48 Hours...

I'm moving into the third day which is supposed to be the hardest day of all. So far it has not been too bad at all. If I had to rate them myself I would have to say that the first day was the hardest since I couldn't think of anything else but that I wanted a smoke but was quitting... I slept ALOT on Saturday!

It could end up being a hard day since it will be the first day around people who may possibly ASK me to go smoke with them... which COULD be very tempting. I'm pretty excited about the possibility of not having to waste money on smokes and of being nicotine free in less than twenty four hours though so I think I'll be able to resist...

IF YOU READ THIS AND KNOW ME PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME IF I WANT TO GO FOR A SMOKE! IN FACT DON'T EVEN SAY SMOKE!

33 Hours ...

I am using noon on Saturday as my official quit time. I don't think it was right at noon but I'm not sure if it was a little before or a little after that I had my last one so NOON will be the official time. I just passed 33 hours and came across the following little story by Joel Spitzer while looking for coping tips and the such!... It's kind of corny but kind of true...

How do you feel about a friend who has to go everywhere with you? Not only does he tag along all the time, but since he is so offensive and vulgar, you become unwelcome when with him. He has a peculiar odor that sticks to you wherever you go. Others think both of you stink.

He controls you totally. When he says jump, you jump. Sometimes in the middle of a blizzard or storm, he wants you to come to the store and pick him up. You would give your spouse hell if he or she did that to you all the time, but you can't argue with your friend. Sometimes, when you are out at a movie or play he says he wants you to go stand in the lobby with him and miss important scenes. Since he calls all the shots in your life, you go.

Your friend doesn't like your choice of clothing either. Instead of politely telling you that you have lousy taste, he burns little holes in these items so you will want to throw them out. Sometimes, he tires of the furniture and gets rid of it too. Occasionally, he gets really nasty and decides the whole house must go. He gets pretty expensive to support. Not only is his knack of property destruction costly, but you must pay to keep him with you. In fact, he will cost you thousands of dollars over your lifetime. And you can count on one thing, he will never pay you a penny in return.

Often at picnics you watch others playing vigorous activities and having lots of fun doing them. But your friend won't let you. He doesn't believe in physical activity. In his opinion, you are too old to have that kind of fun. So he kind of sits on your chest and makes it difficult for you to breathe. Now you don't want to go off and play with other people when you can't breathe, do you?

Your friend does not believe in being healthy. He is really repulsed by the thought of you living a long and productive life. So every chance he gets he makes you sick. He helps you catch colds and flu. Not just by running out in the middle of the lousy weather to pick him up at the store. He is more creative than that. He carries thousands of poisons with him which he constantly blows in your face. When you inhale some of them, they wipe out cilia in your lungs which would have helped you prevent these diseases. But colds and flu are just his form of child's play. He especially likes diseases that slowly cripple you - like emphysema. He considers this disease great. Once he gets you to have this, you will give up all your other friends, family, career goals, activities - everything. You will just sit home and caress him, telling him what a great friend he is while you desperately gasp for air.

But eventually your friend tires of you. He decides he no longer wishes to have your company. Instead of letting you go your separate ways, he decides to kill you. He has a wonderful arsenal of weapons behind him. In fact, he has been plotting your death since the day you met him. He picked all the top killers in society and did everything in his power to ensure you would get one of them. He overworked your heart and lungs. He clogged up the arteries to your heart, brain, and every other part of your body. In case you were too strong to succumb to this, he constantly exposed you to cancer causing agents. He knew he would get you sooner or later. Well, this is the story of your "friend," your cigarette.

No real friend would do all this to you. Cigarettes are the worst possible enemies you ever had. They are expensive, addictive, socially unacceptable, and deadly. Consider all this and - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

Still haven't had a single puff... everytime I want one really bad I go for a nap... I have been sleeping a lot this weekend :)

I Think I'm Done Now

I decided that I should do something nice for myself... and I've heard many many people say that the best thing they ever did for themselves is quit smoking.

Jack posted a few months ago in May that he simply ran out of smokes and decided Hey.... I think I will just quit now... I though that was just about the coolest thing ever, that he could just decide to be done... and be done.

