Change is in the air

I am thinking about shutting this blog down. Just so you know. I'm tired of writing about the mundane stuff, and it's all pretty mundane! Right now I'm just planning on taking a blogging break (at least a month if not more) to see if I can think about a more creative direction to take this blog. Who knows? Maybe I'll shut this blog down permanently! Ciao for now, readers!

Congratulations Dianne and Family!

I want to send out a huge congratulations today to my good friend Dianne and her family. Dianne has been on a journey to adopt a little girl from Ethiopia. Today Dianne and her husband found out that their court date in Ethiopia was a success! They are now the parents of a beautiful baby girl :-) Congratulations Dianne and Chris! I am so happy for you! I know you are going to be amazing parents and your baby girl is lucky to have you!

Movie Review

I just watched a great movie called "Slumdog Millionaire." It was sublime. I'd heard of it when it first came out, but I didn't think I'd ever watch it just because I knew it wasn't going to be in wide release and I couldn't really be bothered to hunt down a theatre that was playing it. I ended up watching it online (yeah, I feel a little guilty about that actually), so I missed about five minutes of it due to really bad streaming last night. Oh well. Anyway, the movie was very moving and beautifully shot. The story was sweet and very engaging. I'm glad I got to see it!

In other news . . . tomorrow is my last teaching day this year! I booked Friday off (I wanted the whole week off because after five and a half years of only get a one week break at Christmas, I felt like I deserved two weeks off, but I was told I needed to work this week to provide "leadership" as the director had already booked his two week vacation to Mexico. In case you can't read between the lines, I'm a little bitter about this. Oh, and "leadership" pretty much translates to "someone with keys who can open the door in the morning.") and I am so looking forward to my four-day weekend! I don't have plans for this time off yet, but that's okay. It will depend on what the weather's doing, and since I just looked outside and saw that it is snowing lightly, I guess the weather will play a fairly large factor!

St. Patrick's Day

So I just wanted to make sure I wished y'all an early happy St. Patrick's Day. I'm sorry if you wanted to make plans with me to celebrate St. Patrick's Day 2009, but unfortunately, I won't be in town. I'M GOING TO BE IN NEW YORK CITY!!!!!! That's right, New York is now booked! Jennifer and I are leaving on Sunday, March 15th and coming home Sunday, March 22nd.

I am so insanely excited about this trip! First of all, it'll be my first time on a plane in almost 13 years! It'll be my first official, "this isn't a long weekend or short drive across the border" vacation without my parents. Plus, I have been wanting to go to New York forever. Possibly even longer than forever.

We still have to book our entertainment (we want to see "Wicked" and book tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty, etc.), but the hotel and flight has been booked. Stay tuned for further details as they become available!

Damages

Okay, I've become hooked on a new TV show. It's called Damages. It airs on a US channel and Showtime in Canada (I've heard, I don't have Showtime, so I can't say for sure). I downloaded a couple of episodes and got hooked. I think Glenn Close is just totally fabulous in anything, and she does not disappoint in this role! Usually I don't get hooked on dramas like this where you have to watch each episode to follow the story properly, but I just couldn't resist the characters and layers of the story here. I bought the first season on DVD. The second season begins airing in January, and since I can't watch it on tv, I guess I'll just download each episode every week.

Book Review (and two movies too!)

I just finished reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Housseini. It. Was. Fantastic! I read and loved "The Kite Runner" but this was, as the critics said, even better. Interestingly, a couple of days before I started reading the book, I watched the movie "Charlie Wilson's War" which talks about some of the same time periods covered in the book. I enjoyed being able to compare the American and Afghan perspective on the Soviets. And then the Afghan perspective on the Taliban, and 9/11. Totally worth the read, and I would recommend this book highly.

On a similar note, I recently watched two good movies that I would like to recommend (especially as I know my friend Amy values my movie opinions). I typed some reviews of these movies earlier, but there was a glitch and that post never made it online. Anyway . . . the first movie I want to recommend is "The Tale of Despereaux". I hadn't actually heard much about this movie until I saw some commercials for it on tv, so I didn't really know what to expect going into the theatre. It was really cute, and has a good message! I enjoyed hearing Emma Watson's voice in a role other than Hermione Granger (Harry Potter movies). The plot of the movie does meander a bit, but otherwise it was a nice, light, fun show.

