Has It Really Been A Month?

I can’t believe it’s been a month since I’ve written a blog.  Wow, how time flies.  I’ve only been to a handful of shows – December was a busy month for baking, visiting, shopping and a bit of travelling.

The month started off with Tim and I taking care of my friend’s dogs.  Wow what a lot of work that was – 5 dogs in our little townhouse.  Our teeny tiny backyard soon became a heaping pile of dog waste and Tim couldn’t clean it up fast enough.  Walking 5 dogs was a big challenge and making sure they all ate at least a little of their own food was a lot of fun every day.  I was happy to be able to help out Karen and Terry but at the same time pretty happy to go back to our own little pack of 3.

Then I got the urge to bake.  I don’t know what came over me, but I was baking up a storm every Sunday in December.  I was up at 7:30 AM and in between loads of laundry and turns of Scrabble on facebook, I was baking.  I made stuff I’ve never made before – some turned out and some flopped, but Tim happily ate it all and told me it was wonderful, even when I knew it wasn’t.  I found some recipes that I loved and will definitely keep, and some recipes I don’t care if I ever try again.  Most everything is gone now but there are still a few things I want to try – who says you can only make shortbread once a year?

Shopping was fun – for once it wasn’t hard to shop for Mom and Dad and it was nice to have someone new to buy prezzies for.  I enlisted the services of my Auntie Leah and Uncle Bob to get Tim a Senators jersey – I love a good covert op. 

The only thing not fun about shopping was trying to find maternity clothes.  It’s not a secret that I’m a full figured woman, and it was very disheartening to see all the cute maternity clothes that are out there but not in my size.  Apparently, the stores that carry maternity wear think I would happily wear their disgusting and ill-fitting clothes.  I’ve been fortunate enough to find tops that do the trick at Addition-Elle but pants have been very tricky.  I have to keep telling myself it’s only for a few more months and I can do it, but I can’t help thinking that there has to be someone somewhere who makes decent maternity clothes for the larger set.  If there isn’t, then what a business opportunity for the right individual.  If only I could design clothes…

Along came my company Christmas party.  I have to say that leading up to that day I didn’t feel very good about myself and how I looked.  I so wanted to look pretty that night, and enlisted the services of Aga at the MAC counter at The Bay and my friend Trena of Pure Salon in Inglewood.  I knew they had done the job when Tim got in the car at the end of the day and couldn’t stop looking at me.  Once I got my dress on, I really did feel beautiful for the first time in months.  My dress was one that I had bought in Seattle way back in June but had nothing to wear it for, yet I knew I had to have it.  It was just stretchy enough around the tummy to wear – a little bit cleavagy, but thankfully there was someone there who was showing more than me and made me feel tasteful.  Hard to hide pregnant boobs anyway.

That was a wonderful night and a turning point for me in my pregnancy.  I received so many compliments on my appearance and what a glow I had that from that day on, I have been putting in a little extra effort every morning to make sure I have at least a little bit of makeup on.   I do have to say though that none of that seems to matter to Tim – to him, I am beautiful.  Period.  What more could a girl ask for?

Then it was Christmas – we travelled to Shaunavon to my parents’ place.  It was quite possibly the last Christmas in that house, as Mom and Dad are trying to sell their place so they can go RV’ing full time.  They have done so much work to the house that it is hardly the home I grew up in.  But the furniture is still the same, so there is something to remind me of my youth.

I have to say that it was quite possibly the best Christmas I have ever had.  Nobody got mad at anybody, everybody was in good spirits and we were all happy with our gifts.  Tim was extremely generous with me, Dad liked his coat we got him and Mom teared up when she opened her box containing a pink sapphire pendant that she had wanted for years.  Cooper had the time of his life running around the yard, our neighbour’s yard, our neighbour’s neighbour’s yard, and so on.  He would go run for an hour or two and then come back and then he was gone again.  Of course, The Littles (Rupert and Larry) didn’t stray too far because it was pretty cold outside and the snow would get in their paws, freeze up and somehow it immobilized them.  And then they would just sit down and wait for me to come and rescue them.  I guess Cooper did so well because he’s got wickedly long legs and his feet never touch the ground for more than a nanosecond at a time.

Mom prepared a Christmas feast like no other.  She really went all out, and it was a most delicious meal!  Thanks Mom!

It was a quick trip because we had tickets for the hockey game on the 27th versus the Ottawa Senators.  We met up with my friends Charlene and Dean prior to the game at the Saddle Room Restaurant.  Dinner was great, the company even better – so nice to see them again after all this time.  The game, ugh.  Tim took a lot of ribbing for his jersey, and if I ever thought hecklers were bad at a comedy show, boy did I feel bad for the Sens’ goalie.  There were so many drunk losers shouting horrible things at him and all I could think was that there were children there for crying out loud, don’t these people have any couth? 

And then it happened – a hockey fight broke out.  At first, I felt a rush of adrenaline like any spectator would.  But then it just got ugly and one of the visiting team’s players  landed on the ice and dislocated his shoulder.  That was the first time I’ve cried watching a fight and I think the first time Tim was embarrassed to be with me.  Delightful things, these pregnancy hormones of mine.  I’ve always been a senstive gal, but come on, really?

So the Sens lost, but it was a lot of fun.  We escaped unharmed and had a few good laughs along the way too.

Next up was New Year’s Eve.  I was done work at noon and headed home to relax – we had big plans for that night.  Dinner was at Parthenon Greek Restaurant on Heritage and Fairmont Drive SE.  The service was some of the best we’ve had lately and the food was great, although Tim would have liked a bigger portion.  We were out with Karen and Terry, Heather and Dave and all their children.  It was a terrific way to start off the evening. 

Next we headed across the city to Paula and Lorne’s place for an open house.  Lorne’s sister and brother in law were there – they are also expecting a child (is everyone in Calgary pregnant right now?) and their neighbours showed up from the hockey game right before midnight.  We sat and watched another hockey game (I’m getting hockeyed out here people, somebody save me!!!) because Lorne is a die-hard Oilers fan and wasn’t missing it.  It was more fun listening to Lorne and everybody talk about hockey than watching the game itself, but that’s always the way it is with me.  Paula had some great food put out and it was so lovely to catch up with her again – hard to believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve seen her as well.

Now, I’m not one to make New Year’s Resolutions, I believe in setting goals for yourself and beginning to accomplish them when you set them.  I’m pretty good at getting “stuff” done but I realized over the holidays that I need to see my friends more.  As much as I love Tim and being with him, I dearly love my friends and they all very much matter to me.  I need to do a better job of keeping in touch personally, not just relying on things such as facebook to tell me how people in my life are doing.  I don’t know how realistic that goal is seeing as I have a baby on the way, but it’s not for a few months and I resolve to be a better friend.

As for what the next little while looks like?  Well, there is a most awesome comedian named Derick Lengwenus headlining Daryl Makk’s Comedy Detour this Wednesday at Kits Pub, and then there is the much anticipated return of Comedy Monday Night in their new home – Broken City.  The show returns on Monday, January 12 and is a benefit show for Inn From The Cold.  Tickets are $20 and available from James Moore, Daryl Makk and Broken City.  I can’t wait for these shows – I don’t want to be out on weeknights too often now, but these are shows I’m not going give a miss to.

Well, hope you had a happy and wonderful holiday season and may 2009 be a year where  your dreams come true!

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