Long time no blog............

Wow it's been a long time since I blogged. I guess I just needed a break. So hmm well I guess I should talk about the cruise. It was fabulous and we enjoyed it immensely but I will say that we learned some things being a first cruise and if we ever do a cruise again there are a few things that we would do differently.

For starters we booked an inside room with the reasoning of how much time do you spend in your room anyway. It's mainly just for sleeping. Well once you get into your room, with no lights on you are in the pitch black and have no idea as to time or anything. So next time I would get an outside room and a balcony. The scenery was gorgeous of course and the weather for Alaska was considered good as it wasn't raining for the most part but let me tell you it was bloody cold. We did have a great time and I'll post some pictures soon to add to this post.

Then in August my brother and neice came out from Quebec and stayed for two weeks. That was a good to see them and good for Gabrielle to make the trip out now that she's older. She and Steve had a really good time and are going to try and make it back this year too. I don't know if Steve would ever move back to BC but as Gabrielle gets older (she's 13 now) and she loves it out here, she may decide to do University out here and if she did I am pretty sure Steve would come home to live.

The girls and I took a weekend away this fall and went just an hour up the highway to a little town called Hope. It is surrounded by mountains and beside the Fraser River and is a pretty little place. We found a motel along the highway and went in and asked the guy what he had and would he take our little dogs too and he took us and showed us this cabin with two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen and dining room and living room plus a front door and back door that led to our own little driveway and the crowning glory was a woodburning fireplace. All for the grand price of $119.00 including the two dogs and unlimited wood for the fireplace. We had a blast! We went and walked the Othello Tunnels and took a ton of pictures. We are planning on staying there again for a few more days and doing a bit more of the touristy thing.

Work has been busy and when last I left you, the office was being moved while I was on holidays. Well they did manage to break my computer so I came back to a new office and a brand new computer. Then due to "unexpected circumstances" I had to spend three months driving my boss around and so was very very busy at work but that has ended now and I am now back to a more slowed down work week.

I went in November and got my flu shot and my doc was not happy with me because I haven't been in for a year for bloodwork and counts and I told him I would come in and get it done. I haven't yet but will in the New Year. I've not been feeling great the last few weeks but I have not been eating properly and eating lots of junk food which is never good. So I guess that is my New Years resolution, to eat better and take better care of myself.

I am off work until the 5th so have been enjoying that alot. On Sunday night my Mom took us (my brother and his wife, me, my 3 sons and two of their girlfriends) all to the River Rock for dinner as her Christmas gift to us all. It was fun, food was good and we all went down to the casino and gambled for a few hours before heading home. In our group Mom was up $90, one son was up $100 and the other up just under a $100 the rest of us spent $20 0r $30 and we were all happy when we left. Then yesterday my youngest son got a call from them and he had won a thousand dollars in the daily draw contest thingy they have going right now. So he was very happy.

I have been reading alot because I found a good series I hadn't read yet. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series has been keeping me very interested. I am on book 4 right now and have the other two books lined up just waiting to be read. I've also been sewing again. Lynnie taught us how to quilt so I am making a quilt as well as a few new doggie jackets. My easel is set up at the window and I am going to be using it as well. I got a bike this summer and Lynnie and I have been riding the dikes around the valley. I even have a system rigged up for Lacey so she can come with us. I have a light backpack that I can put on backwards (so in the front) and I put Lacey in there when we come to roads or whatever and then when danger is passed I can take her out and let her run along with us. It worked not too badly but a real doggie carrier was $30 and I refuse to pay that. Then I was in WalMart just before Christmas and found a doggy carrier that will work perfect. So when the weather warms up and the snow goes away we'll give it a try.

We (the girls, Jude and Lynne) are going to be going to the island this spring to stay in Uklulet for a long weekend and my son and his girlfriend and granddaughter have plans for camping on Long Beach this summer. The girls and I are planning our next trip for April of 2010 after the Olympics are over and it will be someplace warm. Right now we are sort of thinking about Costa Rica because Jude has a sister in law that is from there with lots of family to give us hints on where to go and what to see etc. Well that's all I can think of at the moment.

I'm Cruising!!

Well I have been waxed, shaved, dyed, plucked, and cut (hair) and I'm all set to head off on my cruise. The bags are packed, the animals all taken care of and I'm sitting here now waiting to leave to go and pick up Lynnie. We head in and get Jude and her husband is driving us to the cruise ship. My brother is picking up my Mom and we'll meet there.

The guys will be moving the office while I am away so I'll be coming back to a brand new never been used office and desk. New phone systems will be in place. So all is good there.

