It's all good.

One more sleep!

2010-06-20T22:18:00.002-03:00

M comes home in one more sleep. He has been gone for six weeks, and I miss him terribly. I cannot wait to see him!

I just got back from the Island. I went over yesterday morning and I came back this evening. I had lots and lots of family time, and lots of quality time with my favourite bride-to-be, dear Rosey. And of course there was opening night of Buddy Holly at the Centre. I would comment more on the show, but I prefer to rant in private. Contact me if you want an earful.

Did I mention that it's one more sleep? :)

Oh happy day

2010-06-11T09:48:00.002-03:00

In a few hours, I will be getting on a plane to go see M in Ottawa. I cannot think straight at the moment, but I must somehow pull myself together and pack and make a side trip to get my license and registration renewed. Deep breaths, Lynda.

Birthday pupcakes

2010-06-01T22:43:00.005-03:00

It's a coworker's birthday tomorrow, so I decided to make her some cupcakes. She just got a golden retriever puppy, so I decided to make her some puppy-like cupcakes, or pupcakes. Can you believe it took me all night to come up with the name "pupcakes"? It so obvious.

I was originally planning on using the food colouring to make the icing the same colour as her dog, but then I thought that might be a little creepy, so I settled on white terriers. Almost too cute to eat.

Actually, they have so much sugar in the icing, I don't think I can eat any at all.

Go me!

2010-05-31T22:06:00.004-03:00

I'm still holding down the fort in O-ville while M is away. In the last few weeks, I have managed two trips - one to Toronto for a hearing conference and a lovely evening with mel and Catherine, and one to Ottawa to visit M and eat out and shop at Ikea.

The two trips meant lots of plane travel, and I used as an opportunity to catch up on the final season of Lost. I was three episodes behind when the series finale aired, so I refrained from watching it "live" on tv. I even managed to remain spoiler-free after the finale, until my brother Jason sent me an email that revealed the happenstances of the last five minutes of the show. Oh well. I'm all caught up now!

It's been a bit quiet and lonely here with M away. This past weekend, I went to three shows, one in Woodstock and two in Freddy. All were excellent! And I'm still getting used to living in a house with a yard. Did you know that yards have grass? And that grass needs to be cut?

So here's a secret I'd like to confess...

I have never cut the grass before. Ever. In my life. And not only have I never mowed a lawn before, but I know *nothing* about the mechanics involved in using a lawn mower.

Before M left, he cut the grass really short. And he gave me a tutorial on how to use the lawn mower. And a few weeks ago M's friend mowed the lawn for me. I had mixed feelings about this. Of course I was extremely thankful for the help, and it was very kind of him to offer to assist me. On the other hand, I do enjoy being independent and fending for myself. But I was scared to use the mower because I had never done it before. What if I ran over myself and injured myself?

This weekend I noticed the grass getting long again, and this evening after supper, I took the plunge and cut the grass all by myself. And I didn't die, and I did a good job. I feel very proud of myself!

Behold my handiwork!

I think I'm gonna like it here.

2010-05-11T21:14:00.002-03:00

I have been quite busy in the last month (even busier than usual). M and I decided to move in together, so I have spent the last few weeks packing up my stuff and moving to Oromocto, where M rents a house. I had been spending a lot of time at the house before the move, so the transition to living there has been simple. It has definitely been difficult leaving my beloved apartment, but the result is definitely worth it.

I've been slowly getting used to the new neighborhood. I love the grocery store here, and there's a really neat coffee shop nearby. M is away for work for the next six weeks, so I'm taking the opportunity to do some exploration on foot. Today I finally found my way to the river, and took this lovely picture. I think I'm gonna like it here. :)

Tjuv

2010-04-19T19:19:00.003-03:00

McCain has stolen *my* catch phrase. I know I'm not the only one who uses this phrase, but I do feel I can lay some claim to it, since it is the title of this blog. In fact, it's been the title of my blog since January 2006. They've only been using it for what... a few months?

It's been an up and down time for the last few weeks. I've made some fantastic trips - first to Halifax for the Brier, and then to Antigonish for Jamie's final recital. I also made a trip home for my grandmother's funeral, and also to Halifax again for M's grandmother's funeral. Funerals are not my favourite things, but it also makes me remember that life is for living.

I've also been thinking that I'm very grateful for all the wonderful people I have in my life. You know who you are. :)

AND I am thinking I want a kitchen like Michael Smith's. Perhaps a house like his as well.

OOOOO's

2010-03-05T16:50:00.002-04:00

How can I possibly recap the Olympics in one blog post? I am only just getting over my Olympics withdrawal. I did end up watching Virtue and Moir win their gold medal live on tv in the middle of the night. Their performance was breathtaking. Staying up late may have been a poor decision, however, because I was completely zonked at work for the rest of the week. Perhaps I should have paced myself a little better. I had to wait until the next day to see Joannie skate.

I am so happy that Canada had such a great showing in the last weekend. The curling was great, and so was the speedskating. And, of course, there was the hockey game. Is there anyone who didn't watch at least part of the hockey game? I didn't think we were going to win after the US scored that goal at the end of the third period. And then we DID win!!!

I have now retired my beautiful red mittens. I hope to spend the next few years trying to figure out how to get to Sochi...

Face the music and dance

2010-02-22T21:35:00.002-04:00

I've had my fingers crossed all day for Virtue and Moir. I have been waiting all Olympics for us to win a figure skating medal. I think this could be it. I'm currently watching a German brother/sister pair, and I am determined to stay awake until the free dance is over.

I am armed with Mini Eggs (my Olympic snack of choice) and Diet Pepsi. I'm also wearing my comfy pants. It's almost 10:00, and there are about 20 skaters left. I really hope I can make it.

OLYMPICS

2010-02-19T17:38:00.004-04:00

So once again I have been gripped by Olympic fever.

The first thing I do in the morning is check the medal standings to see if Canada has won any more medals. When I am at work, I use my iPod Touch to read Olympic news stories on my two Olympics apps. When I get home, I turn on the tv and watch Olympics until it is time to go to bed. Then I get up the next morning and do it all over again.

I am slightly sad that I did not manage to get my act together and go to Vancouver to experience the Olympics in person. I think it's much more fun to watch it on tv, but it would be an event of a lifetime to be there in person. But then I remember that I don't like large crowds of people, so perhaps it's for the best.

So far I find myself missing my beloved CBC's coverage of Olympics. I am very sick of the "I Believe" music. The first time I heard the song, I loved it. The 100th time I heard the song, it made me want to claw my ears off. This coming from the audiologist. ;)

2010-02-03T17:25:00.002-04:00

Avatar. Yes. Good movie. At long last, I have seen it, and I see fit to recommend it. I think I am a little bit behind in the game, but I think it's a brilliant movie.

I only just realized today that The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is going on right now. I was so confused, because it's usually at the end of February. I'm guessing it's earlier this year because of the Olympics. Right now I'm watching some PEI vs. Quebec action. I don't want to jinx it, but I think we're going to win.

This week at work continues to be insane. I spent a big chunk of time packing, because they're ripping up our carpets, and we're getting tile installed. I am office-homeless until Monday. It's not a good feeling, but the end result will be worth it. :)

Gah. Tuesday.

2010-02-02T17:48:00.002-04:00

I feel I am being punished for going away. The last few days at work have been very busy and insane, with hardly a moment to catch my breath.

I'm glad to be home for the day now, and I have consoled myself with two cupcakes. With sprinkles.

Tonight M and I are going to see Avatar. We tried to see it once before, but it was so busy that we returned our tickets. Now that it's been out for a while, hopefully we'll have better luck.

I think it was a given that Avatar would be nominated for an Oscar this year. I'm surprised to hear that the Academy has 10 best film nominees this year. Now I have even more movies to see. I was trying to avoid Hurt Locker, but I guess I have no choice now. Personally, I'm rooting for Up. :)

Brr...

2010-01-31T16:35:00.002-04:00

Have recovered from jet lag enough to realize that it is freaking cold outside today.

M and I are making meatloaf and salad for supper, and trying to ignore the sub-zero temperatures outside.

The weekend has been lovely, full of relaxing cleaning. I finally had the chance to clean my fridge yesterday. It was long overdue. I removed several clusters of liquified vegetables and cleaned it top to bottom. My sister and a friend are staying at my place tomorrow night, so I wanted to make sure I would not be embarrassed by the state of my fridge while they are there. I also hope to make them some cupcakes for tonight as a surprise. Psst... don't tell them. :)

Who loves winter?

2010-01-29T16:19:00.002-04:00

I am writing to you from bed. I just woke up after a most delicious nap. I have just returned from a lovely work trip to Denmark, and I hope to write more about that soon.

But first, I must tell the tale of my adventures in airport hopping.

Yes, that's hopping, not shopping.

Winter is a tricky time to fly. You never know when snow is going to delay your travel plans. For example, I was initially worried about the 10 cm of snow that fell in Copenhagen on Wednesday night, because I was flying out so early on Thursday morning.

It turns out I should have been worried about the snow in Frankfurt, because that's what delayed my departure from that city to Canada. So I missed my connecting flight to Freddy in Montreal. No problem, I thought, because I could catch a quick flight to Ottawa and be home at 10:00, just in time to get to bed before on Friday.

The best laid plans...

So it was also snowing mightily in Montreal, meaning my plane to Ottawa had to be de-iced. So I missed my connection to Freddy.

