Step one of three has been completed! I have officially passed my event coordinator exam and have scheduled my case study paper for next Friday. The case study is 14 questions, but you are given a mock event to work with. You are allotted 3 hours to complete it! I am nervous, but am looking forward to being almost done. My goal is to finish by July 15th. If I can, then I am hoping to take my supervisor certification this summer as well. I think these are great programs that are recognized within the industry. I do believe this will give me an advantage later in life.
U of W continuing ed still has not posted their courses for the fall. I would like to register for at least one course. I have completed 3 of 12, plus I still have to take 6 seminars as well. My goal is to get one seminar and a course done for the fall. Then hopefully I could register for another one for winter or spring.
I have spent a good portion of the week outside of the office which I enjoyed. I attended a Manitoba Best workshop on Tuesday which is a program we offer on customer service. I have taken it before in Steinbach when I was working with Lilac in 1999. The program has made great improvements and I really left with a lot of great information.
I attended my third safety course on Wednesday. It was helpful, but the gentleman teaching was new to the course. I think he was really nervous, but he did ok. He had a senior officer with him to help when he needed, but near the end of the day she took over. I felt like telling her that if she wanted to teach the course, this poor guy could go back to his office and work. He completely humiliated him in front of the class saying one of the points he made was “bullshit”. You could see his embarrassment, especially being new to the material. I really felt she should have waited until the break to bring up the point with him if she disagreed with what he was saying.
I also spent Thursday morning at Tactica which is the company who developed our website. We were able to go through many questions and learn a few tips and tricks. Some of it was repetitive and some was stuff geared for a more inexperienced person, but overall it was helpful. Since I am fairly “tech-y”, I felt like saying “I don’t want your basic training, I want the advanced lesson”. Besides learning as I go, I have always taken advanced computer classes including advanced multimedia (and was awarded highest achievement in), CAD design, ITE, ITF, and computer science. I even took one year of the Cisco programming course. I do not need to be shown how to copy and paste into the text box……
I have a networking workshop tomorrow morning and then we are heading out to Riverton to finally see my sister and Jay’s place. I am excited to see the school where she currently teaches, the community who wrote letters to her during the wedding excitement, and of course their house. I have heard a lot about it, but now it will finally make sense. I cannot wait! We are bringing out the 2 boys, but they will stay outside. We are also dog-sitting my parents dog Meela so she will come out with us too. Joel thinks she will be fine since she is used to being outside at Lilac, but we will see. We are planning on bringing out the tent so we can stay, but have informed Sarah that we may leave Saturday night if the dogs are bad, or the weather changes.
I booked an appointment with a naturopathic doctor which I am nervous and excited for. I am hoping they can “balance” me so I have more energy and feel more like myself. I felt great when I took the natural vitamins from True Star when it was around, but have not been able to find any multivitamins that make me feel the same.
On Monday I actually was able to actually complete 9 holes of golf! I shot a 48 which is terrible but I had fun and considering this was my first game of the season I am happy with that. The women on my team are all very nice. We have a “leader” of the group who took me awhile to warm up to, but I don’t mind her now either. I am excited to improve my game and I enjoy getting out.
I am golfing in a BP tournament on July 8th. I am on a team with Korine (She was the closest to my age when I worked in the office, and who I enjoyed the most), Andrew (my old boss) and Ryan(my cousin). I am looking forward to that tournament since I can finally catch up with my old crew and have a fun day with my cousin that does not involve home improvements. That is the problem when your cousin does plastering and your husband is an electrician.
I have another seminar on Monday for “writing for the web” which should improve our electronic newsletter which I develop every month for MTEC, and quarterly for SAFE. It is a 2 hour class and I think it will be extremely helpful. I also registered for my first “webinar” for “optimizing your site for top search engine ranking” next Thursday. I like the additional education and training I am receiving here. It really does make a difference, and I am learning a lot about many different fields.
