Cross Border Shopping: Fiscal Responsibility or Patriotic Infidelity?

So, once again in our house, the topic of crossing the border to shop has come up. Grocery shopping, to be exact. For some reason, the household opposition does not seem to take issue with ordering items online and crossing the border to pick it up (ahem... someone has five new pairs of shoes he would not otherwise find in his size). Nor does it seem problematic to have people bring us things when they come to visit.

As our stockpile of items that our Oregon and Washington visitors have brought us in the last couple of months dwindles, I am tempted to raid the shelves of Trader Joe's and use my Costco card in Bellingham. This is met with great resistance from an otherwise extremely laid back individual. And, I mean, great resistance.

The discussion continued the other night and I was outnumbered two to one by the paramedic and my cousin (um... hello? a little family  loyalty would be nice). Both believe that it is important to support our local retailers and to keep our local economy going. While I agree with this - in principle - I am conflicted as a middle income earner who tries to make my dollar stretch. My new favourite beverage - peppermint tea - is over $2 per box cheaper at Trader Joe's than at my local big box store. My tummy friendly coffee is less than half the price. The list is pretty much endless. A two dollar or more difference on several items adds up significantly - even when calculating the cost of mileage to travel there.

And what I would like to know is why oh why is there such a price difference on the exact same items? The paramedic likes to talk about "pink sludge" but I am pretty sure that there is no "pink sludge" in my peppermint tea... and huge chunks of Tillamook cheddar cheese or Monterey pepper jack cheese do not seem to upset the paramedic's stomach so I doubt there is any "pink sludge" there either.

Incidentally, as I was discussing this topic this morning with my friend - and talking about my experience car shopping with the paramedic - she wondered out loud why someone so adamant about not buying American is holding tight to his American brand preference? To which I responded... hhmmmm... good point.

But to return to the current dilemma... Where are my loyalties supposed to lie? With my local economy or my household budget? Am I really a bad Canadian if I am trying to find ways to better provide for my family?

Yippee Skippee for Change

Back at school today and looking forward to the changes for the upcoming school year. So, today, I am thankful for change. The great Ross Gellar said "No one likes change except for a wet baby." I do not think that we all skip gleefully towards change but sometimes change is a good thing. All the change in my life has been an absolute blessing. If you could see me right now you would see me jumping up and down, clapping my hands and giggling at the change that is to come...

So, to keep it brief: I am thankful for a paramedic who loves me, hot showers, catching up with old friends, peppermint tea, sane people, California vacations and blonde highlights.

And I promise to make the coffee tomorrow... ;)

Can It Get Any More Shameful?

Community Living BC, which provides services to the developmentally disabled, closed group homes and cut back services. Last fall, it was announced that the "bonus structure" for executives was
"abolished." The bonus structure was for between five to 10% of their salaries - totalling about $300,000. At the time, the Liberal Social Development minister stated: "That is up to the board to decide how they compensate staff at CLBC. But what they will do is they will go away and look at a new system of compensation that doesn't include a bonus-type structure." Interpretation: they can still have the money; they just can't say it was a bonus.

Fast forward to this spring and surprise! surprise! there are no more bonuses but the people scheduled to get a 5% bonus are now getting a 4.99% raise and those in line for a 10% bonus are seeing their salaries go up 9.66%. Thankfully, we cannot be outraged by this because, as our illustrious premier explained, these are not bonuses but "holdbacks." As she explains, after much sputtering and humming and hawing "What used to happen before is that they had their base pay -- some of it was held back until they met specific targets."

Wow. So now they don't have to earn their bonus - we just hand it to them. While I am confident that the premier does not have the sense to be ashamed of not only these actions but her ludicrous explanation, I certainly hope that Stephanie Cadieux does. And what about the people receiving these bonuses? How can they accept this money knowing that they are not meeting the needs of the people who it is their job to service? Greed. Greed. Greed. That must make all those in need of CLBC services who are not receiving them feel much better.

Incidentally, CLBC reports that it costs about $48 800 per year*, on average, to provide supports and services per adult per year. Surely, the $300 000 would be put to better use providing support for six additional individuals.

