Where the Hell Does it All Come From?!!

Ok, so I'm sick. It came on really fast and it hit hard. I don't have the flu and my head is clear - I guess it'd be a chest cold?! I cough and you can hear stuff rattling in my chest. Bruce stayed home to take care of me. He made me peanut butter toast for breakfast, makes sure my water glass is full, chases me around the house with cough syrup! I had to tell him after the first dose that if he was any kind of husband, he'd know to follow up cough syrup with some chocolate - it makes the medecine go down a little easier! He's a quick learner and a wonderful 'mom'!

What Happened?

Last night Bruce and I were watching TV when the new Pepsi commercial came on and it was showing Pepsi throughout the generations and what was going on at a particular time. Bruce asked me if I could go back to a point in time, what era would I live in. At the time I thought why would I live anytime but now, we have the best technology, we can travel anywhere, we know what's going on halfway across the globe when it happens, there's funny tv, awesome movies...the list goes on.

Today, I have a different answer. I came to a realization that people are different, times are different, things are complicated. In this day and age, it seems we have too much of everything and not enough of something. What's that something?

I think people have forgotten manners, people have stopped paying attention to details, people shrug things off as mistakes or think that things don't matter. Life is moving too fast...we're always rushing to get to the next thing. We need to slow down. We need to look back a couple generations and analyze what was good about those times and see if they've passed into this time. I'm betting a lot of things haven't.

Growing up, my mom taught me to write thank you letters for gifts that I had received. Growing up, my teachers taught me to check for spelling errors because it was important that anything I wrote was as perfect as I was capable of making it - people take you more seriously then. You shouldn't rely on spell check. Take the time to make sure things are the best you can make them. People appreciate that. Sometimes I think if we didn't have all the computer technology or even cable, we'd spend more time together and maybe get to know each other better. Maybe if there weren't restaurants on every corner, we'd eat at home more often with our families. Maybe if we didn't have cell phones there'd be less accidents. What happened to reading a book? Now we listen to them in the car as we rush off to the next thing. What happened?

Weird.

This is what I would look like with a mustache.

Don't ask.

Cozy

Even though it's cold outside...really cold outside - sometimes life is cozy. Take right now for instance - I'm in my PJs and my tummy's full from a fantastic homemade dinner and I'm in my craft room with my dog on my lap. Cozy. I got to thinking the other day, life races by so fast sometimes that you miss the best part of it - the cozy parts. I'm gonna try to stop and appreciate those times when they come around. The person who waits a couple seconds more to hold the door for you instead of speeding up to avoid having to do that for you - that person took some time for you. The surprise coffee on your desk in the morning - you know that's from a true friend, someone thought you'd like it...they were thinking of you. Even the styrofoam cup full of paper that's perched ever so delicately inside a cupboard so when you open it, it's like ticker tape at a parade in your office - they took the time to set you up cuz you're worth it. Those are the cozy parts and I love them all!

I'm Baaaack!

Well, I'm back from my 'blogging' vacation. Let's see, what happened since I last wrote? Bruce and I went to Montreal for my cousin's 'big fat Greek wedding'! Ok, they weren't fat but his bride was definitely Greek. To my dismay though, no plates were broken. Eleni (the newest member to the family) said there were too many little kids at the reception to break plates. Alright, I guess I can give her that! We had a blast! There was dancing between each course. A little appetizer, some dancing, a little salad, some more dancing, a little lamb, potoatoes and veggies, some more dancing! Crazy Greeks! Loved it! Another wedding coming up in August...

So back to my reality...I spent the last three days at a project management course. Usually after attending something like this I feel really smart but somehow I feel dumber than when I first stepped in the room! What the heck?!! I've dissected every moment of the last three days and have pinpointed what I think the problem is - the instructor! No, I'm not blaming him to take away the spotlight on my ignorance - I admit to my ignorance...that's why I signed up for the course in the first place! But if you have 12 chapters to cover in three days, I think my math is still pretty strong, that'd be 4 chapters a day to cover everything, right?! At the end of day one we had finished only the first two chapters. Wow! Maybe if he hadn't spent the first hour repeating what degrees he had three times over or how he has to turn down jobs cuz he's sooo busy, maybe we could have finished four chapters! His solution was to cram everything and cut our lunch by half an hour for the next two days! I guess I won't be able to manage any projects for you until I read that 'big fat manual'! Later...

Again

Oops! I did it again! Fell asleep after it was just supposed to be a nap. We're off to Montreal this morning. My cousin is getting married tomorrow - a big Greek wedding! Never been to one before so this should be quite the experience. I'm bringing a whole box of Band-aids as I've been told there'll be lots of dancing...I'm gonna be the dance! You know it!

You've probably already guessed that there'll be a gap in blogging. It's either cuz I'm in Montreal or I'm napping! Or hibernating...why the he** couldn't they wait to get married in the summer?!! It's gonna be way above zero here and we're gonna fly into, basically, hell!!! Wish us luck! At least I have good hair!

Yawn...

