tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19058846470636187612024-03-13T00:38:03.520-04:00So This Is Married Life?I finally met a boy, moved him here, and now we're married. I'm not sure it's what I bargained for...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-30870471592355320102012-06-16T12:17:00.002-04:002012-06-16T12:25:00.413-04:00Yeah, it's June...I've been busy on the Mountain. Frankly, life in general has had me scrambling to keep up. I prefer that metaphor to the one where I'm in the wagon, careening downwards and screaming the whole way. Which I also feel like right now. I'm going to recap where we are in the List for this year, and you may understand why.<br />
<ol>
<li>Do the upgrades that I have purchased for the house. <i>I have the
<strike>paint for the side door and front shutters</strike>, the paint for the trim on
the living room window and spindles, and the paint for the front door. I
need to use it. As well, I have a <strike>new light for the patio</strike>. I need to
get it up in the spring.<b> We're moving! Suddenly, all these things took on a new urgency. In addition to the painting listed above, We hired a painter who also painted the front railing and the surround on the garage door. It looks so fresh here. Wish that We could continue to enjoy. Sigh.</b></i></li>
<li>Move. <i>I spent part of the summer lap swimming, and loved it. I
want to start swimming at the municipal pool again. I've bought a new,
smaller pair of jeans. I would love to shrink out of them. I've
stopped drinking pop, but it will take more than that and I know it.<b> Stress makes me eat. And eat out. A lot. We're working on the whole clean out the freezer before moving, and that means eating at home. Hopefully, all will go well. It's not moving, but I find eating mindfully what I prepare is a great help.</b></i></li>
<li>Cook at home more - like, 5 nights per week consistently. <i>I
started taking pictures and posting them to Facebook last year. My new
project is a <strike>blog of what I make</strike>. I'm hoping I update there more than I
update here. Sigh. <b>Have you seen <a href="http://www.oreosandcoolwhip.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Things I Make for Dinner </a>? It's great...when I have time to update. I have a bunch of pictures on my camera. Hopefully, this weekend. I love the accountability of it all. </b></i></li>
<li><i> </i>Repaint the upstairs bathroom. <i>I haven't told J this
yet, but I want to repaint the bathroom. We currently have a double
towel bar that is pulling out of the wall. He wants it replaced, and I
agree. I need to decide what I want to put up instead, and then do it.
I am much enamoured of stripes right now. In greens, blues, and
chocolate browns. Then all the towels I have will still work. If we
don't go away for March Break, perhaps then. <b>Not Happening. We're moving.</b></i></li>
<li>Complete the 1000 Gifts in 2012. <i>Have you ever read Ann
Voskamp? I can never decide how I feel about her...hers is a style of
writing that I do not enjoy. But I've taken up the challenge of 1000
gifts to bring joy this year. My calendar is printed, and I've started. <b>It's coming. Sometimes the prompts are weird.</b></i></li>
<li>Use the library. <i>J is in the market for an ereader. I can't
decide if that's something I really want. But I do have a library card
that I don't use enough. I think about purchasing cookbooks, and then I
think, "Why don't I get this from the library?" I think of a movie
that I want to see that's been out for a while, and I realize that I
could borrow it from the library. I want my card to smoke in 2012. Or,
at</i> <i>least obey the laws of thermodynamics and warm a cup of tea. <b>We've taken to borrowing movies. I like that. We're just not always good about watching them before they need to go back.</b></i></li>
<li><i> </i>Organize. <i>Erg. I'm moving into larger categories and
away from specifics. Organize means <strike>deal with the boxes on the floor of
the living room</strike>. <strike>Deal with the black hole that is my office</strike>. Keep
working on <strike>picking up what needs to be picked up</strike>. But the boxes are the
priority. It's slowly getting there. <b>It's amazing what wanting to sell a house will do to you. The living room has furniture! The boxes are gone! J and I spent a weekend going through things we hadn't touched in 3 years. This is a sign, apparently, that we're supposed to move more often. Ugh.</b></i></li>
<li>Entertain more. <i>This may be the only thing on the list that
involves J directly. J and I both want to see our friends more, and to
spend time with them. We'd like them at our house. We've talked about
having people in once a month. That helps with my organization thing
too.<b> We were averaging a family a month. Then we started getting the house ready. We've had no one in since. But we do have plans for next Sunday night to sit on the patio and grill.</b></i></li>
<li>Get a handle on our finances, and our legal stuff. <i>J and I have
been making some strides towards this recently, some of which I'll share
later. The big thing is we have no will. If I die, J loses the house
seeing as the title is in my name and the estate would sell it. This is
something that just makes sense.<b> Our finances are in a better place. Really. Someday, I may even share. Moving back from whence we came should help too. Prices are lower there. We still have no will. Argh.</b></i></li>
<li><strike>Apply for a new position at work</strike>. <i>The hiring pool will be
opening soon. I would like to move up, even though it scares me to
death. If not, I think I need to spend some time with a career
counsellor talking about what I want to be when I grow up.<b> </b></i><b>Check. I have my own building next year as principal. New position found, totally scared of what's to come.</b></li>
</ol>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-32005184566022453412012-01-07T15:36:00.001-05:002012-01-07T15:36:34.434-05:00Much Ado about 2012So I felt that the new list deserved its own post. I've decided to not cut and paste last year's list in to "help" me along...it's a fresh start. Despite the fact that I just read last year's list and made my comments. Without further ado, here's 2012's To Do:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Do the upgrades that I have purchased for the house. <i>I have the paint for the side door and front shutters, the paint for the trim on the living room window and spindles, and the paint for the front door. I need to use it. As well, I have a new light for the patio. I need to get it up in the spring.</i></li>
<li>Move. <i>I spent part of the summer lap swimming, and loved it. I want to start swimming at the municipal pool again. I've bought a new, smaller pair of jeans. I would love to shrink out of them. I've stopped drinking pop, but it will take more than that and I know it.</i></li>
<li>Cook at home more - like, 5 nights per week consistently. <i>I started taking pictures and posting them to Facebook last year. My new project is a blog of what I make. I'm hoping I update there more than I update here. Sigh.</i></li>
<li><i> </i>Repaint the upstairs bathroom. <i>I haven't told J this yet, but I want to repaint the bathroom. We currently have a double towel bar that is pulling out of the wall. He wants it replaced, and I agree. I need to decide what I want to put up instead, and then do it. I am much enamoured of stripes right now. In greens, blues, and chocolate browns. Then all the towels I have will still work. If we don't go away for March Break, perhaps then.</i></li>
<li>Complete the 1000 Gifts in 2012. <i>Have you ever read Ann Voskamp? I can never decide how I feel about her...hers is a style of writing that I do not enjoy. But I've taken up the challenge of 1000 gifts to bring joy this year. My calendar is printed, and I've started.</i></li>
<li>Use the library. <i>J is in the market for an ereader. I can't decide if that's something I really want. But I do have a library card that I don't use enough. I think about purchasing cookbooks, and then I think, "Why don't I get this from the library?" I think of a movie that I want to see that's been out for a while, and I realize that I could borrow it from the library. I want my card to smoke in 2012. Or, at</i> <i>least obey the laws of thermodynamics and warm a cup of tea.</i></li>
<li><i> </i>Organize. <i>Erg. I'm moving into larger categories and away from specifics. Organize means deal with the boxes on the floor of the living room. Deal with the black hole that is my office. Keep working on picking up what needs to be picked up. But the boxes are the priority. It's slowly getting there.</i></li>
<li>Entertain more. <i>This may be the only thing on the list that involves J directly. J and I both want to see our friends more, and to spend time with them. We'd like them at our house. We've talked about having people in once a month. That helps with my organization thing too.</i></li>
<li>Get a handle on our finances, and our legal stuff. <i>J and I have been making some strides towards this recently, some of which I'll share later. The big thing is we have no will. If I die, J loses the house seeing as the title is in my name and the estate would sell it. This is something that just makes sense.</i></li>
<li>Apply for a new position at work. <i>The hiring pool will be opening soon. I would like to move up, even though it scares me to death. If not, I think I need to spend some time with a career counsellor talking about what I want to be when I grow up.</i></li>
</ol>
So there it is. Only 10 this year, but I feel they're ambitious. Doable, but ambitious. Here's to the year ahead!!<i> </i>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-40622578855644857252012-01-07T14:46:00.001-05:002012-01-07T14:46:27.013-05:00Recapping the Past YearWow. The year is gone. I'd like to say that I've done lots, but I haven't. I am nothing, if not the immoveable mass. Let's review the 15 for 2011 and how we did, shall we?<br />
<ol>
<li><strike>Hang the garden hose mount on the side of the house and break
down the large cardboard box it came in that is currently on my living
room floor and has been there since April with the cordless drill
that has been charging since late May.</strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><strike> </strike> <i>Ha!! Shout out to my friend Scott, who made this happen with J one day. The long metal things that were to go into the wall were the wrong size when you did what the directions said mean that it's allllllll good that Scott and J did this. I would have drilled the holes and cried. A lot. </i></span></li>
<li>Work on scrapbooking my wedding. It's been 3 years, people.<i> I may never do this. You know how people talk about never seeing Star Wars, or reading Anna Karenina? Perhaps this is how I should view my wedding - the epic I never finished.</i></li>
<li><strike>Decide what to do about the laundry sink and the current
plumbing problems that it has (we cannot turn the hot water tap, there
are no shutoffs, the tub itself isn't particularly sturdy)</strike>. <i>Hooray!
