So it was 22 degrees here this weekend which is amazing for the middle of March! I celebrated by spending as much time outside as possible going for walks and soaking in a hot tub which kind of makes no sense but I didn't crank the heat up so it was perfect and relaxing and lovely. I felt rejuvenated and excited for summer, for hikes and bike riding and exercising outside.

My thoughts reminded me of a website I was recently introduced to called tough mudder. The British Special Forces designs 10-12 mile obstacle courses to test ones strength, stamina, mental grit etc. I watched some of the videos and wondered who in their right mind would want to partake in such a thing. I viewed them again a few weeks later and was actually envious of those willing to take on the challenge. Can you imagine sliding on your belly through ice trying to avoid electric shocks from wires dangling above your head.....hmmm not really! That being said I totally want to do this! It would feel like one hell of an accomplishment and while I can't take part in the challenge this year (I'm having some work done on my knee soon) I think it would be an excellent goal to work towards. Hell just the training for the event would be difficult!

It's my special day today aka I'm turning the big 34! Egad! Every year I get emails and coupons from various places offering me free swag for being a member or having a points card on my birthday. I decided this would be the first year that I would take these places up on their offers and decided to start collecting! Thus far I have picked up:

A yummy Venti Cafe Mocha courtesy of Starbucks! Full fat, full of whipped cream and the biggest size I could get! It was heaven in my mouth!

From Sephora a free mini sugar lip treatment and lipstick! They're super cute and compact and I can't wait to give them a try! They are supposed to "nourish, protect and perfect your pout with a blend of skin softening sugar, moisturizing seed oils and antioxidant rich vitamins" yes please!

I have one of those points cards for Rocky Mountain Chocolate. I rarely ever go there but voila, they sent me a coupon for a free chocolate bar and I chose yummy milk chocolate with almonds! Thank you!

I have been a member of a yoga studio for several years now. Funny enough I've only done a yoga prep class there but have taken other interesting classes like striptease pilates, meditation classes and a program about the chakras. They have sent me a coupon for a free yoga class so I will finally partake in an actual class! Woo hoo!

And lastly Boston Pizza has sent me a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert! Hmmm which one do you think I will get?!?

So I'm standing in line at the bank today between two older gentlemen who appear to be in their 70's. A woman at the front waves good bye to the bank teller and off she goes behind the line up towards the doors. The man in front of me literally walks very slowly in a complete circle so that he can stare at this woman. She has on a figure hugging dress, knee high boots, cute jacket, tastefully dressed. He is now facing myself and the man behind me as he's almost finished his complete twirl. The man behind me makes a noise, nods his head and smiles at the spinner. Nice, I'm caught between two old men sharing a pervy moment! It's one thing to take notice and appreciate another persons beauty/sex appeal whatever but to be soooooo obvious, staring and making noises, gross!! I almost asked them how long it had been since either of them had seen a woman!

You know how in January everybody and their brother are running to the gym to work out and lose weight as per their resolutions, I'm doing the total opposite this year! Not on purpose you see but after working out 5 times a week for 3 months straight something came over me (in January) and I stopped going. Just like that, BAM, my membership started to grow cobwebs and I sat content in front of the boob tube watching quality television and chilling after work instead of working hard and sweating. I'm slowly making my way back, I've been to one class a week but *gasp* tomorrow will make two classes in one week if I can crawl out of bed in time! Wish me luck folks, I'm going to need it!!!

Wow, 2012 has come upon us so quickly! I was looking back at old photos and can't believe it's been 14 years since I graduated from high school or 9 years since I went to Japan, they both seem like yesterday to me!

There were aspects of 2011 that I loved and others that were quite challenging for me. My biggest accomplishment was losing 34.6 lbs in 10 months! I might have actually reached my goal weight had I not taken the whole summer off to enjoy myself but c'est la vie! There is no doubt in my mind that I will reach my goal in the coming few months!

I feel very well rested and at peace which is a great way to start the new year! I was able to take an extra long vacation from work and have been off since December
9th however return tomorrow! I really enjoyed spending time with friends who were visiting from overseas, holiday gatherings, taking the time to read, doing a big spring clean and yes even getting sick. I was bedridden for days due to a cold/flu/infection but it gave me a chance to just rest and relax! I also lost someone who I used to be quite close with. Over the years our paths crossed less and we went our separate ways but it was still such a shock, I mean he was only 40 years old. Kinda puts life into perspective and makes you take a moment to look at what's really important and to reevaluate certain things!

