Can You Hear Me Now?

This was in my mailbox today:

Inside the card, the parents wrote “thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year”

That says “thank you for the Christmas presents!” at the bottom, from the little girls.

The wishes are a little late, but none the less appreciated. From the Pay It Forward family! Thanks again to everyone who contributed.

Today was a lovely day. Jason and his girlfriend Angela came by at 10:30 (Sheldon was sick ) and loaded up the van with the gifts for the Family. It didn’t take long at all, and soon we were at the community centre where everything was to be dropped off. They had a large room with numbered pieces of paper on the wall, and you put your boxes under your family number. There were people with dollies to help cart everything in, so it only took a few minutes. I was surprised at the amount of families, and the amount of gifts! I thought the family we helped out got a lot of stuff… Family #102 had 22 boxes! (Some families are adopted by large corporations… I hope they are bigger families!) There were piles and piles all over the room. Also, tables full of toys and books that I guess will be split up among the families. It seemed like a well organized place, so I trust everything will get to the family in one piece. I sure wish I could be a fly on the wall while they are opening their presents!

After that, we went out for lunch. Jason said “your choice” to me, so, yeah. My Favourite Vietnamese place. I know Jason loves Pho and Angela “will eat anything” (ahhhh!!! And she has a killer body, of course) so there was no problem. We ate and talked and ate and ate.

Then they drove me home, so I could get my scooter and meet them over at the mall. They needed to do some Christmas shopping, and no one knows that mall and that Wal-Mart better than me. Plus, they had never been to a Dollarama, and I just had to introduce them to the glory that is that store. They were, of course, blown away at what you can buy for ONE DOLLAR. They loaded up on stocking stuffers and actual things they need (”I can’t believe I got all that stuff for $12.00!” - Angela). FYI, you have not lived until you see Jason and his groovy walk up the aisle to the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me Baby”. I bought a cute stuffed floppy puppy dog for my cats to rip apart. (They’re already dragging him around by his ear, so we’re off to a good start). Then it was off to look for games and a Rubik’s Cube. I found my 2007 Sunflower calendar, but I am going to wait a week, when they should all be 50% off.

Later in the afternoon I went back and visited Cotton Ginny because I am in desperate need of pants. Everything in the store was 30% off and I love me a sale.

My buddy Blair is back in town January 20th hosting Bluebird North. I went to it a couple years ago, and it was a GREAT show. This year, we’ve got Barney Bentall, Melanie Doane, Jeremy Fisher, Jenny Whiteley, and of course Blair Packham. I bought my ticket online, I just wish it was at the Ironwood again instead of way the hell and gone down South. (NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING). Of course, right when Michelle moves away from that part of the city! Jenny Whiteley is the only songwriter out of that list I haven’t heard. That’s what I love about shows like Bluebird North, you can always discover someone new. Last time it was Andy Stochansky and I will never forget that! I saw Jeremy Fisher at a similar Songwriter’s night in Montreal a couple years ago. I wonder if he will remember that we ate lunch at the same table the following day? Probably not. Heh.

You know what I just realized?? I haven’t been to any Christmas open houses or parties this year. (NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING). I did have dinner with Troy’s company, but that is it! Usually our family friends Andrea and Roger have one, but they are putting it off until the new year due to unforseen circumstances. I also usually attend one at my client Ken’s house, but either he didn’t have one or just didn’t invite me. I hope he just didn’t have one! That’s the one I go to where I am the only single person. So maybe it was couples only this year. OR he didn’t have one. I need to ask him. (I just sent him an email about it). Hehe

Update: Ken did have his open house this year, it was just “scaled down considerably” so he is taking me for lunch in the new year. Fair enough!

Tomorrow I work at Troy’s, and I’ll be bringing in a few of the Christmas baskets I’ve bought for Troy and the girls, and chocolates for the guys. Then I need to worry about wrapping my gifts I’ve bought, and that is really about it. I didn’t do cards again this year, and in fact, I didn’t even do a Christmas Email yet. Maybe Thursday!

