FireCracker Realized
Thursday, June 30, 2005
shrink wrap
I think my boobs are shrinking. I noticed today while doing some errands over lunch that my boobs were bouncing up and down in ways that they've never done before. Maybe it's just the bra I'm wearing but they were flying all over the place. And this bra used to look so much better on me than it does today. This is so not fair. I want my boobs back! Just take the excess from my ass...there's plenty there. Although, that could be part of the problem...I'm starting to lose some of that too...which is a very good thing! It's amazing what not eating everything in sight will do for a girl...that and not having any food in the house because of working too much makes losing weight much easier. I don't suppose that would help build muscle too? Didn't think so.
Work has been much better these last couple of days. I actually left at 5pm yesterday and I shouldn't be too late tonight either. I've actually done very little work this week and it feels amazing. The problem is that I can already sense that tomorrow will be chaotic and I can see them pulling something since it's the Friday before a long weekend and I have plans. They always mess with me when I have plans after work, but this time they'll have to deal with the fact that I'm leaving early tomorrow and they won't be able to stop me. My vacation has definitely helped me realize that my life is more important than my job and they cannot take priority any more. And if they don't like it they can terminate my contract. I'm totally okay with that. Of course, as I type this they are already starting their stupid games. We were supposed to have a file sent to us close to 2 hours ago and they're still working on it. I swear this project would be more successful if it was run by chimpanzees.
Posted by Maple :: 5:32 PM :: 3 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
The Joy of Flying: Part II
What can I say? Friday's adventure was one of the more annoying trips I've ever taken, but Monday's trip came close. I had another early morning flight to take - 6:30am - and since I had to deal with Customs & Immigration, it's necessary to get to Pearson as early as possible. My goal was just before 5am, which means being up at 4am and in the car no later than 4:30. Sounds familiar doesn't it? No matter how you look at it - it's way too early! But for some reason, my instinct that morning was to turn on the computer to check my flight status. This is not something I normally do, but then considering what my instincts have told me before, I had to trust it. So with the whole house awake and getting ready for my too quick departure, I find out my flight is CANCELLED! And all I can think is 'Thanks for telling me.' If I hadn't thought to check online I would've been so upset. Instead, all I could do was laugh hysterically at the pain of it all. I get on the phone to see which flight they've put me on, then calmly explain to them that 2:30pm is not acceptable. I have things to do back home. Of course, the 8am flight is booked solid so the earliest return is 10am. Which means dealing with rush-hour traffic getting to the airport and a ton more people to deal with once I get there. My day has started off wonderfully!
So everyone heads back to bed for a little more sleep and we try it all again at 7am. Traffic is bad, construction doesn't help but we finally make it. I have about 2 hours until takeoff. Lots of time - or not! As soon as I walk into the terminal all I see is a wall of people. For the first time today I'm grateful for taking United - there's only 2 other people in line for them. Everyone else is taking Air Canada. Thousands of people that have to go through customs. It's a long, long wait so I put a smile on my face and think to myself that I've just bypassed a thousand people because I'm on United. It was the little things that made me happy that day. And it still takes over an hour to get through the line. Next is the security line. It's not as bad. I'm in one of the shorter lines. This won't take long at all - except I'm chosen to get my bag searched and the lucky recipient of a pat down. Oh goodie! I get an old lady to put her hands all over me. They could've at least had the cute guy do it, at least then it would've been exciting. I guess I shouldn't complain...it's the most action I've had in a while.
Can anything else happen at this point? I'm sure lots more could've gone wrong but luckily that was it. Until I got to O'Hare and had to pay $48 for parking...damn cabbie!
Posted by Maple :: 10:47 PM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
back to work
I'm back at work today and so far things are going well. I was smart enough last week not to give anyone my contact info in T.O. so I was truly able to relax...and it was wonderful! After my flying adventures Friday morning I was greeted at the airport by my brother and my niece - Princess M. The little princess is absolutely adorable and has grown so much since I saw her at Christmas. She has changed into a little person and is no longer a baby...unbelievable! The first job I was given was to watch her all morning while my brother did some work, which meant watching her in the pool. She loves, loves, loves to swim and the only reason she would leave the pool was to eat lunch or get a new toy to use in the pool. I think she may be a fish.
