The Waiting Game

I was always a board game kid. If there was no sports to be played or the weather was crappy I wanted to waste the time playing board games. I could pass hours playing Clue, Jr. Scrabble, Trouble, Monopoly and Pretty Pretty Princess (one of my all time favourites). Oh and I can't forget Trivial Pursuit; which is still played often to this day. I have many, many versions of this game.

My friend, and neighbor at the time, had one of the best game collections ever. Oh how I envied some of the more unique games she possessed. There was Pig Trotters, which involved racing little plastic pigs along the board. I was obsessed with pigs up until my teenage years and my Mum still has a large stash of pig stuff shoved in a closet somewhere. Also a really cool Jurassic Park game that took up a large portion of the floor when played. I could go on forever. The only problem was: she HATED playing board games! It was like pulling teeth trying to talk her into it. She had stacks of my favourites always sitting there, calling to me, but would only agree to a game once in a blue moon. I thought it was a tragedy and eventually gave up on trying to get her to play them and started trying to convince her to give them to me. If she wasn't gonna use them I had a very nice home that would take good care of them.

Of course, as you get older you trade your board games for: The Teenage Drama Game, The Boyfriend Game, The Will-I-Get-Into-A-Good-School Game, The Party-Until-5am Game and The Moving Out Game. I'm currently in the middle of an intense game of Live-With-Your-Parents-Until-Your-Injury-Free. It's definitely a time consumer especially when mixed with The Waiting-For-An-MRI Game. Here are the rules:

• You can't finish the first game until the second one is complete. Also known as game limbo
  
• You must endure a bunch of tests and appointments before an MRI date is given to you
• The date will always be at least 3 months later then you want it to be
• A lot of time will be spent on being placed on hold over the phone hoping for cancellations at an earlier date
• Most likely you won't get anything earlier
• Just keep waiting, waiting, waiting
• Impatience will directly affect your healing time (and perhaps extend it) if you attempt to speed things up
• Do not pass go, do not collect $100 dollars.
• Do pay for hospital parking
• Game kinda suitable for all ages

I'll have to admit, not my favourite game to play. Anybody up for a round of Candy Land instead?


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Long Weekend Git-R-Done

It's Friday! More specifically, it's Friday of a long weekend!! I've promised myself that I will be productive over the next few days. I have a ton of cleaning and de-cluttering to get done to open up some much needed extra space. Also I'm going shopping. I realize, of course, that shopping for stuff while trying to get rid of things is a little redundant. I'd say that I was ONLY going to buy apartment organizers...but I'd be lying. I'm on the hunt for new clothes. Particularly clothes that fit me.

On average I tend to float around a size 14, while sometimes fitting into a size 12 or having to go up a size to a 16. I've even experienced some time in a size 18 and reminisce about my early high school years in a 10. I find that out of all the sizes I have been, 14 seems to be the hardest to dress. It's the no mans land of sizes. Biggest size in a lot of 'regular' stores (if you're lucky) and the bottom size at plus stores. This leaves me in a love/hate relationship with shopping. Even when I can find a size14, I'm either too muscular or not curvy enough for the clothes to sit on me properly. Can someone please tell me where it is written that 'Plus Size' means I have curves that go on for days? I have broad shoulders, an ample bust and a large rib cage. Followed by having no hips, some extra love around the mid section and large but muscled legs. I like to think of myself as Athletically Fat. Maybe not the nicest term to describe oneself, but it is accurate. There is no 'hourglass' on this figure.

While I'm on the subject of plus size; what is up with the stores insisting I dress like a 40-year-old Matron? Adding sequins to a top does not automatically make it 'hip and young'. Bland clothes without any shape, or seeming life to them, do not flatter me or my personality. I want clothes that give me some shape as well as colours and patterns that express who I am. Needless to say, I practically swooned the first time I saw a plus size section at the Forever 21 in Fairview Mall. Yes, it's was the only Forever 21 store in all of Toronto that had it, and it was a small section at that, but I was able to walk into it and find at least 10 things I wanted to try on. On a good outing at other stores, I'd find maybe 4 or 5 things I liked then was lucky if 1 or 2 of them were in my size. If I walked out of a store with a new top it was a success. I walk out of Forever 21 with a couple dresses, some cardigans, a pair of leggings and maybe even a top or two and usually don't spend more than $100. If more stores similar to Forever 21 start producing trendy clothes in plus sizes I will be ecstatic.

Rants about stores aside, my biggest problem right now is my injury. Lack of movement, never mind exercise, has definitely pushed me up a couple dress sizes. Leaving me with a wardrobe of clothes that are too small. My challenge currently is to buy clothes that fit me now, but will still work when I get rid of my injury weight. And I will get rid of it (and maybe some of the extra pounds I had before). I'll never be a small girl; I've accepted that. But I do intend to be a fashionable girl who is as fit as possible...size need not apply.


