Happy Fat Tuesday!

What is Fat Tuesday?

In my house growing up, we would have pancakes for supper and make our lent sacrifices known. I'm not sure if the Husband will allow Pancakes for supper...(not if he's cooking), but I will make my annual lent announcement.

After a lot of thought. I have decided to give up 2 things.

1. Snack foods from the mall. It's way too easy to grab popcorn or ice cream or candy from any of the retailers. I can grab it and then eat it at my desk.
2. Fancy Caffinated drinks. This includes Starbucks and Timothy's and Tim Hortons, and any other chain or coffee retailer that I might encounter in the next 40 days and 40 nights. Only exception: I am allowing myself tea.

That's right, I'm giving up Starbucks for Lent! I hope that the people who work there will give me a triple shot after Easter for the enormus effort this will take. One year, I gave up Chocolate, and did really well. For a celebration afterward, I was treated to the Saskatoon Inn's chocolate buffet. Nice! And the funny thing is, I didn't want to gorge on the chocolate. I savoured it, I enjoyed it. I didn't eat what I would have before Lent.

I realized that that is part of the sacrifice. You learn to appreciate the items that you use and abuse. So now, instead of looking towards Lent as a time to give something up, I see it as a chance to learn to appreciate something new.

Sorry for my late-ness-ability-ism :-)

Sorry about my lack of posting. I had a lazy weekend and that sloth was slowly turned into a wicked cold. I sat on the couch, and watched about 23 1/2 hours of The O.C. in a row, and used about 4 boxes of Kleenex, and 3 boxes of Dayquill, not to mention the pack and a half of Cherry Halls. I wish you all could have been there! Misery loves company you know...

Anyhoo, back to the real world, where I have to go to work and sneeze on everyone.

About a week ago, at the last Freehouse, Wendy brought me a copy of Beyond Magazine. It's theme was Beauty. What a neat publication! For those of you not familliar with Beyond, it's an ad-free publication that features art, poetry, prose, fiction and non-fiction alike. It's an ecclectic mix of the human experience. For $30 you can subscribe, and I think that I'm asking for a subscription for my birthday!

The Worship Freehouse is having a gathering on Sunday, March 5th (that's my brother's 20th Birthday!) at O'Shay's Irish Pub @ 7PM. Be there, or no scotch for you! To quote Jordon: "You are all invited to join the worship.freehouse on March 5th, 2005 for our first Freehouse Lite. Freehouse Lite has less calories, is Atkins friendly and doesn't have an aftertaste. It is a more social part of the Freehouse and will include film, debate, and we hope some Aerobie this summer. For the first one, it is just social and some good food." Nuff said.

In other news, I have a disgusting ammount of overtime coming up. I so don't want to take this, but I have no choice. The co-worker who had surgery should be back next week, so that will lighten my week, and make me a happier person. Later gators!

Last night, My Hubby watched a phony Documentary called Exposing the Order of the Serpentine. It was on Spike TV, and it claimed to go behind the scenes of a secret fraternal organization that helped men cleanse themselves of the shame of a bad hookup. He knew nothing about it, other than it was too funny to be real, plus he's a guy, and guys like stuff on Spike... (I'm not sure why...)

"In this news expose, the hard hitting journalist Rex Masters investigates the existance and inner workings of The Order of the Serpentine. The Order, a sacred brotherhood dedicated to helping guys move beyond the shame from questionable hook-ups, was founded centuries ago when the Order's creator "shed his shame" for the first time. Masters examines the guilt guys feel as a result of awkward romantic encounters, and shows how and why such shame ultimately drives members to join this society."

The show flashes a website link near the end of the show and you realize that the show has been a huge commercial for a new Axe Body Wash.

Kudos to the marketing department for Axe! Well done! You made a 30 minute comercial, sold comercial spots within it, and you had people linking online before you even aired it! You had my husband, and many other men fooled for some time. Good Job! Here's to creative advertising done properly.

Oh, O.C., I wish I could quit you!

