Monday, March 27, 2006

It's Spring, It's Spring

It was so warm here today +11 not trying to get too excited about it because we'll probably have snow again in a couple of days but did enjoy what I could of it.

Another hectic week has passed a new one just begun, so far so good. Friday night was Kristen's last hockey game for that league for the season. Saturday the boys went go karting cause Jen's friend Angie and her husband were visiting from Iqaluit, Nunavut. I tried to post pics but it's not working again tonight so I'll try later this week. Besides I'm also waiting for an email from Myrna of the pics she took cause they came out better than my own :(

Yesterday I went shopping for bathing suits out of my birthday money. Got a couple from Garage Clothing which I love and got for a fairly decent price. Last night I watched Desperate Housewives (love that show) and headed to bed.

So the trip to Cuba is officially booked, I'm very excited and really looking forward to travelling, experiencing a new culture and just some good ol R&R....adjusting to a new job is very overwhelming and I'm really looking forward to the break since I don't really know when I'll get another week off (the week I'm taking in April is a leave of absence which was discussed with my supervisor before I even took the new job)

Anyway I'm really tired and I want to go read my book before I hit the sack. Keep posting comments and sending emails, love hearing from everyone since I kind of feel shut off from the real world right now....hopefully I'll keep adjusting to the new job and getting back in contact with most of you on a regular basis :)

Monday, March 20, 2006

Weekend in Peterborough

It was a great weekend in Peterborough, lots of fun & very relaxing. The boys didn't do so well in the standings 2 losses and 1 win (by default) sorry its not funny but it kind of is....I know it's not their fault though (replacement goalie wasn't much of a replacement) but everyone still had a good time. Here's some pics .....


Evinrude Centre - Peterborough, ON

The boys facing off....
Steph & Jen at the arena...bbbrrrrr.....
Our boys the superstars (Jason, Chris & Kristen)
The "team"
Stephy & I enjoying the game :)

Pics of last day at Butcher as promised....

Okay so this is going to seem like a lot of pictures of just me, me, me...however this day really was just about me :) So as promised any many attempts later here are some pics of my last day at Butcher Engineering.


Standing by the bouquet just after unwrapping them.

I had to unwrap the flowers on the floor cause they were so big and heavy and too tall to reach on top of my desk.

And this is me holding the VERY pretty silver necklace that the girls all chipped in and bough me. I love it and wear it all the time!! Thanks girls :)

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Should be sleeping instead but....

I'm trying to post pics of my last day at butcher and its not working!! GRRRR....It's late, I'm tired....life has been so up rooted that I feel extremely disorganized and my brain just feels chaotic in general. It's my bedtime and there are so many things that I still have to do before I can hit the pillow.

Last night we primed the landing going to the basement...a project that Kristen has finally finished sooooo exciting. Will post pics of the finished product in the next few weeks ...hopefully. There's seems to be endless dust to wash up, sweep up and mop. I can never get the house tidy and some how there's always dishes in the sink (thankfully tonight that task was done and now my dishwasher is full of clean dishes to be put away now instead)

In case I don't get any more posts this week, we're headed to Peterborough this weekend for a hockey tournament. REALLY looking forward to a weekend away and just some time to relax and have fun with friends. So the next two nights will be remaining cleaning, laundry, packing bags for the weekend, and who knows what else. It's also grocery week but that's definitely being put off til we get back on sunday....anyway I really want to go to bed now....

Til next time....

Thursday, March 9, 2006

Day 2 of the new job...

...and I'm doing okay. Yesterday wasn't "tough" per se...it was just long and boring. Lots of reading, not much training, lots of formal stuff. Today lots of training and actually doing a few things on my own...loved today compared to yesterday and feel soooo much better about the job already. I hope as the days go on it keeps getting better at the same rate as yesterday to today.

I want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who has been sending me emails to check up on me and say they're rooting for me.....I had no idea the courage it takes to start a new job and how hard it is to adjust to change. I really appreciate everyone who has done anything to make this transition easier for me.

And to my Butcher girls...especially Jen and Myrna...all I want to do is keep telling you two how much I love you...isn't that just the strangest? It's like you don't realize what you have until its gone, and I feel like I can't tell you enough...love is such a strong yet cheesy word at times and yet its the only thing that fits right now.

Oh if I get a chance this weekend I'm going to post the pics of the going away festivites Butcher had for me and all the GREAT presents :) yes I'm spoiled but you have no idea how appreciated it all really is. If my gratitude could only be expressed in more than just these words.

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Tuesday Recipe

Today is my last day at Butcher....nope haven't cried yet. Don't know if I will, I think I've adjusted to the idea of not being here since that first really bad day when I gave my two week notice. I did find out yesterday afternoon that the boss is ordering in Swiss Chalet for all the girls in the office ....yay free yummy food and that will be my treat for my send off. I think its very sweet and I'm really looking forward to the last lunch with all my co-workers.

With today being Tuesday and all, I would like to post a recipe...now this was just told to me basically by word of mouth by a co-worker so if I get anything wrong...sorry. She made it for potluck and it was soooo good that I just HAD to have the recipe. I've made it twice since then and everyone who has tried it LOVED it, not to mention when Jen and Myrna made if for their men they loved it too. Okay so here we go....

