Things continue to be out of whack!

I got my car back from the garage today, after having the front breaks repaired. I am 300$ poorer, but it had to be done.

We have heat pump problems too - the compressor is broken (the piece which costs 1500$ to replace). Basically this is all the fault of the shady mother f*cker who sold it to us, but who is refusing to take any responsibility in the matter. My mom might need to take him to small claims court in the end, so that's a mess. We are trying to not let it get the best of us.

Meanwhile, our dishwasher is still broken and the new one that was suppose to arrive yesterday is on back-order, boo! So still washing piles of dishes by hand.

Also, apparently I may have an under-active thyroid (also known as hypothyroidism). My TSH levels are low after 2 blood tests, taken both 3 months apart. The doctor wants to do another test in 3 months to see if the levels are still low, in which case I suppose I will be diagnosed and will have to go on pills. However, for the moment I am looking into alternative treatments to see if I can try to balance out my hormone levels by myself. Patrick knows a homeopathic doctor, so I might give him a call and see what he recommends. Some of the symptoms associated with this condition seem bang on: poor circulation (chronically cold hands and feet), increased susceptibility to infection, and headaches and dizziness. I have all of those things! Plus it says it can effect mood and energy level. Of course, there is a long list of symptoms, so who knows, but it seems as though I might be getting to the bottom of some of my reoccurring malaise. Anyhow, the whole thing is treatable, especially if they catch it right at the beginning, so that's really good news.

In other good news, Patrick and I had a nice afternoon together. We went out for lunch at Scratch and then went to browse around the mall for a little while. Pat found some good deals at Old Navy, the store that he buys pratically all his clothes from. I swear, he never comes out empty-handed!

Oh, and.... I am going shopping in Burlington, Vermont tomorrow! It's going to be a busy, busy day, and I am telling my body right now that it must feel better by then.

I'll leave you with a heart-felt scrapbooking page dedicated to my grandfather. If you click on it, you should be able to read the writing.

Patrick's xbox died suddenly yesterday. Yah, the one that he just bought off of ebay, that we used for a total of one day. Why, you ask, did we need to buy an xbox off ebay? Oh, because the xbox he had just before that died as well. Yeah, some really great luck there. And we figured we'd better purchase another one to be able to actually use all the expensive games and equipment we have, so we made the trip to Best Buy today to buy a brand new one. Man, electronics are so ridiculously expensive, and always being updated, so you just have to keep spending and spending to keep up with the latest trends. At least this one is insured for 2 years, since Patrick has learned his lesson by now. And now we can drum our little hearts out!

Aside from that, I'm still sick, really ick, but trying to go with the flow. Yesterday we had supper with Pat's family and played Cranium, which is always a fun time. Pat was uber competitive and got frustrated at me for being so slow with some answers (such as not remembering David Suzuki's name among other brain farts), but we actually did quite well in the end. I love that game and it always brings about many laughs. I even got to put my English minor to use for once by knowing the definition of the word "cuckold" - man I was so smart for the 5 seconds that it lasted.

Today we had a nice dinner with my parents, and I subjected Patrick to nearly a full hour of home videos - me in all my 4 and a half year-old glory. Now that's some pretty entertaining stuff I tell ya! So much so that Patrick fell asleep on my lap, haha! I was one bossy little feist-ball back then, shouting orders at people, singing songs, telling my brother what to do, and eating constantly. Wonder what that says about the type of kids we'll have one day...

Well, I'm off to take a nice relaxing bath. Cheers.

Sniff, sniff, one year ago I was a day away from this place... I did this page for a random challenge at Scrapbook Centrale. It was quite fun. Man, I should be on their design team simply for all the freakin' times that I mention and link that store on my blog, lol.

This morning I woke up at 11:50 am. I can't remember the last time I slept that long. It's probably because I couldn't sleep very well last night - I kept coughing every time I swallowed, and felt like my throat was closing up. It was very unpleasant. So I ended up taking a Benadryl at like 2 in the morning. I guess that's what did me in!

Patrick and I played "Scene It" last night, which I just bought. Pretty fun! But his TV is so tiny we have to squint to read the writing. So I'm thinking that a flat screen may be coming soon. At least when you don't go to the aforementioned place, you can afford to buy stuff.

I am off to enjoy the day.

Good day, sunshine.... good day, sunshine...

And also, come late August or early September, when this paper goodness ships, I am in BIG BIG trouble... Why must you release so much nice stuff Basic Grey? At first I thought, okay, it's just too much and I probably won't even like some of it.. but then I went to Nic Howard's blog and saw her freakin' amazing creations for CHA, and I will NEED to have ALL of it. Damn! Oh and in case you're wondering, 2 posts in one night occurs when your boyfriends is hanging with his friend and you are waiting for him to call you, so you have loads of time to kill on the Internet. Seriously, I could waste days on here...

