Life Lately

I have not written here in a while!
I guess the fact I'm now working full-time has something to do with it!
I'm going to try to write more often! I love blogging and I want to share more.

Random!

• I have been sick with a cold for the past week and I don't feel good at all!

• Working at night is definitely not fun, 6:00pm to 10:00pm is not my favorite work schedule! 

• I got a wonderful gift for my birthday: my boyfriend and I are going for one week in Dominican Republic next March! Can't wait! What a great gift!

Birthday gift!

• I want to buy an elliptical (under $500 if possible!) that will not break after using it for 6 months! Any recommendation? We had a ProForm stationary bike but it broke after a few months so I don't trust that brand anymore!

• I really need to get back on a workout routine because I don't feel good! I don,t want to join a gym here because it's kind of expensive! This is the reason I want to buy an elliptical!

• Our apartment is a mess and I don't feel like cleaning! It's not like me!!!

• I have 2 To-Do lists but I feel really lazy today!

What's new with you? Any random thing to share?!

Happy November!

• Can you believe it's already November?!?! Almost the year 2013!!!!

• This is my birthday month (my birthday is on the 3rd, in 2 days!) but I'm not excited at all to turn 28! I'm getting old ha! It seems like yesterday I was 21!!!

• I like my teaching job... but I don't like the schedule at all. I mainly work at night (night classes) and it's so exhausting. I go to bed around 11:00-11:15 pm and I'm not used to that. I have to do a lot of classes preparation and sometimes, only 1 or 2 students show up for the class. Annoying. Honestly, I don't have a very good salary either (and it's not full-time) and it kind of bothers me. Well, I had to take that job because I need to work and to pay the bills like everybody! I know that my job situation could be worse! At least I have a job!

• Because yesterday was Halloween, I only had one student coming to my class! I thought nobody was going to show, I guess I was wrong!

• The weather has been crazy this week out here because of the storm Sandy. It's kind of depressing!

• I have not done a workout in a few weeks. I need to get back on a workout routine! I'm thinking about joining a gym but it's so expensive here!

• This month is the month I start paying back my student loan. Yikes.

What's going on in your life?

Blogging Mojo!

I think I have officially lost my blogging mojo!
I will try to get back to blogging soon!

We went to an Halloween party last night and I am so hangover today! Not used to drink anymore haha! I'm not 18 anymore, clearly!!!


A little update on the past few months:


-I finally graduated with my Master degree!

-I worked in Montréal for 2 months during the summer
-I FINALLY got a job in our hometown: I'm a French immersion teacher for immigrants
-We had to move into a new apartment in July (in the same city we were already living in!)
-My boyfriend also got a new fantastic job
-Life in general has been really busy
-I'm trying to adjust to working and not being a student anymore!


What's new with you?

Life Lately and Menu Monday!

I have not written in a while on my blog, I didn't feel like blogging at all.

In the past 3.5 weeks, I have done a lot and a lot of things have happened, like those things:

• I am officially done with my Masters. I'm getting my diploma on graduation in Québec city on June 16th! I can't wait!

• I met my niece for the first time, she was born on March 30th. She is so precious!

• I have done more than 300 km of bike.

• I have done the 30 Day Shred!

• I lost 5 pounds.

• I have organized old pictures (more than 2000!) and it was really fun to go through more than 2 decades of pictures!

• I read 6 books, just for fun! 

• I began to write a novel! Not sure how it will turn out but I'm trying to write! 

Also, I'm leaving for Montréal in a few days to work for 6 weeks, as I do every year. I will stay at my sister's apartment and I can walk to work, I love it! I can't wait to be in Montréal, I love that city! I will miss Boyfriend of course, but I need to work! 

* * *
It's the beginning of a new week! I have not done Menu Monday in a while!

Menu Monday


Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: BBQ pork chops, wild rice and a salad
Wednesday: Asian sauté
Thursday: Chicken tournedos, veggies and tomato salad
Friday: Pizza and feta salad

What's on your menu for this week?

Life Lately

• I got some great news this week. I am going to be a columnist for a French-Canadian website! I will be writing about girly topics, like makeup, shopping, chick lit, anecdotes, etc. I'm very excited! My first article will be online next week (in French, of course!). The editor told me that she really loves my writing! Of course, this job is only part time but it will look great on my resume! And writing is something I love to do!

• I have applied to 3 jobs this week and I hope to have at least one call!

