Tuesday, January 29, 2008

AN OPEN LETTER TO WINTER

Dear Winter,
I know that you come for a duration of time, once a year and I know that I live in a country that is north of the equator. Taking all of that into consideration, I would like to inform you that I am tired of all of your baggage - tired of snow, wearing more layers than one human ever should, being forced to wear a coat that looks like a sleeping bag, getting out of bed and being cold, walking the dog in the dark of night when it is only 5pm and the list could go on.

Please, with all due respect - go and bother another country and let me where pretty clothes, open toed shoes and bare legs.

Seriously winter - go the fuck away!

Kind regards,
DiDi

Thursday, January 24, 2008

CURIOUS

How do 2 people create so much laundry? We dry clean most things that we wear to work and still I do copious amounts of the stuff. How is this possible...

Thursday, January 03, 2008

A YEAR IN REVIEW

I did this for the first time last year and found it a really good way to look back over your year. So here it is again - my own personal Year in Review!


1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Paid off my horrible tax debt!

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I really didn't make any resolutions but Wilson and I set goals for 2007 and I achieved more than I thought I would.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My niece Lisa had her first child - a baby boy named Quinn.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Our sweet dog Maggie - she was a beloved member of our family.

5. What places did you visit? The Grenadines (Bequia, Canouan, Palm Island, Mayreau, Union Island) Vancouver (2) Calgary (2) Ottawa (2) Montreal (1)


6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? Better financial outlook for our retirement. Because of the crippling tax debt (that is now gone! HOORAY!!) I was not contributing to my RRSP and now need to contribute as much as possible.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? June 30th - the day we lost our Maggie. July 20th - the day we brought our Arthur home. December 9 - My first wedding anniversary

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Being someone's wife, paying off the crippling tax debt

9. What was your biggest failure? Being lazy and not keeping off the 15lbs I lost before getting married. Also, knowing that diabetes is on both sides of my family and the best thing I can do is exercise and eat right to prevent me from ever sticking needles into me.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Other than a couple of bad colds - nope.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My very pretty new Cole Haan Mary Janes.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? ReRe's - she figured out that turning 40 really isn't so bad.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? George Bush

14. Where did most of your money go? The government

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? - getting our hot tub, paying off the government, our first anniversary, giving Wilson his birthday present, bringing home Arthur

16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Before he cheats - Carrie Underwood and Rehab by Amy Winehouse

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? Happier - I was very happy last year and am glad that I am still in a happy state

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Saving.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Spending.

20. How did you spend Christmas last year? With family

21. Did you fall in love in 2006? Yup - with a sweet puppy named Arthur.

22. How many one-night stands? None.

23. What was your favorite TV program? So you think you can dance? Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2007? Had dinner with my husband and his parents on the Ottawa River

25. What was the best book you read? I would have to say Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Not sure - I did love hearing more of Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone.

27. What did you want and get? A great vacation with my husband

28. What did you want and not get? A telephoto lens

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Hairspray, Dreamgirls - am a total sucker for musicals.

30. Did you make some new friends this year? Alison

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More time relaxing with my husband

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Hatred of my clothes always feeling tight

33. What kept you sane? Weekends on our boat, my husband, our dog, wine, time with friends

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? No one really

35. What political issue stirred you the most? poverty, genocide in Sudan

36. Who did you miss? Kacy

37. Who was the best new person you met? no one person springs to mine

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. That happiness just doesn't happen, you work at it every day and some days it is easier than others.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS - FINALLY!

I am taking a page from our real life and putting my goals down on internet paper... Some say resolutions others say goals - either way the following is stuff I would like to accomplish this year at some point...

FAMILY and FRIENDS
1. Be grateful for my family - they may be crazy but they are the only family you get.
2. Be less judgemental about Wilson's family. They are what they are and I have to roll with it better. besides, in the year that we have been married, they have been nothing but loving towards me (except for Nana telling me that I was fat at Christmas...)
3. Visit the family that I have in the city more.
4. Be a good friend and call more.


COOKING
5. Make cooking healthy a lifestyle choice.
6. Use less butter and cheese
7. Grill meats as much as possible
8. Eat vegetarian 2 times per week
9. Smaller portions for both of us
10. Have healthy snacks only in our house
11. Have only grains or healthy carbs once per day.



Health
11. Stop being so damn lazy and get my ass on the treadmill 3 times per week
12. Find and take yoga class once per week
13. Try to start running - 20 minutes 2 times per week by June
14. Lose this persistent 15-20 lbs and keep it off through consistent excercise and good eating.




Home
15. Do more gardening
16. Find and refinish inexpensive bedside tables for the spare bedroom
17. Find and refinish better side tables for basement family room
19. Frame photographs for spare bedroom


Hobbies
20. Take a photography course
21. Buy telephoto lens and become proficient with it
22. Learn photoshop



Finance
23. Maintain debt free status
24. Build better nest egg
25. Contribute as much as possible to pension plan and RRSPs



Fun
26. Play more games rather than watch TV
27. Go to more movies
28. Have more friends over when on the boat
29. Go to the theatre 3 times this year
30. See a concert I have always wanted to see
31. Ride a horse at least once per year




Love
32. Stop being so sensitive and realize that Wilson is trying to help more than hurt
33. Count to 5 before I say something hurtful
34. Remember that even when he pisses me off, how much I love him
35. Thank him for taking such care of me and Arthur
36. Kiss him 10 times per day
37. Plan a weekend trip to somewhere he wants to go
38. Put my crap away promptly so that it doens't make him crazy

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to all! May 2008 bring all health, happiness and all that you can wish for.

2008 kisses,
DiDi