I am done with renovating...

I have moved. I know it can be annoying when someone does this, but I really wanted a change, and I am really liking it so far. My new blog is now up and running. Come and see me at Wordpress.

Turbo - hymn

Yesterday I lead worship at church. Who knew I could sing the hymn "Let all things now living" in just one breath? Oh man, it was fast!

Yesterday was also thanksgiving dinner at my moms house. As usual, mom cooked way too much food for the 11 people who were coming. And then it ended up being only 6. Oops. So we ate, and it was good.

Then I went to bed later than usual, and yet I couldnt sleep in later than 8. I woke up at 7 (a normal weekday time) and almost got up then! So now, I am blogging and trying to be quiet so as not to wake my still sleeping husband who will wake up at the sound of ANYTHING.

But I have no plans today, and no work, and that feels really good!

A good year

I think I have a lot to be thankful for this year, I have a job that I love, a husband whom I love, and friends who call me and make me think they are at my house when they are really in Calgary. I love my friends.

What I am MOST thankful for this weekend, though, has nothing to do with any of that. I am most thankful that I can be happy today. Because last year at this time, I was not happy. I was struggling with a bout of depression that I hid from everyone excet those closest to me. It lasted about 6 months before I sought help for it. I was tired of coming home, feeling hopeless, alone, and sad for no reason. I was tired of spending my evenings with my head in John-Mark's lap, crying into an ever-shrinking roll of toilet paper for no reason, and being unable to go out and have a good time. So I got help. Its been ten months since I started taking anti-depressants to treat a chemical imbalance in my brain. And today, I took my last pill. And I feel normal. And I have decided, on this very happy day, that I would share my story.

Its not easy (for me, at least) to come out and tell people about this. I have always felt as though people knew me as the one who was always joyful and laughing. And I was ashamed that I wasnt like that, for a time, and afraid that people would look at me differently because of it. I think it is interesting how society, and many Christians view depression as something that is the person's fault. They are crazy, or they arent trusting God enough, or they mustnt really know God if they are feeling that way, when, in reality, it can be, and often is a physical issue. My body just was unable to control the amount of hormones it produced.

So there you have it. I have no more secrets. It has been a crazy year, and I feel as though I have learned and grown a lot through it. And I have cerainly learned that I cant always rely on myself. Hopefully, God will use my story.

I am renovating.

... and any suggestions are welcome. I am not sure how I feel about this so far, but it is nice to have a change once in a while.

I love October 1st!

So, for the past few weeks, it has gotten increasingly colder in our house. And our heat hasnt worked - I am assuming that is because our landlords turned it off for the summer. Yesterday morning, I looked, and it was 15 degrees inside. No wonder we would come home/ get out of bed and bundle up! Anyways, we tried the heat again last night, and... it works! I love October 1st! Except then I slept with too many blankets, and I got hot. But whatever. I will not freeze when I get out of the shower this morning.

4 Interesting Stories

Interesting things that have happened to me lately:

….

…

Okay, that’s not true. I just have to fish them stories out.

1. I dropped my coffee all over the parking lot at work yesterday morning. It was the worst moment of my life, I think. I was having an awful morning, and I stopped for a special coffee to make myself feel better. And then I didn’t even get a single sip before it dumped all over the ground. I had to fight back the tears for the next our or so. This is the only circumstance in which starting the day with prayer as a staff is not a fantastic idea. But, I made it through, and John-Mark came to pick me up at work with a mocha he had made himself with our espresso machine and some powdered hot chocolate mix. It was sweet. Literally and figuratively.

2. The Aviator. This is the movie that John-Mark and I started watching on Sunday. We saw a bit more on Tuesday, and some more on Wednesday. We are still not finished. Not for lack of interest, because it is a pretty good movie, and interesting, but things have just been interrupting, and stuff like that. Its like the unending movie. If you see this movie, try to see it all at once. We went to bed right after an “intense” part – according to J-M (boring according to me, but what do I know) and then he was all wound up and squirmy because of it and he couldn’t sleep. So if you watch a movie before bed, finish it.

3. Cinnamon buns. I have found the most fantastic recipe ever. So I spent a total of 4.5 hours yesterday making 2 batches. I gave 6 away to a co-worker who just had a baby – we put a basket together for her. The rest will either get eaten or frozen. So if you are craving cinnamon buns, don’t buy one – come over and I will give you one.

4. John-Mark and I both got new glasses a couple of weeks ago. We found out that he kept getting headaches from his old ones because the lenses were out in backwards all along. Doy. Anyways, our new glasses are pretty snazzy. I went to silver frames – with thicker arms that kind of look upside down. The ear pieces are bright blue. I love them. John-Mark’s glasses are the kind where the bottom has an invisible frame. They are brown, and they look fantastic.