I am a lot sleepy today. I got a free caffine fix this AM from my Lovely Starbucks Baristas because I forgot my wallet, and nearly my whole bag today. I rarely leave the house unprepared, so there has to be a really good explanation. Well, there isn't. I stayed up very late watching Season One of The O.C.

And on a school night! I'm sorry, that was very irresponsible of me.

The O.C. is a dirty little secret of mine. I love, love, love it! This is the Dynasty of my generation. Joshie and his wonderful wife Tif loaned me the season on dvd and I'm going to spend my weekend lost in Newport's scenic landscapes!

Avatars, Australians and Tuesday Troubles...

This is my yahoo avatar. I've had it forever, but somehow, I'm not web-savvy enough to get it to post in my photo spot. I am at a loss as to why. I guess that's just another fun side-effect of having a run-of-the-mill template. Boo-urns! (Bonus points for identifying the episode this phrase came from)

Husbands must stop reading right now...

There has been this good looking Australian (is there another kind??) in the mall today. He has stopped by a few times for information and such, and I have thoroughly enjoyed giving it to him! There are a few perks to my job, 100% dental is one of them, and so are Hot Tourists! :-)

I have come to the conclusion that I am destined to pay full adult admission at the movies. Every time that I try to use the 'Cheap Tuesday' movie rate to my advantage, something goes horribly wrong. Either the movie of choice is sold out, or we are running late and miss a vital chunk of movie, or as happened yesterday, EVERYONE has other things going on except me. There were exams to cram for, papers due, DM visits, store flips and church meetings. If I were a pessamist or believed in conspiracies I would think that people were avoiding me, but I believed all parties involved...this time :-)

In defense of Starbucks

In a post yesterday, Becky mentioned the new Starbucks opening at College and Cumberland. In the comments, some people were quite angry with the company and made derogatory comments towards Starbucks.

I did some homework, and got some real numbers for you (the italic is me, the black is Starbucks).

Purveying quality coffees means much more than selecting the finest beans on the
market. Starbucks strongly believes in the importance of building mutually-beneficial relationships with coffee farmers and coffee communities with which we work. The success of the farmers with whom we do business is a critical component of our own success. We are taking an integrated approach to building relationships with coffee communities. Components of Starbucks integrated approach are:

Premium Prices Paying coffee farmers premium prices to help them make profits and support their families. In 2004, Starbucks paid an average of $1.20/pound. That’s 74% higher than world coffee prices.

Access to Affordable Credit Providing coffee farmers access to affordable credit
through various loan funds so that farmers can invest in their farms and their
success into the future. Starbucks gave $6 million in loan funds in 2004.

Certified and Conservation Coffees Purchasing conservation and certified coffees, including Fair Trade Certified™, shade grown and certified organic, to promote responsible environmental and economic efforts. Starbucks purchased 4.8 million pounds of Fair Trade Coffee in 2004, (Double the amount in 2003) and set a goal of 10 million pounds in 2005.

C.A.F.E. Practices Encouraging participation in Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices (C.A.F.E. Practices), a set of socially responsible coffee buying guidelines, by offering preferential buying status for participants that score the highest on verified reports. In fact, Starbucks purchased 43.5 million pounds of coffee from suppliers in the C.A.F.É. Practices program.

Social Development Programs Starbucks invested $1.8 million in social programs to build schools, health clinics and other projects that benefit coffee-growing communities.

Farmer Support Center Collaborating with farmers through the Farmer Support
Center, located in Costa Rica, to provide technical support and training that
promotes high-quality coffee for the future.

Take a trip to Slate Magazine

Two very interesting articles today that I feel the need to blog about.

First, Tim Hartford, the undercover economist, has I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do: The economic case for polygamy. You see, Russian Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov has ben quoted as saying "Each man who can provide for four wives should do it."

"In a society with equal numbers of men and women, each man with four wives gives women the additional pick of three men—the poor saps whose potential wives decided they'd prefer one-quarter of a billionaire instead. In the Sahel region of Africa, half of all women live in polygynous households. The other half have a good choice of men and a lot more bargaining power. If polygyny combined with women's rights, I bet we'd see more promises to wash the dishes. Not everybody would have to share a husband, but I can think of some who might prefer half of Orlando Bloom to all of Tim Harford—including my wife."