In 2012 I resolve to bring light and peace into my life! I want to surround myself with positive energy, I want to meditate and to relax. Not relax like couch potato relax but to bring a sense of calmness to my life and everyday situations. I have a tendency to be more BAHHHH about certain things than Zen like, I resolve to be more OMMMMMMMMMM (like the Buddhists) than BAHHHHHHH (like me)!!!

Happy New Year!

I'm using the same meme as WIGSF! I've been on vacation now for a week and a half and so has my brain! Enjoy!

What do you really want for Christmas but you know nobody will get it for you?
*I would love a car starter or bike shorts for cycling! I did receive a car starter a few years ago and asked that they take it back. Don't ask me why cause now I would LOVE one!

What do you not want for Christmas but you know that somebody will get it for you?
*Slippers/PJ's......every year.....it's actually become a big joke because they know I don't want either of those items and yet continue to buy them for me. This year she promised me that neither would be under the tree.....

When do you open your gifts (Christmas eve or Christmas morning)?
*Christmas morning, doesn't santa fly through the sky on Christmas Eve?

Do you prefer gifts wrapped or in gift bags?
*It's definitely much more fun to rip open a gift wrapped with paper! There's more anticipation and ohhhhh what is it than if you just pull something out of a bag.

Did you re-gift anything this year?
*I did actually, a gift card! It's not that I didn't want the gift card I totally would have used it but I was too cheap to buy one for someone else and gave them mine!

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?
*Nothing new here, I love National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Frosty, The Grinch, Rudolph....all the old school cartoons!


What’s your favourite Christmas TV special?
*All of the above


Do you like eggnog?
*Do I ever, especially the eggnog lattes from Starbucks *drool* Granted eggnog is sooo fattening that I haven't actually bought a carton in years! I would totally drink a glass at someones house though.

Real tree or fake tree, which do you prefer?
*The environmentalist in me says fake, however, it's once a year so forget it, real all the way! I love the smell and would totally miss stepping on sharp needles and poking my hands on them whilst decorating if I had a synthetic tree.

Would you actually use one of those fireplace DVDs if you didn't have a fireplace?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo

Are you sick of Christmas music yet?
*To be honest not yet! I really don't listen to stations that play Christmas music and haven't been anywhere near a mall since November! My secret, I do love a few even by Ms. Carey "All I want for Christmas is yooooouuuuu" and Whams "Last Christmas I gave you my heart" and Madonna "Santa Baby"....okay I'll just shut up now before I start confessing my love of Nickelback!

Are you getting up early to wait in line to do some Boxing Day shopping (Canada’s equivalent to Black Friday)?
*I used to faithfully for years, but the last few I haven't bothered! Other than some shirts/sweaters I don't really need anything from the mall. But who knows, I do love to shop!

When was the last time you sat on Santa’s lap?
*As a child! Maybe I should change that this year or would that be creepy?!? Sitting on some strange chubby mans lap....pfff I'm sure I've done that before LOL :P

I will be the first to admit, I wasn't super keen on Black Friday this year. I felt like I didn't need much, didn't want to spend a lot and with my ho hum mood as of late it just wasn't something that I was feeling you know.....that was on Thursday.....by Saturday I was singing a totally different tune and was thrilled that I had gone. The hours were different this year and much more convenient. The only line we really had to stand in was the one at midnight, after that people had come and gone to many of the stores so parking was easy to find and the lines were quite short. We chatted with other shoppers, the mood was light and fun and I had a really great time. It makes me sad though when I read about people who act like assholes to save a few bucks. Last year a Walmart worker was trampled to death as people rushed the doors when the store opened, this year a woman pepper sprayed a bunch of people in order to get to the front of the line where they were selling video games at half price. I can't even fathom such barbaric behaviour.......

I've been in desperate need of some new jeans as of late! After losing over 28 pounds and not having bought a new pair in a few years it was clearly time! Not only did I buy 3 new pairs but I totally branched out and bought *gasp* some skinny jeans. I always thought that I would look like more a of an ice cream cone than a stylish Chiquita but I was wrong! They are actually quite flattering!


All of my dress boots have stiletto-ish type of heels, sexy but not necessarily comfy you know. So I bought the most comfortable pair of wedges that fit like a glove and a pair with ruching and a small heel. As well I have been looking for a pair of black flats for the last year. They seem to be everywhere and yet picky pants IE moi has not been able to find a pair....until now! Score!


My current purse.....well the one I use daily (let's be real I have several) has been very well loved and is starting to rip along the bottom. I found two really cute replacements, one at 60% off and one that I splurged on. I also found this cute black scarf with silver accents and a new wallet as mine was completely falling apart.

