Studying Widow

Mid-terms are upon us and I have lot my husband, Shawn, to studying. He is working so hard, and focusing 98% of his attention to school. I think part of him feels like he's abandoning me but I am so impressed with his dedication to his studies. And I figure, in one week we will be on our way to sunny Arizona... Farewell snow, cold and all things winter... 


But until then, I have ALOT of solo time on my hands... So I have been devising things to take up some of the time... What my days involve, with Shawn at school till 10 pm at night...


- sleeping in till 10 am... I don't even feel bad anymore, at this point.


- writing thank-you cards... eep, those probably should be done by now.


- cleaning... I devised a chore schedule for myself, so each day I do a general clean-up and then one main chore... Who knew I would be actually organized like that? 


- cooking and baking.. Shawn is a fantastic cook and loves to cook so he and I share cooking duties. I just made a fantastically delicious Butternut Squash & Chicken Risotto that I got from my Aunt while in Australia... Needs a couple tweaks for next time. But delicious. Baking on the other hand.... I try and do that to a minimum... I looove baking but the problem is that I also love to eat the baking... Not good.

Sadly, I'm on the last book
in the series...

- reading/going to the library to find new things to read... I am such a book-worm and I just finished a book recommended by my sister Tamara, "The Help". It is a fantastic show about southern women and their black help in the 1960's. Loved it. I have since moved on to a new book series... "Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief". You may have heard of the movie they recently made. The series are definitely geared towards a teenage audience (okay, so they have cartoon covers, sue me) but I am a sucker for all things Greek Mythology and I have become slightly addicted to the series... 


-going to the gym... Let me sing the praises of my new gym, 'Fitness for 10'. It is exactly what it sounds like; an amazing gym for, get this, $10/month! For the first time, I don't feel guilty about buying a gym membership... And for probably only the third time, I am actually going! A lot of the credit for my somewhat-dedication to going is due to Amy. She, like me, is here because of the love of her life and we both don't know many people and have a weakness for baking so we became fast friends and have a gym relationship... 


-facebook/internet... curse you facebook... You wonderful time-sucker that I both hate and love...


-eating.... Is there any better companion when watching t.v. or reading a book? Nope... thus the gym... 


-studying... Thankfully, I have been graduated from Uni for almost 3 years now but I just got a new job so I am back to studying. I am slightly nervous to start orientation on PAR (post-anesthesia recovery). I feel a little out of my league but I am very excited for the new challenge. But I am cramming before orientation so I don't appear completely out of my element. Hurrah for google search for coming up with something legit to help me study.


So those are some of the things that help to kill the time before my handsome hubby comes home/ is studying.... Only 7 more days until ARIZONA!! woot woot! and only 2 days till I start orientation for my new job... 


xoxo

How I Met Your Father...

I remember when I first heard the concept of one of my now-favorite t.v. shows. "How I Met Your Mother"??? It sounded absurd, and I gave it a season before it ran it's course, he met his wife and moved on to the next show on t.v. Well, it's now six seasons in, the protagonist has dated countless girls and not one is the eventual 'mother' and I am hooked. I still think the concept is slightly ridiculous? What teenage kids haven't heard the story of how their parents met? I could recite the story by age 7. And even if you DID find kids who couldn't be bothered to ask until they were 15, what parent then proceeds to tell them the story, but only after he tells them all about girlfriends 1-39, who by the way are not their mother,  and then say it's all because you have to hear the whole story?? It's kind of hilarious because at that age, I liked to imagine my parents never dated anyone else but each other... I think I would have gone in shock.


That being sad, I am a sucker for "How did you meet" stories. Maybe that's why I keep watching the show? Partially for the humor, and partially for when he finally mets his wife (probably the last episode of the series, but I can be patient). When I was younger I would partially, and secretly, base how good a couple was by how good their story was. I still love hearing the stories, and have grown to appreciate all types of because, in the end, the result is the same- the realization that 'this is it. He/she is the one I am gonna marry.'


Judging from the beginning of our story, I would have never guessed that this was 'it'. But, unlike Ted (HIMYM), I am not gonna start 6 yrs before we met. I am going to start a month or so before.

Oh those fictional musical villains...

