Concert!

I realize I haven't blogged about the most exciting thing that has been happening to me lately. By now you should know that I am a huge Kenny Chesney/Dierks Bentley fan. Early in the year Kenny announced his Road & the Radio tour and that he was bringing Dierks along as an opening act. The originally announced dates were all for the Eastern/mid west states. All I could do was *hope* they'd come out to the West Coast.

In March it was announced that yes, Seattle would be one of the stops. He's not big on Canadian stops so this is the most I could realistically hope for. A few weeks later it was announced that the concert would be a stadium show, taking place at Qwest Field (where the Seahawks play)! Then they confirmed that it was on Saturday, June 24th (perfect since getting time off work is sketchy with this job.)

Mid March I joined the Dierks Bentley Fan Club. I've been meaning to do it for awhile and this was good timing. This morning VIP passes through the fan club went on sale. Of course there are more then 25 fans in the North West (They release 25 pairs of tickets per show) and thanks to my unstable home computer (where I was I had logged on from) I wasn't able to secure any. It's okay though. As much as I would have *loved* to have floor seats, there are two benefits to seats in the stands. 1. They are cheaper :D 2. Two friends can come instead of just one.

Which friends? My concert buddy Jenna who has already seen Dierks with me twice (when he opened for George Strait in 2004 and last fall when I won tickets) and new country music convert, my friend Crystal who appreciates Dierks for more then just his music (as do I ;)) We are going to have a BLAST!!! The concert starts at 4:30 pm but we'll be down there way before that. Then we'll probably get a hotel room and do the touristy thing in Seattle on Sunday.

Girls weekend away with Kenny and Dierks! What more can I ask for? :D :D :D

Only 85 sleeps!!!!!!!

~Heidi

PS I forgot to mention, general ticket sales don't start until tomorrow. My wonderful friend Diane was kind enough to forward me the email from KMPS (Seattle radio station) with the code for pre-sale tickets. Thanks Di!

Japanese

I don't know why but lately I have been craving Japanese food lately on a regular basis. Deb and I went last month and it was yummy. I was due for some though. I *knew* there was a Japanese restaurant in the town where I work but I didn't know where it was. Instead of checking the phone book like a normal person I just kept my eyes open during my travels. Monday I found one but it was closed :( Yesterday I found the one I was thinking of. Today I went for lunch. Soooo good! I just had a regular "Box A". Vegetable Tempura, Chicken Teriyaki, California rolls, salad, miso soup and rice. With tax it was $8.51. I also picked up a take-out menu. I will definitely be back!
~Heidi

Cobs Bread Part II aka the global village

Responding to Veronica's comment about my last post...

Veronica in Aus said...
Uh huh - reasonably priced? what about when I add my travel expenses to get some??? ;)

Looks very yummy though.

How does ten minutes work for you? :D

From the Cobs "About Us" Page:

COBS Bread started in Vancouver, BC, Canada with the opening of the Edgemont bakery in November 2003. Its opening team of people included some Aussies who had travelled far and wide but fell in love with Beautiful British Columbia. These intrepid Aussies were from Bakers Delight – a retail bread baking group.

Please feel free to visit the Bakers Delight website at www.bakersdelight.com.au

There's a shop in Gisborne. LMK what you think :D

~Heidi...loving the internet...

Mmmm Bread…

Cobs Bread is a relatively new bakery franchise that is gaining popluarity in the lower mainland. A new one just opened in the town where I work and where I'm house sitting, and there is one scheduled for the town in which I live.

One of my co-workers daughter's works there. All the product is baked fresh daily and at the end of the day the staff help themselves to whatever is left over and the rest goes to the food bank (except the poppyseed loaves because this screws up the drug addicts testing levels. The last thing you want is to test positive for opium when you've just been eating free bread.)

Yesterday my co-worker brought in a loaf of bread that is chalk full of seeds. I just had some for a snack. YUMMY! If you get a chance, go try some. It is quality bread and quite reasonably priced.

~Heidi

For my PA friends...

A handyman was working for a Synagogue had asked for a raise and was turned down. He decided to quit and went out to look for work. First he went to a Catholic church and was told that in order to work there, he would have to answer one question. The priest asked, "Where was Jesus born"?

The man answered, "Pittsburgh", and was thrown out.

He then went to a Baptist church. The minister told him that in order to get a job there he would have to answer a question. He was asked, "Where was Jesus born"?

The man answered, "Philadelphia". He was tossed out.

Walking away he met the rabbi who was looking for him. The rabbi exclaimed, "The board approved your raise. Please come back immediately".

The man said to the rabbi, "I will come back only if you answer a question. "Where was Jesus born"?

