Random Deposits

Year of Babymaking?

2010-05-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Rafi's so cute-- he asks me "Anna, is it true that the year of 2010 is your year of babymaking?" I laughed-- "Where on earth did you hear that from?"

"Nevermind... just answer the question, is it true?"

very to-the-point

We miss our Men!

2008-04-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

We miss our men! Good thing we have our Sniffle Kit!

Girls Getaway

2008-04-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

Here we are at the First Starbucks EVER-- Pikes Place, Seattle

A sign mom fell in love with. We made her pose like that while we "lined up the shot"

Along one of our touring adventures we found this-- a wall of chewed gum. Yuck!

The view from a castle we visited-- at King's Estate wine company. We just finished our wine tour

In Cottage Grove, city of covered bridges

Crying Over Spilled Milk

2008-01-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

Time to give you some insights into me. You must think-- wow Anna, you work with a lot of money! Have you ever been tempted to steal any?

The answer is a resounding NO! I learned my lesson way back in grade 7... come back with me to a different time, when Anna had one of her first and last lessons on stealing... (well... unless you call temporarily borrowing clothes from my sisters' closests in highschool without asking "stealing"...)

So there I was on hot dog day-- (From what I understand, the 2008 term is "hot lunch" day but when I was a kid, hot dog day it was). Hot dog Day. Honest and upfront Anna was entrusted with the enviable task of leaving the classroom early and collecting the lunch orders for my division. Off I went, unaware that I was about to leave a part of my childhood innocence behind...

We had options on hot dog day. You could get a hot dog (surprise!) but your other options were a bag of chips OR a donut OR a drink (milk or chocolate milk). If you wanted to pay extra you could get all three options, but us Thiele's want a good deal and just to get the hot dog and something else was the best deal out there. Who needs all those extras? Perhaps this is where childhood obesity begins but this is hardly the proper forum for an adequate discussion-- we'll have to table childhood obesity for now... I signed up for a hot dog and salt & vinegar chips. No donut. No drink. Just the basics.

I'm hardly complaining. In the privacy of my home when mom and I were deciding what to sign up for, I was utterly content with the basics. But temptation and envy grew in me when I began handing out my classmates's orders that had ALL the options. The donuts never looked so fresh! The drinks never seemed so refreshing!

I decided in my head that I had to have the extras. I didn't have any money. And even if I DID have the money, the orders had gone out weeks ago. Let's face it, this is Just-In-Time inventory we're dealing with here! There's no such thing as "extras".

But wouldn't you know it...

Looks like Joe Smith (**names have been changed to protect the innocent**) was absent on hot dog day and he had an outstanding order that was a) paid for; and b) going to go to waste. I justified it in my head that it's not really stealing if I take that chocolate milk....

So I took it. But those pangs of guilt hit me. I didn't feel right drinking it-- at least not in public where someone might catch on to my thieving scheme. So I stashed it away to enjoy at a later time when the dust had time to settle and no-one would bust me. It went into my bag. No-one even inquired about where the chocolate milk disappeared to... I was home free. Or so I thought.

Outta sight, outta mind. This container of chocolate milk sat in my bag. And sat. And sat.

A couple weeks passed and something in the coat room started to stink. No-one knew what it was but the smell was growing stronger and stronger, and more unbearable as the days went on. Nothing triggered in my mind that it might be MY bag that was the root of the problem. The teacher just suggested we go outside to do our learning activities to get respite from the smell.

Then one day it happened. The pressure growing inside the milk container was too strong. The curdling milk had nowhere to go but outward. The milk container expanded until it popped! Curdled, weeks old chocolate milk poured into my bag, soaking into the cloth fabrics, seeping into all my text books, all over my class notes, hair scrunchies, gym clothes... It was a certified mess. Disgusting both visually and nasally.

My bag was identified. The classroom was evacuated except for me... my sin was out in the open now and I had to pay the consequences. I cleaned everything I could but some of it just wasn't salvagable. I could have died of embarrassment right then and there. But as if matters couldn't have gotten worse for this 12 year old girl...

The stench was so bad that whenever you got a whiff your gag-reflexes would kick in. I was in a carpool at this time and you can imagine that the driver does not want a bunch of elementary kids puking their guts out in the car. So we had to devise a plan to keep the air fresh in the vehicle. This would have been virtually impossible with my bag in the car.

So we rolled down the windows and for the entire ride home (15 minutes), I had to hold my bag out the window.... I was weak with embarrassment.

So there you have it. Mortified. Humbled. Busted. I stole and suffered the consequences. I vowed I would NEVER EVER steal anything again! The irony of the story is I dearly paid the consequences but did not get to taste the fruit.... Like I said, never again. My conscience just wouldn't let me. And I'm no dummy... I've learned from this experience!!!

So no. To answer the original questions, I am never tempted by the money at work. And as a sidenote, if you would like to discuss the childhood obesity epidemic which is sweeping the nation, I welcome your comments.

Sick of Walking

2007-11-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

Today was a delightful day. I had my grandma, mom, sister (Amy) and brother (Rafi) over. We had a nice lunch and then decided to go for a walk around the neighbourhood. Dan led the way.

Rafi did NOT want to come for the walk. Well, he did, but he wanted it to be a short walk. Like to the end of my street and back.

Democracy rules and we ventured out to the various streets, paths, and walkways that were about.

Near the end of the walk, Rafi, (always having a panache for dramatizing his feelings), starts pretending to vomit on the road. Dan asks, "Rafi, what's the matter"? To which Rafi replies, "I guess I'm just sick of walking".

Not to be manipulated, mom told him that if he's going to be sick of walking, be sick in the bushes instead. I love family dynamics.

After the walk, we played speed scrabble. Fun for all.

Newest Toy Recall from China

2007-11-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

Satirical humour... Follow this link:
http://pranks.com/2007/10/10/newest-toy-recall-from-china/

Funny.

This evening

2007-11-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am writing a take-home midterm tonight. It's an essay that analyzes the annual review, more specifically the financial review, of Broadview Press, a publishing company. Should be a riveting evening for sure.

We're having salmon for dinner tonight, on the BarBQ. I don't know how my new oven works and I am trying to figure out how to turn on the self-clean option before I use it.

Dan and I aren't the biggest rice people you've ever met so when we were doing our big shopping trip, we weren't sure what to get. What's the difference between Basmati rice and Jasmine rice? We didn't know so we purchased Basmati. And we wanted to be healthy and steer away from simple white rices however when we tried brown rice we didn't like it at all... ultimately a bad texture.

So this evening we will try a wild rice mix-- one from the Uncle Ben's collection which is new for us as well. Any comments on this?

Salmon and rice. Probably a salad and some baked zucchini too. Should be good.

Halloween Bust

2007-10-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

This is my first Halloween at my own house, and I was so excited about giving away candy. When I lived at home my mom would count how many kids came to the door... Apparently Fort Langley is a hot spot for trick-or-treaters because she would have upwards of 150 kids coming to the door.

