Can I get an Amen for short weeks?!

You know what is awesome about this Wednesday?  In my brain, it is Tuesday.  I have had to remind myself about 6 times already this morning that it is Wednesday, not Tuesday.  God bless short weeks.

This past weekend was a much-needed pause; a chance to slow the pace, relax, and re-charge the batteries.

I started things off right Friday by leaving work a little early.  When I got home, I prepped a few snacks, did some last-minute tidying up around the house, made a big bowl of "party punch" with a splash of rum, then settled back with an ice-cold glass to wait for my friends to arrive.

The ladies started rolling in shortly before 7 PM, and then the long weekend felt like it had officially begun!  My dining room table was loaded down with a ton of yummy snack foods, and the girls also came with their drinks.  We sat around the dining room table and spent the evening chatting, laughing, eating, and just un-winding.  It was EXACTLY what I needed after a particularly draining week last week.  I noticed at one point that someone had left the lights on over in the church basement next door, so I went over to shut them off, and while I was outside, all I could hear were the laughs and shouts coming from the open windows of my house.  I was that neighbour.  And it made me smile.  I'm lucky to have such a great group of friends!  I'm already thinking about when to plan the next "Girls Nite In".

After the girls had left and I had cleaned up the kitchen and dining room, I went upstairs to put on jammies, and discovered a MASSIVE spider.  Oh, y'know, just hanging out on the carpet in the middle of the hallway.  I have only seen a spider that size in my home once before, and Brenda was there to kill it for me.  This time, it was 1 AM, and Brenda had left quite a while before, so I had to kill this sucker on my own.  Still gives me the heebie-jeebies thinking about it, especially since it almost got away!  The last time a spider that big was in my house, it was after the bridal shower I had for Lindsay four years ago... so apparently spiders like to attend parties at my house?! eeep! (there was no time to get a picture of it, so of course, no eveidence.  But I needed a THICK wad of Kleenex to go at this sucker.  he crunched.)

Saturday morning I slept in a bit, and when I rolled out of bed, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful morning and go for a walk outside with my camera.  Got some nice early-morning shots around town, and down by the water... Of course, not uploaded yet! Sorry!

I went up to Mom's in the afternoon to sit outside and read, but the bugs were WHACKO.  Black flies were feasting on me, and I don't react well to black fly bites.  So I went in to watch the Jays game and nap for the afternoon.  When I woke up, we went down to my sister's place for a barbeque and hung out with them.  After supper, I came home and settled in on the couch to watch the movie Blended on Netflix... I'm a sucker for a good Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie, but I have to say, this one wasn't all that great. LOL  The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates definitely trump this one, no matter how cute they are together! But aside from that, it was a perfectly relaxing, lazy day!

Sunday we went to church and out for brunch, as per usual, and then we all hung out at Mom's for the rest of the day.  Mom dug out my cousin's old toy wrestling ring and wrestlers that hand been handed down to us years ago.  She cleaned it all up, and Caden played with it all afternoon.  We also watched the finals of World Hockey Championship.

On Friday evening, Sheena taught me how to do all those funny things on Snapchat - like become a dog, or have rainbows puking out of your mouth, and it made me ridiculously happy to play around with it.  I was showing Caden and Danica how to do it on Sunday, and Danica thought it was a lot of fun to turn herself into Lindsay. LOL!

By evening, it was time to head to my friend Sharon's for her and husband's 10th anniversary party.  A big group of friends gathered to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Sharon, and then, once the sun went down and bugs weren't so bad, we moved outside to play Texas Horseshoes.  I opted out of playing, insisting I need to be the photographer to document the event, but right near the end, Wayne talked me into playing a game with him, against Lolly and Sharon.  I played the best game of Texas Horseshoes I have ever played in my LIFE.  Everything was going in.  It was dumbfounding.  I think the game lasted about two minutes, and Wayne and I won 21-zip.  It was kind of a May long weekend miracle.

Monday was yet another wonderfully lazy day.  I did laundry, watched episodes of The Office and Bloodline on Netflix, and spent a lot of time out on my back deck reading.  The black flies seemed to take a chill pill and I was able to sit out there and not get attacked for once.  Mom and I had chip stand food for supper, and then went for ice cream afterwards too.  The best way to end a perfect long weekend!!

