Halloween Party on the East Coast

Now just who is trippin'...the photographer, the subject or the viewer....or all three?

Its All Over But the Hurtin...

Well, my costume last night was a smash....I became known as the sex book...which was fine with me. I went as Yosh Taguchi's Private Parts: a Doctor's guide to the male anatomy.

There were a lot of cool costumes there such as my friend R.'s costume - he was a skier in regular ski garb, but he had "impaled" himself with a ski pole through one shoulder and out the other side of his body. Another cool one was the gal from the cream cheese commercial, you know, in the fluffy clouds...she even brought her own philly...Another cool one who stayed in character most of the night was a gal wearing overalls from Nova Scotia Power who had done her makeup to look like she had obviously electrocuted herself...that was groovy.

Of course, there was the standard collection of witches, devils, and vampires. There were a couple of costumes that people weren't able to guess who the person was inside.

And then there was the music. There were a couple of gals there who had great vocals and both played amazing accoustic guitar, regardless of how drunk they got, ha ha. There was also a guy with a cool voice who belted out a number of Tragically Hip songs. The girls did some Fleetwood Mac, some Sarah McLaughlin, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, and other songbirds. I loved it!

And then there was the time the Amazonian sized blond (guy in disguise) was wrestling on the floor with the little guy dressed up as some local person, Handy...the blond outweighed him by a good 60 pounds or more, ha ha.

so hats off to my friends S. and S. who threw a fabulous party, and I hope to party with you folks all again sometime soon. Enjoy the book, S...I thought you might need it.

moving limbo

That's where I'm at. The movers are here today to pack and will return on Monday to load. I have moved into the back bedroom, but with everything packed, will I even want to stay here? That shall remain to be seen. I don't want to have to crash in on my friends until the very last moment, so will likely stay here, surrounded by packed boxes. The movers are out having a smoke right now, but they seem to know what they're doing and as hard as it is for someone with OCD tendencies, I am keeping my mouth mostly shut...

The cats seem to be enjoying it, particularly Stormy...all that crinkling paper, ever changing landscape of the rooms, and boxes to jump into and on...as long as he doesn't get packed...it will be a long dry run to the north for him...heh heh.

Well, I should probably go and get busy...or at least look busy...

Full Deck, so to speak

I like the way this person thinks, HAR, HAR! Got me ROARING again :-) Not that I condone violence, of course, ahem...

Wednesday ramblings

Home this afternoon from work, not feeling too great, just an ordinary FM flare-up is all though. I never know when the flares will come or when they will leave. The weirdest body parts have more pain than others...my thumbs, my elbows and my hips. Weird shit.

anyhow, being home, I am making lists of things I have left to do before I move. The list is still quite long, even though I have been busy for weeks. I think once the movers arrive and get my things off, I will feel a little less overwhelmed.

There's the Halloween party to look forward to though, this Saturday night. I have my costume made and it looks pretty good...pics will follow after the weekend as it is top secret until then, HAR, HAR.

Ok, time to go lay down...am on call at 4:30pm...

Loyalty in Marriage?

A woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day.

One day, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears,

"You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times.
When I got fired, you were there to support me.
When my business failed, you were there.
When I got shot, you were by my side.
When we lost the house, you stayed right here.
When my health started failing, you were still by my side... ......You know what?"

"What dear?" she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.

"I think you're bad luck, get the fuck away from me."

Time Is Ticking!

Ok, its pissing rain, but at least I got lots of stuff done today. Laudry, organizing crap, throwing crap out, changing out beds, etc. Before I know it, Saturday will be here and the movers arrive to pack it all up. I have moved myself into the spare room so I can put all of my things that DO NOT get packed into there. Lets see how many times I have to tell them not to go in there.

The count is on for work too...just 15 days left of work, yahoo! I have been wrapping up my caseload but it hasn't been easy, particularly with 2 open positions not filled yet.

This time next month I will be already started at my new job...how weird is that. The job I have now is the longest I've spent doing any job. I just hope I enjoy my new job as much as I've enjoyed this one. WHO SAID THAT? Well, maybe enjoy is too strong a word...how about appreciated the challenge...

Dammit I am sick of this rainy weather...but of course, it could be worse...it could be snow.

What Are Social Workers?

A gal I went to university with sent this along to us today...

A mugger with a gun confronts a social worker. The mugger yells, "Your money or your life!" "I’m sorry" the social worker yells, "I’m a social worker, so I have no money…and no life."

