but I am generally speaking to the bride.

Or maybe only the bride will be paying attention and that is good enough for me!

I wish I could practise it for someone right now to get some feedback... :-/

I don't plan on bringing any notes with me.

I am really excited about the release of Rock Band: The Beatles. I pre-ordered it June from Amazon because it was $25 off the premium bundle. Originally, they estimated my package would ship Sept. 14. I just updated my shipping address today, and now it says they don't know when it will ship. I hope I haven't done anything to move myself to the back of the line! That bundle is also sold out from Amazon right now.

On the other hand, the later it arrives, the less clutter I will have at my place!

As long as my package arrives this month, I will be happy with the service. 

I had a horrible experience with ordering from Chapters years ago and I have not ordered from them since, I think. I ordered a movie that was in supposedly in stock, but it never came. I kept contacting them about it and they told me to wait. I can't remember who canceled the order eventually, but I never got the movie.

I got an email from Bridezilla yesterday. She started by asking if I'd like to do the bride's speech together. There was no need to be passive about it.

She wants the two of us to do our speeches together and work on them together in the next couple of days or at least chat about what we're going to say because "We should get definitely get together to make sure that we are not saying the same thing."

I'm not sure how to respond to her email just yet because I have a few options.

I have no desire to do my speech with her (even though I haven't finished it. I have an idea of what I might want to say...still thinking). The things I am going to say to one of my best friends is personal and I have no intention of sharing the experience. Also, I highly doubt Bridezilla and I will say the same things, and even if we did -- so what? These are supposed to be words that come from our heart.

Bridezilla and the bride  did TV Baker's speech together. At the time, I thought it was an interesting concept -- different and not a bad idea. But Bridezilla and I aren't close, and the only reason why she is even speaking is because the bride didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise when she assumed she was going to be speaking. The bride asked me to say something at her wedding.

Anyway, I could lie to Bridezilla and tell her I already have my speech prepared or that I don't have time to get together before the wedding (actually, that is a truth). Or I could just tell her I'd rather not do our speech together.

How am I supposed to reply to her?

This is my chance to stay home a lot this weekend -- FINALLY!!!

Unpacking, here I come!! Organizing, here I come!!

Watching TV, here I come!!

And cleaning!! Mustn't forget that!

I'm also thrilled I am all caught up with Big Brother. I definitely have my unfavourites. Right now, I am rooting for Michelle to win. And then Kevin. The other two relied on other people to take them to the end. I just have to say, I do not like Natalie at all. I don't think I've ever had such a strong dislike for any Big Brother house guest. And Chenbot looks fantastic. She's also one of those pregnant women who seem to only get the belly. Like they don't look pregnant from behind and then turn around and it's like "whoa."

I'm also about 2/3 way through the documentary Sharkwater. It's been very interesting. I can't wait to watch the rest. I actually may change my shark fin soup eating habits.

A couple of weeks ago, I left some food in the fridge with the intent to eat it the next day.

When I went to the fridge the next day, I couldn't find it! I figured I must have eaten it and forgotten about it.

But then I noticed the container was missing and figured it must still be at work or someone stole it! 

I looked in the fridges in the main lunch room again today. I found nothing. Then it dawned on me to go to the other kitchen.

Sure enough, in the little bar fridge was my food.

It was turkey and roast beef cold cuts. I decided to take a whiff to see if it was still edible.

PEEYEW. Nope.

I thought my new next door neighbour would be Caucasian because her balcony is FULL of foliage! Plants galore! Turns out she is Chinese.

I talked to some other people living in my complex yesterday. It's a couple I've seen a couple of times at the gym. We converse in Cantonese. They complimented mine! I love when that happens.

Thumbs down:

Parmesan and sundried tomato RiceWorks chips
Vampire Diaries books

Thumbs up:

Candied ginger
Wild salmon

Hmm...another reason to hold off on buying stuff from American Websites. It doesn't matter if I make the purchase when the dollar is high, what matters is the value of the dollar when my credit card transaction is processed! And Visa has raised their service charges. Oh well...I will buy from American websites as long as it's cheaper for me to do than buying at home.

I have some fish oil that just arrived. Soon my shampoo will arrive! I have no idea when my book will, though. I finally bit the bullet and ordered Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint. I quite enjoy his website: Mark's Daily Apple except there have been too many updates lately. I hope when his contest is over that the multiple postings per day stop. I'm highly interested in living a primal lifestyle!

I had purchased Tom Venuto's e-book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, which is chocked FULL of info. I could have downloaded it for free, but I bought because I was able to get extras, and I can also get free updates.

According to Mr. Nick, these are two things I say a lot: "What's the point?" and "No more talking."

I thought of that because I asked myself "what's the point". Everyone at work has been asked to install Skype. We're an international company and it's just cheaper to use Skype than calling long-distance numbers.

My favourite coworkers uses it, but she is always invisible. She also works from home. I don't understand why she doesn't make herself available in case people want to or need to contact her. Because I know she works odd hours and doesn't have set hours, I know the best way to communicate with her is through email.  Although working from home accommodates the person doing it, I don't think it means the person can put in less effort to make themselves available. Or at least have set hours so that people can reach you directly if need be.

Hey, lady on the gondola -- you're not that fat. It would have been nice if you were more considerate instead of taking up 1/3 of the bench when everyone could have comfortably fit on it.