I was going to be prepared.

Dan and I were at Costco the other week and I saw the Halloween candies available for sale. I grabbed a box of 125 assorted treats including Glossettes (raisins), Caramilks, Wonderbars and Coffee Crisps. I thought it was a delightful mix.

Dan was not convinced at my choice of bars. He prefers Reese's, Oh Henry's, and Glossettes (peanuts) so he picked up a box of 125 containing an assortment of these as well.

Was 250 bars too much chocolate?... but truly, if we were expecting upwards of 150 kids we wanted to have a good selection and we certainly didn't want to run out!!! And besides, we were at Costco and if we have a little extra, what's the big deal? We're getting warehouse pricing here, people!

Anticipation was rising. Halloween. Kids in their little costumes. Candy. My own house. My own front door. October 31 was nearing but alas, the 250 bars of candy were calling our names. Staring us down. Begging to be eaten. Dan and I may have opened the boxes....

Leading up to the big night our candy supply was dwindling. Every day there seemed to be more empty wrappers in the garbage. Not mentioning any names here, but I only had a few that first day.... hmmmm...

I had to put the kybosh on this. I didn't have time to get more candy! I told Dan that he was cut-off the supply and now I was worried about running out. Truly, we still had probably about 200 left but...

The day finally arrived. I loaded up my candy basket and eagerly waited by the front door. Our first trick-or-treaters arrived promptly at 6:56. I wasn't sure how many candies to give out. Dan thought only 1, I thought at least 2 but I figured I would play it by ear.... Time passed...
yep, so now it is 8:55 and you'll never guess how many people I saw.... yep, that's right folks, a whopping 18 kids!! I should know, a created an Excel spreadsheet and had my computer by the front door. I am going to call it quits for the night. According to my spreadsheet the last batch of kids came at 7:40.

Anybody want some candy?

And a little update for your enjoyment... my neighbour girl came and I gave her handfuls of goodies...

Neighbour Kids

2007-10-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

We're getting settled into our new place although it's a work in progress. The carpet has been pulled up so we're walking on bare plywood, there are no doors in the place (except one bathroom), we have one coat of paint on the walls, there is sawdust in the foyer. We are living in 2 rooms (the kitchen and our bedroom). The kitchen is looking great! We just had our linoleum laid and I absolutely love it!

Our fireplace area has been dismantled in order to take the tiles out which were glued to the wall... now the original framing is exposed. Dan (and other males who have visited the house) are adamant that it is going to be a selling feature to have a flatscreen TV hook-up placed in the wall while it is exposed.

Although skeptical at first, the "future selling feature" pitch got me and I agreed to the hook-up.... Shaw Cable has already been here and installed the box. Today we were at Costco and Dan was wandering in the electronics aisle, getting ideas for the sizes and style we will get when/if we have funds for a flatscreen.

Dan is quite excited. I think there is a party-planner in him as well-- he's been talking about how fun it will be to host a Superbowl party at our place. I wonder what appetizers I will serve. Only manly food to be sure.

And so I digress...

Since we've been here I have been trying to figure out a way to connect with the neighbour kids. You see, when I was living at home Rafi had neighbours he just LOVED! He thought they were the coolest and even though they were my parent's age, Rafi would head over there and socialize every chance he got. Rafi would come home and tell stories about them. The cool neighbours seemed to have such a special relationship with Rafi. It was like he crossed the street and with every interaction he seemed to partake in a special adventure. It was magical for him.

Now that I'm in a place of my own I want to be the cool neighbour. Up until now my efforts haven't been received well. Waving at the kids as I come and go seemed to freak them out (now they hide behind a bush when they see me in my car). Saying, "hello-- I'm your new neighbour" seemed to get strange looks. At one point they initiated conversation with me, but only to ask me if the aggressive, loose dog that was sniffing around was mine. It wasn't.

Yesterday it all changed for me. I have finally met a neighbourhood kid.

You see, in all our renovations we ripped out a tree and a fence outside that was previously blocking the side walkway of our house. There is a house that is diagonally opposite us and now that the foliage has been removed it has uncovered a fence with holes big enough for a kid to squeeze through. Dan and I were in our yard inspecting the renovations when Dan heard some leaves rustling by the fence. He whispered to me, "Anna-- I think it's one of the neighbour kids".

Well, he was right. A never-seen-before 7 year old girl. I looked at her and said, "Well hello!". She asked me, "What are YOU doing here?" I replied, "Well... I live here now. Did you know that?" "Yep, I knew that! I would like to come and see inside your house". I told her she probably shouldn't until she asks her mom or dad... and besides I told her, "my house is really messy right now!". She thought about it for a second and then clarified, "Well that's okay. My house is really messy too!"

I love her! She's so cute. Once I introduced myself she couldn't stop talking about things. I had to cut it a little short and go inside to get ready for my evening out. Unbeknownst to me, she was waiting outside asking Dan what I was doing and when I would be out to talk with her some more. Awwww....

So I made a connection! I will look for her at Halloween and see if I can meet the parents so I won't be the creepy neighbour. And as an added bonus, she's buddies with the neighbour kids in our cul-de-sac who I originally freaked out. Ha!

Don't Leaf Me!

2007-09-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

I love Fall! I've taken a lot of flak for this at work, but let's be honest-- nothing beats the crunch of leaves beneath your feet on a gorgeous fall day.

I go walking on my lunch hour with a co-worker and there's just something about that fresh air, crunchy leaves and brisk walk that is entirely invigorating.

I'm a big fan of fall. And let's face it, Spring's coming...

Transition

2007-09-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

We have officially moved out of our apartment and are waiting to get settled into our new place on September 30. In the meantime we are living at the Zupancic's house. It is good to have a place to be. A lot of people have been saying, "Oh man, you're living at your in-laws' house?"... as if it's a bad thing. But no, the Zupancic SR's are great and we're really enjoying our time together. We've always got along well so the in-law stereotype has never applied.

Thanks to our families for all the help packing, cleaning and moving. Of course, if you'd like a sneak-preview of our new place we are opening it up to whoever would like to come and help clean!! hahaha... There is much to do.

I think it's my 'nesting' nature that had a hard time saying good-bye to the apartment. For 2 1/2 years it's been home. Many good memories there. It was the first place I lived in that had a dishwasher. Trying to get bulk Costco purchases to fit in our pantry. Our neighbours and their idiosyncracies. Free gas fireplace. Falling off the toilet seat trying to decorate the bathroom for Dan's birthday... hmmm... I'll miss the apartment. During my final sweep of the place I sang to myself, "The hardest part of love is letting go" without even realizing I was singing it. Cheesy, eh?

I am tempted to do a drive-by and see if I can scope out the new neighbour. Dan is trying to convince me this is creepy and stalker-like but perhaps it will help with my closure. I'm sure I will feel better about the whole thing once we are settled into our new home.

