le sigh

So, my fabulous landlords are currently enjoying a month in the south Pacific. That in itself is almost enough to hate them.

But wait, there's more. Our postie has suspended mail delivery (going on for about two weeks now) because the sidewalk in front of our building is a lovely mixture of snow, ice and slush. So the dude who lives below me left a note in the vestibule last Wednesday informing us of the mail suspension. I email his landlord (the other owner of building) to have him deal with problem (because why would he contact an owner and have them deal with the problem? Am I the only person who holds people accountable for their responsibilities?). He emails back that he will tend to it right away. On Friday night, I came home and first walked through a slush puddle to my ankle and then nearly slipped on the ice underneath. Another email sent (b/c what if he hired someone and thought they'd done the job, right?). He responds on SUNDAY that he thought it would've melted by now and that he'd get a number of a contractor and deal with it.

OK, I think. We're finally getting somewhere. Then the dudes show up to shovel the four inches of snow we got on Sunday morning. I go out and specifically ask them to clean it down to the concrete (as per the city by-law) because our mail wouldn't be delivered until it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, they leave and needless to say, they did not do as I had asked. So now I PHONE other owner and leave message asking him to call. Nada. Yesterday I came home to same icy sidewalk. I send yet another email asking what he's going to do about situation. No response. Arrgh.

Phone rings this morning and it's him. He was here on Sunday and he thought the walks looked great. But did you walk down the avenue? See, we live on a corner lot. They're really good about cleaning the west facing street but the north facing avenue is the problem. Dude, I say, the bylaw says that the walk needs to be cleaned to the concrete. I don't have a car to drive around to find my mail that's supposed to be delivered to my door. This has already been going on long enough! So he says he's going to deal with it today. I'm not holding my breath.

And what he doesn't know is that I called bylaw myself this morning to report the walk. And I called Canada Post to find out what's going on and to find out why they didn't call bylaw. More waiting.

The point of this ranting post, you ask?

Why can't people do their jobs? Seriously, my landlords pay two men to clean our sidewalks. One would think that they are aware of the bylaw that says you actually have to get the snow and ice OFF of the sidewalk. One would also think that if someone comes out and specifically asks you to clean the walk and you say that you will, that I don't know, YOU WOULD DO WHAT YOU ARE PAID TO DO!

But maybe that's just me.

Good Monday Morning!

Isn't that an oxymoron?

So, got up a little early and did some yoga before my shower. Why do I let this habit slide?!! I feel fabulous and know that I'm prepared for the day ahead. The turtle stickers on the calendar are going to return with a vengeance!

Breakfast was:
-chai
-oatmeal cooked with almond breeze vanilla, almond butter and a square of dark chocolate

Coffee break snack:
-vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup All Bran, raspberries and peaches

Lunch
-2 slices of squirrelly bread
-butter lettuce
-homemade egg salad sammie
-pickle
-3 small (not baby) carrots
-Pink Lady apple

Activity
-25 minutes yoga
-80 minutes walking (to and from work; to and from French class)

Here's to a great week!
H =)

Not so bad after all

The sun came out! Snow started to melt! I had a nap, but then decided I shouldn't let the sun go to waste. So C. and I went for a walk. My new Garmin clocked it at 6.5K. It was fabulous, especially with the chai in hand.

Dinner tonight (I thought I had a picture, but my camera has a mind of it's own lately) consisted of:
-a pint of water (in the Big Rock Brewery glass)
-a glass of Wolf Blass Shiraz
-1 cup whole wheat rotini
-1.5 cups pasta sauce
-1/2 bunch of kale sauteed with onion and balsamic vinegar

Mmmmm....good!

I'm going to tidy the kitchen and mix up the cookies (I'll bake 'em tomorrow)then do some yoga, je pense. I should also study some French, but I don't want to get too carried away.

Dear Mother Nature,

I know you have a very difficult job. I understand. But your insistence on dumping multiple inches of snow on my fair city at such regular intervals is beginning to wear a little thin.

By the way, you do know that it is officially spring now, right? Or did you not get that memo? Either way, I hope you'll take my desperate plea for the snow to stop to heart and bring on the sunshine and flowers. Oh, how I miss them.

Sincerely,
H-woman =)

WTF?!

