Little Things Lately

I always find it challenging to start blogging again after a hiatus. I'm never sure if I should start with an update or skip through all that and start current. I did manage to keep up with What's Up Wednesday and What's New With You so there hasn't been total radio silence around these parts but it still feels like there's a gap to be filled. And the best way to fill a gap is will a list!

{one}

This was my view most nights last weekend. It my turn to be 'on call' with the emergency phone so I wasn't straying too far from home. Instead I watched a few episodes from the new season of Mind of a Chef on Netflix, indulged in pop and made simple but delicious pitas. 

{two}

For February & March my schedule has been filling in at one of the houses on Sundays & Mondays, working in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday and then my weekend being on Friday & Saturday. It's been rather exhausting trying to balance everything all at once but it looks like starting in April I will start a regular Monday-Friday full time in the office schedule and I am really looking forward to that happening. 

{three}

I loved Full House, Mary-Kate & Ashley were everything I aspired to be as an elementary schooler and I adored the fact D.J. & I shared the same first name. When Fuller House premiered I didn't watch because I didn't want to ruin the magic and I was pretty skeptical of the whole thing. Last Thursday I was searching for something to watch that was light hearted and I could leave on as background noise and ended up playing the first episode of the series. I found myself texting a friend about how terrible & cheesy it was but I kept watching....all week long. And last night I reached the end and realized I had become re-attached to D.J. and the Tanner/Fuller/Gibbler Family. Now I need a season three and another show I can actually use as background noise and won't find myself sitting on the couch passionately texting R. all the reasons D.J. and Steve need to be together. Suggestions?

{four}

I've spent my entire life working/living at camp in the summer which means my summer wardrobe consists entirely of neon Nike running shorts, tie-dye t-shirts and a handful of sundresses, jean shorts and tank tops I wore on my days off. My new job is pretty casual...but it's not that casual. So I've been busy doing inventory and figuring out what I need to add to my closet before the warm weather arrives. The exciting part about that is camp has a very strict closed toe shoe policy, flip flops & sandals were for days off only. It has been years since I got to wear sandals all summer and I am so excited to buy some new summer shoes! 

{five}

The past six weeks have been hard in all the ways I thought they would be and challenging in a bunch of ways I wasn't expecting. I am finally starting to see glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel. There are still days when I feel like I was handed the keys to a sinking ship but if the last five years of camp taught me anything it's that sinking ships can be repaired and restored. 

Linking up here. 

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The Highlight Reel

At the beginning of this week it felt like things were happening. And then things went back to moving a turtle's pace so the week is ending in an uneventful way. As per usual when there's lots happening in life the blog tends to get a little neglected, so the most logical thing to do is write a quick post on Friday hitting the highlights of the week and making note of the fact I am very excited it's the weekend!

On Monday I had a pre-screening for a full-time job I applied for but I haven't heard anything back. As a result everything is a state of suspended animation and I can't really make any concrete plans until that comes to a conclusion. Ideally, a positive conclusion. Positive thoughts and good vibes very much appreciated! 

Tuesday marked the start of the #The100DayProject. Initially I was going to do something photography related but at the end of the day I'm focusing on doing a 100 days of pages in my sketchbook. My sketchbook functions as part art journal, part prayer journal, part notebook. I usually use it once a week but over the next 100 days I'm going to make it a daily practice. So far I'm 3 for 3. 100 seems like a long way away but I'm sure I can make it happen. 

Wednesday I headed to town to cross a bunch of stuff off my to do list. I had to pay my car insurance, make a stop at the bank and pick up a few groceries. I also ended up taking photos for a day in the life post that will be appearing next week! 

Thursday I was up bright and early for a camp related coffee meeting. This is entirely the camp nerd in me, but staff training makes me happy. I've kind of got a thing for new beginnings and I love watching a bunch of people come together and figure out how to be a group. Honestly, I think part of the reason I enjoy watching Big Brother so much is the whole situation reminds me of camp. A bunch of (mostly) 20-somethings thrown together in one spot, living together and highly encouraged to get along. The main difference is that we don't vote people out once a week. 

Today I am so happy it's Friday. It's been a long week at work and I'm so ready for the weekend. Next week I only have three days of work and then I'm going on a quick trip to visit H. It's also warming up around here which is a guaranteed way to make life seem a little brighter!

Linking up here.

Ten on Tuesday: Questions I'm Asking Myself

April isn't a month I've ever given a whole lot of thought to, it comes and goes. It usually snows and there are a few sunny days thrown in for good measure. By April I know what my work schedule will look like until September and it's generally a peaceful, uneventful month. This year the weather is the same but the peacefulness is lacking. There are some things still up in the air and it means that I'm struggling to balance optimism and reality with an extra dose of anxiety for good measure. 

So I'm going to take the opportunity to link up with Karli and share ten of the most pressing questions I'm currently asking myself. Maybe some of you have answers, if so please share. Maybe next week I can avoid writing a 'Ten Reasons Why I've Lost My Mind' post. 

1. How often is too often to check my e-mail? Every 10 minutes? 15 minutes? Maybe just once an hour. I can't help myself so I'm opting for 15 minutes. 

