Yay! We made it to another year!
So I think most people who will be reading this already know this, but I came home for Christmas! I was trying to surprise all my friends, so I was not telling them that I was coming home. Anyways, my mom was talking to some of my friends parents and she did not tell them not to say anything, so some of my friends found out that way that I was coming home. And then my mom posted on one of my facebook statuses "See you in a few days" and some of them found out that way I was coming home. So I got home and waited around for a few days in my house so that I would be able to surprise them all at a Christmas party. When I arrived at the party, I had my video camera out and was ready to get everybody's surprise on camera. But they were all expecting me. Nobody was surprised. I was holed up in my house for 4 days for nothing. Oi Vay. I did surprise one friend, Bridget. She did not have a freaking clue I was coming home. Small victory! Next time I am trying to surprise people though, I will not let my mom in on the plans. Sorry mom!
Christmas went well. Had a lazy day with the family and an awesome prime rib for dinner. I got the new Victoria's Secret coat that I have been asking for since forever! It's so cute! My sister and I got my dad a new pair of snowshoes (Ha, almost wrote snowhoes, that would be fun too, I suppose). Hopefully these will last awhile! Erica and I made my mother a recipe book that was a compilation of all the recipes she's received from her friends over the years. She started crying! So cute and unexpected! But it's always nice to see a gift well received. The four of us also got a kind of miner's headlamp for hunting. This was our Christmas photo after we finished opening gifts:
Attractive, I know.
The following week I underwent a major identity change, and I look more like this now:
That's me in the middle!
Yep! I'm a brunette again! I have been blonde for the last two years, but it was time for a change. For a number of reasons.
- Hated it when the roots grew in. It gave the whole secret away and therefore
- Hated upkeeping the roots and the price of it. Too much of a bother.
- Attracted TOO much attention in Japan. Always harmless attention, but too much of it (the final straw was when an old, drunk Japanese man came right up to my face in a convenience store and was just pointing and staring at me and saying cute. I literally ran away).
So, no more blonde. I've joined the brunette force of the world. My Swedish friend will be disappointed, as will my friend Jacqui (but she just wanted to dye my hair really vibrant greens and reds and purples because my hair was so light). I kind of miss being a blonde, but I am THRIVING as a brunette! Even as I'm writing this though, one of my friends from Germany has commented saying he like blonde better. Too bad buddy!
I had a good New Years. From 2005-2009, I was only able to see 2 New Years. It was because of my own lack of control over alcohol consumption that I failed to ring in some New Years, so I take it very easy now on New Years. I make sure I get a good buzz on, and that is all! I like having fun with my friends, not praying to the porcelain god. Here is me during the last few hours of 2010 with my friend's sister Krista:
I don't know why, but I always seem to have lots of pictures of me in washrooms at Stag Does
I started work the following week. I only made it to 1 day of work though. I went in on the Tuesday, woke up sick on Wednesday (I was feeling sick for awhile, but I woke up feeling a lot worse that day), and Thursday through Saturday I was in Indianapolis, Indian at the Archery Trade Association! I went with my family and some of my dad's friends to promote Just Us Hunting and find product sponsors. And we got to meet somebody VERY special!
Jim. Shockey.
Yeah, that's me and Erica with Jim Shockey. No big deal, but he's a BIG DEAL! He's one of the biggest names in hunting television (and he's Canadian!). It was great. Erica and I walked up to him and Erica pulled out her business card and wrote him an autograph and she was pretty much telling him that he was super lucky to be able to meet us. And he totally went a long with it too (or maybe he thought he was lucky to meet us?). It was hilarious. I was super flustered and excited to meet him, so good thing Erica was there because I probably wouldn't have been able to make a complete sentence. We told him about Just Us Hunting and he told us to never give up, no matter what anyone says. Yay Jim! He also wrote on my autograph I got from him "Meet me up on the mountain!" So I'm pretty sure I'm invited to go hunting with him. Jim, if you're reading this, don't be surprised if you run into up on a mountain!
We saw lots at the trade show, met a lot of people and my mom won a free bow from Bowtech and hunting gear from Prois! She wasn't even going to enter the competition, but we finally convinced her too, and look what she got. Way to go mom!
Driving there and back wasn't much fun. I get carsick now very easily (I think it's because I was never really in a car in Japan). No vomiting or anything, but I do feel very nauseous. Not fun!
Went in to work again this week. I was still sick and today I had to call in another sick day. Sick day's suck. You don't get to do anything and you accomplish absolutely nothing. But, I think I am feeling better, so hopefully tomorrow I can go into work (and get the bird out of the basement. Yuck!) and then head to Waterloo this weekend to hang out with some friends (because I probably won't be able to see them for almost 5 months anyways. Fun times!
Speaking of bummed up knees (nice topic change). I went in to see a doctor when I got back into Goderich about my knee. He pulled and tugged on it and told me I stretched and strained a tendon above the knee cap. For the next two weeks my leg felt worse than when I went in. I went to see another doctor then and she pulled and tugged on it and told me all the ligaments in my knee were stretched out. And it feels even worse now. Note to self: doctors can cause pain. I hate it. I can't do anything. I want to be able to go for a run and actually do some exercise. But I have literally been sitting on my ass for 4 weeks. I WANT TO MOVE! This sucks! I'm going to see the doctor again next week and hopefully they will give me and actual answer. I really don't want to go back to Japan with a crap leg. Well, I really want to go back to Japan, I'm really pumped for it. But I don't want to be limping around everywhere while I'm there.
So let's all hope for the best!!!
Peace and Love!
