Back on the Wagon

Finally, I'm back in the gym on a semi-regular basis. It was pretty touch and go there with my workout schedule for the past, oh, 6 months. But with my waistline expanding and the number on the scale only going up, I don't want to have to go out and buy all new clothes. There aren't many gym options to choose from around here. The place we finally settled on is Nubody's, with the emphasis on settled. On the plus side, we are able to go to any Nubody's location. There is a club about 5 kilometers down the road. It's not even a year old, so the equipment is new and really nice. The best part is that it's never crowded. You can always get on any machine you want. They're opening up another club right downtown as another option to use (but parking is at a premium downtown). The downside to Nubody's is the horrendous customer service that we've received since the first time we stepped into their gym - it's almost like they don't want people to join. They have all kinds of absurd rules - no hats, no gum, no scents - how they monitor this stuff I have no clue. Honestly, on that side of things it's been nothing short of a hastle. I like to look at the positive - it's a great new gym and I'm back working out! Plus I've found out what a fun workout partner Ray is - he's quite hilarious to be next to on an elliptical machine - if I only had a video camera - he makes me get my ab workout without doing a single sit up - HILARIOUS that man is.

New Logsdon

Say hellllooooo to Cloie! Yes, another girl has been added to the Logsdon clan. I am sure that is just what you wanted Dad, another "catty" woman running around!! Mom received this little bundle of joy from Santa! I can't believe how tiny and cute she is...she looks like a little poof. Looking at these pictures it makes me want to get one. Now with any luck she can be taught to bury her poo just like I was taught back in the Heights...stillllll going!! Ray has had a hard time learning to knock when he needs something from the hall closet...JUST KIDDING....(for seriously, I'm just kidding!)

Anyway, I felt compelled to give Cloie a little "showtime" on the highly-viewed blog. Though the royalty fees that Cloie's "agent" demands for these pictures are downright obscene! Just because her big brother, Andy the wonderdog, is into Scientology with Tom Cruise doesn't make this little pussycat a star...she'll need to earn her keep.

Funny little story...

Let me just give out the ol' Nerd Alert from the get on this post...you have been warned!

Earlier this evening, Ray and I were out on the back patio while Sally and Champ were out "doing their business". Since it's decently cold outside we got all bundled up for the step outdoors. As my parents will attest, I've always enjoyed star gazing and pointing out the constellations (especially in the dead of winter...right Dad). My favorite has always been Orion the Hunter and his belt. So I pointed him out first and then pointed out Cassiopeia. Here I am looking like a dork pointing to the sky to show Ray. He starts pointing and says - hey look, there's Champy-go-peia. You can't help but laugh.

Poor guy

Ray's throat has been hurting him for the past couple of days. It all started when he started complaining that his throat felt swollen and was certain that one of my hairs was caught in there. I totally laughed at him and thought he was full of it. That was until we were at the gym on the elliptical machine and he started coughing and pulled one of my hairs out of his mouth. Of course I started laughing hysterically and almost fell off the machine myself. Anyway, his throat has a bunch of little white bumps - they cover the little hangy ball thing, the back of his tongue and throat - they look like little blisters. Here in Canada (and I'm told by the website it's sold in the States as well) they have a medicine for cough and throat irritation called "Buckley's". I laughed my ass off when I first saw commercials for this stuff...their slogan is "It Tastes Awful. And It Works." A big part of their marketing campaign is to have people taste the medicine and you see the nasty face they make from the taste (which I have witnessed first hand seeing Ray choke it down). Check out this commercial ~ they actually run this on TV!

Merry Christmas

This marks my first international Christmas celebration and wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays! We're making it a nice, relaxing day. As I told Ray's mom (p.s. thanks for the Christmas tree) this morning, I quit in the kitchen. Two days ago I was in the mood to make some holiday cookies - since we don't have any cookie cutters I went with chocolate chip cookies - simple, right...you'd think so. The recipe makes about 2 dozen, well all but TWO (2) cookies were burnt to a crisp on the bottom. It said to cook for 8-10 minutes; at exactly 8 minutes I pulled them out, burnt...Grrrr. Then I wanted to make some onion chip dip for Christmas (I love having that with regular lays potato chips). It's simple - onions, cream cheese, milk and a pinch of salt. Well I ended up with a sloshy mess! It didn't turn out AT ALL...how can I mess up something so simple? We'll see how the actual turkey turns out...but Uncle Ray is cooking it so I can't screw that up. Anyway, hope you have a Merry Christmas!!!

