Life After University...

Good Eats!

2011-05-11T17:13:00.000-06:00

No this entry isn't about anything that I've cooked or baked lately but instead about recipe ideas for this weekend. I realized I haven't been cooking lately, especially during the weekends when I cook the most. Maybe it's cause I've become lazy or fell into the comfort of eating out. Whatever it is, I've put cooking on the back burner (like my kitchen reference, "back burner"?).

So I write today, before I head off to ultimate (which I don't think will happen cause it's REALLY cloudy out) to see if anyone has any recipes they want to share with me. I know people out there read my blog so don't be scare to leave a comment. So what if you happened to just stumble on to my blog by mistake, things happen for a reason and maybe you have an awesome recipe you've been wanting to share with someone but never had the chance! Well now's the chance!. And if I like your recipe or in the likely case, I only have one recipe suggestion, I'll do my best to cook it that weekend and blog about the success or the failure. Just don't give me a recipe that require me to get wild boar or anything like that, although I'm sure wild boar tastes great!

I'm gonna go and see if I still want to go to ultimate tonight. We've started to play outdoors now so gotta be mindful of the weather. Plus I tweaked my left ankle at work today some how and now it's hurting. Boo-urns!

If I have time, I'll blog again tonight but if not... don't forget to leave your recipes down below in the comment section!

Holy Thunderstorm Batman!

2011-05-09T23:21:00.001-06:00

I'm trying to think of how to start this entry to reflect the title "Holy Thunderstorm Batman!" Maybe it's cause my mind is half on this entry and half on the television screen. Currently watching "Income Property" on HGTV. I love this channel among other channels. I just wish it was in HD but what can you do... "suck it up princess" as one of my coworkers would say (well I guess she would be my immediate supervisor as shes the senior therapist).

So back to the title of this entry. During lunch today, a bunch of us were talking about the old Batman t.v. show movie, starring Adam West, came up and how hilarious it was. I'm pretty sure whoever the writer was for this show was high or under the influence.

Batman: The Movie... THE original Batman movie? No way! I must find this and watch it... and laugh my pants off! Or maybe I'll turn it off cause it's boring... we won't know until I track down this movie! My new mission: Find the Batman: The Movie and watch it! Do I dare accept it? Hell yeah!

Well that's how the title came to be that welcomed you to tonight's blog entry... plus Grande Prairie got hit by a massive hail/rain thunderstorm that lasted a whopping 5 minutes! (I have no idea how long it actually lasted).

What a Weekend!

2011-05-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

Long time no blog! It's been awhile, huh? Anyone miss me? No? I didn't miss you guys either. Ok maybe I did a little bit... but don't tell anyone!

So it's been a pretty full weekend for me this weekend. Started off with volunteering with a Greenathon. Ran by the Rotary Club, picking up garbage around the city with Grade 5's and 6's. The day started really early but the morning sun and the crisp morning air was well worth it. It felt like waking up in the morning while camping. You unzip your tent and take in that first breath of fresh cool air and as you walk around under the morning sun listening to the birds singing, you just know it's going to be a good day.

The two kids that I was assigned to were pretty good. We each took gigantic industrial strength garbage bags and went to town... literally. We were responsible for cleaning up the area next to the railroads. Fortunately the railroads were on the other side of the fence, phew! Garbage bags filled up quickly and as I looked back to the area were we cleaning I was amazed by the difference from when we started. Who knew a dozen or so students and a bunch of adults could make such a difference in just couple of hours.

So that was Saturday.

Sunday morning... my body was playing payback. I knew bending over to pick up garbage for hours was going to have its side effects. No pain no game, right? After telling my body to get back into shape, I went to see a friend run her 8K run. I promised I'd take picture and a promise I kept. Not sure how good the pictures turned out though (I do know actually)... I thought they could've been better. Maybe I should take some photography classes but I digress. That was the morning and in the evening few of us went to see the final night of the Reel Shorts Film Festival (short films). It was the Best of the Festival night. I'm sure all the films were great but they played the top 7 films and they were all worthy of their nominations.

So now I sit here blogging while thinking of going to sleep. You know summer is here when the window is open but your apartment still feels warm making sleeping a pain in the arse. That would be the main reason why I just roll around in bed trying to get comfy, kicking my sheets with the fan circulates the warm air. Definitely not looking forward to it tonight! Oh and did I mention how DRY it is here?!

I better go since it'll probably take a good hour or two to get comfy enough to fall asleep.

