Happy Halloween!

October has been a busy month - we've had the StepDaughter nearly every weekend, and that always keeps us hopping! Last Friday we took her to the Halloween Pumpkin Patch Carnival and she quite enjoyed that, they had a dance floor for the kids and everything, it was quite cute to watch her dance. If only there weren't so many of those scary skeletons around! She is quite afraid of skeletons for some reason, and of course, that seemed to be every boy's costume of choice. She was quite upset they wouldn't take off their costumes for her, hahaha. Trick or treating tonight will be fun!

I think we have figured out what we want to use as centerpieces for the wedding, and it will only cost about 1/4 of what we budgeted for, so that is GREAT. Something under budget for once, amazing, I know! I am still waiting for the papers to start making the invites, I am quite frustrated with the whole process. I wish cross border online shipping was just.. better. 90% of the time it works, and it's fantastic, but then that one time that a parcel goes missing, well, it sucks.

Other than that, life is alright. We both seem to be in a "rut" right now and that kind of needs to change... but we're working on it and that is all that matters! The changing from summer / fall to winter always sucks. I need snow tires.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow. I don't even have an excuse for not posting in the last two months. Can I use wedding planning as an excuse? Probably not. *pout*

Anyways, yes, wedding planning! It is well underway, the date, venue, DJ, photographer, and most importantly, the dress are all picked / purchased / deposited. Saturday June 28 at a local golf course in Penticton, for those of you wanting to know! I could go on and on and on, but, I won't. Hee hee.

Other than that, life as usual. I swear to god, no matter how hard you try to get out of debt, something else rises up and kicks you in the ass. It's kind of frustrating, just how much money life costs. Money might not buy happiness, but it sure as hell buys stability, and I could sure use some more of it. Also, I am addicted to Ikea right now. Someone stop me.

Finally, my congratulations to Z and her family, who will be welcoming a new addition to the family next spring! YAY!

We're engaged!

Last Monday, our two year anniversary, my boyfriend popped the question, I accepted and we are now engaged. So very exciting!!! Wedding is to be in Summer 2008 sometime.

I haven't updated in a while. I suck. We have been so busy running here and there and being social, it's a bit crazy. The puppy is now officially six months old, so cute, and so precocious. He gets neutered in 3 weeks (yes, I hear you males cringing, and I also hear the females whooping) and hopefully said neutering will calm down his aggression while playing a bit. He thinks he is a very tough dog, but only when he is holding onto either of his rope toys. They must be like when Superman puts on the cape or something, he transforms not into a superhero but a Super Tough Dog! Someone should let him know he's a golden retriever, and a pussy (which he is when he's not holding onto said rope).

I am on this crazy "pay off this debt" kick right now. I hate debt. I hate credit cards. I hate how easy the banks / credit card company / my brain make it to spend money that you don't have. I refuse to do it any longer! I want to be debt free (well, except for the mortgage. any decent house here costs an arm and a leg, and it will take you at least 25 years to buy them back) and I want to live within my means. Wish me luck.

Next week we leave for an 8 day long camping trip, to celebrate our two year anniversary. Should be nice and relaxing, lots of sleeping in, fishing, reading, and just relaxing by the lake. Much needed, let me tell you!

Much Ado About Nothing

Life has been busy lately, running here and there doing this and that. I have been taking cake decorating classes once a week, and that is actually kind of fun! Although I think I am mostly doing it for the opportunity to eat the icing, hee hee hee.

Father's Day was low key. We had the stepdaughter all weekend, and she gave her dad a couple of crafts and a backcountry map book. She also wrote the word "dad" on the card which was kind of special, since it's the first time she's done that.

We're going camping this weekend, and next weekend, and then to visit my parents the weekend after that, so it is going to be a busy month. The puppy is in Level 2 of his obedience classes on Monday nights, so I feel like right now I am just going through the motions to get everywhere we need to be and get everything done that needs doing. It is annoying, and I would much prefer life to settle down and give me a day to relax. Just one day!

