Lunch In Paris

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a delightful read. The words were like a comforting meal making you feel cozy and warm. The descriptions were written with great care and love. While you are on a journey that involves dishes that might belong in heaven, there is the descriptions of the wonderful city of Paris. Not only was the adventure in the Louvre just like one that i have taken in my imagination but it took all the poignant pictures to history and gave them a personality of their own. The Mona Lisa with that peculiar smile as if she is hiding something...but what? Only she would know! The glass pyramid constructed by IM PEI that gathers sunlight and makes it glaze over the floor of the modern day museum. It was wonderful and it was like the perfect journey to Paris only without having to leave your home, your comfortable surroundings. Pure bliss.



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A Case of Need

A Case of Need by Michael Crichton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book bc it was about the taboo topic of abortion. The characters were well developed and the main character of John Berry was interesting to follow. Another thing i really enjoyed about this book was the scattering of medical jargon within the text. It was like a reality episode of ER or some other popular medical drama. Although i have seen the subject of an abortion going wrong and the patient dying, this was a very good perception. The one thing that wasn't believable was the timeline. I highly doubt that all of the content could have happened within a week, and that made it a little less believable. The ending was a little predictable but was decent and packed with lots of action, which made me want to keep reading and finish.



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Carriers by Patrick Lynch

Carriers by Patrick Lynch

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This book is advertised as comparable to Hot Zone by Richard Preston. The only similarity between the two books is that they both involve serious viruses that are terminal. The layout of the book was poor and the characters and story line were very bland. I am being quite harsh with this book because Hot Zone is my all time favourite and it's very hard to beat. I did like the twist this book took when the Indian government sent the soldiers in to find the girls and irradicate the illness by killing it's carriers/host. That was very interesting and indepth. As for the ending, it was very unbelievable and silly.



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I deserve better

I've never felt so under appreciated and unwanted as now. It all started yesterday and has rapidly declined.

Dad spoke to me early in the morn yesterday and said, “I haven't seen you all week. I would like to have you over for dinner.” I said sure and was looking forward to that. I knew that he had a prior engagement to help a friend with a job. Around 137pm i receive a message on my voicemail saying “Hi Sarah! I'm going to X's for dinner. Bye.”

I WAS PISSED. Dad made a huge song and dance that he hadn't seen me all week and that we would reconnect at dinner. When i was going through my issues with drugs, I did this to him several times. I relive it constantly all the time as it still gets thrown in my face what a bad daughter i was.(i was bad, i'm not denying it but i have learned from my mistakes and had to pay for it dearly.) So when my dad does it to me he thinks that he should just get away with it and that whatever excuse he throws out should be acceptable. So i was being assertive today and i told him that i did not like how he treated me yesterday and reminded him that when i did that to him it was a big production. He asked, “What was i supposed to do? I said i was going to help my friend and i couldn't let him down.” I said, “I realize that but when the friend mentioned that he was going to X's for dinner that Dad should have said No thanks i have plans with Sarah. But no he couldn't do that. He bailed on me and now thinks that i have no reason to be mad or anything.

Today.
I have had my ASSERTIVE discussion with dad and i had to say that i was hanging up the phone because i could not deal with him being indecisive and changing plans every 2 minutes. He was also saying things that were not pertinent to what we were talking about and just spewing random stuff. I had a cold shower and i decided that i did not have enough clothes to choose from for golf tomorrow. I had a pile of laundry that was clean at dad's house so i was going over to get it. I get to his house and i open the door and there is no one in the house. So i grab my laundry and leave a note and decide that i am going to see if he is down with his new 'friends'. Of course he sees me there and he starts heading back to his apt on his bike. I GROW MORE LIVID THEN I ALREADY WAS. I get more mad and i consider driving away but then he start waving me into a parking spot. I lost it. I was just like, “Holy you can't be without these people for 2 seconds. I just spoke to you about this.” He starts with the useless excuses as to why it's ok and that he has his reasons.

Then i hit the nail on the head. I said that I am tired of being put second best to people that aren't even his fucking family. He puts these people on a pedestal yet he dumps all over the people he says he considers important. I call my mum to vent and she starts to tell me how it is and that she knows what it's like because she put up with this treatment for 30 years and she finally put her foot down.

