as i do when i get lazy

here are some interesting things that i came across, did, or thought today:

• asian soup should not be attempted in my nest.  i made some, did not enjoy it, and ended up putting the whole pot down the garburator, shame.  the seaweed disintegrated in the broth and it made my house smell.  now what do i do with an entire package of seaweed?
• i saw a police officer just hanging out in his car outside of the superstore and i am sure it is connected to the recent incidents of food tampering in the city.  here is my question, why aren't the people who are caught (or person, as they've only caught one and suspect there are other copy cats) charged with terrorism?  i must acknowledge my ignorance of laws covering terrorism in canada and alberta, but they are essentially causing terror of a certain degree amongst the million people in the city considering the majority of us buy our food at the major grocery stores.  not cool.
• i bought m&m's to put in my friend's care package that will be sent to east timor and then i opened them and am now eating them on the couch while watching american idol.  talk about taking the life of luxury for granted!
• i had 'the canadian' at frilly lilly today and had a giggle when i made my appointment.
• i watched a documentary on the mormons that was broadcast on pbs in 2007.  fascinating stuff!  the whole thing can be seen on the pbs website and if you are at all interested in how the church of jesus christ of latter day saints came to be or what the hell it is all about, watch this.  it explains it without bias or judgement or without trying to sell you on to their (crazy) stories.  i guess i am not as unbiased and nonjudgemental.  but really, watch the 4 hours of it and are sure to learn a lot.
• i bought a new dress.  did i need a new dress?  absolutely not.  but it was 40% off!  and that peachy-orange colour that i love right now!  and it is a petite size!  and now that i look it up on the american website, i realise that i could've saved even more money if i bought it south of the 49th with this crazy exhange rate we have going on right now.
• i returned a book that i wasn't enjoying.  i had never done that before.  i had a pang of guilt, but it passed.
• i am having some anxiety about not being prepared to go on a week long vacation.  i think i have more stress when going to an all-inclusive resort on a beach than i do adventuring around a foreign place.  so much pressure, i tell ya.

way up

things really are looking up and here is proof:

• the calgary parking authority sent me a cheque.  i am not sure exactly why, but i'll take the $50!
• i gained a few new freckles on my morning run today.
• it is friday and i got to go for a morning run.
• freckles only come when there is sun!
• i used my free starbies drink coupon that they sent me for my birthday because i registered my starbucks card
• i searched through my drawers and found 4 totally wearable bikinis to take to mexico so no need to purchase a new one

things are looking up

here are some thoughts to prove that i am not just a big grumpy guts lately.

• i had an awesome run tonight at quite the clip, making me feel as though i am really improving and that my lungs are in great shape.  during this time round training for a 1/2 marathon, my calves are not growing at an exponential rate and looking huge (as they did last time i increased my distances like this).  i think i must have adjusted my gait in the past few years because i am not having the calf pain and subsequent cramps, which could have been behind those enormous calves (and ladies, enormous calves are not the easiest to dress...)
• sometimes i need to be forced to take a break and often, this comes in the form of a sickness that forces me to STOP.  but not this time.  this time i have planned a trip to mexico to stay at this lovely place with my most favourite people in the world, my fam.  i know we are going to have a blast and the countdown is on for the best family vacation ever!
• as an aside, the guys on american idol are really kicking the girls arses this season.  i love the kid with the mullet.  any 16 year old that loves ray lamontagne as much as i do (and has a shameless mullet), gets my vote.  if i lived in the u.s of a.  and voted for american idol contestants.
• i am now trained to conduct audits (specifically on environmental management systems, but the principles translate to other areas that i have some knowledge) and i think that i would be a really good auditor.  anal retentive?  yes.  keen attention to detail?  yes.  sort of nosy?  yes.  blunt and tells it like it is?  yes.  see?  totally up my alley.  i think there is a lot of overlap between auditing and monitoring and evaluation (in un speak) so here's hoping i will be able to apply what i have learned over the last 3 days during future career steps.
• going back to tv again for a momento, glee's new episodes will be starting soon, yippee.
• this weekend, i have plans to head to a movie with one of my girlfriends who i haven't seen in awhile and i have a date with another friend to go hiking or for a nice walk. 

