Every year, I think, "I should really change my vegetable garden", and every year I procrastinate long enough that it's too late to do anything about it.
This year, I decided to make a change.
First of all, I get vacation, plus I still work stat holidays on occasion, which means I have to take those off as well. I'm also getting an income tax refund that will pay for the cost of the work.
(I know if you're all about the math that it makes more sense to adjust your income tax so that you don't get a refund. However, life is more than math, and I'm OK with getting a refund.)
The plan started as an easy project, which then morphed into a more difficult/expensive project of building 4 raised beds using landscaping stones. I've been doing some shopping online for the stones I'll need, but I needed to see them in person before I could make a final decision as to which way to go. On Wednesday, I checked out a couple of places.
Did you know that garden centers opened this weekend?
In other words, most garden centers weren't open on Wednesday. Still, I got some ideas. On Friday, I went out again and checked another couple of places.
Yesterday, I got up, determined to stake out the areas for the beds.
Naturally, it was raining.
I waited (im)patiently for the rain to stop, then went outside and measured and staked the area. Once I had the dimensions, I went back to the store and placed my order.
It arrives on Saturday, and I have the next week off.
Wish me luck.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Dear cold virus, I have stuff to do. Please go away.
I'm taking a sick day today. I think this is my first sick day since 2007.
Of course, I've been sick since 2007, but I usually just work from home. Now, though, I have sick time, I didn't have anything critical, and my eyes felt like someone had sanded them while I was sleeping.
(I'm pretty sure no one actually sanded my eyes while I was asleep.)
I was sick all weekend, which was really, really boring. I spent the weekend reading/watching stuff about the Titanic, playing Super Mario, and moaning about how sick I was.
I'm feeling better today (except for the eyeball thing), so hopefully I'll be able to go back to normal life tomorrow.
Of course, I've been sick since 2007, but I usually just work from home. Now, though, I have sick time, I didn't have anything critical, and my eyes felt like someone had sanded them while I was sleeping.
(I'm pretty sure no one actually sanded my eyes while I was asleep.)
I was sick all weekend, which was really, really boring. I spent the weekend reading/watching stuff about the Titanic, playing Super Mario, and moaning about how sick I was.
I'm feeling better today (except for the eyeball thing), so hopefully I'll be able to go back to normal life tomorrow.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Cabbage roll update
On Saturday, I made the cabbage rolls.
I mixed ground beef and ground pork and added some minced onions (the dried ones you buy in the spice aisle - I'm way too lazy to actually mince onions) and rice.
Then I started rolling.
Some of the cabbage worked well, but some of it was too stiff and broke, so eventually I gave up and made lazy cabbage rolls. I layered the cabbage, then the meat, then cabbage, then meat.
I then stuck the whole thing in the fridge.
On Sunday, I pulled it out and poured a can of tomatoes over it. I then stuck it in the oven for a couple of hours while the turkey roasted.
It was very good.
But it's possible that that casserole dish will never be the same.
I mixed ground beef and ground pork and added some minced onions (the dried ones you buy in the spice aisle - I'm way too lazy to actually mince onions) and rice.
Then I started rolling.
Some of the cabbage worked well, but some of it was too stiff and broke, so eventually I gave up and made lazy cabbage rolls. I layered the cabbage, then the meat, then cabbage, then meat.
I then stuck the whole thing in the fridge.On Sunday, I pulled it out and poured a can of tomatoes over it. I then stuck it in the oven for a couple of hours while the turkey roasted.
It was very good.But it's possible that that casserole dish will never be the same.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
They're in my hair!
I can always tell it's spring when the spiders move in.
For some reason, they live in tiny webs up where the wall meets the ceiling.
I'm not a huge fan of spiders - unless I'm at camp, then I'm all "oh, the spiders live here, this is their home" - so I usually try to weasel someone else into killing them, but if that's not possible, I'm quite capable of doing it myself.
The thing is, though, when the spider is on the ceiling, there are really only two choices:
I assumed I'd stumbled into some sort of turf war.
I backed away and hoped they'd settle it without my involvement.
When I came home yesterday, the kitchen was spider-free.
At least, I hope it was.
