Today was the official last day at my "old" job.
Tomorrow is my official first day at the "new" one.
I think I'll be doing a lot of the things from my "old" job for a while because both jobs are in the same department and a replacement has not yet been hired for me.
Today was nutty. Because I was away yesterday, and due to the fact that the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month are particularly busy for me, it was an insane day. I didn't get much time to pack up the last few items around my desk.
Mark came back with me to the office after dinner though and, with the help of a co-worker who was still there, we schlepped the rest of my stuff up to my new office.
My old desk looks sad now, bare. It's very clean though, and smells like windex.
I'm a little nervous about tomorrow if I'm honest. It'll be good though, I'm confident.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
home again
We're home. Safely.
It was cold in Montreal. Bitterly so. Windy, bone chillingly cold.
I was happy to hear though, that we just being wimpy Ontarians and that they'd been having a relatively mild winter until the past week and a bit or so.
The show last night at the Metropolis in Montreal was terrific. Awesome even, much better than when we saw Belle & Sebastian in New York.
The New Pornographers were great too. They primarily stuck to songs from Twin Cinema, which was fine by me. Unfortunately, there were some sound issues during their set. Mark always jokes that for an opening band, the sound guy keeps the button "that makes you sound good" locked up until the headliner comes on. In all seriousness, it was almost as if, when they first started, the PA was too small for the room and the sound guy was trying to find a balance between what sounded okay and what would be way too loud.
Another thing I noticed about this particular crowd, at least in the part of the club where we stood, was how rude everyone was. I'm not sure if this a typical Montreal thing or just this show but people never shut the hell up. Talk, talk, talk...all through the New Pornographers set. It was actually distracting at times. We also noticed that many of the people there didn't seem to know why they were there in the first place. They seem to have little or no interest in either band (not to mention no familiarity with the music) and rather pranced around a bit, "seeing and being seen." It was odd. On the other hand, there was no smoking in the venue so, I guess if the trade off for not smelling like an ashtray and not being able to breathe was putting up with some chatty kids, that's fair.
The really great thing about the show, that I appreciated, was the punctuality of it all. Belle and Sebastian took the stage around 9:30 p.m., just as scheduled. It was refreshing because I have to tell you, one of the things I dislike about Kingston or Toronto shows is how late they start.
Anyway, they sounded terrific. Everyone in the band seemed really into the show, really happy and genuinely excited to be there. I don't know if this just how they normally are on a tour or if this is a "second day of the tour" euphoria but I for one, appreciated it greatly.
From what I can remember, here is what they played (in no particular order):
The State I am In
Another Sunny Day
Seeing Other People
To Be Myself Completely
The Blues are Still Blue
Piazza, New York Catcher
String Bean Jean
Dog on Wheels
Mayfly
Sukie In The Graveyard
Electronic Renaissance
Funny Little Frog
White Collar Boy
I'm a Cuckoo
Judy And The Dream Of Horses
Your Cover's Blown (YAY!!!)
Jonathan David
I know I've missed a couple but that's what I recall just now. I was really thrilled that they did Your Cover's Blown because I just love that song.
One sort of amusing but really sad thing I overheard last night:
girl standing to my left to her male friend, "is that guy out front, like, the main guy?"
male friend to girl standing to my left, "um, yeah."
I'll write more about the rest of the trip later. Particularly about the flat tire we got on Saint Laurent Boulevard at 11:41 p.m., after the show. For now, I'm just happy to be home!!
It was cold in Montreal. Bitterly so. Windy, bone chillingly cold.
I was happy to hear though, that we just being wimpy Ontarians and that they'd been having a relatively mild winter until the past week and a bit or so.
The show last night at the Metropolis in Montreal was terrific. Awesome even, much better than when we saw Belle & Sebastian in New York.
The New Pornographers were great too. They primarily stuck to songs from Twin Cinema, which was fine by me. Unfortunately, there were some sound issues during their set. Mark always jokes that for an opening band, the sound guy keeps the button "that makes you sound good" locked up until the headliner comes on. In all seriousness, it was almost as if, when they first started, the PA was too small for the room and the sound guy was trying to find a balance between what sounded okay and what would be way too loud.
Another thing I noticed about this particular crowd, at least in the part of the club where we stood, was how rude everyone was. I'm not sure if this a typical Montreal thing or just this show but people never shut the hell up. Talk, talk, talk...all through the New Pornographers set. It was actually distracting at times. We also noticed that many of the people there didn't seem to know why they were there in the first place. They seem to have little or no interest in either band (not to mention no familiarity with the music) and rather pranced around a bit, "seeing and being seen." It was odd. On the other hand, there was no smoking in the venue so, I guess if the trade off for not smelling like an ashtray and not being able to breathe was putting up with some chatty kids, that's fair.
The really great thing about the show, that I appreciated, was the punctuality of it all. Belle and Sebastian took the stage around 9:30 p.m., just as scheduled. It was refreshing because I have to tell you, one of the things I dislike about Kingston or Toronto shows is how late they start.
Anyway, they sounded terrific. Everyone in the band seemed really into the show, really happy and genuinely excited to be there. I don't know if this just how they normally are on a tour or if this is a "second day of the tour" euphoria but I for one, appreciated it greatly.
From what I can remember, here is what they played (in no particular order):
The State I am In
Another Sunny Day
Seeing Other People
To Be Myself Completely
The Blues are Still Blue
Piazza, New York Catcher
String Bean Jean
Dog on Wheels
Mayfly
Sukie In The Graveyard
Electronic Renaissance
Funny Little Frog
White Collar Boy
I'm a Cuckoo
Judy And The Dream Of Horses
Your Cover's Blown (YAY!!!)
Jonathan David
I know I've missed a couple but that's what I recall just now. I was really thrilled that they did Your Cover's Blown because I just love that song.
One sort of amusing but really sad thing I overheard last night:
girl standing to my left to her male friend, "is that guy out front, like, the main guy?"
male friend to girl standing to my left, "um, yeah."
I'll write more about the rest of the trip later. Particularly about the flat tire we got on Saint Laurent Boulevard at 11:41 p.m., after the show. For now, I'm just happy to be home!!
Sunday, February 26, 2006
argh, snow!
You can't really tell from the photo but we got a butt load of snow yesterday. The snow drifted all around our car and on our front steps/porch. It was about 8 inches high in spots. Thankfully, it hasn't started to melt yet so it's still light and fluffy.
At least the plows have been out and I'm sure that the highway is fine. I'm so glad that we hadn't been planning on going to the Toronto Belle & Sebastian show last night. It would have been no fun at all trying to drive into TO yesterday.
I think we'll probably hit the road in a couple of hours. I'm really excited about the show.
When we saw them in the fall, as I've mentioned before, it was at the "Across the Narrow" festival in New York. I haven't written about the actual show before, I guess I just didn't take the time because there was so much to say about the whole day.
When we got to the park (Keyspan Park in Coney Island), we could hear Whirlwind Heat playing. They continued to play as we found a spot to camp out for the day. We didn't see much of their show so I can't really comment on it other than to say they weren't bad, not exciting or really different from what we saw of them but not bad.
