NaBloPoMo Day 5: My cat

Hey peeps, this is Jaime's cat Leah and I'm taking over her blog for today!

Make yourself comfortable, like I am!
We probably haven't met, and you probably aren't super interested in my life because I'm just a regular old housecat, but Jaime couldn't think of anything better to write about so she asked me to step in for the day. Silly girl. What would she do without me?

I was born at a young age somewhere in Lambton County in 2005. I had a few brothers and sisters but I haven't seen them since Jaime adopted me from the local Humane Society.

Sigh...I was such a cute kitten.
For a few months I lived in Sarnia with Jaime and her family in a big house. I had my first boyfriend in that house. Triskit, where are you? I still love you. These horrible people separated us but I know some day we'll be together. :(

Me and Triskit!
In June 2005, we moved to London to a much smaller apartment.

While I lived in London, some strange people came into the apartment to do some work on the plumbing. They removed a wall which I thought was GREAT because here was all this new space to walk around that Jaime had never shown me before! Unfortunately the strange men didn't know I was exploring this newfound space and they drywalled me into the wall for a few hours.

Me in the wall.
After some time living in London, I moved with Jaime to Nunavut. I had a great time living there as I had plenty of opportunity to catch and eat flies. This was also my couture phase as you can see, I was getting a little avant garde with my fashion choices.

Grocery bags were so fashion forward in 2006
Life was pretty stable for a while, but one day I got put in my cage and sent to Iqaluit on a plane. I don't like flying but I was happy to see Jaime because I hadn't seen her in months! A little while later, Jaime adopted two more kittens. I wasn't a fan of having younger siblings but I did my best to get along with them. Those darn kids always seemed to be a mess, I had to groom them just to keep them looking presentable.

Me, on the left in both photos.

One time I got really annoyed with my step-siblings so I escaped onto the porch awning while Jaime was at work. I admit it was kind of dumb because I had nowhere to go except run around with my tail all big.

Of course that jerk Jaime stopped to take a photo before helping me back into the house.
We all lived together for awhile in a few different apartments until 2010 when just Jaime and I moved back down to Sarnia. So far, I think I'm happiest here. My grandpa (Jaime's dad) is home all day! I'm pretty sure Jaime hired him to give me attention whenever I want it. I know it's an important job to keep me entertained but my grandpa can be kind of lazy, so I have to remind him constantly that I exist and need around-the-clock attention! I do get lots of attention as long as I walk across keyboards, sit on top of TVs, or lie down on open books.

I also love boxes.

Nobody loves boxes more than I do.

I also enjoy using walls as pillows.

And tanning under my grandpa's desk lamp.

I make a cuter Detroit Tiger, don't you think?
I'm 10.5 human years old now which is about 62 cat years. I'm no spring chicken, but I keep fairly active. I've only slowed down a little bit in my advancing years but one thing is for sure: when that mysterious dancing red dot shows up, I'm all over it. One day I'll get you, dot. One day.

NaBloPoMo Day 4: Sewing

Here we are on day 4. I have to admit that I kind of threw together this topics list and didn't give much thought to what I was actually planning to write about. As a result, I haven't been super excited to write these past few posts but hopefully you're enjoying them anyway.

I'm not sure when I finally decided I want to learn how to sew. I never really had too much interest in it. At some point when I lived in the north, I really wanted a handmade quilt. I always admired the handmade parkas and amautiit in the north, and I loved the idea of having handmade items. I knew a friend who quilted and I thought maybe, just maybe if I complimented her quilts enough times, she would offer to make me one. Now that I quilt, I laugh at my naivety. I think I would have been waiting a long time!

In 2012, my coworker had a baby and another coworker's wife gave them a quilt she made. I think that's when I finally started thinking, "I need to just learn this myself!" That fall, I was looking for hobbies to take up and I came across a beginner quilting course held at a now closed local quilt shoppe. It was a score of a deal; for $100 you got the fabric for the top and the lessons.

I enjoyed the classes and by the time it was over, the other ladies who sat at my table convinced me to sign up for the local quilters' guild. These three women, along with our instructor, have now become good friends of mine and we sew together regularly (or at least, they do and I try to join when I can). We've gone to Cincinnati together, on shop hops, and most recently to a weekend retreat in Frankenmuth. I've long thought it's a great lesson to anyone who wants to try a new hobby but is nervous about not knowing anyone. I didn't know anybody and now I have 4 amazing, supportive friends to show for it.

Seriously, they rock
I don't think I would have kept up with sewing and quilting as much if not for making friends. As I said yesterday, it's hard for me to balance it with everyone else. Add in the fact I don't have a dedicated sewing room or sewing desk and it gets more difficult to just sit down and start.

