Tuesday, January 27, 2004



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Sunday, January 25, 2004

Invigorated!!!!

Actually managed to get out for a walk today. It's the first day in ages that the wind hasn't blasted me as soon as I opened the door. Still a tad cold, as evidenced by my pink cheeks but felt good to get out there and let the fresh air clear away the cobwebs. Managed about 40 minutes - twice round the outside of the apartment complex and then looping in and out cos I wasn't quite cold enough! Wasn't exactly rushing but stomping along in the snow was enough to get the heart pumping (nicely) and my back survived...didn't want to overdo things but it stood up well to the challenge! Neighbours probably thought I was mad...certainly if anyone had been watching me they must have wondered about the mad Englishwoman walking round and round but who cares. I am so sick of being stuck indoors or running from heating building to car to next heated building. Definitely needed this...and wanted to make the most of it while there was no snow falling or ridiculous windchill!!!!! Mmmmmmmm :-)




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Saturday, January 24, 2004

Tacky!

The Fred's party this month broke from tradition and became, intentionally, an evening of tackiness! Luckily after the first few tacky dance songs, normality was quickly restored. Unfortunately, being of small brain, I didn't eat before I went and only tacky food (read chips, twinkies and other junk) was provided....if I'd thought about it, I would have realised and fed myself. So I'm still hungry!!!!

We were asked to bring an "old, useless or worthless" wrapped gift to exchange. Michael sat on my lap and said he would be my present....and then got miffed when I commented on what more useless gift could I get. Note...he's the cute guy that I would certainly be happy to put in my bag and bring home!!!! Then I suggested that, if he were indeed my gift, I should be allowed to unwrap him.....at which point he ran off. That's the trouble with younger guys...they scare easily.

I did manage to partially strip him at the end of the evening.....to the amusement of some of the onlookers....it was just the tie, shirt and shorts...which sounds quite a lot until I tell you that he had a sweater on under the shirt and pants on under the shorts. :-( I did try for the sweater as well but was only allowed an inch or two of flesh....very nice flesh as it happens. And the pants wouldn't come off....OK, so I was sitting on the floor at the time and tugging them probably wasn't the most effective way of stripping him!! So, that and a hug and quite a few dances (which he messed up...I think he'd overheated with all those clothes on) were about it for the evening. I am so confused.....no, make that disappointed! Somehow I don't think anything's gonna happen but it always seems like it might....like the getting really close to snogging last time....I mean, he didn't have to come and sit on my lap and offer himself to me, now did he???? I really, really tried to bring him home....Chris said they didn't have any bags big enough so I put my arm in his and headed for the door......nearly made it all the way out but Chris just wouldn't disappear and I sort of felt compelled to let go. Damn, damn, damn!!!!! Maybe I'll have to start stalking him....just appear at the studio as he's finishing up and.....no, stop, bad thoughts.....

Ron was there as well....grubby looking and insisted on showing a picture of him from 12 years ago when he had long permed hair (ha ha ha)....but now he's single again he dances with me. Woooohoooooo! Told me he used to get an earful if he tried to dance with anyone else and he's much happier now. That's nice. Didn't have to keep staring at my boobs though did u? Sure he did that move (twice) just so he could get a better look! Insisted on hanging my jacket up for me and then getting it for me when I was leaving....and trying to get rid of him so I could jump (!) M. He's strange. Not quite worked out what he's all about...although he dances nicely so who cares?

Pat was trying to be nice to me...cos her fellow conspirator wasn't there. At least she didn't ask me about Sharon...guess she's learned not to. She just annoys me now.

Nothing else exciting happened. Danced a lot considering I was planning on just going and lounging around. Should put some heat on my back now before I fall asleep.....night, night....guess I'll dream about my unwrapped present later....mmmmm... ;-) I'll leave you with this thought:

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My Scrabble© Score is: 25.
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Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Ooops

Met my new boss-to-be on Friday. He's based in Vancouver but was over in Buffalo last week so we got together for a couple of hours to talk about life, the universe and everything. I asked him how long he'd been with the Bank and what he'd done before that. Told me a little and then added "I have no real marketing experience but I do have an MBA and I did some marketing courses". My reply "Oh, really? I never did an MBA because I couldn't work out what I'd do with one".

Hmmmmm.........I think I still have a job.

:-)

Saturday, January 17, 2004

Sleepy

It's been a very peculiar day involving lots of sleeping. Slept in this morning...til 8am when I did the usual routine of remembering I was meant to be at the chiro at 9am. Got there and fell asleep on the table. When he'd finished I felt totally exhausted but did my other errands.