I spent a wonderful evening yesterday with my friend Dana on the patio of GG Gelati. We spent time catching up, discussing life, future plans, and our previous life at BH. Dana and I went to school together since grade one, although she was in a different class. We spent most of junior school together and became even closer when we started to play sports together in middle and senior school. (in private school we are not called elementary, junior high and high school although it is the same thing) Actually the reason I ever tried out for sports is because of Dana. I was never “the jock” prior to grade 7, but because it was something she was interested in, I decided to give it a try. I played volleyball competitively until grade 10, basketball until grade 12, doubles badminton, and almost any other sport the school offered. (with the exception of soccer, rugby and curling)
Well I am off for lunch, enjoy ~
Peanut & Lady "Bug"
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Everybody's Workin' For The Weekend......
It seems lately I have been swamped with post work commitments and activities. I always have this ideal weekend planned of really doing nothing except reading, playing on the computer and watching movies. Joel and I have been extremely busy the past few weeks, and there is no clear end in sight! Although for the most part I enjoy these activities, or have signed myself up for them, I am starting to miss my introvert ways.
This weekend we hosted Martin’s birthday (Joel’s dad), which was a huge success! I was pleasantly surprised with how the food turned out, especially because it was my first attempt. I was thankful to have the help of my mom and dad as I don’t think I could have done it myself. Joel was extremely sweet on the Saturday too, running out to get all of my last minute forgotten items.
I have yet to golf a full round from the women’s golf league I joined; however I did have a good clinic on Sunday. I actually missed Joel’s cousin’s wedding shower to attend the clinic. The clinic focused on driving, which although I am not terrible at, I would like to improve. I do not drive far, but usually straight. This clinic taught me that it is not necessarily how hard you hit the ball that leads to the distance it travels, but also how you follow through. I admit fully that I am nowhere close to a perfect swing, as it just feels slightly unnatural to me. I would like to go to the driving range more, and Joel has offered to join me. Luckily, there is one just down the street from us, so we hope to make it out soon.
I donated blood last week which was rewarding in itself. It seems silly to me that I am always looking for ways to donate and this simple one always seemed like a chore. I have thought about it for a while now, but thought it would be inconvenient or time consuming. Really, it wasn’t that bad at all! It took about 1 hour door to door. There was free parking, really friendly volunteers and nurses who answered all my questions, and a little café to eat after your donation. I even arrived one hour early to my appointment and they accommodated me. The prescreening takes the longest where they are a bunch of “high risk” questions. They even have a section you can decline your donation of blood without anyone knowing in case you are just hoping for a HIV test. That seems silly to me, but at the same time you know they have a rule for a reason. There is a time limit between donations, so I cannot give again until the end of July. I will be happy to donate again though.
I have signed myself up for the event coordinator certificate at work through a program we administer called emerit. emerit is a nationally recognized program, and kind of like university for the tourism industry. I take my test on Friday, needing a 75% to pass. Once I pass that exam, I will have an interview and case study to complete and then I will need a letter from Boston Pizza to make me an official event coordinator.
I am also taking multiple SAFE Work course from Workplace Safety and Health. I have attended one last week, and have scheduled one a week until the end of June. They are great to get me out of the office for a day, but also to help build my safety knowledge so I am a better resource to Christine.
Next week I am also attending a one day workshop called Manitoba Best. It is a customer service workshop which I took when employed with Lilac Resort. It was helpful, but that was years ago and I am sure the program has changed.
This weekend composters go on sale from the city of Winnipeg, and I plan to be a proud owner by Saturday morning. Although I will be going in my sweats, I am happy to invest $30. Joel and I do not currently have a garborator, although I have been whining about one since we moved in, and I feel this is a fair compromise. At least it is worth trying at any rate. I have read a bit about it, and plan to compost with success. Joel says he is slowly turning me into a hippie, and I think he might be right. I am proud to say I ride my bike to work on occasion, however will be more proud when I can say often. I am a vegetarian, and try to buy organic when possible. I plan to attend the St. Norbert market to purchase locally grown vegetables this year, and although we are not the greenest family out there, each of our little steps are helping.