I've been cleaning today. I let my closet and drawers get really, really messy over the last 6 months, possibly even longer. It's amazing how much you can shove into small spaces. I filled an entire garbage bag and recycling bin with crap. I finally tackled the daunting project of sorting through old letters/poems/random musings that were just dumped all-together in a totally chaotic fashion. I have organized them by theme/year now. Much better. I am feng-shuied for the moment, at least in certain areas in my room. I still want to update the decor, repaint, change some furniture around and such, but I don't know if it's worth it in the end. We shall see how motivated I am to do this project by the end of the summer.

Anywho, I found lots of interesting hate letters to my ex-boyfriend, and huge picture of Jon's Lajoie's head pasted onto a heart, good times, good times. Haha. Gotta keep those for entertainment purposes for my future children. I always wished that my mom had left me more tangible things like that from her teenage years. While call it weird, but I plan on keeping stuff like that. I guess it's the obsessive scrapbooker in me. But no, I was like that even before I started scrapbooking, like in 5th grade when I started officially keeping a diary and writing, writing, always writing...

While cleaning, I also came across these words I had written on the front cover of a notebook. Yes, I used to write out lyrics and poems and the like ALL the time when I was younger. I was reading the words and literally felt them pulling at my heart strings - I practically recited it word for word, and yet couldn't quite put my finger on where it was from... then of course I realized it was from the sleeve cover of Morning Glory. And once again my sickly Oasis obsession became blatantly evident. Isn't it great I found this just in time for the month of August - I keep reminding Pat that his Oasis tutoring will begin so that he can brush up on his songs and facts before the concert in September. Hahaha... anyways, here's the words I found:

Coming down off the nova somewhere near the boiled egg that is the Royal Albert Hall, we watch Paul's sun crossed with John's star and hold ice cream hands. Someone slipped on a cassette as the one you wanted left with someone else but somehow it was cool because as the music filled the shadows, you heard a sound that was a million miles away from fakery and a step away from your heart.

Just like it always did, this sound puts the swagger back into your step, the rush into your blood, but somehow, and I don't know how, they had become deeper, wider, soulful, better at their craft, inspired by so many things like a world that is tilting who knows where and the applause they always knew was theirs but waited so impatiently to receive. Words cut you from all angles, backed up by a monumental sound that rises high, high and high to crash against your rocks and then changes, majestically and magically to soothe the wounds inside.

As you are dragged inside on this trip abandon, you hear a council estate singing its heart out, you hear the clink of loose change that is never enough to buy what you need, boredom and poverty, hours spent with a burnt out guitar, dirty pubs and cracked up pavements, violence and love, all rolled into one, and now all this.

At the end you flip over and start again because now you are not isolated. They have gone to work so that you can go home. High above the day turns pink and you feel your feet lift above the ground as new roads open up in front of you. In this town the jury is always rigged but the people know. They always know the truth. Believe. Belief. Beyond. Their morning glory.

- P.H. in the summer of '95.

Newish pages - I'm scrapping a ton these days! Also being very, very lazy, but it's acceptable because I'm sick. Apart from that, I've been cleaning up my iPod, making playlists, reading, watching TV and Movies, and not much else!

Well the weather has been incredibly dull for the past few days and it's putting a damper on my spirits and energy level. Add to that the fact that I am either coming down with something or have allergies, and it's just BLAH all-around. I woke up at 11 am this morning and still felt tired, and had a headache before I even stepped out of my bed. The AC was finally fixed yesterday, so there has been freezing cold air blasting into my room - not doing my throat very much good. I am actually wearing fluffy slippers and a sweater now! Anyways, enough complaining!

I am feeling incredibly nostalgic at the moment, feeling the need to re-read old letters and yearbook messages - I don't know why or where it came from, but it happens every so often. I am also having the urge to keep writing my high-school story, which I haven't done in a few years now. I should really be writing a little bit each day.

In terms of scrapbooking, I'm catching up with some of the quiz challenges that were issued at Scrapbook Centrale. I am quite behind, since I decided that I would do both Patrick and I. It will be a nice memory down the road I think. Tomorrow I am going to Alex's to scrapbook, yay!

On Sunday we went to visit my grandfather's grave, which we haven't done in probably 5 years or more (at least I haven't anyways). We took some pictures, which my uncle insisted was a little morbid. I suppose it is, but at the same time it is celebrating my grandfather's life.

