Christmas Day Events

This is likely the last post for 2008.

I just wanted to document my Christmas day.
Thomas and I opened our gifts and I was surprised by a beautiful cup and infuser that Thomas brought back from Korea, as well as 4 delicious herbal teas. Kay also sent me a gift of rice cakes for Korea. I had requested a bath robe from Thomas and he found the greatest robe that I will try out tomorrow. He also gave me a mouse for my new laptop, and loads of candy and chocolate and chips from an English store I just found.
WOW it was great.
I gave him clothes and boots that he picked out as well as a pair of slippers that clean the floor while you wear them!

Later that morning Thomas made himself a nice pancake breakfast and I just fasted as I had an upset stomach and wanted to feel better for dinner.

I called my sister Lorna and spoke to her. Although my dad was there I didn't get to speak to him as he was sleeping. They had a great Christmas and were just chilling and were going to watch Lorna's favourite DVD Weekend At Bernie's.

I made dinner later. Thomas had bought a whole roasted chicken for himself that I heated in the oven. I made roasted vegetable lasagna for myself. We also had peas, broccoli, carrots and roast potatoes. For dessert we had apple crumble which is Thomas' favourite.
Later that evening we were watching my all time favourite movie, Lost Horizon (1937) and I had just finished making a cup of tea when there was a bit of commotion in the hallway outside my door. I heard a child calling out that there was a fire in the building. We opened the door saw and smelled smoke and then got ready to leave the building.
It was a fire in the garbage chute that the fire fighters had out quickly. We had the same fire in the summer time.

Of course I took my tea AND my camera!

Some of the good natured residents smiling when I said, "Merry Christmas"

(Yes there were a number of good looking fire fighters around)
When we got back into the apartment we finished watching the movie and watched t.v. and ate our chocolates.

Now I am preparing myself for 2009 and another great year. This year I predict a big change in my single status!

Novemeber photos

Well so much for this great idea! I tried and then when I uploaded the pictures onto my computer, I somehow managed to delete them. So now I am a few days behind. Oh well here are the ones that I managed to save!



My metropass

My desk

Tomatoes

Scrapbook supplies



Omlette

Box in a bag

November pictures

The plan is to take a picture each day and then cut a 2x2 piece of it out and make 12 x 12 scrapbook layout for the month of November. So far I have taken 2 pictures and this is what they look like.
A very late dinner
Laundry..... it must be Sunday!

What MARY means

What Mary Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way! You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

flagcounter

Couch Surfing Calendar

Weekend Scrapbook Retreat

Keitha and I drove down to Romeo Michigan where we met Kathy and Felicia for a weekend of scrap booking.  We stayed at the Scrap Palace where they treated us like queens.

Keitha and I shared the blue room.  There were 7 other women there who were from Michigan.  A loud lot.

I managed to get 16 pages completed as well as 2 cards and 2 make and takes that Keitha demonstrated.

The food was really good, and even though I am vegetarian, Amy and Pierina were able to come up with some great dishes for me.  Snacks and drinks were always available. 

Scrap Palace has a great variety of tools, inks, stamps, paper cutters, punches and a host of other scrap booking supplies available to use.

I had a 15 minute massage on Saturday which really helped out the pain I had in my neck and shoulder, and made my headache disappear.

We also spent sometime and money shopping in Archiver's a great scrapbook store.

The 2 nights we spent there were quite enjoyable and I know that if the opportunity arose to go again, I'd definitely go.

Villa Cuba

Other than the fact we sort of missed 2 days due to travel, our vacation to Varadero Cuba was wonderful.

The hotel itself was much better than I had anticipated. I read reviews from Tripadvisor.com just to know what we were about to venture into, but other than the Pepto Bismol pink walls in our room, the hotel was fine.

The staff were both happy and friendly always with a greeting and a smile.

The food was way better than my last trip to Cuba 14 years ago, and even though I am a vegetarian there was enough to eat. A good variety and plenty of it. We tried out a couple of the restaurants and their food was excellent. However being in the lobby lined up to make reservations was ridiculous. After 2 days of being unable to get into the Asian restaurant I was advised to talk to the hotel rep, who made it happen for me. So take that piece of advice.

There were quite a number of bars throughout the hotel, as well as one close to the beach. The beach bar seemed to have a little less alcohol in the drinks, which is probably wise since the ocean is right there, and drunks and water don't mix! The bar near the pool never had a shortage of alcohol in their drinks. If you require a special frappuccino made with amaretto ask Evidio. He is the master. Pick up your espresso at the Cafe Cuba and take it to the bar near the lobby where he will whip up an amazing drink for you.

