Random Thoughts about Things

Yeah, haven't figured out that life lesson yet...I'll keep you posted.

There are times in life when you wonder if things could get any stupider and then you're reminded that you shouldn't have asked such a silly question!

Some people aren't happy people. Some people are seemingly happy people, but aren't. Some people are genuinely happy. And then there are some that are over the top! I know of at least one of each in my life, which makes my life extremely interesting from a soap opera standpoint. It's never dull and it's never boring.

I was forwarded this video and found it very interesting if not a little scary. I don't know if you've seen "Heroes" on TV or not but it's a good show to watch. But after watching this video, I thought differently about that show...maybe it's not so fictional after all. I started to wonder if you and I are on the verge of extinction - let me know what you think. Warning, the video is almost 20 minutes long! http:www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcLKbJs3xk (Just copy and paste in the address bar).

I like being busy. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing stuff in a day. However, the older I get, the less interesting the stuff that keeps me busy is. It used to be that I had lots of social engagements that kept me busy, shopping for house stuff kept me busy, learning new hobbies kept me busy. These days, it's organizing stuff at work, putting out fires, grocery shopping, paying bills and ha! traffic tickets! These kind of things aren't so exciting and I'm starting to wonder if I stopped doing those things, would I have more time to spend on what used to keep me busy? Hmmm, interesting thought...

Well gotta go think up some kind of ice breaker for a meeting next week...what to do, what to do???

Back to School?

I think I'm in the middle of learning a life lesson somehow - I just have to figure what it is that I should be taking away from all of it. Life keeps throwing these seemingly meaningless frustrations at me, situations that are gnawing away at my subconscious. Sometimes I feel like God is testing me with these people/situations and I tread lightly as not to fail the test. But what are they all trying to teach me? No clue. Could it just be a form of humour on His part? Am I just supposed to sit back, laugh at it all and move on? Oh only if I knew then I could relax about everything. Keep treading water, keep your head up and breathe - there's gotta be some rescue net soon! Until then, I think I'll just keep chuckling away, it can't mean anything more than that. Ha!

Another Potpourri

Just got back from dinner at Mikado. Mmmmm, so happy, so tired... We met my sister and my youngest nephew for dinner and dinner we had! As we got to the table, Mike asked me to bend down. As I did, he placed a lei around my neck and kissed my cheek! He told me that's how they do it in Hawaii; so cute (my sister and her family went to Hawaii over Christmas). Back to the Mikado! It was a marathon of eating! Bruce and I shared spinach gomae, an order of dragon eyes and beef yakiniku. I am so full but so extremely satisfied! I would highly recommend Mikado to anyone and everyone.

I saw something on Friday that made me laugh...not laugh out of hysterics but laughing at the absurdity of it all. I was driving to work and came to a red light by a Starbucks. There was a police SUV parked and the cops were all inside sitting at a table having coffee and treats. Yup, their car was definitely parked, no flashers on, not idling at all, no lights flashing on the roof, just parked - at a 5 minute loading zone!!! Here I get a $172 ticket for driving 10 seconds in a bus lane and cops park in a loading zone while they have their breakfast. Laughed at the absurdity of it all!

I love my friends. I love my girlfriends! I don't know if I would be as sane as I am without them. We've all seen that email about the mom giving her daughter marriage advice about not forgetting her girlfriends, to keep those relationships strong, because they will always be there for you. There is so much truth in that story. I am so fortunate to have such wonderful women in my life. It's funny how even though I see some of them almost every day I'll miss them on the weekends - they are a very strong part of my life. And then there are some girlfriends I won't see for up to four months but those months seem to melt away while we meet over coffee for a chat! I am married and I LOVE my husband and he is truly my very best friend in the entire world but sometimes he just doesn't get me. Men and women are just wired differently. My girlfriends get me, any day, any time. They understand why I'm feeling angry about something, I don't have to try and explain why. Time with my friends is my time, as an individual, something I don't have to share with Bruce (no offence honey). After a visit with my friends, I somehow feel refreshed, ready to start again, even forgiven if that makes sense. Having my own friends, my own girlfriends, makes me and keeps me who I am today.

Adventure Anyone?

Sometimes you know when you're in need of something...you just start craving it. Like iron...sometimes you just need to eat red meat! Your body knows you need it and makes it clear by sending you cravings. Well I'm craving an adventure right now! A change of scenery, something to spark my soul, something that will let me know I'm not sitting here while life passes me by. As you all know I've been looking for something for some time. What kind of something I'm not so sure but I can pretty much guarantee it's not right under my nose - I need to step out of my zone and experience some adventures. Boston's coming up...perhaps I'll come find some inspiration there...

There are times when you sit back and accept how foolish you look. I'm not talking every day, although I'm sure some of you would make an argument for that, but I digress. I'm talking about how you get sucked into doing something due to mob mentality. I'm not really sure how many people make up a mob but I know it's more than two. In any event, today was one of those days. We did this stupid video for a staff retreat and really, it's pretty lame even in my books. Anyway, you go along with the group (aka mob) because you don't want to be the lone member calling it like it is. Could that be considered some form of lying? Good God...just another reason I'll be smoking a toad in Hell!!! Well, on the bright side, that would be considered an adventure...