This Sunday marks the annual JDRF walk at Assiniboine Park. As some of you know, I volunteer with them periodically. I have created a media release for distribution after the event, and tried to help increase the awareness of the event. It is tough though since they spend no money on advertising. They are competing against a lot of other great causes, who although are also not for profit, do account for advertising dollars in their budget. A lot of marketing is based on previous purchasing, and potential for future purchasing. A space that would normally sell, cannot just be donated to each and every charity. This leads to my dilemma – how can we get great media coverage without being willing to pay for it? I have added the event to every online resource I can find, but ultimately that only reaches a certain target market. I need to start getting creative, but between school, work, school at work, golf, family, and being home, I just really am having a hard time fitting this in.
Joel and I have decided against a winter vacation this year. Instead we will be finishing our basement renovations. Joel has actually changed the basement plan altogether and I couldn’t be happier! He is removing our basement stairs, extending our kitchen and dining room upstairs, and increasing our storage and laundry room downstairs. This will make our house have more usable space. Currently our kitchen is not set up ideally for a family. One person can cook in there, however with limited counter and cupboard space; it can make for a hectic dinner. We also have built in appliances right now which I have wanted to replace with ordinary oven/stove combo. Our stove is a white ceramic top, but I would much prefer a black top. (Even if the oven itself is white.) Now these kitchen renovations are a long way away, but just knowing there is something practical that we can do to make this space more appealing is great news!
For now, the laundry room will be bigger and have some decorating down to it. I hate our laundry room. It is dingy and dirty and I wanted it to be more welcoming. I am down there a lot it seems, and as time passes, it will only become more a station for our home. Joel and I have agreed to put down linoleum, even though the floor will still be uneven, this will make it easier to mop. We will put a proper door with a handle so it can actually shut and we will be putting curtains along one side of the room to block the furnace, water tank, etc. Originally I thought a wall, but Joel says we cannot do that so close to the appliances so again this is how we can make it work. This will block the “yucky” side of the room. Joel is also dry walling the other side and adding lots of shelves for me. Our house seems like it has a lot of storage space, but really it has a lot of useless storage space. Things like Christmas decorations are easily stored as you only need them once a year, but for everyday storage items, extra cans of soup, etc. we have little room. We also plan to remove one of our freezers, to gain additional space too.
I am excited for all the changes coming, but I am also feeling a little overwhelmed right now too. I am hoping things slow down for the summer so Joel and I can both enjoy being married and spending time together. That’s all for now – Enjoy!
This weekend we hosted Martin’s birthday (Joel’s dad), which was a huge success! I was pleasantly surprised with how the food turned out, especially because it was my first attempt. I was thankful to have the help of my mom and dad as I don’t think I could have done it myself. Joel was extremely sweet on the Saturday too, running out to get all of my last minute forgotten items.
I have yet to golf a full round from the women’s golf league I joined; however I did have a good clinic on Sunday. I actually missed Joel’s cousin’s wedding shower to attend the clinic. The clinic focused on driving, which although I am not terrible at, I would like to improve. I do not drive far, but usually straight. This clinic taught me that it is not necessarily how hard you hit the ball that leads to the distance it travels, but also how you follow through. I admit fully that I am nowhere close to a perfect swing, as it just feels slightly unnatural to me. I would like to go to the driving range more, and Joel has offered to join me. Luckily, there is one just down the street from us, so we hope to make it out soon.
I donated blood last week which was rewarding in itself. It seems silly to me that I am always looking for ways to donate and this simple one always seemed like a chore. I have thought about it for a while now, but thought it would be inconvenient or time consuming. Really, it wasn’t that bad at all! It took about 1 hour door to door. There was free parking, really friendly volunteers and nurses who answered all my questions, and a little café to eat after your donation. I even arrived one hour early to my appointment and they accommodated me. The prescreening takes the longest where they are a bunch of “high risk” questions. They even have a section you can decline your donation of blood without anyone knowing in case you are just hoping for a HIV test. That seems silly to me, but at the same time you know they have a rule for a reason. There is a time limit between donations, so I cannot give again until the end of July. I will be happy to donate again though.
