Weight Exchange

Today I finished the last day of my 8 Week Personal Running Trainer Program. Didn't have a good run but there's still time before my Toronto Yonge St 10k. I gotta start hitting the pavement, with hubby. I also need to start doing some exercises at home too. Get on that nice shiny exercise bike he bought. (I haven't used it once yet) Stop being LAZY so hubby can be happy with me. After all, the man is supposed to be training for his Toronto Goodlife Marathon on May 6th and i'm sure my lazy behind is not helping him.  But when I get home I just want to relax. lol Nope. No relaxing allowed. I was doing my runs early in the morning before my shift which was giving me the entire day to recuperate. So, getting home and exercising? I should be ready. Right?  After all, I've been doing some complaining lately about an apparent weight exchange that I've been noticing going on. Oh yeah....hubby is losing weight and becoming slim and trim while my ars is blowing up. I stepped on the scale at the gym the other day and I WAS NOT HAPPY!

This photo to the right represents my reaction with great accuracy!!

Secret (not so secret once I tell ya):  The other day I went to put on a pair of my favorite Aeropostale jeans size 5/6. I couldn't pull them damn things up. I had to double check and make sure I wasn't trying to squeeze on my daughters tiny jeans. lol Thank goodness I was in my bedroom alone at the time.  Although I still did that little look around to see if anyone saw. Talk about a punch in the gut feeling.  Once I confirmed that those were indeed MY jeans, I quickly grabbed a hanger and hung those baby's in the far corner of my closet. I sure did. lol Something to get back into.

  I'm in the middle! (At least that's MY opinion)

Haven't hit that start weight and don't plan to.

Now I know that some people are probably kissing their teeth at me right now because they know that I am nowhere close to what people would call "fat" or "obese".  But, I'm at a weight that I'M not used to and don't want to be at so I'm gonna bitch and complain. lol I can understand my hubby getting frustrated with listening to me when he sees that I am not taking action. Especially when he has been waiting to put me to boot camp.  I know what I gotta do, I did it before when I didn't even need to. I had just wanted to feel that I was perfect in my wedding dress and that was only 5 months, 3 weeks and 3 days ago! My how time flies and the body grows.  Yet,  I accomplished what I wanted to and was amazed at what I learned in the process.

                                                   
After all, look at my dress! It was a good fit when I bought it but for it to be PERFECT I would have needed it to be taken out an inch or so. My behind is kind of FULL. (As I am often reminded) So, I changed my eating habits to reduce my weight slightly and supplemented that with exercise to achieve my goals. Funny thing is...I was exercising like I had never exercised before in my life.  And, I was trying to save myself $200 in alteration costs..lol  Didn't work though. The heels I fell in love with weren't high enough so the dress needed a lift and I still ended up having it taken out an inch. But damn..after the alterations...it was perfect. It really was.  Thinking back makes me crack my ass up.  I was up at 5am every morning to do a 15 minute workout to this Abs of Steel DVD.  It helped.  I might have to get back to that.











Post wedding...here I am...complaining about putting the weight back on and then some. lol Happiness will do that to ya! I don't eat bad foods though.  When I do eat, I eat properly and not too much. I'm not a big snacker and I don't care much for fast foods.  My problem used to be that I just wasn't eating. I ate like once a day. To lose weight, I ate 5 times a day (not just anything, I followed a meal plan)...go figure! It was easy enough, just damn boring. Trying to find different ways to cook chicken breast and I was getting tired of turkey sausages although i'd never tire of sweet potatoes. I also completely cut out sugar, bread and dairy.  Now I wanna lose a bit of weight again...fit back in those jeans. Maybe I should try the BodyByVi 90 Day Challenge I keep hearing about. Naw....i'll save my money and just do what I did before, be more active and improve my diet. Make my own fruit shakes that I used to make too.

I totally give some of the blame for my weight gain to Tim Hortons though. Yup...for a while I was completely addicted to the new their Maple Cinnamon French Toast bagel. Dear God!...while writing this blog I decided to look it up and look what I found:

Nutrition summary: Calories 350 Fat 4g Carbs 67g Protein 10g There are 350 calories in a 1 bagel serving of Tim Hortons Maple Cinnamon French Toast Bagel. Calorie breakdown: 10% fat, 78% carbs, 12% protein.

What the hell was I doing to myself?  And that's just the bagel.
For a while every time I got off the highway to turn the corner into my office I turned the other direction to grab the bagel at the next corner first. And...I topped it off with a large White Hot Chocolate. Some of my readers might remember.  When I stopped for gas I'd stop at an Esso station that had a Tim Hortons kiosk inside.  I just now looked at what that cost me. Body, please forgive me.  Friends warned me on Facebook though.  I just wasn't listening. The bagel was sooo good. lol I know better now and I am paying the price!!  
Better keep this handy:   Tim Hortons Calorie Counter

I'M BRINGING SEXY BACK!!!

Oh yeah baby!!  It's the Friday before Vacation and I am counting down the time to leave.
Got nothing special planned for next week other than hanging out with the hubby and not having to be at work. Woo Hoo! Maybe get around to see a few things in the city like the Royal Ontario Museum or something. Oh, and I have plans to have lunch with a special friend so I can introduce him to my husband finally. I am soo looking forward to that because this friend has been a blessing to me in so many ways.  Hopefully, if another good friend is feeling well, we'll get to hang out with her for a bit on Easter Weekend too. But on my list for sure...is to exercise with my husband. Yes....it's overdue. I have to join Furman's Bootcamp and let him whip me back into shape. That'll make him feel good too! Getting Sexy together! Can't wait. Just gotta kick LAZY's ass so I can get started.  Anyone got a steel toe boot? lol

Just praying the weather takes a turn in my favor. I really want to enjoy outside. So does my husband. He posted this on Facebook today and had me laughing my ass off. Had to share!!

