what was I up to?

1 Work, work, and more work. Sometimes the monotony is palpable and yet there's a certain comfort in the paycheque and the consistency.
2 The chiropractor says that the ligament in my hip is sprained. I concur and hope that the stretching and light walking will help.
3 Tula loves sleeping on her back. It looks dog-like and very submissive. She stretches her from legs high above her head and apparently isn't ticklish at all because we scratch her in her armpit and she purrs even louder.
4 Sara makes amazing cookies. Peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies to be exact. Crispy on the outside and gooey and soft on the inside.
5 Izzy doesn't want to go home and she's sad. Uncle Nick works hard to make her smile and when she does, Grampa says, "Isabelle, you have a beautiful smile." She smiles brighter even though the tears.
6 Turtle or hare? Turtle.
7 Are we moving into spring or is winter still fooling with us? In the early morning there's ice on the windshield but by afternoon it's warmed up and sunny.
8 The tulips are up about two inches or more in the one pot. Tula appears to have messed with some of the other planters and it'll be anyone's guess if there are flowers this season.
9 I miss G. It feels like she's been away forever and we haven't really had a chance to catch up in ages. I missed her call today because I was working and my phone was doing a crazy hangup so hopefully tomorrow we can talk for a bit.
10 Nick and Sara are spending the weekend with Chris and family just up the road. It's a strange feeling to know they are 10 minutes away but still it feels as far away as China.
11 No work for me tomorrow. We have been planning a date day and it's been put off long enough. How does this sound? Breakfast at IHOP, a walk in the woods, a bit of shopping and possibly an afternoon nap. mmmm, yes to all.
12 I'm so appreciative of this man that I share my life with. He makes me smile.

Knox Mountain Hike with my lovies

visitors, kids and more

1 Two days of training and I'm feeling confident in my ability to handle the job. A few tweaks and a lot of notes equals ability.

2 Theresa is a great trainer. I really appreciated her willingness to teach, mentor, advise, correct and cheer lead.

3 They are managing to get a bit of a grip on the jet lag. It's never easy when it's this big of a time change. 

4 Izzy and Kes come for a couple of night's. Sleepovers are so much fun with them. 

5 They have sniffles and coughs but manage to make the best of it despite that. What a couple of tough cookies we have.

6 The two brothers and their wives have an early Valentine's day dinner while we have mac and cheese followed by sugar cookies for our dinner.

7 Shenanigans at the switchboard. Nuff said.

8 A fun hike on Knox Mountain. The fog is as thick as pea soup in spots. We can watch it from our vantage point and eventually thins and finally disappears.

9 Sara has taken classes in nail painting. I love that she's so enthusiastic about life and isn't afraid to step out of her comfort zone.

10 It's Chinese New Year and Nick brings a little of China to our home. He's managed to get a few stickers for the front door into their suitcase without Sara knowing about it. Mr P puts them on the door while we are out and she's suitably surprised to see them there. 

11 I love how she wears her heart on her sleeve. It's so endearing to know such a genuine person.

12 It's G's birthday today. I'm hoping it's been a great one for her because she's spent it with her mom and dad. Love ya hon, happy birthday. 

an attempt at filling in the gaps

1 It's kind of interesting how when life takes off this blog plays second fiddle. Not forgotten that's for sure. I'm always grateful, sometimes life just  keeps me from posting about it.
2 A dear friend came to visit for a few days and we had lots of fun exploring our own backyard. 
3 Two friends were over for a visit and along with Mr P we had lots of fun and good laughs over a caesar or two, appies and an amazing curry dish that J made.
4 Mr P is busy with a variety of projects one of which is installing closet and bedroom doors in the basement. He's very meticulous in his measurements. I'm thinking it's a case of measure twice, cut once.
5 NIck and Sara arrive from China and Mr P takes the time to go pick them up in Vancouver. They're a wee bit travel weary and soon are napping while he's driving.
6 No tears when they arrive because it just feels too darn great to have them hear and I'd rather see them clearly than through my tears.
7 Two long, very long days of training. I'm glad the morning shifts are over!
8 B has an opportunity to move into her third position. She's obviously more than qualified and this new job will net her an additonal $10K! HOLY
9 The house is very quiet and still. I like to listen to the sound of the ticking clock.
10 Nick and Sara have gone to spend the day with Chris and family. It's nice to see the boys together, wives, children and lots to share. One big happy family.
11 I'm thinking it'll be fun to get this party started with my ItWorks business. Fingers crossed it takes off. I really do much better at these things when I've done a bit of research!