The next bad was dreadful. They were called Gang Gang Dance. They made us want to "gag gag heave," it wasn't just us either. Everyone around us was complaining about these guys. All I can really say about them is that I think they knew how horrible they were. They never even stopped for a breath between songs and the few folks who were in the park when they played cheered and clapped with vigor when they finished. Everyone was shouting "yay, finally, you suck!" Fortunately, they only played about 40 minutes. It felt a lot longer than that but it could have been much much worse.
Next on the bill was a Canadian band, Dragonette. They were okay, I thought. Sort of 80's style pop, boppy and forgettable. After Gang Gang Dance though, they sounded really good. As I expect would whoever followed GGD.
At long last, someone I actually wanted to see was up, The Raveonettes. I was super impressed with their show. All summer, I'd been listening to their albums. The live show was terrific although, I felt bad for them because they seemed to get cut short at the end of their set. Too bad too, they sounded terrific and the crowd was really into them.
The Polyphonic Spree followed the Raveonettes. By this time, the sun was starting to set over the park. I'd never heard the Spree, only heard of them. I was quite surprised when they filed out on stage. I say "file" because there were 22 or 24 people in the group. They were all wearing turquoise robes with orange "charlie brown" stripes across the front. I didn't really have any expectation of what they sounded like but even still, I was a little surprised (and impressed) by their set. They had a full band, strings, horns, a choir, and they performed these godspell like pop songs that were not religious but rather, uplifting and happy. They even had a bubble machine that was spitting out bubbles across the crowd. It was good fun and the Spree made such an impression on me that I have driven Mark close to the edge listening to them over and over and over again at home. It's good fun for the whole family, I can't recommend them highly enough!
So, the Belles... As I stood down in front, as close to the stage as I could get (off to the left slightly), I was so excited. I can't remember the last time I felt that way about a band. I had butterflies in my stomach, I thought I was going to cry. It was the weirdest thing. Perhaps the excitement and high level of expectation came from having gone so long without seeing them live. I first heard them when "If You're Feeling Sinister" came out and fell instantly in love with them. A friend of mine had a tape of "Tigermilk" that she got in the UK and she very nicely made a copy for me. I was addicted. As album after album came out, I fell more deeply in love with this band. I don't have the words to describe it, which is pretty flakey I know but they just rocked my socks, yanno? The first time they were to play in Toronto, the show got cancelled. The next two times that they played in Toronto, I had work commitments and could not go to either show. I was really disappointed but there wasn't really anything I could do about it. I had a fear that if I didn't see them soon, they might break up. When I heard about the Across the Narrows show, I knew I had to go. It was lucky that it was in New York (because we love New York and hadn't been down there in a while) and it was happening at a time when I knew I could get away from the office. I think too, I was a little afraid that I'd hyped this up so high in my head that I'd be super disappointed if they sucked live. It happens sometimes. This wasn't one of those times, I'm happy to report.
The set was great, lots of old and new stuff. B&S had just played in London a few days earlier. That show, at the Barbicon, was a bit different as they played "If You're Feeling Sinister" in it's entirety. The set list from Coney Island, of what I can remember, included: Stars of Track and Field, Another Sunny Day (and maybe another new one or two), Electronic Renaissance, Me and the Major, I'm a Cuckoo, Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner, Judy and the Dream of Horses. They had brought their string section with them too, I guess Playstation (who was putting the festival on) must have thrown enough cash at them for that! At the beginning of the set, they seemed to be having some technical problems, which appeared to frustrate Stuart, but I thought that they sounded terrific. I'm really looking forward to the show tonight because this will be their show. They aren't part of a big festival, they aren't opening for Beck (he was the headliner at the festival). It'll be a longer set and it'll be full of new songs.
So yeah, I'm excited. I don't know if I'll get all teary tonight but we'll see!
At least the plows have been out and I'm sure that the highway is fine. I'm so glad that we hadn't been planning on going to the Toronto Belle & Sebastian show last night. It would have been no fun at all trying to drive into TO yesterday.
I think we'll probably hit the road in a couple of hours. I'm really excited about the show.
When we saw them in the fall, as I've mentioned before, it was at the "Across the Narrow" festival in New York. I haven't written about the actual show before, I guess I just didn't take the time because there was so much to say about the whole day.
When we got to the park (Keyspan Park in Coney Island), we could hear Whirlwind Heat playing. They continued to play as we found a spot to camp out for the day. We didn't see much of their show so I can't really comment on it other than to say they weren't bad, not exciting or really different from what we saw of them but not bad.
The next bad was dreadful. They were called Gang Gang Dance. They made us want to "gag gag heave," it wasn't just us either. Everyone around us was complaining about these guys. All I can really say about them is that I think they knew how horrible they were. They never even stopped for a breath between songs and the few folks who were in the park when they played cheered and clapped with vigor when they finished. Everyone was shouting "yay, finally, you suck!" Fortunately, they only played about 40 minutes. It felt a lot longer than that but it could have been much much worse.
Next on the bill was a Canadian band, Dragonette. They were okay, I thought. Sort of 80's style pop, boppy and forgettable. After Gang Gang Dance though, they sounded really good. As I expect would whoever followed GGD.
At long last, someone I actually wanted to see was up, The Raveonettes. I was super impressed with their show. All summer, I'd been listening to their albums. The live show was terrific although, I felt bad for them because they seemed to get cut short at the end of their set. Too bad too, they sounded terrific and the crowd was really into them.
The Polyphonic Spree followed the Raveonettes. By this time, the sun was starting to set over the park. I'd never heard the Spree, only heard of them. I was quite surprised when they filed out on stage. I say "file" because there were 22 or 24 people in the group. They were all wearing turquoise robes with orange "charlie brown" stripes across the front. I didn't really have any expectation of what they sounded like but even still, I was a little surprised (and impressed) by their set. They had a full band, strings, horns, a choir, and they performed these godspell like pop songs that were not religious but rather, uplifting and happy. They even had a bubble machine that was spitting out bubbles across the crowd. It was good fun and the Spree made such an impression on me that I have driven Mark close to the edge listening to them over and over and over again at home. It's good fun for the whole family, I can't recommend them highly enough!
So, the Belles... As I stood down in front, as close to the stage as I could get (off to the left slightly), I was so excited. I can't remember the last time I felt that way about a band. I had butterflies in my stomach, I thought I was going to cry. It was the weirdest thing. Perhaps the excitement and high level of expectation came from having gone so long without seeing them live. I first heard them when "If You're Feeling Sinister" came out and fell instantly in love with them. A friend of mine had a tape of "Tigermilk" that she got in the UK and she very nicely made a copy for me. I was addicted. As album after album came out, I fell more deeply in love with this band. I don't have the words to describe it, which is pretty flakey I know but they just rocked my socks, yanno? The first time they were to play in Toronto, the show got cancelled. The next two times that they played in Toronto, I had work commitments and could not go to either show. I was really disappointed but there wasn't really anything I could do about it. I had a fear that if I didn't see them soon, they might break up. When I heard about the Across the Narrows show, I knew I had to go. It was lucky that it was in New York (because we love New York and hadn't been down there in a while) and it was happening at a time when I knew I could get away from the office. I think too, I was a little afraid that I'd hyped this up so high in my head that I'd be super disappointed if they sucked live. It happens sometimes. This wasn't one of those times, I'm happy to report.
