Who Is Mich ?

What's the plan, Stan?

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

My best friend is getting married this summer and the other day we were talking about how she wants to have kids soon, probably with in the next 2 years. She went on to tell me about her “life plan” and how she wants to have kids before she’s 30 and all that jazz. She then asked me “Do you ever think about that stuff? Do you have a plan like that?”

I laughed a bit and said “hell no…!!”

She was taken back a bit by that. “Really? You don’t have a plan? Don’t you want to get married and have kids?”

Nope. I don’t have a plan. And yes I do want to get married…one day, no time soon though. And I really don’t know yet if I want to have kids. And guess what, it’s not absurd to feel that way either. I’m 28 years old now, and I have never been in a relationship with someone who I felt I wanted to start a family with. I’ve been on my own for the last 7 years and its pretty awesome. I don’t have to worry about anyone but myself. (I care about a lot of people; I mean that I’m not responsible for anyone but myself).

If you would have asked me 3 years ago what my plan was I would have said this…

“I want to date someone for at least a year before moving in together, and then live together for about a year before even thinking about engagement. Probably take a year to be engaged and plan a wedding. Then be together for about 2 to 3 years before having kids. I’m 25 now so if I want to have kids by the time I’m 30 then I would have to meet my future husband… *calculating*…. yesterday!”

Obviously THAT plan didn’t pan out…

I’m okay with that.

Life is an adventure. I will know when I’m ready to get married and maybe even have kids but that time isn’t now. And it won’t be mapped out in a life plan. It will just happen.

Baby, its cold outside...

2012-01-20T11:11:00.003-07:00

It’s been bitterly cold this week in Calgary.
How cold?
On average we were looking at -30°C.
-40°C with the wind chill.

For my American readers, that’s -22°F (before the windchill).

Brrrrr!!

It was so cold that every morning, by the time I got to work my mascara was running down my face from my eyelashes freezing and then melting once I got indoors.

It was so cold that while waiting for my bus after leaving the gym at my office, my touque had frost on it after only 10 minutes. Full on FROST!!

So cold that the pipes in my kitchen have froze and I haven’t had hot water there all week. (Thankfully it’s just in the kitchen and it doesn’t affect my shower).

So cold that wearing 3 layers of pants, 2 pairs of mittens, a scarf under a scarf and doubled up socks is everyday attire for the week. And no one looks at you funny when you walk down the street looking like a marshmallow.

We are supposed to get a break from the deepfreeze this weekend. Just in time too… I’m starting to lose feeling in my toes!

(not really… I’m a born and bred Canadian, we’re used to this! We don’t like it, but we’re used to it)

Que, Sera, Sera...

2012-01-18T15:08:00.002-07:00

In 2010, I made New Years Resolutions.

In 2011, I made goals.

This year... I just want to be happy.

As happy as I am right now.

No drama.
No heartache.
No traumatic events.

Just a happy, easy, breezy, beautiful year.

And I wish the same for all of you.

Golden Globes 2012 - My Picks for Best & Worst Dressed

2012-01-17T09:09:00.007-07:00

Best of the Bunch!!

Selma Hayek in Gucci

Even though I despise her... she rocked this dress. Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace.

Tina Fey in this stuning Oscar De La Renta.

Claire Danes in J. Mendel, probably my favorite dress of the night.

Helen Mirren in Badgley Mishka. Always a stunner.

and the WTF were you thinking award goes to........

Jessia Beil. I can't for the life of me find out who she was wearing... but really, who cares? It looks like an old wedding dress you would find in your grandmothers closet and play dress up in. I will say, the open back was nice but the rest was just wrong.

Tick, Tock, You Dont Stop.

2012-01-12T09:29:00.005-07:00

In 2011, instead of making New Years resolutions I set goals for myself to complete over the year (want proof?) Now that 2011 has come and gone, let’s see how I did!

1 – Go on vacation somewhere hot.
Went to Vegas… twice. Booya.

2 – Go to the movies by myself.
Complete! I went to see Arthur. I quite enjoyed seeing a movie alone but I wouldn’t go see a comedy alone again, maybe a chick flick or a drama. I like to laugh along WITH someone and laugh again about the funny parts after the movie is over. You can’t do that when you go solo.

3 – Sign up for 3 different work related classes.
Yep! Zumba, Iron Reps and an aqua size class.

4 – Attempt to try acupuncture on my shoulder.
I tried it. I went 3 times and I didn’t feel it made any difference.

5 – Sign up for my next triathlon.
This is the only one I didn’t complete… breaking my leg pretty much shot this goal to hell. But there is always 2012…

4 out of 5 isn’t too bad!
Stay tuned for my 2012 goal list.

Who doesn't love a good mug shot?

2012-01-11T14:39:00.004-07:00

The One Where I Recap the Craziest Year of my Life.

2011-12-31T09:30:00.005-07:00

I started WIM about 5 years ago now and every year I write a post in December recapping what came about in my life that year. 2011 by far was the craziest year with the most extreme highs and extreme lows I have ever gone through.

Lets recap shall we?

January

- Planned on starting 2011 fresh from all the craziness that happened in 2010 and spent most of my time going to the gym and I even started training again to do another triathlon.

- It didn't last long because...

February

- slipped on the ice on a random Monday, broke both bones in my lower left leg. Had to have emergency surgery and have a steel rod and screws put into my leg. Couldn't walk for the next 2 months.

- A week after breaking my leg, I was "let go" from my job. (illegally).

- Lost most of my independence (or at least it felt like I did), at 27 years old I had to have my mom help me in and out of the shower, and I even had to have my roommates help put my socks on for me when I was cold because I couldn't bend my knee. Having one leg broken, the other being used for balance and both arms and hands being used to hold yourself up on crutches is hard. its damn hard.

- Spent the rest of the month on my couch, pretty much depressed and feeling sorry for myself.

- A few weeks after breaking my leg the disastrous Tsunami in Japan happened. Since all I could do was sit at home anyways and watch TV, I watched A LOT of the news coverage. The very next day I got my sorry ass up off the couch and realized that I had only broken my leg. I was going to recover and everything would be fine eventually. I had no reason to be depressed. A million and one worse things could have happened to me. I could lost my entire world around me like the people in Japan. Or worse, my actual life. From that point on I wasn't going to feel sorry for myself and I was going to take advantage of every day.

March

- Spent most of the month recovering. Tried my best to get around on crutches. By the end of the month the doctor told me I could try to walk again.

- Attempted to apply for jobs but it was really hard to apply for jobs when i was having issues getting around and still couldn't drive either.

April

- Still limping around, I started working shifts at my part time job. It worked out well for me as they were short shifts and it made for an easy transition back to working.

- The opportunity to go to Bloggers in Sin City in May came about. I had tried to convince other blogger friends that I know to go with me but there were no takers, so I did what any unemployed smart person would do... I booked a flight and at the very last minute registered myself to go to Vegas with 67 strangers. I didn't know it at the time but it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

May

- My best friend of 15 years got engaged and I was blessed enough to help her now-fiance plan a big surprise and pull off what was a romantic and extremely sweet proposal/engagement party. (read this for more details).

- A few weeks later I got on a plane, a little scared (okay... more than a little) and went to Vegas to meet some A-MAZING people!! I feel that that trip gave me my spark back. I felt like I had lost a little of myself over the last few years and doing something that spontaneous and kinda crazy gave me my zest for life back.

June

- One of my very close friends told me she decided to move back home to Ontario in a month. I didn't take it very well at first. And then...

- The very next day my other very close friend told me she was leaving her husband and going to move back home to Montreal, THAT DAY. I was torn because I knew she was unhappy here but I was devastated to learn that another person in my close support group was leaving.

July

- I finally got a full time job and things started to look like they were getting back to "normal" for me. Boy was I wrong...

August

- In one weekend, (yes... all in one weekend) a friend of mine who is married confessed that he was in love with me and told me that he wanted to leave his wife and that entire part of his life to be with me. Although I care deeply for this friend I would never do that. Ever. Then later on that exact same night I went out to celebrate a friends birthday and ended up meeting someone that would completely steal my heart.

- I spent the rest of the month falling head over heels for him.

- I also ended up going for coffee with my old roommate/ex-best friend who I really didn't want anything to do with BUT her and I are both in my best friends wedding party together and I needed to clear the air between us. I would say it was semi-successful. Things are civil now which is great but its not like we are friends again.

September

- This new guy who stole my heart... broke it. Then stole it again. Then broke it once more.

- I went to Las Vegas again with my family to celebrate my moms 50th birthday.

- I surprised my dear friend who lives all the way on the other side of the country by showing up for her bachelorette party weekend in Niagra Falls.

October

- I let myself to get over the heartbreak that took over my summer and ended up meeting someone new. Someone wonderful.

November

- Went to Toronto to attend the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen let alone could even imagine on my own.

- I reunited with 3 of the sweetest, most genuinely beautiful and kind souled women I have ever known. (3 lovely ladies that moved across the country from me over the last 2 years).

- Most importantly I learned that no matter the distance between you, true friendships will prevail.

December

- I turned 28 and was blessed by all the love that surrounded me.

- Had what was probably the best Christmas ever.

- Realized that the best part of my year was the last 2 months... and I'm hoping the magic continues on into 2012.

Christmas at Chez Mich...

2011-12-28T17:16:00.005-07:00

28.

2011-12-21T15:38:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was my 28th birthday.

I’ve learned that by the age of 28 you know who is important in your life. They will be the ones to call you to wish you a Happy Birthday, even if it’s just a 30 second phone call from across the country. They know that hearing their voice for those 30 seconds will make your day. The people who care will send you a birthday card (an actual physical one you can hold in your hand and have for years). They will put in more effort than just a facebook wall post. That one phone call or one card is a million times better than 50 wall posts.

I’ve learned that age is nothing but a number… and although that number is getting higher, so is my count of amazing memories and times of laughter with the people I love.

I’ve learned that broken hearts heal. And that when you question, even for a second your importance on this earth God will send you a sign to remind you just how special and loved you truly are.

I’ve learned that you are going to have to deal with rude, stupid, ignorant people in your life but you have to do just that, deal with them and move on. It will make you stronger in the end.

I’ve learned that just because I have a blog doesn’t mean I have to post anything. It’s my own little corner of the internet and I can post whenever and whatever I want. On that note… I’ve also realized that this is my blog and I shouldn’t have to censor what I write incase certain people read it and they don’t want to be mentioned. Guess what… you are/were in my life and if you were part of something I feel like blogging about I am going to do it. Deal with it. If you don’t like what I have to say then stop reading.

I’ve learned that you can’t ever predict what life is going to throw your way so be prepared for curveballs. It’s what makes it all interesting.

I’ve learned that love can move mountains.

And most importantly I’ve learned that it will all be okay in the end. And if it’s not okay, its not the end.

What have you learned in your time?

The Online Dating Saga...

2011-11-14T08:08:00.001-07:00

Say what? I have blog? Oh right!! I almost forgot. That's perfect because I have a few stories to share.

So remember those blog posts I wrote earlier this summer all about the fantastic guy I met and how I was so head over heels smitten for him? Well he broke my heart. Enough said. Moving on.

So i signed up for online dating. I have gone out with on dates with 3 guys so far.

Bachelor #1 - meh... thats all.

Bachelor #3 - (yes i skipped #2... we will get to him....) he's funny and sweet and has the same sense of humor as me and so far things are moving along just lovely. After the heartbreak this summer I am taking things slowly and as they come and so far things with Bachelor #3 are great. If things continue you will definitely be hearing more from him. (Quick note - I was his date to a halloween party and he went as Craig the Spartan Cheerleader - aka Will Ferrels the perfect cheer character from SNL - and did the cheers all night. How awesome is that, right?)

Bachelor #2 - We talked for about a week and then he asked me out. He got tickets to the football game and it was a great first date idea. I wasn't really feeling like I would date him again though but he was a really nice guy and i didn't want to write him off completely. I mean we have all heard of those couples that are married now who one of them wasn't into the other at first right? (cough, cough, Farah... ). Anyways we talked a lot by email. So Halloween weekend i was super busy. I went on 2 dates with Bachelor #3 including the Halloween party and then on the Sunday I was suffering from the worst hangover known to man-kind. Bachelor #2 had sent me a few texts over the weekend but I either didn't respond or said I was really busy.

Monday morning came around and I was alive again after surviving my jello shooter induced hangover and I sent him an email to see how his weekend went. No response. Didn't phase me one bit actually. Then Tuesday I go into work to an email basically saying how he was mad that I didn't respond to him all weekend and how he thought I was rude at the football game (????) and how he didn't want to talk to me anymore. Well I guess he stayed home sick on Monday and sent that email late Monday night, before he went into work on Tuesday and saw my email. As I was reading his harsh "break up" email another one from him came through apologizing profusely for his previous email and saying how now he DID want to talk to me blah blah freakin blah. And 5 minutes later another email came through... saying the same things all over again.

I was extremely busy at work and was in meetings all morning so when I came back to my desk 2 hours later to see 2 MORE emails from him I was beyond annoyed. I didn't even know what to say really. On my lunch break I started typing out a response and yet again... another email came through from him.

I guess he wasn't listening when I told him flat out prior to our date that I didn't want any pressure.

Moving on...

Its the little things...

2011-08-24T10:00:00.004-06:00

It’s the little things that take your breath away. Like when you go to his house for the first time and there is a note posted on the fridge with your birthday that’s 5 months away on it and he says he thought it was important so he should write it down.

