Hey. Miss me?

Long time no see. I've been busy. Busy as heck. Working a lot. But I love it. Oh my love-life-happy-dance do I ever love it. It's not always easy to work with people who can't express themselves well, or at all due to vocal incapabilities, but it's rewarding. Last week, I worked with a woman who was blind, deaf and mute. We communicated through sign language, and I can't even tell you how special that is. It's a gift. I have an amazing job. I work on call right now but that's ok, I'll deal.

My best friend got married on Saturday and I promise to blog about that. I have breath-taking photos. Mother's Day was Sunday and my oldest sister Elise turned twenty-two today. I've been running around of late. I'm sure you didn't mind my absence. I've had some lovely days.

good work makes morals beam

I used to work here with a lot of amazing people. 

I had such a blast. I met Sebastien whose desk was in front of mine. He moved to Quebec from France because his best friend's girl was in love with him. He loved her too but couldn't betray his best friend and moved to Quebec to prevent ruining their wedding-to-be. Sounds like a movie right? He intrigued me immediately.

He's so cool, he's so slick, he's smooth

He introduced me to Jamie Lidell, whose music I now adore. He was "slacked" as well as I was that summer, and he returned to his beautiful country. He was a really funny character. While working with him, we developed the best game: "The Desktop Background Battle". Whoever could find the weirdest or funniest picture on google images won. I laughed receiving and planting these gags. I typed words like "gross, strange and weird" and combinations of these words with funny in the search engine. I would anxiously await the moment when my co-worker would leave his computer.

I also worked with @Helen_Downie who still works there. She's an inspiring soul and a very active person. She's leaving in less than a month to go to Uganda to work with people who come from destroyed homes, but I'll reserve a post for that subject later.

I used to get soy-mocha lattees here. 

They were delicious This cafe chain is tres cool. They live up to their title "Art Java". They make designer foam. I used to get heart or leaf shapes but they can create most anything you ask of them!

Last fall I volunteered for The Cancer Research Society's annual golf fundraiser. I served mimosa's to the ladies and gents as they arrived and later on in the day took over the "Betting Hole". I was assigned hole 18 I believe with two elderly women. Reva was hilarious! She complained about her free lunch provided by the CRS team, huddled under a blanket complaining about the cold and read her newspaper. Her and the other 'mature' woman have been volunteering for years. When I first met them I was scared to be left alone with them for the day: 2 old senile women. But we became friends and they encouraged me to do the raising-of-cash and explain the betting game to the players. Turned out to be the best day of the year, they were quite a pair!

I ended up raising 400$ at my hole alone. I found out later the players had the choice of betting, where as I explained to them as they arrived: "Hi! You've reached the betting hole! To play you must bet 5$....." We had a good laugh about it, but I was mortified!

In any case I stopped by the office for some papers the other day and decided to fill you in. It was nice to see old faces, new ones and simply smile at the memories :)

Rain, Rain, Rain, more rain... and snow?

It was snowing this morning in Montreal! Yikes! I really think its the sun's turn to shine- pun intended! :)

My umbrella definitely felt like a cool, smart accessory this morning matched with my riding boots, mock leather jacket, purple neck scarf and owl pendant. At first it fashionably sheltered me from the rain, but then it began to snow, and holding the umbrella suddenly felt so silly. I didn't think about it too long because the wind picked up fiercely! So I closed the umbrella anyway before losing it to city streets.

So this morning, I got my first, real massage ever. Of my life. My friend Ashley Schinck is in school studying massage therapy @ Institut Kine-Concept on The Plateau a.k.a East Montreal. She had a stage today on which she will be marked and asked me to be a recipient to her massage. Hmmm, lemme think about it..... YES! 

It was amazing! At first I found it was hard to relax and it felt strange. I still haven't figured out why. In any case I felt the atmosphere was comical and I'm naturally bubbly. I mean, one of my closest friends was massaging me while I was half-undressed, strangers (her teachers) were watching occasionally and really corny relaxation music was playing...that kept skipping. Eventually I succumbed to serenity when I turned onto my belly. I stuck my face in the hole. Haha that sounds so funny, and it looks even funnier!