"The reverse is probably true, too: When women are taken from the marriage market, men suffer. In China, the policy of one-child families coupled with selective abortion of girls has produced "surplus" males. Such men are called "bare branches," and China could have 30 million of them by 2020. Perhaps polyandry—women with multiple husbands—would be the logical response to the situation in China. What will happen instead is that these lonely, wifeless men will end up sleeping with a relatively small number of women—prostitutes—with severe risks of sexually transmitted disease all around. "
To read the entire article, Click here

Secondly, there is an article on the best way to spend your charitable donations, Bang for your Buck By Daniel Akst.

"What is the best way to spend $1 to make the world a better place?
This turns out to be a complicated question that naturally raises another: why the best way? Doing some good, after all, is vastly better than doing none, and figuring out the very best target is bound to be as costly and unsatisfying as most maximizing behaviors—especially if you're really dealing with a single dollar, a sum best spent on a cup of coffee for a homeless person."

To read the whole thing, click here

Pets, mountains and Husbands

Last night, I had a very interesting tour with Sparks. We went to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Rubin gave us an inside look at the small and large animal clinics and we got to see dogs, cats, a bird, some horses, a bull, an alpaca and a VERY pregnant pig. She was hilarious. The girls had a good time and were well behaved (for the most part) but got a little loud and excited near the end of the tour.

Tonight will be a very different event. I'm going to the Pacific to see Brokeback Mountain. I was told very emphatically by my Husband that he will not be attending with me, so I am going to go with some friends. (Or at least one I hope!!) Details are still being ironed out.

Speaking of Husbands, mine had his first midterm in a very long time last night. He thinks that he did OK, but he's still nervous. He is very good with numbers, and I know that he's going to become a CMA, no problem. He really has a lack of confidence in his abilities. I wish that he could see his potential, the way I see it in him. On the other hand, he sure is cute when he's nervous :-)

Spirituality vs Religion

I have been in this weird place for a while regarding religion. I was born and raised a Catholic, and thought that I'd probably die one too. For many different reasons, I have come to realize that I have some issues with the philosophies of the church though. Some more than others, but they all have the ability to be deal breakers. Through all of this deliberation, my desire to be close to God and remain spiritual has always been constant. This is why I was excited about the worship freehouse, because it sounded like an open and tolerant environment to grow and expand in my spirituality. A place to find the resolve to face some of these decisions that I need to make.

I had a moment sitting there at the Freehouse last night. I was making a collage that represented my journey to find my image of God and I came across a picture of a little girl who looked like she just didn't give a damn anymore, and a woman in the background, out of focus. The image really struck me and I sat there for a moment thinking that the little girl represented me. I tore the picture out and on the page behind it was the word "Broken". I started to glue these images down and was thinking to myself 'this is almost too big a process... This is collaging, it's not supposed to be so emotional!' and then the next phrase I saw was the words "Baby Steps" I had to laugh out loud.

The collage also has what I affectionately call the "Catholic Corner". There is a picture of Pope JP2, and a photo of a girl who is half obscured by a frosted window. I put the word Forgotten by her because if I am to stay with the Catholic church, then I have to displace or forget about a part of me that disagrees with the church.

I feel like I can't turn my back on the church that gave me a large portion of my Identity. I feel guilty if I go to another church on Sunday. It just doesn't feel RIGHT. I have a sick relationship with Catholicism. We disagree on so many issues and ideals, yet I find a serene comfort in the mass. I go to church and sit for an hour, am able to recite the mass verbatim, (Thank you years of being an alter server), and yet I feel like I'm lying by being there. I'm lying to God, because I don't believe everything that is said, I'm lying to the congregation, because I'm not a part of their community, I'm lying to myself, because going to church with these issues unresolved isn't helping me find the answers I need.

If the Catholic Church were a man, all of my friends would be telling me that he's not worth it. That I could do better and that I deserve more. I deserve someone who understands me, and believes in what I do.

