Monday, January 30, 2006

Party at Dale's House!

What's better than games night? Games night with drinking. What's better than games night with drinking? Games night with drinking... in your pyjamas :). Add in a healthy dose of marie being home for the weekend, butterscotch brownies, 2 DIGITAL CAMERAS :)(a source of much amusement), a huge comfy air mattress, a new Cosmo magazine, a variety of drink selection (both alcoholic and non) and awesome music, all happening in my basement on a saturday night... this is my idea of an AWESOME TIME :). Man, we had a great night :). Not only because of our unsuspected videos and pics, this will be a night i will remember for a while :).

What i am beginning to realize lately is just how much fun a digital camera can be. No conserving film, just pictures whenever you want, as often as you want, as many as you want. When your hardrive is as huge as mine and you don't download music or play big games, you can fit a hell of a lot of pictures :).

I was at work at the florist shop today, and i saw someone had a brochure/magazine for biking tours of europe. Man, that looked like so much fun! I looked through it briefly, and i was hooked. One day, sometime in my life... I want to go on a biking tour. I am not sure how much i really like biking at the moment, but i think that's because for years i've always had other people's bikes, meaning that they don't fit properly and the seats hurt me. However, the pictures looked so nice and i swear, it looked like lots of fun. You bike a short distance every day... and really get to experience the culture more than you would on a resort or something like that. I would do a hell of a lot to go on a biking tour of Florence, or Provence. It's more personal than i driving tour, you get to spend lots of time outside, it's good for you, you see lots and lots of different sights of the type i like best, they have excursions to see the important stuff, you get to stay a day in the big cities and the hotel is prebooked and included. How does this not sound awesome? There's even a van that follows along, and if you get gimped up or tired you can ride the van haha. I want to do this one day.

Well, time to go watch sopranoes. Bubye

Friday, January 27, 2006

Oh no! Help?

so, i was happily surfing around looking at scrapbooking papers online, and i found a fantastic free kit to use for this new page. I get it downloaded and i go to unzip it when.... my unzip program says that the program's free preview has expired! Does anyone know how i can get a different program to unzip things, well.... free? Any help would be appreciated.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

GREAT BIG SEA!

It's about time I wrote up an ACTUAL POST, not just posting a page. I've been keeping really busy. The weekends, espcially saturdays my 'day off' are especially busy. I've been running around doing a million things on my day off for the past 3 saturdays. I swear, my day off is more exhausting than days i work lol.

First off, i am trying this new step arobics class at the fieldhouse. If anyone is interested in comming, give me a call. I'd love to go together. Michelle is sick and such so i would love a partner. Only problem.... it's at 9:30 am. But it's cheap.. only 6$ per class. I can afford that :)

So, kim and i will soon have been living together for 2 weeks and.... we're still both alive!!! :) We actually aren't fighting anywhere near as often as i anticipated we would be. It's been pretty nice between us i'd say. I am impressed with the both of us. I will miss her when she goes to calgary. You know what that means...... ROAD TRIP!!!! I would like to meet this so called 'boyfriend' of kim's lol. Thomas, eh? Don't worry lisa, i'll give him the 3rd degree for both of us lol.

This weekend is shaping up fantastically. I still have some budget money left, and there are huge sales on at the Northgate Mall. 3 pairs of pants at bluenotes for 50$??? That's fantastic in my book. Bluenotes jeans are great, cuz when you're as short as me it's nice to find pants that you don't need to get hemmed lol. As well, my friend Marie is comming from Lethbridge, so that will be nice. I can't wait to see her. MARIE, IF YOU ARE READING THIS.... WE MISS YOU AND CAN:T WAIT TO SEE YOU!!!! As well, there are bar plans for saturday night. Habano's anyone?

Weekend after will also be fantabulous. I will be meeting up in moose jaw on saturday with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins... sounds like lots of people are comming. I can't wait to lay around in the spa:).

and then.... the event we all have been waiting for...again........GREAT BIG SEA!!!!
I have tickets to the great big sea concert in saskatoon on sunday with fletcher, crystal and ted. I can't wait!!! They are my favorite band of all time :). It will be my sixth time seeing them live. Expect a full review monday :)

Well, time to run off to the library before being a nice sister and picking kim up from work. Later

So, if anyone wants to come to step arobics, habanoes or clothing shopping with kim michelle and me on saturday, give me a call... or im..... or email..... or comment.... or paper airplane..... haha. Just let me know lol.

