gussied up

I just got back from a gallery opening with my sister. I wore earrings and everything. That's more snazzy than I've been in months.

Hah! I do bend.

I'm not the most flexible of people. I've never been able to do the splits or anything and usually I have to spend some major effort to touch my toes. And it's noticeable in my yoga class where everyone else is reaching their palms to the floor without even bending their knees.

But we learned a knew pose last night. There is no way I'll be able to explain it in words properly but it's sort of like a cross-legged thing where you try to put your knees as close to the floor as you can. Anyway, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm sitting there doing this pose thinking "this is really easy, I must be doing something wrong" when the instructor looks at me, yes AT ME! and says, "For you, you can increase the difficulty by doing such and such alteration". So I did it. Then she looked at me again and gave me another alteration to make it even harder! Then she explained the next alteration to make it even harder, because it was even too advanced for her.

I know yoga is about letting go of your ego and all that. But yeah right! Dude, I can do a move the instructor can't do! Of course when it comes next time to Downward facing Dog and Swan Dive and everyone else is kicking my butt, my ego will get sorely bruised and I'll forget all about the leg crossy move. But until then, I'm revelling in it.

mr. clean is my dream man

When I travel for work I usually come home and dump my luggage, paper, equipment, etc. on my floor. The clutter begins. If I am somewhat busy the following week the clutter in my house grows. If I go away angain the next week and return with new papers, luggage, etc. the clutter starts to take on a life of its own. You can see how this could be a problem when I am on a project that keeps me travelling every or every other week. Needless to say, my house was a bit on the messy side last week.

I am the kind of person who likes things perfectly neat. At heart, I am both a minamilist and a neat freak (I blame my mother). However, in reality I am not very good at keeping things neat and uncluttered or at getting rid of stuff I don't need (I blame my father). While not a dirty kind of messy person I am in fact a fairly disorganized kind of messy person. I am not at all talented at keeping things neat and tidy.

Thus, the state of my house usually upsets me and stresses me out a bit because I am constantly wishing it were cleaner. And I feel like my life is in disorder because my house is. I need those Clean Sweep people to come and show me what's what. Hey, that's kind of funny. You'd think I would watch their show and try to learn something - but I've never actually seen an episode, just commercials.

Anyway, this weekend, I feel great. After staying up late Friday night at a friend's wedding reception party thing, I woke up on Saturday morning and started cleaning for hours with my roomate as I mentioned in my previous post. Yesterday after lunch a bunch of people from my church came over to see my house. I loved how clean it was and how excited everyone was for me and my place. After they left I just sat and basked in the cleanliness.

This morning I woke up to a clean room and kitchen and bathroom and living room.

I think I will be in a good mood all week just because of my house. Unfortunately next week I leave for a 2 week road trip for work. I wonder if I will be able to manage to keep the cycle from repeating. Maybe I should try motivating myself with a prize or something. Any ideas?

This is hilarious. Right now my roomate and I, who are both sitting in my living room, are talking to the same person on MSN. Ah technology, how much you've changed our lives.

today

I hate being assertive. Today I had to tell someone something that I really didn't want to. But there is the whole "the truth will set you free" thing so I decided, with roomate encouragement, that I should. I don't know why it is so hard for me to be open about some things with certain people because in a lot of aspects of my life I am such an open person.

Anyway, I spent today cleaning. I got up, watched the Match Game and ate some watermelon and then go down to some cleaning. Didn't stop until around 3:30 when my roomate and I decided to make some lunch. I love it when it's clean - I feel very happy.

This evening I went on a scavenger hunt with my youth group. It was so much fun - I totally didn't want to go because I was still in cleaning mode. But I knew I'd have fun if I went and I did.

Oh, and I found out that my only female first cousin is going to have a baby. This is big news for her, and a little on the surprising side.

being in shape is overrated right?

alternate title: why my gluteus maximus hurts so much

so, i got busy over the last few months and stopped going to the gym. i was semi active this summer but not enough to stay in decent shape. i started up my gym membership again this week (i usually cancel it in the summer) to rectify this situation. yes, the fact that i am going to mexico for a friend's wedding in december has something to do with it.

i've been having trouble getting motivated so i've decided to set the goal of 3 visits a week. a yoga class, a core strength class and one day to do my own thing. this past tuesday, i arrived early so i started off the visit with a short, hard run before the yoga class began. now i'd heard, through my gym's grapevine, that the instructor is one of the ones that takes it really seriously so i had sort of been avoiding her. i like the active yoga or pilatees styles since i'm not really up for practicing the religion of yoga. but she is the only instructor at my gym, so i decided to give her a try. sure enough, i arrived and she started explain how hatha yoga is different from yoga fit. but it didn't sound all that bad. she said it was about not pushing your body to do things it can't do, but instead enjoying yourself and relaxing and taking pleasure in it, all the while concentrating on your breathing and technique. she said since most of us were new, we'd start off with an easy class of all the good stuff. "nothing too hard." i was a bit disappointed since i actually wanted a real workout. she lied. it was extremely challenging, moreso than the yoga fit classes i've taken before. the poses were killer and i was retardedly sore the next day, which would be yeseterday. i will be going to that class again.