I had peach pie for breakfast, and it was divine although I do wonder if they used canned peaches...I sure hope not. I want to bake little pies! YES!

I made a shortcake on the weekend. It was okay, but I don't think I am making them properly, still.

The guy next to me on the train this morning played his music a little too loudly for my taste, and he was very hot. When he got up, he left puddles of sweat in the shape of his buttocks.

There was a double stabbing on Friday night at the first McDonald's in Canada. I live really close to it. When I went to leave on Saturday morning, my driveways were all blocked off. At first I thought they were doing paving, but then I noticed it was police tape. Then I saw some markers on the sidewalk in front of my building, and I thought the crime happened in my building. It felt too calm, though. I found out that two people were stabbed inside the McDonald's. They died on scene. How horrible. The murdered was caught pretty quickly. Police are seeking specific witnesses. I think one of them was sitting on a bench outside my building. I feel for the people who had to witness the incident, too.

It's almost a little strange I didn't hear anything the night of. The night before was a busy night for emergency services. I live on some ambulance route, and the sirens are pretty loud! Right now, our paramedics are on strike. I wonder how that works. They still need to do their job to save lives. All the ambulances are adorned with "ON STRIKE" signs.

I started talking to The Hypochondriac again. We didn't discuss our blowup that led to a couple of months of silence. He works in the culinary industry, and I have asked him questions about cooking. He answers my questions often. I always forget the horrible attitude he has that goes along with his knowledge. I need to remember to not ask him questions anymore. In fact, I need to remember he's not really the kind of person I want in my life.

Anyway, he's told me time and time again to not use recipes. For me, if I have no recipe, I don't know what to do with ingredients. He made some comment today that "Chinese people are often so concerned with superficial duplication they often miss the point entirely." I probably shouldn't have jumped to any conclusions and taken things personally -- I was talking about making ratatouille. He said something about there being tonnes of variations out there and to just go with my gut. All I was looking for was a recipe to follow while I make something to eat.

He needs to accept that not everyone is like him. In fact, he knows most people are not like him. I think the next time he pisses me off, I am going to tell him off. I don't want another blowup and couple months of no talking. I'd rather tell him that I don't want him in my life anymore. I'd tell him the reason too, but that might be too hurtful and perhaps cross a line. The things he says to me are just really annoying and I find him unlikeable.I did start to miss him when we weren't talking, but I think the friend I remember disappeared some time ago.

And I also need to remember that Voldemort is a bitter-about-to-be-divorc ed man. Unfortunately, I cannot talk to him like I want to anymore. I definitely have to avoid talking about relationships especially if it's happy stuff. His advice to me was "don't get married, it's easier." Whether he meant it to be a joke or not, I think I will address it. I feel that he is saying that because his marriage didn't work out that I shouldn't experience the joy (there is some joy, right?) of getting/being married. I don't know if enjoyed being married...it didn't really sound like it. But marriage is something I would like to experience.

I don't know if I want to get married, but I do want to experience being married. I've only learned that weddings are ridiculous. I also do not wish to have a typical North American wedding, and I have no desire of meshing two cultures together. I think dancing at weddings is lame. I think watching the first dance is lame. I'm all for going to the banquet, eating a long feast, and getting outta there!

DEEP FRIED OREOS!!! They were surprisingly good. The cookie became cakelike. And then there was more cake around it. Soft and warm...oh so delicious.

Deep fried Mars bars...no thanks. The warm nougat and salty caramel  didn't do it for me.

Deep fried jelly beans were gross.

I've been wanting to get a Vita-Mix for a while. They had them at the fair, but I didn't want to spend the money on one. Where can I get one for cheap and that's brand new??

Anyway, my plan was eat all the crap that I could handle at the beginning of the fair and enjoy it before my feelings of discomfort kicked in. It took hardly any time before I felt gross. I was so disappointed!

After I ate my delicious chocolate chip cookie last night with a glass of milk, I felt ill. I'm not sure if it was because of the cookie or the dairy. Either way...I know I was consuming stuff I wasn't supposed to.

I was really crampy yesterday afternoon, too. I had felt cramps in YEARS! And then after the cookie, I got mildly crampy.

I am sure I am not doing my body any favours by continuing to eat my processed ingredients. I was going to allow myself to "enjoy" some of this stuff for the summer. Aside from the immediate delights to my senses...I've also gained bloating, weight, and zits! It will be back to clean eating soon.

Yesterday, I thought I saw a friend driving down the street, so I waved at him -- only I don't think it was him.

And then today I was walking behind someone I thought I knew but I wasn't sure if it was him, so I made sure to stay a few steps back. If we got on the same elevator, I would have said something because I was pretty sure it was him. But then he went to the other side of the building.

I'm going to the PNE today! I'm so excited! It's just the annual fair that we have here. I can't wait to eat doughnuts and scones! I want to try deep fried Mars bars, deep fried Oreos, and deep fried Jelly Belly jelly beans. I"ll be buying scone mix and soap for sure. I wonder what else I can consume! YEAH!

I worked from home yesterday, and now it feels like Monday.

I worked hard yesterday, and got a lot done...a lot more than usual. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe it was that knowing that I would take a break after working like a madwoman for 45 minutes made it easy. And that I had to get up to get a snack.