It’s the little things that warm your heart. Like when you tell him how someone stole the blueberries for your breakfast out of the fridge at work and when you get home from work that night there is a little bag with blueberries waiting at the door just for you.

It’s the little things that make you know he will protect you. Like when he holds your hand and watches your every step so you don’t fall when you are walking back down the mountain after a long hike up and your still healing broken leg is getting tired.

It’s the little things that make you realize how happy you are. Like when a coworker says you haven’t stopped smiling all day and that makes you smile even more.

It’s the little things that make you feel this is something special. Like when he always holds your hand when you are in the car.

It’s the little things that amaze you. Like when after only knowing him for 2 weeks he meets your parents. And you can already tell they love him. And when you guys leave he tells you how it wasn’t weird at all meeting them so soon.

It’s the little things that fill you with excitement. Like when you get lost in a gaze looking at him and wonder “where have you been my whole life?”

Note to self:

2011-08-23T14:09:00.005-06:00

Dear Mich,

I know you are freaking out inside about meeting up for coffee with your old roommate /ex-best friend tomorrow. I know that you wouldn’t be meeting with her if it wasn’t for the fact that both of you are going to be in your best friends wedding party together and you don’t want awkwardness for all of the upcoming events that you not only have to attend together but plan as a cohesive team together as well.

I know it kills you inside that even after two years she still didn’t call you to try to sort things out and you still had to be the one to make the call for this meeting.

I know that it tears you apart that she won’t ever fully comprehend the hurt and pain she caused you. And that even after all this time she probably still doesn’t even care.

But what you, dear Mich, need to remember is that you are in a wonderful place in your life. You have the most amazing circle of support around you. You have a great job that you look forward to going to every day. You have a wonderful new man in your life that fills every ounce of your day with sunshine. And you are stronger and more confident then you have ever been in your entire life. You are doing fantastic.

This meeting with her is something so miniscule that it can’t even touch the happiness you experience everyday. If it goes good then great, everyone is happy. If it doesn’t then great too! You know that whatever you will say will be honest and from the heart. If she doesn’t get it then that’s her own issue. You can’t control that.

Hold your head high tomorrow. Remember that everyone who picked you back up when she kicked you down two years ago are all still behind you. And the new people you have added to your life since are right there too.

Everything will be okay.

Sincerely,

Mich

Unexplainable.

2011-08-22T18:13:00.008-06:00

She walked into the bar.

Two friends at her side.

One of them celebrating his birthday.

The reason why they came to this bar in the first place.

He says someone he knows is also at the same bar.

The three of them walk around to find this person she has never met.

She spots a tall, handsome man across the room.

He is wearing a white collared shirt, jeans and dark framed glasses.

Something about him draws her in.

Her friend is still searching for the person he knows.

She prays he's at the same table as the guy in the glasses.

Her friend finally spots his friend...

Her heart skips a beat as he heads over in the direction of the man she's so curious about.

He's at the same table as the guy in glasses.

They get introduced and eyes lock immediately.

She is taken back by the instant attraction.

She puts her purse down on the table and pulls up a chair.

They strike up a conversation.

The rest of world fades away....

This & That Summer Recap (so far...)

2011-08-07T12:34:00.006-06:00

Oh hey there...

I've been completely MIA from the blog world over the last 2 months because I have been insanely busy and more importantly soaking up as much summer fun I possibly can.

In short form:

- I finally got a new job and its fantastic!

- I get to walk home everyday from work for about an hour which makes me so ridiculously happy. I get to soak up the sun, I get to work on strengthening my leg (mostly my knee at this point), I get to de-stress and listen to my music in my own world after work everyday. Needless to say its brought my happiness levels up about 20 notches.

- Two of my dear friends moved away to the other side of the country. Two. With in a month. It sucks the big one because they are amazing, wonderful, loving friends and I will miss seeing them as much. But... Love Liberates so I will love them if they are here, or if they are on the other side of the world.

- I have been going to summer festivals, and swimming again, and running, and rafting, and hiking, and enjoying every possible outdoor/physical activity I can do at this point.

- I booked a few trips including one to Vegas with my family for my moms 50th bday next month.

- I fulfilled my teenage dreams but seeing NKOTBSB in concert and it was insanely fun. To the point where I lost my voice the next day from screaming of excitement.

- I've started helping my best friend plan her wedding.

- I have seen Horrible Bosses twice already... its epic. GO SEE IT NOW!!

- I have a million other things I want to blog about but I can't... some days (like today) I wish my blog was still anonymous so I could just spill it all. But in time I will...

- Also, I may have met the most special person I will ever meet in my life... more on that later...

There are signs everywhere... pay attention to them.

2011-06-27T15:22:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a rough day for me emotionally as it is every year (read yesterdays post to understand why). I went to church in the morning for my best friends baby's christening and then after that I called my family to see what they were doing. My parents and grandparents were outside of the city visiting the accident where my sister passed (I have never been out there to this day and I don't plan on it anytime soon, she didn't LIVE there so I feel I have no need to see it, also... I don't want to see the place she died, I think that image would haunt me forever) so I made plans to have dinner with them when they came back into town. This left me with a few hours to kill on a Sunday afternoon alone. I decided to go to the mall.

I was in a store trying on a whole bunch of pants and getting really frustrated because nothing was fitting right. After what was probably the 15th pair I got flustered and threw them on the bench and said to myself "Why am I even here??? Why am I in this stupid change room??"

Weird right? Who asks themselves "Why am I in this change room?"

I started putting my own clothes back on when I saw something shiny stuck between the bench cushion and the mirror. I picked it up and it was a loonie (that's a $1.00 Canadian coin for you American readers). I didn't think much of it and put it in my wallet. As I was putting my wallet back in my purse I stopped, hand still on the wallet, and had this strange feeling come over me that I NEEDED to look at the coin. It almost felt like there was a hand or something stopping me from taking my hand back out of my purse.

Now, I have heard many times that coins can be a sign from "the other side" but never had any situations before that made me believe it... until yesterday. (google coins from heaven if you have never of heard of this before)

I took my wallet back out of my purse and took the coin out to look at it.

The year on the coin was the year my sister was born, 1987.

I sat and looked at it for a few minutes and realized... that's why I'm in this change room. My sister knew how much I was missing her and she needed to remind me that she's still here watching over me.

I called my mom right away and cried.

Believe what you want, but in my heart I know the significance of it. Also... I am keeping that coin in a separate pocket of my wallet and I never plan on spending it.

"Although, the sun will never shine the same, I'll always look to a brighter day"

2011-06-26T08:00:00.006-06:00

7 years.
84 months.
364 weeks.
2555 days.

Thats how long it has been.

7 years ago today I lost the younger version of me.
My sister.

One would think that after 7 years it would be easier to write a post like this but as I write this tears are streaming down my cheeks.

As I look through her pictures deciding which ones show her cute little dimples and her spirit the most, I can't help but break down crying. It's day 2555 with out her. Every single one of those days I have wanted to call her and tell her something about my life.

I always wonder what she would be like today?

She would be 24 years old now. She was taken from this world at 17, before she became an adult. Before she ever had the opportunity to get married, or have children... or even graduate high school.

She never knew what it was like to work for any place other than a restaurant. She never knew about blackberrys or twitter or my blog. She never knew about Avatar or So You Think You Can Dance or Lady Gaga (yet I know she would love all of those things). She never got to see me complete my triathlon. She didn't get to come and watch movies all day with me when I broke my leg. I never got to take her out to celebrate her 18th birthday or buy her a drink and dance the night away with her. She never had her first apartment. Or her own pets. Or her own car.

There's a million things she never got to experience. But she did however, get to be my little sister for 17 years. She got to experience 17 springs, summers, winters and falls. 17 birthdays. 17 wonderful years with countless memories.

17 years is not enough... but its what we were given with her and I cherish every single one of them.

I miss her yesterday, today, tomorrow and every day for the rest of my life. Although the memoires of her get me through, the void will never be filled.

These are a few of my favorite things! - Vol. I

2011-06-22T08:47:00.003-06:00

Danish Coin Pendant Necklace.

My Grandma and I are very close, very much alike and if I turn out to be half the woman she is, my life will be complete.

A few months ago I was over visiting with her and she was trying to decide on which jewelry to pack for the cruise she and my Grandpa are going on. That, of course, turned into her going through ALL of her jewelry for 2 hours. She came across a little pink velvet satchel and didn't know what was inside. When she opened it she said "Oh my! I haven't seen this in years!".

Turns out it was a Danish coin turned into a necklace. Back in 1963, when my grandparents still lived in Germany, my Grandpa had to go to Denmark for work. He bought this for my Grandma when he was there and she wore it for years but when they moved it got packed away and forgotten about.

I was taken by the necklace. By its simplicity and uniqueness. I kept asking more and more questions about it. She put the necklace in my hand and said "its yours now".

I wear it all the time (seriously, chances are if you have met me I am wearing it). I love that its something that no one else has. I love that its from my grandparents who I adore and admire beyond words.

(heads)

(tails)

(the coin rotates inside too which is a bonus because I'm always playing with it!)

Ps - Leah? Nat? Does the white hand look familiar?

Kitchen on a budget.

2011-06-17T09:05:00.003-06:00

I have been renting my place for a year and a half now... and I *finally* got myself a kitchen table. Yay for me being a grown up!!

Since I have the tiniest area to put a table and a miniscule budget due to the fact that I'm still on the search for a full time job this was quite the daunting task.

I originally posted HERE about how I wanted something/anything green in my kitchen. I searched and searched... and searched for green chairs or even unpainted chairs that I could paint green myself but had no luck. I did find the perfect chairs on my hunt but they were $189 each and sadly that is not in my budget at this time. I looked on kijiji for weeks and found many bar stools but no chairs. I never thought it would be so hard (twss!).

But alas.... yesterday I found all the pieces that put my kitchenette together!!

(i hate that eye-sore black cord... i wish i could hide it some how)

-White table from Ikea - $39.00

(its actually supposed to be a desk but it works perfectly! you could even get white legs for the table and get the price down $29.00)

-2 White chairs from Ikea - on sale right now for $10.00 each!

- Green table runner from Ikea - $4.99

(they have them in a few colors including pink, blue and yellow but THIS was the very last green one that the Calgary Ikea had, I even had to get the girl to take it off the display for me)

-Purple place mat from Bed, Bath and Beyond - $2.00

- Green fruit bowl from Walmart - $1.50

- Pink flower picture from... surprise, surprise... Ikea - $10.00 for the picture and $19.99 for the frame.

Thats a whopping total of $97.48!!!!

Table and decor for less then $100.00.... I'm amaze-balls.

(Ikea had a different but very similar kitchen table set with 4 of the same chairs that I got selling for $119.00... even if I got 2 more chairs I would have still had a better deal!)

So... who's coming over for dinner?

Grandma has a girlfriend???

2011-06-06T16:58:00.005-06:00

Odd story for you...

Last summer I went to a funeral with my mom for a family member on my Dad's side of the family. When we were there we chatted with my dad's cousin. I hadn't seen him in years and he was very close with my dad when they were teenagers.

A few days later I was having dinner with my parents when said cousin came up in conversation.

Dad: You know... I always had a feeling he was gay.

Me: What?? Really??

Dad: Yeah... when we were younger I just thought he was.

Me: Well I don't think so. He was even telling us about how he has a cabin and he goes there with his girlfriend all the time.

Mom: Well... that doesn't mean anything, Grandma was married to your dads dad.

Me: I just don't see that... wait.... WHAT??

Mom: What?

Me: What did you just say???

Mom: About what?

Me: Did you just say Grandma was married once? As in... shes gay?

Mom: (just gives me a look of confusion)

Me: .... so you're saying Grandma is gay??

Mom: You didn't know?

Me: NO!! I mean... it makes total sense when you think about it... but how am I JUST finding out about this now?

Dad: Who did you think *insert grandmas girlfriends name here* was?

Me: ........Her roommate? I just thought they were two divorced older women who were lonely and didn't want to live alone. So... they are a couple?? What the hell??

My parents: (laughing at my "roommate" comment)

Me: How is it that I'm 26 and JUST being told about this now???

Mom: I don't know... we thought you knew?

This little bit of information shook me to the core. How was it that at 26 years old the topic of my grandmothers sexuality preference finally comes out?? It baffled me. I mean looking at the whole picture it completely made sense. My grandma divorced my grandpa when my dad was 2 and has never had a male companion for as long as I have been around. She has always lived with *insert girlfriend name here* since I can remember and shes sort of a plaid wearing, men's haircut, not feminine in anyway kinda woman.

I love her the same and it doesn't change my feelings of her as my grandma but its was just strange that that's just how I thought it was... her and her roommate.

I found out later that when she came out, it was in the 70's and society wasn't as accepting as they are now so my dad was embarrassed by the whole concept. He never talked about it and apparently it took him a long time to even tell my mom when they were first dating.

It makes me wonder though... what else don't I know about my family?

Summer Wish List

2011-06-03T18:45:00.003-06:00

Vintage-style bathing suits. So adorable!

Anything and everything Nautical!

A cute little (since I don't have a lot of space) kitchen dinette. Something colorful/green/CUTE would be perfect!

(this one would be so ideal if you knew what my kitchen looked like, too bad I found these photos on google and its not actually available anywhere)

A vintage bicycle!! Preferably colorful and WITH a basket.

Anyone else notice the vintage theme going on here?

