Ten on Tuesday

1. My computer died on the weekend. But before it did, it gave me the red screen of death (or RSOD). That's right, it was so angry with me that the blue one just wouldn't cut it.

2. This came concurrent with a stupidly hectic week at work during which I had planned to bring work home with me.

3. As you might be able to guess, I'm a little stressed at the moment. I woke up at 3 AM this morning in an utter panic and it took me two hours to talk myself down and get back to sleep. During which I entirely re-organized a section of the bathroom, decided I liked it better how it was, and put it all back again. Yep, super productive.

4. I wish I could be a full-time blogger, but I don't really know how people make that happen and feel like there's no way I could ever accomplish it. So instead I'm just jealous of all these 22-year-olds who get to wear snazzy outfits, galavant off to makeup events and say that they "work from home." Yeah, life's unfair.

5. On the plus side Vancouver is actually sunny. Has been for days now. Yes, DAYS. Plural. I'm shocked too. Still carrying around my umbrella because I've learned to have a healthy mistrust for the weather here.

6. On the other plus side, since I have no working computer at the moment, my house is tidier than it's ever been. So there's that.

7. I'm feeling vast amounts of sympathy for Lin, who is moving soon. If I'm feeling this stressed out, I can't even imagine how she's coping. If I were her, it would involve copious amounts of tequila, lots of panic attacks and a fair amount of losing my temper for no particular reason.

8. I've been trying to re-vamp my blogs and really wishing I could code. I know exactly what I want to do, but the template won't let me. And it's in the stylesheet, so I can't even go and mess about with that part of the HTML to fix it. Stupid templates.

9. You may have noticed my bad day post last week. Turns out it's kinda a bad week. I mean, not the worst, by any stretch, but not good, either. Really looking forward to the long weekend.

10. On that note, I could sure use a laugh, and I figure you guys could too. So watch this. And if you haven't seen the other three, click here for the first one and here for parts 2 and 3.

Ten on Tuesday

It's that time of the week again! Not sure if I'll make it to 10 this week because I'm super busy and important. Seriously people, I can't spend ALL my time entertaining you. Don't be selfish. Just kidding.

1. I am craving Starbucks every. single. day. It's like the Mondays just keep coming.

2. I don't know HOW I'm going to survive the Christmas TV hiatus. It's the worst time to stop providing us with new episodes of our favourite shows. It means we're stuck, you know, actually interacting with our families. And drinking a LOT. Don't blame me if several wars and a few small battles break out over the holidays.

3. I wish I liked eggnog, because in theory rum and eggnog is a wonderful Christmas tradition.

4. I'm sad because we can't afford to get many Christmas decorations this year, and I still haven't figured out how we can have a tree and still have our cats. Maybe next year.

5. Most of you won't know this, but I got married recently (while on a trip to Cuba. Don't feel left out - nobody knew.) So on Monday we had a big dinner with all the family to celebrate. I was super nervous, but it actually worked out pretty well! I grew up with just my parents, since they immigrated to Canada the year before I was born, so I've never had really big family gatherings. It's kind of nice having so many people who care about you in one room. Even if most of them are the other side of the family!

6. I'm taking nearly two weeks of leftover vacation days off over Christmas, but I'm still catching up on work from when I was away. So much to do! Don't know how I'm going to get through it all!

7. I need more feel-good Christmas movies to watch. Any suggestions?

8. It is COLD! We haven't got dry wood for our fireplace this year, so we're stuck trying to heat two levels with baseboard heaters, but only the rooms we're in because that shit's expensive. So we basically end up with two warm rooms and have to bundle up in slippers, sweaters (and if it gets any colder, toques) to scurry as fast as possible between heated rooms. And because it takes awhile to heat up the bathroom, getting out of the shower in the morning is excruciating.

9. SO MUCH CHOCOLATE!! I am justifying it with the extra energy my body must be expending to stay warm. It'll totally even out, right?

10. And some giggles:

Ten on Tuesday

1. The Halloween candy season has begun. (I may or may not be eating a mini Reese Peanut Butter Cup while typing this.)

2.

We don't even have any absurdly large skirts to hide under.

