Reviewing the 2000's

Another year is ending and more importantly another decade. 10 years ago was very different than where I am today.

10 years ago I was very disappointed in myself. I was highlighting my hair more and more and it was almost blonde. I was stuck in my job and wasn't going anywhere. I was in a dead end relationship where I wasn't happy, wasn't appreciated and was generally an after thought. I lived my life for other people.

I made the decision to try and change everything by going to Niagara Falls for a weekend getaway with my parents, my sister and her husband and my boyfriend. We stayed in a hotel near the falls and most importantly - near the park where there would be an outside concert. The very expensive package deal we booked included dinner on top of the Skylon Tower - a rotating restaurant that looked out high over the falls. It was great to be there with my family and ring in the year with great music but I started to see that I wasn't happy with other things in my life. I wasn't moving forward.

By the end of 2000 I was single, going out again and having fun and had resigned myself to change my stars. I took a course in writing to help find my muse again and things were looking up.

2001 I went to Mexico on vacation - awarded the Top Performing Studio Manager for Southern Ontario and moved to Alberta to work at a popular hotel. It was a huge year - a momentus success compared to where I had been the year before. I learned to breathe again and how to be myself. I laughed heartedly, somewhat learned to two-step. I made friends to last a lifetime and I had grown and spread my wings and proved that I could handle anything - including living on my own.

2002 I was back at home and happy with who I was. I worked hard to build the portrait studio again and led my team to the highest sales in Canada. I was confident in my skills and ready to rock and roll. It was a building year for me.

2003 was pretty huge for me personally and professionally. My parents moved from my childhood home and got a house with a basement apartment for me to live. We also went on a trip back out to Alberta to see family and I could show them my old

stomping grounds. I was promoted through my work to work as a

district trainer and subsequently district manager. At the company's Photography and Sales Meeting held in Montreal I was awarded the Top Performing Studio Manager in Canada. I worked hard and was completely rewarded for my success. Throughout all this whirlwind someone new came into my life. He was kind and funny and really paid attention to me. He could make me laugh and we had a very quick courtship. Within a month I was head over heals and we were pretty inseparable. In 2003 I discovered how much I really loved to host parties - hosted a Halloween and a New Years Party that year and both were really fun. I made new friends that year that I still have today.

2004 was all about work work work! Being a district manager was really challenging - even if it was only for a maternity leave. A lot of hours, a lot of travel and a pager constantly attached to my hip. James stuck by me through it all - even when I had a gallbladder attack and suffered for months until surgery could be arranged. He even drove me to the hospital and sat worried in the waiting room until I came out and even then he sat beside my bed until some colour came back to my face. When the mat leave contract was over I was given a position I could only dream of - something tailor made for me. I was going to be the Regional Training Manager and would work across 4 different districts helping out staff. It was travel but it was a lot of fun and I really felt that I had made a real strong go at it. I was proud of all I had accomplished that year.

In 2005 at a freinds wedding an opportunity came up that I never dreamed. While sitting with virtual strangers I got to talking with one of the guests. She was a career counsellor and said there was an opening. She thought I'd be great for it - and so I applied. The year contract was with a travelling career centre in the Hamilton area. I had a lot of fun putting together resumes and helping people with job searching. James took this opportunity to ask me to move in with him and together we moved into an apartment in Paris along the Grand River. The apartment was nice with two bedrooms and space for us to spread our legs. We knew it was only temporary but we tried to

put our stamp on it. I also bought a new car - Ford Focus in Sonic Blue. I love that car and still smile thinking of it.

2006 my contract ended and I moved on. I got a job back in Customer Service with a library supply company. Pretty much was doing inside sales and things as first the team leader and then the National Customer Service Manager. I was working more hours than I did as a district manager and it was more stress than I ever could imagine. the department wasn't very organized when I started and I couldn't wrap my head around the amount of work. I felt myself drowning more times than not and still I stuck it out for another year. By the end of this year James and I had grown much closer and I was shocked and very happy when on December 21st he got on his knee in a very cold Simcoe park to propose. I said yes and we spent the holidays sharing our happiness with our families and friends.

2007 On top of planning a wedding, I kept plugging away in the library business. The customers were great and most of the people I worked with were as well but I was still drowning. It really wasn't the job for me but I kept working and hoping things would get better. James ended up getting a job in Guelph so we left our Paris apartment and moved to an awesome house in Cambridge.

We were renting with an older woman who had the main floor and the basement. We had the second floor including an awesome balcony and a really neat attic. The house had no storage but hardwood floors throughout. We loved that house but things changed when James lost his job in Guelph and was out of work for a few months. He did find another job in Guelph but when I found out that my position was being dissolved we had to take the opportunity to move. Throughout all this chaos we planned and celebrated with our family and friends when we were married on September 29th. I was so happy to be there with all those closest to us - those that really loved us. They enjoyed our candy table and our outdoor tent wedding and I was so happy to finally be Mrs. Harris. After the wedding and we moved back in with my parents in the apartment downstairs - I found a new job in the completely different field of purchasing. I'd been on the other side of the coin so much that why not give it a shot?

2008 was a building year again. I was covering another maternity leave and wasn't sure if I'd get hired on at the end of the year contract. Over time I started to realize that I really liked my job and had learned a lot from the library company. Turns out I could be incredibly organized if I started off that way. Who knew? I built on my skills and learned as much as I could. Took on added responsibilities that even the woman on her mat leave wasn't doing. I loved it and loved the company and really wanted to stick around. I was elated

when I found out she wasn't coming back and that the job was mine - with a little more money thrown in for fun. With the help of some friends, I was able to organize and throw off the best party of my life - outside my wedding of course. The Beer Olympics were a huge success for all that attended and I don't think I've ever laughed so hard. In the middle of the summer we realized that we wanted to get a place of our own and started going to open houses and talking to agents. We started saving like mad and were able to put an offer on a house by December. Our offer finally got accepted and we were so excited to hear that we would soon be homeowners.

In 2009 a lot of dreams came true. My lovely husband and I moved into a gorgeous townhouse

in Cambridge. We were in the heart of the city and able to get everywhere quickly. No longer did we need to plan everything out before heading into town to go shopping. Our dream of a dog came shortly after our move and The Dude entered our little family. He's rough around the edges but we still love him and his crazy short legs. James lost his job in Guelph at the start of the summer but used that as an opportunity to branch out on his own and make his business a success. I'm so proud of all he's achieved by going out and making connections and going to different types of meet ups to build his client base. I've continued working hard this year and by the end I had one of the most glowing performance evaluations I've ever had. It feels so good to be recognized.

All in all this past decade has brought many changes and many great things. Looking out over the time I know that I'm exactly where I want to be right now. It will be very interesting to look at 2020 and all the things that might have happened. I'm going into this next decade with some goals but also with an open mind.

With that, I am sending all the best to my readers and my friends for a safe and prosperous New Year and New Decade!

Ending Another Decade

A friend mentioned that she hasn't seen any of those best of the decade things going around. It's true that no one is really celebrating the end of the past 10 years. I think there are many great reasons for that - with the main one being that the past 10 years have been some of the saddest and most devastating for people in North America.

When planes flew into the twin towers in New York I think everyone had a moment of their mortality. Everyone felt different things. My heart went to two things. #1 - I was so glad my best friend wasn't living in New York anymore and had moved back to Ontario the previous fall. #2 - my high school sweetheart was going to war. There really wasn't anything that could be done about it. We were attacked on what is essentially our soil - and we couldn't sit by and not try and get retribution for it. Over the next 9 years these things got all muddled and there never has been a clear conclusion. They got Saddam but really - who was he in the whole attack on U.S. Soil?

I think everyone was affected by that day. In many ways it has shaped us into who we are now. Nearly everyone felt something about what happened. People have been sad, they've been angry, they've been scared - they've been all three. But it was very hard to not feel something.

We went to war in Afghanastan and Iraq.

We've seen the worst hurricanes and tsunami's in our recent memory.

Our heroes have died - our favourites have fallen to illness, drugs or death - sometimes all three.

We rode high for awhile only to have our housing market and our banking systems fall out from under us.

It hasn't been all horrible. But there isn't much to look back on and make a best of list in a broad sense. All the best things to happen to me have been intensely personal. Some were brief moments and some took years to develop. I'm sure we can all agree - the best things that happened in the past 10 years involve personal choices and decisions.

