M and I are a mere three weeks into this whole co-habitating thing and so far all is well.  Well, except for the first week when he tried to hospitalize me in my sleep!  I'm joking, it wasn't that bad, just incredibly annoying.  He must have been having a bit of unconcious trouble adjusting for the first week, because he had crazy dreams and did ridiculous things in his sleep that drove me crazy.  It started with an elbow to the chin while we were both sound asleep because he was dreaming that there were snakes in the bed.  Grrr....  A couple of nights later he sat straight up in bed in the middle of the night and turned the bedside lamp on.  (Swear word!) Then, a couple of nights after that he was having another strange dream and I got a ginzu chop to the throat that almost brough tears to my eyes.  (Very loud swear words!)  But, it appears to have only been that first week, because it has been smooth sailing all through the night ever since.

 

Other than that, it's all been good.  No scraps or disagreements, he helps out around the house without being asked and makes a mean meal from time to time.  I'm a happy girl!     

 

          

Only five more sleeps until M and I go from living two hours apart and only seeing each other on weekends to co-habitating.  Yay and gulp!  

 

I'm excited as all heck but also a little bit afraid.  This is obviously going to be a very big change for us.  M has never lived with a significant other before, and even though I have, I obviously was not very good at it.  Here's hoping the third time is a charm!  All joking aside though, I think I have learned quite a bit from my failed relationships.  I think I am a much different person than I was three or four years ago, hopefully for the better.  I always joke that I am a much kinder, gentler Angela than the gal I was in my twenties, but it's more than just a joke; there is considerable truth to that statement. 

 

So, this time next week M and I will be living together.  Let's hope that after three or four months of dealing with my sarcasm on a daily basis he won't have buried me in the back yard!        

 

           

So, a week and a half ago, I was in Vegas for work and had just finished the final touches on our trade show booth and had wandered back up to my hotel room to get changed and freshen up before the show started, and I got a call from M on my cell phone.  He had been called in for a meeting and was given a promotion with a transfer to the city.  Yay!!!  His first day is October 30th, so I get to spend the next two weeks attempting to make enough space in my closet for his clothes and cleaning my place up so that we have somewhere to put his stuff.  This is not an easy task, let me tell you!  

 

It's pretty exciting to know that in just two weeks we'll be living in the same house as opposed to being two hours apart like we have been for the past year.  I can't wait!     

Why has keeping my blog up to date suddenly become so darn difficult?  It seems almost impossible to take the time to sit down and formulate sentences.  Don't get me wrong; it's not that I'm that busy.  It's just coming up with something to write about that has had me stymied lately.  Argh!!  

 

Any suggestions?

I was driving home from work this afternoon, pleasantly minding my own business, when this lovely little song by Gwen Stefani came on the radio.  It was "Bananas"; I'm sure you all know it.  So, driving along, this song comes on, and suddenly, it hits me like a bag of freaking bricks; in less than a week my best friend is leaving the country and will be gone until the new year.  Ack!!!  I knew she was leaving, but somehow the impact of this managed to escape me.  No more phone calls, no more texts, no more heart to hearts on the way to and from soccer, and worst of all, no more drunken escapades and stories to tell....  Holy wow.  Dougie, I must say this has suddenly thrown me for a loop in the past hour or so....       

Is anyone else out there addicted to reality TV? 

 

I thought I was getting better, but a very long and indepth conversation with the 19 year old at work today about The Hills made me realize otherwise.

 

My name is Angela, and I am an MTV reality tv addict.

I went out for a couple of beer with a friend after work on Thursday and to my surprise the server was a girl I went to high school with.  In the 15 years (gulp, that seems like a really long time!) since we graduated I have only seen her a handful of times, usually in whatever establishment she happens to be serving at.  For the most part I think she has had a fairly tough go of it since she moved away from home.  Rumors have been heard about domestic battery, drug abuse and prostitution, but who knows how much of it you can believe?  It now seems like she has it all together and her life on track.  She's been in the same job for a couple of years, been with the same guy for seven years (not the same guy that the domestic abuse rumors were about) and she finally looks healthy, not heroin skinny like she did the last time I saw her.  It was awesome to see her looking great and to find out that she's doing well.  