My Christmas will be small and quiet this year, as usual, since I have a small family. On Saturday my mom is staying here, and my brother will come over (who has not been here since he landed a good FULL TIME JOB, the bugger) and the three of us will have a little Christmas cheer. Then on Sunday I’ll go back to Strathmore with my mom to spend the night, and have Christmas with her and Bob. I will not be partaking in the usual Christmas treats, and since my mom is doing her best to avoid the same stuff I am, there won’t be any around. We do have snacks… nuts, rice crackers, rice chips, gluten free Cheecha Krackles, (oh… new single servings? I thought the large bag WAS a single serving! Hee) and I gave my mom a recipe for wheat free/dairy free/sugar free brownies that I hope she has a chance to make.

Gee, I wonder why I’m not losing weight following my new food regimen?

Not that I am complaining.

Yay! Uncle Darren is coming back on Saturday!

I finally bought myself my regular deodorant and feel like “me” again. Recently I have been using another kind that came in this body wash kit I picked up awhile back, but I didn’t like it very much. And somewhere in there I spent a fortune on a natural deoderant because I figured if I’m putting mostly organic foods IN my body, maybe I should go all the way. I like the toothpaste I bought, but the deoderant? In the garbage. It absolutely does not work. Does anyone know if any of those deoderants actually do work? Does it take awhile for your body to adjust to them, or what? I just really didn’t enjoy going around smelling of BO the days I wore it. So now I am back to normal and very happy about it. (I can’t believe Amazon.com even sells deodorant. Amazon.com has everything. Why can’t Amazon.ca get with it too??)

This morning my folks picked me up again for another trip to our chiropractor. Pita is being a brat these days and is back to racing out the door every time it opens. When I was leaving today I was trying to keep her inside by pushing my walker in her face, but I ended up losing my balance and falling out in the hall. Sigh. I crawled inside to my office and called my mom and Bob on their cell phone where they were out in the van, waiting for me. They both came in and Bob helped me get up while mom lectured Pita about how “maybe you weren’t such a great idea after ALL!!” Hehe I really have to figure something out with her… I can’t lock her in any room while I’m gone all day! I’ve resorted to shutting her in my bedroom when I take my scooter out to go to the mall, but an hour is okay. Any longer I can’t do. I used to be able to get out the door with my walker okay, but now she sees me get my coat on and claws her way up onto my walker and meows and wants to go with me. She literally runs out the door the second it opens. So I need to figure out a way to keep her from the door, because I can’t be falling again because of her! A fence thingy won’t work because of where the kitchen entrance is.

Anyway, after the chiropractor I did my usual run to the health food store/bakery next door to pick up Larabars and steel cut oats. I wish we had a bakery like this somewhere in the city. Hey, we have the second busiest Wal-Mart in the world, I’m sure we could support a sugar free/gluten free/wheat free/vegan bakery! I just drool looking at their stuff. I would just end up fatter and deeper in debt though in the end, so I guess it’s just as well. But, seriously? If I have any kind-hearted readers in NYC? Contact me.

Then, we went for lunch (at My Favourite Vietnamese Place) and when we got back here my Mom borrowed my scooter to do some Christmas shopping, while Bob laid down in my room for a nap. I finished gift bagging up the rest of the Family’s presents, and then Michelle came over and helped me organize and label all the boxes. Seven boxes and two Santa sacks (I put the girl’s gifts in red Santa sacks with snowmen on them and a drawstring. So cute! And only ONE DOLLAR!) I hope Jason has lots of room in his van when he helps me deliver it all on Tuesday!

The sacks are this one exactly, if you are reading this before December 18. Mine were cheaper, nanananana.

