My dear friend Laura from high school just told me something beautiful. She and her loving hubby are with child! Warmest and most joyful feelings are radiating from the very centre of my soul at hearing the news. I'd post her email here, but she'd probably end up with more spam that well-wishes thanks to the internet spam-bots.. but send your good thoughts and best wishes her way... or my way, and I'll pass them on Spam free!

*bounce* baby! *bounce*

I love my h0z. They can always make me feel better about the world. How did they do it this time? Just by being them... oh and by telling me that they're coming up ONE DAY EARLIER in March. =) WHEE! Time to book Friday off that week.

Zoom!

Why do I stay?

Wow. 2 days in a row it has snowed here. Being from the Wet Coast, snow is magical to me. It's never very cold when it snows, and it doesn't last long before becoming slush that melts away into just more wet winter. Big fat flakes falling down and floating up past my 19th floor window. Kinda cool. =)

I wish I could bring DeeAy back here (with her RakE, of course!) so she could live as a West Coastie again... and not dread getting out of bed to the skin cirsp-i-fying air of a real prarie winter.. Here we need dehumidifiers, there she needs rain.

(went back to bed for 2 hours and read some of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever)

STILL snowing. Teensy flakes, now.. but it seems to be starting to stick even here. That means the rest of the lower mainland is in for it big time.

I should get cracking on some projects around here while the pain has subsided... that time of month is evil to me some months. This month was one of them. Sweaty, painful, dry-heavy kind of evil. But I slept through most of it, so now I'm looking to not put my day off to waste!

Also have to go down to the rental office and give them new cheques for rent. We've been here a year as of Feb1... and the first day we moved in DeeAy and RakE came to stay with us. =) Then we went to Lansanity. Then I heard that I got the job that I currently work at. Cool. Good memories, and better to come! All the bridal hoz will be here the first weekend in March. I can hardly wait!

Okay... boring as hell update, but there you have it. I'm going to go cut glass and find my way down to Prompton's office to drop off paperwork etc.

On my ride home, I discovered what I thought was the looseness of the headset on my bike. Wrong! I wore it out! Already! I just had it fixed, what? Two years ago... guess I've been riding a bit more than I used to. *GRIN* In fact, I will soon (in a few days) be at 2000 kilometres since I bought my new Cycle Computer this summer. That's pretty cool! Imagine all the gas I've saved myself! If I were to drive 2000 kilometres in the car, that'd be about $240 in just a few months!! Rockin'.

So on the way home, I cycled in to my friendly neighbourhood Cambie Cycles to have them tighten what I thought was my loose headset.. they pointed out my mistake and I arranged for them to fix it up.. They specialize in recumbent bicycles, but they work on old clunkers like mine, and they treat you fairly. They also listen to very eclectic music in the shop, which is an absolute delight.

So I'm going to get the bearings replaced in my headset, and I know my bike is falling apart slowly... so I've been thinking about buying a new bicycle. I don't want something that is inviting to theives, but I want something durable, comfortable to ride long distances on, and I want something that will work with the majority of the gear that I already have. The people at work already think I'm a freak for riding to work all year long, anyway... so I might as well reinforce this fact by getting a recumbent bicycle! The ultimate nerd-mobile!

I tried the R40 Under Tiagra today. I was a tad wobbly, but I got used to it fairly quickly. My very first time on a recumbent was like learning to ride all over again. Turning scared me, so I didn't try that in the tight alley that I rode the bike in... it was funny, the salesguy was running along behind me supporting the bike for the first bit... it was like Dad helping me on my way... I soon outpaced him and found my balance.

One word. Comfort.

I chose the short wheelbase with low handlebars. VERY comfy. It comes in red or blue. I like blue. Now it's only $1700 away. Ugh. Not this year, methinks. But boy-oh-boy would my nether-bits ever thank me.

*COUGH* *CHOKE*

I-swam-in-cologne-stink-man just arrived.

Can't he tell that he's using too much?!?!?!? And I wonder why the inside of my nose is raw. Holy smokes.

