tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14273148464982962762023-11-16T05:12:32.543-06:00 she smiles, she writesmiranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-18672870384163425962014-10-14T19:36:00.000-05:002014-10-14T19:36:26.865-05:00currently - october 14th time: 7:15 p.m.<br />
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location: my incredibly comfortable couch in my living room<br />
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drinking: nothing right now. Should probably have one more glass of water tonight.<br />
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eating: a Tootsie Pop. I keep a jar full on the kitchen counter for when I'm craving sugar.<br />
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watching: Love It or List It....This has become a nightly ritual. Although I'm over the predictable drama of "We need to replace the plumbing/heating/structural system of this house which means we can't do all of the renovations we promised you." Just once I would love to see them take all of the money they are given and just put it towards making the house amazing. <i>That</i> would be a shocking reveal.<br />
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feeling: determined. My budgeting/saving is going well. My guy and I are working on keeping one another accountable in terms of eating better. Granted, I have to pep talk myself daily, but hey....you do what you have to do.<br />
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loving: quiet time. Work is pretty hectic (that's not new) and when I get home, quiet is all I'm craving. This past weekend, I don't think I turned on the television or any music for about a day and a half.<br />
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thinking: about phone calls I have to make. I hate calling places to set up appointments. I have no idea why. But it means that I put things of for far too long.<br />
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making: I just prepped lunches and dinners for the next couple of days. I'm in the middle of a sewing project that has been put aside for a couple of days out of frustration. <br />
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wanting: just one more hour in each day. Okay, maybe two.<br />
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needing: to make those calls. <br />
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<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-29563149628695392152014-09-16T17:37:00.004-05:002014-09-16T17:37:44.186-05:00show me the moneyI want to make a change. One that requires quite a bit of money. (How is that for being vague? I am not talking surgery of any sort. In fact, it would be a temporary change, but one that I think is well worth the money it would require.)<br />
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So this means that for the next year, or possibly longer, I need to live as cheaply as possible. Interesting timing, given that I am less than one year into a new mortgage. Even more interesting considering that I already live quite cheaply on a day-to-day basis. <br />
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My car is paid for. I eat out only a few times each month. I don't have any extravagant hobbies. I've been watching <i>Til Debt Do Us Part </i>for years and live off of cash, using a system very similar to <a href="http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/">Gail's</a> jars.<br />
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Regardless, I still need to find a few more places to cut costs.<br />
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I do have a weakness for shopping. Usually I deal with this by simply not going to the mall. It is pretty much a given that if I do go to pick something up, I will end up seeing a scarf, necklace, or shirt that I fall in love with and buy without hesitation. In reality, I have very little need for any type of clothes at this point. So, impromptu shopping is out.<br />
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Cut my cable? Perhaps. I am almost down to just the basic package now, but there is still one "entertainment" add-on that could go. Restaurants will officially be for special occasions only, and good-bye $6 cocktails, hello water.<br />
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Grocery shopping is an area where I oddly spend a lot more money than I should. I rarely get through all of the food I buy before something is going bad, and this is awful for more than one reason. More diligent meal planning will hopefully help. Can I become a couponer? Not sure I have that in me, but I can always try.<br />
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Truth be told, I have been considering buying a new car, but that plan has been scrapped. I will need to put a bit of money into my current car, but that should end up buying me at least three more years without a new car payment, so I'm okay with that trade-off.<br />
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I have two trips coming up in the next year. Both of which are basically bought and paid for, other than our food and entertainment - I'll have to be smart about those.<br />
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Beyond those things, I am at somewhat of a loss. I don't think I have much/anything to sell. I have a pretty lame (and cheap) cellphone plan. The hours/obligations of my job don't really leave room for a second one.<br />
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Welcome to my new frugal life.<br />
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<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-55582973330631475792014-08-11T11:42:00.000-05:002014-08-11T11:42:44.949-05:00back to the beginningConfession: I am probably the most out of shape skinny person you have ever met (not that we've met, but...you know).<br />
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There was a time that I was in shape - went to the gym three or four times each week, could hold my own in almost any of the classes there, was starting to maybe just maybe become a bit of a runner, took a hip hop dance class once a week, and actually saw muscle definition on my small frame.<br />
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Then life happened. My grandfather spent over six months slowly dying in a hospital, work became a lot to deal with, I started dating a new guy....time for the gym fell away. And then I got hurt.<br />
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I'm leery to even admit what happened because it's so lame, but in an effort to be honest.....a vacuum cleaner did me in. Long story short, I moved and the base that weighed down with water stayed still. I twisted as I moved and (since I had already fallen out of shape) something in my back didn't like the motion and subsequent jerking backwards.<br />
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I was in physiotherapy for months trying to relieve the pressure on a nerve and get all the parts of my lower spine back into place and working with one another instead of against one another. It started to affect the muscles in my upper legs and even my knees started to have problems. I was a mess and pretty much in constant pain. This was about seven years ago (I actually had to do the math on that just now and feel even worse about this whole situation knowing just how long it has dragged on). <br />
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Eventually, my body returned to a semi-normal physical state. Although I didn't realize at the time that after injury, muscles are incredibly weak, and it wasn't long before I was back to see my physiotherapist for another prolonged amount of time. I swear that I helped her to build the new house she's living in.... This injury was slightly different and really boiled down to having little to no core strength left. I couldn't carry things that I thought I could and expect all of the pieces of my back/hips to stay in proper alignment. But this time, I bucked the system. I didn't do the exercises and stretches at home that I was supposed to. I foolishly believed that a good stretching and some strengthening once a week would get me by.<br />
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Not surprisingly, it didn't. But I didn't change my ways until a random conversation with a coworker. We were talking about his former job as an athletic therapist, and he commented that part of the reason he changed professions was the frustration with clients who lied about doing their "homework" between sessions and then wondered why there was no change. "You guys could tell?" I asked (horrified.....he had no idea that I was one of those people). I started stretching at home that night.<br />