After lunch I headed to the spa for my long overdue pampering - massage, manicure and pedicure! It was heavenly. I haven't felt that relaxed in a really long time...and it only took 3 hours. From there I was picked up by Mom and headed back to my brother's to gather the troops and head out to dinner at Snug Harbour. It's a restaurant in the marina that's supposed to have great seafood, but what a disappointment. The food was either really bland or super spicy and the fish was not very fresh. Considering Mom hails from Cape Breton, NS she was expecting some really good food and instead left extremely disappointed. It was pretty much a rip off. We then headed home for an early night and I was sound asleep by 10pm.
Saturday was amazing. I did absolutely nothing! I woke up late, had some breakfast and watched TV with Mom all day long! It was the best. We watched a little golf, some tennis and even some baseball...although no Cubs game...only the Red Sox. I didn't even go outside until after dinner when Mom and I went for a nice long walk...and then it was off to bed again. I was supposed to go out with B that night but decided I wasn't in the mood to go dancing and really didn't have the energy. Besides, I was really enjoying spending time with Mom and didn't want to give that up.
Sunday started with a call from my brother to help with Princess M while he and J got the house ready for her birthday party. Again it was a morning spent at the pool where she splashed me so much that I should've just gone in the pool with her. I think at one point she just dumped out at least half the water onto the deck....but at least she had fun. Once she went down for her nap, I headed out to get her balloons, an annual job, and helped prep some of the food and cleaned the tables and chairs. J always has so much to do and my brother never seems to get much done before the guests start arriving so it's up to me to help pick up the slack. But as usual, the party went off without a hitch and everyone had a great time. Princess M is still spoiled rotten and managed to score all kinds of cool stuff: tons of Dora books and games and blankets and towels, a Dora chair, a pink and purple feather boa, clothes and even an inflatable boxing ring that she can bounce to her hearts content with her little friends. I can't really remember my 3rd birthday, but I'm pretty sure I only received a fraction of the stuff she got and I definitely didn't have 30 people attend my party. Maybe next year I'll be so lucky.
Posted by Maple :: 2:27 PM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Friday, June 24, 2005
The Joy of Flying: Part I
The fates are conspiring against me. It starts off early, with my not hearing the alarm blaring at 4AM Friday morning. Thankfully I showered before bed so I was able to be dressed and ready to go, even though my cab was coming in 5 minutes. Or at least it was supposed to. With early morning flights, I always make a point of reserving a cab the night before, with specific instructions for them to call me when they arrive. I live in an apartment complex where there is absolutely no way for me to know if someone is out front waiting for me or not - hence the phone call request. When I made the reservation, I had a funny feeling that things would get screwed up. My cab was supposed to arrive at 4:50AM and at 5AM I put in the call to find out where the hell it was. The dispatcher claimed 'The driver had a little trouble. He'll be there shortly. Let me call you back with how long it will be.' 5 minutes later he calls to say the cab was there and left because I wasn't outside waiting. Try to imagine the words that started flying out of my mouth at this point...it wasn't pretty. I let him have it as I grabbed my keys and headed out to my car...time to enforce Plan B.
Traffic is still pretty light because it's really early but I still need to figure out where to park once I get there and I'm 20 minutes behind schedule now. Normally I give myself plenty of time to get to the airport because I'm anal that way, but this time I didn't. I wanted sleep more. So I'm now in panic mode. There is not enough time. I found the parking lot and noticed a spot when I first drove in - yay! Then I had to hop on the train to the terminal - and of course my terminal is the furthest possible point from where I am. Just perfect! The whole time I'm on the train I'm thinking of contingency plans. How much am I willing to spend on a new ticket if they make me buy one, the fastest way to get through security, the fact that if I needed to run the flip flops were coming off. I'm just a wee bit anal...but you knew that already. I expect perfection and when chaos ensues, I'm not too good at handling it.