No problem. I got booked on a flight back to Montreal. But by then, there was a ground stop in Montreal, so my flight from Ottawa was delayed. So I missed my connecting flight to Freddy. Again.

That was the last flight to Freddy for the evening. By this time, I hadn't slept since Tuesday evening, and I was a little loopy. Air Canada put me up in the hotel, and finally I got a few hours of sleep. Yay for sleep.

So this morning I was back at Trudeau airport, trying to fly to Freddy for the fourth time. The fourth time's the charm, because after a short delay to hear up the plane, I was on my way. M picked me up from the airport, and I have been in post-travel recovery mode ever since.

And now, back to napping.

Must have

2009-10-15T21:41:00.004-03:00

I saw a commercial for these on the tv. And I want them. I love mittens, and I love the Olympics. I need these mittens.

In other words, my coworker is married, my mom is married, M's friends are married, and I don't have to go to any more weddings for a long long time.

There is definitely something to be said for spending time at home. I even got some groceries yesterday. And I made supper for myself tonight. From scratch. I am so proud of myself!

PS - I want this too.

A festival of weddings!

2009-09-21T17:23:00.002-03:00

Saturday I went to a coworker's wedding. It was a fantastic time, as there were a bunch of work peeps there, and we had a blast chatting and dancing. The wedding took place in Edmundston, so I was really pleased to see a part of New Brunswick I hadn't seen before, and to practice my French. Apparently I can be understood in everyday conversation!

I was also pleased to feel a bit of a chill in the air, because that's a sign to me that snow will be coming soon!

This weekend my mom is getting married. I'm looking forward to it, but I have a ton of stuff to get done before the weekend. I'm pleased that I decided to take some time off before and after the big day to prepare/decompress, because I think I may lose my mind, and will thus need that time to put myself back together again. I may be coming down with something, so I've been pumping myself full of Cold F/X. Next up, vitamin C.

I will say, however, that I will look very snazzy in my outfit. That's something.

This is the last time I listen to my brother.

2009-08-21T10:56:00.003-03:00

Last night I went to see District 9. I was really looking forward to see it. I have a lingering affection for aliens from my X-Files days, and several people (including my brother Jamie) had spoken highly of it. I envisioned it as the sleeper hit of the summer. I couldn't wait to hop onto the District 9 bandwagon.

I had forgotten how much I do not enjoy scenes of violence. And this movie had lots of it. Bodies being blown to shreds, with remnants covering the camera lens. Me no likey. When I watch a movie, I sometimes have difficulty detaching from the events on screen. It was really difficult to watch ruthless killings and seeing aliens suffer. Prawns have feelings too, you know.

In happier news, I am heading home for the weekend. I was supposed to attend a family golf tournament and picnic, but it has been cancelled because of the impending hurricane. I'm sure I'll manage to find something else to do. This is the last weekend Jamie has at home before he goes back to school. Rumor has it that he will be living in Halifax next summer, so I hope to enjoy some time with him while he is still at home. *sigh* Change is hard.

Way too darn hot

2009-08-17T18:01:00.003-03:00

Gah. It's too hot to be alive today. Seriously. Even breathing makes me sweaty today. As a result, I am heading over to M's house, because he has an outside and a basement and himself, so I think I'll be much more comfortable. This weekend he bought a set of zero gravity chairs, and we spent a large amount of time sitting and reading in the shade. Because that's all one can do in this wretchedly warm weather.

Recently I attempted to further my membership in the Church of Catherine by donating blood. I have meaning to do this for a while, and a blood-typing clinic at work finally gave me the motivation to make my first appointment. Imagine my disappointment when they had to prematurely stop my donation because my veins were too small and the blood was not flowing properly. Also imagine my extreme embarrassment when I burst into a steady stream of silent tears when I realized that my very first blood donation failed.

I also recently saw the movie Julie & Julia, and now, like many others I'm sure, I find myself with a renewed interest in cooking and blogging. Perhaps the story of Ear Girl will soon find itself to a movie screen near you (*snort*).

It's wonderful on a summer's afternoon...

2009-07-30T17:07:00.003-03:00

I told everyone at work that if there are three nice days in a row, I will buy everyone ice cream. Specifically, I will buy everyone Snack and a Half's - my favourite ice cream treat of all time.

I haven't had to buy anyone any ice cream yet. I thought I was going to come close this week, when we had sunny weather on Tuesday and yesterday. Then early this morning there was a huge thunderstorm, and it rained all morning. It's partly cloudy and warm now, but I don't think that qualifies as a nice day.

Since we did come so close to having nice weather though, I thought I should work on the definition of a "nice day", as it pertains to me buying ice cream. Here's what I have come up with so far:

Three nice days defined:

1. Days 1 and 2 must be sunny during working hours (or at least every time I look out the window when I am at work).

2. If Days 1 and 2 are on the weekend, then they must be sunny for most of the day, such that one is tempted to be outside during most daylight hours, and not hide inside or have alternate backup plans.

3. Day 3 must be sunny with no precipitation until noon (this will likely be the purchase time for ice cream).

4. If Day 3 is on the weekend, it must be sunny most of the day (see number 2). Ice cream will be purchased on Monday at lunch.

If only it didn't rain this morning. I could have been eating ice cream for dessert at lunch. Oh well, maybe next week.

2009-07-27T16:32:00.002-03:00

The best thing about a Monday is that I work a short day. The best thing about today so far was that my work day was blissfully uneventful, and I even had time to read a few articles.

The weekend was pretty busy. On my day off on Friday, I spent a large portion of the day finally sorting through my recycling. I have to bring all my paper, plastic, metal, etc to the recycling bins myself. If you know me at all, you know that I am a procrastinator, so it should not surprise you that I have not done this for a month or so. Well, actually I can't remember the last time I did it. Maybe last year?

Anyways, now the junk in my storage room is at a manageable level, and I am itching to go through every crevice of my apartment and purge unnecessary items.

I also made a quick trip to the Annapolis Valley on Saturday and Sunday. My BF (henceforth referred to as M - because it's quicker to type) was presiding over a funeral for one of his former parishioners, and I went for moral support. I got to meet several members of his Valley fan club who were most excited to see him. We stayed at a delightful Inn that made me think of the Dragonfly Inn from Gilmore Girls. Our room was fantastic, and I had one of the most delicious breakfasts of my life. We also saw fireworks on Saturday night! And we visited the Just Us cafe.

I wasn't planning on such a busy weekend, and I find myself a bit worn out today. Hopefully this week will be calm-ish, because next weekend, I'm back on the road again!

It's a sunshine day

2009-07-20T16:26:00.002-03:00

Oh my goodness, I had forgotten what the sunshine felt like.

We have had two days in a row of sunshine! Two! It has been gloriously splendid to feel warm and wear sunscreen. Yesterday I spent most of the day at the BF's house, and we lounged in the backyard for a good portion of the afternoon. It was then that we discovered that pillows and Adirondack chairs are a wonderful combination. Add a Diet Pepsi (or two) to the mix, and I was in heaven.

I did have plans to go home this weekend, but the week at work was absolutely insane, and I found myself completely exhausted on Friday. So I decided to give myself some TLC and save myself from 7 hours of driving. It was a good decision, because I feel really really relaxed and well-rested today. :)

It's amazing what sunshine and sleep will do for one's spirit.

Happy Harry Potter Day!

2009-07-15T22:56:00.002-03:00

Today was a most special day. It was the opening day of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

I always make a point of seeing the HP movies on the first day. I remember my very first HP movie. I went at Bayer's Lake in Hali with some school friends. We were at the cinema two hours before the movie started, and we spent most of that time waiting in a roped-off "corral" in the lobby. Line-up? Who needs a line-up when you can herd people together like cattle? That's totally civilized.

Since that first event, I try to gather a posse of HP fans to share in the excitement of opening day.

This year, I went with three friends. Fortunately, I had pre-purchased tickets online. Kyle and I suppered at the mall, and ended up being the 2nd and 3rd people in line for the 8:00 show. We were there at 6:00. It didn't take long to for the line-up to grow. Donna-Marie joined us at 6:30, and Charles got there a half hour after that.

We did get prime seats - center of the row, middle of the theatre. Nothing to complain about. And I got popcorn.

And the movie was good. I won't spoil it for you all. But I will say that I did enjoy it. :)

Mmm... cupcakes

2009-07-13T22:16:00.002-03:00

*gasp*

Two days in a row!

I have just returned from a delightfully busy evening. Michelle and I went out for supper and had an "old-fashioned Monday", meaning that we went to Canadian Tire and grocery shopping at the Superstore.

I purchased a couple of "cupcake" cake mixes. As far as I can tell, they are half of a regular cake mix, so they make twelve cupcakes instead of twenty-four. As far as I'm concerned, that's brilliant, because I find it difficult to go through a whole batch of cupcakes before they go stale. And now that I have my fabulous cupcake transporter and decorator (birthday gifts from coworkers), I anticipate making and eating a lot of cupcakes.

I'll let you know how the smaller mix turns out.

Maybe.

hangs head in shame

2009-07-12T23:40:00.002-03:00

So who's a neglectful blogger?

Contrary to popular belief, I have not dropped off the face of the earth. Nor did I decide to stay in Scotland and never go back home. No need to send out a search party.

Life has been busy. Life has been wonderful.

Just got back from a weekend in PEI. I helped celebrate my sister and littlest brother's birthdays. I saw the Stan Rogers show at the Mack, and I met the BF's parents and introduced him to my dad. I went to the beach and soaked up some wonderful sunshine.

