Work: Back to the Grind Stone

I feel like a kid about to return to school after a summer vacation. I don't wanna go back!!!!

Tomorrow I head back to the office after nearly 3 weeks off. Sigh... I guess it's just as well, thanks to all 45+ cm of snow still littering our streets (thank you, city of Montreal for not even trying to remove snow from a storm that occurred more than a full week ago!) I've watched way too many The Chew and General Hospital episodes...I fear I may be addicted. That and I don't want to leave Eleanor alone, she is too cute; I am contemplating sneaking her into the office in my purse.

On the bright side, when I get back I am starting my new role as a Senior PMO Analyst, which is pretty exciting. A majority of my time will be dedicated to managing the project management office, something that genuinely interests me. It's a new position, so I will have the chance to help define the responsibilities that go along with it. The role definitely appeals to my sense of organization but I believe it will also offer me an opportunity to be creative in defining our project methodology/processes. I see this as a new interesting dimension to my role and it is much needed; my level of engagement hasn't been what it use to be. But first things first, I will have to get through 3 weeks worth of email backlog and follow ups before I can get to the new work. Wish me luck! Much caffeine will be needed.

Welcome to the family, Eleanor!

Meet Eleanor. She's my (okay, okay, our) new bunny, a Christmas gift from Marc. See kids? Let that be a lesson to you! If you beg, plead, rationalize and whine long enough, someone will eventually acquiesce! I'd like to say I'm kidding about this one but truth be told, I was more than a little persistent in my quest for a pet and since we can't have a cat (allergies) or a dog (landlady), a bunny seemed like a good option. I've always had a soft spot for rabbits and I've done enough reading about rabbits as house pets to think its worth a try.

During the past week we have gone all over the city to stores and shelters in the middle of some of the crappiest Montreal weather and Boxing week chaos until we found her. I was leaning towards naming her Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock (a la Phoebe Bouffe) but I finally decided on Eleanor Binky instead (and if you don't know what a binky is, youtube 'rabbit binky' for a giggle). Her name hardly matters at this point anyway since I can't stop calling her bun bun, or dou dou or any other repetitive combination of cutesy syllables. It's like my brain shuts off when she comes out of her hiding place to eat, play, drink, etc. I'm trying desperately not to pick her up every time she comes out so that she won't associate being out in the open with me always grabbing at her, but I must admit that it's hard to resist. I've totally regressed to a child like state; you see what happens when you don't let your child have a pet when growing up? Let my desperate need for pet affection be a lesson to you!

It's been a fun couple of days getting to know her. She's a bunny, so you know she's skittish and all that, but I can already see changes in her trust and interest level. And boy does she like to poop! She's pooping everywhere and with such frequency! I guess I will have my work cut out for me with her litter training, but for now I'll just let her be as she's less than 2 months old and getting use to her new surroundings. The way I see it, first comes litter training and then vicious attack training for her future as the next rabbit of Caerbannog. My little Eleanor of Caerbannog!

Shop: Acer Aspire S3 UltraBook

It's the end of an era, my friends. I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a new laptop. Not only am I putting my 7 year old MacBook out to pasture but I did something unthinkable and bought a PC. No joke, a PC. I really wanted to get a MacBook Air, but based on the cost/feature ratio, it just didn't make sense. I did a little shopping around and ended up buying the S3 Ultrabook from Acer. It was literally 1/3 of the cost of an equivalent MacBook Air with similar specifications. Now I am just navigating through the set up of all my favourite apps and and iTunes library. The biggest adjustment will no doubt be getting use to Windows 8, as well as the touch pad (definitely my least favourite feature as I keep touching it in some wrong way and opening a window I have no need for).

I guess that means I have to give up my black turtleneck now?

Rest: The Pyjama Life

I've been delinquent with my blog posts this holiday season. I've had every opportunity to write, but instead I've burrowed myself into a blanket nest on my couch, watching movies in my pajamas. I had good intentions; I made tentative plans to visit with friends but between the recent snow fall and an extreme case of the lazies, it never materialized. Despite efforts to get my UC in control, I'm having a flare up right now which I think might be the cause for my lack of energy. I find the 45 centimeters of snow outside too daunting to venture outdoors; bad weather and a bad tummy has turned me into a shut in. The weird part is that I'm definitely starting to show signs of cabin fever, even though I've chosen to stay in.

So if I've been home for all this time, why haven't I hunkered down and written anything? It has a lot to do with the fact that my laptop is slowly dying. I have a 7 year old MacBook, a relic. As of late, when I try to use it for blogging or other text editing, there is a few second delay with every letter I type. It's time to replace it but I just can't decide on what I will buy next. My heart is set on a Mac, but from a cost perspective I know I could get a decent alternative for half the price if I just get a non-apple product. My vote is still out but in the meantime if I want to post updates I have to use my iPad. I must admit that I detest typing out anything longer than a few lines with my phone or tablet, I much prefer the tactile quality of an actual keyboard over an onscreen keyboard.

