Genius? Clearly!

I have decided I want to become a member of Mensa. That's right. I want to be a genius. According to facebook, I'm only three points shy of being a genius! (and obviously facebook's iq test is totally accurate and reliable). That puts me in the 2.14% of the population! I always knew I was smarter than the average bear! (and oh so modest!)
Mostly, I just want to join so that I will be able to have a Mensa Canada t-shirt, which I will wear every day. I will also begin every sentence with "As a member of Mensa..." I just want a membership card, really.
To double check my score, I decided to take another test. This one was longer and more complicated and took some time to complete. When I had finally finished and was feeling fairly confident about my answers, I clicked finish. Then the page came up that told me that if I wanted to get my score and a breakdown of the stats, I would have to pay for it. The irony? If I were a member of Mensa I'd get it for free! Soooo not fair! How am I supposed to become a member if I can't get my test results?!

Yes, I am guilty

I've heard many people talking about how the art of the phone call or the hand-written letter is dying a slow and terrible death. I won't lie, I'm guilty of contributing to the impending extinction.
There are two people who I will regulary have phone calls with; Mare, and Mum. That's it. Everyone else is simply contacted by one of the many digital communication tools at my disposal. Ranging from a quick email, to a message or wall-posting on facebook, to a text message, these are my chosen mediums.
While it is admittedly far-less personal to use these methods, it seems faster and less intrusive. If I'm imposing on someone's day, I'd rather do it at their convenience. A text message to their cell can be ignored until they feel like dealing with it, as can a message or email or wall-posting. Maybe it's an insecurity of sorts, and using an impersonal method of communication makes me feel like I'm not going so far out on a limb.
The downside to this removal from verbal conversation is that I start to feel slightly anxious when it comes down to actually speaking with someone on the phone. I think I'm afraid of being an inconvenient intrusion.
Anyway, if I haven't called you in a while, sorry. Send me a text and we'll do lunch!

It's Ba-aack!

After only two months free of wedding season (which went exceptionally long this year with Vanessa and Tom's wedding mid-October), the brief reprieve has ended.
That's right, we've received our first wedding invitation of 2008. Or, rather, Brad has.
It was addressed to "Brad and Guest". I have met the bride several times, and, granted we don't know each other THAT well, but I feel that since Brad and I have been together for over three years, maybe that would warrant my name on the invitation?
I'm perfectly aware that I am definitely going too far into this, but a small part of me feels mildly slighted. I feel that I am an active part of Brad's life, and (dare I say?) a somewhat permanent fixture.
Maybe it's poor wedding etiquette to invite the significant other of your guest by name in case the couple is going through a rough patch? Having never been involved in the planning of a wedding, I'm not familiar with the various taboos.
On the contrary to that possibility, my cousin Clint (who has never met Brad) got married this fall and he and his fiance invited him...well, I assume they meant to invite him, since it was addressed to Jessica and Brian (they tried).
Anyway, I won't be going to said wedding as it happens to fall right in the middle of Mare's visit. Oh well...one less bouquet to catch.

Oh Neglected Blog...

It's the 5th day of 2008. The Christmas break blurred together so I'm not really sure which day we did what. I know I worked a little and I know I had some days off, and I know I went out for New Years Eve.

Here are my thoughts on the recent past.

Closet Organizers

I knew there was something a little amiss with me when I got excited over the purchase of a mop, or became truly ecstatic to buy a full sized ironing board complete with iron rest (which I still haven't figured, but damned if I'll let an iron rest get the better of me!), but I never realized just how far I had slid into domesticity until Brad and I tackled the spare room closet. The move was partly to deal with infernal clutter that was spilling from the closet into the room, and partly to get the room closer to a semblance of usability for when guests come to visit (please come visit!).

Brad bought a Rubbermaid closet organizer with many big shiny parts and proceeded to put it up. I emptied the closet and the hall closet and started sorting through a mess of papers and tidbits and memorabilia to get things ready for our newly renovated closet.

It really only took a couple of hours and I had the linens, towels, extra blankets, board games, and laundry equipment carefully organized in the closet. The other one in the hall (significantly smaller and a near useless size) was also put to use for our extra toiletries, candles, etc.

The point is, if I was overly excited about a mop and ironing board, you should have seen me with a neatly organized closet! I honestly had to put effort into pulling myself away from the spareroom where all I wanted to do was stare at the neatness. Psychosis? Possibly. OCD? More likely. Suffice it to say I have dreams of setting up the spare bed, buying cute little book shelves, and night stands and lovely curtains and turning into a full-fledged spare bedroom!

Snowboarding

I know I already did a post about our trip, and this likely won't come as a surprise, but I was in terrible pain afterwards. Everytime I tried to sit down, I was in pain. Raising my arms above my head was nearly impossible. Moving the toes on my left foot was terrible. Many muscles in my body were truly disgusted with the insolence I displayed in suddenly forcing them to work.