OK, last night Environment Canada's website forecast for Calgary was +4C and SUNNY. I woke up to SNOW. I am not amused, Mother Nature. Not one bit. I want spring, damn it!
Arrrrgh. But C. and I did go out for a 4.3K run around the park and I got to try out my new Garmin 305. I heart the 305.

Hit the farmer's market for veggies (red, yellow and orange peppers; zuke; kale; 'shrooms; eggplant; cherry and sundried tomatoes for pasta sauce (with sweet Italian bison sausage), cheese (medium gouda and creamy havarti) and sausage (bison bratwurst).

Alas, laundry is just finishing and I need to have a shower and make dinner reservations at the little Lebanese place down the street. Have a great weekend!

Fabulous Friday!

So here it is, just after noon, and I'm loving my day off. I slept in, which was glorious (I got about 9 hours of sleep, which is what my body prefers).

Had a yummy breakfast: oats cooked in vanilla almond milk with almond butter and two squares of dark chocolate. Paired with a cup of chai and all is good in the world.

I've tidied the kitchen, got laundry going and had a bath in the big clawfoot tub. I'm going to paint my toes 'pink crush' 'cause they're tired of being nekked and then C and I are going to run errands (new slip cover cushions for couch, new cushions for couch, return hard drive that doesn't work, etc., etc.).

Alas, I should get moving. Happy Friday!

H =)

le sigh

TGIF. Well, not yet. But today was my Friday. I'm exhausted and so excited that I can sleep in tomorrow!

WI results: +0.4
Reasons: no tracking, no exercise, emotional eating
Resolve:
*Taking the new 305 for a test run in the morning and at least three times this week
*Drinking at least 2L of water per day
*Resume daily yoga practice--my turtles are few and far between in March

Going out with girlfriend I haven't seen in ages tomorrow. We're going to a crystal singing bowl performance. Very cool.

Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. Need more cheese. Shocking, I know. I'm still on a gouda kick, but I may pick up a havarti as well, just to be different.

And I will also endeavor to track. I'm paying for WW online, I may as well use the features!

'night all!

She's Home!

Nerm's back and in good health. Which isn't good, because that means we have a behavioral issue to deal with, not a health one. Darn, I was really wishing this was something a good dose or two of antibiotics could fix. I got some fancy schmancy pheromone stuff and fingers crossed that it'll do the trick.

Another dinner of KD, but with oodles of water. A run did not happen today. Now that Nerm's home, I'm hoping I'll sleep better tonight so I can get up and run before work tomorrow.

I've got French homework, a ton of dishes and a cat that needs a snuggle. Happy Tuesday!

H =)

Eating My Emotions

But I completely recognize it and am trying to mitigate the damage as much as possible. Nerm's staying at the vet's tonight and she looked so dejected when I left (that was right before she turned her back on me and wouldn't say goodbye) that I almost started crying.

Gotta be KD. I've got three low fat Maple Leaf Top Dogs, a big handful of spinach and a broccoli crown in there, too. And then I'm going to try and dig my way out the back door to work off some of said KD.

Monday Morning Re-Cap

Not a lot to report. Had a great sleep (9 blissful hours) last night and finally feel like I've caught up from the time change.

Nerm's been having some issues. She's peeing in places she shouldn't be (like my couch). Egad! We're off to the doc this afternoon to ensure that there's no infection or anything. Kids!

Work was good yesterday. I've been told that they love working with me more times in the 6 months I've been there (already? wow, time flies) than I heard in the ENTIRE 6 YEARS in my old job.

The sun is shining and the snow is melting, so I may actually be able to get out the back door today. Here's what my deck looked like yesterday morning:


I'd better get moving! Have a great day!
H =)

Super Fun Saturday

I love the weekend!

Yesterday was a bit of a crazy day--I added wrong at work and threw the whole day off schedule. I could try and explain, but won't. Trust me, if I add wrong, it's not good. Lesson learned. Met up with my friend S. who helped me with some techno stuff after a yummy dinner at Earls. Fell asleep watching my boyfriend, George Stroumboulopoulos, and finally crawled into bed around 1230. Dude downstairs cranked his tv at 0507. Arrrgh! Two stomps on the floor got the volume reduced. It better not happen tomorrow or shit may hit the proverbial fan.