It reminded me of a friend of mine in college named Pretley who did the exact same thing. He just got sick of people bumming smokes off him one night and decided that's it, and quit that second!

Well I ran out of smokes this morning and decided hey.... I think I will just quit now....

Wish me luck!

Genitta Turns 32!

Today my sister turned 32. Her fiance Tavis had a surprise party for her last night so today I went to her place and pretty much vegged out all day.

We had lots of visitors since Avery, Jordan came over to hang out for the day and, Ronaye, Craig , Kent & his friend all dropped by throughout the day.

It was really nice outside for a change and PERFECT weather for making snowballs :)

Here is a poem for my sister on her birthday! Happy Birthday Genitta!!!

Sister's

Being sisters means
sharing a lot of things
throughout life...

Being sisters means
knowing certain things
about each other
and feeling special feelings
for one another.
It is a relationship
we have seen change with time,
and yet, in many ways,
it remains the same.

I know there have been times
when being sisters wasn't easy,
because our differences
pulled us in new directions.
But we always knew
that we cared about one another.
That's the beautiful part
of being sisters.
Even though life is full of changes,
we will always have each other,
and we will always share
a special bond of love.

- Laura Medley

I Think It's Warming Up

I decided to go for a walk tonight to get some air, and get rid of some off my stress.

It's the first day in many, many days that it is even bearable to be outside. It was nice... but not that nice. I basically just walked over to the grocery store and back. I took along my camera to take some pictures :)

What Was I Thinking...

I had a hard time sleeping again last night but managed to get to sleep a little before 3am. I woke up this morning exhausted and wishing to just go back to sleep for another hour or so... but I didn't... I got out of bed and dragged my ass to work.

I get to work and there is like no one here so I start asking around... I guess the counsellors are all out on a two day course, and my team is not in yet since there is training tonight... training tonight... OH YEAH... I DIDN'T HAVE TO BE IN UNTIL 2PM TODAY!

What a nice start to the day... I think I will stay here anyways and try to take some lieu time tomorrow :(

Just A Day

I couldn't sleep last night... but I finally fell asleep at around 3:45am after laying in bed looking at the clock for about two hours. I woke up exhausted and hit the snooze button a few times, which caused me to be running late this morning... I grabbed an orange, called the bank who told me that I was 100% liable for the money taken out of my account last week and away I went to work.

I was tired, hungry, and feeling quite broke which left me kind of cranky the rest of the day. I decided to skip lunch since I was in the middle of something and I wanted to go home at five more than I wanted to have lunch and leave at six.

I just made some corn and chicken, and had an bath (which I have not done in a looooong time - much nicer than a shower) and I think I'm starting to feel a little bit better.

I found another questionnaire thing so here we go again...