New Years Eve and Vodka

Those who know me are well aware that I am a very cheap drunk. I started off the evening by having "one of those days" where I felt utterly hideous in everything I put on. No combination of t-shirt and pants was comfortable or made me feel presentable (even those fail-safe back-up plan outfits that always look good). We went out anyway (what am I, if not stubborn?). Upon our arrival at the Stockade, the standard friends were there: Nick and Kim, Vince and Shay, Tom and Vanessa, Brett. Jeff and his friends were also there (obviously, it was his party afterall). I immediately decided the best way to make me forget about how uncomfortable I felt was to have some vodka! So it started there. The drinks went down very easily and before I knew it I was laughing way too much and very red in the face. I drank until midnight by which time my body told me if I had any more alcohol I would pay for it dearly, so I switched to water and proceeded to sober up and become extremely tired. Brad, hero that he is, kept drinking to the point of...boisterous silliness. I dragged him home at 2.

Since I was basically sober by 1am, for the last hour I enjoyed the company of Tom, who doesn't drink. We had some good conversations and had I not been so completely exhausted, I would have stayed, despite the fact the party was winding down with maybe 10 people left.

Also, as per custom, I made my New Years phone calls to my parents, and to Mare (being in BC, it was only 10 at the time, but it's the thought that counts).

New Years Day I suffered no ill-effects of my celebrating.

GST Cheques

Yesterday a very pleasant surprise. I hazarded a look at my bank account and noticed a significant ammount more than I thought would be there. Yes, January is GST rebate month! Oh how I love government cheques! I promptly got on the phone and treated myself to a hair cut.

Working

Due to some interesting scheduling, it appears I'll be working more or less straight through the first 18 days of January. I do like covering holiday shifts for the simple reason that I get a day in lieu, which means, when I leave for Smithers I only have to take 3 holiday days and can use my banked days for the other two, which means I can take those two holiday days that I've saved when Mare comes to see me in February, leaving me no further behind! Hooray!

On that note, only 14 more sleeps until I'm in Smithers (I leave in 13), and 53 until Mare comes!

Hitting the Slopes

Since it is our Christmas holidays, Brad and I decided to do something fun and have an adventure. So this morning at 7am, joined by Vince, we drove off on the number 1 highway heading west to Cypress Hills and Hidden Valley for some skiing/snowboarding. It was a beautiful day and the snow was pretty good and I caught on again fairly quickly (haven't been on a snowboard in about three years).

Geeks!
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On the Chairlift
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Enjoying a bit of sit
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View from the Chair
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~Yes, they are turkeys. Wild Turkeys in Cypress Hills.
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Christmas at Home

Christmas Eve was spent driving around the city in search of the best Christmas lights displays (honorable mentions to the home with the timed lights to music, and to the home with the inflatable Homer Simpson Santa Claus). When we came home we watched A Christmas Carol (the original from 1951 with Alistair Sims). The on Christmas morning we got up, had some coffee and opened our stockings and prezzies and then had pancakes before heading over to Ben and Brenda's.

Tree, prezzies, and monkey.
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Monkey loves Christmas!
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Brad loves Christmas too!
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Beautiful serving tray from Mum and Da. Can't wait to fill it with pictures!
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I GOT a hippopotamus for Christmas!
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Kim and Me with our Christmas Socks!
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It was a lovely Christmas, and even though it was my first Christmas away form my family, I felt happy and welcome everywhere we went. (Now I can't wait for next year!)

Christmas V.1

Christmas came early yesterday for us. Brad, Nick, Kim and I went to Darlene's house for turkey lunch/supper and prezzies. I have to say, we all got spoiled! It was a very nice relaxing day and after our late lunch and presents Brad, Kim and I all fell asleep. haha!

Monkeys!
~ Me and my monkeys!
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Monkey on your back?
~ Darlene's birdfeeder attracted the most fearless of feathered friends
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CAT!
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Look at all the prezzies!
~ Much to Kim's chagrin, Nick plans to hang his gaint fishing lure on the wall
~ Princess loves paper
~ Darlene's Christmas Angel
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Oh Christmas Tree!

Christmas is only 7 days away (Eek! Yay!) and last Friday Brad and I decorated our tree! We bought an artificial tree. There is some pretty vehement debate over the real/artificial tree issue, but we were finally swayed by the simple monetary factor. We could get a live tree for $27, or an artificial tree for $44. After two years we've paid it off, and a third year and we're ahead! It just didn't make sense. Besides that, real trees are a fire hazard and have a nasty habbit of falling over (personal experience and water-damaged presents tell me this). So we bit the bullet and bought a fake tree. It's very nice actually and we're really happy (plus it's coated in fire retardent stuff!).

So here are the pictures!
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No Ornaments...poor little bare tree!