Today was super fun! Met my girls for coffee and a walk by the river this morning. Good thing, too, because it's a freaking blizzard out there now! Came home and tidied up and did laundry (in anticipation of the bad weather today--I have to actually go outside to access the laundry room and did I mention how I absolutely DESPISE laundry?). Then the new boy and I got together for our day of fun. When we were planning what to do this week, the only plan we had was: Saturday and FUN. We played pool (best of 7; I lost. But it was damn close the last four games!) and then had a heck of a time trying to find a place to play darts.

Now, I've always been a believer that sharp, pointy objects and alcohol don't mix. I was wrong. My game got better the more Strongbow that I consumed. We finally found a place (a cool pub all 'round, actually) where there was a dart tourney going on when we arrived. They awarded the trophy during our second game. I lost all three games, but had a great time. And I definitely think there should be points for style like there are in freestyle and figure skating. I would've done much better.

Had some yummy Vietnamese pho (although not nearly as good as my Thursday night noodles are) and then watched a movie (Music and Lyrics) where I laughed so hard diet coke almost came out my nose. Snuggled on the couch for a bit then came home due to blizzard. I made him call me when he got home and apparently it just kept getting worse out there. Did I mention that I am so ready for winter to be OVER?!

Anyhooo...the only things on our list that we didn't do were arm wrestle, go for a walk and go to a movie. Next time!

Now I'm sitting by the fire trying to keep warm and sipping a warm mug of decaf chai. I hope you all had a great day, too!

One more day....

and it's FRIDAY! I'm EXHAUSTED! All I want to do is sleep. So as soon as I'm done here, Nerm and I are going to find a sunbeam and have a li'l nap.

I normally don't pay attention to celebrity news, but I was sad to hear that Natasha Richardson passed away. All I could think was that now Liam has become his character on 'Love Actually.'

But seriously, I've taken ski lessons in the last three years and my instructors all wore helmets and made sure we were, too. Any time you strap boards or wheels to your body, you increase the speed your body can travel at. And a neurologist once told me that if you strap such contraptions to your body and forgo the helmet, you WILL make business for him. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day you will. Without a helmet, biking/skiing/snowboarding/roller-blading is a brain injury waiting to happen. Besides, my theory has always been that I paid too much money to ed-u-ma-cate my brain to risk damaging it by a) not wearing a helmet or b) doing drugs. But that's just me.

Not much else to report here. The sun is shining and it's a good thing! Spring is here, at long last.

Spring has sprung,
the grass has ris,
I wonder where
The birdies is?

Noodle night tonight, too! Mmmm!

H =)

Too tired to think of a title....

But thought I should pop in just to tell you what's up. Basically nothing. I was in bed by 8:30 last night and could easily crawl back into bed. Nerm, the little rascal, has already had breakfast and gone back to bed. One of us has to go to work to pay the rent and she's apparently nominated me today!

My lunch is packed (chana masala with couscous, cheese and an apple, yogurt with raspberries, All bran and peaches, herbal tea, carrots and hummus. Now if I can only ignore the vending machine that knows my name!

It's supposed to be +7C today, but they said that yesterday, too. There was no running. =(

However, tomorrow is WI day and when the scale continues the downward trend, a new Garmin will be mine! Then I'll have to take it out for a test run and training can resume in earnest. Yeah, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Hope you all had a great St. Paddy's day. I was going to have green eggs and ham (Sam I am) for dinner, but instead made a veggie pizza with loads of spinach. Mmmm! Sorry, no photos--it didn't last long enough!

Happy Day!

It's over ALREADY?!

Where the hell did my weekend go?! I can't believe it's Sunday night already. Hmpf!

So, here's a brief recap:

1. Friday--work sucked. Instruments down. Vacation requests denied. C. & I put together my microwave stand that Sears miraculously found (how it can go from being back ordered until June to being available now in the blink of an eye is beyond me, but who am I to complain). Well, we got to step 5 and quit. The instructions say it will take 2 people 1 hour to put together. WRONG! Mom and I spent 45 minutes sorting all the bits and bobs to make sure all the pieces that were supposed to be there actually were. Then C. & I spent 2 hours putting it together (there were more than a few f-bombs dropped...mostly by me). It still needs doors and drawers. An SOS call to my handy uncle C. was placed on Saturday. We're currently trying to co-ordinate schedules.