The set was great, lots of old and new stuff. B&S had just played in London a few days earlier. That show, at the Barbicon, was a bit different as they played "If You're Feeling Sinister" in it's entirety. The set list from Coney Island, of what I can remember, included: Stars of Track and Field, Another Sunny Day (and maybe another new one or two), Electronic Renaissance, Me and the Major, I'm a Cuckoo, Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner, Judy and the Dream of Horses. They had brought their string section with them too, I guess Playstation (who was putting the festival on) must have thrown enough cash at them for that! At the beginning of the set, they seemed to be having some technical problems, which appeared to frustrate Stuart, but I thought that they sounded terrific. I'm really looking forward to the show tonight because this will be their show. They aren't part of a big festival, they aren't opening for Beck (he was the headliner at the festival). It'll be a longer set and it'll be full of new songs.
So yeah, I'm excited. I don't know if I'll get all teary tonight but we'll see!
Saturday, February 25, 2006
sick joke
It's been snowing here all day. Literally.
When we woke up this morning it was snowing. The sun came out for 10 minutes this afternoon and it kept snowing, through the sunshine.
Yesterday, it was really cold and crisp but the ground was bare, the roads were clear.
From what I can tell, they aren't getting this in Montreal. Hopefully, by the time we get up tomorrow, it'll have stopped and the 401 will be clear.
Figures huh??
When we woke up this morning it was snowing. The sun came out for 10 minutes this afternoon and it kept snowing, through the sunshine.
Yesterday, it was really cold and crisp but the ground was bare, the roads were clear.
From what I can tell, they aren't getting this in Montreal. Hopefully, by the time we get up tomorrow, it'll have stopped and the 401 will be clear.
Figures huh??
Friday, February 24, 2006
back
I went back to work today, I felt much better than I did yesterday.
Surprisingly, I slept really well last night. This morning, I was up before the alarm and felt rested for the first time all week.
At lunchtime, I took a little walk because I wanted to take some pictures with my new camera. I hadn't taken any outside yet and wanted to see how that went. It was really cold so I didn't stay out too long but I got some nice photos of Kingston Hall and Theological Hall. The limestone looks so gorgeous up against a blue blue blue sky.
Right now, I'm hoping for nice weather all weekend because we're driving to Montreal on Sunday. It can be as cold as it wants to be, I just hope we don't get dumped with a butt load of snow.
If we do, we can always hop on the train, I know, but it would be nice if we could drive. Oh well, happy thoughts right?? Snow free... yeah.
Anyway, happy weekend kiddos!!
Surprisingly, I slept really well last night. This morning, I was up before the alarm and felt rested for the first time all week.
At lunchtime, I took a little walk because I wanted to take some pictures with my new camera. I hadn't taken any outside yet and wanted to see how that went. It was really cold so I didn't stay out too long but I got some nice photos of Kingston Hall and Theological Hall. The limestone looks so gorgeous up against a blue blue blue sky.
Right now, I'm hoping for nice weather all weekend because we're driving to Montreal on Sunday. It can be as cold as it wants to be, I just hope we don't get dumped with a butt load of snow.
If we do, we can always hop on the train, I know, but it would be nice if we could drive. Oh well, happy thoughts right?? Snow free... yeah.
Anyway, happy weekend kiddos!!
Thursday, February 23, 2006
sickie
I came home sick from work today. I'm not sure what the problem is but I felt terrible.
This afternoon, I slept for several hours. When I woke up, I was groggy and foggy (but not soggy, which is good!).
I expect to go back to work tomorrow. Whatever I had seems to be over for now.
Hopefully, I'll still be able to sleep tonight. Sometimes after a long nap, I can't sleep at night. Of course, I could take some drugs. Drugs help sometimes...they can also make me feel hung over the next day so maybe I won't do that.
Hmmm...
This afternoon, I slept for several hours. When I woke up, I was groggy and foggy (but not soggy, which is good!).
I expect to go back to work tomorrow. Whatever I had seems to be over for now.
Hopefully, I'll still be able to sleep tonight. Sometimes after a long nap, I can't sleep at night. Of course, I could take some drugs. Drugs help sometimes...they can also make me feel hung over the next day so maybe I won't do that.
Hmmm...
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
new camera = fun
My camera finally bit the dust.
It's not entirely dead but there is something seriously not right with the battery connections.
Mark's taken it and is going to try to fix it. It's been a good and faithful camera to me for almost 4 years, I'd hate it see die.
I got a new camera tonight. It's a neat little thing, mighty powerful and super handy to use. It's an Olympus SP-310. It's got so many features on it that I haven't even started to figure them all out yet.
I expect I will eventually. I won't do it by reading the manual, that's for sissies. I'll just fart around with it. Oh yeah, I'll also take some hopefully excellent photos of Belle and Sebastian with it on Sunday night. Yay!!
It's not entirely dead but there is something seriously not right with the battery connections.
Mark's taken it and is going to try to fix it. It's been a good and faithful camera to me for almost 4 years, I'd hate it see die.
I got a new camera tonight. It's a neat little thing, mighty powerful and super handy to use. It's an Olympus SP-310. It's got so many features on it that I haven't even started to figure them all out yet.
I expect I will eventually. I won't do it by reading the manual, that's for sissies. I'll just fart around with it. Oh yeah, I'll also take some hopefully excellent photos of Belle and Sebastian with it on Sunday night. Yay!!
Monday, February 20, 2006
ice machines
How was your Sunday?
Mine was nice although, I miss the Simpsons.
I also miss Coronation Street.
I'm not a huge fan of the Olympics. I think that amateur sport is wonderful and I'm really glad that all of those hard working folks who are at the games, representing Canada, are doing well and having fun (hopefully), I just don't like watching it on the tv.
Sport on TV is something that I've never bothered with. I can get into the World Series if it's a really good game but other than a little bit of baseball, I can't really get into it. I think it would be cool if they set up a special channel just for the Olympics (and for the Special Olympics too!) that wouldn't disrupt stuff and make Fox decide not to air new Simpsons' episodes when big ass sporting events are on.
Of course, I know that some of you are all into it, wearing your red and white stuff from Zellers, screaming at the tv during the hockey or the curling. That's cool, hope you're having fun.
Today is a holiday here, Heritage Day. I'm not sure yet exactly what we'll get upto but we should know soon. 3 day weekends are nice, I'm pretty sure I could get used to them. Anyway, I think I'll go make some tea and figure out the rest of the day.
Mine was nice although, I miss the Simpsons.
I also miss Coronation Street.
I'm not a huge fan of the Olympics. I think that amateur sport is wonderful and I'm really glad that all of those hard working folks who are at the games, representing Canada, are doing well and having fun (hopefully), I just don't like watching it on the tv.
Sport on TV is something that I've never bothered with. I can get into the World Series if it's a really good game but other than a little bit of baseball, I can't really get into it. I think it would be cool if they set up a special channel just for the Olympics (and for the Special Olympics too!) that wouldn't disrupt stuff and make Fox decide not to air new Simpsons' episodes when big ass sporting events are on.
Of course, I know that some of you are all into it, wearing your red and white stuff from Zellers, screaming at the tv during the hockey or the curling. That's cool, hope you're having fun.
