the mob squad

I've just always wanted to use that title in a blog. I think it sounds cool. How is everyone? It's snowing here. Again. I know I shouldn't complain about Calgary weather, because when I was living in Saskatchewan, we would get more snow in October than I've seen in the past 2 winters. But still. I've gotten spoiled, so I'm a bit upset that it's almost March and it's snowing again. But it's supposed to get nice out again by Wednesday.

I did almost nothing this weekend. It was wonderful. Friday night I went out to Strathmore to have dinner with friends. They have 2 little girls around Cassidy's age, so she loves it. They're best friends. Little Jayden (she's 4) gave Cassidy one of her bracelets and declared them friends forever. So cute. And Taija (6) is quite the little ballerina, so she teaches Cassidy all of her dance moves. They crack me up. Watching the 3 of them play together reminds me of why I want another baby someday. Of course by the time I'm ready for that to happen, Cassidy will be too old to play with it so I'll have to have 2 more. But I'm not sure if I can handle 3 kids. That's a lot of kids. But then I'll have so much more fun when they grow up. My whole life I thought I would never have kids, and now I'm talking about 3 of them? Must just be the weather. It's affecting my logic. On Saturday, we finished off the clothing drive for The Mustard Seed. We did really well, if I do say so myself. We got a ton of clothes and they were way grateful. (yes, I've been watching Clueless with Cassidy again). After the drive, Cassidy had a birthday party to go to. I hung out there with some of the parents because the house was beautiful and they had those super-yummy Koala drinks. It's always good to hang out with the parents of kids in your kids class every now and then. That way when their kid comes home saying "Cassidy kicked me today", they'll realize that we're really nice people and she may have just had an off day. Then I went shopping. I bought this cute little black purse and a really neat hat. It's got little jewel thingies in it and on the front, there is a silver symbol that kinda looks liek the one Prince used. I like it. Then I rented movies. Cassidy was dead set on watching Selena so I went to 3 different movie stores to find it. My movie wish list was quite unrealistic considering it was the day before Oscar night. However, I am quite peristent. I managed to find Babel, The Departed and The Prestige. All 3 were fantastic. I must say, Leonardo DiCaprio is turning into one of the finest actors of his generation. I'm really starting to appreciate him as an actor. Still don't really like Brad Pitt though. He didn't do much to add to Babel. Great movie, though. If you haven't seen any of the 3, please do. I loved them all.

Speaking of the Oscars... what did everyone think? Personally, I liked it. I read a lot of the reviews and lots of critics thought it was a snoozefest. I thought Ellen was fantastic. She made me laugh out loud a few times, which is something a host rarely accomplishes. It was disappointing that there were no surprises, with the exception of Eddie Murphy. And he was not happy when he lost. I guess he knows that he should stay away from Big Momma's House from now on and he may have another shot. Best moment of the evening has got to be Martin Scorcese's win. Finally. The man is a living legend. I love all the movies that he is involved in. The Color of Money, anyone??? It almost made me cry when he won and they gave him a standing ovation.

I have started studying again. Argh. Is that even a word? Argh? Anyways, I have to go back to university to get my CPP certificate, which consists of 4 classes and 12 seminar credits. Which isn't too bad, I should be able to wrap it up in just over a year. But it's a lot of work. Which I'm not crazy about. I'm taking the condensed course, so a semester's worth of class time is being squished into 2 weekends. But it's easier that way because then all I have to worry about is 4 days of baby-sitters. Of course, the down side is because there is next-to-no class time, all the pre-course work has to be done ahead of time. I got a little scared last night when I read the entire first chapter and could not answer one of the reveiw questions at the end. Not even one. So apparently I've forgotten how to study. My thoughts tend to wander. It probably didn't help that I was watching the Academy Awards at the same time. Then my thoughts turned towards Grey's Anatomy and the fact that there isn't a new episode on until March 15. Then I realized it's Tara's birthday this weekend and I have to get her a gift. I need to seperate myself from distractions and I'll probably absorb a lot more.

Wow, this was a really long blog and I didn't even have anything important or exciting to say. Guess I should wrap it up.

It's that day again.

Yes, I am referring to Valentine's Day. I. Do. Not. Like. Valentines. Day. And that is not just becuase I am single. I think it has turned into a ridiculous, overly commerialized scam created so that Hallmark and Hershey make a killing and in return, so does your bank account. Seriously, why do we need a special day to show somebody how much we love them? I think it's sad that we put so much emphasis on Valentine's Day. However, I am a little bitter because Valentines Day is always so much worse when you're single. But... I do have Cassidy. She's a riot on Valentine's Day. Partly because she's going to come running home professing her undying love for some cute little grade one boy. It's funny. And we did order these amazing cupcakes with a crazy amount of icing for our volunteer meeting today. So it's not all bad. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Now if I can make it home without hearing "I Will Always Love You" on the radio, I'll be happy.

Mom, Dad and Lane are coming up tomorrow. They'll be here for a few days. Tomorrow night I get the honor of taking all 3 of them to their first NHL game. It should be a blast. Lane is so excited. He'll be a little less excited when I tell him that I'm withholding the tickets until he can figure out how to wire my TV/VCR/DVD so that I can tape Grey's Anatomy and actually have it play back. I totally think that's a fair trade. Apparently, somebody dies tomorrow. An actual important character. I can't wait. Then Tara and I are taking Mom to The Oasis for pedicures on Saturday. It's this crazy fancy spa that we can only afford when we get gift certificates. So that'll be fun.

I registered for my first class today. Gulp. Back to university. But only for a few classes, so I should be able to handle it. I'm excited, actually. I love school. And when I'm done the course I'll have something to prove that I deserve more money. And more money = good.

