-
Re: Goodbye WBs...For real
I didn't think I'd be getting so emotional reading all the posts. I haven't been on here in months- even before The Split, I'd felt...
I didn't think I'd be getting so emotional reading all the posts. I haven't been on here in months- even before The Split, I'd felt like things were different. It wasn't the board that I'd joined years before, and that made me sad, so I just avoided it.
Now, knowing that it will be gone forever in two weeks (less one day!), I'm getting nostalgic....even for the Squirrels.
Gawd, when I joined, I was only 23, and now I'm almost 30. This board got me through planning Wedding #1, Mother-In-Law issues, the cancellation of Wedding #1, more In-Law issues, the planning and cancellation of Wedding #2, DH's drinking, three different job losses, and the eventual planning (and execution!) of Wedding #3. It was where I came when I felt like I was NEVER going to get married, and was sad and depressed. It was where I came to get information on Temping and Charting and TTC. It was where I came for recipe inspiration and decor ideas and advice about money and pets and everything else under the sun. No matter what my question was, I knew that SOMEONE here could point me in the right direction.
The days when I felt like I had no one to talk to- no one that I could tell things to- WB was there for me. It got me through work days when I was staring at the clock, willing it to move, it got me through nights home alone when DH was playing hockey and there was nothing on TV, it got me through the long days at home when I felt completely useless. It's seen me grow up- I am not the person I was when I joined.
I remember people searching for replacement wedding dresses for CJsWedding with 48 hours to go until her big day. I remember dozens of brides sending one or two handmade invites to a bride who had lost all of hers. I remember dozens of ladies offering to help me with my wedding, when I was overwhelmed and panicked. I remember Adopt-A-Soldier care packages being sent overseas at Christmas. I remember howling at the badly-photoshopped "Black Boots" thread. I remember the original GBWB thread that broke the forum and had to be deep-sixed. To all of the new members, I'm sorry that you never experienced the WB forum at it's best, because it was absolutely magical- watching all these women (and a few brave men!) who had never met and didn't know each other, rally around in times of need. Yes, we had our Drama Threads (oh, the Drama Llama was EXTREMELY busy at times!) and the occasional troll, but in general, WB restored my faith in humanity and the Internet on the days when it seemed like it was all just selfishness and snark.
My deepest thanks go out to all the Mods- it's a dirty job, and you all handled it with grace.
So, Goodbye WB. May all your bad parts disappear on October 31, and may all the best parts of your spirit live on with the ladies at Buzzle.
-
Do prenatals make you nauseous?
Try taking one with the LEAST amount of iron possible (and then use your diet to get enough iron, if you can). According to my...
Try taking one with the LEAST amount of iron possible (and then use your diet to get enough iron, if you can).
According to my FIL (who is a GP and has caught hundreds of babies), it's the high iron content in the prenatals that makes most women sick.
I hope you feel better soon!!
-
Re: Basement Reno - Flooring Advise
When we finished our basement, we put in carpet (as well as a Delta subfloor, and upgraded underlay for extra cushioning). If we had had...
When we finished our basement, we put in carpet (as well as a Delta subfloor, and upgraded underlay for extra cushioning).
If we had had the money, I would have installed subfloor heating, and used hardwood or cork in the basement. I know that the hard surfaces are a thousand times better than carpeting for things like allergies, but in a basement with no radiant heating, I find them very cold underfoot (and I always have socks and slippers on). Our basement bathroom and laundry room are slate tile, and even in the summer the floor is so cold on my feet it's like torture- I can't be down there without socks, even in July. It's ridiculous.
So, anyway- we went with carpet, to keep it warmer underfoot- but with a larger budget we would have made a different choice.
-
Re: Le Creuset cookware
How well are they made??? My mom just gave me my GREAT-grandmother's Le Creusets. Yes, they are extremely expensive. But they are made to last...
How well are they made???
My mom just gave me my GREAT-grandmother's Le Creusets.
Yes, they are extremely expensive. But they are made to last for generations, they are incredibly versatile, and they give the longest lasting, most even heat of any pot I've cooked with.
If you can get some, do. They're worth it.
-
Re: Do you have a dish rack on your kitchen counter?
We have a dishrack in half our sink (we have a two-bowl, obviously). When I have to handwash, I wash in one half of the...
We have a dishrack in half our sink (we have a two-bowl, obviously).
When I have to handwash, I wash in one half of the sink, rinse the dish over that half, and then put it clean and rinsed into the rack to drip dry. Then new dishes aren't making the old dishes all soapy.
Now that we have an amazing dishwasher, pretty much everything goes in there.
-
Waiting to TTC - July!
Holy cow, lots of QOTWs!!!! Timing for TTC Like Ms Married, it's an ongoing discussion...for me, at least. DH has told me that he wants...
Holy cow, lots of QOTWs!!!!