Don't know when I'll be blogging again but until that time... peace!

Stall 1, stall 2, stall 3

2011-03-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday! That only means one thing... ultimate frisbee! Didn't really feel like going today cause of the weather and the snow but it didn't snow as much as I thought it would. It was cold though! -20C without the wind. Here I thought winter was almost over but nope! Throw me a bone here... where's the sun so I can wear shorts, flip flops, go for bike rides, take pictures of nature without freezing my fingers off or go for walks to the store. That's what I get for living up in northern Alberta where it snows during the May long weekend! I know, right? Back in Ontario people go to the beach and go camping during May long weekend. Oh how different it is across the country.

So anyways I went off on a tangent. I made myself go to ultimate and it was so worth it. Note to self though, "don't eat so much dinner or eat after ultimate!" I thought I was going to die, stomach cramping, heavy breathing... oh the pain! It took me a good hour to get my second wind but by then it was almost game point for night for the other team. Crap! I'll definitely have to eat little, maybe just a snack and eat afterward and see how I feel during ultimate.

It was a good turn out tonight. If anyone in Grande Prairie, Alberta wants to try ultimate frisbee come to the Leisure Centre on Wednesdays at 8:30PM. I know its late but it's worth it, I promise! So see you next week at 8:30PM. Bring a white and dark shirt and lots of water cause you'll need it.

Time to hit the sack soon! I am exhausted!

Hello March!

2011-03-01T23:23:00.001-07:00

As I'm trying to write today's blog my eyes are slowly closing. Maybe I shouldn't start blogging so late at night. Maybe I'll try blogging earlier tomorrow. Tune in tomorrow!

To give an update from yesterday's blog entry, the Cree resident who passed away and had their body kept at the facility for family and friends to come and view (Cree tradition/ritual) for mourning wasn't there today. I guess the family took the body back to the reserve? I'm not sure and I didn't want to inquire about it at work. And lets just say with the unit back to normal with normal amount of odd behaviours. Yes there are still odd behaviours that I see on a daily basis. Works keeps me busy with all the "things" going on around me. If you were a fly on the wall... you would have a blast! Just bring the popcorn and drinks cause you will be thoroughly entertained. I do not kid when I say entertained.

Ok my eyes are about to say "heck with this, its time to rest!" so I better get going before my brain shuts down too and I start to write things that don't make any sense at all. That would be one funny blog entry.

Tune in tomorrow folks.

p.s. - I'm not going to edit this entry so excuse me if there are spelling mistakes and/or grammar mistakes.

What a Day

2011-02-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a fun filled weekend! I know I did. I was invited to a theme party on Saturday, a Purple Party. Who invited you are wondering? Well let me tell you. I go to a small town once a week to do assessments, check up on the recreation assistant and recreation aid and take care of any recreation related business/concerns. So it happens that one of the SLP (speech language pathologist) recently moved here from Manitoba for work. That's who invited me and how we met. I didn't know I could tell so much in one sentence. Anyways, she wanted to throw a theme party after seeing a bunch of people all dressed in white for a birthday party at the bar one night. It was an interesting offer so I said I would come. Who am I kidding, I never have plans on the weekends but I had to make it seem like I wasn't desperate to hang out with people on a Saturday night. :P It was nice to meet new people and drink with other people. I hate drinking alone!

So the theme of the night was purple, hence the Purple Party. I was looking through my closet and I realized I have nothing purple. Time to head to the mall! I was surprised at how many purple shirts there were at different stores. Lucky me! It was a good party for sure. Everyone was talking with everyone, everyone had at least one piece of clothing that was purple, and the hostess did a good job planning and organizing. We decided to head to a bar afterward and that was... something else. I felt like I was back in university and crammed like sardines cause everyone wanted to be inside or close to the door cause it was freezing outside. Not to mention, the average age was probably 20... give or take 2. Just getting inside, I had to wait for people to leave so they could let new people in. I can't complain cause there was no cover charge or charge for coat check.

The bar was packed and the music was decent. Your typical dancing music. The crowd that went from the party found a section where the pool table was, few steps down from the main area so it was pretty much like having a VIP section for us. People playing pool, dancing, drinking... for some people a little too much. I spotted couple of people sitting and their heads dropping. The same guy actually lost his jacket, well he didn't... it just wasn't at coat check. I wonder if they found it cause it was coooooold! Damn the wind hurt, especially when the wind carries snow and hits you in the face.