Monday, January 23, 2006

Digital Ray


Ray loves his animals :) Posted by Picasa

Wow! I'm getting more and more complex every time! :)
I have now created enough scrapbook pages they will send me a free font haha :)
The pic of ray with the cat is my favorite. Don't count on it being a common site nowadays, as ray is now allergic to cats and does not like to hold them... This pic was taken on a cold day on the Alberta side of cypress hills and the kittens were so cold they were shivering. We held them close to help warm them up. I love this pic.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

My second Digiscrap!


i love my grandma Posted by Picasa

Well, this one is already getting more complex than the previous. I am using Drawing in the Open Office suite... it gets the job done but i really wish i had Adobe Photoshop instead. There are so many better tools.... sigh. I just don't have that kind of money to donate to this at this stage. Maybe when i get better and more serious about it...if i do lol.

Friday, January 20, 2006

First posted scrapbooking page


My first digital page! Posted by Picasa

So, as some of you know i am becoming interested in scrapbooking. I have searched around and joined my first scrapbooking online group. I just posted my FIRST DIGITALLY CREATED SCRAPBOOK PAGE in their gallery. I was mostly just playing around to test out this new program, but i like how it turned out. I tried keeping it pretty simple for my first try.

My family members may recognize the pic from the Meister/Schmidt website.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Kim!

So, kim's stay with me for the next 6 weeks became official today... I got Kim her own set of keys.

I had my first day of subbing today. I honestly think today was the most BORING day of subbing i've ever had. I got called to sub for the core french/arts ed teacher. I got to the school, and her day plan had me watching a video with the first two classes, listening to a song and writing notes with the third and coloring pictures with the fourth... it was SO BORING! Really. I feel like i achieved nothing all morning, and i don't think the kids learned that much either. Not only was it boring, but i swear, the first two classes were like zombies! These are elementary kids. I am accustumed to having a backround buzz of energy in the class at all times lol. You can try to get rid of it if you want, but it won't work. That energy is always there.... so i thought. I had to fight with the vcr for a sec to get it to work. I turned my back to the class and fiddled with it. For a normal grade 6 class, this would be immediately interpreted as a chance to talk quietly among themselves (if you are lucky) or act up and be stupid (if you are not so lucky lol). The class was so dead quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. I turned to make sure they were still there (haha) and they were all sitting in their desks STARING AT ME. I swear, some even had their hands folded! Who actually does that nowdays? After the video i would ask the class a question... and they would all just stare at me some more. No kids jumping in their seats... no hands up.... no yelling answers.... nothing! I swear... this is a class of zombies. Luckily the 3rd and 4th had some energy to them. I'd rather have an overly enthusiastic, energetic, noisy class than the void that i saw in the other class. The first two just weren't natural. I didn't know what to do with them!

Thursday, January 12, 2006

80 years old?

Wow. I was listening to internet radio, and they played a B. B. King song i'd never heard before. Having listened to a lot of bb king lately and craving more, i thought i'd go find and check out his homepage. Unfortunately i did not find more music to listen to, but i did find out an interesting fact.

Not that long ago, BB King released another album. He titled it '80'...... because he is 80 years old!! Wow. I knew he was older but i didn't realize that he was getting that far up there. That boggles my mind the way he still is on tour and even releasing new cd's at his age. Talk about really loving and being dedicated to what you do! Needless to say i am impressed. I love bb kings's music, and now i have a high amount of respect for him and his dedication to his music. I already put his new CD on hold at the library, even though they don't have a copy yet. I am the first on the hold list :)

I've listed his website along with the other musician websites along the links on the side of the page. Go check him out.... and while you're at it i highly recomend checking out Dave Gunning or Laurel. Both play their music on their sites, and it sounds great. I saw dave gunning with fletcher in moose jaw and laurel here at the Freehouse with marie and fletcher, and both did amazing jobs. It's always nice to check out little known, new music.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006


look at what i can do lol Posted by Picasa

Isn't it cool? I made my own title area. I like it. I took cute snowflakes, and this really cool pic of these trees that you can buy. I love those tree things... they look like they belong in who-ville in the grinch haha.

cute Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Crockpot!

