To Drunk and Back (minus one tooth)

The ordeal is over and, I must say, it was one of the BEST experiences of my life, lol!

I prepared for my wisdom tooth extraction by staying calm that morning and preparing for the worst. I didn't say much and I was quite focused. The plan was to just get it over with and to shove it away into harmless bad-experiences-stored-memory. I paid my hefty fee, and sat down to wait for my turn.

Scrounging in my bag, I discovered a green plastic bug. I pulled it out of it's packaging and tucked it away in my pocket. It's the little things in life that make miserable moments more manageable. I found it funny to have a plastic green beetle in my pocket. I put my hand in my pocket and peeked at it occasionally.

My name was called. I took a deep breath and got up. V. said goodbye and wished me luck and I followed the lady to the surgery room.

The lady was very sweet. She introduced herself and told me that she would be taking care of me and making sure I was comfortable. A fellow inside the room introduced himself as well and began some friendly chatter with me. He was the anesthesiologist. They took my jacket (bye, bye, bug!) and covered me with a warm dark green fleece blanket. I felt quite comfy and was not much disturbed when I felt the pinch of the IV needle.

The anthesiologist kept me occupied with many questions about my job and it was after a particularly kind thought that he said, "and that's a nice thought to slip into!" Oh! The drugs must be kicking in soon, I thought. I looked up to see my vision swim as the surgeon walked into the room and exclaimed "Whoa! The drugs must be..." and then I was out.

I woke to the gentle squeeze of the blood pressure machine against my upper left arm and thought how comforting that felt. There was some music playing and I realized that I was already humming along to it. It seemed like really good music to me so I kept my eyes closed and just kept humming along.

A nurse came into the room and asked me how I was doing, and I told her that I was great. I told her I found the squeeze of the machine of my arm to be very comforting. She was glad I was comfortable and went out again. When she came back in after a few minutes, I was still singing along to the music. I told her she had a great job and she agreed. She took my IV off and told me to slowly open my eyes. Things were still swimming quite a bit when I opened my eyes. I could see someone being worked on in another room and I noticed that all the doctors wore colourful caps. I felt incredibly happy and content and continued to hum absent-mindedly to another song that was playing. I had not noticed music playing when I had entered the surgery room earlier but it was so obvious now. I chattered about some other experiences with surgery to the nurse and compared it with this one, saying how great this one was.

She unhooked the blood pressure machine from my arm and I was sad to have it go, but I was delighted to have my jacket back. She helped me walk to a new waiting room at the back and I walked slowly with her. I felt like I was walking on the moon. I took note of all the things I passed by (I guess because I was walking so slowly and had a lot of time) and I noticed cans of ginger ale with the word ORGANIC on it. I was quite pleased by that.

She left me sitting on a couch and went to get V. When V. saw me, he asked me how it was and told him it was, "so fun!" He looked at me quizzically and grinned. The nurse and V. sat down and she explained all the medicines I would be taking afterwards and some other after-surgery details. I listened as well as I could but I was quite distracted. When she pulled out a can of ginger ale and gave it to V. I exclaimed, "It's organic!"

The nurse told V. that he would have to guide me as I walked because I was walking very slowly. She showed us to the door, which turned out to be a back exit into the hallway (I guess because all the patients behave strangely afterwards). I began to tell V. how fun it all was and how we should do it again sometime. He laughed and helped me walk.

In the car ride, he tried to persuade me to stop singing because he was worried about the stitches, but my sister told me that I was still singing as I walked in the door at home and that I kept telling her how it was so fun. V. said, "Yes, yes, come along now" and guided me down the stairs to my room. He tucked me into bed and I was still chuckling about my fun day when I dozed off.

Yes, and so when I woke up several hours later (with the green plastic bug on my forehead no less), I was now laughing about how strange I must have behaved after the surgery. I found it infinitely funny that I had wanted to do the tooth extraction again because it was so fun, and I was so glad that I had had such a pleasant experience overall. V. provided me with some chilled ginger ale, and he later made me some hyper smooth mashed potatoes, which were delicious. I kept an ice pack on my cheek for the remainder of the day, and I didn't feel badly at all, except that I had to keep still, rest, and try not to talk.