That was my weekend... well just the Saturday. Sunday I went to a baby shower for one of my coworkers who recently had twins. The twins are so cute! A boy and a girl. It was good to see my coworker again and was good to see she was doing well. IVF is a wonderful thing.

Work was work. Another Monday. It's crazy how every culture has different traditions when it comes to dealing with deaths. One of the residents passed away in the early morning and he was of Cree background. I didn't know this until I looked it up but the Cree hold a 4 day mourning period where family and friends come visit the deceased and share stories to one another. You would think they would put the deceased in casket but no he was just in bed sheets up to his shoulders. It just looked like he was sleeping. I only know cause I was walking passed the room to get to my unit and I was wondering why there were so many people around this room. I was thoroughly surprised to see him just lying there so peacefully and people around him. Now if they hold this for 4 days... I just can't see that being approved by the managers of the facility. A lifeless body left alone in bed for 4 days without being prepared... I just can't imagine how the body will look or the smell. The residents on the unit were already acting unusual and I don't want to think how much more unusual the residents can get.

The things I encounter at work. It's definitely a learning experience. I am going to miss this resident who passed away. I used to do my best to speak Cree to him and learn but he would just laugh at me while repeating the words I probably butchered. He was a fun man to be around, even though near the end of his life he didn't look well physically, I knew inside he was still doing ok cause I could make him smile and sometimes laugh when I would greet him in Cree every time I saw him. R.I.P.

I wasn't going to blog today but I knew if I didn't I wouldn't do it tomorrow or on Wednesday and it'll just become a bad habit. So here I am blogging to keep it going for another day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Pay Day

2011-02-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

Yes! It's pay day! In about an hour, the balance of my bank account will increase only to see it decrease again after bill payments. Argh, why are bills so annoying? Can't live without them and can't live with them. Actually I guess you can live without them. In that case I better cut back on internet, cable television, cellphone, car payment... OR I can just win the lottery. How great would that be! Wishful thinking, wishful thinking.

If anyone has any other ways to save money... leave a comment.

Short blog today.

Hump Day!

2011-02-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

The good thing about a short work week is well... its a short work week. The bad thing about a short work week is my days get all confused and messed up. I had to think twice... well maybe few times before I realized it was Wednesday today. Near the end of the day, I was talking to a coworker and I was going to say "Have a good weekend" cause she works part time and doesn't work Fridays or Mondays and I had to catch myself. My coworker just looked at me funny and laughed and said "You know I'll see you tomorrow, I do work on Thursdays." But now I'm all caught up with my days... I hope! Tomorrow is Thursday right?!

It's Wednesday and that only means one thing... ULTIMATE! My one and only hardcore exercise of the week. Running around with 4 other people trying to catch a frisbee. Sounds silly? Maybe. Sounds fun? Of course! Its a good cardiovascular workout and you get to meet new faces. As I play every week, my stamina is getting better and my muscles aren't as sore as last week. Yay for muscle memory! Its been good turn outs lately... although I can only speak of last week and today but I've heard good things in terms of players showing up. I do have to admit my ultimate skills are declining. What a sad thing to happen to such a young guy with so much potential. Ha Ha

Hope everyone is enjoying a short week this week and hopefully I'm not the only one whose days were out of whack. There's got to be one other person out there! Show yourself!

Reality Check

2011-02-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

At work I deal with a lot of emotions through family member and/or through the residents, patients, or clients directly. Today reality hit me. As I was talking to one of my patients, she had a card from her neighbour and long time friend. Well before I start I should explain the type of people I encounter on a daily basis without giving out too much detail. I work with people, seniors mostly, who can not live independently due to various factors (i.e. dementia, danger to themselves, danger to others, aggressive behaviours, etc). So my job as a Recreation Therapist is to work with them to improve their quality of life and to help them gain their independence through their recreation and leisure interests.

So that being sad, back to my point. One of my residents had received a card from her neighbour and good friend and she started to read it to me. It was a very touching letter which in the end brought tears to this resident's eyes and felt ashamed cause she was getting emotional over a stupid card. But one part of the card read something like this:

I hope you are doing well and we miss you very much. This past week I went to one of our dear friend, ______'s, funeral. It was a nice funeral but I miss her. Next week will be my 86th birthday and in the coming months yours. You're catching up to me in age. ha ha Next time I'm in the city, I will make sure to come visit you.

