It's been a lovely long weekend, lots of relaxing, visiting with friends and some family I haven't seen in a long time.
I'm organizing and editing a few photos from the week, so I thought I'd share a few from my pigeon adventure this week...
So Thursday afternoon when I got home from work around 4pm, I heard a noise on the balcony, It was a pretty loud noise and then it sounded like a bird was flapping it's wings pretty fast. I looked out onto the balcony as I was still hearing a ruckus (sp?)
Turns out that a pigeon landed against the wall and must have hurt its wings because it barely moved when I got close to it.
He/She was so stunned, I was worried it was hurt but it didn't look like anything was broken. I took a few photos and talked to it a little to keep it calm since I was pretty up close and personal to it.
It was tagged so I was unsure whether that meant if it was a pet or just part of the city's pigeon population. He/she stayed perched on and under the balcony until late into the night.
When I came home from work on Friday, he/she was no longer there, so hopefully the pigeon is okay..
Sitting on the top of the balcony wall:
A little closer:
Sitting under the balcony wall:
And the beautiful setting sun:
I'm organizing and editing a few photos from the week, so I thought I'd share a few from my pigeon adventure this week...
So Thursday afternoon when I got home from work around 4pm, I heard a noise on the balcony, It was a pretty loud noise and then it sounded like a bird was flapping it's wings pretty fast. I looked out onto the balcony as I was still hearing a ruckus (sp?)
Turns out that a pigeon landed against the wall and must have hurt its wings because it barely moved when I got close to it.
He/She was so stunned, I was worried it was hurt but it didn't look like anything was broken. I took a few photos and talked to it a little to keep it calm since I was pretty up close and personal to it.
It was tagged so I was unsure whether that meant if it was a pet or just part of the city's pigeon population. He/she stayed perched on and under the balcony until late into the night.
When I came home from work on Friday, he/she was no longer there, so hopefully the pigeon is okay..
Sitting on the top of the balcony wall:
A little closer:
Sitting under the balcony wall:
And the beautiful setting sun:
- Location:home
- Mood:
happy - Music:o/` Africa ~ Karl Wolf o/`
Summer is pretty much non-existent in Ottawa this year, most weekends have been wet leaving little time to play in the sunshine... However I have been able to squeeze in a few moments of summer here and there:
( A Little Bit of Summer )
- Location:at home
- Mood: happy
- Music:o/` Hallelujah ~ Alexandra Bruce o/`
Fun Meme taken from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
her_whispers journal:
1: Anyone who looks at this entry should post this meme and their current wallpaper at their LiveJournal.
2: Explain in five sentences why you're using that wallpaper.
3: Don't change your wallpaper before doing this. The point is to see what you had on
My current wall paper is a beautiful photo I took on my trip to Jamaica (May 2009) - it was one of my fav photos I took to remind me of the beautiful places that exist just waiting for me to have the chance to discover them. I've always loved to travel, in fact I've moved around a lot until the last 6 years, but I think I forgot how much I like to go on adventures like this trip... so it reminds me every day to look for the little and big adventures...
her_whispers journal:1: Anyone who looks at this entry should post this meme and their current wallpaper at their LiveJournal.
2: Explain in five sentences why you're using that wallpaper.
3: Don't change your wallpaper before doing this. The point is to see what you had on
My current wall paper is a beautiful photo I took on my trip to Jamaica (May 2009) - it was one of my fav photos I took to remind me of the beautiful places that exist just waiting for me to have the chance to discover them. I've always loved to travel, in fact I've moved around a lot until the last 6 years, but I think I forgot how much I like to go on adventures like this trip... so it reminds me every day to look for the little and big adventures...
- Location:home
- Mood: relaxed
- Music:o/` You're Still The One ~ Shania Twain o/`
Five Happy Thoughts:
Spent a week in Montego Bay in the beginning of May, we left on the 10th of May at 7am from Ottawa and arrived in Montego Bay at 2pm, we returned on Saturday May 16th at 11:30pm - the trip was amazing! We had great weather, went swimming in the ocean every single day; enjoyed lovely Jamaican food like jerk chicken, patties, nesberry fruit. My sister and I arrived in Montego Bay at 2pm on Sunday, it was hot, so very hot when we went through the airport, first customs and then to find our luggage. We finally arrived at the airport entrance and were so happy when we saw the sign that said my sister's first and last name as we had arranged to hire a driver through the recommendations of the apartment complex we were staying at. Our driver drove us to the apartement where we were welcomed by Pauline the lady that runs the apartment complex we stayed at; she was so friendly and helpful. We then unpacked and got ready to explore a bit. We walked down the strip a little to find a place to eat. We settled on a place called the Pelican Grill that was about 2 blocks from where we were staying. We decided to eat here to celebrate Mother's Day for my sister - I had fried chicken and rice & peas while she had curried goat. The food was delicious and the people were friendly.
The next day we went into town with our driver to set up a cell phone for unlimited overseas calls to call back home while we were away. We toured the downtown area of Montego Bay and saw part of the ghetto which was very sad. After setting up the cell phone, our driver took us to the supermarket to buy some food and water, and then he brought us to one of the markets to buy some fresh fruit from a vendor. The fruit lady we bought from was very friendly - we bought yellow bananas, mangoes, and nesberry fruit which was delicious.
We chose to stay in an apartment complex instead of a resort, and I am so glad we did as I don't think we would have seen as much of the local environment had we been in a resort. Across the street from our apartment was the beach and ocean, and a few blocks down the street was the tourist strip full of souvenir shops and resorts along the waterfront.
On the Tuesday we made our way down to Doctor's Cove Beach to enjoy a day of swimming in the ocean and lying in the sun. We rented an umbrella so I wouldn't get too much sun as I am very fair; and a chair for my sister - I was content to use my towel. I enjoyed just watching all the visitors especially children playing in the sand and surf. Swimming in the ocean was so amazing, the water was warm from the sun, and although it was salty, it felt so good on my skin. I spent a lot of time looking for seashells and rocks in the shore for my niece as that is what she wanted us to bring her back.
Wednesday my sister's husband's family came to visit from Mandeyville for the day, it was a very long drive for them but they made the trip. His 3 daughters came with his mother and 2 of his cousins. 2 of his daughters were spending the rest of the week with us, so we were very anxious to meet them and enjoy some time getting to know them. I took so many pictures this day as not only did his family visit but they brought his new granddaughter who is about six months old; she was so precious and I couldn't take enough photos of her.
Thursday was a sightseeing day, we left the apartment at about 10am, headed out to make our way through Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay to spend the day in Dunn's River Falls. Oh my gosh Jamaica is beautiful, I sat up front with our driver while my sister sat with her husband's girls in the back of the van. I kept taking photos, but was mostly drinking my surroundings in as I have never seen anywhere quite as colourful, vibrant and beautiful.. I fell in love with the ocean when I used to visit Nick in Florida going back and forth but nothing could have prepared me for how much I enjoyed Montego Bay and the surrounding cities.
Columbus Park gave me a bit of a sense of the way of life when he discovered the island, as many of the first tools are shown here with explanations of the plants and their uses. The view was spectacular, we had such a great day for our sightseeing. Once we got to Dunn's River Falls, we made our way into the park and down to the falls and the beach that they flowed into. I was a little afraid to go under the falls at first, sure enough the water was freezing and the way the water rushed over you was intense. Yet you move a little further into the water where the falls join the ocean and it was much warmer. I even made my way up the first part of the falls to stand on top giving my sister a mini heart attack. I would have climbed the rest of it with the other tourists but I didn't think my sister could make it up the falls with her issues with her legs (she had swelling problems with them). We spent the day frolicking in the falls and the ocean and eventually made our way back to Montego Bay about 8pm. It rained a little on our journey back, but the sun came out eventually and we saw some rainbows before the sun set for the day.
Friday we went back to Doctor's Cave beach to enjoy another day in the ocean, we stopped at a few shops along the way and mailed some post cards at the post office. We rented chairs and an umbrella as well as snorkeling equipment and enjoyed a quieter day at the beach with the girls. The first time we spent the day there the cruise ship was docked and there were many more tourists than when we went on Friday. Snorkelling was amazing - we could see the bottom of the water clearly and even saw some pretty little fish darting to and fro underneath us.
When Saturday morning came, the girls cousin arrived to take them back to Mandeyville and then we left for the airport to do some last minute shopping, eat and then get on the plane to begin our journey back home. We were both so sad to go, we would have loved to stay longer. Our flights were long, we were late arriving in Toronto but I had left a lot of time between our flights so we still had over an hour for our connection, my sister slept the whole time we were in the air from Toronto to Ottawa, I was so glad to get off the plane and see Sean waiting for me. It was a really nice trip, but it is always so good to come home to the person you love and realize that you missed them so much more than you thought you might. The saying is always true - distance makes the heart grow fonder....