• My parents are going to Montréal next week for a few days and I'm thinking about going with them! I'm still undecided. I miss big cities!

• Weight loss is going well. Remember, I'm doing The 10 Pound Challenge! I have lost 5 pounds so far! I'm tracking calories with myfitnesspal and I love it!

• It is Friday and I am so happy to have some time with my boyfriend this weekend! We don't have much planned (grocery shopping, coffee date, movie) but I'm looking forward to that! 

How was your week? Anything to share?

Happy weekend!

Busy Bee!

I'm sorry for the lack of posting but I have been so busy in the past few weeks! I have not read blogs in a while! Can you believe that it is already June people?!?! Summer is here! It is so warm in Montréal these days (around 30 degrees Celsius), I'm not used to that kind of weather! (In my hometown, it is not that warm, even in July and in August!)

I work around 34 hours per week marking French dissertations and I'm exhausted! It takes a lot of concentration to get that done! Most of the students are so bad at writing, I can't believe those are going to be university students in the Fall!

4 more weeks to go!

I love my new team of coworkers, I have made a few friends! Montréal people are nice, but some of them are kind of weird... Very self-center! Some of them just think that Montréal is the center of the universe and don't know anything about other cities in Québec!

I feel happy right now because this past weekend, the boyfriend and I were able to see each other for one  short day (well, we were together less than 24 hours, like 20 hours!) in Québec city (2.5 hours away from Montréal), but it was so great to see him! I missed him so much! We had a great time together, we rented a hotel on Friday night and on Saturday morning, we went for a fabulous breakfast at a restaurant named Cosmos (on Laurier Bld in Québec), it was so good! I had one big crepe with ton of fresh fruit and it was so delicious! We did a little shopping in the afternoon (for him that time!) and it was already time to say goodbye, I had to catch my bus back to Montréal at 5h00pm. I was sad to say goodbye to him but it's not forever!

I love being in Montréal but without him, it's not that much fun!

I have also been dealing with some troubles with my computer, not fun ones! I got scammed! :(  I will talk about that later!

I will be back soon!

Have a great week!

On Sunday, I was on the bus for 14.5 hours to get to...

Montréal!!!

I am in Montréal for the next 5-6 weeks, to do a work contract for the Government. I'm staying at my sister's apartment (she is not here for the summer, but her roommate is). It's great because I can walk to work (25 minutes X 2), so I walk almost 1 hour per day, it's good for me! And I don't have to deal with any traffic, no bus or subway, I love that! I just have to be really careful when I cross a street, Montréal drivers are not the nicer or the best!!!

My room (well, my sister's!) for the next month or so: 

It has been warm here, summer is totally here! Quite the opposite to what I'm used to! I'm already tanned!

I love Montréal, there is so much to do! This weekend I will do some shopping at the Marché Jean-Talon, a place where tons of fresh fruits and vegetables are sold!

I am missing the boyfriend of course, but we can do it, it's not the first time that we are in a long distance relationship, everything will be fine.

Have a great week everyone!

Random Friday!

• I had an exhausting week! I worked out in the mornings and all day long, I had to write my thesis! At nights, I went to our new place to paint et to do some cleaning and unpacking with my mom! This weekend will be the last big weekend to paint the place! Can't wait!!!

• I applied to some jobs but I have not heard anything yet... This is a stressful thing for me... I just hope to find a job soon!!!

• Lately, I'm kind in a lack of inspiration for my blog... I just seem to repeat myself week after week... I don't feel like writing a lot...

• My parents are getting a new car! Instead of selling it right away, they will lend me their old car for some months, so I'm happy! Very nice of them!

• Some friends of B are getting married this summer! I'm happy for them but I'm also kind of jealous because B and I have been together for 8.5 years and his friends only have been dating for like 2 years, I feel like my turn will never come... Each time B's friends get engaged or married, I feel that way because I just feel that B is not ready for that, even if he is now 29 and I'm 26... (and according to me, 8.5 years of dating is a long time, I don't know what B needs to make the move. We know each other so much and we live together and everything is fine.. Is he uncertain of his love for me or what?!) and I'm questioning myself...  He knows that I do want to get married but I know that he is not thrilled when I watch weddings tv shows and  when I talk about those shows!!! (thing that I rarely do!!!)
  Am I the only one to feel that way?!?!
  
  
  
  
  Happy weekend everyone!!!
  
