Walkin in a Winter Wonderland

My cousin Lisa got married last weekend. She envisioned a winter wedding and planned it to perfection. Every detail was thought out and it was beautiful. I would bet however, that she did not plan for her wedding cake to end up smashed on the floor. But it did. And it was awesome.

Why do I think it was awesome? For two reasons. First - because she laughed it off and embraced the situation. They had already taken pictures with the photographer and people were dancing and having an awesome time. In the grand scheme of things, a cake on the floor is nothing to freak out about. She and her new husband even took hilarious pictures pretending to eat the cake off the floor. Don't sweat the small stuff, right?

Secondly, and more importantly, I think it's awesome because it is a life lesson. For me, anyway. A reminder that you can plan things and envision the way you think things are supposed to happen but it may not always work out the way you had hoped. And that's okay. I know I had an idea of how my life would turn out and where things would lead. I had a vision, you could say. But that didn't happen. And that doesn't mean I think it's a bad thing. Well, don't get me wrong, I have my bad days - but I think it is a reminder that new paths can be exciting and memorable. New paths may lead you to exactly where you are meant to be.

Here's to hoping, anyway.

(Quite the analogy for a little icing on the floor, right? I know. What can I say? I'm deep)

Here's the cake on the floor. My favourite part? The photographer did it.

How hilarious is that? Don't let his brief clumsiness sway your perspective, though. Not only is Curt a cool guy, but he is a wickedly talented photographer. You need to click here to see his stunning picture of Scott and Lisa in their winter wonderland.

Favourite of the Day: The boner of all boners was pulled today. I can't even write publicly about it. If my life were a book, this day would be quoted by someone famous on the back cover. Probably Sarah Silverman or Jimmy Fallon.

The Napkin

Last week I went on a girl date with my very pregnant friend Amy. It was six days prior to her due date and we decided to go for dinner and a movie. She had been having mild contractions off and on for quite some time, so neither of us were alarmed when she had one during dinner. As we ate, she commented on another contraction - this one a little more intense. Soon followed by another one. Uh oh. I commented that they seemed fairly close together - she agreed. I quickly grabbed a pen to keep track of them. They were getting intense. She was red faced and holding her breath. I figured it was time to go home. We would skip the movie and call her husband.

She agreed - but insisted we stay a bit longer to eat cheesecake first. (hilarious)

I saved the napkin from the restaurant. I thought it would be a good keepsake for her to have to for the baby's birth story. No need though - it was a false alarm. The contractions stopped. No baby birth that day. Which worked out I guess. We ate yummy cheesecake and enjoyed a cute movie.

The little guy wasn't ready to make his debut into the world.....until TODAY!! He arrived just after midnight. If it's possible to be both ecstatic and devastated at the same time - that is what I'm feeling right now. I am so happy for Amy and her family and I have been anxiously awaiting his arrival. However, as luck would have it - it appears I've developed my millionth case of strep throat so I won't be able to see him for awhile. This pisses me right off.

But I am thankful we live in this wonderful world of technology that enabled me to see a picture of him within a few short hours of his arrival. He is perfect. Just now I saw a picture of Amy holding him, introducing him to his big brother for the first time. The boys were holding hands and my heart melted a little bit. I love these boys and one of them I haven't even met yet.

Welcome Daxton. I can't wait to watch you learn and grow.

Favourite of the Day: I am dog-sitting Eddie for the weekend. He belongs to one of the kids I coach. He is currently curled up on the couch beside me, farting up a storm. But he's cute and cuddly, so I'm holding my breath and enjoying his company. I don't want him to feel embarrassed...we just met after all.

To Infinity and Beyond

I used to be a very nostalgic person. I saved bouquets of flowers from weddings I have stood up in. I saved shells from my first trip to Florida and sand from Cuba. I had acorns from Emmilia’s wedding and the collars of my dead cats. The list goes on. I saved everything I thought held sentimental value.

Then I started watching Hoarders. Witnessing the wild array of filth and chaos these people live in makes my skin crawl. It makes me want to throw out everything in sight and clean my house from top to bottom.

Now I have an appreciation for de-cluttering and simplicity. “Stuff” is becoming less important to me and I value photos and memories more. I don’t need dried roses from a wedding to remind me of the wedding. I really loved my cat Steve but keeping his collar does not change that in any way. (In fact, it just makes it worse when I accidentally stumble upon it and remember that he’s gone.)

I have embarked on a massive spring cleaning project. Well, considering it was -20C yesterday I may be premature in saying it is spring. But since I moved into my house 7 years ago, I had yet to go through many boxes and piles of things I have hidden away. Until yesterday, that is. After 528,876 trips up and down my stairs I have successfully gone through everything. I have made piles of things to be donated, things for the dump and a small pile of things to keep (yay!).

I did decide to keep select memorabilia from my past. I was careful in choosing what I kept and what was not needed. (I do have a soul, despite my eagerness to clean right now).

There was only one item I struggled with. On Christmas morning 1988 I was given a stuffed dog I named Dumby (I don’t know why). He was blue, satin and just all around cozy. I slept with him every night until I moved out 14 years later. I brought him with me to my new house, but retired him to the basement. By then he was ratty, discoloured and torn. Yesterday I decided his day was finally done. I brought him to the dump and casually threw him in the bin with the rest of the garbage. I started to walk away when I happened to look back and saw him lying there. For an instant my heart skipped. He was lying amidst piles of broken glass and useless crap and I felt sad. I put a lot of love into that guy and he gave me love right back. I just recently watched Toy Story 3 and thought of Andy moving on to College and leaving Woody behind in a closed up box. Toy Story 3 was surprisingly emotional and a good example of how a plain old cowboy can grow to be far more than a simple toy. Andy knew it was time for him to move on and so did I. But Andy didn’t throw Woody into piles of broken glass, did he.

I’m such a jerk.