Also... anyone know of somewhere I can find all or any of these things in Calgary without it costing me an arm or a leg. A flea market?? I only know of the Calgary Farmers Market and I never have luck there for finds like this.

Reunions.

2011-06-01T17:32:00.003-06:00

A high school reunion should be something one would look forward to. Especially someone like me who had a great high school experience. I had tons of friends, I didn't have any traumatizing experiences (except "Kelly's party" at the end of Grade 11... we don't need to go there). I actually had an amazing time through out my high school years.

But I have zero interest in going to my 10 year reunion this month.

I feel that Facebook has changed the whole point of a reunion. Anyone that I cared to find out how their lives are or what they are up to, I'm already friends with on Facebook. I can look them up at any given time. There's no questions anymore of "I wonder if so-and-so is married or has kids" or "I heard what-his-name moved to Morocco, is that true??". It's all on Facebook for the world (or your friends) to see.

Maybe the real reason I don't want to go is because I have grown up. And by growing up I mean I grew OUT of those so called friends I had in high school. You know... the ones you said you would stay in contact with "forever!!" and haven't seen since the day you graduated. Or maybe you stayed in contact with them, and eventually became roommates which eventually led to the biggest fight/end of a friendship you have ever known and you are still not completely over it because it took your whole life as you knew it and threw it into a whirlwind of chaos and heartbreak and you know that SHE is gonna be there and put on a show of how *perfect* her life is and you will just feel awkward the whole time and probably leave just hating her even more...

Maybe.

No matter what the actual reason is, I just don't feel like going. My best friend is trying to convince me to go with her saying that I might regret not going in the long run.

Thoughts? Did you go to your reunion? Or if its coming up soon, will you?

My first "Ten on Tuesday"

2011-05-31T15:07:00.002-06:00

I have seen quite a few bloggers posting their "Ten on Tuesday" posts so I figured I would give it a go around. I haven't pre-read any of the questions so here we go...

1. From your childhood, what do you miss most about summer vacation?

Thats easy... the fact that it was 2 months long and all the slip & slides I would set up in my backyard with my sisters and all the neighborhood kids.

2. Are you going anywhere on vacation this summer?

Not that I am aware of. I went to Vegas for BiSC and that was a spontaneous booking so who knows what else will be sprung upon me this summer. I would LOVE to go to Kelowna for a long weekend and enjoy the sunshine, beaches and beer. Nat? You reading? Lets do it!

3. What foods do you like to barbeque?

Im really good at grilling veggies. Especially asparagus or corn on the cob. AND I just saw a new little trick for grilling corn on the cob when I was watching The View yesterday so I can't wait to try it out. Thank you Guy Fieri!

4. How do you celebrate the Fourth of July?

I don't. Im Canadian. LOL But Canada Day is only a few days before. I have mixed feelings about Canada Day. My mixed emotions have nothing to do with it being Canada Day (I am a PROUD Canadian) but the fact it was the same day that my sisters funeral was held on. So every year I am proud to be Canadian but sad to remember what happened on that day for me personally.

5. What's your favorite beverage to drink in the summertime?

Now its frozen Mojitos thanks to The Flamingo hotel and BiSC. Other than that its my tried and true drink, Gin & 7up (which... side note... I just learned is the same thing as a 7&7 so now I'm gonna order it my by that name and sound more grown up!)

6. What movie are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

Bridesmaids, and I saw it already. It didn't disappoint. I almost fell out of my chair laughing so hard during the airplane scene. Go see it.

7. In the car: Windows down or AC?

Sunroof open ALL THE TIME!

8. Have you ever had a summer fling?

Yes. Summer is the perfect time for romance. I hope to have one this summer too! Any takers?

9. Do you wear sunscreen?

If you were around me at the pool in Vegas you know that I was sunscreen crazy! I did NOT want to get burnt like I usually do on vacation so I was reapplying every hour. Spray on sunscreen is a god-sent.

10. Do you have any favorite summertime activities?

Stampede (obvs!), playing tennis in the sunshine, going for a run by the river just before sunset, rafting down the river, bbq's and bonfires, getting my drink on with my friends on a patio. I love summmmmmer!!!

The post every single girl should read.

2011-05-28T13:35:00.002-06:00

I heard this story from my massage therapist a few weeks ago and this story has stuck with me (by stuck with me I mean terrified me forever) so I decided I should share it with all of my blog friends.

The story is about a girl who recently went to the Dominican on a vacation. While she was there she had a fling with one of the workers at the resort.

On her second last night there, he asked her to go back to his house to "party Dominican style" with him. She really liked him but she felt uneasy about it so she said she would think about it and let him know. She went back to her room and talked to her friend about it and her SMART friend talked her out of going.

When she got back home the next week she was having some down-under-lady-issues so she went to her doctor to get checked out. He did the normal tests and said he would get back to her in a week or so.

The very next day he called her and said he HAD TO see her that day. She obviously went in (probably freaking out inside) and the doctor asked her:

"Do you have a significant other?".

"No."

"Have you been sexually active recently?"

"Yes..."

She proceeded to tell him about her Dominican fling. He instantly asked what the Dominicans name was, what resort he worked at, if she knew where he lived and if she knew if he was active with anyone else.

You're probably thinking right now what I thought when I heard this story for the first time. OMG she has AIDS???

Worse.

The doctor proceeded to tell her she had a disease that one can only get from having sex with dead people.

You read that right, dead people. Process that for a moment...

Eventually police found the guy and raided his house where they found bodies of 3 tourists.

There are so many disturbing things to this story. First, he was obviously having sex with the bodies and then with her (and probably other women at the resort too), and if her friend hadn't talked her out of going to his house, she would have been the next victim.

Im not saying that this happens all the time, I'm saying it CAN happen. This world is full of crazy fucked up people and when you are in a foreign country (or even your own familiar country) you really have to be aware of your surroundings and the people you are with. Watch out for yourself and for your friends.

I pray that I never hear of something like this happening to anyone I know... or you know.

BiSC Recap

2011-05-24T14:54:00.005-06:00

People have been asking me since I got home from Vegas how my trip was. I can sum it up in two simple words.

Absolute Magic.

I'll admit... I was a wee bit nervous when I first signed up. I kept saying to myself "Am I crazy? Am I really going to Vegas with a bunch of people I only know through the internet?". The night before I left I even had an anxiety outburst and thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. It eventually went away... obviously.

But as soon as I landed in Vegas the magic took over.

It felt like a giant family reunion, like finally meeting that long lost cousin that your Aunt always said you would get along great with and you heard a million stories about but never met. Just like that.

I instantly felt welcomed and part of the family. And Nicole (who is AMAZING beyond words to have arranged all this) radiated with excitement which got everyone else even more excited.

Meet & Greet night was insanely fun. It was even better then I could have imagined. The part best was when you started talking to someone and a few seconds into the conversation you both recognize each others twitter names written on your arms (the @ tats) and say "OMG!!!!!! Its YOU!!!!" and the hugging and instant friendships began.

Through out the weekend I was blown away by the love. The "Vegas" part of it was ridiculously fun (acrobats, unicorns, Diamond Bob, fondue buffets, mojito's the size of my arm, dancing until my legs literally gave out on me, flashing lights and money-money everywhere), but to me it was the connections and friendships that were made which made this trip one of my favorite. Ever.

Every single person I met holds a special place in my heart. And I know for a fact that some of those people I will be friends with for years to come and I would, with out a doubt, travel for hours to visit them. And in turn would open my home to them if they came to visit me.

I want to thank all of you. You ALL made my trip so wonderful and special in your own way and I cant wait until next year!

Love is in the air...

2011-05-10T19:21:00.003-06:00

So... remember last week when I posted about the "Dream Love List"? Well... when I posted that I knew a secret.

I knew that last night by best friends boyfriend was going to propose to her. And that he was going to do it at a restaurant. And that right after he caught her off guard and proposed to her, he would lead her blindfolded to a different room downstairs at the restaurant where 30 of their closest friends and family were waiting to surprise her and celebrate the magical moment.

It was spectacular. I talked to her this morning and she told me it was by far the greatest night of her life. That gives me chills. I was so beyond grateful to be able to help plan and pull off the big surprise.

I can't wait to help her plan her big day, the day we have talked/dreamed/planned about since we were 12.

I can't wait to see her marry the man of her dreams.

Love... is amazing.

The Dream Love List Continued

2011-05-06T09:31:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I posted about "The Dream Love List" my best friend and I wrote when we were 17. I thought about it last night and bloggers share everything so.... here you go! The complete list:

1 - Have to be appealing

2 - Have to make you laugh

3 - Have a decent job

4 - Have to be able to dance

5 - Have a car

6 - Good family values

7 - Sense of style

8 - Act's the same around me and his friends

9 - Has an adventurous side

10 - Must be taller or as tall (my BFF is model-tall and always wanted someone taller then her)

11 - Like's to travel

12 - Is romantic

13 - Treats his lady like a princess

14 - Likes animals

15 - Listens when we talk

16 - Doesn't lie

17 - Doesn't cheat

18 - Shows his love for me in public

19 - Good kisser...

20 - Our parents approve

21 - Has his own dreams and goals

22 - Doesn't feel controlled by me

23 - Has other female friends that are just friends

24 - BIG HEART!

25 - Looks after himself and his belongings

26 - Not a perfectionist

27 - Has a good body

28 - Good hair

29 - Has his own interests too

30 - Has a life outside of me

31 - Respects everything about me

32 - Loves music

33 - Likes to have a good time (party)

34 - Security in his future

35 - Would like a family some day

36 - Creative

37 - Believes in and has his own traditions

38 - Likes quality time

39 - Doesn't mind shopping

40 - Is himself - doesn't put on an act

41 - Doesn't smoke

42 - Likes to try new things

43 - Isn't a player

44 - Has an education

45 - Should be around our age

46 - He knows when he is wrong and knows how to make up for it

47 - He is always intriguing

48 - Confident but not cocky

49 - Knows the value of a best friend

50 - Loves me for me!

Seriously... I think the list is great and the fact that we wrote it at 17 when all we cared about was boys and lipgloss just blows my mind. Now I just need to find someone who fits into it. What do you think about it?

The Dream Love List

2011-05-05T15:20:00.006-06:00

A few years back... okay 10 years back (where does the time go??) my best friend and I created a "Dream Love List". It was a list of 50 things that we wanted in a perfect man. We were 17 when we wrote it so of course its written in blue marker and the pages are covered in glittery lips stickers. So. Freakin. Cool.

We made a pact (because thats what you do as best friends, pacts mean you're serious) that we wouldn't look at it until one of us got engaged or considered marrying someone. If they didn't fit the criteria, you couldn't marry them. Okay... maybe that seems a little harsh but we were 17, it was all or nothing.

The list got packed away with all the other old photos and everything else from our pre-adult years and we moved on with our lives.

Flash forward to a few weeks ago when I was going thru some of my things in my parents basement (actually, I was looking for my GOLD pants from an old disco costume to possibly wear to the Black/White/Gold party in Vegas... no luck in finding them though). But I did come across some papers folded together and tucked neatly in my yearbook. It was the Love List.

I had a little squeal of excitement and reminiscing and unfolded the papers. I instantly remembered what it was and knew I couldn't read the list with out my BFF there with me. So I took the list home and called her right away. She of course squealed in the same high pitched voice as me and said "DONT read it with out me!!". Thats why were BFF's, we get each other.

A few days later we were in the same place, at the same time, with THE list.

Now... although I am awesomely single, she is in a very long term relationship. Almost 8 years now. They are not married or engaged (yet...) but she knows for certain that she wants to and will marry him. We went thru the list with him in mind.

Shockingly he got 93%!!

It was like this list was written for him! We couldn't believe it! The things he didn't score full points on were sort of silly things like

- Treats me like a princess (he got 1/2 points because he doesn't quite do that ALL the time)

- Isn't a perfectionist (apparently we thought this was important at 17, i think one of us dated someone who was a bit OCD and we were hella-annoyed by it) (did i just say hella?? this flashback post is making me write like im 17 again too...)

But he got ALL the important ones right!

- Is close with his family

- Can dance (very important!)

- Is okay with acting silly sometimes

- Loves me for me

There are many more items on the list (44 more to be exact) and I am so happy for her that she has found what she has always wanted. It fills my heart with rainbows and unicorns and sugar plum fairies. I love her and it makes me so happy to see her happy.

It got me thinking... maybe I should bring the list with me everywhere I go and use it as an interviewing tool for potential boyfriends.

"So...Are you close with your family?

Yes? Okay good... lets see here...

In your opinion, what is the value of a best friend?

Hmmm.... Interesting...

Would you say you are the type of person who likes to try new things?

Yes? Please give an example of something new you have tried in the past month?

I see, I see.... what about dancing? Please provide a sample of your best dance moves.

That's enough, thank you. Please fill out your name and number on this form. Someone will be in contact you if we are interested in a second interview"

Its pretty much a flawless plan, don't you agree?

This is what happens when...

2011-05-04T14:51:00.002-06:00

I am left working alone in an empty show home with no internet or phone for hours and the only thing I have is my MacBook.

I'm not vain. Just bored out of my mind.

Im sure the neighbors had a good laugh if they saw me.

(this one was actually taken at my house a while back but the "headless Mich" was too weird and funny to not include it.

Also... I plan on bringing my laptop to Vegas/BiSC so be prepared to take awesome pictures like this with me if you are going too! Two weeks! Woop Woop!!

Oh hey there!

2011-04-17T21:00:00.000-06:00

Big news... I'm going to Vegas!!!

