The change of a color....

Is it really Monday morning already or am I dreaming? Oh how I would love to wake up in my bed with the dog snoring away in my ear and realize that it's just Saturday morning. We had a busy weekend.

Friday night we popped over to my MIL's for dinner. She didn't feel like cooking, so we ordered East Side Mario's (YAY!) and just chatted for a bit. I could seriously live on the ESM cheese cappaelleti and their italian wedding soup. Sooooo good. Everyone laughs at me because whenever we order in my suggestion is always ESM. People say "are you not sick of it yet".... NOPE!

Saturday was GORGEOUS. I opened all the windows and cleaned the house while DH was with his Dad at the driving range. I got on such a roll that I even did the "chores" that I generally set aside for Bub. He was very grateful when he got home. I washed all our bedding and hung it outside to dry (nothing beats the smell of sheets off the line). Saturday night we went over to FIL's for steak, some beers and a couple games of cards. Lots of fun.
Yesterday was rainy and yucky and I was just feeling down (for no particular reason) and I could tell DH was a little grumpy too so we decided to go out for burgers for lunch. We don't eat fast food very often, so it's a treat. We stopped by Lowe's on the way home because I'm desperate to get SOMETHING off of my house "to do" list done. Then I remembered that my mom had this awesome grey paint she bought for her bathroom and had almost a gallon left- which she said we could have. We popped by there to pick it up and then tackled painting the living room. We only got it half done but the color looks really good, especially for two beginner painters who really didn't know what we were doing. I was so sick of beige. The whole house, with the exception of the office and spare bedroom was beige when we bought it and in the words of Mr. Big (for those who don't know... he's from Sex and the City) "beige is bullshit". Well, not all beige is BS, just THAT much beige. I need color in my life! We're going to finish tonight and then tackle painting the powder room either one evening this week or this weekend. I got an awesome purple for that room... it will look good. That will cross two things off my list and it will have cost me nothing! :) If it's nice this weekend I am going to tacke washing the windows and the blinds etc. Not a fun job, but something that needs to be done and won't cost me anything! The house is a disaster with everything ripped apart for painting, but I'll get it all put back together tonight and it will be worth it.

Needless to say I can't believe that weekend is over already. I can't believe I'm already sitting her again.

Is it Friday yet?

Spring has sprung... what to do first?

I’ve got a huge case of spring fever. I’m reading to get cracking on my gardens, the lawn, the garage, the roof, decorating the house etc. This will be our first spring/summer in the house so there’s LOTS to do and I’m anxious to get going.

DECORATING:

I thought I’d get the decorating done over the winter, but I just didn’t have the motivation, energy or money for some reason. Now I have all these ideas and don’t even know where to start.

-I want to paint the living room, master bedroom and both bathrooms.
-I want to reface or paint the kitchen cabinets.
-I’m totally overhauling our bedroom. In addition to painting the walls, I want new curtains, new bedding and I am going to paint some of the furniture.
-Find a funky chair for the office/library so I can complete my “reading corner”
-new window coverings for most of the main windows

ORGANIZING:

-I have already cleaned out my closet and for the 2nd year in a row, most of my clothes are too big and I’m left with almost nothing (I have the big walk in and it’s almost empty… DH has the tiny closet in the spare bedroom and it’s jammed). I’m going to have to find some money and go shopping SOON. This is really frustrating when you have no money.
-Go through the storage bins in basement- sort for trash and garage sale
-Clean our garage- sort for trash and garage sale
-Get my books from my mums and organize my library

LAWN/GARGENING:

-Set up professional lawn care treatment plan
-seed bare spots on lawn
-plant box shrubs at front of house
-dig out over run garden in back yard and plant
-dig out new gardens in back yard
-buy hanging and potted plants for all around the house
-trim large pine trees in front
-clean out under the pine trees
-edge along driveway
-level out two spots in back yard

HOUSE:

-get estimate for new shingles and book someone (YIKES!!!)
-wash windows
-clean gutters
-fix patio stones at front of house the heaved in the winter (need to level them out)
-buy and install clothes line in back yard

LONG-TERM:

-finish basement (make a laundry and rec room)
-buy/install new furnace
-start replacing windows (as needed)My god, I just realized how HUGE this list is. I better get my ass in gear and I should probably plan to win the lottery or rob a bank since I’m BROKE!

