Proud to be Canadian!!

It's one of my favourite days of the year!! CANADA DAY!!

Okay, it's actually the day before Canada Day, but in my small town, we celebrate the night before. Which is today. Woo hoo!!

Community BBQ, parade, fireworks, and a giant party... I.can't.wait.

I'm on the Quyon Canada Day Committee, and all year long we fundraise and prepare for this one special day. Needless to say, I'm super-pumped. I can't wait for the work day to be over so that the party can begin!!

Here are some of my favourite pics from last year... it was a blast. Here's hoping this year is even BETTER!!!

Kelsey & Lindsay gettin' crazy the dance floor

With my little Lindsaroo

SHOOTER TIME!!

The treasured "Cousin Photo"...won't be the same without you, Dog.

Even when we're working, we're having fun, eh Cretch?!

How many Canada Day Committee members does it take to run the bar... ??

My brotha & I...traditional "serious face" photo

Luke & the Buckshow, workin' the Q

Mitchy & the girls!

Vikki, Luke, and A-Rod

That's what you call a hoppin' dance floor

With my favourite (cuz we share the same birthday) cousin Jim

HURRY UP 5 O'CLOCK!!!!!!!

Happy Canada Day!! And to my American readers, enjoy your 4th of July celebrations, too :)

WWTK Wednesday!!

It's time for your regularly-scheduled Hump Day Q&A, brought to you by these fine hostesses: Impulsive Addict, Janette, Mamarazzi, and Seriously Shawn.



This week's questions are:

1. What was the last thing you searched for online?
2. If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving?
3. What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet?
4. When was your first kiss? Was it good or bad?
5. What is your guilty pleasure tv show that you can not miss?

Here are my answers:

1. What was the last thing you searched for online? Ummm...I was on www.amazon.ca and I was searching for things to buy now that Canada Post is back to work and I don't have to worry about my purchases getting lost in the mail. I ended up getting the Zumba game for the Wii, two DVDs of old movies I've never seen but always wanted to (The Way We Were and Love Story), and the Sex and the City book by Candace Bushnell. I know. Someone needs to revoke my credit card.

2. If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving? Well up here in the Great White North, we call it our province instead of state. And as for my home province of Quebec? Well, I'd say go to Quebec City, it's one of my favourite places to travel, especially Old Quebec. The boardwalk, the shops, the little bistros, the street entertainers...so much fun!

And I know Ottawa isn't in my home province, but close enough - head over to see a Sens game at Scotiabank Place. It's one of my favourite places to be in the world!!

3. What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet? Oh...um...let me think...WEIGHT LOSS. Could someone please please please invent a pill that I could just pop and not have to worry about working out or eating healthy? Just a teeny tiny pill that will make me go ZHOOOOOOOOOP ... to super skinnyness? PUHLEASEEEEEE!!!????

4. When was your first kiss? Was it good or bad? Bahahahahaha!! Oh, this could be a story for The Single Girl Files. I was far too old to be having my first kiss. Hence it was a fairly embarrassing incident, though both he and I were too drunk to really care. My friends who were present (and peeking out the windows of Gavan's watching us... on the front step?!?! WHO makes out on the front step of a small-town bar?!?! SERIOUSLY!?!?!) still laugh about it today. It was sloppy. It was messy. It was drunken. BLEH. I heard that guy is getting married this summer. He must've really improved his kissing skills.

...and clearly, I haven't!!

5. What is your guilty pleasure tv show that you can not miss? I don't think I really have one anymore. I used to watch all of those cheesy reality shows, but now I have it restricted to just Survivor (sometimes), and American Idol (sometimes). I tried watching The Bachelorette the other night because there's been so much hype this season (who hasn't heard the name Bentley yet??) - but the chick annoyed me so much, I turned it off half an hour in.

Oh! Oh! I just remembered. I do have one. Big Brother. It hasn't started yet this summer, so I kind of forgot about it. It's so ridiculous, but I love it. Can't wait for this season to begin!!

Want to join in on the "We Want to Know Wednesday" fun?? Click any of the names at the top and LINK UP!!

The Great Flood of 2011

Remember on Friday, when I confessed that my basement had flooded after a bad thunderstorm on Thursday night?

It was only the beginning.

Friday after work, my friend Lindsay, her fiance Ryan, and I all piled into her Jeep to head to the city for the Chicken & Rib festival going on in Ottawa, with vendors set up all along Sparks Street. We had never been before, so we ignored the rain and ventured off, having no idea that we were setting out on quite an adventure.

Unbeknownst to us, less than an hour after leaving, part of the highway we had passed over was soon washed away, stranding us in the city.



My phone was dead to the world, so I wasn't getting the urgent texts from my family telling us to come home by the Ontario way via the Ferry and forget about going to the movies.

The rain had let up, and though we were seeing lots of flooding on the roads surrounding the movie theatre, we never realized how bad it was going to get.

By the time our movie was over, shortly after 10 PM, the parking lot of the movie theatre was a lake. Literally. When we opened the doors of the Jeep, the water was almost coming in. The feeling of being trapped was slowly causing me to panic, as everywhere we tried to get out of the movie theatre and shopping centre area, the roads were blocked due to flooding and wash-outs.

We finally took a back way out, heading towards the highway, when I finally used Lindsay's phone to call my mom and find out if the roads were as bad up home as they were forty-five minutes away in the city.

It was just as bad - if not worse. That was when we finally found out that part of the highway near home had completely washed away, leaving a massive gaping hole in the road. An alternate way was also closed, so she suggested either trying to get around by Ontario and taking the Ferry, or going to my sister's nearby for the night.

It was dark. It was pouring rain. We were hitting sections of road that were completely covered by deep water, and crawling through them gave us all an eerie feeling, as you really had no idea if there was still road beneath the water.

We had no clue what the roads would be like if we continued on to the Ontario side. And to be quite honest, I was on the verge of tears, and couldn't even imagine continuing on for any longer.

So we bunked at my sister's for the night.

We ventured back out early the next morning, as we were hearing reports that a back-road detour near the wash-out would get us around and back home quickly. But the rains had taken a toll on that route as well, and crews were working to restore the bridge on that road by the time we got there. After being told it would only take a little while to fix, we waited at least an hour before the foreman finally told us it was going to take much longer to repair and we had to find another way home.

At that point, I was starting to feel a little hopeless. I just wanted to get home - as I know Ryan and Lindsay did too - and I was praying for patience. My nerves were frayed and I was so frustrated that we were so close to being home, yet had to turn around and spend another hour and a half on yet another detour.

By noon, we were finally home again. And I swear, I've never been so happy to see it. Floody basement and all.

There were moments, especially during our dark, rainy, precarious drive on Friday night, that my thoughts were drifting to arks and animals boarding two-by-two. I have never seen flooding like that first-hand. It was something I'd only seen on TV before; something I never thought could happen to us.

I survived the Great Flood of 2011.

And I hope I never have to experience something like that again.

Here are some pictures of the gap in the highway near our town, which is still closed and estimated to take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months to fix. (Photo credits to http://www.ottawasun.com/)

Also, check out Lindsay's flood post here to see the pictures she took when we were at the movie theatre.