For some reason, they live in tiny webs up where the wall meets the ceiling.
I'm not a huge fan of spiders - unless I'm at camp, then I'm all "oh, the spiders live here, this is their home" - so I usually try to weasel someone else into killing them, but if that's not possible, I'm quite capable of doing it myself.
The thing is, though, when the spider is on the ceiling, there are really only two choices:
- vacuum
- broom
The broom is easier - it's usually closer, to start with, and it doesn't require an electrical outlet, but if you take that route, you end up with an angry spider on a broom, and that tends to end with an angry spider in an undisclosed location.
I usually go for the vacuum.
Or I go for the unofficial third choice - pretend you didn't see the spider and go somewhere else.
On Tuesday night, I took the relocate approach. You see, I went into the kitchen. In one corner, there was a spider. In the opposite corner diagonally, there was another spider.I assumed I'd stumbled into some sort of turf war.
I backed away and hoped they'd settle it without my involvement.
When I came home yesterday, the kitchen was spider-free.
At least, I hope it was.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Sour
A couple of weeks ago, I had the brilliant idea that I wanted to make cabbage rolls for Easter.
Now, in my family, cabbage rolls are made with sour cabbage, so the first step would be to make sour cabbage.
I called my mom and explained my plan. She reassured me that making sour cabbage only takes a week, and she gave me the recipe for sour cabbage, which I wrote down on an extremely secure location - the back of last month's water bill.
I planned to make the sour cabbage in the crock of my crock pot, so when I did my grocery shopping I bought a head of cabbage. I came home, only to discover that it was too tall for the crock pot. I needed another location to make the sour cabbage.
I went out to the grocery store again and found a set of stacking plastic canisters. I brought them home, and the head of cabbage fit in the third biggest one.
I followed the recipe, which involved hacking out the core of the cabbage, adding salt and vinegar, and filling the container with water. I'd share the proportions, but am unable to do so due to the extremely secure location of the recipe.
When that was all done, I weighted it down with a plate ... except I have wimpy Corelle plates, so I added a bowl to keep the cabbage under the brine solution.
I waited a day, then hauled the cabbage out of the water and rinsed it off. Back in the brine it went.
I repeated that every day, pulling off loose pieces of cabbage whenever possible. It was a slow process.
On Saturday, I forgot to rinse it until I got home from a movie. That's the day it really started progressing - a bunch of leaves loosened that day.
Today, I was able to loosen all of the leaves, which made the cabbage much bigger than the jar.
I stuffed the cabbage into sterilized jars and filled them with the brine. When that was done, I processed them in the canner.
Now I'm sitting in the living room, listening to the pop of the jars sealing. (We're at 5 of the 6 so far).
This weekend, I'll open a jar and make cabbage rolls. I've never done that, but I have a recipe.
It's in an extremely secure location.
Now, in my family, cabbage rolls are made with sour cabbage, so the first step would be to make sour cabbage.
I called my mom and explained my plan. She reassured me that making sour cabbage only takes a week, and she gave me the recipe for sour cabbage, which I wrote down on an extremely secure location - the back of last month's water bill.
I planned to make the sour cabbage in the crock of my crock pot, so when I did my grocery shopping I bought a head of cabbage. I came home, only to discover that it was too tall for the crock pot. I needed another location to make the sour cabbage.
I went out to the grocery store again and found a set of stacking plastic canisters. I brought them home, and the head of cabbage fit in the third biggest one.
I followed the recipe, which involved hacking out the core of the cabbage, adding salt and vinegar, and filling the container with water. I'd share the proportions, but am unable to do so due to the extremely secure location of the recipe.
When that was all done, I weighted it down with a plate ... except I have wimpy Corelle plates, so I added a bowl to keep the cabbage under the brine solution.
I waited a day, then hauled the cabbage out of the water and rinsed it off. Back in the brine it went.
I repeated that every day, pulling off loose pieces of cabbage whenever possible. It was a slow process.
On Saturday, I forgot to rinse it until I got home from a movie. That's the day it really started progressing - a bunch of leaves loosened that day.
Today, I was able to loosen all of the leaves, which made the cabbage much bigger than the jar.
