Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Be prepared
Tonight I attended the annual general meeting for our union sub-group. There weren't many people in attendance, only 21 but apparently that was an improvement over last year. The minutes for that meeting indicated only 14 attended the 2010 AGM. I know I didn't make it to last year's meeting and only went this year because we're in the process of negotiating our contract and I was hoping to hear more about the proposals from both sides.
By the way, we're a small sub-group, there are actually about 5,000 members nationally, so we're negotiating from a position of some influence. Our speaker this evening is our regional representative on the negotiating team. I had high expectations for his presentation; unfortunately I was seriously disappointed.
Perhaps it's just me, but when I know I need to speak in front of a group, regardless of the size, I prepare what I will say and attempt to anticipate the questions that might come as a result. I make myself notes to ensure I don't forget anything I think is particularly important. I've even been known to give myself specific directions to pause for a moment or to ask if there are questions. It's a bit over the top I suppose, but it works for me.
I never had a sense that this man had put any effort into preparing for the presentation. In fact, our local president had to remind him of the topics to be covered because he couldn't find the e-mail he'd earlier received on his Blackberry. He was asked to keep his talk to approximately 20 minutes....50 minutes later he was repeating himself for the umpteenth time and several of us were nodding off. (We had turkey for dinner - it should been expected!)
He was unable to address questions specifically as he wasn't prepared. He wasn't open to other's thoughts or opinions because he's looking at the process from his own position and not those of all the members he represents. His speech (for lack of a better word) made me appreciate I had not voted for him previously. I met him when he was campaigning outside our office one chilly morning (no union business is generally permitted within our offices) and I was not impressed when he was unable to tell me why I should vote for him. His platform then was as as weak as his presentation tonight.
On the other hand, the meal was great with turkey and all the trimmings. I even won a door prize! The three hours wasn't totally wasted.
By the way, we're a small sub-group, there are actually about 5,000 members nationally, so we're negotiating from a position of some influence. Our speaker this evening is our regional representative on the negotiating team. I had high expectations for his presentation; unfortunately I was seriously disappointed.
Perhaps it's just me, but when I know I need to speak in front of a group, regardless of the size, I prepare what I will say and attempt to anticipate the questions that might come as a result. I make myself notes to ensure I don't forget anything I think is particularly important. I've even been known to give myself specific directions to pause for a moment or to ask if there are questions. It's a bit over the top I suppose, but it works for me.
I never had a sense that this man had put any effort into preparing for the presentation. In fact, our local president had to remind him of the topics to be covered because he couldn't find the e-mail he'd earlier received on his Blackberry. He was asked to keep his talk to approximately 20 minutes....50 minutes later he was repeating himself for the umpteenth time and several of us were nodding off. (We had turkey for dinner - it should been expected!)
He was unable to address questions specifically as he wasn't prepared. He wasn't open to other's thoughts or opinions because he's looking at the process from his own position and not those of all the members he represents. His speech (for lack of a better word) made me appreciate I had not voted for him previously. I met him when he was campaigning outside our office one chilly morning (no union business is generally permitted within our offices) and I was not impressed when he was unable to tell me why I should vote for him. His platform then was as as weak as his presentation tonight.
On the other hand, the meal was great with turkey and all the trimmings. I even won a door prize! The three hours wasn't totally wasted.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Call me old fashioned
Christmas has always been a special holiday in my life, especially because my Mom's birthday was Christmas Day. When my parents were alive I never missed a Christmas "at home". Mom passed away in December 2003 and Christmas has never been quite the same. I still got together with my Dad, but when he moved into the nursing home in 2006, the visits were short and I was usually there on my own. He passed away in 2008 and now Christmas as home has come to mean at "my home".
Since my children are both living at home, Christmas is spent quietly. And I mean quiet, really quiet, because they both tend to sleep in until at least noon! There are no excited children scrambling into my bed at 4 a.m. asking if Santa has come anymore. For us, the traditional turkey dinner has become a roast beef because there's too many leftovers with even a small bird.
During the holidays we will get together with my younger brother and his family to exchange gifts and share a meal. For a few years we went out to their farm, but now since we've moved to this house, and have more room we have our celebration here. It also means we're all together, since my anti-social son tended to stay home while my daughter and I went to visit. In fact, last year when my niece asked me if C ever left the basement. I laughed and said, "only when he's hungry!"
Our traditions have changed as the years past by, as the children grew up, and my family has gone their separate ways. It's not the same as when I was young, but is still very special, both for the memories of past Christmas' and the new memories we make each year.
You can call me old-fashioned because I cannot for the life of me imagine
having a family picture with Santa like these folks.
family poses with Santa and assorted weapons at the Scottsdale Gun Club in Arizona. (Scottsdale Gun Club/Facebook)
Despite the commercialization of Christmas, guns and Santa just don't mix for me!