( A few photos from my trip )
- Enjoyed a sunshiney day yesterday
- Got caught up on laundry
- Created a new journal
- Printed some of my Jamaica Photos
- Wrote and sent some postcards out
Spent a week in Montego Bay in the beginning of May, we left on the 10th of May at 7am from Ottawa and arrived in Montego Bay at 2pm, we returned on Saturday May 16th at 11:30pm - the trip was amazing! We had great weather, went swimming in the ocean every single day; enjoyed lovely Jamaican food like jerk chicken, patties, nesberry fruit. My sister and I arrived in Montego Bay at 2pm on Sunday, it was hot, so very hot when we went through the airport, first customs and then to find our luggage. We finally arrived at the airport entrance and were so happy when we saw the sign that said my sister's first and last name as we had arranged to hire a driver through the recommendations of the apartment complex we were staying at. Our driver drove us to the apartement where we were welcomed by Pauline the lady that runs the apartment complex we stayed at; she was so friendly and helpful. We then unpacked and got ready to explore a bit. We walked down the strip a little to find a place to eat. We settled on a place called the Pelican Grill that was about 2 blocks from where we were staying. We decided to eat here to celebrate Mother's Day for my sister - I had fried chicken and rice & peas while she had curried goat. The food was delicious and the people were friendly.
The next day we went into town with our driver to set up a cell phone for unlimited overseas calls to call back home while we were away. We toured the downtown area of Montego Bay and saw part of the ghetto which was very sad. After setting up the cell phone, our driver took us to the supermarket to buy some food and water, and then he brought us to one of the markets to buy some fresh fruit from a vendor. The fruit lady we bought from was very friendly - we bought yellow bananas, mangoes, and nesberry fruit which was delicious.
We chose to stay in an apartment complex instead of a resort, and I am so glad we did as I don't think we would have seen as much of the local environment had we been in a resort. Across the street from our apartment was the beach and ocean, and a few blocks down the street was the tourist strip full of souvenir shops and resorts along the waterfront.
On the Tuesday we made our way down to Doctor's Cove Beach to enjoy a day of swimming in the ocean and lying in the sun. We rented an umbrella so I wouldn't get too much sun as I am very fair; and a chair for my sister - I was content to use my towel. I enjoyed just watching all the visitors especially children playing in the sand and surf. Swimming in the ocean was so amazing, the water was warm from the sun, and although it was salty, it felt so good on my skin. I spent a lot of time looking for seashells and rocks in the shore for my niece as that is what she wanted us to bring her back.
Wednesday my sister's husband's family came to visit from Mandeyville for the day, it was a very long drive for them but they made the trip. His 3 daughters came with his mother and 2 of his cousins. 2 of his daughters were spending the rest of the week with us, so we were very anxious to meet them and enjoy some time getting to know them. I took so many pictures this day as not only did his family visit but they brought his new granddaughter who is about six months old; she was so precious and I couldn't take enough photos of her.
Thursday was a sightseeing day, we left the apartment at about 10am, headed out to make our way through Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay to spend the day in Dunn's River Falls. Oh my gosh Jamaica is beautiful, I sat up front with our driver while my sister sat with her husband's girls in the back of the van. I kept taking photos, but was mostly drinking my surroundings in as I have never seen anywhere quite as colourful, vibrant and beautiful.. I fell in love with the ocean when I used to visit Nick in Florida going back and forth but nothing could have prepared me for how much I enjoyed Montego Bay and the surrounding cities.
Columbus Park gave me a bit of a sense of the way of life when he discovered the island, as many of the first tools are shown here with explanations of the plants and their uses. The view was spectacular, we had such a great day for our sightseeing. Once we got to Dunn's River Falls, we made our way into the park and down to the falls and the beach that they flowed into. I was a little afraid to go under the falls at first, sure enough the water was freezing and the way the water rushed over you was intense. Yet you move a little further into the water where the falls join the ocean and it was much warmer. I even made my way up the first part of the falls to stand on top giving my sister a mini heart attack. I would have climbed the rest of it with the other tourists but I didn't think my sister could make it up the falls with her issues with her legs (she had swelling problems with them). We spent the day frolicking in the falls and the ocean and eventually made our way back to Montego Bay about 8pm. It rained a little on our journey back, but the sun came out eventually and we saw some rainbows before the sun set for the day.
Friday we went back to Doctor's Cave beach to enjoy another day in the ocean, we stopped at a few shops along the way and mailed some post cards at the post office. We rented chairs and an umbrella as well as snorkeling equipment and enjoyed a quieter day at the beach with the girls. The first time we spent the day there the cruise ship was docked and there were many more tourists than when we went on Friday. Snorkelling was amazing - we could see the bottom of the water clearly and even saw some pretty little fish darting to and fro underneath us.
When Saturday morning came, the girls cousin arrived to take them back to Mandeyville and then we left for the airport to do some last minute shopping, eat and then get on the plane to begin our journey back home. We were both so sad to go, we would have loved to stay longer. Our flights were long, we were late arriving in Toronto but I had left a lot of time between our flights so we still had over an hour for our connection, my sister slept the whole time we were in the air from Toronto to Ottawa, I was so glad to get off the plane and see Sean waiting for me. It was a really nice trip, but it is always so good to come home to the person you love and realize that you missed them so much more than you thought you might. The saying is always true - distance makes the heart grow fonder....
( A few photos from my trip )
- Location:home
- Mood: happy
- Music:Putumayo Blend ~ Music from the Coffee Lands CD
A new site I found from the ever-so-inspiring Ali Edwards has a weekly feature called TGIF - a wonderful exercise called Trust Grattitude Inspiration Friday
Today I thought I'd complete the exercise after being very inspired by this author - Brené Brown
1. Who/what are you trusting today?
I'm trusting that karma will work everything out in today's mishap.
2. Who/what are you grateful for today?
Grateful for the sunshine behind the clouds, for enjoying my job but getting out of work a little bit early, and for my upcoming trip to Jamaica in 9 days :)
3. Who/ what is inspiring you today?
Ali Edwards as always. Her twitter post led me to this blog, she always highlights awesome sites, and is just a cool down to earth woman online, and I bet in person too!
My day today was going fine until I was pulled over by an undercover cop in Gatineau, Quebec (where I work) for using my cell phone while driving. While I know this was not so safe and wrong, I was very upset that the cop was rude, and that after more than 10 years of driving with a record of no tickets whatsoever; I did not get a warning but instead a $115 ticket with 3 demerit points (which the back of the ticket says is a guideline).
The fact that I was able to leave work a half hour early was supposed to give me a great start to my weekend, not give me a fine I don't want to spend $ on, unwanted demerit points that take 2 years to pass; and the grumpy mood it put me in for being mad at myself for doing something so stupid in the first place... So I filled out this TGIF exercise and convinced myself that it will still be a great weekend, and perhaps this was just the world shouting at me to slow down and think more about unsafe actions...
Enjoy your Friday wherever you may be dear friends :)
Today I thought I'd complete the exercise after being very inspired by this author - Brené Brown
1. Who/what are you trusting today?
I'm trusting that karma will work everything out in today's mishap.
2. Who/what are you grateful for today?
Grateful for the sunshine behind the clouds, for enjoying my job but getting out of work a little bit early, and for my upcoming trip to Jamaica in 9 days :)
3. Who/ what is inspiring you today?
Ali Edwards as always. Her twitter post led me to this blog, she always highlights awesome sites, and is just a cool down to earth woman online, and I bet in person too!
My day today was going fine until I was pulled over by an undercover cop in Gatineau, Quebec (where I work) for using my cell phone while driving. While I know this was not so safe and wrong, I was very upset that the cop was rude, and that after more than 10 years of driving with a record of no tickets whatsoever; I did not get a warning but instead a $115 ticket with 3 demerit points (which the back of the ticket says is a guideline).
The fact that I was able to leave work a half hour early was supposed to give me a great start to my weekend, not give me a fine I don't want to spend $ on, unwanted demerit points that take 2 years to pass; and the grumpy mood it put me in for being mad at myself for doing something so stupid in the first place... So I filled out this TGIF exercise and convinced myself that it will still be a great weekend, and perhaps this was just the world shouting at me to slow down and think more about unsafe actions...
Enjoy your Friday wherever you may be dear friends :)
- Location:home - safe & sound
- Mood: calmer
- Music:o/` Strong ~ Reamon
Beautiful weather yesterday - although it was a little overcast, the sun was still shining; the breeze was warm and the view was quite spectacular from our 17th floor balcony. I had my laptop with me, perched so I could see the neighbourhood activity; which with the good weather there was quite a bit of.
Saturday night, we drove up to Kingston to help organize Grandma's house some more in order to get it on the market soon. We arrived in Kingston around 7pm and had a lovely dinner at Red Lobster. The food was fantastic, we shared lobster stuffed mushrooms; had caesar salad, and for dinner I ate the yummiest shrimp and scallops in a creamy garlic sauce with asparagus, oh and then we all shared a warm chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was great conversation in a relaxed environment with great service.
And then today we visited Grandma and tidied up the house a bit before returning to Ottawa. So it was a pretty full weeekend full of great moments.
- Location:home
- Mood: cheerful
So today is my birthday, and I thought, could there be a better day to come back to post on LiveJournal ?
I've been away far too long, but life, well sometimes it gets busy... maybe a lil hectic as well... but life, life is good.
Let's see... a few updates:
- August 8, 2008 - I had RNY weight loss surgery - it went very well, I am still so pleased with my decision to become a healthier, livelier me - as of today I am down almost 140 lbs and could possibly lose another 60-70 lbs.
- October 2008 - Sean's grandfather passed away at 91, his grandma also moved into a retirement home and gave up her license the same week he died. This was a hard time for all of us, I was lucky to be part of his family, I just wish I had a chance to know him earlier in life.
- Also in October 2008 - Moved again - I really hate packing.