Here's hoping the next 10 years give us some fabulous things to look back on - things we can be proud of. Let's start with Vancouver 2010 Olympics and keep the ball rolling. Start on an upswing and keep on going.

The important thinks.

This time of year really reminds me how important it is to have good friends and loving family around you. Yesterday I turned 31 and in four days it's Jesus' birthday. This is a big time for people to be busy and doing things and yet I had a house full of people yesterday who took time out of their busy schedule to come and spend some time with me. Everyone got me something different and really showed that they really cared about me. It meant so much. Even those that really couldn't make it took the time out to call me and make sure that I knew they were thinking of me.

This year, more than any other I wanted to make sure that I was prepared to handle the stress of the Christmas season. And I think that made it so much better for me to have everyone into my home.

Thanks go out to all my friends and family for making sure I had a wonderful birthday! I love you all!

Pet Peeves

I have a pet peeve that I'm sure you can appreciate.

Take out food service companies that have a tip option at the cash register on their debit/credit machine

First off - I just walked into your establishment, looked at a menu, walked to the counter and told you my order. Why do you deserve a tip for a) not helping me pick out my order and b) only writing it down or keying it in for someone else to prepare?

Secondly - I haven't even tried the food. Why should I tip? It could be nasty and the most disgusting thing I've ever had. What if I get food poisoning from you?

I've paid good money for my food that I have in my hand. I drove my own ass there and picked out my order from your lovely signs or menus. What type of wonderful service did you give me that made you deserve the tip?

Another pet peeve I have is also food related.

Companies that automatically put the tip on the bill before it's even given to you.

Sure you've brought me food, made sure I had drinks and that everything was okay. But don't you think I should have the right to decide how much of a tip I should give you? What if your service was crappy?

I know the only reason they do this is for those gullible people that don't actually read their bill and just pay and add a tip. I almost got caught on this a few times and am really glad that I did a double check and stopped myself. Makes you wonder how many companies get away with that crap!

It's a different story if you walk in and they say "A 15% gratuity will be added to your bill" but if you don't know this going in - you might be in for a surprise.

Here's a word to the wise - pay extra attention next time you are making a payment somewhere - you might be paying more than you should.

And thar she blows - the neighbours are moving

Our next door neighbours are moving out. They pulled up a moving truck this morning and have been filling it up. I can't even begin to tell you how weird it feels.

These neighbours have been really nice in cutting the grass at the front. The dad or granddad is retired and really likes doing stuff. He doesn't know what he's doing but he tries and has a good heart. And by not knowing what he's doing - I am talking about the time he went to use a product on the lawn to get rid of the dandelions only to burn the lawn in about 20 places due to the chemicals he used.

They are always around out on the front porch watching the world go by so you know that they will tell you if someone stopped by when you aren't home, and if your dog got away and you never noticed. It's been a blessing, and at times a bit of a curse.

Must say it's a little challenging when you have someone there all the time. You have to watch your tongue, and be prepared to brush them off or get drawn into a long conversation about anything or anything. The parents that own the house are really nice. Always have a pleasant word for us, even if it is a few words more than we'd like to have. Their adult daughter is a bit more reclusive. She kind of just looks at you but doesn't really try and engage you. Her husband is nice though and their kids are pretty cute. Their 2 year old always wants to say Hi and really likes when you talk back to him. Poor kids had issues with allergies the entire time we've been neighbours. Wonder if he's allergic to smoking?

That's the main issue with these neighbours. They are really nice and they haven't been that bad at all, but the smoking constantly of four adults on the front porch make it virtually impossible to be able to truly enjoy your own front porch. Just once I'd love for them to mix it up and use the back yard.

Too late now. As of tomorrow morning the truck will be completely full and they'll be off to Milton.

The strangest thing though - they haven't put the house up for sale yet. They want to move out before so that it can look it's best and be ready all the time. I guess they don't want to advertise how crowded it can be with 5 adults and two children under 2 living there.

We have the same townhouse as them only the opposite layout. We've never been inside their place, and they've never been inside ours. One good thing about them moving out is that we might be able to go through an open house to see what it looks like. They have the same layout as us but with all the bathrooms installed. We might get an idea if it'd be worth it to do it to our house.

Another good thing is that we will get new neighbours. I wonder what they'll be like. Will they be a young couple like us? A family? Will they like dogs? Cats? Are they going to be throwing parties all the time? Will they be nice or reclusive?

I'll miss the whole brood from next door but it'll be nice to shake things up in our neighbourhood!

Mmmm.... I love cookies!

Last year some friends and I started a tradition that I hope continues - a cookie exchange for the holidays. Everyone knows that the holidays are a time for people to get together, pop in unannounced and eat whatever you want. WE ALL KNOW THAT CALORIES DON'T COUNT IN DECEMBER.

Last year I chose to make my families age old traditional cookie - which really isn't a Christmas cookie per se, but we always made them around the holiday time. My mother would end up making at least two runs of them, as my brother has a tendency to eat as many as humanly possible as soon as his eyes see them or his nose smells them.

Today I've decided to share with you, my blog readers, this delicious recipe so that you may try and enjoy some of my families tastiest goodness. Warning - if you don't like the taste of coconut or chocolate, you may want to avoid this one.

CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES

Ingredients:
In a pot combine:
6 tbsp. Cocoa
½ Cup milk
½ cup Margarine
2 cups Sugar

Bring to a boil
Directions:
Add ingredients from the pot above to the ingredients listed below: (I mixed these ingredients first in a mixing bowl and mixed in the ingredients on top - but you can do whatever floats your boat)

1 tsp vanilladash salt
1 cup coconut
3 cups rolled oats

Drop by spoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet, however waxed paper also does the trick. Place in fridge to set.

It's the thought that counts

I realized something today about Christmas and why I'm going to really enjoy it this year.

In the past I've always looked at gifts in terms of money. I think I got it from my mother. Having 7 neices and nephews I've always tried to spend an equal amount on them. If I spent $40 on one, I'd spend $40 on the next. Even if what I got them was on sale, I still wanted to make sure that none of them felt they got the shaft.

This year we started shopping early and I didn't really hang onto receipts. It made it really easy to forget all about the money on each person. With having to entertain for various functions I've had to hide things away for fear someone would stumble upon the gifts. When I brought out and sorted everything I actually found that I had a really good grouping going. I was actually all done shopping for four people on my list!

Astounded, I quickly realized who else I had to buy for. The nieces and nephews, one thing for my mother and father and then my husband. I felt like I was already half way there!

It felt so good to be able to reach a point where I was on solid ground. This year's been tough, money's been tight and I really didn't want to have anyone feel they got the shaft. But looking across the bed at the piles of presents I knew that no one was going to be left out. Everyone would get some great gifts. Our months of careful shopping and planning will make for a great Christmas!

They say it's the thought that counts and this year I completely understand it!

I used to spoil the kids - but with things being tight I wasn't sure where to start. My nephew solved it for me. The older kids wanted gift certificates, but the younger three I wasn't so sure until my sister started talking about how the kids had gotten gift certificates for their birthday. They had a blast walking around with their own money spending it on what they wanted. That was when her son spoke up and in his beautiful 8 year old mind said "I want a gift certificate because I want to pick out my own game." And that was it - settled. All the kids get gift certificates - the girls the mall and the boys EB games. So easy!

In one night, in less than a half hour I had walked the mall and had got 7 more off my list!

This just proves that the shopping can get done! You can do it!!!! Stay strong, remember the season is the thought that counts and it'll be an awesome holiday filled with love and smiles!

Knockdown 90s

Tommorrow night is our annual Halloween party. We opted to party on Devil's night through a long process of careful thought and debate.

What wasn't hard to debate was the desire to have a 90's dance party.

Being a teenager in the 90s was interesting. Music ranged from bouncing and poppy to grungy and dirty. We were the Cabbage Patch generation - we wanted what we wanted when we wanted it. We were the generation that would walk out of a dance if the song wasn't of the right genre.

We thought we could make a difference or we just wanted to float away. We had varied tastes and tried to always be slightly different. Our music was much like this. We borrowed from the old to create something new and the artists of our day got in some legal hot water for it.