Aside from that, school has begun again. I am taking a distance education course and am on a waitlist trying to get approved for another class. I will not be disappointed if I can't get in because it will save me 4 hours of commuting time to and from Harbour Centre (Waterfront in Vancouver). But if I get into the course I will be okay with it too because that will be one less thing to do in the Spring.

Transition time, indeed.

Human Salad Spinner

2007-08-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been at the beach with a head of freshly washed lettuce, without the aid of a salad spinner to dry it? How do you get your lettuce dry? Without a salad spinner, are techniques available to those who are eating outdoors, in dire need of a fresh, crisp salad? Why yes, there is! Read on for the modern technological solution.

So the other day we provided a staff lunch: "Build your own Sandwich day". One of the sandwich fix-ins was lettuce. At work, we do not have a salad spinner (Egads!) so you can imagine our dilemma. Buy pre-shredded lettuce for double the price, or buy a head to wash, dry and serve? We opted for pre-shredded knowing the branch does not own a salad spinner, however the local store we were shopping at did not have pre-shredded lettuce available... so we bought a head of green leaf lettuce despite all other hesitations. I mean, honestly, who wants to have a sandwich without lettuce?

According to the Barefoot Contessa, there are solutions if you are in this potentially compromising situation. Some of you may know Leslie, my boss at work, and she loves to pass along the tips and recipes she learns from watching cooking shows such as the Barefoot Contessa, Rachel Ray (Yum-O), the Naked Chef... (errr, sorry Leslie, I shouldn't have mentioned that... but at least we know they do not recommend deep frying...hahaha)

So there Leslie is, normally so professional, with a dripping wet head of lettuce. Next thing I know she says, "Here's what the Barefoot Contessa recommends if you're on the beach without a salad spinner" and she gets in this stance:

She starts windmilling her arm around to manually dry the lettuce. The idea is the tea towel holds the lettuce, while the water is free to fly out of the package working with centrifugal force. It worked. But keep in mind we are indoors, in our small staff lunchroom so there was water flying EVERYWHERE!

When Leslie was done her salad spinning exploits, everything was dripping wet including the floor, walls and ceiling. Some wetness even made it's way into the staff bathrooms. On the bright side, we confirmed that, yes, the staff room is in fact indoors.

I guess this is why the Barefoot Contessa recommends this technique for outdoors. It worked though... the lettuce was dry and crisp and enjoyed in sandwiches by all. We call it the Human Salad Spinner.

Introductions and the Limp Fish

2007-08-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

As a fun thing at work we sometimes get emailed business tips from Corporate Head Office.
One particular business tip came to me the other day and I thought it worthwhile to share with everyone.

When you are making an introduction (in the business world OR personally) you should always introduce the less-senior person to the person with more seniority (ie. "Mr. Boss, please meet Mr. Employee" NOT " Mr. Employee, please meet Mr. Boss".

You should also follow the introduction with a few words about the senior person's credentials, expertise or interests (ie. Mr. Employee, Mr. Boss has been with the company for 15 years and is currently spearheading our corporate fundraising efforts. He's doing a fantastic job!"

Speaking of business tips, when you shake someone's hand DO NOT give them the limp fish handshake. It's so frustrating. Be confident and strive to get that fleshy portion of skin between the index finger and thumb. If both parties make firm contact in this spot you can comfortable and firmly shake hands without the awkward limp handshake. And if you're the one with the limp handshake and you do this method, your hand will not get squashed!

It's Official!

2007-08-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

It's official-- We're moving!

On Sunday we had an offer put on the place and after negotiation all parties came into agreement about the sales contract. It's a little less than we hoped for but when all is said and done, we've done well on our investment, Dan doesn't have to put in the man-power to repaint, we can start looking now and we will move out before the school semester begins. WooHoo!

We are collecting boxes and considering renting a storage locker for our non-essentials. Mom and Dad Zupancic are letting us move into their motorhome while we wait to find a place. We're going looking tonight with our awesome realtor (Darcy Redicopp-- highly recommend him-- knows the Abbotsford market intimately).

So, our address will be changing although I don't know to what. We will be moving out on September 6...

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

2007-08-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

We're all scared of something. For me, it's snakes. For Dan, it's spiders. Now don't get me wrong, Dan the man doesn't scream in terror if he sees a spider but let's be honest, they're not his favorite thing.

So the other day when Dan was at work, he had to clean out a part of the roof for a re-paint. Unbeknownst to him there was a spider's nest up there so when he was cleaning the spiders started dropping down onto him. He said he was like a scene from "Arachnaphobia" (I've never seen this but you can only imagine). He brushed the spider's off but I could tell from his story this wasn't the most pleasant experience for him.

That night Dan must have still been processing this event because in the dead of my sleep he shoots out of bed and starts yelling nonsensical things. I woke up as calm as can be and said, "Dan-- what's going on? Are you okay?". He kind of muttered something to me and then he tossed and turned a little bit before settling down into a sleep.

Then a few hours later, Dan must have woken up again and this time he's cruising around the house with the lights on trying to find Lanacane, an anti-itch/burn cream. He said he was being eaten alive and he wanted to know where I left the cream (I had just used it that night after I burned my hand in a baking incident). I patiently told him where the cream was and waited for him to climb back into bed and go to sleep again.

Then not long afterwards, Dan wakes me up and tells me to get out of bed. He has bug bites and he is sure they are bed bugs. Now folks I keep the sheets clean, let me assure you, and I did not have a single bite on me anywhere. They were not bed bugs but rather mosquito bites or possibly, spider bites. Regardless, there is no calming an itchy man down at 3am. So there we were, changing the sheets in the dead of night.

For anyone who knows me, I do not like getting up/being woken up. But as usual I was the picture of patience and grace that evening. It was a rare response for me when I am tired but Dan even told me the next day that he was impressed!

To view our Apartment

2007-07-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Go to www.mls.ca where our listing number is F2717747.

Or see our Virtual Tour to get a better idea.

Minimalist lifestyle

2007-07-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

For those that haven't yet heard, Dan and I are putting our apartment up for sale. We are looking for a house in Abbotsford, wanting to move closer to "dirt", so to speak-- keep our equity growing. We've been looking for houses that have suite potential-- we don't mind putting in some sweat equity (aka labour) to get things how we would like.

Dan was browsing on MLS.ca the other week and he found a house that was a steal of a deal. We called our realtor and asked for a viewing. Well, let's just say we know why it was such a deal- it used to be a drug grow-op-- needed TONS of work and had lost its occupancy rights. It had been foreclosed upon and needed some tricky upfront cash financing in court. Too much red tape and too much work. We decided to pass this opportunity up.

Needless to say, however, it was interesting to walk through. I've never been to a grow-op before. Musty smelling, dirty, interesting electrical hook-ups.

We've been looking at some other places but then we decided we should stop looking since we haven't sold our apartment yet. Many houses will not accept "subject" sales. Dan and I worked hard on our last days off de-cluttering, taking things to goodwill, dusting, packing boxes, etc. Our realtor came and took pictures last week, we signed the sales contract, today a professional photographer came to take shots for a Virtual Tour. The MLS listing isn't up yet as it's still pending approval from the Real Estate Board but we'll keep you posted.

