Today I...
...got to work very early (in my case, that's 10 minutes).
...thought I had found our rogue tour group booking, but it turned out to be a different booking for a group coming with the same person from the same school, but a different day. Darn...
...drank in the beauty of the first snow of the year that stuck.
...got a persistent cough, but it doesn't seem to be anything serious, I'm just mildly concerned that it might turn out to be laryngitis, which would not be good because I have four tours to give this week.
...decided to forgo choir practice tonight and impose complete silence on myself in hopes of resting my irritated throat enough to make whatever is bugging my it go away.
...wanted to decorate my Christmas tree, but realized very quickly that I unfortunately didn't have enough of my new lights, I'll have to get another box before I can launch into all-out decorating.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Today I...November 29th
Today I...
...got up late and it felt great.
...went to the spa.
...went to visit my mom with my brother so I could give him his Christmas present (a Christmas tree) and his birthday present (a creche to put a the foot of the tree).
...helped my mom to decorate her Christmas tree.
...was given many Christmas ornaments by my mom, including an Advent Calender she made for my brother and I when we were little. I always loved it best of all so she passed it on to me :o)
...am having a late dinner because I got home later than I expected, but I don't mind, it was a lovely day :o)
...got up late and it felt great.
...went to the spa.
...went to visit my mom with my brother so I could give him his Christmas present (a Christmas tree) and his birthday present (a creche to put a the foot of the tree).
...helped my mom to decorate her Christmas tree.
...was given many Christmas ornaments by my mom, including an Advent Calender she made for my brother and I when we were little. I always loved it best of all so she passed it on to me :o)
...am having a late dinner because I got home later than I expected, but I don't mind, it was a lovely day :o)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Today I...November 28th
Today I...
...woke up rested for the first time this week.
...did my laundry and was dismayed to find out that my dryer keeps working less and less every week. I wrote to the landlord about it and hopefully he'll have it fixed or replaced.
...went out to buy a single book because I just couldn't handle not having something new to read...and left the store with with books because I couldn't decide between the one I had gone to the store for and the one I saw as I was picking up my intended book.
...took these pictures of my favorite statue along with the Christmas lights on McGill College Avenue and froze my butt off in the process lol
Just for fun
I swiped this from Nikki-Ann's blog, with her permission. All the questions have to be answered with one word. If you'd like to do the same, head on over to her blog, have a look around because it's fabulous and copy and paste it and let her know you're adding it to your blog.
1. Where is your mobile phone? – Table
2. Your hair? – reddish
3. Your mother? - Maman
4. Your father? - Daddy
5. Your favorite food? - Sushi
6. Your dream last night? - forgotten
7. Your favorite drink? - juice
8. Your dream/goal? - travelling
9. What room are you in? – Living
10. Your hobby? - Photography
11. Your fear? – lots
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? – loved
13. Where were you last night? - Home
14. Something that you aren’t? - bored
15. Muffins? - pumpkin
16. Wish list item? - tickets
17. Where did you grow up? - Montreal
18. Last thing you did? - laundry
19. What are you wearing? - sweats
20. Your TV? – oldish
21. Your pets? - varied
22. Friends? - blessings
23. Your life? - Normal
24. Your mood? - Cheerful
25. Missing someone? - Yup
26. Vehicle? – bus
27. Something you’re not wearing? - coat
28. Your favorite store? - RW&Co
29. Your favorite colour? - Blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? - Earlier
31. Last time you cried? – Tuesday
32. Your best friend? - Far
33. One place that I go to over and over? - Toronto
34. Facebook? - Yes
35. Favourite place to eat? - Maïko
Magique's Windy Morning
This week's Camera Critter is none other than my lovely little miss Magique! It's pretty breezy here this morning and one of her favorite things to do when the wind starts blowing a little is to watch the weeds in front of my window (God forbid my landlord do anything with his front garden...) wave around. She finds it truly fascinating, as you can see, but she's never too busy to look at the camera, even if it is just to make a 'Can't you see I'm busy here?' face at me.
Have a great weekend and don't forget to go and check out all the other camera critters out there by going here.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Today I...November 27th
Today I...
...cherished the memory of hot chocolate with marshmallows, whipped cream and cinnamon shared while chatting with my sweetheart last night.
...spent the better part of the day wrapping Christmas gifts for 40 of the Oratory's volunteers.
...found out that a booking I took a few months ago went AWOL and that because it went AWOL we took another one the same day. They're both huge and we now have an unmanageable amount of school kids coming on the same day. The second booking will therefore have to be shifted to an earlier date if at all possible and unfortunately the teacher in charge of the trip came all the way over from the boonies to organize it with us in person and it's his first time taking elementary aged kids to see us. Did I feel crappy about the situation? Oh, yes indeed I did, even though we have no way of knowing which one of the three of us working in the office misplaced the booking in the shuffle.
...am not as tired as yesterday or as the rest of the week.
...had a massage.
...decided that one of my menu elements for Christmas Eve dinner with my brother and grandparents will be scalloped potatoes.