I have everything at my desk here. Sometimes I don't even want to get up to go pee!

So...I got a letter stating I was going to be fined by my strata council because insufficient written notice was not provided.

The subject line in the letter says "Move-in Violation - Failure to Provide Proper Notice," but the content of the letter says I didn't provide proper notice for a move OUT.

So...which do I go with?

I know they are referring to my tenants' move-in, but the letter says "It has been reported that you recently completed a move out from your suite and it is alleged that you failed to provide proper notice..."

The letter doesn't specify any dates.

The letter's contents differs from the subject line.

I am tempted to respond to the "move out part" because I have a nice paper trail stating that I followed the rules. Also, the content of the letter is what I am supposed to respond to, right?

After much waiting, I decided to try making *that* chocolate chip cookie. It's been a hit around the Internet ever since the article was published in the NY Times last year.

It requires a combination of flours, sugars, and special chocolate. After you make the dough, you need to keep it in the fridge for 36 - 48 hours. The waiting is the key for this dough to rest in the fridge!

I didn't have bread flour, or 1 1/4 pounds of bittersweet chocolate disks. 

I also measured the ingredients using measuring cups and spoons.

The next time I bake these cookies because I want to follow the recipe to a T, I am going to weigh the ingredients, and to purchase chocolate discs. I would love to try these cookies as they were meant to be made.

Anyway, my dough is resting in the fridge, and the dough was *really* tasty. I guess I will bake them tomorrow...

I got a bill in the mail for some fire alarm testing that was redone in my old building *after* I moved out. I called the property management for more information about the bill...but I guess I was also telling him non-directly that I shouldn't have to pay the bill.

1. Technically, I wasn't notified...or was I? I saw the notice in the elevator around the time I was moving out. Maybe I would have more of an effort if I knew I'd be charged for the re-testing.

2. I do not want to pay for a service I do feel not feel that I got. Even the invoice says that there was no access to my suite.

What was starting to piss me off was that he said that I should have known about the fire alarm testing. But how? My suite was vacant by the time they did the testing. Nobody was living there. He even said "well, maybe it was already rented out." But it wasn't, and the building manager and the council are aware of every suite's status. That's why the building manager takes everyone's keys after they've moved out. "Why would you need a key after you've moved out?"

The property manager told me to write a letter to the council if I wanted to dispute the bill. I darn right will since I have a paper trail stating when I was moving out. It's unfortunate that I didn't specify that my suite was going to be vacant but I do have other emails to say that I was going to be renting out my unit, leaving the presumption that my unit would be empty until then. Anyway, what should be the point of my letter?

I am in so much pain today from my workout yesterday. Actually, it's mostly my left arm. No more two month breaks from working out for me!

One of my favourite coworkers came in to the office today. He'd actually already started his vacation, which is why he was all casual looking and stuff. He wears *really* short shorts...

Over the last year, I've changed my diet quite a bit. I try to stick to a clean diet of whole foods. Over the last month, I've let myself experience a it of naughtiness, i.e., junk food. When I eat food made with grains, I tend to feel ill...like bloated and tired.

I baked Martha Stewart's banana loaf over the weekend, and I added chocolate chips. I ate a piece of it last night. Before I even finished the piece, I could barely breathe! I was really congested! This morning when I woke up, I was still congested and I felt horribly bloated. I can't wait for this discomfort to go away.

Time to give away the rest of that banana loaf! I wouldn't have made that extra loaf if it wasn't for the potluck on the weekend.  Nobody even ate it!

Aside from being a really good suitcase packer, I am also really good at finding results when I use Google! (I ought to get more acquainted with Bing; the one time I used it, I didn't think it was horrible!).

I've been thinking about what I might want to say about my friend's wedding. I was there the night she and her fiance met, but I don't really remember the details. I figured I probably blogged about that night because I met someone on that night as well. Praise the gods that he didn't end up calling me. Anyway, with all the blog entries I have and since tBlog always turns up in Google, I decided to Google for some very specific terms, and I found the blog entry. I wrote it January 2005!!! Man, am I good.

I've known this friend since we were in Grade 1. There are so many things that I could use in my speech. I don't think the format I used for my other friend would work as well for this wedding. But back then I hadn't heard a lot of wedding speeches so I did it my way. The only thing I remember about that speech is I mentioned how I knew her husband was a good match for her. Now that I've heard more wedding speeches, I think about what other people have said and liked their words. I just know that I want to keep it somewhat short and light-hearted.

Hmm...I bet I could Google and find my old speech. But I don't need it.

I am going to think about how I can encorporate the night of their meeting and find some sort of theme to use in my speech. Apparently, it was because of me that the groom got her number. I drove them both home. I think they were drunk (probably...BWAHAHA). When he was getting out of the car, I asked him if he wasn't going to get my friend's number. Unfortunately, there is no one else I can ask what happened that night since it was just the three of us! I don't think I can ask the bride what happened without looking suspicious.

Actually, I think I will try to slide it in on Sunday. She is treating some of her closest friends to high tea! She was going to uninvite Bridezilla but then changed her mind.

