O Tannenbaum

Last year I had a really hard time with Christmas. I never did get "in to the Christmas spirit". In fact I was pretty much the opposite of that for the whole season. This year, for some reason, I am very excited for Christmas. Maybe it's because I'm working retail. Maybe it's because I didn't get "in to" it last year so I'm ready for it. Whatever is causing it though, I'm not arguing. Even if it is only mid November!!! I bought a tree on Sunday and set it up with lights and what ornaments I have today. BTW, ornament donations are gladly accepted. My tree is only 4 feet tall but it's still kind of bare.

I'm drinking egg nog, baking cookies, listening to all my Christmas cd's and generally just feeling good about the season.

Only 43 days left!

~Heidi

Wow, wind!!!

There is a MAJOR windstorm going on right now. In fact it's been blowing all night and woke me up a lot. Everytime the wind blows like this it reminds me of one of my favourite movies "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" When Piglet gets blown away and his shirt unravels. I loved that movie.

Winnie the Pooh: Happy "Winds-day", Piglet.
Piglet: [being blown away] Well... it isn't... very happy... f-for me.
Winnie the Pooh: Where are you going, Piglet?
Piglet: That's what I'm asking myself, where? W-Whoops! P-P-P-Pooh!
Winnie the Pooh: And what do you think you will answer yourself?

I'm not loving the wind so much...although it is playing nicely into my Christmas spirit. More on that later :)

~Heidi

Lest We Forget

One of the biggest honours I had in highschool was in grade twelve when I was chosen to read "Flanders Fields" at the Remembrance Day assembly. I always loved the Remembrance Day. The assemblies were always very formal and somber. I was in choir for grade 11 and 12. I forget the songs we sung but I know one year whe had an awesome arrangement of "Amazing Grace" and I think another year we may have sung "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables. We had twin girls in our school that were bagpipe players too. In grade 10 the princpal cried after their performance. Very touching.

Here's the poem. It still gives me chills to read it.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD Doctor and Teacher (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Word of the day #27: meme

Ashley tagged me to do a "book meme". I think I've done it before but I don't even know what a "meme" is. So, I looked it up:

meme /mim/ –noun
a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes.

So, I still can't say that I really get it but I'll do the exercise anyways.

Here is what you have to do:
You have to open the book you’re currently reading on page 161 and read the fifth sentence on the page, then think of 5 bloggers to tag with.

I am currently reading the oh so edifying "Cordina's Royal Family: Bennet & Camilla" by Nora Roberts. The fifth sentence of page 161 reads: "We can't always choose what we feel, but there are other choices."

There. Now, I tag anyone who knows what "meme" is and can properly explain it to me LOL

~Heidi

Hey, I know him!!!

One of our local tv stations likes to profile different programs and "local heros". I tend to listen to them but not watch them. Tonight they were profiling an employment service. The speaker was one of my ex-coworkers!!! That was cool. Now I know where he went when our contract ended :)

CMA 2007 Outcomes

Today, I'm glad I live in the Pacific Time Zone. I was able to start watching the live broadcast at 5pm (8pm Eastern) like everyone else. I went out at seven, came back just past nine and didn't miss a thing because the show is now being broadcast in the Pacific Time Zone. Sweet!

So, how did I do with my predictions? (and I know I was a bit loose with exactly who would win but work with me here)

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Correct, mostly. I'm happy :)

Male Vocalist of the Year
Brad Paisley
Wrong on the "Think Will Win" but right on the "Want" Sweet!!! WTG Brad. You totally deserve it. Great speech too. Very heartfelt.

Female Vocalist of the Year
Carrie Underwood
Correct. And wasn't Dierks a wonderful presenter? Even if he couldn't say "CMA Female Vocalist of the Year" LOL I loved the bit about having a crush on Alison Kraus :)

Vocal Group of the Year
Rascal Flatts
Correct. Surprise. Boring.

Vocal Duo of the Year
Sugarland
Okay, that previous surprise was sarcastic. This one really WAS a surprise. A good one, even if I'm not a fan of Jennifer Nettles' voice. They do have good songs. Note that they were my second choice so I'm saying I got it right :D

Horizon Award
Taylor Swift
Wrong. Cool. I like Taylor. I didn't think she could pull it off though. Loved her comment "this is the best thing about my senior year" LOL

Musical Event
"Find Out Who Your Friends Are" -- Tracy Lawrence Featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
Wrong. Definitely didn't see that coming. Especially since it's Tracy's first CMA, Tim McGraw wasn't even there (I don't think), and the label fought having the collaboration version released. I'd say this song was an underdog from the get go. It's nice to see it triumph. It makes me sad that I didn't go see Tracy at Billy Bob's in April though. Oh well.

Song of the Year
"Give It Away" -- Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon and Jamey Johnson
Wrong on the Think, right on the Want.
I still remember the first time I heard this song. I was fighting traffic on my way in to Vancouver for the writing course I took in June of 2006. I had grabbed Burger King for dinner and I tuned in to KMPS out of Seattle for "Tony Thomas' 5 o'clock Test Track". This was the song they played. I loved it from the opening bar and it made me smile for the rest of the evening. It's one strong song off a fantastic album and I'm glad it won.

Jamey Johnson's speech was hysterical too. Thanking his ex-wife was genius LOL

Single of the Year
"Before He Cheats" -- Carrie Underwood
Correct. Without looking it up, I'm pretty sure this song totally embodies what a "single" of year is supposed to be.

Album of the Year
It Just Comes Natural -- George Strait
Correct. I called it. As much as I wanted Dierks to win (and I admit, I was nervous because I think he had a chance) George really did put out an exceptional album.

Video of the Year
"Online" -- Brad Paisley
Second choice again. Close enough. This is his third win in this category. Well done. His wife (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) was a brilliant presenter too. Definitely the highlight of the evening.

So 7 out of 11. I didn't post about Musician of the Year but it's no surprise that Jerry Douglas took it again.

Final comments?
The last Eagles album was released before I was born!!! Loved their performance tonight though. Very well done.

Rascal Flatts? Painful. Especially with Jamie Foxx. Wrong on so many levels.

Reba and LeAnn? Very nice. Not sure about the first outfit LeAnn had on though. You're fit. We get it. :P

Ummm Brad, absolutely brilliant. The marching band, Kellie and Taylor were awesome.

Kenny, not too sure about the pants.

Taylor and Carrie both looked very uncomfortable on stage. Rodney was the exact opposite.

Interesting show though. It's over for another year and now we can update the titled "Three time winner and current reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, KENNY CHESNEY" LOL

A new meaning for "layout"

Monday we did a "layout" at the store. For me "layout" is a scrapbooking term. At the store, layout means changing every. single. piece. of product on the floor!!! Changing how all the wall fixtures are arranged, changing what pieces are hung where, changing the position of floor fixtures. E.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. It's a huge job and it's like a brand new store now! We had all but one staff member in and even with all the prep work we had done on the weekend, it still took over four hours. LOTS of folding, lots of hanging, and my first introduction to the steamer machine! It was fun for about .25 seconds. Seriously. When you steam one shirt three times and it's still not "right", the novelty wears off.

I also got to play with snow!!! Cool fake plastic stuff. I steamed all the clothes for the window display and my boss dressed the manequins. Then I got to do all the decorating. Placing the boxes and the teddy bear *exactly* as shown in the picture and then sprinkling snow all over everything. I happen to think it looks pretty darn good :D It had better, it's going to be like that for the next three months!!!

