Monday, March 31, 2008

Our First House

Excitement all over! Hubby and I just made an offer (which was accepted) today on our first home - a lovely townhouse in a neighbourhood near ours, which we bought for $132,000. It's conditional on the financing of course, which we should have straightened out this week, God willing, but we all managed, at 11:15 pm, to agree on a purchase price, so barring anything unforeseen the house is ours come the summer.

Which is the next best thing. Our closing date? June 18. Those of you who know the significance of this, great; those of you who don't - it will be our third wedding anniversary. :) What a special way to mark the occasion. So thankful the purchase of our first home went so smoothly - just think, we only looked at this home on Saturday, and we'd said then it was just 'window shopping', that we weren't looking seriously till June, nor planning to move till Labour Day Weekend! Wow ... headspinning. Anyway, excited, and meanwhile also wishing a similarly smooth transaction in the very near-future for A&DP, who are also looking to buy a new home.

WOOHOO!!!!!

Friday, March 28, 2008

Plug!

So I'm finally cooking with gas. Back when I was over at my old Blog site - blogdrive (doesn't even deserve a link ... grrr!) I operated a blog essentially like this (with admittedly far fewer updates) and a wrestling blog. Well I have finally moved my wrestling blog over here as well. So ... just to see if I can get some crossover hits (see, don't even know if I'm getting visits here),

http://inthisveryring.blogspot.com


If you're a fan - or if you aren't but were wondering about the sport/entertainment/business that is pro wrestling (or ... excuse me, Mr. McMahon ... "sports entertainment"), check it out. The archives for THAT blog (which might be useful, as they include wrestling terminology etc.) can be found at

http://prowrestling.blogdrive.com


Enjoy!

Oh and by the way, a plug for this site while I'm at it - I know my friend theverydaymother reassured me in an earlier post that lots of times people visit these blogs without necessarily commenting, doing the polls, etc.; but I like feedback. I blog to try to meet other interesting people etc. So if you've read and enjoyed my blog, please do me the favour of filling in my polls (when I've updated them; obviously you can be forgiven for not having done so since March Break lol), commenting, whatever. I'd love to visit your blog in return, and to become a part of what seems to be a 'community' here at Blogger. :) As my last post, and my tag at the top implies, I'm definitely doing some soul searching, people watching, and stuff, and I think this is the perfect time to meet new people, exchange ideas, just sort of see where my online presence takes me; because wherever that is, I definitely don't want it be writing letters to nowhere. ;)

Thanks dudes! :)

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A (borrowed) personal manifesto

*reprinted from my most recent Facebook note so if you've seen it there, no worries about re-reading it ;)*

My friend Elizabeth wrote this and I think it perfectly sums up the way I've been feeling about some things over the last few mos. As she's given me permission to reprint it, I will - except I'm not going to tag specific people. I get that she did, and why she did, but a part of the drama I've been dealing with has been chasing people and trying to get them to talk to me, and I'm done w/that. This isn't for my like, 140 Facebook friends who we're just padding each other's lists - it's for those of you who check up on me regularly, and in that sense ... no tagging necessary. So thanks again, Elizabeth, for putting some vague concepts into words for me. :)

MY MANIFESTO (borrowed from, and all credit to, Elizabeth Bate)

man•i•fes•to (mān'ə-fěs'tō)
n. pl. man•i•fes•toes or man•i•fes•tos
A public declaration of principles, policies, or intentions, especially of a political nature.

“I have many regrets, and I'm sure everyone does. The stupid things you do, you regret… if you have any sense, and if you don't regret them, maybe you're stupid.”
~Katharine Hepburn

I have been through a few things lately that have made me realize how short life is and how petty some things are. So, this note is to serve two purposes, as stated in the definition above;
1. A public declaration of intentions
2. A public declaration of policies

If you were tagged in this note it's because you are my friend(s) and/or family and I love you, I care about you and I want you in my life. Also I specifically tagged those that I thought deserved the appology as well.
(If you're wondering why someone is missing, I reached my tag limit.)
NO OFFENSE IS MEANT TO ANYONE ABOUT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING, so please don't take it that way.

PART 1:

A. I am issuing a blanket apology. If I have EVER done anything or said anything that offended you in any way I am sorry. I love you all, and I would never intentionally hurt you in any way. I am truly sorry.
As I write this portion there are a few specific incidents I am thinking of. However, if some unknown or long held offence still exists, then I am sorry for that too.
If you think that the offence committed against you deserves more than just what is written here, though the sincerity of my apology is no less in this format, then open a dialogue, talk to me, and I will apologize more thoroughly in person if need be. Pride is useless if you are all alone and the friendship matters more to me than being right. So, know that I am sorry.

