Offtopic Sofa Time

New arrivals, including the hello threads and the sofa.
JennyLea
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by JennyLea »

Hello All!!

Wow has it been a long time since I have posted anything on the sofa. I do check in to read what is going on and see who's new and all that, but I just haven't contributed much, so I figured I would give everyone on update.

I'll apologize in advance for missing letters. I have a sticky keyboard and I don't always proof read.

September was a very busy month for me. I had four birthdays to contend with, pre-wedding plans, and of course work. Work is still pretty slow, but at least I am able to stay at my job even though most days we do nothing even work related. I feel for all of you who were victims to the down turn.

I was Married on October 3,2009 to a wonderful man. It was a day that dreams are made of. Well... If you are the Bride or Groom. We had an outdoor ceremony which I will tell you all about because we had to have a sense of humour that day.

On my wedding day I woke up at 6:00am. I stayed at the hotel with my parents. Due to a lack of planning I had no clothes to wear. I had borrowed on of my husbands button up shirts so that I could get my hair done and keep it done with out messing it up, but I forgot to grab my pajamas from the room that we were sharing out at his parents farm. So, I slept in his shirt.

It was my wedding day and I was so excited I went to the window to look out at the day I would never forget and saw... Snow... big fluffy saucer sized snow flakes. Three days before the wedding the temperature was +30 degrees Celcuis. Now It was snowing. The girls and I had to go to the next town for our hair appointments. The snow was so thick that visibility was diminished. We were quite glad that we made it there in one piece.

I'm not one to mess with my hair all that much. Sitting in the chair for over an hour was torture and the hair appointments were running late... We had just barely over an hour to get back to the hotel room and get dressed so we could be in the car and on the way to the ceremony on time.

All the girls got dressed and did there makeup and then converged on the room that I was sharing with my parents. My Mother left me. She decided that getting my niece dressed was more important than being there for her oldest daughter on her wedding day.

My dress was a convection of tule. It was five layers and had a lace up back. It takes half an hour just to get laced into the thing. When all was said and done, we made it to the car with seconds to spare.

On the way out to the ceremony site, my in-laws farm, I realized that my photographer was somehow behind us, so we had to pull over and wait fro her to catchup and pass us. We made it... 3:00pm on the dot, but there were no guests sitting on the benches made of straw bales and 2X10's there was no groom at the end of the aisle. There was no snow anywhere at the farm... no rain either... just wind...

I was on time but where was everyone else? We pulled up the road an waited. My brother in law was the MC at the reception to he jumped to the rescue and got everyone organized for the ceremony as well. I swear it must be one of the first times in history that the Bride and her girls were the fist ones ready.

The Ceremony went off without a major hitch. Well umm.. yeah...

My husband messed out the vows... He said " I take you Jenifer as my AWFUL wedded wife" instead of lawful wedded wife. We all giggled and it was endearing. Apparently right before the ceremony our JP walked into a tree and had a bleeding nose throughout the whole ceremony.

The missing guests were all sitting in their vehicles when we got there and the Groom and his Boys were all in the garage trying to avoid the wind.

The pictures were bloody cold. We did our best not to let it show how cold it really was outside.

After the ceremony we went to the reception at the hall in town. The food was great, the DJ was amazing, and the slide show was no where near as embarrassing as it could have been.

During my father daughter dance my Dad broke into so crazy tango thing and other strange dances... Somehow I am not surprised. MY mother and father in law danced for the second time in their lives and the first time since their wedding dance 34 years ago. All in all it was a terrific day.

The rest of October was rather uneventful. We went hunting and so far are skunked for the season. We did, however, come across some very very fresh Grizzly tracks.

Of course, October also means Halloween. My husband and I did nothing... We sat at home and watched movies and handed out candy to all the neighbourhood kids. The most popular costume this year being Tinkerbell.

November has been quite uneventful as well. I have been a little under the weather but nothing else has really happened. My sister is due to have a baby in a week and a half so that is exciting.

Last night I was cuddling with my Black Labrador on the sofa. I was petting her and when I reached over her to grab the remote that the cat had knocked off the back of the couch, she brought her head up of it connected right at the bridge of my nose. My glasses cut me a little just above the left eye on the nose and I get to sport an slight black eye and a swollen nose. I never knew getting hit on the bridge of the nose was so painful. My eyes watered and I had tears streaming down my face. Note to self: Keep face far away from the dog's head.

My husband nearly fell out of his chair laughing. Dirty rotten bugger. His time is coming. He needs a root canal and to have four cavities filled. He is such a baby about it too... He is constantly looking for sympathy and I just can't give it to him since it is mostly self inflicted from his not taking care of them.

