I’m a total BAAAAABe!

I’m a Babe with lots of As because those are my final marks for the semester: one B, one B+, one A- and four As! Yippppeeeee! My only “disappointment” is my B in paediatrics. The class was killer and even though I spent the most time studying for that class, I just couldn’t bump up that score. Plus, I am 0.25 away from a B+... so close, yet so far!

Before Mr. Perfect moved in, he was worried he would influence my studies. Turns out he DID have an influence on my studies, but in a positive way with my best semester ever. I finished with a 3.7 GPA which is equivalent to an A-. I totally rocked this semester!

Unfortunately, my vacation will be short lived as I just got an email this morning advising me that I have two exams on January 7 with about a 100 pages to read and study. As a bonus, I need a 90% to pass each exam. Yehaw! Such is the life of a student. I'm still going to spend a few days in my PJs. Humph

Pity Post.

Back in October I got a call from Public Health offering me a job at immunization clinics. As a bonus, they said they would be paying me the salary of a REAL nurse. I was ecstatic! I could make more money there in 6 weeks than I could make working at Cora’s for 4 months! So what did I do? I accepted the job and immediately quit Cora’s. A few days after I quit, I find out I won’t be getting paid the same as a nurse, but the salary is comparable to Cora’s so I don’t care. Well, fast forward a few weeks and the vaccination debacle began. They cancel my first shift because they don’t have enough vaccines. I haven’t received any shifts since... and don’t have any money coming in. In the meantime, I applied for EI. Normally, students don’t qualify for EI, but the provincial government was offering some sort of partnership that let us apply. I figured, if I could get EI I wouldn’t have to work for my last year. Taking 7 classes per semester AND working every weekend is just exhausting! The thought of having my weekends to study sounded completely dreamy. Well, I just got a message from EI saying I don’t qualify because I don’t have enough hours. FUCK! I’m so upset right now! I don’t want to go back to Cora’s. The idea of having to work every weekend is making me nauseous.

I know I have to start looking for a job stat before the money runs out, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. I know I could go back to Cora’s in an instant, but that would be my very last resort. Can you please send me happy job vibes so I can find a job with a decent salary where I could work one day a week that doesn't make me want to slit my wrists?

Great Big Shin-Dig

Last weekend Mr. Perfect and I went to Halifax for a fundraising event called the The Great Big Dig for the IWK. It’s a yearly event organised by the construction industry to raise funds for the IWK Children’s Hospital. Mr. Perfect’s company had sponsored a table so we attended with his co-workers and their spouses. We had such a great time and his coworkers were really lovely. It was a nice chance to get away, dress up and enjoy a wonderful 6-course meal... which included lots of wine, of course.:-) Although we forgot to take pictures during the event, we did manage to get a few shots with the self-timer after we the event. Not the best pictures, but we still looking smashing! :-P

And for the record, my hand is NOT grabbing anything!! Hey, I think this is the first time Mr. Perfect has been revealed!

The return to the real world was not as fun. Of course, there is the return to the books with two exams and two projects awaiting me, but there was also a sad phone call to be had. A friend of mine from NG called to tell me one of my colleagues from Sobeys, Harley, had been killed in motorcycle accident on Saturday. I was in shock. He was only in his mid-thirties with two young children. His poor family. :-( He will be deeply missed by everyone.

Happy Belated Halloween!

My Mom bought this for Pacha a few weeks ago. As she says... it's for the kids (insert eye roll here). What can I say, she makes a cute pumpkin. Even Mr. Perfect thought she looked cute... but he still refused to bring her for a walk in her costume. :-)

October Méli-Mélo

I’ve had ideas for posts rolling around my head for weeks now, but just haven’t had the time to write them down. So here is a general update on my life:

Family
First, I’ll start with the bad news. My 14 year old nephew Alex was diagnosed with H1N1 yesterday. He went to emerg after having trouble breathing, they did a swab and called a few hours later to confirm it was H1N1. The rational part of me knows that 99% of people who get this will be fine in a few days, but I'm still a little worried. I hope he's ok, and I hope it doesn't spread through my family. My other sister has Diabetes, so does her son and her husband has MS.... I don't want to think of what could happen if it spread to them.