The rabbi says, "Bethlehem".

Cries the man. "I knew it was in Pennsylvania".

The highlight of my day...

I just figured out that I *do* have the software necessary to change a jpg to a pdf on my work computer AND how to use it! This is awesome!!!
~Heidi

Amen Sue!

The Martin Chronicles: For argument's sake

Read Sue's latest blog entry. It is *so* true. My brothers (the two older ones) have been complaining lately that they can't find any "intelligent conversation". Both of them work afternoon/night shifts so they don't have a lot of time to cultivate friendships. They are finding that the friendships they DO have are with people who are very shallow. People who don't/won't discuss/debate current events and the state of society. It is a credit to my brothers that they are missing this type of stimulating conversation.

I personally don't understand how people can live without paying attention to the outside world. Some of the best conversations I have are with people who are willing to discuss world happenings and what they think about them. There is nothing quite as stimulating as being forced to defend your point of view or trying to inform someone about a certain topic. I'm not suggesting that you be confrontational, just discuss stuff. It works your brain and makes you a better person.

Seth was over on Sunday. He, Mom and I had a lengthy conversation regarding teen pregnancy. We didn't solve the problem or come up with any new solutions. We each just had a chance to air our view points and the conversation made us think a little bit. That in itself is a victory.

Debate. It does a body good :)

~Heidi

7761

Seven thousand, seven hundred and sixty one. That's how many steps I took at dance last night! I wore my pedometer and it counted for me. I knew we moved a lot but that surprised me.

I can't believe dance is almost over for the season. Just two and a half more weeks, then a Friday night dance and Rally in June. I won't mind having a break, twice a week can be a lot, but it is so much fun. Plus I finally bought proper shoes so it makes me want to keep going. Oh well, September will be here before we know it.

~Heidi

First slurpee of the year, and Ikea

Today was another beautiful Saturday. After meeting up with a local CMC to get copies of pictures from a retreat we attended together last June (about time!) I headed home. There I picked up my mom and we headed out. My first stop was the 7 Eleven to get my first slushie of the year. Coke and Sprite. It was yummy!

After that we made a few stops including at Costco. Then we dropped our purchase off at home and really hit the road. Our plan was to just drive. Enjoy the scenery and explore a different part of the countryside. Explore we did. For those of you familiar with the area we stayed north of the freeway and south of the river all the way from home to the 152nd street freeway entrance. It took about two hours but it was a lot of fun. We saw many big beautiful homes and lots of rolling pasture land. Some of it even reminded me of Pennsylvania in a way.

By the time we reached 152nd it was still early enough so we decided to go to Ikea. Mom has only been there once and I haven't been there in years. (Janis, I can tell you've been there lately ;)) As is my usual with Ikea, I walked through the whole store, coveted A LOT of things, but left with only a two dollar cd case. Some how when I got there I can always get out and spend less then twenty dollars...I *know* once I have my own place that will change.

We also had dinner there. Quite satisfying and the dessert was yummy. Now I'm eating "LantChips" the Original Scandinavian Syle Potato Chips and drinking a lignonberry soda.

So there, that was my day. Hope your weekend is going well.

~Heidi

Commonwealth Games

A few of my Australian friends have been asking if I have seen any coverage of the Commonwealth Games happening in Melbourne. The answer is no. Granted I don't watch a lot of sports tv but in my day to day media exposure I haven't seen anything. The World Figure Skating Championships are on in Calgary right now and CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) is covering them quite heavily instead. If it weren't for my friends "down under" I wouldn't even know the Games were on.
~Heidi

God Bless Spencer Silver and Arthur Fry

Why? Because they are the inventors of Post-it notes! One of the best inventions ever. And the new flag tab things 3M has invented? Pure genius :)

Read about the invention of post it notes here: clicky

~Heidi...attempting to get organized...

Costco has Photo Developing!

Woohoo! I've been waiting for this to come to Canada for awhile. It's finally here. I don't have a card but Mom does and I used to use it all the time before I got my digital. I am excited because Wal-Mart currently charges 24 cents and Costco is only charging 18. Makes a big difference when you develop as many pictures as I do...or as many as I should be. I'm a little bit behind :P

Speaking of pictures, I've been uploading some in the past few days and I found this one from last summer. I think it's kind of a cool shot of me. This is when I was at the Symphony of Fire fireworks show at English Bay last summer.

~Heidi

F7

Did you know that F7 is the shortcut key for spell check in Word? I didn't figure that out until today. What a handy little button!!!
~Heidi...still working on minutes...

