HUGS!!!

Before I start, I need to send out some loving. It's going to be sentimental, so if you're not the type, you might want to look away now! I'm am a lucky girl - I have lots of people to love and lots of people to love me. And sometimes, there are days when you need to send out some loving and extra special hugs:


To my fantastic friend Claire, who has always been an amazing friend to me and taught me everything I know when I moved to England on my own (without her I would probably be living in a cardboard box right now) She needs some *huge* hugs and prayers right now and I just want to say I am thinking of you.




To Laura, who was here recently (more on that later). She is feeling a little better now, but she was sicky-poorly and we all need a hug when we feel crap.

To Jani, who had some very sad news this week and is having to fly back to Calgary for a funeral. I'm so sorry for your loss and am thinking of you too.

To Mike. He is always a star but this week extra specially - most of all when Jessie May, my little Micra, broke down as I was leaving for the airport to collect Laura and Travis. The AA could not get to me for almost 2 hours and in desperation, I woke my man up at 8:30 when he had not got home from shift until 02:00. And with not a word of complaint he climbed out of bed and drove off into the grey morning to go get them for me.


To my sister. I hope I am safe now to announce that she is expecting baby number 2 in May



We are all excited, but just like last time, pregnancy is not agreeing with her. So this is a sister hug!!




To my parents. They are so great. I have booked my flight home for Christmas and was reminiscing about how much effort they put into making sure that we had a great childhood, not just Christmas but everything. Do we ever say thanks to our parents enough?

I had planned to say a lot more, but reading Holly's blog has introduced me to Picasa and I have been fooling around trying to make a collage which means it is now already time to go to work.

I know I have missed lots of people on this - so can I just send a big hug to EVERYONE!!

Soundtrack for this blogging session:

Something Kinda Ooh - Girls Aloud
Rudebox - Robbie Williams
Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence

Just like me

And this is why Canada (though I love and stand on guard for thee) will never be a world leader - our census bureau does not come up with cool things like this:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 18 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Rise and Shine

Good morning,

You will note, I hope, the fresh new look of Humdrum Chaos. The black felt oppressive and this is so much more 'me'. And all thoughtfully provided to you, the reader, for no extra cost! You can't say that's not a good way to start the morning.

My dear, dear friends Laura and Travis, are arriving bright and early tomorrow morning, fresh from a month of travelling around Europe. I am so excited to see them, view the pictures and hear the tales. It takes me back to my travels 5 years ago (can it really be?!!!!)I feel like a proud mama hen, offering them my advice, reluctantly cutting the apron strings and letting them discover for themselves and welcoming them back with a tear in my eye! Tee hee.

Also like a mother hen, I am busily preparing my nest. There are counters to be wiped, sheets to iron and I supposed I should really have something delicious cooking in the oven when they arrive.

Happy Birthday Popsicle

Hi again, kids,

Sorry so long. I have long been logging onto my blog, staring at a blank screen, deciding I have nothing interesting to say, and logging back off. But guilt has driven me today. And the desire to say a very happy birthday to my Dad. 62 today!

Which adds to the guilt, because I did not wish a very happy birthday to my Mum on the 20th Sept (age withheld). Sorry Mum. Hope it was a great day and that the Porsche I sent makes up for the forgetful mention.

And while we are at it, a very happy upcoming birthday to Bry and Ben (31 and 2, respectively). There is something to be said for your whole family being born within a month of each other!

I have some exciting and possibly pre-emptive news to share with everyone. But first, a getting-to-know-you quiz, forwarded along to me by email. How high school!

What is your occupation? Paediatric nurse in the Emergency Room

What colour are your socks right now? Red and blue striped with monkey faces on the toes. Very mature.

What are you listening to right now? "Kick, Push" by Lupe Fiasco

What was the last thing that you ate? Totally truthfully, and this is embarrassing, toast with penut butter and Nutella, 4 Haribo sweets and some spoonfuls of Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough icecream. Mmmm...

