It really isn't about who wins or loses....

And I'm not just saying that because we lost seven nil. (Was it seven? I lost track after a while)
The point is I had a great time, I got lots of fresh air and exercise, and I have something fun to look forward to every Sunday evening.
Who cares if I suck?
And why shouldn't I suck?
I've haven't played since like what? Grade six?
So I need to learn how to play, before I can stop sucking. (Anyways It's not as though I personally brought the entire team down all by myself.) Everyone has to start somewhere, and how will I ever improve if I don't play?
I actually came up with a pretty good working strategy, if the other team has the ball and the player is thinking and trying to aim, I just run right at them as fast as I can as if I'm totally going to steal the ball from them. Then they are forced to make a quick move as apposed to a good move. (There is only a problem if I actually reach that other player. Then I'm just standing there all like "Ohia! Can I has dat ball pleeze?" and making some feeble kicks in the generally direction of the ball.)
Some one came up with the brilliant idea of going early next Sunday to practice before the game. And there was even some talk about maybe possibly getting snazzy matching jerseys!!
The best thing about the game last week, my team totally supported my effort, and instead of commenting about how much I suck, they said that I played with heart.
Awwwwww!
How sweet and supportive is that?
I'm really glad that I got stupidly drunk at a birthday party and said I would join the team! Because I don't think I would have shown interest other wise or taken this huge risk.
Sure it would be nice to win a game or two, but I'm much more interested in getting exercise and having fun. I know I'm not a rock super star (or is that a soccer super star?) but I think I'll get better the more I play. Especially with all that lovely encouragement.
So THANK YOU team mates!
And lets play!
Woooooooooooooo!

I've reached my decision regarding the art show.

I'm going to go with photography this year. In fact, I'm completely ready to go! Have prints, frames and everything! I have decided to go with really f'en big, so they will be 16x20
I find it really difficult to paint "on demand" and to do enough painting to form a "collection" so I'm choosing the low stress option. That doesn't mean I'm not still painting, I am (sort of) but instead of painting with a purpose, I'm painting for sheer pleasure (much more fun) and perhaps I'll show paintings next year....


Here is my favorite photo that will be included in the show.



Taken in Niagara Falls Ontario March 2009

Sorry for the nasty logo and web address on the photo but since I'm actually trying to sell this I don't want it popping up anywhere!
Actually I've already given a print of this to someone as a birthday present.

Five months? My that's a long time!

Well it's not been five months yet, but it will be in a few days.
So five months smoke free without even a small puff of tobacco.
Have I finally done it?
I guess only time will tell. It's not the first time I've attempted to quite smoking. Though I must admit I've never had such a strong monetary motivation (smoke are so expensive and we have so little money), nor such strong moral motivation (preschoolers being so impressionable).
But I gotta say, I don't like it. I still like the idea of being a smoker. When I see people puffing away I don't think "yuck that's so nasty." I very quickly calculate the odds of me getting away with knocking them down and stealing their cigarette. I still have dreams in which I am smoking, the most memorable one being:

I am out at a club dancing and having a great time with some of my friends. I go out for numerous smoke brakes, but every time the pack of smokes is full. At the end of the evening I step out side and feel a little sad that it's over and time to head home. Then I remember that I was supposed to quit smoking. I am holding a full pack of smokes. I cannot take them home because if Andrew finds out I've been smoking I will get in big trouble, so in the infinite wisdom of dreams, I decide I will walk home (from down town) and I will smoke them all on the way.

After we quite, I was constatntly looking forward to Christmas eve, becuase there are always cigars. I got through the entire first month by thinking that I just need to wait until Christmas eve and then I can have a lovely cigar. So wouldn't you know, there were no cigars on Christmas eve. Our very considerate friends decided it wouldn't be wise seeing as we were just a month into quitting.
The way I'm getting through it now is thinking "well, it's not forvever, it's just until Ben moves out on his own, so another what? 18, 19 years?
I don't think I'll be able to go in for the whole "social smoking" thing, sounds just like "weekend smoking" to me. Some people say it works as long as you don't buy pack, but no one loves a mooch do they?
Anyhoo, I just wanted to let everyone know that Andrew and I are still goin strong!
Huzzah!

Oh goodness! They're breeding!

The green one in the front is mine, but where did the other one come from? Seriously it was just there one morning o_O

Yet another delima....

Okay, so as you may or may not know, I have an art show coming up. It's not for a while so I have some time to prepare, but first I must decide what to prepare.
I'm taking the smallest section of the place (front wall) and I'm tempted to do strictly photography this time around.
Photography looks really nice in the front section, but, is it worth it? The price of prints of a larger than standard size is pretty high, and framing cost for said prints are even higher. 8x10 prints and frames are more reasonable but how high a price point is reasonable for an 8x10 print? In the first show I charged $50 (included a frame and mat) and I sold a reasonable amount of them, but, didn't make a huge profit.
I could do strictly 8x10 prints at a higher price point, say $75, and that would make it more worth while, as I could display a lot of them. (although it could be I only sold so many at the first show because of the great price point) I could do less quantity of a large size, hoping that they will sell and potentially lose the cost of printing and framing (not to mention then being stuck with large photos that will make me angry whenever I see them because they cost so much to produce and didn't sell). Or, I could do a mix of the two, say maybe three large ones and the rest small. And still hope the large ones sell at that price point (undecided as of yet) while having the small ones there that are more likely to sell (because they are cheaper and it's close to Christmas) But then how could I decide which ones to make big? Also can I really justify the initial investment? I'm very confused and conflicted.
There's also the other choice, displaying painting, but the truth is I have only done one painting since the last show, it's not finished yet, and it's not really thrilling. All the good stuff from my last show has been put up around the house and by this point I don't really want to part with it.
So What to do? What to do?
Any thoughts or advice anyone has would be appreciated.....

Happy Anniversary to me again!

Okay. So we went away to Niagara Falls again this year to celebrate.
It was wonderfully romantic.
The weather was clear and sunny and we spent a lot of time just walking and talking.
We got a two night package which included two breakfast buffets and a voucher for dinner (didn't cover the full cost of dinner, but still).
We booked the suite with a king sized bed and a whirlpool, and when we arrived and checked in, for some reason I still don't understand we were given a complementary upgrade to a jr. presidential suite. This means that we got a whole other room with a big screen TV, sofa, and fake fire place.
We also accidentally bypassed the wait for a table at The Keg. I still maintain it was the fault of the hostess. By the time we realized what had happened it was too late to do anything about it, and they we obviously too polite to do anything anyways so we just enjoyed our dinner and left a generous tip.
All in all it was pretty much a perfect weekend.
I took some amazingly beautiful photographs which I may use in this years show if I decide to go the photography route this year......Here are some other photographs

I like my wounds well salted....

So I'm finally healthy.
Weeeee! I have no sickness/injury/disease to speak of right now (touch wood).
So two weeks ago I go back to my gym for my dance class and it's great! I had no idea how much I was really missing it, and it felt so awesome to be back.
Last week I was feeling sick again so I didn't go.
I did go this week, and guess what....
THE CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR EVER!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
My most favorite class, the reason I joined this gym in the first place.
I is not happy.
But on the bright side, The husband and I are getting such a big tax refund this year we have decided to be completely reckless and irresponsible. We are going to Niagara Falls this weekend to celebrate our fourth year of marriage.
I'm really looking forward to Friday!