A Wee Catch Up! (with sneak peek)

Hey you guys!!  How are you?!!  So much has happened since we last spoke!  Hopefully this post marks the re-start of the spark here on my little ol’ blog. :)

January was an utter whirlwind.  I don’t know how else to describe it…life was busy!  Some big news is that I finished up my Job #1.  After more than six months of working my new full time job, as well as holding down my old job in the evenings it was finally time to let go.  I’m going to miss that job (and the dual paycheques!) but it was the right time to move on and get my life back.  I met all the goals I set for myself so even though I struggled with the situation at first, I’m glad it all happened now. 

Training my replacement was draining!  I wanted to be sure she got the best possible training from me and as such, she and I spent A LOT of time on Skype.  I put in more hours than usual so that I could ensure all of my own work was completed, I could write up notes and training plans, and participate in the actual training calls.  I sure hope that everything is working out for her! 

In addition to the extra evening and weekend hours, I kept up my gym schedule too.  I now forget what my goal for January was…but let’s just say it was to hit the gym as often as I could without exhausting myself. :) I’m so pleased with how things went!  As a bonus I lost 4 pounds throughout the month!

Of course, the biggest thing that has happened is that Michael and I went on a super duper vacation for the first two weeks of February.  We took a 7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise (no, not THAT Carnival one!), followed by 5 days in New Orleans for Mardi Gras!  We had a great time and I have soooo much to tell you guys about the trip.  As usual I came home with about a billion and one photos, so bear with me while I get those all sorted and ready to share.

There were lots of highlights on the trip, but one of the best things was that I didn’t gain any weight!  Haha.  Trust me, I was worried.  We managed two pretty good workouts in the ship’s awesome gym, but aside from the usual tourist walking and such it wasn’t a terribly active vacation.  And the food was abundant.  Oh so delicious and abundant.  We waddled out of the dining room on more than one evening.  I chalk the success up to boosting my metabolism a fair bit with lots of workouts for the six weeks before vacation.  Or the fact that I came home with a full blown cold, lost my appetite, and didn’t weigh myself for three days post-vacay. ;)

So now we’re home, caught up on the 99% full PVR, and settled back into work.  With my new one-job routine I can finally claim my evenings back and start tackling some projects I’ve had on the backburner for months.  I don’t know what any of this means for this here blog, but at the very least I won’t feel like I have to abandon it completely anymore.  Whatever happens, you all at least have vacation photos to look forward to.  :)  If there’s anything in particular you’ve been missing since I slowed things down around here, let me know!

Hope you’ve all been well.  Talk soon!  Jaime

Grecian Times

Exciting news!  I just booked my flight to Athens!!  Tiffaney and I are off to Greece for two glorious weeks at the end of September.  We have talked about taking a real vacation together for ages and now is the time!  My bank account is going to HATE me for about a year but we are doing this. 

Next, we plan.  If anyone has been to Greece recently please feel free to send along suggestions, tips and blog links.  We have two weeks which gives us opportunity to check out Athens and hit up a few islands…there are so many to choose from!

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Talk about motivation to get fit!  Project Greek Goddess starts now.

T.G.I.Christmas Eve

I’m in Nanaimo at my Mom’s for a few days. We finished the grocery shopping last night, watched a cheesy made-for-TV Christmas movie, and put the finishing touches on her new Christmas tree.

The household chores are complete and the decorations are out.

The “fire” is “lit” and the Christmas carols are playing.

The stockings are hung by the chimney hallway with care.

I’m in charge of the dips, cheeses, and chips so I’m about to get to work.  Tonight Santa arrives (apparently we have a hole in the time/space continuum here). 

Merry Christmas one and all.  Hope your holidays bring cheer and love no matter where you are or what you are doing.

xox

Viva Las Vegas

Last night I ate cereal for dinner.

Today I went through a drive-thru for lunch.

None of that is anywhere interesting enough for blogging.

So I decided that maybe I should finally give you guys the Vegas Recap!

Tiffaney and Rose have travelled to Las Vegas together a couple of times.  Between them, they have been there TWELVE times!  Rose has a goal to stay in every hotel on the strip in her lifetime.  I have been there four times, but always for work…so I’ve seen a fair bit but never had the chance to just enjoy it.