:)

I'm on a journey to who knows where...

2009-05-14T21:00:00.000-03:00

I've done a lot of traveling in the first part of the year, but today marks the beginning of a grand travel adventure.
I'm sitting in the Halifax airport, labouriously tapping away on my Palm Pilot. In a few hours, I'll be on a plane to London, where I will meet up with Rosey and Liam to start the UK Extravaganza. Three days in London and five in Scotland!
I've been wanting to go back to London since I was there with my family a few years back, and I've wanted to see Scotland for a very long time. This week has been hectic, but now that has all been forgotten, because I have a fabulous week ahead of me. :)

It's a sunshine day

2009-03-29T22:26:00.002-03:00

It's amazing what two days can do for your perspective on life.

I'm feeling much better now. :)

I no longer believe that I'm the world's worst person. Yay!

And I still haven't done anything with that chicken yet.

Gah.

2009-03-27T22:39:00.003-03:00

Well, it's been a doozy of a week. Well, the last two weeks have not been the best, that's for sure.

My soul is tired. I am weary, and I need some time to recover. I'm glad I have a good support system in my life to help me when I feel down. I know I am a good person, but in the last little while, I've been having some trouble believing that. I've done some things I'm not particularly proud of. But I'm human, I make mistakes, and that's okay. The only thing I can do is to keep trying the best I can.

Free advert for Sobey's right here.

2009-03-23T22:33:00.004-03:00

After choir tonight I took a quick trip to the grocery store to grab some essentials (i.e. Pepsi, vegetables, bread, Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi). I went to Sobey's, because it was on the way home. FYI, there are some good deals this week.

Buy one get one free cucumbers.

Buy one get one free value pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I now have enough chicken for a few months. And I have lots of cucumbers. This means I may have to actually cook dinner for myself over the next few weeks. Hmm. This might be a challenge.

Weak watching

2009-03-22T23:35:00.002-03:00

I went to see The Watchmen the week it was released in theaters. I didn't know a whole lot about the movie, but I remember that my brother received the graphic novel for Christmas, and he seemed pretty pumped about the movie, so I was looking forward to seeing the movie myself. Personally, I like lots of superhero movies. Superman, Spiderman, Batman - all fun to watch.

To say that I didn't enjoy the movie would be a bit of an understatement.

The movie started out mildly interesting, then it turned to boring, and then after that it descended into laughably bad. So bad, in fact, that my friend and I left before it was over and asked for our money back. The manager gave us some free passes.

We were somewhat comforted by the fact that even though we wasted two hours and thirty minutes of our lives on the worst movie ever, at least the next time we went to the theater, we would get to pick a good movie.

So tonight we went to see One Week. What could go wrong with that? A Canadian movie, with Canadian actors, featuring a life-changing journey across Canada.

Mistake, mistake, mistake.

It's unfortunate that Joshua Jackson only has two facial expressions: a blank stare, and a scrunched-up wince that sometimes produced years. It's also unfortunate that the writing was weak, and that there were way too many shots of him on his motorcycle.

We didn't think we could get away with asking for our money back again. Too bad.

Anyway, consider yourselves warned: stay away from these movies.

Dancing it out

2009-03-18T21:34:00.003-03:00

Today I am sad. I know that I am completely allowed to be sad at a time like this, but I don't like it. Who likes to be sad? Yet being sad is a part of the grieving process, so I am trying to just let it happen.

It's been a quiet evening. I went for a walk this evening, and that made me feel better. And I've been listening to some happy music, so that has made me feel better. And my apartment is presentably clean, which is always a good thing.

In the wise words of my mom, this too shall pass.

An unexpected song

2009-03-14T23:03:00.002-03:00

I'm sitting in the den of my mom's place, watching curling with my sister and her boyfriend. I'm home in Charlottetown for a few days to attend my uncle's funeral.

It's funny, because this week I spent a lot of time worrying and being cranky about little things in life. And now, all I can think of is how lucky I am to have such a wonderful life, and happy I am to have such wonderful people in my life.

Life is precious. Be happy and enjoy it.

Book Club

2009-03-11T22:48:00.001-03:00

I just finished reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Discussion is welcome in the comment section.

This is for Ashley

2009-03-10T23:33:00.002-03:00

Jeepers, I'm not very good at keeping up with the blogging.

So where were we? Oh right. February.

February was a challenging month. I struggled a lot with some sadness. I had a few evenings of wallowing in self-pity, most notably after watching the movie He's Just Not That Into You. Boy, did I ever lose it. There were tears and Ben and Jerry's Half-Baked ice cream. It seems like a distant memory now, but at the time I was pretty sure my world was ending.

The month wasn't all bad, of course. I had a fantastic, albeit brief, trip to St. John's, Newfoundland. It was fantastic because I got to see my friend Heather, and we had a blast seeing the sights in the city. It was brief because my flight was canceled due to a snowstorm, and I had less than 24 hours for my trip. I made every second count, though, and I can't wait to go back. See facebook for pictures.

Then there was the Monday we had a blizzard. Forty-eight cm of snow. It started overnight, and when I woke up in the morning, my parking lot wasn't plowed. I had to get to work, because I didn't want to use up my vacation time by taking the day off (hospitals never close. We don't get storm days). So I bundled myself up and walked to work. It was easy going until I had to walk uphill in snow up to my knees. When I reached the top of the hill, I was so tired that I rolled down a snowbank into a parking lot. Seriously. And I lost a pair of mittens on my journey. Was I crazy to walk to work? Probably so, but I've always wanted to walk to work in a snowstorm, and now I have.

The rest of February was spent recovering from the St. John's trip and the snowstorm. I'm getting old. It takes me a long time to get caught up on sleep these days.

I'm also really busy with choirs. I still have Monday and Tuesday choirs, and after Tuesday choir, I meet up with a group of people at a pub. I really enjoy being a regular a pub. I feel like I'm on Cheers! It is tiring to stay out late on a weeknight, but it's totally worth it.

And I have a new friend who I met during the Christmas show, and he likes musicals even more than I do. Yes, that's right. Even more than I do. So we've been watching musicals with our mutual friends on a fairly regular basis.

Oh wait! I almost forgot! I'm going to London! And Scotland! With Rosey and Liam! In May. And it's going to be awesome.

Okay, I think that's February in a nutshell. Any questions?

You take the good, you take the bad...

2009-02-05T22:59:00.003-04:00

Good: work was fantastic and productive today.

Bad: couldn't find anyone to go see Frost/Nixon with me.

Good: went to the movie by myself.

Bad: long line-ups at the box office at the theater.

Good: bought my movie ticket at the french fry place, where there was no line.

Good: got coupon for free popcorn and pop.

Bad: long line-up at the concession counter.

Bad: saw subject of this post in line at the concession counter. Pretended I didn't see him to avoid awkward conversation.

Good: movie was in stadium seating cinema (there's only one in Freddy).

Good: not a big crowd at the movie. Picked prime seat.

Bad: couple came in during the previews and sat right beside me, violating the unwritten rule of movie theater seat-picking.

Good: movie was good. Glad I saw it in theaters.

Good: am finishing my evening by watching tv. Mmm... tv.

FOHer's dream

2009-01-29T22:55:00.002-04:00

This is how you stop people from taking pictures in the theaters.

Brilliant.

Mmm... cupcakes?

2009-01-18T22:36:00.003-04:00

My sister and her boyfriend came for a visit this weekend. It was super fun, because I rarely have visitors, but I love to play hostess. And I love to see my sister. Her boyfriend is pretty fun, too.

One of the big draws of visiting Freddy is, of course, The Market. I don't go to The Market often, because it's only on Saturday mornings, and on Saturday mornings I am usually asleep. My favourite thing to get at the market are the delightful New York style cupcakes. So when I heard I was going to have visitors, I started talking up the cupcakes like no one's business. You may remember that I adore cupcakes. They make me quite happy.

By the way, it was quite cold on the weekend. And when I say quite cold, I mean that it was -30 degrees. It made the short walk from car to The Market quite unpleasant. I think I actually felt my skin start to freeze. However, I had visions of chocolate cupcakes in my head, so I was determined to bear any hardship necessary to acquire said cupcakes.

Imagine my disappointment when there were NO CUPCAKES to be found at The Market.

I tried to put on a brave face, but I was quite sad. I got spring rolls and kettle corn as a consolation, but still, I wanted cupcakes.

We decided to make some cupcakes. From scratch. My student intern had lent me a cupcake recipe book, so after a quick (and chilly) trip to the grocery store, we were ready to make fabulous cupcakes.

Let me just say that making baked items from scratch is not my forte. I prefer a mix. From a box. Case in point, I slightly overcooked the cupcakes, and I somehow managed to mix the ingredients for the icing and not follow the directions properly. The results was a batch of dry cupcakes with runny, drippy chocolate icing. Almost inedible.

Sigh.

Next weekend, I'm breaking out the Duncan Hines.

Lynda is...

2009-01-12T22:33:00.002-04:00

... somewhat recovered from the drama that was last Monday. I find myself trying really hard to shake a moderate case of holiday-itis. It comes and goes. Some days I feel really good. Other days I feel like am alone in the world, and every problem I have ever had is magnified ten times, and I am overwhelmed. I'm fighting it, and sometimes it works.

Today it's half and half. Being tired does not help.