Not so bad for such a dreaded experience, huh?

Goodbye, Wisdom!

Tomorrow something dreadful is going to happen - I'm going to get my wisdom tooth removed! Aaaggghhh! I am truly terrified. I've been dreading this day since the moment I learned about these mysterious wise teeth.

In my case, I can't even see it. It's hidden away under my gums and I've never had the pleasure of seeing it and scolding it for existing. I suppose it will be a very rude awakening for it indeed when Mr. Oral Surgeon says hello! I just hope I stay safely unconscious until it's long over.

Wish me luck!

My Alaskan Cruise Vacation

I'm back from a 7 day cruise to beautiful Alaska. It was truly a wonderous vacation with all-you-can-eat buffet breakfasts and lunches, fine dining and shows every night, sunny weather, amazing glaciers, nature and art lectures, fabulous paintings, and just wonderful, wonderful people. I feel so blessed to have been able to go on this trip and I will never forget it.

The Cruise Ship

The Royal Caribbean ship was called Serenade of the Seas (which is a really beautiful name). The architecture inside, as you'll see from the photos below, is eye candy with huge paintings everywhere. The bedrooms and bathrooms are TINY, but you'll never want to stay in your room as there is so much to do each day! They give you a "compass" each night that outlines a non-stop itinerary of fun things to do the next day, and we would circle all our choices the night before and just go to them one after the other.

Where we went

We stopped at 3 locations - Icy Straight Point, Skagway, and Juneau. We also sailed up to the Hubbard Glacier.

Icy Straight Point used to be the location of a major fishing plant for all the fishing that would go on in that area. The cannery is now a museum with some touristy shops. The waters there are very clear with many varieties of colourful seaweed. It is very peaceful as the area is not very populated at all. You won't see houses on mountains - just trees.

Skagway was part of the Gold Rush route. All of the shops are in the style of the Gold Rush era and thus look very quaint. You can also visit the Gold Rush cemetery where you can learn a lot about the historical inhabitants and their fascinating (or tragic) lives.

Juneau was the most populated of the cities we visited. However, it's tallest building is still only about 10 stories high and its population is only in the thousands. The cost of land there is very high. It costs $500 per month to rent space for a trailer, and $300 per month to rent a spot to put up a tent. This is not including water, electricity, or showers (which you have to pay for). In Juneau, you can drive up to Mendenhall glacier, and hike up to see waterfalls and the glacier up-close. It's quite breath-taking.

Here are some photos from my trip!

Store Launch Delay - it's Vacation Time!

In a happy turn of events, I'm going on vacation! I'll be leaving this weekend and gone all of next week.

My sweetheart thought I could use a break and planned an Alaskan Cruise for us! I'm soooo excited!!! I have never been to Alaska before, but I've been wanting to go for a while now.

A few years back, I went on a Rocky Mountain Bus Tour and we stopped to see the Columbia Icefields. I was disturbed to discover that the glacier had reduced in size significantly since the time I saw it when I was 12. Back then, the lodge was at the edge of the glacier. But now, the glacier is far away from the lodge. You have to get on a bus and go quite a distance to get there. I decided then that I should try and see the glaciers in Alaska before they're all gone.

So, I'll be MIA all next week, and the store launch will have to be delayed. The good thing is that I'll have lots of stories and pictures to share when I get back.

I'll still be around this week, but I thought I'd give you all a heads up!

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all the mums out there have a very happy Mother's Day!

I took mine out yesterday for a shopping extravaganza.

We started with some dim sum. There was some very fragrant tea with our meal, a type of oolong and rose tea that didn't go bitter even when steeped for a long time. It was nice to sit and chat with mum, and the food was tasty. She bumped into a friend of hers and was so delighted to tell them that I was taking her out for a shopping date today. It made me feel warm and fuzzy to know that mum was happy to be spending some quality time with me.