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The last four or five years have been the same cycle - go to physio when things hurt, get back on track and back into place, stop physio, attempt to work out, get hurt, go back to physio, and repeat. In there, I've had an MRI (just to make sure this all is in fact still muscular) and realized the power of a really good anti-inflammatory on a really bad day. I don't do things that I know will aggravate my back - like pushing a full shopping cart, and in pain or not, I have a stretching routine that I do every morning. A chiropractor has always been off-limits for me...I don't like when my bones crack involuntarily, let alone pay someone else to make it happen.<br />
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My nemesis for years now has been squats. I don't actually hate squats, in fact I used to really like them. But I no longer have the muscle strength to do them without injury. Believe me, I've tried (and ended up in physio each time). <br />
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This summer I've been <i>slowly</i> working to change this path. I've talked to my physiotherapist about the progression of exercises that need to happen before I can actually "work out" again. I'm hoping to get some sort of actual long-term plan in place with her this week. Or at least find out where and with whom that should happen. But man....is it going to be a long, slow road. Right now, I am absolutely the person who needs the 2 lb weights for most upper body exercises (this long without physical activity and <i>everything</i> loses power). Three sets of ten rehab-type exercises on my lower body is an unreachable goal some days. Hell, if I walk too quickly on a treadmill, things fall out of alignment (I'm good walking outside though where I control my speed). <br />
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The fact is, I'm tired of feeling the way that I do on a daily basis (weak, physically incapable, and only moments away from injury). And while annoying, these problems with my lower back/hips are not unsolvable. I just have to consistently and carefully do the work. In no way is this going to become a fitness blog, but maybe there is something to the idea of making a public declaration - public in the sense that my guy and maybe one or two others will read this. I want to be strong. I want to know that I'm strong. For vanity-sake, I want to look strong. Due to my job, I will never post progress pictures here, but the "before" ones have been taken. I am starting to work towards the "after".miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-5406484600097689312014-04-15T18:30:00.000-05:002014-04-15T18:30:00.462-05:00march book reviewHalfway through the month of March, I decided that reading needed to become more of a priority for me again. It is one of those things that I will immediately push aside when something else comes up, or time that I will forfeit in exchange for sleep at the end of a long day.<br />
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That stack of library books that I took a picture of in <a href="http://www.shesmilesshewrites.blogspot.ca/2014/03/books.html">this post</a>? I've slowly started working my way through it. Some have already been renewed because my goal was a bit lofty, but I'll get through them.<br />
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The first one that I finished was <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Everyone-Hanging-Without-Other-Concerns/dp/0307886271">Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?</a> by Mindy Kaling. I loved her on The Office. I had no idea that she was also a writer of the show (that tells you how little I look into the television shows that I enjoy). This book was a great light read - if I only had five minutes to spare while I was eating a sandwich, it was fine because there was no plot to dive into or characters to keep track of. I thought that it was humourous, but not <i>funny</i>. I didn't laugh out loud very often, and I wanted to. After listening to <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Bossypants-Tina-Fey/dp/0316056871/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396459466&sr=1-1&keywords=tina+fey">Bossypants</a> by Tina Fey on my iPhone while I was out walking and literally having to stop and put my hands on my thighs because I was doubled over from laughing so hard (yes, out in public, by myself....great visual), I wanted to laugh like that at this book as well. And I didn't. That's not to say Mindy Kaling isn't funny, because she obviously is, I just wanted this book to be a bit funnier.<br />
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The second book that I read from that stack was <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Butter-Erin-Jade-Lange/dp/1599907801/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396459663&sr=1-3&keywords=butter">Butter</a> by Erin Jade Lange. It's a young adult novel, so I read this partially for work, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Young adult novels are usually pretty quick to get through, and even though this one was longer than most, it was no exception. An easy read for an adult, but such an interesting plot. Without giving away too much, the main character - Butter - is an obese teenager who, after a very bad day at school, creates a website where he announces that he will end his life on New Years Eve with one final (extreme) meal. The majority of the book deals with his classmates' (note: not friends, but classmates) reactions, as well as his own reactions to what he has decided to do. There are a few different paths that the plot could take towards the end of the book, and Lange does a great job of not making the ending obvious. <br />
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I still have quite a few library books to get through, but next on my list is <i>Crime and Punishment</i> (also for work). I've started to read <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Animal-Vegetable-Miracle-Barbara-Kingsolver/dp/155468188X">Animal Vegetable Miracle</a> at the same time as well. A person can only take so much psychological drama in one sitting...miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-37335971048983029342014-04-08T18:30:00.000-05:002014-04-09T07:41:27.804-05:00a weekend in vancouverI am not much of a traveller. Sometimes I wish that I was, but the fact is that I am a homebody and after four or five days away, I usually just want my own kitchen, my own bed, and my own stuff back.<br />
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Since I don't like being away from home for long periods of time, but still love to explore new places, I have become pretty good at weekend trips. Give me three days in a city, and I'll attempt to get to most of the major tourist attractions. I absolutely get that this robs me of the thrill of finding amazing spots that locals have come to love, but for now, I'm okay with that. I'm pretty much the quintessential tourist - major art galleries and museums, local zoos or aquariums, that "thing" that all tourists get their picture taken in front of, and of course, some magnet/keychain/tchotchke purchases. But frankly, I think there is usually a reason why these things become tourist attractions in the first place, so I like to see them and find out why.<br />
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A few weeks ago, my guy and I went to Vancouver. I had never been before (but always wanted to go) and he hadn't been since he was much younger, so it was a good place that was nearby and full of spots to explore.<br />
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When we arrived, it was snowing. Wet, heavy snow. And we were not prepared for that. We had just left -30 something in Winnipeg and were positive that Vancouver would be so much warmer. Well....when you're soaked with wet snow, +1 can still be pretty cold. So it took us a bit of time to adjust (i.e. dress properly - including a stop at a Winners for me to buy some tights) and get used to carrying an umbrella constantly, but once we figured that out, we were good to go.<br />
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The weekend looked something like this...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRLQSu8n22TbPb6Y31aa4uR2Rlxj01C-IQhExLbGg7RtMaChIvel6aTnenm04i-hJMUxEOSeyjpMk36-CnOLv9_yFa1k_blOdlO1tseuuq20AbL02S45HWXqq2lf7InxnIHnmsaiCqxA/s1600/078e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRLQSu8n22TbPb6Y31aa4uR2Rlxj01C-IQhExLbGg7RtMaChIvel6aTnenm04i-hJMUxEOSeyjpMk36-CnOLv9_yFa1k_blOdlO1tseuuq20AbL02S45HWXqq2lf7InxnIHnmsaiCqxA/s1600/078e.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazing view from our hotel room<br />