Well I think that is all that is going on in my life at the moment.

Jenny


PS: I will post some wedding photos soon.

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JennyLea
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by JennyLea »

Here are some of the wedding photos. I think most of them are shrunk for email formatting so I will put different ones up when I have my memory stick.

http://s990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/jennylea1982/

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skftex
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by skftex »

So hellooooo everyone.

Sherry, I'm hoping by now that your knee is much better. And how great that you'll talk to a career counselor at a school. Education is always a good idea and you never know what might come of it. Let me know how it goes and tell me more!!! :D

Steph, nice to see you on here. How much longer til Christmas break for you? Hope it is a long one so you can relax? Maybe? Will both sons be there for the holidays?

Jude, any news on the audition? Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Simonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Did you see that TJ is going to Germany for Christmas?? I don't know where but well, maybe he'll just show up near you and you can see him. Here's hoping!!!

Véro and BonesinOz, it is very nice to see both of you again. Hope you can make it back more often. :D

Jenny, loved the stories about the wedding. Glad it worked out in the end despite the weather. And hope the nose is okay after the dog head smashed it!! Ouch!

News of my mother is about the same. She is still in the nursing home and will be there for Thanksgiving. We'll visit and take her food. I'm going to my sisters for the day, it'll be 6 of us, my sister & nephew, sisters boyfriend and daughter and granddaughter..and me of course! ;) The cast comes off on December 8th. And my mother thinks she can come home then. Really she can come home anytime she wants but she doesn't feel she can right now because of the mobility thing and the way our house is, so she is probably right. Plus I can't be with her all the time and with the cast she'd need someone here...home nurse would only come once a week (not sure why they'd even bother) so she is better off where she is right now. So if the cast comes off, and she gets a boot and the okay to put weight on that foot I can rearrange some things in the house and make it safer for her and she should be able to come home. Plus, that week of the 8th is finals week so I'd be here with her as well except for a couple of hours each of those days. :) Anyway, thank you all for asking. But honestly, she's fine. I think it says something about her that everyone there sees her and comes to see her and hug her and you should see her cast!!! Pictures and names all over the place! Everyone there thinks it is so much fun to sign it, I guess because it isn't done really with the people there usually so they think it is great that she is letting people sign it. :) She has an 8 pack of Sharpies in all colors that my sister brought for her just for that. Its very colorful. :)

Okay, hope I didn't leave anyone out, I honestly don't mean to, love to you all! (Hi Hanne and Jade and Mailys!!!)

Sharon
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skftex
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by skftex »

Oooooooo and I forgot to say...tonight I watched the episode of House from last night I had put on the DVR and there is this woman playing the wife of the "case of the week"...and I keep thinking..WHY does she look familiar???? Thinking I'd seen her more than once so she was in something I've watched a few times...then they show her from the side and she does this little smile thing and it hits me...its Victoria from Validation!!!! Anyway, thought that was cool. That is all. ;)
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ThyneAlone
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by ThyneAlone »

ooh haven't seen that yet, will look out for her!
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sofilps
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by sofilps »

Wow guys, every time I get in here there's like a ton of new people!! That's what I love about this place!

Anyways, I see everyone is doing okay. Congratulations Jenny on your wedding! (even though we don't "virtually" know each other I read what you posted about it and I'm glad you had a terrific day!).

Sherry, I already left you a comment on your LJ but just know I'll be thinking of you on Tuesday. I have my last big presentation for drawing class that same day, so it's an important one for me too. I'll let only good thoughts inside my head for both of us ;)

You know what I've just realized? It's always around/near Christmas and the end of the year that I come back! Ha! What a shame, I'm terrible keeping up with the continuity.

Long story short, this is what happened to me during this year:

Cronologically, I became a vegetarian at the beginning of February and haven't tasted meat since then. Except for that time when I ordered a veggie sandwich and the idiots brought me a chicken sandwich and I took a bite not knowing it was chicken. I thought that all in all it was going to be VERY difficult but no, it wasn't. Maybe because I was already mentally prepared from a long time ago. I don't know. But I'm rocking my new lifestyle and I am very proud! :D

I started college and work practically with a week of difference. After a year of not doing one thing or the other you bet it was one hell of a change. Let's start with College. I go to Buenos Aires University, which is public, you don't have to pay a cent and it has the best education in the country (So if any of you guys is looking for free education just come to Argentina! Hee). The only downfall is that's very political and I don't like that aspect so much but I tend to not pay attention and just focus on what I have to do. I'm going to study Graphic Design. I say that I'm going because I'm still doing the CBC (six subjects you have to take before entering the career, usually it lasts a year, it's like a filter year, it puts us all in the same ground, weather you come from a public or a private school we all need to pass those 6 (7 subjects for Design careers) subjects in order to start the career we want). My status as of today, I passed 5 subjects and I'm leaving 2 for next year.