And now, it is already Wednesday... I'm excited for this upcoming weekend too, as I will be walking on Saturday night with my Slipper Sisters (recently re-named the Sleezy Sisters, thanks for that Uncle Elson!) in the Relay for Life.  So I'll be spending the day Saturday resting and napping to get ready, and then likely sleeping all day Sunday to catch up afterwards.  We always have a lot of fun amidst the somber moments, so I'm very much looking forward to it. :)

Hope you're all having a great week!!

10 Reasons Why I'm SO Ready for the Long Weekend

1. Because I have been fighting with my Netflix for weeks now, and yesterday I think I finally, officially, for real, solved the problem.  I had my playback settings set for "Medium" quality (which was what my Internet provider had recommended I set it at, based on the speed of my wifi), and yesterday I switched it to "Low".  Last night, I watched several episodes of The Office, uninterrupted and with no freezing or error messages.  Knock on wood... I think this means I should have some enjoyable time with Netflix this weekend!

2. Because I just want to sit outside on my deck and enjoy the sunshine and...breathe.  Ever feel like you haven't been breathing for a while?  I feel that way right now.  This week especially. Too much negativity and bad vibes bringing me down.  I just need a minute to breathe.

3.  Because even though I've only been back to work full-time for 6 weeks and even though the busy days are flying by, I really feel like I need a little break.  I feel weary and worn, and I need a little soul refreshment.

4. Because I have friends coming over tomorrow night for snacks and drinks!  It feels like it's been way too long since I've had the girls over for just a relaxing night of visiting and hanging out.  I can't wait :)

5.  Because I just want to READ!  I haven't been making enough time to get lost in a good book.  I mentioned yesterday how much I'm enjoying the book I'm reading right now, but I'm barely getting through a chapter a night.  I just need some solid reading time.

6.  Because... ants.  I'm so done battling ants.  I'm afraid to say it, but I think I've finally defeated them.  And I'm just looking forward to spending an extended period of time in my own home without staring at the floor watching for little black crawling ants to appear.

7. Because I haven't had a chocolate-dip vanilla soft serve cone from Marcotte's in 4 days, and I need one badly.

8.  Because I want to go for a long drive, or a long walk, or both - and just take some pictures.  It feels like lately I've been snapping pics out of haste, and out of obligation to my Project 366.  I want to spend some time with the camera and the outdoors, and really enjoy finding things to take pictures of.

9. Because I'm finally feeling ready for summer.  I hang on to my love of winter hibernation longer than the average bear, but I've finally shaken off the cobwebs and have found my desire to shed the socks and the blankets and the over-sized sweaters.  I'm ready to bust out the flip flops and capris and skirts.  Bring on the bright sunshine and the warm weather that this long weekend's forecast promises!

10.  Because normal weekends feel too short.  One minute it's Friday night and I'm so happy to get the weekend started, and the next it's Sunday evening and I'm glum that it's over already.  One more extra day to sleep in a little later, drink an extra coffee, lounge around watching Netflix...it sounds like bliss to me.

We're almost there...

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Wednesday has finally rolled around, and so I'm taking a minute to look around for the things I'm LOVING this week!  Here we go...

I'm loving that it is a bright, sunshiney day, and the forecast for the upcoming long weekend looks amazing.  I'm looking forward to a long relaxing weekend without a ton of plans... hoping to get some quality Netflix time, some quality reading on the back deck time, some BBQ'ing, some ice cream... c'mooon long weekend!

I'm loving that I'm kicking off the long weekend on Friday evening by having a group of girls in for snacks and drinks and downtime.  It feels like it's been too long since we've had a good girls night!  I can't wait!!

I'm loving the idea of all the snacks that we'll be having on Friday night!  I know, I need to stop thinking about food all the time.  But I just love food so much... Also excited to try a new punch recipe!  I'll be adding a splash or two of vodka to that! ;)

I'm loving the book I'm reading right now. It's called The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman.  I honestly hesitated getting into this book, because it is set in Germany during the Hitler era.  I really wasn't feeling a heavy, serious, war-time book.  As it turns out, it is a beautifully written romance, and I'm so enjoying it.

