Happy Haloween!!!

This weekend was all about Halloween... and it was a really good weekend!

On Saturday night Ren and the boys had a halloween party and we all were able to try out MANY costumes that night...

Avery was going with a theme... whatever he was he was dead... he was dead clown for a bit... and dead rabbit for a vit as well.

Jordan was Dragonball Z (I think)... he was also a Dragonball Z Clown, a Dragonball Z rabbit, and also a monkey for part of the evening.

And these two here just played lovers all night...

It was anight filled with good food and good company.

I was over at the house again tonight and the boys made out really well. They tell me they made it all the way down to Genia's and from the looks of it they have enough food to last well into December :)

Update Will Ya

I am getting bad at updating my blog. At the beginning I was really good at getting on and updating daily... but lately I have only been getting around to updating about once a week.

Part of what keeps me procrastinating is the need for new pictures and things to take new pictures of... then at work I will procrastinate since I cannot load pictures on to the blog from work!... It really is a bunch of excuses though and I am going to try to update more often even if I do not have any pictures to update with.

That being said here is my post for today! I went out for dinner with my Mom, Dad and Uncle Jan last night kind of impromtu. I got home a little bit earlier than I was expecting and on the drive home I decided that I really needed to get a few errands done that I have been putting off all week. I had to take the office 2000 disk to my Dad for his new computer, get the new vacuum belts from my Mom so I could actually vacuum the disgusting floor, pick up cat food cause Maxx and Jaike HATE the stuff I have right now, get some smokes, and get some gas, and possibly go and visit the godboys. I called to see if the Koomen's would be home and they were on the way out the door going to Boston Pizza but invited me along... so I went and did not get my list of errands done.

I am at work right now and I have my class at the University tonight. I feel like it should be friday and am dragging my ass not wishing to go tonight but I will... cause I have to.

The best news of the week is that I am actually going to be able to take some of this lieu time that I have been earning. Starting this week I am going to start taking Fridays off and continue doing so until probably Christmas. During training this will mean that I will have a five day work week instead of six and outside of training my work week will be four days instead of five (with a couple of three day weekends). I also have two more weeks of holidays to take before April so I do see some rest and relaxation in the future!!!

That's all for now... I'm going to go read all the other blogs :)

Fric 'n Frac

I got to spend some time with Fric and Frac this afternoon. It was good times to be had for all... we even had grilled cheese sandwiches!

I took them back after Ren got home and Craig got back from picking up their newest family member J.C. (or Jaycee?)

Monkey Boy showed me this really cool new trick that he has learned in his room...

And this kid finally had some pizza, had a shower and headed for bed!

It was a good day and very good to catch up with my boyz!

Sick Days

My sister was just here complaining about the blog never getting updated so I thought I'd better get on here and put an update.

I've took a couple of sick days at the beginning of this week... I woke up on Monday, the weather was horrible, I was exhasted and my immunity was down. I was very stuffed up, burnt out, depressed and feeling like crap. Training began Monday but I knew that my supervisor Katie was doing the training and although it is super hectic and not so fun to be the only one running a training session that she would be totally ok to run it alone so I called in sick and hibernated for two days!

I driving into work on Wednesday and I was thinking about how everyone was going to be asking how I was feeling. It's kind of like after a christmas and everyone asks you how the holiday was and what you got etc... the intention is great but how many times can you say "it was nice we had some turkey..." or "oh much better, thank you..." in one day. It's kind of the formality and I know I do it too when a co-worker has been away sick but really why do we do this? Do we really care and do we we want to know the details of this persons present health... usually not. I do not want to talk about the snot clogging up my sinuses or my irregular bowl movements or how sore my nostrils are after wiping my nose for three days... and I know that you do not want to know... so really why ask... It's kind of a funny ritual.

Way Back When

This is the first house I lived in on my own. I shared it with my best friend Julie Creaser and her twin sister Janet. For a while their step brother Walter who was way older (about 24 at the time) and from France also lived with us.

I was still in high school when I lived here and whenever I would skip the machine would call the house to inform me. Walter would get very stressed if he would answer these calls since I could never get it through his head that it was a machine calling not a person. He would just yell into the phone "Wait... Wait... I will get her... Wait". Walter didn't have the best English skills.

I got my very first kitty Spook when I lived here. I named him Spook because he was very wild when I first got him and as soon as I got him home from the SPCA he jetted out of the box and we did not see him for weeks.

At night after we went to bed we would hear little meows and I would say we don't have a kitten we have a fucking ghost. Hence "Spook".

Julie, Janet and I were all very dedicated cadets at the time and the living room kind of shows this, In the far corner we even have the squadron banner hanging. We stole that from the squadron one night... we really shouldn't have had it! One of the officers came to pick Julie up one time for something, shook their head and took it back eventually... I can't remember who but I think it was John Eyre, Joy Bowen or maybe Randy Fisher?

The Longest day EVER

It must be Karma...

I was sooo tired when I woke up this morning and dragged my ass through the motions at work to get the last of the volunteer interviews done before training starts on Monday. I double checked the volunteer references and they are in bad shape.

