Weekends rock!

So... I have decided that I absolutely love long weekends. In my last job, there were weekend work hours so although we got the time off, it was never all together. Here are the fun things that I have discovered about not working weekends:

1. You see your neighbors... and don't resent the neighbors that are having a backyard bbq still going on at 11:00 on a Saturday night... you roll with it.
2. Coffee on a Sunday morning relaxing is heavenly.
3. Everyone else has the weekends off... I have had more knitting dates and bbqs with friends instead of always sending regrets. Colour me happy, my extroverted little self says.
4. TGIF takes on new meaning. It's all about making it to the end of Friday for your mini-vacay!
5. Getting together with your old friends from your old work has suddenly taken on new proportions... it's kind of a pain to try and find that works for both parties.
6. Relaxing over the weekends is fabulous, going to work with a clean house on Monday is great and a little weekday preparation means that the weekend is actually fun! (or productive when you are staining your fence...)

Enjoy the weekend. And relax and enjoy the two full days away from the office.

Excitement for this little chiquita!

So... one of my coworkers called and begged another coworker to come in on her vacation to photocopy IDs of people who were going to volunteer with minors (insert police checks and child safety checks). This very tired coworker called me and asked if I'd like to be her BFF (best friend forever) and do the photocopying for her. I am not about working like a dog these days and being the rescue queen but someone is NOT going to work on their vacation on my watch! So I went in to photocopy ID. Easy, right? Well, in my usual way to make drama everywhere in my life, I had a little adventure....

• The first coworker explained how to photocopy to me. I reassured her that I was ok with photocopying.
• I started introducing myself to people and asking them for ID to insure that they weren't criminals (well maybe I worded it better). Did I mention that I wasn't wearing my work nametag?
• I explain to them about what ID will and won't work... one government issued photo ID and one gov't issued ID such as health care, social insurance number, birth certificate. Some were prepared and others didn't know where their health care card was.... isn't that a bit disturbing?
• I take all the piles to the photocopier and the receptionist shows me the special preprogrammed button for ID... wow, we are advanced!
• No worries, I am rock 'n rolling.
• What people are showing up to chat with me? Inside voice: please leave me alone so I make sure the right and proper photocopies happen. Outside voice, "Oh how lovely to see you. How are you?"
• Then there are about 20 people who need photocopying explained to them and it executed.
• No worries, now try remembering who belongs to what. Good idea to self: always check the photo ID first. And don't laugh that this guy's first name if Herbert but he goes by John. Your secret's safe with me.
• Finish off and go home to relax... ignore the fact that you've only been photocopying for one hour!!!

Another day in the fantastically exciting life of Knittinchick.

Summer insanity!

So... every summer I get caught up in the loveliness that is the farmer's market. Yesterday I went there and was reminded about how when I went there last year I had to leave because of a massive anxiety attack (insert: even more massive doses of gratitude and joy that I have passed through the valley of burnout!). So... I decided to celebrate by:

• grabbing lunch at the Ukrainian food kiosk (I was on my lunch hour) served to me by a Mexican guy who is from the same city that my sister lives in... you've got to love irony!
• having a homemade cupcake
• stopping at the produce stand and buying two generous bags of peppers for only $6/piece
• getting a couple baskets of peaches

Granted when I got home last night and needed to deal with the peppers and peaches, I wondered who in their right mind gets so excited about chopping them up and freezing them for the long winter. I do know that I'll enjoy them throughout the winter but I do this every year. Seriously! You'd think I'd learn my lesson.

Things you never knew

So... I'd like to let you know what I have been learning about the different ways of this world. We are not all the same! Case in point:

• Not every country flushes their TP in the toilet. Some put in the trash can.
• Not every country eats bran muffins or cereal for breakfast. Many eat fried and smelly meats first thing in the morning.
• Not every country embraces the sunny weather of the summer. Some use umbrellas to protect themselves against the sun.
• Not every country considers the noise of eating a big deal.

Good thing we're not all the same! I realize that maybe I may have gotten stuck in my ways.... but we all love the same things: knowing that we're appreciated, a nice meal and fun with friends.

Yes!

At risk of sounding like an pyramid-ish salesperson, I LOVE this post. You have to go read it. I think that Happy Geek has been inside my skin at some of those painful parties.

Boring, boring, boring

I've decided that a commitment to healthy eating and walking most evenings after dinner is TOTALLY overrated. Seriously, I made a quinoa salad with fruit from the weight watchers cookbook tonight... and thought it was quite tasty. I now am speaking about quinoa (a healthy grain that is good for you). My poor international students. The Korean student (who is as skinny as all get out) who has a hollow leg had to stock up on a muffin after dinner while I was out of the house. Joke's on her though: it was made with Splenda and whole wheat flour!

• You might want to send out some prayers for the students!

A little camping

So summer is the season for camping, right? I thought that I'd get in the spirit of things as well and packed up my sleeping bag, an air mattress (that I need to return to my auntie and uncle), a good novel, a flashlight, a good chicklit novel and my spirit of adventure and made the big trek ... to the basement. It's the only way that I can sleep in the extreme heat right now. Yes, I realize that this does truly make me a Canadian but what do you do to survive the heat?

Just a lot of bull

So... yesterday I went to a Rodeo and Running of the Bulls yesterday afternoon and evening. The afternoon was fun with typical rodeo entertainment but the evening's cold (incredibly cold and windy on the stands) interesting highlight was the Running of the Bulls. Here's the snippets that I observed:

• There is a lot of liquid courage that goes on before the 70 participants go out to run.
• 'Zorro' was not the smartest runner... he tried to wave in front of the bull and hit the bull. Hello! That is not smart.
• The guy adorned in the pink outfit complete with a barbie bicycle helmet with 70s inspired streamers, pink tights, pink top and shorts (for the support of breast cancer) looked like he'd be an interesting person at a party... but maybe from a distance.
• Hitting bulls is not a smart move. They don't appreciate it and might just decide to come at you. Healthy fear is actually a good thing.
• Most of the people (80%) were under 25 and male. Except for the 65 year old man who looked like he had just retired. Maybe he more courage knowing that he didn't have to check in for work on Tuesday morning (thank you long weekend).
• The Fire Department and EMT/EMR team that was there were amazing. They dragged two injured people under the fence so quickly that you almost didn't know that they had fallen.
• When they announce that there is a jackpot for the best runner for $1000 and you ask your friends incredulously, "Is that all?", check around you to see if everyone else is suddenly silent. They will all turn their heads quickly to look at you. Seriously, there was a guy that left in an ambulance and they didn't tell us that he'd be ok. $1000 wouldn't go that far in making you walk again.

SO... you go run with the bulls. It seems a tad crazy in my mind.

Stayin' alive!

So... I was driving on the freeway to work the other morning and I noticed a great ad on the side of a bus that I thought was for a 70s type musical coming to the city. Thankfully traffic was slower so I was able to check it out. It said "Staying Alive" and I thought it was a John Travolta type person. Alas, no, it was just a hand with a rubber glove on it encouraging men to go for an annual exam to check for prostate cancer. Go ad people! You definitely got creative and I will not be checking out the ticket sales for this musical. Too many sopranos.