Step Me

Sometimes I sit back and daydream about what I used to think my life would be like as an adult. Back when I was a teenager, I used to spend hours of time thinking about how perfect my life would be once I moved out. I was fiercely independent, and my mother is fiercely stubborn, that's probably all I need to stay.

Never in my daydreaming did I imagine I would date a man with a child, or become a stepmother.

This is probably something that I struggle with the most in my day to day life. The Stepdaughter is a great kid, and she is pretty strong and well adjusted for the less-than-ideal family situation she is stuck in, but on the other hand, she is definitely the biggest strain on my relationship with The Man. Certain events in the beginning of our relationship didn't do anything to ease this strain, some of which has more to do with her mother than with the stepdaughter. Sometimes these, well, negative feelings can be overwhelming and it's hard to stay focused and positive about the situation, and I find myself sitting back and thinking about exactly what role I want to play in this, if any.

But then there are also the positive moments. Like this past weekend, when we're sitting out on the front steps, just her and I, eating chocolate dunkaroos (yum!). I finish mine (she may be the world's slowest eater) and she looks over and says "your dunkaroos are in your tummy and now you will get big and strong" and pats me on the belly.

Or when I tell her that I am her stepmom and she is my stepdaughter and she announces to the back yard that I am going to step her, haha, and proceeds to run around the kiddie pool while I try to step on her feet.

So I guess if my only role in this is to step her, I can probably handle it.

To cat or not to cat

We had a new loveseat delivered today, and they took the old one away. We bought new living room furniture (couch, loveseat, chair) when we moved into the new place, and I discovered one day that the back of the loveseat inside was wrecked. Since it's under warranty, I called the Company Named After A Piece of Masonry and they sent out their repair tech. He gave me the option of them taking away the loveseat, fixing it, and bringing it back 2 - 3 weeks later, or just exchanging it for a new one.

Gee, that was a hard decision.

So today we got our new loveseat. Which is fantastic, because, despite my best efforts, the cats have been using portions of the couch and loveseat as a scratch post. Despite having a scratchpost next to each piece of furniture. Sigh. The loveseat was the most wrecked (and it wasn't overly noticeable if you don't live in our house and aren't obsessive compulsive) but Muffin was rather pissed off about. So new loveseat = less pissed off Muffin.

Now hopefully the cats leave the new one alone. He wants to get them declawed, I absolutely refuse. I have heard of those plastic caps for kitties' claws - anyone have any personal experience with those? I tried buying that "this stuff is supposed to stink and keep the cats away" stuff, but it didn't work. Covering the corners with aluminum foil worked (they only scratch at the corners) but really, who wants aluminim foil over their couch corners 90% of the time?

May long weekend camping was fabulous - ridiculously busy, but fabulous. I again leave you with a precious picture of my baby and his momma.

Roughing It

I have to say, as much as I love my boyfriend, having a break this weekend was nice! I was able to catch up on the housework, take my precious puppy for more than a few leisurely walks, spend some time cleaning my car, and just take it easy. Saturday night I also went out for dinner with a girlfriend, that was a lot of fun. I do think that breaks are important, especially when you're at the point of wanting to kill each other. Last night we went out together for ice cream, and it was a lot of fun so thanks for that baby. :)

We are going camping this weekend, leaving Thursday right after work! 4 nights / 5 days of magical campingness, I'm rather excited for that!! It'll be Chevy's first camping trip, he's going to have so much to smell and explore, hehe. We're going with some friends of mine from the Coast, I'm really looking forward to seeing them. Camping wahoo!

I now leave you with another cute picture of one tired out puppy dog:

Sports!

Goddamn Canucks. Deep down I did know they were going to lose to Anaheim, so there was really no surprise, but it was so exciting that they were in the second round. I think overall they put forth a good effort, and I'm excited for next hockey season.

The Boyfriend is going camping with a buddy this weekend, so I get the house all to myself (and the puppy!). I am really looking forward to it, because I have been feeling so overwhelmed by life lately. It seems like my "to do" list just keeps getting longer and longer, and I can't get a grasp on it, and I hate it. I feel like there is no end, and I just feel stressed about it in general. Plus, I'm stressing about money, the lack of which I have no control over, and it is making me very short-tempered and irritable, and is seriously fucking up my sleep schedule. I am hoping to get caught up on everything this weekend, have some serious "me" time, and get myself back into a positive space. Life is so overwhelming sometimes.

