Curling fever thanks to @TeamBradJacobs!

It's been an exciting few weeks in our household. As I mentioned in an earlier post we've been watching a lot of curling over the winter, which for me is not unusual, but its the first winter that my big boy has also taken more notice of my love for the sport.

We watched Rachel Homan's run to the top of the Canadian podium and the a short week later, we tuned in faithfully to TSN's coverage of the Tim Horton's Brier to see Northern Ontario and Team Brad Jacobs put on a stellar performance to win the Canadian championship. 

Growing up just outside of Sault Ste. Marie, it is only natural that my support goes to Team Northern Ontario. In the last few Briers its been fun to watch Team Jacobs evolve and improve and advance themselves into this year's Brier final.  It was truly a lot of fun to watch the curling coverage all season long and see a range of difficult shots executed under tremendous pressure.

While my boys have always been around when curling is on the TV, I was overjoyed to hear my smart kindergartener asking lots of questions this year about the game.

'How come they have brooms, how come that guy holds his broom like that, how can she move like that on her shoes, how come they kicked the rocks'.

These questions were exciting to answer and I have to say by the end of the Tim Horton's Brier and Team Northern Ontario's reign, I would say we definitely have a future curler on our hands. E was pumped when I brought out my brooms to demonstrate the sweeping and the boys got right into it with their 'hurry haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard' and 'dig boys, dig dig dig' impressions.

It was a great couple of weeks watching the boys from the Soo work so hard to win the Brier and then to see them bring home a silver medal from Worlds was the icing on the cake. I truly admire their work ethic and commitment to the game of curling. I know they are still young and have many years ahead of them, but as a parent of future curling enthusiasts, I am so excited for the future of this game. Its great to know that there are excellent role models involved in the sport that my boys will grow up learning about and striving to be like - so thank you for all the fun this winter Team Jacobs - Team Northern Ontario - Team Canada.

2008 - The year of getting what I want!

It's officially here, the year 2008.

Happy New Year to each of you, my lovely/faithful blogging readers!
Bonne année à tous mes peeps dans le monde du blogging!

2008 - WOW! It's come upon us quickly, don't you think? I mean... really - the 365 days of 2007 literally went zipping by... and well I feel like a lot was accomplished in 2007, it leaves me wanting more for 2008.

It's always around this time of year that I make a list of things I want to do in this round of 365.

Do this happen to you in January of every. single. year. - you start making all of these mental lists in your head of things you want to do before the year is complete? (I could really curse the brainiac who came up with this New Year's bullshit anyways - way too much thinking involved for my liking)!

I am to the point right now that I start every internal thought with the words 'I want to... I want this... I want... want... want...'

I absolutely hate that my wants are so high right now. I mean - if I don't get what I say I want - does that mean I will have failed myself in some respect?

I know a lot of people look at their 'wants' as goals - goals and aspirations for the New Year. I do that, I've done that, and I am done doing that ... I think!

This is the year I throw caution to the wind... I won't use my wants to set goals, I will simply want things and I will get them. And if I don't get them, I will forget I wanted them, and move onto something else I want more.

How's that for making non-resolutions? For 2008 - I am doing what I want.... when I want, where I want, and with whom I want... and when the year is done, if I still want more, I won't have regrets, I will just carry over this little attitude of mine into 2009!

Yes... it's the year of wanting... and getting what I want.

Are you with me?

I think right now I will start with a Starbucks! Yup.... I am going to get a Starbucks, because I WANT ONE, right now!

What is it that you want this year?

My Ambitions for 2007

Every New Year, I go through the same list of ambitions... I constantly think about things I want to accomplish before the end of the year... and everyday in January the list grows longer and longer.

Half my problem is that my so-called list, is a mental list... so for the first few weeks of January it seems to grow, but once I hit February it gets down to manageable size because I tend forget the grand majority of my fresh ambitions!

So here I am ... the 8th of January and I've done the little things... such as: clean out my cosmetic drawer.

This task may not seem so rewarding, but for the girl who has carted around two boxes full of slightly used make up from her university days... the two grocery bags that I threw in the garbage this weekend were definitely a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

I have been wanting to sort my make-up for about a year now, but just never do it. I had a ton of bronzing powder, bad coloured foundation, blush, eye shadow, nail polish, etc. that has been clogging up the main artery in my cosmetic bag for quite sometime now. Every time I would think about throwing something out, I would say to myself: I might use that colour again... if I was wearing bright yellow and purple at the same time (ya never know what I might need around Halloween time).

At any rate (enough rambling)... the task took about an hour, and was well worth my time. It is definitely something I wanted to do before the year was out (although I did have this on my mental this last year, but we won't go there... everyone who knows me knows I am a procrastinator!).

As well I managed to get around to organizing my tupperware drawer this weekend. What an out-of-control mess it was... but thanks to my Mom who bought me the stackable storage tupperware (you know the three different size containers, one size lid fits all kind)... things are very well organized (Martha would be so proud of me)!

Now I have moved onto some of the bigger ambitions on my list... such as painting a second bedroom in the house... oh the stress involved in choosing paint colours. I can see why interior designers make so much money (they are paid to make the hard decorating decisions for you)! The thing about paint is that you never know if its going to look good until its on the wall... and I think this is where my fears come in - however I want to tackle this soon... good colour or bad, it will be done.

Another thing I would like to do is come up with some super-dooper filing system for my bills and records... every year at this time, I try to think of ways to improve the current system, but then time expires when I have a stack of papers staring me in the face and I end up going back to the same old system. However, this year, before the month is out, I want come up with a new and improved system (any ideas?).

Other things on my mental list include starting to finish the basement... I wish I was more handy, such as someone who could install drywall, do some electrical work, plumbing, etc. - with skills like that there is no telling what this place would look like in a few months. PC has the skills, and the resources to do the work, but during hockey season, I am lucky if he cleans the bathroom, let alone even thinks about finishing an entire basement - but once May comes around, all the those tools he had to have will come in darn handy (or so I like to think)!

And top things off, I would like to start planning a trip to Europe... hopefully for 2008! This one is a long shot... but I figure if we don't do it now, then the probability of having kids after 2008 will increase (settle down Mom C!), and once the kidlets come along we'll be screwed have less time on our hands! As I said, this is definitely a long-shot... but hey... a girl can dream!

So there you have it, a temporary (very temporary) list of 2007 ambitions. I have come to realize that most of my ambitions require two things in order to be accomplished: TIME and MONEY.

If only these were two resources available to everyone.... wouldn't the world be a happier place!

I'll work on finding some TIME and I will hope that the MONEY part finds me!