Friday, December 24, 2004

ahhhh.. Christmas...

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Wishing you peace, happiness and love for the holidays and lots of awesome things in the new year!

rather than reinterating the meaning of Christmas ... click here to see what Christmas in our family is all about... i'm not sure the relevance of the uncle thing though, all i know is that he looks at me and says "deb?" like he's not sure that's my name. the other thing he does is say "deb-bie" while he nods at me like i'm supposed to answer with a yes no matter what my name is. i think he's just that way. perhaps he just guesses at everybody's names each year... or maybe he does actually say each person's name like it's a question. my name is always followed by a confident "whew, i got it right!!" smile when i acknowledge it with a "Merry Christmas!".

we will be having a huge dinner tomorrow too. a potluck and, as congee mentioned, i too often think that my mom and one or two others do most of the cooking. that's ok i guess, cuz she doesn't seem to mind and i like her cooking. i was going to actually bring some food myself this year, but i didn't get a chance to go shopping before and today the stores were just too packed and i lost all motivation. i did inspire my brother to make some sort of scalloped potato dish instead of mashed potatos. maybe i'll make some sweet potato something. i really like sweet potatoes. i hope we're not eating leftovers all week though. there's always too much food.

my brother is also cooking a huge breakfast for all of us. i think the ability to cook is a good trait to possess. i used to tell him that he should learn to cook well to snag himself a great wife. i'm not sure that would actually snag him a wife, but he'd def. be a great catch for someone one day.

we opened presents tonight - that's part of our tradition, opening presents at midnight on christmas eve. Christmas is soo much more fun with kids around. i love just watching the kids open their presents. skye got a gajillion dvd's. she will be sitting in front of the tv for a long time - spongebob season 2, princess diaries 2, elf, harry potter and some others i don't recall. sama got a few too.. star wars trilogy, Simpsons Season 5 (she's already got 1 to 4) and some others, i think. i got Mulan. I love Mulan. My tattoo is from the movie Mulan.....

it was so much fun watching jordan open her presents. she got tonnes of stuff but the thing she loved most was her flash cards. gotta love that. all those brightly coloured toys that beep and play tunes, that sings to her and recites the alphabet. LOL.. none of those amused her much - she just wanted the flash cards :)

i also went to mass today. ended up going to a chinese mass which was cool - in some chinese baptist church or something. i'll admit though that i only understood about 50% of it and after a while i found that i was concentrating so hard i got sleepy and then at some point i must have dozed off. i think. not sure though.

i think yves and i are going to try out some different churches over the next year or so. different religions, churches, whatever. catholocism just doesn't sit right with either of us most of the time, especially seeing some of the devout catholics i've known. they ruin it for everyone... LOL

yes. the kris kringle swap was partially my brainchild perhaps entirely my brainchild but i can't remember, it was long ago. just makes things a bit more fun ... and funny for those of us who just like to watch and laugh at the interaction, etc.. like the one family who kept on re-gifting the same stupid glass bowl with flowers on it year after year after year... and finally gave that dumb bowl in the same Christmas wrapping paper to me for my housewarming a couple years ago in February (which still sits in my basement btw, hmmm maybe i should wrap it up and give it to congee99)... we had to make a NO REGIFTING rule just so they don't keep on passing on the same gifts around. "no regifting" should not have to be a rule but unfortunately in my family, it had to be implemented. and yes, in case you can't tell, i'm still bitter about that dumb bowl - stupid housewarming gift. however, i must give credit to some people though. some gifts are awesome finds for $10 and those are the ones that make the game worth playing....

d :)


Thursday, December 23, 2004

movies..

i've been feeling a bit boring lately. i haven't watched Oprah in days. it's funny how a few days off work can throw your entire schedule off.

so i was looking for a kid friendly movie today to take skye to. boy, are there a lot of movies out there currently that i want to see. we ended up seeing "Meet the Fockers". no, i'm not going to review it. i'm not so good at that but ask me about it in a couple months and if i remember i saw it, it probably means it was good.

so anyway, here is my list of movies i wouldn't mind seeing. (not in any order of course) if anyone who reads this has any sort of desire to go see any of these, let me know :)

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Spanglish
Ocean's Twelve
Alfie
Closer
Finding Neverland
The Polar Express

d :)

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

bbbrrrrrr..

today i went to Sam's Club 4 different times. i think i've been there about 8 times in the past week. shopping with t is crazy. she just keeps on going back there. she's obsessed or something.

d

This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

Sunday, December 19, 2004

technicolour dream ass??

it's 7am and i'm still not sleeping. this is the third night in a row where i've been up past 5am. grr.. luckily i have the next 3 days off!! :) whooo hooooo...

i was watching Oprah a couple weeks ago, and at the end of the show, O asked her panel of experts, "what's the best advice you've ever received?".