Timing for TTC
Like Ms Married, it's an ongoing discussion...for me, at least. DH has told me that he wants me to be pregnant RIGHT NOW, because "He's ready for a baby" and "He doesn't want to be 55 with kids still living at home!" I just keep reminding him that A) it's really easy for someone to "be ready for a baby" when THEIR part of the job is 10 seconds, and MY part of the job is 10 months of gestation, plus labour and delivery, plus however many months of breastfeeding (if I can...), plus all the middle-of-the-night wakeups, plus 18 years per kid of being a stay at home parent, and B) considering that kids are staying at home longer and longer, even if we had a baby YESTERDAY, they could still be living with us until they're 25+...which means DH will be 55 and have kids at home.
Sometimes, I think he forgets that his parents were DONE having babies by 28, and he wasn't even MARRIED to me by the time he was 28....so of course our "life timing" isn't going to be the same as theirs!!!!
Any times of year to avoid?
I think being a late-December baby would be tough- it's hard to compete with Christmas! But then again, being a summer baby is also hard- all your friends are on holidays for your birthday, and you never get a class party!!!
And as for being PG at different times of the year- I'm sure it sucks to be heavily pregnant in the summer, because it's so hot, but you had the ability to wear bulky winter sweaters to hide the early-PG bloat/bumpiness. But I'm sure it also sucks to have a newborn in the middle of winter, because you're trapped in the house when it gets really cold. But, then you also have a couple of months to feel comfortable in your summer clothes again.
No matter what, being PG is uncomfortable, and with me (potentially) having fertility issues, I don't think we'll have the luxury of taking a TTC break...so it will be all systems go, and whenever baby comes, baby comes!
Baby stuff
We are lucky that FIL has promised to make us a crib for our first baby, so that's covered.
I know which stroller I want- I did research early because it's expensive, and I've been subtly selling DH on it for months now, preparing him for the cost ahead!!!
Car seats I haven't really looked into yet- it will probably boil down to whatever I find easiest to lug around.
I also know what nursing chair I want for the baby's room, and I want a really good breast pump and nice cloth diapers (which I have started picking up, one at a time, as I find them on sale!)
I also know that I would like to deliver with a midwife, if possible, so I have been researching those and meeting up to chat, so I think I know which one I'd try to get in with.
Everything else, I would just wait and see- clothes/toys/books etc are easy to pick up along the way, and my ideas for nursery decor change daily, so it's probably best I don't start buying bedding or anything, hahaha!
-
Re: WWYD? Re: Employment
I would have gone with Option A (so would DH, I just asked). But both DH and I are used to the In-Out work schedule...
I would have gone with Option A (so would DH, I just asked). But both DH and I are used to the In-Out work schedule (2 weeks in, 2 weeks out, etc). I'd rather work really really hard for a short period of time, bank some cash (which adds up even faster if food and lodging are covered), and then come home and know I don't have to do anything for 2 weeks. Also, DH travels a lot, and we don't talk/email/text while he's gone, so the whole "no contact with family" part really doesn't bother us.
But, OP, it's important that you and your DH do what is best for your family!
-
Re: Anyone own a Subaru Forester?
We have a 2010 Subaru Forester XT and we LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it. LOVE IT. They have revamped the Forester (and the Outback, as well)- the have...
We have a 2010 Subaru Forester XT and we LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it. LOVE IT.
They have revamped the Forester (and the Outback, as well)- the have increased the height of the bodies a bit. Personally, I think they look MUCH better (MIL has a 2004 Forester, and it looks too much like a station wagon for my liking!).
Anyway, we LOVE our Subbies (I have an Impreza). They are perfect for hauling kids, groceries, dogs, camping gear, furninture, whatever. The back seats are 60/40 split and fold down if you need even more hauling space, and even with the seats up, the trunk area is very spacious. I also like the large windows- the visibility is fantastic.
Subaru was one of the pioneers in full time AWD vehicles, there is something to be said about a company that has had all these years to improve and perfect their system. The AWD is GREAT on ice and snow in the winter. I like that the Forester is a smidge higher than your typical car, but not as high as an SUV, so you can still fit into all the places that other cars can go. It is very responsive- it handles very well! And, since we got the XT, we have the turbo, which is awesome- when you want to go, you GO!!!
The only downside is that, because it's full-time AWD, it's harder on gas than FWD/RWD cars, since you're driving 4 tires all the time. And if you get a model with a Turbo (the ones with the hood scoops), you will be encouraged to put Premium gas in your tank, instead of regular. Regular gas won't kill your engine or anything, but it won't make the turbo as responsive over the long term.
Get a Subaru. They are AWESOME.
-
Re: Spin: Did you change your name?
I took DH's last name. I didn't want to hyphenate, but I wanted some way of denoting that I was married (you know, besides the...
