I put up a description and photos of my latest renovation project here.

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It's been a crazy couple weeks but I'm hoping things will settle down for a while. I just finished my last weekend on the board of the Massage Therapists' Association (MTA = professional association), although I was elected to the board of the College of Massage Therapists (CMT = regulatory body), so I'm not going to be fully free for a few more years. Although I sometimes totally hate the whole process, I think it is just too important to participate in the process than to just sit in the sidelines and watch it all happen. I think at the end of my CMT term I will be content to do some sideline sitting for a while, though.

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Turns out I spoke way too soon in reporting our plumbing issues sorted out. I was running the dishwasher again as I did my earlier blog entry. The pipe seal we replaced worked perfectly but the water was leaking like crazy out of the on/off pipe that leads into the wall. I entered the kitchen to find the floor covered in water again with similar results dripping into Mum's place downstairs. Since the water had already made a clear path the other day, it flowed easily under the lino tiles and under the stove. I had to move the stove and rip up a bunch of the tiles to dry the water underneath.

This repair is beyond our plumbing skills so we're going to have to call in a professional - and hope he doesn't rip us off royally.

Anyone know a good plumber?

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We had some drama involving a flood at the Douglass/Wiersma household on Thursday evening when we returned from work but were able to take care of most of the plumbing and structural repairs on the weekend. It turns out my dad was right when he said you shouldn't run appliances while you're out. Why do they always have to be right? *sigh* But there's only so much time in the day to get these things done and I don't know if I would have heard the flood taking place even if I had been home since the dishwasher is so loud and it was just a leaky pipe filling up the cupboard below the sink with water, which spread across the floor and eventually dripped into Mum's place downstairs. I guess I would have caught the mess sooner, though, which would have saved some of the damage to Mum's ceiling.

After doing some plumbing on Saturday, I mowed the lawn for the first time of the season and swept up a ton of cedar needles scattered around the yard and carport. Then I bundled a bunch of the crap that has been sitting in our carport making us look like total white trash - old drywall, extra doors, styrofoam etc. - and bundled it into the car for appropriate disposal. I also added several garbage bags of clothes and kitchenware which we dropped Salvation Army. It was a good day for bustling. Spring cleaning makes me very happy.

I really wanted to have a feast of Mexican food (beans, cheese and tequila) for dinner on Saturday night for our free day but I misunderstood the timing of a birthday party we were attending that night so I was denied my margaritas. Alas, I did get to have bubble tea and lots of Pad Thai. Mmmmm. Then I got to go dancing at Tonic, which is where the old Caprice theatre used to be, not to be confused with "The Caprice" club, 4 doors down from Tonic. The dancing was fun but I've come to realize that the total bliss I used to get dancing in a nightclub was not due to the pounding bass but to the liquor I consumed. Dancing with moderate amounts or no liquor is fun but just not the same but I don't consider it worth it to get completely slammed in order to get some sort of false-bliss. Getting mature kind of sucks.

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On Valentine's Day, Theovis and I attended the "People's Prom" which involved dressing up in your best/worst prom outfit to attend the dance. We only got the invite the day before but luckily our vast costume reserves were up for the task.
(Click photo for larger image)

Theovis, on the right, sports a lovely gold, satin tuxedo, conceived and created by Sandra Douglass, first seen in a 1989 production of Grease at South Peace Senior Secondary in Dawson Creek, BC.

Vertigogirl, on the left, is stunning in orange polka-dot, ruffled beyond comprehension by Sandra Douglass. This number comes straight out of West Side Story at Terry Fox Senior Secondary in Port Coquitlam, BC. Difficult to see in the photo is how exactly the model's finger and toenails match the dress.

We danced like crazy, drank some tequila and got kisses at the kissing booth. A stellar night in my opinion. We didn't stick around long enough to see the king and queen crowned, but we thought it would be nice to give a few of the others a chance to win.

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Following another link from another blog, I made this picture. Not so accurate but not bad for a collection of pixels.


I was so tired after my acupuncture treatment today that I came home and passed out on the couch for a couple hours. Sephie was thrilled and slept on my stomach the entire time. I had to force myself to get up eventually - much to the kitty's displeasure - but I knew I was going to have enough trouble sleeping tonight as it was. Plus, my neck was really unhappy with the 'craned against the couch cushion' position. Eventually I woke up, had a snack and worked away at my tax expense spread sheets. I'm getting there but just have to add up a few more expenses for the home office.

I think the acupuncture is helping a little - I'm taking less Advil than I was to combat the evil cramps - but they're still there much stronger than I'd like. I figure I'll give it another month before I do something drastic - like take the pill non-stop so I don't have to deal with my period for years at a time.

I went to ballet class tonight despite being crampy and having a cold. I had to miss the class last week because of the car stereo debacle, and the week before because I was in tax mode. I figured if I missed again, she'd call in a missing person's report. Despite being super tired and cranky as I headed out, I actually felt quite a bit better during and following the class. I think breaking down and taking more Advil helped too.

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I've been reading other people's blogs and following links. I did a goofy personality test and came up with these results. I think it's about as accurate as any of these things ever are... gotta love 46% for 'emotional stability' and the 86% for 'anxiety'. Yikes!

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