Now those are not the exact words and I do admit my memory was a little fuzzy recalling this portion of the letter but it reaches the same emotion, I think. So it got me thinking... 50 years from now, would I still be in contact with my close buddies? Would I be writing letters to them if I knew they were in a facility getting treatment cause of their memory loss or their uncontrollable behaviours due to dementia? Or would they write or visit me if I was in that situation. I would hope so and I would definitely visit or at least write. After all they are my friends and if our friendship lasts until we are 80, I think I would be entitled to check up on them and see how they were doing in their time of loneliness and need. I would want the same.

My job isn't always fun and games as most people would like to believe. I admit, I do have fun for the most part but there's the other part where reality hits and hits hard. Working with seniors, especially those with dementia, has given me a new appreciation on life and on this specific population. I wish more people would embrace them instead of neglecting them. There are many of us who embrace them but just as many people who do not. Our population in general is getting older, so lets slow down, get down on our knees and listen to their life stories.

Guess who?!

2011-02-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

So after months and months of being away from blogging I thought I would start up again. I have had few friends ask me why I stopped and the truth is... I just stopped. A lot has happened while I have been gone. It's been 1 year since I moved to Grande Prairie, Alberta for work, I got a car, and well that's just about it.

How do I sum up months and months of blog material in one post? I'm not sure. Maybe I'll make a list or do point form or make a power point presentation and upload it (if that's even possible). Or I'll just make those who actually read my blog to just ask me instead of wasting time typing everything and having no one read it. So for those who know me, just ask me how I've been doing! I'll be waiting.

I was briefing looking over my previous posts and I noticed that I have more pictures of the meals I've cooked since my last post. I don't have the memory card with me now so I'll just have to upload and post them later. Ok I lied, my camera bag is just few feet away from me, I'm just feeling lazy and not very motivated right now. But let me tell you folks, I've cooked some pretty amazing meals. From Christmas turkey dinner to a beef roast. My mouth is watering as I talk about it now (and as I edit/proof read). You just wait people, pictures are worth a thousand words or a thousand drooling mouths and growling stomachs.

So I'm having an ADHD moment. I shouldn't blog while watching television. Or doing anything else. Maybe that's why I haven't blogged for so long, blogging hasn't been a top priority or I'm always doing something else and blogging just slips my mind. Hopefully this isn't the only time I blog in months again and I can keep it going like I did when first started this thing.

So wish me luck folks and maybe, just maybe, I'll be logging on tomorrow. We shall see!

Long Overdue!

2010-06-06T22:36:00.000-06:00

So it seems like I haven't blogged in two months or so... damn! I guess I've been lazy and it's hard to find time to sit down and blog. I know I don't do much after work but work is pretty tiring and when I get home all I want to do is... well nothing.

Life here is going well. Summer is finally here but had a dump of the white stuff during the May 24 weekend. It felt like winter ALL over again. It was pretty depressing. But all that stuff is gone and the sun is shining bright. The days are getting longer and longer too. The sun sets at around 10:30 these days but even after 10:30 it's still pretty bright outside until 11PM. I'm trying to do more outdoors cause it's just too nice to be indoors but like I said when I get home I don't want to do anything.

I've started to play ultimate frisbee which is pretty good. I didn't find a softball team/league so pick up ultimate will just do. I'm meeting people slowly through ultimate but I'm not complaining. It does get lonely but I just cook when I get lonely and/or bored. I've been cooking this weekend and here they are!

Saturday's dish

Sunday's meal

So those were my meals this weekend. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and I'll do more of a food blog next time with more pictures and a recipe. I'm gonna finish the rest of Saving Private Ryan and probably head to bed after. Hope I don't take too long to blog again.

Risotto!

2010-04-18T21:34:00.000-06:00

So here is my RISOTTO!

Something's missing...

The green peas!

The shrimp pieces turned out pretty good on top

Such a huge portion!

I have leftovers so whoever wants it better come and get it or it'll be my lunch tomorrow!

Feels Likes Summer

2010-04-18T15:31:00.000-06:00

So I've been away from blogging for a bit. I've noticed how hard it is to blog every day. It's not like my days are uneventful... well sometimes they are but still have things to blog about. I guess I've been so tired after work I don't think about blogging, although it doesn't take that much of my time. I'll try to blog as frequent as I can.

