Good thing the days are getting longer

About two years and two months ago we decided that it might be nice to have some mini lights in our bedroom. We thought it would be a nice soft light for getting ready for bed, and talking and doing those other things that newly weds do in the bedroom. Well we still have those lights up. It is a string of 200 multicoloured mini lights and they are still up. We have used them for hours and hours and hours. We usually turn them on while we are getting ready for bed and they stay on until we go to sleep. We also turn them on in the morning while we are getting up and ready for our day. Shortly after we got married we even purchased an extension cord with a switch on it that makes it as easy as pushing a button to turn them on and off. Don't have to worry about getting out of bed to turn them off when it's time to go to sleep.

One day last fall I went to turn the lights on, and a section of 50 had burned out. We watched as a few of the bulbs burned out here and there, but eventually enough burned out in that section that it took the whole section out. It was a little darker, and seemed a little strange for a while, but we got used to it. Then a few weeks later another section burned out. So our string of 200 lights was down to 100 (minus a few burned out ones in those two sections). Finally last night, another section burned out. We now have probably about 45 lights that light up in our room. It isn't really worthwhile turning them on anymore. I had no idea that they would burn out in sections like that. Oh well, we were planning to take them down when we are trying to sell anyway.

Remember this one??

This made me laugh, haven't seen it on TV for some time now, but something made me think of it tonight, and I just had to look it up! Enjoy!

Why is it

when you have a sore spot in your mouth (canker sore, bit your cheek, burnt yourself etc) that invariably your tongue is always wanting to touch it and irritate it further! I have a terrible spot on the inside of my gums where I burnt it on our pizza at supper and it really stings, and my tongue will not leave it alone! Grrrrrr!

So sad

Did you hear about the 2 year old child who died in Calgary when her head got stuck in the power window of the truck? What a sad story, just breaks my heart.

Read the full story here.

I can't imagine...

being in such a hurry to get home (or somewhere) that instead of waiting like two minutes for the green arrow to turn left from the freeway onto Boychuk Drive, I would pull across two lanes, turn right onto Boychuk then immediately do a u-turn and get to go not even two minutes before I did. This guy was stopped right behind me at the red light, we were about 4 or 5th in line waiting to turn left once the arrow came on, and he did that. Cut over, did a u-turn and got to go straight through on Boychuk before the arrow allowed us to turn left. I just can't imagine what could be SO important that he would have to do that :P

Odd Phone Call

I just got a phone call from an odd looking long distance number. I decided rather than letting the answering machine pick it up (as we usually do), I picked it up. Sure enough it was a recording with the sound of a cruise ship whistle in the background and a male voice telling me that he will give me two free boarding passes if I answer a survey for them. I hung up, having heard about lots of telephone scams offering 'free' trips. After I hung up the display on the phone wasn't changing, the odd long distance number was still on there, so I tried to delete it, and it wouldn't allow me to delete it. So I picked up the phone and the recording was still going. Asking the survey questions. I thought that this was quite odd because I had hung up the phone and we don't have call waiting at all. So after supposedly hanging up on the phone call a few times I was kind of freaked out so I just hung it up for a minute or so then checked it out again and it was finally a dial tone. Weird....maybe I will just let the answering machine look after those calls from now on!

Music Ramble

Lately I have been listening to the album Continuum by John Mayer. I have liked his music for a few years now. I really fell in love with his album "Room for Squares" about 3-4 years ago. I found his lyrics to be quite clever and fun on that album and I liked every song except one or two. I think that is quite a rare thing on a CD. Then his second album, Heavier Things, came out, and for the most part it was rather 'blah'. I think there was one or two songs that were okay and I kind of fell off of the John Mayer bandwagon. Not such a big fan, though I did still like the first album. Then just out of the blue I looked him up again and found out he had a new album out and checked out Continuum. I think for the most part he has redeemed himself....well except for the fact that he's kind of gotten fat, and grew his hair long, and he's dating Jessica Simpson :P I guess I don't have to take that into consideration when enjoying his music. If you are looking for some nice mellow blues-y music it's good stuff :)

After weighing myself at my parents house yesterday, I realized that over the last 5 years or so (moreso I think in the last 2-3 years) I have lost approximately 30lbs. No wonder everyone asks me if I have lost weight. It is amazing how your weight can fluctuate so much and it's not that you don't realize it, but you don't necessarily feel 30lbs lighter. I know for a while I was wearing size 14s, and now I am even fitting into some size 8s. I think I am skinnier than I was in high school. I am sure that I was wearing size 12s in high school. I am not trying to brag or anything, it just kind of hit me yesterday about the 30lb thing.

