Most recent pic from a month ago...
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
September 22, 2007
August 18, 2007
Holls almost over...*sigh*
So I am back to work on Monday...and so far haven't made much of a dent on my other things on my "to do" list - but that's OK, this has been a well deserved break. I've made a point of hitting the gym every day and I'm happy with my progress - although the scale is playing a daily game of "gain 1lb...lose 1lb" just to keep me on my toes. I appear to have entered the twilight world of the plateau and I just have to grit my teeth, not lose hope and battle on through it.
I've been studying the package for the promotional exam daily, making copious notes, drinking gallons of coffee and realising that my brain isn't the sponge it was back in my school days. I was one of the lucky ones who never had to study for tests or exams back in school...but it seems with age I now need to learn some study techniques. Any tips from our resident school teacher would be gratefully appreciated!
So what have I been up to? Well last Friday J. , her bf and I hit the "Taste of the Danforth" street festival in Toronto. A celebration of all things Greek - food, drink, music, culture. We had a wonderful time...but as you can see from this pics it was crowded beyond belief!
Saturday, I was at a pool party with friends, but sadly again it was a tad too cool by late afternoon to tempt me into the water. The food was good however and the company ever better - kinda sad in a way that summer is just about over and this was probably the last pool party of the summer.
Sunday I was photographing sewer pipes (as previously noted), Sunday night I had a date with a guy I have known for a couple of years - but have successfully been able to duck up until this point. He invited me out to watch the meteor shower. Well, we never saw the promised meteors but it was a very starry night and we had a pleasant enough time. I have been avoiding him since as I really don't think we have much in common.
Tuesday was a date of a different kind. A guy I have known for several months...and who plays games like no tomorrow. We agreed to go to the movies...and then he was "incommunicado" from that point on. My response...fine! Screw 'em! And I went to the movies by myself. The Bourne Ultimatum...two thumbs up. Guy in question is deleted from my cell, blocked on msn and can go forth and multiply as far as I am concerned. (The fact he never called is immaterial).
Wednesday I met with an old girlfriend H. for drinks on the patio at a local bar. Our reunion was thanks to Facebook - we had lost touch probably about 10 or more years ago. What I figured was going to be a hour or two bite to eat and quick pint turned into a 5 1/2 hour gabfest. She's now married, with 2 kids (the youngest being a mere 7 weeks old, so this was a big night out for her). We got caught up, marvelled at how well we still got along after all these years, and generally had a wonderful time, promising we'll do it again soon now that we have been reunited. In itself it's not a huge story, except our friendship came along in the most unusual of ways. As we explained later to the bar owner, who came to join us for a drink mid-way through the evening - we both dated the same guy. "Biff" my ex of almost 10 years ago had the unusual habit of remaining the very best of friends with all his exes. My girlfriend was his ex from high school...and again in their mid 20's (he has a tendency to have at least 2 kicks at the can as it were). When he and I got together in the early 90's it was a given that his exes were still a part of his life - in a totally platonic way. I wasn't totally cool with it...but H. and I hit it off like a house on fire. Although the bar owner's comment of "oh so you both slept with the same guy" elicited a chorus of "ewwww's". "Biff" - I am happy to report has married and divorced since our 7 year relationship broke up (to another ex that he re-dated for the second time around) and is now living common-law and is a proud new "poppa" with yet another "ex" who he dated back in the late 80's. We jokingly wondered when my second "kick at the can" was going to happen...but I think I will pass on those sloppy seconds thank you very much!
I've been studying the package for the promotional exam daily, making copious notes, drinking gallons of coffee and realising that my brain isn't the sponge it was back in my school days. I was one of the lucky ones who never had to study for tests or exams back in school...but it seems with age I now need to learn some study techniques. Any tips from our resident school teacher would be gratefully appreciated!
So what have I been up to? Well last Friday J. , her bf and I hit the "Taste of the Danforth" street festival in Toronto. A celebration of all things Greek - food, drink, music, culture. We had a wonderful time...but as you can see from this pics it was crowded beyond belief!
Saturday, I was at a pool party with friends, but sadly again it was a tad too cool by late afternoon to tempt me into the water. The food was good however and the company ever better - kinda sad in a way that summer is just about over and this was probably the last pool party of the summer.
