Slowing My Life Down

Well, my doctor is concerned about my blood pressure creeping up over the past few months, so I am off on a couple of weeks sick leave to see what we can do about it. I have been asked to "relax" at home and keep stress out of my life. Hmmm. How does one do that? Not being at work will certainly help somewhat as my job is certainly stressful...now if I could win a million bucks, I could get those student loan bastards off my back and begin the rest of my life. I'm also contemplating leaving child protection, finally. I've already been in longer than expected. The money is better, but at what cost to my health...there are options with the government agency I work for, so I am checking things out. In the meantime, I am looking for ways to relax...time to get out the paints, get back to my book, haul out my sewing/knitting/crocheting...and put my kayak in the water. All I need for that is for the ice to finally leave the lakes! My friend R. lives on Marsh Lake and I want to paddle there, but the lake is full of ice still...and here we are at the end of May... perhaps I should just take a lesson from my kitties...they always look so relaxed...

so I welcome all calls/emails/comments while I take it easy at home for a few weeks. I'm here!

Give A Mom A Break

Britney Spears has been in the news quite often lately due to what the public/press thinks is "bad parenting". Now, I am no Britney fan, but the press has been merciless, and I would love to see someone follow them around with a camera while they parented...no one is perfect, and I think it's time to cut the gal some slack. I mean, I can certainly compete with what the press/public seems to think is bad parenting by Britney...here are some of my less glamorous parenting moves...

- picture it, Amber is about 3-4 months old, in her Winnie-the-Pooh snowsuit, and I had just placed her in my backrack and thinking I was only going next door first to my SIL's, I didn't strap her in. I'm leaving the house and just as I go to shut the door, one of the cats gets in, and I don't want it in the house while I'm gone, so bend over to shoo it out...Amber shoots out of my backrack like a rocket, slippery snow suit and all, and crashes into the door frame. I scooped her up, ran crying to my SIL and she turned out to be just fine.

- I'm walking up over Lodge rock with Amber, aged 14 months, and she does a swivel trip, you know, where the kid is holding onto your hand and one foot slips, so they swivel around...only she lets go and falls flat on her face on the slippery rock, bashing her face off it...teeth go through her lip, and she is left with a permanent scar.

- car seats? I never owned one because we lived where there were no cars when she was little, however I did strap her into one a few times when I visited my mother. The seat was a second hand one, and not in great shape, and I'm pretty sure I didn't have it buckled into the car properly. I had her out in my parent's car dozens of times during my 5 week visit.

- Amber 12 months...I have a gate across the stairwell leading upstairs, and went up to use the bathroom, leaving her playing in the living room. She was nosey and followed me up while I was in the bathroom, opening the gate with ease (dammit) and took a tumble from the top all the way to the bottom. Again, fine, no injury, just screaming, mine and hers.

So does this make me a bad mother? Lacking in parenting skills? No. It only makes me human. Take a look at your own parenting before jumping to criticize others. I think the press has become altogether too intrusive into celebrities lives. Britney is a celebrity because of her singing...So report on that. That is enough. If I was Britney and had her money, I would hire private detectives to follow some of those paper's around, digging up dirt on them, and see how they feel. Better yet, document their every move and highlight it to the media...the photo in this post is what I think to be a terrible example of celebrity press. How would any of you appreciate having your frazzled times splashed all over the media?

bad paparazzi...

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

We were both glad to get the hell out of the car...we put 3560kms on the car in 6 days...phew! Amber slept most of the time, when she wasn't driving. I was too scared to sleep while she drove, as she nodded off a few times and I caught her, so didn't feel comfortable sleeping...bad experience in the past where someone else nodded off and we all ended up in the ditch...

The trip was pretty good, though we saw more rain that I would have liked and got wet one night in the tent. I slept in the hammock for our last night and slept like a baby...we saw dozens of animals, and none too close, so that was GOOD. Now comes the ugly task of clearing out the car again...what a mess...

I managed to get to my favorite clothing store while driving through Prince George - Cotton Ginny...and spent a hundred bucks I can't really afford, but I easily justified it because we don't have one here and I don't know when I'll be leaving the territory anytime this year. (that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

Now I have to think about going back to work on Monday...ugh.