2. How long to I keep checking my e-mail before I cut my loses and get on with life? Three days? A week? Two weeks? I'm saying a week, but I'm not sure that's the right answer.

3. Is it selfish to pray for good things to happen to myself? How does that balance out in the scheme of the world? It feels impossibly to balance hopefulness and being graceful. 

4. Is it too soon to plan a second trip to Disney World? I want to go back and do a full out Disney trip but I also recognize I am in my mid-twenties and childless so maybe that's weird?

5. When am I going to make time to organize the quantity of 'stuff' that I have been saving for the past few months under the guise of using it for a Sparks craft or camp craft or 'this might come in handy someday'? 

6. Why are people on the internet so passive aggressive? I know people are also passive aggressive in real life but it just seems so much worse on the internet.

7. What am I going to wear to work? I was busy working on Project Life album all day Sunday and neglected to do any work prep for the week. 

8. Where did all my motivation to read go? I used to easily read a book a week and now I haven't read anything since January. Nothing seems to peek or keep my interest. And that makes me sad.

9. Are there really people out there who don't feel stressed/anxious about deadlines and what happens next? What's it like to identify with the Type B personality? Teach me your ways. 

10. Where do people find the answers to their questions? Does wikipedia still hold all the answers or are folks resorting to Facebook and Twitter?

March Currently

The first part of March was pretty straight forward. I worked a bunch of overtime at the office job and worked on a handful of things for camp in my spare time. And then last week things took a little turn (hopefully for the better) and now life is a little more uncertain. 

Reading... Month after month I seem to fail at reading anything that isn't a news article, Buzzfeed list, blog post or Instagram caption. I can't even come up with an excuse this month and it makes me sad to think about all the reading I'm not doing.

Playing... Occasionally 1010! 

Watching... I jumped back on the Big Brother Canada bandwagon this season, but now I've sort of fallen off. The contestants throw a lot of tantrums and I just can't watch that kind of nonsense. I have been keeping up with Criminal Minds, although I'm not sure I like what's happening there either. 

Trying... To pace myself. I worked a lot this month and my inner introvert felt a little neglected.

Cooking... Nothing too fancy this month. This month my best meal discovery has been a pita with chipotle mayo, cucumber, cheese, red onion and chicken cooked in a sweet & spicy sauce. 

Eating... This month there has been a lot of bagels, yogurt, crackers, bananas. Basically I've been eating like a toddler. The last week I've been getting my act together and returning to meal planning. 

Drinking... Lots of water with cucumber and/or lime, a cup of coffee to start the day and a glass of pop every now and then.

Calling... The dreaded Guiding related phone calls in an attempt to coordinate various schedules and activities. 

Texting... The usual crew. H., R., J. and N.. Sometimes the ladies I carpool with to work. 

Pinning... I didn't do a lot of pinning this month, occasionally some ideas for theme days at camp and little staff moral boosters. 

Tweeting... Mostly just the automatic tweet from Bloglovin' when a post is published.

Going... Hopefully to visit H., however we don't have an end date for work yet. We've been extended so I'll be working past March 31st but we haven't been given a new contract yet, which is incredibly annoying but I'm trying to be patient.

Loving... Daylight!! Saturday I looked outside at 7:33 p.m. and it was still daylight out, which is purely magical.  

Hating... "Work uncertainties. I like to have a plan, complete with specific dates. "You're being extended until sometime towards the end of April" does not make for a good planning base." is what I wrote on March 22...now I'm starting to recognize the work uncertainty might just be working in my favour. 

Discovering... Life plans can change pretty quickly.

Thinking... My mind has been very busy lately. There's a lot of stuff going on up there, which has lead to a lot of motivation to write and colour. 

Feeling... Sleepy. And also hopeful and optimistic. 

Hoping (for)... I'm going to go ahead and be a little vague here but I'm hoping for a big change in April. 

Listening (to)... Podcasts! My favourites are Bringing Up Betty, Stuff You Missed in History Class and Camp Code. 

Celebrating... Easter! 

Smelling... Spring! There have been a handful of days this month where I've been able to open the windows and let in some fresh air. 

Ordering... I do a lot of browsing but not a lot of ordering. 

Thankful for... Family, Friends, Cats, Community, Creativity, Education...

Considering... In this moment I'm considering if I want to shower & get into bed or get out my colouring book and let my mind relax a little more before sleep. 

Starting... To get back into a routine. Working overtime messed with my groove and now that's over I'm reclaiming my leisure time, making meal plans and generally returning to a more well rounded life. 

Finishing... I can't think of anything really noteworthy I finished this month. 

Monday Blogging

There's something about blogging on Monday that feels extra intimidating. Almost as though there is an unspoken rule in blogland that in order to blog on Monday you must have tales of weekend trips to  small Texas towns, photos of gourmet meals and craft beer or at the very least photos of you and your adorable children in pyjamas and then their Sunday best. I don't have any of those things to share, but I'm going to blog anyway. 