 

It has been raining more or less for the last week. To put this in perspective, we've had an uncharacteristically warm summer - the most rain we've had since about July is maybe one or two days - and it was light rain. That NEVER happens in Vancouver. This weekend it was pouring down like it had been saving it up for months and decided to dump it all on us at once. It's been so long that I almost forgot how to deal with rain - it felt exceedingly weird putting on rain boots, a rain jacket and huddling under an umbrella. Me no likey.

3. Please don't leave me any comments about how it's so hot and sunny where you are that you're sweating and worried about a sunburn. You poor thing. At least your feet are dry.

4. What's with casing Jennifer Jason Leigh as Emily's mother on Revenge? I know she did some amazing roles back in the day, and is great at those gritty, depressing "realistic" characters - but she does not feel right for this part, and I'm finding her annoying. Here's hoping she doesn't get too much screen time.

5. 

Even the un-photoshopped side doesn't look 54.

 

Hollywood creeps me out. No one ever seems to age. I kind of get wanting to slow down the process, but at a certain point you just look wrong. Like Demi Moore - I'm pretty sure the woman's a witch. Or a very life-like robot.

6. If you're a makeup addict, you may want to avoid going into a MAC store because right now they're offering pre-ordering from their Christmas collection. It's beautiful.

7. I don't know if it's the weather, the shorter days, remnants of my cold or all the vaccines and tests I've had lately, but I could totally go for a nap right now.

8. Starbucks. That is all.

9. A friend of mine just added me on LinkedIn and I glanced at her page and noticed that she volunteered at a hospital as a "baby cuddler." Is that really a thing??

10.

Yeah, pretty much. 

 

What I want to say to.... well, pretty much everyone today.

 

Touche.

Oh, Ellen, you do make me laugh. 

Also? Very good point.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Still getting over being sick. Do not understand how the human body can produce so much mucus - nor do I understand why it would want to. Gross.

2. 

I miss lattes. Chamomile tea is not an appropriate drink for the first day back at work after a long weekend. Unfortunately, it's what I've got, because I'm trying to stop my body from producing even more mucus. Cos, you know, gross.

3. So. Much. To. Do. Who knew going on vacation would be so much damn work? I have so many errands to run, phone calls to make, things to remember to buy, things to remember to pack... and that's not even taking into account the tidying and organizing I need to do before we go so that the person staying in our house isn't appalled by our mess. By the time I'm actually on vacation, I'll need half of it just to recover from the stress of planning it.

4. Talking to insurance people on the phone is pretty pointless. They really should just have a recorded message that says "I don't know your medical history and I can't give you a definitive answer to any of your questions, so please refer back to the legal policy document that sent you here with thousands of questions in the first place."

5. Why are Tuesdays after a long weekend even worse than Mondays of a regular week? It's like my body spent the day rejecting work. Violently and painfully.

6. Grooooaaaaannnnnn.

7. 

I spent most of the day doing relatively mindless work, while simultaneously occupying my mind with fantasies of what I'd do if I suddenly became Bill Gates or IKEA rich. This is an ongoing fantasy that has become quite intricate. I have now added a zombie paintball course in the woods behind my imaginary estate. I'll tell you the whole plan sometime, but for now, that's really the highlight and all you need to know it's gonna be awesome.

8. Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that TV season is back?

9. Some people have WAY too much time on their hands.

10. 

It's important to have dreams.

Totally doing this next time I get an erroneous text.

 

The one who was waiting for the perfect man? 

Turned to dust.

Well if Apple Maps says it... must be true.

 

This is just 'cos I want everyone who says 

"YOLO" to be locked up. Forever.

Poor kid.

 

Fair point.

And that's it for another Tuesday!

Ten on Wednesday. Plus one.

1. There is absolutely no use in being sick if you can't take a sick day. No point whatsoever.

2. In related news, I might be dying. I was too sick yesterday to do my ten on actual Tuesday. I'm worse today, but it occurred to me that if I die, you'll all be sad I didn't do one last ten list. So here it is. My (possibly) dying words. You're welcome.

3. Tea is always too hot at the beginning and too cold at the end, but it's the only way to consume honey steadily without getting toothache.