CMA Predictions

Last year I got eight out of eleven right. I think it's a closer race this year so it will be interesting to see the results.

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait
Keith Urban
Who I think will win: I think Kenny, Keith and Brad are front runners. Kenny scooped it from Keith last year but Keith has been on a successful tour this year. Any of them could take it.
Who I want to win: Anyone but Rascal Flatts LOL I'd love to see Brad walk away with it.

Male Vocalist of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Josh Turner
Keith Urban
Who I think will win: Keith Urban
Who I want to win: I'd love to see Brad or Josh take it but Josh is too new and I don't know if Brad can trump Keith

Female Vocalist of the Year
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Carrie Underwood
Who I think will win: Carrie Underwood
Who I want to win: I wouldn't be heartbroken if she took it. Anyone notice that Faith Hill isn't even nominated this year?

Vocal Group of the Year
Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas
Dixie Chicks
Emerson Drive
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Who I think will win: Rascal Flats
Who I want to win: Emerson Drive. Gotta stay loyal to the Canadian boys :)

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
The Wreckers
Who I think will win: Either Brooks & Dunn like normal, or Sugarland who are HOT this year
Who I want to win: Weird as they are, I'd like to see Big & Rich take it. Or The Wreckers but I don't think the later have a chance considering they've announced that they're splitting up following this tour.

Horizon Award
Jason Aldean
Rodney Atkins
Little Big Town
Kellie Pickler
Taylor Swift
Who I think will win: Jason Aldean although Rodney Atkins could scoop it on the strength of his singles.
Who I want to win: Jason Aldean

Musical Event
"Because of You" -- Reba McEntire With Kelly Clarkson
"Find Out Who Your Friends Are" -- Tracy Lawrence Featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
"Hey Good Lookin'" -- Jimmy Buffett With George Strait and Alan Jackson
"Missing You" -- Alison Krauss and John Waite
"The Reason Why" -- Vince Gill With Guest Vocalist Alison Krauss
Who I think will win: Because of You
Who I want to win: Because of You

Song of the Year
"Anyway" -- Martina McBride, Brad Warren and Brett Warren
"Before He Cheats" -- Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins
"Give It Away" -- Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon and Jamey Johnson
"Lost in This Moment" -- John Rich, Keith Anderson and Rodney Clawson
"Stupid Boy" -- Dave Berg, Deanna Bryant and Sarah Buxton
Who I think will win: These are all strong songs. I'm going to say Stupid Boy or Anyway but I'm really not sure
Who I want to win: I'd like to see Anyway or Give it Away win

Single of the Year
"Anyway" -- Martina McBride
"Before He Cheats" -- Carrie Underwood
"Lost in This Moment" -- Big & Rich
"Ticks" -- Brad Paisley
"Wrapped" -- George Strait
Who I think will win: Before He Cheats
Who I want to win: Before He Cheats. The cross over appeal of this song has been good for country music in general.

Album of the Year
5th Gear -- Brad Paisley
It Just Comes Natural -- George Strait
Long Trip Alone -- Dierks Bentley
Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing -- Keith Urban
These Days -- Vince Gill
Who I think will win: Keith or George
Who I want to win: DIERKS!

Video of the Year
"Anyway" -- Martina McBride
"Before He Cheats" -- Carrie Underwood
"Moments" -- Emerson Drive
"Online" -- Brad Paisley
"You Save Me" -- Kenny Chesney
Who I think will win: Before He Cheats...or Online
Who I want to win: You Save Me :)

When you're perpetually late...

change the clocks!

I'm a punctual person. Baring difficulties in traffic or other issues, I will always be right on time. Not early, but on time. The digital clock on the phones in our office is about three minutes fast. Fast according to my cell phone and car radio clock, the latter which is synced to the radio. Other staff here agree. So this morning, when we had to change the clock on the phone to compensate for daylight savings anyways, we also took the opportunity to fix the minutes. Now I won't be late...or if I am I can't blame it on the clock LOL

Where have I been?

I'm stealing this blog format from Menjiness.

10/29 Back at dance after basically a month. We don't dance on holidays (Thanksgiving) and if we have a Friday dance there isn't one the following Monday. Because I had to miss 10/15 due to training I haven't been at dance since 10/1! It was nice to be back.

10/30 Dinner with Mom & Dad. I've been craving Mom's lasanga for WEEKS. I brought most of the ingredients and had her walk me through the process of making it so I can try it on my own. I also took most of the leftovers to stock my freezer :D

10/31 Halloween but I got called in to work. Our mall hosts trick-or-treating. My store was out of candy by the time I got there but I still saw lots of little princesses, ninja's and spiderman's (men's?)

11/1 Board meeting in Vancouver. Pretty intense but it went well. We went out for dinner afterwards as one of our members is retiring. Late night but really nice.

11/2 Finished the board meeting. Left the hotel around 1:30. Got back to the office, unloaded and went and got my brakes checked. Dad says he can probably do a lot of the work. God bless Dad.

Took a nap and then went to a "fall party" with friends.

11/3 Worked from 10-2:30. Wednesday I had exactly $0 for sales. Today I hit my goal (whatever it was) by halfway through my shift. Yeah me! My boss was pretty impressed :)

I went grocery shopping after work and then came home for another quick nap before going to bible study.

Tomorrow we have a potluck after church to break in the new kitchen (hopefully we don't actually break it!) Then I have a mandatory, potluck, staff meeting for work. Food, food, food! Tis the season :)

~Heidi

What's on your playlist?

Okay, so I'm kind of beind the times and still working with CD's but you get the idea. So, what's in my player lately? Brace yourself. It's NOT what you'd expect.

Nickleback: All the Right Reasons

Aaron was mighty confused when I asked to borrow this cd. I admit some of the lyrics are a bit out there for me (actually a lot of them) but I really, really like Photograph and Rockstar. If you haven't seen the video for Rockstar, go to YouTube and look it up. It's AWESOME. Of course the fact that lead singer Chad Kroeger is a local boy doesn't hurt either. Gotta support local talent :D

Bon Jovi: Have a Nice Day

Now that "Who Says You Can't Go Home" isn't being played every second song on country radio, I can actually stand to listen to this cd. I really like "Have a Nice Day" and I'm loving the sound of "Last Cigarette" for some reason. I can see why this is such a popular album.

I'm not sold on their new "Lost Highway" album yet but maybe a few years down the road I'll like it too.

Newsboys: Shine: The Hits
Somehow I never connected the song "Shine" with Newsboys but when I did, I decided I wanted to hear the whole cd. I love that song and while the lyrics are kind of twisted "make a vegetarian barbque hamster?" the sentiment is good and the beat rocks.

All of these cd's have been out for awhile and are outside my usual little country box but I'm just discovering them and enjoying them.

And now I don't

...have a roommate that is. In my last roommate update I wondered if I should post the crazy ups and downs of this ride. Dawn said yes so here's another one.

Amanda's not ready to move out. Fair enough. I didn't leave until three days before my twenty-fifth birthday. There's no point in rushing it. She was worried about telling me but *I* am not worried and I told her so. Who knows, she may change her mind by January. Or, the boys may get really good paying jobs and be willing to pay me storage. Or I may find another roommate. Something will work out. For now, the ride continues.