If you want a great coffee, don't expect it in the buffet restaurant, go back to the Cafe Cuba and ask there. They make a mean cappuccino as well as other coffee drinks.

The entertainment was good, although I only caught 2 shows. The mosquitoes will eat you alive at night, so make sure you take muskoil with you. I heard other tourists comment that the best entertainment was when they included the guests in their show.

The water sports were fun too. We took a paddle boat out and another day we went on a 2 hour catamaran boat ride where we snorkeled with the fish. The guy on the boat threw in huge chunks of bread and the fish just swarmed around me to get it. I didn't bother with the kayaks as they seemed to be too much work, along with the wind boards.

We went on a double decker bus, paid 5 pesos and could ride all day long getting on and off whenever and go from one end of Varadero to the other. We also took a day trip to Havana. We found a local who took 12 of us in a mini bus for 35 pesos, half the price of the organized trip.

I'd have to say that I had a wonderful time in Cuba, enjoying the sea, the sun and the Cuban people.

Mosaic of me

I found this idea on another blog, and thought I'd give it a try. Turned out pretty cool I think.

1. patent mary janes and white anklets, 2. ready for the party......???, 3. Lovers, 4. freedom, 5. 536.png, 6. SOUTHERN COMFORT, 7. Stand Still, 8. Merangue, 9. don't worry be happy new year, 10. The Earth is God's Canvas., 11. Hobbit Road?, 12. Little Wishing

You can try this yourself.

Answer each of the questions below. Surf over to Flickr and type your answers into the search bar. From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click on the one that moves you. Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL. Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs. Click Create. Voila!

The Questions:

What is your first name?
What is your favorite food?
What high school did you attend?
What is your favorite color?
Who is your celebrity crush?
What is your favorite drink?
Where would you go on your dream vacation?
What is your favorite dessert?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What do you love most in life?
What is the one word that describes you?
What is your Flickr name?

Things about me

Five Snacks I Enjoy

1. Veggies and dip
2. Cheese on toast
3. Mixed raw nuts
4. Fruit
5. Yogurt and granola

Five Things on My To-Do List Today

1. Wash the dishes
2. Grocery shopping
3. Wax my underarms
4. Work on page kits
5. Host a mixer at Peridot at 8 pm

Five Jobs I've Had

1. Receptionist at a brewery (I got free beer!)
2. Quality control lab in a canning factory
3. Dish washer on a cruise boat on the Rhine in Germany
4. Travel agent
5. Medical Records filing clerk in a hospital

Five of My Bad Habits

1. Interrupting people when they are talking, (because I think I'll forget what I was about to say!)
2. Raising my voice when I think people aren't listening
3. Spending too much time on the computer
4. Leaving the dishes in the sink until the morning, (I just prefer to wash them in the morning!)
5. Dropping the 'g' when using words ending in 'ing'

Five Places I Have Lived

1. Colchester, England
2. Reading, England
3. Ottawa, Canada
4. Toronto, Canada
5. New York, USA (only for 2 weeks then decided to leave my boyfriend!)

Five Random Things

1. I was born on February 29 and just celebrated my 13th birthday this year!
2. I miss being in a relationship. My partner died 11 years ago and I haven't been in another relationship since.
3. I lost my 2 front teeth in high school while playing rounders. Rounders is a game similar to baseball.
4. I am, and have always been a vegetarian. I do eat dairy and eggs, however I am in the process of finding out if I have a dairy allergy.
5. I am passionate about my job working with children who have a variety of special needs.

February 29, Leap Year

I am really quite a lucky person as life goes. What are the odds of being born on February 29? Pretty rare, no doubt.

I seldom watch t.v. in the morning, but last week I decided to turn on Breakfast Television, and then went to check my email. Within 5 minutes of turning the t.v. on I heard them say that if your were born on February 29 they wanted you as an audience member as they are hosting a big birthday party. So I sent an email to them.

Lo and behold I received a response the next day and called my friend Beatriz to ask her to join me.

We arrived just before 6 a.m. and sat in the front row. There was one other person there who was "13" as well. The woman sitting next to me was "22" and the youngest "leaper" there was "2."



We had pancakes and sausage from Golden Griddle, coffee from Maxwell House,



a huge birthday cake from Longos that we all signed our names to, and lots of balloons.

