Crash, bang, boom!! And how it's not my fault...

So I've been MIA for the past few days....what's that...? You missed me?! I missed you too, loyal reader.

Anywho, it was with good reason.  I promise!!  My very good friend, and cohort in crime, Ryan, has been visiting from Newfoundland.

So anyways, Ryan has been around and we've been drinking, partaying like it's 1999 and just having a wonderful time. 

On Sunday, that would be yesterday, we were heading to Cora's for a delicious brunch.  We were driving up to an intersection, Ryan was driving I was the passenger, when an old man ran through a stop sign.  I saw him coming and screamed "SHITTTT!!!".  Ryan made a quick maneuver and we veered to the left, away from the oncoming crazy old man.  The old man didn't stop, he didn't swerve...he just slammed into my door.  Right into me.  Now, DON'T PANIC, I'm okay.  I'm shook up, I'm pissed off and I'm sore, my neck is really killing me but I'm okay...I think  Ryan is also okay.  The old man is an asshole so he's fine as well...but more on him in a moment.

Upon impact my window shattered all over myself and Ryan.  The old man's car slid along ours crushing part of the passenger door in the front and most of the door in the back.  He hit us so hard the hinges were showing for the doors.  I got it open once, then the door was stuck closed.  The brake line was ripped and the frame was a mess.

As we got out of the car to survey the damage several people came to us and offered their help, made sure we were alright and gave us their phone numbers as witnesses.  Everyone agreed that he hit us.  Then we got over to him.  His first words "You were going too fast.  You hit me!!"  Well at that I almost lost it.  I offered this rebuttal "How is it that we have a dent in the SIDE OF OUR CAR and you have a dent in the front?  How exactly did we drive SIDEWAYS and HIT YOU?!"  He started in and I just walked away.  I couldn't deal.  Then he said he couldn't wait for the cops...he had somewhere to be!!  Needless to say we called them anyways,  filed a report, saw some doctors about my stiff neck and had a stiff drink.

Ryan's car has been written off and thank god everyone is okay.  He'll be staying around for a few days until he can get a lift home.  Thank goodness everything has turned out alright...aside from the pain in my neck.  I've got 3.5 days of work and then I'm off to Boston.  But we'll talk more about that later...

Ever been in an accident? Written off a car? Was it your fault or the crazy old man's?

Key Lime Pie

So the wonderful Katie, over at The Katie Chronicles, sent me a delicious treat recently.  Lots of her yummy spice rubs, some utensils, recipes and deliciously wonderful Florida key lime juice!! So naturally I've been dying to use the juice and what better way to do so then making KEY LIME PIE!!!

ZOMG okay, it's amazing...so just stay calm and enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:
- 14 oz of sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 3.5 oz of key lime juice
- zest of 1 lime
- graham cracker pie crust (if you need this recipe please go here.)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. 
Blend sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks.  Slowly add lime juice and zest.  Blend for about 2 minutes. 
Pour mixture into graham cracker pie crust.
Bake for 20 minutes. 
Allow to cool then place in the fridge for several hours.
Serve topped with whipped cream.

NOM NOM NOM...delicious!

Graham Cracker Crust

Here's the recipe for the delicious graham cracker crust!!

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of ground-up graham crackers (it's fun to do this with a rolling pin...gets out all the aggression!)
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 5 tablespoons of melted butter
- 1/2 a tablespoon of cinnamon

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Mix ingredients until well blended (easiest way is with your hands).
- Press mixture in bottom of a pie plate/tin.
- Bake at 375F for about 7 minutes.
- Allow to cool before using.  (If recipe calls for unbaked simple refrigerate for an hour before use)

Cut off from the world

In the instant it takes for a rainstorm to start your life can be changed.  This is the thought that resonates in my head when I listen to CBC about our latest weather disaster: Meat Cove.  Meat Cove is a rural fishing village on the Northern tip of Cape Breton island in Nova Scotia.  With a population of less than 100, I can imagine it's a peaceful place with lots of tourists (aiming for the hikes to Pollet's Cove) and a laid back feeling.  But when the residents woke up this morning I wonder if they knew what had transpired the night before.  Did they know that the only bridge into town had been washed away...

(Image courtesy of CBC.ca)

Or did they know that the tourists would be trapped because the local wharves were out?  Did they know that the peaceful village was about to be turned upside down?  I don't know.  I can only imagine the thoughts that would race through your head when you see your picturesque small town become cut off from civilization.  Luckily, no one was hurt and people appear in good spirits. 

