I'm sad. I can't say why; I'm censoring myself. But it's one of those "don't take things for granted/everything happens for a reason" situations. All you can do is be the best person you can be and hope that it has made a difference and that it has made you memorable. Okay now it sounds like I'm dying. I'm not, for the record. But there's someone I will never see again. Do you ever think about the people who left a footprint on your heart? Do you ever wonder if you made as big of an impact in their life as they did in yours? I think about this, and then I wonder if there is anyone I have affected this way that I have since forgotten. I'm not sure why, but I always think that I am more affected by others than they are affected by me. I would like to be more affecting. I strive for it everyday.
Make someone's day and tell them you miss them.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Look for me in Bowe's Trailer Court
Yay Rob has decided to part ways with his money and his parents and has found himself a condo. They grow up so fast. The big talk in my circle is moving out. Everyone is getting ready to fly from the nest. I told my parents long ago that I'm waiting for them to retire and move out, thus leaving me with the house. Well that plan almost works except that my dad has under five years left before retirement (I laughed when I realized he has less time left in his career than I do on my truck payments) and I think I might be the biggest loser of the group if I stayed at home for five more years. So great, forced by peer pressure I have to consider leaving my happy home for some place with way less TV channels and probably way less food in the fridge. This sounds FANTASTIC. I also don't like the idea of being by myself. I talk to myself when I'm alone. I may as well start putting a down payment on a place with padded walls. Anyway, so with all this talk going around, I decided to first take a look online at what is out there, which is not a lot. Unless I want to live in the North End in which case Vince would never forgive me (I'm afraid he might snarl if I even go to St. James) not to mention the fact that I just couldn't live with myself (which would be bad because then who would I have to talk to?). Okay so fine, I would likely have some options in St. James, Cresentwood, etc., but what can I really afford? I plugged in some numbers into a mortgage qualifier calculator and the results were not impressive. Based on my salary, my truck payments, the current interest rate, and $10,000 down (I figured it was a reasonable amount I could save up in a year given that it was what I did for my truck) I can buy a $60,000 home. Great, I would have a place to live in the North end, but no shoes, no new clothes, and probably no truck because inevitably it would be stolen and driven into the Red River within the first six months.
I did find some places that were $60,000 and less--they are called mobile homes! I can get one with a jacuzzi bath and new appliances for $43,000! Yup, me and Truck in the trailer park where I will meet Gus, my greasy mechanic destined to be hubby. No thank you. I think I'll stick with plan A. I just have to get my dad to retire sooner.
I did find some places that were $60,000 and less--they are called mobile homes! I can get one with a jacuzzi bath and new appliances for $43,000! Yup, me and Truck in the trailer park where I will meet Gus, my greasy mechanic destined to be hubby. No thank you. I think I'll stick with plan A. I just have to get my dad to retire sooner.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Itty Bitty post
A short update on my little fish. I transferred him to an isolated palliative care tank last night when I got home. That is, I scooped out the fish and about 3 1/2 cups of water from the tank and put him in a tall Imperial Margarine container. He moves if encouraged. He made it through the night although this morning he couldn't prop himself upright. I touched him lightly in the closest way you can come to petting a fish. I don't know what it is about animals but I always have this need to touch them on the nose. Poor little fish.
Monday, February 20, 2006
A mish mash of updating
So this was my weekend. Friday-- Tracy came home from Vegas. Saturday--library, dance class and then curling with the parents. Sunday-- French homework, Daytona 500 and pizza. First thing this morning-- discovered that my fish looks near death.
Tracy came home Friday morning at 4:30 am. My aunt was kind enough to pick her up from the airport (almost wanted to spell that in French--aeroport, it's happening more and more these days). I haven't heard yet all the details of her trip but I'm pretty sure she had a good time. She slept most of the weekend so I didn't see much of her.
