Work is work. Today was busier than yesterday because a flyer started today. My boss asked me if I was interested in become an in-store training, which I totally am! I can get my picture and name put up on the wall in recognition of being an official store trainer. It sounds stupid, but it looks so official. The only other people who has that are upper management and department managers. Mine wouldn't be seen to the public though, just the back area for staff.

Tomorrow we head over to Salt Spring Island for the weekend. I feel a bit bad because I have no problem finding time to go there, yet I don't to go visit my own mum in Sechelt. For some reason Sechelt seems farther away when it's probably about the same. I'm a terrible daughter. I just find Salt Spring relaxing where I find Sechelt boring. Boring is stressful. There are still things to do in Salt Spring. I look forward to going down to Ganges for a coffee and walking around. My father in law has a gorgeous house on a mountain overlooking the water and a large outdoor deck surrounded by trees. It's not a beach lot, but the ocean can be seen nonetheless. Maybe we can make time to visit a friend of ours while we're there. The "reason" we're going is to visit Nate's dad, but my real reason is to just go. I enjoy the ferry rides on the way and I've always thought of Salt Spring as a mini vacation. I'm excited about waking up early and grabbing Starbucks before busing out of the ferry terminal, taking the ferry, and having time to just sit and read.

Overall I have the next 4 days off and I don't feel bad about it because I still have 30 hours next week and the next, which is awesome considering how stingy they are on hours. My boss loves me apparently. He spoiled me by giving me three days off, four on, three off, four on for the next two weeks and because I have a Saturday off as well I get four days. I'm STOKED.

Oh yes! I have caught up on some sleep. My eyes still feel sleepy because my contact lenses are rubbish, but as far as feeling tired goes I feel much better. My hips and legs aren't aching today either, which is such a relief. My lower back was aching a bit when I was out shopping. I just can't get a break. I haven't felt like doing much today. I cleaned up the kitchen when I got up. I felt like the rest of the apartment was messy and it irritated me yet I didn't even feel like doing anything about it. I gathered all the laundry and dragged it downstairs only to realize I didn't have the laundry key. Nate had it...in his wallet. I guess he used it to drop off the rent cheque.

I made a sleeve for my iPhone last night and finished it this morning. It's brown felt on the outside, green felt on the inside with two spotted red mushrooms. I'm so proud of it because I made it by hand. I hand stitched the spots on the mushroom cap and also hand stitched the mushrooms onto the sleeve itself. I had to use a sewing machine for the seams just because it was much easier...well, not really. The machine was a pain in the ass. Anyway, it's done and it works and it looks cute.

Oh my gawd! I can't stop peeing! All day long! I just want to peeeeeee. My boobs feel huge and tender, too. Oh and have I mentioned that I'm tired as balls? Yes, balls are tired and so am I. I really hope these symptoms are leading toward a good thing. That's all I can say. I just feel so different from last month, but at the same time I have no frame of reference because last month was my first cycle off the pill for the first time in 4 years.

This weekend is kind of sucking, though I have filled my time not at work with some fun things. This entire weekend I'm working those heinous early morning shifts. Yesterday I started at 4, today 6 and tomorrow 5 (because it's a holiday). I cannot WAIT for Tuesday, or at least 1:30 tomorrow afternoon when I get off work. Then I will be free for two whole days, back to back. So, I've been extremely tired to say least, if not exhausted.

Tonight turned into a really nice evening. We went for sushi with a couple of friends (who are a married couple) followed by a walk on the boardwalk with some ice cream. We we approached by a lovely and incredibly friendly cat who just popped out of the bush just as we were approaching it. It was such perfect timing. He was a cute little thing. I really wanted to steal him and bring him home. Two cats is great, but I could take care of three just the same. At the restaurant earlier there was this adorable little girl less than 12 months old sitting in a high chair when we showed up she was staring at us and smiling. She was grabbing her dad's shirt and pulling him in toward her and burying her face in his arm. So freaking cute! Later she was making that usually baby noise of just drawn out vocal sound and her dad played it up by running his finger across her lips to make that "bububububub" sound. She was so loud that all the tables around them kind of stopped and laughed along with it. It was one of those moments that was collectively shared with a bunch of strangers and it gave me this weird momentary high.

Just one more day...I can make it.

...I think.

Exhausted. I hate these early mornings.

Once again I am up nice and early. I didn't even sleep all that well last night either. I was woken up around 1am by our neighbors having sex and I had a hard time falling back asleep after that. This morning they were at it again around 6:30! Last night I even got to hear some vocals. Lovely. I'm so tempted to leave a passive aggressive letter under their door just letting them know that they're inconsiderate, obnoxious fucking is causing me to lose sleep. I don't care for any sort of reply or resolution, I just want to embarrass them a little. They probably don't even think twice about how it might be affecting the people below them because they are the top floor and, therefore, don't have to deal with upstairs neighbors. They have NO idea.

This week has been relaxing. Today is my third day off this week, although I've got 4 days in a row ahead of me, three of which are early mornings. Blah. Oh well, once this schedule is over all the keyholders will be done their holidays and they won't need me anymore. Also one of our back up admin ladies is transferring to another store, so that will open up Sundays for me to work in the back. Our other back up admin girl has her LPN exam coming up really soon so I imagine that once she's done that she's going to start looking for work and probably quit before the year is out. I'm sure we'll have to train someone else to be back up because they can't solely rely on me all the time. I'm going to want to book some weekends off and they're going to need coverage for that. Our main admin has been talking about her and her husband possibly selling their place here and moving into the interior somewhere where they can own a proper house. I think she mentioned she would just transfer to whatever LD is there since we have a whole bunch in the bigger towns in the interior. Hell, even the smaller ones like Windermere have an LD. Anyway if she decides to go I would be sad because I would miss her, but I would be a prime candidate to take her place. That's not to say I would get proper RPT status to go with it, but I could spend most of my working days back there instead. Honestly, I would love that. I could get past the early morning thing if it were for working back there. I would love to be the store's go-to person for all things admin.

