I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike!

In case you haven't heard - I GOT A BIKE!!!!!

I've been yelling and cheering about it all day long. I realized a few months ago that I really wanted a bike. Unfortunately, I didn't really do anything about it and refused to ask for one for Christmas. I never thought that anyone would be able to get one in their budget. Bikes are big business and can get really expensive.

When I was a kid I was a pretty skilled bike rider. I learned to ride a two-wheeler and never looked back. When it came time for the annual Hespeler Optimist Bike Rodeo, I was right there in my element. The rodeo gave me a chance to show my skills, my hand eye coordination, my safety knowledge and my super awesome ability to rock my bike. I actually won the entire rodeo twice and came out with two new bikes.

Unfortunately those bikes were all gone over the next few years, including my awesome purple bmx that I used to win the rodeo. The first bike was a mountain bike and my dad ended up giving it to my cousin who's parents couldn't really afford a new bike. The second was a 10 speed that my dad gave to my niece when she outgrew her own bike. I wasn't really riding it all the time anymore as I had my drivers license so it wasn't that big a deal.

And here I am, 32 years old and would love to go for a ride, but no bike to do it. I started looking off and on with www.kijiji.ca. What's nice about kijiji is that you are able to search in specific areas and price ranges. Sure I saw some wonderful bikes that were a little too expensive, and then some crappy bikes at wonderful prices. I emailed someone on a bike at the end of the summer that they said they were selling for their grandmother. The bike was all awesome and retro and looked perfect for my needs. Sadly - they never responded and the ad even stayed up for a month longer. Every time I saw it I got this bad taste in my mouth.

Two days before Christmas I suddenly realized that I should've asked for a bike from Santa. I started looking pretty seriously again at bikes and noticed an advertisement from a bike shop in Kitchener that was having a big sale this week. My dream bike was on sale half price - but that was still over $300. Knowing that I needed a good solid adult bike, I was almost ready to go buy one.

Turn on boxing day. I knew that people would be selling things after Christmas, I thought I'd give it a shot. Kijiji allows you to sell things second hand so would this be my chance to find a bike??? I log on and not only did I find a bike, but it was in Cambridge - located within a bikes ride of our house! The price was just over $100, it was cruiser, has white wall tires and a basket. I've always loved my mom's retro bike - of course hers was actually from when she was a teenager so it truly is an original. Her bike has a book rack, where the one I was interested in has a basket.

I sent off a message "I would be interested in seeing the bike." I was going to include more, but my loving husband thought that was enough. If I was first to respond, they should be able to answer and I might get a bike. Hours and hours went by and I kept checking my email for a response. Sadly - there was nothing. I gave up by the evening but was shocked when my husband turned on the computer to see that I had gotten an email. We arranged to meet the following day (today).

We drove over this morning and as soon as I saw the bike I couldn't help but smile. The bike wasn't overly used, and the gentleman who was selling it on behalf of his wife told us they were updating to a mountain bike because they wanted to get more off the beaten path. The gentleman we dealt with was so nice. He even adjusted the seat lower so that I could ride on it with my short legs. I was so excited to hear the little ding of the bell, and how easy it was to get the basket on and off so that I can take it shopping with me.

The hubby took a ride and compared it to a shopping cart. I knew that would be what I was getting. Being that I'm not the same kind of skilled rider I once was, I knew that this bike would not be winning the bike rodeo any time soon.

I honestly, couldn't stop smiling the whole time. The bike had to be mine and I was so happy to give him the money and put it in the car. as soon as we got home, I hopped on the bike took a spin for myself. I'm still smiling at it now - even though it was bloodly cold!!!

I'm the proud owner of a Schwinn 3-speed Cruiser with a basket, bell and white wall tires. And I'm happy. Oh so happy. :)

Do you really know someone?

In my life I have had the pleasure of meeting some really wonderful people. There are those that have made me laugh, those that have taught me and those that have been there through the rough times. I would like to say I've had some wonderful friends in my life.

My parents always taught me to see the good in everyone and to trust my instincts. In light of recent developments, I wish I had trusted mine.

No More Mrs. Nice Gal

Most of the time, I am Mrs. Nice Gal. I treat everyone with respect, I hide when I feel that I've been slighted and I don't try to rock the boat.

Not today.

My negative, swearing, take no shit from anyone attitude has come out just in time for the holidays.

All started when my tire blew on the way home from work yesterday. Shitty enough, but was able to call CAA and get them to come. Sadly, due to the freezing temperatures and the sheer number of car accidents, it was going to be up to a two hour wait. They came, they tried to take the tire off. Oh wait, what's that? They can't because the dealership stripped the locking mechanism LAST FUCKING WEEK when we had the tires rotated? How can they do that and not say anything?

it was bad enough that as we drive off the lot my husband noticed my headlight was out, but for them to have stripped the lock too - I was not impressed. I had to wait for a tow truck. I at least could turn the heat on every once in awhile. I tried to do it discreetly since they have instituted the no idling law. I figured the cop would understand if he came by. It was winter and I truly was a damsel in distress.

The whole time sitting there waiting for nearly the full 2 hours to get on the road, I was able to stew in my anger and disbelieve. The colder I got, the more angry I got. And the angrier I got, the more it spilled over into other areas of my life.

I've sat and watched people walk all over me and say snarky comments and let them slide. Maybe I was reading into it, I kept telling myself.

Well last night and today - I decided I wasn't going to let that happen anymore. I'm not going to be walked on.

If I don't like what you are doing, I'm going to tell you. I might swear at you and I may call you names, but I need to tell you. Would you rather I bottle it up and blow, which I am gearing for as soon as I walk into the dealership to get my car. The time for calm rationalization is over. You are not going to walk all over me.

Basically, I'm writing this post to give you fair warning. I'm through with being nice. I want justice and I want whats right.

Year of the baby has turned into The Year of Divorce?

What started out as a huge year for babies being born has turned into a year for a lot of people breaking up in my life.

I've been on this world for almost 32 years and I've never had so many people I know breaking up and getting divorces. People that I really care about are suddenly finding themselves single after years of being in a relationship.

Some might say that I've had my share of relationships before I met my husband, my longest being just over 3 years. Because of this experience, I know how hard it can be to suddenly find yourself out in the world. It's a scary place to be and experiences can be really strange.

Lucky for me, I was never married and never lived with anyone that I ended up splitting from. I can't even imagine having to figure out how to manage a household and children after so many years of having everything shared. It just seems like a huge change and I really feel for everyone I know that is/has split from their spouse.

Added to the stress of having their relationship end, they are now faced with having to answer the questions. How do you respond when someone asks where your spouse is? I really commend them for getting up and out and taking on the world. I know it's hard, but every day will get easier. Every day they will get up and experience new things.

I think this is a rough time of year, no matter what. But I also think it's a great time of year to have family and friends around that support and love you. You can reach out and ask for help if needed. I'm so glad that those I know who are finding themselve suddenly single are able to reach out. And I'm very glad, that they chose to reach out to me.

I have some wonderful friends and family around me that are fantastic and are completely able to offer love and support. I can honestly say that they have guided me when I needed it, and I'm glad that I've pulled from their strength to help others.

With that said and done, I can't tell you how much this has made me love my husband more and made me so happy that I have him in my life. He came to me years after I had been broken down by an ending. I knew what I wanted, and he checked all of those things off my list and then some. I can honestly say we keep growing together. We have had endings by moving, and beginnings with new locations. There has been so much to build on and it's been a really great experience that I wouldn't trade for the world.

As they say - everything has a beginning and an ending. Every ending, means a new beginning. I really look forward to seeing how they move on from here. They can do anything they want with their lives. I am so happy to be able to be part of their next phase.

Adventures in Shopping

I went into a store today. It was a Saturday.

*Gasp!*

I know I can hear you from where I am sitting. I made a pledge to myself that I was done shopping and any gifts I forgot will just need to be purchased by my loving hubby. No need to give myself a panic attack right?

Well this week my husband and I took a little jaunt over to a local chain store in downtown Preston. It was a weeknight, nothing really was going on and we had eaten early so it was still supper time. This store isn't normally that busy on a given day, although we have been there when there are lines but that's more due to lack of cashiers than actually being really busy. The store itself is considered kind of a knock off type establishment. They like to copy looks for less and rarely has anything that is brand name. Or rather - they have brand names, but they aren't really names you've ever heard of.

I realized when looking through all our presents that we needed two more gifts. Nothing really exciting, but they would knock off our list. I already told my hubby he needed to do the purchases as I can't handle shopping at this time of year. He was cool with that, but in a rare move I decided that we should go check out this store.