Since my children are both living at home, Christmas is spent quietly. And I mean quiet, really quiet, because they both tend to sleep in until at least noon! There are no excited children scrambling into my bed at 4 a.m. asking if Santa has come anymore. For us, the traditional turkey dinner has become a roast beef because there's too many leftovers with even a small bird.
During the holidays we will get together with my younger brother and his family to exchange gifts and share a meal. For a few years we went out to their farm, but now since we've moved to this house, and have more room we have our celebration here. It also means we're all together, since my anti-social son tended to stay home while my daughter and I went to visit. In fact, last year when my niece asked me if C ever left the basement. I laughed and said, "only when he's hungry!"
Our traditions have changed as the years past by, as the children grew up, and my family has gone their separate ways. It's not the same as when I was young, but is still very special, both for the memories of past Christmas' and the new memories we make each year.
You can call me old-fashioned because I cannot for the life of me imagine
having a family picture with Santa like these folks.
Despite the commercialization of Christmas, guns and Santa just don't mix for me!
Sunday, 27 November 2011
I'm a machine!
The alarm went off at 8:15 this morning (on a Sunday!) And since I always keep my alarm 20 minutes fast...because I'm that stupid in the morning...it was really 7:55 a.m. After feeding the cats, getting dressed in a cool outfit (as in temperature, not fashion), and starting a pot of coffee I got busy!
It's about 2:15 p.m. and so far I've made this:
Chocolate marshmallow roll
and this
Red velvet cupcakes (still need to be iced and decorated)
and this
Dundee cake (a simpler version of a fruit cake)
At the moment, the dough for the chocolate peppermint cookies is in the fridge chilling, and the lemon squares are in the oven. I'll get the sugar dough going after those are done.
Oh, and last night I made a new recipe, one I've never tried before. It's starts with a graham wafer crust, with topping comprised of a can of condensed milk, chocolate and white chocolate chips, cranberries, and coconut. It's definitely a keeper. Here's it is:
I usually bake only at Christmas time and as you can see, I tend to go crazy with it! Good thing for bake sales, Christmas parties, and family and friends or I'd weigh twice what I do!
It's about 2:15 p.m. and so far I've made this:
and this
and this
At the moment, the dough for the chocolate peppermint cookies is in the fridge chilling, and the lemon squares are in the oven. I'll get the sugar dough going after those are done.
Oh, and last night I made a new recipe, one I've never tried before. It's starts with a graham wafer crust, with topping comprised of a can of condensed milk, chocolate and white chocolate chips, cranberries, and coconut. It's definitely a keeper. Here's it is:
I usually bake only at Christmas time and as you can see, I tend to go crazy with it! Good thing for bake sales, Christmas parties, and family and friends or I'd weigh twice what I do!
Friday, 25 November 2011
Wiped right out
After yesterday, I had high hopes of getting a good night's sleep. One thing I forgot to mention in the last post was that I MC'd the event. I actually enjoy public speaking but I find it very tiring. When all the focus is on me, I feel the need to be consistenly upbeat, and I put a lot of pressure on myself.
A few days before, I wrote myself a script (not just a speech). I actually put in directions to ensue I didn' miss saying or doing something. For example, I needed to bring together the volunteers who would be flipping the signs to reveal the grand total a few minutes in advance so I made a note to do so. It went without too many hiccups and there was lot of positive comments that the event was fun and entertaining.
By the time I got home last night, I was exhausted, and looking forward to crawling into bed.
And that's pretty much what I did. Unfortunately it was nearly one a.m. the last time I looked at the clock before I finally got some rest. When my son left for work about 5:30 this morning, I phoned my boss and told him I wouldn't be in today. I was just too tired and wiped out! After that I was able to sleep until nearly 9:30 and took an hour nap this afternoon as well.
I've felt like I have been running on adrenaline and coffee the past few weeks. Hopefully today's rest will be enough to get me back to normal. I've got way too much to do, now that it's nearly December!
A few days before, I wrote myself a script (not just a speech). I actually put in directions to ensue I didn' miss saying or doing something. For example, I needed to bring together the volunteers who would be flipping the signs to reveal the grand total a few minutes in advance so I made a note to do so. It went without too many hiccups and there was lot of positive comments that the event was fun and entertaining.
By the time I got home last night, I was exhausted, and looking forward to crawling into bed.
I've felt like I have been running on adrenaline and coffee the past few weeks. Hopefully today's rest will be enough to get me back to normal. I've got way too much to do, now that it's nearly December!
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Wowsa!
Today was the windup for our charitable campaign at our office. Our goal this year was to collect $40,000 for chairity with a 50% participation rate from our 285 employees. In the past we've gejerally managed to reach our monetary goal but not the participation rate. This year was no different except we blew our monetary goal out of the water!
We raised over $50,000 this year with a participation rate of 40%. For those doing the math, that's about 120 donors with an average donation of nearly $400, so we have really generous employees.
