Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Because I have the time

Man what a difference having three extra hours makes! I managed to get packed for Toronto, get organized for tomorrow (road trip at 6:30 a.m.? Yikes!) and get my stuff packed for the crop on Saturday. Now I'm about to shower, change my sheets, put my laundry away and get to bed. But first, I've been tagged by Jen, unfortunately I don't know seven people without making Jen's list have to post twice, so I'll just do this for me....here goes....

Rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random - some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names - link to them
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

1. I'm double jointed in my right hand. I can get my thumb to bend all the way back in a weird way.

2. I'm completely addicted to shopping in the States now that the dollar is so ridiculously low. I keep thinking of places I want to go.
3. My memory is completely shot. I can't remember anything I need unless I write it down. Case in point, this morning I realized I forgot my boots at my cousin's house. In addition to forgetting several other items at her place on Sunday (which we went back for) and then forgetting my aunts cell phone a second time when we dropped the kids off.

4. I'm constantly waiting for "the other shoe to drop". It's horribly pessimistic of me but I can't help it. I always expect bad things to happen eventually.

5. I have this thing about travelling now. I really want to go away somewhere cool but I'm trying to balance that with paying off my last student loan. Fiji is the next big one. But I have to wait for Elaine's schedule to open up since it's a friend of hers we're going to see.

6. I have this recurring feeling that I'm a bad friend because I don't really keep in touch with people. It makes me feel so guilty it's not funny. It's not that I'm trying to be a bad friend, just that time seems to get away from me for some strange reason.

7. This time of year is my favourite because it means cool nights, warm blankets, good television and the wonderful excuse of it being cold enough to drink hot chocolate. I can actually taste the hot chocolate as I look outside at all the fall colours changing.

Good things

This weekend was the big Halloween party weekend and it was also "no-sleep 2007" weekend. I had the kids with me at my cousin's for her daughter's 10th birthday. Last night I did my mountain of laundry and thankfully today I was able to get out of work early due to toxic fumes in the office from the roofers. I'm taking this time to pack for tomorrow/Thursday as I am off to London and Toronto for a town hall with our CEO and media strategy development on Thursday. Then it's back to Windsor and repack for the weekend in London and the all day crop there.

You know your life is sad when you actually look forward to room service and a nice bubble bath. But hey, I'm staying at the Four Seasons Toronto, so why wouldn't I look forward to that???

From this week it's just eight weeks to Christmas and the warm weather is completely throwing me off. Let's hope I can stay healthy since I want to spend a few days after Christmas in Forth Worth. Good thing though, my two packages I had been waiting on arrived today. One from Luxe Designs (woo hoo, thanks ladies!) and one from Crafty Scrapper for the crop donation.

A few photos to keep you sated until I'm back...



Sunday, October 21, 2007

Fun

This weekend was one of those weekends that I love. Just to sit home and chill out and play. Last weekend I furiously put together an album for Morgan's 10th birthday and once Jill saw it, she wanted me to make a couple for her for her niece's. Which I'm still working on.

But the best part about this was that it made me want to straighten up and clean some old stuff out. I have piles of stuff that I've bought and haven't used and it's all been put into a box and just sat there. So I got rid of a bunch of things and pulled out a few other things to use. Got part of my christmas cards figured out and part way organized for the crop I'm going to.

Also this weekend...plans for a trip to Fort Worth and possibly to see the Spice Girls in Toronto. And go ahead and laugh, you can't say it won't be a good show!





















Friday, October 19, 2007

The Little Car that COULDN'T

I'm having a bit of a love hate relationship with my car lately. Except it's been more hate hate than I care to admit. In fact, I actually had to call GM Canada the other day to lodge my hate hate complaints with them so that they know that their car building sucks.

Which is kind of funny because I live in motor city Canada. Right beside the real "motor city" and I have this thing about buying North American cars. And really, my car has seen me through a lot. Two moves, countless trips up the highway, a farmers field in the middle of the winter. You know the drill. But the past month has seen me in the dealership to have it repaired three times.

First, in September my front brakes were making this horrible sound. Kind of like if you had a younger sibling and you were holding them down and punching them in the kidneys. It did this while driving, while turning, while braking. I knew it was bad. Turns out, it was a rock in the brake pad. A rock. In the brake pad. How the hell does that happen? So they removed it and only charged me $75 for the labour. I won't get into the amount of time it cost me going all the way out to the dealership and then all the way to work and then all the way back and forth again.