I stuffed the cabbage into sterilized jars and filled them with the brine. When that was done, I processed them in the canner.
Now I'm sitting in the living room, listening to the pop of the jars sealing. (We're at 5 of the 6 so far).This weekend, I'll open a jar and make cabbage rolls. I've never done that, but I have a recipe.
It's in an extremely secure location.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Ninety five
Today would have been my grandpa's 95th birthday.
He was the youngest boy in a family of 15. His parents immigrated from "the old country" before he was born. They had seven or eight kids before they immigrated. (My sister, the informal family historian, thinks the eighth child was born on the way.) By the time he was born, they had a homestead. He grew up there, and when he became an adult, he took over the farm.
He married my grandmother in 1939. They had a double wedding. At the time, you couldn't eat between the time you got up and the time you took communion at mass, so weddings were often held in the morning, but they couldn't afford to feed their guests both lunch and supper, so they waited and got married in the afternoon.
They had three children and sixteen grandchildren. My family lived in Regina (a 2 hour drive away), and we visited roughly every second weekend. When I was twelve, my parents bought an old house in the tiny town 1/2 a mile away from the farm, and we were there every summer as well. (The joke was that we doubled the population of the town when we went out for the weekend.)
He loved horses. When we'd look at old pictures, he didn't always recognize the people, but he knew the names of every horse. I was the oldest grandchild, and when I was about five, he bought a pony. (Her name was Blondie. She had three colts, and when I was twelve I fell off one of them, landed on a fence, and broke my arm.)
For years, they had a dog. They were farm dogs - bigger dogs who stayed outside and followed my grandpa around while he did chores. (I did the same thing, but I got to go in the house, too.) When I was probably around 8, the dog was Charlie. Charlie was part-collie, liked people, and when we climbed a tree, he climbed the tree with us. He could also climb the ladder into the hayloft.
Sometime after Charlie, they had Amos. I was probably around 13 at that point, and Amos was my dog. It used to drive my grandparents crazy, because when I was out there, he'd come to our house and live there. He'd never bark when someone drove into their yard, but he'd wake the entire town if someone drove by on a road that might eventually allow them to reach our house. I spent hours petting that dog, and I held his head while grandpa pulled out the quills from his latest tangle with a porcupine.
The farm was full of fascinating things - an old blacksmith shop, old farm equipment, dozens of places to explore. They had a ... thingy that you use to make rope out of twine (I feel like there should be a word for that), they had a butter churn, they had crow bars and air compressors, a drill press and vises. The basement contained shelves of books. I spent hours lying on the bed reading.
Grandpa always made sure we had snacks - Old Dutch chips or bugles, usually - and sometimes we'd get a whole bottle of pop to ourselves. He was also a big fan of stopping for soft ice cream when we were in town. I never objected.
On the farm, you do pretty much everything yourself, and I remember helping reshingle the barn roof and put siding on the garage. (I'm not sure I was actually any help in either situation.) We weren't allowed on the barn roof normally, so this was exciting. (Um, and if you're reading this, mom, we never went on the barn roof except that one time.)
We rode in the back of the truck and in the front-end loader on the tractor. I got to drive the garden tractor - which was exciting when I was eleven, but now just looks like a big scam to get me to mow the grass. They had some old bikes that we could ride. One of them was one of those bikes with the high handlebars, but the handlebars wouldn't stay up, so we had to lean over to ride it. We called it the jelly roll. (Looking back, I'm not sure why they didn't just weld it into position.)
When I was sixteen, grandpa let me drive his new truck. When I was pulling into the (also new) garage, I hit the side of the door. He had to go out and use a sledge hammer to get it back in line.
My grandma died in 1994. My grandpa was lost without her, and he died in 1997. It's weird, but I still dream about him.
He was the youngest boy in a family of 15. His parents immigrated from "the old country" before he was born. They had seven or eight kids before they immigrated. (My sister, the informal family historian, thinks the eighth child was born on the way.) By the time he was born, they had a homestead. He grew up there, and when he became an adult, he took over the farm.