There are shut off valves and new taps, thanks to a faulty trap. The
plumber came, and an hour later we had a working laundry sink! I get
to replace this one!!!</i></li>
<li>Repaint the side door off the garage<b>, as well as <strike>the front door
shutters</strike>, and the trim around the new window as well as the wood trim
and spindles at the front door and the top of the stairs</b>. <i>The paints are all on the living room floor, at the moment. I painted the shutters this summer. They look fabulous. I'm hoping we don't go away for Victoria Day, and that the weather is nice. </i></li>
<li>Replace the light fixture on the patio. <i>We bought a light this week. That's part of the Victoria Day list. Must convince J to stay home.</i></li>
<li><strike>Research how much that front window is going to cost to
replace, and then decide if it should be done before the energy
reassessment is done on the house. Oh - and get them to quote on
shutters and a new storm door</strike>. <i>The front window has been
replaced. And the storm door. I've decided to repaint the shutters.
I'm hoping to go nowhere for Victoria Day, and paint then. The shutters
and the garage door. And the front door. I've decided that it needs
another coat of paint. </i><b>Notice how I wanted to stay home last year, and we didn't?? Yeah...In January, I have high hopes.</b></li>
<li>Learn to operate the sewing machine from my mother in law, or get rid of it. <i>I've
researched buying the manual online. Has anyone ever done this? The
machine is about 55 years old, but it's a Kenmore - and was top of the
line in its day. I want it for curtains and cushions and so on.</i></li>
<li>Deal with the boxes on the living room floor.<i> I'm getting there. I read about an article about throwing out 50 things at a time. That sounds doable. There are more than 50 things on my living room floor.</i></li>
<li>Buy a great carpet for the living room<i>. </i>And great curtains. <i>Must. Deal. With. Boxes.</i> </li>
<li>Practice the guitar.<i> Ongoing. Still love guitar, playing Radiohead right now.</i></li>
<li>Freecycle more. <i>Candles, gift bags, etc, etc. I also have an Ikea floating shelf to dispose of on Kijiji. I still have these. Go figure.</i></li>
<li>Cook at home 5 days a week, and try some of the recipes that seem to
be stacking up everywhere. I should not spend time on
allrecipes.com. <i>More on my new project. They dovetail nicely.</i></li>
<li>Research and plan for getting a dog. This is one that J and I have
been rolling around with for a couple of months. We're thinking
summer. <i>This is currently on hold.</i></li>
<li>Go swimming, or do something. I have been looking at the Summer
Activity guide and have come to the conclusion that I should be doing
something. Swimming has always appealed, and it's not that much. <i>Work started, and I quit moving. It's very sad.</i></li>
<li>Read. <i>I went back to work, and quit reading. My mother gave me a 2 book series for Christmas, and my father gave me The Wealthy Barber Revisited. I'm hoping to read them before June. </i></li>
</ol>
<br /><i> </i>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-86855977150014287712011-09-05T21:43:00.001-04:002011-09-05T21:43:42.920-04:00Scenes from a Football Game(In the car, tons of lightning and wind outside. My mother has managed to get the Sweet Marie bars out of the cooler by dragging the lawn chairs into the back seat and leaning into the cooler)<br />
<br />
Mom: We need to get these out. I think I have an emery board. It's cardboard though. I'm not sure I'll be able to get more than one or two before it will be ruined.<br />
<br /> I am so glad I remembered that there were some settings of plastic silverware in the bag of football paraphernalia. Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-41739033777073455972011-09-04T20:44:00.001-04:002011-09-04T20:44:15.422-04:00Let's Go BlueDirect quote from me to my mom yesterday at the game:<br />
<br />
"Well, when the tornado comes, we should be safe in this concrete vault."<br />
<br />
Yep. Welcome to the Big House, mom.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-33962904397712149132011-08-09T10:45:00.000-04:002011-08-09T10:45:46.204-04:00Fancy! (aka I Clean Up Good)I say often that Cat Deeley's hairstylist (or stylist in general) should live in my closet. I warn any hairstylist that I go to that my hair will never look as nice as it did when I leave their chair because I don't style it. Heck, I don't even blow dry it in the middle of winter. Most of them laugh me off. The few who take me seriously and give me a great cut that looks awesome after I do nothing are worth every cent I pay them. Seriously. I blame my mother for this. <br />
As a child, my mother had my hair cut short. Really short. I was mistaken for a boy short. It wasn't ego boosting, and I'm not posting pictures. And while that haircut made the most sense for a mother with short hair who had no idea what to do with her daughter's hair, it meant that I never learned what to do with hair other than wash it and comb it. <br />
In high school, I won a perm in a draw, and I started to grow my hair, much to my mother's chagrin. I believe that my hair may have been the biggest rebellion of my high school career. Like every other girl in my high school, I had a spiral perm for <b>years</b> until I looked at my yearbook and discovered I had the same haircut as 90% of the female population. At which point I went back to straight hair, had it bobbed, and never looked back. While it has been all lengths from my ears to my shoulders, I have had the same hairstyle for the past 20 years. It works with my hair, it's easy to maintain, and it's wash and go.<br />
Which when you come right down to it, isn't a bad thing. I buy shampoo and conditioner and steal J's hairspray on the off chance I need it. I've experimented wildly with colour, which really is a hobby in and of itself, but so long as I can pull my hair into a ponytail with a black covered elastic, we're good to go.<br />
But I admire people with fancy hair. People who can braid it, and put it up and make themselves look good. The height of my skill is really twisting it and holding it in place with a big clip. If I'm looking for fancy, I'd rather buy a great hat.<br />
Hat wearing is a lost art. Not basball caps, but proper high tea or Sunday service hats. I was born in the wrong time. I have many. Both winter and summer. With feathers, and ribbons and even earflaps. I have never been so happy to have a good, solemn hat as I was at my great aunt's funeral on the 22nd of December when I whipped out the earflaps under the brim of my hat. This summer I decided that I wasn't buying a new dress for wedding (How thrifty!), but I would buy a new hat (How extravagant!). I spent as much as I would have on a new dress. <br />
I started searching for a facinator, which led to Etsy, which led to a local girl who specializes in wedding accoutrements. She donates part of the proceeds to a project in Ghana, and she does fantastic work. I custom ordered a facinator from here. If you're looking, I highly recommend Corrinne! Check out her stuff at <a href="http://www.budsandblooms.ca/">Buds and Blooms</a>. I'm now in love with her headbands. Sigh.<br />