I have signed myself up for the event coordinator certificate at work through a program we administer called emerit. emerit is a nationally recognized program, and kind of like university for the tourism industry. I take my test on Friday, needing a 75% to pass. Once I pass that exam, I will have an interview and case study to complete and then I will need a letter from Boston Pizza to make me an official event coordinator.
I am also taking multiple SAFE Work course from Workplace Safety and Health. I have attended one last week, and have scheduled one a week until the end of June. They are great to get me out of the office for a day, but also to help build my safety knowledge so I am a better resource to Christine.
Next week I am also attending a one day workshop called Manitoba Best. It is a customer service workshop which I took when employed with Lilac Resort. It was helpful, but that was years ago and I am sure the program has changed.
This weekend composters go on sale from the city of Winnipeg, and I plan to be a proud owner by Saturday morning. Although I will be going in my sweats, I am happy to invest $30. Joel and I do not currently have a garborator, although I have been whining about one since we moved in, and I feel this is a fair compromise. At least it is worth trying at any rate. I have read a bit about it, and plan to compost with success. Joel says he is slowly turning me into a hippie, and I think he might be right. I am proud to say I ride my bike to work on occasion, however will be more proud when I can say often. I am a vegetarian, and try to buy organic when possible. I plan to attend the St. Norbert market to purchase locally grown vegetables this year, and although we are not the greenest family out there, each of our little steps are helping.
This Sunday marks the annual JDRF walk at Assiniboine Park. As some of you know, I volunteer with them periodically. I have created a media release for distribution after the event, and tried to help increase the awareness of the event. It is tough though since they spend no money on advertising. They are competing against a lot of other great causes, who although are also not for profit, do account for advertising dollars in their budget. A lot of marketing is based on previous purchasing, and potential for future purchasing. A space that would normally sell, cannot just be donated to each and every charity. This leads to my dilemma – how can we get great media coverage without being willing to pay for it? I have added the event to every online resource I can find, but ultimately that only reaches a certain target market. I need to start getting creative, but between school, work, school at work, golf, family, and being home, I just really am having a hard time fitting this in.
Joel and I have decided against a winter vacation this year. Instead we will be finishing our basement renovations. Joel has actually changed the basement plan altogether and I couldn’t be happier! He is removing our basement stairs, extending our kitchen and dining room upstairs, and increasing our storage and laundry room downstairs. This will make our house have more usable space. Currently our kitchen is not set up ideally for a family. One person can cook in there, however with limited counter and cupboard space; it can make for a hectic dinner. We also have built in appliances right now which I have wanted to replace with ordinary oven/stove combo. Our stove is a white ceramic top, but I would much prefer a black top. (Even if the oven itself is white.) Now these kitchen renovations are a long way away, but just knowing there is something practical that we can do to make this space more appealing is great news!
For now, the laundry room will be bigger and have some decorating down to it. I hate our laundry room. It is dingy and dirty and I wanted it to be more welcoming. I am down there a lot it seems, and as time passes, it will only become more a station for our home. Joel and I have agreed to put down linoleum, even though the floor will still be uneven, this will make it easier to mop. We will put a proper door with a handle so it can actually shut and we will be putting curtains along one side of the room to block the furnace, water tank, etc. Originally I thought a wall, but Joel says we cannot do that so close to the appliances so again this is how we can make it work. This will block the “yucky” side of the room. Joel is also dry walling the other side and adding lots of shelves for me. Our house seems like it has a lot of storage space, but really it has a lot of useless storage space. Things like Christmas decorations are easily stored as you only need them once a year, but for everyday storage items, extra cans of soup, etc. we have little room. We also plan to remove one of our freezers, to gain additional space too.