I spent this weekend doing the same thing I've been doing every weekend since the end of February - working. Which in many ways is insane and on Sunday morning the last thing I wanted to do was spend another 8 hours at my desk, but I did it. In the beginning it was the make hay when the sunshine category of motivation. This past week I did find out that I will be extended past March 31st, but it's still unclear how much past. As per usual, there are rumours swirling that our end date will be anywhere from April 17 to April 27. It's nice to know I'll be working for another month, it would be even nicer to know exactly when we'll be finished. I'm still hoping to visit H. before camp season but she only has a week off at the end of April so depending on my finish date it may not work out. 

When I finished work yesterday I quickly ran to the grocery store and bought groceries for the week. I need to get back on the eating meals train. It's a fact of life that I am a happier (and healthier) person when I plan my meals, prep stuff for the week ahead and eat real meals. Since overtime has been eating up my weekends I've been eating a lot of yogurt and goldfish crackers....not ideal. I had an early Easter dinner yesterday with J.'s family because they're travelling next week but once I got home I found my kitchen groove and organized/cooked things to make steak fajitas, bruschetta, quinoa & veggies and made a big batch of trail mix to snack on all week. Full disclosure, my "made trail mix" what I'm saying is I mixed a bag of dried fruit with some nuts and seeds then called it a day. 

I then proceeded to sleep for 10 hours and woke up on this Monday morning ready to start the week. Because I kind of love Mondays. I like the possibility of the week ahead and the feeling of having everything in order. Meals in the fridge, outfits hung in the closet...Mondays make my Type A soul burst with happiness. 

So on that note I'm off to gather my tupperware containers, throw on an outfit and start the week. Hoping your Monday is equally as enjoyable! 

Tuesday Plus One

Remember back at the start of the month when I was all gungho about February? I have since lost all enthusiasm for the month.  #reallife I can't even blame the weather because compared to last year February has been almost tropical. It's still -6 and there are patches of snow on the ground but this time last year there was six feet of snow on the ground and I was convinced spring (or summer) would never arrive. 

I have made zero progress on by 52 in 52 list. I read one book (largely because I was forced to earlier in the month when we lost power for 2.5 days during a snow storm) and completely missed the boat on my plan to start a good habit during Lent. I'm not even sure I bothered to fill a single page in a notebook this month. I did get Valentine's Day cards mailed and made a few Project Life pages, I need to print some more Disney photos though before I consider that fully accomplished. I'm also failing to remember a time this month when I went to a new restaurant, tried a new food or made a new recipe. 

I was also anticipating knowing if my contract will be extended past March 31 this month, but so far there's just be rumblings from the rumour mill that nobody will be extended. Which is fine but rumours don't do me any good I need to know for certain so I can make pre-camp vacation plans. #priorities I've said it before and I'll say it again but this whole contract position situation is for the birds....or at least people who unlike me don't feel the need to plan ahead.

At this point I'm more or less ready to write off February's productive and focus on getting in gear for March. Dusting off my planner, perhaps making a list of blog post, definitely making multiple to do lists. In various colours, stamps and washi tape...or scribbled on the back of a post it depending how things play out. 

That's all I've got for today. I thought I had photos but as it turns out they're on my memory card in my camera and not on my computer. Wishing you a Wednesday more productive than mine! 

Coffee Chat June 2015

I've been trying really hard not to drink coffee on an empty stomach and to sort of limit my carb intake. So if we're going to have coffee first thing in the morning chances are I'd also have some vanilla yogurt along with mine. 

The first thing we'd talk about is how camp is going. I'd sigh and respond that it's going well although I often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. I might confide in you that it's near impossible to find time to talk to J. before 11:00 p.m. each night and by that point I'm practically falling asleep. These long distance relationship type situations are hard work. It is without a doubt worth the effort, but I'll be relieved when it's over. I'd ask about your experience with long distance relationships and hope that you might have some words of wisdom or advice to offer.

I'd tell you that I recently discovered a Vanilla Carmel flavoured creamer and it's been making my coffee extra delicious. I never use creamer at home but camp coffee needs a little extra boost. I know it's not a great choice health wise, but I think we all deserve an indulgence here and there. I choose to make mine Vanilla Carmel Creamer. And also thick cut, rippled, plain potato chips. What have you been indulging in recently? Or will your answers only make me want to rush to the nearest grocery store for more treats opposed to veggies?

If you're a regular blog reader you might ask how my summer goals are going. I'd be honest and tell you I was off to a really great start and then things quickly spiralled downwards. I haven't totally abandoned the blog and I've been getting to bed a little earlier than previous summers, plus most nights I read for at least 10-15 minutes right before bed. Lately though I've lost track of the Fringe Hours. I find myself acknowledging the fact I would love to spend 10 minutes taking photos of an amazing sunset and then hurrying away to fold laundry or prepare evening snack. I'm hopeful that this is the week I reclaim those minutes and use them for me instead of always prioritizing work.

I might share with you that my biggest, boldest, scariest and sincerest prayer right now is to find a full time position with a summer camp ministry near my hometown beginning this fall. I know it's a lot to request and in many ways it seems almost impossible, but I know that God can do the impossible. So I'm continuing to pray. I'm praying that specific prayer but also that God will lead me to the place He wants/needs me to be and that I can continue to trust Him. 