The Department of Transportation and EMO (Emergency Measures Office) are on their way with engineers to asses the damages done to the bridge at Meat Cove but it could take time before residents and tourists are allowed to use the bridge.  For now reports tell me that the residents are getting along well, with a local restaurant offering free meals and tourists soon to be ferried across, but everyone please keep the residents of Meat Cove in your thoughts.  I know I will.

Were you aware...

THAT ANNA PAQUIN AND STEPHEN MOYER GOT MARRIED?!

Okay, as some of you may know I am an avid True Blood fan. My fiancé might call me obsessed but I prefer avid.  Anyways, as I'm sitting here downloading the latest episode of TB from last night and scanning Perez to see what's new and exciting I see it.  It's there in front of me...those sneaky-sneaks went and got married!!

But wouldn't you know it, that's not the only wedding in my life lately!  So I'd like to send out a big congratulations to Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer on their sneaky-sneak wedding...I'd also like to send out congrats to..
Lindsey and Brad on their beautiful wedding last Saturday!
Kat and Brian on their AMAZING DIY wedding-ness last Saturday!
AND
Rose and Chris on their Tahoe Destination Wedding on Saturday!

Holy marriages, batman!





Oh, and I feel privileged to tell you that my good friend Ms. Katie got ENGAGED THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!

Here's an appropriately embarrassing photo to go along with my congrats;)

In response...

This is a post in response to something I read on http://marryingbefore25.blogspot.com/.



Alright all you 18-25 year olds, listen up!!

I don't think you're all doomed.  I don't think if you get married at 22 or 23 you're doomed to failure or divorce.  I don't think that because you're in college and getting married that you're going to fail at married life and be miserable.  I may be bitter and jaded but I'm not THAT bitter and jaded.

I DO think that if you are in love, and you do want to get married then you should be waiting until you've experienced life.  You can experience life at any age but what I'm saying is that unless you've spent some time in the real world, then you are NOT ready for marriage.  

You need to be independent.  You need to experience life - which includes but is not limited to : moving out, education, jobs, paying bills, love, heartbreak, friendships, disappointments, challenges, mistakes, getting so shyt faced drunk that you can't stand (yes, this is a requirement.) and so many other things that I can't even begin to name them.  You need to know that you have grown as a person and that you'll continue to grow and to change in your life and in your relationships.  You need to be mature.  I'm not talking growner than I am-mature, I'm talking I pay my own bills, have a good job and know what I want in life-MATURE. 

There are so many little pieces that need to add up before you should be getting married.  There are so many things to experience and to enjoy in life.  It's WONDERFUL to have someone to share those experiences with and it's wonderful that you think you've found that person.  But please, don't bash on me when I tell you to experience life.  I'm not telling you this because I want to be a bitter old hag, I'm telling you this because I genuinely want people to experience all the amazing things that I've experienced in my short life and to have the time to develop themselves as people.  I want everyone to be able to enjoy their lives, their relationships and their eventual marriages.  There is no need to rush.

(Disclaimer: I am not actually a bitter OLD hag, FYI I'm only 24.)

Make my day Monday

This is for the guy that ranted at me about my parking spot today....


Dear sir,
while I understand that the sidewalk is public property, and you have every right to be on it, I do not understand how standing there screaming at me about being parked (in my parking spot, next to the sidewalk) is constructive.  Yes, I do get a nice parking spot.  No, it's not because I'm fat.  No, it's not because I slept with someone.  And no, it's not because I'm white.  It's because I work here and I need somewhere to park my car.  There is ample parking in the other TWO parking lots that are directly behind you.  Please purchase a permit and then you can use those lots.


Also, where is this car you're ranting about?  I see a backpack and a hat with you...but no car.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I've seen you wandering the streets with a grocery cart.  Those also have parking spots, at Sobeys.  Not on my sidewalk.  Not in my spot.


Sir, I will not stand around and argue with you about the necessity of having a parking spot in downtown Halifax - it's pointless.  I'm tired of your yelling, I'm tired of your screaming, it's 9 a.m. and I have a headache.  Please remove yourself from my sidewalk.  Or, optionally, I can call the police and they can remove you.  Which do you prefer?


Go on and answer...make my day.

That Jet Blue guy...

Everyone is talking about that guy, more specifically Steven Slater flight attendant, so now I guess I should talk about him.  But truth is - I don't really care.  People quit their jobs every day, people are assholes every day and people blow their cool all the time.  Steven Slater took it a little far and, according to some reports, Slater may not be the blue collar hero he has been made out to be by some media outlets.  But really, do I care?  Nope.  He's going to court, he'll work through the system and he'll fade away like all the other 15 minute celebrities.

So, Mr. Slater - get off my tv, get out of my papers and away from my media until you do something useful for the world.

Hello, my name is Paige and I'm a...

