The demon has been exorcized

Crazy class officially over.  85%.  Can you believe it?  Thought I'd take a moment to share as I take a break from the workday to watch Marilyn, and have a plastic cheese sammy.   Thank you Kraft.

Why do I watch this show?  Its just so weak.  And boy is she digging for guests.   Thank god some Kids in the Hall still live in Toronto.
So Easter is over.  The big JC has come and gone.  Went rather fast.  It seemed alot longer in the movie.  Since my last post, I was again, ravaged by the plague, but have come out just in time to go back to work.  By the way.... Its National Med Lab Week.  So hug a lab-guy if you know one.  I wonder at which point this week the staff from "the other place" will be sinking their fork into their cake of entitlement.....Nothing says Industry Pride like a sea of white cloaked minion with their hand out expecting cake.  Rather, what should happen is the sea of white cloaks need to parlez the lab goodness amongst the non-cloaked.  And okay, if there is a piece of cake to share......then that sweetens the deal.  I wonder how many would say "I joined cuz I love lab science".  I'm gonna say 9%.  Someone do a survey.  I project the following:

Q.  What drew you to the lab sciences for a career?

     9%    I really love the science and working at improving healthcare
     58%  Liberal absence policies
     25%  I can carpool with 10 others from and to my home every day
     8%    Cake & chicken gifts


So anyway....this is my screen saver of the day:

For sure I am on a steep hill today.  Its all good, but I'm wearing the wrong shoes for the climb.  Sometimes ya just shoulda stayed home.

Lunch is over........I leave this with you in light of Mothers Day, looming on the horizon.

hee hee.

My lunch smells like dog food

Sigh.  Why does everything TV dinner related that has any meat stuff in it always smell like canned dog food?  Is the meat in my "Healthy Option" cuisine really horse meat?  Or is the grub I'm feeding the dog just super awesome?   It looks pretty tasty, right?  Its steak and protabello pasta......  I eat everything with this spoon by the way.  My workplace does not sponsor free cutlery.  Might buy a SPORF - spoon+fork+knife at Eddie Bauer.

You know what was tasty though?  The chicken piccata I had last night.  That was a keeper recipe.  Delish.

So today marks my first CRAZY class free day.  My grand finale was to provide "feedback" on the course.... Heres what I said:



" One of the elements I quite liked was in the structure of the lectures.  They were well formatted and the conversational flavour made them very easy to absorb.  But I gotta tell ya - I found the course to be so complicated for me to participate in, particularly in the discussion boards and at the workshop. And while its no ones fault at all - it just is what it is - I didn't feel like I could participate in the discussion board not being a student of disability studies.  I was just too overwhelmed I guess with the sheer volume of dialogue, and my lack of familiarity on so much its subject matter.  I felt like a team of 1 way out of her league.  I don't have people with mad histories of any kind in my circle, and I think I am entirely too analytical and argumentative to be able to contribute effectively in this arena.  But that is just me and I am simply sharing - and not attempting to adjust the course in any way.
We talked a lot about everything through the survivors eyes - I wish we could have gleaned a heightened understanding of the why things were how they were from the caregivers perspectives.  Someone somewhere gave a thumbs up to all of those awful treatment procedures - why?  I guess thats why I will never be an activist.  I'm far better at debating the other side...of anything!.
Thanks for your tutelage.  It made for some conversations in my home never had before!"

This is what professor McWacky said.......

" Those DST students can be very formidable, I agree.  They have so much real life experience.  In a way, this course is overloaded with teachers.
On the other hand, imagine how rare it is to get the chance to spend 14 weeks with people who know so much!
on talking about everything thru survivors' eyes:  that's deliberate.  Disabled people are tired of being talked about and are demanding to do their own talking.  There's no question that there is a caregiver perspective;  there's no question that there are a lot of wonderful caregivers.  But this space is not for them;  they already have lots of spaces.  This space is for survivors.
I'm so glad you liked the course."

I'm fighting the need for rebuttal.....its over.  I don't recall saying I liked it at all.......and clearly I missed the survivor pre-requisite.  Ugh.  14 of the longest weeks of my life.  So glad this is over.  Two weeks of reprieve and then on to finance & stats.....and a new program at Michener. 

Also - today my wheels went in for their 119000km check up...to the tune of 400$ for an oil change that just kept  turning into something uglier and uglier.....sigh.  I need to start carpooling.


AAAAARRRRRshmallows, by Terry Border.  Hee Hee...now lets take on the week

.

My perfect mate.

