The other night my sisters and I went for a late dinner at the Fox and Fiddle in Uptown. It's a cool looking place with some good pub selections for a decent price. We were having a good night and we were in the mood for some drinks. I was adventuous (with some persuasion) to try the new Smirnoff drink - Fire.

I didn't know what to expect. It's not fruity like the Twist versions and not so sweet..I mean I couldn't even figure out what it tasted like..weird combo of flavours and my initial response was Dimetapp, Dr. Pepper, and Grape Crush soda. Odd you say? Apparently other people say the same - "It's got a bouquet of cough syrup, notes of grape C Plus and root beer and a provocative Dr. Pepper finish."

Looks are definitely deceiving! :)

This is definitely worth another taste!

After lunch I came back to this as my desktop on my computer:
Thanks Kel.
It will match well with my poster and cd collection. And for more information on Lance Bass, check out my personal fanblog here.

My sister is the sweetest.

She walked to the gym with an umbrella so I didn't have to walk home alone in the rain.

Say it with me..."awww!!!"

*hugs*

She's cooler than your sister... :D

DUBLIN: The accidental discovery of an ancient book of psalms - found last week when a construction worker drove the shovel of his backhoe into a bog - has been heralded as a miracle by Ireland's archeologists.
The book, of about 20 pages, has been dated to AD800-1000 and is the first discovery of an Irish early medieval document in two centuries, according to Trinity College manuscripts expert Bernard Meehan.
Never before has such a document been discovered buried in the soggy earth of Ireland.
"This is really a miracle find," said Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum of Ireland, which has the book stored in refrigeration and facing years of painstaking analysis before it is put on public display.
"There's two sets of odds that make this discovery really way out," Mr Wallace said. "First of all, it's unlikely that something this fragile could survive buried in a bog at all, and then for it to be unearthed and spotted before it was destroyed is incalculably more amazing."
He said an engineer was digging up bogland last week to create commercial potting soil somewhere in Ireland's midlands - he would not specify where because a team of archeologists was exploring the site - when, "just beyond the bucket of his bulldozer, he spotted something".
"The owner of the bog has had dealings with us in the past and is very much in favour of archaeological discovery and reporting it," Mr Wallace said.
Crucially, he said, the bog owner covered up the book with damp soil. Had it been left exposed overnight, "it could have dried out and just vanished, blown away".
The book was found open to a page describing, in black-letter Latin script, Psalm 83, in which God hears complaints of other nations' attempts to wipe out the name of Israel.
Mr Wallace said several National Museum and Trinity College experts spent Tuesday analysing only that page - the number of letters per line, lines per page, size of page - and the book's binding and cover, which he described as "leather vellum, very thick wallet in appearance".
It could take months of study, he said, just to identify the safest way to pry open the pages without damaging or destroying them.
"That is certainly going to be the nightmare, trying to separate the pages," he said, ruling out the prospect of using X-rays to investigate without physically moving the pages.
Ireland already has several other holy books from the early medieval period, most famously the ornately illustrated Book of Kells, which has been on display at Trinity College in Dublin since the 19th century.

Kicked back and watched a good movie tonite - Spanglish. The grandmother made me laugh so much and the random lines that are yelled...ah, good movie..

John Clasky: Worrying about your kids is sanity, and being that sane... can drive you nuts.
---
John Clasky: Just do it or I'll light my hair on fire and start punching myself in the face! [Walks away, reconsiders]
John Clasky: That probably wasn't the best way to get make myself clear, was it?
---
Gwen: I admire you for your feelings, and hope to adopt them as my own.
---
Deborah Clasky: [upon hearing John's car pull into the driveway] Do I need to put on make-up?
Evelyn Norwich: You need a hose, but we don't have that kinda time.
---
John Clasky: [after hearing that his wife's been cheating on him] I couldn't hear you. There was a crack in the planet. WOW... that was noisy!
---

Girls Night Out @ Conestoga Mall - randomly decided to sign up and attend tonite. I definitely got more than I expected. The theme for tonite was "Delicious No-Cook Summer Dinners" led by a well known local chef and bartender.

