The Obligatory New Years Post

I have not even thought about New Years Resolutions this year.
After the success of my 2007 Resolutions, I've felt intimidated by making more. But maybe its time.

I just can't think of anything to resolve...resolute...resolutionize...whatever.

I want to garden this year. Especially after I received the fabulous "Square Foot Gardener" book for Christmas! So excited.

I also want to try to knit/crochet and sew...but I just don't know how to start.

As far as exercising, I've already been motivated by outside forces (thanks Rebekah!) to join a yoga class, which I am totally stoked about. I've really missed it since I left Strathcona, and I can't wait to start again! Unfortunately, I'm so unmotivated to sign myself up for it that it never happened. Until now!

Of course, school is a big thing to be planning for this year. But the more I think about it, the more discouraged I become. It seems like so much money, and after all the trouble I've already had with student loans this year (they are unbelievably disorganized...I can't even think about it without getting enraged), I refuse to take out another. Job hunting has been...unsuccessful, thus far. I just don't see how its going to happen. At least not this year. So I'd rather not resolve about it.

I want to make a resolution about food...but I just can't do it. I just can't. I love food, and I will eat it, and I will eat it when I want it. There is no point in trying to make a resolution I know I will break.

And that is all I can think of. But I'm really not a huge believer in New Years Resolutions. I think if you really want to get something done/change something, it can happen any time of the year, and that is when its most likely to succeed.

Wii-k Arm

Yes, we got a Wii for Christmas!
We've been duking it out on Wii Tennis, Bowling, Boxing, and the myriad of Wii Fit games.
But especially tennis.
And I hate to admit it, but my arm is sore this morning!

Merry Christmas from PJ!

To my lovely Readers, Friends, and Family...
Most years I am running about frantically at this time on December, grabbing anything and everything that people "might like" because...that's what we do at Christmas. We buy people things that they don't really need, but its "nice" and "polite" and we're "supposed to". And I like giving gifts, I really do. But meaningless, obligatory gifts don't really float my boat.
So I decided to do something different this year.
I got onto the World Vision Christmas catalog site, and purchased clean water for a family...just for you! I know its not chocolate, fancy bath stuff, or sweet-smelling lotion...but I think you'll like it.
I think its the kind of gift that will last a long time, and bring a lot of happiness.

Merry Christmas!

You have the WHAT?!

You know that tingly, irritated, itchy feeling your nose gets sometimes? Like when there is cat hair on your clothes, or you breathe in dust? Apparently there is a word for that:

Kriebel.
Like "KREE-bull"

My mother enlightened me. Its a Dutch word meaning "itch" or "tickle" specifically in regards to the nose.
Today I've been suffering from acute case of the Kriebels. I don't know what it is. At first I thought I was getting sick, because I was sneezing a lot yesterday, but I've stopped now and I have no other symptoms. Just this irritated nose that I just want to rub and rub...I'm resisting.
But its been unpleasant.

My only hope is that my pain has been your gain, now that I have equipped you with a new word for your vocabulary. Its a fun one.