In happier notes, is this not the cutest picture ever:

Not so smug now...

Well, we'll see how they do tonight. I may be buying a Dad Gone Mad tshirt tomorrow. Sigh. Stupid 'nucks. Damn ducks.

Bring It!

In the interests of friendly hockey wagering, I have agreed that if the Vancouver Canucks lose the series to the Anaheim Ducks (hah! as if) I will buy one of Dad Gone Mad's tshirts.

In the almost certain event that the Ducks lose, he will send me one free.

I love free stuff.

Down at the Coast

I'm in Vancouver this week for some super duper exciting Microsoft SQL Server 2005 training. I know, it really is as thrilling as it sounds. **eye roll** When I arrived Monday night, the Canucks had only 10 minutes left in Game 7, and I have to say, Robson Street was insane. Cars and people everywhere, fireworks, drinking, yelling, honking, etc. I can't even imagine what it would have been like if they had lost.

It is always weird coming back to "the coast" when I have so many memories of living here. Just driving down the Lougheed Highway the other day, pulling into the Superstore for some munchies - I used to do all my grocery shopping at this store on a regular basis back in the day. I get stressed out driving down Hastings and I remember when I used to do that on at least a monthly basis, and it was no big deal. The crowds annoy me, the traffic is completely ridiculous, and I catch myself wondering why on earth someone would want to live here. Then I remember that I did.

If you like reading at all, you have to read the book called "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert. Yes, it is a non-fiction work by a pyschology professor, but it is not a self-help book. What it is is a fun and interesting read about how the human mind works, and how we interpret the feeling we call "happiness". It is the best book that I have read in recent memory, and I laughed at loud at several points. It won't tell you how to "find" happiness, or make yourself happy, but it will give you is an interesting understanding of how the brain tricks us on a daily basis. :) Read it!

A Puppy Update

I took the precious boy to the vet yesterday, he is a whopping 23 pounds! He was a mere 7.5lbs when we first brought him home 4.5 weeks ago. How the time does fly!

I'm standing on one side of the examination table, the vet is on the other, the dog is on the table between us. Now that I've set the (obvious) scene, said vet looks at me and says "Let's check to make sure he has two testicles".

Honestly? Fly at 'er buddy, if you really want to fondle my dog's testicles, more power to you. I, on the other hand, could really care less.

The vet fondles away and concludes that our brilliant puppy does, much to his father's relief, have two testicles descending. Yay?

A few minor things later (listening to the heartbeat, feeling up the ribs, etc) and the vet goes "and how was he with the temperature taking last time?". We didn't take the temperature last time, so I guess he was fine? Hah. (This wasn't our regular vet as she was away on vacation. Must be nice). So this vet pulls out his handy thermometer, throws a plastic sleeve on it, and puts some treats on the table. He then proceeds to stick his handy thermometer up my dog's ass, and after what seems entirely too long, shows me the temperature of 37.5. Which is perfect, apparently. He then takes off the plastic sleeve and lets my dog sniff the very item that was just up his ass.

In the space of 10 minutes, my dog got his testicles fondled and an instrument shoved up his ass. I think he's seen more action than I have in the last week. ;)

I hate being busy

Well, the last couple of weeks have been a bit busy! Baseball (slow pitch) is in full swing, and I am happy to be playing again this year. So far we have won one, lost one, and tied one, so that is magical really.

We found out a couple weeks ago that the stepdaughter would be relocating to Calgary. This was very sad news - the boyfriend was especially going to miss his daughter, but we were both looking forward to having longer periods of time with her when we did have her. Then when we dropped her off this weekend, he found out that said move is no longer happening. This is good, in that she will be close, but it has some small negatives as well. Overall, life will remain the same, so all that stress and so on for nothing.

We went to see my parents on the Sunshine Coast over Easter, and we took said stepdaughter with us. It was her first time seeing the ocean, going on a ferry, it was a weekend of many firsts. She had a really fun time and is already asking to go back! I will post some pictures of the weekend after I find the stupid cable to download said pictures.