I usually have crappy luck when it comes to winning door prizes, well tonite I proved that wrong. I got chosen to be one of the three women in the audience who got to sit at the Chef's table!! I was a little nervous at first but with all the delicious food, it was easy to forget all the people around me.

This was the menu:

~ Fruit Cocktail (Strawberry Banana)

~Guacamole with Tomatoes, Cilantro and Jalapenos

~Summer Gazpacho with Frozen Olive Oil

~Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

~Frozen Strawberry Mousse Cake

I'm not a big guacamole fan but since it was only a spoonful on a black corn chip, I could deal. My fav main food dish of the night was definitely the Gazpacho - which is basically cold soup - had a very refreshing cucumber taste. Of course my ultimate fav dish of the evening was the dessert. *drool*












Unfortunately none of us had had supper yet (except at this point I was full from all that food!) so we decided to hit Uptown. Ended up at the Fox & the Fiddle - great place with some good eat'ns. I only ordered a drink and an interesting one at that. I was feeling a bit adventurous so I picked a new cooler to try - Smirnoff Fire. Ever tried mixing grape soda/cola with dr. pepper? That's basically what it tasted like...odd but tasty.

Now at 11:50 I am ready for bed...busy night! Hoped to hit the gym and go early to bed but I had tons of fun with my sisters!

10 days out of city was busy!

From the 7th-9th we kept busy by attending Grey Township's 150th Anniversary which included: talent show, fireman's breakfast, beef dinner, church service, parade, and fireworks.

Monday to Friday (10-14) was spent at Point Farms Provincial Park camping! It was a fairly relaxing weekend dispite a few incidents such as:

• 10 hours of constant downpour of rain - were told we got 2 inches overnite. Lots of water = mess of mud and use of all towels on hand! Both tents leaked a bit, guess i'll need sealent next time!
• Burn - decided not to wear sunscreen on an overcast day...regretfully. Had probs sleeping and being exposed to any sun for 3 days.
• Stubbing my toe - so hard that i cracked my baby toe nail which eventually got ripped out. Surprisingly enough it didn't hurt for very long. Now I'm just short a toe nail.
  
• Having half my parents church camp the same week and in the same area of sites.
• Allergies kicked into high gear...stupid hay and tasseling of corn. I swear my allergies have gotten worse in the past year. Thank goodness for Aerius the miracle 24hr pill.

Highlights:

• Swimming in the lake and throwing around a frisbee (bright pink one we've had since I was knee high to a grasshopper)
• Mini-golf and ice cream just before the rain hit! Dad won by a measly 5 points.
• Going on bike adventures with Yvonne, my tailbone has yet to recover.
• Sunsets
• Sleeping outdoors and walking up without an alarm.
• Spending time with family
• Campfires and playing cards (mom cheats at Dutch Blitz!)
• Lying on the beach catching some rays and reading
• Biking with my dad along the beach shore - coolest thing ever! The walk back up to camp is the toughest part.

Cheesest quote:

Me: "We need to get these 2 tents up!"
Dad: "I know what your problem is! You're too tense! Get it? Two tents!"
*rolls eyes*
And people think I'm cheesy! :P















For more pictures:
www.flickr.com/photos/chel84

I'm finally back in Uptown!
It was a busy but relaxing time away from the city! Unfortunately I gotta work in 7 hrs and do need to sleep so a post with pics will be coming soon this week! I have stories and moments to share! Until then...

I'll leave you with one pic:

Gone on my vacation from now 'til July 17.

Don't be sad - upon my return I will have lots of stories and pictures to share!

Just think while some of you are working, I'm out on the beach catching some rays!
Or reading a book.
Or hiking the bluffs.
Or playing mini-golf.
Or on a bike ride
Or roasting marshmellows.
Or....

:) Farewell!

