Time for a Break

So I've been through a lot since getting laid off. Last week I got hit by a car while on my bike (my old bike). Luckily I am okay - just a fractured hand and a very banged up leg. It was very surreal. But then I got a job - a job I really wanted. I start on Monday so I can not wait. I can walk there in 20-25 minutes and it is doing what I want.

But this post is really just a note to say I may not be posting too often - I need a break from thinking about the blog. I'm grateful for all you great peeps that I've "met" and for those coming to Toronto I definitely still want to meet you!!! Some of you have me as a friend on facebook anyone else please feel free to add me as a friend. I will definitely be visiting you guys though so you won't get rid of me that easily! Anyways, I'll talk to eveyone soon! Thank you again for all you support!

The New Champion

Because of my new bike I'm just so much faster and spend a lot less time behind Justin and a lot more time way in front of him!!! On Saturday we decided to go for a ride. We went along Lakeshore (in Burlington) down to the waterfront trail in Burlington and Stoney Creek and then continued along South/North? Service to Fruitland. We would've kept going but we passed some flags and noticed that the wind was blowing really strong at our backs so we decided we should turn back. And boy was it alot harder coming back!!! It is funny how you don't really notice the wind until it is making it difficult to bike!! We ended up going 50km that day - a little much for our first long ride of the year but still a great one. My quads were ready to go on strike by the end though! Suprisingly though no pain the next day or yesterday! Definitely looking forward to more rides!

Whoa

I can't believe that it is Friday already! Wowsa. Here is my week:

Tuesday: had my 2nd interview, went great but have this feeling that it won't result in an offer.

Wednesday: uphill bike ride for 45 min to my first meditation class. The bike ride was really tough (but awesome since on my new bike). Justin came up with me so that I could take my new bike. He rode my bike home and then came to pick me and his bike up after (it was after 9 and dark so he came to get me). Meditation class was awesome.

Thursday: went for a bike ride to the library where I spent over an hour! I love the library. Picked up some movies, some books and just wandered through all the books. I didn't take my new bike b/c I don't want to take any chances!

My plan for today: I started out with 15 min of meditation and a healthy breakfast. I'm signing up to My Fitness Pal b/c I feel that my eating is not in control. I'm not eating too horribly but I can tell I'm not losing weight so I figured no harm in tracking on that! Going to go for a run - I think I'm going to run 5k out and then walk that 5k back. Then I'm heading over to a friend's house for dinner and a movie! Hope everyone enjoys the wonderful day out there!

New Addition.

First off, had a crazy busy week last week. On top of 4 interviews (yea!) we had a death in the family on Tuesday so the week was spent with family and stuff . On Friday I was finally able to take off my final big bandage that took up my entire finger!! It is still healing and I still need to wear band aids but I at least can use my finger a little bit more!

Today we welcomed a new addition to our family. We finally picked up my bike!!!! And we took it on its inaugural ride!! I need to get a pic of the happy couple (me and the bike) and post it. It is just so amazing - I go so much faster with a lot less effort. It makes riding so so much fun. I can't wait to get on it again (hopefully on Wed?!). I even have a name for it! A coworker (ex, I guess) suggested it - Shutterbug! I wish I had time tomorrow to take it for a spin, well who knows maybe I can squeeze a ride in!

It's been good

Great weekend. Why?

• Sat Date night with Justin - lasagna, yum!
• Meeting a new addition to our group, seeing the girls (including the bf, home from trini! and including Kel's cutie patootie twins)
• Walking around Toronto
• a stop at the Korean supermarket and loading up!
• Death Cab for Cutie concert!!

Great day. why?

• started off with a great 5min meditation
• found free meditation classes on Wed in Burlington!
  
• had 2 phone interviews which led to 2 interviews later this week!
• had an interview for a job that went great. Have a second observational interview this week!
  
• one of my fave dinners - dduk bok kee on the menu!

Menu for the shortened week:
Monday: tilapia, dduk bok kee, broc.
Tuesday: out at my aunt's and uncles
Wednesday: tacos, spinach salad
Thursday: black bean soup
Friday: at Justin's parents

Life of Me

So my life continues on. My finger is still bandaged (until at least Friday when I go back). And joining it is a bladder infection! So I not catching many breaks here! But luckily Justin is a kick ass husband since he has been doing most of the cooking and cleaning!!

This past weekend was good. We went to a friends on Saturday night and it was awesome catching up with everyone. It is funny because many of the guys had been on EI (one guy is on it right now) before. At one point last summer 2 of them (twins), their older brother and mother were all on EI at the same time. I knew all this before but sometimes it doesn't really register until it is relevant!

My job search is going okay. I had a telephone interview last week with a recruitment agency that is pracitcally right around the corner. They had no jobs but liked my resume so gave me a call for any future jobs. Otherwise just applying like crazy. Hit up the job fair yesterday but there wasn't much there.

Eating has improved. Still can't make too much so it is more nibbling. Exercise, yeah non existent and it sucks. I'm dying to workout again!! I need to get back posting more often and posting our meal plans! Tonight we're making a shrimp stirfry - yum!

I do still blog

Sometimes! Sorry I just haven't had much to write. I'm still nursing my finger (still only typing with 9 fingers), it is still painful. But I haven't needed to take Tyl 3 (just Advil) for the pain. My eating has been decent. I can't really do much so considering that it is been great. I used to eat ~5 servings of veggies per day but now I'm more at 2-4. Exercise - just can't do it. The pain is too much.