My new job is going well. I worked yesterday from 2-6 and today from 12:30-5:30. My feet are SORE but I'm getting the hang of things and even starting to remember where certain things are in the store. Today it was just my boss and I and I had really high sales that way over shot the goal she set for me. Yeah!!!

Yesterday was quiet and it's MUCH harder to work when it's quiet. Today it was busier and I learned how to do mark-downs. I got to use the little pricer gun and everything. Small things for small minds LOL It's good though. My boss is super supportive and makes sure to give me feedback on what I'm doing right or wrong. I'm looking forward to the Christmas season although I'm pretty sure all our customers will have their shopping done by Remembrance Day :P

~Heidi

just the facts, ma'am

The rules:
A. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names

I saw this on Nesa's blog but Stacy actually tagged me (and first to I might add) so I guess I have to do it ;)

Six facts about me:

1. I only wash my hair every four or five days. I keep it up in a braid and it doesn’t require more washing then that.
2. I have an irrational fear of running out of food. I like having a very full cupboard and freezer.
3. I prefer traveling alone. Both on a plane and in a car.
4. I miss my commute.
5. I like Starbucks but I have yet to order just plain coffee there. It’s always a latte or chai or something else equally as satisfying.
6. If it weren't for commercial breaks I wouldn't get anything done. I swear they're the best invention yet.

I'm tagging the following six people:
1. Dawn
2. Miriam
3. Sherilyn
4. Nancy
5. Patti
6. Diane

I talked to Seth tonight

Robert has a job at a manufacturing plant. Seth's holding out to get in with the company he originally applied for. It may be a few weeks until they're ready to hire him though so we brainstormed on what he can do in the meantime. They sound like they're happy though which is good.

I'm enjoying having the apartment all to myself. I clean it and it STAYS that way! Any mess is all mine and I'm okay with that. Also without all the suitcases and bedding all over the living room it feels bigger.

I've had the opportunity to meet up with some friends this week which has made saying good bye a lot easier. Sunday I hung out with Jenna and Will briefly, Monday Jackie came over and today Tracy and I went out for lunch. I love having friends :)

Seven Deadly Sins Survey

I borrowed this from tosin

Wrath
Who did you last get angry with? Myself. See the sloth section. Oh, and the cop who gave me a ticket.
What is your weapon of choice? Sarcasm
Would you hit a member of the opposite sex? I can see myself slapping someone but I would feel SICK immediately afterwards
How about the same sex? If provoked. I have three brothers. I can get physical fast although I haven't in a long time.
Who was the last person who got really angry at you? The guy I cut off.
What is your pet peeve? Only one? People who can't park between the lines
Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily? I do but I'm getting better at letting go and realizing that it really doesn't matter.

Sloth
What is one thing you're suppose to do daily that you haven't? Dishes
What is the latest you've ever woken up? 11:30...on Christmas. I nap a lot too though.
Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't? Melissa, Steve
What is the last lame excuse that you made? I don't feeeeeeel like it
Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through? No. I hate infomercials. Interesting that this is the second time they've come up in as many days though.
How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock this morning? My alarm went off at 6:35. My cell phone alarm went off at 7:05, and again at 7:15. Something has to change!

Gluttony
What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice? Grande, no-water, no-foam, extra-hot, soy tazo chai
Are you a meat eater? Oh yeah! And I always say I'm glad I'm not Jewish because I love pork :D Although I never buy it. I always have it at Mom's.
What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event? Can anyone say "Phil-a-del-phia?!?!" I can remember every drink I had that night though.
Are you comfortable with your drinking and eating habits? Drinking yes because it's rare. Eating no because I'm addicted.
Do you enjoy candy and sweets? Sweets as in baking? Definitely. More than food.
Which do you prefer: sweets, salty foods or spicy foods? Salty please :)
Have you ever looked at a small house pet or child and thought, "lunch!"? That is disgusting.

Greed
How many credit cards do you own? Just one that I owe too much on hence the second job.
If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? Buy a house for me, a house for my parents, a car, travel and invest the $50 that is left over.
Would you rather be rich or famous? Rich. Definitely rich. Fame is fleeting.
Would you accept a boring job if it meant that you would make megabucks? Pshewwwwww probably not. Well, maybe. It depends on what kind of boring it is.

Pride
What's one thing that you have done that you're most proud of? Travelled around Texas alone
What is one thing that you have done that your parents are most proud of? Held a secure job for a number of years
What thing would you like to accomplish late in your life? To be financially comfortable enough to be able to volunteer only and not work
Do you get annoyed by coming in second place? Yep, second place is the first loser
Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors? Probably. A specific instance doesn't come to mind though.
Have you ever cheated to get a better score? Grade 7 French anyone?
What did you do today that you're proud of? Got my @$$ out of bed

Lust
How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies, family, strippers, locker rooms)? Like full frontal? Very, very, very few.
How many people have seen you naked (not counting physicians, doctors, family, locker rooms, or when you were a young child)? Live? Even less.
Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a person of your chosen sex during a normal conversation? Women with low cut shirts are a pet peeve of mine. I just think it's skanky and if *I* can't look away then what chance does a guy have???
What is your favorite body part of a person of your gender choice? Eyes, specifically eye CONTACT. That's another pet peeve. People who can't maintain eye contact. Drives me nuts.
Have you ever had sexual encounters (including kissing/making out) with multiple persons?at the same time? Mmmmm no.
Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute? No, thank goodness

Envy
What item of your friends would you most want to have for your own? A laptop
Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with? My mom. She needs it, bad.
If you could be anyone who existed in the world, who would you be? Ah "Who Would You Be" Long term or short term? Dang that's HARD! I don't really know. I'll have to think about that and get back to you.
Have you ever been cheated on? Nope. That's one of the benefits of not having a long term relationship!
Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own? Not so much. I am what and who I am.
What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself? What's the opposite of procrastination?

I have a roommate!

Part of me wonders if I should continue to share the ups and downs of my roommate search with my blog readers because it seems to change daily. It is real life though and I have to tell SOMEONE! So, the latest developemnt. Sunday at church I overheard my friend Amanda commenting to her mom that it seems like all she's doing any more is driving. She lives with her parents in the town where I used to work but works, goes to church and has lots of friends in the town where I live. In passing I told her "Well, if you're looking to move West, I'm looking for a roommate".

Last night she called me "Are you really looking for a roommate?"
"Yes, providing I can figure out a way to get rid of Seth's stuff"

Anyways, she came by and had a look at the place. She's crunching numbers and getting used to the idea right now but it looks like she may be ready to move in on January 1st. That gives her Christmas at home, a few months to get used to the idea of moving out for the first time and it gives the boys time to get settled in Alberta and figure out what they want to do with their stuff.

So that's the latest development. I'll keep you posted! Oh, and Amanda is one of the ones I went to Texas with. She's the one on the left in this picture.

~Heidi

First Day Drama

I was distracted on Saturday evening do I didn’t take the time to type out the drama from my first day at the store. First off, I want to say, I am thankful that my customers are so patient!

I processed maybe two normal sales before the fun started.