UN-BE-LIEVABLE

are you f***ing kidding me with this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVKlFT58Zwc

I suppose ignorance is bliss for some people. What pisses me off is that it's those same ignorant people that feel superior for reasons they know NOTHING about.
I'd like to point out a couple things (and please keep in mind that I am not attacking the US on a whole. These comments are meant specifically for the people in this video. I do not generalize that their opinions represent all Americans- so save that debate for someone else please).

1. I have lived in Canada my whole life and have seen a Mounty, as described, actually on duty exaclty 0 times outside of Ottawa. We have regular city (or provincial) police, just like the US has city and state police. They don't wear red and they don't ride horses. The RCMP (mounties) as described in the video, have a very limited presence across the country and you are likely to go from coast to coast and NOT SEE A MOUNTY like that, unless you enter the capital or certain, very remote, areas.

2. We're a "cold" country which makes us a "hearty people". The reference to our climate always makes me laugh. Yes, we are a four season country (for the most part) and therefore we have cold months with snow and freezing temps, however, we have regular spring, fall and summer. Last summer in my home town (Barrie, ON) the temps sat at an average of 25-30 degrees celcius (77-86 F) and gets as high and 30 or 40 + humidity for the brutal weeks of July and Aug. This is not uncommonly warm for our areas, this is summer. I do not live in snow YEAR ROUND, it is NOT ALWAYS COLD.

3. I find it interesting that this guy is PROUD of the fact that he thinks their cops have to wear bullet proof vests in the US and ours don't (which- by the way-is completely false. I know several police officers, all of whom have bullet proof vests.... but we'll let this guy think what he wants). If that was the case (and I'm 100% sure that it's not) how is that a positive for the US and a negative for Canada? Wouldn't people rather live in a country where that kind of thing was NOT required??? I know that I would.

I'm not even going to comment on the main issue, which is regarding the Canadian military. I think it's beyond DISGUSTING and I can't even begin to describe how I feel about his comments. I could go on and one and on, but I think I'll just get more pissed off. I ask one simple thing of ALL people. If you don't know what you're talking about, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! It saves you from looking like an a$$ later.

Crappy cars, video games, head colds and spring thaw.

Friday night DH and I went to my in-laws for dinner. She finally got a new car (after hers was stolen in Niagara Falls a while back) so I took it for a spin and OH MY GOD it made me want a new car even more. I can’t stand our current car. BUT… I have to wait and that’s that.
I played Guitar hero for the first time that same night and got totally addicted. So much so that DH and I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home to buy our own. We ended up getting Rock Bank instead which is even MORE hilarious. We totally can’t afford to buy crap like that right now, but I can’t wait to have some friends over for beers and play. It’s a riot! Unfortunately- that was the same night that I started feeling sick. By Saturday morning I felt like crap and it took all my power not to stick dynamite up my nose to clear my sinuses.

This weekend was gorgeous! The temps reached + 13 and it was sunny and lovely. Most of the snow in my back yard is gone, although there’s still some in the front because of the large trees (and therefore lack of sun). It was sooooo nice to have the windows open, get some fresh air circulating through the house. There’s something about being able to hear the outside world when your inside that makes you feel less cooped up. Even if it is just the cars passing by or kids playing across the street.

Saturday was a write-off because I felt like crap. I laid on the couch all day watching TV and didn’t even bother getting dressed. Sunday however was the best! I had to go in to work for about an hour so I got up showered (which made me feel better on its own) went to Tim’s and then to work. When I was done the sun was beaming and it was gorgeous so I went to the butcher and got some steaks to bbq that night. I just needed summer food. We had lunch on the back deck and then DH and I took the dog for a walk out on a country trail. It was a bit of a mistake because it was super mucky and Lola was filthy by the end of the walk, but it was so nice to be out in the mild weather and under the sun. Then I had a nap… with the windows open and breeze flowing. It was AWESOME. I sat on the deck while DH bbq’d the steaks and it was probably one the best meals I’ve had. I’m sooooooo happy that winter is coming to an end. I was coming to the end of my rope in terms of being confined to the house. I need the sun, I need fresh air and I need to be able to be outside without getting frost bite!

I’m so looking forward to bringing the patio furniture out, getting started on my gardens, pulling my flip flops out of storage and getting back to the cottage. This summer couldn’t arrive fast enough!

6am is just too early to function

I got to the gym about 10 minutes late this morning so I was rushing in the changeroom to get ready because there are only a handful of treadmills, so if your not early you end up waiting. I went up, did my workout and it wasn't until I was on my cool down that I caught my reflection in the window. I inwardly groaned...