Tonight's entry will be a very short complaint, as it is quite tough to type with my fingers taped together.  Klutzomaniac that I am, I dislocated my pinkie finger playing ball last night.  I didn't realize how bad it was until I took off my mitt and the top part of my pinkie was facing a different direction than the rest of my finger.  It put itself back in place shortly afterwards when I went up to bat, but man does it hurt...

 

I went to the doctor today to make sure that it was back in place properly but they can't tell anything until they get the X-rays back, which means I won't know until next week if I need to go in and have them put it back in.  In the mean time I get to walk around with it taped either to my ring finger or a popsicle stick, both of which hurt like the dickens, make it tough to type and basically just suck rocks...  The golf tournament I am in this weekend is going to be mighty interesting.  Booo me...        

Holy crumb - July is almost over already!!  With the end of July comes the end of soccer season, which means the end of ball season is not very far behind.  This leaves me wondering what in the heck I am going to do with myself during the week.  

 

When my ex-husband and I separated last year my circle of friends became considerably smaller, as I had previously spent many hours each week with his sister and her best friend.  We had tried in the beginning to stay in contact, but with each unanswered email it became more and more clear that a prolonged friendship was simply not meant to be.  Don't get me wrong - this is certainly understandable as she and her brother are extremely close and I knew ahead of time that if sides were to be chosen that I would lose.  However, I was hoping that over a year and a half later, with both he and I in much happier places, combined with the fact that he is now engaged to somebody else that perhaps she would be willing to see things with fresh eyes and would be interested in catching up.  I wasn't expecting it to be like it was before, where we would spend hours together each week; I just thought a coffee here or there would be cool, but c'est la vie I guess...

 

I'm also finding it tough because so many of the female halves of couples I used to do things with now have little babies or are pregant and really not interested in hanging out during the week.  It is completely understandable as their priorities have shifted; it's just hard some days when it feels like I'm all alone during the week.  

 

I used to have my neighbour as a week day partner in crime, but he has recently moved his girlfriend here from another province and they weren't interested in getting together the first couple times I called after she moved so I figure I am just going to leave them be for now so they can nest and get adjusted to being in the same house instead of being hours apart and let them get into their own routine before I get too upset about them not being available to amuse me.

 

Holy cow, I just read over this entry and am I ever having a pity party tonight - geesh!!!  I think I am being such a baby because having M live two hours away and only seeing him on the weekends is now much harder on me than it was in the beginning.  Initially it was nice having my own space during the week and having something to look forward to on Friday afternoon, but as time goes by it is getting more and more difficult to be apart.  Oh well, it will happen when it happens, I guess...

 

That's it, enough of my whining - have a great week everbody. 

              

I am now officially a freecycler, and am loving every minute of it!!!

 

If you guys have not checked out www.freecycle.org you should.  It's pretty simple.  Just go to the website and sign up to join your local group.  If you have items that you no longer want you post them online and someone who wants them will come pick them up from your house.  Conversely, if there is a particular item that you are looking for you can request it and someone who may have that item to give away would send you a message to arrange for you to come pick it up from them.  This is an easy and fast way to get rid of those things kicking around the house that you know you should give to Goodwill but just haven't got around to taking there yet.  Last night I listed an old BBQ that I've been trying to figure out what to do with and less than 24 hours later it is gone from house and I did not have a lift a finger (well, other than to type the message!) It's also a great way to pick stuff up for free from someone who no longer has a need for it. 

 

Check it out...   

July has been a big month for me so far.  My divorce was final and my ex-husband got engaged, all in the same weekend! 

 

Actually though, both things sound like a much bigger deal than they actually are.  The biggest way my divorce being final affects me is because now I have to start making my own truck payment.  Nothing else changes as we both moved on a very long time ago.  As far as him getting engaged; it's all good.  He and Nicky seem to have a good thing going and it works for both of them, so I wish them nothing but happiness and success.  As long as he's happy, I'm happy for him.

 

Isn't it crazy how quickly time flies?  A year and a half ago we were in a marriage that wasn't working, both of us unhappy and making each other miserable, all the while choosing to ignore how bad things had gotten.  And here we are now, both in healthy relationships with other people and both of us happy as clams.  I guess things just work out how they are supposed to...       

 

 

 

        

After being away from the blog loop for so long I feel this huge pressure to produce something incredibly profound to make up for my absence.  However, this immediately produces writer's block, which just gets worse the more I think about it, so I am just going to pull a total cop-out and give you the Cole's notes version of my trip to Vegas this past weekend.  