On Saturday morning my mom and I went to the downtown library because I wanted to take out some young adult level french novels. When I was in high school french we had to read from these short novels every class. I wanted to try it again because the reading helps me to see the vocabulary and the grammar and tenses in practice and so it becomes easier to learn. I found a few different books to try. I am starting with a translated Gordon Korman book. If you don't remember Gordon Korman, he was a popular Canadian author that I remember reading in grades 5 and 6. I also was excited to pick up a translated copy of a Baby-Sitters Club book. The Baby-Sitters Club was a popular series in the late 80s/early 90s also for the middle school kids. The reading is a bit slow going because I can't do it without a french/english dictionary close by but already it is improving my vocab bank.
Nothing really new to report from dance class. Apparently for the last class we can invite people to come and watch. Most of the girls don't seem interested in that option. I thought I would invite Lisa as she was interested in taking the class with me next term.
As soon as I got home from dance I ran downstairs, changed my pants and then ran back outside to hop in the car with my parents so we could drive out to Iles de Cheins where we would pick up my dad's cousin Pat and then drive to Lorette for the curling. My dancing shoes became my curling shoes but worked well enough. I signed up for a 2nd position and ended up on the same team as my dad, who took 3rd. It was a funspiel which meant that we played 2 ends and then opened an envelope for the scoring instructions. Sometimes the point went to the team with the most rocks out of play, or the most rocks before the T-line, etc. So it didn't really matter how well you thought you were playing. After two ends you played another team. In the end you played 8 ends in total. Considering that I haven't curled in seven years, I wasn't so bad. My sweeping is superb, my form is good, and eventually I got the weight figured out. Aiming for the broom was something I had a hard time learning the first time so this time wasn't much different. I miss curling. I hope next year I can find a team to join at work.
On Sunday as I expected, I hurt. My legs did not want to bend (thanks to curling) nor straighten (thanks to dancing). I did some stretching to help, but mostly I just complained loudly to my unsympathetic family. I always complain but truthfully I live for the pain. If I hurt, it means I did something that will make me stronger. I opted to watch the Daytona over Olympic coverage (it was only the men's hockey game anyway, a disgrace). Jeff didn't do well. He suffered some body damage early on and then messed up his transmission. His team mate Jimmy Johnson won though, which was interesting because his crew chief had been suspended by NASCAR for cheating. It was an interesting race. My aunt in London had sent me a Tony Stewart baseball cap because she knew I liked racing, and she liked the color of the hat (orange to match my truck). Unfortunately, Tony is a jerk, and he was a big jerk in the race this year. I don't know what to tell her.
Finally on Sunday night, dad made pizza. I assembled a Thai chicken pizza for myself and Tracy. I should have put more peanut sauce on but otherwise it turned out alright.
And then this morning I went into the rec room to do Pilates and found my fish Itty Bitty floating at the bottom of the tank upside down. I was horrified. My poor little fish's tail was shredded. His tank mate Fred nudged him and he righted himself and started swimming, but I don't know, he doesn't look good at all. Sigh. My fish always die but Tracy's Fred is a survivor.
I have to stop, I keep thinking of that poor fish. And I have work to do. And lists to make. Hello Monday.
Tracy came home Friday morning at 4:30 am. My aunt was kind enough to pick her up from the airport (almost wanted to spell that in French--aeroport, it's happening more and more these days). I haven't heard yet all the details of her trip but I'm pretty sure she had a good time. She slept most of the weekend so I didn't see much of her.
On Saturday morning my mom and I went to the downtown library because I wanted to take out some young adult level french novels. When I was in high school french we had to read from these short novels every class. I wanted to try it again because the reading helps me to see the vocabulary and the grammar and tenses in practice and so it becomes easier to learn. I found a few different books to try. I am starting with a translated Gordon Korman book. If you don't remember Gordon Korman, he was a popular Canadian author that I remember reading in grades 5 and 6. I also was excited to pick up a translated copy of a Baby-Sitters Club book. The Baby-Sitters Club was a popular series in the late 80s/early 90s also for the middle school kids. The reading is a bit slow going because I can't do it without a french/english dictionary close by but already it is improving my vocab bank.