But not just for any typical Vegas weekend.

I'm going to Bloggers in Sin City bitches!!!!

I wanted to go last year but couldn't make it. I wanted to go this year too so I figured why the frick not? I'm only working part time right now since I'm still looking for a job after my broken leg/losing my job fiasco and I have all this free time on my hands. BiSC is an opportunity and I'm taking it!

I can't wait to meet all the other Bad Ass Bloggers and since some of them are new to Who-Is-Mich-land I thought this is a perfect time to (re)introduce myself.

Hi!! I'm Mich!

Mich as in fish, short for Michelle.

I'm from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Don't know where that is? Click here.

I've technically been blogging for about 6 years. I've had personal blogs, public blogs, shared blogs. You name it, I blogged it. Then about 2 years ago I started Who Is Mich?. It was exactly what I needed at the time and every step of the way since. It's where I come to speak my heart and mind. I where ask for advice from other bloggers (who are brilliant by the way!). And most of the time I write about things that in one way or another I simply enjoy.

About a year ago I felt like I needed to re-vamp my blog. It was all black and dark before, and when I started WIM, those colors suited my life at the time. But over the first year I had gone through so many changes and felt like I had become more happy, cheerful and in turn, more colorful. My blog needed to reflect that which is why its now so fresh and so clean, clean! I had also gone through a lot of heartbreaks and broken friendships over that first year and although I don't regret blogging about it, I felt that with the re-vamp I needed to delete the past and move on to better things. Sometimes I wish I saved those posts so I could look back and see how far I have come but I know it was the right decision at the time.

I met 2 of my best friends through blogging.

I am a gift wrapper extraordinaire.

I am the self appointed queen of the board game Apples to Apples and if I have room in my suitcase I'm bringing it. For serious.

You know the crazy person you see singing at the top of their lungs to themselves while driving? That was probably me.

I believe that ice cream is a perfectly acceptable breakfast food.

And I'm probably gonna photobomb a few of the BiSC pics just like this:

Can't wait to meet you all in person!!

Good Movies, Bad Movies, Way Too Many Movies.

2011-03-21T10:28:00.004-06:00

6 weeks at home recovering from surgery on ones leg will lead to watching a lot of movies. In my case a disgusting amount of movies.

Here is a list of SOME (yes only some) of the movies I have watched over the last month. I linked all of them so if you don't know of the movie you can click on it and see what I'm talking about.

Angels & Demons

Battle in Seattle

Beauty & The Beast

The Bridges of Madison County (A classic that I hadn't seen before. I fell in love with both Clint and Meryl in it!)

The Color Purple (I had never seen the entire movie before. It is absolutely amazing. One of my favorites by far).

The Crazies

Crossing Over

Despicable Me (LOOOOVED IT!!!)

Due Date

Eat Pray Love

Everybody's Fine

Ferris Buellers Day Off (Claaaaaaaasssic!)

Grown Ups

The Hangover

Harry Potter 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 (I hadn't seen them before. They are alright. I talked with an english accent for hours after watching them...)

The Hours

Human Trafficking - Parts 1 & 2 (this was a movie I caught on TV that was so intense and terrifying. It has Mira Sorvino in it and if you ever come across it I highly suggest watching it)

In Her Shoes

Lady & The Tramp

Love & Other Drugs (It had its moments but there was too much of Anne's boobs all up in your face)

My Nanny's Secret (It has Haylie Duff in it... nuff said)

The Town (I didn't think it was all that great... see What Doesn't Kill You below)

Toy Story 3

Unthinkable (disgusting...)

What Doesn't Kill You (this was a way better version of The Town if you ask me)

You Don't Know Jack

My top 5 must see movies from this list are:

The Color Purple

Despicable Me The Minions are my favorite part!

Human Trafficking (especially for women)

Temple Grandin

What Doesn't Kill You

I just did a quick calculation and thats over 70 hours of movies. I swear, once I break free (can walk again) I'm not going to watch movies for a LONG time.

The Inside Scoop on Pirate Beards?

2011-03-20T14:59:00.006-06:00

I had this conversation via BBM this morning with one of my BFF's and just had to share it:

Me - Random question - do people with long beards wash them with shampoo?

Her - Hmmmm...

I hope so.

Hahahaha

Me - Hmmm I wonder.

Her - I love you. You just made my whole day.

Me - Next time I see someone with a long pirate beard I'm gonna ask them.

Her - Do it!!

I'm going to ask my dad later. He has lots of biker friends.

Me - Perfect! An inside scoop!

My question was answered this afternoon:

Her - Long beards need shampoo.

Me - How did you find out?

Her - My dad!

Me - Your dad is a brilliant man. Full of important knowledge.

Her - I know!!

Me - Now I know that if I ever decide to grow a full beard I will need to stock up on extra shampoo.

The more you know...

A dream is a wish your HEART makes??

2011-03-15T11:13:00.005-06:00

For the past few weeks I have been having the strangest dreams. Before, I was able to blame them on the pain killers I was taking for my leg but I'm not on them anymore so now I have nothing to blame except my own crazy brain (or my heart according to Disney).

Crazy Dream #1 - Last week I had dinner with my housemates and the conversation led to talk about "end of the world" situations, religion and how society would deal if something huge ever happened. Later that night before bed I was watching a movie about human trafficking. Needless to say I had a very disturbing dream and although I can't remember many details now I felt very uneasy the entire next day.

Crazy Dream #2 - A few weeks ago I had a dream that I went to my Junior High School reunion (Junior???) and decided to walk back to my old house to remember the good old days or something stupid like that. Along the walk I saw my best friend in her car... in a lesbian make out session with her co-worker. Both of which are not gay and both live with their boyfriends and will probably be getting engaged by the end of this year. Strange.

Crazy Dream #3 - Friday night I had a dream that it was my wedding day. It was at a theatre or some place with balconies (you all know how dream details are a blur sometimes). Well, I was wearing a HIDEOUS poof-ball of a dress.

I didn't even want anyone to see me in it. For some reason I had to come out and stand at the alter before my groom (???) and everyone was giving me crazy looks because of my ugly dress. I was standing at the alter with out a veil on and was very upset about it. Apparently I left it up to one of my friends to find me a veil so when I was standing at the alter they finally brought it to me and it looked something like this. But poofier. Awesome.

Next thing I knew my groom, who is actually my ex boyfriend from 5 years ago who I most definitely would NOT be marrying in real life, burst into the room. He announced in front of everyone that he didn't want to marry me and then just walked out.

Crazy Dream #4 - When I was at the hospital with my broken leg, they had to put me to sleep to set the bone before I had my surgery the next day. When they woke me up from that I was disoriented and turned to my parents and said "Noooo!!! Put me back to sleep. I was just dancing with Ryan Reynolds and Scarlet was no where around!" My parents were laughing at me but I was serious. Then I said "and Johnny Depp was waiting for me too... I need to go back!!!!".

Pro's and Con's

2011-03-09T10:34:00.002-07:00

Here I am. Still jobless and still unable to walk.

Yet the whole situation has its pro's and con's. Lets break those down shall we?

----------

Pro - I don't have to wake up before the roosters anymore and I get to sleep in all day if I want.

Con - As fun as that sounds, it gets boring as hell. I'm not the kind of person who sits around all day and does nothing. I went from working 2 jobs, working out 4 to 5 days a week and having a very active social life to NOTHING overnight.

---------

Pro - I don't have to go to work and deal with all the crap I had to deal with before.

Con - The lack of money coming in.

---------

Pro - I don't miss an episode of Oprah or Dr. Phil.

Con - I've noticed a lot of my sentences are now starting with "Well, Dr. Phil says..."

----------

Con - The lack of socializing has put any dating life on hold for the time being.

Pro - I have no stress about dating. There's no "OMG! What if he doesn't like me?" or "What does he mean when he says this or that?" or "I hope he calls". I have none of that right now and its great! All my time is spent on ME!

Hmmm... maybe that also has something to do with the Dr. Phil-isms....?

----------

Pro - I have all this time right now to really think about what I want to do with me career/job situation. I feel like this is the time to take chances and really go for what I want in life. It can't hurt right?

Con - I'm still not clear about what I actually want...

----------

BIG PRO!! - 2 more weeks and I can start to try walking again (with the support of crutches still) and once I can walk and drive again I am going to focus more on my job hunt. I'm seeing the glass half full now and focusing on the fact that I'm THAT much closer to being back to a normal life instead of sulking and feeling sorry for myself.

Where, Oh Where has Michy-Mich been???

2011-03-04T09:41:00.004-07:00

Couch bound.

Thats where I've been. And its been crappy.

(some of the pics below might be a little much... so be forewarned)

Just over 3 weeks ago I was walking to the train to go to a hockey game with Natalie when I slipped and fell on some ice. As I was falling I heard CRACK - CRACK!!! I knew right away I had broken my leg or ankle or something. I couldn't get up off the sidewalk.

A man that was walking behind us stopped to help and he called and ambulance for me. I was a spectacle for all the other people walking by while we waited for the ambulance because we were walking in a very busy area. Natalie was so sweet and helpful in keeping me calm and she even rubbed my bum to warm me up because I was freezing sitting on the ice and snow.

I was taken into the ER and after the most painful x-rays you could imagine and a ton of morphine I found out that I broke both bones in my lower leg (Tibula and Fibula). When I hurt myself I do it big. The doctor told me that I needed to have surgery as soon as possible and that they would be putting a metal rod and screws in my leg.

To say I was a wreck is an understatement.

I ended up having the surgery the next day. And went home from the hospital a few days later. My surgeon said I can't put any weight on my leg for at least 6 weeks, I will probably be using crutches for support for about 3 months and that it will take 5 to 6 months until I am fully healed. I'm almost 1 month in and I'm already losing my mind. I still cant walk but I am moving around easier.

Oh but thats not the only news... I also got "let go" from by job due to my injury. They said that it was an "undetermined amount of time until I would be returning" which is absolute B.S. because I told them 6 weeks from the very beginning. Whatever... it's being dealt with because that is illegal.

So thats what I have been up to! What about you?

I took a few pics along my process and since we bloggers love to share things with each other I thought I would post them too.

This was taken from my hospital bed before I had surgery. They set it in a temporary splint for over night.

I took this the day I left the hospital. Its my Frankenstein staples. Gross.

I don't have a cast because of the metal rod.

Finally at home... with a leg so swollen I got a nice lookin' cankle.
It might be hard to see but I had bruising all over my leg.

Staples out and now I just have the Frankenstein scars. (there are more by my ankle too).

Goals for 2011

2010-12-29T23:52:00.003-07:00

I have a few resolutions that I would like to put into action starting January 1st ( ya know... the usual, eat better, work out more, blah blah blah!) but I have a few goals that I would like to achieve... scratch that, that I WILL achieve over this next year.

1 - Go on a vacation somewhere hot.

If there is a beach, I'm there. My last beach vacation was to Cancun and was the beginning of the end for my then roommate/best friends friendships. Needless to say it wasnt the best vacation. That was almost 2 years ago, I'm definitely overdue for some serious sand, sun and tequila poppers.

2 - Go to the movies by myself.

Why the hell not? I deserve a date night out with myself every now and then right?

3 - Sign up for at 3 different work out related classes.

Im thinking kick-boxing, (Natalie? Leesh? You guys wanna join me?), yoga classes and maybe some sort of dance class.

4 - Attempt to try acupuncture on my shoulder.

Notice how I said ATTEMPT to TRY? Thats because, due to a frightening blood donating episode, I am worried that my body wont react well to the acupuncture needles. My shoulder is a hot mess and massage just isn't cutting it. I need to take things to the next level and that will mean I have to face my fear of metal under my skin.

5 - Sign up for my next triathlon.

This one needs to explanation. I just need a kick in my ass to get training again.

So... what are your goals or resolutions?

A Year in Review - 2010

2010-12-27T19:09:00.003-07:00

A lot of things happened to me this year. Lets recap shall we?

January

- Met and instantly became friends with work BFF

- Invited her to a games night with Leah and Natalie and the LeMoNS were formed

- Started my brief "affair" with a coworker I blog-named "Freddy". What a mistake THAT was

February

- Probably sulked because I was single yet again for Valentines Day

- Was a proud Canadian during every moment of the 2010 Winter Olympics

- Spent a lot of time with "D"

- Went to my Great Aunts funeral, she passed away after a long life of 103 years

March

- Was completely shocked when "D" suddenly moved away to Ottawa a month before he was set to leave and didn't even tell me until after he was already there

- Started going to Trivia Tuesdays and was hooked

- Adopted my kitten Maya.

April

- Revamped my bloggity-blog

- Met "Jimmy Fallon"

May

- Ditched the liar that is "Jilly Fallon"

- Met "The Fisherman" the same night that I realized "Jimmy Fallon" was a complete ass

June

- Started dating "The Fisherman" after a bit of hesitation due to the age difference between us

- Spent as much time as possible with the LeMoNS since we knew that sadly we would be separating soon

July

- Stampeded my ass off

- Cried my eyes out when Leah moved away. (It was the epitome of the ugly cry)

August

- Enjoyed every bit of sunshine that I could

- Realized my new found love for rafting on the Bow River and Bud Light Lime

- Travelled to Montreal with the LeMoNS for approximately 46 hours for Work BFF's wedding

- Let myself fall further and further into my relationship with "The Fisherman"

September

- Threw a surprise party for some friends birthdays and made minute-to-win-it games (BEST idea ever!!)