School
As mentioned in my previous post, I had been following a family through the last months of pregnancy. It was a wonderful experience. The mother was afraid I would be traumatised by the experience and wouldn’t want to have kids. I told her if I could have the amount of control she had, labour should be easy peasy. She gave birth without an epidural or any drugs. She meditated through her contractions and was so completely focused I was amazed.

I finished the project this week with a post-partum visit with the family and do a physical assessment of the new babe. Everything went perfectly. The little one was so cooperative and I managed to finish my assessment with flying colours. Now I just have to finish my report for Monday and I’m done!

The rest of my classes are going really well. My first set of exams and projects were a few weeks ago and I did really well on all of them. The one I wrote the day I attended the birth wasn’t all that great, but considering I was pretty exhausted, I’m happy with it.

Work
Tomorrow is my last shift at Cora’s. YAY!!!! I gave my two week notice when I accepted a temporary job with public health. As of this week I’ll be joining the craziness and administrating H1N1 vaccines. I’m hoping the money I’ll make over the next few months will sustain me for some time in the new year.

Home Life
Mr. Perfect moved in a week ago and my last tenant moved out. Wheeee! The move went really well and we’re almost done reorganising the house. So far things couldn’t be better. In fact, we’re so happy we’re practically annoying!

No Pressure

Last Saturday I was hanging out with my nephews Alex (14) and Isaac (12). Apparently my sister had told them Mr. Perfect was moving in with me.

Alex: Mom told me Mr. Perfect was going to move in with you. That’s really great news, huh?
Me: Yes it is. We’re very happy.
Alex: Do you think you’ll marry him?
Me: Well… maybe.
Isaac: That would be fun because I don’t an uncle Perfect yet!
Alex: I would really like that too. But… just so you know, I would really like some more cousins, ok?

Thank kid - no pressure at all.


...

Finally; The Perfect Roommate.

It’s taken a very long time, but I just know I’ve finally found the perfect roommate. He won’t be moving in until the end of October, but I can’t wait! You might have guessed it... Mr. Perfect will be moving in with me. :-) We decided this week it was time to take the plunge and we're hoping to begin our domestic bliss during my study break the last week of October.

I’ve had a perma-smile the last few days and have resisted the urge to tell absolutely everyone I meet. It hasn’t been easy because I’m just so excited! It’s going to be so nice to wake-up to him every morning, to have supper together every night, not to have to truck 10,000 bags (school bag, overnight bag, running gear, Pacha’s bag, gah!) back and forth between homes every few days, knowing that even though I am studying we can have moments together that don’t necessitate a 30 minute commute and a degree in logistics!

We’ve also decided that we don’t want anyone else living with us. Can I just say how excited I am not to have to share my house with strangers anymore!?! For the first time since I bought the house I can walk around naked, I can decorate every room just the way I (or we) want it, if stuff gets broken it’s because we accidentally broke it and not because some careless tenant has no appreciation for anything that isn’t his, hell, we can even do it in every room!

We haven’t told Bonhomme yet and I think it’s best to wait until he gives me the rent for October. I wouldn’t want him to get pissed off and move out and leave me high and dry for a month.

It looks like my “16 months left” chant has now turned into a “38 days left” chant. Wheeeeee!


...

September Méli-Mélo

School Life
Last week I started my third year in nursing. I can’t believe I’m actually in my THIRD year! I’m not sure why, but it feels like I suddenly have street cred when it comes to my studies. With two years under my belt I feel much more like a nurse. It’s an awesome feeling. It’s also great to know that I’m at least halfway done... and maybe more if I am accepted in the accelerated program (I’ll know by the end of the semester).

This semester is all about the specialties: pediatrics, labour & delivery, psychiatry, community health, as well as a few classes on nursing theory. It’s nice not to have any clinical practicum mixed in with my classes. Starting in January, though, I’ll have 6 months of clinical work.


Home Life
I’m still searching for a new roommate. I can pretty much scratch off September, but I’m hoping I’ll get someone by October. In the last 8 months I’ve had 4 months with at least one vacant room. That’s really tough on the finances.