The second movie I want to recommend, which I did enjoy more than "The Tale of Despereaux", is "Bolt." I saw this one in 3D (very fun! The 3D effects are much more sophisticated now compared to when I was younger) and the movie left me actually wanting a puppy, even though I'm a total cat person and don't really have a lifestyle that would be fair to a pet. When I got home, I downloaded a couple of songs from the movie. I really liked the humour and message of this movie. For as much as I don't like Miley Cyrus, I liked her character in the movie. And as an added bonus, I now fully recognize the power of styrofoam (you have to see the movie to get it).

I'm hoping to see another movie this weekend, if the weather clears up. There are a few really good shows that I want to check out like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" because I like Brad Pitt, love Cate Blanchett, and the story intrigues me; "The Spirit" (I don't know why, and it would probably be my last choice on the list); "Marley and Me" even though I can't stand Jennifer Aniston, I do find that one scene from the commercials where the dog is "escaping" from the car rather funny; and "Revolutionary Road" because hello! it reunites Jack and Rose (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) after 11 years. I DON'T want to see "Valkyrie" because it really irritates me that Tom Cruise doesn't speak with a German accent! The only reason I would see that movie is for this guy. He intrigues me.

Anyway, it's time to go eat some turkey leftovers!

Merry Christmas

This is my obligatory Merry Christmas (yes, I know it's now Boxing Day) post. I can't really say I had the best Christmas on record. Truly, I find holidays to be quite depressing when you're alone. It was extremely hard and tiring to put on a cheerful face for everyone when they all got to celebrate the way they wanted and I didn't. The magic of Christmas was pretty much taken away this year . . . it's a long story and I don't want to get into it. I think from now on I'll just rely on myself and screw the rest of the world. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't completely terrible. I did get to see some family and I had a nice breakfast of french toast this morning, and a ride all the way home from Burnaby.

I did get some Boxing Day shopping done - I got a new iPod. It wasn't on sale, but hey, it's practically the only gift I got this year, and I had to buy it myself. Future Shop was a zoo, but people were pretty helpful and the check-out line wasn't the worst I've ever stood in. I'm pretty much totally ready for this freaking holiday season to be over. I'm also totally ready for the snow to be gone.

Stuff I've done

I've seen this list on a couple of other blogs (Dianne's and Jennifer's) and thought I'd post it here too :-) If you want to give it a try, copy this list and highlight all the things you've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band - high school - clarinet
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland /world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris - Totally on my list of things to do in my lifetime
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning - Don't care to repeat this particular experience!
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France - One day, hopefully!
20. Slept on an overnight train - This was on a band trip to California
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill - Okay, in all honesty, I've never taken the whole day, but I've gone home early a couple of times when I probably couldn't have stuck out the entire day
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse - Pretty sure I saw one when I was younger
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - This was a Caribbean cruise one Christmas
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person - I think when I go see Paris, I'll include a visit to Italy!
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David - See my comment on #38
41. Sung karaoke - This totally seems like something I should have done by now, but I actually haven't!
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa - This is also something I've always wanted to do!
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - With a patient, not AS a patient
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - See my comment on #38
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - Will definitely do this when I got to Paris!
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - Went snorkeling with my Dad while we were on that Caribbean cruise
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie. - Only if amateur Youtube movies count ;-)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - I've always had the idea in the back of my mind to open a store that sells left-handed items. I would call this store "Left is Right"
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia - I would love to visit Russia one day!
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Guide Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - Got the blood donor card to prove it!
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter - I think this would be a really cool thing to do!
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square - Will totally be doing this in March when Jennifer and I go to New York!!
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - Thankfully, no. But I've busted up my knee and had stitches before!
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - Can't say my memory of this is too clear, but it was during the same trip that I saw Old Faithful at Yellowstone
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible – Only the children's Bible that we had when I was younger
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day – Actually, it's been a while since I've done this one!

New laptop pictures

As requested by my friend Dianne, here are the first pictures of my new baby . . . I mean laptop ;-) It's a Compaq. This is it sitting on my coffee table. It's got a 2GB harddrive (?) and 160MHz. Honestly, I have no idea what I just typed, so if it doesn't make sense, don't laugh too hard. My friend Heather went with me to Future Shop and helped me buy it.











Here's my laptop up and running. I was downloading Picasa, my prefered tool for photo management, at the time.

New Computer!

