I'm the oldest!

To my brother...

You have always been my baby brother. No matter how much taller than me you get (as in one complete foot) or that you will hit 30 too no it won't avoid you totally, you will always be younger than me... yes, deal with it!

We just hung out for a whole week (around my crazy work week) and basement building and here is what I want to say to you...

• Taking pictures of my butt when I'm leaning over something... seriously! Do brothers always do these things?
• Patting my head when you hug me makes me wonder if we've left junior high
• Asking me to find you a Nail Bender is not cool... b/c it takes a while before I realize that you're talking about a hammer-hah, hah, KC takes a while to get that one
• But the biggest thing is that I want to say thank you! You worked your butt off on developing my basement-framing, drywalling, lifting heavy things, priming the walls, doing my ceiling at 6:30 in the morning... You are such a trooper and helping me with my basement... well, basically you were rocking the free world... or at least your sister's world

So... even though you'll always be my younger (but taller!) brother, I now know that you can work really hard and you have left your mark on my house. The house says thank you! 

Pre shower anticipation

I am going to a baby shower this afternoon-it is for a sweet family member-so I'd happy to so my support. Please repeat with me "We're so sorry Knittinchick. We know that those are the equivalent of having to watch hours of 17 Kids and Counting without common painkillers such as chocolate or coffee."

Here's what makes it painful:

• Birth Story Swap-a-thon. Yes, it doesn't feel like birth is a miracle when it is a very painful experience... but just like you don't want me to hear the retelling of painful stories such as horrid breakups or disgusting stomach flu stories-single girls all agree that they don't want to hear your stories. A nice little euphemism here and there isn't the worst thing ever.
• Baby Shower Un-Games in my mind games are fun... NO ONE wants to eat that nasty baby food, sniff baby 'diapers' or anything like that. Don't do them.
• Unqualified Advice Givers-people who got married at 22!!! give me advice such as, "When I was finally content, I found the man of my dreams." Sorry when you are 22, you are still a baby, you barely even know how to put one foot in front of the other... you haven't earned the right to give that speech. When I smile at you as you give that speech, I am showing you that God is doing good things in my heart... and that I have actually learned about patience... and you have no clue how annoying (if I'm having a good day) or hurtful (if it is a bad season) you are being.
• Unknown Gramma's Comments, "You look so natural holding a baby. You'll have to have one someday." Sorry but I'm a big believer in A+B=C. I've got the A (me!) part... but there is no part B... so I guess that C isn't happening! 

But the best part... taking a handknit and then getting to hang out with my cousin's kids afterwards being the Cool Single Auntie-bring on the Polly Pockets!

Un-love letter

Dear Mr. Mayor:

Apparently lots of your community is up-in-arms about what our tax dollars are not doing. I know that your information number doesn't want to hear from us (as would be demonstrated by the message of "we know there's a problem, don't leave a message" love. But let me tell you why we don't love where our tax dollars are going right now. B/C this really happened to me:

• On Monday night when I was going to a work commitment dressed up, I got stuck on a significant street. NO one was around. So between rocking my car back and forth, I was kicking snow out from under my tires. Made it JUST in time for my commitment. A tad sweaty but there in time.
• Last night, due to the lack of street parking, my neighbors son parked in front of my house (my street's neighbors are very considerate about leaving street space in front of your house for you). I couldn't get into the space between cars (you need to leave space for the slippage ice and snow room) so had to turn around. This was a problem. I got stuck... two neighbors came out and pushed me out. While I appreciated getting to know them better, they don't want to see me at 11:45 and then help me up as I slip and fall on the ice. 
• Please don't give yourself and other alderpersons a 5% raise on the week when everyone is up in arms about the lack of funding to clear the streets... it just doesn't seem all that authentic!

I know that I just pay taxes, work in non-profit and am a single chick in this city, but please... I feel a tad disconnected from being heard. The city is paying for the lack of street cleaning through accidents, ruined clothes and getting stuck. We don't really love it. Please listen. Pretty please with sugar on top?

That stinkin' economy

So... with my work, I am not responsible for the economy (I know... there are small blessings in this world) but often have to watch it and follow trends as it impacts our work. This has been getting to me as you can only open so many emails stating, "Optimism is down 22% in one month" "Slumping economy affects my sector's future significantly" before it gets to you. So... I've decided to do what I can to save moola wherever. This includes the obvious such as:

• Buying chicken on the bone and cooking it in a broth for chicken mole, chicken pot pie and soup (with extra broth) left over... savings: $20 (side effect: you only smell like cooked onions for a couple hours) 
• Making coffee at home and taking it with you to work... savings: $1.75 (side effect: you get stir crazy @ work b/c you can't escape for 'needing coffee' mid morning)
• Cutting your own bangs that are WAY too long... savings $40 because it stretches your hair cut another month (side effect: you have to watch where the hair gets)

I'm all about the creative solutions so I don't feel like I am stuck. But if I look like I'm nodding my head a lot, it's not because you're that intriguing... it's just because I don't want you to notice my hairdressing skills.

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!

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.

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.