Then we went from shop to shop, trying to find some nice, new things for her. She ended up with a new dressy top and a pair of jeans. We also found a very versatile cotton-textured jacket. The jacket was a lovely bright salmon rose colour with quarter-length sleeves, something she could casually wear with a pair with jeans or dress up with dress pants. It was rather pricey, but it looked so good on her that I couldn't resist.

Shopping with mum is fun. It's a little harder to know what shapes, cutting, fit, and styles will work on her since there is also the issue of age-appropriate clothing, but I was delighted to discover some clothing lines that seem to be made perfectly for her.

I look forward to the next time when I'll hit the malls with mum. But it'll probably be next year. I don't think my bank account can support shopping like this on a regular basis! :P

Pigeon Egg Spotted!

Yes, the sweet day has arrived - an egg has been laid! See Mama Pigeon sitting beside her eggling. I think most pigeons lay two eggs so it's possible that what you see is the dud and the good egg is under her. I'm not sure though. I can't really explain why she's sitting beside it instead of on top of it.

It may be that she's new at this motherly stage in life. As you can see, her nest is quite sparse. I was under the impression that the collection of scattered grasses was just a nest-in-progress, but that doesn't appear to be the case...

Papa Pigeon is lurking under the platform that I'm standing on. He's a bit camera shy. When I turned my camera upon him, he backed up quickly so that I all I could see was his reflection on the glass. Hehehe...

I'm sorry that I've been absent for a few days. Work has been really busy and I've had some logos for Tiggle Wiggle baby products to deliver. Here they are!
















I also snapped some pictures of dandelions with snow on top from the weekend. Our Spring weather is including some cold snaps, but it makes for some pretty pictures.










This is my silver nettle plant. I was bike riding when I was little and saw this plant growing up the side of a tree. It looked beautiful to me so picked a small vine and planted it under the tree outside my house. It grows beautifully, but I have discovered that it is literally impossible to get rid of. I once mowed it down, dug it up, did everything I could to get rid of it. But it always grew back. I finally gave in and just let it be. Now I rather enjoy it's wild, indestructible nature. It does look lovely, no?

Wool Shorts and Thoughts on Art

I think this is a pretty adorable pair of two-toned wool shorts for a baby. Wouldn't you say so?

I've been spending the day editing papers, watching movies, and thinking. At one point, I looked around my room and was stunned by how much stuff I've created over the past while. My bulletin board has no more room to add more felt brooches, my shelves are lined with crocheted dolls, my monitor is lined with bottlecap pincushions, and Sylvie is studying my every reaction from my side table. When I glance around behind me, I have box after box of art supplies. I've literally surrounded myself with my art without even thinking about it.

Every day I go to work and I leave this little art sanctuary to go to an office, and when I return, I begin to make things. It's automatic. Happy? Make things. Sad? Make things. Bored? Make things. The number of creations is steadily increasing and I'm running out of room to store it all.

I really admire all the Etsy sellers that make things and then send them away. As I look around my room, I think of how nice it would be - how freeing even- it would be to package the many dolls and other made things and to send them away to someone who would appreciate them and value them. And then I'd have room to make more things!

It's hard though, you know. I get quite attached to all my creations. I agree with others before me that have claimed that a little bit of themselves gets packaged up and sent away whenever they send a purchased item away. Perhaps it sounds odd, but I have been resisting starting an Etsy store all this time because I've been reluctant to let all my creations go.

Today, though, I think I'm starting to change my mind. I know I can't keep making things and locking them up in my room. It's like writing a book that's never read, or painting a picture that will never be seen. I think art is something that is meant to be shared, and it seems selfish and pointless for me to hide mine. Perhaps life will have all the more meaning to me if I just take what skills I have and put them to use. If someone out there likes my creations and wears my brooch, or plays with one of my dolls, it would be really special. I think much more special than having them sit on my shelf. What do you think?