I had an amazing journey last night. I NEVER would have thought that tearing up fashion magazines would have such an emotional impact on me.

Not everyone im my life is as excited for me to attend though. A few people, friends and co-workers, have shown concern, even disdain, towards alternative worship. Travis worries that I will replace church with the Freehouse. He hasn't had a chance to attend yet, and I hope that he reserves his judgment until he meets the people involved in this process. His is the most important opinion to me.

The thing I just don't understand: Why is being spiritual without religion such a touchy subject for people?

Thinking Day Tea

Today was the Saskatoon Area Girl Guides Thinking Day Tea and Bake Sale. It was alright, but I had a terrible headache all morning and most of the afternoon so I didn't enjoy today much at all. Got some sweet muffins though. :-)

I am having a hard time burning a disk right now. For the Freehouse tomorrow night, I've got a list of songs that I've ripped off of disks I already own. Half of them are copying and one in perticular keeps screwing up. I don't get it! I can burn a disk of downloaded music from Kazaa or something, with no problems, but I can't copy songs that I paid for!!! Arrgh!

COMPLETELY UNRELATED: Am I the last person on earth to watch Crash? What a powerful movie. One of the most amazing scenes is the one with the Hispanic family, when the Armenian store owner goes to shoot the locksmith and his daughter jumps into his arms... "It's a really good cloak". Her innocence is so moving. I could blather on and on. I really, Really want to own this film.

Tattoo You

(Not the Rolling Stones version, sorry to cause confusion.)

I have wanted this character as a tattoo for a long time. The story behind it being I love the show and I saw an alter-ego in the character. She's the "Cute, but Ditzy Blonde". The girl that no one suspects can throw a punch. The girl who is kind to flora and fauna, but would kick your butt into next week if she had to. She's who I was and to an extent who I always want to be.

I have mulled this over for nearly 6 years! I finally think that It's time to get this done. Here's my question to all of you. Where have any of you had work done? I am looking for a qualified artist, price really doesn't matter that much. Do you have stories, good and bad about getting a tattoo? What do you think of my choice? I need feedback because Travis is getting tired of hearing about me wanting this darned tattoo! :-)

Let's complain about the weather

I'm joining this thread now... It's F-ing Cold!!!

Travis joked that The Weather Network has the map of Canada marked with red for a 'Killer Windchill' index. There's a touch of red in Alberta, and a touch of red in Manitoba, and then all of Saskatchewan is red. That's funny. I'm laughing to stay warm. :-) Wait, he just told me that it's not a joke...

The only good thing about getting up early in minus 75 degree weather is that when I drove Travis to work today, he bought me a Tim Horton's Hot Chocolate. Yay! I'll drive any of y'all to work if you buy me a THHC!!!

For Miranda:

Miranda emailed me this. I have no "buddies" on my email list. Mostly business contacts or people who hate these kinda of emails, so I thought, What the hey, I'll throw it up on my website, and share the info. I haven't done one of these things in a long long time, so here goes...

