Monday, July 30, 2007

Countdown

Check out the ticker in the right-hand column... Today marks exactly TWO MONTHS until our wedding day :)

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Sunday, July 29, 2007

Tagged by Erin

1. If you could live ANY one place in the world where would it be and why would you choose that destination?
Ooh, good question. I'm assuming this is a hypothetical. Because I'm really happy living in Winnipeg and I can see myself staying here indefinitely. BUT if I had to choose impractically, I've always loved London and the chaos and culture of that city made me blissfully happy. Lausanne's high on that list as well. Also on the impractical list, I think San Francisco is pretty fun (and AMAZING weather!). More practically, I fell in love with Montreal last summer and could see myself there for longer than just a vacation. Vancouver's great too, minus the rain - for some reason, I had an easier time dealing with the rain in London that I do in Vancouver. Anyway. Who knows what the future holds... But this girl's pretty content where she is.

2. Are you doing what you thought you'd be doing in life and if not, where did you think you'd be or what did you think you'd be doing at this time of your life?
Honestly? I am EXACTLY where I thought I'd be. I mean, my job is different. But I'm at the precise life stage I kind of always wanted to be at. I wanted some years on my own to get to know me and pursue the things that made me happy (once I realized what those things were). And now, I feel like I'm at a place where I really understand Lindsay and I'm able to share all those pieces - good and bad - with someone else. I'm finally at a place where I can enjoy a balanced relationship - no one's trying to 'save' anyone else. We're old enough to know what we're doing, but young enough that we don't need to scramble to start a family right away. If you'd asked me in high school, I'm following my timeline pretty accurately. Funny, the things that work out.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist (for the most part)?
I'd like to think that I'm a realist. I'm an optimist when it comes to others, and a little bit of a pessimist when it comes to myself - but I'm working on that.

4. What would be your dream job?
I'm pretty much doing it. I love meeting new clients and getting to know them and their businesses, collaborating to figure out what makes them great - and then helping them learn to communicate those great things to the right people, in the right way. It's so exciting to me to watch their business turn around, and the confidence they get from having a brand that represents them perfectly. Plus I get to work with a great group of people internally who all have varied and unique areas of specialty, and constantly show me how to see the world in different ways. I've touched on some image consulting in my work so far, and I'd love to have an opportunity to explore that more, and to get even deeper into the consulting part of my job. But all that will come.

5. And a fun one...if you were a paint color what would you be called (you know how paint has lots of fun/weird names)?
Um... Scared of Heights. And it would be a pale, perfect blue - the exact colour of the sky.

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Finding the Centre

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen"
And it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side

And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side

And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
- Mark Hall

This song was good for my heart this weekend, and I'm sharing it with Kathy this week because I know it's one of her special songs too.

It's one of my favourites, because it doesn't minimize the pain of disappointment and confusion and hurt. It doesn't pretend that just having God in your life fixes things and protects you from anything going wrong. It's not the musical equivalent of a Christian who barely knows you tossing a flippant Romans 8.38 your way (you know what I mean). It's a reminder that he hasn't left me and that he is still good.

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Friday, July 27, 2007

105 True Things

1. real name- Lindsay Marie Hildebrandt
2. like it- Yeah, I'm actually pretty sad about my imminent change. Not that it's a bad name to change to, I think I'm just anti-change... and rather fond of my identity
3. single or taken- Taken (almost officially)
4. zodiac sign- Cancer
5. male or female- Female
6. elementary- Morris, Winnipeg (Lakewood Elementary)
7. middle- Niverville
8. high school- Niverville
9. eye color- Blue
10. hair color- Blonde (but dyed brown)
5. are you a health freak- No, but I'm conscious of all my decisions
16. height- 5' 5.5"
17. do you have a crush on someone- Yes, I do
18. do you like yourself- Most of the time
19. piercings- Just my ears
20. tattoos- One
21. righty or lefty- Right

