Whitney's Couch

I think that this is the one that she decided on. I'm sure she'll correct me if I'm wrong. She got it in chocolate brown faux suade type fabric. However she asked for velvet, but I kinda like the suade. You should have seen the look on her face when Nana started to eat a crumbley shortbread cookie whilst sitting on the coach! Priceless.


Actually it is this couch but in the fabric of the one above.

Movies

I just finished watching an inconvient truth by Al Gore. I have to say that I was more than a little disappointed. The documentary spent too much time explaining the effects of global warming and not enough time spent educating the viewers on how the average person can make changes. There were some tips that were mixed in with the credits, but lots of people don't sit through credits. It didn't blow my socks off, most of the info I already knew.

The next movie I watched was Pirates of the Carribean 2. I had seen it in the theatre with Sarah in the summer. But we sat by the exit and tons of people came in late and were coming and going so I didn't really concentrate on the movie. The theatre was almost full, and the people that came late couldn't find a seat, so they stood in the aisle beside me for a good chunk of the movie.

What movie should be next? Any suggestions? Not being in school is killing me! I am sooo bored.

Christmas Day

Last year I started a food drive at work. (Just for the co-workers) Last year I collected some food, but not a lot. This year I pamphleted the lunch room and harrassed my co-workers. I even talked my boss into donating all our damaged products to the food bank. This is how full it was a week ago. It's hard to tell, but this box is really big. This is about 2 apple boxes full!

Whitney and I spent Xmas day at Nana's cooking her a dinner. It was not a very relaxing day! Nana's stove is at least 40 years old and is gas. So we had to get Nana to teach us how to turn it on.


Because Nana is blind, she hasn't used her oven in a long time. We didn't realize how long until smoke started pouring out of the oven! Nana figured it had been about 5 years since she had turned it on. As a result the smoke detector went off every 5 minutes for the entire day. The stove vents into the kitchen instead of up and out of the house like they do today.



While cooking, a stellers jay came to the window sill, before I could grab my camera she had moved from the ledge to the pear tree.


We managed to cook a feast for 8. However there was only 3 of us, so Whitney and I packed up some TV dinners for Nana, and gave the rest away to homeless people downtown.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day morning, time to start cooking, but first we had to dress up. That's me posing with my new whisk.



And Whit ready to mash up a storm


Dad, Judy, Nana and Rod came over for appies, and presents.

New socks for dad.


A Cd of old french cafe music and a book about France and wine. Apparently they are planning on going to france this year?

Happy whatever

Yup it's almost Christmas. Ahh... the joy of standing in cashier line-ups. Hope everyone has an excellent holiday, check back in a few days for Christmas pics.

New Years Resolutions

I don't believe in them. Resolutions are just goals without a plan. And that's why they fail.

However Barb recently told me what her's is. It's a good one. I think that often people set up unrealistic goals for themselves and fail to really consider the steps needed to reach their goal. Because of this, resolutions fail and then you feel badly about yourself. Barb's is good because it is realistic and it only requires a small life change.

Resolutions shouldn't be something that you do once a year. For a couple of reasons, first procrastinating making a change until the new year doesn't help you and might actually contribute to it failing. Second, resolutions are made to be broken- if you always make a resolution and you always fail, then what makes this year's resolution different from every other? Finally, if we only examine our lives once a year and make resolutions that are gauranteed to fail, then are we really making any progress in our lives?

So these are Hilary's 10 tips to change:
1) Don't think of it as a resolution, think of it as a goal. You will be more likely to succeed
2) Don't wait for the New Year. Don't use a date on a calendar as your motivation. The motivation should come from within you.
3) Think small. Making a goal of losing 5 pounds is a much better goal than making a goal of 100 pounds
4) Sit down and write out a plan. Writting it down will help you focus and stay on task. How are you going to do this? Is it realistic?
5) What's the time frame? You will have greater success at a 6 week goal than at a 6 month goal
6) Ask for help. If others are involved and supporting you, you will be more likely to succeed in your goal
7) Reassess your goal at least once half way through. If you see that you goal isn't attainable, then it is probably too big. Break it up into smaller parts and continue. Maybe your goal is too big and you can't even start. Instead of having a goal to go to the gym 6 days a week. Maybe your first goal needs to be really small, like setting up an appointment with a trainer.
8) Don't beat yourself up if you don't complete you goal. Even making a small change will make you feel good about yourself. Remember to think small
9) Give yourself credit for your accomplishments. Give yourself a treat.
10) Make a new small goal when you have completed your goal

So that said, my goal is to learn how to drive. Because of the graduated licencing, my goal is actually longerterm. I graduate in 5 or 6 months, I would like to be well on my way by then.
So here are my steps so far
1) find a driving school. I'm price checking right now
2) budget for how I will pay for lessons
3) study for and take the learners test
4) set up the driving school lessons, which includes making time to do it

This is as far as I am planning at the moment, already this is a big goal.