Anyway, before the session I ate a 'sammich', as I like to call 'em, so I wouldn't be hungry during the massage, and this is what I gathered from that:

TIP OF THE DAY: Don't eat an egg salad sandwich before getting a massage.

My insides were grumbling and I was deadly afraid of an accidental release of a bodily function- catch my drift?

rainy, grey skies today

It's been gloomy in the city now for a week. It's beginning to really affect my mood. Waking up to dusty light coming through the windows isn't exactly exciting. I'm feeling unsunny on the inside which makes me feel so crappy. I'm trying to look forward to Thursday which is forecasting a bit of sunshine!! Hm, see I don't mind the rain or snow, as long as I can see a few rays :)

So today I ignored the stay-in-bed syndrome that crappy weather promotes and I stepped out into the rainy day!

I like getting my eyebrows pampered. Well, most women think its ouchy. At least I think. I find it very relaxing, sometimes I even doze off a bit! I like feeling the hair coming out of my skin. It's a funny sensation. Plus, the make up ladies always tell me I have a nice, natural shape to my brow which always makes me feel good!

eve of new, eve of better

I promised to tell you all about the lovely little snippets of great that flowed through me Wednesday evening. I had the surgery that morning and was feeling wonky and super funny. I called maman and talked to her for a while. I told her all about it: how I felt, how I was scared, how I cried, how I walked, everything. I confided every detail in her and it was so relieving. We laughed together. I love her so much. 

While I was on the phone with maman, Mike was on the phone with Elise. I had spoken to Alexa, but 

hadn't any news of the operation yet, so Mike filled her in for me. Mike came inside and I had my maman on speaker phone so he stuck his cell phone next to mine and maman and Elise said hi to each other! It was so funny! Then maman told me Elise finally found a roommate. This was great news to hear and I was so happy for her! It's stressful looking for a coloc, and that stress was now gone. 

Mike works nights so due to the fact that I was still half-disabled, we asked  Alexa and her boyfriend Jon to watch me for the night. How sweet of them when they said yes! Mike picked them up and brought them back. When they arrived I was still on the phone with maman, and she was still on speaker so Jon and Alexa said hi. I immediately noticed how Jon's cheeks were fuller! He was dangerously thin when Alexa met him, and she's been helping him gain weight. Yay! What progress! How up-lifting to see the efforts beginning to show success! He's very tall and previously, he was looking terribly unhealthy. He'd never been officially diagnosed, but everyone was thinking the same thing. He was smiling from ear to ear. His happiness and self-pride was shining like a beacon of light on his handsome face. He looked beautiful!

As Jon and Alexa had just arrived, I decided to wrap things up, so I asked to speak to daddy. He came onto the speaker phone and we all said hi : Mike, Jon, Alexa and me. Alexa and Dad hadn't spoken in a while so he told her he loved her very much and that she should call him soon because he misses her. Then Alexa informed him, as well as Mike and I, that she had a job interview on Saturday! What great

 news! I am telling you positive energy was flowing through my entire family like a hot-flow circuit. I could feel it. 

 

And right then, it seemed as though we were all moving ahead in a great movement of change. It felt like we were all standing on the same ground, and that ground was pumping with happiness. I imagined us disco dancing to "We Are Family" and laughed out loud. I love my family, and we're not perfect, but that's the best part. We each celebrated a victory of sorts that night, but shared the great news as one. And although we are all adults now, living independently, we were all together in that moment.

I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing team: Team Holmes!

I have Endometriosis.

To learn more about that click here.