Anyways, last night I watched the season premiere of 24, and I decided to have some popcorn I received for Christmas. It's green on the outside, which I thought was pretty cool. It was sort of tasty, too. The actual popcorn was white, like normal popcorn, but the green husks were still visible.

Imagine my surprise and horror when I woke up in the morning and discovered that my bottom lip was a lovely shade of green.

Let's call it bottle green, even though it was more like emerald green.

So I spent about 1o minutes this morning scrubbing my lower lip with a toothbrush so I could be presentable for work this morning.

There was blood.

And I was late for work.

Oh well.

Lynda is...

2009-01-05T22:33:00.003-04:00

... afraid to update her facebook status to reveal her true feelings to the facebook world.

... having a happy/sad day.

... wishing she could block select people from facebook chat (not anyone reading this).

... taking a break from dating. It may be a long one. Gah.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T01:31:00.002-04:00

I just got back from a great New Year's Eve party. It's now 2009. I feel compelled to write a recap of the year that was 2008, but I've had too many Diet Pepsi's, and my ability to type has been severely affected.

Let's just say that 2008 was a good year for me. There were definitely some rocky parts, but there were definitely some absolutely glorious shining moments, and I'm so lucky to have wonderful people in my life who were there for me through the whole thing.

Happy 2009!

Lynda ate seven cupcakes today.

2008-12-16T23:25:00.003-04:00

I already updated my facebook status once today, so I thought I'd share this second status update with y'all.

It's been a long day. Full of cupcakes and rehearsal and work.

And my throat is sore.

T-3

2008-12-15T23:57:00.003-04:00

Just got back from rehearsal. Well, I've actually been home for a bit. I'm waiting for my cupcakes to cool, so I can ice then and go to sleep. That may be tricky, though, because although I am tired, I am also wired, so sleep may not come to me tonight for a while. This happened last year, too. Whenever I close my eyes, all I see is the show, and I keep hearing the show in my head.

It's times like these that meditation would be helpful.

PS - the cupcakes are for a coworker.

PPS - I didn't watch Anne 4. And I don't regret it.

Anne of Green Gables, never change. I LIKE YOU JUST THIS WAY.

2008-12-12T22:57:00.003-04:00

So this Sunday, CTV is airing Kevin Sullivan's Anne prequel.

I am wary. Very wary.

You all know of my deep, all-consuming love for Anne of Green Gables - The Musical (TM). I think the books are fantastic. I also feel very favourably towards the tv productions of Anne 1 and Anne 2.

Well, actually, Anne 2 was a little messed up because Mr. Sullivan decided to combine three books into one miniseries and got a little creative with the details of his storytelling. But still, Anne and Gilbert ended up together at the end, and all was well.

And then there was Anne 3.

Anne 3. The Abomination. The tale of Anne Shirley - super spy. The war movie that happened to have Megan Follows in it. Oh yeah, and her character's name was Anne. It was so far removed from the novels that I was seriously disturbed. It didn't even fit with the continuity of Mr. Sullivan's Avonlea "universe". Ugh. I watched it once, and I never need to see it again.

So naturally, I am very reluctant to watch this Sunday's movie. I read the plot outline. Apparently Mr. Sullivan fancies himself the Anne expert, and has created a backstory for her. Oh, and get this - the movie also has an older Anne in it. She's a successful middle-aged playwright.

Excuse my language, but WTF?

Who does this man think he is? How can take a series of beloved novels and say, "Hey, those are great, but you know what? We're going to take this character in a different direction". I'm sure there would be a global uprising if some director/producer/writer decided that Harry Potter should forsake the wizard world and live as a Muggle. How is this any different?

I'm not sure if I'm even going to watch on Sunday. I don't think I can. I might end up smashing my tv.

I am most seriously displeased.

Operation: Christmas tree

2008-12-11T23:28:00.004-04:00

'Tis the night before my last Friday off before Christmas, and all through the apartment I can smell Christmas tree.

Let me just say that the last few weeks of my life have been consumed by choir concerts and rehearsals. This week I've had a bit of downtime, so I'm trying to fill it with some socializing before show week takes over on Saturday.

Did I mention that I have a singing solo in the Christmas show? And that I believe it will be the best thing I've ever done in my entire life? I am incredibly pumped about it. :) If you only see one Christmas show this year, come and see me.

After several attempts, I have finally managed to get a Christmas tree inside my apartment. The saga started last week when I went over to a friend's property to pick a real tree, only to find that he had no suitable trees within walking distance. Then on Monday I decided to buy one from a parking lot, however it was fracking cold, so the mission was canceled.

Tonight the stars were in alignment. Michelle and I went to the Superstore parking lot, where we were helped by a jolly gentlemen who was more than willing to find us a short and fat Christmas tree. He even sawed off the bottom with his super snazzy saw and let me keep the stump for my collection. And he had hearing aids!!

We also had our second annual viewing of the Lights of St. Mary's, aka "the Christmas light explosion of fun". Somehow it didn't seem as gloriously outrageous as last year, but there were some real winners. And the weather cooperated by giving us a fine dusting of snow on the ground. This year there was no tour bus to lead the way through the rows of houses, but we managed to find our way on our own.

And finally, it was time for the main event - smuggling the tree into my apartment undetected. I was the scout, and Michelle was the carrier. Piece of cake. We only left a few needles in the hall, which I quickly tidied up so that no evidence of our caper remained. Mission accomplished. Christmas may now commence.

Jul, jul.

2008-12-02T22:44:00.003-04:00

So I'm smack in the middle of a very hectic week. Saturday I had Christmas show rehearsal. Sunday I had Christmas show rehearsal and a concert in Nackawic. Last night I had a dress rehearsal for my concert tonight. I had to miss Tuesday choir's rehearsal to sing in Monday's choir concert this evening.

Tomorrow night I have another concert. Then on Friday I have dress rehearsal for my weekend concerts. Saturday's concert is in Miramichi. Sunday's concert is in Freddy, but I may have another conflict with Christmas show rehearsal.

Thursday is my only free evening, and I plan to take full advantage of it by activating Operation: Christmas Tree (aka Lynda and Michelle smuggle a real tree into her "fake-tree only" apartment building). Shh. Don't tell anyone.

And did I mention that I have to work five whole days this week? And that I'm super super busy at work??

It's going to be busy, but it's also going to be lots of fun.

A hazy shade of winter

2008-11-22T23:36:00.002-04:00

I was so happy to wake up this morning. As I opened my eyes, I could see that the sky was gray. This could only mean one thing - precipitation was in the air. Then I head the unmistakable sound of someone stamping his feet in the lobby of the building. There's only one reason to stamp your feet in the lobby. Could it be???

I quickly threw off the covers and leaped out of bed. As soon as I got to the window, I had my confirmation.

Snow! Snow! Snow!!!

Winter has arrived! The ground was covered! The trees were covered! And it was still falling gently from the sky!

I lost no time in going outside for a short snow romp. It was delightful. I had forgotten how good snow smells.

Welcome winter!

G D A E

2008-11-20T22:12:00.002-04:00

Tonight I went to see Natalie McMaster and her Leahy husband Donnell. The show was full of delightful fiddle tunes, including a few songs I remember from my Singing Strings days (Devil's Dream and Hungarian Dance No. 5, anyone? Actually... I don't think it was Hungarian Dance No. 5, but it was definitely a Singing Strings song. But I digress.). It made my fingers itch to play a violin again.

The best part of the night was when they broke out into St. Anne's Reel, which just happens to be my favourite fiddle tune of ALL TIME. OF ALL TIME.

I really needed this tonight. My work day was busy, and I had one particularly difficult case that has stayed with me throughout the day.

Treasure your hearing, everyone. Protect it and cherish it.

Here comes winter!

2008-11-19T22:17:00.002-04:00

It snowed today.

Not a lot of snow, but it was beautiful.

She's back.

2008-11-14T22:43:00.002-04:00

Well, aren't I a delinquent blogger.

What can I say, I've been very busy. This is what happens when you work full time and sing in two choirs and a Christmas show. And it's only going to get worse... now we're ramping up for Christmas season, which means lots of rehearsing and lots of singing.

Example: this Sunday my Tuesday choir has a concert in the evening. We also have dress rehearsal in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I also have four hours of Christmas show rehearsal on Sunday afternoon as well. I'm quite devoted to my Christmas show, and not so devoted to Tuesday choir, so it's very tempting to skip the dress rehearsal and even the concert. Except that I have a very minor solo-ish part in the Tuesday choir. And when I spoke to the choir director about missing rehearsal, he was seriously displeased and strongly advised against it.

This made me quite cranky, because really, who is going to see me in this choir concert? No one. NO ONE. It is insignificant to me. I don't care. I want to rehearse for the Christmas show. I don't want to miss rehearsal.

If anyone has access to a Time Turner, please let me know.

Anyway, in other news, I have finally said goodbye to my PVR. I returned it to the cable company today. I haven't been watching a lot of tv lately, and I've had it unplugged for about a month now. I even had the cable outlet in my bedroom disconnected. I cut my cable services too. I tried to go with just the basic cable, but then I realized that I wouldn't get TLC, which would cut off my access to my guilty pleasure, aka "Jon and Kate Plus 8". And really, that would be silly, because why would I stop watching a show about a family of twins and sextuplets when I have finally figured out how to tell all the kids apart?

High on the hill was the lonely goatherd...

2008-10-23T23:22:00.003-03:00

I am currently tucked into my comfy bed in my Toronto hotel room. ER is on tv, and I have a can of Diet Pepsi at my side.