So when I get off the train and notice one of the express check in machines I head straight for it and think... 'I'm saved!' I have about 5 minutes before they start boarding my flight so I think I can make it...until the machine says I'm too late. Crap! Now what? I run into the terminal and finagle my way to the front of the international line thanks to some wonderfully kind people. I get to the counter and explain my predicament. The woman looks at my bags and asks if I need to check anything and thankfully the answer is no. 'Then I think you'll make it!' She directs me to the nearest security point and tell me the fastest way to the gate. I thank her and start my jog through the terminal. When I get to the security line, all I can see is a mass of people not moving. My internal panic attack starts up again and I'm determined to get past everyone in line. Again, I plead my case to one of the security officers...and he's willing to help. 'Just give me a minute.' A minute?? I don't have a minute! But he comes through and checks my ID and lets me bypass everyone. And then I have to wait again for the metal detector line, which isn't too bad, I just can't handle any more delays at this point. I get through without incident and start the jog to my gate and that's when I notice the clock.
6:00
'That can't be! It must be wrong! I'm....early.' My flight doesn't actually leave until 6:30, but they had almost finished boarding at this point. Did time stand still or something? It just doesn't seem possible that I could make the flight with time to spare. And then end up with a seat in an empty row too.
Maybe it's not such a bad morning after all.
Posted by Maple :: 2:02 PM :: 3 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Thursday, June 23, 2005
What 5 Things do you miss about your childhood?
Tagged by Violet at Forward Motion
But first the rules to this meme game:
Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog's name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross pollination effect.
1. End Of The World
2. so anyway...
3. both hands
4. Forward Motion
5. FireCracker Realized
Next: select new friends to add to the pollen count. (No one is obligated to participate).
1. Tosa
2. Dater of None, Mistress of One
3. Whirlygurly
Your turn:
1. Having the summers off to do whatever I want;
2. Playing poker with my cousins at my grandparents house;
3. Following my Dad around helping him fix stuff;
4. Dreaming big - with the idea that dreams do come true; and
5. Having my neighbourhood congregate in front of my house for fireworks for Canada Day, while I'm spinning in circles with those little sparklers.
Posted by Maple :: 1:47 PM :: 1 Comments: ---------------------------------------
what a tease
I woke up dreaming of being kissed, thanks to reading This Fish last night. Those are my most favourite dreams and always bring a smile to my face. The ones that you get lost in and try so desperately to start back up once you've started to wake. A kiss says so much about a person and how they're feeling at that moment. Passionate kisses are always the best but that first tentative kiss with a man you are attracted to can really set the tone for the whole relationship. If it's a sloppy, wet kiss where you feel like you need a towel to dry off afterwards, it's probably not going to be the start of something great - at least not for me. That won't leave me wanting more and with a good kisser, I always want more! That first kiss should be soft and gentle with that little bit of urgency that makes your heart race. It should send tingles down your spine and give a hint of how much better it will be that next time. Almost like a tease. When you get that, it's hard to resist. Maybe that's why I dreamt about being kissed...I'm waiting for that next wonderful spine tingling kiss.
Posted by Maple :: 12:37 PM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
still here
Yep...it's true. 2:37am and people in Australia are instant messaging me to go home. They are 15 hours ahead of us yet they are on their way home and I'm still here. Something is definitely wrong with this picture.
Shouldn't be much longer...I hope.
Posted by Maple :: 2:37 AM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Vacation...what vacation?
My vacation officially starts in 19 minutes...and I'm still at work.
Any chance of leaving before midnight? Nope.
Chances of working 40 hours in 3 days? Only 4 hours away...very possible.
Posted by Maple :: 11:41 PM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Monday, June 20, 2005
hmmmm....
So I'm not quite sure how this happened, but I think my hiatus is over.