So there you have it. 4 interesting stories.

…and I really do want to blog more, time just goes so fast sometimes!

Mechanic.

Yesterday, something happened to Wilfred. He got a GIANT screw/ bolt stuck in his left rear tire. It happened on my way to work. Luckily, it held air until I got home later that day, and then... I changed his tire! I had never done this before, but John-Mark assured me that this is a valuable skill to have, so he taught me how to do it. And I did it. Check ME out. Maybe I should be a mechanic for a living.... ok, maybe not. Anyways, we are taking the tire in this morning, to see if it can be fixed, or if we have to buy a couple of new tires. I am personally hoping for the former, but only because I hadnt wanted to spend more money on him. Oh well, we will see.

Today at Dinner...

Today at dinner, my husband spilled milk on the table. Then, he took a penne noodle, licked off the sauce, and used it as a straw to suck up the spilled milk. He ate the noodle, leaned back, and said "All Clean!".

Oh, boy.

PS - we watched the movie RV the other night, and it was pretty good.

I am married!?

.I have to admit, it is kind of nice only having one job and not planing a wedding... I have... SPARE TIME!? What is that? I come home from work, and we make dinner, eat dinner and do the dishes, and then, well, I can do whatever. For the most part, at least. I picked up my long forgotten crochet project, checked a couple of Margaret Atwood books out of the library, and have even watched a couple of movies. It is more than kind of nice. Its really nice actually.

I have also been having fun with our new assortment of kitchen goodies and appliances. For instance, we had heart-shaped waffles (like grandma used to make) this morning, and we made our own lattes this evening (which were pretty good, especially for a first attempt.) Next week: ice cream maker? Who knows. I might just go kitchen crazy.

Something else exciting happened to me this week: our landlord came downstairs the other day with a plate full of samosas for us! And they were FANTASTIC! Likely the best samosas I have ever eaten. If you would like one, there is one left in the fridge. First come, first serve, though, just so you know.

I think it is time to end this random ramble of married life, and go to bed... I am SLEEEEEPY!

Hosed by Telus

We got hosed by a Telus salesman named Stacey.
Long story short.... we were there for an hour and a half, and we walked out paying more than we wanted to for a plan that we didnt want....

... we do have a free fancy, shiny phone though....

Advise

Jen and Colin got married this weekend! I had to throw that in, cause they just got married, and I am not posting about it.

The story I am about to tell happened after the wedding. A bunch of us (like 12) decided to go for coffee at Ethical Addictions. So, we were having coffee, and then I had to use the bathroom. So I did. When I was done, I came out of the bathroom, and spoke to friend who was going into the bathroom. Then, I turned around to put the key away on the counter, and all of a sudden, I hear "Cassy!". I turn around, and there are 3 people staring and pointing at me. I dont understand what the big deal is, until I reach back to smooth my skirt, only to find that it is tucked into my RED underwear. How embarassing. Of course, everyone laughed their faces off (including me) and we were so loud that Im sure the whole place knew exactly what was going on. So my advise to you is if you wear a skirt, and you have to pee, make sure you are very careful when leaving the privacy of the bathroom stall.

Yes, Celia.

Celia said I have to post, and that I have some things to say. Im not 100% sure what she is referring to, but I can tell you that I am super excited that I dont have to work today. Thats right. Theres a bunch of people at the office right now wearing nice clothes (well, jeans, it IS Friday) and working, and here I am, sitting on my couch wearing pjs and blogging.

Things at work have been interesting lately. Bryana, who does our broadcast editing and production is leaving in 1 week, so we had been looking for someone to replace her. As it turns out, one of the LSRs (Listner Service Representatives) is moving upstairs to take over Bry's work, and instead of trying to find a new LSR very fast, we've decided that I would move downstairs and become an LSR. This is good for me for a few reasons:
1. I was covering a maternity leave, and the lady I was covering for is likely to return to work in May. Now, I am still covering another mat leave, but she is less likely to return to work, so I am more likely to have a more permanent job.
2. I'm pretty sure that everyone knew that I was bored upstairs; there wasn't enough work to warrant a full-time position. Now I will be busy and will feel like I am at least contributing something.
3. I have been learning some of the bookkeeping, and I will continue to do that. My new position will help me to see more of that side of the ministry as well. Also, I will be physically closer to the guy who I am learning bookkeeping from.

So there you have it. I officially move out of my office on Monday, and one of the other girls will move in, and take over some of the stuff I was doing before. I think I will be happier downstairs, I hate being bored at work, and this way, I am not shoved into an office all by myself. There is much more opportunity to work more directly with people and to be social. AND I get to use the folding and envelope-sealing machines. Fancy.

Celia, I hope this is what you were looking for.

Oh! AND John-Mark comes home in a week! Woohoo! We havent seen each other since April!