Even though I'd love to chat well into the afternoon or late into the night this month I probably only have time for one cup of coffee. Here's hoping that next month I'll be able to suggest a refill so we can discuss a few other things that have been on my mind lately. 

Prioritizing Balance

Three weeks ago I started making a list. Goals for this summer, things I wanted to prioritize and accomplish between May 17 (first day of camp) and August 25 (last day of camp). Yesterday I got out the list intending to rewrite it and make it pretty enough to hang on my wall. As I started reading through the list trying to decide what size paper to use, debating between stickers and cricut cut outs I had a realization. I read through the list top to bottom, skimming the notes I'd written in the margins and between parentheses. Carefully thought about the reasoning behind the goals and what it would look like to accomplish them all. I realized I was asking too much.

Read. (something unrelated to work 15-30 minutes each day)

Write. (every second day blog post, creative writing, poetry etc.)

Photography. (10-15 minutes a day take photos of the ordinary) .

Quiet Time. (minimum half an hour before bed each day and/or half an hour first thing in the morning)

Journal. (Everyday!!!)

Meditate/Pray.

Sleep. (8-9 hours every night)

Wake Up Early. (15-30 minutes before all camp wake up time)

Go To Bed Early. (Before 11:00 p.m. every night)

Eat Balanced Meals. (3 full meals a day OR 5-6 well thought out/balanced/planned/healthy snacks)

Stay Hydrated. (1.5 litres water each day, limit pop to once or twice per week, limit coffee to 2 cups max per day)

My job is demanding. There are many long hours and unpredictable situations. My self care and mental health needs to be a priority, but sometimes it's not the first priority. I know that going in and part of what I love about my job is the chaos, you just never know what the day will bring. 

There will be days when the only thing I read is e-mails, the only thing I write is an incident report and the thought of capturing a moment on camera doesn't even cross my mind.

There will be days when the only Quiet Time I have is the 15 10 5 minute shower I rush through before someone else needs the bathroom. I won't have time to work though my thoughts on paper and it's entirely possible I'll fall asleep before I even finish reciting The Lord's Prayer. 

There will be days when I stay up late working on props for an elaborate theme day followed by mornings when I'm up early to get a head start on setting up an activity. And there will be nights when comforting a homesick camper takes priority over my sleep.

There will be days when I reach for the coffee pot or crack open a can of Coke instead of re-filling my water bottle. And I might find myself collapsing into bed after a hectic day only to realize the only thing I had to eat all day was a bagel, a granola bar, a handful of chips and 6 cups of coffee.

If I was talking with another camp person I would never expect them to have it all together like that. And if they told me they worked and lived on site during the summer and did all those things I wouldn't believe them. Or I would assume they spent all day accomplishing their personal goals and zero time doing their job. 

Life is about balance.

When I take a big step back my goal for this summer is really all about balance. Taking care of myself so that I can do my best work. And not expecting my best work to always be Pinterest worthy. This summer the list of goals on my bedroom door won't make me feel guilty or inadequate. Instead they'll serve as a a reminder and as encouragement to use my time wisely and make the best choices available. And when I do have a "bad" day there will still be things that I did well. And every day is a fresh start to make a few more choices and do the best I can to balance it all. 

Stuff & Things

I could go on for a long time about the snow situation here in my neck of the woods. Over three days mother nature dumped 125 cm of snow. (That's about 50 inches for you Americans). Except that I am totally and completely exhausted by the snow and would prefer if I could burry under blankets and not move from the house until next month when it's time to board a plane for a more welcoming climate.

There are 20 working days left between now and the end of my contract. I've really enjoyed working there for the last 6 months but I'm ready to be done. The biggest contributing factors to my doneness are the crazy hours, winter driving and a few co-workers that really grate at my nerves.

I discovered recently that it really bothers me when people don't show appreciation. Whether it be a simple thank you or acknowledgment of hard work or not complaining about the things they have when people aren't appreciative it bugs me. The flip side to that is it's made me more intentional about showing appreciation towards others.

I'm eagerly awaiting the official link up to share the full package Elizabeth sent me but I need to share  that one of the things she sent was "Peanut Butter Monster Trail Mix" and it is the most amazing and delicious trail mix I have ever eaten. J. & I are both obsessed with it and can't wait to get more next month when we're on vacation. (It's not available in Canada)

I have an almost overwhelming sense of nervousness towards camp this summer. There are some big changes happening that both directly and indirectly affect my job, the entire staff dynamic and a lot of other things. I'm doing my very best to prepare myself and focus on doing my job without letting my own insecurities and staff drama come into play but it's hard. 

March is half way over and I'm making slow progress on my March Goals. Progress is happening though and I think part of goal setting is identifying areas of improvement, not feeling bad/guilty/ashamed that I didn't do exactly as I said I would. 

I have really enjoyed being on top of blogging this week. Not everything has been perfectly preplanned and organized but having an idea of what I'm going to write about, where I'm going to link up and what I need to do each day has been wonderful. Plus, it has given me more time to visit other blogs and ensure blogging is a hobby I enjoy and not a chore. 

