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.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
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...
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...
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
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!
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!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
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?
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?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
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!
Monday, November 20, 2006
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!
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!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
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
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
Thursday, November 02, 2006
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
Monday, October 23, 2006
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!!!
. And one of Tommy Lee. He is beautiful. Life is good, we're going to the Crue!!! 
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
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!
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!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Metamorphosis
I'm back from Houston! What an awesome city. I really love it there. The weather was phenomenal, the people are so much fun and the food is fantastic. And I got to go to the Astros game on Sunday night. Definately the highlight of my trip. I've been a baseball fan since I was about 5 years old and that was my first MLB game ever. It was so exciting. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. I took over 200 pictures. I was such a tourist, but I didn't care. But I'm happy to be home. I missed my girl. She was so happy to see me when I got home, it was awesome. I bought her a cute little charm bracelet in Houston and gave it to her when I got back. She doesn't like any of her friends to touch it because "my mommy bought it special for me from Texas." So cute.
I did hear a lot of political discussions while I was down there. It's a hot topic, for obvious reasons. It's pretty interesting to hear what American citizens have to say aobut the war and their President. The media is always influential, but their patriotism really stands out when discussing anything even remotely political. All I have to say is that my thoughts and prayers are with all the troops stationed overseas. God speed and come home safe.
Tonight, I'm going with Tara, Dave (my brother in law) and my best friend, Christine to go see Elton John. I managed to score tickets from a supplier of mine because tickets sold out in less than 3 minutes. Crazy. But I'm so excited. I've never really been a huge Elton John fan, but I can't deny that his music is very powerful. It should be a once in a lifetime concert.
And then I'm looking forward to doing nothing for the rest of the weekend. I'm going to make a trip to Blockbuster sometime tomorrow and I think that Cassidy and I are going to chill in front of the TV together. We take all the blankets and pillows in the house and set them up in the living room and watch movies all day. She's fun to hang out with because she's got an opinion on everything. I love watching the way the mind of a six year old works. Cracks me up.
I just want to say hey to my friend, Leah. Your personal metamorphosis has really been an inspiration to me. Keep fighting the good fight! Resisting temptation only makes you stronger and wiser.
That's it for today. Have a great weekend, everyone!
I did hear a lot of political discussions while I was down there. It's a hot topic, for obvious reasons. It's pretty interesting to hear what American citizens have to say aobut the war and their President. The media is always influential, but their patriotism really stands out when discussing anything even remotely political. All I have to say is that my thoughts and prayers are with all the troops stationed overseas. God speed and come home safe.
Tonight, I'm going with Tara, Dave (my brother in law) and my best friend, Christine to go see Elton John. I managed to score tickets from a supplier of mine because tickets sold out in less than 3 minutes. Crazy. But I'm so excited. I've never really been a huge Elton John fan, but I can't deny that his music is very powerful. It should be a once in a lifetime concert.
And then I'm looking forward to doing nothing for the rest of the weekend. I'm going to make a trip to Blockbuster sometime tomorrow and I think that Cassidy and I are going to chill in front of the TV together. We take all the blankets and pillows in the house and set them up in the living room and watch movies all day. She's fun to hang out with because she's got an opinion on everything. I love watching the way the mind of a six year old works. Cracks me up.
I just want to say hey to my friend, Leah. Your personal metamorphosis has really been an inspiration to me. Keep fighting the good fight! Resisting temptation only makes you stronger and wiser.
That's it for today. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Thought for the day...
Mean people suck. Seriously, what does a person have to gain by being mean to somebody else? This is something that I have never understood in all my 26 years. Remember when your mom used to say "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?" Whatever happened to that? It seems today that everywhere I look, someone is getting yelled at or picked on or whatever. I was going to the mall at lunch today and I was on the train. There was a group of teenagers standing by me and a girl that they obviously knew tried to stand with them and one of the girls actually told her that they did not want to be seen with her because she wasn't pretty enough and her clothes were too old. What???!!!! That poor girl was so crushed and that will stick with her for a long time. I just wish that people would think before they speak. But on the other hand, what goes around, comes around. Everyone gets exactly what they deserve in the end and it is not up to us to judge people.
Tonight is Cassidy's first parent-teacher interview of grade one. It'll be interesting to hear about how she's adjusting to gr. 1 from somebody else's perspective. From what she tells me, she's been having a few problems adjusting to the structured days. So we'll see what her teacher has to say.