He married my grandmother in 1939. They had a double wedding. At the time, you couldn't eat between the time you got up and the time you took communion at mass, so weddings were often held in the morning, but they couldn't afford to feed their guests both lunch and supper, so they waited and got married in the afternoon.
They had three children and sixteen grandchildren. My family lived in Regina (a 2 hour drive away), and we visited roughly every second weekend. When I was twelve, my parents bought an old house in the tiny town 1/2 a mile away from the farm, and we were there every summer as well. (The joke was that we doubled the population of the town when we went out for the weekend.)
He loved horses. When we'd look at old pictures, he didn't always recognize the people, but he knew the names of every horse. I was the oldest grandchild, and when I was about five, he bought a pony. (Her name was Blondie. She had three colts, and when I was twelve I fell off one of them, landed on a fence, and broke my arm.)
For years, they had a dog. They were farm dogs - bigger dogs who stayed outside and followed my grandpa around while he did chores. (I did the same thing, but I got to go in the house, too.) When I was probably around 8, the dog was Charlie. Charlie was part-collie, liked people, and when we climbed a tree, he climbed the tree with us. He could also climb the ladder into the hayloft.
Sometime after Charlie, they had Amos. I was probably around 13 at that point, and Amos was my dog. It used to drive my grandparents crazy, because when I was out there, he'd come to our house and live there. He'd never bark when someone drove into their yard, but he'd wake the entire town if someone drove by on a road that might eventually allow them to reach our house. I spent hours petting that dog, and I held his head while grandpa pulled out the quills from his latest tangle with a porcupine.
The farm was full of fascinating things - an old blacksmith shop, old farm equipment, dozens of places to explore. They had a ... thingy that you use to make rope out of twine (I feel like there should be a word for that), they had a butter churn, they had crow bars and air compressors, a drill press and vises. The basement contained shelves of books. I spent hours lying on the bed reading.
Grandpa always made sure we had snacks - Old Dutch chips or bugles, usually - and sometimes we'd get a whole bottle of pop to ourselves. He was also a big fan of stopping for soft ice cream when we were in town. I never objected.
On the farm, you do pretty much everything yourself, and I remember helping reshingle the barn roof and put siding on the garage. (I'm not sure I was actually any help in either situation.) We weren't allowed on the barn roof normally, so this was exciting. (Um, and if you're reading this, mom, we never went on the barn roof except that one time.)
We rode in the back of the truck and in the front-end loader on the tractor. I got to drive the garden tractor - which was exciting when I was eleven, but now just looks like a big scam to get me to mow the grass. They had some old bikes that we could ride. One of them was one of those bikes with the high handlebars, but the handlebars wouldn't stay up, so we had to lean over to ride it. We called it the jelly roll. (Looking back, I'm not sure why they didn't just weld it into position.)
When I was sixteen, grandpa let me drive his new truck. When I was pulling into the (also new) garage, I hit the side of the door. He had to go out and use a sledge hammer to get it back in line.
My grandma died in 1994. My grandpa was lost without her, and he died in 1997. It's weird, but I still dream about him.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Things I Saw People Wearing Today
Things I Saw People Wearing Today:
- Shorts
- Tank tops
- Flip flops
- Sandals
- Skirts
- Tube tops
Things I saw people doing today:
- Cycling
- Sitting on the grass
- Playing catch
- Reading a book outside
- Buying hot dogs from a sidewalk vendor
- Eating on a patio
When the seasonally appropriate weather returns, there will be so much whining.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Ouch
This weekend, I went over to a friend's house and tried the Wii Fit.
Long story short, I now have a Wii Fit. (Oddly, I don't actually have a Wii. Luckily, Wanda does.)
I'm enjoying it, although I wouldn't really consider it a workout. I mean, it's better than sitting on the couch, but I used it for a couple of hours this weekend and I never broke a sweat.
I also went for a long walk yesterday since it was so nice out.
Between the two, I'm so sore today. The muscles in my upper back are sore (Rythym Kung Fu), my forearms are sore (the marching one with the drums), and the muscles on the outside of both ankles are sore (that might be the walk).
Do you know what the problem with having two sore ankles is? That's right, it's hard to limp.
Tonight I tried the one where you're flying (Bird's Eye Bull's eye, I think).