Penne a la Vodka
* This is a large amount of sauce

Frying Pan:
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 pack of bacon
1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce Pot:
1 pkg cream cheese (250g)
1 cup milk
(optional-add more garlic cloves)

Once onions and bacon have cooked add 1/4 cup of vodka, simmer. Then add 1 whole can of tomatoe sauce (any plain original recipe is best) Stir and add the melted cream cheese and milk mixture, to create a rose sauce.
Though the recipe is called "penne" I prefer spaghetti or rotini pasta for this recipe, just a personal preferance. Like I said it makes a LOT of sauce, I usually freeze the extra since there's only the two of us to eat it. A green salad goes great with this dish :)

Monday, March 6, 2006

Happy Birthday

Happy Sweet 16 Kenda!!

Good Weekend

It was a busy weekend but a good weekend. Friday evening we visited with Nanny Betty & Poppy Manuel and decided to take Esau to his first hockey game (sorry no pics, the batteries were too cold). He was sooooo good, he actually sat and watched the first 5 min or so...then he wanted to get down and run (he is 15 months old) so the rest of the game he was running around, every now and then he would stop and point, and I would say yeah hockey. He would grin and off he would run again....just too cute :)

Saturday Brian and Angel were at the house (actually they showed up just after hockey on Friday night) but she was sick all day (I think she got a virus, they think its food poisoning). Seemed like we had company all day, Steph came by, then Jason and Corey came by, then we went to Georgetown to Canadian Tire and my brother showed up just as we were leaving. When I got home I made dinner for Blaine, Brian and Kristen...it was delicious! Actually maybe that's the recipe I'll post tomorrow. Then Blaine left, Steph and Jason showed up again, then Nanny Betty and Poppy Manuel showed up. Around 10 pm everyone had left and we were headed to Stephs and Jason's house to watch UFC.

Sunday slept in WAY too late, didn't get up until noon. Basically wasted the day away watching tv and doing laundry, cooked a small dinner and then went to watch Kristens hockey game. And that was my busy weekend.

Friday, March 3, 2006

Last Friday @ Butcher

Friday's are great at Butcher....everyone is usually in a good mood, a little more relaxed (probably because its casual Friday and you can wear jeans) and its good to know that you'll have two days off to do whatever you want.

Well today will be my last Friday here....one good thing about it is I'm getting taken out for lunch. Really looking forward to it, Jen and Myrna are going too. We're going to
Canelli's, its an Italian Eatery. I've only been there once quite a while ago and don't actually remember much about it. I must have liked it though cause I think I would have remembered if it were horrible. Either way, I'll let ya know how it is.

Thursday, March 2, 2006

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Jamie!!

Dentist

I just returned from the dentist, had to get a filling. I actually don't mind going to the dentist...mind you I don't look forward to it but I don't cringe in fear or wish bad things on my dentist and his family.

Well....my experience in the past you get a needle, you get your filling, and then you go on and on about how your mouth feels so funny because its frozen. Today my dentist found it necessary to give me two needles. I cannot believe how weird it feels, its like being numb to the extreme...it's gone up to my ear, right under my eye, down to my chin...and I keep wiping my lip cause it feels like I'm drooling (no I'm not drooling).

I really hope a lot of the numbness goes soon cause I'll end up biting my tongue off just trying to eat lunch. The dentist gave me the usual warning no eating or drinking anything hot until you get feeling back, I hope lukewarm is okay cause its only 11:20am and I'm already thinking about my yummy homemade turkey burger that I have for lunch. I'm thinking I'm going to have to cut it into small pieces and eat it with a fork cause I can't get my mouth open wide enough (can you see that now) but at least I'll be eating...I love food, food is so great :)

Anyway figured I'd blog about my numb face and my tongue that feels so fat that it just shouldn't fit in a mouth this small (he he) notice I have lots of time on my hands these days? That's cause the girls keep taking my work so they can practice before I leave....good in a way but makes the days go long and that's not good. Only 6 sleeps and I'm off to the new place of employment.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Lent

Growing up in a Christian home I fully aware of when Jesus fasted for 40 days however being Pentecostal we didn't really practice the tradition of giving something up for lent in honour of His fasting. One site that I looked up explained it like this; "Lent is a season of sorrowful reflection that is punctuated by breaks in the fast on Sundays(the day of the resurrection). Sundays are not counted in the forty days of Lent" This year I've been completely intrigued by it....so then the decision has to be made, what do I give up for lent?

I quickly thought okay I want to give up something fairly easy since it is for 40 days and I really don't want to fail. So I thought of Pop...when I mentioned this to Kristen, he's like but Christa you don't even drink pop, to which I responded, well I do sometimes....lol. So I broaden it to include juice crystals, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cappacinos (basically anything that I would add sugar or would have sugar added). I am only permitted to drink; milk, water and real juice like orange or cranberry juice. Well did I not only get up this morning and go to Tim's for a cappacino....I totally forgot about today being Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent. So once this coffee is gone, that's it....I'm going to try my first Lent of sacrificing...I know it doesn't seem like much but baby steps are often better than no steps at all.