Observations from Jamie's World

My random observations this week. Not in any particular order, which makes well um random. :-)








You need precision driving skills to navigate through the Indy 500 wannabes in this city.
Passed a couple of them in the ditch. HA HA is all I have to say.

How ridiculously  excited can I be for someone shoveling snow off my roof so they can shingle it. Ahh it's those kinds of pleasures in life, ya?

Never argue with a person who has blinders on, they can't see the forest for the trees. Have at 'er , Buddy, run into that tree. Ha Ha is all I have to say.

Even from the distance of 8 inches, the stupid toast STILL falls buttered ( or in my case peanut buttered) side down.  Why oh why?

Oh.My.God. I am SUPER pumped. I went out on the dreaded Boxing Day but I went to Leduc. NO waiting at the cash, smiling faces everywhere. Did you just read that ?? Everywhere! I had SUCH a great day with hubby. Goodbye rat race and Ha Ha is all I have to say.

I 'heart' my new toys, I really do. :-)

My treadmill and weights are calling my name in a mocking tone. I swear. I hear them. Ha Ha is all they have to say.

Both my girls are taller than me. Did I miss the grow gene line up on that day?? It's funny how I get enveloped in their hugs, I used to wrap them up tight in my arms. And the bitch is, I'll just keep getting shorter from now on.

How did I get saddled with a high maintenance dog anyways? I survived TWO strong willed teenage girls, did I not pay my dues enough??? He prances around like he's king of the hill and challenges me at every turn. No doubt Ha Ha is what he has to say.

Have a great last week of 2009 folks.  :-)

It's DONE :-)

Repeat after me
Jamie's not a bitch, Jamie's not a bitch.
Going forward with this, may I tell you how happy I am the holiday season is DONE.
Yeahaww, I'm honest to goodness doing a happy jig in my chair right now. 


What's brought me to this point? Stores. Crowds of people. Parking lot rage. (not mine either) the absolute craziness of getting everything done in time. For some reason, I always think I have more time than I do. All of a sudden it's do or die and I am forced to go out into the madness of last minute shoppers arrrrghhh. Yeah , my fault I know I know.


I love the four walls of 'home'. I can walk in , shut the door and forget about the above aforementioned. Slap on a pair of flannels ( a much needed wardrobe necessity when you live in the bloody frozen tundra'ish lands of northern Alberta.) make a hot steaming cup of tea or coffee or toddy ( my vote ) and forget the outside. 


Having said all this, I did enjoy my Christmas with my family so so so very much. I always do. They are what 'home' means to me. I realize at some point we will all go our separate ways with our separate families. I'm ok with this but I will take each and every moment I have with them now and tuck it in my memory book that sits in the very center of my heart. 


Gift wise I SUPER scored. All three of them put who I am in the gifts I received. That means the world to me. I was as touched by the littlest things as to the ohhh so lovely gift hubby bestowed upon me. Every last present will be used with equal amount of appreciation.. Even today I took each and every little thing and relieved the memory of the moment, wrapping myself with the love that was in that room Christmas morning. 


Ok Jamie enough with the sap SHEESH, ( did you guys hear the violins playing in the background while you were reading that? lol )


Today hubby and I venture out, voyeurs of the sheer insanity and mayhem of Boxing Day without being participants. It's entertainment in it's purest form. 


So as I breath a sigh of relief, I bid you all a good day. Me, I'm relaxing and looking forward to the new year. Well actually,in my head I've begun my countdown to Spring. It's the only thing that gets me through the mountains of snow, the bone chilling cold and the ice rink we call roads.

Open Letter

Dear Hair,
I know it's been a tough couple of months and I've neglected you somewhat but tomorrow
when we sit in the hairdresser's chair, I promise you I will be better with you if you play nicer with me.
So here's to a new beginning tomorrow, deal?

Dear Start of the Day,
I'm not to good at structuring us lately, I know this. But you have to admit, it's sometimes fun
not to have a plan. The new year will probably change this but we'll be ready you and I. For now though, let's wing it k?