Last Saturday Mr. Perfect helped me out with a few home projects, including cutting down trees and replacing missing boards on my patio. I was so grateful for his help! I keep looking at my patio and can’t believe the boards have FINALLY been replaced! I’ve been “planning” on doing it since April. Mr. Perfect also got an introduction to my wacky sense of organization. The following conversation took place, as we were about to go work on the patio:
Mr.Perfect: “Where’s the cat’s paw (nail puller), I lent you a few months ago?”
Me: “Ummm… I think it’s in my office… on my desk”
Mr. Perfect: “Of course... office... makes complete sense”
Mr. Perfect: “Didn’t you say you bought nails? Where are they”
Me (giggling): “In the kitchen… in the drawer where I keep my dishcloths”
Me (about to go outside to do some work): “I’ll be right there. I just have to get my hammer”
Mr. Perfect looks at me with a look that says “And where might your hammer be?”
Me: “I keep my hammer in my filing cabinet.” :-)

Love Life
Obviously, Mr. Perfect and I are still going strong. Returning to my school routine has been tough as we were used to seeing each other almost every day, but we are making it work. We'd like to move in together eventually, but we are trying to be responsible about it and take our time with that decision. We don't want to move in together just because I need a new roommate... we want it to be for the right reasons.

Curses!

What the hell is wrong with people? I’ve been stood up yet again by a potential tenant. I seriously hate these people. They are completely rude and inconsiderate. Grrrrr!

I’ve had my house for 2 years on August 1 and in that span I’ve had 9 roommates, including She-Man, the Virgin, the Plumber, the kid, the ghost, the boyfriend (the ghost’s boyfriend that is), Big Rig, BRE (Best Roommate Ever) and now Bonhomme. Of these 9, 5 of them have been in the last 6 months. *sigh* I’ve also had about 36 people visit my house, 92 emails or phone calls and at least 15 no shows.

The prospective roommate I was supposed to see today had true potential. She was eager to see the place and we made an appointment for her to come over around 2:00. I have a lot to do today, as it’s the first day of school tomorrow, but didn’t want to be in the middle of cleaning and such when she arrived, so I waited... and waited... and waited. After an hour had passed by, I called her. She said she wasn’t sure she wanted to come see the place anymore. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. ARG! Don’t you know how to pick up a damn phone?

The current tenant, known as Bonhomme (French expression meaning “what’s his name”), is general pretty good. He’s cut my lawn a few times, has brought Pacha for a walk on occasion and usually leaves the kitchen clean. However, yesterday I came home to find a condom on my TV stand. No; not a condom wrapper, or a condom still IN the wrapper; it was a partially unrolled condom. Lovely. Mr. Perfect and I kept trying to figure out why he would have a condom on the TV stand (even if he had been entertaining a guest while we were out of town), when the couch was all the way at the other end of the living room. We finally decided not to think about it because it was just grossing us out even more.

Sixteeen months... sixteen months... sixteen months. Please chant with me: “I only have 16 months to go”.


...

Poor Little Pupster

Pacha had to visit the vet this morning. She had a nail ripped clean off and was constantly licking it for the last three days. I finally called my vet today to see if I should come in and he said it would probably be best as it wouldn’t heal until she stopped obsessing over it. So now her back paw is all bandaged up and she keeps lifting up in the air and pointing it straight out... it’s actually quite funny to see her. She was a real trouper at the vet and her wiggling to get away was kept to a minimum.



This paw makes for some awkward sitting

Turning into a sap

This morning as I was driving into work I was listening to the announcer talking about the Canadian army’s recent attempt at using donkeys to help out soldiers in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the use of donkeys was unsuccessful as the gear they were carrying was much too heavy for them. Apparently, one donkey ran away and one drowned trying to carry gear across a river. I have no idea why, but I found that so sad. :-( Poor donkey. I'm such a sap when it comes to animals since I got Pacha. I can't watch any reports where animals get abused or read stories about puppy mills. It makes me wonder how I'll be when I have kids. Right now I have no problem dealing with sick kids and would like to work in paediatrics... but maybe I'll turn into mush after I have kids. I wonder if there is a way to predict such things?