Our music went with the times and we went with it. The internet became mainstream with us at it's helm. We wanted a cause and championed where we could. We swayed quickly to join the crowd and many of us became "posers" even though everyone had to start somewhere. We wanted to fit in and we wanted to stand out. We were probably the most confused generation of people in a long time.

On Friday night we'll be transported back to this crazy time of change and music. The groove will definitely be in our hearts and our feet will be getting jiggy with it.

Bear Claw Cravings

I am completely craving a Bear Claw today.

I woke up this morning and wasn't very hungry. Had a beer too many last night I think and it made me kind of silly, loud and probably a bit obnoxious. Waking this morning wasn't that hard though which proves that maybe I can still handle my alcohol. Only had 3 beers though so maybe not.

The laptop sits beside the bed and I've gotten in the bad habit of turning it on when I just get up to see what's going on in the world. I do this and after seeing an ad on the side of the page with a picture of a kid on the side eating a chocolate dipped donut, I felt that I needed to have one too.

But not just any donut.

Oh no - a Bear Claw.

When I lived in Jasper it was a very special treat to get up early and walk to the bakery to examine their wares. The smell was fantastic and it made me drool so much. When I discovered the Bear Claw I was in heaven. Just biting into it's soft flaky crust through the delicious chocolatey centre... I'm drooling in the memory.

Sadly - I live in Ontario.

Where oh where can someone from Ontario get a delicious Bear Claw???

Life without Cable - Month 8

I'm sure you might remember how utterly worried I was to say goodbye to cable television. When me and James were looking at buying our first house we were really tightening our budget. We were renting an apartment with my parents and they paid for full satellite. We were completely spoiled with over 500 channels to chose from. We both loved the specialty channels and barely watched any of the traditional ones. If we were going to get cable we wouldn't be happy with the basics. We'd have to get the extra packages and this could add up to over $100.

We took a risk - a huge one.

We waved good bye to cable and said "Let's just watch movies, read books and see whatever we want online."

James had grand dreams of building an television PC where he could connect it to our tv and we could not only use the internet, play games and watch shows online. Scary enough - he made that dream come true. It's really fun getting on and being able to go to ninjavideo and turn on anything you can almost think of. Plus it's allowed me to have my ultimate dream of playing silly facebook games on a big screen.

Our biggest problem was our original internet provider was through the phone line. We are really far from the junction so we couldn't get the full amount of connectivity that we had. As we actually have internet telephone as well with VOIP it made it really hard to talk to people when it would cut out all the time. James being a designer he really needs the internet to be consistent. A month or two of complaining and he decided to change back to Rogers. (We used them when we were renting and had no connectivity issues.)

Through having cable internet things have been alot more consistent. And there was an added bonus - cable internet meant that some channels came in. We did get Global and CTV before that (thank you basics!) But with the new cable internet we got even more channels. Made me super happy!!! Now we get: TVO, Global, both Omni channels, CBC, WKNY Buffalo, CTV, SunTV, Aboriginal Peoples Television and a smattering of French and political channels. With these channels we've been able to catch all the best shows and still have time to go and do things.

We're saving $60 - $80 a month just by not having cable. And it's fabulous being able to watch what we want when we want, and still catch some of the hot shows so that I have something to talk about around the water cooler.

For those thinking of getting rid of the cable box and moving on in your life - I'd HIGHLY recommend it.

Animal Rant

How timely that I'd get sick right around the time that a local turkey farm has found H1N1 in their birds. It's not that I spend a tremendous amount of time with turkeys or anything like that and I don't think I even have H1N1. I just feel sick. That. Is. All. You. Need. To. Know.

With animals getting sick it makes me a little sad. I love animals but I know that, like humans, many animals will get illnesses and recover. Some animals have allergies, as do we. They just normally don't know how to say what's wrong and don't often have the ability to heal things themselves.

This brings me to another issue. There are so many animals that are out there that are left sitting alone and scared in shelters and even more that never even make it to the shelter floor. They are just dumped on the side of the road and left to fend for themselves. Twice in the past month I've seen kittens in places where they aren't anywhere near a house. It's obvious that they have been taken to the country and dropped on the side of the road. Cats have been domesticated for a really long time. Some are lucky and get taken in or find shelter when they need it but many just won't fare so luckily.

It's so easy to bring an animal to the shelter. If you can't handle it, admit it, and they will be more than happy to help you place your animal. For each unwanted animal, there are people out there who might be willing to help them and keep them alive. There are rescue organizations and shelters all across this great land we call Canada. There should be no reason why animals aren't taken care of.

The only thing holding animals back from being looked after is a sheer numbers game. The average human birth is one child at a time, animals have multiples (for the most part.) This was evolutions way of protecting their chain. If you lose one or two in the birthing process or in early life there will be several more there to keep the line going. But humans get "fixed" so to speak, and it's so simple to have your animal spayed or neutered as well. Why don't people do this more often?

When we took The Dude to the vet after first getting him, they told us how many animals in the US aren't spayed or neutered because they really love the look of puppies. Looking at all the different puppy mills around you can also tell that puppies can be a money making machine. They are selling puppies for a minimum of $300 a pop - whether or not they've even seen a vet or had their first shots. People are breeding dogs and cats thinking they'll make money off them and in some cases they are. They didn't have to do any extra work other than feeding and cleaning the animals - and here they are making more than people make in a month by a simple litter. And they'll continue to do it while people continue to pay exhorbanent prices to get a designer dog.

Speaking of designer dogs - why are people stuck in their heads that any poodle cross will be non-shedding and hypoallergenic? Genes come from the mother and father and therefore can go either way. I met a labradoodle that not only made people sneeze when around him but shed like a banshee. But he had poodle in him - why did this happen? Think about it people. When you make a baby you are getting parts of the mother and father. Same thing happens when you have a dog. You cannot predict the same outcome every time unless you are breeding a single breed with a single breed. Thus the purebred.

Some people though take the purebred to be even more than it is. They don't mix the genes enough and some of the recessive genes come to the surface more frequently including defects and undesirable traits. Not all dog breeders know really what they are doing and are in it for the money. That's why it's so important to get a purebred dog that is registered and has papers so that you can see the geneology. Do your homework people!

Homework is another issue when getting a pet in that they may not have done any research on it. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people getting a pet and having to give it up because their kids have allergies, or they suddenly discover that they have allergies. If you are thinking of getting a pet, spend some time around someone who has a similar pet before making a lifetime commitment to an animal. Find out if little Timmy is allergic before you invest in bringing another family member into the mix. I've seen pet allergies first hand and they can range from a runny nose to hives and ultimately having a swollen and blocked airway. If you aren't experiencing these symptoms and decide to give up your pet - you are probably best to just admit that you are in over your head. This happens all the time and it's better you admit it and give the next "parents" of these pets a fighting chance at knowing the full background of the animal you are giving up.

Animals deserve love and there are so many out there that could use your help. Visit your local SPCA for more details.

Christmas Chaos

Okay okay so it's not even Halloween and you are wondering why I'd even be thinking about Christmas. You're probably wondering if I'm a crazy Christmas nut. Bet you have visions of me wandering around wearing red and green, singing carol after carol and spreading annoying holiday cheer. You'd be partially right.

I have a dirty little secret. One that I wish I didn't have, but am slowly starting to admit.

The crowds and chaos that come with Christmas shopping give me panic attacks. It's not even really isolated to Christmas but any time I'm in a slightly confined area with huge groups of people I start to feel my heart race, I get dizzy and panic. I have a hard time breathing and I have to do all in my power to get out of there. Many purchases have been left by the wayside because I just couldn't handle it. Even leaving the movie theatre or at concerts I start to feel my chest tighten and the only thing that saves me is keeping my hand attached to my husband the whole time as he leads the way.

With holiday shopping there's always the pressure of the perfect gift - add that with my little panic attacks and you start to understand why I have to start shopping early. Usually this means picking up a few little things in August and continuing on until the start of December, but I have been known to leave it longer and then kick myself later. That gift you see on sale in September just may never be found come December and sometimes I've ended up getting really unique gifts that are treasured because I took my time and thought early rather than running out for the last minute gift card.

I haven't always had panic attacks but I've never been a huge fan of malls. I like to get in and get out and that's why I think I've enjoyed the familiarity of big box stores. I know where to expect to find things and can run in, grab everything I need and be out in a short period of time.