(The Hyatt Regency Vancouver - I completely recommend staying there)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJIXqu50Y7-vuw-erk-VuYbpin6dvhl9DqYlfH3SI297i6ydaNvjAm8ld8rriTJJTUo6czsiRkGUnTazBrcqF8sTia42edz1f9CfzTkAxrsR2yNrHabt_FK6bWjW8i6zvPgpBoMkdYWo/s1600/204e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJIXqu50Y7-vuw-erk-VuYbpin6dvhl9DqYlfH3SI297i6ydaNvjAm8ld8rriTJJTUo6czsiRkGUnTazBrcqF8sTia42edz1f9CfzTkAxrsR2yNrHabt_FK6bWjW8i6zvPgpBoMkdYWo/s1600/204e.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gorgeous Vancouver Public Library (because places full of books that also happen to be very cool pieces of architecture make me very happy).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yOr1wcCHx1ufx7MzbvsjVWZDBvniGjPE6FLWPE2P6a6IDU_ErG7GEc7D-kq9qdovB1tjw6m13ZErf-7z2QF9EFbVlpM_afw38QF-hj8DHRn6FM1iYTl-YBMUtpuGwGi_CEDrqK8v30I/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yOr1wcCHx1ufx7MzbvsjVWZDBvniGjPE6FLWPE2P6a6IDU_ErG7GEc7D-kq9qdovB1tjw6m13ZErf-7z2QF9EFbVlpM_afw38QF-hj8DHRn6FM1iYTl-YBMUtpuGwGi_CEDrqK8v30I/s1600/086.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Granville Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The harbour outside of the market (still snowing out)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanley Park in the morning (yup...in the snow)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Vancouver Aquarium<br />
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Despite the constant snow (it literally stopped snowing about three hours after our plane home took off), we had a fantastic time. And still discovered that Vancouver is a beautiful city....we'll just make sure that the next time we go back is in the summer, when there's more of a chance of sunshine.</div>
miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-79510991431937632252014-04-03T18:30:00.000-05:002014-04-03T19:18:54.599-05:00full throttle<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some people go through life on a pretty even setting - they don't get worked up over many things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not one of those people. Sometimes I wish that I was - at least when I have to deal with stressful or upsetting situations. When I get really mad about something, I cry. Some people express their anger through yelling....I sob. Not by choice. Life would probably be much simpler if I didn't overreact to situations and the actions of other people. Give me a few minutes and I'm calm again, but my initial reactions....not always good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But on the other side of that coin is the fact that when something good happens, I thoroughly enjoy it. I get excited about little things in life - and I'm not just saying that to use a tired cliché - getting to have dinner with a friend, getting home in time to catch my favourite tv show after a long day at work, finding out that something that I need to buy is on sale - all instances that will make my day better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I recently took a trip with my guy to Vancouver, and last week we were talking about some of the memorable moments from that weekend. He said that one of his best memories was my "unbridled enthusiasm" that he witnessed over and over again, whether it was at seeing beluga whales or figuring out the subway system or buying the perfect souvenir. The weekend was filled with new sights and experiences and I'm pretty sure I was elated for most of it (once I got over walking around in the pouring rain all day long....I can admit that I was pretty grumpy about that at first. I bundled up and got over it though).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If the flip side to getting (potentially) overly upset or stressed out about something is that I get to feel more excited and happy about things that might not actually be <i>that </i>exciting, then I think I'll take it. So much of life could be filed under "completely mediocre". Maybe my reactions to everyday events are a bit extreme, but I would rather do a happy dance in the grocery store when I find out the paper towels are on for half price than not dance about anything at all that day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll just be sure to keep some Kleenex on hand too.</span>miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-9254903962934487902014-03-31T23:38:00.000-05:002014-04-02T12:12:37.607-05:00a simple word....a complicated idea<span style="font-family: inherit;">The prompt: Spirit</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">"Meditation, prayer, gratitude, faith, comfort. How is this a part of your day? Do you pray? Meditate? Express daily gratitude? Go to church or participate in another sort of faith community? If none of this is a part of your life, think about where you find meaning and comfort. What does that look like in your life?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I can say yes to some of the questions in this prompt. I can say "I don't know" to others.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I know that I think spirit doesn't have to mean a religious practice with regular attendance at church. But I know that for some people, that's exactly what it means.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I know that I see people who take great comfort in their beliefs, and that I sometimes wish that I held as much faith in something that brought me such assurance in the times that I need it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I know that taking time to acknowledge the things I am grateful for each day is important to me and it has an impact on how I view the events and people in my life.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I know that meditation is hard, but something I should probably work at.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I know that I believe in being mindful, and I think that it can affect a person's spirit.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I don't know exactly what I believe "spirit" to be. I cannot define it or describe it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I don't know exactly where I stand in terms of religion.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I don't know how to put blind faith in something that cannot be proven, isn't tangible, or cannot be explained.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I don't know how to quiet my mind or be patient when I attempt to meditate. Song lyrics start running through my mind (on a loop sometimes) and no matter how many times I acknowledge them and center back on my breathing, they start up again.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
I know that spirit matters. I know that taking care of your spirit is important. I also know that I don't have it figured out yet.</span><br />
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--------</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Prompt #4 in Ali Edwards' class "31 things" through <a href="http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/">Big Picture Scrapbooking </a>is <i>spirit.</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-13707577642000733282014-03-30T18:10:00.001-05:002014-03-30T18:10:48.723-05:00currently - march 30thtime: 5:30 p.m.<br />
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location: my office. Using a laptop and a desktop computer....that's a first.<br />
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watching: season one of Community. After crying at the finale of Friday Night Lights yesterday, I needed something a little lighter on Netflix today.<br />
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feeling: excited about this upcoming week off of work and actually having time to do things that keep getting put on hold. A little sad that my guy still won't be home for another week. <br />
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loving: Netflix. I held off getting it because I had heard that the Canadian content wasn't that great, but as someone who prefers watching a full season of a show as opposed to waiting for it to air each week, there are so many options. I've barely turned on my television in the past month and have cancelled half of my cable packages.<br />
<br />
thinking: about writing and this blog. I've been thinking about writing a lot lately....how to get better at it, how to make more time for it, what I have to say, and how to say it without sounding like an idiot.<br />
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making: there is a substantial list of the things I would like to make/work on in the next week. I just started working on Project Life for this year, I have a scarf that I would like to finish (even though I won't need it much longer. Hopefully.), the table in my entryway needs a table runner, all of my photos from Vancouver are waiting to get into an album, and the list goes on and on.<br />
<br />
wanting: to not waste time this week, for my guy to come home<br />
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needing: to find some new recipes. I'd like to cook more actual meals, but I need a place to start.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This idea comes from <a href="http://lifelovepaper.com/blog/">Tina at Life Love Paper</a></span>miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-10314145165494401382014-03-17T21:29:00.000-05:002014-03-17T21:29:45.049-05:00booksI have a thing with books. I have a whole different thing with bookstores. My brain releases endorphins when I walk into a bookstore. I have always loved the smell of a new book and turning the crisp new pages for the first time. I have a hard time walking out of a bookstore without at least one purchase, and I have been known to leave with three or four or even five new titles.<br />