Waiting most of my life to say this…

I’m about to say something I’ve been hoping to say for the last 25 years: I am no longer allergic to raspberries! I realise this might seem like trivial news to most of you, but the memory of just how sick raspberries made me when I was little, still makes me shiver.

Most people who know me IRL, have likely heard me ask: what’s this red stuff in this desert? What’s this made of? I hadn’t had a raspberry since I was 7 or 8 years old. My mother discovered I was allergic to raspberries when I spent a summer eating raspberries out of my great-uncle’s garden and subsequently spending the rest of the day with a horrible migraine and vomiting. I was so scarred of raspberries when I was little that I didn’t even eat a raspberry flavoured gummy until I was an adult!

I had always wanted to see if I had outgrown the allergy, but there just never seemed to be a right time to block off the day for a potential migraine. Then, a few months ago, I accidentally received a raspberry crepe instead of the strawberry crepe I had ordered. I realised the error the instant I took a bite, but it was too late. Obviously I didn’t eat the rest of the crepe, but it was too late for the single bite. I waited for the killer migraine to hit, but it never came. In the last month I started experimenting: raspberry yogourt… nothing, cottage cheese with field berries… nothing, frozen raspberries in a smoothie… still nothing!

This news brings a world of opportunities: new desserts, variety packs of yogourt that include raspberries, blackberries or field berries and of course, fresh raspberries. Yay!


...

I’ve paid my dues – now give me a break.

My Mom is an interesting character. Since my father passed away 16 years ago, she has depended a lot on her daughters. In her mind, children are there to take care of their parents as they age, entertain their parents when need be and basically tend to their parents every whim and need. Since moving back to the city three years ago, I’ve been fairly good at tending to my daughterly duties. I was single and could easily call her most days and see her a few times a week. With the exception of not always inviting her when I went out with my sisters (which apparently is a big daughterly no-no), I’ve been mostly on the ball.

The Mr. Perfect dreamily walks into my life. Did I drop everything in my life to be with him 24/? Of course not! I still call my mother every other day and make sure to see her at least once a week. Sure, it’s possible I might have gone two days without calling, but I do have sisters who also call her. Plus, she’s the most social person I know – she has tons of friends.

A few weeks ago I called her on a Sunday and she went on and on about how she was all alone Friday and Saturday night and how she called everyone and no one was around. It was a lot of poor me whining. Even though I had lots to do around the house that afternoon, I folded and asked if she wanted to do something. So I ended up spending the day with my Mom rather than cleaning my house.

Last night she pulled the same stunt again. I had spent Sunday with her and had called her at least three times. Mr. Perfect had come over for supper and we were making a BBQ. Around 5:00, my Mom showed up. She wanted me to go over to her place for supper. Obviously she saw that I couldn’t as the BBQ was already fired up and our supper was on its way to being done. Even though we were going to eat soon, I invited her in. I even invited her to stay for supper but she said she couldn’t because she’s on this new fan-dangled diet (that’s a whole other post). She sat there for 15 minutes or so, complaining about all the food she had to eat on her diet and how difficult it was to eat all that food. I pasted my most sincere fake smile and nodded at every word. Finally she slowly got up and said, “Well, I better get going since I’m going to have to eat alone, since you’re having supper with your boyfriend again”, and then she laughs just so we know how passive-aggressive she’s being. I smile and remind her she can stay for supper, but she declines again.

As soon as she left I smiled at Mr. Perfect and he could just tell it was dripping with sarcasm. He responded with, “Holy guilt trip!” Yup. That’s my Mom. I was kinda happy he was there to see it for himself. I sometimes feel like I complain a lot about my mother, but to have someone confirm her silliness was reassuring.


...

Roommate Rotation

I’m thinking of renaming my blog to Roommate Rotation because that’s all I seem to be talking about lately. My roommate, formerly known as B.R.E. (best roommate ever) has given her notice for the end of the month. From here on in she will be known as N.Q.B.R.E (not quite the best roommate ever). She moved in on July 1. *sigh*

It’s probably for the best anyway as she has a very annoying habit of leaving doors open; front door to the house, back door, kitchen cupboards, closet doors, etc. At one point the front door was open and all my kitchen cupboards where open when I got home from work. For a moment, I thought I had been robbed.