Dan loves it that we are living a "minimalist lifestyle" right now. He keeps telling me how great it is to come home and have no clutter lying around anywhere. Things are in their place, and if they are used, they are cleaned immediately and then put away. Our home is open to viewings even though it's not officially on the market yet.... It is nice to have things kept clean but it's a lot of work. The last thing we would want is for a viewing to occur and our place is a pigsty.

Our realtor told a story about how some of the places he's gone to view has had bras and underwear strewn about everywhere... I said, "It's a selling feature. 'Subjects removed'"!

We haven't even moved yet and I already feel sad to say good-bye to our apartment. I love it here. But I learning to trust God in the details and not to worry. Things will work out-- Dan and I just need to be good stewards of what we have. And besides, with a bigger house maybe I can plan an open house?? I love to plan parties.

I've been going to the library and getting books on decorating and party planning. I've got some good ideas that I will put into action as time goes by. My friend Karla (she follows by blog too-- I guess that makes her a blog follower?? ...eh Karla?!) and and I were talking about some themed parties we could host. I would love to do a garden party... Or maybe a Wine & Cheese party. Any other ideas for themes out there?

I guess I'm excited about moving into a house afterall... Should be fun to start another adventure!

Caving in Chilliwack

2007-06-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last month we went spelunking with the Zupancics in Chilliwack. The location cannot be found on any maps but dad discovered it by word-of-mouth through his photo-club. It's an awe-inspiring place but because it's so dark inside (pitch black), it is difficult to capture photos that accurately convey what things are like inside the cave.

I was surprised how quickly my knees started hurting while exploring inside. Most of the time you have to crawl... My legs were shaking and my back was sore (we went a month after my car accident so my back was/is still recovering). But it was still fun and was nice to get outside and do some physical activity.

Pictures: Cave entrance
Dan after doing a little exploring...
Me, coming out of the cave...
Dan the Man-- he's looking good!
Cave entrance-- this is a tricky one called the wormhole. All uphill, tight, curvy. Some parts you are shaped like an "L". I could not do this one...The path that leads to the wormhole entrance. From left to right-- David (Elisa's boyfriend), Nathan (family friend visiting from Mexico), me, Dan my man.

Pizza Night at the Zupancics

2007-06-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight is pizza night. Dan and I got pitas and after putting on some pizza sauce we independently built our pizzas. I learned an important lesson about myself through this experience-- apparently I have trouble saying 'no' to toppings. Here is my pizza:

But let's not get too carried away. This is a close-up so it probably looks a lot bigger than it actually is... right?

I zoomed out for a little change of perspective. Here's a snapshot of our pizza's side-by-side:
Guess which one is mine?!? If you think this is 'excess', you should see my burritos!

Search for Gold

2007-06-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Where have I been recently? That's right folks, I've been searching for the gold in Abbotsford. For those that haven't heard, our local newspaper (the Abbotsford News), has hidden a voucher for $8000 in a public place somewhere in Abbotsford. Three times a week the newspaper prints cartoon pictures of clues that lead to the gold, but all clues contain red herrings, designed to throw you off. It's about discernment.

A summary of the clues. 11 clues in total...
A close-up of the last clue... Note the "Bait"-man
For the past three weeks Dan and I have been spending evenings and weekends looking for the gold. I've even had dreams about finding it.

Saturday a clue came out... we searched but didn't find it (surprise!). Sunday I searched a little more. Didn't find it. After a thoughtful sleep that confirmed my deductions were bang on I concluded the gold was already located. Monday morning we called the newspaper to confirm this suspicion. Nope. The gold was still out there, just waiting to be discovered!!

So there Dan and I were on our day off. In the rain. Scoping out parks, playgrounds, and other locations for gold yet despite our best efforts we could not locate it. I was perplexed.... where could the gold be? $8000 bucks is a lot of money.

After a fitful sleep (I'm just kidding!) and a busy day at work, I was chomping at the bit to see the newest clue (released on Tuesdays). I got home and was devasted to learn the gold was found on Saturday but not reported until Monday afternoon. The only consolation was the park it was found at (Bateman Park) was not one I had searched at. Wheewf. Congratulations to the winners!

Now life is back to regular. And I seem to be sleeping better! Hahahaha!

Dance Blast

2007-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

July and August just got busier for me. But I don't mind. In fact, I can't wait!
The Program Guide for Abbotsford came out this week and, being a continuous learner/ social butterfly, I wanted to check out the Adult learning section. Guess what I found?! A "Dance Blast" class. Here's the blurb:

"Want to 'dance the hour away' and get a great workout at the same time? Explore some swing... perhaps some Latin, Funk, Jazz and even some 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's hits! Our rotation changes every week. Inspire the dancer within and join us for the time of your life!"

Have you ever heard of something so 'up my alley'? Can't wait. I'll have to let you know how it goes.

Black Tongue

2007-05-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

This week has been busy. Really busy. We haven't been home much and I have not been waking up from my sleeps feeling rested. Don't you hate that? Anyways, now that I'm back to work I am doing much more sitting than I was on vacation. My back is quite stiff and sore still from the accident and sitting seems to only compound the problem.

Now, I don't want to complain too much, but my stomach has also been giving me a bit of grief. Grumblings and gurglings-- it's like a party down there, but in a bad way. So obviously my body isn't operating at 100% but I'm surviving... plugging away... taking medication for my ailments when need be.

It came as a bit of a shock for me, however, that as I was brushing my teeth one morning my spit was dark. What on earth? I open my mouth to have a look and my tongue was BLACK! Much like the photo below, however imagine the tongue is black.

After some concern I decided to google "Black Tongue".

Much to my relief, this is what I found on a website to explain my, ahem, "condition": "Medications like Pepto-Bismol, or other drugs that have bismuth as an ingredient, can cause a black discoloration or staining on your tongue for a few days. It is harmless and goes away a few days after you stop taking the medication."

Wheewf! I had taken Pepto-Bismol the night before to help settle my stomach. Good to know.

Thought I would pass this interesting tidbit along...

The German Tourists

2007-05-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

Here's Rafi. Quite a character. He is NOT camera shy AT ALL! He loves to have his photos taken, especially since the inception of digital cameras where he is able to view the picture immediately after it's snapped. In any case, we were at the Volcano park looking at some steam vents at the same time as a couple of German tourists. I see them taking pictures of the steam vents and I didn't think anything of it. Next time I glance over, Rafi is posing with this guy in front of the steam!

I was fairly confident that Rafi had ASKED to be in the photo and was perhaps interfering with this fellow's tourist experience. But as I walked over I heard the German speaking English to his wife. "Honey, look at this cute little Hawaiian boy. Get some more pictures with me and this authentic Hawaiian child!". I couldn't believe my ears. He was literally referring to Rafi as the Hawaiian child!