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List Of Goals

I've decided to set myself a list of things I hope to accomplish in the near future. Right now I am living in a day by day kind of world from a result of this injury. I find when I start to think too far ahead I have to add "if I'm better in time to do that" to the end. Then I start thinking negative thoughts. So short term focus only...until I'm better ;) . In no particular order:

1) Get rid of my cane. Obviously I'd like to be cane free in the near future it'll mean a lot more mobility for me. It'll also mean I'm on the downhill part of my recovery; let's hope I don't slip.

2) Return to my apartment. I so need to get out of my parents house and back to my regular scheduled programming. Ie) My own bed, clothing in closets/drawers, friends, downtown life and my cats. (I'm sure my lovely neighbor could use a break from looking after my monsters for 3 months. I totally owe her big.)

3) Re-introduce myself to the gym, personal trainer styles. This will be directly impacted by goals 1 & 2. I have to start working out again. I really want to push myself a little harder and get my hip re-strengthened and shed some pounds gained in the last few months (and some from before).

4) Be able to play baseball this season. I think this one is the most up-in-the-air goal I have. It's hard to tell where I'll be at in May when my baseball usually starts. Right now I'm thinking positive thoughts and hoping for the best, while preparing myself for a missed season.

5) Read more baseball books. I'm revving myself up for the 2011 MLB season. Plus reading doesn't involve me moving. This is currently my most easily accomplished goal.

6) Get up the stairs at my hair salon. They are skinny and hard to climb on the best of days. My split ends and grown out layers are yelling at me. They are very mean.

7) Find a new apartment. I love my cute apartment, in my cute uptown neighborhood and my cute uptown cat sitting neighbor. But I need more space so I can live with my cute boyfriend.

8) Consistent Blog Updates. Follow through and all that. I have a lot of thoughts that blogging helps clear out. Keeps my brain tidy so it doesn't implode on itself.


Wish me luck!

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Going Gaga Over: Current Obsessions.

Every now and then I become obsessed with certain trends/books/colours/etc. Sometimes I fall in love with something and it never goes out of style for me and gets put in my 'love forever pile'. Sometimes my infatuation is fleeting; things that I once shouted "OMG!" at are forgotten. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this habit either. So I thought I would share a couple of the things that I'm totally gone on at this moment in time.

1) Feather earrings. They can be feather or metal that looks like feather or leaves (I also like leaf earrings). But not Toronto Maple Leaf earrings. Just to be clear: I'm a baseball girl.

2) Baseball books; specifically "The Baseball Codes"by Jason Turbow, since it's what I'm reading right now. But I would be up to reading just about any Baseball book once I am finished. Suggestions?

3) Peppermint scented foot cream right before I go to bed. Oh how relaxing.

4) Revlon Top Speed Nail Polish. Fun colours, decent price and drys really fast. I love nail polish but have trouble sitting around waiting for my nails to dry, which results in smudged nails almost right after I finish. So the faster they dry the better! The colour I'm wearing now is a happy shade of pink called 'Jelly'. I'm normally not a pink person but this colour is so lovely; vivid without being too bright and still in a deeper colour range.

5) Sephora. Make-up, make-up, make-up. Nuff' said.

6) Sleep masks with poignant sayings like 'leave me alone'. It's what everybody got in their stockings at Christmas from Santa (ie: Me)

7) Lace & Pearls. Seperate or together I am currently crazy for them. I don't see this going away any time soon.

8) Leopard Print! There's something about it that always makes me smile. It also makes me sassy. At least, if I have to live out of suitcases at my parents' house, I can live out of smile giving print ones. *rawr*


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Getting Set For Snow

Apparently 'Snowmagheddon' is hitting the GTA tonight. Which brings me back to a question I'm always asking myself: how do I stay fashionable in a snow storm?

I know most people would say "It's a snow storm! Bundle up in as many layers as possible and hope to come out the other side unscathed. Don't worry about what you look like". But what if I want to come out the other side unscathed with my hair and mascara in tact? And maybe wearing a nice dress? This is my current method of approach (lets call it Plan A) :

Cute but comfortable dresses with leggings and tank tops underneath and a cardigan on top.

For extra layers that can be worn on top of my outfit then taken off upon arriving at my destination: Jeggings or Jeans & Oversized Cable Knit Sweaters

For my outerwear a Red Wool Coat (easier to find me in a snow storm), Leopard Print Scarf (for some added sass), Gloves, Knit Hats and Waterproof Snow Boots

Extra things to help me: Big Mittens that can fit over smaller gloves in case of deep freeze, Fashionable Boots to leave at work to change into, Weather Works hair products, purse friendly Portable Hair Straightener, Over Sized Sunglasses to help block the snow from my face and of course a make up bag for touch ups.

Hopefully this plan will be successful in keeping me perfectly coiffed no matter what. If not my Plan B is to call it a snow day and stay at home with a cup of hot chocolate. ^_^


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