I found him yesterday.  He's a doctor.  He's a genius.  He's unattainable. 

I'm okay with it.  Its just nice to know that said person can exist within my dimension and that my singlehood is really just a matter of my standards being to high - (and my complete unwillingness to socially participate probably isn't helping either).

So I found this on You Tube today.  I'm looking for stuff on leadership for my Crazy Class - and I was fascinated.........so thought I'd share.

This class ends in 48 hours.  Hooray.

Ain't she a beauty!!

Observe......my consumer coup!

My COACH messenger bag.  I have now retired my winter felt indigo satchel, and can add a new cache to the workplace!  While it currently doesn't hold an iPad2 yet, I'm okay with it as the Japanese ramp back up to make mine, it will fit nicely under the flap!  I seriously got this baby for a wink and a smile.  What a deal! And the border posse are none the wiser. 

Had a great cross border all-about-me-weekend.  Scads of shopping, fondue, and Cheesecake Factory.  Why aren't there more of these?  A 2 hr wait for dinner is obscene, and surely a harbinger that other branches need to be opened!

Had a spine crippling massage on the weekend.  Rosa at Pillar and the Post does her best paralyzing with her elbow, and I have the subdural bruising to prove it.  OMG I still hurt, but as advertised, the knot in my shoulder is gone! 

So anyhow, one thing I had mixed feelings about was the emergence of Tim Hortons in Buffalo.  Have you noticed that it isn't just Tim Hortons?  Its Tim Hortons Bakery & Cafe!  What the hell is that?  Their pimping their brand people.  Sell Outs.  Also this month they are showcasing Mac n Cheese in the soup combo menu stateside......made with real AMERICAN cheese!   3$....I can get 3 boxes for that price...8 if I buy generic.  Sell Outs!  I'm just annoyed.  Again.



Snuck across the border with only 28$ to pay in HST.......I'm giggling all the way to the bank.......to get more dollars, cuz my wallet,  is sadly barren.

Lets go take on the day.

Staring out of the abyss

What I love about me, if my blind faith of the hopeless, and my incurable willingness to be mediocre.  I have just finished my Canadian Healthcare system course - and can I say this? I didn't even try.  I didn't read a lecture, I didn't read an article.  I did the 3 assignments and logged into the 2 exams, hoping for the best.  It's like running a red light.  You scrunch down in the seat a bit when you notice, clench the wheel and hope for the best.  And for this complete lack of effort?  I nabbed a 78% , a B+!  Can you believe it?  I sure can't.  At the end of the day will anyone care that it was a 78 or an 80?  Probably not.  They may not have care if it was a 68 or an 80!  I'm surely not bucking for a scholarship - so yay me - another step towards the degree.  And with that in the rearview mirror, I look into the gaping mouth of the Italian exam, and my last Crazy-ville essay this week......I really think math is more my thing.

Also - starting a new program at Michener this month.  Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager Certification.  Who knew such a thing existed?  60 weeks of new education, now that Italian is over.  It didn't have to be.  My partner just left me hangin out to dry with no one to "dire" with.  Alas.......maybe next semester.

This weekend to celebrate the brief academia shackle relief - I am massage bound.  Have a few $ left to drain out of my benefits bucket, so am getting a good one.  Then some quick cross border shopping, and back at it again.

The birthday festivities have sadly dried up but its all okay.  I have some fond magenta memories, some stolen memorabilia, and a new found love of mussels to remember the day by.

Anybody catch the Borgias last night on Bravo........creepy. 

Have a groovy week people.

My weekend learnings

Well dear readers.....a very tough and sad week on many fronts is behind us, fortunately culminating in the annual triumph that is my birthday!  It always brings a renewed sense of joy to everyone!  I certainly can't say I didn't spend it in an unconventional way. 

First off - I had to flip eggs all day, ensuring the masses from the 'Croft, were well fed.  Nothing I love more than getting a bacon mist facial while my mother is turning her body into a ball mitt on the beach!  If you can wear a party hat while doing it, all the better.  However, all hope was not lost.....I had big dinner plans for the night.  My hometown BFF was taking me to "Daves Place"!  Hmm - ok, never been there. 

One thing to note is that "the Croft" is not a culinary mecca.  Very little is homemade, there is no local produce, and for sure, the most ethnic it gets is the fresh from frozen egg roll you will get at "the Pine Yard", or the congealed lasagna at "Vito's".  Unless its Schnitzel on a Bun day at Mom's place.  Dining is routinely a crap shoot.