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When it comes to books:<br />
<br />
1. I have good intentions when it comes to non-fiction, but on a random night when I am looking for a book to dive into, I will almost always choose fiction.<br />
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2. I own at least 80 books that I have yet to read. My reading rate has not kept up with my shopping rate.<br />
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3. In the past ten years, I have read more young adult literature than adult literature.<br />
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4. Of the adult literature I have read, it has probably been an even split between "chick lit" (a label I'm not fond of) and classic literature. <i>Crime and Punishment</i> is up on deck right now.<br />
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5. Starting a daily routine of reading before I fall asleep is forever a goal. It probably happens 3 nights a week right now.<br />
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6. Despite the number of books I own that I have not read, I still regularly take books out of the library.<br />
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7. I try to "work" the hold system at the library. I'll pick a book that's available right now, then one that has a short waiting list, then one that has a long waiting list. In theory, they should all arrive at different times and be spread out enough that I actually have a chance to read one before the next one gets here. This theory rarely works out and I usually end up having to take books back without having a chance to have read them at all.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu6LZ7aVjhzfJ7qj2eDzT1u8XXUGDaw7dP4jo_2SXanEFq5MqO6Kt-Vp7VT7epfaICaNR0FLPSKgRF9P5vWEVpktiyIJwS3NkHHSls4yNA7WGOyD7_6jEXc_hrnUWP-Vx8dRS26wug0E/s1600/bookse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu6LZ7aVjhzfJ7qj2eDzT1u8XXUGDaw7dP4jo_2SXanEFq5MqO6Kt-Vp7VT7epfaICaNR0FLPSKgRF9P5vWEVpktiyIJwS3NkHHSls4yNA7WGOyD7_6jEXc_hrnUWP-Vx8dRS26wug0E/s1600/bookse.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My current stack of library books</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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8. My current list of books to read (within the next couple of months) include more young adult lit, some classic lit, books about food and its effect on health, books about writing, and books about investing money.<br />
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9. I have only learned how to start parting with books within in the past year. If I didn't enjoy a book (or wasn't even able to get through it), then it should go somewhere where someone else might.<br />
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10. I am fairly certain that for every book I have donated in the last year, there are now one - or sometimes even two - in its place.<br />
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11. I am not sure that I will be convinced to switch from actual books to an e-reader. I like the idea of carrying an e-reader around in my purse (much easier than a big hardcover book), I like the convenience of space that an e-reader offers (versus shelves and shelves of books), but I just don't think I will ever give up turning pages in exchange for looking at another screen. <br />
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12. I am envious of people who are incredibly well read. I am working on it.<br />
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----<br />
Prompt #3 in Ali Edward's class "31 Things" through <a href="http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/index.php">Big Picture Scrapbooking</a> is <i>Read</i>.<br />
<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-4519595464908633142014-03-09T20:28:00.002-05:002014-03-14T07:00:32.349-05:00morning routine6:05 - first alarm goes off<br />
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6:10 - second alarm goes off; I start reading Twitter to see what is in the news</div>
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6:15 - third alarm goes off....I really should get out of bed at this point</div>
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6:20 - shower, put make up on, etc.; always listen to a podcast while I get ready</div>
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7:00 - eat breakfast</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslE4fi1afBEms7pWYNDClWUclaoceIyz7_0jjgXGwIWCiifw26IHPygZpGD4I3xdNjlzjP0lJDuBaVzE5h-arEvm7TGzh_15froXdrFl0DoFYTCJbApRxDgAxspbVI1KHyQqsYkms85Q/s1600/727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslE4fi1afBEms7pWYNDClWUclaoceIyz7_0jjgXGwIWCiifw26IHPygZpGD4I3xdNjlzjP0lJDuBaVzE5h-arEvm7TGzh_15froXdrFl0DoFYTCJbApRxDgAxspbVI1KHyQqsYkms85Q/s1600/727.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<div>
7:20 - stretch and do some work on my weak weak core muscles (nothing near a work out....more like some basic physio moves)</div>
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7:40 - finish getting ready for work</div>
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8:15 - realize that I have somehow lost about twenty minutes of time and am now running late; pack some lunch</div>
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8:35 - leave for work</div>
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The only real change in this routine that happens on the weekends is that I will sleep until around 7:30, and I don't rush out the door for work. But that's about it. I'm completely a creature of habit.</div>
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<div>
"Morning routine" is the second prompt in Ali Edwards' 31 Things class through <a href="http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/index.php">Big Picture Scrapbooking</a>.</div>
miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-15287443198491556972014-03-09T20:03:00.000-05:002014-03-09T20:03:52.932-05:00need a table, build a tableMaybe it's something about owning a home that I actually truly care about (versus temporarily renting an apartment), but my desire to make things for my home is unlike it ever has been before.<br />
<br />
I have an office that is in the middle of being furnished. I would like to get a futon or day bed of some sort to have in there, and I need to get some prints up on the walls. I knew for awhile that I was going to need some sort of small table in that room, and I really hoped that it would be one that could double as both an end table for the futon and a table for my sewing machine. I also knew that the size I was looking for would be tough to find, and that finding one with adjustable legs (for the different heights that I would need) would be next to impossible. <br />
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So on a whim I decided to build a table. Now, I stopped taking woods classes after grade 9, so my skills are slim to none. But after my guy found that Ikea sells adjustable table legs, it was just a matter of buying the wood from Home Depot and getting them to cut it to size.<br />
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A quick sanding job and a couple of coats of paint later, and I was ready to attach said legs. Without going into great detail of how I jumped the gun and overlooked some pretty important pieces of hardware - and my guy's total and absolute patience after making another unnecessary trip to Home Depot - he helped me attach the legs and taught me how to use a drill at the same time. I adore that man.<br />
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The finished table isn't perfect - it turns out the piece of wood I bought wasn't totally flat - but I made it and I love it. And it's sturdy, which is the important thing. Since the room is still not organized, the table is currently a holding place for any and all important paperwork....so it can take some weight. Good thing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrso-1lGNAzASI-0f6izqBEAmkOsvEh0YDfng3iS5c4TqLHE7qgfbzxm-JgMhtqUZCfsUdInybajEeocwG8scL6NcrEe62k60IfeDXSrFeolnpYG8ZjoWJfS7flcWKiGsA56QoqjUKWxE/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrso-1lGNAzASI-0f6izqBEAmkOsvEh0YDfng3iS5c4TqLHE7qgfbzxm-JgMhtqUZCfsUdInybajEeocwG8scL6NcrEe62k60IfeDXSrFeolnpYG8ZjoWJfS7flcWKiGsA56QoqjUKWxE/s1600/021.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The underside of the table with the adjustable legs from Ikea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-11100880973844713132014-03-03T20:46:00.001-06:002014-03-03T20:46:34.206-06:00jewelryWhen I was a teenager, each year for Christmas my grandfather would buy me some kind of jewelry - always expensive, but nothing really appropriate for a fourteen year old girl. Or at least not the type of jewelry that I was wearing at that age. Gold, dainty, always some sort of stone or pearl. I would thank him for taking the time to pick something out especially for me, but I would always end up putting the necklace/bracelet/earrings in a jewelry box at home and never actually wear them.<br />