I just found this picture on my computer after looking for it for ages! This is the matching tattoo that Tara and I got done when we were visiting our little brother in Saskatoon. I love new tattoos.
Tara's getting this amazing tattoo done of a fairy on her back. It's gorgeous. It's going to look so good when it's done. This is the first outline of it, let me know what you think.
I'll post it again when it's completed so you can see the finished work. It really is going to be a work of art. I was so impressed with her tattoo artist. She's getting it done at Body Inc. It's a great place to go. It's where I got my first one and the artists are really good. Check it out if you get the chance. Anyways, I'm out for the day. I won't get a chance to post again until late next week so I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
Take care, everyone!
Luv,
meg
Tonight is Cassidy's first parent-teacher interview of grade one. It'll be interesting to hear about how she's adjusting to gr. 1 from somebody else's perspective. From what she tells me, she's been having a few problems adjusting to the structured days. So we'll see what her teacher has to say.
I just found this picture on my computer after looking for it for ages! This is the matching tattoo that Tara and I got done when we were visiting our little brother in Saskatoon. I love new tattoos.
Tara's getting this amazing tattoo done of a fairy on her back. It's gorgeous. It's going to look so good when it's done. This is the first outline of it, let me know what you think.
I'll post it again when it's completed so you can see the finished work. It really is going to be a work of art. I was so impressed with her tattoo artist. She's getting it done at Body Inc. It's a great place to go. It's where I got my first one and the artists are really good. Check it out if you get the chance. Anyways, I'm out for the day. I won't get a chance to post again until late next week so I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!Take care, everyone!
Luv,
meg
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Brrrrrr
Hi everyone. It is miserable outside. It's cold and gray and misty and just plain gross. I'll be thinking of this horrible weather when I am enjoying the heat in Houston. It's 30 degrees out there now and I can't wait to go! And I'm getting tickets to the Astros game on Sunday night. My first MLB game ever. I'm so excited. It's not the Braves, but I'm surprised they still have a team with the way they've been playing this season. It'll be fun, minus the work part.
I have a housewarming party to go to on Saturday and I need a good gift idea. There are prizes for the best gift under $30, so I need some help! I don't want to get the usual plants or dishes or pictures, etc. I need a really killer idea. Any thoughts are appreciated!
So I did the dumbest thing ever the other day. It's even dumber considering I've done it before. I had a craving for fish and chips, so I went to the little grocery store on the corner and bought fish sticks and a bag of fries. I got home and opened the bag of fries and it wasn't fries at all. It was carrot sticks. Carrot sticks! In my defense, the bags are eerily similar. I'm still choked. I don't even like cooked carrots.
I finally have my computer and Ipod working! I'm going to be spending way too much time dowloading music in the near future... My music library is already at 300 songs and I've only been at it for 1.5 days. Yes, it appears that I do have too much time on my hands. It's now 4:30 pm and I am out of here for the day! Have a great Tuesday night, everyone!
I have a housewarming party to go to on Saturday and I need a good gift idea. There are prizes for the best gift under $30, so I need some help! I don't want to get the usual plants or dishes or pictures, etc. I need a really killer idea. Any thoughts are appreciated!
So I did the dumbest thing ever the other day. It's even dumber considering I've done it before. I had a craving for fish and chips, so I went to the little grocery store on the corner and bought fish sticks and a bag of fries. I got home and opened the bag of fries and it wasn't fries at all. It was carrot sticks. Carrot sticks! In my defense, the bags are eerily similar. I'm still choked. I don't even like cooked carrots.
I finally have my computer and Ipod working! I'm going to be spending way too much time dowloading music in the near future... My music library is already at 300 songs and I've only been at it for 1.5 days. Yes, it appears that I do have too much time on my hands. It's now 4:30 pm and I am out of here for the day! Have a great Tuesday night, everyone!
Monday, September 11, 2006
9/11
Wow, I'm completely slacking on this blog. Sorry... Although I'm sure not too many people are heartbroken, I think Leah may be the only one who reads this!
First things first. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families and friends of the victims of 9/11. There really isn't anything else to say about that without getting into a long-winded political rant. They say that time heals all wounds, but I think this is a little different. I started thinking about that while I was listening to the radio this morning. They said that over 95 % of the population can remember exactly what they were doing and where they were when the news of the plane crashes broke. I remember it like it was yesterday. I think that 9/11 was one of those defining moments of life, and it just gets more frightening as time goes on. Thoughts on that, anyone?