When I do sit down to sew, I love making quilts for the top of my toilet. It's a quick project that livens up my bathroom a bit, and helps me keep my skills fresh.

I also like making little wall hangings using applique, and bags of all types! On a side note, I took two classes to learn to sew clothes but I don't enjoy it as much as quilting and making other crafts. Perhaps when I'm retired and have more time, I will try to learn more as I do like the idea of wearing clothes of my own creation.

Here are some the things I've made recently and not so recently:

Cutting mat, rotary blade, and ruler bag (from a class I took), 2013

My first toilet quilt, 2013

Kindle cases, 2013

Heavy duty tote bag, 2013

Dresden plate Christmas tree skirt from another class, winter 2014 (on top of the red skirt)

Baby Tegan's quilt, fall 2015

My beautiful niece Maisie on the quilt I made for her, summer 2015

One of my favourite things I've sewn! Small wall hanging, started in 2013, finished in 2015.

Most recent toilet quilt, fall 2015 If you're interested in seeing more of my projects as well as when I blogged my way through my beginner quilt class, check out my quilting tag!

NaBloPoMo Day 3: Hobbies

Hobbies! Hobbies are basically what run my life and most of my thoughts. Sometimes I wish I dedicated more mental space to social issues, charity, or somehow bettering the world.

For a long time, I was the type of person who didn't have any hobbies, and now I probably have too many!

Running: I've already written about running so I'm not going to write about it again. I try to run at least once a week, preferably more. Since I'm training for a long race now, I will be running about 3-4 times a week starting soon.


Curling: I started curling in Iqaluit in 2009 and I'm still keeping at it, although I am curling less this year as this autumn has been so busy and I needed a bit of a break. When I am curling, it's once a week.

Hockey: I started in 2013 and I love it, although I am finding it hard to improve given there are precious few classes for adults, especially where I live. I play twice a week.


Sewing/quilting: I'm going to write more about it tomorrow, but sewing is the main thing I find hard to balance with everything else. On average I sit down at my machine once or twice a month, but I'd ideally like to increase that to once or twice a week.

I also go to a quilter's guild once a month and it's a meeting where we talk about all things quilting.

Hand embroidery: I love doing hand embroidery but I never seem to dedicate enough time to it. It's a time consuming craft and no matter how much my brain seems to burst with ideas, I don't often to sit down and work on it. I'd say I do one or two small hand embroidery projects a year.


Baking/cake decorating: I've always loved to bake goodies. I don't get too fancy, but I love making squares, cakes, truffles and cookies. In 2012, I took three of the Wilton classes (which I blogged about). I loved doing the classes although they were a lot of work! I never planned to decorate cakes regularly or professionally, I just like having the skills tucked away for when I do need them. I'd say I bake maybe once or twice a month, but sometimes more.

So as you can see, I keep pretty busy. All of this is on top of working full-time, doing normal adult things like cooking, errands, regular orthodontist appointments, and making time to go out of town 2-3 weekends a month to see Anthony. It's a busy life. I used to watch movies and hang out with friends when I was younger, but I don't really do that anymore because I don't have time. I also used to be involved in community theatre but I've more or less given up on that due to time restraints as well.

I love having so many hobbies but I find myself often feeling guilty that I can't dedicate more time to each of them. Both running and sewing take up a considerable amount of time and for me, aren't just as easy as jumping out the door for a quick run, or turning on the sewing machine and sewing. Running requires 15-20 minutes of prep time because I have to take my inhaler, and then I need to shower when I get home. My desk is also my sewing table so I have to set everything up if I want to do any bit of sewing. Generally if I'm doing a lot of sewing, I'm not doing much running, and vice versa.

It is frustrating feeling guilty so much of the time about these things, and certainly I didn't take up hobbies just to have negative feelings about it. I'll be writing more about it on the 6th but I think I am turning a corner in spending my time at home more efficiently. Easier said than done, though!

NaBloPoMo Day 2: Dieting/healthy eating

Today is the 2nd day of NaBloPoMo and today I'm talking about dieting and healthy eating. Specifically, my journey with it.

Like a lot of people, eating healthily is not something that necessarily comes naturally to me. I was a picky eater growing up. We ate a limited range of food in our house which contributed to the problem. For example, I never had mayo until I was in high school. I don't think I ever ate a salad until I was older (12? 13? 14?). We tended to eat the same things all the time, and a large portion of what we ate was breaded and/or frozen. We also always, always had junk food and pop. It was always a regular part of my diet.

