I have dedicated a few posts to odd things in Canada. You all remember milk in a bag, and gravy fries right? Tonight I thought I would dedicate a post to the odd way that Canadians talk.
I am sure you are all familiar with the most obvious and most well known words that Canadians say, and things they say that brings out that special accent.
The Word in English The Word as Canadians say it
1) About 1) A boat. Or A boot
2) Out 2) sounds more like "oat" to me
3) Progress 3) Canadians pronounce this with a long o
sound "pro-gress"
4) Garage 4) You will often hear this the way the British say
it, sounds more like carriage
5) Bathroom 5) Not something they say in a strange way, they
just use a completely different word. In Canada
the "bathroom" is actually the "washroom"
6) Eh???
Eh has to be one of the most annoying things to my life. Especially because of the fact that every other sentence my husband(and everybody else) says ends in Eh? Eh is a word that has a million different meanings based on what is being discussed. It could mean "excuse me?" "can you repeat that?" "huh?" "right?" Pretty much if anybody is asking for an opinion they will say eh. Example "It's nice out, eh?" They will stick eh onto the end of almost anything to get someones opinion, and as confirmation that the other person is listening. It drives me crazy all the time. I don't know how to respond to it. I have to just shake my head when I hear my 2 year old niece say "eh", and pray that my own children don't catch the "eh" bug from their father. At least in the case of my kids, they will grow up in the US and will hopefully get teased mercilessly if they ever said "eh" at school.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
just a bit more
GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS GUTS!!!!!!!!!
GUTS!
GUTS!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
GUTS!
When my sisters and I were little our mom would always read the Ramona books to us by Beverly Cleary. If you never experienced those books in your childhood, you missed out. But anyway, last year they made a movie based on those books called Ramona and Beezus. I thought the movie was fabulous and was transported to my childhood seeing Ramona come alive. I was thinking about a couple of great scenes from that movie this weekend.
In the movie (and in the books as well) Ramona gets angry with her family. So while they are sitting around the dinner table Ramona is so angry that she informs her family that she wants to say a really bad word. So her parents say 'OK Ramona, go ahead and say it if you feel like you need to'.
"GUTS! GUTS GUTS GUTS!!!" Ramona yells. Her family starts laughing which makes her feel even worse. So Ramona winds up in the bathroom where out of anger she squeezes an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink.
I was thinking about that a lot this weekend. I think those 2 moments in the life of Ramona Quimby are how I am feeling, and have felt for the past month..or more. Frustrated at everything, and I don't know how else to explain it except for...
GUTS!!
In the movie (and in the books as well) Ramona gets angry with her family. So while they are sitting around the dinner table Ramona is so angry that she informs her family that she wants to say a really bad word. So her parents say 'OK Ramona, go ahead and say it if you feel like you need to'.
"GUTS! GUTS GUTS GUTS!!!" Ramona yells. Her family starts laughing which makes her feel even worse. So Ramona winds up in the bathroom where out of anger she squeezes an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink.
I was thinking about that a lot this weekend. I think those 2 moments in the life of Ramona Quimby are how I am feeling, and have felt for the past month..or more. Frustrated at everything, and I don't know how else to explain it except for...
GUTS!!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Taco Catastrophe
So this has been one of those weeks that I could happily forget. I don't know what it was exactly but the entire week I have been totally down in the dumps and in a completely horrible mood. It all boiled over yesterday while I was making my lunch.
I was reheating some left over taco meat. While that was in the microwave I was gathering the rest of the taco leftovers (guac, salsa, cheese, ect). The microwave beeped and the delicious scent of tacos filled the air making my stomach growl. As I pulled the container out of the microwave something happened. While checking to see if it was warm enough, I bobbled it. The before I knew it the container did a 360 in the air and the taco contents fell to the floor. On its way down it managed to not only splatter the floor, but my pants, my socks, the dishwasher, and the cabinet. I stood kind of dumbfounded for a minute looking at my lunch that was now all over the floor. I was shocked and completely ticked off. I won't lie, I was also on the verge of tears. I held off the tears however, and let my anger take over.
I reached out to grab a paper towel. One small sheet came off the roll. (You know the kind of paper towels that have small pieces instead of just one big piece). This little piece was obviously not going to be enough so with more force, I grabbed the paper towel roll again. One small piece tore off again. This happened 3 more times only to infuriate me even more than I already was. I yelled and started to clean up the taco slop that was now all over the floor. My anger wasn't dissipating as I threw the mess into the garbage. When I got that cleaned up I changed out of my taco splattered pants and socks. I pulled some shorts out of my closet, but the stupid closet door didn't close. I slammed it. The force of slamming my side of the closet shut forced the other side of it open. So I slammed Mark's side of the closet shut, and my side opened. Again, infuriating me beyond belief until I was slamming both doors with as much fury and I could summon, also yelling at the same time.
