UGH!!!!!!

So a few days ago, I came home from work, tired, feeling a bit under the weather and planning on a nice evening at home, catching up on some email and relaxing, playing a bit on the computer. But the computer had other ideas. :( First, the screen went, well, wonkey. The bottom 1/2 looked like a channel is off pattern from the TV, the top 1/2 looked like TV snow. :(

I turned the computer off, waited a few minutes and turned it back on. Or tried to. It wouldn't start. My computer is (was) a Compaq laptop. It was only 16 months old. I bought it at Best Buy. Took it there. Yeah...$90 +tax to look at it ( with 10% taxes...about $100). Best guess...needs a new motherboard. Cost--$450 for the part and $150 to install (that's on top of the $100 diagnostic charge). Total---$700. Promise this won't happen again in a few months? None. Ugh.

So I looked around, shopped around....and still spent $700! But I have a brand new shiny laptop. With a larger screen. More RAM and ROM. And a 3 year, it's all covered warrenty (including battery, power cord, everything!). So this shouldn't happen to me again anytime soon. Oddly enough...it's from Staples. Much better deal and much better service agreement. Cheaper service agreement too.

Service contract good worldwide, anyplace I can find a Staples store. They'll even keep track of my service agreement for me so if I lose the receipt or it fades...I'm still covered. :)

A few other UGHS! while I'm on a roll....

I have to take my car back to the states sometime in the next few months. It's had 2 recalls on it recently. I don't need to take it all the way back to MN, I can just go down to ND. But still.....UGH!

And UGH! My first negative (but only slightly) with the Canadian Health Care system. Before going to a specialist (of any kind) you have to be referred by a GP or Family practice physician. OK, I get that. I even kind of agree. Keeps the more neurotic among us from wasting time of those who really need the specialists help. But oddly enough...OB/GYNs are considered specialists. So since my cramps have been bugging me lately....I go in to my GP on Monday. Maybe he'll just deal with it. I've been told most GP's in Canada will do pap tests and such (mine had asked how long it had been when I had my physical (about 9 months at that time)...and since it hadn't been a year he just said, "So you don't need one right now" I didn't even consider that he was planning on doing it! Hmmm... interesting. Being able to deal with all your basic health needs at one office. So is this what it's like to be a guy? ;)

On the up side of my life recently....

I'm starting to play an odd game. Underwater Hockey. Yes, it really IS a sport. It's also called Octopush. It's played in quite a few countries. As a matter of fact...the world championships in 2012 are being held in Minnesota! So I've been swimming quite a bit. And losing some weight (or at least some inches...I had to buy a belt to keep several pairs of pants from falling to my hips!)

I got a letter from the IRS. (wait...shouldn't that be in the UGH catagory?) ;) Actually...it wasn't from the IRS...just forwarded by them. It was from a company trying to find me because a previous employer needs to contact me about an old retirement fund. :) Last I knew...I had about $1000 in it. (Doubt I have that much now...I'm pretty sure most of that was invested in the market!) But regardless....at least my funds will be catching up with me.

Fixed it!

I'm becomming quite the handyperson....both at home and work!

At work I've been fixing screen doors, putting doors back on hinges, filling/sanding/painting holes, repairing air vents...all the round the house stuff most people do on a weekly basis that haven't been getting done at the house.

At home...this morning I fixed a toilet. I replaced all the insides with all new insides and installed a new handle as well. Took about an hour (25 minutes or so was just getting the old stuff out...needed the locking wrench to get enough torque. :( And the directions say to just hand tighten...definately not just hand tightened or very, very old--but I'm betting on not just hand tightened!) And now...for the first time since we've moved in...that toilet is working like a toilet should! I'm so proud.

And it's nice to be appreciated when I do such things. Pat was happy it got fixed, the landlord is happy we take care of such things without calling expensive professional help. And work thinks I'm the best thing to come along since sliced bread. :)

Rememberance Day

Wednesday here in Canada was Rememberance Day. Yes, I know the US does have Vetran's Day that day too, but there is more...emphisis on the day here in Canada. I think there was this year in the US, due to what happened at Ft. Hood, but this is an every year occurance in Canada. Businesses, schools, some stores close for the day. Almost every community has a service of some kind. And everywhere, things stop at 11am, for two minutes of silence.