everyone had something to say but only one has stuck in my head since. it was actually a quote from Maya Angelou - "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time." i've been thinking since, how many times have i overlooked or been in denial about something in someone but then kicked myself for it when i realized it was a trait they had demonstrated in the past but i just didn't want to see it. Is it just too naive to have hope or faith in people? do people really change? it seems like an easy thing to do, but when there is emotion or a friendship involved, is it really that easy to not try to find the good?

i'm always quite amazed at all the things i learn from kids - especially mine. it's funny how their lives parallel my life often and they seem to make the right choices and bounce back and sometimes i stuggle and stuggle until i see that they've already moved on from the same situation. it's amazing how they see things in people that we as adults do not see.

i used to work at my dad's office and there was one guy there that always gave me the creeps. there was just so many things that gave me a bad vibe about him, but i kept on trying to brush it off. he had never done or said anything to make me feel that way, it was just something that i couldn't put my finger on. one day sama (who was still too young to speak at the time) came into the office and from about 20-30 feet away, she saw the back of this man at the back of the room and starting screaming. he hadn't even turned around at that point but something about him just made her freak out. she refused to enter the office and i ended up leaving with her. he was clearly the cause but i still don't know why. the strange thing was that this guy gave everyone the creeps. weird.

my ass: i just got out of the shower and i looked for any residual bruising or markings and kevin, since you plan on extending my technicolour dream ass "the appropriate courtesy" the next time we meet, i thought i'd give a quick update on it. what was a black, bluey-green, red mass has now turned into a little pink ring. hardly noticable without close inspection... not that that's an invitation or anything.. ;) hmmm for some reason this made me think about kurt's tattoo.. what was the real reason you put it there?

are either of you still reading this or are congee99 and willo my only fans?

i think i'm almost done my christmas shopping. only have a couple more to go. did i mention in my 99 list how much i love shopping?? it's not even so much about buying things but more about a really really great score. (you mean, i can get that thing i almost paid $25 for two days ago for $2.00 today?? are you kidding me? i'll take 6) .. yes.. that really happened... :)

i was at a chrismas party the other night and heard these two things within minutes of each other. i know both people from way back and for about the same amount of time.... one said, "wow, you look younger and younger each time i see you." and the other said, "as you mature you look more and more beautiful" ... i look younger AND more mature at the same time??? ugh.. what am i doing wrong?

i think i'm starting to babble. 7:37am. i have to be up by 9. i'm going to sleep. i'll review this in the morning to edit.

:)

d

This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know? - keane


Thursday, December 16, 2004

99 things about Michael

My very good friend Mike sent me 99 things about himself - because of #19, he will never post this, so with his permission, here are 99 things about my friend Michael. Thanks Mike!!!