I went back to the kitchen and looked at my plate with the taco shells and the gauc, slasa, cheese, ect. My body surged with another bout of anger and I looked at this all and thought "What the heck am I gonna eat now?" I picked up the spoon and threw it into the sink litereally with all of my might. Followed by the empty taco container. I yelled some more. I smashed the taco shells on my plate and decided to eat them with the guacamole and the salsa. It was not very satisfying as the smell of tacos still hung in the air. I settled infront of the computer where I had been watching a movie. I was slightly more calm. The chips and quac were not so filling. The only quality lunch food that we had to eat were things that required time to cook. I settled for pb&j. That is the end of the Taco Catastrophe.
It normally takes a lot for me to get really angry. It takes a lot for something to make me so mad that I want to scream and throw things. I am usually pretty good at keeping my temper in check. So why in the world did tacos make me oh so angry?
Well it really wasn't the tacos. It was the whole week. The whole week got off to a bad start and put me in a lowsy mood for the remainder of it. Add that to the fact that for some reason this happened the be the week where my being confined got to me. This was the week where my sitting at home doing nothing day in and day out made me lose my mind. Looking back on the past year I can see that I go through phases with this. I will go for awhile being okay and sitting in our tiny condo doing nothing won't phase me in the least bit. Then I will have a week like this week where I feel like I am pulling my hair out. I surely could have left home at least once of course. But where would I go? What would I do? I wouldn't be able to spend money because as you know our car sunk our finances this month and we are barely hanging on till payday (which thankfully is tomorrow). It was just one of those weeks, and I have been miserable.
Thankfully this craziness of this week is passing me by. I was brought a step out of my funk by my brother in law Tim. Well inadvertantly by my brother in law. This afternoon Mark called me from work. Tim had apparently called Mark this afternoon and was going on about how excited he was for us to move to Indiana and he wanted to know how soon we would be able to get out there. Tim is excited to expand the company to Chicago area and excited for us to be there already. This conversation made Mark very excited as well. Mark hates where he is currently working and can't wait to be his own boss. Mark will quit his current job and work with his brother here in Canada for a few months to train. During this time we will sell our condo and live with his parents. We'd only live with them for a couple months, 3 at the most before we make the transition to the US. But it would certainly ease our current financial burden. Anyway, the details aren't important. The point is that Mark is telling me about his conversation with Tim with great enthusiasm.
Which makes me realize, it really won't be long before I am out of Canada. I can't wait to be out of Canada. It is so hard for me to focus on that because while it is so close, it still seems so far away. So today I remembered that it won't be long till I am out of Canada, and that is what brought me a step out of the Taco Catastrophe that has been this week.
I was reheating some left over taco meat. While that was in the microwave I was gathering the rest of the taco leftovers (guac, salsa, cheese, ect). The microwave beeped and the delicious scent of tacos filled the air making my stomach growl. As I pulled the container out of the microwave something happened. While checking to see if it was warm enough, I bobbled it. The before I knew it the container did a 360 in the air and the taco contents fell to the floor. On its way down it managed to not only splatter the floor, but my pants, my socks, the dishwasher, and the cabinet. I stood kind of dumbfounded for a minute looking at my lunch that was now all over the floor. I was shocked and completely ticked off. I won't lie, I was also on the verge of tears. I held off the tears however, and let my anger take over.
I reached out to grab a paper towel. One small sheet came off the roll. (You know the kind of paper towels that have small pieces instead of just one big piece). This little piece was obviously not going to be enough so with more force, I grabbed the paper towel roll again. One small piece tore off again. This happened 3 more times only to infuriate me even more than I already was. I yelled and started to clean up the taco slop that was now all over the floor. My anger wasn't dissipating as I threw the mess into the garbage. When I got that cleaned up I changed out of my taco splattered pants and socks. I pulled some shorts out of my closet, but the stupid closet door didn't close. I slammed it. The force of slamming my side of the closet shut forced the other side of it open. So I slammed Mark's side of the closet shut, and my side opened. Again, infuriating me beyond belief until I was slamming both doors with as much fury and I could summon, also yelling at the same time.
I went back to the kitchen and looked at my plate with the taco shells and the gauc, slasa, cheese, ect. My body surged with another bout of anger and I looked at this all and thought "What the heck am I gonna eat now?" I picked up the spoon and threw it into the sink litereally with all of my might. Followed by the empty taco container. I yelled some more. I smashed the taco shells on my plate and decided to eat them with the guacamole and the salsa. It was not very satisfying as the smell of tacos still hung in the air. I settled infront of the computer where I had been watching a movie. I was slightly more calm. The chips and quac were not so filling. The only quality lunch food that we had to eat were things that required time to cook. I settled for pb&j. That is the end of the Taco Catastrophe.
It normally takes a lot for me to get really angry. It takes a lot for something to make me so mad that I want to scream and throw things. I am usually pretty good at keeping my temper in check. So why in the world did tacos make me oh so angry?