Potpourri

Since I've been rather lazy about blogging, this entry is going to be a potpourri of thoughts.

It's Family Day!!! We slept in. And then my wonderful husband made me a fantastic breakfast this morning! We had scrambled egg wraps with mushrooms, onions and cheese, hash browns and lattes! How much better can a morning get?! Oh and a day off to boot! That's how much better it can get!

I had a horrible nightmare last night. I dreamt that Neko's very long nails became infected and his foot swelled into a ball as a result. When my dad attempted to see how much damage had been done, Neko's foot fell off! So Bruce and I are off this afternoon to PetSmart to get his nails trimmed. We'd do it ourselves but somehow our little 18-pound dog morphs into a bucking bronco and WATCH OUT!!! He's a snapper on top of it all! I think $11 is worth keeping all my fingers.

Valentine's Day was not your typical one this year. Bruce headed off quite early to photograph the 2009 Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Race out at Elk Island Park. In the last little while I've been thinking about how my dad and I used to make cornbread for breakfast when I was little. I have all these memories of us whipping up a batch and soaking it in syrup! Mmmm...those were the good ol' days. So when I saw an old-fashioned cornbread mix on my last grocery shopping excursion, I threw it into my cart and called Dad up and told him I'd be over Saturday to make breakfast with him. We baked the cornbread, cooked up some crisp bacon and poured a ton of syrup that morning! Just as good as I remembered! Sounds like a pretty good Valentines so far, eh? It got better. I had an appointment for an hours massage at 12:45! So not only was my tummy totally happy...I got to completely relax for an hour! Ahhhh.

Now it's time to wind up the long weekend so I put a roast in the oven with carrots, onions and potatoes. Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven! Bruce just wishes we had more eggs so I could've made Yorkshire puddings...oh well...I enjoyed my scrambled egg wrap this morning so I think they were put to good use earlier in the day!

Spare Change?

I think I'm gonna need some! I guess it's gonna be easy not eating out this month, or next month...the next few months maybe???


Ugh! Yup, that's right. That's a photo of my ticket! Learn a lesson my friends - don't drive in a bus lane during peak hours!!! $172. Did you hear that?! One hundred and seventy two dollars! Nutty. On top of that I dropped another $480 to get my car serviced. Actually, that's how the story began...

I was driving to Kingsway Toyota to drop my car off for an oil change and to get work done on my brakes. The service department opens up at 7:30 so Bruce was kind enough to follow me there so he could drop me off at work this morning. I changed lanes so that I'd be in the far right lane to make the turn to the parking lot and WHAM! a cop pulls me over. He told me I was driving in the bus lane (really Sherlock?!) to which I replied that I was trying to get to the service department at the dealership just next to the parking lot he pulled me into. Didn't matter - I was driving in the bus lane. No eye contact, no smile, no good morning but I did however get a Ma'am! Seriously. Anyway, the lovely folks at Toyota told me other people in the past have had the same thing happen to them and they fought it and won so wish me luck! And don't drive in the bus lane.

All Good

Sometimes I worry that my blogging is too cheesy, too hokey, too introspective. I guess it's just reflective of what I seem to be experiencing these days. I try to make sense of some of the seemingly senseless things that I witness on an almost daily basis. Just think of it as getting a free look inside my head. See...there's more than just empty space in there!

I like coffee. I like Bailey's. I like hot tubs. I like Sally. Put them altogether and I'm happy! Spent a couple of hours with Sally in her hot tub and then we had lunch while watching HGTV. What a great day! However, I was so relaxed and tired that I didn't have the energy to do much else after that so I napped for an hour this afternoon. That makes me happy too! So what if I don't feel like I accomplished a lot today? I deserve a day off here and there.

Wow, that was exhausting writing the last two paragraphs...I'm gonna sleep now.

Think About This

The time you have here on earth is limited...don't waste it living someone else's dream.

When you look in the mirror, ask yourself, "If this was my last day of my life, would I do what I'm about to do?"

Live today like it was your last day on earth and one day you're sure to be right!

You can always pass failure on the way to success.

Just some things to think about...

I Found the Secret to Life!

I came across something inspirational today, "find what makes you happy and do it until you die". All this time I've been trying to discover what my passion is because people say if you do what you're passionate about the money will follow. I'm sure that is true but I think I've been missing the obvious and what I believe is even more important...happiness is the whole point of life.

My mom always said it didn’t matter what I did when I grew up, so long as it made me happy. Who said it had to be my job that makes me happy? Nobody. I fell into the same trap, a rather large trap at that, that so many other people have fallen into - you should be happy doing what you do. We, joe blow public, interpreted "doing what you do" to mean your job/career. I totally missed it...it doesn't matter what I do...as long as I'm happy. I can be ho hum about the job that I do but that doesn't matter as long as I'm happy. I'm happy being married (I'm actually more ecstatic than happy). I'm happy being a dog mom. I'm happy blogging. I'm happy creating new and fantastic things in the kitchen. I am happy doing all of those things! And I'm going to do all of them until I die!