I'm not sure why others don't take up the opportunity to make their donations to the charities of their choice through the campaign. We make it easy, donations can be made by payroll deduction (as little as $2 a payperiod), by cash, cheque, or credit card. If they opt for payroll, the donation amount is reported on the T4 slip at the end of the year, without the hassle of retaining donation receipts for tax purposes.
It was terrific wrap-up, starting with the draws for various including luggage, tickets to a concert, parking, $25 Visa cards, and even an autographed Saskatchewan Roughrider football. With the exception of the Visa cards and the football, the prizes were donated by our employees. After the prize draws we had a catered lunch for nearly 120 people (not necessarily the donors - it just happened that the numbers were about the same).
One of our employees had agreed to get a new hairdo if we were able to exceed our original goal. If we raised $2500 more he'd get a Mohawk, $5000, he'd get a mullet or something similar, $7500 we'd dye his hair, and $10,000 more we'd shave him bald. Up to this point, he had no idea what we would be doing to him as the total was a surprise to everyone but a few of the committee members.
We announced the results and had a hairdresser standing by to do the honors. He went from having shoulder length hair to bald in about 10 minutes. He look sooooo much better and we bought him a toque to keep his head warm this winter. He went from this (sort of)
to this
His mother will be proud!
I'm hoping our success this year will translate into more donors next year. But even if it doesn't, I'm proud of the people I work with, they truly are awesome and their contributions will make an impact in our community.
We raised over $50,000 this year with a participation rate of 40%. For those doing the math, that's about 120 donors with an average donation of nearly $400, so we have really generous employees.
I'm not sure why others don't take up the opportunity to make their donations to the charities of their choice through the campaign. We make it easy, donations can be made by payroll deduction (as little as $2 a payperiod), by cash, cheque, or credit card. If they opt for payroll, the donation amount is reported on the T4 slip at the end of the year, without the hassle of retaining donation receipts for tax purposes.
It was terrific wrap-up, starting with the draws for various including luggage, tickets to a concert, parking, $25 Visa cards, and even an autographed Saskatchewan Roughrider football. With the exception of the Visa cards and the football, the prizes were donated by our employees. After the prize draws we had a catered lunch for nearly 120 people (not necessarily the donors - it just happened that the numbers were about the same).
One of our employees had agreed to get a new hairdo if we were able to exceed our original goal. If we raised $2500 more he'd get a Mohawk, $5000, he'd get a mullet or something similar, $7500 we'd dye his hair, and $10,000 more we'd shave him bald. Up to this point, he had no idea what we would be doing to him as the total was a surprise to everyone but a few of the committee members.
We announced the results and had a hairdresser standing by to do the honors. He went from having shoulder length hair to bald in about 10 minutes. He look sooooo much better and we bought him a toque to keep his head warm this winter. He went from this (sort of)
His mother will be proud!
I'm hoping our success this year will translate into more donors next year. But even if it doesn't, I'm proud of the people I work with, they truly are awesome and their contributions will make an impact in our community.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Time for a change
First off, let me say, I'm not very technically savvy. I refused to allow the internet in my home for many years and now I can't imagine life without it. The one thing I could live without, though, is the need to have a multitude of passwords for the numerous sites I visit. Some need both upper and lower case letters as well as numbers, and others require certain special characters (and not all sites use the same special characters). It's all a little overwhelming for this menopause memory of mine!
Today CBC News carried a story in the Technology and Science section about the Top 25 worst passwords. You can read the complete story here.
If you don't have time for that, here's the Top 25:
password
123456
12345678
qwerty
abc123
monkey
1234567
letmein
trustno1
dragon
baseball 111111
iloveyou
master
sunshine
ashley
bailey
passw0rd
shadow
123123
654321
superman
qazwsx
michael
football
I feel a little smug as I've never used a single one of these options....I did use a swear word once when I was really cranky but I've moved past that! Today I try to make my passwords stronger, but I apparently have a way to go. Here are some tips for creating stronger passwords:
Make them eight characters or more, with a mix of characters, e.g., letters, numbers, symbols.
One way to create longer, easy-to-remember passwords is to separate short words with spaces or other characters, e.g., "eat cake at 8!"
Don't use the same username/password combination for multiple websites.
Use a password manager if you have trouble remembering your passwords. SplashData makes one called SplashID Safe.
Source: SplashData Inc.
Another suggestion is to save passwords in a secure file on your computer if you use an encryption program. Sounds like a great idea, but if I ever forgot that password, all hope would be lost.
With all the concerns about computer security maybe my reluctance to join the "interweb" wasn't totally off-base!
Today CBC News carried a story in the Technology and Science section about the Top 25 worst passwords. You can read the complete story here.
If you don't have time for that, here's the Top 25:
password
123456
12345678
qwerty
abc123
monkey
1234567
letmein
dragon
baseball 111111
iloveyou
master
sunshine
ashley
bailey
passw0rd
shadow
123123
654321
superman
qazwsx
michael
football
I feel a little smug as I've never used a single one of these options....I did use a swear word once when I was really cranky but I've moved past that! Today I try to make my passwords stronger, but I apparently have a way to go. Here are some tips for creating stronger passwords:
Make them eight characters or more, with a mix of characters, e.g., letters, numbers, symbols.