                                      

But before I go.......get this vacation started!!


Immigration Update:
It's official.....no progress to report.
The website was updated today with March 28th update date. Up to their same tricks. They lie! Again!! lol  Anyways, there is no change to what they say they are working on. Looks like they are still stuck at January 25th's applications, or so they report.  Oh well.  I'll keep checking. We're close to having Step 1 complete. I'll keep waiting.

Timeline

I am officially converted to Facebook's Timeline.

Yup....I received warning yesterday that Facebook was going to convert my page to Timeline as of April 4th whether I liked it or not. Again, Facebook fixing something that is not broke!!  I just don't get it. Why not give people options? Why force everyone to conform to something that most people seem to hate anyways? Oh well.
So...I went through it to make a few slight changes, do the tour and pick my cover photo (I used the one I have posted in the header of my blog of the sand ceremony). My online complaining found me some instructions on how to supposedly deactivate the Timeline from my home computer. However, someone else confirmed that doing that only helps me and my personal viewing at home. The Timeline is still there for all to see once I am converted. Facebook WINNING! I figured I might as well let Timeline go public today and get it over with. Why delay the inevitable right? But....I just might go ahead and make the changes at home for my own viewing if I can't get used to this Timeline thing. I just don't understand why everything needs to be all over the place. I mean really. So i'll keep these instructions close or call my cousin if I forget.

For those who might want to make their own changes. Here are the instructions I was given:
ATTN: FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE TIMELINE PROFILE AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT HERE'S WHAT YOU DO....Users have to use GOOGLE CHROME:go to TOOLS, click EXTENSIONS, then click bottom link- MORE EXTENSIONS, type in TIMELINE REMOVE, a post on right of page says- REMOVE TIMELINE? CLICK IT, (YOU DONT HAVE TO LIKE IT) then REFRESH FACEBOOK & you should have the Old FB Wall Back!! Pass it on


I will say though, it was an interesting walk back through time in Facebook and I scrolled back through the years of Facebook posts.  I joined Facebook in 2007 and man oh man was it interesting to see some changes. lol I came across some posts of mine that had me cracking up and some from people that are no longer listed as my friends and family that just had me shaking my head. Really nice posts expressing love, gratitude, happiness. Birthday greetings, Mother's Day greetings.  Stuff mentioning what a wonderful person that I am. I mean, where did it all go? lmao My how people change. My how times change. So happy I change.
When I hit 2009...my world began. (big smile) My husband and I got back together. So, you can imagine the posts and pictures following that. lol Yeah yeah...some might say..Gag Me!  hahahaha
Seriously though.

Oh well....it's there in the Timeline. All those previously wonderful comments from people who aren't as wonderful anymore and the continued uplifting comments from those that have been dedicated Facebook friends still to this day.  Funny thing though was that I was unable to find the supposedly bad comments/cryptic messages that I was once accused of posting by someone who just loves to create drama. Timeline makes it easier to sift through old posts so while I was being amazed at some of the stuff that took me down memory lane, I decided to look for something specific. They weren't deleted, they really just didn't exist. Comments that someone decided to interpret for their own purpose of inciting an online riot because they were bored with their own life I guess. Yeah...they did a good job of that one. I blame them for their part in ruining a relationship that could have been fixed (then the person killed it themselves completely. The power of the tongue!) but I always gotta try and look at the positive side of things - I didn't know someone could be so nasty. True colors surfaced, so everything happened for a reason. Like I've said before...turn it over to God.  Moral of the story....people need to stop getting so personal on Facebook. (Emails too....cause i'll admit I've been guilty of that one...when emotions run high....ooo wee) I mean really! But it kills me some of the stuff that people post putting their business all out there for all to see. I already knew the world was crazy, but Facebook is definitely a fresh look at just how crazy people really are. lol  I do my best to keep it positive. Quotes to make you think, Bible Passages that I may have recently read, photos and more photos, declarations of my love for my hubby and kids, news stories that I find interesting, and sometimes i'll Check In to let you know where I am....just because. Not that you need to know all my business....but once in a while i'll share a little something something. Like, when I go to the movies...opens up topic for movie discussion of what I've seen. Restaurants, opens discussion for review, etc.

We all use Facebook for different reasons....it's definitely a time killer and a way to keep connected with others. I'm not perfect and I'm still human, but I definitely try to make sure that I don't post anything that may offend anyone or can be taken the wrong way.  I try. I think I do a good job as I really haven't had any complaints except from some crazy people once many years ago that were just looking for trouble. I know that those who love me would mention to me in person or send me a quick inbox message if they Ever came across something they thought might be inappropriate. Why? Because they love me, look out for me and know my heart. Yes...I got people like that in my life and i'm blessed!!

While I hate the change to Timeline, I will do my best to embrace it and smile at how things have changed over the years for us all. My husband absolutely hates Timeline also. He promises to be an even less frequent user when they change him over. lol That's ok though...cause he's here with me. I don't have to post Facebook "I Love You" messages for him to know that i'm thinking of him in Miami....Nope, I can rush home and embrace him and tell him my damn self!! Yessiirreee!!

