A few more cruise pics

I still only have a few here... gotta throw them on a CD so I can upload them all. I just needed to reflect on the beautiful warmth after our 1.5 ft of snow we got over the weekend :-(

The ship (Carnival Freedom) sailed from Miami:


There were a few other ships in port leaving that day:



First port was Cozumel, Mexico. Very lovely, as evidenced here:



The ship at night:



A shot of DW at the edge of an endless pool in Grand Caymen... that's our ship in the background:


And finally (for now) Seven-mile Beach on Grand Caymen Island:

Happy Birthday Lightsy!

A giant birthday *smooch* to my fellow Canadian, Northernlights. We love you lightsy!

Where have I been?

The cruise was fantastic. We left from Miami, travelled to Cozumel, Mexico; then on to Grand Cayman Island; and finally to Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

It was my first time in all three places (and all three countries) and we had a blast. We lived up to Carnival's reputation of "the fun ships" by partying like crazy (mostly while completely sober), including me doing karaoke to James Brown's "I feel good" in front of several hundred people.

I also won a golf-putting contest which netted me $125 cash. Not bad for a non-golfer :-)

Most of my photos are on my other computer, but this one was taken in Jamaica:



I have an interesting story from our flight back that I'll share soon... I'd love to get some persepctives on what I should have done...

San Diego baby

Had a good trip. It was kinda lonely the first couple of days there, all by myself... but I eventually connected with a few cool peeps from the conference, and we got to do some exploring over a couple of days.

At one point, we were taking some pictures and somebody asked us where we were from. We went around the circle quickly: Canada, Oklahoma City, Montana, Springfield, Illinois, Chicago and Indianapolis. We got a strange look from that.

I didn't realize that San Diego was a major military port:


I also didn't realize it was a cruise ship port, nor did I know that they would be parked outside my hotel window:


I got up close and personal with an aircraft carrier.. it's permanently docked there as a museum now:


There was also a cool monument of that famous photo of the navy dude kissing the nurse... you know....this one:

Note the size of the kid in front of the statue. It's big.

While the weather was mostly cool during the week, the sun came out on Saturday, and I got to see my favourite type of tree:


Finally, there is a ship docked in San Diego harbour called the Star of India (www.sdmaritime.com/contentpage.asp?ContentID=48). It is the oldest active sailing ship in the world. Well, when I say active, I mean that it only sails one day each year. And it just happened to be on Saturday, while I was looking out on my balcony. Here it is:


I also made it to Old Town, and crossed the bay into Coronado for a bit of exploring. Overall, a very nice trip. Next time I'm on the west coast, I hope to see some of you bloggy peeps too :-)

I'm goin' back to Cali....

...to Cali, to Cali. I'm going back to Cali.... I don't think so. (an old LL Cool J song reference).

Here I sit, overlooking San Diego Bay (and the cruise ships) all by my lonesome, having been awake for the past 22 hours. I am going to bed soon.

I got in okay this morning (I left my house at 3 a.m.), but since my conference is at the hotel I'm staying at, I have no car. So I explored a good chunk of downtown by foot today. (note for Puffy: I haven't been to see the Dead Sea Scrolls yet... I'll see how the week pans out).

I'm here until Sunday, with sessions starting tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

Shiver me timbers...

Whatever that means.

Here is the biggest (or shortest), baddest (or cutest) pirate on the high seas.

"I am so smart!

I am so smart!
S-M-R-T!
I mean S-M-A-R-T!"

Oh, I love me a good Homer Simpson reference every now and again. That doesn't mean I actually watch the Simpson's though. Haven't sat down and watched an episode in several years.

But I digress....

Newsflash: I love trivia (if you haven't noticed my competitive nature on the OT trivia contest). A local club was hosting a trivia night this past weekend, so DW and I compiled a table of geniuses (well, basically just a few friends).

With more than 20 teams of eight participating, we came in second place, only loosing by one point!

We thought we did pretty good, considering we were all in our late 20s/early 30s, while other teams had a more diverse age range (which helps when you get questions about Woodstock, the Second World War and such).

On a completely different note, tonight, DD is dressing up as a pirate, and DS will be in a giraffe costume. I? Will eat all the candy (specifically the chocolate). Mwuhahahahaha!

Well, I caved...

It looks like we're getting a..... minivan.

I think I'm going to struggle saying that like Fonzie used to have trouble saying he was sorry.

But being cheap overtook my hate of the minivan, and I couldn't pass up the deal on this one. It's an '06 Pontiac Montana that we're taking over the lease on.

The payments are dirt cheap, and I get to turn it in in a couple of years. So it's just a temporary thing. And the good thing about the Montana is that it at least kinda looks like an SUV. At least I keep telling myself that.

Wacky Wednesday

Wow, where have I been? And that title is an homage to Kim, not a rip-off :-)

How about a list for old time's sake...

1. Today is election day in Ontario. So will we get four more years of the idiot Premier who lied about not raising taxes, has lost thousands of jobs for the province, and has done nothing to alleviate the health care crisis that we face? More than likely.