One way to create longer, easy-to-remember passwords is to separate short words with spaces or other characters, e.g., "eat cake at 8!"
Don't use the same username/password combination for multiple websites.
Use a password manager if you have trouble remembering your passwords. SplashData makes one called SplashID Safe.
Source: SplashData Inc.
Another suggestion is to save passwords in a secure file on your computer if you use an encryption program. Sounds like a great idea, but if I ever forgot that password, all hope would be lost.
With all the concerns about computer security maybe my reluctance to join the "interweb" wasn't totally off-base!
Sunday, 20 November 2011
It's beginning to smell like
Christmas baking! I'd have taken pictures but my batteries died and I have no spares.
Having a three day weekend meant I had time to houseclean on Friday, and then time to mess up the kitchen with my baking on Saturday and Sunday! I started with my kids' favorite - Scottish shortbread. It's a recipe I've been making for over thirty year because not only is it simple but it tastes fantastic as well. It has only three ingredients, butter, sugar and flour. It has to be real butter; although I've made it with margarine it doesn't taste right. My daugther D says my shortbread "tastes like Christmas".
Next I made a batch of monster cookies - which is basically a drop cookie with M&M candy instead of chocolate chips. This isn't a Christmas recipe but I thought it would keep my kids out of the rest of the Christmas baking - it seems to be working thus far.
This morning I made a pan of brownies for our potluck at work tomorrow. I went through a number of magazines and cookbooks, and researching on the recipe websites, looking for a recipe. Most every one called for mega amounts of butter and chocolate which I was trying to avoid. In the end, I went back to an old favorite, from the Canadian Cookbook by Nellie Pattison. I received this cookbook from my parents as a graduation gift in 1977. My copy is in tatters, with the spine broken, and pages loosened, and spills decorating many of the pages.
I finally got around to some real Christmas baking this afternoon making a batch of mocha crackle cookies. Unfortunately I couldn't fnd the recipe I normally use, so I spent more time looking for another recipe. The one I found is available here. My cookies didn't crackle as much as Karen's, but the crisp cookie with it's blend of coffee and chocolate with a dusting of sugar is one I just love. Not only did I find a great new recipe but a new blog to follow too!
While I truly didn't get a lot of Christmas baking done I did get a lot accomplished. The house is reasonably tidy (I'm not a Suzy Homemaker by any stretch of the imagination) and the smell of home baking permeates the entire house. Next weekend will be more baking and decorating too!
Having a three day weekend meant I had time to houseclean on Friday, and then time to mess up the kitchen with my baking on Saturday and Sunday! I started with my kids' favorite - Scottish shortbread. It's a recipe I've been making for over thirty year because not only is it simple but it tastes fantastic as well. It has only three ingredients, butter, sugar and flour. It has to be real butter; although I've made it with margarine it doesn't taste right. My daugther D says my shortbread "tastes like Christmas".
Next I made a batch of monster cookies - which is basically a drop cookie with M&M candy instead of chocolate chips. This isn't a Christmas recipe but I thought it would keep my kids out of the rest of the Christmas baking - it seems to be working thus far.
This morning I made a pan of brownies for our potluck at work tomorrow. I went through a number of magazines and cookbooks, and researching on the recipe websites, looking for a recipe. Most every one called for mega amounts of butter and chocolate which I was trying to avoid. In the end, I went back to an old favorite, from the Canadian Cookbook by Nellie Pattison. I received this cookbook from my parents as a graduation gift in 1977. My copy is in tatters, with the spine broken, and pages loosened, and spills decorating many of the pages.
I finally got around to some real Christmas baking this afternoon making a batch of mocha crackle cookies. Unfortunately I couldn't fnd the recipe I normally use, so I spent more time looking for another recipe. The one I found is available here. My cookies didn't crackle as much as Karen's, but the crisp cookie with it's blend of coffee and chocolate with a dusting of sugar is one I just love. Not only did I find a great new recipe but a new blog to follow too!
While I truly didn't get a lot of Christmas baking done I did get a lot accomplished. The house is reasonably tidy (I'm not a Suzy Homemaker by any stretch of the imagination) and the smell of home baking permeates the entire house. Next weekend will be more baking and decorating too!
Friday, 18 November 2011
It's beginning to look a lot like...
Winter is apparently here to stay, much to my chagrin. We got another 5 centimeters of snow in the last 24 hours (about 2 inches). The storm has moved on but behind it is the cold air from the Artic. As I write this, the temperature is -17C (1F) but with the windchill it feels more like -22C (about 3F). And it's going to get colder yet tonight.
I've got my car plugged in for the first time. For any readers who have no idea what I'm talking about, I do not have an electric car. In actuality, it is the block heater I am plugging in. The block heater keeps the fluids fluid, the battery from freeaing, and generally ensures that the engine is warm enough to start. Without a block heater, my car would become a frozen block of plastic and metal.