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LED Lights, Check! Garland, Check! Bobbles...nearly check!

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Almost done!

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Pretty Tree!

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Our first Christmas Tree!

I think Brad and I successfully got into the Christmas season!

Whoopsies...

I have a nose ring. Much to the initial (and quite possibly continued) chagrin of my mother, I had my nose pierced in 2004 after my eyebrow ring rejected. For whatever reason I felt I needed to replace one piercing with another, so I paid someone to shove some surgical steel through my nose causing my eyes to water profusely for several minutes. Since that date I have always had a smallish hoop in the piercing. I've never been one for nose studs. Today, however, I bought one. A small, surgical steel stud with a small steel ball on each end to keep it anchored in my nostril. I bent the end of it into an L shape to better secure it, thinking if I just didn't twiddle with it, it would remain in place.
I also have allergies. They have been acting up lately and making me sneeze, and making my nose run frequently. Today, my nose started to run. So, politely, I excused myself to the washroom where I took some balled up toilet paper and evacuated the contents of my nose partly by blowing and partly by sniffling. I threw the toilet paper in the toilet and flushed. Only then did I notice my nose no longer had a surgical steel post in it. No, it was long gone.
My concern is that I don't know if I blew it out or in fact managed to somehow inhale the thing. I think I probably would have noticed, but stranger things have happened. Furthermore I know I didn't notice the stud in my balled up toilet paper. Wondering what the consequences of ingesting/inhaling steel are?

A long day of Thank You's and Nuts to You's

Yesterday was supposed to be a really neat day. I was supposed to go to the Legislature to see the first session of the new government and to see the Speech from the Throne delivered. So I left in a vehicle that was not mine. I won't say WHAT vehicle our of respect for the dealership it came from, but suffice it to say, this vehicle was not mine, nor would I ever buy this particular model.

I left town and put on glorious cruise control. The vehicle would periodically rev a little high while trying to maintain it's speed, but it wasn't revving really high, so I didn't think much of it, just made a mental note to tell someone when I got back to Swift and have it checked out. I managed to almost get to Regina. Almost. The engine started to rev very high (think 6000rpm) and wouldn't switch gears, nor would it go over 80km/hr. The engine light also came on and refused to turn off. I could see the road ahead that you'd turn onto to get to the airport...it's desperately close to the city and made it all the more frustrating to be stuck on the side of the road there.

I called roadside assistance who said a tow truck would be there in about 45 minutes. It was 1pm. I needed to be at the Leg by 1:30 according to the invitation. I resigned myself to the fact I would not, in fact, make it there. The tow truck finally showed up about 1hr 30min later. The guy was really friendly and gave me a ride to the dealership in his truck, which was grubby and WAY too warm inside. The dealership was also very nice telling me that I was next in line to be looked at. That took about 30 minutes and then another 1.5 hours by the time the vehicle was finished being looked at. The man at the dealership said it was a problem with the valve bolt on the transmission (?) and that they had done some stuff to the transmission to make it work. He thought I would probably be able to get it home, so I took the gamble. Wrong move. I was just trying to leave town and the engine light came on again and it started revving in the 6000's again and couldn't get over 80km/hr. I turned around and limped it back to the dealership.

Back at the station, Dave was trying to get me a rental car through Enterprise. It was about 4:45 by this time and he was being told there were no cars available but they were hoping to have one by closing for me. I waited in the dealership until my cell phone died (figures) then called Enterprise myself to tell them I would be reached on a different number. They told me they didn't think they would have a car for me. So I decided to go for supper and take the bus home.

Sitting at the dealership, it was 5:20 and I borrowed a phone book to see about a cab to a restaurant. I called Regina Taxi and waited and waited while it rang. Finally a woman answered. I was feeling particuarly exhausted by this time and not terribly enthused about the idea of a bus home, but even less enthused about the idea of staying in Regina for the night. I asked the woman for a taxi at the dealership. It's a big, well known dealership right along the main drag in Regina. She asked me for the address. I told her I'm from out of town and didn't know the address. She insisted she needed it. I told her it's on Albert and she said she needs the street address. I was almost in tears by this point out of the sheer frustration of it all and told her to hang on and I'll find it. Then she told me she can't hold. So I said "fine" and hung up on her. Thankfully, the woman in the dealership told me their shuttle might still be running and sure enough they were able to drive me to Boston Pizza.

The waitress was really really nice. I almost wondered if she could see the exasperation in my eyes and was being nice out of sympathy. Regardless, I was grateful. I had just ordered my food when Enterprise called to tell me they had a car for me. I changed my order to take out and then left.

I got to Enterprise at 6 (closing time). Jon Potter, a wonderful man, chatted with me about Swift and said he had just moved from here and couldn't leave someone from Swift Current stranded. I was on the road shortly after 6 and home by 8:30, completely exhausted.