I Confess...

Friday! Confession Day! Woot woot!!




I confess... that after I wrote "Woot woot!" up there, I had to pause and wonder if it's even cool to say "Woot woot!" anymore. Then I decided I didn't care either way. I'm Woot Woot-ing.

I confess... I almost called my mommy to come pick me up several times last night during the torrential downpours and thunderstorms we got. I walked around the house with a flashlight all night in case the power went off. I HATE storms, and I HATE being alone in the middle of them.

I confess... that I'm a total girl and I never once thought about checking my basement for flooding last night, until I read Facebook statuses this morning about people who were up all night pumping or bailing water. Oopsies. (And yes, I have a good six inches of water down there, but what was I going to do about it anyways? I'm a girl.)

I confess... that I didn't want the book Water for Elephants to end. I finished it last night, but dragged out the last chapter forever because I just didn't want it to be over. Now I'm dying to see the movie.

I confess... that I over-reacted in my anger towards my brother last night when he forgot to stop and buy me more allergy meds in the city yesterday. I was so so so mad at him. Not being able to taste food all week will turn me into a crazy person.

I confess... I wish I'd taken my holidays sooner than the second week of August. It just seems sooooo far away...

I confess... that I loved the response to yesterday's post about baby names!! All it did was make me want a baby even more. Baby fever is at an all-time high right now!!

There. I've confessed. Have you? Head over to Mamarazzi's and get it all out!!

Baby Fever Thursday: The Baby Name Game

Okay, so there's no such thing as "Baby Fever Thursday". At least, not that I know of. I totally made it up.

But as you know, I have baby fever. Unfortunately, I need a boyfriend (or, if my mom is reading this, a HUSBAND, definitely a HUSBAND!!) to have a baby, and as we all know, I'm severely lacking in that department.

That doesn't mean a girl can't dream. And when it comes to baby names, I daydream about them often. I've been doing it since I was a little girl. I used to doodle baby names when I was bored, and even write up birth announcements for my future babies, back when I used to think I wanted twin girls named Bobbi and Billie.

(Yes. I've had baby fever for a long, long time.)

Today, I've been thinking about them an extra special amount.

First of all, my cousin Paula and her husband Jory had a beautiful baby girl on Tuesday. After the year this family has had, baby news is reason for great excitement and celebration. They named their new daughter Ryla Linda Margaret . From what my mom told me, "Ryla" is a combination of their names - "Ry" from Jory and "la" from Paula. Linda and Margaret are the grandmothers' names. Paula and Jory's unique name choice got me thinking about the names I've had picked out for eons, and re-examining them to make sure they're meaningful enough.

The same day Ryla was born, my friend Lindsay was sharing some of the "off-the-wall" names her hubby-to-be likes. I won't make fun of Ryan here by telling you what they are, but let's just say they were...umm...special. (And Linds and I both agreed that no baby should be named after a rapper! haha!)

Also adding to the "baby name fever"... Over at Mom2MemphisAndRuby, Lena answered my question about how she decided on her kids' names (which I think are totally unique and so cool). The post spawned a comment thread where other moms were sharing the reasons for the names they gave their children.

So that's my question to my readers today: Those of you who have kids, what are their names and how did you decide on those names? And for those of you who don't have children yet, what are your favourites?

Don't give me the "I'm not telling, I don't want someone to steal my name." We won't steal. PROMISE.

To prove this, I'm going to share a few of my names. One of my biggest fears is someone stealing my baby names before I get a chance to use them, so this is big for me to put it out there on the blog.

So here it goes...

My boy's name is, and always has been, Charlie, after my grandfather on my mother's side of the family. He passed away before I was born, but I remember being very young and hearing my grandma lament that none of her kids had named their own "Charlie". The closest I believe she got was my cousin Matt's middle name, and my cousin Chad. So I always swore someday I would have a Charlie for Grandma.

I got a little panicky when one of my best friends, Sara, decided to name her daughter Charlotte, but Sara assured me their girl would never be a "Charlie" and that one day, if I ever get my Charlie, she won't mind at all. (And I can't imagine Charlotte having any other name - it just fits her!)

At one time, I thought my boy would be Charles Cowan Brent - Cowan after my godson, and Brent after my dad. I still like that, but I'd be willing to consider others with my HUSBAND. ;)

Other boy names I like include Hayden (my sister ended this one, though, by naming her son Caden), Michael, John, Oliver, and Joel.

I could name boys all day - I love boy names. That's why I used to say I wanted six kids, and if they were all boys, I wouldn't care! (I've changed my mind about that since then, though! ha ha!)

But girl names are more of a challenge for me.

In recent years, I've changed my favourite girl name. It used to be Jaime Elizabeth Joan. This dates back to a high school trip, when I told one of teacher/chaperones that I wanted to name my first-born girl "Jaime Elizabeth", and she insisted I add "Joan" to it (her name), and I promised her I would.

But seriously, why would I name one of my babies after a teacher?? ;) Since then, I've come to really like two meaningful girl names. The first is Maribeth - a combination of my aunt's name, Marion, and my mom's name, Elizabeth. The other is Baylie. My dad's father's name was pretty neat, I think: Bay Turner. So I would take the "Bay" and turn it into "Baylie" for a girl. Middle names are still up in the air, but quite likely Hazel would be used for my grandma (even though my sister already used it with Danica!)

I do still like the name Jaime as well, and another favourite for a girl is Tayler.

(And deepest apologies to my Granny Young for not including her name in any of my future kids' names. Her name was Velva. I just can't come around on that one!!)

So there. I spilled. Now tell me all about your names - why you chose them; why you love them; would you change them?

GO! Feed my baby fever!!

Q&A Wednesday

It's Q&A Day.

This "We Want to Know Wednesday" is brought to you by these lovely bloggers: Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Seriously Shawn, & Janette.





Here are this week's questions:

{1} What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given?
{2} What is your most and least favorite day of the week?
{3} How many hours of sleep do you require each night?
{4} Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it & what's the memory attached?
{5} What is your biggest guilty pleasure?


{1} What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given? I searched back in the recesses of my mind to see if I've ever been the victim of a pick-up line, good or bad. At first, I couldn't think of any. But then I burst into giggles thinking of a friend of mine who, after listening to me whine and bitch about being single and lonely (and this was years ago...imagine...all these years of whining and bitching...it's amazing people still talk to me), finally said to me: "Hey, are you from Tennessee?" Entirely confused, I replied, "uhhh...no...", and he quickly shot back, "'Cause you're the only ten I see!!" Seriously made.my.night. Couldn't stop laughing. Of course it was just a joke, he was only a friend (okay, so maybe I had a teeny tiny crush on him at one time, whatever). But it made me laugh, and I know that's exactly what he intended to do.

{2} What is your most and least favorite day of the week? Most favourite: Friday. I like the anticipation of the weekend. And I like the Glee version of the Rebecca Black travesty.
Least favourite: Monday. God, I hate Mondays.

{3} How many hours of sleep do you require each night? I get about 8, and that's more than enough. I like to sleep. When I don't get enough sleep, everyone knows about it. It's probably my biggest fear about having kids, because I know they're not necessarily the best sleepers in the world. (But I think I would adapt.)