I was all set to take the new train to get home yesterday, but I nixed the idea when I found out the wait for 2.5 hours long! And then I found out today that people had to also get off at another stop to get in line again (in order for everyone to have a chance to ride the train).  Thousands of people were in line...tens of thousands of people rode the train yesterday. The lineups were insane...out the stations, around the block, etc. The rides were free yesterday -- lots of people came out to take advantage of that! And I guess it was a monumental day, too.

But I got on the the train this morning and I really enjoyed it! Mainly because it took me 40 minutes to get to work instead of 60. It took me 10 minutes to walk to the station, ride for 25 minutes, and another 5 minute walk to the office! It was also pretty empty. They are still running the buses, so I think people are still taking those. It will be a lot more packed when the buses are no longer running those routes. And I'm sure when it's back to school, there will be even more people! Lucky for me, I get on and off at the last stations.

That's my excitement from this morning!

Last night I *finally* saw the latest Harry Potter movie, and in 3D! Well, it was only 3D for the first 12 minutes. IMAX is expensive. It was $17/ticket. When did they raise the prices?! The movie was good, but I didn't like the story. There was a lot of walking around in the movie, too. And it was more different  from the book than the other movies. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was definitely my least favourite of all the HP movies.

The bride also asked me if I would say something at her wedding! I felt so honoured to be asked! I am not sure what I want to say though. I will have to mull that over! Can't wait!!

I think my ears are still recovering from the Kings of Leon concert on Saturday. They are a great band to see live, and their energy and gratitude were wonderful! They sounded like their CD, but they still played like they were playing their songs for the first time. I don't mean that they didn't sound polished, but they played like they were bored of their music. Definitely a great show! And I didn't even mind with my view partially blocked from time to time. It usually bugs me when people raise their arms or move around and stuff in front of me.

Being at the show reminded me that I wanted to look up the DJ that opened for Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour on iTunes. I love iTunes! I can't believe Madonna is coming out with another album this fall.

I still haven't seen Harry Potter yet, and I really want to. It will be out of the theatres soon. I want to see it in the IMAX theatre!

I'm also really excited that today is the first day of the Canada Line. It's a rapid transit system that I can take in my city!! Instead of sitting on a bus for about an hour, I should be able to get a train and be at work in about half the time! The only downside is that I now have to walk a teensy bit farther to my stops.

Yesterday, Mr. Nick helped me put together my wardrobe and put some shelving up. I am really grateful for that. When he was putting up the shelves, I was reminded that my dad did that for me the last time I moved in, and then I wished he was around to see my new place. I felt sad. But then I also figured that he probably wouldn't have helped me out as much as Mr. Nick did either.

Last night, I went to a seminar graduation. It was like the one I was in 3 months ago. Listening to the graduates brought me back to that time when I was doing my seminar. These graduates were saying things that I was saying at the same time...They reminded me of the enthusiasm and energy and I had for accomplishing things. I want to get those things back. I can't wait to coach next month!!

Time to check my bank account balance. It's payday! Wahoo!

I have a fear of children, but it's been a fun visit with Mr. Nick's niece and nephew.

My insurance broker just sent me an email. This is what she wrote (and I can totally hear her accent in my head, too...it's quite annoying):

Hi Rosie,

 

I received a phone call from underwriter. She would like your property manager to inspect the unit every 2 months. Thanks.

 

Whatever works for you, lady!

I am getting tired of my old building manager calling me with issues...The point of having a property manager is so that I don't have to deal with this kind of crap, right? Anyway, my old building has strict rules about who gets access. I wasn't even able to get a spare keycard when I was living there. I still have my storage locker there now, which I use. The property manager said that by law, I should have access to it because I own the storage locker.

The building manager wants to me to give my keycard back because I am not a resident  The keycard is now registered to my tenant. When I want access to my locker, I have to call her so she can let me in. I think that is a slightly ridiculous because her hours are like 7:30am - 4:30pm M-F. Technically, I am able to access my locker, but I am not able to access it whenever I want.

And she was yelling again...sometimes people think if they say the same thing over and over again with increasing volume that their point will come across better -- so NOT true!

I guess I need to talk to my property manager. I really hate relaying this kind of stuff. Why can't they just talk to each other?!?

It's insurance renewal time. I want to switch brokers because the one that I was assigned is extremely annoying to deal with.

Another broker said the easiest thing for me to do is to roll my existing insurance to a new broker. Switching brokers is not going to save me any money.

But I hate dealing with my existing broker. I'd only have to deal with once a year, if at all, but when I do deal with her...I don't enjoy the experience.

This new broker has been helpful and if I don't go with her this time, I will never be able to show my face (or email/call) again because I keep asking her for quotes and then disappearing!

Should I switch brokers or not?!

(Also, in terms of convenience...my current broker is in my city while the new one is like an hour's drive away...should I ever need to go into the office.)

I finally have a tenant!

Apparently, the property manager called and left me a message a week ago. It must have been over a week since my voice mails automatically get deleted after 7 days. I guess I didn't get notification of it while I was in Oregon. GRR. And now I am scrambling to get the FOBs and keys sorted out since their official move in date is Saturday. But I am glad I have tenants. I hope they are good and stay a long time!