Nothing really new to report from dance class. Apparently for the last class we can invite people to come and watch. Most of the girls don't seem interested in that option. I thought I would invite Lisa as she was interested in taking the class with me next term.
As soon as I got home from dance I ran downstairs, changed my pants and then ran back outside to hop in the car with my parents so we could drive out to Iles de Cheins where we would pick up my dad's cousin Pat and then drive to Lorette for the curling. My dancing shoes became my curling shoes but worked well enough. I signed up for a 2nd position and ended up on the same team as my dad, who took 3rd. It was a funspiel which meant that we played 2 ends and then opened an envelope for the scoring instructions. Sometimes the point went to the team with the most rocks out of play, or the most rocks before the T-line, etc. So it didn't really matter how well you thought you were playing. After two ends you played another team. In the end you played 8 ends in total. Considering that I haven't curled in seven years, I wasn't so bad. My sweeping is superb, my form is good, and eventually I got the weight figured out. Aiming for the broom was something I had a hard time learning the first time so this time wasn't much different. I miss curling. I hope next year I can find a team to join at work.
On Sunday as I expected, I hurt. My legs did not want to bend (thanks to curling) nor straighten (thanks to dancing). I did some stretching to help, but mostly I just complained loudly to my unsympathetic family. I always complain but truthfully I live for the pain. If I hurt, it means I did something that will make me stronger. I opted to watch the Daytona over Olympic coverage (it was only the men's hockey game anyway, a disgrace). Jeff didn't do well. He suffered some body damage early on and then messed up his transmission. His team mate Jimmy Johnson won though, which was interesting because his crew chief had been suspended by NASCAR for cheating. It was an interesting race. My aunt in London had sent me a Tony Stewart baseball cap because she knew I liked racing, and she liked the color of the hat (orange to match my truck). Unfortunately, Tony is a jerk, and he was a big jerk in the race this year. I don't know what to tell her.
Finally on Sunday night, dad made pizza. I assembled a Thai chicken pizza for myself and Tracy. I should have put more peanut sauce on but otherwise it turned out alright.
And then this morning I went into the rec room to do Pilates and found my fish Itty Bitty floating at the bottom of the tank upside down. I was horrified. My poor little fish's tail was shredded. His tank mate Fred nudged him and he righted himself and started swimming, but I don't know, he doesn't look good at all. Sigh. My fish always die but Tracy's Fred is a survivor.
I have to stop, I keep thinking of that poor fish. And I have work to do. And lists to make. Hello Monday.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Truck and I had a fight
Truck and I had a fight yesterday morning. I was going to take Car but she wouldn’t start. Truck was ready to go without too much convincing. I had to scrape the windows though and I couldn’t do a very good job because I can’t reach very well. I really needed to work at it to clear the frost and I just didn’t have enough of a fulcrum to work with. So my visibility was not great. Then, the doors would not shut properly. I tried several times but it kept telling me the door was ajar. First the passenger door wouldn’t close tightly and then I think I got it, but then the driver’s door wouldn’t close. So then the interior light doesn’t want to go off. Eventually it does but then when I would stop in traffic it would come back on cuz it thought that I was getting out. I stopped at Petro on Portage and gave it $40 again. I tried to reset the odometer but it would not let me. It went through all these options like English, Miles, Oil (?). So I gave up and just wrote the mileage on the bill. The gas cap was being finicky too. Anyway, when I got back in, the doors all seem satisfactorily shut. I found my parking spot; put the club on (made the mistake of grabbing it tightly without mitts on and subsequently lost feeling in my fingers and thumbs). Truck and I seemed to be on better terms by 5:00. Maybe I will take him to the carwash this week and all will be forgiven. He's going in for a check up on Saturday, maybe he's feeling anxious.
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