- December 2008 - February 2009 - OC Transpo bus strike left the city with no bus service, spent many hours stuck in traffic, made for very long days in picking up my sister from work and then fighting the traffic on the way home.
- February 2009 - Trying to get more exercise in to my routine to help tone my body and make me healthier! Trying to get into the habit of using the gym and swimming at least 3 times a week (baby steps... )
- March 2009 - Celebrated my mother's birthday with an outing at the racetrack, first time since Brianna (my niece died on her birthday) left us that she's wanted to enjoy her birthday - was so nice, especially since my sister came too (they haven't been in much contact for almost a year - family drama.
Oooh... and in other news...
Well I'm waiting for my contract at work to be renewed - it should be; but it still makes me nervous to be a term employee with the government. My start date was May 5th, 2008 so I should hear something by end of April - everyone is supposed to be renewed - it just might not be for a full year again. I love my job, the people I work with are great, and even my french language skills are improving. So I will just have to wait and see, but as an Aries, I am not always a patient person..
I'm also counting down the days to May 10th, 2009 - My sister and I are taking a trip... I still cannot believe I'm going as my sister was making plans to go and I jokingly said could I tag along, and the rest is history - I now have a plane ticket, we're staying in a small hotel near the beach and the main strip and I couldn't be more excited! Okay, okay - we're going to Jamaica!!! My sister's husband is from there so we should be seeing some of his family as well, we were going to go for 4 days but I found the same price for the tickets for 7 so we leave early Sunday morning and leave late Saturday afternoon. I cannot express how much I am looking forward to this trip!
Alright, so I hope to post a bit more frequently, my how I've missed my LJ friends, so thank you for being so patient with me... I pray all is well with you, and that like me, you are enjoying every moment that life has to offer :)
much love!
- Location:home
- Mood: happy
- Music:Magnificent ~ U2
I don't have time for a real update right now, but hopefully soon... work is busy, but I love it... trying to respond to friends entries, but I never completely catch up... oye... hope everyone is well :)
- Mood: happy
"Dance like no one is watching,
Sing like no one is listening,
Love like you've never been hurt,
and live like it's heaven on Earth."
~ Mark Twain
These words inspire me :)
Sing like no one is listening,
Love like you've never been hurt,
and live like it's heaven on Earth."
~ Mark Twain
These words inspire me :)
- Location:home
- Mood: cheerful
- Music:o/` Bubbly ~ Colbie Callat o/`
Day 3 today at the new job, training is going well, except for the fact that my username and password didn't work, seems they expected me to remember what it was when I was a temporary employee at the other building back in October... uhmmm yeah, nothing I tried work so they had to reset it and we'll see if it is ready today... we're in a group of about 14, so it is much better than the 60 people we were in October.
Commuting to Quebec is about 45 minutes each way, so I've been getting home about 12:15am each night which is better than I thought as there is barely any traffic on the way home. The weather has been fairly warm the last few days so I haven't really minded the driving. I was offered the day shift as currently I am on a 3:30pm to 11:30pm evening shift, but there are a few reasons why I decided to stay on the evening shift...
I would have to wake up at 5:30am and leave by 6am to make it to work for 7am to avoid morning traffic and although I would be done by 3pm which is very attractive, I would be coming back to Ottawa in rush hour traffic by the time I was over the bridge. And then there is a parking issue for people who are on the day shift, there are not enough spaces and even though you would pay for parking, you are not guaranteed a spot and might have to park on the street. The evening shift doesn't pay for parking and so far I haven't had an issue finding a spot. It is also easier for me to squeeze in doctor, dentist and any other appointments earlier in the day if I need to which is very difficult to do without taking time off on the day shift... As well the evening shift gets paid a few more dollars an hour, more money in my pocket makes me happy after not having a great wage since last June, it will be nice to be able to get ahead and perhaps save for a newer vehicle among other things. So as attractive as it would be not to work the late shift, I decided to decline moving to the day shift after training.
Last week, I spent Wednesday to Friday at my mom's house; it was so nice to spend a bit of time with her and since she will be away for Mother's Day, I am glad I went. We have the same physician, so we went to our appointment together on Thursday, it is an hour and a half away from where we are, but my mother has had him for years and he took me on when I could not find a doctor here in the city. He has helped me get the ball rolling for my weight loss surgery journey, and appreciate all he does in trying to help me get to better health. On Thursday, I asked him to fill out my forms to go out of country for surgery, my mom helped me write a letter to go with the application and I am very happy with it. I was so nervous as it was a huge form to fill out, 2 sides and everything had to be in his handwriting... I felt so relieved once our appointment was done that now I have to just send it in to OHIP and hope for the best before I go to my consult in Utica, New York in June. I am beginning to believe that this will happen, that it is within my grasp and perhaps I will take the next steps sooner rather than later.
Sunday, we went to Kingston to visit Sean's grandparents to celebrate his granddad's birthday earlier in the week. His aunt was here visiting from the US so it was really nice to see her too. His whole family is very nice to me, I feel lucky to have an extended family through Sean that is so kind and thoughtful, and also very supportive of my wls journey. Sean's mom is hoping my journey will help Sean be a little more healthy in life as well. She is awesome, I am so fortunate to have her in my life - I've always heard that mother-in-laws can be crazy and hard to deal with, but she is neither and I don't think she would ever be like that even once we do get married one day in the future. As always, we had a lovely time. We even helped out by staying with Sean's granddad while his grandma was taken to an early Mother's day lunch with her two daughters. His grandma takes care of her husband and they still live in their own home on their own, so it was nice for her to not have to worry about him being alone while they were out.
Then Monday, not only was it my first day of work, but i also had an early morning appointment at the weight management clinic here in the city, it was a follow up to find out more about my trip to meet the surgeon in Toronto and the next steps to take if I am having surgery in Toronto. This was the first appointment with him where I was not a basket case of nerves, and I felt good about the appointment as we discussed my case, my hopes and my fears. He seemed happy for me that I was on my way, and I was happy to hear when he affirmed my decisions and said he thought I was making the right choice for my health and my life.
I was going to hang out downtown and perhaps do some shopping between the appointment and heading to work; but of course I managed to spill my Timmy's coffee on myself and had to come all the way back home to change.
So as always, its been busy... but I'm looking forward to the weekend and hoping it will be nice weather, although I think they are calling for some rain...
Commuting to Quebec is about 45 minutes each way, so I've been getting home about 12:15am each night which is better than I thought as there is barely any traffic on the way home. The weather has been fairly warm the last few days so I haven't really minded the driving. I was offered the day shift as currently I am on a 3:30pm to 11:30pm evening shift, but there are a few reasons why I decided to stay on the evening shift...
I would have to wake up at 5:30am and leave by 6am to make it to work for 7am to avoid morning traffic and although I would be done by 3pm which is very attractive, I would be coming back to Ottawa in rush hour traffic by the time I was over the bridge. And then there is a parking issue for people who are on the day shift, there are not enough spaces and even though you would pay for parking, you are not guaranteed a spot and might have to park on the street. The evening shift doesn't pay for parking and so far I haven't had an issue finding a spot. It is also easier for me to squeeze in doctor, dentist and any other appointments earlier in the day if I need to which is very difficult to do without taking time off on the day shift... As well the evening shift gets paid a few more dollars an hour, more money in my pocket makes me happy after not having a great wage since last June, it will be nice to be able to get ahead and perhaps save for a newer vehicle among other things. So as attractive as it would be not to work the late shift, I decided to decline moving to the day shift after training.
Last week, I spent Wednesday to Friday at my mom's house; it was so nice to spend a bit of time with her and since she will be away for Mother's Day, I am glad I went. We have the same physician, so we went to our appointment together on Thursday, it is an hour and a half away from where we are, but my mother has had him for years and he took me on when I could not find a doctor here in the city. He has helped me get the ball rolling for my weight loss surgery journey, and appreciate all he does in trying to help me get to better health. On Thursday, I asked him to fill out my forms to go out of country for surgery, my mom helped me write a letter to go with the application and I am very happy with it. I was so nervous as it was a huge form to fill out, 2 sides and everything had to be in his handwriting... I felt so relieved once our appointment was done that now I have to just send it in to OHIP and hope for the best before I go to my consult in Utica, New York in June. I am beginning to believe that this will happen, that it is within my grasp and perhaps I will take the next steps sooner rather than later.
Sunday, we went to Kingston to visit Sean's grandparents to celebrate his granddad's birthday earlier in the week. His aunt was here visiting from the US so it was really nice to see her too. His whole family is very nice to me, I feel lucky to have an extended family through Sean that is so kind and thoughtful, and also very supportive of my wls journey. Sean's mom is hoping my journey will help Sean be a little more healthy in life as well. She is awesome, I am so fortunate to have her in my life - I've always heard that mother-in-laws can be crazy and hard to deal with, but she is neither and I don't think she would ever be like that even once we do get married one day in the future. As always, we had a lovely time. We even helped out by staying with Sean's granddad while his grandma was taken to an early Mother's day lunch with her two daughters. His grandma takes care of her husband and they still live in their own home on their own, so it was nice for her to not have to worry about him being alone while they were out.