I really shouldn’t judge her... maybe she has some sort of physical disorder that makes it difficult for her to close doors. Maybe she had a brain injury and is suffering from a form of hemispatial neglect... but instead not being aware of one side of space, she’s just unaware of open doors. Hmmmm.... interesting...


...

The drugs are good

I haven’t been feeling very well for the last few months. I’ve had almost constant heart burn and regular nausea. I saw my doctor last week who prescribed a medication to help with the heart burn. The drug is like a miracle worker! No nausea. No heart burn. It’s awesome! But now, I’m faced with a new problem... I can eat anything. Uh Oh. This is so not good! Must. Eat. Healthy.


...

Never a straight road

I think you’ve come to expect I don’t do things the easy way. In fact, I’m fairly certain "complicated" was supposed to be my middle name (the priest must have changed it when I was baptised). I’m supposed to do the accelerated nursing program come Fall. That means when I start in September, I don’t stop until I graduate in December 2010. To be accepted into the accelerated program, you must have a 2.5 average or higher (check), complete all your electives (check) and complete your statistics class (pending) before the end of the fall semester. I was supposed to do the stats class in the Fall on Monday evenings, but the class is no longer being offered in the evenings... and now it doesn’t fit in my schedule. :-(

I sent a quick email to my director who responded to me while he was on vacation. Apparently I’m not the only person who was depending on that class. He said they might be able to make an exception because I’m so cute (actually, I don’t think it was because of my cuteness, but let’s pretend). I still have to do the class, of course, but I might be able to squeeze it in during the 2010 Spring or Fall semester. Keep your fingers crossed. The accelerated program cuts out an entire semester of school (and debt).

In other news, I had a small financial freak out yesterday. I didn’t have enough money and was ready to sell my Buffy the Vampire Slayer collection. Yes. You read right: I was willing to part with Buffy. Luckily, the pawn shop would only offer me a few bucks for each box set so I just couldn’t do it. Complete blasphemy, I tell you! This is Buffy! It’s a classic. Since then, all my financial problems have been solved as my new roommate unexpectedly moved in today and has already paid his rent for the rest of July and August. Phew. Let’s hope he’s as wonderful as my other roommate who isn’t a decomposing cadaver by the way, but appears to be staying with someone else. She periodically shows up to wash clothes and pick up a few things. Best. Roommate. Evah!


...

The case of the missing roommate

I haven’t seen my newest roommate in about a week. Her car hasn’t moved and her toothbrush is still in its toothbrush holder. Should I be worried? I don’t know much about her, but from what she told me she needed a room to rent because she broke-up with her boyfriend and wanted to move out of his place. I guess it’s possible she has a new boyfriend and is staying with him... it just seems a little odd. Don’t get me wrong, I love the peace and quiet, I’m just a little concerned. I guess if my house starts smelling like decomposing flesh I’ll go check her room for a body.

In other news, I have found a second roommate. I actually haven’t met him yet, but he called on Sunday saying he wanted to rent the room as he was moving from Halifax. He gave me references and sent the damage deposit via email transfer immediately. I usually go with my gut when choosing a roommate so it’s a bit of a challenge when I haven’t met the person. Let’s just hope that if he turns out to be a crazy killer that someone will check for my body!


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Mid-Summer Update

I don’t feel like my life has been all that exciting/funny lately so there hasn’t been much to update. However, since I feel guilty when I don’t post, here is my mid-summer méli-mélo.