FIRSTS-
22. first surgery- My jaw, when I was 18
23. first piercings- My ears, when I was 10
24. first best friend- Trisha
25. first award that you can remember- Best Handwriting
26. first sport- Swimming (I was AWFUL)
27. first pet- Kitten named Snowball (guess what colour... LOL)
28. first vacation- My first real, grown-up vacation was London with Erin
30. first real crush- Scott
31. first t.v. crush- Lots of 'cute boys' who were TV crushes, but I didn't fall in love until Season One of ER when I first laid eyes on George Clooney

CURRENTLY-
49. eating- Nothing
50. drinking- Tea
51. i'm about to- Read a book in bed
52. listening to- Coldplay
53. waiting for- Morning, so I can go into the office and finish the stuff I just couldn't physically fit into today... And then I get to go to the lake!
54. wearing- Tank top and jeans

FUTURE-
55. want kids- Yes, when it's time
56. want to get married- Yes, please (September 30, 2007)
67. careers in mind- A long, fulfilling, and illustrious career in advertising

THIS OR THAT-
68. lips or eyes- Eyes
69. hugging or kissing- Kisses are great, but I cannot survive without hugs
70. shorter or taller- Taller, apparently
71. tan skinned or light-tanned- Whatever
72. romantic or spontaneous- Sincere
73. dark or light hair- Um, none?
74. muscular or normal- Um, both?
75. hook-up or relationship- Relationship
76. similar to you or different- Different. The world can't handle another me
77. trouble maker or hesitant- Quiet trouble maker

HAVE YOU EVER-
78. kissed a stranger- Almost (analyze that however you want)
79. drank bubbles- Yes
80. broken a bone- My jaw, and I paid a professional to do it
81. climbed up a tree- No
82. broken someones heart- Yes, probably a few someones
83. turned someone down- Yes, and I always felt lousy doing it
85. liked a friend as more than a friend- Yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN-
86. yourself- Yes
87. miracles- I have to
88. love at first sight - No, but it's a cute idea
89. Santa Claus- No
90. Sex on the first date- They don't call me the Ice Princess for nothing
91. Angels- Yes

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY-
92. Is there 1 or more people you want to be with right now?- Yes
93. Who is it?- Geoff, but he's at work

LASTS-
95. Text message- Rocky
96. Received call- Emily
97. Call made- Geoff
98. Message on myspace- Don't do MySpace
99. Missed Call- Mom
100. Emailed- A Client
101. Talked to in person- Christine & Asta
102. You hugged- Geoff
103. You kissed- Geoff
104. You talked to- Geoff
105. Said I love you to- Geoff (geez, this list is getting boring)

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Thursday, July 26, 2007

The Cost of Hope

Humans are fascinating to me. I think that's why I enjoy people-watching so much - just seeing how we act, how we move, how we interact with each other, how we function in our environments, and the thousands of stories that are etched in our faces. The most interesting thing to me, though, is how we are able to hope and to persevere - and to heal.

Today was an incredibly disappointing day. I was talking to my mom the other day about my efforts to get an appointment with this specialist I've been referred to, and I confessed to her that I was scared to get my hopes up. I was scared of building up this doctor in my mind and expecting him to be a saviour, and then finding out that there's nothing he can do for me. She encouraged me to let myself hope, and to feel that hope. And I did. Which is probably why it feels like my heart was broken today.

I finally got a call back from the specialist's office, and they have agreed to see me. But their first available appointment is for the third week of September. And that's just an initial consultation - I'll probably need to book an appointment after that to get started on any real treatment (assuming, of course, that I'm treatable). And of course, none of this is covered by Manitoba Health, and my benefits will make only a tiny dent in the total cost of simply seeing this doctor, never mind the actual treatment costs.

Despite the fact that I had tried to be a realist - and despite the fact that I was sitting at my desk at work when I got the call - I felt myself filling up with tears. These tears were full of disappointment and frustration. They were broken heart tears. And they came pouring out.