Me and the KFC Double Down: a match made in heart attack heaven
I stayed more or less thin through high school but when I moved out on my own at 19, I quickly gained about 10lbs. From there my weight rose each year. I didn't cook much in my younger days, I preferred the same stuff I ate growing up: frozen dinners, chicken nuggets, and fast food. I always thought eating healthy was for losers. I figured I was going to die anyway, might as well enjoy myself while I can. For awhile, I even sneered at runners outside, although I think part of that was I was jealous I couldn't run, too.

Fortunately I have a decent metabolism and never got too overweight, although I do think slow weight gain made it harder to care about my weight slowly increasing.

I'm not sure what made me come to my senses in 2009. That summer is when I started working out consistently. I think when I saw myself start to lose weight, I wanted to help it along by eating better as well. By that time, I knew several people who lived healthy lifestyles and I had come around and realized they weren't losers, they enjoyed being healthy and they were all the happier because of it.

In 2010 when I moved home to Ontario, I was down about 20lbs from the year before, but I gained it all back and then some because I had access to fast food. Not to mention, Anthony and I would go out to eat all the time.

In 2013, we were both hating how we looked felt and looked in photos and started eating low carb. We both saw success with it, and I even had to go out and buy all new clothes.

Happy ending though, right? Not really so. I've been finding that the effort to eat well makes it hard to think about anything else. I end up becoming obsessed with food and feeling like I'm in a constant state of deprivation. I feel consumed by food (instead of the other way around). I would have several days in a row of eating perfectly, but then I would end up binging on food all day long and feeling intensely guilty the next day. I'm smart enough to know that all of that is very mentally unhealthy. I also realize that most of my motivation to eat well is for my physical appearance, but that shouldn't be the main reason I eat well.

I'm not really sure why I struggle so much, but I've found it difficult to balance between eating in a way that doesn't cause me to gain weight and eating so well that I'm a mental wreck. I try to tell myself that instead of hard restrictions like, "20g of carbs or less per day," my goal should be things like, "When given options, make the healthier choice."

I don't think I'm there yet, but I'm working on it. I definitely can't and don't want to eat the way I used to. Crappy food makes me feel sick and I love the way I feel when I'm eating well, but I still have a mega sweet tooth. I do think part of my problem is that I have a mental image in my head of how my body should look, even though it would likely be difficult to achieve and maintain. I don't think I've come to fully accept the fact that the compromise of looking "ideal" isn't worth all the pain and suffering. I think I need to find a place of "good enough." Maybe that's a pathetic, defeatist way of handling my problem, if it even is a problem. Maybe society created this problem for me. I don't know, and that's really the best I can say before I drone on too long and miss NaBloPoMo Day 3.

NaBloPoMo 2015 Day 1: Running

Hello and welcome to day 1 of National Blog Posting Month! I incorrectly thought it was called National Blog Writing Month but I have since changed my ways, and my post label.

Ah, running. Running is usually the first thing I'll list if you ask me what my hobbies are.

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by running. As a kid, my family participated in a 5k walk every Father's Day to benefit a local non-profit charitable organization. You could run or walk, but we always walked. I remember seeing the runners whiz by, and I was mesmerized and wished I could join them. To the casual observer, running looks so easy, so natural. If you've ever run, you'll know that's not the case.

In elementary school, I loved track but I never ranked high enough to advance, so I never took it too seriously. At some point as a teenager, I really wanted to run a 10k, because it just sounded so badass. I joined a 10k training class and struggled to keep up. Unfortunately, I ended up badly spraining my ankle horsing around at school and my budding running career abruptly ended.

I didn't attempt to run again until I was 21, at which point I started running on treadmills. I did that on and off until I moved back to Ontario and began running outside, which was amazing compared to the dreadmill. I always struggled a lot, on the treadmill and outside. Running felt so much harder for me than it should have been. When I started playing soccer in 2013, it was clear I had a problem and my doctor, along with a respirologist, confirmed what I assumed all along: that I had exercise asthma. Armed with Singulair and a salbutamol inhaler, suddenly nothing could stop me. I got better and better until joining races seemed like the logical next step.

I ran 6 races in 2014; five 10ks and a half marathon to finish off the year. I ran the aforementioned Father's Day race (10k), which was a huge source of pride for me as I finally made my childhood dream a reality.

In all honesty, I am not that great at running. My times are pretty average and races are never my best times, but it doesn't faze me. I just like running for running's sake. I don't care if I win anything, I'm out there because I enjoy the feeling of the wind in my face and my feet on the pavement. I love getting into the groove, zoning out while the scenery goes by, a good tune in my ear and my thoughts far away. Sometimes it's almost a religious experience (as is the shower when you get home). Yes, sometimes it completely and utterly sucks. Sometimes the wind pummels your face, your feet ache, your sides cramp, your thighs chafe, and you wonder why you subject yourself to such misery. But after awhile, the good runs outnumber the bad. Running truly is a sport/hobby where you get what you put into it.

