Daily 5 - Day 222

Today's Daily 5:

1. 222 days of this.  Mostly just because 222 is a fun number.
2. Got a treatment at Mom's tonight.  It helped my aching neck and shoulders.
3. Actually finished a chapter in the book I'm reading for review.  (It's like the never-ending book, so I'm pleased when I finish a chapter.)
4. Bought groceries for the week and carted them home via transit (and via a stop at Mom and Dad's).  Found everything I needed, got great service from a clerk in the vegetable department, and managed to fit it all in my backpack for the train trip to Mom and Dad's.
5. Supper at Mom and Dad's - handmade BBQ'd bratwurst (in buns) from the tiny German butcher shop in the town Mom grew up in, and roasted vegetables.
6. The feeling of a hot shower at the end of a kind of rough day
7. Checked my aeroplan miles tonight.  I have with 100 miles of enough for a trip either East or West later this year, depending on which destination I decide that I prefer.  This is a totally exciting prospect to me - free (or almost anyway) flights!
8. Still loving Anis Mojgani's "Shake the Dust"
9. Got caught up again on The Amazing Race tonight.  My favorites are still the cowboys, but I'm liking the police detectives too.
10. Mom had a blow dryer, with a diffuser to lend me for a bit.  This is fantastic news since basement living in the (very) early spring has made it a bit less of an option to let my hair air dry, and because my blow dryer quite literally sparked and nearly blew up while I was using it last night.  At least with a borrowed option, I don't have to rush out to buy one, and can wait until my next pay cheque.  I was thankful, too, that when sparks quite literally flew last night, neither my hair, nor the carpet was even singed.

Wavin' Flag

I was thinking about Haiti again tonight, and came across this video that a friend had posted on facebook.  A number of young Canadian recording artists came together and recorded K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" with the proceeds going to relief work in Haiti.  I'd already heard the song, but I enjoyed seeing the video, and the reminder that life goes on in Haiti, that the work of rebuilding and recovering is really only just beginning in these moments when Haiti no longer makes the news.

Held for Questioning

Had to laugh a little at today's cartoon at nakedpastor.  Mostly because I remember having that feeling.  Like I was anathema to the church because I asked questions.

New Recipe Project: Update

One of my goals for this year was to cook at least two new recipes a month.

These are the latest results:

The second recipe of the month for February was Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies

The first recipe for the month of March was Arroz con Pollo with Apple

I'm still really pleased with this goal.  The food I've made so far has all been quite tasty, and I'm getting the chance to expand my recipe repertoire and my cooking skills.  Plus, I'm having the chance to feed lots of other people.

After I moved into Grandma's and cooking became a bit more of a challenge, I was wondering if this goal would have to die only two months in.  Instead, I got a little bit creative, phoned my mom, and asked if she'd be interested in me cooking dinner at their place twice a month.  Since both of my parents work from home and tend to be fairly busy, and mom has never particularly loved to cook (though let me add that she is a good cook) she jumped at the opportunity, and even volunteered to buy the groceries since I'll be feeding any number of extra people.  Her only stipulation was that she wanted to invite my brothers and their girlfriends to come for the meals from time to time.  In any case, cooking at mom and dad's is how I'll likely be finishing out the new recipe challenge for the year.

Back in the Office

It's Monday morning, and I'm back in the office.

I'm wishing I could be curled up someplace warm, instead, near a fireplace, and spend the day writing and processing.  There's a lot shifting within me, and I'm wishing I had the time to really entertain that, to sit with it and honor it.  But this week is the busiest one on my schedule in probably the last year.

I forgot that our receptionist has the day off today, so I'm doing double duty.  My job and hers. 

And it's Monday morning, and all the calls that were stored up over the weekend are coming in.

If I can steal a few moments to write, I will.

I'll sit quietly on the bus tonight.  I'm taking two buses to get home tonight - it'll take a long time, really, but I wanted to give myself that time and space.  I needed to grocery shop after work, and there is a bus stop just outside the grocery store.  So I'll sit and listen and read as I take the bus for a few hours to get home.

In the meantime, I was just tasked to make a large number of phone calls, trying to track down people who are elusive at best, and get them to commit to two conference calls within the next week.  This, in addition to answering the phones all day, and my general duties.

It'll be an interesting day, it seems.