Perhaps our premier could spend less time prepping for media coverage and her overpaid PR consultant could teach her the meaning of "priority" and "decency."

*http://communitylivingaction.org/facts/funding/

Scottish voices, sedatives and home health care pros

Today I give thanks for the  male Scottish nurse who has now woken me up twice from sedation in the last four months. There is something nice about waking up in a fog and feeling pretty certain that your long deceased Scottish grandfather is whispering in your ear.

I am also thankful for whoever invented sedation. I cannot even imagine these procedures without them.

Finally, as always,  I am thankful for my personal paramedic who stayed home to take care  of me. If only emptying the dishwasher was part of his training...

Celebrating All The Special Days...

It was one year ago yesterday that the paramedic and I had our first official date. It was also the first and last time he ate tofu (at least that is what he thinks)... but that part we did not celebrate.
In addition to being thankful for my dad as part of the Hallmark holiday of Father's Day, yesterday's giving thanks was a total no brainer. I am so thankful that I went on that date last year despite having the world's worst headache and an incredible amount of trepidation... what a wonderful gift that one decision brought into my life. Thank you to the wonderful ladies in my life who nudged me along the way.

As we celebrated our life as a couple - and most importantly our friendship - the paramedic made an offhand remark that next year we will be able to bypass this anniversary to celebrate a different one. Ummmm (insert sound of screeching brakes)... wait just a minute. Why celebrate just one special day when there are many more? The first meeting is the starting off point to all those special ones so I believe it needs to be celebrated just as much as the wedding anniversary... because without it, there would be nothing else. That Friday evening last June was the "big bang" (if you will) for all of the incredible things that I give thanks for every day. And I intend to celebrate that every year.

My brother joked to the paramedic that he needed to get used to celebrating everything... including the first time we ate rice together, the first time we sneezed in unison, blah blah blah... and everyone laughed. I laughed too but it got me thinking. Why not celebrate all those wonderful firsts? Our memories are so much a part of what makes us who we are... celebrating all the silly special days helps remind us how truly lucky we are for all that we have. And, as he patrols the house, picking up all my flip flops scattered in every room and organizing the counter clutter, I hope he will always reminder and celebrate that special day when he first collected all my shoes, returned them to the closet and figured out how many pairs there actually are :).

So yesterday, like everyday, I ended it by saying "Thank you for choosing me" out of the millions to choose from.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. - Lao Tzu

Never, in all my life, have I known such strength and courage. I am so incredibly excited for what lies ahead for us as a couple and as a family. I cannot wait to begin each day with you.

Why Hello There, Sunshine...

As I sat outside enjoying the sun and flipping through the latest issue of People Style Watch, I gave thanks for the warmth of this elusive friend. After what seemed like a never ending winter - even yesterday I was wearing knee high boots and a cashmere blend sweater - I am so excited for the summer and all the wonderful things that will come with it.

I'm also thankful for the smile and laughter on the paramedic's face as he saw my lobster-esque chest... and his friendly reminder that the goal is golden not scorched. Probably time for a Groupon for a spray tan.

As our trip is fast approaching, I am also grateful - after the debacle with my first choice - that I have fianlly narrowed down the all important dress to three very different contenders. Now just to choose... or maybe keep all three and just have several ceremonies throughout the summer. :) I keep thinking of my sparkly friend who would wash her dishes in her wedding dress and think how wonderful it would be to have three different outfits for cooking dinner. No dress for dishes since that ain't my job... and I am super duper thankful for that.

And not to beg but... please, sunshine, stick around all weekend... you, me and the paramedic will have so much fun. Promise!

My sparkly friend, education and hilarious "grammar" videos

Sometimes it's the people who find the seats in the middle of our bus who get comfortable and stay for a long journey. I am grateful for those who choose to stay on my bus and enjoy our travels together. On Facebook today, one such friend posted something about getting her sparkle back. It's not like she is some sort of Stella who needed to get her groove back, she just felt like she lost her "sparkle." What I admire about my friend is that she is, to me, always sparkly. No matter what life throws at her, she can always throw her head back and laugh her hearty "oh my god" laugh. I have never met anyone who is more self aware and even when she makes some really bad choices - and there have been some doozies ;) - she is the first one to admit it. I give thanks for her today and every day and really enjoy the times when she moves to the front of my bus before making her way back to her comfortable seat in the middle. I am also so grateful that she laughed out loud today when I referred to myself as her "moral" friend (old joke) and reminded me of my own doozies of bad decisions as well. You, my sparkly friend, always govern yourself accordingly.