Posted by Maple :: 12:47 PM :: 1 Comments: ---------------------------------------
I'm bored
I'm here at work and I'm bored. No one else will be here for another hour and the only thing I can do is research but I'm way too tired. I think I slept for 5 minutes on the train and could easily pass out now. I'm grateful it's quiet and there's only one email I can do anything about, but I need to discuss it with someone else first so it too must wait. Do you think it would be bad for me to sleep at my desk?
Posted by Maple :: 8:07 AM :: 4 Comments: ---------------------------------------
insomnia
I finally caught up on all the sleep I had been missing out on and now I get to start another work week without any. It's 3:30am Monday morning and I haven't slept at all yet. I'm contemplating going in to work now but I'm not sure what I'd do besides read the emails that are waiting for me. I stayed late Friday night to get everything done so that I wouldn't need to work the weekend, but it also means there won't be anything for me to do until everyone else arrives...which is hours away. So what to do? I tried reading, and it made me tired, but as soon as I shut out the light my brain went into overdrive. I don't know how to shut it off. I need to shut it off but it's not happening tonight. I'm too excited and a little overwhelmed. I'm starting to formulate a plan but the plan needs input from others - who hopefully are in dreamland right now. So I'm stuck until later.
I think I'll try some solitare...maybe that will help.
Posted by Maple :: 3:23 AM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Saturday, June 18, 2005
again??!?!???
It's happening again!!!! Uncle Kracker's 'Follow Me' is on the radio right now and reminds me of my rebound guy when I first moved to Chicago...too scary! He was involved with a married woman and left her for me but I dumped him when I found out about her...too weird!
Make it stop!!!!!!!!!!!!
hmmm....am I giving away too much information?
Posted by Maple :: 9:09 PM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
memories and weird stuff
Weird stuff that I've encountered recently....
- a St. Bernard in the backseat of a Porsche convertable...really big dog in a small car...I should've had my camera for that one!
- 5 fire trucks and 2 ambulances at my office Thursday morning...false alarm but scary anyway
- a homeless person sitting in the middle of the sidewalk on Michigan Ave. asking for money...usually they're a little less imposing
- a nicely dressed, barefoot Asian man sitting on the ground on the subway platform
- FireCracker leaving work by 6:30pm on Thursday...that was really bizarre!!
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Do you even have moments when a rush of memories come charging at you from nowhere? That just happened to me and it always takes me off guard. It doesn't happen often but when it does, one little thing will start it off and then there's no stopping. A song brings to mind an old friend...which reminds you of a party...that evokes a feeling...which stirs your emotions...that bring back an old boyfriend...which leads to the breakup...that causes tears...or a sigh of relief -- depending on the ex. In this case it was a sigh of relief. It always amazes me how something so little could cause such a chain reaction. I do like these moments even if they bring up some painful memories. They remind me of all I've been through and how I've grown because of these experiences. I'm so happy with who I've become. I finally feel confidence in myself (usually) and now know to trust my instincts, which I learned the hard way.
Imagine this...it's New Year's eve, I'm with a bunch of girlfriends at a bar and it's 10 minutes to midnight. A friend is desperate to meet a guy so she goes up to his friends and gets a couple of them to join our group. As I see them approach the first words out of my mouth are...
'Ewww...yuck!'