Dear Clothes,
You've been really good at fitting me properly lately and I promise to keep working with
you to keep it that way. Even though the holidays. But do forgive me if I go into a slight food coma
on the 25th. I'll be back to respect you, Clothes, on the 26th.

Dear Christmas Holidays,
While I might be so done with your jingles and crazy crowds, I want to tell you I appreciate the build up you give me up to about the last week and a half before the 'Big Event'. I do enjoy it up to then, I really do. With all due respect though, I will make you a memory the day after.

Dear Old Man Winter.
I understand your need to make a bold statement and I've been fairly gracious but you and
I have to talk in the new year. I've set a date for your departure and I'd like to discuss it with you A.S.A.P.

Dear Birthday,
We have another one coming up I see. Sooner than I wanted you to but hey, you're in the driver's seat.
You and I are going to try something different this year ok? We're going to celebrate YOU. Game? Ok then, it's a deal, let's give it a try!

Dear World,
My daughter is coming to find you in a couple of months. I want your solemn promise you will do right by her and her daughter. Don't keep showing her your nasty side, she's seen enough already. Please show her your good side,care for her and she'll make you a better place, you have MY solemn promise on that.

Warm regards,
Me.

Sanity Saver

I decided to flip off Ol' Man Winter today and I did it rather well I might add :-)
This is the last miserable frigid day before the cold snap ends and I'm at the end of my rope with the weather.
I have been housebound for a week plus now. My daughter had surgery Friday last and she's had a rough go of it since,poor lil sweetheart of mine. Before that we got bamboozled by a rather ugly stomach flu.18 hours of sheer gut renching (literally I might add ) misery. UGH.
So today instead of facing yet another day trying to climb these stupid walls, I took my cabin fever self to the tanning salon and spent the first 30 minutes in a cedar infrared sauna.
Bliss
How do I describe how freekin good I felt after? It's simply amazing what it does for me, my mood, my skin. What in God's earth stops me from doing this regularly?? What I ask?!?
When I move into our new home, I'm going to own me one of those lovely sanity savers I tell ya.
To cap it off, I hopped in the stand up for a six minute soak of Vitamin C. Chasing away that pale
image of me that keeps staring back in the mirror.
Did I mention how much it helps my S.A.D.? I 'HEART' that sauna and stand up. :-)
And I have another date with it again before week's out.
So bring it on ol' man Winter, I've got the perfect arsenal.

Musings from the 2nd coldest place on Earth.

What else is there to do after you've frozen off parts of your body doing groceries and Christmas shopping? Sit with a steaming hot cup of water , wearing  flannel p.j's and let your mind wander/wonder/ponder and muse.

... Edmonton is the second coldest place on Earth. The Siberians beat us by 3 measly degrees. Bah! But hey, what a claim to fame.

... We Canadians are not only polite. We're DAMN tough, given our winters

... We could ALL learn something from  The Little Mermaid Girl 

... Wow , takes a special kinda rotten to steal presents gathered for the less fortunate.

... It really bugs me those who do their once a year 'goodwill' gesture towards mankind. Try an act of kindness once a day you self serving morons. ( oopsy, do I feel strongly about that one or what! )

... Facebook, while entertaining, isn't meant to be a lifeline.

... Sarcasm is enjoyed by oh so few. It brings on a certain level of smugness, my bad. But funny you say!

... Is it spelled P.J's or Pee Jays ? ( nope,doesn't sound right does it?)

... I'm not a cougar but if I was, I'd dress oh wayyy better than some I see. Ladies? Those low waist jeans are accentuating your muffin tops. And by the way, there comes a time to stop trying to look 20. Sheesh.

... Politicians stay warm on the hot air they perpetually blow.

... Sick daughter, stomach flu, playing nursemaid to same daughter undergoing surgery makes for a lousy workout week. I feel sluggish. Got one, count it, ONE workout in. UGH

... At this point I'm done with the Christmas music and all the hoopla but I am looking forward to having BOTH my girls with me on the 25th.

... hmmm done pondering now, brain just froze over. Brrr it's C O L D .