Immigration Update:
While I think of it (haha..there I go again because you know it's been on my mind all day).....let me just say that it seems that Immigration is pulling the same stunt they did last week. They didn't update the site on Wednesday like they usually do with the Application Processing Time status. They are late again! Last week they updated Thursday saying the site was updated Monday when it wasn't. So, today it's still showing a March 19th update.  I've been entering more details to see if our file has been officially entered in the system yet but not getting anything. So...I keep waiting. 55 days my behind!!  We're at 58 days now according to the counter on the right side of my blog. Now don't get me wrong, I know that our application alone is like a book cause it has a whole bunch of pages to cover a lot of years. Our application alone should take them either a while to go through if they are being thorough or quick because everything is soo Furman organized.

Sisters for Life - The Chosen Ones

Friends Sisters for Life!
The Chosen Ones.

                                                       

 That's Us.

30 years - going strong.

I dedicate this blog post to two girls I absolutely Love!  Two girls I met when I was 11 and that are still a part of my life today. They are my friends sisters, part of my family.  They came into my life at a time when I was desperately in need. I was an only child and life outside of school had been crazy. I started grade 7 living with an aunt in a different part of city from what I had been used to. At my new school, these girls became my Only friends.  Now, I'm not sure if it was before or after I became the outkast (lol) but they were my friends anyways.  What I mean about my becoming the outkast was.....after growing up in an area of town predominantly white (Portuguese), I moved to an area that was predominantly black (Jamaican). Thinking I would fit in because I was black too....I learned too quickly that I wasn't black at all (I already knew this, I just mean I was reminded)... I was Mixed. Yup...black mother, white father. I don't remember it being an issue when I was younger. But, around black people.... I got to experience racism because I was too light. Go figure!! When I started the new school, a girl named Michelle was appointed to show me around and she was great for the first week. Oh, but when the boys started to take notice and show interest in the new girl.....Man oh man...I was hated!! It felt like I was hated by the whole school but I know it was really just the girls. Yeah Yeah...I know, it was all jealousy because I was pretty.  Nevertheless, they made my Junior High School years pure Hell and helped shape the person I am today. For this and other reasons, I threw myself into my books. Honor Roll, Valedictorian....that was me.  These two girls.....they were there for me the whole time. Like I said....my Only friends.  The three of us became like the three musketeers through Junior High and into High School. Then, I lost my way......lost them. I can't even really tell you what happened, where we all went or even when. I just wasn't a musketeer anymore. I didn't even know if they were still musketeers either.  We lost track for many many years.

Over the years, I've had several friendships with people that have lasted more than a decade. Relationships that are today, no more. The season is over, the reason has been fulfulled.  I miss these people dearly.  I guess I can say that we have lost track like I lost track with these girls many years ago. Maybe we'll get back on track again. Maybe not.  But with death, there is new life....in this case, the death of those relationships breathed life into new relationships, and old relationships that needed a fresh start.  A page in my life was turned.
I got my Husband....and My girls are back!!

We are raised to believe that Family are those who share the same blood when in fact Family goes far deeper than that.  Lord knows that I have an extremely large extended family that I love dearly whether I see or speak to them often or not.  They are my blood.  Yet, often enough those who share the same blood are Not family at all. They are no different from strangers that just think they know you and your business because you are related.  They don't know you at all!!  They have no clue!! (They are like fans who act like they have the inside to the life of certain celebrities..lol  Trying to creep your Facebook page, keeping update on your blog while talking about what they think they know about you behind your back) You may see them every so often at family functions, run into them at church or on the street.  You may even allow them to stay with you for periods of time to help them when in need....but they don't KNOW you.  These things don't make them know you either.  Sharing blood often gives people a sense of entitlement that doesn't exist. It's like they have permission to abuse you and take advantage of you when they really don't.  Just look at kids sometimes.  Sharing blood doesn't make people love each other and act like family either. Sometimes they are just people that we tolerate and then there are those exceptions that we don't tolerate at all. lol But, if we are lucky, we are able to substitute those missing family members with others that compliment our ideal of who that relative should be. Ie. Father figures replacing the absent fathers, close friends that are more like sisters/brothers and elders that have been more like aunts and uncles in our lives. In many instances, these kinds of people add to what we already have instead of being surrogates of those lost to dysfunction and death.  And let's give special mention to awesome friends.  (I got a few of those. You know who you are!  Thanks for being you. Look forward to many more years of friendship/sisterhood).

In the above photo...these girls are awesome friends, and I can call them not just friends but my sisters because they have been sisters to me for the time we've been together.  I grew up an only child and my cousins were my sisters. When I ended up having biological sisters they weren't sisters either. They were raised apart from me and there was too much of an age difference I guess. In return, I was given the people that are in my life today....They love me and don't judge me, because they've taken the time to know me.  They are there when and if I need them. We may not see or speak to each other all the time but I know just how to reach them and we are happy to hear from each other. When we do speak, it's like we haven't missed a beat. Almost like a soap opera where you can miss several episodes and for the most part, just jump right in and understand what's going on.

I am thankful for the people that God has brought into my life, especially these girls.  They are a different kind of special - They are the chosen ones.  So, while I may not be able to pick my family family, I can pick my friends and allow them to be my family.  Actually....why am I taking the credit? God picked them, for a Reason, Season, Lifetime. Friends.....heck, after 30 years.....Family!!   Family that I have picked with Gods help. And, after just over 20 yrs, let me tell you that it was a wonderful feeling this weekend to be remembered and recognized by my friends sisters' family members.  It was just like it used to be and it was so nice to have my husband with me to hang with the girls that helped me get through some of the toughest years of my youth.