NINETY-NINE THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I don’t know where to start.
2. I love hamburgers. How about that?
3. I love junk food. I can’t help it. The other day, a bunch of people from work went out for lunch, and when I found out they were going for salads, I ditched them to go to KFC by myself.
4. I don’t believe in astrology, but I can’t explain why I connect particularly well with Cancers.
5. My birthday is March 4.
6. People who know say I’m a typical Pisces.
7. My purple Volkswagen is the same colour as my favourite smartie.
8. My little cousin J. lives in New York.
9. I wish she lived in Toronto.
10. I want to go to New York this summer.
11. I have two brothers who are both better athletes than I am.
12. My father is the strongest person I know.
13. I admire my friend S. for having the strength to raise an autistic child.
14. I’m transported when I listen to John Coltrane because he is the greatest saxophone player that ever lived.
15. I get depressed when I listen to John Coltrane because it is impossible for me to ever play as well as he did.
16. My brother thinks it’s wasteful that I have so many CD’s. I store some separately, so whenever he comes over he won’t see how many I really have.
17. He thought he was being helpful when he once suggested I can download music.
18. I will never download music.
19. I don’t surf the internet and I don’t own a computer.
20. My CD collection includes among other things, Frank Sinatra, Motorhead, Judy Garland, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Holly Cole, Black Sabbath, Dvorak, Mozart, Maria Callas, Meatloaf, Barbra Streisand, Oscar Peterson and Rush.
21. My favourite CD is Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, The Great Summit, from 1961.
22. “Over the Rainbow” is the first tune I learned to play on my saxophone.
23. On days I’m playing hockey particularly well, it’s likely I’m playing in my head the tunes “One”-U2 or “Whole of the Moon”-Waterboys
24. I will never win a lottery, not because I don’t buy tickets (I do), but because I never get around to checking my numbers.
25. If I do win a lottery, I will quit my job and go back to school to get a graduate degree in English Lit.
26. With the exception of the last two or three years, I’ve read “The Great Gatsby” every year of my life since grade 12.
27. I’ve started reading “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” again.
28. I started it for the first time when I was in my 20’s and searching for meaning. Never finished the book. Never quite figured out the point of life.
29. In 1993, I wrote a short novel (long short story?). Today I’m embarrassed about it.
30. I’ve only let three people read it, and I’ve asked them not to tell me what they think of it.
31. I don’t accept criticism very well.
32. F. who used to work here, (who used to report to my woman hockey playing friend, K.) quit being a lawyer to write her novel full time.
33. I think F. is incredibly brave and I hope she succeeds.
34. I’ve seen the movie Casablanca about twenty times.
35. Last year I went through a period where I couldn’t stop watching “Lost in Translation.” It’s terribly affecting. I think I saw it five times over a two week period.
36. I fall asleep everything I try to watch “The Sound of Music.”
37.I’ve never seen it in its entirety.
38. But I love “My Fair Lady”.
39. I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not Buffy, the show.
40. I’m a slob.
41. My friend T makes me laugh. Whenever I change jobs I have to take him out to dinner to celebrate. Whenever he changes jobs I have to take him out to dinner to celebrate.
42. Once about five years ago, I reneged and he still holds it against me. I don’t think changing department counts.
43. I miss living in the city. I don’t like the suburbs.
44. I want a huge fat tree in front of my house.
45. When I lived in the city, I went out for a walk every night. I can’t do that anymore.
46. I don’t like shopping but I do go to malls. It’s the closest thing in the ‘burbs to strolling the Danforth.
47. I worry a lot about the future. Mostly I worry that my life won’t change.
48. I don’t think there’s anything wrong, but I hope there’s more. Maybe I need religion. That’s what an old friend of mine used to tell me.
49. I have no religion. I don’t believe in anything.
50. Both my manager and my financial advisor think I’m aimless.
51. I also worry about my parents’ health and happiness.
52. I hope I’m a good son, but I don’t really know what that means.
53. I love teaching. I think it may be my “calling”, if there is such a thing.
54. The first time I taught I was petrified because I had no idea what I was talking about. I didn’t understand the material I was supposed to teach. I studied all week so I could get away with saying just a few things. I was afraid someone would discover I was a fraud.
55. My friend L. thinks I’m crazy spending so much time with my private tutoring. She thinks I should limit myself to tutoring only single women for FREE.
56. I understand her point, but I still think I should also be open to tutoring anyone who has $$.
57. Sometimes when I’m tutoring I get frustrated with how stupid some people are.
58. When I cool down, I feel terrible for thinking people are stupid.
59. I don’t have a favourite colour. Even if I did, I don’t think it would change anything.
60. The only sports I’m passionate about are Formula One and the Canadian Football League.
61. I’ve seen every Grey Cup game since 1979.
62. A couple of months ago when I was at Uof T in Mississauga, I saw Damon Allen, and when he noticed that I recognized him, he came over to talk to me.
63.I’ve been to every Toronto Argonaunts home game since.
64. I thought I was too old to be this type of fan. I was wrong.
65. When I start thinking I’m too old for “anything”, then I must be in big trouble.
66. I try to keep the friends I have. I’m not good at making new ones.
67. It amazes me that some of my friends like me so much.
68. I don’t know what’s wrong with them.
69. The high school I went to was Riverdale Collegiate. Many of my friends are upset that the school was rebuilt. They don’t recognize it anymore. Somehow the old memories have been invalidated.
70. I bought into that crap too when I was 17.
71. Today – my friends from high school are still my friends. The old days don’t matter. Hopefully high school are NOT the best years of my life.
72. I hate reality television.
73. I hate golf.
74. Cats not dogs. But I have neither.
75. I can’t stand people who speak incessantly about their pets. I don’t care if you give your cat Zantac, and yes ok, your dog eats better than I do.
76. I’ve been accused of being opinionated, direct, insensitive and that I sometimes hurt peoples’ feelings without knowing it.
77. This is supported by a series of personality tests/ profiles my employer did on me.
78. I hope it’s not true.
79. When I was growing up, I was an “angry young man.” My cousin J. used to be afraid of me.
80. I identified with Charlie Brown.
81. Peanuts is still my favourite comic strip and when I go to Chapters/ Indigo I always spare time to read a few strips.
82. This is how I’m different from my brothers who are both gentle souls.
83. I used to be very competitive. My high school friend who was the fifth ranked chess player in Canada humiliated me everyday. Cope or quit. Today, I’m not competitive at all.
84. I have this uncanny ability for remembering numbers. It’s a great asset for this job I don’t like.
85. I never forget phone numbers. But sometimes I get mixed up about which numbers in my head belong to who.
86. Nature is fair however. I can’t remember yesterday.
87. I’m still sore from playing ball hockey.
88. I didn’t used to like kids. Didn’t dislike them – merely thought of them as “little things that are just there”. But I like them more and more, as more of my friends have them.
89. Starbucks? Second Cup? Tim Hortons? Timothy’s? None of the above. McDonald’s CafĂ© Roast. The way I feel about Big Macs has nothing to do with this.
90. I’m excellent at dodging phone calls. And it’s more than just forgetting to turn on my cell phone.
91. I drink too much Coke, not as much as some, but still too much.
92. The socks I’m wearing right now have holes in them.
93. This week I’m planning to wash my hockey equipment.
94. I don’t always follow through with what I say.
95. I don’t see that as failure or character flaw or anything like that. If it’s not right, quit and move on. Don’t waste your time.
96. I wish life were slower. Maybe I’m just too busy.
97. I love my rocking chair.
98. I hope I live a long life. I wouldn’t mind dying in that chair.
99. I hope there are others beside mine.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, K-E-L-L-Y