Ugh. It's way too early to be at work. It's way too early to have ridden my bike all the way here. Damn but I feel lazy today. =) At least I got enough sleep last night. I weighed in this morning (every Monday morning) and my blessed scale says I'm 161 lbs. I have no idea how that happened... must be a mistake. Last monday was 167lbs -- and what with having a sore throat last week and having my hamstring hurt after riding to work once, the only thing I stuck to was eating right. No working out... strange. I'll be good this week, too and see what happens.

Stick to the diet. Stick to the diet. Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan.

Get a life? Have one? Feh.

Rat in a race, running a maze that only has dead ends. How do I achieve my dreams? How do I know what they are? What's real and what's conditioned?

Better learn soon, or it will be too late.

Yawn!

Not enough sleep last night, and early early early work day tomorrow.

We managed to make it out to the Vancouver Motorcycle Show in Abbotsford today, to join Cow and Babyblade. George posted all the pictures here. My hair is growing. Wow.

Been doing a lot of thinking today about where I want to go with my life. Hell.. I'm not sure, very few among us that I know of are certain of what they want to do with their lives. What are some things I would love to do?

Go to cooking school and become a chef.
Run a Bed and Breakfast.
Travel all over the world self-sufficiently (ie: backpack/tent/etc.)

Obviously not in that order... but something like that could really fulfill me, I think.
I should look into this stuff... cuz computers are cool and alll --- but they don't really make me feel fulfilled.

I've started on the travelling self-sufficiently thing. I have a list of supplies and gear that I need, I've started slowly buying it -- over the next year I'll have everything I need of good quality, Hopefully I can test it out this year a bit before the big Peru trip that I have planned for next June. I got a stove this weekend. MSR Whisperlite International 600. Cross that off my list.

The list so far:

Arcteryx Bora 75 Backpack (Womens' Standard)
MEC Wanderer 2 Tent (mesh or regular.. not sure yet)
MSR Water Filter (can't remember brand off top of my head)
A good compass
MSR Cookware
Dromedary bag to fit MSR filter
Good Merrel boots
and some other miscellaneous stuff.

I already have a nice sleeping bag and some good long underwear/down/fleece clothing. But really, I sometimes feel like selling all the crap I have and living out of the tent. I'll just shower at work, thanks. ;-) That would probably get tiring really soon.

Bike Touring seems to be out for now... I'd worry about my bike too much... and besides, my bike is in dire need of some repair/maintenance -- I barely trust it to ride to work and back these days. Getting flats in the BC winter dark and rain really takes the desire to cycle to work right out of me... but I will persevere. Maybe once I have my head on a bit straighter and my finances in better order I'll look into getting a recumbent cycle.

Living within my means... Going out of my mind...

How in love am I with the DeeAy? Lots.

She makes my day with her rants, raves, boobs and cocks, phone booths, bags of hell and other choice nubbins.

How in love am I with the Trillian? :Lots.

She inspires me with her energy, her drive, her determination and her successes. She motivates me to get over it and "Just Do It". She can do things many others have not been able to, but she believes in each and every one of her friends.

I'm soooo tired tonight, mainly due to fighting off some kind of throat-attacking, gland-swelling nastiness that is going around at work. I haven't even worked out in the last three days. Ugh. But then again, I haven't felt much like eating tons, either... so it'll all work out in the end. But despite this tiredness, this lack of energy and oomphf, I click on the DeeAy and the Ookla in my links bar and follow my browser to the lands of the lives of my friends.

I then update this and follow my own links over to Chica the QGirl-I-have-yet-to-meet-but-love-vicariously, Babyblade-the-wise-beyond-her-years and the ever-negligent-about-posting Cow. Luckily, I see Cow at work every day... so it's not such a big deal.

Share the love. Go say hello.

Morning and there's a lump in my throat.

No, I'm not emotionally moved by something to the point of tears... I'm just fighting off the evil that is everyone at work having been sick the last few weeks. I'll beat it. Drive to work and get a Best Defence smoothie on the way. =)

Saw Amelie on the weekend with Marcy and Roomie Guy. I loved this film. This girl was ME as a little kid (except I had an annoying brother). I love Amelie and I need to get the soundtrack.

