Play Day

So today I volunteered through work to help 250 local school kids get out and PLAY! It was a fun day but very exhausting. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow and when my head hits the pillow tonight I'll be out like a light.

The morning started early - 7am - arriving at the Soccer Centre. First task of the day was to unpack and blow up 250+ soccer balls to be placed in gift bags for the kids. Included in these bags were small stress balls and cards on the Olympic athletes.

Once that was done it was off for orientation and waiting for the kids to arrive. There were 4 schools with 2 teams each - one grade 4 class and one grade 5 class.

Banners we painted & signed to be hung up at the schools.

Volunteers from work.

Before starting the day they had a few speeches from various individuals and then introduced the 6 Olympic athletes who would be spending the day with the kids. They were: Catriona Le May Doan, Helen Upperton, Heather Moyse, Justyn Warner, a waterpolo guy (can't remember his name) and a paralympian (can't remember his name either).

We had everyone on the field - kids, Olympians, volunteers - and took a group picture.

There were 3 fields of events for the kids to rotate through during the day. The first field was with parachutes and the kids seemed to really like this.

In the second field we had floor hockey and soccer. To test the kids, we also had a radar gun to see how fast they could kick a soccer ball. EVERYONE had to try this and competed to be the best.

The final field was my favourite. It was the obstacle course. Kids raced two-by-two in the course to see who was the fastest. All the kids had huge grins on their faces coming out of this. Competing with their schoolmates, teachers and volunteers. It was a blast.

At lunch I was lucky (or he was lucky to sit by me!) to sit beside one of the COOs for lunch and we had a nice conversation. He knows who I am as I'm the person who is looking after 3 of the major projects for the company. He asked what I did to deserve that.

All-in-all it was a really fun day.

Walk, Anniversary, Birthday & Old Age

Yesterday was a jam packed day.  First off Lucy & I had a walk with some friends at Nose Hill park. It is a bit of a drive but well worth it. The weather was amazing and Lucy was able to run and play with other dogs. She also did her famous run, dive and roll into something nasty. We ended up having to have a bath after the walk but that is typical with her. She is funny to watch when she's in mid run and then does an instantaneous drop and roll. My goof ball.

Then we celebrated Rod & Dana's 7th anniversary by taking them out to dinner at Wellington's. It was a very nice restaurant, service was impeccable, food was fabulous but it was a little noisy. I would definitely go back. I had a Fillet of Beef Wellington as I've always wanted to try it. It was a wonderful experience. The beef melted in your mouth and I was truly in beef heaven. It was a nice meal with everyone and we all had a good time.

I then had a birthday party to go to afterwards. We went to a local bar that serves a variety of different beers. It was a good time even if I didn't drink but it was horribly loud. I tell you I must be getting old. This morning I feel like I drank the place dry. My throat is sore, I have a horrible headache and just feel crappy.

2014 Flu - Part II

I was going to call this post "Past the toilet paper please" but I thought that would give away my subject today. Ooopps, just did.

So last Thursday evening at exactly 8:15pm (yes I know the exact time) I started to not feel well and went to bed early. By 9pm I was frozen solid and was barely able to get out of bed to put all the quilts I own onto my bed, put my slippers on my feet and my housecoat over my pajamas. Crawling back into bed I attempted to get warm. I thought my feet were going to fall off as I could not feel them for they were that cold.

I shivered and froze for quite a while but then had to get up to go to the bathroom. I must have had such a high fever as when I pee'd it burned as my urine was so hot. Crawled back into bed and tried to get warm.

I was trying to fall asleep in hopes of the fever breaking but this time I can feel my internal organs pulsate. Yes I said pulsate. I've always knew when my spleen was enlarged due to having mono oh so many years ago. But this time I could feel my kidneys, liver, spleen, even lungs expand.

Thinking I was in a dream state, I crawled out of bed again to go to the bathroom. Urine still boiling hot and my stomach was extended so it wasn't a dream. Dragged my sorry butt back into bed and now my heart starts to race. I mean really race. I thought I was either having a heart attack or it was about to explode out of my chest. Then I passed out.

2am rolls around and I'm still frozen solid but worried I won't get up in time for work, so crawl out to my work laptop (luckily I brought it home with me) and sent an email saying I wouldn't be in.

Crawled back to bed and passed out.

Jacki wakes me at 8am as she slept in and saw my door closed. Checked up on me and I fell back asleep again.

I don't wake again until 12:30pm when I hear my phone ring. It's mom checking up on me and giving me what for as I'm not drinking enough. Have a "somewhat" of a conversation and pass out sleeping again.

I felt crappy all weekend, tired, sluggish, dizzy and an upset tummy...with a slight fever.

Went to work Monday & Tuesday, feeling run down, still a little bit of a tummy ache but ok.

2am Wednesday morning rolls around (what's up with 2am!?!) and I have acid reflux something bad. I wake up take some pills and go to the washroom. Attempted to sleep but really tossed until 3:38am. Felt the old tummy a rumbling so got up again and this time Mr. Montezuma was a knocking.

Flushed the toilet 3 times as I'm sure it was about to overflow each time.

Went back to bed and was able to sleep for a bit before he came a knocking again.

Again I'm lucky as I brought my work laptop home and this time am able to work from home. I need to be close to the bathroom.

I've been drinking lots (SEE MOM I DO LISTEN!) and am attempting to keep some dry toast down to settle the stomach. Toast feels as if it is sitting just at the bottom of my throat and slowly trying to make its way down to my stomach.

I have a few conference calls I need to get on, some work due today but am going to squeeze some naps in between in hopes of getting rid of this flu. I don't want a Part III.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

My final print - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This time by Dave Perillo. Limited edition (84/250)

It`s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

by Dave Perillo

12" x 36"

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

Picture of my Easter Beagle limited edition (135/200). I love Tom Whalen's work. Just as good as Tom Everhart but less expensive.

"It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" by Tom Whalen

18" x 24"

"A Charlie Brown Christmas"

Picture of my limited edition (194/450) poster of Charlie Brown's Christmas.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Tom Whalen

18" x 24"

10-color Screenprint

Peanuts Quilt #2

Finished the binding on my second Peanuts quilt. This is a nice large quilt.

Scraps

So what do you do on a Saturday when the weather is cold outside and you have a big box of scrap material? Well you get to work and clean that box up. I found a pattern that I want to make out of the big scrap box full of material. I had most of it cut out but wanted to get it complete.

I got all the pieces cut that I needed and found that I did not make a dent in the box. So with the remaining material, I cut them into 2.5 inch pieces so I can make a whole bunch of nine patch blocks. Once they are all sewn together I can make yet another scrap quilt.

This by no means is the end of the scraps as I only brought one box home from mom's. At least it is a start. Here are the pictures from today's work project.

Box of scraps needing to be cut up

First bag of scraps for the garbage

Nice piles of pieces cut up

Half way through the box

Finally box cleaned up and ready to be sewn together

Peanuts Quilt #1

Finally finished one of many Peanuts quilts today. I was able to use mom's long-arm quilt machine over the holidays to quilt it. Binding now finished and ready to be..... used? given away? Not sure yet.

Happy New Years

Took Lucy and Jacki for a nice walk at the off leash park today to enjoy the weather before it gets cold again.