Look at this weather prediction:













No seriously, look. I could not ask for better weather for this coming week.

theweathernetwork.com, you better not let me down *shakes fist*

It was only a goldfish for crying out loud! I thought I'd like a fish as a pet but I was sadly mistaken - if anyone is appalled by how my fish died, I'm sorry but I couldn't keep him anymore and I wasn't going to give him the Royal Flush while he was still alive. I'm not that cruel of a person and again, it was only a goldfish!!! (available at your local pet store for mere couple of dollars).

At least I didn't freeze a live fish and then put it back in the tank! *cough*brad*cough*

Of course I'm never gonna live this one down at work...

Officially "resigned" from being a Sunday School teacher. A big thanks to my pastor for understanding and being appreciative.

I'm gonna miss the kids though! :)

Had a fantastic weekend hanging out with Pam! Swimming and "blindly" ignoring no diving signs, watching a girly movie, pretty nails, fresh berries out of the patch, gorging on fruit, eating the best homemade burgers ever, hanging out with her family, chatting, lying on the grass reading, being wacked by rhubarb stalks. lighting up sparklers, sitting on the swing watching backyard fireworks and a hug good bye.
















One of the best long weekends I've ever had! :P
















Also spend some time at home...outside taking pictures, going for bike rides, cutting up my huge haul of rhubarb, and pitched tents in prep for next weekend.




















See here for complete compilation of pics.

Nothing can prepare you for the impact this movie will have upon your out look on Mother Earth. Just seeing the evidence, the stats, charts, lies, myths, melting ice caps, disappearing lakes, ice shelves breaking apart, drought, massive floods, hurricanes growing into distructive masses....

What have we done to this planet so graciously given to us?

Forgive us for our ignorance.

My older sister Christina has moved back to Ontario! The twins are reunited! :P This afternoon dad moved her into the apartment - this makes 3 siblings living together, crazy we know!

Welcome home Beaner!

It's been a while since I've blogged - here's a photo to tide you, my readers, over until a "real" post.

Tonight(Friday) was a blast!

Laserquest is sooo much fun! I am so going to do it again! Maybe part of a birthday bash in September and we'll be doing the Ironman - 1/2h of running around and lasering people.

Good times with Elisha and Alex or should i say Parthos, Aramis and Athos? Now to rest my sore muscles..

"Just think,you're here not by chance,but by God's choosing.
His hand formed you and made you the person you are.
He compares you to no one else.
You are one of a kind.
You lack nothing that His grace can't give you.
He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill His special purpose for this generation." Roy Lessin

_____________________
Came across this quote in a new book soon to be released (Called- Lisa Jefferson).

Now here's a memory I miss people would forget:

Me barfing into a garbage can at Canada's Wonderland. Got a nice mental picture? Good. I have a story for you.

Back in Sept '01, I went with a bunch of people to Canada's Wonderland - 5 boys and 2 girls (including me) to be exact. Dustin, Mike H, Mike P (and his date), Kris, Dave and me. At one point of the day the boys got a brilliant idea of dragging me onto Drop Zone. The ended on a happy note - i thought it was so awesome!
Then we went over to the Bat. I had already said that last time I went on a rollercoaster like this 2 years ago I felt quite icky. But i thought I could handle a backwards rollercoast the second time. Oh how I was wrong! I felt very sick when we got off, pretended to be fine then finally confessed I felt sick. So I sat a ride out, watched as they went round and round and round and round on a ride....*mad scamble for garbage can*

Me: *stand up after emptying stomach*
Dustin: "You call that barf?"

Let's just say I will never live this moment done, was reminded of it tonite and being back at Wonderland on Saturday. I'll never forget that place because of that one memory.

Although I wasn't the only one to have a rough day that day - Mike P got a bloody nose after the one ride.

What a memory to cherish! Or not...

Spend my Saturday afternoon with my friend Jenn at Canada's Wonderland taking in the sounds from a couple christian bands - TFK, Kutless and Jeremy Camp.














It was a fantastic time and I really enjoyed Jeremy Camp's performance - out of the 3 we heard today, he's the reason I wanted to go. This was his first time having a concert in Canada. What an amazing artist!














I also purchased a couple tees which are pretty sweet.

More pictures will be posted later here.

T: "How to make the rest of your life, the best of your life!"
M:"Stop working here."