I'm a big girl. Okay, I'm a plus sized girl. Not really model material unless it's for one of those Big, Bold and Beautiful type clothing lines. Not too many stores carry things in my size and this is one of the few stores in town that does. Sure it's knock offs, but for a girl like me who is used to spending $30-$50 for a t-shirt that her girlfriends pay $5-10 for it's a good investment. Also, styles change and really - who looks at the tags.

I wasn't going in looking for me, and in fact, didn't find any clothes that were just right but I did find something amazing. New curtains. And not just any new curtains. Coloured new curtains made out of one of the worlds best fabrics - corduroy. Yes folks, I found ORANGE corduroy curtains for my living room that look and feel amazing. And that isn't even the best part. The curtains were $10 a panel. Did I mention that this store was made of awesome and has everything?

We hmmmed and hawed over it, and of course my stomach decides it's had enough so we had to leave. All week since we left I've been kicking myself for not picking up the curtains. For $40 we'd have a brand new living room! Both my husband and I have hated having the beige walls, beige curtains and beige sofa in that room. Punches of colour in the pillows just doesn't add enough oomph. I'm a colourful person. Bring on the colour!

So today after kicking myself for not going, I decided I needed to get there. Even just to see that the sale was still going. I brought my game face, knew that the curtains were at the very front of the store and I could leave anytime that I wanted. I was by myself, I didn't have any outside pressure pushing me in any direction and no one was with me that HAD to go and get the latest Justin Beiber bedspread. (Yes, this store even had those!) I was a woman of my own destiny and I was going into war.

Yes war.

Quit looking at me like that. You aren't the one who starts to get tunnel vision, start hyperventilating and feel like everyone is staring at you and going to hit you and knock you over. Shopping for you isn't a scary experience so please excuse me feeling like it is.

Anyhow, I was ready for war. Found a great parking space as the parking lot wasn't that busy. It was busier than when we were there earlier in the week, but it was manageable. I go inside the doors and it was like angels started singing. The curtains were still on sale and all the gorgeous orange ones were right up front. I could hear Hallelujah being sung as I sauntered over to the rack. Shoppers were going past me in all directions and I couldn't believe no one else was snatching these up.

I've looked into curtains for the living room for a long time. And by long, I mean since we actually put an offer on the house nearly 2 years ago. I wanted colour, we wanted something a little heavier in fabric and my husband was insistent on the big huge grommets that you see on all the decorating shows. The fact that I found some for $10 a panel when every other store we've seen them has them listed as $40 a panel - it was a miracle. I began the painful process of hunting through the rack of about 50 or so orange panels (there were black, grey and blue there too) to find matching sets. We have two windows that currently have 3 panels each. Finding four or 6 curtains that were an exact match was my mission.

Soon I hear the pumping tunes of my youth in my head as a woman comes up to start looking too. I see her eyeing the price and she starts going through the rack with me. I wasn't letting my curtains get away. I started grouping the panels by colour, and then I start grouping them by material. I kept finding 3 of a like type and colour, but couldnt' find four. I was getting irritated as this woman is starting to look at the colours I haven't sorted yet. And then it happens.

The woman leaves the side of the rack I'm working on, grabs a random blue panel and walks away.

The angels start singing again and I can carry on with my task.

Remembering that there were a handful of the panels in the store in the regular window covering section, I take my favoured colour/material inside and make my way to the section. My brain starts playing Danger Zone as more and more shoppers are heading around me. The closer I get the song gets quieter as I have my eyes on the prize. I am looking at the aisle with the curtains and I am going to get the ones I want.

Ugh! Another woman looking at the same exact section I want. Why??? Why can't she go to the toys or the candy like everyone else in the store. Why curtains? I make my way around with a cart so that I can lean if I need to. My cart being a saving grace so no one gets to close. I think if someone touched me I'd run for the hills. I end up seeing cute purses, with no one around.

Of course I had to stop. Who wouldn't? As I'm standing there looking at the purses I notice a sign. "No Tax Weekend" it reads. My heart leaps with joy and I hear a single "Hallelujah" as I realize my $10 curtains will really be $10! I grab a great purse and wander back over.

Woman is gone. Yes, I say to myself. Eyes focused I start seeing patterns inside that I didn't see outside. The colours were all so similar but I just couldn't match them all up. I start sorting as I did outside and soon found two sets, similar colours but with different patterns and they all had 4 of the same panels. I put them in my cart and decide to keep wandering around before deciding. I kept touching them to see which fabric was the best as both of them had different types of corduroy. Soon I see those slippers needed for my father in law, and then a wonderful bathrobe for my incredibly shy perpetually single Uncle-in-Law who is considered part of the immediate family. Really feeling triumphant I realize that it's time to make a decision. I've got a great purse. I've got the last two Christmas gifts needed and now I just need to narrow down which set of curtains I will chose.

A beautiful angel appears wearing a black sweater with long blonde hair and a nametag. "Oh I see you are looking at curtains," she says to me with a smiling face. I know this is my chance - finally someone to make the decision for me.

I show her both, ask her opinion woman to woman and she selects the type with the best texture. As my heart was kind of leaning in this direction, I thank her for her help, put the other curtains back and make for the checkout.

There isn't any music in my head as I pull my full cart to the register and find there is barely any line and I'm only standing behind a single man with a movie in his hand. The check out girl smiles warmly to me and talks about one of the things she admires in my cart and it takes my mind off the line of 10 people that lined up behind me.

Soon she's bagging everything I've bought, I'm paying my bill and making my way to the car.

I did it. I triumphed and yes, the curtains look amazing.

Tractor Breakfast

Below is a story that I wrote that was recently published here.

The air was brisk on Saturday October 23 when tractors of all shapes and sizes started gearing up for the Tractor Breakfast and Bake Sale at Kirkwall Presbyterian Church. With the leaves in shades of red and gold, people from neighboring farms and villages took a break from their activities to ride on into Kirkwall, Ontario to share some stories, have a hearty breakfast and show their support for the church.

From John Deere to Massey Ferguson, over 13 different types of motorized tractors from farm machinery to your small lawn tractor made the ride. Several participants also brought pedal tractors, die-cast tractors, homemade wooden and tin tractors. Breakfast-goers came from all around including the communities of Aberfoyle, Cambridge, Crieff, Clyde, Morriston and Sheffield.

The Tractor Breakfast was the brain child of congregation member, and tractor enthusiast Howard Hill after hearing of similar events happening in other areas.

"The church is in a rural area and has lots of farming background," said Mr. Hill who was happy to see Reverend Tom Billard on a tractor for the first time. "Us guys like driving our tractors and need an excuse to drive them."

The event brought in over 130 people, young and old into the church located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario in hopes of raising funds and awareness for the church. Mr. Hill talked to local businesses and farms with regards to coming to the breakfast and donating goods for door prizes. He was seen donning a bright yellow jacket calling numbers throughout the breakfast with many happy cheers from the winners.

Members of the Tractor Breakfast Team, including the entire Women’s Auxillary, worked hard on the event, preparing a hearty meal as well as baked goods. The meal included locally produced eggs and maple syrup which were provided by members of the church congregation.

“The ladies worked so hard to bring the food,” said Rev. Billard with pride. “We have a lot of talented people here.”

The Tractor Breakfast is one of many events for the Kirkwall Presbyterian Church which has set a very high goal of an expansion on the back of the church which was originally built in 1887. The expansion is the largest of it's kind in over 100 years, says Rev. Billard. “It means we’ll be able to be more accessible to our entire congregation.”

As the Sheffield Presbyterian church was amalgamated with Kirkwall, some of the churches weaknesses started to become apparent. Accessibility was an issue and there became a strong need for an elevator. The children’s playroom and Sunday School area was also too small to accommodate the growing number of youth coming to the church each week and there has become a need for a dedicated meeting area.

“The nursery and the multipurpose room will allow for a better children’s program,” said Rev. Billard. “It will help us reach out to families.”

Nine-year-old Zakary Schmitz agrees. When asked about how he felt about the addition, the blonde-haired boy smiled and said “It’s going to be much bigger.”

The plans include: building an elevator that will lead up to the sanctuary, accessible washrooms, a meeting room and storage space. After talking to contractors in January, Scheidel Construction broke ground at the start of October and is being watched over by the Board of Managers, the Session and the entire congregation.

The church has been working hard for the past year to raise the funds for the addition but this hasn’t been their sole focus. They congregation banded together for Haiti after the devastating earthquake rocked that country by raising funds, knitting and donating blankets and washcloths. After the recent tsunami in Pakistan they raised over $1500. In the summer, the church hosted a Corn Roast and a Chili Luncheon to raise fund for the Canadian Food Grains Project.

“Our congregation is very hard working and action-oriented,” said Rev. Billard. “They put their faith into action.”

The next big event for Kirkwall Presbyterian Church will be an annual Robbie Burns Dinner. A local favourite that takes place at the end of January with proceeds going to the Presbyterian World Service and Development. Last years dinner raised enough money to put in a well in Malawi, a landlocked country in the heart of Africa.