Relaxing Weekend

It was a more "normal" Spring day today with some crisp breezes and light sunshine. I went for a morning stroll with my mum and purchased some flowers along the way. A boy was fundraising for a school project by the elementary school and it seemed only fitting to help his cause and to bring home some cheerful beginnings to our garden.









We got a few Ranunculus and some tomato plants. The boy found a tomato plant with a bent stem and told me that, while it looked dead, it was not. He straightened the tomato stalk whereupon it promptly drooped to the other side. By the time he was through with trying to prove to me that it was still alive, we were both sure it was quite dead. I said, "Maybe you shouldn't touch it anymore." And he said, "Yeah..." He hid the very dead tomato plant among its lively cousins and we pretended this had never happened.









It was fun to walk home with our tray full of plants, and I had much joy sweeping the balcony clean to make a nice home for the flowers. I was delighted to discover that some of last year's plants are growing back. I also took a pic of the tiny oranges growing on our indoor orange plant.











This is what happens when I mess around with the Photoshop colour balance. I get strange orange and purple daffodils. These were at Rocky Point (not quite like this tho...)

Carrots by Lamplight

I thought the carrot looked quite pretty last night so I took some pictures of it. It's wonderful how a simple carrot can be so visually inspiring .

Happy Easter Treats

I put together a little plate of Easter goodness today. Five green tea sticky rice balls with red bean filling on red paper cups arranged on a bed of bright plastic raffia. I added some little chicks, some foil eggs, and a little sign for extra Easter cheer.

My family was quite delighted by it and I expect that the yummy treats will soon be all but a memory :)

Happy Easter!

Finally, the weekend!

What a busy week it has been for me! I have been negotiating with my managers for more responsibility and better opportunities and, lucky me, I got one! So I've been working diligently to make the most out of my chance to prove to my managers that they made the right decision in giving me a big project to manage. I've been sending emails out daily, talking to folks abroad, and I've been training up employees on new procedures and documenting the processes in our wiki. I must say, a wiki is a magical thing. It's absolutely essential for documenting new processes in a business, and it's great how it can be edited by wiki users at any time. We can all compile and share our knowledge at work, and future employees can benefit from our documented experience.

I feel like I did a great job this week in managing my new project, and I'm proud of all the new knowledge I've gained. I'm also happy with some new tools that I've built to streamline the process. I've been at my company for 3 years now, and I've been creating extensive documentation and tools all along. However, I'm also really quiet so I guess no one knows what I'm doing.

With all the high housing prices in Vancouver and the rising cost of living, I realized that I'd never be able to support myself on my own with my current job. I set myself the goal of trying to buy my own place one day - it can even be tiny! - and it still came down to being impossible. The bank told me flat out that I couldn't afford to buy my own place. They told me that I'd either have to wait until I'd saved a LOT more money, or I'd have to make a LOT more money. Truth like that can be painful to hear.

I became convinced that I'd have to move up in my company to a better paying position or get out and find a better paying job. With nothing to lose, I approached my manager with my proposal for an opportunity to prove myself. I let him know that, with 3 years of no promotion or recognition, I was ready to either move up or move out. He seemed surprised, but he promised to speak with his superiors to see if something could be arranged.

Last week, I began to work on a new project. I think my manager's superiors were reluctant to really release the project to me in full. They kind of kept me at a distance, figuratively speaking, and gave me small assignments at a time. I was intent on taking this project seriously however, and I worked really hard at doing a good job on each small assignment. I also made new assignments for myself that I knew would benefit the project. If I learned a new way to make the process simpler, I would go ahead and implement it, making sure that everyone involved was aware of my progress.

By the end of the week, everything was running smoothly, and I felt good about myself and my value to the company. I guess everyone wants to feel like their work is important, and I hadn't felt that way about the regular work I was doing. This new project was the perfect fit for me. One of the other managers walked up to me and told me that he had been really glad when I was assigned this project. I had done some work for him in the past and he felt that I would be the best person to take it on because I was so organized. He thought it was the best situation for this project which needed someone to really get in there and manage it and watch every aspect of it. I felt so happy to hear that I had his support.

