Saturday, November 27, 2010

½ Way.

Today I'm 29 and a ½! I am now closer to 30, than 29. I’d like to say that the closer I get the better I am with accepting the reality of it, but that’s probably just the remnants of last night’s alcoholic beverages calming the nerves.

I think what’s also helping is the fact that I don’t feel older. It’s not like I’ll wake up and life will be different, old age just trickles in so slowly you don’t know it’s hitting you. Some things I have noticed (and not just in the last 6 months), are more wine headaches, zero tolerance for anything that seems to waste time, complete dislike for reality television, and a desire to have everything done.yesterday.

What I find odd (as friends speak of this), is that there is no noise coming from my biological clock. No tick, no peep, just complete silence. This makes me question a few things and wonder if it will ever tick? If anyone ever asks about me having children the answer is always ‘maybe next year?’ I have compiled a crib list (things to accomplish before baby), and it seems to get longer and longer. All those things I wanted to do when I grew up still haven’t been done.

When I was little my parents had the answer to every question I asked (and often still do), and I don’t think I have all the answers yet, and find myself still asking questions. I know we can ‘Google’ something at any moment, but it just isn’t the same.

I don’t want to grow up. In the last week I’ve eaten movie theatre popcorn for dinner, started the first Mario Galaxy game from the start to see if I can beat it, spent a night and day with University students (and kept up), and today I have zero plans of getting out of my pj’s the entire day. I’m doing all the things I dreamed of doing in my early twenties, but couldn’t afford to.

Another thing that completely freaks me out is that when my mom turned 30, I turned 7. I remember it. I now remember my mom at the age at which I am at. Something about that frightens me.

I have accomplished 49 of the 101 things, which is a good feat for ½ way, however I’ll have to kick it up a notch. I’ve basically been just living life and fitting them in where they occur naturally, but that’s getting hard.

It’s all making me look at things a little closer, and question things a lot more, and determine what needs improvement or change. I’m not where I thought I would be with 6 months to age 30, but progress is definitely being made.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

#94. Cry Often

It all started with




And went downhill from there. Animals are my weak spot. Most people watch baby food & diaper commercials and go ‘oohhh’ and ‘ahhh’ at the babies, where I’m that way for kibbles & bits or those white kitten toilet paper commercials – they get me every time. Or, how about those adorable polar bear and penguin coke commercials for winter?

How could you have possibly watched the Nissan commercial and not went ‘awwwwww’?!

Recently I’ve had some spare time on my hands with unused vacation days being taken every Friday this month so I’m catching tv I wouldn’t normally watch on Friday nights as I tend to stay in the city after work until the wee hours of the morning.

Anyway, flicking through channels I come across a show on CMT (Country Music Television?) called ‘ER Vets: 24/7 Animal Trauma Centre’. It’s narrated by Jann Arden, and if you’ve ever heard her sing ‘Insensitive’ her voice just rips your heart from your chest, tosses it over the Grand Canyon and then steam rolls the remains. My eyes didn’t just water, or possibly shed a single tear, I all out ugly cried for a sold half hour THROUGH commercial breaks. I should probably not ever watch this show again for my emotional wellbeing, but you know what? I set the PVR, and even recorded the show before it called ‘Pet Heroes’ as if I want the torture!

When T used to travel, I’d drive him to the local airport, help him get his bags from the trunk, give him a hug and kiss and then cry until I was about 5km’s away from the airport. T leaving this time was taking the car and driving to a larger airport so you would think that I’d be fine? Nope. I helped him carry his bags to the entry way, told him I’d see him in 3 days (he’s home over the American thanksgiving), and then listened to the garage door close from inside and then cried. He’s only gone 3 days this week, but still, the house seems so empty.

I guess I’ll go watch all that quality tv programming I’ve pvr’d until my tear ducts malfunction in defeat.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

#85. Be a Dork

Often at work the discussions with co-workers become about books we are reading. A review in the paper on a book, or merely having one sticking out of your purse is enough to start a conversation about all things related to that book. Yesterday a co-worker showed up with a bag of books for another co-worker to borrow and a light went off. What about a company book exchange? We have approx. 50 female office workers within the company and a large portion of them read. So why not join my love for organization, reading, and saving money and create a company book exchange? It’s the perfect idea, and did I mention it looks good from an employer’s view also as company involvement. It won’t cost them a dime, except for a file located on a public drive, and maybe a book in a weekly pre-existing courier, and will increase employee morale.


