Carpooling is worth it...

My department recently hired a new employee and she's a resident of Barrie. This is great for me because I now have a carpool buddy. I wasn't sure if it was going to work out because I love my independence but this is a great way for me to save money on gas. I used to spend around $300 per month but I think it'll be down to $150-$200 depending on how often we can carpool. The only times we don't drive together is when one of us has a commitment after work in which we aren't going straight home. Driving together also passes the time--a 1.5 hour commute can be extremely boring so chatting seems to make the time fly.

The only thing that drives me nuts is that she's always late in the mornings. We're supposed to meet at the carpool lot at 6:30am but she normally pulls in around 6;40-6:45am. Since I drag my butt out of bed to meet her on time, it annoys me that she's late everyday. If this keeps up, I might have to say something.

Happy carpooling!!!

Stano's Dirty 30 Birthday Party

Last weekend was Stano's 30th birthday party. Michelle organized an amazing day full of hockey for the boys, lunch at THE PUB (a local "dive" near our house), a BBQ dinner at their house, a Twister competition (which Teresa won!), never ending shots for everyone, and tons of dancing.

Other highlights include: the caramel pecan cheesecake (best cheesecake I've ever had), the NO t-shirt party (which almost every guy participated in), and the Leaf's winning in overtime.

The entire day was action packed and I know a number of people spent ALL of Sunday recovering from the festivities.

Thanks for organizing such a great day. I hope Chris appreciates all the hard work you put into everything.

Our pictures can be viewed in my "favorite links". Enjoy!

Trip to Lake Placid

Our trip to Lake Placid was awesome. Although it was only four days, two of which we spent skiing/snowboarding, that was enough time to hit all the slopes, check out the Olympic sights, and get to know the town. Josh and I commented at how nice it would be to also visit during the summer months because the mountains and waterfalls would be gorgeous. Hikers and mountain bikers would have plenty to do!

During our visit we went to Whiteface Mountain Resort (home of the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics), we went outdoor skating on the Olympic speed skating rink, and had a few amazing meals at local restaurants. The best meal, which we had at Pete's Steakhouse (for anyone looking to find a fabulous high-end restaurant), was to die for. We highly recommend this place.

Another highlight for Josh was duty free. He was pretty excited to buy a 40-oz of Crown Royal for US$18. Haha.

Thanks for the great trip Josh. I had a fun time. :)

Newest online addiction...Facebook.com

For those of you that haven't heard of Facebook.com, you need to sign up! It's a fun website that allows you to connect to friends, family, co-workers, classmates...ANYONE. I wasn't too keen on joining because sometimes I feel that I belong to too many clubs or groups but after Josh and Scott convinced me that this was a great way to pass time (while I'm bored at work) I decided to give it a try.

Holy Moly I've found a lot of people who I haven't heard from in years! People I went to elementary school with, people I worked with when I was 16, people that have moved away, and a ton of my friends that I still see all the time.

Give it a try. Maybe we'll become "Friends".

Going to the chapel, going to get...

Hahaha...before you think I'm getting married, I'm not! Christine and Tony are getting married on September 29th, 2007 and they've asked me to be part of their wedding. Karen (Christine's sister) is the Maid of Honour and Ash, Grace, Jen, and I are all bridesmaids. :) I've never been part of a wedding so I'm super excited!

I'll keep you posted on the progress, including the Buck & Doe details.

Tennis is January?!?!

A member from the Barrie Tennis Club emailed me today saying that the club president would be putting up the nets this afternoon because the weather is so nice. The idea is to get a bunch of people together, call the local newpaper, and draw some attention toward the club.

How many times have you heard of playing tennis in January in Barrie, Ontario?!

Sounds like fun to me.

New Years Party was a HUGE Success!!!!

Josh and Sherri organized this year's New Years Eve party and many of the same people who attended last year's party came this year, plus a bunch of newcomers. The final headcount was 160!!!

Thanks to everyone that attended. Not only was it a super-fun time, but a bunch of money was raised for charity. The profits (which totalled almost $800) will be donated to the Big Brothers & Big Sisters.

I hope everyone had a great time. I know Ashley did. I must have had a handful of people say to me "I've never seen Ashley so wasted!" Lol. And who knew James was such a dancing machine?!?!

I'll be uploading my photos within the next week or so.