The Newest Disney Princess

The first time I saw the trailer for The Princess & The Frog, I dismissed it as Disney's latest money-making ploy, right up there with Cinderella II, III, and all those other vomit-inducing sequels.
I have to admit my first thought was something like, "Well, I guess now they have a black President, they need a black Disney Princess." (Am I allowed to say that?)
However, as time wore on there was a glimmer of hope. I began to hear that this movie was taking a step back to the "old ways"; hand-drawn animation, musical song & dance sequences, and the like.Being the open-minded individual I am, not to mention that my curiosity had to be satisfied, I had to give this movie a chance. Well the chance came yesterday, when I went to see it with my friend Cort, a fellow Disney fanatic.
I bought my $5 ticket squeezed between mothers and their 6 year old daughters. The 20-something cashier raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows at me, her fake eyelashes wide with surprise. I stole inside and found my friend, burrowing deep into my seat (ugh, doesn't the Paramount theater have the worst seats on the planet??).
I was trying to stay upbeat about this movie. I mean, on one hand I was still unimpressed with the preview, but I was keeping myself open to being pleasantly surprised.
My first mistake was in assuming that Disney had chosen the princess' race to be politically correct, never mind the historical inaccuracy of it. If I had watched the preview more closely I might have realize that things were not as they seemed.
The tale begins in New Orleans, during the Roarin' 20's...an era which Disney has never covered before. I thought it was a great setting, but that might just be because I love the flapper dresses, bizarre head-wear, and jazz!
I don't want to give away too much for those of you who have not seen it yet, but I will say that I did enjoy it. It was not up to Classic Disney (Beauty & the Beast, Lion King, etc) standards, but it is certainly a step in the right direction, in my humble opinion. The characters were entertaining, mostly lovable (I laughed myself silly at every line Lottie had...couldn't find a picture of her, but you'll know who I mean when you watch it), the songs were lively, if not exactly catchy (Bring Alan Menken back!). The whole thing had just enough cheese, nostalgia, and fun to make it a satisfactory Disney.
The only thing I found a little off-putting was how evil the villain was. I felt sorry for the little kids in the theater, cause I know as a child how scared of the old Disney baddies I was. The voo-doo "Shadow Man" and his "friends on the other side" were quite terrifying, and the death of one of the "good guys" was a little traumatic as well.
Other than that, it was a pretty enjoyable movie, and an acceptable addition to the Disney collection. I am, however, reserving judgment on the 3D, #50 full-length animated film, Rapunzel, due out 2010...it too will have to undergo my scrutiny before it earns a stamp of approval.

All I Want for Christmas...

I know its Christmas, and I'm supposed to be thinking about giving...not getting.
But those darn Pioneer Woman giveways are soooo crazy! I mean, she's handing out Kitchen Aid mixers like candy, and that ScanPan giveway blew my mind a little bit. All my hopes and dreams for kitchen equipment so easily within my grasp...yet so elusive.
And I try hard for these giveways...no lie. I EARN these things with the sweat of my brow, and the cramp of my quickly-typing fingers. There are no two-word answers from me! I wrote a short novel as a comment for the ScanPan set...I wanted it so bad! I thought about it the entire day. Things like, "How cool would it be if I won that?" and "What will it be like to see my name in bold along with the other winners?!" and "I wonder how soon it will be shipped out?".

A little piece of me dies every time I check to read the "winners" post, and my name is not listed. I've entered every contest for the last month or two...and she does these giveaways every week, sometimes more! That's a lot of little pieces of me dying!

Yet, the will to live and prosper, and WIN by golly! lives on...

I mean, what are the odds that I will never win something? Maybe I don't want to know...

Using Public Restrooms 101

Since beginning work as a janitor in September, it has come to my attention that perhaps not everyone has the Public Restroom skills and know-how that previously I have assumed was common knowledge. Perhaps these unfortunates are still in the Age of the Outhouse, and are just confused and bewildered by modern technology, ie: flushing toilets, paper towel dispensers, etc. Perhaps they just need a guiding light, a helping hand...
I have decided to compile a very basic list of simple instructions for these poor souls, so that together we may journey into a future of sparkling mirrors, and spotless toilet seats.

1. The Urge
It has come upon you, and the next logical step is to enter the bathroom. Unfortunately you are in a public place, which means the comforts of home are unavailable, and the choices you make here will affect others.
Because discomfort has become an issue of some urgency, you may be tempted to make some poor choices here in the Public Restroom, but I would urge you to take a moment and consider a few steps that will ensure a cleaner, more pleasant Public Restroom Experience for yourself and others.
Upon entering you will immediately take note of sights and smells of said Restroom. If your impression is positive and the facility seems clean, please continue. If it seems that it has mostly been occupied by monkeys and neanderthals, perhaps you should "hold it", as they say. However if it is a pressing issue and you must use the facilities or face a worse fate, please do not take on the mentality, "When in Rome..."
This will only ensure that conditions will grow progressively worse, and the janitor will want to end their life, and you wouldn't want that.