So Cassidy's 6th birthday party went great last weekend (Sept. 2). She cleaned up. Time to clean out her toy box and make another run to the Salvation Army to make room for her new stuff. It's crazy how spoiled kids can be these days. I know I've vented about this before, but it just blows my mind completely. Trying to get children to be grateful for what they have is a tough job. After Cassidy's birthday party, we went out to my aunt's trailer in Sundre. We had a really good time, it's beautiful out there. It's only 1.5 hrs from Calgary, but it's like a different world. Cassidy really loved it. She had a great time playing in the river.
This past weekend was a lot of fun too. Our cousins (Jeremy and Shauna) and their kids (Curtis and Hannah) were passing through Calgary on their way home from Waterton, so they stayed the weekend at Dave and Tara's. On Friday night, what was supposed to be an early night turned into an almost all-nighter. (cheers to Steve Irwin). I worked for most of the day on Saturday and then I took Shauna out to a really neat little store called The Witchery, where she picked up some crystals and just had a great time looking around. She's a very spiritual person, I really had a good time hanging out with her this weekend. Saturday night, we finally used Tara's fondue set and ate for about 3 hours. Good times.
Calgary Corporate Challenge started this weekend as well. It's a huge tournament type event with about 250 companies participating in events that range from bowling and bocce ball to urban orienteering (think Amazing Race) and laser tag. I played volleyball yesterday. So much fun. I forgot how much I love to play volleyball. Brought back a lot of wonderful memories. But today I hurt. Badly. I took a dive at some point during the game and cranked the side of my face on the floor. My jaw hurts. It's going to be soup and jello for a couple days. Oh well. My next event is softball so that should go without incident. Knock on wood.
Work is still insanely busy. But I think it may be calming down a bit. Or maybe I'm just getting used to it. Hard to say. Some exciting news... I was elected to be the new co-chair of the Halliburton Volunteer Council. I'm pretty happy about that. It's a great opportunity to learn so much about the community and ways to help. This weekend we have the Terry Fox Run and next weekend is the AIDS walk and we have a lot of Christmas events coming up as well. This goes back to my earlier statement about how tough it is to get children to be grateful for what they have. I like to bring Cassidy along to whatever events I can so she can see that not everyone lives like she does.
Big TV week this week! I can not wait to see who wins Rockstar. I don't even know who I'm rooting for anymore. I'm a huge fan of Toby and Magni. But I really like Dilana as well. She just hasn't really been very creative lately. I feel like her performances do not surprise me. Toby on the other hand, has made me go WOW a few times lately. I guess I'll be happy with anyone except Lukas. Not crazy about him at all. He would disappear on a stage with Tommy Lee, I think. I started watching Big Brother last week too. Not sure why. I've never watched it before and I decide to tune in the second last week? But I think I want Erica to win. She's pretty. And the season premiere of Survivor is on. I didn't watch it at all last season and I miss it.
I finally got my Internet hooked up last Thursday. Only to find out that I needed some sort of service pack installed before I could use the connection. So I get this service pack disc from Dave and try to install it. Well, turns out that I need an Internet connection to install the disc. So I check to see if my connection is working and it's not. So I call Shaw and they fix it up. I tried to install the service pack again and now I think I have a virus. Urgghhhh. I really would like to use the computer and Ipod I got for my birthday 3 months ago! Oh well. I'll get it figured out sooner or later. Happy Monday, everyone!
Love,
Meg.
First things first. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families and friends of the victims of 9/11. There really isn't anything else to say about that without getting into a long-winded political rant. They say that time heals all wounds, but I think this is a little different. I started thinking about that while I was listening to the radio this morning. They said that over 95 % of the population can remember exactly what they were doing and where they were when the news of the plane crashes broke. I remember it like it was yesterday. I think that 9/11 was one of those defining moments of life, and it just gets more frightening as time goes on. Thoughts on that, anyone?