Today is a holiday here, Heritage Day. I'm not sure yet exactly what we'll get upto but we should know soon. 3 day weekends are nice, I'm pretty sure I could get used to them. Anyway, I think I'll go make some tea and figure out the rest of the day.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
organization
I finally unpacked our cookbooks yesterday.
Several months ago, when I was unpacking our regular books, I kept all of the cookbooks to one side. We knew that we would be putting them in the kitchen but one of the shelves in the cabinet was wonky. Also, we needed to get some work done on the kitchen so the shelves needed be easily moved. The work was done at Christmas time but I still hadn't fixed the shelf. Friday night, I finally did it and yesterday I unpacked the books.
I'm not sure if my hands were super dry or what but I managed to give myself several cuts on my hands while I was unpacking. I didn't realize that I'd done it until I noticed that I was bleeding on a couple of books.
Everytime I've walked by the shelving unit in the kitchen, I'm really happy at how it looks. For months now, we've just been piling junk on them, they were kind of dusty and very disorganized. It felt good to accomplish something yesterday.
I talked to my brother yesterday and it seems like most of his stuff is in tact, which is very good. Some smoke damage but his vinyl didn't melt and there doesn't seem to be water damage. All is good. He'll be moving soon but the insurance company is helping out with a lot of that.
Me, I've been feeling pretty crummy so far this weekend. Last night, I couldn't get warm, no matter what I did and I have been really achey for about the past 20 hours or so. I'm probably going to get back into bed now, crawl under the covers and either watch a movie or try to sleep. Mark's cleaning the fish tanks, his normal Sunday morning task. Today should be a quiet day for us. I'm glad.
Several months ago, when I was unpacking our regular books, I kept all of the cookbooks to one side. We knew that we would be putting them in the kitchen but one of the shelves in the cabinet was wonky. Also, we needed to get some work done on the kitchen so the shelves needed be easily moved. The work was done at Christmas time but I still hadn't fixed the shelf. Friday night, I finally did it and yesterday I unpacked the books.
I'm not sure if my hands were super dry or what but I managed to give myself several cuts on my hands while I was unpacking. I didn't realize that I'd done it until I noticed that I was bleeding on a couple of books.
Everytime I've walked by the shelving unit in the kitchen, I'm really happy at how it looks. For months now, we've just been piling junk on them, they were kind of dusty and very disorganized. It felt good to accomplish something yesterday.
I talked to my brother yesterday and it seems like most of his stuff is in tact, which is very good. Some smoke damage but his vinyl didn't melt and there doesn't seem to be water damage. All is good. He'll be moving soon but the insurance company is helping out with a lot of that.
Me, I've been feeling pretty crummy so far this weekend. Last night, I couldn't get warm, no matter what I did and I have been really achey for about the past 20 hours or so. I'm probably going to get back into bed now, crawl under the covers and either watch a movie or try to sleep. Mark's cleaning the fish tanks, his normal Sunday morning task. Today should be a quiet day for us. I'm glad.
who am I?
| Your Blogging Type is Kind and Harmonious |
 You're an approachable blogger who tends to have many online friends. People new to your blogging circle know they can count on you for support. You tend to mediate fighting and drama. You set a cooperative tone. You have a great eye for design - and your blog tends to be the best looking on the block! |
Saturday, February 18, 2006
house on fire
I'm so relieved that Pat's safe but so shocked and a little angry that this has happened. For the moment, he's staying with friends and he'll be moving to a new place soon. Luckily, he was at work when this happened and not asleep in bed. I had weird dreams all night last night just from thinking about it all.
He'll get to check out the state of his stuff today, hopefully his vinyl is in tact. I keep thinking about how relieved I am that he's safe and sound. This so easily could have been a tragedy.
Woman seen on tape being assaulted by cop escapes rooming house blaze
By NELLY ELAYOUBI, OTTAWA SUN
A WOMAN who first made headlines after an amateur video suggested her head was slammed into a police cruiser by a police officer escaped a fire at her home yesterday by leaping from a second-storey window.
Thirty-nine-year-old Julie Cayer and a 41-year-old male who goes by the nickname "Sparky" jumped out the back window after fire broke out at a rooming house at 234 O'Connor St., at 3:45 p.m.
"It started at the back of the second floor and then spread to the second-floor roof," said district fire Chief Jeff Oxley.
Cayer, who lived alone at the apartment, and Sparky fell about 10 feet to the ground and were taken to the Queensway Carleton Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.
There were no other injuries reported.
Cayer's next-door neighbour, Patrick Shanks, who has been a tenant at the building for the last six years, said he was working at a nearby barbershop when he saw smoke coming from the direction of his building.
He received a call from his landlord telling him that the building was on fire and he finished up with a customer before walking home.
STREET CLOSED
"I don't think I've really absorbed it yet. At least no one got seriously hurt," the 35-year-old said.
O'Connor St. remained closed to traffic for several hours between Somerset and Cooper streets, causing major disruptions in the supper-hour traffic.
The Canadian Red Cross personal disaster assistance unit, which helps people in distress find temporary housing, was at the scene.
A representative said everyone in the building, except Cayer, already had alternate places to stay.
Cayer would be placed in a hotel-type accommodation for 72 hours after she's released from hospital, they said.
The Salvation Army was also on hand, assessing what needs, such as furniture and clothing, will be required by the tenants.
Investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the blaze last night.
Damage to the building was tagged at $200,000, while content damage was pegged at $50,000.
On Nov. 25, 2000, an amateur video suggested a police officer slammed Cayer's head on the trunk of a police cruiser while taking her into custody at a Cambridge Ave. apartment building.
Last July, Const. Martin Cardinal, who had been suspended with pay since the incident came to light, pleaded guilty in criminal court to assault relating to the incident and received a conditional discharge.
He was ordered to complete four months of probation and 75 hours of community service.
GUILTY PLEA
The surprise guilty plea came after he won an appeal of his original conviction in March 2004.
Last month, he pleaded guilty to discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act and was reinstated.
Cardinal is expected to return to work by April.
Neighbours said Cayer moved to the building last summer and wasn't working.
They said the young woman had a lot of friends who visited her frequently.
nelly.elayoubi@ott.sunpub.com
He'll get to check out the state of his stuff today, hopefully his vinyl is in tact. I keep thinking about how relieved I am that he's safe and sound. This so easily could have been a tragedy.
Woman seen on tape being assaulted by cop escapes rooming house blaze
By NELLY ELAYOUBI, OTTAWA SUN
A WOMAN who first made headlines after an amateur video suggested her head was slammed into a police cruiser by a police officer escaped a fire at her home yesterday by leaping from a second-storey window.
Thirty-nine-year-old Julie Cayer and a 41-year-old male who goes by the nickname "Sparky" jumped out the back window after fire broke out at a rooming house at 234 O'Connor St., at 3:45 p.m.
"It started at the back of the second floor and then spread to the second-floor roof," said district fire Chief Jeff Oxley.
Cayer, who lived alone at the apartment, and Sparky fell about 10 feet to the ground and were taken to the Queensway Carleton Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.
There were no other injuries reported.
Cayer's next-door neighbour, Patrick Shanks, who has been a tenant at the building for the last six years, said he was working at a nearby barbershop when he saw smoke coming from the direction of his building.
He received a call from his landlord telling him that the building was on fire and he finished up with a customer before walking home.