So the weather has been just awesome last week and this weekend. Friday it was 20, Saturday it was 21 and today is 19. The sun is so bright, I love it! With all this beautiful weather I've been biking more and more after work. (I think I know why I don't blog as much, I get too tired after biking around for an hour.) Grande Prairie is a beautiful place, especially when you get the chance to go through their trails. There's one part where it goes behind or close enough to the lumber yard and the smell of lumber... it's refreshing. To smell nature instead of smog and all that other junk in the air is very worth it. I guess living near a big city like Toronto for most of my life and working in Toronto, I got so used to the polluted air and this is just so refreshing. Never knew I could enjoy clean air this much.

The only downside of it here is there aren't any fresh water lakes here. They have camping grounds but when people talk about camping here it's not the tent camping I'm used to, it's more of the hitching their trailers to their trucks camping. I've never been trailer camping and I'm sure it's fun but I love tent camping! So what if I don't have running water to shower... there's a lake to swim in and I'll be smelling like smoke anyways from being around the fire. I miss tent camping. I don't think I'll be doing much of that this year.

Anyways I'll blog later tonight after dinner. Tonight's menu is going to be chicken and shrimp risotto. So hopefully that will turn out yummy and I'll post some pictures too.

Don't be a stranger and leave a comment!

Why Isn't Monday A Holiday?

2010-04-05T19:14:00.000-06:00

So I'm wondering why Easter Monday isn't a holiday everywhere! I mean they named the Monday for crying out loud. I was so not looking forward to waking up this morning and it was a struggle for sure. I didn't even do much at work either. It was such a slow morning with not much to do. Almost everyone took Monday off as vacation. Damn wish I had vacation days.

But on a good note... I got a raise! Good old union... good for something. Otherwise I think unions are stupid, especially those damn union dues... why do I have to pay union dues when I know I'm not going to use their services? And if they do go on strike, I'll be too lazy and probably won't agree with the strike to march on the lines... I rather not pay and keep my money.

Butler vs. Duke game's starting soon. I'd be happy with either team winning... so let the game begin!

Long Weekend! Part One

2010-04-02T20:35:00.000-06:00

It's the start of a long weekend! Woohoo! It felt so good to turn over and turn off my alarm and go back to sleep this morning. I love long weekends.

I didn't sleep in too much, got up around 10 and had the whole day to do whatever. I was craving shawarma and found out that there is a shawarma place in Grande Prairie! Who would have thought?! I sure didn't. So I decided to check it out for lunch and head to Safeway to do some grocery shopping afterward. So I walked over to Tito's and ordered myself a chicken shawarma sandwich with a small mango smoothie. The shawarma wasn't what I expected... definitely not what I am used to getting back home in Toronto or even in Ottawa. By the way, Ottawa has THE best shawarmas. Go go Shawarma Palace if you get a chance to go to Ottawa!

So the shawarma sandwich I ordered was kind of a hybrid between a shawarma sandwich and a burrito. They didn't shave off the meat but has in a sauce... like a burrito but had the garlic sauce like a shawarma. All in all, it was very yummy and satisfying. I definitely miss shawarma back home but this will do until I reunite with yummy shawarmas back home. The mango smoothie was pretty good, although they could have blended it a little longer cause I had tiny pieces of ice still and it got stuck in my straw at one point and I lost all suction.

Apparently there is another shawarma place but I'm not sure where it is so I'll have to get some more info on it and try that one out.

After grocery shopping and getting myself through a crowd of people doing Easter dinner shopping, I made dinner. Boy, was it ever good! What did I cook you ask? I will show you!

Beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies (carrots, red onions and broccoli)

Cooking away

Mmmmm yum!

Final cooking in the oven

Clean kitchen + leftovers

What to cook next

So that was my dinner. Hope you enjoyed it cause it tasted like it looked, AWESOME! Haha What should I tackle next? I know I had one suggested to me on this blog so I will see what I can do. Let me know what other things I can cook up for you guys. I love any and all suggestions.

Don't be a stranger and leave a comment!

On The Road

2010-03-23T21:57:00.000-06:00

We went on a trip out west to a small town called Hythe. If you thought Grande Prairie is a small town (which it isn't) you haven't seen nothing until you drive to Hythe, or any of the other surrounding towns. It was a 45 minute drive to Hythe and the drive was pretty good. I thought the roads were going to be in terrible condition but turned out to be pretty good road conditions. I guess the snow plows were on their A game and go the highways cleared first. Good on ya! So I drove to one of the continuing care facility in Hythe and the drive reminded me of the drive I did so many times from home to Waterloo and back... but with more flat land, as far as the eye can see.

