What the hell… It’s FRIDAY already? Why can’t my work weeks fly by as quickly as this week off has?

It’s been a busy week of mostly studying. My brain feels full and foggy at this point. I think I’m done studying for today. At 4pm. Oh well. I’ll be bringing my study guide with me on our roadtrip this weekend (have I mentioned how much I love SeeWhyLearning‘s study guides? They are absolutely awesome for financial learning).

Tonight, B and I are off to enjoy dinner with @JeffMik and Paula – We haven’t seen them in a while, so it’ll be nice to catch up. And, since I’m currently back on my weight loss kick, CHARcut is a perfect place for a great meal without worrying about the food choices! Thankfully, I’ve only got 14 pounds to my goal of 150, so little slip ups here and there won’t be the end of the world this time around, although I’m trying my best to stay on clean eating and low calories.

YOUR TURN: What are you looking forward to, this weekend? Whatever you get up to, I hope it’s awesome!

Okay, granted, I hear we are in for another rough winter here in Alberta, but wow… the beautiful sun shining almost every single day really rocks my world. In fact… *gasp* I might actually prefer all this sun and bright, big sky to the dreary Vancouver weather, even with the cold and snow we get here in Calgary.

Now, that said, don’t ask me in the middle of winter if I still agree. I believe I’m entitled to bitch about the minus 40° temps when they happen, at least for one more winter.

In a similar theme… Have I mentioned how much I love my life, lately? Things are looking up!

YOUR TURN: What are you loving, today?

Hi guys… Thanks for popping in on this fine Wednesday. I thought I’d take a few minutes to write about something that has been bothering me for quite a while.

First of all, I just want to say, DO NOT READ INTO THIS POST as anything more than an attempt by me to talk about something that is bothering me about many, many interactions over the past couple of years online. This post is not directed at anyone specific, okay? (I don’t even know why I feel the need to say this, but maybe it’ll all become clear once you read what I’ve got to say.)

I started blogging 14 years ago, and let me tell you, it was a steep, steep learning curve to figure out what was acceptable to say and share on this site, and what simply wasn’t cool. Because my “blog” was more like an online journal back then, and I wrote fairly anonymously, I shared more. Hell, blogging wasn’t even a verb back then.

During the early years, things I said on previous incarnations of this site – and I admit now that I shared too much – pushed people’s buttons. I was going through a divorce, and was reaching out for help, support and guidance from friends, and my filter was not defined at all. Let’s face it, online etiquette wasn’t really clear back then.

I quickly learned that sharing info about my friends here (without their approval, despite me attempting to hide who I was talking about) or speaking out about something that should be brought up in a phone call rather than via a blog entry was an absolute no-no. Feelings were hurt, anger flared. You get the picture.

But, this was in the early years.

Since that time, etiquette online has been estabilished. Common sense (even if it’s still not so common) usually is encorporated in the social media platforms, and I’ve seen great improvements for the most part, in this area.

Except… When it comes to Twitter and Facebook. Why the hell is it that people treat others so poorly on these sites? Things, some would never say to the face of another, are proclaimed with such intensity on these sites, that it makes my head spin sometimes.

Clearly, there needs to be some sort of guideline people can use, so that feelings don’t get hurt, and friend’s relationships aren’t ruined because the written word was taken incorrectly? I don’t get how this can be so difficult? Take a breath, pause, and don’t fly off the deep end when you take offense to something someone has said.

I’ll leave you with the filter that I incorporated years ago… If you wouldn’t say something to your Dad that you want to share with the world, (he used to read this site when he was alive), or are too chicken to verbally say something that is bothering you to the person your anger, frustration or hurt is directed at, how about, DON’T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL.

Pick up the phone, people. You’ll eliminate many misconstrued issues that way.

YOUR TURN: What are your thoughts on this?

Hey kids! Thanks for popping by!

Today is day 1 of 9 for me being an out-of-work bum student. So far, I haven’t gotten nearly as much studying in as I would have liked. It’s been a bit of a stressful day, actually.

Mostly, because I headed over to Barry’s office, where we did some number-crunching and soul-searching to discover what we really want to achieve in our retirement. I guess we really do need to put our heads together finally on this, despite the fact that our unknowns are still pretty far and wide.

And, let’s face it, planning for the future while trying to balance the present-day expenses can be somewhat stressful. I’m not sure why I thought this goal-setting exercise would be so much fun. Oh well… We’ll get a basic plan in place, and come back to it in six months, when it’s sure to change all over again. That’s just part of the point of financial planning – getting the foundation in place.

On another note, Barry and I have decided we need to get out of Dodge for a couple of days this weekend. There’s nothing quite like a roadtrip to cure all that ails, right? Besides, Barry and I are almost out of all of our sugar-free stash of groceries, and need to stock up on more. The states have so many more choices for these kind of things.