Yup.....I am Blessed.

We are Blessed.

We are Family.

Canada Post Tricks

Update March 19th ------yeah right!!

Person to be sponsored lives outside of Canada

Type of application	Step 1 Assessment of Sponsor	Step 2 Assessment of Person Being Sponsored (applicant) (The Call Centre does not have processing times for step 2)
Spouse, common‑law partner or dependent child	55 days (working on applications received on January 25, 2012)	View by country Status available online

Now they (Canada Immigration) know good and well when they updated their website on March 22nd that it wasn't March 19th.  They definitely got their dates wrong. They never update on a Monday anyways! Updates are usually on Wednesday and there was no update yesterday because I checked.  So now, it's updated with no change to the info but they went ahead and make claim that they updated their website on March 19th.  (Sounds like a Canada Post trick if you recall on one of my previous posts Delivered...). They are still working on January 25th applications....must have been plenty. So, who knows how close they are to mine. But, they've changed the update date. How nice of them.

I'll keep at it. We should have a Client ID# assigned soon enough.  Notice that the days that have passed so far according to my counter on the right of this blog almost match the number of days they say it should take for Step 1.  lol  Waiting for that letter and for something to finally come up on the Check Application Status part of their website.

Till then, i'll keep rambling about other stuff....lol
Enjoying my husband, learning new habits, getting ready for my upcoming 10K!
Yup.....lots to talk about.

To ..., With Love

I listened to God today!   (Not that it's that unusual..lol)

I did something that I sure enough didn't want to do, but I did it anyways. Bittersweet. Out of Love.
It was just something simple and i'm not sure how or if it even benefits me, but like I said, I did it anyways.  Sometimes the little things mean a lot.
(Luke 12:12-for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say) 
After all, I do know and understand that not everything is about me!! Something I teach my kids and tried to teach my youngest sister many years ago when we were close.  Something I always try not to lose sight of.

I received God's message through someone else. I really did.  Has God ever used someone to tell you something that you didn't want to hear, do something that you didn't want to do? After sharing something with a friend and how I was feeling about it, a suggestion was made.  Although with hesitation, I acted on it. I know it was the right thing to do.  It's ok that someone had to suggest that I do it because I know where it really comes from.  I do feel good about it. I just don't know if what I did was more for me or for the other person. I don't expect anything from it and I think that's important. God has his reasons for things that we often do not understand.  But, we must not forget that He is always at work.  So, I think that what I was told to do today was a test...and I passed. I think it is a part of whatever God is doing in answering my prayers.  I have already turned it over to God a long time ago and have stepped away. I will continue to leave it in God's hands and watch how God works. But, I felt I needed to share.
When God Speaks To You Make Sure You Act On What You Hear
Funny thing is, that someone who used to be close to me did the same thing I just did, only years ago. Someone also suggested they do it. Lol I was on the receiving end. Problem is, I don't think that what followed from it was supposed to happen. All Hell broke loose! While we can shake our heads sometimes when people say "it wasn't my fault" lol I swear, it really wasn't. But who am I fooling? Our Steps Are Ordered....what happened is exactly what was supposed to happen unfortunately. I have to keep believing that.  I listen to this song often...helps to set me straight. Has a cleansing effect.
Your Steps Are Ordered - Fred Hammond 

I won't provide any details about what I did specifically or on what happened years ago that is related, as that is a touchy subject and will take me down a road I really don't want to go. (Ephesians 4:29-32) I will say that I am just amazed at how God has always made sure to surround me with people that Love me. People that lift me up and encourage me to do good.  I try to do the same.  Pay it forward. Thank you dear friend.  I am amazed at how those that have been a negative force in my life have been strategically removed. I still mourn their loss at times though.  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose". (Romans 8:28)

So, after I did what I did, I put myself in a better place. Washed my hands. Woosah!!
Remembering....Life is great!!
I am Blessed!!

Totem Travel Blog - Who do you see?

Awe yes....the memories of the best day ever!!  Reminder of how blessed I am. It was such an honor for Totem Travel to ask to use one of our Wedding Photo's for their Travel Blog (had to share..lol). Beaches Resort in Negril! We couldn't have gone to a better place and if you are gonna do it that way, why not use the best? Our Wedding as we chose to do it was exactly how it was supposed to be for many reasons. Definitely recommend it to others that may be tossing around the idea of a destination wedding themselves. Hope we get an opportunity to travel to another Sandals location at some point in the future though.  I'd really love to see Turks and Caicos. However, there is just so much of this world to see and so little time.

Scheduled Immigration Update:     None....They are slipping again!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

The quest for organization in my home continues....

I learned a very valuable skill this weekend that I absolutely must share to you all. Unless you all have been doing this already and i'm the one that just missed the memo. I must say that this is just one of the many things my husband has taught me thus far. This, is the art of rolling your clothes. Now I know this is nothing new as it has been something very popular with travel experts (like my hubby) and those in the military (like my hubby used to be too). But...it's new to me!  

I knew my husband rolled his clothes from witnessing the amount of items he was able to squeeze into his suitcase when he traveled. Mr Space Saver was always able to pack so much more than you could imagine. His suitcase always looked disgustingly neat too...lol  How? By rolling his clothes!  Seriously.  

The first time I saw him open his suitcase I was like WTH? 