Every Sunday evening

Every Sunday evening since I started to work at IFL has been the same. I go to bed at my usual 10 o'clock bedtime (I wake up at 6), and find myself completely unable to sleep. Take tonight, for instance. (I know its Monday.... but I had today off, so it it still the same) It is almost 11, and I know that I am going to be tired tomorrow, because I wont get a full nights sleep, and yet, here I am.... forcing myself to drink tea so that I will get sleepy and go to bed. I am fairly certain that the reason for this is that I am able to sleep in on the weekend (all the way until 9 this morning), and then I am not as tired at 10 on Sunday evening. Its a curse. What am I supposed to do? Not sleep in? Certainly not! Oh well, I suppose that is what coffee will be for tomorrow..... if I can get any of that stuff at work they call coffee down. Oh man, I AM a coffee snob!

Counting, counting.....

53 Sleeps until my wedding!
24 Sleeps until John-Mark comes back!
18 sleeps until I never have to be a creepy church custodian again!

Why am I posting right now?

Why am I posting right now? Well, I think the main reason is that its 6:54am, and I am avoiding getting dresed, because I am very comfy here in my PJs under a blanket drinking coffee. Even if itd kind of bad coffee. So I have to leave for work in 25 minutes. Whatever. I'll get there. I even know what I am going to wear already, which is the biggest decision for me when I am groggy. I try to avoid looking like I got dressed in my sleep. Even if thats the truth.
Yesterday I got out of bed and had a shower right away. I dont think I have ever had a shower first thing like that. In highschool I would watch the weather channel for 20 minutes every morning, and nowadays, I goof around on the computer for a while. When I was away at school, lets face it, I didnt shower much. And when I did, it was in the afternoon. Usually during workduties...
Okay, time to get ready for work.... I suppose I should look half presentable....

Did you hear the one about the blonde and the helium balloons?

Okay, here is a story that once again proves that I am completely entitled to my naturally blonde hair:
Picture a beautiful Saturday in June. Beautiful and sunny, and very warm... like, 27 I think. I am at Camp Luther, volunteering at the Walk-Bike-Canoe-a-thon. My job is to sit in the middle of nowhere with a sign, some water, a clipboard, and some helium balloons, and to mark down people's time when the ride/run by me. So, just before the a-thon starts, I load up my car with all the necessary supplies: water, the sign, a chair, a blanket, a good book, balloons, and I am good to go. I drive to my spot in the middle of nowhere, and set up camp. I stop and take a quick glance at my new hangout, and I realise that there is something missing. My beautiful yellow balloons! So, I go to my car to retreive them. BUT, they are gone! I can't believe it! I havent left my car at all since I loaded up... who could have taken my balloons? Frusterated, I sit down and start to read my book. Then, all of a sudden, it dawns on me. I can't believe it. When I got into my car to drive to my station, I was so warm that, naturally, I opened my sunroof! Oops, shouldn't have done that! The balloons had flown out of my roof as I drove, and I didnt even notice! (Or think before I opened a hole in my roof while transporting gravity-defying items) Silly Cassy.

No class.

One day, one of the girls at work brought in a basket of treats for the staff as a thank you for the baby shower we threw her. Included in the basket was some Ghiradelli hot chocolate mix. Sounds good. Sounds really good. Unfortunately, from my experience, it has proven to be the sickest hot chocolate ever. First, I followed directions, and put 4 scoops into my mug. I found that that was like drinking warm, sweet mud. This morning, I decided to try it again, putting only 3 conservative scoops into my cup. Still sick. I left it at my desk over lunch, and when I went to pour it out, there was a thick, brown sludge on the bottom of my cup still. So, I have concluded that if I keep putting less and less of the mix into my cup, I will eventually find the perfect blend, and will be able to thoroughly enjoy the most amazing cup of hot chocolate ever created.

…unfortunately, 2 scoops didn’t work out so well either. Oh well.

…maybe I just lack sufficient class to enjoy such a beverage. Maybe I should just go back to the good old fashioned cup of coffee. Yeah. That’s a great idea. Coffee.

zzzzzzzzz.........zzzzzzzzzzz

I feel as though I have a lot to blog about, but at the same time, I dont know wld write abhat to write.
I could write about my new job, it is going well, I think. There is / has been a lot to learn, but I am learning!
I could write about my crazy neighbour who mows the lawn at ten at night... in the dark.
I could write about my insane 55 hour work week (58.5 if you count unpaid lunches and my tutoring gig)
I could write about my new little sister who I met on Tuesday. I get to hang out with her every week. How exciting.
I could write about how its nine thirty on a friday night, and I am already thinking about going to bed....
I could write......
zzzzzzzzzzzzz..........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Oh Mi Gato! Mi Mayo is Sinking!!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Cinco de Mayo. In case you weren't aware, this is an opportunity to celebrate and be thankful for the seemingly unending supply of Mayonnaise we have in North America. This was not always so. Please take a moment today and remember all the mayonnaise that was lost on the Titanic.