...flash forward a couple of years and I finally realize my first instincts were sooooo right! Somehow I ended up in a serious relationship with this boy. I think I was desperate to have someone in my life. What a mistake that was. My girlfriends tried to have an intervention with me about a year later. They hated this guy but they didn't want to hurt me. They found a reason that they thought would end it...he had been downloading porn on my computer. Little did they know this didn't phase me...or at least not that much. It wasn't a breakupable offense to me. His excuse was plausable so I believed him. At this point I had been spending most nights at his place so Spitfire called and said she needed me to come home - we had to talk. I figured it was something in her life that was a problem. I had no clue what was going on. I get home and she sits me down. Doc is on her way over with 3 little tubs of ice cream that we end up passing in circles. I am still clueless. Spitfire looks like she's going to cry and all I want to do is console her but then she starts talking about the wannabe rockstar. Talking about the porn. And I start laughing. She was all freaked out and upset and I just thought it was funny. I was so stupid and trusting back then. They really wanted to get him out of my life and I was too blind to see it. Not long after that intervention, I decided to get an apartment with him and that's when I realized how blind I had been. He was possesive and focused only on his needs. We only had a small loft apartment so there was really no place to get any alone time unless one of us was out. Unfortunately for me, he worked across the street so he was always around! I'd leave for work and he was still home. I'd get home and he was there. I couldn't even take a shit without him checking up on me. 'Honey...are you okay in there?' I was ready to kill him. At the end, our whole relationship was a sham. There was no intimacy and barely even a friendship. I would go from room to room to try and escape being around him with no success. Eventually we both realized it had to stop and we agreed that it was time to find someone to sublet. We were done. Imagine my surprise a few weeks later when he tries to get back together with me. We're still living together at this point and we've tried to be friendly during the whole process. Then, out of the blue he wants to rekindle the relationship....that he was wrong and he doesn't want to live without me. That he's even looked into getting married at Casa Loma in Toronto. That he nearly bought me a ring. He's crying and pleading to get me to reconsider, which I want no part of. And then he gets angry and I see his temper for the very first time. It was the most frightening thing I've ever experienced. He came very close to hitting me but instead hit the couch -- inches away from my head. That moment was the first time I have ever, in my life, been afraid for my safety. I was ready to call the cops. Instead I grabbed the phone and ran into the bathroom to get some distance. When he calmed down I agreed to come out and he promised he wouldn't come near me. The next day I moved out and stayed with my cousin for about a month. I was very grateful for her help and don't know what I would've done with out her. He refused to leave so it was really my only option. Somehow, when it came time for me to move into my new apartment, he actually helped. It was a strange situation. Once we were away from each other my life got back to normal and I've learned to realize my mistakes in life. I've had time to understand my choices and know the reasons for certain decisions. Hopefully, the next time around I won't be so blind, but at least I know to listen to my girls...they know what they are talking about!!! It used to be that my Mom would make a random comment on who I was dating and eventually that would be the reason we would break up. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of telling her this and now she keeps to herself. The one time I'm ready to listen and she won't say a word...what's a girl to do??
Posted by Maple :: 8:24 PM :: 3 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Thursday, June 16, 2005
things are looking up
Little things mean so much to me sometimes. In the last 2 days I've been able to get some things accomplished and it actually feels like I'm lighter. I've been able to iron and put away my laundry from weeks ago, pay some bills, watch a Cubs game on TV, go to a White Sox game, schedule my flight home, book a facial, read a couple of chapters of my book, talk with my Dr. and schedule some tennis for this weekend. I'm still lacking in the sleep department and have a ton of other things to take care of but I'm on my way! I found a great deal on a facial this morning and I've been dying to get one - it's free! Barney's New York is giving away 30 minute facials on Saturday and they made room for me. I'm so happy that I'm finally getting some pampering. I need to get Mom to book a massage for me when I'm home too - there's a really great spa near my brother's house that everyone goes to and I plan to take full advantage!
My trip home will be shorter than expected - priceline gave me the first flight out of TO on Monday morning so I'll have a full extra day for me...not such a bad thing. Hopefully the family won't mind too much but I wasn't going to pay $500 just for a flight. It also means I won't be able to visit with old friends this time around, but they'll understand.
The Sox game last night was interesting. It's a nice ballpark, but very distracting from the actual game. There's too much going on with all the different scoreboards and video screens - I just don't like it. They also have the seats pointing straight down onto the field instead of angled towards the plate which gets really uncomfortable after a while. My boss kept trying to get me to cheer for the Sox, but just being there made me feel like a traitor. Good thing I had one of our clients beside me who is a Cubs fan as well - we were able to stick together and cheer for Arizona instead. It started out with some drizzle and much cooler than it has been lately but it was working for AZ. Once the rain stopped, the game changed dramatically - the Sox got 10 runs in the 6th inning - it was insane! So much for seeing the Sox lose.