Survey

CASEd from Melissa's blog to keep me sane while I type up meeting minutes.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:	Heidi
Birthday:	July 31
Birthplace:	Alberta
Current Location:	British Columbia
Eye Color:	Hazel
Hair Color:	Brunette w/ auburn highlights (sounds much nicer then "brown" :D)
Height:	5' 8"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	Right
Your Heritage:	Paternal: Irish/English Maternal: German/Eastern European. Bottom line? Multicultral third generation Canadian :D
The Shoes You Wore Today:	Black pumps because the other three pairs I considered wearing are at Jains's :P
Your Weakness:	Procrastination - hence this quiz :D
Your Fears:	Deer. On dark roads.
Your Perfect Pizza:	chicken with alfredo or bbq sauce
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	Moving out, being debt free
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	LOL
Thoughts First Waking Up:	I love/hate this song
Your Best Physical Feature:	hair
Your Bedtime:	depends on where I am sleeping/what's on tv. Usually between 10 and 11.
Your Most Missed Memory:	Thing I remember that I miss the most? Is that the question? Meredith, and our adventures :)
Pepsi or Coke:	Coke.
MacDonalds or Burger King:	First of all it's Mc D's, not Mac D's. McD's fries, BK Jr Whoppers
Single or Group Dates:	Group there is less pressure
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Blech. Neither thanks.
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Plain? Vanilla. With stuff? A chocolate base is better.
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Latte :)
Do you Smoke:	Nope
Do you Swear:	Only in extreme circumstances ;)
Do you Sing:	All the time
Do you Shower Daily:	Yep
Have you Been in Love:	No
Do you want to go to College:	Yes, but I have to wait until I'm confident I'll actually DO the course work
Do you want to get Married:	Yep
Do you belive in yourself:	For the most part
Do you get Motion Sickness:	Not as a general rule and almost never in the car.
Do you think you are Attractive:	Yep
Are you a Health Freak:	Bwhahahahaha!!! Ahem. No.
Do you get along with your Parents:	Yes
Do you like Thunderstorms:	YES!!! Love 'em! We haven't had a really good one in a long time.
Do you play an Instrument:	I pretend on the panio. My current wish is to learn the drums though.
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	Uhh....can I plead the fifth?
In the past month have you Smoked:	No
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	LOL, no illegal ones...
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	No
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Yes, TAX RETURN BABY!!!
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	Ooooh This is exposing ALL my secrets! Let's just say there are still some left :D
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	Yes and it was YUMMY
In the past month have you been on Stage:	No
In the past month have you been Dumped:	No
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	No it's too freaking cold!
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	Well, I took a purple highlighter from my last job but they know about it
Ever been Drunk:	EVER??? LOL
Ever been called a Tease:	Yes
Ever been Beaten up:	Just by my brothers :P
Ever Shoplifted:	No
How do you want to Die:	Either in my sleep or I'd like to freeze to death. It seems so peaceful. Just get so cold that you loose conciousness and never wake up.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	An Executive Assistant :D
What country would you most like to Visit:	Australia
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color:	Truly no preference
Favourite Hair Color:	Dark
Short or Long Hair:	On Dierks? Long. On everyone else? Short :D
Height:	Taller then me
Weight:	More then me :D
Best Clothing Style:	Whatever fits him best. Suits, Wranglers, Construction overalls etc. Depends on the guy.
Number of Drugs I have taken:	No illegal ones
Number of CDs I own:	A zillion. LOL, no, ones I've bought? Probably over 50. I've never counted.
Number of Piercings:	None
Number of Tattoos:	None
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	very very few
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

Official New Title

Okay, I've done it. I've officially updated my blog title.

Coffee, Country Music and the Corporate World

I think it reflects the most current topics that I'll have here.

When I started my job they made a big deal out of the confidentiality clause. Therefore I won't be making any specific comments about what I do or the type of work we're involved in. LOL that sounds so top secret!!! It's not that bad, I just don't want to get in trouble. I am in the "corporate world" though and I know my posts will reflect that...hopefully a lot more positively then from my last job!

Thanks to everyone who reads. It's great to mention something to someone and they say "I know, I read your blog!" I didn't realize how nice it would be to have people already know what I was talking about.

Hopefully it continues to be interesting for you.

~Heidi

For Miss. Smarty Pants

Yes V, that means you ;)

I've been sitting at the computer for over an hour already and I am so tired I can't thread together any coherant thoughts. I've been reading a lot but actually posting is hard. I have a lot I *could* post about but that would require thought. Let's see if I can make it work.