I also got another fish today. So now I have 2 betas in my tank. It's a really cool tank. it's got a divider down the middle so they don't eat each other. this morning, they were looking pretty stressed out. They kept trying to attack each other through the glass, so I had to put in the colored divider so they don't die of heart attacks. Can fish die from heart attacks? Anyways, I named the other one Thunder. Storm and Thunder. I like my fish. Although I do still get harassed about the last fish incident I had.

I have successfully killed 1/2 an hour. I don't have to come back to work for 5 whole days! yay.

mistakes

Do your mistakes define who you are? A timeless question that I don't ever think will be fully answered. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and my thoughts were brought on by the lengthly debate happening on Leah's blog. If you want to read about it, read her blog. For now, I just wanted to try and make sense of this. I think that your mistakes have to define who you are to a certain extent for the simple reason that you learn from your mistakes. Or you should, anyway. If you're incapable of learning from your mistakes, that's another conversation entirely. So now, how big do those mistakes have to be before your name is tarnished? I made a mistake 7 years ago and had unprotected sex. Now I am branded a single mother. However, I have learned from that mistake (as I still only have one child). Furthermore, I no longer see it as a mistake and stopped seeing it as a mistake the second I held Cassidy in my arms. But regardless, it was still an error in judgement. And I paid for it, believe me. Anyone who has children can attest to that. I guess my point is that nobody should be held in such high regard that they are not accountable for their actions. If you make a mistake, you pay for it. If you break the law, you're punished and you have a criminal record. Maybe I'm just not open minded enough, but in my opinion, I think this this is fairly straightforward. The extent of the penance for your mistakes is what I consider gray matter. Am I way off base here? I don't know. Sigh.

Anyway. I had my first annual performance evaluation this morning. I "exceeded expectations". Woo hoo!!! Hopefully that means my salary will now exceed my expectations. Then maybe I'd actually be able to do some of the things I've been wanted to do for ages. Like go back to Saskatoon for a few days to visit the only people who read my blog! that would be nice. I want to go to Poverino's. I love that place and I haven't found one in Calgary yet. I haven't looked very hard, though. I did discover Chuck E. Cheese's recently. And made the mistake of telling Cassidy that I discovered Chuck E. Cheese's. So we went. And she had a great time, so it was worth it. But I do not recommend it. It took us an hour to even get in and get a table. The food is below average and expensive. I spent $50 for just me and her and all we got out of the deal was a couple pieces of soggy pizza and a silver plastic magic wand.

I have recently discovered the joy of Reese's Pieces Ice Cream.

Tonight is my favorite TV night of the week. The OC and Grey's Anatomy. I think I'm gonna make some popcorn and enjoy. Bye!!!

Getting to know your friends

I love these things.


Welcome to the new edition of getting to know your friends. Okay here's what
you're supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun!
Just copy this entire e-mail and paste into a new e-mail
that you can send Change all the answers so that they apply to you.

1. What is your occupation? Purchaser and mom
2. What color are your socks right now? Black
3. What are you listening to right now? Nothing. All is quiet on the 17th floor this morning. Or perhaps that is just because my ears are permanently plugged from the lovely cold I've been trying to fight off all week. For the record, I'm losing the fight.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? I don't remember. I haven't eaten much in the last couple days. I have been drinking a lot of tea though. Right now, it's orange and spice.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Not well. But yeah, I know the basics.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Some kind of funky blue or orange. Wait, I got it. I'd invent a crayon where the wax is 2 different colors and they kind of swirl together so when you use the crayon, you get a streak of 2 different colors. How cool would that be? Then I would definitely be blue and orange. Or maybe blue and silver. I'll give you a definite answer if I am ever actually in danger of becoming a crayon.
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Tara.
9. How old are you today? 26 all day.
10. Favorite drink: lately it's been Neo-Citrin. But under normal circumstances it's wine in the winter, gin in the summer. and weather does not discriminate against Jagerbombs.
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? The Olympics, the World Series and Super Bowl. Go Colts.
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes. I've had a few doozies.
14. Pets? A pet fish at work named Storm 2. I killed Storm 1. Not on purpose though. And Storm 2 may die soon as well if I don't change his water. Today.
15. Favorite food? cheese
16. What was the last movie you watched? In the theatre it was Happy Feet with Cassidy. On DVD it was All The Kings Men (really good show). On VHS it was Armageddon and on TV it was Look Who's Talking.
17. Favorite day of the year? I usually say today, but it's definitely not today so I'm gonna go with my birthday.
18. What do you do to vent anger? Yell, listen to Motley Crue, drink. Wow, I'm pretty self-destructive. Good thing I'm a lover, not a fighter.
19. What was your favorite toy as a child? My pretty blue porcelain doll. That was a jab at Tara who broke it. Seriously, I can't remember. Probably our John Deere combine.
20. What is your favorite Fall or Spring? Spring. I hate snow. And it all goes away in spring.
21 Hugs or kisses? Both.
22. Cherry or Blueberry? Cherry
26. Living arrangements? Just me and Cassidy
27. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday watching Armageddon.
28. What is on the floor of your closet? Lots of crap.
29. Who is the friend(s) you have had the longest? Tara, Allison, Tanya, Sheri
30. What did you do last night? Watched Grey's Anatomy, chugged back some Nyquil and went to bed around 8:30.
31. Favorite smell(s)? rain, my mom's house b/c she's usually cooking, Tara's lasagna, men's cologne, Cassidy's bubble bath.
32. What inspires you? Good parents, success stories, my boss, women executives, my friends, most of my family and Tommy Lee.
33. What are you afraid of? I have an irrational fear of car accidents.
34. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Double cheese.
35. Favorite car? Of all time? I don't know. Nor do I care. Cars are not my thing. See #33. But if I had to choose, I'd pick the red convertible in Warrant's Cherry Pie video. I can see most of you nodding and saying to yourself "Yes, that was a hot car." If anyone actually knows what kind of car that was, please let me know so I can just skip this whole explanation thing on the next quiz I fill out and just put down the name of the car. Thanks.