Oh! Damn. I just came from the mall and forgot to buy mascara. You know what else happened this morning? I’ve been mostly using my various Estee Lauder mascara samples (mini-tubes) that come with the few free-gift-with-purchases I have received over time. Once in awhile I may get a bit in my eye, and it always stings a little (more than other kinds I have used)… I always thought that odd, but didn’t concern myself too much. So, this morning I accidently poked my eye with the mascara brush, and I SCREAMED. I was in so much burning pain. It took forever for the burning to stop and lots of flushing with water and eye drop tears stuff. That freaked me out! I immediately took all 3 mini-tubes and the one large tube of Estee Lauder mascara I actually paid full price for and threw them all away. I have poked my eye with a mascara brush before (yeah, so? Haven’t you, Miss Coordinated?), but I have never experienced pain like that from it. I can only imagine what kind of chemicals are in their mascara, and wouldn’t be surprised to learn someday that users of it have gone blind. No more Estee Lauder for me, free gift or not. The toner made me break out, and now this. I don’t need to spend a fortune on make-up or skin care. I still use my awesomely inexpensive stuff from New Zealand, and it’s back to good ‘ol Loreal Voluminous mascara for me. That has never let me down. (I will still buy some MAC cosmetics, though. I haven’t gone completely mad).

So, on tomorrow’s agenda… sleep in. Buy mascara and cat food. On second thought, don’t sleep in. Be at Wal-Mart to buy mascara and cat food by 7:00 a.m. to avoid being crushed.

“Must… Keep… Momma… From… Leaving!”

“If I can just hold it here…”

“Hey, relax, sis. Let momma do whatever she wants, I’m doing juuuuuust fine without her.”

I uploaded the pictures of the gifts for the Family over at Flickr so I could add notes to them and detail what everything is. (Run your curser over the photo to get the notes). What isn’t pictured, is the indoor kitchen grill Michelle donated (because I couldn’t lift it out of my office) and the two Christmas coffee mugs (for each of the parents) and music boxes (for each of the girls) my mom donated. Anyway, you can see the goods right here.

When my mom was here on Wednesday she wrapped all the girls presents and a few of the mom’s things, so all I have to do now is bag up the rest with tissue paper in the festive bags I bought, and label everything properly. Michelle is coming over tomorrow to help me with that. My mom is also writing up the Christmas card, and inside that will go the $200 gift card for Superstore and the $50 gift card for Canadian Tire. Then, we’re all set!

Thanks to everyone for your contributions. I’m sending out an email to all contributors who may not read my blog, so they can know the results as well. Woo hoo! Good job, everyone!! I think this family is going to get the surprise of their life. I raised about $900 and spent every penny on them!!

On Wednesday when I got home, my scooter was back! Yay! I promptly took it out to the mall and got a latte. It is SO much better now. The problems really started after that accident I had back in April. The speed dial has been out of line since then and it hasn’t felt as balanced when I ride it. I didn’t think it was a big deal and didn’t want to spend what I thought would be hundreds of dollars to get it tuned up. Anyway, I guess whatever got knocked around that day took awhile to completely disconnect. But they fixed it up totally, my speed dial is back in line, and it rides like it did when I first got it. I had forgotten how good that was. Well worth the $60.

Today I was back at the mall (trying to do a little bit of my OWN Christmas shopping each day! Gift baskets for clients and stuff since I’m not baking…) I found out that my Wal-Mart is the second busiest Wal-Mart in the world. I had heard it was the second busiest in the country, but I was corrected by the cashier. “Busiest in the country… second busiest in the world“. Well, holy shit. And yet they took out 4 tills to put in “self-serve” stations because people asked for them, and now they are rarely used. People are afraid of them. That store is nuts busy all the time, but you can imagine what it’s like right now. It’s going to be open 24 hours from December 18 - 24! I bet 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday will be a GREAT time to shop there. Too bad I live in ‘da hood and would never be out alone at that time.