When I was little I spent a lot of time attached to my mother's legs. I was incredibly shy with new people. Once they got to know me though I was a bit of a chatterbug. Creative and playful. I thrived in small groups and liked being involved with people. Myers Briggs calls me an introvert - but many of my friends wouldn't believe it. I'm a feeler too so that brings out my ability to care about people and ask questions. I'm the youngest of four children and in our family you had to speak loudly to be heard. Oddly, I'm the quietest of all of us even though my voice can be booming and I have been known to be the centre of attention from time to time.

When shopping however, I really don't like the crowd. I don't like the jostling and the competing. I hate feeling like I'm out of control. For some reason when people are bumping into me all around, going in different directions, perfumes and scents overwelming my senses - I lose all of my wits.

Thankfully I save some vacation days for this time of year so that I can go and shop in peace when everyone else is at work. Goal is by December first I'm done and then I can sit back and enjoy all the holiday season without stress. Here's dreaming of a peaceful and calm holiday season.

A Tweet Up for a Twitterer

I am going to do something that I never thought I'd do.

I'm going to a "Tweet Up".

I know it sounds mysterious and completely insane. What the heck is a "Tweet Up" anyhow???

Well folks, let me enlighten you.

There's this crazy thing on the interweb called "Twitter." Twitter is a website that allows people to say pretty much anything they want within 140 characters or less. It's pretty much sweeped the Western World and has brought people together.

The way it works is simple. You sign up for an account, maybe follow a tutorial and then you go and start writing updates. Twitter allows you to search for things you like to do so you can do this and maybe find other people who have similar interest to follow. Maybe you are looking for people in your area, that can be done as well. Do you like celebrities? They are on there too and you can follow them. There really aren't too many things holding you back from following anyone. (Unless maybe you have a restraining order, and I'm sure that there might be some sort of lax law on that too.)

The more you write, you might get people interested in following you. People are naturally voyeuristic and love to hear about other people. If you have something of interest to say, you might find that you get more people following you than you have time to follow. As finding the time to follow all the people you have can get very time consuming. Before you know it, you might be thinning out the herd and have narrowed things down to a manageable number. (My husband has a rule of thirds in this regard - but I honestly think that it's up to the individual.)

The celebrities on twitter go from gossip columnists, to actors, to politicians, to musicians and authors. Most of which only like following other celebrities, but in the case of some such as Arnold Schwarzzenegger they have an auto follow system that immediately makes them follow you. Strangely though - I never followed Arnold but mentioned him in a tweet and he started following me. I feel oddly blessed to have the terminator reading my posts so I don't have the heart to block him. Arnold and his team actually post too. Mostly it's about where they are going and what they are doing, but you get to see photos of the Kindergarten Cop shaking hands with people all the time. I still don't follow him though as this isn't the type of person I want to follow.

As with the writing on my blog, I like to follow real people. Those that I can relate to and those that interest me. Sure I do follow a couple celebrities, but each of the four that I follow have something of interest to say - and Matthew Good actually follows me back so to me that's telling me that I do something right.

I've found that by using sites such as Twellowhood I've been able to find other bloggers in my area and now I regularly have conversations through twitter about anything and everything. Word to the wise - use your real city in your profile. This allows you to be searched and saved under your local site and you might find people that are really interesting and can talk about local events, politics, weather or even a crazy round about or two. {To have a conversation with someone put the @ symbol before their twitter name and continue typing - this conversation can now only be viewed by the two of you and others that follow both of you - unless someone just goes to your specific wall and then they can see everything. If you'd prefer to only show the oner person - you can use the Direct Message option on the sidebar.}

You can add photos by using websites such as Twitpic or Tweetphoto. Simply sign up - register under your user name and password and you are good to go. You can set photos up on your phone by messaging with a code and it's all easy peasy. This way if you see an interesting photo you can actually share it with the world - or if you want to show off your new hair cut - go ahead. Most photos that are posted are just of interest to a select few, but isn't that the way of the internet? It's a huge web and you aren't going to like everything - but sometimes isn't it great to see that awesome shot of a mullet or a guy wearing short shorts and suspenders shopping at Wal-Mart?

Twitter has often been compared to another social media website - Facebook. But there are some key differences. Sure Facebook allows you to post updates, but these are generally only viewable by your friends and people that you already know. You are stuck in this tiny bubble. It's not easy to communicate with people you don't know very well. Plus on facebook everyone that is your friend already knows more about you than you might care to share. For instance - how many people have family members as their friends on facebook? Pretty much everyone on there has someone. It's great to share your those photos of little timmy's first day of schoool, but that doesn't mean that you can have complete freedom to say whatever you want. (Although we'd like to see you try :) )

Sometimes you need a vice like twitter where you can just cut loose and say or be whoever you want to be. You can swear if you want to - you can truly speak out and voice your opinion. Occasionally you can get drunk and tweet nonsense. Your twitter family can choose to pay attention or ignore you. It's a truly beautiful process.

This brings me to another point - to follow or not to follow. Your initial instinct is to follow anyone that follows you. But then you realize that the majority of Twitterers are actually robots designed to follow a) new people or b) people that mention anything that meets a certain search criteria. (If you mention porn even once, watch out as it's an instant boost to your followers and not all of them have the best intentions.) You can do one of two things - let them follow you and say "Who cares they aren't harming anyone" or you can block them so that they can't follow you. Twitter staff does eventually get around to booting all the best known "bots" from the site so you will occassionally see the number of people you follow go down. Sometimes you'll get people following you that you initially think are fine. But maybe over time you realize "This person isn't really what I thought they were" or "Boring - they haven't written in four months why do I still follow them?" It's at times like these that you can just go to their profile and click "unfollow." Poof like that they are gone from your wall and you don't have to worry about them again.

In the age of cell phones and camera phones, why not have a portal that goes anywhere and can be with you at any time. Want to Tweet from the can - go ahead. Who's going to stop you? Want to repeat stuff that you overheard - that's fine too. And trust me, some of the things that people overhear is hilarious - especially when taken out of context. I think it's great being able to share funny anecdotes of things you see or hear when you are out and about or when the mood strikes. (Such as last weekend when my loving husband saw some guy at Bulk Barn picking out only the red Blowpops from an entire tub of mixed coloured ones.) {To say something you have overheard - type OH: before whatever it is you need to repeat.}

As with any social media site, I was initially leery about opening up. I wasn't sure how much was acceptable for opening up and just starting conversations with people. But the more you are on the site, the more you realize that it's okay to ask people questions. And it's okay to "retweet" something that has been said as long as you credit the original poster. In fact, it's actually something to be proud of. If you say something that someone else feels worthy of repeating that should actually make you feel good. If they out and out rip it off from you then it's perfectly fine to get a little upset. As said, anything goes but I warn you - you may not have as many friends as you did before. {To "retweet" someone - simply put RT before their name including the @ symbol}

My husband signed up for Twitter before me and he was pretty much instantly hooked. He was doing things that I didn't understand and almost played twitter like a game. He was always on the look out for quality followers and people that were in his field of work. Through twitter he's even been able to find work by connecting with people in the same field as him. He's been kept informed about local meetings for people in his field and it's really allowed him to branch out and find work now that he's running his own business. He's a web designer so Twitter has been the perfect portal for him and the Social Media MeetUps have been great for people in his field. He's attended them in Waterloo and Guelph and has made a habit of going to these once a month meetings.

Back in the beginning of when Twitter first started taking off, some people decided that they really enjoyed talking to each other online and they wanted to see about meeting in real life. So they arranged the first "Tweet Up". I'm not sure who started it or where and frankly, it doesn't really matter. James has been going to the tweet ups for Waterloo Region but was slowly starting to see that they were filling up really quickly and he wasn't able to talk to everyone that was there. You might miss out on getting to know someone in such a large crowd. I told him that maybe there will come a time when they'll need to split up and do meet ups for Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and Guelph instead of being all together. It seems that time is now.