things are looking up.

not your average product review

i have recently started using 2 new products that i feel i should share with you, my reading audience.

my skin is dry. it is even dry when i am not residing in the notoriously dry climate of this city. my skin is also rather sensitive and many sunscreens burn when i put them on my face because of the perfume. i have found a good sunscreen, but this is not about that product. this is about glysomed, which is what i am now using to moisturise my face after washing it. it feels sort of like it has been made with some sort of rubber product, it is so thick. but it works! and once it seeps into my dry pores, it doesn't feel greasy. i only found this lotion (well, cream) by accident when my friend suggested i try it on our recent vacation and the only thing i knew about this stuff before that fateful moment was that it was advertised on jeopardy. now i am a proud convert.

again, with the dryness. my scalp is also equal to my face in its crispness. this winter was worse than it has ever been and after trying leave-in conditioner, frizz ease serum, and other products that claim to moisturise the scalp, my hairdresser recommended that i use nizoral. it doesn't smell like flowers, it is bright pink, and it is pricey. but it works! apparently it is the ketoconazole that kills the fungus that causes dandruff. and how is that for an opening line on a date? ew. but if you too suffer from a flaky scalp, this stuff is for you.

not bad, for a wednesday

yesterday, jana, ayer, hier:

• i ran in -11 degrees and hated every minute of it. it does not compare to this miserable run, but i sure felt the same way afterwards.
• i went on a date. i ate steak. i got a new mix cd. i had a glass of wine. it was really nice.
• i could not find any reasonably priced flights to vegas, so my plans of visiting sin city were thwarted. which is sort of ok because i just wanted a cheap getaway anyways.
• my little bro got knocked out in game 5 of a 5 game series.
• i collected the clothes i no longer wear to give to a refugee family who has recently moved to canada. (if you have any you would like to donate, contact me and i will get you the information to do the same).
• i continued to battle the congestion. which i am convinced is directly linked to dairy consumption. but i cannot imagine a life without mini eggs and cheese.
• a man offered me his seat on the train and before i could say 'no thank you,' he was up and i was sitting and then i felt a bit awkward for the rest of the journey.

today is a new day

today:

• the forecast high is -20 degrees. that is the high!
• i had the interview for the job in kenya and it went really well. it is nice to be interviewed by your former boss who knows you, better than i had anticipated, in fact.
• i set up dates with two gentleman callers.
• i will be registering for a 3 day course to help me do my job. i love the idea of going to classes to learn new things on someone else's dime.
• is a good day because i still have not taken off my winter boots and i like to judge the day on how long i can keep my cozy boots on before changing into work appropriate shoes.
• i met a nice engineer who did not speak in engineerspeak and who was very helpful.
• i am soliciting company for a potential vegas weekend minibreak in two weeks' time. any takers?!
• i wish my sister was home. i am happy for her that she is on her honeymoon, and no doubt having a great time, but i miss talking to her everyday.
• i could really use a glass of wine. and it is 3pm...
• i am going to watch my bro play in a playoff game and i am already nervous.

twenty eight and one month

1 - get enough sleep. this has been all systems go and it was sheer luxury to be able to sleep when and for how long i pleased in the dominican republic. sleep in until 10am? absolutely! have a nap on the beach? why ever not. go to bed at 6 and sleep for 15 hours? done.

2 - buy a home. no progress whatsoever and with impending lay offs left, right, and centre, i am a bit nervous about this. but, i still have 11 months left of 28 to figure this one out.

3 - reduce my level of anxiety. i am kicking anxiety's arse and taking names. all things considered, i am owning the anxiety and making it my own. and by that i mean, things are going really well in this department.

4 - take better photos. i lugged my fancy camera all the way to the caribbean and even bought a new camera lens to replace the one mysteriously lost at a wedding shower, but i took all of one photo with it and instead carried my little digital around with me, which turned out to be much better at snapping the snaps of dance parties, sunglasses named blanche, and me sitting in an enormous piece of pottery.

5 - become financially confident. this is going to be a work in progress...

6 - be happy where i am. this may be a challenge in the coming months. partly because i just read a book set in sudan and my old stomping grounds of kenya (including mentioning my former office) and it got thoughts in my head. nothing too crazy, no plans at the mo, but being settled and happily settled may be difficult.