This is my first blog post from my new laptop! So far, so good. I've been having a few internet issues and am technically using someone else's wireless network right now, but that should be sorted out soon . . . hopefully. I'm having to restore my internet favourites, which is a pain in the butt, but otherwise I'm having fun playing with my machine. I've got to discipline myself right now to actually do some work and NOT play ;-) One thing I'm still trying to adjust to is the smaller keyboard. It took me longer than usual to complete my weekly progress reports because I kept hitting the wrong keys! What usually takes about half an hour actually took me almost an hour, mostly because I kept hitting the caps lock key instead of the shift key! I'm getting better now . . .

My computer is in the middle of a Shakespearean tragedy (or is a comedy?)

My home computer is dying an agonizingly slow and painful death. It's tragic . . . or it would be if it also weren't a little funny at the same time! Okay, okay, in all seriousness, it isn't actually "dying", but just showing signs of its age. It's getting pretty slow, and has this problem where it sponstaneously shuts itself off, usually during the start-up process, or shortly after it starts up. Computer-savvy friends of mine suggest that it's the internal power source dying, or it's really dusty inside and needs to be cleaned. Knowing my computer, it could very well be either! But since fixing those issues won't boost the memory of my computer, I've decided it's time for an upgrade! Last weekend I bought a flash drive so that I could transfer my important files off my computer. I got a little lazy about actually transferring them though. On Wednesday it didn't look like my computer was going to turn on anymore at all, so I was a little frantic. I finally managed to get the computer going after 10 tries, and transferred all my important files. I also backed-up my music purchases from iTunes, so I should be all prepared for my new computer!

I'm going with a friend on Sunday afternoon to look at computers. I've decided that I want a laptop. It'll be an adjustment for sure, but that's okay. I want something more portable than my current desktop computer. I've gotten some advice from my students, and I think I'll probably end up with a Toshiba. We'll see. I'm hoping to get this taken care of on Sunday so that I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the week!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I'm typing this at work. Normally I have a strict "no blogging" at work rule, but had to break it this time since I can't be sure my computer will work reliably over the weekend. So my friends, if I'm quiet over the next few days it's because I'm computer-free, not because I'm ignoring you!

M&Ms

The Dollar Store across the street from my work is my new happy place. It's a Dollar Giant outlet, and it's HUGE! It has aisles upon aisles of just about anything you could ever want - canned goods, toys, office supplies, craft supplies, candy - all for just a dollar each! But by far the best discovery was the one I made last week - the M&Ms. Let me explain . . .

A while back, maybe 6 or so months ago, the movie theatres had a special kind of M&M available with their popcorn combo. They were mint crisp flavour and I LOVED them! Ever since I first tried them at the movies, I have been looking for them in the candy aisles of all the grocery and department stores I've shopped in, to no avail. I finally figured I'd have to get them at the M&M store in New York when Jennifer and I go in the spring. Then last week, I was in my happy place getting poster board. There, next to the cash register, was a display of mint crisp M&Ms. The big bags. A dollar each. I bought one package. They're still delicious. I'm going back next week to get another package. I may even get two. Like I said . . . the dollar store is my new happy place :-)

Halloween Tree

Here is my new Halloween Tree! I bought it today at Michaels. I know it's a bit hard to see, but the tree itself is sparkly purple. I bought a couple of packages of mini ornaments to put on it.











Currently it's sitting on my mantle at home, but I'm thinking about taking it to work for my students to enjoy. They asked me a couple of weeks ago if we could put up a Christmas tree in December. I think having a Halloween tree in the room might be good practice for a future Christmas tree. If this tree lasts in the room without any damage . . .


I have to say, I haven't been shopping at Michaels for a long time and it was fun! There were so many things I wanted . . . a bunch of foam Halloween decorations, pumpkin carving sets, table decorations, and a bunch of Halloween light and sound village pieces. It was hard to say no . . . I did end up buying a couple of haunted house type wood pieces and some paint. I'm going to paint the wood pieces and display them at home.

Meme

Spell your name with some favorite songs.
Alrighty . . . but this is tough!

K - Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer) *This is not one of my favourite songs, but it starts with K*
I - I Will Remember You (Sarah McLachlan)
M - My Grown-Up Christmas List (Kelly Clarkson)

Name: Kim
Birth date: August 8
Nickname: Kim (My full name is Kimberly). Other people have called me "Gim", "Kimmy" (these people don't actually live once they've said the name), "Teacher", etc.
Eye Color: hazel
Hair Color: Depends who you ask. I call it light brown, others call it dark or dirty blonde. One of my students once called it golden.
Zodiac Sign: Leo the Lion
The shoes you wore today: To walk to and from work, my running shoes. While at work, black slides.
Your hobby: Reading. Watching TV or movies. Surfing the 'net.
Your fear(s): Snakes. Moths. Small birds.
Your perfect pizza: Hawaiian
Goal you’d like to achieve: Finish this meme in under an hour!
Your best physical feature: My eyes I guess
Your bedtime? Usually around 11pm
Most missed memory? My dad.

This Or That…
Pepsi or Coke: Coke
McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonald's
Adidas or Nike: Nike, if forced to choose.
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Neither. I'm not a big iced tea fan.
Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla for ice cream and cake. Chocolate for everything else.
Cappuccino or coffee: Coffee. Black, 3 sugars

Do You…
Smoke: No. I never have and I never will!
Curse: Yes. Sometimes a lot, sometimes I go for weeks without uttering a bad word.
Sing: For my own personal enjoyment, yes.
Dance: Not really, though a certain Youtube video might contradict that statement ;-)
Have a crush: Not currently. Well, unless my Hollywood crushes count ;-)
Think you’ve been in love? Yes. I don't want to talk about it.
Want to go to college: Well, I've been once before. I graduated and everything.

Like(d)
high school: Certain parts of it.
Want to get married: Maybe, if the right guy comes along.
Get motion sickness: Not anymore
Think you’re a health freak: Um, no.
Get along with your parents: For the most part.

In the past month…
Gone to the mall: Oh yes!
Eaten Sushi: Nope.
Been on stage: Only if the front of a classroom counts
Gone skating: NO!
Made homemade cookies: No
Stolen anything: No

Ever…
Been beaten up: No
Shoplifted: Um, not that I can recall. But I may have helped myself to the bulk candy at Safeway once or twice when I was younger.
Age you hope to be married: I think I'll finally be ready when I hit 40 or so
Numbers of Children: 0 right now. In the future, who knows?
Describe your Dream Wedding: Family, friends, a guy who loves me, and me in a gorgeous white dress that makes me feel like a princess
What country would you most like to visit? France

In the opposite sex...
Best eye color? Blue
Best hair color? Dark
Short hair or long hair? Short
Height? Taller than me

Number of people I could trust with my life: Um, probably more than I suspect
Number of CDs that I own: Yeah, like I'm actually going to count them all now. I'd guess around 50. I'm not big on buying CDs anymore.
Number of tattoos: Zero
Number of piercings: None. I had my ears pierced, but the holes grew over.
Who were you with yesterday? My coworkers and students and my mom.
What woke you up this morning? Probably the need to pee. I woke up before my alarm rang.
Where are you? Here. Where are you?
Is tomorrow going to be a good day? Well, since tomorrow is Friday, HELL YAH!
Do you like anybody? I like a lot of people.
Ever thrown up in public? Uhhh, not in front of people in public, but in a washroom in a public place, yes.
Passed out because of alcohol? LOL. If you knew me, you'd know why this is funny!
What kind of home would you like? A happy one
What do you want to be when you grow up? Taller. Haha. I already am grown up and I'm doing what I want to do, for now.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I can't see into the future, sorry
Do you like candy necklaces? What kind of random question is that?!
When was the last time you fell over or ran into something? Can't really remember
Do you listen to music every day? I guess so. There's usually music playing in the background of wherever I am
Do you still go trick or treating? No
What was the last thing you ate? A peanut butter cup
Are you a fast typer? In my way.
What's your favorite type of soda? Coke. Didn't I answer that already??
Have you ever moved? Yes, several times.
Have you ever won an award? I don't remember. Probably not.
Are you listening to music right now? No. I'm watching Ugly Betty
How long ’till your birthday? 10 months
When were you the saddest in your whole life? When my dad died back in March
What time is it? 8:50pm
Do you use ebay to buy or sell? Nope
Who makes you mad? Who doesn't? Seriously, there's a particular coworker who pisses me off . . . and sometimes my students make me mad.
Have you ever heard a song written about you? No
Something you want to happen in 2009? Visit New York