Did you see me on tv last night? i was the one frantically waving at the camera at Making the Cut ... i always swear i won't do that ... i'm not quite sure what comes over me when the red light on the stupid camera comes on. without fail, everytime, i start flailing my arms like i'm being attacked by a swarm of killer bees... why do i do that?? oh yes.. it's cuz i was hoping my kids were watching.. :) (they didn't see me, btw, so all that flailing was again wasted .. hmm come to think of it, i don't think they have ever seen me)

we ran into t's favourite goalie of all time last night too. kelly hrudey. i didn't recognize him without his headband thingy and all dressed up. ok.. so i wouldn't have recognized him even if he had all his goalie stuff on and punched me in the nose (but that's not really the point, is it?)
t was so excited and i think d was too although he i think he justed tried to pretend he wasn't ... how exciting is it to meet one of your wife's childhood hero's?? ... ok.. so not that exciting.. but it was so much fun nonetheless. Thanks don for the awesome 3rd row tickets.. now if only you can get us tix like that for the Leafs - if they ever start playing again .... and.. thanks for dinner will :) you're the bestest!!!

d


"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost... "
JRR Tolkein

Monday, December 13, 2004

cristal

wow, this past weekend went by really fast. too much drink, too much food and too much shopping. so fun :). i drank too much on saturday night. (btw, for those who don't know me well, drinking too much does not require that much alcohol for me). - ugh.. what was i thinking?? it was so yummy. how funny would be for me to blog when i'm drunk. how funny would it be for sama to blog drunk. now, that would be way funny. but in order for me to do that i'd have to 1. stay awake and 2. be able to type. also, how funny is it that i'm writing about drinking.. i never drink - LOL.

congee99 - blog drunk!!!

in any case, it's monday again. ugh.. :)

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

perspiring by the fire....

i know i'm not the brightest light on the block ... my friend willo can attest to that ... and since this is an easy plug for congee99, congee99 can attest to that too.. but lately, my blonde moments seems to well surpass any seemingly intelligent thoughts i may have. i think i'm too stressed - there's too much going on and i still haven't done any christmas shopping. in any case....

skye was in a christmassy mood the other day and was singing christmas carols - she sings out loud often which is really great! we even turn off the radio sometimes and listen to SKYE-FM. anyway, apparently she PERSPIRES as she dreams, by the fire. now, i've always thought we CONSPIRE as we dream by the fire, but after a long discussion with her, i started to doubt. maybe i've been singing the wrong word all along. Thank god, i don't belt the tunes out like she does. how embarrassing would it be should someone (like Congee99) hear that i conspired rather that perspired. wait a sec... i don't perspire... i glow!!! it actually does make sense. i've known people who sit by a fire and start to sweat. so i got home... sat in front of my 'puter and googled "winter wonderland". i'm not sure why, but i was actaully relieved to find that we actually are conspiring and not perspiring and now having thought about it, it would be way too silly for someone to put PERspire by the fire in a christmas carol.

also, i had a conversation the other day and the person i was talking to punched me in the arm and asked me what i called that? Puzzled and preparing myself for a good ol' wrestling match, i said "what?!!" Fearing the onset of the greatest wrestling match ever, he tapped my arm lightlly again and said "what do you call this?" Again, i asked "what?". "George horse", he replied. i must've had my best "wtf?" face on cuz without skipping a beat he explained that a george horse was simlar to a charlie horse but on the arm. i had never heard this before. what's with the punch?? the "wtf?" face must gotten worse cuz he just kept on explaining. "you know what a charlie horse is, don't you??" he asked. "uh, yeah.. isn't it a muscle or leg cramp or kinda like that" i answered, now even more perplexed about where the conversation was going. "no, it's when someone hits you in the leg" he said, "and so a george horse is when someone punches you in the arm." " what?? are you sure about that?" i asked. anyway to make a long story short he further explained to me what he though a charlie horse was and at the end of the conversation, i was doubtful once again. how could i have misinterpreted this word for so many years. thank god i don't get leg/muscle cramps or else i might have used this word incorrectly... so there i was again, waiting for a chance to google "charlie horse". and it turns out, a charlie horse is a leg/muscle cramp.

so what have i learned? i'd like to say that i have learned to be more confident about my knowledge, but who am i kidding? if i can be convinced that i perspire by the fire by a 13 year old, i'm just a lost cause. Please don't try to take advantage of this.

deb :)

oh.. with regards to the "wtf?" face. Sama has the best one. Next time you talk to her, say something a little off. it's so funny.

btw, sama, you owe me a list.

