Saturday 18 January 2014
MAGIC! - Rude
Heard this song on the radio today driving into work. The old ear worm did her magic and I have been humming it ever since. Sort of reminds me of that old 80's band Police.
Work life
Some people make life a little brighter ...some by their presence and some by their absence. Suffice to say the last two nights at work have been wunderbar!
Diet and Work Out progress
So as mentioned in a previous post, Mr. C. and I have added to our home gym and have been religiously working out since the New Year (well, since my birthday would be a more accurate date for me). I've also signed up for the 6 week challenge at diet.com to give me a little more motivation. One thing I have done is break down the 6 week challenge into mini goals. They aren't even weight related goals. For example my first goal was to workout for a week. Whether it was treadmill, weights or a combination of both. I achieved this goal - and my reward was to go for a massage. Bliss! Next week's goal for keeping physically active will be to treat myself to a new piece of workout clothing. A t-shirt or pair of socks etc., nothing horrendously expensive. My official "weigh in" day is every Monday, although I do tend to hop on the scale every morning just to check my progress. At the moment I am down 6lbs over the last two weeks. Not bad. Slow and steady wins the race as they say!
Mammogram Round 2
So a week ago I had a second appointment with my local radiology lab. My initial mammogram came back with results that needed further investigation, so I was scheduled for an ultra-sound. The whole process can be very unnerving to say the least, and the technician - although very nice - made me feel very nervous by telling me that she had to show the radiologist the results, as he may want to come and perform the ultra-sound again himself. My initial thought was why on earth isn't the radiologist doing the initial examination himself, instead of this technician.
After the ultra-sound the technician trotted away with the results of my scan and left me sitting in my paper gown for what felt like an eternity. When she came back she said that he wanted to see another mammogram. A few minutes later I am back sitting in the change room, waiting to be called by another technician, for another mammogram. I was starting to feel a little panicked. I sat in my pale blue paper gown texting Mr. C., and bless him, he was ready to drop everything at work and come to the lab if I needed him.
The second mammogram was only required on one breast, using a different plate that would compress the tissue even further. The technician warned me that it would hurt, and she wasn't lying. That moment when they take the picture the instruction is to hold your breath. With the excruciating pain I was experiencing my breath was taken away, so "holding my breath" was easy peasy - I couldn't breathe even if I wanted to.
Back in the change room, still in my now creased and bedraggled looking baby blue paper gown, I was instructed to wait whilst this new technician took the results back to the radiologist to review. This radiologist was quickly becoming the "Almighty Oz" in my mind. Hidden away somewhere in the deep reaches of the radiology lab, no doubt behind a curtain. I never did meet him thankfully. After another wait and numerous text messages with Mr. C. technician #2 popped her head into the change room and informed me that I could get dressed. The results would be with my doctor Monday morning.
It was the longest weekend ever. Monday dawned and I must've checked my phone every few minutes, jumping out of my skin at every beep, notification or vibration. I distracted myself with a visit with a girlfriend for coffee, donuts and a much needed chat. The relief of "no news is good news". No phone call. Ditto for Tuesday (which I had mentally prepared myself for, just in case...). So here we are a week later, still no phone call, and I'm finally allowing myself to breathe again.
After the ultra-sound the technician trotted away with the results of my scan and left me sitting in my paper gown for what felt like an eternity. When she came back she said that he wanted to see another mammogram. A few minutes later I am back sitting in the change room, waiting to be called by another technician, for another mammogram. I was starting to feel a little panicked. I sat in my pale blue paper gown texting Mr. C., and bless him, he was ready to drop everything at work and come to the lab if I needed him.
The second mammogram was only required on one breast, using a different plate that would compress the tissue even further. The technician warned me that it would hurt, and she wasn't lying. That moment when they take the picture the instruction is to hold your breath. With the excruciating pain I was experiencing my breath was taken away, so "holding my breath" was easy peasy - I couldn't breathe even if I wanted to.
Back in the change room, still in my now creased and bedraggled looking baby blue paper gown, I was instructed to wait whilst this new technician took the results back to the radiologist to review. This radiologist was quickly becoming the "Almighty Oz" in my mind. Hidden away somewhere in the deep reaches of the radiology lab, no doubt behind a curtain. I never did meet him thankfully. After another wait and numerous text messages with Mr. C. technician #2 popped her head into the change room and informed me that I could get dressed. The results would be with my doctor Monday morning.
It was the longest weekend ever. Monday dawned and I must've checked my phone every few minutes, jumping out of my skin at every beep, notification or vibration. I distracted myself with a visit with a girlfriend for coffee, donuts and a much needed chat. The relief of "no news is good news". No phone call. Ditto for Tuesday (which I had mentally prepared myself for, just in case...). So here we are a week later, still no phone call, and I'm finally allowing myself to breathe again.