Previously, I blogged of the possibility that I may have Endometriosis. I had the surgery on Wednesday, March 4th, and it turns out that the diagnosis returned positive. It's been a long time wondering, and I was filled with so many emotions that day. I turned to Mike and said, " I have it. I have Endometriosis." I barely got through half the sentence before I began to sob the words. I cried with complete joy and utter relief. I finally know what's wrong. I am still sore and lack energy, but so happy that the wait is finally over. They burned off the tissue with a laser as soon as they discovered it through Laparoscopy and now I will contine to follow the treatment taking Depo Provera, which is a form of birth control used to treat Endometriosis. It's an injection that needs to be taken every three months with a needle, and it completely stops your period. Without my period, I should no longer experience any pain. Currently I have pain killers and anti-inflammatory medications. I also have urinary tract antibiotics because unfortunately, my surgery caused me to have an infection. Now I'm on a healing road, and recovery is going super. I am so happy that now I can begin to live a healthy life again. I have so much news about the lovely evening that followed my surgery, but I will fill you in on that later :) As for now, I'm great, life's great and Hallelujah.

sunny sidewalk

What a beautiful, sunny day! I felt my soul was thirsty as the rays soaked through my skin. I felt like the sunshine was dancing on my cheeks despite the cold wind chill. It gave me such a boost of energy. The sun's warmth makes me feel nimble. Walking to my building from the parking lot I stopped at a red light. The car on the corner did not budge although his light was green. From the looks of things it was a carpool, and they were all staring at me. I smiled and motioned to the green light with my thermos, and they either realized the light was green, thought I was cute, or were letting me cross the street on their right of way, but it doesn't really matter! All options equal positive energy for me! And I felt it! I love smiling to strangers that smile back, it's a secret world of giving good, and we all chuckled as the car drove away. We were looking out for each other at that moment, and the anonymity is what makes it that more special :) Happy Tuesday!

This was taken at home one evening as the sun was about to set. Compliments of Mike Jones, an exceptional photographer. Can you believe this photograph was taken with a sony ericsson phone that has only 3 megapixels? I suppose you can't hide the beauty of such a glorious power :)

The Saga

put an end to bullying!

Yesterday was :

I Will Wear Something Pink on February 25th & Take A Stand Against Bullying Day

Why Pink? Get the scoop! Two Nova Scotia students raised awareness after bullies decided to pick on kid for wearing pink.

I wore bright pink and I felt really great about it. My oldest sister was tortured with this form of cruelty all throughout high school. It's disturbing some of the things bullies did to her. They threw batteries at her, lit her hair on fire, and once they broke a cd into pieces and whipped that at her too for no reason. Not only was it extremely hard for my sister to face everyday, but it was also hard on us, her family. They called her so many names and thinking about it to this day still brings tears to my eyes. I wish I could take all that pain away from her memory. I never let anyone bully her when I was around. I love my sister like a helpless fool and I think she's amazingly courageous!

She digs horror flicks and that's her thang! She's an officer for the Facebook group I LOVE HORROR MOVIES!!! which has over 14,000 members! You should check her out and follow the discussion board!

Bullying is something that really affected me closely. If you allow bullying to take place, you are no better than the bully! It usually starts off mild, but bullying can escalate and get very out of hand, driving kids to depression and suicide. Make noise! I am aware and I'll stick up for anybody; nobody deserves to be intimidated or taunted. It's a very important issue in youth's and adults' society. Recognize! You can follow pinkshirtday on Twitter.

Take a STAND! Make a difference. Bullying is so not cool.

mac mac macaroni!

This is me and my friend Helen Downie! I really love this picture; it was taken on her birthday @ La Distillerie. It's located in The Plateau on Mont-Royal. It's a really great place! It's always packed there and I love the atmosphere. The tables are actually big barrels, and the cocktails are served in mason jars, as you can tell by the picture! That one mojito is enough booze for me! There's 4 ounces alone in a big jar! But you can also get drinks in smaller masons if you wish. I am really looking forward to going back there this summer!

I haven't seen Helen in a while so yesterday we put our energy together and had such a great time! It was a much needed visit, and I always feel so great when I'm around her!
For dinner we ended up making macaroni with a chili twist. Want the recipe? It was delicious! This is what you'll need:

-Egg noodles
-Tomato sauce & kidney beans (organic)
- (All organic) Portobello mushrooms, yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots
- vegetarian 'ground beef' or the real variety, but I promise, you can't taste the difference! ;)

First, we browned the onions and the garlic, then added the carrots with a bit of water so they could boil and soften up. Then we added the sauce and the strained and rinsed kidney beans. Meanwhile our egg noodles are boiling. Stir the sauce until warm and then add in the tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers. If you cut your vegetables in bigger pieces, they are more likely to retain more flavor. Stir and heat sauce slowly, barely at a simmer. In another pan, heat up the veggie beef. What's great about it is it's not meat so it doesn't need to be cooked, it only needs to be heated up in a pan with some olive oil. Once hot, add to sauce. Let sauce "mijote" for a few more minutes until all is hot and smelling really good and then serve over drained and rinsed egg noodles! Add salt and pepper to taste! Mmmmmmm!