I know that all hope is not lost. It's simply a delay in hope. And I'm not anti-hope, I just know that it comes at a cost. I will continue to hope. But I am very, very aware that this delay means that either my body will need to heal on its own, or I am going to be sick for our wedding. And that REALLY breaks my heart. Because I realized today why I never sat around like other girls and dreamed of my wedding day. It's because I was scared of what that day might look like. And I was scared to get my hopes up.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Wednesday Smile

toothpaste for dinner
toothpastefordinner.com

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Sad News

Nothing like a *real* crisis to put your own problems in perspective. Two friends who I love very much lost their mom today. Please keep their family in your prayers.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

My Own Hands

Monday was the roughest day I've had in recent memory. My base pain level - just sitting in one spot, not moving and trying not to even take a deep breath - required absolute concentration to keep the tears from my eyes. I went to work, but it was an incredibly long day. I knew that today was the day I'd need to do something about it.

I made three calls this morning. The first was to my GP's office, to get the name and number of the chronic pain specialist they'd promised to refer me to last week. The second was to that new doctor's office, to see if I could do anything to speed up the process and get an appointment. The third was to The Arthritis Society's national office, where I have someone checking to see if there's a rheumatologist anywhere in the country who is making fibromyalgia a specialty, and how to get onto their waiting list.

No answers on anything yet, but just the act of making those phone calls - of taking things into my own hands - has a therapeutic effect. I was never a fan of that whole damsel in distress thing anyway.

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Monday, July 23, 2007

Weekend Update: Harry Potter Edition

So y'all know what the main focus of my weekend was. Geoff and I headed over to Polo Park after work to pick up a wedding present for Greg & Cathleen, and met up with Aaron, Cait, and Matt at Chapters later for Harry Potter Madness (see below).

Saturday was spent getting ready for the wedding, attending the ceremony at Assiniboine Park (HOT!), reading under an umbrella on the back deck all afternoon, attending the reception at Birdshill (HOT!), and then returning home to polish off the last 100 pages.

Yesterday, I made an appearance at church (you know you've been slacking all summer when people look surprised to see you there... LOL), had lunch with my parents and Jenni-Lynn, then spent the rest of the afternoon looking through old photo albums with my mom in an attempt to represent my childhood photographically at the wedding. It was a big project. Really, everything has felt like a big project lately because I'm still not feeling like myself.

I hate that I'm not myself right now - I feel like I'm missing out on so much of this incredibly happy summer - kind of observing instead of participating and I HATE THAT FEELING. Which is probably making me even more difficult to be around. Geoff is incredible. I have no idea how he still loves me. I've met someone with almost infinite patience, and an innate understanding of how to support me without babying me or doing things for me. I'm trying so hard, but I know that I'm not the person he fell in love with and proposed to right now. And the fact that he still smiles when he looks at me is a gift that I don't take for granted.

And in the middle of all of this, I had two very bright spots in my morning today - in the form of two emails from Emily and Anja. HAPPY SIGH. Everyone's home again this week. Anja and Kyle flew in over the weekend from their month in Paris, Switzerland, and London. And Emily files in from Pennsylvania tomorrow. I've been missing them both, and it's going to be good to catch up on all their crazy foreign adventures (and laugh at Anja, who ALWAYS comes home from visiting her family with a stronger accent again).

Not only was I missing my friends, I have officially survived an entire month of my four-month engagement in the absence of two out of my three bridesmaids. And in their absence, they trusted me to order dresses for them that they didn't have a chance to see ahead of time. Now THAT'S a true friend :)

I'm such a dork, but I'm just happier when all my friends are close by. (Hint... Kari-Ann... Morden is not close by...)

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Sunday, July 22, 2007

The End

Finished! Kind of surprised that I managed to finish the book on a day when Geoff and I needed to attend a wedding. I read two chapters last night before bed, and continued my mission between Greg & Cathleen's ceremony and their reception (more thoughts on outdoor weddings in thousand degree heat later). But I finished. And it was SO MUCH FUN. Back to reality :)

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Saturday, July 21, 2007

And So It Begins

Just got home from a magical late-night trip to Chapters Polo Park. More to follow... All that's important right now is that I have the book in my possession, and I am cracking the cover - wait for it - NOW!


