My 45th birthday

Well, here it is my birthday!...I love facebook and all the messages that I got...that is exciting to see who cares enough to send along birthday wishes!

What did I do...well, Darcy had an interview downtown so I tagged along and while he was in his meeting, I walked around the area, went to the Winners, to Pacific Centre and then sat in the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver to wait for him a little while. Took a picture of the 2010 countdown clock and the lobby of the hotel.
On the way home we stopped at Fujiya for their awesome but cheap sushi rolls as a snack. Went to Costco to buy a hunk of beef so that I could make my own roast beef dinner and mashed potatoes.

Shannon stopped by with a spa gift...imagine me being pampered like that? Not likely but what the heck, might be incentive so thats a good thing...bust as always the best part is that bit of Purdy's chocolates because it would NOT be a birthday without the chocolate so I am glad that Shannon had it in with the card!
Anyway...birthday wishes and all...I hope for a much better year...and it also has to be back to counting WW points...tomorrow!!!!
Now the christmas lights are also allowed to come on because it is a month to Christmas Eve...I hope that we get some good news so that it will not be such a bleak holiday season. We will still continue with our frugal budget but that has been good for us.

Day before my birthday

Today I actually slept in until 8 a.m. Spent the morning just lounging around. Chrissy went to see Alicia so called in to start work a bit later.
Rene invited us over for a Grey Cup/Pre-birthday party which was really nice of her. Terry had some people from his office and their wives over. It was nice to be invited out. Rene got me lots of Smirnoff ice. Darcy had fun playing snooker. Their new house is quite lovely and great for entertaining. There was a ton of appetizers, and lasagna, salads for dinner. As always, are a little too much so am now feeling quite bloated. Helga called to see if we would stop by for wine on the way home but Darcy didn't feel like it and I was quite agreeable to going home and changing into jammies and watching TV. It was nice of Rene to invite us and to want to do something for my birthday.

My birthday weekend

It is my birthday on Monday...my 45th...thank goodness...out of the double 4's, 4 being really bad number in chinese so I am hoping that things will start to look up for me, please!!!

So far...went to an afterwork social...Heather and Helga each bought me a drink and I won a plant as a door prize. Today...well, Kari stopped by with a little Lilac quilt she had made for me.

Photo included. Then we drove Chrissy and Sheldon downtown as Chrissy had an appointment with Jon's new girlfriend at the Axis Hair Salon on West Pender. We went to Macfalafel near Dunbar for a lamb donair and then we came home. My sister Jocelyn called long distance and it was nice to have a laugh with her as she was heading out to lunch with mum and dad and Dennis' parents. Now...I am going to have popcorn and play games on Facebook...such excitement...not!!!

Municipal Elections

Another election under our belt. Yesterday I was up at 6:00 a.m. and got myself ready for another full day working as an election official for the Coquitlam municipal vote. I was assigned to Mountain View Elementary school on Smith Avenue. Polls opened at 8:00 a.m. Coquitlam was very innovative...we had laptops and a central database for the Voters List and those who brought their Election cards, we had a hand-held scanner to beep. The ballot was marked like a scantron exam and fed through the machine for an automatic count. When the polls closed, it was my job to run the memory card and the results tape over to city hall. There was already a crowd gathered at the main council chambers to watch the results come in. Lorraine and I stayed for a while. Looks like we have Richard Stewart, a new mayor at the helm...new "boss" for us at City Hall.
I was exhausted but Darcy had packed me cut up barbecued steak, mashed potatoes and steamed brocolli to eat enroute to city hall so I wasn't starved to death when I got home. It is such a long day and fine when its busy with voters but so boring when there is a lull. I brought a book to read but didn't even crack it open.
Today was a home day. Chrissy was at work by 9:30 a.m. We took all 3 dogs to Barnet Marine park and we even let Ben-Ben off-leash and all he did was chase after Speedo like a maniac. We then went to home depot to find a replacement part for the garburator under the kitchen sink that was leaking, and then we stopped at Costco for a few things. We shared a hot dog and a slice of pizza.
Doing bedding laundry and the dogs are all snoring away from their play time and walk. Darcy is fixing the kitchen sink and Chrissy doesn't get off until 6:00 p.m but she is going to Sheldon's for dinner as his gramma is visiting....so a quiet evening for us. I have tomorrow off from work so its a 2 day weekend but tomorrow I think I will try and do some housework and look to see what I can do to help Darcy out of his depressed state.

Remembrance Day

November 11...we have always gone to the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Port Moody cenotaph, Even the year I had sprained my ankle really badly, so we went early so we could park as close as possible. Always fitting that it is usually rainy, wet, cold just like those trenches. For years and years we were in the parade with Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and cadets. Uniforms have changed but the spirit has not. We met up with Sharon at Starbucks and later in the crowds found Tino and other friends...thats the small town thing about Port Moody. Just before 11am we got a text from Caiti askingus if we were there as she was at a ceremony in Kelowna asking us to tell Kirky, Danie and Meghan (girl guide mentor) that she was there with them in spirit. The pipeband played, the parade took place, the bagpipes and the canons, and the 2 minutes of silence...all the traditions of Remembrance Day played out. Chrissy had to open up the store so she was at work.
We are home now warming up and contemplating going to see Passchendale at the movies.
Speedo had his 5th birthday this week, and he didn't get to go to Buntzen as we were not feeling well to take him. Helga came home from Germany yesterday so there was lots to debrief. From now until my birthday and Christmas, time flies by and I have a lot of time off that is owing to me. Darcy is still plugging on and nothing has panned out as yet that suits him.
So, here's to the men and women in the past, the present and the future who have put their lives in jeopardy for our freedom. Here is also to the change in the USA with Barack Obama leading the way, and while expectations are so great for him, I believe he has the tenacity to make some momentous decisions for the better if only others will remember that it will take more than one term to see things transform.
Sometimes when we are so focused on our own tribulations we forget to recognize the global view.

November

What a crazy turmoil of a week...I have never felt so burdened and stressed by the amount of work and demands made upon me for a long time until this week! It's a rainy Sunday and I am very tired!
This week was Halloween...at Wings, at work and then on Friday giving out treats to all the kids in the neighbourhood. Chrissy was at work and Caiti came down (had to be picked up at 4am at the Greyhound Bus depot) for a party at UBC with Danie and Kirky. Friday was a particularly long day for me as we hosted a United Way Halloween Party for all city staff so I was at work at 6 am. We catered the breakfast so it was a lot of running around. I wore flannel PJs to work...
I gave out candy but that was pretty much all I could handle on Friday night for Halloween.
Yesterday, we went to a Celebration of Life for our friend Brett at the Alderson school gym. It was a great tribute to a much loved person. It was nice to see so many familiar faces from the old PMA crew and catch up on old news. 2010 will be PMA's 40th anniversary we were talked about what sort of party we would have for that celebration. There was a eulogy from Brett's long time best friend, tables full of memorabilia for all stages of his life, a powerpoint of photos, a live performance of "Here comes the sun" and we listened to a piece of melodious music from Star Trek of which Brett was a fan of. We all brought "deck food" so there was lots to eat and his mates brought all Pepsi products from his work before he left due to his illness. After this, we went to the John B pub with Caiti, Rene and Terry to catch up on other news.
When we got home I had to get a roast beef dinner on as Chrissy would be home after work with Sheldon and Jon for their Rockband party...Tulsi even came by so it was pretty rowdy over here last night. The roast beef dinner was awesome but I was too tired to really savour it.
Now its Sunday, and we are home...too wet to take down the Halloween decorations, another week ahead, the last week before Helga gets home from Germany.