Social workers, like most teachers, don’t make much. Or do they?
Social workers make an infertile couple celebrate a lifetime of Mother’s Days and Father’s Days by helping them adopt a baby addicted to cocaine that no one else wanted.
They make a child fall asleep every night without fear of his father’s fists.
They make a homeless veteran feel at home in the world.
They make a boy with Down syndrome feel like the smartest kid on the bus.
They make a beaten woman find the courage to leave her abuser for good.
What do they make?
They make a 10-year-old believe that he is loved and wanted, regardless of how long he lasts in the next foster home.
They make a teen father count to 10 and leave the room so he won’t shake his newborn son.
They make a man with schizophrenia see past his demons.
They make a rape victim talk about it for the first time in years.
They make an ex-convict put down the bottle and hold down a job.
What do they make?
They make a couple communicate so well they decide not to get divorced.
They make a dying cancer patient make peace with her past, with her brief future, with her God.
They make the old man whose wife has Alzheimer’s cherish the good times, when she still remembered him.
They make forgotten people feel cherished ugly people feel beautiful, confused people feel understood, broken people feel whole.

What do they make?
They make more than most people will ever make,
They make a difference.
Exceptional PEOPLE, Exceptional CARE

Back To Work Blues

Well, if anything, going back to work again today has led me to believe I made the right decision in leaving to go to the Yukon. Sad isn't it. No one reason, just a lot of shit going down in the workplace that I'm sure glad I don't have to deal with it much longer. Not that there won't be the same kind of shit to deal with at a new place, but it will be DIFFERENT SHIT.

I was called off today by a supervisor/director/whatever in the hell he calls himself for using a word improperly, a simple stupid thing, it was entirely childish. He is with another agency, thankfully, but so ridiculous. And then he ended the email with a spelling error. Gawd. And it was a truly easy word..."remember" was spelled "remembar". For pity's sake. And he had the nerve to say that my grammar was an indication of my social work skills...sheesh.

They had a fire drill today, but yet the fire department did not show up and they are located a block away. WTF? Shouldn't they attend? After all, it is a FIRE drill. I am surprised that the maintenance joke who pretends to look after our building didn't pick a nice rainy day to do it on, so kudos to him for a change. I wanted to stay at my desk as I figured it was just a drill but the fire marshall??? on our floor (seriously, that's what she called herself) drove me out.

In any event, I am glad to be wrapping up my last weeks here and move on to new business. I will miss some of my co-workers, though, and hope they try to keep in touch.

ahhh...tomorrow is another day, and a Friday at that...how bad can it be?

Still Alive

Yup, still here, just in case my readers (both of you) are interested. I had an ultrasound and a chat with my surgeon (since when did I have a surgeon?) and he thinks I passed a small calf gall stone on Monday night...ah, that would explain the pain, yes, that would, indeed. I have heard from others just how awful passing any kind of stone is through a body part not designed to carry it. And no others showed up on my scan, so he figures that was it for stones, however would like yet another blood test (I'm beginning to feel like a pin cushion - 5 sticks and tomorrow makes six in just a few weeks if you count injections).

so I guess I am going back to work tomorrow after all, yay! Not that I missed it that much, but it sure is lonely out here, heh heh. As well, I do have a lot of loose ends to tie up before moving, including packing up my office before next weekend as the movers are coming then.

Here's to good health in my near future! And here I thought I would never have the opportunity to get up close with "the stones"...

Recouperation Sucks

So I can't go back to work tomorrow...a few minor complicatons possibly from surgery, so I have to have another test tomorrow. ARRRGGGHHH. Not that I'm running back to the office, but I am getting tired of being at home and definitely ready to be feeling better.

The cats seem to be enjoying my leisure time at home though as they drape themselves around me all day.

I still have plenty of movies to watch, that is if I could focus without becoming nauseaus. Isn't recouperation grand?

on the bright side, I spoke to HR at my new place of employment about my expected take home pay. Let's just say I was happy. Now all I need is to be well enough to move!!!

Sigh...be afraid, be very afraid

now, I'm one who avoids politics when I can...particulary those involving George Dubbya...but this was hilarious, IMHO

Donald Rumsfeld is giving George W. Bush his daily briefing and tells him that 3 Brazilian soldiers have been killed in Iraq. George says "that's absolutely terrible" and is at a loss for words. He holds his head in his hands for several minutes, obviously terribly upset.