Can you drive a stick shift? Yes

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Pink with sparkles

Last person you spoke to on the phone? My sister. She wanted to know what I had got my Dad for his birthday, as she wanted to buy him a present. I reminded her that his birthday is today and he is 8000 miles away. She realizes this, apparently

Do you like the person who sent this to this to you? I suppose I would not say no, even if I didn't, but happily I can report that I like Sandra very much. She was my first friend at RDL. I wish we were in better touch (my bad)

How old are you today? 24

Favorite drink: I am very very bad at drinking. I often go whole days without doing so, until my sister chides me and gives me ominous predictions for my kidneys. A cold glass of chocolate milk never goes amiss. Alcoholically, and ignoring my historically gnat-sized alcohol tolerance, I LOVE Malibu and Pineapple. Mmmm..

What is your favorite sport to watch? Ummm..??

Have you ever dyed your hair? Frequently

Favorite curse word? I try to abstain

Pets? No. And it makes me sad. Anyone who has met me for more than 5 minutes knows that I am counting down the days until I can start acrueing animals for my little farm full of rescue animals. I even have their names

What was your favorite toy as a child? My EZ Bake oven, which cooked brownie mix under a lightbulb (Health and Safety issues..?) and Snack Shop, which was a mini fast food counter where you could make burgers and icecream out of PlayDough. Oh, and my talking, life sized doll called Cricket. I used to wear her clothes, and she taught me to count to 3 in Japanese, which has been of very little use to me in my life, sadly.

What is your favorite Fall or Spring? Spring, oh I love spring

Hugs or kisses? I'm more about hugs

Cherry or Blueberry? Cherries

Do you want your friends to email you back? Emails are great but I would really LOVE some comments - c'mon. Just a few. I've seen you leaving them on other blogs, my friends. You owe me. It is becoming an obsession with me :)

Living arrangements? Me and the lovely Matt, my flatmate. He is an accountant from Kent. He orders a medium pepperoni pizza from Dominios at least once a week. But he plays a lot of football, so it evens out.

When was the last time you cried? Oh, heavens, most days. The stress piles up, and then suddenly the final straw breaks - something like a jar that I can't open, or a dropped contact lens - and the tears flow.

What is on the floor of your closet? My laundry bin and my fabulous knee high stiletto boots (nicknamed the hooker boots)

Who is the friend you have had the longest? Sandra

What did you do last night? Worked til midnight, then read in bed until 02:00

Favorite smells? Ralph Lauren Polo Sport for men

What are you afraid of? Rats. Oh how I hate them. And chinchillas. And mice. And rabbits. Anything furry that is smaller than a cat and has the potential to try to run up my pant leg/shirt sleeve.

Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? I have never heard of a spicy hamburger. Obviously too classy for me. I love a good greasy burger from the little vans that park on the side of roads here in England, and fry their burgers with onions, bacon, eggs and cheese. Hugely greasy spoon, which adds to the appeal.

Country you would most like to visit? La Reunion, where I have a penpal. It sounds amazing. Is it a country? I don't know. I think so. Also, Samoa and the Cook Islands, which I may be able to see soon (refer to exciting news below!)

Favorite dog breed? Lovely big mutts.

Number of keys on your key ring? 4

How many years at your current job? 16 months; 1 left to go! (again, below)

Favorite day of the week? Saturday

Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? No, but love being a passenger on Mike's. And I want in! So I stopped in the other day to sign up for my motorbike course! No one knows this yet. Mum, if you're reading this, sorry. But I am very excited.

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!

So..my big news. Well, after lots of soul-searching, I have decided to quit my job and leave England for New Zealand! I had an interview on Wednesday and it looks like it might become a reality. I have not officially quit my job but if I do so very soon, as planned I can have a whole glorious month off with my family in Canada for Christmas before taking the plunge. Guys - I am SERIOUSLY excited about this. I would likely go for a year, with a holiday work visa. This would limit the amount of hours I could work, leaving me plenty of time to explore the country and the glorious places close by. So it is all very exciting. Super scary. Never even been there before! I'll keep you posted.

Soundtrack for this blogging session:
Beyonce - Irreplaceable

Simple Plan - Welcome to My Life

Lupe Fiasco - Kick Push

Jeff Foxworthy - The Rules of Marriage (Never stops being funny)

Razorlight - America