Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Travelin` Tips

So.... I read in a travelling book about things that you should bring when you are travelling. There were many excellent ideas and I followed many of them such as
  • bringing along `certain`tummy medications... definitely worth it if you plan on eating at a large national chain coffee drink or a global fast food restaurant. Don`t worry about it if you are eating in the market where you are only an aisle away from people cutting raw meat to bbq fresh for interested parties... you`ll be fine there.
  • sunscreen... such a nice thing to need when you felt like Nanook of the North beforehand
  • handwash cold water laundry detergent... really important when you are traveling light

One of the ones that I didn`t follow was a sink stopper or a traveling clothes line for a washroom. This is an excellent idea... as demonstrated by KC traveling

  • In a warm climate, you`ll need to wash your clothes often
  • Trying to keep water in a sink without a sink stopper is a challenge
  • You can bravely try to fill a shopping bag full of water at the shower head while her sister is still sleeping

This leads to my traveling wisdom for you

  • Cold water wash means COLD water that you have to stick your hand in
  • Bags tend to lose their shape when they are filled with water
  • Cold water wakes you up really quickly when the bag loses shape and gushes all over you... we`re talking soprano singing here!
  • Canvas shopping bag tends to lose water really quickly and so you have to scrub your clothes quickly
  • Hanging the clothes on a clothes hanger on the shower head is a great idea (at home!) but the dripping shower head won`t let your clothes dry
  • You can quickly have your hotel neighbors get to know you by having to hang your clothes on your window in the rapidly setting sun

So lesson learned. If you are going to travel. Take a sink stopper!

Friday, December 19, 2008

An authentic Christmas

My cousin confessed to some of her Christmas things. She's inspired me to share with you all my non-secret Holiday Hall of Shame:
  • I have never put up a Christmas tree as long as I've lived on my own (post-college). Yes, that would be 11 Christmases but I keep on meaning to buy one on a Boxing Day sale but then I'm never around for a Boxing Day sale... and some of those people scare me.
  • My mother loves Boxing Day... the thrill of getting wrapping paper at 75% off is enough to thrill her heart for years to come. Me-I just reuse the lovely gift bags someone gave me last year. And if I don't have enough, I run to Dollarama for inspiration. A toonie later, I'm a happy camper.
  • I do not like the song Christmas Shoes. It makes me a little peeved and I always feel like someone is trying to yank my emotional chain at Christmas. I have working in a helping profession for long enough to know that Christmas time is a very difficult season for people who have faced loss in the past year. They'd don't need that song. Say what you want, I will not change my opinion.
  • I don't really love turkey. It can get dry... and I don't want to eat turkey leftovers the same day after day-it remains the same. You people who go to someone else's house for Christmas dinner and then cook your own turkey for the leftovers... please get your head checked.
  • A white Christmas is great... if you can skate, cross country ski, build snowmen and such like. Feeling every single eyelash and nose hair freeze as you are scraping your car off in the morning evokes no romantic feelings for me.

Every year at Christmas, I feel so blessed. This year my work has facilitated the sign-up and execution of 50 holiday hampers. The stories and locations of these homes make me realize that I truly have nothing to complain about. In one family a mother had requested a mattress for her son sleeping on the floor. The sponsor family sweet talked a mattress company into donating a mattress for the boy. The mother started crying that someone took care of that big dream of hers.

No complaints from me this Christmas-I have my health (way more than last year), I've made big transitions this year, have @ least 10 friends in the 10K club-they'd give me $10,000 and a kidney, have had lots of laughs and I get to make a difference in my work. But it doesn't stop me from being 'delightfully' unique.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

I'm BACK!

If anyone checks this out... I'll be shocked. I've been totally out of the loop in the last little bit. A dead computer for a good chunk of a month Really doesn't help.

So a month in review:
*Winter totally sucks!!! Being in a deep freeze at -37C is not fun... and the fact that this city doesn't clear the roads very well allows someone to rear end you. (I'm fine... just have my schedule at the mercy of the auto shops... those people must be loaded in this city!)
*When you have to be super duper creative at work, sometimes there is nothing left for any creativity when you get home. Imagine someone wandering around saying, "What was I going to do? Dinner-what's that?"
*Having a warm vacay to look forward to makes the winter better-worth every single second of hosting two-three students this summer.
*Christmas baking sounds way more romantic than reality proves itself to be. Flour gets everywhere-what would I do if I had a dog? I'd have Jackson Pollock-esque art all over the floors.

I'm back and now have more inspiration! News about my exciting life to follow!

Have a great CHristmas holiday. News to follow about my mom's great Christmas capers with the Neighborly Christmas cards contest.