2. Stalling for Time
Public Restrooms are unlike private washrooms in that they are usually comprised of more than one cubicle, or "stall", with a toilet. Here you may be faced with possibly the most crucial choice of your visit. It is important to choose the right stall for your stay, and it is also important to realize there is very little chance of privacy. If this visit is going to be publicly unacceptable, it may be best to wait until you return home (or find a better hidden washroom at the end of the long hallway). Chances are you will encounter another visitor during your stay, and this can make things very awkward if you've left behind an gift, visible or invisible, for your successor to the throne.
3. Before You Sit
Check the lock. Make sure it works; make sure it exists. Check the TP supply, unless you wish to ask your next-door neighbour to share theirs. Check the seat for cleanliness. Check the bowl...for gifts from predecessors. If you have any suspicions that a gift may be lodged further down, inhibiting future passages, flush BEFORE you sit! If there is going to be trouble brewing, its best that the overflow be fresh water. If this stall does not meet the basic criteria, or you prefer not to run the risk of overflow, choose another stall.

4.The Aftermath
When you have completed your business, please, please, PLEASE, flush. Also, please check that you have left the toilet seat clean for the next user. If you have used the last of the TP, do the right thing and advise the next visitor, if you can. If you have blatantly disregarded my advice about keeping unacceptable visits limited to the private home washroom, and you suspect that flushing has or will create a blockage, I highly recommend closing the lid of the toilet (if available), and exiting the vicinity as quickly and discreetly as possible. Also, please never return. Ever.

5. Before You...don't...Sit.
If you are male and if you're using a toilet, lift up the seat. If you use urinals...aim. . And that's all I'm gonna say about that. Except that you should also flush. And please don't put your gum in there. In fact, lets just get a little crazy and say "Don't put your gum anywhere except inside the garbage bag". OK?

6. The Sixth Step
That's right! Surprise! There is another step! I know, crazy, right? I mean, who really needs to wash their hands....YOU DO. I have done some highly unscientific research* in my days as a janitor, and I have come to the conclusion that males wash their hands 50% less than females in Public Restrooms. This is just WRONG! You must wash your hands! The only time when this step might possibly be omitted is if there is no soap provided. Water does not clean your hands. It does, however, often make people feel cleaner, so I won't judge you if you insist on getting your hands wet, under those circumstances.
7. Dispensing the Paper Towel
Afer you have washed your hands, the moisture which still lingers must be dealt with. Please do not flick water on the mirror. There is absolutely no reason to do this.
To dry your hands, use the hot air fan, or the paper towel provided. If the paper towel gets stuck and tears into itty bitty peices as you pull it out, and the little shreds go everywhere...well I wish there was some way I could inflict suffering on you for that (same goes for TP), but its really not your fault, and I can't really expect you to pick up all those pieces, so I guess I have to. And you have to live with that guilt.
If the garbage bin appears to be overflowing, please do not assume this is a game somewhat like JENGA, to see just how high it can get before it falls. Press down whenever possible. You may even go so far as using another paper towel to protect your hand. If everyone did this, we would never see another paper towel volcano scenario again. The world would be a better place.
If you have the heebie jeebies about opening the restroom door, and you insist on using a paper towel to fend off those germs, please do not toss the used paper behind you and make a run for it. Prop the door open with your foot, and discard it from there. If this is not manageable, perhaps you should rethink this strategy. I might suggest you bite the bullet and use your hand, compensating with a little hand sanitizer afterwards.

8. Pay it Forward
If you notice that a washroom is unstocked, or that an anonymous person has violated the rules of socially acceptable Public Restroom usage, a.k.a created a gag-inducing mess, you will be doing yourself and everyone else a favor by informing the management. It is not obligatory, but it is a thoughtful and beneficial thing to do. Beneficial, because it might be the reason you have TP and/or an available stall to use.
In conclusion, let me just say that last night as I was forming this post in my head, it was much more sarcastic and possibly a lot more graphic. I think I have managed to channel that passion into a somewhat more constructive piece of work. This may or may not be a good thing. I really wanted to vent.
Sometimes the way people leave the restrooms I work in is really unbelievable, and I wonder what they are thinking. I think it is that whole idea that whatever you see when you walk in is the standard, so if one person doesn't flush, or doesn't throw their paper towel in the bin, it just deteriorates from there. Conversely, if everyone followed basic etiquette, we wouldn't all be so apprehensive about using Public Restrooms!