..media addict.

I know, I know, the first step is admitting you have a problem.  And I do, I have a problem.  On a daily basis I NEED to know what is happening.  I go on media outlet websites several times a day, I listen to the news radio whenever possible, Perez Hilton is a must and any blogs that grab my interest are fair game.  Is this behavior normal?

I read The Chronicle Herald, MSNBC, CNN, Perez, and sometimes the NY Times each morning and then I check them again in the afternoon. I need CBC news on throughout the day, at lunch and after work and I always check what's trending on twitter. Really I'm a little obsessed. I need to know what's happening in the world and if I don't , I feel really out of touch with life. Is this normal? I don't think it is.

I know lots of people that have no idea what is happening unless someone tells them. At fist, Dan wouldn't know much about what was happening around the world, eventually he realized my addiction and now he watches the news with me.  I don't know if he thinks this will remedy my obsession because I have someone to talk to about these things or if he's simply feeding my addiction.  I hope the former.

So really, I ask: Is there anywhere in this world, aside from my parents kitchen (they're like me...but not as obsessed), that I can find someone who understands? Someone who is obsessed like me?

I'm sure there is and maybe we'll meet someday...but until then...I'm off to read CNN.

Do you read a paper in the morning? Listen to the news? What's your obsession?

Pugs, parks and ponds

It was a lovely evening tonight so we decided it was a great opportunity to take our pugs, Molly Sue Nesbitt and Michaelangelo (aka Mikey), to the park.  Mol has a bunch of bug bites from her weekend adventures so we thought it'd be nice to go somewhere with a beach.  Shubie Park offleash beach area sounded like it fit the bill. 

So we piled into the car -  Molly, Mikey, Dan and I.  We came aimed with my trusty pink camera, treats, a towel and lots of bags.  Our walk into the park was uneventful, so you really don't want to hear about that but what you will want to know is that when we arrived at the beach there were so many big dogs Mikey cowered behind Dan and may, or may not, have peed a little.  I'm not talking big like black labs, I'm talking big like there was a Newfoundland Dog, a Bernese and 2 Saint Bernards.  BIG.  Molly was unfazed by these big dogs.  We took off their harnesses and the next thing you know she's chasing them around and running through the water.

OHMYGOD I FOUND THE WATERRRRR!!!!

Now where, you might ask, is Mikey?  Well kids, Mikey doesn't believe in getting wet.  Infact, when it is wet outside Mikey will walk around picking up his paws and shaking the water off them.  He dislikes getting wet so much that he refused to even put a paw in the water.  This is him looking unimpressed as I try to snap his picture...

Go away, Mom.

So with Mikey standing on the edge of the lake, refusing to swim and refusing to play with any other dogs Molly dove in and started swimming, chasing other dogs and trying to steal balls from oblivious beach-goers. After an hour Molly was done and ready to head home.  She was tired and wet but VERY happy...

How was your evening?

Strike!!

NOTE: I thought I posted this last week when I wrote it, but apparently I only saved it as a draft.  So, pretend it's August 4 when you read it;)


I"M ON STRIKE!

No, not at work.  No, not because I don't want to do housework (which I'm told is a good reason to be on strike).  I'm on Wedding Strike.  I officially have 391 days until my wedding and I think that is a ridiculous amount of time to plan a wedding so I informed Dan that I would be going on Wedding Strike this month.  August will be wedding free for me.

Now, you might be wondering - "Well Paige, what prompted this sudden surge of rage towards your wedding?  I thought you enjoyed planning things!"  Well dear reader, you are correct - I do enjoy planning things.  However, what I do not enjoy is people asking me if I've made my invitations for a wedding that is 391 days away! WHY WOULD I HAVE INVITATIONS?! I'm not even finished my guest list!! Or if I've gone dress shopping yet.  Uhhhh, no I haven't.  My wedding is OVER A YEAR AWAY.  Why would I bother to fall in love with a dress right now...?  We all know I'm just going to change my mind in another week, anyways!

So, dear readers, help me maintain some sense of calm.  Come on down and picket with me.  Because I'm on Wedding Strike and I'm not stopping until September 1!!!

Make my Day, Monday

What, you may ask, is Make my Day Monday?  Well, I seem to have trouble with Mondays.  Much like Garfield, I have a problem with them.  In fact I would ALMOST say that I hate Monday.  So, in honor of my hate for Monday I will use this day to write an open letter to whomever deserves my Monday wrath.

Ready?  Alright, let's start with Monday itself.  I think Monday deserves to know how I feel about it...