Blog title: I like the "coffee and country music" part. It's just the "career search" that needs to be changed. I'm thinking of "and co-workers" to allude to the fact that I'm working in corporate America...or Canada I suppose. Speaking of my original blog title was "Coffee, Canada and Country Music". I don't really talk about Canada though so that doesn't apply. So, what do you think? "Coffee, Co-workers and Country Music"

Speaking of co-workers, mine are great. They really are. I'm fitting in well...at least that's what my boss keeps saying :) I've laughed out loud more in the past week then I did in my whole last job (okay, that's a bit of an exageration but it is definitely more frequent). My boss and I are incredibly similar, which is great, and the other staff are very supportive and friendly.

The pace we've been keeping this past week is a bit nuts but I know that as I settle into the groove I am going to love it.

Country Music: In anticipation of Kenny's Stadium, yes STADIUM show in Seattle, I went ahead and joined the Dierks Bentley fan club. I've been meaning to do it for awhile and it was just time. Being a member is great. I've got all his video's at my finger tips as well as member only journal entries and a whole new section of the message board...which I'll never have time to visit anyways :P I joined the club just in time too. It was annouced this morning that Kenny et al will be playing Qwest Field in Seattle on June 24th. I can't tell you how happy I am that it's a Saturday night show. Now to figure out who wants to go with me...

Last weekend I was at a scrapbooking retreat. Me, Deb, Sue and Teresa were the only attendees. It was great. I got a TON done and finished up most of my tall ships album. That one has been a bit of an albatross for me so it was good to make progress.

I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard. As a parting thought I'll leave you with a picture of my beloved Mt. Baker as taken on Sunday afternoon.

Have a great week everyone.

~Heidi

Day 5

I am mentally exhausted right now but I'm going to be gone all weekend (at a scrapbooking retreat) and I didn't want anyone to think I was ignoring my blog.

Work is going really well. Like I said I'm exhausted but deep down I really am enjoying it. It amazes me that a position that is this perfect for me can just drop into my lap. I find myself pausing during the day and marvelling that even when I WANT to procrastinate, as is my nature and as is the habit I've built up over the last year, there actually tasks for me to do that I *enjoy* doing. And they are even more interesting then procrastinating. I don't know if that makes sense but it's a really neat feeling.

My co-workers are amazing. They are a great group of people. Very funny and relaxed but incredibly professional and every last single one of them is driven to accomplish the goals of the organiazation. It is so exciting to be surrounded by people that actually CARE!!!

I survived my first board conference call this morning. It was very, very interesting. This will be a fairly regular occurance so it was nice to get one under my belt. Of course I now have thirteen pages of notes to type up, and I will be out of the office at another meeting on Monday and we have a second call scheduled for Tuesday! I.n.s.a.n.e...in a good way :D

I also "decorated" my office. Brought my fountain, sand garden and some candles in. It's nice to make it feel a bit more homey and to have a conversation piece for people who walk in.

Back to my co-workers. I went out for lunch today with my boss and the two men in our office. The four of us had been involved in the conference call so it was wrap up from that. We had a blast! My boss and I razzed those two mercilessly. She and I have a similar sense of humour and it's more proof of how well we get a long. So. much. fun :)

The day isn't long enough to complete my tasks never mind blog. I do plan on keeping this up to date but don't be surprised if my entries aren't as frequent as they have been for the past few months.

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Heidi

Flying Salsa

OMFSM! Or should that be Oh My Flying Salsa Dish?

**Janis, you probably shouldn't read this :P**

Tuesday's are my quiet night. The time I take out, just for me to relax. Yesterday after giving blood I picked up a movie and headed out to Janis' where I'm house sitting. Got the movie cued up, poured myself a drink, put some nachos in a bowl and some salsa in another bowl.

To get from the kitchen to the family room is a total of about seven steps. I grabbed my drink with one hand, balanced the salsa on the chips in the other and moved towards the couch. You'd think I could handle that little maneuver right? No such luck. The salsa bowl slipped off the chips and BOUNCED on the floor. Bounced because it was a plastic bowl. It should be noted that had it been a glass or ceramic bowl it would have just broken and the story would be over. Because it was safe-indestructible plastic it bounced and splattered salsa e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. I'm not exaggerating when I say everywhere either. The floor all the way up the wall and on the CEILING!!!

Yes. I, Heidi, got salsa on the ceiling.

So, just grab a wet rag and clean it up right? Off the floor? Good. Off the wall? Good. (this was right in the archway between the kitchen and the rest of the house) Off the desk, base boards and closet door? Good. Off the ceiling? Not so good. :(

Did you know that spackle is water soluble? :O I was up on a chair wiping bits of pepper and tomato off the ceiling when I realized the spackle was coming off too. So, I did what any self respecting woman in a domestic crisis would do. I called my mommy.