Idiots.

2. I'm also going to play ultimate frisbee tonight, as we are quickly coming to an end of the season. We currently lose daylight around 7 p.m. here now, so our window of opportunity is just about up. Believe me, it's not a good idea to try and catch a frisbee in the dark.

3. DS now has 4 teeth (two top chompers, and two bottom chompers) and just started crawling. Time is a'flyin'. O

4. On a related note, DD is 2.5 going on 12.

5. Monday was a holiday, but because we have our Fall Convocation ceremonies this week, I have to work on Saturday. So even during a short week, I'm still working five days. *sigh*

6. Only six weeks until my cruise that I really can't afford to be taking right now :-)

7. More importantly, my 10 year wedding anniversary is coming up in two weeks. Guess I should go get a card. In truth, DW and I are probably having our roughest patch in the past 10 years right now. We are at loggerheads over far too many (not-so-trivial) issues.

8. I just found out that as a Big Brother, I got a voucher to take my Little Brother to one of the best Chinese buffets in town (the Madarin, for those in the loop). Meemo likey free food, especially when it's all-you-can-eat.

9. I'm tired of waiting for an official reveal. I got an awesome black t-shirt from BOOOOOOOOOOO! And it came with it's own drinking glass! I'll try to get a pic taken so that I can post it here later this week. Kudos to her for having to send it internationally. I really do appreciate and love the shirt, and have worn it proudly several times. Thanks so much!

10. I need to get a new vehicle soon.... DW wants a minivan... I want anything other than a minivan. Any suggestions for a family of four (including two kids under the age of three)?

Ten, that's a good place to stop.

Stolen from Glow and Carey..

Stolen from Glow
Ten Things
10 Favorites...
Favorite Color: orange
Favorite Food: pizza
Favorite Band: U2
Favorite Movie: So I married an axe murderer
Favorite Sport: Football
Favorite Season: Summer
Favorite Day Of the Week: Saturday
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: chocolate or any variant there of
Favorite Time of Day: mid-morning

Currents...
Current Mood: blah
Taste: chocolate chip cookie
Clothes: dress shirt and pants
Current Computer Background: my kids
Current Finger/Toenail Color: natural
Current Time: high noon
Current Surroundings: my desk
Current Annoyance(s): tiredness
Current Thought: it's lunch time!

8 Firsts...
First Best Friend: Mitch
First Love: Dawn
First Screen Name: Meemo
First Pet: Thumper the cat
First Piercing: NA
First Crush: Belinda Carlisle
First Music: Bon Jovi
First Car: 1986 Pontiac Firefly

7 Last...
Last Cigarette: NA
Last Drink: water
Last Car Ride: to work this morning
Last Text Message: spam
Last Movie Seen: At home: TMNT. At the theater: Ocean's 13
Last Phone call: DW this morning
Last CD Played: Hillsongs United

6 Have You Ever...
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Friends: Yes.
Have you Ever Broken the Law: Maybe.
Have You Ever Been Arrested: No.
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: Not yet.
Have You Ever Been on TV: Yes, locally.
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: No.

5 Things...
You're Wearing: Black shoes and socks
You Did Last Night: Watched Kid Nation and worked out
You Can Hear Right Now: my boss checking his voicemail
You Can't Live Without: chocolate
You Do When You're Bored: visit OT

4 Places You've Been To:
1. Cuba
2. Switzerland
3. Cleveland
4. Edmonton, Alberta

3 People You Can Tell Anything To...
I trust no one.

Choices...
1. Black or White: Black
2. Hot or Cold: Hot

1 Person You'd Do Anything For:
Lucy Liu :-)

My back hurts..

I played ultimate frisbee last night, and now my back is killing me.

Can somebody give me a back rub?

Six things....

1. Well, I never got the call about "Are You Smarter than a Canadian 5th Grader?" I think they were worried that I'd breeze through the show with my genius :-)

2. Speaking of Breezy, what do you think the odds I can convince her and Bravie to swing by my place on their way to see Lightsy? I'm sure it's out of the way, but what could I offer them to try and change their minds?

3. My procrastinating is getting out of hand again. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed with work and school and life in general. Crap... my cruise is still 9.5 weeks away.

4. As much as I was embarrased for Britney Spears performance last night, I find it disgusting that the media would hype about her being "embarrassingly out of shape" and "the paunch in place of Spears' once-taut belly" as one AP story put it. Sure, she shouldn't have been out there in the first place, but it really bugs me how once again popular media decide that how she (or anyone else) looks (which, in my humble opinion as a heterosexual male, was pretty good for being a mother of two) does not meet the standards of beauty or health. *flips the bird to all those media who felt the need to point that out*

5. Can Zach please, please, please make it to the final two? I can't stand to see Dick and Daniele together in the finale.

6. Why is it that university students today don't know how to flush a toilet or piss where they're supposed too? I refuse to use the washrooms here unless absolutely necessary because of their state. And it's not that they don't get cleaned. They do, several times a day. Sorry, that might be TMI, but I had to get it off my chest.