Mean People Suck

They really do. I don't have much to say today except that mean people really do suck. I bought Cassidy the movie Mean Girls for Christmas and we watch it quite regularly. It may be a bit age inappropriate but the message it gives outweighs the couple of scenes I'd rather she didn't see. Calling somebody fat doesn't make you any thinner and calling somebody stupid doesn't make you any smarter. Certianly, trying to hurt somebody else shouldn't make you any happier and if it does, than you need to do some serious soul searching and find out why that is the case. Why is it that so many people take their misery and self-loathing out on other people? An anonymous blogger has decided to try and make themselves happy by leaving hurtful and disgusting comments on some of my friends' blogs. Thankfully, they're the kind of people who recognize the behavior for what it's worth and chose to disregard the statements. It still stings a bit though, I'm sure. I've had my share of run-ins with mean bloggers and it's not fun. So what is the point? Didn't your mother ever teach you that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all? It's really frustrating trying to be a good person in today's world. You try to make a difference, try to help others and in return you get slammed by some cowardly jerk who won't even leave a name to go with the hateful words. However, it is comforting to know that everyone will be judged accordingly in the end. Their judgement day will come once they're gone from this earth and anyone who doesn't believe that is just kidding themselves.

Moving on. It's awards season! I love awards season. I'm not sure why, but I really do love these awards shows. Golden Globes, Grammys, Emmys, SAG and the Oscars. Last night, Grey's Anatomy won the SAG award for best ensemble cast and Chandra Wilson won Best Supporting Actress. That makes me happy. I know that most of them are fixed and the deserving nominee rarely wins, but I love them nonetheless. Speaking of TV, the greatest thing happened a couple weeks ago. You know that time slot between 6 and 7 pm when nothing is on TV and you're almost done supper and there is really nothing to do? Some genious TV network (TVtropolis) decided to start showing reruns of Beverly Hills 90210. It was my all-time favorite show when I was a teenager and it is a riot watching those reruns. I've said it before and will say it again, it really doesn't take much to make me happy at all.

I'm organizing a clothing drive with a friend of mine to benefit The Mustard Seed. Any Calgarians reading this, let me know. They take adult and childrens clothes and they don't have to be sorted at all. We're also doing a cell phone drive. We take old cell phones, clear them and donate them to the women's shelter. That way, if you're ever in trouble, you have a cell phone to call 911. It's a lot better than just throwing those old cell phones away. I think that's about all I've got going on for the next couple months in terms of volunteer activities.

I'm pretty psyched for Super Bowl Sunday. Go Colts. That's all I have to say about that.

Does anyone watch 7th Heaven? I used to watch it all the time and last season was apparently the last season. They were advertising for the series finale and everything. Then, last night I was flipping through the channels and saw a preview for an "all new" episode. What's up with that?

Anyways, gotta run. It's only 1 pm. This day is taking forever.....

going places

So I bought a new car. Not brand new, but new to me. My uncle just bought a brand new Cadillac (it's pretty slick), so my aunt is now driving his old Intrepid and they sold me her old Mercury Sable for a ridiculously low price. I still like my little Firefly better, but this one is way more reliable and I can actually take it on the highway and drive faster than 100 km/hr without feeling like the car will fall apart. And it has one of those funky remote starters, which is very cool because nothing makes me more miserable than going outside in the winter to start the car. I'm not a morning person at all. So it's nice getting into a toasty warm car in the morning. My mom is all excited about it because this means I can drive myself home to the farm and stay for however long I want without having to work around the work schedules of my sister and brother-in-law.

I'm going to Jamaica!!! Yay. This will be my first "real" vacation ever. So exciting. One of my girlfriends is getting married down there in November, so I'm totally going. I'm not good at saving money, so I'm nervous. But I reeaaalllllly want to go. I have to put away around $400 a month until September so all of my impulse shopping is going to have to stop now. Consider it stopped! I think I need an overseas vacation. There's my justification, I need it for my mental health. And I want to meet a cute Jamaican boy and kiss him on the beach at sunset. How old am I? I thought that as "women", we were supposed to stop having these fantasies around the age of 16. Guess not. Probably because when I was 16, my vacations consisted of maybe one day trip a year to Katepwa Lake. Not exactly a prime location for romance.

Anyone watch Grey's Anatomy last night? I'm sure most of you did, because I can't imagine anyone not wanting to watch that show. How many times did I cry? I think it was around six. When George was yelling at Bailey and Richard, I almost bawled. And then when the family was deciding whether or not to take him off life support and they all looked to George, I pretty much lost it. How much does everyone dread having to make that decision? Kudos to TR Knight, what a phenomenal performance on last night's episode. And for the record, I think that although Alex and Addison would have the most beautiful babies in the world, the whole thing just strikes me as kind of....ewwww. Love that show. Other than The OC, it is the only show I watch regularly. I like to be picky about what shows I give my time to. And they're cancelling The OC. Sucks. I think it's better now that they killed off Marissa than it ever was before. Sorry if this offends anyone, but I really didn't think that Mischa Barton was a good actress at all. Ironically, her best scene in all 3 seasons was the scene where she died. K, enough about TV, real life - more important.

Congrats to my cousin, Dr. Dave and his wife, Dr. Lisa on the birth of baby #1, little Ava Hope. Isn't that a pretty name? Ava Hope Stoll. It's got a ring to it.

K, I gotta get back to work. Here's a cute picture of Cassidy and her step-sister, Kiyra. Have a great weekend, everyone.