Then Monday, not only was it my first day of work, but i also had an early morning appointment at the weight management clinic here in the city, it was a follow up to find out more about my trip to meet the surgeon in Toronto and the next steps to take if I am having surgery in Toronto. This was the first appointment with him where I was not a basket case of nerves, and I felt good about the appointment as we discussed my case, my hopes and my fears. He seemed happy for me that I was on my way, and I was happy to hear when he affirmed my decisions and said he thought I was making the right choice for my health and my life.
I was going to hang out downtown and perhaps do some shopping between the appointment and heading to work; but of course I managed to spill my Timmy's coffee on myself and had to come all the way back home to change.
So as always, its been busy... but I'm looking forward to the weekend and hoping it will be nice weather, although I think they are calling for some rain...
- Location:home
- Mood:
busy - Music:o/` No One ~ Alicia Keys o/`
Woke up at 6am on a Saturday morning when I didn't have to be up before 11am... I usually stay up late Friday and sleep in Saturdays but not today... I think it's because I napped yesterday afternoon around 4pm and didn't get back up until about 7:30pm... I was not feeling well when I went to lay down - I thought maybe it was my allergies acting up with all the nice weather we've been having, but then realized that both my nephew and niece have had the sniffles for a few days and since I've been off work waiting for my new contract to begin, I've been spending a lot of time with them in helping out... so today I've woken up very stuffed up and barely being able to breathe...
I blame the sunny summer type weather we've been having for the last two weeks since Ottawa decided to finally merge into Spring, but so quickly that it seems like it went past Spring and arrived with Summer sunshine and warm temperatures... I sometimes get sick with the weather change but it had seemed like I had escaped it this time... I believe in getting wound up for my trip up to Toronto and the quick turnaround we did so that Sean didn't use more than 1 vacation day and because my mom was leaving for a Dog show on the Wednesday that it left me overtired when we arrived home late Monday night which probably left me susceptible to the cold that the children have been trying to kick...
I'll have to nip it in the butt quickly as I have plans to go with Sean to visit his family in Kingston next weeked for his grandfather's 92nd birthday and we both missed seeing them at Easter because we were very ill so I must get rid of this or again I will feel disappointed and frustrated as we don't like to bring any germs to their house since his grandparents are both older and have enough worries without his granddad getting a cold that could turn into pneumonia for him...
So hopefully I'll feel better soon...
I blame the sunny summer type weather we've been having for the last two weeks since Ottawa decided to finally merge into Spring, but so quickly that it seems like it went past Spring and arrived with Summer sunshine and warm temperatures... I sometimes get sick with the weather change but it had seemed like I had escaped it this time... I believe in getting wound up for my trip up to Toronto and the quick turnaround we did so that Sean didn't use more than 1 vacation day and because my mom was leaving for a Dog show on the Wednesday that it left me overtired when we arrived home late Monday night which probably left me susceptible to the cold that the children have been trying to kick...
I'll have to nip it in the butt quickly as I have plans to go with Sean to visit his family in Kingston next weeked for his grandfather's 92nd birthday and we both missed seeing them at Easter because we were very ill so I must get rid of this or again I will feel disappointed and frustrated as we don't like to bring any germs to their house since his grandparents are both older and have enough worries without his granddad getting a cold that could turn into pneumonia for him...
So hopefully I'll feel better soon...
- Location:home
- Mood:
groggy - Music:Sean's snoring ;)
I have always been an Ellen Pompeo fan, and in my teens, my heart fluttered over Patrick Dempsey, so when this show started I just knew I had to watch... and I've loved Grey's Anatomy from the beginning. It has stories that tear at your emotions, and a cast that is human and believable even with the twists and turns the writers take them through...
I am just so glad the series came back with a new episode. I can't wait to see where the writers are taking Meredith and Derek after the dark and twisty moments of late.
I am just so glad the series came back with a new episode. I can't wait to see where the writers are taking Meredith and Derek after the dark and twisty moments of late.
- Location:home
- Mood: good
- Music:End of the hockey game
So on Sunday April 20th, Sean and I started out at 7:15 am to meet at my mom's house to be on our way to Toronto by 8:00 am. I am lucky enough to have family that lives in Burlington, Ontario - so we were going to stay with them overnight to go to my first weight loss consultation with Dr. Hagen of the MIS Clinic to decide if I want to pursue gastric bypass surgery.
We had beautiful weather to travel down with, we had a pit stop to make in Vaughn to meet up with my other uncle and then made our way to Burlington to arrive at about 3pm after all our pit stops and avoiding the 401 as much as possible as my mother does not like to drive through Toronto.
I enjoyed spending a lovely day with family I hadn't seen in awhile. My aunt and uncle invited my cousin and her family over to see us, my mom hadn't seen any of them in 11 years and it had been 6 years since I had seen them since it is quite a drive and we all have busy lives; but it was almost as no time had passed in catching up and enjoying the day together. We sat out on the patio, and talked about all sorts of things; they asked lots of questions about the surgery - and I was happy to explain and discuss my research and thoughts with them as they are nothing but supportive and understanding that I want to be healthier and take steps to lengthen my life.
My mom knew I was nervous, both her and Sean had to keep telling me not to worry too much. We had time to get up early and again enjoy the sunshine on the patio before getting ready to head towards North York and my appointment which was at 2:30pm. I had some breakfast, but was really a bundle of nerves - what if I didn't feel comfortable with Dr. Hagen when I finally met him after waiting since October, what if he didn't think I was a good candidate, what if the wait was too long, what if I forgot all the questions I had, oh my...
We arrived way too early, as we were unsure where we were going, did not want to get stuck in Toronto traffic and so we had time to grab some coffee and then do some shopping. We parked at about 1:20pm where my mom finally put it this way - that I am interviewing Dr. Hagen to see if I felt confident in his ability and manner to work with him to be my surgeon as I also still had my consultation scheduled in Utica in case I decide I want to do the surgery sooner. We went upstairs to the clinic at about 1:40 pm... I registered with Dr. Hagen's office assistant and we waited on the seats in the hallway because the waiting room was completely full. I was sort of glad too as all the seats were small leather armchairs and I was not sure I'd ever be able to get out of them if I actually made my way down into one...
There were a few patients before me, and I kept getting more queasy and could hardly sit still... when some seats opened up closer to my appointment, Sean sat in the clinic to be able to hear Dr. Hagen call my name when it was my turn. About 2:25pm, I heard that the Dr. was running behind, so I didn't get called until about 3:00pm... He shook our hands, I was glad he seemed okay that I brought both my mom and partner, as I wanted their moral support and I really wanted them to have any questions answered that they might have in worrying about my decision to have surgery.
He was very professional, very open and informed me of my options, the risks, and explained surgery to all of us. I had made notes in my agenda of questions and tried to take more notes, but my hand was shaking, I was still so nervous... He asked of my co-morbidities, then asked to weigh me... I knew this would happen and had worried that although I had made some changes since I had last been weighed that I gained weight and had not lost any... well to my surprise the scale did not hate me and I had lost 14 lbs since August. This may not be a lot to some, but for me, it was the news I needed for my nerves to settle down a bit. I still have to lose weight before surgery to make my liver shrink and make surgery easier. He took my height to figure out my bmi, it was a little lower because of the weight loss - but still very high.
My mom asked questions about the death rate among his patients and how many surgeries so I would know as they were my questions but I had already asked sooo many myself, she asked them. He said he had one patient who had passed away of infection within 30 days and one who passed away later, but he was very open and seemed honest in discussing why and how many surgeries they had performed and how many more they would perform by the time I would be scheduled within the next 6 to 8 months. He was very sympathetic when my mom brought up Lucie's death, and again advised that every one who has surgery has a risk, but the risk of not having the surgery at my weight carries just as many risks.
He answered all my questions, made me feel comfortable and I decided to go ahead and take the next step which is being put on their wait list for surgery and to complete the appointments with the nutritionist/dietician and social worker at the hospital, then blood work and the pre-op diet before surgery. I have to book these appointments myself and with my new job I am unsure of how soon I will be able to return to Toronto, but since I am from out of town, Dr. Hagen's office assistant suggested I advise them and try to get everything booked on the same day to make it easier.
He gave me the information to book the appointments and I felt that although the consultation was not too long, probably about a half hour at most, that I came away feeling much better about my choices then before I arrived. I had heard through the Obesity Health website and in speaking to a few others that he was abrupt, that the appointment was short and that their surgery wait time would be much longer than going to the US, so I was glad to get all of the information to make my decision.
We left Toronto about 4pm, and after dropping my mom off - Sean and I got home here to Ottawa at 10pm. I was exhausted, partly from how wound up I let my anxieties get me, partly as I am very fair and the sunshine might have been a bit much, and it was a long trip... I still have my consult in Utica, New York in June and I know I will be less nervous as I know a bit more and I have an option already, I just am not sure I want to wait 6-8 months here when I could possibly start the journey within a shorter timeframe if OHIP will approve for me to go out of country where the wait can be only 6 to 8 weeks if all went well.
I do feel so blessed to have the support of my family and people who are willing to help me in my journey. Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming, but I know I am doing what I need to to give myself a chance at a healthier me and a longer, happier lifespan.
We had beautiful weather to travel down with, we had a pit stop to make in Vaughn to meet up with my other uncle and then made our way to Burlington to arrive at about 3pm after all our pit stops and avoiding the 401 as much as possible as my mother does not like to drive through Toronto.
