HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Welcome to 2013 everyone!! 2012 was an ok year, I'm thinking the first half better then the second but some may debate that. Either way we have entered a new year and I gotta say that it has been a terrific start.

Christmas was a fun time.I was so thankful when I was done work for the Holidays on the 21st. I ended up changing flights and so I left for Alberta on Saturday the 22nd in the evening. It was a good flight. Seemed to go very fast like a normal flight and luckily through a bunch of seat changing, I ended up having the middle seat open with someone else on the aisle. This is so much better to not be so cramped and then I ended up talking with the buddy next to me the whole trip and this also made the trip fast. It was quite funny because for a living, he sold soap. Like bars of soap. He gave me a sample before we went our seperate ways after the plane. Although the flights were delayed for me and for Leia and Justin, it was a good visit with Mom on the way home and good to see everyone. We only got home at 4 a.m. and less than 5 hours later I was on my way to Ponoka to see my friend Braelyn and her little boy Jace. This was a really good day!! We played the rubber for our previous match in crib that we had played back in August, and then played a new match. She won the rubber for the previous match and then I won best out of 3 in the games we played that day. I left by 4, not because I wanted to but because I was stuck with the beetle in the winter in Alberta and it gets dark at 5. None of which would be a good combination so I prevented what I could and left early. In hindsight I should have booked all friends related things for Sunday but I didn't plan much ahead and this is not what happened. I hung out with Tara when I got back that night until midnight or so. Christmas Eve was a pretty good day with the exception that my Mom was sick with the flu that day, but in the morning, me Candice, and dad went shopping for a few things, we all had lunch except Mom, and then I went to work at the liquor store for a few hours. I volunteered to help out and enjoyed every minute of it. It felt like home and I definetly missed it. I still do...But although it was a short time spent there, I was very happy to see lots of my old customers and visit with Sheryl and Steve. In the evening, we were supposed to go to the Christmas Eve service but no one really felt like going or felt well enough to go so we played games in the evening and then went to bed I think. Instead of our usual tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve night, we opened all of the presents on Christmas morning. On this day, Dad was sick. Present opening took us an hour. Not sure why it took so long and I didn't seem to notice but I guess we were all just moving slower.
For Christmas from Mom and Dad I got: Woo!! A KISS onesie, with feeties, thumb holes, and a hood!!, 7th season of The Office, Zumba on Wii, a Wii nunchuck, a spray bottle to defend against Gizmo, a subway gift card, Wal-Mart gift card, 3 black stands for my glass blocks which have an image inside that light up with these blocks.(kind of hard to explain but very cool), and some stocking stuffers which included a LED flashlight, lip gloss, granola bars, etc. From Leia: 2 shades of eyeshadows, an eyeshadow brush, and a sample mascara. From Candice: Belize cofffee, and a bracelet from Belize. From my Grandma Unger I got a nice bright green towel with my name embroidered on it. From Grandma Rempel, I got $25. And the funniest and cutest thing about Christmas this year was that Gizmo got 2 Presents!!!!!! He got 2 bags of  his favorite treats from "the old people you used to live with" (is what the tag read), and some jingle ball toys from his Great-Grandma Unger! He has enjoyed both so far since I brought them back. :)

Oops, I also got a candle set from my friend Evelyn, it came with a plate, and 3 glass candle holders. She decorated each holder, 2 with red and white stripes and 1 blue one with stars on it. So thoughtful because she knows me so well. haha and to my surprise I returned home on the 26th to find my car, completely cleaned and vaccumed by Emmy!!! It was so needed and I had planned to clean it when I got back before New Years but she beat me to it! I can't thank her enough. It was getting so bad, more with garbage than anything but she did a good job and now I have a clean car.

Besides the family being sick this Christmas, it was a good one. A nice short visit and then back to my humble abode. I'm sure this month is going to go by fast as January normally does. I need to work lots, pay off some debt, and then maybe, just maybe, I can fix my car or give it a tune up by the end of the month. But first things first will be to get back on track in my finances. This is easier said than done. But I am determined and I will live like a hermit until this time. It's only me and Gizmo anyway...

Gizmo did fine while I was gone for the holidays. I guess he was whining a bit but I knew that would happen. He must have thought "Wow Mom, you have been working for 4 days in a row?, please come back" hahah My landlords fed and played with him a bit. They check him once or twice a day to make sure all was well. I guess he attacked Andy at one point, but was fine with Kim. I thought this was interesting because Gizmo must have something against men or maybe just cautious around them. Maybe its because his daddy is far away and Gizmo will never get to see him again. Either way, I find it interesting his reaction with men around. I wonder what is going through his mind.

Yesterday was the first day back to work. I am very glad that it will be a short week this week. It's almost the weekend already!! I realize that I need to be working but I enjoy time off so much. I love my new home so much I could literally stay there all the time and be content to not leave unless I'm just going for a walk. Everyone at work seems cheery and ready to be working again. It's nice to see some people here and catch up on how the season went. As far as actual work, clearly it is a slow day today. Luckily I don't sit on my computer too much at home so when I need to browse the web, I just come to work.

As far as New Years resolutions go, I plan to cut out junk food or all sorts, pop & juice, and other unhealthy snacks. I would really love to lose some weight, which I think I have done since being out here, but I would like to lose more and get fit. Hopefully by the summer time I should look how I would like to look and enjoy being by the ocean this summer.

A couple exciting adventures coming up include: me going to the mainland at some point and hanging out with Carley, in Febuary, both my mom and Evelyn will be visiting at some point. My mom will be here on the 8-9 of Febuary (she is balancing the visit with me here and Leia and Justin), and then Evelyn is planning on visiting the 21-27. So the next month and a half will be really exciting to have stuff to look forward to. Then before you know it, Spring will be here and everything will be pretty here again!! I think what I should aim to do this Saturday am is go for a walk around Elk Lake. I keep saying that I will do this but have not yet. I guess it seems simpler to walk around my neighborhood rather than driving to Elk Lake and walking then driving back. But if it is nice, I feel I should do some things outside this weekend. Maybe take Gizmo along for the car ride. He hasn't had one of those in ages.

Besides all that is above...not much else is new in my world. I have only 3 more hours to kill in this day and then Friday tomorrow!! hooray!! Got to do a bit of grocery shopping tonight on my way home, enough to let me survive but on healthy food, and then I think I will just be at home the rest of the evening. If I decide to be lazy and not go to Elk Lake on Saturday then I am forcing myself to take Gizmo outside in the back yard. He hasn't been outside since the old place and even then it was only once that I took him out. I think it will be a lot easier at my new place. I have a big back yard which is fenced and a quieter neighborhood. Aww wouldn't it be so cute if I could find a remote beach and take him on the leash near the water? That would make a good picture. Crouching tiger by the ocean. hahah

Well folks, I think I'm gonna publish this post before it turns into anything longer, and maybe search the web a bit while I wait 3 more hours to go home. Happy 2013 everyone!!!