New Stuff Part II

A couple months back Dave and I went on a shopping spree. Below is the car packed full of our purchases for the day:

I got a new bike, we both got new shows and other sporting goods and we spent some money at Future Shop/Best Buy and of course, we stopped by Henry’s as well. Dropped a great deal of money, but on useful things that did not go unused in the months since then.

This shopping spree reminded me of an earlier post that discussed my love of getting new things. It is one of my more materialistic tendencies that I don’t really mind to be honest.

2 Years Later it Comes Full Circle

Last week, just over two years after getting T-boned on my way to work, Dave and I drove through and advanced green turn signal at Conroy and Thurston here in Ottawa. It was pretty amazing, so much so that we both clapped. The next day I took this photo to prove to others that the turn signal we had all wanted for so long actually existed. Don’t worry, Dave was driving the car when I took the photo from the passenger seat.
I like to think that through my accident I helped make this happen. There have been at least 4 other accidents in the intersection since mine however, and those are just the ones that I have noticed (and can remember).

Guest Post VII

The third and final installment of my Planes, Trains and Automobiles is up on Always Standing today.

Guest Post VI

Part 2 of Planes Train and Automobiles is up on Always Standing.

Guest Post V

My fifth guest spot over on Always Standing is the beginning of a three-post series called Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The posts are predominantly about travel in the three forms and memorable trips I have taken using each. Check it out. :)

Christmas 2009 Recap

Christmas 2009 was a busy one, though I feel as if Dave and I actually got a little bit of time to ourselves this year, which was a nice change.

Our first Christmas event was back on the 12th at the NAC for the DST Christmas Party. It was a really nice event with great food. Everyone seemed to have a really good time, including Dave and myself. I took the little camera out for a field trip and it fared pretty well, for a point-and-shoot. We also apparently got a semi-decent photo of Dave and I, which is an added bonus as I think this is the only image of Dave and I for all of 2009 (the Dave and Steph folder on my computer seems to be empty).

The second Christmas event was on the 18th at Chris, Jerrica and Lindsay's house, lovingly called Die Hohle. The Christmas dinner was set up by Jerrica and was a really nice idea. We got another excuse to get dressed up (because I really do need reasons to wear something nicer than jeans out of the house) and ate some good, homemade food. Hats off to everyone who helped with the dinner. I plan on putting these photos up on Flickr once I get the ability to work on them back - I will let you know when that happens. For now, please enjoy a photo of the eggnog Dan made - I am told it was really good (I wouldn't know as I don't drink eggnog because it is weird).

I am considering the third Christmas event to be the weekend that Dave and I set up the tree and the proceeding weekend where we attempted to get all of our Christmas shopping done. I swear Christmas really creeped up on us this year. Normally I would have all my shopping done by November 30th at the latest, this year though Dave and I were buying the last of the gift cards on the 21st!

Fourth Christmas took place on the 23rd and 24th at Dave's parents' house. Some of his extended family from both sides were there and we again ate really some good food. We also played a lot of Wii and I of course took a ton of photos. Dave's family asked for a family portrait to be done this year, likely because it is the last time they will be in Canada for Christmas. We shot in three locations, but this was my favourite photo so far. I think it came out pretty well (though I am thinking it could use some lighting up in the back - I am not completely done with it yet).

Once Christmas in Peterborough was done, we headed to Prescott. We spent Christmas Day with my parents, brother and sister-in-law and my Mom's Dad. We ate our traditional Christmas dinner and opened our gifts, which were of course awesome. We also spent some not so traditional time in the hot tub which was a super nice treat - oh how I wish we had a hot tub here in Ottawa. Mom tried something new this year and put our Christmas money in little tiny gift bags which she then put on the tree. The plan was to tell us to go to the tree every once in awhile and let us get one. In reality, she kept forgetting about it until we reminded her and we ended up getting two each time. It was still a rather interesting way to get our Christmas money.

Thankfully the very dirty car had winter tires on and made it everywhere this year as it wasn't the greatest weather while we were driving around. To the right is a photo of the car (taken from the passenger seat). As you can see, it was very packed on the drive home and it took Dave and I a fair bit to get everything into the house. The process was sped up a bit by the fact that it was ice raining and neither of us wanted to be outside. To date, the only things that have been properly put away have been the gifts. All of the things we took with us, clothes, etc are going through the normal process of sitting in the luggage until they are needed.

I am still looking forward to exchanging gifts with a few friends, though I need to buy those gifts yet (this is not me procrastinating but rather something we do every year to ensure the things we needed to get for Christmas are received).