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I think that I was fifteen the year he gave me a ring. This gift was slightly different from the others, because this one was my birthstone specifically, not just something pretty that had caught his eye. The extra effort alone gave this ring a fighting chance at being worn, at least once and awhile. It was far too dressy looking to wear to school, but maybe when we went to a family dinner or some sort of occasion. <br />
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I tried wearing the ring a couple of times, but it felt uncomfortable, like the points at the top and bottom dug into my finger constantly and the stone stood out far enough that I snagged it on anything and everything. So into the jewelry box it went with the others.<br />
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Two weeks before my 26th birthday, on a Sunday morning, the phone rang. I was still living at home with my parents. My grandmother was in a panic. My grandpa was acting weird - dropping things and not talking properly. She made him toast for breakfast and he tried to put one of the slices into the teapot on the counter. My parents rushed over to their house and called an ambulance. I knew before they had even left our house that he was having a stroke. <br />
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By the time they all arrived at the hospital, his speech was all but gone. I arrived about an hour later - my parents suggested I wait until the initial chaos had settled (if that's possible) and they had some idea of what was going on. The CT scan had been done and now it was a matter of waiting to see the damage the lack of oxygen had caused. When I walked up to the stretcher in the hallway, everyone looked scared and the one word that my grandpa kept saying repeatedly was "hanging". He was using it as a noun, verb, curse word, everything. Once and awhile a "he" or "they" would slip in, but mostly it was just "hanging" again and again and again. <br />
<br />
Miraculously, my father had figured out some way to communicate with him - maybe it was due to the fact that his own father had had a stroke thirty years prior and the only word he was left with for a few days was "shit" - but the rest of us struggled for the next couple of days and weeks. <br />
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His speech slowly improved. He had a lot of speech therapy both at the hospital and then at the rehab center he moved into for the next two months. My grandfather was a stubborn man, and that tenacity carried him through every moment of rehab that he could get his hands on. Being a teacher, I was one of the few people he trusted to help him outside of his sessions, and he would wait for me to come visit so he could show me the new cards that he had been given to practice - cards that stretched his vocabulary closer to what it used to be and cards that listed words that the speech therapist noted he was having trouble pronouncing so that he would work on them in between sessions.<br />
<br />
Eventually, he moved back home and life looked differently after that. He had some cognitive impairments from the stroke as well - tasks that involved multiple steps were a challenge, cooking food in particular could be a bit dangerous. But he never stopped trying. He never stopped working to figure out what he could and couldn't do - and then he would try to find ways around the things that were difficult.<br />
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And then eventually, more strokes would come, and each one would leave more damage than the last. When he passed away, his death followed an arduous six months in a hospital bed, where he still managed to communicate with us through lip reading and some animated facial expressions.<br />
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That first Sunday that changed everything - two weeks before I turned 26 - I slipped that ring with my birthstone on my finger as I left to go to the hospital. I'm not sure what exactly drove me to find it that day. My mom recognized it immediately when she held my hand and cried a few hours later. I continued to wear that ring every day after that - to work, to run errands, to see my friends, to the rehab center, to the intensive care units, to his funeral. <br />
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I am 33 now, and I still wear that ring each and every day. At times, wearing that ring has made me feel closer to him since he has been gone; at others, it has reminded me of all of the years I had packed it away into a jewelry box and didn't appreciate it. That ring has brought me comfort and made me feel guilt. That ring has also brought on panic attacks when I haven't been able to find it. I still have several of the pieces of jewelry that he bought me over the years, but this one holds more meaning to me at this point than all of the others combined.<br />
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In 2012, I signed up for an Ali Edwards class through <a href="http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/">Big Picture Scrapbooking</a>, called 31 Things. The class consisted of 31 different writing prompts. Two years later and I'm finally making time to tackle them. The topic of "jewelry" was prompt #1.miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-71317152186460206902014-02-13T09:13:00.002-06:002014-02-13T09:13:30.586-06:00revivalIs it possible to breath life into a blog after a year long break? <br />
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Maybe it's time to find out....miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-19852660524916130982013-02-26T11:11:00.000-06:002013-02-26T11:11:15.991-06:00my latest addictionScandal<br />
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The past month and a half have been insane (to say the least). But a few weeks ago, I caught the last ten minutes of the latest episode....and I had to watch them all. Two Sundays later and I'm caught up. In love. Enraptured. I yell at my television when I'm watching it. I have a hard time turning it off and going to sleep. One minute I want Fitz and Olivia to work...then the next I think he's an asshole and she HAS to walk away. Can any affair really end well anyways? And how does someone become so influential with so many people? Can I become a "fixer"? Because it looks like the coolest job in the world. And I don't know if I've been such a fan of white, beige, and grey, but Kerry Washington makes it <i>work</i>.miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-91034013823934310822013-01-06T12:37:00.000-06:002013-01-06T12:37:11.405-06:00the first week of januaryI've been off of work this week, and it's been a good one. Starting tomorrow, I have a pretty chaotic month ahead - a busy period at work, taking two courses at university, a new gym is opening up nearby which I got a great deal to join and I plan on making use of the membership, and my birthday is in there somewhere too. Today is all about getting a head start on the craziness, but here's what the past seven days have looked like.<br />
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On New Year's Day, I went to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853728/">Django Unchained</a>. For someone who is against violence of any sort, it's a little odd how much I enjoy Quentin Tarantino movies. This one was no different; it didn't amaze me, but it was a very solid movie. I laughed more than I expected to, but dry/sarcastic humour is up my alley. However, there were two scenes that I absolutely could not watch (the sound effects were enough for me to clearly understand what was happening), and yes, the n-word usage was a bit much. <br />
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On Boxing Day, I found a display of puzzles on sale for $4 each (ridiculously cheap for a 750 or 1000 piece puzzle), so I picked up this one. I'm trying to switch up what I do with my free time - i.e. use my tv less and my brain more - so this fit the bill while I'm off work. <br />
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At one point this week, I had to pay my tuition (ouch) and pick up my textbooks for this semester. I've met the requirements for the program I'm in, so now it's time to take some electives. The Adolescence textbook is actually a photocopied package of the entire textbook that the prof wants to use that is no longer in print. Kind of odd, but it cost about $100 less, so I'm in. And I'm actually really looking forward to the Food: Facts and Fallacies course. If I had to go back to school and start all over again (and my current career was no longer an option), I would give serious consideration to becoming a nutritionist. We don't pay enough attention to what we put in our bodies and it's so important.<br />