I LOVE my new sippy cup - or "happy cup" as I'm calling it.  I had a few days last week where I was in a really rotten mood.  Like, so in a rut and cranky and on the verge of tears over nothing.  After my "SIGH" post last week, I came home to find a bag hanging on my front door knob, with the cup from Starbucks and a few packets of Cool Lime Refresher instant drink mix in it, from a friend who just wanted to cheer me up.  Good news: it worked. :)

I'm loving that I'm done Suits and have moved on to The Office on Netflix!  I'm only a few episodes in but I'm already having fun with it.  I do miss Harvey a little bit, but I know I'll have him back whenever Season 5 of Suits hits Netflix.  (but speaking of Netflix... I'm having some serious issues with it lately.  For the first month or so that I had wifi, it worked like a charm.  Now all of a sudden it's stalling and freezing and giving me error messages frequently when I'm trying to stream shows.  I rebooted my router the other night and it seemed to do the trick, but then last night it was back to the stalling and freezing.  So frustrating!)

I'm so loving that Relay for Life is almost here!  Next Saturday night, I'll be walking with my fellow Relayers all night long in support of cancer research.  It's an important cause to me, as I will be walking in memory of my dad.  Yesterday, I surpassed my goal of raising $500 for the Canadian Cancer Society, and I so appreciate the support I receive from family and friends.  

I'm in love with the chocolate dip vanilla soft-serve cones from Marcotte's.  It is a difficult thing to resist when it is within walking distance!  Yum!!

Happy Wednesday friends!  Enjoy the sunshine!!

The Best Man

I'd like to start off by saying I try to keep my nose out of politics.  I get too emotional, I don't have a thick skin, and I hate ruffling other people's feathers, so I usually keep my yap shut.  But sometimes, I can't just stay quiet.  Today is one of those days.

I love my small town.  I love this community, the spirit here, and the people who rally together when someone is in need.  I love the feeling of camaraderie - neighbours and friends who feel like family, and you can count on them to be there for you when you need them most.

But small towns come with quirks, and ours has it's fair share.

In recent years, there has been an upheaval on our municipal council.  Our former mayor, Eddie McCann, had served two consecutive four-year terms, and in small-town politics, you are bound to make some enemies during your reign.  A group seemed to form that had a number one goal of getting Eddie out of office.  And they were successful.  Two and a half years ago, he ran for mayor again of our municipality in the election, and lost by a small margin.  I think there was a movement at the time that people wanted change, and they didn't care what kind of change it was. They just wanted someone different as mayor, and so they voted for the other candidate.  And the other candidate won.

He won.  Fair and square.  I say absolutely nothing to take that away from him.

Last summer, the councilor for my ward had to resign for personal reasons, and so a by-election as held last fall.  Eddie McCann ran for the seat, and won by a vast majority.  The people of Quyon had spoken, and the best man won.

Last night, we received word that Eddie has been removed from council after losing a court case that our municipal council filed against him, based on a petty technicality from the past election.  In my eyes, there is so much wrong with what has happened here.  A group of people who dislike him have been doing everything in their power to make sure he cannot sit at that council table.  They have used slander, defamation of character, and now a court case to make sure his reputation is tarnished and his political career is ruined.  He has been kicked over and over and over, and they've finally got him down and out.

And it all feels so very unjust.  So very unfair.

Last fall, when we went to the polls to vote, I wanted to write something about who I was voting for on Facebook, and why I was voting for him, but I decided against it.  I didn't figure anything I said would sway anyone's opinion on who they were voting for that day, so what was the point.  In the end, I was thrilled with the result, and was glad that so many in my riding felt the same way I did about this man who had been elected as our councilor, and in such resounding fashion.

Now that has all been taken away, and the voice of Ward 2 has been silenced.  And now, my blood is boiling.

So I decided that today, I would finally share why I voted for Eddie McCann, not only in last fall's by-election for Ward 2, but also in the previous elections for mayor:

I voted for the one who has always called me "the little girl next door", even still to this day.  The man who my father called one of the best neighbours he ever had, and is still my neighbour now.  I voted for the one who was born and raised here, who raised his family here, who is still raising his family here, in the heart of the town he loves so much.  I voted for the man who is at every church supper, every community event, every fundraiser for a local cause or a person in need.  I voted for the man who can't get through a speech at his daughter's wedding without choking up.  I voted for the man who has a passion for politics, and puts his whole heart and soul into the job to best represent his people. I voted for the one who shows up on the morning of a devastating house fire, welcomes the family who has just lost everything back to his home for coffee and breakfast, and offers them a place to stay until they can get back on their feet.  I voted for the man who has done countless good deeds and acts of kindness around here that nobody even knows about, because he never looks for recognition or credit - in fact, he asks for it to never be spoken of.  A man with a kind and generous heart, who puts his family and his community above all else.