Running while sick: literally. the. worst. I've been trying to break my fist clenching habit.
I've already signed up for one race in 2016 and I am really excited about it. It's a 30k (18 mile) race in Hamilton in April, called Around the Bay. I'm not quite ready to commit to training for a full marathon (26.2 miles/42k) but since I already have a half marathon under my belt, I thought this would be a good step up. I am pumped to have something to train for over the winter since I really enjoy the winter running season outdoors.

So there you go, my #1 hobby on this #1 day of NaBloPoMo. Stay tuned as tomorrow as I'll be talking about dieting and healthy eating!

NaBloPoMo 2015

I've decided to participate in National Blog Posting Month again! I haven't done it in several years and I feel like it's time again.

This is the agenda so far, but it's still a work in progress.

November:

1. running
2. dieting/healthy eating
3. my hobbies
4. sewing
5. my cat
6. why I quit Reddit
7. my plans for 2016
8. living in a long distance marriage
9. my favourite photos
10. our wedding
11. 5 months post surgery /HBD Tori
12. Nunavut
13. a blog entry in French
14. advice I live by
15. advice for jaw surgery patients
16. my favourite recipes
17. cake decorating
18. a day in my life
19. places I’d like to visit
20. favourite things from weddings I’ve been to
21. live blog of Michigan-Penn State game
22. deciding to change my last name
23. being childfree
24. driving anxiety
25. why I blog
26. TBD
27. TBD
28. TBD
29. TBD
30. TBD
31. reader’s choice

If you have any topic ideas for me, I'm all ears. But I take back what I said on Facebook: no silly answers, please. 

16 Weeks After Double Jaw Surgery + Sliding Genioplasty

Hey everybody!

Today I am 16 weeks post surgery, which in English is "just shy of 4 months." October 11th will be 4 months but I am going to be busy that week so I'm updating now.

Overall, things are still slowly improving.

Numbness: The front of my chin is still mostly numb. I say mostly because I can tell when something is touching it and I can feel when something cold touches it, but it's very reduced. The numb area is about the size of a quarter or a loonie.

Parts of my palate are coming back, but most of it is still numb as well. I get funny sensations in it sometimes, usually a cold twinge.

My gums are coming back more and more as well. I think I can feel my gums at the front of my mouth (top and bottom), but I'm not 100% sure. I realize that makes no sense but oh well.

Swelling: I feel like at this point, the swelling is mostly gone, like 95%. I'm sure I'll continue to see small improvements over time, though.

Chewing: Getting better every week. I find that I can chew a few strong bites but then fatigue and pain quickly set in. I have not attempted any chunks of meat or salads yet.

Issues: The left side of my bite is still not closed at the back and not improving whatsoever. Every time I see my ortho, he asks if my tongue sits in the space. I think he thinks I'm tongue thrusting, thus preventing the space from closing. I'm not tongue thrusting and I am 100% compliant with my elastics, so something is obviously wrong. The elastic is hooked onto a tooth that has the TPA attached to it, so I'm wondering if the elastic isn't strong enough. The TPA is literally an anchor that's supposed to stop your molars from moving, so maybe that's why.

Words cannot convey how frustrating it is to go through all this trouble and still have bite issues. From the start of the consultations until the time you get surgery, everyone is promising you that you're going to have perfect results and it's going to solve everything.

On top of all this, I have had really bad pain in my right TMJ. I've had pain in it since right after the surgery, but it's worse now since I can only chew on that side. Sometimes it's so bad, I can barely open my mouth. The other day I had to take one of my Percocets to ease the pain. Although I had TMJ pre-surgery, I never had joint pain. The pain should ease off after awhile but there's no guarantees.

Even on a good day, I can still only open my mouth 2 fingers wide which at this point, isn't good. Granted, I'm not able to practice opening because of the elastic trying to pull my molars down.

The one positive I've noticed since surgery was when Anthony and I went on our honeymoon. Before when I flew on airplanes, I would get intense pain in my eustachian tubes. When I say intense, I mean on a scale of 1 to 10, the pain was a 12. This time, I had a little bit of pressure on the flight to Newfoundland and none on the flight back. When the wheels touched down in Toronto, I looked at Anthony and said, "Oh my god, we just landed and I barely noticed!" Normally I am acutely aware of the entire descent because of how much pain I'm in.

I only have 2 photos this time because I'm sick and also lazy.