Day 15

Skype Date!


I Skyped for the very first time! I was happy to see that Amanda (from Day 3) got my letter!! It really didn't take that long to reach England... I thought it would at least be two weeks, but turns out I was wrong!


The best part about the whole thing is that I got an e-mail that she had commented on my post. I was so excited that I got tears in my eyes. So immediately I needed to talk to her. Right away I texted my sister and my mom! So then I finally talk to Amanda through Whatsapp on my blackberry and her i phone. And because I had a day off we decided to have a skype date! I can not believe that we had not skyped before! I got to see a tour of her little flat in London and she got to see my cute little character house that I moved into while she was gone!


It was quite funny because its the first time I had seen her since she left in August. She gave me a tour of her place which is kind of funny when you walk around with a computer. And while she was giving me a tour some little British man came to the door so I got to here a real english accent! So then I did the same thing for her. I walked my computer around the house and gave her a tour of where I lived. It was really cool and we had a conversation for about 45 minutes! We caught up on each others love life's which are basically both non- existent.  I guess there is no cute boys in London. Sucks for me since Im going in July. But when I look at... that just means there is no reason for her to stay there right? Maybe persuade her to move to Calgary and not back to Edmonton.  Hehe wouldn't that be fun!


I got to catch up on her teaching job and about all the interesting slang words she has learned. And then she learned all about my exciting job! We  decided we need to skype more often. Could be more like a weekly activity. Good idea right? What else was funny?? I basically rolled out of bed when I talked to her... so she got to see me in my best form.... I have bangs right now so if I don't do them I look like the girl in "something about Mary"... at least I made Amanda laugh. 


Well now Im off to bed. I will have an exciting blog tomorrow about my new babysitting job I have for the rest of the week. Today was definitely an adventurous day for me and my new family, Zues, Juno, and Oliver. Thats right three dogs people.....

My friend Amanda while we skyped. She probably will be upset that I posted this but what can you do? Look how happy she is to talk to me!?!

Day 14

Today was Toms a day without shoes! Unfortunately I work in a restaurant and so going a day without shoes is not an option. So what did I do instead?? Well I made it it starbucks two blocks alway from my house. Its crazy, when I think out loud it sounds stupid that I only made it two blocks away and then another two blocks on the way home. Let me say.. my feet were frozen!!! 

But I live in Calgary where there is snow all over the ground and the cement was about 0 degrees. This task was a lot harder then I thought it was going to be.... but definitely makes you think about all the people that do go without shoes every day. I put myself in there position and realized how grateful I am to own all the shoes that I do own. A couple of my favourite pairs being toms....

So what we have decided to propose to our restaurant for next year?? Since its a health code violation to not where shoes... what about an entire day with the entire staff wearing toms?!?! Sounds like a good idea to me!!!

Since buying my first pair of Toms about two months ago I now have two pairs of Toms. Who else has some? Tara my office leader at work, my sister, my niece, my mom, and a couple friends here and there! Check out this picture that Tara and I took while we were at work celebrating our one day without shoes in the office!!!!!

Enjoy and if you don't have Toms... get out there and buy some!!!

xo

Day 13

Sorry this post it a little bit late.  As you can tell by my short posts from the last couple of days I have been a little bit busy (with the exception of Saturday when I was perfectly fine doing nothing) 


So what happened yesterday. My drink when through the prelim competition at earls Dalhousie. My drink is a combination of flavoured vodka, basil, mango, honey, and yuzu juice. (Yuzu is a hybrid fruit from Japan made out of tangerine and grapefruit) Im not telling you what kind of vodka or how I made it. I still don't want to ruin the surprise. Cause... my drink made it to the finals!!! I now have only two weeks to work on preparing it (I need to make 5 drinks in 5 minutes using the exact muddling method required) and that is going to take some work. 


So yesterday morning right as my work day was starting we held our in house bartending competition. The  finals was between Joel and I. We had five minutes to set up our stations and then we had five minutes to prepare our drinks. Our drinks were completely different!! Joels drink was espresso, cream, raspberry, and ice cream. Where as my drink was basil, mango, soda. Its tough competing against Joel cause he has some crazy charisma! 


But sure enough my drink came through. So in two weeks on Palms Sunday I get to go and compete in the earls Calgary region Bartending competition. Its going to be an amazing experience. Not only is it a bar competition but its also a culinary competition. Scott my sous chef at work is going to compete as well. They are setting up a free standing kitchen right in the middle of the room and then 7 bartenders will also make there drinks. I think we might make our drinks in the morning as well and then 4 people make there drinks at night. The cool thing is that in the afternoon I also get to go to a seminar with some of the top people from earls Head office! All in all its going to be a good day!!


And get this.... if I win I get to go to Napa Valley. I know I have talked about this before but Napa valley is my most favourite place in the entire world!! I get to spend 4 days with people from all over Canada who work at different earls. What an amazing experience!!! I also get to try some great wines along the way! I bet you cant wait for Palms Sunday now??


As for the eating out goal I set the day before... didn't eat out last night... saved my money and ate in! What did I have hummus and crackers... and some cashews! Yumm... I guess I will have to make a trip to the grocery store!

FINAL DRINK

Day 12

What a Sunday Funday I had!!


After doing nothing yesterday I was well rested to get up and do something today! I woke up bright and early at 8 AM and headed out of the house... after church, lunch, and then a walk in the park with 3 cute puppies I ended up catching up with the roommate Lane who I had not seen in a couple of days! After spending Saturday completely alone with know other human contact being able to have a conversation was very exciting. So what do I decide to do? I log on to my online banking and decide to manage my accounts. If you read blog "Day 4" you would know I said this is something I might not do. But I did it and boy did I learn alot!!!




You know whats interesting? I always complain that my bills are way to high and that thats where the majority of my money goes... boy was I wrong. Basically a wake up call. My bank basically put my life into a pie chart for me and where does most of my money go to? Eating out.... hmm funny.. I work in a restaurant, how come Im eating out all the time... don't I do that enough everyday I am at work? Turns out my cell phone bill shouldn't be that big of a deal when I spend twice that on eating out in a month! So thanks Darren for the wake up call... and now maybe I will learn how to save a little bit more!




So my friends that brings me to this up coming week. The week of not spending a single extra cent on eating out. Tomorrow I have budgeted myself 40 dollars for any small groceries I might need for the week. (Im sure I will have family dinners here and there) but that is all Im spending!!


Im going to basically minimize that number and put the rest of my dollar bills towards saving for Europe! Wish me luck!


JC

Day 11

What did I do today??? Basically nothing interesting. I live in a city that can not decide if it wants to be spring or winter. 


This is the first Saturday I've had off in a very long time! All week I thought about all the exciting things I could do today. And then what happens this morning? I wake up and have a look outside the window and it has snowed all day. Somehow my day turned into not leaving the house once. This is something I have not done in a very very long time. I watched 127 hours, Stick it, Mean girls, and currently I am watching Yes Man. I took a bath and I slept.


So how do I feel? You know that feeling when you feel tired because you have over rested?  Thats me right now. Its now 9:30pm and I am now wide awake! So whats going through my mind? Do I make up for it and venture out tonight? Or do I wait until tomorrow? But then do I really need to make up for doing nothing? No! Today was a perfect day to nothing... and not only that but I don't work tomorrow either which means tomorrow I definitely need to have a fantastic Sunday Fun day.


Well back to resting to get ready for tomorrow!