Posted by Maple :: 2:44 PM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
maybe today?
So I didn't have time for laundry or picking up my dry cleaning, but I did go for dinner with Violet and she was so kind and took me to Target to get my niece her birthday gift. And I got pillows for my couch. I love my new pillows and I want more of them! I must go back and get at least 2 more. They are smaller than I thought and my couch is so big that it's just not enough to only have 2.
The best part of yesterday was on my way to dinner...I got to talk to my niece for the first time since Christmas. She is so sweet! The last time I called my brother she didn't want anything to do with me but this time she nearly made me cry. As soon as she knew I was on the phone she grabbed it away from her mom and started talking to me! IT WAS THE BEST!!! I felt so loved in that instant and special. I always worry that she won't remember me and I guess we're past that point. She loves me and misses me and no longer needs prompting to talk to me. I'm so glad I'm going home. My brother keeps trying to get me to move home...well they all do, but this time he even offered me a job, but I don't think I want to be a Mortgage Broker like him. I think this trip will be the test to see if I can handle being around the family enough to move back. I'm definitely tempted now and have been thinking about it for a while. It's such a difficult decision and not one that I can make right away but I will need to make that choice soon. I need to start feeling like I'm home, where ever that may be and I have a funny feeling that will be back in Toronto. Of course, an idea just popped into my head of how I could do it sooner, rather than later. hmmmmm....
Posted by Maple :: 9:26 AM :: 2 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Monday, June 13, 2005
getting a life...or at least trying to
I worked like hell last week and even Saturday morning but there was no way I was going back Sunday once I was free from their chains. They did try to get me back but I didn't answer the call and deleted the message...oops! I was having a great time and they were not going to suck me back in. So instead, I went to the Cubs game Saturday and sat in the 5th row behind home plate -- thanks to Cubbie Girl standing in line for 5 hours in the hot sun! Without her, I would have been standing around watching the game from Murphys, but that wouldn't have been as fun.
The atmosphere in the ballpark was electric and there were so many Sox fans that there were chanting wars and it was hard to tell which fans were louder. It's not often that there are so many fans for the opposing team...unless you count those other Sox and Cardinal fans, but I try not to think of them. It almost felt like it was a playoff game there was so much emotion from the crowd, but in reality, it was just another game against a team we can only hope to play again in the World Series. One curse down...one to go.
So besides going to 2 Cubs games, I also managed to wash my dishes and sweep my floors. Real exciting I know but so necessary. I decided I didn't have enough energy for laundry so I'm hoping I can get that done tonight. I really need to unclutter my life so that I can start moving forward again and quit feeling so bogged down by work. My first big step was to ask my boss for a couple of extra days off when I go home in a couple of weeks. Amazingly, she said yes! So I'm taking 6 days off in a row...only 4 of which will be for the family and 2 whole days just for me. It's going to be great! Although, the last time I went home work followed and called me in a panic even before my flight touched down. This time, they're not getting Mom's phone number...they'll just have to figure things out without me. I still haven't decided if I want to drive or pay to fly home. If flights were cheap it would be an easy decision, but they've skyrocketed recently and I just can't justify spending the extra money, especially since I have to buy gifts for everyone's birthdays and treat my Mom for Mother's Day. I'm feeling overwhelmed again. There is so much I need to do and never enough time to do it, or if there is time I'm too tired and just can't motivate myself. These are the times when I really wished I had someone else around to help relieve some of the pressure. Even a roommate would be great so that I wouldn't have to worry about the place falling apart around me. But I guess this is just one more hurdle to overcome and if it doesn't kill me, then I'm going to be okay. And I will be okay...I have to be....there's still too much to do on my list and I must finish my list! I can cross one thing off that big list of mine...I didn't touch any beer at the Cubs game yesterday! Only 85 more things to do!