{4} Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it & what's the memory attached? Oh my gosh, I can hardly pick just one.
"I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany - Stanton Road air bands of my youth.
"Long Time Running" by the Tragically Hip - a certain dance with a certain boy (it was well worth the wait).
"The Green Green Grass of Home" by Elvis Presley - my Dad's favourite song to play on guitar.
"Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas - dancing on a chair in my dining room.
"Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty - Christmas Eve, my cousin Troy, & his guitar. God, how I miss it.

{5} What is your biggest guilty pleasure? Well, I guess that would be junk food in general. McDonalds. I feel pretty guilty after stuffing my face, but ohhhhh how I love it. That, and cheesy old-school pop, like NKOTB or Backstreet Boys or Hanson. Oh, and DVDs. I can't.stop.buying.movies.

There we have it. Feel like linking up? Head on over to any of the blogs mentioned at the top and get ready to share your answers!

Sweet, Sweet Summertime

Happy First-Day-of-Summer!!

I must say, this past weekend really put me in a summery mood.

First of all, my mom (and several of her Stanton Road neighbours) held a yard sale, which started on Friday and ran right through to late Saturday afternoon. It brought me back to summer days as a kid, when Mom would make us root through our closets and toy shelves, to collect enough stuff to have a yard sale.

Looking back, it was probably just a way to keep us busy for a few days while off school for the summer. But I was never big on yard sales. "Look! Isn't this fun?! We're going to give away all your stuff, for next-to-nothing, and then you won't have any toys or games or clothes left! Wheeeee!!"

That's right. I did not enjoy giving away my stuff.

And still don't. Several times over the past couple of weeks, Mom has asked me, "Do you have anything you want to sell at my yard sale? Maybe some of your CDs or DVDs or books?"

NO NO NO. I am NOT giving away my STUFF!!!

And apparently, the same applies to my grandma's stuff.

As you may have read about here, I already received quite a few treasures from my grandma's house. We were all given first choice at Grandma's belongings after she passed away, and the stuff leftover was going to the yard sale. And yet, still I found myself perusing the tables, picking things up, and saying, "Well, you can't sell this. I'll take it." So I ended up with more Tupperware containers that I don't have room for, a few more Christmas decorations that I don't have room for, and a 1000-piece puzzle that I somehow missed the first time around, because I need it to complete a task for my 101 List. (...which I don't have room for.)

I had to keep biting my tongue when a man tried to swing a deal for the few teacups that were left. I felt a little sad when another gentleman came and bought her church anniversary plates. And I shuddered to think of anyone walking away with some of her nice blouses that she always wore. (Thankfully, no one did - at least not when I was there.)

So no. I don't like selling my stuff. OR Grandma's.

But the yard sale in general? Mom called it a success, and it was a fun way to kick off the summer.

Another awesome way to welcome the warm summer sun? My friend Lindsay's annual pool party! The weather was perfect on Saturday for floating in the pool, or relaxing in a lawn chair with a caesar in hand.

I had one of the scariest moments of my life that afternoon, though. You know how I've been whining and complaining about my allergies for weeks on end?

(Yes. I know. You're sick of hearing about it. So am I.)

Well, anyways, Lindsay puts on a pretty good spread at this party. A big long table of fruits and veggies and chips and breads and dips, pinwheels and salsa, bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs, cookies and cupcakes. Basically, a fat girl's paradise.

And just after Ryan announced that the food was out, and a few of us went swarming in to feast, MY STUPID ALLERGIC HEAD GOT ALL CLOGGED UP AND I COULDN'T TASTE ANYTHING.

Do you realize the severity of this statement? Pretty much worst-case scenario. I thought I was going to cry.

I kept jamming chips and chunks of pumpernickel loaded with spinach dip in my mouth, declaring, wild-eyed and panicky, to all around me, "Nope. I can't taste it. I can't taste anything. Not even the SALSA! Nothing!!"

A nightmare.

So, instead of retreating back to my lawn chair in utter defeat, I remained behind the food table, going back and forth, shoving food in my mouth while snuffling back the allergies, hoping to clear my head and get my taste buds back. Doesn't that paint a delicious picture? Wouldn't you have wanted to be heading down that food line, filling your plate, while this big, panicking girl is going back and forth, ramming food in her face, snuffling and snorting, mumbling, "Nope, I still can't taste it. Maybe I'll try the honey dew again..."

YUM. or not.

It was a glorious moment when it finally worked and I could taste again.

But by then, I was too full to even enjoy my burger or continue snacking. *sigh*

Still...it was a wonderful day spent with great friends and some of the cutest kids in the world.

And then Father's Day, of course, which brought more of the same - lounging on my parents' patio, soaking up the sun, and then enjoying shish-kebabs off the BBQ, baked potatoes, caesar salad, garlic bread, and strawberry shortcake. All to celebrate my dad, who hates celebrating anything, and even got a nasty twist on his face when we gave him our cards.

Some things will never change.

But at least that day, I could taste.

You Know What Today Is...

It's Friday. It's time to confess.




I confess... that I was just talking about a co-worker with the ladies in the office - and we weren't exactly saying the nicest things about him. Moments later, said colleague arrived here at work, and delivered a Timmy Ho's large double-double right to my desk, and told me to have a great day. Yeah. KIND of felt like a jackass.

I confess... that I went to a ball game last night and probably spent more time distracting the scorekeeper - (Me: "blah blah big boring story bitching about someone blah blah"; Scorekeeper Lynn: "Oh shit, I missed a whole batter! Who came up after Nick? Was he out?"; Me: "ummm I don't know...") - and swatting mosquitoes (they were BEASTS last night), than I actually spent watching the game.

I confess... I almost died at Zumba last night. The instructor switched up the whole routine (which I spent 7 weeks trying to learn), and it was crazy-ass hard compared to the old routine. She asked me once, with sincere concern in her eyes, if I was okay. Ummm... My face is beat-red and my head is about to explode. Do I LOOK okay?

I confess... I'm getting fatter by the second. I shouldn't bitch about Zumba. Instead, I should be doing it twice a day.

I confess... that I'm jealous of everyone who took today off work. Apparently there's about five of us working here today. I didn't realize it was National Take The Day Off Work Day. Somebody send me the memo next time.

I confess... that I left a bag of garbage sitting in my kitchen all week to test my ants and see if there are any left lurking around. I know. Gross. And still no return of ants. Go me.

I confess... that if one more person tells me it sounds like I have pneumonia, I'm gonna scream. IT'S JUST ALLERGIES. POLLEN IN MY LUNGS. I'M FINE.

You know what to do. Head on over to Mamarazzi's to link up and CONFESS.

Huh. I thought only Montreal pulled crap like this.

Seriously, Vancouver?



Seriously??

I had planned today to talk all about last night's Stanley Cup final Game 7 between Boston and Vancouver, about Boston's 4-0 win to capture the most coveted prize in hockey; how I'm trying to be happy for guys like Chris Kelly (former Sen and all-round good guy), and how, despite it all, I cannot be happy for Zdeno Chara (he still leaves a bad taste in my mouth).