The scene at Chapters just before midnight


Me, Aaron, and Cait proudly showing off our copies


Aaron sporting the Sorting Hat (I didn't have a chance to be 'officially' sorted, but they made me an honourary Slytherin)

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Friday, July 20, 2007

The Final Chapter

SO excited... I have the final Harry Potter book pre-ordered (thanks Kari-Ann for the gift card that made it a little less painful), and we're going to go pick it up at midnight tonight. I've never gone for the whole book-release hoopla before - yes, that's right... HOOPLA. And I figured this would be the last chance to check it out, kind of the end of an era. It's going to be pretty cool. But I am seriously going home to have a nap first.

From PostSecret this week:

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The Same-ingtons

Once upon a time, there lived a young couple. They bought a house in River Heights and moved in, and it was very nice and cozy. He was tall and bald with broad shoulders, and she was a cute and charmingly average-sized brunette - a perfect complement. At a glance, he appeared to be in his early 30s and she in her late 20s. They liked to go on walks, and it was his job to keep the lawn looking its best. It was a very nice little life the two of them enjoyed in their two-storey house in River Heights.

And we bought the house next door.

Geoff prefers to refer to them as 'Bizarro Us' - and though I appreciate the attempted Superman / Seinfeld reference, I've always been a fan of turning nouns and adjectives into names for strangers and friends alike. I dubbed them The Same-ingtons almost immediately. We're both uncomfortably aware that our next-door neighbours are US, just a year ahead of us. We're both a little nervous that Mrs. Same-ington is suddenly going to be sporting a baby bump - LOL. They look like us. They kind of act like us. They even have a twin lawn mower to ours.

And tonight, we managed identical evening plans.

I headed over to the house after work (which was around 8.30), and The Same-ingtons were just leaving their house for a walk. For the first time, we made contact. I looked at them and smiled as I approached the sidewalk, and I got big smiles and a 'hi' in return. As per the plan I had assembled on my way over, I reached the front door and announced to Geoff that we were going for ice cream. He threw on some shoes and we set out on foot. As we approached Dorothy's Ice Cream Parlour (mmm...), we noticed a couple sitting on the bench outside, enjoying some ice cream treats. The Same-ingtons. We all noticed each other, laughed, and said hi and we walked past into the store. Geoff and I strolled around the neighbourhood for a while, taking the long way home. We turned onto our street - and guess who we spotted as they headed back inside their house maybe 100 feet in front of us. Funniest thing ever.

I am seriously introducing myself next time we see them. I will run over and force their names out of them, because this is getting way too weird. I'm sure it's Jeff and Lindie or something ridiculous like that.

Jeff and Lindie Same-ington, of course.

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Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Real Deal

Something pretty cool happened yesterday. The U.S. Centre for Disease Control recognized Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a 'real' disease. I know - it's ridiculous that it took them this long. But better late than never? Read about their decision - and the lastest news on the disease - here.

I often talk about my fibromyalgia. I rarely talk about my CFS. The two often (but not always) go hand-in-hand, so I'm sure it's not a real secret that I struggle with both. But I hate talking about it. More than hating it... I'm scared to talk about it. Honestly, I'm worried about how other people will react. It feels like such a weak disease, which I know is so far from the truth. It just seems like as soon as you say it out loud, you get one of two reactions: an eye roll, or an 'I'm tired a lot too.' Of course, there's always a rational group of a few friends who are just the right amount of sympathetic - but they're not as dramatic and fun to talk about, are they? :)

I finally saw my doctor today, much to the relief of a few close friends who knew what was going on. My combined fibro and CFS symptoms have been getting progressively worse lately, both physically and mentally. I've been incredibly scattered lately - doing lots of crazy things like turning on the tap to wash my hands, and then leaving the room before I realize the water is still running. If you know me at all, you know that is absolutely bizarre behaviour. I'm sleeping all the time, and napping every time I stop moving for four seconds. And the pain and muscle issues have been largely concentrated in my legs, which have been spasming and incredibly weak and unstable. This all culminated in The Incident which happened on my way to work yesterday morning.