The puppy was 12 weeks old yesterday, and he knows "sit", "come", and "down". He is so precious. The peeing and pooing on the rug, however, is not quite as precious. It's amazing the stink that can come out of something so small!

Other than that, life goes as normal. I really want to put up the pack of 7 assorted sized round mirrors in the guest room, and officially label that room as finished! The bathroom is next up, I am going to be painting it a kind of orange-y colour, I am excited and nervous about that all at once!!!!

I'm a Horrible Person

Dear The Girl,

I will, I promise.

Cuddles

Play ball!

First baseball practice tonight, so stoked! Here's hoping I can unearth my glove and batting gloves from the depths of our so unorganized I can't stand to go down there basement. The first game is on Sunday, and the forecast is calling for wet flurries. Sweet.

Overcoming their fears

The precious puppy has learnt not to be afraid of going down the stairs, and is now doing it all by himself! Such a big boy!

And, the precious stepdaughter has learnt not to be afraid of the puppy, and they were rather cute running around the field together last night.

How my life has changed. :)

THE NEW BABY BOY!

The precious new baby boy! Born Jan 22 / 2007, male purebred golden retriever. His name is Chevy and he is, quite possibly, the cutest thing known to man.

BC: 1, Alberta: 0

The weather yesterday reached 19 degrees. Yes, you read that right, 19. I couldn't believe it - the day was absolutely gorgeous, the sun was shining, the birds were singing when I woke up in the morning, all around it was just a good day. Today I wake up and it is -2. Sigh. That said however, I don't miss living in the Prairies one bit!

When I first moved here, and even up until relatively recently, I missed Edmonton a fair amount. There are things I didn't miss, like the cold winters, and being away from my family, but I did miss my Edmonton friends, and being in a big city where there is lots to do. Since then, I have put down some really strong "roots" here in the Okanagan, and I honestly can't imagine moving again. I have moved a lot since I first moved out at 19, I think 8 or 9 times, and I am fairly content to stay in one place for a while, and build up a nice home base. I have got a fantastic relationship (Muffin!) and started to build some great friendships here (Michelle & Ash, Gillian, Pam & Einar, Baze & Jen, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone) and it is really starting to feel like Penticton is home.

In other news, if you have some cash to spare, and you love your skin, you really do have to try this. I just got it in the mail, and tried it last night, and ohmy! it is probably the best skin care product I have ever used on my face. I also bought a lip exfoliator from them, and a bronzer, both of which I am more than happy with. I think I have a new addiction. :)

Nothing to see here

Not much has been going on lately, just the normal day to day stuff, get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, with a few things inbetween. I am really looking forward to the weather warming up and the sun coming out for a few days, I'd really like to spend some time outside in the fresh air! I am definitely not a winter person. Baseball starts up in about 3.5 weeks, so that should be exciting and good for a change!

Cabbage Patch develops the shits

The stepdaughter came over last night - last weekend I painted her room purple, put up a quote that says "Like star dust on fairies wings, little girls dreams are of magical things" and stencilled fairies around it. I also put up a row of 5 pictures of her with us doing a bunch of things. She finally got to see it last night, and she absolutely loved it! I will have to post some pictures, it really is the cutest little girl's room ever!

Anyways, I had bought her some Cabbage Patch Kid diapers at Walmart a couple of weeks ago, and she finally discovered them last night. She wanted me to show her how to put the diaper on, which I did, and then she went "oh no, she pooed in her diaper!" and ripped it off and put a new one on. Within 2 seconds of putting the new one on, "oh no, she pooed again!". I tell you, that Cabbage Patch Kid had the shits far worse than anyone could ever imagine. She thinks it's funny now, but I'm sure when she has her own kid, changing diapers won't be quite the same. I myself am not looking forward to it, should we ever have a kid of our own, god forbid. :)

What colour are you?