Still Alive and Kicking Ass

just a few photos to carry you over until I return to the Yukon by Sunday...am camping in BC with the resident teenager, and having a pretty good time...enjoy our photos!

Settling In

So it would seem that McGee has settled right in here. He is checking out all areas of the home...including the top of the cupboards. Now THAT'S a vantage point. He has promptly let the other two felines know that he is in charge, but such a charismatic kitty. Stormy has settled right down, and plays with McGee constantly and finally has nearly stopped bullying Via. Her wounds are mostly healed, and the boys get along well...sometimes too well as they tear around the house in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes I turn on the light and catch the three of them on the railing to the loft upstairs (see past photo in this post) I figure someone's going off the edge at some point, it is just a matter of time. I'll try to get a snap of them on the edge...I even caught Via trying to shove McGee off the rail last week...she has become much more assertive these days, now that Stormy has backed the hell off. The boys have nail caps on the front paws and Via has them on the back paws. That should even them up and keep her from scratching her neck all up again.

They are all napping now...storing it up for later. McGee is a streaker...he got out twice now and I had to chase him into the forest. Stormy lurks around the door, but isn't as bold as all that. If I forget to close the door, he's out there, as is Via, however McGee looks for any opportunity. It's not safe to let the felines out here...too many large sled dogs, foxes, coyotes, eagles, bears, you name it...they would be gone in a flash.

My landlady and neighbor is cat sitting while we're away this coming week on our camping trip. Hopefully McGee doesn't streak on her!

I Wish You Enough

so I left out the soggy story (reportedly by Bob Perks), but I did like the general sentiment...enjoy...

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Arms of Steel (or not)

Day two of the canoe course has drawn to an end...and my arms didn't let me down again today, which is groovy...I thought for sure after the pain last night while I tried to sleep, that I wouldn't be able to do much today, but by the morning, the pain was mostly gone and I had no troubles all day, even when we nearly capsized into the frigid Yukon River, as it snowed down on us...

And you know what? Not once did I question what in the hell I was doing out icy waters in a canoe while it snowed and rained one me...I was either terrified, frustrated, or having too much fun today, and I even made it one down perfectly through the chute, which impressed both R. and I. I'm all about the adventure now...and Amber and I have decided to rent a canoe for a few days while on vacation next week, beginning on Saturday. Amber has her own story to tell about today...paddling and chatting with the charming instructor...who by his father's admission, is still single, lol...made for a more enjoyable ride when one can flirt...ahhh...youth, I remember it well...or do I?

This is a pic of the kind of canoe we were in today, made by Old Town.

I AM GETTING LUNCH DAMMIT

Well, it seems as though forces were conspiring against me today as I attempted to simply get some lunch while out to bring back to my office. It began when I started at Superstore to get a couple of things for home, and got into the express lane…so much for the express…while in the lane, I got thirsty and thought I would grab a bottle of ginger ale. They rarely have Canada Dry at the checkouts so I was excited to see one last bottle left in the cooler, and grabbed it. WTF? I took it out and it was frozen solid. Ok, so much for that. I proceeded through the checkout at a snail’s pace, never mind that the entire family of one of my cases was standing in front of me…and that two days ago that mom was screaming in my ear. Anyhow, I digress.

I thought I would simply stop at Tony’s Pizza, a local pizza place a co-worker had recommended for single slices. Only it wasn’t where I thought it was, so had to drive around a bit…still driving, I thought I would just call this co-worker (who is from the Yukon) and find out where Tony’s was. My cell phone had other ideas…network is busy…for all 4 attempts. As fate would have it, moments before I biffed the fucking cell phone out the window, I spotted Tony’s, and after several attempts to cross the road, got in there.

Tony has a different lunch menu for each day of the week and it was my poor luck that today they only offered slices of pizza in meatlover’s (the heart association choice), chicken supreme (included several items I am not particularly fond of) and cheese. WTF? What happened to plain old pepperoni pizza??? Or vegetarian pizza, I would have settled for that. Fine, I stomped out, unhappy and hungry and went in search of another pizza place that had been mentioned at work, Bocelli’s Pizza. Got there, got easily parked, and tried to open the door…CLOSED. WTF? It is 1:30pm in the afternoon, and the posted hours state they opened at 11am…well fuck me. I am hungry.

