Just your luck

I'm so pleased that the Cerebral Palsy truck came early and took 14 bags of donations. The basement is looking so much better. We bought our new basement tiles yesterday so let's hope the contractor shows up towards the end of the month as expected! The tile place can store them for us for at least a month. We have a kitchen design almost finalized at the Rona Hardware store and they seem to be having an August sale according to the kitchen designer.

I was out this morning for a short walk with a friend.

I learned that one of K's school friend's family is going into personal bankruptcy, having lost their business recently. It's shocking and sad. Life seems to have things in store for us beyond our control and it seems to just boil down to your luck sometimes.

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Ambience

We all had a lovely time in the Wasaga Beach area up north yesterday. M's friend has a lovely cottage directly on the waterfront with a picture window. The Beach faces west so we decided to set tables up by the water's edge and had dinner there as the sun came down. It was spectacular ambience and we felt we were back in the Jamaica on Negril Beach, except with less people. Did I mention the perfect weather? The water was quite warm for swimming and K had fun learning to skim board in the water.
The kids all happened to be teenagers so everyone got along famously.

Went to my step class this morning. Some of the faster numbers made me feel old, lots of jumping involved and I don't really do that anymore. I saw a recent music video with Madonna and Justin Timberlake and thought she seemed a bit old to be doing that. L thought the same thing. But that's just our 'opinionated' opinion.


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Wasaga Beach

We're driving a couple of hours north to Wasaga Beach today. M's old high school friend invited 2 families to his cottage. We'll have a barbecue dinner up there. It's a good day for it.

I made fish fillets in the microwave yesterday with ginger, scallion and oil and loved it. Here's the basic recipe

2 white fish fillets (1.5 lbs)
1-2 tbs dark soy sauce
1 scallion julienned
1.5 inches of ginger root julienned
1 tsp white wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar because I had it)
2 tbs canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
1/4 tsp pepper (I think I forgot to put this in)

Microwave fish in one layer with all ingredients mixed in for about 12 minutes. And you can serve it right in the same dish!


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The Autograph

M, K and I went to see 'The Dark Knight' yesterday while L was at the Roger's Cup tennis final. I wanted to see the movie as the trailers looked so good. A large part of that is that they used Imax cameras to get some of those panoramic shots. M and K liked the movie a lot, all that action. Crash, Bang Pow! 'You're dead' kind of thing (over and over again). Heath Ledger was really good, quite villainous. His evil seemed real as opposed to a caricature. But I really don't need all that scary, tense, startling, evil action going on. There was a hint of romance involving a beautiful lawyer and a good looking District Attorney. Batman also does a good job. (There's no Robin).

Yesterday L finally got Nadal's autograph and touched him. She was also on TV for a few seconds, a TSN camera guy pulled her aside for 10 minutes of filming and asked her to keep smiling. She also got on the big screen at the Rexall centre for a few moments. At the last minute before she left that morning she printed a photo of Nadal and that was what she got him to sign.

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Kiva

There's no sign of rain today, it's bright and sunny. M, K and I want to see the new Batman movie today. L is down at the Roger's Cup to see the men's final. I think I'll watch it on TV myself.

I made breaded pork chops for lunch, they were delicious. This time, they weren't fast fry but still good, they just take about 5 minutes per side instead of 2 or 3 minutes.

There's an interesting article on an organization called Kiva that I found in the paper this morning. You can read about it below. You can choose to lend $25 to an entrepreneur of your choice from the developing world so that you can improve their lives.

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Undeterred

The bridesmaids were in scarlet red today, with ivory white rose bouquets. The bride should have had yesterday's perfect weather, but undeterred, they were taking their romantic pictures on Main Street as I walked by.

K didn't like my microwaved fish fillets, but then he's picky. I have to work on that recipe. Maybe I will try Chinese style with ginger, scallions and oil next time. I made some ham and egg fried rice as a backup dish.

Microwaved fish fillets

I did some groceries with my mom this morning then had breakfast at McDonald's while waiting for one of her prescriptions. She made us a delicious banana bread and some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. It was busy in the restaurant, no one seems to do any home cooking these days!

I saw this recipe for microwaved fish fillets in a magazine, so I'm going to try it momentarily. It says to just microwave the fillets in a cream soup of your choice for 5 to 7 minutes. It would be great if anyone in the household likes it.