Sunday, December 05, 2004

run - this is what i named the lipgloss i made

so every time i mention congee99 on my blog, he calls me up and says what a great post my last one was. so in an effort to boost my ego (some would say it's over-inflated already) i'm going to make it a habit of mentioning congee99 frequently so that i can constantly walk around with my head held high knowing that i have enlightened and enriched at least one person's life. congee99 (mention #3, in case you're not counting) also mentioned that kevin luved my 99 list. thanks kev, you're the bestest!!! (where's your 99 list, btw??)

more random ramblings...

i offered to knit my niece a hat a couple weeks ago. i'm pretty new at this knitting thing so the process is often very slow - apparently, very, very slow. after a couple days, all i heard was, "faster, faster - are you done yet?". i grew up only knowing people who knit really fast. my aunts could turn a sweater around in a couple days and when they were really busy, it'd take them a week ... maybe. so i never really learned to appreciate the work involved in hand knitted wear. just put my request in and voila, you have a sweater exactly like you wanted. they were always as nice as the store bought, mass produced sweaters so all was great. when i started knitting i did so in the hopes that i would be able to turn sweaters around in a couple days ... but now as i knit i've noticed that it takes me weeks upon weeks upon weeks in front of the tv to even put tog a garter stitch scarf. how truly pathetic LOL. i know that the process should be faster in time, but sometimes i want things to be fast NOW!!! ... damn.. i'm so impatient! i've got to fix that. i've actually been working on a sweater for sama for at almost a year now. i'm at the point where it's boring me so i've put it down and have been working on other things. perhaps i should not have been so adventurous when i started out. i dunno.

in any case i was reading a few weeks back about two women at a needlework show who could knit approx 274 stitches in 3 minutes. wow.. can you imagine how fast that is?? ... ~1.5 stitches per second!!! anyway when i heard this i couldn't wait to go home to see how i measured up. needless to say, i was more than a little disappointed. so much so, that i didn't even finish timing myself. how can one's fingers move so fast? mind you, they could have been using a better yarn/needle combination that moved faster, and they both were knitters for over 20 years... can i possibly be that fast one day??

anyway, congee99. you should ask ur mom to pull out some needles and yarn next time you go home and grab a stopwatch to time her. last time i saw your mom knit (a few months ago) she was knitting faster than i could think (yeah,.. i know.. i may just not be a fast thinker)... but in any case i thought it looked pretty fast.

i ate a bag of orville reddenbacher microwave popcorn for lunch today. as i reached the bottom of the bag there was a sense of pride. not only was the bag filled with popcorn, the bottom only had a small handful of unpopped kernels. usually i can barely see the bottom of the bag because it is covered in unpopped kernels. there was 39 of them to be exact. the competitor in me almost wants to send out a challenge to see who can get the closest to zero unpopped kernels but being able to eat the rest of the popped cord as well. burnt popcorn does not count. but alas, i'm afraid that my only competitor would be sama so i hesitate. if you eat popcorn, let me know how many unpopped kernels you end up with.

d :)


Friday, December 03, 2004

muse

i'm not sure if it was congee99 or one of his friends that started the "99 things about me" list, but i think everyone should write one. after a couple weeks i find that my brain continues to swim around looking for "things about me"... what did i forget? i love peanut butter. i love chocolate. ok.. lots more, but those seem to be the most important now seeing that it's lunch and i'm craving something sweet.

i've started writing so many different things and nothing seems to fall in the right place so today's posting is just going to be random thoughts so my apologies if this is a little confusing.

sama was up all night last night writing some paper. i got up at 6:30am and she was still plugging away.. "i'm almost done," she said. she also said that at 2:30am when i went to bed and at 3:30am when i asked her before i fell asleep. i had forgotten about those all-nighters.

i've been a mother for more than half my life. that just dawned on me the other day. how many of your friends can say that about themselves? my life has not been about me for a really long time. i don't really miss that, but i do sometimes think about it. what is really "me" and what is just the "mommy" part? i think i sometimes lose sight of the things that separates me from the "mommy". sometimes i ask everyone if they have to pee before we go out!?! it's amazing how many "WTF" looks you can get when you ask that question to adults.