2. Saturday--coffee and a walk by the river with the girls. Fabulous, considering the lack of sleep I had. I wanted to bail on the walk, but I'm glad we went. It was great to be outside and enjoying the sunshine and warm (FINALLY) weather. Mom, C and I went to the Farmer's Market and wandered. I picked up some cheese from my favourite cheese place (medium gouda this week) and some pink lady apples from BC. And carrots to go with the big container of hummous (Tribe roasted garlic) that mom brought. S. treated me to lunch at the best schwarma place in town: Falafel King. Seriously, they make the best I've found since returning from the middle east. Although I have yet to find a place that makes them with fries inside (that's how I had them in Saudi). Mom and I then braved the mall to return some impulse purchases I made earlier in the week. That was not a good idea--I don't do well in crowds and crowded doesn't even begin to describe the place.

3. Sunday--slept in, scrap booked/stamped with another friend, C (I have a lot of C's in my life), then rushed home to go for dinner with the boy. All is good there, too. =P

And now I find it's bedtime and my weekend has flown by! I didn't get a run in, but hopefully tomorrow. I've also got to do some French homework. Good thing Monday's are usually pretty easy, laid back days at work. So, I'm off to catch up with you guys! 'night!

H =)

WI Results

Down 1.0!

I'm ba-a-a-a-ck!

Totally forgot!

I'm going to see the Tragically Hip in September!!

Thank goodness it's Thursday!

That means only one more day and it's Friday! =P

Got to work yesterday just in time to see the building being evacuated due to a fire alarm. The fire department came and we eventually got to go in, but I'm not sure what the problem was. It was just one of those days!

Came home and was watching Corrie online and fell asleep. On the floor. Don't really remember getting up and going to bed, but I must have, since that's where I woke up this morning.

Alas, I'd better get my butt in gear and make some breakfast and something for supper tonight. I've been eating out too much lately--too hard on the wallet and the scale!

Have a fabulous day!
H =)

Le sigh and le happy dance, all at the same time

Le Sigh

It's freaking cold out there. I like winter. I really do. But I'm tired of -20 and then wind chill on top of that. It's MARCH for five cents. Enough already!

Le Happy Dancing

1. My very dear friends, K. & B., are adopting two wonderful little boys!! It's official on Sunday. Yaaaay! I can't think of two people who will be better parents than these two. I am SO excited for them and can't wait to meet them when I head to Fun-couver at the end of April.

2. Had another lovely evening with a great guy and we're going to do it again soon. Cautiously optimistic has become my new mantra! I mean really, this guy loves Indian food as much as me (we had a great dinner) and dislikes coffee as much as me. So we went to the tea shop down the street from the restaurant. AND he came and picked me up 'cause it's so FREAKING cold! (That meant I got to wear girly shoes--very important on a date!)

3. I got to have a nap after work this afternoon. Need I say more?

4. I'm getting my hair done tomorrow to hide the sparkly bits. Again, need I say more?

H =)

Best. Concert. EVER!

The Eagles are AMAZING. I'm listening to their latest album, The Long Road Out of Eden, right now. Of course, I came home and downloaded it immediately!! I heart iTunes. =)

By far, the best concert I've ever been too. The ol' boys have AMAZING harmony and are all incredibly talented musicians. Having no musical ability, I am in awe of Don Henley's ability to sing, play percussion, piano AND guitar.

I have discovered that I'm getting too old to go without sleep. I slept till after 10 this morning (and I'm one of those annoying morning people!).

Food was pretty crazy all weekend, but I'm back on track today. Since breakfast was so late, I think I'll make chana masala (chickpea, tomato and onion curry) for dinner.
My cousin gave me tix to the Brier tonight so Lesley and I are going. Should be fun--hurry hard!!

H =)

Take It Easy

Which is what I'm doing this weekend. C & I are headed to Edmonton (former city of champions) to see THE EAGLES!!!!!!

Hotel California, here we come.

Witchy Woman, c'est moi.

Tequila Sunrise, s'il vous plait, garcon.

I get a Peaceful, Easy Feeling whenever I think about it.

