I just had a good talk with my old roomate Leslie. She's on strike with CN (she's a conductor in Edmonton) but luckily had money put away, she and her hubby just bought a 40-year-old townhouse in the North part of Edmonton for more money that what my friends in Ottawa paid for a 40 year old house, AND she just found out that she's pregnant. I'm super truly happy that she's pregnant and her life is falling into place.

Me however, I haven't watered my plants in a while and I watched America's Next Top Model on my boyfriend the PVR. And got the invitation for my younger cousin's wedding who offered a "plus one" option but I won't be bringing a plus one unless I can find a plus one in the Brandon bar the night before.

Hmmmm. I'm not quite caught up with the rest of the people in my age category.

I guess I shouldn't really be discouraged - I chose this life, I've made a lot of decisions based on my present situation rather than thinking about the long-term future b/c I don't really know what that is.

So this is why I need a vacation. Three years ago I had a lot of time to think while in Mexico and I was able to work a lot of stuff out in my mind. I think that's what I'll be doing as I try not to burn on the beach.

Ahhhhhh...... one of the two days of the year where it's acceptable to get shitfaced. Wait, make that one of four - New Years, your birthday and Hallowe'en are the others.

A good day - full of booze and then an early night....now I'm up cleaning and listening to either my toilet leaking or Robyn's man friend kissing really really loudly two rooms away. I'm hoping for the toilet....

My curling crush Jeff Stoughton lost today....boooooooooooo..... I was really impressed that his lead player literally took the shirt off his back for a fan. He's much more sportsmanlike player than my old curling crush John Morris. He was a poor sport who broke his broom over his knee when he missed a shot....on live television. I was glad he was booed.
However I may now have a new curling crush, as I forgot all about Brad Gushue until today. Who would have thought Newfoundland could produce a nice-looking boy???? ahahhahahahaha......that's a shout out to the former Newfoundlanders who are reading this.......

I'm not used to having a day off and now I know why I don't do it often - sitting at home slightly hungover causes one to reflect upon her life.....

Last night the girls from work and I went out to the Manx pub and then came back and drank a lot of wine while Lyndsy and Jane came to join the party. A few left and then the rest of us went to Maclaren's and then to a couple bars in the Market....however guess who forgot her ID at home and convinced the bouncer her to let her in b/c she's 26???

I spent today lazing around and then met up with Lyndsy and Jane to work out (well I walked 5 minutes and pretended to do sit ups, I have no energy) and then grocery shopping. I'm now back on the couch self-reflecting trying to avoid a person on MSN who's being an ass.

I love my friends in Ottawa and the life that is setting up but for some reason tonight I feel the overwhelming urge to back west and finish it up there..... Maybe it's the fact I was talking to one of my oldest friends today who lives in the 'peg....or maybe b/c I was "added on" to a Ringo account of a girl from high school who I always had a locker beside and I started looking through her pictures and realized I do miss a LOT of people who are still back there. But are they progressing or am I? I can't figure that out. I did realize though that I have to work out a lot, I haven't seen a lot of them for 8 years and I don't feel like I've "progressed" enough.

I think the housing situation also irritates me. It's so much cheaper to live back there than here if I was to ever rent or buy by myself.

But now my friend Kristina from work just called me and we talked for a while about last night and how it was fun. And I would miss out on the good things and people in Ottawa. So instead I will sit here and watch the Battle of Ontario and think about how I can squash my inability to not eat chips.....

I am honoured yet frustrated.
My manager manager came up to me today and said that the Minister's Office (Minister of Foreign Affairs aka Peter MacKay's committee) wanted me to go and work at their office to handle the massive amounts of passport inquiries from the public and the MP's, as that is the current job I'm doing at the passport office. However she informed me because I'm not bilingual I can't go. Instead they are sending a bilingual examiner to handle the inquiries and send them to me so I turn around and still contact the Minister's office about the status anyways. So it's an extra step but one of which I don't get a chance to do.

faaaaaaaaak. I hate being one level away from being bilingual. I hate not having legitimate opportunities to learn it properly and pass the level. Instead I miss out.

But I have to look at it is well I guess it's an honour to get recognized. I wonder if honours count on resumes.

On the flip side an MP's office sent me a bottle of wine and a flag in recognition of my assistance. So I think I need to get wine tipsy one of these days. The mail room screened it and sent it to my manager manager and apparently it got approved. Lyndsy pointed out that it probably had to be under a certain amount of money in order to not get dinged. Ahhhh politics......

Wow I've been neglectful the fast few months with lj. In the end it's because I have no life. It's work/gym/tv/sleep and back to work again. We're still getting spanked at work. I'm now dealing full time with MP and the Minister's Office and email complaints, no more complex cases. Boo. But I guess I'm at least recognized by my manager manager more.

Once a week I am still playing ultimate frisbee and a couple times a week I have to literally schedule in gym time. I guess I'm my own workaholic boss. It's just I have too many things to pay off right now.

It just makes me really look forward to going on vacay to Florida with Lyndsy the end of March. We have to get together to price out hotels. Everything else should just fall into place b/c I just want to relax!!!!!!