L is at the Roger's Cup all day today, she wants to stay and watch the Nadal semi-final tonight until the bitter end. It's sold out, but she doesn't mind standing room.

It's time to get after K to do his limited piano practice.


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Slowing down

It's a gorgeous day today. L and I went down to the Roger's Cup this morning with a friend of mine. L had a volunteer shift. My friend and I had a lovely time checking out all the promotions and actually sat for a bit to see a game, neither of us being real tennis fans. We witnessed powerful forehands and backhands, imagine how many calories these guys burn! We left at noon so L could get a rest. She's enjoying this week however busy.

It's pizza for dinner tonight as I seem to have no energy to cook. Some advil helped my headache. I have to face the fact that I'm not 20 years old anymore, we do slow down and need more rest.

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Freeze your cheese

I had a pita bread pizza for lunch. I used my favourite pizza sauce, some chopped yellow peppers and chopped tomatoes with some skim mozzarella. It was delicious, I may have some for dinner! I had put a package of shredded skim mozzarella cheese in the freezer a while back and it was perfect. If I had left it in the refrigerator section, it would've gone moldy in a short time. So that's my tip for today. Did you know you could freeze your cheese?

The sun decided to come out and my headache went away. I decided to prune some trees in my front yard, hope it's not the wrong time of year.

Is life fair?

I looked out the window this morning and saw some giant weeds in the back yard so I nipped out for half and hour to do a bit of cleanup. All this rain causes everything to grow faster.

L is in the doldrums as she has yet to see her hero Rafael Nadal closeup at the Rogers Cup where she is volunteering. Apparently the other day, she saw him doing warmups but he was in a far court, away from the crowds. Only the VIP ticket holders could get up close that day. Well wouldn't you know it, her older cousin showed up unexpectedly with her latest boyfriend in tow. And they had VIP tickets. So the cousin says to her 'Which one is Nadal?' 'Is he famous?' She gets closeup, runs up to him as he's leaving, grabs him by the shirt and gets a picture with him! Is life fair?

So I ended up making breaded pork chops for dinner yesterday.

Breaded Pork Chops

10 boneless fast fry pork loin centre chops
1/2 tsp salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour

Season chops with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder. Set up your breading station with 1 bowl of the flour, 1 bowl of the milk, 1 bowl of the breadcrumbs. Dip each chop in flour, milk, breadcrumbs in that order. Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a frying pan. Add a couple of the thin chops and fry for 3 minutes each side. Top up with olive oil as required as you do the remaining chops a couple at a time.

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Doesn't hurt to ask questions

It's been raining for most of the day, it colours your mood. I so do not feel like making the breaded pork chops I had planned to cook today. I was also going to roast some sweet potatoes.

Our basement contractor wasn't happy with the service we got from Home Depot (hand drawn kitchenette layout) and told us to try Rona for a second opinion as he's had success with them. Then M wants to have an oven outlet put in just in case..as it's harder to do afterward. So now I have to rethink my own sketch as to where an oven would go in the plan. The contractor says they are really busy, having to work until midnight. M actually asked him how much it would cost to put in a heated bathroom floor. It's not cheap, so at least he asked. However, if we chose stone bath tiles over ceramic, that would not be a big deal labour-wise. He told us he just installed an 8x10 foot shower stall with 2 shower faucets. Wild.


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Finally

K's tennis game got rained out today, but there's still basketball tonight. The weather has cleared up nicely after a violent looking thunderstorm around midday. L finally got to see Nadal today warming up at the Roger's Cup. A couple of friends saved a seat for her and she ran through the mob and made it. He gets driven around onsite due to the mob. That's what it means to be a star!

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A glorious half hour

L reports that her sister's friend saw Nadal, Federer, Andy Roddick and a bunch of other tennis stars practicing at an indoor court yesterday due to all the rain. It took a little while for everyone to notice who was playing. Then the excitement began. She is so miffed that yet another friend saw Nadal riding in a golf cart at the Roger's Cup today and she still has not laid eyes on him in person!

I have the house to myself for a glorious half hour...another blogger recently said that her family stresses her and she gets flustered when everyone is around, and I know exactly what she means. I suppose I should treasure these moments as one day I may get old and lonely.