I know I need to work tomorrow, but I'm Already Gone.

One of These Nights, I'll have more than KD and hot dogs (they were bison ones though and the best I've ever had).

So yeah, we'll Take It to the Limit (the sherrifs patrol Hwy 2 and we wouldn't want to be delayed).

I do have a bit of a Heartache Tonight--A. brought over the mandala that she made in Kitty's memory. It's gorgeous (I'll take a pic later, I promise).

I Can't Tell You Why, but I'm super excited about Tuesday and next Sunday, too.

Cheesy, I know, but it's gonna be a blast!

H =)

Last day off....sigh

I have to go back to work tomorrow. While I've enjoyed my days off, being sick for more than half of them makes it seem like I didn't really get days off! So today is going to be pretty laid back while I savour each and every moment of my day off.

Besides, winter has returned and I don't wanna go out there! -25C windchills should not be allowed in March.

Got an email from Sears. Apparently the microwave stand that I ordered that was then on back order until June 2 has now arrived in Calgary. Hmmmm...on Monday Sears in Regina called and said it was in the warehouse in Calgary, did I still want it? Yep, send it I say. Then on Wednesday Mom and I were sitting around and she says, call and see if it's in yet. So I call and was told that it was STILL on back order and there's nothing that indicates it's being shipped sooner. Lesson learned: the right hand NEVER knows what the left hand is doing. Oy. How do these people manage to stay in business when they operate this way??

My tummy's growling, so I'd better see what I can find to feed it. Have a great day!
H =)

Happy Day After My Birthday to Me!

I had a great day yesterday--AMAZING dinner, nap, coffee, sunshine, it was all good. Today I had lunch with my friend C who I haven't seen since before Christmas! Yikes--how did we let that happen?! My belly is now full with yummy Indian food and I'm going to have a nap, then a pedicure, then French class, je pense.

It's all good.
=)

Happy birthday to me!

It's my birthday! Whoo hoo!

I got to sleep in, had a very leisurely morning and am now contemplating what to do with the rest of the day. I've got a dinner date with my fave peeps, S & L, at a restaurant I've been dying to try: Cilantro.

The house is lookin' good; Mom and I have emptied out a few more boxes so that I can actually see the extra 200 sq. ft. I've now got!

Nerm is fast asleep on my meditation cusion--she's so cute. If she didn't have super-sonic hearing powers, I'd take a picture of said cuteness, but she always hears the camera and wakes up!

Au revoir, mes amis!
H =)

Maybe not....

quite the miracle drug. I petered out yesterday afternoon around 4 and felt like utter crap. Had a good kip last night, though and am feeling much more human today. Like running and weight loss, slow and steady will beat this virus!

Mom's still here so we're trying to beat some of the moving clutter to the curb. Good news: someone has moved into the old apartment, so the old landlord should never be a thorn in my side. Whew! Still going to keep an eye on the ol' bank account to make sure the post-dated cheques don't try to clear (I put stop payments on them, but I'm not convinced she's smart enough to know that you can even do that!).

The scale was showing me love again this morning. It's amazing how drinking water helps! Alas, I'm off until Friday, so I'm laying low and just hanging out in the digs with Nerm.

Happy Monday!
H =)

NeoCitran is a miracle drug!

I woke up this morning feeling relatively refreshed and somewhat normal. I still think I should buy shares in Puffs facial tissues, but I think I may be on the mend. Was it the NeoCitran and OJ or the 20+ hours of sleep? Either way, I'm grateful.

I'm waiting for Mom to get ready then we're heading the farmer's market. I don't really need much, but it's always fun to wander around with a coffee in hand.

The scale this morning was showing much nicer numbers, even after a glorious dinner out (fondue at Laurier Lounge....mmmm). I got the best birthday present (early, I know) too: a MAGIC WAND! I've been wanting one ever since this summer when I found them at the farmer's market.

Got the invites for my family reunion made yesterday and today's goal is to get started on the database with all the names and addresses. I've been handed this task by my favourite cousin, Clara, who also happens to be 90. I feel a wee bit of pressure since this has been her domain since her mom and aunties died. Basically, I think for once, she just wants to be able to show up and enjoy herself without having to worry about nametags, food or who's taking the photos.

Have a glorious Sunday!