A few weeks ago some of the people I follow on twitter were discussing a "Tweet Up" in the region. They felt a little slighted that all the tweet ups have been in Waterloo and really wanted people to come to Cambridge. Someone said "#galttweetup" and the whole idea was born. I said that I'd attend a Tweet Up in Galt as that's where I grew up and spent a large amount of my life. That was all they needed to say "Okay fine let's make it happen." Someone talked with the owner of a local restaurant, they booked a date and time and then it spread throughout our little community. Not a huge amount have confirmed that they are coming, but it's still great to see that when we want something to happen, we can make it happen. {The hash tag # has been used as a way to reference something - this can be a specific event, or a common theme. It makes things easily searchable and recognizable.}

And so I'm heading out to meet my internet friends. Sure I'm nervous about how I'll look and if they'll judge me. But I also think it might make my friendships deeper to put a real face to a name. Then when I talk about me wearing a red beret and eating a croissant they can get the picture of me. And when they talk about running a marathon I can see them doing it.

I am a Twitterer who uses Twitter to Tweet about things who is now going to a Tweet Up to find other people from the Twitterverse.

Oh Halloween....

It's hard to believe that the Halloween season is here yet again. I'm excited about this year in that it'll be our first year in our new house having our annual shindig. We've had big parties, small parties and quiet and zany. It's been all over the map. Not sure how this year is going to go.

After moving to Cambridge we've kind of lost touch with many of our old friends. We still love them but we really don't get to talk as much anymore. Many of them are planning on coming to our party and I think that's awesome!!! They always really think hard about their costumes as they never want to duplicate anything. Some even come in a huge group that all work around a central theme. It's pretty crazy but they seem to pull it off.

This year we have some new friends coming. They all have a great energy and are really agonizing over what to be. I can't wait to see what they come up with.

With the fresh blood coming in I think this could be a crazy year! My first party was at my parents house when James and I first started dating. I put so much effort into it and have grown to love the holiday. That first year I made it about sorcery and witchcraft. I had candles and books on spells and dreams. I had blown up and put together information on how to read your palm. I made carrot fingers and bloody hand punch. It was a slow start - but it got people talking. There wasn't much dancing that first party. Every year since then has built to include more people and crazier things.

Now I'm starting to panic. How can I outdo last year???

Our house is much bigger which means our decorations have to stretch further. With our current economic situation, I think bigger picture and won't be blowing a wad on getting all sorts of new stuff. I'm going to have to get creative. I hope that no one complains about how boring it is!

The night I became a Woo Girl

You all know who they are - that group of girls that are out together and everything that excites them they "Woooo" with joy.

Last night - I became a Woo Girl and I have to admit - I kind of liked it.

Started out honestly enough, a bunch of people going out together for a 40th birthday party. Lisa and Vanessa decided to do a joint venture even though Vanessa's birthday isn't until December. Vanessa's sister Sarah was hosting in Ayr until it came time to head down to the Queens. Sarah is amazing, and spending time with this group of people always brings unexpected excitement. We've hung out with this group quite a lot over the past year or so and it was like I had joined kindred spirits. Those that liked to look good but didn't care if they also looked a little foolish. The kind of people that told me I looked beautiful even if I had adult acne or my hair was all greasy and sweaty. They like to have fun and just enjoy themselves. And more and more I've liked spending time with them. Strangely enough - I had always been the designated driver. Last night the tables were turning and I was FINALLY able to join in with the alcohol.

We had some babysitting to do before we left so by the time we arrived everyone had already had a few cocktails. Within minutes we were beered and the conversation turned a little crazy. Helps that the birthday girls got some naughty adult gifts. The drinks were flowing, the laughs were easy and the girls were ruling the roost!

By the time we got to the Queens everyone was laughing and ready to rock. The dj with his glorious 80's sweater was very accomodating as we were his audience. We immediately started dancing - soon the shots were coming and a whole lot of Wooing was going on. We were on top of the world and it was so much fun!

I haven't had a night like that in a long time. Okay, maybe since the last time I hung out with this zany crowd. I'm a Woo Girl. And I'm proud of it!

Totally Terrific Two

Two years.

Wow.

As of tomorrow I will have been married for two years.

A long long time ago I told my mother that I wanted to be happy. I was going to marry for love and I was going to be happy. And now I've been married to a man for two years that can make me laugh - can tease me and have it not hurt my feelings and when he holds me I feel safe and warm.

I am the luckiest woman in the world.

Cheers to being cute and lucky!

I may have just had the luckiest night of my life and it was in a location that I wasn't even supposed to be.

Back in the summer my husband and I went to a Tree Party. It was kind of a random thing that an old friend of my husband was throwing to celebrate the big Oak tree that he has at his new house. His yard is pretty secluded and he wanted to have everyone over to listen to some bands, have a bonfire and just generally hang out. It was such a different experience in that it started out really mellow and as the drinks flew people lost a few of their inhibitions. The police even came and strangely I laughed it off as really we were sitting around with a bunch of mellow hippies listening to music from someone playing a guitar. Apparently some neighbours complained.

This wasn't the type of party that I was used to going to and as I mentioned, these were friends of my husbands from back when he lived in Paris. He was so excited to see his old friends and was even more excited to find out that one of his friends was getting married and would love for James to go with him on his bachelor party and really wanted us to come to his buck and doe.

I was sceptical about all of it. James has been working for himself and money is tight. We don't know when the next payment will come in or when the next job so rather than count on everything being roses, I didn't feel comfortable spending money that we may not have had yet. We haven't used our credit cards yet and for that I still feel really good - but there was no way that I could justify him going to the bachelor party in New York or both of us going to the buck and doe. As I really don't know these people, I had told him that he could go by himself and it'd be much easier for us to not go over budget. I was going to send him on his merry way.

Yesterday being the day for the buck and doe I was looking forward to delving into my book and having some quiet time with me and The Dude. Then my parents show up and bring us some money for a photography project we had done for his car club and some money for our anniversary so that we could go out and have a good time. It was unexpected and we were both incredibly grateful. James told me that he'd really like if I could come with him and that we'd both watch our money and just keep it low key.

I was dreading going after barely knowing these people. I had never spent any quality time with any of them and I felt really bad about bringing down James' night. He was excited as these were guys he really liked and hates that he lost touch with them. After finding out that a friend that recently moved to Paris had nothing to do, I begged her to come. After all, it'd be much more fun hanging out together than just sitting around alone.

So we went to the buck and doe and were ready for anything. None of us had any expectations other than James who was looking forward to talking to his old crowd. We arrived and were surprised by the number of people there. The groom is now a teacher and I was surprised to find my old geography teacher was there. Carmen ended up knowing one of they guys that James went to high school with so she had some good conversations with him. We just did what we pleased, talked, laughed and had a good time.

The budget was on my mind so I had one glass of wine and then switched to the free pop. I luckily bought some karaoke insurance when I came in which saved me some embarrassment later on (thank god!) They had a game set up as a Wii Challenge. Surprisingly there wasn't that many takers for the game so we got to play right away. I faced off against Carmen and in three short rounds she had dispensed of me. James came up against Carmen and they had a tight match of really long fights but she also got rid of him. They brought back the other most winning guy - and she destroyed him very quickly. After seeing this the guy who was running wanted to give a go. He thought he could down her - but she quickly got rid of him. She earned the name Yoda and even destroyed another challenger later in the night. This got her two free drink tickets.

We laughed at her prowess and spent a lot of time chatting when they started calling door prizes. I NEVER win anything at these things so I was shocked when suddenly they called my number. After reviewing the table I had two options - something for me or something that would be a gift for someone. Carmen, my partner in crime, told me that I had to choose something for me. Why not - it was something I had won right?

This was how I came to be in possession of a $25 gift certificate for Dairee Delite in Brantford. If you have never had the pleasure - you are missing out. Soft ice cream, lots of flavours and combos. Absolutely amazing. My personal favourite involves liquid peanut butter and peanut butter cups over soft serve chocolate ice cream. It's so filling but so delicious. I'm drooling just thinking about it!

With my luck I said "I should buy lottery tickets." Some time passed. James ate a sandwich and I decided to get some tickets for the raffle. There was a prize I had my eye on. Paid for 5 tickets, they gave me 6. Score for me! I wrote James' name on one and told him "You are always lucky - pick whatever you want." We strolled on over, I put four of my tickets in the "Dinner and a Movie package" and decided to put one in the "Spa" package that included a facial gift certificate and a blanket. Ultimately I wanted the dinner and a movie and so did James so we had our fingers crossed. If I won the spa package the blanket would've been Carmen's as she was my lucky charm. She said it was a great deal as by this point someone in the wedding party started giving her free drinks. The girl said "I don't know what it is about you but I feel that you need free drinks." I think the bridesmaid thought she was cute and was hitting on her and who were we to complain when her and James got to drink for free the rest of the night.