Any Restroom horror stories out there?

*My research consisted of noting that the womens' restroom garbage is always full of paper towel, and the mens' rarely has any, but still shows signs of use.

Christmas Cards

I got 2 Christmas cards in the mail today!

I love getting Christmas cards, and I love getting mail even more...so the two combined is a little explosion of joy.

The post office has already seen me once, as I sent off my first batch of cards. They will most likely be on time. The cards I made today, on the other hand, will probably be late. But cards are cards. I'm assuming everyone else likes getting them as much as I do, whether or not they are late.

This year I bought special Christmas paper and some Christmas phrase stamps, so I have been card crafting wildly. Well, considering most years I don't bother making Christmas cards at all.

I used to be a scrapbooker snob, who looked down on those who hadn't the attention span for making full pages with photos...card-making is much less of a time (and space) commitment. Now I find I'm becoming one of those card crafters, that likes pumping out a 4-6 unique cards in a sitting, as opposed to a page or two in my scrapbook.

Its also much easier to make cards in groups vs. scrapbooking in groups. In fact, the Coulter household hosted a Christmas Card crafting night with a couple of my friends attending, a weekend or two ago. We each had a handful done at the end of the night, as well as some good laughs, and catching up.

I'm hoping to send off my next batch of cards tomorrow. The thing is, as soon as I've sent them off, I will think of more people I want to make cards for, and then the whole process starts over again!

(THERE! I did it! I blogged!)

December Doldrums

I always get like this mid-December.
Its so dark...all the time. And cold. I just want to curl up in a blanket by the fire, sip hot drinks, read books, and stay there 'til Spring.
I have had no inspiration to blog. I still have no inspiration to blog, but I just felt like it was time for an update.
This December could not be more different than last. I remember the frantic end of the semester at culinary school, and diving straight into work at Erwin's Bakery and Dominos over the holidays, a pause on Christmas day, (which I spent K.O-ed on the couch), and then more work, until school began in January. This could explain why I only blogged once, last December.
This year...well, I'm still only employed for part-time work, and pretty much I just do random things during the day.
I wish for once in my life, my schedule could be somewhat balanced. As in not over-working, and not under-working. Siiiigh. One day.
I'm thinking of getting started on some Christmas baking soon. I'm not sure what to make though. Any ideas? So far I'm thinking, gingersnaps, truffles, and maybe some sugar cookies?

Christmas Carols

Its everywhere...

On the radio, in the stores, in our heads...

Christmas music.

Some people hate it, others love it.

It can range from cheesy to haunting. Rocking' Around the Christmas Tree, to Silent Night.

Anyone can sing it...Alvin and the Chipmunks, a church choir, Mariah Carey, or your caroling neighbors.

I find Christmas music in general to be annoying, if not just plain unbearable, most of the time. But I do have exceptions.

Most carols in minor keys are acceptable to me, Christmas with Frank & Bing is pure gold, and all instrumental Christmas music is almost always beautiful.

My favorite Christmas song might be Carol of the Bells, because it is so beautiful and haunting, and its not really the kind of song that is sung by people who can't sing, you know what I mean? I think songs being overdone, and oversung, is what really kills them for me, so that might be why this one is still a fave.

I am particularly fond of this version by pianist, George Winston.

Do you have a favorite Christmas carol?

A Slight Obsession

The teen years can be a troublesome time.

One may search for one's identity in one's appearance, one's friends, or...

Perhaps an obsession with a fictional character?

