Gratitude Day #9

Mood: Forgetful
Listening To: Bif Naked - Spaceman
Word of the Day: Hope

1. The ability to still hold onto hope even when life seems to keep trying to rip it away.
2. A roof over my head.
3. A warm bed.
4. Fresh Baked Breads.
5. Vampires, Witches and Werewolves.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Just felt the need to post this. I was an avid Buffy fan way back in the day. I really miss this show.

30 Days of Gratitude: Post 8

Mood: Sick
Listening To: Guns n Roses - November Rain
Word of the Day: Eucalyptus

1. Crazy Commercials with Alyson Hannigan - Just saw a commercial for Head and Shoulders before the video for GnR started. She's one of my all time favourite TV actresses from her days on Buffy, and this commercial was cute.
2. Fresh Baked Raisin Bread.
3. Cool Rainy Nights.
4. Snoring Kitteh's - Because if they're snoring, they're sleeping and not causing chaos.
5. Movie afternoons with The Bean - We watched Air Bud Golden Receiver. Didn't think I'd be into it, but was pleasantly surprised.

November Rain

Gratitude Day #7

Mood: Sleepy
Listening To: Silence
Word of the Day: Not a nice word...

1. I'm grateful I made it through the day - I'm tired of people that just try walk all over me, assume I'm going to do everything they ask, or lock away my wants and needs like they don't matter. I'm sorry that I'm damn good at what I do, but I'm human too. But...I survived the day.
2. I'm really grateful for chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins.
3. Sleep - I may actually get some tonight. It's bedtime and I'm tired.

Itunes and Tori Amos

This is why I should go to bed instead of reading "one last article" So I saw an article on another blog about Tori Amos' latest album. And in the article is a couple of excerpts of interviews she gave where she talks about her inspiration.
Ok, I says to myself...I'll go check it out, listen to the previews.
I open Itunes, and what do I do? Click the Buy Now button. Which, ate up the rest of my gift card balance. I'm taking it as a sign that I was meant to have it.
So, I go to put it on my Iphone and can't seem to find my docking cable. So, I guess I wasn't meant to have it tonight to fall asleep to. Ah well, c'est la vie.

I am really going to bed now.

Metallica - Fade to Black

Metallica is still capable of taking my temper down a few notches, and grounding me. Hard to believe it's been 30 years since they started out. This is my favourite song by them, and I will never forget getting to hear it live.

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

30 Days of Gratitude: Post 6

Mood: Thankful and Bitchy
Listening To: Metallica - Welcome Home (Sanitarium)/Fade to Black
Word of the Day: Troll

Today I am Grateful for:
1. Self Restraint - Without it, I would have stomped on a troll today.
2. Music - It truly does sooth the savage.
3. Hard working people.

Evanescence - My Last Breath

Gratitude Day #5

Mood: Tired
Listening To: Evanescence - My Last Breath
Word of the Day: Dumplings

1. Trying something new.
2. Actually being tired when I need to get to bed.
3. No rush hour traffic at 4:30 am...hopefully.
4. Netflix - Loving the gems we've been finding.
5. Turn of the millennium dramatically nonsensical television shows. (Roswell, Angel, Buffy)

30 Days of Gratitude: Post 4

Mood: Tired
Listening To: Silence
Word of the Day: Busy

1. Today I am most grateful for the ability to forgive...even if I can't forget.
2. Being strong in my knowledge of myself, my faults, my strengths, my weaknesses.
3. Ravens. A strange thing to be thankful for I know, but I am.

Paul Brandt - Alberta Bound

Some days I miss it.
Best quality I could find on Youtube...not the best, but it's more about the music anyways. Enjoy!

Gratitude Day #3

Mood: Exhausted
Listening To: Paul Brandt - Alberta Bound
Word of the Day: Accomplished

1. Finishing the day and having it been productive
2. Autumn Rains - They made the drive today interesting, but also relaxing. I love the rain. I'm dreading the snow, but I love the rain.
3. Crock Pot Lasagna and Butter Buns - Mmmmmmmmmmm
4. Fun silly conversations on the drive home with good friends.
5. Not getting electrocuted - 2 Light fixtures at work tried killing me today. O_O

Gratitude Day #2

Mood: Mixed
Listening To: Hedley: Perfect
Word of the Day: Scissors

1. Grateful for the patience I have somehow acquired recently. I'm not quite as rash as I used to be.
2. Random conversations with total strangers. Sometimes it's nice to have someone else show you just how normal you really are compared to them. LOL
3. Pets. Especially ones with really thick fur, except when they're trying to lick your face.

30 Days of Gratitude: Post 1

Mood: Meh
Listening To: Hedley - Old School
Word of the Day: Meatloaf

A friend and I are doing a 30 days of Gratitude thing right now. And I decided that instead of just sharing it on Facebook, I'd do it on my blog as well.