I enjoyed spending a lovely day with family I hadn't seen in awhile. My aunt and uncle invited my cousin and her family over to see us, my mom hadn't seen any of them in 11 years and it had been 6 years since I had seen them since it is quite a drive and we all have busy lives; but it was almost as no time had passed in catching up and enjoying the day together. We sat out on the patio, and talked about all sorts of things; they asked lots of questions about the surgery - and I was happy to explain and discuss my research and thoughts with them as they are nothing but supportive and understanding that I want to be healthier and take steps to lengthen my life.
My mom knew I was nervous, both her and Sean had to keep telling me not to worry too much. We had time to get up early and again enjoy the sunshine on the patio before getting ready to head towards North York and my appointment which was at 2:30pm. I had some breakfast, but was really a bundle of nerves - what if I didn't feel comfortable with Dr. Hagen when I finally met him after waiting since October, what if he didn't think I was a good candidate, what if the wait was too long, what if I forgot all the questions I had, oh my...
We arrived way too early, as we were unsure where we were going, did not want to get stuck in Toronto traffic and so we had time to grab some coffee and then do some shopping. We parked at about 1:20pm where my mom finally put it this way - that I am interviewing Dr. Hagen to see if I felt confident in his ability and manner to work with him to be my surgeon as I also still had my consultation scheduled in Utica in case I decide I want to do the surgery sooner. We went upstairs to the clinic at about 1:40 pm... I registered with Dr. Hagen's office assistant and we waited on the seats in the hallway because the waiting room was completely full. I was sort of glad too as all the seats were small leather armchairs and I was not sure I'd ever be able to get out of them if I actually made my way down into one...
There were a few patients before me, and I kept getting more queasy and could hardly sit still... when some seats opened up closer to my appointment, Sean sat in the clinic to be able to hear Dr. Hagen call my name when it was my turn. About 2:25pm, I heard that the Dr. was running behind, so I didn't get called until about 3:00pm... He shook our hands, I was glad he seemed okay that I brought both my mom and partner, as I wanted their moral support and I really wanted them to have any questions answered that they might have in worrying about my decision to have surgery.
He was very professional, very open and informed me of my options, the risks, and explained surgery to all of us. I had made notes in my agenda of questions and tried to take more notes, but my hand was shaking, I was still so nervous... He asked of my co-morbidities, then asked to weigh me... I knew this would happen and had worried that although I had made some changes since I had last been weighed that I gained weight and had not lost any... well to my surprise the scale did not hate me and I had lost 14 lbs since August. This may not be a lot to some, but for me, it was the news I needed for my nerves to settle down a bit. I still have to lose weight before surgery to make my liver shrink and make surgery easier. He took my height to figure out my bmi, it was a little lower because of the weight loss - but still very high.
My mom asked questions about the death rate among his patients and how many surgeries so I would know as they were my questions but I had already asked sooo many myself, she asked them. He said he had one patient who had passed away of infection within 30 days and one who passed away later, but he was very open and seemed honest in discussing why and how many surgeries they had performed and how many more they would perform by the time I would be scheduled within the next 6 to 8 months. He was very sympathetic when my mom brought up Lucie's death, and again advised that every one who has surgery has a risk, but the risk of not having the surgery at my weight carries just as many risks.
He answered all my questions, made me feel comfortable and I decided to go ahead and take the next step which is being put on their wait list for surgery and to complete the appointments with the nutritionist/dietician and social worker at the hospital, then blood work and the pre-op diet before surgery. I have to book these appointments myself and with my new job I am unsure of how soon I will be able to return to Toronto, but since I am from out of town, Dr. Hagen's office assistant suggested I advise them and try to get everything booked on the same day to make it easier.
He gave me the information to book the appointments and I felt that although the consultation was not too long, probably about a half hour at most, that I came away feeling much better about my choices then before I arrived. I had heard through the Obesity Health website and in speaking to a few others that he was abrupt, that the appointment was short and that their surgery wait time would be much longer than going to the US, so I was glad to get all of the information to make my decision.
We left Toronto about 4pm, and after dropping my mom off - Sean and I got home here to Ottawa at 10pm. I was exhausted, partly from how wound up I let my anxieties get me, partly as I am very fair and the sunshine might have been a bit much, and it was a long trip... I still have my consult in Utica, New York in June and I know I will be less nervous as I know a bit more and I have an option already, I just am not sure I want to wait 6-8 months here when I could possibly start the journey within a shorter timeframe if OHIP will approve for me to go out of country where the wait can be only 6 to 8 weeks if all went well.
I do feel so blessed to have the support of my family and people who are willing to help me in my journey. Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming, but I know I am doing what I need to to give myself a chance at a healthier me and a longer, happier lifespan.
- Location:home
- Mood: excited
- Music:o/` Bleeding Love ~ Leona Lewis o/`
Been getting up early lately... I don't mind, but sometimes it makes for a long day...
Today I am planning to try an Aqua lite aquafitness class at the rec centre that is closest to us - about 10 minutes away. In the past we've gone to the only morning class on Sundays at another facility closer to downtown, but I want to check out this one as it is closer to home. I also think I could fit in a class a few times a week in the morning once my contract starts. I'm a little nervous as I get anxious in doing new things but I will see how this goes. Might seem silly to some, but I just get nervous when I try something new.
So I went to my emissions appointment on Monday, got there a little early and since I didn't think they would take me earlier than my appointment I parked in the Pet Smart lot across the street to enjoy some sunshine before the appointment at 1pm. Well I went to start the van up again at 12:40pm, and of course, Murphy's law; it wouldn't start... I freaked out as I thought it would be so silly if I had to have it towed across to the dealership where Sean bought his car - it is not a Ford dealership, so I doubt they would have been able to do much either... so I called Sean, got upset, and he was going to call them to see if maybe they could come look at it... a few minutes later, I checked to see if perhaps I hadn't moved the gear shift all the way over before turning it off, or if the radio would come on since it might be the battery... so sure enough about five minutes later I was able to get it to start and drive over...
I parked, turned it off and turned it back on again to check.... no problems... so I called Sean back to apologize for freaking out - he was on lunch with his co-workers - good thing he works with people he's known most of his life... They took the van in pretty much right away, and instead of the 30 - 45 minutes they said the emissions would take, it was about 20 minutes... Of course, the mechanic thought it was funny to joke about getting bad news - I was petrified it wouldn't pass since it is so old although it is mostly in good shape - so the lady I had to pay for the test was frustrated about having to give me bad news until she looked at the form and noticed it passed - YAY! From there, I drove to the license bureau to renew my license plate as it was due this week. I could not believe how busy the office was for the middle of the day, as the line was out the door. Well I'm glad it is all taken care of for a year, and hope I don't need an emissions test again next year... I'm hoping eventually I will be able to afford a newer vehicle, as this one was a hand me down from my parents and quite old although working well most days.
I was able to enjoy the rest of the day, the weather was crisp and sunny - just chilly in the shade. It was nice to have the window down, the radio playing and some time to myself. I got back in time to watch mr. Z while his sister was picked up at the bus stop from school, but with the nice weather, his dad had taken him outside to enjoy the fresh air too.
Watched American Idol last night, I really like David Cook, Carly Smithson and Sayesha Mercado... can't wait for Kristy Lee Cook to get voted off although she wasn't quite terrible in last night's performance, so perhaps she will escape the cut again. I was a great fan of the musical guest, Mariah Carey, in the 90s and remembered how much I enjoyed her earlier songs as some of them were sung by the contestants last night... brought back some memories of good times... I will give her new single a listen and hope it is more like her older music which I enjoy a lot more then her later stuff... I am guessing she will perform the new song tonight as her new album was released yesterday.
Okay, well I'm off to enjoy the day :)
Today I am planning to try an Aqua lite aquafitness class at the rec centre that is closest to us - about 10 minutes away. In the past we've gone to the only morning class on Sundays at another facility closer to downtown, but I want to check out this one as it is closer to home. I also think I could fit in a class a few times a week in the morning once my contract starts. I'm a little nervous as I get anxious in doing new things but I will see how this goes. Might seem silly to some, but I just get nervous when I try something new.
So I went to my emissions appointment on Monday, got there a little early and since I didn't think they would take me earlier than my appointment I parked in the Pet Smart lot across the street to enjoy some sunshine before the appointment at 1pm. Well I went to start the van up again at 12:40pm, and of course, Murphy's law; it wouldn't start... I freaked out as I thought it would be so silly if I had to have it towed across to the dealership where Sean bought his car - it is not a Ford dealership, so I doubt they would have been able to do much either... so I called Sean, got upset, and he was going to call them to see if maybe they could come look at it... a few minutes later, I checked to see if perhaps I hadn't moved the gear shift all the way over before turning it off, or if the radio would come on since it might be the battery... so sure enough about five minutes later I was able to get it to start and drive over...
I parked, turned it off and turned it back on again to check.... no problems... so I called Sean back to apologize for freaking out - he was on lunch with his co-workers - good thing he works with people he's known most of his life... They took the van in pretty much right away, and instead of the 30 - 45 minutes they said the emissions would take, it was about 20 minutes... Of course, the mechanic thought it was funny to joke about getting bad news - I was petrified it wouldn't pass since it is so old although it is mostly in good shape - so the lady I had to pay for the test was frustrated about having to give me bad news until she looked at the form and noticed it passed - YAY! From there, I drove to the license bureau to renew my license plate as it was due this week. I could not believe how busy the office was for the middle of the day, as the line was out the door. Well I'm glad it is all taken care of for a year, and hope I don't need an emissions test again next year... I'm hoping eventually I will be able to afford a newer vehicle, as this one was a hand me down from my parents and quite old although working well most days.