I shudder to think how sore I'll be tomorrow.
Long story short, I now have a Wii Fit. (Oddly, I don't actually have a Wii. Luckily, Wanda does.)
I'm enjoying it, although I wouldn't really consider it a workout. I mean, it's better than sitting on the couch, but I used it for a couple of hours this weekend and I never broke a sweat.
I also went for a long walk yesterday since it was so nice out.
Between the two, I'm so sore today. The muscles in my upper back are sore (Rythym Kung Fu), my forearms are sore (the marching one with the drums), and the muscles on the outside of both ankles are sore (that might be the walk).
Do you know what the problem with having two sore ankles is? That's right, it's hard to limp.
Tonight I tried the one where you're flying (Bird's Eye Bull's eye, I think).
I shudder to think how sore I'll be tomorrow.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The weekend
The main topic of conversation in Ottawa this weekend is the weather.
I think it was four years ago when we got a foot of snow on March 9. This year, it's March 18 and 23 C. It's beautiful. I hung my laundry out to dry (which reminds me that I should bring it back in), opened the windows (since it was warmer outside than in) and went for a walk in sandals, a tank top, and jeans rolled up to the knees.
It's a little strange to be wearing sandals and dodging snowbanks, but it is what it is.
Based on my walk, it's "take your Christmas lights down" day in Ottawa. Bikes, scooters, and ice cream are also popular.
The playground near my house has a new play structure, replacing the two that were there before. Apparently I'm out of the loop on local playgrounds, because that was a surprise to me.
All over the city, BBQs are being fired up. (Not at my house, I'm too lazy to pull it out of the shed, and I'm planning to have a sandwich for supper, so a BBQ is overkill.)
It feels like May, not March.
I think it was four years ago when we got a foot of snow on March 9. This year, it's March 18 and 23 C. It's beautiful. I hung my laundry out to dry (which reminds me that I should bring it back in), opened the windows (since it was warmer outside than in) and went for a walk in sandals, a tank top, and jeans rolled up to the knees.
It's a little strange to be wearing sandals and dodging snowbanks, but it is what it is.
Based on my walk, it's "take your Christmas lights down" day in Ottawa. Bikes, scooters, and ice cream are also popular.
The playground near my house has a new play structure, replacing the two that were there before. Apparently I'm out of the loop on local playgrounds, because that was a surprise to me.
All over the city, BBQs are being fired up. (Not at my house, I'm too lazy to pull it out of the shed, and I'm planning to have a sandwich for supper, so a BBQ is overkill.)
It feels like May, not March.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
In Which Gravity Asserts Itself
Last Friday, I bought groceries.
I'm ... kind of lazy, actually, so it's my habit to carry in as much as possible at once so that I can make fewer trips. When you add that to the fact that I buy groceries on the way home from work - and thus I also have my laptop bag and my gym bag - I'm carrying a lot of weight.
The walk in front of my house ends in two steps down to the driveway. Since it was the beginning of March and I live in Ottawa, the walk was icy. In particular, walk was covered in 3 inches of ice, and the bottom step wasn't so much a step as it was a slide. Most of the ice was well-sanded, but that ramp of ice leading to the bottom step wasn't.
I picked up the groceries and my bags and stepped onto the ice.
I slid back down.
I tried again.
Same result.
I tried a different angle.
This time I got two steps onto the ice, which just made it more comical when I slid back down.
Finally, I gave up and walked across the lawn in snow that was deeper than my boots. (You didn't think I was going to put down some groceries, did you? Please see "too lazy to make many trips" above.)
That was six days ago.
Today, the ice is gone and large portions of the lawn are snow-free.
Spring is here.
Of course, I've said that before.
I'm ... kind of lazy, actually, so it's my habit to carry in as much as possible at once so that I can make fewer trips. When you add that to the fact that I buy groceries on the way home from work - and thus I also have my laptop bag and my gym bag - I'm carrying a lot of weight.
The walk in front of my house ends in two steps down to the driveway. Since it was the beginning of March and I live in Ottawa, the walk was icy. In particular, walk was covered in 3 inches of ice, and the bottom step wasn't so much a step as it was a slide. Most of the ice was well-sanded, but that ramp of ice leading to the bottom step wasn't.