...wished it was snowing instead of raining, I want things to look Christmassy and am looking forward to not having to haul an umbrella around and get soaked by cold rain.
...cherished the memory of hot chocolate with marshmallows, whipped cream and cinnamon shared while chatting with my sweetheart last night.
...spent the better part of the day wrapping Christmas gifts for 40 of the Oratory's volunteers.
...found out that a booking I took a few months ago went AWOL and that because it went AWOL we took another one the same day. They're both huge and we now have an unmanageable amount of school kids coming on the same day. The second booking will therefore have to be shifted to an earlier date if at all possible and unfortunately the teacher in charge of the trip came all the way over from the boonies to organize it with us in person and it's his first time taking elementary aged kids to see us. Did I feel crappy about the situation? Oh, yes indeed I did, even though we have no way of knowing which one of the three of us working in the office misplaced the booking in the shuffle.
...am not as tired as yesterday or as the rest of the week.
...had a massage.
...decided that one of my menu elements for Christmas Eve dinner with my brother and grandparents will be scalloped potatoes.
...wished it was snowing instead of raining, I want things to look Christmassy and am looking forward to not having to haul an umbrella around and get soaked by cold rain.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Today I...November 26th
Today I...
...am veeeeery tired. I've had a busy, very emotionally charged week.
...gave a tour to a group of high school students who were in grade nine, Holy hormones, Batman!!! One the boys got like the biggest crush in history on me, it was crazy!!!
...have to run because my boyfriend just called, he's in town for the week and we're going out for hot chocolate! Seeya!
...am veeeeery tired. I've had a busy, very emotionally charged week.
...gave a tour to a group of high school students who were in grade nine, Holy hormones, Batman!!! One the boys got like the biggest crush in history on me, it was crazy!!!
...have to run because my boyfriend just called, he's in town for the week and we're going out for hot chocolate! Seeya!
Skywatch Friday
Hi all!I hope you all had a great week! This week's Skywatch pick is a photo that I took a few months back while out on a very, very long walk. It's Downtown Montreal seen from one of the viewing decks in Mount Royal park. This particular deck is the most popular one of all, because it's the one where you can get the best and widest unobstructed view of the city.
So there you have it, I hope you all have an amazing weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! Don't forget to add a bit of color to your weekend by going to check out all the other great Skywatch pictures here .
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Today I...November 25th
Today I...
...had a better day than yesterday and a very busy one indeed.
...gave a tour to a group of teens with mild to severe learning disabilities, they were wonderful kids though :o)
...took lots of phone calls after my tour.
...went to buy groceries after work and found a packaged of 24 rolls of toilet paper for 5.99$, what a sweet deal!!! Ooh and I also bought three boxes of pasta for 5$ and my veggie pastries were on sale for 2 for 5$ too! It was clearly my lucky for bargains at the grocery store!
...was nearly in a bus VS. crazy SUV crash upon leaving the grocery store, but luckily my bus driver has good reflexes and avoided SUV who totally cut us off.
...lost a hat that my grandma knit me on the bus. By the time I realized it was missing, the bus was leaving :o(((
...am very tired and need to get to to bed at a decent hour tonight.
...had a better day than yesterday and a very busy one indeed.
...gave a tour to a group of teens with mild to severe learning disabilities, they were wonderful kids though :o)
...took lots of phone calls after my tour.
...went to buy groceries after work and found a packaged of 24 rolls of toilet paper for 5.99$, what a sweet deal!!! Ooh and I also bought three boxes of pasta for 5$ and my veggie pastries were on sale for 2 for 5$ too! It was clearly my lucky for bargains at the grocery store!
...was nearly in a bus VS. crazy SUV crash upon leaving the grocery store, but luckily my bus driver has good reflexes and avoided SUV who totally cut us off.
...lost a hat that my grandma knit me on the bus. By the time I realized it was missing, the bus was leaving :o(((
...am very tired and need to get to to bed at a decent hour tonight.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Today I...November 24th
Today I...
...had rotten luck with the buses on my way to work. One drove right past me just as I got to the stop, there is no way he did not see me run like mad to catch him. Then the driver on the next bus was the worst customer relations flunky I have ever seen and smacked me on the elbow and told to move back, there was room. Um, how about letting all these people you're letting on even though you shouldn't be get out of my way and then I'll move back???
...had a fairly busy day at work, including sniffing out a seriously leaky hot water tank in the furnace room, you should have smelled the humid gyprock and seen the water flowing out from under the door...our office building and the fathers living in the monastery on the top floor of the building are going to be having hot water issues for the next few days, it sure is a good thing I smelled that leak when I did.
...forgot my grocery bags at home, so will be making myself homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner again. That's okay, I could use some comfort food after my very up-and-down day :o)
...had rotten luck with the buses on my way to work. One drove right past me just as I got to the stop, there is no way he did not see me run like mad to catch him. Then the driver on the next bus was the worst customer relations flunky I have ever seen and smacked me on the elbow and told to move back, there was room. Um, how about letting all these people you're letting on even though you shouldn't be get out of my way and then I'll move back???
