Monthly Archives: August 2010

(via: http://th09.deviantart.net/fs36/300W/f/2008/279/8/5/eye_love_you_by_Ugghhzilla.jpg)

The other day the Hubster and I were driving somewhere, and the topic of “soul mates” came up. I find that every person has a unique view on this, and I’ve decided that I don’t really believe in them in the traditional “one perfect person for everyone” sense (but that’s another post altogether).

My optometrist tells me otherwise.

Just recently we decided it was time to get our eyes checked. We both wear glasses / contacts and have terrible eye sight and knew it had been at least two years since our last check-up. We’ve always gone to see different optometrists–I have had one where my parent’s live for years, and the Hubster had one he had seen while we lived in Senior’s City. This time we decided to go and see one together. He called up his family’s optometrist–the one he saw for almost a decade–and got us in.

I’ve always liked going to the optometrist. I don’t know why, but it always seems less scary than the regular doctor or the dentist. They are always friendly (at least to me) and it’s pretty much painless.

With the exception of that machine that blows puffs of air into your eyes. I’m pretty sure that that is a form of torture in some countries.

After the dreaded eye puffer, the optometrist actually took us in and did our exams together. I’m happy to report that our eye sight is still terrible–but not any more terrible than our last check-up. Unfortunately  he is a bit concerned about the level of fluid pressure in my eye which may mean I’m at risk for glaucoma. I have to go back in for some extra tests tomorrow to see where I’m at risk-wise. I think he was just being extra-cautious in asking me to come in so I’m not freaking out… yet. haha

Anyway. This optometrist told us about this newish technology that allows him to take a photo of a retina for a better examination. It’s like an x-ray for your eye.  So, we both decided to try it out and see what our eye balls look like, all up close and personal. (I would have loved to bring one home to show you, but a) I’m pretty sure that’s not allowed; and b) I don’t want to gross you out. haha)

So he took our photos and showed us what we were looking at, then he said,

Doc: “Hm. Well that’s interesting.”

Me: “What is?”

Doc: (Pointing to the Hubster’s eyeball photo) “Remember how I was just showing you that the Hubster has a bit of freckling on the left side of his right eye?”

Me: “Mmm hmmm.”

Doc: “You have the exact same freckling in the same place on the same eye. That’s pretty neat that you two found each other.”

So, as it turns out the Hubster and eye are soul mates. We have eye ball photo proof.

Eye love you, Hubs!

(via: http://images.smh.com.au/2009/07/03/616346/angry_shopping_rhs-300x200.jpg)

In case you didn’t know, I am rude, unhelpful and a thief.

Picture this:

It’s getting close to closing time so I naturally begin what we call our “closing list”. One of the tasks on this list is to wash the front door. I dutifully get what I need, get down on my knees and begin scrubbing the door. There was one spot that was bothering me and I guess I was focused intently on it as I didn’t see a customer approaching the door wanting to enter.

This actually happens a lot, and most people smile and wave or knock gently on the door to get my attention. This particular customer just decided to yank the door open so I nearly topple over. She then pushed past me and dropped her over sized bag of things she had with her on the floor at the front of the store. Awesome.

I just went on with my business and continued to work at the counter, completing the things I needed to do to be able to close the store on time. As I’m filling out some paperwork I hear someone start yelling from across the store,

“HEY. HEY YOU. I NEED SOME HELP HERE?! EXCUSE ME!”

As we hadn’t made eye contact I decided that she couldn’t possibly be talking to me, so I did what any good employee would do: I completely ignored her. I am worthy of some respect, am I not? (no.)

In a huff she stomped over to the counter and started banging on it to get my attention. I politely looked up, and in my sweetest voice, I said:

“Can I help you?”

She was already walking away demanding that I follow her mumbling about our quiche. She yanked a package of quiche labeled “ASSORTED” from the freezer.

Cust: “I want to know what kind of quiche this is.”

Me: “This is an assortment of quiche. It’s more than one kind.”

Cust: “Yes, but I want to know WHICH kinds.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but I’m actually not sure. It looks like it could be cheese and spinach, but perhaps you’d like to read the ingredients to be sure?”

Cust: “Ugh. Whatever. Why is this package of 24 quiche the same price as this package of 18?”

Me: “I’m not sure. We actually don’t do any of the labeling or pricing at this location, it’s all done at our warehouse and we don’t have any control over it.”

Cust: (glaring at me) “I’ve been in this store plenty of times and I’ve gotten far better answers than that. You are so unhelpful.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but we really don’t have any control over labels or pricing. As I said, it’s all done at our warehouse.”

At this point I excused myself and walked away. Since I am clearly unhelpful, I figured there wasn’t much more that I could do. I made my way back to the front and continued with my work.

A few moments later she stomped up the aisle and dumped a pile of items on the counter. I immediately moved to begin scanning them (to get her out of the store as quickly as possible) when she snapped, “Don’t touch them. I’m not done.”

I’m sorry, but when I shop I generally don’t throw things onto a counter until I’m ready to pay.

Apparently I’ve been doing it wrong for years.

Again, I apologized and went back to my work. A few customers wanted to check out so I had to push all her items to the side to be able to have some counter space until she was finished. She stormed around the store for another minute or two before bringing up another item and demanding that I read out all the ingredients for her. Satisfied that the product was what she wanted, she was ready to go.