48 things

1. Your name spelled backwards: NEMOOK
2. Where were your parents born? My mom is born in Yorkshire, England. My Dad was born in Schagen, Holland.
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Carnivale Season 1
4. What's your favorite restaurant? I think Cheesecake Cafe, but I haven't been for years
5. Last time you swam in a pool? At my cousin Rob's pool this summer.
6. Have you ever been in a school play? I was Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar in grade 7.
7. How many kids do you want? I used to want 4. I would love to have one or two.
8. Type of music you dislike most? I find opera very obnoxious
9. Are you registered to vote? yes
10. Do you have cable? Only basic cable
11. Have you ever ridden on a moped? no
12. Ever prank call anybody? constantly before caller ID
13. Ever get a parking ticket? yes, last time I worked downtown a few years ago
14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? A few years ago yes, now... I don't know
15. Farthest place you ever traveled? Europe, I'm not sure which country was farthest.
16. Do you have a garden? lol NO
17. What's your favorite comic strip? I haven't read a comic strip in years. It used to be family matters.
18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? yep - have since I was 6!
19. Bath or Shower, morning or night? Shower mostly at night.
20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Can't think of one... I know I say Elf with the boys over X-Mas...
21. Favorite pizza topping? pineapple
22. Chips or popcorn? chips... but only salt and vinegar!
23. What color lipstick do you usually wear? invisible (I don't wear lipstick)
24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? no - are they any good?
25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? not likely
26. Orange Juice or apple? orange
27. Favorite type chocolate bar? Coffee Crisp
28. When was the last time you voted at the polls? Canadian Federal election
29. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? this summer... my mom gave me some
30. Have you ever won a trophy? most improved cadet... but only because I was SO bad the first year... then I won top cadet the next year. Oh and I won the CEO Award of excellence when I worked at AADAC.
31. Are you a good cook? no... i give myself food poisoning a few times a year
32. Do you know how to pump your own gas? of course, I can't remember the last time anyone other than me pumped the gas.
33. Ever order an article from an infomercial? nope
34. Sprite or 7-up? They're the same.
35. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work? The worst was when I worked at the theatre, it was a wrap around apron that they called a skirt! Oh yes and every summer when I was a staff cadet!
36. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy? Buckley's and Robitussin DM on Monday.
37. Ever throw up in public? not that I remember, but I puked out a car window once and that was a really bad and messy experience.
38. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love? I think a million... you could probably find love if you had a million, and it would probably last longer.
39. Do you believe in love at first sight? I want to but I don't know.
40. Ever call a 1-900 number? no
41. Can ex's be friends? they can be friendly.
42. Who was the last person you visited in a Hospital? I drove my mom to the hospital to see my grandad. I didn't see him though, I waited in the waiting room... I guess the last person would be Ronaye when she had Jordan.
43. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby? I had a bit, but it was black and all fell out so my blond hair could come in.
44. What message is on your answering machine? Hi I'm not home right now, leave a message and I'll give you a call back.
45. What is in your backpack? Some stuff from the last class I took at the University, some pens, and a bunch of swag items I have collected from trade shows over the years.
46. Favorite thing to do before bedtime? go to the bathroom.
47. What is one thing you are grateful for today? that's a tough one, I'm kind of cranky today... I guess I'm grateful that my car is still running since I thought it was about to die a few months ago and I really can't afford another one.
48. What is the first concert you ever went to? I've never been to a real concert

My Phone Tried To Kill Me

The strangest thing happened today... my phone tried to kill me while I was talking to a lady about the possibility of coming out to do a workshop on depression.

I was mid sentence when the phone "popped" and electricity shot out of the handset into my ear. I can't even really explain it but it buzzed REALLY loud and I saw sparks coming from the side of my head!

The popping noise that the phone made was the exact popping sound you hear when you short out a speaker or something. My phone is now dead to the world and the switchboard said for a while this afternoon that I did not exist... At the end of the day the switchboard said I was there but the phone was still dead to the world.

How am I? You may be wondering... well I am completely fine but I have to admit that the "electricuted" ear feels as if it is much clearer that the "non-electricuted" ear. Maybe the heat cleaned out all the wax? I am really not sure... and I may never trust a phone again!

Oh and the bank phoned and left a message... I am not looking forward to calling them back however since the lady said, please give me a call back... it's not good news (nice message to come home to... at least leave me with some hope!)

I really don't seem to be having much luck this month so I am going to be extra careful for the next couple of weeks as well... wish me luck!

Mess Dinner

Tonight was the NCM Mess Dinner for all of our cadets above the rank of Sargeant. It was a really nice dinner with senior cadets from three of the squadrons in Calgary and the squadrons in Airdrie and Strathmore attending.

The Mess dinner is a formal affair, but with alot of fun as well... many "pranks" are played on others throughout the dinner.

I attended my first mess dinner at the age of twelve when I first joined Air Cadets. We were taught the "proper protocol" for a mess dinner and also which fork and spoon is used for what once the meals are served. I have to admit that tonight I couldn't recall which fork was for the salad and had to stall in order to see which fork the others at the table picked up!

There are strick rules against such things as having your elbows on the table, or bad etiquette which can result in one having to get up and sing "I'm a little teapot" or something equally embarrasing in front of the group.