1. What color pants are you wearing? Black crappy ones from either Ricki's of Reitmans...They both suck equally.
2. What are you listening to right now? Mall Music
3. What was the last thing you ate? A pumpkin scone from Starbucks.
4. Do you wish on stars? Yes, Every chance I get.
5. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? According to this, I am Tin Man's Johnson Silver
6. How is the weather right now? Snowy and cold. To quote Miranda, "shitty Saskatchewan weather!"
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My Mom!
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, I would do this only for you, Miranda, No one Else!!! (I miss you kid! Hurry up and get back here!!! We need to go for Drinks!!!)
9. How old are you today? 25
10. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper Slurpees
11. Favorite sport? Hockey to watch, Curling to play, football to attempt.
12. What colour is your car? Bright red if it's clean... so usually dirt coloured. :-)
13. There is no 13!
14. Siblings? 4, 2 girls 2 boys and Me made for a busy house.
15. Favorite month? May?
16. Favorite food? Homemade pizza!
17. What was the last movie you saw? Rented Wedding Crashers. I was kinda dissapointed. It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. (40 Year old Virgin was much funnier)
18. Favorite day of the year? June 13th (my birthday!)
19. What do you do to vent anger? Rant on my blog?!?
20. What was your favorite toy as a child? I had a Snoopy Snow Cone Machine. Hey, that's where the Slurpee addiction stems from!!
21. Summer or Winter? Ugh! Summer of course!
22. Hugs or kisses? Both please!
23. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
24. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? Um, sure. Or you can comment on how weird I am, for all to read!
25. Who is most likely to respond? Anyone is fair game.
26. Who is least likely to respond? Same answer.
27. When was the last time you cried? This last weekend.
28. What is under you bed? Dust bunnies and the leaves from the dining room table.
29. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Tara. We started Kindergarten together in Mrs. Wittle's Class, and we still talk after all these years...Somehow! Personally, I think it's because we have lots of dirt on each other!
30. What did you do last night? Cleaned up my house, called my Mom and watched The Hour.
31. What are you afraid of? Monsters in the closet.
32. Plain, buttered or salted popcorn? Salted (Travis makes the best Popcorn), or Kernels Say Cheese Cheese, Please Please!
33. Favorite car? Mine?
34. Favorite flower? Daisy or Rose. (How Cliche)
35. Number of keys on your key ring? 14. Work and home.
36. How many years at your current job? Too Many! :-)
37. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
38. What did you do on your last birthday? I went to Kim's and she had made a cake for me!
30. How many provinces have you lived in? 1 - Saskatchewan Rules!
40 How many cities have you lived in? 1 - Saskatoon, and 1 Town - Assiniboia

OK, your turn!

Last one for the year.

I LOVE THIS! This is what I would be if I were a Valentine. There you go folks. That's it until next year!

Sleepless in Saskatoon

I'm sitting here, waiting for the Daily Show to start, because I am freakishly not tired right now. It was a crazy long day, and I should be tired... But I'm not. Yuck!

I did my wifely duty tonight. No, not what you think. (Pervert! :-) Trav and I have an agreement. We share the cooking, cleaning, trash removal, laundry, etc. He cleans up after the Dog that he wanted, and I clean up after My baby, the cat. Anyhoo, I went after his litter box tonight. Yuck! I think I need to change the cat's food. He is having some funky things happening in that box - EEEW! Nuff Said.

The news is finishing up, so I have to pay attention to Mr. Stewart now. Nite!

Happy V-Day???

I first read about this via a link on Becky's Page, and was all "WTF?" I had never heard of this celebration before. I had a chance to go to The Vagina Monologues a couple of years back in Regina, but I was broke, and I couldn't get there, so I didn't see it. I am super excited to go. I don't know if I can convince my main squeeze to go though. He doesn't seem really excited about it. I guess I'll have to ask some of my Girlie-friends about it.

So a truly wonderful and Happy V-Day to all. Here's something to look forward to: For next year, I'm going to post a list of reasons and ways to celebrate our Vagina's! :-) Happy Reading!

Happy Valentines Day to all fellow Bloggers and Readers! I love ya all!

To Travis

You thank me all the time
But now it’s my turn.
Cause truly a word of gratitude so due
Can’t go unheard.
And it made me feel better
To have you there in my corner.
My eyes cast so low,
My face could not have been
Drawn longer.

I know you’ve been impressed.
You’ve seen me at my best.
But oh, how it hurts
When I can’t hide my worst.
Well thank-you for carrying on
For playing with me and this song.
It made me feel better.
We sat it out like some passing bad weather.

My mind was like kid’s boxing gloves,
The kind blown up with air
That are put away after play,
And get limp just lying there.
But you knew they’d fill up again,
And you gave me your shoulder,
And I got up in the ring
Because I had you there
In my corner.

And I got up in the ring
Because I had you there
In my corner.


The Ring - Sarah Harmer

Travis, thank you for always being there. I love you today and every day. Happy Valentine's Day.

You all know who you are.

If there is someone on your blogroll who makes your world a better place just because that person exists and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence on your blog.

Let it snow!

This poor puppy! He's one of the photos from the CTV webpage of the snowstorm that has hit the east coast.