Not So Weekending

I didn't have much of a weekend this week. I work evenings so my Friday night is always a write off, last week work was especially chaotic since head office has decided to change some filing protocols. In some ways it's like learning the job all over again. And of course with any change there were some guidelines that didn't quite make sense and seemed to contradict each other. There was a lot of back and forth between co-workers and discussion and problem solving. I kind of suspect today (Monday) will be a similar situation until all the kinks are worked out and everyone gets on the same page. 

Saturday I worked overtime from 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., when I left work I went straight home although I was insanely tempted to go through a drive-thru and pick up fast food for supper but I refrained. Instead I went home, took a nice long hot shower got into my pyjamas and made supper at home. Which I ate while watching Friends on Netflix. I was asleep by 11 and I wouldn't have chosen to spend my Saturday night any other way.

Sunday started off snowy & stormy, but then the snow switched to rain and it was less stormy and just gross outside. I helped Mom clean out some cupboards and make a pile of old dishes and tupperware to donate. When that was finished I made a super easy lunch for us with leftover pulled pork, cheddar cheese and a little red onion wrapped up in pre-packaged crescent rolls. Sort of similar to this recipe. 

J. came over in the evening and after watching a few minutes of the Oscar red carpet we determined neither of us actually cared that much and opted for a Netflix movie. We decided on watching The Interview and to summarize that's a couple hours of my life I'll never get back. There were a few jokes that I found funny but I've laughed a lot harder and enjoyed movies a lot more. J. found it funnier than I did, but only marginally. We laughed a lot more at the two episodes of Friends we watched after the movie. Definitely not worth the hype and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Even if you're looking for the over the top slapstick comedy type of movie I'd rather re-watch a Will Farrell movie.

I can't believe it's the last week of February. Don't get me wrong, March is still totally winter here on the east coast, but it's a little closer to spring and it feels like the worst winter months are over. Camp is slowly creeping up on me and my mental to-do list is miles long. I need to sit down this week and write it all out. Also on my to do list this week is another trip to Target to check out this week's discounts and set some actual goals for March since I've been majorly slacking on setting any monthly goals this year. 

Linking up with B Loved Boston to share my weekend.

Friday Thoughts

{one}

I came across these prints on Etsy a few weeks ago and just had to ordered them.  They're from Water in My Paint and I am totally in love with them. I can't even pick a favourite. What I love about them is for now they fit in just fine on the gallery wall I have happening in my bedroom. And in the future I think they be totally acceptable to hang in a kitchen or pantry area. Because what's cuter than squirrels eating donuts & sipping coffee while wearing their hair bows and think rimmed glasses? I might be borderline obsessed with them. The artist has tons of quirky water colours for sale, the squirrels were my first choice but there are so many others that I love. Plus, the price was super reasonable ($10 for each 5x7) and she is a Canadian artist so shipping was also fairly cheap. 

*This woman has no idea I exist and I was in no way, shape or form compensated for my fangirl-ing. I love the product I received and love supporting Canadian and small buisness.

{two}
Maybe it's the fact I'm done with winter and longing for summer with every cell of my being. Or maybe it's just me being weird. Either way I am compelled to eat anything BBQ flavoured. Mostly chips but I won't discriminate. I would also love to eat some BBQ steak and baked potato. Or simple burgers & hot dogs with a side of potato chips. BBQ chicken and some potatoes in tin foil...that being said I'm not willing to bundle in 50 billion layers to stand outside long enough to cook meat or ruin my mittens by getting BBQ sauce all over them.

{three}
Some of you may have already read this Buzzfeed article; 25 Truly Terrifying Pictures Of The Snow in Eastern Canada Right Now. That's my neck of the woods friends, our massive quantities of snow have made Buzzfeed. And we're forecasted to get about 20-30 cm on Sunday. C'mon spring...hurry up!

{four}
I working 8 hours of overtime tomorrow. I have mixed feelings on the one hand I'm thankful that I have a good job and I'm thankful for the opportunity to earn a little extra money. Especially when I know that working at this job will allow me financially to work at camp again this summer. On the other hand I'm definitely someone who needs down time so working 6 days a week isn't exactly conductive to down time. I will figure it out though. And if we get those 30 cm of snow on Sunday I will certainly be spending the day at home in my comfy clothes watching Netflix.

{five}
I'm still so sad about Target closing. And honestly even sadder that the clearance isn't all that phenomenal. Everything did get marked down another 10% on Thursday so maybe I'll try to check it out again early next week. There are a few things I have my eye on but aren't discounted enough yet for me to justify buying. I did score a sweater for $8 when I was there this week along with packages of tea for 98 cents and a couple of treats that were discounted. I'm hoping to get some new bedding for camp and there's a bedside table that I happen to think is super cute and will totally be snatching up if/when it ever goes 50% off.

Linking up with Oh Hey, Friday & Bright on a Budget

An Airing of Grievances

This is the first cold/flu season since I was a teenager that I haven't been around little kids. My work schedule doesn't allow me to volunteer in the evenings with Girl Guides and my job has nothing to do with children. The logical assumption would be that I would be in tip top health. That assumption is incorrect. The combination of central air system, carpeting and dusty files has resulted in me being a steady stream of sick this winter.