Now work, I started working at a lawyers buffet. My first big job of all time. And I hated it! They payed me not much and I worked from 10 am to 5 pm inside an office getting calls from angry people all day and I just didn't liked it. If you check my twitter account and my lj-posts around the time I worked in it you'll see how stressed I was. Of course I had to learn to like it because I needed the money and I couldn't not work. That was around March. Then in August I quited and began working at my brother's bar. Much more relaxed and happy. With a lot of free time and all. And that's what I'm doing right now, I'm a waitress and prepare sandwiches, juices, lemonades. The bar it's inside a sort of cultural center/art gallery so it's always fun people the ones who go there. I even had to use my english once! I was so happy that I finally had the chance to talk in english with someone that only knew english! I had to explain him the menues and the ingredients...it was really fun. Sadly this art gallery is closing it's doors next week. So as of next week I no longer have a job. And I'm not too worried because A) Summer vacations are about to begin; B) My brother owns a catering company so I get to work in their events; C) They will re-open the bar at someplace else near where I live in February so I'm getting my job back by that time. Which also coincides with the end of Summer vacations too!

Phew...I think I never wrote this much! Sorry! I just wanted to give you all my current life-status because I haven't been in here since December '08.
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jade.stormcloud
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by jade.stormcloud »

Congrats, Sofi, with the veggie transition. :) I've been vegetarian for about 13 years, but made the transition to vegan this year. I'm still learning what things I can & can't eat. I've accidentally gotten honey a couple times since then, & made the horrible mistake of having some McDonald's fries before I realized that they're not only not vegan, they're not even vegetarian -- beef flavoring, blech! Once I got past the transition period, it hasn't been bad at all. I rarely miss the foods I no longer eat, and I tend to eat much healthier (most of the time). ;)
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ThyneAlone
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by ThyneAlone »

It's fantastic to see you here again, Sofi..don't worry about the gap...we all have lives, y'know...can't help that! Great to hear all the news too. Wow you've been busy. May I add my congrats on the veggie issue. I'm a meat eater myself but totally respect others' decisions and willpower. Well done. And Jade - vegan - serious props there, my friend. :)
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sofilps
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by sofilps »

Thanks Jade! And congrats to you too, 13 years is a looooooot of time and now vegan? just, WOW! I know it's a lot more difficult and you have to be extra-careful but that's until you get used to I guess. Right? It's good to know about McDonald's fries, I used to go there but now I'm more of a burger king fan because they have soy hamburgers.

Thanks Steph too! It takes a lot of willpower yes, but in my book, it's totally worth it. ;) I'm about to go to my first barbecue since the transition. Thankfully there's another person who's vegetarian going so I'll not be the only one.

I can't promise anything but I'll try to get in here more often. :)
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by jade.stormcloud »

It can definitely seem a little overwhelming at first. Dairy & eggs seem like they're everywhere, but research & experience teach you where you can still grab fast food & what you can get there, & you start learning which items are your new staples at the store. Eventually, it all becomes automatic & you only have to worry about it if you're going to eat out somewhere new.

I used to hit Burger King when I was still ovo-lacto for their BK Veggie burgers. They're not bad. Other places that usually carried veggie burgers were Buffalo Wild Wings & Red Robin. Taco Bell & Subway are pretty much my fast food places of choice right now.
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by sofilps »

I guess...but it's also different for you and maybe a little bit easier? You see, I live in Argentina. And even though I'm in the capital city options for vegetarians or vegans aren't everywhere. We don't have more than 20 restaurants and it would be awesome if some other fast food chains could add veggie stuff to their menus, instead of just BK. But, something is something right?

I still have a lot to learn, and this city too.
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by jade.stormcloud »

In general, it's a lot more difficult to eat out as a vegan than it was a vegetarian. However, I'm not sure how easy or difficult I have it relative to you, since I've never been to Argentina. I can tell you that hardly any restaurants here have specifically vegetarian (much less vegan) items. Generally, it's a matter of asking them to make lots of changes to items that are on the menu -- hold the meat/butter/cheese/sour cream/etc. & sometimes add vegetables to bulk it up. There's also a lot of research that goes into it, especially in the beginning... checking online or emailing the company to find out whether the pasta/bread/etc. at any given restaurant is made with dairy/eggs/honey, for instance. Mostly, I just do a lot more cooking at home. Still, it's worth it, in my opinion. I hope you have more luck, though. I know how hard this lifestyle can be, & I realize it may be even harder for you, so you have my respect & best wishes. :handgestures-thumbup:
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Rain
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by Rain »

Hi Everyone!