All that being said, I have to say thank you to Dave for all of the phone calls back and forth trying to find a way to get me home, thank you to the waitress at Boston Pizza for being so kind, and THANK YOU to Jon Potter at Enterprise who "pulled a car out of his ass" to get me home. I would also like to say a big "Nuts to YOU!" to the lady at Regina taxi who was absolutely no help to a stranded out-of-towner.

And let me also say, climbing into bed last night was one of the greatest feelings ever.

Golden West Radio Christmas Party

Friday was the Golden West Radio Saskatchewan Christmas Party. We bused to Moose Jaw to the Spa for our banquet. It was a relaly nice evening...lots of fun and lots of good people and good food!

Brad and I on the bus to MJ
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My handsome man and me
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Rox told me to be like Paris Hilton...I assumed she meant diva and superstar...who knew?
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The newsroom looking very classy!
Dono, Avan, Me, Colin
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Thanks Dono...
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Much better...the morning show on Magic
~Pouting because Rox told me she was going to switch to red wine which meant less for me. :(
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Door prizes! Second Christmas party for me, and second door prize I've won! Yay! I figure I'm not going to win again for the next six years now...
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Ohhh, scandalous! Not even sure what he's doing...but it looks bad.

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We were home by 11:30, a very reasonable hour and Brad and I went home. A very good evening, indeed!

It's ON!

This morning after blow-drying my hair I noticed something glinting strangely in the light. I grabbed the tweezers and confirmed that it was, in fact, a white hair. Not pale brown, not even blond...white. And I KNOW it's not just a pale color because I could hear it saying "HA HA!"
What did I do? I ripped that sucker right out of my head! Just like I will the next time it decides to try and grow on my scalp again! That's right...the battle is ON!

Sha-Na-WOOT!

WONDERFUL news! Mare has booked her flight to come see me! Only 84 sleeps! (She arrives Feb 27th, just in case you didn't want to grab your calendar and count ahead 84 nights)
I'll be picking her up in Regina for six fun-hug-cheesecake-enchilada-wine-and-brie-hugs-and-more-hugs days!
Could we be more excited? Nope!

Serendipity?

Last night I had a very vivid dream. I dreamt I was in the press seating at the Saskatchewan Legislature. I think I was showing someone around and how things work. It was one of those particularly realistic dreams and I woke up wondering why it was so strong.

Fast forward to work today. I was given and invitation to the opening of the first session of the 26th government of Saskatchewan next Monday, completely out of the blue.

All morning whenever I thought about my dream I had the strongest feeling that I should be making an effort to go to Regina and sit in on one of the sessions if at all possible. Then it, quite literally, is handed to me.

Not really sure actually...

Feeling out of sorts lately. Not really sure why, but I'm feeling like there's something ominous on it's way. Or something hanging over my head. I can't place the feeling, but it's not pleasant. I almost think I'm forgetting to do something or have forgotten to do something and now it's going to blow up on me. It's disconcerting.
This weekend was good actually, despite things not working out the way I was looking forward to. Ashley and I were supposed to go to Moose Jaw for a bit of shopping on Saturday and mostly just to get out of town for a few hours. She ended up cancelling though due to a tooth infection. It's been plaguing her for the past week and I felt really bad for her. It also made me feel really guilty for feeling disappointed at the same time. It seems like every time we make plans to do something outside of our regular wednesday night activities the plans get cancelled. Obviously not her fault, but still disappointing.
Instead I went to Caronport to visit my friend Lauren who is in her last year of university there. It was good to see her. Seems silly that we don't see each other very often considering we only live an hour and a half away from each other, but still...life always gets in the way. I stayed too long and had to zip home for a quick supper before going to a motivational speaker.
Ashley was feeling better by the evening and so we went to watch Darci Lang speak about attitude and women's perception of other women. Definitely made me feel motivated and gave me lots to think about.
Afterwards I had hoped to hang out with Ashley a little more as I always enjoy our conversations, but she had plans with other friends. She invited me, but I declined. Two reasons really; I didn't really feel like dealing with several people in a conversations (sometimes I just like having a one-to-one talk and dividing my attention between 4 or 5 people isn't appealing), and the other reason is that I don't really relate to her friends at all. I can't seem to find a common ground.
So I went home and stayed up late talking with Brad.
The ominous feeling that is hovering over me didn't really hit until last night. I can't figure out what it is that's causing the feeling. Maybe just a busy month hanging over my head. I don't know. I wish I could remember or figure out what it is that's causing me issues, but it just won't come to me. So I guess I'll just hope for the best.

One More Picture

Everyone bundled at the Christmas Tree Lighting last thursday.

Back row (l-r): Nancy, Sherry, Jeff, Ryan, Dave, Deb, Ken, Me

Front Row (l-r): Trent, Robyn, Chance, Colin