(Now, I don't remember if I had this reaction the first time we dated many years ago. But, I've certainly taken notice of his neatness this time) 

 Please note that this photo isn't his bag because he doesn't wear pink heels..lol  But I had to show a photo example of what I'm talking about. Photo doesn't do his own packing skills justice though. lol But you get my idea i'm sure.  Avoid fees and hassles at the airport with a well packed bag!!

Anyways...while my husband loves to iron, rolling your clothes also helps to minimize wrinkles by keeping the garments from being crushed as well as keeping the surface of the garments clean. (And, who doesn't want to avoid ironing?) So, while I've been witness to how my husband packs his suitcase, while organizing our home yet some more, I've now witnessed how he organizes a drawer. When I saw him open the drawer to show me his unpacking, I was like "you got to be kidding me?"  lol 

But, there is method in his madness. I get him! I understand completely. I have to share!!

 Well this isn't his drawer either...lol But it's a darn good example of what he does!!  Amazing, really.  Now that I look at this photo though, as I write I wonder, did he color coordinate too? lol Never caught that. But, you better believe i'll take a quick peek. :)

At first, I found it a bit anal..lol But I love it. I really do. I just refuse to roll underwear! Can you imagine? Rolling a thong? Everything else works though. This...is why I am sharing. I am sure that there are more Me's out there that can appreciate a little change of habit and the space that is created from that change.  By all means, if you are new to this and/or make a change yourself based on my suggestion and sharing of what I have now learned...please, let me know. It's always good to know i'm able to help somebody. I am certainly grateful to my husband for setting me on a better more organized path. If only we can get the kids to pick up this new habit!!  One thing at a time...one thing at a time.
 

So I ended my weekend learning how to roll! 

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

I'm not finished yet though. Gonna re-organize all my clothes in my drawer. While doing that, I can continue to go through and possibly get rid of many of the clothes that I've been holding onto for sentimental value. lol God Bless my Mother who is always giving me clothes from sales at her local thrift shop. But hey....love how she is ALWAYS thinking of me.  

I refuse a lot when she tries to give me clothes because some of the items are way too small, way too big or just obvious why they were donated in the first place. Many I take because I feel like I've already refused too many and gotta take some. Then, I keep some around so that I can wear specifically when I see her and point out she gave the item to me. That makes her soo happy and I love to see her happy. Some, I hold onto with hopes that I can actually re-gift to her at a time when she might forget she gave to me. Lol  Sometimes that works out great but I got caught once, she remembered something. :) At the same time, sometimes I get something I just love. So yeah...I have a lot of clothes. In fact, I have three drawers full of clothes that I will only wear around the house or something. My new skill of rolling my clothes....is coming in handy! Already finding extra space that I definitely need now that my husband is home.

Oh....and while I used to laugh at one of my cousins that has a thing for shoes..I think I need to stop because I learned this weekend that I clearly have TOO MANY my darn self. I am soo happy Furman didn't start counting as he organized them for me too. Yup...had to go to Wal-mart to buy some bins for organizing. It was funny when we ran into an employee that recognized us from previous visits and commented on the amount of time we spend at Wal-mart. Oh boy.  Where we live though...there is not a whole lot of people of color so I can understand us being remembered. Besides...I think we are a hott couple anyways!  hahahaha  I'd remember us.

 LMFAO..Ok Ok....It wasn't as bad as this photo....but it could have been. We basically got a few large bins to separate shoes into Occasional Wear and Regular Wear. One of the closets looks awesome!  Other ones are still a work in progress but my husband is a genius!

Donated a few items that I had for years that held my shoes but just took up too much space. (Basically had them all thrown into an old toy chest) I just didn't realize how many I had till we pulled them out.

Now....I gotta figure out what to do with all the books I have. I've got too many of those too. Problem is...I haven't read them yet!! lol How can I get rid of them if I haven't read them? Working on it. Now don't get me wrong. I've got many books that I can probably get rid of:  my old study books from University (thought holding onto the Psychology books might be useful), and a crapload of Harlequin Temptation that were sent to me when I was a teenager suckered into the Columbia House Book Club. I even have a set of... Encyclopedia Brittanica. 
Yup...got suckered on those too when I was pregnant with my son in 1989. Just goes to show you how old they are (and what I sucker I was)....and....you can open them up today and still hear it creak from newness.  hahahaha  Anyone need an old set? Maybe I just need to sit down and watch an episode or two of Hoarders. Watching that show always makes me start throwing stuff out without a second thought..lmao

Well....that's it for my sharing today. But I thought that this bit of information would be very useful to someone. It sure is to me. Another reason to love my husband. He is not just a handsome face!

New Neighbors

   BAHAHAHAHA!

I was looking for a photo online to show "Frustration" in having and adjusting to new neighbors and came across this letter that says it all, almost! (I'm not the blast the loud music type) I'm not sure who wrote it but it is similar to what i've been through in the past with previous neighbors from Hell that I had. It was bad! I mean, It was bad! The woman was a "female dog" and the guy was a "part of man's anatomy". To say it nicely. I should have had a blog highlighting the drama with them. That would have been a hit..lol Trust me on that one! The notes, the phonecalls, the police visits, the I can drown out your noise with more noise...lol  I'll just say that while I wasn't making most of the noise, I took most of the complaints which is why we had issues. But, I won't rehash that horror, although I might have to make reference to what i've been through already from time to time. When the old neighbors finally left, I honestly think God gave me a break for a while.  I needed to recoup. I had been through so much stress with them that once they were gone somebody new moved in that was basically invisible. I swear. For a while I had concerns that maybe there was some undercover grow-op happening because there was never any signs of the new neighbor. But, the rent was getting paid and it was damn quiet for a change because nobody was around. I loved it!!! So, who was I to complain? But, that relationship had to end. I guess they came to their senses and decided not to not pay rent for a place they weren't living. lol  Shucks!! Never got to meet them.