"Uh, Mom? Is the spackle SUPPOSED to be coming off?"

According to her this is normal so I proceeded as gently as possible. Non the less, there are now some bald spots on the ceiling that my need to be re-spackled :(

So that's my story of the flying salsa. Next time I'll use a breakable bowl :D

~Heidi

I found Kenny

Good news. I found my "Road & the Radio" cd. It was hanging out with Keith's "Be Here" in my trunk. I knew posting here would make it turn up! Now to locate my receipts and gloves :P
~Heidi

Welcome Blurb

I knew an email had gone out letting everyone know that I was starting. I didn't know what it said until now :)

Hello everyone. Please be advised that Heidi is joining our team as Executive Assistant starting Monday, March 13/06. Her skill set and experience are well suited to this position and we look forward to welcoming her.

Cool huh?

~Heidi

Electronic Stapler

I have an electronic stapler!!! How lazy is that? LOL

I remember when I got my first stapler at my old job. I had been borrowing a co-worker's for a few weeks before we finally ordered one for me. I was so excited that I promptly put a staple THROUGH my thumb :P I'll be sure to keep my fingers far away from this fancy one.

~Heidi...honing her multi-tasking skills

Missing

I have a habit of losing things. Usually it takes awhile for me to realize they are gone. Often I end up finding them again. Sometimes they elude me indefinitely. Right now I am missing three things (that I know of)
1. the leather gloves that Aaron gave me for Christmas because I lost one of the ones Robert gave me last year.
2. my Kenny Chesney, "Road & the Radio" cd
3. all my tax receipts from 2004 including the copy of my return.
It is very annoying. I'd really like to find them. Hopefully by posting this I can get the word out and they can come home :D
~Heidi

Great service at the drive thru Starbucks

This morning I got up and ready with plenty of time to spare. To celebrate my first day on the new job I drove through at Starbucks. (My first time since I started house-sitting). First off, I know it's stereotypical, but when I heard a guy's voice over the intercom it caught me off guard. He gave really good service though. He was really friendly and made a point of clarifying my grande-no-foam-no-water-extra-hot-soy-tazo-chai to make sure he got it right. Then when I got to the window he was chatty in a not-annoying way and I ended up telling him all about starting my new job etc. etc. He even gave me samples of the new cupcakes (which are very sweet but tasty).

I won't allow myself to develop a habit of having Starbucks every morning because it's just too expensive. I admit that getting such good service does make it tempting though!!!

~Heidi

Day One at the new job

Well, so far my head hasn't exploded...amazingly enough. I am taking in SOOOO much information! It's all good though. I have my very own South facing office which lets in some great natural light. This is a busier place then my last office (actually, anything would probably be :P) so I'm getting used to having people talking and the phones ringing. It's fun though. I got my printer working, and I'm online (obviously). This week is just a lot of getting to know how everything works and what I'll be doing. I've taken lots of notes and I'm already starting to accumulate sticky notes on my monitor :) I haven't spent a lot of time with the staff (aside from my boss) but they sound like a great group of people. I'm looking forward to getting to know them. So, day one and all is well :)
~Heidi

CANstruction

We (Mom, Dad, Aaron and I) just got back from "CANstruction" at the cruise ship terminal at Canada Place in Vancouver.

CANstruction
From their website:

Canstruction Vancouver showcases the considerable talent and generosity of our creative communities in the fight against hunger. Now in its 4th year, this international design/build competition, which benefits local food banks, brings together teams of architects, engineers, graphic artists and students to build amazing sculptures using only canned food and other non-perishables.

Our favourites?

(Johnny) Cash for Cans
Spamlet



Can-iolator


Pirates of the CANibbean

My weekend thus far...

Bet you thought I forgot about my blog eh? I haven't it's just that I didn't have internet access for a few days and when I got home, there were too many people around. I find it hard to write if it's not quiet. So, an update since I was last on.

Thursday I spoke with my new boss again and she "officially welcomed me to the team". Just confirming that she got all my paperwork and it was in order.

It snowed really heavily on Thursday morning but by mid-afternoon it was gone. That evening I went to dance. On the way home it was snowing lightly but not sticking to the road. ER was a re-run so I packed up my stuff and headed out to Janis'. OMFSM! It was snowing SOOOOO hard!!! The last time I was in a storm like that was when Meredith and I went to 100 Mile House. Thursday night was like driving in another world. I knew the road but everything looked different and the street lights on the snow gave it a really ethereal glow. Very creepy. Most people were going about 70 kms. The trucks were going around 50. I was VERY thankful for my new tires!