I was on a mission to find something fun and fabulous for the Prince concert! I figured the shinier the better as my friend was deciding between gold lame (not lame but lame with an accent aigu....the fabric) or something bright purple. I found this fabulous sparkly dress with sequins and rocked it Saturday night!!

My favorite purchase of the trip was this super fun Betsy Johnson umbrella! My face lit up when I saw this gem and actually had to rip it off of the display as it was the only one left with this pattern. I even love the sparkly pink box it came in, I mean come on, what's not to love!!

I bought a few other items like those super warm and comfy marshmallow socks and some perfume! Ohhhh and a Lonely Planet book on India.....I keep saying that I want to go but I need to turn that want into REALITY!

So I'm sitting here having an uneventful Wednesday evening when all of a sudden I hear "ping." It's my ever so helpful cellphone letting me know that I have a message. I open up my email and see a phone number followed by mms@ blah blah. I open up a message that begins "Hey sexy, how's the nite? I'm cool chill 28, looking to kick it." Figured it was just some spam and didn't think anything of it when not less than a minute later "ping" another message from a bizarre phone number. "Hey there *insert name* you are fucking yummy...." on and on it goes with a lovely photo of this gentleman's hard nether region. WTF? Another follows within seconds by yet another guy who actually sounds relatively normal and said that he saw my posting and wanted to go on a date. I start freaking out!

A little back story, recently someone I know had their email hacked into and thoughts of my normal innocent pictures photo shopped onto naked bodies was racing through my head!

I decide to email the normal one of the bunch and explain that I have not posted anything anywhere and ask him to show me what he has seen as I am dumbfounded and confused. He sends me a link for Craigslists intimate encounters in Portland only it doesn't work. I'm now freaking out, I have the "contact us" section open and am sending a "TAKE THIS DOWN NOW" note to those in charge. In the meantime and before I can hit send, he sends me another email with a copy of the actual post and 2 photos of this attractive 21 year old who thankfully is not me. Turns out this lovely young woman was looking for some fun and happened to have the same name and email as myself with the exception of a few numbers. The pervy horny men mis read her email and started to contact me instead. Phew!!! I thanked the normal one, wished him luck in contacting the proper person and signed out. "Ping" Oh noooooooo!!! Now he's sending me messages asking me questions about myself......seriously!!!!! Maybe he's not so normal......

I was able to laugh AFTER I found out there wasn't some hacker posting dirty made up photos of me online; and I did end up with a photo of a very interesting looking.....you know.....EWE!!!!

I haven't been around much on this blog as of late. My creative juices (ewe that sounds dirty) have not been flowing recently. I want to write, I want to stay in touch and read blogs and contribute and I will! I just need a little more time!

I'm doing the annual Black Friday trek next week followed by a Prince concert! I'm beyond out of this world thrilled about that! I saw Prince way back in like 1997 and have waited FOREVER for him to return. It's funny when people think of Prince I'm sure they don't think of him as a sexy man.....but I do!!! Something happened back in 97, the way he danced and moved around on stage had me mesmerized. It sounds ridiculous I know, he's a tiny tiny person but WOW, he is a sexy mother*$&#@) live! (Did anyone get that....he has a song called Sexy Motherfucker....anyone anyone....)

Things I'm enjoying:

I saw these yummy looking treats at the grocery store and thought what the hell why not try em!! When I opened the package they were quite tiny and not very impressive, looked like cake in a bowl. I must say the end result was quite good! The cake was moist ( I'm cringing, I HATE that word!!) and the pudding tasted like lemons! The portion turned out to be perfect and I really enjoyed the warm yummy tart treat!

Mmmmm I'm super in love with the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappucino from Starbucks! When they first came out I had a few too many but have since calmed down. It's bizarre as I'm not a fan of salt at all and don't put it on anything however the different flavours in this bevy make my mouth water!

I saw some random guy wearing a white watch in the summer (can one wear a white watch after labour day?) and thought it looked rather sharp! I kept my eyes open when low and behold I found this gem, a beautiful big fun Toy Watch. It was the same brand as my skull watch which I adore so I thought, what the hell! The price was a bit steep but luckily I found the same bloody watch elsewhere for half the price (shout out to my American peeps)! I love everything about it, the size, the cute little crystals inside and the way they sparkle in the light!!