I was with my community band on Rememberance Day. We went to a smaller town to play for their ceremony. We started the program as people came in with marches (felt a bit odd for me--no Sousa here!) and old WWI and WWII favorite pop tunes. During the ceremony we played the National Anthem (O, Canada) and the Royal Anthem (God Save the Queen--Which I tend to think of as My Country tis of thee). I'm glad when I'm playing for these...I'm not sure what proper etiqette is...do I stand? Do I sing? Do I stay quiet? I've heard O, Canada enough now that I know the words. I could sing along. It's really a nice melody and the word are pretty good too. (I'll write them out at the bottom of this post for those who want to see them)

We also played several hymns. That felt a bit different. There is no overwelming sense of....religious fervor here in Canada. But a very great strong silent faith. I mentioned on the bus back after the ceremony how different it felt to have so much..religion in a patriotic holiday at a public ceremony (They are called services up here, with good reason as pastors/priests helped organize and led the time!) There were scripture readings, prayers, hymns. Can you imagine (if you are reading this from the states) your local town doing this?

Later that evening I went to a Rememberance Day concert given by a friend's choir. (not a church choir, but a secular, men's vocal group) Again, quite a bit of religious music, poetry and a talk by a local minister. It's really felt a bit odd to me to be part of that. Oddly...my friend noticed I didn't sing with the Anthems (both were sung that night) I don't know the words to "God Save the Queen" and didn't think the words I knew to the tune would be appreciated so I stayed quiet. He seemed to think it's ok if I sing "O, Canada" if i know the words. I really would like to know before the last football game on Nov. 22. If it's ok, I'll sing along then.

The words to O, Canada

O, Canada. Our home and native land. True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the true north strong and free. From far and wide, O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. God keep our land, glorious and free. O Canada we stand on guard for thee. O Canada we stand on guard for thee.

Differences...or why "I" have a an accent!

So I mentioned that I've been once again noticing differences. I think I'll start with pronounciation, move on into spelling and finish with some new vocab. :)

Again--in the upper midwest US it sounds like a-gen (with a hard g as in garbage)
--in Canada it sounds like a-gane, with a long a in the middle of it.

About--US--a bout
--Canada--a bute

Amen--US--ay men
--Canada--ah men

Against--US--a ginst
--Canada--ay gainst
almost any a is pronounced just differently enough for me to stand out.

Spelling...check vs cheque, color vs. colour, honor vs. honour tomato vs tomatoe (oh wait that's in both countries!--lol)

New words--well, this one isn't new, but i hear it a lot more here--queue.
--touque (a stocking cap)


Oh...and a new sport (at least to me, although I've been told there is a pretty good team in MN) Underwater Hockey. :) Yep...play with a puck and a mini stick and snorkeling equipment. Talk about kind of an odd game. And I may even get a chance to try to play it.

Updates....

So it's been a month since I've written....

Not a huge amount happening in my life. :) It feel nice to say that. No crisises. No drama. No huge worries. I'm almost bored.

But just busy enough that that isn't going to happen anytime soon!

Next week my concert band is going to a neighboring town to play for their Remembrance Day ceremonies. (For the Americans reading this...that's Veteran's Day, but with much more...emphasis. Similar to Memorial Day ceremonies, but only for military) I'm seeing poppies spring up on so many coats. It's amazing to me. I mean, the VFW in the US does give away those cheap red flowers outside malls/stores when you make a donation, but these are really nice looking red poppies that are springing up everywhere I look. It's going to be an odd day for me. I know very few of the songs we're playing (Battle Hymn of the Republic, God Save the Queen (or My Country Tis of Thee), the hymns we're playing.) All the other songs...Canadian patriotic songs. I feel almost foolish when the Director says "Now I know you all know the melody line to this one...It's Maple Leaf Forever" But I have no idea what that sounds like! Oh well. We're going by bus, so that should give me a couple of hours to get to know people a bit better too. :)

We (Pat and I) had about 10 people over for Canadian Thanksgiving. Which is a Monday in October instead of a Thursday in November. It felt a bit strange to be celebrating Thanksgiving so early. I may decide to invite some people over near the end of the month for American Thanksgiving. (Some of the foods are different here too. No green beans topped with onions, no sweet potato pie...but perogies. Which are good too. ;) But I kind of missed the green beans!) So if I do that, it will probably be some of the people from work and band...and I'll be making the green beans and sweet potatoes I'm used to.


I'm off to the last house for work in December/January. Then back to the first house again come February. Hard to believe it's been 7 months since I moved up here! I have the paperwork started for permanent residency. Still have to do an interview with the provincial immigration people. Then hopefully...in 6-9 months....a permanent resident card. :)

I really need to start writing more...I'm thinking now of all these other things I should be writing down about things I've been learning in Canada. So I guess...another post should be coming soon!