I took DH's last name. I didn't want to hyphenate, but I wanted some way of denoting that I was married (you know, besides the rings, the dress and the wedding, hahaha!).
-
Re: In what order did you change your name??
Driver's License first, because you need it as proof of ID for a lot of the other changes. Then Vehicle registration and Insurance (I *think*...
Driver's License first, because you need it as proof of ID for a lot of the other changes.
Then Vehicle registration and Insurance (I *think* I may have done insurance first, because you need insurance to get registration, but I don't really remember- it was 2 years ago!)
Alberta Health Care was next, followed by Passport, DH's Health Insurance, AMA, APEGGA, U of A Alumni, Canadian Blood Services and the Canada Revenue Agency.
After that, I just waited for mail to come in for my maiden name, and contacted the company to request a change.
There weren't too many places that needed the marriage certificate- Driver's License, registration, passport and APEGGA were the only ones, I *think*. Like I said, it's been 2 years!
-
Re: Dog in a hot car. Call 911?
In Calgary, you call the Fire Department- they are the ones with the equipment to pop door locks...and they show up in the fire truck...
In Calgary, you call the Fire Department- they are the ones with the equipment to pop door locks...and they show up in the fire truck and EVERYTHING!!!
OP- good for you for calling SOMEONE!!! I was in the same situation last year- 25+ outside, small dog left in a car in the parking lot with one window cracked a little. I went into the mall, did my errands and came out 20 minutes later, and the poor guy was STILL in there- so I called Bylaw, and they advised me to call the Fire Department (non emergency line) to get the car unlocked.
I cannot believe that with ALL the warnings, and all the stories on the internet/news/newspapers, that people are still dumb enough to think THEIR dog is magically immune to the heat.
-
Re: Requested hours of house showings
As sellers, we didn't put any restrictions on showings- EXCEPT that the buyers had to have an agent with them (either theirs, or ours). They...
As sellers, we didn't put any restrictions on showings- EXCEPT that the buyers had to have an agent with them (either theirs, or ours). They didn't have to use one in the sale, but I was not going to let people walk through my house all alone.
As buyers, any properties with restricted hours were given one chance to reconsider, and then they were off our list. There were more than enough properties in our price range and neighborhood that would accommodate us whenever we wanted, we didn't need to work around anyone else's schedule. There was one showing we went to where the family stayed in the house while we were there, and the first thing they said was "You can't see any of the bedrooms, the kids are asleep". Um....okay...you could have told us that before we came over!
Like PP, even without restrictions, we didn't have any showings after 8:30 or 9 PM.
-
Waiting to TTC - July!
Hey Everyone! I can't believe it's July already!! Short on time today, so straight to the... QOTW- Saving for Mat Leave We are doing absolutely...
Hey Everyone!
I can't believe it's July already!!
Short on time today, so straight to the...
QOTW- Saving for Mat Leave
We are doing absolutely nothing. I'm a housewife (although I have some other, more apt descriptors for what I do on a daily basis, haha!), so I won't get any official Maternity Leave- the income we have now is exactly the same as the income we'll have with a little one in the house.
If do happen to go back to work between now and whenever we have Baby #1, we still probably won't do anything special, because we're so used to living off one income that whatever money I bring in would just be used to pad our savings.
-
Re: Calgary Zoo?
I've been to a couple of weddings at the zoo, and I've loved them! The setting is lovely, the food is good, and your guests...
I've been to a couple of weddings at the zoo, and I've loved them! The setting is lovely, the food is good, and your guests can wander the grounds between the ceremony and reception. I say go for it!!!
-
Re: WB golfers?
I actually found the course easier than the range- for starters, you're not 3 feet away from a couple dozen other people all teeing off...
I actually found the course easier than the range- for starters, you're not 3 feet away from a couple dozen other people all teeing off at the same time you are, so it was easier for me to concentrate on my swing. Secondly, I found that it helped to change my swing/club with every shot, depending on what I needed- when I'm at the range, I start with my biggest driver, whack a few, and then work my way down my clubs until I get to my putter...but with no real "goal" in sight, I just hit the ball as hard as I can, every time. Whereas on the course, you're constantly changing your club and adjusting the power you put into your swing...that's how you actually learn to read the course and determine what you need to do to get your ball where it belongs!
And, finally- don't be scared of the golf course- everyone was a beginner at one point!
New golfers are always slow (I've been at it for 3 years, and I'm STILL slow, hahaha!), and that's what makes the "really good" golfers groan when they're stuck behind a group of newbies.
So, my advice for beginners is always GET A CART. You won't get as tired (because you're not walking from hole to hole), and once you've teed off/taken a shot, you'll be able to catch up to your ball that much faster, and since your golf bag is nice and upright in the back of the cart, it's easy to grab a new club when you need one (as opposed to setting up your bag every single time you stop). I've also been known to just put my old club on the cart seat and get moving, instead of putting it back in the bag every single time.
