Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Routine matters

So the belly dancing routine is coming along nicely. Need more practice this week and may get a group practice in on Saturday, in between being on call for work. Having the routine and a set goal is definitely helping me get over the period of disappointment I was having with it. The hafla is at 2pm on Sunday, location either Gothic Arches or Fisher Lakes outside, we're supposed to know later this week where exactly it will be. If anyone is interested in seeing some dancing, come on by, but please keep in mind that I am a beginner and I won't be dressed like I Dream of Jeannie.

[if you are reading this, Hi Kelly!]

Routines seem to be something I enjoy, I am noticing. This is nothing new, I am just noticing the fact that I have certain things down to a science and sometimes I like it that way. Likely the OCD tendencies coming through there :)


Went to see the urologist today for a 6 month appointment after having that test done back in December, remember, the one that was rescheduled on me 5 times? I haven't really been having any problems since, so that is good news. I don't have to see him again unless I feel I am getting worse again. I really like this doctor, he is friendly and actually seems to care enough to send me for tests, unlike the last specialist I had, who told me "take these drugs". I told him I'd had them before and they didn't work for me. He told me to take them anyway. Jackass. So kudos to my urologist, who is a really nice doctor, and while I hope I have no more problems, if I do, I'm glad he's around.


Got a notice in the mail yesterday that my property taxes were paid by my mortgage company. That I expected. It was the part where they paid the original bill, the one that was double what it was supposed to be, that wasn't so good. So I faxed them my revised bill and they will hopefully get it and apply necessary changes in time for me not to have to pay a double-looking mortgage payment. Small challenges but I love my house.


Tomorrow I am headed out of town for work and have to stay overnight in Monkey-town. I seriously hope that goes well. By not going this week, they have planned out for me in great detail what I am supposed to do. I don't expect 100% smooth sailing but hopefully it won't be too much of a pain in the ass. The only bad part is that everything I have to do is after hours, so who knows how late I'll be there tomorrow night. Hopefully not too bad. At least I remembered to ask the hotel to not put me on the side facing Main St, and in doing that they gave me an executive suite for the same price, v. nice.


Office still freezing today. No matter what I do I can't seem to find any heat.

35 comments:

mare said...

heh heh, urologist in the penal system.

ahem.

right, so, sounds like a busy day. have fun in monkeytown, i presume you'll be getting jenn's chocolates?

liz said...

mais oui. She's supposed to send me a note with eactly which ones she wants.

I, however, could die happy with a box full of the Louise.


yeah, best card ever!! except for Wang Chung card.

mare said...

i go back and forth on the chocolate, which means i don't want it enough. i'll get my candy on when i go to freak lunchbox.

liz said...

Hafilax. Boo.

John said...

My office is, once again, cold. They keep it at 70, but, since I am the only person who complains, they don't care. At least I'm no longer on the server-room wall-- those cubicles are much cooler as that room is an icebox.

It is 85 (29?) outside and very sunny. Lunch will likely be outside so I can bask my reptilian body in the heat.

Come to the sunny side, liz. >;-)

Lisa said...

We have a reading of Lily's Song on Sunday, otherwise I would totally be there. Do you know how long it will be? Maybe I'll be able to catch the end.

Boo-urns for the cold office. Mine is warm, but they keep it very stuffy with recycled air as penance. Blah.

liz said...

mare: "tell him I said he's a jackass" (which I am sure she means in the nicest possible way)

me: *grumble grumble stupid CA nice weather grumble grumble* and then I called you a bastard. In the nicest possible way. :P

John said...

I can't help it if I live in the best location in the world for nice weather. Those 50 days a year without sunshine are really, really tough on us.

It's a curse, really.


(Okay, I know I'm pushing it. Don't hurt me! I can't help the horns, they are part of the package.)

>;-)

liz said...

SHUT UP!! I am totally kicking your ass. Virtually.


Lisa: it starts at 2pm and I will likely be dancing within the first hour/hour and a half, I am guessing. It will end around 5pm I am told, though maybe a bit sooner, all depends.

Chris L said...

CJ is understating how beautiful it is outside right now. While I ate lunch I took a look around and literally couldn't find even a wisp of a cloud in the sky. Now that I mention it, I'm going for a walk to get some ice cream. Yummy.

liz said...

Kelly: Thanks! You still have quite a ways to go if you're only through February. I am queen of the "enormo-post".

Chris L: already getting enough torture from John on weather. You're not helping. Don't make me come down there.

John said...

Great, Chris, good going. She already virtually kicked my ass and now you rile her up again.

(Feels another beating coming on)

Anonymous said...

Re: Prop taxes

The city of Saint John obviously havent seen my 'little' little' little' place... I too have received in the mail a statement saying my taxes were paid, AND INCREASED! by alot!
All joking aside, i am so sick and tired of this city's tax policies and total lack of support in other areas.

mare said...

meh, they have a lot to pay. like, you know, irving's tax bill for the lng terminal, apparently. oh, and roads. and the fact that... and i mention this again... there are pipes in the ground that were put in before the us civil war and kind of need to be replaced!

i'm just saying.

i wish i was in sunny california. it was nice and warm today, until the fog rolled in. mmmm fog, natural a/c. plus, it looks cool.

Chris L said...