It's so embarrassing, but I feel like it has to be told - not for sympathy, but so that people understand how incredibly real these diseases are. The short version is that I fell while I was getting into my car. The muscles in my legs just got crazy-weak and gave out on me, and I didn't just lose my balance. I fell. Like a rock. And hit my head. Twice, actually - once on the car door and once on the car itself.

After it happened, I sat there for a minute in absolute shock. I'm not sure how I ended up here. Not HERE as in sitting on my ass with an aching head. But HERE. In an instant, I became That Person whose health has deteriorated to the point of endangering myself. Or at least, I became aware of it.

That's all bad news. But the good news is that I got in to see my GP on a cancellation this afternoon. And it seems that The Incident was finally (finally!) enough to get his attention, because I have a referral to see a local doctor who specializes in chronic pain, and whose main area of interest and research is fibromyalgia. So who knows. At best, I might be able to figure out an actual solution to all of this insanity. Or at least, I'll have the ear of someone in the medical field who might understand, if only for 5 or 10 minutes.

As tough as it was to live that moment and its aftermath... I may have fallen into something very good.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Back in Action (kinda)

Sorry, faithful blog readers. I've been MIA for nearly a week!

A couple of reasons for that:
(1) Work got even crazier and even busier. A few more new clients, and no amazing candidates from the first round of resumes and interviews for a new Project Manager - so 'imminent' is not looking so 'imminent' at the moment.
(2) A weekend OFF, which I very much enjoyed. Other than being sick for most of it. Which sucked, but kind of forced the whole 'weekend off' idea.
(3) I've been taking care of weddings details I'd been avoiding or procrastinating on. The good news is that *almost* everything that needs a decision will have a decision by the end of this week. Our invitation design is SO CLOSE to done, and it kind of takes my breath away - it's so incredibly perfect. This is the moment in life when cultivating a close friendship with a graphic designer / art director finally pays off - LOL.
(4) Finally managed to see Harry Potter last night. Enjoyed it. A lot.
(5) Actually went shopping for myself - and nothing wedding-related - which was kind of fun. Finally picked up the Amy Winehouse CD I'd been wanting forever, and a pretty sweet little black dress. The best part? I got a bunch of gift cards from people for my birthday, so I spent next to no money.
(6) Started pre-marital counselling with Geoff, which is super funny to me. Not sure why.
(7) Sketched out a thousand versions of a plan for the office/library in our new house, which is proving to be a gigantic, complicated project because of our (my) need for lots of shelving - in an oddly-shaped room. Picked paint colours for that room and our bedroom, but haven't gotten around to picking up paint or actually making it happen. Baby steps. We still have two and a half months.

It's ridiculous, but I'm still not feeling healthy. And tonight's another busy one: going for a quick hair cut and wedding consult, then whipping out to Steinbach to meet about flowers and centrepieces. Maybe tomorrow? :)

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Thursday, July 12, 2007

TGI5

Ugh. Officially at my limit for drama. It was almost a 7-11 day. So it's a very good thing it's 5 pm.

I don't know if other industries have *quite* the same culture as ad agencies, but a 7-11 day is basically a day when you're tempted to walk out the front door of the office and go apply to work somewhere non-creative where you require absolutely no brain capacity and no interaction with people. I used to work with a designer who would periodically threaten to quit and go work at 7-11. Another colleague reminds himself that he can always go back to his funnest former job: pizza delivery boy. I wouldn't go that far (my apologies to any blog readers who may work at 7-11 and/or deliver pizzas)... But I'm sure I could come up with SOMETHING. Something that I'd do quite happily for about 14 seconds until I would really, really miss doing exactly what I do.

I love my job, but I deal with SO many people in a single day and everyone needs something. Or ten things. I imagine that it's something like being a mom - lots of kids and lots that I need to take care of, but not a solitary moment to get anything on MY list done. And it's kind of a long list.