I was able to enjoy the rest of the day, the weather was crisp and sunny - just chilly in the shade. It was nice to have the window down, the radio playing and some time to myself. I got back in time to watch mr. Z while his sister was picked up at the bus stop from school, but with the nice weather, his dad had taken him outside to enjoy the fresh air too.
Watched American Idol last night, I really like David Cook, Carly Smithson and Sayesha Mercado... can't wait for Kristy Lee Cook to get voted off although she wasn't quite terrible in last night's performance, so perhaps she will escape the cut again. I was a great fan of the musical guest, Mariah Carey, in the 90s and remembered how much I enjoyed her earlier songs as some of them were sung by the contestants last night... brought back some memories of good times... I will give her new single a listen and hope it is more like her older music which I enjoy a lot more then her later stuff... I am guessing she will perform the new song tonight as her new album was released yesterday.
Okay, well I'm off to enjoy the day :)
- Location:home
- Mood: cheerful
- Music:o/` We Own The Sky ~ M83 o/`
So lately my time has been spent job searching, following up with the employment agency I have worked for since October as they have many clients, helping with my nephew when his sister, my niece, goes to school every day and sorting out the doctor appointments needed to pursue my wls surgery journey.
In trying to take care of my health, I had an appointment with my sister's gynecologist; he was not taking new patients, but with my doctor's referral he did so as a favor to my sister as I have not been able to find one here in the city since I moved back. And since I have a crazy cycle, I really didn't know what I would do as I really was hesitant to let a walk in clinic doctor poke around my most intimate parts. He was great, very professional... I was worried I wouldn't like him as I have usually had a female gynecologist; but he was really friendly and straight up, did his best to make me comfortable by fluffing my pillow before putting me in the stirrups, and then asking afterwards if it had been okay or too uncomfortable.. He has referred me for an ultrasound and blood work and then we'll go from there... part of my issues with my cycle have to do with my weight, and things did get a bit better when I went on b/c but they have still been awful over the years... so we'll see what comes of it and at least I feel better about taking care of my inner workings. Just another step in the right direction to a healthier me.
And then on the very same day, I had my appointment; I received some good news that afternoon... In October, I worked for a month as a clerk at Passport Canada in Gatineau before budget cuts ended our contract for about 60 employees. I really enjoyed the job, was good at it and worked independently, listening to my mp3 player. So I was a little upset when it ended so abruptly as I was hoping it would lead to longer employment and a way into other government jobs... Shortly after this ended, a close friend who works in HR in the government and is always keeping her eye out for available positions to send to people she knows, forwarded me an email letting me know that the Passport office was hiring again for 2 positions. I quickly applied and prayed that it would be my way back in. However, the government hiring process can take some time and since it was not the first government job I applied for, I wasn't holding my breath.
The website the government uses to post jobs and their status; kept postponing the results by a month every time I logged in... and then in March, the hiring process was put on hold indefinitely... So to say I was surprised when they called me on Thursday, would not be a strong enough word to describe the shock I was in when I was speaking to the agent from their office. I wrote everything down just so I would not think I was dreaming when I got off the phone.
Well after many hoops including an exam in early December that had me freaking out and a very thorough security check, I secured a year long contract with the Passport office starting May 5th. I am so excited about this, estatic might not even describe how happy I am to finally have made it through to the position since I have been on another government list for their pool of administrative candidates for almost 3 years without any headway.
And funnily enough, when it rains it pours as later that afternoon I not only received confirmation of a one day reception contract I fulfilled for 10 hours on Friday but as well was contacted about another job in a technical call centre... the recruiter was very sad to hear I had just found a job and said he'd keep my information on file as I seem like a really good candidate. The last thing I want is to be tethered to a desk again by a phone cord, with scheduled breaks and lunches and beeps in my ear...
Alright, well I'm off to do some errands and take care of my emissions test for my vehicle so I can renew the license plates before the end of the week... Hopefully I'll have time to take some photos of my city on my travels as I was inspired byaetheldaegand her photo essay of her town yesterday.
In trying to take care of my health, I had an appointment with my sister's gynecologist; he was not taking new patients, but with my doctor's referral he did so as a favor to my sister as I have not been able to find one here in the city since I moved back. And since I have a crazy cycle, I really didn't know what I would do as I really was hesitant to let a walk in clinic doctor poke around my most intimate parts. He was great, very professional... I was worried I wouldn't like him as I have usually had a female gynecologist; but he was really friendly and straight up, did his best to make me comfortable by fluffing my pillow before putting me in the stirrups, and then asking afterwards if it had been okay or too uncomfortable.. He has referred me for an ultrasound and blood work and then we'll go from there... part of my issues with my cycle have to do with my weight, and things did get a bit better when I went on b/c but they have still been awful over the years... so we'll see what comes of it and at least I feel better about taking care of my inner workings. Just another step in the right direction to a healthier me.
And then on the very same day, I had my appointment; I received some good news that afternoon... In October, I worked for a month as a clerk at Passport Canada in Gatineau before budget cuts ended our contract for about 60 employees. I really enjoyed the job, was good at it and worked independently, listening to my mp3 player. So I was a little upset when it ended so abruptly as I was hoping it would lead to longer employment and a way into other government jobs... Shortly after this ended, a close friend who works in HR in the government and is always keeping her eye out for available positions to send to people she knows, forwarded me an email letting me know that the Passport office was hiring again for 2 positions. I quickly applied and prayed that it would be my way back in. However, the government hiring process can take some time and since it was not the first government job I applied for, I wasn't holding my breath.
The website the government uses to post jobs and their status; kept postponing the results by a month every time I logged in... and then in March, the hiring process was put on hold indefinitely... So to say I was surprised when they called me on Thursday, would not be a strong enough word to describe the shock I was in when I was speaking to the agent from their office. I wrote everything down just so I would not think I was dreaming when I got off the phone.
Well after many hoops including an exam in early December that had me freaking out and a very thorough security check, I secured a year long contract with the Passport office starting May 5th. I am so excited about this, estatic might not even describe how happy I am to finally have made it through to the position since I have been on another government list for their pool of administrative candidates for almost 3 years without any headway.
And funnily enough, when it rains it pours as later that afternoon I not only received confirmation of a one day reception contract I fulfilled for 10 hours on Friday but as well was contacted about another job in a technical call centre... the recruiter was very sad to hear I had just found a job and said he'd keep my information on file as I seem like a really good candidate. The last thing I want is to be tethered to a desk again by a phone cord, with scheduled breaks and lunches and beeps in my ear...
Alright, well I'm off to do some errands and take care of my emissions test for my vehicle so I can renew the license plates before the end of the week... Hopefully I'll have time to take some photos of my city on my travels as I was inspired by
aetheldaegand her photo essay of her town yesterday.- Location:home
- Mood: hopeful
- Music:kids shows in the background as my niece gets ready for school
"People often say that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves."
~ Salma Hayek
In other news, I may have a reception one day contract on Friday, I am okay with this as it will give me a bit more moolah, and I have never officially answered phones as reception, just a lot in a call centre environment but I guess the company I might work for has all their employees in a special training group that day. I've been applying to a few things, but I have four doctor appointments between this week and the first week of May so it is a little hard to see a new employer and then have to explain I need a fews day off sporadically throughout the month when I would be just beginning a new job... so instead I decided to just continue to fulfill a few contracts and work around everything.
Sunday afternoon, I spent some time with my two longtime girlfriends that I have known since highschool... they are so much fun and it is comfortable to have friends that have known you that long in your life... We had a few drinks and then went out to dinner together... and it was so nice, I missed them... I really need to try to see them more as it is always a fun time and they always make me feel more positive about where life is going... good friends need to be cherished!
Well the sun isn't out as strongly today, but it is still warmer than last week so the window is open, the fresh air spreading itself all around the room to remind me that spring, although late, does follow winter here in Ottawa...
- Location:home
- Mood: happy
- Music:o/` One Word ~ Elliott Yamin o/`
So it's been interesting to say the least...
A week ago yesterday, I decided to attend a weight loss surgery support group that I had heard about that meets once a month in my area. The normal monthly meeting is more of a mingling, questions and info group; but the first time I decided to go; it happened to be the one month they had invited a surgeon who does Roux-en-Y and lap band procedures in Utica, NY which is about 3 hours away from my city...
I must say that I was nervous and a little anxious about going... not sure what it might be like. I asked my mother to come along with me as besides Sean I am hoping to plan my surgery so that she can be there for more support if needed. She drove, we used her new gps system to find the place and still missed the last turn - lol... but I am so glad she is able to be there for me, as at the last minute, my anxieties got the best of me and sitting in the parking lot, I suggested we go shopping or for coffee instead... Of course, she was not surprised that I had worked my nerves up a little, but she said well we're here, what will it hurt to go in; and I am so glad we did... I guess part of me is a little overwhelmed and scared as much as the other parts of me are excited, hopeful and ready to get this process on the ball so I can be on the other side and healthier and happier in my life...