The traditional "Jello Shot"
Sunday I was photographing sewer pipes (as previously noted), Sunday night I had a date with a guy I have known for a couple of years - but have successfully been able to duck up until this point. He invited me out to watch the meteor shower. Well, we never saw the promised meteors but it was a very starry night and we had a pleasant enough time. I have been avoiding him since as I really don't think we have much in common.
Tuesday was a date of a different kind. A guy I have known for several months...and who plays games like no tomorrow. We agreed to go to the movies...and then he was "incommunicado" from that point on. My response...fine! Screw 'em! And I went to the movies by myself. The Bourne Ultimatum...two thumbs up. Guy in question is deleted from my cell, blocked on msn and can go forth and multiply as far as I am concerned. (The fact he never called is immaterial).
Wednesday I met with an old girlfriend H. for drinks on the patio at a local bar. Our reunion was thanks to Facebook - we had lost touch probably about 10 or more years ago. What I figured was going to be a hour or two bite to eat and quick pint turned into a 5 1/2 hour gabfest. She's now married, with 2 kids (the youngest being a mere 7 weeks old, so this was a big night out for her). We got caught up, marvelled at how well we still got along after all these years, and generally had a wonderful time, promising we'll do it again soon now that we have been reunited. In itself it's not a huge story, except our friendship came along in the most unusual of ways. As we explained later to the bar owner, who came to join us for a drink mid-way through the evening - we both dated the same guy. "Biff" my ex of almost 10 years ago had the unusual habit of remaining the very best of friends with all his exes. My girlfriend was his ex from high school...and again in their mid 20's (he has a tendency to have at least 2 kicks at the can as it were). When he and I got together in the early 90's it was a given that his exes were still a part of his life - in a totally platonic way. I wasn't totally cool with it...but H. and I hit it off like a house on fire. Although the bar owner's comment of "oh so you both slept with the same guy" elicited a chorus of "ewwww's". "Biff" - I am happy to report has married and divorced since our 7 year relationship broke up (to another ex that he re-dated for the second time around) and is now living common-law and is a proud new "poppa" with yet another "ex" who he dated back in the late 80's. We jokingly wondered when my second "kick at the can" was going to happen...but I think I will pass on those sloppy seconds thank you very much!
June 20, 2007
No longer a golf virgin!
A few of us off my platoon got together on days off yesterday for a golf day - sadly not everyone, but I don't think even the golf course could have coped with 50 of us all at once. Prior to yesterday my only experience with golf had included windmills and the big clown's mouth at the end of the course....ahem.
I had a totally awesome time. I actually managed to impress a few of the guys with a few of my drives...but there were equally as many pathetic moments - and it was a blast. I even got invited to come out and play at a local course with a couple of the guys from work sometime. Not bad for someone who showed up not even knowing if she golfed left handed or right, eh? I'm a south paw...but it turns out I golf right. We played 9 holes, and I discovered that once the "beverage cart" had visited us around the 4th hole that beer truly doesn't make me a better golfer...but I was definitely more relaxed and not worried about showing myself up!
The full set of photos are on Facebook, but here are a few from the day, I can't wait to go again!
and finally the golfers...(I am 6th from the right).
Afterward we retired to a local watering hole for foam and feathers!
April 20, 2007
Postives and negatives
On the plus side I have gotten back in touch with a few friends from my years with "Biff". One girlfriend in particular I was thrilled to hear from...and 2 hours later when we finally hung up the telephone, it truly felt that we had never been out of touch in all that time.
I received an unsolicited message from a guy who works for the same organization as I do...and two weeks later we are planning a second date this weekend. He's a cop, young (don't ask), hotter than h*** and Irish (well we can't all be perfect). ;)
On the negative side (well that's debatable...but I have a feeling this will all end in tears). The boy received an unsolicited message from his father's wife. This is the first contact regarding him in over 15yrs. She found him on face book and sent a few inquiring messages to establish identity.
The boy's emotions have ranged from excitement to pure rage, so I have no idea how this is going to go. What do you say to the deadbeat father who walked out of your life 15 years ago and never so much as phoned, paid a dime or even sent a birthday card in all that time? Well I guess we will find out tonight...he's supposed to be phoning this evening.
April 6, 2007
Date rape drugs
"The Girls" and I were at a singles social in a neighbouring town last weekend - I danced my face off, and paid dearly for it the next day. No, I am not talking about a hangover, I am talking tender tootsies! That'll teach me to wear killer high heels on the dance floor! (but damn I looked good!)