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Making Progress (and a paragraph about jam)

Yeehaw! Nothing like a busy day of worrying about other things and other people to keep your mind off of how crappy you feel. Cocoon landed (count 'em) four new clients this week, which is more than enough to keep me focused. I have been breathing near-constant sighs of relief today that we're hiring a new Project Manager imminently.

Today wasn't quite as good as yesterday, but yesterday was light years ahead of the day before - so I'm still counting it as forward progress. I'm beyond exhausted, but I'm still able to concentrate and get work done. And for right now, that's good enough for me!

Looking forward to band practice tonight... It's been forever since I've seen those girls (and boys... can't forget the boys)! AND I'm making strawberry jam tonight. Well, I'm picking up the strawberry jam that my mom made today and has offered to donate to me. I'm planning to return the favour, though - I found a peach/blueberry jam recipe that I really want to try this weekend, and I'll happily send some their way.

I know... I am so cool. I recognize just how dorky all of this sounds - getting *excited* about making jam. Hey, I'm 26 now AND I'm getting married. I think I'm practically expected to make jam now.

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Help Wanted

In case anyone knows anyone who might be interested...
Cocoon is hiring again.

Receptionist (full time)
You enjoy long walks on the beach, colour-coding archive files, and polishing your old spelling bee trophies. You sometimes annoy friends and family with your obsessive attention to detail. You can do seven things at once (and do them all well). You know how to do all kinds of nifty things in Excel. You're friendly and outgoing. You don't mind taking care of the little things (because you understand that they're the big things). You have a knack for writing, with some related post-secondary education or relevant work experience. You believe there is no such thing as a bad day.

And you know exactly how many errors were in this ad.

If we've just described you perfectly, please apply with a resume and cover letter to work@cocoonbranding.com no later than Thursday, July 19 @ noon.

Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
No phone calls, please.

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Birthday Remnants

A few somewhat-less-than-flattering pics of a couple of people who showed up to help celebrate the auspicious occasion of my 26th birthday last week...


Lindsay & Geoff about to enjoy a Thai Chicken pizza... mmm...


Self-portrait of Kari-Ann and Melanie

The night after my b-day, my whole family minus Kevin came down and spent the evening eating Chinese take-out at Geoff's place. It was great to just spend some low-key time together. I can't decide what amused me more: my brother's justification for getting me a gift card or my sister's fight to keep me from playing the song she wrote for me :)

And it would seem my birthday's not over yet! I received a card addressed to "'Auntie' Lindsay" in the mail yesterday, from the whole Kamloops clan of three soon-to-be nieces, one soon-to-be nephew, and one pair of soon-to-be sister and brother in law. Craziness.

Now with all that out of the way, I plan to settle into this whole 26 thing. So far, so good. It feels kind of old. But I think I was ready for it.

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

On a Mission

It's been a rough week. Not really sure why. My health can sometimes be controlled... The rest of the time, I'm at the mercy of my body to some extent. Of course, I can buckle down and really take care of myself - show it who's boss - and start to really feel better. But that means sacrificing some wonderful, normal things. And that makes me feel sick. And so I play the waiting game. I wait and see if it will just kind of blow over given a few days and a little bit of TLC. No sense engaging in full-scale warfare when we really just needed to sit down and talk it out.

My mission this week is to increase my sleep. That means sacrificing some time I'd rather be spending with The Boy - skipping out on breakfast on Monday morning and going home early tonight. It also means that I'm not seeing Harry Potter when it comes out tonight. I've worked to cut my caffeine consumption in half this week (and I'm dealing with that headache... ugh). I'm making sure to walk and get some gentle exercise. I'm trying very, very hard not to beat myself up over the fact that I'm screwing up my 10K training schedule. And I actually (gently) put my foot down at work this afternoon when I was thrown an impossible deadline.

My pain level has remained constant, but my memory and concentration was a little better today. My muscles are achy but they aren't feeling quite as weak, and they didn't spasm when I woke up this morning - a huge relief. Other than that... Time will tell.

