Ray LaMontagne - For The Summer

Something about this guy's voice and the music heals me. Especially this one =)

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

I've found a place in Bellingham that does gel nails for $15 per fill - normally I pay $40-50! Normally I try to stretch it and only get one fill a month. At $15 per fill I can get two fills and STILL be saving money! I'm so excited about this. I can't wait to see how it turns out tomorrow. Cross your finger(nails) that it'll be worth it!

February is going to be an exciting month, too. The last payment (before a $0 balance) on my HBC card is coming up - YaY! One less thing to pay each month. I like the sound of that, but I'm going to put the money that would have gone to my HBC account on my Sears card. Not as exciting as paying something off, but knowing the Sears card will get paid off quicker since I'll be able to put more money towards it is a happy thing. Yay =D

The Closet Organizer

Recently I stumbled upon my receipt for a closet organizer I've been wanting to put up. It was dated January 3, 2010. Well, it's January 8, 2011, but it's finally up! It's not the most rock-solid of contraptions, so I'm interested to see how it holds up to my 7 zillion hoodies, sweaters, and cardigans. If I hear it all collapsing you'll be the first to know, right after I curse a blue streak ,o)

What the Future Holds

Happy end-of-the-first-week-of-2011! I've been thinking a lot about what I've accomplished in 2010 and what I want to accomplish in 2011. I think I've finally finished going through the tough stuff; found out I'm bipolar and found a medication that makes me feel like I did 15 years ago when I was free of all this crap. I don't have that deer-in-headlights feeling and am getting a shit-tonne of stuff completed. For example, in the last couple days I've been cleaning out my closet (donating some stuff and organizing the rest) and taking down the old journey-rigged closet bar/shelf contraption. Tomorrow I'm going to put up the new closet organizer and finally have everything neat and tidy - YAY! What I want to focus on in 2011 is relaxing and restorative things. Like, say, I've always wanted to knit a sock. A pair would work better, but for now we'll keep expectations low and go for just one, single sock. I'd also like to take a belly dancing class, or at least something that's social and fun. Lastly, I'd like to finally get the basement cleared out so I can set up my make-shift photo studio.

So, what about you? What are you hoping to accomplish in 2011?

Wii = Whee!

I bought a Wii and Wii fit bundle from a lady in Abbotsford yesterday. Came home and cleaned the tv and the area around it, tidied all my cables, etc before I set up the Wii gear. After all that I had a game of Wii bowling and then a game of boxing. I'm SO addicted to Wii boxing. So, since that area is looking so good I'm going to try to continue that by cleaning up the area between my coffee tables. It seems to be a misc drop spot in my living room. I don't know if that's going to happen or not, though; I've got a headache and I'm a big baby when I have a headache. I might just end up spending the night on the couch.

The Running of the Beagleys

You've heard of the Running of the Bulls in Spain? This week was the Running of the Beagley's here in Mission - lol! This past week my family and I have reactivated our Costco membership, Mom bought her hearing aids and ordered her new glasses, I bought a hoodie, the Quinoa 365 cookbook, Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs, and a vacuum I'd been eying at Canadian Tire. Today I found a better vacuum at Zellers, and since Mom used my new vacuum's box to deliver gifts, it looks like I'm going to have to Craigslist the Cdn Tire vac instead of simply returning it. I also found a 3" memory foam thing for my bed at Zellers - $80, down from $185! I'm going to go collapse into it because tomorrow we're scheduled to pick up the other vacuum as well as look for a swivel rocker/recliner. Whew!

New Meds = New Me?

Since I began those employment workshops in the summer I've realized just how much my mental health plays a role in my life. I decided to see if I could get disability and was given the 25-page application. I also received the name of a local advocate who would help me fill my portion of the application out. The advocate brought many things to light that I hadn't considered 'problems' or symptoms, but since that meeting I've been more mindful of my moods and have had a feeling that I'm more than just depressed. With a little research I matched my symptoms to bipolar disorder.

On Wednesday (Nov.3) I was able to see my doctor and mentioned this to him. He gave me a multi-page questionnaire to fill out. I went back on Friday (Nov.5) with the questionnaire filled out and the doctor looked it over, agreed that I am bipolar and prescribed me Co-Quetiapine to take along with the medications I'm already taking (Wellbutrin and Cipralex). I've been taking it since then and I'm wondering if what I'm feeling is due to the new medication. I found it easier to wake up this morning and I'm not so easily distracted - enough that I'm actually getting things done around here. I like this. I hope this is only the beginning. =)