Ray really wanted to open up one present last night and the rest today on Christmas. I was so excited (I know mom & dad, some things never change) that we ended up opening everything last night. I really had no idea what I'd be getting, but Ray did such a good job shopping for me. I got a couple shirts, a sweatshirt, a new Nike water bottle (I had left mine in Az when I moved), a $15 gift card to Tim Horton's (many of you know about that little joke), and a new Coach bag (YAY!!!!) that is super ultra mega cute! Oh, he also got me snow tires for my car, tre romantic. I got him a new Mont Blanc belt that he's been eying, a memory stick for his computer and a digital picture frame pre-loaded with pictures and music for his enjoyment. I think we both made out quite well.

Tomorrow is Boxing Day here in Canada. It's the big shopping day of the year (kinda like the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S.). I think we'll be heading out at some point to try to find some great shopping deals...I'm hoping to locate a good deal on a digital camera - it'll take the blog to a whole new level, Guaranteed!

Old Dog, New Trick

Who said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks? And who said that Champ isn't very smart (that depends on the day of the week you ask Ray)? It makes me so excited that I was able to teach ol' Champy a trick!!! This is from the girl who has never even taught a dog how to sit...it's quite the accomplishment if I do say so myself. I've been working with the big white guy to stand on his hind legs when I say "up" for a little over a week and he's got it down. First, let's get the "tail" of the tape on Champy-boy...he's 5 1/2 years old(going on 105!) & tippin' the scales at 75-large!! SO, needless to say dancing on his hind legs is no small feat. The only downside is that this little effort takes a tremendous toll on Champ which means his first effort is his best trick and after that it gets progressively worse, if not impossible to make it happen multiple times. The video is not Champ's best work, oftentimes he'll spend quite a bit more time upright without leaning on me and every once in a while will do a nice little pirouette. I taught him this trick without using any food or treat in my hand at the time (but he knows to expect a treat once he jumps up). It's so great to see the expression on his face and the way he carries himself after he does it; it's like he's so proud of what he's just done. I sure love that guy. Sally is so funny because she knows that once he does the trick they both will get a cookie.

Num Num Num

As celebration of the new gig, Uncle Ray took me out for dinner last night to our favorite restaurant here - Pastalli. Their Italian cuisine is truly to die for. It was so good last night that it warranted it's own post on the blog. The meal definitely ranks among the top 3 feasts of my life. We started it all off with a 1/2 liter of the house red (I got a bit of a buzz since I drank what Ray didn't). They have a great little bread bar and Ray toasted a few pieces of garlic bread to perfection. For the main course, I ordered the Coquille Saint-Jacques - Bay of Fundy scallops (which are local!) sautéed in white wine and lemon cream sauce with melted provolone and mozzarella chesses...sooooo freaking good. It was also served with spaghetti pesto and a Cesar salad. Ray got the Shrimps Portofino - Shrimps, mushrooms, pine nuts, spinach and red pepper sauce with penne pasta. We topped off the celebration with my favorite dessert - tiramisu. I've had A LOT of tiramisu in my day and I'm confident to report that this was THE BEST TIRAMISU OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! It was so light and airy and packed full of flavor. Well if you end up coming here for a visit, we'll make sure to go to Pastalli for dinner...

*The picture was taken a few weeks back while we were out on the town...last night we were a bit more dressed up.

All Geeked Out

Last week I got Photoshop CS3 (the most updated edition) installed on my computer. It really is an amazing program but is nothing like the first versions that I learned how to use years ago in college. I was frustrated with all the new features so Uncle Ray took me to the book store and bought me the Photoshop for Dummies reference guide.


I've been spending much of my free time reading the book and sitting in front of my computer all geeked out. It's crazy because you can really create anything you have in your head, once you really understand how to use all the features of the program. I love this stuff. I think if I could do it all over, I would've gone to school for graphic design and worked in the creative services industry. For now, I'm helping the Moncton Wildcats with creating some materials in my free time. Shoutout to Mom & Dad for getting me this computer!!!