Life is good.

I'm in Toronto for the weekend for a hearing aid conference. After my conference is done, I'll have the rest of the weekend to enjoy with my FOH alumni peeps. It will be just like old times! I can't wait!!! Sound of Music! Sound of Freaking Music!

Already on my visit, I've taken the subway all by myself, and I've eaten the best hot dog ever. Can't wait for tomorrow!

Election fever

2008-10-14T23:08:00.004-03:00

I've been watching the election for the past three hours. Yes, I have two tv's on the go. Yes, I've been msn'ing home every 30 seconds or so. My feverish excitement has faded to intense interest.

I can't tear myself away. I'm afraid that if I stop watching, the conservatives will win a majority government. I feel I am keeping them in check by shear force of will. It's all me. I control the outcome of the election.

But I must go to bed.

I hope you all voted today.

Gobble.

2008-10-10T22:00:00.002-03:00

I'm sitting in my mom's basement, catching up on Thursday's tv - mainly Grey's and ER.

Rest assured, if I had seen Grey's last night, there would have been an immediate post about Dr. Sloan, ENT. So he's a plastic surgeon AND an ear, nose, and throat surgeon? Really? Not that I'm complaining. No, I wouldn't complain about Grey's at all.

I'm looking forward to ER's final season. I believe I have seen every episode of this series, and I have followed it faithfully from the beginning of its run. My life has changed a lot in 15 years. Jeepers. I can't believe I've been watching a show for 15 years!

I'm home in PEI for the weekend. I'm looking forward to spending time with friends and family. I'm also looking forward to eating curry. If I don't eat curry this weekend, I think my head is going to explode. I've been trying (quite unsuccessfully) to have curry the last few times I've been home. Maybe this weekend will be the lucky weekend!

October's going to be a busy month. Next week I go to Halifax for an audiology conference, and the week after that I'm off to Toronto for another conference AND a performance of The Sound of Music! Squee!

Happy Turkey Day weekend, everyone!

Brand new day

2008-09-24T21:38:00.004-03:00

Yes, this Wednesday night grocery thing is taking a while to get used to. At least I managed to escape the grocery store without buying any clothes this week. Not that it's a bad thing to buy clothes at the grocery store, but it was becoming a dangerous habit.

I'm really happy to be getting settled into my new fall routine. I am super-loving my choirs, and am trying not to feel too busy by having two rehearsals a week.

AND, fall tv is back! Heroes! Grey's! ER! Woot!

I'm really looking forward to going home this weekend. I was totally craving some ocean a few days ago, so I can't wait to see my Island. It's the last weekend of Anne until next season. My Anne dreams are already happening again...

Happy New Monday

2008-09-17T22:43:00.003-03:00

I have decided that Wednesday is the new Monday.

Old Monday used to be grocery day. Michelle and I mostly always get our groceries on Monday evenings. We've been doing this for two years. Holy cow, we've been doing this for two years!!

However, this year my Wednesday choir rehearsal has moved to Monday evenings (that's right, Emily! Choir is on Monday!). I don't know if you all can fully understand how much this has radically changed my world. Monday is a splendid time to get groceries. Wednesday evening? Not so much. It's the middle of the week. Who can plan meals when you get groceries in the middle of the week?

However, I'm trying to be a little more lenient towards "change", so I'm willing to give Wednesday night grocery shopping a chance. Tonight I rewarded myself by purchasing a snazzy new tshirt at the grocery store. It will go well with the comfy hoodie from last week's grocery trip. Must not let this become a habit.

The sun will come out tomorrow

2008-09-14T22:09:00.002-03:00

I'm feeling a lot better than I was on Friday. Note to self: Lynda's do not like large crowds of people. Nor do they enjoy loud jazz music. Or being manhandled by jazz festival staff.

Thank goodness for weekends, where there is no work.

I am also thankful for retail therapy, especially RW&Co. 20% off sales. I think I have enough skirts now to do me for a while. I also now own lots of snazzy black tops. Now all I need are some more work pants and some sweaters. Mmm... sweaters!! :)

You take the good, you take the bad...

2008-09-12T23:37:00.002-03:00

So this sort of happened to me again this week. Several times. Why can I not keep my mouth shut??

It's been a bit of a trying week. I'm in need of a hug. And possibly some therapy.

As my mother says, this too shall pass.

Two of my favourite things...

2008-09-10T20:25:00.002-03:00

I love it when the worlds of my favourite things collide...

Elections and audiology, united.

Did you know that Stéphane Dion has hearing loss?

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/ctv-national-news/ctv-national-news-sept-8/#clip90960

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=777961

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080910.LDION10/TPStory/?query=dion+and+hearing+loss

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/496345

It's so interesting to read how journalists try to make sense of something I deal with every day. Some of the descriptions of hearing loss in these articles are accurate, and some of them are off by just a little bit. Yay for audiologists!

2008-09-10T20:18:00.003-03:00

As a follow-up to my sinus woes/Medicare card rant:

I called the Accounting office for the health region, and they told me not to worry about the bill. When my new Medicare card comes in, they will resubmit the bill and I should be covered.

All is good.

Except my face is still sore.

My face is sore.

2008-09-06T22:04:00.003-03:00

Today my face is sore.

Last October I went to see my family doctor about my recurring sinus problem. I've had nasal congestion and post-nasal drip for several months (a few years, really). She advised me to irrigate my nasal passages frequently and to reduce allergens in my environment (like DUST). She gave me a prescription for antibiotics in case I needed it down the road, and she said if I didn't get better soon, she'd send me to an ENT. Good plan, I thought. I was very satisfied.

Several weeks later, I had sinus pain. I don't remember having sinus pain before. No problem, I thought, I would just take my antibiotics, and all would be well. And it was, for a little while, until the sinus pain came back a few weeks later. Nothing too serious, nothing life threatening, just a constant, moderate, aching sensation in my cheeks and forehead. It lasted a few days, and then I felt better.

Except it kept coming back.

So finally, in February, I decided to try and see my doctor again. When I phoned to make an appointment, I was informed that she had closed her practice. Great. Do you know how hard it is to get a doctor in Freddy? I had to wait a year and a half to get this one. And she was awesome. Apparently they were finding new family doctors for all of her patients, so I had to wait to be contacted by my new doctor.

So I waited.

In April, I found out my new doctor's name. Fantastic, I thought, now I can go see him and get my ENT referral. But no, I had to wait for a "meet and greet" appointment. No service until then.

So I waited. Meanwhile, my sinus cycle of pain kept on presenting itself. And really, at any time, I could have gone to the ER or to the After Hours clinic, but it seemed like such a long time to wait for such a minor concern. All I had to do was take some ibuprofen for a few days, and I would get through it.

In July, I got the call for my appointment. Woot! They scheduled me for August.

Three days before my appointment in August, they called to reschedule me because my doctor was going to be out of the office that day. Never mind that I had to jump through hoops and cancel patients so I could attend this appointment. Never mind that my new appointment was on a day I had scheduled as vacation. Who wants to go to the doctor on a vacation day????

Anyway, the day of my "meet-and-greet" appointment arrived. As I checked in, I discovered that my Medicare card had expired. In November 2007. Apparently they are supposed to send you a new one in the mail, but I don't remember getting one. The receptionist told me that I would be billed for this long-awaited appointment.

As the nurse was taking my history (in front of another nurse and patient, no less!), I was also informed that I was not to expect my doctor discuss any current health concerns. That would require another appointment.

Gah.

I tried not to be upset. After all, on that particular day, I wasn't really symptomatic. Did it really matter that I had had sinus pain for two weeks straight that ended just the week before? Apparently not, and I had a lovely, albeit brief, chat with my new doctor.

That was last week. Work has been utterly insane these past two weeks, and I didn't have a chance to straighten out my expired Medicare card issue until this past Friday. Meanwhile, I have gotten a bill in the mail for my "meet-and-greet" appointment.

It was $215.

I don't even know what the point of this story is. All I know is that my face is sore again, and even though I now have a doctor, I can't go see him again until I get this silly card business sorted out. Who knows what he charges for a real appointment.

Slipping through my fingers...

2008-08-24T11:25:00.002-03:00

Yeah, good-byes are not fun at all. The most difficult one so far was seeing my sister off for university in the wee hours of Saturday morning. I miss her already, and it's only been a day.

I've been trying to counteract my sadness by keeping myself well-occupied. Thank goodness Rosey is also home for the weekend, because yesterday we had a fabulous beach day. I also immersed myself in reading some chick-lit by reading Something Borrowed, a fluffy tale of an unmarried 30 year old woman who *gasp* meets her true love.

On Saturday evening I sank into a red seat at the theater and let some Anne-loveliness wash over me. Some things never change. Routine is good. Then I went out to a BO party and drowned my sorrows in Diet Pepsi and creamy dill chips. And I danced my cares away to ABBA.

More bananas

2008-08-21T22:13:00.002-03:00

Phew, it's been a busy few weeks. I've had a student intern at work, so I've been incredibly busy and a little bit brain dead.

This week is "good-bye week". I have two Freddy friends who moved away earlier this week. Yesterday I said goodbye to my intern. And this weekend, my sister is moving to Montreal. I'm not a huge fan of goodbyes. They make me cry.

In an effort to distract myself from all the sadness, I went to see a movie tonight with Michelle. On the way home, we stopped at the liquor store to buy some beer. And I bought some for a friend. Thank goodness Michelle was with me. She was my street cred. As in, she helped me find the beer and put it safely in the trunk. If I had been by myself, it probably would have taken me ages to find the special beer, and I would have tucked the back in the floor of my front seat.