The New Saga begins......hopefully, it wont be as bad.

The new neighbors have been slowly moving in since the beginning of the month. I've heard them (they certainly have an active sex life), seen their vehicles, but haven't run into them. (Couldn't wait to put a face to what I had been hearing...lol) Wondering who is the big person with the heavy feet. Then, when I came home from work last night and noticed their vehicles in the driveway and the garage open, I decided to do the neighborly thing I usually do... I knocked on the door to introduce myself.  Aren't I a sweetheart? Regular welcome committee if I do say so myself, minus the hot apple pie or welcome basket.  hahaha  There they were, all smiles as the door opened....Annette and Derek. They seemed nice enough. I'd probably put them at around my own age. They have two boys aged 7 and 10 from what I remember which is definitely a bit older than the kids the last neighbors had, but so far sounding the same.
What I mean by that is.....I can't figure out for the life of me why parents allow their kids to RUN THROUGH THE HOUSE!!!  I grew up in a day when running through the house was not permitted. Hell no!! You gotta take that crap outside! "This ain't no playground!" lol  Awe...the memories. Maybe it's a culture thing.  But God forgive me for the times I listen to the small kids running through the house upstairs and secretly hope that somebody gets hurt. Just hurt enough to learn their lesson and stop running through the house!!  That's all. I love kids. I got two myself...they're just grown up now. lol Any more for me?
Back to the neighbors.....Annette seemed real thrilled to hear that I had a teenage girl. BABYSITTER? lol  Could be a great thing for them AND my daughter. We'll see how this relationship unfolds. I can tolerate a whole lot...but it's when it gets ridiculous that I start having issues. I'm not the complaining type though which is why I had so many issues with the previous neighbors. I tolerated a whole lot and their complaints were absolutely ridiculous. It sure is nice to have Furman around. He can share my pain.  Oh wait...there won't be any because these new neighbors are going to be awesome!!!

LET US PRAY!!  God, please don't let these neighbors be Jerks, with a capital "J".  Give me the ability to control my frustration and deal with all neighborly issues that might come my way. Give them something called Consideration, so that they remember that there is a nice quiet family living below them. Keep me mindful of my own noise or anything that might seem as an irritant to my new neighbors so that we can live neighborly and in peace.  AMEN


As you can imagine, one of the first things I want to do when Furman gets his Permanent Residency is MOVE!!  It's overdue. I pay too much for what I get, although I am very comfortable. Everything, and I mean Everything, is literally across the street from me. But no more basement apartments for me...I don't care how nice they look. And, I have come to absolutely LOVE the church that I have been attending. You know you are a different person than you used to be, when you say that when you move you want to move somewhere close to where you can still attend the same church.  lol  Props to the church though. I'm really grateful to my friend Bryan for sending me there. Oh, and when I move I can downsize...yup, time for son to be a big man now...lol But, we are waiting for Immigration and i'm not sure that moving in the meantime is a good idea. So, we'll stay put. We'll make friends with our neighbors.  It'll be a new beginning soon enough.  Till then, i'm going to love my new neighbors. I said it!  Speaking positive to make it so. They are going to be awesome people, just like us!!

Speaking of Immigration...It's Wednesday.......Update time!

I'm not sure how accurate these updates on their website are because the last several weeks while the update date has changed, the info given hasn't. And, since the last update March 7th, i've noticed that the update date has reverted a few times back to February 29th as if it wasn't updated March 7th at all.

Now.....  (DOING MY HAPPY DANCE!!)

Person to be sponsored lives outside of Canada

Type of application	Step 1 Assessment of Sponsor	Step 2 Assessment of Person Being Sponsored (applicant) (The Call Centre does not have processing times for step 2)
Spouse, common‑law partner or dependent child	55 days (working on applications received on January 25, 2012)	View by country Status available online

It still says 55 days....BUT....notice what they say they are working on!!   Jan 25th....and our application was received Jan 31st. (Or so Canada Post confirms) Woo Hoo!!

We are about a week away from some progress.....assuming this information doesn't remain the same over the next few weeks like it was before.  Wipe my mouth!!  I gotta stick with speaking positive...Shame on me. Gotta get back to dancing......can't wait for the next update.  My excitement makes me think of this tune.....Whoop There It Is!!  Doing my running man dance...lol

Our New Addition

Please Welcome......the new addition to our family!!!

Oh Yeah!!

This baby was welcomed into our home on Saturday afternoon.

I'm not sure how many pieces she is in because she is still in the box although I know she'll be out by the time I get home from work today. No doubt about that! I refer to it as SHE because Furman will be doing the majority of the riding. lol (She will help him prepare for his upcoming Toronto Marathon, more than I can)  This, is his baby.  But you know I won't get away with not taking a trip every now and then myself. Oh no....he won't let me get away with that. I wasn't 100% supportive of this purchase because it was too pricy for my taste...lol But I didn't have to worry because like Furman said "Well I got money" lmao  It was cute in the store when he was playing with me like he needed my permission to buy her.  Should he?  HA!  I knew he had his heart set on her and I certainly wasn't going to get in the way of THAT relationship. Oh no...Him and the bike?  "Anything you want dear!"  But, i'll be on her.  