- Finished my clinical work last week and it all went very well. My final mark was a B+, which is really good for clinical, but I was really hoping for an A
- Started work in the EEG department at the hospital. It’s very relaxed and not too stressful. It’s nice to not have to use my brain all that much. The down side is that I’m losing 5 days of work because they don’t have enough money in their budget for me. Oh well. I guess it’s just more vacation for me.
- The hole in my ceiling is almost completely repaired. Mr. Perfect and I covered it with drywall last week and he’ll be back this weekend to do the patch work. What a freakin’ mess that drywall! My entire house is covered in a white dusty film. Ugh.
- Pacha has decided she is no longer housetrained and is now peeing on a daily basis while I’m at work. Weird dog.
- My newest roommate seems to be ok. I like the fact that she’s rarely here. :-) I’m still on the search for a second roommate. *sigh*
- I did a prenatal class in preparation for my clinical work in obstetrics. It was awesome! I totally reinforced the fact that I would love to work in Obstetrics.
- I got a sneak peak at my Fall schedule and, so far, it looks like I’ll have Friday’s off. Wheee!

I guess that’s about it for now.


...

Happy Anniversary Pacha!

A year ago today I drove to Halifax to meet my new best friend. I remember it was Canada Day when I went to meet with Pacha’s (then Sofia) former owner. She was so calm and looked so sad. I was convinced I had gotten a chronically depressed pup. Since then, she has blossomed into an adorable little klutz who makes me laugh on a daily basis. For your enjoyment, here is a year of the Pacha:

The first day in her new home


Pacha discovers the belly rub


Pacha vs Blackout the evil neighbourhood cat


Happy Halloween!


Confirmation that she is in fact a dog - as she digs a hole in the mud


Merry Christmas!


Stylin' in her winter coat


Pacha meets her new cousin Jazz


Party Pacha!


Having an afternoon snooze while I study


Pacha meets Dixy


Finally, a picture one year later



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One roommate down. One to go.

I've finally found someone to rent one of my two rooms. It's such a relief! I was starting to panic imagining going another month without income. Now, if I can just rent out that second room, all will be well.

Send your good vibes my way!


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There’s a hole in my ceiling, Dear Liza, Dear Liza

Yesterday the main level ceiling started leaking. All I could think was, Dear Lord, don’t let it be expensive! A call to Mr. Perfect and he quickly came over to access the situation. It appeared to be bathroom-plumbing related since the leak was directly below the toilet. After cutting a small hole in my ceiling to see what was up, Mr. Perfect realized he needed a bigger hole. So now there as hole about 4 square feet in my ceiling, but Mr. Perfect has found the leak and will be back tonight to fix it. Have I mentioned how much I love this guy? :-)

Of course, now that there is a hole in the ceiling I finally get someone willing to come see the rooms I have for rent this evening! What timing.


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The 15 year old in me

Early this year I saw an Oprah episode about teens and sex. Now, I’m not much of an Oprah fan, but this show on at my Mom’s place and I half listened to the topic. One set of guests caught my attention:

From the episode:

Oprah introduced viewers to Pierce and Courtney, a 15 year-old couple who have been together for 3 months and say they are ready to have sex. The couple admit to doing everything sexual together besides having intercourse, and said they loved each other and were ready to take it to the next level.

After commending them on their respect and connection with each other, Dr. Berman moved forward with asking Courtney and Pierce difficult questions about their relationship to see if they were truly ready to have sex. Among the questions asked, Dr. Berman asked the pair what would happen after they had sex; how long they planned to stay together. When Dr. Berman asked the teens how long they wanted to be together, they both answered that they would like to stay together for a long time. When Dr. Berman asked how long that was, Pierce shared that for him a long time is 6 months to a year. Courtney seemed very surprised by his answer.

I sometimes think about that girl and realize how we are often still 15 year old girls with our perfect ideals on relationships. Most women, whether 15 or 55, date with the intention of finding a partner. Men, on the other hand, aren’t always wired the same way. I didn’t want to be like Courtney and assumed Mr. perfect and I were on the same page, when maybe we weren’t even reading the same book! So, earlier this week, I asked him what he sees for us in the future.

I started cautiously, always wanting to protect my heart, so I asked him if he thinks about us 6 months down the road. He seemed puzzled by the question and told me he never really thought about us 6 months into the future. I was momentarily crushed. Then he added, I think about us further down the road, like after you’ve graduated, but not 6 months down the road. What happens in 6 months? I just had to laugh. :-) The discussion proceeded to the possibility of one day moving in together, what we imagined a future my look like; would he move in with me or would I move in with him, how long before kids would be in the picture. I’m very excited to report that I’m no Courtney. We are definitely on the same page.