STREET CLOSED
"I don't think I've really absorbed it yet. At least no one got seriously hurt," the 35-year-old said.
O'Connor St. remained closed to traffic for several hours between Somerset and Cooper streets, causing major disruptions in the supper-hour traffic.
The Canadian Red Cross personal disaster assistance unit, which helps people in distress find temporary housing, was at the scene.
A representative said everyone in the building, except Cayer, already had alternate places to stay.
Cayer would be placed in a hotel-type accommodation for 72 hours after she's released from hospital, they said.
The Salvation Army was also on hand, assessing what needs, such as furniture and clothing, will be required by the tenants.
Investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the blaze last night.
Damage to the building was tagged at $200,000, while content damage was pegged at $50,000.
On Nov. 25, 2000, an amateur video suggested a police officer slammed Cayer's head on the trunk of a police cruiser while taking her into custody at a Cambridge Ave. apartment building.
Last July, Const. Martin Cardinal, who had been suspended with pay since the incident came to light, pleaded guilty in criminal court to assault relating to the incident and received a conditional discharge.
He was ordered to complete four months of probation and 75 hours of community service.
GUILTY PLEA
The surprise guilty plea came after he won an appeal of his original conviction in March 2004.
Last month, he pleaded guilty to discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act and was reinstated.
Cardinal is expected to return to work by April.
Neighbours said Cayer moved to the building last summer and wasn't working.
They said the young woman had a lot of friends who visited her frequently.
nelly.elayoubi@ott.sunpub.com
Friday, February 17, 2006
howling
It's crazy windy here today. I'm hearing that it's crazy windy everywhere.
On the way to work this morning we saw a pretty serious accident at a major intersection. You could tell that it had litte to do with the weather (we only got some regular rain, none of the freezing variety that everyone around us seemed to get). Speed was definitely a factor, charging the amber, that kind of thing. I'm sure that there are accidents all across the province this morning, given the state of the weather.
At times, this morning, I've felt like the windows in my office might pop in on me. At one point, the power went off. It was just off long enough to mess up all of the servers a bit.
Tonight, after work, we had to go out to the west end to do a couple of errands. I was shocked at the wind damage we saw. Signs had been blown all over the place, eavestroughs were laying all over the place, siding was peeled back in spots from some building.
Our house was fine. I did notice that some of our neighbours "recyclables" have landed in our driveway. Also, our blue box is missing. Both of these things are easily remedied though. I'm just glad that we're safe, home and dry. Hope you are too.
Happy weekend all!
On the way to work this morning we saw a pretty serious accident at a major intersection. You could tell that it had litte to do with the weather (we only got some regular rain, none of the freezing variety that everyone around us seemed to get). Speed was definitely a factor, charging the amber, that kind of thing. I'm sure that there are accidents all across the province this morning, given the state of the weather.
At times, this morning, I've felt like the windows in my office might pop in on me. At one point, the power went off. It was just off long enough to mess up all of the servers a bit.
Tonight, after work, we had to go out to the west end to do a couple of errands. I was shocked at the wind damage we saw. Signs had been blown all over the place, eavestroughs were laying all over the place, siding was peeled back in spots from some building.
Our house was fine. I did notice that some of our neighbours "recyclables" have landed in our driveway. Also, our blue box is missing. Both of these things are easily remedied though. I'm just glad that we're safe, home and dry. Hope you are too.
Happy weekend all!
Thursday, February 16, 2006
barbed wire and blue skies
the view from my window right now is dark sky and spindles. Currently, my office faces out under a veranda. On sunny days it's nice and bright. Today is a gloomy day though, it's pretty dark and dismal.
2:53 a.m. this morning our phone rang. By the time Mark grabbed it, it had gone to voice mail. Of course, it was Joe who had called. The light was flashing but he didn't leave a message. When I listened to the message I could hear him moving around, trying to hang the phone up.
The phone he has is not programmable so I know he's just hitting re-dial on it when he wakes up in the night. Mark suggested that I call his brother from Joe's, and let him do this to them. Personally, I'd rather they don't get these late night calls. If he's going to do late-night dialing, I think it's probably better to keep it local.
2:53 a.m. this morning our phone rang. By the time Mark grabbed it, it had gone to voice mail. Of course, it was Joe who had called. The light was flashing but he didn't leave a message. When I listened to the message I could hear him moving around, trying to hang the phone up.
The phone he has is not programmable so I know he's just hitting re-dial on it when he wakes up in the night. Mark suggested that I call his brother from Joe's, and let him do this to them. Personally, I'd rather they don't get these late night calls. If he's going to do late-night dialing, I think it's probably better to keep it local.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
knob knobs and mr waters
do you have those stupid door knob advertisements in your town?
We have them here. They're sort of new actually, this particular type. Someone got a bright idea to sell ad space on a long, narrow piece of glossy paper and hang it on door knobs.
The first time we got one, I called the phone number on the flyer and asked to not receive them anymore. "Oh, no problem," was the response I was given. Apparently, it was a problem because every time I get one, I call and they don't stop coming.
I'm seriously considering organizing a boycott of the businesses who advertise on these silly things. If it's a huge deal to not deliver to my house, please don't tell me that you've taken me off of your route list. Weiners.
Speaking of weiners, or hot dogs, I guess, it's absolutely spring-y outside right now. We're planning on barbecuing tomorrow night. The snow on the barbecue is all melted so we hope to fire it up tomorrow night and grill some salmon. Yum. It's so nice to see the sun shining when I'm leaving for work in the morning. Tonight, we stopped off at Produce Town on the way home and it was still light out when we got home.
In other news, Mark is very excited that Roger Waters has announced a few dates on a European summer 2006 tour. He's hoping that it'll blossom into a full blown world tour, or, at the very least, a few dates in this part of the continent. I gotta give a lot of credit to Roger fans, they have patience for miles and miles. It's been over 10 years since he's released a full album of new material, and he tours intermittenly. I feel bad sometimes, when a band I really like puts a new album out, because I know that Mark's still waiting. He insists that it'll be worth the wait and hey, wasn't the opera great? Keep your fingers crossed kids for Mark kiddos.
We have them here. They're sort of new actually, this particular type. Someone got a bright idea to sell ad space on a long, narrow piece of glossy paper and hang it on door knobs.
The first time we got one, I called the phone number on the flyer and asked to not receive them anymore. "Oh, no problem," was the response I was given. Apparently, it was a problem because every time I get one, I call and they don't stop coming.
I'm seriously considering organizing a boycott of the businesses who advertise on these silly things. If it's a huge deal to not deliver to my house, please don't tell me that you've taken me off of your route list. Weiners.
Speaking of weiners, or hot dogs, I guess, it's absolutely spring-y outside right now. We're planning on barbecuing tomorrow night. The snow on the barbecue is all melted so we hope to fire it up tomorrow night and grill some salmon. Yum. It's so nice to see the sun shining when I'm leaving for work in the morning. Tonight, we stopped off at Produce Town on the way home and it was still light out when we got home.