We also enjoyed a small, green salad on the side with carrots, tomatoes, sesame seeds and some italian dressing, served with a tall glass of water and chocolate soy milk! It was such a beautiful dinner and we were stuffed silly!

Afterwards we washed dishes which gave us time to digest before we continued with the next scheduled activities for the evening. Ever heard of Turbo Jam? It's hilarious! Maybe you've watched the infomercial one night when nothing was playing on TV? It's another corny video work-out that ressembles Tae Bo. A friend of mine owns the dvd's and made copies for me. We attempted the "Fat Blaster" which is a jam-packed 30 minute work-out. We were sweating and laughing and struggling to bust our tushes! I could feel the burn!

After Turbo Jam, we stuck Hip Hop Abs into the dvd player, which is the work-out Helen brought. We did "Hips, Buns and Thighs". Holy Moly, did we ever laugh! It's like your dancing and it really does have a hip hop vibe so it was really fun. This one made me stretch my muscles more, while Turbo Jam's "Fat Blaster" was hardcore cardio. This guy, Shaun T is sure to make you crack up!

We were exhausted at the end of the night, but we felt great! I miss Helen Downie already! :(
Yet again, we had a memorable evening. I drove her home and we wished each other well, but who knows? Maybe next week we'll find time to, as Shaun T would say, "Work it!" again?

today is a rockin' awesome day

LOVE my outfit today.

Red and black. Girly but punky. I feel so different and I like it! So today is cool. I have so many positive things to focus on. My apartment is fairly clean. Tidy. Last night I accomplished nearly everything I wanted done. Dishes, watered plants, roller-brushed the couch, took down Vday decor, choose a lovely outfit for today♥, removed all my make up and washed my face! :) The only thing left undone was taking the recycling down to the basement, but my team player took it down this morning for me before I even woke up and a bonus was that he also took down the garbage! I grabbed the DVD's that needed to be returned to block buster, I had coffee, and enough time to make a lunch this morning. I am on a high! For the past few weeks I've been awfully sick which caused me to be tired and lazy. I was feeling really unproductive last night. And my laziness and unaccomplished daily chores were really starting to make me feel guilty. Mike left for work last night at 10 to 10hpm. I was extremely tired as he had just finished massaging and then caressing my shoulders and neck. A recipe for droopy eyes. Just when I thought I was going to go to bed with everything a mess, I pushed myself. I started picking up my things, watering the plants etc and then said to myself "I'll take a pac-man break" which is always a bad idea! I got caught up! And then I went to youtube and started singing Karaoke songs and before you knew it it was getting really late! However, I pushed myself and finished the dishes, shook the rug outside, took down decor... I was all ready for bed, minus cleaning my face. I never used to remove my make up or wash my face because I'm really lucky and I don't have bad skin, so this routine is fairly new for me. For Christmas I recieved a lovely Marcelle washing kit from my mum-in-law and bought make up remover. I realized that if I continued to neglect my skin, I could end up looking old a lot faster! I'm also really bad for never taking my contacts out at night. I accomplished all three of these goals last night! Woooooooooot! And even though I only got to bed at 1ham and only got 6 hours of sleep, I know I would have felt worse with 8 hours of sleep and a) a messy apartment, b) an unwashed face and racoon eyes, c) plants unwatered and coffee unprepared! I woke up with a fresh face, a cute out-fit waiting for me, and a clean kitchen with brewing coffee. Ahhhh, the satisfaction of pushing yourself that extra little bit when you thought you were all out of energy! So rewarding! But my biggest reward is still yet to come, I anxiously await a visit tonight from the lovely, thoughtful and amazing Helen Downie!♥