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Tuesday Morning Smile

In need of some inspiration on this slightly gloomy Tuesday morning? Check out this dance-off between two guys with disabilities.

http://www.influks.com/post1368.html

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Thursday, July 05, 2007

26

I had a *great* time with two *great* friends last night.

First, an adventure. I went to go see Erin and Jer (and Ella and Aidan) last night... and I GOT LOST in Niverville. Erin told me the address, and I knew vaguely where it *might* be - and I'd seen pictures of the house - so I thought I'd be fine. Um, yeah. Not only is that new development neighbourhood HUGE, but all the houses look remarkably similar. I actually got lost in Niverville. Insert thousands of jokes here.

I made it there, and I had a wonderful walk/talk with Erin. There's something very, very special about friends you've known forever. That girl has been through so much with me, and I with her - dating back to junior high, when we rode the same bus to school every day (the COOL BUS, of course) and analyzed our fellow bus riders' dreams each morning, to high school she made me go hug Jer to get one of his little 'warm fuzzy' yarn pieces to add to her Valentine's Day necklace, and to post-high-school when we sat on her couch for hours with our hands on her stomach waiting for Ella to kick. I love friends who you can be real and honest and absolutely authentic with. I missed her. And I love having her around again. She made my day by emailing me yesterday.

And speaking of friends you've known forever, I continued my little tour of southeastern Manitoba last night by stopping in to see Kristen and Jonny in St. Adolphe. I did not get lost. And Kristen and I planned out all kinds of details for our wedding photography - and I did a very poor job of being sympathetic about her pregnancy nausea (hey, she knew what she was getting into! LOL). Kristen and I have been friends since we were both the 'new kids' at church - probably around Grade 5 or 6. Later, we formed a fabulous foursome with Jen and Catherine and I have many, many memories of our various adventures. Come to think of it... We've been friends since I was dating Ryan and Jen was dating Jonny... Then Catherine dated Ryan and Kristen married Jonny... And I'm actually not sure how on earth those girl friendships survived into adulthood. Crazy. It's a total honour to have such a special friend do our wedding pictures.

I knew for sure that we'd made the right decision when she asked about how to manage my energy level on the day of the wedding, to keep me healthy. I suggested a 'secret signal' that involves her doing something that makes her look incredibly foolish. She politely declined.

Look at me, all nostalgic on my birthday. Over breakfast at Cora's this morning, I was remembering my 16th birthday - a full decade ago. Our whole big youth group left early that morning, on our way to volunteer in West Virginia. I spent the entire day sandwiched between Ryan and Craig in a fifteen-passenger van (on the front bench seat, so our chaperones could WAY over-supervise Ryan and I... geez), and everyone sang to me as they presented me with an ice cream cone with a sparkler stuck in the top at McDonald's somewhere near Minneapolis. It was a very good birthday.

And just for fun... Here's the group shot from West Virginia!
Hint: I'm still skinny and blonde.


Last year on my birthday, I was in Montreal with Emily and Christine - doing the Jazz Festival thing, going shopping, skinny dipping at Christine's cabin in the mountains, and getting my tattoo. And I wrote a list of 25 things I'd learned by the time I turned 25 (check out the blog archives from July 2006 if you missed it). In honour of this new birthday, I was going to create a new list of 26 things that are going to be awesome about being 26. But I started and it was stupid, because there are so many very obvious things that are going to be awesome in my life in the very near future.

So we'll leave it there, with my nostalgic ponderings, and simply enjoy the present :)

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Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Pics from CJ & Erin's Wedding

Shamelessly stolen from Erin Propp's Facebook album... LOL. Hey, I didn't have my camera there! What's a girl to do? :)


CJ pretending he's not all nervous and emotional


The ceremony


The reception


The first dance

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More Fun Than I Can Handle

Funny how something as simple as a pedicure can make you feel so good. I had a great time being girly with my mom last night... other than one teeny, tiny little thing. After the colour was done, the girl asked if I wanted a design on my big toes. I opened my mouth to say no (because I always say no), but then she uttered the magic words that unlock all of Lindsay's sophisticated willpower: 'It will look very fun.'