In other news, Mark is very excited that Roger Waters has announced a few dates on a European summer 2006 tour. He's hoping that it'll blossom into a full blown world tour, or, at the very least, a few dates in this part of the continent. I gotta give a lot of credit to Roger fans, they have patience for miles and miles. It's been over 10 years since he's released a full album of new material, and he tours intermittenly. I feel bad sometimes, when a band I really like puts a new album out, because I know that Mark's still waiting. He insists that it'll be worth the wait and hey, wasn't the opera great? Keep your fingers crossed kids for Mark kiddos.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
happy love day
are you having a lovely valentine's day so far?
Yeah, I know, it's yet another manufactured holiday but sometimes it's fun to throw cinnamon hearts at folks. This is one of the few days of the year that you can almost get away with it!
Today I've been listening to the new Belle and Sebastian CD, The Life Pursuit. The first listen though didn't grab me totally. I remember that happening with DCW too. I liked it okay (like this) but as I listened to it more and more, it grew on me. This is growing on me too. It's quite good, it's different for them I think. Not at all bad. I like the direction that they're moving in. It's tought to imagine that they've been doing this for 10 years, that I've been in love with them for 9 years already but there ya go.
We'll be seeing them again in a week and a bit in Montreal. I'm pretty excited about it. I finally got around to posting my photos from the New York show on Flickr. I know I still haven't written about seeing them in October in Coney Island but I will, before we go to Montreal, I promise.
Yeah, I know, it's yet another manufactured holiday but sometimes it's fun to throw cinnamon hearts at folks. This is one of the few days of the year that you can almost get away with it!
Today I've been listening to the new Belle and Sebastian CD, The Life Pursuit. The first listen though didn't grab me totally. I remember that happening with DCW too. I liked it okay (like this) but as I listened to it more and more, it grew on me. This is growing on me too. It's quite good, it's different for them I think. Not at all bad. I like the direction that they're moving in. It's tought to imagine that they've been doing this for 10 years, that I've been in love with them for 9 years already but there ya go.
We'll be seeing them again in a week and a bit in Montreal. I'm pretty excited about it. I finally got around to posting my photos from the New York show on Flickr. I know I still haven't written about seeing them in October in Coney Island but I will, before we go to Montreal, I promise.
Monday, February 13, 2006
spinny
How's your Monday going??
I have no idea where today went. It flew by that quickly. Yikes.
We stopped by Joe's tonight, to hear about his visit. We stayed with him for about 90 minutes, until they arrived. Mark's brother brought his wife and son and daughter-in-law with him, a buffer I suppose ...safety in numbers and all of that.
We didn't stick around and I'm glad, although I felt a little bad about leaving him alone with them. The poor guy had a bad cold and could hardly keep his eyes open. Top that off with the fact that Mark's idiot brother, who hadn't seen his dad since May 2002, took one look at him and said, "do they have you on prednisone? you have a moon face!"
Nice huh?? Apparently, they stayed about an hour and a bit and they didn't get any money from Joe so that's good. I'd be surprised if Joe was awake for most of the visit. I was just shocked at the behaviour. I mean, they come to visit and didn't bring him anything, not a newspaper, a couple of Gryfe's bagels, nothing. These people suck, big time.
As terrible as this sounds, I doubt very much that Joe will ever see them again. If they wait another five years, I don't think he'll be around to see them. I guess the important thing is that they feel good about themselves about this. I only hope this means that they will stop leaving obscene messages on our voice mail and generally being assholes. One can hope right??
I have no idea where today went. It flew by that quickly. Yikes.
We stopped by Joe's tonight, to hear about his visit. We stayed with him for about 90 minutes, until they arrived. Mark's brother brought his wife and son and daughter-in-law with him, a buffer I suppose ...safety in numbers and all of that.
We didn't stick around and I'm glad, although I felt a little bad about leaving him alone with them. The poor guy had a bad cold and could hardly keep his eyes open. Top that off with the fact that Mark's idiot brother, who hadn't seen his dad since May 2002, took one look at him and said, "do they have you on prednisone? you have a moon face!"
Nice huh?? Apparently, they stayed about an hour and a bit and they didn't get any money from Joe so that's good. I'd be surprised if Joe was awake for most of the visit. I was just shocked at the behaviour. I mean, they come to visit and didn't bring him anything, not a newspaper, a couple of Gryfe's bagels, nothing. These people suck, big time.
As terrible as this sounds, I doubt very much that Joe will ever see them again. If they wait another five years, I don't think he'll be around to see them. I guess the important thing is that they feel good about themselves about this. I only hope this means that they will stop leaving obscene messages on our voice mail and generally being assholes. One can hope right??
Sunday, February 12, 2006
sunshiney
It's been a lovely sunny weekend here.
Everytime I step outside, I expect it to be very cold but it's not. It's actually been very pleasant.
Good thing the weather's nice because I'm sure that our day is going to be less than stellar.
We found out yesterday that Mark's jerkwad brother is visiting his dad today. Normally, a son visiting a father is nothing to be overly concerned with. We have to question his motives this time though. Joe's been in Kingston for almost 5 years and this is the first time that he'll be visiting here.
We plan to be at Joe's when they arrive. That should take the wind out of the sails if they are planning on hitting him up for some cash. Yes, they are that kind of trash, you'll only see them when there is money on the line (not that there is any money to be put on the line but you know what I mean).
*sigh* Oh well, could be worse right? Root canals are worse I've heard!
Everytime I step outside, I expect it to be very cold but it's not. It's actually been very pleasant.
Good thing the weather's nice because I'm sure that our day is going to be less than stellar.
We found out yesterday that Mark's jerkwad brother is visiting his dad today. Normally, a son visiting a father is nothing to be overly concerned with. We have to question his motives this time though. Joe's been in Kingston for almost 5 years and this is the first time that he'll be visiting here.
We plan to be at Joe's when they arrive. That should take the wind out of the sails if they are planning on hitting him up for some cash. Yes, they are that kind of trash, you'll only see them when there is money on the line (not that there is any money to be put on the line but you know what I mean).
*sigh* Oh well, could be worse right? Root canals are worse I've heard!
Friday, February 10, 2006
so yeah, the good news
I apologize for the delay. I would have loved to have actually said what was going on ages ago but couldn't. Well, by ages I mean two weeks ago.
The short story is, I have a new job!! I'm very very excited about it. It's a promotion for me and it is in an area that I love and one that I have a fair amount of expertise in. It's going to be great.
I'll be in the same department that I'm in now but it's a different functional unit. It's happened rather quickly too. The person who had been in this particular job, suddenly resigned a few weeks ago. She was someone I'd worked with for a while now, a really nice girl. She just decided that it was time for a change, and a break. I can't imagine that it was an easy decision to make, that kind of choice never is.
I first heard about this situation when her manager approached me about helping out until they filled her spot. Our two teams work very closely together and I was already working with them on a rather large project. That night, I went home and talked to Mark about it. It's a very similar job to one I'd been doing a couple of years ago, one that I really enjoyed. It wasn't an opportunity that would present itself again for a good long while I told myself.
So, the next day, I talked to my manager about how I'd be happy to help out with whatever needed doing given that the woman who'd resigned was not working a two week notice period. I also told her that I'd decided to apply for the job. The woman I'm working for is really great, she's been very supportive of me over the past year and a bit that we've been working together. I don't think she was shocked by the news and she said that she'd support me and, if I got it, she'd be happy for me but sad at the same time. We both sort of joked about that, but I reminded her that if I got it, I wasn't moving that far away!