I also think I would be remiss if I did not give thanks for my education. As my district handed out heavy pink slips this year and drew the lay off line really high, my education saved me from joining the ranks of the unemployed. I am grateful that I took a chance a few years ago and took a layoff from my previous district. Had I not done that, I never would have ended up in a protected position which I only got, in the first place, because of my specialty education.

And, sorry guys, but I also have to come out and say that people mixing up "your" and "you're" drives me crazy. I know I have developed a social sieve because I no longer point it out when people mix them up... but it is so annoying. I am so happy to have found this video to share... it's just too bad that it is so profanity laced that I can not use it in the classroom. The next time you are typing please remember some of the lyrics and stop making these idiotic mistakes. Puh-lease!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=32p8d6OudgU

Thankful that I'm not "that" guy...

It's amazing what some people just can't let go of... I admit it took me a long time to just chalk negative experiences up to all part of the journey and to focus on the here and now. A little over a year ago, I received a rather amusing letter (although I think the intention was to threaten and cause fear) advising me that I needed to govern myself accordingly. Every now and then, I think about this ridiculous "advice" and its source. It never fails to make me laugh. I am pretty sure I govern myself accordingly but still wonder to whose standards I was expected to hold myself to. I generally hold myself to my own and it seems to work pretty well.

I recently read one of those annoying photo things that people share on Facebook which read something like "Why do we keep people in our lives who have already left?" This is hilarious considering that a lot of our "friends" on Facebook are not people who are actively a part of our lives. But it also makes me think about those people whose lives we have left who just cannot let go.

A couple of weeks ago, a negative comment showed up on one of my posts calling me a whiner and a lazy loser. So weird. I see absolutely no point in someone making a comment like this. To hurt me? It's a cowardly comment made by someone who did not identify themselves. Certainly it was from someone who I have chosen to exclude from my life; an anonymous comment on a blog won't change that. I deleted the comment.

Another nasty one - from a blog post nearly nine months ago - showed up yesterday. A comment made in the middle of the work day. I wonder if I should feel flattered that I had such an impact on someone's life that they are reading through old blog posts in the middle of a work day. I am not flattered - just sad. I feel sad for this person that they aren't able to figure out that you shouldn't keep people in your life who have already left.

So, anonymous commentator, please remember that while you are thinking of nasty things to say, I am so thankful for all the wonderful people, experiences and things in my life today and tomorrow that I just want to share it with whoever is willing to read it. Sorry you can't say the same.

Tears & Sadness

On a day where my child spent Mother's Day with another woman and quite possibly the meanest man to ever live, I am hard pressed to find something amusing to be thankful for.

I am thankful for tears and how sometimes they are the only way to express just how sad you feel. When you can't possibly find the words to express yourself, they seem to say it all.

At the end of today, just like the end of every day, I am so incredibly thankful that I no longer live with a man who is the embodiment of evil. I am grateful that I am not a woman who is so insecure and weak in spirit that I fail to see what is wrong with a man who tells a woman she deserves a miscarriage and who makes sure that a child does not spend Mother's Day with his own mother...

Because, today, I realize that it is okay to be sad and I am thankful for that. And I am so incredibly grateful to know that it will pass quickly because having known true evil makes me appreciate the goodness and lightness that has become a part of my daily life.

Smurf Bath Rings & Punctuation

Before I begin my evening, a quick note of thanks for things that made me happy today.

I am so thankful that I found a purple Smurfette shirt for under $15. I love that the Smurfs are French and am seriously considering basing my entire French 8 curriculum on them. Surely the 40 kids (plus 5 special needs students who will be in the class but not actually taking the course) I will have in each section next year will love it.

I give thanks for the relaxing powers of a bubble bath. Yippee for a house with a deep bath tub.