I had a customer come in with three BAGS worth of stuff to return. Apparently our fitting rooms aren’t good enough for her. She just bought two or three sizes of each thing and took them all home. There were four different receipts worth of stuff. Thankfully she was really patient and had obviously done this before because she made a point of helping me out and making sure that I did it in order. It took for EVER though.

Next was a lady who came in with a pair of pants and a sweater to return. I guess she had bought them and a few days later she got an email from the store offering her 20% off her purchases. She hadn’t even taken the clothing out of the bag so she brought them back and wanted to return them and re-purchase them using her 20% off coupon and adding another sweater. I returned them and credited her credit card. Then I rang the purchase through but I forgot the 20%. So I returned it all and then when I went to put it through again, my debit machine froze. Uggh.

Needless to say cashing out that evening was interesting because of all the returns. The good news is that even though I felt like I was in a fog the whole time because I wasn’t totally comfortable with what I was doing, everything balanced out, I didn’t lose my cool and the customers went away happy…even if they spent more time with us then they originally had planned.

My next shift is scheduled for next Saturday. I’ll report in then.

~Heidi

Too Many Good-byes

Wow. What a day. I was at Meredith's this morning by 8 am to drive to the airport with her and her parents. We had a few stops on the way and nasty Saturday traffic to fight which made it interesting. She got off okay and from what I saw, Singapore Airlines is living up to their reputation. I just hope her flight goes as well as the checking in portion did. She's almost halfway there if my calculations are correct. She should arrive some time tomorrow, which is actually Monday morning.

Then I came home and did my first shift at the store. Busy Saturday's are a great way to train. I learned how to process sales AND returns (repetion really is the best way to learn) and I discovered that while I enjoy being in the store, being on my feet for an extended period of time like that is going to take getting used to. My supervisor said I did well though and I am looking forward to another shift...which right now is scheduled for next Saturday.

After work I came home. Seth and Robert were both here doing some last minute packing. It turns out, and this doesn't surprise me, that Robert's going with Seth. The boys are only 17 months apart in age and being apart for this last year has been hard on them because they are so close. Robert could probably find work down here but he'd still be separated from Seth and who knows what kind of position he'd find.

Right now I'm finding it hard to be losing my best friend and two brothers all in one day but at the same time I'm happy and excited for all three of them. I'm also overtired which is making me emotional :)

Oh, and the roommate thing? Because Seth really didn't prepare himself before leaving he'll pay for rent for November for sure because his stuff is all here. In December we'll see. It will all depend on the housing situation that the boys find. It could well be that I'll bring all Robert's stuff here (it's currently in Mom & Dad's garage) and store it and they'll pay rent as a storage fee. Or, I may try and find a new roommate. Or, move. I don't know. I'm not too worried about it right now but I will have to make some decisions in the next while. I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, please keep me in your thoughts as I go through all these changes. Thanks :)

~Heidi

Analyzing my speed dial

My speed dial will only be like this for this week but I'm pretty proud of it so I want to post it.

2 - Home
3 - Dad (three letters)
4 - Seth (four letters)
5 - Jenna (five letters)
6 - Robert (six letters)
7 - 107.1 (Radio Station)
8 - Meredith (eight letters)
9 - 93.7 (Radio Station)

Isn't that cool? How it all works out?

Of course after this week Seth and Meredith will both be taken off speed dial because I won't be calling them as much but for now it all fits!

~Heidi

Next up, the coffee pot!

Actually I've mastered the coffee pot now too. One of my coworkers our organization for a new job. Before she left, I had her teach me how to use the dishwasher. It's a portable one so you have to hook it up to the sink and stuff. I never had a dishwasher while growing up and I still don't so learning how to run one properly was a new skill for me. When we finished I told her "next up, the coffee pot!"

This morning I mastered the coffee pot. We have a couple of die hard coffee drinkers here. I was kind of nervous jumping in on their territory but I start a half hour before they do and I didn't want to wait this morning. So, I made coffee and when they got here, they said "Two thumbs up"! Yeah me!!!

Update: Things To Do Before I Die

In April 2006 I drafted my original list of 96 (and counting) Things To Do Before I Die This came up in conversation again, so I'm giving a status report. These are the things I have accomplished or have sort of accomplished.

2. Live on my own in my own place - so far I've always had a room mate
3. Eat at Sonic - Shoot. You know I've been to Sonic twice but I've only ever gotten a drink. I suppose it mostly qualifies.

7. Go to Texas - DONE!!!

15. Get room service and have breakfast in bed at a nice hotel - I had room service for dinner at the Fairmont. Very nice. I haven't had breakfast in bed yet though.

16. Play blackjack at a casino - I've played slots now...
18. Try ten new foods - fried okra, aligator, crawfish...I need to pay more attention and track what I'm eating.

37. Tour the US Eastern seaboard - I've started this. I want to do a lot more though

41. Learn to cook - ditto. Started, want to do more

Change is constant but all at once?

Somehow it feels like once I blog something, it becomes official. I can tell people and sign papers and stuff but until I post it here, it's like it hasn't really happened. Anyways. I've tried starting this entry a few times. Here it finally is.

I have news. Big news for me.

I have a new job.

Well, I have ANOTHER job. I'm not quitting my day job. Far from it. But, I did get another job on top. Why?

"They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results."

I've been slowly going insane for the past year. I have debt. Approximately half of it is from CM, half is just from bad choices. I have been, with the help of some wonderfully supportive friends, working to get it under control but I'm still just managing it. I have finally realized that if I want to get rid of it, I need to increase my cashflow and get serious about eliminating my debt.

I've been batting around the idea of a second job for awhile. Thinking about what I might want to do and what I CAN do, without quitting my day job. I like my day job. I really do. I like what I do and I'm good at it. The thing is, I'm hitting my seven year itch (actually it's more like 8.5 but who's counting?) and I'm getting tired of sitting behind a desk. So, I started thinking about where I could work that would be totally different from what I do 9-5, Monday to Friday.

My first thought was Starbucks. I love it there. It's a great place, a great company, I have friends that work there and I'd love to join that team. The thing is they're open until 11pm most nights and then you have to clean up. Now I'm not stupid. I KNOW I need my sleep and if I worked from say, 8-4:30 and then 5-11 I would NOT be able to function the next day. I want to increase my cashflow but not at the expense of my health and sanity.

So I turned my attention to the mall. Christmas is coming so I figured they'd probably be looking for seasonal staff. That way I can get some hours and get a feel for what working two jobs is like. I logged on to their website and found a few options but in typical Heidi fashion I didn't follow up.

A few days later there was a big quarter page ad in the paper advertising a job fair at the mall. It was great. It gave me a deadline because really. If you're going to drop off a bunch of resumes, why not do it when they're expecting you and willing to look at them!

The job fair was on Thursday. Last minute I found my old resume (not the one I used for this job but one that I could tailor to retail a lot easier) and banged out a cover letter. The cover letter was kind of an after thought but I think it really made a difference. Here's my cover letter.

Thank you for taking the time to review my application. My name is Heidi and I am employed locally, full time from 8 – 4:30 Monday to Friday. I am interested in securing a part time position to supplement my income and expose me to new learning opportunities.

The retail field is new to me although I do have some sales experience through my time with Creative Memories, a direct sales organization. I have extensive experience with customer service both in person and over the phone and enjoy working with the customer to find a mutually acceptable solution. I work well in a team or alone and am a quick learner.