...had a fairly busy day at work, including sniffing out a seriously leaky hot water tank in the furnace room, you should have smelled the humid gyprock and seen the water flowing out from under the door...our office building and the fathers living in the monastery on the top floor of the building are going to be having hot water issues for the next few days, it sure is a good thing I smelled that leak when I did.
...forgot my grocery bags at home, so will be making myself homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner again. That's okay, I could use some comfort food after my very up-and-down day :o)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Today I...November 23rd
Today I......walked up the stairs at the Oratory to get to work because the shuttle bus broke down yet again. Yes, we're getting a new one soon, it should get there any day. Hopefully we'll have it before the real bad cold gets here, because I don't think the one we have will last the winter.
...answered the phone a lot, took a bunch of bookings, compulsively checked Virtual Vivian's blog now that the weekend is over and counted a lot of leaflets.
...still didn't find out the results of the photography contest despite all my compulsive blog checking.
...got a dose of job-related stress I could have done without seeing as I'm already more stressed than usual since finances are tight this month.
...went to choir practice and had fun, although it was a bit chilly in there, I'll have to wear something warmer next week.
...am sharing another orchid photo with you guys since you seemed to like yesterday's so much :o)
...wondered how people who buy real Christmas trees at this time of year keep them looking good until Christmas? They must have to buy two???
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Today I...November 22nd
Today I......thought I would go out, but then didn't as the promised sunshine never showed up and it was cloudy, damp (although not rainy and dreary)
...finished my book.
...washed my bathroom sink and counter.
...spread more mothball flakes and sprayed more cat deterrent in the garden in front of my apartment window after a pesky neighborhood cat showed up in front of it last night at 12:40 A.M. and unleashed feline mayhem just as I was falling asleep. I...can't...wait...to...move!!! Never living in a ground or semi-basement apartment again, ever. Why people let their cats out at night is beyond me anyway. I would be way too afraid of them getting attacked by a dog or raccoon or tortured by freaks or stolen or hit by a car, not to mention the havoc they wreak in peoples' gardens and among other peoples' cats.
...vowed to myself that next weekend I will find something fun to do as staying home all weekend two weekends in a row by myself has left me feeling quite dull and like a bit of a 'loner.
...included a picture of an orchid in this post from an exhibit I went to with a friend a few weeks ago because I wanted you all to have something pretty to see :o) Do you like it?
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Today I...November 21st
Today I...
...was a cleaning fiend.
...went for a nice walk when I ran some errands.
...discovered that my brand of soy milk is only available at Metro and Provigo.
...had a good giggle while watching my cats play footsie. Magique was locked in my bedroom because she kept trying to chase my sponge while I was washing my kitchen table so Quinn walked over to the closed door and the game of footsie ensued.
...rolled my socks instead of folding them when I took them out of the dryer because I hate folding socks so much. The lazy way out is so much better :o)
...have pretty much decided that the Via Rail photography contest was a joke or something. Still no results, what's with that ?!?!?!
...was a cleaning fiend.
...went for a nice walk when I ran some errands.
...discovered that my brand of soy milk is only available at Metro and Provigo.
...had a good giggle while watching my cats play footsie. Magique was locked in my bedroom because she kept trying to chase my sponge while I was washing my kitchen table so Quinn walked over to the closed door and the game of footsie ensued.
...rolled my socks instead of folding them when I took them out of the dryer because I hate folding socks so much. The lazy way out is so much better :o)
...have pretty much decided that the Via Rail photography contest was a joke or something. Still no results, what's with that ?!?!?!
Lovely Lady #2
My camera critter this week is this lovely white standard poodle who was sitting with her mistress selling magazine memberships just as we were leaving the pet show a few weeks ago. Doesn't she look happy? I love to see dogs smile :o)Have a great weekend and don't forget to check out all the other camera critters out there by going here .
Friday, November 20, 2009
Today I...November 20th
Today I...
...was a very productive worker bee.
...re-sized all the photos for a project I'm working on.
...got the last of my Christmas shopping done thanks to my mom, I had no clue she was such a good little Santa's Helper!
...wished that my colleague who works in another department at the Oratory and said he thought I had the strictest boss in the whole place because she looks so serious could have heard her blasting rock music from her office radio and singing along to it this afternoon. Strict and serious? Yeah, right...lol
...nearly got blown away while walking across the street to get the bus after work. Yes, windy it is tonight indeed!
...continued my compulsive Facebook and blog checking for the results of the Via Rail photo contest. Still nothing, AAAAAAARGH!!!! I have not gone completely mad yet and I don't know why.
...was a very productive worker bee.
...re-sized all the photos for a project I'm working on.
...got the last of my Christmas shopping done thanks to my mom, I had no clue she was such a good little Santa's Helper!
...wished that my colleague who works in another department at the Oratory and said he thought I had the strictest boss in the whole place because she looks so serious could have heard her blasting rock music from her office radio and singing along to it this afternoon. Strict and serious? Yeah, right...lol
...nearly got blown away while walking across the street to get the bus after work. Yes, windy it is tonight indeed!
