Our home-made patriot land

There's my Olympic 2010 blog contribution for you. I did sing along with those Wonderbread cuties when I first saw this. It disturbs me a little that I know the Canadian National Anthem a little better than I know my own country's.

But I'm over it.

- Proudest non-Canadian.

Picture of the Week

Today I decided to take a 30 minute walk in the snow to work. Jus cuz.


<--------And here's what I found on my way.


Does anyone else out there think these three lines describe this no-good season brilliantly?


Well done, expedia.

Someplace to call my own

The bedroom is finally done.

This was the most fun weekend of organising, re-organizing and shopping for cool things to make my little abode a cutesy getaway. These pictures have crappy lighting. I swear it looks better than this. What do you think?

My little reading corner.

Le fireplace and the vanity.

My shelves and workspace. Yes, I have 3 clocks. This is a result of making international calls at ungodly hours of the night. I like to keep track of time.

The bed.

And that's what I did this weekend.

Red wine and Ambien

I went in to work on Family Day today. And as expected, most of the senior citizen patient clientele asked me how my weekend went hoping for a nice, juicy Valentine's day story of how I spent the weekend away with my fabulously rich and gorgeous new boyfriend.

If you are curious too, which I'm pretty sure you're not, lets just put it this way:

I did NOT spend Valentine's day "filling up my day with Coldplay songs and that movie called The Notebook...and 500 days of Summer".

In short, I had one of those weekends that leave you feeling like you're walking on a cloud for the rest of the week. Okay, maybe just for the Monday...but I'll take it.

Here's a little photo show:

Morning:

I went to visit an old Friend.

Afternoon:
Lunch with Ms. Vogue at La Vecchia. Rizzoto and a glass of Valpolicella. La Vecchia claimed to have the best tiramisu in the City of Toronto. Bold statement for a cutesy little Italian restuarant.

The tiramisu was hoovered up in a total of 15.3 seconds. It could have been done in 5 but it would have been a terrible crime not to taste it before inhaling it.

I had the best tiramisu in the city of Toronto and the classiest date to date.

Evening AND Night:
"And this is not to say,

There'll never come a day,

I'll take my chances and start again.

And when I look behind, on all my younger times,

I'll have to thank the wrongs that led me to a love so strong"

Nothing like listening to my everyday commute companion LIVE!

ALL DAY:
And no good day in life can ever be complete without joyness in a cup.

I'd like to see you top that!

All the Single Ladies!

My boss came in to work yesterday morning laughing, which I'm always relieved to see (maybe today is not the day I'll get fired after all! ). I obviously had to ask her what was so funny. Here's how the conversation went:

Boss Lady walks in laughing.

Karen: "Why are you laughing, boss lady?"
My boss: "Well today I was dropping the kids off to school when all of a sudden, one of boys busts out singing "all the single ladies! all the single ladies!...put your hands up!"

My boss has twin boys, 6 years old. She firmly tells him that its a little inappropriate for a 6-year- old boy to be singing "all the single ladies! all the single ladies...put your hands up!"

Boss Lady's son: "What's a single lady anyway, mommy?"
My boss: "Karen."

I had to laugh too.

Happy Valentine's Weekend, everyone!

Quote of the Week

I was just telling Fr. D. about the crazy week of craziness and drama I was having at work, when he dropped one of his rare, quality one-liners that made me laugh.

I suppose you'd actually have to hear the way Fr. D says it to get the full effect. And I guess you'd have to spend at least an hour in my workplace to get some added full effect. But those two crucial factors aside, I thought it was pretty hilarious.

Karen: "Fr. D! Work is absolutely ridiculous! I don't know how to deal with the craziness! What would Jesus do if He were in my place?"

Fr. D: " He'd quit."

40 days and 40 nights

The season of Lent is fast approaching. For most Catholics it is a time of groaning and wondering if it is really necessary or practical to abstain from meat on Fridays.

For most practicing Catholics, it is a time of pulling teeth negotiating and cutting deals with God about what they will be giving up for 40 days and 40 nights. I have been pulling teeth for a while now (not literally) trying to convince Jesus that maybe this year, I should be exempt from giving up stuff.

My reason (excuse)? I have already given up my sanity to the rehabilitation industry to help spoilt, rich, ungrateful people enhance their already pretty good quality of life. Isn't that enough? I mean, if you really think about it, I have been in the Lenten season for the past 11 months now. I could happily live with this notion while avoiding every 'what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent' conversation in my midst. Alas, I have a conscience that will probably kill me before I try to con it into agreeing to this proposterous idea.

And so to keep my conscience happy (read: choking me to death with guilt) I have listed some past possible potentials to give up for Lent:

Idea #1: Facebook

The idea of giving up Facebook for lent is age-old and only comes second to giving up meat. I have read countless articles praising people who decided to take on this seemingly impossible sacrifice and have even given it up myself for a couple of lents, which I must admit was no easy feat. But as praise-worthy as this concept is, it is getting old and boring. EVERYONE seems to be defaulting to giving up Facebook which really takes away from the sacrifice. Logically, if everyone gave up Facebook, then no one would be on Facebook and going on Facebook would be boring and pointless. Thats my justification for not giving up Facebook. Besides, how else would I make the world listen to me bitch about my life through my genius intellect that is this blog? Idea #1: shot down.

Idea #2: Meat

After years of giving up meat, I have learnt the art of getting around this whole meat issue. Its all daisies and ponies when you say you're giving up meat. But what does it mean really? Do you just not eat it everyday? Or only Fridays and Wednesdays? And what about those tofu nuggets? Or the ever controversial fish? (isn't fish meat too?). Its all too confusing. Plus, I couldn't give up meat. Where else would I get the energy to give up my sanity? It effs up the whole balance and so Idea#2: shot down.

Idea #3: Music
Last year I gave up listening to music for lent. I succeeded in keeping this up for the entirety of the 40 days but I had some pretty suicidal thoughts by the end of it. This year, giving up my ipod was in my top 5 picks but considering my work situation right now, I might as well swallow a cyanide pill. Idea #3: shot down due to the fact that suicide is in fact frowned upon by the Catholic Church...even it is done in the name of Lent.

Idea#4: Make-up
Why is this even on the list? This is joke. Idea # 4: shot down.

Idea #5: Starbucks Coffee

ditto. Although, does it mean I can still drink Timmy's? Tricky tricky. Idea #5: Surprisingly might work.

So these are pretty much what I came up with. I should hurry up and pick something although I still think I should be considered for some celestial tax cuts. What are you giving up this Lent? How about giving up watching T.V. or shopping at the mall or talking for hours on the phone and spending that time reading my blog and shamelessly promoting it instead? What? No? Bad idea? Well, I never...

Guess in the end it always comes down to the age-old toss up between meat and Facebook, huh?