sama just called. she wants to come home cuz her brain is toast. i said ok. she's on her way back now with the promise of never pulling an all nighter again. (yeah.. and i believe her too)

the other day i had dinner with a friend who told me that just the night before she had it out with her kids. her son now hates her daughter, daughter hates her son and they both hate her. my friend always seems so together. great family, great life. it's terrible to say, but it was a little nice to see that i'm not the only one who occasionally has kids that hate their mother. last week as i watched an episode of "desperate housewives" (i know with all the oprah i talk about, it seems like i'm a tv junkie, but i assure you i am not) . anyway in this episode lynette, a mother of 4 uncontrolable kids, had a breakdown because she was feeling inadequate as a mother. it's funny how not everyone talks about the tribulations of being a parent. i talk about it but for the most part, i think that most of the people i know have these hunky dory lives. every parent can always deal with their children without ever wanting to throw them out the window. i guess it's just normal to want others to see your perfect world even when it's not. who wants that baby who cries all night long or who can't be controlled ? ... i was truly blessed with my kids. both were really good babies, good kids, always with amazing report cards and pretty good attitudes. that doesn't mean we haven't had our share of fights/arguements etc... and i assure you there have been many many days where it took everything in my power to keep those windows locked and closed and now that they are teenagers and in a world of their own, we butt heads - very often. i just wanted to say that in case all of you parents think you're alone. i assure you, that you are not. in any case, i just wanted to add, that i couldn't have asked for two sweeter kids. they are truly the best.

oh yeah, one thing i have learned though, is that just like i talk to my friends about home stuff, my kids talk to their friends about home stuff and vice versa. it's amazing what you learn about other people's families that way. how clean they keep their houses, the occasional abuse, or the constant fighting. sometimes i feel way normal when i hear those things.

on oprah yesterday they had a segment on adopting little girls in china. lisa ling had done a report on how girls are constantly abandoned because everyone in China wants a little boy. anyway, by the end of the show i wanted a baby from china. only oprah can make me want to raise another child. oprah just really makes me want to make a difference in the world. to be a little more relentless to try to make a difference even when i don't think i things will change . you don' t know if you don't try. just thought i'd share that.

having said that, i've come across a few situations the past couple of weeks of people i know who are so stuck in their ways they can't wrap their heads around the fact that there is "more". why do people settle? why don't they let themselves achieve more by believing they deserve more? this world we are in is sometimes small, but at the same time filled with opportunity and really really great people. anyway i can rant about this forever so i'm just going to stop now.

update on my ass.
there is a little reddish, greenish, greyish ball imprint on the top of my right cheek - this can easily be hidden so not really a big deal. still a bit tender to push on it but walking, standing, sitting and sleeping is no longer bothersome.

update on my head
bruise is still there. it's kind of just a greyish tinge right behind my right ear. really tender to touch. this didn't seem to hurt as much when i got it, but it's def. hurting more now when i accientally rub against it. at least that island counter is gone.

wow.. great news.. i just got 4 free passes to the bike show. wooo hooooo...

ok.. that's it for now. 22 days till xmas.

d :)

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

mmmmmmmm...

this must be a good day... i'm posted for the second time today...

i was invited to the funniest place for lunch today. not really funny as in "hahaha" but more funny because of the confusion and giggle you let out when you fully realize what's going on. i don't think i would have ventured into this place on my own and would probably never have even noticed it. small, very tucked away and looking like it has been closed down for months. the sign outside which looks like it should be lit was falling apart and in dire need of some tlc. the inside was a little dirty, parts of the wall was repaired with cardboard and packaging tape. i find out that the restaurant is only open for 2-3 hours a day and only at lunch. only 2 servers. there were about 3-4 large tables that seat about 10 and about the same number of smaller tables which seat around 4. lots of table sharing. i think we ended up sharing with at least 6 other singles/couples/groups for the hour we sat there.

in any case, the restaurant was packed the entire time. the food was familiar yet unique (fish balls the size of billiard balls, filled with meat ??)

this place is definitly busy enough to stay open for longer than a few hours at lunch. prices were excellent and the food was pretty good. the table sharing isn't really my thing, but i can see how it works and packs more people in. every seat was filled and there was a constant stream of people waiting at the door for the next seat available.

they refused to seat anyone until their entire party was there and ready to sit down. they held the table for you, but just didn't let you sit. a little strange but everyone readily accepted it and waited until they could be seated.

there are certain foods there where you just simply are not allowed to pack for home without paying a surcharge but others menu items are packed and sent home with you. i'm not sure how they define what's allowed to be taken home and what isn't though.

the server was not rude, but definitely assertive. anyway, i was def. a little reluctant when i saw the place and had i not been meeting someone else there i prob would have not even noticed it. it def. left a lot to be desired in terms of atmosphere but food was good, company was good - what more is there to ask for?

d

shhh.. don't tell anyone....