I also just found out that an old acquaintance of mine is engaged. That didn't take long. When we first met, he was engaged to be married to someone else. We were online friends and we chatted a lot. He didn't tell me he was engaged until the day before he was getting married. He wasn't sure about getting married and was looking to get insight from me. I think he was sort of choosing between two people. I had told him the one he didn't marry would have been a better match. Anyway, they ended up divorcing about a year later. And now he's engaged to be married again. I think he and his fiancee have been together a year? We pretty much lost touch after my first visit to England (where he lives) 3 or 4 years ago.

It hates me right now!

Must stretch.

I'm not talking about anuses -- just butt cheeks.

My regular warmup routine was too much for my butt to handle yesterday! I hope it doesn't take me long to get back to where I was physically a few months ago. It's interesting what my body composition must be like right now. My weight hasn't changed, but I obviously I look quite different!

The volume on my receiver goes up on its own! I'll be watching a nice HD show and then the volume increases!! And then I have to turn it back down. Why is this happening?? I wonder if it happens if I'm watching a DVD...or a recorded show...I haven't pinpointed when it happens, but it just does. And it's annoying!!

I also need to get my iPod fixed. Sometimes it just doesn't turn on when I press the buttons, and then I have to reset it. After that, podcasts that I had deleted appear to be not deleted, but I can't play them.

I think there was something else I wanted to blog about, but really ... I just want to be on vacation!

Oh! Right. One of the things I use most in Windows is the calculator. I checked out the calculator in Windows 7 and it is AWESOME!!! LOVE IT!!

It's now time to catch up on sleep and to cut out the sugar. I think all the ice-cream I consumed on my trip is contributing to my lack of energy.

I cannot believe the ice-cream portion sizes in the US! A single scoop is the size of my fist! 

Anyway, I had a really fun time, and things with Mr. Nick felt normal. (Had I mentioned we had a talk before we left?) The sand dunes in Oregon are amazing. The scenery on the coat is beautiful! And the trip has made me love my car even more now. BWAHAHAHA There were other families on the trip, too, and it was a good time. We ate some good food and relaxed. I did manage to squeeze in a bit of shopping but not as much as I would have liked.

And now for this month -- no spending! And time to catch up on TV shows!

I love being able to put books and CDs on hold at the library over the Internet. The only issue is when I am out of town and have to coordinate things. When my hold is available, I have 7 days to pick it up. If I don't pick it up, I guess the book goes back on the shelf, and I get charged a fee. I'm going to be away for about a week. Plans changed slightly and we are coming back a day early. Anyway, I went to the library yesterday to pick up one hold, saw the Michael Jackson biography that I had put on hold so I borrowed it. I was going to cancel the hold after I got home.

After I got home, that same MJ biography hold was ready for me to pick up. I didn't even have a chance to cancel it!! And then I got a couple more emails about more holds ready for pickup. The thing is...the other items -- I'm like 7 or 8 on the list! I have no idea why they've come up so quickly. So now I have to go to the library today. There are certain times of the day where I avoid the library because it's a VERY busy place. It's hard to find parking! But tonight I have to go to the real slumber party stagette and then tomorrow morning I need to get packing and on the road. So I don't have a choice. I guess I could walk over...

I'm still exhausted these days. I would really love a day to just sleep in and get unpacked. Thinking about that desire stresses me out!

Anyway, my boss sent me an email about one of the managers from my office visiting his and I was the subject of some glowing feedback! I was over the moon to read that email! He basically said I was a great asset and that if needed he would speak to upper management about keeping me!! Woo!

For the last week I've been obsessed with downloading and uploading stuff.

And then all of a sudden I was denied access while attempting to download more stuff! I have no idea what I did to make that happen, but i want to undo it.

I thought it was because I changed directory settings, so I changed them back -- nothing.

Maybe it's because I removed my torrents after they reached a ratio of at least 1.0??

Help!

Voldemort has always been afraid to be alone. That's why he married his now ex-wife. He's been on the Internet dating scene for the last little while, and he seems pretty determined in finding the next girlfriend. He says he wants to meet people, make friends, blah blah blah but every single girl he meets, he is looking for long-term potential. He hasn't said he's not looking for a relationship right now. Oh wait. he was about to have "the talk" with this girl he dated for a couple of weeks. But then she broke things off before he had his chance. He was heartbroken but then realised he didn't miss her but was just lonely. That didn't stop him from visiting her again, trying to rekindle a friendship. (When she dumped him, he had said there was no point to being friends with her.)

Maybe I just got cynical with Internet dating or maybe I gained a lot of experience -- I don't know. But people are not always honest in their profiles, and a lot of things people say are subjective. Perhaps he needs to take more with a grain of salt. People who have done their fair share of Internet dating with no goal of meeting "the one" tend to view people as expendable.

Anyway, he just sent me an email saying this his ex girlfriend from Korea called him, and he said "at least she can be my backup." Holy ...He visited her twice; the second visit taught him that they weren't compatible or perhaps the cross-cultural communication was too difficult. And the distance is still a factor. What would be the point of pursuing things?

He's not desperate yet, but I think he would benefit from spending time alone, without focusing on dating and to just enjoy his independence.

I can't help it -- I'm a planner. And I love details.

I'm going camping next week, and we're camping at the same place we went last year. I need to start printing maps and stuff and compiling a list of places I want to go while we're in the area. Anyway, I couldn't remember the name of the campsite we stayed at, and Mr. Nick says he will give me the details (with my luck, it will be the day we leave?).