I am excited for all the changes coming, but I am also feeling a little overwhelmed right now too. I am hoping things slow down for the summer so Joel and I can both enjoy being married and spending time together. That’s all for now – Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
"Cut.... It ..... Out"
I made a post wedding resolution to myself to lose weight. I saw myself in the video and in pictures and didn't recognize myself anymore. How long had I been that big? Why did no one politely tell me? How did I not notice it was quite so bad? In Arizona, Joel and I went for a hike. I could barely keep up with him. This was a real eye opener since a few years previously when I was in Arizona had completed a 8 hr hike up the Flat Iron. This is when I really decided something NEEDED to be done. At work, some of my colleagues had decided the same thing and started a contest. We each put in $20 and the person with the biggest percentage loss would win the money pot. I was shy by just over a pound, but was really proud of myself. To come in second place and loose 13 lbs was a huge accomplishment. Well I still have a way to go so I thought another way to incorporate exercise into my daily life would be to bike to work. I headed out one Sunday afternoon while Joel was at soccer to time how long this adventure would take me. To my surprise it was a mere 45 minutes. (driving takes about 25minutes) So I decided this was completely doable. When I bike to work I do not go to the gym in the morning, so I can leave later. While today I must have forgotten how long it actually takes because I arrived at 7:15am. We have access to the PCL wellness center which has a shower so I cleaned up and was at work by 7:30am. However, much to my disappointment, we will no longer have access to the wellness center since they are moving offices into that area. This means no shower, which means I cannot bike to work anymore. I am totally bummed out about that, but I guess it just should motivate me to bike on the weekends.
Chaos was neutered on Friday and is doing really well! We need to bring him back on Monday to have his stitches removed, but from all accounts he seems to be leaving his sore alone and all looks well. He also needs to get his rabies shots and a few other yearly boosters. I want to bring Monster in as well since he has a lump on his back. I first noticed it a few weekends ago, but it has gotten bigger and I am a little concerned. Joel has assured me it is nothing, however I will feel better once a vet looks at it.
Martin (Joel’s dad) has a birthday coming up so we have offered to host a BBQ. I decided I wanted to “theme” the party and have stuff with a traditional Russian cuisine. This started quite innocently as Joel’s family used to live on a farm, so I thought we should cook lamb as a treat. Although I have had a variety of lamb in restaurants, I have only eaten it in shishliki when “homemade”. I thought since I was new to cooking this, I would make shishliki for the family. They could then experience some of the traditional dishes I grew up with from my grandparents, and I could learn to make it properly with my dad. However I thought, why stop there. I could make Kwas (cold cucumber soup) for everyone to try. Most people do not like this traditional soup, but I remember eating jars and jars of it as a kid. My grandma would make it especially for me so it was always in their fridge when I went over. Although I will cut down the recipe since I imagine it may not be a huge hit. I have also found a recipe for Russian black bread that mom and I are going to try and make. There are a lot of ingredients and I never have success with bread, but it will be worth trying. Also on the menu is kubasa, wild mushroom pedaheh, bean salad and a few other little treats I have stumbled across. I am excited to try and explore this type of cooking.
Our fence has been torn down and new posts have been put up. Joel came home to our yard as a disaster yesterday. They left all the mud, limestone, etc. for him to clean up which took just over 2 hours! He is going to start framing up the fence today and our friend Kevin offered to come and help. It has made life very difficult with the 2 dogs, but will be great once it is up. Joel and I tossed around the idea of yesterday of maybe not going on vacation this year and building our deck instead. We still are not sure what makes the most sense right now, since both have their benefits.
I signed up for multiple safety courses today to assist with work. Right now I am helpless to assist Christine with development of new material since I do not have the safety background needed. I am able to design and “market” however we have recently hired an outside marketing consultant agency which leaves me kind of in limbo. To help with that problem I am taking these courses throughout the summer and will use the information to assist with development of safety resources.
Well I am off to work – enjoy!
Chaos was neutered on Friday and is doing really well! We need to bring him back on Monday to have his stitches removed, but from all accounts he seems to be leaving his sore alone and all looks well. He also needs to get his rabies shots and a few other yearly boosters. I want to bring Monster in as well since he has a lump on his back. I first noticed it a few weekends ago, but it has gotten bigger and I am a little concerned. Joel has assured me it is nothing, however I will feel better once a vet looks at it.