Also, play ready golf- once everyone tees off, whoever gets to their ball first and is ready to swing goes next...and if two people take their shots at the same time then fine (assuming they're not, like, 3 inches from each other, hahaha!).
It's not a race, and there's no point in running from hole to hole, just to get bogged down by the group in front of you. But I found that when I knew the foursome behind us wasn't RIGHT ON MY HEELS I was able to relax a bit and swing better.
And, if the group behind you is REALLY fast, you always have the option of letting them play through (which is what I do more often than not).
-
Re: WB golfers?
I put a little white ball on a tee and whack it with a club....but I don't think that what *I* do could be considered...
I put a little white ball on a tee and whack it with a club....but I don't think that what *I* do could be considered "golf", hahahahaha!
You don't need to drop big coin on clubs, especially if you're just starting out. I have Taylor Mades (3 years old), and they cost $350, I think (got them new from EBay). Like PP said, get a basic set and see if you LIKE golf before committing to anything else.
I second taking a couple of lessons- I was out whacking the ball around before I even thought about lessons, but it really helps now that I know what a proper swing should feel like, and when I don't hit the ball, or just top it (which happens a lot!), I know exactly what happened.
As for a time frame to be a passable golfer, it all depends on your standards, I guess. I still shank or slice the ball at least once per hole. I don't keep score, because tripling par, every time, is depressing. And I tee up every shot, even on the fairway, because I am incapable of hitting a ball off grass without taking an enormous divot out of the turf. Would I consider myself a GOOD golfer? No, not at all. But I would say I'm passable- I can go out for a round, eventually get the ball into the cup, have a good time and enjoy being outside and with friends.
And, as with every other skill/talent in the world, the more you practice, the faster you will improve!!!
Oh, and get yourself a glove. I always thought they were unneccesary, until I ended up covered in blisters.
-
Re: Grande Cache?!
I don't live in Grande Cache, but I would advise that you take a trip there to find accommodations- it is a fairly small place,...
I don't live in Grande Cache, but I would advise that you take a trip there to find accommodations- it is a fairly small place, so they might not have a comprehensive rental listing the way a larger centre like Calgary or Edmonton would.
Other than that, I know exactly two things about Grande Cache- 1) the scenery is GORGEOUS- you are very lucky to be going there!!! And 2) in August the town is overrun with people training for and running in the Great Canadian Death Race (which is a spectacle unto itself!!!)
Good luck...welcome to Alberta!!!
-
Re: Recommend your yoga mat
I *LOVE* my black Manduka mat. I do agree that it's heavy compared to most other mats (and most mat bags are too small to...
I *LOVE* my black Manduka mat. I do agree that it's heavy compared to most other mats (and most mat bags are too small to carry it- you need to get a Manduka mat bag), but I practice 90 minutes a day, every day- I need something that will stand up over the long term, and that will provide the cushioning I need for the more challenging poses. For me, the inital $160 outlay is worth the years of use I hope to get out of the mat, instead of getting a thinner mat from Lulu and having to replace it every year.
Additionally, the Manduka mat is wider and a little bit longer than some other mats- when I'm in a packed class and you only have 5 inches between you and the people beside/in front of/behind you, having a mat that is already a couple of inches wider means I get than much extra room to move.
I have a Yogitoes mat that I put over top- it helps with sweat wicking and I can wash it whenever I need to. Since I never actually touch my black mat it barely needs cleaning- just a wipe with mat cleaner every so often and I'm good to go.
And, as for slipping on the mat- sometimes it's the surface of the mat, yes (and with Manduka mats there are ways to clean it so that the surface gets stickier). But sometimes the pose isn't held quite right- I know that when I practice, if I find myself slipping in downward dog it's because my hips aren't high enough, so I have too much weight in my hands. If I can tilt my sitbones higher and move weight back into my hips and toes, my hands stay put.
-
Re: Passport Q for travelling to US
the US does have a 6 month validity rule, but Canada is exempt from it. ...
the US does have a 6 month validity rule, but Canada is exempt from it.
-
Re: Quirky Tips
If you get deoderant on your clothes (from pulling your shirt over your head or whatever), take a pair of sheer nylons, put your hand...
If you get deoderant on your clothes (from pulling your shirt over your head or whatever), take a pair of sheer nylons, put your hand inside, and rub the deoderant mark- it should come right off!
-
Re: Would you be worried?
If he's driving without a license/insurance, I would NEVER EVER EVER get in a car with him, and I would probably phone his info into...
If he's driving without a license/insurance, I would NEVER EVER EVER get in a car with him, and I would probably phone his info into the police every time he got behind the wheel. If he thinks the law doesn't apply to him, then FINE- let's see how far he gets with that in court, shall we?