I wish that we could get that kind of snow here in Saskatchewan. I know we have in the past, but nothing recently.

I remember going toboggoning as a child. There were some really good places to go in Assiniboia (my hometown). We would go out to the Willows Dam and go down the hill onto the ice and back up again. I always hated the climb up the hill but loved the ride down. It was pretty steep, and I'm sure that if I tried it now, I'd break something :-) The other good spot to ride down was the 'hospital Hill'. There was a big hill behind the Hospital that was one of the most dangerous, because there was a fire hydrant right in the middle of the best run. You had to steer carefully, or you'd hit the hydrant and get hurt. Good news, you were already at the hospital, bad news, the nurses would call your Mom, and you'd have to go home.

The kids in NYC had better use this snow properly, or I'm gonna come out there and make them :-)

Since when do churches quote Satan? In a good way?

I'm the first to admit that I really know very little about theology. Or the bible for that matter. I know the stories that we learn in Sunday School, or the passages that I hear in church, but I cannot quote scripture, nor can I hear someone say "oh that's like Bob 3:25" and know what they are talking about. So when I read this and this, I had to go to the source to find out why it was so funny.

5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"
Luke 4:5-8

So basically this church in Limerick, Pennsylvania took a portion of this passage and made it their own. Someone like me, with little bible knowledge, would read this line and think, 'What a beautiful quote from God. "If you worship me it will all be yours"... I want it all, so I should worship him...'

That is one good marketing ploy!

Here's to the Weekend...

...May it begin a fabulous new week, filled with Happy People, Good Friends, and some Wine?? Maybe a little Cheese?

My gal-pal is gone for the next 3 weeks. She's off to have surgery. I hope that everything goes smooth for her. We had a mini-Valentine's Day today and gave each other our gifts. She gave me this lip gloss because she said that it was named after me!

And she emailed this to me b/c of the "fun" I had at work yesterday.



Enjoy your time off, and remember, Ice cream cures all that ails you!

YUCKKY WEEK

Thank you Drew for drawing a cartoon about my last few days at work. I really appreciate how you can get into my head an make me feel better.

I am seriously considering moving to Tuktoyaktuk, NT. Really. I would. Just to get as far away from some people as I can. I don't wanna "Dooce" myself, so that's all I'm gonna say, but... Man, I really need a drink. Send me some love people, I need some love. Travis, you'd better comment on this one... :-)

I've been working on a couple of mixed tapes to cheer myself up, so I may post the playlists here later.

Edit: Oh yeah, and Melinda bit the Dust last night, so I'm down to the Yoga Instructor... Dear Lord, Please make him last a few more weeks!!!

The Worship Freehouse

The next Freehouse is planned for February 19th. This is shaping up to be an interesting series of nights focusing on the Image of God. I have had fun during the planning sessions and I am really eager for the 19th to hurry up and get here! Come out and Join us at the Refinery!

The Worship Freehouse: Imago Dei :: February 19th

To Parents who think they can do a better job: GO AHEAD!

As some of you know, I am a Spark leader. I have been for 5 years. Last night was the first time I have ever wanted to quit.

I have one other girl who is a leader with me. She is a full-time University Student, and she works part-time in a store. She also has the same social and family obligations as anyone else. I work full-time and am involved with many other projects. My time is precious to me, and I would have no problem filling the time I give to Girl Guides with another activity.

I, with the person, plan and execute a weekly meeting for 5 and 6 year-old girls. 13 of them. Their parents drop them off and we are left to ensure that they are stimulated, and entertained for an hour until their parents show back up. Last night, one of the parents, who has NEVER stayed longer than the first 5 minutes, or volunteered to help with ANYTHING, attacked the other Leader in front of everyone, saying that our communication skills sucked. That she had no clue what was going on with our planning and she wanted to know about things NOW!

First of all, we are not in charge of weather, or outdoor venues, or illnesses, so the things that change because of these factors are beyond my control. Second, I send out notices. I deliver them by hand in some instances. I write a newsletter called The Sparkler that details what and where things are going to be.