Martin (Joel’s dad) has a birthday coming up so we have offered to host a BBQ. I decided I wanted to “theme” the party and have stuff with a traditional Russian cuisine. This started quite innocently as Joel’s family used to live on a farm, so I thought we should cook lamb as a treat. Although I have had a variety of lamb in restaurants, I have only eaten it in shishliki when “homemade”. I thought since I was new to cooking this, I would make shishliki for the family. They could then experience some of the traditional dishes I grew up with from my grandparents, and I could learn to make it properly with my dad. However I thought, why stop there. I could make Kwas (cold cucumber soup) for everyone to try. Most people do not like this traditional soup, but I remember eating jars and jars of it as a kid. My grandma would make it especially for me so it was always in their fridge when I went over. Although I will cut down the recipe since I imagine it may not be a huge hit. I have also found a recipe for Russian black bread that mom and I are going to try and make. There are a lot of ingredients and I never have success with bread, but it will be worth trying. Also on the menu is kubasa, wild mushroom pedaheh, bean salad and a few other little treats I have stumbled across. I am excited to try and explore this type of cooking.
Our fence has been torn down and new posts have been put up. Joel came home to our yard as a disaster yesterday. They left all the mud, limestone, etc. for him to clean up which took just over 2 hours! He is going to start framing up the fence today and our friend Kevin offered to come and help. It has made life very difficult with the 2 dogs, but will be great once it is up. Joel and I tossed around the idea of yesterday of maybe not going on vacation this year and building our deck instead. We still are not sure what makes the most sense right now, since both have their benefits.
I signed up for multiple safety courses today to assist with work. Right now I am helpless to assist Christine with development of new material since I do not have the safety background needed. I am able to design and “market” however we have recently hired an outside marketing consultant agency which leaves me kind of in limbo. To help with that problem I am taking these courses throughout the summer and will use the information to assist with development of safety resources.
Well I am off to work – enjoy!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
CHAOS
MONSTER
MONSTER
This weekend Joel and I spent at Lilac Resort with my parents and our 2 dogs.
For those who don't know, or have never met our 2 boys, we have a boxer named Monster and a mastiff named Chaos. Monster is about 55lbs and almost a year old. Chaos is our newest addition; only 6 months old and weighing just over 100lbs. They are great dogs, but learning from this weekend, they are also a lot of work.
On a normal day, Monster and Chaos are locked in kennels until we arrive home from work. They behave while in the kennels, and there is no destruction to the house upon our return our home. (Some minor exceptions to this apply, but I will save these stories for another time) Joel arrives home first and lets the boys out. He then feeds them, and lets them out again. I arrive home and the boys are free for the night. They can cuddle with us on the couch, or play outside, whatever they choose.
At Lilac, it is not as simple. We don't have the resources there to lock away the puppies properly. The crates are just too big to pack up and bring with us, and they cost about $200 each so buying 2 additional ones to leave at Lilac isn't really an option either. We decided this long weekend would be our trial weekend to see how it went with the 2 dogs. We had to keep them tied up while outside. The dogs don't understand the rope concept and kept getting tangled. Chaos loves the bush, so he would be wrapped up in trees until Joel went into the bush to loosen him out. Monster found 2 teenage boys that he didn't like and kept barking and growling at them when the boys would walk past our site. The final time they past our site they were walking a little black dog. Monster went to meet them on the street (running full speed) and snapped his collar! It did not even slow him down. Joel followed Monster and made him come back into the site.
The best part for the boys about being out there was that we could take them for a run. Joel and I are not runners by nature, but as my dad would say "Ask the laziest guy how to do a task, and he will come up with the most efficient way to accomplish that task". We attached the dogs to their leashes, jumped on the golf cart with Chaos on one side and Monster on the other and started (full speed) ahead on our run. The dogs kept up well, however for Monster it was a jog, and Chaos it was a very fast run. We took them around the "block" 2 times for each run as Chaos started to struggle on the second lap. People were pointing and laughing while we rounded the corners, but it was very successful at tiring them out.
So besides the dogs being a lot of work, I found myself less interested in Lilac as a whole. I think it has reached the point where until I have kids, it has lost its appeal. Although I find the bands enjoyable, this is not reason enough to come out.