i'm not comfortable with having secrets... not the kind oprah has where she surprises her entire audience with a new car or a flat screen tv but the kind that you know can be life changing for someone else if they knew about it. not that i can't keep a secret, but when something is potentially life altering or can affect a major decision, i struggle with that a little bit.

so as you can guess, i have a secret... damn.. who am i kidding? i love secrets.

deb :)

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

orange ball, meet buttercup's ass

just wanted to say thanks to my buddy paul from ball hockey for introducing the hard orange ball to my butt last night. i guess i hadn't spent enough time in my life thinking about all the butt muscles that are required when i sit, stand, walk, turn over while i'm sleeping. i've actually spent a significant amount of time thinking about that since.

it's all good though. it's nice to be reminded that there is some muscle in my butt and that it's not all cushion... but having said that, thank goodness there's some cushion back there :)

oh, and while i'm in my thankful mode, i want to thank pete for introducing the counter top to the back of my head a couple nights ago too. i don't recall ever having bruising ON my head before ... although i do recall a doctor saying once that there might have been bruising in my head.

i'm feeling a bit injury prone this week.

d

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

guilt...

so ever since i wrote my 99 list i've felt more obligated to walk up the stairs at work. i have actually increased my walking up rate to 100%. I haven't taken the elevator in weeks ... it's a pretty powerful thing to write something down for others to read. today, i got to work a bit early.. and found the door to the stairs locked. I had to take the elevator or just wait for the door to be unlocked. the latter didn't really seem to be much of an option so i headed towards the elevator ... as i stood there waiting for floor 5, i thought about the different ways i could make up that lost stair climb. it's really amazing how much guilt is attached to a commitment that others are able to read ... weird.

next on my list ... use gym membership, use punching bag, lose some weight. if you don't see a change, bug me about it.

:)

d

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

99 things about me.....

i guess this is as good of a place to start as any. congee99 has posted his "99 things about me" list. here is mine. post yours and send me the link.

99 things about me...