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I finally went to the new Ikea - and was completely overwhelmed. It's just such a display of excess to me. The walls with forty of the same pot, fifty of the same glasses, and then a dozen of the same painting. However, I can also admit that I fell in love with some of their organization items. Pot drawer dividers so your stuff doesn't slide around/fall over? Yes please.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry about the blurring from the Instagram effects</td></tr>
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About two months ago, I decided to learn how to knit after seeing some of the projects that <a href="http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/">Elise Blaha</a> was pumping out. After watching some YouTube videos and some tips from a woman I work with, as well as some trial and error pieces, I managed a scarf. I'm pretty happy about it, even though there's one dropped stitch right near the middle, but I decided to keep it there anyways. This was pretty much a practice scarf though, I bought the yarn yesterday for one that will match my new winter jacket. I figure I'll probably finish that one by the end of March, just as I don't need it anymore this winter.<br />
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My best friend is also in the city right now (she lives in Edmonton), so there was also a trip to the Forks and a breakfast out with her, a couple of other shopping trips with my mom, and some quality time attempting to get into watching Dexter (I'm still on the fence at this point). This week off was exactly the kind that I needed - nothing too crazy, but just some time to enjoy the things that I want to do instead of being bogged down by the things that I need to do. A vacation well spent.miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-31071195097407722292013-01-01T12:40:00.000-06:002013-01-01T12:40:23.752-06:00word of 2013Years ago, I hopped on the <a href="http://aliedwards.com/blog/">Ali Edwards</a> train and started choosing a word to represent what I hoped the new year would hold or what I wanted to focus on. As awful as it sounds, I can't remember all of the words I've chosen, but I know that "courage" and "push" were two of the last four. Some years, it obviously sticks more than others. <div>
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For reasons that I'm not going to delve into, this year is different. I'm in a different place than I have been for the past 4 or 5 years come January 1st, and this is truly a good thing. It might not always <u>feel</u> like a good thing, but really, it is. </div>
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I've been thinking about what my word for the year should be for about a week now and was having a tough time coming up with anything that actually felt right or that felt like it mattered. A coworker of mine has dubbed 2012 the year of change, and 2013 the year of magic. While I agree with 2012 being a year of change, and I hope that 2013 holds nothing but magic, the word just didn't seem to fit with my plans or my hopes. </div>
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I woke up like a shot quite early this morning. I wasn't very happy about not being able to fall back asleep, but literally within five minutes of realizing that yes, I was in fact up for the day, my word for 2013 popped into my head - pretty much out of nowhere - and I was instantly attached to it. That's how I know a word is good...I get attached. </div>
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There are lots of things going on for me in 2013. I'm on track to finish up the additional certification at university that I've been working on for the past couple of years now. I'm taking on something at work that I know will challenge me, but it's something that I want and need to do. I'll be moving into my first home that will truly be my own. I have some tentative travel plans and I've gotten into some good habits over the last four months that I hope will continue on. There are people who are no longer in my life (which is a good thing) and I've started to form some new friendships with good people who I really enjoy spending time with. Everything isn't perfect - far from it - but I'm starting to see past those imperfect parts, which is something that I couldn't seem to do before. </div>
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I got out of bed and made this with some stencils and a cereal box this morning. Not sure where exactly it will go yet.</div>
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It's going to be that kind of year.</div>
miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-38713326420260518602012-12-13T19:37:00.001-06:002012-12-13T19:37:29.069-06:00right nowtime: 7:17 pm<br />
location: my pseudo dining room table<br />
drinking: tea...my third mug today<br />
eating: a salad with red peppers, sugar snap peas, and cheese<br />
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watching: last night's Survivor. After taking a break for a couple of seasons, I am loving this one.<br />
feeling: a bit tense. There's a lot of things that I need and want to get done in the next few days<br />
loving: is it cheesy if I say my life? Because I'm almost at that point. Finally.<br />
thinking: about my parents' Christmas gift. I'm 100% sure that I want to buy them a new computer since they're using one that is 11 years old and it may be years before they finally splurge on a new one for themselves. I'm 90% sure I'll actually go through with buying one for them.<br />
making: a scarf. In the past two weeks I've taught myself how to knit and I'm at the point where I can legit make a scarf. Pretty pumped.<br />
wanting: Christmas vacation. One more week of work. Just one more week.<br />
needing: this chest cold thing that I have to go away. Too much to do to be sick and coughing. Plus, I can't go around my Grandma when I'm sick, so this needs to get lost pronto.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I totally stole this idea from <a href="http://iprefertousemyrightbrain.blogspot.ca/">Lauren</a> who got it from <a href="http://lifelovepaper.com/blog/">Tina</a>. And it's awesome.</span><br />
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<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-87960530600787105352012-12-12T15:00:00.000-06:002012-12-12T15:00:01.327-06:00what i'm readingWhen I was younger, back in elementary and middle school, describing myself as an avid reader doesn't quite do it justice. Most weekends, I would get up Saturday morning, start reading a book, and not move until I had finished it, which was usually at some point after lunch. Repeat on Sunday. Then read at least one or two more during the week after school. <br />
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Come to the end of high school and into university, and I just didn't have the time anymore. I was working, studying, spending time with friends or my boyfriend, and reading got pushed aside. Once I graduated and started working full-time, I was so tired after work that any time I attempted to read, I would immediately fall asleep.<br />
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A couple of years ago, I truly started to miss my old pastime. Reading was relaxing for me and something I really enjoyed. I needed to get back into setting aside some time to let myself just read for enjoyment and not only for work. <br />
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In all of that time, the one thing I never stopped doing was <i>buying</i> books. I absolutely love bookstores - they're a happy place for me. Even the smell of new books gets to me. Which left me with a large amount (let's say 70+ books) that I haven't read.<br />
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With that pile to tackle, the perfectly logical next step was to start taking books out of the library. Don't ask me why....I guess that there were still new books that I wanted to read, but I've realized just how much money I've spent on books in the last decade and wanted to try to curb that habit?<br />
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At this point, I always have a pile of books around. Sometimes I get through one quickly - in a day or two - and other times life gets busy and I may read the same book for two, three, or even four weeks.<br />
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These are the ones I have in my living room right now....I'm further along in some than others.<br />
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<b>419 by Will Ferguson</b><br />
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This is for a book club that I try my best (but often fail) to keep up with. I'm about 100 pages in right now, and there are a few points of view that are being woven together. Most of them are pretty interesting so far, except for one that I'm having a hard time with. I'm hoping that last point of view/story line picks up quickly.<br />
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<b>The Book Thief by Markus Zusak</b><br />