Back in April when we went and paid off the cruise I took $300 american out of the bank and put it someplace safe for the trip. Well on Friday I went to get the money and I couldn't find it. I've searched every place I could think of and no money. On Saturday I went to the bank and got another $300 american out and I am sure I will find the other money safely tucked away someplace probably round about Christmas but oh well! It will be a nice surprise when I do find it. :)

Spring! Finally…

The sun shone beautifully on Saturday and we got up to 24C out here in the valley. I was wonderful!! That is our first nice sunny warm day and man it seemed like every person that owned a motor bike was out riding it. People were everywhere; walking, biking, working on their yards.

I got my eye test done and got to the glasses place and was out of there as fast as possible so I could get out into the sun. I went home and grabbed Lacey and headed down to my friends place and washed the truck and let Lacey play in the sunshine. Then we headed off and went for a walk along the dike. It was great!

Sunday we were back to normal with cloudy weather all day. I did the inside housework in fits and starts. I am finding I am tired a lot again. Work is all I manage to get done during the week with a walk thrown in for Lacey a couple of evenings if the weather is nice. I save all the housework for the weekends and then I do it in bits with lots of rests in between. That sucks. I would like to just power through and get it all done and then enjoy the rest of the weekend but if I really push myself and get it all done then I am too tired to do anything else anyway.

Also I have a rash. It is kind of worrying. It is spreading right up my back and around the sides of my stomach and breasts. It is a somewhat like the rash I got while on treatment especially the part right up my spine which is where it started both times. I don’t think rashes are normally found with HepC without treatment but I don’t know what else it could be. I haven’t done anything like change detergents or anything like that. Very annoying.

It is down to 13 weeks till we leave on our cruise. This hasn’t been clear sailing so far. My mom almost baled out on us as she was feeling old and tired and really didn’t think she was up to a cruise. We talked her into waiting till Spring and some sunshine before she decided and she has now agreed that it will be fun. Then one of my two friends has not told her husband yet that we are going. I’m not sure why but she keeps saying he won’t care but she just hasn’t found the right time yet to tell him.

The third friend, she just found out last week that her husband has a large tumor in his bowel. We offered to just give up our deposits and cancel so she doesn’t have to be stressed and worried about it all but she is not having any of that! She says if he is very sick when cruise time rolls around then she will just give up her fee and stay home but she does not want to cancel. She feels he will get in fairly quickly for the surgery and then if there is chemo or radiation after then she’ll play it by ear. They are both feeling very optimistic as two of his sisters have already gone through this and come out of it fine so they feel he can beat this too. But all in all it is worrying for them and for all of us that care about them. We’ll do what we have to do and go from there.

I am so ready for Spring!! I want to shave my legs, paint my toe nails and wear Capri pants to work with a toe ring and an anklet. No more winter sweatshirts and hoodies and fleece!!

Day light savings

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Well here we are into March already. I just realized that Day Light Savings is next weekend too! Wow and then this year Good Friday and Easter are the weekend of the 21st of March so a nice long weekend. I am really looking forward to that.

End of February is the end of our fiscal year at work so I have been busy with that along with the regular stuff. The guys have bought a new office and shop space. Up until now they have been leasing a place but decided to buy into a new industrial park so we have a brand new space. The shop area is cement walls and cement floor so other than a work bench etc it is fine but the front office area is just framed in so the guys are having to build the office space. It will be great when it’s done. Big windows, air conditioning, a brand new clean bathroom, a new desk and office furniture. Can’t wait!!

Saturday was my son’s 36th birthday. Thirty-six!! Wow, hard to believe. He is the oldest and father of my granddaughter. The next or middle son will be 35 in November and the youngest just turned 29.

19 weeks left till we go on our cruise. Time is just flying along. My mom is having second thoughts about going now too. She’s paid her deposit but she is not feeling great and says she is tired and just doesn’t feel like going. I am of two minds. I think she’ll feel better when the weather gets nicer and she may get some energy and feel like going and I would love her to come but if she really doesn’t feel like going I don’t want to force her to go or make her feel guilty for not wanting to go. If she does back out we have the option of filling her spot with another friend if she leaves us enough time to do that or the rest of us (myself and two girlfriends) can just split her portion between us and pay for it and only have 3 of us in the quad room which might be nice as it will give us more space. As it stands we need to pay the final amounts by the end of April so if she decides by the end of March then it still gives us time to fill her spot and gives the other girl time to make arrangements. So either way the three of us are going, it’s just whether or not it will include Mom, another friend or just the 3 of us.