Man its been too long. My apologies. I don't really have any good reasons just life I guess. Working lots and whatnot, but I think of you all often. I see there is lots going on in everyones life.

Jenny - congrats on the wedding :) I'm glad even with a few hiccups you were happy :)

Simone - I'm sorry to hear work is not going so well. I hope it all works out for you soon.

Sherry - Long time no talk :) I'm sorry to hear about your knee (that sounds like it really hurt) I hope you are doing better. I think your outlook on the job situation is fantastic. I know its hard but you seem to have a good outlook on in. I think going to a career counselor is a fantastic idea. I hope it all goes well. Let us know. I'll be thinking of you on the first.

I have joined lots of message board and websites over the years but they seem to never stick. I really want this one to because a. I want to support TJ and his work and b. You are a bunch of the nicest people I've ever encountered on a website before. So I apologize again for the absence but if it ever happenes again just know I'll be back.

:)
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ThyneAlone
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by ThyneAlone »

Hey Shannon! Sorry I missed you in the chatbox before, I had to go elsewhere and only just got back. As you can see I was pretty out of it anyway, mixing you up with Sharon (I knew the S club in here would get to my mind eventually).

Just wanted to say no-one need worry about having to be away for a bit, be reassured we love you & will welcome you back whenever that may be!!
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cutenebula
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by cutenebula »

Hi everyone (^_^)

Being online again is my biggest pleasure lately (^_^) lol So I feel like I want to add some messages here :-)

This one is about vegan and vegetarian :-) I feel concern about what Sofi and Jade wrote. I can understand it perfectly being a vegetarian myself (^_^) Been for I don't know exactly but more than 10 years and really enjoy it. I've already thought about being a vegan, but I love so much cheese, it seems impossible for me to replace it even by tofu cheeselike...
I don't know for you, but being a vegetarian in France has been pretty hard in the beginning, because we are supposed to be meat eaters here and so people were really surprised to know that I wasn't eating meat. But now we can find some vegetarian menus in almost every restaurant, at least there's always a salad with cheese so it's not a real problem :-)
And guess what? In France fast foods almost always serve a vegetarian salad with cheese ;-) But it's hard to find a vegan receipe, for sure...
Jade, I really admire you, being a vegan is a real big choice and I have to say I'm not ready for it (^_^) :clap:

Well, that's all for now (^_^)

Glad to be back here!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :dance:
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cutenebula
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by cutenebula »

And Jenny, thank you so much for sharing your wedding pictures, they are all beautiful (^_^) and yes, you've managed to look pretty comfortable so it doesn't look that cold (^_^)
I loved your story too, it was a pleasure to read it (^_^)
What alse to say?
Tous mes voeux de bonheur (^_^)
(it's a traditionnal french wish for just married couples which means I wish you happyness)
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TJ4ever
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by TJ4ever »

Just fyi - I still have a job. The company I worked for has been taken over by a new one. They offered me a job. I took it but not too happy about it. I don't know where they see me in this new company. Everything seems so unorganized. I am a bit scared they put me in a job I can't handle or that they find out that they don't need me no longer and fire me anyway. So much emotions in such a short time! I don't know! My family say that I am too pessimistic. That I worry too much. But well that's what I do.
Had to cancel my trip to Cardiff next week. Also very sad about that. Just need a break from all this sh..! Well, at least I am not unemployed. Glad that it's Christmas, soon. 4 free days in a row! And I hope I can make it to a convention next year. Maybe in England, maybe in Germany. Really looking forward to it!

Steph, hope you enjoy your trip to Germany. Don't drink too much "Glühwein"! :D

Sharon, how are things in Texas. Heard that it's very cold with lots of snow. Hope everything is ok where you are!

Take care!
Simone.
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by TJ4ever »

And I'd like to add - THANK YOU to you all for the support during the last months. It's great to know that I have a place to go when something troubles me! You are great!
Love, Simone.
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

Hang in there, Simone! The transition from old company to new company is undoubtedly awkward and frustrating, but I have no doubt you are exactly the employee they need! *hugs*
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Re: Offtopic Sofa Time

Post by skftex »

Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know that my mother came home tonight. She had the cast off on Tuesday but stayed for more therapy but today decided she wanted to come home, so we got her home. She can't do a lot yet but I also took my last final today so will be able to be here with her. :)

Sharon
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