And thank you to the paramedic for letting me wear my wedding ring around the house... and not laughing at me... well, to my face anyway.

Finally, I am thankful for punctuation because without it it would look like I was talking bath rings in the shape of Smurfs. Good punctuation is an important skill but probably something that the 45 plus kids in my Language Arts 8 class can do without - I mean, we have spell & grammar check, write?

Foot Rubs, Fancy Feet and Family Time

Yay! and Thanks! to anyone who rubs my feet - whether that be the funny little lady who does my pedicures or the guy who loves me so much he (seemingly) is not bothered by my smelly feet.

I am thankful today for foot rubs and fancy feet after a great afternoon of family time with my mum and aunt. So much fun to wedding and trip plan over pedicures and lunch... and I love the little coincidences in life... like talking about hop on/hop off tours of cities and then not even two days later discovering a Groupon offer for one! Woohoo! A little mini holiday in my own hometown.

I also end the day giving thanks for family time... pedicures and lunch, an afternoon visit and cuddling on the couch to watch, boo and cheer as part of our Survivor night and ending the evening watching the second best Modern Family in the world take their own hilarious trip to the Happiest Place on Earth... what a wonderful way to end another sunny day.

And, thank you, my beautiful female canine companion for recovering from your own 80 year old man stomach episodes in the middle of the night four nights in a row. I am sure the only one more relieved than me that your multiple trips outside and taking short naps on the back deck in the middle of the night are finally over is you! Be well, my beautiful girl or we will be forced to share my fancy new peppermint mixture pills.

Heaven Help Me... Despite Everything, I Love Him

Anyone who knows our family knows that I frequently whine and complain that I need rescued from my rescue dog. Never before have I had such a needy, stubborn, downright disobedient and permanent puppy for a canine companion. I was actually shocked the other day to realize that he is now five years old... and I am still waiting for the adult dog behaviour to kick in. Such a change from my beautiful old soul canine companion.

Despite my best efforts to "give" him to the paramedic, regift him to my parents or trade him for a passport eating, jumps so high she licks my sunglasses puppy... it seems he and I are stuck with each other.

As I tried to have a relaxing bubble bath yesterday but was thwarted from all the canine whining and crying on the other side of the door, it dawned on me that despite everything I love him. Who else in our lives loves us so much that our being on the other side of a closed door is so traumatic that it elicits tears of sadness? Who else will continue to love us despite being called "retard" or worse? Who else will cuddle with us when we are sad despite being routinely told to "take a hike" or shoved away with expletives? Who else will lick our smelly feet and gaze upon us adoringly?

In a world where our friends can punish us for speaking the truth and drop us at the drop of a hat, how can I not be thankful to have the unconditional love of my canine Mama's boy?

So today, even though as I write this I can hear him from drinking out of the toilet before heading upstairs to lie on my freshly laundered bed, I am thankful for my Mama's boy dog.

And, as an aside, I am also grateful that the paramedic continues to retrieve the dog when he makes his grand getaways... and I am also thankful that I have someone in my life who is so incredibly special that my canine Mama's boy now cries when he lives for work... in the afternoon... the mornings are too early for the dog to apparently care.

I did it all by myself!

Today, it seems, I graduated to big girl status... going for another round of blood tests all by myself and NOT passing out. I am thankful that, although my 80 year old man stomach continues to cause me grief and I am headed to another round of testing with a new specialist, I seem to be developing some sort of stamina for this sort of thing... I just wonder what will keep the paramedic entertained now.
I am also thankful that the rain held off today allowing me to go for a long awaited walk with my puppies on the dyke. Yesterday, after watching my beloved dog lie down on the grass in the park after a walk up the hill, I was so relieved to see her (sort of) run free on the path. I think I need to remind myself that the only one who has her with one foot in the grave is me... just because she is nine doesn't mean she is about to keel over and die. But I also think that she needs to appreciate the fact that because I do seem to worry about her age, she now gets specially made homemade chicken stew and evenings in front of the fire... which will probably expedite her departure from this world but at least she will be happy.

And, my gratitude to my friend who allows me to snoop her online dating account and say things like "we like him for you" and to go with it. Boy! do I love it when people take my "advice." And this process helps me appreciate that my journey to find love has had a happy ending... even if that someone is rather sniffly and whiny today.