I look forward to meeting with you to discuss your staffing requirements further.

Not bad considering I hardly took any time on it hey?

So, Thursday, armed with about ten resumes and cover letters, I went to the mall. I had reviewed the list of stores that were hiring and I applied at about 1/3 of them. Places I would like to work and could be comfortable in. One of them had me fill out an application form. One had me fill out an availability form and said they'd be calling on Wednesday (which, you'll note is tomorrow).

Friday morning at 9am I got a call. "Can you come in for an interview tomorrow?" (Saturday at 9) Yep! Saturday I had the interview, "Can you start training tomorrow?" Yep! I had my second round of training yesterday (Monday) I'll be on the schedule for next week.

I'm working at Northern Reflections. It's a women's clothing store. They have really nice casual clothing. I am required to purchase and wear the clothing but I won't have that many shifts (at least until the Christmas season starts in earnest) so I can build up without breaking the bank.

So there. That's my big news along with my thought process for why and the story of how it happened. With all the other change that's going on (Seth moving out, Robert moving in, Meredith moving away) adding a new job on top is kind of crazy but it's working. In store retail is totally new for me but so far it hasn't been overwhelming or strange which is good.

It's kind of funny too because when I did my first practicum (at the job that I ended up staying at for 7 years) I was only supposed to be there for 50 hours and then I was going to do 50 hours either in the library or a retail location. So I've always wanted to TRY retail. Now I get that chance! And I can use it to take control of my life.

Yeah me :)

~Heidi

This is my living room right now.

Note the TWO bodies? We (Mom, Dad and I) were talking to Robert on Friday and realized that there was no point in him hanging around in Vernon since he wasn't working anymore. Dad drove up yesterday and got him so Seth and Robert have one more weekend to spend together. Of course that means that they didn't get home until 11 this morning. I don't want to know.

So it looks like Rob will stay on our couch for the week. When Seth leaves on Sunday Robert will move in to the bedroom.

And that concludes this edition of as my world turns. Stay tuned for another BIG announcement that I don't have time to blog right now.

~Heidi

Alrighty then!

So, if you remember, one of the reasons I moved in with Seth in the first place was because Robert was moving out. Now Seth is moving out and it looks like Robert is ready to come home, which means he needs a room mate and I'm it! Robert gave notice at his job today and will tell his current room mate (who is leaving soon anyways) and he could be down here as soon as next weekend...or sooner. Hopefully not too much sooner though because Seth doesn't actually leave until next Saturday. When stuff happens it happens fast. Here's hoping Robert and I can co-exist as peacefully as Seth and I have.
~Heidi

Vancouver 2010

As you probably know, Vancouver is hosting the Olympics in 2010. I was really too young to really appreciate the '88 Olympics in Calgary (although I did know that the girl mascot was named Hidy which I thought was pretty cool). Anyways, it's been interesting watching 2010 take shape. It's something that's kind of always there in the back of my mind. The news reports on the highlights. I've been signed up as a volunteer since before we were even short listed as a host city and here and there you're starting to see more and more Olympic symbols show up.


I think the neatest thing I've seen so far would have to be this video: Celebrate the Possible I've had the opportunity to see it on full screen projection twice now. Both were at meetings highlighting the opportunities for local businesses to get involved with the games. The video really is stunning. I think my favourite part is when the cranes turn into the figure skaters. (Watch it. You'll understand). This video really makes me proud to be Canadian. Proud of my beautiful country and city. Proud of the sports, arts, heritage and culture that we foster.

I also got to hear Andrea Holmes speak. It was awesome. The enthusiasm she has is infectious. I'll be watching for her in Beijing.

Hopefully I can be a link to my readers for the 2010 games. I know it will be an experience I will never forget and I'm excited for it to come.

~Heidi

New Shoes!

Meredith went shopping on Saturday and said these shoes reminded me of her. She took a picture with her cell phone and sent it to me. I agreed that they were super cute so she bought them for me!!! They fit great and I LOVE them! What an awesome friend. Not everyone will buy you shoes!

Thanksgiving Weekend

This weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving. I have a reputation in my family for being a board game freak. Scabble, Monopoly, Risk, cards, you name it, I love it. I will play board games for HOURS. My family generally humours me and while they do enjoy playing, they're not over the top like I am.

Friday evening I was at Meredith's Grandma's for dinner. Her Aunt, Uncle and Cousin were visiting and after dinner we played a round of Settlers of Catan They had originally introduced me to it when we went to Harrison this summer. Since then I played it once with Melissa and Jevon. I mentioned that I wanted to get a copy of the game because I thought my family would enjoy it. Meredith's mom suggested that I borrow it for the weekend.

We had our traditional turkey (and ham this year because Seth wanted it) dinner on Sunday after church. Aaron's friend Nathan (sitting beside me) joined us. After dinner we relaxed, napped, did dishes and around 6pm started playing Settlers. Mom, Dad, Seth, Robert and I were in on the action. (Aaron was with Nathan). We played until 3:30 AM!!! CRAZY! The boys work night shift so for them to stay up late isn't a big deal. Seth did a Tim Horton's run around 10pm so I was good to stay up late. Dad just kept going though. It was amazing. I don't think he's ever stayed up that late. We laughed and ate and laughed some more. It was wonderful. With Seth moving and not having seen Robert since Easter, it's hard to say when we'll ever get to do this again. By around 2 it became a test to see how long Dad would keep going. We'd finish a game and they'd all say "let's play again!"


Around 1:30 they pulled out RISK and we played a round of that (Seth beat us rather effortlessly) and then we played another two rounds of Settlers. Seth won most of the games but Robert, Mom and Dad each had their turns as well. Seth wanted us to call him the "Emporer of Catan". Not likely LOL

It was a great way to spend Thanksgiving though.

Cranberry Festival

Mom and I have been trying to make it to the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival for years. Today, despite the misty moisty morning, we braved the weather and were able to go out and enjoy it. I didn't really take any pictures at the festival site. It was mostly booths selling all manner of items from jewelry to soap to chocolates with LOTS of cranberry themed items. We tried cranberry chutney, cranberry salsa, cranberry fudge, cranberry juice, actually we got a few bottles of cranberry juice and craisins (dried cranberries) from Ocean Spray and a bunch of other cranberry items. They crowned a "Cranberry King" and everything.
From the festival site IN Fort Langley, we went down to The Fort Winery where we tried white and red cranberry wine and a yummy raspberry dessert wine before heading down to the actual cranberry bogs to see how they are harvested. There weren't any guides but I did grill one of the nice workers and he gave me a bit of information.
The top picture shows the cranberries growing on the vines in the bogs. Those ones have actually been harvested already and the ones on the edge are just left. We never did determine if they don't harvest them or if they can't but in either case they are left there.
The second picture shows the bog once it's been filled with water and the cranberries have been loosened. They float to the top and then are raked over and sucked up a huge tube. The generator on the right moves them down the tube to the truck.
These berries are destined to become craisins. We asked what they do with the white cranberries (which are just unripened) and they said that they just dye them with the juice of the red berries!!! It was really neat to go down and see the process up close and personal. It was pretty muddy but it was worth it.