1. Apparently I forgot to remove my eye makeup last night before washing my face, and because I was in a rush this morning I just threw deodorant on, brushed my teeth and ran out the door... so the result was a total mascara and eyeliner meltdown under my eyes! Gross.

2. My shirt was on INSIDE OUT! I had a big white tag sticking out the side of my black shirt and the tag on the neck was flapping behind me through my whole run!

Good thing it's not a beauty contest at my gym... I'm sure I would have been kicked out today! LOL My excuse is that it's 6am and my brain just doesn't really function that early.

Apparently I need one of these for my early morning runs:

Good weekend... but I'm a bad wife!

Friday night was date night. The first date night we’ve ever officially had. DH was in charge of planning the night and he did a great job. We got dressed up (I got to wear my new red pumps!!!!) and he took me to an amazing new restaurant for dinner. I had a vegetable spring roll and then sweet potato ravioli and it was amazing- honestly one of, if not the best meals I have ever had. We had good conversation and when we left, we headed next door to DQ for dessert! Then we parked at the (frozen) lake to eat our ice cream. The plan was to go to a movie and then for drinks at a local martini bar, but I didn’t know that. I asked if we could go home to change before the movie since I didn’t want to be in a dress and heels at the theatre and he agreed. By the time we got home with our overstuffed stomachs I was exhausted so I begged him to let me rain check on the movie and curl up in bed. He reluctantly agreed and it wasn’t until later that I found out that the movie was not supposed to be the end of the night… and he had planned on fancy drinks after. I felt terrible for ruining his plans and had I known I would have sucked it up and gone and it would have been a lot of fun. I felt soooooo bad that he had planned it all out and I ruined it. He’s so good though… he didn’t complain, he just told me later (when I asked) that he had been disappointed because he had been looking forward to the whole night all day and thought that dinner was the beginning. Poor guy.

Saturday we went car shopping and I fell in love with two different vehicles (a Mazda 3 and a Ford Escape). We can’t decide which we want. We have to agree because we only have one car so it has to be something we are both comfortable driving. It was fun to test drive all the different cars and get a feel for what we like/dislike. We were supposed to go out to a friends, friends birthday party on Saturday night, but I decided at the last minute to stay home. DH went without me and I got to lounge by myself with the dog (which I love). I fell asleep on the couch only to wake up and drag my butt up to bed.

Sunday we had to go grocery shopping but other than that, we didn’t do anything and I loved it. I told DH that I wanted his lasagna for dinner and I helped him make it…. it was soooo good (5 cheese= oh so yummy). Now we have leftover lasagna coming out the butt, but I’ll gladly eat it for lunch every day this week! I made homemade Caesar dressing too… it was good, but not what I had in mind.

Now I’m going home to make homemade pizza’s on pita bread…. I love having a husband that loves to cook!

GREAT.... this will be the one thing my kids will inherit from their Dad.

EAR INFECTIONS! GREAT! My husband still suffers from chronic ear infections (poor guy). His one ear has been bothering him for a couple of weeks, but last night the pain came on with a vengence. I will give him props for the fact that he's learning (although it's taken over 8 years) that I will do whatever I can to take care of you when your sick... until you start to whine. Once I hear "hunnnnnnny.... I'mmmm siiiiiiiick" I lose all sympathy and compassion and couldn't care less how you feel. At that point, you're on your own buddy. Nothing is more annoying than a fully grown man whining. Last night, he didn't say much, he just had this pained look on his face and was holding his ear. So, I was giving him hot wash clothes and excedrin... trying to make him feel better. I don't know how he slept, but it was bad enough that he's not going to work today.
I just KNOW that this will be the one thing my kids (when I have them) will get from their Dad... and I will have many a sleepless night with kids screaming from their ear pain. I've never had one (knock on wood) but I can tell by Bub's reaction that they are non-to-pleasant. He has great pain tolerance, but even he has a hard time dealing ear pain, so I can't imagine what it's like for a kid.

I started the sales portion of my job yesterday and I LOVE it so far. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come... and that sticking out through all the stress and crap of the last 6 months was worth it?!?! I had a great day yesterday. Consistently busy, challenged, but not overwhelmed. I hopped from one thing to the next and worked a 10 hour day happily! ;) Maybe today can be the same, although I need to get to the gym so 8.5 hours would be good just for today!

Better get back to work!