The summer I worked at camp (2001) I am sure I put on 10-20lbs over a 3 month period. I think after that I was the heaviest that I have ever been. I am sure it didn't help that I worked for a year in a parkade booth sitting on my butt after camp. I think massage school helped, but more than that being in a job that is physically demanding, and I know that since I got married I eat less than I used to at mom and dad's. I remember when I was in massage school that when we did our 'Q1 clinic' where we had friends and family come in to receive relaxation massages to get an intro into the clinic atmosphere, I would just pour sweat. I had to wear a head band so sweat wouldn't trickle down into my eye. Not that I am in great shape now by any means, but I definitely find it easier than I did way back then. I like this business of being skinnier, and I plan to keep myself like this! I haven't given up any snacks or bad foods, and I think that sometimes that's where dieting fails is when you have to give up eating the things you enjoy. I suppose my weight loss has been due to a change in lifestyle. I guess now when people ask me if I have lost weight instead of saying "I don't know, have I?" I will say, "Yes, I have, thank you."

Angie's trip to the spa

Last night I went to Angle's Spa to use the gift certificate that I got for Christmas. I decided to get a full body scrub as I thought it might sooth my dry winter skin. Overall it was a nice treatment, even though they ran out of the white tea scrub that I had requested so I had to settle for cocoa, which smelled like hot chocolate. As I said, overall it was a nice treatment, but I found myself laying there analyzing it. The way the scrub was done kind of confused me. It didn't seem to be the most efficient way to get at all the different body parts, but I dealt with it, just thought it was kind of strange. Then once she was done with the scrub, and wiped the excess grit off, I got to go sit in a steam sauna for 10 minutes. That was just lovely. It took me back to my days in hydrotherapy class at massage school. I could definitely go for more steam sauna time! Maybe I will have to call the school one of these days!

After I was done in there I went back to the room for a half hour long relaxation massage. It wasn't terrible, but it was clear to me that this girl was no massage therapist by trade. I didn't expect much as it was a 'relaxation massage' which to me is basically an application of lotion to the body. But this girl tried to add a bit of pressure to the massage and ended up putting too much pressure on some areas that shouldn't have pressure placed on them. For instance the back of my knees. That is a very sensitive area that has some blood vessels and nerves fairly close to the surface. It is okay to go over that area with light pressure, but don't stop and do thumb kneading, it doesn't feel very good. The only other complaint about the massage was that she was putting pressure on bony areas like the back of my hands and my shin bones. I think it is hard for me to think through the eyes of someone without specific training in massage, but that just seems like common sense to me. Who likes to have bony areas rubbed? It makes more sense to rub areas that are full of muscle. But overall it was a nice treatment and it is a very nice spa. I would definitely go back and try out some other treatments if I was given the opportunity.

Work, Red Lights and House Plans

In the last couple of weeks I have actually felt sort of like I have a real job. Not that I don't usually feel like it, but the days of a massage therapist can vary incredibly. Some days I have no appointments, some days 1 or 2 then some days I have 5 which is the most I like to take in one day. Today I had 3 and I actually feel pretty good, not really tired at all. Anyway, this past week I have had to go to work in the morning every day and I have also had a couple of days where I had to stay fairly late. I have put in a couple of 7-8 hour days this week. Not to say that I was massaging that whole time (or I would probably be dead right now), but I was at work trying my best to be productive when I wasn't massaging. Though I do have a good book on the go right now (This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti) which helps to pass the time. I don't want to count on anything, but the last few weeks have felt much more steady. Very few days with no appointments. Maybe after almost 3 years it is starting to level off a bit. That would be nice!!

When I was leaving work today I was pulling out of the parking lot with my car and I noticed a red light on, on the dash. I decided that I should pull over and use the owner's manual to try and decipher what this red light meant. I found out that it meant 'low engine coolant' and in the manual it said to pull over and add some coolant before continuing to drive. I don't generally keep a container of engine coolant in my trunk, so I did the next best thing I could think of. I called my dad. He is fairly knowledgeable when it comes to vehicles and he figured that as long as I kept an eye on the temperature gauge in the car as I drove home and pulled over if it got hotter than usual that I should be okay. Well of course you feel all paranoid when those red lights are staring you in the face :P But I did get home safely and when I was almost home the light turned off. Who knows what the deal is, but I think just to be safe Jason and I will check it out tonight.

We got our first set of drafted house plans back today! We got the call this morning and I stopped by and picked them up on the way into work. They look pretty good, I think that we will only have a few minor changes to make and it shouldn't take as long to get them back this time. It looks like most of the rooms will be a good size. Most importantly they listened to what we had to say and there is no 5 foot turning radius in the bathroom :P I spent a good amount of time looking them over today and It is pretty exciting :)

I think we have had entirely TOO much snow this winter. So whoever is controlling the snowfall out there....STOP!

I found out today about 2 more couples at church who are expecting babies. This is definitely the most people I have known at one time who are pregnant. It better not be contagious!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

will be released on July 21st, 2007. I totally thought it would be at least another year of waiting for it. I just reread the 6th book and can't wait to get my hands on book 7! Very exciting ending to the last one.