YOUR TURN: What are you doing for Halloween weekend?

Wow, these past few days have flown by! As I woke up this morning for the last time at the unGodly hour of 4:45 (okay, it was actually 3:30 because I couldn’t sleep), I felt sad about the change that was happening this afternoon.

Okay, not that sad… I won’t miss waking up that early, or having to go to bed at 8:30pm to be asleep by 9 (and missing out on most of the evening I used to enjoy so much). But, everyone has been so nice, wishing me well in my next role. I even came into the office to find a lovely card and a bottle of wine on my desk from one of the advisors I work with. So thoughtful.

I know that Barry will be happy that he’ll never be woken up at 5:30 because “I just don’t feel like taking in the train to the office – please won’t you drive me?”… Today will be the last day for that. That was awfully sweet of him to drive me in on my last day – he usually sleeps in at least two hours longer after I leave for work.

My next journey starts a week Tuesday. Here we go!

YOUR TURN: What are you looking forward to, this weekend? Me? I have some girls from the office coming over Saturday night – we’ve planned this for quite a while now, and it will be a blast!

I gave my notice at work a couple of weeks ago! Woops… Sorry about that!

There was a time, not so long ago, when I would be writing the news here before even telling my best friend. My, how times have changed, hey? I really do need to get back to writing here more. I miss everyone that I used to connect with via this site, and I certainly miss the interaction that used to take place here!

So… The juicy details? I’m heading to the same bank as Barry! Okay, not the same location -just the same organization. We will be working on different teams (there are two financial planning teams in Calgary) and I’ll be with the corporate planning group, whereas Barry works within a single branch.

Of course, this also means, the dreaded CTrain commute continues. For at least another couple of years. Yuck. Boy, do I ever miss the Skytrain Vancouver commuters had the pleasure of getting to and from work on. The CTrain annoys the snot out of me on a daily basis (for those that follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you already know ALL about this [sorry]).

I am going to miss a great many people at my current office. In the eight months that I’ve worked there, I’ve made some wonderful friends. Thankfully, they’ll be just two blocks away for lunch-get-togethers etc., but it’s still sad to leave them.

There you have it! My big news! My new job starts November 1st, and I’m really looking forward to the new challenges and experiences it will provide…

YOUR TURN: What’s new with you?

Hey gang! I thought I’d share a decision I made today…

I’m weaning off the hcg (planned interruption with P3 foods) for a few weeks. My head is simply not in the game right now, and I really need to be at my best for the next 3 weeks, for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is my studying, which is a gong show right now with a foggy head. The pressure is on, and I only have a couple of weeks left before my two industry exams. And, these aren’t simple concepts I’m learning (read: second nature, they aren’t… I can’t wing these tests at all!)

And, I’ve got a bunch of other stuff going on right now that I really need to be at my best for – let’s face it, when one is dieting, one is often grumpy and irritable… and, I have to admit, I’m edgy when I’m dieting.

Part of the problem is that I think my hcg lost it’s potency while in the freezer over the past two months, and for the first time on protocol, I’ve been hungry and ready to gnaw my arm off. That’s no fun at all. Better to mix a new batch when I’m really ready to stick to it.

I am not unhappy with my progress since the 6th when I went on the VLCD (very low calorie diet) – despite a few slip-ups, I lost a few pounds, and I’m back to last dose weight from the first round at 163.6 today. I can’t complain.

I shared my decision on Facebook, and Nancy and Lara are going to jump on my journey when I’m back to it… It seems we all want to lose a similar amount… Should be fun!

YOUR TURN… Wanna join us in about 3 weeks, and get serious about some weight loss?

Hey guys! Thanks for popping in to see me!

I thought I’d write about my gratitude list today. I haven’t done that in a while, and I have much to be thankful for…

I’m so grateful for:

A husband who supports my choices, no matter what they may be. This is especially the case with my career – without his support, there’s no way I could be looking forward to some awesome things coming up. He is doing exceptionally well with his career, and that allows me to not worry about our finances while I build my own career path.

My many new friends here in Calgary — I’ve met so many awesome people here, and they’ve all gone out of their way to make me feel like I’m special to them, as they are to me. Without them, Calgary wouldn’t feel like the home that it does now.

The many opportunities to grow in my chosen field. I’m thrilled with the potential, while being able to harness my passion for helping others in such a rewarding industry.

My health. I’ve experienced loss on a few occasions over the past several months, and their struggle with health made me realize just how lucky I am to feel good, and be active. My worries are pretty insignificant, compared to the worries of their loved ones who are grieving.

Time off! Barry and I are counting down to our family cruise in December — More on that in a future blog entry… But, I can’t wait to be enjoying the heat in the winter! Yay for vacations!

YOUR TURN: What are you grateful for, these days?