Heck Yeah!!!

I'm mega excited! I received a phone call this morning and was offered a job. I'm the new Special Events Coordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). If you click on the links they will take you to the job description and the CCS website. My first official day is January 7th (Mary Beth's birthday). I am very excited about the position; working events is right up my alley and fits perfect with my career path. I love the idea of working for a non-profit as well. The CCS's mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. The position offers a competitive salary, full health benefits, 3 weeks vacation, every other Friday off during the summer and the office is closed from Xmas through New Years...not bad. It really is crazy how things find a way of working out. It'll be a little strange come January 7th...it's the first time that Ray and I will both be gainfully employed.

Snowglobe Boy

I came across this yesterday and thought it was worth sharing with all of you. I guess this just took place and ended yesterday. Snowglobe Boy broke the world record of the most time spent inside of a snowglobe: 78 hours, 30 minutes and 1 second. He did this to raise money for The Center for Child and Family Health located just outside of Durham, NC (where he lived in the snowglobe). Pretty cool.

Check out his video inside the snowglobe!



Snowglobe Boy answered a these questions on his blog:

Q: Do you get bathroom breaks?
A: Yes I do! I get exactly 51 minutes of break time each day! I came up with 51 minutes by adding the days of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa; then multiplying that number by three because there are three holidays this month! I hope it’s enough time! I can’t spread holiday cheer from a messy snowglobe, now can I?

Q: Are you going to sleep in there?
A: Yep! And I can’t think of a better place on Earth I’d rather do so! It’s beautiful inside this globe!

Q: Why are you doing this, seriously?
A: I want to spread holiday cheer! Hopefully, seeing my excitement for the Holiday Spirit will inspire everyone around the globe to exclaim, “Season’s Greetings!” to everyone they meet!

If you're interested in contributing to the cause, visit the CafePress store to buy Snowglobe Boy T-Shirts, 100% of the proceeds will go to CCFH!

How Charlie Got Her Pillow Back

It's been just over 2 months since my arrival to Canada. Before my departure from Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl. Airport, I obviously had to pack up all my earthly belongings. I decided what to put into storage in Arizona, figured out what I could pack into two suitcase to take on the flight and what I could shove into the trunk of my car. The day before I boarded the plane I arranged to have my car shipped from AZ to Bangor, Maine (because Ray has friends there that were nice enough to let it sit in their driveway for the last two months); I was uncertain and nervous as to the shape my car would be in when I saw it again. Since I filled the trunk with stuff, I was worried about the contents all remaining in the vehicle (I was most worried about my favorite, #1 pillow). It felt like it took forever to get all the necessary documents together to bring my car into the country (it was much harder than I anticipated since I don't own the vehicle). Plus, we had to find date that would work with Ray's busy hockey schedule to make the 12 hour round trip excursion. We made the trip down to Maine yesterday. I'm happy to report that my car is in the same condition as when I last saw it in Phoenix.

More great news, we were able to kill several birds with one stone with the trip yesterday. On the way down to the States we stopped at the border and were able to get me a work permit issued!!! Yay, I'm here in Canada legally now and can actually get a job! You really have no idea how good that feels. I have a great job prospect on the horizon as well. I had a second interview on Friday and have a really good feeling about it. I don't want to jinks anything, so once I'm offered the job (yes, I'm putting that out there) I'll be posting everything about the job and organization (both are a great match for me).

So, it took two month (which has felt more like 6) for me to get my work permit, car and most importantly, my favorite pillow here to Moncton! I haven't slept as good as I did last night in months...all is starting to fall into place.

Oh, and Ray is well past 6 times of shoveling. Yes, we do have a plow company come and take care of the driveway but he still has shoveled the back patio and stairs for the dogs to go down to do their business. We're getting hit with our second blizzard tonight...the snow just starting coming down. I have a feeling there will be plenty of opportunity for Ray to get those shovel muscles into shape this winter.