A sick me, is a cranky me which means I've got lots of complaining confessing to do this week.

I usually avoid taking medicine for common colds but I have a brutal cough so I've been taking cough medicine steady so as to not drive my co-workers crazy with the cough. Because I'm on a short term contract, I don't have any sick days so I'm forced to fill myself with cold meds and cough drops and anything else that might help me get through my shift.

At one point last week my purse resembled a small illegal pharmacy. Cold medication, sinus medication, cough syrup, cough drops, throat lozenges, regular Tylenol, Aleve...Don't worry, I wasn't taking it all at once, just enough to get me through work. 

Why can't the powers that be make a cough medicine that doesn't taste absolutely disgusting? Cough drops come in all sorts of nice flavours but cough medicine comes in orange and cherry. Neither of which taste anything like oranges or cherries.

I am done with winter. It's cold and snowy and every time the sun comes out and I can start to see grass it storms again.

I would like to do yoga, go for long walks, drink tons of water and eat veggies and balanced meals. Except that it's cold outside so all I feel motivated to do is watch Netflix and eat #stormchips.

Last night I decided to have "Snacks for Supper". Instead of eating my usual chicken, rice & veggies I was feeling too sick to do any real food prep so I ate a banana, yogurt, granola bar, fruit snacks and crackers. It was a poor choice and I need to accept the fact I am someone who needs to eat actual meals.

Sometimes I feel like the only female between the ages of 20-40 who has never watched an episode of Girls and (based on the handful of interviews I've seen) finds Lena Dunham incredibly annoying.

This past weekend in the midst of being sick and feeling miserable J. made a comment about missing him and I then proceeded to burst into tears because it made me think about how much I miss. H. & R.. It was not a proud moment in my life or my relationship, but I haven't seen either of them since the end of August. As steady as our group iMessage is updated and as frequent as our Skype dates are, it's still hard to be apart. Especially when we experience exciting stuff or sad stuff or stuff in general. I miss my friends. 

The last two mornings I've been forced out of bed to answer the phone only to have a call centre/scam artist greet me on the other end. This morning was my favourite after informing the person on the other end of the phone that I did not own any Windows operating systems, I use Apple products she hung up on me.

I didn't set any January goals or February goals. I don't plan to, the goal is to make it through winter.

In this moment making it through winter means drinking some coffee, eating some lunch, preparing something for supper and doing my very best not to cough up a lung. 

Linking up with Melissa for Humpday Confessions!

The Week Ahead

I had a pretty great week last week. Which is probably why I didn't blog much. Does anyone else experience the bizarre effect that more happiness = less blogging?

My favourite part of new Taylor Swift albums is choosing a favourite song and listening to that song on repeat. This time around it's Wildest Dreams. T-Swift understands. When I haven't been listening to 1989 I've been singing along to Leave The Night On by Sam Hunt.

More often than not things in my life happen very fast and all at once. So when things don't happen that way, when they unfold slowly it is a pleasant change of pace. And since there are so many seconds to enjoy I'm enjoying everyone of them. That's a pretty cryptic statement but y'all are just going to have to deal with it.

This week is shaping up to pretty fabulous as well. Even if I spent all day Sunday being extremely unproductive rather than my usual Sunday routine of choosing outfits for the week and doing meal prep. The time change had me all sorts of messed up and I found myself showered, PJs on and ready for bed at 8:15. It worked out well though, it was nice to end the weekend and start the week reading a good book. 

I'm not mentally prepared for fewer hours of daylight or snow so I'm trying to focus my attention on enjoying this season opposed to forcing myself to panic over winter driving, cold and never ending snow. I was excited for sweaters, scarfs and boots but it turns out my office is part sauna. I wore my favourite sweater to work one day last week and endured 8 hours of unbearable heat. Of course when I left work it was near freezing and I drove the whole way home with my heated seats on full blast. 

On that note I need to go piece together an outfit that will keep me warm outside and cool inside and maybe justify a second cup of coffee.

Big Things

The past week has been a whirlwind of happens. I've written before about how God Moves Fast and I always say that more often than not everything happens all at once, this week has been no exception to that rule. The grant officially ended Friday and I hadn't heard back from any of the local jobs I had applied for, only things out of province. Then on Wednesday morning I got a call saying that someone had quit at the last minute and they needed someone who could begin training that evening. So I said yes and went from being almost unemployed to accepting a really great job offer. 

Since then I've experienced countless moments and coincidences of perfection that leave me with an almost overwhelming feeling that I have no idea what God is up to but He is working on big things. The signs I've prayed for seem to be popping up all over the place and leading me in the right direction. Have I mentioned the new job offer is also a contract, that ends in March (with a possible extension to April), which is of course perfect timing for camp. 

I'm not delusional enough to believe that just because in this moment it feels as though God is planning on brining me back to camp this summer. All of these happenings are really just reminding me to pay attention to my surroundings. Listen, watch, feel, observe the world around me. I am excited about the things that I'm sure are going to appear over the next few months. Not all of them will be good, but God's plan is good and I trust His plan.

