Ottawa

The drive to Ottawa was uneventful. Nice blue sky, clear road.

The service for my BFF’s father was short and very emotional. I believe he will be cremated and we will return in the spring to bury his ashes with his late wife.

Driving in Ottawa after the service … not so much.

I did manage to see one of my cousins and hang out for a few before returning home. Once I got out of Ottawa the drive home was fine.

Taking the day off in a short week made it painful to return to work. Although I did spend most of Thursday thinking it was Monday. 🙂

I am still working out every day. Nothing too strenuous yet as I am smarter this time around and am aiming for slow and steady results. I am really trying for a lifestyle shift. On the weekends I would like to do a longer workout since I should have the time to pause multiple times. 😉

Summer’s here

And it’s ONLY May!?! 😮

I’m not prepared for this. Was really hoping not to have to turn on my A/C so early. We have been suffering with fans and cold water … and Popsicles. 🙂

Anyone still denying global warming needs to come visit me.

 

Winter is here

Winter finally showed up on Monday night. I was not paying close attention to the weather so I was expecting snow on Tuesday.

SURPRISE!!

The above picture was taken as I waited for Diva to come from work at 7pm.

 

Is it the weekend yet?

This day … let’s just say I’m glad it’s over. Nothing horrible happened but there were a few things that could have lived without.

This video contains 3 workouts, arms, legs and core. They run all together even though you can do them as 3 separate workouts. I did just the arms yesterday and it was intense. Today I did the rest. I was a hot mess at the end but it felt good. I really like The Firm workouts I’ve done so far. I believe that you would see results in 10 workouts.

Earlier this week one of my neighbours asked me if I had heard about the thefts of the registration stickers from some of the license plates in the garage. Well no I did not. He found out that his was missing when he was pulled over by the police. Just my luck, mine was one of them.  Who ever took it got a great deal since this year was the first time I decided to buy a 2 year sticker. Not impressed. I debated waiting until I was pulled over and “alerted” by the police but then my BFF reminded me that it would most likely happen at the most inconvenient time. So today I spent 40 minutes in a line and paid $7 to replace my stolen sticker. I wonder when my sticker was taken and how long it would have taken me to notice on my own. I have not put my new sticker on as I am going to cut an X through it once I put it on so that it will be harder to take the next time.

I now own 2 DVD players that don’t work right. The first is a DVD/VHS combo where the open button for the DVD side is very fickle. It has been designated to play only DVDs that I own just in case the button decides to crap out completely. 30 Day Shred has been in there for at least 6 months now. Tonight while watching a DVD from the library, the “good” DVD player decided to die. No warning, nothing. It just stopped. It will not turn on so I will have to wrestle with it to be able to give the library back their property. 😦 Since I have 26 DVDs on loan to me I see a new DVD player in my future. A quick check to Walmart.ca resulted in a couple of options that are less that $40. 🙂 Want to guess what’s on my list of things to do tomorrow?

It has been hotter than Hades the past few days. Thankfully we have not experienced any black outs due to the increased electricity demand. Tomorrow is going to be another scorcher. On the plus side my water intake has been at least 2.5 liters a day. 🙂

What to do

 

I have 2 movies (Grown Ups 2 and Red 2) that are due today.  Which really means by Monday morning.  We are going to hang out at my Dad’s tomorrow afternoon.

I have a ton of chores to do.  My beloved Princess has been sprinkling lemon juice all over my house like holy water in an attempt to ward off spiders.  Someone needs to mop the floors.  And it’s not me!!

The weather report tells me it’s going to rain all tomorrow so I should leave the house today and enjoy the weather.  Plus getting out will mean that we are not sitting at home using up data.

Where to go / what to do that will not cost a fortune?  Time to google cheap/free things to do.

I supposed I should do my chores first.

 

I have cable/internet!

I left my Mom’s yesterday and decided to stop at my neighbour’s who lives down the hall.  Just to check in with her as she lives alone.  She is a very nice lady who looks out for me and my kids.  I was intending to just “pass by”, but ended up spending over an hour at her place.  While I was there my kids called me to scream in my ear that the internet was back.  It was too funny.

