Day 9: The news

Tell us why you do or don't watch your local news.

To be honest, the news does not interest me. I read the newspaper headlines everyday and if something catches my attention, I will read the article. I do not sit down and watch the news.

That being said, I watch the sports news daily. When I am getting ready in the morning, I usually have SportsCentre on in the background. My homepage on my internet browsers is TSN. I am very up to date on what is happening in the sporting world. This is simply because it interests me. I am a huge fan of sports and like to keep myself informed on what is going on.

Day 8: Collections

What do you collect? What do you collect? Do people's collections bother/annoy you?

I actually don't collect anything. I used to collect polar bear items as they are my favourite animal but have since stopped as I'm trying to reduce the amount of stuff that I own. While it doesn't bother me that other people collect items, it is not something that I avidly do.

Day 7: First Day of High School

How was your first day of High School? Get locked in a locker? Sit by the cute and popular guy at lunch? Were you nervous? Did you get lost trying to find your classes?

My first day of high school was in 1999 - over ten years ago - but I still remember it pretty well. I remember that I was both excited and nervous. I was going to a new school where I knew no one - I had switched from the public school board to the Catholic school board to begin Grade Nine - and was ready for a fresh start. I didn't have a positive experience in Elementary/Middle School so I was ready to be free of the people I had started Kindergarten with and begin a new path.

One of the things that really stands out from my first day in Grade Nine was my Grade Nine music class. I had played the flute starting in Grade Six so I was really excited for this class. I remember sitting in the middle of the class and two girls turning around and introducing themselves to me - Ashleigh turned out to be my best friend until Grade 11 and Amanda and I are still friends to this day.

Day 6: Words Matter

If you had to eliminate one word or phrase from the English language, what would it be? Why?

Totally. I absolutely hate that word. Are there circumstances where it is warranted or even required? Yes. However, in certain situations when I hear people say "That was totally awesome!" or "Yeah, she totally loves it." SHUT.UP. You sound like a moronic, valley girl. It's annoying, and yes, people judge you.

Day 5: Blogging

Why did you create a blog? What did you hope to get from it? If you could change one thing about your blog, what would it be?

I have been blogging for almost ten years so the reason that I created a blog has been completely lost on me. I've been on and off with my blogging relationship since I got my first Blurty. Since then, I have moved to a number of different blog hosts - LiveJournal, Blogspot, and my own site that has been hosted for me.

Obviously, I am a fan of my own site the most (although, I wish it would work for me!). It's been great to have my own control over everything within it and not have to deal with ads. I'm looking forward to it getting up and running again (with a new host) and even getting a custom layout on it.

Day 3: The Morning Routine

If I don't do/have this in the morning, it offsets my entire day!

I'm all for that extra five minutes of sleep in the morning, so I tend to do a lot of things at night. For example, I shower and blow dry (sometimes even straighten) my hair at night. I pick out my clothes for the next day (even if it's just mentally), I (usually) pack my lunch the night before or at the very least plan for it. Basically, I try to get everything done the night before so I am not rushing in the morning.

My morning routine is very typical when I have to work. I get up, go to the washroom, brush my teeth, put my contacts in, listerine, and wash my face. Then I get dressed and do my makeup (should I choose to wear some that day). After that, I plug in the kettle and wait for my Green Tea while I make my lunch. Then I'm out the door! There's no time for me and dawdling in the morning. Most of the time, I eat my lunch in my car or on my walk to work.

It's simple and basic and the way that keeps me functioning.

Day 2: The 2011 To-Do List

Is there anything specific you would like to accomplish this year? Where are the places you would like to visit? What do you hope to check off your bucket list?

When I made my 2011 goals, I made sure that they were things that I actually wanted to accomplish. Being healthy both physically and financially are two things that I would really like to accomplish this year. With that being said, there are also a number of things on my Day Zero list that I would like to accomplish. While I still have two and a half years to accomplish the things on my Day Zero list that are on there, these are what I would like to accomplish this year:

* Get into Teacher's College
* Learn basic sign language
* Exercise three times a week for two months
* Purchase a pair of TOMS shoes
* Attend a NHL Playoff Game
* Go to NYC and/or take a roadtrip the the Western Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia)
* Make one new recipe a month for a year
* Read the Bible

These are in addition to my goals for 2010 of living a healthier lifestyle and being more financially responsible. While it seems like a lot, I believe that I will be able to accomplish these goals (and maybe more!).

I'm looking forward to this year and the journeys that it has in store for me.