Without regrets or doubts

As I prepare to say goodbye to 2009, I find myself thinking about what kind of year it was. Honestly? It was what it was and it's almost done. I've no problem moving forward, looking ahead to new things, places and friendships. Letting go of what needs to, taking from it what I need. As in most everything I do I do so without regrets or doubts.

Work was a bitch, if truth be told. Staff issues, silly egos, letdowns and unrealistic expectations. But it wasn't all bad, it did have it's high moments. I just had to remind myself of what I had built there over five years, I proved my self worth. Between a hectic home life and more hours than I bargained for at work, I rocked it. And I left without regrets or doubts.

I changed this year, I know I did. And I'm A-OK with that. I had to come face to face with my truths. It lent to some difficult decisions that in the end weren't so hard after all. The steps I took freed me in ways I never expected, allowed me to grow...lighter, older, wiser. So I move forward with these decisions without regret or doubts.

I move out of Edmonton next year. It's been my home on and off for 17 years and it's given me good, bad, sad and amazing moments. Reality is that I have awesome daughters who are what they are because/inspite/despite of Edmonton. Yet they've managed to retain ,within themselves, their place of origin  even after all these years. But next year is about changes so when I leave this place, I do it without regrets or doubts.

I say goodbye to 2009, thanking Father Time for the lessons he dished out and the situations it found me in. This year was a year for learning and if you know me, my day's not complete without discovering something new.

 I look forward to next year and surely it will open more doors and avenues. I've got a lot of life to go through and I say 'Bring it on!' I'm ready, able and willing to change, grow and learn what I'm supposed to.
And I'm sure the decisions I will make then will be without regrets or doubts.

So goodbye 2009 and Hello! to 2010. :-)

The weather outside is frightful

I'm laughing at myself as I sit in front of this computer banging away at the keys.  I have a hand crocheted blanket across my lap and a psydo fireplace crackling in the background. ( gotta LOVE the holiday fireplace channel ha ha ) The weather outside might be frightful ( well come on, which one of  you fools thought winter wasn't coming? ) but the fire's sooo delightful. Combine all these elements and I could stay right here for the next two hours.
But it's not in the cards. I'm going to sweat in about 20 minutes. I have to go do my 45 minutes of weights, ball and treadmill.
How else am I to damn well stay at a size 28 jean cooking and eating what I do/want? I'll take the trade off, even if I mentally bitch and growl about exercising all the time. Moot point really, medically I have to, I'm hypoglycemic and it really levels me out. Extra incentive.

Why hello Jeep. :-) You are going to help me go shopping today, you and your wonderful 4x4 capabilities. I will shuffle out the door after my work out, brush that nasty white crap off my Jeep, slap that baby in 4 by and off I go to brave the stores. ( hey it's not the storm that scares me, it's the crowds shudder )
Wish me luck, I have to start knocking off that list I checked twice. Hmm thinking personal shopper here.. but bah no. I'm too picky and would have to tag along to make sure.

Ok enough stalling Jamie, off this chair and git 'er done!
But ooohhh it's soooo warm cocooned in this soft, plush warm blankey.
Sigh, reality time.
Getting going while the gettings good.


C'ya.
Drive safe.

Definition in a tin plate.

Here you have it, my roots.Nestled in a pie. Doesn't sound like much does it.
Ultimately this is a neon sign above my head, it defines me. It is Quebec.
I make it once a year, usually around the holidays as do most of us.
Tourtiere. 
Meat Pie.
This year I give applause and pin the ribbon of distinction on my eldest daughter, Kelly.
I've done what my mother, grandmother and great grandmother have done before me.
I proudly step aside and pass the torch to her. She made all 18 of them by herself!

This is more than meat pie, it is history that is hundreds of years old.
Every culture has it's traditions, I am no different. Now it's hers to carry on.
Today I watched my daughter's roots take hold in a tin plate.
And damn, she nailed it!
Merci ma belle, je suis fier de toi. :-) xo
( thank you, my beautiful, I am proud of you. )