His staff are amazed at his reaction and the whole room is silent. Finally George lifts his head and says "Exactly how many is a Brazillian?"

Men Are Just Happier Creatures

sent to me this morning by my father...

What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.

You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache..You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minu tes.

No wonder men are happier

Stormy, The Evil One

Yes, he can be very evil...pounces on Via constantly, and chases her away from the food. Just can't seem to leave her alone, a real shit disturber...but boy he is cute and such a cuddler. He has a teddy bear, a little Breast Cancer Support beanie bear with a pink ribbon on its neck. He drags that little bear around the house, usually keeping it nearby and beating the shit out of it when he can.

He reminds me of a miniature panther, with his sleek coal black coat.

right some handsome he is...

Holy Shit It's Friday

and?

• my neice called me last night. She's six and in grade one. It was a cute conversation, and believe it or not we chatted for about 20 minutes, non-stop. What a cutie
• the non-resident teen aka mbd (my beautiful daughter) is changing her living accomodations and situation. She will be moving out by month's end to a place of her own, well, a room in a rooming house across from Dalhousie University. It's a change, and I hope for what will be positive as new worlds open up to her
• I am still on sick leave. And I am sick of it. Well, not actually, I am enjoying NOT being at work, but not the whole SICK part. I am getting better but I feel like its slower than what other people who have had a similar procedure tell me. So, not sure why that is. In any case, I am due back to work on Wednesday. I think I'll be ready for that, but not much sooner.
• I bought a new coat yesterday in Antigonish at, you guessed it, Cotton Ginny. Sorry, I am addicted. That's why it costs me so much to go to the doctor...they are in Antigonish. Its corduroy, which I love. I'll be able to wear it as soon as I get to the Yukon.
• the sun was out today, but it was CHILLY and for the first time this fall, I was cold. I even closed the windows.
• the movers are coming on the 29th to pack up my stuff. That is just two weeks away. Holy shit.
• I made fudge tonight. It's for my friend's housewarming party tomorrow night. I may have to make ANOTHER batch fudge for tasting...
• Stormy is getting huge. See a new pic in the next post...

Spelling is not as important as we think...

Olny srmat poelpe can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I wasrdanieg.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig toa rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in wahtoredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is tahtthe frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit aporbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter byistlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Wednesday Funny

"If only my wife was this dirty"

Now, ladies...find yourself a van and seek retribution...write something just as nasty about a man...

The Many Ways Aliant Can Screw Up

Well, I have certainly rattled on about Aliant, the phone company, before...they always seem to find new and exciting ways to screw things up. As my regular reader(s) know, I am moving in a few weeks, and so as I have done many times before, I organize things ahead of time...today was when I decided to call Aliant and tell them when to stop my service, at the end of the month. Seems easy right? Simple even...I called them, spoke to "Wendy" and made things crystal clear for miss Wendy. We even chatted casually about the move, and she mentioned having been there a few years ago, and that she has friends still living there who own property rentals...hmmmm...can you hook me up...so she knew full well I wanted the phone disconnected at the end of the month. Well, about 20 minutes later I went to use the phone again, this time to call the power company and advise them of my move...no dial tone. WTF???

I just knew it was yet another Aliant fuck up so I went to my neighbors and called them. They dialed my number and it played a recording that my number had been disconnected. WTF??? So she checked her program, it clearly stated I scheduled disconnect for the end of the month. so what happened??? She called the programmers and someone who took the order beyond her deleted my service. Ok, stop fucking around and put it back on. Moments later it was on. Phew. They even offered me $25 credit for my troubles. Great! Incidentally, they also asked me why I was paying for Internet Call Manager without an internet service...HUH? I informed dear Wendy that I indeed had internet service and had been using it daily. Well, its not showing up here, so how about we do nothing and you get it for free. Fine with me...

About an hour after that, my mother went to use the phone...no dial tone once again. I was livid. So I went to my neighbors once again and called Aliant. Sorry about that ma'am, I will talk to the programmers and see whats going on. She did, they screwed up yet again, but no offer of another credit. Gee Wendy, your credit is getting used up if I have to keep doing this...

So here I am, just an hour or so later with the phone still working...I am scared to call the power company...