Then, I took it in for the regular oil change. That was last Thursday. Monday night my car alarm started going off for no reason. I just left it unlocked because the car alarm is this high pitched wailing sound. Not pleasant in the burbs. This was kind of bad because there have been a few break ins to cars and actually, my car was broken in to in the driveway a couple of months ago. So I figured I'd check it the next day. No alarm at all during the day. Pull into the driveway on Tuesday night, boom, alarm goes off. I actually had to leave the trunk unlatched to stop it from automatically locking and arming. I took it in the next day. Turns out I had the exact same problem I had a year ago. The wiring system shorted out because it got too close to the body and heated up.

While I was there the service guy noticed my serpentine belt was cracked. He asked me if I wanted it repaired. I asked him if this was something that should have been found in a semi-annual inspection. He says "are you due?" and I said "yes, last week, when I had it done". He talked to the manager and they decided that they would replace it and I would only be charged the cost of the part, not the labour.

So I called GM customer service this week to discuss with them the cons of owning a Pontiac Wave. Not to yell, not to be all bitchy, just to tell them a few things so they can look into the design of it and maybe make a better car. After all, the only way they'll know about these things is if someone tells them right? Well, I got a free oil lube and filter for my trouble.

Really though, for a car that is supposed to get great gas mileage and have such a great model, it's not been an ideal car. The driver side windshield wiper has never laid flat against the windshield leaving a big blur along the bottom. The car shakes when you go over 105 km/hr. The alarm system has shorted out twice. The car doesn't get the proper gas mileage it's supposed to. It's had two recalls on it already. The automatic model has really uncomfortable seats. And in addition to all the regular maintenance, you have to have special maintenance done to the cooling system because of the size of the car. I'm sure I've forgotten a few things that I'm unhappy with but ya, that's a good list.

Sigh....only 14 more months until I can trade it in...

Friday, October 12, 2007

This is fun

I'm trying to get motivated to go to Target. Kashi cereal is 2 for $5 this week and with the dollar low, it's definitely worth it.

Ok my life is officially sad.

Onwards! Stolen from Jen!

1. your rock star name (first pet & first car). Freddy Sunfire
2. your gansta name (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie). Chocolate Chip Chewy Chips Ahoy (notice a pattern? oh and how fierce!)
3. your “fly girl"? name (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name). LRac
4. your detective name (fav color, fav animal). Red Persian
5. your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born) Jane North Bay (hee hee hee)
6. your Star Wars name (first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first). Racle (That's MS. RACLE if you're nasty)
7. superhero name (the? + 2nd fav color, fav drink). The Pink CC
8. nascar name (the first names of your grandfathers). Edward Theodore (Although I prefer Theo Eddie--sounds faster!)
9. stripper name ( the name of your fav perfume/cologne/scent, fav candy). Lavender Skor
10. witness protection name (mother’s & father’s middle names ). Marguerite Noel
11. tv weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter). Andrews Amherstburg
12. spy name (your fav season/holiday, flower). Autumn Lillies
13. cartoon name (fav fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie" or “y"). Honey Dew Jammie
14. hippy name (what you ate for breakfast, your fav tree). Peanut Butter Maple (I'm suddenly hungry....)
15. your rockstar tour name (the + your fav hobby/craft, fav weather element + “tour"). The Scrapbook Rain Tour

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Happy Autu--Summer?

We're a little confused around here today. You see, this is the weekend I normally take apple picking photos. All in the name of autum/fall themes. Except this weekend it was too hot to pick apples. How hot was it? It was over 100 F. Hot enough to warrant a cancellation of the apple picking and a trip to the air conditioned movies instead. Hot enough to consider going to the beach for the day. Hot to enough to wish Donna hadn't closed her pool. Hot enough to melt while taking a few autumn photos.

Not hot enough to roast a turkey though....Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without it.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

What a drag it is getting old

I don't know what's been wrong with me the last couple of weeks. I've been really dragging it and it sucks. For some odd reason my knees have also decided to give up on me and have been aching for about three weeks now. Who knows what that's about.

I also had to change allergy medications because the other one just isn't working. Finally gave in and went for acupuncture for my sinuses as well.

I tell you, this getting older thing really sucks. I liked it better when my metabolism was faster, when my legs didn't ache, when everything didn't crack when I moved and also when these stray grey hairs didn't pop up everywhere.

I hear it's all downhill from here though. Wait til I have kids they say! Yikes!

Looking forward to a long weekend. REST! For the wicked!