Afterwards, we went to Au Vieux Duluth (so original isn't it?) - it was good, but nothing amazingly special, as usual. My brother took this picture:

Today there are baby birds in my backyard!! We think they are baby cardinals, because the bright red father is feeding them. I just looked it up and apparently it's the father that feeds them while the mother builds new nests. Look how cute the baby is:

Also, my dad has started taking anti-depressants because he has been incredibly down for the past few months. We have tried a lot of different things, but he just has zero motivation to do things unless we force him to. We hope that the pills can cut down the anxiety and help him start feeling better. Of course we were apprehensive at first, but I think this is what's needed to give him the extra push. It has been heartbreaking and extremely draining to watch him in this negative state for the past little while, and now we realize that something's gotta give. So we are trying the pills and keeping our fingers crossed for improvement. I don't expect a miracle drug, but I'm hoping it can at least help him have some interest and motivation. My mom is on vacation for 2 weeks, so that is also helping to lift his spirits a little bit. Just one day at a time...

New pages for your viewing pleasure!

Also, I added a link to Jon's website so you can go check out the highly entertaining work that he does. Click on the head in the tree to see his videos. Please be warned, he uses a LOT of swearing and some of his topics can be considered offensive (even though he's really only making fun of things).

Last night we watched this movie, which was pretty good for what it was, a light-hearted comedy/romance/action. (I've debated posting about all the movies we watch but then it might be really obvious that we are big losers who watch WAY too many movies). Although McConaughey is fairly attractive (if you don't take into consideration his side profile), I just kept thinking how much more "wow" the movie would have had if they had only cast Josh Holloway in this role. I mean, come on, it would have been perfect for him!! Oh my sweet Sawyer, how I miss you on prime time and how torturous it is for me to wait so long to see you again... sniff, sniff....

Last night was Jon's live show "Live as F*ck". First let me just say how amazing it is to watch someones career take off when you have known them since the "early days" when their family and seemingly weird sense of humor got you hooked on Kids and other such oddities. When Joel and I were going out, we'd listen to him teaching himself guitar and singing with Lisa in his bedroom (and wearing incredibly tight blue leather jackets, ha!), we'd go watch his plays when he was at Dawson, we went to see his band playing, watched him of french TV ... and now, now he is going to be a big, big star. It all feels very surreal, and I don't even know him that well. I can just imagine what it's like for all the family, and for him. I guess we all can't help but live the dream vicariously for a while.

So Patrick and I arrived early last night and hung out having a drink. We saw Jon and Lisa show up, and people were actually stopping him in the street to ask to have their photo taken with him! Then Nino appeared (who has been dubbed his friend Steve) and people wanted to take their photo with Nino too. It was all very crazy. Nino kept going around saying "you want some of this" and bragging that it was "his" big night. Ah, Nino. Gotta love him and pity him at the same time. But he did look very happy, even victorious. He even conned Patrick into buying him a 7-Up, ha!

Jon has some great new material, and his stand-up was awesome. There were so many great bits. And the atmosphere that a live audience brings just can't be beat. There were some agents there, and people from HBO. After the show they were sticking around to talk to him. We actually didn't get a chance to say hi because he was too busy. So we ended up getting a lift home from Darla and Pat - haven't seen them in ages and it was really nice to catch up. We squished 4 people into the back of his car, and I was worried that we would all DIE because he's a bit of a wild driver, but we made it safe and sound, thankfully. All in all, it was a great night, and certainly well-needed for us both with all of the drama going on in both households at the moment, which I will refrain from writing about in detail.

Julie and I also went to Scrapbook Star yesterday to check out what it was like. It was pretty nice, although a bit small. Since it is half the distance of Scrapbook Centrale, we might go there if we need certain essentials, now that all the damn scrapbooking stores near us have closed. Scrapbook Centrale is still bigger and better, rest assured, but Star had certain little items I haven't seen. Afterwards we had lunch and then scrapbooked, which was fun despite the yucky, depressing weather. I have tons of pages just piling up, so I'll be posting them soon. Have a great day, I'm off to exercise.

It's my parent's wedding anniversary today - 26 years together! Here is the card I made for them:

And here's the card I made for my dad on his birthday but didn't get around to posting:

It's such a beautiful day outside!! Hope you're all enjoying the summer. I have to get going to the doctor's now, boo!

Happy Birthday Dad!

No, he's not much into celebrating this year, but we had a party nonetheless for him on Saturday (but today is his real birthday). His mother and sister even came over (which hasn't happened for a very long time), and all went smoothly. It was a beautiful evening - the temperature was just right, the food was amazing as always thanks to my mom (who always outdoes herself), and the company was nice. We even had a nice little ambiance thanks to the new fire.