The show we went to see was this guy named Ed Popovich. He is an entertainer who sings and plays the guitar while adding humour and jokes with the songs (mainly oldies) and gets the crowd involved. It was pretty good, I guess, but I wouldn't see him more than once to be honest. I think the residents that we took enjoyed it and they knew the songs so they were singing along with him. He liked to pick on people in the crowd and as soon as he walked in to setup, he has my number from the get-go. As soon as he asked what my name was, I knew he'd pick on me. It wasn't bad and they residents enjoyed how he picked on me, I think the recreation assistants liked it too.

So my day was pretty was that. The morning was crazy, as I was running from unit to unit, trying to get last minute things done for our trip. Getting medications sorted out, bag lunches sorted out, getting the right people ready to go and just a lot of running around. I guess it was good cause for the first time I felt like I was being productive, running around doing work for the residents and for a program. I'm definitely hot a pencil pusher and can't stand being in the office for a long period of time cause I feel like I'm wasting time and doing nothing. I have to be out and about getting my hands dirty and being involved in the programs... but the recreation assistants do most of that.

It's only Tuesday and I wish the weekend was here already... terrible.

Don't be a stranger and leave a comment.

Winter Wonderland Part 2

2010-03-22T20:38:00.000-06:00

- UPDATE -

So here is some pictures I took today.

What I saw this morning from my window.

My dinner... steak and veggies. I was too lazy to make rice.

So I wake up this morning at 5AM with a terrible stomach ache... it didn't end well. Damn that instant noodle! Anyways, I get ready for work and to my surprise everything is covered in white snow. I swear the first day of Spring was Sunday... guess I'll have to wait a little longer for Spring/Summer. It didn't stop there... it kept snowing the whole day. I honestly felt like January again. It looks nice, I do love how the snow covers everything and makes things so clean and pure looking but the week... 2 weeks of sunlight and warm weather we had few weeks ago was just so nice and refreshing.

I guess my bike riding will have to be put on the back burner. I was really looking forward to riding my bikes around the city on all the trails that interconnects throughout the city. I can't wait!

Work is ok... it was pretty fast today. Went out for breakfast with few patients and in the afternoon played bingo for 2 hours. I know 2 hours! Time flies when you have fun. Tomorrow is another long day... going to Hythe, which is 45mins from Grande Prairie but with the weather and the road conditions... it'll probably take an hour. Hope the roads will be cleared and things go smoothly tomorrow.

Well gotta go and do dishes and clean up the kitchen. I like a clean kitchen... can't wait to design my own kitchen when I buy my own place (that was really random). Until tomorrow? Or next time... don't be a stranger and leave a comment.

Weekend, You Came and You Left... Come Back

2010-03-21T20:55:00.000-06:00

So the weekend is coming to an end and I have to wait another 5 days for the next. Hope work goes by fast this week but I have a feeling it will be another long and tiring one. I have my CPR on the 25th for the whole morning... I'll take any kind of break from work. But I'm glad I'm working and it's for my own good. I'm learning a lot and gaining a lot of experience I wouldn't have if I didn't make the move out east.

I didn't do much this weekend but went to this beer tasting fundraiser on Saturday. It was pretty fun, even though I sat at my table alone when I was eating but that's ok. I tasted a lot of good beer from around the world... too bad it was 2 ounces at a time. I should have bought more tickets, although everyone started off with a lot of tickets. Ok I lied about being alone at the table... I guess I bought my tickets late so my table was pretty bare, just me and these two girls. I didn't get to talk to them much. They went afterward and I couldn't find them again. We did exchange numbers but they both have boyfriends so... I'll leave it to them to call me... or do I do the calling? Crap, I've never been in this situation before.

So it's snowing here. I thought it was suppose to the start of Spring this weekend... guess I shouldn't be surprised. I am living up north. I'm a little jealous of the 18 degrees weather back home but snow always looks good and I can't get tired of it, even though it makes it tough for me to walk to the grocery store or go anywhere. I just can't wait until the sun starts setting later and later. Can't have to have a full days worth of daylight AFTER I get off work.

So that was my weekend. Had good beer, got numbers (hahaha) and didn't do much other than that. It was pretty much a lazy weekend besides Saturday night.

I've been lazy with my blog updates... I'll try to update more often.