Honestly, do you miss 2008? Ask me again in a few months
Honestly, whats on your mind? My next blog post
Honestly, what are you doing right now? Scratching my butt. Haha.
Honestly, have you done something bad today? Truly bad, no. Had a few bad thoughts though.
Honestly, who is the last person you talked to on the phone? Probably my mom
Honestly, what makes you mad most of the time? A certain coworker who's an idiot!
Honestly, do you bite your nails? No
Honestly, do you want to see someone this very moment? No.
Honestly, are you keeping a big secret now? No. Or yes. What defines "big secret?"
Honestly, do you have a friend you don’t actually like? Yes. She's a nice person, but she's a bit irritating. She doesn't read this blog.
Honestly, are you in denial? No
Honestly, do you get up in the middle of the night and eat? No
Honestly, do you like anyone? As I think I typed before, I like a lot of people
Honestly, does anyone like you? Lots of people like me

What do you do when you’re mad? Yell. Be sarcastic. Try to not be mad anymore.
What’s the worst thing you’ve done when you were mad? I pushed my sister once when I was really mad at her
Ever made anyone cry when you were mad? I think so, yes
Do you swear when you’re mad? Yes. How did you guess?
When was the last time you actually cried? I don't remember
Ever cried yourself to sleep? Yes
Do certain songs make you cry? Not really. I have cried during songs before, but usually not because of the song but because of the memories the song triggers.
What usually makes you cry? Memories. Arguments. Really frustrating things.
Are you usually a happy person? Well . . . generally I'm fairly content and satisfied, but I probably don't usually come across that way.
What makes you the happiest? Depends on the day and the time of the month :-)
Do you believe in yourself? Yes.
When people say they think you are good looking/pretty, do you get happy? Um, I don't recall anyone ever calling me good looking or pretty. Sorry, but that's the truth!

I tag anyone who is still reading this!

Movie Recommendation

Yesterday I saw "Burn After Reading", the new Coen Brothers comedy starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of it since I haven't been too crazy about some of their previous movies ("The Ladykillers"), and haven't seen a lot of their hit movies ("Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men"). I was very pleasantly surprised!

The movie has a lot of funny lines. My favourites came at the beginning ("You're mormon! Compared to you, everyone has a drinking problem!") and at the end ("Uh, report back to me . . . whenever it makes sense.")

The performances were stellar, particularly from Brad Pitt! He completely steals the show. Seriously.

This movie probably isn't for everyone, but I left the theatre completely satisfied :-)

If you do not like reading about vomit, you may want to skip this post now!

Yeah, so by the time I went to bed on Thursday night, I knew something was terribly wrong. At 10:30 I ran to the washroom to vomit. I threw up the small dinner of chicken wings and potatoes (leftovers from the night before that I got from Safeway) that I'd eaten a few hours earlier. By 12:30, when I'd been back and forth to the washroom at least 6 times already, I knew I was seriously sick and should probably think about typing up a quick lesson plan for a substitute since I didn't think I'd be making it into work on Friday. After typing up my lesson plan, vomiting yet again, and breaking my toilet flusher (more on that in a minute), I was pretty much praying for a quick death. Seriously.

After about 12:30, the vomiting started to slow down to hourly rather than every 10-15 minutes. I managed to catch about 20 minutes of sleep each time I lay back down (note to self: sleep on the bathroom floor next time, it would be much faster!). By 6:30am I had pretty much given up on the idea of sleep and I called my boss to let him know I wouldn't be in. Fridays are one of my opening days, so it was really important that I let someone know early that I wouldn't be in so that the school could still be opened on time. Then I proceeded to call my mom (she gets up early, so I knew 6:30 in the morning wouldn't be an overly shocking time to get a phone call) to ask her and my stepdad to come over and fix my toilet again and bring me some gingerale and juice. They came just before 9, by which time I had stopped throwing up, THANK GOD!

Yeah, so the continuing saga of my toilet. My mom and stepdad fixed the constant drip, drip, drip, drip, drip a few days ago. I guess after the rest of the toilet innards got fixed, the flusher decided it needed to call attention to itself and chose to do so by breaking, mid-flush. That was totally awesome. Flushing manually after each purge was the icing on the cake of a totally fantastic night. At least it was an easy fix in the morning!!

I've pretty much fully recovered now. The only logical explanation for my illness is food poisoning, but I'm still not sure what the culprit was. Was it the chicken from Safeway? The ham on the Safeway sandwich I ate for dinner? Something not related to food? Anyway, after spending the better part of the weekend resting in bed, I'm feeling better. Still tired, but better.

Things I am grateful for . . .