I have a cold...

.. but ironically, my new office is ridiculously hot. I can't find a thermostat, so I've called Facilities mgmt. to see if they can do anything to keep me from sweating. After typing that out, I now have Nelly's "It's gettin' hot in herrre" going through my head.

I just applied online to be on the Canadian version of "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader." Colin Mocherie is the host for a few episodes that they will air this fall. I'll know next week if they're going to want me for an interview. *crosses fingers*

I had minor surgery on my left hand last week. Nothing major, but it was surgery none-the-less. I've realized how difficult it is to take care of two young children when you have one functioning hand. Not easy, especially when the 6 month-old seems to have a magnetic attraction to kicking and hitting the swollen and bruised hand.

That's it for now. I suppose I could make a gratuitously flattering mention of Bravie here in order to score points, but since I don't know that it will score points, I won't bother. Maybe instead, I should just make fun of Breezy and Boo in order to increase my point total? Hmmmmm.......

Love/Hate

Things I love:

1. A warm Caribbean breeze
2. The smiles on my kids faces when they see me
3. Almost anything chocolate
3. Playing Madden football on my PS2
4. My Buescher Tru-tone silver alto saxophone
5. Scarlett Johansson
6. bloggy peeps
7. Grilled salmon over a citrus salad
8. Dr. Pepper
9. boxer shorts
10. Going somewhere new
11. Hand sanitizer
12. Getting a fresh haircut (and the accompanying scalp massage)
13. Switzerland


Things I hate:

1. Strawberries
2. Dick and Daniele on Big Brother
3. Alec Baldwin
4. The New York Knicks
5. toll highways
6. America's Got Talent
7. people who speed on residential streets
8. Max and Ruby
9. blatant gender stereotypes for kids
10. back pain
11. figure skating
12. irresponsible parents
13. putting away laundry

Quick update...

I'm staying at my current job. I was offered the other position, but after much consideration and contemplation, I realized that my best move was to stay put.

I have, however, been upgraded to a new office, and have been given the approval for a job re-evaluation (meaning a bump in pay), so the whole process did net some benefits for me.

Things are going well though, and I'm glad all of that is behind me.

On two other quick notes: Congrats to Kim and Boo on your walk. You guys are amazing and an inspiration. BTW, did you get the letter I sent?

And I've purchased my t-shirt, and will be mailing it this weekend - and it's not even Labor Day! (I'm a horrible procrastinator).

Next week should be interesting...

Our new Vice-President starts on Tuesday (my new boss).

On Wednesday, I have an interview at the other organization.

Regardless the outcomes, plenty of change going on 'round here.

But most importantly, in less than two hours, my long-weekend starts. Woohoo!

Today is my best birthday ever...

I am 33 today.

So why is this the best birthday ever? Well, I survived my mini-triathlon (finishing middle of the pack among the 19 competitors) and completed it in less than 1 hr.

But most of all, it's because I get to experience these two little peanuts on a daily basis:



Doesn't that photo sum up what the next 15 years will hold? :-)

A few things...

1. I sent in my resume on Friday for the outside position. That afternoon, "Jill" (the Manager there who used to be my coworker) called me to say how thrilled she was to see my resume. She told me she would be reviewing all the resumes this past weekend, and would be booking interviews for later this week. She said she would be in touch, and seeing me soon.

2. On a related job note, our new VP starts on Monday (who I will report to directly until they hire for the position that I'm currently filling). I have no idea what to expect, but I almost hope the other search (mentioned above) takes a bit of time so I can get a feel for the new guy and how he operates. If he's a jerk, it will make my decision alot simpler. If he's great, my decision will be much tougher.

3. I did Dragon Boat racing on Saturday. Has anyone ever done that before? It was my fourth year participating with the University team. We finished 11 out of 32 teams (our best ever in 8 years). Not bad for a thrown-together team of some staff and students - no faculty participate ever. Even if I end up working elsewhere, I would like to continue doing this as an alumni down the road. We have a blast, and I don't get out on the water often enough :-)

4. Tomorrow is the mini-triathlon, and my 33 birthday. I'm going down to the pool at lunch for one more crack at things. On Saturday, I did the Dragon Boat racing, then went for a light jog in the evening and then did 30 minutes on the elliptical. Yesterday, I did nothing to train. Today, I will swim, and maybe do a bike ride this evening. I don't want to overdo it today and end up injuring myself for tomorrow (it's also supposed to be really hot and humid. Yay.). I'll ask my DW to post something on OT in case the triathlon kills me. If it doesn't, who knows what crazy thing I'll try next.

5. I got to play my electric guitar in a performance last night for the first time in a while (I usually play acoustic). I ended up busting a string half-way through the set (I'm pretty sure it was my g-string *snicker*), and didn't have any spares to re-string. *sigh* Nothing more embarassing than snapping your g-string in the middle of a performance.