I have a lot in my life to be really thankful for. I have a wonderful family, a great mix of friends, health, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, food in my belly.

When we do this challenge we generally nail it down to 3 things that day we're really grateful for. Today I'm finding it hard to do just 3. So maybe on here, I'll just put the things that come to mind that day.

1. Family - I live with the best family anyone could ever ask for. I'm lucky in that I have a family around me, that gets me. That understands me, and backs me in the things I do in life.
2. Silly Friends - At 39, you'd think I'd outgrown the silly phase. Heck no, I think as I get older, I get sillier. Maybe it's just early onset insanity, but I have great friends that I can be silly with.
3. Music - How can someone be thankful for music you might ask? I am. No matter what I am going through at any given moment, music surrounds me. It lifts me up, it gives me energy, it fuels my emotions, it balances me, and ultimately, just makes me happy.

Like I said, I have a tonne of things to be thankful for. Tonight, I'll leave it as those 3 as the start of the next 30 days.

Really?

Mood: Not so Happy
Listening To: The compressor on the fridge
Word of the Day: Really?

Do people really think God can talk to them through daily messages written by anonymous slugs on facebook? C'mon people. Religion is a personal experience. If the Gods really wanted to speak to us...they'd do it in our hearts and minds. NOT FACEBOOK!

Then there's this whole 40 days of light over DC bullshit. In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a brief synopsis. Some radical nutjobs are trying to put God back in the White House...you know, a place God has never really been? The founding fathers of the US, separated Church and State for a reason. They didn't believe religion had a place in politics. Maybe that's because of all the religious tyranny that has come up in the past? I dunno.
No gay rights, no religious rights, think our way or die.
And there's a video on their website about fanning the flames and building the fires. If this isn't a clue in to religious terrorism on the upswing from radical Christians I don't know what is.

And...before some non radical Christian reads this and gets all offended...I don't group all members of any religion, culture, whatever into one pot. There are nut jobs everywhere, and they don't speak for the masses. At least we hope they don't. People are inherantly good, that's my belief. Every so often though, a rotten acorn makes it to the ground, and a rotten tree sprouts from it, and spreads it's rotten branches blotting out the bigger picture.

I think I'm done surfing the web for the night.

Beautiful

It's the small things

Mood: Frustrated, but happy
Listening To: Apocalyptica - Beautiful
Word of the Day: WOW

It really is the small things that can sometimes make someone's day.  I had a client come to me today with a broken product.  She purchased it from me over 2 years ago, so the warranty was done on it.  She's been an awesome customer for the past 2 years, promotes for us, is always pleasant.  And even with the broken unit, she was still in a good mood, and couldn't stop talking about how great it was.
I exchanged it for her.  I did it because she's one of those people that even while complaining, was going on about the great service, the great product, how happy it makes her.  I did it, to make her smile, and turn a sad day into a happy one.
She was so excited that she didn't have to wait for a repair.  We got to talking some more.  I noticed her bag that she brought the unit in.   It was from Myrtle Beach.  I told her I used to live there, what restaurants I worked in etc.  We talked about how much it's changed over the last 15 years since I left.  We reminisced about the places only the locals...or frequent visitors know about.  It was a great exchange.  And, in the process of making her day, I made mine brighter too.

That's it, that's all, carry on.  :)

Cheddar Bay Biscuits | The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cheddar Bay Biscuits | The Girl Who Ate Everything:

'via Blog this'

Definitely have to try this!

Mood:
Listening To:
Word of the Day:

A great day

Just sitting in the parking lot of the zoo waiting for everyone in front of us to move.
It was a great trip, but all the adults are exhausted. Lol

We had a lunch guest while we were having our picnic.


Not my first choice of guests, but he was very well behaved. Heading for a lovely rib dinner now. Ciao!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Zoo Rd,,Canada

My Birthday Gift

Mood: Happy
Listening To: The Battery Charger
Word of the Day: Picteriffic!

http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/digital_cameras/powershot_a2200#Overview


We talked about me getting a new camera for my birthday.  I've looked and looked and looked.  I found some really fancy uber expensive ones, and some decent cheapo ones.  This was the best deal ever!  I had enough points from Aeroplan to get it.  It has all the functions I've been whining that my old camera doesn't have, and it's macro is a million times better than my old camera's macro.  It's macro is even better than some of the competitor's super macros!  WOOT!  Can't wait to play with it.  But, as I'm fond of telling the kids when they say they can't wait for something...You have to wait, so deal with it.  LOL  I'm the meanest uncle ever!
Happy, Happy, Happy!