- Cried my eyes out AGAIN when Work BFF and her new hubby moved to New Zealand for 7 months

October

- Participated (and almost fully completed) Sober October

- Had my heart shattered by "The Fisherman"

- Picked my broken heart back up and faced the world again

- Realized just how lucky I am to have Natalie and Leesh as my friends

- Met "Mac" on halloween while dressed as a Greek Goddess

November

- Started seeing "Mac"

- Slowly stopped being vegetarian

- Was there for my best friend when she lost her sister tragically

- Decided that I want to write a book

December

- Had a great birthday!

- Had an even better Christmas

- Relaxed with my first full week off all year (isn't that crazy??)

- Started writing my book

The year was full of extreme highs and lows. Im really hoping that this next year evens out a bit. I don't need a roller coaster again. But what I DO need is a vacation...

Untitled

2010-12-12T09:46:00.003-07:00

I honestly don't think I have ever cried as much before as I have over the last 6 months with Leah moving away, Work BFF moving away, The Fisherman break up and now this...

(take a deep breath and write Mich...)

My best friends 15 year old sister recently passed away in a tragic sudden accident. Long, painful story short she had a seizure when she was in the bath tub. She was under water for an unknown amount of time and was in the hospital on life support. After a week, her family had to make the heart wrenching decision of taking her off life support. She passed shortly after.

This hits home to me on so many levels. Not only is this a story of a young beautiful girl who lost her life way too soon, but its my best friends family. Someone who I have known for over 15 years and consider her family to me.

But I think what makes this the hardest for me to deal with is the fact that I know exactly what my friend is going through. And I cant make it stop.

I know the painful decisions she has had to face and the long road she will go down to deal with this grief. I know it all too well because I went through it. Losing my sister in a tragic car accident at 17 is so similar to her situation its scary. All the questions and wishing you could do something to take it all back...

All I can do is be there for my friend and her family, try to not let all the reminders of what me and my family went through get to me too much and most importantly make sure my friend knows that I know exactly what she's going through. She doesn't even have to try to explain it.

Who is this Mac character?

2010-12-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Halloween is an interesting time to meet someone new. Especially someone you may be romantically interested in.

Take my situation for example. I met Mac on halloween. He was dressed as an old man.

He had on a long curly grey wig, slippers (I believe he called them loafers actually), an old man hat and a pillow stuffed in his plaid shirt.

Sexy.

But he was charming. And very funny. We got to talking and by the end of the night he asked for my phone number.

He called me the next day and asked me out for dinner.

A few days later as I was getting ready for our date, I had a slight breakdown. I realized that HE was dressed as a dirty old man, no matter what he wore to our date, he was going to look better than he did when we met.

I on the other hand was dressed as a Greek Goddess... there's no topping that. So no matter what I wore on our date I wasn't going to look near as good as I did when we met.

Awesome.

The date was wonderful though. He's a real gentleman and quiet-funny. (isn't that the best type of funny?). We have gone out quite a few times since then and I'm taking things slowly and seeing where it will go.

ATL... How does he do that?

2010-12-08T19:40:00.004-07:00

Anyone remember ATL?

Well, last year he was sort of a big part of my life. He was my kryptonite and even though I knew that he was bad, BAD news I couldn't resist him.

Then his true asshole colors showed and I cut him out of my life. For months afterwards he would randomly text me from numbers I didn't know. Every time he did my heart jumped a little.

Then I met The Fisherman and I knew I had moved on.

Somehow after months and months of no contact he decided to text me a few weeks after The Fisherman and I broke up.

HOW did he know? Seriously how on earth did he just know that I was in a vulnerable state and that if he sent me a text with his BBM pin that I would add him. And how did he know that seeing his picture and talking with him after a year would make me question possibly seeing him again?

Well... I was weak for a bit but after a few days I gave my head a good shake and knew what I would have been getting myself into. So I deleted him and moved on again.

And THEN last weekend I went to my work Christmas party and a group of us decided to head to a bar near by for our own after party. Guess who of ALL people works at said bar. Yep... ATL. Damn it.

I try to break free and the universe starts dangling him in front of me again.

Although he is verrrrrrry tempting, I am staying strong. I don't need to go down roads I've already travelled.

Instead I am moving on to better new things. Like Mac.

(details on Mac coming soon)

Things, things and more things

2010-11-15T17:20:00.003-07:00

Things I will never understand:

- Glee. *shudder* even the thought of it makes me cringe. Sorry to all you "Gleek's" out there, I just don't get how high school students with horrible voices doing their own versions of classic songs could ever be entertaining.

- Dancing with the Stars. Its not dancing, its washed up celebrities pretending they can dance and a popularity/boob shaking contest. Brutal.

Things I have learned over the last month:

- I am awesome. And I don't mean that to be cocky or full of myself. What I mean by it is I went thru a break up with the first person I actually cared about in 5 years, It still hurts but it gets better everyday. But I survived and I truly believe it was his loss. And what's really helping is the "attention" I have been getting lately from the opposite sex. Apparently I'm a hot commodity. And a social butterfly. And confident in myself again.

- I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Including put up all my Christmas decorations a month and a half before Christmas. Yeah... that happened.

- When you leave a kitten home alone all day with a newly put up Christmas tree, you will come home to decorations all over the floor. Fun.

- I run better with out my Ipod, who knew?

- Im not good with scary movies. Even lame ones like Paranormal Activity 2. I had to sleep with my lamp on for 2 nights after I watched it.

- Some songs with never be the same for me again. Like this one.

- And most importantly... I'm doing all right!

Sober October - the results

2010-10-31T11:07:00.003-06:00

Well... its the end of October. And I was alcohol free for 98.5% of it.

Due to emotional complications there were a few (3 times) when a glass of wine was MUCH needed and the absolute best choice I could have made. Other than that I was completely alcohol free but I will say that my emotions were put to the test this month.

I was under a ridiculous amount of stress regarding work. One of my best friends and her husband moved away to New Zealand and... well... The Fisherman and I ended things.

Considering all of these factors, I think I did pretty darn good with Sober October.

As I mentioned when I originally wrote about doing Sober October, I in no way have any problems with drinking. Its a social thing for me. Beer at trivia, wine with girlfriends, fun nights out. The whole concept was sort of a test for me to deal with my emotions with out using alcohol as an escape. I think I did pretty good.

A letter to myself.

2010-10-27T17:25:00.005-06:00

I originally wrote this post back in August. I don't know why on that specific day I needed to write it but I did. I told myself that if it ever came to it, I would post it with out changing anything.... so now I am.

A blog post written for the future.

Today is Aug 2, 2010.

I am currently falling madly in lust, possibly in love with the "Fisherman".

I know deep down somewhere in my heart that one day it will end. I dont have a clue when that will be but i just feel it.

When i think about him i have the strangest emotional reactions. I feel overwhelmingly happy. His smile, his kiss, his touch, his laugh, his desire for me, they all make me melt. I yearn for him to be beside me. To be with me. I miss him the minute i leave him. When i am with him i cant help but to be close to him and touching him as much as possbile. its almost as if he is my desire for living right now.

Yet when i think about him and the future, i get this strange feeling that i will be experiencing immense heart break. but immense isnt the world to describe it. more like devastating.

i cant explain why i feel this. i just do. its like he will be a chapter in my life. this chapter may last a few months, or maybe a few years, or maybe longer. but i have this gut instinct that one day that chapter will end.

i am hoping that pre-writing this post will jynx any chance of that and i am hoping that this will never be posted.

But if it is, i hope to remember the feeling that i have right now in this moment. completely smitten. complete infatuation. completely carefree. completely falling in love.

So future Mich, if you are looking back for this post and are posting it with heartbreak, remember how wonderful the experience was. remember that he broke through the protective barrier you had around your heart. remember that he showed you how to desire again. remember the music. remember the moments at 3am with him singing you your favorite song on his guitar. remember the way it felt when you woke up in his arms. remember it was all real.

and remember that everything happens for a reason.

Forgive and Forget??

2010-10-16T14:20:00.002-06:00

If you have been a WIM reader for a long time (including long before the re-vamp) than you might be familiar with my whole ex-roommate situation.

LONG story short, I lived with 2 of my best friends of 15 years for about 4 years. Things fell apart and basically, after a lot of hurtful things on both ends we haven’t spoken in over a year. One of my other friends is still close with them and she and I have been able to keep our friendship strong through all of it. Her birthday is coming up and even though she hasn’t even mentioned anything about it yet there is a really good chance that the ex-roommates will be there which would make things EXTREMELY awkward, mostly for me.

I have been thinking a lot lately about calling the ex-roommates to rectify things and try to clear the air but I know deep down it wouldn’t change anything and no matter what I said, they wouldn’t understand why things happened the way they did or why I chose to act/react the way I did. I was talking with someone about this whole scenario and she had a great point. She said that the only way a friendship between the ex-roommates and I could ever happened again is if all of us wiped the slate clean and forgot about everything that happened. Basically start over.

But how can one possibly do that?

How do I erase the painful words and actions and all of the emotional stress that it caused me? How do I ignore the fact that people who I thought were my “best friends forever” were so quick to be okay with not ever talking to me again? How do I be the new me with people who only knew the old me?

I know that it’s the “mature” thing to do and it really does make sense, I just don’t have any idea how I could do it.

Do blondes really have more fun?

2010-10-09T14:56:00.005-06:00

Ive been thinking about changing my hair color and thanks to the magic of the internet I can see what the colors would look like with out having to make any decisions/mistakes.

So my lovely bloggy friends, I would love to know your opinions.

This is what my hair currently looks like.

Do i take it DARKER? A la Angelina Jolie/Katy Perry

Or maybe a little more reddish... a la the Little Mermaid? LOL

Or... do I make a drastic change and go BLONDE!!!

A reminder for myself.

2010-10-03T13:55:00.003-06:00

I wrote this poem over a year ago. I was on my way to work and the words just kept coming. As soon as I got to work a grabbed a notepad and just kept on writing. I was at an eye-opening point in my life and I knew that things were changing for the better.

Live.

When you least expect it
You’ll feel the spark.
It will pull you in from the cold,
Shine light into your dark.

Sights, sounds, tastes,
Will all seem brand new.
You can face the world with your head held high
… Confident in you.

But how? You wonder.
How can you make this be?
Take a long look in the mirror
… See what I see.

Every wrinkle, spot or line.
Every freckle… all part of a design.
It’s what makes you who you are,
What makes your face different than mine.

Can you just imagine,
What’s deeper inside?
Every feeling, every heartbeat,
Everything your body can hide.

No one else can be you.
They can’t even try.
So again, look in the mirror,
Take a deep breath and sigh.

Be true to yourself.
Be true to your soul.
Wake up every morning
With an exquisite life as your goal.

Let the past be the past,
Tomorrow is a new day.
Start with loving yourself
And your life will change in everyway.

Sober October

2010-10-01T19:17:00.006-06:00

Every now and then we need to clear our minds and our bodies and basically get our selves back in order.

Its October 1st. The start of a new month. The perfect time to hit refresh.

One of my best friends decided she was going not going drink for all of October. With all of the stress I have been under over the last month or so (not to mention the emotional breakdowns) my first thought when she told me that was "there is no way I can do that right now!" Not because I drink a lot at all, just because the thought of going out and having a few (or 8) drinks to unwind on the weekends sounded perfect.

But then I thought about it and drowning my problems in Gin is not the answer. Facing my "stress" head on, clear minded and not distracted is the answer. Its time to let it all come to the surface instead of suppressing my stress and it all boiling over in ridiculous emotions out bursts.

So... I decided to join her in what has been dubbed Sober October.

Its not the non drinking that I am worried about, its the decisions that I am hoping to make over the next month or so and all the deep thinking I plan on doing.

My wallet, liver and future plans are thanking me already.

Shiz The Fisherman Says - Vol. I

2010-09-23T19:36:00.007-06:00

Some of you (most of you) have probably wandered over to Li-Lu-Land at some point in your days of blogging or blog lurking (yes, you lurkers... we know you're out there. We have ways of tracking you). For the few of you who have no idea who Lilu is... here you go. You're welcome.

Now back to my point...

If you have ever been to Lilu's blog you are probably firmiliar with a little something she likes to call "Shiz My Boyfriend Says". Trust me that man of hers says some crazy shiz. Her posts got me thinking about The Fisherman and the random ramblings he says and I realized they were completely post worthy.

So ladies and gents... here you go:

One of the first times I was over at his house he wanted to show me something in the basement which I had never seen before (side note... he wanted to show me his guitar and other musical instruments. Hearing your man playing rock songs for you is so HOT). Anyhoo... as we were walking down to the basement:

Me - "is your basement developed"

Fisherman - "its a little immature"

------------------------

A few months back Leah, The Fisherman, Work BFF and I all went out for some beers/dancing. This was a few days after Leah had her second seizure and we were all a little worried about her but she had been secluded in the house for 3 days and needed to get OUT. Leah's boyfriend called and was not pleased with the fact that she was out. When she hung up the phone:

Fisherman - "Was that your boyfriend?"

Leah - "Yeah... he's just worried about me being out"

Fisherman - "Tell him not to worry. Just tell him you are out having a few beers, you arent having any Caesar's"

(womp womp)

------------------------

There are many more of these little blurbs to come. Lately they have all been a little inappropriate... I might just have to save them for a TMI Thursday post.