I noticed a mini-mart/bakery next door so thought I would just dash in there and at least get SOMETHING. Lo and behold, they also sell slices of pizza (I was bound and determined to get pizza today like some crazy animal craving). So I got two wrapped up and ready to go, got my ginger ale, and got the hell back to my office. The pizza tasted like cardboard and was quite skimpy on the cheese, but dammit, I HAD LUNCH.

"pop princess-turned-child services case file"

It's hard not to laugh when you see headlines like that, but there it was in LCD...

I know better than to believe most of the crap that comes out of Hollywood in rags like Us Weekly however, this one had me howling out loud with the descriptive language and labels, such as the above headline or these for example:

1. 8-month-old head-bonking high-chair-plunger-cum-SUV co-pilot Sean Preston
2. In Touch staked a claim in the womb sweepstakes
3. bun baking in her still-warm oven
4. all is well with the stork-awaiting spouses
5. she's digging deep into Federline's baggy he-capris and grabbing the purse strings, refusing to fork over the cash
6. she finally confirmed that she is once again carrying the fruit of Kevin Federline's underemployed and frighteningly fertile loins

I mean, come on, 'by, how can you NOT laugh? The press is being mean to her, but there is so much fodder for prose...

I Feel Like Such A Tool

Well, I was close to accusing the movers of stealing my scanner...I sold my old computer to a former co-worker and was positive I hadn't thrown in the scanner because I knew I wanted to use it to scan all my old photos, but yet when I got her, I couldn't find it. And my cabin isn't that big, so I couldn't figure out what in the HELL happened to it. I searched high and low, and no scanner, so was coming to the conclusion that the movers must have stolen or lost it...after all, where else could it be?

And then I looked into my grandfather's old black trunk...and lo and behold, there was my scanner...I hadn't looked in there because it was empty when it was at my house, save for a few papers and things I brought from Grand Bruit and I knew that I hadn't put it in there...apparently the movers decided to put it in there. I feel like such a tool...thankfully I hadn't called them to accuse...then I would have really made an ass of myself.

At least those fucking boxes are all gone now, thanks to my friend J. and her husband J. who came yesterday while I was out and dragged them all off to the dump for me. There was about 8 left, big ones, including a wardrobe...all filled with ice, snow and packing paper...(which was why I couldn't take them to the dump in my Echo...J has a truck).

and the resident teen has a job, beginning tomorrow afternoon at a farm...go figure! It is local, and she can walk/bike there, and something completely different from anything she has done before, so great place to start when you're looking for change in your life!

Settle or Die Alone

Well, it has been over 3 days since my daughter first arrived with her feline and things have settled down quite a bit. Initially there was hissing and growling all the time when one came near the other, but now the toms have settled right down and play with one another. Meanwhile, the Via has turned into psychobitch when either comes near her...hiss, spit, growl, and the paw snakes out to shred them. She will soon have to settle down or end up outside alone, heh heh...just kidding, would never put her out, poor little thing. She does seem to enjoy watching them play though. Who knows what is going through her head...(die die die).

McGee has been trying to make friends with psychobitch, but she is having none of that. He is such a good natured kitty, I think that's why Stormy has settled in with him so well.

The adults have been settling in with one another quite well. We have been into town a few times, shopping, and went out to dinner last night at Ricky's. Service sucked big time, but the food was good. We also went to the movies last night too and saw Robin Williams in "RV". It kindo f reminded me of Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation. Funny and ridiculous all at the same time.

Today we head out to a friend's house in Marsh Lake. The swans have left the premises though, but we might see a handful at best.

The Big Day Has Arrived

The former resident teenager is soon to arrive, and I am HYPED UP. I haven't seen her since mid November, our longest stretch apart ever. She has the first leg of the journey complete and as I write, is sitting at Pearson Airport, waiting for the next leg to load. She'll be flying on a jumbo jet to Vancouver then, and final leg is a jaunt from Vancouver to Whitehorse. I remember my journey here...it was even more broken up. She has a kitty too, so I'm sure MacGee will be ready to get OFF the plane as well.

It is very difficult to concentrate on work now because I am so excited, but I must return...coffee break (even though I don't drink the stuff) is over...