But instead, the Game 7 triumph by the Bruins has been completely overshadowed by a bunch of jackasses in Vancity who decided to riot post-game.



We expect this of Montreal. But Vancouver? Really?

Was it not just over a year ago that they played host to the biggest sporting event in the world and were praised for being so gracious and accomodating, spirited and proud? It's so sad to see them tarnish that glowing reputation they had garnered for themselves.

It makes me wonder what would have happened if the US had scored in OT last February instead of our golden boy, Sidney Crosby, to take Olympic gold in men's hockey.

Overturned cars. Smashed windows. Looting. Stabbings. Fire.



This is not what I would expect from Vancouver.

And it's really too bad that a gang of hooligans ruined it for everyone. I mean, I was seriously thinking, during the post-game festivities, that the Canucks fans were being a very respectful bunch. The majority stayed in the building, remained on their feet, waving their towels, cheering their hometown team despite the disappointing loss.

They booed Commissioner Gary Bettman, but really - who wouldn't? Some complained that they ruined B's goalie Tim Thomas' moment when they booed Bettman so loudly during the presentation of the Conn Smythe Trophy, but I think they made up for that with a classy ovation for Thomas when he was finally handed the Cup.

They impressed me. I would have been sitting in my seat, hiding behind my towel, head in hands, crying, shouting, "I hate you, Zdeno Chara!! F YOU!!"

That's what I do when I lose.

It wasn't long after the Bruins' celebration began that news hit that the riots had begun, and quickly, all attention was on the mayhem in the streets.

I actually feel sorry for the good people of Vancouver, and I have no doubt they are many. Because of a raucus, drunken few with mob-mentality, people are now saying things like, "I'm ashamed of the Vancouver fans."; "I'm embarassed for my country."; "Vancouver has no class."

My plea is this: If you have heard about the riots, and are thinking any of these things, please keep in mind that this post-game travesty is not a proper reflection of the city, the team, their fanbase, or this country.

I hate when a gang of fools get all the attention, and by doing so, place a black cloud over so many who are undeserving.

WWTK Wednesday

I cut the grass last night. Which means I'm a big, sneezy mess today that the Reactine has only mildly helped with. Oh, and I still have my incurable lung disease, which is making me more and more nervous every day. The more people say, "You should get that checked," the more I want to pretend it's somehow just a side-effect of my allergies.

Yeah. That's what it is. Pollen. In my lungs. I'm dealing with it, alright?

So. To distract myself from the allergies and the lung disease, I'm linking up with these fab hostesses - Impulsive Addict, Mamarazzi, Janette, and Seriously Shawn - for "We Want to Know Wednesday".




Here are this weeks questions:

{1} You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about?
{2} Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why?
{3} What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you’re currently living?
{4} What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
{5} What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done)

{1} You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about? Enjoy every minute of your youth. You think you want to be grown up, but it's really not all that it's cracked up to be. Dance with the cute boys, but don't hang all your hopes on them. Be a strong person, continue your education, and make sure you're capable of looking after you, because you can't always count on the "happily ever after". Be able to make yourself happy, because at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.

{2} Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why? I have two fish, Marley and Jackson (named after Bob Marley and Michael Jackson). I also had a Presley, but he died only a few days after I got him. But Marley and Jackson are doing quite well, despite the days they have to swim around in green slime. They're tough fish. You can read about the day I got them here!

{3} What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you’re currently living? I'm actually pretty lucky in where I live. A nice, big, old house that is in fairly decent shape, and the rent is cheap. There have been some kinks over the past few years (bats in the walls and attic, being the major one), but they've pretty well all been worked out. Sure, there's things I would like to change (my next project is painting the stark-white walls), and ultimately I'd like to own my home rather than rent. I also would like to move out of "the downtown core" of my small town (I'm surrounded by questionable characters who hold drinking parties on their front porches at all hours of the day). But otherwise, not much to complain about!

{4} What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? Accepting the job here at Mountainview. I was miserable working in the city. I hated traveling, I hated where I worked, and I cried every morning when I had to leave. Coming to work here has made a huge difference in my life. I'm happy. I like being so close to home, and I like that I don't have to get up for work at 5:30 AM!

{5} What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done)
I have never and will never do drugs.
I would never settle for anything less than I believe I deserve.
I will never cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ever.

If you'd like to answer these burning questions, click on any of the names at the top and LINK UP!! :)

Joining up for a Meet & Greet - Blog Edition!

I found a fun link-up at Michelle's blog, A Little Bit of This & That. A bloggy-style Meet & Greet!



Step 1 is to introduce myself and my blog: Hi. My name is Jill, welcome to my World. I started blogging in 2006, mainly because I like to write, but wasn't doing very much of it at the time, and I wanted to keep up my "mad skillz". At the beginning, it was a place for me to babble about things that interested me (like hockey, TV shows, Wade Redden), and I'm pretty sure only my close friends and family read it. Since then, I've branched out a bit more, have made some great blog friends, and have really enjoyed taking part in link-up parties...just like this one!

Next up, we have some of my most favourite posts.
Oh Doctor, My Doctor - when I tried to make you all love Grey's as much as I did (still do!)
Elgin is the Inspiration - amidst the hype of the Sens' magical playoff run of 2007 came a truly heart-wrenching story about one of their biggest fans. Still brings tears to my eyes!
The Dance - we were going to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One of the most exciting times of my life.
The Blog LIVES...but the Sens Do Not - post-mortem for the Sens of 2006-2007.
Not Ready to Say Good-Bye - the official farewell to Wade Redden
Do I Have to Pick a Team? - in the battle between Edward and Jacob, I declare myself "Switzerland"
A Magical Canadian Night - a review of a great concert - and extra special, because it was quoted on Dustin Bentall's website!
GOLD RUSH 2010: Olympic Memories - I still go back to read this sometimes and re-live the experience!
Get-Away to Midland - it was good to get away after a very, very difficult couple of weeks.
Heirlooms & Treasures - sharing some of the special items I inherited from my Grandma.

Here are, according to Google Analytics, some of the most popular posts with you, the readers:
My Fish Babies - Why? I have no idea. This post also got me my first hate mail. Check out the comments section.
Jesse Williams...Shirtless - No surprise there...heh heh heh
In Kenny Chesney Heaven - Great summer concert!
Held Captive by the Edward Cullen Mystique - I decided I was a Twilight fan. But thought Shane West would make a better Edward.
Maybe I am a Gleek after all. - Yes. I fell for Glee. Hard.

These are some posts where you got to know a little more about me:
10 Things About Me
ABC's of ME
101 List: Launched
Playing Crazy Eights

I love going back and reading some of my early posts. Back then, my blog posts were almost like Facebook. My friends read them, then the comments section would go on forever with us chatting about how are days were going and what was new.

I also have really enjoyed writing The Single Girl Files which are a new "feature" I've started writing new this year. Who doesn't love to hear funny stories about a single girl trying to find love, right!? ;)

It's difficult for me to narrow down lists of favourites and most popular. It's too time-consuming to go back through five years of posts! But I'm so grateful to have each and every one of them, to look back on and remember. We've come a long way since that first post back on September 12, 2006!