The days are getting shorter… and the nights are getting hotter…

2010-09-15T18:00:00.002-06:00

In a blink it became fall in Calgary. In fact it might have just happened while I was at work today. This afternoon I was driving from one job to the next (I work 2 jobs… I’m hard core like that…) and I noticed that there were yellow leaves just sprinkled everywhere.

(its doesnt look like that QUITE yet here... but give it a week and I'm pretty sure it will...)

Don’t get me wrong, I love the fall. I love turtlenecks and boots and scarves and everything orange, but I felt like these golden drying out leaves were taunting me… whispering in cute little voices “winter’s coming… la-la-la… no more summer for you… la-la-la”.

Those little bitches.

Anyhoo… although the fall and winter are sadly just around the corner, I am very much looking forward to the many nights I will spend snuggled up with The Fisherman. Drinking wine, watching Entourage and/or just enjoying each other’s company. It may be colder outside but I can guarantee you that I will be kept warm!

Why I believe in mediums, psychics, and the other side.

2010-09-09T12:36:00.000-06:00

I’m a skeptic, especially when it comes to “the other side” or anything regarding communicating with spirits. So when my mom asked me to go see a medium with her a few years ago after my sister passed away I gave her a look of “have you lost your mind??” and then realized that she didn’t lose her mind, her heart was shattered and she was looking for some sort of comfort. So I told her I would go with her for support.

On the drive there I was the acting adult and told my mom “don’t feed her information” and “make sure she doesn’t take you for a fool and scam you for more money”. As I said… I was skeptic.

When we got to the mediums “office” (by office I mean home), we met a younger lady. She seemed normal. No scarves wrapped around her head or Spencer Pratt gems hanging anywhere (click on that link… its worth it) She just had a table and some candles burning. She welcomed us in and said that my sister “wasn’t there yet” but she knew we were coming because she had been around the medium all day. I rolled my eyes and sat down. The three of us (medium, me and my mom) just started talking about how it would work and mid-sentence I swear I felt shivers like I have never felt before. It felt like a head to toe ZING!! It was to the point where I sat straight up in my chair and looked right at my mom. She said “did you feel that???”
The medium said “your sister is here”.

(To this day I have only felt shivers like that once more, it was when I was driving and I honestly burst into tears after).

Still not convinced that the medium was for real (she could have had some A/C blasting or something… people are tricky) I waited for her to start talking. My mom asked a few questions and the answers seemed pretty general and nothing that made me really believe in it.

Not until my mom said “did she like what we did for her funeral?” (my poor mom… so distraught and confused… she didn’t know what to ask). The medium replied and said “yes, she was there in spirit, you know she was**. She’s telling me everything was beautiful and that she really liked her… socks??” The medium sort of laughed at that point thinking that it was a ridiculous thing to say but my mom and I knew why… When we had to choose the clothing for her to wear we chose very simple black clothes but we secretly chose bright rainbow colored toes socks. No one in the entire world knew that except me, my mom and whoever dressed her at the funeral home.

** We knew she was there because the power went out at the moment everything started to get too serious. And during the funeral it was the loudest thunderstorm ever, it actually sounded like they were moving furniture in the room next to us, as soon as the funeral was over, I mean the SECOND it was over, when the car got around the corner, the rain stopped and the brightest rainbow came across the sky**

The medium also said “she’s showing me a cross necklace with a stone in the middle” (exactly what she wore)… “and a ring…” when she said ring she pointed to her middle finger on her left hand. But not where you would wear a ring normally, it was half way down her finger before the knuckle.

At the funeral when my family and I had our last moments with her before closing the casket my little sister took her hand and put a ring on it. It was too small to fit so it sat half way down her finger… on the ring finger of her left hand.

Again, no one except my family knew that.

That’s when I believed.

She told us some other very personal things. None of which I could really explain. When my mom and I left, we didn’t speak to each other on the drive home. We both just sat there in deep in thought. The only way I can describe the experience is creepy, yet comforting.

I have had some other eerie moments over the years when I just knew deep down it was my sister letting me know she’s there. It truly helps me to know she’s always watching out for me.

Whaaaa????

2010-09-08T17:09:00.003-06:00

Ummm I think I’ve lost my job, without actually losing my job… yet.

Are you confused? So am I.

Ok here’s the scoop. So as I've mentioned before, the company I work for is lame and I want to leave. Three other people (out of six) have very recently quit. I have been on the job hunt for a while now but haven’t found the right new job yet. After all of the other resignations my supervisor (the one I mentioned here…) pulled me into her office and asked me if I was happy working there. Now although she can be a biotch at times, she is not the owner of the company and I feel like I could confide in her if needed. She looked me straight in the eye and asked me if I was planning on leaving. I couldn’t lie to her. I told her that I was actively looking and that I will be leaving (hopefully) somewhat soon (for reasons which she said she completely understood). She also told me that whatever she and I talked about in her office that day wouldn’t leave her office.

She lied.

She went and told the owners that I was planning on leaving. Fuck.

Now, my position there is not one that is easy to replace or train for. So in a panic she started interviewing for my position… which I hadn’t even quit yet! She then pulled me into her office last week and told me that they had a plan. They found someone they want to hire to replace me, and they want me to give my 2 week resignation from that position and then stay on as a “floater” until the end of October if needed. The pros for me are that I am guaranteed work until the end of October and that I can leave at any point with no notice if I find something after my 2 weeks is up. The cons are if I don’t find something by the end of October… I’m so screwed!

So somehow they are letting me go… but not really.

This just adds to why I hate working for this company and why I can’t wait to get out of there. So pray for me blog-land. Pray I find something AMAZING before the end of October!

Sleeping Beauty...

2010-09-06T16:17:00.003-06:00

Some days I am so jealous of her.

I wish I could be sleeping so peaceful in a far away tower just like her. I bet its so quiet up there. No alarm clocks. No construction outside her window. No one to wake her up except her Prince Charming.

It would be perfect.

I’m a wanderer…

2010-09-01T19:00:00.003-06:00

Some people know what they want to do for a career from the moment they can speak.

Some people are told what they are going to become, usually by parents or other family members and they do it.

And then there are people like me… wanderers.

I have no clue what I want to do for a career. I’m 26; one would think I would have some idea by now but nope. Nothing.

Instead I want to do everything and nothing.

I want to become a photographer and travel the world and take pictures of the beauty that I see in everyday things. But then again I want to work in a 9–5 office job for the rest of my life for the routine of it because then I would know what to expect and where my next pay cheque will come from and where my stapler is. And I would know that I would be home every day in time to watch Ellen.

I want to be a wedding planner and help couples create the most magical day of their lives. But then again I don’t want to work on weekends… or deal with psycho brides.

I want to be a food critic, or a secret shopper, or a judge on Americas Next Top Model, or a flight attendant, or a writer for Hallmark, or a sunglasses designer, or a professional blogger. But I don’t like any of those ideas enough, or have enough drive that I would want to do them for the rest of my life.

No not me, instead I will be one of those people who at 90 years old will have a list of (I’m assuming) 42 jobs that I have held in my lifetime.

And to be honest… its sounds so damn exciting!

Montreal in a nutshell.

2010-08-18T19:28:00.006-06:00

Last weekend I was in beautiful Montreal for work BFF’s wedding with Leah and Nat (as previously mentioned here).

Although it was my first visit to Montreal I couldn’t stay long or see too much of the city but I was okay with that because my main priorities for the weekend was to see THIS GIRL and to be there for the most memorable day of Work BFF’s life (so far).

Mission accomplished.

The wedding ceremoney was at the most breath taking church (cathedral?) I have ever seen!

And then once all the “proper” traditional wedding stuff was done, it was a wedding reception (party) that only Work BFF could have planned.

So remember how I mentioned before that I wasn’t able to go to the wedding because of the crazy costs of the flights and how we got a great deal with some buddy passes from our friend who works for an airline and was going to the wedding as well? Well… there is one stipulation with buddy passes. You fly stand-by.

So 3am rolls around and we are all at the wedding looking something like this…

…and making plans to go to some type of after-hour-shin-dig when we get a phone call from the friend who arranged our flight.

“uhhh…. Guys…. Were not getting on the flight I originally thought. Change of plans. We need to be at the airport at 4:30”.

Crap.

So we rush back to the hotel (en route Leah has a drunken french argument with the ass-hole cab driver - awesome) and throw our stuff in our suitcases. We packed in such a rush that I left my bathing suit in the closet. Grab another cab and hurry our drunken and tired selves to the airport.

We catch a flight to Toronto.

And then a flight to Regina.

And then a flight to Calgary.

FYI – a flight directly from Montreal to Calgary only takes about 5 hours. We travelled for almost 12 hours.

After what seemed like the longest day of my life, I went home and slept for 13 hours straight.

Lesson learned – Paying for cheap buddy passes? Awesome!
Flying Stand-by? Not so awesome…

But I got to be at the blessed union of these 2 amazing people so all in all it was worth it.

Serenity... who knew it was possible?

2010-08-07T14:31:00.002-06:00

Yesterday after work I came home and before heading out for a drink with some friends I took some time to snuggle on the couch with my kitten (who is quickly turning into a cat and no longer a kitten).

I was laying there all sprawled out. Jeopardy on in the background, kitten purring and intertwined thru my arms and took a deep breath.

I was so compeltely content and I realized its because I have absolutely no drama in my life. None, nada, zip, zero, nothing.

And I made it that way.

I realized that I took all the things in my world that were stressing me out and I either fixed them or got rid of them. (The job change is still in the works but its not stressing me out). I took the necessary steps to make MY life better. Along the way, some didn’t understand and eventually were no longer part of my life. Others stood by me and not only supported me but pushed me to make the positive changes I needed to. It was hard at times. It was eye opening and it was definitely an emotional roller coaster. But now I am happy. Blissfully happy.

Recently something came up that put my “growth” to the test. It was a he-said-she-said situation regarding someone very close to me. At first I didn’t know how to react so I took the advice my dad has given me for years. “Before you act, take 30 seconds to really think about it”. I took more than 30 seconds, I took a couple of hours. And eventually made the right reaction decision. A year ago I would have just reacted and, in this specific situation, probably caused some uneccessary comotion. Instead, because I took the time to think before I acted I chose to react in a way that dealt with the issue head on and in turn left no drama for me. Once the air was cleared and everything was sorted out, I knew I made the right choice.

I'm not trying to give advice in this post, or brag about how happy I am. That’s not my intention at all. I just want to put it out there that positive changes can happen when you make them happen. We cant control the world around us, the only thing we can control is our actions and reactions to the world around us.

Everything happens for a reason/Ask and you shall receive/Time to work on my French

2010-08-04T17:31:00.002-06:00

So remember when I posted about the great job I applied for?

*cough cough* it’s the post right below *cough cough*

Well I finally heard back about it and the “company” is deciding to “reevaluate the structure of their company”and they are putting the hiring of that position “on hold right now” but they will “keep my resume on file because they really like me” and “hopefully something will come open in the future”.

Sorry for all the “ “s but seriously WTF? Why go thru the hiring process and post their ad and waste my time and theirs if they arent even sure if they are hiring for the job??

Anyhoo… moving on.

(I have applied for a few other great jobs but I’m not gonna jynx them by mentioning them on here)

In other news… my Work BFF/outside of work BFF is getting married in less than 2 weeks in Montreal. Her and her finace are flippin-full-of-awesome-sauce and I love them to bits! I couldn’t go to their wedding because of a few factors:

1 – Money – a flight to Montreal from Calgary is running around $700 – ouch.

2 – Time off work – we work together and she is gone for 2 weeks (obvs to get married) . I am supposed to cover her and her to cover me when one is on vacation, there was no way I was getting time off to go. Not even for a day… my work is pretty shitty strict about that.

3 – A place to stay – I don’t know anyone in Montreal so I would have to pay for a hotel … by myself… on top of the cost of my flight, and a wedding gift, and food, and shopping/spending money.

So I had to tell her that I couldn’t come to their wedding and my heart was broken. I have spent pretty much this entire year hanging out with the 2 of them and I just couldn’t imagine not being there but sadly my wallet couldn’t fathom paying over $1000 for one weekend.

Well just when I thought all hope was lost all the Mich-cant-go-on-vacation-factors disappeared!! A “new” girl at work will be covering for Work BFF while she is gone, time off work… CHECK! Another one of our kick-ass friends is going to the wedding and works for an airline and can hook us up with buddy passes, cheaper flight… CHECK! And we are getting a great deal on a hotel split between 3 people, place to stay… CHECK!

Ladies and Gents… Mich is going to Montreal!!!

Time to brush up on my French…

Le Poisson Le Poisson…

The $hit is gonna hit the fan…

2010-07-28T18:31:00.001-06:00

Here’s the scoop.

I hate my job.

I hate the company that I work for.

I love the people I work with (most of them).

I work for a construction company. It’s a fair sized company but there are tons of employees who work on site and aren’t in the office very much. In fact there are only 6 people who work in the office and do the administrative work. I am one of them.

Last week I had an interview with a WAY BETTER COMPANY to do a WAY BETTER JOB. My interview went really well and I am (fingers crossed) supposed to hear from them on Tuesday to know if I got the job. If I get it, I will be giving my notice a.s.a.f.p. (as soon as freakin possible!).

Here’s where the shit on the fan comes in. The girl who works beside me had a great interview somewhere else last week and found out today she got the job! She is planning on giving her notice on Friday. Then out of no where today at a meeting, we found out that one of the other ladies gave her resignation today. THEN because our receptionist is my work BFF (and outside of work BFF) and tells me everything, I know that in 6 weeks (after her wedding) she is giving her notice as well.