 

We went down to celebrate my Mom's 50th birthday.  Our group included my mom (obviously,) myself, M, my brother, and four of my mom's friends.  I didn't win big, but I came down substantially less money than I had set aside as being willing to lose, so I consider the trip to be a success. 

 

We rented a poolisde cabana Friday, which I consider a must if you are foolish enough to sit outside in Las Vegas for any length of time at the end of June.  Shade, misters, a fan, a refrigerator and a waitress; what more could you ask for?  Wait, I know, a plasma screen television so you can watch the World Cup by the pool!  It was sheer heaven I tell you, heaven.

 

We didn't see any of the big name shows while we were down there, but we did go see Anthony Cools, a hypnotist/comedian, who was absolutely hilarious.  His show was a tad racy and fairly crude, but if you have a slightly warped sense of humor and are not easily offended, I highly recommend checking out his show at the Excalibur the next time you are in Vegas.

 

Lastly, I was finally able to check something off my to-do list.  M and I went to Scores Saturday night so that I could say I had been to a Las Vegas strip club.  You know what?  It wasn't nearly as seedy as I had imagined.  Some of the acts on stage even kept their clothes on and did little acrobatic, gymanstic and trapeze routines.  Granted, there was also everything else you would expect from such a place, but overall it was pretty good.  Because M and I were there together the girls weren't nearly as agressive with us as they were with the guys sitting alone or in groups.  One of the few gals who came to chat with us told us how intimidating most of the girls find couples to be.  The way she explained it totally made sense.  Girls are much more judgemental of the physical appearance of other women than men are and typically the woman controls the reigns if a couple are sitting there together.  Therefore, unless the woman finds you attractive you don't stand a chance at making any money.  Apparently, they take the rejection much harder coming from another woman than from a man.  Hmmm, you learn something new every day I guess...

 

We flew back late Sunday night and I was SOOO happy that Monday was a holiday here in Canada.  It was a real treat to have a day off after the weekend in Vegas to relax, recuperate and recover before heading back to work.

 

 

 

         

 

      

 

 

   

So, I log on to my blog tonight for the first time in ages, and find it has been almost a full month since I last updated it.  How can this be?  

 

I've narrowed it down to a few culprits.  First of all, I've been busy.  Between soccer, ball and catching up with friends it has been a hectic few weeks.  Secondly, having the Oilers make it to the Stanley Cup Finals took a huge bite out of my time.  And lastly, it's just been too darn hot to think around here.  Typically we only get a few days each summer over the 30Celcius mark, but it's been in the high 20s, low 30s for the past two weeks and it's wearing on me.  Since we usually only get a few days a summer at these high temperatures very few homes have air conditioning, which means it is absolutely excruciating to try and sleep at night.  Seriously, I was in Vegas this past weekend and it was WAY more comfortable there because every place you go has air conditioning.

 

This is going to be a quick one tonight as I just got home from soccer and am sweaty and incredibly stinky and need to go have a shower to cool off enough to function.  I promise to be back later this week to bring you up to speed as to what's new and exciting in my neck of the woods.

 

Take care all.

You've got to be kidding me.  Rolofson is out for the rest of the series?  After helping us to claw our way to the Stanley Cup Finals?  What a bit of flipping crummy luck...

 

Hopefully I'll have time to catch up with you guys on non hockey related stuff later this week.  Sorry, I've been busy...

Ya, ya, I know I've been a slacker lately - sorry all.

 

I had a relatively uneventful long weekend.  Golfed with my mom, watched a couple of Oilers' games, hit Whyte Ave; nothing too terribly exciting.

 

Off to Toronto this coming Saturday morning for my baby brother's 28th birthday.  Catching a Blue Jays' game with him and his buddies Sunday afternoon and then flying back here Sunday night.  A bit of a whirlwind trip but M and I both have to work Monday morning.

 

Speaking of work, last week was a frustrating one, work wise.  I finalized a  huge deal last Thursday and was told less than two hours later that they now think they were a tad too liberal in the commission portion of my compensation plan and that they now have to revisit certain things.  The timing of this left an extremely bad taste in my mouth; I felt like I was being punished for exceeding expecations.  I thought they would have been celebrating my success, but apparently I was very sadly mistaken.  To top it all off, there is now also some talk about bringing in a second sales person and dividing up the territories, which would also substantially affect my potential commissions, so I am a less than happy camper.  I still like the actual work that I do, I just feel like I am suddenly being yanked around.  Guess we'll wait and see what transpires...         