All in all, Christmas was really good. It was a little stressful at times due to the driving, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It would have been nice to spend more time with each family, but we only get a few days off for the holiday and needed some time to ourselves as well.

Boxing Day

Every year when I was little I would go Boxing Day shopping with my mom. We usually waited until later in the day as to avoid as much as the crowds as possible and we normally just bought Christmas stuff for next year (cards, ornaments, etc.). Last year was the first year we faced the crowds and actually got to a store before it opened, though this part was not actually planned. Dave and I bought our name brand 32" TV and GPS unit for the car as well as the traditional Christmas stuff. It was very pleasant.
This year we waited until the stores were open before we headed out of my parents' house. Upon arriving at the store, we realized that the Christmas stuff had been almost completely bought out and though we were able to get a tree skirt for out Christmas tree, we weren't able to get anything else 'Christmas-y'. Dave bought some stuff from Future Shop and I looked into some Bamboo stuff, but didn't buy anything as it wasn't on sale and I need to think about it a little longer. It was definitely a much lower key Boxing Day as compared to last year.

Distant Relatives - Hostess and Just for Laughs

I know Hostess chips aren't really that big anymore - at least not with anyone I know, but as Dave and I were filling the car up with gas this past weekend, I saw an advertisement for them on the pit stop store window. I sat there looking at the little Munchies (the cartoon characters used for their ads) and thought that they looked a little like the Just for Laughs cartoon character. And now that I am writing this post and have their images here on the same screen, I realize that the Hostess Munchies are red, yellow and orange - there is no green Munchie. Perhaps these four guys are related somehow in cartoon-world! The Hostess Munchies are probably brothers and as the Just For Laughs guy has a pointy nose rather than a bulbous one, he is likely a cousin or something along those lines, but related nonetheless.
I know I am crazy - but you have to admit they look pretty similar.
(images found through Google)

Court Date

Monday, June 6, 2009 was the court date for the accident - or rather, for my appeal of the ticket I got because of the car accident. I was very nervous about the whole thing and started freaking out about it at the end of last week as I couldn't get a hold of the man who was going to help me with the trial. Eventually we connected and I told him I wanted his assistance on the day of the trial, for a fee as expected. We discussed what was going to happen and I continued to wait.

This past weekend was a disaster in terms of my stress levels. Whenever I wasn't sleeping, making a meal or playing some kind of video game, I was worrying and fretting about the trial. I had never been a part of a trial and had no idea what to expect. I would dream of important meetings/events and either screwing them up or missing them all together. It was very unpleasant. I spent the morning worrying even more and deciding what I was going to say when it came time to speak. The trial was at 1:30 and I was there at almost exactly 1. Paul, the man who was helping me, showed up about 5 minutes after me and we discussed a few options I had such as taking a by-law fine rather than a Highway Traffic Act (HTA) charge. As we spoke, the man who hit me showed up and we eventually followed him into the actual courtroom.
It was like a combination of a tiny courtroom and a tiny church. I say church because the seats were like pews in a church and the atmosphere made me just as uncomfortable as a church.
The witness to the accident, who was behind me when I was hit, also showed up and of course the police officer was there. The whole thing was very unnerving and I was very glad I had decided to get Paul's help. He spoke with the prosecutor after which he and I made what I consider a very wise decision to take the by-law fine. Nothing is attached to my license and there is only a small monetary fine that I have no real problem with.
I am really happy with the outcome of the trial, that in total took about half an hour, two minutes of which were the actual trial. I can now put the whole thing behind me and get on with things.

One Year at 1212

As of June 18, 2009 , Dave and I have been renting our house at 1212 for a full year!! Isn't it exciting?!

Last year at this time, I was packing our stuff into totes, boxes and bags and we were slowly, but surely, moving them over to the new house any way we could (Thanks Yan for letting us use your car so much). After about 7 car trips, 2 or 3 bike trips and one long walk we had most of the small, non-everyday items moved.

Mom and Dad came up the beginning of July and helped us move our larger items over to the new house (thanks to all the friends who came and helped out), which took about 4 truck loads, with the trailer in tow! It wasn't until we were trying to fit it all in the house that I realized just how much stuff Dave and I owned (okay mostly just me).

Shortly after moving in, we started a garage sale pile that never made it to a garage sale and is still located in our basement. A large portion of our items are still in boxes, totes and bags to this day and will likely never be unpacked. They too could probably be sold or donated as we likely will never need or use them again.