Thanksgiving Demystified

My friend Christy posted a lengthy comparison of Canadian vs. American Thanksgiving practices. I'm sure most of her comments are ment to be rhetorical but I, as a native Canadian, feel led to answer them. (read her entry first or mine won't make sense)

1. It's not too early for Thanksgiving. It's just right. Four weeks before Christmas is WAY too late. That doesn't give nearly enough time. Mid October is perfect (although I will admit that it snuck up on me this year because it is a bit early). Keep in mind too that you're further North now. Harvest happens sooner (or at least that's what I've been told)

Halloween happens after Thanksgiving. Having Thanksgiving first gives you the opportunity to decorate in a "harvest" theme (which may or many not include ghosts and goblins) and leave it up for longer with out your neighbours wondering if you've lost it.

2. Gravy. Okay, I'll freely admit that I have yet to make gravy. I still rely on my wonderful mother. Maybe I'll pay attention this year and try and figure it out though.

3. Remind me to post MY stuffing recipe. Okay, it's actually Grandmas. It uses regular ole bread crumbs which I have been collecting for months...and a fresh loaf of brown bread if necessary. Burnt butter, secret spices (<-- meaning I can't remember them right now) celery and onions. No weird fruit. No heavy spices. Just wonderful warm goodness.

Also, while my brothers and I insist on calling it STUFFING, it is rarely if ever cooked IN the bird. It's generally done in a four quart pan on the stove or in the oven. Dad calls it dressing and we ignore him until he calls it stuffing...even if he is right.

As for green bean casserole. Not a tradition for me so I can't comment. It does sound good though.

4. The day of Thanksgiving. You have to admit that in this day and age where most people are part of a "non-traditional family" having three days available for Thanksgiving dinner makes life SO much easier. This year my family is celebrating on Sunday. This leaves Monday for me to get together with a friend. In the past I have had the pleasure(?!) of taking part in THREE Thanksgiving dinners. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. A gastronomical delight :)

As for the stats. Damn-straight :D New Years Day until Easter is THE LONGEST part of the year. Having regular stats from May to December does much to improve the moral of the populace. All the power to those politicians who are pushing for a stat in February. I'm in favour of it.

5. Shopping. You have 78 days to shop! Isn't that wonderful? Christmas shopping is no longer smushed in to four short weeks or one psychotic day where Wal-mart shoppers get trampled over $20 DVD players. The extended shopping time makes everyone (including the stores) happier.

As for braving the border? Not anymore. With our dollar at par the border is getting stupider by the day...and their guards aren't any better. After all, someone may be smuggling turkey.

Yes, it's perfectly acceptable to celebrate both Canadian and American Thanksgiving. It's an excuse for extra turkey. Why not?

As for the relatives, you have to agree that spreading Christmas and Thanksgiving out makes so much more sense. Two trips to see family within one month is too much. Separated by ten weeks works!

So Christy, good luck on finding the onion stuff and to you, and all my other blog readers, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~Heidi

Sometimes you just have to go with your gut

Call it intuition. Call it a gut feeling. Call it a conscience. Whatever it is, I'm learning to really listen to mine. Well, trying to at least. I am a slow decision maker. I always have been. It takes me awhile to get used to an idea, to prepare for a big change and even to make large purchases. I'm impulsive when it comes to little stuff but on big stuff I'm painfully slow. Sometimes it's a good thing though.

I recently passed up on a really good opportunity to buy a used computer. It would have been a good deal and I don't know that I'll have the opportunity again but I sat on it for a few days, thought about it and in the end, just decided to say "no". How do I know it was the right decision? I can feel it in my gut. I feel totally okay about this. Even knowing that Seth may take his laptop when he leaves, even knowing that I may not have another opportunity to get a computer like that, I know it's right. For me. For now. Because my gut tells me so.

The problem with giving advice

is that sometimes people take it.

Awhile back I alluded to the fact that I have a "biggish" announcement to make. There has been a lot of unknowns and changes in plans so I haven't bothered posting but I want to get this on here to make it "official".

I've been telling Seth to move to Alberta for years. There are good jobs there, new people and places and my uncle Tim lives there (and Seth would probably work with him which would be good because he's a pretty solid role model). Seth has very little holding him here. Mostly just family. Yes we'll miss him but he's not happy here and I want the best for him...even if it does stink for me.

It's stinks because Seth's my room mate (or house mate as Veronica likes to say ;)) Our arrangement works great for both of us. Now I either have to find my own place or find a new room mate. It's going to be interesting.

Seth officially gave his notice at work last week and his last day is Ocotber 18th. He's faxed his resume out and now he's waiting to hear on a job. He has a few options so he just has to find one that works for him.

I'm still at a loss as to what I'm going to do. Right now it looks like Seth won't be taking all his stuff with him, at least initially. He's agreed to continue paying rent down here and leave everything with me. That gives me at least another month or two. In that time I need to decide if I want to stay where I am and find a roommate. Or look for another place. There is the option of having an exchange student since I'm on a bus route and there are lots that attend the local college.

I'm really not sure what will happen but I'll keep you updated in anycase. If anyone knows of someone looking for a place, let me know.

Seth told me on Sunday that one of his co-workers wants to move in with me...because I bake and his wife doesn't LOL Yeah...not exactly what I'm looking for!

~Heidi

Celebrate! Seattle

Saturday was the first Creative Memories Celebrate! Seattle event. Around 1200 scrapbookers and consultants gathered in the lower concourse of Qwest Field for 11 hours of scrapbooking. It was a lot of fun.

I drove down to Darrcie's on Friday night (the border was a breeze, thankfully) and Saturday morning Deb and I carpooled down to Qwest. I was fighting a cold so my nose was stuffy and I was a bit feverish but I still accomplished a lot and had fun.

Deb and I had lunch with Teresa and her friend Joanne at FX McRory's. After Celebrate, on the advice of SSers, we went for dinner at the Bonefish Grill.

Speaking of SSer's, look how many there were!!! There were more too but these are the ones we got together for a group shot.

Here are Darrcie, Tonya and I. Tonya is Darrcie's downline and a fellow country music fan.

It was neat to be part of such a large group. It really reminds you that scrapbooking is for everyone (guys too!)

Deb and I stayed at Darrcie's Saturday night too (she totally rocks for letting us invade like that). Sunday morning I left early to get back home for church. I stopped for coffee on the way and scored a Starbucks cup for $8 with a free drink! Which means my cup was essentially $4!!!

The border coming north took all of five minutes. It was great considering what I put up with last time. I think I'll stick around home for the next little while though. Even though gas is cheaper in the States it still costs. It's fun to see my friends though :)

~Heidi

I Graduated!

Dance started up last week. (For any new blog readers, I started square dancing in January 2005). Monday night I officially graduated from the mainstream program. I should have gotten my certificate in April but the ceremony took place while I was in Texas. It wasn't anything huge. Just recognition that I'm progressing. It was fun though :)

This picture is from last Christmas. My partner is on my left.

Tuesday

This afternoon I set my phone to silent when I went into a board meeting. After it finished I stopped at home quickly and then headed to my parents. While I was driving I realized I should probably turn the ringer back on. When I opened it to change the setting, it rang! It was my mom wanting to ask me a question. I was like "well, I'm actually on my way to your house. Can you wait five minutes?" Good timing :) I also got dinner there.