I'm going home this weekend for the Maud. Can't wait!

This s**t is bananas

2008-08-10T21:41:00.002-03:00

This afternoon I went out to a local vegetable stand to buy some fresh produce. The experience made me feel a little nostalgic for my childhood. When I was growing up, there was a vegetable stand (or, as we called it, "The Stand") a mere stone's throw from the end of our lane. In the summer, we would always bike there and get a bottle of pop and a bag of chips after lunch. Sometimes we would get ice cream. Mom would often stop there on her way home from work and pick up corn or potatoes or green beans.

Anyway, today I bought some potatoes (New Brunswick potatoes... whatever), carrots, and cucumber. This particular vegetable stand also had a bakery, so I got some banana bread. Yes, I'm still continuing my search for that perfect loaf of banana bread. The loaf I bought today was just a little dry, and a little lacking in banana flavour. I still have not found any banana bread that matches the stuff I can get at the coffee shop at the hospital. And it's getting so darned expensive! It's now $1.50 a slice! I can't keep up with that!

Tweets.

2008-08-07T23:44:00.001-03:00

Work is busy.

Life is complicated.

I have a stack of Diet Pepsi next to my fridge that's six cases high.

Walk Rage

2008-07-23T22:28:00.002-03:00

First of all, let me say that I slept amazingly well last night, and I had a fantastically productive day at work. This type of day seems to be somewhat rare lately, so I feel the need to record it.

After supper tonight I went for a walk. For the past few weeks, I've been doing a one-hour loop up to UNB, down the hill, across the street to the walking trail, and then back up the hill to my apartment. Before setting out, I was dismayed to discover that both of my iPods were out of juice, so I had to venture out without musical accompaniment. Slightly boring, but soon I had some songs running in my head to make my walk passably pleasant.

And then, I ran into a snag - the slowish walker. There was this guy that got off at a bus stop and started walking ahead of me on the walking trail. By this point, I was walking at a brisk pace, feeling all sorts of lovely endorphins, and looking forward to powering up the hill. But this guy was holding me back! I was walking faster than he was, but not fast enough to pass him quickly and efficiently. It would have been a long, slow passing. Awkward!!

So I slowed myself down to a slower stride. It was painful, because he was heading in the exact same direction I was, and I didn't get to pass him until he turned off into his apartment building, which was only two buildings away from mine. So all the while, I was giving him the evil eye and muttering under my breath for walking so freaking slow. Grr.

However, in better news, I was also productive this evening at home! I cleaned! My apartment is clean!! For the first time in weeks!! And I updated my blog! Give me a shiny star. :)

I remember when rock was young...

2008-07-19T22:15:00.003-03:00

One of my main goals today was to get tickets for Elton John.

I failed miserably.

I spent a solid half hour hitting the redial button on my phone every two seconds. Then I tapered down to every two minutes or so. Then every 10 minutes or so. Once in a while the line would actually ring, and I would find out that all the phone circuits were busy, but most of the time I just got a busy singnal.

While my right hand was using the phone, my left hand was hitting the refresh button on my web browser. Predictably, the box office's website couldn't handle all the traffic, and I couldn't get through.

I tried valiantly for two hours, but then I had to go out, so I had to give up. No Elton John for me. I'm disappointed, naturally, but I'll live. I'll have to make do with my memories of Elton in British Invasion...

Happy anniversary!

2008-07-17T22:48:00.002-03:00

On this date in 2004, I moved to Fredericton. It was a bittersweet time for me, as I was eager to begin a challenging new job, yet sad to leave my friends and family at home in PEI. I didn't know whether I could be happy here, but I knew that I wasn't happy at home.

And what do I think now? I think that finally, finally, I am starting to feel happy. It's been a combination of many things that have led me to this place, but I'm glad to be here.

Now, if only I could get ALL of my friends to move here. Any takers? I have two very comfy couches...

Happy Skirt!Day :)

2008-07-16T21:59:00.002-03:00

Today I learned a new word: atelectatic.

When referring to an eardrum, it means retracted. I've been practicing saying it all day, and I wrote the word on a post-it note and stuck it on my office wall. It's quite a mouthful.

And, as it was soooooo hot out today, I wore a skirt to work today. Not just a skirt, but a new skirt. Not just a new skirt, but a skirt that only cost seven dollars!! I felt so pretty all day. I'm so glad I have new clothes, because I so desperately need to do laundry, but I don't want to. Instead, I'll just wear new clothes for the rest of the week!

Retail therapy

2008-07-15T22:56:00.002-03:00

Tonight was a long overdue Lynda/Michelle night. It had been far too long since our last happenstance of quality time. Our chosen activity was the tried and true shopping at the mall.

And did we ever shop.

I bought three (three!) skirts. And some tops. And some shoes. And some city shorts. And other stuff. I'm cut off, I tell you. No more new clothes for me. Unless it's a cardigan for work. Or black sandals.

And now, I'm off to assemble a snazzy outfit for tomorrow. Skirt!Day, here I come!

A little fall of rain

2008-07-14T22:15:00.003-03:00

Tonight I went over to a friend's house for sushi. I decided to walk there, even though she lives a fair piece away. I have been quite slack in the physical activity department, so I thought it would be a good idea to get my butt in gear and do something.

As I left my apartment building, I noticed it was sprinkling a little. No worries, I thought, I'll just go all the way back upstairs and grab a sweater to keep myself dry. By the time I got back downstairs, the sprinkly mist had turned into a downpour. But I was determined to go for my walk, so I dashed back upstairs to grab a jacket. By the time I got back downstairs, the rain was done. And I was late.

So my leisurely walk turned into a brisk trot with a jacket in tow. A 47 minute brisk trot that left me sweaty and bearing five new blisters. Next time, I'll wear sneakers. And check the weather forecast.

Ask and ye shall receive...

2008-07-13T21:49:00.003-03:00

Ahem. Summer is busy.

Just got back from a weekend home, where I managed to squeeze in three shows, a trip to the beach, nachos and a party with my Centre peeps, dinner with the siblings, a Sunday drive to the Frosty Treat, and a chance encounter with one of my Freddy friends. Good times.

On Friday I was browsing at The Bookman (sorry, Catherine), and I came across a paperback copy of Yesterday the children were dancing. The title sounded familiar to me, so I picked it up for a closer look. I was delighted to see discover that this was a play translated into English by Mavor Moore. Not only that, but the first English production of the play was at the Charlottetown Festival in 1967!

My inner Festival junkie is dizzy with joy!

So I can't wait to read this play - I don't think I've read a play since high school, and that was eons ago. I also found this website that has even more information about the play and its author. This could be dangerous... I can already feel myself being drawn into the world of 1960's Quebec... if I don't post tomorrow, send a search party.

There was an old(ish) woman who swallowed a...

2008-07-03T22:47:00.002-03:00

fly.

I was walking up a steep hill this evening. It was a little strenuous, so I was breathing fairly deeply with my mouth wide open. And then a mosquito flew in my mouth and I swallowed it.

Ew.

Mariska Hargitay!

2008-06-24T23:18:00.002-03:00

I just got back from seeing The Love Guru. Its humour was offensive on so many levels, and I can't believe how much I giggled. It was incredibly silly.

By the way, I did spend a splendid week at home last week. Recap to come soon...

12 of 12 June 2008

2008-06-12T23:58:00.001-03:00

Well, it's sort of a 12 of 12. I had every intention of documenting my day, but circumstances got in my way. I didn't get to bed until really late, because my mom and Kat and Jim arrived at my apartment after midnight. They were coming back from a Montreal apartment hunting adventure. So I only got a few hours sleep until I had to go off to work.

Let me say that it's quite hard to be at work the day you go on vacation. I was in a distracted tizzy all day. My body was present, but my mind was not. I was so happy when 3:00 arrived and my sister picked me up. We were on our way home to my Island and my show!!

Oh, Connecticut. Such a pokey driver.

We survived the bloody boring Freddy - Moncton leg.

Lots of tunes on the iPod made the drive go by as quickly as possible.

Almost there!But wait - road construction!

Phew! Made it with lots of time to spare!

Ah, the theater. I always feel so happy when I'm here, especially after the first Anne of the season. The performance was a little iffy (LM Montgomery monologue?? wtf?), but it was just so very lovely to see the show again after so long. Summer has started!!

So it would appear

2008-06-11T23:56:00.003-03:00

I'm sitting in front of the tv with Ezekiel, trying to stay awake. My mom and my sister and my littlest brother are driving from Montreal, and they're staying with me tonight. I'm sure they'll be super tired when they get here, because they left Montreal almost 8 hours ago. I spent the evening packing for my trip home and getting in touch with my PEI peeps. I am really looking forward to familiar surroundings and (hopefully) relatively uncomplicated interpersonal interactions. And, of course, there's the first Anne show, which marks the official start of summer!

Things are going to be different for me this summer. I'm used to zipping home every weekend in June, July, and August.... and for most of September. However, this year I'll finally begin the weaning process in earnest. I have mixed feelings about this, but I think it's necessary. As usual, I'm having anxiety at the prospect of any change to my routine, but I think I can handle it. Right?

2008-06-10T22:42:00.000-03:00

2 more sleeps!

That is all.

Where'd the summer come from?

