February 27, 2007

End of February?? Yikes!

February has blown by in a series of sweaty workouts (6 days a week and still going strong) and subzero temperatures (monthly average -10 with wind chills in the -20 ranges). I am soooo ready for spring I can't even begin to tell you. I have been so preoccupied with a series of would be suitors (gasp), life, work, my old Staff Sergeant leaving for a new post...and the arrival of a new Staff Sergeant, the boy starting night school 4 days a week, carpool drama and the ultimate death of said car pool, eating right etc. that I was literally shocked to realise that here we are at the end of February...and I haven't been blogging...

bad, bad, Suzie.

I promise March will be better.

February 13, 2007

I got my groove back!

It's nice to report good news for once. As some may know the boy was let go from his previous employer a little over a week ago due to lay off. (Grrr Indian call centres!) He applied the same day to their major competitor, who were all over him like a fat kid on a smartie. On-line applications submitted, 2 hour testing and interview last Tuesday, followed by reference checks made last Thursday - today he got the call offering him the job...and we are going to dinner tonight to celebrate. Yes, I know I am not supposed to be celebrating with food...(20lbs down as of this morning!) but I'll have salad...and the way I look at it, it's another night where I don't have to cook! (bonus)

After looking at a few photos taken on the weekend at a singles event, I decided I needed my fringe back. Today Angie (hairdresser extraordinaire) confirmed the grown out fringe look just wasn't working the way we had envisioned. That's fine! We tried, and it didn't work for my face. Welcome back bangs! It feels great to be more "like me" again!

A friend flew in from Calgary over the weekend. He visited friends in NY state and then came back to the GTA to see yours truly for the first time in 4 yrs for a couple of days. We joked that our "Valentine's" get together is getting to be a regular occurrence....if every 4 years can be considered "regular". All I will say is he is a real gentleman, he has the most perfect manners and respect toward women that one would normally associate with a "gentleman cowboy". I can't say what a boost it gives a woman to have a man stand as she enters a room, making her (me) feel that she is the only person around, open every door, car door, wait for her to be seated before sitting himself...sigh. And he brought flowers....and a card....and he was so touched that I brought him fresh coffee and pastries to his hotel this morning when I picked him up for the morning. I took him out to show off my dirt (soon to be my house) and we wandered around the model home...and he was thrilled for me. This evening he flies back to Calgary, and hopefully I'll see him again in a few years - providing some sweet young thing doesn't snatch him up. I swear if he didn't live so far away...and wasn't 8 years my junior ...I would be chasing him myself!

February 6, 2007

Calling all guardian angels...

After work this afternoon we (the carpool) started to head home, within minutes of pulling onto the highway we saw brake lights up ahead, a cloud of dust and we knew there has been an accident. In fact there had just been an accident.

As our car pulled level, through the debris that littered all three lanes, two of us already had cell phones out to call emergency services. As we looked over however, the female driver slumped in the driver's seat, our decision was automatic, unanimous and unspoken; we pulled ahead on the shoulder running back to help. Another car pulled in just ahead of us and the driver of that car joined us.

Inside the wreck a young female, slumped unconscious and suffering from head trauma, in the back a toddler strapped in a car seat. There was precious little left of the front end of her car, although surprisingly the air bags had not inflated - so I can just imagine the impact of the crash on the driver. It was a single motor vehicle accident, the vehicle had hit the guardrail and spun out of control across three lanes of traffic before coming to rest against the guardrail on the opposite side. How she avoiding hitting another car during rush hour is a mystery to us all.

Her car doors were locked and battered beyond opening and we pounded on the window trying to rouse her enough to unlock the door. We searched our trunks for a tire iron to smash the window but thankfully after a few minutes the lady in the car regained consciousness long enough to open her lock. The guys tugged on the driver's side door and managed to pry it wide enough to snake an arm in to release the back door. The woman was bleeding profusely from a head injury but thankfully her child was safely strapped in her car seat and suffered not a scratch. One of my colleagues cared for the child, our attention on the female trapped behind the wheel. We obviously didn't want her moving until the ambulance arrived, but in her confusion she struggled, despite her leg being trapped in the wreckage. All we could do was comfort her and assure her that her daughter was fine and that help was on the way.

In all the time we had been stopped at the side of the road, pounding on the window trying to awaken the unconscious driver, trying to pry open the car door, running back to our own cars to search for blankets to keep everyone warm (remember we're in the middle of a major cold spell -27 today) the only other person who had stopped to help us was an off duty paramedic and a tow truck driver.

Four police dispatchers and a paramedic....and everyone else just gawked and drove on by. No-one slowed to see if we needed help, or a phone call...nothing. Ironically I heard later on the radio that there was a second accident near the scene, caused by people rubbernecking at the original crash.

February 4, 2007

F-f-f-f-f-february

Well the deep freeze has truely arrived here in Southern Ontario. Today's temperatures hovered around the -14 mark...and with the windchill it was -27. Definitely a day to stay indoors (for me at work, for the boy at home), stay warm and thank heaven above that we don't have a dog that demands walking or the need to leave the indoor warmth for longer than it takes to run to the car.

As of yet however...no major snow. We know it's just around the corner - that big wallop that will blanket everything. It's just a case of sitting and waiting. The forecasted 10-15cms for Friday evening into Saturday morning never materialised - thank heavens because it was my turn to drive the carpool into work.

In other news, the boy was let go from his job on Friday, along with 8 other agents and several supervisors. This on the heels of a larger layoff just before Christmas that he managed to avoid. So many of our call centre jobs now are going overseas to call centres in India. There was news before Christmas that the company he worked for hadn't been successful in securing a new contract and that there would be a mass lay off around March time. I guess they have started to make moves in that direction. Last in...first out.

Far from being despondent however, the boy is quite upbeat. He had an application into a major competitor immediately and is looking into going back to school. He is looking at this as a wake up call, he had settled into working for the past year and hadn't been thinking too seriously about the future. Well no further than which bar or club he and his friends would be frequenting the following weekend. If memory serves, at his age my view into the future wasn't much broader. :-) He has decided he will be taking two advanced courses either through summer school or night classes to allow him to apply to University as a mature student.

A fantastic opportunity ...and whilst he is still living at home with expenses at an absolute minimum, it makes perfect sense. He has already started looking into student loans. I glanced at the University prospectus he had and noted the 4 year degree he is contemplating, realising he could well end up 25 years old and still living at home.

Yes...well, I'll let that thought settle a little.

Romantically....sigh...well my life remains the same as always ...empty. There is/was a gentleman I had pitched my cap at. He loved to play hard to get...and I loved the chase. Funny how we are always attracted to "the bad boy" types....OK...funny how I am always attracted to the unattainable bad boy types. The more of an unfeeling cad he was...the more I wanted him. Typical. After our last date however, and now 5 days later, still waiting to have him call - other than brief MSN conversations - I have decided that he can go find someone else who wants to be his "Beck and Call Girl". Almost 2 months of flirting and phone calls down the drain...but c'est la vie.

Health wise my New Year's resolution to try and lose some weight appears to be sticking so far. Down 18lbs, and working out 5 days a week at the gym. One of my co-workers, a firefly of a 28yr old and soon to be new recruit for uniformed officer has decided to take me under her fitness wing and is encouraging me in my fitness goals. She sat and wrote out a routine for me today, which when I saw it I almost fell over laughing. 45 - 60 mins on the elliptical between levels 3-5...followed by an extensive free weights routine ...and her cool down - 50 sit-ups plus a dozen or so oblique crunches (that's a cool down??) Bloody hell.

So there you have it in a nutshell...aren't you glad I saved you all from the schoolgirl wailing and gnashing of teeth over "the Cad" waiting for him to call? I sure am!

January 23, 2007

Time off for good behaviour

I am taking a bit of a sabattical from blogging, well not blogging entirely - obviously if anything major in my life happens, once the builders start on the new house, for example, I will be here with bells on, posting photos and observations etc.

For the time being however, I am going to let this baby mellow, mature and hopefully when I get back it wont read like a schoolgirl's diary. I'll still be dropping by everyone's blog and tossing in my 5 cents worth from time to time...so you don't get rid of me that easily. For the time being however, consider this diary tucked under the proverbial bed, waiting for something more earth shattering than "what I had for breakfast".

January 18, 2007

Area 51

1. What is your first name?
Susan

2. Were you named after anyone?
I have a cousin with the same name, but that wasn't deliberate - just a popular name in the 60's - my mum did say once though that they checked with my Aunt and Uncle first to see if they minded. My middle name is same as Great-Aunt - dunno if I was named after her though.

3. Do you wish on stars?
Yep.

4. When did you last cry?
Can't remember. Doesn't mean I don't cry often - just means my memory sucks. The boy made me tear up from sentiment with a sweet comment the other day though.

5. Do you like your handwriting?
I used to have beautiful penmanship. At my old job they always came to me to write out special event cards, invitations etc. because I can do Calligraphy. Nowadays my penmanship is atrocious, lack of practice and too much time using keyboards 24/7. At times I even have trouble reading my own scrawl.

6. What is your favorite lunch meat?
Not a big lunch meat fan.

7. What is your most embarrassing CD MP3?
I don't have one - my music tastes are wide, varied and I am unapologetic for that. If someone wishes to look down their noses at my CD collection then they seriously need a life.

8. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
Heck yeah! I'd date me!

9. Do you have a journal?
I kept a daily written diary from the age of 11 to 18 - every day, every bit of teenage angst, every crush, every dream was recorded in those pages. A boyfriend found them, read them and I stopped writing - it was such an invasion of privacy. He insisted I throw them away...which I did...foolish, foolish girl. I should have kept the diaries and tossed out the controlling boyfriend (who unfortunately went on to become a controlling husband - foolish, foolish girl). I have been blogging since 2004 - admittedly I have deleted 2 blogs so far - but there are cleansing reasons behind that too.

10. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Me?

11. What are your nicknames?
My understanding is that a nickname is what someone else calls you...not what you call yourself. So usernames don't really count. Growing up I got, Gingernut, Ginge, Duracell, Greebo, Greenie and Grebbles. I hated all of them.

12. Would you bungee jump?
Absolutely! (Although I would like a little coaxing too...but I would definitely be into it).

13. Do you untie your shoes before you take them off?
Very, very rarely. The only laced shoes I have right now are my runners which I wear for the gym, so I do have to put them on and lace them properly, but I always just kick them off without untieing them at the end of my workout.

14. Do you think that you are strong?
Mentally -yes,
Physically - yes.
Emotionally - ummmm.

15. What is your favourite ice cream flavor?
I am not a huge ice cream fan to be honest. In fact the tub I bought at Christmas time (Neapolitan) is still untouched in the freezer. I do like a soft serve cone in the summer time though. Dairy Queen/99 (with the flake!)

16. Shoe size?
I have wide feet so sometimes I can range anywhere from an 8 (runners) to a 9 1/2 depending on style of the shoe...but I have worn size 10 if the shoe was very narrow. Surprisingly, as I lose weight, my shoe size seems to be shrinking.

17. Red or pink?
No preference. To wear? Neither!

18. What is your least favourite thing about yourself?
The fact that I put myself down all the time.

19. What do you miss most?
My mum.

20. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back?
Obviously this was originally an email meme. Nope!

21. What colour pants/shoes are you wearing?
Pale white skin coloured pants...oh wait..those are my legs....hmm, need to shave..No shoes, pink (well they used to be pink...ok dusty pink) slippers.

22. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing. Peace, quiet, the occasional ping from the baseboard heater as the metal expands and contracts. Gentle hum from the lap top. Wall clock ticking.

23. Last thing you ate?
A meal replacement protein bar - brunch!

24. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Firey orange. (who thinks of these questions?)

25. What is the weather like right now?
Current temperature -1 C Windchill -6C Wind coming from the SW at 18 km/hr, cloudy, barometric pressure 102.35 kPa, humidity 69%, Sunrise was at 7:48 sunset will be at 5:10

26. Last person you talked to on the phone?
My date guy. (shriek!)

27. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Eyes, hair, smile, body size, height.

28. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Nobody sent it, I stole it from Zippy's blog.

29. Favourite drink?
Tea or Coffee for non alcoholic choices. Shiraz or Gewurztraminer for wine. Not a big fan of pop unless it's as a mix with alcohol (ie: rum and diet coke).

30. Favourite sport?
To watch? Figure skating, tennis or Show jumping. To do? Most water sports. Will try most things once. Never really was that 'good at games'.

31. Hair colour?
Red

32. Eye colour?
Blue/grey depending on my mood.

33. Do you wear contacts?
Yes. I am real tempted to one day get the laser eye thing done, but I am also kinda freaked at the idea too. Wear my glasses at home and on omg-I-am-too-tired-to-care days.

34. Favourite food?
Never ask a woman on a diet that! At the moment everything looks good. (With the exception of Brussels - gag) In fact, I don't suggest you even sit still around here too long, or I will be eyeing you up and mentally running through my favourite bbq recipes in my head.

35. Last movie you watched?
On dvd: The Black Dahlia. (wasn't that great) and The Covenant (which was pretty good).

36. Favourite day of the year?
I was going to say Christmas morning, but in truth any summer morning, where it's warm out and I can sit out on the patio, enjoy the flowers in my garden, sipping on my morning coffee...(shooing off the squirrels) is a great day for me.

37. Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings (like Love Actually) or last minute twist shocker suspense endings (like the Sixth Sense).

38. Winter or summer?
Summer, fall...sometimes winter...rarely spring.

39. Hugs or kisses?
Kisses...no, hugs...darn...no, kisses...argh...decisions! BOTH!

40. What is your favourite dessert?
Molten chocolate lava cake. (Homer Simpson drool noises).

41. Who is most likely to do this meme?
People who like to do meme's perhaps?

42. Who is the least likely to do this meme and comment?
Seriously...who asks these questions? Who cares??

43. What books are you reading?
Trying to plough my way through Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Solution. I don't find his writing style easy to read at all.
Just finished reading:
Jeffrey Archer's False Impression (very good)
Dan Brown's Angels and Demons (very very good)
and Tess Gerritsen's The Mephisto Club (very good).


44. What’s on your mouse pad?
I don't need a mouse pad I have an optical mouse plugged into the laptop because I don't like the laptop's built in mouse thingy. I don't feel like I have the same control.

45. What did you watch on TV last night?
I didn't watch TV last night.

46. Favourite smells?
Fresh baked bread. Fresh laundry. Lilac bushes. The Ocean. Fresh cut grass. Skin, fresh out of the shower. Fresh brewed coffee.

47. Favourite sounds?
Pounding surf. Seagulls. Thunder and lighting storms. Bagpipes (honestly! Hard to explain.)

48. Rolling Stones or Beatles?
Hands down, the fab four ...The Beatles.

49. What’s the furthest you’ve been from your home?
Cuba.

50. Do you have a special talent?
Nope. I do most things "well" or "good enough"...but nothing springs to mind that I excel at.

51. What is your ring tone?
Haven't a clue. I selected a ring tone off the generic list that came with the phone. I once tried to pick a tone to download off the web, spent literally hours browsing different sounds and tones...got frustrated at not being able to make a decision...and logged off without getting one. I don't get that many phone calls on my cell that it matters all that much.