The thing that my therapist says that stays with me constantly is that “JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE FAMILY DOESN”T MEAN YOU HAVE TO PUT UP WITH SHIT”. This is an example that i am going to use it. I am putting my foot down. I am a person and i deserve to be treated like one. I don't need him to keep doing this. It's clearly evident that he does not want to spend time with me, more like it's a chore for him. So fine, I won't be around to do that. I am just going to do what i need, and at this time I need to stand up for myself and be assertive.

Tat Tales......Of Woe and Not So Woe

So i was browsing around on youtube and i found some interesting stuff. I was looking at peircings and tattoos. This post might not be for the faint of heart so if certain things make you sick, I'm sorry! I found this subject really interesting.

EYEBALL TATTOOING

For those of us who want the white part of our eyeball to be a different colour, such as black, red or blue, this is for you. I watched the procedure on Youtube and it's quite intense. A person has their eyeball held open and then someone VERY CAREFULLY inserts a needle with ink and gently puts a little bit of colour on the area underneath the surface. As a person blinks the dye/ink is spread around by itself. This form of tattooing is highly dangerous and one slip with the needle could leave the person getting the tattoo blind. The technical name for eyeball tattooing is CORNEAL TATTOOING. Dangers associated with this procedure are blood vessels, perforation, hemorrhaging or infection. A man in Toronto was one of the first people to have this done and it took up to 40 injections to get his cornea the colour he wanted and for the white to be completely covered.





My Take – Wow! Some people are really ramping up the body modifications. I'm not sure what look people are trying to convey by doing this but different is sure it. Seeing people with different coloured corneas would make you look twice at a person. Maybe they want to be different or they have personal motives that are driving them to such enhancements. All i know is that i would never undergo this procedure. The fact that someone would have to hold my eyeball open so that it would be ready to receive a needle several times gives me the willies. Not something that i will ever see myself doing. The dangers are enough to scare me permanently as well as drive me away from even considering this minute figment of someone else's imagination. For those that are considering this, i'm not knocking it i'm just saying Holy shit you're brave!

LASER TATTOO REMOVAL

This is a procedure people get when they want to get rid of a tattoo for many reasons. The procedure sounds very creepy. It's like a klacker constantly going off and crazy speeds. This procedure says that it can get rid of any tattoo in any colour of ink. The light from the laser breaks down the tattoo particles into smaller sizes so that the body can emit them. It is suggested that there is little risk of scarring or damage. The sensation is compared to that of a quick snap by a rubber band.




My Take – Ouch! The sound of burning my skin off just to remove a past mistake is as likely as me getting my eyeball tattoo'd. Reading suggests that this isn't supposed to hurt but most people getting it done are using numbing creme and grimacing like the area that is getting done is going to fall off. For those that have big tattoos that they want removed it's going to take more then 1 session for it to be fully gone. Ya right....... going back every 6-8 weeks multiple times does not sound like pleasure. I can understand that it provides a person a second chance or a restart. It takes away the past. People are made to wear goofy glasses to protect their eyes but it's more like the doctor really wants to make them look like an ass so that they remember not to get a tattoo they will regret. Cruel and unusual punishment some might say.

So this is what i spent my time looking up this afternoon and informing myself about. It was interesting but scary. As much as i may dislike a tattoo i would never get it removed. I love all my tattoos but one. It's a little dark and doesn't look like what i wanted it but that's my fault not the tattoo artists. Some people say that it looks like a pentagram (which is a sign of witches). My reasoning for getting it was i wanted it to match my one anklet tattoo and also have a star in it. My friend said that if i was going to be in her wedding that i would have to get a special creme to cover it up because she would not that in her wedding pictures. Originally i said yes i would agree to it but then i thought about it. It doesn't bother me much at all. It's there but i don't notice it anymore because i have had it so long. Then i started to think that if said friend didn't like any of my tats would she want me to cover them all up. Alas the wedding fell through. I decided that if she was going to want me to wear this cover up creme that she was going to buy it because i don't care about it that much and if it bothered her so much then that was fine. It was a thing of my sporadic/impulsive past. Sure it doesn't look like what i wanted but it could definitely be a lot worse. The one thing about each and every one of my tattoos is that they remind me of a story or a time in my life. All tattoos should have a reason or story. Something that when you look at them speaks you as their canvas that they have decorated. Art has many meanings to people. That's the best part is that it's private and personal, yet creative and wonderful......ah the life of a tattoo!