Well it really wasn't the tacos. It was the whole week. The whole week got off to a bad start and put me in a lowsy mood for the remainder of it. Add that to the fact that for some reason this happened the be the week where my being confined got to me. This was the week where my sitting at home doing nothing day in and day out made me lose my mind. Looking back on the past year I can see that I go through phases with this. I will go for awhile being okay and sitting in our tiny condo doing nothing won't phase me in the least bit. Then I will have a week like this week where I feel like I am pulling my hair out. I surely could have left home at least once of course. But where would I go? What would I do? I wouldn't be able to spend money because as you know our car sunk our finances this month and we are barely hanging on till payday (which thankfully is tomorrow). It was just one of those weeks, and I have been miserable.
Thankfully this craziness of this week is passing me by. I was brought a step out of my funk by my brother in law Tim. Well inadvertantly by my brother in law. This afternoon Mark called me from work. Tim had apparently called Mark this afternoon and was going on about how excited he was for us to move to Indiana and he wanted to know how soon we would be able to get out there. Tim is excited to expand the company to Chicago area and excited for us to be there already. This conversation made Mark very excited as well. Mark hates where he is currently working and can't wait to be his own boss. Mark will quit his current job and work with his brother here in Canada for a few months to train. During this time we will sell our condo and live with his parents. We'd only live with them for a couple months, 3 at the most before we make the transition to the US. But it would certainly ease our current financial burden. Anyway, the details aren't important. The point is that Mark is telling me about his conversation with Tim with great enthusiasm.
Which makes me realize, it really won't be long before I am out of Canada. I can't wait to be out of Canada. It is so hard for me to focus on that because while it is so close, it still seems so far away. So today I remembered that it won't be long till I am out of Canada, and that is what brought me a step out of the Taco Catastrophe that has been this week.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thanksgiving
It is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. The actual Thanksgiving day is Monday. So in honor of that I thought I might list a few things that I am thankful for at the moment (this is excluding the obvious things that I am thankful for such as family, and friends)
I am Thankful that after 3 trips to the mechanic to get our car fixed this week that it is actually finally fixed! Long story short today's trip to the mechanic was only $50, which was fabulous that it wasn't any more. So YAY for that.
I am thankful for the Library. I love reading. I like to read for at least an hour before I go to bed. It puts me into a comfy, tired kind of mood that makes it easier to fall asleep (Sarah would call this dezoning). So today I am thankful for the Library and 2 books that I am very excited to read.
I am Thankful that after 3 trips to the mechanic to get our car fixed this week that it is actually finally fixed! Long story short today's trip to the mechanic was only $50, which was fabulous that it wasn't any more. So YAY for that.
I am thankful for the Library. I love reading. I like to read for at least an hour before I go to bed. It puts me into a comfy, tired kind of mood that makes it easier to fall asleep (Sarah would call this dezoning). So today I am thankful for the Library and 2 books that I am very excited to read.
Fall of Giants is a historical fiction book that follows 5 families from various countries throughout WWI. Right up my alley.
Did you know that Wicked was a book before it was a musical? I have known that for a long time, and for some reason, never picked up the book till now. I am excited.
I am thankful for Maple Cookies.
I don't know if they sell these in the US or not. I do know that I have never noticed maple cookies in the US, and I certainly never ate any until I was in Canada. They are delicious!!! The cookie part is a simple plain kind of sugar cookie. Then between those maple leafs is delicious maple cream. OH sooo yummy, and the perfect kind of thing to eat in the fall. Imagine eating one with a cup of apple cider...the perfect combination of perfect fall flavors. So thank you Canada for Maple Cookies!
That is my list for now. I love you my lovely friends and wish you all a very happy (fake) Thanksgiving.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Pump It
I fell AWESOME right now! WOOOOHOOOOO!!! I just had the best work out that I have had in ages!!!
I don't know what it was! I don't know if it was because I warmed up my legs really well before I ran, or because I have been consistently running the past week. But today I ran 2 miles and felt AWESOME!! Like my old self. Like running 2 miles was nothing. I felt like I coulda and shoulda run it faster, or coulda run farther. But I'm not going to get crazy with it just yet. I am gonna try and get to a 10 min pace before I start running 3.
I had such a dull day today, and it was so depressingly cold and gray outside. Getting to the gym changed the entire day for me and I feel FABULOUS!
So I shall leave you with this Black Eyed Peas song....cuz I feel like I have the energy that this song exudes.
I don't know what it was! I don't know if it was because I warmed up my legs really well before I ran, or because I have been consistently running the past week. But today I ran 2 miles and felt AWESOME!! Like my old self. Like running 2 miles was nothing. I felt like I coulda and shoulda run it faster, or coulda run farther. But I'm not going to get crazy with it just yet. I am gonna try and get to a 10 min pace before I start running 3.
I had such a dull day today, and it was so depressingly cold and gray outside. Getting to the gym changed the entire day for me and I feel FABULOUS!
So I shall leave you with this Black Eyed Peas song....cuz I feel like I have the energy that this song exudes.
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