*grin*

Ah, gotta love comebacks!

Got my hair cut, highlighted and temporarily straigtened on the weekend:

Friday nite - at 'rents place




















Saturday nite after a day at wedding




















I am a girl of many looks :P I'm really digging the straight, such a nice change compared to constant frizz! :) If only I could get the hairstylist to do my hair for me everday....

a girl can dream!

"Alfie and Daisy Fish passed away peacefully today, Wednesday,
June 14th, 2006, in the early morning hours. Survived by Bubbles and Mason
Fish of the same residence. Lovingly remembered by Bubbles and Mason, and by
Joe, Linda and Pam Smith of Wingham. Special friends of Fabrique of
Waterloo, Michelle DeWit of Waterloo, and Arlin and Joanne Dreise of
Guelph. Fondly remembered for their playful demeanors and big
appetites.
Visitation is today from 1-3 p.m., with burial services taking place at at 4 p.m. Resting at "The Garden" cemetery, Wingham. Donations to the "fish tank fund" of Pam Wingham would be greatly appreciated as expressions of sympathy."

Aww poor little fishies...and here I'm the one that didn't feed Fabrique for days! :)

Joanne and Arlin were married on Saturday






















What a beautiful day!

Pam and I also got to hang out a lot and chat it up!



















(I'd post the pic of both of us but I really dislike it)

For more pics - check out photos here.

Lesson #1 of the day: Don't take neo-citron at work, causes (a) great diconnection between mind and body (b) randomly nodding off while typing (c) glazed look and absolutely no ability to focus (d) would pay anything for a snooze...

Dunno how I'm gonna make it thru the rest of the day :S Although come 4:30 I'll be wide awake - always happens.


*Will post about weekend soon

Back from wedding of my friend Joanne...will post more later..pics too (the few that actually turned out..grrr..)

You know that saying?

"Dance like no-one is watching?"

well I do that...

in the elevator! :)

(tonight's silent song in my head - "river of babylon by Booney M", don't ask!)

M: "Believe it or not, I can drive"
R: *snort*

Why does no one believe me that I can drive?

First car I drove and dad showed me how to drive:
(1984 Chevrolet Caprice Classic)
We just gave away this car this spring - it's still in running condition, just not exactly safe to drive anymore












Second car my parents owned that I drove when I came home on weekends from college:
(1996 Mercury Grande Marquis)
This was my grandfather's car of which he upgraded to a 2001 edition and we got this one












Third car my parents now own since their accident 2 years ago:
(1995 Ford Crown Victoria)
Parents wanted another big car after accident since that's pretty much what saved them










My dad's old delivery truck I drove only a few times:
(1998 Ford Econoline 350)
I didn't drive this truck very much but rode in it a lot when I helped my dad during the summer













My dad's current truck:
(1991 Ford Ranger)
I drive the truck when I need to get around on weekends when I'm at my parents place

Co-worker was humming this:

Links are now restored! Transformation complete!
(except for the small prob with my profile pic and the text semi beside it)

Enjoy, more posts to come.

Hint: Egg-beater. elementary school, phys. ed.

Dollars to donuts?

why not:

Toonie to timbit?

I'll give you weird.

TOMATO SOUP cake.

Enough said..

until it comes out of the oven.

Wish my taste buds luck.

I'm gonna be the next Nashville star!! Check it out:

Here.

TOP TEN things to say when caught sleeping at your desk!**

10. "They told me at the Blood Bank this might happen..."

9. "This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about in the time-management course you sent me to!"

8. "Whew! Guess I left the top off the Whiteout. You probably got here just in time."

7. "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new business strategy."

6. "I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance."

5. "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress. Are you discriminatory toward people who practice Yoga?"

4. "Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out how to handle that big accounting problem."

3. "Did you ever notice sound coming out of these keyboards when you put your ear down real close?"

2. "Who put decaf in the wrong pot?!?

AND THE #1 best thing to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk...