So on that note, I'll be back when I have more to say and a more efficient way to say it. Back to hibernation!

Read: Let's Pretend This Never Happened & Cloud Atlas

I recently spent the better part of my travel time to Texas reading "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson. Nothing makes a long day spent in air travel and airport waiting areas better than having a good book to read, and I lucked out because this one was thoroughly enjoyable. I'm sure the reason I had so much personal space in the airport waiting area was because of all my snickering and head shaking. Also, I disturbed my neighbour on the plane more than once by accidentally snorting out a laugh. Maybe it was a case of 'right thing at the right time' because I really related to this book. Some examples:

- Jenny is from Texas, and considering I was on my way there, I thought it was serendipitous.
- There is a rather fun account in her book about a flight she was once on. Again, couldn't help laughing consider where I was.
- Her OCD behaviour reminded me a lot of myself, which at first I thought was charming and cute but ended up being a bit alarming once you see how paralyzing it was for her socially. I seriously felt bad for her at points; I think it endears you to her though.
- Her chapter on working in an HR department was insightful and hilarious.
- Her affinity for cute animals and tendency for theatrics (chupacabra!!!). A girl after my own heart!

I considered waiting to read this with my book club, but realized that we didn't meet regularly enough for me to get a chance to dig into it any time soon. So, as per usual, my impulse control struck again and I devoured the book in less than two days. I'm glad I didn't wait, it was just the thing I needed to cleanse my reading palette.

As a point of contrast, I started "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell right after the Jenny Lawson book. I tried to justify that sometimes it takes time to switch from one narrative style to another but I just could not get into it. I wanted to read it before I went to see the movie; I generally like to be able to see how a film vs. book stacks up, much to the chagrin of the person watching the film with me. The book is broken up into chapters that each represent separate/connected stories within the book. I found it difficult to get through the first story, it felt unnecessarily detailed and dry. I felt like I was missing the point that the author was trying to convey; or perhaps I was giving him too much credit that there actually was a story underneath all that minutia? I held out knowing that the writing style/subject would change in the next chapter, but unfortunately I liked the next story even less. Halfway through the chapter I skipped to the third 'story' and subsequently gave up on the book altogether. I'm a bit ashamed of myself for ditching the book so soon. I'd love to know what others thought of it. Was it engaging? What of the different writing styles? Was there a 'payoff' in the storyline that would make it worth revisiting?

Smuggle: Pocket Knife

See this cute little knife? I adore it. I've been told I have an unnatural affection for knives to begin with but I do have a special fondness for this little guy. I've had it in my possession since 1995, when it was given to me by a fellow McDonald's coworker after I had lost my Swiss army knife. I'm sure it wasn't terribly expensive but I really appreciated the thought that went into it's purchase. I have pretty much carried it with me ever since, transferring it from one purse to another so I would have it handy. I have found it to be a heaven sent when a situation arises that requires a knife. As of late, I have been carrying two pocket knives. I acquired a gorgeous Laguiole folding knife recently and since I can't choose a favourite, I carry both. When my braces are painful after an adjustment I use the laguiole to cut food into small, manageable bites while I use the smaller knife for non-food related, utility tasks. That's right people - I carry two knives.

Knowing how much I adore these knives, I have been especially careful to remove them from my purse when I have to fly, due to the carry on restrictions. I once had to hand over some pricey grooming scissors, and I'm still smarting from it. I made a conscious effort to put my laguiole in my dresser drawer before I left for my trip to Fort Worth. Which was why I was so flabbergasted when I discovered the utility knife in my makeup bag while I was in the airport bathroom between connections. Firstly, how did I manage to forget it in there, and second, how in the world did it make it through a security scan? I could only rationalize that it was squished in with bobby pins and metal hair clips which may have fudged up the scan, but still! As soon as I got to the hotel I moved the knife to my check-in luggage so I wouldn't make the same mistake again. I'm thrilled I wasn't forced to abandon it at the security gate, but I'm still a bit blown away by the fact they didn't notice it.

Shop: J. Crew Antique White Tipped Pea Coat for Sale!

Let me start by saying: Don't judge me.

I bought this coat on eBay, in my typical size six. When it arrived I was giddy, but it quickly turned to disappointment when I realized that the arms, specifically the biceps, were too tight on me. Wearable, but not comfortable. I made elaborate plans in my head that involved me working out and losing weight in the hopes of having a more comfortable fit and then promptly forgot about it. The working out I mean, not the coat. I daydreamed about the coat. Sigh....  All was lost until I went to J. Crew during my trip to Fort Worth. Lo and behold, I found the very same coat in a size 10 on the sale rack with an additional 30% reduction! Huzzah!! I figured it would be way too big, but with a chunky sweater the fit ended up being roomy but still tailored enough to fit well.

Yes, I bought the same jacket. Twice. But would you like to buy it once, for a good price? If anyone is interested (and has some thin arms) send me a message and let me know. I'd let it go for a reasonable price just to see it go to a good home rather than gathering dust in my already too packed closet.