It dawned on me to look at my Flickr photos because I always either add descriptions to my sets or put tags in my photos. Lo' and behold, I know what campsite we're going to be at now.

This will be my first time camping for more than 3 nights at a time. I have no idea what other clothes to bring, and I just know I have to be prepared for all sorts of weather. Even though it's been scorchingly hot and probably will be quite warm next week, the nights can get pretty chilly with the marine fog. I don't want my makeup to melt either. And what I am not looking forward to is certain monthly things going on while I'm camping!!

I'm on my strata council! I can't wait to have some say what bylaws come into effect for my strata.

I am the Secretary, but the property manager already does all the secretarial stuff. I may suggest that he not use all caps for his memos...they are so hard to read!

It was our first AGM last night. I got  to see the kind of people I am living around. Most seem to be young urban professionals. There seem to be a few who have made purchases as investments.

I am convinced someone Chinese always nitpicks about the budget at every one of these meetings. Of course last night I wasn't disappointed. "Why don't commercial owners have to pay as much maintenance fees?" Duh...those owners don't live here. They're not going to use the sauna, are they? And for some reason the property manager came across as very anti-children and anti-teenagers...I wonder if he's had a lot of bad experiences with his other buildings.

It is going to awesome knowing what is going on where I live, and I look forward to hearing the ridiculous complaints and requests!!

My old high school principal also moving into one of the buildings today. Lovely.

What a relief! The portion I attended wasn't that bad. I almost wish I could have been there in the evening.

So, I took the bride out for breakfast, and we were going to hang out at TV Baker's place until it was time to go. Unfortunately, breakfast took longer than anticipated (and I was running late :-p), so we called TV Baker and Bridezilla on the way to see if they still wanted to hang. They decided to wait downstairs for us instead. So I show up in my hatchback, and we wait. They come down with a full suitcase, a carry on suitcase, and a couple of bags of edibles for the spa. I'm like "thanks for warning me about all the stuff." "Oh we can just put stuff on our laps."

The spa was an okay experience. The place only looked a little ghetto. They were wires running around all over the place because they used desk lamps at the pedicure stations. The estheticians moved the lamps to the manicure stations when they were needed. I was afraid of sloshing water or spilling something on those wires -- or tripping for that matter.

TV Baker and Bridezilla split the cost for the bride's services, which were her shower gift. To me, that is cheap. Happy bridal shower! Your gift is your stagette!

After spending 3 hours at the spa, we went for dinner at 3pm. Bridezilla suggested we eat a full meal since that was our dinner. Who eats dinner at 3 pm??! At least I was home before 6. I would have loved to see everyone squish into Testorone Girl's car when they went from the pub to the hotel. I think her car has 5 seatbelts. She was not able to fit everyone's luggage into the trunk when we went to the pub. I guess the bride might have had to hold on to her own suitcase in the car?

Although we could have brought food to the spa, TV Baker and Bridezilla supplied a small fruit tray and chocolate covered almonds. Afterwards, they joked that was lunch.  It sounds like it was an okay night for the bride. They went swimming and to the lounge. Unfortunately, most of the girls did not want to dance. And the bride got the impression that they organizers didn't want to pay for much. They allowed the bride to pay for everyone's breakfast the next day. I know I wouldn't have.

Oh, I am in love with HD TV. I can't stop staring! I think when my free trial is over, I will subscribe to HBO Canada. I just started watching Hung. And I have gotten addicted to downloading TV shows to my computer, too!!

I let TV Baker that I would pick her up and Bridezilla for the stagette after I picked up the bride at 11:30 am. This is what she said to me:

Thanks Rosie 11:30 sounds great. The spa appointment is for noon so I guess we will have a enough time to get there from my place right? Are you coming to the pub after the spa?

1. Why is she asking me if we have enough time to get to the appointment from her place when nobody has told me where we're going? "Oh, we want it to be a surprise."

2. All I had said was that I wasn't staying over night with them at the hotel. Why is she, for the second time, suggesting I not participate in everything but the spa? If they weren't going to be stuck with a non-refundable service, they'd probably be asking me if I was still coming on Saturday.

I cut down on sugar a lot last year and I've let it back in my life. I'm not proud, but it sure is tasty.

There is a really great chocolate shop that I like. I haven't bought any of their bonbons or chocolate bars, but they have delicious chocolate beverages. They also always give you a piece of chocolate when you buy a beverage, too. Right now I am thinking about their iced chocolates...they're thick and creamy and delicious. Even though I prefer eating milk chocolate, I prefer dark chocolate beverages.

I like the dark hot chocolate from this place, too. In the winter, I was going regularly for their sweetened green tea lattes. They were the closest thing to my beloved Asian Starbucks green tea lattes. Blenz' beverages are good and not as pricey as the 'bucks. I only like their Asian green tea lattes/fraps and their orange mango banana Vivannos.

What is on my mind most is that I would really like to sell my oak and rent out my condo. I would really, really, really like that for that to happen!!!!

TV Baker sent me an email about this Saturday's stagette (names have been changed to protect the not so innocent):

Hey Rosie,
 
I just wanted to see if you would mind driving the bride, Bridezilla and I to the spa from my place on Sat? Kelly is going to probably pick up Lezbot and meet us at the spa. After the spa Testosterone Girl said she could drive the rest of us to dinner and the hotel so if you are not coming for dinner and heading home after the spa that is fine.
 