6. Do you guys remember Wheezy? She wrote a book, scheduled for distribution next spring. You can, however, pre-order the book through Amazon at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416953574/simonsayscom (I'm too lazy to figure out how to embed a link on blogger). Go and do it now. Let's get her on the NY Times bestseller list. Kimmah has a link on her blog too.

7. I had a salmon/cirtus salad for lunch yesterday that was sooooooo good. I'm still thinking about it.

8. Crap. It's almost noon. I have to go swim. I might continue this later, but for now, it's a list of ... nine. I thought of something else.

9. My oh my, how I wish I could have been on Carey & MM's date. That is all.

Need advice.....

...on a couple of work issues.

Scenario #1)

The manager position from our Department has been vacant for more than 2 years.

One of our team members was named Acting Manager at the time of the inital vacancy. She lasted through several failed searches, before deciding to call it quits at the end of May (although a new search is underway, and interviews are being conducted).

When she left, I suggested (as the most senior person here), that we should have someone in the Acting Manager role until the position is permanently filled, to maintain consistency and accountability in the office. It was decided, in conjunction with HR, that I should take over this role (efffective June 1).

This is what gets me though: HR sent through the paperwork as follows - "In the event that this apointment is longer than 3 months in duration, we would review your compensation to determine a provisional increase for the additional duties you are undertaking." So basically, if they start someone by Aug. 31, I see no compensation for the nearly three months of extra work and responsibility. And even if I do make it past the 3 month mark, I have no idea what kind of compensation I should expect. What if they offer me an extra $100 bucks, and tell me to take it or leave it? There would be no recourse because I've already done the work.

I'm really bothered by this, but wonder if this is common practice. Anybody else have experience in this kind of thing? Any suggestions?

Scenario #2)

Secondly, remember that external position that I applied for? The one that the lady I had been mentoring got, while I didn't even get an interview?

Well, she forwarded me a job posting about a new position in her office (to see if I knew of anyone who would be interested). The reporting structure would be reporting to her. On Saturday, I happened to run into her at the grocery store, where we discussed it a bit more. She indicated that the position would be similar to my current position, but the salary would run anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 more than what I'm making now. I joked that given the crap I'm facing at my job, that maybe I would apply. Her face lit up, and she started to hard sell me on the idea. The position closes this Friday.

I always said that my next move would not be lateral - I prefer to move into some area of management. However, I have a good relationship with this lady, and the pay is much more than what I have now. It wouldn't necessarily be a great move for my professional career (nor a bad one), but would help me out financially. My question is, would you find it awkward to work for somebody given the scenario we went through just a couple months ago?

What to do..... what to do......

I am doing a triathlon...

... and it will likely kill me.

I am confirmed my participation in a mini-triathlon on our campus in a week and a half.

I have been contemplating this for a couple of weeks now, and been training in my sporadic fashion to try and get myself somewhat prepared.

It includes a 100 metre swim in the pool, a 12.4 km route on bike (around the campus), and then a 3 km run/walk/crawl to the finish. It can be done for competition or for recreation, but is intended to give the average mortal a taste of what a triathlon entails.

On Wednesday, as part of my training, I went for a 10 km bike ride, then went for a 1 km run/walk, took a 45 minute break, and then went and played ultimate frisbee for a couple of hours, and seemed to be okay. The biking and run/walk don't really concern me, except that I've never done those distances back/back.

This morning, I faced my biggest challenge: the pool. I have never been a swimmer (If you asked me if I could swim, I would answer: "Just barely.") I got up early and made it here just after 7 a.m. Went down to the pool where it was me and about 25 seniors.

I didn't drown, but I do realize that it is going to be very difficult for me to do even 100 metres. The only stroke I could do even remotely well (meaning making some movement) was the backstroke, which causes some difficulty when you can't see where you're going, and isn't really condusive to a triathlon.

I made friends with the two female lifeguards (I guess I was a bit of a novelty among the many seniors they typically see that early in the morning), so they gave me a few tips. I'll be back again a few times next week to see if I can do it.

I'm not doing this for any type of competition: it's just something I've always wanted to try. I think I'm likely in the best shape of my life right now, so I figured it was worth a shot. Oh, did I mention it's also taking place on my birthday? My 33rd birthday?

Yeah, so I figure a triathlon on my 33rd birthday is destiny: I have to do it. Even if it means drowning.

Potty training and the like.....

1. DD started potty training last week, and has essentially become a pro at it. Yesterday, she got 8 stickers and had 0 accidents. Woohoo! Fewer diapers to buy!

2. I had my annual review with my Little Brother last night (and the caseworker from Big Brothers). This month marks our 4 year anniversary of being matched. He is an awesome kid and I can see us being friends for a long, long time. He's 13 now, and just got through some major surgeries on his legs (had some muscles restructured, stretched and moved) so he's in two leg casts for the next 5 weeks. The thing is? He's totally making the best of it, not complaining, and keeps looking at the bright side of things. Last night he was asked what he's learned from me since we've been matched. If anything, I've been the one learning about myself.