The thing with a great facinator is you need equally great hair, which we've already determined that I can't do myself. So, I found someone I think I'm happy with, and I'm now ready to unveil Sarah's fabtastic wedding hair, also known as I wish I had talent to do this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYmSvOE4QUT69TDWNYIFsdZRlYkgo8ERv07t5E4PZh8dO5Hvn0BJoUKObDiu6VOCx9U6DBOEtBEyWZkjP1sJY89kNP8JGfoJYI-28LqQUPY1pe_SPNkhxb5U_bH-cGPn2I6-Exe3Pj4eX/s1600/IMG_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYmSvOE4QUT69TDWNYIFsdZRlYkgo8ERv07t5E4PZh8dO5Hvn0BJoUKObDiu6VOCx9U6DBOEtBEyWZkjP1sJY89kNP8JGfoJYI-28LqQUPY1pe_SPNkhxb5U_bH-cGPn2I6-Exe3Pj4eX/s320/IMG_0060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is me, after the ceremony. Unfortunately, Mr. Blue shirt behind me means you can't really see the teal feathers. Please excuse the sexy tan line. I got rid of it the Monday after, after looking at this picture. Sigh.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfG0_F_ep29CnWdyE4KCYEGLpAZtWQINe7D0RP8tYgW-VTBFSK2CFvxsDTRPN15OXFKB0ktuXEL6LBplAJ277lElYX74AWXmWabxBqxH-Ei-WPu1GNsoghpUkj2ZPASDYBdpfaP9Yl0m73/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfG0_F_ep29CnWdyE4KCYEGLpAZtWQINe7D0RP8tYgW-VTBFSK2CFvxsDTRPN15OXFKB0ktuXEL6LBplAJ277lElYX74AWXmWabxBqxH-Ei-WPu1GNsoghpUkj2ZPASDYBdpfaP9Yl0m73/s320/IMG_0064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>These slightly fuzzy ones were taken by my slightly tipsy, visually impaired husband after the party. They're not the best. He's learning to use my camera. However, the facinator and my hair colour from January (I KNOW) are both looking good here. One More. I'm posting for posterity, or for when I think I've never had good hair.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywUxEronueuk8TgcJhCI6oeueQhehLpISRxi5Xm29iJhUcHhfkzalgAMYZhXzEZPIFiWtlUW0r7if2M5bKhyEkTXIMPsrWUtF3qLKuvLK8nh3acPtG6wpWvpX3pwziNMHcuR8-LcdI-W3/s1600/IMG_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywUxEronueuk8TgcJhCI6oeueQhehLpISRxi5Xm29iJhUcHhfkzalgAMYZhXzEZPIFiWtlUW0r7if2M5bKhyEkTXIMPsrWUtF3qLKuvLK8nh3acPtG6wpWvpX3pwziNMHcuR8-LcdI-W3/s320/IMG_0065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Yep. We should all have hairdressers in our closets, and dress up more often.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-61378549157702430022011-07-23T21:13:00.000-04:002011-07-23T21:13:34.561-04:00One Month Down...So summer has been happening. You'd think from the lack of time that I spend here I would be out in the real world, but sadly that is not the case. Summer has been lovely, though. <br />
<br />
We spent a few days at the beginning of July visiting J's dad, and going to Cleveland for a couple of ballgames. We also visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which I highly recommend. We weren't sure what to expect, especially with taking my parents, but the 4 of us had a good time. J's equally a iffy in museums: he can't read the captions on things and get bored quick. He found lots to do too. A great afternoon for the lot of us.<br />
<br />
I didn't put together a Summer 15. I'm soldiering on with the 15 for 2011. There may be a little editing as we go. Let's see, shall we?<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Hang the garden hose mount on the side of the house and break down the large cardboard box it came in that is currently on my living room floor and has been there since April with the cordless drill that has been charging since late May.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> <i>I'm not sure this one will ever happen. The box moved to my family room floor when I hosted a wedding shower in the living room in June. I have a friend who's promised to help, but our schedules haven't meshed. Le sigh.</i></span></li>
<li>Work on scrapbooking my wedding. It's been 3 years, people.<i> I've picked up a new project, and this has fallen off the radar. More on the project when I'm ready. It's not going as fast as I'd like.</i></li>
<li><strike>Decide what to do about the laundry sink and the current plumbing problems that it has (we cannot turn the hot water tap, there are no shutoffs, the tub itself isn't particularly sturdy)</strike>. <i>Hooray! There are shut off valves and new taps, thanks to a faulty trap. The plumber came, and an hour later we had a working laundry sink! I get to replace this one!!!</i></li>
<li>Repaint the side door off the garage<b>, as well as the front door shutters, and the trim around the new window as well as the wood trim and spindles at the front door and the top of the stairs</b>. <i>I have the paint! We bought it yesterday! I'm not going to get it done before the small group BBQ, but it will happen!!!</i></li>
<li>Replace the light fixture on the patio.</li>
<li><strike>Research how much that front window is going to cost to replace, and then decide if it should be done before the energy reassessment is done on the house. Oh - and get them to quote on shutters and a new storm door</strike>. <i>The front window has been replaced. And the storm door. I've decided to repaint the shutters. I'm hoping to go nowhere for Victoria Day, and paint then. The shutters and the garage door. And the front door. I've decided that it needs another coat of paint.</i></li>
<li>Learn to operate the sewing machine from my mother in law, or get rid of it. <i>I've researched buying the manual online. Has anyone ever done this? The machine is about 55 years old, but it's a Kenmore - and was top of the line in its day. I want it for curtains and cushions and so on.</i></li>
<li>Deal with the boxes on the living room floor.<i> For the wedding shower, I compacted everything yet again and we're down to a neat little line along the wall. I would really like this done before I go back to work.</i></li>
<li>Buy a great carpet for the living room<i>. </i>And great curtains. <i>Must. Deal. With. Boxes.</i> </li>
<li>Practice the guitar.<i> Ongoing. We've been on a U2 kick recently, with One and Sunday Bloody Sunday. I <b>heart</b> guitar. </i></li>
<li>Freecycle more. <i>Candles, gift bags, etc, etc. I also have an Ikea floating shelf to dispose of on Kijiji. </i></li>
<li>Cook at home 5 days a week, and try some of the recipes that seem to be stacking up everywhere. I should not spend time on allrecipes.com. <i>The crazy pictures on Facebook continue. I sat down at the dining room table at the beginning of the summer, and made a big list of things to make. I'm getting through the list. We're having fun with our BBQ, have started having people in more regularly, and are eating at home most of the time. Going out is so easy...and so expensive!</i></li>
<li>Research and plan for getting a dog. This is one that J and I have been rolling around with for a couple of months. We're thinking summer. <i>This is currently on hold.</i></li>
<li>Go swimming, or do something. I have been looking at the Summer Activity guide and have come to the conclusion that I should be doing something. Swimming has always appealed, and it's not that much. <i>I've started lap swimming at the municipal pools in town! I love the outdoor one!! I'd like to start some sort of accountability around this too. Yoga is on hold until the fall...everything is in summer mode. But both the Doctor and the Osteo are happy about the swimming.</i></li>
<li>Read. <i>I've been reading more. We did a series at church about our relationship with technology, and I've been working my way through the reading list. It's be fascinating to read about the online personality, and what is happening to our brains. Right now, I'm in the middle of <u>The Help</u>. It's so good! </i></li>
</ol>It's coming, isn't it? I need to post more regularly, and clean my house, but I look at the list and the number of ongoing projects, and I think that things are doable. They have to be. Or the list will never roll over, and that would be so wrong.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-61407822270155747792011-05-11T20:47:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:34:44.099-04:00On Cooking, Accountability, and Being ForgottenYou know what magazine I love? Despite the fact that it is a 40 page advertisement that shows up quarterly? The Kraft Canada <u>What's Cooking</u> magazine. I positively salivate when I know that it will soon be arriving, and I will have another 40 pages of not-so-good-for-you-but-oh-so-delicious-and-freaking-simple recipes will soon be showing up in my mailbox. Besides, when I'm trying to cook at home more, Kraft makes this waaaaay easier.<br />
To go with this, I have been spending the last few months uploading pictures of my dinner to Facebook. When I make something new, and to prove that I'm eating at home, I take a picture or 2 of dinner and upload it so that my friend Scott knows that I have cooked again that day. After giving me a hard time for going to the grocery store and then eating dinner out, I started posting pictures to make a point that we do eat at home. Now, it's as much for me as for anyone else. Accountability that makes me giggle is always effective. So, if you're my friend on Facebook, you often know when I've made something new...but I've been a little lax recently. I don't think I got the burritos last week...or the asparagus and snap pea stir fry earlier this week.<br />
I subscribed to Martha Stewart's <u>Everyday Food</u> for 5 years, and I make a ton of stuff out of those too, but when I want something quick, tasty, and disgustingly simple, Kraft wins, hands down. Case in point: tonight's dinner. I made a crockpot lasagne that took me maybe 20 minutes to throw together, the longest part of it being the browning of the ground beef. Likewise, when I don't know what to make, the Kraft Mexican Bake Thing is an easy go to recipe. "Bake Thing" not being the actual name, but the name by which it is known here on the mountain. It's the only reason I keep a case of Kraft Dinner in the house.<br />