We used to have a mess dinner annually at my squadron when I was a cadet and it was a huge affair. We would be in uniform but still able to dress up a little more than usual, there was usually a dance following the mess dinner and it was a great chance to have a fancy dinner with friends and to celebrate our year. If I was not an air cadet I don't think that I would have ever learned about formal dining and etiquette and I have definitely used those skills over and over again in the real world whether it be a wedding or a formal business dinner.

I really liked how all of the squadrons got together and put this mess dinner on for the senior cadets. It gave them a chance to meet cadets from other squadrons and it also gave a lot of them the chance to catch up with people they have met at camp etc that they may not have seen for a while. I used to really love these types of events and it was nice to be able to attend this dinner and also to see teh kids enjoying it so much... we really do work with some great youths :)

Wow

I have to say that while I was devestated about losing all my money this weekend I was delighted at the comments that kept on popping up on the blog... many names of those I know pop by to check out the blog now and then... and names of people I read daily and I had no idea checked out my blog as well!

Heroine Girl... it was wonderful to see your post... love your site! (if anyone hasn't already see it go check it out it's worth it!)

Genitta... Thanks... I am feeling a bit better, or I've at least come to terms with the fact that there is nothing I can do about it now so it's no worth getting to upset about it :(

Jenna... Happy New Year! It feels like I haven't seen you in ages since I've been working days! Thanks for the chins up... and for the comments on the last few posts... it always makes me smile when I see your comments and am glad that I can at least provide a bit of entertainment for you on the night shift :)

Nav and Josh... Thanks for being my dedicated daily readers and for ocassionally leaving a comment (even though you didn't on the last post), and congratulations on the 211 launch!.

Jay... I was walking by my co-worker's computer the other day and recognized your blog up on his computer... you're like a new lunch room topic... "have you checked on Jay today??? what is he up to??? how is Jas and the babies???"... you're like famous so it's real bragging right to be able to say I have a comment from YOU on the blog!

Cuz... I have so already gone to "bank security"... I had a fraud report started and a police report done with in an hour of when I figured it out... it's still my own damb fault for leaving the card in so I'll probably have to eat this one.

Jack... You are my favorite and I was so happy to see your comment! Thanks for the support... chances are kind of slim that they'll get him because all they can go on is the camera at the drive thru bank machine and I'm not even sure if his plates would be showing since it was snowing heavy Friday night and lots of times the snow burries the license plate. Would be nice if they did though!!!

Terry... Inky... Catt... and all the Anonymous... welcome and thanks for taking the time to comment! It's always nice to hear from those who pop by... I really need to be leaving more comments myself!

211 Calgary

Today was the official launch date for 211 in Calgary.

211 is kind of like 911 and is starting up in cities across North America. It is a line to call "when you know what you need, but don't know who to call to get it"... information about social and community resources.

The Distress Centre has the contract for 211 in Calgary so it was a real exciting day for all of us... and the launch went off perfectly!

I've Been Robbed :(

I went to the drive thru bank machine last night to deposit my cheque and get some money. I did all that and drove away with my $80. I checked out my online banking this morning to find that my account had been cleared out and was in overdraft with a negative balance... I must have left my card in the machine and the guy in the truck in line behind me must have had a really, really good night out... I ran around today making a fraud report at the bank and I put in a police report but they don't think my chances at recovery are very good, they just wanted the paperwork done for the reports...

I just really can't seem to get ahead lately.

Not So Bitter Anymore

Yeah I was pretty bitter earlier today but I had a great dinner with my great friend Richard who is in town this week from Victoria... He has some great things going on and he gave me a little project and a cheque to get me started... so things aren't looking so glum anymore.

I'm really excited to have a project to work on and more than happy to put the useless games aside, get creative, and feel productive once again.

It turned out to be a pretty good day :)

Two Steps Forward... Three Steps Back

I can't seem to get ahead... it's like two steps forward and three steps back... I make a tiny bit more each year but everyone else raises prices and slowly I am getting poorer and poorer.

It totally pisses me off that I went to college, work full time, pick up extra shifts when ever possible and I STILL struggle and juggle every month trying to support myself... it really shouldn't have to be this hard.