One of my two closest girlfriends who I've had since highschool was also at the seminar, it was nice to see a familiar face. And funnily enough when the moderator greeted us, I realized she looked more familiar in person than the photo on her profile as I happened to be emailing back and forth on the obesityhelp.com website forumns before the meeting with her. She was someone I worked with at a prior job, such a nice lady and close to my age. She's had weight loss surgery already and lost quite a bit of weight and she really seems to be willing to help as much as she can so that people who choose this route do so for the right reasons and know all the risks so they can make informed choices. Not only did I know her, but she remembered my mother as the lady who matched her best friend up with one of the babies from one of my mom's previous litters of yorkie puppies. So that again made it a little easier for me to be less nervous.
So the surgeon explained a few items, then took questions from the audience that spurred the info session far into the second half which would normally have been more of a group meeting. My mom asked a lot of questions, I think this meeting really resolved some of her doubts and concerns as of course as my mother she is concerned with the risks as much as with the positive aspect of what kind of better quality of life this surgery might give me. He also highlighted what makes a successful candidate, what steps you need to take to start the process. He also brought his nutritionist, one of his nurses and his office manager with him to answer additional questions.
It was good to hear some of the bad experiences of other patients, as well as the successes. The surgeon wore a bow tie, he's fairly tall and balding, but he was open, seemed to be honest and respectful. He reassured people that weight is an issue for everyone, and I appreciated that he seemed to practice what he preaches when he said if he doesn't exercise and eat well, that he too could gain too much... Surgery is not going to magically make my weight disappear, but it will be a jump start to give me the time and the restriction to learn a new healthy lifestyle to not only lengthen the years I have on my life, but to give those added years the quality I deserve as well.
We were there from 1 until about 4pm, but once the mingling started and I was able to talk directly to the surgeon with my mom; we decided we had quite a lot of information, the room was pretty warm from the amount of people, and after talking to a few people, we decided to go. It was a very informative and informal session that made me feel better about my concerns and my choice to take such a drastic route to better my health.
So last Monday morning, I called the clinic this surgeon is related to and booked a consultation for early June and I am so excited about this, I feel like I am finally on the right track and finally have some real options as my appointment in Toronto is most likely to result in more waiting - almost 2 years if not more - whereas there is a real possibility once my province's insurance plan approves me to go out of country, I could have surgery in August, September or October - pretty freaking unbelievable if you ask me...
This has all left me a little overwhelmed, but more than anything inspired and excited, with of course a lot of nerves thrown in... I think I need to find an icon that I can relate to this journey...
A week ago yesterday, I decided to attend a weight loss surgery support group that I had heard about that meets once a month in my area. The normal monthly meeting is more of a mingling, questions and info group; but the first time I decided to go; it happened to be the one month they had invited a surgeon who does Roux-en-Y and lap band procedures in Utica, NY which is about 3 hours away from my city...
I must say that I was nervous and a little anxious about going... not sure what it might be like. I asked my mother to come along with me as besides Sean I am hoping to plan my surgery so that she can be there for more support if needed. She drove, we used her new gps system to find the place and still missed the last turn - lol... but I am so glad she is able to be there for me, as at the last minute, my anxieties got the best of me and sitting in the parking lot, I suggested we go shopping or for coffee instead... Of course, she was not surprised that I had worked my nerves up a little, but she said well we're here, what will it hurt to go in; and I am so glad we did... I guess part of me is a little overwhelmed and scared as much as the other parts of me are excited, hopeful and ready to get this process on the ball so I can be on the other side and healthier and happier in my life...
One of my two closest girlfriends who I've had since highschool was also at the seminar, it was nice to see a familiar face. And funnily enough when the moderator greeted us, I realized she looked more familiar in person than the photo on her profile as I happened to be emailing back and forth on the obesityhelp.com website forumns before the meeting with her. She was someone I worked with at a prior job, such a nice lady and close to my age. She's had weight loss surgery already and lost quite a bit of weight and she really seems to be willing to help as much as she can so that people who choose this route do so for the right reasons and know all the risks so they can make informed choices. Not only did I know her, but she remembered my mother as the lady who matched her best friend up with one of the babies from one of my mom's previous litters of yorkie puppies. So that again made it a little easier for me to be less nervous.
So the surgeon explained a few items, then took questions from the audience that spurred the info session far into the second half which would normally have been more of a group meeting. My mom asked a lot of questions, I think this meeting really resolved some of her doubts and concerns as of course as my mother she is concerned with the risks as much as with the positive aspect of what kind of better quality of life this surgery might give me. He also highlighted what makes a successful candidate, what steps you need to take to start the process. He also brought his nutritionist, one of his nurses and his office manager with him to answer additional questions.
It was good to hear some of the bad experiences of other patients, as well as the successes. The surgeon wore a bow tie, he's fairly tall and balding, but he was open, seemed to be honest and respectful. He reassured people that weight is an issue for everyone, and I appreciated that he seemed to practice what he preaches when he said if he doesn't exercise and eat well, that he too could gain too much... Surgery is not going to magically make my weight disappear, but it will be a jump start to give me the time and the restriction to learn a new healthy lifestyle to not only lengthen the years I have on my life, but to give those added years the quality I deserve as well.
We were there from 1 until about 4pm, but once the mingling started and I was able to talk directly to the surgeon with my mom; we decided we had quite a lot of information, the room was pretty warm from the amount of people, and after talking to a few people, we decided to go. It was a very informative and informal session that made me feel better about my concerns and my choice to take such a drastic route to better my health.
So last Monday morning, I called the clinic this surgeon is related to and booked a consultation for early June and I am so excited about this, I feel like I am finally on the right track and finally have some real options as my appointment in Toronto is most likely to result in more waiting - almost 2 years if not more - whereas there is a real possibility once my province's insurance plan approves me to go out of country, I could have surgery in August, September or October - pretty freaking unbelievable if you ask me...
This has all left me a little overwhelmed, but more than anything inspired and excited, with of course a lot of nerves thrown in... I think I need to find an icon that I can relate to this journey...
- Location:home
- Mood: hopeful
- Music:o/` This Is My Now ~ Jordan Sparks o/`
Here are the rules:
1. Reply to this post, and I will pick five of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon squee. Whoo!
aetheldaeg
chose a few of my icons for this after explaining a few of her own icons, so I'll explain them below:
bookshelf -
This is an actual snapshot of one of the shelves on my bookcase at home. There is a snowglobe with Tigger inside on the shelf and then all of my writing books - poetry, reference, the artist's way, the Canadian Press Style Guide to name a few... I love to write, I spent two years going to Sheridan College for journalism school and loved every minute of that experience. I worked for a magazine in Toronto for a short while after school, but things happened and I never got to finish exploring my dream of being a journalist or perhaps a full time writer, and now it has been so long, I do not have a current portfolio to be able to apply to freelance. I also have loved books my whole life, and have many, so what better way than to showcase my interests.
dangerous -
This is a quote I love from a writer I love... I have a mild anxiety disorder so some days, I have a hard time just going out the front door literally and having a regular day. I have physically made myself ill from getting worked up in just trying to find my way to a new place and getting lost... Unfortunately, I get flustered easily as well sometimes which also doesn't help... This icon reminds me that although it's a dangerous world, it is worth taking a risk to live your life rather than just be alive.
vinyl -
Now this one always makes me smile. I am a huge music fan, I like anything and everything (except most rap) and I really do not believe I could live without some kind of music in my life. I am that person who whenever is asked what would you need to survive being stranded on a desert island, my answer is music in some form every single time the questions is posed... this actual picture also reminded me of the movie High Fidelity, I am also a huge John Cusack fan, have been for a very long time... and it reminds me of the record store scenes... I am very passionate about music, almost as passionate as I am about my writing and one of my mantras is - Writing consumes me, Music soothes me and Love enchants me - because I feel so strongly about these three things that bring me happiness in life.
hwy - This is one of my photos, I took it along the 401 highway driving up to see Sean's grandparents in Kingston. They host most o
f the family get togethers and they always treat me as if I am part of their family. The day was perfect for travelling, I had a perfect road tripping pal in Sean, great music, a warm day with the sun shining and we were on our way to see the people we love, what more could we ask for... I love to take photos, and I take my digital camera everywhere with me, so it was only natural that I would take a photo to remind me of an awesome day. As well, I love to travel, and I tend to become a little nomadic every few years, itching to move, so sometimes the open road beckons to me...
lola2 - I love the movie Run Lola Run
- I took a basic german class in University and remember some of the language, so even though there were subtitles, I had heard this was a great film and wanted to see it. I believe I still was working at Blockbuster Video in Oakville when I saw this movie... I was so overwhelmed with how the plot developed and the messages the movie delivers... I would say more but would not want to give away the movie by exposing more of the story. I also happened to love this actress - Franka Potente, my other favorite movie she is in is The Princess and the Warrior... Both movies explore how fate and choices bring different outcomes... perhaps making me believe further that we have a hand in our own destiny...
I really enjoyed this meme, but it makes me realize it's about time to update my icons a little.