From there I stopped at Jenna's. I wanted to return books 5 & 6 of Harry Potter and pick up book 7. My plan was to just stop by and get home to watch tv and upload some pictures. That didn't work. Janik was there and Jenna's sister Katherine, then Will (Jenna's husband) joined us and a friend of his stopped by. We ended up visiting until 11! It was so nice and relaxing and funny and interesting and exactly what friends should be. Better than tv any day :)

This morning one of my co-workers gave her notice. She's been looking for something else for awhile now and she finally found it. Her new position is with a company and work environment that will fit her really well. We'll miss her a LOT, especially her technical expertise but I know this is a good thing for her. Good luck S!

~Heidi

Beautiful BC

Meredith's friend Zoe is visiting from Australia so we've been showing her Beauiful Bitish Columbia. Yesterday was Bridal Falls. It was a grey day but warm enough to go for a short hike. It's late in the year so the water over the falls was light but they were still beautiful.


The good part about the less than perfect weather was the fact that tehre were only a half a dozen other people around. It was great.

Mere and I in front of the falls.








Today (Sunday) we went out to Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. Mere and I have tried to go there a few times and we never made it. Today was a perfect day. It was warm and not too windy. We didn't stay long but it was nice to hike down, take a few pictures and then head out.

I have been very negligent in enjoying my beautiful province this summer. Granted it was a wet summer and I had myself so busy I didn't really make time to go out and enjoy what this area of the world has to offer. Hopefully I'll get to do a bit more this fall.

Talk like a Pirate Day

Yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day. I am so not in to that. There's a Facebook application you can load which will help you with that but it drives me nuts. I always ignore it.

BUT, in honour of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I have a story. There's a cell phone ad on the radio that has been driving Seth and I nuts. The premise of the ad is that this girl is driving to school with a guy and her friend calls. The two girls are talking and in the background the guy is singing something about matters mathematical and equations. It's very catchy but we haven't been able to figure out the words.

Seth finally got enough of them yesterday that I was able to plug them in to Google and found out that the guy in the commercial is singing "The Major General's Song" from Gilbert and Sullivan's, The Pirates of Penzance.

I am the very model of a modern Major-General,I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;I 'm very well acquainted too with matters mathematical,I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news With
many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.

Pirates of Penzance is one show I have very little experience with. I kind of want to see it now because I can't get this song out of my head! Read the full lyrics here

Ramdom Memory #3

Stacy's post reminded me of something I was thinking of posting last week. In grade three I was given the task of handing tests back to the students in the classroom. At least I think that's what I was doing. Whatever it was was super important and it was an honour to be asked. So big an honour that even though I had to pee really bad, I made myself finish doing this task before I went. Of course, I didn't make it. I still remember the feeling of standing there, in the classroom, with warm fluid running down my legs on to the cheap thin carpet in that portable.

I was *so* embarrased. I ran straight to the bathroom and hid there until my mom came with clean, dry clothes for me.

The funny thing is I still do that to a certain extent. Well, I don't pee my pants but I do sit here at my desk at work and say "I'll go after I finish XXX". Thankfully my bladder is louder then it was then and I have enough brains to just stop and go pee (because it takes, what? all of two minutes?) but I still try and push it. You'd think I'd learn!

Am I a good sister or what?

Friday was Seth's birthday. I left this on the counter for him.
I tried to tell Mom and Dad about it on Sunday and they said "We know. He took a picture with his camera phone and showed us." I asked him if it tasted good (because I didn't have enough ingredients so I cut the recipe in half but I wasn't sure how it would turn out). Seth said "you tell me". See, when I got home on Sunday there was only about 1/4 left. I think he liked it. LOL Oh, and he was planning on showing the picture to all his co-workers. Yup, I'm a good sister.
~Heidi

I guess I should be happy...

that it hasn't happened before :(

This weekend I went down to Lopez Island with Darrcie for a scrapbook retreat. This is what? The third or fourth time I've gone south across the border to the US to scrapbook this year. I've done it a bunch in the past too. This time, after waiting in line for well over an hour, they decided to question my motives. Sent me inside and grilled me while they searched my car.

The "Border Protection Agent" assigned to my case told me "this is what I think. I think you're going down to sell product in the states". How do you convince these people that the product you're bringing is for personal use? Yes I had at least one pack of un-opened pages but that was about it. Granted I have been lazy in cleaning out my car. I do still have the CM decal on my window (it makes finding a silver Corolla a whole lot easier!) and I do have a few old business cards floating around (does the fact that they are two addresses ago not work in my favour?) Mostly they just decided to pick on me.

The BPA dude told me "you realize that if you're lying and I find out, you'll never be allowed in to the USA again?" I told him that I realized that but I was telling the truth and not about to change what I had to say. Of course he didn't like that. He ended up calling Darrcie to confirm who I was and where I was going, checking SS (because I told him that's where I "met" her) and, looking me up on CreativeMemories.com. Get this though. MY NAME SHOWED UP!!! WTH?!?!?! I've been deactivated for almost TWO YEARS! And my name still shows up on the locator.

A word of advice to any active or not active consultants, remove any and all reference to CM from your person/car and ONLY bring your "personal use" scrapbooking supplies (whatever that's supposed to mean. I thought I packed light this time!)

It's not fun to be accused of something that isn't true. I can be glad that it was something I could truthfully answer about. (And man is it natural to want to defend yourself!!!)

They went through EVERYTHING. Including my wallet. Which has CMSheriTx's business card in it. "When did you talk to her last?" "Uh, like in person or online?" "When did you talk to her last?" (thanks for the clarification) "Yesterday I guess" (We posted to the same thread. Does that count?)

Anyways, I know they're just doing their job and I probably could have (and will) clean out my stuff a bit more but man, I waited over an hour to get the third degree. Not fun.

The retreat was fun though. That was good. And getting home was a breeze. "Where do you live?" "How long were you gone?" "What is the value of goods being brought back" "Have a nice day!"

~Heidi...glad to be home...

Where Were You when the World Stopped Turning?

Weird. I started writing this one year ago but I never finished it.

No one will ever forget where they were on September 11, 2001. For myself, it was a normal Tuesday morning. I got up, got ready for work and when I came into the kitchen Mom was listening to the radio. She rarely did so it was a bit weird. Then the phone rang. It was my dad's friend asking if he was awake and had heard the news. He wasn't. Mom filled me in saying that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center in New York and then she went to wake Dad. By that time the second plane had hit.

I remember now that the reason Mom had the radio on is because Seth was working for a temporary labour agency and had to be at work quite early in the morning. She heard that the first plane had hit when she was driving him to work. She came home and kept listening but didn't know if it was a big deal or not. That's why she didn't bother waking up my dad until his friend called.

I borrowed his walkman and listened to CKNW on the way to work. When I got there we tuned the radio to CKNW and my boss set a small tv up in his office. I think we watched the towers fall together.

To me it was very much like a movie. A real life, real time movie that I couldn't escape. Big explosions and conspiracy theories but all coming through the tv so it didn't seem real.

When I got home Dad had our tv set up in the living room (it was normally downstairs). We watched that stupid thing for probably a week straight. It was crazy.

On the first anniversary of the attacks I drove with my cousin's grandparents to Alberta. The best part of that day was the fact that I had zero radio or tv. That was how I remembered. By disconnecting myself and just celebrating that I was alive, living in a beautiful country and surrounded with people I love.