Anyways, some days are good others are not as good. I've just been applying applying applying!! I did have a phone interview the other day but it was more for future roles so nothing right yet. I just can't wait for my finger to heal b/c then I can at least do more! Tomorrow I've got some big plans - EI and the doctor!

It never ends

So the luck just continues!! On Wed night I'm trying to make black bean burgers. I trying to mash up the beans using our hand blender. They keep clogging it up so I use my finger to dig them out well my other hand slips and turns it on. It like shredded my finger. I'm lucky it wasn't down to the bone. The kitchen looked like a scene from a horror movie with the blood splatter. I was alone and freaking out. It was painful but it was panic that was causing me to cry and sob. Luckily Justin was going to be home any minute. I stopped the bleeding but my finger looked really bad. We went to the walk in clinic. They couldn't do stitches b/c the skin was so shredded up so they just bandaged it up really well. It is very painful. I've been taking drugs like clockwork. Actually today I've been trying not to but it still hurts like a mother..... Anyways, so I haven't been doing much. I'm such an idiot!!! So this has taken me forever to write, so I'm going to stop. But I wanted to say thanks for all the kind words I'll be commenting back soon, just know that I'm grateful to have you guys!

A Week Later

So alot has changed since I last posted. Last time I posted I had a job, this time I don't. I got laid off. Ouch. The worst thing is? I chose to get laid off. You see last Tuesday we were all brought into the board room and told that they were eliminating our salaries and putting us on commission. Oh and that they had just finished laying off 4 of our coworkers. Essentially we would only make money when we got one of our candidates hired. And in this market it is virtually impossible. They also offered a lay off package which I (and most of us) took. So Friday was my last day.

I feel really weird about it. I'm not sad about leaving my job. I haven't been happy there for a long time and this is the kick I've needed to actually do something about it! I'm sad that I've been laid off and had to sign up for EI since no one ever thinks it will happen to them. But really it isn't the worse thing that could happen. We are lucky because Justin has such a stable job (works for the government) and before we bought the house we made sure we could afford it if I lost my job. Plus it is like practice since eventually I'll go on Mat Leave!

There are no other jobs in external recruitment right now and I'm kinda glad about that because it allows me to really apply to jobs that interest me. I'm focusing on HR jobs, Career Counseling jobs and similar type jobs in the not for profit sector. I'm actually really looking forward to finding a job I love!

Eating surprisingly has been great (but Justin and I are pretty surprised at how OK we are with this whole thing), exercise not so much but I don't really care. Because now that I have all day I have plenty of time to work out!! Today with it being such a beautiful day I'm planning on running 5k, going for a walk, and doing some yoga. Anyways, just wanted to let my blog friends know! I'm off to catch up on everyone!

Street Food at Home

Another good weekend in the books. Friday's chinese feast wasn't too bad. I did drink 1 more pint than planned (for a total of 2 pints, 1 beer with dinner). But all in all not too bad. By all means not great but normally I leave New Ho so stuffed my ribs hurt but on Friday I left just full enough.

Saturday night Justin's parents came over for dinner (it was her birthday last tuesday) and we made:

to start: 1 point egg rolls
dinner: Street Pad Thai
desert: fastest chocolate mousse (using Tofu).

All very good. Street Pad Thai is something we hadn't made in years but she requested it so we brought it back (and glad we did it was so yummy). If you are wondering what I mean by Street Pad Thai I'll explain. In Thailand they have all these street food vendors. And our faveourite was the Pad Thai. Now it is nothing like traditional Pad Thai (which we both don't really like). Whenever we were in Bangkok during our 6 week stay in Southeast Asia we were go to this one stand that had the best and eat it at least once every day!! It was only 10 baht which equals about 33 cents - you got a choice of Noodle (chow mein, rice noodle (thick and vermicelli), udon noodle, glass noodle) and Choice of Sauce (only remember our fave - Sweet Thai Red Chilli). So nearing the end of our stay we were concerned how we would get through life without Pad Thai. So I started watching carefully and asking questions (pretty much everyone there spoke English). And when we got a couple of months later (after Australia and New Zealand) I tested it out. And it was perfect! They only used bean sprouts, green onion and cabbage as their veggies so the veggies we change it up. Oh and there it was veggie so we added in the meat portion:

You start off putting sesame oil into a wok. Then put in onion (our addition), garlic and ginger. Cook till fragrant, add veggies, add cooked meat/seafood (our fave is chicken and shrimp), add cooked noodle of choice Then add Thai Red Chili. Mix and serve. Really simple but delicous!

We would normally eat this with a big Blue Fanta Slurpee, street meat kebabs and spring rolls. So yummy! We ate a lot of Street food throughout Thailand, it was just so cheap and when you are backpacking you need all the money you can get. Not all were that yummy. One thing I got once was dumplings, I bit into it and it was filled with raw beef!! I quickly spit it back out and went back to show her it wasn't cook but she assured me that was how it was supposed to be so I just didn't eat it. But mostly we loved everything we ate!

P.S Noticed from the pic I found the price as gone up 5 baht so at 15 bhat it is now about 50 cents. (it is about 33 baht to the dollar, well actually that was it was in 2003!)