So as I have been getting ready for hosting a wedding shower in June, I started looking for fun, easy desserts in my back issues of <u>What's Cooking</u>. It was then that I realized that I hadn't received an issue since the Holiday '10 issue with the Toblerone Cheesecake on the cover.<br />
I started searching the Kraft Canada website - had the decided to get rid of my favourite advertisement? Apparently not, seeing as I could see the cover of the Spring '11 issue, and flip through the digital issue. In poking around, I discovered that Kraft is "not taking new subscriptions at this time." But where was my issue???<br />
I was home today, with a Dr.'s appointment smack dab in the middle of the day (I'm fine - just in case you wanted to know, and no, I'm not pregnant) so I decided to phone Kraft and ask politely where my magazine is.<br />
Ready for this? I was removed from the mailing list for a reason no one can explain. Um, what? But it's one of the few things I enjoy receiving in the mail! So the girl went to see what she could do. Happily, she readded me to the list. But I might miss 2 issues...which she's going to make sure get sent to me. <br />
I'm so happy! Having stopped my subscription to <u>Everyday Food</u>, this is really my only new source of recipes. As I cross things off my list (the goal is always to make at least 3 new recipes out of each magazine. I make a list that is constantly updated so that I know what I want to make.), it's nice to know that there will be magazines and recipes to crowd out the other favourites in my repertoire.<br />
It's the little things, really.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-74122654792752560182011-05-05T21:08:00.000-04:002011-05-05T21:08:54.240-04:00What I Want to Be When I Grow UpOsteopathy had made me realize something. I didn't think particularly hard when I decided to become a teacher. I mean, a music degree in education really qualifies you for little to nothing else, but I'm not sure I truly thought this through. <br />
There are a lot of cool jobs out there. Perhaps it's the time of year, or that I'm just *really* tired, but I'm wondering why I didn't consider "gold digger" or "slot jockey" as a viable career option. Perhaps it's the fact that my husband is unemployed and unable to collect benefits because he's an immigrant that makes me think that he's considering new options and so should I.<br />
It's been a hard couple of weeks at school. It's that time of year when kids brains turn to thoughts of summer and they become stupid. Suspensions rise, productivity decreases, and my office becomes a hopping place. I feel like I've been going non-stop for the past little bit, and we still have 2 months left. Don't get me wrong. I do love my job. It's challenging and always changing, and I get to work with some great kids. I just sometimes think that there should be more than what I'm doing.<br />
Recently, I've been wondering what I could do from home. I would love to do something creative. I would like to do something that allows me to direct my time a little more. I would like to do something that doesn't make me think, "REALLY? I went to university and beyond so that I could reason with a defiant and mentally ill child/ explain to a parent why they should call the police over what happened last evening after school and off school property/ convince a staff member why they can't say that over the PA in front of their class."<br />
I actually said to a staff member when she asked me what I wanted to do today "get in my car and go home." And I meant it. It's not a good scene.<br />
J and I are working on what he's going to do next, and how I fit into it. For now, I'll be staying where I am. But I may be dreaming of becoming the next Etsy mogul.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-8259575257933934752011-05-04T22:10:00.000-04:002011-05-04T22:10:31.290-04:00While it Smacks of Sham...So I've been going to an osteopath. It makes me question why I chose my current career path. Let me explain.<br />
Back in the winter, around the same time that my blood pressure went all wonky, I realized that I was walking around the school with no neck. Literally, my shoulders were up around my ears and I was walking like Lurch. It was so wrong. I spent time visualizing length in my spine and consciously lowering my shoulders; and complaining to the kindergarten teacher about how I felt. She suggested that I make an appointment with her osteopath, who is part way between work and my house.<br />
"Just go with it," she said. "There's something about it that just makes you wonder."<br />
So at the beginning of February I made an appointment. Essentially, I went, laid on a table fully clothed, and closed my eyes as the osteo took the temperature of my feet before working her way up and down me with a pressure that wasn't as deep as a massage. When she was done, she said in a calm, soothing voice, "I'll leave you for a few minutes to let the patterns settle." Um...okay...this is when I began to wonder about what I'd really gotten myself into.<br />
<br />
I went back to work and talked to the kindergarten teacher again about how I wasn't really sure about what had happened, and how I felt better (maybe), but wasn't really sure. <br />
"Just go with it," she said. "It makes no sense, but keep trying."<br />
<br />
So I went back in March. And wondered why I was there.<br />
In April, I went to my next appointment. I'd been suffering with congestion and mysterious bug bites on my legs (which have since been diagnosed as a minor case of shingles). I told her about the bites, but didn't mention my nightly congestion. It didn't occur to me that it was at all important.<br />
I laid down on the table, closed my eyes, and let her go to work. She spent a lot of time working my outer thighs. At the end of the session, after the patterns had settled, the osteo said to me, "You're really congested! I could feel it in your system." I explained that yes, I was, and that I usually stuffed up in the evening and then didn't sleep well because of the snoring. She said, "I spent a lot of time releasing your sinuses. See how you do this evening."<br />
Releasing my sinuses? Riiight. Yet, that was the first night that I didn't stuff up and sleep poorly in weeks.<br />
I'm going back in May.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-89754028858327139772011-04-30T20:43:00.000-04:002011-04-30T20:43:17.674-04:00Welcome to Spring Sigh. Perhaps I need to make the commitment to write quarterly. This seems to be all I am good for. A quick update on life:<br />
J has lost his job, and hasn't worked since January. While this doesn't affect our lifestyle (beyond my loss of a cleaning lady), it does affect his mental well-being. And mine. He needs gainful employment. Anyone have a job he can do from our house?<br />
I have once again been unsuccessful in my campaign to become an elementary school principal. There's something about my interview style that turns the committee off. I, apparently, have "a quality". This has made me sink back into daydreams of chucking it all and running off to make homemade preserves and sell them in a handmade stall on the side of the road...or to hie myself off to academia and get another degree...or win powerball and megamillions and spend the rest of my life travelling the world.<br />
Actually, I do have a small side project that I'm exploring at the moment. If it comes to fruition, I'll share.<br />
Invariably what I return to when faced with disaster and a lack of control is making lists so that there's an illusion of control. I turn to the 15 for an update as I begin to think about summer projects and what I want to do with those 10 blessed weeks that can't come soon or fast enough.<br />
<ol><li>Hang the garden hose mount on the side of the house and break down the large cardboard box it came in that is currently on my living room floor and has been there since April with the cordless drill that has been charging since late May.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> <i>I'm not sure this one will ever happen, despite the fact that I want the square of living room floor back. It is now Spring. I need to impose.</i></span></li>