So now that I am comfortably in my home you get to the treat of this past week in review. 🙂  I know you are excited.

On Sunday, we stayed in.  I was not risking life and limb to take Princess to the movies, 12 minutes away, even though the mall had power.  In the afternoon once we lost cable she was not happy as she could not let her friends know that she wasn’t coming as my girl has no phone book.  All of her contacts are in an app on her iTouch.  I’m sure my laughing did not help.

Monday, Princess surprised me by agreeing to walk to the library with me.  Ahhhh the promise of free wifi when you no longer have it at home.

My Aunt who was without power wanted a change of scenery and a hot meal.  So as I arrived at the mall, she called to request a pick up.  I left the kids at the library, which was unusually busy, and went back home to pick up my car.  The drive to get my Aunt was uneventful.  On the way home from dropping her off, I came back a different way and ran into traffic as two lights were out. A 6 minute drive took over 30. 😦

Tuesday I dropped my kids at their Dad’s house in the afternoon.  It is the tradition that they sleep over Christmas Eve night.  This gives me an opportunity to wrap their gifts. 😉  When I went back to Costco all the little Christmas trees were gone, so I decided to use what I have.

The above picture was actually taken on Christmas Day as the wrapping of gifts was not that exciting to me.

Wednesday brought more snow and a phone call from my Dad telling me that Christmas dinner was on.  He lost power early Sunday morning and got it back late Monday night.  So I got myself together and fought traffic through the falling snow to collect my kids and go to my Dad’s.

After dinner we opened presents.  My parents gave my kids a set of books, gourmet cookies and money.  I got pajamas, gourmet cookies and Sweet Georgia Browns.

While at my Dad’s, I perused the ‘net looking for an iTouch 5th generation for Diva.  My kids scored mainly cash this Christmas.  And Miss Diva wanted the new iTouch to replace her broken one.  The cheapest one I found at The Source, but wanted to look around a bit more before I pressed buy.

We went home and my kids were not surprised that there was a tree and presents under it for them.  Diva told me I knew you’d get us something.  My kids are too smart for their own good.

 

My place is looking like a hot mess.  My girls got 2 different sets of socks, something to write with, books, a sweet treat and something to listen to.  The most excitement was over the socks and the cds.

Thursday, we still had no internet despite promises from Rogers, so I hauled my tail to my Mom’s.  She told me the tree in her front yard had fallen down but I was not prepared for the sight of it in the road.

At my Mom’s I looked for a cheaper iTouch but found none.  So I ordered Diva’s iTouch and somehow a Samsung tablet ended up in my cart for me. BAHAHAHAHAHA!!  I am on the fence as it is not a need, but I figure I can always return it. 😉

My Mom came over last night so we had Christmas again.  We watched movies and hung out.  And by hung out I mean my Mom fell asleep on the couch. 😉

Today I am going to walk to the library and return some movies and pick up what’s on hold for me which includes the 30 Day Sculpt.  I missed doing the video so much I ordered my own copy yesterday.  I am going to be lean but not mean next year!! 🙂

A quick update

This ice storm is no joke.

My Aunt lost power on Sunday and still doesn’t have it back.  She lives in a senior’s apartment building.  So far she says the building is still warm enough to sleep there overnight.  Yes I offered my place like a good niece but the old lady is a tough one.  Plus she is helping keep people calm and entertained so she feels useful.

Various family members and friends have lost power for a spell but most have got it back now.

I never lost power.  Thank God!!  I have however lost my cable/internet/home phone since Sunday afternoon.  I want to complain a little but given my good fortune of continuous electricity I shall refrain. 😉  I have no idea what is going on in the world.  I suppose I could turn on the radio but that seems out of character for me.

Right now I am at my Mom’s borrowing her internet.

We went to my Dad’s for Christmas.  My step-Mom pulled a rabbit out of a hat considering they were without power until late Monday night.

Thankfully no one I know was anything other than cold for the past few days.

I hope that the city gets power back to everyone.  In this cold weather being without heat is not anything to prolong.

