Fundraising for Juvenile Diabetes

Oh Hey! Look at me putting up a blog post twice in one month! :)

Just a quick one today.

I'm fundraising for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and am seeking as much support as possible! Every single $1 counts and all is appreciated!

I'll be doing a bike ride on September 25th. Here's my donation page!

Or to donate by Paypal, click on the left hand side of this page. Go on...do it! :)

Please.

Hello World!

I have internet now and my daughter has a laptop so I am going to try to write a little bit more than once per month. :~/

I was contemplating wiping out all of my entries and starting fresh, but decided against it. Why would I want to do a crazy thing like that?!

So, here I am on the first day of a long weekend quietly sitting in front of a computer re-establishing my connection with all of you! I have missed you! Honestly and truly...I've made some seriously great friends through this blog and Twitter. My work schedule and lack of computer/internet has kept me from really staying connected, but I realize I must make an effort to maintain these friendships.

I saw All About Steve last night. I think you need to be quirky to really get the movie, but if you're quirky you'll LOVE it! I certainly did!! I love being reminded that 'normal' is all relative! :)

As usual, I'll do a recap of my last month and a half:

Let's start with the crap stuff. Clear it out of the way.

~ Broke my foot. Yeah. That was fun. Given my penchant for high heels, I've been miserable! ;) I am a girl on a mission most of the time and the words, "Elevate your foot and rest for the next few weeks" sounded like a death sentence to me! They said it would take about 3 weeks to walk without crutches. I'm walking without them now and it's been 12 days. Hurts like a mo-fo, but I'm not doing it any harm by making it heal faster! I'm not running marathons or anything. The doctor said if I could walk on it, I should walk on it so I am!

~ Another cousin of mine passed away yesterday. This whole death within my close range of friends/family is incredibly unnerving especially since some are SO young. My cousin was my age with little kids. FRICK!

~ I am feeling exhausted. Not just regular exhausted, but bone tired exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that worries me. And everybody says it's because I'm overworked, stress too much, etc. And I'm sure they're right, but this is different. This is one of those, "Can you please run tests for cancer somewhere in my body?" tired. I know that sounds horrible, but it's true. I can barely hold my shoulders back when I sit. I have tiny red dots popping up all over my body. They look like mini blood blisters. This doesn't seem to concern anybody. I suppose that means I shouldn't be concerned, but I am. I guess we shall see... I had this photo snapped early today and it shows the dark circles under my eyes which I've never had. I can actually FEEL the bags under my eyes! Strange...here's the photo:



OK now on to the good stuff!! :)

~ Work is great! I have been finding my way through the company and seem to be making some headway. I'm hoping to be doing some training sometime soon. Looking forward to that!

~ I'm still single, but I'm fine with that (thus being under the good category!). I've been finding it quite therapeautic to be free and figuring out a lot about myself. Still have somebody trapped in my head and can't get him out. Which is odd since I've done a lot of soul searching and the reality is that I like women. I don't know how to cross over to the other side. To be honest, I'm so far out of the loop, I don't even know how to stay on THIS side! So, I'm just taking a deep breath and going with the flow. Whatever happens happens! I'm happy, I'm alive and I'm really starting to figure some things out which means my brain is clearing up a little bit. The fog is lifting as I toss the crap aside!

~ I love my hair. Why is this being noted? Because I do and I think that's reason enough! :) I had my hair red for many, many years and the upkeep was brutal! Ever since I dyed it black, it's been so much easier to care for and it makes me feel sexy. So there!

~ My apartment is AWESOME! Love, love, love it! I will be having some dinner parties once my foot heals up and I really think that will help with my social issues. I do love to cook and it's so much less expensive than going out!

~ The lovely Amanda is coming home to Toronto for a bit and I'm hoping to get to meet her while she's around. WHOOT! My very first meeting with a fellow blogite! (Is that a word...?)

~ I have new shoes and purses. Inexpensive trinkets from Value Village (used clothing store) which make me very, very happy...and colorful!

~ I've made some new friends at work and they're incredibly fun. It's a little less lonely in my world these days!

~ OH! And I FINALLY got to buy the EP release of Chris Mann (you can find him on Twitter @iamchrismann or http://chrismannmusic.com or myspace.com/chrismannmusic) Read his blog. You will fall in love with him. He's funny, incredibly talented (seriously! Listen to his remake of Kanye's Heartless on his website!!) and GREAT with his fans! He works hard to get out there and connect with people...not just to rub elbows with the big wigs, but to hang with the people who matter and support him like his friends and fans! Love it! You can buy his singles for 99 cents on iTunes or Amazon or his entire EP for $4.95. You won't be disappointed!

~AAAAAAAND! :) Wentworth will be guest starring on Law and Order: SVU and he's acting like a badass so I can't wait! Yes...I am aware that there are rumors that he's gay! Hi! Hello! So am I and I just don't give a flying fuck if he is or not! I like HIM! :~D

Well, that sums up my last little bit of life! I feel better just putting it down here. It reminds me of my incredible blessings as I head into the home stretch with my daughter in her final year of high school. She is SO happy now! She has an absolutely incredible boyfriend...I mean really this kid is so great! And his parents just adore her. YAY! And her timetable is filled with fabulous courses. She's excited about her future and planning and I love that!

I'll be popping by over the next couple of days to visit you crazy cats. Big hugs to you all!

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* Is This Thing On?!