I picked up the groceries and my bags and stepped onto the ice.
I slid back down.
I tried again.
Same result.
I tried a different angle.
This time I got two steps onto the ice, which just made it more comical when I slid back down.
Finally, I gave up and walked across the lawn in snow that was deeper than my boots. (You didn't think I was going to put down some groceries, did you? Please see "too lazy to make many trips" above.)
That was six days ago.
Today, the ice is gone and large portions of the lawn are snow-free.
Spring is here.
Of course, I've said that before.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Why I Can Never Change Jobs
Now that I'm a regular employee, I can access the company gym for free. Free.
There's more.
Not only is it free, but it's at work. This means I can go to the gym at lunch. I can even do classes at lunch.
Over the past week, I've done four classes - circuit, strength and stretch, core, and body toning.
You know, I used to think I was in pretty good shape. That was before the day when my lower back was sore - not because I injured it, but because I'm not used to working that muscle. I'm not actually sure I knew there was a muscle in my lower back.
Since I'm taking a little longer for lunch, I stay a little later. That means I don't leave until 5, and I don't get home until 5:30.
At the other gym, my classes didn't start until 5:30. My evenings are endless. I'm going to need some new hobbies.
There's more.
Not only is it free, but it's at work. This means I can go to the gym at lunch. I can even do classes at lunch.
Over the past week, I've done four classes - circuit, strength and stretch, core, and body toning.
You know, I used to think I was in pretty good shape. That was before the day when my lower back was sore - not because I injured it, but because I'm not used to working that muscle. I'm not actually sure I knew there was a muscle in my lower back.
Since I'm taking a little longer for lunch, I stay a little later. That means I don't leave until 5, and I don't get home until 5:30.
At the other gym, my classes didn't start until 5:30. My evenings are endless. I'm going to need some new hobbies.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Happy Birthday
Today is my niece's second birthday.
She's eight.
I was there when she was born. We brought her home, set her on her blanket (the very first baby quilt I ever made) and she promptly rolled over ... except for her head, since she didn't have the strength to hold it up.
A couple of years later, I went to visit and every day she said "I don't like you anymore. Go back to Ottawa." The last day we were out on the front step and a plane flew over. I said, "See that? Tomorrow I'm going to be on a plane like that." She looked at me and said, "I miss you."
She came to visit three times before she was two, then she didn't come to Ottawa for a few years. I think she was five when she decided she liked my house and declared, "When our house gets too old, we will come and live with you."
She's changed her mind since. Now she is never moving to Ottawa ... but she'll come to visit so we can go to Calypso. (And, of course, to go on trains and boats. She doesn't get to do that much at home.)
She loves animals - so much so that she refuses to watch the movie Up (which she's seen once) because it was too sad when they caught the bird.
Right now, she's on vacation in Hawaii. Apparently she wants a monk seal for her birthday. I think that means I get the dog.
I asked her if she was going to go in the ocean. She said no, she was just going to go swimming at the beach.
I gave her my old boxing gloves last summer, and now every time I see her we have to box.
Happy birthday, monkey. Keep your wrist straight.
She's eight.
I was there when she was born. We brought her home, set her on her blanket (the very first baby quilt I ever made) and she promptly rolled over ... except for her head, since she didn't have the strength to hold it up.
A couple of years later, I went to visit and every day she said "I don't like you anymore. Go back to Ottawa." The last day we were out on the front step and a plane flew over. I said, "See that? Tomorrow I'm going to be on a plane like that." She looked at me and said, "I miss you."
She came to visit three times before she was two, then she didn't come to Ottawa for a few years. I think she was five when she decided she liked my house and declared, "When our house gets too old, we will come and live with you."
She's changed her mind since. Now she is never moving to Ottawa ... but she'll come to visit so we can go to Calypso. (And, of course, to go on trains and boats. She doesn't get to do that much at home.)
She loves animals - so much so that she refuses to watch the movie Up (which she's seen once) because it was too sad when they caught the bird.
Right now, she's on vacation in Hawaii. Apparently she wants a monk seal for her birthday. I think that means I get the dog.