B. Blanket forgiveness: The reverse is true. If you ever did anything to upset me, you're forgiven and it's forgotten. We're friends, I love you, we're all good. From this point on, all scores have been settled, all markers have been cashed. The playing field is even and so are we.

PART 2:

0. I HATE NO ONE:
I have no energy to. Plus I honestly believe that hate serves no purpose. People whom I have thought were of no use to me, I hang out with all the time now. How ignorant I was. You can never have too many friends. EVERYONE, I don't care who you are, has great points about them and everyone makes mistakes and deserves to be forgiven. This is and has always been a policy with me, so keep your hearts and your minds open.
This doesn't lend itself to any specific behavior changes, but I thought it needed to be said.
If you think you can't "come home again" you're wrong. Who cares if we haven't spoken in days or years? I am your friend, you are my family. I want to share in your joys and your sorrows. I want to be your shoulder to cry on, your counselor and advisor, your shopping buddy, your giggle partner, your drinking buddy, your teacher, your student and your helper as you are mine. That's what friends are for. No matter what, you can talk to me.

1a. NO TRASH TALKING:
Call me old-fashioned, or just old, but I've reached a point in my life where I find gossip, especially nasty, ugly gossip, boring. I don't have the energy to care and I don't want to hear it. Now, I realize that in the past I have been a major offender in this regard. No more. As of here and now I will not spread rumors or talk rudely behind people's backs.
Good news, advice seeking and legit venting to understanding parties is not gossip, as long as it is understood by both parties that there is no malevolence intended and confidential information is not to be passed on. If you are mature, you know the difference and I know you all are so you all do.
1b. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME, SAY IT TO ME:
I will take questions, comments, compliments and yes, criticism and complaints directly. My door is always open. If anyone comes to me and says something along the lines of "so-and-so said this about you" or "said to tell you this" I don't want to hear it. Let whoever wants to tell me something tell me themselves.
Exceptions are general party/event invitations and messages for me to contact someone. Again, common sense rules, you all know what I mean.

2. HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY:
For me this has always been the case. You never need to question or worry that I am telling you the truth. I will always tell you the full truth, as I understand it at that moment, with no malevolence or ulterior motive. Nothing is ever gained by lying.
On the same token, I never ask a question I don't want an honest answer to. (So, if I ask you if my butt looks big, I want to know. lol) Never be afraid to tell me the truth.
The act of lying is always worse than the lie itself. I love you all and will not freak out, so just tell me.

3. SAVE THE DRAMA FOR YOUR MAMA:
As I grow older, I have become less and less dramatic. Or less over dramatic, however you want to put it. I don't freak out, I don't lose my temper, I just put on my big girl panties and deal with it. Sure I still cry, I still occasionally yell, but we all do. What I'm talking about is unreasonable, fly-off-the-handle freak outs. No more.
What this means:
a. There is nothing you can't tell me because you think I'll freak out or lose it.
b. I will assume that any problems we have, internal or external, can be dealt with in a reasonable, mature and adult manner.
Anywhere I am has just become a drama free zone.

4. I LOVE MY FRIENDS:
All of them. I don't care if you don't like them. You may hate my other friends on your own time, but not on mine. Specific, legitimate venting or advice seeking is ok. I am your friend too and am here to listen to your problems. That being said, if you're just saying "I hate whoever, she's a bitch" for the sake of saying it and/or if it's said on a regular basis to me for no other reason than you just felt like saying that, stop it. It hurts me. I have good taste. I chose my friends. Don't insult me by putting them down for no reason. I will show you the same courtesy.

5. ON THE SUBJECT OF PRACTICAL JOKES:
Jokes are awesome. Anyone who knows me knows I have a sense of humor and love to laugh. I am pretty easy going when I have a joke played on me, as well and I've been told I'm fun to tease. That being said, humor is a delicate issue, as everyone's is different. Practical jokes, unless they are done right and with out malevolence, are usually not funny. It takes skill to pull one off and if it falls flat, it can be cruel. Common sense, unless you KNOW I will find it funny keep the games to yourself. And this goes for 'jokes' played on others. I don't want to participate in things that are just obnoxious time wasters. If you must do it, do it without me.

Life is too short to be petty. Thank you for respecting my wishes. Thank you for being my friends.
I love you all.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Just a rhetorical question ...

How can one fix a stupid fight with someone that has gone on way too long, when they obviously don't want it fixed?

Rhetorical question, part B: If it can't be fixed, how do I get over that I'm about to go through some of the biggest changes of my life, without my best friend?

Manymanymanymanymanymany thanks to those of you I CAN trust, who HAVE been there for me, and for Ari and I, and who understand how this is hurtful too, not just a piss-off.