...continued my compulsive Facebook and blog checking for the results of the Via Rail photo contest. Still nothing, AAAAAAARGH!!!! I have not gone completely mad yet and I don't know why.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Today I...November 19th
Today I...
...gave a tour to a wonderful group of people suffering from various physical handicaps, but mostly cerebral palsy. They were all such beautiful people who, although they had trouble communicating, had very sharp intellect and asked wonderful questions. Never judge people by their appearances, because even if someone is trapped inside a body that has failed them, chances are they are still fully aware of everything going on around them and understand every word spoken around them and sound they hear and expression they see even more than you do.
...went to the bi-annual staff meeting and fully enjoyed the free lunch they gave us. Boeuf bourgignon...mmm...I wish the big boss bought us lunch more often :o)
...unfortunately received two tour cancellations for next week, stupid H1N1 :o(
...continued my compulsive checking of Facebook and Virtual Vivian's blog to see if the results of the photo contest were up, but they're still not...if they're not up by the time I go to bed, I may die from the suspense in my sleep, so if I never post again, you'll know why.
...gave a tour to a wonderful group of people suffering from various physical handicaps, but mostly cerebral palsy. They were all such beautiful people who, although they had trouble communicating, had very sharp intellect and asked wonderful questions. Never judge people by their appearances, because even if someone is trapped inside a body that has failed them, chances are they are still fully aware of everything going on around them and understand every word spoken around them and sound they hear and expression they see even more than you do.
...went to the bi-annual staff meeting and fully enjoyed the free lunch they gave us. Boeuf bourgignon...mmm...I wish the big boss bought us lunch more often :o)
...unfortunately received two tour cancellations for next week, stupid H1N1 :o(
...continued my compulsive checking of Facebook and Virtual Vivian's blog to see if the results of the photo contest were up, but they're still not...if they're not up by the time I go to bed, I may die from the suspense in my sleep, so if I never post again, you'll know why.
Skywatch Friday
Hi all!
So, I brought my camera to work with me yesterday as some of my regular readers already know and I took a few minutes at the end of the day to snap a few photos before hopping on the bus to come home. I'm quite happy with how this one turned out, I find the contrast between the oxidized statue and roofs very interesting!
Happy Skywatch Friday, have a great weekend and don't forget to encourage fellow Skywatchers by checking out their blogs here
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Today I...November 18th
Today I......got to work, but couldn't see my workplace, see the picture below for proof. There was ice fog this morning, it made things look quite wintry since it deposited quite a large amount of frost over everything.
...gave a tour to two people, a mother and daughter from the Dominican Republic.
...went upstairs to a colleague's office, only to find out that her office was in the process of being moved to a different area of the same floor after nearly tripping over her desk lamp in the hallway. Oops!
...compulsively checked Via Rail's Facebook profile in the hope of finding the results of their photo contest there, I sent in at least 10 photos and they were deliberating over which submissions would win prizes today! No news yet though, the suspense is killing me!!!
...took the top photo of the Oratory while leaving work just to prove that it's still there. It was taken only a few hundred meters from where I took the foggy shot from this morning.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Today I...November 17th
Today I...
...had a quiet day compared to yesterday, although I did have a meeting this morning in which I, along with everyone else in my department, was informed by our boss that she was being forced into being ridiculously strict about our punctuality. This means that if I am even three minutes late for work I can't take the three minutes back at the end of the day, I lose three minutes of pay and that's it. Also, if we have to leave an hour earlier at the end of the day for an appointment, we can't take the hour back by starting earlier or finishing later the next day. I'd like to know who picked on her about being humane in managing our hours so he can get a lump of coal for Christmas and nothing else for the next decade or so!
...listened to Christmas music at work to lighten the mood after our cheerful meeting.
...was happy to see my younger brother at the end of the day when he came to help me fetch cat litter. It was very nice of him indeed to take time out of his evening to come and cart 30 kgs of litter around for me :o)
...am making myself comfort food for dinner: homemade macaroni and cheese!!! Yum :o)
...really started counting down the days until I see my Sweetheart next week: 7 and counting!
...had a quiet day compared to yesterday, although I did have a meeting this morning in which I, along with everyone else in my department, was informed by our boss that she was being forced into being ridiculously strict about our punctuality. This means that if I am even three minutes late for work I can't take the three minutes back at the end of the day, I lose three minutes of pay and that's it. Also, if we have to leave an hour earlier at the end of the day for an appointment, we can't take the hour back by starting earlier or finishing later the next day. I'd like to know who picked on her about being humane in managing our hours so he can get a lump of coal for Christmas and nothing else for the next decade or so!
...listened to Christmas music at work to lighten the mood after our cheerful meeting.
...was happy to see my younger brother at the end of the day when he came to help me fetch cat litter. It was very nice of him indeed to take time out of his evening to come and cart 30 kgs of litter around for me :o)
...am making myself comfort food for dinner: homemade macaroni and cheese!!! Yum :o)
...really started counting down the days until I see my Sweetheart next week: 7 and counting!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Today I...November 16th
Today I...