7 - visit friends who live in other places. still no plans that fit this goal precisely, but the trip to the dominican republic was wonderful and fabulous and all that i could have hoped for, but nothing that i could have expected.

8 - sort out my relationship. done, sorted, over. and if a certain someone shows their face in these parts, he can expect to be strung up with a piano wire by his balls.

preoccupied with sickness

i should be writing about how AMAZING my sister's wedding was, how she looked like a princess in her dress, how much fun we had throughout the whole day, and how happy i am that everything worked out perfectly to result in the best wedding ever.

or i could be writing about how excited i am to be going to the caribbean tomorrow to lay on a beach, drink cold beer, and read books all day.

but instead, i am on day three of a sickness that is taking over my life at the moment. fever, congestion, shivers, clammy, achey, coughs, and general ickiness. blah.

eight for twenty eight (and one week)

i am 28 and one week old and thought i might take a recap of how i have progessed on my goals for this year. don't worry, i have no intention of doing this every week.

1 - get enough sleep. i went to bed too late on saturday night and woke up at 8:20 when i was meeting my running group at 8:30 for our 9km run. obviously, this is a sign that i need to reprioritise my sleeping. but the 9km was awesome and not difficult and enjoyable, even the hill and the other people, which is sometimes the challenge in running with a group.

2 - buy a home. it is clearly a bit premature to be updating on this, but i did go shopping (again) and i need to start looking at what i need to save and how i plan on going about that. and i am afraid that a savings plan may mean fewer pairs of boots and fewer handbags.

3 - reduce my level of anxiety. this is going well. for a number of reasons, but medication and counselling are two of them. i also had a friend ask my about anxiety and it even made me feel good to share my experience in hopes that it might be useful for someone else who may be faced with similar challenges in the anxiety department.

4 - take better photos. the only photos i have taken in my 28th year were some of us ladies drinking wine on friday night, i had a fabulous time and that might be the reason for my substandard photography skills...

5 - become financially confident. i think #2 sums this one up. it will surely be a work in progress.

6 - be happy where i am. so far, so good.

7 - visit friends who live in other places. no plans yet, but i have booked a tropical vacation and that dominican beach is calling my name. good thing i have been practising up on the spanish.

8 - sort out my relationship. also, so far, so good.

listy listy

i am back at work after a nice and relaxing few days off full of reading, movie watching, and general laziness. it did not hurt that the weather was crummy and my head/chest cold has returned so i am trying not to feel guilty about not doing a whole lot of anything while i was away from my cubicle.

and since i am back at work and managed to be rather productive this morning, that means a blog post for the internet just so it knows that i am still promising that i have not disappeared.

as always, here is a list of things that have been on my mind:

• how, in 2008, is is ok for israel to fire rockets into groups of civilians in the gaza strip? i admittedly do not know the intricities of the conflict between israel and hamas and i do recognise that hamas is a terrorist organisation that has been elected into some legitimate form of government, but it just seems like a pretty obscene use of force for the israelis to have killed 350 people and for hamas to have killed 4. what is more frightening is the response that the 'extremists' in the arab world will have.
• i got a super fantastic new camera for christmas. it is so fantastic that as it is not sitting in front of me at the moment, i cannot tell you the details of its fantasticness, just that i am very excited to learn how to use it and take some snappity snaps.
• i am a movie going machine lately and have seen Seven Pounds, which is a good piece of entertainment (although it disturbed my sister). will smith's constant scowl/grimace kind of got a bit distracting (i think it is the same one he wore through the Pursuit of Happyness). i have also seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was awesome. that Cate Blanchett is sure something.
• i also had my annual viewing of Love Actually. then i immediately wanted to uproot and move to london.
• i keep daydreaming about beach vacations, i think it might have something to do with this cold snap. not sure if you can call it a 'snap' if it lasts weeks though.
• i went to the mall yesterday and managed to earn money, which was nice. it was more of returns and price adjustments, which is not exactly earning money, but it still felt good. economic downturn, be damned!
• i have no plans for new year's eve. and the thought of moving around the city that night is enough to make me want to stay at home with the huge book i am in the middle of. then again, someone may convince me to go out and ring in the new year, if only to say good riddance to these last months of 2008.