1. Raise your head slowly and say, "...in Jesus name, Amen."

**Uh, thankfully for me I never had to use these lines at work despite the nodding off numerous times...:D

I am tired of the drama
I am tired of the calls
I am tired of the tears
I am tired of the false personna
I am tired of the immaturity
I am tired of the disrespectful
I am tired of pretending everything is alright when inside I just want to scream.

I can only stay silent for so long,
I will crack like the whip on a horses' fleshy body.

We are all replaceable,
do you think you aren't part of this equation?

You claim to do no wrong,
yet the evidence is very clear.
We are not blind nor do conversations fall on deaf ears.

Sometimes things don't need to be said,
or shared at this time,
just put yourself in everyone else's shoes.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
is all I ask for.

New layout almost complete! Links need to be restored and profile pic updated to match colour scheme.

Thanks to the Original Cyn for your mad skillz in creating my header!

Any comments on my new blog digs?

How sad that this is true.







Click on image for a bigger size.
Source: here

---------------------
It makes me laugh and smile when people think of me when they catalogue their books....:D You are the best Emily!

Seriously...what is next?

"...developing a wireless system so some Nike shoes embedded with a sensor can communicate with Apple's iPod Nano music player to track a runner's performance and help choreograph songs to the moment."

Maybe someday I'll own an iPod but presently due to my past ear trama I can't listen to headphones for very long periods of time...wouldn't be worth spend'n the dough on it, sadly.

Thumbs Up
- Dinner and movies with my Steph! Not near enough time to catch up on the past uh, 8 months that has past since our last visit.
- Shopping (for shoes) with my sis.
- Da Vinci Code movie with Dee, Elisha and Jason. I think the movie was well done but since I've read the book there wasn't any suprises. It was really cool how they incorporated the history into the actual picture....mirages type of effect.
- Awesome Alias finale
- Picked up "Last Holiday"...a funny chickflick.

Thumbs Down
- Just My Luck, horribly cheesy movie. Don't waste your money.
- Horrible, horrible headache most of Sunday. Can't remember how I made it home after church.

Pam is the best.

"... aye, twas a bonnie day indeed, and yes lassie, t'ats a wee bit o' Irish ye've thrown in there.. but that's a'right, because you just so happen to be talkin' to a wee Irish lass indeed"

"...good-nite me wee lassie, and may your days be as bonnie as the memories of our far fair shores of Ireland til we meet again. Ye'll be in me thoughts always.



















Anyone feel an urge to hit up the pub for a pint?

This comment was left on my flickr site under my new blog photo:

¡Hermosa mirada, maravillosa sonrisa!

translation...

Beautiful glance, wonderful smile!

Either this person is blind or being very kind.

F: "I've eaten more calories than a small country!"

My alter-ego "Nanny" pic is now gone!

Any more comments about my photo? Considered them ignored.

You don't mess with Uptown Girl.

The David Crowder Band reportly has another album dropping click here to read about it. It's about time! Well more and less I'm just happy to hear they are finally promoting B Collision of which I heard about months ago yet their website has no mention of it.














Can't wait to hear another fantastic album - I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

So this morning at the counter at starbucks, I asked for a Grande non-fat Tae Chee (sp) um, yeah...that's special. Chai Tea latte Michelle, chai tea.
---------
Oh I need to clear something up for Jerkwad:

I can come into work "late" with a cup of Starbucks. Why? Let me give you the rundown. I only have 2 options of when I can catch the #9 bus that runs from King and Uni to work- 8:10, 8:25.

So in the morning on my street I can catch the following #7 buses: 7:52, 8:02, 8:07.
In order for me to catch the early #9 bus I have to leave my house at 7:45 so I can get the 7:52 #7bus (and sometimes the 8:02 matches up with the early #9) that gets me at King and Uni to grab the 8:10 #9. BUT this gets me to work at 8:20.

If I catch the 8:07 #7 bus I get to King and Uni at 8:15 giving me 10min to wait for the 8:25 #9. this gets me to work at 8:40. This is the timeline I've been taking since the winter altho I plan on changing that soon. The thing is - regardless that I saunter in at 8:40, I don't leave work until 4:40. ALTHO, at the same time I have to wait that long because I can't catch the 4:30 #9 home because I'd have to leave work early.