Today Jess was working at the place where I get my latte. She’s the only staff whose name I know, because we tend to yakety yak (Google actually helped me spell that) a lot. She has put in her notice and finishes next week We talked for awhile and I promised I would come by to see her next week (I mean, what are the chances, really). I gave her my number and really hope we do keep in touch, not just say it. She tried to give me a handful of chocolates which I turned down. Go me! I hope I can keep my momentum up over the holidays. If I can make it through that, I can do it forever!!

Oh dear Lord.

I just want to smoosh my head in their bellies!! (I think I did that 2 minutes later)

Today started off rather crappy. After my shower and getting dressed, I went back into the bathroom to check how my hair was drying. As I often do, I did a little lose-my-balance dance. I usually catch myself, but this time I stumbled and fell. (I didn’t break anything, no worries). So I’m on the floor, half in the hall and half in my bathroom. I figured I would be able to get up if I could get to my La-Z-Boy in the living room, so I crawled in that direction. (I learned the hard way that my bed is too high to help me get up).

Once there, I was too tired to make the attempt to get up. And a little weepy, because damn, I just fell and had to crawl on my hands and knees to the living room and now I have no energy. I’m so pathetic, blah blah blah. I called my mom to talk until I regained some strength, but then there was a buzz at the door. Expecting my $250 cheque via courier, I was really wishing I could get up. After the second buzz, I hung up on my mom (sorry mom, but you had put the phone down and I couldn’t tell you first) and called the rental office of my building. I asked them to buzz in the person at the door for me, because I had fallen and I couldn’t get up.

The office manager came to my door and asked if she could bring the package in, (see, wooden doors, you can hear anything through them) and I said sure. She came in and put it on the counter, then called out to me and asked if I was okay. I said “well, I can’t really get up…” she came around the corner and saw me sitting on the floor in front of my chair, and said “hang on, I’ll get someone!” and ran out, telling “someone” to come “quickly! It’s an emergency!!!!” (Oh, brother). Suddenly there were three people standing over me and by that time I had regained the strength to pretty much get up on my own anyway. That didn’t stop them from fussing over me, which only made me cry (Argh!! Why do I have to be such a GIRL!) The man was all, “it’s okay, sweetie” and the receptionist from the office was offering to get me water or something. I was fine, just embarrassed now, thanks.

Anyway, after they left I just sat there and regained my composure. A few minutes later the office receptionist called me to make sure I was okay, and to ask me if I needed anything, help getting to bed to lie down… and to call her anytime I need anything because she knows CPR and has her First Aid. I thanked her and hung up, then proceeded to head for the kitchen. After wolfing down rice crackers, half a package of goat’s cheese and a Larabar, I realized food is not going to solve my problems. If it did, I would be the most problem-free person on the face of this earth.

Anyway, the first package wasn’t the cheque, but it came about an hour later. So the day started getting better immediately, as that means I’ll be seeing Pam later and we’ll buy gift cards and go for dinner.

I took pictures of all the family gifts today, I tried my best to display them like a Price is Right showcase. I should be able to have them up by the weekend.

I’m getting my scooter back tomorrow! $60 later. Nothing wrong with the batteries, thank God, that would have been a few hundred dollars I don’t have. It was something wire-related blah blah blah techietalk blah blah.

Pam’s on her way, I gotta go! I’ll write more later (and a kitty pic).

Sunday night’s haul: $118.74. And what did that get me?

• For the 6 year old girl: “Veterinarian Barbie“, and a Ballerina Barbie was only $5 so I had to get that too, some doll clothes and a blue T-shirt;
• For the Dad: a beige sweater, another blue shirt, a red pullover, black gloves and hat, and a few more pairs of socks;
• For the mom: a quick run into Dollarama to get a few more utensils (salad forks, cheese grater, a nicer serving ladle, garlic press) and a plastic thing you hang over the sink to hold sponges, scrubbers, etc. I grabbed one for myself while I was at it!
• 8 AA batteries!