I'm not sure where she will take me, but i'll have to get on and see where i'll go. In my opinion, i'll only get to Genoa City because I can only see myself on it at a time when I am watching my soap, The Young and The Restless. Confident that that will be the best time for me because my head won't be on the riding as I pedal. I'll be all caught up with Daisy's antics and everyone's revenge on Adam, Harmony trying to get at Neal (Oh, I think that's what she's upto and I don't care how much she denies it...lol) and let's not forget the unfolding of Chelsea's baby drama with Billy and Victoria. Then, there is Kevin and his little Mafia Princess....oh gheez. Sharon...she's a lost cause. Jack....well, you know he'll walk again. Give the writers time to put it in. And that Phyllis....she upsets me sometimes with the stupid things she does that she just might help me pedal a bit faster at times. As you can see, i'm an avid watcher. Oh yeah...I can sit on the bike with the remote nearby so I can fast forward the commercials on the PVR. That might give me a good 45 minute ride.  But then again, a ride during Amazing Race might work too. I can imagine myself in parts of the race while I ride through the parts of the world that they get to travel to. It's a race....so that might help me put some pedal to the metal....lol  Yeah right!!  We'll see.

Anyways....Furman has his new toy and my daughter finally got her replacement turtle this weekend. Frisky little thing too. The other one definitely must have been a lemon. lol  Keeping my fingers crossed that he has a long life. Hate to see her disappointed again.  Guess I can say we had a couple new additions to our family this weekend.

We had an awesome weekend.  I feel like I ate so much food though because Furman took me out to dinner on Saturday at Pickel Barrel and then we had lunch with a couple of Furman's friends at Marche on Sunday.  Needless to say....I got right back on the treadmill this morning to continue my Personal Running Trainer program. Decided I would re-do Week 6 since I had two days off last week. 5 weeks left till the Toronto Yonge St 10k!! That gives me time to finish my program and repeat Week 8 a few times before the run. The weather outside is starting to be awesome so i'm sure Furman is happy. Oh yeah....he went for a run outside last week when we had a nice day followed by a few really cold days. A teaser!!  But every day this week is supposed to be Springlike.  Guess i'll see more of this......Furman's First Run in Canada - Training for Toronto Marathon. Awe....I love my husband...so talented. Give him time, I bet you he'll have one of me running soon enough.  hahahaha  Stay tuned.

Oh, and this week is March Break!! You know what that means......a little more alone time with my husband. lol After all, I got a teenager and she certainly doesn't want to be hanging around the house whether Furman is around or not. Nope...she is usually off to spend time with relatives on her father's side. Hey, she even said she graduated to earning her own key to her grandma's house.  hahahaha.  It was so cute when she was telling me.  Gosh, she is growing up so quickly....I really gotta enjoy as much as I can with her over the next few years. Pretty soon she'll be all grown!!!  She's already reminding me she will be 17 this year.  Boy oh boy!  So you see....she is gone for March Break....I would have been all alone.....not anymore!!! Furman is home!!!!  

"Just me myself and I now" my ass....hahahaha  Kids!!  (from previous post Super Tuesday in case you aren't sure what I am referring to with that last comment.)

Middle Name - Organized

I swear, I have the most organized husband!  I really lucked out. lol
His middle name has got to be Organized!!  lol  He oozes space saving.

Excited to get home from work yesterday I walked in to my husband who couldn't wait to show me his skills.  I must say...He is Good! Mr Space Saver!  He should do a commercial. Offer his services to others. Something.  His talent is needed I'm sure. I mean, I already knew he had it in him from previous visits where he organized my kitchen cupboards and stuff....but now, I got the chance to really see him in action. My home, correction...OUR Home.....will never be the same now that he has come through.  He found places to put things. He rearranged existing things. He squeezed things into places I wouldn't think would fit.  He found things I lost and didn't know I lost. Yup....Did I mention that this man is good? AND.....Oh, I gotta tell you this.....He found something that I had hidden and couldn't find for months. lol   He sure did. Something I say was totally lost but now is found.  (shrugged shoulders..lol)   Thank you honey.

Here is that story:
My daughter was acting a fool one day and as punishment, I took away her cellphone. Now, I've had previous issues with hiding things and forgetting where i've hidden them, but this was to the extreme.  Why? Because those things i've previously hidden from myself i've ended up finding when really needed them and when frustration boiled to the top.  Trust me, i've been in tears looking for important things I knew were close. Retracing steps...you know the deal. But this time, it was really hidden...it was Lost in my house somewhere. When I gave my daughter permission to search my room for it she couldn't find it and when I had to search my room for it, I couldn't find it either. Her cellphone was hidden soo good that I ended up having to pay to reconnect a substitute cellphone so she had something to use because I couldn't find the one I hid. Can you believe this? I never use the same hiding spot probably because I have teenagers that are pretty smart...lol  However, I made a dumb move if I must say so myself. My absent-mindedness cost me money this time because I couldn't send myself an email or something to tell myself where I had hidden the phone. (Just like Furman had previously suggested I do. Why didn't I listen? Or did I?) Funny thing too though, was that after previous occasions of not being able to find things I had hidden, I swore I would start sending myself an email and was pretty sure I did that this time. So, when I looked for this phone, I also checked my emails....But, I couldn't find the email either....lmao  Guess I forgot to send it or i'll find the email when I no longer need it.  Anyways, the phone is found and that will never happen again. Furman is home.
Where was the phone? Well, it was wrapped in clothing in a bin kept under my bed. But, I looked there. I swear I did. I obviously looked for it like my children look for canned juice in the freezer....it's there, but not moving other things to see it. :) Honestly though....I really and truly don't even remember wrapping it in clothing and putting it in there in the first place. I really don't. All I can say is that I must have been really mad that day to have hidden it the way I did.  lol Oh, and thanks to Mr Space Saver....under my bed, sorry...OUR bed, has now never looked better, among other spots. I'm gonna take some tips from him, trust me on that one.