...had a pretty darn busy day at work, since we had a group with us from 11:15 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.. I didn't get to sit much and my back and feet got pretty tired, so I can only imagine how those of the seniors in the group must have felt, even though they did get to sit a few times while I talked.
...indulged in a hot shower upon arriving home before eating my dinner and leaving for choir practice. My back and feet thanked me, but I was a bit late for practice. Oops...I still made it for the second half of the warm up though, so that was okay.
...saw lots of cop cars at work at the end of the day (okay folks, we're talking about a church here, so two cop cars is a lot) and was intrigued as to why, but not enough to switch my walkie-talkie to the security channel in hopes of finding it out. Perhaps it was just the mildly wacky man who showed up with a fluorescent light last week claiming it was his pilgrim's walking stick back for a visit, although this time there were just two cop cars and not three.
...had a pretty darn busy day at work, since we had a group with us from 11:15 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.. I didn't get to sit much and my back and feet got pretty tired, so I can only imagine how those of the seniors in the group must have felt, even though they did get to sit a few times while I talked.
...indulged in a hot shower upon arriving home before eating my dinner and leaving for choir practice. My back and feet thanked me, but I was a bit late for practice. Oops...I still made it for the second half of the warm up though, so that was okay.
...saw lots of cop cars at work at the end of the day (okay folks, we're talking about a church here, so two cop cars is a lot) and was intrigued as to why, but not enough to switch my walkie-talkie to the security channel in hopes of finding it out. Perhaps it was just the mildly wacky man who showed up with a fluorescent light last week claiming it was his pilgrim's walking stick back for a visit, although this time there were just two cop cars and not three.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Today I...November 15th
Today I......made darn sure I had a better time than I did yesterday!
...talked with my Sweetheart on Skype for a bit.
...sewed a button back onto my coat with some help from one of my grandmas over the phone and managed to only stab myself in the finger once in the process.
...went out to buy fabric for my project at work and was astonished by A: how warm it was, I was very much overdressed and B: the price of fabric and sewing supplies. How can people find it cheaper to make their own clothes???
...got lost while trying to walk to one of my favorite music stores, since I seemed to be getting deeper and deeper in the the dodgy end of Ste-Catherine street, so called my dad to ask him for directions. Turns out I hadn't been lost and was going in the right direction, I just normally go to the aforementioned store by subway and therefore bypass the dodgy end of Ste-Catherine and all the sketchy looking tattoo parlors, sex shops and creepy people. Just as a side note, the dodgy section of Ste-Catherine is now much smaller than it used to be, can be bypassed by subway and Montreal is essentially a very safe city, especially Downtown. The only area you really want to steer clear of at night in Montreal North, which is nowhere near Downtown.
...bought the second half of my Sweetheart's Christmas present and my father's Christmas present. Only two more presents to buy and I'm done! Christmas shopping will have cost me under 200$ this year, or 220$ at most, spread out over several months, yeah me!
...took some photos of the Christmas decorations in Place Ville Marie (bottom picture) and Montreal's Central Station (top picture), two of my favorite places for shopping and also because the train station has been central in my boyfriend and I's relationship. When he still lived on the South Shore of Montreal and I still lived in the western tip of the island (because Montreal is an island for anyone who may not have known that), we used to meet there because I would take the town train into the station and he would take the bus in. We also ended up racing back to the station in many movie worthy scenes so he could put me on the last train home and he could catch the bus home. Now, it's where he comes back into Montreal on his weekend visits home and I leave for my weekend visits to him. The station is therefore very dear to our hearts indeed.
...and finally, went to make myself some spaghetti for dinner and realized that I was all but out of spaghetti...I had to head out to the corner store to get some and ended up finishing my dinner at 10:00 P.M....oops!
And would you look at that, this is my 100th post! Thanks so much to all of my faithful readers!!!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Today I...November 14th
Today I...
...had a bit of a rough day, but nothing a shower, chat with my Grandma and a cup of Oolong tea couldn't fix.
...was disappointed when my mom backed out of going shopping with me tomorrow.
...found the younger of my two feline roommates sleeping in my laundry basket on top of the load that I was about to take over to the washing machine, it was very cute. Unfortunately, the lighting in my bedroom didn't allow for good pictures, but I'm sure you can imagine how cute it was :o)
...was almost back pain free by dinner time.
...had a bit of a rough day, but nothing a shower, chat with my Grandma and a cup of Oolong tea couldn't fix.
...was disappointed when my mom backed out of going shopping with me tomorrow.
...found the younger of my two feline roommates sleeping in my laundry basket on top of the load that I was about to take over to the washing machine, it was very cute. Unfortunately, the lighting in my bedroom didn't allow for good pictures, but I'm sure you can imagine how cute it was :o)
...was almost back pain free by dinner time.