So if this wasn’t being a big enough dork, I debated if I should set up the book exchange as an excel workbook, or an access database? Should I have one listing of all books, or alphabetical sheets for authors, which feed from individual employee book list sheets? Should it be color coded by employee? Yes, I’m THAT big of a dork, these were my thoughts on the drive to work today, that when I put the idea forward to my boss with shear enthusiasm and excitement it was automatically approved. Now I’m just gathering troops in my office to put together a list of their books at home and submit them to me. Sure it’s more work for me, but at least I’ll enjoy what I’m working on.

To disprove entire dork association with myself I will tell you of an embarrassing story - as I like to do this. While out on a run this week I ran by two boys outside playing with light savers – this is what I thought they were called. When re-telling the story within a group I was corrected as to the correct term - light sabre. “You know as in the Buffalo Sabres and their logo as sword type objects” – I always thought Sabres were a type of Buffalo, and had no clue what actual Buffalo Bill’s where? Some type of western villain? BLONDE moment. I also can’t tell you if a light sabre is from Star Wars or Star Trek? I’m not that kind of dork.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

#28 Claim your granny panties & #40 Invest in seriously frivolous undies

I opened my underwear drawer last night to discover I have 44 pairs of underwear. I could not do laundry and still have clean underwear for a month and a half! Of course there is themed underwear for Christmas (thong that has a bell that is not work appropriate), football Sunday underwear that has cute blue and pink footballs on them, and every other kind in between. Of course there are my favourites that are at the top and underwear that I say will never be worn again – but yet are still there known as the ‘granny panties’. The elastic is gone in them and they are not at all sexy, but they maintain drawer space for who knows what reason? So last night they were tossed. Screw granny panties, I’ll wear them in 40 years (yes that would make me 69) when I should technically be a granny.


I just remembered a story about the football panties I think I should share so that you can all share in my embarrassing moments with me. I had just started a new job and after my first day discovered that people here dress up all fancy every day – I’m talking skirts, heels, earrings, etc. Coming from automotive where jeans & a hoody would suffice I told T I needed to ‘girl it up’. So out I pull a skirt that I hadn’t worn in say 5 years that I would consider dressy and I put together an outfit for the next morning. At this point I was working two jobs – 6am-8am still in automotive, and 8:30-5 at the new job, so I was getting up and dressed in the dark, and this was my first week. I get up, dressed, go to my first job; get to my second job where I feel a bit of a breeze. I head to the bathroom to discover that the slit of the skirt is putting my football Sunday underwear (worn for comfort that day) on display for everyone to see. I rush home on my lunch and sew the slit to avoid any further embarrassments and back to work I go. End of the day I rush home to get changed to go for a walk with a friend and as I’m telling her this story while changing I discover I hadn’t put a bra on that day either. The ENTIRE day, and I’m not talking about size B here, I’m a D – I still can’t figure out how this all happened, but I’m pretty sure the entire office probably thought I was a hoe – excellent first week impression.

As for investing in frivolous undies, you can’t get more frivolous then what I already own – unless you go maybe a zebra or leopard print or something, but in most cases the less fabric to get all up in your business the better. So what I’ve decided to do is become matchy-matchy with bras & panties. I have a few sets but coordinating them for the same day never happens, so I’m going to make sure I have enough sets so that it can. I’ve just bought 2 sets for a total of 4 that I have, but ideally I’d like at least 7 – so more shopping! Who is going to see & appreciate this? Probably only me, but I’ll feel great and if I’m ever hit by a bus I won’t be embarrassed by my undies

#60. Do it somewhere risky

Does a new neighbourhood on the edge of the city that doesn’t have street lights yet in 3 degree weather count? DONE.


And a new rule put in place – no booty unless it’s at least 5+ degrees