Done.

I am done two things
1. I am done at ABC. Mostly. I am making a guest appearance on Mother's Day, but aside from that, I am done.
2. I am done the wedding inviatations. Mostly. I just have to mail the American ones. And the norwegian one, but aside from that, I am done.

Yay for me! Just in time to start my new job. Tomorrow!

This is for you.....

I met a one day old baby named Graysen today. I sure hope her parents keep her far, far away from hashbrowns and ketchup-soaked buns. And marbles.

I really dont like mini golf.

I would like to share a bit about the weekend I had. It was exactly the definition of bittersweet, I think. I booked Saturday off work, and I spent three excellent days with John-Mark completely uninterrupted by work or school. We moved all of his things to my place, scrubbed down his old place, discovered a new park to go for walks in, we shopped for and bought our wedding bands, went for a nice dinner, bought some interesting clearance books, changed our wiper blades, checked our tire pressure, changed the oil and the engine coolant in the van, and just hung out. It was excellent. The bitter part came on Monday morning, because John-Mark drove home to Alberta until the end-ish of July. I have been feeling pretty alone here all by myself, but I have certainly been blessed with good phone calls from good friends and a very enjoyable time with the girls this evening. On Monday I begin my new job, which also means working 55 hours a week between that and the church. 56 if you count that I will also be tutoring a 4th grade boy starting next week. But my weekends will be free, so if you need someone to hang out with..... I am a little lonely and desperate. I may even feel like mini golf. But maybe not.

Sad

Well, the 2007 Roll Up The Rim season is pretty much over... this year, I finished with a dissapointing 0 for 17. That brings my two year total to 0 for 50. Tim Hortons owes me a car. Or a TV or $1000. Heck, Id even take an ipod. A doughnut? Coffee? Something? Oh. Theres always next year, I suppose.

Career Woman.

I have a new job! Its pretty much the most perfect job I could ever ask for. In two weeks, I will start work for Insight For Living Ministries here in Abbotsford. I will be their bookkeeper, as well as a listener services person (answering phones, essentially) I dont have any formal training or experience as a bookkeeper, so I have to learn, but I am very excited to do so. Also, this place is an 8 minute drive from my new place, and its a salaried position, complete with a very nice benefits package and 2 weeks of vacation. Plus one day off for my birthday. Woohoo. I am very happy, as this is an ideal job for me, and because this is something that will work very well for us once we are married, with John-Mark being a student and all. How exciting. Oh, and it also means that I will ALWAYS have weekends off, which will be so nice! Oh, I am just beside myself, so I am going to end this post before it becomes too much of a ramble.

Ode to the self checkout

Last year, the Mission Superstore was renovated and an addition was built. In doing this they also added a thing that I had only seen once before, in an american Wal-Mart. What did they add? Self checkouts. Thats right. The very things that Troy and I had tried to use one day at that Wal-Mart. The time we had to call for assistance three times between the two of us. The time we swore we would never use self checkouts again. Well, now that I live in Abbotsford, I generally shop at the Abbotsford Superstore, and I realised today, while waiting in line to purchase 4 items, that I really, really miss the self checkouts in mission. Because I have used them. On numerous occasions. And I like them. I think Abbotsford should get some.
Im sorry, Troy.

How embarassing for myself!

"Are they sore from turning the wheel while trying to park Wilfred? From pouring water? Lifting those buffet trays? Doing intensive origami? The Tae-bo 8 minute workout? Trying to pull open a door that said push? I want to know! "

This is the list of guesses that Ashley guessed about why my arms were sore for 4 while days. I think theya re pretty good guesses, but they are all incorrect. I didnt want to say why my arms were sore because it is very embarassing. But, I suppose I will tell you. Its all about a good story, right?

Here I was, Tuesday night, all alone in my new house. I was bored. I was thinking too mauch about my wedding, and I decided that it would be a really good idea to getmy arms in better shape for my wedding dress. So what did I do? Pushups. I dont how many I did, but it was obviously too many. Oh yeah, and they were girl pushups. So, I was feeling kind of proud of myself, and I eventually went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I realised my mistake: I am obviously not meant for any sort of physical exertion. I could hardly move my arms. It hurt to wash my hair in the shower. It hurt to get dressed. I was unable to hang my purse on my shoulder; I couldnt reach up that high. This went on until Saturday. It was really bad, and then all of a sudden, I woke up and felt fine. Bizarre. I dont know if my muscles suddenly came out of shock, or if it was the not-legal-for-sale-in-Canada drugs that John-Mark gave me. (Aleve... from America... dont worry... no narcotics or anything) I have since decided that my arms will look fine in my dress. No more pushups required.