Mmmm Meat

They have this store here called M & M Meat Shops and I love it! They are the largest retail chain of specialty frozen food in Canada and have locations all over the country. The best thing I can compare it to would be Schwan's except M&M's doesn't deliver. You can get pretty much any type of frozen food you can think of. Everything from appetizers to deserts, plus they have individual and family portions. The frozen meals taste a bazillion times better than anything at the grocery store, truly quality food. Last night we had some mini cream puffs for desert that were quite tasty. I'm thinking tonight I'm in the mood to try the bacon wrapped scallops. Great find on Ray's part!!!

Crazy Taxes

One major difference I see here in Canadialand is how expensive taxes are on all goods and services. In Canada, the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) combines the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Provincial Sales Tax (PST) into a single sales tax. No joke, HST is currently 14%!!! For those bad at math, if you buy something that costs $100, you pay $114. I totally see the difference at the grocery store and when going out for dinner (especially when tip is added to the bill). The newspaper reported that on January 1st we will see a 1% decrease in HST, at least it's something. Oh, and in case you're wondering, gas is currently $1.07...A LITER! There are about 4 liters in a gallon...making it approximately $4.28 per gallon. All I can say is, CRAZY.

One Month Anniversary!

I can't believe that it is already the one month anniversary of my blog "Charlie's Adventures". I have to say that I have really enjoyed the writing and creative process of the endeavor. Mostly, it has given me something to do during these cold winter days while I'm looking for a job. One of my favorite parts of the blog is receiving your feedback. Please, leave comments when you've got something on your mind and let me know if there is something that you would like to have featured. I've been told that not everyone knows how to post a comment. It's simple, under each post there will be a link in pink that says "comments". Just click on that link, it will take you to the comment page. Just put the cursor in the box that reads "Leave your comment" and type away. If you have a Google account (such a Gmail) you can just enter your login information. Don't worry if you don't have one, you can simply click on Nickname and type your name OR you can publish anonymously. Once you're finished click the "Publish Your Comment" button on the bottom.

Thanks so much for logging on and reading! There will be plenty more to come from the great white north.

A Sad Day...

It was reported yesterday that our beloved Siberian Tiger "Tomar" passed away. Tomar was the real life mascot of the Moncton Wildcats (Ray's hockey team) as well the Magnetic Hill Zoo. Before moving here, I have said that I wanted to go to the zoo to meet and see Tomar. Sadly, I will never get that opportunity. Click here to read the accompanying article in our local newspaper. I was sad when Ray gave me the news, but was even more shocked at how blunt the article was about his demise. As you can see, the headline reads "Tomar the tiger dies" and the very first sentence of the article is "Tomar is dead." I guess they don't sugarcoat anything up here!

This evening at the Wildcats game there was an announcement about his death and clearly took some of the crowd by surprise (he was a fan favorite). Tomar had been sick for the past year with renal failure. He was 19 year old, which I'm told is quite old for a Siberian Tiger. I guess his 9 lives were just up.

Here's some additional information on this breed of tiger...

Siberian Tigers are the largest of the living cats. Their average weight is 500-700 pounds and the length of the body is 8-10 feet. The record weight for this species is 845 pounds. These animals can be easily recognized by their remarkable coat, which is long, dense and very warm. In summer the coat is more reddish than in winter. The dark stripes on the yellowish coat disrupt the outline of the body in dense cover and make Siberian Tigers almost invisible to the prey. Of all Tiger species Siberian Tigers have the palest coat and the fewest stripes.

Siberian Tigers are very massive and powerful with heavily muscled limbs and shoulders. All their body is adapted to hunt large prey. Hind limbs of a Siberian Tiger are longer than forelimbs to facilitate jumping. Their paws are very large and equipped with long retractile claws that are ideal for grabbing and holding the prey.

The jaws are very strong and the teeth are sharp. Eyes of a Siberian Tiger are situated in the front that allows for evaluating the distances better. These creatures are able to peel skin away from the prey and rasp flesh away from bone with a rough tongue. Siberian Tigers have a loose skin in the belly to minimize the hurt of kicking by prey.

Super Ultra Mega Excited!!!

My favorite TV show of all time has just wrapped up filming the movie! Sex and the City on the big screen, Spring 2008, I can't wait. I've been anticipating this since the last episode. I've never actually had HBO, but I do have all of the Sex and the City seasons on DVD and have watched all of them multiple times. I think part of the reason that I like writing this blog is that I get to kinda be like Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) - you know, being a writer, typing my thoughts on my laptop (yes, I'm a nerd with a sometimes overactive imagination). I really can't wait to see what these ladies have in store - oh, and Mr. Big is also in the movie!!! Check out trailer for the movie, it was just released today.