Thanks to all, old and new, for reading. Looking forward to meeting even more of you through this Meet & Greet! :)

Stacy's Giveaway & a follow-up on the ant situation.

Before I tell you all about my ants and other various things that float through my brain, I have to tell you all about Stacy's First Surprise Giveaway!

Inspired by the True Colour Blog Swap she's taking part it, she has decided to do a colour-coordinated giveaway. All you have to do is follow her blog and tell her your favourite colour! The winner will receive a surprise bag of goodies - all related to your colour. Great idea, Stace! Everyone head on over and join in the fun!!

Okay. So. The ANTS. I had such a strong response after confessing on Friday that the ants have taken over my life and nothing I do to kill them works. I thank you all for your suggestions. I'm almost afraid to tell you this in case I jinx it, but I'm now going on Day 4 of not seeing an ant in my kitchen. Apparently all I had to do was blog about it to get rid of them. Who knew?? I did put a strip of dishsoap outside along the back door. That's it. Along with the ant traps, the Raid that melted paint off the walls, and the sugar & baking soda lures, it seems to have done the trick.

So I'm sure I'll go home to a house full of ants tonight.

I also wanted to follow up on my hatred for Jillian Michaels.

Let me start by telling you I got drunk on Saturday night. First time I've got that wild and crazy in a long time. (Apparently, while stomping home, I was heard randomly shouting at a nice respectable young man, "F You! You're not invited to my house anyways, and if you were, you'd have to sleep on the porch!!" And I wonder why I'm single...) The majority of Sunday was spent on the couch (after the Sunday School picnic. yes. I get bonus points for getting up the morning after to go to the Sunday School picnic.) Yesterday, I was still feeling the ill-effects of my Saturday night bender.

So my plan, after dragging my ass through work all day, was to go home, eat Kraft Dinner, and spend all evening on the couch with my book, the hockey game, and on-and-off napping.

This is where Jillian Michaels comes in.

I was sitting there, after eating my KD, watching Y&R, doing everything I had planned to do. But that stupid Jillian's voice was nagging me at the back of my mind. It only takes 20 minutes to do my 30 Day Shred, Jillian. Get your ass off the couch. You have all evening to read and watch TV and sleep. What's 20 minutes? It's nothing. You're never going to get skinny if you keep sitting there, doing nothing. You actually have to do it 30 days straight, not just once a week, to see results. GET OFF THE COUCH JILLIAN!!!!

F you, Jillian Michaels.

So J. Young obeyed J. Michaels, popped in the DVD, and did the 30 Day Shred. And it wasn't as bad as I remembered it being. I mean, it still wasn't easy (and I'm on the beginner level, so that's kind of scary). But I was able to get through it. I didn't take as many "breaks" as I did the first time, and the jumping jacks, which were my nemesis last time, didn't phase me at all. No sweat.

That's a lie. I did sweat. I can't believe how much sweat I can produce in 20 minutes. Crazy.

Anyways, I still think the woman is a heinous bitch, but at least now I know I can do it (beginner level).

Happy Tuesday, folks.

That time of week again...CONFESSION time.

Linking up once again with Mamarazzi for everyone's favourite post of the week (or maybe it's just mine??) ...FRIDAY CONFESSIONAL.

I confess... that I chirped and squealed about how wonderful the heat was this week, but I actually only spent about 2% of my time out in it. From air conditioned office, into air conditioned house. Sad.

I confess... I have battled ants in my house for the past month. And I am losing. I tried ant traps. I tried baking soda mixed with sugar. I discovered where they were coming into the house - the back door - and sprayed all around it with Raid. The Raid was so powerful that it made the paint melt right off the walls (I so totally ignored the fine print that said not to spray it onto painted surfaces). I stood there and watched, and only a few seconds later, the ants just came crawling in again. Marched right through those puddles of Raid on the floor as if it wasn't even there. Tough mother-effers.

I confess... that the ants freak me out. I look at the floor and there is nothing there. Turn my back for 2 seconds, and suddenly there's at least one or two there, just magically appeared. Creepy ants.

I confess... that I HATE JILLIAN MICHAELS!!!! My friend Lindsay recommended I try out the 30 Day Shred DVD, and I was all, "Pshhh, 20 minutes, no friggin problem," BUT I WAS SO SO WRONG. I can't do it. It's impossible. And that woman is a b*tch. Hate her. (Jillian, not Lindsay.)

I confess... that I was sore yesterday after doing the stupid Jillian Michaels DVD the night before, then went to Zumba last night. Jillian Michaels aches & pains + Zumba aches & pains = me walking around like an arthritic old woman. Awesome.

I confess... I've had a bad cough for almost two weeks. No other cold symptoms, just a deep, painful cough. So of course, my hypochondriac brain has decided that I have lung cancer. My dad quit smoking a few years ago, but prior to that, he was a heavy smoker, and I lived with him during all of those heavy smoking years. You know those old anti-smoking commercials? The one where the old man who couldn't stop smoking is mourning the loss of his wife, who died of lung cancer, and never smoked a day in her life?? I'm so afraid they're gonna make a commercial about me.

I confess... that I think I sound more like Sheryl Crow this week than I did last week. This may be partly due to my throaty non-smoker rasp.

I confess... I have baby fever. BIG time.

I confess... that I have a massive crush on a dude who is much younger than me. (I know. Not the best way to get a baby.) I figured the age difference was too much. But last night, my friend Brenda gave me this magical mathematical formula where I take half my age, plus seven, and if he's older than that, we're good. He is. Excellent. Now I just need to lose about 75 lbs. and develop a delightful, charming personality, and he'll be allllllllll mine.

It's Friday. CONFESS.

Heirlooms & Treasures

After my Grandma passed away in March, my mom, her sisters and brother had to start cleaning out Grandma's house in preparation to sell it. I mentioned a few times on the blog about some special things that I inherited from Grandma's.

This week, I took some pictures of a few of those "heirlooms and treasures" which I thought I would share with you.

*Note: Please ignore any dust or dirt around my home in these pictures. My mom was in the other night and she told me my house is dirty! Great!*

First is Grandma's ironing board. Because it was actually a piece of wood from her Grandmother Lang's kitchen table, it was not treated like a normal old ironing board would have been (ie, thrown out or put in a yard sale). My mom and her siblings wanted someone to have it, and they thought it would be nice if it were painted with a nice design, perhaps of something that symbolized Grandma or the family. Fortunately, my Aunt Nora happens to be a very talented artist, so when I agreed to take the ironing board, she offered to paint it for me.

She did a beautiful job! I love the sunflowers! I haven't decided where to hang it yet, but I like Aunt Marion's idea of hanging a grouping of pictures of Grandma in her garden and flower beds around it.

Aunt Nora told me she painted a chickadee on it because that is her favourite bird...


...and of course she included a robin, which was one of Grandma's favourite birds.

You can't really see it well in this picture, but this is the back of the board, where Grandma wrote where the piece of wood came from and the date everytime she changed the cover on it. Aunt Nora framed it like a postcard. I'd like to add something about how it came to be in my possession, but I don't know exactly what to write yet.