Thats it, Ashley, I hope you are satisfied.

Sick

Today I made myself a really sick chicken salad forr dinner. I dont know how one makes such a yucky SALAD, but I somehow managed it. The worst part is that I am full. Of sick salad.

I am all moved in! Well... except for my second bedroom, which I will omit from this post because all I have in there right now is a set of wire cubes and some boxes. When John-Mark goes home for the summer, his desk and bed will go in there. But, for now, I will share pictures of therest of my place, bacause I know you are as eager to see them as I am to share them. Right? Humour me, ok?

Pleas excuse my unorthodox picture-placing. Its hard, ok? These first three pictures are of my living room/ dining room/ kitchen. They are all open and kind of connected. The next three are of my bedroom... ( I have a new big girl bed ), and the last two are my bathroom. John-Mark said that if Ihad to have one room with a lime green theme, it could be the bathroom. I am okay with that.

Things I inhereted from the guy who used to live in my new place:

1. A mop and a bucket
2. Three partially used boxes of kleenex
3. A bag of old newspapers
4. A strange, soap/shampoo/conditioner dispenser for in the shower
5. An unopened bottle of iced tea

Oh, and on a side note... I found out that I have central vac. Excellent! I also found out that the power head that I get to use is the same one found on the church's old vacumn. The one that haunted me and broke eight hundred times.... Drats! At least I know how to fix it if it ever breaks.....

Time to hit the road

Well, I am officially living out of a suitcase in my own home. You might find this confusing. I find it strange. And exciting. I have put the things that I will need for the next few days in a suitcase, and am now in the process of packing up the rest of my stuff. Soon, I will have my own house! That means that if you are ever in Abbotsford, you have to come and visit me. Okay? Okay. I was a little concerned a couple weeks ago, because I had nothing to sit on or at, and very little kitchen supplies, towels, etc... but in the past week, I have received two dressers and a table and chairs from a couple of ladies I work with, John-Mark bought us a futon for only $16, and I had a surprise bridal shower at work on Sunday, which was a huge blessing and great timing! So now I have places for my clothes to go in, for my butt to sit on, and some things for my house that will really help! How exciting. I cannot wait to set everything up... and I am so excited for my new bathroom.....

Oh well

Ive tried to post about an embarassing story twice now, but the computer has
1. Shut itself down,
and
2. Hates me and deleted my entire story

So Ill post it later. But its a gooder.... worth typing out a third time... tomorrow.

I found my lost post!

The other day I was in Abbotsford, looking to buy new work shoes. The plan was for me to pick John-Mark up at work, and then we would hang out. Somehow, I arrived at his work 20 minutes before the end of his shift. Great. So I thought to myself "Ill be an amazing person and bring him ice cream." (keeping in mind that my fiancee eats large quantities of ice cream on a daily basis). Immediately after this thought, I thought, "where the heck am I?" You see, I knew how to get to and from John-Mark's work, but I really had no idea where it was in relation to the rest of the world. I figured it wouldnt be hard to find somewhere that had ice cream.... a gas station, DQ, something! So, following my instincts, and my natural good sense of direction, I turned left, and hoped to find something soon. I ended up driving down a long twisty road. Ten minutes later, I thought that Id better turn around, because I obviously was not getting anywhere. Then, I saw something I recognised. It was Castle Fun Park! I knew there was a Mc Donalds not too far off, and so I went for it: the drive through. I drove up, and past the menu, and all of a sudden, I was almost at the window! I missed the box that talks to you. Oops. So, I put Wilfred into reverse, and kept my eyes peeled. No box. Weird. Then, I see a sign. On the window. A sign I wished Id seen 30 seconds earlier. Please Order and Pay at Window. Oh. Great. So, I pull up to the window, and theres this guy there, and hes trying not to laugh at me. I tried to explain myself, but that didnt work, so I just quickly ordered a Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry, and gave him my money. Then, he closed the window. I dont know what was wrong with me then. Obviously theres another window on the other side of the building. But I sit there for a second, because I was confused, and I wanted the ice cream I just paid for. Then the guy opens the window, and tells me to drive forward to pick up the ice cream. "uhh... yeah... ,of course...... uh...." I say. What a dork I am. Oh well. So I got the ice cream and drove down the twisty road again and arrived just as my ice cream loving man got off work. At least he appreciated it. Apparantly he was just thinking that an ice cream would be nice. Shocker.

What a good day!

John-Mark and I had our engagement pictures taken today. It was just a short session, mostly to get to know the photographer, and for her to get to know us before she does our wedding. But it was pretty fun. The best part was that her camera was almost the same as mine, except digital. I approve.
Oh! And I went and dropped off a resume at a certain place today, and they called me 45 minutes later to schedule an interview! Hooray!