Last night:

I spent a little more on cookware and dishes than I planned, but I really liked these dishes (they were $40 for a set of 4, not $60) so I bought her two sets. I was planning to get her two sets that were $20 each, but these were so much nicer. For cookware, I got her a 10 piece Betty Crocker set. All in total, $169.39. Which turned out to be okay, because later last night another $50 mysteriously appeared in my PayPal account. Woo hoo!

Tomorrow I should be receiving $250 from my client Ken, and then my friend Pam is taking me to pick up a $200 Superstore gift card (huge grocery store) and $50 Canadian Tire card (hardware and lots more).

Then the real work begins… wrapping all the presents, labeling them, and boxing them up for delivery. I bought wrapping paper and gift bags and stuff last night, and I’m hoping to get some people over to help me wrap. My friend Jason (and hopefully Sheldon?) is going to play Santa next Tuesday morning when I need to deliver everything. I guess I need to find some boxes to put everything in! I’ve got quite the load!

So I should be done shopping, unless I get more contributions. I can always think of more things to buy!

Oh, a couple things I forgot to mention… when my brother was over last week, I finally remembered to ask him to hang the 3 sunflower pictures I’ve got up. After Kim gave me the sunflower field one, I knew I could wait no longer and needed to get them up. (Good thing too, because my mom was going to buy me the same one Kim bought me, and she probably wouldn’t have known I already had it if it wasn’t hanging in the hall now!) So Lisa and Shawna, the ones you gave me finally have a real home too. I know, I know, took me long enough. But YOU try hammering a nail in the wall with one hand!!

The other thing is, I love my Hummingbird. (Still not a sex toy, people. Oral B doesn’t make sex toys to their knowledge, but what you want to do with your electric toothbrush in the privacy of your own home is your business). I highly recommend it to all one-handed individuals. My periodontist will be SO thrilled.

I can’t wait to get my own scooter back. I don’t like driving the 4-wheeler, you can’t make tight turns and you need to be able to do that when shopping in crowded stores! It also doesn’t have lights in the back (which are needed with it getting dark so early right now), and it doesn’t stop immediately when you let go of the whatchamicalits power thingys. You let go and it still pumps ahead a bit. Which has caused me to bump into many a door, wall, and display rack.

Of course, if I’d been driving this one for 4 years and the one I own now was my loaner, I’d be complaining about that one. It’s all about what you’re used to. I just really miss my basket… I can’t get a latte with the one I’ve got now (Don’t tell me I can buy one and drink it at the mall… not the same AT ALL! I always bring it home and relax with it, I don’t want to drink it in a crowded noisy mall. It’s not just the latte, it’s the lifestyle).

Pepper and Pita are quite fond of their lifestyle, too.

Last night I took a quick trip over to the mall, with a promise to not overload my basket this time because it’s very frustrating having to pick everything up that falls out when I make a turn. Anyway, I went into Dollarama and bought the following for the mom:

• Cooking utensils - various spoons, spatulas, whisks, ladels, wooden spoons, a timer, measuring cups;
• Body wash;
• Bath body sponge w/handle;
• Body butter;
• Large make-up mirror;
• Dusting powder;
• A cute container with cotton swabs, cotton balls, cotton cosmetic pads;
• A gift bag to put all the beauty-related products in (I have more to add from my own bathroom, never used or opened.

Guess what I spent? Guess!!! You’re wrong. Only $18.02. I freakin’ love Dollarama. (The stuff does not look cheap, FYI).

So happy with that bundle, I decided I’d buy the girls a couple books each. I didn’t have room in my basket for much else. So, off to Coles I went and bought the 10 year old a couple Judy Blume books, and the six year old the Paper Bag Princess (yes, Kim, I found it! Thanks for the suggestion) and a Junie B. Jones book I was told is popular with kids that age. The books all totaled $31.20.