As long as he's not dragging anyone else into this with him (your parents, you and DH, etc), then I figure he can believe whatever he wants to.
-
Re: PAL - how do you get your gun license in AB?
I *thought* that if you didn't already have a firearms license, you had to take the course in order to be able to write the...
I *thought* that if you didn't already have a firearms license, you had to take the course in order to be able to write the test to get your license. I actually found the course very helpful- it's one thing to read about how to properly load, unload and secure firearms, it's something completely different to actually DO it (using firearms with no pin in them, usually).
The good news is that once you have your license, you just renew every 5 years and you're golden. And, don't worry if your photo is terrible- I have yet to see a firearms license where the holder DOESN'T look like they just escaped from prison, myself included, hahahahahahaha!
I can't help you with rec's, since I did my course in Edmonton several years ago (one course was for unrestricted firearms, the other was for restricted).
Have you tried contacting any of the firing ranges in Calgary, and getting their recommendations??
-
Re: Firing a gun
Yup. Rifles and handguns, and a shotgun. I liked it, but I have terrible aim- a person would be safest standing right in front of...
Yup. Rifles and handguns, and a shotgun.
I liked it, but I have terrible aim- a person would be safest standing right in front of the target with me! Hahahahahaha!
-
Re: SPIN: did YOU ask DH to marry you?
For our third wedding, I did. ...
For our third wedding, I did.
-
Re: SPIN: Did your DH expect you to take his name?
If he is directly asked, he'll claim he didn't care one way or the other. However, the GIANT FREAKING HISSY FIT he threw in the...
If he is directly asked, he'll claim he didn't care one way or the other.
However, the GIANT FREAKING HISSY FIT he threw in the Superstore parking lot when I mentioned that I was going to hyphenate my last name would suggest that he cared a LOT MORE than he lets on to anyone else.
It was insanely important to DH that we have the same last name. IN-SANELY. And, when I found out that the name change I originally wanted would involve RCMP fingerprinting and getting a new birth certificate and SIN card, I just took the easy route and took DH's name.
Almost 2 years later, there are still places I haven't changed my name, and I log into my email and FBook every day under my maiden name.
-
-
Re: bigger lot or bigger house?
I would never buy a corner lot ever again- too much shovelling in the winter! I also wouldn't buy a pie shaped lot- even if...
I would never buy a corner lot ever again- too much shovelling in the winter! I also wouldn't buy a pie shaped lot- even if the square footage is the same, I always feel cheated compared to a rectangular lot- it's a mental block thing, hahaha!
In general, I would rather have a bigger lot and a smaller house. If you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, you can always make your house bigger (add a second storey, tack on an addition, etc), but you can never make your lot bigger.
-
Re: When u are turning on your vehicle...
Nope. Never. I was never taught to do that in driver's training, my car is an automatic, and I trust my parking brake....but I can't...
Nope. Never.
I was never taught to do that in driver's training, my car is an automatic, and I trust my parking brake....but I can't shift out of park (or into park) without my foot on the brake.
-
Re: WWYD - Best use of money
I agree with Saucy. In terms of actual monetary return, yes- there are investment vehicles that will net you more money than plowing it into...
I agree with Saucy.
In terms of actual monetary return, yes- there are investment vehicles that will net you more money than plowing it into the downpayment on your home. However, in terms of return on your LIFE, the less money you owe on your mortgage, the better.
So, to reiterate:
1) Pay off all debt/loans
2) Put down max down payment on new house (I'm switching the order here!)
3) Whatever is left goes into your emergency fund.
4) Take whatever you were spending on debt payment, and the difference between the mortgage payments on your old house and the mortgage payments on your new house (I'm assuming the new mortgage is going to cost you less than the old one), and find a good investment vehicle for yourself, so that your money is making you money.
-
Re: Would you buy your dream home if it meant...
If I felt it was going to be my forever house, I would- because having $400 left over at the end of the month, after...
If I felt it was going to be my forever house, I would- because having $400 left over at the end of the month, after savings and everything, wouldn't make me feel like I was living *too* tight, and because I'd rather have my perfect house than pretty much anything else.
If it was a short term house (which in my books is 5 years or less), then no I wouldn't. I'd just buy a cheaper house.
DH would say absolutely not, never ever, because not being able to take vacations whenever and wherever he wanted would pretty much kill him.
-
Re: Tell Me About Granite/Glass Stove Tops
You can absolutely put a hot pot right on granite- it's one of the advantages of having it!!! You can cut on it, if you...
You can absolutely put a hot pot right on granite- it's one of the advantages of having it!!!
You can cut on it, if you want- but it's not going to be good for your knives.
I can't help you with the glass-topped stove, we have gas.
-
Re: Talk to me about being laid off
The advice I've been given is that you can ALWAYS be laid off. I'm always surprised when I hear about people working through their notice...
