SEASONS GREETINGS

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My Life Thus Far

This was passed on by Kris...

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
0 6. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the snake river
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (well, currently working on that)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school (not full time, though)
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach (unfortunately)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read "The Iliad"
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone whodidn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

63 out of 150...not bad.

(Ok, the cow thing was at Maplewood Farm in North Vancouver and it was after a demo, they let you come up and try it a couple times so I didn't exactly fill up a whole bucket.)

Loud & Proud

Last night, I braved the local mall and took my kids to see Santa. I went right after work - didn't even go home to put on comfy jeans or grab a bite to eat. It actually wasn't bad when we got there. I guess most people go home to put on comfy jeans and grab a bite to eat before they hit the mall.

So we wait in line about 30-45 minutes, they chat with the big guy, get a picture, grab their candy canes and we hit the food court for some crappy mall food (for the kids - I opted out. Just smelling Evan's hot dog made me lose my appetite). Then I dropped them off at their dad's (it was his night) and finally got to go home and put on my pajamas.

I flop on the couch, flick on the TV to veg out for a bit and relax when Adam comes upstairs, big smile on his face. When I got home he had been on the computer and I could hear him clicking away so I knew he was playing poker. Apparently he won a tournament so he was all proud. But, he was even more proud of this:

He basically came home from work (early) and polished off ALL the beer in the house. For no reason - just because.

And he was so proud that he actually wrote on that little piece of paper: I DRANK THESE!

December 13th. And he signed it. Yes, he signed and dated it!

Wow - what a man. Needless to say he passed out on the chair upstairs watching Die Hard with me.

Ugh.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

...and when I run out of white, I'll open a bottle of red.

CHEERS

I am (almost) 30 years old and I still can not figure out what is so great about New Year's Eve. It always seems like such a big deal to celebrate a new year, but you wake up the next morning (sometimes with a wee bit of a headache) and the world is exactly the same. It's just another 1st day of the month. Big freakin' deal.

Don't get me wrong - I've been to some pretty fun New Year's parties in the past. The best was the big one - year 2000 - when I went with a big group of friends from work. We had a fabulous dinner at the revolving restaurant overlooking Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver (of course it rained, so the view wasn't as spectacular as it could've been), then on to the Hyatt for 4 different ballrooms of drinking and dancing and then a piano bar on the rooftop suite. It was great. But I really have no desire to pay $100+ every year to do the same. I just don't care enough.

To be honest, what I look forward to more is December 30, for a certain someone's birthday. Perhaps it's because we usually don't go to sleep until 5am December 31, having had a little too much wine...I don't know.

So my plans for the big 'Eve this year? Dinner and maybe a movie with the kids. And the kicker? Last year, us adults had a fondue night, so this year it'll be chocolate fondue with the kids. Maybe I'll even add a little sparkling applejuice to be traditional. Rock on. Anyone care to join?

33 Shopping Days...

Yes, I realize it's less than that 'til Christmas. That's actually the countdown to ~gulp~ my BIG 3-0. It sucks. I'm soooo not looking forward to this one. I really REALLY am not ready to say goodbye to my 20's. I mean, I can't even keep a job at one place for more than a year...

That's right - I've changed jobs. Again. I'm back to commuting downtown, working in an office all day, in a cubicle (ick!). No more coming and going as I please. No more fabulous lunches, wining and dining. No more golf tournaments! Well, I guess the odd one, but not like how it was at the last place where I got paid to schmooze. But, now I go home to my family every night at 4:30 (except for when I have class - which I need to continue doing, unfortunately), leaving the work on my desk where it will be the next day.

On the bright side, my new job, although I'm very busy, I am WAY less stressed. Other than the studying I had to do last week for my final, I have felt great. And the commute? Well, I'm back on the train, so I just sit there and either gaze out the window, read or chat with P if we catch it together. It's great! So relaxing. And one thing I've noticed is that I haven't put gas in my car for 12 days. That's a new record - I usually filled up once every five or six, depending on how many claims I went out on that week.

What does all this mean? Really, what's in it for you? Perhaps something or someone I observe during my commute (oh god, this one woman's hair!). Or perhaps more embarrassing stories (certain things can only happen to me). Or, perhaps, I'll just have all this spare time, to sit, and think...you'll have to wait and see.

Not only that, but I believe I have a one year anniversary coming up.

Winter Weather...in Autumn

This is great - a friend of mine emailed this to me and it made me laugh out loud:

Weather Warning

Chilled Vancouver commuters faced their second day of winter hell today, as an additional ¼ centimeter of the peculiar white stuff fell, bringing the lower mainland to its knees and causing millions of dollars worth of damage to the marijuana crops. Scientists suspect that the substance is some form of frozen water particles and experts from Saskatchewan are being flown in. With temperatures dipping to the almost but not quite near zero mark,Vancouverites were warned to double insulate their lattes before venturing out.
Vancouver police recommended that people stay inside except for emergencies, such as running out of espresso or biscotti to see them through Vancouver's most terrible storm to date.
The local Canadian Tire reported that they had completely sold out of fur-lined sandals and snow tires. Drivers were cautioned to put their convertible tops up (so I did), and several have been shocked to learn that their SUV's actually have four wheel drive, although most have no idea how to use it.
Weary commuters faced soggy sushi, and the threat of frozen breast implants. Dr. John Blatherwick, of the Coastal Health Authority reassured everyone that most breast implants were perfectly safe to 25 below.
"The government has to do something," snarled an angry Trevor Warburton. "I didn't pay $540,000 for my one bedroom condo so I could sit around and be treated like someone from Toronto."

Ain't that the truth...