a mishmash of posts

1 Our Tula is back to normal. After days and days of sneezing, coughing and lethargy she's finally gotten some energy and is back to chasing her toy mice, and little balls that jingle in the night!
2 Working through the weekend with people I really like means that when one of us gets a fit of laughter the other just says, "pop that call over to me" and we can and do!
3 We get hit with yet another snowstorm in the night and it continued for the rest of the day. I was glad to get a ride to and from work and I think Mr P found it fun to skid and slide around each corner, especially the ones on the steep hills.
4 We are continuing to watch the Oscar nominees for Best Movie with mixed reviews. Sor far my reviews are as follows: The Grand Budapest Hotel was unique, American Sniper a definite thumbs down (too much propaganda), Whiplash loved it, Boyhood loved it and Birdman yes for the acting, no for the actual movie (I think you have to be part of the Broadway world to know what the innuendos are about), Wild was too unrealistic in many ways. What have you thought of these movies?
5 I'm watching Tula with her little mouse toy and she's tossing it about in the air, chasing it and then carrying it in her mouth to the next spot. I'm wondering if I should move my coffee mug soon before that little mouse lands in my cup!
6 An early morning call to work at the Recreation Centre to fill in for a sick employee. 
7 It's nice to see some familiar faces as they arrive for pickleball. I take a few minutes to watch them play and realize it's a pretty decent workout for most of them. 
8 Time to sign up for the next yoga class. Because I'm working for the small city where we live they give their employees free access to all their classes as long as there is space available.
9 Izzy and Kes go to playschool with Grampa. He tells me that they both kept busy with all the different stations and that Izzy particularly enjoyed learning the months of the year. When they pick me up from work that's very evident because she's singing the month song and doing exceptionally well. The only month missing was November!
10 I have a chance to just sit and watch the snowflakes hitting my windshield. It's mesermizing, almost meditative and soothes my head.
11 A friend from the past is at the bus depot when I go inside to find G. She shouts my name and I immediately turn and realize it's her and it's a mini reunion. She and another woman are waiting for a taxi but since G and I are headed there we all pile into my car and have a fun quick drive together. 
12 G and I have a chance to briefly catch up and just share each others' time while she waits for her flight. Best of friends, always. I'm keeping you in my thoughts.

A bit of a crazy week

1 Tula is having a rough time of it with sneezing and coughing. We've discovered that the SPCA gave her the wrong vaccination. She was given a vaccination for dogs not cats so she will need that and possibly the Bortadella. Poor Tula. She's very tired and lethargic and this morning is spending her day in her cat carrier (her choice).
2 Mr P talked to the SPCA and this is their remedy: feline vaccine and refund on the ear medication.
3 The coyotes were busy in the early hours this morning. We woke up to yipping and howling right below our bedroom window. Mr P took a flashlight out on the deck and we saw three of them heading up the road. Their eyes were shiny and reminded me of a horror movie.
And now for the rest of the week.
Our Tula has been very ill. She developed an irritation in her trachea and it created dehydration along with lethargy and a deep shuddering cough. Mr P took her to the vets and we had her evaluated then hydrated. She returned to us and it's been a slow road to her recovery. For a few days Mr P was giving her fluids with a small syringe and he even slept with her one night. She is mending slowly, eating some and drinking again. Our little lovely will soon been chasing our ankles again and be  back to herself. 

that day has come, kitten tales, and J

1 I knew the day would come when I'd be passed in seniority because, well, I just didn't want to chase the seniority list. And now that it's happened I'm filled with mixed emotions. Part of me wants to be angry for letting it slip away and now I'm left with less shifts, but a bigger part of me is happy about my choice. I didn't like how it felt to be that hungry, and that cutthroat. Don't get  me wrong, I like this job but I like feeling good about myself more. My tool, "Radical Acceptance."
2 Our little Tula is much more playful off of her pain medications. She attacks legs and ankles, chases her play mice and toys balls and is basically full of beans. Exactly like a wee kitten should be. 
3 J calls and we make our arrangements for her visit. She's here with just us for a few days in February so we want to make the most of it. What are the plans? Lots of touring about, house and foreclosure looking, dinners, hikes and yes, definitely we need to go to the spa! I'm so looking forward to hearing about her latest shenanigans!