Nothing to say, really, but if a picture's worth a thousand words, then I'm about to blow your mind ;) Here are some of my favourite shots from the last month.

Seven Deadly Sins Meme

WRATH

1. Who did you last get angry with?
I'm taking it as a good sign that I'm having a hard time remembering...

2. What is your weapon of choice?
Broadsword

3. Would you hit a member of the opposite sex?
I teasingly hit guys all the time, and have been told that it hurts. Uh, I fail.

4. How about of the same sex?
I have, and wish I hadn't.

5. Who was the last person who got really angry at you?
Probably one of my sisters, though I don't know who or for what!

6. What is your pet peeve?
Idiot drivers. Not that I never am one :P

7. Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily?
Keep them, more than I'd like. I work at letting them go, but it's hard for me!

SLOTH

1. What is one thing you're supposed to do daily that you don't?
Clean house.

2. What is the latest you've ever woken up?
7pm, after not getting to sleep til 10am.

4. What is the last lame excuse you made?
"I'm tired."

5. Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through?
Magic bullet, so many times.

6. When was the last time you got in a good workout?
A month-ish ago, Karey and I went on a pretty hike-y walk heh.

7. How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock today?
Not at all - way too dangerous especially on the first day of a new job!

GLUTTONY

1. What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice?
Cosmo.

2. Meat eaters: white meat or dark meat??
Either, depending on my mood! I usually eat chicken but once in a while I get like, "STEAK. NOW!"

3. What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event?
Four drinks? Five? Something like that.

4. Have you ever used a professional diet company?
Yeah, failed miserably.

5. Do you have an issue with your weight?
Yes.

6. Do you prefer sweets, salty foods, or spicy?
All of those, and carbs, delicious carbs.

7. Have you ever looked at a small house pet or child and thought "lunch"?
Ha! No.

LUST

1. How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies/family):
Do shameless old ladies at the Y count? :P

2. How many people have seen YOU naked (not counting physicians/family):
None. (Lucky for them :P)

3. Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a member of the opposite gender during a normal conversation?
Uh, yes. Sorry about that.

4. Have you ever kissed two people in one night?
Nope.

5. What is your favorite body part on a person of your gender of choice?
Just one? Forearms, shoulders, hips...mmm men. :P

6. Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute?
No.

GREED

1. How many credit cards do you own?
Two.

2. What's your guilty pleasure store?
Somewhere with ice cream (I think this fits in the gluttony category :P)

3. Would you rather be rich, or famous?
Rich...fame costs too much!

4. Would you accept a boring job if it meant you would make megabucks?
That'd probably depend how time-consuming it was and if I could have fun in the off-time!

5. Have you ever stolen anything?
Long ago...the pop machine at the fire station was on the honour system, and my 11 year old self apparently had no honour.

6. How many MP3s are on your hard drive?
3000ish...but some of them are paid for :P

PRIDE

1. What's one thing you have done that you're most proud of?
Put on a concert.

2. What one thing have you done that your parents are most proud of?
Dragging my butt slowly and tortuously through University.

3. What things would you like to accomplish in your life?
So many - but mostly to love and be loved.

4. Do you get annoyed by coming in second place?
Depends for what! I know my strengths and my weaknesses, and am okay with both!

5. Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors?
No...no skills ;-)

6. Have you ever cheated on something to get a higher score?
Nope.

7. What did you do today that you're proud of?
Started a new job!

ENVY

1. What item (or person) of your friends would you most want to have for your own?
I'd like to own a house.

2. Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with?
One of my sisters, most likely!

3. If you could be anyone else in the world, who would you be?
For a day, maybe Angelina Jolie, for forever, just me!

4. Have you ever been cheated on?
No, hard when you've never been in a relationship!

5. Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own?
Body shape/size, yes, features, not that much!

6. What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself?
Drive.

I win! Updates...

• I've finished my "summer" class and ended up with an A. That ought to help boost my poor beleaguered GPA ;-)
  
• I had a job interview this morning. I think it went well? But then I'm also a pretty horrid judge of these things, so we'll see. They said they'd let me know either way by Wednesday. Fingers crossed!
• I am still not done my essays. This makes me want to punt myself in the head. What I need it to make me want to do, is DO THE ESSAYS. Argh. I have ten more days on my self-imposed deadline. Dangit, I can do this!
• Have been walking with Dear Karey a few times but we both want to go more so we feel a little less like slugs :P
  
• Had a healthy lunch today- happy with myself.
  