2008-06-08T22:45:00.002-03:00

Well, summer has struck my fair city with a vengeance. The weather today was hot and humid - aka typical Fredericton summer weather. It's been quite chilly lately though, so this day really snuck up on me.

The upside of the day was that it was the first Skirt!Day of the summer, meaning I deliberately chose to wear a skirt in order to keep cool. A side effect of this was that I felt super snazzy all day long. And it's quite possible that I may wear skirts all this week. In fact, I may wear skirts all summer long.

I've had another busy yet hyper-fabulous weekend. I went to a concert on Friday night, entertained family on Saturday, attended a recital on Sunday afternoon, and saw the Sex and the City movie (for the second time) this evening. All of this adds up to a very happy Lynda, who is more than ready to tackle four days of work before heading home for some much-needed Anne-o-rama. (4 more sleeps!)

But I'd be king just in the spring, so now I think it over...

2008-06-04T21:41:00.002-03:00

Okay, it's been a really draining day at work, so I've been spending the evening trying to cheer myself up.

This video is helping...

I know I've already posted in on facebook, but I feel the need to post it here. It's that good.

Only nine more sleeps until Anne starts again!!!

Oo-de-lally

2008-06-01T21:55:00.003-03:00

I decided that I had enough Rosey withdrawal, so I hopped in the car and went to Halifax on Friday for a visit. It was indeed a hyper-fantabulous weekend.

First I picked Rosey up at her library. I even got a personally guided tour from my favourite librarian. Her library has old textbooks! It's so cool. Then I got to meet Violet the cat, who is completely adorable, and very fond of string. Liam, Rosey and I went to dinner, and afterwards we strolled through the Public Gardens and saw lots of ducks. We even saw baby ducks! And we had gelato.

On Saturday, we had an old-fashioned ramble. We drove out to the Annapolis Valley to see the apple blossoms. We stopped for a visit at the Grand-Pré National Historic Site, which was hyper cool. They had an incredibly detailed model of an Acadian village. We saw more ducks, and a cat inside a church!

It was raining too much to eat outside, so we had a car picnic. Then we drove through Wolfville and visited Acadia University. We turned off the beaten path and drove up the mountain to The Look-Off. We had an amazing view of the valley. And not only that, but there was ice cream to be eaten. And not only that, but the ice cream place had a popcorn machine that made single servings of popcorn! Best popcorn ever!

As we made our way down the mountain and rambled through Kentville, I couldn't help but notice how closely a lot of the landscape resembled that of our dear Island. It made me a little homesick. But I'm so glad we got to go to the valley!

On Sunday, we had lunch at Cora's with Maria, which was so filling that I have not felt the need to eat for the rest of the day. It was great to see Maria and catch up with her! CCOA reunions rock.

I always love visiting Halifax, and I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit. Back to work for me demain, but it won't be long until my next vacation adventure - this time I'm going home for a little rest and Anne action!

Why?

2008-05-28T21:36:00.003-03:00

Why do some people wear shoes indoors?

I found this question on Ask Metafilter, my favourite site for answering all the questions I've never asked. Before I read this question, I didn't even know that some people wear shoes inside their dwellings. I'm baffled! I totally thought it was a tv/movie thing to wear shoes inside. I never wear shoes inside!! Do you?

Re: Grey's...

2008-05-22T23:09:00.003-03:00

I haven't posted much about tv here lately, since I haven't been watching it much. The writers' strike really did a number on my desire to sit in front of the television. However, in recent weeks, I did manage to catch up on Grey's (thank you, ctv.ca!), and tonight, Michelle and I and another friend watched the season finale together.

And I cried.

And it was good.

Insert churchy quote here.

2008-05-19T22:11:00.003-03:00

My dear readers, you may be aware of my fondness for music outside the mainstream. Quite a while ago, I discovered the Gather Gospel Hour (I call it the "Happy Time Gospel Hour") on Friday nights on Vision TV. Whenever I'm not out and about on Friday's, I usually spend some time watching Mr. Gaither and his Homecoming Friends belt out some Southern Gospel tunes. It's super fun!

Saturday I went to Saint John to witness the entertainment spectacular that is the Gaither Homecoming Tour. From my seat in the 13th row, I spent four glorious hours smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. I waved my little Gaither light back and forth at every available opportunity. I sang along (quietly) to all my favourite songs. I laughed delightedly at the carefully scripted banter. It was like being in one of their tv specials. The place was packed with all their fans. I felt a little guilty, because everyone else seemed to be really into the religious aspect of the show, while I was there just for the music. And the choreographed dancing.

Wonderful.

Seriously. It was.

And now, my wonderful four-day weekend is over. I'm really glad I got to slow down in the last few days and take care of some practical things. It's done wonders for my mental health. I'm actually looking forward to work tomorrow! When's the last time that happened?

May's celebration extravaganza

2008-05-18T22:02:00.002-03:00

It's my sister!

After I got back from Dubai, I went home for the weekend for a family celebration extravaganza. My dear sister graduated from UPEI on Saturday afternoon. Saturday was also my older younger brother's birthday, and of course Mother's Day was on Sunday. I was a busy sister/daughter.

I really enjoyed attending UPEI's convocation, even though it took forever for my sister to actually walk across the stage (she was the second last graduate!). I love watching all the graduates and the professors in their ceremonial garb. I love celebrating the achievement of all the graduates who worked so hard to earn their diplomas or degrees. It made me remember my own UPEI grad, which was *cough* nine years ago. So much has happened to me since then, but it seems like those nine years have just flown by.

Okay, enough sentimental stuff.

I also learned that I want a new camera. I've been using my mom's new camera for the past few weeks. It has 10X zoom and 7.1 MP, and it's so user-friendly. My ancient 3.2 MP camera with its 2.0X zoom pales in comparison. I had to leave my mom's camera with her in PEI, which is only fair since it does belong to her. But oh, how I want a new one.

I also managed to squeeze in a trip to the Centre, and caught the end of the Rural's musical. I can't give a decent review because I only saw half of it, so let's just leave it there. I had a fabulous post-show chat with Maria, which was an unexpected but splendid surprise!

And I had curry.

Okay, almost caught up to current events...

The other side of the world...

2008-05-15T23:22:00.002-03:00

So the next weekend, I went to Dubai. It was awesome. I saw camels. And dolphins. I bargained for souvenirs. Details are at Arabian Adventure (I was in week 1, so you'll have to scroll down quite a bit to get to my adventures), but here are some of the hundreds of pictures I took. I'll put more up somewhere when I get a chance.

The other island

2008-05-14T21:38:00.002-03:00

So after I came back from Toronto, I went to Grand Manan for the weekend with some friends. It was the first nice weekend of the spring, and we had absolutely brilliant weather. We went on a ferry!! I had a total blast, and came home with some great memories. Grand Manan is definitely high on my list of favourite islands.

Happy belated 12 of 12 (April)

2008-05-13T21:30:00.000-03:00

So yes. I'm still alive. Life is busy.

I have been halfway across the world and back, but before I did that, I spent two lovely weekends with my friends. Here's some photographic evidence of the first one, which was in Toronto about a month ago. I was at a hearing aid conference for the weekend, and I was lucky enough to meet up with Catherine and Laura (and one of Catherine's friends), and we went to see Evil Dead: The Musical!!

Like a bee

2008-04-15T23:06:00.002-03:00

Um, I am busy. I went to Toronto for a conference on the weekend, and then this week at work has been absolutely insane. And it's only Tuesday.

So much work to do. So little time.

The beginning of the end.

2008-04-10T22:42:00.004-03:00

I knew this was coming. I should have stocked up. What will I do without my Pepsi in a glass bottle??

Luceat

2008-04-06T21:45:00.003-03:00

These are the snazzy new sneakers that I bought on Thursday.

I am now officially in love with them.

They are, quite possibly, the coolest pair of sneakers I have ever owned. The best part is the velcro.

Here you see that the bottom two straps are criss crossed. This is in honour of my friend Emily. I bought my sneakers because I was inspired by her very snazzy sneakers.

Today was the last choir practice of the semester. We had a dress rehearsal for our concert tomorrow evening. Emily and I have finally made it to the big time - we're standing in the very back row for the concert. I'm totally going to have choir withdrawal until September.

Dammit!

2008-04-03T23:02:00.002-03:00

Oh my, how the week does fly by.

Tonight Michelle and I continued her birthday celebrations by shopping and and eating DQ ice cream cake. Just to let you all know, RW and Co. has opened a store in Freddy, and I sort of indulged a little bit. But it was entirely justified, because they were clothes I needed for work. And I totally needed the sweater I got at Roots. It was on sale. And it's pretty. And I totally needed the new pair of sneakers I got at Payless. They're so snazzy. They have velcro, and I'm wearing them right now.

And really, what better way to top of the evening than ice cream cake? Dammit!!!

Happy belated Earth Hour

2008-03-30T22:30:00.003-03:00

Last night I went out for supper with a few friends, and we ended up at Second Cup for post-dinner hocho. The coffee shop is located right downtown, and it was fun to sit at a table by the window and watch people walk by.

As the daylight dwindled, the staff turned the lights out in the shop and brought out tea lights for all the tables. I thought this was a bit odd, since there were people sitting nearby who were trying to study, and clearly, having the lights on would help them see better. I was hoping that the streetlights would soon come on so it would be a bit easier to see, but they didn't. Oh well, that didn't bother us much, we just talked until the shop closed, at which point we left amidst the heady aroma of a multitude of candles being extinguished at the same time.