At what point does one get over losing a best friend of over a decade anyway? After a month? Six months? A year? We're at 6 and counting ...

Happiest News Ever ...

We were approved this week to adopt ...
I never thought happiness and peace could be this complete.
Ari's parents - thru the moon.
My mother - full of advice
That as usual I listen to what I want to hear. ;)
But she's used to that.
My dad - happy.
Us - excited little puppies about what comes next
And when, and now most importantly, WHO.
Our journey at this point nears its end,
But has only just begun at the same time.
So keep us in your thoughts,
While offering up prayers of thanks.
And thanks for all of YOU who were pulling for us -
Especially those who were references,
Or have offered us baby things,
Or other tangible forms of support.
We can never thank you enough.
Much love always. XO - Sarah & Ari (AND BABY!)

Monday, March 17, 2008

This n That - Plus Prayer Request

So it's really coming, it's really here ...

Wednesday is our final homestudy. We will know, hopefully, with any kind of luck at all, by the end of the week if we are approved to adopt a child ... and then there is 'none to do but wait' ... could be May, could be much longer ... depending on whether the crop of (5) highly expectant mothers wanting to place their babies with this agency take to us or not ... and of course if we're approved ...

So anyone who has been sending prayers our way, or wants to send prayers our way ... this is the time to do it. Best wishes only, though, please, of course.

Other than that, wanted to drop an important link -

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

You can 'expand your wordpower' - very similar to that game in Readers Digest, it's a vocabulary builder - while every round you play donates a certain number of grains of rice to the third world through the UN - I've ensured 5000 grains of rice will be feeding the hungry this evening alone, and it took me only a half an hour or so of playing. AND IT'S FUN! Easiest thing you can ever do to feel good about yourself and waste time/procrastinate while NOT doing what you should be doing lol. GO THERE! It's hot stuff.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

A bit of advice to you single gals out there ...

Don't ask if you can 'meet up with' a married man when you see he's in your town ... especially when you know his wife is on both of your contact lists ... and knows you've told him that you're lonely and miss him ... and when surely you can see from HER status that she is in Montreal. The stupidity of people sometimes. Argh.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Trying to get this song out of my head right now ... don't even know how it got in there! :P

Voicemail #1 - RENT.

That was a very loud beep.
I don't even know if this is working -
Mark? Mark are you there?
Are you screening your calls?
It's Mom.
We just wanted to call to say we love you
And we'll miss you tomorrow.
Cindy and the kids are here,
Send their love ...
Oh, and hope you liked the hot plate!
Just don't leave it on, dear,
When you leave the house.
Oh and Mark,
We're sorry to hear that Maureen dumped you;
I say "C'est la vie!"
So let her be a lesbian!
There are other fishies in the sea.
Love Mom!

Exciting times

Wow Blogger has been messed up a bit
Tried twice to post yesterday,
Couldn't.
Still seems to be loading slowly.

Lots going on -
One more homestudy for our adoption
No apparent concerns in sight yet,
And prospective expectant BMs
(birth mothers)
Mentioned.
So very hopeful ...
Hopefully by the spring/summer.

In the more immediate future -
Today having my father and step-mom over
For a belated birthday dinner
For Dad.
Tomorrow, I have my driving test
To get my "G"
(ie, my full license here in Ontario).

From the test, we are heading off
To Eastern Ontario,
Apparently hit hard by snow.
A pit stop in Kingston,
Our old stomping grounds,
Then on to Ottawa.

From there Montreal,
And my grandparents ...
So looking forward to it.
Love them ...

Report cards almost done -
Two classes left to go -
AND IT'S MARCH BREAK!!!!

With lots to look forward to,
I feel rejuvenated already,
And ready to face the last few months
Of this school year.

Wish me bonne chance,
Bon voyage, and
I will try to post as much as I can
This week - if not, know I am having
What I must say -
Unless it is tooting my own horn -
Is a much needed break
Before (hopefully!) life gets busier than ever.

To those with one -
Happy March Break.
To those without -
Have a great week anyway.
And don't forget to make sure your clocks have
Sprung Ahead ...

And that you have too.

Pax siempre.

Monday, March 3, 2008

PLUG! PLUG! SHAMELESS PLUG!

Although I guess not that shameless. Not for anyone I know or anything, just something I really enjoyed and want to share, so I guess that's legitimate. :)

MAYHEM POETS. Awesome awesome freestyle urban poetry/rap/hiphop with a great message, very inspiring but not 'pretty'. Just straight up cool. Inspired me to get back to poetry. lol About the only kind of writing I can actually *complete* these days apparently. It was THAT good.

http://www.mayhempoets.com/

Check it out - SO cool. Especially the video. Neat.