Half of money we pay for gasoline in California is for taxes, it's one of many reasons why California has the highest prices in the US. That money is supposed to be spent on road maintenance and enhancements. Instead our wonderful states spends it on everything else so we still have crappy roads and horrendous gridlock.

But the important thing is that I'm not bitter.

Anonymous said...

belly dancer? thats very interesting. I've never really seen belly dancing live before, only on tv or movies, how did you ever get involved with belly dancing?

canadianicewolf said...

I'm glad to know that CA's roads are crap too!! You may have your nice and warm weather, but if your roads are shit too, then I'm just happy that there is something that I can point my finger and cakcle snottily at you for being no better than us with!!!

YAAAY!!!

;-D

Lisa said...

Keep in mind folks, that while CalJohn and CalChris have sunny weather, they did just have a 5.0 earthquake. I'd rather have snow than earthquakes. ^_^

Plus, they have Bush. (You can take that any way you want to, but I mean politically ~_^ Eep! Not helping... Uh... You get my point.)

I love Saint John. I get to be a medium sized fish in a small theatre pond. We have some beautiful buildings, incredibly talented people, and I've got probably the best friends in NB. Cal only has sun, John and Chris.

Chris L said...

Everyone has different tolerances when it comes to earthquakes. The repeated exposure has raised my take notice level to around 6.5’s, anything less could be a large truck driving by. It is fun to be on 50th floor of an office building during 6 earthquake, I swear the building seems to sway about 5’ either direction and the doors open and close on their own.

Hm, I’m probably not encouraging people to visit…

John said...

There is a little more than just sun, Chris, and me here, but I get your point.

Here, you live in a metroplex that stretches from San Diego to Los Angeles and out to San Bernardino and Riverside. Everything is paved and built up. You think nothing of driving 3 hours to get somewhere. Almost every highway is at least 4 lanes in each direction, and every day during rush hour all of those lanes are gridlocked with vehicles. We have the population of some states (and probably your entire province) stuck in traffic on the highways every day.

Our sense of community is sorely lacking. Neighborhoods are predominantly pre-fab houses with about 10 feet of "yard" on any 1 side. You have to find a park to get any green. People move around so much that the neighbor you meet today will be gone 6months to a year later.

From the sound of it, you guys live relatively close together. Here you think nothing of having friends who are an hour's drive (or more) away.

And, yes, we have Bush. But please don't forget... we're so stupid we voted for him... twice!



Damn. Not sure where that came from. Feeling a little passionate today, I guess.

Scum said...

Some people make a pretty good case to show that you really only voted for him once. :)

Here, a 4 hour drive can take me over a 13km long bridge to a different province to visit the seat of Confederation. An hour long drive (if you REALLY motor) can take us across the border to the US. Hell, in Canada, 90% of the population can reach the US in an hour or less.

I'm not sure how many people you have stuck in gridlock on any given day, but in NB, there's only ~750k. So you probably have the whole Atlantic Provinces stuck in gridlock. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Cali dudes :-)
There really is no grid lock to speak of here... i hear people complain about drive time traffic, but really, try the Queensway in Ottawa, or, the Don in Toronto, or the chunnel in Montréal... Thats GRID LOCK, what we have in NB is an extra song or two on the radio.

mare said...

oh, memories of driving through montreal gridlock last summer, never getting out of 2nd gear all the way through the city. now THAT was traffic. two cd's worth.

here, not so much.

Surly Canuck said...

I'll take the Don, the QEW or the 401 every day of the week over the 400 to cottage country on a Friday afternoon or Sunday evening.

Bumper to bumper at speeds ranging from -5 to 130 kms an hour.

Of course, that's why I take transit.

And don't let them fool you Cali folk... though they sound like they all live close together, you can drive for an hour or more to get from one end of SJ to the other.

Granted there's big stretches of nothing in there... =)

John said...

Big... stretches... of... nothing?

You MUST be referring to the large parking lots between the 150-store malls, right?


;-)

mare said...

no, vag meant here with the big stretches of nothing. well, trees. and deer. in the city. lots of trees.

it's pretty sweet in the fall.

well, off to go sailing. :)

Chris L said...

What's second gear? I have vague memories of using the gearbox but it's been a long time...

Cyn said...

I second what vagabond said. And the Skyway bridge? Forget it! WHEW! But yes... travelling up to Simcoe Cty is awful too. Uck.

Lisa said...

Yeah, big stretches of nothing. Just tons of pesky fields, forests, mountains and incredible scenery. We're martyrs really. :-P

Chris L said...

So what this all boils down to is that we get sun and concrete and you get fog, clean air, trees and mountains, not to mention the beatiful scenery. I think I'm depressed now...

Surly Canuck said...

Don't fool yourself on the clean air... it's not Cali Smog quality, but it does have a certain... aroma.

mare said...

vag, are you referring to the exclusive scent of eau de pulp mill, eau de fish meal, eau de oil refinery, or my personal favourite, eau de low tide?

:P

the trees and scenery is beautiful, though, we have an amazing system of waterways that i get to sail every week. we're pretty lucky for an industrial small city.

Surly Canuck said...

Most especially l'eau du pulpe, which I don't miss at all.

John said...

You make it sound so appealing.

mare said...

i should post some pictures, i have some great ones.