My Afternoon Off!

So i am sitting on my balcony writing this blog post. It has been a while but what a perfect time for writing. The weather is gorgeous and i am sitting on my balcony, which i rarely do, and here is a couple of pictures!



I must say i don't know why i haven't done this sooner it's so pleasant....anyway on to the blog post.

So as we know i work in a daycare. I really enjoy my job because i get to be around kids and see some of the amazing things that they do. Kids have their own personality, whether it be creative, active or both. They say some of the weirdest things. Since I work with 2-3 year olds specifically, they are at the perfect age where they are learning lots and not really sassy. There are some that are sassy but not as much as you would see from kids that are older. So a co-worker posted this link on her facebook and it was something i couldn't resist looking at. It's for a book called Go the F**k to Sleep. Since the Day Nurseries Act says that the kids have to be on their bed for 1 hour per day it's truly fitting. Some kids aren't used to having naps but the usually get accustomed to our ways and they end up having a rest and the day starts in the afternoon all fresh and new. Please listen to this clip from YouTube, and try not to laugh too hard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56gdg2ntfwM&feature=related

I work with a lot of women which i have tried to do before and can i just say, having that many cats in the same bag is not condusive for keeping your sanity. Somebody is always scratching at another or there is a constant growl that lingers between certain people. I work with someone right now and i hate to say it but she has lost her passion. She's almost like Lynn Crawford on Pitchin' In, but with a more nasty attitude and demeanor. I used to work well with her but then i started noticing changes in her personality and work. (Now i want to state for the record that i am considered below her in the chain of command but i am still considered a real staff and my bosses say 'an asset to the daycare'.) This particular staff: favouritizes children (and if you aren't her favourite that sucks to be you!), she is forceful with kids and just not nice. I am unsure as to what i am to do about the situation for now i am just keeping track of things that i think are totally inappropriate. This makes me think about it though, you should never do stuff that you are not comfortable to back up because somebody could be watching. I never do anything at daycare that i would not be able to say this is why i did this. I try to keep with the protocol and rules and i also realize that if i don't i will get in trouble (and rightfully so!). I guess the main reason i am writing this is to partially get it off my chest. It makes it hard to go to work when a certain person is always delegating and being bossy and nasty when it's not their job. You readers listen and i can say anything that i need to you, wholeheartedly and with peace of mind. Now in every work area there is going to be a couple of bad eggs intertwined with some decent people. I have a couple of people who i work with that vouch for me and i can talk to them. I am shouting out to the them and saying thanks for being there.

Books. I LOVE BOOKS. They come in various shapes and sizes and carry literary goodness. Some like fact and other fiction. Biographic tales that inform us of people and their lives or troubles. Culinary adventures that give readers a true 'Taste' of the art. Educational excursions that take you to foreign lands within the comfortable realm of your home. Classics that reign true in our hearts and our minds. If you click at the bottom where my reading collection is you will find some truly wonderful books that should be read as well as were a pleasure to read.

Garlic and Sapphires – Ruth Reichl
Prisoner of Birth – Jeffery Archer
Kane and Abel – Jeffery Archer
Memoirs of a Geisha -
The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry -
Serve the People -
Steve and Me – Terry Irwin
Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen

Those are just to name a few but you will find many others in that list.

Well i have written a little bit. I hope to write to you again on the weekend!

Rain Rain Go AWAY!

So it's a rainy day and i have watched a movie at home and i thought it would be the perfect time to make a blog post.