1. i love Oprah - a little strange to begin with this one but O seems to be the topic of discussion often lately.
2. i carry water with me all the time thinking that would motivate me to drink more... not sure if it's working. most days i think i just carry the water around - at least i will be prepared should i need to put out a small fire or water a dehydrated plant.
3. i have two awesome girls - sama and skye
4. i have by far the world's cutest niece - jordan
5. i drive a Nissan Altima but my baby is my F4i.
6. my first bike was a ninja 500r.
7. i've had one really close call on my bike so far and my life did flash before my eyes. everything does somehow move in slow motion too.
8. i love the numbers 3 and 8
9. i learned to knit from a book - i don't think i do it well but it's still knitting.
10. i play ice hockey - not well but it's still hockey on the ice.
11. i play ball hockey - ditto.
12. i walk down the stairs from work almost 100% of the time but recently started walking up and only approximately 80% of the time.
13. i am unattached ... and although westley and buttercup makes me want to find true love... sometimes i feel like i can't be bothered to find it.
14. i'm sucker for dimples and a really really great smile :)
15. i am the 2nd of 4 children.
16. my uncle calls me "num-baa two"
17. my parents are really great.
18. but i often miss my dad.
19. i only really started appreciating all that my parents did for us when we were younger a few years ago. you don't really appreciate it until you have children of your own and they start going through what you went through - and there were 4 of us. they must really really love us.
20. i believe in God - but not catholocism.
21. devout, fanatical Catholics make me that way.
22. i often wish i had more faith.
23. i'm tempted to rant about religion but i won't.
24. i often wonder if i'm setting a good example for my kids but so far they're alright so i must be doing something right.
25. when i sleep, you can start a silly conversation with me. yes. i do respond and don't always remember.
26. i can fall asleep pretty much anytime, anywhere. just give me 5 minutes.
27. i am stubborn.. but not irrational... ok.. sometimes irrational.
28. i have taught myself to "wait 3 days" - things always change by the third day.
29. i love wearing lipstick - not always with colour. it keeps my lips moist.
30. i put lip balm on with my fourth finger on my right hand.
31. i wear contact lenses and am trying to wear my glasses more.
32. my favourite flavours of gum are Trident Spicy Cinnamon and Extra Original Bubblegum (the US version)
33. i like crafting just to see if i can make it myself. skye thinks i can do anything when it comes to crafts - math not so much.
34. ball hockey and motorcycling has made me swear off shorts for now. too many bruises and too pasty are my legs - oh.. and it's almost winter
35. sometimes i behave like my skin needs more than what i do with it but it doesn't appear to make a difference that i notice.
36. i saw olivia newton john live when she toured for "physical".
37. i can still sing to barney tunes.
38. i will reach the weight i was at t&d's wedding before my next birthday.
39. my birthday is on april 15th.
40. i have a tattoo and want to get more.
41. patience is not a virtue i possess a lot of. i think i get that from my dad.
42. i'm allergic to some alcohols - very allergic to Gilbey's London Dry Gin
43. come to think of it, i'm allergic to a lot of things. dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, grass, trees, pollen, milk, eggs, some soap, some hand lotions, many perfumes etc etc.
44. Coke, not pepsi.
45. i'm spending way too much time on this list. 99 things about me seemed easier when it was just in my head!!
46. a well timed hug, will def. get you bonus points from me.
47. i used to have a fish named Damaso. it jumped out of its bowl into the heat register and died.
48. we used to have another fish that lost all its fins and swam upside down for months.
49. i used to take pottery ... but ended up with too much pottery so i stopped.
50. i always feel lucky to have a big family and be close to so many of them.
51. my favourite colour is red - but most of my wardrobe is black.
52. baseball bores me.
53. my kids sometimes laugh at the way i dress ... but sometimes, i laugh at the way they dress.
54. we all laugh at the way tina dresses.
55. i'm as excited to see my kids all grown up as i am saddened to see them all grown up.
56. i went trick-or-treating when i was in my 20's.
57. i believe in the ability of psychics even though none have said anything accurate about my future... only accurate about my past.
58. i believe that ghosts and aliens exist.
59. i love long hot bubble baths with a good magazine or sometimes my gameboy wrapped in a ziploc bag - just in case i fall asleep and drop it - perhaps i just need to invest in a game that's more fun.
60. my first car was blue nissan sentra that i got before i had my driver's licence. that got totalled (not by me) and i ended up driving my mom's blue oldsmobile station wagon.
61. i went to class on monday morning during reading week in my first year of university.
62. i love thai and japanese food. (chinese doesn't count)
63. i went to 3 different high schools. Loretto Abbey, Banting HS in London and Newtonbrook SS.
64. i used to play the piano ... and drums ... i still have the piano... but not the drum kit.
65. i was told once upon a time that i looked like Siouxsie Sioux and more recently like a porn star (i'd mention her name, but my kids might be tempted to google it)
66. i used to be in the Bionic Woman club (you know, the one that made a guest appearance on the Six Million Dollar Man before she had her own show, yeah.. that one)
67. i love the smell and feel of freshly showered skin
68. i love taking pictures - thank god for digital
69. sometimes i think i'm funnier than i really am
70. sometimes i think i'm smarter than i really am
71. i always watch The Sound of Music and Grease when it's on.
72. i love to rub my kids' bellies - even though one of them doesn't like it
73. i want to own an orange tag heuer.
74. i want to take both of my kids on a trip this summer.
75. i own a sewing machine and know how to use it.
76. i have my own bowling ball and shoes. i think i've broken 200 once.
77. i love pillows. one day i hope to have a room filled with pillows for me to play in.
78. i like boyleg undies the most but i have others as well.
79. i love to buy underwear.
80. when i was pregnant with sama, i had stretch marks on my bum that looked like flames.
81. i am grateful for having friends that truly care about me.
82. i don't mind washing and drying laundry, and i don't mind folding laundry. i have great difficulty getting it from folded into the drawers.
83. i'm good at shopping and finding good deals. tina's better at finding really good deals though.
84. i once stood so close to michael jordan that i could have punched him in the nose, had i been able to reach his nose.
85. i'm a little competitive.
86. i really love kids and babies.
87. i'm not sure i want more, but i def. can't wait till more of my friends and family have them so that i can play with them.
88. i own a punching bag that i haven't used in a while. i feel a bit guilty about that.
89. i'm afraid to have flabby arms - i think punching the bag helps keep the flab away.
90. i have a gym membership i rarely use but i feel less guilty about that.
91. i am tremendously proud of my kids
92. i've only eaten fast food a couple times since i watched Supersize Me.
93. that doesn't mean i've given up all junk food.
94. taking my kids to watch Supersize Me is one of the best things i've done
95. i'm surprised that one of my friends watches judge judy as religiously as i watch oprah.
96. i will always be 22.
97. i no longer like the smell of flower shops, they remind me of my dad's funeral. in fact, they make me sick now
98. when i die, i would like everyone to get a haircut before attending my funeral.
99. i think you're just awesome for taking the time to read to the bottom of this long winded list. :) thank you.


finally i'm done... this took me 2 days to write... that's sad...

:)



here goes nothing...

so i thought my first post could be a little more interesting. congee99 posted "99 things about me" and i've been compiling a 99 list (so much pressure ... i'm working on it already..!!!) hoping it would be my first post.. but apparently i'm not fast enough... it's 2:38 am and i'm still not done. i'm going to bed. hopefully i'll be inspired enough tomorrow to finish it. there's gotta be 33 more little bit interesting facts about me... there's gotta be..
g'nite.