It's all good.

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.

It's all good.

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!

hangs head in shame