Thanks Rosie!

When I read this, I think "okay, I won't go to dinner either then." All I had ever said was that I wasn't staying over night at the hotel. Wouldn't it be safe to presume that I would be participating in all the other activities until they decide the night is over and are going to sleep?

TV Baker and Bridezilla apparently planned this event, but it doesn't seem like they have done a whole lot of planning. Who's driving people home in the morning? To be honest, I do sort of mind driving all of them. Driving them isn't a huge deal, but she hasn't told us where we're going. I'd rather tell them no...I'd pick up the bride and meet you at the spa. And whatever happened to getting the mobile spa? If they don't want to drive, take a cab.

I don't know what I am going to say in my reply. Maybe I will play the passive-aggressive game, too, and just not reply at all! I can stoop to their level!!

Trader Joe's natural turkey jerky is delicious!!! Well, the teriyaki flavour is. I'm in dire need of protein and that was one of the few things I had at home. I was all set to cook up some turkey sausages I defrosted on the weekend, but they smelled a little off so I threw them out :-(

It's Mr. Nick's niece's 10th birthday today. I got her a diary with a lock on it. I hope she likes it. I'm going to try to find some sparkly gel pens on my lunch break. Shopping for preteens can be so difficult! That and I didn't want to spend more than $20.

I put my oak bedframe and night stand on craiglist for $250. A lady asked me if I would be willing to sell her just the bed. I said yes, and now she is asking if I would be willing to sell it for $150. Should I go for it? Oak isn't a hot commodity and I haven't gotten a lot of calls for my stuff! I do want to get rid of it to make way for a new bed!

I'm about to send an email to TV Baker to let her know that I am not going to stay overnight for stagette #1. I am not going to say why. This isn't an easy email for me send. I did clear it with the bride and asked her what she thought about me not staying. I'm going to be hanging out with them, but only for who knows how long. I have no idea what time the stagette is going to start.

The stagette is next weekend, and there still have been no details sent out. I don't know if they just want to hang out at the pool or what. All I know is that there is going to be a spa service and we'll be at the hotel all day and night?! Who knows. With all the other stagettes I've been invited to, people are able to choose what parts of the day they want to be part of. This one feels like it's all or nothing.

There is going to be a slumber party for stagette #2 hosted by the bride the following week, so there is already an overnighter. And I don't want to pay to sleep in a hotel. If it's like last time, I'll be stuck on the hideaway. No, thanks. And the cost of the shower is going up, too. So...if I can spend less than $100 next weekend for the stagette, I will be happy!

I've watched the first two episodes of Big Brother 11, and I am SO excited about that show.

I think it appeals to the sociologist in me. I am going to watch the rest of the episodes that I have recorded this weekend!!! I cannot wait to spend some time at home this weekend and alone, to boot! YEAH!

Nonetheless, it's the bridal shower this weekend. I have a lot of prep to do tonight and tomorrow. I am also thinking of not spending the night for stagette #1. Bridezilla and TV Baker haven't told us anything about cost or times, and stagette #1 is next weekend.

I wish I had another composite cable so I can test out watching my iPod on my TV!!

Are memes out of style now?

1. Kissed anyone of your Facebook friends? Yes

2. Been arrested? No

3. Kissed someone you didn't like? Yes

4. Slept in until 5 PM? Don't think so

5. Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes

6. Held a snake? Yes, if trouser snakes count.

7. Ran a red light? Yes

8. Been suspended from school? No

9. Totaled your car/motorbike in an accident? No

10. Been fired from a job? Yes

11. Sang karaoke? Yes

12. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes

13. Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? No

14. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes

15. Kissed in the rain/shower? Yes

16. Sang in the shower? Yes

17. Sat on a rooftop? No

18. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? No

19. Broken a bone? Just a fracture.

20. Shaved your head? No

21. Blacked out from drinking? No

22. Played a prank on someone? Yes

23. Felt like killing someone? No

24. Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? Yes

25. Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? No

26. Been in a band? Yes

27. Shot a gun? Watergun, yes.

28. Tripped on mushrooms? No

29. Donated Blood? No...tried to but my iron levels were too low!

30. Eaten alligator meat? No

31. Eaten cheesecake? Yes

32. Still love someone you shouldn't? No

33. Think about the future? Yes

34. Believe in love? Yes

35. Question why you answered this? No

I have a pendulum and I love it. When I first got it, I used it a lot. Mine is a rose quartz on a chain.

I was thinking about my experience when I was using it to find my box of kitchen stuff. During my move, I thought I lost a whole box of kitchen utensils and mixing bowls. I asked my pendulum where it was, and it kept pointing behind me. I looked at my boxes, all labeled "L" for the living room. I thought maybe the box was there, so I kept looking for a box labeled with "K" -- nothing! But my box was mislabeled...My pendulum was right!!

This morning, I asked which personal trainer I should hire. I was originally going to contact one because of his location, but my pendulum pointed to the other one. I am going to give her a call! My pendulum hasn't let me down!

I got a letter yesterday from the BBB. I had filed a complaint about the Gold's Gym. They sent me Gold's Gym response. I am surprised Gold's had a response.