Having grown up with my mom consistently listening to "The Phantom of the Opera" music, I found myself knowing almost every lyric of every song off by heart all my life but having NO idea what the play was about and how could this phantom of the opera be the angel of music as well. So when Hollywood got around to making a movie years ago, I was excited to finally figure out how the songs I remember as a kid tied into a complete story.


  My sister and I went to a Saturday matinee and I loved it. I loved the story, the actors and most importantly, the music. It all made sense. It was as if a fuzzy dream had finally became clear. I was ecstatic... And then it was almost the end; the defeated phantom found himself, alone with the music box. My heart broke and I felt silent tears streaming down my face. My sister and I could not believe that I would cry in a movie, especially this part! When we were walking out of the theatre, she couldn't help but to poke fun of my tears, and I laughed, agreeing that it was silly, and I tried to remember why I cried. All of a sudden, I felt overwhelmed by the initial feeling that made me cry in the first place and I found myself, in the middle of the busy mall on a saturday afternoon,BAWLING over a fictional musical villain and a symbol crashing monkey, ten minutes after the fact. Since then, I have watched the movie countless more times and never came close to feeling a tear well up in my eye. I feel slightly ridiculous about getting so emotion over something so trivial.

The reason this story is so vivid in my very, poor memory is that this burst of tears was so rare for me. Until I went on birth control. Ah, yes, it is hard to believe the glorified sticker on my butt actually is helping to prevent a stork dropping off a package anytime soon AND is the cause for me dissolving into a emotional wreck over tiny things. Like icing on cookies. And then again, and then again, and then I realized... I needed to get a grip.



It is actually quite amusing, looking back and realizing I was so naive when I first went on the patch, thinking I would be immune to the rush of hormones that so many other girls report. Perhaps I would have been if starting the patch didn't coincide with getting married and being more emotionally invested than ever before. But it did. So I found myself crying over a simple comment my husband made. He meant it one way, I took it another way. And POOF, I dissolved into a puddle. But no more. For one reason, I recognize the extra hormones now. Sometimes it really is just black and white when Shawn says something, no need to twist it a thousand ways seeing if he meant something more. And two, we are now on a "brownie point" system... So if he DID mean something else and it upsets me, instead of getting emotional, I will just dock some points... And I make good brownies. 

Im just a man, sometimes, sorry.....

Being a man I regulary make a fool of myself. Lucky I have a wonderful wife who knows how to handle it. Well maybe she doesnt know exactly how to handle it but she does a pretty darn good job. While Im at school and studying every night till ten or eleven she cleans the house, makes the food, buys the groceries and still manages to find time to watch criminal minds. I havn't showed her how much I appreciate that but she still loves me unconditionally. Being a man I say things that I dont realize will hurt here and she still loves me after a good cry. Im writing on this blog without her knowing so that when she goes to write in it she see this and knows that I love her. Love you baby. Im just a man, sometime, sorry.

Not So Shabby...

I know the last thing I should do, while I haven't started work and Shawn is in Uni, is shop. And I can usually resist the temptation, except when I am on www.shabbyapple.com. The dresses are so adorable, so reasonably priced and, well, just have a look for yourself and you will see why these dresses are my new obsession. I have already dedicated my first Saskatchewan paycheck to ensuring my closet is the home of a few of these dresses...

Who Knew?

I have mentioned multiple times that we have moved to Saskatoon, SK. But, perhaps, I should elaborate. This blog entry is named "Who Knew" for two reasons. The first, and formost, who knew that Saskatoon, Sk is where we would end up?? This is probably the LAST place I would have named if you had asked me 5 years ago where I saw myself living in 2011, barely edging out Yellowknife, NWT.

Our new home city

My knowledge of Saskatchewan, before Shawn told me of his plans to move here, was abysmal. I liken it to the knowledge that an American, living in Texas, has of Canada. Basically I knew it was there, but why would I know care to know much more than that? It was "Gapyland" to me; the gap between the western provinces (BC, AB) and the eastern provinces (ON, QC). I knew my mom was raised there born in Saskatchewan but I had only been in Saskatchewan one time in my recollection and no plans to return. But fast forward to January 2011 and Saskatchewan is where my husband and I have made plans to be for the next 6-8 years, give or take.