It's time to post another list of things I'm grateful for. I've been feeling really, really down lately because of a situation at work. It's time to remember all the good things . . .

1. My friends. They rock.
2. My family. They also rock.
3. I survived a hectic summer!
4. I went grocery shopping today and bought strawberries.
5. New fall clothing!
6. New tv season starting . . . which means lots of new shows to watch, and new episodes of old favourites!
7. Laughter
8. Decent weather that's not too hot and not too cold
9. The gigantic birthday balloon that I got on Friday. Seriously, it's huge. It survived the journey home and stands proudly in my dining room. Check out the pictures on my facebook if you want to see it in person.
10. The fact that for the first time ever, I have enough money in my bank account that I don't have to worry about running out of money before my next paycheck.

And now, kind bloggers, it's time for me to eat dinner!

Tropic Thunder

Last night I went with a group of friends to see the movie "Tropic Thunder" starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. It was vulgar, crude, rude . . . and totally hilarious!! After spending the last 2 days sweltering in my apartment, it was nice to get out of the house and into an air-conditioned movie theatre! I was quite surprised at just how many "laugh outloud" moments there were in the movie . . . I was totally expecting something much heavier on action. I particularly liked Robert Downey Jr.'s performance. I thought his accents were great and he set the right tone.

Now it's off to the waterslides to celebrate my brother-in-law's 30th birthday. I think today is going to be a little cooler than the past few days, which will be welcome relief. I'm not sure I'll survive this hot weather much longer . . .

Family Reunion

It was really hard to boil down a whole weekend's worth of pictures into just 4 for this blog (if you are my friend on facebook, you can check out more pictures of the weekend on facebook)! The weekend was fun, though I did discover, or more accurately, confirm, that camping isn't my thing. I'm really not such a fan of having to leave the building to go to the bathroom, and it drives me nuts to sleep in a sleeping bag that shifts and move everything I do . . . Anyway, this first picture is of the two sisters walking together. Keeping in mind that this is my step-mom's family: on the left is my great-aunt Viola (who's 81 years old) and my grandma Evaline (who is 78). They are the only surviving siblings of the family.
Me and my step-mom Barbara. This is one of the few pictures I have of me since I was too busy fiddling with the settings of my camera to have anyone take a picture of me :-)
One of the many duck pictures I took over the weekend. At one point around the lake area there were about 20 ducks congregating. The colouring on some of the ducks was really pretty, so I was trying to get the best pictures I could. This particular picture I was really pleased with, so it's my new desktop background picture here on my computer. Yes, for the time being, a duck has displaced my usual picture of Hugh Laurie!
My five other campers! My grandpa, 85 year old Bob Bixby, was the only male in our group. Needless to say, he had to be very careful to knock on the door each morning before coming into our cabin so that he didn't catch anyone changing their clothes! From left to right: Grandpa, Barbara, Grandma, Viola, and Viola's youngest daughter, Kathy. Believe it or not, Grandma and Grandpa actually spent two nights outside in a tent while the rest of us stayed in a camper's cabin. The rest of us shared the relative comfort of a large room that held a queen-sized bed (which Viola and Kathy shared) and a pull-out couch (which Barbara and I shared) and electricity (which only worked part of the time). Although I didn't necessarily enjoy the whole camping aspect of the trip, I did enjoy seeing family and hearing all the old stories!

New Toy

Out with the old . . . my first digital camera, that is. This was the first camera I purchased for myself (I think it was about 3 years ago). At the time, it was a good camera. It's a Sony Cybershot DSC-P73. I took a lot of good pictures with this camera.

And in with the new! After much consideration and research, I finally settled on the Nikon Coolpix S550. I looked at several different models online and decided that if I was going to upgrade my camera, I may as well go with a "big" upgrade. It has 10 MP and 5X optical zoom. The LCD screen is 2.5 inches, which, compared to my old camera, is HUGE! I was close to getting a Canon camera, but then I took a closer look at the Coolpix by Nikon and decided that it was for me. It was, even without my $100 in gift cards from Future Shop, cheaper that my first camera, which just goes to show you how much prices on cameras have dropped in the past few years. I even got a 4GB high-speed memory card and a camera case to go with it. So far I'm pleased with it (though I've taken fewer than 10 shots so far, so I probably don't have a complete idea of how good/bad it is quite yet).

Well, I'm off to read my manual and discover all the things there are to know about my new toy!