More or Less...

I think I've been pretty successful at my 'not' New Years resolution...being a better person. I have sought out inspirational writings, followed Mr. Positive's posts, and have done more meditation in the past month than I did all last year. I have taken an internal stock of where I am and what I believe in and stand for. I am a better person than when I first started to blog. I have become more tolerant, more understanding, more patient.

But just when you think you're in a good place something always seems to hit and rocks the boat. I see these as tests, something or someone sent to test how firm the lessons you've learned in life are entrenched in you. I've come to realize that I need to step back from things and examine the situation and who's involved in it. To be the better person I'm striving to be, I need to stop my instincts of poking holes in their arguments and hold my tongue. Most times I think those that rock the boat or stir the pot, or whatever saying you like most, are weak. They don't possess the self-confidence of those they attack and out of jealousy that's why they do what they do. Instead of holding anger towards them, I need to exercise empathy for the lack of their magnetic likeability.

I'm a better person...more or less...

Things to Think About

I read an article about 21 keys to magnetic likeability and here they are:

1. Be Attentive to Others and Never Stop Listening – Self-centered people are usually unlikable.
   
2. Compliment People Who Deserve It – Everybody likes to hear that their efforts are appreciated.
3. Make Yourself Available and Approachable – If people cannot get a hold of you, or have trouble approaching you, they will forget about you.
4. Speak Clearly so People Can Understand You – Most people have a very low tolerance for dealing with people they can’t understand.
   
5. Never Try to Be Someone You’re Not – Fake people are not likeable.
   
6. Address People by Their Name – People love the sight and sound of their own name, so make sure you learn to remember names.
   
7. Mirror the Person You’re Conversing With – You can mirror someone by imitating their body language, gestures, movements and facial expressions during a one on one conversation.
   
8. Always Ask to Help… and Help When Asked – Highly likeable people always spare time for others, regardless of how busy their own schedules are.
   
9. Never Get Caught Lying – Everybody stretches the truth at times, but everyone hates a liar.
   
10. Say “Please” and “Thank You” – It can mean the difference between sounding rude and sounding genuinely grateful.
11. Use Positive Language (Body and Verbal) – You can use positive language skills to exhibit yourself as a helpful, constructive person rather than a destructive, disinterested one.
12. Smile – Everyone likes the sight of a genuine smile.
    
13. Keep Unqualified Opinions to Yourself – If you don’t have all the facts, or you’re uneducated on the topic of discussion, it’s in your best interest to spend your time listening.
    
14. Provide Tangible Value – When you add tangible value, you increase your own value in the eyes of others.
15. Respect Elders, Respect Minors, Respect Everyone – Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.
    
16. Make Frequent Eye Contact… but Don’t Stare – There’s little doubt that eye contact is one of the most captivating forms of personal communication.
    
17. Don’t Over-Promise… Instead, Over-Deliver – If you want people to like you, forget about making promises and simply over-deliver on everything you do.
18. Stand Up for Your Beliefs Without Promoting Them – Discuss your personal beliefs when someone asks about them, but don’t spawn offensive attacks of propaganda on unsuspecting victims.
    
19. Make a Firm Handshake – There is a considerable correlation between the characteristics of a firm handshake (strength, duration, eye contact, etc.) and a positive first impression.
20. Keep Your Hands Away from Your Face – Putting your hands on your face during a conversation tells the other person that you’re either bored, negatively judging them, or trying to hide something.
21. Dress Clean – People will always judge a book by its cover.

It's funny. There are a number of these attributes that are missing in a lot of people I know...hmmm...I'm sure you know some too. However, I know more people that possess many of these attributes and I strive to be more like them every day!

Two New Things

Today I tried two new things! I made homemade chocolate chip muffins and I helped Bruce with a photo shoot this afternoon. I think making the muffins was definitely the easier of the two! Nonetheless, I had a lot of fun today. Bruce has a wedding next weekend so he met with the couple today to get to know them a little better and to get them more comfortable in front of the camera, which I think is a brilliant move! We were sitting in Hub mall waiting for them to show up and I see this couple with two children in tow...Bruce wasn't expecting them to bring their kids so he asked me to stick around. Originally I was just gonna walk around campus with my camera and explore on my own but I agreed to tag along. I'm glad I did cuz it was a lot of fun working with the two kids, Leanne and Michael.


Back to the chocolate chip muffins. I don't think I'd put as many chocolate chips in next time. WHAT?!! I know! Who knew I would ever cut back on chocolate! However, there wasn't enough muffin. Oh the trials and tribulations of baking! I think I'd also put in a little more salt to set off the flavour of the chocolate. Sometimes salt can be a good thing. Plus I served them warm, partly cuz I couldn't wait for them to cool and partly cuz the recipe suggested it.

I think they'll be better at room temperature though. I'll test that theory tomorrow!