So the team of 6 is going down to 2 all in a matter of weeks. The 3 of us that will be quitting over the next few weeks had a moment of “oh crap… they don’t know what’s about to hit them” after the meeting today.

Well (insert current employer name here), Karma is a bitch!! Maybe if you treated your employees better and not like your slaves they wouldn’t all run.

I might be getting ahead of myself as I haven’t even GOT the new job yet… but keep your fingers crossed for me!

Where have I been?

2010-07-24T14:21:00.006-06:00

Ive been a little MIA from blog-land lately.

Why? Well my dear bloggy-friends, I have been busy living this summer to the fullest doing such things as:

Rafting on the Elbow River

Dancing
BBQ-ing
Reading in the sunshine
Wearing summer dresses and flip-flops
Drinking Slurpees
Playing tennis
Hugging Leah as much as humanly possible
Running
and...

falling in... like. Extreme like.

I hope your summer has been as wonderful as mine so far.

Friendships

2010-07-15T18:36:00.003-06:00

A while back I was talking with a friend about how much our friends and circles of friends have changed over the last little while. How we have been trying to hold on to friendships that we have had since we were 11 years old. Some of those friendships are very difficult and yet we try our best to make them work. She told me something that her boyfriend told her and it really struck a cord with me.

He said something along the lines of "Look at my circle of friends. How many of them did I go to high school with or have known forever? Maybe one or two of them. Thats because when we are young our friends are chosen by location and convenience. As in our neighbours, or school mates. We didn't have a choice, now we do."

This made a lot of sense to me. Especially since I have outgrown half of the people I was friends with in high school. Think about it, when we were 7 the only other kids we interacted with were the kids in the neighbourhood and the kids in our class. That's it. Those were our options. Now maybe some of those kids grew into wonderful people we actually have things in common with and should be friends with. But maybe not. Maybe we just stayed friends with these people because we thought we were supposed to. Its not like we had jobs at that age and met new people all the time. Its not like we had cars and could drive across the city to hang out with a new friend. We depended on our parents and our surroundings.

I am 26 now. I have a world full of people I could be friends with. I opened my heart and mind to meeting new people and because I opened up I met amazing new friends through blogging and through work. Friends that I would do anything for and tell anything to. Friends I trust and admire and respect more than they could ever understand. Friends that I met because I stepped out of my comfort zone.

Its an exhilarating feeling...

My Stampede Pledge

2010-07-07T18:00:00.004-06:00

If you choose to take this pledge with me, please remove your Cowboy hat and repeat the following:

I vow that for the next 10 days, my attire will consist of at least one, preferably all, of the following items:

Denim
Plaid
Cowboy Hat
Cowboys Boots
Sheriff Badge

I vow that I will begin most conversations with “Howdy” and end most conversations with either a “Yahoo” or a tip of my hat.

I vow that for the next 10 days, mini donuts are acceptable as their own food group.

I vow that free pancakes are the greatest breakfast around because not only are they delicious but they will absorb any left over alcohol from the night before.

I vow that it is perfectly acceptable to drink a beer with my free morning pancakes.

I vow that all deep-fried food on a stick is wonderfully delicious and worth the money and guilt.

I vow that hangovers and diets are all to be dealt with AFTER July 18th.

I vow to two-step and line-dance until the cows come home.

And most importantly, I vow that whatever happens at The Calgary Stampede… STAYS at the Calgary Stampede.

Let games begin…

My favorite things - Canadian Edition

2010-06-30T16:41:00.007-06:00

Tomorrow is Canada Day which got me thinking about some of the things I love about this beautiful country.

1 - Our awesome (hot) celebrities. We grow 'em well up here! I could stare at Ryan (both Reynolds and Gosling) all day, and to know that they were born right here on Canadian soil makes them that much hotter.

Kim Cattral - the queen of all things sex (and the city...)

Evangeline Lilly

Both Rachel McAdams & Ryan Gosling (seriously WHY arent they together anymore??)

2 - Poutine - even as a vegetarian, every now and then I give in to the deliciousness that is Poutine.

2 - Nanimo Bars - I dont really know what it is about them that makes me devour them... its probably all the chocolate.

4 - Kelowna/The Okanagan - Its always hot in the summer, there's oodles of fresh fruit (cherries... mmmm) and beaches and lakes everywhere. Definitely my favorite Canadian summer destination.

5 & 6 - This feeling right here...

... and here...

...and here... (Our national anthem always give me chills... especially at hockey games)

7 - How colourful our money is!

8 - Timmies - The most glorious coffee - and a staple for any road trip.

9 - Our beer commercials (and our beer)

10 - And last but not least... the pride that I get when I am able to say "I'm from Canada". There are no pictures to explain that feeling...

So Happy Birthday Canada!! You dont look a day over 125.

The universe is messing with me...

2010-06-28T18:03:00.003-06:00

Anyone remember who ATL is? Anyone? Bueller?

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time, ya know, before I decided to delete everything I had written for the last year as part of my own therapy, you will remember ATL as the guy who is basically my kryptonite.

For those of you who are new around these parts, ATL was a bouncer I met last summer and fell completely head over high heels in lust for. Then he took my little fragile heart and shattered it into a million pieces. Typical. I know.

So all that heart breaking happened around Christmas/New years last year and I haven't seen him or talked to him since the beginning of January. I moved on. Obvs.

As of recently I have been seeing a lovely fellow (did I really just use those words?) by the name of "Jimmy". He's sweet, funny, genuine and a total gentleman. I get butterflies when I think about him and I am falling for him very quickly. I haven't mentioned too much about him on here yet because I don't want to jinx the great thing we have going right now. (But trust me, if it keeps going the way it is I won't be able to contain my excitement for long).

So things with Jimmy and I are floating along smoothly when all of a sudden BAM! Text msg from a random number on Friday at 2am.

"What's up?"

I wrote back in the morning because I was in the middle of catching up on my beauty sleep and say "who is this?"

His response - "ATL"

(well not really because thats not really his name but you get the idea).

My reaction?? I dropped the phone. Stood there for a minute in complete shock. Almost like I had seen a ghost.

Seriously, the universe is messing with me. I have this great guy, one of those "nice guys" that we always look for but never actually find and the universe is saying to me "Hey Mich, remember THIS guy and how ridiculously hot you thought he was and how much he made your heart flutter and how he could make you completely melt with one touch? Well, how about I just dangle him in front of you for a little while and see if you still want your nice guy after that. It will be a fun little game for me"

Well Mr. Universe, your game sucks and I don't want to play. I will stick to my nice guy thank you very much. You can take ATL back to wherever he's been hiding for the last 6 months (hopefully under a rock somewhere) and tell him I wont be falling for his little bag of tricks this time.

Love.

2010-06-19T13:00:00.002-06:00

"Fathers who believe in their Daughters give them the courage to succeed".

Happy Fathers Day to my Papa-Bear and all the other amazing dad's out there.

Untitled.

2010-06-17T18:01:00.006-06:00

My boss can be a bitch sometimes. I dont think she means to, but sometimes its crazy.

And sometimes I bend the rules at work. Approximately 4 out of 5 days I am running in the door either late or just in the knick of time. I take extended breaks every now and then (almost every lunch hour... but I make up for it) and although I kick ass at my job I am still learning and I mess up every now and then.

I've done some small screw ups that have cost "the company" money (technichally it didn't, they just didn't profit off of it) but I've also caught other peoples screw ups and MADE the company money they would have missed out on too.

Well... today Little Miss Bitchy Boss was at my desk and something interesting happened. She was standing right beside me asking about some pricing thing and all of a sudden "PFFFFT".

She farted.

A loud one too. I couldn't help but laugh.

From now on when she's being bitchy I can look at her and laugh in my head knowing that she accidentaly let one slip when she was trying to be serious.

Definite win for me.

Why I will never look at Jimmy Fallon the same way again…

2010-06-16T18:02:00.003-06:00

I while back, lets say 2 months-ish ago, I went out to a pub with some friends (including someone who is new to the blog-world – check her out here).On said pub-night-out I happened to meet a boy.

Shocking, I know.

This boy was cute, a little scruffy which is always fun and he resembled a certain celebrity. Not only in looks but in his actions and demeanor too. He was the spitting image of Jimmy Fallon… and I proceeded to tell him that approximately 100 times through out the rest of the night too. We had a blast talking that night and exchanged phone numbers.

We talked a bit over the next week or two and then came May Long weekend. (Also known as May 24 those on the Eastern part of Canada). I decided to host a BBQ and when I host a BBQ I do it big! There was tons of food and drinks and a fire pit and a plethora of amazingly wonderful friends.

I invited Jimmy Fallon (who from this point on will be called Mr. Fallon as I don’t want to confuse you with the other Jimmy I have been mentioning in my blog recently. Completely different people) and he showed up. Not only did he show up but he mingled with ALL of my friends and everyone seemed to love him. And most of them started calling him by his celebrity look-a-like nickname too.

Very important fact – one night during the week leading up to my BBQ, Mr. Fallon and I were talking and I asked him why he was single. He said that technically he wasn’t single, that he had been dating someone who lived in North Carolina but that it was pretty much over, just not officially. He hadn’t seen her in 3 months and had no intentions of moving there. I wasn’t necessarily mad at that fact (even though some of my friends were when I told them) because 1 - the topic hadn’t come up before, 2 - nothing you could categorize as “cheating” happened the night I met him and 3 - the first time I asked him about it he was honest.

So fast forward to about 4 am the night of my BBQ. He stayed over. No “sexin” happened but it almost did…

He left in the morning and everything was great. I talked to him a few days later and everything was still great.

The next Friday night I was out with some friends and went to go send him a BBM. He was missing off my contact list… as in he DELETED me!! Wtf? What could have possibly happened in the 2 days since I talked to him last that would warrant him deleting me? So… as some one who will no longer put up with shit, I sent him a text msg that simply read “Really…?”.

No response. All night.

The next morning I woke up to a reply that read “Hey, no worries, North Carolina Girlfriend is in town for a few day, I’ll hit you up next week”

Hold on just one freakin second… first of all he told me it was over with her and that he hadn’t seen her in months and all of a sudden she’s HERE? Second, he’ll hit me up next week??? Thanks for making me feel like a mistress, Fucker!!! And third, he had to full on delete me from his BBM list? Wow…

Ok all of the above I could deal with (eventually… I’m not gonna lie; meeting “New Jimmy” definitely helped) but what’s got me so weirded out about it is that last week I heard through the grape vine that he hung out with some of the friends, MY FRIENDS, that he met at my BBQ. They had a little jam session…

Mind you, the guys he hung out with didn’t know what happened and when I told them they were all “whoa… dude… WTF?” but still. Who does he think he is? He still hasn’t tried to get a hold of me.

So for now, any reference of Jimmy Fallon makes me cringe a little. Sorry real Mr. Fallon… I had to stop following you on Twitter. I couldn’t take the constant reminders but just so you know, your doppelganger is a great kisser!

He called me baby...

2010-06-15T21:04:00.005-06:00

Im feeling a little blog-blah lately. I don't have much to blog about really. I don't have any drama in my life which is so fantastic.

I have stories to share but no drive to write them out at this point. I'll get around to it... it just might take me a while. So instead tonight I am going to post my latest song obsession.

Enjoy!

I'm impatient... and I ramble on and on...

2010-06-14T20:38:00.004-06:00

I am, apparently, very impatient.

I cant stand being stuck in traffic (probably much like millions of other people out there). Sometimes I wish I didn't care about my car so that I could RAM into the back of the other drivers like a bunch of bumper cars. Not all the time... just sometimes.

I hate being ready to go and waiting for someone to pick me up. Trust me... if I knew i had an extra 20 minutes I would have used those 20 minutes...

and I HATE sitting around waiting for a certain boy to call. THIS is why I should have a stash of Ben & Jerry's on hand in my freezer at all times.

I see dead people...

2010-06-06T14:22:00.006-06:00

The title of this post might seem strange especially because I am writing about dating... just keep reading. It will all make sense.

Alright... so a few days ago I posted the question asking your opinions on what age is too old for me to date and all of you left great comments. The reason I posted that question to begin with is because (as previously mentioned) some (2) "older gentlemen" hit on me/got my phone number last weekend. Since then I have gone on dates with both of them... with very different outcomes.

Bachelor #1 - The "Grizzly" Bear - When we met, he asked for my number before the age question came up. He looked to me (and my friend) to be about 29 - 32... turns out he is 42. I was a little weirded out by that number (ok... more than a little) but he was a really nice guy and I am very open to meeting new and different people right now so when he asked me out to dinner on Sunday I was game. We had dinner and talked and it was fun but he reminded me of my ex and I just wasn't feeling it so I had decided that I probably wouldn't go out with him again.

Then the next morning I received one of the lamest/cheesiest text messages ever:

"Here's my thoughts for the day... I wish the grass wasn't so green. I wish the sky wasn't so blue. I wish I wasn't so damn attracted to you"

Barf.

I didn't respond. I couldn't. Then yesterday (after a few normal texts through out the week) he, out of no where sends me this:

"What did the Easter egg say to the boiling water? Its gonna take awhile to get me hard, I just got laid by some chick"

ok... first off, ya that's kind of a funny joke but 1 - we weren't even talking and he randomly sent it to me. I would expect something like that from one of my friends but not a 42 year old who I went on 1 date with. and 2 - its June... its not Easter... wtf?

so... ya... Bachelor #1 is no longer in the running. Not that he had a great shot to begin with.