Friday the snow took a lot longer to melt but it was a beautiful sunny day. I did some cleaning, packed up my scrapbook stuff and went shopping. Michaels, Zellars, and a dance store in White Rock where I purchased proper square dance shoes. I've needed them for a long time and since I know I'll use them and I'm really enjoying dance and planning on sticking with it, it was worth the investment.

From there I headed to Deb's for an afternoon/evening of scrapbooking. I didn't accomplish a lot but I had a good time. Cut some sizzix titles, made some cards and played with the shapemakers. Driving back that night was completely different from Thursday. It was totally clear and dry out. You wouldn't know that there had been almost blizzard condtions the night before.

Saturday I met my friend Jenna at her new condo. Got to see the beautiful paint job and meet her finches. Then we went for lunch, got our passport pictures taken (just in case I decide to actually fill out the application :P) and went for a walk around the lake. It was a beautiful day.

Today we are thinking of heading into Vancouver for awhile. I'll let you know how it goes.

~Heidi

Faith Hill: Fireflies

As you know I am not a Faith Hill fan. I'm not a female artist fan in general and a cross over artist fan even less. That said, I picked up Faith Hill's new "Fireflies" album from the library the other day. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Track by track?

01. Sunshine & Summertime
Fun song. Funky groove. Reminds me of "Barbie Girl" by Aqua for some reason. :P

02. Mississippi Girl
This was recorded on my 23rd birthday. Aren't you glad you know that? :) I like this song because it was written specifically for Faith by John Rich of Big & Rich after B&R toured with Tim McGraw. It's a good come back song for Faith even if is has been extemely over played on the radio. Oh, and it's got a kickin' intro.

03. Dearly Beloved
This is hands down my favourite song on the record. Great music and hilarious lyrics. Unfortunately, it is all too true. Here's the first verse:

Good morning, dearly beloved
we are gathered here today
to watch two people we know
make a big mistake.
They’ll stand up at the altar
and solemnly swear; “I do”
They’ll be together forever
’till they find somebody new.

04. Ain't Gonna Take It
Faith usually includes a "you're a jerk and I'm finally leaving" song and this is that. Good tune. Hopefully I'll never be in a situation where I identify with the lyrics.

05. Stealing Kisses
Another quitessential Faith song. Doesn't really offer any solutions, just comments on someones unfulfilled life.

06. Fireflies
Before I comment on this song I'd just like to point out that I have never actually seen a firefly. Can you believe that? They must be a Southern thing. I've seen them in movies and I know what they represent but I never caught any as a kid or anything. Weird huh? That said, for those of you that HAVE caught fireflies and for anyone that dreams, you'll love this song :)

07. Like We Never Loved At All
I'm a fan of Tim/Faith duets. I'd be happy with them doing a whole CD of them. Love the video for this song, and when I'm in the mood, I love it.

08. I Want You
This is a beautiful song. Almost a lullaby. It has the same sound as a song that I sang in the opening ceremonies for the BC Disability Games. That song was written by Cheif Dan George. There's a native drumbeat that makes this one sound really earthy. Reminds me of Pochaontas too. I like it!

09. Lucky One
This is the new single and the song that she sang with Keith Urban at the Grammy's. I can't help but laugh at the second verse:

...twenty-seven and I thought I’d
be further along
than just this rented space.
I got no papers to read
I got no cable TV
and I got no places to be
I got no people to meet

While I do have places to go and people to meet, when I'm house sitting I don't have papers or cable TV :D

10. If You Ask
A forgetable song. Not good enough to listen closely to and not annoying enough to skip over.

11. We've Got Nothing But Love To Prove
This is a rah-rah America song :D It's fun if you don't mind the extreme patrotic over tones LOL It will probably get stuck in your head. Watch for "We've got nothing but love to prove" to be Faith's motto in the future.

12. You Stay With Me
Another forgetable song. It does a pretty good job of showcasing her voice but nothing else jumps out at me.

13. Wish For You
This one REALLY sounds like a lullaby. Can you tell she's a mother? Very pretty. Very soft. Good intro to the next song.

14. Paris
I don't know if this is considered a bonus track or not. None the less, it's a nice song. Very soft. I like the violins at the end. The image of "Stealing the Mona Lisa, tearing it up in little pieces and laying them at your feet" is disturbing though...that and the way she rhymes "LisHa and pieces". Also, I'm not sure WHY she can't give you Paris. Never quite explains that :P

Over all, it's a good cd. Still very "Faith" but better then I expected.

~Heidi

I want this birdhouse!!!