still here, i promise

really, i am.

i even had a few ideas for posts. and even starting drafting them. but until i get back to them, here are a few tidbits:

• Australia is not such a long movie and it has great big screen movie star kisses, cheesey lines at just the right moments, and hugh jackman on horseback. it is worth the sitting time just for that last bit.
• tis cold. so cold in fact that i bought a pair of uggs. i know that there are other brands that are cheaper, but i just felt like i should go hard or go home. however, they are so cozy, i would eat them if i could. and hugh jackman on horseback. yum.
• yesterday my friend was telling me how her nose ring once fell out during a meeting and she had to casually cover it up and we chuckled. then this morning, i yawned during a training and drooled on my shirt! seriously, who does that? i didn't even know it was possible.
• i wrote my spanish placement exam and they said i have a good handle on the language. i guess they were not considering my big capital letters saying, '¡NO ENTIENDO EL SUJUNCTIVO, AYUDAME!' but at least i remembered to put the ¡ in there so it makes it at least punctually correct
• i don't know what all this talk about an economic downturn is about, i have spent more money in the last few months than i have in years. pish posh.
• somalia's still crumbling, if anyone cares to notice.
• i could really go for a beach holiday. is it appropriate to follow that last comment with this one?
• it is if i also say that i am in the middle of Zanzibar Chest, which is fantastic and i wholeheartedly recommend it even though it is not my policy to recommend a book before i am done with it. but it covers the chaos that is somalia and other african historical bits and bobs while the author relays his experience as a white kid in africa and then a foreign correspondant in war zones.
• i am not sure if i have ever recommended it here, but Emergency Sex is also a great read. similar idea. more un, less reuters than the other book, but same conflict zones. same appeal to me, the reader.

this might just get interesting, after all

canadian politics promise to become a little more interesting this week, with a potential coalition in the works between the liberals and ndp with a little help from our friends, the bloc quebecois.

i have been following this story and the facebook status updates of friends saying that this is undemocratic and i am not sure that i agree. if, together, more people voted for the liberals and the ndp than the conservative, then wouldn't a combination of them represent more of the electorate than a minority conservative government?

it sounds a bit simplistic and theoretical when i put it like that, but that is my initial thought.

perhaps i would be more miffed if i had voted conservative and supported them, but maybe this is a way to get around the ineffective minority situation that brought us to an election in the first place. at least, if two parties have a formal agreement to get along for a year then maybe parliament can actually get something done. and the netherlands has some sort of magic minority system where the leading party never has a house majority (it is explained in the book Infidel, actually) and they must always make coalitions to form government.

now, if dion has said he is stepping down and the other yahoos are all gearing up for a liberal party leader fight, then i am just not sure that this is going to work at all. but so far, i am liking it.

and thanks to k for the reminder that today is world aids day. last year on this day i was in a small coastal town in kenya, where they had banners up and a little street parade to commemorate the day. i also remember i was lathered in sunscreen and working on my equatorial tan, drinking diet cokes to stave off the 40 degree heat. i could go for a little of that right about now.

memorable mpumalanga moments

(may 4, 2008)

did you know that some people in south africa go grocery shopping without shoes on? i did not. and i was so amazed i started checking out everyone’s feet that passed me in the produce section. (and the electronics store, as it so happened)

the south africans take their biltong seriously. and their sausage. and all of their meat products. now i remember why the last time i returned from the rainbow nation i had to take a meat vacation. this time, i need to take a chip vacation. although i have become a chip connoisseur that could handle any british chip shop, i need to take a step back from deep fried starches.

the part of south africa where i lived a few years ago is very different than a mpumalanga mining town. i am so happy that i got to tour around more of rsa. there are some phenomenal rock formations around those parts, which works for me because rock formations are sort of like my new hobby.

when you order red wine at a restaurant, pub, or hotel, they give you the biggest glass of tasty wine for a few dollars. it is great. and the would-be beginnings of a drinking condition.

however, the food situation is not so great. there are the ever-delicious chips, but little else besides meat and squished sandwiches that are not to my taste. i did fit in a few pieces of milk tart though.