With being busy all the time I've made it my goal to try and get home for supper every night and cook. Even if it's late, such as now. It's 9:48 p.m. and I'm cooking supper for tonight and lunch tomorrow. Eating at hom is something that most people take for granted but I've always been the on-the-go eater and it's not good for me in the end health-wise or financially. However fruits and vegetables are retardedly expensive here right now and they like winter. Blech.

I'm waiting to hear back from one of the women's rugby teams here. The guys at work convinced me to join, apparently I have the appropriate aggression level. Aggression??? Me????

I'm a You Tube virgin so did the following work?




Yayyyyy the green is alive!

Last night I made out with a 21 year old boy who looked about 18. I think that consitutes as being a bit a of a Cougar. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I love Whiskey's!

I have 34 minutes until my official last shift at the real estate office is done! Wahoo!! Today was busy with phone calls. I was supposed to train a woman to take over my old job but they didn't find her a good fit with the company in the end. So they're still looking but I didn't volunteer my services now. Maybe in the summer once in a blue moon if I no longer have overtime at my real job.

Ahhhhh overtime. Love love LOVVVVVVVVE people applying for passports. Love them so much I want to kick the crap out of them. So I've continued on being on the team (there's 6 of us now) assisting my manager's manager to control and answer all of the inquiries directed at by the public, Members of Parliament and the Minister's office. 98% of these are people who just sent in their applications now, and want us to find it because they're traveling in a week. Bugger off and wait. I usually do 30 or so complex files a day of applications that were received before the bubble but because we have to act upon these "special" as soon as we get them and go rifle through the 6,000 applications we receive each day (according to our mail-in services), examine the file and execute it. I maybe get about 8 done. So how does this help move along the process? It doesn't, but that's the government for you.

I work between 15-20 hours of overtime a week. The extra funds are nice but I spent it on paying my mom back and my trainer. So I spent it on wants and needs instead of paying off my credit card(s). Maybe in a couple of paycheques. But........ then again I am starting other activities so it may go towards that.

Curling was fun last week and they made me be skip and third because I was the one that played last, and that was 3 years or more ago. The others haven't played in a while or never but we're all in it for fun. And apparently if we go to any of the Royal Oak pubs and show an OSSC membership card we get free nachos and maybe wings. Apparently I don't even have to be with my team to do that, so next time a bunch of us are going out for happy hour let's go there for some supper!

I finally heard back from my soccer coach and we're supposed to start up again sometime. Ultimate on Tuesday I had to be "handler" for a few times (it's like quarterback and I hate being in charge of the plays) but it was okay, I didn't choke too bad.

I bought a jacket for running as I decided to go to the free run clubs at the Running Room as their "Learn to Run" group is running at about the same time and pace that I do - 3 minutes then walk 3. I hate running consistently which I'd rather do team sports. But if I want to get better at it then I need to start somewhere. I'm aiming to go to that tomorrow morning as long as I'm not hung over (more about that in a bit).

AND finally my friend Cassandra at work is doing kick boxing and she recommended I try it for a bit b/c you start sweating within minutes, and I'm famous for that. And apparently it helps with coordination. I'm the girl that would walk into a wall if I don't notice it or trip over a sidewalk. So I'm going to see about it next Thursday after overtime.

Why all this need for sudden physical activity? FLORIDA! I know I won't be in shape for when Lyndsy and I go in two months but I need to fit back in my bathing suit (It's been a looooong while). And then three months after that I'm traveling back to Manitoba for my cousin's wedding and high school friend's social the night after. My dad has told people that I go to the gym so apparently they're expecting me to look like something I'm obviously not. Dang it!

So yeah, exercise & working overtime = falling asleep on the couch at 9:00. I have no life. I tried watching the same episode a show last night 3 times to try and concentrate but I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Tuesday is my .26 birfday so we're going out tonight to celebrate at Whiskey's. I hope the booze drowns away the remnants of my work stress. I've been so busy at work I email sporadically, which sucks as email is my lifeline. So Lyndsy was gracious enough to round up the troops for me and ask people to show up. Some are coming to my apt beforehand so I have to race home to clean up and figure out places for people to sit. Meh, two can sit on our exercise balls, aka foot rests.

Is it only 10:50 a.m.?? I've been up since 6:30 a.m. I don't know how to sleep in on my days off. 6:30 is sleeping in. I've already watched Talladega Nights, found it funny but the kids Walker & Texas Ranger made the movie and their quips on the DVD were hillarious. I read through 4 days of newspapers (I never have time during the week to do it anymore) and watched some other forgettable movie on TMN, now getting caught up on my other shows, woke Robyn up, made sure she walked to work on time, contemplated getting dressed, figured 9:00 a.m. was too early, made eggs and toast for breakfast, contemplated doing laundry, thought 9:10 a.m. was too early, now surfing through my 160 email spam messages before contemplating doing dishes. I think 10:55 is too early to call people out West and wake them up because they know how to sleep in.

Oh and I am also no longer a statistic in the province of Ontario - after 3.5 years I lucked out and found a family doctor accepting patients! Wahoo! Stability! Though during our Meet & Greet on Tuesday she asked about my current & family medical history and now I get to be her little experiment. And that's right - a Female Medical Doctor who was accpting new patients - Baby Jesus gave me an early birthday present! Don't mock the happiness about finding a doctor if you don't live in Ontario with its shortfalls. I went on a blind date before I managed to find a medical professional. That's how rare it is out here.