I love our house so much and have really enjoyed the last year living in it with Dave. We have been able to purchase larger and nicer items without the fear of them being broke or mistreated, not that any of our past roommates would purposely do either of those things. We have started our own garden in tiny backyard and a gym in our basement. Our house is a compilation of stuff from our parents' homes as well as a few things we have bought for ourselves and is slowly getting closer to 'our style', though at the moment I couldn't tell you what that is. It is perfect for the time being and I hope the next year is as joyful as this past one has been.

One Minute Writer #16

Write about an experience that made you feel like a "grown up."

There have been several experiences in the past little while that have made me feel like a "grown-up": the car accident (or rather dealing with the car accident), the purchase of the new car, getting the taxes without my parents (and filing as a common-law couple with Dave), Jess graduating tomorrow, driving to and from parents' homes (mine and Dave's) without their assistance, dinners with friends during which we talk about the economy, co-workers getting engaged, friends from back home getting married and/or having children, thinking about getting a dog, and just turning 25 in general. So many things have made me feel grown-up and I don't know if I really mind. Sure the care-free days of childhood were great, but they came with a loss of freedom and though now I have responsibilities and have to go to work almost everyday, I am able to afford really cool stuff and do things I was unable to before. I just don't know if I want to grow up anymore.

Playstation

Sunday was the day I got my scanner/printer, it was also the day that Dave finally got his Playstation 3. He has wanted this thing for years now (pretty much since it came out) and could never rationalize getting it. When we heard he was going to be working in Toronto for a month (turned out to be a month and a half) he decided that the extra money he would make through overtime and his per diem would go towards a Playstation 3 (and games). Then the Sentra got totaled and that dream faded. I really wanted him to get it still, but we had to spend so much money on the car I wasn't sure if he would. Luckily, he didn't stop looking at it, and I talked him into getting it this past weekend - not that it took much convincing. We went to EB Games and got a pretty good deal (3 games with the system) and another game that I got him as his birthday present (his birthday happens to have been yesterday). I am very happy he got his new toy as he really deserved something for all the hard work he has been doing at DST. And we got Little Big Planet as well which is a game I have wanted to play since he showed it to me (quite possibly to get me to want to PS3 as much as him - which was smart of him).

For Me?

Chris has been away for some time on vacation and is easing back into daily postings. Today's post was about a blog chain award that Heather had given her. You are supposed to list 7 reasons you are awesome and then link to other people's blogs you believe are deserving.
First things first I suppose, 7 reasons why I am awesome (I honestly don't know if I can come up with seven but I will do my best - it may take some time).

1. I'm a pretty good photographer (though I do it because I love it so much not because I am good at it).
2. My skills in Photoshop are above average and getting better almost every day.
3. I am extremely organized in most areas of my life, particularly when it comes to finances (to be honest, I don't know if this makes me awesome or slightly crazy). My budget is so organized and well maintained that Dave and I managed to by our first car (well first car that we bought) without any financing or loans - this makes us awesome (though currently poor).
4. I can make some awesome food. Most recently I made a cheesecake that was to die for (as stated and confirmed by all who ate it).
5. I'm pretty smart. I have always been on the brighter side of the population, but getting through the engineering program in one piece made me really believe in my intelligence.
6. I have an Environmental Engineering degree and have managed to find a job in my field. I learned shortly after graduation that this is not an easy task and as such, I feel is grants me a tiny amount of awesome-ness.
7. When I put my mind to it, I can do just about anything.

Just so everyone is aware of how hard that list was for me - I started this post at about 8:30 and the list itself took me almost half an hour to complete. So, onto the second part of the chain. Awarding other blogs. I would normally have put Heather and Chris into this category as I read their blogs on a regular basis and enjoy both of them but as they have both done this chain already, I will move onto some of the other blogs I follow. I don't believe any of these blogs will keep the chain alive (or even know I linked to them), but I have faith that others will and the awarding will continue. So much faith in fact that I want to direct my readers to some really awesome (and already popular) blogs.

1. The One-Minute Writer. This blog posts daily writing prompts (it is also very popular and probably doesn't need my help but I am mentioning it just the same). I use the prompts on occassion for blog posts here but also just to get my brain juices flowing in the morning as every once in a while they really make me think.
2. Journey to Lose 100 Pounds. This blog has been an aid and inspiration when it comes to my weight loss. I found it randomly one day and check it out on a regular basis now. It may not be of interest to everyone, but personally I enjoy it.
3. Pictures, Poetry & Prose. Another daily posting site that is meant to inspire writing. This one I mainly use to view the photography that gets posted there as writing prompts. I plan on sending her a link to my site(s) in hopes of having some of my images used there.

So that is that. I hope you enjoyed my blog suggestions - I know I do.