alarms are everywhere and so is paranoia. but i sort of get it after almost being mugged in broad daylight in a shopping mall. sort of.

i remember the highway driving in the western cape to be nerve wracking, but i thought it was just that particular driver. no, south african highways are frightening places. and the government has wasted a lot of money on stop signs that are largely ignored.

afrikaans is still as beautiful as ever. and my sarcasm is still intact. but it still fascinates me even if i don’t care for the sound of it. i mean, who makes up their own language?!

i watched a lot of the discovery channel and saw the very first episode of Miami Ink, a lot of myths busted, and how things are made. i also drank a lot of tea. sweet, sweet tea. i think that time should always be made for the preparation and enjoyment of good tea. and not the milky kenyan stuff.

my favourite hotel in the world is in a town called graskop. an establishment where contemporary artists design each room differently and there are pieces of art in the restaurant, the stairwell, the bar, the bathrooms, and the lobby is my kind of hotel. i also loved the bartender named rodger whom we named my wooden chicken after. (the carved chicken was a sign of love purchased from the side of the road and is probably not nearly as freaking hilarious to anyone else but me.)

i now own 2 pairs of converse. i can’t bring myself to throw out my old ones though, even with their holes. i am pretty much ok with that.

i love vacation.

hearts and thoughts, they fade

valentine's day in kenya is pretty intense. shops give specials, the hospital excused fees for some people, and there are little kiosks set up selling the cheesiest bunches of red roses (i really don't like roses, i don't know why, seem too artificial - but tulips or calla lillies and i'm yours). everyone wishes you a happy valentine's day and i had totally forgotten until this morning. normally i like to do something valentine's-y for my friends. last year i baked cookies and packaged them in handmade bags with cards. this year, my efforts have fallen short.

to celebrate this valentine's day i watched The Last Kiss. i liked it. the older i get, the more grey relationships seem. not as black and white as i once naively thought. and the movie reflects that in the most sad and painful way. but it is also hopeful, i think. it reminded me of The Breakup. are movies reflecting reality more these days or am i just seeking out the movies that represent life a little better? it was funny, in The Last Kiss, the person i thought i would be rooting for at the beginning totally wasn't and i found myself hoping for a different outcome. i guess you could say the movie made me think. and those are the best kind.

ok, i lied, to really celebrate this valentine's day i am going to zanzibar, which really ain't so bad. i leave in just a few hours and i haven't even packed yet, but i think it will a great time as long as i remember my bikini, my kikoi, and my sunscreen (no sunglasses since i lost one pair and broke the other). how can you argue with a beach, tropical ocean water, swahili culture, and a few good books?

greener pastures

today i am feeling as though the grass is greener elsewhere and i hate that feeling. i am wondering if it is because i am settled and comfortable in my flat, my job, my life. or if it is because i am still upset that the coup in guinea continues with no end in sight.

the party this weekend should be great fun but it is becoming stressful to get people organised to get everything done that i want to get done. because if you are going to throw a party, you should really pay attention to all the details, in my opinion.

i stayed up way too late last night as well and although i had fun trading hundreds of songs with my flatmates (yay ray lamontagne, indigo girls, and the be good tanyas), the lack of sleep is doing nothing for feeling like i want to run away today. to where, i have no idea. but running feels like the best thing to do.

i am expecting a package to arrive today and that better keep me going. oh yeah, and that trip to zanzibar that i am this close to confirming will be a good distraction.

guns or butter

i am bored. bored of reading about the same topics. bored of packing. bored of saturdays waiting til i get to leave.

the campus is dead and rather depressing, makes me wonder what the summer months will be like.

it is strange to be packing for a 3 week visit home. taking a vacation to your own house. at least i don't have to pack shampoo and dental floss. i will pack a tooth brush and deodorant though, those are always important on long journeys. if only everyone on those long flights appreciated the beauty of a clean mouth and fresh smelling pits.

i still think i have too much stuff. sadly, i have not learnt how to pack properly. i can say that i am not sure if i will ever learn how exactly to bring only what you need. a concept as equally elusive as economics to me.

i managed to get myself out of a rather hairy situation only to find myself in another, which is far more hurtful and already involves more people than it should. why can't i ever do things from front to back rather than from back to front?