Photo Blog... Kinda

2010-03-14T22:57:00.000-06:00

I tried to do a complete blog of photos but I can only do 5 pictures at a time. Kind of weird... I'll have to figure it out but in the meantime, here's the link to my online album.

I got a new bike and a new camera so I was just fooling taking random pictures so there is a lot to look through. Some are boring and I took the same picture more than once. When the weather gets better I'll definitely have to take my bike and camera on the trail here and take some scenic pictures and hopefully of some wildlife... like a bear!

Hope you guys enjoy! Don't be a stranger and leave a comment.

What A Way To Start A Week

2010-03-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today started off pretty well. Went out for breakfast with some of the pt. to see how they do in the community and how they act around other people. Make sure they can handle different situations that they would encounter if they were by themselves. It was good to see everyone ordering their foods and the whole morning was pretty good.

But later I find out that one of my residents on my other unit passed away over the weekend. I swear I saw her last week with a smile and didn't look sick enough to go to ICU. I guess it hit me that some of the people that I interact with on a daily basis might not be there the next day and that I should give my 110%, even though my heart is in mental health. I think that news woke me up and it made me work a little bit harder today.

I was reading over her charts and bio before putting them through the shredder and just to read what kind of lives they lived amazes me and wish I could listen to all the different life stories of each resident on my unit. I was talking to one the wife of a resident and she loves to talk and talk about the past. How her and her husband used to work together on the farm, building and repairing their home and all the struggles and hard work they faced together. I told her she should write a book about her life (I would read it) and she said she thought about it but she isn't a good writer. It'd be nice if I could live a life half that interesting and wrote about it. It'd be pretty cool to leave something like that to my kids and grandkids.

That's it for today I guess. Don't be a stranger and leave a comment!

Well Hello There Miss Weekend

2010-03-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

I can't think of a better way to start the weekend by relaxing at home, enjoying a nice glass of rum and ginger and listening to good lounge music. Can't go wrong.

So I've been thinking about getting a DSLR instead of getting a PS3 and a LCD tv... I figured the huge mother of a tv I brought from home is doing it's job and I can't complain. I don't have a camera here to take pictures of Grande Prairie and I wanted to buy a simple point and shoot one but why not get a DSLR instead. So I've been looking at Canon... more specifically the Canon EOS Rebel SXi or the Canon EOS Rebel T1i. I'm just an amateur photographer so I don't know. I think the Rebel SXi will do but I am a tech/gadget junkie that want the best for the amount of money I want to spend. I'm leaning more towards the SXi but I want the T1i... but I know I should get the SXi. Oh man I'm in a pickle! Will my urge to get a better model win or will my reasonable side win and get the lesser model with more than enough options for my own good? I'm not sure who wins yet... it's a tough decision for sure!

Well I'm gonna enjoy my rum and ginger while getting myself lost in the music.

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend! I miss you all back home... it's just not the same without you guys.

Don't be a stranger and leave a comment.

Long Time No Blog

2010-03-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog. I've just been busy with work and trying to be the therapist that I know I can be. I know I have all the tools to be a good therapist but it is just so hard when deep inside you know you don't want to be at work cause you're not having fun. I know I tell everyone that my heart is in mental health and I think it's still true. I fell in love with mental health when I did my first placement at CAMH and it just opened my eyes. I never knew I could fall in love with mental health cause people associate mental health patients with crazy people who do crazy things (i.e. serial killers, psychopaths and just plain old nut cases). But after working with schizophrenic, all those stereotypes were broken and I got to really relate to them. Maybe it was because the patients I was working with were around my age but just to see them on a weekly basis and to know their history, their struggles and victories... blew my mind.

I know I should be grateful for having found a job soon after I graduated but geriatrics never sparked anything inside of me. Maybe it's because I don't and can't relate to them or maybe it's because the nursing staff that I've worked with and working with right now are just plain odd rude. It was never my first choice, in fact it is my last choice. At one hand I am having fun and proud of the work that I am doing because I know I'm playing a part in each resident's lives. And to see a smile or to hear that their day is a little bit better because of being part of a program makes me want to continue to give my all when I go to work. But it's when nurses who work and are suppose to prove them with care do minimal and sometimes seems like they are ignoring the residents because they have had enough without even talking to them to find out what the problem really is. I know being a nurse is a tough job and they go through a lot of crap during their shifts... but c'mon their pay checks reflect their hard work but their efforts sure don't reflect it.