Monday 13 January 2014
High Temperature/No Temperature Roast Beef Dinner
I've been waiting since before Christmas to try this roast beef recipe, and this evening was the perfect time to try it. Admittedly Monday night is not the traditional night for a roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding dinner, but when you are a shift worker, you grab the opportunities wherever they may be found.
The reason this recipe struck me as different from the traditional methods of roasting beef is the fact that for the 2 hours plus that the roast is in the oven...the oven isn't actually on!
Roast Beef recipe
The beef came out beautifully - fully cooked and delicious. Coupled with Yorkshire Pudding, vegetables, gravy and horseradish sauce - it was a definite recipe I will "do again".
The reason this recipe struck me as different from the traditional methods of roasting beef is the fact that for the 2 hours plus that the roast is in the oven...the oven isn't actually on!
Roast Beef recipe
The beef came out beautifully - fully cooked and delicious. Coupled with Yorkshire Pudding, vegetables, gravy and horseradish sauce - it was a definite recipe I will "do again".
The gift of fragrance
Ever since I was a little girl I have loved perfume. I recall trying all the perfume testers at the local drug store on my wrists, when out shopping with my mum and grandma. Grandma would wrinkle her nose and tell me that it smelled like "cat" by the time I had finished. No doubt referring to the pungent scent of cat urine. That didn't stop me however from having a quick spritz of whatever was on the counter in the cosmetics department, as I walked by. Even today, if I'm in a department store, I can't resist, but nowadays I limit myself to one fragrance, not twenty!
So imagine my delight, when for Christmas Mr. C. bought me the ideal gift for the perfume tester addict!
This is the fragrance sampler! Inside there are ten tester vials of some of the most currently popular perfumes, and a certificate which I can redeem for a full sized bottle of perfume, once I have picked my favourite.
Every day I have tried a new perfume, noted my own responses, and those of Mr. C. I have been surprised by some of the results - we haven't always agreed. Considering Mr. C. is sensitive to some fragrances, I want to be considerate when choosing a perfume that I will be wearing around him.
We have gone through all the fragrances once, and I will repeat our favourites until we narrow down the final choice. Some women look at their make-up bag of goodies as their chance to "play" - and these ten vials have been my playtime. I have certainly gotten more enjoyment out of this gift, as I hunt for my new perfume, than if I had just unwrapped a bottle of my regular perfume on Christmas Day.
Bearing in mind that every perfume smells different on everyone, taking into account your own personal body scent, body temperature, chemistry etc.; and that not everyone likes the same fragrance. Some women love vanilla, I personally don't want to smell like a batch of cookies. Below I have listed the ten fragrances and our observations so far.
Honey by Marc Jacobs
Quite nice. Light. Hint of "old fashioned" to it. Mr. C. like this too and it was very nice over the course of the day as it warmed to my body.
Eau de LaCoste by LaCoste
Nice, light, sporty. Mr. C. liked it too. Think I might like this better than Honey so far, but will need a repeat day to be sure.
Very Irrestsistible by Givenchy
Light, floral, pleasant. Mr. C. didn't care for it. He said it made him want to sneeze. Sorry Givency, this one is off the list!
Be Jeweled by Vera Wang
Very sharp and citrussy. I didn't care for it from the initial application and Mr. C. disliked it immediately. Sorry Ms. Wang, love your wedding dresses, but not this perfume.
Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture
Light, nice, earthy finish. It was "OK" but nothing special. Mr. C. felt the same way.
Untold by Elizabeth Arden
Very pretty, light, lovely fragrance. Mr. C. really liked it too, the only downside was that it wasn't very long lasting and after an hour I could barely smell it.
Down Town by Calvin Klein
Soft, pleasant. A lovely "every day" fragrance, but not a stand out "wow" special occasion scent. Mr. C. liked it, and agrees with my overall impression.
Big Pony #2 by Ralph Lauren
I found this perfume very sweet and cloying - I didn't like it immediately. Mr. C. on the other hand liked it. It was very long lasting however, I didn't need a second spritz later in the day and could still smell it on my skin late at night. Typical for a perfume that I didn't like!
Candy by Prada
I liked this perfume immediately. Soft, light and reminded me of powdery softness and was reminiscent of a fragrance my mother used to wear (which may be why I liked it). It was quite long lasting however Mr. C.'s immediately reaction was a firm "No". He said the perfume made his nose start to tingle the moment he smelled it.
Euphoria by Calvin Klein
A second perfume by Calvin. I have worn this particular fragrance previously and have quite liked it. The whole point of this exercise however was to find a new perfume, although this would be a good fall back if I can't find something that I really like to use my gift certificate for.
Another week and I should have a final decision!
So imagine my delight, when for Christmas Mr. C. bought me the ideal gift for the perfume tester addict!