When we first arrived a month ago, I truly felt that it was a complete different country than Alberta.  Perhaps, I should blame the fact that I more regularly travel within Alberta, or I leave Canada completely, going to the states or further away. So the differences between the two provinces had me subconciously thinking I was in a different country. Multiple times, I found myself about to make a purchase and thinking, "Drat, I only have Canadian money".

I am a of-the-moment curious person. When I watch a movie I like, the first thing I do afterwards is research all about it. If I read a good book, I am online trying to find out everything, from who wrote it, what reviews did it get, will it become a movie, is there a sequel, etc. That's how I know the entire British Royalty line of the Tudors. I could discuss the lineage and wives of Henry VIII in my sleep thanks to my curiousity after reading "The Other Bolyen Girl". So when I moved to Saskatoon, wikipedia and fellow online encyclopedias became frequently visited by me, trying to learn about this seemingly quiet sister of Alberta. I will share some of my recently acquired knowledge... So, who knew.....

1) "Saskatchewan" comes from a Cree word "Kisiskatchewani Sipi" meaning "swift flowing river", which referred to the Saskatchewan River... Since my grandmother is full Cree AND from Saskatchewan, you would think I would have known this, but nope.

2) Saskatoon is the largest city in the province, with a population of roughly 234, 000. The capital, Regina, follows close behind with 194,000. After that, you get small cities half the size of Lethbridge and the whole population of the province just barely hits a million.

3) Saskatoon is well-beloved for it's architecture and bridges, and is named (not sure by whom, or by how many) "The Paris of the Praries"... or "The City of Bridges". The university, itself, is quite charming with the brick buildings, quite the contrast to the concrete slab called the U of L.

4) Bell Mobility does not exist here, but have no fear Sasktel does, which seems to be the choice of mobile phone providers. Alas, they do not have the iPhone so we signed with Telus.

5) There are only 2 L.D.S. stakes in the entire province. Contrast that with the fact that the town of Magrath and Raymond (2000 pop. each) each have their own stake and . But, literally, half of our ward is young marrieds, like ourselves, so it seems that moving to SK for hopes to get into dental school is the thing to do.

6) After 24 years of escaping the thievery called 'PST' we now are paying 10% tax... (5% fed/ 5% prov)... also, I am pretty sure that Saskatchewan isn't known for being rat-free like Alberta so I am dreading my first run-in with the squirm-inducing creatures.

7) SK is the leading exporter of potash (which Shawn tells me is used in fertilizer) and the world leader in the production of uranium. That means nothing to me, but hey, good job Saskatchewan!

8) Regina is the home to the RCMP Training Academy. Wonder what the crime rate is like with all those Mounties catching their man out here.

9) Some famous Saskatchewaners Saskatchewanites people from Saskatchewan are:
      a) John Diefenbaker- 13th Prime Minister of Canada

Gordie Howe

      b) Tommy Douglas- voted Greatest Canadian and considered the father of Medicare
      c) Gordie Howe- Mr. Hockey himself
      d) Hayley Wickenheiser- Women's Team Canada Hockey Captain
      e) Catriona Le May Doan- Gold Medal Olympic Speed Skater
      f) Joni Mitchell- singer/songwriter

So there are some random facts about our new home, Saskatchewan, the easiest province to draw,  home of the Roughriders, and not-so-proud owner of ridiculously badly kept highways.

Farewell Unemployment!!!

I GOT A JOB!!!! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to finally (okay, it's only been a month but a looooooong month) have cracked my way into the Saskatoon Health Region!!!! I will now be employed on the Day Surgery Unit at the Saskatoon City Hospital!! 

After a month of waiting around, hearing nothing from all the online applications, I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and went to the City Hospital, wandering aimlessly, until I found a nursing managers office. There, I sat for an hour, waiting for her to finish her interview and then she came out to meet me and as we talked, I tried to charm her and send subconscious messages that she should hire me straightaway, before I went mad from unemployment. Either my subconscious or my resume convinced her I wasn't all that bad because yesterday morning I got the call saying I would start orientation February 14, 2011! Happy Valentines Day!! So until then, I can now enjoy the next two weeks because I know that I will be starting work in 14 days!!!