Okay I don't actually OWN a snuggie! I mean hello, when these first came out I was appalled by their sight and thought only a HUGE loser would buy one. Friends got them as gifts and I'd ask if the giver disliked them! Skip ahead a year (few years...whatever) and I totally want one!! I was at a friends recently freezing my arse off when she pulled out her snuggie to help warm me up! I was toasty in no time and the only complaint I had was the largeness of the garment/blanket. It was huge.....but that can totally be fixed by my dress maker!

Surprisingly I've been losing weight again! I say surprisingly considering my first two "things I'm enjoying" are fatty treats! I took a slight detour with my goal but I'm back at it and lost a whopping 4.6 lbs in 10 days! I didn't starve myself or do anything weird, I simply tracked what I ate and worked out! I know every week will not be like that, heck I'd be surprised if I ever see such a big loss in such a short time again but I tell ya that made me want to work harder than ever as I am creeping closer and closer to my goal!

PS Please tell me you didn't think my labour day question was serious!!! I actually think "not" being able to wear white after a certain day is ludicrous! I mean who cares, wear what you want when you want!

Hmmm so I've been having a bit of a meltdown for lack of a better word recently. I don't care to describe it or go into any details but I have not been myself at all lately. I knew it was bad and I reached out to a friend over the pond as well as one close by. They're amazing women and I'm a very very lucky person to have such wonderful friends in my life so big hugs ladies!! I've been meeting with a professional over the last few weeks to get some advice, we're focusing our sessions on career counselling and figuring out what types of careers would best suit my interests and personality! It's been quite interesting and I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders after the first session, but to be honest I'm back to feeling like BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I don't know what I want to do with my life! I've been debating about going back to school.......but for what? That is the question......

I'm pretty sure I'm burnt out from my field, it's emotionally draining to work day in and day out with people who are in a constant state of crisis. Many have addictions and mental health issues and it's hard to work with the same people for years and years and years and not see a change in them. I feel like I've become a bit jaded and cynical and cranky! I met a volunteer recently and she had the most amazing attitude and spirit, my field needs a million more people like her!!

One of my goals this week was to go over a list of like 100 jobs the tests picked out as matches......I wrote down about 4 that interested me oh my! I feel like screaming!!! I'm in the midst of learning my new position which is stressful, I have pages upon pages of stats to learn, I'm losing hours and therefore taking on another new position at the end of this month which I will have to learn on top of my already new position.....are you still following me....so I'll have 4 different positions to make up my full time hours! Huh...exactly!!!

Also, I just found out that someone close to me is terminally ill. It saddens me greatly, she's such a wise woman, I've always found great comfort in talking to her and I remember at my Aunts funeral, I was 22 years old and stuck to her like glue! She made everything okay with her words even though everything was not okay. She's not a religious woman but a very spiritual and intuitive soul that embraces the world and it's people with open arms. I'm sending love and light her way in hopes that she will have many more months ..... years.... can I be greedy and wish for many more years......so that I can continue to learn from her and she can continue to live!

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. " — Mary Anne Radmacher

Our trip in pictures:

We stayed at a lovely motel while in Miami! It had the cutest decor, a throw back to times gone by, lotsa neon and a pool that was open 24 hours a day! They gave out earplugs (apparently my new favorite thing) and the staff were absolutely amazing! Seriously, the owners son offered to drive us down the street to the closest CVS to get beer so we didn't have to go into a shady corner store the next block over. We declined....the shadier the better but talk about customer service!


Sooooo cute inside the rooms!!!

This was the view from the condo/hotel/apartment (?) that their friend was staying at while completing a contract out in Miami. Seriously, what an amazing view from the 51st floor! Can you even imagine walking out onto your balcony every evening and seeing this?!?

We went to South Beach our first day and wandered around taking in all of the amazing art deco! Loved it!!! Dined at a cute little diner that was featured in 'Diners Drive-ins and Dives' and spent the day shopping! It was impossibly hot during the day so we took our time walking back along the beach as the sun started to set and it was a bit cooler! Absolute heaven!!!

J and I thought we were doomed as we arrived without booking a cruise ship and it proved rather difficult to find one with such short notice. J however worked her magic and voila we found a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas! We left the others and set sail on day 3! This was our view during breakfast early one morning! By early I mean ohhh 10am, we like to sleep in!



I was absolutely amazed at how crystal clear the water was! There was a big group of hilarious cops floating around in the ocean beside us. All of a sudden they all moved away so we were like "WHAT"? Turns out there was a jelly fish right beside us, oops! I probably would have swam right into the bloody thing I'm soooo not observant LOL!