I can't say whether this good streak will continue, but I have learned some things about making my work situation better. I have learned that I have to be proactive about my job. I can't just go to work every day and do what I'm told. I have to find out about new opportunities at work that I'm interested in and offer to help. People rarely turn down help. Then I have to do a good job with those opportunities and see what I can do to make things better. It seems that there is always a better way to do something. If I can find out what it is and implement it, I will feel proud of myself for my achievement, but I'll also have more value to my company. Lastly, I have to be more vocal about what I want and about what I have achieved. I'm my own best advocate at work, and if I'm not promoting myself and my achievements, then no one is. There might be people at work who notice what I'm doing and recognize my skills and potential, but if I don't take steps to move forward and be heard, they seem to keep quiet too.

I'll keep you posted on how things go. One thing's for sure, it's not easy. I am sooooo exhausted now and super glad it's the weekend!

Cheers!

First Squab of the Season

Look who I spotted sitting on the wrong side of the glass by the Skytrain. He must have flown over somehow and he can't figure out how to get back! Instead, he just sits there looking small and lonely, watching all the other pigeons (and probably mum and dad) on the other side.

Flowers by night

This is my view of the flowers at night. I find it quite soothing.

Things that inspire me today

I feel a lot better today after taking a much needed break after work. I thought I'd share some pretty pictures I took that make me feel happy.

The flowers are sitting on my desk in my room and they look sooo lovely. Each day they open a little more and their colours become more vivid. The water is turning pink too. I like how the colour sits near the surface of the water.

Long, grueling day

It was a very long day for me. The shoot that I was on today went well, but it required a lot of dedicated attention and I had to be on-the-ball to give feedback, stay up to pace, and find any mistakes. Thus, at the end of the day, I was very, very tired. Unfortunately, I still had a lot of work to do before I could leave.

I had to send out end-of-day emails, set up batch scripts to run on the new data, and import data into the proper databases. If programs cooperate, this can be a time-consuming but straightforward task. However, I encountered numerous problems and by 7 pm (I started work at 8 am), my programs were still giving me error messages or frozen in processes thinking. I had no idea how long it would take before all the errors could be fixed and I wasn't even sure if I was doing the right thing. I gave up. I planned instead to come in early tomorrow with a fresh mind to find help and finish the remainder of the tasks.

But as I packed my things to go, others looked at me like I was abandoning them or being negligent in my duties. I felt guilty and irresponsible as I walked out the door and it made me feel angry. I had worked diligently and accomplished a great deal in my 11 hour work day. However, because my programs wouldn't run properly and because there were too many tasks allotted to this particular job task for the end of the day, I was unable to finish everything that I was assigned to do even though I had worked an extra 3 hours of un-paid overtime.

Rant over, I hope tomorrow will be a better day. I'm going to wrack my brain over how I can make this job task easier to manage and hopefully make a few suggestions for the future. Until then, I really need some sleep. I'm pooped.

Grey Scarves and Flowers

It's Saturday, but I had to work today. In preparation for the lack of a proper Friday night off yesterday, I tried to double-time in order to squeeze all my activities in. I watched a movie while crocheting another experimental scarf. This time, I mixed white Baby Boucle yarn with grey Astra yarn. The result was good.

I purposely wove a loose fabric using a combination of double crochet and chain stitches. I also chose a big size 10 crochet hook.

Grey and white is easy to match with other clothes so I proudly sported my long holey new scarf to work. After work, my sweetheart surprised me with a big bouquet of flowers. We didn't get to celebrate V-day on the 14th so we've moved it to the 24th. He has some sort of "Valentine's Day Extravaganza" planned for tomorrow that would be easier without having to carry flowers around so he gave them to me today. Awwww!