• Going to take a little rest before work.
  
• Looking forward to tonight but I can't tell you why just yet, just in case!
  
• More later.
• Ciao
  

June

Well, I can't sleep (surprise) but it's too late to take a sleeping pill, since I have to get up in 6 hours and a pill has the potential to knock me out for about 12 - if it works. So instead I'm going to assign myself the fascinating task of filling out my student loan application. Isn't that special. I also want to outline a few goals for myself for the month of June - and add some accountability by posting them here!


June Goals

• Walk at least three times a week
• Don't eat out so much!
• Invite someone to dinner at least twice
• Finish outstanding essays
• Attend all remaining computing classes (barring extreme circumstances)
• Recycle, recycle, recycle (We have curbside recycling now, so I have absolutely no excuse.)
• Extend to myself the same grace I would to others
• Kick my own butt when necessary
  

Crazy Eights, for Tesa and Tiz

EIGHT THINGS FOR WHICH I HAVE PASSION:

1. God. Saviour, Healer, best friend, I Am. He is everything to me, truly. God is the reason I sing, the reason I write, and most importantly, the reason I somehow manage to drag my sorry butt out of bed in the mornings.
2. Family. My sisters and I are so incredibly different but I wouldn't trade what we have for anything in the world. And you got my thoughts on Mum a couple weeks ago. The Gs, Mum's parents...love 'em like crazy. The rest of the fam, well that's more driving me crazy, but hey. ;-)
   
3. Songwriting. I've never thought that I was particularly amazing at it, but it's an incredible way to express myself, and say things I could somehow never otherwise articulate.
4. Music. Though it often converges with the previous item, listening to and playing music is a joy all its own. It's been way too long before I sat at a piano, and I really, really need to remedy that. Melodramatic as it sounds, I don't think my soul is quite right without it.
5. Horses. It may have been a few years since I had my own, but if the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Workshop a couple weeks ago taught me anything (and it did, ohhh it did!), it reminded me precisely why I love horses. They're beautiful and majestic, but earthy and gentle and compassionate and intuitive, and, well, this sentence could run on forever ;-)
6. Children. I love kids. There was a sign in the nursery before we started renovating at the church that said, "Babies are such a nice way to start people." I concur! And even though there are definitely the less charming moments, I think overall, children are so amazing with their generosity of love and vivacity!
   
7. "My" Kids. The kids I work with at the daycare are an eclectic mix coming from a variety of backgrounds, but I see such amazing potential in all of them. Obviously, they're the coolest kids ever and I'm not the least bit biased :-P
8. Food. Not always the healthiest passion for me, but I love to cook and to eat! I'll try anything once but I definitely have my favourites. Mostly, I love to invite a friend over and just go totally crazy making them something utterly delicious!
   

EIGHT THINGS I’D LIKE TO DO BEFORE I DIE:

1. Spend Christmas in Paris. And if I can manage it, not speak a word of English the entire time. (Could be tricky if I end up having a hubby who's a francophobe, but we'll see haha.)
   
2. Write a novel. Even if it sucks, I want to finish one.
   
3. Record a CD. (Okay, I'd like to do this before the end of the year. Finish the blasted thing!)
4. Get my Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology. (Again, not so much the death timeline, let's say more like next 7 years.)
5. Take a photography class.
6. Run a marathon or half-marathon. Be fit enough to do so without lions, tigers and bears chasing me.
   
7. Go on a sailing trip, at least a long weekend.
8. Visit every continent.
   

EIGHT THINGS I SAY A LOT:

1. "I said no. If you do that again, there will be a consequence." (Huh? I don't work at a daycare, really :P )
2. "Le Sigh"
3. "You're so cute. How'd you get so cute? Who'd you bribe?" (To the cat. Ima dork.)
4. "Walking feet please!"
5. "Ugh. I need to do dishes."
6. "I fail at life."
7. "I win at life!" (not remotely mercurial.)
8. "I love you."
   