 

On a better note, how about them Oilers?  Leading the series 3-0 over the Ducks!  Go Oilers Go! 

Who would have thought that the Edmonton Oilers would make it to Round 3 of the NHL Playoffs?  That they would take down the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks?  Wowers - Go Oilers Go!

 

Bring on the Ducks!  

Accent: Like most Canadians I like to think I don’t have much of an accent, but I deal with people from all over the U.S every day on the phone and some of them seem to find my speech pattern quite entertaining - especially when I say things like "you betcha"
Bible Book that I like: Ummm...not really familiar with any of them - oh well, I’m divorced so I am already behind the heaven eight ball...
Chore I don't care for: Cleaning bathrooms
Dog or Cat: I don’t have either right now, but I’d pick dogs over cats any day of the week
Essential Electronics: Computer
Favorite cologne: I don’t wear much, but if I have to pick, probably Clinique Happy
Gold or silver: White gold
Handbag I carry most often: Cheap green corduroy one (or any of my Chinese knock offs!)
Insomnia: Way less often these days, knock on wood! (Funny how being happy helps you sleep!)
Job Title: Inside Sales Representative (how illustrious!)
Kids: None
Living Arrangements: New house all to myself
Most Admirable Trait: Loyalty
Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Convincing my little brother to jump off the roof onto the trampoline.
Overnight hospital stays: When I was a baby I had colic so bad that the doctor admitted me into the hospital for the weekend so my folks could get some sleep.
Phobias: Not sure...nothing really stands out.
Quote: ""Whatever..."
Religion: Baptized Lutheran but kicked out of Confirmation .
Sibling: A younger brother who lives in Ontario.
Time I wake up: 6:48 am (lets me hit snooze twice)
Unusual Talent or skill: I’m real frickin sarcastic, is that a skill?
Vegetable you refuse to eat: Not a fan of cooked tomatoes (unless they are in a sauce.)
Worst Habit: I bite my nails.
X-rays: Just on my teeth

Yummy stuff I cook: Lasagna, peanut butter stew, chicken capri - I’m actually a pretty good cook when I am willing to make the effort.
Zoo Animal I like the most: Polar bears

Okay, yesterday I was complaining about the small town gossip going around about me.  Turns out it wasn't small town gossip gone astray, but instead a total freaking wing nut! 

 

Here's my reply to him:

"Huh?

 

And his response?  His response?  He was only joking and was merely trying to get me to respond to his email.  Whack job... 

 

 

 

  

Most of the time I love that I come from a small town. Today I was reminded of the reason having grown up in a village makes me swear - small town gossip.

Here’s an email that I received this morning:

Subject: No news?

Hi ang! I just got the latest from the greatest most informed...??? I wondered why I have never got a return mail from you. The latest from the greatest has you returning from the tropics with many treasures. One of which you can show off at any occasion. Congratulations!!! Won't mother be pleased!.. I am sure all is well (or better). Have fun.

Talk to you sometime, A

This left me shaking my head. At first I was stymied, but then I stumbled across the meaning. His informant must have me confused with another girl from back home who announced that she was pregnant at a mutual friend’s wedding in Cuba a few months ago. She and her boyfriend have since gotten engaged and have wedding plans in the works. How she and I have somehow been mistaken for each other is baffling. Neither our first or last names are even remotely similar, nor are our circumstances. She is a few years younger than me, has never been married and still lives in Bentley. I was not at the wedding in Cuba where she announced her news and haven’t been anywhere that could be considered tropical for well over a year. We don’t look alike and we are not related - how my name came into this is beyond me. How special that the small town gossips are so starved for something to talk about that they can’t even be bothered to get the details correct!

I had to call my mom this afternoon and let her know about the latest gossip concerning me that is circling the town and assure her that it is not true. Can you imagine her or even worse, my dad, having someone come up to them in the Moneky Top and ask when I was due? Good lord... My mom probably would have just laughed it off and then quickly called me to find out what was going on, but my poor father would have lost his mind.

Gotta love a small town...