Well, just in case I wasn’t sure I was really living in Canada, just in case the universal health care and uber-cold winters weren’t enough to convince me…
I saw beavers.
Yup, I saw three beavers while out for an evening stroll with the fam. And let me tell you…those suckers are BIG! We thought they were dogs at first. They were down in the river and we were up on a bridge {without my camera} so we didn’t get a close look. But they were definitely beavers. Maybe they were giving me a belated welcome to the great nation of Canada, kinda like this guy:

{Thanks to our friend Lola for sharing this video.}
I think I prefer my beavers in the river and not on the highway.

The good news?

• I’ve lost 2 pounds this week.
• UHEAA finally decided to be rational and accept a foreign check.
• The weather here has been beautiful.

The bad news?

• I’m dropping Good News Bad News as a meme. In the poll lots of people said they wanted to do it. But last week I had one participant. And the week before I only had 3. It’s kind of a pain to organize GNBN each week. And I’d rather spend my time writing than messing with code for a meme no-one seems particularly interested in. I may continue writing my own GNBN posts, but we’ll see.

I’ve created a new blog {yes, another one}! Join me in a quest to lose “The Last 30 Pounds” standing between me and my former, healthy weight. It’s part food journal, part exploration of weight-loss techniques, and all me.
For every comment left on 30lbs I will exercise at least 1 minute. I’d love your support, advice, etc. Maybe you’ll decide that you’d like to join me on the path to fitness.
Check it out when you get a chance!

“Ohio, the heart of it all” is a state slogan. Ohio is often called the heart of the midwest {it is rather heart-shaped}. Well, it’s definitely where my heart is because it’s where my family lives. Earlier this month Lucy and I took a little trip to surprise my mom for her birthday.
Boy, was she surprised!
My step-dad told her he had to drop a friend off at the airport so he could come pick us up. When he got home he told her “you’ll never guess who I ran into at the airport!” Then he called out “come on in!” And in I walked, Lucy in my arms. I think it took my mom a minute to register what she was seeing. But she seemed thrilled. It was awesome! Best. surprise. ever.
It took Lucy a while to warm up to Grandma {and she never quite fully got over her fear of Grandpa} but I think she enjoyed herself. She certainly enjoyed harassing the dogs and cat.

The good news is that Lucy handled all day travel really, really well both to Ohio and back. The bad news is that she was super shy and clingy while we were in Ohio.
The good news is that Mom had no idea we were coming and we succeeded in surprising her! The bad news is we had to say goodbye.
The good news is that Adam won 1st place and $200 in a video contest for the school science club. The bad news is that he ended up sleep deprived in the process.
The good news is that I’m starting to get Lucy’s toys more organized. The bad news is that I’ve still got a long way to go.
The good news is I resisted buying all kinds of junk food at the store this morning. The bad news is I caved when Adam put a box of mini-donuts in the cart.
Have your own good news and bad news to share? Go right ahead! Sign up below {link to your POST not to your BLOG}, link back to this post {you can use the button if you’d like}, leave a comment below and have fun! You don’t have to format your good news/bad news the same way I do {but you can if you want to}.



<a href="http://www.domesticdork.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Domestic Dork" src="http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/hollyvangogh/goodbad.png" /></a>

Hello!

Sooooo...I'm in Ohio.

Wait, what?!

Yeah, I'm totally in Ohio. I couldn't tell you beforehand because my mom reads my blog {hi, Mom!} and the trip was a birthday surprise for her. Lucy and I flew in on Tuesday and will fly back to Alberta on Wednesday. So there will be no Good News/Bad News this week. I didn't bring my laptop with me and I don't have access to the files I need. But I'll be back soon and I'll tell you all about my trip!

Carry on!

Lucy is sick.
Tissues everywhere; they are her arch nemesis. Nose wiping is the new water boarding. She’s never been a naughty child, but boy, is she a snotty child.
Night time is no longer for sleeping. It’s for tossing, turning, whining and snoring. It’s also for keeping Mama awake.
A trip to the store is in order…vapor-rub, special nose-friendly wipes, anything that might make her feel better.
Nothing is getting done today. Why not? It’s not like I have things to do…oh, wait. I do.
*sigh*
Oh, well. I just hope she gets well soon.
Sick babies = heartsick mamas.

The good news?

• I’m bringing Good News/Bad News back {by request}!
• The weather has been beautiful!
• I have not yet killed my orchid that we bought a few weeks ago.
• Spring will be here soon.

The bad news?

• We all seem to be fighting off colds. Lucy’s got a pretty horrible-sounding cough in the mornings when she wakes up.
• Adam has test after test after test coming up.
• I saw the movie “2012” and can never get that time back.

Want to participate in "Good News Bad News?" It's easy! Just write your own "Good News Bad News" post. It can be a bullet list, or in any format that works for you. Link back here in the post. You can even grab the button below! Leave your link in the McLinky widget and a comment. That's it!



<a href="http://www.domesticdork.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Domestic Dork" src="http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/hollyvangogh/goodbad.png" /></a>

Today I’m asking a favor. Below are two blogs that I’d like you to visit. Give them a browse, leave a comment. Why? These lovely ladies participated in the Valentine’s Day Exchange, but didn’t receive a package. :( So let’s help make up for that by giving them some bloggy love!
Like My Baby is by Wendy. She is a mom to a toddler and a cancer survivor.
It’s a Hodgepodge Life is by Gay. She’s quite the crafter! She even has an Etsy shop!
If you still haven’t linked up your post for the exchange you can do that here.  A big thank you to everyone who participated!

All right, the poll results are in. The vast majority of those who voted want me to post more often, and to bring back “Good News/Bad News.” So I will. Check in on Sunday if you’d like to participate in “Good News/Bad News.” The votes for reviews and giveaways and the votes against were fairly close. So I plan to continue what I’ve been doing, which is to try to be picky about what things I review/giveaway and limit how often it happens. In fact I have an upcoming one I’m excited about from a business that specializes in kids bedding, toys, and games. I also am trying to put together some fun stuff for later this month to celebrate MS Awareness Month.
Thank you so much for your input. You can look forward to more regular posts from now on.
Also, how ‘bout that Canadian men’s hockey team, eh?!