This was a private island owned by the cruise ship so we spent the entire afternoon, laying in the water enjoying the sun! Mmmm big pina coladas, the ocean, sun, clear blue sky and hot hot weather, what more could we have asked for! It was soooo relaxing which is just what I needed!


We docked in Nassau for an afternoon and wandered around on a bit of a death march in search of Fort Charlotte! J and I snapped a few photos along the way of abandoned houses that we thought were quite stunning! We also enjoyed some island food which was really delicious and flavourful, J tried the conch and loved it!


Yay we made it to Fort Charlotte! Our tour guide made me laugh soooo hard! He did not seem to want to take the time to answer any questions and wouldn't let us read the material available. It was like Chevy Chase in Vacation at the Grand Canyon! He told us at the end that we could go back through and take our time, I was like huh! Ohhhhh he gets tips and wants to get as many people through as possible, ahhh ha! It took me forever to figure out why he was rushing us!

We spent my last afternoon wandering around Little Havana (the others were staying an extra week)! Have I mentioned that I'm totally in love with plantains, like totally in love but not in love with the thunderstorms that plagued us my last day! I can't even believe I was walking around with the black sky and crazy rumbles taunting me from above but it was worth it!

I had a great time, lots of laughter and sun with of course a few storms, great food, beautiful scenery and of course wonderful company!!

I have not been on vacation where I board a plane in a few years which is kind of bonkers as I'm a total travel whore! There's been a road trip here and there however that is all going to change this week thanks to J! I decided at the last minute to join her on a cruise to the Bahamas for some fun in the sun. I've never had any desire to go on a cruise but I like to try new things and figured why not! It will also be a different experience as her friend works on the ships so we'll be hanging out behind the scenes in the "staff only" areas as well, ohhhhh awwwww!

We'll fly into Miami this week and set sail a day later! I haven't had a chance to even look at things to do in the Bahamas, the only thing that keeps popping into my head is that crazy slide at the Atlantis. I saw it once on the Amazing Race and thought they were all bonkers to even try it, granted I might sell my right arm for a million dollars so who am I to judge. As described on the website:

"The Leap of Faith slide offers the daring and adventurous a 60 ft. almost-vertical drop from the top of the world-famous and iconic Mayan Temple, propelling riders at a tremendous speed through a clear acrylic tunnel submerged in a shark-filled lagoon."

I'm just excited to get away and relax I don't even care what I end up doing! I could park my ass on the beach for 3 days with a book and be content! It helps that J and I travel well together so I know we'll have fun (except when she tries to steam roll me but that's a whole other post).

"IT'S T-SHIRT TIME"!!!!!

Just when I thought everything was figured out there was a HUGE twist and it's back to the drawing board. If I wasn't losing sleep and feeling anxious it would actually be quite laughable! Oh well, such is life, we shall see what happens.....

My holidays on the other hand were absolutely wonderful and I could not have asked for better weather! On several occasions I was found lazing around on patios, visiting with old friends enjoying a pint or two! That was probably my favorite part of my time off, just getting to see people I haven't seen in the last year or people I rarely get to see! It felt amazing to reconnect with them and catch up!

I went to see Billy Elliot which I really enjoyed! I loved the cheekiness of the characters and the humour, not to mention the lead who was amazing! Such a young performer and yet soooooo talented. PP and I went for our annual Summerlicious dinner to this Southern restaurant. I will say I wasn't terribly impressed by the food but the dessert was quite tasty!

Mmmm I went to my favorite bakery up north and bought my yummy turtle brownies! They are massive and sooooo delicious and sweet! I actually bought a few extra to freeze though there aren't many left! There was a fire ban while I was up north due to the dry weather so we sat around a bright candle instead!



Hiking in the summer is one of my favorite things to do and I was rather ambitious this one Sunday afternoon. After taking part in an hour long spin class I decided to go for a hike in the Gorge during some 38 degree weather!

I love hiking down through the trees as it's so incredibly peaceful and surprisingly I only ran into 5 other people the whole time I was down there.

I pretty much had the place to myself and just took in the beautiful scenery, the sound of the birds chirping and the water rushing by. It was heaven!

I also went to the Horticultural Centre and enjoyed walking around and admiring the beautiful flowers. I tried to enjoy the simple things that I always take for granted while I was away from the hustle and bustle of work.

I totally fell in love with this super cute little guy!

I'm fortunate enough to have a few friends with pools and totally took advantage of the gorgeous sunny weather and warm water! No bikini shots you pervs!



I really really enjoyed my time off! It was relaxing and rejuvinating and while I kept busy I also tried to take some time for myself to just be. Now back to the grind....