Then the mailman turns up with...the mail! LOL He's been really weird this week. Couple of days he's mixed up the mail...I've got the snotty neighbour's mail and she's got mine...wouldn't have been a big deal apart from the fact that she's been away this week so I couldn't get at it. Instead I got a neat little pile of stuff waiting for me this morning when I went down. Today he does something really silly...but first...a description of the mail system here. We had a big metal thing, with 4 compartments (one for each apartment), each of which has a locking door. The whole front pulls away so the postie can place envelopes in each compartment and then swing it closed so only the right person can get at their mail. Gottit? So....today i have a big envelope waiting...which was in the right place...apart from the top half of the envelope is folded over and stuck between my compartment and the next one...with the front door shut....so there's no amount of pulling that can rescue it! I left my little door open and just been down to see that snotty neighbour did the same....pulled and pulled and...finally gave up...looks like junk mail anyway.....

THEN.....I fell asleep for two hours (told u I was tired)....and had a very silly dream. It was about my bedroom...which in the dream is not the same as my bedroom in real life.....there was a corridor in front of the bedroom where a vacuum cleaner was standing. The bed was a mess with blankets and sheets everywhere. I started the vacuum and was using it to hoover the sheets while they were still on the bed (believe me, I don't do this in real life.....I wash them!!!!). The power went out...and then came back on.....so I went over to the clock (on a nightstand to the left of the bed...my "real life" one is to the right) to change the time....not sure if it's relevant but it was either 4:34 or 4:48. Sat on the edge of the bed and saw a bookcase....2 shelves, 2 columns. In it was a glass vase and two painted vases (white with purple flowers...which looked like vases I used to have...but can't remember what happened to them)...they were lying on the shelves and had kitchen utensils poking from the tops.....and then I woke up.....

Now I'm discussing my plans for the evening with a guy who clearly wants an invite over but probably isn't getting one....even if the sex fairy indicated to the contrary.


Thursday, January 15, 2004

Tis Cold Out!

Ran out this morning cos apparently it's gonna get really cold later...was listening to the school closings this morning and, for some perverse reason, decided to count them as they read them out (I was in bed, half asleep...blaming it on that)....got to 100 and then lost count and interest! Done the post office, supermarket and pharmacy so think that's probably me sorted for the next few days.... :-) now I can hibernate again!

My paperwork should be at Immigration today....just waiting now to see what they say. And checked out flights, in case I gotta go to London. I thought January was meant to be cheap???? Best deal I could find was about $300...which I suppose isn't that bad really. Still looking though. And I gotta find out if the US Embassy in London does expedited processing...they used to but they've changed their web site and it's particularly unhelpful now....maybe I should call?

Back's feeling a bit weird. Better sitting than I have been but have this sort of burning sensation in the top of my left thigh. Not sure if that's from the injection or nerve pain....very irritating. Particularly bad when I lie on my right side (the side I sleep on).....still feeling woozy a little....can't believe this is still from Tuesday, but maybe it is? Right now just want to go back to bed again...is that pathetic or wot???????

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Zzzzzz

Neurosurgeon gave me a shot of depo-medrol earlier. It's a steroid, meant to help reduce the inflammation and help sort out my sciatic nerve. He showed me the herniated disk on the MRI film...there's also some white on the surrounding vertebrae, damage from the last accident. But he thinks there's no problem proving the disk issue is a result of the car accident...even said he could testify to that in court....so now I have to work out if I want to sue...????

I wasn't expecting needles today but I turned up and the receptionist said "take a seat in there and he'll move you into the other room when he's ready to give you the injection"...which was a bit of a warning sign!!! Not good with needles...the thought of them makes me sweat and today was no exception. You'd better lie down as I don't have any lollipops to give you! LOL As always, it wasn't that bad but that didnt help. Told me to come home and lie on my side for a few hours to help the stuff settle. So there I've been all day. Feel very woozy...think I'm going back to the floor to sleep....no yoga for me tonight!

Sunday, January 11, 2004

Pathetic

Tasty (Pan de muerto from the Celebrates cookbook)



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Friday, January 09, 2004

I have the worst luck

Why can't things just go along being nice and boring...I don't need drama. Today's saga: car battery dead. Got up this morning, washed my hair, had breakfast....all ready to go downtown for 10am. Went out to clear the snow off the car. Put the key in the ignition. Nothing. Hmmm. That's strange. Usually the car starts first time. Tried again....chugging noise but nothing. Tried a few more times. Checked the manual to see if there was anything I needed to do differently to deal with such cold temps. Nope. Damn damn damn.