if i was going to continue with my plan, it meant that today i had to go to the core strength class. now this is my weakest point i'd have to say. which is why i picked that class to attend. i knew it would be hard. and, brilliant me, was right. i couldn't even do the tricep kickbacks because my legs were shaking too much for me to stand up from all the lunges, squats and planks. we did this horrible and terrible exercise to work our outer thighs that made me want to die. i will be going to that class again too.

so here i sit, content in my excessive soreness. remind me of how much this hurts next time i get "too busy" to stay in shape.

now, bed. the pain will really hit tomorrow. does anyone else understand that even though it hurts, it is so incredibly satisfying? or is it just me.

You killed my father. Prepare to die.

I was watching the show Criminal Minds tonight. My roomate all of the sudden realised that the main character Jason Gideon played by this man


Is none other than an old favourite of mine. In university I had a Mexican sombrero wearing bookend that I named after him.



Inigo Montoya himself.

Ka-boom. I think not.

Most excellent. I finally (actually Ky finally) got around to checking whether my battery was one of the recalled ones from Dell. It's not. No blowing up from this laptop.

The sad story of the state of my leisure time

Following my previous post I retired to my room where I discovered two things. First that, not only did my tv not have cable but that it didn't even have farmer vision.** Second, that my life is in a sad state. By that I mean that I practically had a panic attack when I realized there was nothing for me to do for the entire evening. Here is my tale.

After changing out of my gross survey-dirtied clothes I did a quick check of the tv. The news was on on CBC and some kid's movie on the next station up, but I didn't pay attention to the channel name. As I flicked through I realised there was only five stations. "Sucky," I thought. But it didn't worry me because all the shows I wanted to watch that evening (read The premiere of Survivor which I've been looking forward to for weeks!) would be on CTV, "and everyone in Saskatchewan gets CTV, even if they don't have cable". So I watched the rest of the kid's movie and ordered a pizza. I even saved my no sugar added chocolate bar to enjoy while I watched Survivor. By the way, Surviror is my favourite show. Anyway, I did a very small amount of work while I waited for 7pm to arrive. And then, panic struck. I turned through the channels and paid a bit more attention this time. There was no CTV. NO CTV!!! Which meant no Survivor. In a pout, I turned off the tv and worked on a couple reports. About 8:30 I was bored and turned the tv back on to explore what I actually did have.

CBC - which alternated between repeating the exact same story (every half hour) about the terrible shooting in Montreal and a ridiculously boring black and white movie.

TSN - which didn't even have a game on, just clips and guys spouting their sporting predictions. Not my thing.

Showtime - which had a special on about sex and art. Definately not my thing.

HBO - which had a documentary on profanity (and because it's HBO they used all the words they were documenting as many times as they wanted). Without a doubt, not my thing.

and CNN - all war stuff.

I tried to rent a DVD to watch on my laptop. But after driving by the turn-off twice and having to proceed five minutes down the highway until I found a road to cross over and double back, they wouldn't let me rent anything at the movie store because I was not from that town. I've done a lot of travelling in the past year for work, they always let you rent it if you are from out of town. You just need a VISA. Not this place - they were very unhospitible. I returned to the hotel almost in tears (not really, more perturbed than anything) because I was going to have to just sit and think. I had no book to read, nothing to watch on TV, no internet and no movie to entertain myself with. I suppose I could have found the bar and met some locals. I would have preferred watching CNN. So that is what I did. I kept working on reports and watched war stuff. I was very glad to leave that place the next day. Serves me right for forgetting to bring even a book.

** Farmer vision is the name my friends (most of whom lived on a farm) used for their television stations. Which pretty much consisted of chanel 2 - CBC and channel 8 - CTV. Cable was not an option for farm people back then.

Thank goodness for the coat hanger

I did this wrong. I conducted my surveys in the towns with the nice hotels first and the scary hotels second. The one I am in tonight, does not even have a phone in my room (I am currently on the internet in the office). Although apart from lack of phone and kind of old bed comforter, it is at least a clean room with cable and a fridge. Last night though, let's just say I smell a bit odiferous today because I did not want to go near the bathtub. I just left that shower curtain closed thank you very much. Sadly, I was forced to use the toilet (thanks a lot call of nature). Which didn't flush. At least not without using a wire coat hanger (there was no way my hands were going in there) to pull up the thingy in the back of the toilet that lets the water out.