And there's Rafi, as content as can be, hamming it up with big smiles and waves and handshakes... the works! As I cruised over I said, "Hey Rafi, whatcha doing?" "Oh Anna, I'm getting some pictures taken".

The German then asks me, "Do you know this little Hawaiian boy?" To which I replied, "Yes, Rafi's my brother but he's actually not Hawaiian, he's Canadian".

You should have seen the look of betrayal these people had on their faces. They couldn't believe Rafi wasn't who they thought he was. They were so disappointed and as they repeated what I said, "He's Ca-Ca-Canadian??" they sounded like I just gave them the biggest let-down.

Perhaps my mom felt bad for them which is why she piped in, "It's okay. He actually looks like he could be Hawaiian. Some people even think he's Samoan. This confusion happens all the time".

You know how some people want to believe something SO bad they don't listen to reason? This was one of those times. As soon as the word "Samoan" came out of Gin's mouth, they excitedly asked, "He's Samoan!?!!"

"Oh no, no, he's Canadian but some people think he's Samoan".

"Oh." Again, more disappointment for the Germans.

And Rafi had no clue what was going on. In hindsight maybe we should have set up a booth, "have your picture taken with an authentic Hawaiian for only $0.50 a pose"... I'm fairly confident Rafi would be in for that.

Post Script

2007-05-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

I thought it pertinent to add that I wrote the previous "Aloha" post in Hawaii but fell asleep before uploading it to my blog. Sorry about that. Now, what was I saying about doing well around 10pm???

I will post more script about the trip very soon! So I guess that makes it more "post scripts" (punny, I know). We're just working on some of our pictures...

Aloha!

2007-04-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! We made it to Hawaii and we're all in one piece. The travel here was very tiring-- it seems like this little blessing helped me adjust to the time difference although I was exhausted by the time we arrived. Hawaii is 3 hours behind BC time and taking this into consideration, I'm making it past my regular BC 10pm shut off time without a problem...

Oh the sites we've seen. Hawaii is wonderful--the beaches are gorgeous. Christina (my sister) found a guide book in the condo we're at and it seems to be giving excellent and precise insider tips. We've found beaches in the middle of no-where. We've seen a rare green beach as a result of this book. We geared up for a hike into the beach as it in a secluded location-- paths are fairly rugged and we were told there was no vehicle trespassing allowed. When we first started walking we were in good spirits. After what seemed like a good hike in (I thought, "Certainly we MUST be arriving soon!) we saw a parking lot that was actually supposed to be the starting point for the walk. Oops.

But the Thiele family isn't made of wimps. We persevered. Even after running into other people retreating from the path (We asked, "So, did you make it to the Green beach?" "Yeah right. We're turning back-- way too long of a walk in the blazing sun") we still continued on. We walked and walked for a little over 3 miles and finally we arrived at the beach. It was well worth it. We found some shade under a rock and changed into our swimming gear for a cool-down ocean dip. It was a lot of fun and I'm really glad I bought a one-piece swimming suit... the waves were fairly choppy and a couple people lost their tops. I don't want to be too descript but my straps needed to be tightened after one of those waves! Hahaha.

But I digress. After we arrived, panting, sweating, 3 applications of sunscreen, we saw jeeps at the top of the beach front. These 4x4's made it down to the beach without the strenuous walk-in. We were talking to some of these people in the water and we jokingly asked, "Have any extra seats in your vehicle?". As it turns out, they did. Mom, Amy and Rafi hitched a ride back to the car and the rest of us hunkered down and walked back in. Tiring but fun nonetheless.

We've also been doing snorkeling at another secluded beach recommended by the guide book. I've never been snorkeling before so to see a glimpse of what's happening 'unda-da-sea'. At one point I was hovering right over a sea turtle. When it started to come up to the water's edge I realized it was a much faster swimmer than I and well, honestly, it freaked me out a little bit. But if you don't bother them, they don't bother you... apparently it's against the law in Hawaii to touch sea turtles. You could get arrested-- yikes! We had an excellent time relaxing and sunbathing.

One day we went to the farmers market. As you start things are quite expensive, for instance you could purchase a papaya for $1.00. Yet as you progress through the market fruit gets cheaper and cheaper... We ended up getting 7 papayas for $1.00!! Can you believe it? I guess there are a bunch of wild papaya trees and the locals have to find uses for them beside reveling in their deliciousness. From what I understand, papayas are an excellent meat tenderizer. Who knew?

That's it for now. I'll post some more later.

Update on my busy days

2007-04-17T20:37:00.001-07:00

The past couple of days have been busy. On the doctor's advice I am off work and have been trying to "stay limber". As a result, I have been running as many errands as I can, tying up loose ends where I can.

Yesterday my mom-in-law Linda picked me up and drove me to ICBC where I made an official statement and produced my list of witnesses. Then we went and had a delicious breakfast at ABC-- I can't seem to resist pancakes for breakfast. Mmmm!

I'm not going to lie, I don't know anything about cars. And we've already established I'm not a good liar anyways (ahem, refer to surprise party post). So it comes as no surprise that when mom and I arrived at the rental place I candidly admitted to the rental representative, "I don't know anything about cars". Immediately after this comment, I realized my verbal diarrhea regretted my confession (don't want to be taken advantage of!) Oh well. Mom made up for it asking about cylinders... sounded impressive and I was glad to have her there!

We went to a second rental place because the first place didn't have anything mid-size (I would have been charged extra for a larger vehicle and the fee wouldn't have been covered by ICBC). We arrived and I rented a car. I called Dan and he asked, "Well hon, what kind of car is it?". Again, I don't know anything about cars so I said what made an impression on me: "It's a BLACK car!". Oh well, now I know I am driving a Pontiac G5. It's no sexy beast but then again, it's not a Ford so I'm pleased.

I received a call from the ICBC adjuster today. The car is totaled and will be written off. Good thing we bought that car replacement insurance, eh? We'll get a new car, and since the dealerships no longer sell 2006 models, I'm sure we'll get a brand new 2007-- blessings in disguise...

Today I also went to the Dr's office and then the massage therapist. They are convinced I'll live and I was fortunate not to have more physical damage. Still stiff but I am on painkillers and anti-inflammatories which seem to help.

So physically I'm okay. Emotionally, I'm a wreck. I have been crying at the drop of a hat.

Just when I thought I can't get any more stressed out, something else happens. On my drive in the black pontiac G5 to my Dr's office, I got pulled over for speeding. Yep, I was issued a ticket. The police officer was nice but as he was running my license and registration, there I was, sitting in the car sobbing. I didn't even have any tissues. After I was ticketed ($196) I drove to the Dr's office and cried some more.

Then I go to my parent's house and start sobbing some more. Rafi is a nurturer... he supplied me with tissues, comforting words, his regrets and then he sensitively asked, "Anna, how many more days are you going to be crying for?" "Why do you ask Rafi?" "Well, I just think I need to know". He's a pretty cute little guy.