I asked her if she was going to go in the ocean. She said no, she was just going to go swimming at the beach.
I gave her my old boxing gloves last summer, and now every time I see her we have to box.
Happy birthday, monkey. Keep your wrist straight.
Monday, February 27, 2012
I Don't Know My Own Strength
In January, I went to tie my cross-trainers for boxing and one of the holes the laces were threaded through ripped.
These weren't old or cheap shoes - they're 6-month-old Nikes that I only wear once a week - so I was not impressed. I considered taking them back or complaining to the company, but I'm in a really good mood after boxing and never got there.
On Saturday, I went to tie my new Sorel boots (bought in January) on the way to boxing and the loop the lace was threaded through ripped.
Now, I don't recall becoming a superhero, so I don't think this is expected behaviour.
On the way home from work today, I stopped at The Shoe Company (which is where I bought the boots six weeks ago) to see what they could do for me.
They replaced the boots with ones that were supposed to be the same ones, but which are actually a little different. The stitching is different, the fur at the top of the boots are different, ... and the loops the laces thread through are now nylon, not leather.
The old ones are prettier, but I can tie the new ones, so I'll take it.
If it keeps snowing, I'll need them.
These weren't old or cheap shoes - they're 6-month-old Nikes that I only wear once a week - so I was not impressed. I considered taking them back or complaining to the company, but I'm in a really good mood after boxing and never got there.
On Saturday, I went to tie my new Sorel boots (bought in January) on the way to boxing and the loop the lace was threaded through ripped.
Now, I don't recall becoming a superhero, so I don't think this is expected behaviour.
On the way home from work today, I stopped at The Shoe Company (which is where I bought the boots six weeks ago) to see what they could do for me.
They replaced the boots with ones that were supposed to be the same ones, but which are actually a little different. The stitching is different, the fur at the top of the boots are different, ... and the loops the laces thread through are now nylon, not leather.
The old ones are prettier, but I can tie the new ones, so I'll take it.
If it keeps snowing, I'll need them.
Monday, February 20, 2012
More baby quilts
When I first started making baby quilts, it was a big deal. I only made them for people I was especially close to.
Now, I'll make them for anyone. I've gotten much faster (or possibly, less concerned with perfection).
Here are some of my more recent ones:
Now that I look at this one, it's pretty clear that the bottom diagonal square is 90 degrees off. Oops.
My first rainbow quilt - a.k.a. a good way to get rid of lots of scraps. (Don't tell anyone, but the green checked fabric is an old tea-towel. The pink backing is left over from some pajamas I made my niece.)
A mixed-up rainbow quilt. This one is more square. The orange patterned fabric is leftover from my kitchen curtains, and the navy and white checked fabric is from an old dress of my grandmother's.
Now, I'll make them for anyone. I've gotten much faster (or possibly, less concerned with perfection).
Here are some of my more recent ones:
Now that I look at this one, it's pretty clear that the bottom diagonal square is 90 degrees off. Oops.
My first rainbow quilt - a.k.a. a good way to get rid of lots of scraps. (Don't tell anyone, but the green checked fabric is an old tea-towel. The pink backing is left over from some pajamas I made my niece.)
A mixed-up rainbow quilt. This one is more square. The orange patterned fabric is leftover from my kitchen curtains, and the navy and white checked fabric is from an old dress of my grandmother's.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
I expect a giant snowstorm tomorrow
The light has changed.
I don't know how to describe it, exactly, but the sunlight seems sunnier.
The ice is melting. Around the edges of the ice on the walk or the driveway, there's a perpetual darkness from the water melting underneath. Some places even give a satisfying crunch when you walk on them. OK, the driveway is still a skating rink, but now it's a skating rink with a big spot of bare pavement.
Spring is coming.
I don't know how to describe it, exactly, but the sunlight seems sunnier.
The ice is melting. Around the edges of the ice on the walk or the driveway, there's a perpetual darkness from the water melting underneath. Some places even give a satisfying crunch when you walk on them. OK, the driveway is still a skating rink, but now it's a skating rink with a big spot of bare pavement.
Spring is coming.