I worked a full day from 9am to 6pm and sadly picked up the Satan Cell on my way out. I am on call this weekend and have begged Robin to get the schedule filled all week. I just want ONE full weekend before training starts up again...

Well I jinxed myself because I just got home... sat down and switched on the computer when work called to tell me that the volunteer who was signed up all night called in sick.

AHHHHH I ended up going back in for TWO shifts 11-3 and then 3-8... it was the longest day EVER!

I had some really good calls however and it was really busy so the night went by pretty fast. If I have to stay up and work a 18 hour plus day it is at least nice to know that I have made a difference.

It's Been A Few Days

I haven't blogged in awhile, been kind of busy but hey what's new??? I have been bitching to the poor souls around me a lot lately about being busy, tired, and this weekend I also bitched a lot about there being no junk food for the long weekend (those at work will understand what I'm talking about) so to those around me who have had to endure this... I'm sorry.

I was quite grumpy and anxious this morning and when I was struck by an unexpected volunteer interview (whose name I recognized and who DID arrive at a time I would have scheduled her) showed up at 11 (when I was still begging around for someone to co-interview with me for 1:30 and 5pm) I just about lost my brain... Luckily I was able to take a minute to calm the fuck down and remember it wasn't the end of the world if I just ended up doing the interview myself and the end of the day got better...

I went to cadets tonight and it was probably the best night I have had there so far. I got to sit in and supervise the cadets as they wrote their promotional exams, and mark them once they were done. I had to smile because the exams were BRUTAL and I had to rack my brain to remember alot of the stuff. It was nice though because I have not really had much that I have been able to do since I am new etc, and that makes the night drag on when you are just sitting and watching... PLUS I got to meet a few of the cadets and they seem like really nice kids. The staff at the cadet squadron are all pretty cool as well. They are SO different from each other but they are all really neat.

On the wedding front I guess a venue has been picked and the actual wedding date is in negotiation and soon to be announced. I send my sister an invite to come and post on the blog and give all an update and a place to post your congrats but she is still working on it (she said she will do it when she has time). I will also get a CLEAR picture of the ring because it is quite impressive as well :)

Anyways... I have to be back at work at 11am so I should sign off till later... I must take some new pics but here is one to hold you over!

Happy Birthday Craig

I worked until midnight and I was very lucky that my cousin Ronaye stopped by to say hi and to make my night a litttle brighter. I guess Craig had way to much to drink and by the time Ronaye made her way from the Back Alley to my house he was pretty much done. Craig was like OUT FOR THE NIGHT so we left him outside while me and Ronaye went in for a smoke... It reminded us of the old day when Jordie would be asleep in the van... funny!

So Far Today

Well so far ... I woke up kind of late ... was able to snag a volunteer spot downstairs ... heard my favorite song on the radio ... am about to get my 2nd coffee in an hour since I got here ... and I have invited a few guest bloggers to blog today ... I guess we'll se what happens ...

Another Long One

I started this morning around 8:30, me and Claudia (my beautiful coworker pictured above who originally GOT me my job at the Distress Centre) had a volunteer fair at Mount Royal College this morning and into the afternoon.

The fairs at Mount Royal are actually really nice to do because they spoil you while you are there with a continental breakfast of coffee, juice, danishs (my fav!) muffins etc and then they give you lunch TOO at 11:00. They even have people come around with free drinks, treats and presents all day long as well. The best thing of all is that you can pull up to the front door and they have people who load up all you supplies and booth and go set it in your spot while you park (miles away mind you).

The worst part of the day way that I left half an hour early to make the staff meeting and I ended up lugging my booth and all my materials back the 10 miles :(

After that it was back to work and then I had my class at the University tonight...

What can I say I'm tired ! Off to play Sims 2...

Maxx..... are you coming to bed now baby???

A question I ask this baby every night right around this time :)

Little things

I got this in an email today from my supervisor Katie... I think it is worth sharing...

After Sept. 11th, one company invited the remaining members of other companies who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share their available office space. At a morning meeting, the head of security told stories of why these people were alive..... and all the
stories were just:

L I T T L E things...

As you might know, the head of the company got in late that day because his son started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident.
One of them missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.
One's car wouldn't start.
One went back to answer the telephone.
One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have.
One couldn't get a taxi.

The one that struck was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.

That is why he is alive today...

Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to
answer a ringing telephone all the little things that annoy me. I
think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very
moment.

Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can't seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; Angels are at work watching over you.

A Fam Dam Dinner

My schedule has been all over the place for the last month and I have not seen to much of the good ole fam dam since they have moved on up the street. I was really lucky tonight because I called when I got home and was invited on over to some burgers, hash browns, and corn. It was good to have a quick visit with the boys, Ren and Craig...

And Craig finished the bench since the last time I was over... doesn't it look great. I am very happy to have such an awesome talented Cuz-In-Law who can make designer benches!

Mrs. Genitta Freeman

My sister was very very excited tonight. She was asked if she would like to be Mrs. Tavis Freeman and she was ecstatic to be able to say yes.

Tavis got Genitta a very beautiful ring that is really quite sparkly