4. Some days one box of Kleenex just isn't enough.

5. Elementary isn't as good as Sherlock. In case you were wondering.

6. I'm scared that if I blow my nose hard enough, it will turn inside out. This is a legitimate fear, people.

7. I've been watching Switched at Birth and a British show called Skins. The first one is very dramatic and makes me feel like my own fucked-up adolescence was positively uneventful. Wait, so does the second one. Only with better accents.

8. So I work with this awesome girl called Ceci. She makes me giggle on a daily basis (and I'm not, generally speaking, a giggler). Today she regailed me with a story about how she bailed on an escalator. The funny part was that she very vehemently insisted that she didn't fall DOWN the escalator. She bailed on it. She then proceeded to show me a picture of her falling in someone's backyard that a friend of hers had posted on FB because she didn't have a photo of the escalator bail. For some reason this entire exchange totally cracked me up.


9. Some decisions in life are truly agonizing. Like whether to buy that cute purse on eBay.

10. I wanted some funny pics about being sick. But surprisingly when you type "sick humour" in google, that is NOT what it finds for you. I now need to wash my eyes out with soap. So I'm going with some random humour instead.

11. How many Dayquils is it safe to take in an 8-hour work day? 10? 11? 38?

Ten on Tuesday

1. Sorry I didn't do a 10 on Tuesday last week - but I have a good excuse. I was doing this instead:

Top row: Incubus, Bottom row: Linkin Park

 Yep, that's right, I went to see Mutemath, Incubus and Linkin Park. One of my all-time favourite shows, and so much fun! Definitely worth skipping a post for - sorry, guys!

2. My coffee this morning was NOT decaf. So if my heart explodes and I die, you can blame Starbucks.

3. I am so excited to try out my new nail polish shades from OPI's fall Germany collection! I'm particularly entranced by "Berlin There Done That" which is a cool taupe shade. Gorgeous.

L-R: Berlin There Done That, Don't Talk Bach to Me, 

Every Month is Oktoberfest

4. I have so much to do it's not even funny. Seriously, I'm not laughing.

5. I can't believe it's nearly time for the fall TV lineup to get into full swing! *Awkward segue* speaking of which, have you checked out our link up, Random Thursday? Lin, Sarah and myself will be asking you what's in your fall TV lineup next week - but don't miss out on this week's topic, "Favourite YouTube videos/channels." It's gonna be awesome! Also I'm really looking forward to seeing more of this guy shirtless, starting tonight (can you blame me? Thought not.):

6. My computer keeps glitching and I have 10,000 things to do today. I'm seriously weighing up the repercussions of throwing my computer out the window vs. how much pleasure it would give me.

7. I think I'm getting sick. I've had an on-again off-again sore throat/fever for 5 days. I wish it would either progress or fuck off, because this constantly expecting to wake up deathly ill is making me anxious. *cough*

8. I have been working for 8 days straight. A few more, and I'll need a fucking straightjacket.

9. I spent the weekend at a fundraising bike event my work organizes every year. Though I'm exhausted now, it was a lot of fun - and so inspiring! The route is 200 km (about 125 miles, for those of you in the US) over two days. A lot, right? The amazing part was that this year our youngest participant was 11 and the oldest was 85. No joke. Makes me feel REALLY guilty about my lazy lifestyle, I'll tell ya.

10. Because good GOD do I need a laugh:

 This is the sort of smart-ass answer I wrote on exams I didn't study for.

The only stick figure family I'd even consider having on my car.

 Don't fuck with me today. I'm about one computer crash 

away from becoming this chick.

 The fuck's up with that?

 Wanna see?

Word. And I'm out.

Ten on Tuesday

1. It's cloudy, for the first time in ages. So I have a headache. I know, I don't get it either, but I've noticed every time the weather changes after being the same for a long time, that happens. ???????

2. I caved and bought the September issue of Vogue. And then discovered it was too heavy to carry home.

3. Having cats sounds great in theory, but it means you can never have carpet or rugs in your house again.

4. It's only Tuesday. I need another weekend. Like, now.

5. I've discovered this game called Bubble Shoot. It's the simplest game in the world, but somehow I can't get past the level I'm on, and I've been trying for 24 hours. It's driving me insane.

6. I just started watching this show called Common Law - it's about these police partners who are a great team, but who fight all the time. Their boss went through couple's counseling with his wife and it saved his marriage, so he decides to make the partners attend. They're amusing, and if you like crime dramas, it's not bad!