3. Meemo Jr. is now the proud owner of his first tooth. That partially explains all the wetness I described below.

4. Looks like the cruise is a-go. We're scheduling to go during hurricane season (our anniversary is Oct. 25), but we're getting cancellation insurance, and we like living on the edge ;-) Nothing is officially booked yet, but likely will be by the end of the week.

5. It's my birthday in two weeks, and I realize that I really don't want anything this year (well, other than to meet a few more of you blogger peeps).

6. I did an audit of my holidays, and realize I still have 13.5 days left for the year. That's nearly 3 weeks! *starts looking at calendar to see what days to take off*

7. The state of my desk has been a running joke here for the past couple of years - absolutely disasterous. I finally cleaned it on Friday, and nobody can believe it. Of course, I can't find anything now :-)

8. I'm going to end at 8, because I have a meeting to go to. I really didn't intend to make a list anyways, but you got one.

*smooches*

My new Mac...

...has a built in camera.

Which picture is the most flattering?

a) Serious Meemo

b) Angry Alien-head Meemo



c) Warped Meemo



d) or Regular Meemo



Maybe one of these should be my new avatar :-)

I'm a bachelor

DW took the two kids and went up to a camp for a couple of days, so I'm home alone.

With my newfound freedom, I am going to get a haircut after work, will likely eat out, and watch TV tonight (while doing laundry).

That is, unless someone wants to come over and party tonight. Any takers?

I'm also taking tomorrow off to go golfing (stoopid thunderstorms better stay away) with a couple friends I don't see often. I'm looking forward to it.

Finally, I was doing some internet vacation planning (it's our 10-year anniversary in October) and realized that I could get us a seven-day Caribbean cruise for $1,500. That includes air. For both of us -- as in $750 each. I think I'm going to book.

No rock star, no cry

Well, the rock stars didn't happen for me.

We did go to the concert hesitently, as our daughter was running a fever (around 101) for most of the day. My parents were taking her over night so that we didn't have to worry about her. We had a babysitter watching our son at home.

We got down to the show around 7 p.m. (it was to start at 8 p.m.) and moved right up towards the front of the stage after walking around the grounds. (During that time, we passed by and spoke briefly to the guys from the House Band, including Paul, Nate, Raphael and Sasha . It was an outdoor venue, with no actually seating. Either you stood, sat on lawn chairs, or planted yourself on the ground. We were about three-people deep from the stage, so decided to camp out there.

Nothing happened until about 8:40 p.m. when the opening band came out. They were called Fairfield or something, and were okay - but most of their eight songs sounded the same. During their concert, we could see Dilana, Marty and Suzie at various times back stage and such.

Fairfield played until about 9:20 p.m. and we were told it would be a little while longer before the main act. At 9:45, my mom called on the cell phone to say that DD's fever had gone up (she was approaching 103) and suggested it might be best if we come home.

Sigh. So we missed out on the concert. Of course, my daughter's health is paramount (she had a rough weekend, but is doing much better now), but this is definitely a show I wanted to see.

From what I've seen on rockband.com, the set was a good one too:

Ty was up first - Cult of Personality, I Believe in Love, No Woman No Cry, Fire

Storm - Suffragette City, Surrender, Ladylike, Uninvited (in tribute to playing in Canada-Alanis Morrisette song)

Marty - Take me Out, Don't Change, Trees, Wish You Were Here

Dilana - an original song, Zombie, Mother Mother, She Talks to Angels, Roxanne

Suzie - Losing my Religion, Bring it on Home, Hung Up, Bohemian Rhapsody

Oh well.

ROCKSTAR: Meemo

I just found out that the annual Friendship Festival held in Buffalo/Fort Erie is hosting a free Rockstar concert this weekend.
Including the official house band (woohoo!), scheduled to appear are performers from both seasons: Marty Casey, Suzie McNeil, Ty Taylor, Storm Large and Dilana. I know Lucas Rossi is going to be in the area this weekend too, so it wouldn't surprise me if he also shows up.

I just re-watched my ROCKSTAR: INXS dvd on the weekend too.

Anyone wanna crash at my place this weekend? Glow? Weltek?

I am so going to this show!

Ultimate frisbee

I started playing ultimate frisbee again last week after a one year lay-off.

I realized two things:

1) I am getting older (note, that does not say old. If anyone wants to challenge me on that, I can pretty much guarentee that I'm younger than most of you :-)

2). As a result of getting older, I get winded very easily, and get very achy.

That being said, I had a great time, and enjoyed pushing myself to try a very active sport (rather than just walking or an easy bike ride). For those of you unfamiliar with the game, it basically plays like football:

You set up a field with two endzones. One team throws the frisbee downfield to the receiving team. Players can throw the frisbee within one step. If the disc is dropped or deflected, the other team takes possession. A point is scored when the frisbee is thrown and caught in the endzone.

It involves accurate throwing (which I'm good at), and a great deal of running (which I'm not so good at).

Hope I can keep this up.