Sorry there was no blog yesterday. I fell asleep, no, no...I went for a nap last night at about 7 or so (Bruce had to work late) but ended up sleeping through till my alarm went off this morning at 5:45! Must have needed the Zzzz's - maybe my immune system needed to bank some beauty sleep in order to build its' resistance to upcoming illnesses. That sounds good - that's what I'm going with!

Today was wonderful - a day away from the office. Ok, so it was computer training in a boardroom with no windows and the heat was waaaaaay too high but it was still a day away from the office! And I got a certificate! Tell me that's not special. A highlight in my life. I stopped into the office this morning before my training to check email and there was an envelope perched on my keyboard. Good God! My birthday's not for 162 days yet...even I think it's too early for a birthday card! Well no, it wasn't a card wishing me good luck in the next year but it was a thank you card from my 'manager' congratulating me on all my achievements in the last week and a half! What?!! Seriously? She should have been congratulating me on lowering my golf score online...does she seriously think I'm busy?! I guess it's another check for her 'manager to-do list'! In any event, it's always entertaining.

Clean Bill of Health

He's fine...Neko's fine. The poor little guy was so scared when we walked into the vet's waiting room. I know he's a short-haired chihuahua living in a northern land but c'mon, he was shaking uncontrollably - like he was going through withdrawal or something! Didn't help the situation that our appointment was for 3 o'clock but they kept us waiting until 3:25!!! He kept seeing dogs come from the back wearing cones and this poor dog in the waiting room had this stretched out tongue that he couldn't keep in his mouth...it was like an animal version of "Silence of the Lambs"!!! We finally got in to see Dr. Bear (I know! It's like her profession chose her!) and she took a sample from the lump on Neko's shoulder and took it to the back to look at it closer through her microscope. She came back into the cramped examining room and gave him the good news that it was clear. Yay! However, she said they consider him a 'senior'! He's seven this year. If only a dog could get a seniors' discount...there's gotta be something in it for me! For now, I'll take the clean bill of health!

Full Belly

It's hard to be creative or even energetic when you have a full belly. Mom and Dad had us over for dinner cuz Neko's spending the night. He has a vet appointment tomorrow afternoon and since my parents only live 5 minutes from the vet's office, it'd make life a whole lot simpler if I only have to drive to one part of the city to make our appointment. See, Neko has a lump on his left leg that's a little concerning. It doesn't seem to bother him but it has grown in size so we thought it best to have it checked out. Keeping our fingers crossed that it's nothing...



Back to my full tummy. Mom always has snacks out for us when we come over - Bits and Bites and cashews. Dad always has a cold beer for Bruce - something they both enjoy. I think Mom doesn't believe we eat...ever! She gave each of us a breast and a half of breaded chicken, a huge helping of broccoli casserole and a baked potato the size of my head! I couldn't do it, I tapped! Somehow it doesn't matter if you don't finish everything on your plate when you're an adult...she didn't make me sit at the dining room table until I was done. She actually took my unfinished dinner out to the kitchen and then guess what she did...that's right! She served me dessert!!! Chocolate brownies from M&M. Mmmmmm...

What's it like out?

It was my intention when I started this blog that I'd write something every day. Well, I missed yesterday. Good thing I didn't commit to doing this every day, you know like make it a New Year's resolution or something. The word for the year is TRY. I'm going to try to blog every day. See - avoiding any chance of failure. I'm so smarte.

Did you catch that? Smarte...that's not how you spell it but it's kind of a joke that I can make in a blog...get it? Maybe that's not so funny after all. Anyhoo, I didn't do a whole lot today. I can't even comment on anything that I saw people do today cuz I never left my house! I made french toast and lattes. I emptied the dishwasher. I made some lunch. Paid some bills. Made some stew. Washed some dishes. Yup, pretty domestic today.

Bruce and I did, however, watch "Dog Town" on National Geographic. Made me cry. Dog Town is this rescue place, better phrased as heaven, for dogs. They introduced us to Bruno, a chow that was in pretty bad shape. The people in this facility have hearts of gold...they genuinely care about what happens to these animals and they try to make what time they have on this earth, quality time. They're not into prolonging their lives if they won't be good years, their goal is to get them strong enough and healthy enough that a family will adopt them and give them a good home. Bruno didn't make it but they made sure he had some time in a loving home before he left on his next journey. Made me cry.

Oops!

I was starting to wonder what I'd blog about tonight...not a whole lot happened today that'd be considered interesting. Well, just when you think you've got nothin' there's always something lurking around the corner. I decided since I love my KitchenAid so much that I'd continue practicing with it after dinner. I made cookies last night so I thought maybe I'd whip up some lemon poppyseed loaf to take to work tomorrow. Just as beautifully as last night, my mixer tossed and turned the ingredients until they were one. Mmmmm...love my mixer...

Half an hour in the oven and I pulled the golden brown loaf out to cool on the rack. Once cooled, I got out my knife and thought, "Did I put any sugar in?"...I snuck one of the middle slices and began to cautiously nibble. "Nope, crap!" The blandest thing I have ever made...and I've made a lot of stuff! Tasted like bread but not as good and it has little crunchies throughout...ewww. Not even butter can save it. Sigh...