I cannot believe that there are so many more right here in this city who are making less than me with more expenses and they are supposed to figure out a way to make ends meet as well. If this province is so fucking rich then it shouldn't be so hard to live here.

Anyways... felt the need to rant and complain a bit virtually since I have no one to vent my frustrations to in the real world... and now back to figuring out my budget...

When People I Have Known Died

I read a story on another blog that got me thinking about people I have known who have died... there have only been a few but each have been significant.

The first person that passed away in my life at five or six was my Grandpa Buzz, I was young but I remember it vividly. Me, my mom and sister were living with Grandma and Grandad Shadbolt in Calgary when my mom came and told us. I was sitting on Genitta's bed at the end of the hallway, I think me and Genitta were playing a game in there. I remember being really sad and crying and wanting to go visit Grandma Lil just to make sure. I was really hoping that we could go to the funeral... mostly out of curiosity I have to admit, I wanted to see him, I knew that my Dad Bruce would be there, I knew that we weren't going... we were too young. Grandpa Buzz was the only person I knew that had died for many years and he was the one that I sent a thought to and lite a candle for every year at the Rememberance Day Parade's I attended from age twelve through eighteen with cadets. I have heard stories over the years that have really demonstrated how much that man loved me and my sister and would have gone to hell and back for us, I resent that I did not get to know him better and love that I did develop a ritual to connect to him every year on November 11th.

The second person I knew who passed away was one of my cadets, and I am ashamed to say that I don't remember his name... but I will remember him forever. My Officer (and friend) Joy Bowen contacted me right after I left cadets to tell me that she had gotten a call from one of the cadets mothers. She told her that her son (14yrs old) had and an accident on his moped while playing around in the back fields in Shawnessy and had passed away. She found his diary... and in his diary, he wrote quite a bit about me. I guess while at summer camp the year before he was having a really hard time, and wrote about how ( I would come up to him when I spotted him in the canteen to say hi and see how things were goingI was a staff cadet and employed there for the summer), he mentioned talking to me at other times as well and me helping him out... his mother wanted Joy to ask me if I could come to the funeral. I was devestated because I could not put a face to the name, I felt like an invisible person and could not believe that anything I had done could have touched anyone else that much, and if so how the hell could I not even recognize who this person was!... I did not go to the funeral... I can't explain it but I didn't feel like I had a right... even though they asked that I go... the guilt will probably haunt me till the day I die.

I learned one of my life's greatest lessons at that moment... the little things conversations or things we may say everyday are HUGE... it's probably the biggest reason why I love my job... I know that even though Me and my volunteers are just taking another call and it means nothing in our day... one thing we say or one suggestion we make... could be HUGE.

The third person I have known that passed away was really only an aquaintance... my good friend's friend who I hung out with once in awhile. He was at my house three days before he passed away. Paul died of a drug overdose at his house. Paul went to high school with us and had been trying to kick the habit on and off for years. One of my first jobs when I was at AADAC which is a youth drug treatment centre was to go though the old old files and achieve them... I came across Paul's file and almost choked... he was one of the first three kids to ever go through the program. Paul and a bunch of people were hanging out at his house while his mom was at work. They were snorting and unbeknowst to them had a bad batch in their hands... when Paul and his girlfriend Marny started having problem's... or maybe afterwards everyone else in the house took off... I know that Paul really wanted to clean up for his mom and to make her proud ... he loved her and he didn't want to hurt her... she walked in that day and found Paul and Marny dead. Many of my friends were good friends with Paul and Marny... I didn't go to the funeral.

The fourth and final person who I have known that passed away was my best friend in junior high school Crystal. Crystal was an acquaintance in grade seven until she attempted suicide one night... I wasn't trying to off myself but we were both quite destructive so we bonded. Talk about hell for the administration in that poor school for the next three years! Crystal had some real problems and was getting abused pretty bad at home. Many a night I wanted to go and confront her fucking father after seeing the bruises and aftermath of their arguments, but I wanted to be loyal, I wanted to be a good friend, I knew that saying anything would mean that there would be a big scene, the scene would end, the "helpers" would go away, and Crystal would have to deal with him in the end... I wish now I would have told. Crystal got into the drug scene pretty bad and met my sister through a friend or a friend a few years ago. Crystal was excited she found my sister. She wanted me to call. My sister told me that she got sick and passed away... I read the obituary and recognized all the names... I didn't go to the funeral.