7. I think I might have a sign on my forehead that says "please hit me with your bag." I've gotten hit in the head and/or shoulder by people's bags on the bus about 10 times so far this week. Not amused.

8. I also started watching Warehouse 13 last night. Yes, I am desperate for TV now that even the summer programming is ending. It's sort of like the X-Files meets the Mummy meets Dr. Who. Jury's still out.


9. So far my Happy Water isn't making me any happier. I think it's defective.

10. The giggles:

 

Ten on Tuesday

1. I'm rusty, so if my 10 are lame, don't judge. Well, okay, judge, but don't leave mean comments.

2. Moving stinks. I highly recommend not doing it, particularly if you love books as much as I do. I still can't find half my stuff.

3. My new commute is really pretty! Almost makes up for the fact that it takes an hour.

4. I have discovered something amazing. Well, two amazing things. The first is arugula salad greens. Last night I made a salad with arugula, feta, strawberries and avocado. The second is pesto hummus. I kid you not, it's the best thing I've ever tasted.

5. I went clothing shopping last week. It was completely horrifying, but I did find a pair of jeans that seem to fit me and a couple of shirts. So that should hold me for, I'm hoping, another year. HATE shopping.

6. So one of my two favourite crime dramas, The Closer, ended after 8 years. Major Crimes, the spin-off, premiered the same night. It's very bittersweet, because while I'm glad the show is going on and the writing tends to be excellent, it's missing its heart without Kyra Sedgwick. I'm still in the sulking phase, so I'm not sure yet what to think of Major Crimes. In not inclined to like any replacement quite yet - not until the mourning phase passes. All I know right now is it's not The Closer, and that makes me sad.

7. I can't decide which is worse: Getting blood taken for tests or getting those dilating drops in your eyes. Either way, I have to do both this week. Awesome.

8. Pinterest. That is all.

9. Yes, I am one of those people who complains when it rains for days, complains when it's cloudy, and complains that it's too hot when the sun finally comes out.

10. This:

Ten on Tuesday

1. You may have noticed my absence for a little while. Sorry 'bout that. My work has three big events throughout the year - and the week before each one is pretty intense. It's over now, though, so you get me back all to your selfish little selves! At least until I move later this month, anyway....

2. It looks like we might be going on vacation to Cuba this winter - with some good friends, no less! Stoked.

3. I'm re-reading one of my childhood favourite books - Matilda by Roald Dahl. I'd forgotten the simple magic of reading a well-crafted children's story. And how talented Dahl is. Not only is he an excellent children's author, but he is the master of writing children's stories that adults will actually enjoy. He puts just enough subtext in it to keep grown ups intrested; just enough true sinister undertones that children won't catch on, but grown ups will. Not an easy thing to do. If you haven't read it, (or worse, any of his books!) I think you should. I don't care how old you are.

4. I've been re-watching Criminal Minds. SUCH a good show - but I really should learn not to watch it marathon-style. *Looks under bed for concealed serial killer*

5.I've been to Starbucks ever.damn.day. For the past five days. I may even have broken down and had a mini pie. Or two. Yeah, I'm a li'l stressed.

6. Anderson Cooper finally openly announced that he's gay. On the one hand, I'm always in favour of more powerful, positive role models for - well, everyone. But I also see his point about the fact that it shouldn't matter, and while I'm proud of him for coming out, I'm even more proud of him for not making it his defining characteristic all these years. Either way, I think he's pretty awesome.

7. Went to see Ted last week - and damn that shit is funny! I wasn't expecting too much from it - it's a movie about a talking, walking TEDDY BEAR for fuck's sake. However, I haven't laughed that hard since the Avengers. Worth a watch.

8. I'm going to be co-hosting a Summertime Swap with Lin - which will be awesome. I mean, a summertime swap is super fun no matter what, but with Lin and I at the reigns? Yeah, you'll wanna sign up for this one. Stay tuned!

9. Two people in my office are sick - one of them seems to have some sort of stomach thing. Very nervous. Hate throwing up. *crosses fingers that crappy immune system will miraculously kick it up a notch*

10. For the giggles: