Oh C'Mon Now

Was 2009 really as bad as everyone is writing? I have seen endless blog posts bitching and moaning about how horrible 2009 was and I just gotta say, really? Am I the only one on the planet who thought 2009 was pretty darn ok?

I'm not doing a long recap, a best and worst list, or a resolution run-down. But I will say this; in 2009 our home was built, I met a woman who became one of my closest friends, I knew about her pregnancy before her parents, I watched another close friend fall in love, I agreed to run a half marathon with my sister, I saw my brother become a dad, I got a promotion of sorts, I watched my little girl become a big girl and start grade one, I bit off more than I could chew but bit anyway, I took mck canoeing and she loved it, and I may very well have found the cure for my thin and oft-breaking hair.

Yeah, there were crappy things that happened, of course. But why worry about them? Onwards and upwards. Happy new year. Here's to an even wickeder (today, its a word) year ahead.

Gaining Strength

So I'm sitting here watching the Star Trek movie and, um, well, can't exactly get into it. Its like the Dark Knight, lots of hype, not a lot of substance. So here I am, writing instead, confident that each time I look up, I'll be right caught up in a jif.

I ran yesterday. Did nearly 5k. It took a bit but its a start, and a good start considering my end point. I'm a touch sore today but its a good sore.

I got a haircut the other day. Had a guy I liked enough to actually take his card and his advice. We chatted a bit about my thin fine hair and what I could do to stop it from being so brittle and breaking/falling out with such frequency. He mentioned keratin, omega 3's, and agreed with my flax seed assessment. He also suggested a treatment with an advanced repair serum. It made alot more sense than the previous advice I had been given which both contradicted itself and consequently never worked. So today I listened to Anthony and bought Flax Oil Pills with Omega 3's in there for strength and shine and got a conditioner specifically for breakage repair. Should this fall into the same category of "epic hair fail" I will go back and get the keratin spray-in thingy that was uber expensive but quite possibly worth its weight in gold.

I'm in the process of organizing the basement, a feat which involves poring through our boxes of camping gear that have been either picked apart or completely ignored for the last year. It will be so nice to have all of the sleeping bags out and fluffing, all of the packs out and breathing, all of the gadgets and gizmos and mini cheese graters and toasters and down booties all right at my fingertips, all ready to be packed at a moments notice. Ahhhh. Can't wait.

Well. Some things blew up. Some people died. Spock and Kirk are still around. Suprise.

How Cliche

Tonight we went out for supper and then decided to drive around and find some spectacular christmas lights for mck to look at. As we drove she started singing christmas carols and insisted that we sing with her. Yes. That was us. Driving around looking at lights and singing carols. It would almost be Lifetime Movie/Hallmark Special worthy if we didn't substitute the word "halls" for "farts", "reindeer" for "poo-smear" and drag out the ass in christmASS.

Things She Says That I'm Pretty Sure Are My Fault

So one day in the car, for one reason or another, McK and I made up a little ditty. Each time we sang it we added a little something to the end in the form of a Wooooooo and then a fake burp. The fake burp evolved into a funny little noise that sounds like someone with a very highpitched voice saying the word "MEEP".

Now sometime days later when we suddenly remember the words or the tune or we heard just the right burp, we would begin anew, singing our respective parts. And for some reason we both seem to love the word meep. So I started using the word in random sentences, giving the word "meep" a variety of meanings. Tonight, out of the deepest darkest blue, she threw out my favorite one, the one that made us laugh and laugh and laugh when I said it and laugh and laugh and laugh that silent-can;t-hardly-breathe laugh when SHE said it.

Imagine if you will, a six year old, taking on the voice and personality of a construction worker...and then she spits this one out:

"Hey lady, nice meeps!"

I should stop teaching her this shit.

No Thanks, I'm In Training

So my sister just agreed to train for a half marathon. In telling me about it, her excitement was apparently contagious because the next thing I know I have asked her to send me her training regiment for perusal. I read it, it seemed do-able and voila, I too, am about to embark on training for a half marathon. In May. Oh man.

She put together a plan that begins Feb 7 (so I have till then to either live it up or start to get myself on track) and goes until May 30, the BIG DAY. She is about to work on a nutrition plan for the same time period. I have never stuck with a plan but I think its because I have never had a tangible GOAL before. Sure, theres "get fit", "lose weight", "fit into those jeans", but no real EVENT wherein the result is based solely on how much I commit to the next 5 months. Like Joey said on Blossom, "WHOA!".

I'm pretty pumped. Not so much that I'm having a protien shake for breakfast and a power bar for lunch, lets not go crazy just yet, but pumped nonetheless.

Is This What Its Like?

Tonight I am waiting for Pat to get home from a night out with work folk. I believe it was set to be a somewhat rowdy evening but know his intentions were to sneak away at some point and not be home too late.

Normally I would just hit the sack and not worry about seeing him till morning. However. I do not think he has his house keys. In fact, I'm fairly certain he does not. Which means only one thing. He will knock at the door when he gets home. And I'll need to hear it. Because I know there is NO WAY he'd ring the bell knowing mck was sleeping. So I will half sleep, waiting to hear a knock a storey below.

And before you even ask the question, no, he does not have a cell phone. There will be no call or desperate text alerting me to the fact that he's freezing on the front doorstep. Only the hope that through my wine-fueled slumber, I will hear him. Knock knock. Who's there?

Sometimes You Know JUST How To Piss Me Off

So we had an issue with one of the panels on our tri-panel shower door. Not a big deal, figured out who to call, made the appointment. Yesterday just before noon I called the company to try and get a better idea of when "the guy" might be coming. He said anywhere from within the next hour to within the next three hours. Hm. Ok. So I asked if I could get a half hour pre-call, just a heads up so I could scoot out of work and be there to let the guy in. Sure thing, he says, will do.

So I wait a bit. And I wait a bit more. And I decide to head towards home because surely I'll be getting that call soon. I decided to stop in at the paint store to pick up a can of paint and lo, I get the call. From the guy. In my driveway. I told him I was just grabbing a can of paint and would be there in ten minutes. Well. Mr.Guy could not wait. No siree. As much as he'd love to just sit in my driveway for ten minutes (his quote), he just couldn't spare the ten minutes. Apparently he had NO IDEA that he was supposed to call me when he was about half hour away and rather was told that I'd be there between noon and three to let him in whenever he decided to show up. I hung up on him.

I finished up at the paint store (which was a controlled debaucle in and of itself) and headed home to call the guy who arranged the repair. "Sometimes our repair guys have so much paperwork in their truck they miss these kind of instructions". Oh. Hey. Pal. I have SO MUCH paperwork on my desk but you know what happens when I miss something? Let's just say it doesn't always get rescheduled.

Anywho. He said the guy could come back tomorrow (today). I asked WHEN. Between noon and three? Cuz that's fine, I just need to know so I can actually, you know, BE HOME. Yes, he said, between noon and three. Should I get my hopes up for a pre-call? I asked. No, he said. Don't.

So today I came home at noon. And I waited. I waited and waited and thought "this guy is doing this on purpose, he's going to make me wait till its almost past three and I'm JUST about to call and complain". Sure enough. Not only was it passed two thirty but all of a sudden my phone rings. I got a half hour pre-call. Which means nothing considering I've been sitting at home SINCE NOON.

He showed up at five to three, was perfectly pleasant, fixed the door in about three minutes flat and was gone, not necessarily oblivious to the irritation he caused but certainly not caring.

Frick.

A Rose by Any Other Name

Yes, you're still in the right place. Just suddenly had the urge to make a change and realized I missed the old blog name. It was me. Right from the beginning. So why muck about with a good thing. I'll be changing the address soon. It'll be back to good old mothernaturesdaughter. Just gotta figure out how to do it without deleting the OLD one. Like it?

A Very Very Merry Un Birthday To You!

Its Pat's 40th this coming February. He doesn't want a big party. Hes never been one for fuss on a birthday. He's not the type to care that this is considered a "milestone" year. He doesn't want any presents. He's not into big social gatherings. And thats just who he is. Unfortunately for him, thats just not who I am. Haha. Just kidding dear. Maybe. Just kidding. Theres no party. Just kidding there is. Just kidding there isn't. Just kidding I rented out a huge hall for you. Just kidding its a small dinner at home. Just kidding we're taking everyone to the Whiteshell with us. Just kidding I didn't invite a soul. Just kidding everyone at your work knows. Just kidding only 30 of them do. Just kidding none of them cared. Just kidding they all cared and they all want to party. Just kidding I didn't talk to anyone. Just kidding even my uncle from England is coming. Just kidding he hates you. Just kidding he adores you and can't wait to meet you on your birthday. Just kidding we're going there. Just kidding I don't have enough airmiles. Just kidding I do. Just kidding I don't. Just kidding theres no party at all. Just kidding there is but its just you, me, and mck. Just kidding the second she heard the word party she's been non-stop telling people. Just kidding I never told her. Just kidding I did and shes saving her pennies and picking out a dress. Just kidding shes not saving anything. Just kidding she wants to cook you dinner herself. Just kidding she loves eating out as much as I do. Just kidding I hired a chef to cook for us. Just kidding I hired a whole company to cater the party. Just kidding its a potluck. Just kidding I'd never do that to you. Just kidding I would but not for your birthday. Just kidding theres no food at the party. Just kidding there is but its all in the form of jello shooters. Just kidding thats what all your work buddies wanted. Just kidding they could care less if there was jello. Just kidding they'd love jello if it involved wrestling. Just kidding I didn't tell your work buddies. Just kidding I did. Just kidding I only told family. Just kidding I told everyone I know. Just kidding I would never do that to you. Just kidding I would. Just kidding I didn't so don't panic. Just kidding you may as well start panicking. Just kidding I will honor your wishes of no party, no gifts. Just kidding I won't. Just kidding its not a party its an EVENT. Just kidding its not.

Worried yet dear??

Things That Crossed My Mind Today

What am I going to do when McK is old enough not just to read this but to understand it?

How much more do I need to get Mck for Christmas? Does she care?

What kind of a discount would they give a parttimer working at the new North Face store?

Is it weird to REALLY want to go for ice cream when, with the windchill, its minus 37 celcius?

Why are there not very many really good breakfast joints in the city? And by really good I mean really cheap.

I curled McK's hair today for the Christmas Party. Luckily she didn't REALLY have the patience for it so I think I may get away with not having to do it often.

Why have we not used our Fort Whyte membership more often?

I HATE Best Buy and Future Shop. I know they are useful and possibly necessary but it doesn't make me hate them any less.

Old Navy has some good sales but why can't they just take the time to mark the tags with the sale prices. Hanging the paper above the rack is all good and fine until you find that one perfect thing and think its 50% off only to realize someone put it back in the wrong spot. That sucks.

If you're going to put a nice cozy fireplace in a McDonalds, don't you think a minus 40 degree morning warrants turning the damn thing on? We drove all the way to Charleswood for that bloody thing.

McKinley is going to be a good driver.

You see people differently when they're with their kids. Especially work people.

I work for a really good company.

Is 600 bucks too much for a two way car starter when its as cold as it has been? I don't think so.

I am going back to work tomorrow after being off sick for 4 days. I feel as sick as I did last week but feel bad taking anymore time off.

My kid is so beautiful. But that thought is not exclusive to today.

Sick N Stuff

I'm sick with a cold that involves a sore throat that comes and goes, some random coughing outbursts and continuous nose blowing. Its not a pretty sight. Every night at ten thirty my body shuts down like it just drank a caseload of neo citran and I wake up feeling like I have a breakfast date with death. By about ten a.m. I usually feel a little better and have a roughly 4 hour window to get a crapload of work done before I slowly witness my own crash and begin my evening downward spiral.

On a lighter note, the Disney Princess girls are coming to town and I snagged tickets with the advance purchase password. Sometimes, even when I'm sick, I'm so awesome its shocking. McK? Will PASS OUT.

The Ways in Which Dollarama Surprises, Nay, Pleases Me....

So D-rama has given me a little shockeroonie as of late. Basically I am FLOORED at the amount of decent shit they can sell for a buck or two. Some examples, you ask? Why, certainly.

- ENDLESS Disney Princess paraphernalia. I mean ENDLESS. And ever changing. Birthdays and Christmases have never been so pink.

- Winter accessories. Surplus supply of fleece gloves and scarves and toques for the kid. The ONE PLACE where I buy toques for Pat. My best discovery was just today when I found loose knit cable toques in an array of colors that look wicked on me. Sweet. And if McK loses a glove (which she already has) its no big deal. Cuz it was A BUCK.

- They sell Dove products. Actual Dove skin and haircare products. My shampoo and mousse for 2 beans a pop. Well holy crappers. That beats 5 bones at S-Store. And todays latest find? A Dove spray for dry and staticy hair. Hello???? I bought it, tried it, love it, am buying one for mck to keep in her backpack (downside to her fleece toque, static head). 2 bucks people. 2.

- Crafts, crafts, crafts. When you have a kid who can use an entire bottle of glue on a toilet roll creation and paints on average 862 pictures a day, cheap craft supplies is where its at. And where its at? Is Dollarama.

- Greeting cards. Gone are the tacky, cheap looking, clearly-from-a-dollar-store cards. They now have some decent cards that may have even made me chuckle a time or two.

- Party supplies. Loot bags have never been so easy.

- Ziplocs, storage containers, hangers, shower curtains, table cloths, gift bags, and on and on and on....

The only really shitty thing about D-rama? Buying something somewhere else and then seeing it and Dollarama the next time you're there and realizing how much you clearly overpaid for it. Stings.

Rock It Out

Mck has requested Kevin Rudolf's Let It Rock again and again and again in the car this weekend. On our way home tonight I sat in the back with her only to learn that she also created a dance routine for the full song, done in complete seriousness. I learned the choreography with rapid speed and got to do the second half of the song with her. We rocked it out in the backseat of the Suzuki. Hardcore.

Oh I Am Certain it Will Come

My throat is a little sore. And by a little sore I mean it feels like a hairless spiky phlegm-covered animal has taken up residence in there.

I worried that I would have a crappy sleep tonight and all I could think about was how much I wanted a good sleep. And then I found it. The Neo Citran. I think the sleep will come. In fact, after choking that nasty shit down I am certain it will come.

Goodnight kids.

You Dirty Rat

Yesterday I laughed so hard I cried. Tears were taking away my mascara with the speed of a rushing river and my stomach ached and I couldn't breathe. It was one of those laughs where its so intense and gone on for so long that its silent, you can't even hear yourself laughing anymore.

And it was at someone elses expense. Go figure.

A friend of mine at work had been in a 4 hour conference call. Now, as most of us who have participated in conference calls know, you generally have one or two people who you message with throughout the call just to make them a tiny bit more bearable. My pal was messaging with a male colleague of hers from another province who was also on the call. Fast forward a few hours in and the gal presenting over the call had issues with her spreadsheet. She commented that it often occurs when someone else is in the same sheet or program. My pals friend messages her and says, "Haha, thats me, don't tell her!!"

Now let me preface this with saying that my pal is a very lovely, sweet, kind and normal gal. Shes very very funny and very very likeable. She is also 7 and a half months pregnant.

So in response to his fear that she would tell on him for meddling in the program and screwing it all up for the presenter, she decided to message him back.

This is what she thought she wrote: "Ha ha, I'm totally going to rat you out". She hit send and off it went.

Her blackberry has auto-spell which will see what you are about to type and finish off the word for you with the most logical word based on letters already typed or will flip your word into something else that it THINKS you MEANT to type.

It changed "rat" to "eat". Now just take a second to go back up and read her reply with the new word in it. Tell me you don't need tissue.