With all their hard-working determination and community spirit, the congregation is still short on the amount of money needed for the construction and many future events are in the works. If you would like to help Kirkwall reach their goal, donations would be greatly appreciated. Any donation over $10 will be issued a tax receipt.

Please send donations to:
Kirkwall Presbyterian Church
c/o Jeanette Jamieson
2055 8th Conc. W
Cambridge, ON, N1R 5SZ

Flash Mob!

I was going to write about the Cambridge Santa Claus parade that happened last night but something more interesting has piqued my interest. Flash Mobs!

I don't know if I mentioned it, but this summer when my hubby and I were talking about going to the Taste of the Danforth, I found out that there was going to be a flash mob. If I learned the steps, i too could've participated. Sadly, I didn't find out until about a half hour before we were slated to leave. (We also didn't end up there but that's another story.) I was interested as I had heard of these things but hadn't really paid much attention. I never thought I'd ever see one, let alone be in one.

This morning someone who I follow in twitter posted a link to a flash mob. This mob broke out into song in the middle of a mall food court. It was gorgeous. The acoustics in the food court and the wonderful voices were amazing. I had never heard of a singing flash mob.

So of course being in the holiday spirit from the parade, I decided to see if there were more Christmas flash mobs. I found loads of them on Youtube. Most of which involved dancing. They were in Times Square, in train stations, shopping malls. They danced to so many different themes. The dancers ran from the very young, to fairly old. All ages took part as long as they could learn the steps.

My favourite one that I found was from Central Station in Antwerp, Belguim. They preformed to The Sound of Music. Perhaps it is because this is one of my absolute favourite movies of all time, but the song and the dancing is amazing. I also loved the reactions of the people who were just walking through the train station and had no idea what they were walking into. Click on the video below and bask in the glory.

The Great Election Debate

I can't believe how hard it was for me to decide on a candidate in my ward for this municipal election that's happening tomorrow.

I won't tell you who I'm voting for - but I will tell you how exciting it will be to see the outcome.

I'll be honest - I didn't vote in the last election. It was really hard because at the time I was living out of the region of Waterloo and really had no idea what the issues were. I didn't really pay attention to what was going on around me in that I had an apartment and we never got the newspaper. I also didn't get out and enjoy the town I was living in so it really didn't matter to me who got voted in.

So the last time I voted was 8 years ago. I was living in Ward 4 - voted at St. Peters elementary school and voted for Ben Tucci. I felt he was really standing up for us and I liked the idea of someone with experience on council. I had met him on a professional level and he seemed to really care about the people in his ward and he knew what he was doing.

Fast forward to this year - I'm back in Waterloo region, living in my own house in the brand new Ward 1. The ward is huge - covers parts of Hespeler, Preston and Blair. There are so many different issues and so many different types of people living and working in this ward. I guess it shouldn't have been a shock to have the most number of candidates running - Ten. Yes 10 candidates. All thought long and hard before running in this election.

Some even got out pounding the pavement a month in advance to get the word out. All have walked through the neighbourhoods knocking on doors and trying to win votes. There is no clear leader and no clear loser in this race.

For me, there are a few things that really stand out to me in a regional election and more specifically my ward.

#1 - I want someone who knows what's going on in my ward. If they lived there, grew up there or their kids go to school there - it means a lot that they understand the needs in our area.
#2 - That they don't focus on one area more than the other. As our ward covers Hespeler, Preston and Blair - the candidate that is going to win my vote should not focus so much on one area that they seem to forget the other.
#3 - I want someone that understands local politics and has experience in some sort of council. I know all the people running in my ward are fairly new, but some have run for different councils or headed committees in the past. I want someone who can speak up when needed, and sit back and listen when necessary.
#4 - I want someone who is a good speaker in public. I don't want someone who is going to be nervous and have a shaky voice. That's not going to instill confidence in their performance.
#5 - I want someone who WANTS to be there. If they can't come out to debates, or they say that they don't want to be a career politician - that means they aren't really wanting to win. It makes me question their motives.
#6 - I don't want someone who is slinging mud at other candidates. I want a clean fight. I want to hear what you can do - and not what you don't like about the other guy. I guess that's more geared towards the mayoral race and the regional race.

One of the things that really worries me about a candidate is if they aren't informed. They need to understand the limitations within their role on council and what the history of the council has been. If someone comes in that hasn't lived in Cambridge long, they better really know their stuff. If they've never shown an interest in politics before, they won't get my vote.

I asked on twitter the other day who people thought I should vote for. the majority of responses said "Election? What election?" I had two people offer up suggestions, but only one of them backed it up in facts. I take all input into consideration when it comes to something like this. Some really important things are coming up for our area. I want to know what people think so I can make an informed decision.

This was why it was really good for me to find the Cambridge Citizen. It's a local website that has some political commentary. They've opened it up for all candidates to write in and participate on discussion boards. I've loved seeing politicians becoming real people. Actually commenting on things that I have to say.

I've never felt like my opinion mattered until this year.

A friend of mine is running for School Board Trustee - and I'm going to vote for him. We met online, and really that means nothing to some people, but through online conversations we met fact to face. He's one of those people that surprised me. He looked me in the eye, he asked my opinions and really listened. I want people like that involved in politics in my area. I think Colin Carmichael is a wonderful candidate and I really hope he gets in. See his website here.

The first candidate running in this election that I talked to actually came out to an event this summer. She was running for regional council and I was really impressed that she came to a local event and actually talked to EVERYONE there. She handed out her business card and got people engaged. As a teacher, Atinuke Bankole is used to talking to large groups of people. I was a little surprised to see her out so early, it was August after all, but she got me thinking. I've never really given elections much thought on the regional level, but she really made me want to. I watched her video from the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and I was really impressed. She knows a lot about politics and I think she would be a really fresh voice for Cambridge at the Regional level. To see her website go here.

I'm not trying to endorse one way or another. How you vote really needs to come from your heart. I just know that it's been really exciting this year to actually get involved. To feel that I have a voice and that my voice is going to be heard on October 25th.

I am from Cambridge.
And I AM voting on election day.

My night at the Chainsaw

There is something so comforting about being the sober person in a bar.

Went out last night for a friends birthday. She's a fairly new friend, but I've felt like I've known her for ages. I know in my heart that she would do anything for me if I needed her to - and that includes picking my drunk ass up off the floor.

For her birthday she had one request - she wanted to go to karaoke. Knowing some of her history - I know that this girl used to be a karaoke host - or Karaoke Jockey in the past. She was a regular at some fantastic karaoke nights. She understands how important the levels are and how sometimes the crowd can make the night. As she moved back to this area of the province recently, she put it out there to the Twitterverse that she wanted to go to karaoke and where should she go. Nearly every person that responded told her to go to the Chainsaw. Which sadly - does not have a website for me to direct you to. Or if they did, I couldn't find in my half-hearted attempt to find it in the top 3 pages of google results.

Anyhow - my hubby has gone to karaoke there on a couple of occasions and really enjoyed that sometimes people were willing to dance for you if the song was right. Even he agreed that this was a great place to go.

As I knew the hubby would be one of the few boys in a sea of girls, I knew it was safer if he could relax a little over some wobbly pops. It didn't seem fair that the birthday girl had to drive either since she should be able to kick back and relax and so I decided to be the DD. Younger me would've fought tooth and nail to avoid this fate, but older me knows how much fun it can be.

As the sober person in a bar you can watch everything and everyone. More than half have no idea that you are watching their drunken behaviour and those that do could care less. I was able to sit back and laugh at all the craziness going on around us, and even at our table while everyone seemed to be having a great time. The mood of the place really helped me to enjoy myself and I was very glad I wasn't drunk or I might have been one of the girls on stage singing the B52's love shack and screwing up the words.

We arrived at the end of some "love bingo" being run by the Love Shop and the University so we saw some really interesting things. From blow up man dolls to battery operated boyfriends. As they streamed out you could find condoms on the floor, which of course needed to be passed onto the birthday girl. Safe sex is important after all.

Slowly the sex toys were replaced by all sorts of people with all different tastes and styles. From the girl "Candy" with the frizziest white and pink hair ever, to the man in the cowboy hat and NASCAR jacket, to the older lady with a Travis Tritt t-shirt to the cast of the Jersey Shore at the table beside us. There was a girl wearing all back but with hot pink shoes, hot pink belt and hot pink earrings. There were many girls wearing skirts so short you could almost see their underwear and metalheads with incredibly long locks, bullet belts and screaming voices.

there was such a mish mash of people and everyone seemed to be getting along. (In the case of the jersey shore couple beside us - possibly getting along too well for a public setting until she poked him in the eye with her fingernail.) I was struck by how strange it was to see such an interesting group of people together. From the barely of age, to the senior citizen - everyone was there to have a few drinks, sing a song or two and generally have a good time.