I invite ANY OF THE PARENTS in my group to do a better job. I welcome the help. I encourage the help. I would LOVE to sit back and critique the job that they would do.

Let's be fair, criticism is a good thing, if it is constructive. Perhaps this parent would prefer a phone call, or an email instead of a letter, that's fine. I can do that, but to shout at us in a public setting is not only rude and uncalled for, it shows what your character truly is.

What a night!

This post is dedicated to the Rowdy Boys and Girls from Regina who made last night so much fun, and to Travis who enjoyed it all too well!

We headed off to the Great Big Sea show at the Tea cup last night (TCU Place) and did it ever rock! What an awesome night! They did two separate sets. The first was songs that are from the new CD, The Hard and The Easy, the second set was older favorites. They even threw in some old school Canadian rock from Harlequin and the Brian Adams standard Summer of 69, saying that "900 million songs start with this chord"

After the show, we decided to check out Lydia's with a couple of friends. There was a neat jazz group playing. After about an hour we headed off to The Black Duck. This is where the Regina crew were introduced to us. They had been at the show earlier that night and were representing. Travis got talking with the bartender and decided to throw his copy of 'Hard and Easy' into the stereo. The pub was a-rocking!

Shortly after we arrived, the Guys from The Arrogant Worms showed up, and so did Alan Doyle from GBS! Travis was in heaven! Alan was kind enough to sign a few autographs... See above.

Travis actually sat and talked with both Alan and Tim from the Worms for a good long while, and he thoroughly ignored me, but in such a situation, this is acceptable behavior. I was told that the only way to top this Christmas gift is to have either band playing in our living room next December.

That's a challenge I'll take :-)

Meet the Chef's

Tonight, Travis and I are going to Meet the Chef's. If you've never been, it's basically Taste of Saskatchewan but indoors. There are probably 30 or more restaurants participating this year. All of the proceeds go to the Friendship Inn here in Saskatoon. The good news is that we have once again sold out so the Friendship Inn will get a great donation again this year!

Since the mall sells the tickets, I get to go on our boss' dime, so that makes the evening even better:-)

The Friendship Inn is a soup kitchen that provides 2 meals daily for the transient, homeless, and less fortunate, 365 days a year. They also provide the Children Not In School Program, Pro Bono Law Clinic, Job Search Help, Public Health Nurses, and they work closely with the Department of Social Services, providing or arranging for counseling, referrals, housing, advances, treatment, furniture grants, medical forms, and clothing. A great cause to support.

Survivor time once again

These two are my survivors in the pool. Aras and Melinda. Does she not look like someone whose perkiness would get her voted off the island???

Here's to hoping I get some new shoes this time around. We all know the agony that was my defeat last time with Judd, the mouthy Jersey Doorman. Sigh, I was this close.

Anyhoo, I bought Aras and Rhonda and I are sharing Melinda... I feel really good about this one. I can sense the office pool coming my way for once!

Puppies used as Drug Mules

Found here at Yahoo news:

NEW YORK - Colombian smugglers turned puppies into drug mules by surgically
implanting them with packets of liquid heroin, authorities said.
Ten puppies, including Labrador retrievers, were rescued during a 2005 raid on a
farm in Colombia, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday, while
announcing more than 30 arrests.
A veterinarian had stitched a total of 3 kilograms of heroin into the bellies of six pups. Three died from infections after the drugs were removed.
The surviving dogs "are still alive and well, we're told," said John P. Gilbride, head of the DEA's New York office.
Colombian police said they adopted three dogs, one of which was being trained to sniff for drugs.

How terrible is this! I have no words to describe the sickness I feel right now after reading this. When I watch the movie Maria Full of Grace, I thought "Well, this is bad, but these women and men make a conscious decision to do these things, and they are aware of the consequences. It sucks, but that's life." these animals are given no choice! Sick and wrong.

In regards to my previous post...

Happy birthday to you and you and you

Birthday wishes are sent out to Kimberly - January 31, Rebekah - February 1, Tara - February 2, and Darren - February 3! You are all older than me! Har :-) (Technically, Darren isn't older than me, But he is more mature by far!)