Part of this emotional train wreck I'm on includes loss of appetite and loss of memory. I'm a bit of a nut-bar out there and I hope to recover soon. I feel out of control.

I also went to the Bay today and purchased a bathing suit for my up-and-coming trip to Hawaii. The cashier helping me was in her late 50's, early 60's. She looked at the bathing suit and raved at how cute it was. I said, "Thanks! It's great because it pulls in the hips to be a bit more flattering", to which she replied (and I quote), "I hear you dawg". Hahahaha! I think that was the highlight of my day.

Wow! A lot more happened but I feel this is a pretty good summary for now. Thanks to everyone for all your support and well-wishes!

Wham, Bam, No-Thank-You Ma'am

2007-04-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Never a dull moment, that's how I feel about life right now. In fact, today was like a chapter out of The Fast and the Furious-- that's the Hollywood take on my day.

I had the day off work to attend to an exam at school. The exam was with my favorite professor of all time, Gary McCarron. If I haven't spoken with you about Gary before, he's witty, engaging and informative-- I leave his lectures energized about communications. This particular course was on Rhetoric and Persuasion. You know how when you thoroughly enjoy a class, learning comes naturally? I normally come home from school so energized that I tell Dan everything I learned-- repetition is good for memory retention. For this reason, I was well-prepared for the exam and actually looking forward to showing off my knowledge in written form.

Being so well-prepared, I wanted to go up to campus early, sell back some textbooks to the bookstore, and go to the distance education department to pick up some materials for Amy (my sister). I left home 2 hours before the exam and got ready for a relaxing drive to campus.

Traffic wasn't heavy, weather was clear. The drive was pleasant and I was enjoying listening to some soft rock (I know, I know-- 103.5 QMFM isn't the coolest radio station to listen to, but I enjoy the oldies!). So there I was, cruising along. I made it past the Port Mann bridge, going with the flow of traffic, both hands on the steering wheel, focusing on the road, in the fast lane...

I heard a car honk and I glanced to the source of the sound. I saw a blue Pontiac cutting in front of another car-- almost caused an accident in fact, but then it swerved out of the slow lane and rammed right into me!

I can't remember everything that was going through my head. She hit me pretty hard and as a result my car lost control, zipping to the right lane then swinging back to the fast lane before doing a 180 and slamming into the cement meridian (twice!). I remember thinking, "I'm going to die. Brace yourself Anna, you're going to die". But I made it through without too much physical damage. I am okay-- post-traumatic shock, shaking, waterworks, bruised/swollen knee, whiplash, neck and lower back pain-- but I'm alive! Praise God for that-- I really felt His hand of protection on me today. My lovely Mazda 3 is not so fortunate. The Sexy Beast's (our nickname for the Mazda, SB for short) hood was completely smashed, the passenger side punched in and the trunk sustained some damage.

About 5 people pulled over and said they'd be witnesses in my favour. I suspect most of these people were cut off my the erratic driver in the Blue Pontiac. All my witnesses were great!

The girl who hit me exchanged driver's information but that's the only thing I can say to her credit. She was wearing these dark sunglasses and seemed pretty shaken up. But after she gave me her information apologized she drove her car off-- did not wait for the RCMP to arrive which will result in a ticket for her. In hindsight, maybe she wasn't experiencing shock but was high on something (or drunk). I guess she didn't want to get busted by the cops. Before she left, she ran to and from her car across a couple lanes of traffic-- almost got hit because she wasn't watching what she was doing-- we'll see what becomes of this.

The first Emergency Responders were the fireman, then the tow truck (I was completely blocking off the HOV lane), then the police, then the paramedics. I was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the Royal Columbian hospital to be inspected. Dan came-- my hero-- and he was with me while the doctor inspected me (let it just be on record that those skimpy hospital gowns are NOT flattering), prescribed some medication and then discharged me.

It was a long day. Tomorrow I have an appointment with an adjuster at ICBC. I'll let you know how that goes. I've also emailed Gary to see about being excused from the final. Knowing how awesome Gary is, I'm sure he'll accommodate.

A timely pun for your amusement-- What do Exams and Cars Have in Common?
Both Can be Written Off!

In short, today was both a bad day/good day. Bad because I had to part with SB on not-so-great terms, and Good day because not only am I okay but (as Dan says) now I have lots of material for my blog! Ha!

Once a-prawn a time

2007-04-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Dan and I went on a road trip to the Sunshine Coast. My family has a trailer in Pender Harbor and not only did we get to visit my folks but we got to see how the trailer works for future trips alone (or with friends)...

There are many things to do at Pender Harbor but one of the main draws is boating/ fishing/ prawning/ etc. Apparently April and October are the best months to go prawning and since our visit was in April we hit the boat and went cruising. Dad had numerous prawn traps out in the Pacific and Sunday afternoon the family went with him to check the traps and haul in our ocean-treasures.

The weather was not ideal-- it was rainy and the wind kicked up (even a little wind makes the water quite choppy!). Yet, Dad persevered the elements and pulled up about 60 prawns (that night we got to feast on his efforts). Nothing beats fresh prawns!

They're quite big as you can see. This gargantuous fellow took up my dad's whole hand!

Dedicated prawners pull up their traps 2 times in the day-- once at 7:30 am and again at 4:30. This is the afternoon haul--
Friendships happen in the strangest places. Out of this batch Rafi made a friend. He picked up a prawn and starting playing with it, bopping around on the boat seats, making play conversation with his newfound buddy. It was truly cute. But if you were to name a prawn, what would you name it? Something burly and manly I'm sure. But Rafi, well, he beats to his own drummer-- his prawn was named Gabby.

In his 2 minute soul-connection with Gabby, Rafi grew emotionally-attached. But like all caught prawns, Gabby's life needed to end. Here is Rafi explaining not only his special relationship with Gabs but also the death and funeral preparations...

Melodramatic, n'est pas? Ha!

Surprise, Surprise

2007-04-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

I'm back!

Many of you know my mom's 5-0 was sneaking up on her this year. We planned a surprise party, and man, she didn't have a clue that it was coming. I invited her over under the guise of 'casual appetizers'. After she settled in at the apartment, we told her to get her shoes on-- we were going to get some family photos taken at a surprise location.

I guess I'm not a very good liar and mom told me I was acting weird but I told her, mom, simmer down! And by the way, I'm putting this blindfold on you!

We drove to our venue, an elegant barn owned by our friend Evita, where many of mom's friends and family were waiting in anticipation.

The lighting on this video isn't the greatest, but you get the idea... great reaction! We love you mom!

This is a display for my mom-- childhood photos and gift tags for friends to record memories about mom.
Our activities for the evening included a "How Well Do You Know Gin" quiz followed by Barn Bingo.What a hunky Bingo caller! If he was a number, he's taken already... :)Birthday cake to follow. The inscription reads: Happy Birthday Gin... Celebrating 50 years...
Rafi and Mom blowing out the candles.
All in all, a really special evening. Thanks to everyone for keeping the secret, bringing appy's and being there to make the evening memorable!