After that, I spoke with the manager of the other team. I told her that I was interested in the vacancy in her team. She seemed surprised and I couldn't read her reaction. So, long story, short...with the help of a friend of mine, I updated my resume, wrote a pretty good letter (if I do say so myself, and hey, I just did!) and submitted it.
I got a call about an interview the next day (that was February 1). The interview was scheduled for February 7. I was a bit of a nervous wreck about it for a few days before. I had only told a handful people that I was applying (if I hadn't got it, I didn't want the world and his uncle to know about it). Interviewing with people you already know is a little weird too. In a way it's good because you know that they're nice people. In another, it's odd because you don't have that opportunity to make a "first impression." There'd be no dazzling with bullshit, they already knew me!
The interview went well I thought. They thought so too because the next morning I got called up to the manager's office and was offered the job. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, it wouldn't be announced for almost 2 days so I couldn't say too much about it. I told my current teammates and, of course, my boss. They were all very happy for me but I know from my own experience that things like this are always bittersweet. I'm sure they aren't looking forward to the process of hiring someone to replace me. Goodness knows that's never fun.
So, I start my new job officially on March 1. It was announced today so I had many calls of congratulations and folks stopping by my desk to wish me well. It was really nice.
And now it's the weekend. I plan to relax a lot this weekend. We might catch a movie and I need to do laundry (I always need to do laundry) but other than that, we're staying close to home.
So, that's it kiddos. Happy Weekend!
The short story is, I have a new job!! I'm very very excited about it. It's a promotion for me and it is in an area that I love and one that I have a fair amount of expertise in. It's going to be great.
I'll be in the same department that I'm in now but it's a different functional unit. It's happened rather quickly too. The person who had been in this particular job, suddenly resigned a few weeks ago. She was someone I'd worked with for a while now, a really nice girl. She just decided that it was time for a change, and a break. I can't imagine that it was an easy decision to make, that kind of choice never is.
I first heard about this situation when her manager approached me about helping out until they filled her spot. Our two teams work very closely together and I was already working with them on a rather large project. That night, I went home and talked to Mark about it. It's a very similar job to one I'd been doing a couple of years ago, one that I really enjoyed. It wasn't an opportunity that would present itself again for a good long while I told myself.
So, the next day, I talked to my manager about how I'd be happy to help out with whatever needed doing given that the woman who'd resigned was not working a two week notice period. I also told her that I'd decided to apply for the job. The woman I'm working for is really great, she's been very supportive of me over the past year and a bit that we've been working together. I don't think she was shocked by the news and she said that she'd support me and, if I got it, she'd be happy for me but sad at the same time. We both sort of joked about that, but I reminded her that if I got it, I wasn't moving that far away!
After that, I spoke with the manager of the other team. I told her that I was interested in the vacancy in her team. She seemed surprised and I couldn't read her reaction. So, long story, short...with the help of a friend of mine, I updated my resume, wrote a pretty good letter (if I do say so myself, and hey, I just did!) and submitted it.
I got a call about an interview the next day (that was February 1). The interview was scheduled for February 7. I was a bit of a nervous wreck about it for a few days before. I had only told a handful people that I was applying (if I hadn't got it, I didn't want the world and his uncle to know about it). Interviewing with people you already know is a little weird too. In a way it's good because you know that they're nice people. In another, it's odd because you don't have that opportunity to make a "first impression." There'd be no dazzling with bullshit, they already knew me!
The interview went well I thought. They thought so too because the next morning I got called up to the manager's office and was offered the job. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, it wouldn't be announced for almost 2 days so I couldn't say too much about it. I told my current teammates and, of course, my boss. They were all very happy for me but I know from my own experience that things like this are always bittersweet. I'm sure they aren't looking forward to the process of hiring someone to replace me. Goodness knows that's never fun.
So, I start my new job officially on March 1. It was announced today so I had many calls of congratulations and folks stopping by my desk to wish me well. It was really nice.
And now it's the weekend. I plan to relax a lot this weekend. We might catch a movie and I need to do laundry (I always need to do laundry) but other than that, we're staying close to home.
So, that's it kiddos. Happy Weekend!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
spongebob officepants
Contrary to what some folks might think, I am not getting a helper monkey at work.
I think it would be very very cool to have a helper monkey (although I would never abuse my monkey, not like homer did!!), alas, it's not going to happen.
Sadly, the thing I really wanted to tell you about has still not been officially announced. Given that I'm fairly confident that some folks I might work with could be reading this here journal deal, I'd better not say any more.
Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to tell. Goodness knows I'd like to and I hate to keep you all hanging on the edge of your seats (and I know you are!!).
In the meantime, I'm heading to bed. There's a weird illness in our office at the moment. Yesterday, a coworker came down with it, today, my office mate and I both exhibted symptoms. Tonight, I'm both achey and dizzy. Not fun. With any kind of luck, I'll sleep it off tonight and be right as rain tomorrow.
I think it would be very very cool to have a helper monkey (although I would never abuse my monkey, not like homer did!!), alas, it's not going to happen.
Sadly, the thing I really wanted to tell you about has still not been officially announced. Given that I'm fairly confident that some folks I might work with could be reading this here journal deal, I'd better not say any more.
Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to tell. Goodness knows I'd like to and I hate to keep you all hanging on the edge of your seats (and I know you are!!).
In the meantime, I'm heading to bed. There's a weird illness in our office at the moment. Yesterday, a coworker came down with it, today, my office mate and I both exhibted symptoms. Tonight, I'm both achey and dizzy. Not fun. With any kind of luck, I'll sleep it off tonight and be right as rain tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
cause for celebration
The thing that I was talking about yesterday... the thing I couldn't go into detail about.
It's done.
It's good news.
It's a reason to celebrate but I can't really talk about it in detail until tomorrow.
Tomorrow it become official, it'll be announced and then, congratulations will be in order.
Here's a hint, it's to do with work. It's something that I really wanted and it's working out that I'm getting it.
That's it, I'll say no more for now. Just know that this is very very very good news!!
It's done.
It's good news.
It's a reason to celebrate but I can't really talk about it in detail until tomorrow.
Tomorrow it become official, it'll be announced and then, congratulations will be in order.
Here's a hint, it's to do with work. It's something that I really wanted and it's working out that I'm getting it.
That's it, I'll say no more for now. Just know that this is very very very good news!!
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
cautiously optimistic
Today was draining.
It was also eventful but it's not something I can discuss yet.
I am somewhat superstitious at times. I don't want to jinx things.
Of course, they could already be jinxed. By jinxed, of course, I mean, they won't go the way I'd like them to.
So, I won't talk about things until I know what's happening, one way or the other. You'll hear all about it.
Just as soon as I do.
It was also eventful but it's not something I can discuss yet.
I am somewhat superstitious at times. I don't want to jinx things.
Of course, they could already be jinxed. By jinxed, of course, I mean, they won't go the way I'd like them to.
So, I won't talk about things until I know what's happening, one way or the other. You'll hear all about it.
Just as soon as I do.
Monday, February 06, 2006
ha!
I never realized how many different types of oil there were until, a few years ago, Mark and I went to a restaurant show. I was shocked at how big a section of the convention centre the olive oil displays took up. It was an education for me.