  

Tuesday Thoughts

• The week has just started and I'm already exhausted!

• My meeting with my director thesis went well! She liked what I wrote!  I'm so relieved! I have now an other deadline, my 3rd chapter has to be done by March 29th, so in 5 weeks!!! No rest for me!!! 

• My work contract is ending Friday!!! It was supposed to end on next Wednesday (March 2nd), but no! :( I'm sad, less money in my pockets!!! One girl in my team works too fast and because of that, the contract ends early, all the dissertations are going to be marked by Friday... This girl marks around 20-25 dissertations per day!!! She's crazy!!! The average is around 7-8 dissertations (I do around 11 dissertations). So, she is really crazy and I don't  really like her, she seems to think she's the best... She doesn't seem to care about finishing early though, she lives at home with her parents and doesn't seem to need the money! Ahhh I'm really angry!!! 

• My younger brother O has a first job interview tomorrow! He graduated in December with an engineering degree and he is in the job hunt! I hope it goes well!

• I have not been to the gym in 3 days, I'm bad! I have to go tomorrow!

• I'm looking forward to watch the final episode serie of 24 tonight!! Jack is my hero haha!

• I made myself an hair apointment for next Friday (March 4th)! It was really a necessity!!! I love to get my hair done, it's so relaxing! And the best thing is that the salon I go to is just 5 minutes away from my brother's place!

• I have a hard time these days with English writing... I have been writing a lot in French for my thesis, so it's kind of hard to switch to English! I really have to think a lot before I write! I hope I'm not too bad!

Hope everyone had a great day!!!

Thief!!!

 

 No, I have not been robbed... But some of my coworkers had been!!! 

Yesterday, at work, one of the supervisors had her purse stolen, an other girl had her winter jacket stolen (400$ value!) and a guy had his lunch stolen!!! (Come on, how can you stole a lunch?!?!? A hungry thief, I suppose!)

That's so sad!!! We are pretty sure that's not someone from work, but an outsider... Our offices are pretty accessible and it seems that someone just went in and stole that stuff! Also, we don't work in the best neighborhood of the city, but I  never tought it was so bad!

Poor girl without a jacket!!! How people can do that?!?! It makes me really angry!!!

* * *

Our moving plans have changed! We are moving this weekenk!, one week early! The boyfriend and his step-dad  are coming with the big truck on Saturday and leaving on Sunday! But me, I can't move yet, I still have to work until March 1st. Since I will have no furniture at our apartment anymore (our lease ends February 28th), I will stay at my brother's place for like 3 weeks! (he is not there right now, he is in  an other city for a few weeks and he is moving too with his girlfriend in March!) He lives near the university, so it will be good for me because my gym is right there! So no more bus to take to go for a workout, it will save me a lot of time! His apartment is not as nice as mine, but it will be alright for 3 weeks ha! (I will live with his roommate in fact, but he is very nice.)

I have the day off on Friday, so it will be a packing day!

Miscellany Monday!

One

Today was one of the coolest day of the winter so far!

It was freezing outside, with the wind, about -35!!! (Celcius of course!). 

Pretty cold bbbrrrr!!! My jacket, my boots, my gloves and my scarf 

are keeping me really warm!

Two

It was a good day at work and someone brought cookies and candies for

all the staff! (about 75 people) I love it!

Three

I finally got the lamp I  wanted! And guess what?

My boyfriend LOVED it! (It's his own words!)

And another awesome thing is that I also bought a similar lamp, 

but taller than the one I showed you!!!

I have now the matching set and 

our living room will look great, I'm sure!

Four

Did I tell you that my boyfriend is coming to see me this weekend?!?

Yes, he is!!! He is flying to Québec Friday at noon! I'm so happy!

Five

I woke up earlier today to do the 30 Day Shred!

And the most surprising thing is that I will do it again tonight, 

I just feel so good after that! Am I crazy?!

I hope everyone had a great Monday!

The week is started!!!

Hello Weekend!

 I am so happy that we are finally Friday night! I have only worked 3 full days this week, but I'm so exhausted!!! Reading those bad dissertations all day long gets me really tired! I marked 7 dissertations today, about 1000-1200 words each, and 5 out of 7 were really really bad, those students flunked! Too bad for them, they will have to do it again in May! It's terrible to see that those 19-20 years old students don't know how to write in a proper French and don't know how to write a good dissertation (although they have been taught how to do it!) When I see a dissertation with like 50-60 (and more!) spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax errors, I'm just so discouraged!