Immigration Update:

Yup....waited all day for this one. Not understanding how March 7th update is saying the same darn thing as it did for the last two weeks.  Were there that many applications received January 3rd? Everybody trying to start the new year off right or what? Gheez  Maybe they just need Furman there to organize how they do things....you know, get our application to the top of the list so they know where it is. I think so.
Anyways.....hopefully i'll see some progress next week.  Furman is here....so it's all good.

Person to be sponsored lives outside of Canada

Type of application	Step 1 Assessment of Sponsor	Step 2 Assessment of Person Being Sponsored (applicant) (The Call Centre does not have processing times for step 2)
Spouse, common‑law partner or dependent child	55 days (working on applications received on January 3, 2012)	View by country Status available online

Super Tuesday!!

It's Super Tuesday and I'm feeling SUPER!

I mean it sucks to have to be back at work but.....it's an awesome feeling knowing that when I get home from work, my husband will be there!!  Woo Hoo!!  Can't wait to get home.

The weekend was great.
Picked up my husband and welcomed him home to Canada on Friday.  He had absolutely no problems coming through Customs/Immigration AT ALL!  See.....everything was under control. No worries. God took care of it!

Spent the rest of Friday and much of Saturday "Getting Settled" and just enjoying each others' company.
Will take a little while for my daughter to get used to having Furman around all the time i'm sure. Then again, it will take him a while to get used to living in the house with me and a teenager. lol  My son is hardly around so the adjustment there will be for my son to stop treating my house like it's a hotel. Gheez...like I said before, it'll be an adjustment for ALL OF US. I haven't lived with a man in just over 10 yrs myself so that'll be an adjustment!!. While we are all getting adjusted I'll be keeping my eye on my daughter and her behavior.  "Just me myself and I now" she posts on Facebook on Friday. I read that and was like WTH? What is that supposed to mean? I know how kids like to act out in an effort to deal with change. I'll be praying to God she doesn't start acting a fool. lol  She'll be fine though.  I got this!  I mean, we clown around a lot at home sometimes that Furman thinks we act like we are BFF's instead of mom and daughter. I know when to draw that line though, so I never have any issues when it's time to put my foot down on something.  Our communication has always been great so I make sure she feels comfortable coming to me with how she feels and I make sure she understands my point of view on things, etc.  That certainly wont change.  With her being a teenager there has been lots of time when I'm just by myself because she is doing her own thing.  She forgets about that thinking that now that Furman is here I wont be playing with her anymore.  No...it just means that now, I wont have to be alone anymore when she is off to be a teenager. Yay!  We'll all be ok. We got lots of Love in the home between us all. That's important. So, i'll help her with the adjustment. We'll all help each other.
I've done a great job this far! I don't care what anyone may think.

Random thought:  Gee...I wonder when the pet store will finally get my daughters replacement turtle?

Oh, back to my weekend....Saturday evening we had a date with my mom to take her to see the new Tyler Perry Movie, Good Deeds.  But, not after we took her for a little lunch at East Side Marios joined by one of my cousins and a friend of the family. Mom was happy to see Furman too. She loves him.  We all really enjoyed the movie. Much different from laughing at Madea. Touched me personally because I was able to relate to a few things from my own personal experiences. Sad, but true.  After the movie they accompanied my mom to do her favorite thing...BINGO, while we went home to relax because we had an early morning Sunday. Had to miss church.  Off to Hamilton, Ontario bright and early Sunday morning to attend a Star Twirl Competition with Stars United Baton Club. My daughter is a baton twirler and her teams were competing. Luckily, we didn't have a long long day and were able to get back home at a decent time to continue bonding. (big smile)

No work Monday for me. Nope....took that day off so I could enjoy what I will be missing while i'm back at work. Sucks! It feels sooo good having my husband around. We took some time out on Monday to do one of my husband's favorite things.....Costco!!  lol  Even enjoyed a Costco hotdog and drink that was only $1.50.  Only $1.50 for both I tell ya!  And this was a drink with free re-fills and the hotdog was huge!!  I'm a cheap date....hahahaha  His American Costco card scans just fine at our Costco stores so he certainly doesn't need me to go back there in the day if he feels like it.

Anyways, i'm back on the grind at work while my husband is at home exercising, organizing, relaxing, etc. Told ya I would find time to blog. Had to get back to my usual routine starting with my early morning run. Yup, Week 6/Day 1 of the Personal Running Trainer 8wk to 10K program. I gotta keep at it to be in fine form for next months run. I find it always a bit tough that first day running after several days off...today was no different.  I got Friday off so I can expect that next Monday will be tough too unless it's warm enough outside to do an outside run over the weekend. I'm sure Furman will be trying to figure out the perfect time of day for that. He's not in Miami anymore. lol  Our mornings are still freezing right now. He is getting the chance to get used to just how cold it can get here. lol  For real!
Yeah....people think he is crazy to leave Miami for Toronto.  I'm worth it though!

Is it time to go home yet?

I wanna get home and cook dinner and hang out with my husband and daughter.
Besides, we gotta celebrate....today is our 5 month wedding anniversary.  :)
Awe heck.....every day is a celebration.  Furman is here!