I mean, it's fine - it's not like I haven't stayed in worse - the hotel (if you could call it that) where the guy working actually said "Ah, you might want to take a look at it before you give me your money" was definately worse. But the one in Weyburn that I got for two nights was so beautiful. Yes, beautiful. Never thought I'd say that I miss Weyburn. It might partly be the quad's fault* too. I should have saved the best for last.

Okay, time to go shower.

* see previous entry

Trees and men and dancing

Some thoughts.

There is a girl in my hotel that has the job I want. I assume it is some kind of drilling company or something that she works for. But I don't really care. She has a big truck with a logo of a tree on the side. So far so good. What puts her over the top? There is the most beautiful quad in the back of it. It even has a winch. Shannon wants. I am going to google the company immediately and see if they have any job openings.

I watched part of that Dancing with the Stars tonight and Mario Lopez is seriously and ridiculously adorable. It's like watching my first episode of Saved By the Bell all over again. Oh, and I was shocked how funny Jerry Springer was. I've never watched his show because I think that kind of talk show is retarded (personal opinion) but he was, though a pretty terribly dancer technically, a fantastic performer.

I went running today in Tatagwa Park (here is a painting that is pretty close to the real thing). Who knew there was such a peaceful pretty place in Weyburn?

I am watching a new show called "Men in Trees". I think I like the premise. And I'm surprised and how much I like Anne Heche - I've never been a fan of hers.

Anyway, that's today.

cup or hand

I am sitting in a hotel room warming up a Michelina's for breakfast and I don't have any utensils. Last nights supper required me to use the stir sticks they have in here for coffee as my "chopsticks" but silly me not at all thinking ahead, I threw them out. Not sure yet what I am going to do. I suppose the options are to use a glass or my fingers.

Right now I am down in SE Sk for the week conducting building audits. Last night I was feeling a bit lonely and wishing I knew someone in this town. I think I was grossly overtired from not having slept well in a week. Today seems better so far but I can't help wondering how long my life will consist of a couple of days at home and then a week here and a week there on the road, stopping in all sorts of little towns and looking for all sorts of gross things in buildings (I got caught up in a spider web yesterday - and I'm terrified of spiders. It was hard not to squeal).

This weekend I attended the wedding of a very good friend of mine in Calgary. I had a truly wonderful time. I got to sleep in the same room with her on her last night of singleness and talk about all those things that a bride talks about the night before her marriage begins. Then the next day I got to run around and help do all the last minute emergencies that are necessary the day of a wedding which included picking her up from the hair dresser when her sister forgot her shoes and had to drive home to pick them up instead of deposit the bride at the dressmakers to pick up the main accessory of the whole event. I greatly enjoyed helping with all these little things. My friend was a laid back bride and sort of just went along with what the day brought. For instance, I don't know how many brides could have handled getting big yellow sap stains on their dress during the pictures only minutes before the wedding was to begin. Jess just siged and said "something like this always happens to us honey" and then the day went on (By the end of the reception she was also covered with chocolate stains). Anyway, I hope that my wedding someday, if there is to be one, is like hers. A bunch of family and friends, a laid back day, a chocolate fountain (for serious) at the reception, and more focused on the marriage than the wedding. A cute Brazilian groom, like hers, would also be a welcome addition.

Anyway, time for my day to commence. And just so you know, the cup is not working out too well. I'd advise against it.

three things

3 things that scare me are:

spiders, dying alone in the Bridget Jones alone-and-being-eaten-by-stray-dogs way, fluffing

3 people that make you laugh:

Lyn, Bronwyn, Ray Romono

3 things that you hate the most?

tomatoes, back pain, feeling jealous

3 things I don't understand:

computers, guys, abstract art

3 things I am doing right now:

watching tv, preparing for tomorrow's survey, avoiding something

3 things I want to do before I die:

help combine a field, go to a rainforest, get toned abdominal muscles

3 things I can do: make a fantastic white wine and cilantro snapper, french braid, count to 10 in 3 languages

3 things I can't do:

count to 10 in 4 languages, fix my computer, eat a bug on purpose

3 things I think you should listen to:

the weather network, dolphins, Regina's community radio station

3 things you should never listen to:

the bad conscience on your left shoulder, diet pill commercials, nails being drug down a chalkboard

3 things I'd like to learn:

sign language, the vietniese waltz (spelling?), how to identify all the trees in the world apart

3 favorite foods:

grapes, watermelon, corn chips

3 beverages I drink regularly:

milk, water, grapefruit juice

3 shows I watched as a kid:

darkwing duck, rescue rangers, full house

3 things I have on my desk:

I am at a hotel - so the office laptop, my phone, my glasses case

3 things I am grateful for:

family, friends, faith

dunh dunh dunh...