I have been away from filling this little blog with words since June 6th! HOL LEE!!

Let me start by telling you I thought I would be able to blog from my Blackberry regularly (which I am doing right now by the way), but trying to eek out a bunch of thoughts one letter at a time doesn't work for me!! I have been feeling pulled toward my blog almost every day as of late which is why I'm here!

The last month and a half has been incredibly busy, hard on the psyche and quite challenging.

There are a few things I can't write about due to privacy, but I'll share the rest of my journey in a nutshell.

The Move: I LOVE my new apartment! Love, love, love it! The one downside is that the AC is not working and the landlord is taking his sweet time fixing it! But my kitchen is large and fun to hang out in. I'm been cooking a lot more lately and just enjoying my time at home which I haven't in far too long! It's bright here which is an absolute MUST for me!

The Daughter: By the skin of her teeth and the aide of a village of fantastic teachers helping to raise a child, my daughter passed grade 11! I cannot tell you how hard the last month of school for her was on the two of us. I thought she was ready to give up on everything and in turn I panicked and slipped a bit into a dark place myself. And with the move thrown in, we were both just kept above water by the flotation devices known as Faith!

The Job: I have been working many, many 12 hour days just so I can barely scrape by. I am trying to figure out my next move. It's difficult to change jobs in this economy but I need to make more money. Bottom line! I am making more friends at work and having a bit of fun with them, but no money = not a lot of playtime with people who like to go out for movies, drinks, etc. You know?

The Loss: A darling wonderful friend of mine passed away last month. I was in shock. She was 51! I grew up calling her mom and her husband dad. Their daughter was my best friend growing up. I called my friend and she said, "Mom died Connie. Can you believe it?" I couldn't. They don't even know what happened. She just didn't wake up. The worst part is that I pick up the phone to call my friend and can't seem to dial her number. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I'm so far away and feel like I should be there? It's been a difficult time filled with dreams of my youth...

The Dating: Nothing to put in here. I'm not dating and not interested. I'm just focussing on getting my daughter through to graduation and maybe then, at 37, I can feel more at ease. If somebody should come along in the meantime, I'm not shutting down. I'm just not actively looking.

Aside from all of that, things are pretty great! I still have my cats. No good home became available so they're still driving me nuts! :) I seriously mourned the loss of Michael Jackson. It was like a shockwave went through us all. I suppose this is similar to how the world reacted when Elvis died...although probably not quite as much of an impact because the media has desensitized us!

And I still adore Wentworth! Just in case anybody's wondering! ;) I saw The Final Break and wow! The ending of Prison Break was well done!! I cried like a baby! Haven't heard of him taking on any projects lately, but I hope to see him on the screen soon!

That's it for me. Tell me what's happening with you while I journey through my list of blogs to get caught up. Tell me what I've missed!

My thumbs are sore from pecking on a mini keyboard! Chat soon!

HUGS!

Song of the Day: Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson

My New Apartment! Yay!

Welcome to the tour of my new apartment! I love it so much!

Entering through the front door:

At the top of the stairs, facing the bathroom straight ahead and my bedroom on the right:

Bathroom:

Bathroom again:

Bathroom yet again:

And the bathroom window:

I loved all the details of the bathroom! The shower head is SO high up! Yay!

My bedroom facing away from the window:

My bedroom facing the window:

Just outside the bedroom is the sitting/living room:

Inside the sitting/living room facing the kitchen entrance:

The kitchen! Yay! :)

The kitchen facing in from the back door:

The door to my daughter's bedroom:

Looking in to the second bedroom:

Second bedroom facing away from window:

Looking outside the back window:

My favorite spot to sit!!


I am SO excited to get this move over and done with! It's so bright and airy and lovely!

No Bombs To Drop Today...Just Plain Ol' What Have I Done...

I've been looking for something to motivate me to write a new blog post. I've been trying to get past the last one! I wanted something light and fun. I was reading Jim's blog, which he updated after 15 years of being away ;), and he posted a meme. So, I'm going to do it and reveal how much I haven't done in my lifetime! Go ahead. Do it! I dare you!

You are supposed to copy and paste this list into your own blog and bold the items that you have done.. this is being passed around but I think it's a fascinating conversation starter.. I have added a couple both that I have and have not done.. please do the same on yours

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (I taught myself how to cut/color hair. Does that count as art?!)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (I walked to the feet. We weren't allowed to go to the top.)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (No, but I've done 10K many times)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Taught myself Swedish to impress a boy. It worked! :))
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (Not painted, but pencil sketched. See the picture below. My sister did it!)
48. Gone deep sea fishing (Does ice fishing count!? LOL)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (Do home movies count!?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (I cannot, but I volunteered for the Red Cross for many years)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter (No, but I've flown in a private plane and was dating the pilot. Doesn't that count for something!?)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (No, but I have a bet going on with a friend that I will do it before him. I WISH I could win that bet!)
80. Published a book (The question is: Will I have the guts to publish it?)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (I have been told I saved a person's life, but I don't think it's in the same context...)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Still waiting on Wentworth...;))
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Crossed the Equator
100. Seen the Southern Cross
101. Been Whitewater rafting
102. Held someones hand right while they died.
103. Seen a ghost
104. Had your heart broken
105. Seen the Rolling Stones
106. Seen Madonna in concert
107. Seen the Northern Lights (I've even seen the red ones!)
108. Secretly been in love with somebody


What are you waiting for? DO IT! :)