This is Who I Will Miss The Most

My delightful daughter...in just one month I will be moving to the other side of the country from her for who knows how long. I took this pic the last time I took her out for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Swiss Chalet.

sigh...I'm bored

It's day 6 of my 14 day sick leave and I'm already bored. I think part of it is that I don't feel well so am limited to what I can actually DO. I have been spending the time mostly watching television or dvds. I should be reading but reading in bed often puts me to sleep, and I'm not comfortable sitting up in a chair for long...belly hurts. So I lounge in my bed, next to this trusty laptop, feeling lazy and unproductive. And who decided to put caffeine in Tylenol 3...and for what reason? I take it to feel better, but it keeps me up all night, so I end up being tired the following day instead of well rested....ARRRGGGHHH.

I know, perspective, perspective...people are dying or dead following the tragedies of the week...mudslides, hurricanes and earthquakes. Its devastating and I simply cannot watch any more of it, its so depressing. This year has been riddled with natural disasters...the only thing I haven't heard about is a cyclone...

The weather doesn't help...I had planned on doing some painting in watercolor while off but its been pissing down rain since Friday, continuously. They say its rain from all those hurricanes. Whatever, I am sick of it.

My daughter was down for the weekend and it was a good visit, even with the scrap in the kitchen over cooking and territory...ha ha ha...but now I miss her...

Sheesh I'm feeling cranky. Show me the cheese and I'll continue to whine...

Tales From the Sick Bed

I'm still alive. I've had a few visitors, my friends A and M, and my daughter who is now visiting for the holiday weekend. The resident felines have been constant, sometimes annoyingly so when they begin to fight with each other, using my body as the battle ground...they usually feel the hard floor shortly into those battles...

I'm sore. Of course the incisions are tender to touch, but after that surgeon was rooting around in there for my gall bladder, my insides feel very raw too. Like I had been kicked in the stomach from the inside.

I've done a bit of reading, a bit of surfing the net and a whole lotta dvd watching. I love this laptop.

It's been terribly hot and humid here though...29C with the humidex yesterday. YUCK. Where in the hell is fall? The leaves are turning, but we seem to be stuck with the heat this month. Dammit.

I'm not up and about much, as when I do get up, I feel worse, so slink back to my sick bed...sigh...

Thank God The Knife Didn't Slip

well, it's all over but the healing. Surgery went well enough today, although the surgeon informed me that it was a close call for the old type incision, the one that would have put me off work for 6 weeks. Doc told me my gall bladder was hiding a little in the folds of the liver...whatever. All I know is that its over and done with, just have to heal.

I was extremely uncomfortable when I first woke up, but after some thrashing and complaining, they gave me enough drugs to make me comfortable again. Got some to take home, but not near as strong.

so now I am on 2 glorious weeks of sick leave...I am so glad about that. I needed a break from work, and my parents are visiting, so I can spend lots of time with them.

ok, starting to fade...time to get to sleep before my mother catches me on the computer...I'm only 38, lol!

Tuesday Tidbits/Timbits/Titbits/WHATEVER

• I am now officially on sick leave. I hope the surgery goes ok...it would suck if I have to stay in the hospital...I am not a pleasant patient...
• my parents moved my dish drainer to the other side of the sink and it has thrown my sense of familiarity off. I go out into the kitchen and it feels like someone else's kitchen. All because of a dish drainer. Isn't that truly sad?
• my daughter is coming to visit for Thanksgiving this weekend and she is going to cook Thanksgiving dinner, with help...her first time!
• the cats have gone insane tonight, particulary the kitten...racing through the house like a psycho
• I don't have to even think about work until October 19th
• what in the hell am I gonna do if I die tomorrow...heh heh...not much, just be dead...sheesh, that's a little morbid. I think I'll go watch something funny on tv to balance out...

Doctor's Orders...I WISH!

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will situps help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing situps if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO . Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feelgood food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting inshape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways Chardonnay in one hand chocolate in the other body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, Its Been a Hell of a Ride!"

I've Been Invaded

by a bunch of seniors...my parents and my sister's in-laws are here for the week, coming and going. They are touring the area and visiting relatives. For the most part they look after themselves, but boy does it make a difference having 4 extra people in the house after I have lived on my own for a while. They are out for the afternoon, so I took the opportunity to clean up the shack a little. They are here until Tuesday, when the in-laws retreat, then my parents will be picking me up at the hospital on Wednesday and staying with me for a week perhaps.

they spend their evenings playing cards, cribbage, etc and talking. I escaped last night to my friends A & R's house. When I returned, it was only my ma up. This morning I got up and made them bacon and homemade waffles, which were a big hit.

Time is getting short...this is my last month in this house...hope to move out by the end of the month if I can...gotta get those movers sorted out first...