Lovely Lady
So, here's my lovely camera critter for this week! I saw her at the Salon National des Animaux de Compagnie (national pet show) at the Olympic Stadium last Saturday along with a whole slew of other interesting critters, which will end up on here at some point as well. This little lady was by far the most convinced of her prettiness though...and with reason, wouldn't you say?That's Camera Critters for this week, be sure and check out all the other critters out there by heading over here. Have a great weekend!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Today I...November 13th
Today I...
...was quite busy at work, things are starting to pick up for the Christmas season!
...saw Christmas lights being strung at the high school across the street from the Oratory.
...saw lit Christmas lights for the second time this week.
...thought about buying a Christmas Wreath for my front door.
...realized that I am really looking forward to Christmas for the first time in years and hope that I don't get sick at Christmas so it's spoiled. This wish stems from the fact that in the past four years I have had the flu over the holidays twice, one year on, one year off. This year would be an on year. Stay away Flu, stay away!!!
...still had a very stiff back upon waking up, but am still progressively getting better :o)
...bought soy milk and was happy to see that it costs almost a dollar less than regular milk!
...was quite busy at work, things are starting to pick up for the Christmas season!
...saw Christmas lights being strung at the high school across the street from the Oratory.
...saw lit Christmas lights for the second time this week.
...thought about buying a Christmas Wreath for my front door.
...realized that I am really looking forward to Christmas for the first time in years and hope that I don't get sick at Christmas so it's spoiled. This wish stems from the fact that in the past four years I have had the flu over the holidays twice, one year on, one year off. This year would be an on year. Stay away Flu, stay away!!!
...still had a very stiff back upon waking up, but am still progressively getting better :o)
...bought soy milk and was happy to see that it costs almost a dollar less than regular milk!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Today I...November 12th
Today I...
...was still very sore, but was feeling a good deal better than yesterday. Thanks for your concern, Gill!
...was happy to be mobile enough to make it to work...almost on time ;o)
...gave a tour to one of two special needs high school classes. I ended up with the long end of the stick, meaning the better of the two groups. I laid down the law from the start and the students were respectful, but my colleague had a heck of a time with her group, unfortunately.
...went to tai chi despite my concerns about my back and was happy when it ended up doing a lot of good.
...was still very sore, but was feeling a good deal better than yesterday. Thanks for your concern, Gill!
...was happy to be mobile enough to make it to work...almost on time ;o)
...gave a tour to one of two special needs high school classes. I ended up with the long end of the stick, meaning the better of the two groups. I laid down the law from the start and the students were respectful, but my colleague had a heck of a time with her group, unfortunately.
...went to tai chi despite my concerns about my back and was happy when it ended up doing a lot of good.
Skywatch Friday
I took this week's Skywatch shot about three weeks ago while on my way to an orchid exhibit with a friend. You may be able to tell from the red, blue and white CH toward the left, that this plaza is right outside Montreal's Bell Center, home to our famous NHL team, the Montreal Canadiens. The plaza has been redone in the last year in honor of the team's 100th anniversary and is filled with paving stones (only the red and white ones) that were bought by fans and that have their names and messages of encouragement to the team inscribed on them. Encouragement that we have been needing this season since our team is pretty much all new and is still trying to work out their chemistry. We're still not doing as badly as the Leafs, though, that would be absolutely horrendous!!! ;o)Have a great weekend and don't forget to go and check out more Skywatch photos here
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Today I...November 11th
Today I......stayed home from work, not because I caught the flu, but because I hurt my back in the most bizarre way, standing up from the couch and stretching.
...went stir crazy while waiting to leave for my emergency massage appointment because I couldn't move without feeling like I was being stabbed in the back next to my left shoulder blade. all I could do was sit or pace back and forth. Couldn't pick up anything, lie down, nothing.
...took some pictures of my cats. Well, a picture of Quinn and a Picture of Magique's shadow on my apartment wall, which I found pretty neat. What do you think?
...went to my appointment and was diagnosed with not only a pinched nerve and pinched muscles. The massage therapist was able to unblock everything and release 60% of the muscle tension caused by it. I can move now, thank heavens.
...am very tired after being in a lot of pain all day and am hoping it will be completely gone when I get up tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Today I...November 10th
Today I......went to check on the progress they were making on the roof of the crypt church again. The photo above is from Tuesday last week, all the space without tiles to the right of the photo is now filled up, they're getting close to being half done.
...forgot my cell phone at home for the first time ever, it sucked, I felt like I was missing part of my arm for the first few hours after I got to work because I'm so used to having it with me or sitting on my desk beside me
...took a group of 70 children up to the Nativity Scene museum, being followed by that many children at once attracts a lot of attention, especially when they're so well behaved!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Today I...November 9th
Today I...
...left my book at home because I thought I wouldn't have time to read.
...waited for a whole bunch of bus loads of tourists to come in so I could collect their donations, and wished I had brought the book I am currently reading to work with me to help me through all the waiting.
...used part of my lunch hour to go to the grocery store to buy spaghetti sauce for my dinner and then walked back to work and through all the employee areas with the jar in my hand, warranting many questions and comments.
...made an elderly gentleman who said that he was going to be a star for the first time thanks to our security cameras laugh when I told him he wouldn't be a star unless he got up to no good!