We laughed at Carmen's cuteness and her and James' competition to see who could drink the most and the fastest. (It ended in a tie by the way.) And we just enjoyed being there. It came time for the raffle draws and when they come to the draw for the dinner and a movie my ears perked up. James said "And the winner is Corina McHarris" and he's suddenly echoed with "And the winner is Corina Harris." I was dumbfounded. Couldn't believe it. I have NEVER won anything like it ever before.

The prize is fabulous - a $50 gift certificate for dinner at a variety of restaurants including one of my favourites Milestones. The movies include passes for two, popcorn, pop and candy. It's insane. Pretty much an $80 prize. Add that to my door prize of $25 and I walked away a complete winner.

My pockets were down $20 and now up $105! Maybe it's not too late to get some lottery tickets.

Heaven help the knitting challenged.

Somehow I have decided that I need to learn to knit. Again.

Back when I was 14 I decided to take some time off Ringette and learn how to knit and to do archery. I know - weird eh? I thought I'd take a chance at something new. Knitting was a way to fill my time when I wasn't completing the robin hood portion of archery. Robin Hood - Like kindergarten was beginner archery. They gave us plastic bows and real arrows and let us have a go at shooting targets. I got pretty good but wasn't nearly at the level of my friend who was already using crossbows. Shelly was quite talented.

Anyhow - my grandmother and my mother got me started on knitting. They gave me a spare set of needles, some off white yarn and set me off. I began to create a very fat scarf that I was going to give to my grandma. Unfortunately I got so bored with archery and knitting that I went back to Ringette in January and I never finished the scarf.

Thanks to twitter and a new friend, I found that I loved hearing about her knitting projects. On facebook a friend that went to my high school kept posting gorgeous shots of dresses, hats, mits, scarves, socks and anything else you could imagine. More and more I kept thinking, I should really learn to knit, even if it is just to finish a single scarf. I figure it's a good skill for a woman to have so that her grandkids will love her projects and cherish them. And lets face it - there are some gorgeous yarns out there.

So my hubby and I took off to Wal-Mart one night only to find that they had a bunch of yarn in ther clearance section. I picked up two. One big ball that his multicoloured and will give a big flair to a project and a smaller ball of gorgeous grey yarn that feels really nice to touch. About a week later we went to Zellers on a random mission to find girl things, and we started looking at needles. I had no idea how many needles are out there and all the options! There are different lengths and widths and types. They even have bamboo needles that look like drumsticks! After laughing at the drumsticks, I settled on 3.75mm and the length just slightly shorter than the longest length. They reminded me of the needles I used the first time I learned to knit so I didn't think I could go wrong.

After coming home James and I set up in the basement to watch a movie and I was bound and determined to learn to knit thanks to the interwebs. I watched some videos on the ipod - and learned how to cast on. Wow - can I ever cast on like a mo-fo. I was feeling pretty good but then I wanted to learn how to knit a row. Because let's face it, every project needs a start right?

I was horrible! Every time I tried to knit a row I would lose stich after stich and have to go back to the casting on. Which - may I remind you - I am a prostar. After having to restart my project four times and many an expletive coming out of my mouth, James decided to help me. After all - movie was over, Patrick Swazye was out surfing the giant waves off the coast of Australia and Keanu Reeves would never again be in the FBI. So he hooked up our television PC and found some videos. The first one had me more confused than ever. We tried watching someone else who did tutorials. The problem was, she would talk as she was starting the first line and only showed you what she did when she got to the middle. That didn't help me becuase how could I get to the middle if I couldn't even get the first real stich moved to the other needle let alone to the middle of the project.

We tried to get me to learn the pearl, but it was just as bad as learning the traditional knit stich. Nothing seemed to be going right but darn it, I had some beautiful casting!

With it being after midnight, it clearly wasn't a good time to be learning anything new so we headed to bed. My dreams were filled with knitting projects everywhere! Didn't help that we found this cool website that had pictures of crazy knitting projects for car antennas and lampposts and street signs. Here's a post that kind of covers it - but the ones we found last night were crazier and from New York not London.

So it's another day - I'm away and I'm determined. I've got my needles all revved up and I'm going to try again. Heaven help the knitting challenged.

My mom the spammer

My mother has turned into a spammer.

I know, I know, who would ever think that my mother, the sweet loving woman that she is would turn into a spammer. But the evidence is there every single day. Turn to my email account only to find at least 5 new emails. It's gotten so bad, that I only check the email account once a week - rather than once a day like was my normal habit.

I have been told I love you in multiple ways - mostly through poems that someone else has written and my mother feels the need to pass on. I've been referred to as one of her sisters, and one of her best friends - as don't you know, us sisters will stand by each other through thick and thin.

My favourite are the completely embarrassing jokes about penises that she has to forward on to give me a laugh. Again - did I mention that I only check my email once a week?

Today I logged on and had 27 new messages - 21 from Mom.

What's nice is that I know by her forwarding these she wants to share with me that she's been thinking of me. She knows that I love her and she wants to share a good joke or story with me. For that brief moment when she chooses to hit send, she's telling me that she cares. In this day and age where we both get busy doing other things, it's nice to know that she's there.

Now if I could just get her to reply to my emails....

You are NOT the father!

Taking a sick day. Felt a little off yesterday, but when I barely slept all night and woke up with stomach cramps and the feeling that I couldn't get warm enough - I knew it was probably smart to stay home.

So I'm partaking in some of the best daytime tv has to offer - Paternity tests on Maury.

I will never deny that I love this show - because it truly is television genius. Maury gives us people a chance to find out "who's my babies daddy?" He won't just give you two tests between two men - he'll do as many tests as needed. And that folks is brilliant.

Being a single parent is tough, but when you have someone denying he's your baby daddy - that's gotta hurt. Now when you have 5 guys denying, that's really gotta hurt. I personally can't imagine ever going on Maury and pouring out all my sexual encounters - but I've never been in that situation before. (Thank God!)

The Maury show uses the DNA Diagnostic Center to do the majority of their testing. Just to see how insane the amount of testing there is, follow this link. That many people - that many tests. It's crazy. And that list only goes to 2007. They've been on the Maury show since 2002!

Here are some highlights from Maury's DNA testing:

• The youngest girl to need a DNA test was a 12 year old girl who wanted to test a 13 year old boy - sadly - he was NOT the father.
• A 15 year old came on the show to announce that she's had sex more than 300 times.
• One of the most notorious segments had a white woman tell a white man that he wasn't the father of her black baby - he was shocked and couldn't believe it. You can see the awesome segment here.
  
• A woman has tested 11 men - can't exactly say sloppy seconds when you get into the double digits - and even the 11th guy was NOT the father
• The most potential fathers to be tested is 18
• A man who had a girlfriend, then slept with her 13 year old daughter - had the audacity to call them sluts. What do you call what he did? Same man got shot in the buttox and thinks he can't father kids. Maybe he's right because he was NOT the father.
  
• An awesome black man named Harry denied being a father because one of the kids is bowlegged. Turns out he doesn't only have one - he's got 8 kids as was confirmed on this exciting episode.
• Best quote on the show "I'm not that type of female"
  

For so many reasons, Maury truly is the best thing on TV in the morning hours and the best part of being home sick. And for your viewing pleasure, here's a delicious video. It's not a paternity test, but man it's funny. Enjoy!

Visions of Vistas

It's been a really long time since I've had a vision. Yet tonight, driving home after watching the delicious Julie & Julia, I forgot where I was. The sun had just set and the light blue rim of sky hadn't completely gone black yet. Clouds were on the horizon The way the light hit them, it looked just like mountains in the distance. For a few moments, I honestly thought I was there.

I haven't been longing the mountains in a really long time. If you, my faithful few readers, weren't aware - I lived in a mountain town in the Canadian Rockies for 9 months. The mountains alloted me the chance to find myself again and I truly treasured my time there and the friendships I made. Tonight, I wasn't missing my friends from the mountains, as I know they are still around - but I was missing the mountains themselves.