Country Stars Paint Birdhouses for Charity
Take a look at the one Dierks did.
Dierks Bentley's "Barroom Birdhouse"

Dierks Bentley’s "Barroom Birdhouse"
The top of this birdhouse is covered in Busch Light "roof tiles" which matches the theme of what’s happening inside! There you’ll find everything you need for a fun night at the local pub: Bar stools, pool table, guitar and case, dartboard on the wall at one end and pool cues on the other end! It’s all topped off with a few open brews scattered on the tables and the bar, and a swinging light and fan on the ceiling! Lots of detail and lots of fun in this birdhouse and no surprise that its named "Jakes Bar"! Dierks Bentley has signed one end in black marker. Place your bid to win it today!


It's "Bartenders, Barstools and Barmaids" and "Domestic, Light and Cold" all wrapped in to one!

I love it!!!

~Heidi

Stupid Groundhog!

Apparently on February 2nd the groundhog in our area saw his shadow because today we are experiencing the "six weeks of winter"! It is snowing. Hard. Big fluffy flakes. This is what my back yard looks like right now.

And to think that yesterday I was admiring the crocuses and apple blossoms. Poor flowers! Hey V, can I borrow your jeans?

~Heidi

Happy Anniversary Car!!!

The annual trip to Hemlock also marks another year since I totalled my car.
Two years ago I fliped my car, landed on the roof and walked away unharmed.
Two years ago I was without a car for the first time in a year and a half.
Two years ago I was car shopping.
Two years ago I walked back into the same dealership where I had bought my first car, told the sales guy that I needed a new one. That day I purchased one that was almost identical to the one I crashed, except it was a better colour (not white) and two years newer.

This year, my car and I are celebrating two years together. So far I've gotten it, new tires (which I should have gotten in October but chose to go to PA instead), new air filter, oil change and I've booked it for a new windsheild tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary Car!!!

~Heidi

PS I renewed the insurance too. Upped my liability (as recommended by ICBC), added business use insurance (as required by the new job), and reduced the "to and from work" to "under 15 kms" (since it's officially 13.8kms :D) I save about three dollars a month with the changes and my new 5% discount.

It's Official!

I signed the paperwork this morning and I start me new job on Monday. I am enjoying my time off but after reviewing the job description again this morning I am excited to get to work. I spoke a bit more with my boss today as well (I can actually call her that now! :)) and she said that she got GREAT references on me. I didn't doubt it but it was nice to hear. It's given her some peace of mind about hiring me for the position as well.

I also alerted the placement agencies that I am taken. The one that arranged that original interview said they were still working with the hiring manager to figure out a position. Glad I'm not waiting for that!!!

Over all, I couldn't have asked for better timing had I planned it myself. This is perfect!!!

~Heidi

Weekend Update

Good Morning Everyone,

I'm developing an interesting habit. The day I deactivated as a CM consultant, I went to on a weekend retreat with a bunch of other consultants. It was a great way to celebrate the change of moving on. This weekend, I celebrated the end of my contract and the fact that I have a new job to go to. So, end something major, go away for the weekend. I like it! :)

This weekend was the fourth annual trip to Hemlock Valley Resort. Melissa is a highschool friend of mine and she and her boyfriend Jevon coordianted a weekend away at a cabin at Hemlock. So far every year we've rented a new one. It's fun to see how different they are. We all bring our own food, drinks and snacks. Jevon makes french toast on Saturday morning and dinner on Saturday night. This year it was yummy marinated chicken breasts with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Delicious!

Above is Melissa and I toasting the new era in my life :)

Saturday we went for a walk and played in the snow. The resort is closed due to financing issues so we pretty much had to stay on or near the road. The roads themselves were basically dry but the plowed snow banks were HUGE! Left is Scott and Rachel throwing snowballs. Below is me attempting to stand on the snow without getting wet :P

This year there were ten of us. We played board games like Risk, Yahtzee, Scattegories, FRIENDS triva and Pop Culture DVD Trivial Pursuit. We watched movies, The Weather Man and Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom, which I hadn't seen before and played crokinole and pool. Don't I look like I know what I'm doing?

LOL It was a very fun weekend. Today I'm off to run errands since I'm living a life of leisure ;) Have a great Monday!!!

~Heidi

I GOT IT!!!

Pending formal paper work of course ;) I got a phone call this afternoon, and I have officially be offered the position of Executive Assistant. They need a few days to get it together so Wednesday morning I will go in and review it and providing I don't have any problems with what they propose then I can start work shortly there after.

Thank you to everyone for your words of encouragement during this journey. I am VERY excited to be a part of this new organization and move on to a new phase in my life.

This weekend I'm going away with friends to celebrate. I will talk to you again on Monday. Have a fantastic weekend!!!