...said prayers for this little boy, please do so if you feel called to, you can read his entire story by clicking on the 'family' tab at the top of the page and clicking on 'Stellan's Story'.
...left my book at home because I thought I wouldn't have time to read.
...waited for a whole bunch of bus loads of tourists to come in so I could collect their donations, and wished I had brought the book I am currently reading to work with me to help me through all the waiting.
...used part of my lunch hour to go to the grocery store to buy spaghetti sauce for my dinner and then walked back to work and through all the employee areas with the jar in my hand, warranting many questions and comments.
...made an elderly gentleman who said that he was going to be a star for the first time thanks to our security cameras laugh when I told him he wouldn't be a star unless he got up to no good!
...said prayers for this little boy, please do so if you feel called to, you can read his entire story by clicking on the 'family' tab at the top of the page and clicking on 'Stellan's Story'.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Today I...November 8th
Today I...
...was disgusted to find out that the brand of canned cat food that I get for my furry feline friends is being carried by fewer and fewer places just because there's no french on the labels. Stupid language control laws, I hate you!!!
...went to an appointment in the West Island sector of Montreal, my neighborhood for over twenty years. It always feels nice to go back there.
...ended up heading back out to get cat food right after getting back from my appointment at a pet supply store near my place. I had to get them something that the younger of my two cats didn't like the last time I tried to feed it to her. It beats the pants off stuff like Whiskas as far as ingredients go, but she just doesn't like the taste of it. I will have to try and find some way to get my hands on the stuff they're used to.
So, are there any laws in your area that really tick you off? In my case, since I'm from Quebec, it's all the French language preservation laws. I'm a perfect mix of both my English-speaking and french speaking heritage. I am perfectly bilingual and am very proud of that and my family is also perfectly bilingual across the board, but we have a lot of laws that are trying to encourage people to be strictly french-speaking and I CAN'T STAND THAT!!! They even have laws that say that if you're going to have English on your store-front sign it has to be half the size of the french and below it!!! I have a rampant abhorrence for that sort of thing.
...was disgusted to find out that the brand of canned cat food that I get for my furry feline friends is being carried by fewer and fewer places just because there's no french on the labels. Stupid language control laws, I hate you!!!
...went to an appointment in the West Island sector of Montreal, my neighborhood for over twenty years. It always feels nice to go back there.
...ended up heading back out to get cat food right after getting back from my appointment at a pet supply store near my place. I had to get them something that the younger of my two cats didn't like the last time I tried to feed it to her. It beats the pants off stuff like Whiskas as far as ingredients go, but she just doesn't like the taste of it. I will have to try and find some way to get my hands on the stuff they're used to.
So, are there any laws in your area that really tick you off? In my case, since I'm from Quebec, it's all the French language preservation laws. I'm a perfect mix of both my English-speaking and french speaking heritage. I am perfectly bilingual and am very proud of that and my family is also perfectly bilingual across the board, but we have a lot of laws that are trying to encourage people to be strictly french-speaking and I CAN'T STAND THAT!!! They even have laws that say that if you're going to have English on your store-front sign it has to be half the size of the french and below it!!! I have a rampant abhorrence for that sort of thing.
Today I...November 7th
Today I......went to a pet show with some friends and saw all kinds of lovely animals: cats and dogs and reptiles of every breed, birds and fish and ponies too.
...went to my brother's condo with one of his friends to help him get set up. I unpacked all his kitchen and bathroom stuff and had a good laugh at the dish towels my grandmother got him. They would have been fine for me, but are definitely not my brother's style.
...got home just in time to have a shower before my grandmother made her nightly phone call to me. Not the dish towel grandmother, the other one that lives in the states....did my laundry and am planning on leaving the last load in the laundry, which I will probably regret tomorrow, but it's too late for me to be taking care of laundry right now since I want to go and watch a movie.
...got this post ready, but then my computer crashed so I'm only posting it on Sunday afternoon when I finally got back to it. And yes, I did regret leaving my laundry in the dryer all night, especially since despite an hour and ten minutes in the dryer, not all the clothes dried. Ooops...had to send some of them around for another go and will have to do more ironing than usual.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
True
So, as I've mentioned before, my mom has three dogs. I believe I have already shown you both Griffin and Rhea, so here, today, is True. He is very difficult the get a shot of, or at least a decent one, because for him staying still is a huge challenge. I keep telling my mom that if ever the world needs a permanently renewable energy source that we should let them plug into True and we could make a bundle! He is a very sweet, affectionate dog though, but in a very over the top kind of way ;o)So, that's Camera Critters for this week, be sure to head over here to check out more camera loving critters, and have a great weekend!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Today I...November 6th
Today I...
...was kept busy by one little thing after another all day long.
...spent the better part of my lunch break talking with the painter in the staff lunch room.
...met a choir director from Moscow, Russia who was on tour in the province with her choir.
...bought a DVD I've been wanting for the longest time when it finally went on special.
...had a rather rough ride home due to a rather talentless bus driver.
...spoke with my aunt who I have not spoken to in months, I missed her!