So there’s your family shopping update. For those keeping count, I have spent $286.13. I estimate the pots, pans and dishes to total about $120 and the rest of Dad’s stuff about $75 (hat, gloves, a couple shirts). I really do need to get the 6 year old a Barbie or something though too, to even it up with the kids. I’ve got enough $$ to do that.

Ahhh! I forgot to get AA batteries for their folding piano and disposable cameras for myself. REMIND ME. I need to take pictures of everything! I didn’t want to set foot in Wal-Mart yesterday, though. I may go later or tomorrow.

Before going shopping, my friend Michelle came by and dropped off her contribution, an indoor electric grill. She’s only used it a couple times and still had the box, and since she has a house now and will get an outdoor BBQ, she offered this one up. Very cool.

Michelle took me over to her new house, as she is now pretty close to me. It’s really nice. The pictures in her blog don’t do it justice. The hardwood floors are gorgeous, and all the paint and everything is like new. I had a lot of fun getting down her stairs (why does down have to be so much harder?) but made it in one piece. Afterwards we went for dinner, Vietnamese again. “But you just went with Kim a few days ago!” “I don’t care, I could eat that every day.” I wish that place delivered.

When I got home, as I was walking up my hallway a couple guys I’ve never seen before came out of the door across the hall from me carrying one of those silver metal brief cases. They were dressed like every person who comes in or out of that apartment… like hip-hop dudes with their ball caps on backwards. Carrying a silver metal brief case. I don’t mean to jump to unfair conclusions, but I do not believe they are lawyers.

Today there was a buzz at my door when I was still in bed (I won’t tell you the time). I considered ignoring it because it’s Sunday, and I wasn’t expecting anybody. And quite often buzzes for the guys across the hall accidently hit mine too. (God knows they are busier than me). But after a second long buzz, I decided to go see who was there. It was a postal worker, with a delivery for me. On a SUNDAY?! Since when does Canada Post work over and above what is legally required of them? It was the book that was missing from my earlier order. So Kim, your gift is here for pick-up any time you’re up for a drive out this way again!

Pepper hanging at the door, keeping an eye on the drug dealers.

I got home tonight, walked in the door, and saw my loaner scooter. A good quality 4-wheeler (mine is only 3), but with NO BASKET. Eeeeek! My stepdad hooked the basket from my walker to the front of it, so I’ll be okay. It’s a little awkward, since a walker basket is so much wider than a regular scooter basket, and I found out the hard way that you can’t make a tight turn when the basket is full. Heh.

I went shopping, and this is today’s loot:

• 6 year old girl: a pair of funky jeans with blue and pink flowers on the bum pockets, a “Princess” pink T-shirt, and a Sleeping Beauty rice paper lamp and night light set.
• 10 year old girl: the funkiest pair of jeans I have ever seen, with a silver belt and glitter and designs on them, two tops, two puzzles (one glows in the dark), and a very neat scrapbook craft kit.
• For mom - a nine piece knife set with block.

All of that for $126.83. I found the pots, pans and dishes I want to get mom, but I can’t lift them and my basket was just a little overflowing as it was. So I’ll call on a friend to help me there. I’ll go to Dollarama to get cooking utensils this weekend. Then I’ll get a few more things for Dad, and we should be all set. As of today, (once my client comes through with the $250 that will be for groceries and Canadian Tire gift cards), I think I have enough money to get everything. Any more I collect will go towards a Wal-Mart gift card or cash for them or something, so THANKS TO ALL who contributed! My mom also bought this cool little folding piano keyboard for the girls to fight over share and she has two music boxes to add as well. Spoiled! Hee. I guess I will get them each a book and then stop with the little girl stuff. After I make 100% sure they’re even. I think the 6 year old needs another top and toy…

I think the no dairy/wheat/sugar thing is working. I worked all day, then went to the Chiropractor and stuff with my parents, then went out shopping. I left the house at 10:15 am and finished shopping at 8:30 pm. Go me!