1. Reply to this post, and I will pick five of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon squee. Whoo!
aetheldaegchose a few of my icons for this after explaining a few of her own icons, so I'll explain them below:
bookshelf -
This is an actual snapshot of one of the shelves on my bookcase at home. There is a snowglobe with Tigger inside on the shelf and then all of my writing books - poetry, reference, the artist's way, the Canadian Press Style Guide to name a few... I love to write, I spent two years going to Sheridan College for journalism school and loved every minute of that experience. I worked for a magazine in Toronto for a short while after school, but things happened and I never got to finish exploring my dream of being a journalist or perhaps a full time writer, and now it has been so long, I do not have a current portfolio to be able to apply to freelance. I also have loved books my whole life, and have many, so what better way than to showcase my interests.dangerous -
This is a quote I love from a writer I love... I have a mild anxiety disorder so some days, I have a hard time just going out the front door literally and having a regular day. I have physically made myself ill from getting worked up in just trying to find my way to a new place and getting lost... Unfortunately, I get flustered easily as well sometimes which also doesn't help... This icon reminds me that although it's a dangerous world, it is worth taking a risk to live your life rather than just be alive.vinyl -
Now this one always makes me smile. I am a huge music fan, I like anything and everything (except most rap) and I really do not believe I could live without some kind of music in my life. I am that person who whenever is asked what would you need to survive being stranded on a desert island, my answer is music in some form every single time the questions is posed... this actual picture also reminded me of the movie High Fidelity, I am also a huge John Cusack fan, have been for a very long time... and it reminds me of the record store scenes... I am very passionate about music, almost as passionate as I am about my writing and one of my mantras is - Writing consumes me, Music soothes me and Love enchants me - because I feel so strongly about these three things that bring me happiness in life.hwy - This is one of my photos, I took it along the 401 highway driving up to see Sean's grandparents in Kingston. They host most o
f the family get togethers and they always treat me as if I am part of their family. The day was perfect for travelling, I had a perfect road tripping pal in Sean, great music, a warm day with the sun shining and we were on our way to see the people we love, what more could we ask for... I love to take photos, and I take my digital camera everywhere with me, so it was only natural that I would take a photo to remind me of an awesome day. As well, I love to travel, and I tend to become a little nomadic every few years, itching to move, so sometimes the open road beckons to me... lola2 - I love the movie Run Lola Run
- I took a basic german class in University and remember some of the language, so even though there were subtitles, I had heard this was a great film and wanted to see it. I believe I still was working at Blockbuster Video in Oakville when I saw this movie... I was so overwhelmed with how the plot developed and the messages the movie delivers... I would say more but would not want to give away the movie by exposing more of the story. I also happened to love this actress - Franka Potente, my other favorite movie she is in is The Princess and the Warrior... Both movies explore how fate and choices bring different outcomes... perhaps making me believe further that we have a hand in our own destiny...I really enjoyed this meme, but it makes me realize it's about time to update my icons a little.
- Location:Sean's desk
- Mood: hopeful
- Music:Every breath you take ~ Police
So I found out that my contract will not be extended. I was not really shocked, I've been here on contract since October which was originally for 3 months. In December, there were talks that the company was being bought and there would be Shareholder meeting that would need to be made with a vote for agreement to the sale in February. Before the buy out, there was much talk about hiring me on permanently, as there is more than enough work for my superior and the 2 other people we have right now; so it is a little frustrating.
However, I completely understand streamlining and how that works in order for this company to have it continue to be profitable. The vote part went through smoothly, then was made final in the last days of February as it also had to go through a judge before becoming final... Due to the transition, and my contract coming to an end on February 28th, the new company decided to extend our contract another month as of February 25th, so I had my second extension granted until March 31st... I have learned quickly that this new company had changes in mind, many and quick so that even the permanent employees are restless... They said they would be upfront and honest with their 30/60/90 day plans, but many employees are not happy, stresssed with the changes and some have already made the leap for other work.
It has been a good company with some great people to work for, I learned a lot while I have been here too; but I am back to square one again and needing to find a new job. I guess I should be happy as I have been told on many occasions by my direct manager that I have done a great job, that he did want to hire me on, and that he would be happy to be a reference for me. I already let the employee agency know I will be available next week, so we'll see what options they have for me... although I am almost disillusioned with contract work and perhaps may search out another permanent job instead. As well, the gov't job hiring process I've been going through to get back into the Passport office has been temporarily put on hold so my faith in that coming through for me is beginning to waiver as well.
So I'm here until Friday, and then we'll see what the future will hold...
In other news, I'm feeling a bit better. My chest is still quite congested, but I was able to sleep through the night for the last two nights so that is indeed progress. I'm going through less kleenex, but my sinuses are still quite sore. My lungs, back and ribs are still quite tender from how violent the coughing fits have been over the last 2 weeks, but I am really glad the antibiotics are helping.
Well back to work, it is as they keep saying - business as usual...
However, I completely understand streamlining and how that works in order for this company to have it continue to be profitable. The vote part went through smoothly, then was made final in the last days of February as it also had to go through a judge before becoming final... Due to the transition, and my contract coming to an end on February 28th, the new company decided to extend our contract another month as of February 25th, so I had my second extension granted until March 31st... I have learned quickly that this new company had changes in mind, many and quick so that even the permanent employees are restless... They said they would be upfront and honest with their 30/60/90 day plans, but many employees are not happy, stresssed with the changes and some have already made the leap for other work.
It has been a good company with some great people to work for, I learned a lot while I have been here too; but I am back to square one again and needing to find a new job. I guess I should be happy as I have been told on many occasions by my direct manager that I have done a great job, that he did want to hire me on, and that he would be happy to be a reference for me. I already let the employee agency know I will be available next week, so we'll see what options they have for me... although I am almost disillusioned with contract work and perhaps may search out another permanent job instead. As well, the gov't job hiring process I've been going through to get back into the Passport office has been temporarily put on hold so my faith in that coming through for me is beginning to waiver as well.
So I'm here until Friday, and then we'll see what the future will hold...
In other news, I'm feeling a bit better. My chest is still quite congested, but I was able to sleep through the night for the last two nights so that is indeed progress. I'm going through less kleenex, but my sinuses are still quite sore. My lungs, back and ribs are still quite tender from how violent the coughing fits have been over the last 2 weeks, but I am really glad the antibiotics are helping.
Well back to work, it is as they keep saying - business as usual...
- Location:work
- Mood: working
- Music:o/` Trust Yourself ~ Blue Rodeo o/`
To those who celebrate, Happy Easter Sunday... may you enjoy a lovely day with family and friends.
I'm still sick, but I went to the clinic on Friday and was prescribed an antibiotic, two horse pills twice daily... yum. Looks like I have a chest infection, not sure how I got that since everyone else in the house seems to have something different... I wish I could sleep, I was able to Tuesday to Thursday, but then I was up almost all night with a few 15 minute exceptions and was ready to wake Sean so we could get to the clinic early as I did not feel well enough to sit and wait hours...
Instead I was in and out with my prescription within 15 minutes... shortest clinic visit ever. Doctor was pretty thorough, checking my breathing, my ears, my throat, said my glands are a little swollen too, and my chest is definitely congested... So Sean and I went to Shoppers, picked up my prescription - more kleenex as I've gone through 8 boxes since Monday night... We went home to have chicken soup for lunch and to lie down for a little more rest... did not get much then either but at least tried to rest in bed for awhile... sitting upright is more comfortable because of the cough at times... I slept about four hours yesterday and then probably another two hours before the coughing was too much for me to stay in bed for much longer... scary thing is, I am not as tired as I should be from so little sleep and so much illness...
Alas it is 5:30am, I probably got an hours sleep tonight and I am awake again... had some ginger ale and then created some little easter egg art for Kay to put on the fridge as I was too ill to set up an easter egg hunt this year... My mom is sending in an easter surprise for the children later today since I wasn't able to go to her house for dinner, she also decided to make dinner anyways and send it in for us all to have some home cooked food while we're all convelescing (sp?)
I go back to work Monday and I know it will be a long week between the lack of sleep and how draining of energy this illness is on top of work duties...
Well good morning, happy easter - enjoy the day :)
I'm still sick, but I went to the clinic on Friday and was prescribed an antibiotic, two horse pills twice daily... yum. Looks like I have a chest infection, not sure how I got that since everyone else in the house seems to have something different... I wish I could sleep, I was able to Tuesday to Thursday, but then I was up almost all night with a few 15 minute exceptions and was ready to wake Sean so we could get to the clinic early as I did not feel well enough to sit and wait hours...
Instead I was in and out with my prescription within 15 minutes... shortest clinic visit ever. Doctor was pretty thorough, checking my breathing, my ears, my throat, said my glands are a little swollen too, and my chest is definitely congested... So Sean and I went to Shoppers, picked up my prescription - more kleenex as I've gone through 8 boxes since Monday night... We went home to have chicken soup for lunch and to lie down for a little more rest... did not get much then either but at least tried to rest in bed for awhile... sitting upright is more comfortable because of the cough at times... I slept about four hours yesterday and then probably another two hours before the coughing was too much for me to stay in bed for much longer... scary thing is, I am not as tired as I should be from so little sleep and so much illness...
Alas it is 5:30am, I probably got an hours sleep tonight and I am awake again... had some ginger ale and then created some little easter egg art for Kay to put on the fridge as I was too ill to set up an easter egg hunt this year... My mom is sending in an easter surprise for the children later today since I wasn't able to go to her house for dinner, she also decided to make dinner anyways and send it in for us all to have some home cooked food while we're all convelescing (sp?)
I go back to work Monday and I know it will be a long week between the lack of sleep and how draining of energy this illness is on top of work duties...
Well good morning, happy easter - enjoy the day :)
- Location:Sean's desk
- Mood: tired
- Music:No One ~ Alicia Keys