The advice I've been given is that you can ALWAYS be laid off. I'm always surprised when I hear about people working through their notice period- in my industry, the day you give your notice you are shown the door, no exceptions. They pay out my two/four week notice, give me whatever else they owe me, and it's game over.
Since you have already given notice to leave, I'm not sure it would even count as a layoff. The HR gurus would know best....but in my personal experience, being asked to leave AFTER you've given notice but BEFORE your expected last day of work has never been considered a layoff- I've just been paid out for the notice period and that's it.
If they ask you not to come in after May 31 and it does count as a layoff, like with any layoff, you'd be entitled to any severace, and (depending on your contract), any remaining paid vacation/sick days.
Depending on the code they give you on your ROE and the number of hours you've worked, you may also be entitled to EI (if it's a layoff).
-
Re: Do you keep any kind of protection near your bed??
I have a full-size Louisville slugger under my side of the bed. The wooden kind, too- so it's nice and heavy, perfect for robber-bonking. We...
I have a full-size Louisville slugger under my side of the bed. The wooden kind, too- so it's nice and heavy, perfect for robber-bonking. We also have a phone right by the bed, and if I'm alone for the night (DH out of town, or whatever) I'll sleep with my cellphone by the bed as well. Oh, and DH has a Bowie knife in his nightstand, as well as his air pistol. Our real guns (yes, they're registered!) are locked in a gun safe (not in the bedroom. That would be weird).
We seriously are not as stabby-shooty as we sound from my post, hahahahahahahaha! We are really nice, as long as you're not trying to rob us!
ETA: We didn't pick up any of the stuff I listed SPECIFICALLY for protection purposes- I got the bat when I was 11 at a baseball game (Bat Night!), DH got the knife as a gift, won the air pistol as a prize at a fishing tournament, and the real firearms are for target shooting.
-
Re: Alberta Health Care System - help!
You can laminate your HC cards now- the old ones you weren't allowed to! And, an extra piece of advice from my FIL (physician)- If...
You can laminate your HC cards now- the old ones you weren't allowed to!
And, an extra piece of advice from my FIL (physician)- If your bro is going to go in for treatment before the 3 month wait for his new HC card is up, have him bring a paystub, or some bills (with his name & address on them). He will obviously get treated no matter what, but if he has proof that he is planning on becoming a permanent AB resident, even though his AB health care hasn't come yet, there may be more, longer-term treatment options opened to him.
-
Re: any other non campers on here?
I don't like camping. I don't like sleeping in a tent- I find it never warms up, and even in the middle of summer, mountain...
I don't like camping.
I don't like sleeping in a tent- I find it never warms up, and even in the middle of summer, mountain nights are COLD!!! I also don't like that any outdoor noise comes right through- crickets chirping and owls hooting are one thing, but the rowdy partiers at the next campsite are an entirely different beast.
I hate doing dishes, it's such a PITA having to haul rubbermaid tubs out for the washing and rinsing, and having to continutally boil water to keep it hot, and then having to cart all the dirty water to the outhouse toilets to dump it (GROSS!!!!!) because just tossing it in the woods will attract bears and other undesirable critters....but not washing the dishes and just leaving them is ALSO an attractant.
Having to put all your food up a tree is a bother, especially if your DH ties the knot really tight and you can't get it undone to get the food back down and he's gone and you're STARVING, hahahahahahahaha!
And, I agree- I NEED flush toilets and showers!!!
I just wish I had told DH all of this before we spent almost $1800 on new camping supplies! D'OH!!!!
-
Re: 5 doors, 10 keys?
Call a locksmith, get all your locks re-keyed. They take out all the tumblers, set them all to the same key, and then put them...
Call a locksmith, get all your locks re-keyed.
They take out all the tumblers, set them all to the same key, and then put them all back in the doors.
Voila- one key will open every lock in the house!
-
Re: Canada's Health Care System and Privatized Care
I don't know where I stand, honestly. I love the fact that no matter where I am in the country, or how much money I...
I don't know where I stand, honestly.
I love the fact that no matter where I am in the country, or how much money I have with me, or the medical coverage I have, if I get sick I can go to the hospital and get treatment. I love that I don't have to worry about having to sell the house if DH or I get cancer or some chronic illness or something.
However, I do agree that wait lists are too long. I agree that there is a lot of waste in the system that would never be tolerated in a for-profit system.
So....I guess I would say this- I agree with SOME privatization, so that people who can afford to pay out of pocket can go to a private clinic, and free up the resources for people who can't afford to pay out of pocket.
HOWEVER, I agree with this IF (and ONLY IF) the standard of care is GUARANTEED TO BE 100% EQUAL BETWEEN THE SYSTEMS.
My worry with a two-tier system is that the for-profit side would be flush with new equipment and more/better staff (because they could theoretically charge whatever the market would bear, and pocket all the profit), while the public side would be stuck with the older equipment, fewer staff and fewer resources.