<li>Work on scrapbooking my wedding. It's been 3 years, people.<i> You don't honestly think I've done a thing about this, do you?</i></li>
<li><strike>Decide what to do about the laundry sink and the current plumbing problems that it has (we cannot turn the hot water tap, there are no shutoffs, the tub itself isn't particularly sturdy)</strike>. <i>Hooray! There are shut off valves and new taps, thanks to a faulty trap. The plumber came, and an hour later we had a working laundry sink! I get to replace this one!!!</i></li>
<li>Repaint the side door off the garage.</li>
<li>Replace the light fixture on the patio.</li>
<li><strike>Research how much that front window is going to cost to replace, and then decide if it should be done before the energy reassessment is done on the house. Oh - and get them to quote on shutters and a new storm door</strike>. <i>The front window has been replaced. And the storm door. I've decided to repaint the shutters. I'm hoping to go nowhere for Victoria Day, and paint then. The shutters and the garage door. And the front door. I've decided that it needs another coat of paint.</i></li>
<li>Learn to operate the sewing machine from my mother in law, or get rid of it.</li>
<li>Deal with the boxes on the living room floor.<i> I have offered to host a wedding shower for a friend in June. I have to clean out the living room. I have a month. Good Lord, what have I agreed to?</i></li>
<li>Buy a great carpet for the living room<i>. </i>And great curtains. <i>This is to come. The curtains are hideous, but we're still going around about colour for the walls and if the living room curtains should match the dining room (note: they should. Don't listen to my husband.) Then we'll talk area rug.</i> </li>
<li>Practice the guitar.<i> Ongoing. I'm working on After the Gold Rush by Neil Young with arpeggiation at the moment.</i></li>
<li>Freecycle more. </li>
<li>Cook at home 5 days a week, and try some of the recipes that seem to be stacking up everywhere. I should not spend time on allrecipes.com. <i>Ongoing. Some weeks are better than others. But with less income means a need to not go out so much. I try lots of new recipes, and a friend gave me a hard time about eating out, so I've taken to taking pictures and posting my dinner on Facebook. Accountability helps!</i></li>
<li>Research and plan for getting a dog. This is one that J and I have been rolling around with for a couple of months. We're thinking summer. <i>This is currently on hold.</i></li>
<li>Go swimming, or do something. I have been looking at the Summer Activity guide and have come to the conclusion that I should be doing something. Swimming has always appealed, and it's not that much. <i>I haven't been. My osteopath (looong story...I should really blog about the experience and the revelation that it has been) suggests I try some yoga. I've been looking, but haven't done anything.</i></li>
<li>Read. <i>Currently, I am rereading one of my favourite trashy romance novels. It's all I'm good for. I'm hoping this summer to try something a little newer, but not a lot deeper.</i></li>
</ol>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-24450168540472360532011-01-02T14:26:00.000-05:002011-01-02T14:26:27.786-05:00New Years and All that PlanningOkay. It's been a while. 5 months a while. Like many things in my life, I look with longing at people who blog regularly and realize that it's just not me. I am a busy girl who spends her spare time on Facebook, churning my numbers for the rather addictive game Mousehunt. It's a small life that I live.<br />
<br />
Let's recap what's happened in the past 5 months, shall we?<br />
I started at a new school. I have 450 new names to learn. There are moments when this is going well, and then there's most of the time. I like the school, but I miss where I was. It was comfortable. I keep realizing how little of a people person that I am. <br />
To go with the new school was a new role and another course. I never want to take another AQ. Especially with people who just graduated. They anger me. Greatly. My greatest joy in the course was baiting other students. 'Nuff said.<br />
U of M football season happened. The defense sucked. The kicking game sucked. The offensive line was explosive and exciting. The triple OT win was awesome. Man, the Big 10 was bad yesterday.<br />
I went to the doctor, and my blood pressure is out of control. My best guess is stress from work. I'm pretty sure things are pretty good right now, but I've been off 2 weeks. I'm going back in February for more blood work and to see what's next. Thankfully, they've decided I'm "borderline", so no meds yet. But we'll see.<br />
I got a Blackberry Torch. I can barely make it run. But it's fun to try.<br />
<br />
I've been thinking about the Summer 15 and how far I got. I realize some of this is ongoing, but I'm thinking I'm going to turn it into the 2011 15. There is some overlap, and some changes. Here we go:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Hang the garden hose mount on the side of the house and break down the large cardboard box it came in that is currently on my living room floor and has been there since April with the cordless drill that has been charging since late May.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> <i>Grrr....this one stays. The bos ix still in my living room, but the tools are put away. I'm going to have to impose on a friend in the Spring.</i></span></li>
<li>Work on scrapbooking my wedding. It's been 3 years, people.<i> Now that I'm done my course, I may actually have time for this. I am no further than I was in August, except I have printed pictures.</i></li>
<li>Decide what to do about the laundry sink and the current plumbing problems that it has (we cannot turn the hot water tap, there are no shutoffs, the tub itself isn't particularly sturdy).<i></i></li>
<li>Repaint the side door off the garage.</li>
<li>Replace the light fixture on the patio.</li>
<li><s></s>Research how much that front window is going to cost to replace, and then decide if it should be done before the energy reassessment is done on the house. Oh - and get them to quote on shutters and a new storm door.</li>
<li>Learn to operate the sewing machine from my mother in law, or get rid of it.<i></i></li>
<li>Deal with the boxes on the living room floor.<i> There are 5 boxes left, and they're filled with total crap. I am very much enamoured with Freecycle at the moment.</i></li>
<li>Buy a great carpet for the living room<i>. </i>And great curtains. After I have the picture window replaced. </li>
<li>Practice the guitar.<i> Ongoing. I'm working on Moonlight Mile by the Rolling Stones right now.</i></li>
<li>Freecycle more. We have so much stuff that needs to go. J got a Magic Bullet for Christmas...we should get rid of our blender. I have so many gift bags from my wedding showers still. They need to go to a home where they will be used. I think I have our old Christmas tree storage box to get rid of too.</li>
<li>Cook at home 5 days a week, and try some of the recipes that seem to be stacking up everywhere. I should not spend time on allrecipes.com. <i>Ongoing. I've been horrible this fall. Between learning a new school, my course, laziness and lack of ambition, we've been going out more than staying in. I'm hoping to change this in the new year. We went to the grocery store today to encourage eating at home.</i></li>
<li>Research and plan for getting a dog. This is one that J and I have been rolling around with for a couple of months. We're thinking summer.</li>
<li>Go swimming, or do something. I have been looking at the Summer Activity guide and have come to the conclusion that I should be doing something. Swimming has always appealed, and it's not that much. <i>Sigh. I haven't been. And I need to go. I'm not sure if it would be a stress release, but I need to do something.</i></li>
<li>Read. I would love to actually try the Twilight series and know what my intermediates might be reading. I also have a large quantity of professional reading that I need to complete for my job. <i>I read the last book of the 39 Clues. It was great, and I'm waiting for the next series. I'm hoping to try the Hunger Games books this month. I read nothing but Spec Ed publications for my course this fall. It was boring.</i></li>