Today I got everything on my to do list done. I went to the gym, bought some produce, cleaned my floors, and checked up on my friends' cats. I even bought myself a bottle of wine in the way home from their place since they live right behind a beer and wine store. I had an excellent, albeit busy, day. I'm looking forward to vegging on the couch tonight. I feel like I deserve it.

I think I've given up on going back to sleep once Nate has left for work. I like the idea of getting up, putting on slippers and a sweater, making tea or coffee and spending time on my computer mostly reading on Xanga. Now I just wish my audio cord could reach to the dining table so that I can play some music on the stereo while I blog.

Okay, problem solved. I moved to the couch

Today is a nice reprieve from the heat. It's overcast and cool. I'm feeling so much better. I'm even leaving my windows open to let some of that nice cool breeze come in and cleanse the place a bit. I'm feeling less lazy, too, so I'm going to go to the gym! I'll probably feel so much better if I do. I have a bunch of stuff to do today, actually. I need to clean the floors, buy some produce and check up on our friends' cats.

I purchased and am now listening to Florence +the Machine's new single that will be on her new album coming out in November. I don't think I've ever been so excited for a new album release before. I love Flo so so much and this new single is anything but a let down. I think it would be hard for her to ever disappoint me. Also, Coldplay is releasing a new album on my birthday so I'm excited about that one too, but nowhere near as excited for Flo's.

Okay, I'm going to get my butt in gear to go to the gym.

I am STOKED! I only worked from 6 to 10 this morning and I also have the next two days off! I can read my eyes out, it's going to be awesome!

Right now I'm just making some pancakes for brunch and drinking coffee with evaporated milk (something I picked up from my Mexico trips since they don't have half and half like we do up here) and honey. I made it strong, but only in flavor as it's decaf. I'm trying to cut down on the whole caffeine thing what with trying to get pregnant and all. The idea of feeding a fetus stimulants just doesn't jive with me.

Anyway, it's been pretty hot the past few days here and yet I am miserable about it. I can't enjoy being at home, though one would wonder why anyone would stay home with nice weather like this. I'm already geared up for autumn, though, so all this hot weather is seeming rather...inconvenient. Yesterday I did go to Waves just to sit outside with a coffee and read where it was much cooler. It was quite enjoyable, actually. I keep forgetting that there is a lovely sloped piece of grass with big trees and some park benches just down the road from me. I've been there a couple of times and it's a nice little spot and yet I never remember to take a blanket and just hang out there on the grass. It would be a prime sun tanning spot if I didn't feel so self conscious being in a bathing suit anywhere other than the beach. Plus it overlooks a main road so there's lots of traffic and there are apartments behind it. Don't want any lookie-loos.

On another note, I've been to the chiropractor 4 times now. She said I'm doing better. She helped me recognize that I've got a tight psoas, which I didn't event know existed until she mentioned it, and I realized that it's tight because I always tend to transfer my wight into one hip all the time while standing. I also sleep on my side with one knee bent and that causes my leg to sink down and cause bad stress in my hips. So I've been working on standing firmly on both feet all the time while I'm at work, or anywhere. So far I think I've been doing pretty well, thought I didn't realize how much of a habit it is until I catch myself doing it. The downside to trying to correct my standing posture is that now both my feet hurt all the time from all the pressure. I would have thought that my evenly distributing the weight it would make it easier for my feet, but I guess my feet are used to taking turns resting now. Maybe they will get used to it? I hope so. I'm trying to make myself feel better and I don't feel like I'm getting any better. My hips are still sore all the time as well, but I'm hoping that is because my back is learning how to be properly aligned. However, I know full well that I also need exercise. I need to strengthen my hips and lower back. Hell, I need to strengthen everything. I don't know why I've been finding it really hard to get my butt to the gym. I still have some 5 or so sessions left on my gym card. I'd also like to get a one piece speedo suit and do laps in the pool.

Speaking of exercise I've been throwing around the idea of dancing again, just ballet once a week. I still have shoes and tights, but I do need a new leotard that will actually fit me and perhaps a second skin to wear underneath to support the ladies. Ballet would be excellent for strengthening and I don't want to put my life on hold just because I want to get pregnant. I could probably still dance while being pregnant until I start to show and feel heavy and encumbered. I'll want to be advised on jumping exercises, but I could always just sit those out and participate in barre and standing centre exercises. For the most part ballet is a lot of standing around, pointing toes and lifting legs. It doesn't sound like much when I put it that way, but by incorporating proper technique it can be challenging. Anyway, we'll see. It will only cost $155 quarterly.

Woooo baby! My chiropractor just solved the ongoing mystery of: "What makes Jessica's ache so?" Apparently there is a deep muscle in the abdomen that connects the lumbar part of the spine. It's the only muscle that actually connects to the discs AND the vertabrae. There's on on each side and when these become tight they can affect your lower back and hips. My chiropractor decided to do some deep tissue release on these muscles. My left side hurt like a mother. My right wasn't so bad, but it wasn't until she started on the right side that I realized how bad the left was. She said that because the left was tighter than the right it was putting a torque in my pelvis. So she pressed and rubbed these muscles to help them release and showed me an exercise I can do the stretch them out. Tonight I worked 4 hours without aching AT ALL. It was magical to say the least. It also dawned on me that this is exactly HOW yoga makes me feel better. I was stretching out this bilateral muscle in postures without realizing it and thereby fixing my problem. I am one stinkin' happy bunny to know about this!