redrose85 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Last day before work tomorrow. Long weekend has gone by fast! I plan on going for another long walk today and bringing my camera again. My older brother was teasing me, saying "who uses cameras anymore? That's what phones are for!" I agree, but I feel guilty just letting my camera that I saved up for and did a ton of research on, just sit in a drawer. That said, the camera on my work phone (iPhone) probably works better Next week is the same as this past week, in that the stat is on a Thursday. I think I am going to request Friday off and have another 4 day weekend. I'd like to tackle the laundry room. I figured I'd paint a wall or two, put up some shelves, and then later on I'll buy a laundry tub. Pinterest is a dangerous thing... Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 I'm addicted to Roseanne right now and I am convinced I married a skinny John Goodman. Jackpot We have a couple of streams in the yard right now, which has got me thinking that I need a duck. I've always wanted one, and we have space for one... plus chickens. Alex is being all frugal now that we spent a bunch of $$ and he is gearing up to pay off his student loan before the new year, so everything is on hold, which has me a little frustrated because I am nesting in my new home darnit! *patience* Link to comment
Fudgie Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Chickens for eggs? Will you get the chicks in the spring? That's when we get ours here. My family has chickens and we will get more chicks in the spring. The current flock is "spent", very hold. I will miss the old hens but I am ready for the chicks. Hopefully you guys can swing that in the spring! New year! Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Chickens for eggs, yes My brother and his girlfriend have some chickens for eggs and they said as long as they have a henhouse/coop, they're fine. I don't think chickens will be in 2015. This will be the year of our new garden and possibly a greenhouse...after that, a coop and some laying hens. I also plan on getting a machete and cleaning up a trail and some of the brush by the fence. We just have so much we can do, really. Annoying to take all the money and pay the student loan off with it, but that's been the goal, and we'll save $250.00 per month on his payments now, and we can pay down my loan faster to boot. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Yeah, we have a little coop for the chickens. They are not truly free range (no fences) because we have foxes and coyotes in the area and those chickens would be long gone! So they have a coop and a little fence with some chicken wire. They are very happy and they roost inside the coop. The coop also has little straw lined boxes and they do all the laying there. My sister collects the eggs and she doesn't have to go inside! She just opens a small hatch to reveal the backs of the boxes and she gets the eggs there. I feel a little bad when a chicken is being "broody" over her egg (and there is no rooster, so it's just an egg) and I have to push and get under her and take it. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Silly question maybe, but do the chickens ever fight you for the eggs, or are they pretty docile? And you said you had chicks... do you have a rooster or just purchase the chicks to replenish the stocks? That's a good idea, being able to get the eggs from the hatches at the back. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 They are pretty docile, really. They are English red hens so I believe their temperament is a bit more mellow. I sometimes go "shoo" and they usually move so I can get the eggs. If one is being broody, I just stick my hand under her and grab the egg. She will sometimes cluck and complain but I haven't had injury. No rooster. Just chicks. I don't know how they make them so they are all females but they are and that's what we wanted. We've had our birds for several years and they are just about spent. More chicks in the spring! And then we won't get any for several more years until those are spent. Coops can get pretty rank so I think having a little hatch in the back is a must. You can run out in your robe and slippers if you want, grab the eggs from a non messy hatch, and back inside. No poop or mess involved. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 ^ Yep, that sounds ideal. I think I'd like some of those cool polish frizzle hens They're so fluffy! Alex applied for a new job today *fingers crossed!* It would be a substantial increase in pay and he would have a team to work with, as opposed to being all by himself. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Those are very cute! Just be sure that you are satisfied with the egg size of the breed you choose. Also, if you have too many eggs, they are great gifts to friends and family. Fresh eggs! People will go nuts! Good luck to Alex! Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 In general, to qualify for maternity leave or parental leave benefits, you must have completed a certain amount of time with a company (except in British Columbia, New Brunswick and Quebec which do not have minimum time requirements). link removed I did not know this! Link to comment