There was an illusionist who levitated one of the younger leapers, and an astrologer who told Beatriz she'd get what she wanted and a cooking segment from Today's Parent magazine. There was also a deejay playing birthday music for us!



I was chosen to play a game "pin the crown on the frog prince" and although I didn't win the game I got a great consolation prize from Reebok. The other 13 year old won a laptop computer for choosing the shortest ribbon on the balloon.

It definitely was a party to remember, thanks BT .



I went from the studio to work where the kids seemed very excited about the fact I was on television, one even referring to me as "famous!" After work I went to my friend Andrew's house and prepared for the upcoming pyjama party. He was making food for the guests and left nothing for me to do. On the menu was beet soup, Caesar salad, vegetarian curry, rice, and a black bean and mushroom dish.

There were 2 cakes a black forest one from Andrew and a chocolate one from Richard and Sharon. Mmmmmm!

I got some beautiful flowers and gifts from my friends and returned home tired and happy.

Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate, and a very special thanks to Andrew.

You Tube

I am a subscriber to some great You Tube video makers, but this is the cutest video ever.

New Year: New Attitude

So 2007 passed and I am looking forward to a year of adventure and accomplishments.

Having just hosted my 3rd Board Games night in my apartment I have decided that this will be a monthly activity that I will host. The first Friday of each month invite people from MEETin as well as friends from other areas of my life to come and join me in playing an assortment of board games.

Last night's event was the biggest one so far with an attendance of 23 in my new 1 bedroom apartment. It was quite squished and often loud at times. This was solved with a group playing Trivial Pursuit going into the bedroom and playing on my bed.

The rest of us played Outburst, with 2 teams, followed by Apples to Apples, and then the new WOW Cranium.

There was a huge assortment of snacks and drinks, the chips kept on coming! But we did have some healthy choices of veggies and cheese and crackers too.

As the evening rolled on players left, until there were 5 of us left. We sat and talked about mushrooms, Columbus's Egg, the influence of today's media, and much more. Finally at 4:15 am I decided it was time to wrap it up!

Next games night is February 1st.

Baseball Injury

Some time after taking this picture I was becoming a little bored with the game as we were doing so badly. I was there on a first date with a guy I met on plenty of fish. He had first row seats and I was happy about that!

I was happy until I saw the ball heading right for me. I covered my face and moved to the side figuring I was out of the balls way, but a man a few seats over stuck out his hand to catch it and deflected it towards me. OUCH it hit the side of my hand, and it really hurt. Then I had to go through all kinds of stuff just to get a bag of ice. They sent paramedics to ask me what meds I was taking and if I had any allergies. Then I was told to sign a paper. When I asked what I was signing, she said it was to show I had refused medical help. I told her that I hadn't refused help and perhaps next time she should mention that before telling people to sign!

Anyway I went home after and put ice on it for most of the night. Next morning it was still tender, but no swelling or bruising. The bruises showed up today though!!

As for the date, not sure I want to hang out with this guy again!!!!

My Tandem Hang Gliding Experience

Puns Galore

• A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France , resulting in Linoleum Blownapart.
• I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
  
• Police were called to a daycare where a 3-year-old was resisting a rest.
  
• Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
  
• The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
  
• To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
  
• When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
  
• The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
  
• A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
  
• The thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.
  
• Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.
  
• We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.
  
• The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.
  
• The dead batteries were given out free of charge.
  
• If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
  
• A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.
  
• What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway)
  
• Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
  
• A backward poet writes inverse.
  
• A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
  
• If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
  
• With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
  
• Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
  
• When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
  
• The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
  
• He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
  
• A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
  
• A boiled egg is hard to beat.
  
• He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
  
• A plateau is a high form of flattery.
  
• Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
  
• When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
  
• When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
  
• Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

Picnic by the Lake

I was invited by Sharon to her backyard for a picnic with other friends on Sunday afternoon. I made 2 pasta salad dishes as my contribution, then sat on the streetcar for the long and peaceful ride to Etobicoke.

I was first to arrive and met friends as the came in. We sat and talked and drank and later got into the food. There was potato salad, a shrimp and orzo salad, boiled eggs, olives, cold cuts, egg salad sandwiches, lettuce, carrots, and chicken fingers. For dessert there were strawberries and cherries along with a chocolate dip.

I went down to the beach just below Sharon's back yard and took a few photos. The geese were very friendly and came righ up to me for their pictures to be taken. I did get a little worried when the swans came up, but I was ready to run at a moments notice.

I found a park and took some great cityscape pictures of Toronto.