I am a BLUE!

http://www.thecolorcode.com/#

BLUES are motivated by INTIMACY. They seek to genuinely connect with others, and need to be understood and appreciated. Everything they do is quality-based. They are loyal friends, employers, and employees. Whatever or whomever they commit to is their sole (and soul) focus. They love to serve and give themselves freely in order to nurture others' lives.

BLUES have distinct preferences and have the most controlling personality. Their personal code of ethics is remarkably strong and they expect others to live honest, committed lives as well. They enjoy meaningful moments in conversation as well as paying close attention to special life events (e.g. birthdays and anniversaries). BLUES are dependable, thoughtful, and analytical; but can also be self-righteous, worry-prone, and moody. They are "sainted pit-bulls" who never let go of something or someone, once they are committed. When you deal with a BLUE, be sincere and make a genuine effort to understand and appreciate them.

SAD, or why I'm glad winter is nearly over!

The last few days the sun has been out more and more, and the temperature has been reaching 10 degrees. It is so nice! We've been able to clean up the patio, put out the patio furniture, and now we're on the hunt for a barbeque! I can't wait for the summer, being able to sit outside and have a beverage at night is going to marvellous, ditto the barbequing on the deck. It is also nice to be able to walk outside and not feel instantly frozen. Also, we've started doing cardio for 30 mins at the gym on our lunch hours - what a difference a bit of physical activity makes. WOOT.

*Disclaimer: Yes, I know it isn't all that cold in BC. However, I have lived on the Praries for 2 winters and therefore I feel I have paid my dues, and yes, I do know what it is like to live somewhere where it reaches -40 for days at a time. Therefore, I feel entitled to bitch about the weather dipping below zero. Hah!

Ok, I lied, he isn't annoying

For the record, Ash isn't annoying, hehehe, and now that I've said that publicly I will require him to share his knowledge of how to hook up a trailer.

Valentine's Day was good, we went out for a nice dinner together, came home and watched the hockey game and a movie, in the middle of which he fell asleep. :) I got a gift certificate for a hot stone massage, so that was very kind.

Tonight he is having a couple of his boyfriends over for poker night, so I think I am going to tidy up the upstairs, and start painting the smaller bedroom. And there is laundry to be done... oh, the laundry!

Ash Makes it to the Big Screen

I was informed, no, scratch that, TOLD, that there better be an update by lunchtime. For the record, my life truly isn't that exciting. No *giggles* I'm serious - it isn't! We are thinking we are going to have to get rid of the third cat we recently took off Muffin's parents hands. The cats just aren't getting along and I'm getting sick of the late night meowing and the fact that one of my cats won't use his litterbox all of a sudden, and the new cat is using the bedroom plant (gross) so I think she will have to go.

And, yes, I am aware it is Valentine's Day, but my expectations are low, he's a fantastic guy, he just keeps complaining about how much he hates V-Day and so on. Who knows, maybe he'll surprise me?

And Ash, here you go, just for you, I mentioned you on my blog. Ash is my most annoying friend, but handy to have around should I need a trailer hooked up. Hehehe.

Happy Tuesday!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, in case you've been living in a cave without a calendar. This is probably the most hated day by men around the world, and really, I wonder how much stock women really put in it anymore. My last Valentine's Day was fabulous, I will admit, but I'm sure this year will just be another day in the life, and honestly? I'm Ok with that. I think I would rather be in a relationship where love and respect is shown every day, in all the little ways, then have only one day a year to celebrate love.

Weekend! Woot!

I love Fridays. I especially love payday Fridays, but today is just a regular Friday. This weekend we have his daughter, and we're having some people over for dinner tonight, including my love monkey, that should be fantastic really. Hopefully the little one goes to bed on time and with minimal crying and maybe, just maybe, can I also ask that she sleep through the night? That would truly be fantastic. Truly.

Also, I'm sick, and I'm cranky.

Not a mommy, not a daddy, no real opinions to be honest

It's so hard sometimes to find a "purpose" for having a blog - I'm not a mommy (although almost a stepmommy?), I'm not a daddy, I'm not particularly funny, at least not when it comes to the written word, but yet I feel the need to have a blog. So here it is. And I'm using it again. Hah!

Does anyone read this anymore?

Or would I just be talking to myself?