So Cassidy's 6th birthday party went great last weekend (Sept. 2). She cleaned up. Time to clean out her toy box and make another run to the Salvation Army to make room for her new stuff. It's crazy how spoiled kids can be these days. I know I've vented about this before, but it just blows my mind completely. Trying to get children to be grateful for what they have is a tough job. After Cassidy's birthday party, we went out to my aunt's trailer in Sundre. We had a really good time, it's beautiful out there. It's only 1.5 hrs from Calgary, but it's like a different world. Cassidy really loved it. She had a great time playing in the river.
This past weekend was a lot of fun too. Our cousins (Jeremy and Shauna) and their kids (Curtis and Hannah) were passing through Calgary on their way home from Waterton, so they stayed the weekend at Dave and Tara's. On Friday night, what was supposed to be an early night turned into an almost all-nighter. (cheers to Steve Irwin). I worked for most of the day on Saturday and then I took Shauna out to a really neat little store called The Witchery, where she picked up some crystals and just had a great time looking around. She's a very spiritual person, I really had a good time hanging out with her this weekend. Saturday night, we finally used Tara's fondue set and ate for about 3 hours. Good times.
Calgary Corporate Challenge started this weekend as well. It's a huge tournament type event with about 250 companies participating in events that range from bowling and bocce ball to urban orienteering (think Amazing Race) and laser tag. I played volleyball yesterday. So much fun. I forgot how much I love to play volleyball. Brought back a lot of wonderful memories. But today I hurt. Badly. I took a dive at some point during the game and cranked the side of my face on the floor. My jaw hurts. It's going to be soup and jello for a couple days. Oh well. My next event is softball so that should go without incident. Knock on wood.
Work is still insanely busy. But I think it may be calming down a bit. Or maybe I'm just getting used to it. Hard to say. Some exciting news... I was elected to be the new co-chair of the Halliburton Volunteer Council. I'm pretty happy about that. It's a great opportunity to learn so much about the community and ways to help. This weekend we have the Terry Fox Run and next weekend is the AIDS walk and we have a lot of Christmas events coming up as well. This goes back to my earlier statement about how tough it is to get children to be grateful for what they have. I like to bring Cassidy along to whatever events I can so she can see that not everyone lives like she does.
Big TV week this week! I can not wait to see who wins Rockstar. I don't even know who I'm rooting for anymore. I'm a huge fan of Toby and Magni. But I really like Dilana as well. She just hasn't really been very creative lately. I feel like her performances do not surprise me. Toby on the other hand, has made me go WOW a few times lately. I guess I'll be happy with anyone except Lukas. Not crazy about him at all. He would disappear on a stage with Tommy Lee, I think. I started watching Big Brother last week too. Not sure why. I've never watched it before and I decide to tune in the second last week? But I think I want Erica to win. She's pretty. And the season premiere of Survivor is on. I didn't watch it at all last season and I miss it.
I finally got my Internet hooked up last Thursday. Only to find out that I needed some sort of service pack installed before I could use the connection. So I get this service pack disc from Dave and try to install it. Well, turns out that I need an Internet connection to install the disc. So I check to see if my connection is working and it's not. So I call Shaw and they fix it up. I tried to install the service pack again and now I think I have a virus. Urgghhhh. I really would like to use the computer and Ipod I got for my birthday 3 months ago! Oh well. I'll get it figured out sooner or later. Happy Monday, everyone!
Love,
Meg.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Birthdays, Toys and Rock Stars!
Hey everyone! I hope all is well with whomever may be reading this. I have been so busy lately at work, it's hard to believe. Lisa, my trainer/co-worker/friend had her baby last week. Her name is Solaya Marie and she was a hefty 8 lbs, 4 oz. (Congratulations, Lisa!!!) So needless to say, she's not at work anymore. Which is a few weeks earlier than expected. We have a million projects on the go, our busy season is starting up and then I still have to keep on top of my regular job, plus learning aspects of a new job as well. It's crazy. On the up side, it is helping ease my smoking habit a lot. I think I've had 3 cigarettes at work in the last 2 days. But it makes the day go by fast. Today is almost over and my brain is so fried that I don't think I can concentrate on anything new. My manager is already talking about changing my title to something more efficient and something that will also result in more $$$. I will never turn down more cash! So I suppose I could say I'm paying my dues and will hopefully be rewarded for it in the end. Enough about work.