I’ve been feeling pretty good the last week or two. I got a really bad case of the flu that lasted almost 3 weeks. Felt really cruddy but the silver lining (and there is always a silver lining) is that I lost 8 or 9 pounds while I was sick and now I’m trying to keep it off plus 8 or so more and then I’ll buy a few clothes for the cruise J I absolutely refuse to buy any until I am pretty sure that I’ve managed to lose all the weight I can before hand.

I’ll be glad when day light savings kicks in and it’s lighter for longer in the evenings. Right now when I get home from work there just isn’t enough time to get out for a walk so poor little Lacey waits for the weekends to roll around to get outside and get some exercise. Poor baby. With the longer evenings and the weight loss plan I’m hoping to get out every day after work for a good walk.

Isn't it Ironic

The tune just keeps running through my head.

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late And isn't it ironic... don't you think

Just over two years ago when my husband left me two weeks before I was to start treatment again, the reason he gave was because I have HepC and he was tired of dealing with it. He wanted to go and party and have fun! He had always thought when the kids grew up and left home we would then do the partying we never did when the kids were young. Where he got this idea and why he never shared it with me I have no idea but there ya go.

So the latest from him that I heard from the kids:

Last week at work where he is a supervisor, one of the guys at work apparently had a stroke. He fell and hit his head on the way down. My ex went and grabbed his medical records and assisted him. His records showed no pre-existing conditions. They were wiping the blood off the guy when he came to and was combative. They were trying to keep him under control until the ambulance arrived and the guy was spitting blood at them and swinging at them. Everyone involved ended up with blood all over them. Ambulance crew arrives and takes over. The ex happens to hear the fellow tell the ambulance crew, "Oh yeah, I have HepC" And isn't it ironic... don't you think

Apparently he has already been to the doctor and been tested but will haveto go every two months for the next year to be tested he says. Chances are slim I'm sure but I guess he'll sweat it for the next year.

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought"Well isn't this nice..."And isn't it ironic... don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows upIn your face

A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic...don't you thinkA little too ironic...and, yeah, I really do think...

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures
Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

February 2008

Wow the days move along. We are already into February. July will be here before we know it and I have to lose a few pounds before I get on that ship. I got an email from my mom informing me we are going on a ship and not a boat! I want to lose about 10 - 15 lbs and that is very do-able if I actually get to it. Ah well food is one of my vices along with pot and really the one just makes the other worse!

Last Thursday night my son and granddaughter and I went and say Walking with Dinosaurs live. I left work at 2pm and picked up C at at about 2:45 in Delta and then had to get into downtown Vancouver. I printed instructions from mytelus and enlarged them to a big font and had them stuck up where I could see them in the car and just followed what it said and was into town in no time. I am not that familiar with the bridges and by-passes that connect Surrey, Delta, Richmond, New Westminster and Vancouver but we did fine. We sang and talked and entertained each other along the way.

Made it into downtown and found a parking garage fairly close to GM Place. It cost me $11 to park from 3:30 until 9:30. But if I had parked at the sky train lot and bought an all day ride pass it would have cost me the same so ............. but still expensive I thought. Anyway it was about a 5 block walk to where my son works in one of the skyscrapers down there. Downtown Vancouver has sure changed from when I was a kid. It's a whole different world down there but we had a good time walking along and talking. People would smile at C and she finally said to me. "You know what Grandma? When ladies go by they smile at me but when men go by they don't" and so I watched and she was correct. The ladies all gave her a smile and the men ignored her. I got to wondering if it was a sign of the times. Men are looked at with suspicion if they pay attention to small children. Kind of sad I think.

Anyway we met D and headed out and found a White Spot and had dinner. I was kind of disappointed though. When I was a kid White Spot was a hamburger drive-in that would bring the food out to your car on long trays that would slide in the window and attach at the other window across the front seat. They have what they call triple-O sauce. When we were kids in high school we had a White Spot just down the street and that is where we would congregate on weekend nights at the end of a date to sit and eat burgers and visit car to car. The burgers were the best! The food on Thursday night just didn't live up to my memories of the deluxe triple O burger and fries but C had a good time.

We got to GM Place just as they were opening the doors so we were able to get in out of the cold. The show was excellent and a bit scary for the little ones to begin with but they soon realized they were fine and enjoyed the show. I can't really explain how big these animatrons were and how loud they were but you really did feel like you were getting a chance to see what a real dinosaur was like. We were all glad we had come.

Rumors at work that we might be moving into a brand new complex and new office space with a nice big shop. That would sure be nice and from the birdie that let slip the news it seems like it will be much easier for me to get to work and I won't have to drive the freeway.