My house has a two-car garage which is great except that we have three cars. (It's still way better than the old house because we had a single car garage and it was full to the rafters). Last winter, my son wasn't working so his car stayed on the driveway. Even though it stayed plugged in for much of the winter, and even with running the engine everyday, there were times his car wouldn't start.
He's working this year and in an effort to encourage him to continue, I've agreed he can park his car in the garage. My daughter takes the other spot in the garage - I guess because she parked there last winter. So this year, I'm the one parking on the driveway, cleaning my car of snow and frost, and plugging it in every time the temperature dips below -20C.
If I ever want to park in the garage again, maybe it's time to increase their rent!
I've got my car plugged in for the first time. For any readers who have no idea what I'm talking about, I do not have an electric car. In actuality, it is the block heater I am plugging in. The block heater keeps the fluids fluid, the battery from freeaing, and generally ensures that the engine is warm enough to start. Without a block heater, my car would become a frozen block of plastic and metal.
My house has a two-car garage which is great except that we have three cars. (It's still way better than the old house because we had a single car garage and it was full to the rafters). Last winter, my son wasn't working so his car stayed on the driveway. Even though it stayed plugged in for much of the winter, and even with running the engine everyday, there were times his car wouldn't start.
He's working this year and in an effort to encourage him to continue, I've agreed he can park his car in the garage. My daughter takes the other spot in the garage - I guess because she parked there last winter. So this year, I'm the one parking on the driveway, cleaning my car of snow and frost, and plugging it in every time the temperature dips below -20C.
If I ever want to park in the garage again, maybe it's time to increase their rent!
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Hurting
I nearly had a serious fall at work today as I was rushing down the stairs to pick up some printing. My foot slipped on one of the stairs and I felt myself falling. The envelope I was carrying flew over the railing and down the stairwell, while I grabbed onto the railing to stop my freefall. Although I wrenched my arm I managed to keep from falling more than a few steps.
Once I came to a full stop I sat on the stairs for a few minutes doing the mental check list. My right ankle hurt the worst at the time and I thought perhaps I'd sprained it. The rest of the aches and pains seemed minor so after a few minutes I got up and carried on with my day.
By evening though I realized my left leg took the brunt of the fall. My knee cap is bruised and swollen and I have a nasty bruise just above my ankle. I suspect I hit the edge of the step as I turned to grab the railing. It's a little hard to see in this picture, but this is my knee. It hurts tonight, but I suspect tomorrow will be even worse.
My mom used to have a saying, "The hurried I go, the behinder I get". I have to try to remember that next time I'm in a rush to get something done.
Once I came to a full stop I sat on the stairs for a few minutes doing the mental check list. My right ankle hurt the worst at the time and I thought perhaps I'd sprained it. The rest of the aches and pains seemed minor so after a few minutes I got up and carried on with my day.
By evening though I realized my left leg took the brunt of the fall. My knee cap is bruised and swollen and I have a nasty bruise just above my ankle. I suspect I hit the edge of the step as I turned to grab the railing. It's a little hard to see in this picture, but this is my knee. It hurts tonight, but I suspect tomorrow will be even worse.
My mom used to have a saying, "The hurried I go, the behinder I get". I have to try to remember that next time I'm in a rush to get something done.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Wow, it's big!
I got home yesterday from my mini-vacation in Minneapolis. I'd like to say I saw more of the city than the airport, my hotel, and the Mall of America, but that would be lying! I did go to Ikea and TGIFriday across from the Mall but that's as far afield as I ventured. There's just so much to do at and see that I spent two and a half days and didn't see or do everything I could have.
A piece of trivia for you - according to the Mall of America information, if you were to spend just 10 minutes in every store, it would take 86 hours to complete the task. Since I didn't have that much time I was a little more selective in my choices of stores to browse. Those were generally ones we don't have here at home.
I also had to be careful with the size of my purchases (and the cost) as I was limited both by the Customs allowable limits and the size of my luggage. I had packed a duffle bag into my back pack for the trip down so I had two pieces of luggage coming home. I got some terrific bargains on clothing, love end season sale racks, and some awesome Christmas gifts. I can't share pictures of them because someone might see what they're getting!
Another fast fact for you, walking the entire mall averages 4.3 miles. I'm pretty sure I did more than that each day as I meandered around (and got confused a few times) and I have the blisters to prove it!
I was travelling with two friends, we'd meet for meals, but for shopping we went our own way. Every so often we'd run into each other but generally we'd arrange a meeting time and location. We went out for dinner each evening, TGIFriday on Friday (of course), Bubba Gump's on Saturday, and the Outback Steakhouse on Sunday. After shopping and walking all day when we finished dinner we would head back to the hotel to relax and unwind. It was so nice to chill out with a hot bath, a book, and peace and quiet.
Sunday I went to the aquarium in the mall. If you haven't been there, it's great, but keep an eye out for coupons. Admission for an adult is $19.99 but I had a coupon for $9.99 and I would say that it was worth the lower price but I'd have been disappointed had I paid any more. In the afternoon we met at the theatre and saw the new Footloose movie. I really enjoyed the movie and the dancing was phenomenal.
I got home yesterday afternoon, and while it was nice to come home, the snow and cold are apparently here to stay. :>( Oh well, I guess I can start the countdown to the next holiday in January!
A piece of trivia for you - according to the Mall of America information, if you were to spend just 10 minutes in every store, it would take 86 hours to complete the task. Since I didn't have that much time I was a little more selective in my choices of stores to browse. Those were generally ones we don't have here at home.
I also had to be careful with the size of my purchases (and the cost) as I was limited both by the Customs allowable limits and the size of my luggage. I had packed a duffle bag into my back pack for the trip down so I had two pieces of luggage coming home. I got some terrific bargains on clothing, love end season sale racks, and some awesome Christmas gifts. I can't share pictures of them because someone might see what they're getting!
Another fast fact for you, walking the entire mall averages 4.3 miles. I'm pretty sure I did more than that each day as I meandered around (and got confused a few times) and I have the blisters to prove it!
I was travelling with two friends, we'd meet for meals, but for shopping we went our own way. Every so often we'd run into each other but generally we'd arrange a meeting time and location. We went out for dinner each evening, TGIFriday on Friday (of course), Bubba Gump's on Saturday, and the Outback Steakhouse on Sunday. After shopping and walking all day when we finished dinner we would head back to the hotel to relax and unwind. It was so nice to chill out with a hot bath, a book, and peace and quiet.
Sunday I went to the aquarium in the mall. If you haven't been there, it's great, but keep an eye out for coupons. Admission for an adult is $19.99 but I had a coupon for $9.99 and I would say that it was worth the lower price but I'd have been disappointed had I paid any more. In the afternoon we met at the theatre and saw the new Footloose movie. I really enjoyed the movie and the dancing was phenomenal.
I got home yesterday afternoon, and while it was nice to come home, the snow and cold are apparently here to stay. :>( Oh well, I guess I can start the countdown to the next holiday in January!
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Leaving...on a jet plane
I won't be back until Monday - and it's time to get to bed so I can get up at 5:00 a.m. (ughh) so I'll leave you with a picture of two of my favorite kitties.
Mall of America...here I come!
Mall of America...here I come!
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Be forewarned - rant to follow!
Passwords...I hate passwords!!! It seems that everything I do on-line requires a password and to be secure they need to have capital letters, special characters and numbers. It was okay when I could use a proper noun with a series of numbers but these freaking special characters are enough to send me around the bend.
Some sites allow you to use the ambersand, &, others the at symbol, @, or the pound symbol, #, and some permit the use of the underscore, _, but there is no consistency, or at least none that I can decipher. As a result a password I can remember that works on several sites has to be modified for another.
My memory, being as it is, is insufficient to recall all of the possible permutations. But to ensure my security I'm not supposed to write them down anywhere, especially at work.
Bloody &#%^@#*&%%$!
Some sites allow you to use the ambersand, &, others the at symbol, @, or the pound symbol, #, and some permit the use of the underscore, _, but there is no consistency, or at least none that I can decipher. As a result a password I can remember that works on several sites has to be modified for another.
My memory, being as it is, is insufficient to recall all of the possible permutations. But to ensure my security I'm not supposed to write them down anywhere, especially at work.
Bloody &#%^@#*&%%$!
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Making a list and checking it twice
If you thought the title referred to Christmas, you wouldn't be quite right. It's certainly looking like Christmas here (see my post of two days ago...sigh) and I am going shopping in Minneapolis this weekend (hurray!) but my title refers instead to my increasing memory lapses.
I'd like to blame it on the fact that I have too many things to remember but it's more likely the effects of menopause and age. An article I recently read here suggests the lower levels of estrogen can manifest in many ways including both physical and mental. As I read through the symptoms of the syndrome identified by the writer, I couldn't help but compare myself to the list.
Symptom:
Forgetting what you came into a room to get more than in the past
Me:
Yesterday, I turned away from my computer for a moment to get my credit card, intending to check on the balance to make a payment. In that split second, I forgot what I intended to do. I didn't even have to go into another room!
Symptom:
Blinking social attention when interested and interacting: listening but not always attending
Me:
My kids would tell you that's my normal state. I tend to really focus on whatever I'm doing and havebeen tricked into agreeing agreed to things without realizing what I've agreed to.
Symptom:
Forgetting briefly how to do things long known, such as where to turn on the computer
Me:
This happened to me the other day, I was about to do something I'd done hundreds of times but I couldn't recall how to do it. Don't laugh, but I remember it happening but now I can't remember what it was I was trying to do!
Symptom:
Forgetting appointments more or not anticipating events of personal importance with the same accuracy as in the past
Me:
I've always prided myself on my ability to recall appointments, lately if it wasn't for my pocket calendar I'd be lost. And even that doesn't work all the time. Case in point, I get my nails done regularly and had an appointment for 4:15 p.m. October 14. I usually book my appointments ahead of time and had another appointment booked for a couple of weeks later at 4:45 p.m. Guess what time I arrived on the 14th? Yep, I got there at 4:45 because I was sure it was the 29th already. Luckily the consultant was running late so I was right on time and we had a good laugh at my bad memory!
Today it happened again. I stopped at the drycleaners to pick up a jacket and drop one off. I paid for my cleaning, walked out to the car and drove over to the grocery store. When I got home my daughter informed me the drycleaners had called, I'd left my jacket there. I'll just leave it there until I pick up the other one too...assuming I remember to do so!
I'd like to blame it on the fact that I have too many things to remember but it's more likely the effects of menopause and age. An article I recently read here suggests the lower levels of estrogen can manifest in many ways including both physical and mental. As I read through the symptoms of the syndrome identified by the writer, I couldn't help but compare myself to the list.
Symptom:
Forgetting what you came into a room to get more than in the past
Me:
Yesterday, I turned away from my computer for a moment to get my credit card, intending to check on the balance to make a payment. In that split second, I forgot what I intended to do. I didn't even have to go into another room!
Symptom:
Blinking social attention when interested and interacting: listening but not always attending
Me:
My kids would tell you that's my normal state. I tend to really focus on whatever I'm doing and have
Symptom:
Forgetting briefly how to do things long known, such as where to turn on the computer
Me:
This happened to me the other day, I was about to do something I'd done hundreds of times but I couldn't recall how to do it. Don't laugh, but I remember it happening but now I can't remember what it was I was trying to do!
Symptom:
Forgetting appointments more or not anticipating events of personal importance with the same accuracy as in the past
Me:
I've always prided myself on my ability to recall appointments, lately if it wasn't for my pocket calendar I'd be lost. And even that doesn't work all the time. Case in point, I get my nails done regularly and had an appointment for 4:15 p.m. October 14. I usually book my appointments ahead of time and had another appointment booked for a couple of weeks later at 4:45 p.m. Guess what time I arrived on the 14th? Yep, I got there at 4:45 because I was sure it was the 29th already. Luckily the consultant was running late so I was right on time and we had a good laugh at my bad memory!
Today it happened again. I stopped at the drycleaners to pick up a jacket and drop one off. I paid for my cleaning, walked out to the car and drove over to the grocery store. When I got home my daughter informed me the drycleaners had called, I'd left my jacket there. I'll just leave it there until I pick up the other one too...assuming I remember to do so!
Monday, 7 November 2011
It's election day here in Saskatchewan. The pollsters are suggesting that the current incumbents (Saskatchewan Party) are likely to come away with an even larger majority than they previously held. Given that the past four years have been good for this province, unlike the rest of the world, such a result would not be surprising.
Whether you call it luck, or possibly good fortune, the past few years have been good because of our reliance on natural resources and in particular, potash. For those who do not know, potash is a key ingredient in the production of fertilizer. With the continually increasing demand to feed the growing world population, potash is a valuable resource.
In their second year in power, the Saskatchewan Party made a critical error in the budget process, relying on the royalties from potash revenues to fund the spending priorities. However, due to an world economic downturn, those revenues decreased significantly and the budget surplus became a deficit. It was a time when the opposition party, the New Democrats were vocal in their disdain for the Sask Party's ability to forecast the revenues.
Despite this moment in history, the New Democratic Party (NDP) have run on a platform of increasing resource royalties to fund government spending. Apparently, they have short memories and haven't been watching or reading the news in the last few months. It's pretty clear the world economy is about to take another nosedive, especially if Greece, Italy and other European countries cannot find a bailout for their financial crisis. To rely so heavily on one source of income is foolish to say the least.
The other two parties, the Liberal and the Green parties, are unlikely to have much of an impact on the results of the election. At best they'll split the vote in some ridings, at worst, they'll split the vote in some ridings.
As I write this, we're merely 20 minutes since the close of the polling stations and the moderators have announced that the Saskatchewan Party have won a majority goverment. It's rather interesting in that only 2% of the polls have actually been counted.
If it wasn't a bit of a foregone conclusion I'd have to wonder if the pundits weren't getting ahead of themselves as happened in the 1948 election in the USA. However with the technology currently available I'm sure the newspapers will get it correct this time around.
I guess I'll be able to go to bed early tonight...no surprises here!
Whether you call it luck, or possibly good fortune, the past few years have been good because of our reliance on natural resources and in particular, potash. For those who do not know, potash is a key ingredient in the production of fertilizer. With the continually increasing demand to feed the growing world population, potash is a valuable resource.
In their second year in power, the Saskatchewan Party made a critical error in the budget process, relying on the royalties from potash revenues to fund the spending priorities. However, due to an world economic downturn, those revenues decreased significantly and the budget surplus became a deficit. It was a time when the opposition party, the New Democrats were vocal in their disdain for the Sask Party's ability to forecast the revenues.
Despite this moment in history, the New Democratic Party (NDP) have run on a platform of increasing resource royalties to fund government spending. Apparently, they have short memories and haven't been watching or reading the news in the last few months. It's pretty clear the world economy is about to take another nosedive, especially if Greece, Italy and other European countries cannot find a bailout for their financial crisis. To rely so heavily on one source of income is foolish to say the least.
The other two parties, the Liberal and the Green parties, are unlikely to have much of an impact on the results of the election. At best they'll split the vote in some ridings, at worst, they'll split the vote in some ridings.
As I write this, we're merely 20 minutes since the close of the polling stations and the moderators have announced that the Saskatchewan Party have won a majority goverment. It's rather interesting in that only 2% of the polls have actually been counted.
If it wasn't a bit of a foregone conclusion I'd have to wonder if the pundits weren't getting ahead of themselves as happened in the 1948 election in the USA. However with the technology currently available I'm sure the newspapers will get it correct this time around.
I guess I'll be able to go to bed early tonight...no surprises here!
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Rude awakening
Here's what I saw this morning out my front window,
The weatherman says the snow is due to a Colorado low.
I say, Colorado can keep it!
The weatherman says the snow is due to a Colorado low.
I say, Colorado can keep it!
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Counting sleeps
I spent the past week in Ottawa for another week of training. I took my camera with me and took absolutely no pictures. My only excuse is that it got dark early so by the time I had dinner and went for a walk I wouldn't have gotten any decent photos. (I know it's not much of an excuse...but it's the best I've got!)
I like Ottawa, it's a government town like the city I live in, so it seems familiar. There's lots to do within walking distance of downtown, and as a result, even coming back to the hotel later in the evening feels safe with so many people still walking around. One of my favorite areas is the Byward Market with its many shops and restaurants. Then there are Bank and Elgin Streets with their many pubs and restaurants - there are always lots of people on these streets. I never feel out of place having a meal on my own; rather I enjoy watching the people all around me.
While I was there I was able to get a visit with two of my good friends. My friend T was actually out in Calgary at the beginning of the week but arrived back in time that we were able to get together Thursday evening. On Friday, LJ and I met for lunch. It was great to see both of them, we got caught up on the happenings in each other's lives, had some laughs and a few gripes! Unfortunately I'm done with the training offered there now, so I suspect my next visit won't be happening soon.
It might be part of growing older, but as much as I enjoy travelling , I always look forward to coming home. By Wednesday I was counting down the sleeps (corny, I know!) to departure day. I'll admit part of that was the fact the training wasn't very well pesented or useful. In any event, by the time I got home last night I was excited to see my cats and my children, and looking forward to a good night sleep in my own bed.
Spending some time away from home reminds me of how much I appreciate it. The house wasn't as clean as I would have liked to have found it, but I am reminded that home is more about the people and the pets who live with me than it is the material things. I'm grateful for the opportunity to get away from the stresses of home but glad to be home to appreciate the blessings.
Besides, if the stress gets to be too much, I leave next Friday for a short shopping vacation in Minneapolis. Six more sleeps and then Mall of America, here I come!!!
I like Ottawa, it's a government town like the city I live in, so it seems familiar. There's lots to do within walking distance of downtown, and as a result, even coming back to the hotel later in the evening feels safe with so many people still walking around. One of my favorite areas is the Byward Market with its many shops and restaurants. Then there are Bank and Elgin Streets with their many pubs and restaurants - there are always lots of people on these streets. I never feel out of place having a meal on my own; rather I enjoy watching the people all around me.
While I was there I was able to get a visit with two of my good friends. My friend T was actually out in Calgary at the beginning of the week but arrived back in time that we were able to get together Thursday evening. On Friday, LJ and I met for lunch. It was great to see both of them, we got caught up on the happenings in each other's lives, had some laughs and a few gripes! Unfortunately I'm done with the training offered there now, so I suspect my next visit won't be happening soon.
It might be part of growing older, but as much as I enjoy travelling , I always look forward to coming home. By Wednesday I was counting down the sleeps (corny, I know!) to departure day. I'll admit part of that was the fact the training wasn't very well pesented or useful. In any event, by the time I got home last night I was excited to see my cats and my children, and looking forward to a good night sleep in my own bed.
Spending some time away from home reminds me of how much I appreciate it. The house wasn't as clean as I would have liked to have found it, but I am reminded that home is more about the people and the pets who live with me than it is the material things. I'm grateful for the opportunity to get away from the stresses of home but glad to be home to appreciate the blessings.
Besides, if the stress gets to be too much, I leave next Friday for a short shopping vacation in Minneapolis. Six more sleeps and then Mall of America, here I come!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)