This is the wind chime that I loved so much. "The Herd of Elephants". Again, not sure yet where to hang it, so for now it's in my kitchen, and when I stomp around too loudly, they jangle, and I smile thinking of Grandma saying, "Would you listen to that herd of elephants!"

When rooting around in Grandma's cedar chest and closets, my mom and aunts discovered that Grandma had a whole bunch of old quilts stored away, so we had a quilt "free for all" the night of her burial. This is the one I chose. It's well worn and so comfy. I'm using it as a blanket to wrap up in when I'm reading or watching a movie.

This used to be a robin, but his "red breast" is kind of worn off. Nobody wanted him (especially not my mom, who hates birds, even fake ones), so I took him. I think my Grandma might get a kick out of it if I use him to scare Mom from time to time!

I don't think it's a coincidence that since Grandma passed away, I've taken note of the robins on the railing of my back deck. I never noticed birds before, but now these robins are catching my eye in my yard all the time!

Grandma also loved humming birds, and always had a feeder hanging outside her summer porch. I took this humming bird, along with her Gardening Angel to add to my small collection of Willow Tree figurines. Lord knows I need a Gardening Angel looking out for me, since I didn't exactly inherit Grandma's green thumb!

Ignore the junk on the bottom shelf. (I have no idea where I'm going to put some of that stuff!) The top shelf is my newly-formed teacup collection. It started when my Aunt Mona told me to choose three tea cups from her vast collection back in March. Then my mom gave me four more from Grandma's, along with the two teapots.

Oh, I wouldn't forget about the dogs (and one cat). They are also still looking for a "home". They're not staying on my dining room table forever!! haha!!

I was so thrilled to inherit Grandma's scrapbooks. They date back to the 1930's. She was meticulous in clipping from the local newspaper any sort of news that caught her eye, particularly births, deaths, and marriages. I used to love looking through them as a kid, and I remember asking my mom once, years ago, if I could have them someday when Grandma died. She said, "Oh no, one of us will keep the scrapbooks." Something must have changed though, because they decided I get to keep them after all!

I can't believe I'm actually posting this. I'm not exactly looking my best here. But I had to show off the hat!! There were two of these in Grandma's closet - the hats my aunts wore as bridesmaids at my mom & dad's wedding. Aunt Marion and Aunt Linda passed them on to my sister and I!


This is the quilt that Grandma had given my Aunt Marion's in-laws years ago, and her sister-in-law returned it to her after Grandma died, to pass on to one of us. I was the lucky one she gave it to. I just love it. I can't wait to get a quilt stand to display it on, and I hope to one day put it on my own bed, once I have sheets to match it.

Last but not least, we have the book case which was in the big bedroom upstairs. I found out my grandfather built it. He passed away before I was born, so I was grateful to claim this, as a piece of his hard work. On top is one of Grandma's bibles, along with the green ribbon she wore last summer after we lost my cousin Jeff, in his memory. My green ribbon disappeared somehow, so I'm happy to now have hers.

I'm still trying to find places for things, so my house has been in disarray, but I'm so grateful to have so many of Grandma's treasures, to remember her by and enjoy in my own home.

Wednesday. And in a good mood. So it's "What I'm Loving Wednesday".

So many different Wednesday linky parties to choose from...but I'm feeling all cheerful this morning, so we're going with "What I'm Loving Wednesday".

• Once a month, I join a group of friends from work to play Bingo on the radio. (Yes, a local radio station has Bingo nights. I'm not even joking.) Anyways, after three years of playing, I won for the first time a few months ago. Then last night, I won again. The jackpot game. I had to split with some other doofus who called in at the same time (frigger) but I was super-pumped that I won!! Then I came home to find out that the Baby Sens, who play out of Binghamton (aka Bingo), won the Calder Cup last night. Future's lookin' bright for Sens fans. And yes, a very good night for "Bingo"!!!



• My cousin Kenny gets "Emailer of the Day" from Jill's World for yesterday. Kenny rarely comments on the blog anymore, but often emails me about it. Yesterday, he correctly guessed the identity of The Captain of Heat. I knew my close friends would know who I was talking about, but I didn't think someone like Kenny would. He told me he has a weird memory. "I can't remember my girlfriend's birthday, but I know who you liked in college." I burst out laughing.



• I looooove the HEAT! Especially now that I have my air conditioners installed. (Thanks to brother Lukey for that). So nice to enjoy the sticky, sweaty heat, and then walk into a cool house. Bliss. Welcome, Summer.



• I'm still diggin' the new Kid Rock, but there's another song I've had in heavy rotation the past few days. I downloaded it a while back, but have just recently fallen completely in love with it. "Come Pick Me Up". A Ryan Adams song, but I'm a fan of the Zac Brown Band live version. Stuck in my head. all.the.time.



• My Just Dance 2 game for the Wii is awesome. I have to play with the blinds closed, though, as I'm still looking like a frog in a blender most of the time. (Just ask Luke and Amanda. They witnessed it the other night.)



• I love banana-FLAVOURED popsicles.



• I love toasted tomatoes sandwiches. I'm addicted.



• I love that I'm looking at fun & busy weekend coming up. I'm going to get drunk.



• And no, Sadie will not be coming out. Because nobody loves Sadie.

To play along, go visit Jamie and link up!

The Single Girl Files: The Captain of Heat

I know, without being told, what one of my biggest problems is in my constant search for love.

I get crushes. I put on the blinders, I zero in one particular guy, and I spend months – sometimes longer – imagining what our dates will be like, how to accommodate his family members into my wedding party, what the dream house we will build will look like, and how cute our babies will be.

All before he even knows I have a crush.

This is what happened to me in college. For two whole years, I set all my hopes and dreams on one guy in particular, who, as far I know, never really knew how much I liked him.

This is the story of The Captain of Heat.

I remember distinctly the first time I saw him. At the Liberal Arts orientation program, the spring of 2000, before starting college. At the time, I hadn’t yet graduated from high school. But that one morning, all the high school boys were forgotten forever. He sat in the front row, making the girls sitting on either side of him giggle as he teased them. I was a few rows back, but I was already smitten.

I instantly recognized him six months later, when my college days began. As you may recall me mentioning before, that first year of college wasn’t exactly my best. I didn’t know anyone in my program other than one girl from my high school, and we stuck together. Most of the other kids in our class already seemed to know one another, and they were a difficult group to crack - or at least I thought they were. It took a long time for me to realize that they were nice people who were ready to be friendly; I had just never bothered to try.

Now this guy – I wouldn’t call him extremely outgoing, but he was one of the few who talked to me from the very beginning. He was quiet, calm, charming, funny, and oozed confidence. And he was quite possibly the hottest guy I’ve ever known in real life.

I don’t need to make up a super-secret code name for this guy. He already has one.

Another friend that I had made in my class apparently had the same crush, and we discussed it at length. We decided to give him a secret alias so that if anyone overheard us talking, they wouldn’t know who we were chatting about. I think he started out at Mister Hot, but we decided the title “mister” didn’t really convey just how royally hot he was. So we changed it to Sir Hot. Still, it didn’t seem grand enough.

And that was how we came to anoint him “The Captain of Heat”.

Oh, don’t give me that. You know you’ve come up with code names for your crushes in the past too!