The Semester's Ending

2007-03-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

It's every students catch-22. The semester is almost over (great!) but we have many assignments coming due (not so great). Needless to say I'm consumed with term papers right now...

For this reason I thought I would let you know that I probably won't get to post anything until after April 1st so there's no need to keep checking back until then. I'll have lots of stories to share at this time, in fact I'm stockpiling ideas to discuss so it ought to be good. Lot's of catch-up.

Blessings!

QWR

2007-03-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

In one of Dan's thrift store adventures he found a game for $0.75 (it was 50% off) called "QWR"-- Quick Wit and Repartee. Last night we had a dinner party at our house and we introduced QWR to our guests. There are numerous categories to the game and you need to be quick on your feet to do well I'll explain 3 of the 6 categories...

One of the options is called Connections. When it's your turn you are given a word and you must spend 10 seconds talking about it before another word is tossed at you and you have to connect this word into your story. In total, 5 random words are thrown at you at 10 seconds each. The object is to create a believable, flowing story. Here is an example from one of the game cards, and remember you don't get to know the words beforehand. It's all improv:

1. women automobile drivers
2. sterilization of criminals
3. sex symbols
4. World War 1
5. head banging

Here's another example:
1. baby foods
2. character tests
3. bed pans
4. family size
5. traffic police

It can be challenging when you're the one having to connect the terms but it's absolutely hilarious listening to others do it!

Another component to the game is Retorts. You are insulted and you have to come up with a return insult along the same lines. For fun, see what you can come up with as a response insult:

1. You're a magician. You can turn anything into an argument.
(Anna's example retort: Yeah, too bad my magician skills can't make you disappear!)

Or try this one:
2. You're so dumb you think that the English Channel is a British TV station.

A third component to the game is Puns. Works kind of like Retorts except you need to be punny, not insulting. Here are some examples and again you can come up with your own pun-response:

1. Newsflash: 200 wigs have been stolen. Police are now combing the area.
2. There is only one thing worse than raining cats and dogs, and that is hailing taxis.
3. It is a little known fact that skunks are religious. Each has its own pew.

Anyways, we had fun playing this last night. There were some really funny stories (connections) and witty comebacks/puns. If this sounds like your kind of fun please let me know and we can play! If you think of a reply to any of the retorts or puns I posted please leave them in a comment-- I would love to hear what kind of creative genius is out there!

Dog's in Hawaii?

2007-02-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

When I say "Bounty Hunter", who's the first person that comes to mind? If you said "Duane 'Dog' Chapman", you're thinking like me. For those of you who don't know, Dog the Bounty Hunter is a reality TV program filmed on location in Hawaii. The show is kind of like Cops except instead of chasing 'bad guy' criminals Dog is hunting down those who've skipped bail and Dog's personal intention is to collect the bounty. Basically, he's a national pop culture icon... Ultra hip. If you don't know who he is I suggest you check out Dog's website. Look at him-- he just screams 'cool', doesn't he?

Anyways, enough of this free advertising. As I already mentioned, Dog's show is based out of Hawaii and for those of you who don't know, I am heading to Hawaii at the end of April on a Thiele family trip. My parents asked me if there is any particular activity or outing that I would like to do while there. Personally, my exposure to Hawaiian activities is limited to knowledge of volcanoes, beaches, sun tanning, eating coconuts... you know, things like that. I wanted to be creative so I suggested we try and track down Dog and get an autograph.

Much to my shock and dismay mom had no idea who Dog was!!! I expressed to Gin that Dog is the man in Hawaii and EVERYONE knows who he is. He's famous! He's...well, he's THE DOG. Although my personal stock in Dog is minimal (we don't have cable so I don't even watch his show) I still recognized this opportunity as a great time to play a practical joke. So I started talking to mom's friends, requesting they follow-through with one simple request. When mom talks about Hawaii, they should innocently ask, "Oh, really? Hawaii, eh? Hey! You might get to see Dog! Lucky you!!". Not sure how this is going but feel free to jump on the Dog bandwagon and nudge my mom along in her pop culture knowledge. I feel it's okay to post this little joke publicly because heaven knows, mom doesn't often have time to frequently visit my blog.

Actually, once I asked her if she had checked out any of my posts and she told me, "Oh, I haven't been reading yours-- but Dan's is great, isn't it!?!". Okay, okay, I'll be fair... She checked it out and told me to stop posting so many things about her. Oops! I guess I get a little carried away :) Don't tell her...

The Coins Beckon Me...

2007-02-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

ROLLING COIN. What do these 2 words bring to your mind? For some it may be a headache but for me, well, it's exciting. Do all bankers feel this way? Is this fascination bred into my genes?

The other day I was studiously working through a long, complicated reading for school. It's tough being a student because you just sit and read-- focus and inactivity are mandatory. Dan is normally very supportive of these reading initiatives as he is a student as well. But, we had both been studying for hours and he needed a break. So what little carrot did he unintentionally decide to wave in front of my face? Rolling coin.

For as long as I've known Dan he sets aside all of his change (well, all his silver and copper coins in any case) when he empties his pockets at the end of the day. It just so happened that his coin jar was now full....

I look over to see the pot full of shiny quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies being showered onto the table. The clinking of coins just waiting to be rolled seemed to be calling my name. I managed to resist the temptation and finish the final pages of my reading before getting up to assist Dan in the rolling. It was the highlight of my day... (just kidding, but I DO enjoy it).

This suggests to me that I am in the right profession. At work I am constantly rolling and re-rolling coin. When we get a surplus of coin in the branch we often ship it out with Brinks but there are requirements of shipping. Coin needs to be in proper, labelled, paper wrappers.

Those plastic rollers you see? No good for Brinks because they pop open in transport. Also, people seem to bring in coin that is wrapped in miscellaneous papers-- these are no good either and need to be re-rolled. If it's slow in the branch, we accept these from customers-- only as an exception IF we have time to re-roll them and prepare them for shipment. To make a long story short, we accepted a couple blocks of coin. Let the fun begin!

Bob and I sat down for some competitive coin rolling. We make sure we have equal coins to re-roll and then we race to see who's the fastest... I am currently the reigning branch champion despite the peril of cramping fingers from those dimes! Now if only I could channel this energy into housecleaning, eh?

Bank Turned Burger Joint?

2007-02-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

I spend a huge portion of my week at work. No wonder I have so many interesting stories to tell about that blessed place.

Our manager Tim had the idea that our branch needs a Social Committee. We tested the water to see what interest we could get from the branch. Everyone LOVED the idea of the committee and so it was decided that we would try to have monthly social events... we would need people to volunteer for the committee but we didn't think it would be a problem since there was such a positive response from the people. Democracy rules after all.