I just thought I'd point out this little gem of a movie that Patrick and I watched a few nights ago. I wasn't expecting it to be so good. Good story line, solid acting, just funny and cute all around, and with a good soundtrack too. There's a really catchy indie song on there too that I just have to have. You'll know which one when you watch the movie. Totally worth it.

I haven't felt much like blogging the past few week or so, mostly out of laziness. Things have been so-so family wise, good workwise and relationship wise. I've worked every day at the daycare, but on a schedule that is arranged always at the last minute, which is somewhat annoying, but I've grown accustomed to it over the years.

Last weekend, which feels so far away now, Patrick and I went biking together to Chambly, which was about an hour and a half ride there and back. It was good exercise and a nice day, so all in all, a fun time. That night we had a nice steak dinner with my parents and brother, and then tried out the new gas-burning fireplace my mom bought. You wouldn't think so, but it's really nice and natural-looking.

Sunday, we went for a hike on Mount Royal with Patrick's parents, his sister, and her boyfriend. It was super hot and I wasn't so sure we would make it all the way to the top, but we did, impressively. Afterwards we came home and went swimming, then had a bar-b-q. Overall, a nice weekend.

I've also spent some time with friends this week. I helped Julie peel off wall-paper on Monday, which was bizarrely fun. I told her it was as rewarding as popping a giant zit or peeling off dry skin (which I love doing, yes, I know I'm weird). Then Tuesday we had a scrap night with Julie and Alex, which was fun as always. Thanks for the blueberry muffins!

Yesterday I was exercising and encouraging my dad to so as well. He did quite a bit with my help, which is really, really good for him. It is hard to keep at it all the time, but we keep trying. That's about all I can say at the moment. I bought him some puzzles to work on today. One little thing at a time.

Patrick is having a "boy's night out" with Dave - they're off to an Alhouette's game, leaving me all alone to complete projects, which are mostly scrap related. I made a sketch book to store all my loose sketches in one place. The loose sheets were really getting out of hand, and needed to be organized.

I came up with this solution. It was a pain to have to take the covers and papers all off the binding and then put them back on, as was cutting and gluing the many sketches and sorting them into categories. But it's done now and I can just put sketches in here right away now, instead of shoving them into my drawer and letting them pile up.

I'm also going to decorate juice cans with paper - they're becoming my new pen holders. I seem to be wanting to change a lot in the decor department lately. I also have the huge urge to re-do my room. You see, our dishwasher leaked water through the floor and in through the ceiling of my room. It damaged the paint and plaster in one corner, and make my shelves swell up - they look really bad, but you can't really notice unless you know it's there. However, this event has made me realize that I haven't updated my room for over 6 years, and I am dying to do repaint it and rearrange everything. I want new furniture, new paint, new art work, etc. It probably won't happen - I'm just dreaming. It would also be stupid to start any projects now considering that I will most likley be moving out within a year or two. But I still have that urge! I really want to get new bedroom furniture that I can eventually bring with me to my new place. But my room is so small that it's next to impossible to fit a whole set in here. So I will just let it play out as a fantasy and focus my efforts on things that are actually doable right now, like scrap-related projects.

Also: Yay, I don't have to work this weekend, or any weekend until the end of August thanks to many banked vacation hours at the library!!

So here are some photos from yesterday. I forced everyone to pose on the lawn like that and I think some thought I was crazy. It's all in the name of fun photos to scrap with, come on people! Julie and Alex were naturally good sports because they wanted good photos too. I think that their neighbors thought we were very, very loud and strange English people... we wanted to sing the national anthem very loudly as a group but we were afraid that people would through things on the property, ha!

Worked all day at daycare and we were enjoying the sun for the most part. Neve has finally learned how to say my name, it's so cute, but it became slightly annoying after she repeated it fifty times in a row. Ha, gotta love 2 year olds. I also did spinning on break, which was well-needed after all that I ate yesterday.

Pat and I will likely go swimming later at his place, and probably watch more of the Office. Love that show. Not in much of a mood to formulate complete sentences with "I" in them, but whatever, it's the summer, it's slack, it's all good!

Happy 141st Birthday Canada!!

I found this photo on flickr, cool no? We're going to celebrate shortly at Alex and Ryan's place - they're having a bar-b-q. I didn't make the GPK parade this year, nor will I be making the fireworks, and I kinda feel like I'm letting my home town down. It's a tradition to go down to the arena and catch up with friends you have known since elementary school. But not this year... sniff, sniff... but we will probably have more fun at the bar-b-q anyways, especially since the festivities are becoming more and more "french" and lame each year. And then there was last year's sad "laser" show instead of fireworks... and the fact that the police started forcing the crowds out of the fields at 11 pm. So yeah, I guess in the end, I'm not missing much.