Total bummer that we didn’t get a clearer picture of us this night.  I was super pumped about my rockin’ little purple dress and those gold shoes!!

We got a very good deal flying out of Bellingham on Allegiant Air.  If you live anywhere on Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland, totally check out Allegiant.  It was a bit of a pain in the arse having to travel to Bellingham but we saved literally hundreds of dollars by doing it. 

Our room was at the MGM Grand…which we chose pretty much because of it’s FIVE pools and lazy river.  :) 

It turned out to be a great hotel…good location, fun club (Studio 54), lots of amenities, a fabulous pool area, excellent Cirque du Soleil show (KA) and the best food/restaurant selection I’ve seen in a Vegas hotel.  It’s nice that it has a food court so every meal doesn’t have to cost an arm & a leg!!  Oh, and the three Starbucks didn’t hurt…especially the one on the way to the pool each morning…er, afternoon. 

My name…spelled correctly!!  This never happens.  Only in Vegas.  LOL.

We crammed a ton of stuff into our three nights and almost four days.  All three of us required vacations from our vacation!  You know it’s a good time when….

A first for all of us was a trip to Freemont Street…I’ll do a separate post for that. But here’s some more pics…just cuz.

Rock on, girls.

We’re Baaack!

 

;)

Look out Vegas…

…Here we come!

Carb Loading

You all know how FH and I love our weekend breakfast dates at the local “greasy spoons”.  I often plan our weekend dinners to be extra healthy to make room for my bacon and eggs!  Well, obviously a weekend back home in Victoria wouldn’t be complete without a stop at my favorite diner.

After our big night out with Cat & Bre on Friday we needed some grease in our tummy’s in the morning.  Enter a trip to Floyd’s Diner here in downtown Victoria.

It’s a funky place right downtown.  Lots of crazy art on the wall, staff with pierced everything, mismatched tables and chairs, and coffee mugs picked up at the local second hand store.

Floyd’s has been a weekend breakfast spot for lots of us for about the last 5 or 6 years…and every time I go I say I’m going to order something healthier, but in the end I always order the BC Hash.

Should be called “the nothing healthy hash”.  But apparently it’s funnier to make a play on the whole BC bud thing instead. 

Healthy friends avert your eyes.  Potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, onions, cheese…*drooooool*.  Plus buttery sourdough toast.  And to top off my coronary platter I ask for a side of hollandaise…

 

Totally hit the spot.  The only good thing “health-wise” about a meal like this is that it keeps you going pretty much all day.  I didn’t feel the need to eat again until dinner time, and even then I wasn’t starving.

Tiff and I spent the afternoon shopping while Cat and Bre chilled and enjoyed their mini-vacay.  We happened upon these cool mannequins at the mall…

 

I couldn’t find the sign that said what these were for, but probably a design student “Project Runway”-type challenge.  Everything was made out of food labels.  Super cool!

While picking up a few snacks for the evening I grabbed a big thing of salad in a bottle.  I needed some greens and I needed them quick.  I really wish I’d brought some Amazing Grass with me!

Chugged some back as soon as we got back to Tiff’s.

Tiff invited Cat & Bre over for some pre-pub drinks…and made up a little cheese platter for us too!

 

I snacked on a bit of bread and cheese and more than my share of grapes…with a potent raspberry vodka with soda…

And then it was on to Bard and Banker for a night of visiting!

I got to wear my fave new clothing acquisition…my sweater dress…

And hang with more of my boys and girls…

(Cat…didn’t we take any pics of you and me this night?!!!)

There were a few Strongbows (on tap!!) and Tiff and I shared our dinner…

Chanterelle Mushroom Pasta

And Ambrosia Apple Salad

Nice and light, which was a great combat balance to the heavy breakfast!

Twas a good night for catching up, and not so much about the food or bevvies.  A bit of an early start so again Tiff and I were back at her place by 1am.  I started coming down with a cold overnight though…

Off to Nanaimo now to see my Momma so I will continue to catch you all up on the festivities once I’m settled in there!