Which brings us to Bachelor #2. I met him the same night at Bachelor #1 technically but he also goes to the trivia pub night that I go to every week (recognizing each other is how we started talking). He is 38. He looks 32. So according to my housemates rules, one who looks to be an age that is not a Grizzly, is not technically a Grizzly. So for blogging purposes I will just call him Jimmy.

We have gone on 2 dates now. Pizza after trivia night last week and then last night we had a great date. We went to check out the Bodyworks exhibit at the Science Centre (plastic-ized dead people... kinda disturbing at certain parts, but VERY interesting) and then we went to a Thai restaurant for dinner and then to his house for wine and a movie. Such a fun, great date and I was honestly shocked at how much of a gentleman he is. Who knew chivalry wasn't actually dead??

I would definitely go out with him again. He's so great and so far my friends love him too (they have great intuitions). The only downfall I have about him is that he is divorced and has a 3 year old daughter. Those are very big things for me... I am going to have to see how it all plays out.

ps - for those ladies who watch SATC... while watching the movie/snuggling with him last night, I totally found the "nook".... le sigh

Trivia Tuesdays Answers

2010-06-03T18:34:00.007-06:00

Woohoo!!! Good gob Rachel! Last minute you got all the correct answers! (Pam - you were SO close!)

1 - Crazy Sexy Cool by TLC (uhh... hello! one of the greatest album ever in my opinion)

2 - Mall Madness !! Such a fun board game for girls "Attention mall shoppers!! There is a CLEARENCE in the Fashion Boutique" haha classic

3 - A very classic movie - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Im loving Trivia Tuesdays! and btw... I'm totally going to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang this weekend now!

Whats the magic number?

2010-06-02T17:05:00.004-06:00

Background story... apparently "older guys" are loving me right about now. I went out last weekend and a few "grizzly bears" (the male equivilant to cougars so i've been told) hit on me... and I may or may not have given my number to one of them... ok maybe two of them.

Anyhoo... the next day I posted the inevitable question on my twitter.

How old is too old?

I am 26. How old is too old for me to date before its really creepy and people would probably stare?

Some of the responses I got are as follows:

sarah_anne_86 @whoismich I would say 39 should be the limit for a 26 year old. That was just my gut number though.

eJ24 @whoismich 48

katyness519 @whoismich since you are in your 20's i'd say no more than 10 years difference

dutchbeingme @whoismich hmmm... tricky question, but I've always been told current age x 2 minus 7 years. For you - 45

Which had a great reaction from Leah...

leahblonde @dutchbeingme I could NEVER IMAGINE @whoismich dating somebody who i 45! That's almost FIFTY! I think 35ish ain't so bad...

So... what do you think is too old?

Ps - I have some great follow up blog posts regarding both "grizzly's".... seriously the dating world for me is oh-so entertaining!

Trivia Tuesdays - Vol V

2010-05-31T20:45:00.002-06:00

1 - What is the name of this album?

2 - What game is this?

3 - What movie is this?

Vegetarian Cooking

2010-05-21T06:27:00.000-06:00

This was ridiculously easy to make AND it used barely any dishes either. Thats a win-win in my books.

I took the left over tofu from the recipe I made the other night and sliced it into chunks as you can see above. I brushed them with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and put them on my "grill". By grill I mean my mini George Forman grill, a single persons best friend!

I cooked the sweet potato fries (from frozen) in the toaster oven and then sliced red pepper, red onion (you can't see the onions but they are on the plate under the red pepper), and asparagus and put those on the grill once the tofu was browned on both sides. I put a little bit of garlic & herb salad dressing on the veggies to add a splash of flavour and help them grill a bit faster.

This meal was so delicious!!! The tofu was splendid when I took bites of the veggies and tofu together.

Cooking like this really makes me wish I had a boyfriend to share it with.

Life is precious.

2010-05-20T18:41:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I complain about the silly things in my life. Boys, money, friends (well... not anymore), being single.

They are not important. They are insignificant. They are not worth bitching over.

A married couple I know just had a baby. They are wonderful people. He is a doctor. They lived in Australia for a year and planned on moving there once they started a family. They love each other so much and were ecstatic when they found out they were having a baby.

Last Friday their baby was born. I don't know all the details/medical terms but he was born lacking oxygen in his brain and has been suffering many seizures since birth. They haven't left the hospital and their entire lives are upside down.

He (the father) sent out an email to update friends and family and reading it completely broke my heart. He (being a doctor) knows that if their baby makes it, the chances of living a normal life is very slim to none. He wrote about their plans to teach him how to surf in Australia, and how now those dreams just show an empty surfboard.

I can't even imagine the emotions they are going through right now. She has only been able to hold her baby for a few minutes over the last week. Its not fair.

My thoughts are with them and I pray that they can make it through this as a couple, and hopefully a family.

Trivia Tuesday Answers

2010-05-20T18:18:00.003-06:00

We had quite a few right answers this week. And minneapoliscareergirl got all of them right!

1 - Mannequin - (ANTM/fashion fans... recognize the guy with the funky glasses??)

2 - Andre Agassi... at his finest. haha

3 - The penguins name is Hugsy. Joey's best friend.

Trivia Tuesdays - Vol IV

2010-05-18T07:00:00.005-06:00

You know the drill by now...

1 - What movie is this?

2 - Who Am I?

3 - What is the name of the penguin?

Good Luck!

Vegetarian Cooking

2010-05-16T18:37:00.006-06:00

I have been vegetarian for 6 months now (yay me!!) and as I have mentioned on twitter before, I feel like it has made me a better cook. I am constantly trying new things and my food is always so colorful now.

This is what I made tonight.

Vegetarian Stir-Fry/A mix of the random veggies I had in my fridge

Ingredients:

(you will notice that none of these are exact measurements... thats because I just make my "recipes" up as I go along)

Coconut Oil (or canola oil) - as much as you need to coat the pan

Tofu - 1/2 a package sliced into bite sized pieces

Red Onion - about 1/2 of a medium onion chopped

Celery - a few stalks chopped

Green Pepper - as much as you want, cut however you want

Broccoli - as much as you want broken into bite sized pieces

Cauliflower - as much as you want broken into bite sized pieces

I had the broccoli and cauliflower steaming in a small pot while the tofu and onions cooked just to help cut the cooking time.

Green Onion - one big stalk chopped - this is optional I guess if you already have the red onion in it... but I love onions so I added them

Black Beans - 1/2 a can drained

Cooked Brown Rice - about 1 cup, it depends on how many veggies you're putting in (I cooked mine right before because it takes longer to cook brown rice and then I put it in the freezer for about 10 mins because when you are making a stir-fry/fried rice type of meal its easier to use rice that is cold)

Soya Sauce - a squiggle over the pan (heehee... I love the word squiggle!)

Ground Ginger - as much as you want

Garlic Powder - as much as you want

Sea Salt - a few grounds over the pan

Pepper - shake it til your hearts content

In a large pan over medium to high heat, melt the coconut oil and add the tofu. Cook it until its slightly browned on both sides. You need to stir it constantly. Once its mostly browned add the red onion and fry it up until the onions start to turn clear. (3 or 4 mins). Sorry... I forgot to take a picture at that stage.

Then add the green pepper, celery and green onions. Stir for a minute or so and then add the broccoli, cauliflower and black beans.

How good does this picture look? And all thats in it so far is veggies and tofu!

Keep cooking until you think all the veggies are cooked. I like them a little crisp still so a few mins is all it took. Then add the brown rice, ginger, garlic, sea salt, pepper and soya sauce. Mix well and serve.

Ps - food always tastes better in a square dish. LOL

I usually make pretty big meals on Sunday nights so I have lunch for tomorrow, and possibly the next day too! LOL

This isn't an exact recipe or anything, its just what I made off the top of my head. A lot of people always ask me what I eat now that I'm vegetarian and this is just a small example of the creations I can make.

BTW - I absolutely love being vegetarian. I feel fantastic with almost all the foods I eat (I still eat ice cream and chips and some crap like that every now and then but for the most part I eat really healthy). I have no intentions of going back to eating meat.

Trivia Tuesday Answers

2010-05-13T18:02:00.003-06:00

Looks like Sarah Doan is on a roll!! Great job!

1 - Wendy the Good Witch

2 - Although I'm sure Brian in Mpls's backyard looks almost identical... it is The Palace of Versailles in Paris. (One of the most beautiful places i've ever been)

3 - The product is called Vitameatavegamin. If you've never heard of it before click play below. If you have... click it too! You know its hilarious! I mean... you don't want to be un-poop-ular! LOL

Tuesday Trivia - Vol. III

2010-05-11T09:19:00.002-06:00

1 - What is my name?

2 - What is the name of this place?

3 - What is the name of the product in her hand?

Good Luck!

Trivia Tuesday Answers

2010-05-05T20:16:00.003-06:00

Woohoo!! Great job Sarah-Doan!! You got all the answers correct. Most commenters had at least one answer correct, I had a feeling most would be stumped on the music video question though.

1 - Nicky & Alex Katsopolis - The twin boys of Jesse (yum...) and Becky on Full House.

2 - "Always" by Bon Jovi - I hadn't seen this video in years but a co-worker reminded me of it the other day and I HAD to use it!

3 - Gummi Bears - Yet another awesome cartoon from when I was young (or when cartoons were actually GOOD!)

Thanks for playing everyone!

b.t.dubs... Brian your answers still crack me up... LOL

Trivia Tuesdays - Vol II

2010-05-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

1 - What are the names of these boys? (the characters)

2 - What music video is this?

3 - What TV show is this?

Serial daters... I just don't get it.

2010-05-03T16:47:00.004-06:00

You know the type. They are CONSTANTLY in a relationship.

A few of my friends are serial daters... and I just don't get it. Sometimes I think they are just dating the person they are with so they won't be alone. Take for example one of my friends; he just broke up with his FIANCE about 3 weeks ago and he is with someone new already. And not just casually dating someone new but put the boyfriend/girlfriend label on it already too.

How does that happen??

I've seen him do this quite a few times over the last few years too.

Another friend of mine divorced from his wife last August after being together for 7 years and was instantly dating someone new (that he just met) with in a month or so. They became one of those "we" couples right away. (don't get me started on "we" couples... ugh...).

What's the rush? Why do they need to be in a relationship at all times?

Or maybe my actual question is how is it that they can go from relationship to relationship with out even questioning it but I haven't found someone I want to call my boyfriend over the last 4 years??

Tuesday Trivia Answers

2010-04-30T16:39:00.004-06:00

Although we had some great guesses and a lot of right answers no one got all 3 answers correct.

1 - Kidstreet - one of my favorite shows from when I was very young. It was a game show for kids where you were in race cars and had to answer questions teamed up with your brother or sister. AND you won toys for prizes! When you are 7 years old what more could you ask for right??

2 - To Wong Foo, Thanks for everything, Julie Newmar - One of the best/funniest drag queen movies EVER! If you havent seen it you need to NOW! I mean Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo in drag.... HELLO!!

3 - The Great Gazoo - Although many of you thought he was from the Jetson's, (so close!) he was actually a character from the Flintstone's. He was a little trouble maker for Fred & Barney and he constantly called them "dum-dums".

This was fun! I can't wait until next week... I already have a few good ones lined up!

The first edition of Trivia Tuesdays (a day late...)

2010-04-28T18:00:00.004-06:00

A new feature on the "new and improved WIM" is a little something I like to call Trivia Tuesdays!

This is partially inspired by the fact that for the last month I have been going to trivia nights at a pub with some wickedly smart friends (I say that snickering to myself because last night our team was second to last place... and last week we were LAST place. Its all in good fun though!).

So here are my random questions for you this week!

1 - What TV show is this?

2 - What movie is this?

3 - What is my name?
If Trivia Tuesdays takes off there may be prizes involved later on. If you have any ideas for trivia questions please email me at whoismich@hotmail.com. The only stipulation is that the questions has to be in picture form as its way too easy for anyone to google the answer to written questions.

Good luck and lets get playing!!

It's time to get this under control.

2010-04-25T09:09:00.005-06:00

Every now and then I have these things that I like to call "arguments with my closet".

Last week I had 5 of them. And it looks like the closet won...

Yikes!

Ah... But alas...I have devised a plan to rectify the situation.

Step 1: Calmly approach closet with an "I'm sorry gift". (Perhaps a new article of clothing.)

Step 2: Show closet that I care about its feelings and well being. (Do my laundry finally).

Step 3: Work together with closet to bring the chaos back to a state of normal. (Put everything back in its place).

I just hope it lasts past Monday...

Out With The Old And In With The New.

2010-04-23T20:12:00.004-06:00

If you haven't noticed already I've made some big changes to the bloggity-blog.

I've been writing Who Is Mich? (WIM) for about a year and a half now and ALOT has gone down. A lot of things that are amazingly wonderful like meeting fantastic new friends (in person and over the internet) and yet there are a lot of things that happened over the last year and a half that I would like to forget.

Okay... maybe not forget, I mean they were life lessons and all but things that I don't necessarily need reminders of.

As part of the changes to WIM I will be deleting all old posts over the next few days. So if there is anything you wanted to re-read one more time (or 10... whatevs! There are definitely some juicy stories on here) this will be your last chance.

Its time to move on to the next chapter.

(ps - I'm still tweaking and altering the new layout so expect a few more changes over the next few weeks until I get it just the way I want it)