Not Impressed

I'm not in a "bad" mood today but I'm not really in a "good" mood either... I guess I am kind of just "blah".

The picture above is the view outside my door right now and as you can see it is dark and cold! It has been WAY too cold for days and I really hate it when it gets this cold. I always seem to get a real inner chill that can only be fixed by having a hot shower... but it's not like I can spend all day in the shower so most of the time I am left to suffer. I swear I would be a pretty happy person if I never had to wake up to a bed of snow ever again. Not likely to happen however since I was born in Canada... we have no "snow free" locations in Canada... and I haven't met any foreigners I can marry to escape as of yet.

I got this picture of Jaike vegging on the couch... I think him and Maxx are sick of the freezing cold as well... they haven't been outside for a run in days... when I open the door they sniff and walk back into the house with a look of disgust on their face. We are really hoping that the sun comes out and the snow melts away soon!

Payten's Place

There is a new blog in the community... I have to welcome Rob, Becky and Payten to the blogging world. You'll have to go check out their new site Payten's Place!

I have already found (and stole) and few pictures from there! This is a picture of Payten in the Santa suit my mother found him and above is my favorite pic of all the three boys so far!

A Look Back At 2004

1. What did you do in 2004 that you’d never done before?
I started my blog in 2004

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t keep my new years resolution… it was to quit smoking. This year I want to quit smoking AND get more organized!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes we welcomed Payten Shandler into this world in 2004!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one close to me died but two of my sister’s friends passed away WAY too young!.

5. What countries did you visit?
I stayed in Canada ALL YEAR.

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
I want to do more things and have more adventures and stories to share. I need to be on the computer less and in the real world more.

7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 26th, the Tsunami that cause so much heartache and destruction.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Training new volunteers who gave back to the community and helped hundreds this year.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Knowing what I need to do but not putting the effort in to get it done.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I have been having problems with my stomach and tons of lung problems… I really need to quit smoking.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Easiest question yet… that would be my digital camera :)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I am happy with how the whole world seems to be coming together to help those whose lives were shattered only days ago on December 26th.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The politicians… always the politicians sadly.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Up in smoke, computer games, and the occasional beer.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The release of Sims 2 (sad isn’t it… but true)

16. what song will always remind you of 2004?
The only one I can think of is one thing by fingers eleven.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder?
About the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Socializing and spending time with people

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Wasting hours upon hours on the computer and having nothing to show for it.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With parents, my siblings, my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my godsons.

20. How will you be spending New Years?
I will be spending it with my best friend and godson Avery.

22. Did you fall in love in 2004?
No

23. How many one-night stands?
None.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Lost… Thanks to Kyle who got me interested in it.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t hate anyone.

26. What was the best book you read?
I did not read many books but I found the best blogs ever in Texas Jack, Trashman, Pretty Boy Jay and recently HeroineGirl.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I had no musical discoveries

28. What did you want and got?
A digital camera… and a palm pilot

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn’t get out much this year… and I haven’t seen many good movies.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 30 and I cannot remember what I did for my birthday… probably went for drinks with my cousin Ronaye.

32. What is one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Accomplishing more, getting ahead in life, finding someone to enjoy life with

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
I love the comfy clothes, but this year I actually started to dress a little bit sharper.

34. What kept you sane?
I met some great new people at work who have become friends… they have kept me sane and at other times have made me insane (which is fun as well)

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I can’t think of one :(

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Alberta government paying off their debt and deciding where to spend the money, Ralph Klein’s arrogant remark regarding AISH recipients (something about people on disability insurance really just being lazy)

37. Who did you miss?
Kelly Janzen

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Probably Susan, but there were a few really good ones.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004.
Enjoy today, because tomorrow everything is going to change and you can never get this experience back.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town
I've loved like I should but lived that I shouldn't
I had to lose everything to find out
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road
I'm movin' on
- Moving On, Rascall Flatts