So... my baby is turning 6 in 3 days. I honestly can not believe it. I really can't. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. I'll have to see if I can dig up a baby picture of her and post it. Just because she was so cute. My sister always said that she looked like a porcelain doll. With red hair. I'm having her party on Saturday afternoon and that kid is going to be so spoiled. I don't remember having half the junk she has when I was little. When I was a kid, I had a Cabbage Patch Kid and a Lite Brite. And I thought I was rolling in cool stuff. I still remember sitting upstairs in our bedrooms and playing Lite Brite until all hours of the morning with Tara. It was awesome because no light would shine to the bottom of the stairs when our parents checked on us. We were so sneaky... At least we thought we were. Anyways, my baby girl is turning 6. It's a harsh reality that time really does fly by. Craziness.
Not much else is going on in my world these days. Looks like I'll be going down to Houston again sometime in mid-September for some training courses. I'm excited. I love Houston. They have the best Mexican restaurant north of Mexico! It's called Papasitos and their enchilladas are so good they make me want to cry. There is something to be said about their margaritas as well... Hopefully this time I'll have some time to do some sight-seeing. I really want to check out NASA and head out to Galveston. I doubt I will though. It'll be work, work, work, eat, sleep, work, work, work and then come home.
Anyone check out Rockstar: Supernova last night? If you don't watch that show, you really should start. Finally, somebody took a music reality show and did it right. It's just so different from the Idols. It's refreshing. There are only so many seasons that you can watch the same thing every week. Check it out, it's a wicked show. Go Magni!
The day is coming to a close. Sigh. Time to go home to job #2! But being a mom is going to be fun tonight! We're picking out a cake for the big day on Saturday. Take care everyone!
Luv,
Megan
PS: Devon, I'm sorry I haven't had time to email you! We'll chat soon, I promise.
So... my baby is turning 6 in 3 days. I honestly can not believe it. I really can't. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. I'll have to see if I can dig up a baby picture of her and post it. Just because she was so cute. My sister always said that she looked like a porcelain doll. With red hair. I'm having her party on Saturday afternoon and that kid is going to be so spoiled. I don't remember having half the junk she has when I was little. When I was a kid, I had a Cabbage Patch Kid and a Lite Brite. And I thought I was rolling in cool stuff. I still remember sitting upstairs in our bedrooms and playing Lite Brite until all hours of the morning with Tara. It was awesome because no light would shine to the bottom of the stairs when our parents checked on us. We were so sneaky... At least we thought we were. Anyways, my baby girl is turning 6. It's a harsh reality that time really does fly by. Craziness.
Not much else is going on in my world these days. Looks like I'll be going down to Houston again sometime in mid-September for some training courses. I'm excited. I love Houston. They have the best Mexican restaurant north of Mexico! It's called Papasitos and their enchilladas are so good they make me want to cry. There is something to be said about their margaritas as well... Hopefully this time I'll have some time to do some sight-seeing. I really want to check out NASA and head out to Galveston. I doubt I will though. It'll be work, work, work, eat, sleep, work, work, work and then come home.
Anyone check out Rockstar: Supernova last night? If you don't watch that show, you really should start. Finally, somebody took a music reality show and did it right. It's just so different from the Idols. It's refreshing. There are only so many seasons that you can watch the same thing every week. Check it out, it's a wicked show. Go Magni!
The day is coming to a close. Sigh. Time to go home to job #2! But being a mom is going to be fun tonight! We're picking out a cake for the big day on Saturday. Take care everyone!
Luv,
Megan
PS: Devon, I'm sorry I haven't had time to email you! We'll chat soon, I promise.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Pictures
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. This one is of Cassidy and her step-sister, Kiyra. Cassidy goes to Saskatoon every summer for a month or so to visit with her dad and his wife. Kiyra is an added bonus! She loves spending time in Saskatoon. She was a bit homesick towards the end, but made it through okay. I look forward to having the chance to be a 26 year old all year, but of course I'm ready for her to come home a couple days after she leaves! She doesn't get to spend much time with her dad, so she enjoys every minute of it. Her favorite is Kinsmen Park and the spray pool!
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I took this one at the Trans Alta Grandstand Show during Calgary Stampede. Isn't it amazing? This show is phenomenal every year. I went twice this time around and was more impressed the second time. Can you imagine how strong you would have to be to do something like this? If you're ever in town for Calgary Stampede, make sure you check out the chuckwagon races and Grandstand Show. You will not be disappointed, I promise you! You can tell I'm a mom, because as I was watching these two perform, all I could say was, "Get down from there, you're going to hurt yourselves!"