</ol>So there's the new/old list. Hopefully, I'll be back sooner rather than later with more of these done or at least in the works.<br />
<i><br />
</i>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-44161721530440799682010-08-10T12:23:00.001-04:002011-01-02T13:57:26.272-05:00Let's See How We're Getting On...So, it's August. Let's see where we are with the Summer 15. I'm not thinking it's all that great.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Hang the garden hose mount on the side of the house and break down the large cardboard box it came in that is currently on my living room floor and has been there since April with the cordless drill that has been charging since late May.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> <i>This has not been going so well. We were hoping for Saturday after discovering my drill isn't powerful enough to support the size drill bit I need. It's 18V and everything. Very Sad.</i></span></li>
<li>Work on scrapbooking my wedding. It's been 3 years, people.<i> I am now officially done the showers. I'm up to the rehearsal. I ran out of pictures when I went to scrapbook last Friday. While I haven't been to print more yet, I'm getting there. Now I'm afraid I'm going to run out of my gold speckle pages that I don't think you can still get. Argh. But I still have another pack, so we'll see.</i></li>
<li><s>Purchase and install a new low-flow toilet in the powder room on the main floor. It's all about government rebates!</s><i> All that's left is mailing my application! This was an adventure, and I'm thrilled that Dale came to help with the craziness, because I'd still be curled up in a ball crying if I'd had to do this myself. It was a 6 hour project. I KNOW!</i></li>
<li>Repaint the side door off the garage.</li>
<li>Replace the light fixture on the patio.</li>
<li><s>Repaint the front door some spectacular shade that J will question the wisdom of, and then learn to grudgingly agree with</s>. <i>It's YELLOW!!! I LOVE it!!! I'm now looking for a U of M wreath, seeing as I wouldn't paint the blue block M J wanted on the front door.</i></li>
<li>Call the siding guy and see how much 2 more pairs of shutters would cost, including installation. I don't want to paint them, and I would like them all to match. <i>I'm now wondering how much work it would be to rip them off, and how it would look. I'm afraid that J is going to come home some non-humid afternoon, and they'll just be 90% gone because I don't have a ladder to deal with the top part around the living room window.</i></li>
<li>Deal with the boxes on the living room floor.<i> There are 5 boxes left, and they're filled with total crap. I am very much enamoured with Freecycle at the moment.</i></li>
<li>Buy a great carpet for the living room.<i> Does finding great curtains in the Sears catalogue count?</i></li>
<li>Practice the guitar.<i> Ongoing. I'm working on Lola by the Kinks right now.</i></li>
<li><s>Investigate the cost of a new air conditioner for the house, and see if we should really do the furnace simultaneously. I'm hoping not. The A/C won't get done if we need both. </s> <i>Not happening. The finances won't allow it, and the current A/C is still hanging in.</i></li>
<li>Cook at home 5 days a week, and try some of the recipes that seem to be stacking up everywhere. I should not spend time on allrecipes.com. <i>Coming along. We're probably averaging 4 nights a week, and I cook a lot. Not always what we need, but it's fun. We've been going to the market and I buy too much on an ongoing basis, which means we have people in more which I really like. And I'm here, so I make desserts. I'm making peanut butter chocolate krispie treats this afternoon. You know you want to visit me.</i></li>
<li>Deal with the probably very nasty upstairs bathroom drain. The previous owners were apparantly very hairy, as evidenced by our shower drain when I cleaned it out. I'm not sure J and I have helped the situation. But the sink is running slow again and I've been avoiding. We should go into the fall with things under control. <i>I can't half cross this out. I'm not done, but water drains. My mom and I plunged some of the snot out of it last week.</i></li>
<li>Go swimming, or do something. I have been looking at the Summer Activity guide and have come to the conclusion that I should be doing something. Swimming has always appealed, and it's not that much. <i>Sigh. I haven't been.</i></li>
<li>Read. I would love to actually try the Twilight series and know what my intermediates might be reading. I also have a large quantity of professional reading that I need to complete for my job. <i>I do not believe that I will complete any fiction book this summer. I got my name on the list at the library for Book 10 of the 39 Clues series. I've finished <u>Promoting Positive Behaviours: An Elementary Principal's Guide to Structuring the Learning Environment</u>, and am working on <u>Instructional Rounds for Improving School and Student Performance</u>. It's as boring as it sounds. Next up, <u>Leading with Teacher Emotions in Mind</u> and the new Ontario Ministry <u>Growing Success</u> document. For Fun, I look at books of soft furnishings for the house. </i></li>
</ol><i><br />
</i><br />
4 of these are ongoing projects. 1 hasn't been thought of, except with longing, 3 are partially done, 3 are done 4 haven't been touched, and 1 has been considered but not acted upon. Time is getting short. I'm not sure I'm going to finish. Sigh.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-87927292267525189782010-07-24T12:52:00.000-04:002010-07-24T12:52:46.011-04:00Get Your Geek OnI realize that it isn't often I write on a Saturday. With the <a href="http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/">Cutest Blog on the Block</a> changing hosts, I decided it was time to update my background. I'm not totally sold on this one. We'll see.<br />
I am excited, though. We're off to Hamilton tonight to go to <u>Star Wars in Concert</u>, something we've been looking forward to for a while now. I love the Star Wars movies, and I love a live symphony. We're putting 2 of my favourite things together in one! And we're going for Chinese!<br />
<br />
Life keeps getting better and better.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-39512939092500725742010-07-20T21:14:00.004-04:002010-07-20T21:51:43.428-04:00Readers AnonymousHi, my name is Sarah, and I'm a magazine addict.<p></p><p>So in cleaning out the living room today (I KNOW, I've actually been working on it!), I discovered that there were even more magazines hiding than what I knew about.</p><p>When we packed up the old house to move, my mother realized that I wouldn't finish on time. She knows me much too well. My mom came and packed the main floor of our old house. There was no sorting, no purging, just into boxes. If we didn't know where something should go, we put it in the living room; and there it has sat for the past year. So now goes the difficult work of actually doing the purging that should have happened before things went into boxes.</p><p>I have found old phone books, stamps that will need extra postage to be useful, calendars from 3 or more years ago and the like. I have also found out how many magazines I actually have.</p><p>I've always enjoyed magazines. I started with a subscription to Sesame Street Magazine every year from my aunt, graduating to the Electric Company, and National Geographic's World. My parents gave me a subscription to Seventeen, and I bought other magazines for years from Vogue to Elle to Style at Home. Early on, I think I just liked getting mail. Now, I appreciate that I might be able to finish an article in one sitting, seeing as I have so little time to read.</p><p>I have just decided once again to let my subscriptions to the 3 magazines I'm currently getting lapse. I'm just not getting through everything and can't understand why I'm putting out good money that is being wasted in things I don't read and merely pass on to my friend's husband's physio clinic. I have more than enough Everyday Food issues to keep me entertained, and Real Simple always makes me feel inferior. The only one I may miss is the Educational Leadership magazine I'm getting from ASCD.</p><p>I did discover, however, a boon while I was cleaning today: 5 years worth of Cooking Light issues in a box, along with a list of everything I've made from the issues, and a bag containing 2 years worth of Canadian Living, obviously from my mother.