Lime, Emerald, and Sage

Tomorrow is one of my favourite holidays. St. Patrick's Day!!
Except for the leprechauns. And the beer. And the shamrocks.
To be completely honest, the only reason that I like St. Patrick's Day so much is because it gives me the permission to wear a ridiculous quantity of the colour green. And, I can do so without shame or mockery. I love it. This year, I have to work, which is okay. I can wear 3 or 4 shades of green to work, no problem. OOh! And my car is even green. Which is good, because I dont want anyone to hit Wilfred and give him a dent or scratch.
Anyways, I hope all of you enjoy tomorrow, and please, please, make me proud.

Im moving. Soon.

Guess who has their own place? Me! Hooray!
Its so exciting. Ill post pictures when the guy who lives there now moves out... but Im moving in the beginning of April. It a really nice basement suite... in the ritzy area of abbotsford. I (we... in august) have my own bay window, BIG (for a suite) bathroom, and 2... yes, 2 bedrooms. Which means that John-Mark will have somewhere to study. And it means Ill have lots of room for visitors. Hint Hint. Im really excited. Things are going to be tight the way things are right now... but if I land a full time job, then I should be just fine. Heres hoping!

Nutshell

Okay, well, its been a full week since I last posted... so Id better get on it, I think.
Whats going on in my life right now?

1. Apartment hunting. Thats right. Im moving out on my own. To Abbotsford. The idea is for me to move out before John-Mark is done school, so that he can leave most of his stuff at my place when he goes home for the summer. Then, he'll move in with me when we are married. We found an amazing place, and we're just waiting to hear back from the guy. Im hoping that everything works out... its amazing. Ill post about it when we get it. If we do. But I hope we do.

2. Job hunting. Yup. I guess living on my own is going to cost more than living at home. I dont feel I can trust my boss at the restaraunt to give me enough hours on a consistent basis. So, Im looking for something full time, preferrably in Abbotsford. And I think once I get said job, I will try to keep my job at the church, and see how that'll work out. No guarantees there.

3. Wedding planning. Not always as fun as one would think. But it is fun. I looked at 50+ photography websites, called a few of them, apparently August 18th is a popular date. I finally found one thats going to work for the date, and for my budget. I have a caterer, a dress, a florist, and materials for invitations. I think Im doing not too badly so far.

So thats pretty much my life in a nutshell right now. Im really hoping and praying that everything is going to work out as far as apartments and employment. Those are the big things on my mind right now. You should see that place though... really... its amazing.

Dislike...

Have I mentioned how much I dislike the food service industry sometimes!?
I need a new job.
Anyone out there want to hire me?

Im ready

Yesterday officially began Tim Horton's 2007 Roll up the Rim season. Yesterday was a day full of hope and anticipation. I have great expectations for this Roll up the Rim season, as last year was quite dissapointing. I finished the season with a win ratio of 0 for 33. I will do better this year. I anticipate my total coffee count to be much lower this time around, but my wins count will be off the chart. Trust me. The odds of winning are 1 in 9. I have to catch up after last year.
Roll up the Rim count thus far: 0 for 2.

Oh what a week!

Well, what a week I just had! John-Mark and I had friends from CLBI/ Edmonton come and visit for the week. It was a lot of fun! Chris and Lindsay came late Sunday night, and left on Friday morning. We made it out to Vancouver and Harrison, as well as spending time at such grand places as Grab-a-Java, and Sevenoaks mall. We stayed up late, got up early, and I dont know about anyone else, but I was TIRED! (actually, Im pretty sure John-Mark was worn out too, by the end of it all). I went to bed at 9:30 last night, after working all day, and I found it rather difficult to get up this morning when my alarm sounded at 8:45. So, I got up at 9:30 instead. Anyways, I should probably think about getting dressed and ready for church, seeing as though I have to elave in fifteen minutes. Oh what a morning!

I'm Gettin' Hitched...Yeehaw

Okay, but seriously, John-Mark asked me to marry him, and I said yes.

It was Saturday at 2pm. I got off work, and walked to my car, to find that there was man in my car. I was a little bit alarmed, but then, I noticed that it was a familiar man. It was John-Mark. He drove me to a creek that we had been to once before. It is also a place that I used to go to with my dad when I was a little girl. We took a blanket and sat down to do a crossword that he had printed off of the internet. This is fairly normal, as we routinely do crosswords together. As it turns out, he had doctored the crossword to contain certain advantageous words. At the bottom of the page, there was a fill in the blank kind of like, 32A + 12D + 25D... and it spelled out the words "will ewe merry me Cassy" (Cassy was the most suspicious answer in the puzzle). And the rest, well, is history. We are thinking that we will get married in August, likely on the 18th.

So thats my good story of the weekend.