Anyhoo, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/Kwanzaa/few days off.  And where ever you are, you are safe and warm.

Holy ice storm Batman

I was awaken by the phone this morning.  It was my Aunt inquiring as to whether or not I had power.

I do. 🙂

She doesn’t. 😦  I may have to go get her if she doesn’t have power later on this afternoon.

Apparently there are lots of pockets in the GTA that are without power.  It is estimated that over 250,000 people are without power and it could take up to 72 hours to get it all back to normal.  We are advised not to go on the road unless it is necessary.

Earlier I called my Mom who I figured should have power as she is just a little bit north of me.  I think we are on the same grid.  She does have power.  She just called me to let me know that the tree beside her house just split in half.  Luckily it fell on the road not towards her house.

I called a friend who lives 5 minutes south of me.  He does not have power.

My BFF who lives 45+ minutes east does not have power.

One of my friends’ parents also doesn’t have power.  They live 20 minutes west of me.

I then figured I should look out the window.

 

 

It looks very pretty.

Princess is supposed to go to the movies today for a friend’s birthday.  I don’t see that  happening.  She is still hopeful.  So much so, that she is still planning to make cookies as a gift.  Gotta love her positive spirit.  The mall has power and is open until 8 tonight, but I don’t really want to go out unless I have to.

 

What’s new

There have been a few things on the go for me lately so I figured I’d give you a quick recap.

On Friday I finally finished the scarf I started … way too long ago.  Unfortunately the only picture I managed to take of it was a quick shot to send to my cousin so she could see what she inspired.

 

The scarf is quite long and was quickly claimed by one of my friends who is a big Steelers fan.

When I say my cousin inspired the scarf, it’s not the scarf itself but its completion.  In the past month, my cousin has knitted herself a hat, cowl and a hooded scarf.  She is now working on her second hooded scarf.  All in the time it took me to crochet 10+ rows.  She is speedy quick and very dedicated.

Anyhoo, now that the scarf is finished, I miss crocheting so I picked up one of my many incomplete projects.

These piles will eventually become a blanket.

I am going to confess that these granny squares have been in this state of limbo for more than 6 years.  I vaguely recall moving with them.  Putting together the blanket just seemed like a daunting task.  I started this blanket to give me something to do.  It is for my BFF.  I am going to attempt to finish it before she moves into her new apartment in January.  If I recall correctly this was supposed to be a house-warming gift for her, at least 4 moves ago. *hanging head in shame*

In other news, Diva is now the proud owner of a broken screen on her iPod Touch.

 

Apparently one of her younger cousins got ahold of it over the weekend and decided to pitch it on the floor.  It still works but she is heartbroken.  We went to the Apple store on Sunday and was told it is $99 to replace it but we need to make an appointment online in order to do so.  Say what!?!  I’m here in your store willing to give you my money and you want me to go home and make an appointment???  Apple is making too much money.

This is Monday’s leftover veggie soup.

 

With a little salt and sriracha, it is delicious.

This morning I had to drive Diva to a volleyball tournament at a school that is about a 10 minute drive away.  I was up early since the news said we could get a ton of snow.  I was afraid we would be dumped on like Carla was in London.   But we were lucky and only got a light dusting.

 

Most of the roads I drove on were clear which is a great thing.

I think that’s about it.  You are all caught up now! 😉

 

Holy storm

Last night was a crazy night weather wise.

Without warning the skies darkened and the heavens opened up.  At one point it looked like sheets of rain was coming out of the sky.

My cousin, in Kingston, texted me to ask about the weather and to tell me that Barrie (a town 1 hour drive North of me) was under a tornado watch.

Of course last night was our scheduled dinner out.  My melodramatic cousin told me to stay home.  As she was telling me this the rain was easing up.  Apparently she was making plans to go hide out in her basement as that was what the news was telling her to do.

Then almost as quickly as it started the rain ended. 🙂

By the time I finished watching “The Descendants” the rain had almost stopped.

It was a perfect night to eat out as the rain made everyone stay in. 🙂