The sun is shining at the moment although it is 2 below but I may venture out for a walk with Lacey this afternoon if it warms up a bit. I'm a big baby with the cold and can't wait from spring and some warmth and sunshine. My babies this morning waiting for me to be done on the comptuer.

January 08

A new year is worth a new outlook I think. Last year was a bit of a bust for me but in a quiet way for the most part. I got into my new job but had the stress of knowing I was going to have to start the drug trial at any time. So I spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out how to do both. Lucky for the me the guys I work for were great and let me set my own schedule with their only comment being they just wanted me to be OK. I just felt I couldn't settle down completely until I had things under control.



Along came the drug trial and it was not for me. I tried and then I beat myself up for failing. The summer was a bust as I spent a good portion of it either throwing up, trying not to throw up and getting better again. A fairly long process considering I only managed 4 weeks of drugs. Still wicked stuff! My hair fell out for months afterwards. I was afraid to have too much done to it right up until November.



Christmas was good and I spent time with my kids and family. Had a very good time and was easy on myself and didn't even attempt to "Do it all" So no baking and no decorating and it worked out fine for us. My mom wanted to take us (my three sons and I - granddaughter with her mom till Boxing Day) out for Christmas dinner so none of us had to worry about cooking. The boys were all for it and I thought it sounded like fun and time to make some new traditions etc. So after much checking around we ended up going to the River Rock Casino in Richmond (which is where my Mom lives). They have a fabulous buffet! It really was delicious. Then we headed down to the casino to play the slots for awhile. I have never been in a casino before and never gambled and I had a really good time. The slogan from the various casino ads kept running through my head - Know your limit and stay within it" and I did. The middle son won 125.00 so he was happy. We only stayed in the casino for an hour as the snow had started falling fast and thick so we thought it best to hit the road. Mom in Richmond and the rest of us out into the valley with the snow falling all the way home but it was good and we had a really nice day. Boxing Day was spent at my brothers with Mom and all my brothers kids and grandkids, my boys and granddaughter and various family friends. Lots of good food and good conversation. Again a very nice time was had.



So now here we are into 2008. I have decided on a few things starting with the Hep C issue. I am going to ignore it as best I can this year and just go for my bloodwork every 3 months and check the lft's. My viral load is low and I feel really good and energetic these days. Maybe I have learned to pace myself better but the last few months have been full and busy. I am up at 5AM and work from 8 - 4:30 and then home. Weekends are full with housework and chores and getting out and walking and visiting with friends. Re-treatment I will deal with in the future as I need to. Not this year though, this year is earmarked for other more fun things!



Work has changed and I am enjoying my job alot. I am the office person and take care of all office matters including billing, banking and payroll. I also have a company truck and I pick up supplies and take them out to the guys on various job sites all over the lower mainland. I could see myself staying with this company till I retire which isn't all that many years away now. I turned 57 in November so it is only 8 years until I retire.



I am in de-clutter mode at home and am working away at it bit by bit. When my husband and I split up two years ago and I moved into the apartment I just took all the crap with me. Now two years down the road I am going to get rid of a good portion of the stuff and start over. I am starting at one end of the apartment and going through it and either reorganizing it and then getting it into a tub for storage or I am throwing it out. I went through my closet the other day and had a pile of clothes chest high on the floor to give to MCC (charity out here ummm I think it stands for Menonite Central Commitee) Thrift Store. I am going to throw out or get rid of furniture too. Ikea seems to be the way to go!



Yesterday we booked our Alaskan Cruise for July of this year. My two girlfriends and my Mom are going on this trip. We've booked a quad room on the Norwegian Sun and this well be our first cruise for all of us. The girls and I plan on someplace hot next year, we are thinking about Mexico at an all inclusive, or flying to Hawaii and doing the islands cruise or one of the girls has family connections in Costa Rica so we may do it. This is all in prep for our big tour of Europe when we retire. Get used to travelling and be all ready for the big one.



One of the presents I got my son and granddaughter for Christmas was tickets for the three of us to go and see the "Walk with Dinosaurs" production that is travelling the world. It is based on the original BBC series. It looks so interesting and my son loves stuff like this. My granddaughter is almost 5 so I don't think it will scare her, at least I hope not.



So that is the plan for the new year. Work hard, enjoy life and have plans to look forward too.



I'm adding this picture my middle son took of my beautiful Nemo. It really shows his pretty eyes. Lacey is good and got lots of toys and new clothes for Christmas. I make her and my friends dog jackets for the rain and cold and also house jackets. I've given up the sweaters, they sag and the jackets are much nicer. I'll have to get some pics on here of her growing wardrobe but for now enjoy Nemo's beautiful eyes.