I think that, despite it's (clear) problems/issues, our healthcare system is much less frightening than some of the others out there, and I will continue to put up with it's foibles because I am comforted by the fact that it's always there (and hopefully always will be)
-
Re: Anxiety attacks
I don't exactly know what to tell you. I have anxiety attacks as well, and have managed to get mine down to a couple per...
I don't exactly know what to tell you. I have anxiety attacks as well, and have managed to get mine down to a couple per month, but I haven't been able to get rid of them completely.
I feel the same way when they're over- first I am ravenously hungry, then I feel so exhausted I just want to sleep for days.
The only thing that I can really do when I'm in the middle of one is pace. I walk circles around the house until I am calm enough to sit, then I either do crossword puzzles or sudoku (If I start getting ramped up again, I'll start walking again). If the puzzles help, then I can usually start deep breathing to get my heart rate down, and then I can calm myself.
It's not magic, or rocket science- I'm sure the only reason it works is because I physically exhause myself with the pacing, then I mentally exhaust myself with the puzzles, so the only thing my body can handle is breathing deep and trying to relax.
If your meds were working, and now aren't, you probably have a couple of options- could you go back to your doctor and see if there are any other meds you could try that might work better. Sometimes your body chemistry changes and your meds become less effective.
The other possibility is that your anxiety attacks are situational- I know that you have been dealing with some relationship stressors at home....could they be behind this? I know that my attacks spike up sharply whenever my relationship with DH hits the skids.
-
Re: Buying house before selling
We did this with our current house- we bought before we sold our old place. NEVER. AGAIN. Waiting for our house to sell was the...
We did this with our current house- we bought before we sold our old place.
NEVER. AGAIN.
Waiting for our house to sell was the most stressful thing I have yet to encounter, and we ended up taking a lower offer than we ever thought we would, because we REALLY didn't want to be carrying two mortgages (our old house sold 10 days before we took possession of the new place).
We are also in a market where (usually) a condition of selling your place first will knock an offer out of the running. That being said, if we ever move again (good god, I hope not- I hate moving with the burning passion of a thousand flaming suns) we will sell this place first, ask for long possession, and then go house hunting. Worst case scenario- we have to rent a POD, put some stuff in storage and either rent a place or move in with DH's parents for a bit. While that would be WAAAAY WAAAAAY less than ideal, there would be no chance of us carrying two mortgages, and it would mean that the *second* we saw a house we loved, we would be able to jump at it, without worrying about how much equity we'd be pulling out of the old place, bridge financing, etc.
But, that was just our experience- I know lots of people who have bought before selling, and it's worked out perfectly for them.
-
Re: new internet provider not bell or rogers
We're also with Shaw, and haven't had any issues with them. ...
We're also with Shaw, and haven't had any issues with them.
-
Re: Please sign up for onematch.ca
Yes, everyone sign up!!! I was on the registry for 10 years (I also joined when it was the UBMR!) before I popped up as...
Yes, everyone sign up!!! I was on the registry for 10 years (I also joined when it was the UBMR!) before I popped up as a match for someone in 2009.
OP- I'll keep my fingers crossed that they find a new match for your DH!!!
And, to any WBers who can donate blood, head on in! Supplies are always lower during the summer, but demand for blood and blood products go up....and after you donate, you get FREE cookies and juice! WHOOOOOOT!
-
Re: Flying with stuffed sinuses
I've always used Sudafed to clear my sinuses, and so far it's worked for me! If I wanted to sleep on the plane I would...
I've always used Sudafed to clear my sinuses, and so far it's worked for me!
If I wanted to sleep on the plane I would probably use the strongest Benadryl Nighttime I could get my hands on (Sudafed makes sleeping an impossibility).
-
Re: Spin: How much do you spend on alcohol in a month?
$0. We don't drink. ...
$0. We don't drink.
-
Re: Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Donation
If your DH doesn't want to contact the recipient, he doesn't have to. And without your DHs consent, the recipient would not be able to...
If your DH doesn't want to contact the recipient, he doesn't have to. And without your DHs consent, the recipient would not be able to contact him either, or get any information about him. OneMatch takes privacy VERY seriously.
-
Re: when your neighbours post a for sale sign.....WDYD
I stalk the MLS listing to see what the inside looks like and how much they're asking, I perv on the people who come for...
I stalk the MLS listing to see what the inside looks like and how much they're asking, I perv on the people who come for showings and make up fantastic stories in my head of what they're like, and then email our realtor friend once it sells to see what the old owners got for their place.