Dear Monday,
I know you are aware of my dislike of you.  After spending a full weekend with my favorite days, Saturday and Sunday, the last thing I want to see is you.  I know this is hard for you to accept but please, I don't want to see you popping up on my calendar anymore.


We had a good run, Monday.  It's been rough at times, but those early morning coffee runs helped us understand each other.  I know this is going to be difficult for you, but I hope that we can move on from this heart break and find other ways to live along side each other.  Maybe if you changed your name it would help.  I know you're pretty stuck on Monday but perhaps I-want-to-sleep-in-but-have-to-go-to-work-day is still free?  If not then I hope this letter has made you realize that we need to limit our visits to each other.  I will still see you at the beginning of the office week and occasionally when I'm on vacation, but know this: I'm watching you, Monday.  

Go ahead - make my day, Monday.

What do you do when your friends turn their backs and it seems like your world is falling apart?

NOTE: This post has been edited to protect the parties involved.

This is the question my little brother must be asking himself now.  This weekend he learned a hard life lesson, something everyone will experience - sometimes your friends aren't who you think they are.

My little brother is the sweetest guy you'll ever meet. He is kind, funny,trusting, hardworking, compassionate and fiercly loyal. He really is one of the nicest people I have ever met. This weekend his friends took advantage of his good nature and my family's hospitality - by setting some of our belongings on fire while they stayed at our cottage with him. Outraged yet? Me too. I need to get this out so feel free to listen/read or just give me a pat on the head.

It's been tradition for the past few years that my friends and I take over the cottage for the weekend and have a little party. There are always rules and it usually ends up being a GREAT time. Bro turned 20 this summer so he thought it would be a great idea to get some guys together and head to the cottage on his own for the first time. He gathered up a few of his friends from football (he's known these guys for the past 10 years) and one of his best friends (whom he's known since birth) and headed to the cottage. Everything went well on Satuday night and the boys decided to make fries and Bob headed to bed.

Flash forward to Sunday, at 1:30p.m. I get a call from my mother as I'm heading to visit my Grandfather. Dan answers and tells me to pull over. I got a little nervous and pulled over. Got on the phone with mom and she says "Something happened at Keji (the cottage) and he (brother) needs you to go over. There was a fire. No one was hurt but his friend's set it and he doesn't know what to do." I knew it was going to take 2 hours to get there but Dan and I hightailed it over. Dad left at the same time and we met him there.

Turns out during the night some of the boys started a fire in the flower garden in front of the house. They threw in our toaster,a blender, the bed box, 2 lamps, Bro's 2 PS3 controllers, a video game, some of my Dad's reference books, a guest book/journal that we write in each time we're there and some other random stuff. Then they lied to Bro and tried to tell him that someone broke in and did it. Bro told them they were full of shit, to get out of the house and he went to find cell service. It took him a 20 mintue drive to call my mom, obviously upset and ask her what to do. He then headed back to the house to see that they hadn't left. They laughed when he tired to kick them out. Eventually they left. Then we were called and headed there.

When I got there Bro was so upset. He was devastated that his friends burnt up our guest book. This book was full of visits, stories and memories that we'd had there since 2007. This cottage has been around since the 1960's and there are books dating back to the first visit. He was upset they lied to him. He was upset that guys he'd know since he was 10 betrayed him. But the thing that hurt him the most is that one of his best friends wouldn't tell him what happened, lied to him, laughed at him and basically betrayed his trust.

I really didn't know what to do. We helped him clean up and we had a chat about friendships and how they evolve. I told him "Well buddy, sometimes people grow up to be asshats." He thought it was funny, and I kind of meant it to be, but honestly it's the truth. He knows the things don't matter, and no one was hurt but he feels so betrayed. And I hurt for him.

I have all these things I want to say to these assholes. I have all this anger in me and no outlet for it. Mom called the boys parents and, even though most are 19-20, they are all in deep shit. We're not pressing charges for the damage - even though we probably could and we're not asking for an appology. We just want those kids gone. But Bro hurts. He can't believe someone would do this to him and neither can I, really.

I just don't know what else to do. I really feel like if I saw these boys I might lose my shit. I really just want to scream and then I want to take all of my little brother's pain for him...he's usually such a happy guy - I hate to see him hurt like that.




What right did these little shit-heads have to come into OUR HOUSE and destroy our belongings?! What right did they have to hurt the nicest person I've ever met - someone who would rather run himself ragged than disappoint someone else?! I have no words for these selfish, rude, hurtful little fuckers except this: Karma is a bitch and someday when you need something really badly and you have no one to turn to you'll realize that you have destroyed the trust and friendship of one of the best people you've ever had the privilege to meet. You'll be on your own and he will be surrounded by better friends, a family that loves him and people that care.