Sam and Jen are right. apparently I do have good hearing...

You are a dog

Or maybe you are a mosquito, you certainly can't be human. The highest pitched ultrasonic mosquito ringtone that I can hear is 21.1kHz

Find out which ringtones you can hear!

Dead ant tag?

Okay, so, Ive been tagged, and since I really have nothing better to do (except maybe go to bed), I figure Ill give it a shot. Here are 5 random things about me.

1. Im not sure how it all came about, but one day a few years ago, Celia called me creepy, and that idea just kind of snowballed. Since then I have accumulated many simalar nicknames from a variety of people, such as, but not limited to, little creepy, creep, the creepiest, and creepsack. I think creepsack is my favourite. To defend myself, I am not actually creepy.

2. I am afraid of raccoons. To the point where if I see one, I am known to run inside, shut the door, and jump in my bed, conciously aware of every creak, squeak, and noise that could be the raccoon coming to attack me.

3. I love getting my hair cut, but I have never had short hair. I guess I just restrain myself.

4. TVs that have the sound turned all the way down creep me out. I can even tell if there is a TV on with no sound in the next room without even having to see it. The creepiness seeps through the walls. Hey, theres a good new nickname, Her Creepiness. It has a certain royal air to it... feel free to use it as much as you want.

5. When I was a kid, I hated all "kid foods". I didnt like hamburgers, hotdogs, french fries, macaroni, or whipped cream. When we went out to eat, my mom would order me a side of mushrooms. I also enjoyed liver, brussel sprouts, and other such typically yucky things that I now dislike. Go figure.

So there it is, now I am going to tag Troy, and Sarah Walsh.

Bento Kronen

Likely the funniest commercial ever created.0

Retraction

I am writing a retraction upon being informed that my previous post had left out important details. I have been told (and now remember) the actual course of events while in the car wash. First, I drove too far forward with my window open and got sprayed. Then, I reversed, and got sprayed again before finally closing my window and turning off my engine. I apologise for my previous error.

Checkmark!

Today was a big day. A really big day, even. I acomplished a life goal. This one has been on my list for quite a few years. I am going to document the entire event, because it was quite incredible, really. I went through a car wash. The automatic kind. It was exciting. This is how it happened. First, John-Mark and I went to a gas station with a car wash, but it didnt work. So, we went to a different one. I went in to the store and paid $5 for a little token. Then, I drove Wilfred up to the coin slot, opened my window, and put the coin in. The light turned green, so I drove up to the line/bar thingy, and drove right over it. Oops. So I reversed a little. As I was doing this, water came pouring in through my still half-open window, getting my lap rather soggy, and causing my amused co-pilot to laugh at me. So I closed my window, got into position, and the car wash went to work. It was thrilling and invigorating. It feels so good to cross a life goal off of the list. And in the end? Wilfred is clean, waxed, and shiny, and I have since dried.

I have also concluded that, as far as non-fat vanilla lattes go, Grab-a-Java makes much better ones than Starbucks.

A bit of a rant. Okay. A full out rant.

10 things I didslike about working in the food service industry:

-people who lie and connive to get discounts that they dont qualify for.
-people who try and get away without paying for their caesars.
-people who treat you like an idiot when you are working hard and running around all over the place to accomodate them.
-people who are regulars and dont think they need to leave a tip, and end up COSTING their server for their meal. Every week.
-Groups of 15 who come in and expect to be seated right away on the busiest night of the week. Sorry, youre going to have to wait. Or make a reservation next time.
-Imagine a table of four. They are all half way through their meal. They all want water. They all tell you at different times, so that you have to run back and forth to the bar 4 times. 5 times if the first person is finished and wants more by then.
-Grownups who leave their table looking as though a tornado hit it. Its different when there are children.
-People who think its fun to emply the creamers and sugars and leave them scattered all over the table for me to sort through.
-Opening a creamer and leaving it sitting unspilt, upside down on the table so that it spills everywhere when picked up.
-Despite the common belief, I ony have two arms, they are only so long, I can only walk so fast without running, and there is a big lineup of other people that I have to help.

Whew. That felt kind of nice. Boy do I love my job sometimes.

Wilfred

This is my new car. His name is Wilfred. Wilfred was born in 1995 to the Achieva family, which originated in the country of Oldsmoblie. He is green in colour.
















This is a picture of Wilfred's spoiler. He has a spoiler, because he considers himself to be pretty "sporty". Im not so sure.




















Wilfred also has a very nice sunroof, which will be put to very good use come summertime.
















Although he is a very manly old-man car, he likes to smell pretty, and sports a nice, yellow, jasmine-scented tree in his windshield. The two of us are fast becoming very good friends. Wilfred kind of likes John-Mark, but is a little upset because John-Mark dropped Wilfred's keyless entry thingy under on of his seats, and it has yet to be retrieved. Im sure that my two favourite men will soon reconcile, and realise how much they have in common.