(Even if it's kind of scary.)

What Happens Next

If I could go back and start at the beginning all over again I'd do a few things different. 

I would have done a better job communicating and spent more time writing and communicating with myself so I could express my thoughts and feelings to others. 

I would have focused on the big picture and reminded myself that 10 years from now I won't remember the minor details that I found so annoying in the moment.

I would have drank more water and less coffee.

The thing is my contract is ending this month and I may not get the change to do things over again. I wrote about my loyalty to my current camp last year and I still feel a lot of the same feelings I did back then. The difference is I realize that I can't stay with a place/at a job forever where there's no opportunity for it to become full-time. I'm not really sure where that leaves me though.

Once again I find myself staring into the future and only seeing a giant question mark. And I'm trying really hard not to let that giant question mark make me overly anxious. 

Instead I'm focusing on making the last couple of weeks in this job good ones and trusting that something great is just around the corner. I should know by now that things happen when they're supposed to happen and it's often at the last minute. 

"I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth."

- Genesis 9:13

My Job Is Weird

I laughed out loud when I saw that the prompt for the day was "your day in GIFs"…because I'm at work, camp is in session and there is just no telling what's going to happen in the run of a day around here.

I spend a lot of time intervening before counsellors/campers make bad decisions. Like having a contest to see how much hot sauce they can eat on a spoon or wear the same t-shirt for five days in a row. 

I drink A LOT of coffee.

In-between I do a lot of singing and dancing to one-hit wonders & popular songs from 10 years ago.

I never know what's going to happen next when camp is in session. No day is ever the same and I can honestly say my job is never boring. Chaotic, ridiculous, fun and challenging but never boring.

Linking up for Blog Everyday in July!

Happy Summer Camp Eve!

There may be a frost warning in effect for the next couple of nights, temperatures below 0 and snow on the ground but all the same my bags are packed and this time tomorrow I will be on the road towards camp! 

Myself and the Camp Director are heading up tomorrow for a week of cleaning and opening camp, the four head counsellors arrive on Thursday for a couple of days of leadership training before the rest of the counsellors arrive on Saturday evening for a week of staff training. Our first session of campers happens the first week of June and even though that seems so far away right now I know it's just around the corner. 

I'm a weird mix of nerves and excitement. There are a lot of contributing factors. One of the main ones is that odds are this will be my last summer at this particular camp and it will almost certainly be the last summer working with this specific staff team. On the flip side I'm feeling a lot less overwhelmed about the summer than I have in the past.

I still have a lot of things on my to do list for the day but I'm not really worried about getting them all done. Yesterday I made an impromptu trip to town for shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste - all the exciting things. I did snag a pair of $6 aviators from the little boys' department of Wal-Mart. There are a lot of downsides to being petite but being able to buy things from kids' departments is not one of them!

I've reached the stage in the packing process where I start to panic that I'm forgetting something important. To counteract that feeling I just start throwing anything and everything into my bags "just in case" regardless of the likelihood I will be in need of multiple pairs of black panty hose or a pair of high heels over the next few weeks.

I am off to spend the next few hours eating my last pre-camp meal (it's pizza, duh) and strategically loading things into my car and putting the finishing touches on my road trip playlist.

I have a post scheduled for tomorrow but it will be a while before the internet gets hooked up at camp and probably even longer before I have an hour to sit down and write something worth publishing!

Until then, send your sunny weather my way and extra prayers of a summer full of love, happiness and no trips to the emergency room!

Whirlwind Weekend & Manic Monday

First off…check out my new design!! The lovely Erin from Love, Fun & Football designed it and I'm in love. If you are in the market for a blog design I highly recommend talking to Erin! I had only the vaguest idea of what I wanted and Erin was so patient with me and collected all of my ideas about colours and fonts and things I did and didn't like and made it into what you see now!

Now to catch you all up to what's been happening over the last few days.

Saturday I was up early to make the three hour drive from the City to a meeting with a bunch of other camp directors from across the province. The main topics of discussion surrounded mental health at camp for both campers and staff, healthy eating on a budget and a look at numbers from camps around the province over the last few years. After the meeting I headed home to my parents to gather my stuff for camp and work from home for the week.

Sunday and Monday were so hectic. We had a bit of a situation happen at the office and for a while it looked like I was going to have to drive back to the office to go in for a day and then head to camp…which would have been a serious pain and inconvenience. Luckily things are sorted out now and I can get my life organized and hopefully spend a little bit of time relaxing and preparing myself mentally, physically and emotionally for the weeks ahead.

Most of what that involves is eating a lot of yummy food, making lists, enjoying satellite TV & reliable internet access and appreciating quiet time. I've also been thinking a lot about my summer goals (stay tuned for a post about those). I put just as much, if not more, effort into establishing my summer goals as most people do for their New Year's Resolutions.

I intended for this to be a much longer update but I keep getting interrupted by phone calls & e-mails so I suppose I should take the hint to stop blogging and get back to actually working from home!