~Heidi

Welcome Janis!

One of the newest members of blog land is my friend Janis. She is living in Cyprus right now with her husband and three kids. I am house sitting for them while they're gone. Check out her blog and the pictures of her adorable children :)
~Heidi
PS I've been cleaning out the favourites on my work computer and transferring them here. I get daily updates on over thirty blogs daily via feedblitz and most of them are listed to the right. If your blog is NOT listed and you would like it to be, just let me know!

Cleaning Up

I finally finished my final report and I've spent the afternoon cleaning up and cleaning out. Lots of shredding, lots of deleting electronic files. It's kind of sad. I mean I've put the last fifteen months of my life into this place and now *poof* everythings gone. Granted we did good work, helped a lot of people and stuff but there really isn't a lasting legacy from a one year project. It's weird to think that no body cares about all the files I've accumulated and that I have to just get rid of it. When I left my last job, someone else was coming in. With this one, I'm leaving three files in my desk. The phone system, security system, and an inventory list. Whoopee. Weird. Very weird.
~Heidi

Blog Name

In the comments under my "Reference Checks" post Martha asked if I was going to change the name of my blog when I get hired. It's funny that she brought it up because I have been thinking about it lately. Thanks for the "rhythm and rhyme" comment Martha. I'm kind of parital to this name as well.

But, when I get hired, I will no longer be doing a Career Search so that will have to change. I was batting around "French Kissing Life" from Kenny's "Be As You Are" CD but while I love the song and the title the lyrics don't really fit me...even though I wish they did ;) Any suggestions?

~Heidi

Get some tissues ready!

From Scrapbook.com:

In an exercise that we hoped would prompt people to reflect on the value of kindness, we asked our neighbors to blog about a random act of kindness they have experienced or about "kindness" in general. Here are some of the heart-warming stories and thoughts they responded with. These are inspiring and passionate (so you may want to bring your hankey)...

Kindness Prevails

The Spoon Jar

I have many, many special memories of my paternal grandparents. I need to scrapbook them but for now I'll blog about them :) One is the spoon jar.

My grandparents had six kids, Dad was the second youngest. With that many kids there was always a shortage of tea spoons. At some point my grandmother started a spoon jar. Every time she went to a garage sale, she'd purchase all the tea spoons they had available...at least that was the story I was told.

Last night my dad was sharing that a lot of the spoons had "108" on the handle. He said that as a kid he never understood why that was there. He asked mutliple times but he always got shushed. When he got older he finally clued into the fact that the number for the legion where his parents played bingo was Legion #108!!! Guess they didn't "purchase" ALL the spoons!

~Heidi

Reference Checks

I just got confirmation that they've contacted at least one of my references! I'm glad they're doing it sooner rather then later. Just for interests sake, the person who called for the reference was the second one that I met today.
~Heidi

Second Interview Report

How did it go? Quite well. I'm going nuts with waiting though :P I didn't sleep very well last night. Of course I didn't expect to but it was pretty bad. I was in bed by ten and woke up at midnight thinking it MUST be time to get up. Read for an hour, and then crashed again.

I had plenty of time to get ready this morning and I got in to town a half an hour early. (I parked in a lot around the corner and killed some time by re-reading the literature they gave me on Sunday). I went into the office about ten minutes early. We started our meeting promptly at 8:30 a.m.

It was me, the lady who interviewed me on Sunday and the accountant/HR person. A lot of review of what was discussed Sunday for the benefit of the second person and so I could add and the interviewer could clarify if necessary. It went well. They presented a few scenarios and seemed satisfied with my answers. I really feel that this is a position that will fit me, utilize my strengths and challenge me to grow. I see it being a long term position and an organization I can be proud to represent.

They had me do an easy version of a personality profile (Personality Dimensions, the colour one, for anyone who is familar with that material) and write a letter. Letter writing is NOT my forte and I'm a little nervous about how I did on that. My reassurance is that I haven't made any pretense about my abilities to draft a letter and that there are a lot of other things that I do better, which I communicated.

One funny part was regarding my availablity. She confirmed that Friday is my last day at my current position and that I had indicated Monday as a start date. She was like "You don't want a few days off? When is the last time you had vacation?" I said no, I had Monday off and I spent most of the morning doing computer work anyways and that I had other weekend retreats and stuff booked so vacation isn't an issue. She didn't seem to convinced. LOL.

She is going to check my references and then get back to me as soon as possible. It's just protocol but the waiting is KILLING ME!!!

So, unless I didn't impress the second person or my references are crummy (which they won't be) I should have a job to report to on Monday morning!

~Heidi