I think the Chainsaw is trying to meet all of their clientele's needs and it was nice being in a positive atmosphere. From the worst singers to the best, everyone was just happy that you tried.

Of course no trip to a karaoke bar is perfect. The music levels were off, the speakers were regulated to one defeaning speaker rather than several spread around so that it doesn't blow out the eardrums of your patrons. The KJ didn't really do a great job of keeping things in order as he tried to add new singers to the rotation. As no one used the microphone stand, more and more people would trip on all the cords.

But the negative aspects of the night don't overshadow the smile that was on my friends face as she came off the stage from singing a hot little number. Her voice was amazing and everyone there couldn't help but cheer and catcall when she was up there. It was like she turned into this amazing diva that I knew was inside her but couldn't fully see the depths of until she was belting out a tune. It was electric.

Oh yes, being the DD when you have people who are genuinely having a good time, means that you can't help but have a good time. I'll have to remember that the next time I have to drive for girls night :)

The financing wait game

My heart is racing.
Mind is spinning.
We are buying a new car.

Why does the financing have to be the scariest part? We come off the elation of making a big decision only to be in a room with the money guy. He hmms and haws over your personal finances. You feel so naked, exposed as everything is scrutinized. He says he needs to send it all in and then the waiting game begins.

Feeling a little violated you head home and wonder, am I good enough? Do I pass muster? Am I a risk they want to take?

I've bought two other new cars, both times were good. Both times I didn't need a cosigner. What if this time I do?

It's true, I have barely used my freeing card since buying the house but I sure used it before that. It was my best friend when buying stuff for my job. And stupid me never put the reimbursement cheques onto the card. The debt just built up and up. I never missed aayment, and always paid more than minimum but what if that isn't good enough?

So here I sit and wait. Naked and exposed.

But man, she's a pretty car. Hyundai Elantra Touring. Atlantic blue. Check her out.

It's Oktoberfest Time! Or is it???

In the spirit of Gemutlichkeit my husband and I decided to try and wrassle up some friends for some good old Oktoberfest fun. Problem is - we were dealing with a few roadblocks.

We live in Cambridge. This year is the first year where Cambridge would be hosting our very own Oktoberfest. The more we talked about it, the more excited we became. We started talking to others through one of our favourite forms of dialogue, twitter. And all we heard was a handful of people interested in going. They didn't know anything about it however - and were looking to my hubby and myself to organize everything.

As anyone living in the Kitchener-Waterloo area is aware - tickets are a very hot commodity - especially when the event has already started. People really love their Polka around this time of year, and really enjoy getting out and getting as drunk as humanly possible without hopefully vomiting on someones shoes. Any of the Kitchener-Waterloo festhalls will sell out well before Oktoberfest starts so our plan to go at this late in the game was a little behind.

We started searching online and although we did find that the www.oktoberfest.ca website was selling tickets, we were disappointed to find out that the tickets involved not only taxes - but service charges as well. This brought the price much higher than the $12 they would be charging at the door. In the day in age where you want to sell tickets in advance, wouldn't you think the tickets should be cheaper?

We kept searching around and other than find a phone number for a person with the Rotary, we couldn't find any other way that we could buy tickets. And heaven knows - if there are phones involved, me and my husband are just not interested. We are tech savvy, you would think a world class event like Oktoberfest would be tech savvy too. We were even willing to drive somewhere in town if we could, but there was no where to be found unless it was during the day. We work and telling the boss that we were leaving for an hour to go get tickets to Oktoberfest just wouldn't fly.

I sent a tweet to @kw_oktoberfest - the official twitter name for Oktoberfest and nearly a week later had not had a reply. My simple little question about how the tickets were selling in Cambridge and if any were left were ignored. It seems that Cambridge is small potatoes when compared to their big Kitchener-Waterloo cousins. But I wasn't completely put off. I wanted some good smooth beer and was really hoping I could get some.

It was with excitement that we found an article about the new Cambridge Festhall in the Cambridge Times this week. We were hoping for more information about where and when we can get tickets. Unfortunately it really didn't reveal much other than getting them at the door or potentially buying them from City Hall. We know from experience that you can drive into the Oktoberfest headquarters and pick them up - but that means heading into Kitchener. A lot of driving for us considering we really are within walking distance of the mall where the Cambridge Oktoberfest is being held.

Now folks - wouldn't it be nice to buy them from City Hall in advance of the event? Oh yeah - that's right - City Hall didn't get their tickets until Wednesday - the very first day that they were opening the Festhall. I have an inside source - don't ask me how - but they told me that the tickets just weren't available yet and they had no idea how we could get some in advance.

So here we are - wanting to support our community getting Oktoberfest but with no idea if it was worth trying to get in. We start talking to our peeps about the situation and when all of them found out the tickets weren't just $10.62 as advertised on the Oktoberfest website and were instead over $12 - they all started bowing out. It seems they had heard the rumors of high beer prices. When you couple that with a high door price per person and so much red tape that you didn't even know if you could get in - they just decided they weren't going to go.

The hubby and myself would love to be able to go out and support our community. So we've decided instead of taking our chances you will now find us on a patio, possibly in Preston, drinking some beers at a regular rate - not paying a huge door price - and enjoying what Cambridge has to offer.

For those of you in the Cambridge Rotary, I hope you enjoy your event. I also hope that you learn a few lessons for next year on how to better a) promote and b) sell tickets to the working stiffs like me.

Ah the theatre!

Last night the hubby and I were able to partake in local theatre. Not everyone knows that Cambridge is home to Ontarios longest running community theatre. Otherwise they might be all clammouring to go see shows at the Galt Little Theatre.

When I called the box office two weeks ago she asked where I wanted to sit. Every seat in the house has a good view she said. Having never been there I asked her to pick a good spot for us. She selected Row H. Appropriate as our last name starts with that letter and this was an anniversary gift. How could I have expected that Row H, the 8th row from the stage was only a few rows from the back. When they say little theatre-they are right.

The funny thing about a small theatre, is that you feel more a part of the show. You are connected to the other audience members and as a collective the mood of the audience can be felt on stage. The seats are a little small for plus sized girls like me (or guys for that matter) but it was completely worth it. The price was very reasonable at $17 a ticket. This is a fraction of the cost for shows in the larger cities and venues. Also, each play only runs for two weeks which makes it even more valuable. The glimpse you have of the show is only for a limited time and for a limited audience. Small town theatre is completely worth it.

The hubs and I went to see a comedy-Moon Over Buffalo. It had a great cast of 7 characters acting out the roles of a group of people involved in the theatre around the golden age of television. The play had a fun concept to play with. Aging actors trying to keep their theatre troupe alive with dwindling ticket sales while striving to break into the silver screen. Suddenly they are faced with one last chance to break into movies and all sorts of outside factors break in to bumble things. The actors were comfortable in their roles and played them well. The many closings and openings of doors had the audience in stitches.

The character of George Hay, played by Gord Cameron was by far my favourite. He fell into character as the patriarch and 2nd biggest star of the company. He gets into mischief and brings a lovable feel to his role. Everyone else was strong as well. If there were slip ups, they hid them well. The actors projected well, stayed in character and were believable. It was quite enjoyable.

I do recommend that you check out this gem of a theatre if you don't have time for the play.

For more about the play, visit the Galt Little Theatre Website at the link.

Ah... Young Love

Some things have been happening around me that have been reminding me of something that I haven't had for awhile - new romance.

Even though it's been a few years, okay it's been 7 years, but I remember how amazing it is to be in those beginning stages of a relationship. When everything is exciting and new. I remember wondering if the person I liked was liking me back. I remember being with them and just smiling. Heck I remember thinking of them and just smiling.

I have been with my husband for 7 years and I still get a little smile when I think back to the beginning stages of our courtship. And yes - I do think it was a courtship. This was when we got to know each other. I was impressed by his memory and his listening skills. I told him that I really liked yellow flowers and he showed up with them. I told him that I liked the letter Q and he made an entire CD titled the Quiet Quotient. It was filled with songs that made him think of me. My heart swooned in his creativity and basic simple caring.

I also remember how our relationship was built on friendship. That we would write and write each other email after email about ourselves, our families, our likes and our dislikes. Getting emails from him made my heart soar, and thinking about him made my mind race.

It was all so exciting and so new and I remember thinking that someday my bubble is going to burst. There is no way that this witty, charming, adorable dork of a man could really like me. Who am I? I'm just some overweight formerly athletic girl with a low paying job and no real passion for any one thing. Here was someone who was passionate about sports and music and computers. What would we ever find to talk about?

But that was the wonderous thing. We could talk about anything. No topic was off limits. We were open and honest with each other about our lives. I felt things building and I wondered if he felt the same way. But there was something there in his eyes when he talked to me - and I'll be honest, it's a look I've never seen him give any other woman. He looked at me like I was the only woman on the planet. He held my hand through everything and never shied away from being with me when around other people.

I promised myself that I would try and remember the rubber band theory - something my old roommate Bridgit and I obsessed over for a period of time and has always stuck with me as a great key to a relationship. It essentially means that relationships are like a rubber band. Initially you are really close and both in the same band. After a period of time, one of you will want to spread out and see friends and do things without you. If you chase after them, the band falls off because you are holding too close. If you stay where you are and remember that they will still come back, the band will stretch but not break. If instead you decide that you also want to spread your wings in retaliation, you might actually end up breaking the band. Either way, stay cool, stay calm and remember how you feel about the other person and the relationship should be fine. The book also talked about picking battles - but that's for another day.

Back to the point of this post - young love. I don't care how old you are, when your relationship is new you are experiencing everything as a young person. You get butterflies and you get nervous. You wonder if you should take the lead, or if you should let them. You worry that if you take the lead the other person may not feel the same way. Every young relationship seems like a risk. You are putting your heart out there.

It could be great - or it could be absolutely horrible. You could put your hand out there and touch them and they could recoil. You could pour your heart out and they could tell you the worst thing in the world "I only want to be your friend." It will be in that instant that your heart will break in two and you will do one of two things - you will go away and never forgive yourself for getting all the signals wrong - or you will go away and hate them for leading you on. You never know how it's going to go and you really hope and pray that there will be some way you can stay friends, or you can move on. You always will, you know. If it doesn't work out you will still go on living. You will still be able to breathe. You will love again.

When I met my husband, I had lived through the heart ripping. I was scared because lets face it - I couldn't believe that I was falling in lvoe again. But boy was I ever. I was falling hard and fast with every keystroke he sent. My heart was beating fast and my mind was racing. After a week of dating, I thought he liked me, but the big kiss hadn't happened yet. (Can't believe I'm admitting this - I was 22 not 17 for god's sake) I wanted to push things along just to make sure so I lightly rubbed the side of his leg with my finger. In my experience, this will mean the person I am interested in will grab my hand and start holding it. Or if he doesn't like it, he will pick up my hand and politely move it away and then gently inch the other way. Lucky for me - my hubby grabbed my hand and actually started to rub my leg in the same spot. Score one for the home team.

Remembering this makes me smile. Because I still do this with him from time to time and it never fails - he grabs my hand every time. Now we are 7 years on, married for almost 3 and I still get butterflies thinking of him and the wonderful times we've shared. Of course that may not have been the case had I not had my heart broken and ripped out. Through that I've come to appreciate just how special things really can be.

And I hope, that for all my readers, friends and family, that you also find that special someone to hold your hand - always.

My Sundays with HGTV

I'm going to let you in on a little secret about how I like to spend my Sundays. In my pj's, in my basement watching home renovating shows. Oddly, the basement is the cleanest area of the house and tends to stay that way because we rarely use it. The other aspects of the house are used every other day of the week, but Sundays are basement times.

As we don't have cable, I've had to learn to rely on HGTV for my shows. Have to say, I love the fact there are very few commercials and I can watch whatever I want. Must say I wasn't sure what to think about not having cable but this is pretty nice.I don't know if this is just a bi-product of being older, but I absolutely love house hunting shows and real estate shows.

Until we bought our townhouse, I was a Property Virgin. I had gone house shopping with my sister when she was looking, but her price range, and my price range was completely different. Plus she and her husband were more willing to take on areas of a house that needed work. My husband and I, well we just aren't that handy. Also, my sister's budget was about $200,000 more than mine so I really couldn't gauge anything by what she and her husband were looking for.

After a few years of living with my husband, we decided that the time was right to get a place together. That started the whole process of us really sitting down to figure out what we could afford and mutually decide what we liked. We set ourselves a wishlist and kept getting distracted by different things. We even contemplated real pieces of work because the price was right. We could see the value in it - but we also lost sight of our goal.

And that's where shows like Property Virgins come in handy. Sandra (the shows host) really helps put things in perspective and draws people back to where they wanted to be in the beginning. She asks questions, gives options and helps you to narrow down the right property. Our agent Mary was really good in this respect too - but as our tastes changed near daily when we were out with her, she kept showing us anything that was in our price range in our preferred neighbourhoods.

It's amazing that we've made it on this journey and I have to thank HGTV for bringing the kind of programming needed to newbies like my husband and I were on the property ladder. They have continued through multiple other shows, such as Agent vs Agent, to help people buying or selling what to look out for and how to stay on target. I also have to thank HGTV for putting their awesome shows online for the rest of us without cable to catch up on the latest and greatest.

And now back to my regular Sunday programming.

Taking my life into my own hands

I am one of those people that actually really liked going to school. It was always an opportunity for me to have a new start. New friends, new classes and teachers. It would lead to new adventures. So with all those back to school sales and advertisements I couldn't help but feel the need for change this year.

About a month ago I reached one of those lowest of low points in my life. I felt alone and I felt disgusted with who I was. I haven't been that low in a VERY long time. After a night and day full of tears and sadness, my sister, husband and closest friend helped me to come back to this world. They helped me see my value and that I was loved. Showed me that they are just three people of many who would notice if I wasn't on this earth before. It wasn't that I was dying or even thinking of ending things, but I was at an incredibly low point. I really owe them my life after being there for me.

I've been feeling depressed for months. I felt like I had no control over my life and part of that was because I internalized everything. I didn't want to burden anyone with what was going on inside me. I didn't want to ask for help. But then I did. And now I feel loved and supported. I've learned to let go of those holding me down and I've been thinking outside the box as to how I can overcome the obstacles in my way.

First I dyed my hair red. Well it's red-brown with blonde hi-lites underneath. That lifted my spirits and soon I was spending time with my sexy lady friends. I started exercising and laughing at myself. My laptop died and that freed me from having technological chains attached to me at all times. To help me still be connected, the hubs let me use the iPad and I've now been able to be anywhere in the house and be connected. One of my biggest worries came from the laptop and how hot it ran all the time. Now that it's gone I'm not as sad, worried or hot!

I'm looking forward to seeing the fruits of my labors realized. I've already seen some changes by losing a few pounds, laughing more and it's been really nice having people want to make time with me.

I am blessed to have a wonderful family behind me, great friends supporting me and a whole lot of love coming from an amazing man that I have had the pleasure of being married to for nearly 3 years.

A tweetluck with my tweetpeeps

Tonight we are hosting the 2nd tweetluck ever. And I'm really excited but completely slacking on my cleaning duties today.

What is a #tweetluck you ask? Well it was an idea born out of a really great person named Wendy. She thought it'd be great to have some of her twitter friends together to eat food and enjoy a few laughs. Initially she thought of hosting in a local park, but there are huge rules against drinking in parks these days so she agreed to host at her house. She spread the word, and soon enough her deck was full of people, food and laughter.

Wendy and her husband Greg are great people and the event was a huge success. The hubby and I agreed that we would host the next one, before the last one was even over. We love hosting events and we figured this was a great way to have a summer event.

The joy of twitter means that you can widen your circle of friends and meet some really interesting people. This also means there will be some really interesting foods. I'm very excited to see what everyone brings tonight.

So you - if you are on twitter, send me a message and I'll send you the link to the event site and come on down. We'd love to see you :)

Tales of Toronto

My husband and I took on a crazy adventure yesterday and it wasn't the adventure we set out for. My husband really wanted to go to The Taste of the Danforth as was mentioned in my post yesterday. However the more I researched it the more it freaked me out. Big crowds are my kind of personal nightmare. I was willing to go for him and so we set off. This is when it went a little insane.

Traffic was a nightmare.

Toronto traffic is pretty well known but it was a little insane to see how bad it actually was yesterday. The planning department is not neccessarily working with a full deck in that they decided with a Blue Jays game, a Toronto FC game and a major food festival going on it was a brilliant idea to shut down the highway that leads to all three locations. This took all the traffic off the highway and onto the side streets. Everywhere we went we were stuck in one traffic jam after another. It was crazy.

Traffic aside, we ended up doing some pretty interesting things and it will definitely be a day for us to remember.

UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY #1 --- Shopping

We very rarely go shopping for shopping sake. And we rarely if ever go to a shopping mall to do it. But we both got the itch when we got stuck in traffic on the 401. After some crazy roundabout ways we ended up at Square One. It had been so long since I was in a mall it was like we were entering a foreign world. I was drawn this way and that looking at gorgeous window displays and interesting patterns. I noticed that a bit of the early 90s is back with a twist in that there was a lot of plaid and Chuck Taylor converse sneakers are back with a vengeance. It's a slightly prettier version of plaid though in that the shapes are better cut to show off your figure. Long gone is the tank top with a plaid shirt over it. Now they are throwing in belts and ties to make the shirt match your shape. I haven't found one in my size yet, but I'm still happy to see plaid back on the shelves.

UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY #2 --- spending time at the beach

I've been itching to go to the beach for about a month now - and never thought that my wish would come true in Toronto of all places. No one was swimming but the beaches along the Lakeshore are gorgeous. There were so many sailboats and even a tall ship out in the water. We not only saw seagulls and Canadian geese, but there were some beautiful white trumpeter swans in the water. The Toronto lakefront has playgrounds, and wading pools. There are picnic areas as well. We got out and took a walk, had some ice cream from an ice cream truck and just reveled in the fact that we weren't still sitting in the incredibly slow moving traffic on the Lakeshore. It was amazing how we were so close to the busy hustle and bustle of all the diverted highway traffic but we felt like we were miles away. I can see why people flock to this area of the city any chance they can get.

UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY #3 --- going to Chinatown

After leaving the beach and getting stuck in the traffic again, we decided to head downtown - namely to the Chinatown area off Spadina. We've driven down there many times and have been amazed by how much it seemed like you were in a completely different city - one in the far east. The signs are in different languages and people are wheeling and dealing in languages we could only imagine. We pulled in and found a parking garage. I was slightly nervous by the area as there were definitely homeless people sleeping in the alleyways and there were so many people around that it was a prime location for me have a panic attack. My rule - keep moving. Luckily the people were mostly on the street but were really respectful of space. They didn't want to bump into me anymore than I wanted to bump into them. We ducked into a few of the little shops where we found many low priced items and some fun little items that we would never find on store shelves around Cambridge. There were toys that were made in Asia and translated into English so that they made us laugh. Loved seeing the "hair solon" and the many places to go and get a food massage or see a herbalist.

UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY #4 --- Eating in an Asian restaurant

I have never really eaten at a truly Asian restaurant so this was a new experience for me. The hubby was drawn in by all the meat hanging in the window from duck and chicken to pork and lord knows what else, we headed in. There were some really tasty looking options on the boards outside so we made our way in. The first thing we noticed was that this restaurant was fairly big but there were a lot of people eating and a lot of people working. The noise was a little overwhelming and I had a hard time hearing the hubby on the other side of the table. Staff yelled at each other across the restaurant and they all were bustling around. They were very helpful to the couple next to us who was completely new to Asian food. However I guess we knew what we were doing because we had a very difficult to understand waitress. My hubby ordered a combo meal that had three kinds of meat and rice and was served very quickly. I had some "Chicken in lemon sauce" that came with an egg roll. But the best thing I had was a Honeydew Melon Milkshake. It was so summery and delicious. I could tell they were making fun of me for using a fork, but I'd rather do that then look more like an idiot by using chop sticks. Go ahead - you can laugh at me too.

All in all it was a really great day. We saw areas of Toronto we may have never seen. Even being stuck in the traffic jams on Queen Street really showed different sides of the city and we loved seeing all the different neighbourhoods.

I still hate traffic, but I'm sure we'll go back to Toronto again.

The taste of the Danforth

My husband really REALLY wants to go to the Taste of the Danforth today. He's mentioned it a few times but never made it happen over the years.

At the start of the warm spring we were talking about things we'd like to do this summer and he brought up how he's always wanted to go to the wonderful Greek Food but every year we've had something come up and it was too late to go. So like the good wife that I am, I told him that I'd write today's date down in the calendar that seems to rule our lives and therefore if someone asks us to do something, we would have to turn them down. The only thing that could trump it would be a wedding or a wedding/baby shower. The showers would only trump it if they were for a) someone we were related to or b) someone we really liked. Lucky for us - neither materialized and so we can actually go.

Personally I knew nothing about it other than it was a Greek Food festival in Toronto on the Danforth. I figured they closed the road and served food. I had no idea how big it was, or what to expect. So this morning I awoke incredibly early with the food festival on the forefront of my mind.

Just what have I signed up for?

Lucky for me, I have a little thing called the interwebs to get me informed. Here are a few things I've learned.

1. This party is pretty massive. They close the street for blocks and it fills up with thousands upon thousands of people.
2. They serve more than just souvlaki. In a video on their website www.tasteofthedanforth.com they have grilled corn and other tasty nibblies to tantalize your tastebuds
3. There will be a flash mob at 4pm. I saw the dance and it looks quite tricky. I'm sure that it's going to be completely awesome though and a real surprise for all those that don't know anything about it.
   
4. Parking for this festival is very VERY limited and will be difficult to find - especially later in the day. The subway is being touted as the absolute best option.
5. Did I mention there is going to be a very LARGE amount of people. I get very anxious in crowds and have panic attacks. I need to be mentally prepared and I must mentally prepare my husband for what might happen.
6. The festival starts at noon and runs until midnight - it might be smarter the earlier we are getting there.

Overall it sounds like the name of the game is the food. There might be a few other things to see, but it won't be a true carnival like some other festivals we've been to. I'm currently steeling myself from being caught in a wave.

I can do this. The food alone has me drooling. Will we see you there?

Zoom Zoom Zoo!

It's official - my hubby is taking me to the zoo! And by zoo I don't mean just any zoo. I mean the big Metro Toronto Zoo.

If you are new here, you may not already be aware but I really like animals. My husband said it was one of the reasons he fell in love with me. Apparently when I see any sort of unexpected animal on my daily journey I start to squeal and get a big smile on my face. He has told me that it is one of my most endearing qualities.

Ever since before the holidays when Telus came out with those adorable hippo commercials I've been jonesin' to go and see them. I even entered an online contest and won my very own hippo! So it was a sign that I needed to go to the zoo.

A few of my twitter friends have also been talking about how much they'd love to go to the zoo too. Anytime it's been brought up I've been bouncing off the walls in excitement. Once it starts to sink in and I think about the reality of the situation, I honestly didn't think it was going to happen.

My husband takes his soccer very seriously and therefore would never miss a game - therefore Sunday's are out. Unfortunately he's so serious that he'd never want to go the day before a game or his legs might be pooched. As he just started a new job, we really couldn't take any time off during the week. It seems my dreams of the zoo were dashed.

It's not that I don't do anything without my husband, but something this awesome I'd want to share with him. It's been 10 years since I was there and he can't even remember going. I really wanted to share with him. I want to see what he likes and share those that I like with him.

Well my hubby came up with a fabulous idea. We're going to the zoo on Canada Day! It's a Thursday. As that weekend is a long weekend his legs won't be pooched and it might not be nearly as busy as it would be on a Saturday.

Now we just pray for nice warm but not too hot weather and no rain.

Hold on hippo! I'm on my way!!!!

Here Kitty, Kitty!

A little something has entered my head and I can't seem to move past it.

I really want a cat.

Most people would think that my dog would be the biggest obstacle to overcome. After all most dogs don't neccessarily get along with cats. The Dude however loves them. We had a cat come meandering in through our doggie door the one day and he just sat there looking at the cat and then at me with this happy drooling grin on his face. He was fostered with a cat and they got along famously. He loves cats.

Nope, it's not the Dude I have to contend with.

It's my husband.

I love him. And I knew when we got together that he had a cat allergy. But at the time, I had a cat and he had no issues with her at all. She was a bit of a bitch and really was only affectionate with certain people. They had an understanding was how he always explained it to me. She would walk right across the back of the couch past him and come to me. He never once had a reaction with her and even pet her on a few occasions. She was a really special cat and I was devastated when she passed away.

He knew how sad I was without her, and after a reasonable amount of time he decided he was going to get me a cat. He wanted to make me happy so we trucked up to the big cat adopt-a-thon that the local Humane Society was having at Petsmart. I instantly fell in love with this crazy black and orange calico. The cat was playing with the tab on my zipper and was so gentle and fun. I asked to hold it and it melted in my arms. It was so loving and gentle and yet playful at the same time. She was declawed and was perfect for my tastes. I would've named her chaos.

He had a different vision. "I'm a designer. I like things symmetrical." So he picked out this grey snobby cat that was incredibly elegant looking. She was at the back of her cage and showed big signs of being a complete bitch. He asked to hold her and they tried to warn him that she might not want to be held right away. He reached his hand in and she scratched him. He pulled it out but tried again slowly and the bitch bit him. We decided she wasn't the kitty for us - even if he did want to name her Kennedy. We walked away to talk about things and that's when he told me to look at his arm. He had broken out in hives.

In that moment I looked into his eyes and I saw how much pain was there. I decided then and there that we would have a dog and that I'd have to give up on getting a cat.

It broke my heart, but I do all I can to get kitty love whenever I can. Friends and families with cats know that I love when their cat comes up for pets and love. I practically fall all over myself just to get close to them.

I chose to love my husband. I know that a cat cannot be part of my house.

But then my husband does something remarkable. He starts looking up what the causes of cat allergies are. He discovers that the cat allergy doesn't come from the fur or the dander but from the saliva. Of course the Kennedy kitty made him break out - she bit him. This gets him wondering if there is any cat breeds out there that are better for people with allergies - in particular breeds that actually have fur or hair.

He does all this and comes in and completely shines a light on my life. The hope that there is a way that I could have this man that I love and this pet that I love has brightened my skies.

Of course looking into it further we were able to see that the cats that are best for those with allergies are really expensive and not that common around here. Going to a breeder would mean spending nearly $1000 for a cat and that's before all the vet bills, food and kitty litter.

My hopes aren't completely gone. Cats are a big responsibility and many people don't really want them when they grow up. They get bored of their pets or they move where they can't take them. There are so many cats in shelters all around the world, that there has to be some that fit the bill for what we'd need.

So here's what they recommend:
- female, spayed is recommended
- cat breeds such as the LaPerm, Sphynx,Oriental Shorthair, Devon Rex, and Cornish Rex
- Siberian and Russian Blue breeds may be naturally hypoallergenic (I'm leaning to the Russian Blue)

With that said, time will tell if my kitty dreams come true. In the meantime - I have an awesome husband and loving pup. I'm a pretty lucky lady.

The politics of being me

Recently one of my twitter followers described me as someone they enjoy following because I'm not political.

It isn't that I'm not political. As I am and I do have strong opinions on certain things. But I've taken a page from my parents note book. Don't talk about anything like that in writing. Save it for face to face contact. Even then, I know that I need to hold my tongue.

I have certain people in my life that take great offense to people opposing their views. These are generally those that are extremely political to the left or the right. They have views on nearly everything and it's easier for me to remain their friend if I just shut up.

I also don't like to talk about issues when I don't know all the facts. I like to think I'm well read but I'm not that knowledgeable on everything. It's better to leave the debate out of things and get to know the people that I'm talking to.

A few months ago I was having a wonderful morning with a fairly new friend who has very strong views on the environment and city living. I could've expressed my dislike for the way in which he talked about his views but chose instead to talk to him about his life and where he came from. I wanted to know more about him as an individual. I asked questions and got to know him. Soon he was expressing his feelings about life, his childhood and his family. I heard about family pets and the great loves of his life. By talking and listening I did what I do better than most. I had him open up to me like I was Barbara Walter.

That expression has been used by my husband on more than one occasion. It seems by not getting political, or rather looking past the political views of others, I am able to easily make friends and get people talking. Everyone has a story and I love hearing them. Every person that I talk to - I give a little of myself. You'd be amazed how much you get back in return when you do that.

Back when we were only dating, my husband introduced me to one of his more outgoing best friends. This friend was normally the life of the party and constantly coming up with ways to have people look at him. He wanted everyone to laugh all the time and sometimes went to extremes to do so. Within a 10 minute conversation with him I had learned all about his dreams and his job and where he wanted to go with it. My husband didn't have a clue that his friend had feelings and interests like the things he was telling me. He was amazed that in such a short period of time I had gotten to know his friend in ways he had never imagined.

I like to think it was my love of people, and my love of animals, that truly made my husband fall in love with me.

I like people. I like to try and keep people happy and when they aren't I want to understand why and I want to try and help them.

So to my twitter follower who thought I wasn't political. You are wrong. I just like people more than I like being political.

C'est Finis!

I finished.

wow. Never thought it would end but here we are less than 5 months later and I am the proud owner of a new scarf! How did I get here. How did I become a person who can knit?

I've made some great friends since I started knitting and even before. And without them I really couldn't have made it here. I've listed them in no particular order below.

Really - I owe everything to Wendy. Without her teaching me how to get started and how to finish there wouldn't be a scarf. She was patient and kind and encouraging and I really feel blessed for knowing her.

Jodi helped push me along too by telling me that it was possible to finish and then even to move onto other things.

Sue Sturdy was a help without even talking to me. Her starting the project to Knit the Bridge in downtown Cambridge really was an inspiration.

My husband helped out too. He really thought it'd be a neat thing for me to learn something knew and potentially make some new friends in the process.

My future children were an inspiration too. I envisioned them going off to school all wrapped up in scarves made with love by their mother. (of course I also envisioned mitts and hats too because I really didn't think I'd stop at just doing scarves.)

Lindsey, my sister-in-law, also helped out with inspiration. She tried knitting and had some fabulous books for me to look at and admire. Her knitting was more about yarn she fell in love with and wanted to try making something. She has since given it up - but it was nice to know that she tried and that I could try too.

Growing up there was knitting all around me. My mother learned how to knit from her mother. She made two absolutely gorgeous sweaters among other things around the time she was quitting smoking. With three girls of similar sizes living under the same roof - we all took turns with her sweaters.

My main inspiration and truly the person who's kitting I have admired the most is my grandmothers. My Grandma Hyde was always knitting growing up. I got some wonderful mittens and sweaters when I was smaller and hated growing beyond them. When grandma was getting on in years she made the decision that before she was unable to knit anymore, she wanted to knit all of her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren sweaters. It took over a year but finally she was able to give us all a wonderful Christmas gift. My sweater was green and white and I still cherish it to this day.

It is so fitting that I've finished my first scarf in May. May was the month my grandmother was born and it was the month that she passed. Nearly 7 years ago to the day from when my grandmother left us, I've finished my first ever scarf. She tried to teach me back when I was in my early teens but I just had so much going on that I wasn't dedicated to the task.

It is with that in mind that I dedicate this first scarf to an amazing knitter and an amazing person - Grandma - I love you.

Thursday Night Television

A few years ago, or maybe more than a few years ago, television came up with this crazy concept - let's put a bunch of people that don't know each other and make them live together as castaways in a strange environment. No electricity. No family. No friends. And they made them compete for a chance to win a grand monetary prize.

If you haven't guessed it, maybe you've been living in a cave or under a rock.

The show I'm talking about is of course - Survivor.

It started off innocently enough. The people came and made some friends and all had the hardest time voting someone off. But one player was manipulating the game. He saw that this was a game and a chance for cunning in order to win. He played everyone and it caused some drama. I know I'll never forget Sue and her speech. To watch it - go here. It's pretty awesome.

What happened with the final four of the first Survivor changed the way the game was played from then on out.

Sure I wasn't that into all the subsequent seasons, but there is something really special about this season.

It's Survivor Heroes vs. Villains. The heroes were selected for the way the chose to play the game and the "good" choices and integrity they had when playing. The villains were selected for their cunning in the way they played. Maybe they switched allegiances and ultimately screwed someone over, but they earned their stripes and were proud of their choices.

This season was different in that the alliances were all laid out very early. You could see the people voted off one by one and if you weren't part of the "in crowd" you were going home.

It's true that I haven't watched the entire time, but I've seen enough to know that certain people are being held in the game over promises that are truly not worthy. Russel for instance has gotten so strong that this needs to ultimately lead to his downfall. I have to keep wondering how long they will keep him in the game before they realize he's playing each and every one. I think everyone is afraid to make decisions for fear it will bite them in the ass later. Russel gets to make all the tough decisions.

I'm currently in the middle of an episode and I can see that this is very tricky. Who goes home? Who stays? Too soon to tell. All I can say is watch Survivor on Thursday nights.

Saying goodbye to the printed word

Something interesting is going on in the ways of the world and as someone who appreciates the written word I'm wondering what it's going to mean.

With the release of the iPad and the Kindle, the idea of buying a book is becoming passe. Is this a good thing? Or is it bad?

I've been a voracious reader since a very young age. I'd beg my mother to take me to the library where I would carefully examine covers for gorgeous images and take as many books as were allowed. I'd carefully read over each word, examine every picture and when it was finished I would plead for more. I loved reading as a child, and that quickly grew. By Grade 4 I was reading high school level books and beyond. I may not have fully understood the exact words of what was being said, but I would lose myself in the story. I've found myself falling in love in a book, going on adventures of the real and not so real kind in others, I've been on both sides of the crime spectrum and lost myself to faraway lands and places close to home.

Needless to say - my love of reading turned into a love of writing. I wanted to write and to this day I would be doing that if it actually would earn me some money. Or rather, let me rephrase that. Because I did make some money from writing - and not bad money at that. What I would do if I won the lottery would be to buy a better laptop, a home near water with a dock and I would write my creative short stories and maybe, just maybe finish that novel that I started so many years ago.

But what would come of me? Would my work be published? And really what does published even mean if the concept of a book wouldn't exist?

