Booja

I've readjusted my morning alarm system.  I used to have my phone vibrate at 6, 6:15 and then ring at 6:30 in case I snoozed the first two.  I found, progressively, that I would ignore the first two alarms and roll out of bed at 6:30 and have barely enough time to get into work.  And after getting in trouble for my roll-in time I've adjusted to the first alarm at 6:10, and then I buzz at 6:20, and then again at 6:45 in case I'm a total failure.  Seems to be working better for me.  Now that only thing that can make me late is getting stuck on a one-laned Eglinton behind someone who thinks 40 is super fast.  You wouldn't want to hear me then.  It's not pretty.

I woke up at today at the first buzz of my phone, all excited to see the results of the super storm.  I was pretty disappointed.  Although the roads were covered in white, they looked drivable.  And although the hwy camera footage scared me as a driver, I had this gut feeling the rest of the office would brave it and make me look like a snow-day glut.  And yes, I'm aware that's not an adjective but it is now.  I emailed our group address saying I didn't want to risk it, and boy am I glad.  In the morning I was more worried about making it out of my driveway safely, and then back in.  The snow started to come down more seriously closer to 7am and here we are at 4:40 and it hasn't stopped yet.  When my boss told me the news reported as much as 50cm of potential snow I said I didn't know there could be that much precipitation in the air.  She said something like she wasn't an effin meteorologist she just reports what she hears.  I might have added that f-bomb because it sounds like something she would have said.

I've been slowly getting a few things done around the house.  I cooked up some bacon and had a bacon & tomato sandwich this morning.  I think maybe the bacon wasn't good anymore.  I took a calculated risk.  I haven't been sick....yet.  Tonight I'm fiiiinally going to make Red Curry Chicken.  I picked up the red curry paste ages ago, but I couldn't for the life of me find coconut milk at my grocery store.  A few weeks ago I spotted it.  Last week I looked up a recipe, and last night as the storm was setting in I finally picked up the last of the ingredients I need.  The recipe calls for bamboo shoots.  Which if I recall properly is my favourite ingredient in hot and sour soup.  Now that I'm opening a tin I might try to make both this week (if I ever get out of here).  I told Adam it was time to get my pot back so I could make some soup.  I'd use the one I have but soup usually calls for simmering with the lid on, and since I exploded that lid ages ago, I haven't done any mass simmering since.  I was hoping to get down to the Cherry Beach T&T to pick up the various required Chinese mushrooms.  And I might stop by my mom's house to pick up small amounts of things I don't want to buy the entire bottle.  Peanut oil?  When would I ever use that again....a-never.

The snow on the ledge outside my window is piling up so high, soon I'm going to be trapped.  Not literally but it feels like a bit of a prison.  If I predict correctly, and I'm usually right, my landlord won't shovel and I'll be stuck stomping through feet of snow when it's finally time to escape this house.  The only time he does shovel is when all that's left is mounds of unsalted ice, and it would have been easier to walk on 2cm of snow.  Idiot.

Speaking of, I'm going to get pre-approved for a mortgage before the end of the month.  I can't stand living here any longer, and it doesn't make much sense to pay $1400 a month for a place I can mortgage for 11 or 12.  Since I'm not much into high rises there's not much available for but pretty basements or over-priced condos. Condos that won't fit two couches in the living room.  Thanks but no thanks.  I'm not going to have much of a budget.  I'm not approved for much more than a hole in the wall, and that's if I'm in Mississauga.  I looked at the floor plan for a nice sized placed being built in my hood and it's like $450K or something ridiculous.  Pipe dream.  I've always had enough money for whatever I've wanted, but I guess that's because I've never really wanted anything.  And now I do.  And it sucks.  But I just need to keep looking and hope I find a little gem somewhere.  Until then the assholes downstairs can listen to me slam doors and walk on my heels for the first time in 3 years.  I felt evil as I admitted to my mom that I hope they come to be as miserable as I am.  It's sad but true.  I actually had a dream last night that he shouted up the stairs for me to shut up, and then I shouted back that they had to shut up first.  And he acknowledged that they were wrong.  Lol.  Dreams really do reflect your daily thoughts.  I wonder where the really messed up and obscure ones come from.  Dr. Sim?  Any thoughts?

I haven't been up to much.  I'm trying to read more.  My 3rd annual January long-read was a bust, but I'm hoping to catch up.  Build up some momentum with some smaller books and then dig into a big juicy one.  I finally stopped using my stationary bike as a clothes rack and have started using it again.  Maybe twice a week, but I'm hoping to increase that.  I knit every once in a while working on my scarf but it's not really getting anywhere significant.  I'm still on the first ball of each colour.  I need to find out how to get my hands on a 3rd ball of each colour, since last time it was the last mustard alpaca at the store.  I might try my local at some point.

I haven't been blogging much lately.  I told Sim writing in my daily quote book (which I did go out straight away in the new year and picked up), it helps takes my mind off of things and I don't feel the same need to write here anymore.  I have about 5-6 days that I haven't written anything.  Not much of a chance of me going back and remembering anything of note so I might just make something up, or try to find an interesting line online.  It's fun, but I think the most fun will be next year when you get a year-over-year comparison for each day.  And then a triple comparison the next year, and so on.

One last thing.  Dana, I came across a really cool quilting website.  This woman's designs are really fresh.  If I had any inclination or skill in sewing this might have piqued my interest.

http://canadianabroad-susan.blogspot.ca/

If I could manage to stop watching back to back to back episodes of How I Met Your Mother I might actually get some stuff done around here.

Julie out.