I would’ve done anything for that guy. And while I don’t know if he realized how much I liked him, I think he knew I had a crush. Looking back now, I think it’s fair to say he took advantage of that.

He was an intelligent guy, I won’t take that away from him – one of those people who, when called upon by a teacher, even if he didn’t know the answer, could pull something out of his butt that sounded super-smart and impressive. But he was a procrastinator, and lacked motivation.

That was where I came in.

I was a good note-taker. I paid attention in classes and rarely skipped. I planned study sessions and tried to be as prepared as possible. (Yes. I was a complete nerd. I admit it.)

He picked up on that. He started sitting next to me in classes, asked to borrow my notes when he missed a lecture, and eventually started crashing my study sessions. He'd come around the corner, find me sitting by my locker with my books open, then just quietly sit down beside me and flip open his books too, and start asking questions.

It was fun with him there. I loved every minute of it. By second year, he was one of my best friends in our program, and I considered him a huge part of my life.

But while I was living each day to see him in the halls, have him sit by me in class, work out with him in the gym, and hear him ask me if I wanted to study for Art History, I think even he was starting to feel guilty.

One thing he always teased me about was how I didn’t have my driver’s license, almost two years after I was eligible to get it. Towards the end of our second and final year of Liberal Arts, The Captain of Heat offered to repay my hours of helping him study for finals by teaching me how to drive. He forced me to call and make an appointment for my driver’s test, and in the weeks leading up to it, he took me driving a couple of times, a crash-course behind the wheel.

School was over by the time I went for my driver’s test, but he insisted I email him to let him know how it went. I passed on my first try (it was a shock even to me); when I emailed him to tell him, he wrote me back to say he wanted to take me out to celebrate.

I was in heaven. It was a dream come true. I didn’t even care that he had a girlfriend.

He wanted to take me out.

We went to the movies, and it was, truly, the best date I’ve ever been on. Of course, I never forgot that he wasn’t actually available, but it didn’t seem to matter. We laughed, and talked, and when the movie was over, he walked me to my car, gave me a hug, and said that we had to keep in touch.

We emailed back and forth a bit that following year, but it eventually fizzled out. Two years later, I happened to see him at the Shawville Fair, and I could barely speak I was so nervous at seeing him again. We lost touch again until Facebook was invented, and he added me as a friend. But we never really made contact again, and about a year ago, he either deleted his account, or deleted me, because I went to creep him one day, as I did from time to time, and he was gone.

Every so often, I run into someone who he was friends with back then, and I ask about him.

But no one seems to know him anymore.

****

There’s a point to this story.

The blinders.

For two whole years, I saw no one but him. I was at a college that was much bigger than my high school – still small-scale compared to others, but there was still a whole new group of people to get to know. Yet, when it came to guys, I barely remember any of them but him.

Because I only saw him.

College years are when you’re supposed to find out who you really are. Make mistakes, experiment, have fun, get into trouble, meet guys, meet more guys, and have fun and get into trouble with them.

I sat in classrooms and daydreamed about only one; one who was out of my league, and who likely only bothered to speak to me because of my good note-taking abilities, and my dedication to studying, and helping him do the same.

I regret it. I regret the blinders; the fact that I didn’t get to know anyone else.

I don’t know if there was anyone else in those college halls who would’ve been interested in me, but because of The Captain of Heat, I guess I’ll never know.

And yet I know, for a fact, that if I were to go back again...



I’d do it all the same.

My 501st Post. All about Twilight.

Holy crap.

I just realized my last post was my 500th. And I didn't do anything special to celebrate!

Thanks to those of you who have been around for all 500 posts. Thanks to those of you who have joined along the way, or are new followers. I appreciate anyone who bothers to read my ramblings on life, my single girl status, TV shows, hockey, music, etc., and I hope you continue to do so!!

500. Wow!

So, last night I stayed up past my bed time to watch the MTV Movie Awards. I'm usually not much of an award show fan, but there was one main reason for tuning in to this one:

The Breaking Dawn sneak peak was being aired!!!

Yes. For those of you who don't already know, I'm a Twilight freak. It's been almost a year since Eclipse was released, and we still have to wait until November 18th before Breaking Dawn Part 1 hits theatres.

So yes, when I heard last week that the trailer was being aired for the first time during the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night, I dialed that right into my Blackberry calendar of events.

For a Twilight fan, the show was fun, because they pretty much won every category they were nominated in. Best Kiss, Best Fight, Best Actess, Best Actor, and so on. The only time they lost was when they had two entries in one category. (For example, Taylor Lautner's kiss with Kristen Stewart lost to Robert Pattinson's kiss with Kristen Stewart.)



It's a little hokey, though - if you're a serious awards show fan, you'd never tune into this one. It's basically a giant popularity contest, as fans vote for the winners.

That being said, it made this kid happy to know that apparently the Twilight fan hype hasn't died down in the least!

It truly is a wonder, though, that after all these years of being in the spotlight, that R.Pattz and Kristen Stewart are as awkward and uncomfortable on stage as those two appear to be. The best speech given by a Twilight cast member was when Taylor Lautner accepted the award for Best Movie on the entire cast's behalf. He's so well-spoken and confident and prepared. A sharp contrast when compared to the other two members of the high-profile fictional love triangle!

I must admit, though, that Rob made me laugh. Particularly when presenting, along with Patrick Dempsey and Chelsea Handler, the Generation Award to Reese Witherspoon. Dempsey started off the presentation, then Pattinson proceeded to stumble around, laugh, fumble with a piece of paper that he apparently had a speech written on, and look to his co-presenters for help. Dempsey said, "Well, there's a teleprompter. Right there." Pointed at it, and R.Pattz replied, (in his sexy British accent), "Yeah, but it says 'Ad Lib'. Ad Lib! What the hell am I supposed to say?!" Fumbled some more with his speech, then went on to try to make jokes about the fact that Reese once played his mother in a movie he was cut from, and then he played her lover in Water for Elephants. But then confessed that he had screwed up the punchline, while actually letting an f-bomb sneak through the censor.



Upon arriving on the stage to accept her award, Reese told him that the punchline he missed was that, because she had played his mother, then his lover, he really is the best motherf*cker in the business.

Other highlights included a decent hosting job by Jason Sudeikis, the little girl from Grown Ups receiving her award for Best Line with "I wanna get chocolate-wasted!!", Bieber showing up unexpectedly to collect his award for Most Jaw-Dropping Moment, a peformance by the Foo Fighters that I loved, and R.Pattz running into the audience to plant one on Taylor Lautner rather than kissing Kristen Stewart after winning Best Kiss.



Oh, and of course the Breaking Dawn trailer, which, of course, was the whole reason for staying up to watch. I had to wait til almost the end of the show, but it was worth it.

I don't like to wish time away, but November 18th is now definitely a date I'm looking forward to!

It's "Spill Your Guts Friday"

I enjoyed my confessional last Friday so much I decided to do it again. Linking it up with Mamarazzi!

I confess...I look forward to quiet, relaxing weekends. Until they arrive. Then I get all bitchfacey over having nothing to do and having no life.