Posted by Maple :: 5:32 PM :: 2 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Thursday, June 09, 2005
ready for anything
Things that make me smile today...
1. being flirted with as I'm climbing up the stairs to catch my train
2. having time to go to Caribou Coffee for my tea
3. chatting with Reggie as I arrive at work
4. feeling relaxed because all my work is done and I only have to wait for everyone else before starting the next test
5. the water delivery arrived - yay!
6. having time to read my favourite blogs before things get out of control
7. Cubs won yesterday!
8. tomorrow is Friday
9. I'm wearing flip flops at work - I'm such a rebel!
10. my horoscope is great today..."The world's applauding -- go ahead and take a bow. It's nice to have such an appreciative audience, and you're center stage. Watch for one fan in particular -- they want more than an autograph."
Posted by Maple :: 11:34 AM :: 2 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
belly laughs
Work is work and it sucks right now but there is one good thing here - Reggie. He's the best! I see him every morning when I finally get my ass into the office and occasionally when I leave my cube to come up for air. He's our security guard and every day he brings a smile to my face, but today he actually made me laugh out loud. And totally by accident. I was ready to re-enter the secure part of the floor when just as I'm reaching for the handle it starts to slowly move and next thing you know there's Reggie with a shocked look on his face. I scared him! It's such a rare thing to have someone on the other side of the door just as you are opening it...there's not enough people on our floor for this to happen often. It was priceless and it felt good to get him back for once (he's been known to do this to me in the past...but he has the aid of security cameras to help him plan his attacks). So we both had a chuckle and now I can continue my day with a smile.
Date update...nothing to report. Too bad I'll never know if Ray was telling the truth or not. He never called, so I went to the game with Cubbie Girl instead and had a great time. I got to sing my national anthem and boo when the singer got the words wrong. It felt so good to see my flag flying at Wrigley...it nearly brought a tear to my eye. People always ask if I'll become an American and I can honestly say that it will never happen. I love Canada too much. I think the furthest I could ever go is to become a permanent resident, but there is no way that I could ever give up Canadian citizenship...it's much too important to me.
Posted by Maple :: 11:42 AM :: 6 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Saturday, June 04, 2005
sunny days
All I wanted was to sleep in. That's not too much to ask is it? At 7am the lawnmowers start and there goes any chance of sleeping. By 8am they're done, but it's too late now - once I'm up, I'm up for good. At least it's sunny and going to be in the 80's today! And I'm going to attempt playing golf with Violet and Uganda this afternoon. Mom would be so proud. She's been trying to get me to play for years and years but I've always resisted. I think the only reason I'm going is because I need some excitement in my life again and I always have fun with Violet around. It also helps that she's never played either. Uganda has no idea what he's in for.
I warned Spitfire that I had to post this shot of her ass-ets. This is why I need to rest after she comes to visit and this was early in the day...can you imagine what she was like later that night?? Love her!
Spitfire In Action
Posted by Maple :: 8:56 AM :: 2 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Friday, June 03, 2005
Hit me baby one more time
Yesterday was "Leave the Office Earlier Day" and I took full advantage -- I had a 1 1/2 hour lunch and left by 6:30! It was great! I should do that everyday - yeah right. I'm tired of everything that I put up with here and I made a point of not caring yesterday. My boss almost had me cancel my lunch plans, but I said "NO" and passed her request onto someone else to take care of. She gets enough of my time and the one day I decide to do something for me is when she needs me. That's why I never make plans, but I was so proud of my decision to leave. It felt so great to have dinner, at home, while the sun was still in the sky. I was in heaven - and then to top it off I got to watch Loverboy and Tiffany on NBC last night - and yes I still know all the words. I love it! Watch out...next week Vanilla Ice performs!
Today I have plans to go for dinner and possibly a movie with Shelley. We're going to a place that my ex likes to frequent so I made a point of dressing really cute today. And I swear I have a perma-grin right now...but that could be because I'm wearing my new pink jacket that I haven't had the courage to wear until now and I love it. I also bought this really cool necklace that goes with it so well. I'm such a dork, but I'll take any excuse to be happy right now.