The weekend was quiet. I'm happy to report that I never did get sick. Whatever my "problem" is, it seems to be a morning only thing. When I get up in the morning, I'm sometimes very stuffed up. In fact, pretty much all day Saturday, I had a touch of a sinus headache but that was it. Usually, the hot tea and a shower (not at the same time) trick works pretty well.
Over the weekend, we "treated" ourselves to a new digital cable box for the living room (that's three we have now!). This new one has the local ontario cable company version of "tivo" on it. It's pretty spiffy and it means that we can record a lot of stuff from the upper channels that I used to have to record through my computer. The picture and sound quality seems to have improved significantly and this box is HDTV ready (not sure when our wallets will be "HDTV ready" but our cable box is prepared). We also signed up for cable telephone. Our number won't change but our bill will drop to about 1/2. You have to love that!!
Today we were both back to work. We had some crazy snow storm this morning after I got into the office. It seems to have stopped right now but I hear that it might get going again over night. I don't mind though, the cold air clears your head and it's nice to see a little snow on the ground. Afterall, we do live in Canada and it is February.
The weekend was quiet. I'm happy to report that I never did get sick. Whatever my "problem" is, it seems to be a morning only thing. When I get up in the morning, I'm sometimes very stuffed up. In fact, pretty much all day Saturday, I had a touch of a sinus headache but that was it. Usually, the hot tea and a shower (not at the same time) trick works pretty well.
Over the weekend, we "treated" ourselves to a new digital cable box for the living room (that's three we have now!). This new one has the local ontario cable company version of "tivo" on it. It's pretty spiffy and it means that we can record a lot of stuff from the upper channels that I used to have to record through my computer. The picture and sound quality seems to have improved significantly and this box is HDTV ready (not sure when our wallets will be "HDTV ready" but our cable box is prepared). We also signed up for cable telephone. Our number won't change but our bill will drop to about 1/2. You have to love that!!
Today we were both back to work. We had some crazy snow storm this morning after I got into the office. It seems to have stopped right now but I hear that it might get going again over night. I don't mind though, the cold air clears your head and it's nice to see a little snow on the ground. Afterall, we do live in Canada and it is February.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
any kind of orange will do
This year, we're experiencing a particularly long clementine orange season. I for one am thrilled to bits about this. I loves me some littl sweet, seedless, easy-to-peel oranges. An orange a day, of any variety can't be bad.
I think that the oranges I've been eating have been helping to keep me healthy during this cold and flu season. The only times that I feel like I might be getting sick are almost immediately after we go to visit Joe. My goodness but they keep nursing homes hot, dry and free of fresh air.
We were supposed to go see him last night, pick up his laundry and have a little visit. Unfortunately, we both ended up unexpectedly working later than normal so it didn't happen. We'll have to slip over there this morning for a few minutes. I woke up this morning feeling really stuffed up and generally yucky. You know what I mean? Slight headache, can't breathe? I'm hoping that a shower and some tea will clear my head.
I really don't want to be sick all weekend so I plan on not letting it happen. In a couple of hours, I should know who the winner is.
I think that the oranges I've been eating have been helping to keep me healthy during this cold and flu season. The only times that I feel like I might be getting sick are almost immediately after we go to visit Joe. My goodness but they keep nursing homes hot, dry and free of fresh air.
We were supposed to go see him last night, pick up his laundry and have a little visit. Unfortunately, we both ended up unexpectedly working later than normal so it didn't happen. We'll have to slip over there this morning for a few minutes. I woke up this morning feeling really stuffed up and generally yucky. You know what I mean? Slight headache, can't breathe? I'm hoping that a shower and some tea will clear my head.
I really don't want to be sick all weekend so I plan on not letting it happen. In a couple of hours, I should know who the winner is.
Friday, February 03, 2006
tgif
I'm not usually a tgif kind of a girl.
I don't like to wish my weeks away but sometimes, when the weekend arrives sooner than you expected, you just embrace it. It's been that kind of week, so it's that kind of a Friday.
I had a really busy day, in early, left a little late, worked through lunch. It wasn't all bad though, I got a lot of work done, stuff that was hanging over my head, stuff that should have been dealt with last week.
It's dealt with now, I have left my computer at work. I will not work this weekend, except around the house. We're supposed to get some big honking storm so I'm thinking, serious puttering in my office is going to happen...or I'll lie around like 3rd base, watching tv.
Either way, it'll be nice to just be home.
I don't like to wish my weeks away but sometimes, when the weekend arrives sooner than you expected, you just embrace it. It's been that kind of week, so it's that kind of a Friday.
I had a really busy day, in early, left a little late, worked through lunch. It wasn't all bad though, I got a lot of work done, stuff that was hanging over my head, stuff that should have been dealt with last week.
It's dealt with now, I have left my computer at work. I will not work this weekend, except around the house. We're supposed to get some big honking storm so I'm thinking, serious puttering in my office is going to happen...or I'll lie around like 3rd base, watching tv.
Either way, it'll be nice to just be home.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
must have soup
As I've mentioned before, our favourite soup joint was closed for several weeks over the holidays. Oh how I missed that soup.
Tonight, both of us were a little brain dead and too tired to cook. It was so nice to be able to slip around the corner and have a bowl of steamy hot yummy noodle soup. It's truly good for anything and everything that "ails you."
As far as groundhog's day go, pretty much, whether or not the little guy sees his shadow or not, we've got 6 more weeks of winter. Look at the calendar folks, spring doesn't start officially until March. If we have more of the "winter" that we've been experiencing, I'll have no complaints at all about it, seriously. It was positively spring-like outside this morning.
The week's been a bit of a blur this week. I seem to recall last week being that way too. Hopefully, soon (and I feel like I'm always saying this), things will slow down a bit. Life never seemed to be happening this fast when I was a kid. I mean, maybe it was and I just have slow memories. I don't know.
Tonight, both of us were a little brain dead and too tired to cook. It was so nice to be able to slip around the corner and have a bowl of steamy hot yummy noodle soup. It's truly good for anything and everything that "ails you."
As far as groundhog's day go, pretty much, whether or not the little guy sees his shadow or not, we've got 6 more weeks of winter. Look at the calendar folks, spring doesn't start officially until March. If we have more of the "winter" that we've been experiencing, I'll have no complaints at all about it, seriously. It was positively spring-like outside this morning.
The week's been a bit of a blur this week. I seem to recall last week being that way too. Hopefully, soon (and I feel like I'm always saying this), things will slow down a bit. Life never seemed to be happening this fast when I was a kid. I mean, maybe it was and I just have slow memories. I don't know.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
hump day
I don't own a treadmill but I feel like I've been on one for days now.
Hopefully, by the end of the week, I'll feel like I'm accomplishing something. There's just so much to do and so little time.
It was nice to just come home and collapse tonight. Neither of us felt overly wonderful though so it was a pretty chilled out evening. If all goes well, in about 45 minutes, I'll be sawing logs.
If I'm lucky, the sawing won't keep me up too late!!
Hopefully, by the end of the week, I'll feel like I'm accomplishing something. There's just so much to do and so little time.
It was nice to just come home and collapse tonight. Neither of us felt overly wonderful though so it was a pretty chilled out evening. If all goes well, in about 45 minutes, I'll be sawing logs.
If I'm lucky, the sawing won't keep me up too late!!
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