This is the fragrance sampler! Inside there are ten tester vials of some of the most currently popular perfumes, and a certificate which I can redeem for a full sized bottle of perfume, once I have picked my favourite.
Every day I have tried a new perfume, noted my own responses, and those of Mr. C. I have been surprised by some of the results - we haven't always agreed. Considering Mr. C. is sensitive to some fragrances, I want to be considerate when choosing a perfume that I will be wearing around him.
We have gone through all the fragrances once, and I will repeat our favourites until we narrow down the final choice. Some women look at their make-up bag of goodies as their chance to "play" - and these ten vials have been my playtime. I have certainly gotten more enjoyment out of this gift, as I hunt for my new perfume, than if I had just unwrapped a bottle of my regular perfume on Christmas Day.
Bearing in mind that every perfume smells different on everyone, taking into account your own personal body scent, body temperature, chemistry etc.; and that not everyone likes the same fragrance. Some women love vanilla, I personally don't want to smell like a batch of cookies. Below I have listed the ten fragrances and our observations so far.
Honey by Marc Jacobs
Quite nice. Light. Hint of "old fashioned" to it. Mr. C. like this too and it was very nice over the course of the day as it warmed to my body.
Eau de LaCoste by LaCoste
Nice, light, sporty. Mr. C. liked it too. Think I might like this better than Honey so far, but will need a repeat day to be sure.
Very Irrestsistible by Givenchy
Light, floral, pleasant. Mr. C. didn't care for it. He said it made him want to sneeze. Sorry Givency, this one is off the list!
Be Jeweled by Vera Wang
Very sharp and citrussy. I didn't care for it from the initial application and Mr. C. disliked it immediately. Sorry Ms. Wang, love your wedding dresses, but not this perfume.
Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture
Light, nice, earthy finish. It was "OK" but nothing special. Mr. C. felt the same way.
Untold by Elizabeth Arden
Very pretty, light, lovely fragrance. Mr. C. really liked it too, the only downside was that it wasn't very long lasting and after an hour I could barely smell it.
Down Town by Calvin Klein
Soft, pleasant. A lovely "every day" fragrance, but not a stand out "wow" special occasion scent. Mr. C. liked it, and agrees with my overall impression.
Big Pony #2 by Ralph Lauren
I found this perfume very sweet and cloying - I didn't like it immediately. Mr. C. on the other hand liked it. It was very long lasting however, I didn't need a second spritz later in the day and could still smell it on my skin late at night. Typical for a perfume that I didn't like!
Candy by Prada
I liked this perfume immediately. Soft, light and reminded me of powdery softness and was reminiscent of a fragrance my mother used to wear (which may be why I liked it). It was quite long lasting however Mr. C.'s immediately reaction was a firm "No". He said the perfume made his nose start to tingle the moment he smelled it.
Euphoria by Calvin Klein
A second perfume by Calvin. I have worn this particular fragrance previously and have quite liked it. The whole point of this exercise however was to find a new perfume, although this would be a good fall back if I can't find something that I really like to use my gift certificate for.
Another week and I should have a final decision!
Thursday 9 January 2014
Opinion: For Ian’s sake — change
This article, written anonymously and printed in The Hamilton Spectator is true not just of policing, but of all emergency service responders. Police, Ambulance and Fire.
Opinion: For Ian’s sake — change
Opinion: For Ian’s sake — change
Tuesday 7 January 2014
Birthday Weekend
It was my birthday this past weekend. Sunday to be precise, but it was parlayed into a birthday weekend!
Saturday we hit the highway on a road-trip to visit family who have recently moved into their brand new custom built house. A two hour drive north, with our favourite coffee and donuts, driving the Trans Canada Highway into beautiful snow covered countryside. One of our favourite activities is to grab the cameras and head out on a road trip to take photographs.
The house is beautiful! We got the complete tour, and although there is still a lot of furniture to purchase and personal touches to make, I can see that this is going to be a stunningly gorgeous house. It's only natural to be a teensy bit jealous, but considering the hardships that our family members have suffered this past year, that necessitated the building of this home - I do not begrudge them their good fortune one iota.
They have two adorable 9 week old little kittens, with whom I immediately fell in love! Sadly Mr. C's allergies make such an addition to our own household unlikely. We already have the two dogs - a cat too would probably be just too much.
After a delightful lunch and a surprise early birthday cupcake (complete with singing!) we headed home just ahead of a forecast heavy snowfall. Dinner was my choice, so I picked chicken fajitas, one of my favourite meals!
Sunday morning dawned with a fresh blanket of snow, over top of what is already on the ground from before Christmas. Mr C. made cinnamon bread french toast for my birthday breakfast, and other than putting the bottle of maple syrup on the table, I didn't lift a finger!
I spent the afternoon setting up my birthday gift from Mr. C. - a beautiful new jewelry box!
We made a late afternoon trip to the mall to purchase a new charm for my Pandora bracelet. A gift to myself.
Birthday dinner was a delicious steak dinner at The Keg with Mr. C.
The entire weekend was amazing and left me feeling very happy, contented and loved.
Saturday we hit the highway on a road-trip to visit family who have recently moved into their brand new custom built house. A two hour drive north, with our favourite coffee and donuts, driving the Trans Canada Highway into beautiful snow covered countryside. One of our favourite activities is to grab the cameras and head out on a road trip to take photographs.
The house is beautiful! We got the complete tour, and although there is still a lot of furniture to purchase and personal touches to make, I can see that this is going to be a stunningly gorgeous house. It's only natural to be a teensy bit jealous, but considering the hardships that our family members have suffered this past year, that necessitated the building of this home - I do not begrudge them their good fortune one iota.
They have two adorable 9 week old little kittens, with whom I immediately fell in love! Sadly Mr. C's allergies make such an addition to our own household unlikely. We already have the two dogs - a cat too would probably be just too much.
After a delightful lunch and a surprise early birthday cupcake (complete with singing!) we headed home just ahead of a forecast heavy snowfall. Dinner was my choice, so I picked chicken fajitas, one of my favourite meals!
Sunday morning dawned with a fresh blanket of snow, over top of what is already on the ground from before Christmas. Mr C. made cinnamon bread french toast for my birthday breakfast, and other than putting the bottle of maple syrup on the table, I didn't lift a finger!
I spent the afternoon setting up my birthday gift from Mr. C. - a beautiful new jewelry box!
We made a late afternoon trip to the mall to purchase a new charm for my Pandora bracelet. A gift to myself.
Birthday dinner was a delicious steak dinner at The Keg with Mr. C.
The entire weekend was amazing and left me feeling very happy, contented and loved.
Taking the tree down!
Putting up the tree is filled with excitement and joy. Sugar coated Norman Rockwellesque childhood memories flood in and I'm filled with love, peace and contentment.
Taking down the tree however is a chore, the barren space left where the tree once stood just serves to remind me that a long, cold bleak winter still lies ahead. Grey and drab, in stark contrast to the twinkling fairy lights, that just a few hours ago warmed my soul.
I'm inherited a few of my grandmother's superstitions regarding Christmas, and I adhere to her "twelve days before and twelve days after" rule. Growing up she had been quite adamant that the Christmas decorations should not go up more than twelve days before Christmas and had to be down before the twelfth night after Christmas, as it was considered unlucky.
In olden days the superstition revolved around the tree-spirits that were believed to live in the evergreen boughs, holly, ivy etc. that people brought into their houses to decorate with. Bringing the tree-spirits indoors would provide them with shelter during the harsh mid-winter days. Once Christmas was over however, the greenery had to be returned outside to release the tree-spirits into the countryside once again. Even in this artificial era of fake plastic Christmas trees and foil tinsel I still observe the dates.
New Treadmill
We have added to our home gym equipment! Over Christmas we purchased a treadmill to compliment our free weights, stability ball, Bosu ball, tension bands and Bow Flex. It's the Livestrong LS13.0T and so far we love it!
Both Mr C. and I have been religiously working out daily on it. It's stable, solid, quiet and runs like a charm!
Pool/beach season is just around the corner (even though it's -40C with the windchill outside today!) and we are both hoping to be trim and toned for summer!
Pool/beach season is just around the corner (even though it's -40C with the windchill outside today!) and we are both hoping to be trim and toned for summer!
Mammogram
Just before Christmas my doctor suggested that I get a mammogram. Based on my age, he wanted to get a base line or benchmark to base future readings by. (Make's sense).
I'd had a mammogram once before, 10 years ago, when I had found a lump. Thankfully it turned out to be a fatty deposit, but that wasn't before they had me come back for a second exam and fret myself half to death. I apparently have "dense breast tissue".
So it came as no great surprise to get a phone call last week from the radiology clinic asking me to go back in for another exam.
I'm sure it's nothing.
I hope it's nothing.
I pray it's nothing.
Wednesday 1 January 2014
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
For 2014 I am looking at a few new projects:
Firstly, I want to get back to writing. Even if it is only a journal via this blog, I would like to get back to channeling my energies into something more constructive than Farmville or Candy Crush.
Secondly, I need to drop a few pounds and get back to working out on a regular basis and eating sensibly. Even the dogs need to cut back on their treats and hit the trails more often!
Thirdly, I'm going to do the 52 week money challenge -
- and by this time next year I will have a nice tidy sum to pay for a winter vacation away from these frigid cold -20 C wind chills somewhere hot and tropical.
This list could go on forever...suffice to say, I am looking forward to a number of new projects around the house which will certainly keep me out of mischief - and which in turn will provide ample fodder for my blog (which brings me nicely back to the first item on my 2014 list!)
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?
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