Libraries allow you to borrow books in 3 week intrevals. This makes it difficult for people like my husband who take their time and absorb a book over the series of a few months not weeks. Not everyone can powerslam books like I can. He's the type of person that would be better suited to buying a book rather than having to pay the hefty library fines. Will he be happier in the paperless society that we seem to be entering into?

I'm not incredibly familiar with the Kindle in that I not only have never seen one, but no one I know has one. I guess I just don't fly in that kind of circle. But with the onset of the iPad, I know more and more people that will be reading books by way of their computers. What I'm concerned with is how will that work? Will it be like a library system where you "borrow" the work to read and then it goes back into their archives, or is this going to mean that you have to pay for everything you want to read?

I do admit that it would be quite convenient to have the urge to read a book hit you and within a few short clicks you have a wonderful story to get lost in. But you'll be stuck taking your electronic devise with you. Does this mean that when you want to go to the beach and lounge around you'll risk getting sand in your electronics? We all know that's a bad news moment waiting to happen.

There is something so comforting about being on the bus or in a waiting room and pulling out a paperback from your purse. You can be anywhere anytime. Will having an iPad or Kindle change the way that many of us read? Will it be strictly for those sitting at home?

I suppose if you live in a remote area it will be very convenient for you to just use your dial-up connection to get whatever your little heart desires. It'll be incredibly profitable for the publishing houses too as they won't have to be producing any books - they will just be promoting and making them available online. But what will that mean to the artists that wrote the books? How can they reach any acclaim? The main way that publishing houses gauge your success is by the number of times they need to send your book to print. If they aren't printing anything, how are authors going to fully be recognized for their abilities?

I'm sure there are many of you out there that love the idea of the kindle and the iPad but I think I'm going to stick with written word.

To Knit a Bridge

The Cambridge Arts Council has come up with a really awesome activity that is letting anyone in Cambridge get involved.

We are going to knit a bridge.

You read that right - knitting a bridge. Cambridge is known for some really awesome bridges. It was built around the Nith and the Grand and founded mainly as three different communities. I wrote about them here. Galt and Hespeler were strong textile communities. We harnessed the power of the river and turned it into wonderful fabrics that became known around the world. This fall we get to bring the textiles back to Cambridge.

Cambridge is a really unique community. We have lots of people of all walks of life and interests and this allows some of these niche communities to come out of hiding. Knitting generally is done in private or in small groups right? People who knit are normally older - grandmotherly types don't you think? Well those stereotypes are being blown out of the water with this project.

The young and old are coming out of hiding. They are knitting at the library, in parks and in the mall. They are taking it with them to dinner out or to sporting events. I myself even was found knitting as a passenger in the car tonight. I've found out about a few male knitters who do some absolutely fabulous work.

You may recall that back in January I started to knit again after a 16 year hiatus and blogged about it here. I did touch on the Knit the Bride project but had some incorrect information that I'd like to clear up now. Sure everything can be found on the website but why not share it in more than one location?

How can you contribute?

Knitted pieces of any size will be accepted but at the moment the preference is for:
1. Pieces 21" x 27" to cover the 267 handrails on the bridge
2. Pieces 6" x 8" wide by 50"-60" long to over 303 handrail spaces
3. Pieces as long as you like that are 8", 10" or 22" wide
4. Pieces 30" wide, minimum 12" long, maximum 4 ft long to cover columns

You may use any type of yarn, pattern colour and knitting technique you wish.
Drop off the pieces at the front desk of the Cambridge Centre for the Arts on Dickson Street in Cambridge and don't forget to attach a piece of paper to the knitting with your name, address,phone number and email.

Don't think that your worthy of knitting something? Think again - they are willing to take any knitting or crocheting from all kinds of talent.

What is the deadline for submissions? In order to lay out what is needed, all the pieces need to be brought in by the end of June if possible.

When can we see the finished project? The knitting will be on the bridge from September 9th to 30th.

Wait -that's less than a month - what is going to happen at the end of the month with all that work? The knitters and volunteers are taking the pieces and turning them into scarves and blankets for local homeless shelters.

Are there any other knitting activities I can get involved in? Yes - Worldwide Knit in Public Week is June 12-20th. In Cambridge knitters and crocheters have been invited to come out front of Cambridge City Hall anytime between 8am-Noon on Saturday June 19th. It's going to be a true Yarn Party!

So what are you waiting for - grab your yarn and your needles and get cracking!

A garden full of wipples

Spring is upon us and I've once again decided to put in a garden. This year - I'd like to not get annuals and instead get perennials. Last year my goal was pink and purple. it worked but I really didn't know what I was doing. Went to one of those big box stores as they had a sale on and therefore didn't get any assistance. I saw pictures on the signs and said "This looks nice."

After getting it home I really didn't know what to expect. They all bloomed at different times and didn't really blend together the best. Some things I really liked but not knowing exactly what I had, I ended up throwing out those that died. Some plants close to the house actually stayed green and stayed alive and strong so they are still out there. I believe they were purple so we'll be cool.

This year - I'm thinking white!

We have a white trellis along the house and I didn't do anything with it last year, but I'm highly interested in putting in some clematis and letting it climb. I don't want it to take over the house but it'll be so nice to see it growing up and up. Now I have to find out if it comes in white. My parents had pink at the old house and a very deep purple at the new. I'm hoping I can find white for mine :)

I had a spreading type of plant grow in too last year and it had tiny white flowers but a silvery white leaf. I had it in the wrong spot and it ended up wanting to take over our path. If only I planted it where it should've gone...

What I'd love if I had someone to actually help me. Someone said they would last year but then kind of disappeared for 6 months. Besides, I was too proud to ask for help. However this year, I think with the help of my new neighbour I'm going to have a kick ass garden. We've already started by taking out the ugly red clay stones from around our shared tree and the ugly red clay stones that lead the way to my garage. It's already improved our property values I swear!

As for the flowers, my mother says - pick what you like and you'll be happy with the results. I hope so!

Bring back the news!

There has been a certain amount of discussion lately with regards to potentially starting a local online paper put together by people that are in Cambridge much along the lines of what the Cambridge Reporter was like.

If you are new to the area, or just aren't aware, the Cambridge Reporter was a daily newspaper in the city of Cambridge, Ontario that ran for 157. It's original name was the Galt Reporter as it was based in the city of Galt until an amalgamation back in 1973. That was when it changed it's name to the Cambridge Reporter. Name aside, it was set up much like your regular big city paper. It had reporters covering beats, there were editors and paginators, there was advertising sales and an entire team of people making things work. I may know a little bit more than the average bear, as I worked as a part time editor, sports reporter, photographer and reporter for the paper back in 1998.

I look back at my days at the paper fondly because it was my first job after college. I took Print Journalism at Conestoga and through that I was able to gain employment and am proud to say that I actually brought in some readers. I started out covering local businesses that won the Best of 97 awards. My business profiles brought in advertising dollars - and I provided so much content they did not just one - but three different sections. After that - they kept me on as a sports reporter part time until I was able to do my co-op. During co-op I started doing all sorts of stories, helped layout some pages, worked with the regular photographer that was getting close to retirement. Later I became the weekend reporter and filled the paper with content every Monday and Tuesday.

It was a great experience but it really wasn't me. It wasn't the way I wanted to write. I could do it - but it didn't feel comfortable to me. I'm a bit of an introverted extrovert so it was hard for me to get out there and do all they wanted me to do. I just didn't have the balls for it. I excelled at covering good news stories and just wasn't cut out for the hard news - the deaths and tragedies of the day.

I moved on in another direction, but find it so intriguing that people are thinking of bring a semblance of it back and that I might be able to be part of it. Sure TorStar stills owns the Reporter - so the name can't be used, but the idea of current content available online is very interesting.

Some of the crew currently talking about it have a bit of a slant on the news, and I hope that if this does start to fly, that we'd be able to actually have a non-political view. Sure we can have a political section and then they can all write and rant all they want. But I've always been non-judgmental when it came to such things. (And probably why I won't talk about Wal-Mart with certain people.)

It seems the main thing missing from the news coverage in Cambridge is that the Times is mostly advertising with a few stories thrown in for good measure. As a free paper, I get it. I completely understand that they wouldn't have much content and that the advertisers would be king. Someone has to pay for the printing and staff. But with the Record mentioning Cambridge rarely on the local pages - we are missing out on local news. Sure we have Snap - but that's monthly. The people of Cambridge are missing out on so much going on and it would be a great opportunity for people to get out there and cover what's happening and for all of us to find information online every day.

Now comes the tough part - who's willing to work for nothing and who's willing to put it together every day? Are we to expect people to work for free all the time? Are we looking at making money from this venture? Or is this something people really want and need and would be willing to get involved?

It'll be interesting to see if this project will fly. For our sakes, I hope it does.