ODDS AND ENDS...

So far, so good on the Christmas spirit this year.  Am feeling very positive and up beat - perhaps this has something to do with having my shopping done and wrapped this year - in record time! 

Toronto got hit by its first (!) round of crappy weather this weekend.  Raining during the day and then snow and it all froze.  So consequently, I skiied down the driveway this morning, in my high heels no less all while screaming and making the neighbours laugh.  I managed to stay on my feet but just barely.  God I hate winter and yet I continue to live where we suffer through this season for the better part of 5 damn months.  I should not complain considering what is happening in the midwest - are you enjoying being snowed in Muffy?

Work is busy but good and I am off to Denver for New Years again this year to visit wonderful friends.  The NBB is hanging in and keeping me company and all that I love are healthy and happy.  All in all, a much better end to my year than beginning and I feel that 2011 is going to be my year! 

And no, I have not yet had a cocktail today so my holiday glow is not wine induced...yet!

GOTTA LOVE A LONG WEEKEND!

Glory be Internet - today is the last day of my work week all thanks to Good Friday!  Oh how I wish that 4 day weeks were what I had everyday (with no cut in pay of course!) - but alas, that is not meant to be. 

Have a great, long weekend everyone and may the Easter Bunny find you wherever you may be!

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

Good Yontif  Internet (and if you are not Jewish - Happy Passover)!.  It is well documented on this site of my love of all things Passover.  Seriously - what is not to love about this holiday - you eat until you can't move, dinner is comprised mainly of carbs, most of the food is beige and there is lots of laughter!  For me, being a non Jew, it is like a non Christmas, Christmas dinner except there is a lot of reading in Hebrew and other tradtions - none of which involve the Son of God.  Serioulsy - what is not to love about a big meal comprised of mainly carbs!

So Internet I will think of you tonight as I dine on kugel, carrot tsimis, matzoh and blintzes. 

PS - don't worry if you hear an explosion tomorrow morning.  That would be my pants as i try to do them up after eating more than a person really should at one meal!

OFF WE GO

to the magic land of Egypt for 2 wonderful weeks!  This makes the past 2 weeks of work hell so worthwhile!  I will miss you Internet but will be back soon with LOTS and LOTS of pictures to share. 

Stay well and keep warm! 

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW1v-nMMYA4

In less than 1 week, Wilson and I will be boarding a large plane to start that will take us to Cairo and help us to start walking like an Egyptian.  I cannot believe that this trip is finally here - we booked it almost a year ago.   Preparation is near complete - hair dyed so that the gray is not visible; mani/pedi done; legs waxed; new clothes purchased and all that is left is too put all clothes, shoes, sunscreen and all other personal products into the one suitcase that we are allowed and at the weight that won't cost us any additional money. 

Needless to say that I will not be posting for a while but when I get back there will be plenty of pictures to see and many stories to tell. 

I will miss you internet but never fear, I will return. 

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!

It's passover time again! Now in our very WASPY house - we do not celebrate it but ReRe in all of her Jewishness does. This makes me VERY happy! I love it all - beige food, carrot tsmimis, apple kugel with dinner (which still confuses me as it tastes like dessert but it is not) and all of the ceremony that goes with it.

Bring on the matzoh brie, tsimis, pickles and blintzes!

I wish all of you a happy passover! Good Yountif (ReRe will let me know how badly I have misspelled this word!


PS - If you get to go to Passover this year and you are not Jewish - take it from me, pass on the Gefilte fish and the Manoschevitz. You can thank me for this later!

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

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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

2008 kisses,
DiDi

Christmas

Here it is another Christmas Eve and this is my favourite night of the holiday season! I have my handsome husband of 1 year by my side. Rounding our our wee clan this year is our wee Arthur - the sweetest, craziest puppy you ever did meet. With those gifts in my life - whatever is under the tree is just icing on the cupcake!

Safe travels Mellie & Jewemy! Can't wait to take the dogs for walkies when you get back!

ReRe - have a great visit with your mom.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

DiDi

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (if you are Canadian)

The first long weekend of fall - YIPEEE!!!!!! We are going to my parent's farm to be one with the crisp fall air, walks in fields and lots of turkey. Most of my crazy family will be there and I get to see my newest nephew again. Then on the Sunday, my brother is having a turkey dinner for his kids and Wilson and I are going to that as well. Two turkey dinners - I LOVE IT!!!!! Arthur gets to run around with my parents dog, be leash free, get smelly and have the best time!

Most of all, we are thankful that my Mom is healthy and doing so well after her fall earlier this year. So for turkey, time with family, Arthur being tired and my mom being healthy - we are thankful.

Have a great long weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to all!
DiDi

PS - just realized that this is my first married Thanksgiving. I am very, very thankful for my smart, handsome, funny husband.

EASTER

Ah, Easter has come and gone and my waistline is ever expanding due to the vast quantities of food consumed over the entire weekend!


The best thing ever about Easter is Good Friday and that it is a holiday. Long weekends absolutely rule and ours was good. We drove 3 hours to my parents' farm and hung out until Sunday morning. Our entire weekend consisted of eating, standing to let the dogs out, eating some more, watching TV, eating and then going to bed. I think everyone now had a clearer picture of why I am ever increasing in size.


Dinners at my parents house were carb fests and I love that about them. Friday dinner was roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with all the appropriate trimmings. Saturday was turkey, stuffing and the appropriate trimmings. And my mom made pies for dessert - YUMMY!!!!! Wilson makes my mother so happy because he eats her food until he can no longer move.


We drove home, unpacked the car and thought - "hey, we have no food in the house, let's go grocery shopping." We are idiots as it was Easter Sunday and everything, and I mean everything was closed up tight. We scrounged ourselves a healthy dinner (salmon, quinoa and wilted spinach). Thank heavens for the pantry!


All in all, a lovely long weekend and I wish that we didn't have to go to work!


Easter bunny kisses to all,
DiDi

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Normally I don't care too much for this, the most Hallmark of holidays but as this is my first married one - I am loving it! I will take any opportunity to tell Wilson how much I love him and today he will beg me to stop all the lurve!

However Internet, here is a very short list of why I love this man:
- he has a great shaped head and this is key because he has not a lot of hair
- he loves me lots
- he is the smartest guy I know
- he loves our dog so much and is very smoochy
- he walks said dog in the cold weather so that I can stay warm
- he is damn sexy
- he is an amazing friend
- he is calm in a crisis
- he makes me laugh
- just because he is him

I look forward to a lifetime of I love you's with you Wilson and with you every day is Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's day everyone and cinnamon heart kisses to all,

DiDi

HALLOWE'EN SORORITY STYLE...

ReRe inspires all with her love of Hallowe'en. Not only did she and iPod man win at their party this past weekend, due to her diligence our team at the office won Best team costume.

Here are some pictures of us looking very stupid. Please note how mushed our faces are and yes these pictures do equal a lot of pain! There are only 2 of the sorority members in it as Mellie and her damn ambition left us 2 years ago.

Yes, it is true, we are the Blue Man Group

DiDi is on the right, not that you can tell and ReRe is in the middle.

We are idiots, but prize winning idiots!

Happy Hallowe'en Everyone!

Kisses,

DiDi