So as I advertised this "Daves Place Excursion" amongst the restaurant patrons, they merely asked me "why are you going there and not to 'The Granite'?"  I confess, I did not know.  Daves Place was already a B plan - what were we in for.  Surely BFF would know how critical dining is to me.....actually she wouldn't because SHE NEVER READS MY BLOG!!!!!  Anyway - the whole Dave's place bit was a wash as BFFs sister wasn't keen either and was going to be interloping on the night aswell.  We instead went to "the Craftman".  I have never in my 30 years of 'Croft life, been to the Craftsman.  It was always the destination spot before Prom, or valentines day etc...(2 of my least favourite occasions....although I had a FAB prom dress if memory serves.....) I drive past it everytime I go home and always wonder, under what circumstance would I find myself there.....now I know.  When I need a Birthday "C Plan".  Here is a good insight into "The Craftsman":

Pretty classic.  We couldn't take the time time to print a nice sign?  Or at the very least, scribe it on a flat surface so that the fluoro-paint didn't run.

Buy I'm a maverick.  I'm going anyway.  Now we are all just in it for the material!  To be quite matter-of-fact, the restaurant is the porch of a house with an additional add on porch.  It is an eclectic schmeer of old Coke bottle paraphernalia, tin signs, mismatch furniture, nappy indoor outdoor carpet, and vinyl table coverings.  It has everything....except heat.  And its a hopping little joint complete with live entertainment. A stirring medley of Matchbox20, Neil Diamond, Eagles.....I bet there was GaGa in his gi-tar repertoire too! 

After some banter with a man BFF-sis calls "Local Flavour", we commence with determining by which method tea water is heated.  BFF-sis will not drink tea water heated via a coffee brewing system.......Who knew she was a kettle-snob :).  The tea was quite good.  I stuck with the UK theme after wrestling between liver or fish.....I went with fish and chips.  Tasty.  Note:  The tartar sauce was just mayo...... At 36 years old - at 5:30pm, I'm dining on fish and chips and tea......feeling 26, looking 86!  I give the meal an 8/10.  It could have scored higher if not for the aforementioned "Local Flavour".  A middle aged lad - trying to sober up on some coffee chooses to engage us in conversation about sauerkraut and then moved on (no doubt prompted by our scathing glares) to sit front row, rooting on the 1 man band.  No doubt his first groupie.

Back at the BFF family ranch, I've learned that the cheesecake my surrogate mom always makes on my big day for me.....has been made by BFF-sis!  Can you believe it?  She phoned it in.  Truth be known - it was better......but I'll never tell her that.  SHE DOESN'T READ THE BLOG EITHER!  Finally someone opens some booze, and we settle in for some Wine & Wii.  If you currently are not playing "You Don't Know Jack", you should be.  I love that game.  For that matter if you are still looking for the perfect belated gift - head on out to WalMart for the game - I don't own it either.  I only won 2/6 games, which quite surprised me......I need to hone my skills.  I used to be good when I lived on BFF-sis's couch a decade ago!

I still needed to know though - why did we not go to "the Granite"?  This is the "Croft's" see and be seen establishment (after Moms restaurant of course.....)..... turns out we don't like the owner.  Ooooohhhh - now I'm in the loop.  I personally think their menu stinks, but apparently they're snooty too.  BFF-sis is not a fan of common people who don't think/know that they are, in fact, common.......and guess what I learned?  Apparently I'M COMMON!!!  I had no idea.  Thank goodness she told me.  That certainly brought me down a few pegs.  And what better time, than on a day committed to me!  Good thing she let me live on her couch for free or I might have been offended......

So the festivities forge forth this week - but sadly, so does the wind down of my 3 con-ed courses.  Worlds are colliding......

363 days to go till I'm 37.

No one comments on my blog anymore......

So how can I know if anyone is reading and appreciating all of my to'ing and fro'ing??

Anyhow - just 2 things to share today.  Thank you Honda.  While ingenious, I am wondering what the stress lode is on the seat, and can it handle an ever expanding nation, now in a position to never walk anywhere ever again........click this!  Where can I get me one of these???

And also, thank you Campbells!  Get a loada this link.  Finally someone has taken hold to make food-banking and disaster relief doable!!!  Apparently this is a full meal in a can....380 calories a serving, vegetarian or chicken.  The link below has all the deets.  Awesome!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/campbells-nourish-brand-tackles-hunger-through-canadas-food-banks/article1922108/

Thats it. Faith in humanity renewed! Getting my eyes checked tonight.....can't wait to see again