Sigh. I know I'm not fun. And so I find little ways to try to LOOK fun. And with those five simple words, she convinced me. But I added a hasty disclaimer: 'But no flowery stuff.' She smiled and assured me that she had an idea that would be PERFECT.

She went to work for a minute or two, and then looked up to show me and see my reaction. I faked enthusiasm and excitement over her artwork (strangely reminiscent of a certain infamous graduation gift). Because very neatly painted on each of my big toenails... was a white and silver swan.

If you know me at all, you know that I am absolutely phobic of birds. They are my mortal enemy. They are ugly and evil and scary. And I now have TWO of them on my feet, following me everywhere I go.

Just in case I decide to paint over my FUN swans, my mom and I stopped so I could buy FUN yellow-and-orange shoes. So today, I have fun toes AND fun shoes. I think the universe may implode.

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Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Happy Little Surprise

Flipped to July on my favourite calendar, featuring The Office, and was (happily) greeted by one of my all-time favourite Dwight Schrute quotes from the classic stranded-on-a-desert-island game: "Physician's Desk Reference... hollowed out. Inside: waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket and, in case I get bored, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. No - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Question, did my shoes come off in the plane crash?"

PS: My countdown to Harry Potter is officially on... I'm starting to re-read the book that's coming out as a movie tonight, and plan to continue on so that I'm caught up, refreshed, and ready for the final book! I am such a geek.

But a geek who's on her way to get prettified tonight (mani/pedi appointment with my mom). Hooray for feeling like a superfox again! :)

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Weekend Update: July Long Edition

Friday night, I attended a rather impromptu Cocoon wine tasting party at Kyle & Jill's place, complete with ridiculously complex worksheets and charts. Our very mature little wine tasting party evolved into a karaoke party, which is not particularly noteworthy because EVERY Cocoon get-together eventually ends up turning into a karaoke party - and participation is not really optional. But it's one of the things that makes me love my job.

The funny thing about it is that we didn't really plan ahead - and managed probably 85% attendance. I think that long weekends are kind of like New Years Eve... Everyone assumes that everyone else has all kinds of fabulous plans - but if you call up a couple of people on December 29, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a house full of friends on December 31. In any case, we had a ton of fun on Friday night and it was a great start to the weekend.

On Saturday, I met my mom for breakfast and we made a trip to the fabric store to find something suitable for the wedding table runners. Check! The fabric I loved was ridiculously expensive - but it was 70% off this weekend, so it fit neatly into our budget. And my mom 'volunteered' to take care of measuring and cutting and hemming and all that other stuff I really, truly hate - so as far as I'm concerned, my table runners are DONE :)

Geoff was working Friday night, so we met up after he woke up in the afternoon and picked up some groceries before hearing out to George & Lara's place to help celebrate Zyra's christening. Their families are Polish and Filipino, which equals really, really amazing food... Then we were off to my cousin CJ & Erin's wedding, which was lovely and quirky and a very nice evening.

Geoff, Rocky, and I spent all day Sunday and part of Monday at the lake with my parents and Bob & Pat (my aunt and uncle). We sat around, played tennis, went for walks, played on the water, read a book cover-to-cover, ate really well, and just kind of generally relaxed. I think that tennis was my highlight - I hadn't had a chance to play yet this summer, and me and the boys had a great time playing doubles. I had a particularly great time because I just so happen to have a collection of very pink tennis balls (bright pink AND a very lovely baby pink). They were kind of embarrassed, and the guys on the next court kept mocking them - which only made it more fun for me. The anti-highlight would be sleeping in a tent that was kind of infested with spiders. Shudder. I was very brave, but that doesn't mean it wasn't gross.

And then The Boy was working again last night, so Rocky and I went to go see 'Live Free or Die Hard' - which I enjoyed very much. I love brainless summer movies where things explode... And lots of things exploded. A lot. When Bruce Willis took out a helicopter with a car, I was positively gleeful. Happy sigh.

I got into work this morning and the lilies that Geoff brought me on Friday are blooming a brilliant orange. What a great start to a short week :)

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