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ROGERS CUP
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Roger's Cup

We all ended up going early this morning in the pouring rain to the Roger's Cup tennis tournament. L had a volunteer shift anyway. We enjoyed going through the sponsor promotions and entering all the contests for giveaways. I won a Sunoco gas card that could be worth $2 or $10,000...I won't know until I gas up at Sunoco with it. We saw a few players warming up in the qualifying round but then the rain started up again. I was able to get 2 tennis skirts for L, she's been looking for a navy blue one forever. K wanted to get a huge tennis ball for $25 but as I'm clearing out the basement, I decided we don't need to accumulate more expensive junk. He did manage to get some Davis Cup player autographs.

Yesterday M and K were lucky to see Nadal warming up on one of the side courts. There was a huge mob at the site. M did manage to get a few good shots of Nadal which I hope to upload at some point. M thought he looked a lot taller in real life. L says he's 6 ft one inch tall. She was miffed that she was working in the booth next door and did not get to see him although she could hear the uproar. She did get to hold the door at one point for a bunch of other famous names, catching her breath every time.


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It's a TV show

So I went for my walk on Main Street. I saw a wedding party as is the norm this time of year. Moss green seems to be the 'in' colour for weddings this season. Then I see a 'Canada Customs and Immigration' booth sitting conspicuously at one end of the street. I decide to ask a passerby about this oddity. He says 'oh, they're filming a TV show here'. Then I notice he's Mark Cullen of Weale and Cullen gardens, a TV show host himself. So my day had become interesting! (I didn't acknowledge him)

Car shopping tips

L and I were at Vaughn Mills mall yesterday. We were using a gift certificate from an art store that she's had for months. She got some lovely acrylic and watercolour paints. I was so tired after 4 hours at that mall. You can never just go into a mall to get exactly what you went there for. L also got some lovely shoes at the summer sale and I got a new bedsheet that we needed.

I met a friend at the local McDonald's for the coffee and muffin special this morning. We decided that it's better to buy a slightly used car from a reputable dealer than to buy a car brand new. I've been hearing that for years, but finally think I have bought into the idea. It's also better financially to buy your car for cash than to take a loan or lease no matter how low the interest rate is, and if you happen to have the money. My friend and her husband did all the calculations. None of us are car shopping, we're just reflecting on what we should have done.

We went over to Shopper's Drug Mart and I checked out some of the perfumes as I'm running out of my favourite L'Air Du Temps. The Gucci perfume smelled really good (expensive).

L is volunteering for the Roger's Cup tennis tournament all week, so it will be a busy week. M and K have free tickets for a few of the days and later on in the week, I'll go with my friend to see what it's like. All the big names are at the men's tournament this year (Nadal, Federer)....exciting. L was saying it's an important tournament for Federer if he is to maintain his number one ranking.

So we got another quote from a gas fireplace installer this morning and wouldn't you know it, I think we may go with him. For one thing, he only uses the top of the line Napoleon fireplaces and he's less expensive and less complicated. He doesn't need a deposit and I'm learning that how you decorate the fireplace after the box goes in is pretty much what you like. You don't need a hearth or tiles around it...it's after all a gas fireplace, no real logs and messy fire. M is now wanting to get a quote from another general contractor as we keep hearing good things about this guy...but I really like the guy we have now although we haven't signed a contract yet. Hmm. This is getting stressful.

Well, I'm having an egg salad with lettuce and tomato on a multigrain bagel for lunch, can't wait.


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Gas Fireplace

L didn't end up going to the movies yesterday, instead just went for a walk with a friend.

I have 14 large garbage bags ready for the charity pickup truck. M dumped off a lot of the recycle stuff yesterday.

So the fireplace guy that we liked ended up coming to the house last night and the other one that was supposed to come didn't make it. All is well that ends well. He took a lot of pictures, did all his measurements and we learned it just takes a day to do the install, with a 25% deposit. He recommended that we just have our contractor put some tiles and a simple mantlepiece after the drywall goes up around the fireplace. It should be cheaper than buying a fancy mantlepiece and just as good. We'll just do a tile hearth in a different colour than the floor tile. M wants to also run a gasline to the backyard for a barbecue in case anyone needs that for the future. You want to think of anything you may want to do before all the drywall goes up.