Grandmas on Kardashian Sex, Farewell Feta and Kids who Eat

Thank you to people who post stupid stuff on the Internet. Sometimes it is truly funny. I don't even care if it is staged; Jewish grandmas talking about sex is always going to be funny.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/05/grandma-kim-kardashian-sex-tape

I am also thankful to my 80 year old man stomach; that bastard only knocked me out for 2 days this time. Okay! Okay! Okay! I get it. Feta is not my friend - from any source. I wonder if it would be too weird to have a memorial service for cheese. I could invite my former friends milk and ice cream.

My gratitude to friends with kids who happily eat all my cooking. Such a refreshing change from my anoerxic in training kidlet who starts each meal with: "Do I have to eat this?" and who believes that flushing a granola bar down the toilet won't cause plumbing issues. Thank you, in advance, to the counsellor who will help him get over his picky eating habits and help him come to terms with being the first person in Canada in about 150 years to get scurvy.

And, finally, because I have been neglectful in giving public thanks to the paramedic, my deep gratitude to have someone in my life who will stand up for us and go a couple rounds with the grouchy neighbourhood bully, charm the pants off (not literally, thank God) the neighbourhood moms and always, always ensure that my needs are being met.

Agedashi Tofu or Dirty Sponge? And the End of the Love Affair

Today I am thankful that the package of deep fried tofu that I purchased at the store today was only $2 because it tasted terrible. Absolutely terrible. I love agedashi tofu from the Japanese restaurant and this was nowhere close. I think my dirty sponge has the same texture and probably would have more flavour. And I am thankful that the kidlet and the paramedic were not home because I am pretty sure that I would never have heard the end of it... and that they would have opted for moldy buns.

I am also going to backtrack a week or so to give thanks... by some miracle of miracles my conservative little town ousted the provincial Liberal party in my riding and voted in NDP in our by-election. This leads me to believe that anything is possible... and makes me worry significantly less about the "new" BC Education Act and how my professional organization went from being the BC College of Teachers to being the Teacher Regulation Branch... I believe Dolores Umbridge is in charge... at least until the next election.

I am also grateful today that the paramedic yelled at the dog as he bolted out the door... makes me feel better to know that even he - the most patient person I have ever met - has a limit to how much "specialness" he can take. Their love affair might be ending...

Just Dance!

Today I am grateful for the person who created the Just Dance game for Kinect... and an empty house so that there were no witnesses. I am also thankful that I did not trip over the dog who insisted on lying right at my feet the entire time... and her eternal optimism that perhaps the dancing fool just might rub her belly.

I am also thankful that I stumbled across a great site http://jennifersway.org/ by Jennifer Esposito and her tales about her struggles with her 80 year old man stomach & a shoulder shrugging medical community... and I am only mildly creeped out by the fact that Blue Bloods was on the television when I found it. While I read and cried over her tales of one of "her troops" and the lessons she learned from her faithful companion, I was glad to be able to reach out and rub that belly of my companion... canine not paramedic.

Around the House...

The good thing about my resolution to find something new to give thanks for everyday is that it keeps me mentally occupied when stuck in the house. Today was day two of a sick kid on the couch and a dog who refused to get off the bed...

I am thankful that even doing only one or two loads of laundry makes me feel productive. Laundry is really such a lightweight chore but it somehow always make me feel like I have accomplished something. So, yes, I am thankful for laundry! And that the chocolate did finally come out of my new white skirt.

Watching her spring to life from a dead sleep at the sound of the sugar snap pea bag being opened, I am so grateful for my wonderfully unique old soul dog who has been a part of our family for nearly seven years. At nine, she makes me smile everyday. I am also thankful that she gets up early in the morning to see the paramedic off to work... and let's me sleep right through it.

I give thanks for Arrowroot cookies; so delicious and kind to my 80 year old man stomach.

I am thankful that the lazy dog only cried periodically after I locked him out of our room in an effort to keep him off the freshly laundered sheets. I guess I should also be thankful that he hasn't discovered the freshly painted guest room in the basement complete with queen size bed and down comforter.