When I finally figured it out that I wasn't seeing mountains and that I was seeing clouds, my heart felt a loss. There is something so majestic and so powerful about being there. It makes you feel so small, but so alive. I felt that I could be anything I wanted to be. It was not only majestic, it was magical.

A gift to myself when I was turning 30 - getting a tattoo with two mountains a moon and a star. I now forever have them with me.

This past weekend I took a trip with some friends to a cottage in north-central Ontario. There was something truly calming about being near rock, trees and water. Man, I need to get out more.

All Quiet on the Northern Front

Heard some sad news today about one my favourite places in the world.

Niagara Falls tourism is down - way down. The main reason for this is that the U.S. and Canada have instituted a new initiative with regards to people needing passports to cross the border. This prevents the easy flow of tourists from one area to the other. I myself don't have a passport and therefore have been gearing all my vacations around staying here in Ontario.

Niagara Falls is gorgeous and you can go there and spend a little money, or spend a lot. It is true that many activities in Niagara Falls can be enjoyed without spending a penny. Walking along the Falls, checking out all the sights and sounds of people walking on Clifton Hill, Checking out all the lights on the falls at night in the summer months, or going to the festival of lights held for the end of November and December depicting a variety of Christmas Lights displays. There something so magical about going to the Falls.

The sad thing is, if you want to do anything in the Falls, namely along the main tourist spot Clifton Hill, you are going to pay for it. Restaurants are all just that much more money and each attraction carries a hefty price tag. All of the hotels close to the falls or the casino cost a pretty penny - even if they don't have a good view - or any view at all in some hotels. The last time we went there, we had an expensive hotel with the most desirable postal code - but our room's window looked out into a hallway and the air was hot and disgusting.

I'm hoping that perhaps this means they might actually do more to make it worth your while. Correct the prices a bit so that everyone will want to go there again. Once that happens, maybe we'll be more apt to go back there.

Shake your groove thing

Guys, let me let you in on a little secret.

A girl does not care that you know how to dance or that you look good doing it. We just want you to get out there and do it.

We all started out young at weddings or parties watching our parents out there on the dance floor. My father would grab onto my mother and would glide her around the dance floor. She was a princess floating around on a cloud as he led her with a smooth flow. The few times I've had the pleasure of dancing with my father have been some of the happiest times of my life. If my father can make it look good just by trying - you can too.

Now every guy is willing to try slow dancing. Generally it's just a step from one side to the other in a circle. Nothing wrong with that!

But what about the fast songs??? Will you dance to those???

Most men will answer no to that question. Some women would too. People are so afraid that people would look at them oddly if they stepped outside the box and made a funny move - but the truth is - everyone has to start somewhere. Wouldn't you rather be involved in the action?

Like many women, I had to kiss a few frogs before finding my prince. And many of the frogs didn't want to dance. Sure they'd dance in the privacy of their own rooms, but rarely fast. Put them at a party or a big event where music was taking place and they'd rather sit at the sidelines and grumble at those on the dance floor. Many of them were jealous of all the guys on the floor getting the attention from the ladies. Some even accused me of flirting as I was dancing in the same circle. What was it that made them feel threatened? Oh that's right - they weren't having fun. Nothing was holding them back, but their own insecurities, and it was those insecurities that were really inattractive.

When my prince came along, I wasn't sure if he'd be willing to dance. He's 6'2" and has lots of arms and legs that could flail around just might embarrass him. However, the first time we were together and I found myself on the dance floor with friends, within minutes he was up there with me. Dancing as crazy and silly as me. He keeps a flow going, which really is what dancing is all about. Sure he's about a half a beat behind me, but he's out there and he's trying and he doesn't care who's watching him. He has fun with it and isn't afraid to be stared at or made fun of. If anything, he smiles right along and keeps on going. Through that, no one makes fun and I guarantee there are guys on the sidelines envying his ability. They wish they could be him because he's having fun and they are on the sidelines.

With that - gentleman - get out on the dancefloor. Make your special lady proud!

Finding who I am

I've been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching lately. Something in my life just hasn't been clicking and it's really made me pretty depressed and out of it. After some screaming and crying and finally understanding, I came to understand that the majority of people in my life don't actually know the real me.

Something happened about 13 years ago when I was in my last year of high school. I was dating an older guy, I had friends who were all going off to college and I thought "Hey why don't I look into that too?" I wasn't able to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up, and so I implored family and friends who knew me well to help me figure out what I should apply for. Back then, my writing was something that people actually enjoyed, knew that I enjoyed and they all thought I could turn my writing into a career. They all thought I should sign up for Journalism as that was an option that allowed me to keep writing. What they didn't know, and that I didn't know, was that the writing in that field was completely different than what I really enjoyed doing. Within months they had broken down your writing skills. They did warn us - we have to break it down and build you back up so that you write like a journalist. By the end, I forgot how to write creatively.

My friends currently (other than one or two that were around at that time) didn't know that I worked as a journalist and that I've been published many times. They probably knew that I worked as a photographer but wouldn't have any idea of my beginnings. I wanted to write, not take pictures. My photography was getting better as time went on at the paper, but it could be that I was more creative and willing to try different things that I felt were more newsworthy or visually attractive. Through that, I wanted something more permanent and full time. So I took a job at a portrait studio.

The portrait studio was fun, I got to make people smile for a living and there were very strict rules for the photos. I began to understand how great a clean classic shot could be. Angles, planes, composition, all these things became something I thought about unconsciously every day. I did have fun, but it wasn't really where I wanted to go. I grew into being a strong trainer, but I think it was the following of the rules.

Then I found myself as a career counsellor. I was able to sit and look at all sorts of different careers and every day I thought about what I'd be when I grew up. I learned some good skills, but I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had great careers and who knew where I was going to go and what I was going to do.

Now I've found a job that I actually really enjoy in a company that I really like and I don't want to move on. But my friends now seem to keep wanting to push me back to photography. They think I'm not happy and think the photography is something I should be doing.

I know that I've done many shoots for my friends and they've reaped the rewards of my training and experience. I haven't really charged any of them as I've looked at it as being a favour. But it feels really good when they liked the photos so much that they've felt inclined to tip me. Even if it was just to pay for my gas, it made me feel so good as it means they actually liked my work. It was fun, but is it something I really want to do forever? And how will my friends feel if I actually started charging for my work - which is what I should've been doing from the beginning.

I don't know what's been going on for the past few months but my brain has felt completely drained and every time someone mentions taking pictures it actually makes me a little angry. I don't know why, as they are just acting on what they think I want to do or what I'm good at. However I feel that they are pushing me in a direction that I don't want. I want to be in control of my own destiny - I don't want to have to be pushed into it.

After all - I never set out to be a photographer.

Finally broke down yesterday and I feel so awful for what some things I said to my darling husband. But through breaking down and finally being able to open up and have him listen and have him open up and me listen, we were able to really start to understand each other's point of view. I finally see where things have gone wrong.

My current friends don't know about my writing. They don't know what I can do and what I have done. They have no idea that I'm acutally good at something. I need to get back to that me that I was before. I need to look inside myself and pull the writer out. Sure I'll bring the camera out when I feel like it, but I'm not going to be forced into it. I'm going to be who I am.

I am a voracious reader.
I like all different genres of stories.
I prefer to write from personal experience.
I have a hard time writing without some kind of personal touch.
I cannot fantasize about fantastical worlds and therefore cannot write about them.
I enjoy poetry - both writing and reading.
I really want to be involved in my craft.

I will find me again.

Oh Chucky!

So in about 6 months my lovely husband is turning the big 3-0! That's an awesome thing all together, but he's got a grand plan and really wants to see it through.

He'd like an adult party at Chucky Cheese

"They serve beer there," he says with smile as if that's all the explanation he needs.

His love of a great ball room is clouding his judgement I think. But as this is a huge event in a person's life, I really want to make sure that his birthday party is as close to his wishes as possible.

The pizza should be easy enough - I can order in a bunch to be delivered, people can come and drink beers. We can have loud fun music - perhaps even great pop tunes from our childhood including Reece's Pieces and anything else that people can come up with. I can put out colouring books and crayons, pop on video games on the tv in the basement and we can have a blast.