With Ease

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new KitchenAid mixer! Since Bruce is away, he's not here to remind me how many tins of baking are already in the pantry (his mom's baking not mine) so I decided it was a perfect night to practice with my mixer and try a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. I adjusted the blade height to the bowl and started mixing. Holy cow!!! I made the dough in seconds flat! Good thing I was watching otherwise I would have overmixed it! So this new recipe called for melted butter (not softened) and bread flour...interesting, worth a try. My one piece of advice for trying a new recipe is not to trust the amount of baking time as every oven is different. It said to bake the cookies for 14 minutes, which seemed long to begin with. Anyway the first 6 were a little crispy so I took off a minute and actually ended up going down to 10 minutes for bake time. Perfection! Don't know if it's the recipe, the number of minutes they baked, my awesome mixer or the fact that I didn't have to share any with Bruce (and I could even sneak some dough) but they tasted pretty darn good! LOVE the mixer!!!

Relaxed

I was happily surprised yesterday when I got home to find that there was a message reminding me about my massage today. Massage? Seriously??? I totally forgot to write it down so it was like getting yet another Christmas present! Awesome! I wasn't really even in dire need of one but, wow, I feel a whole lot better. I'm so relaxed and calm right now I think I'm gonna cut this short and crawl into bed. Ciao!

Preoccupied

I notice I dissect everything in my day when thinking about what to blog. Today was an introspective day of sorts. It started off with a team meeting, which was to help us think about our strengths and how to use them to make our team more productive and successful. We were given a a list of questions like how often in a week do you experience an emotional high at work, how many times in a week do you get so wrapped up in your work that you lose track of time, things like that. What it made me realize and think about, however, wasn't what my strengths are but that I've never experienced an emotional high from work...ever, and in fact I never lose track of time - I know exactly how many minutes are left in the day till I can turn my computer off. Are you trying to tell me not everyone knows that?! Yikes! So I started planning my vacation. Yup, I think that team meeting worked!

Order Up!

I learned something interesting last night. We went out for dinner with friends of ours to Original Joe's. Bruce mentioned that he's been craving Mikado in the last little while so I said maybe for our February dinner out we could go there. Yup, Bruce and I are trying to limit our eating out this year. Once a month might be pushing it but if you don't give yourself something to work towards, you'll never get there - right?! Anyway, Rob laughed cuz he and Krista made a 'resolution' to eat out more. The difference between us? They have kids and we don't! Funny how what Bruce and I enjoy as a regular routine is a rare freedom for those with families. Hmmmm...

Just got back from grocery shopping. I'm trying something new this year. I want to grocery shop less often and in an effort to support us eating out less, I am making a concious effort to have a fully stocked pantry so that I don't run into the excuse of not having what I need for a recipe and it'd be easier just to order in or pick something up from Mt. Fuji down the way. I bought two of most canned or jarred things so that there's always something on the shelf when I go look for it. I bought more frozen veggies that I can throw together for a soup or in a stew. I bought some quick convenient foods, you know like rice in a bag that cooks in 2 minutes in the microwave for the nights where I really want to break down and order something in. It's an experiment and I'll be tracking how often I shop and how much I'm eating out to see if it's paying off. Wish me luck!

Armed and Dangerous!!!

You know what they say about idle hands...they're the devil's playground! Not my hands man! I woke up with a mission - to clean our house from top to bottom. Yup, armed with my Swiffer duster, some Windex and my vaccuum...I waged war upon the dust rhinos lurking in the corners, under the furniture...no where to hide! There's something therapeutic about doing a deep clean, it invigorates me! I also feel less guilt when I'm lazy on later in the day!

Watched an interesting program on National Geographic this afternoon about gangs in St. Louis. Some crazy stuff. What I don't get is life is so much more fun and interesting when you don't have to watch your back or watch someone die. Has anyone ever told them that? Wouldn't they rather play football in the park with their friends, or grab a beer and watch some sports on tv? One, it's less messy and two they might have a laugh or two, not to mention they'd be less bitter. Totally different world and I have to say I'm so thankful that I was born into the world I'm living in - it's so much easier.

Minus What?!!?

As I was about to walk out the door this morning, I heard the DJ announce that it was -38 outside! Minus what??? They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...I'll let you know if that's true if I make it home tonight!

I used to roll my eyes when Bruce packed up his camera and brought it to every family get together but he put them all together in a fabulous video of 2008 - a year in review so to speak. He has captured so much in the past year, photos of all our family, friends, places we travelled to, things we've done! There are things I've forgotten about and some candid shots I didn't realize he captured - all I can say is I will never roll my eyes again! As my parents get older, as people move farther away, pictures become more precious - they lock my memories in! I'm blessed to have such wonderful people in my life and even more blessed to be married to one!

So far?

We started the New Year with some French toast and lattes! How much better can this year get?! I know it's only day one but c'mon...French toast and lattes! I never got out of my pj's and it's warm in the house...two more pluses for the New Year! So far? FABULOUS!