We’ve only been together a couple of months so we definitely aren’t packing boxes just yet, but if things continue the way they are right now, who knows were I’ll be in a year from now!



...

Update on worst week ever.

As requested, here is a little update on my worst week ever.

1 – Still without roommates and panicking a little
2 – Found more missing stuff like my bottle of bathroom air freshener and my facial scrub
3 - My roommate’s stuff is also missing… everything but his aftershave. I’m guessing it just wasn’t her style.
4 – Big Rig received a letter from his employer which could potentially be a cheque. I’ve been holding it hostage in the hopes of using it as a negotiating tool. I’ve called him several times but it always has a weird busy sound. I’m guessing his cell has been disconnected. He also isn’t on facebook anymore.
4 – I’ve completed 3 weeks of my 4.5 week practicum. Yay! I‘m getting more confident each day.


...

Worst. Week. Ever.

And it’s only Wednesday!

A bit of a back story, to give you some context: Big Rig was supposed to move out at the end of May so when he came to give me the rent for May, he only gave me $175 instead of $325 because he was moving at the end of the month and that would save me from giving him back his $150 deposit. Around the middle of the month he told me he had broken-up with his girlfriend and said he would be staying longer. Fine. I don’t really like him, but it pays the bills. I told him I needed the $150 immediately. I never received it.

Monday
First day of my 5-week clinical practicum. I’m stressed out because it’s a new department, new prof, new students. Starting a new clinical is always difficult.
I get home mid-afternoon and run into Big Rig moving out his stuff. He tells me he has no money and is moving out. He claims he has no money so he is moving in with his girlfriend… they got back together. I’m royally pissed. His girlfriend waltzes in and tells me he will pay me the $100 he owes me next week. I correct her and tell her he owes me $475. She starts freaking out at him, telling him she didn’t know he owed that much. She promises to pay me in a week and then looks at him and says: “just wait till we get home Mr.” Before they leave she tells him to “thank the nice lady” and “apologies for inconveniencing her”. His girlfriend is 22 and he’s 33. On the way out I realize he hasn’t given me back his key. He claims he forgot it at home and she promises to be right back with it. Of course, she never comes back.

Tuesday
I’m in the shower and about to wash my hair, when I realize my shampoo and conditioner are gone. So is my shaving cream and facial soap. What the hell? I knew right away who had taken it and screamed, that fucking bitch! Once I’m out of the shower I realize she also took two pairs of earrings that were in the bathroom. Nothing else appears to be missing. After work, Mr. Perfect comes over and replaces all my locks.

Wednesday
My patient goes home (good for her), but I’m assigned a new patient and have to start all my research over. Ugh. For every medication I give, I have to prepare index cards and to research on the effects of the medication. It usually takes me 30 to 45 minutes per card. I find out my new patient has 27 medications! Not much sleep for me tonight. I checked my voicemails on the way home to find out my other roommate is giving his notice for the end of the month. Can this day get any worse? When I get home, my roommate tells me why he’s leaving. He quit his job yesterday morning. He works as a security guard at the hospital and his girlfriend had to get results for tests at the hospital yesterday. When she was done, she came to see him, crying. She had just found out she has cancer. :-( He asked his boss if he can take the rest of the day off and his boss said no. So he walked out. I know he’s taken a lot of shit from them, so it doesn't surprise me. I guess it was just the last draw. He doesn't know what he's going to do yet, but he'll likely move back to his parents place for now. I don’t think his girlfriend is even 25. :-( She has cervical cancer and they will likely do a hysterectomy

After hearing this latest news, I know I have no reason to complain. I’m healthy, I love my studies (as stressful as it is), and my boyfriend is perfect… but it’s still a pretty shitty week.

Do these ex-in-laws make me look fat?

My Mom ran into my ex-fiance’s parents this week. When my ex’s fathered inquired about me he had the gall to ask; “did she get fat again?" I’m freakin’ serious. This, from a man who looks 9 months pregnant, his beer belly is so large! The “fat” period he is referring too is when I was about a size 14. He had even asked his son if he really wanted to marry a fat girl.