One word survey...

courtesy of the Kimmah, originated somewhere in MySpace...

1. Where is your cell phone?
belt

2. You're single/taken?
taken

3. Your hair?
coiffed

4. Your mother?
complainer

5. Your father?
retired

6. Your favorite thing?
sex

7. Your dream last night?
sex

8. Your favorite drink?
coke

9. Your dream car?
ferrari

10. The room you're in?
office

11. Your ex?
married

12. Your fear?
snakes

13. Where were you last night?
home

14. what you're not?
organized

15. Muffins?
blueberry

16. One of your wish list items?
Hawaii

17. The last thing you did?
ate

18.What are you wearing?
suit

19. Your pet or pets?
kids

20. Your computer?
mac

21. Your life?
busy

22. Your mood?
frustrated

23. Missing some one?
Teena

24. Your car?
hot

25. Your work?
hellish

26.Like someone?
married

27. Your favorite color?
orange

28. When is the last time you laughed real hard?
daughter

29. Crush's first name?
Scarlett

30. Dream job?
basketball

Because Monsty can do it....

Here is an updated pic of Meemo Jr., in all his glory.

BTW, his t-shirt says "Future Rock Star."

He is, unfortunately, now entering the "wet stage": drooling like crazy. Ewwwww.
But his big sister still thinks he's cute, as do we....most of the time.

Randoms

I was tagged by Lightsy and Swami for the eight randoms, and need to post about something other than my last post, so here goes....

1. Our acting director's last day is today. That essentially leaves me in charge for the time being, with no managerial structure between me and the President. I'm looking at this as an opportunity.

2. I'm going to start playing ultimate frisbee again. There's a group of similar-aged peeps who play every Wednesday night that I used to play with, that I've reconnected with to start playing again. It's fun, and a sh!t-load of running to keep me in shape.

3. Our new house (well, we've been here 8 months now) is a block from a major canal. It has a 25 km recreation path that runs along it, which I utilize nearly every night either walking or on my bike (not the whole length) with my kids. I love it.

4. IMHO, we spend way to much time in front of the TV (in the evenings). I recognize this fact. DW does not.

5. I've always been perplexed by goons and thugs on TV who are willing to die for their jobs when fighting the good guys. Is it really worth it?

6. I have a Vince Carter bobble-head on my desk from when he played with the Raptors. I can't stand him now, so why is it still there?

7. I plan on celebrating the birthday of my saxophone later this year. It is a vintage, Buescher Tru-Tone Silver alto saxophone. According to the serial number archives, it was manufactured in 1927, meaning it turns 80 this year. I think an octogenarian celebration is in order. I love my saxo-ma-phone.

8. Like txmomma, I need a haircut. Maybe I'll go tonight.

That's all. I don't know if anyone is left to be tagged, but I'll say Boo, Zombs, and HD

Because I need to post something

Wow... I've been neglecting this poor place.

Spend too much time reading everybody else's blogs.

So anyways, I had a kick in the pants the other day.

Here's the start: I've become somewhat disillusioned with my job recently. We have been going through change for the last two years, with our team being short-handed and missing two levels of management.

As a result, I broke down and sent out a resume for an external position (a management position), that I thought I was well qualified for.

The second stream of the story goes like this: I've been working indirectly with a lady here at work (let's call her Jill) for the past four years or so. She was a recent graduate when I started, so I took her under my wing to help her along in our industry (she got a junior position in another department). We would get together for lunch every now in awhile, and I would provide guidance and we would talk shop.

Back to the other stream: About a week went by, and I got a letter in the mail: "Dear Mr. Meemo, Thanks for you interest in the position. We had many quality applicants, but regret to inform you that you will not be considered for an interview."

The other day, I get an e-mail from Jill (part of a group e-mail): "Dear friends, thanks for all your support over the last few years. I am happy to announce that I will taking position as Manager of blah blah blah blah blah on June 1."

Yup, the job that I applied for, and didn't even get interviewed for.

*sigh*

That's me feeling sorry for myself.

(FTR, I am very happy for her. But also very pissed. Does that make sense?)

Another list....

1. I have finished my final course for my MEd. I still have a paper outstanding (and a thesis to write over the next year), but I officially have no more classes to take. Yay me!

2. DW and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary later this year. We're thinking a short getaway (4 days or so) without the kids - maybe Vegas. Any suggestions on good times of the year to go?

3. When did pop (aka soda) start getting expiry dates on it? What do they mean? Will it start tasting funky or something? How come we never had them before?

4. How jealous of Carey am I right now? Insanely so.

5. I have applied for two management positions. One internal, another elsewhere. Am I nuts?

6. Staying on the pop (aka soda) topic: If Dr. Pepper has 23 flavors, why did they feel the need to make a Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper? Was 23 flavors just not good enough?

7. My baby boy had his 2-month check up today. 12.5 pounds and very smiley - a happy little guy. He's also slept through the night the last two nights. I think we're on to something!