The tricky part will be the ball room. Our house is really open concept so finding a way to have a ball room will be a little bit difficult. Also, how important will it be if the balls are all one size? What if I called upon all my friends and family and got as many balls as possible to fill say a blow up swimming pool. We can then throw James in and he can play to his hearts content! Or perhaps we could try and blow up thousands of balloons and do something with that as a pseudo ball room.

Only problem with a house party Chucky Cheese style would be the animatronics. I really don't think I can arrange something like that. But I might be able to convince someone to dress up like a giant mouse.

I can see the awesomeness now!

I know that his dream is actually going to Chucky Cheese so I will look into this option as well. Chucky Cheese is located within somewhat stumbling distance from our house. I say somewhat - as in Februrary it might not be a good option - but say in July/August on a warm night for sure.

So - the hours are good - Sunday through Thursday until 10pm and Friday and Saturday until 11. We could, by rights, go after the little munchkins are in bed.

The party packages actually look like they include a bunch of things - but they keep mentioning children. James really wants an adults only party so I'm not sure that they would be the same prices. They have two packages - Star and Super Star. $16.99 to $22.99 per child - but that only covers two slices per child. I don't think I'd be able to cover the complete cost of this for ALL our friends. Hmmm.....

I think this allows some questions. Maybe we could coordinate people to come and then pizza to be delivered after all the games? Lots to think about - but either way, I'm going to try and make his birthday one to remember!

That's Deelish!

A while ago my husband created a food website that was focused on different things that he's made. Feel free to visit it at www.deelish.ca.

I personally think my husband makes some of the best meals I've ever had. Sure we don't always agree in that I like creamy sauces, and he'd prefer more of a spicy barbecue type, but the foods he makes are amazing. I remember the first time I realized his prowess as a cook in the kitchen. He decided to make meatloaf. I was so skeptical. My mother (whom I LOVE dearly) tends to make a drier meatloaf with not a lot of flavour. It's pretty much just meat in a loaf form mixed with onions. Anyone that knows me knows that onions are NOT on my things to eat list. However my sister says it's her favourite thing my mother makes.

So when James said he wanted to make me meatloaf I really was worried about the results. He assured me that I'd like it. I went to the kitchener nad watched as he started to throw down. I didn't dare interrupt or say anything as I wanted to see how things came out. He put it all together and threw it in the crock pot. "The crock pot? that's not a loaf pan!" I thought to myself but I let him go at it. As it slowly cooked the scents and aromas really did peak my curiosity. Every time I walked past the pot I was drawn in by how it actually looked really good. I found myself salivating before it even hit my plate.

Once it had cooked for the desired time he took it out, cut it and put some on my plate and his. "Here goes nothing" I said as I cut into my first piece. When it hit my mouth I was shocked by how moist it was. So flavourful. I couldn't believe that this delicious meal was meatloaf!

Maybe I'm biased as for the most part we have the same like and dislikes when it comes to food, but he really is a great cook. Sure it takes some trial and error, and maybe he does cook only to his taste, but I love having a chef in the family!

17 and on your own

Recently my neice made a very big decision. She left on a Friday and never came home. Her parents were a little worried, but mostly annoyed at their daughter who was yet again off being irresponsible and not communicating. On Monday she brilliantly wrote on her facebook page "Going to see my parents - how do you think they'll take it when I tell them I moved out?"

Issue #1 - her parents are her friends on facebook
Issue #2 - she was posting this at 9:30am when she should be in school
Issue #3 - she had told her friends on the weekend that she was kicked out of the house

Unbeknownst to her - her mother was sick of her antics and had taken all of her clothes and all of her things and packed them in bags ready for her to go. This was the final straw in many episodes of broken promises, lies and missing curfew and not coming home. When she finally did come home, things did NOT go so well and she took her things and said that she'd never be back.

I remember 17. I knew everything. I didn't need my parents telling me what to do. But at 17 I was in college - I was going to school, working, saving to pay for books and my camera and anything else I needed to start my career. I was planning for the future, even if I didn't know what the future would completely hold. I was going places. I hated living with my parents constant watching eyes and questions about where I was and what I did. But I never stayed away without calling first. Even if if was a lie that I was staying at "Julie's" when I was really going somewhere else - I at least had the decency to tell them that I wasn't coming home.

I feel really sympathetic on both sides. I know how hard this has been on my neices parents. They have three kids to worry about and all need attention. But how can you give attention to someone that fights you every step of the way unless it's negative attention?

My hubby and I have talked at length about the situation and sadly, we saw this coming. Honestly I thought she'd end up pregnant, not that she'd just move out. Ever since she was 13 she's been trying to make her stake in the world. Now she has that opportunity.

Funny thing is - as much as she's done to upset and hurt people - I cannot cut her out of my life. She is one of my favourite people and has always loved me. Skinny or fat, she's loved being with me for me. We have a bond and I think it comes from me only being 13 years older than her. Of anyone I remember everything she's gone through. Sure she's mad some really bad decisions and most of mine were mediocre in comparisan, but I know that she's truly in her heart of hearts a good person.

I refuse to cut her out and that's why I used facebook to contact her. I just wanted to know she was alive. She was out of the house a week before anyone even told me that she was gone. So I emailed and said "Can you just let me know that you are okay?" She wrote back and trusted me with her cell phone. I called her today and it was so good to hear her voice and be able to talk. It was like no time had passed. I can ask her questions and she answers honestly. Perhaps that's the problem she had with her parents - they didn't ask so she didn't tell.

James and I are starting to talk about the possibility of having our own family. I hope that I can learn from the mistakes of those around us and make a few less of our own. (I'm sure I'm jinxing myself here ;)) I hope that I can never stop asking questions and that together James and I can strike a balance with our kids so they are well rounded but also responsible.

All I can say is that I'm happy that I'll be able to have a relationship with my neice and that she's willing to start making efforts to mend some fences with her parents. They love her and she admitted to me that she loves and misses them. I hope we can all find a way to get beyond this situation as in 10 years - what's it going to matter that she moved out at 17 or 18 - she's still family and we will still love her.

Untitled - by me

feels like crushing
pain is coming
brain is breaking
definitely not faking
not going away
crushing will stay
no time to sleep
unable to tweak
as this gets tougher
must just suffer

Life as we know it

It's amazing how life has changed now that we have a dog. He's forcing us to be better. Take care of ourselves because we need to take care of him. He is a part of us, and we in turn are a part of him.

Sure he's not perfect - he's had a couple set backs - tried running away once or twice only to be caught shortly after, a few piddles on the floor at random moments. But he's so sweet and loving and affectionate that it's easy to forgive. There's something about his face as he looks at you "Walk? Are we going for a walk??" or "Is it bedtime yet? I'm tigered!" He has such a personality and he's been really great to have around. For those curious - the stinky farts are gone as he seems to have relaxed a lot more and is quickly getting used to the ebb and flow of the Hill-Harri(u)s house. He knows when it's time to just chill and loves when it's time to play. We're very happy to have him around.

One thing that has happened is that I don't see him as holding us back. If anything, he's encouraging us to do things that we want to do. If we want to go see the family, we bring him along as all the kids seem to really love him and he certainly loves them. Thinking about our summer vacation initially meant that we were going to go away without him, now we are thinking of ways that he can come too. We've even booked a cottage with some friends that is dog-friendly so we don't have to leave him alone.

Sure we cant get away with having him with us everywhere we go, but as he's befriended his cousin Chewy, he's going to try a sleepover in two weeks when we'll be away at a wedding. I'm a little nervous, but at the same time I'm certain he'll do well. He's very well behaved in the house and will probably love all the kid friendly attention he'll receive.

Due to a death in the family, our weeklong vacation to Ottawa is being changed as well. So now we are thinking of maybe a night there after the memorial service, and then day trips where we can bring our pooch with us. A few years ago I picked up the Daytripper Book for Southwestern Ontario and it has all sorts of great gems in and around our area. I think it will be great for us to get out and see our province from a fresh perspective, rather than just driving by on route to somewhere else.

In the next few weeks I hope to amass a list of great vacation ideas for right here in our beautiful province and share them with all my loyal readers. (All four of you - thanks!!!) Maybe I can inspire you to check out the sights and sounds of nearby places that you just may not have even known existed!