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This is me and my best friend from high school, Sheri. Tara and I went to a lake near Fort Qu'Appelle on July long weekend to camp with our "other family". It was really great to see everyone again. All the kids have grown up so much, I almost didn't recognize them. Sheri and her husband, Steve just had a baby girl and it the first time I saw her. Little Saren is such a sweetheart. I left the lake almost convinced that I wanted another baby. Hey, I said almost! I don't think I could deal with the no sleep and diaper changes and contstant feedings again. And I think my mom would disown me if I had another baby before I get married! We'll see....3.jpg)
This is me and my big sister, Tara. I can't remember what we were doing... probably just being stupid. We do that a lot! Anyways, I'm out for the weekend. Everyone have a fantastic weekend!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
I might love dogs...
Happy Thursday afternoon! I'm so glad the week is almost over. It's been a long one. Cassidy's baby-sitter is on holidays until Monday so my aunt was kind enough to let us stay at her place for the week and she's looking after Cassidy while I'm working. I can't thank her enough! But it's been a really long week. She lives waaaaaayyyyy down south, so it's a hike to work every day. I haven't spent more than 2 nights at home by myself since the middle of July. All I really want to do these days is curl up on my couch with a bottle of wine and a good book. Soon enough... But enough of my complaining.
Did anyone watch Rockstar: Supernova last night? That's my new favorite show. Probably because I have an unhealthy obsession with Tommy Lee. I love him. I was shocked that Magni almost eliminated. I have a ton of respect for him. Not only is he amazingly talented, but he's a hard core family man as well. There aren't many of those left in the music biz. At least not that I've seen. Anyways, I'm rooting for Dilana all the way. She gives me chills. I don't think I'd buy a ticket to one of their shows with anyone else fronting the band.
Speaking of TV, I watched the greatest movie last night. (I really should cut down on my TV time). Eight Below with Paul Walker. Now we all know that while Paul Walker may be one of the most gorgeous men on the planet, he really isn't much of an actor (except in Running Scared-he surprised me in that one). The true substance in this Disney flick came from 8 beautiful dogs. They're all Huskies, but I can't be sure of what kind. I was never really much of a dog lover, but these dogs were so amazing. The movie is based on a true story about a team of Antarctic explorers and how the team of dogs got stranded alone and chained up because the team had to evacuate with the promise of returning. Well, it wouldn't be much of a movie if everything went as planned, would it? Of course, circumstances prevented the plane from returning for the dogs and they ended up surviving by themselves in Antartica for some insane amount of time, like 175 days. I don't know exactly how cold it was up there, but I got chills just watching some of the storms. Anyways, it was just a good movie. Cassidy loved it too. So everyone check it out if you get the chance!
More exciting news... My friend/co-worker is on her way to the hospital to give birth. It's her first baby and it's a girl. So we're all anxiously waiting to hear how everything goes. Baby is about a month premature, but I'm sure everything will be fine. Although this does leave me on my own at work. Aaaahhhh!!! She was supposed to have been here until the beginning of September and we had a very long list of things we wanted to accomplish before then. Wouldn't you know that it was a child who prevented that from happening. Those of you who have kids are saying "Well, what did you expect? That happens all the time!" I know it does, it's just a bit scary being responsible for a multi-million dollar operation. Going into our busiest drilling season ever. It's definately going to be an interesting winter! Lisa, if you're reading this... we're all thinking about you and wishing you the best! Take care and I can't wait to see your beautiful girl!!!
I think that's about it for now. All I can think of anyways. Have a fantastic day, everyone!
Luv,
Meg
Did anyone watch Rockstar: Supernova last night? That's my new favorite show. Probably because I have an unhealthy obsession with Tommy Lee. I love him. I was shocked that Magni almost eliminated. I have a ton of respect for him. Not only is he amazingly talented, but he's a hard core family man as well. There aren't many of those left in the music biz. At least not that I've seen. Anyways, I'm rooting for Dilana all the way. She gives me chills. I don't think I'd buy a ticket to one of their shows with anyone else fronting the band.