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A new tennis racket

Taking my mom for a routine mammogram and chest x-ray at the hospital this morning, and maybe a blood test. She shares a house with one of my sisters who is in Europe with her husband and kids for 2 weeks. So I'll make sure she has some groceries afterward.

We have a guy coming over to give us an estimate on putting a gas fireplace in our basement. Another estimator wanted to come at the same time! Not a good idea, but that is the guy that we had spoken to before and we liked him.

L is planning to go to the movies with some friends tonight. We're supposed to take a trip to the recycle depot in this heat as I have at least another 4 boxes of stuff to discard. K is over the moon at getting his new tennis racket.

I'm feeling tired today, not one of those energetic days unfortunately.

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Wii remotely

I notice that all the 'back to school' stuff is starting to come out in the stores, in addition to the summer sales. Depressing.

K had fun yesterday playing a Wii game remotely with a friend. Times are surely changing! Now I have to find out if there is a cost to that!

L went to Main Street with a friend in search of a joint gift for yet another Sweet Sixteen party. I heard they located a nice piece of jewellery. Then she went to work.

M went down to the Hazardous Waste Depot to drop off a few things. He said there was a big lineup, a lot of business people. You have to open your trunk and they check everything and tell you where it has to go. They wouldn't take our old humidifier as that's just plain garbage, nothing hazardous. They did take an old turntable, computer, and paints.


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Travertine stone tiles

It's a gorgeous July day, sunny and bright. I decided to water the lawn and spray some insecticide on the cherry trees as some of the leaves are turning yellow. There's a dead shrub I should also pull up in the back yard.

I called the Cerebral Palsy people to do a charity pickup, so I will be able to unload bags of stuff. M and I went to a lovely tile place with a gorgeous showroom, you could see exactly what your options were with the samples so well displayed. We'll probably go with a honey coloured 18 by 18 inch porcelain floor tile for our basement floor as it's the warmest colour of the eight that are on sale.

I noticed that travertine stone tiles are very very popular now for an upscale bathroom and have become very affordable, bearing in mind you only need about 100 square feet of tile for a bathroom. The displays were gorgeous. The labour for installation may be a bit more, however and stone has to be sealed. We'd likely just go with ceramic and porcelain for our humble purposes.

Well, back to lawn watering. (I don't have a sprinkler system!)

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Rush rush rush

My mom had an early ultrasound appointment at the lab this morning. It's great to see empty parking lots at that time of the day, the city is so crowded and all the summer construction doesn't help.

It doesn't seem as if there are enough hours in the day...rush rush rush and still you don't get all the things done that you planned. L had a pool party today that got cancelled, just as well.

But it's summer, what's not to love? I went through 2 boxes of old cards yesterday but that basement is sooo full, it's overwhelming to think of clearing it out. I decided to toss most of the cards and just hang onto handwritten letters and some mementos.

Yesterday we visited a place that installs gas fireplaces and learned a lot. They seem really professional and you have to be careful with that kind of thing. M took some pictures to show him and he told us we shouldn't put the fireplace where we thought it should've gone due to a venting issue. Who knew? So that's not a problem, I never thought the fireplace had to be in the same area as the tv. Too many focal points you know.



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old stone

The barbecue went well yesterday, it rained for a very short while, but then it stopped. It was a humid, muggy day. One of our friends made a delicious pineapple upside down cake and the other brought some tubs of Baskin Robbins ice cream. K loved the mint flavoured one. The jerk chicken was enjoyed by all, with a request for the recipe. I used this Busha Browne jerk sauce that I had bought on our trip to Jamaica this March. Too bad it's almost gone!

We simply have to get to a tile place to decide on tiles for the basement. I'm hearing that the nicer tiles can be $20 per square foot which is out of my price range. I'm thinking of a nice warm creamy colour, the look of old stone?

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The peak of summer

It seems as if all the flowers in my garden are in bloom... lavender, columbine, shasta daisies, hosta, coreopsis, yarrow, coneflower, bachelor's button, crown vetch, creeping jenny, sedums...wow. The birds are really enjoying the cherries. It's interesting how they eat them right down to the pits just like we do. Mid-July must be the peak of summer.

I love flowers but I'm not really a gardener. I don't put the best soil in the beds, or fertilize, choosing hardy, drought tolerant plants that look after themselves. I don't buy flowers anymore either, I just wait for them to go to seed and put them wherever I think looks good.