</p><p>What's astonishing is that we moved a box of 55-60 magazines. That's not a little bit sad too. What else is sad is my excitement over all of these magazines. I suddenly have more reading material! More recipes! More of everything I really don't have time for!</p><p>In good news, I have found approximately half of the living room floor, and I was having way too much fun going through my CDs today, deciding what to keep. My iPod has really made a good portion of my CD collection obsolete.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-69847534698110462452010-07-13T12:15:00.002-04:002010-07-13T12:33:35.157-04:00First Week In, No ProgressI spent the weekend baking and cooking. It was fantastic.<p></p><p> J and I went to the market Saturday morning, and we bought yummy things that he thought were more expensive than things at the grocery store (um, no...) and then I started baking. I made <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/jam-cupcakes-with-chocolate-frosting">jam filled vanilla cupcakes</a> from Everyday Food and<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Raspberry-Streusel-Muffins/Detail.aspx"> raspberry struesel muffins</a> from All Recipes.com. Yum.</p><p>I have not made anything since. Sigh.</p><p>This afternoon, I am headed back to the grocery store and have grand plans for this week, so we'll see.</p><p>I have been busy choosing a front door colour, though. I'm hoping to have a couple of swatches up soon for judging which colour it should be, if it ever dries out a bit. As happy as I am about the cooler temps, it's just too humid to be thinking about painting anything of consequence at the moment.</p><p> Much like my cooking. Anything of consequence is falling by the wayside. I have muffins to eat.
</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-89349999234082114282010-07-09T15:19:00.003-04:002010-07-09T15:40:52.471-04:00The Summer 15As I lay on the couch this afternoon, willing myself to have the energy to make brownies before going for a pedicure, I made the mistake of phoning my ever loving, working husband. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Note to self:</span> at least sit up before you call him, making it appear like you might be productive. Or don't call on a Friday. It's his eeeevil day.) I informed him that I was working up the ambition to make brownies, and he wanted to know why I didn't have the ambition to empty the living room of the boxes that are still piled there more than a year after we moved. Sadly, I know that we still use a good portion of what's in those boxes because we root through them, find what we want, and get on with our days. I am guilty of even returning some of these items to the living room boxes so as not to have to figure out where said items should go. Ahem.<p></p><p>In the spirit of that conversation and the subsequent one I had with my over achiever of a mother that I'm not even going to dignify with a synopsis, I give you the "Sarah has GOALS for this Summer, and is Ambitious Enough to Achieve Them", or the list.</p><ol><li>Hang the garden hose mount on the side of the house and break down the large cardboard box it came in that is currently on my living room floor and has been there since April with the cordless drill that has been charging since late May.</li><li>Work on scrapbooking my wedding. It's been 3 years, people.</li><li>Purchase and install a new low-flow toilet in the powder room on the main floor. It's all about government rebates!</li><li>Repaint the side door off the garage.</li><li>Replace the light fixture on the patio.</li><li>Repaint the front door some spectacular shade that J will question the wisdom of, and then learn to grudgingly agree with.</li><li>Call the siding guy and see how much 2 more pairs of shutters would cost, including installation. I don't want to paint them, and I would like them all to match.
</li><li>Deal with the boxes on the living room floor.</li><li>Buy a great carpet for the living room.</li><li>Practice the guitar.</li><li>Investigate the cost of a new air conditioner for the house, and see if we should really do the furnace simultaneously. I'm hoping not. The A/C won't get done if we need both.</li><li>Cook at home 5 days a week, and try some of the recipes that seem to be stacking up everywhere. I should not spend time on allrecipes.com.</li><li>Deal with the probably very nasty upstairs bathroom drain. The previous owners were apparantly very hairy, as evidenced by our shower drain when I cleaned it out. I'm not sure J and I have helped the situation. But the sink is running slow again and I've been avoiding. We should go into the fall with things under control.</li><li>Go swimming, or do something. I have been looking at the Summer Activity guide and have come to the conclusion that I should be doing something. Swimming has always appealed, and it's not that much.
</li><li>Read. I would love to actually try the Twilight series and know what my intermediates might be reading. I also have a large quantity of professional reading that I need to complete for my job.</li></ol><p>So there's 15 things that I'd like to/need to do this summer. How successful will I be? That's anyone's guess.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-50908335850069337662010-07-08T15:47:00.003-04:002010-07-08T16:11:35.453-04:00So Many Recipes, So Little TimeI am once again in the throes of caffeine withdrawal. I say "once again" because I do this at least once a year when I stop work and therefore stop driving past 20 Timmy's on my way to work. To go with that, I had a principal this year who bought me a coffee every day. Yeah, once again I've gone cold turkey due to the fact that: a) I don't like instant coffee, which is cheap; and b) I like the concept of actually consuming less caffeine, even though during the working days I feel a whole lot more with it when drinking my coffee.</p>
<p>I have suffered with the low-level headaches (usually they're pounding monsters but this time it's been the headache that wouldn't leave) and the inevitable sleepiness that comes from lack of stimulant. This combined with the fact that I'm so tired when school ends that I can hardly move means that I have been lying around this week being pathetic. Which, as we all know, is Sanskrit for "really cool way to live". Added to this is lower back spasms. Seeeing as there's been nothing in the past few days that should have made these happen (despite my husband's assertions that I "slept wrong"), I'm thinking that they're making up for the lack of headache.</p>
<p>One thing that lying on the couch with the TV on and Facebook running has afforded me is a chance to leaf through my scary number of food magazines and make a list of all the things I'd like to try cooking this summer. It's a formidable list. I also seem to like an inordinate number of heavy things that are more suited to Wintertime, when I have no time. But sloppy joes are good year-round, and I like soup.</p>
<p> One of my goals this summer is to spend more time in the kitchen. I'd like to say that I will make dinner 5 nights per week. Honestly, I'd like to say 7 nights, but I'm being realistic. J and I eat out a lot when I'm working and in a bad week, we'll eat out 6 nights. I'm not thinking that we'll want to give it up completely, nor will I want to.</p>
<p> J's mom had a rule when she was alive that she cooked Monday to Friday and took weekends off. I kinda like that philosophy. Except I'm happy to cook weekends most of the time.</p>
<p> So I'm starting to draw up plans of what I'd like to make, and I've been rooting through the freezer for what needs to be used up. It's kind of fun to be making these kinds of plans. As soon as I manage to find a cake for the BBQ we're going to this weekend, it will be even better. Sigh...</p>
<p> To this end, I've been thinking of what I'd like to accomplish this summer. A week of lollygagging is probably enough. I mean, it's never enough, but it should be. I'm thinking the next post is what I'd like to accomplish this summer as an accountability measure. One part will be the cooking but there's some other things I need to get done too. So, tomorrow? </p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-28169265930602705092010-07-07T10:33:00.003-04:002010-07-07T10:39:23.694-04:00Welcome, summerYeah, I'm back. It's been a rather busy year in which I managed to survive students, commuting, and everything else that goes with being at work and not nearly enough down time.</p>
<p>But now that summer vacation is here, I'm hoping to show up around here a little more. While I do read a good number of blogs every day, I am in awe of how people actually manage to write regularly and have something to say.</p>
<p>Perhaps one day I will understand and be able to do this too.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-84618400486398033952009-10-03T14:46:00.002-04:002009-10-03T14:50:57.024-04:00So, school has started...and I'm sick. I know it comes as a shock that once again I'm stuffed up and feeling awful seeing as I work in a building that hosts about 450 small germ factories per day. Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better.<div>
