No excuses, except maybe a new lover.

On August 23, 2008 I started this blog and looking back now, I really enjoyed it for the most part. I loved getting my thoughts out there and some posts were quite good, if I do say so myself. I've even shared a couple with close friends and got some really great feedback. I have determined that although I am not a great writer, do do think I am a good story teller.

I love reading others blogs and have even met some of those bloggers in person. Some in different cities! This thing they call social networking is something I could never have said I would be doing 5 years ago.

But I guess I needed a bit of a break from blogging, for various reasons. Nothing serious though. Just took a breather, and like any of the other times I've taken breathers, I take a long long breath. That was on June 16th, 2009 - almost 5 months ago! And then, you know how it is, the longer you're away, the harder it is to come back.

But yesterday, I got together with a really great group of people - OTTAWA BLOGGERS for a bloggers breakfast. This is only my second such breakfast. What a blast! I wasn't nervous or awkward. I even knew some people at it and met a few really nice new ones!

So now, I kinda feel inspired again. Maybe that's all it took to get me back into it. I will try my best to write on a somewhat regular basis but I'm making any promises. I don't need yet another reason to feel guilty!! lol

And back to what I've been doing. Well, since I haven't got the best memory, I went back to my calendar and reviewed it to see what exactly if have been doing. Turns out, not a lot, but I really did feel busy. Go figure!

From the beginning of June, I was heavily involved in my daughters soccer team, much more than I had anticipated to be honest with you. There is the jerseys, socks, shorts, scheduling, team photos, zillions of e-mails to parents and call ups, just to name some. The tasks were endless. All of this while keeping up a full time job. Although it was crazy busy (more than I had anticipated based on my past managers positions) it was a fantastic year. And I think the girls actually LIKE having me manage their team which is another huge bonus.

What else? Hmmm, we pretty much headed up to our campsite every weekend. This year was awesome and especially fun because my dad visited us a lot up there. I'll explain a little why this makes me so happy. When I was about 9 mom and dad bought a small camper trailer at a campsite where all 6 of us kids, mom and dad headed up to every weekend. Ten years later, mom passed away suddenly. Then dad bought the kids a little trailer to 'share'. Sharing at first was okay but then we all started to settle down with spouses and then kids. It was getting more difficult to share it. So my husband and I bought our own and we've been there ever since. Dad ended up selling his a couple years after mom passed. Then 5 years ago, my brother bought a camper, then my other brother and then my sister bought one this past summer. So when dad comes up to visit, most of us kids are there and the ones that are not, come up. It's just great to see my dad at the age of 71 now hanging out with us and his grandchildren.

What else? Works been very busy but still LOVING it. A lot. We just lost a Team member, so I anticipate even more workload but it's all good.

Oh,and I also turned 41 in there somewhere. Shit but thank god I'm over the 40 hump.

My daughters went to over night summer camp for the very first time ever. Sending the two of them off on a school bus for a week was exciting but also a little sad since Brianna was in tears. She was a little emotional. It didn't last long and they both had a blast and want to go back next year. Strange thing is, it's the very same camp that I went to as a kid.

As the girls headed off to camp, I officially started my summer holidays spending a full week alone with my sister up at our campsite. Without husbands or kids. Heaven. Fantastic weather, cold beers whenever we wanted and great food.

The second week of my holidays my husband and I and the kids headed to Bon Echo Provincial Park. Great family vacation is all I can say about that. Lots of swimming, walking, reading, napping in the middle of the day and doing whatever the heck we wanted when we wanted.

The third week me and the girls headed back up to the campsite for some girls time. It was a great summer holiday.

Then back to reality. I headed back to work on September 8th just as the kids headed back to school. The got in the same class ! Bonus. We were worried that they would want to separate them again this year - for some reason they like to do that with TWINS. They did that last year and it was the WORST year ever. Do you know how hard it is to see one daughter doing homework till 9 at night and the other having NO homework, simply because they have different teachers?!

Also the girls turned 12 on October 6th.

We registered them girls for babysitting class. It runs for 2 months, twice a week, just out of the high school in town. It started on the 27th of October, they had two classes and then, unfortunately, it was closed down as a result of H1N1, so that they could do a thorough cleaning of the school. Not sure what kind of a cleaning they were doing before, but anyhow. They enjoyed the first two classes!

On September 17th, me and my two SIL's went to Scotiabank Place to see the Kings of Leon. These guys are a seriously incredible freekin band! They RAWK!

I went to Halifax for a week at the end of September for business but did have a full day of somewhat FREE time to do some touristy type stuff. I think I am meant to live near water.

In October I did a lot of workshops and courses with work which kept me busy. As my responsibilities have increased at work it's been challenging trying to keep things done at work while in training but I somehow managed.

Oh and I also joined the School council. Like I need MORE to do. But I enjoy that kind of thing.

And lastly, I mentioned in the title about my new lover. His name is Facebook and as kinda, well somewhat, well completely taken over my life.

My name is RAINO M.O.T. and I am facebook addict. *smiles*

Gotta go make dinner now and then off to a movie at 7pm! Going to see 'The Men who stare at Goats'. If the movie is as stupid as the title, I don't have a clue why I'm looking so forward to it.

Will report back.

Raino

Get you thinking

1) You are shopping in a large retail store and you need to use the restroom. You find one male/female stall and one male/female handicapped stall. The handicapped is empty and the other is in use. You wait and wait. Five minutes passes. Do you give in and use the handicapped stall? Why or why not? Or have you already been in and out of the handicapped stall already?

2) You are late for a staff meeting that you were responsible to bring a snack in for. You still have to hit the bank for money and the gas station as you're right on E. Another 20 minutes has passed and you've finally made it to the grocery store. You notice one handicapped parking spot right up front! It would be so easy to use it and would take half the time? Do you take it ? Why or why not?

3) You find the only seat left in the movie theatre and sit down to enjoy the movie. The man on your left is using your left armrest and the lady on your right hand side is using your right arm rest. Do you say anything? If so, what and to whom? Do you say nothing?

4) You've just been advised that your one-year-old son/daughter is not yours, because of a mix-up at the hospital. What would you do? Would you exchange children?


5) You have a choice. Give a transplant to a successful but elderly member of the community or a 20 year old drug addict. Who would you choose? Why?

6) What is your favorite deadly sin? Why ?

7) You always find non work related coloured print jobs on the office printer. You know that if the boss man found out, they would be in trouble. You are not fond of this person who is doing all the printing. What do you do? Do you say something to the person printing the job? Do you casually place the print jobs in the boss mans 'inbox' ... of course by accident. Do you turn a blind eye to it and do nothing?

8) It's almost closing time. The 'big boss' calls looking for your supervisor who is currently away from his desk. When he returns you tell him that the 'big boss' is looking for him and would like to meet with him right away. He says 'I'm just leaving, please call him back and tell him I have already left for the day'. What do you do? Why?

Lights Out

Is it just me or has anyone experienced this. It's night and you are driving or walking down a street. Just as you approach a light standard, it suddenly goes out.

This has happened to me not once, but several times in my life.