...Thanks for humouring me... you know how I like to give my priciest inanimate objects names... I figured Wilfred was a nice, old-man name for a nice, old man car. These pictures were taken in the parking garage at my condo... hence the terrible lighting and nice view of pipes through the sunroof... oh well, I didnt want to pull over on the side of the road and snap a few shots like a weirdo, so, this is the best I can do for now. Today I took my car to my aunt's house to vacumn and windex everything, because I bought it very dirty. I found lots of wrappers and receipts, old/new fuses and a screwdriver under the seats, and lots of, well, dirt. But now its mostly clean. Except for the outside. Oh well. So yeah, thats it. I bought a car, and I have my own insurance and my own license plates and everything!

N

Oh yeah... and I bought a car today.

N

Watch out for the latest road hazard in the Mission/Abbotsford area. I passed my road test.

Do you smell something?

Yesterday, I worked my regular 4-8 shift at the restaraunt. Except I started at three, because my boss is in Mexico. Afternoons are always pretty dead, so it was just myself, and 1 server, Karol, on the floor, and 2 ladies in the kitchen, cooking and getting ready for our Wednesday night buffet. I had just sat a table of three, and was in the galley preparing their tea, when Karol came in with a concerned look on her face, and told me that she smelled gas at the front desk. I had just been there and hadnt smelled anything, but when I went to double check, I had to agree with her. There was a strong odor seemingly coming from the vent above the till. Not good. It had to be the week that John was in Mexico. So, we called the air conditioning guy who had been tehre earlier that day. He said he didnt think it was the heating, and that he couldnt come look at it. At this time, the smell is getting worse, and is spreading farther into the restaraunt. Karol and I have developed headaches, and customers are starting to notice and mention it to us. So we call one of the ladies who is kind of in charge and who is coming in later that night, and tell her whats going on. We really dont know what to do. One of the kitchen ladies, CD, suggested a 1 800 number to call when you smelled gas, but couldnt remember the rest of the number. Thanks. We ended up calling the fire department, because we were really concerned and didnt know what to do. They arrived shortly with lights and sirens, and came in, alarming some very confused and concerned customers. They also sent a ladder truck. WHY!!? So the firemen (No, Sam, they were not hot) looked around, checked the attic (we have an attic?) and the roof, and suggested that maybe it was because the gas station at the other end of the parking lot had gotten gas 4 days earlier. Right. And this is the first time that gas station has ever gotten gas? Anyways, they didnt seem to concerned about it, and left. We carried on and had a rather crazy, very busy evening. The smell eventually dissapeared. Strange, hey? My best guess is that the three people I had sat had somehow spilt gasoline all over themselves before coming in. And if that is true they must have heard us talking about it, and didnt say anything to us because they wanted some drama and a light show during their dinner?? I suppose Ill never really know what happened, but it sure made for an interesting evening, and (hopefully) a good story. Good night!

Hands in my pocket

Yeah Toast!

Frozen nostrils and giant frozen dreadlocks

Well, I have returned from our country's northernmost provincial capitol safely, and without too much freezer burn. I had a really great weekend in Edmonton with Jen... I think the best part is that they surprised me with Jen not even being in the hospital anymore! She had been let out 2 weeks early and no one told me... Colin is a great liar by the way... or maybe Im just really gullible... On Friday I hung out with John-Mark's family for dinner and such. I met Chris (his brother) at a train station, which meant I got to figure out the LRT system by myself, and only got the meeting time wrong by 1 hour. Needless to say, I was thoroughly frozen after 45 minutes of waiting outside. Chris took me to Stony Plain and we had dinner and then he took me back to the apartment that Jens parents rented. Its really close to the hospital and right on Whyte Ave. Jen had gome to bed as soon as I left for the LRT because she wasnt feeling well from her visit to the hospital. BUT, in the morning, she was feeling really good, and we had a fabulous day together. I learned how to play crib (And I won) and we played Monopoly (I lost.. but I had a fighting chance for a while... and it was the first game of monopoly that I had ever finished!). I made tacos for lunch, and we got dressed around 2pm. It was great. I left fairly early yesterday morning, but I had a great weekend. It was really good to be able to spend time with my bestest friend.

No respect

Despite common belief and practise, when one opens a cupboard and is attacked by a huge heavy pot and, as a result, suffers extreme pain in one's left middle toe, do not laugh. Even if the victim runs and hops around the house and yells and whimpers. It is not funny. Make an extra effort not to laugh if the accident was indeed your fault. Some people just have no respect.

PS My mom is currently on the phone with my aunt, and she has been talking about corn syrup for at least 6 minutes. Some people have no respect AND no life. Ha!