Working out where to get the tattoos done. I think locally would be best -- someplace we can walk to from here... rather than piling into a car and driving anyplace far far away and wasting our entire weekend. I'mma try NeXT, I think-- that's where I got metal put into my body and I like Josh's work a lot. We are just getting "flash" sort of, anyway... something small and not too complicated. It's my first. I'm finally ready to become the Black Sheep irrevocably! Aaron at work basically tells me that piercings are wimpy because you can "take them out". So maybe that's why wimpy me got them in the first place... to shock but be able to go back to "normal" afterwards. I sure don't want to be "normal" anymore.

Time for work..... how... normal. :-/

B1 d t- k s- u-- f i o++ x e l+ c-

Weekend. That used to be a time for me to just be me and not have to worry about work. It still is. Only now, it really MEANS something. At work I feel quite stressed by my large number of issues and my inability to get complete closure on all of them. I like closure. Closure is good. It's also nigh impossible to get in life.

I can see why people go out and party their faces off on the weekend. They get drunk to forget the meaningless drivel that is their lives during the week. They dance to work off some of the insane, inane stress of their lives as worker bees. Personally, I still don't think I'll ever be a big party girl... but I do like to dance once in a while. Only 11 days into January and already I'm behind.

Body for Life... gotta get with it. The eating I'm doing *okay* on... the exercise I'm doing *okay* on... but the hot body and self confidence and knowledge that I can really do something that I set out to accomplish will take more than just being *okay* about doing something. Feh.

I get inspired and then it dies out. Too quickly.

I'm going to change that.

I want to go to hawaii with George. Anyone know a place to get cheap flights?

Lemme know.

In other news, Heather has announced that going to Peru this year would be a financial strain, and possibly jeapordize the amount of enjoyment and enlightenment that she could get out of the trip. It has been decided that the big trip will be postponed until June of 2003. Meanwhile, Heather will use this time to upgrade her work, language and travel skills with a variety of courses and by taking some shorter local backpack adventures.

Freak out!

Apartment clean. More or less.

George is going to Zoe tonight... Doug and Ali's favourite restaurant in Americaland. He didn't get to go last night because he had to work late at the hospital... that sounds like I'm dating a doctor or something.. but no, he's a PACS Integration Specialist. Me, I'm a Remote Administration and Service Specialist... ain't that special? It's a good job, but it's a bit disorganized right now -- too many sites, too little time. I have some major follow up to do if I want to shrink my issues list (which I do). Time to leap on that tomorrow.

And remember to load the vacuum that is parked by the front door so I can't miss it into the car to take to work for //Cow and Babyblade.

Ugh. Tired. Thirsty.

Solution: Drink some water and go to bed!

G'nite.

I can do this

I worked until 7pm tonight.. I started at 7am. I had to stay, or I would have gone crazy. I stayed so I could feel what it would be like NOT to have to answer the phone at work, and to actually be able to look into those little nagging problems for customers that I have no time to deal with when big things are blowing up. I even got a few little nagging things cleared up. That was nice.

Then I drove to Booster Juice and got me a Best Defence smoothie... cuz well... five out of 7 people that are in my group at work are SICK. I'm surrounded. I will not let it get me! I exercised and I'm going to bed early. Drank lots of water, ate healthy food... time for the all-healing sleep to carry me through the rest of what looks to be a very long week.

Have to clean up the apartment tomorrow. Have to.

George comes home on Thursday. =)

*sigh*

Work is hectic. Too many things blowing up that shouldn't be. Can't follow up the way I'd like to with customers... too many new things blowing up every day. *sigh*

Is it just me or do smokers who wear cologne stink *particularly* badly? I think their sense of smell is so nuked that they slap on the cologne to a level where *they* can smell it and all the rest of us have to suffer with the combination of foul, stale cigarette-smell and hideous, overwhelming cologne-stench.

I almost prefer just the cigarette smell.

I think I'm going to buy a gass mask, but I doubt he'll get the hint.

Okay, so MINUS the cycling to work. Headaches suck first thing in the morning, cycling to work with a sore lower body (lower body day on Wednesday) *and* a splitting headache, sucks more.