L is off to a tennis lesson, then is participating in a tournament after. She'll be back in time for the barbecue we're hosting.

K is loving tennis. He meets new friends at camp and they will often rally a bit after the lesson.

There were at least 3 wedding parties on Main Street this afternoon, pretty sight.

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Dirty Dancing review

Dirty Dancing was fantastic, it ended with a standing ovation from a full house. It's a modern stage play with a new creative category called 'video and production design' (cinematography stuff) that delivered interesting special effects. It helped bring the movie to 'life'. The play was written by the author of the movie itself and included a few songs that she was not able to obtain for the actual movie. Lots of singing and dancing as you would expect and good acting, I thought. They did a great job with the casting. Baby and Penny are reminiscent of the movie characters right down to the body type and body language. Melissa O'Neil (2005 Canadian Idol) sang a few numbers with the ensemble.

K thought it was 'ok', luckily there were a few car scenes. The topic is mature for his age. M thought the guy that played Patrick Swayze (the reason he loves the movie) couldn't compare. Patrick Swayze has a macho, athletic quality. I thought this 'Johnny' was tall, handsome and did a fine job with the acting and dancing. I liked the play more than the movie, but then I'm not a Swayze fan. L enjoyed it too.

I'm getting ready to host a barbecue tomorrow. We're having jerk chicken, and lots of vegetable dishes as there is at least one vegetarian coming. It decided not to rain today, so I think I can hop out for my walk now.

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Dirty Dancing

It's a bit cooler day today, almost needed a sweater in the morning. I took my 70 year old mom for a routine ECG test this morning, then we stopped at a nearby mall for bacon and egg mcmuffins and iced coffees, then off to the doctor's for a follow up appointment. It's a nice way to bond, I think! We spend time together while doing something constructive.

L and I are going to dump of 4 giant bags of styrofoam and whatever else we can take to the recycle depot.

We're all going to see Dirty Dancing, the stage play tonight. I'm looking forward to all the dancing and singing.

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Purge mode

So someone DID take M's old weight training bench that we put in the garbage yesterday. He goes 'I told you it was still good'.

L loved burning 400 calories on the elliptical machine at the gym yesterday, so we're going again today.

As I sort through the basement stuff in purge mode, I realize I'm a natural collector and a bit sentimental. I keep all the cards we get over time! Not to mention all the kids' schoolwork from past years. I've got to think my way through this one.

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One man's trash

A couple of hours ago, I put some extra garbage out for pickup, including a wooden chair. It's gone! One man's trash... Too bad they didn't take M's old weight training bench. I have to say I enjoy clearing and tossing stuff out, it just takes time.

Good old Home Depot

M and I went to Home Depot and priced out some kitchen cabinets for our basement kitchenette, the whole thing seems quite reasonable, good old Home Depot. I thought I would have to go with laminate cabinets since it's just the basement, but wood ones are only about 10% percent more and there are always specials. I learned that the countertop gets ordered once the cabinets are installed and you can measure its exact fit. We'll just go with a laminate as that's all we have upstairs.

L got a pass to try out the gym for a few weeks, so we may go in a little while. She's interested in the treadmill and weights. If she likes it, she can join at the end of the month.

K went to tennis camp and a friend he met there is playing a match with him after. Then he has basketball camp and piano practice in there (somewhere).

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Sourdough may be better than whole wheat.

It seems sourdough and whole grain might be better than whole wheat bread as per the story below.

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Spell-binding classic

If you missed the Wimbledon men's final yesterday you missed 'a spell-binding classic' according to the Toronto Star article below. L missed her lunch, she was so glued to the set. She will be re-living the moments for the rest of the week, I'm sure.

M is shopping for a big-screen TV. Now we're thinking of adding a gas fireplace to the basement renovation. I can see us spending way more than what we thought we would in the long run. And we are conservative people usually.

I just emailed this Ontario online driving test to the kids as they are both interested in learning to drive. K is only 13, but...

The pluot plums seem to be in season, I picked some up at the grocery store. They are nice and sweet, something different.

L helps K every day with the piano ear training and scales, I really appreciate that. Her bank balance is climbing as I deposit her paycheques from her job!

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Tense final

K and I are heading off to church, we're starting to prepare for confirmation next year. He refuses to walk, though, so we'll drive. At least he's coming.