Africa

This is a picture from Sarah and Ryan's blog. Ryan took this picture playing with a lion cub. Why isn't a baby lion called a kitten? Anyways, these pictures blow my mind. I used to love to watch the nature shows on PBS and read National Geographic. Even though I know that these animals actually exist, they don't really seem real. I think that zebras are as real to me as the T-Rex in Jurasic Park is. I'm reading I Dreamed of Africa right now. It is the true story of a woman who moved to Africa after the death of her husband and started an animal reserve for Rhinos. The book is good, I've never cried so much reading a book! Don't watch the movie, it doesn't capture the characters well.

treats

Christmas time means lots of baking and fall canning.

Apple pie filling


This one exploded in the canner. Luckily I heard it and took it out before it made a mess


And butter tarts. If you are thinking that some of these are too full, you'd be right! They overflowed.


I think that gingerbread is next

I'm pretty sure this is a scam

I keep getting stragne phone calls. They are all recordings that say I need to press a series of buttons. Some of them have been from "Credit Services" regarding my card, please press 1. Or congratulations you have won a cruise, please press 9 to collect your prize. I think I have had 4 or 5 phone calls. Since I have call display I have saved 3 of the numbers. I belive that if you are trying to scam people you should have your phone number blasted across the internet.

307-764-8790 is a number from Powell, Wisconsin
1-559-212-3005 is a number from Hanford, CA
307-764-8788 is also from Powell Wisconsin


After searching 559-212-3005 I found that they run lots of scams. But the one they use the most is credit card services and basically they will give you a low interest card if you give them all of your information. SCAM

This lead me to a great site http://whocalled.us/lookup People post the numbers of annoying or unwanted callers and the reaason why they were calling.

LED's part 3

I decided to undecorate my tree and refund the lights I bought at The Bay. But before I do...

On the box it shows the energy savings. We have all been a little mislead.

Traditional outdoor christmas lights (you know the larger glass bulbs?) running 600 lights for 6 hours a day cost $31.30 a month.

600 traditional minilights run for 6 hours a day for a month costs $6.00

And 600 mini LED lights run for 6 hours a day cost 45cents a month.

My tree has 70 lights on it, so it was costing me 70 cents a month. But now with LED's I am spending 5.25 cents a month. Not exactly the huge savings I was expecting. But I think that the reduced fire risk is worth something.

studying for exams and procrastinating

The last of the snow pics. I don't remember why, but I was up at 5 am taking pictures. The view from my front door. I didn't realize, but my neighbour is standing in her kitchen looking at me.


Salem's foot prints along the balcony rail






I met up with Whitney on Sunday, we looked at couches, Army and Navy and did a little christmas shopping on Columbia street. Little did we know that it was also the Santa Claus parade. Not a problem, we went to the Boathouse and ate some appies and had a bottle of yummy wine.

So this has been a big week in the book biz. Not for sales though....This week I sold a book to someone who lived 2 blocks away from me, strange I think. But unfortunately I had to refund the purchase. It was my first refund ever- a pretty good track record. I have managed to keep my 100% customer approval rating, total bonus. And today I actually signed up with Canada Post as a business. If I get one of their credit cards and ship online (which I normally do anyways) I get an 8% discount. But the real bonus is that my credit card will have my business name on it Salem Books.

This got me thinking, if I actually register as a business, could I write off Salem's food and cat litter as she is my business partner? She smells the books for me (if the book is smelly I don't sell it), and she also tests the stickiness of the packing tape. I wish I had a picture of the day she got super-sticky packing tape on her whiskers and I had to cut ALL of her whiskers off. But that was before my digital camera days.

Maybe it's cuz I'm blonde

So I travelled all over town looking for white LED lights for my tree. Finally found some, I paid a little more than I wanted to, but that's ok. Tonight I decided to set up my tree. I work my way down to the bottom box and see 2 small boxes. what's that? OH! It's the LED lights I bought at Shoppers last year on clearence. argh! Now what do I do? un-decorate my tree and try to return the lights at the Bay or what?

How frustrating