Child in progress

As I walked up to the spa for my warm stone massage (thanks Alex) this afternoon, I passed this interesting car. It was covered with fuzzy material and had all kinds of things attached to it.


Including this bike seat, with the message "Child in Progress" written on it. I'm not sure if that's where you put the kid when it's making too much noise or if the idea was the kid gets to ride on the back of the car all time.

(click for larger image)

This crazy car closely rivals the crazy car from last summer!

Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry

...if you don't have patience you'll only start to worry

At least I think that's how it goes...I don't remember much more of the song except that it was on a brightly coloured record that we had when I was a kid.

Anyway, I made a quick trip to the department store on my way home from class tonight. It was about 8:30 when I got to the cash desk to make my purchases. There was one cashier there who was on the phone taking some complicated telephone order, but she dinged her little bell and called someone else to come and help me.

A second lady came quite quickly. As she started ringing my purchases in, another lady joined the line up. The cashier hadn't even rung in two things when the lady behind me started huffing and puffing and tapping her feet. Then the cashier came across something I was buying that didn't have a price tag, so she went off to find one with a price tag.

Then the lady behind me started pacing and looking at her watch. And sighing very loudly. Cashier number one had in the meantime gone away to look for something for the customer on the phone. She arrived back just as another cashier appeared who was helping a customer find something.

Cashier number three, thinking cashier number one was the only one working at that cash desk, came over to help me and then realized I was being looked after, so went back to the customer she was originally helping.

At which time the lady behind me yells, "Excuse me! I need someone to ring this in. Your store is closing soon and I have other things to do. I don't want to wait in line all night. Put this on my credit card." The startled third employee came over and rang it through for her, all the while the lady was tapping her foot and looking at her watch.

My cashier came back and finished my transaction and I left after the impatient lady...and it was only about 8:35. I can't believe how self-centered some people are...yeah, she had to wait, but the wait was not excessive.

Maybe it was the heat?

Works well with others

Comments from elementary school reports cards.

But it's true. For the past few weeks I've been arriving at work long before anyone else, if anyone else every arrived. There has been all kinds of restructuring in the department we share space with and there has been no one working in this office on a regular basis for a while. Today I got here and three of the new full time people had started. I think I got an entire week's worth of work done in about three hours...amazing how having other people working in the same space can either lead to reduced production or increased production. I like it!

Ready, Set, New Decade!

The clock is creeping closer and closer to midnight which means I am getting closer to starting a new decade.

Right before my tenth birthday, my mom took me to visit Gram, her grandmother, and Gram told me I should celebrate my last few days as a single digit...I wasn't sure what the big deal was and a few days later when I turned 10 everyone kept saying how exciting it was that I was now into the double digits. I thought it was fine, but I was waiting for 13, when I got to be a teenager.

I think the year I turned 20 some friends came from Vancouver to stay for a few days and we hung out in city park and played poker using bulk candy from Safeway. Which worked great until we decided we should eat it too! They left early on the morning of my birthday and then my sisters called from camp to say Happy Birthday. That's about all I remember about that one...I'm sure there was a nice dinner and a cake too...

This year, well, it's just a number. I've had a number of friends jump into their 30s before me, and quite frankly, none of them has died from the experience, so I figure I'll be fine.

This past decade has been pretty incredible...

• I graduated from university (phew, glad that's over)
• I lived in London and Switzerland
• I got a "real" job
• I learned how to ski
• I pulled my first all-nighter (and that was AFTER I had my degree)
• I spent an entire year away from my family
• I made some super friends as I meandered my way through my 20s - at Pax Lodge, Our Chalet, the corporate entity in downtown Vancouver, Guiding, the university I met so many wonderful people...you know who you are!
• I met Alex
• After trying a million different options and thanks to a patient doctor, I found a migraine drug that WORKS!
• I lived all by myself...not bad for a chicken!
• I was presented with a Silver Medal of Merit
• I insisted on demonstrating how klutzy I can be...and have managed to survive with all limbs and fingers still attached and my back mending nicely
• Alex proposed
  

Yeah...lots has happened in the last decade. I'm lucky - I've had my wonderful family and friends there with me the whole time. I hope this next decade has at least as many highlights! And unlike my ten year old self, I'm not waiting for some date in the future...life started 30 years ago and I plan to enjoy every day of it...as it comes...and try not worry about the future...because the future will come, whether I'm ready for it or not!

Happy Birthday A Muse

Last year marvellous Heddy decided to get a group of her friends together for regular Girls' Nights. She called the group A Muse and she invited me.

It's been a year and this is the first time I've been able to attend...I think she asked me to host it on purpose. Then I'd have no choice!

Nah, it was lots of fun and I'm glad I was finally able to be part of it. I knew a lot of the ladies, but met some news ones too. There was lots of good food, lots of cake, lots of laughter, and some poker.

Tara gives instructions

Cinci

Tracey

Tara

Jenn

Rose-Ann

Heddy

Tara

Heddy and her camera

Saskia rakes in the chips

Heddy ended the evening by sending us all home with our very own treat bags!

Broken Brain...apparently

So, I wrote a bunch of posts (they're down there) and I didn't click post. Apparently I clicked save.

Yeah, that's the kind of week it's been for me. The big, crazy event was over on Wednesday night, and now, exactly a week later, I'm just starting to emerge from the stupor. I can't even figure out what the point of this post on the first day of summer is or if I've even finished it.

I'm really hoping life will calm down a little bit now...but I could just be wishing for something silly. We have company today until Saturday. There's a girls night get together, hopefully on the deck, on Friday night. We're visiting Alex's parents on Saturday. I have to work and I'm making Alex come with me on Sunday and then next Saturday we're having a bunch of people over. Yeah...life is never going to get any quieter.

Oh well, at least we're not bored!

Here comes Harry Potter

Kidsbooks has turned into the Telephone Box used to enter the Ministry of Magic! The arrival of book seven can't be far off!


There's even a map to the "Ministry of Magic."


Anybody want to go the Ministry of Magic with me on July 20?

Half marathon recovery brunch

Team Hardcore and soon-to-be-cousin Tom ran in the Half Marathon this morning. Kelsey says it was hot to begin with, but I woke up to a thunderstorm and Kelsey came home shivering, but with a personal best time. After some tea and a shower, Alex, Kelsey, and I went to meet Harmony and Tom at Tomato.


Tomato recently moved to Broadway from Cambie where it had lost all kind of business because of the Cambie line construction. Our waitress was still in slow mode - brunch took almost two hours. Kelsey and Tom celebrated their insanity with Cesars. And the sun came out.



And then it rained again...all over the people here for Greek Day. And then sun came out again. And then it rained again. And just now, Alex and I were sitting at the kitchen table watching ANOTHER thunderstorm...this weather is nuts!

Pretty Flowers

I got to bring the pretty flowers home from an event that we had on Wednesday night.

They started out as the centrepiece on the food table.


When I got them home, they were WAY TOO BIG for my vase, so they got separated into four vases.


I don't think I've ever had this many flowers in my house before. Alex came home and asked if we were starting a florist ;)

Summer is here

It arrived. Today is the first day of summer. I'm not sure about that. It might be the longest day of the year, but the splattering raindrops on the window don't sound much like summer to me. Hmmm...I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I would like to see summer soon though.