EIGHT BOOKS I HAVE READ RECENTLY:

1. Shopgirl - Steve Martin
2. The Big Bad Wolf Tells All - Donna Kauffman
3. Gods in Alabama - Joshilyn Jackson (in progress)
   
4. Hard to Handle - Lori Foster
5. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (Also in progress.)
6. Thigh High - Christina Dodd
   
7. Sucker Bet - Erin McCarthy
   
8. Bones to Ashes - Kathy Reichs
   

EIGHT MOVIES I HAVE SEEN EIGHT TIMES:

1. Sweet Home Alabama - "So I can kiss you anytime I want!"
   
2. The Princess Bride - "You keep saying that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."
3. The Shawshank Redemption - "The funny thing is - on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook."
4. Lord of the Rings - "Fool. No man can kill me." Eowyn removes her helmet, runs the Nazgül through. "I am no man."
5. The Lion King - "Doesn't matter, it's in the past!" "Yeah, but it still hurts!"
6. Forrest Gump - "Me and Jenny goes together like peas and carrots."
7. Monty Python's The Quest for the Holy Grail - "You're not my king! I didn't vote for you!"
8. Finding Nemo - "This is the Ocean, silly, we're not the only two in here."

EIGHT PEOPLE WHO SHOULD DO THIS MEME:

1. Whoever
2. feels
3. just
4. that
5. particular
6. brand
7. of
8. crazy.

Chere Maman

I often tease my mum that she's the "best mum I've ever had!" I'm a smart ass like that.
But really, she's the best mum I could ever have hoped for. No one in my life comes even close to loving me as much as she does. She's my unfailing champion, and the kicker of my butt. I know she loves me as I am, and that she has high hopes and faith in me. More than anything, she wants me to be happy, and she is one of the greatest contributors to that end. She is an amazing woman.
She's smart; she did some upgrading to her nursing this last year, and got an A+ on her final paper. I was so very proud. She's very good at her job, and it shows in the way patients speak of her. Having a nurse for a mum is a bit of a catch-22 ("I've had patients with their heads shot off who complained less than you!") but terribly handy in 6th grade when you can't bear the idea of anyone else giving you a shot. Last year when I had to go in for surgery, she was there holding my hand, getting me a warm blanket, and though I should be embarrassed to admit it, a teddy bear. (Hey, you lie there about to get your tummy cut open and see how you feel!)
She's beautiful, though I know she doesn't see it. She thinks her hands look old, and I think they're inspiring. Those hands have healed and comforted and soothed countless people, and changed my and my sisters' lives. They are skilled and capable, a testament to those qualities she herself bears.
She's strong and brave, and wise enough to admit when she makes mistakes. She's a faithful friend, standing as a pillar of strength to friends who've lost so much, lately. She's a loyal daughter, and as much as she and Grampy clash, since they're both used to being heads of their own households, she gave up her life here to be closer to them and to care for he and Granny as they get older.
She's courageous in trying new things, taking up both running and kayaking after 50. I was glad to hear the kayak she bought is bright orange, so hopefully no boats will run her over!
She made home a safe place after a time when it felt like it never could be again. She taught me to drive, white knuckled and grim-faced, when we always thought Dad would take care of that. She managed her household well, and fairly, and made me so proud when after digging herself from the financial pit Dad had got us in, she bought her condo and later sold it at a profit. She worked, and works, so hard that we should never go without. She is the best woman I have ever had the privilege to know.
I am honoured to call her my mother, and blessed to call her my friend. I love you, Mum.

Happy Mother's Day!

Just to change things up - FOUR a.m. ramblings...

• To add to the list of most depressing songs: Mad World - Gary Jules (Which, yes, I downloaded because of a Halo commercial. I'm awesome.) "I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad, the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had..." (I've never had a dream in which I was dying. I've had those where loved ones die though and those are *Definitely* not the best.)
• I hurt. I forgot to take my pills this morning - again! - and it resulted in withdrawal symptoms that, even though I get them with such regularity due to forgetfulness, I didn't recognize until I finally got home at 11:30 and saw the pill bottle. Migraine, dizziness, nausea, tenseness in every muscle I own...just the usual fun and games.
• A couple Advil liquid gels and a sleeping pill....hope they work.
• Kitten is cute, soft and loving. It's a very good thing. (Certainly better than a couple hours ago when she was attacking my feet while I tried to sleep.)
  
• I'm gonna try to sleep again. Thank God I don't work til 2:45.