Finally, I say a big thank you to my own will power and my refusal to continue watching the Real Housewives of Vancouver. They make me so ashamed to be from Vancouver and I only pray that none of those women are actually from Vancouver. Jodi might honestly be the root of all evil; and her husband is definitely a saint.

Wedding Plans!

It is just over two months until our family gets married!!!

I am thankful that we can plan a great vacation and a family wedding with my family and the new additions to my family. I am thankful that we will be able to share this time with some of the people who care about us.

As we tweak our plans to ensure that everyone has a good time, all three of us are excited as the details come together. We have changed beach locations and dates. It all seems like just the right fit for the three of us. The irony that our Slurpee loving family is getting married on 7/11 has not been lost on us. We are considering wedding photos at a 7-11, slurpees in hand. Wedding planning sites say to make the day as personal as possible so I guess we need to acknowledge what makes our family a family and just go with it... no matter how cheesy it is.

I am also thankful that the paramedic is okay with not having a fancy dinner on our wedding day and is willing to consider the idea of just diving into a big bucket of freshly steamed seafood. :) I think it would be cute to wear a plastic lobster bib over a white wedding gown. Slurpees and fresh crab... what a glorious way to end a day.

Today, as well, I am grateful that we found the paramedic shoes and a shirt.. but the hunt continues for pants that are more than "just pants."

I also give thanks that my surrogate brother is no longer experiencing "technical" difficulties and that he and his lovely wife are coming to our family wedding. Super duper yay!

Now, if I could only talk my hair stylist into coming...

Acceptance and "Just Pants"

As my friend was taking my measurements for my wedding dress a few weeks ago, I had to accept that those numbers no longer read "36-24-38" and that there is a pretty real chance that they never will again. Although, I am still convinced that the number for the boob area was definitely inflated and inaccurate.

Today, I am grateful for recognizing that the world will not come to an end if I don't stoically accept everything.

I have chosen a dress that is suitable for the body I currently occupy and, although it was not my first choice in terms of style, I know that I will feel pretty and special. It is not the perfect measurements that make us feel pretty and special but a combination of things.

Yesterday, having gotten some sun on my face, a fresh haircut and a new outfit, I felt pretty and special. I would have been perfectly content to get married in that casual outfit not because of how it looked but because of how it made me feel... well, until I sat on a chocolate Easter egg and then I didn't feel pretty... just relief that it wasn't my 80 year old man stomach playing some sick joke on me. ;)

I have spent the last couple of days teasing the paramedic because of a comment he made about the pants he bought for the wedding. I thought it was so silly that he said that he didn't really want to wear them because they were "just pants." As I sit here and think about the combination of things that come together to make me feel pretty and special, I realize that for all of us there are things that we need in order to feel pretty and special and for some of us that means pants that are more than "just pants." If he needs a bedazzled pair of pants and a pirate shirt to make him feel special and pretty on our wedding day, then that is something that I will accept... but I will have to work on the stoic part.

Moldy Buns, Crotchety Old Men & A Sparring Paramedic

Tonight, at dinner, as the kidlet asked "why is this part of my bun green?" and I watched him and the paramedic spit out the moldy buns I had inadvertently served, I was truly thankful that I live with two guys. Had I lived with females, I do not think that they would have found my lack of observational skills amusing in any way whatsoever. Oops.

I am also thankful to find that the paramedic does indeed have a righteous indignation side as the kidlet recounted the tale of the argument over road hockey with our crotchety old neighbour. Yay! For guys who fight back... with anyone else but me. And double yay! for the for sale sign in front of Grumpy Pants' place.

I should also say that I am grateful for the delightful surprise today meeting another neighbour who started off the introduction with calling out "Are you the people who just moved in with the two dogs who bark?" Crossing the street and pretty confident that you could actually see my back going up, I was ready for that fight... how nice and refreshing that the woman who sweeps the street and looks really crabby is a dog lover! Her praise over the paramedic and how busy he is cleaning and working in the yard - and how much handier he seems that her husband - leads me to believe that I should also keep my eye on her!

And my favourite part of the day... when she asked where I found him and her not noticing our giggling avoidance of answering. ;-)