I think that's the main reason why geriatrics is my last choice, not because of the seniors but because of the nurses and other managers and so on who seem like they are just there for the money and can care less about the quality of care they provide. It just frustrates me! Let's see how they feel when they get treated like crap and with minimal care when they end up in LTC facilities.

Well I guess today's update is a little vent from what I've had to deal with this week. And the bottom line is... I don't hate geriatrics, I just hate the nurses and other staff members who don't give 100%. ( I know there will be issues with nurses in mental health facilities but.... they aren't as bad from what I've seen and dealt with. Maybe it's because nurses who work with geriatrics think that seniors are seniors and they don't have a voice or don't have feelings.)

One Word: WOW!

2010-02-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

What in the world is going on?! First the Canadian Jr's lose to the Americans and now the Canadian Olympic team can't do any better? C'mon guys!! Marty.... what are you doing playing baseball in a hockey game?? Stay in your crease and play HOCKEY! Better be on your A game for the next game... but I think Luongo will get the next start.

I think Canadian athletes are under too much pressure. I know they want to make Canada proud cause the Olympics is in Canadian soil but how are they suppose to perform at their highest when all they can think about is not letting THE ENTIRE nation down? We only have a week left and our medal count is pretty low compared to other Winter Olympics. Let's pick it up and finish strong. I know we can get to more podiums... doesn't have to be Gold... I'll be happy with Silver or Bronze... just make the podiums, please!

Oh that note... I had an awesome dinner today! I know it's a totally different topic but I'm full and very satisfied. I had the same last night but I over cooked my steaks in the oven so it wasn't as awesome. I marinated my small steaks in my random concoction of extra virgin olive oil, mustard, onions, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper. I know they sound pretty random but that's because they are random. That was my meat and for veggies I leftover roasted potatoes and carrots from last night. Mmm it was good. I just wish I had a piece of cake or something as dessert... that would have been super!

I need to find a gym that is close to my house... but I'm not having any luck. I feel like I'm gaining weight cause I don't do much when I come home from work cause I'm too tired to go back out... but I think once the snow and ice start melting and it's not slippery, I'll go jogging. At least that will keep me in some shape. But in the mean time... I walk a lot during the weekends and on my feet a lot at work but that's still not enough... need to get in shape for myself. I think I know what girls feel when they say they feel fat.... cause I feel fat. If I keep making meals like the one I had tonight... I'm in big trouble but a man's a gotta eat, right? Haha

I have one recipe that's been recommended and it sounds GOOD! I'll try that one soon. If anyone has anymore recipe ideas for me to try, leave me a comment. Don't be a stranger!

Learning How To Two-Step

2010-02-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Work is getting better but at the same time it is picking up it's pace. My transition period is coming to end soon and I'm officially taking over two units beginning of March. So my workload is starting to get bigger and bigger. It's not a walk in the park as I thought it would be. Just wish I was working in mental health so I could have a little bit more passion, not saying I'm not giving it 110%, just would make my days more enjoyable cause I'd be doing something my mind and heart are into.

Saying that, I love my workplace. I love the people I work with, they are all helpful and easy to talk to, joke around just as much I do and they make the work atmosphere so relaxing. Although it is hard to keep up with them cause they have been working here for so long, it's a little intimidating, especially when I'm taking over two units that have been running so well with the two recreation therapists running the units. I have some big shoes to fill!

Cooking for myself is pretty fun. Wish I had more ingredients to cook a meal with though. Gotta hit the grocery store this weekend... in the mean time, I should pick of a menu and look up some recipes. What to make... any suggestions? I'll cook it and post pictures of it... so let me know some dishes I could cook. I look forward to hearing about them.

So don't be a stranger and leave a comment with your dish idea.

Happy Family Day

2010-02-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Family Day and I didn't know Alberta had Family Day too. It's too bad I don't have any family here but it's ok cause I got to sleep in and just rest. I love long weekends!

I didn't do much today. Like I said I slept in, ate breakfast at 12 and just bummed around. Watched Murderball and now I'm making dinner. I had bought some jarred pasta sauce and thought I'd jazz it up with some fresh veggies that I had leftover from before. So if my new Santoku knife, I chopped carrots, broccoli, onions and garlic to my sauce. The sauce looked before but now it looks even better with chucks of fresh vegetables. Can't wait for dinner! Write about it making my mouth water but I had a turkey sandwich (turkey, cheese and mayo) an hour ago.

Gonna go watch some Olympics and stir my sauce. I'll catch ya'll later!