When I got home, I got a message from another friend reminding me of Earth Hour, where everyone around the world banded together and turned off their lights for one hour, starting at 8:00 local time. I was dismayed to find that I had missed it, so I decided to turn my own lights off at 11:00, since I'm sure it was 8:00 somewhere.

So I surrounded myself with candles and read for an hour. When I turned the lights back on and blew out all the candles, the smell brought me back to the coffee shop earlier that evening. And that's when it hit me...

candles on the table... lights off in the coffee shop... no street lights...

I had already celebrated Earth Hour that day, and I never even realized it!

And, not only did I celebrate Earth Hour, but I did it TWICE in one day. How's that for effortless environmentalism.

Why ain't it always summer?

2008-03-29T15:55:00.002-03:00

Okay, the snow is getting to be more than a bit ridiculous. It's never going to melt. No, that's a lie - I can tell it's melting. I see the sun shining, and I see the puddles of melted snow in the parking lot of my apartment building. I just wish the thawing would happen a lot quicker.

Anyway, I've been trying to cheer myself up a bit, so I found this.

My Japanese is a little shaky, but I think it's a website for a theater in Japan that's performing my favourite musical. Or maybe they have performed it. Anyway, the best part of the website is listening to the instrumental recording of "Why Ain't It Always Summer" and "Ice Cream".

*sigh*

Soon it will be summer.

Bawk bawk

2008-03-25T22:04:00.002-03:00

Happiest of birthdays to my dearest Rosey, who is about to join me in the world of grown-ups. I think she'll make a fine addition to my little club.

And for the rest of you, happy belated Easter. I hope the Easter bunny found you all. I anticipated Easter a bit this year and went on a cupcake consumption rampage. It's been quite dangerous, and now I find myself longing for vegetables. Yes, that's right, I'm craving salad. Go figure.

Counting my blessings

2008-03-22T22:46:00.003-03:00

Today is the one year anniversary of my car accident.

I celebrated life today by driving home for Easter weekend. I drove most of the way with a friend from choir. The roads were a little snow covered, but there was no freezing rain, so I was okay. Then I spent some time with my family before heading out to see Sweeney Todd at City with some CCOA peeps. It was bloody good.

The past few weeks (months...) have been a wee bit stressful for me. Hopefully I'm coming through the worst of it now. Once again, I remind myself that I have many many great people in my life who love me, and that is a lovely feeling. Thank you everyone.

Happy Wednesday

2008-03-19T22:44:00.002-03:00

I try and make Wednesday's one of my favourite weekdays. It's a tough task, since Wednesday's at work are typically pretty draining. But I try and make up for it in the evening with choir practice.

It's quite important to make the transition from work to play, so when I get home from work on Wednesday, I usually hop right into the shower and get all cleaned up. Sometimes I even have a bubble bath. Then I take my time getting pretty for choir practice. Occasionally, make-up is involved.

And then I get to go to choir practice and sing. Singing is fun and makes Lynda happy.

Today was a particularly happy Wednesday, because I went over to a friend's house for supper, and then we went out for a pre-choir dessert. I had chocolate cheesecake.

The consequence of eating pre-choir dessert is that it gives me a bit of a cheesecake high. It hit at the beginning of the 5th movement, and I giggled during the rest of the rehearsal.

Happy Wednesday indeed.

Happy Tuesday

2008-03-18T21:22:00.002-03:00

These are the things I'm doing today to make me happy and distract me from the persistent burning neck pain that reminds me of my car accident neck pain:

- I ate two havarti with jalapeno grilled cheese sandwiches for supper. Two grilled cheese sandwiches are just the right amount. You may recall that three are too many.

- I watched A LOT of figure skating tonight. So dedicated am I that I watched at least a part of all the compulsory dances, where all the skaters to the exact same pattern. Twice. I'm currently typing and catching up on the pairs.

- I had a bubble bath.

- I did not have any diet pepsi since work. Hopefully this will help with the sleeping.

Wish me luck and happiness. Neck pain tends to make me cranky.

3.14

2008-03-14T23:44:00.003-03:00

So I finally know what day it is. It's Pi day.

To celebrate, Michelle and I went out to dinner, and then to the mall (surprise). Then we went over to my place and made cupcakes and watched What Not to Wear (best episode ever). And I ate too much cupcake batter and cupcakes. Me sick.

Mmm. Cupcakes.

Michelle insisted on decorating the cupcakes with a can of icing that's about a year old.

She finally let me take a real picture of one of her cupcakes. I left mine naked.

2008-03-12T22:11:00.002-03:00

Sorry gang. No 12 of 12 today. I just don't feel like it.

Happy Tuesday??

2008-03-11T22:10:00.004-03:00

So I think today is Tuesday?

I'm not entirely certain, because first there was the time change on the weekend, which completely threw me for a loop. Now it's dark in the morning again, and that does not agree with me at all. And then I went out last night, so today felt like a Saturday, so my body was doubly protesting when I dragged myself out of bed this morning. And then there's the fact that I worked Up the River yesterday, which makes me think today is actually Friday, because in my head, I still go Up the River on Thursdays. And then! Then!! Michelle and I went grocery shopping tonight, so that makes me think it's Monday.

I am so messed up. I think perhaps this is a sign that I should take the rest of the week off work to adjust my internal calendar. And that would suit me just fine.

Oh lordy.

2008-03-07T10:38:00.003-04:00

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/03/06/cans-seized.html

My favourite sentence in this "news" article:

"The canned pop bust was P.E.I.'s largest ever."

This is almost as good as the article about the little loaf of bread that wouldn't go stale. Almost.

To sleep perchance to dream...

2008-03-06T23:05:00.002-04:00

The story of this week is that I have a lot of things on my mind, and thus have not been sleeping. It is very difficult to work when you have only slept for four hours the night before.

It is also difficult to write when you are sleep-deprived.

Tomorrow I have the day off, and I really really hope I will sleep tonight.

Crisis solved.

2008-03-02T22:07:00.002-04:00

Well, the hostage crisis has been resolved. Today I couldn't take another meal cooked in only one pot, so I went at my stove drawer with a vengeance. Well, really I went at it with a butter knife and managed to push the handle of my frying pan back far enough to open the drawer! Huzzah!

To celebrate, I made a steak stirfry with rice. And then I made spider cookies.

Yesterday Michelle and I had an old-fashioned Saturday, i.e. we shopped for most of the day and went to a movie. I managed to buy new cutlery and some new dishes, which are items that have been on my wish list for a long long time. I also got a hat for $1.13 and a sweater at Winner's for $8.00. And I got a new windshield wiper.

Anyway, when I ate my celebratory dinner, I ate on a shiny new plate with a shiny new knife and fork. And it was lovely.

Mmm... food.

2008-02-29T22:57:00.002-04:00

So I haven't been eating a lot recently.

Now, before you get worried, let me tell you why I haven't been eating a lot. You see, my stove is holding my pots and pans hostage. I keep them all in the bottom drawer of my stove. Last Wednesday when I got a pot out of the drawer to make popcorn, my frying pan shifted into a position that caused it to wedge the drawer closed. As in, I can't open the drawer at all.

So I can't get at my other pots and pans, and now the one pot I have access to is dirty, and I'm too lazy to wash it, but I'm soooooo hungry. And I tried to make a frozen pizza tonight (no pot or pan required), but it had lots and lots of spinach on it, and the smell of it turned my stomach. I tried to make oatmeal, but in my current state of mind mush, I made it wrong and it was too watery. And there are only so many bowls of cereal a person can eat.

Back to my box of crackers...

It's all good.

One more sleep!

Oh happy day

Birthday pupcakes

Go me!

I think I'm gonna like it here.

Tjuv

OOOOO's

Face the music and dance

OLYMPICS

Gah. Tuesday.

Brr...

Who loves winter?

Must have

A festival of weddings!

This is the last time I listen to my brother.

Way too darn hot

It's wonderful on a summer's afternoon...

It's a sunshine day

Happy Harry Potter Day!

Mmm... cupcakes

*hangs head in shame*

I'm on a journey to who knows where...

It's a sunshine day

Gah.

Free advert for Sobey's right here.

Weak watching

Dancing it out

An unexpected song

Book Club

This is for Ashley

You take the good, you take the bad...

FOHer's dream

Mmm... cupcakes?

Lynda is...

Lynda is...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lynda ate seven cupcakes today.

T-3

Anne of Green Gables, never change. I LIKE YOU JUST THIS WAY.

Operation: Christmas tree

Jul, jul.

A hazy shade of winter

G D A E

Here comes winter!

She's back.

High on the hill was the lonely goatherd...

Election fever

Gobble.

Brand new day

Happy New Monday

The sun will come out tomorrow

You take the good, you take the bad...

Two of my favourite things...

My face is sore.

Slipping through my fingers...

More bananas

This s**t is bananas

Tweets.

Walk Rage

I remember when rock was young...

Happy anniversary!

Happy Skirt!Day :)

Retail therapy

A little fall of rain

Ask and ye shall receive...

There was an old(ish) woman who swallowed a...

Mariska Hargitay!

12 of 12 June 2008

So it would appear

Where'd the summer come from?

But I'd be king just in the spring, so now I think it over...

Oo-de-lally

Why?

Re: Grey's...

Insert churchy quote here.

May's celebration extravaganza

The other side of the world...

The other island

Happy belated 12 of 12 (April)

hangs head in shame