I'm so glad I have nothing to do with him anymore. He has no clue how much of a negative influence he was on our relationship. I really hope he doesn't influence my ex's current (or future) relationships.

They say you date the person and not the family, but I still believe your partner's family can have a huge impact on your relationship.

In other news - I'm meeting Mr. Perfect's family this weekend. Let's hope they aren't quacks like my ex's parents!

Pepto-Bismal IS romantic

I’ve been nauseous since last Thursday and it was getting to be a real pain! And NO, I’m not pregnant! Anyway, Saturday night Mr. Perfect and I were supposed to go out with a bunch of my friends to see a concert. I made it to my friend’s house, but never made it too the show because I was sick. I was so disappointed because I was really looking forward to hanging out with all my married friends, because for once, I wasn’t alone. When we got back to Mr. Perfect’s place, I asked if he had any Pepto-Bismal, but he didn’t. He had some Gravol which knocked me out for the night.

Last night I went over to his place and he had been out to do some shopping. Among the things he picked up: Pepto-Bismal, contact lens solution (I’m always complaining about my contact lens) and my favourite peppermint tea. :-) How sweet is that? I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy that someone bought me Pepto-Bismal.

A meeting of the pups

Yesterday, Mr. Perfect and I decided to get our dogs together and head to Fundy Park for the day. It was the first time our dogs met so we weren’t sure how they would react to each other. Things went wonderfully and the dogs had a blast running on the beach. I think Pacha was a bit enamored with Dixy because everywhere Dixy went, Pacha followed… everything Dixy did, Pacha did as well. Here are some pics of the day.




















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I can't believe what I'm about to say...

It just seems way to early, but I have to share this before I burst!

Monday night, during one of our cuddling marathons, Mr. Perfect told me he’s falling in love with me... and I said me too

It’s completely mad, but it feels so right. We keep trying to slow things down, but can’t seem to help ourselves. We want to be together all the time and kiss and cuddle and touch each other. I haven’t felt like this since I was 16. Anyway, at least we aren’t 16 and keep reminding each other that this craziness will fade, and hopefully we’ll still love each other on the other side of this wild infatuation. We both know that at the very least, we’ll be left with is two people who want the same things and have the same values.

You guys have followed my dating saga for years now… I’ve never gone this fast or been this crazy before! It’s completely out of character for me. I mean, I mock people who go too quickly! Sure, I still have a thousand insecurities and worries about the relationship (are we going too fast? Is it ok if I don’t want to jump him every second of every day? What if I think I’m in love and I’m actually not? Is this going to end up like with my ex-fiancé?) but I tell him all about these insecurities and it makes it all better.

THIS is exactly how I imagined it should be when I met the one. Not saying he is… but when I dreamt about it, it would always be this easy and perfect.

I even updated my relationship status on facebook. You know it's serious when you announce it on facebook. :-P


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What's your favourite collar?

Over the Christmas holidays I started making dog collars. I really had fun with it and decided I would make an attempt at selling them. It's all style a work in progress but I have all my material and will be starting to work on them tomorrow. Wheeeee!

Here are a few I made for Pacha, Gabi and Rocky:









The following is the variety of collar and colour combinations I have available. Eventually I'll come up with better names, but for now, this is what I have.

Argyle Blue


Argyle Yellow


Black and Red Stripe


Blue and Brown Polka


Blue Farm Animals


Green Farm Animals


Blue Yellow Polka


Cherry Red


Dizzy Purple


Green Citrus


Little Green Flower


Green and Pink Stripe


Little Bear Navy


Little Bear Red


Monkey Business


Navy Plaid


Red Plaid


Purple Polka with Yellow


Purple Polka


Paw Print


Red Polka


Pink and Brown


Stripe it Purple


Zigzag Navy


Green Polka


If you are interested in purchasing a collar, they are available in small, medium and large and are 12$ each. I'm also going to start offering them with a personalised name and phone number monogrammed on it... but I haven't fingered out how to make the numbers. :-) I'll keep you posted.


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