I was organizing my books the other day, making room for my newest addition, when I came across an old shrine of mine. This included dozens of random Robin Hood books, a McDonalds Robin Hood figurine, a scrap of paper (probably from a TV guide) advertising Robin Hood, a creepy cloth Robin Hood hanging, and...a small bag of Robin Hood flour, of all things. So of course I had to go downstairs and gather my 3 Robin Hood DVDs and take a picture of this fabulous collection. (Unfortunately its missing a prize gem: the first season of a Robin Hood tv series from the 80's, and also the Richard Greene tv series, that I left at my brother's place!)

Its true, I did go through a "phase", and may perhaps still be going through it. I just...I just love Robin Hood. Ok?! The Disney fox Robin Hood was my first crush. I also love that everyone has their own version of Robin Hood...I've read so many books on the legend, and most of them are quite different from each other. The movies/tv series are ridiculous. And awesome.

There are a few gaping holes in my collection though.
DVDs: Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and the Errol Flynn version (delightful!).
And books: The Outlaws of Sherwood (Robin McKinley) and the rest of the Hood series by Stephen Lawhead.

Interestingly, there is a movie coming out in 2010 called "Nottingham" directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe. Personally, that revolts me, but I will have to see it anyway, because obviously when it comes to RobinHood, I just can't help myself.

Christmas Came Early This Year

My mom brought home a surprise for me when she arrived home from Alberta, yesterday.
I think I have probably recommended this book to quite a few people since reading it in August 2008.
To say I am excited to own this book is an understatement. I loved it, and will definitely be reading it again and again.

To those of you who I have not already raved about this to, "Things We Couldn't Say" is an autobiography of a young Dutch woman who joined the resistance against the Nazis in WWII.

I don't remember a lot of details from the story, but it is truly amazing what this woman did and went through, when she was around my age...even a little younger, I think. This might be one of the big draws for me, personally. I find it fascinating to read about how myself and my peers may, or may not, have acted under those same circumstances.

The most interesting thing about this book for me was the glimpse inside her mind at the time, which is revealed through diary entries and letters she wrote.
Sometimes I feel like we only ever hear about the events in those years from a commentary in hindsight. With this book, you feel like you are thrust right into the middle of it, and it is happening as you read.

I am still surprised that this book is not more well known, because to me it is one of the best WWII books I have ever read. As the information about the book reads: "Here is a story that has all the emotional impact of The Diary of Anne Frank and all the drama of The Hiding Place."

Now the best part...Since I told myself I can not start reading anything else until I finish the last 2 I've started, this book is up for borrowing grabs. If you are interested and would like something interesting to read during the Christmas holidays, drop a comment requesting to loan this book!

The Surest Way to Drive Me Mad

I just played 2 round of Blokus with my brother Tim...and he beat me easily both times. It is so infuriating!
If you haven't played this game before, let me just say that it CAN be fun. Each player gets the same pieces, just different colors, and you have to each try and get more of your pieces on the board. The thing is, all of your pieces have to be attached to each other, and can only attach diagonally.
At the beginning of the game I always think I'm doing well, but then all of a sudden he sneaks a piece through my wall of defense and then it quickly goes downhill from there. Before I know what is happening, I'm left will all these weird and wonky pieces, and all he has to do it fit his little 2's and 3's into whatever crannies are left.

It doesn't help that he mocks me the whole time, and makes fun of my moves, and tells me to hurry up. I don't think I will play with him anymore. Or else I'll just suggest we play "Egyptian War" (it goes by another name too, but I don't remember it), which is just impossible for him to win against me. THEN we'll see how smug he is...

The First of December

No-Shave November is no more.

I have probably seen more hilarious mustaches in the past month than ever before in my life. But it has come to an end.

Men everywhere are giving thanks, freed from the bondage of the mighty mustache (for those who made it Movember), or just a lot of facial hair in general. My brother Mike appeared baby-faced at the breakfast table without his full beard.

I think I can fully appreciate the same feeling of freedom, because...well I celebrated No Shave November in my own little way. But no worries folks...things got a little hairy, but I'm practically eligible to star on a Venus tv ad now.