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I've been reading <a href="http://backtoherroots.com/2012/11/29/bthr-book-club-december-book-announcement/">Cassie's blog</a> for awhile now (because it's great), and when she started up an online book club, I knew I was in. I like taking suggestions on great books, so this was a no brainer. I haven't started this one yet because I just picked it up from the library, but I have until the end of December, so I'll start it as soon as I'm done 419.<br />
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<b>Frankenstein by Mary Shelley</b><br />
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This one is for work. The first time I read this book was in my first year of university for my Intro to English Lit class. I had left it until three days before it was due (figuring that I was a quick reader and it wouldn't be a problem). Reading this book in three days was near torture. I'm taking my time now and liking it much more the second time around.<br />
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<b>Thrive by Dan Buettner</b><br />
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Another one that I just picked up today and haven't started yet. Last week I went through all of the notes in my iPhone and wrote down all of the books titles that I've jotted down over the past year or two. This was one of them. I think I saw him or heard about it on Oprah, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyways, I looked up the books on the app I have for my local library and they've started to come in now. I'm saving this one to read over Christmas vacation.<br />
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I think those four will take up most of the free time I have in December.<br />
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<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-23580299588891533942012-12-10T08:30:00.000-06:002012-12-10T08:30:01.687-06:00real estateI'm not good at making major life decisions.<br />
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When it comes to them, I am either 100% sure about what I'm doing - as in "don't even bother trying to change my mind" - or I am incapable of deciding. There is no middle road; I don't make choices that I'm <i>okay</i> with or that I'm <i>pretty sure</i> of. It's all or nothing.</div>
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So when it came to the issue of buying a home and where I'm going to live for the foreseeable future, I didn't have a freaking clue. </div>
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No...that's not entirely true. There were some aspects that I was very sure of. I will not live in a house - it's a condo or apartment for this girl. I know that I will not live in a ground floor suite. I know that I want to stay as close as possible to the neighbourhood I currently live in.</div>
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So in the past month and a half, deciding to buy a home has been a pretty big deal for me. There were lots of moments where I questioned if I am doing the right thing...lots of times where I felt like I just didn't know enough about real estate or the type of home that I should be looking for, so maybe I should stop this and just find a new apartment to rent for another year or two....lots of moments of "what the hell am I getting myself into?" and second thoughts. <br />
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But in the end, something felt right about this. Something in me kept urging "it's time". So I listened to my gut this time and put money down on a condo project that is currently being built in my area of the city. It doesn't get me out of my apartment as soon as possible, which is something I was hoping for. But it is brand new; I got to choose the flooring, cupboards, layout, and floor that I want to live on; and the time I have to wait for it being built will give me the time to save up additional money for a larger down payment. <br />
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I'm trying to temper my excitement at this point. I won't be moving until late next summer/early fall, so that's a long time and I really don't want to start feeling impatient at any point. But every morning when I go outside and have to scrape the ice off the windows of my car, I can't help but think to myself "Next winter I won't have to do this". Right now, that's good enough for me.<br />
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And every once and awhile, I do a little bit of a happy dance and sing "I bought myself a condo!!!"</div>
miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-11911430838661975552012-12-08T13:19:00.000-06:002012-12-08T13:19:09.815-06:00ufyh*A couple of months ago, I read a post on <a href="http://www.thehousealwayswinsblog.com/">Rachel Wilkerson's blog</a> where she mentioned the website <a href="http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/">Unf#@k Your Habitat</a>. The title alone peaked my interest and I suddenly lost an hour looking at before and after pictures and reading tips. <br />
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Despite her ability to hold my attention, I didn't immediately start following any of the suggestions from the site. But I did keep checking it...for at least two or three weeks. Then one day when I was looking around my apartment and observing the near disaster state that had taken over, I thought to myself "I wonder what I can really get done in here in just 20 minutes?" <br />
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And then a couple of days later, when I was in the middle of a working-weekend marathon, I started dividing up my time into 45/15 minute segments - work for 45 minutes and then take a 15 minute break. <br />
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These instances started seeping into my everyday life; any time that there was something that I really didn't <i>want</i> to do, but I knew that I <i>should</i> do it, I would tell myself that I only had to say.....clean my bathroom...for 20 minutes, then I could stop. <br />
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And - not shockingly - my place started to be much more clean on a regular basis with what felt like very little extra effort on my part. I dropped my previous practice of letting everything hit a chaotic point and then having an eight hour cleaning frenzy that would inevitably leave me tired and annoyed with myself.<br />
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And then I started to take the advice to make my bed each day. Really...it takes sixty seconds (if that) to pull the blankets up on the bed properly....why was that ever hard to do in the mornings?<br />
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That being said, there are a couple of aspects of the site/habit that I do not take part in. I don't think that I need the app; I like living in a clean home and that's motivation enough for me now that I have some proof that it doesn't require huge amounts of my time to maintain. I also don't follow all of her tips to "Unfu@k tomorrow morning", because I don't really want/need to do all of those things and I like my morning routines just fine as is. <br />
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But overall, this site has been so very helpful. Who doesn't have one, or two, or six spots in your home where stuff builds up? How many people keep putting things off because they don't know where to start or they just don't have the time they think they need to do the job well? <br />
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I told my mom about the site a couple of days ago. Her response? "I tried to get you make your bed and clean up at the end of each day for years! How did this woman and her website manage to make you do it now?"<br />
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I truly don't know how, but I love it. <br />
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Check out <a href="http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/">Unf!@k Your Habitat</a><br />
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<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-75578733417694255162012-12-04T09:00:00.000-06:002012-12-04T09:00:01.419-06:00changesIt can be hard to remember that change is a good thing. When you're right in the midst of it, and feelings are hurt and life is unsettled, it's easy to want to go back to the way things were before - whether or not "before" was actually good for you in any way, shape, or form.<br />
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Change is hard no matter the context. <br />
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Changing your eating habits? You have to deal with the cravings, and more than likely, increased prep and cooking time (pizza pops don't take nearly as much time as loaded salads or stir frys).<br />
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Changing your exercise routine? Or starting one, period? Brace yourself for the physical hurts and awkwardness that comes with trying to move your body in ways that it possibly hasn't for years.<br />