I voted for the best man.  

The fact that a clique of people who have a personal vendetta against him have bullied their way into power and ensured that he can no longer sit and represent Ward 2 - our beloved town of Quyon - at that council table?  Well, it sickens me.  Absolutely sickens me.

At this point, I feel quite helpless. All I have, really, are words, and I know they aren't going to change anything right now.  I guess all we can do is bide our time, trust that what goes around comes around, and that the day will come when we will get our say again.

And when that day comes?  Well... I hope I get a chance to vote for the best man, yet again.

Because he will always have my vote.

*SIGH*

Ever just have one of those day - or a couple of days in a row - where you feel like nothing's going your way?

I'm having one of those extra-special weeks.  And it's only Wednesday.  That makes me worried.

Oh, nothing very serious is wrong, just a bunch of little things that keep piling up, making it seem worse than it is.  It started on Monday afternoon.  My neighbour and friend, Shannon, had brought me a whole bunch of food leftover from her Nanny's funeral on Saturday.  I decided to bring most of it to work to share - sandwiches, sweets, fruit and veggies... lots of yummy treats. When most of it was gone and I was cleaning up, I washed the glass platter she had sent some of the food on, and it slipped out of my fingers and smashed into a million smithereens. *sigh*

About two minutes after I got the millions of shards of glass swept up, I dropped my sippy cup.  Went to set it on my desk, and missed the desk.  CRASH.  Thankfully, it did not break, but everyone in the office with me was looking at me like, "first day with your new hands, Jill?" *sigh*

I tried filling out my Census online Monday night and I kept getting an error message.  I was so annoyed that I had to fill it out by hand.  And that was just the short form... imagine how cranky I'd have been if it was the long one?  At least there's that,  I guess.  *sigh*

Yesterday morning, when I was getting everything ready to leave the house, a big splash of hot coffee came out of my travel mug and burned my hand.  And I did the same thing again this morning.  Oh, and also, I missed my mouth with a swig of coffee a moment ago and it ran down the front of my sweater.  Coffee, you're supposed to be my friend, not my foe.  What the hell. *sigh*

There were a couple of last-minute kerfuffles in the office right before I was ready to leave last night, and I ended up staying for an extra half hour while we got them sorted out.  This isn't unusual this time of year - on the busy days, it often requires staying a bit later to get loose ends tied up, and it's no big deal - but on a day when you feel like you're doing nothing right, that extra half hour of kerfuffles only made me feel like a big crap-tard.  *sigh*

My plan was to cut the grass for the first time last night, but I didn't feel like it.  I glanced around the yard, contemplated leaving it because the front yard didn't look too long yet, but then decided I should go ahead and do it.  Thank GOD, because the grass in the BACK yard was a jungle.  It was so long that my mower kept stalling on me while I was cutting the back hill.  And then I'd have to let it roll slowly down the hill and re-start it at the bottom.  I'm sure the neighbours were getting a kick out of it.  *sigh*

Remember yesterday, when I bragged about conquering the ants in my house?  Well, when I came in from cutting the grass, I discovered the ants were back.  son of a bitch.  I can't even figure out where they are coming in.  When I find them, they are literally prancing around in the middle of the kitchen floor.  Last night, I found some in the living room too.  I don't know what more I can do to get rid of them.  *sigh*

This morning, I decided I wanted to try doing my hair curly.  I used to do it when I had shorter hair all the time and it always worked - a little curling product in my hair, blow dry with the diffuser, some finishing wax, and BOOM!  pretty curls!  Not today, though.  Today it looks like I rolled out of bed, ran my fingers through my hair, and left the house.  Lindsay, bless her soul, told me she liked it and that it looks "beachy."  I think it looks more "bed-heady".  But I had no time to fix it, so I had to go with it.  *sigh*

I found out this morning that I gave some mis-information to someone that resulted in a lot of wasted time and confusion.  I obviously didn't know I had the wrong information, but I feel like a total jackass about it.  This is why it's better to keep out of things that don't really involve me... *sigh*

Have I mentioned I have a cold?  Yeah.  I have a cold.  Not a bad cold, but just enough to make me feel off and disgruntled.  *sigh*

I thought writing about all the little things going wrong, that it would open my eyes to the fact that they are really small and insignificant things, but instead, all it is doing is kind of making me feel like I could cry, and I can't do that, so I think I'd better just stop here.*sigh*

Sorry for the downer, folks.  Onwards and upwards, right?  It can always be worse...

This weekend, I...

It was a busy and fun weekend with lots going on!  I don't have pictures uploaded yet, but thought I'd go ahead and share what I was up to anyways. This weekend, I...

...cleaned my house as soon as I got home from work on Friday.  Generally NOT a project I would choose to do on a late Friday afternoon, but it was in desperate need of a good dusting and vacuuming/mopping, and I didn't want to have to get up and do it Saturday morning.  Felt good to get it out of the way!

...went to a Sunset Gourmet party at my friend Stacy's Friday evening.  I don't know what was up with me, but I was really feeling like I wanted to get drunk.  Probably all the talk last week about the Sunset Gourmet Peach Sangria Slush that Stace was serving... ;)  I ate way too many yummy snacks, drank way too many little cups of slush and sangria (but didn't really get drunk after all!), placed an order for a few of the products I liked, and had a great time chatting with everyone.

... walked home from Stacy's at 10 pm, and there was not a sniff of anything bad in the air.  I lay down to watch PVR'd shows on the couch, and ended up falling asleep.  I woke up at 2 am, and my house stunk like vomit.  It was so disgusting.  I thought I was losing my mind.  I ran around trying to find where the smell was coming from, and couldn't find the source.  I finally decided it must be coming from outside.  I shut all my windows, went to bed, and fell asleep quickly.  When I woke up in the morning, the smell was completely gone.  I started to think I had dreamed it.  Then I saw some other local folks on Facebook complaining about the smell, too.  They were blaming it on farmers spreading fertilizer, and I guess they're right, but it must be some new-fangled fertilizer, because I have lived in rural Quebec all my life, and I have never smelled that before.  It was so sour and repulsive.  I love living in the country and I love the farmers as much as anyone, but I sure hope I don't have to smell that again anytime soon!

...went for a big long walk early Saturday morning.  It was so nice out, and it felt great to get out and stretch my legs and get some fresh air after the stinky night!

...battled ants!!!  I had been noticing a few ants in my kitchen the past week or so...darn nice weather brings out the pests!!!  I had an ant trap left over from last year, so I had put it out last week, but it didn't seem to be doing the trick.  I had heard somewhere that dish soap will repel them, so I put a stream of it outside my back door Friday (where I think they've been coming in).  Saturday morning?  More ants.  ugh. I bought liquid ant killer and more ant traps in Shawville on Saturday and that finally seems to have done the trick!  I haven't seen an ant since.  Phewf!

... got ready late Saturday morning and headed to Shawville to grab some groceries.  I also ended up picking up some new spring/summer clothes at Giant Tiger.  I got to the cash, and the girl was about half-way through ringing up my purchases when I rummaged through my purse and discovered I did not have my wallet with me.  I have been sticking my wallet in my camera case lately when I'm going somewhere like a party, to save myself having to carry a purse AND a camera bag, and that's where I had left it after Stacy's party the night before.  DOH!!!  I was so embarrassed. I think some people probably would have drove away as fast as they could and never returned, but I really wanted what was in my cart!  So I promised to return as quickly as possible, drove home and got my wallet, and drove back up to pay for it all.  The cashier was a total sweetheart.  She reassured me several times that "it happens all the time", bagged all of my stuff while I raced home and put it in the cooler at the back to keep my groceries cold.  When I came back, she went and got my cart, I paid her, and I was on my way.  Amazing customer service in the face of a really dopey shopper!

...didn't have much time to spare after that episode, so as soon as I got home, I whipped up a nacho dip and some guacamole, my mom picked me up, and we were off to my sister's for a big Mother's Day celebration with my brother-in-law's family.  We enjoyed an amazing BBQ supper and delicious ice cream cake that my sister made, and had lots of fun visiting.  Because the Kentucky Derby was on that day, we all picked a horse and competed for bragging rights.  My nephew Caden picked the winning horse.  I think that's the first time I've ever even watched the Kentucky Derby!

...went to church for Christian Family Sunday, and it was a lovely service.  The highlight of my day, though, was before the service started.  My niece Danica was sitting on my knee, and Miss Julia had joined us in our pew, so she was sitting right beside me.  Then all of a sudden, my buddy Sam came over and he climbed up on my knee too! For someone who longs to be a mother, it was a wonderful little Mother's Day moment for me, cozied up with some of my favourite littles. :)

...went out for brunch after church, and the restaurant was crazy-busy!  We had a bit of a wait for our food, but we weren't in any rush, and the delicious eggs benedict was totally worth the wait! YUM!!

...spent a low-key afternoon at my mom's.  Danica and I cuddled up on the couch, and while she watched her shows, I napped.  Then we had another amazing BBQ, this time chicken and pork shish kebabs with baked potatoes, veggies and dip, and Caesar salad, and then homemade apple pie for dessert.   Another big YUM!!!

...finished the weekend by catching up on some more PVR'd shows, and heading to bed early on Sunday evening.  It was such a fun-filled weekend!!  Already looking forward to the next one :)

Five Thoughts on Friday

1. Friday is sooo my favourite day of the week.  I'm so glad the weekend is finally almost here!  I'm looking forward to my friend Stacy's Sunset Gourmet Party tonight, so many of the items sound yummy.  One of the things I'm dying to try is the Peach Sangria.  I haven't had a "drink" since I fell out of love with Moscato the weekend before Christmas (I got hammered at a Christmas party and haven't been able to stomach the thoughts of it since).  I need a new "drink"!!
   
2. I was visiting my friend Sara and her fam last night, and after supper while we were out watching the kids play, we got swarmed by mosquitoes.  I hadn't seen a mosquito yet this year, and then all of a sudden, there was a thousand of them.  It really sucks that the second we get nicer weather, the bugs descend. The good news was they didn't seem to be biting the kids at all - just Sara and I!  I guess it's because we're just so sweet. ;)
3. The new JT song that dropped at midnight!  LOVE IT!!  I heard it TWICE on the radio this morning (so they're probably going to kill it fast by over-playing it) but man, it made my morning this morning!
4. I need to have me a good ol' fashioned popcorn and movie night really soon.  I've mostly watched TV shows since getting Netflix, but I have a bunch of actual movies saved to My List that I haven't got to because I always opt to watch more episodes of whatever show I'm into rather than a movie.  But I'm ready for just a regular movie night now.  Some of the ones I've saved that I'm excited to watch: Spy, Heaven Is For Real, Inside Out, Still Alice, Selfless, Ant-Man, Cinderella, The Interview, The Call, Captain Phillips, and Interstellar.
5. I'm looking forward to celebrating my amazing Mom this weekend!  I count my lucky stars every day that I have her as my mother.  She is strong, caring, loves unconditionally, has an incredible faith, admirable work ethic, and at the end of the day, I do believe she is my very best friend.  Don't know what I'd do without her.  Happy Mother's Day to my mom, and to all of my wonderful friends and family who have the privilege of being called "Mom"!!
   

Happy Friday, pals! :)

What's Up This Wednesday

Hey dudes!  The busy days are just a-flyin' it seems, but I thought I'd pop in for a quick post.  Here's what's up this Wednesday!

• Weighed myself this morning (because I forgot to yesterday) and the scales say I'm down 2 lbs. from last week.  Phewf.  My week was far from perfect in regards to healthy eating, but I figured I deserved SOME kind of reward for at least cutting out the chips and dip and snacks and chocolate every night.  It felt good to see the number go down more than a few ounces!
• In complete contrast to the above, I know that today is McHappy Day and I'm trying to figure out how I can wrangle someone into getting me a damn Big Mac today... I mean, it's for a good cause, I only want to support McHappy Day!!! ;)
  
• Remember when I was in the early stages of Season 4 of Suits, and I wasn't enjoying it so much?  Well, I'm back in love again, with only a few episodes left to go.  Mmmm Harvey... Still debating on what to turn to next when it comes to Netflix.  I'm thinking I'll give The Office a shot.
  
• Speaking of Suits... in the episode I watched last night, Mike joked about how the firm has changed it's name more times than Prince, and Rachel pretended to not know who Prince was.  And I was like, "awww, Prince." :(
  
• I downloaded a ton of Prince songs on the weekend so that I can continue my Prince education.  I also got Beyonce's new album, 'cause I need to know what all the fuss is about, with this "Becky with the good hair" business.  And thanks to my friend Shannon, I also snagged all the Maren Morris songs I could find... LOVE her voice!  "My Church" is officially my new favourite song.  Well, that, and Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias' "Messin' Around".  That one's gonna be my summer jam, I can just tell.
• https://youtu.be/AdPaUzVkzLo
• I got my hair cut last night!  I do this to my hairdresser Lisa every couple of years... I grow my hair out (and it takes a painfully long time, my hair does NOT grow fast) - and every time I go for a trim, she tells me how good I would look with a bob, and I say, "No, I NEED to have a pony tail."  And then just when it's finally reached a length I'm happy with, I get the itch for a change and tell her to chop it all off.  Last night was one of those nights.
  
• I've finally reached the point in the year when I'm no longer sad to see my hibernating days fade away, and instead I'm looking forward to the fun things the spring and summer will hold.  I'm looking forward to Girls Night in a few weeks, Relay for Life coming up at the end of the month, hoping to get together with family and friends for BBQ's and bonfires and all those fun summer occasions, and daydreaming about going to the Camp in late July.... I'm ready for tees and capris and flip-flops!
• It's alarming to hear about Fort McMurray, AB, and how the wildfires there have gotten out of control there, causing them to evacuate.  This is a big ol' country we live in, but this feels too close to home, and I can't imagine the fear they must be feeling right now as those fires are decimating entire neighbourhoods.  The pictures and videos I've seen are terrifying. Thoughts and prayers are with them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• I know I said the days are flying by - and they are - but seriously, is it only Wednesday?!?  I'm ready for the weekend!!!

Happy Hump Day!!!

'Fessing Up on Friday

Friiiiiiiiiidaayyyy!!!  Oh how I love theeeeeee!!!

Time for some Friday Confessions.  Here we go:

I confess... that I'm a little hyper and giddy this morning and really have no reason to be.  I don't have big weekend plans, I have nothing really to be excited about in this moment... and yet, here I am, hyper and giddy.  Must be Friday.

I confess... somehow between last night and this morning, I did something to tweak my lower back.  Thankfully, doesn't seem to be the kind of lower back pain that used to immobilize me completely (knock on wood).  I did a really light workout very cautiously when I got up, and it's already feeling better as I move around this morning.  I really don't want one of those awful sore backs that I used to get... I haven't had one in years, and I don't want one now!

I confess... that I was sad when I heard of Prince's sudden passing last week.  But I also confess that my knowledge of Prince's song catalog is embarrassingly limited.  "Kiss" and "Purple Rain" are really the only songs of his I knew well.  However, after seeing the video of his surprise performance at the SNL 40 After Party last February, I can now say "Let's Go Crazy" is my one of my absolute faves.  It was such a fun video to watch!

I confess... that it's a shame it takes a legendary singer/musician's passing to inspire me to get an education in their music, but that has happened to me twice now this year - first with Bowie, now with Prince.  I am grateful for "discovering" them, but sad that I didn't do so sooner.

I confess... I'm contemplating a new 'do.  I have a hair appointment coming up next week, and I feel like I might need a change.  But I'm nervous.  I've worked hard to grow my hair longer for the past few years, and I know how long it takes to get it this long (and it's not that frigging long).  If I chop it all off again, I'll be stuck with it for a while.  Oh, decisions, decisions...

I confess... that last night when I was at my friend Sharon's, she, her husband, and I were trying to come up with our "Top 5" - you know... the 5 celebrities you'd be given a "pass" on and be allowed to sleep with if the opportunity presented itself.  And Lord love a duck, it was harder to choose than I thought!!  After making my list wishy-washily, I realized I'd forgotten Jimmy (HOW COULD I FORGET JIMMY?!?!) so I had to start over again.  I even thought more about it as I tried to fall asleep last night, and again this morning, and I think I have my list finalized:  Jimmy Fallon, James Marsden, Adam Levine, Gabriel Macht, and Ryan Reynolds.  (and I did not include Wade Redden, because I don't think he counts as a celebrity anymore, but he remains my Supreme #1.)

I confess... that I'm making a lot of plans in my head these days.  Doing a lot of day-dreaming and wishful thinking... and I don't know if it will ever be thoughts and plans that become reality, but man, it's fun to have those kinds of things going on in my head again.  It's been a long time.

Happy Friday, dudes! :)

10 Shows I Can't Wait to Watch on Netflix

As I mentioned earlier this week, I'm now into the Season 4 of Suits, which is all that Netflix has of that show currently.  If I get in some quality Harvey time this coming weekend (and that's the plan), I should be ready to move on to something else very soon.  And I'm kind of excited about that.

But the problem with Netflix is it provides me with almost TOO much choice.  What to watch next?  I am having such a hard time deciding!

My List on Netflix has a ka-billion different shows saved to it, but I have narrowed it down to 10 shows that I absolutely can't wait to watch.

(please keep in mind that I already own, or have already watched, the following:  Friends, Grey's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, Sex & The City, The Big Bang Theory, Dexter, Lost, Fuller House, The Mindy Project, and soon-to-be Suits, and I also currently watch How To Get Away With Murder on TV... and that is why none of those are on the "10 Shows I Can't Wait to Watch on Netflix" list.)

Here are the Top 10, in no particular order:

1. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

I have heard good things about this Netflix original from several friends.  I so enjoyed The Mindy Project, and because of that, I think I will enjoy Kimmy too.  They tell me it's pretty funny - and with Tina Fey as the creator, how could it NOT be funny?  This one is definitely on my short list to watch.

2. Scandal

Scandal was one of the main reasons I wanted to get Netflix in the first place.  At the time that I was sorting out the "how to get Internet in my home" fiasco, both my friends Stacy and Lindsay were watching Scandal and telling me how much they loved it.  I ended up going with Suits first, but I definitely need to find out what all the hype is about Olivia Pope soon!

3. Orange is the New Black

This is another Netflix original that has had people buzzing for a long time and always made me wish I had Netflix so I could watch it too.  I read the book with our book club several years ago, and have been intrigued to watch the show ever since.

4. The Office

This one is actually new on my radar.  Truthfully, never had any interest in it before, but I'm reading Mindy Kaling's first book right now, and I didn't even realize that The Office was the launching pad for her career.  She was hired on as a writer, then ended up with a role on the show, and she talks about a lot of funny stories from the set in her book.  I want to see what it's all about now! (remember - Mindy Kaling is my girl crush these days...)

5. Downton Abbey

This is a show that comes highly recommended by my Aunt Marion, my neighbour Shannon, and my friend Lindsay - three women whose opinions I value greatly, and I trust them not to lead me astray. LOL!  It really doesn't look like my cup of tea, but if Aunt Marion, Shannon & Lindsay  tell me to give it a shot, I will.

6. Breaking Bad

A couple of years ago, when Breaking Bad was all the rage, I was so jealous that I wasn't in the loop.  People would post statuses on Facebook like "OH MY GOD BREAKING BAD LAST NIGHT SOOOO CRAZY!!!!" And I'd be like "God dammit, I wish I knew what they were talking about."  And now I finally can.

7. The Walking Dead

I'm a little bit nervous about watching scary zombies, but this is another show that has been much-talked-about, much-hyped... all the cool kids watch it, y'know?  And also, I'm interested to find out if I'll end up in love with Norman Reedus.  People seem to go ga-ga over him (like the girls in Jimmy's audience shriek more loudly than they do for Justin Bieber) but I have yet to feel the attraction.  Time will tell.

8. Bates Motel

I have a love-hate relationship with scary things.  Bates Motel is one that I think I'd like to try, but I'm afraid I'll get too creeped out.  It's kind of a prequel to the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Psycho", and that movie has always given me the heebie-jeebies, so I don't know if I can handle it.  But I want to check it out at least.

9. Homeland

People who have watched this show highly recommend it... it's not normally the kind of show I'm drawn to, though. It reminds me of 24.  Government conspiracies, terrorist plots, that kinda thing... meh.  But because so many have told me to watch it, I'm going to eventually give it a go. Plus, I'm a Claire Danes fan going back to her Romeo + Juliet and Little Women days.

10. Bloodline

Seriously, just bumped Brooklyn-Nine-Nine from this list to add Bloodline.  I know nothing about it.  But as I was scrolling through my recommendations on Netflix, it came up, and I saw Kyle Chandler is in it.  I LOVE Kyle Chandler.  (He's Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights, and the bomb guy on Grey's from a million years ago.) So Brooklyn-Nine-Nine is out, and Bloodline is in.

I know, I'm a missing a million good ones.  House of Cards, Cuckoo, Grace and Fankie, Once Upon A Time, Nashville, Wentworth, Mad Men, Flaked, Call The Midwife, Schitts Creek, The Killing... they are all on My List too, trust me!  I could watch Netflix every day, all day, for a year, and probably still not get to everything I want to watch.  I have hardly even watched any movies just because there is SO MUCH TV TO WATCH!!!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love having Netflix? ;)