8. My daughter (just turned two) is ridiculously smart (IMHO :-). She can sing the alphabet song (among many others), recite nursery rhymes (like the 3 little pigs), and even knows who the Canadian Prime Minister is. It'll be nice to have a doctor/lawyer in the family :-)

9. The Toronto Raptors are in the playoffs again! And we're the #3 seed in the East! Can I get a woohoo?

10. I hate to end on a sombre note: But my prayers go out to the families of those affected at Virginia Tech today. What a tragedy. *sigh*

I need a new car...

Because a tiny little chevy aveo hatchback does not suit a family of 4:



Our other car is a hatchback too, but a little bit bigger (A Suzuki Aerio, which we intend to hold on to).:



The chevy is on lease until January (9 more payments). So I'm going to see about getting out of the lease early.

We're looking for something a little big bigger, but keeping the cost low (and good mileage). Will likely lease again, since we don't know what our family needs will be in another 4-5 years.

Right now, the leaders are the Mazda5:



the Kia Rondo:



and the Dodge Caravan (*ugh - I can't believe I'm considering a minivan* In fact, it doesn't even warrant a picture)

So we're going car shopping this weekend. Based on my internet research, the Rondo offers the most bang for the buck. But I won't know until I check it out for real. Any other suggestions?

Addendum: I popped the hood on the Chevy the other day, only to find that some little vermin had made a nest in my engine. I think it to be mice - as there is a nice chunk of material chewed into part of the liner.

GRRRRRRR! I can only guess how much the dealership is going to charge me when I turn the car in. Anybody have advice on how to keep critters from nesting under the hood of your car?

Answers to the kwiz

Well, you guys are just a bunch of lame-o's, aren't you?

Arkie (and Glow) take the lead by scoring a whopping 50%. And HD? I can't even express properly the level of my disappointment.

But I want to move on, and thus present here, the answers to my quiz:

1. DW and I were married for seven years when we found out we were having Meemette. We are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year (and yes, I was a child-groom).

2. According to Wikipedia, I was born in the same year as Leonardo DiCaprio. That makes me one year older than Eva Longoria, two years older than Colin Farrell, and three years younger than Shaq.

3. I have recently adopted a new hairstyle (let it grow out a bit). This is the first time I've switched things up in about the last 8 years.

4. My undergraduate degree was in Communications and Political Science. I have a half-completed degree in Theology, and am currently working on my MEd.

5. I play guitar, sax and the penny-whistle. I can also hold my own on the drums, but don't consider myself a drummer.

6. I proposed to my wife in Switzerland. Nobody got this one right - as some of the other answers seemed much more plausible than the factual one.

So there you have it. Thanks for playing!

I'm back, with a test

Thanks for all the well-wishes over the past while.

Everybody is doing well. Sam will be one month old tomorrow (already), and his big sister still loves him. DW and I are sleepy, but happy.

Sorry I haven't been around much. I was off work for 3 weeks with the baby (and subsequently hardly ever online). I've been back to work this week, but have been swamped with lots of stuff going on.

Since I missed the test fad, I felt I would be remiss if I didn't include one here. So enjoy, and I'm gonna try and get around to a few blogs today.


Create your own Friend Test here

He's here

Well, little mister decided to drop by last night.

We went to the hospital last night around 5 p.m. for DW to get assessed (she was having strong, but not consistent contractions).

5 hours later, we were looking at this:


Mommy and baby Sam are doing well. I'm heading back to the hospital now, and the grandparents will be bringing Meemette over to see her little brother for the first time this afternoon.

He weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz. and 19.2". He's got big hands, and was born while the Raptors were playing, so I think he is obviously destined to be a professional basketball player.

Anyways, I have to run back to chaos. I''ll try to be back soon.

A list for Boo and Kim

1. I have very few shows that I must see each week. In fact, I think other than LOST (and basketball), there's only The Office.

As much as Michael's character is getting tired for me, I absolutely love the Jim/Dwight saga. Comedy gold. I'm going to go to NBC.com and see if they'll ship a Dwight bobble-head to Canada for me.

2. Since #1 was about a TV show, that should clearly indicate that there is still no baby. Of course, DW is clearly more frustrated by this than I am - since she's carrying the baby and all.

3. Any thoughts on what I should do for my Master's thesis? Cuz I'm stumped. sigh. Only stipulation is that it has to have some tie to education. Best suggestion here wins.

4. I hate our cable company. They are a bunch of incompetent fools. Unfortunately, my only other options are the two satellite companies, both of who also suck. Maybe I should just cancel our TV service and let my kids grow up in media isolation.

5. I just found out my acting boss is leaving/retiring soon. That means that since I arrived here 3 years ago, everybody else on the team (four others) have left. I'm beginning to get a complex.

I think I'll leave the list at five. Have a great weekend!

If it's good enough for Swami...

... then it's good enough for me.

I've joined the dark side of the blog.

This kinda tastes like "new Coke" did. Not quite right.

My daughter has boyfriends...

Yes, that is plural. And she is not even two yet.