Word of the Day

Ridonkulous. Definition = greater than ridiculous or stupidity mixed with ridiculousness (created and defined by Ray). Every time I would say that something is "ridiculous", Ray would say "ridonkulous" (sometimes singing the word opera style) and it has really caught on with me. Here are a couple examples of when to use the term ridonkulous: The fact that I've been here in Canada for 2 months and just got approval today to bring my car here (FINALLY) = RIDONKULOUS! Getting 54 centimeters (approx. 22 inches) of snow in about 24 hours = RIDONKULOUS! Use this word in a sentence today! Try and use it; it may feel a little weird at first, but will become one of your favorite words.

Here is the perfect example of when the use of the word is totally appropriate...check out Kelli Pickler (from American Idol) on Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? = Ridonkulous!

Let it snow!!!

Snow Day 4 Me & Uncle Ray!!!

Well the weather outside is frightful! We're currently getting hit hard (not quite as hard as the lady in the video on the right) by the first Maritime blizzard of the season. And I'm not talking ice cream, more like 2.5 FEET of snow and it's still coming down...plus it's just a blowin' out there. Couldn't see the car. Thankfully, Ray hooked up the snow removal guy a couple days ago, just in the nick of time. And Uncle Ray go me these really cute snow boots yesterday (he's got great taste, OBVIOUSLY)...couldn't have been more timely really.


I got to test the boots out in a friendly little snowball fight this morning. I can't remember seeing snow like this...it's fun on day 1, but I know it won't go much past that. It's kinda fun that Ray isn't going into work (at least for the better part of the morning) until the roads are cleared. Thankfully, as the song states; I have no particular place to go. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

Wiiiiiiiiii

Let's get one thing straight first. I absolutely hate video games, always have. I think they're a total waste of time and most are way too confusing for me to grasp anyway - plus I just don't see the point. The only games I've ever liked have been tetris, pac-man, and super mario brothers (the original) - I guess because they're only one or two buttons and relatively easy.

All of this has changed for me very recently. Last season on Run's House (one of my favorite reality shows) the youngest kid, Diggy, was given a few hundred bucks to go shopping for clothes. He ended up using all the money to purchase a Wii video game system. During the episode his dad (Rev Run) wanted to see what the big deal was with the video game and why he spend all his clothes money on it, and he got hooked and loved playing too. It looked like a blast because your body movement controls the game. For example, if he was playing baseball he had to swing the controller like a bat.

My good friend Willie, who I worked with at the RoadRunners, is also a fan of the show. I'm not sure if it's because of seeing that episode, or if he was sold on the Wii before that, but he went out an bought a Wii. Unfortunately, I moved here to Moncton shortly after that and never got the opportunity to play.

Well last week Willie moved here to Moncton (YAAAYY!!!! Super happy he did, Willie is the man) to work with Ray and the Wildcats...and he brought his Wii. He let us borrow the Wii this past week to give it a try. IT'S THE BEST VIDEO GAME SYSTEM OF ALL TIME!!! It was funny because Ray didn't want anything to do with it - but he hasn't wanted to get off of it! It really is amazing - we played tennis, golf, baseball and bowling. It's so fun because it's so realistic and you really have to get into it for it to work up to it's potential - we were sweating a few times from playing so hard. Not to mention the fact that my shoulder and bicep are a bit sore (I must be out of shape). The two best features of the game are it's SO EASY - there are literally 2 buttons - and you have to get up off the couch to play. LOVE IT!

It's a sad morning for me because I just boxed the Wii up to return it to Willie. I have a feeling that we will be making a stop a Toys R Us at some point to pick one up. If you've got someone on your Christmas shopping list that you don't know what to get for them, I HIGHLY recommend the Wii (even though it is a bit pricey - right around $300 - it's TOTALLY worth it).

Confessional

I've watched a LOT of reality TV and have always wanted to get inside the "confessional booth" and record my thoughts. I'll be posting these occasionally for your viewing pleasure.