My dreaded surveys have started. Today was the first, tomorrow is the 2nd. Usually I can take about 20, maybe 30 samples a day. A long day. Tomorrow I may have to take up to 80. I have warned my boss that this may be impossible. Oh well, we'll see how it goes.

swimmin' in the crick

Unbelievable. I have to cross a somewhat busy street to get to and from work. I have the stop sign and sometimes it takes awhile to get across. And by awhile, I mean you might have to wait for 3 minutes or so. So instead of freaking out everytime, I just mentally prepare that I may have to wait a few minutes. No biggie.

Today, there was a man in a blue car behind me at the stop sign. I could tell he was getting impatient because he kept making these large sigh-of-frustration movements that I could see in my rearview mirror. Personally, I don't really care if he is frustrated that I am sitting at a stop sign waiting for a break in traffic instead of trying to race through and make the other vehicles with THE RIGHT OF WAY either slow down or hit me. I agree it can be a tad frustrating when there is a break in one direction but a ton of cars coming from the other but ohmygosh, it's going to put you out like 3 minutes. Anyways, the dude actually pulls over on my right as if he is going to turn right - which is a common thing that people do at that intersection if they get tired of waiting. I grinned to myself because it was easily obvious that a break in traffic big enough for both of us to make it through was coming but whatever. I shift to first and begin to cross the intersection. But instead of turning right, like I expected, he actually turns left around and in front of me I just about hit him because I didn't realize he was going to be a jerk. Part of me wanted to speed up a bit so I would hit him, because it was so rude of him and totally his idiocrocy that would have been the cause of the accident (in court anyway). But since I'm not like that in life (only occasionally in thought) I instead just honked. I never honk at people on purpose so it was actually quite a big gesture from me. What a jerk. Why are Saskatoon drivers so uptight and selfish and in such a rush? I don't get it. I mean where was he needing to be at 5:16 that he couldn't have arrived at 5:19 and still been okay? Oh well, he's the one who's going to have the heart attack if he doesn't learn to chill.

On another topic, I had a really nice weekend at my church's retreat in Park Valley. The highlight was jumping from an old bridge into the river/creek thing below. It was a perfect way to spend an end-of-summer afternoon. The guys got increasingly show-offish and by the end they had backed up a truck to the bridge to get higher and were launching people into the river like a catapault (spelling?). We also had a bbq picnic in a field and followed that with a big relay involving farm chores. It was hilarious. Each team had to do things like carrying hay bales, cleaning up hay with a pitchfork, playing a game of horseshoes, etc. Plus we had to be dressed up in overalls and rubber boots and work gloves and stuff. So we looked ridiculous in more than one way. Campfires everynight, good farm cooking and lots of time to relax made for a good time. My only regret is that I didn't sleep outside the last night and apparently there were some fantastic northern lights. It has motivated me to get on with my plans to purchase a warmer sleeping bag so I will be able to next year.

poop in the fan

So I hummed and haaed about attending my co-worker's (also known as New Guy even though he's been around for over a year already) 30th birthday party last night but I ended up deciding to doll up and go. It was quite a good time and I really liked the venue. It was a surprise party planned by his girlfriend so there were tons of his other friends there. My boss and I arrived late but NG's girlfriend told us NG totally perked up when we arrived, like he was excited that his daytime buddies came out.

I love the people that I work with. We've got an older guy whose office is in the back (he's quiet and has loads of kids at home). Then there is the boss girl who is 30 and is always making a big effort to make sure everyone is happy. Then there is E, the other girl who was there when I started. She's turning 30 in a couple months and has two cute little boys at home. I am the baby of the office. For the most part, we have a fantastic atmosphere. The 3 30's and myself get along famously. We laugh a lot and if it wasn't for how much I like the people, I don't think I could stay at this job. The 4 of us are the "Hazmat" group and business has been pretty good. But the older guy handles a different department and, well, he's been making some big mistakes lately. I honestly think he might get fired next week which seems insane to me. So there are changes going on at my office. For one, I was offered a promotion about a month ago and finally decided to take it. New Guy is also newly promoted and taking over a lot of Older guy's work. Which is good since OG might get fired. Plus we might hire a new Tech. So it's kind of crazy right now. We are all just riding out the storm of OG at the moment, waiting for the company's presidents to decide what to do with him. This is more drama then I'm used to.

Anyway, so yeah. I'm a PM now. Not sure how I feel about it yet, hopefully it will be kind of cool.

I'm off for a weekend retreat shortly though. I must go pack.