I rang her through and gave her the total, and she rummaged through her wallet for her debit card. We are trained not to handle cards where possible, especially with the new chip technology. People tend to forget them in the machines less if they complete the entire process themselves, and it’s more secure. So, naturally I instructed her to insert her chip card into the machine and complete her purchase.

Her response was to shove the card and the debit machine into my face and say,

“My hand hurts. YOU do it.”

It took everything in me to smile politely, slide her card into the bottom of the machine and hand it back to her. I turned my back until she was finished, and of course, she had no trouble pulling the card out of the machine.

Putting it in is much more difficult.

By this time there are other customers waiting to cash out but she still has her things spread out all over the counter as she put it into her bags. When she was finished she put her grocery bags up on the counter, looked around and said,

Cust: “Alright, where is it.”

Me: “Where is what?”

Cust: “My bag. Where is it. Where did you put it?”

Me: (utterly confused, staring at the grocery bag in front of her) “Your grocery bag?!

Cust: “Ugh, NO. The bag I had when I came in. It was RIGHT here and now it’s gone. You took it.”

Me: (Pointing to the bag she had dropped on the floor earlier) “You me that bag? RIGHT THERE?”

Cust: “Yes. You moved it.”

Me: “Nope, it’s been there since you left it. Have a nice day.”

She shot me one last dirty look (just for good measure) grabbed her stuff and hauled it out the door.

I think she’s my new favourite customer.

And just remember: if anything ever goes missing, I probably took it. I’m just unhelpful like that.

Ten more shifts… ten more shifts… ten more shifts…

(via: http://www.trilatino.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/ms-0812-02.jpg)

Oh my lovelies… today I discovered just how out of shape I am.

For the past couple of weeks the Hubster and I have been talking about running together down by our local lakefront as the weather has been so glorious and the lake is beautiful. This, that and the other kept preventing us from making it down there until today, as we both had the day off and had absolutely no excuse not to.

After a lazy sleep-in morning (allll the way to 8:30am! I am so old… haha) I finally threw on my runners and we made our way there. When we parked our car I had no idea exactly what I was signing up for, but the sun was shining and it seemed like most of Pretty City was out on the trails so after a quick stretch and warm-up we started to jog.

It was such a pretty day that the Hubster and I decided to be a little ambitious. He pointed to a spot way off in the distance and suggested that we try and make it there and back.

…eight kilometers and an hour and a half later (that’s five miles for those of you south of the border) my legs turned to jelly as I slid back into our car to head home. We didn’t quite make it to our destination–the Hubster figures there was maybe another kilometer or two to go when we decided to turn around–but I was pooped and needed to head back if I was going to be able to run any of the return trip.

The Hubster was a trooper and loves me so much he stayed with me most of the way despite my slow pace, only jogging ahead for the final stretch so he could really get a run in. (Sadly my short legs and out-of-shape-ness left me at a jogging pace that was barely a fast walk for him. haha)

As I pushed myself to keep going kilometer after kilometer–jogging some and walking some–I couldn’t help but wonder, how did this happen? How is it possible that I am this tired and this sore? Wasn’t I just able to run 5km like a breeze?

…oh wait, that was two years ago. *sigh*

The summer before teacher’s college (2008) I decided to start running. When I started running at the beginning of July I could barely make it one lap around the track of the high school next to our old apartment. By the time I went back to school in August I was comfortably running 5km every day.

So what happened?

I think I kept up running every day for the first week or two of school, then I had my first major assignment and I skipped a day or two. Then I started practice teaching and my running time turned into planning time and somewhere along the line I just lost it. It wasn’t that I consciously wanted to stop running, I just have this terrible habit of letting other things get in the way. I’ve tried to get back into it a few times, but again, I let other things take priority and after a couple of weeks I stop.

And here’s the kicker: I love running. It’s not even a chore for me. Sure, those first few times when I get back into it are terrible when I can’t breathe and my legs want to die, but then something clicks and and I love it. I do some of my best thinking when I’m out.

So why do I stop?

Honest answer: I’m lazy and often unmotivated when it comes to exercise.

I am SO much better at keeping my exercise goals when I am working towards something specific. Two years ago it was Peeah’s wedding, and in five months I shed 10 pounds and a few inches to fit into my bridesmaid dress.  This is what I looked like then:

Peeah's Wedding - December, 2008

I lost so much that the dress was too big around my hips and I could have had it taken in.

This is what those (then) small hips look like now:

P.E.I. Trip - June 2010

Needless to say, I have a little extra “junk in my trunk” these days. I knew I had gained a bit of weight since the wedding, but when I saw this photo it was a total reality check. I haven’t been completely happy with the way I look for some time, and I was two years ago. I felt great. Maybe I’m vain, but I loved when people came up to me and told me how good I looked and wanted to know my secret.

I’ve missed having a goal… something to work towards to push myself to get back in shape.

So, when the Hubster casually mentioned that there was a 10km run that he was interested in trying with some guys from work, I latched on to the idea of it with everything I have. I tied on my runners and forced myself out the door. After two weeks of running 3 times a week I can comfortably run 3km without my lungs collapsing.

Today was a big wake-up call that I have some serious work to do, but I am hungry for it. Yes, I was tired. Yes, I was sad about how out of shape I am. Yes, I complained a lot.

…but under it all I was so proud of myself for doing it. And I want to do it again. And I’m going to before the week is out.

On October 16th I will be running this 10km race. My goal is not to come first, but to finish it. I want to be able to run / jog the entire thing. I want to be able to say that I did it.

I want my body back.