Speaking of TV, I watched the greatest movie last night. (I really should cut down on my TV time). Eight Below with Paul Walker. Now we all know that while Paul Walker may be one of the most gorgeous men on the planet, he really isn't much of an actor (except in Running Scared-he surprised me in that one). The true substance in this Disney flick came from 8 beautiful dogs. They're all Huskies, but I can't be sure of what kind. I was never really much of a dog lover, but these dogs were so amazing. The movie is based on a true story about a team of Antarctic explorers and how the team of dogs got stranded alone and chained up because the team had to evacuate with the promise of returning. Well, it wouldn't be much of a movie if everything went as planned, would it? Of course, circumstances prevented the plane from returning for the dogs and they ended up surviving by themselves in Antartica for some insane amount of time, like 175 days. I don't know exactly how cold it was up there, but I got chills just watching some of the storms. Anyways, it was just a good movie. Cassidy loved it too. So everyone check it out if you get the chance!
More exciting news... My friend/co-worker is on her way to the hospital to give birth. It's her first baby and it's a girl. So we're all anxiously waiting to hear how everything goes. Baby is about a month premature, but I'm sure everything will be fine. Although this does leave me on my own at work. Aaaahhhh!!! She was supposed to have been here until the beginning of September and we had a very long list of things we wanted to accomplish before then. Wouldn't you know that it was a child who prevented that from happening. Those of you who have kids are saying "Well, what did you expect? That happens all the time!" I know it does, it's just a bit scary being responsible for a multi-million dollar operation. Going into our busiest drilling season ever. It's definately going to be an interesting winter! Lisa, if you're reading this... we're all thinking about you and wishing you the best! Take care and I can't wait to see your beautiful girl!!!
I think that's about it for now. All I can think of anyways. Have a fantastic day, everyone!
Luv,
Meg
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
So exciting!
So this is my first blog and my first entry ever! I'm ridiculously excited about it. I do have to thank my old friend, Leah for giving me the idea. It just seems like a really cool way to share and vent and communicate, etc. But you all know that because you're not blogger virgins, like I am. I'm at work right now and really should start working but setting up this blog was my first priority today.
So...for those of you who don't know me, I'm a single, working mom in Calgary. My little girl, Cassidy, is turning six in September. (Where did the last 6 years go???) She's going into grade one and is quite excited about being "the big kid in school". I guess she's tired of all those Kindergarten babies. Here's a picture of her at her ballet class.
Isn't she sweet? I love this picture, she looks so angelic. And believe me, she's not. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have nothing but problems with her when she's a teenager. Oh well, I have a few years of sanity left.
I keep looking at the time ticking away on my computer and I'm starting to feel guilty. I have soooo much to do today. I work in the oil and gas industry and it's busy. But it's also a lot of fun and extremely challenging. The oil and gas industry in Alberta is just a crazy thing to be a part of these days, I recommend it to everyone! My older sister, Tara, and I actually work for the same company. I like it. I've only been with this company for 5 months, but the atmosphere is so different than anything I was used to before. It's always go, go, go. Of course, that can get awfully tiring too. I've talked to many people who just can't wait to get out of the 8-5 rat race. I'm sure I'll be one of them, but not yet. Right now, I'm enjoying being a business woman during the day and mom at night.
It's almost break time, so I'm out for now! Thx for reading!
So...for those of you who don't know me, I'm a single, working mom in Calgary. My little girl, Cassidy, is turning six in September. (Where did the last 6 years go???) She's going into grade one and is quite excited about being "the big kid in school". I guess she's tired of all those Kindergarten babies. Here's a picture of her at her ballet class.
Isn't she sweet? I love this picture, she looks so angelic. And believe me, she's not. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have nothing but problems with her when she's a teenager. Oh well, I have a few years of sanity left. I keep looking at the time ticking away on my computer and I'm starting to feel guilty. I have soooo much to do today. I work in the oil and gas industry and it's busy. But it's also a lot of fun and extremely challenging. The oil and gas industry in Alberta is just a crazy thing to be a part of these days, I recommend it to everyone! My older sister, Tara, and I actually work for the same company. I like it. I've only been with this company for 5 months, but the atmosphere is so different than anything I was used to before. It's always go, go, go. Of course, that can get awfully tiring too. I've talked to many people who just can't wait to get out of the 8-5 rat race. I'm sure I'll be one of them, but not yet. Right now, I'm enjoying being a business woman during the day and mom at night.
It's almost break time, so I'm out for now! Thx for reading!
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