I don't have any big plans for this weekend. Tomorrow, I'm going to the gym and after that, I will cook some meals for my lunches of next week, do some cleaning around my apartment and I will probably go to the shopping centre to buy this fantastic lamp I showed you yesterday! I sent a picture of the lamp to B but he didn't email me back yet! 

After that, I will probably relax and watch a movie home, maybe read a book! I need to take some time for me! I think I deserve it!

On Sunday, this is thesis writing time! This is the only time of the week I have to write it, so I have to get back to work and be efficient! My goal is to write about 8 pages on Sunday, I think it's a realistic goal! I have to get it done! I can do it because I rock!!!

Happy weekend to all of you, hope you 
all have a great time!!!

Back to Reality!

I'm back to Québec city! The bus ride was sooooo long (almost 11.5 hours!) and I was exhausted but I'm here now! I'm glad to be in my own things but I already miss B!

Today I have a lot of things to get done: unpacking my suitcase, cleaning, doing laundry and grocery shopping, going to the pharmacy, reading some stuff for my work which begins tomorrow! ( I'll still be marking French dissertations, but this time, it will be more difficult exams and it will a 2 whole months employment contract! That's good for me!)

College also started yesterday but since I have no class this semester (only working on my thesis from home on the weekend), I don't get to go to the campus! I save a lot of transportation time by doing that!

Let's start the day now! 

I will be back later with 2 posts on 2 awards I received!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Finally!

Last week and this week, I was working 8h30am-4h00pm and all evenings and all weekend long, I was working on my thesis! I'm exhausted! I am sick of sitting at my desk and I am sick of reading!!!

This is a picture of my desk at home, it's a mess!

But in the next 3 weeks, no more sitting at that desk!

I'm going home tomorrow for the holidays!!! And going home means seeing my boyfriend after 5 weeks!!! Can't wait!!!

I leave at 8h15am and I arrive home at 8h15pm! And the bus will probably be full, I hope someone nice will be sitting next to me!

I just want to be home and relax! And make the Christmas tree with my family and bake some cookies and some fudge!!!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! (But I will probably blog again before Christmas day!)

Busy Busy Busy!!! Did I mention the word busy?

I'm actually living a really crazy week! It explains my lack of posting! In the past days, I have been up by 5h20 and I go to bed at 11h00-11h30!

Work, thesis, stress, coffee, those are the key words!!!

I'll be back in a few days when things will be less crazy!!!

Happy Wednesday to all of you!

Random Friday!

• It's finally Friday! But I don't really have a weekend because I will be working on my thesis all weekend long! Deadline is approaching so fast!

• I didn't sleep good at all this week! So, I'm really tired! Hope to get better sleep tonight!

• I'm stressed because of my thesis! I have so much to do!!! I don't see an end to this! I have so much to write about, I always think of new things to add to my current thesis plan! I have now written about 95 pages!  (I thought that my whole thesis was going to be about 100 pages long, but it won't. It will be about 150 pages, I think! It's like a novel!) 

• I will maybe have to work on my thesis during the Holidays and I'm not happy with that! :(

• I'm jealous of my friend P, she finished her thesis last week, so she is free! But I know that my thesis is much more longer that hers, and it's not a competition!

• I have not done any Christmas shopping yet! I'm not sure what to buy for my boyfriend!

•  I have a hair appointment next Thursday, it's a good reward for the hard work I have done!

• I also have to go to the doctor next week. I hate doctor appointments, I feel so nervous before going and when I get there, I'm so stressed, even if I have no health issue and just going to have a new prescription! I also hate the fact that I don't have a family doctor, so I have to wait at the «no appointment clinic» and I never know when my turn will be!

• I drank way too much coffee yesterday!

• I feel like the days are all the same! I get up, have breakfast, get in the shower, get dressed (I dress with the same kind of comfortable clothes everyday! Sweatpants, t-shirt, hoodie!) and I do the same thing over and over: I write my thesis! 

•  I'm going to work 5 days, between December 15 and December 21. I'm going to mark French dissertations for the Québec Government. (Students have to pass that exam to have the High School diploma! If they fail, they can not graduate!) I'm used to this job and I love it!

• I feel lonely without B!

• I can't wait to be home!

This was a long random Friday post!!!


Bonne fin de semaine tout le monde!
Happy weekend to all of you!