I have also been married for 3 months tomorrow!! To think that only 3 months ago we were in Arizona getting ready for my big day! We would have already had my dress purchased, our whole ceremony and dinner reception was done, photographer was booked, flowers had been ordered and rings were in the condo ready for the ceremony. Actually the day before our ceremony we went to the flea market and had a foot detox. We really had no wedding errands by that point. I was just anxiously awaiting the arrival of Sarah and Jay. Once they arrived everything seemed more real. Sarah is Joel's sister and Jay is her husband. I have wed into the best family. I am so thankful as we are all one big family.
Lastly, I have been a vegetarian for about 6 weeks, and love it. Although I struggled at first and still have not found a ton of great recipes, I still feel better. I didn't find it hard to give up meat. Joel is very supportive, but has chosen a diet that includes meat. Unfortunately being a vegetarian does not just mean scrapping the meat off your plate, so I actually have been cooking 2 meals.
For those who don't know, or have never met our 2 boys, we have a boxer named Monster and a mastiff named Chaos. Monster is about 55lbs and almost a year old. Chaos is our newest addition; only 6 months old and weighing just over 100lbs. They are great dogs, but learning from this weekend, they are also a lot of work.
On a normal day, Monster and Chaos are locked in kennels until we arrive home from work. They behave while in the kennels, and there is no destruction to the house upon our return our home. (Some minor exceptions to this apply, but I will save these stories for another time) Joel arrives home first and lets the boys out. He then feeds them, and lets them out again. I arrive home and the boys are free for the night. They can cuddle with us on the couch, or play outside, whatever they choose.
At Lilac, it is not as simple. We don't have the resources there to lock away the puppies properly. The crates are just too big to pack up and bring with us, and they cost about $200 each so buying 2 additional ones to leave at Lilac isn't really an option either. We decided this long weekend would be our trial weekend to see how it went with the 2 dogs. We had to keep them tied up while outside. The dogs don't understand the rope concept and kept getting tangled. Chaos loves the bush, so he would be wrapped up in trees until Joel went into the bush to loosen him out. Monster found 2 teenage boys that he didn't like and kept barking and growling at them when the boys would walk past our site. The final time they past our site they were walking a little black dog. Monster went to meet them on the street (running full speed) and snapped his collar! It did not even slow him down. Joel followed Monster and made him come back into the site.
The best part for the boys about being out there was that we could take them for a run. Joel and I are not runners by nature, but as my dad would say "Ask the laziest guy how to do a task, and he will come up with the most efficient way to accomplish that task". We attached the dogs to their leashes, jumped on the golf cart with Chaos on one side and Monster on the other and started (full speed) ahead on our run. The dogs kept up well, however for Monster it was a jog, and Chaos it was a very fast run. We took them around the "block" 2 times for each run as Chaos started to struggle on the second lap. People were pointing and laughing while we rounded the corners, but it was very successful at tiring them out.
So besides the dogs being a lot of work, I found myself less interested in Lilac as a whole. I think it has reached the point where until I have kids, it has lost its appeal. Although I find the bands enjoyable, this is not reason enough to come out.
I have also been married for 3 months tomorrow!! To think that only 3 months ago we were in Arizona getting ready for my big day! We would have already had my dress purchased, our whole ceremony and dinner reception was done, photographer was booked, flowers had been ordered and rings were in the condo ready for the ceremony. Actually the day before our ceremony we went to the flea market and had a foot detox. We really had no wedding errands by that point. I was just anxiously awaiting the arrival of Sarah and Jay. Once they arrived everything seemed more real. Sarah is Joel's sister and Jay is her husband. I have wed into the best family. I am so thankful as we are all one big family.
Lastly, I have been a vegetarian for about 6 weeks, and love it. Although I struggled at first and still have not found a ton of great recipes, I still feel better. I didn't find it hard to give up meat. Joel is very supportive, but has chosen a diet that includes meat. Unfortunately being a vegetarian does not just mean scrapping the meat off your plate, so I actually have been cooking 2 meals.
Well that's all for now - enjoy!
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