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Changing your location or your home? A friend of mine compares buying a home and moving to that of labour, in the sense that it's a stress and trauma that people tend to forget about after the fact when they are just appreciating their new home/baby. But there's turmoil there before you move in and start to decorate.<br />
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Changing relationships? Ending toxic ones and starting to meet new people? Again, there will be hurt...possibly withdrawal...and maybe some lonely times for a bit. But in the end, your life will be full (hopefully) of positive and supportive people.<br />
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In the end all of these changes result in good. Your life becomes more positive. You move in new directions and have new experiences and grow as a person.<br />
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It's just a matter of keeping that in mind as you go through it.miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-45529502003678923592012-12-02T13:58:00.000-06:002012-12-02T13:58:00.504-06:00twilight's endIn the midst of a busy month at work, I took a night off and went with a friend to see the final Twilight movie, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1673434/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Breaking Dawn Part II</a>. In an attempt to avoid a huge crowd, we went to a 5 pm show, and managed to avoid a full theatre. <br />
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By total fluke, we also ended up in a renovated theatre which meant leather reclining seats, more leg room, and preselected seats. The screen was floor to ceiling too, although once the movie started, the additional screen size didn't make much difference.<br />
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Now, I have not seen all of the Twilight movies. Fact is, I didn't like reading Eclipse at all, so I skipped that movie. I'm not a die hard fan, but I was curious as to how the series would end.<br />
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And I enjoyed the movie....especially given the fact that I finished the book a couple of years ago and couldn't recall much of the storyline (it obviously wasn't a literary masterpiece). The makeup and hair people finally made Kristen Stewart look alive (ironic considering she's now a vampire), and given that the movie covered the second half of the novel, the plot moved along at a solid pace. <br />
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As for the surprise twist at the end - having forgotten exactly how the saga ended, there were multiple points throughout the movie when my friend and I looked at each other and said "Is that how it happened in the book?", and this twist was no different. We were a bit confused at first and unsure of what the producers were going for with the ending, but appreciated it after all.<br />
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Truth be told, I probably won't watch this movie again for quite some time (if ever) being that I'm not an overly eager Twilight fan, but I'm glad we decided to go see it in theatre...especially given the leather reclining seats.<br />
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<br />miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-8068808821197123572012-12-01T15:04:00.000-06:002012-12-01T15:04:15.374-06:00think<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"You can't do much about the length of your life, but you can do plenty about its width and depth."</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Evan Esar</span></div>
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Love this.miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-28653258427440375332012-12-01T13:34:00.001-06:002012-12-01T13:34:44.534-06:00december firstI woke up at about 6 o'clock this morning. Normal for a weekday, but not my chosen way to start a Saturday.<br />
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When I woke up I started writing, which is also something of a rarity for me. I love writing, but it's not usually my go-to first thing in the morning. <br />
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I started writing down my December intentions. I started reading <a href="http://jesslively.com/">Jess Lively's blog</a> earlier this year, and all of her writing about intentions has finally sunk in and stirred something up. <br />
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I have too much to finish up in 2012 before I start shifting my focus onto 2013 (as much as I really want to), but December can be more purposeful than the past couple of months have been. 2012 has been racked full of hard realizations and huge changes - some by choice and some by force - and these changes have set up 2013 to be quite different than this year....hopefully for the good.<br />
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I set intentions for December that deal with my physical and mental well-being, as well as a couple of other aspects of life that I have been neglecting. Some of these are habits that I have simply fallen out of (like regular stretching, which does wonders when you have back issues), so I'm not talking about dozens of drastic changes. I'm not trying to set myself up for failure here.<br />
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Just a strong ending to a tough year.miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427314846498296276.post-71917453688282792832012-11-29T22:00:00.000-06:002012-11-29T22:00:04.521-06:00breaking badAs I've mentioned before, the majority of television that I watch tends to fall on the reality tv side, with a few long-standing exceptions. This means that I'm often behind the eight ball when it comes to current shows that it seems everyone is in love with. The list right now includes - Mad Men, The Wire (not current, but I still haven't watched it), Breaking Bad, Grey's Anatomy (I'm caught up to season five, but aren't they on season nine or ten right now?), Homeland, Scandal, and the list goes on.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHvb9nRTj_X5-fMOmRgJgdQ5WqerXWQsCZWlbabKffzCXZolz7polnPT5howPP2pwmDHZXg-CNByuK1pMfa3Mf_FfZmqSCeX8mipOVnEP7f72I3dnnx0sHah8OSoVowImNfajxurv2lg/s1600/breaking+bad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHvb9nRTj_X5-fMOmRgJgdQ5WqerXWQsCZWlbabKffzCXZolz7polnPT5howPP2pwmDHZXg-CNByuK1pMfa3Mf_FfZmqSCeX8mipOVnEP7f72I3dnnx0sHah8OSoVowImNfajxurv2lg/s1600/breaking+bad.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/">From IMDB</a></td></tr>
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I finally decided to dive in to one of them. And since Breaking Bad seems to have shorter seasons, I went with it first. I turned on the first few episodes while I was ironing clothes one weekend....and then didn't watch another episode for easily a month.<br />
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It didn't grab me. At all. I wasn't interested in this man who just seemed so angry all of the time (and justifiably so, given that he's dying, or thinks that he is) and who seems to enjoy yelling at his former student. So I gave up.<br />
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But a couple of people (both in real life and on Twitter) assured me that things pick up, so I tried again and made it to the end of season one. <br />
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I still wasn't impressed.<br />
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Then I was told that I'd have to get into season two before it really started to get good. Really? An hour long drama has to be into its second season before I want to turn it on every week? That doesn't seem right. But I promised a friend that I'd stick with it, and another month later, I turned on season two.<br />
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Did I get hooked? Yes. Was it early on in season two? No.<br />
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I didn't really get into Breaking Bad until almost the season finale of season two. Which is <i>way</i> too long for a show to take. Had I been watching this as it was actually airing, there's no way that I would have held on that long. I probably wouldn't have even noticed when season two started.<br />
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But by the finale, I needed to know what happened next. I stayed up late to finish the season off, because it was just getting <i>that good. </i>I woke up the next day and started season three, promptly ignoring the work that needed to be done by the next day.<br />
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The point of this long post is - yup, Breaking Bad, you won me over. Finally. And now I need to know what happens. Congratulations writers, you win.miranda leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477362200127089963noreply@blogger.com0