So those who were interested would email our greeter (Cindy) to put their name in. Guess what? 3 people are currently on the Committee: Tim (manager), Cindy (greeter), and me. Oh well, the smaller the group the more nimble we can be in our planning. Hahahaha....

Cindy and I were discussing SC event#1: In-branch Barbeque. We were tired of winter and wanted to get into the summer spirit! We arranged to have a few George Foreman grills brought in and everyone in the branch signed up for an item that could be put on a burger (or enjoyed with a burger in the summer spirit). When the event came, we had burgers that were so stuffed full of little goodies that many of us could not complete our meals. We were a branch of waddlers that day... Also, potato salad, root beer floats, chips, veggies... you name it, we had it.

Anyways, the burger smell wafted out of the kitchen. And wafted. And wafted until it filled the whole branch. All of our members were coming in and asking, "Why does it smell like White Spot in here?"; "It smells like the PNE"; "I'm suddenly craving burgers. I wonder why that is?", etc. It was actually quite hilarious to hear people's responses. The power of suggestion... I think at least 4 of my members said they were so inspired that they were going to go home and fire up the grill for a burger for dinner.

Actually, many of the staff mentioned that the smell stuck to their clothing. Leslie (my boss) went home to her 4 Daschunds and they practically accosted her at the door because of the meat smell that resonated on her outer garb.

All in all, a fun event. Cindy and I feel that SC event #1 was a success. I highly recommend it for any team building you may want to do with your co-workers, even in a professional environment.

Pride Comes Before a Fall

2007-02-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

From time to time I wear what I call my 'hussy boots'. I own a pair of black, pleather-like boots. You know the type. They are shiny, have a massive heel and zip up to the lower portion on my knee. At first I wasn't sure about wearing them because "what would people think?" however I ventured out one day wearing them with a tasteful skirt and I received nothing but compliments. "Wow Anna! Those boots look great"; ""I've never noticed before, but you've got really cute knees!"; "Where did you get those boots? I'm inspired by your fashion sense"... and so on... and so on. So, I'm feeling pretty good about the boots as you can imagine.

Furthermore, they serve 2 utilitarian purposes: 1) I don't have to wear nylons with them since they cover my legs (especially in the winter); 2) They cover unshaven leg hair, I'll be honest-- I get lazy about shaving, especially since I have one of those stand-up showers and I've almost killed myself a couple times trying to prop my leg up, get the shaving cream on and protect my legs from getting wet while I'm trying to shave. For those ladies reading, you'll know what I mean. It's a debacle. And even then, you miss spots!

Well considering the compliments and the morning efficiency factor, today I ventured to work while wearing the boots. I was running behind this morning and as I cruised down the hallway to the elevator I noticed something strange in my walk... One of the heels was becoming a little loose. I didn't think too much about it as I rode down the elevator. I got to work and a co-worker commented that it looked like my heel wasn't very stable as I walked. I told myself that I would make it to lunch and then zip over to the Langley Wal-Mart and purchase some black heels and nylons before an accident happened.

I didn't make it to lunch.

The line-up for the tellers was long. I was covering our greeter for lunch. I was running to and from offices, answering phone calls and making photocopies. What I am trying to say is that I was really busy. But at least I looked good. Ha!

So I was walking to my desk when my heel ripped off and flew across the floor. I tried to be discreet and was so thankful I didn't wipe out! I bent over, picked up my heel and was as graceful and inconspicuous as possible. I gathered my remaining dignity and hobbled to the staff room before having a good laugh. Let me tell you what an excellent team we have at work. The staff looked at my wardrobe malfunction (at least it wasn't as awkward as Janet Jackson's in 2005) and came around me in support.

Our regular greeter went back from her lunch early to cover the reception line up. I called a co-worker who had gone home for lunch and asked her what size of shoes she wears. 8 1/2, same as me. I asked her if she had anything in black and she said she would find something for me. Thanks Laura! Another co-worker had an extra pair of nylons in her drawer that she offered to my cause. Thanks Collene!

I was hobbling around waiting for Laura to come back from lunch with the replacement shoe delivery, and I happened to have my camera with me since I am always looking for material for my blog-- I snapped this photo in an effort to capture my horror about the whole situation. I thought you would all enjoy this. I am holding the hussy boot and the now-removed heel. Proof that pride comes before a fall.

Superbowl 2007

2007-02-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

I don't profess to know much about football but I always look forward to Superbowl Sunday. This year, Dan and I went to my parents' place for our Superbowl experience.

On Friday, Gin (as I affectionately call my mom-- short for Virginia) invited some friends for this party but in the invitation she briefed her friends that the party would be low key and not to expect much at "the lamest football party ever"-- I figure she just doesn't want to disappoint anyone since none of my family members are the biggest football fans you've ever met.

After experiencing the party, I can honestly say everyone had a great time and it was NOT lame! From the get-go there was a massive spread of food on the table-- I grazed there a little too much! Mmmm...

Our family always plays a gambling game-- based on 10 players, everyone puts in $1.00 and has the opportunity to select 10 squares (on a 100 square grid). Randomly, we assign number values 0-9 on the y & x axis'. At the end of each quarter, the scores of the football game correspond with a spot on the grid and someone wins a portion of the total money pot. I am pleased to announce that I hit the financial jackpot at the end of 2 quarters! Woohoo!

Here is a picture of me with some of my winnings (in total I won $4.00!!)
Gin is an American and here she is, soaking up the anthem:All in all, a great party-- lots of laughs and the underdogs won (me AND the Colts!) Ha!

Experiencing Anna withdrawal?

2007-02-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

My husband Dan is a regular blogger. If you haven't already, I strongly recommend you check my "Transfers" section for a link to his musings... Initially I teased him about creating a blog as I was concerned it was too 'pop culture' and therefore cliche. But I watched. I observed. I read. I slowly began to notice my opinion of the blogging-world change for the good. Dan is a real example to me. Although life is busy for him he always seems to find time to post a goodie or two to his blog. Yes, I'm inspired. And yet, self-admittedly, I was still apprehensive about creating a blog. It's those little promptings I have been getting that really got me excited about this new venture. I have been recently bumping into friends and when asked what's new in their lives they say they have started blogs and I can read to get caught up... It seems everyone is doing it! Although peer-pressure is not a good reason to do anything, I'm not going to lie that it seemed to really motivate me.

Once I knew I wanted one there seemed to be a few roadblocks inhibiting action. I wasn't sure how to create a site and I didn't want to spend the time trying to figure it out. But alas! It hasn't been too hard... My blogging husband has helped me along and here I am.

Secondly, I questioned what I would write about. What on earth will I have to say? But in anything I do I like to tell stories and get to the nitty gritty about my life. So things will come... perhaps randomly, but they will still come.

The next dilemma was when will I find the time to post? As a full-time employee at a Financial Institution (yes: terms, mutuals, and RRSP's excite me!) and a part-time student at a Post-Secondary school time is always of the essence. But again, although my blogging deposits may be random they will still come.

So sit back and enjoy what flows from my steel trap.