Seraphim Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Absolutely ,you have to work a number of hours to qualify for maternal and paternal benefits. I don't know what it is now for Ontario but I believe when I had my son you had to work a minimum of six months. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 According to Service Canada you need to accumulate 600 hours of insurable earnings within the qualifying period. link removed Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 According to Service Canada you need to accumulate 600 hours of insurable earnings within the qualifying period. link removed Ha! I knew there had to be more to it.I've been here about 2.5 years, think I'm good. Alex wouldn't if he is getting a new job. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ha! I knew there had to be more to it.I've been here about 2.5 years, think I'm good. Alex wouldn't if he is getting a new job. Yes, it's covered under EI. So there are qualifying requirements. Also too I believe you only get 60% of your salary. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Yes, it's covered under EI. So there are qualifying requirements. Also too I believe you only get 60% of your salary. I think it's more like 55%. Yech. I think our NYE plans are going to go up in smoke. Alex caught what our silly friend brought to the house on Saturday "I'm not contagious anymore" he said. Right. Poor Alex is so sick he's requested Nyquil, chicken soup, and crackers. Only the very sick Alex wants medicine. Link to comment
Fudgie Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I'm in the US and at my workplace, short term disability and maternity leave (which is processed as a short term disability claim) gives you 60% of pay. It doesn't sound like much and I don't know how it works in Canada but here, that 60% is not taxed. So no money comes out of it, which is good. I was on short term disability over a month and yeah, it was less than I normally make but not by much. I wasn't going out and having "fun" expenses during that time since I was in recovery, so it worked out okay. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 It's something like max $590 per week. Big purchases from this year aside, we're not big spenders. I'm not really worried about the financial side of things. I was on my way home tonight when whatever Alex has started to hit me. I felt like I was going to fall asleep at the wheel! I've been couch-bound, watching movies and tv shows since 6 pm. Darn. I was really hoping to get back to the gym tonight. I feel soooo fat right now. Link to comment
Circe Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 It's the same thing for my PhD scholarship (which is $670 a week) - if I'd been enrolled in the PhD for a year before maternity leave - I'd have gotten several months of the scholarship during maternity leave. I don't qualify and knew I wouldn't qualify if I fell pregnant straight away. But not worried - if anything I suspect our expenses will go down next year because we won't be going out as much. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 ^ Exactly. We go out fairly often, knowing that could change in a heartbeat. I've still been struggling with a.m. nausea, so I took Zantac last night before bed to see if maybe it's an acid problem. I also took Nyquil. Big mistake. Nausea is on hyperdrive this morning. I didn't even eat anything that could leave my stomach upset. I had applesauce and a banana with mint tea for breakfast, butternut squash soup with some pretzels for lunch (a Dixie cup serving) and chicken and rice soup with kale salad and soda crackers for dinner. I did have some chocolate throughout the day, but nothing more than usual. Thank goodness for ginger ale. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 We did end up having our NYE party and it was great! Some of us hung out at the fire for most of the night while others stayed inside but we all gathered in the kitchen to toast the new year with some 2003 Dom perignon that was a wedding gift. Then I got sick as a dog from overdoing it and Alex totally went into super husband mode. I've been thanking him all day! Hoping that 2015 brings you all your hearts' desires Link to comment
redrose85 Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Enjoying my bonus paid day off today. I didn't take my birthday off this year and I was told the other day that I needed to take it by Feb 30, so I got permission to have today off... another 4 day weekend I went to Chapters and got four books! I meant to only get one, but I have a Visa gift card anyways. I got two more Buckshaw Chronicles books and two Gillian Flynn books. I've never read Gone Girl, but it seems like something I'd like. I also bought a big beautiful salmon fillet and it's marinating with pesto sauce...can't wait to nom on that. Link to comment
hers Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Feb 30?? Am I missing something? Haha How are you both feeling? Link to comment
redrose85 Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 End of Feb LOL. Clearly, not up to snuff. I am stuffy and a bit coughy and oh so sleepy... and Alex is absolutely miserable. He sounds like a sea lion. Poor guy. We got your Christmas phard (photo card) very cute. Thank you! Link to comment
redrose85 Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 My good friend sent me a text late last night. Her "auntie" had a massive stroke on NYE and they took her off life support last night. She was such a kind lady-- kind of like a little bird with a kind of a direct, self-assured attitude. To the point, but never mean or unpleasant, just honest. She reminds me a lot of my stepmom actually, or vice versa. May she rest in peace. I've just been loafing around. I put Christmas away, and I've finished reading Gone Girl already. I got totally absorbed in it! I am not thrilled with the ending, but the rest of the book overshadowed that. We've reached this steady rhythm of slowly doing chores/lazing around. I packed all the Christmas stuff away and Alex hauled it downstairs and made us lunch. I did the dishes and he is doing the laundry. Domestication at its finest. I'm also doing some writing. I'm trying not to get into my usual "I have time off, I should do ALL the things" because then I wind up at work on Monday morning, wishing I had taken some time to do nothing. I feel like I am well and truly on vacation right now. Link to comment
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