MY FEELINGS
First thing i want to address is that i am really getting tired of people telling me how i'm feeling. It's usually they say "I can tell you're being (insert word here)." The insert could be: pissy, grumpy, angry, weird, and anything else. Then when i tell people that no i am not feeling like that they try to trump me with what i know you are feeling _______ so whatever. I am the only person that would know how i am feeling. Sometimes i feel blah or not so excited and that might come across as something else but i can guarantee that i know how i am feeling. This gets me the most when either i am just having a conversation with someone or i am have an argument. It's an assumption the other party is making and 9 times out of 10 they are wrong. For all those people that think they know how someone is feeling, it might be a good idea to ask them how they are feeling before you assume you know how they are feeling.

SEPARATION ANXIETY
So my mum decided she was going to help her sister move from Grand Prairie, Alberta to Jackson's Point, Ontario. My mum has started to use email to send me messages everyday. It's nice because i am able to write a letter of decent length in a short amount of time, as well as i am better with writing then i am with talking so it's much easier for me. Mum has been sending me some pictures of her journey and they are quite beautiful. She saw a river that was overflowing and getting ready to flood near by houses on the banks. I think that it is quite amazing even though it will cause a fair bit of despair and devastation. It just goes to show that mother nature is a powerful and uncontrollable force. I'm not sure if mum was in the area to see the flooding progress or not but if it was running really fast then it may have occurred in a short period of time. The wildlife that mum is seeing is amazing. She was and is in an area called Waterton Lakes, and she said she quite frequently sees deer and sheep wandering around. On her trip to that point she has seen some moose, various types of bird life, as well as quite a few dead animals on the side of the road. It's unfortunate but in the area she is in the wildlife is heavily populated so quite often they are hit while trying to cross the road and such. It relates to the circle of life, it's just sad to see such beautiful creatures have a sad ending. In my writings to my mum i am ending the emails off with 'i love you' in a different language. Yesterday it was Finnish and today was Spanish. I don't feel that i tell my mum 'i love you' enough, so with her being so far away i am really starting to miss her, as well as notice that i shouldn't take her presence for granted when she is around. This separation may teach me that i can carry on daily life though, but i really do miss her. Attached please find some photos of her and her journey! (Their pretty cool and i think my mum needs some fame on my blog site!)




NEXT WEEKEND
I was told today that my dad will be going away next weekend. I was kind of surprised because he asked me to watch Jdog while he was gone. He said that he would be going to a friend's cottage. I guess i was shocked so much because not only is mum gone but now he is going to be gone on the weekend so i will be all by myself. If you have any ideas or suggestions as to what i should do with my time next weekend they would be greatly appreciated. I think i will get some laundry done as well as a fair amount of reading because books are my Life!

THE WEATHER
The weather has finally turned into t-shirt and shorts weather. Yesterday was the first taste of a bit of humidity but there was a cool breeze so it was alright provided you were in an area that was getting the breeze. With good weather comes allergies. Itchy eyes, uncontrollable sneezes and congestion. As much has i dislike my allergies i am glad that the nice weather is here. It's raining today but that's ok we have had quite a few good days this week so i can't complain (not that i want to).

PROJECT
So a friend has asked me to make some mix cds for her so that she has endless music for a family members birthday party. I think this is exciting because i am always listening to music. With my iTunes collection nearing 25,000 songs (which is equal to approx. 63.2 days!) i gladly took on the challenge. I am hoping that i make enough mixes that are perfect for her. She has made some requests broad (country, 70's, 80's, 90's, classic rock, some slow) to specific artist requests (popular Eminem, Rihanna, Def Leppard, KISS, ACDC). I have a due date for this project which is the middle-ish of June. With me starting early though i am hoping to have it more then done before then.

SEPT 2011
So i have signed up for the ECE Apprenticeship Program which will be starting in Sept 2011. I thought it would be good because i really like the daycare field and it would only help progress my job and knowledge. I have started by taking the appropriate steps,ie. getting transcripts, mailing to appropriate person(s), and preparing myself for it's start. This is good because i am now registered with the ministry to begin being an apprentice. There is a book that my sponsor/employer needs to sign off on when i complete certain requirements. The only colleges that offer this program is Seneca and Loyalist. There is the option of taking some of the courses online but i was informed that it would be the best learning experience to take the classes. I am excited because i really like learning and school and this will give me something to do with my spare time. Can't wait to start learning about stuff that i will be able to apply.