It is giving me lots of time to surf and master the art of time suckage between honks of my nose.</div><div>
Tell me what you think: should I update the blog for something that's more seasonal, or should I just wait for spring again? I mean, I haven't been here since July and all...</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-29246641691687183542009-07-29T12:46:00.003-04:002009-07-29T12:54:49.997-04:00A Hazy Shade of SummerI know that this is a good vacation. How am I so sure? I am relaxed enough to contemplate more decorating.<div>My mom and I painted the master bedroom here last week, and it looks, in a word, <i>awesome</i>. For those wondering about pics, I keep meaning to take them and post...honest. But I would need to make my bed and that doesn't happen much.</div><div>I love dreaming about decorating in a way that I have never explained to J with good reason. He would probably be scared. But seeing as I'm planning to drag him to the fabric store this evening and explain to him why we're getting specific fabrics so that I can make curtains this weekend for a bathroom that we've vaguely talked about painting I'm thinking that that's about to change.</div><div>So I went to the library this morning to get more books about San Diego and work on planning the trip when I ended up with 5 books of curtains and valences. I'd say we're close to a metamorphosis of the bath...All I need to do is pick a colour. And that could be pink. Or green. See how close I am?</div><div><b>In Other News:</b> I was watching <u>The Price is Right</u> yesterday while contemplating lunch (don't mock me, I'm on vacation) and I don't get what's happened to Drew Carey's hair. He rocks the brush cut in ways few over 10 can. What's up with length???</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-15193361505492897442009-07-27T12:15:00.004-04:002009-07-27T20:15:25.168-04:00Marketing and Shopping<div>You know who I think has brilliant marketing strategists? The people over at Pizza Pizza. J and I took my parents to the Blue Jays ball game last Sunday. They were having a Pizza Pizza strikeout game. Essentially, every time the Jays pitchers get a strikeout they cover up another number in the Pizza Pizza number on the ribbon boards in the stadium. When you get 7 strikeouts, everyone who has a ticket can go to Pizza Pizza on Monday for a free slice. As soon as there are 6 strikeouts the entire crowd starts chanting, "Pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza..." on every batter who gets an anything and 2 count.</div>
<div>I totally enjoyed my slice last Monday. Thanks Doc.</div>
<div>Today I'm shopping. I have made a huge list and hope I can get it all accomplished. I'd rather not end up at the store again this week.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-83921317096231564232009-07-26T17:04:00.003-04:002009-07-26T17:20:28.197-04:00Summertime, and the Living is Easy<div>Or at least, it is for me.</div>
<div>I've been loving my time off of school and have been sleeping a lot. It's all good. At some point I had to catch up from the school year when I don't sleep quite enough. J's also working a lot which means I can spend time alone in the silence. I love this too, simply because I spend too much time with people.</div>
<div>In currently exciting news, I bought a new Seagull guitar. If you would like to know more about this wonderful company, and their lovely instruments you can look <a href="http://www.seagullguitars.com/intro.htm">here.</a> I would highly recommend them. I'm loving that I have time to practice and I feel like I might actually be getting somewhere. Now that I've purchased a more expensive instrument, it appears that I will be taking lessons for a few more years. This is not a bad thing. Guitar is one of the things that I'm totally enjoying because it's not work, and it's just for me.</div>
<div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Totally Unrelated Aside (a la Kapgar):</span> So apparantly the web is "all a-Twitter" about Katie Holmes "performance" on So You Think You Can Dance. I've got to head for the It Sucked camp, but not because Katie's dancing was suspect on a show that is all about great dancing. It's that I think that the way they promo'ed the show was cheap - if she couldn't be there, they should have found someone else; and if you're going to bring back the talent from previous seasons, why don't you use them? I still love SYTYCD, but they need to think.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-88207005186004358342009-07-10T10:31:00.006-04:002009-07-10T11:11:33.479-04:00I'm All for Being Polite<div>Ack! We moved, and I didn't blog. School came to an end, and I didn't blog. Summer has started, and I am back!</div><div>Let me just start by saying that the move went well, we are free of the other house (although getting out was a chore, and I left a vacuum behind). The living room is full of boxes, but seeing as my mother is showing up next week, I think that will change. Now that I have time, some things are getting done. I still have a screen door in need of repair and towel bars to hang, and my mother is coming to help me paint; but I can see the floor of my office again and things are slowly finding homes.</div><div>In exciting news, I've continued with my guitar lessons. Last summer, when I realized that I would be teaching guitar (an instrument I hadn't picked up since university and then only because I needed to for a semester), I started into lessons with Pete, the guy 2 doors down from us who runs a full time studio out of his house. When the year was over and I knew that I wouldn't be teaching guitar again next year, I decided to continue with lessons. Guitar is one of the few "me" things I do, and despite the fact that I don't practice enough it's been a lot of fun.</div>
<div>So for the year, I was using one of the guitars from school. We rented 30 guitars so that I could teach the grade 6, 7, and 8s music this year. I was responsible for 30 classical Yamaha guitars that I was renting out to students for $20 per term. I was never so glad of anything coming to an end as I was of those guitars returning to the store. No more making sure where they all were, no more restringing (a job I sucked at), no more hounding 12 year olds for money. It was all good.</div>
<div>Except at the end of the year, my guitar went back too and I was back to using the guitar that was originally my father's. The first year my parents were married (so probably 1971 or the spring of 72), they decided to take general interest classes through the Peterborough Board of Education. My mother took furniture refinishing, and my father took guitar. My mom bought him a guitar and case for Christmas. </div>
<div>Guitar did not work out well for my father. Perhaps it was that he was 40 and trying his hand at playing an instrument for the first time. Perhaps it was the group setting. He says that his hands were too small to make it work. But after the course, the guitar was relegated to the top of a closet in my parents house until I announced that I would be taking lessons with Pete to be ready for the fall. Then that guitar that had been in a closet for all that time make the migration to my house so that I could use it for lessons.</div><div><div>Pete restrung and cleaned the guitar up for me last summer. He also commented that the strings were pretty high (another probable reason that my father had trouble), and recommended that I take it in to see what could be done about the bridge. I, of course, didn't do this because I suddenly had an instrument with strings a comfortable distance from the neck. So once again, my father's guitar sat in a corner unused in the case.</div><div><div>Flash forward to the return of the guitars. Suddenly, now that I have the time to practice, I'm back to the original guitar and it's awful. I now feel a need to take it in. In fact, Pete's comment to me yesterday at my lesson was, "This week, you can blame the instrument. Next week, we'll be back to blaming you."</div><div><div>So I went from Pete's to the repair shop and had the instrument looked over. The guitar currently has more questions than answers that go with it. I had to leave so that Len could see if he could figure out what could be done, and what exactly he's dealing with. We're not sure whether the instrument should actually be strung with nylon strings because it looks like a classical, but has a steel string neck. It appears that someone has tried to brace the bridge before, but my mother swears she bought it new and no one has done any work on it. But Len has promised to do what he can because he knew I'd like to keep the guitar for "Sentimental reasons". It's the polite way of saying, buy a new guitar. Which I'm starting to think I may do.</div></div></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905884647063618761.post-82515591637196925052009-05-30T09:35:00.001-04:002009-05-30T09:36:48.948-04:00Help!My original blog is going away. I've got the download of the archive, and I'd like to add it here. Does anyone know how?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463003073165386111noreply@blogger.com0