Coconuts & French Fries

This was my last week in the office before camp…so things have been a little hectic. I also moved out of my apartment and am staying with my cousin and her family for the week because the friend I was subletting for was moving back in and it just made the most sense. My commute to work did go from 10 minutes to 45 but overall much better than toughing out the week with four of us girls living in one apartment sharing 1 bathroom and 3 bedrooms.

Since it's been a hectic week blogging has (once again) fallen to the bottom of the to-do list. There are a bunch of things I planned on blogging about this week but since the week is pretty much over the condensed version of all those things will have to make do.

Linking up here as per usual! 

{one}

First off, Sunday night I went with a group of five other girls to the Backstreet Boys' concert!! And while I won't tell you it was the best concert I've ever been to it was pretty great and I'm glad I went! They played all of their old hits and some of their new stuff. There was the classic 90s boy band choreography one would expect to see at a BSB concert. Plus, a really impressive acoustic set! If you haven't seen them in concert I would recommend seeing them at least once! 

{two}

For weeks now I have been craving coconut. I've convinced myself that the only thing that can satisfy this craving is a real coconut. None of the sweetened shredded stuff or dried pieces in trail mix or coconut flavoured yogurt can satisfy me. The problem is I have no idea what to do with an actual coconut. They are readily available at my local grocery store but what happens when I bring it home? Google tells me I need a hammer and a cleaver and a very sharp knife? Please leave your coconut related experience and suggestions in the comments. 

{three}

It's that time of year when I listen to all the newly released country songs and declare one to be my summer song. Every other year I hear a song and that's it, I fall in love and listen to it on repeat for days on end. So far this year that song has been Yeah by Joe Nichols. Although I still plan on listening to Luke Bryan sing Play it Again over and over over again all summer. 

{four}

I was really looking forward to next week. The plan was for me to work from home and get things done like Cabin of the Week Awards on my Cricut and staff name tags and putting together sample crafts and things for programming. Unfortunately it doesn't look like that's going to happen now. I hate the thought of starting the summer out in such a stressful way but I'm trying really hard to be understanding and go with the flow because I know it's not just my plans that are getting messed up. The situation makes me grumpy though. And the last thing I want is to start the summer off in a grumpy way!

{five}

Up until last week I was doing such a great job eating healthy, balanced meals. The only junk food I was eating was the occasional can of pop. And even last week even though I was craving Wendy's last Friday I resisted and went home instead and made cajun chicken and potato wedges. Then things went downhill. Saturday night R. came into town for BSB and we consumed mass quantities of bread with roasted red pepper dip and chips with guacamole. Sunday we went out for pizza before the concert. I've had cereal for supper multiple times this week. And yesterday for lunch I ate graham crackers, a mars bar and a coke. I grabbed fast food for lunch once this week and it's pretty likely that it's going to happen again today. I just want to eat all the french fries. And drink all the fountain pop. That will definitely make me feel better about the chaos of next week. 

You Win, Thursday.

Thursday May 1st, 2014

8:35 a.m.: Swipe my thingy to exit the parking garage and instead of flashing green, opening the garage door and letting me drive to work it flashes red and the door remains shut. I try a few more times trying to process what I'm going to do to solve this problem. Luckily a nice lady comes along and lets me out and suggests that I was just hitting in the wrong place.

8:44 a.m.: Driving to work still pondering my near death experience in the parking garage and realize that today is May 1st. Thus, the reason my thingy (does anyone know what those electronic chips are actually called) stopped working was because my parking permit was only for February, March & April. Alright, let's start praying now that there's a spot opened in the overnight visitor parking.

8:50 a.m. : Arrive at work. There was a brief power outage last night and when the power came back it tripped our phone system and as a result none of the phones were working. Normally a major annoyance but not a colossal issue. Today is the deadline for camper fees. Meaning a constant stream of people calling and asking if there's still spots in specific sessions or wanting to pay their balance over the phone with a credit card. Or assuring us that the paperwork is in the mail etc. Basically mass chaos.

9:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.: Work, Work, Work, Work, Work.

5:15 p.m.: Realize I'm still at work. Completely surrounded by sticky notes and highlighters and folders overflowing with forms and to-do lists and to-call lists. Surrender for the day, pack up my things and leave.

5:45 p.m. :Arrive home from work (there was a parking space, Hallelujah!) get into my apartment (on the 7th floor), put chicken in the oven for supper (that hasn't defrosted nearly as much as I wanted it to), put away dishes and tidy the kitchen before reaching for my phone to tweet about how excited I am to watch last night's episode of Survivor. Except my phone is nowhere to be found.

6:00 p.m.: After searching the few places I've been since I arrived home from work conclude that I must have left it in the car. Exit apartment and go down seven floors and outside (where it's now started to rain) to my car. Search my car. No phone. Conclude that my beloved iPhone is almost certainly still sitting on my desk at work.

6:30 p.m.: Realize that although my chicken is cooking my limited groceries mean I don't have an obvious side for my chicken. (I'm moving this weekend so I'm trying to eat all my groceries so I don't have to move them). Conclude that perogies are really my best option for a side.

7:00 p.m.: Chicken & Perogies for supper!

I am going to enjoy every bite of my weird supper and then I'm going to take a long hot shower and just get through the next two weeks.