She's a star

So I love Amy Lee. Love, love, love her. If I could be any rock star in the world, I would be Amy Lee. We saw Evanescence last night and they were amazing. That woman has such an incredibly powerful voice, I couldn't believe it. She kind of stole the show as soon as she walked onstage. She can sing, she can rock, she's got it all. It was one of the better concerts I've seen. The set was short, just over an hour, but I heard My Immortal so I was happy. And Bring Me To Life has been one of my favorite songs since it was released, so it was really great to see her perform it live. I love Evanescence, if you ever get the chance to see them live, do it! You will not regret it. Stone Sour opened for them and they were great too. The only song I've heard of theirs before last night is that one that's always on the radio. I was quite impressed. They rocked as well. All in all, it was a great night of music.

indulgences

So today was a very exciting day in my world. I went shopping. That's right, that is why I am excited. I know it's not much to be excited about but I'm excited anyways. I went to Home Outfitters (love that store) and spent way too much money and it was awesome. Cassidy is still a little choked because I didn't buy her anything but she's dealing with it. I bought new sheets (finally). Last year for Christmas I got this gorgeous comforter from my parents and it's kind of a beige and chocolate brown color and the only sheets I had were blue. horrid, I know. So today I bought brand new, 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. It's only 8:30 and I want to go to bed! And I bought new towels. I got those huge, fluffy bath sheets and bath towels and hand towels and by that time I decided that I just didn't like the shade of blue my bathroom was decorated in so I had to get new mats and everything. My bathroom just got a little facelift. I also got a new blanket for my new couch. I got new furniture last month, so had to get a couch blanket to go with it. And I got a new phone. This one was actually almost a necessity. It was to the point where I could not talk on the phone for longer than 10 minutes without the battery running out. So I needed a new one. Wow, I was just reading through this and would like to clarify that I'm really not that spoiled at all. I rarely spend money on myself, most of it goes to bills and Cassidy, so today was a special little treat!

After my shopping spree, I took Cassidy to the theatre to see Happy Feet. Really cute show to take your kids to if anyone is interested! I think kids movies might be one of my favorite things about being a mom. I love kids movies, especially in theatres. But even better than the actual movie were the previews. Well, one preview in particular. It's only January and they're already showing previews for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. So psyched. I think I actually whooped and clapped when the preview came on (cringe). But I didn't care. I am obsessed with Harry Potter these days. Ever since JK Rowling announced the title of book seven. It'll be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for anyone who cares. Anyways, I am waiting with bated breath for the announcement of the release date of book 7 and also for July 13 when The Order of the Phoenix is out in theatres. I get little butterflies just thinking about it. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. After the movie, we went to Chuck E. Cheese's. I've never been there before and it was ridiculously fun. Ridiculously expensive, but fun nonetheless.

I'm listening to the Rockstar Supernova cd and i must say I'm disappointed. It's really not very remarkable at all. There are a few decent tracks but for the most part, I don't think the group was successful in reaching their goal, which was to release music that was revolutionary. I think Tommy should leave that to Motley.

Anyways, friends, I'm off to pour myself a glass of wine, cuddle under my new couch blanket and watch The Devil Wears Prada. Take care & God bless.

luv,
meg.

Another year come and gone...

And it's been a busy one. I've decided to take Leah's idea and do a year in review. So here goes...
January: I really can't remember. I believe this is when I decided I may want to leave Haworth to get out of a dead-end job and a horribly irritating ex-boyfriend. Never date a co-worker. Just my advice.
February: Not a great month. I was offered a job with Halliburton, but the same day I found out I had gotten the job, we got a call that my grandpa was sick. He had a perforated bowel and was rushed to ICU. After a couple weeks of surgeries and trips back to Saskatchewan, he passed away.
March: My first trip to Houston! It was my first international business trip and was a lot of fun.
April: My last day at Haworth and my first day at Halliburton.
May: My friend's baby, Saren was born. I can't remember the day for the life of me, but I'm pretty sure it was early May. It could have been late May... I'll have to ask for a reminder. I'm a terrible friend, I know.
June: My 26th birthday on the 17th. We had a party at Tara and Dave's until the early hours of the morning. My cousin, Ajay, graduated and we went to visit the Schutz family out at Echo Lake for July long weekend.
July: Stampede. Enough said. And my cousin, Michael got married to his beautiful bride, Erinn.
August: Kokanee Glacier Challenge in Revelstoke on the long weekend. Too much fun to be allowed. My Aunt Rita & Uncle Wayne's 25th wedding anniversary.
September: Cassidy's 6th birthday and she started Grade One. Something else important happened in September, but I can not remember what.
October: Would you beleive I can remember what happened in February and March, but not October? I'm losing my mind. I went to a few cool shows and concerts in October, I know that much.
November: Motley Crue and Aerosmith! My cousin, Andrew got married to Jana.
December: 4 Christmas parties, 2 concerts, a play, 2 charity volunteer events and Christmas.

I'm glad that the holidays are over for another year. While I always enjoy them when they're here, December is so exhausting. We had a really good Christmas and New Year's though. This year, we decided to switch it up a bit and went to a masquerade ball at The Warehouse, an alternative/electro/techno/indie rock club. It was lots of fun. We made our own masks. I'll post a picture once we get them downloaded. I am not glad however, that I am back at work today. My 10 days off just flew by. I am almost done with my 2006 scrapbook though. I only have a few pages left to do and it's on to 2007. All of my work deadlines are completed and I'm ready to tackle my upcoming promotion, which should be effective January 15th.

For 2007, I wish you all.... love and peace.

Teach the Children

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I had just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room, and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out.
"What are you doing?" I started to ask.

The words choked up in my throat, and I saw that he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement: "TEACH THE CHILDREN!"
I was puzzled, what did he mean?
He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children. Teach them the real meaning of Christmas. The meaning of Christmas that nowadays has been forgotten."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point Heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward Heaven.

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. Teach the children that the star was the Heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of His promise.

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light, we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love Christ showed for us. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.

He then pulled from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF. Teach the children that I, Santa Claus, symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.

He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood that He shed for us.

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the Holy Babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men.

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring strayed sheep back to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper.

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will."

Suddenly I heard a soft tinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should bring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.

Santa looked around and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, TEACH THE CHILDREN the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship Him, Our Lord, Our God, and Savior.

Craziness

Hello everybody. Hee Hee. Every time I say that, it reminds me of that children's book "The Monster at the End of This Book" starring lovable, furry old Grover. I love that book. It's so fun to read. If you haven't bought it for your kids yet, do!!! It's a riot.

So we have had a crazy weekend. The Halliburton Christmas party was on Friday night. It was nice, but speeches were way too long. And the entire time we could hear the music thumping from the party next door. Those people at World Health Club know how to have a good time. They had a disco Christmas party. How cool is that? We crashed it after dinner was over. There is something about dancing to Funky Town in an evening gown that is just way too much fun. We had a dinner party at my friend Christine's on Saturday night. I finally saw her gorgeous engagement ring and she asked me to be her maid of honor at their wedding in August. I'm so happy for her. She's one of those people that just never has anything work out in their favor. And she's starting to turn her life around, so I'm really proud of her.

Sunday was a pretty big day for us. We volunteered at the Christmas Splendor Feed the Needy banquet and it was a huge success. We fed over 3500 people in under an hour and handed out almost 1000 gifts to the children. Every year, that event amazes me in so many ways. It's incredible how many people show up to help out. Halliburton had a group of 63 volunteers alone. The amount of food it takes to feed all these people is shocking and the fact that complete strangers pull together for an afternoon to pull the event off is really great. The organization it must take to coordinate an event like this just blows my mind. It's really fulfilling to help out and give people food, but at the same time the sheer volume of people who had to attend this banquet to get a hot meal is really sobering. A good friend of mine volunteered with us on Sunday and it was his first time at an event like this. After we were done, I could tell he was just really bummed out. He said is was just way too sad to watch the families coming in to get food because they couldn't buy it on their own. And yes, it is incredibly sad, but one person can only do what one person can do. You can't save everyone at once. You can help by donating time and money. Without that, and without concerned citizens, the situation would be so much worse. So I think that put a positive spin on things for him. I hope, anyways. It's like Margaret Meade said "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

I am completely exhausted today because we went to the Crue and Aerosmith last night. Wow, what a show! The Crue was great, because they're always great. Lots of lights and fire and explosions and smoke and best of all....really, really loud music. The best part of the Crue portion.... Home Sweet Home. Vince handed it over to the crowd which was probably a good thing, because his voice just ain't what it used to be. And I'll never get over how cool it looks and sounds when 20000 people are singing at the top of their lungs waving lighters and cell phones. I love it. And it was Nikki Sixx's birthday yesterday too. Very good showing by the Crue. With that being said, I must admit that it was Aerosmith who floored me last night. I've never been a huge Aerosmith fan, but they are amazing performers. It took about 1/2 hr after Motley Crue to tear down their stage and set up for Aerosmith, but it was worth the wait. They had a walk out stage into the middle of the floor and 2 ramps that went up each side. We had seats in row 6 so we got a few close ups of the group. They had no crazy lights or explosions, just a lot of incredible performing. Steven Tyler (no matter how many times I've made fun of him in the past) is so charismatic. It was hard to take your eyes off of him. The crowd was insane, singing every word along with him. He hasn't lost much over the years, his voice will still give you chills. My favorite part of the Aerosmith portion.... Cryin. All I could picture was Alicia Silverstone in that video! It's a classic. And my favorite part of the entire show.... Dream On. That song was the best live performance I have ever seen. Hands down.

Today's thought for the day... Patience is needed with everyone, but first of all with ourselves.

Sing with me, sing for the years
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears
Sing with me, if its just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away...

At the end of the day...

The end of the work day is drawing closer and closer... It has been an exhausting week. We've uncovered some issues that have been happening for quite some time and I'm afraid the potential impact could be catastrophic. So all of my time and energy this week has been devoted to uncovering what has been going on. It wouldn't be so bad if that were all, but every time I uncover one issue, 6 more pop up. It's a long and convoluted process and I'm afraid no end is in sight. Sigh. I'm tired.

On a brighter note, we had a fantastic weekend! Operation Christmas Child on Saturday went really well. It was my first event that I coordinated as co-chair of our volunteer council and the president of our company came out to show his support. Very exciting. Here's a picture of the group that came out. We sorted through 11, 020 shoe boxes and got them all ready to ship to Nigeria in our 4 hour shift. Not too bad at all. It's really touching to see some of the items in the boxes. People really put a lot of thought into these gifts. There were a few boxes that almost made me cry! After that, we headed down south to my Aunt's to do her Christmas decorating. Every year she bribes us (as is me, Dave, Tara & Cassidy) with food. And this year was soooooo worth it. She made home made perogies, cabbage rolls, meat balls and the list goes on. It was quite the feast. Mmmmm. On Sunday, we went to the Halliburton kids Christmas party. It was a lot of fun, they do a really good job. All the kids got gifts, there was skating and cookie decorating and sleigh rides. Cassidy loved it. Here's a picture of her with her friends Jenna and Braden decorating cookies. Isn't Jenna adorable? She may be the cutest 3 year old I know. Cassidy is trying to show me how red her tongue was from all the Skittles she ate. What a goofball. After the party, we went to see Aladdin at the Jubilee Auditorium. We had really great seats, in the third row. It was so good. It wasn't the Disney version, which I was a bit concerned about but it was really outstanding nonetheless. There was a ton of singing and dancing and thankfully they didn't give Bret Hart too many lines... He's a wonderful WWF entertainer, but not much of an actor. The cast was so interactive with the audience too so the kids got really involved in the show. It was a lot of fun. On Monday, I had a "Festive Ladies Night" hosted by one of my suppliers at Q Haute restaurant. It's the old La Caille on the Bow. So yummy. It may have been the best food I've ever had! And we each got a box of Bernard Callibaut chocolates to take home with us! I think that was my favorite part. Tomorrow is Cassidy's Christmas concert at her school. Friday is my Christmas party. Saturday we have a dinner party to go at a friends house, Sunday we're volunteering at the Christmas Splendor Feed the Needy banquet and Monday is The CRUE!!!!!! Yay. So it'll be another busy weekend but we can cap it off with a visit to Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx. That makes me happy.

Not too much else is going on. Take care everyone!

Human or Divine???

So right from the start, I know this blog may upset some people, but I wanted to discuss it anyways. I read The Da Vinci Code quite some time ago, but just recently watched the movie again. And again and again and again. And it poses a very interesting theory. What if Jesus was just an ordinary man? What if he did father a child? What if there are documents and evidence in existence that proves this theory? What would happen then? There are one billion Catholics in the world today. What would happen if they were told that everything they believed in was a lie? Could you imagine the catastrophic wars this could cause? It would spark millions of debates that "My God is better than your God", etc. Political unrest would reach unimaginable levels and perhaps the Apocolypse would no longer be another theory...

If you are interested in history, especially religious history, you will know that many scholars and historians argue that the Bible was written by man, and man alone. It has gone through many, many translations over the years and is considered by many to be an inaccurate summary of events that transpired during Jesus' time on earth. There are allegedly Gospels that have been left out of the Bible because they directly contradict what the people are supposed to believe. In one of these Gospels, it says that Mary Magdalene was a companion of Jesus. Companion, in those days, meaning spouse. It also says that Jesus used to kiss her on the mouth, making his other disciples jealous and posing the question "Why does he love her more than he loves us?" Now, if the purpose of putting humans on earth is to "be fruitful and multiply", what would be wrong with Jesus fathering a child? Would it make him any less of a great man? Any less worthy of eternal love and devotion from Christian men and women across the world?

I believe that what people crave is acceptance. In their families, their social lives, their work lives, and their spiritual lives. If you found acceptance in any or all of those areas, you're very lucky. There are millions of people who are less fortunate. If you've found your place within Christianity, would it make a difference to you if in fact, Jesus had fathered a child with Mary Magdalene? After all, accepting Christianity means that you already have blind faith. You believe in immaculate conception and that is physically not possible. So would you be angry at being deceived by history? Or would you continue to have faith in what you've always believed? I think in the end, all that matters is what you believe.

Thoughts?

Pictures!!!!

It's been a really long time since I've posted pictures, so here goes... To the left is Cassidy with her Uncle Lane. This was taken around 1:30 am so she was pretty tired. Below is my cousin Lara and her fiance Bryce. They're so happy and you can tell. She's just glowing. Below them is my other cousin, Chad and his fiance, Katherine. I think she is so gorgeous. Chad has done well for himself! Below them is Andrew and his new bride, Jana. I love her dress, she looks like Cinderella at her ball! Underneath them is Michael and his new wife, Erinn. They were married in Melfort during the summer. Michael is going through his residency in Saskatoon right now and Erinn calls him her "McDreamy". Awwww.

Here are some pictures that I took in Houston at the Astros game. The first one is of the scoreboard. Very exciting, I know. But they have this song about Texas that everyone sings during the seventh inning stretch. Americans are patriotic, but Texans are insanely patriotic! It was really amazing to see. Beside that is just a shot of the sunset over the wall at Minute Maid Park. Houston is so beautiful, I really do think I may transfer there for a year or two. Below that is a picture of the ballpark from across the street. I can't wait until next spring so I can go to another game! Beside that is a pic of Tara, Lara and me taken last weekend at the wedding. Not a great picture, but that's okay. And last but not least is Cassidy at Halloween with her friends at their school dance. It's not a coincidence that they're all princesses. They've had it planned for months. Crazy kids. Anyways, that's all for now!

And they lived happily ever after...

Hi everyone. Happy Monday! I'm so tired today that it's going to be tough to function. But I get to sit in a meeting from 9-3 so it won't be too emotionally draining. We did a lot of driving this weekend. It was so busy. First of all, I apologize to all my friends in Saskatoon that I said I would try to go see. We had no time to spare this weekend. We got up early on Saturday, drove down to Saskatoon and got ready for the wedding and left. We forgot about the time change, so we had an hour less than we thought we were going to have. Then we came back on Sunday. Not a lot of sleep and too much driving for my liking, so I'm pretty tired today. Poor Cassidy was walking around like a zombie this morning.

The wedding was fantastic! Jana is so amazingly creative. Andrew even admitted that he had very little to do with it, Jana was the mastermind behind the event. It was at the Odeon Event Centre and it was a Cinderella theme. They had clips of "romantic" movies on the screen before the ceremony began so people wouldn't get bored. I guess Wedding Crashers and Old School aren't really romantic movies, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. And Jana looked gorgeous, just like a fairy tale princess! They wrote their own vows and made everyone cry. Maybe not everyone, but they made me cry. Cassidy was so excited because they had pictures of her and Andrew on their slide-show presentation. She's his God-Daughter, so she felt a little like a celebrity. It was quite funny. When Jana threw her bouquet, one of the bridesmaids caught it and gave it to Cassidy. She honestly has not put it down since! And it was so great to see everyone again. David and Lisa are doing great, their baby is due in six weeks and she looks wonderful. Michael and Erinn are deleriously happy and still in their newlywed phase. Chad and Kat and Lara and Bryce are both starting their wedding plans and are so excited. I saw some old friends from high school as well. Everyone seems to be doing really well. I took lots of pictures, so I'll post some as soon as I can. And for anyone visiting Saskatoon or anyone that lives there.... if you have never been to the brunch buffet at the Parktown Hotel, make sure you make a point to check it out soon! It is phenomenal. My diet went straight out the window on Sunday morning. They actually have a chocolate fountain. Yum.

So my work pet fish died on Friday. I shouldn't say "died". I should include that I assisted. I'm still a little disturbed by the whole incident. I took him into the kitchen to clean his bowl because it was getting a bit rank. I kind of overshot the cup and he flopped into the sink. I am unreasonably terrified of fish. Touching fish anyway. They creep me out. So I kept putting water on him to keep him alive until somebody a little less neurotic came to help me. By that time, he was kind of wedged into one of the drain holes and ended up falling down the drain. I was dangerously close to tears. So now I have to get a new fish. I was really bummed out about it.

Operation Christmas Child is going really well so far. I got all 20 of my volunteers signed up for the sorting night at the warehouse on Dec. 2. It'll be fun. It's really interesting to see the kinds of gifts that some families put together for children in need. A lot of though goes into those little shoeboxes, it's great to see. And we collected about fifty filled shoeboxes at my office so it's working out well so far. I'm also thinking about going to Cassidy's school to see if they would be willing to help me do a drive for the Mustard Seed, a local non-profit ministry that provides food, shelter, clothing, and financial/emotional/spiritual guidance to street people in the city. I know her school has supported the Mustard Seed in the past, so I'm hoping they'll be willing to help out again this year.

Not much else is going on. I'm thinking of buying a new car. My car is ready to die on me. In all fairness to my car, it is 10 years old and it's a Firefly to begin with. It's been a good car but I think it's time to move on. Dave and Tara have been great with helping out and bringing me and Cassidy with them on road trips, but I'm starting to get tired of relying on them for my travel needs. We'll be doing so much driving this spring/summer that I think it's time. I'm looking at either a PT Cruiser or a Volkswagon Jetta. Not sure yet, I'll keep you posted. Anyways, time to go to my all-day meeting. Bye!

Just an Update

Sigh. Long weekend coming up. I'm excited. I've been fighting a cold for the past week, so it'll be nice to have a few days off. I booked tomorrow off as well, so I have a 4 day weekend. Yay. Of course, being sick means un-motivated so I'm not sure how much I'm going to accomplish until my head stops feeling like a basketball. But nothing cures a cold like a day on the couch watching soap operas! I do love Days of our Lives.

I was thinking of taking Cassidy roller-skating this weekend. How fun would that be??!!! I've never been roller-skating and I really want to try it. So maybe that'll be my adventure for the week. It'll be nice to spend some quality time with her now because there is so much happening over the next couple of months. Starting with.... Andy and Jana's wedding!!! Next weekend in Saskatoon at the Odeon. I'm so excited. I think they have it all done up like Cinderella at the ball. At least, that's what the invitations portrayed. Either way, it'll be a lot of fun and I can't wait to see them get married. My cousins are crazy right now! David and Lisa are expecting their first baby around January, Michael and Erinn got married in July, Andrew and Jana next weekend and then next summer, Chad and Kat and Lara and Bryce are getting married within a month of each other. Tons of stuff going on in that family. But good things happen to good people, I'm very excited for all of them! I'll post some pictures of the wedding when I get back.

Before the wedding of course is the big game on Sunday. How about those Roughriders! I managed to grab some company tickets to the last game and took my aunt, who is the biggest Rider fan I have ever met. I think I will now be her favorite niece forever! It was a great game last Sunday and we had amazing seats. 40 yard line, row 7, right behind the Rider bench. Cassidy loved it because she could walk down to the front and watch the cheerleaders. Aunt Bridget and I loved it because we could hear/see everything! Dave I'm not so sure about... He was pretty neutral all game. He's an Alberta boy, but you just have to love the Riders. Anyways, we had a great time and their big win just made it even better. I think it may be their year... finally! But being a true Rider fan, I am ready to say "Maybe next year."

What else is going on.... We're going to see Evanescence in January. That should be a good show. I love Amy Lee, she's got such an amazing voice. And I'm taking Cassidy to see the theatre production on Aladdin at the beginning of December. We're both really excited about that. Bret the Hitman Hart is playing the Genie! Should be a good time.

We're also pretty busy with the Volunteer Council right now. I'm co-chair of the council, so it's craziness right now. Coming up, we have a clothing drive for Inn From the Cold, which is a fantastic organization that feeds/clothes needy people and also gives them shelter through local hotels and churches. I'm organizing our Operation Christmas Child event this year, which is run through Samaritan's Purse, and involves sending Christmas gifts to children in third world countries. We've also got the annual Christmas Splendor feed the needy banquet as well. It's put on at the Telus Convention Centre and sponsored by local churches. We feed over 5000 people and hand out clothing and gifts to the kids. As wonderful as the Christmas season is, it breaks my heart because there are so many people who just don't have the luxury of being able to enjoy Christmas. But we do what we can.

Anyways, I have to run now. Have a great Remembrance Day long weekend, everyone!
luv,
meg

Tis the Season???

It's been a while since my last blog so I thought I should post again. Not much is really going on these days. Nothing new and exciting anyways. It's really hard to believe that it is already November and Christmas is less than 2 months away. Craziness. I haven't even thought about it yet. But there is a lot going on between now and then. 5 Christmas parties, 3 concerts/plays, 2 volunteer events and a wedding. I love the Christmas season, but it's really exhausting.

So Halloween was a lot of fun. Cassidy was (surprise, surprise) a princess. She was Genevieve from Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses. I have pictures and I'll post them whenever I get around to downloading them. She was really adorable, even if she didn't go for my Tinkerbell idea. I love Tinkerbell. I think the only reason I like Halloween is that it is the only day of the year that I can dress her up and do her make up and have it be socially acceptable. She had a Halloween dance at her school on Friday that I took her to. So much fun. Put 60 elementary school kids in a dark gym with loud music.... pure entertainment. Everyone had a great time and the kids were so cute.

Tonight is the biggest TV night ever!!!! Okay, maybe not ever, but I'm still excited. It's the season premiere of The OC and I'm curious to see how they handle the death of Marissa. And it's a new episode of Grey's Anatomy, my new favorite TV show of all time. My aunt got me hooked on it a month ago and this past weekend (don't laugh) I watched the entire first 2 seasons on DVD. Yes, I know I'm a dork. It's my guilty pleasure, I can't help it. I was even almost convinced that I wanted to go to med school and become a surgeon. And then rationalized with myself that just because I would be a surgeon doesn't mean I would get my McDreamy. Anyways, it's a great show and I love it.

That's about all I have to say. Big game this weekend.... GO RIDERS!!!!!

Crue!!!!

Yay!!!! The Motley Crue and Aerosmith Route of all Evil tour is coming to Calgary on December 11!!!!! Tickets went on sale 14 minutes ago and appear to be sold out already but we would not be denied! We got level 1 seats beside the stage. I'm so excited, it's ridiculous. Anyone who knows me knows what a freak I am when it comes to the Crue. And I haven't seen Aerosmith live before, so that'll be good too. What an awesome way to start the week. Wicked. So in the spirit of the Crue, here's a shot of me, Tara and Mighty Mike, the concert "little person" taken when we saw them in Saskatoon. And one of Tommy Lee. He is beautiful. Life is good, we're going to the Crue!!!

Judgement Day

It's been a while since my last blog, but nothing is really going on these days. Cirque de Soleil was incredible, i absolutely loved it. If you get the chance to see it live, please do! It's really spectacular. Work is still busy. I put together a proposal for my boss on the restructuring of my department, and I think he's going to go for it. It's a pretty exciting opportunity for me. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Why is it that the more money you make, the more you spend? I'm not talking about myself here, but I've noticed it a lot lately. I know people who have started their careers with nothing. No house, no car, no nice clothes or expensive make up. Now, they have all of that and still need more. Instead of a 20, 000 car, they need a 40, 000 one. Or instead of a nice home, they need to move into a "richer" neighborhood. Instead of spending $10 on lip gloss, they spend $50. To each their own, of course, but why is it never enough? Why can we not just obtain the lifestyle we are comfortable with and use anything extra to help others? I take the train to work every morning and every day I see people huddled up under trees or in doorways, trying to get a bit more sleep before they have to begin another day of being homeless. I really don't know where I'm going with this, but it's just something that bothers me on a daily basis.

So Cassidy is sick today. I hate it when she's sick. It started at about 1 am last night. There really is nothing worse than being woken up out of a deep sleep to "Mommy, I puked." What a horrible wake up call. We were up for a few hours and finally fell asleep. I let her sleep in and when she got up she seemed fine. So she went to school and I went to work. It wasn't even 2 hours later that the secretary of her school called and said that Cassidy wasn't feeling well again. I felt so awful. So now we're hanging out at home watching kid movies. I really hope she isn't coming down with the flu that's been going around. I hate it when she's sick. I feel so helpless. But it happens, I guess.

Congratulations to Pearl and Roch and also to Devon and his girlfriend who both found out that they are pregnant! Babies are in the air. I just hope I don't breathe in any of that air.... one child is enough for me for right now.

That's it for today! Take care, everyone.
Love,
meg.

New Beginnings

I'm listening to Leah, and creating a new post. I know it's been forever since my last blog, and I haven't even been that busy. Things just keep happening and preventing me from posting. And I still have a virus on my computer at home. I can't figure out how to get my laptop from work to work from home either. I think I would be considered technologically illiterate for today's world. But I manage.

Work has been crazy as usual. It seems that since I got back from Houston, I have so much more to do because of all I learned. But I just keep plugging away. I figure that I can only do my best in 8 hours and that's all I can do. I'm not about to work insane hours from home because that's not fair to Cassidy. Speaking of Cassidy, she's learning how to read! It seriously does seem like yesterday when the only contact she would have with a book would be to chew and drool all over it. I'm so proud of her, she's trying so hard. I forgot how hard it was to learn to read and I feel sorry for the poor kid. She gets so frustrated if she can't figure out a letter or a sound and of course, I'm the most impatient teacher in the world. I must get that from my dad... If anyone has any ideas on how to help a kid learn how to read, I'm all ears! I'm not sure what I'll do when she learns how to read. I won't be able to wear my Motley Crue concert t-shirts anymore. The world will no longer be censored. Is this the part where kids start to pick up on the evils and tempations of the world around us? It seems kind of easy to shelter your children when they don't know any better, but what am I going to do when she can actually read the newspaper and realizes that there is rarely good news to report. I don't want to be the one to have to break it to my baby girl that the world is not really a peaceful place. It's ravaged by war, famine, poverty and disease. I suppose these discussions are still a couple years away, but they're still too close for my liking.

That was depressing. On to more cheerful subjects. Tomorrow, me, my sister, my brother in law and his brother are going to see Cirque de Soleil Delerium for Dave's birthday. I'm excited. I've never seen Cirque de Soleil live and I imagine it's going to be specatular. I've been to a few concerts and shows lately and they've all been wonderful. We saw Elton John last week and he was as good as you can imagine Elton John would be. It's really amazing to think that one man can entertain 20000 people with just a piano. He's mesmerizing.

So winter is on it's way. At least it seems that way in Calgary. It's been cold and wet for the past couple of days. Generally that means snow. I'm waiting to wake up one morning in a winter wonderland. The good things about winter.....flannel pyjamas, sparkly white snow in your hair, the scent of cinnamon and pine, movies and popcorn, skiing, new mitts, the view of the mountains on a clear day, Christmas, and the promise of new beginnings.

Have a great day, everyone!