Changes

I've lived a lot of places in my life, some of them I've really loved, some of them I detested.  And a couple of the ones I've destested, well lately, I find myself missing them.  The old addage is true, you don't know what you've got until it's gone.
As long as I'm with my family, I'm happy, I'm content, I know I'm loved.  But then there's elements outside of the home that make life at times unbearable.  I spent years trying to get away from Edmonton.  Couldn't wait until the day came when I could say good bye.  All I focussed on in the last few years there were the Bad memories.  It wasn't until I was away from there that I allowed the good memories to filter in.  It started when I finally forgave my father for being an asshole most of his life.  I realized that he wasn't being an asshole, he was being who he was raised to be...ultimately.  He grew up in a household where love wasn't something spoken of openly.  It was just to be assumed.
He died when I was 15, and we were living in Edmonton at the time.  Mom and I moved back to Chicago after he died.  To say that I was sad about it at the time would be a lie.  I felt liberated.  I felt freed from a smothering blanket.  Years later, I came to realize, in his own twisted way, he did love me, and wanted the best for me.  However, force feeding everything HE wanted me to be, wasn't the best way to go about it.
He was a tech freak.  When computers were in there first stages of being used wide spread he was there.  He was from a time pre-PC, and when the PC came around, he was like a kid at Yule.  He brought one home and immediately set about teaching me how to program.  A couple years went by, he got more firm about me learning the programming languages that were emerging.  What did I do?  What any self respecting rebellious young teen would do.  I fought against him tooth and nail.
I am kicking myself now of course.  I've never been good with being told what to do.  And that's probably because I was taught to be an adult at 3, and was quite self sufficient by the time I was 7.  I could cook my own steaks by then, made the best fried eggs in the house, baked cookies, made my own lunches, started smoking...yup, a little adult.
As I got older, the things that I loved to do, music, highland dancing, cooking, learning about the computer, became a chore.  I HAD to do them.  I lost my passion for them.  I couldn't just do them for fun, or for the enojoyment.  Joy had nothing to do with my future.  That was the message.
Looking back, I shouldn't have been such an asshole myself.  LOL

7 years after he died, I was back in Edmonton, broke, a drunk, and a really damned good cook.  But being a drunk, kept me from finishing my apprenticeship to be a full fledged chef.  I got cleaned up, dried out, started enjoying things again.  Then the bad memories started flooding back, I couldn't stand most of the people I was encountering, and blamed it on the city.  As soon as I had a job offer out here, we started making plans to get out of Dodge, because it was going to be better.  HAH!
Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about Ontario, and as I said, as long as I'm with the ones I love, I can live anywhere, but the West has been calling again.  We need a trip out there.  Travel's supposed to be in the cards for us this next year.  I say bring it on!  LOL

We have a family vacation booked for the beginning of November that's going to be awesome.  I like travelling.  We just haven't had the opportunity for it as much as we'd like.  I'm sending positive thoughts out to the universe to bring us more fun family travel time. :)

And, as my coffee is nearly finished, it's time for bed. G'nite interweb!

Mmmmmm

Mood: Caffeeeeeeeine

Listening To: Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes

Coffee, one of the best things ever discovered.  Like many people I have my favourite coffee shops.  Mine's just down the street.  And it's not that they make the best darned coffee ever, they do make a mean cup.  It's the service of the night crew.  Don't get me wrong, I don't discriminate time's of day, but the night crew is certainly the best.  They know my order, they're quick, and they always serve it up with a smile.  Thanks Melissa and crew!

Atari Arcade is the $60 answer to iCade (review) -- Engadget

Now this might make me want to get an iPad...maybe. I was an Atari kid through and through. Until I found Nintendo.

Atari Arcade is the $60 answer to iCade (review) -- Engadget:

'via Blog this'

Mood: Being a Kid Again
Listening To: Green Day - When September Ends
Word of the Day:

Bark at the Moon

Not the best quality video...but a great tune.

Have a Nice Day

And...we're back

Mood: Not too bad. :)
Listening To: Bon Jovi - Have a Nice Day, Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon
Word of the Day: Pox

I finally have a copy of Clash of Kings, and I'm really enjoying it.  It's my zen time at work; eat my lunch, sit and relax, read, sip my coffee or coke or water.  It's strange how a book set in a fantasy world, in a dark ages style can have such a correlation with today's society.  Well, maybe not so strange since the author is writing in the current age.  The series is full of corrupt politicians, intrigue, uprisings, rebellions etc.  He's very descriptive in his writing.  Reading the series is having me rethink the style that I've started writing my own novel in.  I'm not nearly descriptive enough I don't think.  I love when I can be transported into the story I'm reading.  So why am I not as descriptive?  Back to the drawing board with you Evan.

I'm gonna go sip my Diet Pepsi and see what else I can discover to write about.