Friday, February 17, 2012
The view is different from this side
As I said earlier, I started a new job on Monday.
Usually, when you start a new job, you get a few days to adjust - figure out how to login, find the bathrooms, etc. When you start a new job but sit in the same desk as your old job, it doesn't work that way.
I didn't get to do much of my new job this week. Not only was I still doing my old job, but I was also interviewing people for my old job. One of my colleagues and I did the first round of interviews. We had two yesterday, three today, and a couple more will take place next week.
We had a list of 21 questions and asked the same questions of everyone. (Of course, we also asked clarifying questions when necessary.)
It was an interesting experience. The applicants are people we already work with, so we know a little bit about them already. I'm kind of rooting for all of them.
Usually, when you start a new job, you get a few days to adjust - figure out how to login, find the bathrooms, etc. When you start a new job but sit in the same desk as your old job, it doesn't work that way.
I didn't get to do much of my new job this week. Not only was I still doing my old job, but I was also interviewing people for my old job. One of my colleagues and I did the first round of interviews. We had two yesterday, three today, and a couple more will take place next week.
We had a list of 21 questions and asked the same questions of everyone. (Of course, we also asked clarifying questions when necessary.)
It was an interesting experience. The applicants are people we already work with, so we know a little bit about them already. I'm kind of rooting for all of them.
Monday, February 13, 2012
The New Job
I started my new job today.
Well, actually, I started my new job last week as a contractor, but I didn't become a regular employee until today.
I still sit in the same desk and work for the same manager, but the name on my paycheck is different.
I was a little concerned that they'd cancel my contractor's badge over the weekend and I wouldn't be able to get in today, but that didn't happen. (I still have it, as a matter of fact. I assume I'll get a new one this week.)
My contract was supposed to be up on January 30, but it was extended while they did a background check (as my now-current job wasn't official until the background check was complete). The background check took two full weeks.
(I didn't really expect they'd find anything, but at the same time, the new job wasn't a sure thing until it was done.)
I'm in a slightly different role - one that involves being opinionated and telling people what to do, which are some of my main skills - and I have lots of ideas for how to develop this role.
And I can stop preparing for my contract to end every 2 months.
Well, actually, I started my new job last week as a contractor, but I didn't become a regular employee until today.
I still sit in the same desk and work for the same manager, but the name on my paycheck is different.
I was a little concerned that they'd cancel my contractor's badge over the weekend and I wouldn't be able to get in today, but that didn't happen. (I still have it, as a matter of fact. I assume I'll get a new one this week.)
My contract was supposed to be up on January 30, but it was extended while they did a background check (as my now-current job wasn't official until the background check was complete). The background check took two full weeks.
(I didn't really expect they'd find anything, but at the same time, the new job wasn't a sure thing until it was done.)
I'm in a slightly different role - one that involves being opinionated and telling people what to do, which are some of my main skills - and I have lots of ideas for how to develop this role.
And I can stop preparing for my contract to end every 2 months.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Level 5
This week was week six in boxing.
So far, I'm enjoying this new level - it's a challenge, and I feel like I'm working hard. Surprisingly, the hardest part is remembering what we have to do.
In every class, we do these stations:
So far, I'm enjoying this new level - it's a challenge, and I feel like I'm working hard. Surprisingly, the hardest part is remembering what we have to do.
In every class, we do these stations:
- skipping (4)
- reflex bag (1)
- heavy bag (4)
- speed bag (2)
- shadow boxing (1)
The heavy bag, shadow boxing, and reflex bag are the same combinations, which leaves me three stations I need to remember.
This week, here's what we did for the heavy bag:
- Combination 1 - jab, right, upper cut, upper cut, slip, hook to the body, hook to the head
- Combination 2 - jab, right to the body, hook, duck & rotate, hook to the head, upper cut, slip, hook to the body, hook to the head
- At 30 seconds, hit & move
I can do all of that, my problem is remembering it.
I think I'm going to suggest temporary tattoos we can put on our arms so that we have something to refer to when we get to the station.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
What I did today
- Put boots on
- Took boots off
- Put boots on
- Took boots off
- Put boots on
- Took boots off
- Put boots on
- Took boots off
How long until spring?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