Car Extravaganza

(image found through Google).
On April 17th, 2009 Dave's 2001 Nissan Sentra was t-boned while I was driving it to work. I was on turning from Conroy onto Thurston on a yellow light. The cars coming in the opposite direction were stopping and I thought it was safe. Obviously I was wrong as a Mazda Protege 5 smashed into the passenger side of my car bringing me to a complete stop. Somehow I managed to keep the car from hitting any other vehicle and then parked it on the side of the road. In an attempt to make this part of the story a little shorter, the man who hit me was extremely upset and unnecessarily rude. A witness came back and told me he saw the man run the red light (this witness had been behind me in the turning lane and obviously also thought it was safe to turn as he was right behind me when I was hit). The car had some pretty serious damage to it, but it still ran. The passenger side doors no longer opened and the back passenger side was smashed in so far the you could stick your hand through the opening.I went into work and my boss helped me find out what station to go to and how to get there, I really appreciated how helpful he was. When I arrived at the station I spoke with an officer, waited for another officer and called the insurance company. I also called my dad and asked him to come up and help me as Dave was in Toronto for work. After taking the car to a body shop and getting a rental car (a stupid, horribly designed Toyota Yaris), my dad took me back to Prescott where I spent the weekend trying to relax and figure out what had just happened.(image found through Google).

When I returned Sunday afternoon I had several messages related to the accident one of which was from the constable assigned to the case. He came over to the house and charged me with making an unsafe turn. The man who hit me wasn't getting charged with anything. My witness had changed his statement after speaking with the constable (in my opinion, he was scared out of it by the constable but I do not know exactly what happened). I was upset and angry. I have since decided to fight the charge and have a court date on July 6, 2009 at 1pm. I hope it goes well.
Later on in the week I learned that the car was a total loss. After quite a bit of deliberation with Dave about the situation, we decided to take the money offered to us by the insurance company and find a new car. We started looking for cars when he was home for the weekend and then while he was back in Toronto. We had quite a hard time with this as we really didn't have any money and were both extremely stressed. The leaders in the car search were: a red 2008 Honda Fit (sport) with ~50,000km (image found through Google) and two red 2007 Dodge Calibers (with ~80,000km and ~60,000km) (image found through Google).Later on we also thought about a new 2009 Pontiac Wave (image found through Google).
After about 2 weeks of car shopping, we came to an agreement to buy the Honda Fit from the dealership owned by family friends back in Prescott. We liked the look of it and felt it was a better fit for our lifestyle. It has tons of space inside (seriously - just wait until you see it, it looks tiny but inside it feels huge!) and has so many features we couldn't afford in a new car.
We went to Riverside Saturday to purchase the car only to find more stress. Someone had the car out on a test drive! I was very upset (again) and was afraid that we were going to lose the only car we both liked and felt was the right price. We went back to my parents' house and made a few calls to some of the other dealers we had been talking to and were able to make a deposit on the car. Eventually we were able to go and test the car out again and we luckily saw that we hadn't built it up too much. It was still great so we purchased it. I got a courtesy car to drive, a red Pontiac Pursuit, until our car was ready as it needed to have a safety and inspection done to ensure it was up to the standards of the Riverside Pontiac Buick dealership.(image found through Google).
I picked up our 2008 Honda Fit on Tuesday and am absolutely in love with it. Dave will be home on Saturday (he is back in Toronto for work) and I can't wait for him to come home to our new car. It makes me so happy to have our own set of wheels again - ones we got to pick out and buy.

One Minute Writer #6

What are you running from, or what are you running towards?

Somehow I am both running from things and towards others. I am currently running from all the drama and anguish that has occurred this past week and a half while running towards some kind of happy future. I don't really know what the future holds for me or how I get there (or if I ever will) but I know I want to be there. In my head this future holds a great career that I love and of course Dave. There are no car problems or business trips, there aren't any frustrating bosses to deal with or a recession holding back job opportunities. I hope I get there one day - preferably sooner rather than later.

Winter Anxiety

It is freaking freezing here in Ottawa and the snow just keeps coming. I normally don't dread winter or wish that it would end, but this year is different - I can't wait for Spring to come to the city. The cold weather, frigid wind and copious amounts of snow have lead to a very unhappy car.

It mutters mean things when it starts in the morning and has to sit around for 10-15 minutes before it can be driven nicely. It has no snow tires and therefore can't grip anything. If more than 5cm of snow falls overnight, I get anxious about whether or not the car will behave properly on the roads. It is even worse if I have to go to a site for work as they are usually construction sites and have no regular snow removal in place.

I can't wait for Spring 2009.