Confused yet? Welcome to my world where my life is ruled by the bus system and the instability of it sometimes...

...pass the tea, bag!












Either my taste buds are sorely off or someone has pulled an ole switchero with my tea. I like orange pekoe and all but was really looking forward to a cup of Chai. :(

(I will find you pranster!)

Don't have time/too lazy to read the Da Vinci Code? Or want a short version of "decoding" the book - check out the videos on this link:

http://www.beliefnet.com/templechurch/

I recommend going thru all the video clips led by the Master of the Temple Church (which is a church in part of the book).

I have a hard time fathoming what an impact this book is having on the society and culture of today - tourism, art, artist, Church, history, religion, book sales.....makes you wonder how long this "craze" will last and what the lasting impact will be. Especially with the movie coming out in just a few weeks time. (Besides the fact that Dan Brown is making a pot load of cash in benefits.)

WOW.

Dear "Anonymous" commenter:

Thank you for that delightful comment - "you look like a nanny". I'm assuming you are refering to my blog profile picture of which I've been planning to change since this is not the first time I've been told this. Or maybe I moonlight as a Nanny and u just let out my secret! :)
Sincerely,

Michelle

There are some people that wave and others who shout. I prefer the friendly wave.
>
>>
>>>Didn't your mother teach you that if you have nothing good to say, to say nothing at all?
>>
>
But I guess that would make you a mute.

Reasons for brain going into overload last nite:

The 3 interesting convos:
1. friends relationship issues and definition of being "in love"
2. a friends upcoming wedding and honeymoon
3. debating the new role I now have a church - is there a need or is it forced?

House:
- what's going to happen to Foreman? Will he die like the first patient?

Gym:
- trying to watch House with 3 other tvs tuned to different stations and working up a sweat.

Da Vinci Code:
- only 70 + pages to go, it's 12:30 AM and my eye balls are burning.

Having 3 very diverse conversations with people between phone calls and editing a write-up, watching House, working out and reading the Da Vinci code until 12:30AM - has made for me too much to think about.

I think tonite with 3 shows to watch, my brain will return to it's normal mushy-ness.

-----
Random overheard line:
"....drive-by ignorance"

I wasn't going to post about this since it's already a huge story back home and across the region. Last week 4 Canadian soldiers died and one of the men (Cpl. Matthew Dinning) was from the town of Wingham (of which I went to the local high school for 4 years). I am just astounded at the amount of support from the community that has been non-stop from purple ribbons adorning trees and poles, to 2,300 people showing up for the funeral this weekend. I guess that's what tragedy does.

CBC coverage, click here for video.
CTV coverage, click here and here for video.

2,300 attend funeral for fallen Canadian soldier
Updated Sat. Apr. 29 2006 11:30 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
An estimated 2,300 people gathered in Wingham, Ont. to remember Cpl. Matthew Dinning, a Canadian soldier who lost his life in Afghanistan one week ago.
Dinning and three other soldiers died on April 22 when a roadside bomb destroyed the G-Wagon jeep carrying them as they travelled from Gumbad to their home base in Kandahar.
People streamed into a hockey arena in the town of 3,000 people about 150 kilometres west of Toronto to attend the funeral for the 23-year-old who was born in Richmond Hill, Ont.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Ontario Provincial Police attended, wearing formal dress uniforms.
Purple ribbons adorned trees and storefronts through town, placed in memory of the fallen soldier.
Those at the service got to watch Dinning's life unfold on a giant video screen as his father Lincoln showed home movies of Matt singing O Canada as a young boy, appearing as Robin Hood in a school play and speaking at a wedding.
(partial article)

"Thank you for loving me. Thank you for hearing me." David Crowder (All I can Say)
--------------
What a great way to spend a Sunday:

• lunch with some friends
• refreshing and honest talk with someone I hardly know
• napping in a stream of sunlight
• reading
• doing some devos with my sis
• ordering in pizza
• veg fest in front of tv

(Click here for more pics)