...was kept busy by one little thing after another all day long.
...spent the better part of my lunch break talking with the painter in the staff lunch room.
...met a choir director from Moscow, Russia who was on tour in the province with her choir.
...bought a DVD I've been wanting for the longest time when it finally went on special.
...had a rather rough ride home due to a rather talentless bus driver.
...spoke with my aunt who I have not spoken to in months, I missed her!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Skywatch Friday
So here, finally, is my Skywatch post! I thought the wires gave the sky a funky look in this photo :o) Sorry to be so late with this, but I've had quite the day which included a conked out subway line and a problematic shower door...This post is a bit in the spirit of things to come. For those of you who have never seen what winter can be like in Montreal, here's a bit of a glimpse. This is what a street can look like after a major snowstorm at the end of winter when there has been major snowstorms every two weeks without fail since mid-December. That's what the winter of 2007-2008 was like and this picture was taken after the last snowstorm of that winter, on march 9th 2008. We thought it would never end...
I hope you all have a great weekend and don't forget to check out other great Skywatch photos here.
Today I...November 5th
Today I...
...finally got to present my project to my boss and got a glowing review, yay!
...saw snow falling for the...hang on...third or fourth time since October. Eek! luckilly it didn't last long and didn't stay.
...helped a colleague ferry a whole slew of wheelchairs that were donated to us from a retirement home to a storage area up in the Basilica (the big church) and shared in his glee over having so many wheelchairs that are in good condition to loan to visitors to the Oratory now.
...was happy to see they made progress on the roof again today, at this rate they'll be done by this time next year :oJ
...loved the sound of the Oratory's boys choir's new CD playing in the Basilica for all to hear. Go here if you would like to listen to it, it's a truly beautiful CD, our boys are very talented.
That's it for today, for any of you looking for my Skywatch post, it will be up a bit late today because I have tai chi after work and then (hopefully, but it will depend on if my massage therapist's bug has gone or not) a massage appointment. So look for it sometime this evening between 7:15 and 10:30 P.M.
...finally got to present my project to my boss and got a glowing review, yay!
...saw snow falling for the...hang on...third or fourth time since October. Eek! luckilly it didn't last long and didn't stay.
...helped a colleague ferry a whole slew of wheelchairs that were donated to us from a retirement home to a storage area up in the Basilica (the big church) and shared in his glee over having so many wheelchairs that are in good condition to loan to visitors to the Oratory now.
...was happy to see they made progress on the roof again today, at this rate they'll be done by this time next year :oJ
...loved the sound of the Oratory's boys choir's new CD playing in the Basilica for all to hear. Go here if you would like to listen to it, it's a truly beautiful CD, our boys are very talented.
That's it for today, for any of you looking for my Skywatch post, it will be up a bit late today because I have tai chi after work and then (hopefully, but it will depend on if my massage therapist's bug has gone or not) a massage appointment. So look for it sometime this evening between 7:15 and 10:30 P.M.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Today I...November 4th
Today I......spent the morning stuffing envelopes, lots and lots of envelopes and made it through with only one tiny paper cut
...still had the image of that 16 year-old boy with the huge afro that added a good two feet to his height from my tour group yesterday stuck in my head.
...referred my brother to my cable company so that I can get 50$ off my next monthly bill.
...took my camera on break with me to take a picture of the progress on the Oratory's lower church's roof to my boyfriend and seriously started to wonder, upon seeing the little progress that has been made int he pas two weeks if they're going to be able to get all the roof tiles down and pump in the concrete under them before winter.
...moved on up to our upstairs church with my camera still in hand to get some macro shots of the stained glass up there
...and finally, started a new book at lunch time while eating sushi. I saved the best part of my day for last in this post ;o)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Today I...November 3rd, 2009
Today I......watched the younger of my two cats, the monstrosity on the right hand side of the above picture, try to cause trouble every way she could...and fail. I have apparently finally succeeded in monstrosity-proofing my apartment.
...worked on my project at worked and got it ready to present to my boss when she comes back to work
...savored some delicious dark chocolate
...drank in the beauty of the Oratory bathed in the pinkish glow of sunset
Monday, November 2, 2009
Today I...November 2nd 2009
Spent a long time chatting with a colleague and friend of mine...
I kept a little girl busy while her mother was unwell and we were waiting for the ambulance. She only spoke Russian and I didn't understand what she was babbling on about, but we had such fun together anyways.
I brainstormed about an idea I got last night for a special activity for school children who come to the Oratory. I hope my boss likes it when I present it to her tomorrow.
So there's a little glimpse into my day. I will try and do this a bit every day and will include a picture when I can :o)
I kept a little girl busy while her mother was unwell and we were waiting for the ambulance. She only spoke Russian and I didn't understand what she was babbling on about, but we had such fun together anyways.
I brainstormed about an idea I got last night for a special activity for school children who come to the Oratory. I hope my boss likes it when I present it to her tomorrow.
So there's a little glimpse into my day. I will try and do this a bit every day and will include a picture when I can :o)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)