29 Again? Nope... 31 and Counting!

I haven’t had a chance to write because we have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks but it has been fun! DH came home August 20th and took my b-day off the following week so we could spend some time together. I had most of the week off so it was a mini-vacation for me too!

From August 19-28 my BFF and her BF were visiting from Toronto. They stay with us but we often do separate things as they have their own room and keys so they can come and go as they please. We had a lot of busy days and a lot of lazy days too! It was fun!

On August 22nd I had my annual BBQ for my birthday but unfortunately it was raining so no pool this year. About 20 people were there so we had a full house! I tried to talk with everyone there but I never made it to some people. DH occupied half of the room and I occupied the other mostly. I was just trying to go anywhere that was cool! I got a lot of nice presents that day including a gift card for Chapters, a Pizzelle Press (kind of like a waffle iron for those of you who don’t know what it is), a Smores kit, a Vanilla Bean Diffuser, and a lavender filled eye pillow… and cake!

August 23rd was clean-up day and a lazy day and on August 24th I went to work and then to DH’s parents’ house as it was my mother-in-laws birthday. I happily accepted money for my birthday from them because I already had a plan for it. I bought my Kobo!!! No more carrying around heavy books. Now I can have my library in the palm of my hands!! Also, my BFF insisted on giving me my gift that night so I agreed and was very happy. I got a Hollister Hoodie! Kind of an inside joke, but I love it. After this, DH asked me if I wanted his gift as well. I hesitated because I really wanted to open something on my birthday but I was too curious… and I was happily surprised! I am sorry to everyone who reads this who got me a present… but his is my favorite!!! He got me the white gold, diamond accented horseshoe necklace from Zales that I wanted!!! I love it so much!!! I never took my old necklace (his birthstone) off for anything, but I took it off for this!

August 25th we went to Granby Zoo for my birthday. It was a cool rainy morning followed by a cool and sunny afternoon. We went to the water park for a bit but it was freezing! One thing that made me super happy though, was the Meerkats. They have this tunnel you can go into and pop your head up right in the middle of their exhibit. Last year, there were too many kids there and the Meerkats were hiding in the shade because it was really hot out. This year, on the way out, I was able to get into the tunnel and just as I popped my head out I saw a Meerkat right in front of me! I took so many pictures of him! We left just after that and on the way home we went to pick up my Kobo!

The rest of the week was a lazy week. Mini-putt on Thursday, dinner on Friday with a bunch of good friends, followed by a weekend of house cleaning, laundry, yard work, etc… All in all a great week and now back to the grind! Well, actually, not so much. On Sept 2nd I am getting my last wisdom tooth out and will have the 3rd off to recuperate as well. I see lots of popsicles in my future!

126 Days Until Christmas...

And more importantly... 5 days until my birthday! I still haven't completely absorbed the idea of turning 31, but it will come wether I like it or not so I will just have to get used to the idea! My BFF came down from Toronto and is spending the week with us again AND I am on vacation for the next week so that makes up for the birthday blues!

So, as you can all imagine, the next week will be a busy one so forgive me if I don't post anything. Actually, the next few WEEKS will be busy. Vacation for a week, followed by 2 days off the following week for a wisdom tooth extraction, followed by 2 weeks of "crazy-town" at work.

Yes, it's official... the summer is nearly over!

Love the Way You Lie

For those of you who don’t know, “Love the Way You Lie” is the title of Eminem’s new song (featuring Rihanna as well). If you are interested, here are the lyrics and the video. In recent weeks this song, as well as the video, have caused a lot of controversy; some feel that the video glamorizes domestic violence while others feel that it brings attention to the issue.

Personally, I applaud Eminem (and Rihanna) for shedding light on this very real problem because silence doesn’t fix a thing! Together, they paint a very honest picture of the abusive relationship cycle. They even show that women can be the abuser, a subject that is hardly ever discussed because so few men report the abuse; fewer than the number of women who report their own abuse.

According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation:

• 51% of Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16.

• 36% of female victims of spousal violence and less than 10% of victims of sexual assault reported these crimes to the police in 2004.

• One to two women are murdered by a current or former partner each week in Canada.

At first, I couldn’t understand how someone could think that this song and video glamorized the subject but I guess that, for some, the situation seems exaggerated, impossible, and unreal. Maybe they don’t realize that these relationships can go on and on for years or how hard the cycle is to break. Maybe they just felt that there was some Hollywood spin put on it. These people have obviously never been in or around something like this (thankfully), but they should know that these relationships are very real and they happen around us all the time!

Whichever side you are on regarding this video, I think we can all agree that something positive definitely came from it. Megan Fox, who appeared in the video, donated the money she earned from this video to Sojourn, a Los Angeles shelter for battered women and their families. They provide housing, legal assistance, support groups and community outreach programs, among many other things.

Countless people live through this type of violence and abuse day after day. They think that they are alone and that they have nowhere to turn to. I can say with certainty that each and every one of you reading this knows someone who was on one side or the other of a similar story at one point in their lives… possibly even right now… possibly that person is YOU. If you or someone you know needs help, there are plenty of resources out there; please do not be afraid to use them.

Silence kills – break the silence.

I Haven't Forgotten About My Blog...

... I have just been kind of busy the last few weeks.

DH just got back from California and is leaving again next week, I am going to physio for my shoulder weekly (and trying to avoid the computer as much as possible because of this), we are trying to finish up projects around the house both inside and out, my BFF is coming to visit in a couple of weeks and I am trying to get my birthday plans set for later this month as well. In the midst of all this, some strange and tragic events took place and that kind of threw me off for a few days as well because I just wasn't able to focus on anything.

Things are starting to come together though, and I have 2 entries started already so hopefully I will be able to post something soon! Thanks for being patient, despite some subtle hints from some of you that I have been "absent"!

All is well, just busier than usual!