Later, Sharon told us of an amazing garden in the neighourhood, so we followed her to check it out. It was further than we knew, and when we got there, I was a little disappointed!

There was however, a public swimming pool nearby and I was distracted by the kids in the cool water. I discovered an area just off the pool that had a misting station. Of course I had to try it out. Thinking I would just get a little misting I walked through, but came out the other side totally drenched! I did it a second time for a photo opportunity! Only then did I remember that I had on white pants! It was so hot however, that I dried off pretty quickly. We returned back to Sharon's place, and I said my goodbyes and headed home.

Niagara Falls

I went to Niagara Falls on Thursday with my friend Beatriz. We have been together once before with Safeway Tours here in Toronto. The first time you go you pay $30 on the bus, and when you get to the casino they give you a $10 certificate. You have to get yourself a casino card and then you can cash in the certificate. So actually my first trip only cost $20.

For each following visit to Niagara Falls with Safeway Tours you pay $15 and get the $10 back. So it works out to $5 to go to Niagara Falls. How cheap is that?

It's great to get out of the city and it's actually cheaper that a subway trip anywhere in Toronto and back.

We arrived and ate lunch at Tim Horton's in the casino mall. Following that we went down to the falls and decided that we'd go on the Maid of the Mist. I've always been a little afraid to try it, but this time I had no trepidation. We were given blue rain ponchos to protect us from the spray. When we got closer, I put my hood on, only to discover that the thing had ripped and the hole was as big as my head. Hence, no head covering. I tried to take pictures, but it is hard when there is so much spray. Later I realized that I had a couple of drops of water on my lens so the pictures are a bit blurred.

We left the boat and went for a walk to get ice cream. The Queen Victoria Park along the lake is quite beautiful and we strolled along enjoying the quiet and serenity. Last time we were there, there was a motorcycle event of some sort. Hundreds of bike rode by for at least 15 minutes. We couldn't get across the road! Today was quiet and calm. I saw a little squirrel and got him to come close enough to get his picture.
The sun was too hot, and we took refuge in the cool air conditioned casino where I lost my $10 immediately! Beatriz however kept winning. She put in $5 and walked away with $15. The she play this big wheel thing, putting $2 down and walked away with $7. Imagine if she had bet big bucks!

The rain began to fall heavily as we sat having a tea before getting back on the bus. The journey home was about 2 hours due to some traffic, but a good day with a great friend was had.

Spain

I just got back from my trip to England and Spain. It was a welcomed break and spending 5 days in Spain was fabulous. Here is a fruit market in Barcelona. My sister bought some cherries here, while I ate a falafel. She later got some chicken from KFC of all places!! We spent our days sitting on the beach, our evenings walking around Salou discovering all the little shops and sites, and we spent one day in Barcelona. Our hotel was clean and the service was okay. The staff were friendly, although the guy on reception was a tiny bit sarcastic! But our bar tenders Shawn and Said made up for any shortfalls!! The chef needs a few lessons on taste though. The food was aweful, but I guess when you get a cheap holiday, something has to suffer! The beaches were sandy and clean, the water clear and cool. The weather was hot, hot, hot! I came upon this red umbrella that save my skin from further damage. The men still wear Speedo's in Salou, and the women ALL wear bikinis, even the morbidly obese ones! Can you believe that Prince William was holidaying at our hotel too? No? Well just look at this picture!! His brother Prince Harry was there too, but I wasn't able to capture him on film, but ask my sister, she'll tell you!!

Only 6 months left to complete these goals

I was just checking to see how many things of my 101 things I have completed. The 1001 days end about December 5th this year, and I have only completed about half of them.

I was told to add things that seemed very unlikely and many of those things have still to be attempted. Of course the visits to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia on still on the list, but those will be there until I can afford to go. I still haven't made it to a film festival, or taken a vacation in the sun. I am hoping that this summer I can get to spain to spend a few days there.

I did get the facial and pedicure, and that was such a treat. I wish I could be doing that more often. I am hoping to complete one task that is very important. My great friend Katrina has been there for me when I am in England and even kept in touch with my dad after mum died. I need to take this woman out for dinner to show my appreciation. I didn't get back home last year, so that is a goal for July this year. As for the driving lessons, I don't really have a need to drive, as I live downtown and either take the local transportation, ride my bike or simply walk. It would be nice to have a license, so that I could rent a car and get away somewhere by myself or with a friend.

I still have 6 months to accomplish a few more things, but this has been an interesting process, since this list is in my brain and I am aware of how little I seem to get done.

So I will simply carry on.