September 11th is so far one of the biggest events of my life. I remember where I was when Princess Diana died, I remember knowing that the Gulf War was going on. I remember where I was and what I was doing when President Bush declared war on Iraq but September 11th stands out above them all.

Being in Washington, DC last year and seeing the re-built section of the Pentagon brought it home a little more but it still feels like a dream...and not a good one.

September 11th changed our world. It makes me sad to think that there are a whole generation of kids growing up who don't know a world without terror. I pray for them and for peace for everyone.

~Heidi

blogger burn out be gone!

Wow. I'm sorry. I kind of got blogger burn-out after all those concerts and then I got super busy and I just haven't been blogging at all. Let's see. What have I been up to?

Here's a recap of the long weekend from my email to Deb:

Let's see, Friday (August 31) I went to Costco with Mom. We made the clerk laugh. I was splitting a box of chicken with Seth and a package of hamburger with Mom. I was trying to figure out how much cash to give Mom so she could pay. The clerk was trying to be all helpful and asked "can I give you a sub-total?" We replied, "Only if you can split the hamburger!"

Once we were done there we went back to Mom's and I re-packaged the chicken and hamburger and put half of it in her freezer and took half home. My freezer's too small but her's has lots of room. Now I can just go shopping at Mom's when I run out of meat!

Saturday (September 1) I had breakfast with Jenna, Kimberley and Melissa. After that, Meredith and I headed into Vancouver. We went shopping on South Granville. Neither of us had been there before so it was fun and then had dinner downtown at a sports bar and dessert at the Pan Pacific.

Sunday (September 2) after church I went out for lunch with Mom, Dad and a bunch of other people and then I just hung out at their place. Mom and I played Scrabble (and she beat me horribly) and we went for a walk.

Monday (September 3) I didn't leave the house at all. It was great. I even SCRAPBOOKED!!! Woohoo! LOL It was a nice relaxing day. Seth was watching a Will & Grace marathon and I just puttered around.

Tuesday, September 4 I went back to work and found out that my boss had pneumonia AND bronchitis. We knew she was coming down with something but we didn't expect it to hit that hard. You can't control your health though! Normally it wouldn't have been a big deal but that week was our Annual General Meeting and Quarterly Board Meetings.

Wednesday, in a conference call with our accountant, lawyer and chairman, I was volunteered to RUN the meetings. Yikes! Thankfully my boss had really detailed speakers notes which she reviewed with me so I was confident and prepared going in to the meetings.

Thursday was final prep for the meetings with the Confidential one starting at 4pm. Juding from the comments that I received afterwards, I did alright. I presented all the information that staff needed to communicate and "facilitated" effectively. It was a good experience. Not something I'd necessarily want to repeat regularly or on such short notice but good none-the-less.

Friday was the Non-Con meeting and the AGM. Thankfully our Chair and Lawyer ran the AGM :) I got home just before five and took a nap. Those meetings always wipe me out. That evening I couldn't decide what to do. I finally ended up calling Jenna's house. She was out with Will but her sister invited me over and we watched the second Harry Potter movie together. It was nice and relaxing. Exactly what I needed.

Saturday I took my time getting ready but eventually made my way out to Terri's to scrapbook. We had a great time. Sue, Shannon and Kim were there too. I got a page done that I've been worrying about and I'm happy with how it turned out.

Sunday we had a late service so, even though it was a beautiful sunny day, I stayed at home and puttered around. I scrapbooked a bit, watched tv and read.

With work and life being so busy I'm really focusing on enjoying quiet time when I can get it.

That's about it for now. I have a biggish announcement that I'm not ready to blog yet. Stay tuned though.

~Heidi

Acoustic Concert Series: Shane Yellowbird

Wednesday, August 29th The second of the Acoustic Concert Series. I've really been looking forward to this concert. The headliner was Shane Yellowbird from Alberta and local artist Damian Marshall opened for him. I saw Damian last summer when he opened for Leann Rimes. That was another show that I won tickets to from the radio station!

It was nice to see him again in a smaller setting. He is an awesome song writer and has some great songs.


Meredith came with me. She's not a country music fan but she does love live music so we had fun.

Shane was awesome. The funny thing was he opened for Emerson Drive last fall. If i had taken a road trip to see them I would have seen him as well. Instead I waited and got to see them both within three days!

Shane only has one cd (which is awesome). He sang a lot of songs off of it including his debut single "Beautiful Concept" which he called his "baby" :), "They're All About You", the song that really caught my attention and first made me google him, his new single "I Remember the Music" which I am loving, and of course, his mega (Canadian) hit, "Pickup Truck". Kristal's actually in the video for Pickup truck too.

He also did *fantastic* covers of "Texas in 1880" and Garth Brooks' "Rodeo". Shane grew up doing the rodeo circut with family and if he wasn't persuing a music career, he'd still be out there riding. Because of that, to me, he could sing those songs and really mean them.

Shane and his guitarist Troy shared a few stories of performing and being on the road and had us all in stitches. That's the benefit of an acoustic concert. The artists can slow down and chat a little bit so it's more personable. I did get to meet him afterwards and got a photo and autograph. He's really sweet and down to earth. I wish him a long and happy career because I love his music! LOL

Emerson Drive

Monday, August 27th I went straight from work to the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) in Vancouver. Traffic was mercifully light so I made good time. I decided to bite the bullet and park in one of the PNE sponored parking lots. The gate people were confused as to why the fair was so busy on a Monday night. The car before me informed them that there was a "major concert" going on that night which explained it to them. One of them asked who was performing and the other one said "I don't know. Some country band named 'Emerson Drive'". They were right!


Emerson Drive's lead singer Brad Mates (in the white shirt) is from Alberta, Dale Wallace (who plays keyboards) is from BC and the rest of the band is from Quebec. They have three cd's, "Emerson Drive", "What If?" and their latest "Countrified" From those cd's they have a long list of hits. They also hold the distinction of being the first Canadian group to hit #1 on the US Charts with "Moments".


They toured last fall with Shane Yellowbird but the closest they got to the Lower Mainland was Kelowna. I had seriously considered taking a road trip to see them but it never worked out.

When I heard that they would be at the PNE I knew I had to go. Sue got the "Coutrified" cd on the recommendation of a co-worker and when she heard I was planning to go to the show, she decided to join me. We met by the stage and secured a spot right up front, basically exactly where I was when I saw The Road Hammers with Jenna last summer. It's hard on the ears but great for photos and just so much fun.


Emerson Drive put on a great show. It is so high energy and Brad never stops moving. It's crazy. Shania Twain liked them so much that she had them open for her on her Up! tour.
Most of their songs like "Fall Into Me", I Should Be Sleeping", "If You Were My Girl", "Still Got Yesterday", "A Good Man", "Countrified Soul" and my personal favourite "Testify" are really up-tempo. They did slow it down for an acoustic set of rock covers and for "Moments" but the rest of the evening was rocking.


Our spot on the left hand side of the stage gave us a perfect view of David Pichette's smokin' fiddle playing. I have a soft spot for fiddles anyways and he is just amazing.

Sue & I

Our ears were ringing by the end of the night but we still added our voices to the crowd and encouraged the band to come out for an encore.
The concert was only an a hour and a half total. I still feel like I got a fantastic show, and for the $10 gate admission? You can't go wrong!!!

Left, David

Danick Dupelle
Patrick Bourqe