Today she has a birthday party for boyfriend #1 who goes to her daycare (along with boyfriend #2, who is slightly older). Tonight, she goes to birthday party for boyfriend #3. And frankly, none of these kids is up to her (or my) standards.

Sheesh.

I always said that if I killed the first one, word would get around - I just didn't realize it would start this soon :-)

Maybe we need a road trip to Boston so she can meet All-Stah, who I'm sure would leave all the other guys in the dust.

No baby... yet

A mish-mash of things:

Looks like we still might be about a week (or so) away from Baby Meemo's arrival.

Mrs. Meemo is doing well (she really hit the wall last week, but has since recovered and is hanging in there). She's a trooper.

I still haven't had a chance to use my snowblower. We've had snow, but there's been very little accumulation, and it's been spread over several days. I think I'm adhering to Augie's Law that since I bought the snowblower, we haven't had any snow. (that is Augie's Law, isn't it?).

I've heard that Glowie is saying nice things about me on her blog. I best go see.

I know she isn't a member of blogland (is she?) but YAY FOR BAWDY! Her ordeal is something that many of us have been following for a loooooooooong time. It's so wonderful to see the saga come to a close, and the start of a wonderful new chapter for them.

And on that note, I must go surfing the blogland. I have neglected many of you in recent days. I've recently come to the realization that I think I post (both in blogland and that other place) more often than I actually do. I'm always around (well, most days anyways), but tend to just lurk. Well, I've recognized the errors of my ways, and hope to contribute more than I have before.

Ah, who am I kidding. Don't get your hopes up :-)

I bought a snow blower yesterday

My parents gave us some cash this Christmas with the express intent of us purchasing a snow blower with it. It was a nice gesture, but I had never given thought to purchasing one. But alas, I granted their wish, and now I am the proud (first time owner) of a relatively small (5 hp), six-speed, gas-powered snow blower/thrower thingy.

We bought it used off of a guy who just bought it last year, but has since separated from his wife and moved into an apartment. Only used 5 times, and we got it for half of what he paid.

Now I'm trying to figure out what snow blower etiquette is. Do I do my neighours' sidewalks and driveways? If so, do I only do my immediate neighbours on either side, or do I cross the street? Or do I restrict myself to only doing my driveway and sidewalk? On the flip side, do I just go up and down the sidewalks for the entire street?

On another note, DW thought she was going into labour yesterday, and ended up at the doctor's office, but it was a false alarm. The doctor indicated she was starting to dilate though, so he figured we're no more than two weeks away (which would put us two weeks ahead of schedule). I guess this means we're on official baby watch now.

I think I have ADD

Not ADHD, because I'm certainly not hyperactive.

But I honestly cannot concentrate on my studies. My horrible procrastination caught up with me this past week, and I got stuck working on a paper (original due date: Nov. 29) when I was given a drop dead, do-or-die date by the prof. of yesterday (Thursday).

It wasn't a hard paper... only 8-10 pages. I took Wednesday evening to do the paper. And even with the pressure on, I was still interrupting my work that evening to: check my e-mail; log on to a couple of message boards; I had the live updates from the Raptors game on; getting something to eat; peeking in on my sleeping daughter.

I had 3.5 pages done when I started at 7 p.m. I didn't role into bed until I had e-mailed the paper to my prof. at 2:30 a.m. And I know that the paper was not up to snuff. If I was working efficiently, I could have been in bed by midnight (at a rate of 1 page per hour) with a quality paper. Instead, it took me 7.5 hours to hand in someting mediocre at best.

I've finally made an appointment to see somebody about this. But, being the self-diagnosing type, I'm going on record to say that I think I have Adult ADD, even though I have no idea what that entails.

Names, and links...

Well, we've settled on a name for the boy.

At least a first name:

Samuel.

Likely to end up Samuel Jameson, but that may change.

Other than that, DW has hit the pregancy wall. She is ready to be done with being pregnant. Five weeks to go!


On another note, you may notice my extensive list of blog links over there ----->

Many of you maintain a similar list. Some of you (where I visit regularly, and even post) do NOT have me on your list. I must say I am very slighted, hurt, and generally cry myself to sleep each night, wondering how I can get on Bob's list. At any rate, take this new point in the year to look at your list, and purge the old ones (I think only Nailbone and Wheezy are inactive on my list), and add any of your *new* favorites that you love to visit. *ahemMeemo'sblogahem*

And yes, I am a desperate attention whore.

Happy New Year!

Well, no official resolutions for me, although I did get up early, spent some time on the eliptical machine (which has been long neglected), ironed my shirt and pants, and still managed to arrive at work at the *official* proper time this morning (40 mins earlier than usual).

So yay for me. We'll see if that holds up tomorrow :-)

We had a good time over the holidays.

Took some time over the past week to get things prepped for the baby (due in 6 weeks!). Put the crib together and got the nursery straightened away. Also put together the new double stroller that we bought.

We're in the home stretch (*waves to Monstah*).

I'll likely post an updated name thread later this week.