I confess...that I was highly disappointed in myself last night when I realized I'm a complete idiot when it comes to my new Wii. I tried "Just Dance" and I'm afraid I looked like a frog in a blender. I was terrible at baseball, and never hit a ball. I can't throw a frisbee in real life, I don't know why I thought I could do it on the Wii. And don't even ask me about the wakeboarding.

I confess...that I sometimes listen to Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow's latest duet "Collide" in my car on repeat. I pretend I sound like Sheryl. I don't.

I confess...that I have suddenly developed a weak gag reflex. I was flossing my teeth this morning and I almost vom'd. Gross.

I confess...that I've had a scratchy throat, cough, and stuffy nose all week. I'm pretty sure it's a cold, but I've been disguising it as allergies so that my mom doesn't banish me and my germs from her house.

I confess...I only cut half my lawn this week. Stupid super-speedy-growing grass. I refuse to spend my whole summer on a lawn mower. And can you imagine how sad it would've been, when Kid Rock came calling, and I said, "Oh, sorry, can't go, I need to cut my grass." ?? No no no.

I confess...that I need a boyfriend so badly I'm ready to take drastic measures. I don't know what those drastic measures might be. But look out, boys, because I'm getting desperate.

*Updated*

I confess...that I had to come back and add this update because I'm questioning my use of the term "weak gag reflex". I'm thinking when you almost vom flossing your teeth, that perhaps that's a STRONG gag reflex? I don't know. Also, down below, I wrote "my most innermost", and that just doesn't sound right. It's redundant. Or something. No wonder I'm not a world-famous author.

There we have it. My deepest, most innermost confessions, laid out all over my blog for you.

Happy Friday!!

Lena's Giveaway and a Sens fan's bitter lament.

Who doesn't love a good giveaway?! And boy, do I have a great one for you today!!

No, not my own... BUT - you all need to head over and visit Lena at Mom2MemphisAndRuby because she's having a fantastic giveaway, featuring some lovely pieces of jewelry by Brittany Chavers. Check out her Etsy Shop. Such fun stuff!!

These are my favourite from Brittany's Etsy shop

Lena's giveaway is in celebration of her reaching 50 followers. Congratulations Lena! I've been blogging for five years and I only have 31 followers. And I think one of them is myself. How pathetic is that? So everybody, please, follow me. I'll think up some kind of reward. Promise. ;)

In other news...What the F happened to our sunny, sweaty, crazy-hot temps?? A couple of days was not enough to erase the memories of the rainy, dreary spring we've had. Steve Warne joked on the Team 1200 that it's -18 with the windchill out there this morning. And seriously, he's not that far off...

But I guess it's good hockey weather, right? Ah, hockey. How I love it. But I'm having a serious problem. I swore when the Sens didn't make the playoffs this year that my whole-hearted support would go to the Vancouver Canucks (because I can't cheer for the Habs, the only other Canadian team to make the playoffs, and aren't I glad I didn't root for their loser asses, huh?)

Anyways, the 'Nucks are in the Stanley Cup Finals, so I should be super-pumped. Except I'm not. I tried watching the game last night. I really tried. But I fell asleep. That could be partly Kid Rock's fault, because I'm so not accustomed to staying up past midnight on a school night like I did on Tuesday, hence I needed to catch up last night. But I also think there are other factors working against me here.

First of all, I'm a Sens fan. Tried and true (not even the loss of Wade Redden could shake me, and that was pretty serious), 100%, full-fledged, all-in, bleed red, black & gold, Sens fan. It goes against everything I believe in to cheer for another team, even if they are Canadian, even if I have no reason to hate them. It even takes me awhile to warm up to Team Canada at the Olympics and on other international stages, because I'm all like, "SIDNEY CROSBY'S A WHINY BITCH!!! CHRIS PRONGER IS AN ASSFACE!!!! I CAN'T CHEER FOR DANY HEATLEY NONONONONONONO!!!"

Secondly, I'm a jealous person by nature. So it burns my arse that the city of Vancouver is having such a blast right now. I remember what it was like when the Sens had their fantastic run to the Cup finals in 2007. I remember the parties and the cheering people filling up the Sens Mile on Elgin Street. I remember the massive pep rally the city held and the pictures of people, dressed in Sens gear, stretching out in a sea of red as far as the eye could see.


I miss that. I want that.

And also, I hate the Western Conference, where the Canucks reside. For the past decade (at least), people have always talked about how the West was stronger, faster, just all-around better than the East. My Sens are in the East, and back in '07, were completely dominated by one of those "bigger, stronger, faster" Western teams in the finals. I hate that. So in situations like these, my allegiance tends to lie with the Eastern team. (Unless it were the Leafs. In that case, GO WESTERN TEAM, GO!!! haha, funny joke, the Leafs in the finals...yeaaaaah right!)

So I carry a bitter chip on my shoulder. I'm happy there's a Canadian team in the finals. And I let out a little "yay!" when I saw on Twitter first thing this morning that Raffi Torres scored a buzzer-beating goal to win game 1, 1-0. And I will give them full props if they're able to bring this thing home.

But I don't love them. They are not my team. I'm quite envious of them.

And that makes this time of year kind of sucky.

The End.

Couldn't miss out on "WWTK Wednesday"

I decided I didn't want to miss out on "We Want to Know Wednesday" after all, so I'm linking up with Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Janette and Shawn!




1). If the blogging world had a talent show, what would your act be?
2). What's the most likely reason you might become famous?
3). What question are you repeatedly asked that you are tired of hearing?
4.) What's the last thing you broke?
5.) Finish this sentence. I can't believe I used to ________.

Here are my answers:

1). If the blogging world had a talent show, what would your act be? Oh, I wish I was good enough at playing guitar and singing to pick that! What the hell, I probably would do it anyways. I just wouldn't win any talent awards at it!!

2). What's the most likely reason you might become famous? I don't imagine it will ever happen, but I have big dreams of writing a best-selling novel someday. If only I could get past the first few chapters...

3). What question are you repeatedly asked that you are tired of hearing? I don't really have one question that I can think of. Can I just say my mother's nagging, in general (usually to do with money, or my lack thereof)? DUDE. I'm TWENTY-SEVEN. Lay off!!

4.) What's the last thing you broke? A pickle dish that my mom had claimed for me from my grandma's house. It was sitting on the tray of Danica's high chair in my mom's kitchen, and she had piled books and papers on top of it, so when I went to move the high chair, everything slid off - including the pickle dish. And yes, I cried. Even though she told me it was probably a cheap dish, could've even come from the dollar store. And even though I have many other treasures and heirlooms from Grandma's. It still made me sad.

5.) Finish this sentence. I can't believe I used to ________.
...weigh 50 pounds less than I do now...how did I let this happen?!
...go out both nights on a weekend, and look forward to doing so. I must be getting old. I much prefer sleep now.
...have more than $100 in my bank account on any given day. In fact, I used to have a reserve in case of emergencies, and then some. Then I got a credit card.
...cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was eons ago. I was just a stupid little child who didn't know any better.
...like Dany Heatley. He makes my skin crawl now.

If you haven't already played along with "WWTKW", follow any of the links above and join the fun!!