I spoke to a colleague from where I used to work, tonight. She's in the boat I expect to be in... but not quite. She's 41 and single, living on her own, going to work every day and hating life. In my future, I don't see the 'hating life' part. I'm going to take control of my own happiness. Mom's coming over this weekend, and we're going to hang out, etc... I don't have any problem saying "I'm not planning on getting married anytime soon" to her, anymore - because it's the truth.

If marriage happnes, it will happen because we are two people who compliment each other but have our own lives, interests and financial security. Sounds materialistic, but I don't want to lean on anyone - no more than I want someone leaning on me. It's not a relationship of equals when that happens. I have a relationship of equals right now, and it's gorgeous. Neither of us are ready to get married, though -- we're both still building our life experiences and setting up our futures. Who knows what the future brings in that regard? I might as well put my planning and dreaming skills to use on something that's attainable by me and me alone.

I can't believe how after one week, beginning with a talk with George and followed by a few days of soul-searing soul searching, I feel so completely different. I feel satsified, but not satisfied to sit still and let life *happen* to me. I feel at peace, but restless - ready to go out and take on myself and the world. I expect to have my bad days, still... but fewer of them - and hopefully I will be able to recognize them coming on, and do something constructive to change them into good days.

And now I am going to go do cardio. I must, I must, I must decrease my butt... okay.. so that's not how it goes. ;-)

KICK ASS!

Happy Two ought ought two!

Couldn't get to sleep last night on account of my brain. =)

I couldn't stop thinking about the logistics of my Peru trip -- timing is everything and I have a couple of other trips that are "must take" this year -- one is Kimli's wedding and the other is George and I wanting to take a week off in Hawaii early this year... how to juggle/pay for it all!?!

Drat my brain.

Luckily I had taken a nap earlier in the evening so I could go to see "A Beautiful Mind". I really enjoyed it, but then I was awake until 11 with my brain in overdrive.

Body for LIFE started yesterday. Upper body. Ow. I'm skipping the cardio today and going to the lower body workout to get "caught up" so I'm on track for the week... I did ride my bike in to work today (as every day) so I get SOME cardio that way. Cardio on Thursday will be by the book + cycling to work.

I rock. I'm going to change my life.

So Redwood just left on the bus. We ran a little late -- but managed to get him to the bus JUST on time. =) Thank goodness we live five minutes from the Train/Bus station.

We only had a short visit, but we packed in the things to do. Yesterday we tried the winter sport of curling. I've never done it before, and neither had Redwood - but we both improved a lot over the course of the two hours. I'm sore today -- muscles I've never used before! Our team (George, Redwood, Mike (a guy from work) and myself) lost by one point. Not bad considering we were all newbies except George, who had been one time before this!

After curling, George left to go snowboarding with his Dad and brother -- and Redwood and I headed out to watch the Royal Tenenbaums - it was sold out when we got there so we watched Khandahar instead. Weird film, but I found it very interesting... it just didn't have enough of the loose ends tied up at the end to satisfy my "Western" mindset, but it gave me a glimpse into Afghan culture and the bhurga that had never imagined Redwood said I owed him huggles for making him see that film. ;-) After that, we found that Royal Tenenbaums was starting in about 20 minutes, so we bought tickets and went to see that, too. Hilarious film. Very quirky. It will make you think your own family isn't nearly as fucked up as you thought they were.

After the movie we walked back home and shortly afterwards George arrived home, sore from snowboarding, and we went for dinner at La Terazza. We rushed it a bit, and didn't have desert -- damn, because their cheesecake baked in phyllo pastry is to die for -- but we made it to the Vancouver Theatresports League late night "Scared Scriptless" show. It was worth it. The laughing we did worked off some of dinner and then we headed home and went to sleep.

Whew!

Today was brief - we slept until around 10AM and then had blueberry pancakes and walked up to Booster Juice for smoothies and to see the Vancouver Public Library (a building featured in the Arnold movie "The Sixth Day"). We walked home in the sunshine with Redwood snapping tourist shots and Rainy bounding around enjoying the outdoors and then had to rush to get Redwood to the bus on time.

We made it and now I'm home and ready to get cracking on finishing the cleanup and organization of this room.

Away I go... I'll share pictures when I figure out how to post some.