Anyway, I got a copy of the letter that Victor, the president had sent to the BBB. He showed proof that they sent me a cheque. Fair enough.

But then he had to try to come across looking like a saint...said that it was an accounting error which has led to the accountant's dismissal.

There was no accounting error. As also shown on the cheque stub, it was ready for signing on May 20. And the accountant is still there. And I absolutely HATE it when higher ups try to make themselves and their company look better by making their employees look bad. I don't think it works. Your accountant didn't get one cheque to you to sign so you fired her? Mmhmm.

But I hope the accountant didn't lose her job by doing the right thing for the clients. I'm sure Victor wasn't pleased to have to deal with this kind of stuff.

One thing is for sure though -- I will never, ever, ever sign up for a Gold's Gym membership (again).

I've delayed my personal deadline of getting my place unpacked, etc. because I am getting to stressed out about it all! A couple weeks ago, I saw this great wardrobe at Home Depot, but they were sold out. They've been sold out in the store closest to me for ages, so I've had to resort to other cities. I asked to have the last one put on hold, and I am going to go pick it up tonight! Then I can start putting clothes in my room! How fabulous is that?! Most of my clothes are in garbage bags still.

And then the carpet guy is coming today to finish up some less than stellar work. Once he's done I can put another wardrobe into the corner! Right now it's just in the middle of the room, waiting to be filled up. Once I have some time to actually put things away, I will be happy!

I will have a bit of time this weekend! YEAH!

Tonight is graduation from my Cornerstone seminar. I don't really want to go because I don't think I will get anything out of it. But attending graduation was part of our agreement. Boo.

Does anyone out here attend personal development or leadership training? I'd love to talk to people who've done it. I keep hearing about PSI.

This whole weekend I was at personal development seminar called Cornerstone. It was about 30 hours long over the course of 3 days/nights. The first night, I didn't have a clue what the guy was talking about and was wondering what signed myself up for. But then Saturday was a big day. It was a lot more interactive, and I learned A LOT about myself and how I have been living my life.

I started feeling like I needed to take action after my dad died. I reflected on how he felt about his life, and decided that when I die, I don't want a big list of regrets. I don't want my life to end on a note of sadness and a feeling of being unfulfilled.

Then I did my YOU Journey seminar. It wasn't called that at the time, but that's what it is. Here's a link . (I don't like the website. It doesn't look professional and I think the seminars sound hokey, like it's promising the world or something. In reality, the seminars promise you nothing because it's really all up to you.) I started doing more thinking when I went through that seminar. Aside from learning about myself, I started thinking more about what I want in life.

Cornerstone would have been good to take before Journey, but no matter. Journey had a spiritual element, and Cornerstone did not.

Quick frankly, I've finished the Cornerstone feeling freaked out as heck. I realised I've been living my life in fear and apathy despite that I am fully aware of things. I have been going through the experience if life but not really experiencing it. When I did the pole dancing competition, I didn't plan to win. When I was in the pageant, I didn't plan to win. I told myself that I just wanted the experience. But striving to win would have allowed me to truly experience the experience.

I've learned that my reluctance to show vulnerability really shuts people out. Lots of people at the seminar were brave enough to go up to the front of the room to be open and honest about their experiences. I was too paralyzed with fear to share. I've also learned that by allowing myself to feel unpleasant things allows me to feel pleasant things better.

Basically, I got a kick in the butt this weekend to actually go for the things I want. If I died tomorrow, I would feel like my life was not complete. There is no sense in putting things off for tomorrow because tomorrow might not come. For the last few months, I have really begun to evaluate my relationship closely with Mr. Nick. I don't blame him for anything because my feelings are my choice. He can't make me feel a certain way.

I have decided that what I want next in life is a supportive and understanding husband and good kids. And at this point in time, I really don't know if Mr. Nick is the one.  When we first met, I thought he was the one. But I don't know if I can be with someone anymore that waits for life to happen. I am truly tired of being the leader in the relationship. I don't enjoy it, and I usually take on the role when nobody else steps up to the plate. I am tired of being the one to choose when we see each other, what we do when see each other, when and where we go for holidays, when we have sex. I am tired of it and I think I have reached my wit's end.

I can't speak for Mr. Nick, but I think he has withdrawn because he is content for waiting for things to happen yet there is resentment. I don't feel that he and I have a connection. I don't like when he doesn't ask me to accompany him on  trip. I don't like when he doesn't tell me things that's going on in his life. I don't like that he doesn't share his experiences with me. Maybe by withholding such things from me it gives him his power back.

He said he knows he needs to be more assertive and he said he will be. Our counsellor offered to see him one-on-one about something...Probably about speaking his mind -- I don't remember. When I asked Mr. Nick what she said she would help him with, he said he couldn't remember.

I told Mr. Nick a lot of the stuff I have blogged about. Of course he took the things I said personally. He didn't have to and assumed I was somehow saying things were his fault. But I didn't. He is the way he is, and it is no longer working for me. While he hopes for a family, I know I want one. While he hopes that we can work on relationship, I don't. Nobody can change our relationship for us. It's something I can either commit to or not. Three years with somebody and having no clue where things are going just cannot work for me anymore.

There comes a time when we have to take a stand for something.