We're eating at a Chinese restaurant tonight. M's brother is treating, in honour of his birthday this past week.

L is glued to the TV and the wimbledon men's final. Nadal seems to have hurt his knee but is still playing...ooh.

Renovation

So yesterday we decided to finish our basement. We're ignoring the looming recession fears and going for it. It's exciting but there is a lot of work ahead in the next few months. The first thing is to clear the basement. No small task, especially as it's difficult for M to part with the least little thing. The reno guy was saying that when he got married his wife got rid of everything he owned except the clothes he was wearing. She's strict! It's also a bit stressful of course. We still have all the usual chores/activities to get done.

We're going to put a kitchenette (no oven) and a 3 piece bathroom down there. Lots of storage closets and then everything else will be generally open. We think it will look really nice. Our job is to buy the tiles and kitchen cabinets, so some research is required as we're clueless on these things. I'm leaning toward porcelain tiles.

We have a dinner invitation this evening, friends are having a barbecue. L has a tennis lesson and a ladder match before we rush off. It's difficult getting K to practice enough piano. The scales are the worst.

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Focussed and mature

Glorious summer days as I keep saying. It's not something to take for granted as winter will be here soon enough! There is so much road construction going on.

I took L for a manicure this morning while I went to the gym, the timing worked out perfectly. Then we did a bit of shopping at the mall. She got a new top for the party she's attending tonight and I got a 'kitchen and bath' magazine to peruse. We grabbed a quick lunch at McDonald's. She liked their chicken wrap. Now she's glued to the Wimbledon tennis matches on TV.

K's in the process of trying different tennis rackets out, he's going to get a good racket as he is progressing in tennis. The teacher says he seems more focussed and mature as he plays which is good news...hope that translates into the piano and school work! (Wishful thinking?)

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Quality of life

It's a cooler day today.

Yes, it's expensive to finish a basement. It's an exciting thought nonetheless, causing me a few sleepless nights. Wonder if we'll end up doing it? M and I are cautious when it comes to spending huge lumps of money on the house being frugal people. You have to balance quality of life with your other values. To be honest, I don't have a huge travel bug these days. We spend most of our money on the kids.

The weekend is looking busy with 2 dinner invitations. L is going to yet another sweet 16 party tomorrow. K loves tennis camp.

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Watermelon Yields Viagra-Like Effects

Stroke leaves Canadian with new accent

Surprise economic contraction will be short-lived: RBC

Stand up for yourself

I just found this on Hellen Buttigieg's latest ezine. I love what it says and can probably use this advice.

Quick Tips on Organizing Your Life:

Stand up for yourself

You can't please all the people all the time, so aim to at least please yourself. It's incredibly freeing once you consciously decide that everybody doesn't have to like you. You'll be able to say 'no' to things you don't want to do; as a result, you'll find more time for activities and relationships that nurture you and bring you joy. Your real friends will understand and may even have more respect for you.

© Copyright 2008 by Hellen Buttigieg, We Organize U. Reprinted with permission from the We Organize U Newsletter. Visit http://www.weorganizeu.com

Free spending coming to an end

The step instructor told everyone today that she has been a gym member for 32 years and worked at a gym for 15 of those years. She's about 50 years old and must certainly be very fit.

I wasted a lot of time today getting K his own house key. The engraving place at the mall messed up both the new key and my own key if you can believe it. So I got a refund and finally ended up getting new sets from Home Depot. Apparently Walmart and Canadian Tire stores also do keys..who knew?

I'm totally exhausted for some reason, but getting through the day's routine just the same! M is out of town for the night so I have to get the garbage out tomorrow morning. He likes to put it out in the morning due to the animals, weather, whatever. Most people just put it out the night before. I considered doing that, but then if something happens I won't enjoy cleaning up the mess. Not to mention there is a thunderstorm watch tonight. The past few days have been so beautiful and perfect weatherwise. Sunny and warm with this light balmy breeze.

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Students write Wikipedia articles for UBC prof

Happy Canada Day

It's Canada's 141st birthday today.

M went to the gym to celebrate his birthday. It's a gorgeous sunny one too.

I'm a bit excited thinking about finishing the basement. The guy that is giving us a costing seemed very professional but I have a feeling it's going to be too expensive...so wishful thinking? Sigh. It's better not to do anything than to do a cheap job I think.

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