Called Subaru Roadside Assistance. Told me someone would be along to jumpstart it in about an hour. 20 minutes later a tow truck appears (already with another car loaded...aparently some guy in Depew bought this car yesterday and it was being towed back today cos it didn't work!!!). Tries jumpstarting....not a thing...other than the alarm going mad (my neighbours love me!). Totally dead, have to tow it....but gotta get rid of this car first cos there's not room for two on the truck!

So off he goes with the other car and I phone up the Service Department to tell them my little baby's coming back to see them. Turns out they've already had 5 cars towed in this morning. Wow, it's cold out there. Tow truck came back about an hour later, hooked up the car...after a little panic when his tow rope stopped moving.....and I had visions of them having to send out another truck. And off it's gone.....and now I'm thawing out again. Only been out there for 15 minutes and my face is bright pink from the wind....brrrrrr.....

Monday, January 05, 2004

Revenge is Sweet!

Sitting here enjoying my nice new Altec Lansing surround sound speakers (my Christmas present to myself). Very cool..once I managed to get all of them to play at the same time (first the rear ones played, then the front ones...then I went to the bank, come home to find none of them would play, rebooted and, hey presto, perfection)!!!! I feel so sorry for the guy downstairs....NOT. Well maybe this will teach him to keep his family quiet when they come to visit. Totally sick of having to turn the tv/radio up to cover the sounds of their voices!!!

Damn Insurance

I went for my IME on December 19th. I got a copy of the report today. Most of it's medical jargon apart from one paragraph that reads:

"Examination reveals a pleasant 22 year old right handed male, reported height 6'0 inches and reported weight of 210lbs."

Errrr....hello...I think not. I'll accept pleasant and right-handed. Might want to be 22 but unfortunately the sands of time say otherwise. And last time I checked I definitely am not male. I'd also like to be 6'0" but I'm not. Nor do I weigh 210 lbs (no, I don't!).

Called the insurance company to point this out. Funny how they didn't manage to spot it when they reviewed the document. Don't know if that's the only mistake in there but I'm sure not accepting the findings until I get a new copy that refers to a "charming 36-year old right-handed female"!!!!!!

And then I complained that there is no way they can restrict me to "one chiropractic visit for the next 12 weeks" from the date of the exam when they didn't bother to call me until Jan 1st and only sent the report to me today. I'll live with one visit from the date of notification but how can they possible think that retroactive action is acceptable?????? The guy said someone "Michelle" had reviewed the report on his behalf (guess she didn't bother to actually read it!) and authorised the last set of payments. He says he'll pay the extra bills for the couple of weeks in question....sometimes men are so much nicer to deal with than women!

Was good to see mention of "the aforementioned degenerative changes.....slows down the healing process". Not good in the sense it means it'll take me longer to get better, just good cos it means someone else is telling the Insurance Co. that I'm not gonna heal overnight!

Bouncy Hair

Got my hair trimmed again at the weekend and it's gone all bouncy again! Took a little less time than the 2 hour marathon previously....probably cos it was a little less time between visits. Just as well cos I was trying really hard to sit still (took painkillers before going just to make sure I'd survive!).

That's it for now. Back to the music..... :-)


Thursday, January 01, 2004

Happy New Year!

So far, 2004 seems pretty uneventful. Guess that's a good thing!

Ended 2003 at a dance. Probably not the best of things to do but the chiro said I should go...possibly cos he knows he'll get more appointments out of me!!!! It was nice. About 30 people there. Party hats and champagne at midnight...and yummy "New Year" cake. Saw a few people I've not seen for a while...including Joe who has stopped dying his hair at long last!!!! All grey and distinguished now. I think he looks much better. I like being out New Year's Eve. Apart from last year (when I was out for a while but had to go home early cos I had flu and felt like shit) I've been out every year since I can't remember. Didn't get any decent snogs (!) but it was nice...good crowd....some of more favourite dancers...i.e. the ones that are pleased to see me and are fairly normal....plus a few people I've never seen before. Tried not to overdo it...actually moving is OK, it's when I stop that "stuff" happens....although I must have worn myself out cos, for the first night in ages, I slept all through the night and didn't wake up at 4am! Plus got some compliments...including one from a guy that I've seen at lots of places but who never asks me to dance. Came up to me to say how good I looked and then admitted that he was scared to ask me to dance cos I was so good! Sometimes people are so funny. Told him not to be so stupid so he said he would ask in future...we shall see....

Happy New Year....let's hope it's better than 2003....just realised earlier this is a Leap Year....mmmmm......interesting....heee heee (wicked thoughts....explain later).....