So, i got a new crockpot for christmas. It is fabulous. It's a fair size, and a nice oval shape. I absolutely adore it. Thank you Crystal, Ted and Laura!

I broke in my crockpot today. I found a recipe, and i made split pea soup with ham, with biscuts on the side. It took about 15 minutes this morning to throw everything in the pot and turn it on. I came home very hungry after work at the daycare, around 6, and walked up to my door to unlock it... Even through the closed door into my basement, i could smell the pea soup. It smelled fantastic. I made biscuts... and it tasted as good as it smelled. It was just like the authentic pea soup i used to get in quebec. It was so thick i could have eaten it with a fork... just how i like it.

One of my favorite meals on the farm is when mom used to make soup. It was always so hot and thick...with fresh biscuts.... in winter that just can't be beat. I already have a recipe all lined up to make lentil soup soon.....as soon as the pea soup is gone lol. I have about 4 meals worth of pea soup left hahaha. I guess that's one of the things about cooking for one lol. Oh well.... i guess i won't have to cook anything major for a couple days now.

I'd have posted a pic of my fabulous soup, but ray still has the webcam. As well.... it wasn't exactly a pretty soup. I don't think pea soup ever is haha.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Wow,. after all this time i'm back

Well.... where to start?

So much has been happening since i last posted! It's amazing how much your life can change in 6 months. I feel my life is extreemely different now than i was when i last posted. I've done so much!

I've moved so that i'm now living in the northwest of the city, not on campus. I have three randomn jobs (subbing, daycare and florist) instead of just one steady job at the garden center.

I went to Mexico and had a fabulous trip. I have pics, but i'm not sure it's a good idea to post them on my blog (since ANYONE could be reading this...) If you want pics send me an e-mail, or pop on over to my place and i'll give you a full slide show lol. There are some nice pics, especially my favorite one of kim and me together (my msn pic).

Yes, for all you who are constantly asking, i am getting lots of subbing. No i'm not working too much. Yes, I am getting enough work. Yes, my schedules for three jobs work nicely together. Now that we have those constant questions out of the way... I know you all ask because you care, but it seems that's all everyone ever asks me about. And no, i haven't subbed yet this year....school hasn't even started yet! I've been keeping busy at the daycare.

So, Kim will be comming to live with me for 6 weeks. She is doing part of her co op here in the city. So, anyone that reads this and wants to see her, she'll be at my place. She comes down next weekend. It was a bit of a suprise to me, as i just found out about this 2 days ago. 'oh yeah, dale, your sister who you didn't expect to see again till next christmas will be comming to live with you, and she comes next weekend'. hahaha. It's crazy but cool. I'm really looking forward to it. I will have to get her a welcome present. Something nice but cheap.... i'll find something great i'm sure. Andre, if you're reading this, please tell brendan, vicki and any others you talk to that kim used to hang with that she will be in town. Good luck on your new co-op kim! Soon you'll be a full fledged CST.... you know what i mean kim haha

So, i've been saving up my money from working, and i finally just got the internet this week. I am really loving it. You never realize how much you really use something till it's gone. I can check my e-mail, check on my holds at the library, listen to online radio stations, read recipes, read e-newsletters, play backgammon....god, those are just my near daily activites. THen there's everything else i do too....wow. If i'm not careful i may become an even huger nerd than ray lol. I'll have to be careful on that one hahah.

So, the Unique Christmas party was today. Yes....we have our christmas party in january. Things get so busy at the florist shop around christmas time that we don't have a party till after things calm donwn. It was nice. We met and reserved a room at the broken rack, and played pool. We drank, ate, the boss picked up the tab for everything....it was great! It really was nice to see everyone from the greenhouses in the summer. I saw some people i haven't seen since august. Actually....i haven't seen most of them since august. I really hope i'm back at the greenhouse again next summer. I really enjoy the people there. There is a couple...well....acutally just one....person i can't stand, but all the others are so wonderfull they really make up for it. I can't wait.

Well... i should get going. School starts tommorow and who knows if i'll be subbing? It's late. I'll try and update again soon. Maybe with more details about my christmas vacation in mexico?