Cross your fingers that I can keep this mood for the rest of the day.
Posted by Maple :: 10:02 AM :: 0 Comments: ---------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
He's from Africa!
Updates...
Friday Doc came into town and I met her at the pre-prom party. She and her other friends planned to get dressed up in prom dresses and head out on the town for some fun, but they started out small at a house party. It was a crazy night filled with lots of drama but everyone looked amazing - especially the guy in the powder blue tux! I decided against going out with them and became the official photographer/videographer instead - if anyone knows how to improve the images from a digital camera video, please let me know. Some of the footage is priceless!
Saturday started with the Cubs game with Doc & Cubbie Girl. Doc was drowning out the drama from the night before but managed to rebound pretty good by picking up the cutie a few seats over who was at the game with his mom - we'll call him Oklahoma. His mom was a little peeved that Doc was hitting on him so she had to stop for a while, but they exchanged numbers with the plan that he would meet up with us later after mom went to bed. After the game we headed to our usual wateringhole - Murphy's. Doc always has a way of bringing all kinds over to chat with us and this was no exception. I had boys from Michigan trying to marry me off to the youngest of the group that just finished college and got his first real job. Then there was CG who ran into the guy she was supposed to have a date with the following day. But the best part of the day was when we found Ray. Comilla was chatting him up and decided he was better for me so she introduced us and sparks started flying. He was cute and nice - and he made me laugh! I was hooked. I haven't let myself be attracted to a guy in so long and it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The down side is that some of his stories make me not want to trust him, but they are such huge stories that he would have to have some serious issues to be lying about them. What do you think? He claims that he used to play for the San Francisco Giants back in the '90s and had his first hit against the Montreal Expos. That he actually made it to the show and not just the minors. He tried to show me where there's a hole in his knee from all his surgeries but I couldn't tell the difference from a healthy one. He also claims he could get me on the field at Wrigley for batting practice because he still knows some of the guys. If this were true, I would be in heaven. I tried to google him with what information I have, but it's hard to do without a last name. So if he calls, we're supposed to go to the Cubs/BlueJays game on Monday night where I can get more details. If he doesn't call, I'm going anyway so that I can wear my "Canadian Girls Kick Ass" t-shirt and sing my anthem for the first time in a long time.
Sunday I was hoping for a little down time so that I could regain some strength but that didn't happen. Spitfire came back into town and we headed out for tapas and sangria. From there we bar hopped our way to McGee's where Doc's friends and later Kansas joined us. It was a good night and we had fun. I miss having those girls in town and it's only every couple of years we can all get together at the same time....which may actually be a good thing - I don't think I could take it anymore! From McGee's we headed to Ty's Till 4 for some late-night beverages. Somehow we shared a cab with a couple of random boys that we each thought the other girls knew, and the one sitting by me decided that a kiss was required before we got out of the cab. I have no idea who he was but he was cute so I took advantage. It's been a long time and I needed to have some fun.
Monday started out slowly - "just 15 more minutes and then we can go" was said a lot that morning. I was grateful for the extra day away from the office but all I wanted to do was sleep. I should have known that wasn't an option. I had a barbecue to host at Violet's house that afternoon and I had done nothing to prepare. This was my first attempt at hosting a party and I think the only thing that went well was that 4 people had no choice but to be there. Other than that we had 1 other person show up. Violet was pissed and wanted to call everyone to find out where they were. I knew this would happen. It's what always happens and I expect nothing less, which is normally why I don't throw parties. The good thing was that I got a chance to get to know Violet's man better and he's such a great guy - he's from Africa you know! He had to put up with a lot from the rest of us but he took care of himself. And the rest of the people who came were good friends that I can depend on, and I'll take that over the others any day!
Posted by Maple :: 5:12 PM :: 3 Comments: ---------------------------------------