Then, when the new people move in, I always go over and introduce myself and welcome them to the neighborhood. I've found that a little bit of friendliness and goodwill goes a LONG WAY in dealing with some people- you never know when you could need a favor (anything from 'Could you pick up our papers for the weekend' to "Hey, I need your help to build a fence!")...and I like the idea of people recognizing the fact that DH and I belong to our house- that way, if they see strange people who are clearly NOT us, like, carrying the TV out the front door or whatever, they may be more inclined to call the police!!!
When good neighbors leave I'm always nervous that stereotypical "bad neighbors" will move in, and I am always overjoyed to see the departure of any existing bad neighbors!!! So far, we've been lucky and the vast majority of our neighbors have been an absolute dream (furiously knocks on wood).
-
Re: Shoulda, woulda, coulda - basement renos
Things I like: -The layout. We have a bedroom, full bath, laundry room, wet bar, living area and a crawlspace plus the furnace room. -Our...
Things I like:
-The layout. We have a bedroom, full bath, laundry room, wet bar, living area and a crawlspace plus the furnace room.
-Our carpet. We splurged and went with a thicker underlay and plusher carpet and it feels AWESOME underfoot.
-The built in soundsurround system with wall-mounted TV and an interior conduit for DVD player/cable box wires- it looks so clean without cords and wires everywhere!!!
What we should have done:
-Added a second row of potlights by our wetbar. The one row there makes that area look very dark compared to the rest of the space, which has two rows of lights. However, the lights weren't hooked up until AFTER the drywall was up and taped and mudded, so by the time we figured out the darkness issue, it was too late/too expensive to fix.
-Bitten the bullet and put in heated floors. It was outrageously expensive, and the sticker shock was too much to overcome....we put in Delta subflooring instead, which helps a bit when combined with the thicker carpet underlay and plushy carpet, but I still find the floor cold.
-Found a granite installer that could hone the slabs thin enough for backsplashes. Our supplier wouldn't, so we put in granite countertops with a coordinated tile backsplash, and two years later I STILL don't like the way it looks, but I'm unwilling to rip it out and redo it.
-Used a different supplier for our cabinetry. They were MASSIVE @ssholes and the quality is cr@p.
-
Re: Tattling at work? Input needed.
I'm going to go against the grain and say that yeah, I would totally tattle- ASSUMING that I wouldn't have to do/say anything face to...
I'm going to go against the grain and say that yeah, I would totally tattle- ASSUMING that I wouldn't have to do/say anything face to face. I would just provide the info and the proof I had to HR/Managers/Whoever and let them take it from there.
Okay, so it's not directly affecting your job. But it's the people who take advantage of the system that end up screwing it up for the rest of us- if I was your employer and found out somehow that she was manipulating the system, I would be very suspicious of any other employee asking for the same stress leave in the future. This is one of the reasons why you need more and more documentation to provide to employers to take paid leaves of absence.
Additionally, I would be worried that there would be repercussions for not disclosing the information sooner- if my old employer found out I knew something like this and didn't tell them, I would have been dismissed. Period. The expectation was that our primary allegiance would be to the person who signed our paycheques.
So that's my 0.02- take it for what it's worth! Tough situation for you to be in, though!
-
Re: Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Donation
I donated Stem Cells to an unrelated donor in June of 2009. Here is the link for the post I wrote on WBs And, here...
I donated Stem Cells to an unrelated donor in June of 2009.
Here is the link
for the post I wrote on WBs And, here is the link
to the blog post I wrote about my experience.
Hands down, it was the best experience of my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I strongly urge everyone to join OneMatch...imagine if it was one of your family members who needed a transplant, how badly you would be hoping that someone, somewhere was a match for them. YOU could be that match for someone else.
As an additional update, almost two years later my recipient is still in remission thanks to my stem cells (YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!), but he does have graft vs. host which is causing some complications for him (booooooooo!). And, he and his wife are expecting their first baby this summer- due on our wedding anniversary!!!
-
Re: TFSA?
We like TFSAs because you don't need to deal with capital gains, you can pull money out whenever you like and any money that you...
We like TFSAs because you don't need to deal with capital gains, you can pull money out whenever you like and any money that you withdraw gets added back onto your contribution limit for the next calendar year.
The last couple of years we've maxed out our TFSAs and invested the rest of our long term savings privately. We've ignored our RRSPs entirely (we do have money in them, we're just not adding any more) because we are currently getting better returns elsewhere and DH doesn't have any kind of employee RRSP-matching plan so there's no advantage for us at the moment.
We will start contributing to RRSPs again at some point, we just haven't decided when.
-
Re: Alberta Health Care System - help!
Also, tell him to get his AB Health Card ASAP. Yes, the NS one will be good for 3 months, but after that point if...
Also, tell him to get his AB Health Card ASAP. Yes, the NS one will be good for 3 months, but after that point if he still doesn't have AB coverage, there is the potential for problems to arise.
-
Re: Do you dial an area code to make a local call?
yup. Calgary has two area codes! ...
yup. Calgary has two area codes!
-