The only thing that marred our evening was when one of our friends got sick. We'd only been at the bar a little over an hour and the poor woman became violently ill. After walking her around in the parking lot didn't appear to help matters, a couple of the girls were dispatched to get her home safely and they returned to finish the evening. Now we can be Monday morning quarterbacks, but in hind sight we are all thinking that her symptoms reek of ghb/Rohypnol. She wasn't drunk by any stretch of the imagination - I believe she was still on her first drink. She was violently ill both at the bar and at home. She claims certain portions of the night are "blacked out" in her memory and her symptoms the following morning were akin to an extreme hangover.
It goes to show that even us "thirty and forty somethings" have to be careful when out socially in mixed company. Date rape drugs aren't just something that hits the twenty year olds on the club scene. Thankfully authorities here in Ontario recently acknowledged this problem and are now allowing bar owners to apply to have their liquor licences amended to include areas like washrooms, so that drinks don't need to be left unattended. Not all bar owners have taken advantage of this yet, but hopefully more will.
I Googled ghb just to see what information is out there...and the results are startling. Everything from how to order it, make it at home, dosage, long term effects...even people who are addicted to it.
The only thing that marred our evening was when one of our friends got sick. We'd only been at the bar a little over an hour and the poor woman became violently ill. After walking her around in the parking lot didn't appear to help matters, a couple of the girls were dispatched to get her home safely and they returned to finish the evening. Now we can be Monday morning quarterbacks, but in hind sight we are all thinking that her symptoms reek of ghb/Rohypnol. She wasn't drunk by any stretch of the imagination - I believe she was still on her first drink. She was violently ill both at the bar and at home. She claims certain portions of the night are "blacked out" in her memory and her symptoms the following morning were akin to an extreme hangover.
It goes to show that even us "thirty and forty somethings" have to be careful when out socially in mixed company. Date rape drugs aren't just something that hits the twenty year olds on the club scene. Thankfully authorities here in Ontario recently acknowledged this problem and are now allowing bar owners to apply to have their liquor licences amended to include areas like washrooms, so that drinks don't need to be left unattended. Not all bar owners have taken advantage of this yet, but hopefully more will.
I Googled ghb just to see what information is out there...and the results are startling. Everything from how to order it, make it at home, dosage, long term effects...even people who are addicted to it.
March 19, 2007
1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, floor
I've been busy the past few days and only am now finding time to sit down for a moment and blog a few thoughts.
Thursday was a day of emotions that went from one extreme to the other. In the morning I attended the funeral for the mother of a very good friend. To say I haven't seen or experienced such raw grief in a long time is an understatement. It was the first funeral I have attended that included a DVD slide show of photographs, set to music, of the deceased and her family through all stages of life. Margaret will be sadly missed by all...and my thoughts and prayers are with my girlfriend and her family.
Thursday night J. and I hit one of the local bars for an evening of entertainment. We saw Tony Lee the X-rated hypnotist. I have to say I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time. (Told you it was a day of emotions from one extreme to the other!) If you ever get a chance to see Tony live at any of the college and university campuses or at a bar I can highly recommend his show ...just don't volunteer to go up on stage whatever you do! Why is he X-rated? Ahem...check here and here.
Saturday morning I awoke to a snowstorm...and typical I had to go out in it. I had signed up for overtime at work and basically had no choice...even though every bone in my body screamed to be allowed to stay snug in bed. The roads hadn't been plowed yet and just by the way my car fishtailed out of the parking lot, I knew it was going to take a while to get into work. Three times as long to be precise...20 minute Saturday morning ride in stretched to 60 minutes...it simply wasn't safe to go any faster than 70-80 kms an hour...and I am by no stretch of the imagination a "nervous" driver. In typical Canadian spring weather fashion, 8 hours later the sun had melted all the snow and I drove home on bone dry roads wondering if I had actually dreamed the whole winter weather blast.
Saturday night (after a wee apres work nap) I was out with J. again at a St Patrick's Day party. Now admittedly I am not Irish...and I never did get the hang of Guinness...but I am a red head and I do look good in green...so there was nothing holding me back! The party went on til the wee small hours of the morning, but I bailed Cinderella style shortly before 1am as I had to be at work again for 7am for another overtime shift.
I discovered three things that night. #1...I am not as young as I used to be and pulling "all nighters" just isn't in the cards. How we ever did it when we were teens I will never know! #2 Pre-party naps for the over 40's are highly recommended. #3 I am becoming an expert when it comes to Jello-Shooters. My green glow in the dark necklace (apparently a St Patrick's day party necessity in these parts) is still going strong 2 days later.
I am now thankfully off 'til Wednesday...so lots of time to recover from both the social life (which as usual seems to go in spurts) and the overtime shifts.
Thursday was a day of emotions that went from one extreme to the other. In the morning I attended the funeral for the mother of a very good friend. To say I haven't seen or experienced such raw grief in a long time is an understatement. It was the first funeral I have attended that included a DVD slide show of photographs, set to music, of the deceased and her family through all stages of life. Margaret will be sadly missed by all...and my thoughts and prayers are with my girlfriend and her family.
Thursday night J. and I hit one of the local bars for an evening of entertainment. We saw Tony Lee the X-rated hypnotist. I have to say I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time. (Told you it was a day of emotions from one extreme to the other!) If you ever get a chance to see Tony live at any of the college and university campuses or at a bar I can highly recommend his show ...just don't volunteer to go up on stage whatever you do! Why is he X-rated? Ahem...check here and here.
Saturday morning I awoke to a snowstorm...and typical I had to go out in it. I had signed up for overtime at work and basically had no choice...even though every bone in my body screamed to be allowed to stay snug in bed. The roads hadn't been plowed yet and just by the way my car fishtailed out of the parking lot, I knew it was going to take a while to get into work. Three times as long to be precise...20 minute Saturday morning ride in stretched to 60 minutes...it simply wasn't safe to go any faster than 70-80 kms an hour...and I am by no stretch of the imagination a "nervous" driver. In typical Canadian spring weather fashion, 8 hours later the sun had melted all the snow and I drove home on bone dry roads wondering if I had actually dreamed the whole winter weather blast.
Saturday night (after a wee apres work nap) I was out with J. again at a St Patrick's Day party. Now admittedly I am not Irish...and I never did get the hang of Guinness...but I am a red head and I do look good in green...so there was nothing holding me back! The party went on til the wee small hours of the morning, but I bailed Cinderella style shortly before 1am as I had to be at work again for 7am for another overtime shift.
I discovered three things that night. #1...I am not as young as I used to be and pulling "all nighters" just isn't in the cards. How we ever did it when we were teens I will never know! #2 Pre-party naps for the over 40's are highly recommended. #3 I am becoming an expert when it comes to Jello-Shooters. My green glow in the dark necklace (apparently a St Patrick's day party necessity in these parts) is still going strong 2 days later.
I am now thankfully off 'til Wednesday...so lots of time to recover from both the social life (which as usual seems to go in spurts) and the overtime shifts.
January 7, 2007
Party gal
Friday afternoon I had a makeover appointment with a cosmetician. Funny how they can take over an hour putting all kinds of "muck" on your face. I've always loved a bit of lippy and a bit of eyeshadow, but my god, these women go overboard! Highlighter creams, smoothing bases, concealers and stuff to plump your lips etc. I'd need another blinking mortgage just to cover the cost of it all. I was glad to wash it all off at the end of the day!
Friday evening we started the celebrations off with a nice meal out, the boy and I - his treat! It was lovely to actually sit across the table and have a conversation for once, instead of us being ships that pass in the night between my shifts and his social life!
After dinner I headed off to meet up with J. - I think she's enjoying the fact that I am now joining her in the "Forties Club" far too much! She had my name read out in the "Birthday Bonanza" on the radio - made sure they emphasized the age too. (Witch!) Then she had a gift bag waiting for me, seems she decided to visit an ...erm...."adult store" for my birthday gift and roared laughing as I did a fairly accurate impression of a belisha beacon.
We spent the rest of the evening at a local bar I had never been to before. A little place out in the country, on a back road miles from anywhere - and surprisingly busy.
Out again Saturday - a date of sorts, with a fella I met last summer. Considering we have only managed 4 dates in all this time however speaks volumes - on both our parts - but it was a lovely evening, lotsa laughs and good company.
Friday evening we started the celebrations off with a nice meal out, the boy and I - his treat! It was lovely to actually sit across the table and have a conversation for once, instead of us being ships that pass in the night between my shifts and his social life!
After dinner I headed off to meet up with J. - I think she's enjoying the fact that I am now joining her in the "Forties Club" far too much! She had my name read out in the "Birthday Bonanza" on the radio - made sure they emphasized the age too. (Witch!) Then she had a gift bag waiting for me, seems she decided to visit an ...erm...."adult store" for my birthday gift and roared laughing as I did a fairly accurate impression of a belisha beacon.
We spent the rest of the evening at a local bar I had never been to before. A little place out in the country, on a back road miles from anywhere - and surprisingly busy.
Out again Saturday - a date of sorts, with a fella I met last summer. Considering we have only managed 4 dates in all this time however speaks volumes - on both our parts - but it was a lovely evening, lotsa laughs and good company.
November 16, 2006
Over the hill?
People celebrating birthdays today....Jazz singer Diana Krall (she married Elvis Costello)
The man they are calling the new Canadian K-Fed...Tori Spelling's new hubby Dean McDermott, who turned the big 4-0...
...as did my best friend through secondary school and my chief bridesmaid,
Happy birthday Marie
(snicker)...she turned the big 4-0 before moi! You're over the hill girlie!
A this point I am eternally grateful that I could always run faster scared than she could mad!
The man they are calling the new Canadian K-Fed...Tori Spelling's new hubby Dean McDermott, who turned the big 4-0...
...as did my best friend through secondary school and my chief bridesmaid,
Happy birthday Marie
(snicker)...she turned the big 4-0 before moi! You're over the hill girlie!
A this point I am eternally grateful that I could always run faster scared than she could mad!
October 10, 2006
Where have our leaders gone?
A very good friend dropped by the other day for a cup of tea and a catch up chat. We share a mutual friend who's husband serves on the executive of my union at work. This is an election year and he is running again - this time for a new position. He has my vote, he is a good man - the sort who would give you the shirt off his own back if he thought it would help. I expressed my concerns to my friend over tea however, that he might not be successful in his bid. Yes, he's a great guy, but his campaign so far has been pretty lack lustre and uninspiring. His election speech basically consisted of a few guffaws and a "golly gee heck you all know me so please vote!"
The topic moved onto politics in general though and we were both in agreement that there are no real leaders out there anymore...or at least none that are effectively getting their message across. The art of public speaking has sadly died in the last 40 years. Think of all the major world leaders over the last century - the ones that could whip a crowd into a frenzy of excitement and who could rally a nation. They could all give us goose bumps with a spoken word. Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler (despite everything he was a talented orator), Dr. Martin Luther King, JFK, Robert Kennedy...the list dries up for me sometime during the 1970's. Men who spoke of having a dream, of fighting on the beaches, and asked us not what our country could do for us, but...
Where are those leaders today? Where are the men (and women) with good hearts and ideals, who will muster our support and loyalty. Sadly the only "speeches" that raise the hairs on the back of my arm these days come from snake-oil infomercial salesman, the best presidential speeches I have heard in a long time have been given by Martin Sheen and Michael Douglas
Canada's current Prime Minister is Steven Harper....I don't think I would even recognise his voice if I heard it, never mind any notable quotes.
Previous Prime Minister Jean Cretien? I could scarely understand a word he ever spoke.
Most notable quote of the Clinton administration? "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
Most notable quote from Bush's Presidency? Egads...so much comic relief there, who knows where to start?
The topic moved onto politics in general though and we were both in agreement that there are no real leaders out there anymore...or at least none that are effectively getting their message across. The art of public speaking has sadly died in the last 40 years. Think of all the major world leaders over the last century - the ones that could whip a crowd into a frenzy of excitement and who could rally a nation. They could all give us goose bumps with a spoken word. Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler (despite everything he was a talented orator), Dr. Martin Luther King, JFK, Robert Kennedy...the list dries up for me sometime during the 1970's. Men who spoke of having a dream, of fighting on the beaches, and asked us not what our country could do for us, but...
Where are those leaders today? Where are the men (and women) with good hearts and ideals, who will muster our support and loyalty. Sadly the only "speeches" that raise the hairs on the back of my arm these days come from snake-oil infomercial salesman, the best presidential speeches I have heard in a long time have been given by Martin Sheen and Michael Douglas
Canada's current Prime Minister is Steven Harper....I don't think I would even recognise his voice if I heard it, never mind any notable quotes.
Previous Prime Minister Jean Cretien? I could scarely understand a word he ever spoke.
Most notable quote of the Clinton administration? "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
Most notable quote from Bush's Presidency? Egads...so much comic relief there, who knows where to start?
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